#but as the game goes on she starts becoming more confident even though she never stops being scared

[fascinationstreetmp3]

You did this? ...Yeah! Yeah, I did this.

[moonselune]

hi!! i’ve never requested anything on tumblr before so hopefully i’m doing this right lol (and hopefully reqs are still open) but i adore your work like so incredibly much! i’d love something fluffy with an astarion who becomes a tailor after the events of the game. also, would you consider writing a sequel to the dark!BG3 “my dearest assistant” or was that more of a one-off? i loved that one :) but yeah you’re my fav bg3 writer, it can be really hard to nail all of the characters but i feel like you characterize them so well every time. hope you’re well :)

yesyesyes this is so sweet, i decided to do the tailor one bcs I know everyone (including myself) adores this idea, I will probably post a second part to dearest assistant in the new year <3

Tailor!Astarion x f!reader | Tailored to Perfection

Can be read as a follow up to this -> ⟢The Most Beautiful Mannequin⟢

The sunlight streamed through the windows of your home, golden and warm, illuminating the flurry of activity that had overtaken your living room. Swathes of fabric in rich hues were draped over every available surface, accompanied by spools of thread, scissors, and a small sketchpad where Astarion had meticulously outlined his design. In the middle of it all, you stood before the mirror, wrapped in partially pinned fabric, trying not to laugh as chaos unfolded around you.

Astarion moved with his usual graceful precision, his deft hands tugging at the fabric, arranging folds, and securing pins. His brow furrowed in concentration, the picture of a master craftsman at work. But today, he wasn’t working alone.

“Darling,” Astarion said, his tone carrying that familiar dramatic exasperation, “if you move even a fraction of an inch again, I’ll have to start over.”

“It’s not my fault!” you protested, though your grin betrayed your amusement. “Blame your assistant.”

Your assistant—your six-year-old daughter—stood at Astarion’s side, clutching a pin cushion in her tiny hands, her white curls gleaming in the sunlight. She wore a miniature version of Astarion’s tailoring outfit, complete with a perfectly tailored waistcoat and a pocket for her measuring tape. Her eyes, so much like yours, sparkled with determination as she balanced on her tiptoes to hold the pin cushion closer to her father.

“Papa, you’re doing it wrong,” she declared, her voice small but confident as she frowned at the fabric.

“Excuse me?” Astarion straightened, placing a hand over his chest as though she’d mortally wounded him. “Wrong? My sweet, I am never wrong.”

“Yes, you are,” she countered, placing the pin cushion on the table and picking up a crayon to scribble something in her little notebook. “See? The drape should go this way.”

She held up her sketch, which was a colorful crayon rendition of the dress he was making, complete with sparkly stars and a bow that she had apparently decided was non-negotiable.

Astarion squinted at the drawing, then glanced back at the fabric. “A bow? Really? Do you know how passé that is?”

“Bows are pretty,” she insisted, crossing her arms in a way that was so reminiscent of him it made you laugh.

Your laughter broke what little stillness you’d managed to maintain, and the fabric shifted. Astarion groaned dramatically, pressing a hand to his forehead. “And there goes my perfect pleat. Truly, the gods test me today.”

“Stop being so dramatic,” you teased, biting your lip to suppress another laugh.

“I am not dramatic,” he retorted, bending down to retrieve the fallen pin cushion and handing it back to your daughter. “I am merely surrounded by chaos. Absolute chaos.”

Your daughter giggled, taking the pin cushion and dutifully holding it up again. “We’re not chaos, Papa. We’re helping.”

“Yes, helping,” he muttered, though his smirk betrayed his fondness. “Very well. Let us attempt this again, my dear apprentice.”

“Okay!” she chirped, bouncing on her toes as she watched him pin the fabric once more. Every now and then, she’d pass him a pin or a spool of thread, her tiny hands quick and eager.

“You know,” Astarion said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, “if you keep up this level of dedication, you might just surpass me one day.”

She gasped, her eyes wide with excitement. “Really?”

“Don’t tell anyone,” he said in a mock conspiratorial whisper, “but yes. You have the makings of a true artist.”

She beamed at the praise, her curls bouncing as she nodded solemnly. “I’ll be the best tailor ever!”

“I have no doubt,” he replied, ruffling her hair before turning his attention back to you.

You watched the exchange with a warmth that made your heart ache. Despite the bickering and theatrics, the bond between them was unmistakable, and it filled the room with a joy that was impossible to contain.

After a moment, your daughter piped up again. “Mama, you’re moving too much!”

“I can’t help it,” you said, laughing as you adjusted your stance. “You two are too funny.”

“It’s a serious business!” she declared, though her giggles betrayed her words.

“And yet, you laugh,” Astarion teased, casting a playful look her way. “Clearly, we’ve inherited your mother’s inability to remain serious.”

“Hey!” you protested, though you were grinning too much to be offended.

By the time the dress was finally pinned and ready for stitching, the three of you were thoroughly entangled in laughter and shared triumph. Astarion stepped back, hands on his hips, admiring his work with a satisfied smile.

“What do you think, my dear?” he asked, gesturing for you to turn toward the mirror.

You looked at your reflection, taking in the carefully draped fabric and the beginnings of a masterpiece.

“It’s beautiful,” you said, glancing at him. “You’ve outdone yourself again.”

“Of course I have,” he replied smoothly, though his eyes softened at your words. “But I must give credit to my assistant.”

Your daughter clapped her hands, beaming with pride. “We did it, Papa!”

“Yes, we did, my love,” he said, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. Then, with a mischievous glint in his eye, he added, “Now, go tell your mother she owes us both a very large reward for our hard work.”

“Cookies!” she exclaimed, dashing off to the kitchen in search of her prize. Without even thinking to even ask you, and Astarion just encouraged her, telling her to run like the wind.

You turned to Astarion, shaking your head with a fond smile. “You’re incorrigible. Especially when it comes to her.”

“Can you blame me? And yet, you adore me,” he replied with a smirk, pulling you close for a kiss. “Don’t deny it, my love.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” you murmured, leaning into him as the sound of your daughter’s giggles echoed from the kitchen.

This was disgustingly cute to write, tailor astarion you have my heart and soul. I hope you guys enjoyed this! - Seluney xox

If you want to support me in other ways | Help keep this moonmaiden caffeinated x

[dreamingunderacloudysky]

hey! Cool to see another MW writing blogs come up! Especially with our girl Anya <33 speaking of can you do a SFW alphabet with Anya? Tysm!!!

Yes! I sure can hun! ☁️ Before the crash, I'm assuming? Hinted to be F! Partner but anyone can read it.

SFW ALPHABET: ANYA

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

If Anya is with someone, I feel she's more confident than people typically perceive her. She is taking your hand, but don't expect her to push beyond that publicly! Behind closed doors, she craved physical contact in some way, shape, or form, so expect her knee touching yours under the desk while she works or just wrapping her arms from behind as she recharges her social battery from a tough day.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Honesty, it can be pretty easy to befriend Anya! All you have to do is pay attention to what she talks about and acknowledge what she's saying through some interest of her own (given how the cast in-game pretty much ignored all of her problems)

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Oh, absolutely. I think she would like laying in her back and having her partner rest their head in the crook of her neck or spooning (little spoon or big spoon doesn't really matter to her, but if she's got a smaller partner she leans more to big spooning)

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

If she weren't on a damn space cargo vessel, her dream would be to become an accomplished nurse or psychologist and share a cozy flat in suburbia. I don't expect her to be terrible, but she's not a fantastic chef. Great at improvised meals in a crock pot like pot roasts, casseroles, stews, soups, etc. Simple comfort foods.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Via letter, she takes care of the little things, and she wants to put the effort of all the words in her mind on paper, worrying that she'll mess up if she tries saying them out loud.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Being in a confined, stressful environment grows a relationship exponentially in a short amount of time. Eating, sleeping, struggling, and working together really expedite things. Given that you've been on the cargo crew the whole time and nothing goes wrong, give it a month of being back on earth, and you'll turn around and catch her on one knee, velvet box in hand.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Physically? she is Very gentle and terrified of hurting her partner or injuring them. She'll have her bold moments of affection, but never enough to even come close to hurting you. Emotionally? Yes, she is very soft, though she does have a biting, mischievous side, especially with game nights

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Yes, yes, yes, I kind of covered this in my cuddling take, but she's a big hugger. She will find any excuse to do it.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It's not super fast, but not super late either. It's kind of hard to put a timeline on this one

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Not really a jealous woman, but it is very cautious if you're oblivious to someone else's advances. I'm not afraid to subtly show that you're taken, like walking up and taking your hand or kissing your cheek.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

She loves soft, slow, intimate kisses—preferably on the lips. Otherwise, on the forehead, temple, or silly days, she'll take your hand and drag a smiling kiss to the back of your knuckles.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Pretty good! Better than you might think, if she were ever forced to work in pediatrics, she'd have coloring books for all the kids stuck in the waiting room.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

I feel like she works nightshifts, so expect to see the world's messiest mop of jet-black hair smashed into the pillow till at least 9 AM. Most mornings on off days are spent in bed with her, and the only way to get her up is the promise of biscotti and coffee.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

A lot of different ways. She has a passion for board games, so expect some of those. TV nights are open, too, but she also loves to star gaze. If you're both on the ship, expect to chill on the couch and chat about that dead pixel and life back on earth while curled up against her side.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Reveal things slowly. Most likely, starting with her hobbies. Swimming, drawing, her secret bias towards fast food, and she'll start going into deeper topics once you get to know her. Examples are work, schooling, history, and values.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Not quick to anger, but still very much capable of being angry. She's slow to anger, but she is capable of it.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Oh, Anya WILL remember. She is used to people glossing over what she says 90% of the time, so if you take the time to listen to her, she will log into her brain all the little details. She has excellent attention to detail.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

First kiss or her taking you to the lounge room at night and showing you the night sky screen to talk about the pixel.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Extremely protective. It's in her nature as a nurse to see how attentive she is to the rest of the crew about their needs, even pressing Curly to be more honest on his evaluation. She will most likely be the most protective out of the whole crew.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

A good amount. Anya is a dedicated woman (I mean, trying to pass nursing school 8 TIMES? That's dedication); it may not be fancy or extravagant, but you will quickly tell that she puts her whole soul into doing things for you and always remembers the little things.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

I'm not digging deep into this, so we're going to the surface level. She probably doesn't have the best table manners. She probably eats with her elbows on the table. He is not the best at helping herself with issues compared to helping others. She puts others before herself too much at times.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Not very. Busy woman, she'll make sure she's clean and maybe the occasional mascara, but typically, that's it.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Yes. You quickly become the primary motivator to make it back to Earth alive. Losing you, she would not know what to do with herself.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

She has the craziest bedhead known to man. Hair spiking in every direction. Also, she gives GREAT massages, especially if her partner is stressed.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Disregarding what she says, you must listen for Anya to appreciate you. Also, a partner that's unyielding to their own opinion. Lack of humbleness is another. Purposefully reckless partners, too.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Sleep talker. Anya would be an amusing one at that. She gets into bed cold and leeches all the warmth from her partner. Good luck, sailor!

A/N: This was actually super damn fun to write and gives me a better idea of how I want to write. Anya going forward, so thanks again, Anon! ☁️☁️☁️

[french-unknown]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒: luffy, zoro, nami, usopp, sanji, robin 𝐂/𝐖: hurt/comfort 𝐖/𝐂: 950 +

| m a s t e r l i s t | - | p t . 2 |

𝐋𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐘

You're insecure because, unlike him who's passionate about his dream of becoming the King of Pirates, you don't have a big dream to fulfill.

You joined the crew because you wanted to leave a family in which you were unhappy and where your destiny was already mapped out until your death. Once you found a new family thanks to the Straw Hat crew, you decided to set sail on their ship to stay with them. You were happy with your daily routine as well as the adventures you were having, and that was enough for you. During the trip, you took the opportunity to start a book on life at sea as well as on the lifestyles of the inhabitants of the islands you had visited. However, it was more of a hobby than a real passion or a dream. So when you see Luffy giving all he got for his dream, you're afraid he'll think you're less interesting for not having a goal you care about so much.

𝐙𝐎𝐑𝐎

Zoro is a calm and silent man, especially since your reunion on the Sabaody Archipelago, so you're sometimes afraid that he'll get tired of your bubbly and very talkative personality. You were worried that he would wake up one day from one of his many naps and leave you because you required too much attention and time.

You have always been an outgoing person who liked to chat with people and be aware of the latest gossip. It had always been an advantage when you were alone in a new place or in new social groups. Yet when you were with Zoro, you sometimes found yourself wishing you could shut up. Indeed, where you spent hours telling the swordsman whatever goes through your mind under his attentive - though rather neutral - gaze, you found yourself regretting having talked so much afterward. You wondered if you had annoyed him and if he wouldn't prefer a less noisy person.

| he comforts you about your insecurity |

𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐈

After spending so much time with her on your adventures, if there's one thing you've learned about her, it's that she's very popular. She is beautiful, intelligent and you have no doubt that if she left you, she would have no trouble finding someone new given the list of suitors.

You've never been an extremely rich or extremely important person with rock-solid self-confidence so you didn't really see what made Nami choose you over all the people at her feet. It was a stroke of luck. She is also not very expressive about the reasons for her choice because she never clearly expressed what she liked about you. The dynamic of your relationship is mostly a teasing game on her part to which you gladly answer as long as she continues. But it sometimes makes you wonder when she'll let you down to find a better partner.

𝐔𝐒𝐎𝐏𝐏

With Usopp, what scares you the most is your fear of rejection because since he's also someone who is insecure, you are afraid that you will both leave the relationship if something goes wrong because of your insecurities on both sides.

Usopp is a fearful person, and while he's willing to overcome some of his fears for his friends, his inferiority complex has caused him to quit the Strawhat Pirates once. On your side, you are also terrified of being rejected in general, so you often prefer to stay in your comfort zone. The fact that you have that in common means that you often understand each other and it is also what brought you closer to each other in the first place. However, you can't help but tell yourself that, if there is the slightest problem, he will prefer to abandon your relationship because of the fear of not being enough. And you might not be strong enough to get him back either.

𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐈

The man is a womanizer who, unfortunately, can't help but rave about every woman who crosses his path. It's stronger than him, he becomes unrecognizable in the presence of a woman.

So even though you know he loves you dearly, you can't help but feel insecure about women. Maybe if, in your own way, you were as beautiful as Nami or as smart as Robin, he wouldn't leave your side to court them. Yet, even though you realize that's not the right way to think about it and that he mostly admires them for their gender qualities as a "gentleman", you still feel that empty feeling when you see him going to swoon over every woman he sees. Each time, the only thought that crosses your mind is that, if you were attractive enough, he wouldn't let you down for strangers.

𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐍

Robin is very intelligent: she reads a lot, she can decrypts the poneglyphs, she is interested in many fields etc... However, you are very far from being the most intelligent person in Grand Line and you often wonder if you don't make her bored.

You love to listen to her speak about what she reads and you could drink her words for hours when she talks to you about subjects that fascinate her like archeology or the mysteries of history. You are captivated every time she says something to you, even if you don't always understand everything she tells you. You also follow her with great happiness each time she asks you to accompany her to discover the city - and its bookstore - as soon as you arrive on a new island. Sadly, the fact that you're not as smart as her often makes you ask yourself if she's bored with you or just missing out on being able to argue with someone rather than just relate.

𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄

[heartofsol]

Elise & the Duke

Elise's relationship with her father isn't discussed very much. I think it's actually one of the most interesting aspects about 06.

In a flashback, he's shown telling a young Elise "Don't cry" and "Become a strong queen who doesn't cry no matter what happens" in response to her grieving over her mother's death, which is...not great. A child should be allowed to grieve over their deceased parent. Although the Duke means well and says this because he genuinely believes strong leaders never cry (which is far from the truth), that doesn't make what he's doing okay. It doesn't matter that he's saying it in a soft and gentle tone, either. To a child, it's likely gonna seem like a dismissal of their feelings (which it is). This also shows that he was telling Elise to never cry before he used her as a vessel to seal Iblis.

Another thing I find interesting is that Elise says "I understand everything my parents said to me now." It could imply that Elise's mother held the same sentiment as the Duke, but we don't know for sure.

Now, onto the Solaris Project. Some time before the project began, the Duke told Elise that Solaris' power would allow them to travel through time and rectify past mistakes. The main reason the Duke began the project was so Elise could see her late mother again. Once again, good intentions, but the Duke experimenting with supernatural forces beyond his understanding cost him his life and hurt many people, perhaps his daughter most of all.

So long story short, the project goes wrong and the Duke is fatally wounded in an explosion but shortly before his death, he sealed the Flames of Disaster in Elise and pretty much left her clean up his mess. She was cursed to never shed a single tear, had to rule an entire kingdom at a young age, is relentlessly pursued and kidnapped by a madman who wants to harness her power, and when she makes a single friend, he gets murdered right before her eyes by the creature that her father experimented on all those years ago. Elise is suffering the consequences for her father's actions.

And how does Elise feel about her father after all this? She still loves him deeply. She doesn't express any anger towards him or angst about the way he treated her, or that he inadvertently caused her suffering, even though she has every right to do so. You get the sense that she doesn't even realize her father's "love" was actually quite abusive, which is just really tragic. She's been conditioned to accept this as her role in life and you can see it in her behavior. At the start of the game, Elise lacks confidence, is unsure of what she can do in her situation, and even blames herself for the things that are happening. Her attitude gradually changes when she meets Sonic, who encourages her to be more proactive and truly enjoy life instead of being restricted by her role as a princess.

Yet people get on Elise's case for breaking down once at the tail end of the game over the fact that she'd lose the memories of her only friend and would be separated from him?

Elise doesn't mean what she said in this moment, and blows out Solaris' flame to save the world seconds later. She had to bottle up her emotions for a decade and now has to say goodbye to the person whom she grew to love over the course of their adventure. Her reaction here is more than justified.

Elise is such a good character 🤍

[discordiansamba]

still rotating this blue exorcist AU idea from two nights ago, so I figure I might as well talk about it! the basic idea of the AU started with "what if Yukio was raised relatively in the dark about his origins, but Rin wasn't" and it sort of just snowballed from there, as things do.

on the night of his birth, rin's demon heart is never sealed. yuri calms him down all on her own, despite all of her own struggles that night. she survives childbirth, and pleads that she'll raise rin herself, so that he won't harm others.

(shiemihaza looks in her eyes, and this time, she agrees)

once it's confirmed that yukio is human, and has not inherited satan's flames, shiro agrees to raise him for yuri and give him a normal life. he keeps yukio's origins a secret from him, only vaguely alluding to the fact that he has an older twin brother who lives with their mother.

yuri and rin are confined at the Vatican, not allowed to leave the room they are given. yuri survived, but the traumatic pregnancy followed by the even more traumatic childbirth has clearly taken its toll on her. she is much weaker, and no one expect her to live long.

she ends up living for eight more years anyways on pure determination alone.

she raises rin carefully, teaching him how to control his flames and his strength. how to be kind to others, even if they aren't kind to him. rin grows up with a mother who is physically frail, so he learns to be gentle because he doesn't want to hurt her.

shiro becomes paladin. he visits yuri whenever he can- and at first, he's really just here for her. he still thinks she's crazy for thinking she can tame her demon son, considering what happened with satan. but eventually, he comes to understand that rin isn't his father.

(yuri learns from her mistakes. she doesn't repeat them with rin.)

yuri's health takes a turn for the worse in the twins' seventh year. she passes away after their eighth birthday. there's mutters in the Vatican about finally getting rid of satan's spawn.

shiro is not going to let that happen, so warily takes some advice from Mephisto. he doesn't trust him one bit, confident he's playing at some kind of long game, but he promised yuri he'd protect both of her children, and he intends to do just that.

he ends up making rin his familiar.

(he holds rin's hands and makes him promise that he'll never use his flames on humans, unless its an absolute emergency. the boy's spiral eyes are just like his father's as he looks at him, but the person behind them couldn't be less like his father if he tried. rin promises.)

for the first time since he was born, rin leaves the room he was confined in for so long. he's going to finally meet his little brother that he's heard so much about.

he has to wear a weird, itchy bracelet to do it, though. it's supposed to make him look completely human to even people who have a mashou. mephisto made it.

(it's a rosary, because mephisto is determined to be an ironic little shithead at all times.)

his mom named him rinka. when he goes to live among humans, shiro gives him the name okumura rin.

fujimoto yukio meets his twin brother for the first time when he's eight years old. he's a strange kid, and it takes him awhile to get used to his presence at the monastery. there's something almost... disquieting about him, but that feeling fades over time.

rin doesn't go to school. everyone agrees that's probably a terrible idea. yuri taught him how to read and write. shiro tries to teach him the other subjects, but rin's not very interested.

(he is interested in cooking, though. lifehack: teach the demon kid you are now raising how to do math via cooking.)

rin keeps his bracelet on at all times around the monastery. he only takes it off when shiro needs rinka.

yukio does not grow up seeing demons. he has been blind in his left eye since birth- but that all changes after an encounter with a demon right before he moves into the true cross dorms. he doesn't remember much of what happened. all he knows is that rin saved him.

he learns demons are real, and that his father is an exorcist. and that rin has known about this all along, because he's been able to see demons his whole life. shiro grits his teeth, and decides to enroll yukio in cram school, with apologies to yuri.

(he has a bad feeling that yukio's encounter with that demon wasn't simply chance. the demon sight that mephisto sealed away is back- and with it, the vision in yukio's left eye.)

shiro doesn't tell yukio about his origins, nor that of his brother's. most of the exorcist world has forgotten that yuri egin ever had twins. only a few choice people who lived through that event are aware of this fact. there's only one son of Satan, and he is the paladin's familiar now. that's common knowledge.

mephisto: hm. I have a good idea. let's enroll rin at true cross academy as well!

rin, who has never gone to school in his life: i'm sorry what.

mephisto: you'll be able to protect your brother that way!

(shiro watches yukio at cram school. rin watches him at regular school. but also at cram school, because he's there too as shiro's familiar rinka. yukio just doesn't know that part.)

(at least he finally gets an excuse to wear that cool mask he bought that covers the lower half of his face. otherwise yukio would 100% recognize him. and he very much does not want that. he'd like to stay human in yukio's eyes for at least a little longer.)

[twisted-confessions]

https://www.tumblr.com/cheekinpermission/746227919612936192?source=share

Hope not late! 25 , 5 and 28👀👀

Nope not late at all!!

25. Which character(s) would you actively avoid? Personally, you would not see me anywhere near Vil, Rook or Sebek.

I can appreciate Vil's efforts to have people more self-confident in their own image however I absolutely despise how forceful he goes about it, especially with Epel and the dance troupe. If I EVER caught him trying to change parts of myself that I'm proud of (my australian accent, my nerdy sense of fashion, etc.) it would be ON SIGHT- (Can you tell I'm still not over Book 5?)

For Rook, i can say I..... respect his dedication and loyalty to his beliefs. However? That man... he scares me... Also, i'm still extremely salty over the VDC/SDC results WE SHOULD HAVE WON THAT AND WE LOST TO THE TWST EQUIVILANT OF BABY SHARK- Rook, i don't care about your reasonings for why we weren't at our best, I've seen the video performance AND THE NRC TRIBE FUCKING NAILED IT!!!

And then our croccy boi- Now don't get me wrong, I do love Sebek as a member of the first year gang of idiots. I also don't know a lot about him personally since I've only known him in events and havent started Book 7 yet. From what I have seen, he does annoy me a lot with his blatant disregard and disrespect to anyone who isn't Malleus or Lilia. His ego and his racism also really piss me off and make me wanna slap some sense into him. I understand it comes from a place of self-loathing but dude, PLEASE read the room for once and not screech our ears off. I'm certain that I would eventually befriend him but if we actually met face to face, it would be a miracle for me to not punch him 1 minute after his insults.

5. If you could have any unique magic / signature spell in the game, which would you choose and why?

Ooooh I've never thought about that until now actually. Personally, i would want something that would be useful and practical both in a day to day life or in a fight since I'm not very physically strong. Going with that idea, i'd more than likely pick either Split Card or Paint The Roses/Doodle Suit. Multiple me's to help me do chores around the house or distract someone in a fight? YES PLEASE!! I also have a lot of sensory issues so I feel like Paint the Roses would really help me eat the things i need to or make a certain texture that feels funny to me turn comfortable. We've also seen how useful it can be in a fight during Riddle's Overblot when Trey turned the rosebush into cards and saved us.

If just for fun though, I'd love to try out any of Savanaclaw's UM's/SS's. Now THAT would be chaotic heheh.

28. What is the TWST related content that you've produced that you are most proud of?

I personally really love my HTTYD x TWST fic that i've been writing. Knowing myself, I probably wont ever finish/post it so I'll have what I've written linked here for anyone who's interested in my favourite brainworm lol. Bella is a very special oc near and dear to my heart as she's the first one that I've enjoyed writing for since being kicked out of home over a year ago. She gave me back my creativity and I couldn't be more thankful for it.

Right now, I've even been imagine a Fairly OddParents x TWST fic in my head which I think would be a BLAST to write, where my Twisted version of Timmy Turner (a girl called Izzy) would use their rule free wish to be a part of Wanda, Cosmo and Poof/Peri's family as their bio daughter when they're no longer her godparents and becomes a half-fairy hybrid in the process. The idea of a "magicless" girl at NRC who out of nowhere suddenly can not only make but GRANT wishes that bend the laws of reality around her is absolutely hilarious to me. Haha take that you pricks, you thought I was weak? BOOM you're a hedgehog, now you really are a prick. Rewatching FOP and seeing how Timmy can be such a menace/pos really makes me think he would fit in GREAT amongst NRC lol.

I'm also really proud of the Card edits I've done for other people where I turn their OC's into different rated cards so it looks like it's from the game. Seeing all the different kinds of OC's and hearing about their characters is so amazing.

Feel free to send in any more asks or questions!! I love interacting with the Twst Community <3

[corvidaerook]

WIP Wednesday We're Not Gonna Talk About It Day

Thank you to @thedissonantverses for the @!! I'm pretty sure most of my other mutuals already did it, plus I'm way late for it to actually count for anybody's actual WIP Wednesday, but if anyone sees this and wants to do theirs too, please consider this a tag!

My actual current WIP is part of a DA fan event and is secret, but this is something I started writing the other night as a post-game, "my Rook goes back to the Crows and falls into his old habits" thing. (Partly inspired by Varric saying not to try to beat Rook at cards.)

He scooped the cards up, sliding them into a neat little pile in his hand. In one smooth move, he flipped them over, set them on the table, and curled his arm around the stack of gold pieces, jewelry, and everything else of value that the men had had on them. Lucanis was too far away to hear what he said, but that didn’t prevent him from reading Cassian’s lips as they lifted at the corner; House Cantori appreciates your business, gentlemen. And it certainly didn’t stop him from seeing the table flip half a second later, nor one of the men lunging to grab Cassian by the collar with a beefy hand.

It was only familiarity with the Diamond that kept Lucanis from shooting out of his seat with a knife drawn. He already knew that, if Cassian were truly in any danger, there would be guards on the table in a heartbeat. Especially with the lady of the house present and watching with sharp eyes. Of course, it also helped that he was familiar with Cassian himself. He knew that the look of surprise on Cassian’s face was almost as calculated as the outcome of the card game, and that the moment he escaped to the Diamond’s back room, it would split into the same confident grin Lucanis had become so used to. Even Spite accepted it as enough of a reassurance that he stayed settled in Lucanis' mind. Angry shouts echoed across the floor as Lucanis reached for his coffee instead. Heads all throughout the room snapped towards the table, a few other patrons standing to see the commotion better, and Viago dropped his head with a long sigh. "You knew that this would be the outcome, Viago, dear," Teia said with a chuckle that told Lucanis she had more than expected it. Lucanis, however, couldn't say the same. In the many times that he had visited the Casino, either having been dragged by Illario or intending to meet Teia and Viago, he couldn't say that he had ever seen something quite so dramatic. A few spats, yes, but never flipped tables, much less physical altercations. Not even when Illario had unknowingly been kissed by a woman two feet from her husband—that had been resolved before Lucanis had even been forced to use the knife he'd palmed in reluctant anticipation. Though, before meeting Cassian, he had never seen someone talk back to Caterina, either. Or face down a giant Antaam without blinking, or punch the First Warden, or an Elven God. It seemed as if he had not only managed to find a walking, talking catalyst of the unexpected, but had fallen hopelessly in love with him for good measure. Instead of voicing that in front of Teia—who would laugh—and Viago—who's veins might just finally burst—Lucanis swirled the Cantoris' lackluster coffee and asked, "is this something that happens often?" “When Cassian is involved…yes.” Viago pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s not enough to pickpocket the man. No, he must draw as much attention as possible to himself first, specifically to give me an aneurysm.”

[magicjesuscup]

In Dreams Where We Meet - Louis

I played his route so you don't have to.

The route starts off in Lou's office where he's telling MC the king of Luxure is going to be stopping by to do an inspection of the academy. He's very clear with MC that Louis cannot know about her or her powers.

When she leaves she bumps into Fenn and Violet, and the three go to Fenn's room to discuss the inspection. Although, they end up spending most of their time discussing Fenn's dad. They say he's like Fenn, but I'm assuming they mean in the looks department because Fenn says the only thing he really knows about his dad is how many wives he has. Violet warns MC that once Louis has set his eyes on someone, he doesn't stop until they're his (regardless of kingdom of origin or sex).

Fast forward to Louis arriving on Colde. It takes him a whole five seconds to find MC. He somehow knows her name, starts kissing her, and decides he likes her. (I honestly thought there was going to be more of a game of cat and mouse here.)

Poof. Now she's in Luxure. I think it's around here that MC realizes she's dreaming because she doesn't remember leaving Colde. Louis tells her no one will come looking for her because he's erased all evidence of him abducting her. (Which I kinda call bullshit here. Lou can see everything that happens on Colde including who comes and goes, and I can't imagine him not being on high alert when a king is visiting. He might not be able to keep an eye on MC 24/7 personally, but he has two familiars that can help him with that. Also, even if he has no proof, it would be super suspicious for one of his students to go missing when The Horny King went back to his kingdom assuming nothing else of note was happening on the isle at the time.) She's on his lap and they kiss for a bit before she jumps to the next part of the dream.

She's in a hallway working as a maid. At this point she's pretty sure she's dreaming because of how disjointed these events seem to be. Louis pops up behind her, starts kissing her again, and carries her to his room; his reasoning is MC will be able to relax if they have privacy even though that's not the problem MC is having with what's going on.

He gets her to his room, plops her in his lap, and they two start kissing again. He makes comments like, "I brought you back from the academy and made you a maid because I could not bear to be without you, even if after you refused my proposal," and, "If you do not wish to become my wife, I shall wait until you do." To me, it was kind of unclear if he planned to keep her there against her will, or was just confident she'd fall in love with him and never want to leave. When she seems uncomfortable, he does back off and tells her he won't force her into anything. So, I guess that's a point for the latter. He moves her off his lap and seats her next to him. He holds her hand and seems a bit worried and maybe a bit hurt that she might not like him. He also asks that she call him by his name and not his title.

At this point, she decides since she's dreaming there's no harm in trying to enjoy it. So, they sit there and talk for a bit. She mentions that she liked trying rare fruits on the Isle of Colde, so Louis calls for some fruit to be brought to them. He asks that they feed each other, and MC goes along with it.

Later, she's doing her maid job and gets thrown/locked in a room. She panics at first. Louis is the only person she's talked to and she isn't sure how she'll get out if he doesn't realize she's missing. She also basically says, "This is my dream; I can make anything happen. Why the fuck did my brain pick this!?"

Louis finds her almost immediately and takes her back to his room to comfort her. She asks if he found her so quickly because he was watching her. His answer implies that rather than being a part of the dream, he's also dreaming himself. He tells her that anything is possible in a dream and asks what she wants. At first she says she wants to wake up. They've been dreaming for a while and they can't stay asleep forever. But she quickly changes her mind and they start kissing again. He asks if all she wants is to be kissed, and MC decides to ask for more. He touches her under her clothes before stripping her completely. She tells him to stop, but just as quickly seems to change her mind again.

He moves her to the bed and she wakes up. MC thinks back and remembers the last thing that actually happened was her talking to Fenn and Violet. A messenger bird delivers a message from Louis and the route cuts off before we find out what it says. There doesn't seem to be epilogues for this event, so I guess we'll never know what it said.

===

Honestly, the route wasn't awful. I've played way worse routes (early on) with Guy (being generally awful), Fenn (with MC constantly questioning if he REALLY loves her or is lying), and Lynt (taking on Guy's personality repeatedly because reasons). The thing that bothered me the most was wondering how MC could think Louis was being sincere with anything he was saying considering he has 1,000 spouses. She gave Fenn such grief in earlier events for being polyamorous, it comes off as weird to me that the number of times Louis has gotten married is just kinda glossed over. I should probably also note that at no point did Louis glow when he kissed MC, nor did he bring up her powers, so it's likely he still isn't aware of her god-powers.

I low-key wished this route was for Addis instead. He's a different kind of monster, but at least he's single. 💀

[summer-nights19]

hii! may i have a hcs of vorpal swords meeting kagami's cool older sister who is like, very chill, has piercings on her mouth, and has a smoking addiction. and also is studying in a law school (sorry if this is too self indulgent lol) have a nice day!!

Hi anon ! Thank you so much for the request, hope you enjoy ~

GoM guys meet Kagami's older sister

Aomine

- She definitely sounds like she could be his type . Might try to hit on herand take her out at first, but she'd be dismissive due to the slight age gap

- Become pretty good friends over time, and often hang out as a three with Kagami there, playing basketball together or simply going out

- Definitely asks her for advice with girls secretly- he's too embarrassed to ask anyone else, and she'll keep the secret.

- Have smoke breaks on the rooftop together when Aomine's having a lazy day

- She would also probably tutor him throughout exam season along with Kagami since she has the brains in the family

- They often tease Kagami together or bring up embarrassing shit he did in the past. Aomine managed to get a lot of ammunition from her.

Kise

- Who would've known Kagami's older sister was so attractive ? He tries to hit on her at the beginning, but she'd probably still see him as a bit young and brush him off

- Become good friends with time and have tea spilling sessions at her apartment that consist of self care routines and talking shit

- Definitely exchange advice on beauty products and skincare

Kuroko

- They'd be so chill together

- I could see them hanging out semi regularly due to how close Kuroko and Kagami are

- Acts like an older sister to him too - encourages him to keep pursuing his passions and working hard even when he's faced with tough competition

- He high key admires her confidence and intellect and aspires to find that in himself one day

Akashi

- Their relationship would be one of mutual trust and respect after a while - he values her intelligence and confident, outspoken manner and she also understands how important his talents are to her brother's team

- Starts respecting her more than Kagami after a while, which annoys him to no end

- Even though he won't admit it, he admires her academic career

Midorima

- Was definitely dismissive of her before they got to know each other better, seeing her as just another attractive girl.

- However, when he learnt more about her and got to know her better, he'd definitely start seeing her more like Akashi does

- Now, he always tells Kagami that he received none of the brains in the family

- Will never admit how much he respects her intelligence to her face

- No matter how much time passes, he'll never grow accustomed to all the piercings and cigarettes

Murasakibara

- They'd definitely chill together after basketball practice or when Atsushi feels especially lazy, sharing snacks and cigarettes

- Atsushi feels comfortable enough to open up a bit around her and vent to her about the problems in his life, and she's happy to give him advice

- He greatly respects her as a person and is one of the few people he actually enjoys the company of

- Sometimes she'll pack him extra snacks if she goes to see them in a game

Masterlist

[pressplay-if]

if we're permitted to ramble about our MCs.......

Harper Bishop is the lead singer for the band 'Fawn.' their music is very chill and upbeat, but had an overall cynical tone to most of their works, which matches Harper pretty well! raised by distant parents, Harper always tried to be a good kid, in the hopes that her parents might give her approval, but it never came (she couldn't even imagine having a rebellious/lashing out phase, she made being the perfect child a part of her identity).

s college went on, i think she sort of...gave up on her parents, and started forging connections that gave her love/validation elsewhere. but, that good girl image stuck, and Harper definitely gives "girl next door" in terms of her stage persona. she is generally a sweet, caring person, if not a bit shy/reserved (bit of stage fright, but she's doing okay). i believe she does have a mean streak that can be easy to miss with how she acts the majority of the time that may come out more as she changes over the course of her career.

this combination of shyness vs need for approval has her pretty conflicted about fame and about Lincoln. if she gets more confident as her career goes on, she will start chasing more attention and fame. her goals at the beginning of the band were just having fun, not really expecting them to get anywhere, and yearning for a simpler life, but we'll see how fame changes her! (hopefully a lot i want her to be a fundamentally different and perhaps a worse person by the end of the story)

Stevie has a crush on her and Harper has no idea because she's absolutely the type to mistake romantic interest as just "being nice" so we'll see if she ever figures it out. also interested to see how her relationship with Stevie evolves as Harper potentially becomes a crueler, more selfish person because i believe Stevie would still try and keep defending and excusing her behavior and i think Stevie enabling increasingly terrible behavior would be super interesting to play through! i love character conflict!!

I love into how much detail you went here, especially considering what music Harper's band actually makes. Thanks so much, I love long asks, even though my answers always fall out shorter. Don't worry, Harper can, depending on your actions, definitely come out much, much worse by the end of the game. That kind of development is particularly tragic with Stevie's crush route...

[sgiandubh]

Jottings: Season 7, episode 6. A woman is... possibility

Contrary to what I usually do in here, just jotting down spontaneous impressions of the episodes, with no great pretension to anything, I had to re-watch Where The Waters Meet three times over last week. And it was all my fault, because this is truly a good and dense episode, that could have very well ended this half-season.

It also becomes more and more clear that my decision of not reading these damn books was a very poor choice. Probably because the storyline seems cramped, at times, I find myself gliding through moments and scenes with the very unpalatable sensation of bagging a munro without the right equipment. Not a good picture, I know. But bear in mind I just started Drums of Autumn and it already reads like a root canal intervention - sorry for the book purists. I should, however, hope to somehow catch up before part B of the season: no promises, though. If, by any stretch of my vivid imagination, I start to hear Herself's screechy voice in my head while reading, it immediately goes down the drain, despite my best intentions & effort.

But I digress. While Fort Ticonderoga is being evacuated with the help of the friendly Cherokees and their lightweight canoes, in Lallybroch there is a bit of fussing over Jemmy's cursing in Gaelic at school. Which leads to Roger being invited to give a wee lecture on the topic by a very enthusiastic Headmaster and yet another (Lord in heaven and all His cherubs) constipated domestic conversation with SS. The only cheerful thing about her is that self-assertive fringe, so 80s I could cry (I hate the Eighties with the passion I worship the Sixties, heh). And her grabbing me by the sleeve (Hello, people! Lookie here! I can haz acting! I am acting! ) every single time she has more than three lines on air is distracting and, again, annoying.

Walter Woodcock's demise instantly took me to Season 1, when that proud Scot was killed by the boar and Claire helped give him the good death he deserved. Not surprising at all, since the whole OL dynamic is a pendulum between loves, timelines and worlds.

The new Rollo dog looks less direwolfish than Rollo 1. #GoT, stopped watching upon Khaleesi's arrival at King's Landing. Never looked back.

Rob Cameron, you antagonist, you. That new acquaintance you instantly find too pushy not to feel suspicious about, and yet you can't afford to be irrationally rude to. Also, with no SS in sight, RR is pulling off his scenes quite fine & dandy, and with ease. What is that woman's dark secret? How can that be? Court is still in session, on this one. But give me more Hunters and less #Broger, dear God. I would take it any day, any way you see fit. I will be nice to everyone and take my vitamins. I will even consider jogging. But get them off my back, for Christ's sake!

Vandervaart. Consistent. Present. Owns his game. Elegant. Loved every single moment (Your servant, Madam - especially and for obvious reasons). A very, very good cast honoring both J and LJG. I can only fawn and paeans are not really my specialty. But I continue to be impressed and confident and I see great things for this talented kid.

Spoiler: I said yes, Claire. And just like that, with the click of the rifle's hammer, he tells her their whole world is yet again thrown upside down. Theirs is a dense scene, clearly dominated by S, whose mastery of voice and expression is once again flawless and thoroughly appreciated. She follows, at a - by now - completely symbiotic pace, but make no mistake: he gives her the cues. And I would take that subtle, unspeakable tenderness any day, gladly, if the writer's final choice was not to insist on what might be - perhaps unjustly - construed by some as geriatric porn. He still looks at her like that.

For that only, if not for all the rest, I will continue to watch it until the end. Because I feel you morally lose the right to criticize the moment you throw the towel and your opinion suddenly turns into bitching. Something I will most probably never do, as far as OL is concerned.

Onwards to Dreaded Seven. Let's see if I can be properly disgusted by poor acting yet again.

Credit given to @flllk. B&W is a great idea - the right kind of depth

[countessdaydream]

Boxer!Geto x Actress!Y/n

The Arrangement

Boxer!Geto who is one of Japan’s most famous and skilled kickboxers, living a life of fame, money, and indulgence. His good looks, wealth, and talent attract admiration from all corners of the world, allowing him to live the high life alongside his peers. But when a long-standing favor between his father and Actress!Y/n’s father comes to light, Suguru’s world is upended.

Boxer!Geto who finds out about the arranged marriage on the night of a big match, while celebrating with his friends at a party. His assistant delivers the shocking news, showing him headlines across major blogs and news outlets: ‘Geto Suguru Engaged to Actress!Y/n!’ Suguru is initially stunned, believing it’s just another rumor. But when his father confirms the arrangement the next day, Suguru is forced to accept it, though reluctantly.

Actress!Y/n who is a confident and strategic American actress who, knowing the history between her father and Suguru’s father, proposes the idea of the arranged marriage after hearing about the favor. She sees it as a mutually beneficial situation that will help her career while maintaining her family’s reputation. Actress!Y/n is unbothered by the whole situation, as she knows her own worth and is confident she can make the arrangement work without sacrificing her independence.

Boxer!Geto who is irritated and resistant at first but becomes intrigued by how effortlessly Actress!Y/n handles the public’s scrutiny. While Suguru finds it difficult to understand her lack of desperation for his approval, he secretly admires her confidence and professionalism.

Actress!Y/n who is not interested in breaking through Suguru’s walls or trying to get him to like her. She simply tells him, “I don’t need you to like me, but it’ll make things easier for both of us if we get along in private too.” Suguru is taken aback by her bluntness but starts to see the truth in her words. Actress!Y/n doesn’t waste time or energy trying to win him over—she’s focused on her own goals, and if they can work together in a functional, no-drama manner, she’s satisfied.

Boxer!Geto who starts to notice how Actress!Y/n maintains her cool in every situation, whether it’s handling tough media questions or navigating public events. Suguru, who is used to people either avoiding conflict or trying to please him, begins to see the value in Actress!Y/n’s no-nonsense approach.

Actress!Y/n who continues to remain unbothered by Suguru’s mood swings. When he’s cold or distant, she doesn’t take it personally and simply goes about her own life. She’s here for the arrangement to benefit both of them, and as long as Suguru plays his part in public, she’s fine keeping their private moments calm and straightforward.

Boxer!Geto who starts to respect Actress!Y/n’s ability to handle herself and her career with such grace. She’s not here to play games, and she doesn’t let him drag her into unnecessary drama. He slowly begins to admire her strength and her ability to stay grounded, even in the face of mounting pressure.

Actress!Y/n who respects Suguru’s dedication to his fighting career. While she doesn’t need to fawn over him, she appreciates the effort he puts into his craft and, when it’s earned, offers him genuine praise. Her balanced approach makes it easy for Suguru to start seeing her as more than just a contractual partner, but as someone with integrity.

Boxer!Geto who begins to soften, not because Actress!Y/n presses him, but because her calm, no-drama attitude helps him relax and stop overthinking. He begins to see her as someone who will never push him but instead works with him, creating a surprisingly comfortable dynamic between them. Suguru’s gradual shift is not from desire but respect—he begins to appreciate the person Actress!Y/n is, not just the actress or the “wife” he’s been thrust into this arrangement with.

Actress!Y/n who continues to set clear boundaries, ensuring their marriage doesn’t take over her life. She balances her career, personal life, and public appearances, all while maintaining a straightforward, honest approach with Suguru. Her lack of desperation to change the arrangement or to force a deeper connection keeps everything simple, while also building an unexpected mutual respect between the two.

The Arrangement.

The Proposal.

The Betrayal.

[pixeldistractions]

Would she potentially quit over this?

An essay reply for @kimmiessimmies from this post.

Sorry to make an essay out of this reply, but I couldn’t stop, and tumblr replies are limited, and now here we are. 🙃

So, if it was a one-off thing and Sharon didn’t press the matter any further, I think Stephanie would try to tell herself that she imagined it or misread Sharon’s intentions, and she would stuff it under the rug. She may always have a shadowy doubt cast over their working relationship, but she would probably stay for as long as it made sense to stay.

I have to keep in mind the character I’ve established for Stephanie already over many stories. She’s had probably more development than most of my sims. By now, I think it’s well established that she is meek and not the kind of woman who stands up for herself or makes a stink unless things got really bad. So things would have to get really bad first, then she would probably make a gentle excuse for why she needed to quit. She might say she wants to focus on her family, or to have another baby (even though she’s not really thinking about having another baby right now). And she would never bring up the topic again. She might convince Justin that they should move further away without telling him why. Even though he would be the person she most wanted to confide in, she couldn’t tell Justin because he would 100% make a huge stink on her behalf and she wouldn’t want that.

I also have to take into account that Sharon has been described by many of my characters as a beloved employer, very thoughtful and generous, and pillar of her community. So what is going on with her that she would cross this line with one of her highest ranking employees? And only two months after that esteemed employee married the love of her life at this property. Is Sharon that lonely? Does she need to start dating? Or is she obsessed? Does she regret not saying something to Stephanie before the wedding, just in case she might have had a chance? Are we writing a stalker story now? 😂

(Do you see the plot bunnies breeding like mad? This is how I end up writing five thousand stories all at once, and how my brain goes straight to mega drama! Stalker story, here we go, whee!!!)

Okay, so. In the end, it may just be that sims are sims and Wicked Whims is crazy, lol!

Also though, sims are sims sometimes and the way they consistently behave in game can be hard to ignore when you’re writing about them. If it becomes that much of a thing in gameplay, it taints all the ideas I had about them and their working relationship, seeing it happen over and over again, then it would probably have to carry over into the story and become a real thing.

TL;DR: So, would she quit? Only if things got really bad, which means we may be writing a stalker story.

This would be so far off in the timeline, but just for shits and giggles…

[redwineconversation]

writing letters addressed to the fire (Galatarasay - Lyon Postgame Thoughts)

What did we learn about this game? Quite a lot, actually, even though it was at times a little boring.

Hegerberg got a decent amount of minutes, scored, and didn't get injured. Is it safe to say she's back? Not yet, but she is definitely getting there. There were a couple of bad misses which I am willing to excuse as rust, but the grace period isn't indefinite. The moment which really made me smile was when she tapped her imaginary watch as the Galatarasay players were rolling around during yet another break in play. Hegerberg has no patience for blatant time wasting, especially so early in the first half.

Both Dumornay and Diani were really bad this game. They both held onto the ball too much, made bad choices, and let the frustration of having a bad game get to them. If Diani gets in her head and goes quiet when things go wrong, Dumornay gets more erratic and the frustration becomes more visible. It's frustrating because I think she can be a really good player but she has got to start learning to manage her emotions better.

Carpenter was uncharacteristically sloppy in the opening 10-15 minutes of the game, but got better as the game progressed, and her cross for Hegerberg's goal was really good. She has improved a lot this season, be it because now there is genuine competition for her spot with Huerta, there is actual rotation, or maybe just the coach is good. Who knows? I will take it either way. But I think we're really seeing her grow as a player this season.

Renard was solid except for one nervy moment, which was also uncharacteristic. Sombath did good but isn't on the same level as Gilles. That being said, I'm curious what the lineup will be against Nantes. Lyon plays Nantes in Lyon on Saturday, and I think we will see more rotation ahead of the big Wolfsburg game next Tuesday.

Two comments about the substitutes: I'm surprised that Huerta came on for Bacha instead of Svava but will let it pass considering Lyon has two more games to play in the next 6 days; if Horan had missed the bicycle kick the way Becho did Twitter would have had an absolute meltdown and demanded Horan be sold effective immediately. Since they would never have double standards, I take this as they will join my incentive to get Becho to transfer to another team in the January window.

The biggest football crime is people pretending that Becho is good that Le Sommer plays on the same team at the same time as Hegerberg. I still feel to this day that Le Sommer doesn't get the recognition she so rightfully deserves. She is everything you could ever want in a footballer (barring maybe height?), and I just wish people would appreciate her more. As a romantic I would have loved her 50th UWCL goal to have been against Wolfsburg but I guess not all love stories happen when you want them to.

I keep thinking back to the start of the season when Mbock wasn't replaced, the Svava signing was announced, Bacha's surgery was announced, and Huerta was signed (not in that specific order). But I remember the absolute (and in my opinion, justified) outrage at what Lyon's defense would look like. There was a ton of doom predicting. There was absolute head loss. But look at where we are now: Lyon is top of the group, guaranteed to finish first, has only conceded one goal so far in the UWCL (TBD if that changes against Wolfsburg), two goals in the actual league.

We have to give credit where credit is due: Montemurro may not be a perfect coach, but he has done a really good job so far with Lyon. He has managed this team well and got them playing well. I am not certain that anyone can say with absolute confidence that they predicted Lyon's stats would look like they are now in Summer 2024.

[heartofsol]

Elise's themes & leitmotifs

Hellooo, I haven't posted in a while. Thought I'd do an analysis of Elise's themes, just because. This was also partly an excuse to compile all of her themes in a single post.

"Running Through the Plains" is the first time we hear the leitmotif of Elise's main theme, "My Destiny". It plays briefly when Elise touches a butterfly that landed on Sonic's nose, then builds up again when Sonic and Elise run together ~ 😊 With the way the leitmotif starts off quiet, but becomes bold near the end, I feel like this song symbolizes the start of Elise's growth.

"In the Forest" is the second time we hear this leitmotif, but now it's more prominent throughout the whole song. One thing I like about this song is that it starts off bold and magical, but ends on a more quiet and sad note. The exact opposite of Running Through the Plains. In the Forest plays during the cutscene where Sonic takes Elise to see blossoming flowers. There, Elise reflects on her adventure with Sonic and how much fun she's had despite her initial fear. However, she knows that Sonic must leave after he defeats Eggman. It's something that Elise accepts, but the thought of losing her only friend almost brings her to tears.

"Elise Goes Alone" mostly has Eggman's leitmotif, with Elise's leitmotif only coming in at the halfway point. I believe this signifies Elise becoming more confident. Eggman doesn't kidnap Elise here, but she sacrifices herself to protect her kingdom. Other than that, I don't have much to say about this song (it's good though).

Near the end of the game, we have "Just Smile". To save the world, Elise just has to blow out Solaris' flame. However, this would erase the timeline, meaning her and Sonic will never meet. She understandably agonizes over this before regaining her composure shortly after and blowing out the flame once she remembered Sonic's words. The song does a wonderful job of conveying this: Starting soft as Elise prepares to blow out the flame, getting louder when she realizes that they won't remember each other once it's over, reaching the climax when she breaks down, and ending on the same soft note as she comes to terms with it.

Lastly, we have Elise's main theme, "My Destiny". I couldn't upload the audio file because it was too big, so I'll have to insert a video here. My Destiny is the culmination of Elise's character arc. It's a song about love, hope, and remembrance. One line I like in particular is "You've taught me that life can be revived". This obviously refers to how Elise revived Sonic with her love, but I think it goes deeper than that. Before her adventure with Sonic, Elise led a rather lonely life. She wasn't truly experiencing the world, instead being restricted by her role as the Ruler of Soleanna. Then Sonic came along and made her feel more alive and free than she'd had in years. In a way, Sonic revived Elise's life with his love.

I think Elise has the best themes in the Sonic series. Not only are the orchestral instruments of her themes unique for the series, they also contain a lot of leitmotifs, which is something I absolutely love. When I listen to her themes, I'm filled with a sense of nostalgic melancholy. I'm reminded of happy memories from my childhood, but I also feel sadness because those days have long since passed. I did a little searching and found that this feeling is called saudade. Here is the definition:

This perfectly encapsulates Sonic and Elise's relationship. They were happy, but eventually they had to say goodbye. And even though they forgot about each other in the end, the happiness they shared remains in their hearts.

Well, now I'm kinda bummed out.

..Sega, please bring Elise back. I need new content. I'm starving...