#and they screwed it all up because of huge egos

[blackknight-kai]

We need an S/O who’s just an enabler for Wukong; like someone who’s totally ride or die.

Oh we’re going to heckle the locals yaoguai? They’re down.

Beat up whoever we please? Yessir.

Be the celestials’ biggest pain in the ass? Hell yea.

[But there’s also that sweet potential angst there, your husband/best friend reincarnates to this totally different guy and you have no clue what to do with yourself.]

Yes, I love this! I’d be that person LOL. Like “oh you wanna go beat the shit out of some people? Cool get after it dude! Fuck ‘em up!”

But for real, I think Wukong having that would be amazing, not for everyone else of course but for him? Great. He’d be living his best life and his ego would be HUUUUUUUGE. This chaotic asshole would love having a partner in crime/someone to support him in his mischievous endeavors.

He’d be so happy too. Coming home after doing whatever it is and excitedly telling you all about it. He’d strut around preening like a peacock. At no point would he ever feel like he was without or that he was lacking in his relationship. If people try to bring him down? Yeah not gonna work because you had his back and he trusts you.

Seeing him so happy and confident would be the highlight of your day. He’s just so LOUD. You could never ignore him. You love your monkey way too much!

So when you see his reincarnation be the total opposite of everything he normally is really screws with your head. Sure he looks like Wukong, fights like him, and is goal oriented like him.

But hes quiet. Genuinely doesnt speak which is a huge contrast to the mouthy Great Sage you knew. Reserved. Hyper Focused. And honestly very closed off.

A bit cold too. You’d been so used to Wukongs warm loving self that this is just…difficult.

Destined One is hard to read. You dont see anything of the Wukong you knew in him for the longest time. It hurts. At first you wonder if you should just….part from him. Go your separate way and let him go on his path. It doesnt sit right with you though to do that. As painful as it is to be near someone who reminds you of the lover you’d lost so long ago. But you are determined to help him and determined to be there for him. Ride or die for life right?

One thing you realize though after spending time with him is that yeah, hes different but also, not that different. He’s still cheeky in his own way and mischievous. Just a bit more subtle about it. Clever. As you get to know him and he learns to trust you he starts showing his true colors. Cracks grins and smirks, the first time you caught his lip twitching you thought you were hallucinating. His tail swishes and flicks with his amusement and you can gauge his mood by how deep the frown on his face or how tense his shoulders and tail are. He plays familiar pranks, sometimes with new twists on them. Being a prankster definitely is in his genetics.

Instead of talking he uses grunts and sounds, you learn what each means over time. His eyes also speak volumes now that you’ve grown to know him. They always reveal his true feelings and damn do they always look at you with that familiar warmth you’d come to associate with Wukong. As he gains more power he also gains confidence. His walk had always shown confidence but now he moves with a surety that starts to match Wukongs. He’s coming into himself and you find yourself becoming just as enamored with him the more you learn about him. The day he gives you a handsome smile is a day you will remember because your heart skipped several beats.

You grow closer with him and realize just how similar he and Wukong are, the difference is that Wukong had many years on this monkey to build himself up. It’s only a matter of time for the Destined One to do the same. He even enjoys being close to you and often finds reasons to be near you/touching you. His tail is wrapped around you sometimes in that familiar way Wukong used to do, it makes your heart full and also ache. Sometimes he just does things, acts certain ways that are so reminiscent of Wukong. While other times he does something completely different and new. It keeps you guessing.

When he speaks for the first time it about knocks you over. His voice is the same……your chest pinches hard both with happiness and sadness because damn did you miss his voice. But also, you’re falling in love with the way HE now talks.

You dont push for more from him, unsure for the first time in your life. Because should you? What if he really IS someone totally different but has similar traits? What if he just needs to grow into ‘Wukong’ more? What if hes the same but doesnt feel the same for you?

So many questions run through your head.

But one thing is certain, be it Wukong or Destined One you will support the ever living shit out of whatever he wants to do. Regardless of where your ‘relationship’ stands because you love ‘them’ equally.

And when he finally regains Wukongs memories?

Well…..I’ll leave that brain nugget up to you reader 😊

[prying-pandora666]

Azula And The Tides: The Most Misread Scene in ATLA

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before:

“The tides scene shows how irrational and spoiled Azula is! She got lucky! She endangered her whole crew for her pride!”

Or any similar variation.

The only problem is it’s not even remotely close to true. Let’s talk about that.

Here is the scene in question for reference:

Seems pretty straightforward, right? I mean, the Captain warned Azula about the tides and she put her ego before reason and made the crew take a huge risk. Horrible leadership and narcissism on her part, right?

Except for one little detail.

Azula was right.

Remember in “The Storm” when Zuko demands his ship chase after the Avatar and his crew warns him that it’s a fool’s errand because they’ll surely perish in the storm? Zuko stubbornly insists his goals are more important than anyone else’s lives, including his Uncle, and demands they drive recklessly into the storm. Sure enough, the crew nearly perishes in the storm, just as predicted, and Zuko is humbled enough to even rescue his Lieutenant that he disrespected earlier in the episode.

I bring this up so we understand how ATLA sets up and then demonstrates its narrative cause and effect. It’s rather straightforward as, after all, this is being written to be inteligible to children.

So what happens with Azula’s ship when she demands they dock right away despite her Captain’s warnings?

The ship docks without incident or injury.

In fact, they dock stealthily enough that neither Zuko nor Iroh see Azula coming and she’s able to surprise them. How would this be possible if the Captain had been correct in his assessment and Azula had just been acting out of ego?

I’ve seen some people argue that Azula just got lucky, like a drunk person driving home in a car. Not that I expect the average person to have extensive knowledge about docking a ship, but it demonstrates a severe gap in knowledge of the subject matter. When it comes to the tides you cannot half-ass it. Either the tides are in or they’re not. Either they’re high enough or they’re not.

And if they’re not, what happens? The rocks you can’t see beneath the waves will shred your ship apart and you will get stuck or outright sink. Best case scenario, if by an act of divine intervention you avoided all the rocks, you’re still screwed because your ship is going to get beached and tip over. Especially with a ship of that size!

You cannot squeak by here. Even with all of our tech and modern day ships, if you don’t respect the tides, you’re going to have a bad time. There is no avoiding this.

It boggles my mind why people assume Azula is the one in the wrong here and not the Captain who is later shown to be so incompetent that he spoils the mission. He was talking down to her and she rightfully put in his place. Cold and ruthless as her method may have been, she was making it clear that she is not to be talked down to or to have her authority questioned. An important skill for a young leader. Look at the comparison with Zuko who couldn’t wrangle his men. They were about to mutiny and would’ve if Iroh hadn’t intervened! Azula has no Iroh to fall back on. She has to manage on her own. And she does! In this same episode we are shown that Azula is a perfectionist who can’t tolerate a single hair out of place. But somehow we are supposed to believe she is also reckless and incompetent? I don’t think so.

We also know that Azula canonically attended the Royal Fire Academy for girls. This wasn’t some preppy finishing school, it was an intense military academy with survival training so deadly that Rangi described having to eat worse than rats to make it out alive. We know Azula excelled in school. Why wouldn’t she know something as basic as how to read the tides? That’s seafaring 101.

Combine that with the fact that all their best naval officers probably perished at the North Pole and it’s easy to glean that this Captain isn’t exactly their A-Team.

So what IS the point of this scene if not to show Azula being irrational, egotistical, or incompetent?

Remember our comparisons to Zuko? The point of this scene is to show how much better and scarier of a leader Azula is. It’s a simple way to convey to the audience that unlike Zuko, Azula *can* and *does* command like a true military leader. She is therefor a more frightening and dangerous opponent for our heroes to face than the already dangerous Prince they’ve been battling since the previous season.

I don’t think this misinterpretation would’ve ever spread so far if some fans weren’t dead set on trying to tear down Azula for the simple crime of being better at things than fan-favorite Zuko.

And I say this as someone who adores Zuko.

[thedovesaredying]

Guardian of the Temple

König finds you alone in the jungle and decides to hunt you down for some entertainment. Unfortunately for him, the Temple Guard is still in the area.

A/N: Wanted to do something small for @ghouljams fun little König-killing event. This little story is based within an AU I'm working on currently - a crossover between CoD and Dinotopia - weird mix, I know, but trust me, I promise it works. Going to be a series of individual ships set in the same universe with Ghost, Soap, Gaz, Price, and Nikto.

Pairing: Ghost x F!Reader (he doesn't make an appearance)

Warnings: MCD (obviously lmao), Kinda Gorey??, König is a dick who has it coming.

Rating: SFW

Masterlist: WIP

If you were paying more attention than you wouldn’t be in such a situation.  

There’s an Outsider hunting you down, tainting the steps of the temple with his foul presence alone. You’ve been working for weeks to restore the ancient ruins enough for you to begin deciphering some of the forgotten runes. Just gaining access to the site had taken months of preparation, and it could all be thrown away because of this one individual.  

You’ve heard of him before, some crazy man who’s styled himself “King” after hunting down and killing a tyrannosaurus rex on his own. You’ve heard him lord the achievement over his underlings, having them worship him as if he’s some kind of warrior God rather than a mere man.

You were spotted while collecting water from a nearby river, and the terrifying mountain of a man had been quick to sprint after you, laughing like a complete madman. You’re by no means slow, but the man’s lengthy stride has him quickly catching up to you, his huge hand grabbing you by the back of your shirt.  

He throws you to the ground and you hit the stone of the temple hard with a loud yelp. You try to crawl away from him, but you’re unable to get your legs under you before you’re grabbed again. The man, and he’s definitely König from the signature hood over his face, forces you onto your back, pinning you to the floor with a heavy foot to your chest.  

“And who might you be, little bird?” His voice is heavily accented, but the amused sneer in his tone is easily recognisable, “the Rainy Basin is no place for such a small creature, did no one tell you what terrible creatures there are out here?” 

You grip at his boot, trying to shove it off you, but swiftly giving up when it doesn’t so much as budge. “What, like you?” you snap, scowling up at him.  

“Such a feisty thing,” he laughs, pressing down harder on your aching ribs, “are you certain you aren’t one of mine?” He pulls his axe from the side of his belt, resting the edge of the blade against your throat.  

Your disgusted face must be answer enough, because he continues, “do you know why they call me, ‘König’, sweet pet?” the cold steel of his blade presses dangerously against your chin, forcing you to keep your head raised and your eyes on his, “it’s because I killed the most powerful beast on this island, that so called “king” of the Scalies, you should mind yourself, girl.”  

“Really?” You ask, before adding, “because I heard you were a coward that killed a mother rex just trying to protect her babies.” You can’t help the way you spit it at him, scowling at his ugly hood, “you really think that makes you impressive? Killing mothers and babies to feed your own ego?” 

The monstrous man pulls back his axe, readying to separate your head from the rest of your body. You can only imagine how his face is screwed up in rage at the slight to his pride, and you can’t help but smile, for you know this will not be where you die. He swings his weapon down and there’s a sickening crunch as muscle and bone are split apart. But it isn’t you that wails in agony.  

It was his mistake, really, for thinking that the rex was the biggest, baddest king in the jungle. 

König’s body falls to the side in shock, his one remaining hand reaching up to fruitlessly try and stanch the bleeding where his shoulder now abruptly ends. He had mocked you so ruthlessly for your fear moments ago, but now, the man’s eyes have nearly been consumed by his frantic pupils. His legs kick out, trying to push himself as far away from the threat as possible.  

The giganotosaurus tilts its head back, allowing the man’s arm to roll down its gullet without needing to so much as chew once for the entire limb to be small enough for it to swallow it whole. Its eyes slowly track the trail of blood across the floor, before landing on the wounded human in question.  

Like a bird playing with an insignificant insect, it takes a step toward him, using its snout to roll the man across the stone, nostrils flaring at the potent scent of iron. You can see König torn between playing dead in the hopes of boring the animal and trying to make a run for it, but it seems to matter little in the end, for the theropod grabs him around the waist with its eight-inch teeth and begins to bite down.  

The man screams, and you have the less than pleasant privilege of listening as his agonised cries quickly turn into wet gurgling. The giga’s teeth are designed for slicing through meat to let their prey bleed out, but there’s very little meat on a creature as small as a human, and so it isn’t long before the Outsider’s body falls completely limp.  

The lifeless body is dropped to the ground where the lizard begins to crunch at the remains with its hind teeth.  

You stand on shaky legs, the adrenaline very quickly causing you to crash. With a sigh, you slowly slide down one of the nearby walls of the temple, resting your head against the cool stone and moss. After a few moments, the giga makes another appearance, his massive head drifting into view. He makes a concerned rumble, nudging at your tiny body when you continue to stay resting for another few moments. 

“Thank you, Fireblood,” you breathe, gently resting a hand against the theropod’s snout, “I know you can’t understand me, but it’s much appreciated big guy.” Fireblood settles himself down beside you with a soft huff, allowing you to caress his hard scales.  

No doubt Ghost will find this rather amusing; he always did dislike that weird guy.

[girl-named-matty]

Random Sebastian Sallow Headcanons

Random Sebastian Sallow Headcanons by me! Seriously, its very random, a huge jumbled mess.

He’s super cocky. From his teen years and on he’s always been cocky and really competitive. 

Huge ego but willing to admit when he loses.

He’s a very passionate lover without a doubt, like 100%.

He’s also a very dedicated lover. He remembers every single little detail about his significant other; what they like, how they act around certain people, etc… He’s got it all stored in his head and he won’t forget them. 

 Definitely the kinda guy to sneak out in the middle of the night. 

Very protective. Whether you’re his friend, family, lover, someone he’s close to in general, he’s always got your back. 

Very loyal (need I say more?) 

His favorite classes are Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy and Potions without a doubt. 

Spends hours and I mean HOURS in the library or even just reading. When he’s not fooling around, he’s got his nose in a book trying to learn something he doesn’t already know. 

He likes reading romance and fiction. Yeah, sure, he loves the real stuff he can learn but who says you can’t learn a thing or two from romance and fiction??

Has the most random pickup lines. But not an awkward random, like an “incredibly cryptic, takes you a few minutes to understand what he’s tryna say” kinda pick up lines. But surprisingly they work really well. 

Would be a Ravenclaw if not in Slytherin . 

His Amortentia would HAVE to do something with the scent of books, there’s no way it wouldn’t. 

His love for knowledge and reading definitely came from his parents and the fact that they were professors. 

As stated earlier, he remembers a lot, but he tends to remember the smaller things rather than the big things. He’ll remember what time he was reading a certain book and when but he’ll forget he has a test or a paper due the morning of as if he hadn’t been studying for it for the past few days. 

Has the cutest and most creative date ideas. Usually nothing big but it’s so much more worth it since he’s put so much thought into them. 

He definitely wants kids but he wants to make sure he is ready to be a father. He didn’t get to grow up with a good father figure in the most crucial times of his life and so he doesn’t really know how to be a dad but he’ll definitely learn. He wants to be the best dad he can. 

Always losing quills, like ALWAYS. Good thing he has backups otherwise he’d be screwed. 

Sometimes he sneaks into the restricted section purely to piss off Madam Scribner. Like he won’t even go down there to read, he just wants to be a lil crap and annoy her. 

He has school rivalries but he won’t let that get in the way of his personal friendships/relationships with that person. Slytherin and Gryffindor have the biggest rivalry in all of Hogwarts but he still has good friendships with plenty of Gryffindors. 

This man LOVES using analogies. All the time. And then he finds himself rambling on and on after that. But who can blame him when he just has so much to think about? 

Has some of the best grades in school. Even with his detention record and his reputation of being a troublemaker, he’s still dedicated to his education. 

Let me know if you guys want a part 2 of this because I have plenty more!

[maxwell-grant]

HEROFY: Mysterio

I think the later decades have only made "disgruntled VFX worker who abandons Hollywood to strike out on his own artistically" easier to root for but let's do something new:

Quentin Beck has basically the same backstory, kid who loves movies and grows up making stop-motion shorts even against his family's wishes and develops enough technical knowhow to become a VFX artist and stuntman. The problem being, he's a VFX artist and stuntman, both of his jobs are unstable or unsafe, overwork him to the bone, and net him absolutely zero recognition. He keeps screwing up jobs because he plans for things that go way over budget, and he keeps getting screwed out of jobs because, he's a VFX artist and stuntman in film, it comes with the territory. He's only really a stuntman because he needs an extra source of revenue and he desperately wanted something that was still in film. He is trying to conciliate his all-consuming love for the artform with his need for money and dignity and conditions necessary to live so he can keep on with his work (and also his ego, because you can't divest Mysterio from his ego). He lives for one thing, and it's killing him.

Some people have put forth the idea that the rise of superheroes would cause special effects workers and magicians to be rendered obsolete and that being the kick-off to Mysterio's career, but I'm gonna argue the opposite would happen: film chases reality, not the other way around. So instead, the advent of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers puts a HUGE pressure on the film industry to advance and quadruple down on replicating the things that people go crazy for in the papers. Billion dollar budgets, CGI advancements rushed out the door years too early, actors being replaced by digital puppets, etc. Quentin Beck has to live and find work in an MCU world overnight and it drives him to the breaking point. And then, he hears about Spider-Man, this carefree flipping freak who abandoned showbiz to be a full-time superhero, this sellout hack in tights who will pretty soon be a franchise and a nightmare for stuntmen everywhere to play, and it's the last straw, so he decides to go and pick a fight with him. Partially because he wants to stop Turn Off the Dark from happening, but mostly to see if he can be the hero instead of this insulting little snot that needs to be put in his place.

And then he succeeds. He gets away with everything in that original story and Spider-Man actually gives up, bows out of costumed life. Mysterio is now a hero revered in the papers with a parade thrown in his honor, and best of all, he has FINALLY found a calling that makes use of his expertise. He can finally give Hollywood the middlefinger and use his artistic talents for something AND make a living AND be appreciated for it. He figures that with this, he can probably start making his own movies, maybe cash out the Mysterio character as a franchise, and eventually retire. But there's two problems.

One, is that he got what he wanted. He disgraced and replaced Spider-Man, and so now he gets to be the main character of Spider-Man comics, and thus, deal with all the Spider-Man problems. Two, that his fight with Spider-Man? The "greatest action scene in history"? This time, the cameraman got it all on film. Mysterio achieved the greatest, most thrilling and impactful scene of his career, and he wasn't even trying. Worse, his co-star, the villain of the scene, is now gone. Beck could just let it go, but he can't. He can't peak this early, by accident. He can't be a fluke. He can't.

So now he has to actually go out there and fight crime, again and again and again and again, in the hopes that he can get it all on film, in the hopes that he will find a villain as thrilling to fight as Spider-Man, in the hopes that it will be another hit, another masterpiece, because while nobody gives a fuck about Quentin Beck still, Mysterio is now a film icon. Not only can he not allow himself to be a one-hit wonder, he can NEVER unmask and ride this out into a lucrative retirement, and he can't turn to crime and risk being exposed either, because he can't ruin the character everyone loves now. He can't ruin his life's work. He has made a masterpiece, and now he has to make it forever.

With great art, comes great expectation.

[thegreymoon]

The Story of Minglan

I've had a horrible three days but now that Shakespeare is temporarily done with ruining my life, I can finally go watch the aftermath of Molan and Lin Qinshuang digging their own graves. This is the most satisfying part of the show so far but IRL bullshit just won't let me seeeeeee 😭

***

The two of you have ruined your lives so thoroughly but you just don't realise it yet 😕

***

You stupid child.

You have accumulated so much grudge and resentment here. You don't know your limits but you fucked around and I suspect you will be finding out soon.

***

Delusional.

***

Ah, yes, but it was Concubine Wei that died. It did not affect him personally because he cares about nothing except his own dick and ego so it was easy to sweep it under the rug.

This time, the damage was to him. You are done for.

***

Oh, you stupid woman. Nobody will fall for that now.

You have sorely overestimated yourself.

***

Oh, Jesus.

She still doesn't understand what she's done.

First of all, Lin Qinshuang is a servant in this house. She has no rights or freedoms and Wang Ruofu will be out for blood. There is no chance she would just let her get out and go live happily ever after somewhere else. Second, Molan doesn't seem to understand that she will have no standing in her new home. None whatsoever. Zero. She personally has no money, no connections and her in-laws resent her already. They will not move a finger for Lin Qinshuang after her shameless scheming forced their hand like this.

They are both screwed.

***

This wedding has all the cheer of a funeral.

But then again, it may as well be one.

***

Oh, shut up with "Darling Hong" already 🙄

I know I should be feeling sorry for Lin Qinshuang but she has been so vile and so obnoxious and has done all this to herself, so empathy is super hard to come by.

***

Cold 😬

All of Molan's and Lin Qinshuang's wrongs not withstanding, I still believe that he is still primarily to blame for all this.

***

Well. She is now firmly in the Finding Out stage of Fucking Around.

The thing that strikes me about Lin Qinshuang is that she was definitely very capable of scheming and manipulating within the back courtyard, but she thought that the same rules applied to the outside world and that she could get away with her bullshit on a larger scale too. She is about to find out just how wrong she was.

***

Wait, is he actually going to kill her?

***

You fucking piece of shit. When do we get to kill you?

Yeah, she was evil and yeah, she did what she did, BUT YOU ARE JUST AS RESPONSIBLE, IF NOT EVEN MORE, FOR ENABLING HER TO DO IT. He did not care until it came back to personally bite him in the ass. Who cares about some dead woman and her baby? Who cares about a neglected and mistreated daughter? All the injustice and unfairness? As long as he is comfortable and getting his dick wet, he is just fine with turning a blind eye!

This is exactly my problem with Song Qiutong in 2ha. Yeah, she's a vile person and yeah, she has blood on her hands. But Mo Ran is the one who let her, who gave her the power to murder and abuse. Plus, yes, she may have been the one to betray the Rufeng Sect, but he's still the one who razed it to the ground. Who is he to pass judgment upon her?

***

Oh, so he didn't kill her?

But, yeah, her life of luxury is over. She is in for a very miserable existence. Molan will not be able to get her out despite her best intentions because she doesn't even realise yet how she herself is also screwed. And Changfeng is also incompetent. She is done for.

***

Yeah, I knew that the servants who aided and abetted Molan were not getting out of this alive.

I still don't understand how they even agreed to do something so stupid, they must have known it would not end well for them once this was discovered. Such a huge risk and I'd be surprised if all servants didn't already know just how disposable they are to their masters. But maybe they didn't have a choice? Would going behind Lin Qinshuang's back and reporting her have saved their lives? Or would they still have been caned to death just to shut them up?

***

Good job, Minglan!

I'm not sure your mother would be proud, but I certainly am!

***

Ah. Just like she didn't get a doctor for Madam Wei.

[crystal-jack-asripines]

Losing my mind because so many people keep boiling down BadBoyHalo’s problem with the votes last night to “haha hes angwy he can’t take furniture haha L” when his LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ARE BEING COMPLETELY DISREGARDED (Cellbit I trust you to explain the problems he had PLEASE). So for clarity I will address every problem BBH ACTUALLY had

Roier getting multiple votes for each of his personalities is NOT fair. If players during the actual elections only got to vote twice, then alter egos shouldn’t get that kind of power either, otherwise you’ll have people coming up with new personalities just to rig the votes in their favor

Implementing a law with an ACTUAL ENFORCEABLE PUNISHMENT that MANY MANY MANYYYY players didn’t get to vote on just because they weren’t online is NOT FAIR. It makes more sense for this to be a trial run with no actual consequences so players and the audience get an idea of how the voting system will work. As it is now, it completely screws over everyone who wasn’t online yesterday

THIS LAW IS NOT A JOKE NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES FOREVER OR OTHER PEOPLE SAY IT. It was reiterated BY FOREVER and IN THE CHAT BY QSMP that this law is legitimate and players breaking this law WILL be punished. It doesn’t matter if the law is stupid, if there’s actual consequences to breaking the law THEN IT IS NOT A JOKE, IT IS REAL. My previous 2 points address why this is such a huge problem

NOBODY ELSE SEEMS TO CARE ABOUT THIS BEING UNFAIR. When Bad tried to explain to Forever his concerns, Forever got distracted by Melissa and stopped listening. Other players kept laughing at Bad being angry about this being the furniture law being targeted at him and saying that’s the only reason why he’s upset, and when he tries to explain himself they laugh over him. Bad had said a few days ago he’s concerned that players are getting complacent because the Federation hasn’t hurt them individually and explicitly, they’re slow-cooking everyone so when real problems arise they won’t care, and this is just proving his point

Bad is VERY upset that more players voted banning furniture theft over BANNING MINES. Mines have been a problem for months and have killed multiple players and nearly killed multiple eggs. Literally 2 nights ago Foolish had to speed bridge over the desert with 3 eggs by Luzu’s house because every step they took another mine would go off. Poor Maximus had a mine explode the island where he went camping with Trumpet which genuinely hurt and angered him. BBH’s school, which he rebuilt with the eggs and Senhora Neide and which he was really proud of it being included in the egg quests, got exploded by mines and it was treated like a joke. Mines are a HUGE PROBLEM, and people choosing to vote for a stupid law over banning mines makes him distrust the others even more

Building off of point 3 and 5, it doesn’t make sense that people think the federation would never actually ban mine usage if they ACTUALLY ARE GOING TO PUNISH PEOPLE FOR STEALING FURNITURE. I don’t think they won’t take the mine blocks away completely, but they DEFINITELY would have punished players for using them

Bad has been steadily growing more upset with people treating him as more of a resource than a person with resources, upset that he isn’t given any appreciation or credit for the things he has done. He was literally introduced to the new players as “a guy who will give you stuff, just ask and he’ll deliver.” Everyone laughing at him and ignoring his concerns is just further proof, in Bad’s mind, that they don’t respect him as a person or any of his thoughts or ideas, even after all the good and gifts he’s given to them, and he feels betrayed.

TL;DR: Defending BBH on Twitter isn’t enough, I need a gun

[showtoonzfan]

I will never not fucking hate this take with all my fiber being. The take of “In order to criticize media, you must make said media first on your own, otherwise your words are useless”, like how people have told me “You think you can do better? Go make your own show!”. Like….PLEASE shut the fuck up, whoever has this mindset needs to wake up and get their heads out of their entitled asses. The worst part is that that’s not the worst take here. The other one is the one I hate the most, the “You have to acknowledge and appreciate the HARD work that went into making this you don’t understand!”

I am so….fucking tired of this toxic ass outlook on how we have to suck up to said media and “appreciate” the hard work that went into it, as if that’s automatically going to make our critiques MAGICALLY go away. Like yeah, you made a movie, yeah, you animated something, yeah, you wrote a book, good for you, I’m happy, but since when did working hard on something automatically mean you’re above criticism??? You learn this shit in fucking school. If you worked hard on an essay yet didn’t do well, you working hard doesn’t automatically mean that the teacher can’t criticize your work. You working hard on a test doesn’t automatically mean that the teacher will let you off the hook for screwing the answers up. People can improve, people can ALWAYS work to be better. People can give credit where credit is due, but that doesn’t erase anything else. These people are fucking clowns and so is Vivziepop, because she liked this tweet and SHE HERSELF has flat out said she feels this way before:

“I can take criticism” my fucking ass. 💀

Like….Viv, I don’t know what to tell you this but I’m not going to suck your dick and praise you for creating an indie animated project and push aside all of the issues I have with your writing solely because of the fact. You created an indie pilot. Cool beans. Good for you. Yes, the Hazbin pilot had talent and passion poured into it. Yes, the Hazbin pilot had effort put in, yes, ALL of your projects have effort put in it and it’s amazing how successful and famous you are, but nobody should have to stroke someone’s ego just because they worked hard and made something big. Disney’s Frozen was a huge and successful hit but that doesn’t mean I’m going to give it a pass and magically ignore all the issues I have with it. At the end of the day Viv’s writing is still dogshit and I’m not going to ignore it just because “she worked hard”. Like…genuinely I need people who have this mindset to grow the fuck up, get out of their diapers and stop acting like toddlers who need their hand to be held and act like they deserve to be praised nonstop.

Like………Imagine if one day Steven Spielberg just came out and went “Hey guys I was a huge inspiration of your childhood and a very successful man who directed smash hit movies that changed the entrainment industry for the better so that automatically means you can’t criticize me or ANY of my movies, only praise please because I worked so hard!” It just doesn’t fucking work like that.

[diltonsstrangescience]

@ghoststudios against your advice, I did in fact read the comic where Danni was made a trans woman. And you were not kidding about Dilton. Yikes.

I mean, I figured he had to be pretty awful for you to warn me, so I was bracing myself. But in the time between learning about this comic and reading it, I developed a completely incorrect assumption of what the problem would be. Because I knew that A: this comic established Danni as trans, and B: Dilton was terrible, I figured that Dilton would be transphobic about Danni. I thought that was the problem. I was literally calling this version of him “Transphobic Dilton” in my head.

But having actually read it, he’s… not transphobic? I don’t think? Like, he calls Danni and Jinx “ladies,” plural, and he only dislikes the new “Danielle” because her transition coincided with her abandonment of the sciences, which he took as a personal insult. I could be missing something, but I think, just maybe, he’s actually accepting of transness, and understands that Danni is a girl.

I mean, he’s still also an asshole. And I am not normally someone who swears, ever, so you know this one is well-earned. This particular version of Dilton is a HUGE ASSHOLE. Oh my GOD, every single thing he says is so cruel for no reason!!! I mean, every version of him is pretentious and egotistical, but this one takes every opportunity not only to lift himself up but also to put others down, constantly insulting Danni’s intelligence—might I add, completely irrationally!!! He’s the one that screwed up and made his time machine work incorrectly! Every bit of this is his fault! Even OG Dilton could admit that, if begrudgingly!

The thing is, this comic’s characterization of Dilton isn’t actually that far off-base. I can see OG Dilt being this self-centered—expecting people to know what he wanted even if his instructions weren’t clear, taking someone’s personal decisions (such as leaving science) and making them about himself, smugly science-splaining to someone who’s probably actually smarter than him, blaming others for his mistakes so he can still feel superior, and absolutely refusing to admit that he failed to make a time machine correctly, to the point where he’s so convinced of his right-ness that he accidentally creates an entire fake world that makes it seem like he was successful. I could definitely imagine OG Dilton doing all of this, and it would be fairly in-character.

I canNOT, however, imagine OG Dilton being quite this much of a JERK about things. I’ve seen the OG get rude and annoying and condescending before, but it is literally every other sentence with this new guy, and it shoots straight past ego into plain cruelty for its own sake. It’s so hard to read.

If you don’t mind, I’ll just go back to playing with the OG duo like dolls, putting them on fun little adventures and making their dynamic increasingly more Morticia-and-Gomez-Addams-esque to restore balance to the universe. If Dilton isn’t gazing up dreamily at his amazing girlfriend like she’s the brightest star in the galaxy, then I’m doing something wrong.

[ash5monster01]

Perfect To Love Part 4

Pairing: Steve Harrington x FemReader!PlusSize

Warnings: fluff, mentions of bullying, body image issues, fat shaming, angst, trust issues.

Summary: Beth Walker was used to living in the shadows. She had only one friend and anyone else who paid her mind usually bullied her for her size. So she learned to keep her mouth shut, her head down, and her heart closed because she had to accept the fact that she would be nothing more than the fat girl to people. That is until Robin decides Beth needs more in life and that might just include a boy who she never would’ve thought could see her for who she truly was.

word count: 2,427

Part 3 ←→ Part 5

Masterlist

That night Steve drove with no destination in mind, it wasn't until he found an empty spot next to Lovers Lake did he pull the car to a stop. When Beth questioned his choice he quicky assured her it was just by chance with pink ears from embarassment which Beth thought was cute. So they laid by the shore, eyes cast over the sky of stars, and talked about anything and everything. It surprised them both how easy conversation was between the them. It was as if they had been friends for years, not an awkward beat of conversation anywhere. Despite the hiccup at the party Beth found herself having a great night, Steve's presence being more comforting than expected.

They had talked so well together Beth didn’t end up getting home until late, all the lights off in her home, Steve cutting the engine and rolling to a stop in front of her house to not alert anyone. She teased him for a moment, how it must be a trick from years of sneaking out girls. He just shook his head, big dough eyes staring her down as he told her a quiet goodnight and she slipped out the car. Nancy was long gone now, but Robin was piled in a heap, snoring away on the side of her bed to which Beth just chuckled and got ready to join her in slumber.

“God, you better not of screwed me Rob” Beth muttered, dipping underneath the covers beside her. Robin continued to breathe peacefully but she was awake. She heard her and she hoped that it wasn’t the case either. Beth and Steve deserved this kind of love.

Despite Beth's original plan to find things about Steve she didn't like she couldn’t seem to find anything worthy of being a reason. There was only one thing she had, one reason, huge enough, to avoid him at all costs. Yet when she tried to remind herself of the reason the image of his big dough eyes, floppy brown hair, and lopsided smile made her start the process over completely. So that’s how she went through the entire week, trying to remind herself to not get to caught up in the world of Steve Harrington because she had watched hundreds of girls do it before and get hurt all the same even if she wasn't in the same league as any of them.

Steve Harrington doesn’t have a good past.

It was reason enough. It’s not right to judge someone by the mistakes they have made, but Steve’s was hard to ignore. Years of using women, bullying other students, popularity so ego inflating it was blinding. Yes he very clearly showed he didn’t act that way anymore, but forgiving someone for things that they’ve done can be hard no matter how much they’ve changed or how regretful they are. It didn’t help Steve seemed to not remember her entirely and that was the only point to prove that maybe Steve wasn’t regretful at all. He may have changed but he hadn’t bothered once to clean up his past, and that past included her.

By the time the weekend rolled around Beth was thankful to be out of school, so it could provide her opportunity to do things to keep her distracted. Daydreaming in class made it easy to slip into questions surrounding the Harrington boy, but a sunny Saturday in her driveway working on her car kept the haunting thoughts away. He couldn’t reach her here, or at least that’s what she thought.

“You weren’t lying, you really can fix a car” Beth jumped, leaning up out of the hood to see Steve standing beside it. A reason Beth had liked this car so much was the hood opened from the back instead of the front, a shield from others, but apparently a shield for them as well. Considering she didn’t have time to notice the boy was approaching her.

“Somewhat, yeah” Beth nodded, wiping her hands of grease, suddenly self conscious about the fact she was dressed only in some comfy shorts and tank top. Not enough coverage to hide her fat she thought.

“You break down?” he asked, curiously looking into the car to see what she was doing. It didn’t matter anyway, he didn’t understand the inside at all.

“Not exactly, she started clicking this morning so I borrowed my Moms car to go get a new battery. I’m hoping it solves the problem and isn’t the alternator” Steves eyes widened as the foreign language left the girls mouth, shock painting his features.

“I uh, what’s an alternator?” Beth giggled lightly, unable to stop herself and Steve realized how damn cute she was. Like a cuddly teddy bear that made him feel safe, he wished he could keep her forever. A safe haven from the nightmares in Hawkins.

“An alternator is this” then Beth was pointing to a part under the hood, finger tapping it lightly. “when it’s running it’s helps charge your battery and the other electrical components of your vehicle. If that doesn’t work, your car doesn’t work”

“Seems simple enough” Beth laughed again, shaking her head lightly and pushing some hair back with her arm so she didn’t get grease on her.

“Simple but expensive to replace. She’s only two though, and this is her original battery. Doesn’t help the car sits all winter to avoid salt on the roads. It’s more than likely reached the end of its life, and this will solve our problem” Beth told him, now pointing to the new battery on the pavement beside her.

“Could you teach me?” Beth’s heart stuttered as the boy looked down to her, so innocent and curious on how to change the battery in the car. She couldn’t say no even if she wanted too.

“Yeah Steve, of course” Beth placed a hand on his back, nudging him to take her place, and his stomach erupted with butterflies that he wished he could ignore. This was never the plan, falling for a girl to pure for the world.

“What do I do first?” he asked curiously and Beth smiled as she grabbed a socket wrench and handed it to him.

“Well first we have to remove the bar holding the battery in place. So use this to remove these two bolts. A battery can’t work sliding around” Steve nodded, that made sense. So he listened to what she said and began to loosen the bolts until they slipped right off.

“Look at that, you’re a master at it already” Beth praised and he blushed fire truck red, hiding his face by looking down at the battery. Beth removed the plate and smiled softly at the boy.

“What’s next?” Steve asked, a bit nervous about doing work on a nice brand new corvette.

“Now you remove the cables, negative first, positive second, and once they’re removed make sure they don’t hit. I don’t need you electrocuted” Steve’s pulse went faster at the notion but nodded nonetheless as she handed him the wrench to loosen the bolts on the cables. Once they were removed she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Alright, go ahead and lift it out” Steve nodded, hands gripping the side and freeing the battery from its confinement.

“That wasn’t too bad” Steve said once he set it down, his hands a bit smudged with grease but a wide smile on his face.

“Yeah, it’s easy. Now do exactly what you did in reverse. This time positive first and negative last” Steve nodded, lifting the new battery and placing it inside. Slowly and carefully he accepted tools from Beth, connecting the positive, negative, and then bolting the bar back in place so the battery wouldn’t move.

When Steve turned to Beth for confirmation that he did good he was met with a large smile, her big bright eyes crinkled from how huge the grin was, and he wished he was allowed to kiss her right then and there. It was the first time in his life he realized someone was proud of him and that alone made him want to love the girl forever. The feeling was enough to overwhelm him, chest tightening.

“Go ahead and try it out” she told him, nudging him towards the corvette. Steve ducked down, almost knocking his head on the roof before settling in the seat and reaching for the key. As he turned the key the engine revved for a moment and then it sparked to life, a loud rumble and proof he had done it right.

“You did perfect Steve” she praised as he turned it off and got out. Much to his surprise she wrapped him in a hug. Steve stood for a moment, unsure how to respond before slowly wrapping his arms back around her, his chin resting perfectly a top her head.

“Thank you” he told her softly and Beth smiled and pulled back before handing him a cloth to wipe the grease from his hands a bit more.

“Now that we’ve been thoroughly distracted, what’re you doing here Steve?” Beth asked, her hands propped on her hips. A nervous hand flew to the back of Steve’s neck, now at a loss for words because he forgot he had to explain himself.

“I uh, um. I just haven’t seen you all week. Robin and me usually hang out but she took an extra shift. I wanted to stop and see you, I had fun the other night so I just figured you wouldn’t mind” Steve rambled softly, Beth’s eyebrows raising the more he talked and heart racing faster due to each word. She hated that he made her nervous. Now that was another reason.

He makes me nervous.

“You wanted to hangout?” Beth asked, surprise that he had actually wanted to see her again.

“Yeah, if you wanted. The kids wanted to go see some new movie and I was gonna drive them, I figured we could do something while they did that” Beth’s eyes widened just slightly, mouth gaping for just a moment before nodding.

“Yeah, okay. I mean we can watch the movie with them too if you want. I just need to get changed” Beth pointed a thumb over her shoulder and back to her house. Slight panic set in over the fact Nancy wasn’t there to help her pick an outfit.

“Okay, yeah” Steve nodded, realizing he was acting like he did in middle school when he talked to a crush.

“Come on in, you can wash that grease of your hands” Beth was telling him as she closed the hood to the corvette and grabbed the battery off the pavement. Steve followed her into the garage where she set it down and then led them into the house. He was shocked to see she could lift the battery with ease considering how heavy it was.

“Bathroom is down the hall to the left, I’m gonna run upstairs” Steve nodded and Beth rushed off as he looked for the bathroom to wash his hands.

Once she reached her room she quickly searched her closet for a decent pair of jeans, removing the shorts and slipping them on all while trying not to topple over. The real issue was her top. She didn’t own very many nice shirts and without Nancy’s opinion she didn’t feel comfortable grabbing one. Then she realized she shouldn’t be something different for Steve, so she grabbed one of her T-shirts, a Goonies on to be exact, and slipped it on. After some new deodorant, perfume, and fixing her hair she was rushing back down the stairs.

“Ready?” Steve asked sweetly and she nodded, grabbing her wallet and following him out the door. It was surreal being in the front of the BMW again but comforting nonetheless. They shared easy small talk the whole way to their destination, Steve asking more about cars that he was curious about.

Then they were pulling up in front of a house Beth had never seen before, and Steve was honking the horn leisurely like it was something he did everyday. Then Mike, Lucas, and Dustin were clambering out the garage, yelling ‘you’re late’ while clearly bickering about who got shot gun until they spotted Beth already inside. “Beth’s here?”

“Hey Beth” Lucas smiled widely, in hopes to cover up Dustin’s confusion about her presence.

“Hey boys, you excited for your movie?” she asked sweetly, looking back at them all pushed together in the back seat.

“Were you two hanging out or something?” Mike asked curiously, ignoring her question completely.

“Beth showed me how to change a battery in a car” as Steve said this the boys immediately erupted into giggles in the backseat.

“He can barely rewind the tapes at family video and you let him put a new battery in your corvette?” Dustin asked between laughs and Beth smiled widely.

“I did, and he did really good” all the boys watched as Beth’s arm lifted, her hand landing on Steve’s arm that held the steering wheel and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Dustin did not miss the way his ears turned pink. That’s when he realized he liked her.

“Whatever you say Beth” Lucas chuckled as Steve pulled back out on the road, heading for town to a theater he had once vandalized.

“You guys going on a date or something?” Mike asked curiously since he knew Steve wouldn’t sit through the movie with him.

“What? No, we’re just hanging out. I’m allowed to spend time with people while I wait around for you shit heads” Steve shot back and Beth’s stomach dropped. Of course Steve couldn’t see her romantically, she was too fat. Beth’s head dropped, gazing at her legs and wishing they weren’t so big, small thighs just like Nancy’s. Dustin noticed and made a mental note to yell at Steve about it later.

“You could always watch the movie with us” Lucas muttered and before Steve could respond Beth was lifting her head.

“That actually sounds like fun, let’s join them Steve” she said and he looked to her with confused eyes, wishing she wanted to go get something to eat or coffee instead. He liked talking to her. Yet he knew not to put up a fight.

“Yeah, okay. Let’s do it” he nodded while agreeing and Beth gave him a pressed smile before turning back to the road. Steve now sad because he had to sit next to her for the next two hours without saying a word.

Tag list: @kindablackenedsuperhero @rinarecommends @starryeyedpoet17 @crustless-toast @loverofmarsss @alexa-33 @bethanysnow @middle-of-the-earth @princessadriana4-blog @mochminnie @legendaryhumandiplomatgoop

Comment if you want to be added to the tag list :))

a/n: I actually own a blue two toned 1984 corvette and I work as a parts girl in a mechanic shop so I write most of this stuff from my knowledge. if you guys would like pictures of the corvette described in this series I would love to provide them so you guys can get a better idea on the car that is a key part in this series <3

[boxfullaturtles]

tbh been sitting on this for months and was intending to post the characters together, but no one else is finished yet so here, take him

Kingdom Hearts Rise AU

Leonardo Hamato The self-designated Face Man of the group, he’s all smiles, charm, and wit. His charisma might be lacking in certain areas, but he knows how to please a crowd and he’s more clever than he gives himself credit for. He tends to get reckless during battle, either to show off or because his ego got the better of him. This has gotten him into trouble several times and it’s only the good graces of his brothers that have saved him. His battle style relies on speed and exploiting his opponent’s blind spots, keeping out of range until he rapidly closes the distance with his foe, delivers a devastating strike, and pulls back again.

Keyblade: Arc Hope A highly unusual Keyblade with its own special effect. It provides a balanced boost in Strength and Magic. Strength: +5 Magic: +5 Length: Medium Ability: Portal Chopped: A unique ability that allows the Keyblade to split into two separate blades.

[extra details under cut]

Team Attacks: + Michelangelo: Primetime Team up with Mikey, trap enemies in a cage of chains and portals, finishing them off with an explosion of fire and lightning.

+ Raphael: Odachi Bomb Team up with Raph and wield a gigantic sword made of energy from atop his shoulders, end by getting launched into the air and crashing into stunned foes.

+ Donatello: Disaster Duo Team up with Donnie, auto-lock onto nearby enemies and bury them under barrages of missiles, ending by dropping a huge bomb on them.

+ April: Thrill Seeker Team up with April and rapidly attack nearby enemies with a flurry of blows, finish them off with a blast of combined magic.

+ Casey: Hope Team up with Casey to summon pillars of light that shoot out of the ground around the battlefield, stunning any enemy that isn’t instantly destroyed.

------

More stuff about KH Rise Leo:

- He is the fastest of his teammates, moving so quickly he often appears to teleport in a streak of blue light. Moves significantly slower in water.

- Arc Hope sounds like silver bells when it strikes enemies and its particle effects are blue stars and lightning bolts. The runes on it pulse with a soft, blue light. Before the Fall sounds like swords clashing when it strikes, and its particle effects are red starbursts. After the Rise sounds like chimes when it strikes enemies and its particle effects are little baubles that flicker with the brothers’ colors. The pieces representing each of Leo’s brothers will occasionally glow softly and that light with travel up the blue lightning until it fades at the spikes.

- Leo is capable of making portals in this AU. Eventually, he becomes strong enough and gets good enough with them that he can use his portals to travel between worlds without the aid of a Gummi Ship.

- Raph made him wear the Power Band.

- Actually the worst about maintaining “world order” and regularly screws things up.

- Not allowed to drive the Turtle Tank Gummi Ship. He did once. Donnie almost skinned him alive afterwards.

- Still the team medic in the sense that he’s always got a surplus of Potions and Elixirs on hand. Also bandaids and neosporin for scrapes and cuts. He’s not great at Cure magic, but he knows how to cast it if he needs to.

- Doesn’t actually used the Portal Chopped ability a whole lot. He’s not overly fond of Before the Fall and is still struggling a lot with the concept that where there is Light, there must also be Darkness. He’s really got it in his head that Darkness equals Bad, and having a representation of Darkness (the Krang) as part of his Keyblades hurts and confuses him.

- Besides, he can’t abuse the hell out of his Portal Fever Command Style when Portal Chopped is active. And he does like to show off.

[ask me about him and the au I will talk about it all day]

[ladysophiebeckett]

Regarding your Betty gaslighting arc post (which is awesome. Your analysis is always so on point and makes me see a new perspective every time), another great thing about these episodes is Mario’s comments that taunt Armando. Just to name a few of his iconic lines:

- She changed a night of lust and passion with you, for a simple dinner with Nicolás Mora

- Her only reward for doing everything (running both Terramoda and Ecomoda) was your kisses and sinister caresses and it turns out that they didn’t work or weren’t as effective as we thought

- When he flat out insinuated that maybe Nicolás was a better lover or well endowed (even more so than him) and that’s why Betty was rejecting him 🤣🤣🤣

- “You stopped wanting Marcela and all women because the company’s problems have taken a toll on your desire for intimacy, but if Betty accepted to spend the night with you, would you do it? Armando’s face is priceless here, and also Mario’s because it’s obvious he didn’t buy his response.

Finally, when he tells him to please snap out of it, that he had to come to terms with what he was feeling because even though it wouldn’t solve anything, it would allow him to clearly see just how screwed up he really was.

He even said some useful things to him. He constantly told him that Betty was testing him which she really was. Like you pointed out, she wanted to see if he followed word by word what was written on the letter to see if there was anything genuine about the things he said and did. One of the reasons she rejects him the night of El Meson de San Diego (aside from dignity) is that she had heard Mario tell him that had to do whatever it took to get her back even if it included sleeping with her. So when he told her he wanted to spend the whole night with her, Betty thought that this was part the plan he and Mario had for that night. Also, the fact that he didn’t guess she knew everything after all the things she told him that night is beyond me.

Anyways, I wish I could have the will and also critical thinking skills to make a huge post about Mario and Armando’s talks during this arc.

I love your blog, honestly.

you're incredibly sweet <3 thank u so much. i feel like im talking at a wall sometimes but it doesn't stop me.

i myself am trying to unravel the armando\mario toxic frenemy of it all, bc there's a lot to unpack. is armando that easy to manipulate? (no). is mario some puppeteer pulling all the strings? (no).

mario's taunts aren't helpful but i think sometimes theyre armando's mouthpiece. i think mario's comments are things that armando's already thinking but wont say aloud and when mario says them, it's like he's verifying those thoughts. it's 'oh ur seeing this too, im not crazy'. but mario isn't coming from a good place when he says them, however mario does push armando to continue to pursue her; pushing that armando doesn't need bc he was already going to do that. but mario telling him to do that makes it a cover for armando, an excuse, a security blanket if u will.

the night of el meson de san diego, betty drops anvil hints. from their argument in the office, fm their conversation in the restaurant, to their huge fight outside. she's incredibly passive aggressive about it but she does try to make it easy on him. in her office when he says 'you broke all the promises' and she says 'oh I broke all the promises? I'M lying to you?'---that was a life jacket, that was a gift. but he stutters. he's willing to believe she has something with nicolas and that nicolas is Bad and he's better than nicolas--armando can't think straight bc his insecurities and his ego are the forefront of it all.

armando that night really did want to talk and fix things bc that's how their relationship was before the letter. the desperation in his voice when he says 'i know if we go back inside and talk calmly we can figure this out'\'okay we'll go someplace else, i want to spend the night, all night with you'---he was trying to gain back their emotional intimacy and u can see betty waiver. she misses him, she misses how it used to be but she doesn't trust him or her heart anymore. and to really stick it to him she says she doesn't desire him. another blow to his ego. (that was a lie btw, bc they were going at it outside and also bc she says in her diary that it pained her to reject him bc she needed him too)

going back to the mario of it all, he's a complicated character we all have very differing opinions about. as i said, im still unravelling my thoughts about him and his relationship with armando. but i dont think it's a black and white as it seems. he's just as complex as marcela.

[venus-is-thinking]

Fanmade DRDT Playlist Explanations

Hey everybody! About a week ago, @accirax and I made this post about a character playlist we made for DRDT. It was in a randomized order in case people wanted to take guesses and figure out whose song was whose. We’re going to be giving out the answers now, but if you want to take a shot at placing any of them, feel free to take a look before looking at our answers! They’re written out beneath the cut.

In addition to just saying which songs were intended for which characters, Accirax and I decided to write out explanations for each of the songs in the same way that we did for the official DRDT playlist. So, for anyone who saw that a while ago, it’ll be a fun little throwback. Any explanations will be preceded by an A or a V depending on which one of us wrote it.

Also, spoiler warnings for DRDT through Chapter 2 part 1. Sections with specific content warnings will be flagged, but in general, content warning for murder and death.

Okay, onto the songs!

Homunculus by Trickle: Levi Fontana

A: Homunculus is a song about trying over and over again to create a better version of yourself to escape the parts that you hate. Personally, I think that it relates to Levi and his character themes pretty well. Levi is always looking to the people around him to figure out how to act and what the “right” thing to do is. When he messes up, like with getting fooled by Arei or threatening Ace, he’s filled with regrets, and turns to others to help him right his wrongs.

Presumably, it’s due to his estranged family that made him act this way. He may have been able to get away from them, but will he ever be able to get away from himself?

Realized in my last life That I hate the light So I keep running And running I’m trying to hide

Levi’s struggles to converse with others and to trust himself are the results of his own low self esteem. In his secret quote, he talks about “his heartlessness,” and while many people speculate that he is a “killer without remorse,” his worries about not being a good person are sort of remorse about not feeling remorse over doing bad things, if that makes any sense.

I'm broken, torn, and tattered I'll never be full again

Many of Homunculus’ lyrics feature the singer berating themself for various reasons. They worry about not being up to par with what people expect of them, not fulfilling their own expectations of themself, and being a shell of who they should be, among other things. These premises may be similar to how Levi feels as someone who wants to be a reformed hero, but fears their villainous origins are too powerful to ignore.

Also, if the popular theory that Levi is involved in the Chapter 2 murder (whether as the sole blackened or as an accomplice to someone else) holds true, the singer’s resolution to do better “in their next life” could hold additional meaning to Levi. 

So maybe in my next life I'll finally find Find a way to wash away all the shame To erase and wash away all the shame

Either he’s about to die, so the next life is the only chance he has, or he’s managed to screw this life up so badly by being involved in a murder that his morality might be unsalvageable. Even though he would continue living for at least one chapter in that secondary case, the quest to continue reforming himself might seem too insurmountable.

Hate It! Hate It! Huge Ego! by KurageP: Arei Nageishi

V: Here we are with Arei! This song cold opens on some lyrics that fit Arei pretty obviously: 

That small girl, I just hate her! She always acts like a nice person.

This refers to Eden. Arei picks on Eden, but it’s because Eden is a very good person in Arei’s eyes. She doesn’t believe that’s something that can exist, and she takes out her frustration that she isn’t allowed to be nice on Eden.

Arrgh! I want to be loved! I want to be loved!

Similarly to how we gave Shunran to Arei “they say that praying to be loved is a sin. It has such a sweet scent” Nageishi, I generally associate feelings of wanting to be loved with Arei. Additionally, the frustration and anger present in this demand to be loved makes me think of Arei; she wants to be loved, but doesn’t know how to get it, and that frustrates her.

Just like that kid did to me,  I just crush the garbage underfoot, right?

This line is probably the best for Arei in the song, given that it directly ties into how she developed her worldview. Arei was once nice (like Eden), but her sisters bullied and abused her until she no longer could be. She learned to stand up for herself by mimicking her behavior and pushing them and others down. She “crushes the garbage” of other people under her foot, just like how her sisters did to her.

I hate humanity! All they do is flock together. I try to pay attention to others’ feelings, But I just get completely ignored!

Arei wants to be a caring person, but she doesn’t let herself be anymore. She used to “pay attention to others’ feelings,” like Eden does, but her attempts at solving the situation peacefully were always ignored. Because of that, she learns to hate humanity.

I’m the most special of them. I need people to understand me!

Arei builds herself up as a queen bee type and praises herself about being the best (bowler and in general), but she also wants people to understand why she’s cruel the way that she is. Deep down, she wants to be nice, even if she believes it to be impossible. That understanding is something she searched for in David.

I didn’t do anything. But, but, but, but, but… Aah, I want to be forgiven, I want to be forgiven. I’m so lonely.

This song adds in a moment of sincerity, showing the remorse that the singer carries and how they feel alone. Again, I think this reflects how Arei thinks at times rather than how she acts. However, it quickly returns to the same, full-power chorus as before, showing that Arei won’t allow that loneliness to actually change her base persona or get her down; she wants to be loved, but she’s still the same strong, confident Arei at the same time.

I don’t even recognize my own face!

Shoutout to J/Arei swap theory on this line if that ends up being true!

A: While I overall agree with the interpretation of the opening paragraph(?) best fitting Eden, while reading through Venus’ analysis, I came up with an alternate interpretation.

That small girl, I just hate her! She always acts like a nice person. Is she just gonna act like I don’t notice? Those! Eyes that look down on me!

These could be Arei’s opinions about herself in the past. Arei hates her past self for being small and weak, and thus leaving herself vulnerable to her sisters’ abuse. Why didn’t she see how pathetic she was being? And why would she even have the thought that her past self might hate the person she’s become…?

That popular girl, I just hate her! She only likes fashion,  Abruptly talking like it’s her business. So shallow. Shallow, shallow, shallow.

And these are Arei’s opinions about herself in the present. Because, come on, you can’t watch that Chapter 2 breakdown scene and think that Arei is actually as confident in herself as she pretends to be. Arei may now be a typical queen bee who enjoys fashion and girly things, but that doesn’t actually make her any stronger or cooler. She cuts into conversations to inject her own hateful comments, shallowly feeding into her own worldview. I don’t know if Arei in the story would actually recognize that she has any of these feelings, but I think they could be there to be noticed had she lived longer.

Also, Milgram fans, rejoice in the bullet you dodged that we didn’t wind up giving Arei Reversible Campaign. Even though we didn’t like giving her literally the Mikoto cover of it, we almost did before we remembered that Huge Ego existed. Like, seriously, what would have been up with that? Arei should’ve been Mu, if she had to pick a Milgram character…

Please Play-Bite by Pinocchio P: Nico Hakobyan

A: Remember that scene in Chapter 1 when Nico spent an hour just reciting tongue twisters to MonoTV? In my opinion, that was the best written scene in all of DRDT. Ah, memories. (/j)

Anyways, if you get past the most obvious premise of the song, “Pinocchio P flexes his tuning and songwriting skills by making Miku recite a bunch of tongue twisters” (which does not apply to Nico at all), the rest of the song makes a lot of sense.

My head is full of anxiety God, I’m begging you to [finish] me I bit my tongue again (Oh no)

Due to their anxiety (and perhaps other neurodivergence), Nico struggles to communicate with others on their/society at large’s terms. They hate talking to people because people always react negatively to what they have to say, even if they’re trying to be nice.

In the song, I think that “I bit my tongue” is more literal– the singer messes up saying the tongue twister, and with their tongue in a nonstandard position, they accidentally chomp it. In a metaphorical sense, this could signify how Nico can’t keep up with a “normal” conversation, and keeps having things come out wrong if they just speak off the cuff. However, there’s also the more traditional interpretation of “biting your tongue,” which is refraining yourself from saying something that you want to say for the good of the situation. There have probably been a lot of times in their life that Nico has wanted to say something, but has stopped themself from doing so because they don’t want to cause trouble.

The song has a lot of references to not understanding what people are doing or saying.

Isn’t it difficult to live a normal life, ouch ouch ouch

The sensation that enthuses the young and the old I’m not quite understanding it, oh what do I do

Kind words sound distorted to me

I don’t really know what the section about loving someone at the end would mean, though. You could extrapolate it to be about Rose, and how she used to like Nico before losing some faith in them now. However, any change of heart Rose may have had wasn’t because Nico was bad at communicating– she doesn’t care about that– it’s because Nico went behind her back to steal her turpentine and nearly kill Ace with it. So, who knows.

Also, shout out to this lyric for clearly being about Ace.

My neighbor eats [persimmons], he’s from Planet Complaint

I’m going to start saying that Ace is from Planet Complaint now. Thanks, Nico.

Last Score by Sekikomi Gohan: Eden Tobisa

V: This is a very positive and loving song, which is fitting for Eden. After all, she’s someone who cares a lot about her friends and family, and she tries to spread cheer and positivity to those around her. 

A face full of tears doesn’t fit your profile really that well

I let go of both my worries and anxieties, happy day! Yeah!

This voice of mine will be with you No matter where you go

There are also a lot of references to time, which, obviously, fit in with her role as the Ultimate Clockmaker.

I’m stricken by my valuation of time The traffic light stays red, unchanging

Experiencing the past, the future and the now that I’m grasping

Hundreds, thousands of years, or even an eternity, in this endless life of mine

However, it’s the combination of those two things that make a narrative that I think fit Eden. Her secret quote– “You can never go back, no matter how hard you try”-- implies a sense of desperation to return to the past, something that ties into the themes of her Ultimate talent. When paired with her secret, “Ever since you kissed her, you were afraid your sexuality would ruin your friendships,” it becomes clearer that there’s someone in the past who she loves.

If you combine the two, you can come to the conclusion that Eden longs for the past, partly or entirely because of the person she kissed. This song is one of longing for a past relationship.

The love/sorrow that we amassed Is proof of my existence with you Even my dreams, my wishes, and my painful memories as well Everything, everything, everything, I was with you

This interpretation works with a general longing, which I’d argue is present in Eden’s character no matter what. Accirax and I, though, along with some others, believe in Eden Chapter 2 culprit theory, with the belief that her motive is to reunite with the people she’s left behind, notably the girl she kissed. 

If that is the case, there are also song lyrics that would allude to her taking direct action to get back to the life she left behind.

The reason why I can run without feeling down Is because I’ve known love

I’m overturning the notion that our parting is inevitable

Either way, though, I think that this song fits Eden as someone with a lot of love and desire for others’ happiness that guides her actions.

Change by Monkey Majik: Hu Jing

CW: Suicide for this section!!

V: Okay, so this one is a lot more speculative. Like, obviously we know some things about Hu, but a lot of what I’ll be talking about is about where I believe her character is headed/what I think we can determine about her. For what it’s worth, I’ll be assuming that the hopeless child secret– “Dying once wasn’t enough, so you attempted suicide three times”-- is Hu’s. (This analysis by @1moreff-creator focuses on Min, but it’s a lot of why I believe Hu’s secret to be this.)

So, that being said, I’ll be speculating a lot about Hu’s mental state, so… my bad if I get anything wrong.

You had your wishes but you threw them away It made you happy yeah for more than one day But now you're lost and cannot figure a way To get out of this lie that comforts you

This is, in my opinion, about Hu’s transition from being the “hopeless child” to where she is today, in the killing game. Something must have changed to aid her mental state (could easily be something she “threw away”), which fits with making her “happy” (not actively suicidal, at least from what we’ve seen). However, now she’s here in the present, and she’s not sure what to do. What should she do to move forward, especially in this context?

You'll never change if you keep running away

I’m not sure exactly what Hu feels she’s running away from, but I feel alright saying that she is, given her secret quote: “I want to pay for what I’ve done. But even then, I still want to live.” Hu wants to be someone different and make up for something (or, if this occurs in the future of the series, to be someone different from the person who takes whatever action this describes), but she doesn’t know how.

Brothers on the top pressing all the melodies

Takatantan!!! Sweet sound of the shamisen Tsugaru style if you know where they're coming from

I don’t know much about music, and while I assume these lines wouldn’t successfully relate to zither playing specifically, it’s still true that the more traditional sound of the song and the references to music make me think of Hu’s talent.

Wouldn't it be nice if the whole world got along?

This relates to Hu’s desire to have everyone get along and be on their best behavior. She wants everyone in the killing game to work together peacefully, but that’s difficult to pull off, given the stronger personalities in the group.

I need a change 'Cause it's all gone wrong for me Somebody else to lead me now (I want) somebody else to lead me now

This can definitely also relate to Hu’s dynamic with David; she saw him as a co-leader, someone else who could help her keep the more unruly personalities under control. However, with his heel turn, it’s plausible to say that Hu would be looking for “somebody else to lead her”-- someone else to support her views and to make her less alone in the struggle to keep people under control. 

The rest of the lyrics I’d have to interpret based entirely on my own predictions, but I’ll give a quick shot at it:

Sing them your song You'd be surprised how many people wanna hear what you're saying

I suspect Hu will, after dealing with the fallout of David, seek to try to enact that same stability onto the group. Some people, I think, will be receptive, and Hu will realize that what she has to say has meaning.

Maybe! Who knows! I still think this song fits Hu’s vibes.

A: Wait a minute… what’s that?

Apples are red, but taste The same as green, wooo!!

Is that a hint about Color Theory? Are red and green the same person? Is Monkey Majik trying to tell us that Hu is confirmed for the green color, but also the red color? Does that mean that Hu is the mastermind? Is this–

CW: Suicide over!

Get Chemical by Polite Fiction and Audiodile: Charles Cuevas

V: Okay guys, I promise, this song makes sense beyond “get chemical.” I know it’s a weed song. But not for Charles. If you ignore the weed part it’s a Charles song. Trust.

A: It’s not about weed. Ignore the weed. Pretend it’s not there. It’s Charles time.

V: Okay, but in all seriousness, this song fits him really well. The song moves him through his character arc chronologically, so that’s how I’ll be looking at the song’s lyrics. The song starts off with Charles’ more no-nonsense worldview.

There's a time and a place For wasting space And if you're not coming home Then it's a slap in the face

It's nothing worth doing If you just can't do it alone

Charles starts out not wanting to “waste time” or bother with any of the other students. He thinks the only things worth doing are by himself, so that’s what he does.

But I don't wanna wait for days

Charles then gets tired/bored of being by himself (as he warns Teruko will happen to her at the start of Chapter 2). He starts getting impatient, and thus ends up spending time with some of the other students.

And I'm tired of the games we play While you sit and judge me there from on your throne

Charles gets frustrated, though, because he feels that no one takes him seriously. Notably, Whit and Teruko make fun of him a lot. He feels judged by the others. However, once he tells Whit this in the bonus Chapter 1 free time, he starts to make progress; Whit understands him, and thus stops judging him so harshly.

Put the train wreck on display Marvel and wonder how it sways Wear that disapproving stare right through the phone

Then, the murder happens. Xander purposefully triggers Charles’ hemophobia to put him out of commission, and Charles then has to be visibly out of it for the entire Trial. Though Whit tries to preserve his privacy, he eventually has to reveal why Charles is acting up. Thus, Charles, the “train wreck,” is on display for everyone to “marvel” at.

Is it a trending feat or a single case Is it dignity if it gets misplaced Am I justified in adopting casual tones

Charles, after the first Trial, formally becomes friends with Whit, as well as generally leaning towards being friendlier with the group. Thus, while “adopting casual tones,” AKA being friendly, might be a “single case” (just Whit) or a trending feat (befriending everyone). Previously, not befriending people and acting above them was part of how Charles displayed his dignity, but after the first Trial (in his eyes) stripped him of that dignity, he has to reposition himself.

Well pinkies up, 'cause it's in good taste And if you can't throw down then you know your place There's a hundred different ways that this could go

After the first Trial, Charles has to confront the fact that he isn’t reliable. Thus, these lyrics to me best fit him giving Teruko the secret motive he received (Eden’s). He “knows his place,” realizing that he could easily be incapacitated again, so he does what he can. He plans for contingencies.

And I am still quite functional when I am prone

This line switch up fits the second Trial well. Charles can’t investigate fully or contribute in the way he’d like, given that he can’t actually enter the Playground or look at Arei’s body, but he can still be a major benefit to the students in the Trial. He can find evidence elsewhere and be a logical ally for Teruko. He even got to cut in to help her in the last moment before the hiatus. 

Obviously, I can’t really apply the lyrics chronologically beyond this point, but I can still point out the things that make sense.

Hitting bottom's so much better when you're stoned

I can’t deny the weed allegations on this one, but if you just replace stoned with gay with friends it makes sense. “Hitting bottom’s so much better when you’re surrounded by a support system.” That kind of thing.

Most of the rest of it is just the chorus, which is pretty easy to see the connection. I mean… the Ultimate Chemist definitely gets chemical. Not in the weed way. And the “upright to vertigo” is sort of reminiscent of Charles’ reaction to his phobia.

Anyways, this is the end of my essay. Get Chemical is a Charles song I promise!!!

Tokyo Teddy Bear by Neru: Arturo Giles

CW: Suicide for this section!!

V: Okay, I’m going to preface this one by saying Arturo was a hard slot for Accirax and I to fill on the playlist. We don’t have any songs that really boil down to “you’re ugly,” so that element of Arturo’s character is out. That means that our best bet was anything that vaguely related to philosophies of fashion/aesthetic, as well as trying to interpret Arturo’s trauma/mental state. That second part is hard, because while we do know his secret– “Your younger sister killed herself because of you. You never should have left.”-- we don’t really know the details or how he reacts to it, other than “badly.” So, take everything here with a grain of salt.

The connection to aesthetics isn’t super strong, but it’s definitely there to be seen. 

I crush the heels of my unfashionable shoes

I’ll find some tougher scissors And cut out my face

With the theming of a teddy bear, there’s even references to cutting/replacing physical features of a living being, which ties into Arturo being the Ultimate Plastic Surgeon. Additionally, this often pairs with parts being “replaced.”

I’ll make a ridiculously sized pattern for it Anything will do, as long as it serves as a replacement

Please fill in the gaps in my seams

This, again, can relate to plastic surgery. It’s inherently something where you take a physical feature and alter it in order to get a “better” result, which means that you’re replacing the previous feature with a new one. It’s a bit of an angsty description of plastic surgery for Arturo, but it makes enough sense.

However, the lyrics pertaining to family and home are what sell this song for me. While we don’t know a lot about Arturo’s situation, we do know that he “never should have left,” meaning he did leave to some extent. He also clearly feels guilty for his sister Felicity’s death. 

I personally theorize that they likely had harsh parents, so while Arturo was able to use his promising career and older age to escape, Felicity had to endure the toxic environment on her own, which eventually led to her death. Thus, it would be understandable that Arturo would want to leave, but would still feel awful about the end result. Either way, though, I think the lyrics can definitely connect.

Mom, Dad, I’m sorry for everything

Brother, Sister, I’ll see you later

Goodbye, everyone; teacher, take care

Arturo is sorry for the situation, but he still leaves. It seems like there’s a specific point in Arturo’s life that would change pretty drastically when “leaving,” so it makes sense if it’s something treated with a lot of drama and severity.

Then there’s this part of the song:

There’s nothing left, nothing left anymore: it’s all torn off Even my cells seem to disappear into this sea of lint That’s right, I’m gone, gone, thrown away I don’t even have a home to go back to

This would read to me as a reaction to Felicity’s death. There’s nothing left of the home he cares about, meaning he’s officially on his own. It’s also a lot of emotional turmoil he’s struggling with, obviously.

I want to complete it, I want to cheat, give me the answer I can’t change? Do I want to be kept like a pet? Is it all gone? This isn’t me! The seams have split and torn apart

This part reads to me as some sort of big reaction to something in-story. It could just be the secret reveal; he wanted to “cheat” by threatening Eden into silence and claiming not to have a sister, but he learns that he can’t “change,” or otherwise escape from his past. How the ending of this song will be interpretable is going to change heavily with where he goes after this reveal, whether it be being the Trial 2 killer (and likely explaining his logic more in the post trial) or continuing to move forward into at least one more daily life.

That’s pretty much all of the analysis for the song, but I’m going to just quickly talk about some aside theories for Arturo!

CW: Body dysmorphia for this section!!

Anyways, while looking at the lyrics of this song, I started wondering how Arturo’s views on beauty and being the Ultimate Plastic Surgeon might’ve tied into his past/Felicity. Arturo clearly developed very strong views on what was beautiful/ugly somewhere along the way, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if Felicity held some of these views as well.

I think it’s possible Arturo may have attempted plastic surgery on Felicity if she had some sort of body dysmorphia. A lot of people with body dysmorphia try to use plastic surgery to ease their negative thoughts, but it doesn’t usually work, because the issue isn’t their actual appearance, it’s their misperception of their appearance and how it impacts how they believe others see them. Body dysmorphia is also a condition which has a high suicide rate (some studies say 25%+ of people with Body Dysmorphic Disorder have attempted suicide), so that could definitely be part of Felicity’s struggles.

This is also much less specific, but do you think Arturo has ever had plastic surgery or tried it on himself? I kinda just assumed his mask was part of the surgeon aesthetic, but it’s true that we don’t super know what’s under it, right?

Anyways, ramble over! Onto the next song!

CW: Suicide and body dysmorphia over!!

Punching Bag by Set it Off: Ace Markey

A: And here we have our first Set it Off song! Venus and I listen to a lot of Set it Off music, so it was hard to cut down to just two when we wanted to do a couple more. Rest assured that the two we went with are going to be fitting.

(V: They are my top artist on Spotify ever :D

Also side note, we also like Full Moon by Rare Americans as an Ace song on vibes. The lyrics are less fitting, but like… the Vibes are there)

A: I think the scene that most closely parallels the lines of Punching Bag is the one in Chapter 2 Episode 4, where Veronika intervenes in Ace and Nico’s fighting. To quote Ace, “Is that what everyone really thinks about me? And it’s fine that you drill it into my head over and over again, because you think I’ll forget about it in 5 minutes like you do? … You think I act like this for fun, and then I go to bed and sleep soundly at night, you dumb piece of shit?”

I'm up all night when you think I'm sleeping People pleasing's never good for your health

I’m sure you can see what I’m getting at here.

V: There’s also the fun part with the “up all night when you think I’m sleeping” that Ace (I’m pretty sure) goes to the Gym and stuff while other people are asleep! Plus, there’s him overhearing the David/Arei conversation. So, in a lot of ways, Ace actually kinda is up all night when other people might think he’s sleeping.

A: People not taking Ace, his emotions and his struggles, seriously is one of the things that infuriates Ace the most. 

Punching bag Just another pot calling the kettle black Take it out on someone who won't hit you back 'Til we're all as broken as you

Based on what others have told him, he knows that they think he’s a fragile coward whose bark is worse than his bite. How dare they insult him when they’re just as fucked up as he is, if not more?!

So say goodbye to your Mr. Nice Guy You got your wish, he's rotting in Hell

Even though we are aware that he wasn’t really a nice guy before, this scene (and the one investigating the Gym with Levi) is reflective of Ace’s Chapter 2 declaration that he’s in it only for himself. He’ll be a terrible person if it’s the only thing that’ll defend him from everyone else’s onslaught of attacks.

And, on top of all that, there are a bunch of lyrics that seem to reference damage inflicted on the singer by some kind of string.

Hanging on by the strings that you're pullin' (So you) cut me down just to push me around

And hope I'd tie a rope 'round my throat 'Til I start to choke

Don’t worry Ace, I’m sure this will never come back to bite you. Play-bite you, even.

So go fuck yourself

Well, that’s not very nice :(

Grave Dancing by David Bays: Veronika Grebenshchikova

CW: Self harm and suicidal ideation for this section!!

A: This song kinda tracks Veronika’s experiences with boredom, and how experiencing the terrors of the world that make most people cower makes her cackle. We begin with Veronika’s backstory, detailing how she felt before the killing game began. Now, this is based on speculation, but the idea that Veronika has the secret, “you only took on your talent to distract yourself from your incessant need to harm yourself for fun” is generally a pretty popular one. If she really was injuring herself just to feel something, we can assume that she was in a pretty bad mental state.

I stared into nothing completely entranced A spectacle vortex of mesmeric dance Millions of voices invite me to jump Into the pool of the opiate pump

Veronika was lost to her own desires, only focusing on what was fun (the “mesmeric dance”) even when it was putting her in danger (“inviting [her] to jump,” presumably off a high place). However, once Veronika finds horror, she finds that you can’t spell funeral without fun.

I’m dancing on my grave As my pleasure turns to pain I waste my days In this haze The more I satisfy myself the emptier I am

When most people would be sobbing at a gravesite, Veronika thinks to dance. When Veronika is experiencing pleasure, it’s at the hand of pain, whether hers or someone else’s. Even when she succumbs to her desires to live her life for the sole pursuit of fun, she’ll always be chasing a high that doesn’t exist. 

The fleeting euphoria begs me for more

Or, well– not without a killing game, anyways. The “round robin race” and “endless buffet” mentioned in the lyrics could both refer to the killing game, and “a wishful need to want to leave” would be more of a commentary on how people like Xander and Eden keep making plans to end the killing game. It’s her typical psychoanalysis stuff.

Do you remember how to be I don’t And you’re all stuck here with me As we throw away our time On momentary lives

Veronika seems to know that she’s abnormal (although she frequently forgets it in the moment), and even relishes in it in the presence of people like Arturo or David. Even if she doesn’t remember how “to be” (a normal person), everyone is stuck with her in the killing game, where her opinion holds the most power. The concept of “throwing away our time on momentary lives” sounds like the kind of thing she would say to get under someone’s skin– pointing out how fragile everyone’s life is in order to try to incite murder. Overall, the song just reminds me a lot of how Veronika speaks and thinks.

Entertained forever till we… DIE

Like… Yeah, that’s Veronika alright. You get it, I hope.

CW: Self harm and suicidal ideation over!!

Hallelujah by Hunter Oliveri: David Chiem

A: Did you know that David… is in a poor mental state?

Everybody is dumb I'm feeling numb Hallelujah

While exactly how much David’s “real personality” mirrors what he’s shown us in 2-11 is still up for debate, that infamous episode certainly showed us that there’s something off with how David views himself and the world. Namely, he’s a pretty pessimistic guy who seems pretty cavalier about throwing at the very least his own life away (given that the person who receives votes WILL die, either in a correct blackened vote or an incorrect spotless vote). If you assume that David is not actually the blackened in Arei’s murder, you can also get this line to factor in:

Everyone's got a gun Let's kill everyone

If the other students use their “guns”– their votes– to kill David, everyone will die. That’s a plan he’s completely fine with… Or, at least, he’s acting like it is. You could also link this line to Xander and his fake gun. Obviously, Xander didn’t actually use his fake gun in his attempt to kill Teruko, but it’s still an acknowledgment of how Xander was a participant given a gun like everyone else, and how he did decide that murder was his best course of action. Betrayals like that are likely part of what gave David this attitude in the first place.

In his breakdown, David also shows his perverse desire to call out the other students for their naive idiotic beliefs in trust and the goodness in humanity. So, you know. Everyone (in the Class Trial) is dumb (for believing in all of the inspirational bs David spews), (David is) feeling numb (to his own survival, as well as potentially still being in shock regarding the state of his career)-- Hallelujah. In the Hunter Oliveri version, the call to Praise The Lord is certainly meant to be sarcastic, and David means the same. In the way that “the Lord” can also imply fate/morality or a powerful establishment, David can be telling those things to fuck off too with his “Hallelujah.”

All of this is probably clear enough. However, what makes me like THIS smugly apathetic song over potential others are the frequent references to telling people how to do things and success. Let’s start with telling people how to do things.

It all means nothing I'll tell ya something They'll sell ya something, yow

Now I can't do a damn thing. And I'll take you out your misery And now I can't move a damn thing And I'll take you out your misery

Although the singer is feeling numb and therefore shouldn’t care about their audience, the song is still clearly framed as the singer giving their advice on how to best approach life. “Telling you something,” AKA the wisdom David dispenses in his inspirational speeches, is the exact same thing as “selling you something.” David knows that he profits off of exploiting others’ hopes, and he hates himself for it. Because he believes that people can’t ever change, he “can’t do/move a damn thing,” but will still “take you out your misery.” On the surface, people think that David is taking them out of their misery to move them to somewhere happier. But the way David sees it, he might as well just take them out of their misery by killing them, because life for the corrupt and unmotivated is pointless.

On that happy note, let’s talk about success.

I Gotta buy a big house Driveway full of cars trophy wife on the shelf

Here's what I'm all about Spending big money on a ticket to hell You've probably seen me around I'm like the Walmart in your hometown

I can’t remember if it’s ever been officially confirmed by the story, but I would not be at all surprised if David was the most independently financially successful Ultimate in this killing game. Like, obviously if J got along with her mom, she would have access to way more money and fame than David would. But, given that J tries to hide her identity, David is the only character who seems to be particularly recognized by anyone else (Xander) at the start of the killing game. Calling him “the Walmart in your hometown” is kind of a funny way to get that point across, but if you say that David is calling himself that’s incredibly well-known but also not that particularly special/well-regarded, I think it fits.

David has been able to ride his career as an inspirational speaker to immense success, but he feels very empty about it. Because he doesn’t believe in what he’s saying (and in Arei’s case, may even believe that the things he said actually kill people), he knows that the “big money” he’s earning will come back to ruin him in the end. His actions before and after his big reveal are what will send himself (and those he’s affected) straight to hell. The worst part is that he doesn’t even have any particular ambition about how to use his success. He knows what successful people act like– displays of wealth, happy relationships– but he doesn’t actually know how to achieve them. He doesn’t even like expensive things. So, what’s the point?

David’s got a lot of opinions about how people should feel about their brief lives on this miserable  “third rock from the sun,” and I think Hallelujah represents them pretty well. Just… don’t ask me about the lyric four lines down from that one. I have no explanation for it. We’re ignoring it. Moving on.

Egoist by Onuma Paseri: Min Jeung

V: It took us a while to pinpoint what exactly we wanted to pick as Min’s song. We strongly considered the obvious but fitting Lost One’s Weeping, but in the end, we decided to bring something new to the table instead. That song is Egoist!

A: (This is because we wanted to avoid putting in songs that other people had already brought up themselves, to make the guessing game fun for Min. I applaud everyone’s efforts in coming up with so many great songs for Min, but goddamnit did you have to come up with SO MANY great songs for Min??? /j)

V: Egoist is an interesting song for Min, because a fair amount of the lyrics actually focus on not wanting to be in school.

I usually spend my days falling ill. Let me withdraw from school, professor!

Let me go home early, professor!

However, I think this makes sense given that, in Min’s bonus episode, we see her starting to have more doubt surrounding her school career. She begins to realize she’s become extremely focused on school to the detriment of everything else. To me, that’s what these kind of lyrics actually relate to in a Min context.

I want to talk about something life-related. Won’t you listen to me, professor?

I understand that patience is important in life.  Won’t you realize it, professor?

Min has started to realize that not only school matters, but the people and the environment she’s surrounded by encourage her to continue focusing on academics entirely. She wants to have patience in life and explore other possibilities, but she finds it difficult to actually broach the subject with anyone.

You, dyed orange,  Will melt into darkness before long. Though time passes, my anguish will not disappear. I spend an eerie night together with you.

This set of lines is much more plot-oriented. Though you could try to spin these to be about Mai, I think it’s easiest to make this song largely about the night that Min kills Xander. Xander, dyed orange, “melts into darkness” (dies via electrocution). Min’s anguish can’t just disappear, because the Class Trial exists– it has to result in more death. I think you could call the whole thing overall an eerie night.

Get sentimental, and it’s goodbye. Go quicker and further away than anyone else!

Min “becomes sentimental” when she wants to save Teruko from Xander. However, because this results in both Xander and Min’s deaths, her sentimentality means “goodbye” for her.

Becoming impulsive is the right move. Cross through the night, more than anyone else! There’s no going back from here. After all, there’s no consequences.

This relates to Min trying to win the Trial. The right move is to become impulsive– she has to act quickly when she sees Xander or he’ll simply kill her too– and after that, she has to “cross through the night” more than the students she’s trying to deceive. She has to be the absolute best to clear the Trial and escape to the outside world. There’s no going back from here.

The “no consequences” thing is a little weird considering there very much are consequences for her actions, but I could see that potentially relating to her mindset of fixing “mistakes.” Killing Xander doesn’t have to be a mistake, as long as she does succeed more than anyone else. There are only consequences if she fails to correct her mistakes in time. Unfortunately for Min, that’s exactly what happens.

…Actually, I take back what I said earlier about some of the lines being potentially applicable to Mai. THESE lines relate to Mai:

You had entered my heart, and your smile Will melt into darkness before long. Though time passes, my memories will not disappear.

Problem solved! Min gets to reference Xander, Teruko and Mai!

A: I also tried to pitch Hungry People by the Happy Fits as Min’s song; but Venus didn’t really get it, so we went with this (which I think she did a great job explaining!). However, if anyone wants to hear me ramble about the commercialization of Hope’s Peak and the Ultimate Student as a talent through the context of Versace, Versace, Versace or Klein, hit me up.

Always Tired by Weathers: Rose Lacroix

A: This song doesn’t have a ton of lyrics, but the ones it does have fit Rose pretty well. The most obvious connection is just due to the fact that Rose is, believe it or not, always tired.

I'm always tired, I just can't fight it I'm always picking up my body, oh

Whether as a result of her hard work, an attempt to run away from her depressing day-to-day life, or straight up narcolepsy I don’t know, but the fact remains that one of Rose’s most apparent character traits is her tendency to fall asleep at a moment’s notice. And, despite the dangerous killing game situation, she doesn’t make any attempts to try to keep herself awake, like drinking a ton of coffee or whatever. She doesn’t really have the drive in her to try much of anything after being chained to the Spurling Foundation for life. Instead of making art based on her own creative drive, she has to execute whatever the Spurlings tell her to. She has to force herself to do things, mentally picking up her body instead of just letting it carry itself forward.

There’s also the matter of Rose’s nightmares, the combination of her photographic memory and the troubles she’s faced. The song is a lot about sleeping, but also a lot about seeing.

A quarter to three, still rolling in bed A party for me with demons in my head Do you ever know how eyes lie? Do you ever see how I'm-

Even when Rose does try to sleep, she can’t avoid her photographic memory filling her mind with nightmares that feel incredibly real. Xander’s dead body, Min’s crying face, and Teruko’s haunting glare could all seem pretty demonic under the right circumstances.

The song’s continuous repetition of the chorus also speaks to how bland Rose finds her life now. It’s just a cycle of unfulfilling days doing the same thing with the same tired energy following her around. Unfortunately, that’s just her habit.

Evolutional by Big Data: J Rosales

V: This song largely centers around J’s relationship with her mother, Mariabella Rosales, and how J wants to make her own future rather than the one her mother wanted for her. In that lens, a lot of the lyrics to this song are honestly pretty self-explanatory.

It's my future, not a mystery These games that you play, you're my history Not your possession, you don't own me Said it's all for the best, I disagree

J takes ownership of her own future, leaving her mother and the stardom she was born into in the past. She’s not just her mother’s child; she’s her own person, too.

Ooh, boy, what you gonna say when I walk away? (Got a mind to eliminate) Ooh, ooh, boy, what you gonna do when I'm not with you? (I'ma show you another view)

J would much rather walk away from the whole situation. I have no idea what Mariabella’s reaction was when J walked away, but I have to imagine she wasn’t happy about it. J would probably enjoy that fact.

Gonna make a change, gonna rearrange Improve myself, I don't want your help

Something I like about the lyrics to this song are that they focus on how J has taken ownership of her future rather than just rebelling against her past. Yeah, she changes from her past, but she does also “improve herself” in the sense that J has still found her way to an incredibly successful career, Ultimate-level worthy, through her own enjoyment of SFX. She doesn’t want her mother’s help to become famous, but she still thrives on her own terms.

Used to build me up, used to knock me down Thought you were so clever, who's laughing now? Are you listening? Do I have your attention? I'm telling you now, I'm your final invention

J, as we know her, currently seems to have gotten the upper hand against her mother, given that she HAS become unrecognizable to most people and got to live out her life in relative privacy. I’m sure her mother is aware of this, though, meaning that J is the one “laughing now.” And, of course, if Mariabella is feeling like an Endeavor kinnie, she might see J as her “final invention.” Ryan is younger, but still, J is the evolution of the Rosales bloodline.

Remember the Empire by House of Heroes: Xander Matthews

A: Remember the Empire is a pretty general song about rebellion, which means that it definitely fits Xander, but not necessarily with the same specificity as some other songs. However, there are still some good lines to talk about, so let’s get into it.

Stand, stand up! What choice have they given us?

Remember the empire, Tear the king from the throne!

While possibly not as medieval as House of Heroes intended it, the rebellion that Xander asks people to stand against is definitely about taking down a king. Or, more specifically, a Duke. I doubt that Duke is actually a king by divine right or anything like that, but if you say that he was the old money ruler of the town in which Xander lived, there’s hardly a difference when it comes to modern day. “Remember the empire” is about Xander remembering both his family and hometown in the ways he wishes they would have stayed, and “tear[ing] the king from the throne” will at least restore that kind of peace to other families and homes.

Fight for the life that our children should have, Fight for every freedom that we never had, There's no turning back all the bridges are burned, Our peace must be earned, so

Again, Xander is focusing on children because he was a child when the river in his town was poisoned. Speaking of rivers, sometimes they have bridges over them…? But also, “burning bridges” just means ruining your relationship with someone, which Duke Spurling definitely did.

While I would say that the majority of this song is more about Xander’s backstory than his (brief) time in the killing game, there are still a couple of lyrics that I think speak more to that time period than his past.

Here they threaten with murder and bribe us with peace. Here they treat us like slaves and convince us we're free.

MonoTV sure did threaten them with murder! And bribe them with peace, too: given that Xander attempted to kill Teruko before the motive videos were actually given out, the main motive for the majority of the students was the temptation of going back to their peaceful, everyday lives.

“Treat[ing them] like slaves and convinc[ing them they’re] free” is a bit of a stretch, but who says I’m not flexible? MonoTV and the killing game establishment want the participants to believe that every decision they make is on their own terms– if a student chooses to become a killer, it’s about the despair secretly hidden inside of them, and not the external pressure of being put in a month-long life or death situation. But, the students are still “slaves” to both the headmaster, the structure of the killing game, and, in Despair Time’s case, the entertainment industry.

We wrote it down in blood, in blood. We gave our lives for love, for love.

Also, while Xander didn’t actually write out an accusatory dying message in blood, the blood around his neck and on his fingers were relevant to the case. He is also (probably) related to the blood falling on the pieces of paper in DRDT’s opening scene, and certainly the recipient of the “kill Teruko Tawaki” note, which was written down to call for Teruko’s blood.

Similarly, while the direct reasoning behind why Xander decided to kill Teruko is yet unknown, it really feels to me like it would be “for love” of something. Love of the rest of his classmates? Love of Mai? Love of the world? Whatever the case is, he gave his life for it. Remember the Xander– tear the song from the list!

SAD (Clap Your Hands) by Young Rising Sons: Whit Young

A: There is precisely one section of the lyrics that made me believe that this song was for Whit.

I've still got memories to repress But I still hear my mama saying If you're sad and you know it And you don't want to show it Clap your hands If you’re sad, that's okay You can clap it all away Just clap your hands

This part screams Whit so hard to me. Whit represses his emotions and memories about his home so that he can pretend that everything is fine. Whit’s mom is very important to him, and is more likely than not dead, such that anything she says would have to be in a memory. Much like how “bitter things should go down the drain,” Whit always chooses not to show his sadness, deciding instead to play things off as jokes.

Erase any unease you have with these two simple steps! Step 1: Clap! Step 2: Profit.

So, anyways, that’s clearly the best part of the song. What about the other parts? Well, they are probably making Whit into a bit angstier of a character than he actually is. Probably. (V: Yet. He will have angst. We can all feel it.) Compared to people like Xander or Min who have their own bonus episodes, or even people like Arei or Rose whose backstories have been explored a bit more in canon, we don’t actually know that much about Whit’s past. And, yes, I know that we literally got an entire scene almost entirely focused on Whit’s backstory. The problem is, given that he likely has a history of… omitting information, one could say, we don’t know how much of what he’s said about his past is true, and how much might be reframing things in a more positive light.

Still stuck in bed Try to remember how Unscrew my head That's too left brain right now

[...T]hey say that if I try That I could maybe be someone But I'm scared because I know deep down That day may never come

Shut up and be happy It's all in your head Grow up and be happy 'cause it ain't that bad That's what my doctor said

Like, all of this could be true about Whit, I dunno. Or it could be false. To try to end this on a smart note, I’ll try to explain each of these sections as best I can.

Whit is probably a more right-brained person, to the extent that that model means anything, because of his strong intuition and innate understanding of how others are thinking and feeling. The left brain helps you with sequencing and facts, two things which Whit probably tends to ignore.

There’s definitely an argument to be made that Whit doesn’t see himself as a particularly talented matchmaker, despite being an Ultimate. When Charles asks him to break up the fights between J and Arturo, Nico and Ace, and Arei and MonoTV, Whit deflects, saying that he’s only a matchmaker, not a relationship counselor. (Charles points out that he didn’t bring up anything about matchmaking at all, which implies that Whit may frequently feel out of his depth when asked to do things as a matchmaker and is used to coming up with excuses.) Whit’s sales pitch for himself as a matchmaker in the prologue is basically a joke, too. And then, there are the details thus far only brought up in his character profile: he dislikes Valentine’s Day, and has never been able to succeed in finding a relationship for himself. That failure to matchmake the perfect partner for himself (assuming he’s interested in that kind of thing, but he does say he likes boys and girls and was confirmed as bisexual in a Q&A) may make him insecure in his skills, and thus in his future as an Ultimate.

Of course, his bio also says that “if you get the Ultimate Matchmaker to find you a romantic partner, you’re guaranteed to have a happy and stable relationship for life,” so do with that what you will.

And finally, Whit did ask other students about their prescriptions, and seems to have some familiarity with mental health issues, given how he was able to help Charles. I mean, any good doctor would not actually say “grow up and be happy ‘cause it ain’t that bad” to someone struggling with their mental health, but my point is that the lyrics could have some extra meaning for Whit if he did see a doctor for whatever in the past.

Look, like I said at the top, there is precisely one section of the lyrics of this song that made me think it worked for Whit. The rest of the song does not make as much sense, but the guy was hard to pin down. And, hey, it’s not our fault that Good Grief was already taken–

Killer in the Mirror by Set it Off: Teruko Tawaki

V: This song is such a #TerukoSweep. We were looking at songs and this was one of the first ones we locked in. It very clearly shows her shift after Chapter 1 to being more distrusting of everyone else, after both Xander and Min betray her.

Look out, they're closing in on you now Wake up, or you'll wake up six feet down Nobody's got your back in this town Knock 'em in the teeth now

Teruko quite literally has to wake up or wake up six feet down after Xander stabs her, considering she’s unconscious for a long time. After that, she fully believes she can’t rely on anyone, so she becomes much more aggressive to the people around her, pushing them away.

Out here, there's no negotiation No room to start a conversation Before you get a taste, it's taken Never let your guard down

This relates to how she doesn’t even want to talk to anyone after the Trial. She can’t ever let her guard down; that’s a large part of why she refuses Eden’s attention in particular. She can’t negotiate or start a conversation, because that, in itself, is letting her guard down– it’s opening herself up to friendship, which she no longer trusts.

Get back, put your hands up, kinda messed up, but it's tough luck

Tough luck you say? …Anyways.

And I'm sorry, but I don't feel bad for you 'Cause I know if you could switch this You'd be dishing out the same shit Saying sorry, but I don't feel bad

Teruko seems to hold the view that anyone could betray her at any time, and thus, they should all be considered enemies. She can’t feel bad for any of them, because they could all do the same to her.

Now I know there's no one I can trust I used to think there was Tell me that I'm cutthroat I think you got your eyes closed

This is the same kind of thing. She can’t trust anyone, even when she used to think she could, because Xander and Min’s betrayals proved that not even those closest to her could be trusted. People say that Teruko is cutthroat for turning her back on everyone, but to Teruko, they don’t see the facts. She’s not being cutthroat, she’s being cautious. 

Feel the fear and swallow back the tears Let weakness disappear

This relates to Teruko cutting out her friends because they’re weaknesses, etc. etc.

There's nobody but me here The killer in the mirror

This is actually one of the harder lines to justify in my opinion, because Teruko hasn’t actually killed anyone. …That we know of.

I’m kinda just banking on Teruko’s likely secret of “How could I even select what secret to be your motive? Just about everything you’ve done in your life is worth killing for. The killing game is all your fault” in addition to any inflicting-bad-luck-on-other-people-like-with-Min type situations being enough to justify calling Teruko a killer, at least in a hypothetical sense. If she really is responsible for the killing game (questionable) then she’d sort of have killed Xander, Min and Arei at this point.

The other verses’ lyrics definitely fit too, but it’s really just a lot of repeating Teruko’s philosophy. She doesn’t trust anyone for her own safety, she can’t have friends anymore, all that deal. Classic Teruko.

Conclusion

V: Thanks for getting all the way through this post! This thing ended up WAY longer than we meant it to. Still, I guess it makes sense, given that we tried to pick songs we thought had strong lyrical basis for the characters. Hopefully you enjoyed, coming from me and Accirax :)

A: Yippee, essays over! Thank you for reading. Now go listen to our immaculate taste in music some more (/lh /nf). And the original playlist, too! We could all use a little more DRDT brain rot in our lives.

[starseneyes]

Chenford REWIND- Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 5 - Ep 1

That's right, folks, I've been talked into going back to the beginning of Season 5 (which is when I was first talked into watching this show... I'm sensing a theme, here).

SPOILER ALERT: This is going to spoil the entirety of Episode 1 of Season 5, and may reference past The Rookie episodes and Chenford moments. Please abandon ship NOW if you don't want spoilers.

Episode 1 of Season 5 was juicy, but it was also heartbreaking in a number of ways. What do I mean? Well... I'll tell you... after the "Keep reading"...

Previously On... Snogging Your Boss

To catch everyone up, Season 4 ended with Tim and Lucy awkward with one another after they lip-locked while attempting to get under the skin of their alter-egos, Dim and Juicy. That was a delicious scene, but we're in Season 5, now, so let's see where Lucy is...

Dreaming of Said Lip-Lock

Lucy is smiling in her sleep thinking not of her "work in progress"... but of her SO (who she wants to be her SO... if you know what I mean).

I've gone back and forth on whether this is an un-used take, or whether it was shot for the episode. Perhaps one of y'all can illuminate, if you know.

But with the track-around shot being so bloody perfect, and no signs that this alternate angle was used in any of the footage that we see in Season 4's finale, I keep thinking it was shot just for Lucy's dream.

Lucy Chen is having a sexy dream about Tim Bradford. (that one's for my Miggy mutuals out there).

Not only that, but she's making him a little more assertive in her dream... cupping her face with his hand, pushing the kiss deeper as her lips part. Lucy wants Tim to take charge. Yowza!

The knock at her door coincides with the door-interruption in her dream, and Lucy wakes rudely, shaken from the very nice feeling dream. (and then she shakes a very flimsy bed that will need an upgrade if Tim and Lucy are ever to share it... just sayin')

Tamara opens the door (can't believe Tamara c*ck-blocked Chenford in two different episodes in two different realities back-to-back), and steps in. She's worried about her Mom/Roommate.

"I could blow off class, if you want. We could go shopping. See a movie." "I'll be fine. I'm not going to be anywhere near Rosalind. Tim and I are station-bound waiting for the phone to ring." "On your undercover thing?" "Yeah, the original go-time fell through and it's just been radio silent ever since."

Thank you, expositionary dialogue, for helping catch us up. Look, it's one of those necessary evils, sometimes, when you're trying to quickly bring viewers up to speed. Some people can do it well, and some people really can't.

My husband is a huge Star Trek fan. I mean, I'm a fan... he puts the fanatic in fan, if you know what I mean. He has a USS Hood hoodie, for goodness sake.

Anyway, he once learned that there were certain actors who were given all the expositionary dialogue on Star Trek: The Next Generation because others totally botched it. I'll let you figure out who.

Here, with confirmations, affirmations, and back-and-forth dialogue, we've gotten through that a little smoother than if one person monologued it for us.

"This the same undercover thing you and Tim were discussing the other night?"

Mom just got called for making out with her "friend" by her daughter. Yikes! And while Lucy's face screws up trying to determine which emotion to display, Tamara watches, the teenage snark at the ready for anything her Mom uses to deflect.

"I already told you, that kiss didn't mean anything." "Right. Right. It was for the case! Make out. Stop crime. That totally tracks."

Thank God I wasn't drinking anything the first time I heard this line, because I would have spat it clear across the room in a fine spray of incredulity.

Because Tim and Lucy weren't just kissing, there. That kiss had several distinct mouth movements of deepening from lips colliding, to smoothing into it, to a breath of air before diving deeper for more.

Tim was about to go fishing for Lucy's tongue if that door hadn't opened.

Lucy has a lot going on. We know from end of Season 4 that she's aware of her growing feelings for Tim. Watching him fake his engagement struck an unexpectedly dissonant cord.

But that doesn't mean she's ready to face them. Tim having Ashley and her having Chris helps create a boundary... right?

"Go to school!" "Okay. Well, have a great day. With your boss. Who you kissed."

Lucy can try to deny it all she wants, but when Tamara walked in the other night, Lucy's hands were on Tim's chest. Her eyes were closed. His hands were on her arm, and they were decidedly not sharing a peck. They were snogging, and it would have been a while before they stopped—if they stopped—had Tamara not walked in.

And Lucy's been trying not to think about that. Look at how she squirms when Tamara walks out.

Because, while we know that Tim had his Moment of Realization when he left Lucy's sight, she has no idea about any of that.

She knows that they tried to talk about it at work the next day, and he didn't mention anything between them. So, she's compartmentalized that it's all in her head... not knowing he's done the exact same thing.

Because while Tim and Lucy can be very different people, there are places in their lives where they align like mirrored puzzle pieces, designed to fit together, yet unaware until they shift into the right positions (heh).

Both of them are rationalizing, burying, and trying to pretend it meant nothing. For one thing, they're both with other people right now, and neither is a fan of cheating. Secondly, this is a big deal.

Tim hasn't dated within the Station since his wife, and they were Rookies together. Lucy hasn't dated within the Station since she dated Nolan and she swore off cops as potential partners.

Not to mention their friendship that has built over the years. They're finally in a good place. Do they really want to risk this comfortable place where they've finally arrived? Is it worth it?

They don't know, yet. So, they're both spiraling.

"You kissed Lucy?"

Let's not pretend Angela doesn't know what's up. Girlfriend is a detective and she happens to be Tim's best friend. When he was spiraling because Caleb took Lucy, he called Angela. Why? He needed to talk it out.

And much as Tim used to complain about Lucy doing it in the Shop with her love life, he does the same thing... when it comes to Lucy.

Angela knows that Tim needs to talk it out because he's spiraling emotionally, and he doesn't handle that well on his own. So, he needs an outside perspective.

Keep in mind, this is days after their kiss. Tamara said, "the other day". So, not yesterday... but sometime in the last week or so. Tim hasn't been able to get Lucy's lips (and their taste) off his mind in days, so he is finally cracking and calling in Angela for the assist.

"No. No. Dim kissed Juicy. Okay? Or, Jake kissed Sava. Whatever."

Tim, honey, there's a river I need to tell you about... It's one I feel like you must've visited before called... DENIAL. You can't rationalize away feelings, Timmy, my boy. It doesn't work that way.

Angela's smirk game is PEAK at this moment. This is all she needed to know that Timothy is getting in his feels about his former Boot. And, let's be real, Angela knows a thing or two about feelings that can't be denied. She'll be the least judgy about all this... but she'll also be the most brutal in her teasing.

"The point is, we had to be comfortable going undercover, so we practiced being a couple." "How much did you practice?"

Angela Lopez, te amo. You are now my hermana and we're going to get along famously because you called Tim out so effortlessly. I always knew I liked you!

Tim is not happy with it. He really wants someone to agree with him and help him rationalize what he can't loosen from his head (and heart).

Kissing Lucy felt good. Kissing Lucy felt right. He didn't want to stop. He wanted to keep kissing her. And when Tamara walked in, he felt like he'd been caught. Why does he still feel that way?

Why can't he loose the feel of her arms in his hands, the smell of her skin to close to his, the taste of her mouth... and why is he still craving it?

The two of them faced a scare like this at the beginning of Season 4. Presumably, he wasn't dating Ashley, yet, when Lucy spent the night (or half a night) after Jackson's death and Angela's kidnapping.

He'd held her in his arms, then. And even when they'd separated, his left hand was still rubbing up and down, offering comfort as she looked up at him with those big eyes.

Feeling her breath on his neck, he'd abandoned ship faster than Billy Zane's character in Titanic. But he'd thought of her. Heck, we don't know if he might have been on his feet walking to her when he got Wesley's call as she was on her feet coming to him.

But that time he was able to push it down. Kissing her awakened something that's refusing to silence in his brain... an anxious hum that only quiets in the peace of her presence, her arms, her embrace.

Damnit. He never should have taken that UC assignment.

"It was just a kiss. Not that big of a deal." "Then why are we talking about it?"

He's begging her to say the same thing. This is the equivalent of Lucy's "Right?" when she really needs affirmation.

I mean, he doesn't even have a ready answer when Angela asks... and he deflects. Hard.

"Because, what if it wasn't just a kiss for her?"

See? I'm thinking about her not about me.

"You think Lucy has feelings for you?" "No."

And he means that. Tim Bradford doesn't believe Lucy could have feelings for him, that she could love him, that she would ever want to be with him.

And he's never thought about it seriously before, himself. But now it's getting harder and harder to ignore.

"Then she probably sees it how you do—just a weird thing you had to do for work." "Right."

And that's the part he didn't want affirmed... that Lucy feels nothing romantic for him, and it's all in his head.

That's what he believes. Tim has spent his life thinking he was un-loveable. First, my an abusive father. Then, a wife who abandoned him. A girlfriend who chose her dream job.

And, even now with Ashley, it's all wrong. He hates the beach and he's dating a lifeguard who wants to vacation at beaches.

He's trying to make it work because it's the most stable relationship he's had in a while... but it was always rocky and the cracks are becoming more apparent the more he ruminates on this Lucy situation.

Angela notes every second of Tim's discomfort.

"Timothy... do you have feelings for Lucy?" "No!"

Have we ever heard Tim's voice go that high? I'm struggling to remember, but I laughed aloud the first time I watched that and had to rewind to see the rest of the line, which is really all another rationalization.

"No, I'm dating Ashley, and Lucy is with Chris, and I'm her Superior Officer, so..." "All true. Not what I asked."

Because she doesn't need to ask. Angela knows why they are having this conversation, and Tim's growing increasingly frustrated because he wants to believe he doesn't have feelings for Lucy.

But he does... and it's getting harder to deny.

"What'd I miss?" "Nolan got a Golden Ticket."

Now I know Tim Bradford is in love because there was zero commentary on Lucy being late to roll call!

"Your lady squared away?" "Hell, no. You think we don't got lives of our own waiting around on some mystery gig?"

It's the debut of Lucy's take on Sava. Assertive, just like Nova. Just like Lucy.

"Yo. Davion's money." "Davion's handsy. Get someone else."

This isn't Chenford directly, but I love seeing how Tim's not as on top of the UC thing as Lucy. It's not a ding on Tim. It's simply a reminder that Lucy is a natural at this, and that she can manipulate the situation as needed.

Is it always successful? No. But she knew how to keep Tim and Jackson alive during the op when she was pulled over, and she's trying to spare them getting made here.

"Oh! Looking good, Juicy."

Look, I know it's Aaron saying it, but Tim's reacting, too. Look at his face, taking her in.

And it kills me that we don't get a good reverse on his reaction her thong comment. Kills me. I'd love to see Tim "No, I don't have feelings for Lucy" Bradford not react to the idea of the thong she is currently wearing.

"Airstrip. I thought this job was local." "It's not. That a problem?" "Yeah, that's a problem. I travel with three suitcases minimum. It requires precision to look this good."

Again, it didn't work, but Lucy was quick on that response. Lucy, maybe you should really pursue this UC stuff. You're pretty good at it!

Dim and Juicy Roll Up in Tamara's Car

The music's blaring, and Tim and Lucy have left themselves behind. They've slipped into the skin of two flirty, horny, lust-distracted ne'er-do-wells, and I am here for it.

Look, I know we all laughed at the beginning of their kiss scene because Tim and Lucy were so uncomfortable. Now, those who were still alive by the end of the scene know they are perfectly capable of getting coupley with a little prodding.

"You're late." "Yeah, well, our quickie wasn't so quick."

Lucy winds an arm around Tim's waist, and he wraps an arm around her shoulders, fitting against one another as though they'd done it a thousand times.

Tim is completely in her space, and though the clothes and personalities are borrowed, we get a sneak peek into a future Chenford. They just fit together so well!

"First, cell phones."

Lucy's POUT and how Tim immediately snaps to her. I'm convinced half of the reason he's so bloody convincing during this whole episode is because he's completely under her spell.

Yes, he did well running solo. But can you imagine if he'd run this op with Nyla or Angela? He might've pulled it off, but not to this degree of believability.

Tim and Lucy turn over their cell phones, and then they're right back to one another's embrace as Dim and Juicy forget anyone else is there.

And this is yet another glimpse at Tim and Lucy's future... Because some part of them is aching for this.

Right now, they can live vicariously through Dim and Juicy and pretend it's completely on the level. "It's not really US. It's THEM! We aren't doing anything wrong."

But it's all about how they feel, and that's quickly catching up with them.

Hands. Hands. HANDS!

Look, the scene where Lucy hands Tim a glass of champagne and drapes herself across me is choice. Lucy drapes herself over him, he wraps his arm around her waist, settling on her thigh, and she places her hand over his.

As he talks and his hands move, hers move with him, like a magnetic pull. They never practiced this. Because the second Tim and Lucy let go and give into the couple shtick, it brings out their natural rhythm.

"Rosalind Dyer escaped."

Sava disintegrates and Lucy is left stunning, sitting atop Tim's lap. Tim notes her shift immediately and grabs onto her hand, much as she grabbed onto his when he pulled her over during her first solo UC op. It's comfort.

While Lucy has led the way for their alter-egos, it's now Tim who comes up with the perfect excuse to get her alone (*ahem*) and invites Juicy to join the Mile High Club.

As the baddies roll their eyes at Dim and Juicy's antics, Tim gets a barely-held-together Lucy into the bathroom and away from their gazes.

Let's be real, any one of us would be reeling, too. The one time Lucy and Tim were in the presence of Rosalind Dyer together, that woman had Lucy spinning out in seconds. It took Tim—her fierce protector—to snap her out of it and silence the singing.

Now, that same fierce protector has to snap her out of it so they don't get massacred above the clouds. It's not a time for kid gloves... it's a time to get her head in the game, or cut their losses. He's not willing to risk Lucy's life for an op*.

*Keep this in mind later in the season

"I'm fine. I can do this." "No. No, you're not. I'm pulling the plug as soon as we land."

Because he knows her. She can't play him, anymore. Yes, there was a time she could get away with it, but he's staring in her eyes and he can feel the fear and anxiety flowing off of her.

"No. Look, the stakes are too high. This is our one chance at Madris. The news threw me for a second, but I'm... I'm fine. I can do this."

And while we all know (Tim included), Lucy is far from fine, he believes she can get her head in the game enough to see this through.

And we all know that's because he is helping her. She always knew that when it was too much for her to deal with, he'd be there to help. Maybe he didn't believe it at the time, but Lucy did. And she was right.

"Okay. Lucy, if you change your mind, you just say the word."

Tim is so commanding in this moment. It's not anything he's lording over her, no. But he's reminding us that he's the Sergeant in this situation, and he is not going to let her go down for an op.

"Wait." "What?" "We're supposed to be hooking up in here."

And that doe-eyed boy truly has no idea what's flying his way.

I'm reminded of Cary Grant's line to Audrey Hepburn in Charade. "When you come on, you come on."

That's Lucy. When she's ready for something, she commit to it completely. Whether it's a moment or a lifetime.

And right now, she's committing to this moment of her lips on his lips, her hands on his body, and her mind on something besides the anxiety and fear filling her from Rosalind's escape.

Lucy grabs ahold of Tim's face with both hands and lunges herself at his lips. He reels back, nearly falling onto the counter behind him. But as soon as his brain begins to process what the hell is happening, his hands easily reach for her.

Tim doesn't waste time, this time. He didn't know if he'd have another chance to kiss her, and he wants this more than he'll admit.

Now, in both kisses, Lucy has her arms between them. So, their bodies aren't pressing together, and that makes Tim's hand placement a little more awkward.

Could be an actor choice. Could be a directing choice. Could be a writing choice.

Whatever the reason, Tim's options are more limited. But as his hand runs up her arm, it becomes less timid, and more sure. He pushes back against her kiss and she moves with him, letting him take point. She needs this.

Lucy could have smeared her lipstick on him. She could have rumpled his clothes. But Lucy needs something to center her right now.

She needs another emotion to draw from besides her fear. And while she doesn't know how Tim feels about her, she knows that kissing him feels good, and right, and comforting.

They transition from Lucy sucking on his top lip to his bottom lip, and her hand finally drops away, giving Tim the space to put his hand in what I believe to be his favorite place—her face.

He wants that skin-on-skin connection. He wants the romance. Tim wants every second of this kiss.

Which is why he says, "More" when she pulls away. Turn up the volume and watch that boy's lips. Tim Bradford is GONE, my friends.

And Lucy's shaking. Melissa O'Neil, herself, confirmed that this was a planted callback to Lucy's hands shaking after Tim resuscitated her in the desert. Lucy's a bloody mess, but she wants to make this work.

Oh, what about Tim? Tim's in bloody shock. Each kiss is progressively worse for his ability to shove those emotions back down. Now he's the one who needs to get his head in the game.

Luck Be A Lady Tonight

I love the glances to one another in the car... the subtle check-ins. These two are such soul-mates.

"Hello, back off." "Must be the new skank." "Who are you calling a skank? You better get the hell outta here. If I see you again, I'm gonna rip this janky ass hairpiece outta your head. Hm?"

Tim and Lucy had no idea that Jake would have a connection at this casino, and getting made is the worst thing that could happen. Lucy leaps into action, and I really think Tim is impressed... and a little turned on.

"She's solid."

We've talked before about how Angela is a good detective, but she's going with Tim's gut on this. And Lucy knows the weight of it. She's not going to let Tim down.

"You're really good at this, you know? The whole Undercover thing." "Thank you."

Tim doesn't give out a lot of compliments, but he's seen Lucy in action, today, and she's been amazing on-the-fly.

Sure, he's watched her undercover ops from afar (and that one time he pulled her over), but this is different. He's been in the moment with her and seen her make moves he'd never think to make.

Also, I love that her way to prove to Tim that she could handle Undercover was to fake her feelings for him. And today's op has been all about embracing those feelings under the guise they are fake.

Is that the definition of irony? I'll have to ask my English-teacher husband.

And I find it fascinating that this praise doesn't activate her Praise Kink. Perhaps it's her aching head or the stress of Rosalind, but she seems more... confused by Tim's compliment.

Maybe she thinks he's complimenting her kissing skills... because, yeah, they're fire together.

"Uh, do you mind if I take the first shower?" "No, it's fine. Hey you hungry?" "Yes! I would get some french fries if you're ordering.

Tim looks up just in time to see Lucy's shirt swish off of her, revealing a bare back. Can you imagine the neurons firing off in that man's mind right now? Now he knows she wasn't wearing a bra the whole damn day.

Tim backs up like he's been struck by something heavy and he turns away, trying to get his brain to start firing and his secondary brain to stop revving its engine.

He mutters about fries as he sits on the bed, trying to focus on the menu in front of him.

But half-naked Lucy is right there, and his eyes drift back to the door, just in time to see her whisk past. He looks away, again... Then back, again.

And, let's be real. If he was struggling not to go after her when she was fully clothed on his couch, imagine how hard he's struggling not to imagine Lucy in that shower... and imagine himself with Lucy in that shower...

And... maybe y'all need a cold shower by now. You good? Good.

But Tim Bradford is far from good. He's so far from good that he turns on sports, and rather than getting lost in the game and upset about any interruptions, he's begging the game to take him away from the thoughts running through his head.

Because he never thought it would come to this. He never thought she would kiss him again. He never thought he'd be in a position where he would have this beautiful woman right there who might possibly feel what he's feeling.

And so Tim Bradford does something I never thought I'd see him do... he takes a leap.

"What?" "Do you want to talk about it?" "About what?" "The airplane bathroom... your apartment... Look, I don't know, call me crazy, but it just doesn't feel like pretend."

Remember I said this episode was heartbreaking? Here's why...

Lucy thinks Tim is calling her out on her feelings for him.

Tim thinks there's something between them and he wants to know if she has feelings for him.

And because Lucy feels caught... she deflects.

"It's an intimate act. We'd have to be dead inside for it to not trigger something, right? It's basic biology."

Tim Bradford took a leap... and then he took a fall. And it kills me every time to watch his face as he takes the rejection. Lucy doesn't want me.

Oh, poor Tim Bradford. He's been rejected over and over by people in his life. So often, he's the one who finds himself broken because nobody sticks around for him. Nobody puts in the effort for him.

It doesn't take a traumatic childhood to make a person feel unworthy of love, but Tim has that and more.

And Lucy doesn't even know how he feels. She has no idea. This was a speech uttered to cover her own growing feelings. But the unintended consequence is that she hurts Tim.

"So you're saying it's not a big deal. Doesn't mean anything." "Right?"

It's a confirmation of what Angela told him at the beginning... Lucy doesn't want me.

And it's not that his whole life was hitched on this notion, but it's yet another rejection in a long, long string of rejections. And Lucy doesn't even know that's what she's done.

The phone rings, deflecting the conversation, and a dejected Tim picks up.

"I'm just alone with Lucy in the hotel room" "Uh-oh."

Literally the last thing he needs to hear right now. But, Angela doesn't know he was just struck down. She's all for some Chenford Sexy Time.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Tim slams the phone down faster than the remote when the Rams toss an interception. Lucy rushes back to the bathroom, and the moment she goes, Tim shakes his head. It hurts.

Tim took a leap. And Tim fell. And now Tim has to add it to his layers of scars.

"Remind me not to take a guy out while I'm wearing a robe. I showed him the entire world right now."

First off, I love that Tim was the damsel in distress in this scene that needed Lucy's rescuing. Second, I believe this is when she starts to think there's something physical between them.

Let's be clear. Lucy has feelings for Tim, but she doesn't think Tim has feelings for her. She thinks he's attracted to her, though. I mean, look how she watches him as he shakes his head. And while feelings are tough for Lucy (more than she'll admit), sex is easy.

"I can nott wait to get out of these clothes." "Yeah. I'm not gonna miss that hair." "I kind of like yours." "Thank you... thank you for walking me up." "No problem."

Let's be honest... Tim is walking Lucy up because he knows as soon as he walks away, they won't have the excuse to be this close together, again. And even though she rejected him (in his mind), he wants to be close to her.

"So, I guess this is it. Tomorrow we are back to being us." "Right. And everything that happened undercover, we will just leave behind." "Right. What happens undercover stays undercover."

I'd shake my head at Tim's comment, but the boy's doing a good job shaking his head at himself. "Why did I say that?" Lucy, however, is ready to test a theory... about Tim's attraction to her.

"You know, in a sense, since we haven't been debriefed, we're still undercover." "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Tim doesn't know where she's going, but Lucy offers a pointed glance at her apartment door. Tim doesn't bite.

Why? Because he's ruled it out as a possibility. He doesn't believe there is any scenario where this is really happening. She already rejected him, right?

Lucy registers his lack of comprehension, though she doesn't realize the reason.

"Do you want to come in?"

Tim is flabbergasted. He doesn't believe what he's hearing, and that man literally short circuits at the realization that this moment is happening. Heck, I was short-circuiting. I thought the fans were making something up when they started tweeting about him accepting an invite to go inside.

Like, is this happening!?

Tim cycles through shock, acceptance, fear, and ultimately lands on right and wrong. He is dating Ashley. And he's not a cheat.

"I shouldn't."

It's not that he doesn't want to. But for so many reasons, he shouldn't go in. Lucy nods, accepting his answer. For her, this isn't a personal rejection (because she doesn't even think that's on the table). It's a sexual rejection, and that's fine.

But as she opens her door and walks in, the light from the door strikes Tim's face. When he looks back, he sees light... and Lucy.

And much as he wants the full relationship... this is what she is offering here and now. And who knows if he'll ever have the chance to be with her, again?

There are no thoughts of Chris and Ashley, right now. The two of them are looking at one another—Lucy on one side of the threshold and Tim on the other—and they are considering this moment and nothing further.

So twice in one episode... Tim Bradford takes a leap.

He crosses the threshold into her apartment, and she closes the door, sealing them in. Tim's eyes wander to Lucy, hesitancy rushing through him. "Should I start? Will she start?"

Lucy has twice jumped the man, but even in her state of wanting him more than thinking about right-and-wrong, she offers him a drink.

"I'm good."

Because up until this point, he thought this was impossible. And now that it is possible, he wants to be completely clear-headed so he doesn't misinterpret anything.

Lucy moves to set her purse down and we finally see... Chris. Lucy opens her mouth as Tim looks to the sky and curses it for this f'ed up situation... only for Lucy to realize Chris is bleeding out.

Tim calls it in without hesitation, and the last thing we see is a terrified Lucy calling out to her greatest comfort (even if she's too scared to admit it)—Tim.

Looking into the Future (since this is a REWIND Meta)

Now... am I glad they didn't start their relationship like this? Hell, yeah. I love that they had the time to step back from this and get to a point where they realized they both wanted it all.

It's not about sex. Yes, that's a part of it. But, this is about two souls crying out for one another and not yet speaking the same language.

They've spent years learning, but that type of love is a lifelong pursuit... and you have to get on the same page, first.

Lucy and Tim aren't there, yet, in this episode. Yes, this episode pushes them closer to one another and those moments to come. It's essential to the development of their relationship. It's another step on their path...

As always, thanks for reading (and persuading me to do this... I do love writing Metas and Chenford make it easy!). Hope to see you on the next!

[crownrots]

R, O, and/or V?

RENO STEELE — best caravan player that ever lived, small time swindler and all around trouble maker hailing from the fictional town of gecko springs. he’s quite a hit with anyone he hasn’t pissed off over years and is in a ‘sharing is caring’ relationship with his best friend, richard, and @queennymeria ‘s, soledad. And RICHARD STEELE — is the resident and community appointed sheriff of gecko springs. he only got the job because he and reno were successful in chasing the things off almost indefinitely.

RIAN MCCORMICK — the most useless and hottest dilf the apocalypse has ever seen. he constantly screws up and somehow always survives by the skin of his teeth (and by sheer dumb luck). he and @queennymeria ‘s, mari cross, had a FWB thing going on after she saves him from the brink of death but … feelings and egos got in the way and before they knew it she was hiding something from him and he had gone off on a suicide mission to see if jackson was a real. Fast forward nearly a year later and they’re reunited, he finds out he has a kid (they very quickly have another one 😑) AND gains a new enemy in tommy miller. he’s done well for himself, all things considered, but it hasn’t been without major, life altering obstacles.

OPHELIA COHEN — my midnight m** baby 💚 she’s an author, divorced three times, dog mom with major trauma and clairvoyant. during a depressive episode (and to get away from her third EX husband) in boston, she found a listing for a house for rent on crockett island and booked it for at least a month. in the midst of all THAT SHIT ™ she ends up meeting a priest, @queennymeria ‘s dana, and the two confide in one another and end up falling for each other 💞

VIANNA SALVATORE — she’s a socialite and former heiress to a cyberware company (mom used to be a pretty relevant pop sensation in NC) she’s very uninvolved with the actual game, if we’re being honest! she ends up going on the run after she gives the maelstroms off market and prototype cyberware in order to get her best friend out of debt with them. the guy (her late father’s bestie) who took over her the company finds out and he’s up snitching to their parent company and she’s forced to go on the run from both the gang and the corporate feds. she’s lucky enough to have crossed paths with jackie at one point or another as he helps her out and she ends up becoming misty’s roommate / new best friend while she tries to navigate being BROKE and a slow burning relationship with @queennymeria ‘s jamie valentino. she also learns that her dad isn’t actually dead and that sends her down a huge rabbit hole 💀

VANESSA LENNOX — my main ‘V’. her mother is a gang leader still operating in NC, her older sister works as hired muscle and she herself was an enforcer / hit woman for her before her departure several years before the game starts.

[h-worksrambles]

How the Adastra cast would act in competitive multiplayer games:

Amicus: Super casual, doesn’t get round to it much but happily plays anything. Unabashedly partial to Fortnite. Despite not playing much, he inexplicably always wins anyway, mostly because he befriends the higher ranked players in his team who inevitably end up simping for him. This continually annoys Cassius.

Cassius: Thinks of himself as the most ‘serious gamer’ out of anyone present. Tends to stream his games and he’s charismatic enough to get a following online. However, this ego trip tends to back fire, as he’s not very good at them, so he tends to get reduced to gamer rage moments after long enough.

Alexios: Says he doesn’t play much but that’s a filthy lie. He’s put several hours into League, Overwatch, Team Fortress 2, Splatoon you name it. And he plays mercilesly. He usually just sits in on Cassius’ streams, and when the latter is too stressed out, pats his head and says ‘want me to crush them for you, sweetie?’ The chat always spam messages ‘ALEXIOSSWEEP’ when this happens. When he’s playing on his own, he’s not above making a low rank alt to screw with inexperienced players on his team by backstabbing them or friendly firing, and then playing dumb. It amuses him for a while.

Neferu: Doesn’t play these kinds of games at all, and will lose horribly when he does, as he barely even tries. However, he has an absurd amount of NSFW art of almost every popular character saved and ready to hand. He will whip these out during game nights as a power move.

Scipio: Doesn’t like playing the games but is a huge lore buff. He wouldn’t play TF2 but he’s read all the comics. He wouldn’t touch League but he’d complain about lore changes and watch the hell out of Arcane. Has asked to see Neferu’s collection in private more times than he’d care to admit.

Virginia: Claims games are a childish waste of time, but when she wants Amicus or Cass to stop playing and pay attention, she’ll snatch the controller and win in 5 minutes to get them to stop. This often leads to questions about how she got so good, which she dodges without fail.