#best fucking friendship right there

[flashhwing]

👀

once upon a time i started writing a miraculous ladybug au and called it "Night Scarab and Katzenprinz." Caleb would've been Katzenprinz. I stopped writing it because I couldn't decide if Night Scarab should be Molly or Essek, and i had to choose one because I couldn't wrap my head around the logistics of turning the love square into a love hexagon

"Okay, Caleb, get this — I think I know who the Katzenprinz is."

Caleb glanced up from his homework, took in Beauregard's intense eyes and weird posture, and hummed, turning back to the task at hand.

"So you have seen him without his mask then?" he asked, turning a page to reference Maxwell's equation.

"No," Beauregard admitted.

"But you witnessed him detransform?"

"Not quite"

"So he told you his identity?"

"Obviously not."

"What is his name then?"

"Okay, fine, I don't know exactly who he is! But get this —" she spun a chair backwards and straddled it, leaning in close and lowering her voice. "He definitely goes to our school."

Caleb blinked. "Congratulations," he deadpanned. "You narrowed it down to about twenty thousand people. Can I go back to studying? I have a test next week and —"

"And you don't want Thelyss to set the curve again, blah blah, whatever," Beauregard finished with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Twenty thousand college kids out of 3.4 million people in this city is fucking huge. Way cooler than your … whatever you're working on …"

"Magnetic fields," Caleb supplied. "And, truly, congratulations on your hard work, but why are you trying to figure out their identities anyway?"

Beau shrugged and made a duh face. "What do you mean, why? We have two mysterious superheroes running around Rexxentrum saving people from getting villainized by an actual literal supervillain. Why don't you want to know?"

Caleb sighed and tried, once again, to turn back to his studies. "I'm simply not that into superheroes. All the power and magic … not very scientific."

"That's a lie," Beau scoffed, holding up Caleb's phone. It was open to his home screen, displaying a background of Night Scarab mid-flight. "Someone's got himself a little celeb crush."

"Give that back!" Caleb snatched the phone from her hand and shoved it deep into his pocket. "How'd you get into my phone anyway?"

Beau rolled her eyes. "I'd be a pretty shitty investigative journalism major if I couldn't even get into my best friend's phone. Your passcode is 1003. Your cat's birthday."

Caleb made a mental note to change that later.

"I just think he's neat," he grumbled. "Look, Beauregard, have you ever thought maybe there's a reason Night Scarab and Katzenprinz keep their identities a secret?"

"Probably," Beau shrugged. "And I'll figure that out too when I find out who they are. Honestly Caleb, you're such a buzzkill."

"Is a buzzkill allowed to continue studying?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Then I will take it," Cale said, finally turning back to his book. He flipped a page to go back to the notes he was looking at before he was so callously interrupted, resolutely ignoring the kwami he could feel poking around the bag at his feet.

Now, where were we…

send me a 👀 and i'll tell you about a wip i didn't finish in 2022

[many-gay-magpies]

i love crystal and charles having an emotionally inadvisable hookup charles can't even FEEL in one room while niko and edwin sit cross-legged on niko's bed watching scooby doo in the other

[jinstronaut]

i still orbit you, and nothing’s changed, but if there’s no name to love, everything has changed. (cr. namuspromised, lyric translation doolsetbangtan)

happy birthday @cordiallyfuturedwight 💜💜💜

[svtskneecaps]

see everyone worried and fretted and panicked and yet quesadilla island looked at pepito and went

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

You ever think about how in spite of knowing their exact locations, the game never gives any indication that templar Carver has reported his mage sibling, Merril (a blood mage) or Anders (an abomination) to his superiors?

I do think about that a lot, even though I tend to ignore the Templar Carver route because I know Warden Carver to be true in my heart and soul... but I totally get the appeal of Templar Carver within DA2's narrative, y'know?

It's so fascinating, really. I've never played a run with Templar Carver, I just can't bring myself to do it, so I know I'm missing out on smaller details of it. From what I do know, this drives me crazy in the best way possible.

Deciding whether to bring him or not to the Deep Roads is such an important choice, not only because it affects his fate, but how it affects his relationship to Hawke. He tells you that he wants to go, he makes it very clear that it's important to him that he goes, too... and Hawke can just leave him behind and it hurts him. I don't think that registers enough with some people just because of how Carver is, like it doesn't matter what Hawke's motivations are [staying behind for his safety, not wanting to bring him, thinking someone should stay with Leandra, etc] it still hurts him because it tells him that Hawke doesn't need him, and Carver wants to be needed.

And yes, there are other contributing factors to why he joins the templars, but it doesn't matter what your relationship is to him, it doesn't change the fact that he doesn't turn Hawke or his companions in.

Sure, the meta reason is it's a video game and you're playing the main character. You're never in any actual danger of being captured by templars, and you're not going to lose your companions to them that easy.

But if we look at it through the narrative and Carver's character, that's when it gets interesting. You can max out his rivalry and be an utter asshole to him [there's a point where you can call him a brat and mock him for being stuck in your shadow, like Hawke can be real cruel about it] but it doesn't matter, you're still his sibling. He even makes a remark about how you might not know what that means [referring to leaving him behind] but he does. He refuses to kill Hawke in the end when Meredith makes the order, too.

Which can I just point out that Hawke has the option to let Bethany die in the end if she's with the circle and they side with the templars? Just saying, Carver NEVER does that no matter what, but Hawke has the option to betray Bethany like that and it's fucked and interesting and it makes me want to eat my chair-

As for Merrill and Anders, I think he knows that if he turns either of them in, then the chances of Hawke being brought in as well skyrocket. They're all friends, they're in the same group... bring one in, and you'll probably get the other two.

I also think Carver just genuinely likes Merrill. Yes, I'm a Carver/Merrill shipper, so I have a bias, but even if you remove anything romantic from their dynamic I believe that's true. Of all the companions, Merrill is the only one who doesn't make fun of him, or find him annoying, in party banters. He never snaps back at her, like he's never defensive with her, he's just a little awkward and nice.

Like, HE'S SO NICE TO HER! He tries to find common ground with her! She asks him about "swording" and he's taken aback by her saying he's good at it, but you KNOW that if someone like Anders asked him the same question, he's be all, "shut up, you're stupid, stop talking to me >:["

Think back to that banter Carver can have with Aveline post-act 1 where they're talking about how the guard wasn't the right place for him [hard disagree with you there, Aveline] and Carver says he was a bit of a tit, wasn't he.... and every companion will agree except Merrill. She doesn't say anything, whereas other companions like Anders will be like "ugh maker YES" and if you have a purple Hawke, they'll go on to other ways Carver was a tit like?? I think Carver and Merrill got along and he doesn't want to turn her in because she was nice to him! And she's a blood mage! He knows what will happen to her if the templars get ahold of her! He doesn't want to see her made tranquil or killed!

At that point, he's witnessed what bad blood mages can do, assuming you've brought him along for those quests, but even so. He knows Merrill isn't like that and he likes her, so of course he's not going to turn her in despite that being his literal duty.

Then there's Anders who Carver doesn't like. If you're in a romance with him, Carver will tell him that's why he doesn't turn him in but c'mon Carver, you know that's not the only reason. My theory is Carver may not like Anders and he knows the man's got a spirit of justice inside of him... but Anders also runs a free clinic. If he's ever taken in by templars, then so many people [including a LOT of Fereldan refugees] will be without free health care and will suffer for it. I think in Carver's eyes, Anders might be irritating but he doesn't more good than harm. Carver knows first hand how shitty refugees and poorer people are treated in Kirkwall. Anders' clinic is the one place they can go for help and actually get it, and he's not going to be the one to take that away because the templars say "magic bad."

So yeah, I'm not as informed about the Templar Carver route, but I do think about how if I did do that route, he wouldn't betray Hawke or their companions no matter what and what that says about him.

[primus-why]

I Feel TFOne Could've Handled This Better...

Hot take but I feel like folks have been really generous with the take that OP was unable to find ~the perfect words~ in the heat of the moment (and thus should be given some grace) when he told D to stand down and "not be like Sentinel"... namely cuz I don't feel that the narrative supports this?

Like-- after all is said and done, OP doesn't reflect on that part of their split. He doesn't have a moment where he seeks validation or voices his regrets over the choice of his words, it's actually cut-and-dry. The narrative (as it stands) supports that OP saw D-16 acting up, so he called him out and stood on business, down to the last scenes where he's basically like "yeah it's a shame but y'all knew I had to do it to 'em."

It didn't have to be much! I'm not saying to absolve Megs, just show OP looking at things from a different perspective/contemplating a bit on that tough choice and the morality of the moment. Some examples of what I wish we had:

B-127 straight up blurting the obvious by later chatting with Orion like, "Wait so you told your best friend that he was acting just as bad as the guy who enslaved us for our entire lives and was torturing him like an hour ago? Oof. Seems kinda harsh." Then have some of OP's regret show on his face.

OP asking Elita-1 after Megs is banished if he did the right thing. Have Elita back his choice up, saying, "You should have seen what he did after you were... gone. It was terrifying. I know it was tough, but you made the right call." OP is grateful for the support, but a conflicted look still flashes across his face before he steels himself to look out towards the horizon... and the future.

Have OP walk past other mechs/former miners who didn't go with the High Guard saying stuff like, "Wish I could've given Sentinel a piece of my mind!" "Yeah, but I'm glad he's gone for good." "Ugh I miss everything." "Oh, it was crazy! Megatron picked him up and then he rrrrriiipped-- oops, hey there, Mr. Optimus... Prime... sir?" And have OP wave hello, looking a bit sick when they leave.

Post-credits scene with Starscream going on and on, asking Megs when they'll be back to teach the upstart Prime a lesson. Megs grabs his face to shut him up. "Patience, Starscream. The Prime thinks I'm no better than Sentinel... but I'll show him. He wants Iacon? He can have it. In the meantime we'll take the rest of the planet! Then I'll come back, crush Prime under my heel, and we'll take Iacon too. Sentinel's reign will barely be a footnote, because I'm about to become Optimus Prime's worst nightmare." The vocal performance would really need to sell this-- like picture Megs saying something like that from a place of anger and hurt, not so much a place of genuine evil or malice.

Basically instead of Orion's assertion being backed up as black and white/good vs bad, I wish we had some different opinions/reactions from the characters sprinkled in there. Like you can't tell me out of allllll the miners who weren't strong enough/willing to go with the High Guard and ended up sticking around that NONE of them were like "eyyo honestly?? Kiiiiinda glad Sentinel is dead. Wish I could have helped, tbh." like come onnnnn...

And you can't even argue that he's not an active threat-- I don't think everyone would see things that way! It's not just about the threat he physically has, but the threat he represents and is very likely to act upon if given the opportunity! He has a proven track record of not only being sneaky and conniving, but also capable of dealing some serious damage/killing people bigger and stronger than him, plus he has the backing of the Quints. All he'd need to do is wriggle his way out of jail and run off to his sponsors, then he'd probably be back to hurt more people! (If the Quints didn't just kill him out of incompetence lmao). There's a lot of "ifs" here, but I think it's a valid argument that not everyone would agree on what is the right or wrong way to handle Sentinel once he was down long enough to, like, do something about him.

I feel the situation needed a bit of nuance. In some way I wish they had kicked the can and had D and Orion bicker while Sentinel escaped, then have D get frustrated enough by the loss of Sentinel to point fingers (and his fusion canon) at Orion, who then falls and becomes OP. (Megs could still show some of thar emotion/remorse right after he does it too.) Not only would this open the door for a sequel, but tbh the Quint might have just killed Sentinel anyways and sought to deal with the miners uprising themselves lol. (Maybe that could have been an after credits scenes too instead of the B-127 bit??)

Would love to see a moment in a sequel where they have a calmer moment after arguing for a bit. Have OP mention how Megs was out of line, that it hurt and even scared him to see him act that way, and Megs can quietly point out "you said I was as bad as Sentinel... is that really how you see me? After everything we went through?"

Then OP can fumble the bag again lmao like "D, I... I'm sorry, that didn't come out right... but you still took things way too far..."

"Why am I not surprised-- your opinion is what matters the most! Maybe that's why you became a Prime, since you're so good at acting like the world revolves around you--!"

*gets interrupted by someone else before another yelling match ensues*

[ampleappleamble]

mouthwashing sequel where you play a down-on-their-luck psychiatrist hired by the shareholders of what was once the pony express shipping company to interview the badly mutilated and traumatized sole survivor of their last ever manned shipment so they can "get to the bottom of what really happened" (read: shift the blame for what happened away from their terrible business practices and onto their victims) and the whole game has you making choices that either benefit both you and your corporate masters but hurt curly (trying to pin the blame of the tulpar's crash entirely on curly so they don't have to pay out wrongful death suits to the crew's bereaved families or for curly's continued care) or hurt you and your corporate masters but bring curly some measure of peace (reveal the truth of what really happened on the tulpar while helping curly come to terms with his survivor's guilt, physical and mental trauma, and culpability) and the last scene in the game is you having been chased down by the cops (who are in the pocket of the shareholders naturally) and cornered in curly's hospital room and based on your choices throughout the game you either euthanize curly (with his enthusiastic consent) or kill yourself in front of him

(secret bonus ending where you basically reenact the end of the 1984 film Birdy with curly unlocks after you've achieved both normal endings)

[ferdieinceladoncity]

I find it incredibly fucking hilarious that in 'the rain king' in the ending scene where all the couples at the high school reunion are slow dancing and kissing, the camera zooms in on a woman with the exact same haircut as scully, leading you to believe for exactly one second that it IS scully, making out on the dance floor, before pulling back and revealing mulder and scully standing amongst all the couples side-to-side. These overtly shippy episodes make me feel like im being toyed with, but I'm not complaining.

[fedorah-the-explorah]

i don't personally think carmen did anything wrong in the final episodes of the series, but since I'm reading a fic where she's getting down on herself for it, i just have to say... i support women's wrongs! carmen was soooo right to beat up several people and then commit attempted murder!!! she looked sexy while doing it too! gray deserved a little zappy zap idc

[stupid-lemon-eater]

on the one hand i understand posts about how you shouldn't feel like you have to respond to messages immediately and everyone should be allowed to log off sometimes and nobody should be accessible 24/7

however

i do still think you should respond some of the time

otherwise you're leaving your friend shouting into a void, constantly reaching out and receiving nothing in return

and when that happens i don't think it's fair of you to be surprised or upset when that friend decides that they want to spend their emotional energy on someone/something that does get a response

emotional bids for attention are essential for all relationships, not just romantic ones, and it's not fair of you to ignore or neglect them and then get upset when the other person pulls back

[hauntingblue]

making a collection

making another collection with a threatening aura

[dykedvonte]

I really do like character design in mouthwashing

Anya is obvi inspired by Shelley Duval (who was also verbally abused by Cubric, if I recall correctly), the Shining protagonist. Curly is your typical captain America style charismatic leader, he is even canonically a gym bro (although I recall you mentioning that if Curly's pre-crash face wasn't revealed, you would've headcanoned him as black, so I am a bit curios, what his dynamic w/ Jimmy would've been. Like, I think this little piece of sht would be casually racist towards him, he is just that sort of asshole. If the story was set at our times he would've def vote for Trump and complain abt immigrants eating dogs or something equally rediculous lol. Also, his dynamic w/ Anya - being marginalised himself would've he been harder on Jimbo's bullshit? Or would that not matter at all in their particular situation? So many possibilities.)

Daisuke is a bright spot in an otherwise dull and grey space. Swansea is simply perfect, 10/10😁

-💀

I don’t think Jimmy would be racist towards Curly or anyone for that matter.

Like I don’t see Jimmy as a misanthrope. He’s not hateful just to be hateful, he’s spiteful. All of his envy and resentment of others comes from his own projection of shared aspects he feels inferior by. I think the biggest difference is it adds a little more ire to Jimmy’s sentiments as it takes away an easy aspect of Curly’s life. I assume Mouthwashing operates in a similar social history and structure as our world so Curly likely faced prejudices based on his race in this scenario. He had something extra outside of his control weighing him down and yet he still reached that highest rung.

For Jimmy it’s infuriating. It feeds that delusion that Curly has it so much easier, that he doesn’t have to do the real work to get to that space. He should’ve struggled more, he should be more bitter but he isn’t. He’s not like him still and he’s pissed about it. He still wouldn’t understand the underlying and systemic issues Curly would’ve faced cause he can’t. He wouldn’t try to because in doing that it’s an admission he’s just not trying like Curly is. Any comments that could be seen as racist are less targeted at Curly’s ethnicity but just at him. Jimmy’s issues are with Curly as a whole, being so idealic compared to him and everything around him. It’s not just one facet of him physically, mentally or emotionally that makes Jimmy so envious. It’s why he’s obsessed, it everything about him.

As for Anya, this is no anger toward you, but there’s this perception in fandom spaces with intersectionality that sharing a minority status creates an equal understanding of what exact struggles the others go through. You can understand the feeling of oppression but certain aspects of certain systems will still be misunderstood if they don’t apply to you. Curly is still a man and Anya a woman. Perhaps she is a woman of color, it think he may have been a bit harsher to Jimmy as he would be aware of the racial factors at play when it comes to the dehumanization and sexism perpetrated towards WOC but he still wouldn’t get it as a man.

It’s like apples and oranges to where they are both fruit but being categorically the same doesn’t make them identical. I can not describe to you the taste of an apple by using an orange. Anya would no more understand Curly’s struggles being black than he would her being the only woman on board. Of course they share the similarity of being the only one but even in this case we do work off the assumption everybody but Daisuke is white. He’d inherently have more solidarity with him on that aspect than her.

[alphaketoglutaricacid]

shuro has a fairly important moment where he realizes he has to respect laios autonomy in deciding to keep going down the dungeon regardless of how dogshit he thinks the plan is. But he still allows himself to hope in these impossible odds theres some way he’ll see Laios again.

But that random swerve into magical thinking of omg even tho im leaving this island maybe this doesnt have to be goodbye 🥺 bc when the canaries try to get ur ass (and who told them huh) ill get my retainers to smuggle u to the east w me 😌. Im so smart. Like girl dont do that. Why did he choose this moment to be strangely clingy. Laios did what my friends do when im three drinks in and start making them promise were gonna go to the abba museum together n smiled and was like “drink more water.” And then he got mad at laios for being inconsiderate and trampling over his honest feelings w the bell (which true). But even a mind reader would be completely baffled about his actions here.

[cheekblush]

really starting to believe that psychic who claimed i’m cursed

[fiapple]

society if dc hired a writing team of colour who could acknowledge the racial coding of starfire & raven, explore vic's status as a Black man in modern america who's specific disability further means his body is going to be read a certain way by certain people no matter what he does, along with potentially finding a way to sort through the racisim + fetishization that went into prior depictions of dick's heritage:

[faaun]

ok let's catch up quickly