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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 22 hours ago

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Now don't throw tomatoes at me but I'm actually really excited to finally see malleus again— I've always loved malleus since we met him in the story, but I'm also sooo curious about what's gonna happen next,, I'm wondering the obvious thing, about whether or not we might get a parralel scenario like what happened with the KoD and silver will have to "slay" malleus or at least be the one to land a killing blow, but I also saw a really interesting post focusing on how magic is a manifestation of dreams and deep desires and imagination,,,, in that case, I may (VERY delusionally) hope that Yuu finally gets to be a major part of the story for once??? Even reading the novels, there HAS to be something bigger for yuu— while the idea of crowley simply being an incompetent airhead is fun and more comfortable, haven't you thought that meybe he pulled them into this world deliberately??

All to say, what if at some point, Yuu somehow manifests magic in a very dire moment ?? You know lol?? Agh idk. I just want yuu to finally make impactful choices but that IS too much to ask, as far as we can see for now,,, (but hey, that part leading up to ace getting is UM, and the convo between him and yuu,,, it *does* give one a sliver of hope, doesn't it? :') )

Don't worry, no tomato throwing here! 😅 I may not care for certain characters, but I’m not going to shame anyone that does. You’re free to think however you want about Malleus!

dbjsvsJcwhj My personal feelings about him aside, I am actually glad he’s finally relevant to the main story again. He’s missed out on so much of his own book OTL In the time he’s been gone, the fandom has been left to speculate about both his and Lilia’s potential death flags. I really doubt Twst will have the balls to kill off one of them, but it would be cool to at least see Silver delivering the final blow to knock some sense into (not necessarily kill) OB Malleus.

Yes, it’s true that Silver states in the recent update that magic was originally considered “a miracle borne of strong desires from the heart.” But 💦 I don’t think that means Yuu would randomly manifest magic in the final fight?? It feels more like a “let’s save the day with the power of friendship” to me, but I could of course be wrong.

I understand being frustrated that Yuu’s participation in the main story seems to fluctuate a lot, with most of their activity being books 3, 4, and segments of 1, 6, and 7. That’s not much, especially considering how long books 6 and 7 are. Sometimes (even in events) it feels like Yuu is barely there, as most dialogue options don’t involve different reactions from the characters. Even Yuu's quest to find a way home is barely addressed or taken seriously until early in book 7. Yuu hasn't gotten "real" development unless you count them realizing their Disney dreams are prophetic in book 5, taking the initiative to save Grim in book 6, and that dialogue option about them being worried they're not contributing + the related convo with Ace in book 7. All very short moments in the grand scheme of things. And honestly, I think that makes sense for the kind of character Yuu is. A blank slate, a self-insert, an outsider that's easy to exposit information to, someone with which to view the story, characters, and world through. Yuu is primarily there to be the POV character, the lenses, the camera that we see Twst through. They're not really meant to be a traditional "main character". It's possible that Twst gives them a slightly bigger role at the very end (especially with what went down in the dream in book 7), but I doubt it will be a huge triumphant moment where they and they alone save the day or deal the final blow in a crazy act of self-sacrifice. Twst has always been a story that puts the NRC boys first, while Yuu is the observer.

I've noticed that the complaint of Yuu not doing a lot in the story comes mainly from English speaking fans?? And I guess that makes sense, given how western culture tends to emphasize independence and standing out. They want Yuu to reflect that. They want to be the ones to make a difference. I don't even remember ever seeing these same comments from the Japanese speaking fans; it's definitely a less common sentiment for them. The Japanese fans seem pretty content with Yuu being an observer and taking on more of a minor or supporting role. Again, this fits in with what I understand of many eastern cultures. They're demurer, not wanting to stand out too much from the crowd and instead prioritizing group harmony. Very interesting cultural difference to note!

It's a common theory (with many variants) that Crowley intentionally summoned Yuu to Twisted Wonderland for his own nefarious motives. People found him pretty sus right away due to how he seems to not put in any real time or effort into investigating a way to send Yuu home. Plus, there's that ominous opening monologue of his to consider. However, I don't think he summoned Yuu because of their (potential) great magical capabilities. The Mirror of Darkness tells us that it doesn't sense a shred of magic in Yuu, and Leona smells zero magic on them (though that could be because it hasn't technically manifested yet, as some fans claim).

The idea is that Yuu is supposed to be plain. They are supposed to be magicless. Why? To humble the NRC students and to show them that asserting yourself violently or with great magical power ISN'T the way to go. To show them value in strategizing (which Yuu does in the prologue by helping Grim aim at the ghosts), of camaraderie. What does it say about the story's themes if Yuu, the person who is supposed to be showing them the worth of mundane things, is suddenly... "secretly ultra-strong, actually/“just like you guys” (even if it's only a temporary hope-fueled magic)? It might contradict what has already been set up. It also breaks the self-insert appeal of Yuu, since developing magic would also mean Yuu would later have to further develop things like proficiency in magic, best/worst subjects, and an unique magic/signature spell... meaning Yuu HAS to become better "defined", thus losing their blank slate nature. This would surely upset some fans who deeply project onto Yuu, have a Yuusona, etc.

Yuu can still make an impact on the characters and the world--and they have, judging by how much closer the boys are with each other--without having to be The Most Special One or like everyone else. I think it undermines what Yuu has already managed to achieve to say that they haven't made an impactful choice at ANY point in the main story when I believe they definitely have. Yuu made the choice to sign the contract with Azul. Yuu made the choice to approach Malleus. Yuu made the choice to go against Crowley's orders and go retrieve Grim from S.T.Y.X. Yuu made the choice to get Leona’s help with the contracts. Yuu made the choice to stand with Adeuce against Riddle in book 1. Yuu made the choice to let the VDC/SDC tribe train at Ramshackle. Yuu has done a lot, and all without needing to seize the spotlight or to do anything big and flashy. I don't think Yuu needs to be big and flashy. There is pride to be had in simplicity and being humble too. There is pride in representing the 90% of humans in Twisted Wonderland that are ordinary and without magic.

(An aside: so if Yuu wasn’t able to manifest magic in many other extreme instances, does that mean their desire to save Grim in book 6 wasn’t “enough”? That their desire to save Ramshackle, their one and only home in this world, wasn’t “enough”? It implies that Yuu didn’t wish hard enough for these other things they clearly care about and want.)

I think a good way to give Yuu a decent role while staying true to their design as a blank slate would be for Twst to really lean into the whole "beast tamer" aspect that was introduced all the way back in the prologue. This would work well with their deep connection to Grim as well. Assuming that Grim ends up being the final OB... We could easily have the NRC students and staff on the ropes, Malleus at his wit's end after exhausting himself with his own OB, a rampaging Grim about to end it all. And then... one lone figure shakily rises from the rubble and confronts Grim. One human. Magicless, defenseless. A human lost in an unfamiliar world, a human who believes they're useless and don't contribute much. A human who is always in need of being protected by others. But not anymore. This time, it's Yuu's turn to protect what they love--their friends, this world they've come to love, Grim. Ace and Deuce yelling at Yuu to not be stupid, to get back--but Yuu just advances, calling out to Grim and begging him to stop. And maybe it's Yuu's wish that rallies everyone and/or gets OB Grim to hesitate. That's when they can strike. Is that corny? Yeah. Does it sound like the ending to a Disney film? Sure. But it still grants Yuu, a magicless human that is supposed to be there to teach everyone about friendship, cooperation, and humility, their big moment to shine. The best of both worlds, I'd say.

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canonkiller · 2 days ago

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general health update:

after things got really bad late december (fully bedbound, two emergency hospital visits in a few week's time, metric fuck ton of pain) I've started to regain the first bits of mobility again (a grand description for being able to move to a chair in my room instead of the bed). january was kind of a dead zone that, thankfully, family took care of me through because I was barely even able to sit up.

we've ruled out some causes for the pain but don't have a conclusive answer yet, and it comes and goes. we're working on it. im trying different dietary options along with vitamin shots after getting another transfusion in january and it's... helping? I think? or at least not making anything worse, hopefully.

I still haven't really touched drawing again yet, but the desire to draw is starting to come back, which feels like a good sign. it feels strange to have gone so long without it. I'm still just really tired, but I know my body needs the rest right now, and if I'm lucky my brain will decide to chill out a bit too.

love you. stay safe

#not art

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genericpuff · 8 hours ago

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💣💥💣💥💣

so with Episode 67 finally posted and the dust settled, I wanted to share some funny behind-the-scenes stuff with you all.

Clip Studio is a great piece of software, it's what allows Banshriek and I to work on the same episode together via cloud-syncing (it's a function called "Teamworks" in the app) but it's also... kind of garbage sometimes. Without getting too much into it, CSP has a bottleneck issue with how it predominantly uses CPU rather than the graphics card in a computer. And considering it's literally graphics software, yeah, you can probably figure out pretty quickly with the most bare minimum of computer knowledge why this is a problem that's really silly for it to have LOL

ANYWAYS. This has been known to cause problems between Banshriek and I when trying to complete an episode. Problems that - often enough for me to tell you stories about it - result in us having to essentially "rebuild" the episode we're working on. This doesn't necessarily mean having to redraw anything (thankfully that doesn't happen very often) but it usually goes down something like this:

1.) The software suddenly has an issue syncing our changes which results in either conflicted files that can't update, software crashes that refuse to load pages, updates not even going through, or taking WAY too long to update to the point that we'd rather just rebuild and work on the episode independently and then swap the files and layers when it's time for the other person to do their part.

2.) I have to inform Banshriek that Clip Studio crashed again, and in the event that I can't get back into page editing because of the aforementioned issues ^^^ they immediately get to backing up their most recent version of the file that's stored on their computer. Thankfully a lot of the time these versions are pretty up to date, but it's still a moment of tension every single time because these crashes don't always happen the same way every time.

3.) Using the backup version, a new .cmc file (the file that contains every page for each episode, it's the thing that lets you make pages for comics in the software!) is created by whoever has access to the pages without issue (usually Banshriek is the one who's able to do it, this has become a very one-sided problem LMAO) and then is sent to me so that I can upload it to the cloud to replace the old version. This file is then usually called something like "Episode#BACKUP" to distinguish between both versions as we usually still have the older versions downloaded as well.

4.) Work (hopefully) continues as normal. Though it's definitely caused setbacks, so far our survival rate is still 100% 😆

This happens at least every other episode. It's become rare to go a whole episode without having to go through this process. We're still trying to figure out what we can do to avoid it, but we've tried a bunch of other options (and Banshriek has created some test episodes using pages from completed episodes that crashed for the sake of experimenting) and so far it's still a struggle understanding what exactly is going wrong with Clip Studio and it's syncing features. Fortunately, Banshriek and I are both auDHD enough that we're gonna obsess over it until we figure it out LMAO but until then, we're constantly having to treat Clip Studio like a live snake that's trying to wrangle itself out of our hands 💀😆

And the most recent episode? Episode 67, which ran a week and a day late? It set a new personal best for number of backups, because we had to rebuild it not just once, but TWICE.

What we've noticed is that sometimes you can barely make a change to an episode and these crashes still happen, as if major changes have been made. So far the best hypothesis Banshriek has come up with regarding this observation is that the software struggles more to update changes that affect overall pixel count and appearance - stuff like moving canvases, flipping canvases, adding on textured layers (which is what we do at the end of making each page) , etc. that covers a lot of pixels at a time, even if it's only changing the hues / colors slightly, seems to cause the most problems.

During the production of Episode 67, the following plagues came to pass:

Our car exploded

Our cat nearly exploded (btw! for anyone wondering from my last post about him, he's doing better now!)

Our toilet pipes froze twice (and exploded once)

Democracy in the U.S. exploded

My husband's wisdom teeth were exploding so the last 3 of them were removed all at once

The files for Episode 67 exploded twice and had to be rebuilt just to keep it on life support (by the end of the episode we were literally sending files back and forth via Google Drive like peasants 😔 /hj)

The most non-explosive thing to happen was the tattoo shop I work at moving locations up the street, and even then, I came very close to exploding a few times during that process LMAO (and our debit machine just exploded so we're cash only for the next few days sksksks)

This episode was probably our most cursed yet, and frankly, it couldn't be more fitting, I think Dionysus himself had a hand in our madness, just for the sake of being on theme with this episode. And the worst part, we haven't even gotten into the truly chaotic stuff yet. All Dionysus has done so far is slam Hades' head into a table, he's barely gotten started. Dionysus only knows what Episode 68 has in store for me and Banshriek as well 😭💀

#i literally had to take a shower after it was all over LMAO #lore rekindled

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paigeswiftsea · 3 days ago

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Why Star Stable Online Has Lost it's Players (And How to Fix It) (An Analysis)

Introduction

I've been playing Star Stable Online (SSO) for a long time—around 8-9 years. My older sister introduced me to it during our shared horse phase, and for years, it was an exciting escape that we were both obsessed with. We eagerly awaited new main quests, wondering what the next big story update would bring.

But lately? The magic is gone.

Some might say it’s just nostalgia, that I’ve outgrown the game. While there may be some truth to that, I believe SSO itself has changed in ways that stripped it of its former charm. I used to fight my sister for our family computer just to get my one hour of gameplay each day. Now? I barely log in, only returning for big updates like Christmas, the Medieval Festival, and the Home Stable revamp. I still participate in the fandom and write fanfiction, meaning I engage with the lore—but the actual gameplay? It’s boring.

After reflecting on this, I realized that SSO has lost what made it special. The intrigue, mystery, and excitement have faded, leaving behind a game that feels repetitive, predictable, and uninspired.

And the worst part? It didn’t have to be this way.

The Main Questline

One of the biggest reasons why SSO has lost its mystique is the shift in the main questline.

Back in the earlier years of the game, the main story felt like a real adventure. It had danger, secrecy, and high stakes.

For example, the dark core quests, saving Justin, meeting Fripp for the first time, hell even the opening screen.

They got rid of the first opening screen for a mediocre riding island tutorial. It also contradicts the plot because Lisa and Anne are supposed to be missing at the beginning of the game, yet there they are, welcoming a random new rider to the island? It doesn't make any sense.

And again, The quests now all follow the same formula of:

“Oh no, something bad happens! Quick, MC, do all the work! We believe in you! Yay, friendship! The Dark Riders scowl and leave. Quest complete.”

There’s no real challenge, no real mystery, and barely any tension. The game has become too afraid to put the player in real danger, so everything feels safe and shallow.

Even the Dark Riders don’t feel like villains anymore. They show up, taunt you, and then leave. They don’t feel like an actual threat.

Dark Core? Completely incompetent. The same organization that once kidnapped and brainwashed Justin and had an eerie, powerful presence now feels like a joke.

The stakes are gone. The story is dragging. And at this rate, we’ll still be waiting for the final battle in 2040.

Nothing ever feels genuinely difficult or tense.

Where’s the mystery? Where’s the challenge? Why does it feel like nothing truly matters anymore?

Even the Fort Maria quests, which should have been an exciting addition, were a letdown. Instead of diving deep into the Keepers of Aideen’s past or discovering secrets and lore, we got... daily quests that never gave us any new lore, just MC doing all the work, again. The primaeval tree was interesting I admit, but it also felt like it came out of nowhere, and I still don't really remember the point of those quests. The only interesting parts of those quests to me were opening the portal, which then led to more daily quests while SSE came up with more filler.

Catering to a Younger Audience Backfired

SSO has always been a game for kids, but in the past, it never talked down to its audience. The earlier quests had a level of complexity and emotional weight that made them enjoyable for all players.

Now? It feels like SSE has sacrificed everything that made the story compelling in favor of appealing to a younger audience in the most uninspired way possible.

But here’s the thing: you can make a game appealing to kids without making it boring for older players.

Plenty of games manage to be engaging for both younger and older audiences—think of Minecraft, Pokémon, even certain Roblox games (Dress To impress?). These games balance fun and accessibility while still providing enough depth for older players to enjoy.

Meanwhile, SSO is stuck in an identity crisis. It doesn’t know if it wants to be a fun horse game, an epic fantasy adventure, or a horse shopping simulator. And instead of balancing all of these elements, it’s failing at all three.

The Economy Is Awful (And It’s Driving Players Away)

Let’s be honest: SSO’s in-game economy is a disaster.

Jorvik Shillings are practically useless because items are priced absurdly high, making it impossible for non-Star Riders to afford anything. Even Star Riders struggle because shillings are capped, meaning if you’re maxed out, you’re forced to waste shillings or spend Star Coins. This also doesn't help when you're a free player, and every single item is 9990 shillings.

Star Coins are ridiculously overpriced, and SSE knows it. Prices have gone up, but the value of what you get has gone down. New horses are more expensive than ever, tack and clothes are absurdly priced, and with weekly Star Coin allowances being so low, the game constantly pressures you into spending real money.

No one wants to feel broke in a game. We log in to escape reality, not to feel like a struggling stablehand who can’t even afford a pair of boots.

SSE seems to think they can make more money by increasing Star Coin dependency. But guess what? If the game was actually fun, people would be happy to spend money on it. Instead, more and more players are quitting because it’s just not worth investing in anymore.

SSO’s Most Successful Moments Were Events—So Why Did They Get Rid of Them?

Think about the most active times on SSO in 2024—probably Christmas, main quest updates, and the Equestrian Festival.

What do these all have in common? Limited-time events.

People log in for seasonal events because they’re fun. But instead of keeping beloved events like:

The Birthday Festival

The April Fools Car Prank (ICONIC)

The Pride/Cloud Kingdom Event

Midsummer Festival

Easter

…SSE removed them in favor of shopping/bazaar updates and the permanent Medieval Festival.

Why? Why take away the things that made the game feel alive? Seeing Jorvik change with the seasons, experiencing new limited-time adventures, and collecting fun event-exclusive items were some of the best parts of the game. Removing them just makes Jorvik feel static and lifeless.

New Owners

In 2021 I believe, The game was sold or bought out, something along those lines ( feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that). And I found this quote from a website about an interview from Stacy Place and CEO Johan Sjöberg. (This is from 2021 so things may have changed but I doubt it.)

“Players want things to do, and the story has to be continued,” Stacy agrees. “There’s definitely a hunger for more endgame content, and we want to deliver that.” Stacy explains that there has not really been a dedicated “Quest Team” at SSO recently, and that as a result, the people who could have been working on that, would keep having other tasks assigned to them. “It’s always about juggling resources,” Stacy goes on, “between new horses, events and updating environments and character designs, it’s been difficult to get resources allocated for the creation of new quests.” But here too, the future is looking promising: “I actually have a meeting on that later today!” Stacy adds. “We need to move this forward in a healthy way.” That does not mean we should expect fewer new horse releases in the future though. “Horses are our main business. They are what keeps the game afloat – and we take them seriously!” Most recently, Star Stable has added the updated American Paint Horse and additional coat variations for six popular breeds.

This just confirms what a lot of players have already suspected—SSO has prioritized horse releases over actual gameplay content. It’s not even a secret anymore; they outright admit that they haven’t had a dedicated Quest Team for a while.

The problem isn’t just a lack of quests—it’s that the entire game feels stagnant because everything revolves around pumping out new horses. Yes, horses are the game’s main source of revenue, but without meaningful content, why should players stay?

They’re acknowledging the issue, which is something, but words don’t mean much if we don’t see real change. A meeting about quest development is great, but will it actually lead to consistent story updates? Or is it just another vague promise to keep players hopeful?

And the fact that they’re still saying, “Horses are our main business” just reinforces that new breeds will always take priority over everything else. That’s not inherently bad—but it shows that story progression, worldbuilding, and forgotten areas like Dino Valley will always come second.

At the end of the day, if the game keeps prioritizing short-term profits (horse releases) over long-term player engagement (quests, events, and actual reasons to keep playing), more players will leave.

They need to have dedicated teams for each sector of the game, not people who work on everything all at once. Quests, horses, other game updates like area updates, character updates need to be specific groups where a team focuses solely on one thing at a time.

Later in the article they rephrase this by saying,

"An addendum, because this part of the article appears to be misunderstood by many readers: That there hasn't been a dedicated quest team does not mean that nobody at SSO has been working on Quests in recent months and years. “When we say we don’t have a ‘dedicated quest team’, we mean that we haven’t always been structured to have a team that specifically works only on quests,” Stacy clarifies in a follow-up email to this article. “Instead, we have multiple teams that work on delivering the game. So the team working on quests doesn’t only work on quests, which are complex and touch many other areas of development.”

This just further highlights the core issue—SSO doesn’t have structured teams dedicated to specific aspects of the game. Instead of having a Quest Team, a Horse Team, an Environment Team, and so on, they have a general development team that has to juggle multiple responsibilities at once.

And this lack of structure shows in the game itself. Quest updates are slow and inconsistent, while new horses get released like clockwork. Environmental updates happen occasionally, but areas like Dino Valley and the old abandoned doors remain untouched. Character updates have been sporadic, with some NPCs looking modern and polished while others still look like they belong in 2015. (long necks anyone? :0)

Their explanation makes it clear: quests are not a priority. If they were, SSO would have a team dedicated solely to working on them, instead of splitting development resources across multiple tasks.

If they really want to fix the game, they need to stop treating everything like an afterthought and start forming specialized teams:

A Quest Team to work exclusively on new storylines, side quests, and meaningful updates.

A Horse Team to continue designing new breeds and variations.

An Environment Team to focus on updating neglected areas like Dino Valley and Epona that don't change the whole game, like Steve's farm, Silverglade village, and the vineyard.

An Events Team to bring back beloved seasonal content and add new, engaging activities.

Without this, we’re going to keep seeing slow, repetitive updates where new horses come first and everything else falls to the wayside. The game needs balance, not just new models.

Speaking of new models,

One of the biggest issues is that our character model doesn’t match the NPC models at all. Some NPCs still have the old, low-poly look, while our characters have a completely different art style and proportions. This makes us look like giants compared to some NPCs, and the contrast is jarring.

SSO shouldn’t have updated the player model without also updating the NPCs. It creates an unpolished experience where the game feels disjointed. If they’re going to revamp one part of the game, they need to follow through and make everything cohesive.

And while body diversity is great, the range of body types still feels limited. There’s no truly skinny option, and while it’s not the biggest issue, true inclusivity means representing everyone. If they want to keep improving, they should expand the customization options—not just body types, but also things like facial features, hairstyles, and animations to make the character feel more natural. And it doesn't help that they promised more to come with the first character update which was when? almost 2 full years ago? They are dropping the ball in multiple areas.

Marketing

SSE does not market as the actual game. It advertises fun and adventure, a silly game for kids when in reality it is nothing to that. It doesn't give that magic or mystery of the old ones. I went and found commercials from different years. There's this old one, and then this short one on youtube I found. Now, let's compare.

That short is so fuckass. like why are they making Darko into a redditor? Plus, it gives major spoilers as well so like if it reaches someone who was thinking about playing the game, it's like an automatic spoiler.

has a completely different tone. It presents the game as an immersive adventure with mystery, danger, and excitement. The stakes feel high, and it showcases the fantasy elements in a way that makes Jorvik feel like a living, magical world.

This shift in marketing reflects the identity crisis SSO is currently facing. It used to be a horse adventure game with strong storytelling, but now it’s marketed as a simple kids' game, which doesn’t align with its actual gameplay or longtime audience. This disconnect contributes to player dissatisfaction and dwindling engagement.

Let's also discuss the tik tok account. I think any tiktoker will remember the pocket Sabine series? The marketing team series they post on tiktok as well are super dumb and cringy as well. Maybe this is really nitpicky, but I think their marketing team should focus a lot more on listening to feedback. This shift misrepresents what SSO once was—an immersive adventure with high stakes and rich storytelling. And, by downplaying the fantasy elements, the marketing alienates the older audience and misleads potential new players about the actual content of the game. The lighthearted TikTok series and other marketing materials have missed the mark, making the game seem trivial when it should be portrayed as the vast, magical world it was originally intended to be.

Updates and Slow Bug fixes

Unresolved Issues Persist: Players have long expressed frustration with the slow pace at which critical bugs are fixed in Star Stable Online. Persistent issues like broken quests, NPCs not triggering dialogue correctly, or horses not responding to commands may go on for weeks—or even months—without resolution. This lack of timely fixes can disrupt the immersion and enjoyment of the game, especially for players who are heavily invested in completing quests or building their horses’ stats.

Performance Problems: Many players have reported performance issues, such as lag, crashing, or long loading times. These technical hiccups are especially detrimental to players who are trying to enjoy the game on a more serious level. Despite these long-standing issues, they are often left unresolved for too long, giving the impression that the development team is more focused on new features than maintaining the current ones.

Impact on Gameplay Experience: The slow patching of bugs and glitches not only frustrates players but can also affect gameplay. For example, if a quest-breaking bug isn’t fixed, it can prevent players from progressing in the game or earning rewards, which could dampen their motivation to keep playing. Players who have experienced the same issue repeatedly may even feel neglected, leading to a decline in player retention.

(psa this was written before the cheating ban update so idk if anything changes here i haven't been online)

Pacing of Updates:

Inconsistent Release Schedule: There is often a lack of consistency in how updates are rolled out in Star Stable Online. Some months may see frequent updates with new content, while others might see a long dry spell where the community feels stagnant. When there is no clear pacing or roadmap, players might lose interest as they wait for new features or events. This inconsistency also makes it difficult to keep players engaged, especially if they feel that updates are sporadic and lack depth.

How SSE Can Fix This

Realistically, will SSE ever see this? Probably not. And even if they did, would they listen? Unlikely. But here’s what they could do to actually make the game engaging again:

Bring back the sense of mystery. The game doesn’t need to be horror, but it does need stakes, suspense, and excitement. Let Dark Core be evil. Make the Dark Riders feel like a real threat. Give us a story where we feel like we’re actually fighting for something.

Stop dumbing down the quests. Kids aren’t stupid. Plenty of kid-friendly media has deep, engaging stories that people of all ages can enjoy. SSO can, too.

Fix the economy. The current system is frustrating, predatory, and making people quit. Lower item prices, increase Jorvik Shilling rewards, and stop making everything feel like a cash grab.

Bring back seasonal events. Festivals, pranks, special decorations—these things made Jorvik feel alive. Removing them was a mistake.

Actually update the main story regularly. One to three main quest updates per year is not enough. The story is dragging, and at this pace, we’ll still be looking for the light ceremony pages in our 90's.

Listen to player feedback. The community has been vocal about these issues for years. Maybe it’s time SSE actually pays attention.

At its core, Star Stable Online has lost its identity. What was once a game about mystery, adventure, and meaningful storytelling has been reduced to a predictable cycle of overpriced horse releases and low-effort updates. The magic of Jorvik, once thriving with high-stakes quests and immersive seasonal events, has been replaced by a shallow, directionless experience that lacks the structure and ambition it desperately needs.

Instead of expanding on the compelling lore they already built, SSE has dragged the main story to a crawl while simultaneously making the Dark Riders and Dark Core feel like minor inconveniences rather than formidable threats. The economic decisions have only worsened the situation, making player engagement feel transactional rather than rewarding. The game’s reliance on overpriced horses and recycled events, coupled with its failure to deliver meaningful gameplay improvements, alienates both new players and longtime fans.

It didn’t have to be this way. With proper development structure, dedicated teams for different aspects of the game, and a renewed focus on engaging storytelling and gameplay, SSO could reclaim its former glory. But as it stands, it feels like SSE is more interested in short-term profit than in nurturing the world they created. If they continue down this path, Star Stable Online will remain in a slow decline, remembered more for what it could have been rather than what it actually became.

I don’t hate SSO. I wouldn’t be writing this if I did. I love the world, the characters, and the potential that’s still there. But right now, the game is failing its players. It’s losing old fans, struggling to keep new ones, and if it doesn’t course-correct soon, it risks fading into irrelevance.

SSO can be an amazing game again. But only if SSE actually puts in the effort.

#ssoblr #sso #star stable online #star stable tumblr #star stable analysis #sso theory #ik what other tags to put #star stable updates

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bunnydoobles · 1 day ago

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How I feel making Dog Man/Detey art knowing no one ik gaf or fw it whatsoever

──── ୨୧ ────

But on a cerealous note; it's really disheartening knowing how much joy and comfort Dog Man brings to me and none of my irl friends care for it. Yall are keeping me going and I can't thank yall enough for that.

Also, updates! The Dog Man discord server I'm working on will be coming soon (I'm needing help making it because I suck at servers, have mercy)!! And, because a sweet little fan out there (you know who you are) encouraged me — I will be making a Dog Man Ask Blog soon! So stay tuned for that!

I really love this series/fandom and hope to stay in it for a very long time. It's hard when I don't have many people to yap to or share my OCs, hcs, and other stuff with but it's really nice to know people who follow me/like my stuff (hey! thats you!) appreciate it nonetheless. Makes me feel less alone. Thank you! MORE DOG MAN CONTENT COMING SOON.

#julian rants:#doobles #dog man #dog man comics #dog man movie #detey #thank you guys #<333 #thanks for all the support!#ask dog man coming soon!!!

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meirimerens · 1 day ago

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do you happen to have any headcanons about pascal curious and nervous subject? or any other sims 2 character for that matter :p

you get answered with anon from like yesterday #oops i had stuff on my plate teehee but Yes.

the nervous subject:

as far as nervous' #deal is i like to go with the Sims 2 For PSP lore that he willingly (or "willingly" - in quotes to express the murkiness of willingness when you're broke as shit) went in with the Beakers because he needed coin. in my head, like many kids who age out of the foster care system, he found himself age 18 not really having anywhere to go (no contact with the family during his stay in foster care), not really having had the best environment to learn any skill, he tells himself well fml 🤷‍♂️ might as well.

related to his 10 active point i think he's strong as shit. does not look like it (macdonalds_napkin_flying_out_of_window.txt). also very endurant - not necessarily fast, but his ass would smoke everyone in a long-distance run because he can just keep going. this is Not A Great Thing in his current #predicament because that just means he recuperates pretty fast from the experiments and so they just keep happening with little downtime.

bruises easily. and a lot because his prioperception is kind of fried so he's got always a blue spot somewhere.

i've #made #him in my ts4 game with a crooked nose and nose scar (which i draw, the crookedness of the nose translates a bit less since i'm always drawing his ass three-quartered) and those i think he got in foster care. even if he exists with 0 nice point i think that's an Experiment thing, he is not truly a Dipshit, but he's very early become quite rowdy. got into a tussle. got his nose broken. "you should see the other guy". this is also very funny to me because one of my OC has that same broken nose+scar deal

on the topic of My OC Has This in my mind's eye he's got tha Y-shaped autopsy scar. hector I Would Like To Award You the Highest Honor I Can Bestow [scars like the weird lesbians of my mind] did not really die, still has it. he understands that's probably a Scary thing for people to see + his ass doesn nawwwt want to deal with the question so when his best fwiend and his two Unsuspecting brothers try to get him to join for a relaxing heatwave afternoon in the strangetown pool he's like "i don't want to take my shirt off [THINKS FAST] because i'm insecure about being bony" and they're like "that's fine man no pressure 👍" [clueless]

le pascal curieux:

on one hand the phrase "gayscal bicurious" i had in the tags of my art once makes me hysterical and i genuinely leep fucking repeating it out loud to myself so often. devilish echolalic sound. on the other it is genuinely funny to me to imagine him realizing years later "why the fuck do i have beef with this guy over his gf i don't even like women 😐😐😐😐🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦��♂️🤦‍♂️". he keeps the beef though makes him feel alive #hatermindset #scorpio

after nervous told him "i have some... weird... living arrangement... and my roommates don't like to hear me play music out loud" pascal started putting songs he thinks nervous would like on an mp3 player. nervous gives it back to him every once in a while and update him on his taste so pascal can add more songs next time they see each other.

now not to get too deep into the politics of the sims franchise's mpreg. a pregnancy narrative hates to see me coming. but in my head... while he's a loving father and is protective and kind and genuinely obsessed with his kid once they're born & tutti quanti towards his little scrunkly... i think he lived the pregnancy pretty Lukewarmly. he knew that it Could happen, but well. the household description does mention "[getting] more than they were "expecting."". i think until halfway there he was like 😬 and then the Weird Scientist Brain kicked in and he was like "this is an Experience". pascal curious I Would Like To Award You the Highest Honor I Can Bestow. Post-Partum Depression (jesting. unless?)

not new of a headcanon because i've drawn it so it's probably obvious I think he's the shortest of the brothers and a Reliable Resident of Stockytown #shawty

bringing together Buddy Erwin Lore and "In his free time, he practices home psychoanalysis" i know the inhabitants of strangerville hate to see him hang out by erwin's Listening Station and psychoanalyzing every word that comes out of the mouth of the people he's bugged #nosy

erwin detour because i have this to say:

he drives a two-toned (orange and white) 1980 chevy k30 crew cab. a beat-up thing that he loves so muchhhh. looks like this (but imagine Oinge and not tan/camel)

speaking of cars i have something for Lazlo:

drives a 1986-1988 buick riviera. a purble one. exactly. i see it for him for the little screen inside #vintage #slay

stoner. with peace and love and zero derogatory tone. he feels it makes him think. it does. tbh i see the three dabbling. you're telling me vidcund has this beautiful greenhouse and they don't grow cannabis in there? you know that post that's like. my homie was making edibles and discovered passion for baking now he's a baker. this did not happen to lazlo he knew how to cook and bake completely independantly. but it helps. they let nervous smoke with them and they see him blink normally for the first time.

Ophelia Nigmos my shayla....

she has a Motorola RAZR V3 for phone. it is DECKED to the heavens with stickers and stick-on gems and phone charms

2004 is prime and i mean primeeee pop-punk/emo era (hence why she looks #likethat tbh) and she's deeeep in that. like Simple Plan's "I'm Just A Kid" came out 2002 and i knowwww she's having that shit on LOOP on her mp3 player. due to the fact that She's Just A Kid And Her Life Is A Nightmare

the bloggerrrr i know she is blogging. idk what strangetown could have as a mirror to the 2000s-2010s french "Skyblog" [les vrais connaissent tmtc] but girl... is.... BLOGGING!!!! either a Livejournal or a Blogger.

i just realized how long this poast was #oops but Basically Yes.

#another headcanon: tank grunt i have seen your psp secrets i know what you are. beeeee who you arrrrre 🌈#allô (answers)#anonymous #oh god. new tags.#ts2 headcanons #nervous lore #pascal lore #lazlo lore #ophelia lore #fml #carheads rise up

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these-detestable-hands · 19 hours ago

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It's been a bit since I've interacted with octopath so my stuff on these ships may be a little rusty but I'll argue for them anyway.

Castitio (Castti x Partitio)

Before the game even came out, I thought they'd be a silly couple. Lady who doesn't remember and guy bursting at the seems with kindness. I think they're got a neat dynamic, with Castti teasing him a bit but they get along and are friends. Some post canon hcs I have are that Partitio would help Castti set up an organization that produces medicine and teaches about it cause he loves her and he's got the funding anyway. Also I do think being exposed to the poison rain twice did stuff to Castti so I like to hc she's disabled post canon, being a wheelchair user due to muscle weakness, having very little lung capacity and CPTSD. Also not a disability but she has eczema-like purple splotches on her body. Sorry I needed an excuse to quickly mention my disabled Castti headcanons. While they're engaged, Partitio and Floyd work on completely renovating a house to accommodate all of Castti's needs, so like low counters she can reach while on her wheelchair, only one floor, wide doorways, blackout curtains so she can sleep during the day, etc. Castti keeps insisting that she doesn't need that much help and that she's navigating normal houses just fine but then she'd see all the accommodations in their new house and bawl for hours. She'd work less and take it easy post canon. Listen I just think they'd be a really cute couple. Castti patches up your broken arm then her husband comes in and starts cracking jokes and talking about affordable public transportation. I feel like I'm also forgetting a lot of stuff but oh well. I've got a few fics for them posted on ao3, account name: BigOrangeOnion

Ophikari (Ophilia x Hikari) (I also call them The Radiance (hollow knight reference and it makes sense for an au))

OKAY SO this ship started out as an au when the ot1 travelers were added to ot2 for that update last year. Basically, post canon, Hikari visits the arena whenever he's in Montwise. This time, he goes and there's some omega powerful warriors fighting ruthlessly and with no concern for themselves. He realizes it's because they've got some kinda of curse, similar to him with the shadow (I THINK that's what it was called).

So Hikari starts working on figuring out how to free them because their current existence seems miserable. The first he manages to free is Ophilia, by using light magic near her. The light magic makes her briefly remember who she was but it's enough for her to snap out of the mind control that she's been put under. She talks to Hikari and explains that her and her friends were mind controlled by a very weak but not quite dead Galdera, in attempts to conquer and gain more power so he could heal himself faster. So the two of them start working on freeing the other travelers together.

Along the way, they ofc fall in love. I don't remember an awful lot about them unfortunately but I implore anyone reading this to write stuff for them :]

Here's a little drawing I did of them together. I'd include Castitio drawings if I had any but I am not big on drawing ship art unfortunately.

H'aanit x Cyrus x Castti (in a QPR!!! :3)

So this is probably the one I've explored the least purely because I never really shared it with anyone. I keep it to myself because of the amount of hyper specific and sad headcanons. But basically it was an au where I'd just mix and match travelers n stuff. Like just putting different travelers in different continents with weird team compositions cause I'm a big fan of aus and crossovers.

One of the ones I liked the most is where Castti leaves Solistia by herself to explore post canon because she's not very close with the other travelers and self isolates a little. This au starts out kinda sad cause of the focus on my hcs for various characters' mental illnesses. H'aanit is initially traveling alone but Castti joins her and they're a relatively quiet but very effective and productive duo. Later, Cyrus, Olberic, Primrose and Ophilia join. They all have their problems to work through and get through them together.

Castti has to deal with self worth and realizing that she's more than just the team healer.

H'aanit has always had anxiety around losing Z'aanta, which is really bad throughout the entire story so Castti often ends up calming her down during panic attacks and they get really close because of the mutual trust there.

Idk exactly how to describe Cyrus' problems but he's really jumpy and nervous and a little bit angry all the time because of being accused of, y' know, sleeping with a student. Yeah no I never understood why Cyrus wasn't that angry about it, even when I first played the game at age 10.

I think Cyrus is just dealing with the new found rage he constantly has. He had anger management issues as a kid but worked through them and they're just now coming back cause he's been thrown out of his home and people he used to be friends with think the worst of him and he's got no one but this new friend group he hardly knows. You get it.

The story is the three of them (and Olberic, Ophilia and Prim, but this post is about ships so I'll talk about them another time) as they deal with their mental health issues. Through helping each other with these very personal problems, they become very close and eventually decide to be in a qpr together. I think they'd just live relatively quiet lives in S'warkii cause Cyrus is too upset to return to Atlasdam and Castti isn't too keen on going back to Solistia after falling head over heels in love with two people in Osterra.

I don't remember way too much for this au unfortunately. I think they should all cuddle and finally get a good night's sleep for once cause no way a single one of those bitches sleeps well with the crap they see and have experienced.

Sorry I wrote so much. Here is a little drawing based on an Olberic chapter 2 travel banter and the most important H'aanit fact.

I miss octopath yapping with people so uh yknow what! We’re gonna play a game!!

Explain in the notes what y’all’s favorite ships are and why you like them!!!

Only rules are

1) do not explain why everyone should think your ship is canon, as that is not the point of this post 2) do not put any other ships down bc that is also not the point of this post 3) ALL games are included (yes including cotc) 4) ANY SHIPS ARE ALLOWED!!! GO NUTS!!!!

#Octopie

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lonelierthanu · 3 days ago

Text

Penmanship

Satoru Gojo x Gender-neutral Reader

series: incomplete

words: 4.9k

warnings: cursing; funny; meet-ugly; no mentioned female or male anatomy; no spoilers; no curses; slow build; slow to update; college au

summary: your new boyfriend has a fiancé? But now you’re the fiancé. Of course you don’t know what the fuck to do.

part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6 …+

Before departing the questionable safety of your apartment, you were nervous to venture out of it. It was the realization that you and Satoru spending so much time together that had given the wrong impression that caused the sudden anxiety. You weren’t being treated terribly, per say, but it was the whispers and snickers, maybe even a light shove at your shoulder that had you convinced the torment would only get worse once the break was over. It was like you were waiting for the bomb to drop.

You went through your entire school career since you were eight avoiding any sort of drama. Seeing the things your older sister went through was evidence enough. From being bullied to being cheated on, you saw the misery drama brought upon her and others, and you made it your life’s mission to avoid it.

Your head was on a three-sixty swivel the entire walk to the bakery you were meant to meet your project partner at. Though, it wasn’t as bad as you thought it’d be. With the encounters you’ve had with Kaiya and her entourage you thought it’d be much worse. You thank the stars it wasn’t.

When you concluded last night that the amount of time you and Satoru have been spending together is a problem, you decided you want to broach the idea of keeping your interactions to a minimum. You really want that, honestly ridiculous, rumor to die off so the paranoia of getting pelted with tomatoes or something can also go away.

If he shows up.

It’s been twenty minutes since you’ve arrived and still no sign of him. You tried to order something to pass the time, but the prices here are out of this world. Makes sense as it was Satoru’s recommendation. Getting increasingly impatient, you’re about to shoot your project partner a text letting him know you won’t wait much longer. Then you notice the man is already walking towards you.

“Hey babe, I’ve got a surprise for you” he says with a saccharine tone that makes you cringe.

“I told you not to call me that,” You go to put your phone in your pocket while your other hand swipes a finger across the mousepad to wake your sleeping laptop.

“You said not to call you baby,” He plops himself and all of his crap onto the booth across from you, “Nothing about babe,”

“Well don’t call me that either,” You go to reach for your bag.

“M’kay sweetie~” he teases. You pause to glare at him.

“Gojo.” You warn, tone stern.

“Last name?” he places a hand against his chest in faux hurt, “It’s Satoru to you pumpkin,”

“ugh, stop.” You reach into your bag again to grab your notes and resume typing, “The nicknames are getting worse.” Satoru laughs.

“About that surprise, cupcake,”

“Please—“ you begin to plead, not looking away from your screen.

“I think you’ll really love it,” he interrupts.

“I don’t really care for any surprise,” from you, you wanted to tack on, but felt that might be too mean.

“But I know you’ll love it~” he sang.

“I don’t care~” you sang back, mocking him.

“C’mon love muffin,” he pouts.

“If I indulge this will you stop calling me stupid nicknames?”

“Yes,” You know he’s lying.

“What's the surprise?” You stop typing to cross your arms and level with him.

“Before I tell you that, I need you to come somewhere with me tonight,”

“Hell no,”

“You didn’t even let me finish,” he whines.

“I don't need to. No surprise you have up your sleeve is worth it,” it’s silent between the two of you and, for a moment, you think you might’ve hurt his feelings, then you see his fat ugly (not really) smirk begin to form on his face.

“You don’t like me,” he states; it wasn’t a question. Your brows furrow as you look away. You feel a little embarrassed that you don’t like him for seemingly no good reason to anyone but yourself, but you don’t deny this claim either, “which is perfect,” he adds after a beat. The furrow in your brows deepens when you look back at him.

“Huh?”

“I just need some harmless company for a thing I have to go to tonight.”

“And what does not liking you have to do with that?”

“That’s how I know you won’t try to sleep with me,” your expression goes blank as you blink at him. “If I ask anyone else they’ll assume that I am, and cling to me for the rest of the year. I already have enough desperate people trying to win my favor, I don’t need another one.” What? He’s so fucking popular that he knows any other rando he asks will immediately bend over backwards for him? As if anyone can fall for this egotistical prick. Your expression must have conveyed your disgust because suddenly the prick in question was laughing. “See? You’re perfect,” he says in between giggles.

“I’m glad you find this funny,” You continue to type on your laptop. ��My answer is still no.”

“Pleeeeeease? I promise I'll make it worthwhile,” he attempts to give you puppy dog eyes over his sunglasses. You roll your eyes.

“What makes you think I want to go anywhere with you out of my own free will,”

He shrugs, “I’ll pay you,” And again, he has pissed you off. Because this spoiled brat seems to think he can do whatever he wants and buy whomever he wants just because he has the money to do so. You know he has money, but you don’t give a single fuck.

“I don’t care,” you almost groan, your patience running thin at his insistence and, frankly, ignorant behavior.

“I can make those girls leave you alone,” he tries. You keep your eyes on your laptop screen, your brows furrowing once again out of annoyance. As much as the thought of hanging out with this pampered highlighter outside of obligation gives you a headache, the thought of being able to walk through the halls peacefully again does make you want to consider it. And even though you were initially pissed off at his offer of money you know damn well you aren’t walking out of this heavily compensated. With those factors in mind, and the added bonus of a “ surprise “, you're growing more annoyed with yourself for actually contemplating this.

Though, how bad could it really be? As much as his confidence and ignorant comments piss you off, that’s really all it is. As painful as it is to admit, Satoru actually has this…charm about him. A vibe that could make anyone feel like they’re his friend. Even though you don’t think of yourself as such, you don’t think he’s terrible. Everyone is frothing at the mouth to sleep with him or at least to be within his inner circle so that must count for something. So, you reason, whatever he’s asking couldn’t be worse than what you’ve gone through with him already.

“What would I have to do,” he flashes you an excited smile before he schools his expression into that damn smirk.

“Just dress up fancy and be ready by 8,” You scoff and shake your head.

“I swear to god if this is another frat party trap-“

“It’s not I promise,” he extends a hand towards you, as to solidify this odd deal. You look at it, then at him, and you completely ignore it, going back to typing on your laptop.

“Thirty minutes. Three hundred dollars.” you state, without looking away from your screen.

“I thought you didn’t care,”

“Clearly you don’t need my company that bad—,”

“Okay, hour and a half, one hundred dollars,” he bargains. You glare at him, pissed that he genuinely thinks so much of your time is worth so little.

“I can still say no,”

He laughs, “An hour it is. Will two hundred be alright?” you roll your eyes, starting to type. He takes that as a form of agreement and starts taking out his laptop and notes. Finally beginning to get some work done.

It didn’t take you long to get ready. You only owned one fancy-ish thing and it was your prom outfit. You only wore it that one time and you brought it with you to college just in case. You had asked Gojo later on what thing he was asking your company for and he told you it was a small gathering at a hotel. Something his grandparents threw together. At first you were worried he was having you meet them or his parents, which you were terrible at, your nerves making you act awkward leading to parents thinking you were rude. He reassured you that you weren’t, but didn’t mention much else as to who was also attending or if you were going to meet other individuals.

You threw on the thickest cardigan you could find over your outfit in an attempt to appear fancy. You had other coats and plenty of sweatshirts but nothing that would fit the occasion. Then put on a scarf that sort of matched. It was crocheted so it kind of looked a little juvenile in comparison to what you were wearing, but it was all you had. You’re still kind of annoyed at yourself for agreeing to this. Especially with how vague Satoru was being when you were trying to ask him more questions about the impending night. You’d kill him and then yourself if this is anything nearly as uncomfortable as the frat party disaster.

Your phone dings, alerting you of a message. You take it out of the pocket of the cardigan to confirm it was Satoru letting you know he’s here. You brace yourself to feel the cold night air as you open your front door. You don’t immediately see any cars as you descend the stairs from your shabby little apartment. A gust of a strong wind cuts through you, your coat not thick enough to block it. A violent shiver and a wave of irritation washes over you at the same time. You’re about to freeze your ass off and this idiot texted while he’s around the corner, making you wait in the shivering cold.

You finally see his Lexus pull up after what felt like five minutes, though it was probably only forty-five seconds. When seeing Satoru emerge from the driver’s side of the car, your eyebrows raise for two reasons.

One, he was dressed in a really nice suit and a thick long windbreaker that you were envious of. He, unfortunately, looked really good. On a regular basis it’s easy to ignore how attractive he is, considering the moment he opens his mouth it kills any sort of attraction you might have had. But in this moment you had to actively tell your brain not to think about it. Which lowkey surprised you.

Two, that he stepped out of the driver’s side. You had assumed he was going to pick you up in the same impersonal way he had done when you first went to his (real) house. You didn’t know he knew how to drive. The thought that he has a chauffeur just because he doesn't feel like driving bothers you, but you know you’d do the same. It just seems so typical of him that it’s annoying .

“Well,” he sings, “Don’t you dress up nice,” He looks at you over his sunglasses.

“I’d say the same, but your ego is big enough for the both of us,” you cross your arms in an attempt to fight off the cold.

“So you’re saying you think I look good too,” he smirks. Your lips press into a thin line, deciding to hold your tongue. Then you step forward to try to get in the car. Tired of him and the cold. He stops you before you take a second step. “Nuh uh, I’m a gentleman tonight,”

“You pick and choose when to be a gentleman?”

“Yes,” he feigns remorse, placing a pale hand on his chest, “but that’s only because very few people deserve my kindness,” he opens the passenger door for you, “You’re one of the few people that do,” he smiles, definitely teasing you.

“I feel honored,” you reply dryly.

“You should,” you scoff before plopping down in the passenger seat and yanking the door from his grasp, slamming it closed. You see him laugh more than you hear it, as you watch him walk to the drivers side. You look out your window and angle your knees to the door before he gets in, trying to convey through body language that this arrangement is purely out of obligation. You aren’t receptive to his charms and refuse to let any of your actions be confused for friendship. You’re acquaintances at best.

The ride is surprisingly smooth. You had half a mind to peek over and see what he looked like driving but decided against it, in fear you would look interested. You were, but you didn’t want him to know that.

After, what you know was five minutes, you start to grow a little antsy. The silence stretches unbearably with no site to an end soon. You cough into your fist to hide your unease, still stubbornly refusing to look at Satoru. Then, from the corner of your eye you see his long fingers toggle with the buttons on his radio. He switches through a few stations before finally landing on something. You’ve never heard the song; it sounded like it was some sort of japanese pop song for kids.

At first you think, surely, the man who judged you for your choice of pen two weeks ago can not be into this upbeat funko pop tune. But when you chance a peek at him, not only is his finger tapping to the beat against the steering wheel, he’s also mouthing the words.

You’re more surprised at yourself for not being upset at his hypocritical nature. Instead, you find amusement in the thought of him working out at the gym while this is blasting through his headphones.

Once the song ends you see that the car was beginning to come close to a grandiose white building with incredible gold detailing. The building was skyscraper height and had a glow that lit up at least a five foot radius of its surroundings. The architecture had you believing it was something straight from heaven.

He pulled closer to the plaza of the hotel, decorated with an abundance of white roses, marble columns with string lights circling around them. A giant water fountain in the middle spraying water in intricate patterns. It was intimidatingly gorgeous. As was the black marble valet you seemed to be pulling into. You see Satoru park in front of a black podium and a man in a black and gold uniform fancier than your own attire. Your jaw is properly on the floor.

Satoru gets out of the driver seat and makes quick work of getting to your side to open the door for you. You blink away all forms of shock as he does. Once the door opens he extends an open hand for you to take. You do so reluctantly and remove your scarf to leave it in the car. Now having seen the place you feel too embarrassed to take the scruffy thing with you. You’d take your cardigan off too if it wasn’t so cold. He adjusts his sunglasses before he tosses the keys to the Valet man without a glance in his direction, who bows and thanks Satoru for coming, as he begins to guide you inside.

You, on the other hand, are completely lost. And beginning to regret agreeing to go with Satoru anywhere. You were right the first time: No surprise is worth this.

You didn’t think much of the invite when you first agreed to it, just assumed that maybe he needed company for a small gathering at some semi-fancy restaurant. You were wrong. A large part of you suspects the reason Satoru was being so vague was because he knew that if you knew where he was taking you, you would have said no in a heartbeat. You grab Satoru’s (hard) bicep roughly. The only sign he acknowledged the action was the slight head tilt in your direction.

“I thought you said you needed harmless company for something your grandparents threw together? This doesn’t look thrown together at all,” you whisper aggressively, “I asked you if it was something fancy and you dodged the question. Why didn’t you tell me?” He just smiles at you softly as he guides your hand to his forearm and places his atop yours to keep it there.

“You’d’ve said no,” he hums sweetly at you. You feel a vein in your forehead pulse.

The inside of the building was even more grand than the outside. The ceilings are high enough to dangle a diamond chandelier three times the size of your apartment. Illuminating the foyer in a soft golden light. You see people wearing thick fabricked coats, garish leather boots, smooth manicures, trimmed mustaches and fancy up-dos. You feel entirely puny in this luxurious place, walking among lavish people, on the arm of an opulent idiot. You frown at the situation you’ve found yourself in and hope that whatever the fuck Satoru just dragged you to is quick and you can hide in a corner somewhere.

Satoru drags you to a set of glass doors further down the large foyer, off to the side across the bathrooms. The doors are wide open and a doorman, in a cream and gold uniform, holds a list but doesn’t even check it as he happily moves to the side and thanks Satoru for coming. The action makes you wonder who in the world this guy carrying you around like a purse is. But before you could think further on that question, you’re being swarmed by people of all ages.

Well, you’re not being swarmed. The idiot is. And, actually, they all completely ignore you. You somehow get detached from Satoru’s arm. When that happens, a sea of people come between you, then suddenly you can’t see him anymore.

Instead of trying to push your way through you decide to wait by a nearby wall. You don’t want to stray too far from the only person you know here. On your way to the wall you’ve marked as good enough, someone, a young woman that seems close to your age, meets you halfway. She grabs hold of your arm like the two of you are familiar. You bristle against the contact.

“Hello,” she begins, curtly, “I see you came here with Satoru, why is that?” She cuts straight to the chase. You are unsettled by this. Her aura gives off mean girl vibes already. You want to ignore her but the grip she has on your arm is vice-like. You wouldn't be able to shake her off without drawing attention. You try to crane your neck over the large headdress the woman is wearing to try to find the man you came here with, but she expertly spins the two of you around so your back is towards Satoru’s direction. She starts to guide you to the bar and leans in close. To anyone looking on, the two of you look like good friends. “He can’t help you,” she giggles. You frown, “He’s busy fending off his suitors and their parents,” Your confusion is evident on your face. So he wasn’t just being cocky about having desperate suitors.

“Who are you?” she now asks. Before, she didn’t seem the least bit concerned about who you were, just more upset at the fact she saw you walking arm in arm with Satoru. You tell her your name, but this answer is apparently unsatisfactory. She just hums, and doesn't offer her name back. The two of you finally make it to the bar but she still has an almost painful grip on your arm. “Who are you to Satoru?”

Your first instinct is to tell her to mind her business, but then you remember that you’ve been invited here by Satoru. He knows way more people here than you so this girl might be someone important. Though, you’re most likely never going to see this girl again so who cares. But also, if she is important she can probably get you thrown out of here with the snap of your fingers. You don’t want to have to shiver in the cold waiting for Satoru to pry himself from his entourage to try to find you. However, if you keep taking too long to answer her she might have you escorted out anyway. You wouldn’t even know how to answer the question though.

Luckily, the stars decided to smile upon you and cease your anxious thoughts, cause you hear his voice come up behind you.

“What are doing Yumi?” He questions the woman as he physically pries her away from you. She lets go easily and you breathe a sigh of relief.

“I was just getting to know your friend,” she says innocently. Your face scrunches in mild disbelief at her sudden change in demeanor. Satoru catches it, slowly becoming accustomed to reading your facial expressions well.

“I doubt that,” he says before grabbing hold of your hand and walking away. The woman, Yumi, quickly catches up with the two of you though.

“Are you going to introduce us? I want to get to know your friend,” She spits out. Clearly not interested in actually getting to know you.

“No.” he grits through clenched teeth.

“C’mon Satoru~” she whines. It makes the both of you cringe. “You have to be nice to me now ‘Toru,” Satoru stills, turning on Yumi, your hand still clutched in his.

“Firstly, don’t ever call me that.” He bites. “Secondly, nothing is ever going to happen between us so leave me alone.” he spins back around to continue walking. He starts to pick up his pace in order to shake Yumi off, and if he wasn’t holding your hand he’d shake you off too. It was hard to match the stride of his long legs with your shorter ones. It’s when you almost fall a second time, barely catching yourself before face planting on this nice marble, that you say something.

“S-Satoru, my ankles are about to snap,” you huff. Suddenly he stops. He looks at you through his thick sunglasses —seriously, does he ever take them off?— and watches as you try to catch your breath.

“Sorry,” he sighs. Still holding your hand, he guides the two of you to an empty table, secluded next to the stage that’s in the front of the room. Curtains frame the stage, so once you get to the table, you’re perfectly hidden from everyone else.

“What the fuck?” You immediately ask as soon as you’re out of view.

“I’m sorry,” he sighs again, “I didn’t know she was going to be here,”

“What did you bring me here for? What even is here?”

“Satoru?” Both of your heads snap to the person speaking. You don’t know this woman, but you would bet your first born child that it’s someone related to the white haired idiot as she also has blindingly white hair that cascaded well past her waist.

“Mom-“

“Who is this?” The woman, his mom, asks. Not even sparring you a glance. Satoru opens his mouth to say something but his mom cuts him off before he gets the chance to, stepping closer to where the two of you are standing to jab a finger at his shoulder, “How dare you bring a date to the meeting your grandfather arranged for you,”

“I didn’t ask him to do that,” Satoru grits his teeth, getting pretty worked up from what you can tell.

“Still, this is extremely disrespectful.”

“No, what was disrespectful was putting this meeting together behind my back and springing it on me the day before. And on top of that you didn’t tell me she would be here.” he juts his chin out to gesture to the rest of the large room. You think he’s talking about the unsettling woman he saved you from.

“You need to take your guest out of here and apologize to your grandfather,”

He scoffs. “You’re not even fucking listening to me,”

“What do you want me to say Satoru? You made a mess of the whole night and he won’t even speak to anyone until you apologize,” Satoru places his sunglasses on his head to scowl at her.

“That’s not my problem,” he gets closer now, standing right over his, pretty tall, mother. She looks up at him with a twin scowl on her face.

“This is too much Satoru. What are you even doing all of this for? Hm? You’re not dating anyone so-“

“Yeah I am,” His mother raises her thin brow.

“Oh really? Who?” she scoffs out.

“Who else?” Then her brows furrowed together, confused. Satoru then intertwines his fingers into the hand he was still holding. You have half a mind to rip your hand out of his grip, just now realizing he was still holding it, and ask what the fuck he thinks he’s doing. This is not what you signed up for! You look from your hand to Satoru’s mother and you see the confusion melt from her face as she looks at your hands and she crosses her arms. Her thin brow raised again.

“I don’t believe it,” Satoru rolls his eyes at her.

“Either way, tell that woman, her parents, and grandfather that I'm not doing this shit. And if they still don’t get it, tell them to kiss my ass,” You and Satoru’s mother’s jaws drop simultaneously, maybe hers a second later because it took her brain a second to really register what her son had just said to her. Either way, you’re both equally dumbfounded. And it seems the reaction pleases Satoru. His infamous smirk returns as he brings your hand to his lips and places a chaste kiss to the back of it. He begins to stride away, your hands still interlocked.

Then you hear a banshee scream.

“Satoru! Wait!” The man in question doesn’t even look back and picks up his pace, your legs moving before your brain can catch up as Satoru pulls you along. You look back to see a fuming Yumi trying her best to catch you two in her tall heels. Satoru rushes through the door, the door man barely even bending at his waist to bid him goodbye. Your palm is sweating against his, and you’re hyper-aware of every set of eyes burning into your back.

“What the fuck.” you hiss under your breath, but Satoru doesn’t stop until you’re both back in the lobby, away from the thick air of scrutiny and rich propriety. Only then does he slow his pace, turning to you with that infuriated grin. Your confusion grows into anger at the sight of it.

“That went well, don’t you think?” You snatch your hand from his grasp and resist the urge to smack him upside the head.

“What the hell was that? You wanna explain why I got roped into pretending we’re dating?” Satoru rubs the back of his neck, but there’s no shame in his expression. If anything, he looks amused.

“Well, I needed an excuse to get out of a forced engagement setup,”

You gape at him “Engagement?” He shrugs like it’s nothing, adjusting his sunglasses.

“Yeah. My grandad’s been trying to marry me off to some rich family’s daughter for ages. Thought I’d make my thoughts on the matter more clear,”

“So dragging me into your family drama was the best idea you could come up with?” Satoru grins wider, leaning in slightly.

“If i'd told you the truth would you have gone along with it?”

“No!” you snap. “Absolutely not! And now I’ve probably got a bounty on my head because these weird rich people think I’m your fiance or something!” He pats your shoulder, like he’s congratulating you for completing a marathon.

“Relax. You’ll probably never see them again. And if you do, just tell them I broke your heart or something. Should be easy to believe.” You close your eyes, inhaling deeply in an effort to stop yourself from committing murder.

“I swear to god, one of these days—“

“Yeah, yeah,” he waves you off playfully. “You’ll smother me with a pillow, push me down a flight of stairs, shank me in an alleyway. I’ve heard it all before.” He strides ahead of you, out to the valet. You glare at his back, but your anger slowly turns into exhaustion. You begin to follow him.

“So what now?” He checks his watch.

“Well, since we’re already dressed up and out, wanna grab a bite to eat?” You blink at him, incredulous.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I know.” he sing-songs, placing his sunglasses back on.

You hate that that makes you laugh.

With a resigned sigh, you wrap your cardigan tighter around yourself, trying to firm the cold. “Fine. But you’re paying. And I’m getting the most expensive thing on the menu.” Satoru beams, placing a hand over his heart.

“My dear, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” You roll your eyes, already regretting your life choices, but as you watch his car pull up to the valet stand, there’s a tiny—very tiny—part of you that doesn’t mind the chaos as much as you should.

And you hate it.

(･ω<)☆

i’m always thinking, “why don’t i ever write series?” This. This is why. I run out of creativity to write anything for like three months then randomly get an idea. but then when i go to write the idea i suddenly dont know how to write anymore and have no idea where to start 😭

also i’m thinking of starting a taglist? should i?

★prev next☆

#jjk x reader #jjk x male reader #gojo satoru x reader #gojo saturo x female reader #gojo saturo x gender neutral reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk x black reader #jjk x chubby reader #jjk x poc!reader #jjk x y/n #jjk x you #jjk fanfic #jjk x plus size reader #jujutsu kaisen x you #jujutsu kaisen x gender neutral reader #jujutsu kaisen x plus size reader #jujutsu kaisen x black reader #jujutsu kaisen x fanfic

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notsobravetoaster · 1 day ago

Note

Aren’t Night Swan’s eyes naturally green (at least in the old art)

Well since I got the opportunity to talk about it, let's open this can of worms.

I actually used this photo at first for my meme

In which you can very clearly see her having green eyes. So it's not just old art! Although it's from Sweet Dreams Leak, so yea, not exactly canon. But it almost got into the game if it wasn't for the licencing issues, most likely.

Tbh I never really understood that decision since literally seconds earlier, you have a close-up on her pink/purple eye.

(Also in Darkest hour, the eye turns yellow before zooming out)

Sure, you could argue that maybe her eyes were green before becoming NS, but then, both Murder on the dancefloor and Darkest hour emotes have the same pink/purple eyes.

It may not exactly be our most believable proof, considering all that green eyes mess begun with NS emote and avatar, but I think those were added after the update?? So ig we can hope they were at least a bit more considering this time.

Cause looking at the maps won't really give you anything. They usually don't care about eye colors that much, so Leda's eyes are, I believe, brown there.

Which might answer the "but what if her eyes were green when she was on earth??" question. Maybe, you can have that as your headcanon. Her eyes are naturally green, then after coming into the game, they became pink/purple, and after completely turning into NS, they're now yellow. Seems the most logical.

It also makes sense that Jack Rose, her son (allegedly), has green eyes after her. And this is the eye colour that there's no confusion about at all, right?

Oh, wait.

I hope I at least somewhat answered your ask anon.

#I wouldn't be surprised if they wanted us to forget about the green eyes thing #but we shall see #just dance #just dance 2025 #just dance 2024 #just dance 2023 #answered asks #just dance fandom #just dance game #jd night swan #jd leda #jd jack rose

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dystopicjumpsuit · 8 hours ago

Text

Update 2025/2/10

I was really hoping to never have to update this post again, but...

Yeah.

TLDR: my partner's medical issues in the previous post have come back, and we now know that it's genetic and incurable. It can be managed with medication, so if they make it through the next several weeks, their prognosis is good.

I'm not taking a formal hiatus, but I will be much less active, and I can no longer commit to any kind of posting or writing schedule. I'll update if and when I'm able, but right now I don't have the mental or emotional energy to create, nor do I feel any spark of inspiration.

More info below the cut for anyone who's curious.

My partner noticed a recurrence of one of their symptoms on Feb. 2. They set up an appointment with their doctor as quickly as possible, and unfortunately confirmed that the problem was back and once again life-threatening. They ran a battery of tests over the next few days and also confirmed that in my partner's case, this is genetic and will never resolve. All we can do is try to get through the immediate danger in the next few weeks, and once those are past, we'll transition to a treatment plan for the rest of their life.

The medication has side effects of its own, but since the alternative is basically a death sentence, we don't really have an option.

In some ways, it's almost a relief to have this diagnosis: it means we can take precautions to avoid it becoming life-threatening in the future, and it reassures us that it was entirely outside our control. Lifestyle and environment are not factors in this case; it's purely a matter of genetics. Which sucks, but at least it makes us stop questioning ourselves and asking What could we have done differently to prevent this? The answer is nothing. It was always going to happen.

All of this comes at a time when we are trying to navigate a massive life change that requires an intense amount of planning and coordination, so we were already stressed from that. On top of which, as I am a federally funded employee and a member of several minoritized groups that are being actively targeted by the incumbent administration, the past three weeks have been a nonstop barrage of executive orders that directly affect the safety and livelihood of myself and/or my loved ones. It feels like I wake up every single day to a reminder that I am unwelcome in this country.

It's probably no surprise, then, that I have been unable to write or draw for some time now. I'm not sure if or when I will feel inspired again. That said, I'm not going to take a formal hiatus. All of these stressors appear to be of indefinite duration, and I don't want to give up something that brings me as much joy and escapism as Star Wars and this fandom. So I'll still be around (albeit in a significantly reduced capacity), and hopefully I'll still have some stories in me in the future. I will likely be slow to respond to messages and tags, but I will do my best. I only ask that you be patient with me if it takes several days for me to get back to you.

Big hugs to you all, and I hope life is treating you kindly. 🩵

Hiatus announcement.

Hi friends. I've got some stuff I need to focus on in my personal life right now, and I'm not able to balance that with keeping up with Tumblr and Discord. I'll be taking a hiatus starting immediately. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but hopefully it won't be too long. If you have submitted a request for a fic, design, or artwork, please know I'll do my absolute best to fill it when I'm back, but for now, I need to be present in my real life.

I love you all, and I'll miss you, and I can't wait to come back! I'll put a few more details below the cut in case you're interested. CW for medical issues.

My partner has been unwell recently, and this week, we discovered that they have a blood clot in their leg. Further testing revealed they have a serious heart condition. Unfortunately, they also have a preexisting vascular condition that makes blood thinners risky, but their PCP went ahead and prescribed a three-month course of medication for the clot since it's an immediate issue. We are waiting to hear if insurance will cover the meds; apparently this prescription gets rejected by insurers frequently due to the cost. (Thinking about the fact that some analyst in a cubicle could decide that my partner's life is worth less than a three-month course of medication is making me feel absolutely sick.)

They have more appointments scheduled with a cardiologist and a vascular surgeon, so for now, we're just kind of stuck in limbo. Their PCP gave us a long list of, "If x happens, go to the emergency room immediately. If y happens, go to the emergency room immediately. If z happens - you guessed it - go to the emergency room immediately."

At this point, I'm still trying to come to terms with it. My partner just turned 44. We have an active lifestyle; we eat healthfully; we don't drink to excess. We just got fucked over by genetic risk factors.

The scariest part is that we wouldn't have found out about any of this if they hadn't gone to the doctor for a completely unrelated issue. I'm trying not to think about it too hard, or my imagination starts to send me into a spiral.

Please allow me to get sappy for a moment:

If you've read much of my work, you probably know my partner better than you might think, as they inspire a lot of my characterization, either directly or indirectly. If you enjoyed the way I wrote Waxer in "The Sixth Language" or Jesse in "In Which Jesse Gets What He Deserves," then you have a good idea of their personality. They are extraordinarily kind and patient, funny and sweet. They have been here for me consistently for twenty years, first as my friend, and later as my everything. They've held me when I cried, and they've made me laugh every single day since I met them. They know me better than anyone in the world, and I trust them with my soul.

They are the only person IRL who even knows that I write fanfiction, and they have read every single fic I've ever written. They've served as my guinea pig when I needed to work through the physical mechanics of a scene, and they've listened to me ramble for hours on end about plotting and characterization. They've supported and encouraged me in this and so many other areas, and now it's my turn to support them through this.

If you've read this far, I just want to say thank you for all the love, support, encouragement, and kindness you've given me over the past year. This fandom community has truly changed my life, and I am more grateful than words can communicate. I hope to see you all again very soon, hopefully with good news. But in the meantime, please know that I love you all.

May the Force be with you. 🩵

#housekeeping #life update

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kurogane2512 · 3 days ago

Text

A bit of announcement and insight into my future plans here. Long read so I'll put read more line

Some of you may have noticed I haven't written Genshin fics for a while. The reason is really just I have lost interest in the game, i still have it but I didn't log in this entire patch and was on and off before it too. Literally didn't even pull Mavuika despite having a guarantee and enough time to farm primos. Many things have bothered me about it for a while, Natlan as a whole didn't pull me in and I just couldn't anymore.

Nevertheless, I still love my waifus in it and won't give up writing them. Genshin started my fanfic journey so I can't really drop it so easily. I'll probably continue to not write Genshin content for a while more, hoping to reignite my passion for the game. The requests I have are all so good so I definitely have the interest to do them, just need motivation. Ptn and hsr content would probably take the front seat for a while, especially ptn since I have an on and off relationship with hsr too.

Currently I'm obsessing over Aglaea and Jade in hsr so they'll keep me motivated for it. But if I don't get another fave in Amphoreus then it's gonna go down. Ptn, however, will stick around all the time. Never dropping this game and I know I'll keep getting new faves it's just that good and appeals to me so much. Aside from this, I play wuthering waves and aether gazer most so I can do requests on them as well. I tend to try most new gachas and get into some of them so you are welcome to ask me if I have a new fixation lol.

Ok moving onto some personal stuff. Starting from 17th February, I will be going out to pursue my master's degree. First I have a 3 days long travel then over there I'll be settling stuff until my course begins on 3rd March. Hence, I won't be posting much- if at all- during the second half of February and early March. After that it depends on the schedule I have there, probably gonna be pretty slow for a while cause it's a new place for me and I need to do many things on my own away from home. I'll keep you all updated how it goes, and if I can write then I'll just post as usual.

Thank you for your support it's honestly so amazing being here, you all are amazing I'm blessed to have such readers. Oh also to those who wish to donate to me or even commission me- I'll be in a different country for my degree and will try to set up patreon or something there since those apps aren't available in India. It'll be helpful for me to have some income from this 😊 thank you once again you guys, love you all ❤️

#kuro's announcement #path to nowhere #genshin impact #honkai star rail #kuro's thoughts #genshin x reader #hsr x reader #ptn x reader

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writingtraumaforever · 1 day ago

Text

Uncontrolled Chaos: Chapter 41

Notes: AN ANNOUNCEMENT! I wanna say that I have NOT stopped writing neither the 'Juno' fic or the Courtship series. I still plan on continuing those! They just take more time than the Uncontrolled Chaos series does. Uncontrolled Chaos was my first series I started here, and is by far my most followed one, so it is my priority. However, I don't want to become drained by it and that reflect in my writing. This will also hopefully give me more time to give my other series some love too. SO from here on, I will be updating the series every weekend. This doesn't mean I won't still potentially add a chapter here and there during the week if I get a spurt of muse. But as for an actual schedule to go by, I will be doing my best to post at least one update every weekend. Hope this is okay. <3

Summary: Shadow overhears an interesting conversation.

UC Masterpost!

Link to My AO3!

Start:

Amy had been relieved to see Shadow returning with Sonic by his side, both safe and sound. After some hugging and soft reassurances that he was okay as well as some apologies for making her worry, Sonic was able to convince her to go to bed and get some well-deserved rest. Afterwards, Sonic and Shadow went out to the garage to find Tails laying there asleep at the workbench by the radio.

Sonic smiled all soft at the sight, walking over to pick his little brother up and carry him to Shadow.

“Can you take him??”

Shadow blinked, staring at Sonic as if he hadn’t quite processed the question before looking at the fox. Then Sonic again. “I-..”

“I need to take care of something.. and he is seriously late for his visit to Snoozetown,” Sonic continues, already moving to carefully hand the kid off to Shadow whether he agrees to such a thing or not, “just tuck him in for me, huh?”

“The fox and I-.. we’re not..,” Shadow tries to defend his case as to why he’s not comfortable with such a task, but Sonic just snorts and rolls his eyes.

“I know you and your Tails aren’t close.. but my Tails is close to my Shadow. So he won’t mind.. he may not be showing it, but he’s really missin’ Shadow, too.. it’s why he’s been overworking himself to get him back home to us.”

Shadow’s brows knit slightly at this, looking down at the fox that’s been pushed into his arms before sighing and giving a small nod, “Alright..”

“Thank you.”

Shadow turns, carrying the fox cradled in his arms to the door and through the home. He’s not actually sure which room belongs to the fox, but he does know which ones are the guest room and which one is Sonic’s. So by process of elimination, he finds it quite easily. It’s very tidy. Clean. The bed has a white comforter with bright red stripes on it. He wonders if the fox’s favorite color is also red like Sonic’s..

He also wonders why the hell he knows that.

Moving to the bed, he ever so carefully shifts a hand from under the kit’s back to reach and pull back the comforter, laying the child down then and pursing his lips as he looks him over. He’s still got his shoes on.. and his big, bushy tails are hanging off the side of the bed..

A nurturing nature he’s long forgotten begins kicking in, moving to carefully slip off the fox’s red shoes and place them neatly at the foot of the bed. Picking up one tail at a time, he ever so gently and tenderly tucks them up on the mattress and covers them with the comforter to keep them from dangling off. Tails shift in his sleep then, groaning quietly and smacking his lips together and rolling onto his side further into the middle of the bed before parting his lips to snooze quietly through them. Shadow smirks ever so slightly, carefully tucking the comforter into the kit’s sides to make him nice and cozy..

Then he’s moving to the window and shutting the blinds and closing the curtains. End of the world or not, the kid needs some actual sleep. So he doesn’t want any sunlight waking him early.

Once all this is done, Shadow makes his way back to the doorway and grabs the knob to slowly shut it— pausing just before it shuts to take one last look at the child..

He’s never stopped in all this mess to think about it, really.. how this world’s Shadow’s absence has effected people other than Sonic..

With the other Shadow having moved in after being found by Sonic… he supposes the other Shadow may have taken on an older brother figure to the kit as well. Which means when this world’s Shadow went missing, this Sonic didn’t just lose a lover.. but this fox lost a brother..

Their family was broken.

Shadow’s lips curl into a thoughtful frown at this thought.. crimson eyes watching the kit’s shoulders rise and fall with his deep breaths as he sleeps.

His mind can’t help but wander back to a time when he himself was someone’s brother..

To a time when tucking in a restless and tired child at night wasn’t uncommon. A time when being loved and missed by someone wasn’t such a distant thought nor outside the realm of possibilities. A time when he loved someone too.. took care of them. Protected them.

Had a family.

His eyes shut and behind his closed lids, orange fur is replaced with blonde hair and a blue headband..

He closes the door.

Making his way towards the room he sleeps in, he finds Sonic still isn’t there resting..

So he instead makes his way back down the stairs to check on him, assuming he’s still in the garage once he doesn’t find him in either the living room or the kitchen.

Walking to the garage door, he opens it only to immediately pause upon hearing a quiet voice speaking from the inside..

“I just miss you so much..”

‘I know, my love.. we’re getting closer, though. It won’t be long until I have you in my arms again.’

“Fuck..,” the unmistakable sound of Sonic’s breathy little chuckle along with a wet sniffle, “You sound so damn cheesy..”

‘I can’t help it. Not having you with me has made me delusionally cheesy.’

Sonic snorts, Shadow peeking around the door to see him sitting at the workbench with the radio on.. speaking into it to who he can only assume is his Shadow..

He’s got small tears rolling down his cheeks, but he’s smiling bright and wide.. Shadow can’t help but feel a bit lighter seeing this.

He’s glad they’re working things out.

“…How’d the other Sonic take the news of us being together?”

Shadow’s ears perk up at that, leaning a bit more against the door as his curiosity gets the better of him. He shouldn’t be eavesdropping.. he should leave and go to bed. Rest.

But..

‘Not great at first,’ the other’s Shadow voice sighs through the speaker, ‘But he came around…’

“He feel embarrassed for not figuring it out until earlier??”

‘Perhaps a little.. but I think most of it was just.. a lot of self loathing.’

“That’s.. really sad,” Sonic frowns, leaning a his cheek on his hand as his elbow props on the table, “Why the self loathing??”

‘He blames himself for a lot of the differences in our worlds.. for not looking for his version of me after the battle on ARK.’

“Well, dude should’ve looked,” Sonic huffs with a spiteful roll of his eyes.

‘It’s not that simple, darling..’

“Don’t see how it ain’t. Nothing could’ve stopped me from looking for you..”

‘An inhibitor ring might..’

There’s a long moment of silence.

Shadow’s own eyes widen slightly as he listens, brows furrowing as his hand squeezes the knob of the door he’s holding a bit tighter..

“What.. what d’ya mean?”

‘It’s.. it’s just a lot,’ the other Shadow sighs through the radio speaker, sounding tired and distressed over the entire topic, ‘Just trust me when I say him not looking for me wasn’t because he didn’t care..’

“Alright.. I’ll trust you.”

‘What of the other Shadow, though?? Has he handled the situation well? Has he been kind to you?? This Sonic seems to think he’s pretty intense..’

Sonic chuckles, rolling his eyes fondly, “Intense is definitely one word for him.. but yeah. He’s cool. A bit icy, but so were you at first. It’s honestly been both a pain and extremely endearing having to deal with you being this way again.”

‘You miss me being a pain?’

“Well— no. But it’s just.. nostalgic, I guess?”

‘Maybe I should be an ass to you more when I get back.’

“As if you need to be any more of an ass than you already are,” Sonic teases with a giggled little grin. The other Shadow’s chuckling can be heard through the speakers.

‘..I was just worried. This Sonic is pretty convinced the guy hates him. Didn’t want him mistreating you..’

“He’s been fine,” Sonic assures softly.

Shadow frowns a bit at hearing this.. hearing his own Sonic thinks he hates him. Though he shouldn’t be surprised by this.. what has he really done to make his Sonic think otherwise??

“Again, he’s-.. grumpy.. and a bit difficult now and then, but nothing I can’t handle or haven’t handled before.”

‘Good,’ the other Shadow sighs, ‘So this Sonic is just projecting his self-loathing onto his Shadow, then?’

“Probably, yeah,” Sonic nods with a shrug as if the other Shadow can see his body language, “But there’s definitely some tension between them.. hate or not, they’re not exactly friendly.”

‘Mm. Definitely not..’

“Is it wrong of me to want to meddle???” Sonic chuckles.

‘Meddling wouldn’t be the best idea,’ the other Shadow sounds amused nonetheless, ‘Don’t be more of a troublemaker than you already have been.’

“Hey- you’re the one using chaos control with a fake emerald and switching places with alternate dimensional versions of yourself!”

‘Touché.’

“I just think they could be happy,” Sonic defends with a shrug, finger tracing invisible circles on the workbench he’s leaning against, “Don’t like seeing any version of you so alone and sad.. the brooding is nostalgic and amusing and all, but it’s also just kinda depressing.”

‘I know, love.. but we have to consider the fact that maybe that’s just how it’s meant to be in their world. Maybe they’re simply better off the way they currently are. We just-.. just may not be meant to be in every universe..’

“You really believe that?” Sonic asks quietly, brows knitting with a knowing little smile on his muzzle.. he knows better. He already knows the answer.

‘..No.’

“Me neither.”

A heavy sigh comes from the other Shadow again, Shadow himself furrowing his brows in thought over this whole conversation..

They really believe that Sonic and Shadow are suppose to be together in every universe?? That’s such a close-minded way of thinking. A dumb one. An illogical one..

And yet Shadow.. almost admires it. Admires the fact they love each other enough to truly think that their bond extends all barriers of time and space.. that it’s simply inevitable.

‘..They’ll work it out on their own.. for now, I’m more concerned with getting back to you.’

“Aw yeah?” Sonic’s voice takes up a playful little tone, “Whatcha gonna do to me when you get back..?”

Shadow’s eyes widen slightly, a blush beginning to grow on his muzzle.

A low chuckle rumbles through the radio’s speakers, ‘Such things aren’t appropriate to be spoken through this microphone, darling..’

“C’mon..,” Sonic coos, his tail swishing back and forth behind him as he leans closer to the radio, “M’all alone.. give me somethin’ to think about while you’re away..”

And that is Shadow’s cue to leave, yup.

He’s moving to shut the door silently, turning to hurry his way back up to the bedroom before he hears anymore of that.

Once in Sonic’s room, he closes the door behind him and sighs heavy as he leans his back against it. His eyes stare down at the floor, taking in everything he just heard and processing it slowly.

There were three big things that stuck out to him more than anything else.

His Sonic blames himself for not finding Shadow after the ARK Battle.

His Sonic thinks he hates him.

And the alternate Sonic and Shadow both believe that their love is inevitable.

It’s all a lot to swallow. And he himself doesn’t know which to believe and which to just brush aside..

He runs a hand back through his quills, taking a deep breath through his nose before sighing it out to push himself off the door and walk to the bed.

He knew going off of this Sonic and Shadow’s conversation and interpretations of the situation was pathetic. And foolish. If he wanted to get any real solutions and answers, he needed to talk to his Sonic himself. One on one..

But then the entire idea of such a thing seemed silly because that shouldn’t be his priority right now. He needs to get home. Not be worrying about figuring out him and that Faker’s history. He needs to be in the present, in the now.

Deal with that first..

And then.. when he was back home..

Maybe-…

Just maybe..

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