#but even then???? the snippets we do see r so so so interesting

[sweetandsourcookies]

lying here in bed and thinking abt how alienated out i feel in the cookie run fandom. and then theres a polish sitcom playing in the background from a different room.

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

Hihi slug, I love your work, and thanks for everything!! Since Matenro season is nearly upon us, I was wondering if we could get your opinion on the solo snippets🤞🤞

Matenro's new solo previews are SO GOOD, what do you think of them?

Thank you both for notifying me about them! Taking a look now...

(The album is probably already out now, but... better late than never...)

Jakurai's A Majestic Figure

Title note: 4-kanji compounds are like the SAT vocab words of Japanese; they're not super common in everyday speech and can evoke a literary or sophisticated feeling. This one is...interesting. To the best of my knowledge, it isn't a standard compound (I'm also not getting any hits when I Google it) and I wonder if that's significant. It's just two words strung together to make the appearance of fanciness, perhaps. I couldn't say for certain. At any rate, both 威風 and (especially) 颯爽 describe a majestic, often captivating appearance. This isn't to say that such qualities of dignity or majesty aren't real, but I definitely feel like both terms are defining a subject from an outside perspective. These aren't terms I would ever expect someone to describe themselves with, which makes the song title sound like it's an outside observer commenting on Jakurai instead of Jakurai talking about himself. We see this happen a lot in Hypmic, with people putting Jakurai on pedestals or Jakurai struggling to see himself as the same grand figure others perceive him as. As a result, I wrote the song title as "A Majestic Figure" to emphasize the appearance of majesty, whereas the character of the figure is unknown. Anyway, let's dive in and see what this is all about.

(10 seconds in) Vibing with these instrumentals

(19 seconds in) Not vibing with these "ah"s... but we can't have everything in life

(43 seconds in) I'm a little too tired to fully keep up (I'll look up the lyrics when I'm done) but I REALLY like the urgency in the delivery, which is so at odds with the flowing, dignified background music. In JPN fiction as a whole, flusteredness/desperation is contrasted with calmness as a synonym for imperfection and perfection. Jakurai is, honestly, really kind of a desperate character...yet one that appears outwardly calm/perfect to most of the rest of the cast, so it's interesting that we get to see his desperate nature on full display right at the start of the song.

(1:26 in) Hand motif mentioned *Cinemasins ding* (of

(End) Thank you uta-net for having the lyrics up already; ily. Let's see now... Interesting. I'll have to read them again in more depth later, but it looks like a call to forgive past wounds and seek out a better, less painful way of existence--in a societal sense, a religious (as in like, ascending or becoming enlightened) sense, and a personal sense. All great things to see Jakurai expressing. Again, it's interesting to see Jakurai expressing this with such urgency, even if these are things we know he really, really cares about. That coupled with the background music seems to match a bit in the lyrics that says "And [to end war within society, paraphrased] I take grand, dignified action mixed with the discord and noise of Shinjuku, a samsara spiral of cacophonous echoes." Mixing the stately and the chaotic, the "imperfect" and the "perfect." Really interesting stuff!

Hifumi's The Beginning of the Last Song

Title note: "Last Song" is English and written in katakana, which is a sharp contrast to the style of Jakurai's title. Creates a much younger and casual feel appropriate for Hifumi. Not much else to say here, so let's jump in.

(10 seconds in) Modern indie pop song on the radio feel. I'm not a fan of autotune in general so I'm not in love with this, but I'm hopeful it'll pick up soon.

(22 seconds in) I listen to so much "soft hiphop" (for lack of a better term) during work that my brain instantly catapulted itself into work mode and stopped paying any attention to the words. Coffee mug? Check. Emails? Check. Anxiety? Check. Let me rewind and listen to this properly.

(32 seconds in but for real this time) So far, very Hifumi. Opening verse has some fun figurative language but essentially says Hifumi's suit is pure courage he dons like a suit of armor. In doing so, it masks him and makes him become like a whole other person. From there, he switches to addressing a listener: "I want to soothe your mental wounds. I want to change your frown into a smile. I won't let go of your hands, and no, I'm not doing this for a reward." It's something that Hifumi should be saying to himself (something Hifumi wants to hear, maybe?) and yet he says "To [Host!]me, this is happiness."

(59 seconds in) Hmm... I was going to say this song feels sad to me, because all these positive messages of "Keep going! You're safe now!" are framed as being directed at other people, and I was like..."Hifumi, who's going to say that to you? Who's going to help you feel that way?" but then the line "You made me realize I'm not alone" radically flips the framing so that it DOES become things Hifumi is saying to himself, too. How nice. :) I would not want to translate this, personally... Haha it's using the vagueness of Japanese grammar and lyrical conventions to great effect, but I don't feel comfortable touching that personally.

(1:02) Hell yeah, belt that shit, homie

(1:32) So it's a last song in the sense that it's a farewell or the final song of his old self. Now he's the new, healing Hifumi. We love to see it 10/10 bravo. The song is also a happy, heartfelt thank you to the unspoken listeners (presumably Matenrou) who helped him feel less alone. That's cute! I like it. I probably shouldn't go here, but I find it intriguing how the vagueness of listeners is utilized. The first time the listeners are addressed, the language is...if not borderline romantic, pathos-filled to the point where it's definitely evocative of his host job (hence why he's not seeking compensation for handholding, an often romantic gesture). Yet it's borderline enough that it wouldn't be inappropriate to imagine it being addressed to Matenrou instead of his patrons. Hahaha. Again, another reason I don't want to go near this one.

(Overall) I like it! A nice ballad for Hifumi.

Doppo's Andante

(5 seconds in) For a song called Andante, this has a faster tempo than at least one other song on this album lol. But it's much less frenetic than Doppo's other solos, so there's that, I guess.

(7 seconds in) This delivery is giving me anime ending made by a 2010s rock band vibes lol.

(14 seconds in) Damn there's a baller line here that I'm stumped on how to convey in Eng in a way that's both baller and sensical. Meaning wise, it's like "I want to take back the things I shouldn't have said and give them as a present to you" and in figurative language it's like "Once, I used to fire words into the air [speak things in anger or carelessly]. Now, I want to gather them up [esp. like a bouquet of flowers] after their flight and use them to decorate you [again, like flowers or like a piece of jewelry--it's a positive connotation]" Pop off, Doppo

(40 seconds in) Oh this is killer and also going to need some major explaining. Doppo's name is literally "he who walks alone" which is usually considered a positive thing--someone who "walks the path of life" alone would have gotten there by outstripping the rest of the pack. In Doppo's case, though, this is a negative thing. I think it's not as obvious to Eng-only fans, and I know I didn't really think about it for a long time myself, but Doppo considers himself a "loser" bc he didn't follow a conventional life path. It's considered atypical to switch employers, especially very early on in one's career, as he did when he stood up for Hifumi and got himself fired at his first job. Part of why he puts up with shitty treatment at EL Medical is because it's one of the few places that would hire someone who switched employers at such a young age. (Sidebar: My (probably flawed, as I don't live in Japan) impression is that this is becoming less and less of a thing as time goes on and the economy goes to shit, but I think it's the self-stigma more than anything else that's affecting Doppo. To me, it feel similar to the societal pressures in the US to attend and graduate from a four-year college. Plenty of people don't for all sorts of reasons, but because that's so ingrained as the default life story for Americans in a lot of communities, Doppo's dealing with the kind of disappointment and self-hatred someone who dropped out before getting a four year degree might feel.) Doppo beats himself up about that a lot, but here we get that lovely line of "In the waves of people (hitonami) passing all around me, I no longer see anyone who looks like me. It's a shame, because I always wanted to be just like everyone else (hitonami)." Outside of that beautiful wordplay on hitonami, we're also treated to the figurative language of hitonami being literally "in line with others." Doppo, a character who walks through life alone, wanted to walk through life at the same pace/reaching the same milestones at the same time as everyone else.

(1:04 in) "Life is a tightrope act; it's like walking a balance beam [lit. "average beam" aka a beam where everything is averaged/balanced]. In a country where not everything can be average (narasarenai) and where even if the things that [I] can accomplish (narasareru) don't matter [in the eyes of society], sometimes the sounds I want to make don't come out right (narasarenai). When that happens, I can call myself pitiful--or I can feel the breathing of the beautiful flowerbed that is this city, and when someone's humming under their breath disturbs that short break [lit. breath], I ask them 'So, what is this happiness thing anyway?'" I would rather die than TL this song but I'm LOVING the creativity and depth of the lyrics.

(1:27) WILD! FUCKING! CHEERING!!! "You fake smiles in a mirror to make other people happy and call it love. It's a form of hypnosis, and I've made a go of falling under its spell because I just want to be equals [on par with, balanced], and so if you and I can walk these crowded streets together, then I think I don't mind as much that I'm always walking alone." THE GROWTH! THE GROWTH!!!!

Damn, this album's lyrics go hard. What a feast.

[redroomreflections]

Changing Tides Snippet ✨

Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader

Note: this is just a small snippet to see if I should scrap or keep going. It’s about Natasha and R’s daughter getting really sick. Totally a crying fest. It has like two different povs so that’s been hard to get down.

The family gathered around the table, laughter echoing through the cabin's warm interior. Lark and Veda, their swimsuits still clinging to their damp skin, were beaming with the energy of their swim. Lark, however, shivered slightly, catching your observant eye.

Your voice soft and motherly, noticed Lark's chill and draped a warm blanket around her shoulders. "You're freezing, sweetie," you said, your protective instinct always at the ready.

Veda, ever the picture of defiance, declined the offer of a blanket. She was too busy digging into her burger, her appetite seemingly insatiable. Lark gingerly removed the pickles from her burger, gently sliding them over to Veda, who eagerly savored each one. The act revealed the clear distinction in their personalities. Veda perched with her legs pulled close to her chest, the very picture of casual and cool. Meanwhile, Lark, the meticulous one, swung her legs beneath her chair as she methodically disassembled her sandwich before artfully reconstructing it.

You and Natasha exchanged a quiet, knowing glance as you watched your daughters. You couldn't help but wonder if hot dogs might have been a more fitting choice for Lark, whose meticulous nature extended even to her mealtime habits.

Natasha, ever the voice of reason at the table, couldn't help but notice Veda's ravenous appetite. "Veda, slow down," she advised, her eyes filled with concern for her daughter's well-being.

However, it was you who playfully defended Veda's hearty meal. You chuckled and said, "The girls practically swam Olympic lengths out there. Veda needs all the strength she can get."

Veda's lips curved into a warm smile as she acknowledged your defense of her, though she also took heed of Natasha's gentle warning. Her pace slowed, and she ate as if she were raised with table manners.

Natasha, who had been rushing around the kitchen, finally settled into her seat, a contented smile on her face.

With a mischievous glint in her eye, Veda leaned in, her expression a mixture of curiosity and a hint of playfulness. She wiped ketchup from her mouth with the back of her hand. She only took a napkin when you tapped at her knees in reminder. "I have a question," she announced.

“We may have answers,” You shrugged.

“Where do babies come from?” Veda asked. Her nonchalance about it let you know she was completely serious. Lark, who’d only been half listening, raised her eyes. Seems she was interested in the answer too.

The question hung in the air, creating a moment of silence as you both exchanged surprised glances. Natasha was momentarily taken aback, her motherly instincts causing her to hesitate. You, on the other hand, seemed more amused than flustered, a subtle grin touching your lips.

Veda's question about where babies come from was a classic childhood inquiry, but it still caught you off guard.

“I feel like we’ve had this conversation several times,” Natasha tilts her head.

“Yeah, but not for real,” Veda shrugged. Veda's insistence continued, her determination unwavering. "I'm gonna be ten next year, Mama. Double digits. So I need to know the real truth."

Natasha took a deep breath and began, "Well, sweetie, most babies come from a very special process where a tiny cell from a woman and a tiny cell from a man come together to create a new life." She kept her tone gentle, aiming to explain the concept in an age-appropriate way.

You couldn't help but chime in, a playful twinkle in your eye. "It's like a puzzle, you know? Two pieces fitting together perfectly to make a baby."

Veda's brows furrowed in thought. "So, like a really, really small puzzle?" she asked.

You nodded with a chuckle. "Yes, a very small, intricate puzzle. And it's something beautiful and magical."

Veda seemed satisfied with the explanation, her curiosity appeased for the moment. "Okay, because Billy and Tommy told me it was called sex.”

You in the middle of taking a bite of your burger, had a near-comical moment. You almost choked on your food, your eyes widening in surprise as you coughed.

Natasha, quick to react, helped you take a sip of water to clear your throat. As you caught your breath, you couldn't help but shake your head in disbelief, your amusement evident.

“What’s sex?” Lark chimed in with her inquisitiveness. She had been just as confused by Veda's question and wore a quizzical expression on her face, mirroring her sister's curiosity and bafflement.

“Well,” You sighed, wiping your mouth with a napkin. “To talk about it, we’d have to go into detail about a lot more.” With a playful smirk, you began, "You know, girls, when you grow up, there are some pretty interesting changes that happen to your bodies. You begin to grow.” You gesture. “It’s sometimes happens all at once. Like—"

Veda, covering her ears with her hands, interrupted with a cringe. You’d informed her about periods the year before and it traumatized her ever since. "Mom, I don't think we need to hear this right now."

Lark, equally uncomfortable, followed suit by covering her ears. "Yeah, can we talk about something else, please?"

You couldn't help but chuckle at their reactions, your intention all along to make them squirm a bit. "Alright, alright," you relented, switching back to a more suitable topic. The girls sighed in relief, their expressions now reflecting their gratitude for returning to safer, more innocent conversations. Even if Veda was the one to begin it all.

[sentientcave]

Hello hello! I’m interested in hearing more about your Rugby fic! What’s it about and who does it feature?

Hey there, howdy, hi!

Rugby is a Ghoap x 2ndPOV FTM OC/Reader (He's got a name and a nickname (Ripley/Ripper), but it's not clear if it's a first or last name). Astonishingly little actual rugby happens. It's mostly just silly boys being boys in love (Ghost and Soap are actively trying to date Ripper and he is like, hahaa they're such good friends).

Here's a lil snippet (There's also a few lil snips in the list of WIP Wednesdays listed at the bottom of my masterlist if you'd like to know more). This is mostly a texting bit that I don't think I've posted before.

You text Johnny and Simon as soon as Liv gets off you, opening the group chat that Johnny set up, which is mostly just Johnny sending you tiktok links and Simon sending pictures of dogs and cats that he sees.

Ripper: hey lads. Asking a big favour, but could you put me up for a week? Roomies got family coming and their accommodations fell through. No problem if you can't/don't want to, won't be pressed about it.

Soap: !!!!!!!!!!!

Soap: r u fukkin kiddin me rn Rip? Course ye can stay

Ghost: Only got one bed though.

Soap: Rip's just a wee feller we can squeeze him in

You laugh. As if you’re going to be choosy about the sleeping arrangements when they’re doing you a big favour.

Ripper: Lads, I will gladly sleep on the couch. Or the floor tbh. Bathtub even.

Ghost: Nah just kidding.

Ghost: We have a guest room.

Soap: we've got a playroom 2 if yed like to see it

Ghost: Johnny

Soap: Yeh LT?

Ghost: Shut up.

Soap: Get yer arse over here n make me

Ghost: In a minute. When do you need to come over?

"Hey, Liv, what day are they coming?"

"Wednesday, they'll be here in the evening."

Ripper: Wednesday. Could come home with you after practice.

Ghost: We'll pick you up so you don't have to lug your bag to the pitch. Be there 6:30.

Ripper: Thanks, lads. You're lifesavers.

Soap: nythin 4 u Rip.

Soap: n I mean ANYTHIN

Soap: jcudheiks

You figure that's Simon making good on his promise to make Johnny shut up.

[kafus]

i know at the moment the episode with dot and her mom hasn't aired but i'm losing my mind over the direct contrast of her and liko's family dynamics. i'm reading a lot into the episode preview right now so my thoughts might change later but like, it is itching at my brain and i need to ramble about it

(i watch the subtitled version so spoilers ahead for episodes that haven't been released dubbed yet!!)

liko has pretty distant family, her grandma is usually off doing god knows what adventuring (she wasn't even going to tell liko that she was leaving the brave asagi and liko & co only threw the surprise party because liko overheard her talking with friede about it!!), and while she speaks positively of her parents, it's odd that her mom isn't home at all when she's with her dad in one episode, and that her mom doesn't come to see her off - her mom said herself that she wants liko to make her own choices and her teaching style is pretty hands off, but it's still a pretty bold move, even with the threat of the explorers around. i don't think this is an unintentional side effect of the curse upon all pokemon parents where they have to be okay with the child protagonist going on a wild adventure either, because horizons has an honestly large focus on family dynamics (including the found family on the brave asagi), and hell even delia expressed more concern for ash's wellbeing. and like... that one shot of her family walking away in the op?? in direct contrast to roy sitting happily reading the ancient adventurer book with his grandfather?? lol

not to say that liko's family don't care about her btw, they do, they're just incredibly hands off and there's a huge focus on liko figuring out what she wants to do on her own terms. (this wasn't meant to be a liko family psychology post sorry LMAO i could get into this way for way longer some other time)

on the other hand, murdock is already implied to be very attached to dot, he just respects her boundaries and doesn't want to push her past her limits too quickly. he lives on the brave asagi with her and is shown to fret about her, so that's already a pretty big difference, though not suuper substantial or anything. but then the episode 41 preview, the implication that dot has an overprotective and overbearing mother who she's uncomfortable with because she is trying to tell her what to do is in DIRECT contrast to liko's situation. liko has had so much choice handed to her and it seems implied that dot's mom is doing the exact opposite for her daughter.

again we have very limited snippets of this episode and the wait is UNBEARABLY LONG BTW... LIKE... MARCH 1ST... I'M DYING... but i'm really interested to see how this plays out (especially because it implies that dot fights her mother maybe at the end?? her lycanroc??) and i hope it goes a little hard on the contrasting family energy so i can make something out of that between liko and dot. because there's a dynamic to be had there where liko is able to understand closer familial connection through like, dot and murdock, while liko is able to show dot she can make her own choices and be more confident in herself - WHICH THEY'RE ALREADY DOING BTW, the rising volteccers r just one big found family that are giving liko a ton of guidance and love, including murdock, and liko and roy have dragged dot out of her shell and she's been able to stand on her own lately, IT WOULD JUST... REALLY HIT IT HOME FOR THOSE THEMES TO CONTINUE HERE...

[repressionmd]

3 7 and 15!! :DD i love question #3 bc it always tickles me to know what people hate, petty style

3. Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

this is such an interesting question sfgjk because i actually read like. a lot of stuff 😭 and i guess i wouldn't necessarily say that i hate it but i do instantly switch off when like. piss kinks r involved i really don't get it i get the control element but 👋(>_<)

although i think i hate homophobic house i'll be so fr he would Not say that. i don't care i just don't see him digging up deadnames to dig at people with absolutely no other prongs to the attack ??? like there has to be some kind of reason with it idk + when people remove that in favour of "oh he's just being his regular brand of asshole" i rly don't like it

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

i can't believe you've made me do this 😭 but ok this snippet from this thing is supposed to be give-and-take:

"You would have come at any time, even if it was worse, even though it upsets you, because you like me." House knew it upset him? He still called? Wilson held every muscle in place. Stayed silent, held the eye contact. Held House's arm that he'd finished bandaging already but didn't want to let go of. Waited for the inevitable joke. House's eyes widened, shone with a new light. "You like me!" For one aching, fleeting second, Wilson thought House was about to kiss him, but Wilson jerked back, letting go. He ignored every instinct in his mind telling him to move in closer. He was intimately aware of the heat of House's thigh against his, the ghost of House's arm on his hand, the memory of House's head on his shoulder. "House. Shut up." House was high. He was drunk, he was exhausted and in pain. He didn't know what he was doing. They couldn't do this.

because there's just SO MUCH FUCKING TENSION!!! wilson in this fic has been pushing back his own memories to compartmentalise and take care of house - and his first reaction to "you like me" is skipping that bit and going Back to feeling like house called him because he doesn't care about wilson's emotions. the reality is ... complicated. the reality is house trusts wilson intimately, trusts him to do what needs to be done, and house doesn't know the extent of wilson's trauma. "even though it upsets you" isn't supposed to mean "i purposefully called you to trigger you", it's supposed to mean "im sorry i hurt myself because i know it freaks you out"

and then wilson realises that house is serious about the confession (!!!) but he can't Deal with That. he wants it he wants it so bad, i think house is realising his crush for the first time but wilson has been repressing his feelings for months if not longer. so he tries to convince himself its not real and runs away <3 made even more poignant by wilson having previously made the observation that house was 1. coming down from being high, 2. not that drunk, 3. probably has had a nap and 4. not in any more pain than he's used to. he's thinking clearly for once, and wilson can't.

15. If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

ough this is hard because 2 out of the 4 fics im thinking of (my 3 posted ones + kutner lives) are fix-it? i'd absolutely love to see the kutnerfic filmed though i think you could do so much with the opening sequence in that way that the show makes certain scenes have that air of delirium and panic. you could do so much with colour and lighting and sound and aughhh plus we could see more kutner!!! yay!!! also hilson are married in there. so that's always a bonus <3

[veronyxk84]

Spuffy Fic Recs — July

Missed last month’s recs? Check this tag to catch up!

Find my Fic Recs on Dreamwidth as well

I present a list of 5 Spuffy fics I’ve read in July. They’re all complete and all published to Sunnydale After Dark during the past month (NOTE: some may have been published earlier elsewhere).

Listed from oldest to most recent

The reviews are taken from my own comments left for the stories. I tried to make them short and not spoiler-y.

Boring by honeygirl51885 [PG-13]

Summary: Buffy and Spike are an extreme power couple to everyone who knows them. But how do they appear to total strangers?

Review: I had never read a fic with Spuffy seen from a different POV, it’s a clever angle, and in this case also amusing! I couldn’t stop laughing with (original character) Jessica being progressively more wrong about them with her every guess. Poor soul!

A Thousand Grains of Sand by myrabeth [PG-13]

Summary: Buffy and Spike find moments of clarity outside Sunnydale’s city limits.

Review: Great snippets of their separate journeys, showing that they never were completely separate, but somehow interconnected. I love it that the titles make it easy to link each drabble to their respective episodes.

Shattered by Geliot99 [R]

Summary: Without Harmony there to distract him Spike realises his love for the Slayer much earlier. A heartfelt confession by an entirely drunk Spike.

Review: Spike’s drunken voice and demeanor are quite enjoyable, along with Buffy’s confusion and frustration. So good! I can totally imagine him smashing empty bottles around the crypt and then getting injured with the shards. Mixed memories and backwards thoughts are a brilliant touch.

No More Games by Geliot99 [PG-13]

Summary: Crush missing scene. Spike carefully manoeuvres Buffy into her shackles to the soundtrack of Dru’s rambling.

Review: This is a quite interesting missing scene for an episode that always makes me roll my eyes at Spike. I loved the touch with Dru’s “vision,” courtesy of the pixies. The care he shows to have for Buffy even while he’s chaining her to the walls for his half-assed plan is endearing. In the end, we still know he’s doing it all wrong, but seeing things from his delusional perspective feels like a whole new journey.

Hello Kitten by Geliot99 [G]

Summary: Instead of a bent box of chocolates Spike arrives in the middle of Buffy’s birthday party with something significantly livelier.

Review: I almost can’t cope with the amount of cuteness here! Take Spuffy, throw a couple of adorable kittens in the mix, and you have the perfect “How to melt into a puddle of swooning goo” recipe. Spike’s choice for the names is brilliant, especially for the last scene where the kitties are fighting and they are the perfect parallel to Spuffy.

[nientedenada]

Why the Altmeri Commentary on Talos is Important to Lore Discussion (Even if It Isn't the Thalmor's End Goal) 

Originally posted on r/teslore three years ago. To be clear, important in this context means if you're trying to guess where TES might go in the future. And as the years go by, and we now have an almost complete turn-over of developers at Bethesda, it may be less relevant. Still, the new developers will have all these old ideas to rummage through.

This begins with a split among fans, though I don't think it has to be a nasty split. There is a very strong opinion in /r/teslore that Out-of-Game texts are valid if you want them to be, if you find them interesting enough for your Tamriel. And there's another very strong opinion that only official lore is really valid for theorizing. To be completely honest, we all probably dabble in one or the other at different times. Sometimes we are more creative and speculatory about Tamriel, other times we are arguing out the Lowest Common Denominator of agreed-upon lore. (It's never actually agreed upon, but that's part of the fun.)

But there's a third possibility: examining Out of Game texts for the perspective they can give us on In-game lore. A really good example of how this works would be the document: On the Nords' Totem Religion. It was a design document for Skyrim which was not incorporated into the game directly. However, the document gives a lot of insight into the little we do see in Skyrim of the ancient Nord religion. It is useful in interpreting the game itself.

It's also useful for going forward. When ESO returned to Skyrim this year, we could bet that the devs would be taking a closer look at the local religion, as they had in Elsweyr last year. And we could also guess that they might turn to that unofficial Skyrim design document which best explained the original ideas for the Nord religion. As of a few weeks ago, much of the Totem Religion document's lore has been added to the official lore as in-game books in ESO.

The totem religion document is as uncontroversial example of this process as you can find. Most everyone in lore circles has regarded it as a very useful document. You won't find that agreement about all OOG unofficial writings. But I'd like to make the argument for why the Altmeri Commentary on Talos is worth knowing and discussing even if you don't end up thinking it's true.

So, I'll begin with quoting the whole thing. It's pretty short.

What appears to be an Altmeri commentary on Talos To kill Man is to reach Heaven, from where we came before the Doom Drum's iniquity. When we accomplish this, we can escape the mockery and long shame of the Material Prison. To achieve this goal, we must: 1) Erase the Upstart Talos from the mythic. His presence fortifies the Wheel of the Convention, and binds our souls to this plane. 2) Remove Man not just from the world, but from the Pattern of Possibility, so that the very idea of them can be forgotten and thereby never again repeated. 3) With Talos and the Sons of Talos removed, the Dragon will become ours to unbind. The world of mortals will be over. The Dragon will uncoil his hold on the stagnancy of linear time and move as Free Serpent again, moving through the Aether without measure or burden, spilling time along the innumerable roads we once travelled. And with that we will regain the mantle of the imperishable spirit.

What it doesn't say: Nowhere does it say it's a Thalmor document. Nowhere does it mention the Towers. Those two points are pretty well-known in lore circles, but they come up enough to make it worthwhile to point out.

Second thing to notice: its date.

Submitted by Lady N on Sun, 09/19/2010 - 19:53 Obscure texts Author: Michael Kirkbride Librarian Comment: Many of these are in-character snippets taken from various forum posts.

It doesn't have an exact date; the old forums have been deleted. But we do see that it was re-posted on the Imperial Library on 09/19/2010, the year before Skyrim came out. This important detail is glossed over in a lot of the discussion of its relevance. It is not a document written after Skyrim trying to put a creative spin on some details in-game. It's a document published before Skyrim came out, and hence a window on the discussions that were going on in the development of Skyrim. We need to look at the stuff in Skyrim with the question: Does the Altmeri commentary shed any light on what's going on here?

Well, the fact that the Altmeri Commentary suggests that Talos needs to be erased from the mythic makes it very relevant. Maybe this is not the reason for the Thalmor's Talos ban in the game that eventually was released. But it's evidence that during the development of Skyrim, the reason was being kicked around by someone in discussions with the devs. It's that context that finally informs the two lines in-game that might refer back to the Commentary.

The first and most often quoted is Ancano's boast:

You think I can't destroy you? The power to unmake the world at my fingertips, and you think you can do anything about it?

It's pointed out that he can simply be boasting of his power there, without any reference to a supposed greater plan. And yes, that's true. But remember, we aren't interpreting that line in a vacuum. There was a development-related post that brought up a fanatical Altmer idea of unmaking the world before Skyrim, and it's just a coincidence that a fanatic Thalmor member boasts of having the power to do so in the game? These things have nothing to do with each other?

And then there is the other line from Esbern which I think is even more significant.

I don't suppose they want the world to end any more than we do. Or at least, they'd prefer it to end on their terms.

Esbern's statement does not confirm this is the Thalmor's plan. What it does is confirm that the idea this is the Thalmor's plan exists in-universe. And Esbern is not some random conspiracist; he's a lore-master. Dragons were his hobby but we also know from his dossier that the Thalmor consider him responsible for two of the most damaging operations on Dominion soil. He knows his stuff when it comes to the Thalmor. His opinion may be affected by paranoia, he may not even hold the opinion very strongly (suggested by how he corrects himself there), but he is not some random guy in the pub with a conspiracy theory about the Thalmor. If it's a conspiracy theory, it's an important one in-universe.

So, we have a timeline that suggests the Commentary is important, and two references in the game of Skyrim to the idea presented in the Commentary. The references are independent, coming from ideological enemies, Ancano and Esbern. I'd say that makes a very strong case for the Commentary's ideology existing within the universe.

If this concept exists within the universe, the Commentary is important even if it does not represent the Thalmor's ultimate goal accurately.

But where does one go with that? With Michael Kirkbride's historic and ongoing influence on the TES franchise, elements of the Commentary are quite likely to make it into future games. On the other hand, the Commentary may be a window on an idea in development that was tossed around and ultimately abandoned. Maybe it's not Thalmor belief, really. It could even be Blades propaganda. Maybe Ancano believes in it, but he's actually a fanatic who's out of step with the Thalmor in general. etc. etc. etc.

Acknowledging that an Out-of-Game source is relevant does not mean accepting it as the Truth Bound To Be Revealed by TES VI. TES fandom has had enough of that over-certainty already. I think we've all met someone who takes some random developer's post as The Gospel Truth that cannot be questioned. That's frustrating, for sure. But let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. It doesn't make sense to ignore it completely in discussions about the Thalmor's ultimate goal. There are enough sources to make it worth looking at, both inside and outside the universe.

This post was about the relevance of the Commentary, but if you're interested in how the Commentary's ideology could function within the Thalmor, I can never recommend enough this old /r/teslore post: Analyzing the Altmeri Commentary on Talos.

Additional reply in comments: I thought I'd hedged enough on my statement. I won't claim Esbern as an expert on the Thalmor's ontological goals, although he definitely is more knowledgable about the Thalmor than the random guy at the pub. I do think, however, that his statement confirms that some people within the universe think this is the Thalmor's end goal. I see his statement there as he's not certain himself of it.

In the comments of the original post, a user who has since deleted their account posted a very interesting timeline of the development under discussion. I also recommend this discussion with Misticsan about the post and whether fans give the Commentary undue importance in contrast to other sources on the Thalmor.

This was only the beginning of a very involved journey into the weird fandom status of the Altmeri Commentary and the Towers Theory. It's a lengthy saga, and I've put off formatting it for tumblr but I do mean to eventually copy all the teslore posts over here.

[1mnobodywhoareyou]

not just a supplier of nightmares

Boggie | T | 5037 words On ao3 It's finally, finally, finally done! Thank you to @narcissusbrokenmirror for always putting ideas into my head and encouraging me to write the things. Thank you to @60sec400 for beta-ing this for me (us). Thank you to every single person who cheerled the writing of this fic by sending asks, reblogging snippets, everything! This is for all of us 😅 Enjoy!

Reggie sifts through the stack of videos beside the television. Bobby and his brothers had convinced their parents to add a few new ones to their collection since the last time the guys had been over and he’s excited to see what captures their attention.

Reggie grabs a video out of the pile, quickly reading the back and then passing it on to Alex who passes his approvals onto Luke and returns the rejections to Reggie. 

This is their typical movie night routine and it works well for them. It never takes long for them to agree on something. 

“Really? We’re jumping up to R-rated ones?” Alex asks doubtfully as he eyes the first tape he’s handed.  

“Yeah! Why not?” Reggie beams back at him. “We only get to do that at Bobby’s anyway!”

“Yeah, ‘Lex!” Luke agrees, shoving Alex’s shoulder. “Lighten up. When else do we get the freedom to do this?” Bobby’s house is the only one where they’re not under strict parental supervision. His parents are always either away for work or out supporting his older brothers. Even when they are home, they have a tendency to be pretty hands off with their parenting. Especially when the guys are over.

“Some of those are pretty freaky, guys,” Bobby warns them, only to be met with twin scoffs. He shrugs in resignation. “Alrighty, then. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Alex furrows his brow but doesn’t otherwise protest. 

It only takes three tapes before Luke hands one to Bobby. Bobby slides it into the VCR without looking at it. He doesn’t even think about it. Never does. He always just trusts their selection and it works out. If he’s completely honest, he mostly just likes spending time with the guys. No school. No band stuff. Just them. 

Granted, the band stuff is new. 

Alex has played the drums since they’d first joined the school band in 5th grade but it took until this last year for Luke to convince their teacher to let him try the guitar. Of course, he picked it up immediately. He’ll easily take Bobby’s spot next year when they hit high school, never mind that Bobby’s been playing the guitar for as long as Alex has been on the drums. 

But that’s not the point. It’s fine. 

The point is that now Luke is convinced that they can make it as rockstars. He tried to convince Bobby to shift to bass but Bobby had no interest in learning a new instrument. Luckily Reggie volunteered to fill that gap, apparently not being satisfied with the three instruments he already played. 

So now they have a band. And the accompanying band ‘stuff.’

Which also takes up almost all of their free time. And Bobby loves it. He really does. But he misses his friends. 

So, movie night.

They settle onto the floor between the L of the two couches with their individual sleeping bags and two shared bowls of popcorn. 

As the tension for the first jumpscare builds, Luke puts his finger in his mouth before leaning over to stick it in Bobby’s ear. 

“Ugh, gross!” Bobby exclaims, wiping his ear with his sleeve. “Why are you like this?”

Luke giggles as he shrugs. “You’d miss me if I was gone,” he retorts. 

Bobby rolls his eyes and returns his attention to the television. 

“You guys made me miss it!” Reggie cries, crossing his arms over his chest. “All that build up wasted for nothing,” he mutters. 

Bobby and Luke exchange an amused look. After some quick nonverbal communication, they’ve made a plan.

They watch Reggie intently as the movie progresses. They want to make sure that they time this out perfectly for when he’s most on edge. Reggie leans closer and closer to the screen, gripping his blanket tightly under his chin. Bobby grins at Luke who nods back at him. They each grab one of Reggie’s sides as the characters on screen scream. 

Reggie screeches in terror. Bobby and Luke collapse with uncontrollable laughter. 

“Really?” Alex asks from Luke’s other side, unimpressed. 

Luke turns to Alex with another shiteating grin. He launches himself at Alex, wrapping one arm around Alex’s neck and using his free hand to give Alex a solid noogie. 

Reggie ignores them, turning his attention back to the movie. Alex accidentally shoves Luke into him, trying to fight Luke off. 

“You guys are wrecking the movie!” Reggie whines from where he’s still intently watching the television. “Shut up or go away!”

“Sir, yes sir!” Luke replies, complete with mock salute. 

They finish the movie mostly in peace with a few screams escaping Reggie and more than a couple moments of Luke and Reggie hiding behind Alex and Bobby.

Bobby gets up to rewind the tape and turn off the TV.

“So worth it,” Reggie enthuses. 

Luke hums his enthusiastic agreement as he snuggles down into his sleeping bag. 

Bobby and Alex exchange an amused look before following suit.

“Wait, no!” Reggie exclaims as he jumps up, “I gotta pee!”

The others laugh and roll their eyes, well used to Reggie’s antics at this point. 

They’re all asleep before he returns.  Reggie crawls into his own sleeping bag, careful not to wake the others as he settles in.

It takes Reggie a while to slow his thoughts. Now that the movie’s over and he’s forced to be alone with his mind, he finds himself replaying some of the scariest moments every time he closes his eyes. It’s dark and quiet. The gentle breathing of his friends next to him fails to offer any comfort. 

Eventually though, he manages to drift into a fitful sleep.

He’s not out for long when Bobby, Alex, and Luke are woken by an earth-shattering scream.

They jump up in a panic and notice Reggie writhing in his sleep. His face is scrunched up in fear, his hair damp with sweat.

Bobby grabs Reggie by the shoulders, shaking him lightly. “Reggie! Reg, wake up!”

Reggie moans in his sleep before curling up into a ball. Bobby shares a concerned look with Alex and Luke. Bobby tries shaking him again. Reggie moans and pushes him away. 

Alex tries next, speaking gently to Reggie. His attempts are no more successful than Bobby’s. 

“Reggie, wake up!” Luke shouts obnoxiously. Both Alex and Bobby glare at him, returning their attention to Reggie when he shifts. 

Bobby shakes him again and Alex coaxes him out of sleep. “Reggie? Hey, it’s just us. You’re having a bad dream.”

Reggie’s arms flail, hitting Bobby before grasping onto his shirt. Reggie clings to Bobby as his eyes crack open. Bobby gently rubs his back as he wakes up.

“Y’okay, dude?” Bobby asks as Reggie finishes coming into consciousness.

Reggie gasps for breath. “Had… a bad dream.”

“Yeah, Reg. You had a bad dream. We’re here though. What happened?”

Reggie shudders as he remembers. “I was… a-a-an apparition.” He barely manages the words as he struggles to return his breathing to normal. 

Luke’s brow furrows. “A what-arition?” he asks.

“A ghost, Luke,” Bobby tells him with a fond eye roll.

Reggie realizes that he’s attached himself to Bobby and lets go, wrapping his arms around himself. He shivers again, “I-I-I died! And then became a g-g-g-ghost!”

“Like, the kind that rattles chains and goes ‘boo?’” Luke wonders.

Reggie glares at him. “No, the kind that m-m-m-murders people!”

“Man, even if you DID become a ghost, I don’t think you could ever murder someone!” 

Alex sighs, “Luke you’re not helping. Can you shut up? Please?”

Luke ignores him, leaning into Reggie’s space, “Are you okay? What do you need?”

Reggie shakes his head and squeezes his legs tighter to his chest. 

“Do you want…” Luke starts to say before pausing to think, “do you want a hug?”

Reggie looks up at him. “Yeah,” he replies in a small voice. 

“Okay. Okay, we can do that!”

Luke lunges forward and wraps Reggie up into a tight hug. Reggie sinks into him, his body visibly relaxing.

“I’m gonna go get Reggie some water,” Alex says as he slips out of his sleeping bag.

“Can I…” Reggie says hesitantly into Luke’s shoulder. 

Alex stops, turning back toward them. “Can you what?”

Reggie pulls away from Luke, just enough to free his face. His expression turns sheepish. 

Bobby rubs his back, offering what comfort he can. “What is it, Reg? Whatever you need.”

Reggie takes a deep breath. “Can I have a snuggly?”

Alex’s eyes meet Bobby’s and Bobby nods his permission. They all stopped bringing their own stuffies to their sleepovers years ago so Alex will need to raid Bobby’s room to find something for Reggie. 

“Any requests?” Alex confirms, waiting for Reggie’s answer before heading up the stairs. 

“P-P-P-Petey? If you can find him?”

Alex nods, certain that the giant stuffed penguin won’t be difficult to hunt down. “Yeah, I can do that. Anything else?”

“Bring one for me too!” Luke demands brightly. 

Alex pauses at the base of the stairs. He pointedly holds his hand to his ear.

“Please,” Luke says shamefully.

“May’s well bring one back for each of us,” Bobby adds. “Thanks ‘Lex.”

“No problem. Be right back!”

Alex returns with his arms piled with various stuffed animals. He’s trying to balance a glass of water in his hand and has some snacks stuffed under his elbow. 

Luke jumps up to help him, passing the glass of water over to Reggie. 

Alex opens his elbows and lets the bags of treats fall onto the floor. He uses the newfound freedom of movement to pass the stuffies around, starting with giving Reggie Petey the Penguin. Reggie beams as he holds the animal tightly to his chest. Luke delicately tucks the lion he’s been handed in at the edge of his pillow and sleeping bag. Bobby sets his stuffed animal on the floor, backed up against the couch as if it were watching over the boys. Alex props his up on the seat behind his head, easily accessible for grabbing in the event that he decides he wants it. 

With Reggie sufficiently calmed and the others satisfied that he’ll be okay, they settle back in to sleep the last few hours of the night. 

If they all happen to wake up wrapped tightly around the stuffed animals, nobody mentions it. 

---

Unfortunately, it keeps happening. 

Every time they sleep over at Bobby’s, Reggie and Luke continue to pick out some of the scariest movies in the rental stack and every time, Reggie wakes up screaming. It only takes a handful of times for Bobby to put his foot down. He refuses to play any horror movies rated higher than PG, distressed by the need to comfort one of his best friends every time they watch one of these movies. Luke and Reggie are both frustrated at the sudden lack of freedom they’ve come to expect from their time at Bobby’s.

Try as he may, Reggie’s pleading looks aren’t as effective on thirteen year old Bobby as he’d like. A thirteen year old Bobby who isn’t fond of his sleep being disturbed on a good day, no less.

He can only keep it up for so long. After a few years, Bobby’s resolve does start to crumble. And it crumbles fast. 

“Bobby, c’mon man. We’re not thirteen anymore! I promise I can handle it!” Reggie pleads, desperately wanting to watch the recently released movie that nobody at school can stop talking about. 

Luke drapes his arm around Reggie’s shoulder. A pout matching Reggie’s paints his face, “Yeah, Bobs. We’re not kids anymore. Stop being such a funsucker.”

Bobby glares at Luke, “I am NOT a funsucker.”

Luke purses his lips doubtfully, “Mmmm, you kinda are.”

“Reggie doesn’t need to be more traumatized.”

Reggie squeaks, “I am NOT traumatized.”

Bobby stares at him.

Luke ruffles Reggie’s hair playfully. Reggie pulls himself out from under Luke’s arm to glare at him. Luke grins and ruffles his hair again.

Reggie rolls his eyes, directing his attention back to Bobby. Ignoring Luke is a well-honed skill at this point and he has higher priorities at the moment. 

Reggie puts on his most pathetic puppy dog face, fluttering his eyelashes dramatically and clasping his hands under his chin. He and Luke have always known the power their faces hold and regularly use it to their advantage. Though Reggie’s only recently realized how effective it can be with Bobby. With that realization has also come an exploration of how far he can push it.

It takes everything in Bobby to force himself to look away. He can feel Reggie’s gaze on him and he’s not able to ignore the pull for long. Bobby’s shoulders fall, his resolve crumbling. He turns back to meet Reggie’s eyes and sighs. “Fine. One time, we can try. But just once.”

Reggie whoops gleefully. 

They settle into their usual spots, which haven’t changed in the last two years, as Bobby sets up the movie. 

Much like when they were thirteen, Reggie and Luke still hide behind Alex and Bobby at the scariest parts. Much like when they were thirteen, Bobby teases Luke about it mercilessly. Much like when they were thirteen, Bobby and Alex share exasperated, though no less amused, looks over the antics of the other boys. Unlike when they were thirteen, these looks are now accompanied by a little more pink on their cheeks than either of them will ever be willing to admit to. 

Unfortunately, much like when they were thirteen, the boys are woken by Reggie deep in the throes of a nightmare. 

Unfortunately, unlike when they were thirteen, Bobby’s much less capable of resisting Reggie’s pleading. The scary movies continue, as do the nightmares and distressing wake up calls. 

---

“No.” 

“Please.”

Alex hands the tape back to Luke and crosses his arms across his chest. “No!” he repeats.

All three of them turn to look at Alex with confusion. He’s refused every option that Luke and Reggie have proposed, a stark shift from the routine they’ve had for years. 

“No scary movies,” he explains simply. 

Reggie furrows his brows, narrowing his eyes at Alex. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want to watch one.”

Reggie turns to him fully. “I can-,” he starts to say, ready to defend himself. He doesn't love being babied by his friends, even if he's appreciative of how much they care.

Alex cuts him off, “It’s not about you. I don’t want to watch a scary movie. Can we choose something else please?”

Reggie eyes him warily as he spins back around. He works on resifting through the tape collection, handing new suggestions to Luke who passes his approvals onto Alex. 

They finally agree on a Jurassic Park rewatch. 

As they settle in, Bobby directs an appreciative nod Alex’s way. Alex shrugs in silent acknowledgement.

---

Alex continues to refuse Luke and Reggie’s R-rated suggestions (of both the horror and “adult” variety) and their frustration grows.

It’s been months of this. It all comes to a head at the next sleepover at Bobby’s. They’d started drifting there more often, the appeal of the lack of parental supervision increasing as they grew older. As their own home lives became more hostile, Bobby’s place offered a bit of a safe haven for all four of them.

“Alex, why are you doing this?” Reggie groans after Alex hands back the most recent suggestion.

Alex stares at him blankly. “Doing what?”

“Why won’t you let us watch any of these?” Reggie gestures toward the rejected pile of movies. 

Alex shrugs, “Because I don’t want to watch them.”

“But why?”

Alex narrows his eyes at Reggie. “Does it matter why?” he challenges. 

Reggie takes the bait, straightening up and puffing out his chest, “Yeah, it does.”

“Why do you need to know?”

Reggie stares at Alex. “Because. We-” he gestures between himself and Luke, “both want to watch these. It’s not fair for you to get veto power if we can’t know why.”

“And,” Luke interjects, “we can’t pick different things if you won’t tell us what’s wrong with these.”

Alex rolls his eyes. “Because I don’t like girls,” he explains simply.

Reggie huffs out a frustrated breath and narrows his eyes at Alex, “You KNOW that’s not what I mean.”

“Fine. They scare me too much.”

Reggie directs an unimpressed glare his way. “Really?”

“Really,” he confirms, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Since when?”

“Since always.”

Reggie scoffs, “You never had issues with them before.”

Alex eyes him, “It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to watch them anymore. Or talk about it. Pick something else.”

Reggie stares Alex down. 

Alex stares back. 

Bobby clears his throat.

Reggie looks up at Bobby with wide, questioning eyes. He’s feeling both a little caught and a lot confused about why he’s not being backed up in this.

“Can we get on with this? Please?” Bobby pleads.

Reggie huffs, “Fine,” and turns back to the stack of movies. He finds something that he knows neither Luke or Alex are going to reject, passing it to Alex. He flops onto the couch while he waits for it to be approved by his friends. 

After setting up the movie, Bobby takes the spot beside Reggie. “We’re a little pouty today,” he observes quietly. 

Reggie halfheartedly tries to put some distance between himself and Bobby but doesn’t manage to go far. “Shut up.”

Bobby chuckles lightly as he leans back, looping his arm over Reggie’s shoulders. 

They settle in side by side to watch the movie much like they normally do, with Reggie shifting slightly so he can see the screen better, leaning into Bobby’s side. 

---

The next time Reggie spends the night at Bobby’s solo, he pleads his case again.

“C’mon Bee, please? “

“I don’t understand why you like freaking yourself out so much. We could do literally anything else. Something that won’t give you nightmares.”

Reggie shrugs, “I dunno. I just like them. And now with Alex…” he grimaces, “this is my only chance. Please?”

Bobby’s shoulders drop in defeat. He sighs. 

Reggie tries to hide his grin, knowing that means he’s about to win this one. “You’d be my favourite for FOREVER, Bobby,” he pleads, widening his eyes and jutting out his bottom lip.

“I’m already your favourite,” Bobby grumbles as he takes the tape from Reggie, sliding it into the VCR. 

Reggie flops onto the couch he and Bobby normally share, finally letting the victorious grin take over his face. “Thanks, Bobs. You’re the best!”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Don’t come crying to me when you have a bad dream.”

Reggie crosses over his heart with a light giggle. His expression morphs into a frown when Bobby sits on the other couch. “We’re not sitting together?”

Bobby stares at him, “Did you want to?”

“We always do. Don’t you love me any more, Bobby?” Reggie asks, eyes wide as he tries and fails  to hide his teasing grin. 

Bobby rolls his eyes but gathers the blanket up and moves over to sit in the  open space beside Reggie. 

Reggie lets out a contented sigh as he leans into Bobby. “Much better! Can’t have scary movie times without my pillow.”

Bobby groans half-heartedly, “Good to know what I am to you. A pillow and supplier of nightmares.” He wraps his arm around Reggie’s shoulders just the same, though. 

“Exactly,” Reggie beams at him, “the best!”

Bobby fights the blush threatening to rise up his face, grateful that Reggie had turned his attention back to the television so quickly. He clenches his hand into a fist once, twice, three times, before letting himself relax again.

Bobby holds back a laugh the first time Reggie jumps under his arm, smirking at Reggie’s half-hearted glare.

When Reggie hides his face in Bobby’s shoulder at the next scary point, Bobby gently rubs Reggie’s back in comfort, his attention never drifting from the movie. It’s nothing they haven’t done before. Only this time, when Reggie turns back toward the screen, Bobby doesn’t stop. 

He seems to be moving mindlessly as his hand drifts down to settle on Reggie’s waist. Bobby gently caresses the space between Reggie’s shirt and the waistband of his jeans with his thumb. 

Reggie freezes up slightly, not expecting the much more intimate than usual contact. He quickly relaxes though, leaning back into Bobby. 

When his thumb starts to creep beneath Reggie’s waistband, Reggie starts to panic. Sure, he’s had a thing for Bobby for as long as he can remember, but he never expected that it might be reciprocated and he certainly didn’t expect for Bobby to be the one to initiate this kind of physical contact. 

He turns to look up at Bobby who seems completely unaware of the crisis that he’s inflicting on Reggie, intently watching the movie. 

It doesn’t take long for Bobby to register Reggie watching him, directing a questioning look down at Reggie.

“Something wrong?”

Reggie swallows thickly, “No. Nope. Everything’s fine.” He turns to look back at the TV.

The ministrations at his waist stop. Bobby starts to move away and Reggie gently covers Bobby’s hand with his own, keeping him in place. “You uh… you don’t have to stop,” Reggie whispers.

“I’m really sorry, Reg. I didn’t even realize…” Bobby starts to say, trying to defend himself as he attempts to stave off his own panic at realizing what he’d been doing. His chest tightens as he considers the discomfort he’s subconsciously subjected them both to, not to mention the fear of his feelings coming to light. 

“It’s okay,” Reggie insists quietly. “Really. You can stop if you want but uh…” his voice turns shy, “I… I like it.”

“Yeah?” Bobby coughs out breathlessly and Reggie nods. 

“Okay,” he whispers and directs his attention back to the movie.

It doesn’t take long before Bobby’s thumb starts moving over Reggie’s skin again.

Reggie finds himself completely incapable of paying any attention to what’s happening on-screen. He lets his own hand drift over to Bobby’s leg, running circles with his thumb on the inside of his knee.

Bobby looks down to acknowledge the unexpected contact but says nothing. 

After a short while, they shift and Reggie sits up slightly, swinging his legs around to drape over the front of the couch, still leaning into Bobby’s side. Bobby reaches down with his free arm and grabs Reggie’s knees. He rotates Reggie slightly and positions his legs over his lap, dislodging Reggie’s hand.

Reggie lets out a giggle, “I can’t see the movie like this.”

Bobby rolls his eyes and directs a fond look at Reggie, “You have no idea what’s been happening for at least the last half hour.” Reggie scoffs, mocking offense. “I’d know because you haven’t tried to hide once.”

“Shut up,” Reggie mutters and Bobby laughs. “You’re very distracting.”

“Yeah?” Bobby looks down at Reggie. 

“Yeah. Now shut up and watch your movie.”

“I put this movie on for you, remember?”

“You did not.”

“I did. You specifically requested it even. I was there.”

“You’re bullying me,” Reggie mumbles into Bobby’s chest.

Bobby laughs again, bringing his hand up to rub up and down Reggie’s back. Bobby’s other hand rests on Reggie’s knee. He starts drawing circles through the rips in his jeans with his thumb. If he’s going to be given permission to touch Reggie, he’s going to allow himself to follow some impulses. 

Reggie doesn’t bother trying to watch any more of what’s going on behind him. He settles for listening to it play in the background. He lets himself enjoy the feeling of being wrapped up with Bobby. It’s something he’d imagined before, sure, but the reality of having Bobby’s warmth surrounding him is more than he could have dreamed. He feels more at home, more at peace, then he’d even though possible. 

Reggie extends his arm around Bobby’s waist and starts to fiddle with the hem of his shirt as he listens to Bobby’s heartbeat, relishing in the feeling of Bobby’s hands on him. He chances a glance up at Bobby, smiling to himself when he notices Bobby’s stern look. His resting expression has always steered toward the stoic side of the scale and that remains true even as they allow themselves to explore this new development in their relationship.

Bobby’s hand migrates to Reggie’s thigh, still rubbing small circles with this thumb as he watches the movie. Reggie’s breath catches. He fights down the urge to kiss Bobby’s neck. He’s right there. He’d barely need to move.

Reggie’s fingers catch skin where he’d been playing with Bobby’s shirt, drawing Bobby’s attention back to the boy who’d wound up in his lap. 

He looks down at Reggie and barely hesitates before dipping his head down to kiss him. 

Reggie readily returns it. They work through the preliminary awkwardness quickly, moving their lips together as they find their rhythm. 

Bobby’s hand travels the rest of the way up Reggie’s thigh and to Reggie’s hip. He squeezes slightly to pull Reggie further around. 

Reggie takes the hint, repositioning himself so that he’s straddling Bobby, never breaking their kiss. Reggie wraps his arms around the back of Bobby’s neck, taking advantage of the new angle to deepen the kiss.

Bobby’s hands roam the expanse of Reggie’s back as he grants Reggie access to his mouth. He twines his own tongue with Reggie’s as he lets his hands venture down Reggie’s body.

Bobby grabs Reggie’s ass, eliciting a soft gasp from the other boy.

Bobby grins against Reggie’s mouth.

Reggie recovers quickly, pressing himself closer to Bobby as he again captures Bobby’s lips with his own. He moves his hands up to grasp at Bobby’s hair and tugs gently. He’s rewarded by Bobby’s groan and smirks delightedly to himself.

They continue to tease each other as they make out, experimenting with their teeth and tongues, learning what the other seems to enjoy.

When they finally separate to breathe, both panting to catch their breaths, Reggie laughs lightly, “We should have done that forever ago.”

Bobby wraps his arms tightly around Reggie’s middle, resting his face in the crook of Reggie’s neck. “Yeah,” he agrees, voice low. “Better late than never, or something.”

Reggie dislodges Bobby as he draws back. He directs a curious look at Bobby. “How late are you considering late?”

Bobby shrugs, pulling Reggie back toward him by tightening his arms around Reggie. “Does it matter?” 

Reggie laughs, “Well, it would be nice to know how long I wasn’t alone in this for.”

“Who says you were first?”

“Who says I wasn’t?”

Bobby reaches up to press a single kiss to Reggie’s lips. “Me,” he says with finality.

Reggie hums doubtfully.

“Dude, why do you think you kept getting away with,” Bobby waves toward the television now sitting ignored on the other side of the room, “this?”

“How do you know I wasn’t asking for them on purpose?”

“Because you’re you.”

Reggie smacks Bobby’s shoulder, “Hey!”

“You telling me I’m wrong?”

Reggie purses his lips, trying to come up with a rebuttal, wrinkling his nose in the process.

Bobby’s gaze tracks over Reggie’s face and he grins. “Exactly.”

Reggie glares at Bobby before his eyes suddenly widen in realization, “Is this why Alex didn’t want us watching them any more?”

Bobby swallows a laugh, “Yeah, I don’t think so.”

Reggie narrows his eyes, “It’s ‘cause of me, isn’t it?”

Bobby averts his gaze, refusing to respond.

“Isn’t it?” Reggie insists, pulling Bobby’s hands off of him. “Not answering just tells me I’m right.”

Bobby sighs with defeat, “Yeah. I think so.”

Reggie huffs as he starts to climb off of Bobby’s lap.

Bobby stops him, grabbing Reggie by the hips. “Hey, no. Come back.”

Reggie looks down at Bobby. “But why?”

“Why what? Why come back or why did we stop with the movies?”

“The second one, obviously.”

“Reg,” Bobby pulls at Reggie, encouraging him to at least sit back down. 

He complies, sitting down next to Bobby. 

Bobby turns to face him, pulling his feet up onto the couch and crossing his legs underneath him. 

Reggie mimics the position. “So?” he encourages once they’re both settled.

Bobby lets out a deep breath, “Reggie, you don’t know how much it sucks to see you so scared. The way it feels to be woken up by your screaming. Knowing all we can do is comfort you after it happens and hope you’re okay.”

Reggie’s face falls. “Oh,” he says simply.

Bobby brings a hand up to cradle Reggie’s face. “We love being there for you. Comforting you. But it still sucks. It was just easier to say no. Or try, anyway. We’re not meaning to baby you. At least… not entirely.”

Reggie rests his hand over Bobby’s, “Yeah, I know. I get that. I hate that my brain loves things that hurt me so much.”

“Hey, that’s why we’re here,” Bobby assures him. “We’d never hurt you on purpose. I never want to hurt you.”

Reggie lifts his gaze up to meet Bobby’s. “You don’t.”

“Good,” Bobby murmurs, leaning closer to Reggie. “Now that that’s sorted, can we do more kissing now?”

“Oh, I see how it is,” Reggie teases. He drops one gentle kiss to Bobby’s lips. “You just want me for my body.”

Bobby hums, letting his hands drift from Reggie’s face, down his arms, and up his back. “Well, we hadn’t gotten there yet but I can’t say that it’s not part of it.”

Reggie rolls his eyes as he lets out a light laugh. 

Bobby grasps Reggie’s hips and pulls him close. He leans back against the arm rest, letting his legs stretch out under them. 

Reggie adjusts to make room for Bobby’s legs, straddling Bobby’s hips. Reggie leans down to kiss him. 

Bobby’s hands travel up Reggie’s back, pulling him down to kiss him back fiercely. 

“I’ll let you choose all the movies forever if this is what we get to do while they’re playing,” Bobby murmurs. 

“I’ll hold you to that,” Reggie counters cheekily. He presses his lips to Bobby’s: once, twice, three times. 

Bobby all but growls as he pulls Reggie back down to kiss him properly, finally letting themselves get lost in each other. 

[rainbowcarousels]

I wanted to do a seperate post because of people who don't want Rebirth spoilers but the fact that the three friends in LOVELESS really look like the 'children of man' that the Cetra explain the story of Jenova with fascinates me.

As does the fact that the Cetra here kind of look like the Sephiroth clones.

The Cetra spirits tell that humanity were afraid and envied them, likely stoked by the Jenova influence and they fought and died together until they started to fight and die between themselves. They were 'forsaken by fate, abandoned to unquenchable anger and unbearable grief, condemned and driven forth powerless to forestall the coming of our end'. We even see some of the battles between the Cetra, humanity and Jenova play out.

The actual retelling of Jenova's coming is here:

"Long ago, a wound marred the northern lands and to mend it did many venture forth, only to be met with disaster. A deciever that stole the faces of the dead - of mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers lost. With their voices did it sow the seeds of discord among our people, among the children of man. For the planet did we lay down our lives in battle, and in death, returned to her embrace. Yet our adversary did not. Could not. Thus did it fall into a deep slumber. And in the long silence of its sleep, it was given the name 'Jenova'. Heed well our warning of that which is to come: the reunion. When our adversary's scattered malignancy shall converge to plague the planet once once more. It has been our sacred duty to protect our planet against any who would threaten it. They who came from without were one such threat. The Gi, who with bitter prayer forged the black materia. So foul was the orb's magic that we knew at once it must be hidden, that none might ever weild its terrible power. The black materia shall summon the destroyer of worlds. The meteor shall fall, sundering the skies and shattering the earth. All life shall perish."

There's a lot of key terms there that link through to LOVELESS and this is just another reason why I think LOVELESS is based on something from the era in which Jenova invaded. It provides a lot of interesting background, I guess I had never considered there were in fact full blown battles in the Jenova Take Over vol. one, but it makes total sense there would be. It really adds to the whole 'history doesn't repeat itself but it does rhyme' vibe of the entire R-verse.

Finally, there is the version of LOVELESS - or rather, the excerpts, it's clear we're only seeing snippets of a larger story - that we see in Rebirth is known as the G edition. Again, the wording shifts and changes but the core narrative remains the same.

When the end of days is come The Goddess alights from heav'ns above 'Pon those Her blessing She doth bestow True happiness but they shall know To claim Her boon, a valiant three Sally forth, heroes they would be One's life cut short, another slain Naught but a prisoner doth remain Bereft of his wings, he falls from grace Yet venerated is he in Her embrace Now, through the cruel world hath forsaken us all Will our hero ne'ertheless stand tall?

[beatricebidelaire]

wild theory, but hear me out

so you know how i like to compare olaf’s family with r’s family (the count and his son who inherited the title, the duchess and her daughter who inherited the title) + (both being orphaned not as a little kid but later), and that’s also why i prefer to hc o’s father not being in vfd (we know r’s mother canonically isn’t, see the end), although i do think o’s mother was but that’s another story (i also once wrote a snippet of o’s mother and r’s mother being bffs who almost became something more but didn’t, try to picture, like, the way js is to js).

what i’m trying to get at is this: so, r’s family had the ring. if i want to make a parallel in o’s family …..

me, 2 seconds later: wait ………. what if ……….. i know this is wild but. what if ….. sugar bowl

personally i don’t think the way esme cares more for the sugar bowl than olaf does in canon would be an issue here, if anything that makes it more fun, for me. like yeah it’s his (or, was his family’s) but he doesn’t care that much he only wants his revenge, esme is the one that wants it

secondly i like imagining beatrice growing up with olaf’s family and is familiar with his parents (gives lemony’s letter to her about how he’d still love her even if she betrayed her father an interesting twist and also makes opera night even more layered). so perhaps she also is used to its presence (the sugar bowl, i mean) and perhaps the countess once saw her admiring how pretty it is she says sure you can use it if you like, sweetheart and then olaf started going out with esme and gave it to her as a gift and beatrice decided to steal it back. but also what if vfd decided to assassinate the count and countess because they want the sugar bowl (from their family), but perhaps neither o nor b nor e know about that at first to them it’s just a pretty trinket and o maybe doesn’t even care that much he just used it to woo e and b was like hey your mother said i could have it.

[aranarumei]

I’m losing my mind over mitsukou. together and separately all the time honestly…

anyways my point that I was ruminating over this time is that I think it is genuinely evil (in a good way) how we’ve been seeing mitsuba like. while he hasn’t been here. like, in the red house, kou sees a bunch of temptations / wishes, right? and he starts off by cheerfully ignoring them, saying he’ll ignore everything, only for the red house’s mitsuba to go “who are you going to ignore?” and appear right in front of it.

which. considering the last time kou and mitsuba were actually spending time together, kou was stressed out over what he should be prioritizing and worrying that he wasn’t actually doing anything of value… I imagine that question is especially hurtful. and of course considering mitsuba’s own hang ups and what he’d been through, of course it would hurt more. but kou’s reaction to that entire scene with mitsuba in the red house is really interesting, because it’s like… comforting in this twisted way, right? mitsuba depends on only him and asks him to please die. he believes in kou and kou never thinks that people are capable of believing in him (he thinks he’s making mitsuba anxious!) and that’s sort of what snaps him out of it. we see snippets of other things, too—hanako being unrepentantly evil so kou can exorcise him without remorse, teru changing his attitude towards supernaturals… and those are kind of the same, right? kou like. likes hanako as a person. it’s not good to think that’s he’s 100% evil.

but even though kou will confront all of that and say yes it would be easier if things are like that, but they’re not, when he gets the mitsuba the manga has him go “and mitsuba…” AND THEN HE NEVER FINISHES THE SENTENCE. listen it’s wonderful character writing. it’s the same way that kou tell everyone he’s coming along with their expedition to save aoi to protect nene, and then adds “and I have something to take care of…” while we’re visually shown mitsuba. the way he speaks about becoming a supernatural to nene and thinks of mitsuba during the severance but doesn’t say things about it. the way that during his fight with no.6 he talks about solving peoples problems and bringing them happiness and calls mitsuba “that guy.” hell nene doesn’t even know about the entire mitsuba thing until she meets mitsuba herself and even then kou is really casual about the whole thing, not even revealing much about the situation.

I think there’s just so much there. and ultimately I think it’s a lot of like. wow. kou is confused about how he’s feeling! what should he be doing! and I think while kou does see what’s good about hanako in his introduction chapter, and that supernaturals r not necessarily monolithic evil, mitsuba’s also a huge facet in determining kou’s views towards supernaturals—he wants to exorcise this ghost and then through that trip ends up wanting to be friends with him and feeling so so so joyful when he sees him again. god. don’t even make me talk abt the moment where kou grabs mitsuba’s hand. that’s another post. but yeah I feel like he’s very careful and secretive about how he feels towards mitsuba because it’s very complicated for him and maybe hard to understand or express

so yeah. and now we have like, mitsuba showing up again (and I still have trust issues bc of the red house), right when kou’s been told to exorcise a low grade spirit, and he’s doing it in an effort to prove himself… man do things feel circular as hell. (side note why is mitsuba registered as a low grade spirit? only time will tell)

[clanofjones]

Hiatus Update ^^

@theosb0rnway, @spicy-apple-pie, @finnstir, @kallmefren, @justamuppet, @mostlyvoid-partiallyturtles, @fanatess, @justletmereadmycomics, @thecranialbones, @alolaartista:

I'm officially back from my hiatus! You may have/probably noticed that I've still been active on Tumblr these past few days, and you'd be correct. My social battery has been NONEXISTENT, and I've been in a state of recovery, which is why I haven't sent this out earlier. Hiatus probably isn't the right word, but IDK *shrugs*

ME NEWS:

I will have to go on another similar break in the first week of October, and another in the last week of May. If you'd like to know then just message me, dw.

NOW, FOR STUFF (that I could probably message individual people for but I'm tired and we're mass posting ig)

tagging people who I know are co-creating or interested in certain projects of mine, but all (even those I didn't tag) to peruse my wares :)

Ghosts of Our Days- @theosb0rnway, @kallmefren, @justamuppet

Okay I'm actually proud of this one-

I MADE A SHORT ANIMATIC FOR GoOD!!

*dances*

BUT

It contains vague spoilers for an upcoming chapter so it's on the back burner for now. I am SO EXCITED for the masses to see this one! For such a short and, in the grand scheme of animations, unremarkable thing, it took about two months :/

SO CHERISH ITTTT

14, while on the way, is going to be a bit on account of many things. We've got lives, you've got lives, we chilling.

Of Mutants, Mystics, and Magic- @finnstir, @theosb0rnway

I do have an update in the making! Finn, you might wanna check out the AU acc for the newer updates, but no pressure! (AU acc is @of-mutants-mystics-and-magic for searching convenience :))

Cardinal Rules- @theosb0rnway, @fanatess, @thecranialbones

New updates for my second ROTTMNT fic are coming out on Ao3 and Tumblr this weekend! I'm trying a new update schedual where I finish one multichap fic and post the entirety of a solo-chapter fic at once. EX: I finish this one, and post a lil one-shot, that way when y'all finish a fic, there's going to be something else!

I'm hi-key really proud of this one, so YAY!!

MISC/Unnamed/TBD projects

@alolaartista, I'm making headway with that art I was telling you about, and I will message you it! I also have a written snippet to add to the pile-

@spicy-apple-pie- >:3

I am making YOU a *m y s t e r y t h i n g*

@... EVERYONE ELSE!

My 12!Rasey and Rise!Casey Jr stuff is my most popular stuff, and I approve of your tastes LOL

SO I'm going to be dropping another 12!Rasey ship dynamic + some Casey Jr art for the soul soon!

[valarysworld]

𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 || 𝐑 + 𝐒

Another small snippet of my new book "Sweetest Heart". Wattpad: Valerysworld_ Sky x OC x Riven

First small snippet: https://www.tumblr.com/valarysworld/748242156472401920/sweetest-heart-r-s?source=share

=============== 𝟔 | 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 :

"We have more important things to talk about." She continued, willing to ignore their previous conversation.

"Oh yes, of course, Princess Sophia. What is ever so important?" Rivens voice was filled with ridicule as he responded. "Yeah no offense, but we were already having an important conversation." Sky agreed with the other boy, Sophia squinted at them.

"A conversation about Riven and I getting down and dirty... okay well—" she shrugged and started backing up, unlocking the door. She peered down to the floor and purposely mumbled out, "—guess you don't want to know what my power is"

They both gasped, hoping they heard her right. This whole power ordeal was a big deal to everyone who knows Sophia. If you've forgotten, she is royalty. Her line of blood holds some of the most powerful fairies and warriors in existence. If Stella fails to take the throne, it would be Sophia's duty to take over and become queen. She is a princess.

She ignored their gasps and pretended to take interest in leaving by slowly opening the door.

"Hang on just a minute!" Riven shouted, they both jumped over to stop her from leaving; Sky took the liberty of pulling her away from the door, having them sit on his bed while Riven pushed the door shut and followed them over. He sat on the other side of her.

"Now go on, tell us your power! You must." Sky demanded with a blinding smile.

"I'll do you one better. I'll show you." After she finished saying that, she leaned down and grabbed the pocket knife Sky keeps in his boot, flipped it open, and held it up to him, "Watch and learn"

She shifted her body so both of the boys could see her clearly and she held the knife up to her finger. She laughed a bit before she could get the second part out, "prepare to be amazed"

She positioned the sharp knife at her finger, and without warning, slashed it. It wasn't a deep cut, it was light and not too harmful. But still, it hurt more than the paper cut.

She gritted her teeth a bit and let a breath out, causing a quiet hissing sound.

"Why-" "Sh! Just watch!"

It didn't heal as fast as the paper cut but slowly the three of them watched the skin connect itself back together. "Wasn't that so amazing guys?"

"You're a healer?" Sky asked. "That's so unfair. She's gonna kick our asses when we spar." Riven grumbled.

She flicked Rivens temple and smirked, "I always kick your ass" then turned to Sky and said, "I am. It's been there all along, we just didn't pay enough attention."

"That's awesome, Soph... can I apologize for these past few days? I've been a major dick—" she waved Sky off, "you were going through something with Stella, there's no blame. As long as we're fine now, it's in the past."

They gave each other a grin. He wrapped his long arms around her waist and pulled her against him as much as he could in the sitting position they were in. Her arms automatically found themselves around his shoulder, rounding her hands together behind his head and tightly squeezing her arms. Unknowingly, they both inhaled each other's scents, feeling at home.

"Okay I feel left out now"

With a tsk and a roll of the eyes, she removed one of her arms and grabbed Rivens hand, pulling him closer. He let her guide his hand to her hip, right below Sky's arms. Getting the idea, he then wrapped his arms around her and laid the side of his face on the back of her head.

Each one of their bodies tingled, ultimately confusing them. Sky was calm, but for the first time ever, He didn't get pissed at the fact that Riven was able to even lay a single finger on Sophia. His Sophia. Sophia was filled with comfort, yet desire still dared to accompany it. 3 parts of her body were talking to her and she didn't understand why. Riven was just extremely hard.

They stayed like that for a while, sipping in each other's company and touch.

When it finally came time to let go, something filled the air. Something devious and dangerous.

A current blur between the lines. ...

https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/361420302/write/1441998539

[thesinglesjukebox]

USHER FT. SUMMER WALKER AND 21 SAVAGE, "GOOD GOOD"

Song title *handshake emoji* score...

[6.64]

TA Inskeep: I love the lyrical conceit of this. It's a bit off-brand for Usher, who even admits in the first verse, "Usually my exes turn to enemies" -- and who's recorded more songs about their exes? But this is so positive, across Usher's, Walker's, and 21's verses; it's also quite buoyant for a defiantly midtempo record (that bass thump is doing a lot of work). Walker sounds great alongside one of the great R&B artists and singers of the past 30 years. Even 21, whom I usually scorn, fits right in here. Genuinely superb R&B.  [9]

Dave Moore: A solid breakup jam, albeit a little Madame Tussauds -- but I would pay to see Usher's likeness there and maybe, if the guards aren't looking, touch his abs. Diminishing returns for collaborators, though; I wish 21 Savage would just start licensing his name for songs without feeling obligated to rap on them.  [6]

Jeffrey Brister: Love changes as you grow older, and sometimes saying what you feel can be a little goofy. But being vulnerable and honest and direct can transform corniness to earnestness. The lyrics are silly but affecting, mature and heartfelt. There’s history behind them, lessons learned from pain. And it’s also got a pitch perfect sex-jam production, which is the kind of delightful irony that I can get behind. [8]

Alfred Soto: Usher's best album since 2004 has stronger jams, the mid-tempo ones especially. His forked tongue of a falsetto flicks at this by-the-numbers breakup jam. Summer Walker's fine. 21 Savage offers to help her pay for a salon. That's generosity, folks. [7]

Daniel Montesinos-Donaghy: The key figure behind this sweet mid-tempo jam is Nija Charles, a Grammy-nominated songwriter that’s also behind some other songs you may know. On her Youtube account, there’s a video from summer 2022 showing her working through the creative process in a studio. At one point, the video mutes and the subtitle "NIJA FINALIZING AN USHER RECORD" pops up; with no other credits on Usher’s latest LP, let’s assume "Good Good" was being developed at this point. Moments later, a snippet plays with Charles’ voice: “kissing the past goodbye […] / we can’t be friends.” (Internet sleuths believe this song will be on Ariana Grande’s upcoming album.) "Good Good" is a warm handshake that sounds genuinely sincere coming from Usher and Summer Walker (21, not so much), but it’s also interesting in the wider context of Charles’ career, exploring both sides of an emotional situation. Sometimes you stay friends, and sometimes you just don’t. [7]

Nortey Dowuona: LA Reid started as a drummer for Pure Essence, then a drummer for The Deele, which led him to form a label with Kenneth Edmonds called LaFace co-funded by Clive Davis. And then he signed 14 year old Usher Raymond IV, held onto him after he lost his voice, then sent him to Diddy. After the mixed success of Usher's self-titled debut, co-executive produced by Diddy, Reid relaunched Usher's career with My Way, his partner Kenneth an executive producer. I'm saying this to say, there's a reason I am rating this pretty solid 8 song a 0, I hope you look up Antonio Reid and Drew Dixon and I will say no more on the matter. [0]

Aaron Bergstrom: Producers Mel & Mus stretch out a pleasantly nuanced tightrope of simultaneous attraction, heartbreak, and nostalgia, and one at a time Usher, Walker, and Savage step out onto it. Usher can't make it through the first two lines of the hook without equivocating, and even though you probably ain't getting back together, he's going to leave the door open a crack. (Come on, remember how much your parents love him? What, are you just going to start from scratch with some new guy?) Walker wants that door shut but she wants you to shut it, and honestly the sooner you find someone new and move on, the better. (Now, has she found someone new? That's none of your business.) Savage is taking big swings all over the place, and while they don't all hit (I've never paid for a woman's plastic surgery before, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to keep that to yourself) you have to give him credit for exploring new dimensions of partnership (If you can't go halves on a baby, why not go halves on a salon?). Honestly, I'm rooting for all three of them. [7]

Oliver Maier: One of those collaborations where the whirr of corporate gears seems almost to drown out whatever nice things might be happening underneath. As far as I can make out: Usher is Ushering pleasantly, Summer Walker is SZAing adequately, 21 Savage is... starting to feel something like this decade's Big Sean? I really want to do a qualitative adjective (qualitative adjective) line here but that's obviously going to be the subheader joke and everyone else is probably going to do one too. [5]

Katherine St. Asaph: Usher's Dorian Gray painting must be found and studied. [7]

Brad Shoup: I had to do a triple-take at the end of Walker's verse -- I thought she was singing "lovers & friends." That's the power of Confessions, I guess: twenty years later, a slow-jam single that I thought was a sly inversion of "Yeah!" still has legs.  [7]

Will Adams: Usher in confessional mode still works; "Good Good" captures the bittersweetness of quashing feelings for an ex in favor of taking the high road and being okay with that. It's not until 21's verse where the "haha just kidding... unless?" subtext surfaces, but the placement following Usher's and Summer's verses serves as that dormant yearning that adds an additional dimension. [7]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: A total masterpiece of guys lying to you -- perhaps the finest example of the form since “Suspicious Minds.” When Usher says he’ll be happy when you find another? A lie. When Summer Walker says she doesn’t do drama? A misdirection. When 21 Savage promises to fund your small business? A total fabrication. [8]

Ian Mathers: This is easily the most I've ever related to Usher. I told my ex that last sentence would probably be most of my blurb and she agreed I should go with that. [9]

Isabel Cole: I have in fact long believed that there should be more songs about being on decent terms with an ex. [6]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[victorluvsalice]

Valicer Calendar Finale: OTP To OT3

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! It's time to talk about the final date on the Valice (r) Calendar post I made to celebrate 15 years of shipping my Valice OTP, and two years of shipping the Valicer OT3! So what's the significance of New Year's Eve to my OTP/OT3?

Well, it's basically the date I feel like my OTP became an OT3. XD This is basically how it all went down at the end of 2021, when I first learned about The Smiler coaster:

December 26th: I watch "One Night In Alton Towers" with my parents (a show where comedians Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker, accompanied by a guest comedian -- in this case it was Roisin Conaty -- spend the night at whatever UK attraction happens to be in the title) and see the fabled theme park in action for the first time. The show itself does NOT contain the group going on The Smiler (I believe the entrance is shown briefly in a montage, but the X-Sector ride they actually hit is Oblivion), but my family and I are intrigued and start looking up videos showing what riding the coaster feels like. Along the way, we discover The Smiler, and while we don't watch a video on it...

December 27th: I am sufficiently intrigued that the next day, my birthday, I start looking up stuff about it in earnest.

I quickly discover that the "brainwashing machine designed to make people permanently happy" theme is, uh, "relevant to my interests." XD Cue me going on a binge on YouTube and tumblr looking up the coaster, its history, its lore, and it's fandom, and getting pretty well obsessed. XD

December 28th: New coaster obsession continues, and I get the idea that I could use it in one of my private little snippets about Victor and Alice having a hypnokinky relationship. After all, I'm pretty sure Victor would like to be brainwashed to be happy, the poor anxious noodle! I start coming up with various scenarios in my head regarding Victor and Alice visiting the park and riding the coaster and using the theming to have some more saucy fun later to add to one of my private docs later, which get gradually more complicated as I look up more and more stuff...

December 29th: And by the very next fucking day, a certain anxious noodle has come up with his own AU within my AU where the coaster has an AI behind it and he and Alice are in a relationship with it. Specifically it's him doing art of that scenario in my AU where, you know, the coaster is just A FUCKING COASTER. I'm like, "excuse me, I'm trying to write down this completely normal scenario where you and Alice just have fun with the coaster theme! What is this bullshit where you want to fuck the roller coaster?"

He is unrepentant.

December 30th: "...would you like me to make the coaster human, because it occurs to me I could do that in Sims 4."

Victor: "I would not object."

December 31st: I've already come up with three different Smilers for three different AUs (the original Modern AU, the VTMB Malkavian!Smiler, and the FO4 Robot/Eldritch Horror!Smiler) and wondering how I completely lost it so freaking fast. XD

Sooo -- yeah. That was the point where I knew this was going to be a Thing. XD (And I hadn't even come up with Smiler's actual human design yet! That was nine days later!) Two years in, and it is still a Thing, as you are all very much aware. XD Here's to my bizarre Things, and the ships that were created from them! I hope to get much enjoyment from them for years to come.