#cause SPOILERS!!!!! DEBT OR ALIVE SPOILERS!!!!!!!

[krotiation]

I'm too lazy to clean this up but I wuv them

[acourtofquestions]

Kingdom of Ash Chapter 55-56

Chapter; Highlights, Notes, Tags, etc.

The Thirteen were on edge. They hadn't yet decided where to go. And hadn't been invited to travel with the Crochans to any of their home-hearths. Even Glennis's.

None of them, however, had looked his way when they'd prowled past. None had recognized him.

Dorian had just completed another walking circuit in his little training area when Manon stalked by, silver hair flowing. He paused, no more than a wary Crochan sentinel, and watched her storm through snow and mud as if she were a blade through the world.

Manon had nearly passed his training area when she went rigid.

Slowly, she turned, nostrils flaring.

Those golden eyes swept over him, swift and cutting. Her brows twitched toward each other. Dorian only gave her a lazy grin in return.

Then she prowled toward him.

Another assessing stare. "I would have thought you'd pick a prettier form."

He frowned down at himself. "I think she's pretty enough."

Manon's mouth tightened. "I suppose this means you're about to go to Morath."

"Did I say anything of the sort?" He didn't bother sounding pleasant.

Manon took a step toward him, her teeth flashing. In this body, he stood shorter than her. He hated the thrill that shot through his blood as she leaned down to growl at him. "We have enough to deal with today, princeling."

"Do l look as if I'm standing in your way?" She opened her mouth, then shut it.

Dorian let out a low laugh and made to turn away. An iron-tipped hand gripped his arm.

Strange, for that hand to feel large on his body. Large, and not the slender, deadly thing he'd become accustomed to.

Her golden eyes blazed. "If you want a softhearted woman who will weep over hard choices and ultimately balk from them, then you're in the wrong bed."

"I'm not in anyone's bed right now." He hadn't gone to her tent any of these nights. Not since that conversation in Eyllwe.

She took the retort without so much as a flinch. "Your opinion doesn't matter to me."

"Then why are you standing here?"

Again, she opened and closed her mouth. Then snarled, "Change out of that form." Dorian smiled again. "Don't you have better things to do right now, Your Majesty?" He honestly thought she might unsheathe those iron teeth and rip out his throat.

Half of him wanted her to try. He even went so far as to run one of those phantom hands along her jaw.

"You think I don't know why you don't want me to go to Morath?"

"Tell me to stay," he said, and the words had no warmth, no kindness. "Tell me to stay with you, if that's what you want." His invisible fingers grew talons and scraped over her skin. Manon's throat bobbed. "But you won't say that, will you, Manon?" Her breathing turned jagged. He continued to stroke her neck, her jaw, her throat, caressing skin he'd tasted over and over. "Do you know why?"

"Because while you might be older, might be deadly in a thousand different ways, deep down, you're afraid. You don't know how to ask me to stay, because you're afraid of admitting to yourself that you want it. You're afraid. Of yourself more than anyone else in the world. You're afraid." For several heartbeats, she just stared at him.

Then she snarled, "You don't know what you're talking about," and stalked away.

His low laugh ripped after her. Her spine stiffened. But Manon did not turn back.

Afraid. Of admitting that she felt any sort of attachment.

It was preposterous.

And it was, perhaps, true.

But it was not her problem. Not right now.

Manon stormed through the readying camp where tents were being taken down and folded, hearths being packed. The Thirteen were with the wyverns, supplies stowed in saddlebags.

Some of the Crochans had frowned her way. Not with anger, but something like disappointment.

Discontent. As if they thought parting ways was a poor idea.

Manon refrained from saying she agreed.

Even if the Thirteen followed, the Crochans would find a way to lose them. Use their power to bind the wyverns long enough to disappear.

And she would not lower herself, lower the Thirteen, to become dogs chasing after their masters. They might be desperate for aid, might have promised it to their allies, but she would not debase herself any further.

Manon halted at Glennis's camp, the only hearth with a fire still burning. A fire that would always remain kindled.

A reminder of the promise she'd made to honor the Queen of Terrasen. A single, solitary flame against the cold.

Manon rubbed at her face as she slumped onto one of the rocks lining the hearth. A hand rested on her shoulder, warm and slight. She didn't bother to slap it away.

Glennis said, "We're departing in a few minutes. I thought l'd say good-bye."

Manon peered up at the ancient witch. "Fly well." It was really all there was left to say.

Manon's failure was not due to Glennis, not due to anyone but herself, she supposed.

You're afraid.

It was true. She had tried, but not really tried to win the Crochans. To let them see any part of her that meant something. To let them see what it had done to her, to learn she had a sister and that she had killed her. She didn't know how, and had never bothered to learn.

You're afraid.

Yes, she was. Of everything.

Glennis lowered her hand from Manon's shoulder.

"May your path carry you safely through war and back home at last."

She didn't feel like telling the crone there was no home for her, or the Thirteen.

Glennis turned her face toward the sky, sighing once. Then her white brows narrowed. Her nostrils flared. Manon leapt to her feet.

"Run," Glennis breathed. "Run now."

Manon drew Wind-Cleaver and did no such thing. "What is it?"

"They're here." How Glennis had scented them on the wind, Manon didn't care.

Not as three wyverns broke from the clouds, spearing for their camp.

She knew those wyverns, almost as well as she knew the three riders who sent the Crochans into a frenzy of motion.

The Matrons of the Ironteeth Witch-Clans had found them. And come to finish what Manon had started that day in Morath.

The three High Witches had come alone.

Rushing steps crunched through the icy snow, halting at Manon's side just as Dorian's scent wrapped around her. "Is that—"

"Yes," she said quietly, heart thundering as the Matrons dismounted and did not raise their hands in request for parley. No, they only stalked closer to the hearth, to the precious flame still burning. "Don't engage," Manon warned him and the others, and strode to meet them.

It was not the king's battle, no matter what power dwelled in his veins.

Glennis was already armed, an ancient sword in her withered hands. The woman was as old as the Yellowlegs Matron, yet she stood tall, facing the three High Witches.

Cresseida Blueblood spoke first, her eyes as cold as the iron-spiked crown digging into her freckled brow. "It has been an age, Glennis." But Glennis's stare, Manon realized, was not on the Blueblood Matron. Or even on Manon's own grandmother, her black robes billowing as she sneered at Manon.

It was on the Yellowlegs Matron, hunched and hateful between them. On the crown of stars atop the crone's thinned white hair.

Glennis's sword shook slightly. And just as Manon realized what the Matron had worn here,

Bronwen appeared at Glennis's side and breathed, "Rhiannon's crown."

Worn by the Yellowlegs Matron to mock these witches. To spit on them.

A dull roaring began in Manon's ears.

"What company you keep these days, granddaughter," said Manon's grandmother, her silver-streaked dark hair braided back from her face. A sign enough of their intentions, if her grandmother's hair was in that plait. Battle. Annihilation.

The weight of the three High Witches' attention pressed upon her. The Crochans gathered behind her shifted as they waited for her response.

Yet it was Glennis who snarled, in a voice Manon had not yet heard, "What is it that you want?"

Manon's grandmother smiled, revealing rust-flecked iron teeth. The true sign of her age. "You made a grave error, Manon Kin-Slayer, when you sought to turn our forces against us. When you sowed such lies amongst our sentinels regarding our plans— my plans."

Manon kept her chin high. "I spoke only truth. And it must have frightened you enough that you gathered these two to hunt me down and prove your innocence in scheming against them."

The other two Matrons didn't so much as blink. Her grandmother's claws had to have sunk deep, then. Or they simply did not care.

"We came," Cresseida seethed, the opposite in so many ways of the daughter who had given Manon the chance to speak, "to at last rid us of a thorn in our sides."

Had Petrah been punished for letting Manon walk out of the Omega alive? Did the Blueblood Heir still breathe? Cresseida had once screamed in a mother's terror and pain when Petrah had nearly plunged to her death.

Did that love, so foreign and strange, still hold true? Or had duty and ancient hatred won out?

The thought was enough to steel Manon's spine. "You came because we pose a threat."

Because of the threat you pose to that monster you call grandmother.

"You came," Manon went on, Wind-Cleaver rising a fraction, "because you are afraid."

Manon took a step beyond Glennis, her sword lifting farther.

"You came," Manon said, "because you have no true power beyond what we give you.

And you are scared to death that we're about to take it away." Manon flipped Wind-Cleaver in her hand, angling the sword downward, and drew a line in the snow between them. "You came alone for that fear. That others might see what we are capable of. The truth that you have always sought to hide."

Her grandmother tutted. "Listen to you. Sounding just like a Crochan with that preachy nonsense."

Manon ignored her. Ignored her and pointed Wind-Cleaver directly at the Yellowlegs Matron as she snarled, "That is not your crown."

Something like hesitation rippled over Cresseida Blueblood's face. But the Yellowlegs Matron beckoned to Manon with iron nails so long they curved downward. "Then come and fetch it from me, traitor."

Manon stepped beyond the line she'd drawn in the snow.

No one spoke behind her. She wondered if any of them were breathing.

She had not won against her grandmother. Had barely survived, and only thanks to luck. That fight, she had been ready to meet her end. To say farewell.

Manon angled Wind-Cleaver upward, her heart a steady, raging beat.

She would not greet the Darkness's embrace today. But they would.

"This seems familiar," her grandmother drawled, legs shifting into attacking position.

The other two Matrons did the same. "The last Crochan Queen. Holding the line against us." Manon cracked her jaw, and iron teeth descended. A flex of her fingers had her iron nails unsheathing. "Not just a Crochan Queen this time."

There was doubt in Cresseida's blue eyes.

As if she'd realized what the other two Matrons had not.

There—it was there that Manon would strike first. The one who now wondered if they had somehow made a grave mistake in coming here.

A mistake that would cost them what they had come to protect.

A mistake that would cost them this war.

And their lives.

For Cresseida saw the steadiness of Manon's breathing. Saw the clear conviction in her eyes. Saw the lack of fear in her heart as Manon advanced another step.

Manon smiled at the Blueblood Matron as if to say yes.

"You did not kill me then," Manon said to her grandmother. "I do not think you will be able to now."

"We'll see about that," her grandmother hissed, and charged.

Manon was ready.

An upward swing of Wind-Cleaver met her grandmother's first two blows, and Manon ducked the third. Turning right into the onslaught of the Yellowlegs Matron, who swept up with unnatural speed, feet almost flying over the snow, and slashed for Manon's exposed back.

Manon deflected the crone's assault, sending the witch darting back. Just as Cresseida launched herself at Manon. Cresseida was not a trained fighter. Not as the Blackbeak and Yellowlegs Matrons were. Too many years spent reading entrails and scanning the stars for the answers to the Three-Faced Goddess's riddles.

A duck to the left had Manon easily evading the sweep of Cresseida's nails, and a countermove had Manon driving her elbow into the Blueblood Matron's nose.

Cresseida stumbled. The Yellowlegs Matron and her grandmother attacked again. So fast. Their three assaults had happened in the span of a few blinks. Manon kept her feet under her. Saw where one Matron moved and the other left a dangerous gap exposed.

She was not a broken-spirited Wing Leader unsure of her place in the world.

She was not ashamed of the truth before her.

She was not afraid.

Manon's grandmother led the attack, her maneuvers the deadliest. It was from her that the first slice of pain appeared. A rip of iron nails through Manon's shoulder. But Manon swung her sword, again and again, iron on steel ringing out across the icy peaks.

No, she was not afraid at all.

Around him, the Crochans thrummed with fear and dread. Either for the fight unfolding or the three Matrons who had found them.

But Glennis did not tremble. At her side Bronwen hummed with the energy of one eager to leap into the fight.

Manon and the High Witches sprang apart, breathing heavily. Blue blood leaked down Manon's shoulder, and small slices peppered the three Matrons.

Manon still remained on the far side of the line she'd drawn. Still held it.

The dark-haired witch in voluminous black robes spat blue blood onto the snow. Manon's grandmother. "Pathetic. As pathetic as your mother." A sneer toward Glennis. "And your father."

The snarl that ripped from Manon's throat rang across the mountains themselves.

Her grandmother let out a crow's caw of a laugh. "Is that all you can do, then? Snarl like a dog and swing your sword like some human filth? We will wear you down eventually. Better to kneel now and die with some honor intact." Manon only flung out an iron-tipped hand behind her, fingers splaying in demand as her eyes remained fixed on the Matrons.

Dorian reached for Damaris, but Bronwen moved first.

The Crochan tossed her sword, steel flashing over snow and sun.

Manon's fingers closed on the hilt, the blade singing as she whipped it around to face the High Witches again. "Rhiannon Crochan held the gates for three days and three nights, and she did not kneel before you, even at the end." A slash of a smile. "I think I shall do the same." Dorian could have sworn the sacred flame burning to their left flared brighter. Could have sworn Glennis sucked in a breath. That every Crochan watching did the same.

Manon's knees bent, swords rising. "Let us finish what was started then, too." She attacked, blades flashing.

Her grandmother conceded step after step, the other two Matrons failing to break past her defenses.

Gone was the witch who had slept and wished for death. Gone was the witch who had raged at the truth that had torn her to shreds.

And in her place, fighting as if she were the very wind, unfaltering against the Matrons, stood someone Dorian had not yet met.

Stood a queen of two peoples.

Yielding only those few steps, and nothing more.

Because Manon with conviction in her heart, with utter fearlessness in her eyes, was wholly unstoppable.

The other two witches had fallen back, as if waiting to see what might happen.

But she yielded no further ground. A wall against which the Yellowlegs Matron could not advance. The crone let out a snarl, attacking again and again, senseless and raging.

Dorian saw the trap the moment it happened.

No one seemed to breathe at all as Manon plunged Bronwen's sword into the icy earth beneath and bent to take the crown of stars from the Yellowlegs witch's fallen head.

He had never seen a crown like it.

A living, glowing thing that glittered in her hand. As if nine stars had been plucked from the heavens and set to shine along the simple silver band.

The crown's light danced over Manon's face as she lifted it above her head and set it upon her unbound white hair.

Even the mountain wind stopped.

Yet a phantom breeze shifted the strands of Manon's hair as the crown glowed bright, the white stars shining with cores of cobalt and ruby and amethyst.

As if it had been asleep for a long, long time. And now awoke.

That phantom wind pulled Manon's hair to the side, silver strands brushing across her face.

And beside him, around him, the Thirteen touched two fingers to their brow in deference.

In allegiance to the queen who stared down the two remaining High Witches.

The Crochan Queen, crowned anew.

The sacred fire leaped and danced, as if in joyous welcome.

"Go."

The Blueblood witch blinked, eyes wide with what could only be fear and dread.

Manon jerked her chin toward the wyvern waiting behind the witch. "Tell your daughter all debts between us are paid. And she may decide what to do with you. Take that other wyvern out of here."

Spared by the Crochan Queen on behalf of the daughter who had given Manon the gift of speaking to the Ironteeth.

Within seconds, the Blueblood Matron was in the skies, the Yellowlegs witch's wyvern soaring beside her.

Leaving Manon's grandmother alone.

Leaving Manon with swords raised and a crown of stars glowing upon her brow.

Manon was glowing, as if the stars atop her head pulsed through her body. A wondrous and mighty beauty, like no other in the world. Like no one had ever been, or would be again.

And slowly, as if savoring each step, Manon stalked toward her grandmother.

Warm, dancing light flowed through her, as unfaltering as what had poured into her heart these past few bloody minutes.

She did not balk. Did not fear.

The crown's weight was slight, like it had been crafted of moonlight. Yet its joyous strength was a song, undimming before the sole High Witch left standing.

So Manon kept walking.

She left Bronwen's sword a few feet away.

Left Wind-Cleaver several feet past that.

Iron nails out, teeth ready, Manon paused barely five steps from her grandmother.

A hateful, wasted scrap of existence. That's what her grandmother was.

She had never realized how much shorter the Matron stood. How narrow her shoulders were, or how the years of rage and hate had withered her.

Manon's smile grew. And she could have sworn she felt two people standing at her shoulder.

She knew no one would be there if she looked. Knew no one else could see them, sense them, standing with her. Standing with their daughter against the witch who had destroyed them.

Her grandmother spat on the ground, baring her rusted teeth.

This death, though ...

It was not her death to claim.

It did not belong to the parents whose spirits lingered at her side, who might have been there all along, leading her toward this. Who had not left her, even with death separating them.

No, it did not belong to them, either.

She looked behind her. Toward the Second waiting beside Dorian.

Tears slid down Asterin's face. Of pride- pride and relief.

Manon beckoned to Asterin with an iron- tipped hand.

Manon raised a hand. "Let her go."

When there was no trace of the Matrons left but blue blood and a headless corpse staining the snow, Manon turned toward the Crochans.

Their eyes were wide, but they made no move.

The Thirteen remained where they were, Dorian with them.

Manon scooped up both swords, sheathing Wind-Cleaver across her back, and stalked toward where Glennis and Bronwen stood, monitoring her every breath.

Wordlessly, Manon handed Bronwen her sword, nodding in thanks.

Then she removed the crown of stars and extended it toward Glennis. "This belongs to you," she said, her voice low.

The Crochans murmured, shifting.

Glennis took the crown, and the stars dimmed. A small smile graced the crone's face.

"No," she said, "it does not."

Manon didn't move as Glennis lifted the crown and set it again on Manon's head.

Then the ancient witch knelt in the snow.

"What was stolen has been restored; what was lost has come home again. I hail thee, Manon Crochan, Queen of Witches."

Manon stood fast against the tremor that threatened to buckle her legs.

Stood fast as the other Crochans, Bronwen with them, dropped to a knee. Dorian, standing amongst them, smiled, brighter and freer than she'd ever seen.

And then the Thirteen knelt, two fingers going to their brows as they bowed their heads, fierce pride lighting their faces.

"Queen of Witches," Crochan and Blackbeak declared as one voice.

As one people.

[angeltannis]

obsessed with Sasha deciding to dig up Gaige’s rotten moldy dad’s corpse to try to revive his decomposed remains with her Anahatium shard. Girl this is how you get The Walking Dead

[darkpetal16]

So we've got mafiafell wingding and papyrus headcanons, but what about mafiafell sans? Even a crumb would be very appreciated

Oh man. I put these HC undercut for 1.) T/W for toxic relationship and 2.) Spoilers for one of his bad endings in the game.

Mafiafell!Sans is a hot mess and puts the yan in yandere.

Ooooo boy. He’s a walking, talking red flag.

He’s a Judge: a monster born with the Judgment ability. His magic is toxic to anyone with EXP or LVL (including himself, although he has built up resistance) and he can see the truth of anyone’s SOUL.

His ability awakened at a young age in an unexpected outburst that resulted in the death of one of Asgore’s Royal Guards. By consequence, in order to avoid execution, he had to become the newest Judge.

He, essentially, became a glorified hitman for the Dreemur family at a young age, with the added bonus of each of his kills causing magic whiplash and damaging himself in the process.

He’s seen a lot of awful things, and done a lot worse things.

It. . . Doesn’t sit well with him.

He never wanted to take a life. He never wanted to hurt anyone.

But he had that choice taken away from him, and now he’s in too deep. The EXP, in conjunction with his Judgment ability, has warped him in a deeply disturbing way.

He’s volatile, violent, and viscous. And bitter. So, very, very bitter.

He’s got a short temper, but how he acts on it depends on the severity of his rage. For “smaller” issues, it’s an instantaneous reaction of violence. For the big issues, it’s something he’ll stew over and take his time to seek retribution. Basically: If he gets loud fast, the person will probably make it out alive. If he gets quiet though? They’re dead. And they’re not dying easily.

His volatility is a big reason why he always has Papyrus or Wingding nearby for important events.

This does mean that early in the relationship, when none of them know how well he can control himself around you, all of your dates will be secretly chaperoned by either Wings or Pap. You’ll likely never see them, but they’re there for your (physical) wellbeing and Sans’ (mental) wellbeing.

After a lifetime of absolute garbage thrown his way, you are a desperately needed breath of fresh air. He was drowning in misery and you’re the lifeline thrown to him. He will latch on with a zealous fervor.

Any bit of happiness and affection you give him, he’ll greedily devour. The more you give, the more he’ll come to need you until he literally will not tolerate you out of his life.

So do not commit, do not engage, do not give this man any type of hope for a relationship unless you’re ready for that level of emotional dependency. Breaking it off once it’s too late won’t end well for either of you. Because he’s type who can love a doll as much as the real deal.

But if that’s your thing too? If this is what you need too. . . ?

He’s your guy. Loyal. Ferociously loyal. Would fight an army for you. Would go to war for you. Would break any law for you. He supports your wrongs and your rights equally, as long as he gets to be by your side in the process.

He didn’t have money growing up (all money earned had to go into paying back his “debt” to the Dreemur family), so now that he has it he likes to spend it. Especially on loved ones (you & his brothers). Shopping trips are a bi weekly thing, and they always end in a fancy dinner date.

He wants to travel the world, and he’ll gleefully take you with him. He wants to visit a place that’s always dark, and someplace where the sun never sets. He wants to see the auroras, and an endless sea of sand.

He’s always wanted to go to school to learn. Always wanted to learn physics, mechanical engineering, and astronomy. Never could, and he thinks it’s too late now. He’ll always brush it off if you try to encourage him.

But if you take him to college lectures on the stuff, he’s like a kid in a candy shop. You’ll see a glimpse of what he was like before he became a Judge; a childlike level of sincere happiness, and a small smile on his face.

Dates are extravagant. He knows he’s fucked in the head so he’s hoping to keep your attention by impressing you. Maybe if you’re wowed enough you’ll forgive his cracks.

Speaking of cracks, he’s got the most broken bones in the family. Most of the time, Wings or Toriel can heal such injuries but ones caused by his Judge ability don’t heal.

If you ask about them he’ll give you increasingly crazier stories. Anything is better than the truth.

Speaking of stories, he loves to tell them and loves to listen. If you’d like to read, he would genuinely love it if you read him. It doesn’t matter the genre, he just enjoys them with a pure sincerity.

And if you want him to read to you? That’s fine by him. Although you’ll probably have to pick out the books… And forgive him when he stumbles on words. He didn’t have a proper education growing up. What he knows is what Wings has been able to teach him in their very limited free time. 

He can sing! Specifically lullabies, because that was the only thing that could sue Papyrus when he was a toddler. It’s not something he likes others to know, however, he’ll make the exception for you.

He can also cook. Very well. He learned along side Papyrus as something for the two of them to do together. He didn’t have a lot of free time and he didn’t want Papyrus to feel lonely, so he would learn how to cook with him. 

Very good at reading people. Even without his judge ability, he’s an expert at reading, micro expressions, understanding someone’s tone, and interpreting body language. His intuition is above reproach, even Asgore trusts it. 

He learned sign language when Wings lost his voice for a few months. Sans thought it would be come permanently so he stayed up late to learn it and be ready to teach it to Wings. Thankfully, Wings recovered so it’s been a rarely used skill.

Quality time is important to him. If you have something important in your life that you want him to attend, absolutely nothing will stop him from being there. 

Don’t try to get him jealous. Not only will your suitor be killed, but if he thinks you’re doing it on purpose, he won’t let it go. He won’t lay a hand on you. . . he doesn’t have to to discourage you from ever thinking about doing that again.

He’s a hot mess. There’s no getting around this. There is no therapy in his time, and the toxic masculinity expected of him will prevent him from ever admitting his emotional vulnerabilities in any way that matters.

He’ll be tender for you. He’ll be soft for you. He’ll be kinder around you. He won’t raise his voice. He won’t lay a hand on you. He’ll support your dreams, financially and emotionally. He’ll start with you if you want.

But that’s the extent of what he can do for now, and for a long times

And that’s the best he can do.

PLAY IF - MAFIAFELL HERE FOR HIS ROUTE

HC MASTERLIST HERE

[chiara-hotel]

𝐹𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝑀𝑒𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 + 𝒞𝑜𝓃𝒻𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈

Characters: Blade, Kafka, Aventurine, Jingliu & Jing Yuan

Warnings: Spoilers for Luofu Questline/Blade lore, Hcs are really short, Kafkas is a drabble

- You both most likely would have met when Blade was alive on the Luofu

- A friend of either Jingliu or (I forget the name but the dead one)

- Of course you knew his inner circle of friends and what had happened with them, causing one death, one reincarnation & 2 mara-struck (including him)

- Though, you did not see blade again until he came back while the Astral Express were visiting

- There, he formally invited you to join him among the Stellaron Hunters, aswell as introduce you to the other hunters

- When you asked him if his mara caused him trouble he said that Kafka helps him out often

- You confessed first

- Kafka was sick of your obvious like to eachother so she “encouraged” you to

- That, or you just yelled how much you loved him before running away before he could answer…

You and Kafka were childhood friends, met at around 5-7 years old. Both of your parents knew each other so you hung out quite often, and so you followed her through everything. When she joined the Stellaron Hunters you received an invite to join as well, if you didn’t Kafka would still keep you with her at all times.

She confessed first too - underneath a sakura tree. Prepared chocolate, flowers, plushies, anything to win you over.

- In the casino, of course

- Most likely you were a poor soul that the struck big losses within the IPC - debts stacking up too far to count

- Just as you got away, Aventurine happened to be your gambling partner, such a dear he is listing out everything while playing

- How he found you, your depts owed, everything

- But he bets something, if you win all of your debts are gone - if he wins, he takes you out for dinner before increasing your debt even more

- But alas, luck was on his side-he won but dropped the charges anyway for a simple peck on the cheek, with the dinner date too

- After that he paid your charges and tries to confess to you

- He would have asked you out as a gamble

- A lucky man he was - which the gamble ended up paying off

- You would know either of them from their Quintet group

- Following them around like a shadow, hiding your feelings for the sake of friendship

- You met them either as a fan of the quintet or as childhood friends

- In Jingliu’s case she most likely confessed right after she was mara struck

- In her eyes she loved you-she wanted to let you know before she lost complete control of the mara

- Even if you saw her as she return-who knows if she’d let you follow her now that the maras stricken?

- That or-you told her first way before she was mara stricken

- Although when she became struck with mara-she ended things…

- For Jing Yuan, he would confess sometime as hes the general

- After the events of the quintet disbanding, everything seems peaceful and Jing Yuan is finally ready to settle down

- After hours he stopped by your place, invited you to dinner and asked the question

- And to this day you’re by his side

- After he became general he hired you as an assistant, Jing Yuan insisted that the position was necessary but Fu Xuan, Yanqing and everyone else knew it was just because he wanted you

[sicksadgames]

Into the Blind, and Wot I Like about Space Stuff

I've been working on this for a while in between breaks updating As the Sun Forever Sets. Why is my idea of a break from writing games just writing a different game? I have dumb bitch disease. I wanted to talk about some of the inspirations for it.

Welcome to The Rim

Into the Blind is a sci fi game about a group of gig economy workers living contract to contract on the roiling, wild edge of space. It's about CRT screens, mechanical keyboards, junction boxes, pipes and wires. It's about the unknown, the stresses of capital, and horror - visceral and ephemeral. It's about working hard jobs in dangerous conditions for little pay, and the chance of a better life. 

You are a Freelancer - Salvager, Shipbreaker, Courier, Bodyguard, Assassin, First Responder, Negotiator, Investigator, Debt Collector. A Freelancer is any and all of these, depending on the contract. You'll take whatever you can get to make ends meet. 

Every job you do balances your need to pay the rent on your ship against your desire to remain alive. Grab what you can, get paid, and stay alive.

If this sounds cool to you, you can grab a free preview (with the old name) below.

Let me show you my favourite space things

Ok, time for the self indulgent ramblings.

(Potential) Spoilers for: Gravity, Interstellar, Contact, Arrival, The Expanse, the Alien series, the Thing, Annihilation, Homeworld: Cataclysm and Magnetic Rose.

Physics and Feelings at 10km/s

There are a lot of sci-fi horror TTRPGS out there. Like a lot a lot. Mothership, Death in Space, the Alien RPG, You're in Space and Everything's Fucked, the list goes on and on. Not that that matters - people should make the games they wanna make and I wanted to make a scary sci-fi game with spaceships, so eh fuck it.

Something I realised while writing stuff for Into the Blind and working on the system is that the themes and feeling of a lot of the sci-fi stuff I'm into didn't revolve around a towering monster skulking around dark spaceship. Like, sure, Into the Blind will have a nasty alien somewhere, I don't need to say that I like Alien or talk about why it's good (I do, it is, and I'm going to), but there's more to write about than monsters. Space is already intrinsically stressful and horrifying:

Neil Degrasse Tyson and Chris Hadfield can shut the fuck up, Gravity has some of the scariest, tensest scenes in a movie I've ever seen in my fucking life. After watching this you could never pay me enough to go to space. The only enemy here is inertia, the only monster are the principles of physics that cause a cloud of debris to whip through orbit at 22,000 miles an hour.

Aside from the spectacle, Gravity is a film about finding the will to go on when you have nothing to live for and everything's against you. It's heavily implied that Dr Stone went to space because she's tired of existing on earth (or at least that's my read). She wants mercy and relief from the pain of her life, and watching it you want to gift it to her so badly, but the debris field crashes into her life over and over. It's a relentless, uncaring solar tide that returns like clockwork when to fuck her up any time she gets a break.

These extreme forces also generate incredible tragedy and loss. Interstellar is kind of a dumb movie but despite the memes about this scene it always gets me. You don't know what you have until it's gone, and sometimes the distance between you knowing you've lost something and it becoming lost can (thanks to black holes and weird gravity stuff) slip by you in an age that feels like an instant.

Both Gravity and Interstellar have soft, beating hearts encased behind the layers of radiation shielding, technobabble and worn metal, and when the colossal forces that make the universe turn rip it open, they're laid bare.

That's a fucking cool thing to make a game about!

Indistinguishable from Magic

I'm not a big brain science person, when it comes to wormholes, relativity, folding space time and all that, I don't really get it. I just know that it's cool as hell and opens the door to powerful character stories about finding meaning and confronting your feelings at the edge of our understanding of reality.

Contact and Arrival are two sides of the same movie to me. Both are heavily grounded in big Theory and big Science Words, both are about powerful sciencey girlbosses who've lost something dear to them (one in the future, one in the past.) Contact leans more towards the hard science approach, but both are at their best when they're balanced on the edge of the plausible and the implausible. They're both about the incredible, incomprehensible nature of the universe. They're both about people who change the world, in ways both vast impercievable to everyone else.

They're both stories of hope and benevolence, but Contact frames this through 90's optimism and the power of nations working together towards a common goal (it's so optimistic, even the villain-coded megacorporation decides to help out, which uhhhh), Arrival frames these themes through personal tragedy - Dr Banks pays a high price to save humanity from itself.

Behind the calculations and clipboards and theories, these are stories about personal discovery, love and heartache.

These are also fucking cool things to make games about!

Magnetic Rose is probably the single biggest influence on Into the Blind - there's a full adventure heavily inspired by it in the preview. It's just so good. The visual design and animation are simultaneously grounded and real yet brilliantly beautiful and surreal. It's tragic gothic horror at the dark, gritty edge of space, and it's so good at being sad. The penultimate scenes in heart of the tomb-like space station, surrounded by rank brown water and decaying metal are heartwrenching. Heintz is tormented by visions of his past and you feel it so hard. The film doesn't care to tell you how this is all happening - are his memories ghosts? holograms? hallucinations? It only cares about the why, and it's incredible.

Breathable Air Prepayment Meters

It's been ages since I watched The Expanse, so I'm not gonna dwell on it too much, but what I remember focused heavily on how capital and government care little about those they govern and sell to.

The level that our existence is monetised and used as a cudgel against us currently can surely only expand along with our expansion into the stars. You can go there right now if you have enough money to do so, and when life beyond earth becomes feasible, the companies that financed it will need someone to clean the ducts and polish the solar arrays. The amount of things that can be sold to you can only increase out in space. You think rents are high now? Wait till you see the price of a 1 bedroom apartment in orbit around Mars. Add nice breathable mix of nitrogen and oxygen to your list of monthly outgoings. You think you'll be able to repair your C02 scrubbers without voiding the warranty? Fuck no.

The Alien movies are obviously (despite what some grognards on twitter dot com will tell you) deeply about extreme capitalism. The galaxy is ruled by companies that could not care less about you, and the bottom line is all that matters. This kinda matters less and less as the films wear on, but the first 3 are all about working class people sacrificed on the altar of the interstellar dollar.

Alien 3 in particular has a lot of problems, but the edgy teen in me is still really fond of this scene. It's doing a Big Foreshadow (Do you get it? The alien is like.. the flower he's talking about right? But the flower is bad?) But it feels like an appropriate lament for prisoners on the ass end of space. Despite what the company wants you to believe, the inmates of Fury 161 don't deserve to die, aren't expendable.

We all have flowers within us waiting to grow, out from the shadow of capital.

You might've noticed mentions of a nasty guy in those last clips.

Ok fine, also Monsters

We all love a little nasty guy, I cannot resist the pull of the weird monster that does Big Themes. Like I said, there's so much TTRPG stuff focused on them for good reason And space is ripe for the nastiest of guys.

There's really nothing more to be said about The Thing, it just fucking rules. It's a movie that cares as much about what a monster can do to peoples bodies as what it can do to their minds and relationships.

What a horrible fate for Sheppard. The idea of Annihilations mutant bear is just so sinister it makes my gut drop whenever I re-watch it. Again, not much else to be said about this movie. It rips.

Homeworld: Cataclysm is a weird game. It's a survival horror.. strategy game? Set in space? Where you never see a single person?? And somehow it's voice acting and plot is incredible???

The Beast is the nickname for the microorganism that emerges from the millenia old wreckage the mining vessel Kuun-Lan happens upon whilst scouring deep space for valuable minerals. The threat it presents is so real and visceral, it's one of those "if this hits our planet, it's so over" monsters, and it's obscenely scary and gruesome. Even the Bentusi, a race of nigh-on ageless benevolent machine beings are absolutely terrified, and try to abandon the galaxy in the face of it (they fear their biological minds will be trapped in their machine bodies if they're taken over by The Beast, locked in and forced to watch what it does to the galaxy. Damn.)

The scene where you and your fleet fight the Bentusi as they try to evacuate known space to force them to help you is intense and incredible. You're fighting gods, and all you can do is crash against their incredible technology again and again like a stiff breeze, pleading for help and humanity. You shame them into taking responsibility for helping the mortals in the galaxy against this ancient threat. That's the fear inspired by The Beast.

Thank you for coming to my Space Ted Talk

I told you it was self indulgent huh. Hopefully this goes some way to explaining what I'm going for with this game. Not only monsters, but the experiences of people trapped by incredible forces of nature, corporations and circumstance. Not only horror, but exploitation, sadness, love, longing and loss. Thanks for reading.

Again, if you want to check out Into the Blind, you can get the free preview below, and follow me on Itch to get notified for when game releases (soon? idk)

[blueberryshelves]

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Book Review

Title:  A Duet with the Siren Duke Author: Elise Kova

Series: Married to Magic, book #4 - standalone

No. of Pages: 554

ISBN: 9781949694413 

Synopsis:

She sold her soul to a siren and now he’s come to collect.

Victoria risks everything to leave a dangerous marriage and gain a second chance at life. But when her escape goes awry, she finds herself caught in the strong embrace of a mysterious siren, forced to choose: temporary salvation or immediate death.

And so, a cursed deal is struck.

Five years later, Victoria is alive—and the world’s finest ship captain. But her debt to the siren looms while her conniving ex has demanded a king’s ransom as the final price of her freedom. Victoria refuses to cause her family to suffer any more on her behalf, and is determined to make things right before her time is up. But that time is cut short.

The siren comes for her. Six months early.

Taken to the magical and deadly Eversea, home of the sirens, Victoria discovers she’s the sacrifice upon which all sirens pin their hopes. If they want to appease an angry god and save a world on the brink of destruction, then they need her. Which gives her the perfect leverage.

Victoria strikes a new bargain: the Siren Duke will help save her family, and she’ll fulfill his demands. It’s a good bargain until a flicker of passion ignites in the scarred remnants of Victoria's heart, threatening all she's worked for. As the sacrifice for the God of Death, she’s meant to give up everything that draws her to the world of the living. But that’s impossible when all she can think about is how this handsome siren’s song, and his hands, make her feel very much alive.

In a realm of ancient magic, submerged secrets, and forgotten gods, can love find a place among shattered hearts as they race against time and the blossoming of forbidden desires? Or will the delicate songs of their hearts be silenced once and for all?

A Duet with the Siren Duke is a complete, *stand alone novel*. It’s for readers looking for a fantasy romance with deep lore, second-chance love, sacrifice, forbidden and slow-burn romance that sizzles on the page, and a happily ever after where love triumphs over all.

While it is set in the Married to Magic universe, readers can start with this book as all Married to Magic novels are stand alones.

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What did I think of the book?

A Duet with the Siren Duke by Elise Kova My rating: ⭐ 1.5 of 5 stars Disclaimer: SPOILERS It's not often I dnf a book, and I definitely wasn't expecting to do so with this one. First couple chapters start off pretty strong, promising a tension-packed story while following the growth of a young woman becoming her own self after escaping from abuse. For a while I actually enjoyed it, and I even liked a couple of the characters, especially Ilryth's child-like fascination with the human world and treasure collection (very much like Ariel from The Little Mermaid). But after the big spicy scene, I put the book down at chapter 36, and didn't touch it again for months. There was just no way I was getting through all 53 chapters of this story. It drags, and drags, and drags to the point where I wanted to strangle the book when I realized I still had 17 more chapters of this to go. The writing is unnecessarily melodramatic, and the story is choked with too many boring details and cringy dialogue. Most of the characters lack substance, and a lot of the tension and so-called "romance" feels forced and unnatural. The actual plot of the book doesn't get much better either after the first few chapters, it was like the story had a clear direction at first and then nose-dived into chaos and confusion with too many ideas fighting for dominance. Maybe it got better in the ending but from what others have commented, I don't have high hopes.

I personally think the plot in the beginning is solid and would have been a pretty great story if the book had stayed true to it, but there's just too much going on for the rest of the story after the siren takes Victoria (the FMC) away. The whole thing about "save the siren world by sacrificing the human girl" could have honestly been done away with entirely, because it's nothing more than a total distraction from the emotions surrounding family in the beginning of the book. If the plot had stayed focused on Victoria's fight to save her family from her scummy ex and the systems of her world, it could have been a really self-empowering story, and her romance with Ilryth would still have been possible, (and imo more enjoyable to read about as he helps her). But we just don't get to explore any of that in a meaningful way at all, and instead Victoria becomes a hollowed version of herself that is just so depressing to read about. That being said, I did enjoy getting into a new siren/merfolk story, because while so much was not great about this one, I loved the sirens and culture based around them in the book, and their underwater kingdom. It helped to rekindle my love of mermaids and the ocean, which is great because I really need to get back into swimming again. Favorite character/s: Ilryth, and partially Victoria - for the fact that I can relate in personal ways to both of their struggles (at least for some small parts of the book). What drew me to this book? I was in the mood for a water/merfolk themed book, and the gorgeous cover snatched my attention immediately. I'd give the book a place on my shelf just for the cover alone if the story wasn't so hard to get through. Stars: 1.5/5 stars. Certainly not the worst I've read. But while I enjoyed some things, there just wasn't anything gripping or exciting enough as the story went on that made it worth finishing. View all my reviews

[tdciago]

Fargo: Operation Eagle's Nest

Theory in collaboration with @thefutureiswhat. SPOILERS ahead. We're down to the wire, so let's talk about this fictional Ronald Reagan movie, introduced in season 2. Young Molly Solverson watches it on TV; Peggy watches it in the cabin; and Ronald Reagan talks about it to Lou. A French couple, Marie and Pierre, hide from a Nazi in a basement. The Nazi starts a fire to smoke them out. Pierre is going to act as a shield for Marie, but Reagan's character arrives to save the day, shooting the Nazi and apparently killing him.

PIERRE: If we stay here, we burn in our own little hell. As Reagan and the couple escape, the Nazi wakes up and follows them. We are left to wonder about the outcome. Even Reagan himself doesn't recall. "I remember back in '42, America just joined the war. I was working on, uh... 'Operation Eagle's Nest' for Paramount. I got dropped behind enemy lines trying to rescue Jimmy Whitmore and Laraine Day from this SS commando. Bob Stack was on loan from Selznick. That Nazi bastard had us cornered. We were done for, but in the end, with a little American ingenuity, we managed to, uh...Oh, no. No, no, wait a minute. Um... Come to think of it, I don't think we made it out of that one. Or did we? Oh, shit, I can't remember. Well, either way, it was a fine picture." In season 5, as Wayne enters his home after Dot has been kidnapped, we hear on the TV that "Operation Eagle's Nest" will be starting. In "The Tender Trap," Vivian Dugger and his pals leave the strip club talking about France. "You're gonna get in trouble, man. Then move to France. The French, buddy? No. You're, like... The French would like me better than you." Later in the episode, Lorraine mentions Vivian's son starting at Notre Dame, which is French for "Our Lady." Does the uncertain outcome of "Operation Eagle's Nest" foreshadow a similar scenario in "Bisquik"? Will we see Roy apparently killed, only to have him appear alive in prison? Will Reagan's uncertainty about the ending of the film parallel our uncertainty about the ending of season 5, calling into question "the true truth"? We've had references to "Rashomon" in "Linda," and to the short story "The Lady, or the Tiger?" In episode 5.5. Both have ambiguous endings. We've also had Nazi references, with Odin questioning whether Roy is Hitler at the Reichstag or Hitler in the bunker, where he committed suicide. Erwin Rommel, another Nazi mentioned this season, also committed suicide, and it was coerced. He was given a choice. Stand trial for being complicit in trying to kill Hitler, which would drag his family through the mud and end in certain conviction and death; or commit suicide, being hailed as a war hero and leaving his family untouched. He chose suicide. So I wonder if Lorraine will offer Roy a similar deal, writing a check to ensure that Roy's children will not be "futureless," if he agrees to eat Munch's sins, perhaps in the form of biscuits so laden with 500 years' worth of sins that they are toxic. And maybe, somehow, the story will be that Roy died a hero, a martyr to his right-wing cause. A Rommel deal. LORRAINE: You tuck your kids in at night, never telling them that they're-they're in the cage, too, because, when you die, your debts become theirs. "Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down..."

[logicaltips]

Nothing but fiction

Spoilers for Kamen Rider Geats below. Just some interesting thoughts on how concepts from there can fit into SAGAU

I always liked the idea that the true Creator is an absolute jerk going on a power trip and the Imposter (the reader insert) is a nice player who likes the characters for who they are.

If you want to take the Teyvat and its status as entertainment (from our POV) seriously, it's possible that all the bad things that happened in the story aren't because of the Creator being banished or losing to some dark force or whatever, but is all fabricated to make Teyvat feel more "alive."

Eula still being scorned by the public despite doing absolutely nothing wrong? The Creator literally whispers in the NPCs' ears to be mean to her.

Khaenri'ah? Nuked for "world-building."

As for the Yakshas, they discovered the Creator's treachery, but the Creator rewrote them from the ground up and developed the karmic debt system so that most of them died as NPCs before they could spread the truth. The whole Chasm quest was the Creator tying up some loose ends because of Bosacius. Meanwhile, the Creator gets Xiao out of the whole mess, lonely and burdened by karmic debt.

Perfect for giving him "character" and "suffering" so that Xiao's popularity would grow in the public eye.

Players get a cool character, Xiao becomes alone, and the Creator's rouse is maintained. Win-win!

I can see the Creator as being similar to Kekera from KR Geats; viewing their work as nothing but 0s, 1s, polygons, and sprite sheets to develop the "ultimate" story and character. After all, they're untouchable by any of the acolytes and any of their mistakes can be chalked up to "bad writing" from the public viewpoint.

As for the Imposter, they would be someone who loves the characters for who they are; unfiltered by outside influence and their respective strength in-game. They wish with all their heart that the characters' troubles would be solved, so when they wake up in Teyvat, they're super glad to have a chance to fix things.

Meanwhile, the Creator is freaking out since the Imposter is something they don't have trouble over. And they hate not being in control. So, they rewrite Teyvat once more to include a legend of an "Imposter," a being who mimics the appearance of the Creator and seeks to cause trouble. The Creator also adds that whoever brings the face of the Imposter before Celestia, where the Creator lives, will have their burdens cleansed.

After the Creator changes their face to fit the Imposter's and with a little bit of character writing to turn them into religious fanatics, the hunt begins.

The characters I can see being on the Imposter's side would be characters who have access to information banks that the Creator, in their ignorance, would have missed during their rewriting attempts. That would include Nahida, Mona, and whatever sort of academic/studious character who could easily have something on hand as a record of the previous version of the world, where the Imposter was never mentioned in a copy of the religious text.

Of course, those characters won't instantly be defending the Imposter, just not participating in the hunt. But a small fissure can become a large crack, and they soon conduct their own investigations as to the truth of the Imposter.

"This murderous intent, the despair on their face as they watch their favorite characters hunt them down~! This is the best story I've ever made!"

[jaihirvi]

My character for DnD. She's a Halfling Rogue. Her name is Jillian

And a little piece of Jillian’s biography: She was born in a tavern. She wasn't know her parents, but her father was very supportive and tried to raise all of her children to be good and honest people (spoiler, he wasn't very good at it due to the circumstances). There were five siblings and Jill was the oldest. Jill was raised by her father mostly when he came into sight. Her mother died, cause of death unknown. They lived poor, huddled in a room in a run-down neighborhood. Jill had an ordinary childhood and a couple of close friends. She fell in with a gang of scoundrels and loafers, from whom she learned everything. But they treated her unfairly, so she learned the skills of her enemies so she could fight them better. She worked at her profession: sometimes trimming purses and spying for those who paid more. After sorting out her debts, she went on an adventure in search of a better life. Worldview ended up being neutral-good, relationships tended to build friendly. Her father has been a laborer all his life, he is alive but struggling financially, so once a month Jill sends him 40sm. She now works as a mercenary for the Guild, studies magic, and has made quite a bit of progress.

[krotiation]

Debt or alive spoilers!!

Rhys rambling about vaultlanders cause he got nervous... and Sasha actually listening to him... 😭 she's so sweet what the fuck

[terrible-star-wars-crossovers]

Star Wars Kubo and the Two Strings AU: Luke is kubo (obviously) Padme is Monkey, and the Moon King is Vader. (And who you might ask is Beetle if Vader is the Moon King? Well, tis a clone of Anakin of course... let me explain)

It starts out pretty similar to the end of ROTS. Anakin falls and becomes Vader- though in this version he kills palpatine and becones emperor. The duel on mustafar happens, though Vader beats Obi-wan, but is still severely injured. Padme meanwhile flees mustafar and has the twins on Polis Masa. Padme lives, and while debating what to do next with Bail and Yoda, Polis Masa is attacked by Vader, who is determined to get his wife and child (he's unaware there are twins) back. During the chaos, Padme ends up escaping with Luke while Bail escapes with Leia.

Vader, of course, follows the ship with Padme on it and after a brief confrontation in which baby Luke looses his hand because of Vader, Padme gives up on him. SHe manages to Fake her and Lukes deaths by making vader think their ship blew up, when reality it slipped into hyperspace. They end up crashing on Tattooine and Padme injures her head.

12 years later, Luke and Padme are still on Tattoine in a small house in the wastes. Due to her head injury when they crashed, Padmes mind has slowly deteriorated and spends most of her days catatonic. So every day, Luke goes out to Mos Eisley and earns a living by doing repair work and telling stories of the hero without fear that his mother told him in her bouts of lucidity. Luke knows about and can use the force to some degree, though Padme tells him never to use his abilities, lest it attracts the attention of The Emperor and his Inquisitors. (In this Au, Luke knows Vader is his father, but he idolises the man he was- the man his mother fell in love with and can't help but wonder if anakin still exists deep down.)

One day, Inquisitors arrive on Tattooine and Luke being Luke, ends up revealing his identity and abilities while defending one of the locals, which causes vader to sense him a Galaxy away. Padme, in a bout of lucidity, manages to fend off said Inquisitors and the pair flee Tattoine. Padme then says they must find Master yoda in order to train luke, as that is the only way to protect him now emperor vader knows he is alive. They follow a trail of clues accriss the Galaxy, but it is slow going as Padme's bouts of lucidity only last a few hours and Luke is reluctant to search without her.

Eventually, the pair end up on Kamino, where they come across a man who claims to be a Jedi but doesn't remember much and can't use the force. One of the few things he does remember, however, is Anakin- who he claims to owe a life debt to and he vows to protect and serve Luke, as he is the son of Skywalker. Padme is skeptical, but Luke says that they need all the help they can get Besides both of them find there is something familar about the man.

The trio continue on in their quest accross the Galaxy, hunting for clues and digging Inquisitors. As they travel, the man -who decides to simply be known as Jedi, starts to bond with luke and teaches him how to use a lightsaber and his force abilities (Despite Jedi seemingly not having powers himself, he is knowledgeable in how to harness them and is pretty damn good with a lightsaber.) Padme also bonds with jedi and asks him to care for luke when she is gone and when it is all over, to help Luke find his sister.

As all of this is happening, Luke dreams about Anakin (spoiler, they aren't just dreams and it is Vader is pretending to be Anakin) who tells him Yoda is at the ruins of Polis Masa. The trio go, but end up being caught by the Inquisitors. They reveal Yoda has been dead for 12 years and their quest was in vain. They also reveal that Jedi to be a clone of Anakin (Early in his reign, Emperor Vader was desperate to find a way to make his body whole again and resorted to cloning. The experiments failed and the facilities were abandoned, leaving only one Clone (why Padme didn't reconize him? Rapid aging plus 10 years of isolation can wreck a man's appearance.) ) The trio manahe to beat the Inquisitors, though Padme and Jedi/Clone Anakin end up dying in the process.

Luke then leaves, determined to confront the Emperor, his father....

[i-cant-stop-fandoming-help]

Rei Mekaru (and why I love her)

So i responded to someone’s instagram story, which was a picture of SDRA2 Rei, saying “hear me out” and that’s where it started.

Spoilers for both games under the cut.

cw for me simping over rei, abandonment, and both games’ chapter 6 trials

Okay. Okay. Not only is rei hot as hell, BUT. She is also quite fun to hurt. You can take her childhood, and how she was abandoned, and write/draw her suffering. You can also make her beat herself up. In this essay, I will explain how rei mekaru is the hottest and saddest bitch around

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Rei Mekaru has had some of the best character development i've seen in anything danganronpa related(Besides DRDT). She starts off as mean, with a somewhat holier-than-thou behavior, one could say. There's not really a reason for this that we know, at first. She is a teacher type, so surely she should be nicer? Now, we enter her backstory. On her character sheet, and in part of DRA chapter 6, we are informed about what seems to have caused such behavior; Abandonment. Rei Mekaru was 'abandoned' by her parents at a young age. Growing up to hate them, and even plotting a name change due to the aforementioned hatred. Seemingly keeping it out of spite. She grows up, going to schools and supposedly getting into college early (as, I believe, you need some sort of college degree to become a teacher/professor). From my understanding, she teaches away from her home country for a while, unaware that her parents have been searching for her for years.

Sooner or later, Rei receives a letter of acceptance from Hope's Peak, and moves back to her home country. She attends Hope's Peak with her 16 classmates, and remains distant. Calling them all "incompetents" frequently. Enter, the killing game. Rei's memories are wiped, and she doesn't remember her classmates. Another character sheet implies there was an attempted KG beforehand, but, because Yamato Kisaragi still had his memories, it had to be stopped and started again. She blocks herself off from everyone, barely even showing grief at the deaths of her classmates. Only when Satsuki Iranami reveals the reason for Haruhiko kobashikawa's death, and allows herself to die, does Rei begin to let go of the beliefs that built up in her childhood. She works with the others, even making a slight invention of her own so she can talk to them about things Monokuma might not like. When Mikako Kurokawa dies, on top of Rei, it seems Rei is shaking up. Talking in a somewhat slower manner.

“This girl……… has died.” The text has a few ellipsis in it, showing quite a long pause. This possibly leaves her more shaken than before, but she tries her best now to show it. Who knows what thoughts were in her head? Someone just died on her, after all. And then, Akane Taira is revealed as the mastermind('s assistant). That must hurt. Rei trusted Akane, including her in one the daily group talks. Perhaps Rei is good at hiding up her emotions, because I think a lot of people would break down and cry on the spot. The final trial, is where we first learn of her past. And where Rei first learns she wasn't abandoned. Her parents were in large amounts of debt, and had left a very young Rei in the care of her Aunt and Uncle. however, her Aunt and Uncle never showed up. Her parents just wanted her to have a good life, but her other family members could care less about her. She finds out that her parents spent years looking for her, and possibly she imagined them sobbing and calling out for her, or possibly she's trying to say this is false. Utsuro finally ends it off, stating that Rei's parents eventually went to Junko in hopes that she would tell them that Rei is alive. Supposedly dying sometime after. Rei wants to know more, but Utsuro refuses. And Rei falls into despair. I think, the new information is what made her personality change so much, in SDRA2.

Now, we move on to Chapter 6.5 of DRA. Of course, we only see her in the last few moments, but there's still a noticeable change. Emotionally, she shows sadness slightly more. Physically, she has her hair chopped off, and different glasses. When Ryutaro Maki asks about his sister, she looks aside. Sad, it seems. Now, it's small and unimportant to mention, but it's the first glimpse we see of her personality change. (from sdra2, that is)

Onto SDRA2. We first see Rei in the prologue, with her raising a gun to shoot Mikado. She still has this somewhat harsh personality, but wants to save others more. She is soon sent into a blaze of orange, and we are made to believe that she is dead. Until sometime in chapter 4, I believe. In chapter 4, i believe, we get a slight cameo. We can only tell it's her, from the outline. It seems she thinks that she is talking to Teruya Otori. (I am unable to find the scene lmao) "Akane Taira is alive." She says. It's here, we get to know that Rei is still alive. The next time we see her, is (i believe) the very end of chapter 5. In the same room to greet Yoruko Kabuya and Iroha Nijue when they awaken. It's unimportant, but it's how we know that the last sighting wasn't an AI or some shit like that. Chapter 6 comes, and boy oh boy do I love it.

She's shown to beat herself up constantly. When Teruya is mentioned in one conversation, she begins insulting herself and even calls herself pathetic. Rei believes that she should've just died. Let herself turn to ash. That way, Teruya would still be alive. When kokoro was revealed as Mikako's mother, she quiets down. Is it from flashbacks of the DRA chapter 6 trial? Or is she just shocked, and unaware of what to say? Her new personality is flaunted in SDRA2's chapter 6, I suppose. We still do get the cop-mocking ginger every now and again, though. She seems more forgiving, and like she has finally seen that people aren't just yins and yangs. Even accepting that Sora isn't quite Akane, and asking if she can refer to Sora as 'Sora' at the end of chapter 6. even promising to try and help Yoruko and Sora meet again. possibly because she doesn't want to see someone sad over someone they cared for again.

She quite possibly cared for Teruya deeply, and he could've been emotional support. or maybe, just a coworker, but the tragedy has made her more vulnerable to emotions. Either way, it's shown that she is less closed off about her emotions. And, possibly, has a harder time with sadness. Leaving her open for attacks on her mental state. Hence why she's a more complex character, but more fun to hurt. (hence why we should always make her go through 70 stages of grief) p.s. she's also hot as hell but you didn't hear that from me

[aewinning]

Potential spoilers for everything in Genshin up to this point including promotional materials. Throwing out some crack predictions for things that might happen in 5.4.

Prediction: Traveler getting an ancient name at least partially adds them to Teyvat's leyline system, revoking at least a part of their Descender status and causing Issues(tm) in the future.

Reasoning: the lines at the end of the 5.4 trailer talking about how someone has no clue about the value of a descender. Natlan's Night Kingdom is a replacement for the connection to the leylines that most nations have but 'belonging' to that network may still be similar enough to leylines+Irminsul to thwart the ability to surpass and change fate. If that happens, Mavuika story quest 2 might involve us trying to deliberately discard our ancient name to thwart the fuckup.

Tangential thought: something almost certainly has to happen to Natlan's leylines that will allow people from Natlan to leave. I don't think Hoyo would lock the Natlanese out of future international events.

-

Prediction: Capitano becomes the pyro archon briefly, then sacrifices himself to fulfill the pyro archons' debt to/contract with Ronova and save Mavuika's life as well as allowing himself to finally die after 500 years. As a sign of respect for his sacrifice and assistance to Natlan, Mavuika gives Snezhnaya the gnosis.

Reasoning: somebody's gotta die, and this particular arrangement of events ticks boxes for a heroic and satisfying death that tugs at heartstrings, allows Mavuika to be around for quests and events, and gives a reason for the gnosis to make it to Snezhnaya, because we all know it's gonna. Also allows Capitano a cathartic "fuck you" to Ronova, which I thoroughly think he deserves even if I would love for him to be playable. I'm always ride or die for a homie that flips the bird to Celestia.

-

Prediction: Mavuika's sister Hine is alive somehow and will become the new Lord of the Night, likely with Istaroth's help.

Reasoning: This one is out there, but several things make me suspect this. They are focusing on Mavuika and Hine's relationship a lot in the promo materials including Hine saying "I'll come find you one day! I know I can't live that long, but there has to be a way for us to meet again one day!" as the screen shatters into mirrorlike fragments similar to the way it did as we traveled through time and consciousness to reach the fight between Ei and the Shogun in Ei's second story quest. This quest mentioned Istaroth, Shade of Time, for the first time in mainline content. And we already have Shade involvement in the Natlan plot with Ronova in the picture, so it's not beyond belief to think that a second Shade could become relevant to the main story at this point.

Citlali also mentioned not being able to find information on Hine, which could mean nothing beyond 'she led a quiet life' but put me in mind of wiping someone from Irminsul (which is not what I think happened here exactly, but it's enough to make me think shenanigans are afoot).

In Māori legend, Mahuika has a sister named Hine(-nui-te-pō) who is a goddess associated with night and death that receives spirits when they die. Night, death, a home for spirits - that's the Night Kingdom in a nutshell, yeah? And the Lord of the Night Yohualtecuhtin is dying (and may thus need to be replaced).

So if we put all of these threads together, Hoyo may have Hine be in cahoots with Istaroth to allow her to travel into the future to be with Mavuika again, where she somehow ends up replacing the Lord of the Night. One sister the goddess of fire and the other the goddess of the underworld, as in the legend.

(It's not a one-to-one recreation of the story by any means - in the legend Hine-nui-te-pō is the older sister, and there are aspects of Hine-nui-te-pō's story that I don't think Hoyo would include in Genshin. But there's enough connective tissue for me to think that some of it might parallel.)

Anyways that one is almost fully a crack theory, but I at least think we're gonna see Hine somehow, if only to smack us in the feels.

[hellcatinnc]

7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! Anime Review

Includes Spoilers

So I remember last year when this show was advertised and it showed him getting down on one knee and proposing and his breath taking good looks and at that point I cared about nothing but seeing this show. I love past lives and time travel type things so this was right up my alley when I read into the description later. I watched one episode and I was sold. There are so many great scenes from this year I want to break down some of my favorites. I plan to watch the manhwa of this this year cause I know I can't wait another year to hope to get another anime season when most times that never comes. If you like Why Raeliana Ended Up At The Duke's Mansion then you will probably enjoy this I feel like some of the things I love about both these men is they fall hard for their woman before the girl even catches up plus I love the art style.

Now let me introduce you to Arnold Hein the hottest deadliest man alive in this world. He had brought whole kingdoms to a blood bath including Rishe and her people in her past life. So yeah this story starts off showing you the man she will be engaged to and marry is the same man who killed her before. Something about this man with blood on him though fuckin makes him hot.. I don't understand it he really is a different kind of beautiful but damn it I would go to hell for him. Its a good thing he isn't in a otome game because I'm afraid I would do his route repeatedly even if I got the bad ending and died by his hands. Yes his hands lets talk about that this man has some deadly hands that will kill you in a seconds.

Now the day they meet in her 7th life she jumps off a balcony and he just can't help but laugh because she is not a elegant woman of the nobles the way she acts but its also what draws him to her like a moth to a flame. The moment he sees she can handle a sword he gets down on one knee without hesitation and proposes. Of course when she denies him he just laughs even though he plans to do anything to make her say yes. He has got the cutest laugh for such a deadly man.

I love that he can look at things with this facial expression that makes you wonder whats going on inside his beautiful mind. Those beautiful eyes are mysterious but even Rishe gets caught up in how gorgeous they are. This is also what makes him a very dangerous man because if his face is always a poker face by the time you realize what he is doing its too late...your dead.

I love when she helps his men from poison he is in her debt and she also finds he isn't maybe as cold as she was used to from his past life. There really is a sweetness between them by the lake.

The moment he first touches her cheek on the balcony was one of my favorites he smiles at her. He is really captivated by her and how she is different. Arnold has been part of blood baths and wars his whole life when he looks at Rishe I think he knows deep down she could soothe his soul.

The days he went on where he couldn't sleep and she came to his room and even climbed in bed with him to pat his chest immatating a heartbeat. She falls asleep there they are not even married and this is not done during those times but she trusts him enough and I think it shows. Of course by this time they have interacted alot more and gotten closer.

The way he holds her and carries her when she is tired or hurt is the sweetest thing. These moments are when you see a flicker of the compassion and love I think he has for her.

His brother is a little pain in the ass at first but he grows on you when you realize he just wanted his brother to accept him. He is more loving than Arnold however he hasn't been to war but I do love he goes out of his way to help the poor people in town. He becomes a good friend to Rishe once he is able to sit down and talk to Arnold.

The moment she decides to dress up as a male so she can learn to fight with the guards and he finds her was funny. He used every second of this to get as close as he could to her. He knew it was her before she broke and told him everything. The fact he put his hand on the wall beside her then slid his legs forcefully between her legs and then says he can touch her I wanted to die. This man has so much sex appeal that when he walks in the room women want to drop their panties. Think I'm joking watch it for yourself and see.

I love when Rishe goes on her first date with him she gets all dolled up and even he notices her beauty. He even lets her feed him some fruit she gets. All of this though to take her to a secret meeting with someone to make her the perfect engagement ring that she wants. It was so damn sweet. Of course she asked for a ring as beautiful as his eyes.

This scene I loved because she went to jump to his balcony and he threw his sword down the one thing he never does so he can catch her in his arms, the only thing that mattered. He says things like he doesn't need her and he could get rid of her but this action alone tells different. I think she is the only one that can get to him like that. I absolutely love them together, she is the perfect woman to push his boundaries to change him for the better but yet when he stands his ground and his dominance shows she backs down. Its a mutual respect.

Look at those eyes those are the ones that she had her ring made after them so beautiful I can't say I could look away from his eyes either if I was her.

The way he holds her the way he captivates her but also apart of him dominates and owns her as he swiftly pulls her in for a kiss make most women drool to be kissed like this. Arnold wins the sexiest suave man award thats for sure.

When he gets down on one knee and proposes to her again which is how they end the shows season was adorable. He gets down and proposes to her again since her ring is done and she literally admits to forgetting how to breathe. When he was done he even admitted he enjoyed that more than he thought he would. Oh my god I just love this show I recommend anyone who loves a different kind of romance then you will love this I think.

[xxbonesxx1993]

"JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" S1: E1 "Dio The Invader"

*The following contains major spoilers for season one episode 1 of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.*

The first episode of the Netflix anime series, "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure", is one of the most irritating episodes of any show I have ever seen. The purpose of the entire episode is to introduce the audience to the antagonist of the series' first story arc, Dio, and to establish his rivalry with the protagonist, JoJo. The episode does an amazing and skillful job of ensuring that Dio is one of the most hated and detestable villains imaginable.

The episode very quickly reveals that its two most important characters are extremely different from one another.

Jonathan Joestar is the son of an extremely wealthy family. Despite his pampered and decadent lifestyle, JoJo appears to be a person of high moral fiber. Championing ideas such as the duty to defend those who can't fight for themselves and fighting for what's right despite the odds of success, JoJo quickly shows his noble and heroic traits.

Dio is the exact opposite of JoJo. Dio has lived a harsh life and was born into an impoverished family. Dio very quickly displays the tendencies of a bitter narcissist. Dio's most notable qualities throughout the episode are his hyperinflated ego, lack of empathy and general disdain for others, and hypercompetitiveness.

JoJo and Dio's paths cross due to an unfortunate turn of events and a grave mistake made by his father. After their carriage overturns, it wounds baby JoJo's father and kills both his mother and the driver. Dio's thieving scoundrel of a father comes upon the wreckage and starts to loot whatever he can get his hands on. JoJo's father, barely conscious, sees Dio's father and assumes he's there to rescue him and JoJo. The head of the Joestar family promises to repay Dio's father for saving them. Flash forward many years, and Dio's father is sick and dying in squalor. Before he dies, he tells Dio about the debt the Joestar family believes they owe them and tells him to take them for all they're worth.

Mere moments after arriving, Dio assaults JoJo's dog and then feigns innocence by saying he thought the dog was attacking him. This is obviously a lie, but JoJo's ever-oblivious father accepts it, and JoJo reluctantly accepts it as well, and then Dio assaults JoJo too. At this point, Dio has just barely arrived and made it into the house.

Dio assaulting JoJo's dog is likely enough to make most viewers hate him, but things only escalate from there. In the span of a single episode, Dio shoves his thumb into JoJo's eye during a boxing match, spreads rumors about JoJo, causing most of the people they know to avoid him, forced himself on JoJo's girlfriend, stealing her first kiss before slapping her, ruined JoJo's relationship with said girlfriend, pulled a knife on JoJo after losing a fair fight, and possibly the worst of all and some very strong evidence of Dio's depravity, he puts JoJo's dog in an incinerator where he is burned alive. Every one of these acts was a calculated attempt to intentionally ruin JoJo's life, as revealed through Dio's internal monologues.

There is one crime, however, that JoJo attributes to Dio that I attribute to his father, George Joestar. JoJo monologues about how Dio is contributing to the destruction of his life by turning everyone against him, including his father. The thing is that the only thing Dio did to turn JoJo's father against him was adhere to his already absurdly high standards. He favored the child who scored high on tests and displayed better table manners over the one who lacked these attributes, despite the former being evil incarnate and the latter being a kind and good-natured boy. JoJo's father proves to be extremely shallow, and it didn't appear to require much to turn him away from JoJo given his backwards values. The man also appears to walk through life in a state of complete obliviousness. In all the time that the first episode takes place, JoJo's father never once overhears one of the rumors Dio started about his son? Never once does he walk in and see the times Dio instigated something? He only catches things at a moment that seemingly incriminates JoJo? Many of these moments taken alone are understandable, but the mounting pattern of ignorance and lack of awareness by JoJo's father places some of the blame at his feet as well. He welcomed Dio the invader into his home, let him torture and destroy his son, and never once investigated JoJo's side of things. George Joestar is guilty of failing to protect his son for years. It is extremely hard to believe that that much happened for that long and he never caught on, and even so, it's still unacceptable. Wake up, George Joestar!

In a single 23-minute episode, Dio is cemented as grade 'A' scum. The character has no redeemable qualities, and his very existence is infuriating. The level of hatred Dio generates is a great credit to the episode, however. Whatever it is that a viewer detests in a human being, Dio most likely touches on it. The emotions generated in the first episode do a great job of pulling viewers into the next. The episode will cause viewers to contemplate a few burning questions: Will JoJo have his revenge? Will Dio get what he deserves? Those questions will pull many viewers straight into the next episode, and by that merit alone, the first episode of the series does exactly what a first episode should.

There are few fictional characters that I hate as much as Dio, and fewer still that have made me hate them as fast as Dio did. His character truly did much of the legwork in convincing me to watch the second episode of the series.

One more thing to note is that the episode is incredibly fast-paced. It feels as if an absurdly large chain of events happens in a very short period of time (23 minutes, including credits). Whether this is good or bad is a matter of taste, and it's up to each individual who watches the show to decide how they feel about it. At first, I felt it was a little off-putting, and it continues further into the season. It's part of the reason I stopped watching the show early on, but I am attempting to watch it again from the beginning, and so far, there's a lot that the show gets right; it's definitely worth mentioning, and I'm going to give it another shot.

"JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" is currently available on Netflix.