#anyways x2 i think a lot of these takes come from like

[voidfragments]

donghua qr was a mistake actually bc now i have to see people's opinions about him more than i did before

[sleepynoons]

jing yuan x f!reader, nsfw, 18+, not beta read

cw: nudity, suggestive content

notes: pls lmk if i'm missing any tags or warnings. anyway, nothing explicit this time, experimenting more w/ pieces that heavily focus on sexual tension + build-up. anyway x2, not sure how to describe the setting of this piece. still uses some hrs concepts like aeons. jing yuan is rich, the reader is his maid, and both use more formal language. this was a fun exercise!

THERE ARE a lot of rumors surrounding your master. you hear them when you go grocery shopping, visit the tailor, pick up the dry cleaning, drop off lunches at the front desk on days that he’s busy. some of them are about you – who are you? his wife? mistress? there’s no way you’re just a friend, right?

you’re trained to maintain a stoic facade, but inside, you can’t help but be entertained. you are none of those things, and one can only dream of sharing such a bond with him. you’re content with simply being his maid – you mustn’t tread closer.

on a wooden tray, you neatly arrange a cup of chamomile tea, another cup of warm, honeyed milk, and a folded newspaper of today’s news. before you leave the kitchen, though, you make sure to drop a few treats into a feeding bowl and rub at mimi’s stomach, your master’s beloved dog.

“your father needs some time alone,” you say to the animal. seemingly able to understand your words, mimi’s ears droop at a slight angle and she licks at your fingertips, seeking consolation. “he’ll be out soon, i promise.”

you get back up, wash your hands, and pick up the tray, heading over to your master’s bathroom.

from the hallway, you can hear the sound of water splashing and sloshing. if you strain a bit more, you can arguably make out some humming, nonsensical and haphazard in melody. when you reach the door, you hear submerging, and you know you’re right on time.

you knock on the door twice. “master, may i come in?”

you hear a faint noise of affirmation, no doubt muffled by the wall, and carefully enter without spilling the contents of the tray.

you’re greeted with a dazzling smile and glimmering droplets of soap and water slipping down naked skin.

your master greets you, fine smile lines outlining his rosy lips and delicate nose. “how many times have i told you that just my name will suffice?”

“master jing yuan,” you say as you place his drinks and paper on a designated drawer beside the tub, “how many times have i told you that you shouldn’t ask me to join you when you’re in the bathroom?”

“but who else can help me with my unruly mane of silver?” he pouts, tone feigning innocence.

“your hair isn’t unruly.”

“did you not call it that last time?”

you click your tongue. your master chuckles and turns away from you to face the other end of the tub. you grab a stool, hand him his newspaper, and take your place behind him. with a brush in hand, you unravel the red ribbon tying his hair and, with quick, gentle strokes, run the brush through the thick layers. you didn’t mean to call his hair unruly before, but you think there’s quite a bit of truth to it anyway. you also note that his hair has gotten quite long.

“master jing yuan, perhaps it’s time for a trim?” you suggest.

your master hums and leans back so that your hands can reach the crown of his head. “you are right. i shall leave it to you, then?”

shaking your head, you respond, “you really ought to get it done at a professional salon. i can only do so much.”

“you are a woman of many talents. i am sure you will do just fine,” he reassures. you huff in protest.

as your master’s only taking a soak today, you plait his hair into a thick braid before tying it up into a bun. you hand him his cup of tea, which is no longer scalding, and stand up to leave.

“oh!” he suddenly exclaims. “i seem to have forgotten my bathrobe.” he looks up at you expectantly, and you nod in understanding.

“i’ll go grab it. i’ll be right back.” you bow quickly before closing the door behind you on the way out and heading towards the laundry room.

you take your time. really, you needed an excuse to leave the bathroom. you’re glad that your master’s such a big fan of bath bombs, or else you’d see everything… you pat harshly at your warm cheeks to break free from your reverie. don’t tread any closer. you’re behaving like a schoolgirl experiencing her first love, and you can only groan internally at yourself. but you can’t blame yourself either – anyone would fall in love with your master if they know him the way you do. he’s so irresistible, and having been his maid for so long has only enabled you to witness more of his charisma and charm. you sigh, sitting on the floor in front of the dryer as you wait for it to de-wrinkle your master’s robe.

you return ten minutes later, both for your own wellbeing and to also give your master some time to himself.

“master jing yuan, i’m back. may i come in?”

instead of a reply, though, the door cracks open, and your master, wearing nothing but a towel tied loosely around his hips, appears before you. you yelp and rush to cover your eyes. he simply laughs at your antics before grabbing you by the arm and leading you into the bathroom.

“what – what are you –“

“i hurt my arm today, so i will need your help putting my robe on. it is quite heavy, after all.”

you don’t know where to look. you certainly can’t look at the bathroom mirror that covers the top-half of one wall or the marble on the other that shines and reflects so clearly. you opt to close your eyes and hold the robe up by the collar.

“this is hardly appropriate,” you mutter, embarrassment and nervousness coloring your tone. as a result, you try to distract yourself with another subject. “besides, couldn’t you have told me earlier? i would’ve prepared something in advance had i known.”

“i just noticed the bruise as well. seems i was a little careless today.” he then chuckles – at himself or you, you’re not sure.

you remark, “you? careless? that hardly goes together.”

your master lets you know that he’s put on his sleeves, so you step away, eyes still closed. 

immediately, he hums with obvious disapproval. “hm? why are you backing away?”

you sputter, “m-master jing yuan, i should not be here! if you could just – i don’t know – turn around or something, i can –“

“i have turned around.”

you sigh in relief, happy that he’s obedient for once. your master is often relentless in his teasing and tricks, and you’re grateful that he’s granting you mercy in this moment. so you open your eyes, ready to find your way to the door –

your master is standing dangerously close, so that you’re eye-to-eye with him. from this view, you can also see that his chest is barely covered, knot slowly slipping undone.

“master!” you gasp. the proximity, the surprise, the challenging look in his eyes – they’re all driving you mad.

he clears his throat. “jing yuan.”

“master jing yuan.”

“jing yuan.”

“oh, for aeons’ sake, jing yuan! you’re not wearing your robe properly!”

jing yuan gloats. he then says in a low, low whisper, “my hands have cramped up. can you do it for me instead?” he speaks directly into your ears, and you want to scream.

shaking, you stretch out your trembling hands and take the ends of the belt. you can feel jing yuan’s hot breaths fanning your cheek, and you can even smell the faint trace of lavender from the bath bomb. your fingers are too clumsy, though, and you fail multiple times in properly tying the belt. after a few more fruitless attempts, jing yuan reaches down, softly grabbing your hands, and gently guides them.

“and… like this,” he breathes. even when you’ve secured the knot, though, he doesn’t let go.

don’t tread any closer. “j-jing yuan,” you whimper. “please…”

his hands inch up, gliding from your palms to your forearms to your elbows. he does it so slowly, so seductively, so intentionally. he tugs you impossibly a little closer, and now you can feel the heat of his chest through your uniform. then, jing yuan rests his head on your shoulders, and his lips ghost the sensitive skin of your neck, causing you to shiver and shudder at the sensation. the two of you just stand there, him taking deep breaths, you holding yours.

finally, after a few minutes, jing yuan breaks the silence. “i can no longer employ you, my dearest.”

you feel faint. you’re never escaping the gossip now.

[captainwholecake]

Hello!! 🏵️ How are you? And how areyou guys dealing with the heat?? I'm from France and here it's finally a bit cold so I can say that we're good for now 👀 Could I please request a headcanon for Zoro, Law and Ace if you don't mind? (separately) About how they would react to a small sized fem!reader?? With like the cute moments AND the feisty HORNY! ones 👀?? Thank you! (If you don't feel comfortable doing fem s/o i don't mind gn 👌😊)

A/n: I got this so late its almost winter here but the heat was fine and I’m going to try going the fem route but I’ll still add some gn elements so my enby, masc, queerfluid homies, and anyone else who isn’t fem can enjoy this

enjoy the long comeback post homies! ;)

Warnings: Look me in the eyes and tell all three of these mf don’t have some type of size kink / praise kink … anyways, nsfw because of horniness

——

Roronoa Zoro

* Wano Zoro is fire btw

anyways, the praise kink size kink middle ground

Law has a gaint size kink and Ace has a praise kink no more context is needed

Okay, lets not go on about the horniness first

I think he would be fine with it

Would ABSOLUTELY love getting shit off shelves and shit for his s/o but definitely acts like he doesn’t

Like some Tsudere bs

why do I feel like hed head pat them a lot

Its his love language ????

I imagined him snickering after he makes fun of his s/o being short and they make a angry face

whatelse sfw stuff do I want to say??

Imagining he would like to pick his s/o a lot

Bridal style, like a sack of potatoes, literally anything

ITS HIS LOVE LANGUAGE x2

He’d also give his s/o piggyback rides/let them sit on his shoulders whenever the crew is exploring and shit

Anyways, enough sfw

Like said on top the middle ground

He’d be in his s/o struggling take him

He’d coo at them about how adorable they look

LOVESSSS putting his s/o legs on his shoulders

(COUGH) also the mating press (COUGH)

you know that scene in the love equation where adam somehow puts olives whole breast in his mouth ??? Why do I think Zoro would try to do that ???

Face sititing??? yessir

loves his s/o being on top time to time

Okay, so I forgot about the praise kink part. i should clarify that the praise kink goes with the cooing and a lil of the heart pats

He’d see them struggling and go like “aw look at you taking like that, good baby” “sweetheart you’re taking me so well” type of way

Trafalgar Law

Have I used this gif before? I feel like I have but oh well

HES THE KINKIEST MF ON THE PLANET IN THE WHOLE ANIME MEN TELL ME I’M WRONG

ANYWAYS, ANYWAYS

Okay, so I feel having a small s/o for him would just him melting

Also having turn on a maternal instinct whenever their not in his slight

Penguin and Saichi going “uhh I think their with bepo” and Law loses it

He knows they can’t fight for themselves and all but also knows that they think their Chihuahua whose bigger then they’re actually are

anjssjejejw i’m so soft imagining how soft he would be

I feel he’d lean down sometimes to be at eye level them

so many forehead kisses

I have feel like all the important stuff on sleeves are low lever bc you its a submarine and all

but if they weren’t oh he make sure they were just for them

Can I say he would be OBSESSE with his s/o sitting in his lap?

Like he’s doing doctor shit late at night and his s/o has their head tucked into his neck 🥺🥺

To the whore bs

He’s probably the most into it when its comes nsfw activities

He’s SOOO into the size difference

Loves having his s/o suck on his fingers bc how big they are compared to his s/os mouth

Especially his thumb. Theres something about his hand cradling their jaw that gets him

Law would be one of those headpusher types but only do it when he knows the other person is okay with it (consent king)

He also loves the sound his s/o gagging bc their struggling to take him in their mouth (which is why he’s specifically a headpusher he makes them gag on purpose)

Strong would try use his devil fruit power in the bedroom energy

idk he takes their head off to show them exactly how small they are compared to him

Portgas D. Ace

I LOVE HIM OMG HES SO PRECIOUS WHY DID ODA KILL HIM (why does it look like he lit a blunt on fire in this gif)

Okay, the loml next

This teasing bitch

Would put stuff on the higher shelves so they have to ask for help

walks into the kitchen in shock and disappointment when he sees his s/o has climbed on the counter to get thing they need

pouts literally pouts when they don’t ask for his help to get stuff

THE WAY he wants one those cliche moments of ‘person a’ needs something high up but can’t get it so ‘person b’ surprises them by with warning getting said thing for them BUT CAN NEVER GET IT

Loves to carry is s/o around like zoro only difference for him is its need not a want

Will put his hat on them for the sole purpose of it making them look smaller by it going over their eyes

He also thinks they look good with it on

He loves when his s/o basically sleeps on top of him

You know sharing body heat (mf is made of fire)

Really likes to dip his head down when kissing his s/o and goes feral when it leads to him picking his s/o up and being at the same height

I’m getting to the whore shit now

Another thing with the hat, he absolutely LOVES it be on his s/o when their riding him

Praises galore

Always talking about how pretty his s/o and how well they take him

5 bucks says half of those praises are whimpers and whines

Can’t take his hands off their thighs (his hands are so oh big compared their legs)

Has to have their ankles on his shoulder

can not have his head in his s/o neck telling them how good they feel (WHY AM I SO PRO LOVE DRUNK ACE???)

Really likes wall sex bc hold them to be eye to eye with him

Last thing, this probably started as aftercare but just became something Ace does to comforts his s/o but he really likes to kiss both his s/o cheeks, then their forehead, tip of the of nose, and lastly a peck on the lips

—

A/n: the author note up top is from like October when I started writing this but I’m too lazy to change it but rn it’s really hot where I live, I need a job to pay off half my car but all the places I apply too never call me, send email saying their full staffed/i’m not moving forward, or when I do interview I don’t get a job :( but i’m doing good

Hope you enjoyed this massive comeback post :)

[atinylittlepain]

I got love in my tummy and a tiny little pain

Vampire Joel 🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️

uh, hehe, well, this is 500 words... x2 :))))

got a little carried away, my love

Little Pinch

vamp!joel miller x f!reader

warnings | 18+ DUBCON/NONCON-ish, horror themes, smut-adjacent, dark!joel, if this ain't your thing keep it moving

...................................

“Thank you again for giving me a ride, really, I could’ve just called an Uber.”

“It’s no problem, honey. Sweet thing like you shouldn’t be running around on her own at this time of night anyways. Never know what kinda trouble might be out there.” The slow drawl of his words eases any tension she feels sitting in the complete stranger’s car. Well, not a complete stranger. She knows his name is Joel, and she knows that he saved her from a very insistent frat guy at the bar she was at, offering her a ride after her friends had ditched her. And she knows that he’s distractingly handsome, strong jaw under salt-and-pepper scruff, dark eyes and wavy hair, and a voice that runs straight down her spine, each word syrupy with his southern twang.

“How old are you?” The question leaves her lips before she can really think about it, immediately mortified that she did, though Joel just chuckles, glancing at her before focusing back on the road.

“Old enough to know how to treat a lady right. That boy didn’t hurt you, did he, honey?” A nervous laugh bubbles up from her throat at his words.

“Oh! N-no, he was just getting a little handsy, that’s all. I’m fine, really. Um, Joel? I don’t think we’re going the right way to my apartment.” If he heard what she said, he gives her no sign of it, keeping his eyes on the road, the glare of headlights casting shadows across his face. 

They drive in silence for a bit longer, nerves running cool skitters across her skin, both urging her to bolt and keeping her stuck still and mute in the passenger seat. But she nearly yelps when he suddenly swings a hard turn into what looks like an empty parking lot, what had been a roller rink sitting dark and crumbling in the distance. He puts the car into park with a sigh before resting both his hands back on the steering wheel, knuckles flexing and tensing, still not looking at her.

“J-Joel? Is something wrong?” When he does finally look at her, his head lolling over on his shoulder, something has changed in his face. Where his eyes had been crinkled with a smile, they’re now dark, almost vacant, his cheeks slack and his mouth in a slight frown, lips parted. And though he still doesn’t say anything, she’s seen enough true crime TV to know that she needs to get the hell out of here now. 

“Where you going, honey?” She claws at the lock on the passenger door, but it won’t budge, panic rising cold and clear in her throat.

“I– Joel, please open the door.” “Can’t do that, honey.”

“Please, I want to leave– I-I don’t want you to drive me anymore, please open the door.” She can feel tears starting to slip down her face and his emotionless stare only makes her cry harder, trying to get as far away from him as he leans over the console, crowding her against the door.

“Now why would you wanna do a thing like that? Don’t you know there’s dangerous people out there? So much safer in here with me, honey.” Yeah fucking right. She’s realizing that the worst thing she can do is piss him off, already noting the tick in his jaw and clench of his fist, and she thinks that maybe if she can keep him calm, get his guard down, she can find a moment to snatch his keys and escape. She takes a shuddering inhale, trying to stifle her tears, a thin, fake smile stretching across her lips.

“O-ok, you’re right. T-thank you for keeping me safe.” She can see the clench of his jaw ease slightly and much to her relief, he sits back in his own seat, keeping his eyes on her.

“Why don’t you come over here and thank me, honey?” Her stomach sinks at that, though she tries to tamp it down, knowing that this could be her opportunity to make a grab for the car keys. She nods, trembling fingers undoing her seatbelt. It feels like she’s watching herself from somewhere just over her shoulder as she crawls over the console, trying not to flinch when Joel’s hands wrap around her waist, guiding her to straddle his lap. 

She gasps when he presses her down over the crotch of his jeans, the obvious hardness there making her shudder as he chuckles at her reaction.

“How about a little kiss, honey?” She obliges him before she can think too hard about it, a quick peck before she pulls away. But judging by the laugh he lets out, it isn’t going to be enough for him.

“Oh, c’mon now. You can do better than that. That ain’t how you kiss them college boys, is it?” The idea is already forming in her head, and she tries for a shy giggle, though it comes out a bit breathless. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and pulls him in, licking into his mouth, kissing him for all he’s worth as she lets one arm pull away to reach behind them, fumbling blindly for his car keys. 

When she does grab them, she sighs, though Joel takes that as a good sign, only deepening the kiss more. She just needs to wait for a moment that he pulls away, and she knows she can make a run for it. But before that can happen, she feels something sharp slip across her lower lip, blood going metallic in her mouth as she pulls back from him and brings her other hand to her lips. Sure enough, red stains her fingertips.

“What– what was that?” Joel just grins, his other hand reaching around her back to wrench her wrist around, the harsh squeeze of his fingers making her drop the keys into his open palm.

“Sneaky little thing, ain’t ya? That’s alright, honey. I don’t mind a little sour with the sweet.” Her eyes must be playing tricks on her, because if she didn’t know any better she could swear that his pair of canines glint just a bit sharper in the dim light of the moon. She stills in his hold, unsure what to do now, her stomach twisting when he presses a surprisingly sweet kiss to her throat. But when he drags his teeth over the arc of her neck, she finally realizes that her eyes hadn’t been playing tricks on her.

“Hold still for me, honey. Just gonna feel a little pinch, but I think you’ll like it.”

[lunawings]

While I was in Japan during March 2024, I was able to visit the Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live 10th Anniversary Exhibit. This is my favorite anime of all time, so it was an incredible honor.

Unfortunately, you could not take pictures in many areas and I always try my best to be respectful and follow the rules. So, I will describe it.

The walls of the first room were covered in several tapestries depicting each individual episode of the anime, so you could reminisce about everything that happened as you slowly walked through the room. In the middle of the room, there were several exhibits perfectly recreating every single paper, notebook, sketch...

Hokkaido itinerary? Wakana and Bell's test scores? Momo's Happy Rain costume sketches? Naru and Bell's manager applications? The score to pride? Any piece of paper you can think of that appeared in PRRL, it was all HERE! Recreated with meticulous accuracy...

The next room was the photo room where you could take pictures in Prism Stone or in front of Rinne's feathers.

Something else they had here which was really neat, was all of these mini photo ops of various scenes from the anime that you could put your plushies or figures into! As I rarely have someone with me to take photos of myself at events like this, and I rarely post them even when I do, NGL I loved it. I wish I had brought something! I did have a PAF Naru on my bag I could have used, but it would have taken time to unpin her so unfortunetly I did not.

The next room contained an exhibit of various merch from throughout the years.

Unfortunately, there wasn't really much merch to look at in the classic section. Just the guitars, some stones, and the Smart Pod Shot. But I definitely think there was more than that back in the day! There has to have been because I own at least one thing that was not in here (a pool bag) haha!

They also had a REAL prism guitar on display, which apparently they are actually going to sell at some point!?

The last part of the exhibit before going to the gift shop, was a hallway with messages from all the voice actresses and the director. This was also a zone where photos were banned, but I remember in the director's he acknowledged Rainbow Live as being the only Pretty Rhythm season to achieve a 10th anniversary celebration and ended his commentary with "Glorious Pretty Rhythm" hahaha. Next was the gift shop...

Which was honestly super disappointing... I was prepared to spend a lot of money here, but in the end, I barely bought anything. Everything, EVERYTHING good was blind and the stuff that wasn't was just so expensive.

Like, they had this set of Hiro cards with his magazine covers and debut poster and I really wanted them but when I actually saw them it was like... 2,000 yen? FOR THREE CARDS!? Those tiny little cards you can see up there below the keychains?

????????????

Am I missing something!?

In the end I bought two Wakana boards and two clear files. And the one blind thing I couldn't resist was the Prism Stone badges... which turned out to be Otoha x2 and one Ann. Gah.

I also might have bought a Wakana plush doll, but she was sold out. Out of all the Rainbow Live girls she was the only one sold out both here and at Tokyo Station Prism Stone.

And here were the bonuses I got. Including, yes, the AiPri card. So for people who saw me posting it over on @pretty-idol-hell, this was where it came from.

I also got a very special letter, which I am saving to translate at a later date...

Outside the event was an up and running Pretty Rhythm machine, or so I thought. Wow, no line! I said to myself as I happily bounced up to it only to find the coin slot taped over and a sign reading it could not be used. Darn. (I know there's no prism stones left in the wild, but come on, there's no free play mode...? Well, I guess even if there was they wouldn't want people loitering around the exhibition.)

Anyway, as you read I did have a few complaints, but it still makes my heart happy that this event existed at all. I loved all the time and effort that went into making all the recreations of things!

[roxannepolice]

hi!!! hows it goin i’m here to dump my thoughts about simm!master/lucy vs ten and martha cause i have MANY. also a disclaimer before i begin that i’m white and that likely does color my experience as a viewer compared to a BIPOC viewer. anyways: i’ll start with ten and martha because by sound of drums we’ve spent all season watching them and its that already established dynamic which i think lucy/saxon are meant to parallel in a way. you have ten very much still grieving rose and his entire planet, which makes him try and push away any new companions for a bit. but he’s still looking for - and i think needs, in a way - this kind of connection where he can depend on someone, and ideally they could depend on him. however. ten sucks at this second bit. for the entire season. so he’s in need of this connection despite not wanting any whatsoever, emotional intelligence completely out the window right now since he’s grieving x2, and martha unfortunately walks in right in the middle of this. so you get this dynamic really starting from i’d say the shakespeare code wherein martha is carrying a lot of the weight in their relationship. ten will entrust her with the most deeply personal shit (like his memories of gallifrey, his feelings on losing rose, even in 42 where he’s like "i’m scared i’m so scared" where he depends on martha for emotional support) and then when martha’s like hey can i get some support here or something ten’s like “uh sorry all out too busy being sad” i mean that's a bit exaggerated/summarized but thats the vibe they have. in the beginning he doesn't even admit she’s traveling with him! he’s all “just one trip” “just one more” and refuses to make a concrete decision that martha really needs him to make already. and despite this emotional unavailability shtick ten still relies on martha quite a bit! off the top of my head you have 42(martha freezing/unfreezing ten as he screams in pain), blink (they get sent back to the 1960s… and only martha gets a job???), and. human nature. wherein martha endures racial abuse alongside lesser shitty working conditions in order to ensure the doctor doesn't get his body possessed or something. and in the middle of it this human version of the doctor falls in love with another woman(after basically uh leading her on for the whole fucking season) (sure maybe unintentionally but that's not the point here) who. also was racist to her she's not even a nice person. and her only friend in this godawful place gets possessed. and human doctors a dick to her. and i think. i reflect on it and i come to the conclusion that ten very much does expect martha to just… do his job for him sometimes. handle all the dirty work like making sure human him doesn't get distracted or hurt or die. and still immediately after is like haha we are in 1960 now. i will not get a job what is that. why do you want me to “communicate” or “pull my weight” you’re traveling across space and time lol.

and the master and lucy are a darker extension of this dynamic that i actually haven't really seen people talk about much!! the master is very clear about why he married lucy, and there is no love/admiration/respect whatsoever in there. it is purely a means to an end - her family gets him influence, and she helps him carry out his plans. he gives nothing to lucy, only takes. which is in itself a mirror to ten & martha - the audience knows ten isn’t intending to be malicious in how he treats martha throughout the series, but when paralleled to lucy & the master i think you really get a sense of the harm this can cause down the line. what resentment this kind of dynamic can lead to. and ALL THE WHILE martha is walking the entire planet for a year to save all of humanity while ten hangs out aged 100 with his little tent & dog bowl & seething sorta-ex-husband-boyfriend-whatever. i mean he doesn't have the best time either but he also doesn't have to do that much and also is perhaps a bit too happy about not being the last time lord to fully grasp that hey, uh, humanity's in pretty dire straits right now. martha watches as the master turns earth into a living nightmare, slaughters millions of people on a whim, turns ten into a 900-year-old tweety bird, and tortures her family for a year, only for ten to go “guys dw i can fix him lol we’ll just live in the tardis for eternity together” as if she hadn't had to fight for that too. and ten is still shocked-pikachu-face when she goes “yeah no i’m leaving. i gotta get out.” and that is very much similar to lucy's moment in a way! where she sees the doctor forgiving(without really considering everybody else's opinion on the Past Year), martha's mom talked down from killing him, even Jack is talked down from his confusion at the whole idea, and i think in that moment she goes. okay. you guys can forgive. you guys can let him walk away having just taken, taken, taken everything without any repercussions. i meanwhile have this gun and two years of pent-up rage coursing through my veins. and both of these moments - martha leaving, lucy firing the gun - come at a shock to the doctor and the master. i mean you can see the master's little "oh" face when he gets shot. even if he plays it up like he expected it after i don't think he considered it before. and i think on a certain level neither really expected to be called out like this - ten because he’s got the emotional intelligence of a baseball bat, the master because he doesn’t think humans are capable of wiping their own asses - so in both of these moments in LoTL theyre like "wait i didn't know you could do that"

anyways tl;dr thats why i think lucy and the master are a darker parallel to the doctor and martha in their own way. which feeds into the rest of the finale where the master is just showing the natural extremes to who the doctor is - this is that toxic dependency taken to its natural worst possible place, where you treat someone as a tool rather than as a person. the master's generally a great foil to the doctor but the series 3 finale is just a fantastic example of it i think.

OMG, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts like this! And I love your thought process here so much.

First, absolutely, Martha is the case of right person, wrong time... which is probably what makes hers my favourite companion arc - as I like to put it she travelled through hell and pulled her Virgil (because yes, the Doctor absolutely always has this guide role that brings Virgil to mind, at least in companions' first episodes) to the Earthly Paradise in the process. There's a lot of debates going on about whether Ten was leading Martha on, because on the one hand - well, he's very clear he's not into her romantically, on the other - ok, bitch, you made it clear the kiss doesn't mean anything, but also you hit off with flirtatious winks and end showing off time travel while also casually showing off your Adam's apple. Yeah, a girl can make deductions. And you're right that this superficial frankness is mirrorred in Master's relation to Lucy - though if anything he's crrepily keen on playing a caring husband, what with the 100% performative hug he gives her while the Toclafane are hacking a journalist up. Though I suppose in his head this is what the Doctor does as well when they comfort their companions. And let's give it to Ten - when he said he's not going to let Martha *checks notes* fry in a small capsule in far space because of a sentient sun, he does bend head over tits and does as promised. But historically it has happened that the Doctor's reassurances were hollow (future, but kind of most painful in Twelve assuring Bill he's going to de-cybermanize her only to later admit yeah not really an option... considering Saxon was there to witness this, I wonder if he marked this in his Notebook (of Rassilon) of Spiting the Doctor).

Ten's handling of the chameleon arch is kind of pathetic, thanks for pointing that out! Like, ok - if the Family gets a whole Time Lord lifetime it is a genuine threat to the universe, but his attitude of oh I'm just going to spend three months as a human in a random timespace, what could possibly go wrong, and anyway, Martha will be there to clean up any mess? is a mess. I do like John Smith's romance with nurse Radfem, though, not in the sense of shipping them, but more of an appreciation of the concept: a classic victorian/edwardian romance, but when you look at it from the persective of a BIPOC servant... it kind of becomes apparent both parties are dickheads. This does tie back to the Master in a way, because I think... want to think... that by the time the Doctor went oh no, we're better than a tyrant maniac that spent a whole year destroying the planet and torturing everyone in the room specifically, so we're not going to execute him, I'm going to put him in my nice spaceship and we'll have nice cuddle movie evenings instead, she was already hardened by the fact that he put her in an (unintentionally) tailor made emotional torture room for three months only to later reveal oh yeah, I could absolutely have handled them all along. Is just higher moral ground, innit?

I guess as all best foils do, the clue lies in the diffrences, though, right? Both Martha and Lucy end up deeply disillusioned with their respective semi-immortal twinks from space, but in one case there is still a disillusioned friendship (Ten's surprised Pikachu face, excellent comparion) and in the other there's only hate - and for good reasons! And where the Doctor grows to really respect Martha (and I wouldn't say he started off dismissive, I mean he is impressed when she tells him oh no mister, a doctor isn't something you just are, you have to earn the title) and is not just saddened but... humbled?... by her leaving, the Master shows up in EoT and is like Hey, my widow, did you miss me, hope you haven't remarried, that would be awkward to explain in the registry office :D!

*sigh* I suppose this is why tensimm is so special to me. It's 20 seasons of foil dynamic condensed into 5 hours. It really shows how thin the difference between the Doctor and the Master is. And how in the right circumstances, including the loss of the handy mirror villain to show how things can go wrong, a madman with a box can turn into an eldritch horror deciding the future of the universe. So, again, thank you so much for poining out yet another excellent parallel!

[vixendoesstuff]

So. Transformers.

AAAAAAAAA-

So I got some OC ideas for this godforsaken fandom yipee. Not sure which continuity these guys will be in since I haven't got into them yet (I've only been exposed to the Bayverse, Earthspark and Prime (not the entire Alligned continuity)). But I think, with the ideas I have for them right now, they lean more towards Prime specifically. But as I get deeper into this robot rabbit hole, I'll make them more flexible so that they can exist in other incarnations. Probably.

But anyway, I'll be putting them in bullet points 'cause these plans aren't concrete yet. So here goes:

H-055/Hurricane/Horizon

Name is undecided, but it starts with an H

I'll probably change it if I somehow find a character with the exact same names, I know the series has loads of 'em

But anyway

He's a Decepticon turned rouge then turned Autobot once he meets the gang

Due to some events happening with the 'Cons, he ran away, declaring himself a deserter

He's based on a helicopter vehicle

Probably some fancy space lookin' helicopter before he got a makeover when he visits Earth (this is important)

I'm not sure yet on what his Alt-Mode's exact model will be, but it's either something like this (Sikorsky X2):

Or this (Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk):

Either way he's a helicopter boi

And he's moderately fast. Not as fast as the jet planes, but he's somewhat speedy

His role in the army was mostly cargo lifting, he's not much involved in the fight unless absolutely necessary

So in terms of personality, he's definitely textbook introvert

He'd rather stick to the sidelines than lead, so when it comes to task he's somewhat reliable

At the start, he can be kind of aloof and cold, but it's not intentional; he just doesn't know how to set up a proper conversation

In other words he's socially awkward

And he's somewhat infamous for looking one second away from falling to sleep; guy got eyebags (can robots have eyebags? Or is it optic-bags?) and moves kinda slow when not in combat, and and talks very softly

He takes a lot of naps, but the feeling of lethargy remains

Probably why his role in the army is not one of combat

But he's hella loyal, and very caring to those who earned his affections

Just try to remind him to take a break before he falls into pieces lol

Now, moving on to the next OC idea:

V-V0X/Velocity/Boombox

Name is also undecided, but it's one of those two

But anyway

He's an Autobot who specializes in support, where he essentially acts as a debuffer for the front liners, stunning enemies and creating hazards to make an opening for the army

That's the best way I can explain it

Anyway

For what vehicle he's based on, I'm still deciding on what kind; initially I wanted him to be a sports car, but then I was thinking of a pickup truck or a tow truck of some kind

Maybe something like this (Chevrolet Silverado):

Just like before, his Alt-Mode is possibly some futuristic looking car similiar to the picture above until he got a new make over

Anyway, onto personality

Hmmm

Best way I can describe him is that he's basically Pandreo from Fire Emblem, but more subdued

He's not as cheery as, say, Bumblebee or Jazz or Hot Rod or any other energetic character in their many incarnations, he's still noticeably lively

He has difficulties reading the room, especially when he's excited, so maybe that's why he's called rude

But nah man, he just wanna have fun

But he's also kinda scared of authority? In a way? I don't know how to describe it, but he'll get kind of scared when in the presence of someone like Optimus Prime and even Megatron

Just basically people with a noticeable air of authority around them

Heck, maybe he'll even be scared of someone like Ratchet or Bumblebee, even

Even with that, he cares alot for his friends, he'll try and comfort them in whatever ways he can, like music

This guy really loves music, especially when he encounters Earth music

He's definitely the type of guy to jam to some rock music with an air guitar all obnoxiously lol

Conclusion; he babey

Alright, that's all I have. For each of their lore, I'm still trying to work the kinks out, 'cause WOW Transformers has so many things I didn't even know about. Like, Velocitron, Praxus, Kaon, and all that jazz (heh)? Titans? Predacons? Eukarians? I don't even know at this point lol.

But anyway.

So like I mentioned before, these 2 guys' story will primarily take place in the Prime universe (or the Alligned universe, I guess) since that's what I'm most familiar with for now. The gist of it is;

Hurricane runs away from the 'Cons, Velocity gives chase, they both crash landed onto Earth at different times with Hurricane being the first to enter, when they found each other they got damaged badly by an intense hurricane (which is where Hurricane got his name from), they got found by their designated human partner and got fixed up, some plot happens, they all bond, Hurricane decides to join the Autobots, and he and Velocity leaves their human to keep them safe and to explore the world as they search for more Autobots together.

And also they fell in love and became Conjux's together, I don't make the rules.

Also also they landed in Florida. Just because.

That's all I got for now, I'll make another post once I got more stuff for them, like their lore and all tht stuff. Until then, take care!

[russellius]

stop what you’re doing and go watch THIS  right now!!!!

anyway here are some great moments listed because i love him a normal amount

top drivers of all time? “obviously jolyon is in the top 3″...

season so far? not ideal. but things in life should never be easy, see brazil victory, it was sweet because of all that hard work etc

<media rant about headlines and clicks etc>

*in his journalist voice* why did you crash into sainz in turn 1? "well it wasn't like i planned to crashed into him"

nude? "that's to come later"

him saying that seeing how much his brazil win meant to the people around him has resonated more with him than crossing the line has (which he didn't expect), and that's why he was so emotional >>>

says lewis is more embarrassed of that photo of the two of them together from 2009 than him

was he expecting himself to be as competitive with lewis as he was when he came to merc? yeah. he went into it with an open mind, but he backed and backs himself.

what would he tell his 11 year old self in that photo from 2009? “cut your hair.” you make mistakes, do things you regret, etc but he wouldn't change a single thing about his career. not being afraid to fail

hardest part of his job? can't complain much, but if laura wasn't there he'd say media :) but yeah, media, he's a racing driver, not an actor, a public speaker. travelling is tough too. "trying to get a good salad around silverstone is not the easiest"

he doesn't mind the sim. he always tries to think about what the next big thing will be, because he wants to be ahead of the curve

monaco is fun to drive, but the racing? boring.

how would he fix silverstone? more grandstands 😇

"which 2 drivers wouldn't you want to go on a road trip with?" "phones away" there's definitely 1-2 he wouldn't want to go with...

“who would you want to go on road trip with?” george: depends what you're after. jolyon: what are you after? 😳👀 george: 🤨 yeah 😐😑

says he would go on a road trip with daniel and pierre if he had to choose 2 drivers from the grid

out of the TPs he'd go on a holiday with günther. spent a 5 hour flight sitting next to him once, chatting away. "has he got a book?!"

hasn't passed his driving test the first time... no minors, but one major. he's convinced the instructor had it against him... says he was in a wrong lane in the roundabout... "a major though, really?"

what's his favourite thing to cook? “i don't cook to be honest.” but he loves burgers and pizzas! he often has a pizza on the saturday night! mental energy, a pizza makes him feel good! :)

“you're gonna have to pick someone who survived a lot of crashes, because if they survived that they can survive anything. like mick schumacher!” george: 😂. 😐 i think we go to the next question.

in his book he'll announce which drivers he wouldn't want to be stranded on an island with. that's what his book will be about.

what would he want to do once he finishes driving? “not be on sky sports.” he takes it back, he likes the sky sports people. (because the cameras are filming him) he has no idea btw what he'll want to do then

doesn't really care who he's gonna be teammates with once lewis retires

he has a 5 minute power nap before the race. laura: you can fall asleep that quickly tho? george: no. ended up saying that he "meditates" then. makes sure he goes to the loo

only visualizes the first corner if he's on the first two rows, too many variables if he starts further back. the moment he qualified p2 in australia, he already knew where he was gonna go into T1. just brake 5 meters later than him, hope it sticks

from the past, he'd obviously race montoya

sainz is the one who chats the most

he'd want to drive mansell's 92 williams

says the V8s sound so much better than what we have now. they make the current cars sound like hoovers

“formula e? i mean yeah.. i don't know about formula e to be honest...” says it’s too wacky. he watches f2 and f3 and tries to watch back the f1 races. puts it on fast forward though. x2.

favourite kind of cheese?

after a laugh, he proceeds to give the most british answer. adds that doesn't like the smelly cheeses. loved the question tho, unexpected!

george: but good question... laura: yeah we thought it was a good one to end on! :) george: *pauses* really 🧍‍♂️

[piastrinorris]

okay i posted photos already but i wanna talk about the weekend so here is a summary: (this is a long post bc am on mobile i am so sorry)

1. FUCK showmasters. money-grabbing, delusional, godawful cunts. i'm glad he only had a 2-event contract with them, but i hope it doesn't put him off future UK cons

2. i got to tell him how much luke's character means to me, that he portrayed an autistic person very sensitively and properly which is tough to get right, that his range is phenomenal and i'm glad he's getting the love he deserves. i don't wanna be That Person and say he wanted to hug me but was ~forbidden~ to, but his arms definitely moved out before he looked at the staff member and then instead reached out to take my hand. he said "thank you, love, your words mean the world to me" and holy SHIT his hands are the SOFTEST THINGS IN THE WORLD!!!!!!! this was also day 1 so he was in the cardigan look and he looked So Ralph i couldn't keep it together lmao

3. when i tell you this man was a CONVEYOR BELT for photo ops. we all joked that you could have put a cardboard cutout in there and it would be exactly the same. same face in all of them and everything. he really seemed done with it all then

4. the panel was. well. about the same as any other. same questions as always were asked. same answers were given. i think bc music as a topic is so opinion based he's been actively deflecting questions about his personal music taste but my GOD did people push that anyway. poor man went into hysterics when someone said to say hi to wes, he was so done with the day. and oh my GOD he hates that panel host guy LMAO his face would be so sweet and gentle when he was talking to the fans and then that guy would open his mouth and jq's face would DROP it was so funny

5. i haven't even mentioned!!!! i made so many friends!!! mostly by wearing my djo hoodie everywhere lol. joe squared supremacy <3 but yeah. i've missed the con experience of just telling someone you like something about them and then spending an entire weekend attached to their hips lol

6. day 2 was SOOOO much calmer. i think bc it was announced super late and also he was only there for half a day. HE HAD A LIL SCRUFF OF BEARD 🥰🥰🥰 and he seemed so much happier. like actual "hello! so nice to see you! how have you been?!" like you see how he is at most cons. he wasn't like that yesterday lmao

7. going off that, when i said "oh you know, just pressing on" he frowned and said "well i hope it gets better!" i said "oh it's great! i've had a good weekend, i hope you have too!" and he went "its been... fucking... lovely!" but the "fucking" was said under his breath in a tone that's usually followed by "mental" or "a shitshow" but yeah. THEN HE WINKED AT ME!!!!!! and said "take care now, won't you?" that's the jq i'd been seeing in videos.

8. photos were much the same but i liked my second one better AND he rubbed my back, said "thank you so much for coming, get home safe!" AND HE WINKED AGAIN

9. day 2 panel was fuckin. EMPTY. i asked him a question about how he said in the wonderland interview that he'd love to pursue a music career, i was like "was that for real or were you just saying it to get to the next question" and he was like "i'm just so lazy, it takes a lot of work to be a musician and i'm not one now, but someday i might start a band" aw. also he is a VERY sarcastic man who i think people take way too seriously lol. also x2 his bitchface towards the host was even less subtle LMAO

10. we saw him leaving and the poor man had his cap on and his head down, he REALLY wanted to leave and i don't blame him in the slightest

11. FUCK. showmasters. they deliberately oversold jq and didn't honour refunds, autographs were either included in diamond passes or bought on the day for £75 IN CASH??? and one of my new friends was the only one left when they cut for time from photo ops, she asked if she could just get one, JOE SAID YES BUT THE STAFF SAID NO. we had one staff member talking to us DIRECTLY about what time jq was paid to stay until, said "but it would be nice if he chooses to stay longer" and then started talking about how last year's summer event was so unfairly criticised?? and was like "even joe said he wasn't stressed" ofc he isn't gonna talk shit about a company he was still legally under contract for??? and one tried to tell us not to sit on the floor, 30ft away from the first aid room door, bc there was NO OTHER SEATING, saying that it's our own fault if we got mauled by a stretcher in an emergency. there was no emergency.

12. i have practically bankrupt myself at artist booths and i'm tempted to do it all again in liverpool in a few weeks lmfao

[tooaverageofagamer]

REVIEW: Little Nightmares - Tarsier Studios

Release Date: April 28 2017 Available: PC, PS4, XBOX One, Nintendo Switch, ISO, Android. Genre: Horror, Creepy, Puzzle, Platformer, Adventure, Survival Review Length: Long (~2.8K words) Review Spoilers: Major, but not detailed --------------------------------------

Story:

Little Nightmares is the first instalment of the Little Nightmares series.

Little Nightmares is set on what seems to be a large boat or underwater barge known as 'The Maw', which your little, yellow-coated, lighter-wielding protagonist, 'Six', weaves and scurries her way through to find a way out after having a nightmare about a beautiful woman in a kimono who is wearing a mask.

'The Maw' consists of different areas that Six has to find her way through by solving puzzles and avoiding warped creatures. The Prison, The Lair, The Kitchen, The Guests Area and The Ladies' Quarters are the areas where the different chapters take place, each coming with their own bosses to sneak by and overcome.

Gameplay:

To note, I played through the whole of Little Nightmares with a keyboard and mouse. I'm unsure if it was the keyboard controls, my bad average gaming skills or the game, but I found the controls terribly janky to work with and I found myself dying very stupidly often. Which led to some funny moments, but it did become frustrating at some points. So that's a short note before I get into things so you can see from my POV why I might sound off-putting towards the game. Another thing I might complain about is the camera angles in some areas were a little odd, especially when you crawl from one room to another. But once I got used to it, I like to think I overcame it.

Anyways, the game begins in The Prison, where it seems that other small children are kept in cages, where it is shadowed by a long-armed figure, who is hinted at throughout this chapter.

The first few puzzles in this chapter I found to be confusing, then again I am not the best at puzzles so I did struggle with solutions all throughout this playthrough. A lot of the puzzles didn't have obvious solutions, especially in the darker areas where things might not be as highlighted or as out of place with the environment. There are climbing hints throughout some of the chapters shown by little black handprints and smears, but they seem to be inconsistent.

The first bigger puzzle which I was really feeling dumb after was the electrified gates. I got through the first gate after shutting the power off and was trying to figure out how to get past the second one in the toy room by finding a switch or something. Pretty sure I was stuck for about 10 minutes before figuring out you can go back to the first toilet room and then you just have to keep running after switching off the switch as it turns off both gates, not just the first one - whoops. I also think I did encounter a glitch here where I did switch off the gates, but the first one was still electrified and I died touching it - whoops x2.

During this chapter, there is a side room that shows a camera that hints at a later chapter, which I think is a nice touch but also shows a darker side that someone will always be watching wherever little Six is going.

There are two puzzles that involve a lit-up eye security light that causes our protagonist (and previous escapees) to turn into statues. I enjoyed this concept. I liked how in the second puzzle involving this there is a wheelie bin that moves with the swaying of the barge, to remind you that you are on one still as you might have gotten used to the constantly swaying camera at this point.

When walking into the room with the sleeping children, I did encounter a weird glitch when the door slammed me back out of the room, but then respawned me back into the room before the long-armed man arrived. Not a big deal, just thought it was funny.

Once you escape The Prison, The Lair is the next chapter where you soon find yourself captured by The Janitor (who I didn't know was a janitor until I looked it up and I thought he was some sort of deli man or butcher because what sort of janitor just chops meat?) after a few short puzzles and you must escape the cage he has trapped you in to continue your adventure.

Since The Janitor is blind, any running or creaking floorboards will alert him. I've always enjoyed the idea of blinded characters who can only hear you to find you (such as the Moth Priests from Oblivion) so I did enjoy The Janitor sections a lot. It did take me a few times to figure out that the creaking floorboards did actually trigger him as I thought it was just ambience, but besides that, I enjoyed the first encounter with this character.

After escaping The Janitor in the first section you're dropped into a room full of shoes, and as you shuffle your way from one suitcase platform to another, what has been dubbed the 'Shoe Monster' tries to catch you. Once you pass this area it is never seen again, so just a random encounter, which some might say adds to the creepy. This is another area though where I found the climbing to be odd as trying to get onto the platforms was a struggle and I kept getting caught a few times.

A little bit after the shoe room, you'll spot the room you were originally captured in which I thought was a nice detail that Six is circling around the area and then ends up in an elevator after a short chase with The Janitor. Once out of the elevators, you end up in what seems to be a room with nothing but a box of toys. I was stuck here for a little bit trying to find a way out until I pushed the box around a bit and just fell through the floorboard. I felt like there was zero hinting that that was the solution, but again, I am bad at puzzles.

After another few run-ins with the janitor, trying to create distractions to get by him and continue. You have one last fight with him as you try to escape The Lair through an elevator. A cage stops the elevator doors from fully shutting and as you try to avoid his arms that stick through the gap to capture you, you must yank at the cage bars to finally shut the door and chop off the janitor's arms.

Had another dumb moment during this fight and I thought I was just an 'avoid for a certain amount of time' thing. I was waiting for the cage to collapse and got caught about 3 times before I tried to actually interact with the cage and saw that the bars could be pulled out. Again, zero indication this needed to happen, but I didn't dwell on it too much.

Then began the start of The Kitchen chapter where you encounter a chef character, chopping away at meat in a kitchen. You might have already seen this character already if you looked at the cameras back in The Lair. You make your way to the end of the kitchen to discover a locked door. You then make your way up a shelf and into the kitchen rafters where you end up in a sort of living quarters and discover that there is a second chef asleep in a shared room where you also find a key for the locked door. The Twin Chefs are the bosses you must avoid in this chapter now.

At this point, you may take notice that the people you're up against are actually wearing some sort of skin mask or suits as you can catch glimpses of The Twin Chefs lifting their masks to itch their real faces underneath. This might get you thinking about the lore of the world a bit more and its darker appearances.

Avoiding The Twin Chefs throughout this chapter is easy enough honestly. You might get caught a few times trying to set up the distractions or if they start looking under the tables you're hiding under, but you'd always know when they've discovered you by their monkey-like screeches before chasing you down. In the pot-washing area of The Kitchen, you must switch a lever to change the direction of the meat hooks flow, you then climb the top of the central stack of plates and grab on. Once you've been shaken off the hook the first time, a short chase ensues. I struggled at this chase a few times, as the twin that smashes through the door, knocks over items which were thrown about randomly each time it happens and sometimes hit me which in turn stopped or slowed my running. Then my timing for the final hook catch was off a few times, which caused me to fall to my death - whoops x3

After being shaken off your final hook grab, you then begin Chapter 4 with a glimpse of giant cogs churning and hearing seagulls calling. You gain your first glimpse of the outside of the barge, with its guests piling onto the barge and into The Guest Area.

You then reenter the ship, catching closer-up views of The Guests and the mysterious woman you dreamed about at the beginning of the game. You then find yourself in what seems to be Japanese-styled restaurants or eating areas. With the guests stuffing their faces with mostly raw meats (we love salmonella). You are seen by one of the guests as you go through the rooms, and a small chase begins. The first time I encountered this guest, I was under his table. He threw the table and then proceeded to body slam me, which I then laughed about for 5 minutes before I could proceed to play the game - whoops x4.

Anyways, you then get away and then have to make your way through the top of a table full of The Guests, avoiding their grubby hands. More mini-chases occur with The Guests before you find yourself in living quarters, confronted again by one of The Chef Twins. Smashing the mirror allows you access to the rafters to make your way to the elevator. There are not many puzzles in this chapter, more of avoiding, running and hiding.

Once up the elevator and make your way into the next room, sliding paper screen doors begin to open and what I think is the most terrifying thing I have ever encountered, a mob of The Guests begin to chase you in one big scrambling pile. You get away nearly by swinging over a gap.

You encounter the mysterious lady again getting into an elevator, and once she has left, you enter the same elevator up to the final chapter.

The Lady's Quarters is the final area in the game. I find it one of the most unsettling areas, the ticking clocks, the mysterious singing and just the overall eerie quietness. You follow the sound of the singing upstairs and make your way into a room where The Lady is seen singing in front of a smashed mirror. You sneak your way past her and into a bedroom, where a white vase you can smash is on a bedside table. As soon as you smash this vase to get the key inside, the singing stops. The strong silence really begins to set in.

You head downstairs again to unlock the door, and upon entering, the door slams behind you and a chase with The Lady begins. Once escaped, you find yourself in a room full of the mannequins you have been seeing throughout the area, throwing you off and making you anxious if one of them is her. You run across this room and into a side room with the only unbroken mirror you have seen in the area so far on top of a drawer. Grabbing this mirror and going back into the last room, you glimpse The Lady in the centre of the room and as you approach, she disappears and the final boss begins.

The Lady is easy to defeat, running towards the lights and pointing the mirror in her direction. What really gets you during this fight is your nerves. Trying to figure out where she is coming from next, scrambling to pick up the mirror after dropping it. It was intense. Hands were very sweaty afterwards. The Lady's ghostly face that appears during this battle is really both beautiful and terrifying.

Once defeated, Six makes her way out of the barge.

Throughout the story, you are subjected to your own questioning about Six's true powers. As her hunger pangs lead her to kill a rat, gnome and The Lady then proceeds to absorb some sort of life force from The Guests as she walks out of the barge. This is never really answered in the game as the story concludes with Six shown sitting outside of the barge entrance.

Throughout all the chapters, there are lamps and candles you light, which I thought were being used as checkpoints since a save symbol popped up once you lit them, but apparently, they're just collectables, so I was very confused when I died and ended up nowhere near a lamp, especially if I closed the game and came back later to a point further back than I was.

Art Style/Music:

Little Nightmares is a real mixed bag when it comes to the art directive. I've seen inspiration or comparisons to LIMBO, INSIDE, Coraline and Spirited Away. I personally feel some Alice in Wonder Land and Roald Dahl vibes in some areas, especially with the character designs. I loved the insight through the concept art you can unlock as you go through the game.

The environments really make you feel like a small trapped child just trying to escape. The pan-outs to show off the surroundings really let you take in the vast expansion of The Maw and what else it could have had to offer if our protagonist went a different route.

The soundtrack is similar throughout most of the game, but all the ambient noises and the sounds from characters really make the game unsettling, it doesn't have to rely on the soundtrack too much. The sound design is honestly the real gold in this game. The rumbling and creaking you hear can be felt all throughout the barge. Even the little things such as The Janitor's teeth grinding or Six's coat getting water dripped on it. The developers really went all out with the game's ambience and small sound details.

The Little Nightmares soundtrack can be found on Spotify.

Final Comments:

To start, apologies for all the complaining and WAY too long yappin' review.

Anyways, compared to other games that came out in 2017, Little Nightmares felt a little unpolished. I’ll possibly replay the game again with a controller and see if I go a bit better with that, but I feel like a game should be accessible to many forms of play and I just felt DUMB playing the game with these controls at some points, then again, could be more me being actually bad at games than the game. I did watch a couple of different playthroughs on YouTube to see if I was the only one or not. I did see a couple of people struggling in the same areas and having the same thought processes as me, which made me feel a bit better about things, but no one really commented on the controls themselves.

I’ve also seen a few people have conversations online if Little Nightmares is considered an Indie game or not. I personally, very lightly, wouldn’t. I would consider an indie game to be developed by less than 10 people, maybe 15 people max. But Tarsier Studios had about 20+ working on the game at the time, so I would personally hold them to a higher standard, but I also kinda don’t so much since this would be considered their first (I think) fully developed game. And now with about 77 employed (and hiring currently according to their website – so check that out if you’re into it!) I wouldn’t consider them Indie now and wouldn’t consider Little Nightmares II (review soonish?) to be an Indie game either.

Continuing on, the pop-up prompts like to sprint or that you can swing on objects didn't pop up for me the first times they were available [which I saw a few other YouTube play-throughs experience and comment on] only after I failed a few times, which I thought was odd. The game was trying not the be hand-holdy I guess, but I feel like it hindered my experience when first playing the game.

Besides the jank controls, I enjoyed the art directive. I enjoy the disturbing-looking characters and the damp eeriness of the whole environment, even places that are meant to be homely. Knowing you’re on a boat throughout the whole game before you even see the outside of it really hits the helplessness vibes. The art style really makes this game more than anything.

Stroy-wise, you are left clueless throughout the whole thing besides just playing it. You know your goal is to escape, but how did you end up there in the first place? Why do people look the way they do? How do lighters that small exist? I'm going to say that its just all part of 'the vibes'. Being clueless and wandering around in a warped world.

Anyway, I would recommend this game if you enjoy creepy or unsettling directives with little story or if you enjoy puzzle and platformer games. I might not recommend it to people who aren't too familiar with the game and it might not be the best game for a first-time experience, but give it a go if you wish!

I haven't gotten around to playing the 'Secrets of the Maw' DLC yet, but I will soon and might update this to include that review also, or just make a separate post and link to the DLC review here.

Cheers,

The Average Gamer

-------------------------------------------------

If you want to chat or discuss more about games, feel free to PM or Ask me!

[gachabastard]

Never saw ur ask box before lol I’m stupid.

ANYWAY u briefly mentioned that u don’t draw - is it just because you’ve never tried it or because of something else? If u don’t mind questions like this of course I’m just curious.

P. S. I’m also really interested in tooth brush story. If you don’t mind [x2].

lol I don't mind questions at all, if I ever get a question I'm not comfortable with I'll just. either ignore it or just outright say "I don't really wanna answer that"

I've tried to draw since I was really young, I've tried a variety of ways to try and learn basic figure drawing and perspective and stuff, I can envision those things in my mind, but when it comes to actually trying to put that on paper, I just can't make it work. Something gets lost in translation between the fucked up electrical impulses in my brain and the movement of my hands. I don't know if my non-descript neurological disorder has anything to do with this but it's the best excuse I've got. Usually when I say "I have a neurological disorder" people go "oh dear oh no" and then drop the subject real quick lmao

Anyway, by the "toothbrush story" I assume you mean "that time in high school I stopped brushing my teeth because I thought it was killing me?" I'll put that below a cut since this ask has gotten long enough.

So basically in high school my mental health bloomed from just being A Nuisance But Ultimately Easy to Work Around to being An Active Hinderance Interfering With My Day to Day Life. I was having multiple panic attacks a day, but I didn't know that's what was happening to me at the time. All I knew is I felt like I was dying, so obviously I was dying.

I couldn't sleep most nights since I would wake up in the middle of the night having a panic attack so I started drinking Nyquil to put myself to sleep at night, which I already talked about. Stopped doing that after awhile cuz I built up a bit of a tolerance. Of course I was still having panic attacks though so I had to figure out what else I could do about it.

So I'm sitting there racking my brain like "so what's making me feel this way?" and I think like. I always seemed to feel worst when I was going to sleep and then in the middle of the night. So I was like "Okay what do I always do before going to bed?" and the answer of course was that I would always brush my teeth before bed. Yknow. As you should.

So I just stopped. Brushing my teeth. Brushing my teeth, I had decided, was slowly poisoning and killing me. And a lot of people would be like, "Ah, you got got by the 'fluoride is poison' hoax" but no, I didn't even know that was a thing. It wasn't even toothpaste that I decided was the problem but the whole act of brushing teeth.

And it actually...kinda worked? In the sense that I was so deluded into needing to believe any of this was within my own control that I actually did feel a bit better. Of course, not brushing your teeth means your mouth gets very nasty and now I have a lot of expensive dental problems I need taken care of, I've already had two teeth removed and I have another broken one that needs removing too since there's just. Not enough there to fill. Even with dental insurance though dental work is SUPER expensive >_<

So the moral of the story is. If something feels wrong...it is, but actually seek professional help or at least tell someone you can trust about it instead of trying to aggressively and wrongfully self-medicate, because you're gonna do a bad job, especially if you're a teenager with like zero agency. Also take good care of your mouth. Invest in a good electric toothbrush and learn how to properly brush your teeth. And floss.

[pjsk-writin]

Play tag? With akito? Nah imma give up right away real quick. Like why even try? You cannot run away from him he literally run faster than mizuki while carrying tsukasa on his back 💀💀💀💀 which means that not only is he so freaking fast but also really strong af to be able to do that. Because i can imagine you are running you look back and there is nothing and the next second you look back he is right behind you and When you want to take another step, he already caught you (truly a horror game) i have a video that could describe this even better its so sad i cant send images or videos as an anon :"(

Oh also this reminds me of one my friend was talking about something similar (LMAO) like akito is super athletic and stuff so my best friend and i were reading VBS events because he couldnt play for a few months and he was like "i cant even begin to imagine how strong his kicks have to be, like it probably would hurt like HURT way too much" and we burst out laughing, the thing is in spanish we got this saying (i love it so much its so silly) that literally translated would be "one blow and it restarts your life" the joke of that saying its like basically the hit its just so strong it would not only knock you out but literally restarts your life, like it was so strong it could send you to the past or the other interpretation its that not only did the blow killed you but it sended you to your next life xDDDDDD its usually accompanied by someone else saying "one blow and I end up in kindergarten" (sorry for talking to much 😞)

As for toya... i personally think that hide and seek with him would be another horror game probably... why i think so? Idk i feel like he would be too quiet... too quiet AND stealthy like he would come out of nowhere as if he would have spawned out of thin air and be so calm about it like "ah.. there you are" and meanwhile he accidentally gave me a heart attack (truly a horror game x2) in a way this thing that my brain imagined basically made toya like kuroko from kuroko no basket xDDD (it has been a while since the last time i watched or talked about kuroko no basket... time really flies, anyway it was better than i was expecting at first and i ended up liking it a lot) once again sorry for talking to much 😞😞😞

-🦔anon

NO ITS OK DW ur literally so right tho... like akito is SO FAST its scary, I love the kicks u into ur next life tho bc he really would DHKDKSKFKSLKF- and YEAH THATS WHAT I HAD IN MIND WHILE WRITING IT like u think u got away from toya but no. he appears right behind u and tags/finds u. like WOW

[profanetools]

would love some director's commentary on twelve tones regarding the overall plot structure—did you outline everything from the outset, or did the story come to you more spontaneously?

There were some outlines - in fact, there were a whole series of them - that changed as the story went on. I am not great at sticking to a rigid outline but a project that long needs notes on structure else it'll escape me.

Initially, I had the whole thing planned as a 5+1 story (yeah I know lol) which was going to be 'five times Bthemetz and Kagrenac had a serious argument and one time they hurt each other without saying a word.' The reason I'd thought of it that way was because I wanted to tell Bthemetz & Kagrenac's story without writing 100k+ words (which would be easy to do given the whole thing spans across so much time) and wanted to provide a 'highlights reel' of key conflicts that led up to the big conflict I wanted to focus on - why Bthemetz betrayed Kagrenac and the dwemer by giving Numidium plans to the chimer. I had some key events outlined - the last chapter was going to be Bthemetz giving the plans to Voryn Dagoth, the first chapter was going to be an argument about Bthemetz struggling to settle in and be taken seriously, and the penultimate argument was going to be in the Grand Debate Hall.

Things changed pretty quickly though. The inclusion of the Dawn Era subplot and having alternating dawn-dwemer chapters was actually a split-second decision I made when I started writing the thing and found the first big chapter too difficult to start. I largely did it because the writers I followed the most at the time and interacted with the most at the time wrote a lot of Dawn Era stuff, and I wanted to try my hand at it. I honestly couldn't imagine Twelve Tones without it now and I think it adds so much to the tone and sense of how Lorkhan's heart has been affecting everyone. I think in retrospect it does have flaws - mainly that it anchors Kagrenac's perspective in the present, and it means we lack some of younger Kagrenac (you can see me compensating for this later on with flashbacks). Also, quite frankly, I ran out of story for the dawn era stuff in comparison to the dwemer stuff (which I have 2x as much to say about).

But anyway, twelve tones was twelve tones because it was (5+1)x2, i.e. 12 chapters. Plus an epilogue. I worked that lore detail in backwards LOL.

I'd planned to include a number of things that got scaled back or cut. Dumac was supposed to be a much larger presence, more established, but I couldn't 'make it work'. There was a whole flashback about Bthemetz meeting Boethiah in the desert that I have talked about at length with many people, which I have tried to write as a standalone, but have found difficult to do so. I wanted to include Voryn more prominently, and explain that Bthemetz had begun writing letters to him, or at least explain why she went to Voryn and not Nerevar directly. I found these things difficult to 'fit', difficult to write, and as mentioned before, my priority was just finishing the story (each subsequent chapter took longer and longer and longer. I think chapter 12 took something like several months compared to early ones). I ended up reworking things so I just could publish something I liked and felt was worthwhile (I'm still not happy with chapter 12, lol). About 2/3rds way through, I had an idea for an epilogue, hence 12 chapters became 13.

The one unplanned element that did get included was Bthemetz mantling Lorkhan / becoming a shezarrine. I was very on the fence about that stuff because I have such mixed feelings on some of that deeplore, and I feel like Bthemetz's story is outlandish even as it stands (the chance of her and Kagrenac meeting is virtually nil and I just take it on the chin that this just happens to be an exceptional chance meeting, sometimes things happen due to luck), and I didn't want to go 'hey look at this character, isn't she the specialest', BUT. in this case, I'm glad I added it, it adds a whole other dimension to the conflict, plus the idea that these past memories are being unearthed because of the heart of lorkhan... just adds an irony to this. The irony of Bthemetz and Kagrenac taking opposite sides to the ones their past lives previously took is delicious. Additionally, the canonical shezarrines are all, I believe, without exception, white men, and I see no reason why Lorkhan wouldn't have representatives from all walks of life (and tbh, Bthem's a special case, she mantled him without realising she was doing so, and there's something deeply ironic / upsetting about achieving that through being martyred in a very gruesome way, i.e. she was not a hero in the traditional sense, but instead played the elven role he has, as a trickster and a traitor). Anyway. All of those things were 'haha, this would be fun in a self-indulgent AU' that I then decided to make part of my own fan canon.

So, to answer your question, attemtps at outlining were made. They were not followed very religiously. At all.

[pensight]

since i have been on top surgery meds my dreams have been getting really cool and vivid, every time i even nap another one comes along so gonna write em down

the group of justice people that wears all leather that i for some reason trusted, assigned me with a task of figuring out the local drug lord in the area and execute him. They supplied me with a little balloon of silly putty.

This was no ordinary silly putty, though. The balloon cracked open and the highlighter yellow silly putty oozed out, before taking the rough shape of a scraggly kitten, still bright highlighter yellow with no color variations. They explained that this silly putty had tiny nanobots that were the hivemind of a tiny kitten they found on the side of the road.

For some reason this putty was intelligent enough to understand me and it could be commanded or trained to take different shapes. It was also a little scrunkly guy that wanted attention and affection but could not be killed because it was silly putty.

(Much better than my usual anxiety dreams where i am entrusted with an itty bitty cute soft very fragile creature and get distracted right away and the creature gets into perilous situations or i accidentally squish it somehow while i was trying my hardest to be careful)

this dream had a b plot and a c plot, b plot was that my family and i won a sweepstakes to get to watch up close how a movie gets made and we get to hang out with the actors and stuff. The main actor guy happened to look a lot like Jason GoodPlace, and we were becoming best buds because i was nailing all the conversations and he was cool about me being awkward.

I am always shocked when someone thinks i am cool right away, and that added a x2 bonus to the starstruck disease i get around famous people

(i hate the idea of being a fan of someone who is just trying to go about their day, and in my mind fan engagement = working in a celebrity’s pov, so i dont want to force someone to work on their time off and therefore a part of me wishes to either flee as soon as i can or pretend i dont know they’re famous [but then i am a lying liar who lies and that will take juggling the fiction i have made in the back of my mind] but this guy was someone i hadn’t watched anything in, i just Knew he was famous because he was in a starring role in a movie production; it was a very impostor syndrome feeling thing to just be in anyone’s presence because i felt like i didn’t wanna understate the work they might’ve done to get there but also if i were them i wouldn’t want to be put on a pedestal. i have another shpiel about how celebrities arent even really hot shit and do not deserve special treatment anyway [born into it often or born with the means of going through the training often and besides they live in a whole different society from me with different priorities that can restrict their knowledge of certain things. i cite george bush sr. not knowing about lazer scanning cash registers for several years as an example] but i need to remember this dream before it leaves me.)

Jason was chill, is the main point. His mom was Not chill. She had really cool shoes, though. Very special silk looking sandals with floral decor on them, that were the bright teal you saw on 70s refrigerators. I never saw them on anyone else. I couldn’t see anyone’s faces when i first encountered The Drug Lord, but one of the people in his entourage had her shoes. I didn’t jump to conclusions yet, but i ordered the silly putty kitten to injure the Shoes person’s feet or fuck with the sandals in some way. Kitty turned into a knife and stabbed through the sole of the shoe so Shoes escaped into a limo with their bleeding foot/sandal sticking out the window?

So the next time i saw Jason’s mom her foot was wrapped in bandages and wasn’t wearing her special shoes. Ah-ha!, I thought, I am closing in on The Drug Lord.

C plot was that my grandmother was also Getting Into Antics on the movie set, figuring stuff out so she could do it herself once we got back home. Giving advice to the electrical people and the set design people that kinda made it where the place didn’t run into as many difficulties. She was also trying to be friends with Jason’s Mom. We were Poors and that made Jason’s Mom very put off. She left for Pizza. I didn’t know if I should tell jason that his mom is in league with a dangerous murdering Drug Lord.

Never managed to do it before i found a business card for the Drug Lord, it was so stupid just ‘Drug Lord’ and his main business place address. A friend of mine worked in a pizza place that didn’t have their address number in front of it and it only occurred to me to show him the business card. “Oh my God. That’s where I work!” He was so shocked and afraid that the Drug Lord had been working under his floors the whole time. 

Anyway they got wrangled by the Justice Organization but I was also brought in under suspicion, so I had to work fast. 

I told Kitty to flatten itself through the cracks under the door, go up Drug Lord’s pants leg, and go up his butt to release shreds of glass in the most dangerous places Kitty could, in order to carry out the execution. 

It was like the Drug Lord had been poisoned in Skyrim? And the Justice Organization let me out because I’d killed The Drug Lord. Kitty got washed and returned to me and we have always been best friends ever since. Kitty hated fireworks though. And never could grow any bigger. Sometimes you accidentally stepped on Kitty and they turned into just flattened sillyputty with a shoeprint on them for like 10 minutes before they limp back to you and they are fine after they get pettings and sorries. 

after the conclusion of that i woke up in the middle of the night to go piss so that was that one done. sure there are some loose ends but it was a dream.

[tenshindon]

a lil sit

[rou-luxe]

i'm obligated to share my headcanons for the mermay au

and YES. ANYONE CAN USE THIS AU. TAG ME IN YOUR POST. PLEASE I NEED MER ELBIE. PLEASEEEE

sorry for tagging again 😔

general

Elbert LOVES shells and bubbles. He sees them underwater every day but never gets bored of them. They also look different above water - he loves how they shimmer in the sunlight.

Like in canon, he has a collection - though mainly comprised of the types of items Ariel would collect, Elbert also tends to collect fallen paintings.

To his dismay, the canvas doesn't last long underwater, so usually he has Alfons keep them in the lighthouse.

how they met + first impressions (how I met your father)

How did they meet in this AU? Elbert got injured, and he wandered near land... Alfons spotted him, thinking Elbert was an injured person out at sea, but treated his injuries regardless.

Due to the nature of being a lighthouse keeper, Alfons is very touch starved. His hates how his life feels so dull. He's going stir-crazy. The only things keeping him company in that lighthouse are his books. In the isolated lighthouse, there is neither pleasure for him to indulge in nor any suffering he can ignore - simply dull. The same old routines every day.

When Elbert comes along, it's quite a pleasant surprise. He's never seen a mer before. He's just naturally curious. It makes his life interesting.

Elbert is awestruck. He's curious about the world above, and Alfons can provide him just that - and conveniently right at the shore. Also Did You Know Alfons Is Gorgeous (shaking your shoulders)

Alfons lets him come and go, carrying him from the sea to the lighthouse bathtub and back. Alfons still keeps fit, but it's a miracle he can carry Elbert, with the heavy tail and all. Over time, the visits become longer and more frequent, and Alfons gets a bigger bathtub to accommodate his initially unexpected guest. Alfons doesn't mind the company at all.

quality time / how do they take care of each other?

Alfons spends many long nights making sure the lighthouse's oil lamp remains lit. (No sleep in this AU either) Alfons reads the land's tales to him softly, and Elbert clings on to every single word. Elbert's eyes light up as he hears more about the surface. In return, Elbert answers any questions Alfons has as well.

Occasionally, Elbert would get hurt again... Alfons gives him a proper scolding and patches him up.

The vast sea looks different from up here. Elbert sometimes stares outside, watching the sun illuminate the bobbing waves.

Sometimes Elbert sings to Alfons. Perhaps sometimes they'd sing together. Alfons finds himself enchanted by his voice. (god they're in love. they should kiss.)

What do mers eat...? Anyway... Alfons makes him plenty of soup / broth and they eat together. Elbert doesn't eat very often, but still hunts food for himself. He brings carcasses to Alfons like a cat bringing a dead bird to its owner. Alfons laughs it off.

Not necessarily mer AU but you can't tell me they don't have staring contests. Just holding each others' cheeks and staring at each other. Then perhaps a hug or two. (god they're in love x2)

Elbert loves brushing Alfons' hair and vice versa.

crack / sillier / more lighthearted headcanons

Alfons brings Elbert flowers for the first time and Elbert won't let them go. Meanwhile Elbert tries to bring Alfons a fucking seagull

Elbert is scared of the fire and shuts his eyes. Alfons teases him about it a bit, but spends time comforting him.

Alfons burnt his tongue on the soup a couple of times and it left Elbert so confused (<- Elbert usually doesn't eat, but when he does he lets the food cool down a lot)

Elbert HATES when Alfons smokes the pipe. Alfons stops after a while.

Elbert is really confused about fabric. What do mean this dry textured animal fur product is terribly soggy when wet? What IS fur?

Elbert has never seen any terrestrial creatures or plants before and thus he is really confused about meat... he wrinkled his nose when he smelled it the first time...

@ynkfva @bakersgrief @consumeroflemoans @forever-untrusting @mxrmaid-poet

@pinnacle-pixel @xc092000 @floydsteeth @jhannasworld-blog @aqxxla09

@anonymousnamedhera @silkkorchid @sh0jun

sorry for tagging again (x2)

Ikevil AU - Elbert mermay + Alfons lighthouse keeper

it's awfully cramped in there.

◇ lighthouse keeper alfons + another elbie doodle

rumor has it that the lightkeeper is more alluring than the siren he harbors... (i'm sorry could you blame me)

I put more mer traits on here than the first one 😭 BLORB!!

◇ really bad quick lighthouse keeper alfons doodle (when I say quick, I mean quick.)

◇ he got caught in oil ☹

◇ give him all your shells. right now. 👁

◇ tags

everyone who wanted to be tagged. I'm considering the likes on that post too. hope I didn't miss anyone...

@ynkfva @bakersgrief @consumeroflemoans @forever-untrusting @mxrmaid-poet

@pinnacle-pixel @xc092000 @floydsteeth @jhannasworld-blog @aqxxla09

@anonymousnamedhera

aaaand

@silkkorchid you already saw all of this but yk 😇

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

happy mermay everyone

(uh oh what do I do for pride month do I draw them kissing...)

good luck with your exam season if you have them. have elbie and alfons for good luck. exam season is not stopping me in the slightest