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ashwhowrites · 1 year ago

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Could I request angst #1 with Eddie please❤️ RIP my heart out but maybe happy ending?

What’s the point of trying if it just proves that I’ll never be good enough?

I hope this is enough angst for you!! And I hope it does rip your heart out. I tried my best <3 thank you for requesting

Good enough?

Eddie liked to give off the vibe that he was confident. That every negative comment thrown his way did nothing to affect him. He walked with his head high, danger in his eyes, and a fence around his heart. He's been burned too many times, so he didn't care to let anyone in. The people in his life all walked out on him, and he started to believe the common factor was him.

He planned to graduate and get the hell out of Hawkins. The only person he'd leave behind was Wayne, but even then, he wasn't around much. Eddie didn't spend his free time with anyone, just scrapping for money. A jar packed with every dollar he made, his ticket to get out. He's been saving for years, over hundreds of money.

He lived behind a wall, and he was scared to let anyone get too close to it. Because if they did, they'd see his right through it. His walls are made of glass, one shattering away from collapsing.

At the end of the day, he was lonely. And being lonely made him make stupid decisions, like falling in love.

~~~

Y/N was new to the school and to Hawkins. She looked lost and small, but gorgeous. A kind of gorgeous that Eddie couldn't take his eyes off of her. He kept staring, trying to see if she was real or a dream. She wore comfy clothes, nothing over the top for her first day in a new school. Which told Eddie she didn't feel the need to impress anyone. But, he kept walking by.

He saw her every day and every second. It was like she spawned right in front of him, no matter where he went. He couldn't escape from her.

And he never did escape from her. Her warm touch landed on his shoulder, and his body tingled in ways he never felt before. Her sweet voice complimented his shirt, and it stayed in his head. He tried to be polite, smile, and walk off. But then she followed, her number on a piece of paper. He planned to throw it away, he knew someone new wouldn't change anything.

But in a moment of weakness, he called her.

~~~

Two years passed, and they lived in a small trailer together. Their diplomas side by side on the wall. A reminder of where they met and the only achievement Eddie could hang up.

She lived behind the glass walls with him. He cut out a door for her to slip through, her gentle body squeezing in. The glass stood tall, touches of them on the walls to remind him he wasn't stuck in there alone.

He thought she'd leave a long time ago, but here she was, twirling around in his arms in her white dress. The biggest smile he's ever felt across his lips. Their wedding was a tiny dance in their kitchen. Neither had a family to share the memory with. Wayne got a job and left Eddie behind. But Eddie was okay with it, now he had a wife to lie side by side with.

Eddie didn't know how to be a husband, and she didn't know how to be a wife. Both learn together with training wheels. But Eddie has never found himself happier. He still had his dream of leaving, which she supported. They'd run off together and Eddie would get his dream of being a rockstar.

~~~

Time flew, and before Eddie knew it, they were celebrating their third wedding anniversary.

Eddie was running a tad late to the house, stopping by the store to get flowers. He was buzzing with excitement. They saved enough to leave Hawkins forever, and he planned to share that news tonight.

Eddie drove home, a smile on his face as he passed the familiar streets.

The tiny restaurant he proposed at, he remembered how scared he was.

Eddie couldn't eat any of the food, the box in his pocket rubbing against his thigh. His nerves swimming in his stomach, he felt like everything he ever ate was going to come back up. She watched him worriedly as she sipped her wine. Her warm hand clenched his as she asked if he was alright. He smiled and said he was fine.

The sweat on his hairline as he took a deep breath. He reached into his pocket and slid off his chair. Dropping to his knee in front of her, kissing her left hand as he held it. He remembered the shocked look on her face, the tears that slid down her cheeks. The way he choked out the words through his own tears. "I've never had a home, just a roof over my head. I've never had love, just a piece of paper saying I was Wayne's. But now I found home and love in the same place. You are my home, and I learned what love felt like because of you. You are the only person in my life that hasn't left me behind. And I want you forever, us forever, and a home forever. I promise I'll give you a home, family, and the love you showed me."

Eddie wiped a silent tear that fell down his cheek, he smiled at the memory and kept driving. A few blocks down he saw the light post, a sting in his heart.

It was a stormy night, the rain poured and thunder cracked throughout the silence. He was running down the street, praying the rain covered his tears, and the thunder blocked out his sobs. Her feet pounding behind him, racing to catch up with him. Her hand reached out and grabbed his jacket.

"TALK TO ME!" she pleaded, her own tears flying down her face as she turned Eddie around. His eyes closed as he refused to look at her. He wanted to run away from the fight and hide from the consequences.

"Baby, please? It's me" She tried again. She wrapped her arms around him, their soaked clothes sticking to each other as he broke down in her arms. His legs gave out as dropped to his knees, and she sank down with him. Her touch never left his as she tangled her hand in his wet curls.

"Just please don't leave me. You are all I have. I know I fuck up a lot, I know I'm a mess and make it impossible to love me. Please don't give up on me."

"Oh Eddie, I'll never leave you. I love you so much, and we all make mistakes. You are my mess, and you are the only mess I'd ever want. I'd never give up on you, okay? I'm always going to love you."

Eddie kept on driving, his mind busy with the memories of her. He pulled into the driveway, a smile on his face as he held the flowers. He turned his key, walking into the house. He could smell the dinner on the stove, the soft music playing through the radio, but no sight of his wife. Eddie hummed as he put the flowers in a vase, setting it on the table.

"BABE?" Eddie yelled, he checked on the dinner before moving around the house. He wasn't sure where she was.

He headed to the bedroom, calling her again as he opened the door.

And there she was,

Standing in tight lingerie, red and black lace covering her chest and cunt. The rest of her skin showed off by the mesh. Her hair curled and messy, red lips smeared, and eyeliner sharp. Eddie thought his wife looked beautiful.

"I can explain!" She rushed out, Eddie's eyes moved away from her and settled on the man behind her.

Eddie felt his heart being torn into a thousand pieces. She reached out to him, her ring still on her finger. Eddie backed away, ignoring the hurt on her face as he tried to find the words. Eddie recognized the man, it was Y/N's boss. He couldn't say a word as her boss quickly ran out of the house.

"I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you." Y/N cried, the tears already falling as she grabbed Eddie's hand. But it was like her touch set him off. Yanked him back down to reality.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" he screamed, not a single part of him felt guilty as she jumped back. Her hands back to her own space as she nervously chewed on her nail.

"Please I can explain!"

"Explain what? I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING! I GAVE YOU FUCKING EVERY SINGLE THING I HAD!" Eddie screamed.

He's been burned so many times.

He's been left by so many people.

Just as he expected, the glass house shattered and he was cut by the shreds.

"How could you do this to me? In our bed? In our house? On our fucking anniversary?" Eddie was shooting off questions, and she didn't have any answers. She sobbed as he watched. He didn't know how to feel. It was like he didn't feel anything but anger.

He felt like he should be sad, and heartbroken. But he felt fire in his veins and wanted to hurt her way worse than she hurt him.

"I don't know! But Eddie, please. I'm so sorry, you have to believe me!" She pleaded, but Eddie wasn't having any of it.

"Believe you?" he scoffed, "BELIEVE YOU?" he repeated. "I SPENT ALL THESE YEARS BELIEVING YOU! WHEN YOU SAID YOU LOVE ME, WHEN YOU MARRIED ME, WHEN YOU PROMISED NEVER TO LEAVE OR HURT ME. ALL I DID WAS BELIEVE YOU. I should have known you were just like everyone else. What happened to you? What changed?" Eddie asked, he refused to let himself cry in front of her about it. He spent years refusing to cry over everything, but what was he supposed to do when his everything made him feel like nothing.

"I was unhappy with you, and I was stupid. It happened once then again and again. I know it doesn't make anything better, but he was never supposed to be here."

"Oh well thank you for that! I am so glad that you had the heart to cheat everywhere but our house." Eddie mocked, rolling his eyes.

"How were you unhappy? I did everything you wanted. I mean FUCK! WE STAYED HERE BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO. WE BOUGHT THIS HOUSE BECAUSE YOU WANTED IT. WE HAD THE WEDDING YOU WANTED. We were meant to leave Hawkins behind, and you told me you wanted to stay, and I did for you." Has Eddie explained everything more things were clicking in his head.

"When did you two start?" he asked, his eyes in slits as he glared over at her.

"I don't know. But it's the past! Please we can fix this. We can fix our marriage and have the family we always wanted. Please don't give up on us. Let me fix this." She cried as she clung to his arms desperately. Eddie could see the regret in her eyes, but he couldn't trust her.

"What’s the point of trying if it just proves that I’ll never be good enough? I've been trying ever since we met. I'm done trying because look where it got me. I gave up my dream in music just so you could stay here and why? For him? Because you picked that he was more important than my dream?"

"I didn't pick between you!" She tried to defend but Eddie just couldn't hold it in.

"YOU ALREADY PICKED HIM! You picked him the second you decided you wanted to stay here. We had a chance to run away like we always dreamed about. Then you changed your mind. You begged me to have our family here. But that's what you truly meant was it? You begged me to stay here so you didn't have to leave him. It wasn't about raising a family in the town I grew up in. It wasn't about the place we fell in love. It was about all about him. You are so fucking selfish. You made me give up everything so you could have it all, and that still wasn't enough. You played me stupid and made me stay here so you could continue your affair? I can't stand you." Eddie hissed. He was done, and the love he felt for her was not enough.

"You're right," she said quietly, "It was about him. I wanted to stay because I didn't want to lose that feeling. And I'm sorry I got caught up. It was just because it was new and exciting! I don't love him, not even close to the amount of love I have for you. I want you, and a family. You are way more important and I'm sorry I broke your heart. "She sobbed, her hands against his cheeks. He tried to hold back his tears but her soft touch reminded him of the love they had together. The nights they were tangled up and their hearts beat together. But broken hearts don't beat anymore.

"We're done," Eddie said, he stepped back and let a small tear fall.

"Eddie no." She pleaded but Eddie shook his head.

"The old you would have never done this to me. She actually loved me, and when she said it, she meant it. The girl I married meant it. You cheated because I made you unhappy? No, you cheated because you were unhappy with yourself. And that's not my godman fault."

"Excuse me?" She snapped, "Unhappy with myself? You aren't the only one that put work into this marriage. I dealt with assholes in high school for giving you a chance. I sacrificed my wedding because we couldn't afford anything. After all, your record stopped you from getting a job. Maybe I was unhappy because you held me back! Maybe I was unhappy because I busted my ass making money to pay all our bills while you tried to make a career happen from your band. Maybe I cheated because I wanted to be taken care of instead of taking care of you." She breathed heavily, her tears gone as she fumed.

"You are so two-faced. We had conversations about my band and your job. YOU TOLD ME TO WORK ON THE BAND AND YOU'LL COVER THE BILLS IN THE MEANTINE BECAUSE YOU WANTED ME TO DO WHAT I LOVED! You can't throw that in my face now. I offered to get a job, I told you I had connections in California for us, and none of that was good enough for you. You don't get to turn this all on me so you can keep your hands clean. I did everything you told me to do. We sleep side by side every night. If you were unhappy, you had every chance to say something. But that would mean you had to be the bad guy right? But don't worry about it. I won't hold you back. Go live out your house fantasy with your boss, fucking your way up to a promotion, and have him take care of you. See how far lust over love gets you."

Eddie was met with silence. He scoffed and began to pack his bags.

"Just going to leave?" She asked

He collected everything he had in a rush and grabbed his jar from the closet. He was going to make it with or without her.

"Yeah. Since we move on to new shiny things instead of talking things out." Eddie spat out.

"You really think you can do this on your own? You weren't good enough to make it in Hawkins, what makes you think you are good enough to make it in California?"

~~~

"Ladies and gentlemen, Eddie Munson."

Two years later, Eddie stood on a big stage. The crowd chanted his name as the spotlight blinded him from seeing the crowd. His guitar was in his hand and his new band was behind him.

The smile on his face never left. The California air swept across his forehead and he felt the breeze on his arms. The sound of the ocean echoed as he sang and the crowd sang along.

He didn't hold anyone back.

She held him back.

And leaving her was the best thing he ever did. He made it on his own because he was good enough. He was good enough to achieve his dream and damn good enough to be a star.

He struggled with love, and now he has thousands of people that love him all across the world. All these people that saved him, and some he saved right back.

He didn't struggle about being good enough because he was always good enough.

tags!

@bmunson86 @mxcheese @ladymunson @michaelfuckinglangdon @z0mbie-blah @biittersweet @mirrorsstuff @somethingvicked @micheledawn1975 @ago-godance @magnificantmermaid @tlclick73 @hargrovesswifee @cityofidek @manyfandomsfanvergentreblogs @silky-luxe @lokiofasgard616 @loving-and-dreaming @eddiemunsonsbitch69 @thegemaqua @ashlynnkennedy @strangerthingsstories5255 @harringt8ns @pleasinghellfire @whoscamila @stusdollface93 @gretavankleep37

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batty4steddie · 10 months ago

Text

Can I Keep It?

Chapter 2: Stupid Hunk

The early afternoon at Family Video was so boring. No one was coming in to rent or return movies. Steve had finished all the grunt work. Rentals that came back that morning were rewound if the customer hadn’t done it already. Everything had been put back in its place, and he had straightened up the store.

Usually, Steve enjoyed the free time getting paid to do nothing, but he was feeling listless about work and his love life.

Now, he was just leaning against the counter, playing with Eddie’s skull ring. He had been keeping it under the counter for when Eddie came back to return A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge or if he saw Dustin.

Steve found it fit perfectly on his ring finger and considered not giving it back.

He had a date tonight. He was taking Brenda to the basketball game. He wasn’t sure about her. She was gorgeous but even denser than him. Maybe it was the blonde box dye that had fried her brain.

The game was almost more exciting than the prospect of getting laid. He’d totally fucked up the year before and had lost state for Hawkins. It had been the cherry on top of not getting into college. Steve was looking forward to redemption for the team and a win for Sinclair.

When the phone rang, Steve answered it within a few rings. It was Dustin wanting him to come play D&D. Yeah, right. He would never socially recover from that.

Steve looked at the ring, spinning it around with his thumb. It chafed a little that Dustin thought he was jealous of Eddie. He absolutely was not. “I’m not cancelling my date with Bombshell Brenda. Sorry, Dustin. You and the freak can have fun without me.”

Steve was relieved when two hot customers walked in, giving him a reason to hang up.

Eddie sat on the bus. It was the last one running, and nobody else was on it except himself and the bus driver. He’d abandoned his van back at the trailer—too conspicuous. What happened was fucked. It was so fucked.

He made a noise of distress, picking his feet up off the ground and curling up into as small a ball as possible on the dirty carpeted seat. His eyes went glassy, locked wide in fright. The driver gave him a wary glance from his rearview mirror.

Twenty minutes later, Eddie had barely moved. The bus lurched to a stop, and the driver cleared his throat. “End of the line,” he said.

A few seconds passed. There was no motion from the back.

“Hey!” he said louder. “I said end of the line. You gotta get off, kid.”

That jolted Eddie. He stood on wooden legs and stumbled to the side door, pushing it open and stepping outside. The doors hissed closed, and the bus chugged away and turned around the corner, leaving him alone on the barren road.

There were no streetlights here. Nobody was around.

Eddie started walking briskly, glancing over his shoulder constantly.

When he reached a fork in the road, he stopped and stared into the depths of the woods. Cutting through it was the closest way to his dealer’s house. It was the only place he could go that he knew would be safe from the cops, who would no doubt be coming after him for the fucking death of Chrissy Cunningham. He didn’t know if it would be safe from whatever the fuck had attacked Chrissy.

Eddie stepped off the road and onto the dirt with a trembling breath.

The branches of the trees were long, spindly, and black. He should have heard the rustle of animals scurrying around and insects buzzing. He should have heard the wind off the lake. It was too quiet and too still. He could only hear his breath and the soft whimpers rising from his throat that he couldn’t control.

He started to run. He ran faster than he ever had before. He ran like somebody was chasing him because it felt that way. It felt like he was being watched, hunted.

His lungs gave out long before he did. Eddie was dripping sweat and heaving when he finally reached Rick’s place. The security light was on and casting a cold glow on the ground that wasn’t very welcoming, but at least he was out of the dark.

Eddie didn’t have a key to Rick’s house, and he didn’t want to break in and leave evidence that he was there or risk someone seeing him. A key to the boathouse was hidden in a flowerpot on the back windowsill. Eddie went around, grabbed it and jammed it in the door, having to try three times before he unlocked it because his hands were shaking so badly.

There was no light inside, except for the scant amount coming from the windows and the moon off the lake. Eddie whimpered again, every creak in the floor and every shadow on the walls making him jump.

“Fucking relax, you coward,” he said hoarsely. The volume of his voice almost made him jump, too.

Miracle of all miracles, he found a case of beer on one of the shelves. He drank two of them. It didn’t do much to calm him. Mostly, it just made him feel nauseous and dizzy.

He still saw Chrissy’s body levitating in the air, her bones cracking to unnatural angles, her eyes sucking back into the caverns of her skull.

Eddie climbed into the boat and curled up under the blue tarp, scrunching his eyes shut as he tried to force the images away. The tarp made crinkling noises as he continued to shake, but eventually, his breath slowed. The adrenaline crash hit him, and he passed out.

But he wasn’t out for long, plagued by nightmares that made him toss and turn in the boat, getting twisted up in the tarp. The third time he woke up screaming, he stopped trying to sleep.

Eddie didn’t do much of anything when morning came. He tried to calm himself by going outside and sitting on the dock. It was a sweet relief to feel the warmth and safety of the daylight, but since it was the weekend, there were people out boating, and he had to retreat to the darkness.

He looked through Rick’s things and took an inventory of everything there. Most of it was junk and fishing gear, but there was a first aid kit and some old food in a cooler he could survive on. He couldn’t risk going to a store. He should have packed a backpack, but he hadn’t prepared anything. All he did was run. All he did was leave Chrissy.

Eddie hacked open a can of expired SpaghettiOs when his stomach started cramping, scarfing them down ravenously and cutting his tongue on the jagged tin. He devoured a Big Hunk bar, saving the other two for later like they were precious gems.

Looking at them reminded him of the video store and Steve. To think, he had been worried about finishing his trig homework. When now… now , look where he was. Eddie buried his face in his hands with a hysterical laugh.

That night, Eddie started hallucinating. The isolation was getting to him.

Chrissy’s deformed body kept manifesting in different places. Once on the ceiling, another time in the boat with him under the tarp, and another time while he was outside taking a piss. She tried to talk to him, but her jaw was broken, so it came out like a long, guttural groan. Eddie had never started sobbing with his dick in his hand before. That was a first he wished never to repeat.

When the sun went down and the darkness hit yet again, Eddie was so delirious he could barely differentiate the floor from the ceiling. He heard voices yelling outside.

They sounded, strangely, like his Hellfire Club gang. That sounded like Dustin’s voice. But that couldn’t be. It was a trick. It wasn't real.

Eddie broke one of his empty beer bottles on the side of the boat and then jumped into it, hiding under the tarp.

So, not only had Steve’s date been a total flop, but he’d been roped into going to Lover’s Lake and aiding in the search and rescue mission of Eddie Munson.

He wasn’t sure that Eddie was innocent in all of this. Of course, Steve believed in all that constitutional shit—innocent until proven guilty—but the freak thing he couldn’t shake despite Eddie’s sweetness and sweet tooth he had witnessed the other night in the store.

Still, he didn’t put up too much of a fight. He’d help. He always helped.

When they arrived at the boat house on Lover’s Lake, Dustin rang the doorbell in quick succession. Steve was more than willing to walk away when they didn't get an answer—mainly because it was super spooky, and it felt like they shouldn’t be there.

Dustin wasn’t willing to give up that easily.

Something was trying to get Eddie. Poking, prodding—one smack would have landed right on the family jewels had it been just an inch to the left. Eddie remained silent as the voices continued. They changed to a buzzing drone that grew louder and louder in his ears.

The poking stopped.

Mustering a burst of courage, Eddie sprang out of the boat and backed his attacker up against the wall, shoving him there and pressing the jagged glass to his throat.

Steve couldn’t feel the pain. He was too frightened. He tried not to breathe because the broken glass was too close. His eyes were wide as he watched Eddie. Eddie tightened his grip, which scared him more, and it got harder for him to breathe. He couldn’t believe Eddie was about to stab him in the throat.

One second, Eddie was holding what seemed to be a normal person, then it was Chrissy and her black hole eyes, and then some indiscernible creature barring its teeth at him. He pressed the edges of the bottle harder against its neck until Dustin convinced him they were who they said they were.

A scent invaded Eddie’s nose. He smelled… coconut?

Everything came into better focus, along with the frightened expression on Steve’s face. Chrissy and the monster temporarily vanished. Eddie could feel the frantic pulse beating away in Steve’s neck under his fingers, but he was still suspicious and let them all know it.

It took some more convincing from Dustin, Robin, Steve, and the redhead, Max, whom Eddie recognized as Billy Hargrove’s sister, who had moved in next to them with her mom after Billy died in the mall fire.

Finally, Eddie let go.

He slowly slid down the wall. His hands were trembling again. Dustin reached out to take the bottle from him, face morphing into something sinister. Eddie flinched as it quickly disappeared, and he was just Dustin again, the goofy, smartass little sheep Eddie had herded into his D&D club.

Steve stuck his hand in his jacket pocket and gently thumbed Eddie’s ring, trying to calm down after all that. He didn’t feel like giving the ring back anymore. If Eddie knew he had it, there was a possibility he could think Steve had stolen it. Then maybe he actually would kill him.

Eventually, Steve calmed as the others got Eddie to tell them what had happened.

Eddie tried not to cry as he attempted to keep his fragile hold on reality. There was no way they'd believe him if he told them the truth. They would probably pretend they did, and then, as soon as they had his guard down, they would knock him out and take him straight to the police station.

His eyes went glassy again as he started telling them everything. Even the part where he was a fucking coward who ran.

Then he learned about the Upside Down.

Monsters were real. Monsters were actually real, and they were way less cool than they should have been. Eddie was still trying to wrap his head around it while the three questioned him.

Robin was watching him closely, and Eddie felt exposed. He had a real-life encounter with something otherworldly, and “run” had been his final choice. He’d failed, and the princess had died.

Nearly getting his throat slashed had shaken Steve up. After a little while, he felt grounded again. Especially once he heard what happened to Chrissy. He kept his arms crossed as he watched Eddie and listened to him tell them what happened.

It was harder to hear than he expected. What Eddie witnessed was brutal. There was literally nothing he could’ve done about it. He knew if it sounded this awful, seeing it in person must have been terrifying. Steve didn’t understand why Eddie was beating himself up for leaving her there. He didn’t know what it was, what it was capable of or if it was coming for him next.

That didn’t change the fact that he was suspect number one. Steve was glad they didn’t bring the police into this, even though he had suggested it earlier.

The sting of Dustin favoring Eddie over him lingered from earlier, but Steve chilled out. While it seemed like and felt like Eddie was going to kill him, he hadn’t, and he wouldn’t have killed Chrissy. He had been scared and was too sweet… like the candy he’d bought at the video store the other night. It was clear the Upside Down had gotten to her somehow in the form of a killer monster.

Now that they had found Eddie and figured out what had happened to Chrissy, they could make a plan. Unfortunately for Steve, the first plan involved babysitting, and this time, it wasn’t the kids.

They were leaving when Dustin asked Steve to stay with Eddie. “If I can’t stay, you should. Seriously though, fuck this. Mom will be fine. She won’t worry if I don’t come home for one measly night.”

That was a lie, and his shifty eyes said it all.

“Dustin, look, man… Eddie is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He has a weapon that he almost slit my throat with, remember? You think he needs a babysitter?” Steve shook his head. Technically, he was already babysitting Dustin and Max. He had to make sure they got home safe with this Vecna creep going around breaking people’s bones and killing them. “We can come back tomorrow. We’ll bring him some stuff he needs, like food and water. He can’t live off beer for long. Plus, we’re the only ones that know he’s here. He’s safe for now.”

Dustin accepted his no since Steve promised they’d come back. Part of Steve did feel bad for Eddie.

Eddie’s cheeks burnt as he overheard their conversation through the open door.

While he appreciated that Steve had saved face for him, it was humiliating for Dustin to suggest it. For a kid to think someone younger than him needed to keep watch over him. Babysitter? Fuck. Even worse, Eddie’s heart was pounding again, and his breath quickened because he was about to be alone again.

Robin was still watching him with her observant owl eyes. When he looked at her, she handed him her flashlight with a sympathetic smile before joining the group outside. Eddie clutched it too tightly and gave her a half-hearted salute, grateful for the small comfort.

After the door shut, he heard the engine rumble as the car started and the quiet as the noise moved further and further away.

“Don’t,” he told his tear ducts fiercely because they were welling up again. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

This was all just… way too fucking much.

Eddie returned to the boat with the flashlight, sitting cross-legged with it in his lap for a few long minutes as he got his sniffles under control. The flashlight flickered, making his heart flutter, but it stayed on after he smacked the base violently with his palm.

Steve seemed like a brave dude. Braver than him, at least, to have been dealing with this other world for so long, these real-life fucking monsters, all while he lived his everyday life and worked at the video store. He was more than just the vain bully of a jock Eddie had pegged him as. Maybe. He bet Steve wouldn’t have let Chrissy get put under a curse. He would have done something to stop that from happening to her.

Eddie picked up a Big Hunk bar and opened it, drowning his feelings in corn syrup and peanuts. “Stupid hunk,” he muttered, taking a big bite, “being all hunky and brave.”

Eddie finished the bar, throwing the wrapper overboard. His head suddenly dipped as exhaustion hit him. He was close to tipping over when he caught himself and cursed, forcing his eyes back open as the boat swayed on its chains.

He wondered if Steve would have stayed and kept him company if Eddie hadn’t almost killed him. It had been an accident, but he hadn’t apologized. Shit.

The next time Eddie’s head dipped, he fell back and let sleep take him.

Eddie jerked awake to noise from outside. He vaulted out of the boat, bottleneck clutched in his fist as he peered out the window, panting with adrenaline. It was light out again, so he had actually gotten some sleep, but he wasn’t focused on that. Someone or some thing was there. The floorboards creaked.

Or not.

His heart had barely slowed before the door clanged open, revealing Dustin, Steve, Robin and Max.

Eddie’s shoulders slumped. He glared balefully at them, but it didn’t last long because he was glad to see them. “Knock next time, or I won’t be tipping,” he told Dustin.

“Uh, I’ve earned a tip for stellar customer service with a smile, thank you. No take-backsies.”

Eddie cleared his throat as the munchkins started unloading the grocery bags and making themselves comfortable. He set down the broken bottle. Robin leaned against a steel shelf and looked out at the water, which was peacefully still without any wind.

Max opened a bag of chips, and Dustin scolded her as she shoved a handful in her mouth. “Those are for Eddie ,” he said, way too overprotectively if everyone’s expressions were anything to go by.

Max shrugged. “Eddie can share.”

“Course I can. I’m not a chip hog. Unless those are Bugles,” said Eddie. Putting Bugles on his fingers like claws was always a tasty and perfectly on-theme accessory for Hellfire nights.

Fuck, was he ever going to have one of those again?

"We got Buges!" Dustin said. He was already helping himself to the chips, arm stuck in the bag, while Max rolled her eyes at him.

Eddie was hungry, but there was something he had to do first. He reached into his pocket, sweaty hand wrapping around the wrapper of his last Big Hunk bar. It turned out the information he’d filed away about Steve liking them would come in handy now. Hopefully.

He nodded at Steve, stepping towards him while everyone was all distracted. He held the bar out as a peace offering. “Hey, dude, um. I’m sorry about last night. You know, the whole…” he trailed off, motioning towards Steve’s throat with his other hand.

Steve wasn’t expecting an apology from Eddie. Nearly getting attacked had left him full of adrenaline after he’d gotten home. It had taken a while to wind down and fall asleep, especially after Eddie had horrifyingly recalled what had happened to Chrissy. Steve hadn’t known what Eddie was capable of until he had been in the thick of it. Eddie was strong and very threatening. Getting an apology made Steve confident that Eddie didn’t have it in him to physically harm him or anyone else. He was probably all bark and no bite.

As Steve listened, he smiled a bit, remembering it almost fondly as he lightly touched his throat. He looked down as the apology hit him and made him bashful that he was even getting one.

“I was kinda worked up. Hadn’t slept much since Friday. Which is still not really an excuse, I know,” Eddie rambled, “So, just—”

This was going swell.

Steve gave a casual shrug of his shoulders and then looked back up to catch Eddie’s eyes.

“Sorry,” Eddie repeated, clapping Steve on the shoulder and giving it a warm squeeze.

It felt like Eddie was looking directly into his soul. Their eyes connected for an abnormally long beat. The intensity made Steve’s eyes drop to Eddie’s lips, and he immediately felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise just like they had when Eddie had the bottle to his throat.

Eddie’s stomach stole the show by rumbling like an angry bear, interrupting Steve’s weird physical reaction to the apology and touch. Steve nodded, understanding. “It’s cool,” he said, brushing it off. He had been over it after Eddie told them about Chrissy, anyway.

Eddie nodded, annoyed at his stomach for no discernable reason. Steve had accepted his Big Hunk and his apology.

Moving away, Eddie sat down and started ripping open the bag of cereal. The smell of the Honeycombs invaded his nose. He was shovelling them into his mouth between sips of sugary sweet Yoo-hoo when Dustin told him the bad news. He always went with the bad news first.

It didn’t surprise him that the police were looking for him and that he was the only suspect, but his lips still trembled, and his appetite vanished, a nauseous feeling replacing it.

The entire town would be lighting their torches and sharpening their pitchforks. Many people already had a problem with him, especially the members of the church, so hunting him down was going to be like Christmas morning for them. He didn’t see any way this could end well for him.

That was until Robin informed him that this wasn’t their first otherworldly rodeo. They had been through this kind of shit before.

Eddie glanced at everyone in the room, lingering on Steve until he nodded in confirmation.

Eddie's eyes bulged as they tried unsuccessfully to reassure him, and his eyebrows lifted. Jesus Christ. Right, there was nothing to worry about. Nothing whatsoever. And a girl with superpowers, so what? That was totally normal.

Sirens sounded nearby, making them all go on high alert.

“Tarp!” said Robin urgently. “Tarp, tarp!”

Eddie ducked under it, pulling it over himself. He clenched his eyes shut as they waited and whispered the chorus of Leper Messiah to calm his racing heart. “Time for lust, time for lie. Time to kiss your life goodbye...”

Fuck, this was it. He was going straight to the big house. He would be reunited with his dear old man, who would be thrilled to see him, especially after their last conversation where Eddie told him about his big plans. About how he was really going to buckle down, graduate school this year, and get his diploma. Hell, maybe even get into a college.

Dad had laughed his ass off, sporting a wide grin through the plexiglass. " You really think you can get into one of those smarty-pants schools?"

It was said with affection, which made it hurt even more.

Steve followed the others to the window as soon as Eddie was out of sight. He hung back slightly. They watched the cops speed right past the boathouse.

Once the sirens dissipated, Steve felt a slight sense of relief. Eddie was still wanted, but at least they wouldn’t have the police snooping around with him only hidden under a tarp. It was the most obvious hiding place. When Steve originally started poking around with the oar, it was clear to him then. Not only that, but Eddie’s broken bottle was no match for a policeman’s gun.

It was only a matter of time before someone else figured out he was hiding here at Reefer Rick’s. They had to prove Eddie’s innocence sooner rather than later. While Dustin made it sound totally plausible, they had a lot of work to do.

“They’re gone. For now,” Steve said, grabbing the top of the tarp. He pulled it back just enough to free Eddie’s face. He still looked terrified. That made him feel bad. Steve didn’t want to leave him here all alone again, so he thought quickly.

“We need to get you out of here,” he told Eddie. Steve’s house was in the direction of where the police were going. No one would expect Eddie to be there. “We’re going to take you to my house. My room is in the basement. My dad is out of town, and my mom is probably passed out on the couch. It’ll be easy to sneak you in. I do it all the time with my dates. What do you say?” Steve thought it was a pretty good idea.

Robin’s eyebrows slowly climbed into her hair. She gave Steve a peculiar look, unseen by Eddie.

Eddie’s brain was now short-circuiting from a completely different reason other than fear. Not even in his wildest dreams would he think he would be offered shelter from Steve Harrington. At the very most, he should have been offering Eddie a hiding place in his dusty pool shed or something—not in his very own, very personal bedroom in his basement.

Eddie’s stomach was unexpectedly flipping the fuck out as he looked up into Steve’s, also unexpectedly, kind brown eyes. “Um…I…are you—”

—really sure you want me there? He didn’t get to say because Dustin interrupted him, slapping Steve on the shoulder. “Great idea, Steve! Then we won’t have to ride out so long to bring him things.”

Robin’s eyebrows said it all. What was Steve thinking? She was surprised. Steve was, too. He had just invited Eddie to stay at his house… in his room.

Whatever, it wasn’t that big of a deal. And there was no taking it back now.

“Can we leave now?” Max asked. She was rubbing her temple, her forehead creasing like she was in pain.

Steve looked at Max. She had really been worrying him. It sounded like whatever had gotten Chrissy was after her now, too.

Eddie sat up quickly, moving the tarp off himself and jumping out of the boat so he didn’t miss his ride out of there. “Well, I’m not going to miss that thing one bit,” he said honestly. Anything would be an upgrade from the boat.

His mind was already off to the races. What would Steve’s bed be like? Hard? Pillowy soft? Would Eddie be sleeping on the floor? Maybe Steve had a couch in his bedroom. Rich people had other furniture in their bedrooms, right? Why would Steve’s mom be passed out in the middle of the day? How many dates did Steve sneak into his bedroom on a weekly basis? Why was Steve doing this for him?

Steve nodded, “Alright, let’s go. The quicker we get Eddie to my house, the quicker we can find out what the police are after.”

Steve led the way out of the boathouse. He got in the car first and waited for everyone else to pile in before starting it. As he backed up, he caught a glimpse of Eddie in his rearview mirror. He seemed less rattled, which made Steve feel better about his decision

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #steddie fic #steddiebang23 #gifs by me #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #stranger things edit

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witchlingcirce · 8 months ago

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🚨TEAM BLACK TRAILER & SPOILERS FOR HOTD🚨

Oh… MY…. GOD. This is literally all I could have asked for this is one of the best things I’ve seen in so long I’m so HYPED!!

This shot… I’m literally heart broken this 💔. This is obviously at Lucerys funeral and honestly it’s just…. TO MUCH. The tears in Jaces eyes, them burning Luke’s clothing because there wasn’t a body, baby Joffrey. This scene looks absolutely stunning but also so gut wrenching. I FEEL LIKE ILL DEFINITELY CRY 😭.

DRAGON TWINS DRAGON TWINS DRAGON TWINS DRAGON TWINS

Everyone knows that I manifested this, HARD. Whoever gave them a new, better wig bless you. To the person who actually put them into nice clothing, BLESS YOU TOO.

Baela is literally Laenas twin like… SHE LOOKS SO GOOD.

I’m so happy there finally getting more scenes and lines, I was praying for this. DRAGON TWINSSSS I LOVE YOUUUU

MOOOONNNNN DANCERRRREEEEEEREE

She looks almost exactly like what I imagine a young Vhagar would look like. VHAGER IS HER MUMMY CONFIRMED!!!

It’s hard to see in this particular shot but I do like that they kept her a paler green colouring!!!! I don’t think you guys understand how much I love moondancer. She like two moments in the book and I decided I would Stan forever.

BAELA TARGARYENNNNNNNN GETTING her own moment is something I am actually so hyped about, THATS MY WARRIOR PRINCESS.

You know I have a feeling that maybe after Rooks Rest and seeing what happens to a certain someone she mayyyyy cut her hair, like book Baela. Kind of like the thing, hair holds memories yk?

Cregan stark is NOT BLONDE WHO CHEEEEREEEEEDDDDDDDDDDD

I understand that the north storyline this season will probably only last three episodes max (damn you eight episodes)! NONETHELESS, I am beyond excited.

Can we talk about how Jacaerys is free from the ugly wig??? THANK THE HEAVENS!! There doing my boy right. Seeing him a decent amount in the trailer made me so hyped, I always thought he deserved to be seen more in the first season since YK, he’s the Heir’s heir (hahah) but I’m so glad there stepping up there game this season!!!

RHAENYRA RHAENYRA THE WOMAN YOU ARE! Whoever made her costumes and hair this season BLESS YOUR HEART.

I think it’s obvious she’s most likely wearing a Visenya braid and she is STANDING ON BUSINESS!

Before when I was talking about the posters I was discussing how it seemed that they gave her back her cunningness and determination from the books and I am SO HAPPY THEY DID. Because THAT is a queen of he seven kingdoms THATTTTTT is MY WOMANNNNN!!!!

Also this is a side note: but I like how she refers to Aegon as Alicent Hightower’s son, not her brother or half brother but as ALICENTS SON!!!! I feel like it probably has to do with them not being close, but it also it makes it feel like Rhaenyra doesn’t consider him a true son of Viserys. Very interesting, can’t wait for there beef to get more intense.

Rhaenyra… Rhaenyraaaas EMMA D’ARCY YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS PERSON. I’m in shock, whoever made there outfits this season did they GOOOOOODDDDDD

LOTS of theories on who’s she’s looking 🙉

1. Alicent Hightower

There was a bunch of leaks going around that there would be a final meeting between the two. I think this is an outfit that she wears in the earlier episodes so idkkk buttt If it Rhaenyra why are you looking at her like that… TOXIC YURI CONTINUES.

2. Mysaria

I feel it being Mysaria would be very interesting. Maybe it’s her pleading ‘loyalty’ towards Rhaenyra. And then later on (if there keeping it like how it is in the books) helping Daemon blah B&C.

This is Corlys definitely telling Rhaenys not to get involved and Rhaenys telling him she has to do what’s right for her house and what’s right for Baela and Rhaena 💔💔💔

THERE GOING TO BREAK UP MY HEART THIS SEASON.

Anyways guys I’m so excited, I’m so happy that there finally giving team blacks kids moments to shine and also letting Rhaenyra be book Rhaenyra… JUNE 16th can’t come sooner!

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bookshelf-dust · 2 years ago

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Hi! Different braces Anon but how would Eddie celebrate the reader getting her braces off?

freedom is sick.

eddie munson x gn!reader

word count: 415

warnings: swearing, slight innuendo at the end, fluff

a/n: hi sweetheart!! i decided to make this a little mini fic. i hope that’s okay with you!! i hope you like it. thank you for asking!! (also at the bit where he says “okay, look,” i kinda envisioned that being in the same tone as “you’re robbing me blind, here,” so i hope that gives you something to work with!!)

————

Eddie had insisted on retrieving you from your procedure to get the braces removed. You’d made it outside, zipping your jacket, as the breeze had picked up since you’d gone in.

His smile was contagious, and you felt your cheeks heat up in return. “Lemme see! Lemme see!” Eddie jumped up and down, wallet chain jingling with each movement, not caring that the lady across the parking lot was eyeing him funnily.

He brought his warm hands to your face, and you smiled for him. “See? You look gorgeous. They’re better than mine! I think I’m gonna pretend to be mad at you now.”

Yet he hadn’t. He’d taken you back to the trailer, settled you on the couch—only after he’d made you proudly show Wayne first, to which he said, “Good for you, kiddo. Just wear your retainer, unlike a certain dumbass I know.”

Eddie couldn’t have protested if he wanted. Wayne was right. He’d lost that shit years ago.

Eddie dumped a paper bag full of stuff on your lap, settling on his knees in front of you like a very excited toddler.

He raised his hands enthusiastically. “Okay, look. I got you all the shit you weren’t supposed to eat with those fuckers on. Picked your favorites. Whaddya think?”

You raked through the contents, spying a Laffy Taffy and a pack of Twizzlers, anything that had peanuts or something sticky inside. You grinned up at him.

“Why thank you, my lord. Wanna share with me?”

“Of course, my liege. If you think I’m gonna let you eat all the Tootsie Rolls, you’re out of your damn mind.”

Hours later, deep into a Simpson’s marathon, Wayne off to work, sick on sweets, Eddie turned to you, cheeks pink and hair awry.

“Freedom is sick, yeah?”

You smacked him on the chest. He sunk down dramatically into the couch, smushing wrappers as he went, and slipped onto the carpet below you. “Shit! Farewell my friend!”

He stuck his tongue out and everything as he assumed a classic, chalk-drawn dead body outline pose. You rolled your eyes, which he only caught because he was peeking at you.

“You eat me out of house and home, and this is what I get in return? Death by smacking?” Eddie tugged on your calf, raising his hands for assistance in getting up.

“Yep. I only want you for your candy.”

“Yeah?” You rolled your eyes again and shut him up by finding him the last pack of Skittles.

————

please let me know if you liked this! feedback is always appreciated!! comments and reblogs mean more than you know. <33

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie the banished #eddie stranger things #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson comfort #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson oneshot #savannah’s fics

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spectres-fulcrum · 10 months ago

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Now I have to jump from 1777 to ca. 333 BC cause apparently Netflix has an Alexander The Great half seriously acted/half docu series coming out Wednesday and Alexander the Great was my Thing sophomore year of high school(The trailer is EVERYTHING). They better do his relationship with Hephaestion right(queerly)

They were VERY in love and very obviously. Idk why it's a debate after anyone reads how Alexander reacted to Hephaestion's death(There's more but I can't remember atm)

We had an unit on ATG in World History and I wanted to google something in whatever documentary we were watching(I think it was Alexander and Hephaestion making an offering to Achilles and Patroclus) and it led me to finding out there was speculations Alex and Phai were queer and a thing and me just recently realizing I liked girls along with boys was really like. Obsessed.

That's me though. I find out things are queer and I get obsessed. I love non queer stuff too and get obsessed but. It's just like my new AmRev phase was ignited by the Hamilton-Laurens letters that are sus as fuck. Sus as fuck as I'm like yet to find a reasonable het explanation as to why Laurens was encouraging Hammie to find a wife as a cure for his devotion to Laurens.

Under the cut is more me unlocking more memories

Of course, I watched the 2004 Alexander, with Colin Farrell and Jared Leto. They are still my celebrity conspiracy theory of they fell in love during filming and had an on and off thing for a few years and it crashed and burned(That's a very very very long essay spanning several albums because Jared Leto is still clearly extremely fucked up by it see: Never Not Love You but also Love These Days). The Babylon balcony scene was gorgeous! And I loved the flashback to Aristotle teaching all the boys. And we at least got Princess Barsine-Stateira even if we didn't get the rest of the family. For books I think The Conqueror's Wife was my favorite as I loved writing from Drypetis' pov(Hephaestion's wife, Darius' daughter. I headcanoned Bagoas as her best friend though and they were all very poly and friends besides Roxana. I was probably too mean to Roxana looking back) and she was a narrator for that book. I remember reading it on a trip down to the German Christmas market. My teacher always splurged for coach buses so it was an extra nice bus ride read. That was senior year though, when it came out. I still had nook back then, not kindle.

I think our ATG unit coincided with state testing week which is part of why we watched a documentary because my history teacher knew we'd be frazzled and classes were all messed up with that week. not that it matters but it's also is like. Placing things.

Looking at the character list on IMDB(assuming it's legit) I'm like some of these people I need reminders but I'm also like Memnon! (There was an AlexPhai fic where Memnon kidnapped Phai and they grew fond of each other) Ptolemy! Queen Stateira! Hephaestion! And once I gave it some thought I was like X and Y were Phillip's generation and didn't Z kill Darius?

Yep. I need to do some review tomorrow though. God it's gonna feel good. Honestly the trailer was so exciting I was like Alexander! Phillip's death! Darius! Darius with Stateira! IS THAT SISYGAMBIS!?!?!?!?!? (IDK but I'm gonna freak if we get Sisygambis. What if we get precious little Ochus? Drypetis? Bagoas? Please at least give us the canon queer kiss with Bagoas)

#alexander the great #one of my many alexander loves #unlocking some bre lore #alexander the great netflix #I could still make a list of characters I want #I will go to the grave defending bisexual Alexander the great #It is a fact

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observeowl · 1 year ago

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Back up plan part 1 S.J

Scarlett Johansson x reader

Summary: You bring Scarlett on a date

Part 2 Part 3

You: Are you free on Thursday 7pm?

Scarlett: I should be. Why?

You: Because I am going to kidnap you! Of course to bring you out on a date, dumbass.

Scarlett: Keep calling me that and you won't get your date.

You: Sorry... So 7pm? I'll pick you up.

Scarlett: See you. x

I got ready to pick up Scarlett from her house. I parked right in front of her house and since I was early, I waited at her front porch. I was about 5 minutes early and I didn't dare to knock on her door. What if Scarlett is not ready? I don't want to rush her. I spent the 5 minutes scrolling through my phone, glancing at the time every minute.

Finally the 5 minutes passed and I took a deep breath before raising my hand to knock on her door. Why am I so nervous? This is not my first time asking her out on a date. Just as my hand was about to land on her door, the door swung open causing me to stumble.

"Woah. You don't have to fall for me each time." Scarlett chuckled.

"What?" I steadied myself.

"I saw you through the security camera that you were waiting outside my porch." Scarlett continued.

"And you let me wait there?"

"That's for calling me a dumbass."

"I said I was sorry." I pouted. I proceeded to look at what she's wearing, she looks good in everything but she looks gorgeous today. But there was one problem.

"I was planning to bring you on a walk. Are you sure you want to wear this?" I pointed to her heels.

"I felt like wearing it."

"Okay." I wasn't going to argue with her about it since I know she isn't going to change. "Let's go, I made a reservation." I opened the passenger side car door for her.

We arrived at the restaurant and ordered our food. I listened as Scarlett talked about her recent shoot. All the funny behind the scenes actions and how sometimes she would mess up her lines and could never get them right. What she did during her free time. How Chris Evans would always come to her trailer to bother her but she secretly enjoys it.

"He kind of keeps me up to date with social media." Suddenly she quiets down.

"Scarlett?"

"How come you never tell me anything about you?"

I froze. "I don't think my company's imports and exports would be exciting for you."

"It does. I want to know everything about you." She held my hand.

"But I don't know how much I can tell you because of client's confidentiality." I paused. "But I can tell you how it frustrates me." I joked.

"Tell me."

I told her how some clients would take very long to reply with the documents I needed, but would complain when their order didn't reach on time. It's not my fault I can't process your order because you didn't give me the info I need. And when a client complains, my boss comes and finds me and I have to work overtime.

"Sounds like you have a tough job."

"Definitely not as fun as yours."

"You can follow me to set when you are free."

"If I have time." I got up and paid for the food before leaving together.

"So where are we going for a walk?" Scarlett asked.

"You'll know when we get there."

I brought Scarlett to an observatory tower. It was not a popular place so there was nobody around to bother us. I am glad today has a clear sky otherwise it would be a fluke to bring her here. We got to the top floor and enjoy the silence as I showed her the constellations.

"I thought you said we were going for a walk." Scarlett questioned at the scene that doesn't seem fit for a walk.

"Yeah, but you're wearing heels."

"Knowing you, you have other backup plans. What was it?"

I sighed. "I have a pair of spare shoes in my boot but it wouldn't match with what you are wearing."

"And this place?"

"I wanted to bring you to see the stars at a nearby hill but I detoured here instead."

I pointed to her the constellations, Sagittarius, Virgo, Gemini and Orion. I didn't manage to identify all of them so I only showed her those that I know. The announcement sounded that they were closing the observatory and we had to leave. I packed up and drove Scarlett back to her house.

"Do you want to stay over?" Scarlett asked as I dropped her off at her house.

"Scarlett..." I looked at her.

"You're leaving again. You never ask me on a date unless you are leaving."

"I'm sorry."

"How long?" She questioned.

"Three months." I answered.

"I thought being an actress has to travel around a lot. I didn't think importing and exporting meant travelling overseas too."

"I love you, you know that right?" I paused. "And because of that, I'm going to stay. I'm going to ask my friend to send me my luggage at the airport tomorrow."

"Really?" Scarlett brightens up her face. I nodded my head.

"I always have a backup plan."

#scarlett x reader #scarlett x you #scarlett johansson #scarlett x y/n

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shivasdarknight · 1 year ago

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so yeah, i havent watched either dawntrail trailer 🤷

idk im finding it kinda hard to get excited about it at the constant reminders that they fridged one of their best and relevant characters back in azys lla, the clumsy handling of the void, the rancidly misogynistic shit in pandae, the solely white examples for the new lighting engine, the telling lack of info regarding femhroths that just screams disinterest because women, how absolutely terrible this could go because No i Do Not want road to el dorado references because idc if you guys are endeared to it that shit was racist

like on a more serious note, how am i supposed to get excited about an expansion where our summer vacation is getting mixed in with a different nation's political affairs when we're mostly fantasy europeans (excluding the variable of the wol but even then most are white eorzeans) and tural is fantasy mesoamerica. how am i supposed to be excited about this touristy angle when tourism is a major facet of colonization, especially when it regards the cultures that this region is based in. so framing you getting mixed up in yet another rite of succession from a culture you - in all likelihood - are not affiliated with as a summer vacation is just. it's deeply uncomfortable and it's hard to feel excited about this - especially with their history, continued bullshit, and refusal to remove egregious stuff like the "new world" set or the far northern attire.

idk. i wanna be wrong, but it's hard to be excited when the continuation of stuff they're Saying they'll address is right in front of us. the au ra showcased were pasty with blond hair and im p sure blue eyes and it was raen, not xaela - are they really that allergic to anything darker than a light tan? locations gorgeous, but I still see gifs everywhere of meteor fighting that mamool'ja leader - what happened to portraying them as people and not as monsters to take down? i only know that mamool ja's station because i know who the mamool ja are and the significance of large, two-headed ones. to most, that looks like a run of the mill dungeon boss since there Is a mamool ja boss, and the framing is similar to any number of inhuman adversaries shown in previous trailers. but if they're doing better about cultural sensitivity, then why did they make a member of their indigenous stand-in group be the big enemy for meteor to showcase Viper combat against? i really hope that - contextually - it's not something bad, but out of context it really just looks like taking down a big reptile monster which isnt great when that's your indigenous stand-in that's been portrayed like SHIT since ARR and hasn't had the same redeeming grace as the majority tribes - because where the amalj'aa are characterized by military strength and the noble savage trope, the mamool ja are portrayed as spineless mercenaries and sexual creeps. if we're in the mamool ja reframing expac, why does the trailer showcase that.

god dammit. i want to be wrong!!! i want to be overreacting because this would suck if true but their history doesnt give much confidence that they'll do better, and their current actions - the tourism angle, the lack of info with femhroths, the lighting engine - arent much to be confident about either!!

i wanna be wrong so fucking badly but i dont trust this team as far as i can throw them.

#original #ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #i havent trusted them since hvw tbh.#hard to get excited when your investment died stupidly in hvw and then just was never mentioned again while men w less screen time sure #got mentioned and memorialized n whatever #kinda hard to not see this as another chance to just yknow. bury the fact they fucked up severely with ysayle with the horrible sexist #excuse and then just act like nothing happened #but zenos can come back to life because fake echo and she cant despite real echo?#fuck off #im enjoying my fanfics more rn idk #i dont want this to be ffxiv colonizer expac 2.#but it's looking like it

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moonlightrift · 1 year ago

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Fortnite Wilds - First Impressions

Loot pool is a STRONG improvement over MEGAs. While I hope we get some kind of mobility item later in the season, the current guns feel like they fit the theme a lot more, and none of them feel too strong or weak. This opinion may change given more time.

The new biome is GORGEOUS. I was really worried from the trailers and screenshots that it'd lack a strong visual identity, and that it'd all end up being that same overgrown temple look. I'm so glad it isn't just that. The new walkable canopy is going to lead to some insane fights in Zero Build, the prop density is insane, there's so many plants and trees making the biome feel properly lush. One of my complaints with the Neo Tokyo biome is that while the POIs were gorgeous, it felt really empty, and there wasn't enough making it stand out from the rest of the map. This biome avoids that problem, the terrain style, plants, etc, all are extremely differnet.

The lore. I'll keep quiet on this because no one wants to hear me nerd out but we're so back chat. I'm actually feeling the fires of speculation burning within me once again, which I haven't felt since Chapter 3 ended.

I've been far more critical of Chapter 4's visuals then most people, but with the new biome, the storm being purple again, the improved volumetric cloud systems (the storm looks terrifying,) it feels more cohesive. I certainly still have some problems, namely the trees, and lack of foliage, but I'm feeling it.

The new mechanics feel really solid. The vines you can grind on feel far more purposefully placed then the grind rails. They'll get you to a good vantage point, or across the biome. The mud makes sliding far quicker, which is great for mobility. The new plants make exploring the biome interesting, especially when you're low on shields. The new vaults seem.. weird, I need to mess with them more.

New augments feel good to use, the current augments list feels great to use, no filler ones. Hope to continue seeing useful and unique ones.

There's a list of new items that look to release this season, and unlike last season, they're not basically all collabs! One thing I'm really excited for is the synergy between the cloaking item and the Thermal DMR. It gives a GOOD REASON to pick up the item, beyond just enjoy how it plays. I love stuff like that, and I wish it was more common.

Job boards are cool.

Negatives:

My frames are so bad bro, constant dips from 60 to the 20s. :skull:

Chances are, we'll get very little map changes again, which kinda sucks.

The Kinetic Boomerang seems, okay? No mobility attached, nothing that really makes it stand out, beyond the fact you don't need to aim.

I've not seen any raptors despite them being one of the advertised features. Might just be me, maybe they don't spawn in the Jungle, for.. some rason.

I'm just not feeling the Battle Pass. I like one skin and set, and that's about it.

Wildwasp's seem completely useless, just like fireflies.

WHY IS SLONE ITEM SHOP GRAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

Losing the Auto Aim Pistol and Shield Kegs sucks, the first was one of the most unique items added in ages, and the other was great for squads.

The lack of any major movement / game feature this season is unfortunate, I was really hoping we'd see one of the leaked features such as First Person, Wall Running, or Hill Climbing releasing. The last one would fit really well with the crumbling item vibe.

There weren't enough unvaults. Things like the Flintknock, Infantry Rifle, etc. would fit perfectly this season. The fact they weren't included makes me really sad. I'm really afraid I'll burnout on the lootpool quick like last season.

Still no LTMs :lunadepressed:

I really should've wrote down notes while playing, cause it was a struggle remembering what I did and did not like. Despite it seeming like there's more negatives, I'm actually feeling really great about the season so far. I think it's gonna be be far better than MEGA was for me.

This is the most excited I've felt about Fortnite since early Chapter 4.

8/10, I hope the rest of the season is as great.

..I need to check out the lighting as well, it looked really foggy and weird in the jungle biome, and I need to know if the rest of the map is like that, or if they fucked with my precious volumetric lighting. We'll see!

#fortnite #fortnite lore #fortnite fans follow me fr #fortnite wilds #fortnite battle royale #fnbr #fortnite br #SLONE IS FUCKING BACK #AND THERE'S SO MUCH LORE AND MYSTERY I'M SO EXCITED #SLONE SEEMS TO HAVE LEFT THE IO???#WE'RE SO BACK CHAT #THE VOLUMETRIC CLOUDS ARE EVEN PRETTIER TOO #GRAHHHH IM SO PUMPED FOR NEW LORE

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nevergonnasimpyoumikey · 11 months ago

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What did you think of that GTA trailer???

I loved it! Looks amazing, obviously, the color and the different sceneries... So gorgeous! I already love Lucia and Jason (hot hot hot hot), can't wait to see how their story goes but the trailer song is giving me some ideas:

There was a girl I knew / She said she cared about me / She tried to make my world / The way she thought it should be / Yeah, we were desperate then / To have each other to hold / But love / Is a long, long road

Kinda hoping for some "Lucia corrupting Jason" arc??? 👁👄👁 Since she seems more dominant based on the "Trust?" "Trust." scene which had me !!!!!! btw. I know I'm easy but I don't care, I loveeeee strong character relationships and if they can just bring that enough in the actual game too, it'll be so good. I'm a sucker for difficult love stories and I'm so excited, I hope it's a really strong part of the game with maybe multiple choices on how it's gonna end.

Also Lucia going to prison in the middle of the story instead of starting from there, which is kinda traditional for GTA, would be so cool! I'd love a few prison missions.

I'm a bit sad that the rumor about it being set in the 80s wasn't true because my nostalgic ass would have loved that, but then again, there's so many current day phenomena for R* to parody that I'm okay with this :D Just as it's fun to rewatch V laughing at 2010 things like hipsters and hating hipsters, in 2030 I will watch back at VI making fun of something that won't be relevant at all anymorr. :D There’s a charm to that, the games being portrayals of their time. Even small things like playing IV and taking Niko to an internet café is so stupidly amazing to me. :"DD

Going a bit off-topic here but all this being said, I'm seeing a lot of negativity about a new game being released and "V being forgotten" which makes me a bit sad :D I guess the difference is if you're a fan of the series or just one of the games, and I'm very much a fan of the whole series — the style, the way there are nods to the other games, sometimes the stories woven together so perfectly (for example Catalina, or IV/TLAD/TBOGT diamond story line). I'd say give all the other games a chance too and don't just get stuck on one of them, there's amazing stories and characters in all of the games!

But I get it, change is scary, and yeah, the older games don't get as much attention as the newer ones, so I guess some fans are panicking about their favorite now being treated like the other games? But like... fandoms don't die as long as there's fans, so just keep doing what makes you happy and there'll be others who do the same. IV fandom is going strong after 15 years despite there being a newer game just because the love for the story and the characters is so strong, why would it not be the case for V?

I know the heartbreak of V will stay with me forever, the themes of the game will affect my writing forever, and if I just can, I would like to keep creating for the characters for years more. I rarely forget a fandom anyway but V is still so strong in me even though my writing and "online presence" has slowed down because of life being shit sometimes. But I'm also really very excited for VI and more iconic characters and the fics and the art and new people loving the series and THE ZINES (we gotta do a zine or two!!!) and everything, and I just wish I can have other people excited around me, so... please come fangirl with me 🥹🥹🥹

#Thanks for the question and sorry for the ramble XD #It's been a REALLY rough couple of days but it's helping to focus on something nice 🥹

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mamthew · 2 years ago

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When Harvestella was first announced, I was surprised by how excited I was for it. I don't even play farming sims, and I've had more criticism than praise for Square Enix side projects like Bravely Default and ESPECIALLY Octopath Traveler, but the trailer was so reminscient of Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles that I couldn't help but eagerly anticipate it. The idea of a fifth season of death that kills crops, forcing adventurers to venture outside in search of a way to stop it had the potential to give this farming sim as potent a sense of urgent melancholy as miasma had done for FFCC, and I've yearned for some kind of aesthetic successor to that game for nearly as long as I've been playing video games, with little luck. The game's action combat and use of huge crystals as setpieces further cemented in my mind that the two games were alike.

Harvestella isn't like Crystal Chronicles. It's not like Bravely Default, or Octopath Traveler. Hell, it's not even developed by Square Enix. The developers, Live Wire Inc, cut their teeth on shoot 'em up ports until 2021, when they released a sidescrolling Dark Fantasy action RPG they co-developed under a small publisher. Harvestella might be published by Square, then, but it is not to my mind A Square Game. It doesn't feel like it's trying to be the contemporary version of an old Square property the way much of Square's smaller output does. It feels like an indie game. Harvestella is best thought of as a passion project by some folks who didn't really have the budget to make something as lavish as their ideas deserved but did have some really talented artists who were able to smooth over some of the rough edges with some absolutely gorgeous visual art, one of the best RPG soundtracks in years, and a thoughtful and complex story.

Harvestella is an overly-simple action-RPG and also an overly-simple farming sim with an absolutely bonkers story that has absolutely nothing to do with farming. It's missing a lot of features that are expected in its genres. Its tutorials in some areas are close to useless, there's no way to see how much money a product will sell for until it's been sold - which is uhhhhhhh not great in a genre about simulating mercantilism, its combat never reaches a point where it feels complex or even good, its farm customization options are too basic for your farm to ever really feel like your own, and it has no romance options. None of these are dealbreakers for me - obviously, as I put over 90 hours into the game - but they're not great issues to have, either. Also, the game simultaneously has too much voice acting and not enough. Almost none of the dialogue is voiced, but characters have lines in battle and while you're farming, and the delivery for those lines ranges from just good enough to abysmal. A voice line kicks in every single time you perform any farming action, and for some reason all those lines are done in a really grating falsetto stage whisper that makes the game actively embarrassing to play. Frankly, I don't think the game is worth $60. It clearly wasn't budgeted like a AAA game. Lots of love and talent went into it, but that's true of plenty of $30-$40 games. I came away from Harvestella feeling like I'd played an indie game that industry giant Square Enix pretended was something else. But that's not the fault of Harvestella or its devs - that's Square's fault.

I want to get into story spoilers next, because the themes and philosophies of Harvestella are unique enough that I was baffled by most of the game's story decisions for over half the game, before they made it clear what they were getting at, exactly. Honestly, what Harvestella is trying to say is probably the most interesting thing about it, in a way that reminds me of Legend of Mana, which is high praise. Harvestella is a game about cultural constructs and societal collapse. For a time, I was describing the game as "post-truth," and I still think that's accurate, but not exactly in a conservative way. The first two-thirds of the story felt impenetrable for this reason. It kept making story decisions that were directly counter to the decisions that I'm used to RPGs making.

For example, one party member is a high-ranking church official, but when she joins the party, she learns that the church leader, who adopted her as a child and took her into the church, is a literal monster who has been using his position in the church to eat adherents. Pretty standard RPG fare. In the party member's side story, she learns that the church's doctrine itself was created by an AI. A robot was tasked with keeping humans from fighting each other too much and decided the most effective way of doing so was to procedurally generate a holy book using texts like the Bible and the Koran as inspirations. In most games of this kind, when the characters learn that a church's foundational history is entirely fabricated and its clergy has been engaging in murdering innocents, the characters then fight to dismantle the church. Here, though, the character decides that the good of the church, even if it is based on lies, outweighs the harm it has inflicted, and places herself as the church's leader and central figure so she can better control it as a force for good. She says she does this to "fight the status quo."

In another character quest, a character learns that his memories about the royal family he serves are all fabricated, as the family doesn't actually exist. When he confronts the robot who created his memories, the robot tells him that the species that created it had gone extinct before it was ever given consciousness, and it decided that carrying out orders for a fake master you vividly remember is better than the hell of doing the same for a real master that you have never met and never will meet. with this in mind, the character decides to keep and cherish his false memories. Moments like these gave me whiplash, and I talked to anyone who would listen about how strange the game's decisions were.

It's only in the last third of the game that these themes about pushing back against what's true and inconvenient in favor of what's imagined but comforting begin to coalesce into something interesting and worth engaging with. I won't get into all the details, but like most RPGs, Harvestella is a game about the coming climate crisis. It is revealed partway in that Harvestella takes place two millennia in the future, after humanity went extinct and new humans evolved to take their place through sci-fi means that don't really matter. The people of our time had tried desperately to flatten the differences between humans and drive cooperation in the face of climate disaster. When the internet failed, they developed technology to push the continents back together into a Pangaea, hoping that proximity would foster understanding. When that failed, scientists created a telepathic machine that could read the thought patterns of the entire population - essentially an artificial collective unconscious - so they could discover some kind of consensus they could build on. The only consensus the machine could find, in the face of seemingly inescapable societal and environmental collapse, was a belief that there was no chance of a future. People feared the existence of human diversity, fell back on nostalgia for an idealized past, and in doing so had unintentionally formed a death cult - essentially, they had embraced fascism.

Quietus, the season of death, was created by this artificial collective unconscious to grant humanity's shared wish for an apocalypse. The game uses its theme of illusions versus the truth to argue that while the logical course of action in the face of dire news and statistics is to accept that the odds of surviving and building a better world are infinitesimally small, we have to ignore the facts and push on to survive and build that better world regardless, because there's no chance of it happening if we give up at the starting gate. It's remarkably similar to FFXIV Endwalker's dichotomy of despair versus hope and message that forcing ourselves to feel a false hope just to stave off despair is better than allowing ourselves to despair and therefore not even trying to fix things. Even Harvestella's final boss is very reminiscent of FFXIV's Endsinger boss in theming and design. Which I don't mind and don't really think is a case of one developer copying the other; this stuff is just on everyone's minds lately.

When I first began describing Harvestella as "post-truth," I did so entirely as a comparison to the rise in political lies spread and accepted by the right-wing that has been widely discussed since the beginning of the Trump era. As the game justified its theming, however, I found myself beginning to want to embrace "post-truth" as a much broader and even somewhat positive characteristic of our era. We're quickly reaching a point where believing that there can be a future at all is a lie we knowingly tell ourselves, which was the point Harvestella makes. But in a time where we are becoming increasingly aware of the presence of hegemonic narratives influencing our perceptions of reality, just pushing back against those narratives can be, to an extent, post-truth. Harvestella has almost no character creation options, but it does allow the player to choose body type, voice, and pronouns entirely independently of each other. I'd originally seen this as a nice little addition to a game in a genre that often does embrace queerness, but now I'm starting to view it as an opening manifesto. From a certain point of view, queerness is a sort of engagement in post-truth. We all are who we say we are, hegemonic narratives be damned.

The secret class you earn in Harvestella for building up your farm enough is the Aristotle, a kind of mage that can fight using the four classical - or Aristotelian - elements, fire, water, wind, and earth, which pop up throughout the game. One character from our own time finds everyone's acceptance of the classical elements frustrating when she knows about the existence of the periodic table. But because she's in a world where people only know of four elements, those elements function as the philosopher Aristotle had theorized they had. Even after your protagonist learns that there is a far greater range to science than their society has learned, they are an Aristotle anyway, drawing energy from only four elements and using that energy to cast powerful magic. Our hegemonic narratives may limit our scope, but as a bloc, we have the power to shape those narratives and change the scope. Our collective imagination can construct Truth, which is an incomprehensible amount of power that's mostly been used to oppress and harm, but we could, in theory, turn around and use for good.

I'm not sure where the line is - if there is one at all - where postmodernity ends and this post-truth begins, but I'm starting to begin to think of things in those terms. I think there's some real potential in exploring the limits and capacity of this framework, and I guess I have a simple farming sim and a simple RPG to thank.

So, Harvestella. It's an overpriced, low-budget but pretty little game with some cringeworthy voice lines, some fun farming, and a story that's possibly impacted how I think about the world from here on out. 7/10.

#harvestella #square enix

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lovecanbesostrange · 1 year ago

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*nasal voice* as an artist: movie ask 3! also 5 and 11 (bc I, too, love me some "problematic" tropes sometimes)

3. Post a screenshot and ramble on about why this one frame visually appeals to you (colors, blocking, expression, set decoration whatever).

omg this question is so hard. It could be random, like pick the last movie, take a screen, write. But I ended up clicking through dozens of films, watching a lot of fav moments. From Firth & Moore on the carpet in A Single Man, to Ken Watanabe standing in front of Godzilla in G:KotM, then the whole ending to Midsommar, had a quick cry about seeing the hanging shoes in Jojo Rabbit, looked at the way Amy returns in Gone Girl, that shot through the bars in Hustlers, or all the gorgeous bizarre shots that make up Annihilation, also I went through the whole of Fox' X-Men franchise, because I have so many moments I cherish (it is the best superhero franchise as a whole, even though the parts alone are mostly just mediocre, the sum of it is amazing)... then I was downstairs for a snack and a tv spot reminded me that Cruella exists, so I cave with this one:

You hear the name Cruella and what do you think about? Dalmatians and a black&white theme. With the fur she wants and the hair she has. And then this movie gives us a theme party. And it is very, very important that everything is strictly black and white only. It's a whole thing. Except Cruella has a plan and she's gonna be a distraction. She is disruption. She will make everybody look. With the color red. And I am here for it!

This moment was in all the trailers, you know it's coming. Yet while watching I'm always excited nearing this fabulous entrance. And it's not the effect of how she gets rid of her white coat with the flame, it's the absolute contrast to everything around her. Perfectly framed in... a door frame. An entrance for the ages. Introducing herself. Introducing the alter ego. The different persona. I am so here for that.

The whole film is about style. The visuals are gorgeous, the music filling the rest of the mood. This is what movies are for! Colored pictures in motion with sound - to invoke feelings. And here you know something big is happening. There is a stage set. It's all planned. In-story for the characters and for the viewers watching the screen.

There is nothing new or super groundbreaking. It's all about using well known tools in an effective way. And it tells us something about the character. Ella is used to being in the background, while dreaming about fashion she tries hard to not stand out (that would interfere with her little criminal endeavours and get unwanted attention for sure). But this is the birth of Cruella on the scene. Bold. Loud. Drawing all eyes on her. (And also startling people, because being a bit scary is fine.)

*chef's kiss* Sometimes a little bit of flair is all I need. Not even attached to any emotional outburst. Can we just applaud films for using the full spectrum of the medium for its own sake every once in a while, just to entertain?!

5. A character who deserves their own spin-off.

The very obvious, tumblr-friendly answer: Riley Johnson (Aubrey Plaza) from Happiest Season. Show me her life, show me she's good at her work and give me some fun disaster dates she goes on, trying to find somebody a bit more longterm. Witty, forgiving, a bit guarded and then opening up in a non tragic way. Hmm, sadly that's it. I don't even have fancasts for a row dates or anything. Just give me romcom fun with a dash of that specific Plaza-charme. (Not against reuniting her with Rachel Keller from Legion.)

11. A trope or setting you know is mishandled a lot and carries a huge problematic/toxic burden, yet you do enjoy it?

I am highly aware how terrible representation and portrayal of anything mental health/illness related films (and tv) overall are. Especially how most people are not knife wielding dangers to the general public. I am very much about treating people with dignity and respect, not judging but helping. I have seen/experienced things, I know reality.

However horror (next to sci-fi) is my fav genre. And you give me a movie that starts with "in a mental asylum", I'm in. Be it A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 with teens thrown in a hospital (despite telling the truth and not self-harming) or Grave Encounters with supernatural shenanigans in a former bad place. I love M. Night Shyamalan's Split, because James McAvoy plays all those personalities so well. Nobody ever should think about that film when talking about actual disassociative identity disorder!

We need to have that conversation about demonizing mental illness. But yes, here I sit being audience for horror films using it as a gimmick (always glad when it leans into supernatural territory).

I am also absolutely the audience for films like Girl, Interrupted or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Both dvds are on the shelf. Great films. But sometimes I just want John Carpenter's The Ward or plain old Psycho. A film like The Babadook working with metaphors for deep dark soul dives isn't exactly an easy watch, so I'll take some "criminally insane" slashers as well.

#myfawnwy #in the memetime #no really I spent way too much time of my day today watching X-Men scenes and then not talking about any of it...

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astralartefact · 1 year ago

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dawntrail fanfest thoughts (& prayers) Part II London

(Part I >> here)

Pour one out for Krile, I miss her.

My opinion hasn't really changed so far, still pretty optimistic over here. I didn't really get anything I really wanted (except for one thing, we'll get to it), but the things I didn't really like weren't catastrophic either, so... Let's just get into it.

Viper I don't know if I like this more or less than I would have liked Corsair (which I wouldn't have liked bc I think pirates are boring). I like the concept of the two combined swords and I think it could look very flashy, but from what I've seen so far I'm not particularly interested, the in-game job trailer really didn't do anything for me.

I guess it's because this job seems very very FF16 to me but in a bad way. Lore and Realism but with fantasy fire effects just doesn't really make for an iconic aesthetic imo... but hey, maybe they just hid the best parts from the job introduction video, they showed like two or three skills at most lol. But who knows.

But as long as I get my Green Mage/Pictomancer I'm not going to complain too much about this one. Good for the people who really love this! Love that for you!

My Green Mage/Pictomancer Hopes and Dreams Koji said "We should look to his [Yoshi-P's] hints from last fanfest" for the remaining job - so Pictomancer is still possible!!!!!! It's not over until it's over!!!

I once again realize that I shouldn't have gotten myself attached to something that might not actually be happening. If they don't do Green Mage/They do Green Mage wrong I will be so disappointed lol

It's just that I can see them do your average generic Druid instead because 'something something we need to cater to a western audience now bc FF16, Final Fantasy legacy stuff is cringe actually so we need to make everything generic western fantasy to be taken seriously' and I'm very much not here for that. Just give me a charming little Green Mage with a big staff or maybe with a judge's mallet - or maybe like one of those shogun war fans??? But I'll take whatever, even the weird ugly little gimmick you're bound to come up with.

The Limited Job Beastmaster and if it's not it better be something truly out there and not just some half-assed BS. Yoshi-P, you have to show the community you listen just a little bit, it's getting dire out here.

Eliminator Is it just me being desperate for Hamauzu-based Remixes or does this thing exude FF13 energy... Makes me wonder if the Tural-based Technology we've seen in that one dungeon art might be FF13 inspired? I just hope it isn't just Allagan again, make it another nation that lived around that time.

The Areas Kozama'uka looks really pretty... I love when fantasy background elements you can't even reach are "too big" (like FF7 Remake's Midgar Skyboxes) - so I guess Shaaloani still has a chance to win me over depending on whatever we find there. Speaking of which: Shaaloani is exactly what I pictured/dreaded a New World based expansion would look like and I do not particularly like it, I was hoping we would be save from bargain bin wild west stuff at least until we went to Northern Tural. I also hope that the pseudo-oil stuff is just lore and won't be a big part of the msq because good gravy Yoshi-P hire a diversity consultant already I'm dying over here.

The Graphics Update Now let's give it up for the real MVP of the day for all of us no graphic mod people (and to the graphic mod people that complain 'we already had that for years', quit your yappin, 85% of you don't have taste anyways.) The new lighting stuff looks amazing - especially what they did with the fog, it looks gorgeous, I'm so excited. The lighting updates on the character models look so good, too... I think you can really see the difference in that picture they showed of the femRoe scholar in the new AF gear. And the glow up on Midlander Face 1 is amazing. Is that even allowed?? This was slumbering under there all this time???

The Alliance Raid Let's just all pretend we never thought Sakaguchi was going to do them (even though he literally said he wouldn't want to do one) and never talk about it again.

Anyways. FF11. Leaving the best thing for last - this is the thing I was really happily surprised by.

I'm so happy for FF11 :) That game has it fcking rough. It's constantly the one Final Fantasy game that's just. Not even considered. Even what we would reasonably call "Real" FF fans always just leave it out of everything because "MMO" (of course ever since shb that became "the worse MMO" instead) and casual gamers - even ones that play certain FF games - probably don't even realize that nobody ever talks about 11.

But it has so many cool concepts that would warrant a treatment like Eden with FF8 - meanwhile FF14 is directly built on things 11 provided, so many of our base fundamentals, so many generic mob designs, so many of our job concepts, so many things we just take for granted come from FF11 but it still never really got the same attention as the other FFs. Yeah, Eureka and Bozja are kind of based on it, but the way it is referenced is just so different from how most of the other FFs are represented in the game - it's always just the other MMO and it deserves to be treated the same as the others: as the mainline Final Fantasy game that it is.

So I hope they give it the respect it deserves. I need these to be better than Ivalice, just so FF11 gets enshrined somewhere in some way. Their legacy is on the line, Yoshida, so don't fuck it up!!!!! And make sure to include Memoro de la Stono because I like it!!!

I do hope they don't just make one of the Reflections actual FF11 Vana'diel though, I think that would be kind of lazy, it only worked with Y:DA and even there I'm the only person who liked that because I think Kingdom Hearts Bullshit Timeline Shenanigans are fun. I hope this is a FF14 version of Vana'diel like how Ivalice is our Ivalice - with certain concepts reinterpreted through our lense while others reappear almost identically, similar to the FF12 summons.

Now, I haven't actually played 11, I'm just a passionate bystander in all of this, but the one recommendation on things 11 I can give is the Record Keeper version of Awakening - most Record Keeper arrangements are amazing (see FF13's Blinding Light) but this is definitely one of their best.

Anyways! I'm really excited for what they do with it! I don't have any particular fear they're going to fuck the raids up, from a pure spectacle standpoint (the only standpoint that matters) they generally only get better. (except for eulogia) (fuck eulogia) I do hope they make them a little more challenging again, but I also won't be mad if they don't. Just don't ruin your own lore again like with Eulogia (fuck eulogia)! Also, I would love to see the Ark Angels, especially their armors as raid drops kthxbye <3

#ffxiv #ff14 #dawntrail

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juukeboxx · 2 years ago

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Mutant Mayhem Hype!

Hi everyone!

So today is a big day: The first official teaser trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was released! The trailer will be linked in case you haven’t seen it or want to watch it again. But I wanted to just share my thoughts on the trailer and share my hopes and dreams for this movie, which will all be under the cut.

Here’s the trailer:

youtube

First and foremost: I am so excited for this movie. Everyine has been waiting so long for this first teaser trailer and I'm not gonna lie, I was sort of in disbelief when it dropped. There's a lot to cover so I'm going to break it down into sections, and the last section being what my hopes are going into this movie.

The Turtles

I know that people have talked about the designs of the turtles themselves since they were leaked a while back, but I adore how these turtles look. This is something I'll mention throughout this post, but it's very clear that Seth Rogen has taken a lot of inspiration from the original 80's cartoon when designing these characters. What's nice about it is that he's given their desings their own little twist that makes them unique and fresh i.e. Mikey's braces.

I absolutely adore the voices they chose for these turtles because they are actual teenagers. Nicolas Cantu as Leo, Brady Noon as Raph, Micah Abbey as Donnie, and Shamon Brown JR as Mikey. I don't know of any instances where the turtles have been voiced by actual teenagers because as far as I'm aware they've all been voiced/played by adults. This also just feels like another breath of fresh air for the series.

What they've shown of the turtles so far seems pretty promising.

Teenagers Acting Like Teenagers

One of the first things they show in the teaser trailer is the turtles goofing off the way teenagers do, and this absolutely made my heart soar. I feel like in other versions of the turtles we always see them so caught up in conflict that we never really get to see them hang out, goof around, and get to act their age. Rise was one version that I think showed this the most so I'm really glad to see more of it in this movie.

This Movie Looks Stunning

I'm sure other people have made this comparison but this movie really does give off the same vibes as Into the Spiderverse. It wouldn't surprise me if Seth Rogen and the people who have been working on Mutant Mayhem took inspiration from that movie. The imagery in the movie is absolutely gorgeous, and I love that it has this "hand-drawn" style. Like Into the Spiderverse, I have a feeling they wanted to achieve this look as sort of a call back or an homage to how the turtles got their start: As a comic book.

I personally really like that the colors aren't super overwhelming. In some shots from the teaser trailer there are nice bright pops of color that really stand out and liven it up. I'm not an expert, but I think it's a really nice design choice.

Secondary Characters and Cast

This cast is absolutely stacked y'all. If you haven't seen it on Twitter I'll list the rest of the cast here:

Jackie Chan as Splinter

Ayo Edibiri as April O'Neil

Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman

Seth Rogen as Bebop

John Cena as Rocksteady

Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom

Rose Byrne as Leatherhead

Natasia Demetriou as Wingnut

Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko

Hannibal Buress as Genghis Frog

Post Malone as Ray Fillet

Ice Cube as Superfly

I don't think it comes as too big of a surprise that a lot of the other characters featured in this movie are going to be voiced by well known actors, but I'm honestly really pleased with this lineup. And based on this lineup I think we're going to see some really interesting takes on some of these characters like Leatherhead and Wingnut.

As a sidenote, I am so excitied to see Leatherhead in this movie. In general Leatherhead is just one of my favorite secondary characters.

The designs, like I said before, have taken a lot of inspiration from the 80's cartoon. Splinter's, what I can assume is a kimono (though I might be wrong), has the same pattern as Splinter's kimono from the 80's cartoon. April of course has her signature yellow jacket and I love that he outfit looks so casual but it's perfect for running around trying to get the best scoop. Bebop and Rocksteady's clothes are pretty much right from the 80's cartoon and I absolutely love it, and personally I think that Bebop and Rocksteady look great in this art style (honestly this applies to all of the characters).

I have a feeling, and at the same time I'm hoping, that the first official trailer or the next teaser trailer (whichever one comes first) shows off some more of these designs or even shows the designs of some of the other mutants that are going to be featured.

Hopes for Mutant Mayhem

I know that this is only the first trailer of many between now and when the movie releases, but I genuinely have high hopes for this movie. This is going to be the first TMNT movie getting a theatrical release (clairfying with theatrical because the Rise of the TMNT movie was a Netlfix original) in 7 years since Out of the Shadows released back in 2016.

Even with this trailer being just under two minutes I think that they are taking these characters in the right direction and I'm genuinely excited to see their personalities shine. When Seth Rogen posted descriptions of the turtles on his (I believe) Instagram I knew that they were going to do these characters justice.

When Mutant Mayhem is released in August and I go to the theater to see it, I wanna walk out and say “That was amazing, I want to see it again”. From the developments over the months and with the release of this official teaser trailer I hope that I can say with confidence that not only did I like it, but also that it was a Ninja Turtles movie made by Ninja Turtles fans, for Ninja Turtles fans.

#tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt mm #tmnt mutant mayhem #tmnt 2023 #mutant mayhem #tmnt leo #tmnt raph #tmnt donnie #tmnt Mikey #Youtube #press play on the jukebox

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