#could be considered a pack? maybe XD

[muffinsin]

Ooooo can we have Dani ones?💞

-picture anon📸

Awhh, some love for our baby girl! Absolutely :)

New posts; a Bela oneshot and HCs are up and below this one at my profile👀🥳

Tap for better quality

[zuzuelectricbugaloo]

You seem really knowledgeable about epictale. Could you talk about how epic!gaster is aware of us, the viewers, and how he created the remake of epictale not just to rebuild what was lost but to entertain us? Right after entry 25, he says "I do hope that this would meet their expectations" which makes it sound like he designed this new world/remake with us in mind. Do you think his goal was to keep things engaging, unlike the preboot? It almost feels like he's playing the role of a creator and a performer, making sure we aren't bored this time. What are your thoughts on this

JFSAJHF Thank you! I'm definitely not the most knowledgeable about it, but I do try to refresh myself on the canon and stick to it for the most part. I like to take what's canon and then expand on it (do I do it as well as others? No but I try xD) Pardon me, but this will be a long ramble ^v^

Just a couple examples:

Like Epic and Packs' (Epictale Papyrus - shoutout to @sirsquidsalot for the name) Eyes. It's canon that Epic had his Eye implanted into his skull whereas Packs was created with his. Gester (again shoutout to Squid with the awesome naming) admitted to having the Codes for the Eyes written for a long time, long before the skelebros' creations and before Frisk fell. Also, Packs doesn't have blasters but Sans does (they come with the Eye).

So, maybe the reason Packs's STATS are so high is because of his yellow Eye, after all, Epic's STATS drastically improved because of the Eye's implantation. Then there's how Epic's Eye always torments him because he uses it but Packs's doesn't - he's never used the Eye (until his fight with Gester before Gester killed him). Where does the Eye's power come from? I thought what better power source for it to channel than the Void, and have thought of explanations for it in a separate post all about the Void and Anti-Void.

Then there's the Epictale ramble a while back, where I thought of a HC about ghosts being considered not true monsters, and so the Epictale ghost fam (Mettaton, Napstablook, Lara/Red, MadMewMew) would be able to relate to and connect with Epic and Packs, who would also be considered fake/inferior monsters because of their artificial creations from test tubes, since monsters in Epictale are implied to reproduce similarly to humans (many jokes about it, from Epic in the past and Gester and his relationship with his human situationship Moopey)

And from that, I thought, well, if monsters were desperate to destroy the Barrier (and Epictale's Barrier was stated by Yugo to be far more powerful than the Barrier in Undertale that it was impervious to nuclear attacks from blasters) they would harvest Souls from human children, then why not sacrifice some of their own, in the name of their freedom? Ghosts possess intangibility and can go through objects. You can't tunnel out of the Underground to escape the Barrier - it encapsulates the entire Underground. The only way out, if the Barrier can't be destroyed, is through it. But mere monster Souls are not enough. And so the ghosts who were ordered to cross the Barrier by becoming intangible would dust.

I'd imagine that's why there are no new/younger ghosts, since it's only Mettaton, Blooky, Lara, and Mew Mew, all of whom have lived for centuries or "ghost years" and are implied to have been alive before the Monster-Human War. And it's why all of the ghost fam work to be productive and meaningful contributors to monster society, why they assign their worth to how productive they can be (and unintentionally pass on this harmful mindset to a young Epic)

Now, on to a shitty Dadster tied only by XGaster himself, Gester! Gester himself didn't destroy the old world of Epictale (the deleted reboot), that was the Creator of Epictale (it's the in comic stated reason that it was some entity that had destroyed the previous timeline) but he IS influencing the creation of this timeline's new story, playing the part of both maestro performer and audience.

He created Epic and Packs because he knew Frisk would fall and he could use their Soul. Epic and Packs were not only back-ups but also additional story plots to keep Readers invested. It's why in this new timeline there are new characters like Lara/Red, Mad Mew Mew.

Right after his battle with Epic, Gester possessing Frisk states how Epic couldn't tell he was performing.

Ironically enough, Gester is a performer like Epic. Gester put on a mask and assumed the identity of a character that would garner the most attention, that would make his audience captivated and interested in him.

Before their battle, Epic asked if Gester would be a hero or a villain. Gester assigned himself the role of the main antagonist. He is using the excuse of hating the corrupted of humanity's proclivity for evil and desiring their extinction as the reason for his assault on the Underground.

All lies hold a grain of truth. Gester canonically knows about alternate timelines and alternates of the core cast of the story since he remembers the events of the reboot. But doesn't know about AUs themselves in the current Epictale comic.

His knowledge of alternate timelines is also referred to in the flashback with Moopey in the Love? comic, where it's mentioned how with seven human Souls a monster could become godlike and do just about anything: create new landscapes, produce an infinite amount of resources, create another universe, etc. Moopey describes it as a miracle, and Gester agrees.

Along with confirming Gester's memory of the alternate timeline, this flashback comic pre-Monster-Human War includes how Gester laments that they couldn't prevent some monsters from being enslaved by humans. Instead of seeking humanity's destruction, he proposes to Moopey his plans of monsters intervening and saving humans from themselves by eliminating humanity's corrupt royalty, etc. He is certainly ruthless and cutthroat, admitting that he believes great bloodshed must occur for world peace but is not put off by that fact itself. He holds no moral dilemma over committing atrocities, only worries about the opposing humanity royalty/government from finding out and stopping their plans.

Yet when Gester fights Sans, and later Toriel, he claims he wants humanity extinct. He mocks Sans, mocks Toriel, who he considers his old friend and his "little princess" when she was growing up, to be fools for their belief of eventual peace. He says they've been lied to and are blind to the truth: that humanity deserves to be destroyed.

Here, Gester is performing to the max. He is making the hard call - obliterating obstacles in his path, killing the few to save the majority, to complete the true goal of peace by killing his opposition, creating an army of followers, and eliminating humanity. I believe he is parroting Moopey when he does this, repeating what were her beliefs to convincingly sell his act, that this is how he truly feels and thinks.

Perfect!Gester, with Frisk's Soul and both Eyes, now has the power to destroy the Barrier and free monsterkind. Contrariwise, he seeks to enslave the monsters of the Underground to save them, when what he'd need to save them would be to destroy the Barrier. Why continue with this grand scheme of destroying humanity? Why have these grand battles? Because, back to his self-admittance, he is putting on the best show he can to create an interesting story for the Readers.

Because he needs to sell his play. He needs it to be convincing, to be entertaining, otherwise it was all for nothing.

Gester doesn't want to have to hurt Toriel. He doesn't want to murder monsters to achieve his goals. But he feels like he must. To make his performance convincing. To play the part no one else could nor would ever want.

Why? Why is Gester hurting the ones he cares about?

Because he believes he has to.

The lines between his mask and his true self blur. Juxtaposing one another to overlapping. Using the role he'd been casted to help his species. To help monsterkind, he'd destroy the Barrier. To help his AU, to hold the attention of Creators and Readers, he'd create an interesting story for them (us) to enjoy.

He knows he will fail in his role's ultimate goal of eradicating humanity. He knows he will die, and so this all has to have been worth it. Hurting the ones he cared about, hurting Toriel, hurting his people, and becoming the very thing about humanity he hated. TO become the very thing he swore to destroy, something he never wanted and despised more than anything, what could possibly hold such devastating merit?

To Gester, the ends justify the means. He will hurt, he will kill, monsters to destroy humanity. Then he will resurrect them once humanity is gone, achieving true world peace.

I think Gester is as much of a bastard as he plays himself up to be and it's canon that the mask he wore is becoming/has become his true face. But also how must it feel, to know that if the Readers become bored or the strange entity that destroyed the previous timeline (the Creator), then his timeline will either be erased like the reboot of Epictale or discontinued. Forever trapped in limbo until their world is forgotten entirely.

To Gester, the ends justify the means, and this is both for his performance as the Big Bad, and for his choices to create an interesting story by hurting his people instead of finding other ways to help them (like only destroying the Barrier).

No one else knows this, he is alone in this burden and hides his true purpose of creating an interesting story for the Readers with the excuse of helping monsterkind. Either during his Royal Scientist days by claiming to seek ways to destroy the Barrier, to the comic's present day of enslaving the Underground and creating an army to help him destroy humanity.

He will do anything and everything he can to create this fantastic, even epic, story. Everything, from creating children, creating his sons, only to abuse them and use them as living vessels/power storage units. To tormenting his old friends and killing them. To enslaving his people and corrupting their minds, utilizing their corpses, to destroy an entire species. Claiming the creation of peace by building it with oceans of blood and death.

He is achieving and will have achieved this goal, but at the cost of forever cementing himself as the horrible villain.

[0viraptoraskblog]

What do you think the btd/tpof characters would be in something like DnD?

I remember seeing a piece gato made of Sid as a barbarian and Farz as a ranger but I'm curious about the others

Ooh, I’ll have to look for that art.

Forgive me, I love fantasy, but I never had a group to play D&D with so I never got officially into it. I might not know enough for this to be accurate, but let’s do it for fun anyways! I’ll give it my best shot:

Ren- Ren is small and fast, with quick reflexes. He’s good at being silent and sneaking around. I think in this world he could be good at utilizing those skills to help the party. I have three options for him. Rogue: for stealthy things like stealing or spying. Ranger: because he can still utilize his reflexes/animal traits, while taking a more frontline position in the party. Or Druid: due to his beastkin nature (which stems from a connection with that species, generations before him) it just seems right. He could be any of those.

Strade- Fighter. I considered barbarian, but fighter tends to lean more towards weapons than magic, right? I think even in this world he’d love to find new “tools” to use as weapons. Except in the world of D&D, he can use violence more freely. What could go wrong?

Lawrence- Druid. He’d rather be in the woods than with a group of people. I feel like his connection with nature would slowly be overused somehow (maybe using too much darker magic?) and it would start to affect him like the river does in BTD.

Sano- He already has fire and shapeshifting magic. If not just his own species (a naga), I think he’d be a sorcerer.

Akira- Ranger. Has some fighting skills as well as magic, but mainly uses a signature long-range weapon like a bow. Stealthy and deadly. (Akira is a ‘world class’ sniper, with amazing aim. I felt like this fits.)

Rire- Rire is.. himself. As a demon king of such high standing, I feel like Rire would sooner be an entity that the party encounters and fights against rather than with.

Vincent- Barbarian. His anger issues (and the urge to fight that comes with his rage) play into that a lot. There’s also that little bit of respect for the other members (or pack mates, in his case) and the urge to protect them.

Farz (BTD version)- Honestly, I could see him as either a ranger or a fighter. BTD Farz focused more on his short temper and how he quickly resorts to throwing fists, so maybe fighter better suits that version of him.

Cain- My first thought would be the same as Rire. Maybe he could be something like a paladin? He is a fallen angel, but still an angel. I think that would still link his magic with the divine? Or maybe a Monk, but a rare and supernatural one. Maybe he’s just a fallen angel.

Derek- I’m kind of drawing a blank for Derek. He likes it when people are upset, and obviously likes to hurt others. Maybe a fighter or a rogue? If a rogue, he’d probably use his abilities mainly at the expense of others, just for him to laugh at.

Celia- Actually, I’m thinking rogue- but in a non traditional way. I think she’d use her skills and manipulation for underground scandals to make her some money, or to make her enemies suddenly go missing.

Mason- Barbarian. We know he has no problem killing hordes of people, but he does still respect nature and survival of the fittest.

Take that all with a grain of salt, I only know half of what I’m talking about XD

[ranger-jahen]

Six Song Soundtrack OC Tag

I was tagged for this by @ignistigator! :] thank you so much for the tag! this took me forever because even though I have a playlist for him, I didn’t have a song to fit each of these specific bullet points right away. Cx that is NOT a complaint though, I had fun with this!! 💛

Event that defines character’s past:

“What It’s Like” - Everlast (youtube link)

They call her a killer and they call her a sinner and they call her a whore

But God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes

'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to choose

I have a complex perspective on what Jahen’s early life was like before he left Baldur’s Gate. because of his dad’s work and general lack of supervision, Jahen was exposed to some of the worst of the worst early on, but he didn’t fit in with the Undercity mindset and his family, though neglectful, also didn’t force him into it.

so in the end I think he grew up as someone who is both very worldly and also deeply kind, someone not naive to the rough side of life but also adamant on empathy when it’s possible to give it. a “that’s just the way it goes” thinker but rather than an excuse to take advantage of people, something more like a defense against judgement and hypocrisy from those who see themselves as “better” than those down on their luck.

How your character sees themself:

“Arrow” - The Head and the Heart (youtube link)

There's times I need direction

There's times I need to roam

I move station to station

I showed up here alone

I am my own arrow

I am my own home

I think if I had to choose one singular “theme song” for Jahen, it’d be this one. I actually kind of have two “versions” of the same sentiment in his playlist, the other a more somber tone but with the same ideas behind it (“The Missing Road” by Radical Face.)

ironically, I think Arrow / The Missing Road are perfect looks at his outlook between childhood and the nautiloid, so either could also work as an answer to the previous question. but I still think the tones and themes work for him as character overall, so I’m gonna keep this answer here. ^^

How others view your character:

“Turn” - The Wombats (youtube link)

I like the way your brain works, I like the way you try

To run with the wolf pack when your legs are tired

I like the way you turn me inside and out

this was the hardest one for me. xD I spend a lot of time thinking about how Jahen loves on the companions, but haven’t fully considered exactly how he’d look from their eyes other than being someone close to them. I do have a sort of “vibes” song in his playlist (“100,000 people” by Kings of Leon) for Jahen’s faith and fondness for the companions overall, that could still work if it was more about everyone’s companionship to each other including Jahen. but it doesn’t really feel like that’s in the spirit of the question.

I kind of like “Wintergreen” by the Eastpointers for someone who is Trying Their Best and has good qualities that they don’t easily see in themselves. xD but I think it’s a little too cheery in tone for this adventure and also doesn’t do anything for the more grumpy perspectives of Astarion or Lae’zel. in a similar vein, I also like “Got It In You” by BANNERS, for the idea of the companions seeing through Jahen’s attentiveness a little down to the uncertainty and loneliness underneath, but that tone feels too solemn by contrast and doesn’t capture any complexity around Jahen occasionally butting heads with them from time to time.

In the end I’m going with “Turn” because I feel like it most accurately captures the fact that there’s some Big Love there, but also the reality that Jahen tends to pull the others away from what they want, and maybe nudge them towards what they need instead. I think the song was originally intended much more combatively (given mentions of headaches and phone smashing) and much more shallowly (given the references to party music and recreational drugs xD) than I’d have liked, but hells I just don’t think I have anything else that works well here.

Their closest relationship (platonic or romantic):

“Too Sweet” - Hozier (youtube link)

You keep telling me to live right

To go to bed before the daylight

But then you wake up for the sunrise

You know you don't gotta pretend, baby, now and then

Don't you just wanna wake up, dark as a lake?

hehe xD if I’d had a song ready to go for Karlach too I’d also add it in here, because I like to emphasize important platonic relationships whenever I can. but sadly I don’t, so this one’s just for Wyll!

now this is very much a tongue in cheek vibe for Jahen towards Wyll, not a serious one! :] he doesn’t think the two of them are incompatible at all, I think he’s just amused by their differences.

for one, I like to imagine that a gloomstalker like Jahen isn’t an up-at-dawn nature lover like other rangers, and instead because he really embraces the shadows, tends to be quite the night owl. he’s also a very physical lover, and was taken aback at first (with a touch of RSD ;u;) by Wyll’s desire to “take it slow” in a romantic sense. so this song just covers all of that xD and I could very much imagine him teasing Wyll playfully along both those lines. so I love this song for them.

A major fight scene:

“Love Is Mystical” - Cold War Kids (youtube link)

'Cause I'm a red blooded man

But I can't see behind the sun

A supernatural plan

Is coming to meet me now

This is the only “big action” song I currently have in Jahen’s playlist so I’m gonna use it here. I think it fits well too, with big swelling moments and also carefully timed pauses to carry the rhythm; things I think aren’t far off the mark when it comes to Jahen’s fighting style.

I also feel like the lyrics are very fitting for the near-end of the story/plotline in the game.

End credits song:

“Steal My Soul” - The Strumbellas (youtube link)

Drowning, digging deeper, following the leader

Everyday dreamer, part-time believer

The river's getting low now, heavy is the load now

But I ain't gonna go down

Running from the devil down a dead-end road

I just think it has a good energy for Jahen and also hits on the note that, for better or worse, he stuck by his guns the whole journey and did not let anyone else’s influence tempt him into taking the easy way out for anything. xD

this is particularly true in the sense that he refused to consume a single tadpole, and he strongly opposed using the illithid powers for almost any reason; the only exceptions he ever made were either mutual connection between himself and a friend, or the one unique moment where he forced Ulder Ravengard to see the truth about Wyll’s past sacrifices.

but there’s other examples of this too. refusing Raphael’s deal, turning down Ethel’s bargain, talking Gale down from using the orb, dishonoring Orin’s “deal” in order to rescue Halsin as fast as possible, and so on and so forth. stubbornness isn’t always a good quality of course, but in Jahen’s case, it helps keep him from being deceived or swayed into darker paths for the sake of a bargain. and I think that’s something that served him very well, within the bounds of this story at least.

- - -

I’m gonna do my absolute best to tag folks that haven’t been tagged yet, but if you have already and I just missed it, I’m so sorry! xD

@rivereverie @quinthebard @the-red-drow @burnt-by-marigolds

also if you see this and haven’t been tagged yet, please consider this your invitation! :3

[teecupangel]

Related to the Velociraptor!Desmond thing: what would Jurassic Park look like? Like would Desmonds be in it?

The “Desmond becomes a Velociraptor and ‘accidentally’ made the world call velociraptors as ‘Desmonds’” idea.

I’m gonna go for the OG Jurassic Park movie for this one for no reason than I love that movie XD

Yes, ‘Desmonds’ will definitely be in it and they would be promoted to hell and back because Desmonds are the most well known ‘dinosaur’ in AC world thanks to Leonardo da Vinci’s painting titled “Desmond”.

This also sparks a lot of ‘controversy’ because Jurassic Park PR admitted they enlarged Desmonds from its cute turkey-size canon size to… well, their size in the movie. The art world is generally appalled because why would you change the size of one of the most popular and well known old world ‘animal’? For what?

PR team says it’s a way to showcase what the team in the Park can do as well as to give people a better view of the Desmonds since turkey-sized Desmonds could be considered too slow.

Of course, this turns into a huge uproar loud enough that the PR team had to fly two experts into the Park to get some good graces… at the same time Dr. Alan Grant’s grandchildren visits him.

Now, we can have an initial of two ‘guests’ for this one:

1. Keep it purely Modern Day:

The guests are Shaun Hastings, a professor who is one of the leading experts of Da Vinci’s works (not just the artworks but his journals and inventions), and his assistant who introduces himself as “Just call me Des.”

2. Make it a sorta maybe reincarnation AU:

The guests is an artist and the leading expert on Leonardo Da Vinci’s style and life, Leo, who is rumored to be Leonardo Da Vinci’s descendant and his ‘bodyguard’ Ezio Auditore.

(1) has Desmond and Shaun pretending to be art expert (Shaun would say HE IS an art expert) and assistant who are really there to check if the Templars had any hand with this. (Technically, yes? They tried to get a partnership with Grant but Grant rejected their offer but they still want the technology behind the cloning of dinosaurs)

(2) Ezio is an Assassin who has the same mission as Desmond and Shaun in idea (1) but Leo is really just his BFF who may or may not know about his Assassin affiliation.

In (1) they learn that the Desmonds have a ‘you’re one of us, our leader’ vibe when they see Desmond and Desmond has no fucking idea why this is happening to him and he is embarrassed because he’s named Desmond and the Desmonds count him as one of them.

In (2) Desmond the Desmond actually wakes up as one of the cloned Desmonds and recognize Leo and Ezio. He leads the Desmond pack in this one.

(I just realized your ask could have just been how different the movie is but instead I went off-tangent with an AC x Jurassic Park AU. Anyway, Desmonds would definitely be there but they won’t be turkey-sized and that would cause an uproar. Shaun hates the movie just because of that little thing and everyone teases him for it)

[total-drama-brainrot]

Unpopular Opinion: Island of the Slaughtered doesn't make much sense to me honestly... I don't hate it, but the serial killer wouldn't last a day after there's revealed to be one on the island... Because Chef is a psycho that probably went to war and would snap the killer like a twig... Or Chef and Chris would get guns and shoot the killer down... Also, some of the contestants are strong enough to take down wild animals... The killer wouldn't stand a chance against their combined forces... Plus in canon, Chris and Chef did try to save Gwen from a killer (and Gwen defeated the killer)! XD

Island of the Slaughtered was actually what initially drew me back in to Total Drama as a whole, which is ironic because the AU itself kind of got overshadowed by the source material for me.

I like the concept, and the execution is really good too, but I haven't really interacted with the AU at all besides following the Tiktok uploads when they dropped last year. So please excuse me if anything I say here is inaccurate.

But I'm fairly certain that a pivotal plot point of the AU itself is the fact that both Chris and Chef abandon the campers on the island at the first sign of foul play; Chef wouldn't be there to fight off the killer. And that's not exactly out of character for them either- both Chris and Chef are shown throughout canon to not care for the safety and wellbeing of the contestants, and the two of them would believably prioritise their own wellbeing over the campers' survival.

And as far as the strong contestants go, the only characters in Island who would really stand a chance against an active serial killer would be the likes of Eva, Izzy and maybe Duncan- who all survive the massacre because the killer never targets them. I don't know if that's a sign of intelligence on the killer's part or pure coincidence, but it's true nonetheless.

Courtney later shows off her physical prowess in Action, but throughout Island there's nothing to indicate that she could take on a serial killer alone. Since the AU is based in the canon of Island, she doesn't count as a "strong" camper. In the same vein, DJ is very strong, but he's also a 'gentle giant' who's hesitant to cause physical harm to anyone- he wouldn't have the courage to confront the killer.

In the AU itself, the killer works more as an ambush predator than your stereotypical "hunt and kill" murderer; the only time a contestant is ever killed is when they stray from the pack. A huge aspect of this AU is "safety in numbers", the only time someone ever dies is when they're alone and/or in a vulnerable position. This implies that the killer themself is never too far away from the cast; they're always watching, hidden in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to pick off the weakest links as they stray too far from the safety of their group.

Would it have made more sense for the group to attack the killer as a united front (allowing the likes of Eva, Izzy and Duncan to subdue/kill them in turn)? Probably. But at the end of the day, these are frightened teenagers- they're not going to think logically when they're being hunted for sport. They're going to follow the safest route of their continued survival, which in this case is remaining together as a tight knit group and waiting to be rescued from the island.

I, personally, think the plot of the AU makes a lot of sense when you consider the above factors. And, of course, because it's a Horror AU- you'd need to suspend a lot of the cartoon logic to make it somewhat believable, which includes the fact that Gwen canonically 'takes down' the real killer by insulting him. That kind of stuff wouldn't fit the tone of the IotS AU.

Not that I'm saying you have to like it. You're entitled to your opinion! This is just how I understand the AU.

[pyropsychiccollector]

Fairy Tail - Fervent Crimson Flame plotline notes

A little advanced warning. These are my notes of the plot to my Fervent Crimson Flame fic I did ages ago. (人◕ω◕) I haven't forgotten it, there's too much going on for me to complete it for the foreseeable future . I hope to get back to it one day, but I feel terrible I wrote up these plot details and haven't done anything with them for... Over a year. XD

Since I'm gonna be a while, I might as well share with my readers that are remotely interested. I know it's barebones, but it's just a plotline really. Take this as a peek into the writer's process. I map a whole lot out even off-screen. (人◕ω◕) I'll just hit you guys with everything I mapped out. Enjoy~ XD

On Day 2, Minerva and Kagura clash… Minerva wins brutally, distressing Simon, Meredy, Erza, Natsu, and their guildmates. This sets up tension between Fairy Tail and Sabertooth, with the Fairies wanting to take Minerva down especially… God Serena isn’t particularly impressed with this match, but he does concede Minerva wields whatever little power she has pretty well. But the games continue, with Yukino versus Jenny. This battle is more clear cut because Yukino has Pisces and Libra, but the important tidbits are Sting and Rogue recognizing Yukino… They ruminate how their Guildmaster kicked her out of the guild sometime ago, and while it hurts to see her join another guild so easily they are glad that she’s doing well… Mira feels bad for Jenny, and Lucy can’t believe all 12 Gold Zodiac Keys are here at the games. Cobra hears Sorano feeling conflicted about seeing Yukino out there, and urges her to go get some air if it’s too much; Sorano insists she’s fine, and watches until the end. The final match is between Richard and Bacchus, and Richard barely manages to come out on top. Even though he’s a part of an enemy team, Wally’s proud of his brother, as are Simon, Sho, and Millianna; Erza and Natsu are also impressed, knowing how tough Quatro Cerberus’s Ace is. Hydra Roots leads at 31P, Sabertooth at 28P, FT Team B at 24P, FT Team A at 20P, Mermaid Heel at 14P, Quatro Cerberus and Blue Pegasus at 13P each, and Lamia Scale dead last at 5P.

            In terms of the “main plot” of this arc, on Day 2 Arcadios still tries to arrange for Lucy to be captured. However, since there’s no one in the infirmary that could be mixed up with Lucy, the would-be kidnappers attempt to lure her out from the stands, away from her guildmates. Evergreen and Bickslow intercept the thugs, and send them packing. Arcadios is still pissed at the failure to secure Lucy, but he’s thrilled at Yukino, a second Celestial Wizard, surfacing.

          �� At night, Yukino can’t take it anymore and approaches Sorano who went out for some air before curfew. Sorano isn’t quite ready for this reunion, not feeling worthy of it yet – denying that she’s the sister of someone so strong that’s in a respectable guild like Mermaid Heel… Yukino keeps insisting, however, and she’s hurt that Sorano is rejecting her like this, after all they’ve been through… But Sorano promises if the games go well, then maybe… she can consider calling Yukino a friend. Elsewhere, Cobra approaches Warrod about a Fairy Tail member named Kinana… He just can’t get that girl out of his head, no matter how hard he tries. Warrod himself is not privy to that particular information, or at least that name… But when Cobra describes her, Warrod muses how he saw that girl in the audience. He also points out that girl has a powerful curse cast on her… one that has, for now, been suppressed. But if it does ever resurface… the girl may transform. Cobra doesn’t know what to make of that vague information, but he begins forming a theory… And if it’s true, he won’t be happy. … He needs to talk with Makarov, but not tonight.

            Natsu REALLY wants to get payback for Kagura that night, going so far as to storm Sabertooth’s inn… But Erza and Makarov keep him in check. They can’t afford to risk their place in the games, let alone Natsu’s position as a Wizard Saint – Natsu rebuts that his title doesn’t matter if he can’t protect his friends… But Simon assures the Dragon Slayer that Kagura will be fine. Losing is never easy, and Kagura will want to avenge herself; but he’s confident that Kagura will come back stronger from this. Of course Simon isn’t happy with Minerva’s way of battling… But this is the Grand Magic Games. In the end, it stayed a fair competition. They should keep that same spirit, and Simon volunteers to take his sister’s place the next day to let her recuperate. Makarov is proud of Simon’s wisdom and good will; he himself would like nothing more than to stomp Jiemma right this moment… But they do need to keep cool heads. There was still three days to catch up to Sabertooth and Hydra Roots and win. Wally, Sho, and Millianna are worried about Kagura and how she’ll take her brother stepping up in her place… But Erza says to have faith. Kagura is strong. Natsu goes for a brief walk to clear his head, and runs into God Serena, who’s proud of his performance thus far… But he does encourage Natsu to pursue those vengeful feelings; if Natsu deems that Sabertooth should be crushed, he should put his all into it. Natsu’s grateful for Serena’s support… But he admits he’s not the kind to ruthlessly crush a whole guild, no matter how angry he is. His main targets are Minerva and her dad. Serena privately ruminates on Natsu’s reserved stance, and they part ways, with Natsu returning to his family and Serena contemplating his own future. What he should do.

            On Day 3, Lahar is the next guest commentator. The game of the day is Pandemonium, and Richard, Ultear, Erza, Nobarly, Orga, Flare, Hibiki, and Jura all step up to participate for this one. Erza draws the straw to take on the challenge first, and she chooses to fight all 100 monsters. Erza wins the game, and the rest have to use the Power Finder to determine their rankings. Jura gets second place, Orga third, Richard fourth, Ultear fifth, Flare sixth, Hibiki seventh, and Nobarly eighth.

            With Pandemonium behind them, they move onto the matches. The first features Flare versus Semmes, with Mermaid Heel winning that match. Lucy, Gajeel, and Levy reminisce about the former Raven Tail member, and how they’re glad she’s doing good these days… The second match is Lyon versus Racer – and while it seems like Racer has this one in the bag, Lyon manages to keep him off-balance long enough to take him down, earning a victory for Lamia Scale. Rusty and Cobra are annoyed with Racer’s loss, but it’s nothing they can’t come back from. Gray and Ultear are proud of Lyon, even if he is a rival… The third match is Gajeel versus Rufus. Gajeel manages to get a few good hits in, and seems to take Rufus’s blows well enough… But Rufus pulls out that potent lightning spell, which manages to defeat the Iron Dragon Slayer; this leaves Rogue feeling conflicted about his idol. On the one hand, of course he’s proud his guildmate won. But for Gajeel to lose… It leaves Rogue wondering if he should even bother testing himself against the former Phantom Lord Ace. Fairy Tail’s ire towards Sabertooth grows with this match, but it wasn’t as terrible as Minerva’s victory yesterday. Levy, Lucy, Jet, and Droy are concerned about Gajeel, but know that he’ll bounce back from this. The final match is Cana versus Ichiya… Which Cana handily wins with Fairy Glitter, which Mavis lent to her. Sabertooth is in the lead at 44P, but FT Team A is catching up quick at 40P. Hydra Roots is third at 35P, FT Team B fourth at 27P, Mermaid Heel at 26P, Lamia Scale at 23P, Blue Pegasus at 14P, and Quatro Cerberus at 13P.

            On the third night, Mavis is in a good enough mood to allow Fairy Tail to celebrate at a water park nearby, Ryuzetsu Land. A few people from other guilds show up – Azuma, Richard, Sorano, Yukino, Flare and their guildmates, Blue Pegasus, Lyon and Chelia… Wendy and Chelia hit it off, having not properly met up until now. Natsu and Erza relax with their kids, as well as Simon, Kagura, Millianna, Sho, Wally, and Richard. Yukino keeps trying to get her sister to open up more; and Sorano does relax a little since they’re at a water park and she has the excuse to wear a bikini… Though she’s still somewhat aloof with Yukino. Mira and Freed relax as a married couple. Levy and Gajeel hangout with Team Shadow Gear. Evergreen and Elfman are still shy about their relationship being public. Meredy and Ultear hang around Azuma the most, wanting to get a feel of where his head’s at – Laxus lounges nearby to keep an eye on him. Mavis is convinced that with one more day they could surpass Sabertooth – at least Team A can. Team B needs to play catchup… Kinana gets approached by Cobra, who is growing more and more certain about his theory regarding her identity… Elsewhere, Sting is certain that tomorrow is the day he gets to fight Natsu; Lecter is pumped up, but Rogue is still bitter about Gajeel’s defeat. Flashback to Anna and Zeref talking about the Eclipse Gate, how it was “recently” used and someone had come through… Zeref refuses to have any part in resolving this issue, but he urges Anna to take great care not to endanger his brother or his family… Zeref still needs Natsu to fulfill his “duty”, and Anna in turn reminds Zeref of their plan to kill Acnologia. Zeref bitterly goes silent before departing.

            On Day 4, the game of the day is Naval Battle. Cana, Sorano, Minerva, Juvia, Sherria, Yukino, Rocker, and Jenny all participate. It’s a game where they swim around in an orb of water and knock each other outside of it. Sorano is the first to be taken out when she brashly goes to defend Yukino from Minerva, who’s angry at her former guildmate for showing her face. The next ones to get knocked out are Rocker and Jenny. Cana is targeted by Minerva who’s on the warpath, and thus Cana gets knocked out. Juvia knocks out Yukino and Chelia. And Minerva knocks out Juvia being the last woman standing. Naturally, Minerva does this in a ruthless manner that leaves Juvia badly injured. Natsu, Gray, Kagura, and Gajeel all go to rush Minerva when the match is called, but Minerva is defended by her guildmates while Erza and Laxus get their friends to pack it in. Erza informs Sabertooth she doesn’t care who gets the tile of #1 Guild in Fiore – Sabertooth made a mistake of making enemies of Fairy Tail.

            With that tense standoff, the day progresses to the matches. Ichiya and Nichiya faceoff against Rocker and Bacchus, with Blue Pegasus winning the round. Yukino and Flare face Lyon and Yuka, with Mermaid Heel winning the round. Cobra and Richard face Laxus and Gajeel, with the two teams ending in a stalemate, both teams earning 5P. The final match is one that Fairy Tail has been waiting for… Natsu and Gray versus Sting and Rogue. Despite how Natsu and Gray are usually at each other’s throats, they agree that Sabertooth is the priority here and they NEED to be taken down… hard. They set aside their own rivalry for this. and knowing how Juvia is one of Gray’s closest friends… He lets Gray stay in the match to do his part. Rogue is bitter that he doesn’t get to fight Gajeel, and tries taking his frustrations out on Gray… But the “Ice Prince” easily keeps up even with Rogue using Dragon Force. Sting can’t believe how tough Natsu is on his own, and Natsu tries keeping his anger in check… But Sabertooth has been brutalizing his friends too many times, so he does go overboard in his beatdown on Sting, which affects Sting on a personal level… Sting and Rogue bounce back to try and take Fairy Tail down with a Unison Raid, but Natsu manages to counter the attack at the last moment and blasts them back; Gray lands the finishing blows while they’re disoriented. This ends with Sabertooth barely first at 54P, FT Team A second at 53P, FT Team B, Mermaid Heel, and Hydra Roots all tied for third at 40P, Lamia Scale at 29P, Blue Pegasus at 26P, and Quatro Cerberus at 14P. Although Sabertooth is still the reigning champs, they’re unnerved at Fairy Tail breathing down their necks… And they’re rather pissed off. Not to mention, Sting and Rogue losing does get Minerva and Jiemma in a foul mood as well.

            It’s announced that the next day would be a break day, and the day after would be the conclusion of the Grand Magic Games – which merely features an all-out battle between the seven guilds left in the competition. Fairy Tail is forced to drop to one team to make things fair for the final event. They’re allowed to deliberate on the matter and keep it a secret who will be competing until the last moment in exchange, however. Down in the arena, Natsu has cooled down quite a bit, as has Gray; both of them realizing their real target is Minerva, and Sting and Rogue didn’t deserve all that fury. They apologize wholeheartedly, and Sting and Rogue are left… conflicted about it all. Their opponents were willing to give their all in one final rematch, and though Sabertooth was leading by 1P they wonder if they have it in them to declare a war on Fairy Tail. A guild that has so much reason to win… A guild of friends and family. Sting and Rogue do want to settle the score… But they also don’t want to be ruthless like Minerva and Jiemma.

            Later that evening, Ultear manages to track down Anna, and learns about the Eclipse Plan and the Dragon King Festival. Despite knowing who seems to want Lucy, Yukino, and Sorano, Ultear refuses to allow Natsu’s friends to be taken for this project. Anna is disappointed with Ultear’s refusal to work together, but nonetheless understands Fairy Tail is a spirited guild. Ultear is unaware that Anna and the King, and Hisui’s plots diverge somewhat. She’s unaware of Future Rogue manipulating the Princess, the same with Anna.

            Jiemma scolds Sting and Rogue for doing so pitifully in the games, and is about to expel them like Yukino long ago… But then Lecter tries to speak up in their defense, and Jiemma seemingly kills him in a rage. Sting is left wailing over Lecter, and Jiemma is about to scold him again when Sting blasts him through the chest and takes the Guildmaster down. The guild is shocked except for Minerva, who is pleased at the show of strength. She commits a coup, urging Sting to consider taking up the position of Guildmaster since he was able to take down their previous one; and reveals that she saved Lecter before annihilation. Sting wants his friend back, but Minerva refuses, ordering Sting to help them win Day 5’s events to show they are still the #1 Guild in Fiore.

            Curious about the tunnels beneath Domus Flau, Team Crimson Flame, Gray, Lucy, Gajeel, Levy, Mira, Millianna, Wally, and Richard go to scope them out. They find a dragon graveyard down there, and Wendy uses the Milky Way spell to channel any dragon spirits remaining. She channels Zirconis, who tells them about the dragons’ history and Acnologia especially. Arcadios appears, correcting the knowledge a little of what Zirconis passes on, highlighting that Zeref helped make Acnologia unstoppable. The knight has brought Yukino and Sorano with him, having approached them to ask for their assistance in opening the Eclipse Gate; Lucy has the other eight keys to open it. He guides them there to explain that the plan is to open the gate to travel to 400 years ago, before Zeref gains immortality and kill him. Without Zeref, Acnologia wouldn’t be a problem… or at least that’s the hope. Darton arrives with the royal guard and has Arcadios and Lucy arrested because the plan is too risky (they can’t afford to change history); Yukino and Sorano had both slipped out while everyone wasn’t looking (Yukino tried to stay behind, but Sorano didn’t want her sister wrapped up in this conspiracy nonsense; she needed to focus on the games, and lead a peaceful life. Sorano herself couldn’t afford to get wrapped up in a conspiracy as she was on probation with Warrod). Fairy Tail tries to get Lucy back, but Darton informs them that the King has taken a liking to their guild – if they can win the games on Day 5, then they can have an audience with the King and petition for Lucy’s freedom.

            The members of Fairy Tail return to the inn and explain the situation too the others. They don’t trust Darton to keep his word if they win; they need to save Lucy, but they can’t afford to act recklessly given who their enemy is this time. Natsu’s ready to go back to the castle and just take her back, not holding back this time… But Makarov stops him. Mavis proposes a two-pronged strike tomorrow… And Natsu gets onboard with the plan, as does everyone else.

            On the final day of the games, Chapati announces the final event is the Grand Magic War Games, an all-out battle amongst the seven guilds left in the competition. He calls them out one by one – Quatro Cerberus, Bacchus, Rocker, Jager, Nobarly, Semmes (14P). Blue Pegasus: Ichiya, Jenny, Hibiki, Ren, Eve (26P). Lamia Scale: Jura, Lyon, Chelia, Yuka, Toby (29P). Hydra Roots: Midnight, Cobra, Rusty Rose, Racer, Azuma (40P). Mermaid Heel: Yukino, Flare, Beth, Arana, Risley (40P). Fairy Tail: Natsu, Erza, Gray, Laxus, and Gajeel (53P). Sabertooth: Minerva, Sting, Rogue, Orga, Rufus (54P). The crowds are excited with these lineups, and it’s not a huge shocker who Fairy Tail went with for this final event; they’re certainly five of the strongest, if not THE strongest that their guild has to offer. Unknown to the audience, announcers, and the royal guard, Fairy Tail has assembled a small task force to storm the castle and take back Lucy by force. This group consists of Mira, Simon, Wally, Millianna, Sho, Kagura, Wendy, Ultear, and Meredy. Wishing to help his friends in Fairy Tail, Warrod has dispatched Sorano and Richard to help them; the former having confessed to ditching Fairy Tail at the castle last night, and feeling contrite about it; the latter was already raring to go because Wally was stepping up to save Lucy. They all wish their friends good luck… although they’re pretty sure Natsu and co. can win with little trouble.

            Soon enough, the tournament begins with all the guilds moving out except for Fairy Tail, whose five members remain standing in their original spot for a period of time, throwing both the audience and their rivals off-balance. Nobarly encounters Yuka and Toby, and they duke it out for a little bit… And then Racer blazes in, defeating all three of them in the blink of an eye, earning 3P for Hydra Roots (43P). Jura handily knocks out Ichiya, earning Lamia Scale 5P (34P). Cobra encounters the Trimens, and defeats them all, earning Hydra Roots 3P (46P). Rufus makes a move to knock out Fairy Tail in one fell swoop, but all five of them dodge (or in Laxus’s case, absorbs the attack). This throws Rufus into disarray, and Gray goes to take him down while his teammates go their own ways – Natsu in particular goes into hiding. After a rigorous battle, Gray kicks Rufus’s ass, earning Fairy Tail 1P (54P). Erza encounters Jenny, the last member of Blue Pegasus standing, and easily beats her, earning 1P for Fairy Tail (55P). Erza continues on until she finds Rusty Rose battling Arana and Beth; the girls get distracted by Erza showing up, and Rusty takes that opportunity to defeat them both, getting 2P for Hydra Roots (48P). However, his battle with Erza ends with his defeat, earning Fairy Tail 1P (56P). Minerva finds Risley and defeats her, earning 1P for Sabertooth (55P). Orga takes down Semmes and Jager, earning 2P for Sabertooth (57P). Bacchus is tired of losing, and plans to go all-out in this tournament, but Cobra takes him down, earning 5P for Hydra Roots (53P). Gajeel and Rogue square off, and Gajeel defeats him even with Future Rogue interfering, earning Fairy Tail 1P (57P). Sting takes out Rocker, the last remaining member of Quatro Cerberus, earning 1P for Sabertooth (58P). Erza comes across Minerva, who intends to use Erza to drag out Natsu and make him forfeit…

But Erza is in a foul mood after what Minerva has done to Juvia and Kagura, and intends on beating her like a drum. Erza proceeds to make good on her promise, getting Minerva quite scared at the prospects of losing… However, just as Minerva is about to get dealt the final blow, Azuma hits her with an explosion and knocks her out, earning Hydra Roots 5P (58P). This puts Erza in an unfortunate position, because despite the front she’s put up Rusty and Minerva have both worn her down somewhat. She’s confident that she can defeat Azuma, and she manages to… But he wears her down even more, and even manages to grievously injure her leg. Erza wins 1P for Fairy Tail, but at a cost (58P). Laxus and Orga square off, with Laxus pulling out a win and earning 1P for Fairy Tail (59P). Lyon and Chelia faceoff against Yukino and Flare, with Mermaid Heel knocking out Chelia for 1P (41P), but then Lyon defeated them both and knocked Mermaid Heel out of the competition and got 6P for Lamia Scale (40P). Racer moves in to take out the haggard Lyon, but Gray swoops in to make it a triangle battle; Lyon refuses to thank Gray… but he’s happy that they have a chance to see who’s stronger between them. Racer manages to beat Lyon anyway, earning Hydra Roots 1P (59P), and Gray takes him out, earning Fairy Tail 1P (60P). Laxus comes up against Jura next, and barely manages to pull out the win, earning Fairy Tail 5P (65P). Sting takes down Gray in his weakened state, earning 1P for Sabertooth (59P). Midnight comes across Gajeel next and defeats him, earning 1P for Hydra Roots (60P). Midnight then moves in to take out the weakened Erza, but Sting gets the drop on both of them and gets Sabertooth 6P (65P). Cobra takes down the weakened Laxus and gets 1P for Hydra Roots (61P). This leaves three combatants left standing – Sting, Cobra, and Natsu. Fairy Tail and Sabertooth are tied for first place, but Hydra Roots can get a come from behind victory if Cobra takes out both Natsu and Sting. It’s literally anyone’s game… and they’re all motivated to win. Just as Cobra moves in to take Sting out to make it less complicated, Natsu swoops in to make it that three-way bout, revealing it was Fairy Tail’s strategy to save him for last in case the others fell… And he wasn’t about to let Fairy Tail lose. Not today. Cobra needed to beat two opponents; Natsu needed to beat two opponents; Sting just needed to beat Cobra and the result could be a draw between Sabertooth and Fairy Tail. The Dragon Slayers go at it… But in the end, with Natsu’s full strength intact, he managed to defeat Cobra and Sting in one final attack. This earns Fairy Tail 2P (67P), winning the Grand Magic Games.   

[ohallthecrushes]

You're a storm in a teacup and I'm starting to like the chaos.

I've been written this story since the last episode of Criminal minds Evolution that I've seen, which was...around one year ago. And this is so far the longest story I've ever written. Damn. I'm impressed by my own hyperfixation on this. xd I've never published it anyway, cause honestly, it was for my own amusement. Kind of self-inserted main character, you know. But since I've almost lost the whole story, I've decided to put it here to make it immortal. Who knows, maybe there are fans of CME that will find this story interesting (or sick, or both, hopefully both) and who love Elias Voit as a character (I don't recommend falling in love with someone like him!)

Without further ado!

Summary: Evelyn is a young-troubled woman who's just escaped a highly guarded psych ward (twice, but this time causing havoc on her way out)

Now she's running through the city, hiding from police. A not-so-accidental encounter with a man named Elias Voit will change her life forever. And she'll change his. His seemingly selfless help is laced with danger, hidden agenda, manipulation, endless tension, and...love? Slow burning inteligent-idiots-in-love trope. But mind you, just because it's a love story, doesn't mean it ends well.

General warnings throughout the story: Manipulation, illegal activities, murder(s), Stockholm syndrome, kidnapping, explicit content, language... The whole pack. It's Criminal minds after all.

In this episode: 🎶Should I stay or should I go now?🎶 Elias starts messing with her head, manipulating her into thinking he's her best option to survive. Plus a little bit of smug flirtation on his side.

Her brows furrowed in a mixture of anger and defiance. Couldn't he give her a break? She met his gaze. "You're kidding."

A smirk played on Elias' lips as he watched the play of emotions on her face. Her initial surprise quickly turned into a defiance. He'd known she'd consider escape, that a chance of freedom would be too hard to resist. Gaining her trust was proving more challenging than he'd anticipated. She had a rebellious nature, it was clear to see. And that could be a big problem if he didn't find a way to keep it at bay...

"Look, I've put some effort into finding you, not for you to run away immediately. I need a quick rest and I need to be sure that you'll be here when I open my eyes."

Yet, the way her eyes narrowed, the way she crossed her arms in a protest, held a perverse kind of fascination for him. That rebellious spirit, that flame that refused to be extinguished... She challenged him from the beginning, refusing to submit to him. He liked that.

"Stubborn," he drawled, his voice laced with amusement. "Just like I predicted." He extended the handcuffs towards her, the metal made a soft clank sound. "Come on, Snow White. Let's not make this any harder than it needs to be."

She looked at him with her chin up. She wouldn't agree to be cuffed. not unless he forced her with his gun...but that would be a contradiction to what he'd said to her earlier and he wouldn't sound very trustworthy now. She gulped, either way she hoped the gun wouldn't be the extension of his persuasion.

He smirked, he knew she wouldn't go for it willingly. She wasn't the type to be easily subdued. But unlike the naive doctors and clueless police, Elias understood her. Much better than she understood herself.

He tossed the handcuffs onto the table with a nonchalant shrug. "Alright, alright," he conceded, feigning exasperation. "You win. No cuffs. But don't think for a second that we're done talking." His voice softened, but there was a warning in his eyes. "You're more than capable of taking care of yourself, that much is clear, but you're not making it easier for yourself by being blindly unruly."

Even though it looked like a backing down, he knew exactly what he was doing. It was a risk though, offering her a choice, the illusion of a choice to be honest, but it should appease her need for rebellion.

She stared at him as she analyzed his behavior, her gaze unwavering. The absence of force, the offer of a choice, was quite unexpected. Was he manipulating her decision? Trying to lull her into a false sense of security?

"I'm not blindly unruly, Elias," she finally said. "I'm just not a fool."

"Fine." He says as he shrugged. "And not a fan of playing with handcuffs, get it. Maybe some other time."

She rolled her eyes at him and watched him settled down on a worn-out sofa.

He looked at her one last time before lying down. He wasn't naive enough to believe she'd decide to stay, but he trusted his instincts. He stretched out, feigning exhaustion. Or maybe not feigning, he did feel tired. A little shut-eye wouldn't hurt.

She locked her eyes on him, watching him with a steady gaze. He sighed heavily before he spoke.

"Your eyes are piercing through me. Keep staring at me like that and I'll really think you have a thing for me."

"You wish." She said as she looked away.

She was contemplating ugly wallpaper and a couple of spiderwebs for some time until she heard soft snores. Ah, finally. She smirked as she slowly stood up and crept closer to the sofa. Her eyes watching the steady movements of his chest, her mind focused of one mission – the car keys.

As she stood above him, making sure he indeed had fallen asleep, she carefully extended her hand. Her fingers slid inside his pocket. She basically prayed for him not to wake up right now. She didn't want to hear another suggestive comment about putting her hand into his pocket. Really slowly she pulled out the glinting metal – the car keys. Freedom was suddenly within her reach.

But as she held the keys, a mischievous idea crept into her mind. The gun. The ever-present symbol of power tucked into his waistband. What if she stole it too?

Her hand hovered, fingers inches away from the weapon. The thrill, the potential for control, was tempting. But she hesitated and shook her head. Better not to push her luck. Elias wouldn't be easily disarmed, even in his sleep. That would be a stupid move.

She carefully backed away from him and slipped back across the room. She had what she needed. A manic grin stretched across her face as she left quietly. The car was outside as if waiting for her return.

Sliding behind the wheel, a wave of excitement washed over her. She'd done it. Escaped once again. She could now drive away, leave Elias behind and disappear into the night.

But as she turned the key in the ignition and gripped the wheel, a strange disquiet settled in her stomach. The thrill began to recede, replaced by an unsettling doubt. Why the hesitation? Her escape had been flawlessly executed. This was what she wanted, right?

Yes, there was a twinge of guilt for lying to him. But that alone shouldn't be enough to hold her back from running away, right?

She paused. What if he was right? Did she really have better chances to survive alone than with him? The engine humming softly beneath her as she felt torn between two conflicting desires. Part of her wanted to hit the gas and run away, But another part of her hesitated, unsure whether she truly had the strength to face the future alone.

Loneliness, the chilling spectre of isolation, might prove to be a more terrifying monster than Elias himself.

Speaking of Elias... He cracked open one eye, then the other, the scene before him confirming his suspicions. Evelyn was gone.

Surprise? No. Disappointment? Not a flicker. It was as predictable. She was a creature of flight, she relied on her ability to escape more than anything else. He knew that this wouldn't be her last escape attempt to flee from him. But that was aright. He was experience with runaways and confident in his ability to track her down if necessary.

A low chuckle escaped his lips as the rumble of a car engine reached his ears. He rose smoothly and padded towards the front door. Stepping out onto the rain-slicked porch, he found her just as he imagined – sitting inside the car, engine purring, but not moving. Maybe she was finally beginning to realize that he was her only hope. That she needed him whether she liked it or not.

He approached the car calmly and smirked as he saw the look of annoyance on her face. He knew that she was annoyed that he was right and angry at herself for staying.

He leaned against the car door and looked at her through the open window. "Having second thought, Snow White?" he didn't even try to hide amusement.

"Don't flatter yourself" She glared at him. "I'm just thinking."

"Thinking is good. It means you're considering your options." he nodded, his voice softening a touch "we both know you won't last long out there. You're a rabbit, not a fox. But I…" He paused. "I can offer you safety, understanding and a chance to catch your breath. And what do you have to lose to stay with me?"

Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel, her mind racing. He saw the flicker of doubt in her eyes. He made a compelling argument as much as she hated to admit it.

She met his gaze, her eyes still filled with defiance. "Fine." she said grudgingly. "But if you try to pull anything, I'm gone. Got it?"

He nodded, a satisfied smile spread across his face. "Got it. Now, let's get out of here before the old man wakes up."

Elias knew he had won this round, but it was far from over. Defeated, she wasn't. Just… offended. He watched her climb out of the car. She marched around the car with a stiff back, then slid into the passenger seat, the very picture of resentment.

As they drove on, the first rays of dawn painted the sky with streaks of pink and orange. Evelyn remained silent, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. He stole a glance at her. This silence, this charged tension, was both irritating and boring to him. He thrived on engagement, on the push and pull of conversation.

"So," he began, feigning nonchalance, "what's the plan, Miss Thorne? Hold your breath until you pass out, or grace me with the music of your voice?"

It was a deliberate attempt to provoke her and to his amusement, it worked.

"Oh, believe me, Elias," she spat, her voice laced with ice, "you'd be begging for silence if you knew the symphony my thoughts are composing for you right now."

He laughed. "There you are!" he exclaimed, a hint of relief lacing his voice. "I was starting to think you were a malfunctioning robot. You don't have to be silent, you know. Conversation can be therapeutic."

She rolled her eyes. "Therapeutic? Coming from you, that's rich."

He chuckled. "Fair point. But seriously, you can talk to me. I'm not the enemy here."

She raised her brows, skepticism clear in her expression. "Right. Because making me break into a house and then threatening to handcuff me screams friendly."

he shrugged, a grin tugged his lips. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides I think we make a pretty good team. Don't you?"

Despite herself, a tiny unwilling smile played on her lips. The tension hadn't abated, but at least it was crackling with something other than pure hostility. "You think we're team?"

"We're getting there." he said lightly "Every good partnership starts with a bit of friction. Keeps things interesting." He leaned back at his seat, satisfied. The silence was broken and he felt confident that he was getting through to her, bit by bit.

The sun continued to rise, bathing the world in a golden light. she watched the scenery for a moment before she asked him a question that had been gnawing at her.

"How exactly do you see our partnership?"

He glanced at her, a smile playing on his lips. "I thought you'd never ask," he said, his tone light. "Picture this: a network, a web of individuals all working together, orchestrated by someone with vision. Someone like me. I see your abilities, your cunning, your resourcefulness fitting perfectly into this web. You'd be an asset."

"An asset." she repeated, her voice dripping with skepticism. "To what exactly?"

He was careful not to divulge too much. "Think of it as a highly organized group. We're efficient, strategic, and always one step ahead. With your skills, you could be part of something... bigger."

Her eyes narrowed. "So, you're some kind of mastermind?"

He chuckled. "Something like that. But it's not just about power or control. It's about survival, about thriving in a world that doesn't understand people like us."

She didn't buy it, but she couldn't entirely dismiss it either. Elias had already proven his capability and cunning. Was he delusional? It was hard to say. But underestimating him would be a fool's game.

"I’m not agreeing to anything." she finally said, her voice low and steady.

He didn't seem deterred. In fact, he looked almost amused. "That's fine, Snow White," he said, the nickname rolling off his tongue with a playful lilt.

She bristled. "Don't call me that."

He smirked. He liked that she was engaging with him, even if it was out of annoyance. "Why not? It suits you. Pale skin, dark hair... a mysterious allure."

Heat rose to her cheeks, a mix of annoyance and… flattering. He was deliberately getting under her skin, and for some inexplicable reason, it wasn't entirely unpleasant.

"Fine," she snapped, her voice tight. "But don't expect me to play your little fairytale princess."

A slow, predatory smile spread across Elias' face. He knew she wouldn't.

[c0rrupt3dbeingwhichbites]

CHAPTER 1: run the track, more than once.

—————

System woke up, their head pounding..not surprising considering they live in an alley with 2 pillows and like…idk 10 blankets?? That was definitely a unhealthy way to live, but never mind that, they needed to stop by the gym, to shower, charge their phone, headphones etc..they didn’t have a membership, which was definitely gonna get them in trouble, but who cares? Not them of course. they grabbed their phone, headphones, and skate board..and stared back to their pillows and blankets before packing them into their gym bag, they had to move alleys anyways, they then rode over to the gym..

—————

AT THE GYM

The soft hum of the air conditioning was like physical torture to them, being slightly annoyed by being forced to move, they set their gym bag into the locker in the locker room, and changed into a tank top and gym shorts, “I should probably stop by the laundromat on my way to my new alley way home..whatever I’ll fucking call it.”

—————

Their husky tone echoing slightly, god they were fucking tired of this life style..but they have not much money, or a choice..the soft foot steps of their tennis shoes echoed through the gym, the soft foot steps of their shoes echoed over to the treadmills as they walked over and started walking on it till their bones disintegrated. the song they were listening to through their headphones lyrics echoed in their head ‘hold in tight to this time this place and everything you know will be erased.’

“Like how I lost everything? Hm.” They said staring at this post on their phone, it was an instagram post..tagged ‘got a boyfriend!! Sorry for you homeless bitches @ IHATEEVERYONE, maybe lose some weight hon. XD’ “wait..THATS MY FUCKING ACC.” they slightly yelled.

if only their day got worse..they got off the treadmill, and then they walked to the showers, they plugged their phone in and grabbed the slightly cold feeling towel they had in their gym bag. they set it by their phone, and started the water..

AFTER THEIR SHOWER

After dried their hands, they picked their phone up and texted their old bf..

[HEY CORAL, UH COULD I CRASH AT YOUR HOUSE FOR THE NIGHT?]

—————

THE END

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!

[executables-sims]

Get to know you: Sims Style

Thank you so much for the tag, @goatskickin! :D I am ill rn, so please excuse the rambling. x) Long post ahead!

What’s your favorite Sims death? Maybe fright? I've only ever had it happen once via ghost, the anim is pretty funny. :)

Alpha CC or Maxis Match? My Simblr probably says otherwise, but I don’t have a preference! I’ve had nearly every possible CC style under the sun throughout my years of playing, and I constantly think about reviving my 'semi-realism' folder (living vicariously through you, other simmers!). I didn't play with CC until early 2006 though, so MM is a little bit more nostalgic. :)

Do you cheat your sims weight? Hell no! I'm still in awe of Nysha's townie body diversity mod finally letting townies be fat. :D I wish the game had a better way of managing bodyshapes so I could add more variety that way.

Do you move objects? Of course!

Favorite Mod? Of all time? Impossible! My continued interest in gameplay is always because of new mods. :)

I did gain a new outlook thanks to a mod recently, though! My wild romance sim Blaze Biermann ended up 'mood swinging' to fortune before he went to uni, and instead of reverting, it got stuck.

He had a few flings still (pleasure secondary), but after he returned home and met his daughter (for the first time since her birth), he started cringing whenever I directed him to romance his dates. It felt like he had grown as a person, and I loved it!

TL;DR: Randomly change your sims' original aspiration/s to give them interesting character arcs! First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack? I mean, not my decision, but our first TS1 EP was Hot Date. I'm pretty sure I got TS2 EPs/SPs in order of release (miss those days of unwrapping a new one every birthday/christmas!).

Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing? We're LIVE, baby! 🎥

Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? I don't usually get very attached to my first-generation sims, but maybe Evonne Milos, from the gameplay/story hood I accidentally destroyed in four days? Never actually played her, but I had a lot of ideas for a corrupt 'sexpot' politician. x)

Have you made a simself? Lots! 99% of the fun I had playing TS2 as a kid was me and my best friend making ourselves and our respective crushes of the week, and we'd always live in one of those Veronaville lots that was two houses connected by a balcony. I can't even tell you the amount of times she got me pregnant against my wishes whilst I went to the bathroom, lmao.

Which is your favorite EA hair color? For colour consistency, probably brown? But there are a lot of brunettes in Brunwick (must be the name!), so I enjoy the recessives popping up in gameplay. :)

Favorite EA hair? Does an EA download count? Jeanette is lovely.

Favorite life stage? Ohhh dude, that's so difficult to answer. They all bring different challenges and dynamics to the household! I feel like I've started to appreciate the child lifestage more since Brunwick has grown large enough to have multiple friendship groups. It's fun watching them goof around with each other and be actual kids, instead of sitting indoors skilling. I really need to build a park! :)

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?

Are you a CC creator? Yes, I really love how this game has led me to so many creative hobbies! Would like to tackle BHAVs one day. :)

Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad? Yeah! I consider us all friends over our shared enjoyment of the game really, but as a chronic lurker I'm not the best at cultivating connections. x) Does anyone wanna make a secret club? xD

Do you have any sims merch? No, but I do have a bunch of rad sims memories. 👉😎👉

Do you have a YouTube for sims? Nope, but I watched plenty of sim music videos back in the day! Found a lot of songs that way. :) Some formative memories here: One / Two

How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing? I sadly don't have screenshots of my oldest saves thanks to a combo of no external HD and no screenshot program, but here's one example:

But gameplay-wise, a lot! My early years were probably based around creating stories more than actively playing, but when I did I would just emulate perfect families, attempt legacies, and restart BG hoods over and over. x)

Now I'm all about wants-based gameplay; witnessing and interpreting a story, as opposed to creating one from scratch. But I will add drama if I find my interest waning! x)

Who’s your favorite CC creator? Again, super-duper impossible to answer because everyone's CC makes the game fun, but my most recent CC shopping spree was Honeywell and HugeLunatic! :) 🛒

How long have you had Simblr? Technically 2011, officially 2013, but if we're being pedantic, I finally made a dedicated Simblr (this) in 2016. x)

How do you edit your pictures? These days, just sharpen and shrink! CC previews aren't too complicated either- a blurred out screenshot for the BG and a shadow.

What expansion/gamepack is your favorite? Ooh… maybe Nightlife, by a smidgen? I feel like it gave us a lot of new features and items, and the subhood was nice (as a non-builder at the time!).

Tagging: @daman19942 @aondaneedles @eulaliasims @profesionalpartyguest @tvickiesims @and everyone else, I love reading these! :D

[that-creature-thing]

For Here There Be Dragons, will Prowl get some type of chewing stick? For animals it helps destress them. It does the same for humans as well along with keeping our teeth straight.

Since Prowl is a dragon disguised as a mecha, will he have trouble with an instinctual response to chew on something as a destressor? Based on how you describe his strength I assume most materials will be too soft for a satisfactory chew.

Also, I wanted to ask a few other things. Because Prowl has been underfueled for a long period of time, does that mean he's smaller than average for a dragon of his age? Are there subspecies for dragons? If so, then what subspecies would Prowl be?

Concerning Jazz, will Prowl have any instinctual courting behaviors? With anyone else, would he display any pack behaviors?

Sorry for the amount of questions, I just got really curious for dragon species worldbuilding.

You're good! These are great questions!

The idea of Prowl enjoying something to chew on is absolutely adorable. I imagine through all life stages dragons would enjoy it. But their age/size determines just what they can reliably chew on. In fact, I like the idea that certain strong metals could slowly be consumed and help the dragon grow. So they get the benefit of something to chew on, and over time get a good source of nutrients!

Prowl getting anxious/stressed, maybe he has gone through countless styluses. He didn't do the best job at shaping his mech teeth either and as a result has some pretty gnarly, sharp molars and fangs. Jazz has been trying to learn more about dragons, so maybe he'll be able to help a dragon out. Maybe see if Wheeljack has any spare extra dense metals lying around XD

Prowl likely is smaller than he should be. Since he wasn't full grown when dragons fully went into hiding, but especially since living 100% among mecha, he is probably considered a bit scrawny! But he's not quite aware since he hasn't been around other dragons in a looooong time.

There are indeed different types of dragons! Different sizes, different body types, different wing types, no wings, preferred biomes, abilities, etc. I haven't nailed down exact distinctions yet so I still don't have Prowl's type completely figured out.

Prowl will certainly have some instinctual courting behaviors. Giving him gifts, especially shiny gifts, grooming, showing off how pretty his wings are, etc. Although Prowl has made an effort to NOT behave like a dragon and maintain some distance from most meche, thanks to Jazz, he just might start behaving a little oddly around others. We shall see :D

Thank you for the questions! They give me plenty to think about. When I started this fic I didn't have a lot ironed out. I just decided 1 day I wanted to make a dragonformers AU since there aren't enough of those. I jumped right in with a loose plot!

[melancholy-marionette]

Hi hi! I'm a fan of your yandere games and I just recently found out about your Tumblr account while hunting for fandoms of your games X3 I just finished playing Solipsism Reigns after letting it just sit there somewhere on my laptop for a whole year cuz I got attached to Kuro XD Ik your hands are already full from the amount of visual novels you've been creating so far but would you consider re-creating SR if you can? You don't have to feel obligated to ofc, I'm already impressed with the amount of visual novels you've cooked up XD (I'm quite nervous asking this cuz SR is so underrated and it's rarely talked about these days)

Hey hey! That’s awesome :D Super glad to hear it <3 

Yeeeeah, I mean, I don’t know for sure cos I’ve never looked, but I can’t imagine there's much in the way of fandoms for any of my games since they tend to fly under the radar x3 (my own fault for being incapable of using social media to promote stuff, I know T_T haha)

Since my following is mainly concentrated on itch I guess maybe that doesn’t help since other devs tend to post stuff in places like this and interact with people more. Heck, one of my supporters was even kind enough to make me a Discord server, which is incredible! But even with that, I struggle to use it regularly cos I can’t cope with live conversations very well >.< My social processing power is extremely limited T_T

The most frustrating thing is that I would like to be more active with social stuff, I just can’t handle it very well thanks to my ASD :( It only takes a little bit of social media for me to become completely overwhelmed and have to force myself to come off it so I don’t shut down, haha. It sucks.

Anyways, I’m rambling, sorry x3

That’s so cool you played SR :D my original baby, haha. It looks so old now T_T Every time I see it on my itch dashboard I end up thinking of all the things I would change now I have more experience as a dev! It makes me a happy bunny to hear that you got attached to Kuro though ^-^

Funnily enough... I had already planned to remake SR at some point :D 

As much as the project will always have a special place in my heart with it being my first-ever VN, there are many things about it that bother me too, haha. 

My hope is to eventually remake it from scratch (I kinda have no choice in that anyhow since I no longer have the old Tyranobuilder project files x3) in Naninovel :3 Cos I know Tyrano was kinda clunky >.< In Nani, I could make it all work more smoothly + add more in the way of visual FX and stuff too.

On top of that though, I plan to go over all of my writing because there’s sooooo much I’m not happy with (mainly glaring at the student route >.>) + with any luck add an entirely new route as well that I cut from the original release due to a lack of time to write it properly when I found out Kuro’s VA was going to be moving to another country and putting voice acting on hold, haha. 

There was also a BxG version in the works that’s currently on hold but features redesigned sprites by LazyPolarBear + CGs for a male protagonist x fem Kuro.

I’m not sure what I want to do about the music in the project because I feel like I chose the tracks well to fit the game, BUT, I’ve heard those same tracks in soooo many other people’s games now that I kind of hate that I used so much from Incompetch, haha. Kevin’s music is incredible, but since it’s very generously free to use, it does mean it’s kind of overused in games >.< I didn’t have any other option at the time cos I couldn’t make my own music and I didn’t have any money to buy asset packs.

Now that I tend to create my own OSTs, it would seem kind of insane not to make one for SR in the process of a proper remake. It’s just it would require me to make a lot of tracks x3 I’ll probably give it a go though + maybe keep a handful of Kevin’s ones that I really like too much to let go of, haha.

So yeah, my hope is to eventually remake the original otome version of SR in a different engine with edited + new writing, some new art, new UI, new FX, possibly an OST, and I guess new VA to go with the new writing :D 

I don’t really know when because I need to finish CiQ, DD, and Blue Blythe’s route in Bitter/Sweet before I tackle any more long-term projects x3 So it won’t be any time soon. Once I’ve managed to finish all of those though, I’ll probably make it my next long-term priority project :3

I’m genuinely flattered that you actually liked SR enough to even ask this! It always amazes me when anyone leaves a positive word about SR because I assumed that it had kinda just been lost to the sands of time at this point xD I know it’s definitely showing its age, haha. It’s nice to know there are still people out there who are willing to give it a chance if they happen to come across it somehow ^-^

I feel like my games are probably rarely talked about in general, haha. I mean, since I’m a fan of yandere games and play them myself, I do lurk in some communities + sometimes look at recs threads other people post to get ideas for things to add to my own playlist, and it’s not often that I see any of my games mentioned on recs or being discussed x3

I always kinda hope it’s cos people don’t know they exist rather than it being a case of them thinking they’re not worthy of mentioning xD Either way isn’t exactly great though I guess, haha. 

I just can’t promote stuff for the life of me cos I find it too overwhelming & exhausting + I don’t really have the self-confidence to try and put my games in front of people anyways cos I always feel like what I make isn’t good enough >.< I’m basically 100% reliant on other people sharing my games for anyone to even discover them x3 Either that or searching the yandere tag on itch, but even then, they might be kinda hard to locate cos they’re not super near the top since I don’t get as many people rating my games as other devs do. SR is my oldest game and it doesn’t even have 100 ratings yet on itch xD

If you search the yandere tag on itch and sort by ‘top rated’ 14 Days With You is first with a whopping 1238 total ratings as of searching right now while I type this… my first game to appear is Darling Duality as the 13th result with a mere 427 ratings by comparison, haha. And I’m pretty sure DD only got rated that much because of Manly’s video x3 Bitter/Sweet is next with only 228 total ratings by comparison.

I know people can just click on my itch profile if they happen to find and like 1 of my games and maybe want to see if I’ve made others, but a lot of people don’t realise you can do that, or they don’t know that I primarily make games with yanderes in x3 So they just go unnoticed.

Heck, Dawn of the Damned is related to Darling Duality, and even though DD is my most popular project, I can’t seem to get people to check out Dawn of the Damned, haha. At this point, the tiny demo for DD has 44.7k downloads (this still blows my mind o.o), and yet despite Dawn of the Damned being a completed project and set in the same universe featuring future DD characters, it only has 4036 total downloads as of today x3 If I can’t get the majority of my own followers to check out a game I made that’s set in the same universe, I have no hope of getting them to find my other yandere stuff T_T and even less hope of getting my games in front of people who have never heard of me as a dev, haha.

I’ve even had a handful of people tell me that they think Apartment No.9 is my best game, and that Doyle is their favourite ever yandere guy, but the project only has 3680 downloads x3

But yeah, my analytics on itch are really skewed cos pretty much all the numbers are for Darling Duality and my Yandere Heaven fandub. I may have somehow managed to get a fair few followers on there over the years, but I think probably something like 90% of them (possibly even more than that) are waiting for DD and aren’t interested in my other projects.

My poor Yandere Heaven fandub has received some attention (in fact, it’s actually beating DD on total downloads somehow), but there has been a lot of negativity + a looooot of 1* and 2* bad ratings on itch because, for some reason, people don’t realise it’s a fandub even though I put that very clearly on the page T_T So they rate the game badly with comments saying the story sucks, or that having no choices is stupid, the characters are dumb, or that it’s too goofy and OTT. None of which is even my fault since I’m trying to faithfully recreate the original content. All I wanted to do was make a Japanese drama CD into a VN fandub game >.< haha. 

I can’t believe I’ve rambled so much anyhow xD I’m so sorry, haha. It’s just one of those things that causes me a lot of confusion x3 I know I can’t handle social media very well and I fail at promo, but I can’t understand why a majority of my projects receive so few views/downloads in comparison to DD >.< I can’t for the life of me figure out what’s so appealing about DD and not my other stuff, haha. Unless it’s literally just cos Manly played it x3

Before I go though, I just wanna say a big thank you for playing my stuff :3 It really means a lot! I hope you get to have a super duper year ahead <3

[countlessrealities]

RICK PRIME'S BIRTHDAY EVENT || Selectively accepting !

@mcltiples sent:

Normally Rick would've chosen to spend this particular day alone. Since, well, no one else seemed interested in celebrating with him. He didn't have many friends. At least, up until recently.

It was a habit now to just portal into the other's hideout. Unannounced and walking in as if he owned the place. It's just how he was. And his counterpart was the same.

Sliding up next to the workstation, he plopped down a twelve pack of beer onto the surface. Directly in the other's line of sight. As if he were tempting the other to stop whatever it was he was doing.

"Before you get any funny ideas, I'm not going to say anything weird and I'm not wasted," He chuckled. Their last encounter was a blur, but he remembered what he had said far too clearly. "I just want to share a drink with the worst guy I know,"

The words were lighthearted as he took one of the cans and opened it up. "I'm not sure if birthdays are your thing, but, if it's not, we're just doing a hang out, and if it is your thing -- happy birthday."

As he said those two words, those bright blue eyes of his sparkled in a certain way. A certain emotion that he would keep locked away. For now, at least.

{ To your Weird Rick from my Weird Rick xD }

For once, Rick had been expecting his counterpart's unannounced visit. He had guessed that the other would have paid him a visit, considering what day it was, and maybe he had even been hoping for it.

Of course, he would have ever admitted that last part, not even to himself. However, after what had passed between them on Thanksgiving, he felt a little freer to crave his mirror image's company. They were...friends, sort of, now, weren't they? And there was nothing weird in wanting to spend some time with a friend.

Never mind all the other feelings and thoughts he had. About his counterpart, but also about them.

It took him a conscious effort not to openly grin when the twelve-pack was set on his work desk and, especially, not to instantly look away from his project to put all his attention on his long awaited company. They had a silent agreement about what should not be acknowledged, after all. And that also went for too explicit or revealing reactions.

...Did they?

The doubt bounced around his mind for a few moments at the mention of that night, confused and caught of guard, and perhaps a little anxious too, but he forced himself to stomp his inner turmoil down. Better to let it slide and pretend it hadn't happened. It was easier and more fitting for them.

And it was safer.

"Oh, aren't you sweet," he teased, lifting his gaze to finally look at his counterpart. The words held not real malice or mockery, but were instead fully good-natured. "Stopping by just to see me. And fully sober. I should mark this date on the calendar!"

And who knows whatever reasons to secretly remember that day he would have by the the end of the night. They might both be fully sober now, but that wasn't going to last. He knew from experience by now.

Were birthdays his thing? Good question. He had never thought about it, not seriously. It was an excuse for him to indulge in his own whims even more than he usually did, but there had never been anything more to it. As for how it used to be in his old life...That was something he preferred not to think about.

However, maybe, for this once, he could have decided that birthdays were his thing. Just to get to celebrate their shared one with this man.

Swiftly, he stood up from his chair, leaning forward into his counterpart's personal space. He made sure that their bodies didn't touch at all, even if their faces were so close that they could feel each other's breaths against their skin.

"I believe we still have a couple of movies to watch on our list," he went on with a hum, easily dislodging two bottles from the package with one hand. "Soooo...let's hang out."

He handed one of the beers to his other self and offered his own for a toast.

"Happy birthday. To us."

And if that last two words could have more than one meaning, he would pretend to be completely unaware of what they might have implied.

[scruffyplayssonic]

Professor Scruffymatt will return

Hey friends, just an update regarding my Twitch channel and how barren and tumbleweed-y it's been since April. 

So as you may already know, I've gone through a lot of lifestyle changes in the last few months. In late April I flew to Canada and married my partner after we decided that a 12 and a half year long distance relationship was more than enough. When I returned to Melbourne in May I immediately came down with some kind of virus. It wasn’t COVID thankfully, but it still took me out of commission for almost two weeks. Not ideal when I was supposed to be finishing up work and training a replacement during that time. Oh well, I had sick leave and I bloody well used it. Once I was at least partially back on my feet I had to go through the process of packing up my house and deciding which of my belongings I was going to ship to Canada and what I was going to get rid of. And after looking at shipping rates, I ended up keeping a lot less than I'd been planning to. RIP, most of my classic gaming and DVD collections. </3

I left Melbourne in early June and spent a month or so with my family in Western Australia before finally making the return trip to Canada in early July, where I am now happily living with my new family. One thing that my partner's wanted me to have since I got here was a space for myself, but unfortunately the spare bedroom was a cluttered mess when I arrived. So we've been going through a long process of getting it into a decent state, and it's now almost ready to become my office. I just need to buy a desk and a chair, and then I'll be ready to get back to streaming again. I'm also still waiting for my belongings to be shipped to me (which should be some time in the next fortnight), especially because they include my Xbox. 

So yeah, hopefully I'll be up and running again soon. I do plan on finishing up my Classic Era Sonic marathon, which I had to put on hiatus back in April. But there's a number of other games I want to stream as well, such as Arkham Origins: Blackgate (gotta finish my run of the Arkham games eventually, right?), a new game I recently discovered called Thank Goodness You're Here, and I might possibly continue some other series I've streamed in the past such as Dead Rising and Ace Attorney. Once I’ve gotten my Sonic comics back, maybe I could try to figure out what I’d like to do with a review show. And maybe eventually I'll even live up to my avatar and do a Professor Oak challenge on stream rather than just tweeting my daily progress. Anything's possible. Oh, and on the topic of my latest Professor Oak challenge: that’s on hiatus for now. I’ve really gotten into the recent release of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon on the Switch’s GBA app, and most of my gaming attention is going to that right now. In all honesty, I probably needed a break between Professor Oak challenges anyway.

One other change I am going to have to make is to my streaming times. Saturday nights were fine for me when I was living alone, but things are different now that I live with people I actually enjoy spending time with. xD Also, if I were to try and get back into the exact same time slot I used to stream in, that would be the middle of the night here in Canada! Tuesday mornings or afternoons will probably be a good streaming time for me, as it’s the only day of the week my partner doesn’t work from home. But on the other hand we do have a mischievous 1 year old doggo to consider, whom I wouldn’t want to leave alone unsupervised if I’m in the house. And while I am excited at the prospect of finding a new audience now that I live in a time zone that’s compatible with North America, I also don’t want to leave my Australian viewers out in the lurch. So I’ll probably be doing some evening streams as well, which my fellow Australians should at least be awake for. It’s far too early for me to lock in anything just yet, and I’ll probably be experimenting with different days and times for a while to find out what fits best for my family and I. Maybe I’ll follow my partner’s usual Sunday streams, to give her an opportunity to send raiders to me? We’ll see.

Anyway, sorry for the long ramble. I didn’t intend to go on quite as long as I did, but as it’s been so long since I disappeared from Twitch I felt you guys deserved an explanation. If all goes according to plan I should be streaming again some time in the next few weeks, so keep an eye on my usual social medias for announcements. You’ll also get notifications when I go live if you follow me on Twitch, of course, and I’ll be continuing to upload the VODs to my YouTube channel after each stream. I’m planning to kick off my return by continuing the classic Sonic marathon (Sonic Labyrinth is up next, god help me!), so if you’d like to catch up on what I’ve played so far, I’ve got a playlist that can help you with that. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing you on Twitch again soon!

Cheers,

Professor Scruffymatt

[leffee]

Day 16: Riptide

Ok, so, the "normal" definition of that word is different than what I wrote, but I had zero ideas for that normal definition and then I found this one:

I decided to go with this definition of the word. Admittedly, I only found this sort of meaning for riptide on two sites, plus I have never heard of this word myself, so I'm sorry if this definition is wrong or doesn't really fit :') then again I really don't think you care that much about those prompt words, do you xd?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, because of this wedding, next week I am flying to India with my parents. Since the occasion arises, we decided that we might as well stay in our homeland for the next seven days too, reconnect with it for a week.” 

Ever since Sunil casually provided that information to their group his friends have known - for a while they would be treading on thin ice, and no one was quite sure whether to be grateful or worried that Vinnie just happened to be too busy that day to hear about his best friend’s departure.

“I think I should call Vinnie; he would like to know, I am sure.” Back then Sunil started reaching for his phone, but Russell grabbed his wrist in a flash.

“N-no, don’t worry yourself with that, you already have enough on your plate with that visit, we will tell him… later.”

It was a good enough solution for a while until the dreaded later came. After seeing Sunil off at the airport, who admittedly was surprised by the absence of his best friend, but Minka managed to rig up some half-believable excuse, the five friends gathered at the pink-haired girl’s house. One delivered message later they all became tense and, on their toes, dreading what might as well be considered as a small-scaled apocalypse.

“Alright, everyone,” Russell started with a shaky breath, sitting on the couch squeezed from both sides by his tightly packed friends, “knowing him, he will be here in a few minutes at most and then we will… tell him all about Sunil’s week-long trip. R-Remember, just be calm and it will all work out, he can’t smell fear if it’s not there…”

“We try that each and every time and it never works!” Pepper accused and shifted on the couch. “I don’t think this is going to work, Ferguson.”

“Maybe just this time it will, it has to one day, I mean, nothing else ever did!" Russell’s voice raised in pitch with every syllable. He tugged on his hair, redirecting his shaky gaze at Minka. “And Minka, please, this time don’t, let’s say, yell the news before it’s supposed to happen, alright?”

“Ahaha.” His interlocutor giggled hurriedly with an askew smile, “I know, I know, I won’t, promise. I just don’t think thisisgoingtowork…!” 

“Well, just don’t do that,” Zoe replied with downcast eyes, her hands playing with the rim of her dress. Her expression was the calmest out of the bunch, or well, has been until that moment. “Maybe we just shouldn't tell him at all? Maybe we can hide Sunil’s departure for an entire week…?” She finished; whatever crumbs of confidence were in her voice dissipated with each word.

“No! This will never work. I’m pretty sure Vinnie can smell Sunil and once he realizes that the scent isn’t there, he’s gonna freak! But… I've been thinking of an idea of sorts.” Before the group could question either of those claims, the creaking of the front door seemed to reverberate throughout the entire house causing the five individuals to either flinch or full-fledged jump on the couch and cling to one another.

“Minka!” Penny whispered through her teeth. “You didn’t lock the door?!”

“Guess not, I was too nervous, probably, and I must have forgotten.” Penny couldn’t even blame the other, all of their minds had been preoccupied with just one matter after all.

“Hi guys, there you are.” The new voice entering the room caused all of them to flinch again and turn slowly towards Vinnie. 

“Hi, darling!” Zoe quickly let out, with a bit too much enthusiasm penetrating her greeting.

“‘Sup,” Vinnie waved haphazardly and blinked at his friends’ peculiar positions. “Uh, okay…” His eyes scanned all of them in sequence. “Hey, where’s Sunil? You said that everyone would be here, and I knocked on Sunil’s door on my way here and he didn’t answer, so how come he is not here either?” His neck made a snapping sound as he quickly tilted his head to the side, his pupils appearing just a bit smaller than before.

Russell gulped, his shoulders rising up. He exchanged a rapid glance with each person on the couch before opening his dry-feeling mouth but in advance of any words coming out of his mouth, there came an impossibly high-pitched screech from the right end of the couch.

“Minka, no, don’t say anything-!” However, that’s not what happened. Instead, the girl got up and in no time made her way to the other room, disappearing quickly from the view. After they stopped gazing in the direction of Minka’s mad rush, everyone slowly turned back to now eye Vinnie. He stood there, seemingly rooted to the spot, staring in the same direction as everyone a second ago.

“Damn, Minka, you traitor, leaving us like this,” Pepper whispered through clenched teeth, her own legs shifting. Vinnie’s head snapped back to now look at the remaining quartet, breathing heavily through his nose.

“...”

“Vinnie, wait, I can, um, explain.” Russell swallowed, his flat hands moving in front of him. It was now or… well, not never, it was now or now. “You see…” He started but as soon as he looked at Vinnie again the words got stuck in his throat, “see… see… um… Sunil… he… he, he, he…”

This wasn’t getting anywhere, was it? With each of his stutters Vinnie’s hands got closer to forming into fists, his pupils becoming smaller, his teeth more bared.

“He’s not here, he’s in India this week,” Zoe finished for him, letting the word flow out quickly yet just slowly enough to be recognizable. Her squeezed-tight eyes throughout the whole sentence now snapped open, just in time to see Vinnie rushing at them. 

“AH!” They all gasped and clung immediately to one another as he jumped, all of their eyes now closed, getting ready for whatever was to come next. But just then-.

“STOOOOP!” Minka’s voice hollered. “Please, take this!” They took in a truly offbeat sight. At some point, Minka had appeared in front of them and was now holding something cardboard up in her hands, seemingly for Vinnie, who momentarily stopped in mid-air, his eyes losing their fire once they stopped on the item.

“Oh.” He allowed himself to fall back to the floor and eyed the object with a now curious stare while Russell, Zoe, Penny, and Pepper still clung to one another, exchanging unnerved glances.

“S-see?” Minka swallowed. “I know it’s not the same, but uh, how about you just take it for this week, or-or however long Sunil’s not here and, um, uh…”

Vinnie was completely silent once Minka failed to try to find her words, still staring at the same point. His expression was a poker face with a tinge of surprise and remaining anger, but just then as if someone flipped a switch a delighted smile grew on his face, and he snatched the cardboard from Minka’s hands.

“Sunil!” He squealed happily and hugged the thing, turning around with it and allowing the rest to finally see it from the front - it was a cardboard-cutout of Sunil…

“Is… is this one of those cardboard-cutouts you made of all of us when you said you miss us when we’re not all together?” Penny whispered as all of their eyes followed Vinnie’s every move cautiously.

“Yeah,” Minka replied in an equally hushed tone. “See, this is the idea I was talking about.”

The grip of the rest of the group loosened gradually from around each other until they were all standing free again, though remaining undeniably close. 

“I can’t believe that worked.” Zoe scratched her nape, all of their eyes on Vinnie who was now firmly squeezing “Sunil.” Next, he dipped the cutout and went for a kiss on the cheek.

“Uhm, Vinnie, maybe you shouldn’t…” Russell’s voice trailed off when Pepper put her arm in front of him.

“Would you really rather he started freaking out and possibly tearing Minka’s entire house to shreds?”

“No… no, I wouldn’t. I just wonder if this will be enough for an entire week.” No one tried to provide any answer. Only time would tell, but for now everyone’s sanity, and material goods, were saved.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since I don't remember when I really started loving Vinnie I have a theory it was when he destroyed the daycamp in Sunil's sick day. I mean, what a man! Little freak <3

Yeah, that honestly only semi-fits even this definition, but I think it will do.

[brxkxnhxxrtsclxb]

i decided to fill this in to show what i have :3

i personally only collect draculaura cuz she speaks to me. pink + black + hearts + witch ?? sign me up !! ^_^

mentioning the above to apologize in case it irks anyone and they just wanna keep scrolling. i understand if people get bothered considering the fact mattel tends to shove her to the front and center constantly and doesn’t let the other ghouls shine as much. i understand everyone is tired of the pink vampire but she speaks to me so much >.<

i’ve never actually seen the G3 show but the dolls are cute and that’s what matters to me >.< i do tend to keep up with the lore here and there though :3

oh, and core refresh is my favorite draculaura🖤✨

wishlist:

SS1 because i want her fashion items and accessories but she’s so hard to find now T_T

then there’s faboolous pets and fangtastic road trips dracs !! reason they’re on my wishlist is simply cuz i want them but refrain from buying them due to her coming with clawdeen and i personally don’t vibe with G3 clawdeen’s dolls at all and i don’t wanna have a poor doll just sitting abandoned and unloved :(( (also idc for the car. i have no need for it😭)

tbh only reason i keep purchasing drac dolls is cuz of her fashion pieces and accessories. i’m currently rerooting my monster ball one and i wanna be able to dress her in many cute outfits !! i don’t need more drac dolls, i just want her stuff and it sucks mattel won’t do fashion packs when they’re most important now. the different bodies in G3 calls for them to be a need. don’t get me wrong, i love the different bodies but i do hate that the fashion is limited in some ways. i truly do hope mattel provides fashion packs for each individual character so it stays within their aesthetic in the future

i’m debating getting scare-adise dracula. i don’t really want her, just her handbag xD it’s so cute !! my dracs could use it ^_^ (i might just buy it separately ?? might do the same with OG creepover’s shirt). maybe i will forget fangtastic road trip drac if i find her shoes. they’re TO DIE FOR and my drac needs them sksk

sorry for the ramble >.< on a final note, one doll i do truly want is fearbook dracula. she sounds so cute ^_^ and i was excited for monster fest after the stock photos dropped but judging by the concept art, unfortunately drac is so boring compared to the other ghouls :(( i understand cuz she’s a play set doll and something has to get sacrificed for the budget to go on the set. oh well. i wouldn’t want the truck anyway. just the doll so that saves me money and space xD