#and would probably be in-line with how the show would've portrayed it.

[octo-blobs]

hi i cant remember what notes are but here we go.

for many a reason i very deeply resonate with the found family aspect of 8path and have spent a lot of time daydreaming about it - so a Hefty Chunk of what i've taken from it includes projection and indulgent headcanoning. i loved english literature at school so i like to think my analysis skills have aided me in keeping the characters i ship in a recognisably canon-compliant state, but because i'm just stubbornly gay i stop caring whether it makes sense to then add copious amounts of romance on top. ~anyway~.

alfion. i originally didn't like alfyn! my first experience of him was the english dub and i found his sonic-like mannerisms annoying. after experiencing the game in full, however, and becoming very attached to therion, i figured that he was a great asset to those who needed a soft-hearted-strongman. i love what the narrative offers regarding how it shapes these characters and would make a seriously long post about analysing every character i talk about here If People Cared -- for now, though, i'll try to keep it short. (NARRATOR VOICE: he did not keep it short.)

i just love the foils between alfyn and therion. therion, whose heart stutters and bleeds the truth of his loneliness; a man who lives in the shadows only to yearn for the love that light holds. alfyn, who from his trauma took the lesson of embracing life with open arms; a man who would rather unintentionally shepherd in evil than to deny a second chance. they embody such a deep sense of hurt/comfort whilst also curating a casual, warm and boyish sense of true friendship together.

therion benefits so deeply from all 7 of his playable companions, and in alfyn's case, i think it's deeply tied to his free-falling honesty. not only does alfyn portray his values strongly - he also does utterly risk-intensive and sometimes borderline stupid things because he believes in his chosen role as a force for change. his story arc seems to show him doubling down on these decisions, and there are several points at which therion's existence as a societal menace and ~bad person~ can be seen as relevant to them. whether or not you should help a no-good thief; whether or not a person is evil because of their past and circumstances that changed the trajectory of their life; where you should draw the line and what you should punish; whether you should give up on a person who nobody else can seem to help. to me, alfyn seems to decide that he'll be somewhat of an objective and benevolent (as much as a human with a strong protective complex can be) shepherd to the weak and forsaken, taking consequences of his actions as a workplace risk instead of a curse to his worth. therion, however ... this man is mired in shame and has no sense of self-worth that doesn't come down to spiteful pride in the abilities that darius praised & his self-preserving spite. he gave his heart to someone and he thinks, for the most part, that he need not ever get past the pain it caused him, lest it make him weak all over again. because being weak hurt - being powerless hurt. and being chucked off a cliff by someone you would've burned the world with... *really* hurt.

from therion's standpoint he is seen by others as undeserving and, for the longest time, i don't think it matters to him whether or not that assessment is true. his way of compartmentalising the way society treats him is to do what he needs for survival regardless, because there are a hundred more evil things than he himself is capable of - as, iirc, an orphan, and a pauper - but i don't think this leads to an appreciation for his worth. it's so tarnished by darius, the fallout of which probably confirmed pre-conceived notions such as 'don't trust anyone', 'always account for yourself and forsake others before they forsake you', 'the whole world is more likely to turn you in than to hold your hand'. honestly, i see in therion such overflowing yearning that he doesn't *fully* live by these notions - he can't cut himself off from the love he longs for because he's not the kind of no-good scoundrel he thinks he belongs with. whereas darius and plenty of other criminals ingame sow cruelty and are cutthroat with their relationships, therion seems to be capable of empathising with a broader spectrum of people (as seen, to me, by his ability to sympathise with cordelia & thus the untouchable bourgeoise he so loathes). alfyn's open-minded worldview allows therion to be present in the life of a thoroughly kind person without either feeling threatened or like he's in disguise. from there, he's able to observe the light he's yearned for and, in time, this could blossom into a love that finally grants him security.

god i could talk about them forever, but i also have a headcanon that i've held close to me for a few years now. based on the map and where therion's attempted murder takes place, i've ruminated on the idea that therion could have ended up getting medical treatment in clearbrook. after tumbling down the jagged, steep lines of bolderfall's mountainside, he could have broken his fall as the terrain blushed green with grass and trees and underbrush. dry from the desert sun and on the brink of death, a near sightless therion dragged himself towards the sounds of rushing water. the current dragged his limbs - some broken, others just weak and covered in wounds - further down the river. as therion and alfyn were both younger, i wonder if zeph would have lead the treatment that therion received once he was pulled from the bubbling waters and rushed onto the medieval equivalent of an operating table. the immediate question is, "wouldn't they recognise each other once they met in the future?" - and i don't think therion would want himself to be known, treated or kept in such a generous home. most apothecaries are paid in-universe - a service therion was beyond sure he couldn't pay for. to me, therion is apprehensive about returning to clearbrook on his travels but *needs*, for whatever narrative reason, to pass through and receive apothecary aid. alfyn recognises the white hair and skittish tendencies, recalling little other than a patient who picked from zeph's coinpurse and ran. for the longest time, he never brings up that he belives - knows - that person was therion. he wrestles with it, deciding that he indeed wants to see just what kind of person therion is, which eventually leads him to discover that he was right to trust & nurture him.

the therion i depict always has a snarled lip from a lasting scar, cleft from the incident, and i headcanon him suffering from lasting conditions, both physically and mentally, that actually alfyn would be able to treat or provide relief from - continuing the proof that he can and will be taken care of here; that there's no reason to be afraid; that he can scratch and protest all he likes, but he's in the hands of a man whose whole purpose (and joyfully so) is to make sure he has a space to heal.

god lmao i love them so much. i also see them both as trans but i also see a good portion of the casts of both 8path 1&2 as trans so it barely feels relevant. i just think its neat.

h'aanirose. primh'aan. it's a very similar story, though their personalities, goals and lives are led in very different manners to alfyn and therion. i certainly think there's a lot to add about lesbianism here, such as comparing primrose's relationships with women to those she has with men, as well as h'aanit's portrayal as a warrior woman and a blushing knight in the face of her alluring lady, but i probably wom't go into all of it.

primrose and yusufa was an extremely formative relationship. it, unfortunately, mirrored the one with her father and left her losing another deeply important person to murder. the kind of rage that rumbles in primrose's heart and thunders out into bursts of arcane shadow is not to be underestimated, in part because it left her so vulnerable to the puppeteering of simeon. in her eyes, she lost everyone she loved - and then, suddenly, in a way that made her once again feel like a child, she un-lost one of those people. forming a deep and lasting connection must be tough for her after the events of the game and thus i think the a certain travel banter line from the end of her story is representative of even more yearning than it seems on the surface. to h'aanit she suggests they could travel together in future, even commenting that she could protect h'aanit herself. to which, of course, the incredibly muscular pseudo-viking with axe-wielding biceps and a giant snow leopard says, 'dost thou not mean *i* coulde protecten *thee*?' i find this so incredibly cute. of course there's a huge aspect of prim's banter where she alludes to her physique & intimately informed commentary on men, which leads her to praise h'aanit for choosing neither of the 'two kinds of men' in chapter 2. however, the power of yuri in my heart takes this subtext and runs with it - when i talk about the deeper yearning of this interaction, what i'm referring to is the fact that the game gives us an insight into her thoughts and has her, like a stumbling shy lovebird, question why she didn't just outright admit she likes h'aanit's company. it's one of my favourite little things in the entire game because primrose has lived so much of her life as someone that she didn't want to be, but *had* to be in order to approach the truth and get closure for her grief. i think she knows that there's an aimless and unknowable path before her, and her old skills kick in. before she can simply ask for h'aanit to join her on this daunting endeavour, she finds herself trying to sweeten her words & make herself seem appealing as a companion. (seeing as prim can allure any gender, it highlights that alluring isn't just used in a sexual manner - though frequently that's how she's received by men & has more success playing into that across the board). i think this scene is emblematic of the effect h'aanit has on her, and i love gobbling it up.

primrose feels comfortable in letting h'aanit know that she feels safe with her very automatically, even when she's shy about asking for her company. h'aanit, to me, would make a lovely candidate for a person that primrose can deeply love & is less likely to lose to a cruel deception or death; i think the way in which h'aanit fends for herself is appealing in this manner. in turn, the sweet way in which they can exchange life lessons creates a foundation of support, which is both fantastic in a world where the men* in their lives are falling short of the roles they might otherwise occupy and a foundation for love that appreciates their strengths without regretting their weaknesses. (*z'aanta as a drunken & lighthearted mentor often scolded by his apprentice; primrose's lack of a present father figure or protector; the way h'aanit's story champions the presence of strong and/or skilled women; primrose chapter 1 villain who icr the name of cause he sucked; simeon as an older man in young primrose's life who preyed on her innocence and love for him). etc etc.

h'aanit is a learner. she may not start out with experience, and further on she finds herself flustered at several points when it comes to the mannerisms of cityfolk, but she's capable of understanding the wider picture. i think this is aided by the way in which she sees herself in the cycle of life, protecting the forest by stepping into it only where it can undo the superfluous presence of man. she doesn't get too involved in the habits of others unless they threaten the forest - an example is with therion and the way she just flat-out judges his nimble fingers, only to do nothing about it other than sass him out in ye olde. she is patient to see how things pan out, and can respect others enough to see where their actions will take them before stepping in. then, when she steps in, she is both graceful and noble, making her an incredibly romantic figure imo. i have, many a time, also thought about the way h'aanit is predominantly a melee (aside from summoning) fighter, with an emphasis on strategic timing for her skills, and prim is almost entirely a support. throughout the trauma and troubles that primrose faced prior to meeting any of the cast, she was unable to access enough power or knowledge to push forward and instead played a waiting game. i think it delights her to know that she can stand beside her battering ram of a girlfriend and fuel her, achieving her goals not through manipulation or abuse but through their shared vision.

my hands feel a bit numb from typing all of this out on my phone, which i didn't need to do but did anyways because it's very easy to fixate on these characters. i feel like i have a thousand things to say, all of them obsessive and excited because of an adoration for the character writing in these games. i love squeezing it for all of the gay stuff and i will never stop.

honourable ship mentions that i will go into detail about if anyone asks, *particularly* those for 8path2 - olberus, olberus but with erhardt too for yaoi reasons, throné x temenos t4t, throné x agnea (postgame +several years), knightlight, a polyamorous amalgamation of the above 8path2 characters (with the exception of temenos not being into women in my hc)... god. help. theres always more but im tired and now i want to replay the games. thank you op for my life

if you read this you get a gold star

I miss octopath yapping with people so uh yknow what! We’re gonna play a game!!

Explain in the notes what y’all’s favorite ships are and why you like them!!!

Only rules are

1) do not explain why everyone should think your ship is canon, as that is not the point of this post 2) do not put any other ships down bc that is also not the point of this post 3) ALL games are included (yes including cotc) 4) ANY SHIPS ARE ALLOWED!!! GO NUTS!!!!

[gracefireheart]

A sea grunkles adventure where they're on the search for the fabled "Fountain of Youth." Ford only wants to study it as he has no clue if it would have any gruesome side effects to them- whether long term, short term, etc.

Searching around the forest where this supposed magical fountain is located at, the day slowly turns into evening, and they felt just about ready to call it quits as they've seen no sign of it. Just as they were about to head back to their ship, Stan ends up tripping over tree root. And without a second thought, Ford tries to grab onto Stan's jacket so he could pull him up and save him from his fall, only to be pulled with him into a very inconvenient- and somewhat wide- puddle.

Now in soaked clothes, they groaned out in both tiredness and irritation from where they were laying before they finally looked at eachother, and oop-- Both of their eyes widen as the other looks like they've shaven off half of their years all of a sudden.

The both of them got out of the puddle and were looking down at it, bewildered as to how this was the Fountain of Youth they were looking for. Only to see the puddle- slowly but surely- still, letting them see the stony fountain shell that contained the water in it's reflection.

[dontaskmemybias]

The Fan Meeting

Pairing: Idol!Han Jisung x afab fanfic writer reader Request: No Theme: Strangers to Lovers Contains: Panic Attacks, Cursing, Unprotected Sex (don't do this), Loads of Fluff, Angst If You Squint. Word Count: 4,933 Note: MINORS DNI!!!! This is a work of fiction and does not portray any of the members irl. I was thinking to myself, what if my worst nightmare and one of my fantasies collided? Then this came out haha! I know some of the details aren't accurate, this is fiction so don't come for me! 😂

_

You had been wanting to see Stray Kids live for forever. You were a huge STAY, you even (embarrassingly) wrote fan fiction about them on Tumblr. For your birthday your lovely best friends since childhood decided to get you tickets to see them live AND do a fan meeting. One of them said she would come with you (you had gotten her into the group and she is now a proud STAY as well) and it was all the two of you could talk about for weeks.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE WE ARE SEEING THEM TOMORROW I'M GONNA PASS OUT AND/OR CRY I SWEAR TO GOD!" Your bestie had heard you talk about how your were probably going to have a heart attack or spontaneously combust for weeks so, being used to this dialogue, she just laughed and shook her head at your antics.

"If you pass out I'll just throw some water on you so you don't miss too much." She deadpanned. This caused you to crack up hysterically until she joined in and soon the two of you were clutching your ribs from how hard you had been laughing.

"Just 24 more hours and we will be front row watching my favorite boys." You sighed wistfully and your friend just chuckled.

"Yeah, 24 hours!"

~✨~

Your heart was racing as you lined up outside the venue. You had missed the last world tour because you had just gotten into the group and couldn't afford tickets, but that didn't bother you much seeing as this album was astronomy themed. You had worked at an observatory for years but you had just left the job and honestly needed a break from job hunting and what better way to decompress than seeing your favorite boys live.

You were fascinated with the sky so the first time you heard "Hall of Fame" and recognized Neil Armstrong's words you almost passed out. This was the perfect time to see your favorite boys live and you were seriously worried that you might ACTUALLY pass out at some point.

You and your bestie had dressed up for the occasion, wanting to look good for the fan meeting (Jesus the fan meeting you hadn't really thought about it too much, too worried you were going to embarrass yourself)

Once you got into the venue you were starstruck. There was merchandise and STAY's running around, excitement filled the air. You were in awe of it all and if it weren't for your bestie you would've stood there frozen taking it all in for way too long. Luckily she pulled your hand and dragged you over to the line for merchandise.

After spending WAY too much money on memorabilia you decided to head to your seats. You were absolutly buzzing with excitement as you continued forward until you reached your spots. So close to the stage you could practically see the flecks of paint on the stage floor.

"How are we feeling? Excited? Nervous? Pass-outy?" You laughed at your friends made up word.

"Pass-outy? That's ridiculous. But seriously I am just so fucking excited I cannot contain it!" You giggle-screeched and started hopping around a bit. Your friend joined you in your mini-freakout and you both started screaming when the show began to start.

~✨~

The show was AMAZING! Hands-down one of the best experiences of your life. The vocals, the rapping, the DANCING?!!?! You felt like you had died and gone to heaven. You were so star struck and in shock that you were able to be here at all that after the last song was over and they did their (adorable) goodbye speeches you felt glued to the floor, staring with your mouth open until your bestie pulled you out of it. Reminding you of the fan meeting.

The fan meeting.

Where you would get to MEET. THEM.

Excitement and nerves bubbled up within you as your bestie dragged you to the next location to wait in line to meet the boys.

~✨~

You had to wait for forever in line, you had gotten there late because your bestie had to use the bathroom so you were now literally the last people in line. Your nerves were at an all time high. What were you going to say? Your anxiety started to flare up but your bestie calmed you down before you could have a full blown panic attack.

Finally you were next. You'd see Chan first, then Changbin, Lee Know, Han, Felix, Hyunjin, Seungmin, and finally I.N. You could do this, no need to be worried.

You moved a few steps, bestie in tow, and came in front of Bang Chan himself. You smiled and waved a little. He giggled a bit and waved back.

"Hi I'm Bang Chan! And you are?"

"H-hello, I'm Y/N."

"Oh don't mind her, she's nervous! Y/N here is a huge fan! She even writes fanfiction about you guys! She's Y/URL on Tumblr!"

You froze. She did not just tell them your dark secret like that. You two always teased each other but she had no idea how badly this freaked you out. Your eyes were wide, you didn't notice but all the guys were looking at you now with varying expressions from confusion to amusement.

You started breathing a little heavier. Your hand started shaking.

Fuck.

You were about to have a panic attack in front of all eight members of Stray Kids.

You tried calming yourself down but tears began to well up in your eyes. Your breathing got shallower and before you knew it someone was ushering you away from the crowd and into a separate room.

Someone was holding your hand, talking to you calmly. There were other people in the room as well, you couldn't really tell who, your brain was only at half capacity as you fought the urge to sink deeper into your panic. The logical part of your brain realized it was probably your bestie in front of you and security with her to make sure you were okay, but her hands felt a little bigger than normal. You didn't register that fact, you just laid down until your head was in her lap and you began to work through your exercises to bring you out of your panic.

Find five things you can see.

You focused on your skirt, the cute one you decided to wear tonight. The floor, white tile with black designs on it. The security guard, closer to you than anyone else other than your best friend. The plant on the floor next to you, in a cute ceramic pot. Finally the fan on the ceiling, not on but sitting stagnant.

You didn't notice but you were listing things out loud, your brain in too much of a haze to comprehend what was going on.

Four things you can hear.

Your heartbeat, a bit higher than normal but slowing down as you listed things. Your breathing, shallow but more steady than it was before. Your best friend, apologizing and explaining the situation to the security guard, she sounded farther away than you expected. Another voice, saying calming and reassuring things in a gentle low voice.

Three things you can feel.

Your hand on the cool tile floor, lowering your rising body temperature. Your skirt, you take it in your fingers to feel the fabric. A gentle hand running through your hair to calm you down.

Two things you can smell.

The perfume you put on today for the show, peaches, your favorite. Cologne, an unfamiliar scent, definitely not what your bestie had been wearing tonight.

One thing you can taste.

The remnants of the snack you and your bestie shared during the show.

After running through the exercise your brain slowly turned back on and the first thing it registered was that this was NOT your bestie who you were laying on.

You sat up quickly and looked at who had been comforting you for god knows how long and your breath hitched.

Han Jisung.

You were trying to think of what to say but he beat you to it.

"How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Water maybe?" You shyly nodded your head and you saw one of the security guards leave and bring you back a bottle of water. You took a quick sip and looked back to Han.

"I-I am so sorry, I thought you were my friend, I-I didn't realize-" He cut you off

"No worries. I saw your face drain its color and you started shaking back there so I knew what was going on. I get panic attacks too so I figured I might be able to help!" He flashed you a quick smile and ran a hand over the nape of his neck.

You stared at him for much longer than you would've liked, trying to figure out what the actual fuck you were supposed to say in this scenario. The only thing your stupid lizard brain could come up with was "Thank you for letting me use you as a pillow."

What. The. Fuck.

Jesus Christ you are worse than the oblivious girls you wrote about in your little delulu land on Tumblr.

Han just giggled a bit and flashed you his biggest smile.

"I didn't mind, anything to help out a fan!"

Right. A fan, who embarrassingly had a full blown panic attack in front of her favorite band.

Thankfully your bestie came over at that moment to break the awkward silence that had settled over you and Han. Dramatically sobbing she landed on the floor next to you and took your hand in hers.

"Jesus Y/N I am so fucking sorry, I don't know why I said that I didn't mean to freak you out so much-" You cut her off before she had a full mental breakdown too.

"Hey, hey it's okay! I'm okay now, no worries." You smiled at her softly and she took a deep breath.

You all got up off the floor and thanked everyone for helping you out. You figured you must have been out of it for a bit seeing as the room next door was pretty quiet now. Not wanting to waste anyones time you started to head for the door.

"Wait! Y/N, I feel bad you didn't get to say hi to the other guys, would you like me to at least sign something for you?" This boy was a literal angel. Here you were, making his day even longer than he had probably planned on it being and now HE wants to do something nice for YOU?

"You really don't have to do that, I feel bad for making you stick around so long." You sheepishly looked down at the floor. Han walked closer to you until his feet were in your line of vision. You slowly looked up and saw him less than a foot away from you and he smiled again.

"It's no problem at all! I really want to. Please?" Shit you weren't gonna turn down such a golden opportunity. You handed him one of the photocards you got with his picture on it and he kept his hand out, waiting for more things to sign. You giggled and pulled out the three others you got.

All Han. He was after all, your bias.

He chuckled and walked over to a nearby table to sign the fan cards. When he came back he smiled and handed them to you.

"It was lovely to meet you Y/N, I hope to see you again soon."

Then he winked.

He fucking winked at you.

What fanfic bullshittary was this?

~✨~

After security made sure you were okay you and your bestie left and headed back to the hotel you were staying in for the night. You let her have it over telling the band about your fanfic account and she kept apologizing until you finally decided that it was ultimately okay, especially since you got some signatures out of it.

You did not tell her that Han had winked at you. That was just for you.

Finally you got to the hotel room and she started squealing.

"Show me the cards! I want to see his signature!!"

You giggled and pulled them out. The first one was simply signed 'Han'.

The second one said 'Y/N's biggest fan'

You looked at your bestie, thoroughly confused.

"What the hell does that mean?"

Her jaw dropped and she pointed to the third card. It was signed not with his name, but a Tumblr URL.

Your jaw dropped.

No. Fucking. Way.

It was a URL you had seen on so many occasions. Commenting, liking, and reblogging every single one of your fics. Your biggest fan on Tumblr was FUCKING HAN JISUNG?!

You looked at the fourth photocard, it was signed 'Jisung' but on the back there was a note.

'Meet me at the Marriott on Fourth street tonight, room 461 ;)'

Your heart stopped.

You must be dreaming.

There is no way this is real.

Your bestie screams.

"Y/N YOU HAVE TO FUCKING GO OH MY GOD PLEASE GO AND TELL ME WHATEVER YOU CAN TOMORROW!!!!"

Before you can register what is happening she grabs your phone and orders you an uber before pushing you out the door and telling you to 'be safe!'

~✨~

Twenty minutes later you find yourself in front of room 461 at the Marriott on Fourth street. Your nerves are at an all time high as you hesitantly knock on the door half-expecting a serial killer to be on the other side because that would be more plausible than seeing Han Jisung open the door and smile at you before ushering you inside.

Once you get inside you have absolutly no fucking clue what to do other than fiddle with the hem of your skirt and stare at the floor. Han just chuckles and walks over to the bed before plopping down on the mattress.

"I am so glad you came, I have been dying to meet my favorite writer in person for ages now!" Your head snaps in his direction and he has a cocky grin plastered on his face.

"You seriously read my fanfics about you guys?" You are in shock, still half-believing this is all a dream.

"Hell yeah I do! The other guys sometimes read them too, we like to read all the stuff our fans write but you are by far my favorite, especially now that I know for sure I am your bias." Your face drops and you stare at him wide-eyed while he stands up and walks over to you.

"Hey it's okay, I won't bite, unless you want me to of course." And he winks at you again.

You could fucking die on the spot.

Han grabs your hand and leads you over to the bed to sit down. He keeps your hand in his lap and you see a faint blush take his cheeks. He starts to look almost as nervous as you are and you don't think you have ever seen him look so fucking attractive before.

"But seriously Y/N, you're an incredible writer and I am so happy you actually came. Your stories are so great and I honestly just wanted to talk with you about them. Like, where do you get the ideas for the stuff you write?"

It takes you a second to gather your thoughts and answer his question. All that you can about think at the moment is how Han fucking Jisung reads your stories and is currently holding your hand blushing like a god damn schoolboy.

"Well, a lot of what I write are recommendations sent in by other people, but the stuff I come up with honestly just comes to me randomly. Like, I read a lot of fanfiction and I take my favorite tropes and just think about who would fit best and then the story just flows as I go. Honestly half the time I don't even have an end goal in mind, I just write until it feels finished." Now its your turn to flush and look down at your intertwined hands.

Han starts rubbing soothing circles on the back of your hand with his thumb as he lets out a small hum.

"That's incredible, you must have an amazing imagination to come up with so many stories."

"Yeah, my mom used to call me a space cadet growing up because I always had my head in the clouds." You chuckled and Han did too.

"That's so cute! Space cadet, I'm definitely going to be using that from now on."

After the initial shock wore off from being in Han's room, the two of you continued talking. First just about your writing, but eventually about movies you both like, T.V. shows, anime, books, and everything else. It was insane how fast you got comfortable with him. Eventually you found yourself laying on the bed next to him, hands still intertwined as you told him about space and you guys talked about the vastness of the cosmos together. Once you had covered almost every topic you could he leaned over to look at you.

"Would you want to stay and maybe watch a movie or something? I really like your company. It can get kinda lonely in these hotel rooms."

"Yeah of course, I like hanging out with you too Han." You smiled at him.

"You can call me Jisung, it's what most of my friends call me." Your heart skipped a beat. Han Jisung just implied you were friends now?

Before you could fully react Jisung got up and grabbed the T.V. remote before settling back on the bed, sitting against the headboard. He patted the spot next to him and you climbed up to sit next to him while he scrolled through the channels to find something for the two of you to watch.

He eventually saw Howl's Moving Castle and looked over to you. You nodded and giggled as he pushed play.

The two of you watched the movie in peaceful quiet, commenting on the story here and there. About a third of the way through Jisung's hand found yours again and he pulled it into his lap, pulling you a little closer to him in the process. After a few minutes he switched the hand that was holding yours so he could wrap his arm around you, you settled into his side and rested your head on his shoulder, smiling as you heard him let out a content sigh.

The two of you stayed cuddled up like that for the rest of the movie. You started to get a little tired by the end but when would you ever be in this position again? So you pushed through the drowsiness overcoming your body and finished out the movie mostly awake.

Once the movie was over you shifted a bit to look at Jisung. "I should probably head out, its really late." Jisung looked a little sad for a moment.

"What if you stayed here tonight? I could get you a car to take you home tomorrow? We are in town for another show tomorrow, maybe we could even do this again?" He looked hopeful. You smiled and nuzzled into his side.

"Yeah okay, I doubt I could get a ride at this hour anyway."

Jisung absolutly beamed at your response and sat up stretching his back.

"Yay sleepover!" He started laughing. "If you'd like, I have some clothes you could change into to be a bit more comfortable?"

"Yeah that would be great!"

"There's some facewash in the bathroom too you can use!"

With that Jisung got up and grabbed you one of his big tee shirts and a pair of boxers to change into. You got changed in the bathroom and washed your face. Your mind was racing with so many thoughts but the moment you came back into the room and saw Jisung snuggled under the blankets all you could think of was how lucky you were to get this experience.

You climbed into bed next to Jisung and he turned to look at you. "Y/N?"

You turned to him and smiled. "Yes Jisung?"

"Can we- I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but can we cuddle?" You giggled at his bashfulness.

"Yeah Jisung, we can cuddle." He let out a cute squeal of happiness and scooted towards you so he could wrap his arms around you. You snuggled your face into his chest and he let out a sigh of happiness.

"Goodnight Y/N."

"Goodnight Jisung."

~✨~

The next morning went so quickly. You and Jisung had to wake up way too early for your liking. Jisung got you a car like he promised and made sure you were coming back later that night. You swore you would and he gave you a big hug before ushering you into the car so he could go do a million things before their concert.

When you got back to the hotel room your bestie was still sleeping so you just got into the other bed and crashed. Still exhausted from staying up all night with Jisung.

In your dreams you were a princess in medieval times. You were lonely until one day your knight in shining armor showed up (Jisung of course) and he swept you off your feet. You had a forbidden romance because you were engaged to some prince you had never met from a faraway land. But in the end Jisung was actually the prince! He had come early to meet you under false pretenses to judge your character and he found you to be the perfect wife and you lived happily ever after. Until an earthquake hit. The ground shaking, loud noises all around you. More shaking.

And you woke up. To your bestie shaking you awake. Out of your lovely dream and into reality.

A reality where you quickly remembered, you had stayed with Jisung last night.

Holy fuck that actually happened?

"BITCH TELL ME EVERYTHING, WHEN DID YOU GET BACK?!"

After a long ass conversation where you told your bestie all the details you decided (well really she told you you had to) go hang out with Jisung again that night.

You decided to stay in the hotel all day with your bestie watching shitty rom-coms and laughing about all the cringey tropes movies use to catch your attention. You were just about crawling out of your skin trying to process the last 48 hours and decided to have a chill day to prepare for the long night ahead of you.

~✨~

It was about 11:30PM by the time you got an uber over to Jisung's hotel and you still were convinced that this was all a dream, but as you walked up to his door you were sure that this was in fact reality and you were going to the Han Jisung's room at almost midnight in just a hoodie and leggings. You seriously considered going back to your hotel to change but you suddenly heard a loud thud on the other side of the door and you reached up to knock on the door to make sure everything was alright.

When Jisung opened the door he had that huge smile on his face again and he pulled you in for a hug immediately, letting the door shut behind you.

"Oh my god I'm so glad you came I was worried you wouldn't show!" you started giggling and hugged him back.

"Of course I came silly, I would be an idiot not to! Plus I'm excited to see what movie you have for us tonight!" He giggled back and pulled away from the hug to walk over to the bed.

"I am feeling a bit daring tonight, how about we watch a scary movie?" You walked over and sat on the bed next to him.

"Okay but if I jump you have to promise not to make fun of me!" He giggled at that and grabbed the TV remote.

"Of course not! I'll just laugh in my head." You playfully slapped his arm and he dramatically fell onto the bed like he had just been shot which caused you to double over and laugh loudly.

He finally got up and turned on the TV searching through the horror movies.

"See anything you like?" Looking straight at him you replied a simple "Yeah." He looked up and saw you staring at him and giggled a little bit before picking a movie and turning it on.

You both leaned back and Jisung moved his arm behind you to hold onto you. You smiled and leaned into him as the movie played.

After about 30 minutes you realized that Jisung was just as afraid of horror movies as you were. You would both jump at the same time, yelp, and hold onto each other tighter as the scenes played out.

By the time the movie ended the two of you were completely tangled on the bed. You were almost half in his lap from the amount of times you burrowed into him during the scary scenes.

"Y/N? You okay?" Jisung looked down at where you had burrowed into his chest.

"Yeah, I just won't be able to sleep ever again so there's that." You both started laughing and his grip on you grew a little tighter.

"Well, no worries, you can stay here with me, I can protect you." He said with a sheepish smile on his face.

"But what about tomorrow? You're leaving so I'll have to sleep alone again." You said somberly. You looked up at him and he had a sad smile on his face.

Jisung lifted his hand and pushed the hair out of your face, then he let his hand linger on your cheek. He looked like he was contemplating something until you looked down at his lips. Then he slowly leaned in and kissed you.

You let yourself fall into the kiss, your arms wrapping tighter around him. He pulled you closer into him until you both pulled away for air. He leaned his forehead on yours.

"Would it be crazy if I asked you to come with us?" He whispered. His breath tickling your face.

"Would it be crazy if I said I would?" You breathed out. You heard his breath hitch and before you could process what was happening he had flipped you so you were laying on the bed with him hovering above you, his forehead pressed against yours again.

"Don't play with me love, I'm serious. Come with us. You can stay with me every night and I'll pay for your plane tickets and everything."

Holy fuck he was serious. You thought about it for a moment. You didn't have a job, you were month-to-month on your apartment so you could leave pretty much whenever. It's not like you had anything tying you down.

But then...

"What if you get sick of me? I'd have nowhere to go."

"Baby I'd never get sick of you, and if you ever want to leave I would pay for you to come home. I just don't want this to end." He leaned down and kissed you softly. Then he whispered, his lips touching yours, "I can't say goodbye yet."

You sadly smiled at the desperation, the sadness in his voice. You didn't want this to end either.

Instead of replying you pulled him down to you in a searing kiss. He reciprocated almost immediately and the kiss grew more heated. The two of you were tangled together in the most heated makeout session you'd ever had. He pulled away just long enough to rip his shirt off and throw it somewhere in the room. You eventually did the same.

After that everything was a blur of clothes flying and messy kisses. Eventually the both of you were completely naked and feeling each other up, hands roaming across one another's bodies. Finally Jisung slipped inside you and you both let out a breath you weren't aware you were holding.

He stilled inside you once he bottomed out and looked into your eyes.

"You are so beautiful."

You let a single tear fall as he began moving. The two of you panting and moaning as he set a steady speed. Sex had never been like this for you, it was like you breathed as one. You were gripping onto him in any way you could, grabbing his biceps, his waist, his face.

His thrust started to become erratic the longer you went, his hips getting a little sloppy to signal he was close. His hand came down to rub circles on your clit to get you there faster. You cried out in extasy as you felt the band in your lower belly snap. Jisung followed after a few more thrusts and laid his head down on your chest, his dick still settled inside you, slowly softening.

You both looked at each other and smiled. He pecked your nose, then your cheeks, and finally your lips before getting up to get a washrag to clean you both up.

You didn't know how long this would last, but you decided that you wanted to ride out this feeling as long as you could. So after you were both cleaned up and he settled in the bed next to you, you turned to face him.

"I'll come with you Ji, anywhere you are is where I want to be."

[yonderghostshistories]

I recently watched the film "A Liar's Autobiography" (2012) recently, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT AND IT'S THE GREATEST ANIMATED TRIBUTE TO GRAHAM CHAPMAN IMHO AHHHHH!!!

Here's my thoughts on this film and why I absolutely love it!

(Spoilers btw, you should definitely watch ALA it's great!!)

-all the animations were peak, I especially love the animations about Graham's childhood, the Monkey Pythons and the animation where it dealt with Gray's alcoholism and him going cold turkey was very brilliantly done fr!!

-Graham's narration and voice is REALLY immersive and cool and lovely, it's like he's genuinely talking to you in a way!

-i love the scenes with him and David, such wholesome portrayal of their love and relationship with each other like it so 🥰🥰 <3333 (honestly, shout-out to the actor Philip Bulcock, he did wonderfully as David Sherlock!!)

-i like the songs, especially the "Sit On My Face" song rendition!!

-i like the animation where Graham was Colin "Bomber" Harris is which he metaphorically beat himself up to defeat the alcoholism!!

-i like the payoff of the "Oscar Wilde" thing at the end from the beginning, it rounded out things nicely and it was really wholesome seeing John cheering up and patted Gray on the back as buddies, it was a nice moment <333. Also, apparently Stephen Fry voiced the God-esque version of Oscar Wilde, which imo IS REALLY COOL FR!!

-i cried internally (my body couldn't produce the tears physically fsr, but on the inside it was sobbing like HELL) when they showed the Graham Chapman funeral/memorial service video of John's speech at the end and like GAHHH IT WAS SAD AND HEARTBREAKING 😭💔

-i LOVED the "Medical Love Song" scene at the end, it was ABSOLUTELY GREAT!! Plus the second rendition of the "Sit on My Face" scene, pretty awesome!!

-Cameron Diaz as Sigmund Freud was really hilarious 🤣

-i like how the film portrayed Gray's struggle with alcoholism (especially the absolutely beautiful oil painting-esque animation which is from Gray's POV), and like my fellow moot @michael-palin-is-the-loml said, it was done very tastefully in a way that Graham would've appreciated himself!

-i like the scenes with Gray and his parents, they were quite nice!

-i love the simple line of "fuck off Ginger!", like I do relate to that moment very much fr 🤣😭

-Everyone voice acted SUPERBLY in this film, hat's off to them!!

-i loved the "Sex Test" scene in the film, like as a bisexual myself, it's probably (imo at least!) a VERY accurate and superbly funny representation of the "sexuality is a spectrum" thing 👏👏

-Oh yeah I also love the scene in ALA where Graham saw the love of his life David appearing out from the sea in the pose of "The Birth of Venus" painting, which makes sense imo since Gray would think of David as his (gay) God(dess) <333

Here's my final verdict/thoughts on the film:

This film deserves ALLL THE LOVE, and I don't think it's as bad as some people said it was! This was truly made with a labour of love 🫶💞 from both the team AND the Pythons! (Apart from Eric ofc lol) and it really shows that this is NOT only a love letter to Python, BUT TO GRAHAM "GRAY BAE" CHAPMAN HIMSELF!!

This movie is a glorious 10/10 from me, and it's my favourite film in the world! (Tied with HFC ofc!)

[aihoshiino]

chapter 133 thoughts!

Right off the bat, I'm really glad to see OnK looping back around to address something that was largely left hanging from the first half of the movie arc - the idea that Ruby simply lacks the acting chops to properly portray Ai in the movie. This was hammered in to such a degree that I actually had a theory back before shooting started that Ruby was going to end up backing out of playing Ai and that Kana, Akane or even Frill would end up taking her place. Obviously it's not that I want Ruby to fail here or that she doesn't deserve a big W after everything she's been through but it felt really weird for the story to correctly make the point that Ruby's acting was going to make or break this movie and then not properly bring that point home. So I'm glad to see we're actually digging into it this chapter.

That said, it does feel a little... abrupt, I guess? Or rather, I totally understand Ruby cracking under the pressure and having a bit of a meltdown off the back of Nino's words last chapter - that obviously cut really deep - but suddenly jumping back to this idea that Ruby is Just Not Getting Ai after we hadn't touched on that since filming started and we've had no indication it's still an ongoing issue is weird. Especially since Mengo has literally just been flat out drawing Ai any time she's portraying her on panel lol. Maybe holding off on showing her with the double hoshigan would've been a better choice in conveying that...

Again, I guess it just comes back to what I've been saying lately about the movie arc feeling really weirdly structured. Things feel kind of jumbled, or necessarily out of order persay but the way arcs, emotional beats and development is happening in fits and spurts gives everything this stuttering rhythm where all the major beats feel like they're landing in really strange places.

All that aside... man, poor Ruby. We haven't really gotten as good a look into her head as I would've liked during the movie's production but the amount of pressure she feels must be immense. Strawberry Productions have put all their money into this movie and Ruby is telling the story of one of the people she loves more than anyone else in the world. It's no wonder she's in tears by the end of it.

The story also addresses something I'm really glad to see on the page - Kana acknowledging that Ai was the way she was largely because of her negative experiences. I've had a bit of unease lately with the idea of OnK portraying Ai as an aspirational figure or that Ruby 'becoming' or 'surpassing' Ai is a positive step for her. Ai of B-Komachi existed because Hoshino Ai experienced such an abnormally cruel life that was so utterly lacking in warmth or love that she had to make up a perfect version of herself just to feel like she had permission to be alive. It's not that Ruby has never experienced hardship - god knows she has - but she simply does not have experience with the exact nature of the despair, the loneliness and the self hate that Ai struggled with her entire life. Without opening herself up to that, she might never be able to fully understand Ai.

Kana's description of Nino is also really fascinating and it lines up with how I personally was reading her off the back of that chapter combined with the foundation laid by 45510. Her feelings for Ai are a life-altering obsession that has ripped down the boundary between 'love' and 'hate'. It's both at the same time which is an emotional state you can probably conclude is not going to lead someone to grieve in a healthy or productive way.

<3 nino is such a gay little freak i love her so much

Ruby and Kana's talk in general in this chapter is sooooo fucking good, dudes. It's hard not to want to go over it line by line lol but it's the kind of talk I've wanted them to have for a really long time. Their earnest concern for each other and their attempts to reach out and protect the other as clumsily as they end up doing it are so sweet and it makes the end of this chapter such a gut punch... but we'll get there.

I will say it's uh incredibly fucking bizarre to see Akane sorted in alongside the people Ruby considers her family??? Like, I get that Ruby had the whole 'can I call you oneechan' thing with her back while she and Aqua were dating but they've never been portrayed as being that close or really on friendly terms at all after the Private arc. Not only that, but this is specifically in a context where Ruby is talking about how the movie is going to help her family, who are still stuck in their grief over Ai's death move forward - so why the fuck is Akane there?? Akane has no personal relationship to Ai! She was not remotely affected by her death! I can only assume this was some kind of art mistake because I otherwise have absolutely no fucking clue what this is supposed to mean. EDIT: Taking a closer look at the art, I'm pretty certain this is in fact an art mistake and that's Ruby accidentally given Akane's hair screening: her eyes are dark and she seems to have Ruby's hoshigan. Mystery solved!

Ruby's face as she cries looks sooooooo much like Miyako's expression as she cried back in 125. I even noticed then how much she looked like both Ai and Ruby in that moment and it was so sad and lovely to see that similarity mirrored in Ruby. Miyako is their mom!!! Ai and Ruby are her daughters!!!

And finally... Kana just lets it all out.

Honestly, seeing Kana finally express all this stuff was so cathartic. She didn't want to be in B-Komachi to start with, she was bullied into being the center and then watched Ruby absolutely leave her in the dirt. Knowing what we do about Kana's own history of abandonment and her absolute terror at the prospect of being left behind and made irrelevant, it would be naive to assume she didn't feel some jealousy or bitterness in the wake of Ruby's meteoric rise to fame. She's only human, after all and I can't help but wonder if this is one of the 'cracks' left in black hoshigan Ruby's wake that Aqua ominously alluded to a while back.

Even as she pours out all this bile, though - Kana is still, in a twisted way, doing this out of pure love for Ruby. As she herself puts it, she is at risk of permanently destroying their relationship here even though Ruby is her closest and dearest friend. But that's why she feels she had to do it. Like always, Kana sacrifices herself, desecrates herself and throws herself under the bus to support the people she loves and to play the coordinator - to ensure her costars can give the best possible performance. Arima Kana? Don't worry about her. She's fine off in the shadows by herself, right?

I also can't help but wonder if Kana is doing this at least in part for herself, too. We saw that she, too, was struck deeply and unsettled by Nino's words last week and by how deeply Nino was poisoned by her hate and feelings of inferiority towards Ai. Maybe this is Kana's way of trying to purge herself of those feelings so she can look her inner Nino in the eye and confidently say "I am not like you".

No break next week...!

[elliespuns]

What aspects of the show did you enjoy?

I mostly enjoyed those aspects that weren't in the game, and I truly appreciate them.

1.) It'd be Anna and some backstory about Ellie's mom. We don't know much about her in the game. Ellie says a few sentences about her mom to Joel at the beginning of the game, and then in Left Behind, we have the option to make Ellie ask Riley about her mom. Anna giving birth to Ellie was so important to me. Especially when Ashley Jonshon was the one who portrayed her. Ellie giving birth to a new Ellie—how beautifully poetic.

2.) Joel talking with Ellie about how he wanted to end his life. Again, we only get to hear Joel mention it in a casual, missable conversation between him and Ellie. In the show, though, we get to hear him talk about his feelings; he goes into some detail, and he admits his weakness. That was fucking beautiful. And when he looks at Ellie and says, "It wasn't time that did it." it must be the best line of Joel of all time. My heart blossoms at those words.

3.) The basement scene with Ellie and Joel? Okay, this scene is flawless in the game, but the way show Ellie and Joel intertwine their fingers and he looks at her? Like, 'Thank you, thank you for staying.' I swear, I can't. This is just too much. Not even speaking of the scene where she lays her head on Joel's chest and he tilts his head toward her to let her know he appreciates her, even though he can't really move and speak. This is soul-crushing.

4.) The whole Left Behind episode, because it gave us a much bigger look into what it was like for Ellie at FEDRA. In the game/comic, there's just enough information to gather that she was a loner, fighting with her peers, mostly just staying behind before befriending Riley. But we get to see more of this in the show, and what I like is that they put it all in one episode.

5.) Joel having flashbacks of Sarah. I think it was important to show the softest part of him. Joel, remembering Sarah, seeing her in toher people. We're not used to this from the game because game Joel has been portrayed like a man who doesn't show his emotion (until the end of the game). So I definitely loved this part. It made Joel more human.

6.) Joel telling Ellie that Sarah would've liked her because she's funny. That was like the sweetest highlight of the most heartbreaking episode. Joel in the game mentioned Sarah in front of Ellie too, but not in this way, and I feel like crying.

7.) Ellie and Joel camping and eating together. We never got them like this in the game. There's only one picture of them sitting by the bonfire, laughing. But can you imagine having this moment in the cutscenes? Oh, man.

8.) Ellie gorging herself when coming to Jackson and spotting Dina. This moment would be so precious in the game because game Ellie has always been nice to people she meets (unlike show Ellie who has always been more 'coarse'). So this moment would have probably happened on a different note, and it would be so lovely.

[macchiatosdumptruck]

TW for alcohol and SA and also like, the mortifying ordeal of being known.

As someone who has had their fair share of drunken hook ups and one night stands I've always had complicated feelings about this sort of thing.

Because on one hand, a lot of the time I did want it, I was drunk but not enough to not be able to consent. Being drunk was the only way to relax enough to even enjoy sex tbqh.

None of it was healthy, I regretted like half of it after the fact Lmfao. But in the moment it was consensual.

I've always wondered, like, where is the line that goes from Drunk to Too Drunk to consent. Approximately how many of my mental faculties do I still have relative access to?

Is that something I would've done sober? Probably not. But at the same time I didn't feel the need to stop them, so like, that was basically consent right?

And I would go back and forth on this over and over again, because that was the only way I knew how to function in any sort of relationship.

And then.

There are other times when hours are missing. Just gone. I don't remember what happened. Or it comes back in bits and pieces. That I know without a doubt I would not have sex with them unless MAYBE I was in a particularly bad self destructive spiral and very very sloppy drunk.

But even sloppy drunk you're still cognizant to a degree, and I feel like I could understand when the line of being a willing participant was crossed. Could I actually? Idk. I literally don't remember. Was there intent?

But basically, like, if the intent was there, and it would've been there before getting drunk or getting Too Drunk I would tell myself it was fine, just a mistake.

But whose fault was it? And if the intent wasn't there, and I don't remember intent ever being there when does Not Stopping someone turn into consent, or lack thereof. If you're a passive participant then what does that mean.

I was always trying to figure out my own level of accountability.

But the times when it's just blank? Gone? You don't even remember it? You were not a participant, even passively. It was something that happened to you?

(and then the little gremlin in your head goes "well you could've been okay with it. you are after all a sad, self hating, stupid bitch." )

And I remember a really bad time once. I called my brother crying and he said "God damn it kid, I love you but you've got to stop drinking." He was right, of course. But he also reinforced the idea that I was to blame. And it was my responsibility. That it was some sort of active choice rather than something passive that happened.

And to the point of placing blame, I feel like I always forget to imagine the same thing happening to someone else. From an objective view, what would you think if that wasn't you?

Idk. I forgot what point I was trying to make. But yeah, the way sexual harassment/assault has been treated in this show, (many thoughts) combined with the way substance abuse has been treated,(many thoughts ) it shouldn't have surprised anyone that they WOULD think "nah, it still counts."

I guess, like, what I'm saying is that I think they thought they were trying to portray a self destructive messy hook up, and instead they portrayed a scenario with a very clear lack of consent, and considered them the same thing.

Which is.

Hm.

Interesting that they seem to not understand the difference.

[rebelumbrella46]

HOTD "A Son For A Son" Thoughts

Winterfell: Nostalgia.

Starting at Winterfell: It gave me so much nostalgia listening to the Stark's theme. I cannot wait to see more of Cregan; I wish the show would've shown more of Jace in the North. But it was nice to be back at the Wall.

Dragonstone: Tension and Conflict

The conversation between Rhaenys and Daemon. I understand why he is so upset and restless; Rhaenyra has been gone for a while, and no retaliation has been done to the Greens. I understand wanting to kill Vhagar, but honestly, the whole "kill Vhagar with Meleys and Caraxes and attacking King's Landing" and "I'd pity Aemond" is bullshit. Let's be real—they have no chance against Vhagar (not without one of them at least dying in the process).

Also, the line "It'd if you were the King…" Oh Rhaenys—the Queen you would have been.

Rhaenyra’s Silent Sorrow

Rhaenyra broke my heart this episode. I liked that she didn't need to speak to show her grief. It was an amazing performance; the heartbreak in the first scene as she watches Storm's End.

Driftmark: I'm curious about this Alyn guy. I also wonder if they'd bring back Laenor. I'm kind of hoping that they do… but I don't think it would happen anytime soon. Perhaps he will come back after a very important death of a loved one who will die this season.

King's Landing: I kind of liked Aegon this episode. He is trash; he is not a good king, obviously, but he is so oblivious that it was funny and entertaining to watch him. It kind of made me think about how he would have turned out if only Viserys had cared more for him, if Rhaenyra and he had a better relationship, or if Alicent hadn't been such a shitty mother.

Alicent and Cole: Hypocrisy and Disgust

I could not be more disgusted… and this says a lot considering that this show is hard on the incest. But this couple, the first scene they appear in this season, just disgusted me… and I get it. Good for you, Alicent, you probably never enjoyed sex before in your life, but seriously, you could do better than this bitch…

I don't know, but Alicent has really pissed me off this episode. She's portrayed as a saint, but she's a hypocrite, and so weak. Where is the Alicent of episode six and seven? That's the Alicent I want to see; the whole righteousness act is getting boring. I want to see her being the mother of the usurper and the evil stepmother she was in season 1.

Criston Cole can go and fuck himself. I literally cannot wait for him to die. Every time he shows up on the screen, it's so fucking annoying.

Aemond: The Threat

We didn't see enough of Aemond this episode. He is insane but smart, probably the only real threat in Team Green at the moment, which is why it makes sense that Daemon wants to get rid of him—not only for revenge but also for Vhagar. I liked that Aegon put him on the council. And I understand the strain in his and Alicent's relationship; she's mad at him for killing Lucerys when she literally requested the boy's eye when he was a kid. I imagine Aemond must have felt like she was also siding with Lucerys on the matter.

Otto: Is a cunt as usual… but an enjoyable one. I liked the scene in the Throne Room where he councils Aegon. It gave me Joffrey and Tywin vibes.

Larys Strong: Creeping Influence

I like how he has gained power little by little. And he is definitely Alicent's karma. I think that scene where she's bathing is the moment she realizes that Rhaenys was right—she's never going to be free. All these men are controlling her and constantly diminishing her: Otto, Aegon, Aemond, Cole, and Larys. She would have been happier and more free if she had remained on Rhaenyra's side after she was crown Queen.

Aegon as a Father: Inconsistent Portrayal

Jaehaerys: I wish we had seen more of him to actually care... i've seen a lot of reaction videos and people were shocked obviously, but everyone was more mad and upset about cheese kicking the dog. But i wish we have seen more of Aegon as a father, because at this point, it felt just forced. Aegon has so many bastards in Flea Bottom, and he was ready to leave his kids, wife, and everything behind in episode 9. And now he's a good father? I'm not buying it.

Mysaria: The Essential Outsider

Mysaria: Oh, she's an interesting character. I think Team Black needs a member like this, someone to pull on strings. I think she's the counterpart of Larys.

Daemon: The Rogue Prince

And his crime hoodie. I found it tedious how he kept blaming everyone around him. But I get it; he is impulsive and prone to anger. And I truly want to believe that he ordered Blood and Cheese to kill Aegon's son, because he is not supposed to be a nice character. I do feel like the showrunners are whitewashing this whole conflict too much. With Aemond accidentally killing Lucerys. And now the rats choosing to kill the boy instead.

There is no need to hold back. I mean, in "Game of Thrones," we saw worse. We saw the Lannisters trying to kill Bran, we saw Stannis burning his own daughter, we saw Jon hanging the boy (can't remember his name), we saw Daenerys killing hundreds, we saw the Red Wedding.

This leads me to the last scene… Blood and Cheese and Helaena.

I honestly love Helaena so much; at this point i think i like her even more than i like Rhaenyra, but no more than i like Rhaenys. I think the performance of the actress is so good. I find it interesting that she's a dreamer. I bet Viserys never even knew of it.

I enjoyed Helaena and Aegon's interaction; obviously, you can tell they are more siblings than husband and wife.

My frustration with the scene comes from the lack of guards. We don't need to see more violence; it was already bad and terrible enough with only the sound. But the fact that there were no guards there, that they didn't have to kill anyone to get to Helaena and the children, it's just ridiculous. I also think the lack of begging on Helaena's part comes from a place of her knowing this was going to happen one way or the other; she saw it already. So the best she could do was to save her daughter.

But I would have loved to see Alicent being tied up, watching all of this unfold. I understand the changes for Maelor's absence, but the no guards is lazy writing unless they find a way to justify it next episode.

Anyways... FUCK THE HIGHTOWERS!

[garbagedogs]

time for Payback unused dialogue master post (the mission is internally referred to as SS or SweatShop)

i think this mission is pretty good as is but i'm still kinda disappointed it ended up being basically a Wei only show since during some point in development the Boys had a much more active part in it, in both a functional sense where they would've been actually present in it even beyond the beginning, but also just portraying them as actual characters. like i've already posted about how Vincent originally had a ton of dialogue for this mission, probably around the same amount as in Listening In, and they paint a pretty good picture of just what kinda person he is

another Water Street Boy who initially had way more to say was Calvin who's not even shown on screen in the final game, you just hear his disembodied voice when the Boys light up the warehouse

the convo between him and Wei where he asks about Dogeyes was probably originally intended for Duke because he says a similar line, but it was only recorded by his original voice actor (TC era Duke i assume). maybe Calvin's character was a later addition and UFG tried to incorporate him into the story more by giving him random inconsequential convos originally intended for Duke or Conroy. anyways Duke himself didn't have a whole lot to say beyond that and most of it's just leftovers from his original VA

then there's Conroy who also doesn't have a whole lot of unheard stuff beyond what's already in the game, there's the line about Wei having to get blood on his hands to prove himself that in the final game only plays in Wei's nightmare after the mission, and also him getting really excited about burning down the sweatshop

i think this bit is interesting though: "You take the back. Draw them away from the front and then we'll come in" like they almost let Conroy take charge over the one single thing he's supposed to be good at for this one shining moment. why Wei would never stand for that this is HIS show ONLY. and speaking of

Wei was originally gonna handle SIu Wah a bit differently, way more diplomatic. i guess you could say it's how Charles Ho would've done it because it doesn't really fit Wei's character anymore. also UFG seemed to really want the convo about Wei and Dogeyes to happen but they just couldn't fit it in

Siu Wah naturally has unused lines as well but i'm only here for the Boys. iirc he did have a different voice actor originally though

[olderthannetfic]

I've been trying to keep my mind open, about The Idol, and watched the episodes that are out on a totally legal streaming site, and had to click out because it was just... so fucking boring? It's literally nothing we haven't seen already, nothing that hasn't been put to film about a thousand times already and always with the same formula.

Like... it's just badly written and badly acted softcore porn that desperately wants to be something more by trying to mix into it deep themes that are very clearly misunderstood and mishandled by the scriptwriter. It's just another man who wants to be considered special for portraying the True Female Experience™ while utterly failing to see women as complex human beings. I've taken a number of film classes, and the script for this series is the stuff you can expect an edgy freshman to write to try and shock the class with how Dark & Broody he is.

And I was genuinely thinking about it being a me problem, to the point that I began wondering if I was sliding down the rhetoric used by antis, until I realized that one of my favorite TV shows of all time is Fleabag, a series whose main female character is a hypersexual woman who consumes heaps of hardcore porn, constantly cheats on her boyfriend, and sends nudes en masse to see who pays attention to her first.

Still, you can see that Fleabag's main themes are grief and guilt, and that Fleabag's hypersexuality holds thematic importance.

In The Idol, hypersexuality and sexual exploitation are presented as being present for thematic exploration, but they don't come off as such: they just feel like another way to ogle at the main actress' body (I genuinely can't stand shows in which the main actress is constantly naked but the main actor never even pulls off his shirt; it really shows who the show was made for, imo. The Tudors wasn't a particularly good series either, but at least the men on cast weren't scared of being seen with their dicks out).

It all has the same vibe as that scene from Queen's Gambit in which Anya Taylor Joy's character is going through the roughest time of her life, her entire world is collapsing onto her, and the director depicted this "rough patch" by having her lounge on her couch in lingerie with her make-up sexily smudged while she sexily sips from a bottle of nondescript liquor. In interviews, he went on to talk about how that scene is meant to depict the hell of addiction and how it shows the strengths and weaknesses of Anya's character. No, my dude, you just wanted a conventionally beautiful actress to wear lingerie, that's about it. If her character had been male, I very much doubt he would've been made to wear... idk, his Magic Mike attire? His clubbing outfit? His sexiest lacy thong?

I just wish these Hollywood people would stop selling their crap as deep and meaningful when it's just run-of-the-mill softcore porn. But, then again, Sam Levinson ended up sobbing at Cannes because the line "Welcome to my shithole" moved him so much, so... the hell do I know of what happens in those people's heads.

--

Tragically, they probably think they did make something deep.

[imptwins]

The thing is right, even before I was fully into dark kink (or 'proship' if you wanna call it that) I still wrote things with problematic undertones. Everyone does. Even the most wholesome media properties have dark themes. Steven Universe has characters - protagonists, mind - using, manipulating, lying to each other. She-Ra, Gravity Falls, The Owl House, all the most celebrated modern 'cartoons that appeal to adults' kinda shows have this kind of stuff in them, not to even mention anime and plain ole live action shows/movies. But before, I masked it. I had characters do things that were out of character for them to avoid something that would actually fall under a category or - much worse - I portrayed things that technically were in that category but just told myself I was skirting the line enough that it wouldn't actually fall into it. Most properties do this. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who deals in mature themes - let alone outright porn - who hasn't ever depicted something that would most likely, without a 'headcanon' that there were negotiations beforehand, fall under a category of (sexual/)abuse, (sexual/)harassment, or simply rape. I've mentioned those tropes more than enough; a spur of the moment touch or kiss that one character is shocked about at first but realizes they like, mild blackmail, nagging, or duress played off as banter, the ever-popular Sleeping Beauty moments. Again, Steven Universe frequently depicts domestic abuse even from protagonists. I use SU as an example of this a lot because it was there for my whole 'arc' for problematic content; first being blind to it, then realizing the themes were there and feeling really conflicted and confronted, and then coming to appreciate that the show dealt with them in mature and realistic ways, that showed flawed people who made mistakes and weren't demonized for it, but were given the chance to learn and grow. Like I shouldn't have to point out how bad Pearl can be sometimes. A really big moment for me was when a close friend wound up triggered from one of my works, because they correctly pointed out that the consent in it was dubious at best. I wound up adding a dubcon CW, but I felt awful about it. Both because I'd hurt a friend and because that was what I'd written, without even really meaning to. It wasn't that I didn't understand consent, I knew that I was skirting the line when I wrote it. But I was so afraid of the tag, of the label. And as a result not only did I upset a friend, I also wrote something that wasn't as good as I could have. I shied away from it, when if I had have just embraced from the start that I was writing dubcon and actually leaned into it, there would've been more interesting and mature themes that I could have explored. Instead I tried to never quite cross the line, and it upset someone anyway. It should have been tagged from the start. But only ONE PERSON out of the like 30 people who read it took issue, because it personally triggered them. To be totally honest, I could have just ignored them, said 'one out of thirty must mean they're over-sensitive,' and went on with my day. I think this is what leads to SO MUCH mainstream work that has this kind of stuff in it. Someone doing something that by all rights qualifies as sexual assault, but just isn't tagged. Because people WILL just let them get away with doing it as long as they have some plausible deniability room that it wasn't really noncon or blackmail or abuse. But if they put the tag on? Now, people will simply call them a [accusation] without even really looking through their work. Those people probably wouldn't have ever been interested in the first place, but tagging it makes you a target. So, good job antis, you've created an atmosphere where people would rather not tag something and pretend it's not as dark as it is, or bypass tags, than just use them. Because you'll doxx and threaten people who conscientiously tag, and ignore works that straight up depict domestic abuse as long as it's coy about it, and pretend that's not what it is.

[elliepassmore]

The Prisoner's Throne review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: scheming, court intrigue, faeries, morally gray characters

Stolen Heir review

First, I want to say I called it regarding Oak being exactly the kind of person you would think he would be after being raised by Madoc, Oriana, Jude, Cardan, and Taryn (and the Court of Shadows). How any of his family members were surprised by that I have no idea. I'm also happy to say that Taryn actually does seem to have gotten herself together and is much more tolerable in this book than in TFOTA (of course, that was also 8 years ago and Oak's POV is not Jude's, but still).

I enjoyed Stolen Heir but I think I like this one better. I did miss Wren's POV, though like with Oak's in book 1 having her narrate would obviously give some things away. The first book was quest-based and so we got to see a lot of new people and places, and much of the plot centered around the details of the quest. This one, on the other hand, is more along the lines of what we saw in TFOTA, where it is court against court and scheming abounds among those who want power. Questing plots are fun, but I do think I prefer this kind of intrigue.

I was so excited to see Jude and Cardan! I found it interesting to see them through someone else's eyes, since in previous books we've only ever seen them through their own, but Oak is Jude's younger beloved younger brother and Cardan's nephew and BIL, so he has a very different view of them than they do of themselves. That being said, they are more or less exactly as we remember and I enjoyed getting to see their interactions and reading their sass.

Oak is a trickster and a liar. He is, as mentioned, exactly the kind of person you would expect considering his family and the people he grew up around. He's good at scheming and seeing what people want, but he's also incredibly loyal and would do anything for his family. Unlike his father and sister, Oak still doesn't have ambitions for the throne. But that doesn't mean he isn't still involved in court intrigue, and this book shows us just how involved he is and the manipulations he's willing to use to protect the throne. It was interesting to get inside Oak's head since he's a child in TFOTA and Wren is technically a newcomer. Oak does feel like he needs to live up to what his family needs and the sacrifices they've made for him (though let's be honest, Jude's queenly ambitions only started with Oak, she sustained them on her own), and that creates an interesting dynamic. Related to this and to his scheming, Oak has so many layers and masks to portray the things he wants people to see that he also feels like people don't really know him, and it was interesting to see how that plays out.

Oak and Wren spend a lot of time separated in this book, but it's clear Wren is trying to get a grasp on what's going on and what exactly she wants. There are enemies closing in on all sides, and she struggles to find a workaround for all the people demanding things from her, and who have the power to make those things happen. While I know it would probably spoil some of what she's planning, I would've liked to have Wren's POV in this book alongside Oak's. I feel like we are missing part of the story by not having it, and I'd like to know more of her thought processes and how she decided what was a strategic decision vs not. That being said, we do get to see how Wren behaves when she feels she's been betrayed, and we also get to see how far she'll go for those she's loyal to. She and Oak have that in common, and the two are seemingly willing to rend anything, including themselves, apart in order to save those they love.

I enjoyed following the schemes of this book and learning who the new enemies were. Bogdana is obviously a major player, but there are people in the background that get revealed as the book progresses. In TFOTA, the game is putting someone on the throne and keeping them there. In this book, it's about determining who is out for the throne and what (and who) they have on their side, all while trying to balance competing priorities.

I'm particularly interested in the setup at the end of the book that seems to promise at least one more book set in Elfhame/involving the Greenbriar-Duarte clan. Holly Black had an interview that basically said as much, so I'm super interested to see where that goes (here's hoping it's Jude and Cardan again!).

Overall I enjoyed this book and seeing how Wren and Oak's story ended. It was interesting being inside Oak's head, though I did miss Wren's POV as well. I'm looking forward to future books set in this world!

[ihopesocomic]

not the same anon as before (hope you're doing OK, previous anon!) but abuse victims deciding to represent what is probably their own personal experiences through their comic characters and then getting attacked because it doesn't line up with what other abuse victims have gone through or their own personal feelings is really toxic to me?? Thank you both for "sticking to your guns" like Hope is and trying to represent people going no or low contact. Because it is actually a very scary decision.

Thanks, anon, and it truly is! That's the part that gets me about people trying to argue that not doing so is actually the "more mature" decision when both sides of the coin actually takes a lot of consideration and work. And considering we know the criticism has stemmed from our opinions on how Powerstrike is handled as a character in My Pride, I want to circle back to how nobody's experience with abuse is universal. You can say you're disabled or w/e and that you would forgive somebody like Powerstrike if you were in Nothing's position but that doesn't automatically mean that Nothing being written as instantly forgiving her mother and having a relationship with her after everything that her mother did to her is remotely healthy? And this is something that a sensitive, competent writer has to account for? When you go all out on portraying the mother of your disabled protagonist as one of her main abusers and the one who fucking stripped her of her identity, you have to account for the very high chance that not everybody is going to be of one mind when it comes to this character earning forgiveness. Because these characters will automatically represent archetypes in the lives of the audiences who watch them. It's how relating to them and getting to know them works. When I see Powerstrike, I see family members who rejected me because I'm autistic and I was "too weird" for them to handle after my mother died. And when the show gives me the cue for me to feel bad for her despite these feelings, it doesn't make me feel all warm and gooey inside. It makes me feel super icky actually.

And while we probably never shall see how Nothing "forgiving" her mother is actually handled, it's clear that from her lack of agency so far (and how Hover legit guilt-trips her in the show's original trailer) that her forgiving Powerstrike would not even be an independent decision. Or even a willing one, if Hover has to yell at her. And yeah, I find that to be quite disturbing and gross. It's all well and good that Powerstrike appeared to regret abusing her child in Episode 7, but doing so does not automatically grant her or any abuser forgiveness. It would've been great if the writing had stopped to point this out and make it clear that particular step is left up to Nothing once they find her but nope. It's all smiles and 'she loved you too, you know', even though their last interaction ended with Powerstrike's self-pitying monologue about what her daughter "could have been" and Nothing feeling very disconnected from her mother, in fact. Fair play if the show's writing (and pacing) of that episode convinced some of you that it covered all the necessary bases but it didn't for us. And My Pride isn't the first or even the last bit of media to do this kind of thing and that's why so many people feel that cutting off their abusive family members isn't an option and, to make things worse, why others feel they can guilt-trip them into not even thinking about it. - RJ

[philhoffman]

Tonight's Monday Philm is actually a miniseries: Liberty! The American Revolution, first broadcast in 1997. Or, I Watched Six Hours Of This PBS Documentary All At Once So You Don't Have To!

It really wasn't that bad—I'm actually a historian specializing in 19th-20th century U.S. by training 🤓 so while the Revolution is a little earlier than my area of study, I've always had a soft spot for it. Just watching this made me a little nostalgic. I've seen parts of this series before (probably in middle school tbh) and of course I've watched PSH's few bits, but this was my first time watching the whole thing.

Overall pretty good! A little dated, as quarter-century old documentaries are expected to be, and the focus was a little narrower than I might've hoped for from a six-hour series, but it was well-made. SO many actors are in this. Like, I knew several to expect (like Stephen Lang, another favorite actor of mine, voicing Washington), but then Austin Pendleton and Jane Adams and Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Philip Bosco showed up!

I'm curious about how Phil got involved with this project. Released in late 1997, about a month after Boogie Nights, so filmed before his public "breakthrough" in that film. I wonder if this was another role he did, partly like Twister (and around the same time), to afford to move back to NYC lol? Not that it would just be about money—seeing Austin Pendleton pop up made me think he might've gotten Phil involved. And the project is neat, it's history, something Phil probably would've been interested in on his own. We may never know!

PSH is portraying Joseph Plumb Martin, an actual American soldier who kept a diary throughout his wartime service. While doing some research for this post I learned Martin was 16 (!!!) when he joined the militia, so Phil in that first still is supposed to be a teenager lmao. Makes much more sense when you realize Martin was in his mid-20s by the end of the war (the last still) and much closer to Phil's actual age. And like, it's a PBS documentary—they're not blowing the budget on costumes for characters with maybe 2 minutes of screen time—but they still do a pretty good job showing how he became a man over the course of the war.

Martin also kinda has the most character development over the course of the series? He's the primary (maybe only?) American soldier depicted and so carries the burden of portraying the entire demographic's wartime experiences. A little cheesy at times but Phil's sincerity is impressive—his willingness to throw himself into any role without self-consciousness—and I can't lie some of those line readings gave me chills ! Nearly all of the actors do a great job bringing the real diary entries and letters etc. to life—so brash, so funny, so honest and afraid and hopeful.

This series brings up many innate and complicated feelings about my country! Too numerous to dive into here, since this is already a remarkable long review compared to how long Phil is actually in it.

But Phil loved a good July 4th bash so tomorrow, if applicable, make some of his cookie dough s'mores and go see fireworks or maybe just watch him be miserable and freezing at Valley Forge in this series! 🇺🇸

[asexualtuckerfoley]

That line Piper told Dan about how he "fell in love with the wrong sister" got me thinking Phoebe/Dan au kids

I still think Phoebe would have 3 girls and start their names all with a P cause it speaks to her connection to her family and her magic, but she'd probably pick either really antiquated or really modern names to signify her rebellious spirit.

Prestyn is the oldest and she would've been born before the whole "mormon naming" thing became a meme, but the intent is pretty much the same: Phoebe wanted something unique for her. I think in this world Melinda would’ve been the first-born Charmed child, but Prestyn was the second. She really looks up to her cousin Jenny, who in this AU would have the storyline she was (allegedly) supposed to have in the show learning magic and becoming a witch herself. Anyway, Prestyn looks up to her and tends to want to learn magic from her more than the Charmed Ones as she basically takes on the cool aunt archetype in Prestyn's mind. She is super into being a witch, to the point that she kind of neglects the mortal world, which is concerning to Dan and Phoebe. She's got the power the freeze time. I see her being portrayed by Danielle Campbell, specifically her time on The Originals.

Phoenix is the rebellious middle child, always looking for a way to distinguish herself. She acts out for attention and affection, always feeling like it's the only way she can compete with the superwitch and the baby. She's the telekinetic of the sisters and often uses her powers to aid in her mischief, which freaks out the rest of the family for obvious reasons. I can't quite settle on a good actress for her, but right now the contenders are Bailee Madison, Alba Baptista, or maybeeee Danielle Rose Russell, again because of magic tv shows.

The youngest would be Priscilla, nickname Prissy, which she absolutely hates. She's the girl who would try (and fail) to get everyone to call her by her middle name in school, and she feels like she constantly has to compensate for being the baby of the family and her name sounding baby-ish. She ends up being the one who's super precocious and studious. She has the power of premonition and Phoebe, though she loves her girls equally, has a soft spot for Prissy between that and her being the youngest. I see Sadie Stanley portraying her.

[riddlerosehearts]

🐍 same, there were many things i did not enjoy about HoO but leo is one of the highlights i will always treasure from it. in fact I made my OC just so I could make them be friends with him bc it's like an old childhood dream of mine 😭 it's several years late but i will do it anyway. have u ever made any pjo ocs?

I read your post and i agree with you so much!! EN did jamil so dirty and just the few changes they made to his lines flipped the entire dynamic between him and kalim and basically completely erased how tragic and difficult their situation is, and portrayed jamil as basically just someone throwing a fit over something easily changeable when it isn't. I play on JP so I was so surprised to see the changes EN made, it sucked seeing so many ppl hate my fav

oh nooo yeah if both riddle and jamil are in the athena cabin i have no clue who'd become the head counselor... this is so hard, if only we could have more than one :(. Kalim'd def be in a different cabin at least, but just him being around camp would make it so much harder for jamil to be himself, it hurts my heart. there are so many ways you can write this and it all has so much angst potential. on the other hand you're so right abt the missed leo nico friendship bc i always intuitively felt they could've be good friends without knowing why, but your analysis puts everything into words and makes me even sadder we had such a missed opportunity... like cmon rick....

idia labwear groovy but nico is actually so funny - nico ominously approaching cats with his hands out like the grabbing emoji when nobody is looking and completely unaware how scared the cats feel, meanwhile all he wants is to spend some time with kitty before the chain sneezing sets in

I love your ideas abt the outfits I think they fit super well!! if i get around to doodling the characters in a twst au i'd like to reference your ideas if that's okay with you! They'd both probably attempt to wear the uniforms as a full set in the beginning then decide it's way too much of a hassle/feels too stiff (totally not an excuse to want to draw them in the full outfit), then begin modifying things so it felt more like themselves, though at least I think they both would like the ignihyde uniforms better than the other dorms, igni's seems more casual and practical than the other ones imo. for some reason i feel like the savanaclaw colours would look good on leo, i just picture yellow being a nice colour on him - but leo in savanaclaw would just be like him stuck with a ton of jocks feeling confused why he's even there lool

also imagine leo meeting ortho, he'd be so fascinated that something like ortho was possible and be inspired to make a robot of his own (twst festus origin story?) idk if there's a robotics club but i could see that being leo's club of choice, nico maybe board games... which means he'd meet idia and azul omg, what do you think?

sorry it took me a bit a longer to answer this time. i haven't!! i don't make OCs super often in general, i don't even really have one for twst haha, but i love seeing all the creativity other people put into their OCs.

yeah exactly!! i do keep up with the JP main story updates and have read most of the JP events through fan translations, but i started by playing on EN. and i feel really lucky that i recognized the words for master and servant and could tell they were mistranslating some things, because i can imagine that otherwise i would've come out of it hating jamil for "betraying" kalim too. instead i loved him and was a little annoyed with kalim until book 5 showed more of his growth. i don't ship jamil and kalim but i do love both of them and it's sad that the complexity of their dynamic got watered down so much... i will note, though, that the app is rated E10+ on the google play store and 4+ on the iOS app store, so my guess is that higher-ups at disney thought the actual story wasn't kid-friendly enough.

something else to keep in mind with athena kids that i actually sort of forgot about until recently, is that they're all claimed from birth and therefore are pursued by monsters from birth :( and then also the fact that athena is a virgin goddess who just sort of gives babies to people who might not have been prepared to have one... i bet that would make things so much rougher for riddle and jamil. some other ideas i had are that if jamil's parent was a minor god, it could be nemesis (goddess of revenge) or terpsichore (muse of dance). and for kalim, if his parent was an olympian it would be either dionysus or apollo and if it was a minor god it'd be tyche (goddess of luck and fortune). like you said, there's so many different ways i could see their story going in an AU like this and they'd all be so angsty.

if you wanna see more analysis on how nico and leo fit together there's some stuff i've reblogged from others in my valdangelo tag! not all of it is necessarily romantic, i just basically use that for anything about the two of them--and a lot of the reasons why people like the ship are reasons why they'd work platonically as well. but yeah one of my biggest criticisms of HoO is how even though i like all the new characters for the most part, i feel like their relationships to each other were largely defined by romance (and i don't just mean the actual couples, but also the frank-hazel-leo love triangle for example) and a lot of potential was missed because of that!

oh yeah go for it!! feel free to use pretty much any of these ideas we've been brainstorming as basis for your own headcanons and stuff, i don't mind at all. and like i've been saying, if you did draw anything for this AU i'd love to see it. i can definitely see that about leo and nico both trying on the full uniform and then quickly deciding not to bother with it anymore lol. i imagined them both not wearing the tie because i just think nico wouldn't really want to and that leo might not even know how to tie one AFSKJGHDF. do you think leo would add any other accessories or personalization to his school uniform? also, i was thinking, i totally agree that they'd both like the ignihyde uniform, especially nico because it resembles the bulky jackets he normally likes to wear! but i wonder what nico would wear for a dorm uniform if he transferred to ramshackle... according to one of silver's voice lines at least, they canonically don't have one, so maybe he'd just wear, like, a my chemical romance shirt and call that a uniform lol. or keep his ignihyde uniform and confuse everyone.

omg, i love the thought of leo meeting ortho and being inspired to make festus because of him. he'd definitely be so fascinated by everything ortho could do. as for the clubs, i saved this excellent post about NRC's clubs for reference a while back, and since no other existing clubs were mentioned in either of the camp vargas events, i assume that that's all of them. but afaik there's nothing that says leo couldn't start a robotics club, and i'm sure there'd be people willing to join! out of the existing clubs i can totally see nico being in the board game club, i think that'd be a lot of fun for him.