#anyway DT really can act

[patrice-bergerons]

Macbeth is the first character I proper babygirlified though, back when I was 15. My essay was literally about how he could not be a bad person when he felt so much remorse. ☠️

But here is the thing: I got an A+ on that essay. I don't think my English teacher was convinced that Macbeth was a little meow meow but he heard what I was thinking and encouraged me to build out my argument -- in a clear, structured way with textual support, using the tools we had just learned -- and when I did that and put my whole heart into explaining why he was misunderstood, he rewarded me for it. And I had so much fun -- learning to think for myself and explain and organise my ideas.

And it is that same passion I bring to analysing any piece of media I interact with today. It is the same passion I bring to my writing -- both corporate and creative (though I hope my arguments are a little more salient these days). And it would have been so so easy for him to read what I had written and say Alex this is nonsense. One good teacher can truly make such a difference to your life.

[writingmeraki]

men on a mission.

a kim mingyu drabble !

pairing : secret!agent!mingyu x secret!agent!reader, established relationship ( they are married lmao )

genre : fluff. few rotten tooth worthy fluff.

warnings : kissing and mentions of alcohol/drunkness.

author's note : well. i was inspired by a sort of dream i had abt mingyu and this sprouted out of it lmao. i rlly do hope it makes sense <3 i kinda wanna make this a fic someday but i have too much shit on my hands rn so take this instead :D also unkept, unsaid,ugly emotions other units will be coming soon and maybe something for enha too cause it's been a HOTTT minute ☝️!!

sp. dt to my svt luvr moots 🩷!! @blue-jisungs ; @shuamorollss ; @odxrilove ; @flwoie ; @strxwberry-skiess ; @bambikisss ; @enluv !!!! ( this is my small attempt at showing y'all i am alive and do think of you guys everytime i open this app :( love u all even those who aren't mentioned ! )

word count : 0.9k

small drabble in the same universe ( continuation if you wish ) !!

Mission be darned, you may just get exempted due to murdering your assigned partner.

“Mingyu! Can you please stop drinking!?” 

You were sure your forehead might have become red from the amount of times you've been rubbing it and you can feel the grey hair seeping through.

Glaring at said man as he downed probably the fifth shot of some combo of liquor, you turned your attention to the bartender.

His eyes widened as he gulped in slight fear from the anger radiating in your gaze.

“I told you to stop. No more drinks for him.” 

You said calmly as he quickly nodded his head and went in a rush to clean the already cleaned up counter for the second time, finding it better to be anywhere but near a furious person.

He knew what he was paid was not worth getting into an argument about how customer service is the top thing and all that. 

“Loosen up! Have some fun babyyy!” His words slurred towards the end and you had to stop yourself from grinning at his words. You rolled your eyes at his words before hissing out lowly towards him,

“We are not supposed to have fun, if you remember, we’re here to collect some information!” You were whisper yelling at this point but you doubt anyone would hear you anyways from the loud music playing in the club which was already giving you a headache. 

“ ‘s fine~”

“I’ll get it out some other time, just relax yeah? It’s been a while since we went out.” 

Sighing at his words, you avoided looking at his face. You knew damn well he had that specific look. The look when he really wanted something from you which you weren’t agreeing on. You think it’s his eyes that get to you every damn time. 

Suddenly, he moved from his position and clinged to your arm, almost making you fall off the bar stool as he scooted closer with his, making a screeching sound that would have made you cringe if it weren’t for the fact you were trying not to fall over from the sudden weight added.

“Mingyu!” You yelped as you moved your right arm around him, trying to hold him as support,which was another mission in itself considering how broad his shoulders were. 

His face plopped itself on your shoulder, cheek smothered on it as he spoke, “You’re so warm, always are warm.”

You suppose he was somewhat fulfilling the actual mission you’d come for, which was acting like a couple in love as bait to get some information on a group that was specifically targeting couples for their acts and scams. 

“Uhm, are you alright?” You turned to the concerned bartender, who had immediately turned towards you once again when he heard your shocked yelp from before. 

“If he’s bothering you, I can call security.”

You rolled your eyes, for probably the nth time that night, murmuring under your breath how if he hadn’t given him the shots, he wouldn’t act that way.

“No it’s fine- he gets…clingy when he’s out of it.” 

“Gyu?” The coldness of the ring on your ring finger touched his cheek which made him slightly wake up from almost dozing off as you had turned your attention away from him.

The ring didn’t go unnoticed to the bartender as he nodded at you and went about his business. 

Turns out your mission was already halfway complete because you didn’t really need to fake being a couple, after all being married for six years is probably as real as it could get. 

“You’re so pretty, wanna marry you and just be with you~” 

You couldn’t stop the giggle now, your eyes sparkling underneath the club lights as you rubbed his cheek in adoration.

Well what was the point of trying to accomplish the mission anyways? You knew you would be able to get the information through other ways, so you might as well just 'have fun' as your actual partner ( for life ) said right?

Your anger was considerably simmered since it had occurred to you, it had been an actual while since you went out with him. Even if he was your husband, it was tough to get free time when you were both the best at your agency. 

“Well I think you’ve already accomplished that yeah baby?” You don’t think you’ll ever get over how your stomach feels like butterflies are roaming around when he grins at you the way he is at the moment. 

You’ll definitely never get over how he always and always looks at you like you hung up every star in the universe just for him to gaze at in awe. He looks at you, always did as if you held all the answers to his questions and perhaps in a sense you did. You were his everything, all the answers and all the stars. 

“I love you.” Your cheeks were probably hurting from grinning so much, you could never be angry at him. 

You moved your face a little closer to his, pecking his nose and pulling back,

“I do too. I mean I don’t think I'd have kept up with your annoying ass for the past almost decade if I didn’t.”

Before he could go on a rant about how mean you were being, you moved again, placing your lips on his, effectively shutting him up as his hazy brain tried to comprehend his long time–lifetime– crush kissing him. 

He would never get used to how you would make him feel like he’s a giddy boy in love all over again just from your mere actions. He’s probably been in love a trillion times by now but just with you and only you. 

Mission be darned, if he could have you like this at the end of the day, he doesn’t think he’ll ever regret anything. 

all written works as well as images and edits (unless credited) belong to pri. do not plagiarise, repost, re-edit or claim as yours. pics mostly found on pinterest.

writingmeraki Ⓒ 2024

feedback is always appreciated 💌

links : main navi ! | svt masterlist !

[aq2003]

archive dive #3: romeo and juliet (2000)

i fucking loved this so so much. ohhhhh it was so good. i am fond of the baz luhrmann movie but my one gripe w it is the portrayal of the titular characters feels too boring and here it's like. i can't even joke david tennant and alex gilbreath are perfect for the roles and i'm obsessed. i feel like this production really nails the tone most of all; when i was reading the play again i found it kinda fucked up and dark, like while it was funny at times (like any shakespeare play is) it very much wasn't this light fantastical sweeping romance, even at the beginning before the deaths start happening...and it feels like michael boyd thought the same when approaching the story. it feels slightly unconventional but also the original felt like that to me too, if that makes sense. anyway i loved the music and choreography in this soooo much and the seperate curved walls symbolizing the two families is just [chefs kiss]. it's a great production all around and i'm forever jealous of the people who got to watch it live

prev / archive dive tag / next

david wrote about it in his romeo essay of course but i love the choice to have romeo narrate the prologue in the middle of the big brawl between the families at the beginning. the fact that it's a romeo after his death looking back on the tragedy with a sense of resignation but also serenity like yessss yessssssss <- sicko. he was doomed from the start because of the world he lived in etc etc

you can feel the teenage angst dripping off romeo the minute he walks onto the stage (after the prologue during his actual first scene). his back is to the camera as benvolio hugs him but the angst is still so palpable. it's coming off of him in waves. just the way that he walks. so real

"in sadness, cousin, i do love...........................a woman" why did he pause like that. this is so funny. what is the implication here.

david plays romeo's self-dramatizing lovesickness perfectly but also this was the exact energy i expected he would also bring to berowne and he surprisingly did not! i will talk about this in the LLL post but i will leave this note here for now

i love alex's voice an inordinate amount and i think it is just a perfect fit for juliet. i think a big thing with juliet is that she sort of acts/imagines herself as much older than she actually is (bc that's how her family sees her too) and her having that kind of raspy, deeper voice lends itself well to that

mercutio is a really interesting bit of this production because it's the one element i feel like is the least faithful to the text (or at least, whatever my reading of the text is). he's very clearly jealous, and a lot of his lines poking fun at romeo's love life feel way less humorous than they were originally written to be. like of course this mercutio is witty and fun which goes for basically any good mercutio but he's also a bit vindictive here! he's cynical about love specifically because of romeo's rejection of him! it's not bad and it def feeds into the tone the production is going for but it is still very Different to me

like by comparison you look at harold perrineau's mercutio (bombastic and campy and fun with this undercurrent of past tragedy to him) or dt's audio drama mercutio (filled w a lust for life without the actual lust. he's just here for a good time) and adrian's mercutio just feels like a whole different character. he even gets aggressive with romeo and pins him down for half of the queen mab speech and it's like mercutio we can find you another twink for you to make heart eyes at it's okay.

i wonder if the familiarity between mercutio and romeo + that line reading on "i do love a woman" a while back implies that they had some kind of history together? is that why mercutio feels so possessive and jealous over romeo? much to think about

the whole stage changing color back to blue during the dance when juliet and romeo first lay eyes on each other. Oh baby

the curved line the capulets form as they hold hands and walk off the stage after the dance imitating the curve of the wall <33

i'm obsessed with how alex delivers the "you kiss by the book" line. it's so funny. i think in general juliet is so interesting because she's less sensitive and "romantic" than romeo is, like if he's this emotional misunderstood poet than she's more of a grounded realist and is almost surprised by how her feelings bloom out of her. in her head it's like she's aware of romeo's unimpressive aspects (like his cookie cutter pickup lines and his mediocre kissing) but she's still enchanted with him anyway because (to steal a line from doctor who) he's the first person she's met who is remotely like her

i love the song the chorus does at the start of act 2, originally i kind of imagined it being done in the same way as the prologue but it would not make as much sense for ghost romeo to come back in now that the story is rolling along lol

the balcony scene... ahhh the balcony scene. i love how romeo starts off with his back pressed against the wall representing the montagues and then when he works up the courage, makes his way over to the capulet wall where juliet is standing at the top of. symbolism!

juliet hitting her head on the wall to punctuate every word of "wherefore art thou romeo" a) is a great way of approaching the text without over-sentimentality + the baggage of "oh these are some of shakespeare's most famous lines" and b) makes the line a lot more easy to understand for a random audience member watching it (like how she's not asking "where" but "why" and is frustrated by the situation she's found herself in)

the two of them reaching for each other over the wall during the "i would i were thy bird" bit made me go "awww :("

mercutio pushing romeo away when he screams "a plague o' both your houses" (while letting himself get carried away by benvolio)... like Oh yeah it's not even actually about the montagues and the capulets at this point he is blaming romeo specifically and i'm positively sure romeo is looking at him with the sad_wet_david_tennant_eyes.gif

the way romeo's voice breaks when he says "but mercutio's soul is a little way above our heads" someone hug him please. oh my god?

3.3 was done so well and i am so [screams loudly] abt it. just in general i think this scene is VERY important to romeo's character, bc this is basically where you understand his turmoil and why he feels like he can't live in a world without juliet. he's traumatized by his friend's death and thinks his soulmate hates him forever and that his life is over. and you get the sense maybe he was always teetering on the edge of a cliff too. it needs to be given the right amount of weight, it can't shy away from this horrible meltdown he's having. and i think david really does it justice in his portrayal of it. the way he paces around in this uncomfortable and frantic way like he doesn't want to be in his own body n how he screams and lashes out and tries to claw at his skin. it is so heartbreaking thank u david i'm so fucked up now

and like the way that friar lawrence takes the dagger from romeo and goes on his whole spiel about how he needs to man up and stop crying and this just makes romeo start crying harder like oh my god. Ohhhhhhhh my god i actually need to be shot

somewhat delving into hc territory but i think romeo (dt's version especially) is very sensitive and seeks out love and affection wherever he can find it bc his parents were emotionally neglectful towards him (while friar lawrence was far more understanding and attentive by comparison, and generally much more of an actual father figure towards him). but even then friar lawrence has his moments of "stop having those stupid girly feelings romeo". i feel like juliet is the only person in the play who doesn't see romeo's emotions as unseemly or ridiculous

i was reading the prompt book alongside watching this and they changed juliet's line "love, lord, ay husband, friend" to "love, lord, my husband, friend" as if that line couldn't get more tragic. my husband. my friend. fuck!!

also. guys i need lord capulet DEAD and GONE. clean shot. ok anyways

one of, if not my favorite scene in the play is in 4.3 where juliet monologues about what could go wrong before drinking the sleeping potion. it's like... she has to be incredibly brave to even get by in her life, whether that be her relationship with romeo or her father threatening her or her accepting the potion from friar lawrence in the first place. her life is actively scary in a way that romeo's isn't and obeying her family would be so much easier but she still doesn't give in and stop fighting. bc her life is hers and she won't let her one choice she made for herself be taken away from her. but here all of that bravery falls away because she basically has to give up and surrender. she's just left with herself and a drink that will basically kill her and it's so genuinely fucking terrifying for her and it makes me want to eat rocks. she is just so young and scared and she has to look death in the face for a chance of freedom and it's so fucking sad because you know it's not going to work and she's doomed by the narrative

AND THE STAGE TURNS BLUE WHEN JULIET HALLUCINATES TYBALT'S GHOST. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. SHE'S SO TERRIFIED AND RIGHTFULLY SO. SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING COULD GO WRONG BUT SHE DOES IT ANYWAY. BUT WE KNOW SHE'S DEAD. SHE'S BEEN DEAD FROM THE BEGINNING.

anyway that scene was cut out in the baz luhrmann movie but it's here in this production which makes me very happy, as happy as i can be about this very upsetting scene where this young girl is finally overwhelmed by her fear of death

mentioning another thing david wrote about in his essay but romeo in act 5 isn't overindulgent and emotional anymore just determined and driven towards his end. but also actually watching it, for me it's just so so sad because it's like. you want that overemotional romeo back, the romeo that was coming up with love poetry on the spot or crying over being separated from juliet. at that point he still wanted to live for her but now it's like he's filled with this cold finality of "oh, i can only be together with her in death. and there is nothing i have left to do but to make that happen"

romeo's final speech to juliet. david tennant i'm in your walls

juliet's dying gasps/sobs as she sinks into the grave with romeo in her arms. alex gilbreath i'm in your walls

the light of the stage turning blue as the ghosts of juliet and romeo come out of the grave and exit the stage together as their parents agree to resolve the conflict between the families... (the only other times it turned blue were when ghost romeo came out to narrate the prologue, when romeo and juliet first meet each other, and right before juliet drinks the sleeping potion). i am sick

the music at the end of the play/during the curtain call is so melancholy and beautiful I AM SICK

such a good production. fuck

[girldriveroscar]

https://x.com/l4ndscar/status/1890413972752310688?s=46 

I’d never seen these clips before and oh my god?? Re: “Lando fumbling next year bc he is gracious to Oscar in a way that's not reciprocated”:

I feel like these clips are a good example? I don’t think Oscar would gaf even if Lando moped a bit & snubbed him on the podium. Obviously he would care if it affected the team dynamic but overall Oscar’s pretty understanding of drivers’ emotional responses & gets Lando (“He [Lando] reminds himself more than I do [that I got a sprint win first]”).  So for Lando to put all his energy into being mature + clapping for Oscar, etc. when he’s so frustrated is very telling. Also lol @ Oscar hardly acknowledging Landos angst that weekend— even in the presser Oscar was making jokes w Lando. Like Oscar I think hes a bit busy trying not to die rn

Obviously Lando def does this stuff for his own conscience more than Oscar specifically but it’s so weird that after Hungary, when ppl  were already sympathetic to Lando — Lando STILL went out of his way to do a whole interview where he publicly says he’s sorry to Oscar and says he feels bad for tainting his first win and he was embarrassed by how he acted. Like girl?Just move on?? No need to berate yourself publicly. He also mentions directly talking to Oscar about this and discussing all of this👀 (I will rpf this part bc that’s cute tbh🥺 saying sorry to his little bf). Anyway—Lando fascinates me. 

dude gna be such a 81 BACKER rn (814 fan wars mean nothing to me why can I not Observe them Both and Make Conclusions and Like them both and also Not Like them Both Sometimes) but... I don't rly get those edits lmfao like lando still Clearly never sprayed Oscar. hes spraying/smiling at the Mcl mechanic (?) and he still had a pretty shit attitude overall on that podium,,.... which he addresses himself yk later in the maxf DTS clip (Nobody Celebrated, I felt Bad, Oscar was underwhelmed etc. like he addresses there that he didn't handle it well and also recognizes how that impacted Oscar at the time)(Yes sorry I am Validating the existence of dts clips... argue w the wall irdgaf)

Honestly I think the reality of the clip adds to your statement that lando's self-serving with a Lot of his kindness to Oscar. or just that... in the heat of the moment his own emotions overshadow anyone elses. Like... im Really Strongly of the opinion that that Hungary podium was a real stinker for lando's public image. same as him saying he lost respect for Max, same as majority of those interviews last year.,.but that can be compelling too yk and it's not like indicative of him being an awful selfish person - he's just complicated, as is everyone.

Oscar I think serves lando in a very interesting way which is helping to remind him to maintain status quo. in the exact same way Maxf will frequently tell lando to chill out on stream when he's talking out of line or,,, remind him to Be Normal and Not beat himself up, like Oscar does that. Script reading and Immediate quiet banter that makes lando Not Get all weird and Make it Bigger thing than it has to be. like. a subtle little Nudge of Heyyyyy Yeah that was awful but don't talk to the press about it. talk to me about it later in private. Idk landoscar lens a Little. Landoscar lens a Lot? I think Oscar does that bc beyond racing he does find quiet satisfaction in Being that close private friend of landos. hes waited his turn for silent stares across the room Let Him have this LOL.

they're compelling AHH! landos already kind of surprised me w his interviews in aus. so ill definitely have more to chew on and think about and add to this all as the ssn goes on!

[rharyx]

Now that I've beaten Dawntrail, I can safely say it's one of my favorite expansions. Like, none of the expansions have actually been bad imo, but Dawntrail is just super comfy and enjoyable.

Wuk Lamat is a lovable character, and I'm proud to call her my sister Lamaty'i. I honestly don't get the hate for her role in the plot, nor her voice acting. She's adorable, and I loved seeing her grow, and experiencing Tural through both her initially naive eyes and her more trained eyes.

Everything about the journey through Tural was really fun, and I think it's some of the best zones we've gotten in a while. I loved arriving in a new place and learning about a new culture and their people, and seeing how it all tied into the Rite of Succession and what Lamaty'i was going to take away from it. How it all added to the stories of her, Koana, and even Zoraal Ja was really well done.

Like, Endwalker was good, don't get me wrong, but all the "end of the saga" doom and gloom really wore me down sometimes, so having a more lighthearted vacation where it's just you and your friends in a new land taking in the sights and helping out where you can was really relieving. I loved the entire time I spent traveling across Tural.

It all felt like a proper adventure, one that the Warrior of Light has been yearning for. They're an adventurer at heart, and sure they'll protect the world when they're called upon, but they at their core just like to travel and meet new people. They love the Star with all their heart, whether due to being a shard of Azem or not. And so this adventure through Tural was exactly what they needed. And you can see it in their eyes.

There are some nit picky stuff I could say that I didn't care for overall, but in the grand scheme of things they don't matter at all, because the expansion as a whole was just really enjoyable. I just can't understand the negative reception it's getting from some people.

Maybe I'm just pulling this out of nowhere, but I feel like we're finally seeing the consequences of so many people being told to "skip ARR" and the earlier stuff so they can get to ShB -- "the good stuff." We're getting people who are calling DT boring or slow, because all they really focused on was the high points of ShB and EW, not realizing DT is what most of the game is actually like. Idk, but DT just felt like all the parts of FF14 that I've enjoyed from the start rolled into one. And if you're only here for ShB-type stuff, you're just not engaging with the game properly.

Anyway, I love Dawntrail, and I love all the new characters and bits of lore it introduces, and I'm sad I already finished it because I don't want to wait for more story content. I really want to see where this story goes, and I want to see more of my Turali family.

[antispopausandstuff]

i think what's oddly symbolic is that, when Adora holds Catra ( which is more often than vice versa ), she's there to genuinely comfort and support her, even though she, tbf, doesn't really deserve it, considering Adora's her #1 victim.

but when Catra holds Adora, she's not ever comforting or encouraging. it's gloating, shouting, gaslighting, or self-beneficial. nothing's not about her in those moments, in one way or another.

and, to add onto this, the only time i can recall her even vaguely talking about Adora's achievements, she apparently couldn't help but say "oh, please, you couldn't do it without me", when there's no reason anyone with working glasses // vision would believe this, as it's established that Catra would do only bare minimum, if that, when Adora was around.

not only is she incredibly limiting verbally, but her supposed 'physical affection' was actually maybe once, to Adora, and that was in the finale, and it ended up not meaning much, anyway.

she's not incapable of it, either. not only was she more affectionate with Scorpia, but she said "but i couldn't have done it without you. thanks." she never says anything even close to this to Adora, not even when they're friends.

for encouragement, sure, she's manipulative, but she's not incapable of doing that, either. she did it with Scorpia, Entrapta, and Hordak. she knows what she's doing. in terms of being genuinely encouraging, while i can't recall her being that with Scorpia, she was definitely like that with DT.

people who act like she's incapable of something because they're too C//A-pilled to go "oh, no, she's actually done this before, just not with the person she's supposedly in love with" will forever drive me crazy.

[manic-sapphic]

catra season 4 - moments she couldn't fake it

and choosing to step out from behind the rubble after they were teleported onto prime's ship just in time to save glimmer's life. and buy time for the rest of etheria, too. i love that she walks over and stands beside glimmer, facing prime, who keeps his hand on glimmer's face the whole time catra's talking. you can tell she already knows this guy is reeeal bad news and is tryna think on her feet to convince him to back off for as long as she can.

i definitely think the whole move she made there was one of very intentional protection - at the time, i'd guess it was mostly cause glimmer was one of adora's best friends - and let's be real, she'd been regretting how much she hurt adora throughout most of season 4 and hating herself for it but tryna mask it and convince herself she'd feel better if she could just finally win.

but then when they were, she was still miserable. so, after feeling sick and tired of hurting adora for so long, she puts a pause on prime murdering glimmer right then and there, then likely turning to etheria to do what she later watches him doing on another planet through one of the windows of his flagship - blasting the whole place to bits until it would be left an uninhabited wasteland.

i don't think she had all her shit figured out yet, not even close, but she invited glimmer to end her life when she found her in the fright zone, her ability to deceive herself completely shattered and the reality of just how horribly she'd ruined her own life - the ripple effects of which hurt so many others as well, particularly adora, who DT just forced some painful truths about out from the depths of catra's mind, where she'd done her best to bury them.

she hadn't even had the time to fully process all of that before accidentally ending up aboard prime's ship w glimmer. she's not quite there yet, but you can tell her mind is on its way. she ends up bonding w glimmer cause that's her true nature, one she just doesn't have the willpower to keep suppressing anymore. even prime calls her out for having pity for her, but eventually i think she even grows to enjoy visiting her and sees why she and adora are friends, probably racked w guilt and regret thinking that if only she'd gone w adora, she could've been one of those friends too.

but knowing where she is and all the various circumstances of their situation, that chance is lost to her forever. but she realizes that doesn't mean it has to be lost for everybody else. so she saves glimmer, and by extension, not just everyone who's on their way to try and rescue her, but hopefully all of etheria and even the universe by keeping adora and the others away so they'll have the chance to try and take prime down.

she sacrifices herself saying it's just for adora, but i get the feeling she was also doing it for anyone and everyone who it might hopefully save, so desperate to do anything she could possibly manage, wanting so badly to do whatever she could to make up for trying to destroy everything with the portal and all the other harm she'd caused etheria. cause that was never really her or what she wanted, but she could never go back and change what she'd done or have what she wants, and she didn't feel like she deserved to anyway. so she chose to make her final act hers. what she really wanted for everyone. and yeah, especially adora.

[1moreff-creator]

Hey there! I've really enjoyed reading your theories and interpretations on how certain members of the DT cast could befriend each other, and I have my own request for that.

Within the cast, which two people do you think have the most difficulty getting along, and how would you see a friendship between them forming in a non-killing-game AU?

Ooh, interesting question! While all of us can probably name a couple of friendships that probably would never happen in the killing game, it’s a cool thought exercise to try and figure out which ones would be almost impossible even outside those circumstances, so let’s see what I can come up with!

CW: Mentions of death and murder, Arturo

There are a few challenges in trying to figure this out. A lot of the conflict in DRDT comes from the characters’ worst traits being augmented by the killing game. Without the constant fear of death, Ace probably wouldn’t be so abrasive, so a lot of his relationships with the cast would be calmer. Without the boredom of being stuck in one place the whole time, Veronika would probably act more like she did in CH1; freaky and over-enthusiastic, but not “laughing at death” insane. Nico wouldn’t have attempted murder, which in turn also means Hu wouldn’t be so unreasonable when it comes to them. Xander wouldn’t have a reason to stab Teruko. All of the secrets would be safe until the person they belong to wished to share them.

David is an odd case, as his Speaker act would make it hard to argue he genuinely got along with anyone when his personality is more or less a lie, and he has no reason to drop it. However, he’d still be civil with everyone, and Xander’s continued existence would probably end up helping David get to a place where he can make more meaningful connections with others.

Speaking of getting better, it’s worth noting that while the killing game made a lot of people worse, the people that got better could still grow in the same way outside of it. Sure, maybe it’d take longer for Charles to chill out without being humbled by the hemophobia reveal, but he’d probably manage it. And Arei’s whole arc was more a result of her being around Eden in general as opposed to the killing game itself, so that’d also sort itself out in time. Teruko’s arc in the killing game is more a sinusoidal wave than a straight line up, but it’s hard to imagine her having many issues with the others when she’d presumably stick closer to her CH1 persona most of the time anyways. 

There’s also Mai’s existence to consider… to the extent we can. We know little about her, but if you’ve read my posts, you probably know I tend to use her as a sort of trump card whenever I want two people to get along without much trouble. She doesn’t like it when her friends fight, everyone treats her like a god, so the cast might try to play nice around her just so she’s not sad. 

This is all to say that the only people that would truly have conflict with each other in the cast are few and far between. Sure, maybe not everyone would be close friends or anything, but they’d get along. There are exceptions, though.

Xander and Min are so diametrically opposed that they might struggle to agree on anything even outside the killing game. However, although they wouldn’t get along at first, they’re both reasonable enough in their own right (once you take the murder out of the equation), so it’s not hard to imagine they could end up being friendly enough.

Teruko still probably wouldn’t like David if she saw through the cheery persona like she did in the killing game, but that would probably manifest more in Teruko not interacting with him too much as opposed to real conflict, so they’d also be pretty civil to each other. 

But really, I’m just stalling so it looks like I did more thinking than I really did. The obvious answer for who would get along the worst is J and Arturo, and I don’t think it’s particularly close. Arturo is a creep towards J for reasons that don’t have anything to do with the killing game, but rather a secret that, as Arei pointed out, would have been dispelled the moment the cast got access to class rosters. Naturally, J would hate the guy for this, so getting them to truly get along would be almost impossible. Doesn’t help that J doesn’t strike me as the most forgiving person, so even if Arturo miraculously stopped being horrendous towards her, it would still understandably take a while for them to get along after all that.

The only way I can see them actually getting along is if J’s secret isn’t revealed from the start. And believe it or not, it’s actually very plausible. J’s Mai quote is “She kept it a secret and told no one”, which would imply that J’s parentage was, in fact, kept secret for a bit.

If that’s the case, then the best case scenario is that Arturo somehow… uh, gets help ig? I mean, I genuinely don’t see any way where J and Arturo would actually get along even without the Mariabella situation. Arturo’s obsession with beauty would put off J too much, and she doesn’t really strike me as the type to really interact with anyone she doesn't like (see: J wanting to only talk to Teruko in the prologue because Xander was loud).

In short, just to get them to be civil to each other, we’d need an as of yet unseen character arc where Arturo stops being an asshole to people he considers “ugly”, and either doesn’t know about J’s mother, or grows past his obsession with Mariabella. Like, we’re talking some real miracle work from Mai, Veronika, Eden, Speaker!David, the Hope’s Peak teachers, and/or whoever the hell else might have a shot at making Arturo less of a dick. And even then, all that would probably achieve is J and Arturo not hating each other; them genuinely getting along and being friends is so far out of what we’ve seen from them that I can’t really think of any better situation. 

Anyways, hope that was to your satisfaction! Thanks for the ask, this was pretty fun to think about!

[the-sol-eater]

Do you have any theories about David and Arei’s convo in the relaxation room? Since I do think it’s most important for David and especially Arei (if Ace’s account is 100% true) since I feel the moment is important for her arc before she ended up dying.

Hello anon! I apologize for the late reply to your ask, I've been writing up a lot of different posts + It was hard for me to come up with a theory for what you asked, cause this is a part of the trial I don't necessarily think about a lot. But I'll try my best for you! Before we get into it though, I guess I should start off by saying that like you alluded to in your ask, we don't even know if Ace is telling the truth or not. Both him telling the truth and not telling the truth have inconsistencies in their logic that we simply do not have enough information to confirm or deny. That being said, however: I personally do think that Ace is telling the truth about David and Arei's conversation. For one, from Ace's perspective, I don't necessarily see the logic in telling a lie. Ace isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he is very aware of how others feel about him.

(x) Ace: Ooohhh, I get it. Ace: You all think I'm damaged in the head. I got that. But more than that... Ace: Levi, Teruko, Nico, Veronika, and everyone else. You all think you can say whatever the fuck you want to my face, right? Ace: I'm stupid, irritating, a good-for-nothing, and a spineless coward. Ace: Is that what everyone really thinks about me? And it's fine that you drill it into my head over and over again, because you think that I'll forget about it in 5 minutes like you do?

Hell, him waiting until he's basically the main suspect to release his alibi most likely hints that he knew that the cast wasn't going to believe him (which he was right, most didn't), and if that really was his thought process, why would he lie when he knows the cast will most likely not believe him anyway? The second reason as for why I think Ace is telling the truth with his testimony is because of this

(x) David: My secret is that I have a family history of depression. Veronika: My, coming right out with it. Arei: ... David: The reason you're all fighting... It's because you're stressed from this killing game, right? More specifically, stressed over this motive.

I recommend watching the actual clip because it's hard to capture what I mean in just text, and I fear this might be a slight asspull, but at the same time I have learned that DT-Dev doesn't just include dialogue to fill space, everything a character says, even if it's just ellipsis, more than likely has a purpose behind it. So why is Arei shown to say nothing in response to David, instead of just cutting to David's next line after Veronika's? To me personally, I think it was to show Arei's understandable confusion at David saying a secret that wasn't the one she saw. So I do think that Ace was telling the truth with what he saw. That does open up a few question marks, like why Ace didn't hear anything after a certain point despite being literally right near the door, but I assume those will be filled in as time goes on if he really is telling the truth. With that cleared up, I think we should get to what you actually want to hear anon: What happened during the conversation itself. Something about David is that when he is interrogated, especially of something that goes against his image, he has one of two reactions: A) he'll shoo the person away, acting dismissive and blunt

(x) Teruko: Then which one is yours? Tell me, since you're all about sharing secrets-- David: Seriously, will you shut up already? David: ...Please?

or B) he'll completely double down

(x) David: I'm a lying, manipulative, scumbaggy piece of shit. Is that what you all wanted to hear?

(x) David: Tch. Listen to me. I'm not the killer-- David: ... David: [Sigh] David: I know when to give up. Like I said, I don't want to end up like Min. Futilely fighting a war that I can't win. David: Tch. Fine. David: Hahaha... David: Ahahahaha!! Oh, fucking fine. David: I... David: I killed Arei. David: Does hearing that make you happy?

(honestly the last 17 minutes of ch2-11 can be described as david doubling down, but these are the main two examples.)

Personally, I think David ended up doing both in the Arei conversation. At first he tried to dismiss her accusations, but since Arei is an incredibly stubborn person, he ended up doubling down on them, most likely acting very similarly to how he does in the latter half of CH2-11. This would most likely follow up with an argument between David's philosophy that no one will ever change and that people are born either good or bad people, and Arei's newfound desire to become a good person after bullying and manipulating others for so long, a hope that David gave her. Both of the people in this scenario are very much guided by their emotions, and said emotions are very high by the time Ace's flashback is cut off. I'd say it's an inevitability. As for what would happen after that, I'm not entirely sure. But those are the predictions that I'm sure about. If anyone has something to add, than please do so in the notes. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you so much for the ask!

[nalyra-dreaming]

With the deliberate, controversial OOC horrors of 1×05 do you think show needs David Talbot too?

1) Show has no intention of putting Louis aside which is why Anne hastily created a bland, icky as hell(even for AR standarts) character for Lestat to indulge. No one liked it and afterwards she did a 180 degree when she is mentally in a better place finally let Loustat their individual and couple growth. Also in Amc universe design there is a seperate show so introduce DT as member of the order in Iwtv then sending him to seperate show makes more sense to me.

2) DT's understanding and forgiveness of Lestat's violent act emotionally helped Lestat. Guilt was choking him and he got the one thing he desperately needs.But for show he is already wrecked w guilt and self hate for hurting his only one. Failing Claudia remains but the forgiveness,acceptance he needs are Louis's. Only Louis can bring light to Lestat's darkness. It surely will be addressed bw Loustat too. Earning Louis's trust

I would like to add to Louis's comments about Lestat to Claudia.

"Give us a hundred more years for this.Taking everything we want, killing everyone we want. No one says a shit.I can see us just like him. "

"Cause he is all sorts of fucked up. Cause he would kill her in a second if i were to take him as he is. And i probably will."

Fundamentally Louis understands Lestat. Their problems came from rejection, withholding and not communicating.

3) I know everyone is like oops Sam almost spoiled DT arrival but Sam also hinted Louis will get arcs from other characters as well as Daniel which is confirmed w Rolin & Mark Johnson hinting Louis's position will be iniative and center unlike books.

4) It feels like Merrick arc is hugely gone, Memnoch is practically unadaptable so what is even point of DT storyline wise? Once AR makes peace w Louis she throws DT away anyway.

I don't think the show needs David outside being the Talamasca head general, no.

I think Daniel will do most of the chronicling, and Louis should definitely be more involved in TtotBT.

I ... could see them bring in David then, but I do not think they will do so the way Anne did in the books, and I also don't really see much story for him left in the books, then.

I mean, in later books he and Lestat have a bit of an interesting dynamic stemming from the turning, but... I don't need that.

And I really, really would prefer Louis getting certain (extended) arcs.

I agree that Merrick is likely done, Memnoch will only be picked for parts. Which, btw, I'm a bit disappointed they didn't even mention losing some of their luggage in Berlin, which would have been all that was needed to tie into the canon "book of hours" *sighs* Ah well. And if they do anything from Memnoch, then Louis can just as well do it, it's not important it would need to be David... in fact, it could take on a very desperate twist with Louis.

[meatball-headache]

I had a draft where I was trying to sum up all my thoughts and feelings on Dawntrail, but it was so long and rambly, and I never got back to finishing it. But I still have thoughts and feelings, and the mortifying human urge to share them, so.

Dawntrail was excellent. Wuk Lamat is a great character—the whole story is full of great characters, except for the Scions, who were really just tacked on and served basically no purpose. I forget they were ever there, and I still maintain that it should have been Estinien ("Eh, why not,") and G'raha Tia ("Of course I'll go with you!!!1!!one") instead of Alvin and Alice.

The story was excellent, the zones were exciting and varied, the dungeons and trials—well, you know I have to keep those secret, in case I do it all over again... The story was excellent—until the very, very end. The end was completely rushed and made no sense. Suddenly Erenville is a genius hacker? We're rushed into the last dungeon, an obvious knockoff of Amaurot and the Dead Ends, and after that we get about three lines where Wuk Lamat, the main character, is brushed off so you can feel like a special snowflake and have the final boss to yourself. And then after the final boss, you get like three lines again, before the credits start to roll.

Why did they bring in a Full Party's worth of Scions right before the final battle, only for that to be the only non-Trustable trial? They could've still given Wuk Lamat her cool scene midway through the fight. She was the one that deserved that fight, after all. ...and, yeah, the original lines just didn't fit the action on-screen, rerecording them is a big improvement.

I still like Endwalker the best, followed by Shadowbringers. Everything else falls into the category of Not The Best Part But Still Pretty Good.

Strayborough Deadwalk is the best dungeon in DT by a country mile and everyone who says "ugh i hate this boss" in it should get pissed on by the poor.

Also, the Arcadion and Jeuno are the best raid and alliance so far in the game, hands down. Purely content-wise, since we don't know where the story is going to end up, but, the story in the fights—"My riiiing!!!"—alone is great. They're all very fun, very active, very hectic fights with phenomenal music and wonderful voice acting. "Wait for it! Wait for it! Wait for it!" is my sexuality, I will not elaborate. Even once you learn these fights and have it down pat, it's a lot to pat down, it's always fun to do and redo until you have all of the raid gear and then keep going until you have like... I think 43 rings that I can't use. Lol. Lmao even.

Anyway, I just wanted to spit out some kind of summary on the whole Dawntrail thing. It's great, weak ending, great battle content, favorite game, will keep paying for it.

...but if they keep making hats that bunnies and big cats can't wear, I'm gonna start thinking of some strong words >_>

[sunderedazem]

I know i already have a dawntrail reaction post here with a genuine take but i am going to bitch again because i saw some condescending shit and got annoyed. So yeah. This is a vent. If it's not about you then it's not about you, you know? I'm not naming anyone b/c it's an aggregate annoying not a That Person Is Annoying.

Anyway.

Have a certain segment of the people who liked all or most of DT considered that perhaps, some people who disliked parts of dawntrail (especially the latter half) dislike it because they understood and actually just *disagree* with the themes and portrayal of the themes of that portion of the game? I don't dislike it because I didn't get it or because i didn't interpret it correctly (because this shit is subjective too!), I dislike it because it feels like it's spitting on the themes of the previous two expansions to me. Maybe the patch quests will resolve that dislike, i don't know. The Arcadion raids are helping a little, admittedly. If it keeps going like that I might start appreciating things I didn't before.

(Spoilers below here)

BUT- I will never be okay with the fact that all of Living Memory gets deleted, and the people of Alexandria do not have their memories of their lost loved ones restored. To me, that is not moving on, or moving forward, and our characters, the Scions, and the Tuliyollali (?) do not actually have the capability or right to remember these people on behalf of Alexandria when Alexandria's people *still exist*.

The past two expansions have involved uncovering and remembering, or at least acknowledging, a forgotten people, while also protecting the people of today. The Ascians are not an existing society deliberately divesting themselves from their past, they are a nearly-dead people who want the past back. And we choose to remember them, as Emet-selch asks, because we are his last chance of Amaurot not being utterly lost to time. We are literally his last resort. Our win means his people stay dead. He asks us to remember because we're the only people left who even know a little bit about Amaurot.

But Alexandria is a society that is still present! It still has its own culture, its own history, it's own right to keep and change and preserve all of that! But it's people don't appear to know when people die (or if they're killed for their souls, as is implied with Ambrose) or about psychonekrosis. They literally don't remember death. And they all deserve an actual chance to be able to preserve their own culture and history and to remember their own dead! Shutting down Living Memory with NO provisions made for them to be able to preserve the memory of their past *if they so choose to* is nothing like the previous themes of FFXIV and I don't like that. At all.

I am very tired of people acting like a dislike for Dawntrail indicates incomprehension or worse, malice somehow. Or acting like this point of view is completely incomprehensible and means "you're just mad it's not SHB and that's unfair to the devs" or etc. (or the worst- somehow assuming I'm a reddit dudebro who hates Wuk Lamat because I can't handle a leading woman if I ever mention that I thought her character was misused in the latter half of DT.)

I'm really, genuinely happy for you if you loved the latter half of DT. It was visually stunning. The music all slaps. Heritage Found is fucking eerie as shit and the intro to this part of the game with Namikka gave me good heebiejeebies. I can see why people enjoyed it. But to me, the end felt like a series of just...shock value emotional moments. It felt pointless and worse, kind of careless and callous (at least from a Watsonian viewpoint). And I would like that to NOT be called a "red flag lol" thank you. I'm perfectly sure I can hold a normal fucking discussion with people who loved the shit outta Dawntrail about things we mutually enjoyed.

Idk man. This is a vent post, obviously. And I do get that Twitter and Reddit are being Twitter and Reddit. I'm not on them for a few reasons but that nastiness is the main one. But it's also really fucking annoying to keep seeing shit that amounts to "If you dislike or criticize DT at all you're a nasty foul person/stupid idiot who is objectively wrong and you're not worth speaking to ever again." Like dude- can we NOT reactively slide to the polar opposite of the reddit dudebros. Can we just acknowledge that they have viewpoints that are shit *outside* the game that are causing them to have shitty other opinions.

Sighs. Anyway.

[randomsloredrops]

Random's Lore Drops - Flowey, the Psycho.

Obligatory 2:30 AM post (please help I'm an insomniac I think), so here's lore drop on the flower that nobody really mischaracterizes. That's right, IT'S...

Flowey the Fucker- I mean, Flowey the Flower. Yes, I went out of my way to find a sprite by toby fox that wasn't the exact same, so uh... bow-wearing Flowey lmao. Anywho, Spoiler warnings, so don't stay if you haven't played the hit game Undertale by Robert Fucking Fox. Or, at least, I think Fucking is his middle name. It'd be funny as shi- Oh yeah, I'm writing. ANYWAYS, Flowey the Flower is the antagonist and literally the final boss for two of the main endings (but one of them isn't actually Flowey). Or, well, "two", not including the fact that there are, like, fifty neutral endings with the same boss. Now, if you don't know much about him, he's a psychopathic, sadistic talking golden flower with no SOUL. Literally, he is SOUL-less, and so, he is soulless. That's basically his whole premise. His backstory is (SPOILER-FUCKING-WARNING) that he is Asriel Dreemurr, son of Toriel and Asgore Dreemurr, resurrected after his demise, but this time as a sentient flower due to a DT experiment gone wrong. As Flowey the Flower, his whole shtick is to be as deceiving as possible, acting as a fake tutorial in an attempt to kill you at the start of the game, using you so you can reveal the SOULs as you fight Asgore and weaken him to kill him, using you as bait in order to bring all of the major characters together so he can capture all of them and absorb their SOULs, along with the human SOULs, and finish you off, shattering Asgore's SOUL at the end of a genocide route in order to prevent you from leaving the Underground (since, knowing us, we'd just wipe out all of mankind), and also... well, that's all I can remember, really. Within the genocide route, he almost immediately mistakes you for Chara right after informing Toriel about her cars extended warranty that she couldn't pay since she was in the Ruins and thus sending the IRS after her, while it only takes a whole pacifist route for him to refer to you as such, as he usually just goes and refers to the player as "you" or, in the most Flowey way possible, "IDIOT" in the neutral route. He IS capable of feeling emotions, such as annoyance and anger, boredom, it's just so muted that he's almost emotionless, and due to this, has CANONICALLY murdered the ENTIRETY OF THE FUCKING UNDERGROUND MULTIPLE TIMES OVER, (and somehow people say Asgore is worse for killing only 6 human kids, when, in theory, Flowey has killed many more monster children) ranging from the most random Monsters ever, and despiseable Monsters, like Jerry, or Icecap, to Monsters like Toriel, who is, theoretically, as he is Asriel Dreemurr, but as emotionless flower, HIS OWN GODDAMN MOTHER. His whole reason as for why he wants the human SOULs in a Neutral route is to "become GOD", and in the Pacifist route, he just wants to do everything all over again, from the beginning, back when he and Chara were still alive. Because remember, in Pacifist, he STILL mistakes you for Chara until after you win against him. ...Oh, and remember, UTY isn't actually canon, so canon Flowey (as in Undertale canon, not UTY canon) doesn't know who the fuck Clover is. That's about it.

[the-final-sif]

ok so out of the recent stuff (i don't even want to get into that cos it's dumb) I've seen a few people saying that Karl has been distancing himself from Dream?? And that makes me scared? Cos I don't think I can take losing another one from DT(Q?)K.

Anyway yeah, answer if u want, I'm not ur mum, but I have no idea if any of that holds any credibility and I don't know how to go about checking it without causing unnecessary panic

I haven't seen any actual evidence of this, I've just seen a few people panicking. There's a group on here that really likes to pick on Karl for no reason, so I'm not inclined to think anything's wrong unless I actually see evidence. Karl is still regularly doing banter and talked about how much he likes Dream and stuff, so weird way to distance yourself from someone tbh.

Like there was a handful of people I had to unfollow because they were acting like Karl dropping the vidcon panel was the nail in the coffin for him distancing himself from Dream. The same panel that has since had literally everyone drop and then people get readded and shuffled like 50 times. Personally I said at the time I didn't think it was a big deal, and that proved true.

Now I'm just waiting on my second prediction for the vidcon panel to come true: I wholehearted believe that by the time the con rolls around it will still be called "Dream Team" but the only person left on the panel will be Tony Hawk. It'll still be a good, if confusing panel.

[werehounded]

Anyway I forgot to make an indeoth psot about Macbeth but everything about it was just exceptional. Just the staging and the acting from the whole cast, the costuming and how Macbeth's clothing changes so subtly through the play, just. All of it. So well worth the money and getting Soaked on the way back at 10pm alone through London when my accessible taxi ditched me.

I really can't wait to see it in cinemas again. The way those amazingly talented people can suck the air out of the room with just their acting... leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.

DT and Cush were both so exceptional. The whole cast was tbh. The sound design was also amazing and I loved the use of headphones and quiet moments too.

The staff at the Pinter are also so lovely and helpful! From the moment I got in to the moment I left, nothing was too much trouble for them.

It was def the highlight of my trip. Absolutely astounding and an experience that will stay with me forever I'm sure.

[bolt2screw]

TerasTale: Character personalities

I renamed my au since I did not like it at all.

Anyways, here’s a quick description of my au if you don’t know:

Monsters are like actual monsters, they have very little empathy and sympathy, and they’re very violent. This depends monster to monster though, a monster may be more human than a monster (perhaps a bit rude and apathetic, but not violent) while another may be a bloodthirsty beast. The average is like: rude, perhaps a bit violent, but won’t attack everyone.

I decided on some characters’ personalities (and some of their designs) but they can be changed any time. Here’s a basic description.

Chara: They hate both monsters and humans, they want revenge and encourage you to kill monsters. (They’re mostly normal.)

Toriel: Cold and hateful to monsters, she kills any monster on sight. She likes reading and still has the same fascination with snails, but she feels lonely in her home in the ruins and is possessive. She’s not the kind goat momma she once(?) was (I wanna change this)

Sans: a prankster who barely takes anything seriously. He likes to trick people and scare them for fun. He is pretty lazy and hates working, and also has a taste for comedy. He’s good at acting. He doesn’t have much morals, but he definitely won’t harm you as long as he doesn’t hate you to the bone. He’s not very kind but he’s nicer than most of the monsters, but if you get close to him, you probably won’t get the worst of his pranks. and most importantly.. he loves lemons. (The fruit)

Papyrus: A dedicated guardsmen. He is part of an unofficial “Monster Guards” to defend monsters who can’t defend themselves. He’s one of the most sympathetic and empathetic monsters in the underground. He is loyal and serious. He quite likes sweet food, but hates sour food. He is actually quite friendly for a monster, but he isn’t innocent by all means. He likes painting, and is very annoyed by his brother’s antics. (He gets a lot of his pranks.)

Undyne: a bloodthirsty monster who runs a gang wanting to overthrow the king for power. She has anger issues, and wants power. She often clashes with Papyrus. Other than that, she likes watching fantasy action anime with lots of battle scenes. She quite likes spicy food and often challenges herself by putting as much spicy sauce in her food. She is very determined and HATES humans.

Alphys: idk haven’t decided.

Mettaton: haven’t decided but it should be mostly the same.

Asgore: dead

Asriel: The ruthless king of the underground. He killed Asgore because he was “too soft”, he wishes for destruction for humanity and the monsters to take over the world. He allows for killing to happen and believes that if a monster dies, they deserved to die because they were weak. He is selfish and is a true monster.

so err, how is it? if you can, gimme some ideas for personalities and stuff.

also for powers that aren’t op or completely replace the og abilities they have. I want Toriel to have.. idk, sans to have stealthy powers, papyrus to have defensive powers, undyne to have offensive powers, mettaton to have.. idk, explosive powers? Asriel to have some really disturbing power.

(Oh, and what in the hell happens when an inanimate object gets dt injected? I know how flowey happened but what if asriel’s dust wasn’t there?)