#definitely one of the few trustworthy characters in the game

[transmascaraa]

hi! guess who's returned after finally graduating :)

can i request a drabble where our bsf (lyney/wanderer/gaming) goes to prom with us + slow dances with us? maybe a little confession too..

i sincerely apologize if you've already done a fic like this already! i haven't opened tumblr for a while now—

— 🧷anon (p.s. how are you :0?)

multiple characters headcannons!

prom confession.

characters: lyney, gaming, wanderer, xiao x gn!reader

author's note: added xiao js because🤷‍♂️ ANYWAYS congrats on your graduation!! mine is like the 14th of june so i still have a bit left but yeah! i've been alright these last few days i guess, nothing special going on really lol i hope you've been well too :p also the only SIMILAR thing i did was this with gaming, but it isn't exactly like what i'm gonna write now lmao so i hope you enjoy these hcs^^

☆ Lyney

-lyney, as your bsf, is like a really trustworthy and loyal one, PLUS interesting af

-and as you HAD to have a dance partner at prom, you chose him because he was the only safe option, really.

-you asked him if he wanted to dance with you and he was a bit surprised at first but agreed after a bit. SO the music started, and you started dancing together.

-y'know, that waltz dance pose.

-and it was peaceful enough for lyney to be honest with you about something.

-he didn't care about your answer anymore, he just had to get it off his chest

-no more "magician lyney", no more "fatuus lyney".

-just "lyney".

-so when there was a pause in the music, he pulled you closer and whispered in your ear:

-"want to try and be lovers?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✷ Gaming

-like any time, any day.

-he was also a very good bsf, definitely always something interesting to hear from him

-AND it's entertaining to spend time with him in the first place lol

-so being that close, you decided to dance together for prom since neither of you had another choice.

-and he put one of his hands on your waist, and the other intertwined with yours, as you started dancing together.

-peaceful as well.

-adoring each others presence in the moment.

-sharing a few compliments here and there, making eachother giggle and smile and blush

-when nobody was looking, and nobody could hear either of you—

-"i love you." you both said at the same time.

-it was awkward, but it worked out just fine^^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✧ Wanderer

-uh kinda difficult to become friends at first lmfao

-but you definitely manage to do it after a while and even become bsfs

-and like originally he wanted to go to prom alone

-but he felt bad for you just standing in the corner while everyone else danced with others so he just kinda dragged you to dance

-no words exchanged, only his embarrassed face not wanting to look at you directly.

-his heart was racing and he was doing his best to not fuck up the dance

-not until you pulled him closer and smiled warmly at him.

-he was flustered, but still looking you in the eyes, despite wanting to seem unbothered and uninterested.

-you kissed him on the cheek while whispering:

-"do you want to be more than friends?" to which he embarrassedly nodded, not keeping any eye-contact with you after that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✿ Xiao

-so uh you'd HAVE to be the one trying to become friends with him at first (but it kinda js works out even tho it's difficult since he doesn't understand mortals)

-although, with your help, he understands humans AT LEAST a BIT more than he used to.

-he went with you to prom because you had told him that you have nobody to dance with, so you decided to ask him.

-he didn't really get the concept of prom but he did it anyway.

-of course, while you were dancing with the music playing in the background, he felt a lot more open.

-so he started telling you in detail about how he felt about you. he didn't know it was love.

-he told you about how pretty/handsome/fabolous you were in his eyes, how he wished to spend all his life AND afterlife with you, how important you were to him and that he'd protect you if he had to—

-"i love you too, xiao." and he didn't know how to function properly after that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

yes

just yes i love it

it was really interesting to write ngl i had such beautiful scenarios in my head smh

| 🧷anon | @mariaace <3

[gallusgalluss]

please unleash your inspekta thoughts

your art is amazing i cant stop looking at it

i hope you have a happy new year!!

happy new year anon n thank you :]!!!!

also ur so evil ur letting me unleash my Inspekta thoughts,,,,how cruel how cruel

im going full yapper mode + there's spoilers so Watch Out

I like Inspekta, he's a little freak and a really interesting character to think about. While, for me, the twist with him wasn't totally a surprise (I did Not trust his cuteness the second i saw him lmao), I REALLY liked the way his character progressed throughout the game. He's your buddy! He's your pal! Don't worry about all these posters and weird plushies and standees and propaganda of him everywhere and how he keeps being called “the one and only god”, it's Fine it's Fine! He's sillay :D!!!

I'm generally just obsessed with characters who are put into leadership positions who absolutely Should Not have that amount of power over people, and I think Inspekta's a perfect example of that type of thing for me.

He had his own fears, loneliness, and jealousy cloud his judgment and that resulted in some Really Fucked Up Stuff. As a mortal he wanted to be special in the eyes of the public, so he gained enough popularity to get elected to be a god! Yay! But now he's scared of being forgotten and there's a new possible god being elected, wuh oh! Time to ruin Literally Everything because what's the easiest way to be remembered, worshiped, and loved by all if there's no more competition for your rule? Empty heavens, baby!!! Let's bring in an apocalypse!!! Yay!!!!!

Bro's fucked up and I like that.

I love how despite it all he still tries this whole Cute Buddy Friend act, even at the end with this Worm Form. Cause he KNOWS the other gods would trust and believe him and the lies he's spread about King's shocking letters, cause why wouldn't they? He's just a silly lil cutie pie! They all trust him! He's the God of Leadership! How could a Leader lead others astray? And he knows the Bizzyboys will follow him as well since he's been leading them pre-godhood for several years. He's a role model to them all, starting from nothing and now he's a god! He's just so trustworthy and sweet and will totally save the day!

Also I just wanted to include this somewhere. I really like this section (after Chapter 3, I think???)

He has this brief moment of vulnerability/sincerity/something that made him drop his “Cutesy Voice”. Like aside from this scene, near the end of chapter 5, and i Think a few parts i'm 100% forgetting, I don't think we actually see this more contemplative n genuine side of Inspekta.

He does instantly goes into gloating about himself and how he's Clearly the MOST IMPORTANT GOD OF ALL (before correcting himself to include the other gods, of course, of course).

Like if he didn't have that Ego-the-size-of-the-galaxy + Saddest Scaredest Loneliest Most Jealous Withdrawn Loser combo, all he had to do was to just Talk To People. He could've Talked to people about his Fears and Insecurities. Even the other gods; after all he's done, were still there for him! Like “Hey dude this is fucked up, we all already love you dummy, you can talk to us ya know you're allowed to feel scared!”

He's just the cutest most moe creature with soooo many issues and problems he needed to figure out.

NOW WITH HECTOR

Most of my Inspekta Thoughts can just be applied to him but slightly modified. I think it's interesting how he chose to go back to being a regular person, it makes sense cause he's like Aware of the amount of damage he's done/could've done. While he certainly won't be forgotten after Everything he's done, he isn't going to be as Grand and Powerful as he wished to be.

He's just a guy in his 50s who's trying to get over his God Complex of 33 years and also attempt to gain back the trust and respect of the Grove’s people. He's definitely going to be bearing the weight of what he's done for the rest of his life probably, but it IS interesting thinking about what he'd do to actually improve himself now, learn how to be a person again n such.

He’s also a sad miserable booboo beast of a man and i think him suffering in anguish is awesome!!!!!!! yay!!!!

This turned into more a character analysis of some sorts instead of solely my own personal thoughts, whoops. Anyways i think his designs, all 3 of em are really fun to draw. He's cute n stretchy and marketable, as all gods should be.

so ya basically inspekta/hector sucks, i hate him, and we should kill him with hammers. now. thank you 💖💖💖

[eggroll-sama]

Touchstarved Demo Review

Played the demo of Touchstarved and I can’t get it out of my head. Refreshing tumblr every three seconds to read people’s stances on the game so I’m going to do it myself. Here’s are my current stances on the characters.

KURAS

Rather secluded and to himself, initial reactions wise I was disappointed in not getting to know more about him in the demo. but at the same time, the demo set the stage for what exactly I could expect from his route. Slow-burn. Much like what I expect Mhin’s route to be like, but moreso focused on getting to know his past. He doesn’t voice his internal struggles because he has a firm barrier he sets between himself and other, probably hates getting too close to human’s because he is immortal and doesn’t like the idea of getting attached to things that are temporary.

Also, after listening to the Q and A on YouTube and how supposedly Kuras will do some messed up shit in his route, I’m really excited to see what’s up with this tight-lipped doctor. He is definitely not the nice, charitable doctor that he is known for in Lowtown.

On a positive note, his design is probably my favorite in the game! Very unique, gorgeous, and ethereal, so pretty that I know if he existed in real life he’d be out of my league and would be popular just because of how jaw-droppingly gorgeous he is. Mr Steal your girl, but he’s respectful so he won’t be a home wrecker.

(More reviews under the cut)

LEANDER

A character that I thought looked so suspicious and weirded out, but fell in love with when playing the game. I thought he looked like a psychopath!

Because I’m a stupid, easily manipulated dumbass, I initially didn’t really capture his red flags when playing the demo. Every time he let me touch him, my heart beat wouldn’t stop! And his blush is so adorable. He seemed like the trustworthy nice-guy that just wanted to help a poor soul out. And uh, chest. The chest really had an effect on me and his entire outfit didn’t help. Black turtle necks awaken something in me, yknow? And the belts? Hoe energy.

After replaying the demo a few times, it just stands out to me how much of a player he is. Before realizing MC was at the bar because of Kuras, he was in flirting mode and probably considering MC to be part of his escapades. The disappointment in his tone and face when he found out MC was there for business 😂😂.

We get the most information of Leander from the special conversation with the characters so I am quite pumped to know what exactly this guy is about, cuz each person has varying, colorful opinions on him. I find it so funny that Vere, the most flirtatious in the game, is weirded out by shameless Leander is. Maybe that is Leander’s flaw? The leader of the Bloodhounds, envied by many and respected by most, is the most submissive and horny bitch on the planet. Ok ok, I’m done. But I could go on and on about this man.

(Side note, Mhin and Leander definitely had a drunken one night stand. And Mhin absolutely regretted it)

Even after reading all the theories on how sus he is, his interactions were probably my favorite in the entire game. I’m just so intrigued by him.

VERE

Not the biggest fan of Vere. I’m not into animal ears and tails.

Im going to be honest in real life I would be flustered by Vere’s advances and probably feel a sort of fascination towards him echen to attraction, but he’s not really the type that I want to romance in games. Also the fact of the matter is is that sexual innuendoes just not my thing, especially when it comes to first impressions. And my first impression was getting my key stolen so nice.

Irl Vere can be acquaintances at most. I would be there just to hear the juiciest details about some drama. He would always have some snarky comment that would make me laugh. I love some dark humor. But at the same time, he’s dangerous af. I wouldn’t want to get too close to him. He has major issues and idk when he would snap, that’s the scary part! If I tease him playfully and he was not in the mood, off goes my head.

I like his relationship with Ais, adds more juiciness to the story. Love me some love triangles. Reminds me of Rime and Felix relationship in Last Legacy.

I would like the challenge of winning him over though. Because his route would probably be so unpredictable and challenging, I feel more motivated to play and invest in his story

AIS

I love his character design! Probably my second favorite in the game. Ais exudes confidence, competence, and strength. Major main character vibes from Ais. I’m guessing that’s why Leander hates him. HOW DARE YOU BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION, LITERALLY THE CENTER OF ALL THE PROMO ART YOU FUCKIN BASTAR-

I personally do not feel that much of a love connection towards Ais as much as Leander. More like, I chill with you. I could grab a drink with you and talk about life. Yes. Maybe when I play his route they’ll prove me wrong. Im still curious about him so can’t wait to play his route. But I don’t see much of a red flag in him as the others, he just seems like a chill guy that went through hell. I’m guessing he’ll show his dark sides in his route.

It’s concerning that he’s attracted to Vere cuz Vere is…Vere. Problematic. Chaotic. An Asshole. Hmmm, is Ais technically an enabler? Yes, but Ais also starts bar fights. They’re both bad. It’s also interesting how generally people would say ethically good qualities on why they are attracted to someone but no, Ais is just like “yeah he’s an asshole, you can trust him just don’t listen to anything he says.” It’s hilarious. That also contrasts with Leander’s bio how he sees Vere as a damsel in distress cuz he’s delusional and has white knight syndrome, while Ais sees people who they are because he’s the black sheep “that have the clearest view of the world.” That’s probably why Vere loves him. Ais is the only person that sees his crappiness and still likes him. What a Chad :,)

MHIN

They reminds me of a friend I have. Quiet, standoffish, takes time to open up, a MASSIVE sweet tooth. I really want to pet their heads but I know they’re going to smack it away if I even try to touch. 😭😭

Mhin, the angsty teen. Considering Mhin’s bad temperament and similar curse thing with MC, I’m going to guess it’ll have major Beauty and the Beast vibes. Tempermental Mhin and MC who would turn them into a better person and teach them how to love themselves, with or without the curse.

The friendship with Mhin and Kuras make a lot of sense. Mhin feels at peace with Kuras cuz he’s a good listener and the only introvert in the friend group. Mhin needs someone that won’t try to annoy them like Leander or Vere. But I remember listening to the stream with the developers, and they were saying how terrible Kuras is and can’t wait for people to find out about it. Will Mhin feel betrayed when they find out the truth about Kuras? Do they already know? So many questions.

[catsi]

i have! been going through your 'the tenth' tag again because i love miffy and i think y'alls game RULES! i will read any and all posts about miffy/the tenth every tidbit is so!!! its good!! last ask makes me wonder if there's a character that miffy loves but you, as the player, knows is TerribleTM? idk its v fun when there's that kind of dissonance between character and player whichever way it goes hdsfkj (apologies if this seems rambly im just!! i love people's ocs!! and character limit is my)

!!!!! thank u so much!!! 🥹 it's SUCH a fun campaign, our dm @whoreofavalon has such awesome ideas, i am always awestruck by how cool of stuff they come up with...!! there are so many fantastic NPCs and locations and concepts!

ooooohhh that's such a fun question!! there's two answers to this kinda - the first answer is definitely Geiger sfhksdhkjdf

i, as the player, am able to recognize that a guy who is an assassin who turned against his former employer and is now cooperating with you is a huge liability and should not be trusted, but miffy just sees him and goes "oh that's my evil bestie!!! ^_^" (this being said i LOVE Geiger also but he is. definitely not the most trustworthy guy LOL)

the other answer is probably the Matriarch? who is the Greater Voidsent who Miffy has made a pact with

in Miffy's defense, folks on the Tenth shard don't know as much about The Thirteenth/The Void as ppl from The Source, so her naivete is more understandable. it definitely would be nice if she has lucked out in making a pact with one of the few Voidsent who don't just want to kill her once she wears out her usefulness!!! but it's equally likely that that's not the case lol

miffy definitely has other minor cases like this, she would be completely dead by now if not for her friends looking out for her

[treason-and-plot]

Anonymous OC question of the day!

If you could make a character real, which of your OCs would be:

your bestie

your spouse/partner

your secret lover!

your friendly rival

your enemy

BONUS: do this for other people’s OCs too!

Pass the game along (anonymously or not)

Crystal would be my bestie! I'm attracted to people IRL who who flout societal conventions and Crystal definitely fits that criteria. She's also trustworthy, non-judgmental, loyal, smart, cashed-up, and neat. She'd also have an endless supply of entertaining stories!

Vinnie or Violet would be my life partners. They are strong, dependable, loyal and loving, but they would also know when to call me out for my shit.

Jojo would be my secret lover. He's gorgeous and a Scorpio, what more do I need to say?

(I'm having trouble with the friendly rival category...mainly because I can't really apply it to an area of my life. I love running but I hate team sports, so no rivals there. I have no work rivals because I'm not in the least bit ambitious or career-minded. I've been married for a long time so no romantic rivals. I'll have to skip this one, sorry!)

Spencer would probably be my enemy because he is so sexist and misogynistic and because he's so mean to beautiful Mia.

I apologise Nonners but I'm not going to do this for other Simmers' OCs, because to do it for all the wonderful storytellers I follow would take literally months. And if I only chose a few people's OCs, then potentially people I left out could feel snubbed and hurt. I hope you understand! And thank you for such a great ask.

[damsels-n-dice]

'til it kills us: the bogeyman

to celebrate the release of v0.3 of my game 'til it kills us, and mark the official beginning of the playtesting phase, i wanted to talk a little more about my process for making this game! we're starting with the playbooks, since they were my favourite part of development and show what makes 'til it kills us so special in my eyes.

i'm going to go over each part of the playbook, talking about the choices i made and the inspirations behind them. this'll include how they tie into other playbooks, and the other mechanics in the game. and, as you can imagine, it's quite long, so i'll be putting all this under the cut so you don't have to scroll past a massive post!

up first is the first playbook -- shadow mages who feed on self-hatred and internalised homophobia to hide themselves from the world:

the name

the first thing you notice with every playlist is its name, which is part of why i had so much fun choosing them! this one originated from me just going to wikipedia and looking at "creatures associated with shadow", but i fell in love with bogeyman as the name. not only are they shadow monsters, but bogeyman also refers to a threat that is both terrifying and often made up! it fits perfectly for a class of character who views themselves as more dangerous than they are.

the abilities

'til it kills us has "abilities" in place of something like d&d's core stats, with each playbook having some it shares with other playbooks and some that are completely unique. the bogeyman has shadow magic, obviously, but most of its other attributes also deal with concealment, secrecy or deception in some way. whispers and stealth for not being scene, deception for lying, and charm and arts to present a trustworthy front. fear is different, in that it represents the bogeyman becoming the monster that they perceive themselves to be, scaring others.

they also have two secondary magic types to choose from -- flora, the magic of self-doubt and distrust, or sound for loneliness. self-doubt and self-hatred go hand-in-hand (how can you trust someone you don't even like?) while loneliness here is meant to represent a few things. perhaps this character literally isolates themselves from the world, or perhaps they feel disconnected from others because of all the secrets they keep. and speaking of secrets...

the power

for the bogeyman, this is called secret-keeper, and allows them to hide in spaces of darkness. not only spooky, but another reference to how this playbook literally and metaphorically hides from the world! there's no other secret meanings to this power to be honest.

the presentations

these are all unique, and represent different ways the bogeyman uses their public persona as a front. as the game itself says, it's all about distraction. some might wear the flashy, wealthy glitz & glamour presentation, while others might attempt to fix their physical flaws through becoming total health nuts. others pretend to be a complete nobody, or completely picture perfect, to avoid close examination.

i wanted to show a few different false personalities that i have found to be more common in fiction or in real life, and (with the health nut) suggest the way this playbook might manifest as specific mental health issues or generally unhealthy behaviours. one presentation that'll definitely be added if i ever expand playbooks is one about toxic positivity, since that feels an easy fit for this playbook!

the motivations

pulled from a common list of motivations shared between all the playbooks, a bogeyman character can have a few different goals to be working towards. i won't spoil these specifically, but they're all about external validation, or centering other people's goals over their own. i wanted to make it clear just how much the bogeyman thinks they deserve, by making even their goals not really about them. this playbook mostly shares goals with others that lack motivation or self-respect, like the self-doubting creeping vines and apathetic greys.

the base feature

as a little optional flavour detail, this doesn't have too much lore behind it! the bogeyman loves to hide and is inherently distrusting, so i gave them somewhere in their home base to hide from the world.

the touchstone

external validation back again! but also, for someone who views themselves as unworthy of love, happiness or success, it felt like the obvious choice of anchor was someone who loved them unconditionally. i imagine a bogeyman's story could very easily centre on realising that their touchstone was right to trust in them all along.

the end

... and that, i think, is everything! the bogeyman also has character progression mechanics, same as every playbook, but those would require a lot of explanation. they're probably best saved for their own post, or for you to read the game yourself! you can check it out with the link included at the top of this post, and feel free to ask me any questions you have about the game or this playbook. i've loved getting to share in more depth the thought process behind making this playbook, and i can't wait to talk about the creeping vine next week -- it's one of the only playbooks i'm considering a rebrand for!

[scrumptiousstuffs]

Only Friends Episode 10 - Redemption

In which we see more character growth (especially Ray), Atom and Boeing are manipulators with a massive grudge and Mew needs to get over his bitterness if he ever wants to make his second chance work

Top & Mew (featuring Boeing)

We start with the most awkward lunch/dinner scene ever. Top being hopeful Mew is there for reconciliation but with Boeing in the picture (and giving sly quip about how Mew is the better version of himself), I can see why Mew is having trouble trusting himself (or Top) ever again.

And we see Boeing capitalising on this matter - he clocks on it and oh boy, he pounces! I must salute Boeing here (and Mond playing him is amazing to see...😚!). We are alluded to Boeing coming every night when Top can't sleep, allowing himself to be essentially an emotional teddy-bear for Top but inside, he is seething with fury. This is the man he dumped Sand for, only for the relationship to implode because Top break it off at the 3 months mark (or less).

And then we have Top basically thinking Boeing is his friendly ex, where he poured his feelings and anguish over his broken relationship with Mew - even admitting to Boeing that for Mew, he can see himself in a long-term relationship.

Mix all of the above with Mew who still feels insecure about himself - and at the back of his mind, I'm sure he is wondering whether he can ever trust Top to not cheat on him again (we see Boeing shrewdly mention this when he met up with Mew to seduce kiss him in the latter's apartment). [Also, what's with the men in this show using plants as a pick up line?]

I'll give it to Top though, he is working hard to prove himself trustworthy for Mew. But it seems Mew is playing a game (with Boeing an eager participant - and I don't think its so much Boeing likes Mew, even though he said he does to Top, but more so he wants revenge on Top for dumping him those many months ago).

I think we can safely say for TopMew to have a fighting chance to salvage their relationship, Mew will need to find somehow to not only forgive Top but also trust in himself.

(Kudos to Book as Mew in this series, I thought his acting has improved significantly compared to his last series; you can see a change in how he behaves as the series progresses, from sweet and openly trusting to somehow close off and almost bitter after the whole Top/Ton revelation).

Nick and Boston (featuring Atom)

If you ask me a few episodes ago whether I thought Boston was redeemable, I will have say no. But after this episode, urghhh.. my 💔 breaks for him.

For all his callousness and arrogance, Boston is honest and holds true to his own code of conducts. He has always been upfront with all his bed partners what they are getting into, which is to never expect a relationship with him. Plus he makes sure all his partners consent before having any sexual encounters. And so, for Atom to manipulate the whole situation and tells his sister the opposite happen - wow that just leads to the group of friends ganging up on Boston. I think we can safely say, the one mistake Boston did was to sleep with his friend's younger brother (and Ray summed it well - "Atom is your friend's brother!")

But the damage is done, and it's easy for Cheum to rally Ray and Mew on her crusade to destroy Boston because they already have past grievances with Ton. Especially Mew, who looks exceptionally smug and satisfied when Cheum slapped Ton and expelled the latter from their friendship group.

Some folks are angry Cheum behaved that way - I will say Cheum is behaving as any older siblings should be. I too will be angry (and ready to commit murder) if my younger sibling insinuate he/she is being sexually blackmail by a close friend.

You can tell, Boston is at his lowest point by now. And we now know he definitely has feelings for Nick (but with an emotional range of a teaspoon, Boston, like most of the boys in this group of friends are terrible at expressing them). So, I think him meeting up with Nick in the store was the former trying to make a connection with the only person in his life right now who doesn't loath him. And wow - the whole subtext conversation between Boston and Nick regarding Boston's screen protector before Boston just casually handing his phone for repair with Nick's photograph as his screensaver 🥹!!!!!

Their heartfelt reunion on the rooftop was raw and emotional to see. It's probably the first time Boston really open up to someone and I'm glad it's with Nick - they are both a bit "loony" with weird/creepy habits, but they both accept their craziness and fell for each other despite them.

(But poor Daddy Dan - I fear he will now be in the sideline with Boston back in the game! Although, that scene in the meeting room between Dan/Nick.....🫠🫣)

Ray and Sand (featuring their respective fathers)

We see the most character growth in Ray this week. It starts with Ray yet again denying he has alcohol dependence, arguing with Sand about going to rehab. However, I think we can safely say Sand is Ray's moral compass and his comfort/safe space. It's only when Sand insinuates he does not want Ray to die that he reluctantly agree to go for rehabilitation/counselling sessions. Even then, he only agreed with a condition - Sand telling his birth father about himself. I suspect Ray wanted Sand to refuse so that he in turn don’t have to go for those sessions. Needless to say, he underestimates how much Sand is willing to go an extra mile for Ray (as viewers, we already know this, Sand is so gone for Ray), where we sees Sand taking the brave step in confessing to his dad (and how poetic it is the dad is called Sun with him having his own Ray of sunshine next to him?). I'm glad Ray stopped Sand from confessing though, instead stating it's enough to show Sand is brave to do it, which in turn makes him brave enough to take the first step (character growth!!!!! we love it!).

So, it must have hurt Ray so deeply when he thought Sand was in cahoots with his own father for money. As we learn by now, Ray loathes himself, and has unfortunately defines himself by how much he is worth to other people. It doesn't help his first encounter with Sand was transactional (with Ray hiring Sand as a drinking buddy). As an outsider looking into at their journey, it's easy for all of us to see how quickly Sand values Ray when he refuses all payments after that once off incident. Ray in his rage and volatile state cannot see pass this.

The whole conversation in Sand's living room was raw and intense - both sides are hurting with jab after jab from Ray insinuating Sand duped him. And with Ray being so angry, it's hard for Sand to get any words in. However, Ray is correct in one aspect - when he angrily pointed out "You want me to stop drinking, but here you are making and selling liquor. You think my life will be better with you, it's just going to hell!." - because it's true, if Sand wants to be the support person for Ray, he will have to make the communal effort to also make Ray's environment as alcohol-free as possible. And I think it dawns on Sand (who despite his maturity is only 22 yrs old himself) when he let out the most heartbreaking scream (who else cried bucket in this scene, cause I did) before breaking the wine jar (I love the symbolism here - Sand is again ready to give up his source of income for Ray)

We ended episode 10 with Ray fully accepting he has major alcohol issue (especially after his own dad finally lifting the lid on what Sand has done for Ray - I can't believe Sand researched all those rehab centres and present his findings to Ray's dad!!! ). I think most of us will agree - that last scene of Ray breaking down, apologising and sobbing to imaginary Sand, knowing he may have lost the one person who believed in him and loves him unconditionally - was as Oscar worthy performance by Khaotung (and all of our collective heart breaks for him 😭😭😭😭).

I have high hopes we will see Sand/Ray reuniting, although with Boeing popping up, it's definitely going to be interesting!

As usual, it's a roller coaster ride from start to finish. I'm impressed with all the actors, but this episode goes to Khaotung who played Ray so masterfully, First who plays Sand with quiet dignity and Neo showing cracks of vulnerability as Ton.

So, is it Saturday yet? (I can't wait to see what shenanigan Boeing is going to stir next)

[evansbby]

how i believe the cevans characters would be like in the hunger games…

Steve Rogers: he’d be part of the Career pack (from district 2– weaponry) because he’s quite big and muscular. He’s also very strategic. Unlike most Careers, he wouldn’t see the games as a chance for glory and he wouldn’t deliberately train for them. He definitely sees through the Capitol’s lies and wants to overthrow them. He’d definitely be a rebel if asked to join the rebel forces, I know in the books districts 1 and 2 couldn’t be trusted but I think he would be trustworthy. He’d probably win his Games too, just based on brute strength and he’s good in battle. If not district 2, he could also be from district 7 — lumber just based on that wood cutting scene in avengers 2.

Ari Levinson: he would also be part of the Career pack and I think he’d be from district 4– fishing industry bc he’d be a strong swimmer and that would be his strength. He and Steve would probably form an alliance bc they know they’re the strongest and in the end it would be a battle between them. I think Ari’s impulsive nature could perhaps be a weakness for him in the Games. He’d definitely be a part of the rebellion. He’s like a Finnick type guy basically but more hot.

Andy Barber: He’d be from district 10.5. And you may ask, what’s district 10.5?? Well it’s an unknown district where they put all the random people. He’d die in the first few minutes in the bloodbath. But okay, in all seriousness, he’d be from district 9 aka grains. That’s all I’ve got for him and I’ve wracked my brain to come up with something better. If anyone has any good suggestions with good reasoning, please add on!

Curtis Everett: He actually fits in to multiple districts. He could be from district 2 — weaponry. Because he has his special axe weapon. But he could also be from district 6 aka transport since he knows a lot about the mechanics of trains and how they work as he could’ve grown up working around trains. But he could also be from district 12, the poorest district since Curtis knows poverty as he spent so many years in the back of the train. Coal mining makes sense for him as a job, too. Therefore, I am going to say he’s from district 12 — coal. But he’s good with weapons too, kind of like how Katniss was with the bow and arrow.

Jake Jensen: He’d 1000% be from district 3 — electronics. That’s a no brainer. He’s grown up watching the games and studying the intricacies of all the arenas and the technologies behind them. He would definitely be a part of the rebellion and he’d be the one hacking into the Capitol’s feed and he’d have a hand in helping to create some of the more technologically advanced weapons for the cause as well as surveillance technology. He’d be a pretty good contender in the games since he’s physically strong but also has brains.

Lloyd Hansen: 100% district 2 — weapons. And he’d even side with the capitol, I think. He’s a career tribute who is trained to be lethal, he knows his way around guns and all other types of weapons. Knives, swords, anything. He’d be a menace in the games, killing for fun and not feeling any remorse. He wants to buy his way out of district 2 by eventually selling weapons to the capitol similar to Sejanus’ dad.

Ransom Drysdale: He’s from district 1 — luxury. As only 2% of District 1’s population live under the poverty line, Ransom is considerably more well off than the tributes of some of the other districts. He’s strong and capable, and he’s a career tribute. He’s got a murderous streak in him, and similar to Lloyd, he doesn’t really feel remorse for killing anyone. He’d fine intricate ways to kill in the arena but his over-confidence is a weakness as well as having to forage or hunt for food.

Who would win? I think the final few left would be Steve, Ari, Curtis and Lloyd. And honestly either one of them could win bc they all have their strengths and it also depends on the arena and the weapons given. For example, if it is a water based arena then Ari would win. If all the weapons given are guns then Lloyd would. But I think ultimately, Curtis has that survivor instinct and grit and determination, like he’d do anything to win and get out. He’s the underdog but I believe he would win.

What do you think?

[winterwhisperz-blog]

Hey hey hey! This is just a part two to complete the Ask for: The Main LI reacting to an mc who serenades/sings them a love song.

These are a bit shorter, with only one style MC since I didn’t want to make it too long :,3 but I hope you still enjoy em!!

How The Li React To An MC Who Serenades/Sings Them A Love Song(P2)

Warnings: probably ooc, a lot of creative liberty, one small nearly suggestive comment—but that’s just imo, mean old ladies ):<

Notes: Gender neutral mc, fluff.

ALR LES GO

Mhin

OKAY OKAY SO, you know that one photo of that guy playing for a bunch of kittens? This is what inspired this.

Early morning light washes down the murky streets of Eridia, you let out a small yawn, rubbing the remaining tiredness from your eyes.

“Do you really do this every patrol?” You ask Mhin, who strides beside you, a basket of food carried in their arms.

You found out about their little secret awhile ago, but this was the first time they allowed you to go with them.

They nod, shifting the basket to get a better grip. “If i don’t feed them, they’d be on their own. And unlike most people in this place, they deserve my help.”

You smile, tapping on the case holding your instrument. “Unlike most people? Does that mean I’m an exemption?”

Mhin pauses, cheeks going a pink that matches the rosy dawn. “I didn’t say that.”

“Aww, I knew you liked me.”

Mhin quickens their pace, leaving you behind in almost comical speed. Laughing, you make sure your instrument is secure before chasing after them.

The street gets more coated in grime as you follow them, until finally you stop at a certain alleyway. Your heart sinks at the sight, the knowledge that so many animals rest in such a place is enough for you to feel a crush of sympathy. Mhin crouches down, setting the basket of food on the street.

You follow their example, making yourself smaller as you gently place down your case, unlatching the lid. Eventually, cats slowly emerge from their spots of shadow, sniffing at Mhin’s offered hand before the hunter reaches inside the basket, gathering the food. They spread it out evenly, giving each cat the same amount.

A few cats dubiously regard you, hissing when you hesitantly reach out a hand. “Give them time, they’ll find you trustworthy once they get comfortable with you being here.” Mhin advises, a slender hand petting a sleek black cat.

You chuckle lightly, “Almost like someone else I know.”

They furrow a brow in confusion for a moment before scoffing, looking away as a paint of pink crosses their cheeks.

As the cats continue to eat, you get out your instrument, finding a clean enough spot to settle as you tune it. Once you play a few notes, a few small heads pop up from their food, curious eyes sticking to the sound.

When you play an actual song, fluffy balls of fur wander near your feet—kittens. You try out the song you’ve been writing—a song for Mhin. It was meant to be a surprise, and for a different occasion—but as you watch Mhin’s face slowly register the lyrics, matching the descriptions to themself, it was worth playing it now.

Also Mhin’s definitely in love with you now. I don’t know how anyone wouldn’t be after watching you play for kittens.

AWWWWWWWW

Okay but can we take this moment to appreciate how cute Mhin is? Like they’re so cool but also so cute and I just GAHHHHHHH

Okay okay okay okay now unto Vere

Vere

Vere—oh vere oh vere. Alright- he’s probably gonna be rlly outta character because he’s so flirty and I don’t know how to even come up with flirts 😭 so UHM

I will try my best, but forgive me if I fail you

(I also took creative liberty here because like—I know he hinted at having ‘shows’ in the game but idk what they actually ARE— and in this you trash one before Vere has to go so you can spend time with him—idk if you could actually do that—but for this snippet, you can)

ALR LES GO

You finally manage to spot Vere in the crowd of the Wet Wick—he’s been coming more often ever since you’ve gotten closer. You can’t keep from feeling utterly smug over it. You’re a little out of breath from your…recent adventure. But it was worth it, you’ve been planning this ‘date’ for ages now. And with Vere’s busy schedule, you had no choice but to er…intervene.

You left no traces that you were the one responsible anyway, you’re fine.

Fixing up your hair and dusting off your clothes, you make your way toward Vere, his ears twitching in your direction—and by the subtle pout to his lips you’re guessing he knew you were arriving before you even entered—and he’s upset. Aww, poor little horny Fox man.

You settle next to where he sits, propping your chin on your palms as you bat your pretty lashes at him. He’s not impressed. “Where have you been?” He whispers harshly, eyes roaming over your figure. Eyes squinting as he then sniffs the air, catching a scent on your clothes. His expression sours, and before he can ask any questions, you leap to your feet.

“Nuh uh uh, questions can be for later. I’ve got something for you—“ you glance around at the tavern, mostly for dramatic effect. “—It’s a secret. Follow me.”

You stride out of the tavern, Vere—hopefully at your tail.

He probably would’ve stayed out of spite, but maybe he knew I was writing this snippet and have to make this short—and out of ooc mercy—he did indeed follow you outside the tavern and out into the winding alleyways.

As you walk, Vere gives you another searching look. “Make this quick, I have a show—“

“What show?” You blink innocently at him, and a small smirk slowly lifts his lips.

He definitely knows that look. “What have you been up to?” Another question, but now in an utterly different tone.

“Oh you know, been there and there. Doing this and that. The point is, don’t you want to know what I got you?”

Vere lifts a finger, tapping on his chin as he lightly hums. “Better be something good. That way I may just forgive you for making me wait so long.”

“Aww, you were waiting for me?”

His eyes darken into a glare and you chuckle. “Sorry, sorry. Here—“ you stop at a shadowed area around a cliffside, where you had set up a table with a one dancing flame on a tall candle, and a jar of bloody red roses that reminded you of Vere’s hair.

He regards the scene with at first, a bit of shock, before his eyes glimmer with amusement. “Ah, is this a date? Or a lovely place for you to relax after you push me off the cliff?”

Snickering, you make your way to the table, gesturing for him to sit. “Do you want to find out?”

Watching you carefully, Vere sits, and you begin the very worth it plan you had been scheming.

Thankfully, you never throw Vere off the cliff—not tonight at least. Instead, you treat him to a lovely dinner, before shocking him for the second time by proceeding to serenade him with a love song you had found was his favorite. (vere has a favorite love song?? In this snippet he does 😇)

He tried to make fun of you, but he has to suck it because you’re TOO DANG good at singing for him to come up with any teases. And now he has you sing for him every night you get to spend together. You sing for him while he brushes his tail, while he does skincare, and while he naps cuddled to your side.

Soft vere headcanon is my favorite <3 even though it’s probably way off.

ALR

Now unto the last— *sniffle sniffle* Kuras 😭 the way I love this man is probably unhealthy

Kuras

You’re in the streets of the Amaryllis district, instrument case open and at your feet while you tune. You’re hoping to somehow make some money with your voice and musical skill, instead of doing something like Soulless hunting—or whatever job you may find hidden in the mysterious city.

It’s a flimsy hope, but it’s worth a shot. You first tried out Lowtown, propping yourself by the closest walls and singing the songs that you already knew were crowd pleasers—long story short…they didn’t please -that- crowd.

So now you’re here, giving it another go. The clouds are deep blue with restrained thunder and rain, making you a little nervous before you remember that’s just how weather is like here. Sometimes the clouds just warned of a storm, without actually following through.

You start with your first song, your voice coming out a tad shakier than preferable, anxiety tickling your throat. But you carry on, lyrics lifting in strength as you get comfortable.

Eyes sometimes glance your way, some offering you a pity pause in their steps before strutting off. Disinterested. Others send you annoyed glares, scoffs that make you feel a sting of irritation.

What are they scoffing at? What, have they not heard music before?

An old woman with smoke crawling around her meaty neck stops in her tracks as her watery gaze falls on you—smiling crudely when you cough, putting an erupt end to your performance. “Take a tip from me dear, people don’t pay to only listen to music here. If you want a good coin in your purse, you’ve got to—“

“My apologies, grandma, but I don’t need your tip—unless you’re planning to put one here.” You bump your instrument case with your shoe.

The old woman’s face instantly scowls, a dark whirl of smoke matching the angry clouds above. “Take your shitty show somewhere else, pigeon, if you know what’s good for you.”

With that, the old woman struts away, coughing in her own smoke.

Definitely more annoyed now, you reach down to slam your case shut. “Sparrow, now pigeon, why does everyone insist on calling me some kind of bird?” Before you can close the case, a slender finger plops a bright golden coin into the center. A wave of warmth grazing your cheeks.

Craning your neck, your eyes meet those of pure shining gold. Kuras is crouched in front of you—while still managing to be tall as frick. His lips lift in a small smile. “I hope you aren’t planning to cancel your show so early.”

You blink, instantly getting back to you feet, leaving the case open. “Kuras! Hi! I…hope you didn’t see that.”

His eyes slide to where the old lady walked off, a displeased frown wandering onto his mouth. “Unfortunately, I did.”

You cringe, fiddling with your instrument. “She might be right. No one’s even really paid me attention—I doubt they’ll offer anything more.”

Kuras lightly shakes his head. “Don’t give up on yourself so easily. Many might not appreciate music on the street…” his eyes find yours again, his smile warming your chest. “But I do. Please, continue.”

Feeling both confident and shy under his gaze, you nod before clearing your throat. As you sing, you find yourself replaying a love song you would only mutter to yourself.

It takes you a while to notice that it has started raining. But not on either of you—instead, gentle rays of light cover your heads. Keeping you warm in the midst of otherwise cold rain.

Oh, and by the way, the old lady got utterly drenched. Hah, take that grandma.

ALR WE HAVE REACHED THE END!!

Ty again for the person who asked for this, I had a lot of fun 😭 and I hope you did too! Ty for reading!!

I hope you have an amazing night/day, win at a card game, find the perfect video to watch while you eat, and love yourself 🫶

[lunanoc]

PART III: WHO ARE KING SHANG OF LU AND THE IRON-MASKED GENTLEMAN, AND WHY IS IT EVEN IMPORTANT

finally we’re reaching the end of this thing

(to see previous disclaimers and context here’s part I and part II of this madness)

blanket spoiler warning for the books once again

more disclaimers, the entirety of this part is where i veer solidly into crack theory and full-on interpretation, so while everything i’m presenting here does have arguments based on sources that’s important we do love sources, it’s very much speculation and not hard fact

now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into the really wild stuff

with the various versions of “king shang of lu”’s and the iron-masked gentleman’s story, along with king mu of zhou’s story more or less unpacked (or as unpacked as they can be given we don’t know everything or even have a definitive truth), the real question then becomes what exactly you do with that information

based on what we’ve determined so far through the various versions of these characters’ stories, and taking into account the dubious nature of some or all of them to some degree, i feel there are a few base assumptions and conclusions you can come to, and that i’ll be working with from here on out:

the silkbook that wu xie found in “king shang of lu”’s coffin was indeed a fake, and was placed there with wu xie in mind, knowing that he would find it, and its purpose was to ease wu xie into the game the wu and xie families had been playing with the wang family. whether it was wu sanxing himself or the wang family who did it isn’t certain, and while either is a solid option, @tiesanjiaoshenanigans raised some solid arguments in favor of it being wu sanxing that you can read in their reblog here. in any case, it’s highly unlikely that it was xiaoge. grain of salt because i haven’t reached this point myself, but i’ve looked into a particular passage in ten years (Ten Years, Ch. 31, Key) where wu xie thinks back on the seven star palace, and while he does speculate that wu sanxing had a hand in using the silkbook jin wantang brought to him for his own purposes, wu xie also works on the assumption that it was xiaoge who swapped out a real silkbook for the fake one that contained the first version of king shang of lu’s story, and that his unease was due to recovered memories. granted wu xie does also speculate that he’d had the impression that xiaoge had been to the seven star palace several times before, which is entirely possible due to its significance in relation to “the truth of the world” (credit to @kelly42fox for speculating that maybe the headless corpse thrown into the sacrificial ding cauldron at the entrance of the seven star palace was in fact that missing blood zombie that xiaoge had subdued on a previous visit, and it was this memory that was triggered). however, while wu xie’s word is generally the most trustworthy simply because he’s dmbj’s main narrator, bases his assumptions on logic, and readily course corrects when he’s proven wrong (so in that sense he’s not the type of unreliable narrator who deliberately misleads the reader), he’s still a limited pov character, and what wu xie thinks he knows isn’t always necessarily the truth. because again, xiaoge planting the fake silkbook implies either he or chen pi ah si had a solid motivation for deceiving wu xie specifically, which seems odd all things considered

the wang family’s version of the tale of king shang of lu is the closest we have to the truth simply by virtue of it being the most detailed, of providing additional information that conveniently sheds light both on things mentioned in prior books and things mentioned in later books, and of it being a tale they clearly believe in. while it’s likely not the entire truth, both because they have a clear bias, and because they themselves are lacking key elements of this history, namely what “the truth of the world” is and what their feud with the zhang family truly stems from (Sand Sea Part III, Ch. 146, Wang Zanghai), it’s the best candidate so far

the iron-masked gentleman from the first two versions of “king shang of lu”’s story and the owner of the fox mask from the wang family’s story are the same person, and there might be more to his identity than you’d think

with all this being said, what’s left to consider is the possible identities of the characters in this story, namely king shang of lu, the iron-masked gentleman, and king mu of zhou, and the ramifications of those possibilities

let’s start with the iron-masked gentleman, as he’s arguably the most nebulous of the three, and for the sake of convenience i’m going to refer to him as just iron mask from here on out since that’s what he’s best known as

ironically however, the first detail i want to bring attention to regarding him is that he specifically wears a fox mask adorned with “patterns often found on bronze ware”, bronze ware being so precious a material at the time that it was used almost exclusively for ritual objects, most often funerary ones (Sand Sea Part III, Ch. 132, Lesson). later, we learn from the wang instructor that similar fox masks were correlated with a specific group of tomb robbers operating in shandong (where this story takes place) during the same time period (Sand Sea Part III, Ch. 134, Deception). based on this alone, i feel it’s safe to say that some type of parallel is being drawn between both iron mask, and if not this particular group of grave robbers, then at the very least the activity of robbing tombs. this detail will be important in a bit

for now, let’s look at how iron mask is presented to the reader in the various versions of king shang of lu’s story we’re successively given:

in the first version taken from the fake silkbook, iron mask plays a fairly neutral role despite helping king shang of lu to find the famed jade burial armor, which ironically in this version he also reveals the existence of to the man he advises

in both the second version briefly mentioned by xiaoge and in the third version given by the wang family, iron mask plays a more duplicitous role, either by stealing the jade armor for himself, or by sharing in duping the ruler of the state of lu to acquire his resources to find the jade burial armor in king mu of zhou’s tomb

according to the wang family’s version of the story, iron mask wasn’t king shang of lu’s advisor, but rather the advisor of the ruler of the state of lu, and as such, while he wasn’t in a position of direct power himself, he was in a position to influence said power, and he clearly did given he deliberately swayed the ruler of the state of lu into granting resources to rob king mu of zhou’s tomb. it’s also noteworthy enough to mention that the state of lu happens to be where confucius was born among other eminent scholars of the spring and autumn period, the intellectually prosperous period preceding the warring states period, and the one during which king mu of zhou supposedly began to implement his plan by incorporating the guarantee of tomb robbing into chinese tradition itself (Sand Sea Part III, Ch. 135, Stone Box). as such, the state of lu had a particularly important cultural influence on the rest of china both at the time and going forward. what i’m getting at by bringing this up is that iron mask was therefore not only in a position to influence the court of just any of the many states of the eastern zhou dynasty, he was in a position to influence one of the more prominent states of the time that had been a hub for some of the foundations of chinese culture for millenia to come. that iron mask was the one to recommend “king shang” to the ruler of the state of lu in the first place, clearly long before king shang ever had any sort of prominent position at court, further solidifies this idea.

and while there’s no direct evidence to infer that king shang, iron mask, and king mu might have been searching for and robbing tombs before iron mask ever brought up the idea of robbing king mu’s to the ruler of the state of lu, the previous connection between iron mask and the grave robbers with fox masks seems to hint at that possibility, and the narrative, by drawing this parallel, lends itself to interpreting iron mask and these fox-mask wearing grave robbers as some sort of organized collective

as mentioned in a previous part, the wang instructor explains to li cu that a number of these fox masks were found in tombs all over shandong, and that grave robbers of the time associated foxes with grave robbing because they’d often burrow in grave robber tunnels and around graveyards. what this then means is that, assuming these fox mask-wearing grave robbers and iron mask are indeed connected, then the activity of grave robbing itself is also connected to iron mask, or rather iron mask is connected to tomb robbing. as for the reasoning behind why someone would consistently wear a mask to the point their identity becomes eclipsed by it, the easiest answer is to assume that concealing their identity was maybe the point, and in the case of iron mask, given we have no information on his real name or anything else about him really, if that was his goal, then he clearly succeeded. therefore this fox mask he wears potentially has the dual purpose of both hiding his identity, and establishing some form of kinship with others who wore similar masks

to sum up then, iron mask was a man whose true identity and name remains unknown, who held an influential position in the court of one of the more prominent and certainly most culturally significant states of the eastern zhou dynasty, was associated in some capacity with grave robbing via kinship with a group of people who wore the same type of mask as him, and he used his influence at court to sway the ruler he advised into taking actions that benefited him in some capacity. as it happens, we know of at least one organized group of people in dmbj’s universe who also held influential positions in various imperial courts, are associated with grave robbing, and used their influence in spheres of power to sway rulers and/or the course of history in directions that benefited them and/or their endgame

do you see where i’m going with this

again, there’s nothing anywhere that can directly confirm that either iron mask and/or the fox-masked grave robbers were members of the zhang family or even associated with them, but there’s also nothing to technically disprove it either so i’ll just. leave the parallels here for people’s consideration

but where things get even more interesting is when you stop to then consider who “king shang of lu” might be

outside of the very first stone slab we get in the seven star palace that describes king shang of lu as having been “born with the ghost seal in hand” and the command of the army of the dead, if we assume that version 1 of his story in the silkbook that wu xie finds is dubious at best, then we don’t really get all that much about king shang of lu’s life or identity. the wang family’s version describes him as being introduced to the court of the state of lu as a descendent of the zhou emperor and as a “strange man” or “奇人” (qiren), which can either mean a “strange” person or an “extraordinary” person, as in having extraordinary talents, which arguably, given what his tomb looks like, he was (Sand Sea Part III, Ch. 132, Lesson).

beyond this however, there’s nothing in the wang family’s version to suggest that king shang of lu was anyone of note before iron mask quite literally pulled him out of thin air, as if he’d never existed until he suddenly appeared at court one day like a mysterious messenger from the beyond that the ruler of the state of lu, if not purports him to be, then may also believe him to be. the mystery persists with the tale of how king shang of lu supposedly gained his title by communing with the dead king mu of zhou to ask permission to open his tomb, since while we know that this perspective on what happened is in fact skewed by what the ruler of the state of lu who was tricked saw, and that in reality, king mu of zhou wasn’t dead, knowing this doesn’t answer how king shang of lu actually acquired the ghost seal or who he really is, if his identity is even significant. that he was “born with the ghost seal” in hand is likely a descriptor made to reflect him coming out of the coffin he’d been sealed as if “reborn” under his new title with the proof of his “covenant” with king mu of zhou. however, given the meaning of the name 殇 shang mentioned earlier (that is to say “to die young or at war”), and despite the explanation given of his title as a means to justify the subsequent robbing of king mu of zhou’s tomb, it nonetheless leaves you wondering why this name, and why specify that he was a direct descendant of king mu rather than simply “forming a covenant” with him? it could simply be that it was the most efficient ploy to manipulate the ruler of the state of lu into finding convenient moral outs, and there’s nothing more to read into it than the first step of the elaborate plan king mu of zhou had roped king shang of lu and iron mask into

but consider: we’ve established that while it seemed as if there were only two people working together, in fact there were three. but what if against all odds, there really were only two people in the end? after all, a third party is never really hinted at in the earlier versions of this story we get in book 1, unless you count the initial corpse in the fake silkbook version of the story that king shang supposedly removed from the jade burial armor when he found it, but that can’t have been king mu if king mu was in fact alive. what i’m saying is, what if we consider the crazy possibility that king mu of zhou and king shang of lu were in fact the same person

we know that king mu of zhou faked his death centuries before, and while he might have simply sought out and convinced king shang and iron mask of his identity, objectively, the less outside parties involved in his plan, the better. to be fair, it’s entirely possible that king mu used himself as a living example that immortality existed in order to bait king shang and iron mask into helping him, only for them to betray him later and successively take the jade armor for themselves. but if you consider the possibility that king shang was nothing more than an alias king mu used to “return to life” so to speak, it wouldn’t be less fitting of an explanation, as who could possibly have stood to recognize the face of a man centuries dead? of course, nothing really exists to solidly confirm this idea, which is the case for pretty much all of this “meta” that’s entirely speculation at this point but consider

after all, king mu of zhou saw “the truth of the world” in the queen mother of the west’s kingdom. i’ll come back to her briefly later, but we also know that to our knowledge, before wang zanghai, the zhang family were the only other people to have access to that “truth”. it’s reasonable to assume that king mu of zhou, having seen the “truth of the world” and returned from the queen mother of the west’s kingdom changed from it in more ways than one, might have also gained knowledge of another party who knew this “truth”. it’s equally reasonable to assume that rather than go through a third party and thus introduce an unknown variable into his plan, and seeing as king mu of zhou had been “dead” long enough that no one would recognize him should he choose to assume a different identity, it would have simply been easier to approach the only other party who both shared in the same forbidden knowledge, as well as presumably shared similar goals to some extent. and if iron mask was a zhang, then coming back to the previous point, given his particular social status, iron mask would have been the prime candidate for king mu to turn to for assistance. it also stands to reason that if iron mask was a zhang, then by extension a member of the zhang family would have accepted a mutually beneficial arrangement. after all, king mu’s plan and goals aligned somewhat with the zhang family’s interests, and they had to have been aware of king mu’s covert manipulation during the spring and autumn period. using grave robbing as a means of perpetuating curated traditions and culture over centuries, manipulating the flow of history, and thus making it extremely easy to practice convenient historical revisionism perfectly aligned with the zhang family’s designs. arguably it’s also precisely what the zhang family had been doing and continued to do, as wu xie himself eventually speculates, wondering if the zhang family had used tomb robbing as a means of disseminating if not false, then modified histories in order to control china’s “fate” through the ages (Tibetan Sea Flower, Ch. 67, Biggest Secret)

in addition to that, considering we know the ghost seal is something tied to the main zhang family, particularly zhang qiling, and that it allows passage into the bronze gate beneath changbai mountain that houses the ultimate (which is what “the truth of this world” ostensibly is) past the ghost army that does exist (though whether they can be controlled is something we have no evidence of), it’s also not a stretch of the imagination to consider that the zhang family might have lent the ghost seal to king mu/king shang for appearance’s sake. and if all this did have to do with the zhang family and there really were only two people involved in the endgame of this story, it might also provide a tentative reason for xiaoge’s unease as he tries to parse through why there isn’t a third blood corpse in the seven star palace. it might have triggered a memory or some feeling in him that there was an explanation to all this that existed but that he wasn’t privy to in the moment, but perhaps he had been privy to it in the past, and perhaps he had come to find it many times before that he could no longer recall because it was a place tied to the zhang family in some capacity

that does however raise the question of why then had iron mask’s memoirs been circulating if he’d been a zhang, but then again, dissemination of information via tombs was a plan the zhang family had every reason to encourage and perpetuate if they hadn’t already been in the business of practicing it, so if iron mask was a zhang, he would have neither had any qualms about participating in it himself, nor of providing a revised version of the truth. after all, we have no indication that version 2 of the story as told by xiaoge is a truthful account either, especially since this version still doesn’t reveal a name for the iron-masked gentleman despite it coming from his supposed memoirs

in addition to that, we also get an interesting tidbit in hindsight from practically the very beginning of book 1, where wu sanxing takes note of the fox pattern on the warring states silkbook that started wu xie’s journey into the conspiracies and says that it depicts “the mask worn by the earliest people in the state of lu when they were offered up as sacrifices” and that it must mean that “someone with a very special identity” was buried in the tomb, possibly “more respected that the emperor” (Book 1, Ch.3, Temple of Seeds). it’s hard to say what to make of the notion that the fox-masked people were “sacrifices” considering the wang family’s story explicitly makes them out to be grave robbers, so either or both of them is a lie. however, it does at least confirme there is something special about these fox-masked people beyond what’s being said (especially given the green-eyed fox corpse, who following the zhang logic, might have been a lower ranked family member offered up as a sacrifice and who turned after death, but this is probably a stretch), and whoever is buried in that tomb is abnormally important. the only real issue you run into with this train of thought is considering how far back the zhang family tomb extends, why would any zhang of note not be buried in it, so that’s at least one gap in logic

all of this then leaves us with a final question: if we assume iron mask was a zhang, and that king shang of lu was in fact a false identity created by king mu of zhou for himself, then what exactly happened in the seven star palace, and who is who in what coffin?

we know that the seven star palace is a warring states period tomb constructed on top of a pre-existing western zhou dynasty tomb. there’s no indication of whether this pre-existing tomb was meant to be king mu’s (in which case it was at least partially a dupe as he was still alive), and raises the problem of king mu not having had the jade armor prior to the king shang of lu story as he was actively looking for it, so he can’t have found it in his own tomb. to me, this means there are two possibilities to consider:

possibility one: king mu had a tomb built for himself during his reign that was designed with his plan in mind, which might explain the presence of the snake cypress (which we again only ever see elsewhere in gutongjing in ancient ruins related to a candle dragon baby snake mine, so clearly it being in the seven star palace is of some significance). king mu and iron mask did find a jade burial armor, but in another tomb or elsewhere that isn’t what would become the seven star palace

possibility two: king mu and iron mask, with each other’s mutual knowledge and abilities, found a tomb containing a jade burial armor that happened to be a western zhou dynasty tomb. the story then roughly proceeds like in the first two versions, and king mu/shang removes the corpse from the jade armor and takes it for himself

in some ways i feel like the most logical and likely option is the first one, simply because the mechanisms inside the seven star palace are too precise and deliberate, namely the timer coffin that was tied to the box with the baby in it (which i won’t be getting into here because that’s for another meta). this then leaves us with the problem of determining exactly who is who in this tomb by the time wu xie walks into it. the wang family implies that king mu’s plan ultimately failed because he hadn’t considered that someone like wang zanghai would come about and have the ability to hijack king mu’s plan for his own purposes. you can interpret that either as referring to his grave robbing plan alone, or that it also refers to king mu himself successfully staying in the jade armor for as long as it would take for him to come out of it side effect free. the ambiguity of what the wang family meant by “plan” makes it difficult to decide whether, following that wording, it leaves room for king mu to have been dumped out of the jade burial armor or not, which doesn’t really make deciding who is who any easier. for the record, wu xie mentions later when he comes back to this story in ten years later that he believes the one buried in the coffin under the snake cypress was iron mask (and npss also states this in his timeline in the postscript of book 8). if we choose to believe this is correct, and that king shang of lu was in fact king mu of zhou, then it leaves two more possible outcomes to the story:

possibility one: the thing in the coffin at the entrance of the seven star palace is king mu of zhou, and he was also the blood zombie that xiaoge killed

possibility two: the thing in the coffin is king mu of zhou, but he didn’t turn into a blood zombie, rather into something different or more powerful, and therefore the blood zombie xiaoge killed was someone else

the only thing that makes me doubt in this theory that king mu of zhou could both have been the blood zombie xiaoge killed and whatever was in the coffin at the entrance to the seven star palace is that to start with, there was a coffin so elaborate there to begin with convenient enough to place someone in (unless there had actually initially been a sacrifice in it and that’s the body that got dumped in the ding cauldron on the side to get replaced), that if wu xie was correct in assuming xiaoge had been to the seven star palace before, he would have left a dangerous blood zombie that could roam around in it “alive”, and lastly, the fact that not only did xiaoge kowtow to it to ask for safe passage within the tomb, even after having killed the blood zombie, xiaoge insisted on respecting the time limit the thing in the coffin had set and pushed wu sanxing’s team to leave the seven star palace before dawn regardless. it’s worth noting that xiaoge has never kowtowed to a corpse outside of this occasion (to my knowledge at least), has only actually knelt in front of changbai mountain that houses the bronze gate really, and has only ever spoken to one other also incredibly old and likely powerful corpse that was very likely one of the first people to come out of the kunlun mountains, and that rests inside the meteorite in tamutuo (Restart Part I: The Sound of Providence, Ch. 222, Countdown to the Finale 4).

why adamantly continue to uphold the demands of a creature that you’ve killed and that can presumably no longer harm you? unless leaving before dawn was an imperative that went beyond the sole demands of the thing inside the coffin at the entrance, it’s a little strange. however, the problem with saying that whatever was in the coffin at the entrance to the seven star palace and the blood zombie that xiaoge killed are two different entities makes things difficult, because it would mean there was some third party involved somehow, and it gives possibility two (the one where king mu/shang and iron mask find another tomb to steal the jade burial armor from and co-opt it) a little more ground. i haven’t been able to find any conclusive information on where the real-life king mu of zhou was buried, and it’s hard to say how much of an argument a real-life fact holds for something like this, but it’s interesting to note that the western zhou dynasty’s capital was fenghao, located in what’s now part of present day xi’an in the province of shaanxi, and the province of shaanxi is roughly 800 km (or 500 miles) from the province of shandong where the seven star palace is. it’s relatively far, especially for the time period, so does the distance justify the thought that it might not have been king mu of zhou’s tomb that was used as the basis for the seven star palace after all? did king mu/shang and iron mask really find a tomb that contained a jade burial armor and co-opt it? more food for thought

either way, whether or not the blood zombie xiaoge killed was king mu of zhou, if we choose to follow both wu xie and npss, then it doesn’t change the fact that it’s very likely that regardless, king mu of zhou ended up in the coffin at the entrance of the seven star palace, and iron mask in the jade burial armor in the coffin beneath the snake cypress. in that case, it brings into question the motivations iron mask might have had for doing this if, following the current theory, he really was a member of the zhang family. surprisingly, it’s not too difficult to think of some plausible ones

the zhang family have been searching for a way to curb their own terrible longevity curse for centuries, to the extent their blind determination to find meaning in their existence is what proved to be the fatal weakness that drove them right into wang zanghai’s and the wang family’s trap. if he really was a zhang, why then would iron mask have been any different, especially since given the time period, knowledge of anything connected to either the queen mother of the west, or what her kingdom housed (re: the meteorite), or both would have likely still been fresh enough for zhang family members anyway. the promise of the jade burial armor could have been a tempting offer for a man himself doomed from birth. it’s also possible that while king mu of zhou’s grave robbing plan naturally aligned with what the zhang family had likely already been doing, and so in that sense they facilitated it, they drew the line at him potentially accessing longevity, as king mu of zhou remained an outsider and therefore an unknown variable in the long run. better then for one of their own to guard something like a jade burial armor than someone who while aware of the “truth”, wasn’t necessarily an ally, which is what ended up happening much later with wang zanghai. king mu would thus have been a liability to dispose of. and king mu/shang might have sensed this and tried to have all the people working with him killed like the first two versions of the king shang of lu story seem to suggest, and so iron mask really did fake his own death to ensure king mu couldn’t succeed

i realize this idea raises a number of other problems, such as again why the zhangs would not either have kept some knowledge that one of their own was buried not only outside of the family tomb (which had things dating back to the spring and autumn period, suggesting burial in it had already been an established tradition then), but also in something like a jade burial armor. maybe they did, and it’s one of those secrets only zhang qiling is privy to. only xiaoge would truly be able to answer that (not that he will). it’s also possible following this logic that if iron mask did fake his own death, doing so placed him outside the scope of the family enough he was free to act of his own selfish free will and seized the opportunity, but again, this is all speculation. it also raises the question of why the wang family, if they’d known there was a zhang buried in jade burial armor, wouldn’t have tampered with it and removed him, but then again, they likely needed to keep the corpse there to bring their plan against the zhang family to fruition regardless of who it was

for the sake of debate, i might as well also share an alternative theory to this, that while i feel has a lot more problems and ultimately doesn’t fit with a number of other elements of dmbj lore brought up here where the theory this “meta” has been about so far does, is still maybe worth mentioning. it’s essentially the reverse, that the iron-masked gentleman was king mu of zhou’s fabricated identity, and king shang of lu was a zhang. again, i feel like this spin on the theory has a lot of logic problems going on, but if i had to make a case for it:

殇 shang and 张 zhang are vaguely homonyms and both pronounced in the first tone, which while it’s likely a coincidence, lends this theory a tiny bit of substance given the zhang family is also associated with death both by nature and design

if king shang was a zhang, it could explain why he would have had access to the ghost seal, in which case it would have been iron mask who sought the zhang family out and then ultimately duped them

if iron mask was king mu, then his ability to spin a tall tale about himself to the ruler of the state of lu would have been much easier

if king shang was a zhang, then slaughtering any outsiders aware of the plan would have made sense to ensure knowledge would stay within the family

it would also mean that king shang the zhang was tossed out of the jade burial armor and presumably into the coffin at the entrance of the seven star palace while iron mask/king mu took his place, and was maybe duped by iron mask/king mu who faked his own death because the zhang family’s hubris has always been massive and he didn’t suspect he could be bested

this would fit with the interpretation that by saying only wang zanghai prevented king mu’s plan from succeeding, the wang family meant both his grave robbing plan and his ability to successfully attain longevity without side effects

this would have presumably also given iron mask/king mu the time to accomplish his “series of things” such as writing his “memoirs” onto a silkbook, constructing his own coffin duo together with the box that contained the unborn baby

that would mean that whatever was in the coffin at the entrance of the seven star palace was a zhang, which might explain why xiaoge would feel the need to kowtow to it when this is something he doesn’t usually do

again, as nice as this idea seems, it has a bunch of flaws to it, namely for example how that would then connect the fox-masked people and iron mask (unless you want to consider those were simply his own followers brought about by implementing his own plan), how king mu even in disguise could have had held a position at court without any suspicion and likely no familial backing as he’d faked his own death, and many more. so ultimately i feel like t’s not as solid of a theory, but it’s an interesting contrasting thought

as for who the queen mother of the west really was, that’s also up for debate and lot more difficult to determine. though li cu suggests even she might be a fabrication meant to embellish the story of king mu of zhou for the sake of luring people into believing immortality existed, we know enough by sand sea to be certain she did in fact exist. while it’s unclear whether she truly was the queen mother of the west of legend, i like to think she was simply because we have no other accounts of anyone with that name, and because of how deeply entrenched she was in things relating to “the truth of the world” that she was more or less implied to have been privy to. the theory i’m personally going with is that she discovered the meteorite in the qaidam basin and constructed a kingdom around it (which would have taken far longer than a lifetime to accomplish to the degree that she did), knowing full well what the meteorite represented and what it could do. and if she did know, then considering her knowledge of “the truth of this world”, and her supposed longevity, it’s not entirely impossible to consider, especially given the title of the book itself, that the queen mother of the west might be related to the ancestors of the zhang family mentioned in queen mother’s ghost banquet, and that she simply belonged to a different branch of those people who took a different direction than the zhang family did, and sought to remedy the curse in a different way. and what better way than to return to its source? after all, knowing the zhang family’s origins, it’s not impossible to suggest that not all of the people who emerged from beneath the kunlun mountains and among other things built the bronze gate all ended up congregating to form what would become the zhang family. we know, for example, that baima, xiaoge’s mother, also had special blood akin to the one running in the zhang family, enough that she passed it on to xiaoge, ironically granting him purer special blood than any other main family zhang by that point. so it’s not that far-fetched to think there may have been offshoots of the zhang family’s ancestors who chose to lead a different life and eventually drifted apart from their brethren enough that they lost knowledge of each other, or served a different purpose for whatever is controlling the zhang family like marionnettes on a string

so this has been a massive “meta” i still can’t believe i actually sat down and wrote this

hopefully it makes some kind of sense and isn’t just incoherent babbling i’m going to be honest that’s still what it is lbr and i’m not sure it’s contributed much to anything besides being one more rabbit hole crack theory, but uhhh if you’ve stuck out this long thank you for reading! and feel free to comment or add anything onto this i’m always happy to talk about dmbj lore please talk to me about dmbj lore

[twothpaste]

wellll i gotta ask about our boy Bronson wiiith 12, 21, 25??

YEAAA BRONSON!!!! (Putting answers below a readmore because they're long 🕺)

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

I assure y'all I'm very normal and not at all unwell regarding All The Shit I Made Up About Bronson. The blundering apocalyptic naval admiral who accidentally got his own fleet destroyed, defected like a coward, and never faced the consequences. Who tried to make amends by serving as the White Ship's captain, but never washed his hands of blood. Dude who has no clue how to navigate grief, 'cause he couldn't face it himself when folks who trusted him died on his watch. So wracked with subconscious guilt he just wants to stuff his head in an amnesiac hole and spend the rest of his days as a humble bumfuck Nowhere blacksmith. Again, normal about Bronson. Nothing to see here.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

I love making him lowkey pathetic when push comes to shove. He's a capable leader if things are running according to plan, an easygoing and sensible person generally, people do respect him, etc. But when faced with truly difficult dilemmas, he ends up floundering uselessly. Falls back on old habits, like feigning control over the situation, trying & failing to order people around, throwing up his hands and hoping everything works itself out. There's several situations in TSS where Bronson, despite all his barking bravado, is clearly the least effective team player - and it cracks me up! (Deep down, after a lifetime of shit flyin' disastrously off the handle despite his best efforts, he's painfully aware of how little control he really has… 🥲)

I'm having a hard time thinking of anything I don't like about writing him. He comes off a little stiff & stagnant sometimes I guess (granted I've been writing him at the grizzled & curmudgeonly age of 61 dfgdfhg). Not certain I've managed to convincingly convey the value he brings to his community, since he's often bumbling about, or giving lukewarm advice. In TSS I wanted him as a sort of linchpin, holding the whole operation together with his steady & familiar presence, even though he goofs up a lot? I've def had a lot of moments with him where it's been hard to thread that line, and I'm not sure I pulled it off. But even still, Bronson's never been unfun to handle as a character ❤️

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

When I first played Mother 3 as a clueless little 17 or 18 year old, Bronson was one of the few Tazmilians who really stuck out in my mind. He leaves a pretty strong impression in Chapter 1, huh! Still in high school, I was embarrassingly bad at relating to or connecting with adult characters. But even back then - and definitely now - I think what I liked about him was how flawed he is, how human his writing felt. Dude tries so hard to help find Hinawa, ends up too late, and absolutely blunders like a jackass when it comes time to relay the news. He fucks up royally by throwing Flint in jail, too, but you can tell by the way he talks to Flint that he bears no ill will or animosity. Puts up no protest against the Pigmasks & Tazmily's industrialization, but he's one of the few villagers who remains neighborly as ever toward Lucas. He's really just some guy tryin' his best to do right by his community, handling shit in the only ways he knows how. His failures are so honest, I can't really bring myself to blame him too harshly. Throughout the game he always somehow feels like a trustworthy ally, even when he's just lounging on the beach while the world goes to hell. The most lovably ineffectual Real One ever.

[ink-flavored]

1-5 for pride & 20-25 for justice's friend group? :D

(thanks as always for making all these ask games idk how u do it but they're so good)

thank u!! 💛💛 i am happy this one is another banger i just really like writing question in numbered lists!!

Pride

1. Are they good at making friends? What makes it so easy for them?

Absolutely not. He sucks at being nice, so friends are hard to come by.

2. Do they struggle to maintain friendships? Why?

So Pride hasn't really had a friend since before the rebellion that got him sent to Hell. Demons aren't pals. When he does get to Earth, he resists interacting with humans as much as possible, and isn't trying to maintain any sort of relationship with Justice at all.

When he does accidentally make friends, he kind of... ignores them unless he wants to do something? Like if he's bored or something. They all just met him, so they don't know how normal this is or if he's busy, and kind of accept that Pride will leave them on read sometimes.

Why does he do this? Because he's used to relationships being transactional and assumes people don't care about him. He doesn't think anyone misses him when he's gone, or... want to have a relationship with him unless they're also getting something out of it.

3. Do they have a best friend? Multiple?

Ollie is his best friend, he'll admit that right away (when he gets enough character development to say so). She's the only motherfucker in this city who can handle him.

4. Do they prefer a ton of friends or a small group?

Definitely a small group. He does Not want to be vulnerable with more than a few people at once.

5. Do they ever wish they had more friends? Fewer friends?

Pride wishes that he wanted to have more friends. The idea of being someone who's popular and has dozens of friends and has everyone's love and attention calls to him. In reality though, he would never be able to or want to handle that many people being in his personal circle.

Justice

20. Do they have any “unlikely” friends? How did they meet?

Pride would be quite an unlikely friend of his lmao

In the book club specifically, though, Basil is perhaps the unlikeliest? They keep to themself most of the time, and really only talk to Emelia at length outside of meetings. During the book discussions, they might chime in with their own observations, but are just as often quiet for the whole hour. Thanks to his Angel Powers, Justice is immediately trustworthy to all humans, or at least makes them feel inexplicably "safe" so it's much easier for him to make unlikely friends. They began their friendship with Justice asking about their TTRPG dice, and the rest is history.

21. Are they a physically affectionate friend? With certain people or with everyone?

Yes, absolutely! He will ask first, but given the option to be huggy with his friends he will always take it.

22. How would they make friends in a new location where they don’t know anyone?

Justice is quite a social butterfly and likes going to places and talking to people. That's actually how he found his book club friends in the first place—in an attempt to learn how to be convincingly human, he went to the library and saw a flier for it. He showed up because it sounded fun! And there's people there!

23. Do they have any “dealbreakers” when it comes to making friends with someone?

Generally, just... don't be a dick? Justice is a very forgiving person, since being able to detect everyone's pain makes it hard to really hate someone, but even he draws his lines. He has a particular distaste for injustice, or unfair treatment, and there's probably no amount of Sad Backstory that would make him forgive someone who consistently treats people unfairly.

24. Do they consider their co-workers friends? Do they have a separate “work friends” category that’s separate from their “regular friends”?

Justice doesn't work, necessarily? Unless you count Heaven, that was sort of his career. In that case, yeah definitely he considers them a separate category, but more like "human friends" vs "angel friends."

When it comes to just his human friends, he has different groups that he organizes in his head. His book club friends, obviously, then his church friends, and his volunteer friends—which are close enough to coworkers, and some of them overlap with his church friends.

25. How do they celebrate with their friends? Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc.?

The second Justice learned what a birthday party was, he loved it. He's always down for celebrations, and would LOVE to help plan them. He hasn't been on Earth for long enough to have that happen, but when his book club friends invite him out to like, a big birthday dinner or something, he ALWAYS goes. And gets a little present!

Certain holidays hold more weight for him than others when it comes to his friends, and he is, of course, a huge fan of Christmas which is when most people are home with their families. He does always offer to extend his holiday celebrations out to those of his friends who are alone for the holidays (Chris is totally cut off from its family, Basil is on-and-off, Kit's family lives far away and she can't always afford to go out of town, etc.), and when they accept, he is delighted about having people over.

[check out my 100 question platonic dynamics ask game]

[jjtheresidentbaby]

Hale Pack Classification Headcanons

characters featured : Issac, Malia, Derek, Peter [moodboards for each character included]

find the mccall pack here & puppy pack here

Issac Lahey : little — his regression is mostly used to vent or to try and indulge in the childhood he didn’t have due to his bad upbringing. He stays on the young side of things and is pretty quiet (unless Malia convinces him to play pranks on Peter & Derek), he’s very content with only a few people around. Derek & Malia are his favorite people while small but occasionally he sits with Peter or has Scott come over to watch him. His favorite color is blue which he didn’t think would be a big thing but as soon as he told Derek & Peter they were decking his room out with all types of blue things, most everything soft as comfort is a very big deal while Issac is regressed. He can always count that Derek, Peter or Malia will be able to help him with what he needs if somethings off or he simply needs someone to lay with him ♡

Malia Hale : little — I debated putting her down as a flip but I think this fits better. Most times her regression is used as a way to relax and have fun but if she’s having a bad time while small she’ll ask Peter or Derek to build a fort with her, having a small space she can curl up in brings her immense comfort from how long she spent in the woods. Aside from that she’s a very curious little, always excited to learn about new things and try new games that Derek brings out or attempt to cook something with Peter when she’s feeling big enough. Playing tricks (or trying to) and small pranks on Derek or Peter is one of her favorite pass times, Issac joins in occasionally but she honestly has a better bet convincing Peter to help her play something against Derek. She only really stays around the Hales & Isaac when regressed although sometimes she gets dropped off at Lydia’s for the day, they’ve become quite close since Lydia’s started to babysit Malia when Derek needs ♡

Derek Hale : caregiver — his main littles are as mentioned before, Malia & Isaac, but he’ll really watch over anyone that needs it! Though he has to admit, between Issac clinging to him and Malia & Peter ganging up on him, he has his hands full. Not that he’d ever change it, he adores watching the littles! He definitely knows he’s Malias and Issacs favorite caregiver, the amount of times they ask to be picked up in a day proves it, and it heals something in Derek, to be wanted and needed in such a caring and kind way. He doesn’t talk about it much but occasionally he’ll sit with Melissa and chat when picking up Malia & Isaac from a playdate or when she invites them all over for dinners ♡

Peter Hale : caregiver — after everything that happened when he first got out of his coma, he tries really hard to be better than he was. This definitely results in lots of gifts, he’ll get the littles whatever they please, take them places like the aquarium or amusement park anytime he can find the time. Before the Hale fire and everything else, Peter worked as a chef briefly and now he uses those skills to make meals for the littles, allowing them to help anytime they want to, this also takes some stress of off of Derek so he does it as much as he can. He’s a good guy and having the littles around, who appreciate him and want him around, it makes him tear up a lot more than he’d like to admit. Especially when Malia or Issac (or both of them) appear in his doorway at night searching for comfort from the monsters hiding in the dark, he’d risk it all for those two! And when the McCall pack is around and Kira or Lydia come spend time with him he all but falls over from it, he’s so extremely happy to be accepted into their groups and to be seen as a trustworthy caregiver ♡

[tillywunderwing]

👁️ for the ask game

Does the Agency have any ill intentions?

Man, this is a complicated question (<- wrote the question)

While I certainly don’t think that Zoraxis are secretly the good guys or anything, I do think the Agency isn’t as morally perfect as it wants people to think it is. I’ve seen a few really good answers to this question that boil down to ‘good intentions but shitty methods’, which is pretty accurate - namely, the way they treat agents so callously is not a sign of an organisation with a truly solid moral code.

It’s not just the fact that the agents are put in danger - I mean, they’d HAVE to be as per the job. But they really are treated like objects. The way our Handler admits that he did expect us to die at the end of the first game, with what almost sounds like nonchalance - they aren’t brought up to think their agents’ lives are all that valuable.

That’s just for what we can verify, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is something more malicious that we haven’t seen the full face of yet — I’ll admit I don’t know too much about him (never got around to collecting all the phantom medals) but from what I do know, Director Morales doesn’t seem like an entirely trustworthy character. And there are outside sources trying to have us believe that the Agency isn’t all it seems, which narratively speaking has to be rooted in something.

It’ll be really interesting to see where that goes in the next game/s.

To add as a sort of aside: I don’t know what the agency might be up to exactly, but I do know how I feel about Reginald’s prospective place in it. As much as I’m biased because I love him, I truly cannot believe he’d ever have bad intentions towards Phoenix. So if there is something fishy happening with the EOD, one of two things is true; either Reginald doesn’t know about it, same as us, OR it’s something that would put Phoenix/the player in grave danger if they knew, and he’s keeping it from them to protect him. I add this only because I think it would be an interesting addition to narrative conflict in future games, sowing distrust with the one character we always thought we could trust, while not ripping everything we knew about him away from us entirely.

TL;DR maybe, but it isn’t universally corrupt if so, and insofar as we definitively know it only just kind of sucks.

[bourbonificould]

For the ask game, how about 3 for Clementine, 9 for Kenny, 20 for Lee, and 4 for Javi?

3 for Clementine: I would probably say secrecy. It's a reccuring theme throughout most of the seasons, where she'll sugarcoat or won't say the actual logistics of what's going on or totally hide things in general. It gets multiple people killed and generally is a really bad trait that she possesses. You'd think after the first time she kept a secret, the devs would get rid of it more and more as she matures, but it just... stays. There's a good amount of times where stating the obvious would've helped her out, yes this generally happens when she's not a playable character, but in s2 and s4, there's a few instances where it's just so annoying. Be honest and maybe you won't be in crazy shit, Clementine. Did getting caught by a creepy fuck not teach you this?

9 for Kenny: Probably? I don't actually do much in a room and have never had my own bedroom, so I already know what it's like to have a roommate or roommates. Kenny seems like a guy that I could tolerate, maybe less when he's on a drunken bender or if he's having a shitty day, but I definitely wouldn't mind his company on a good day. He's got stories for years and I can only assume, considering our age gap, that if I got on his good side, he'd be down to teach me some things. Generally he seems like a good bro when he likes you and I think we'd bond a lot over some things.

20 for Lee: Judging by the first season, it's really only between Kenny, Doug or Carley. I'd eliminate Carley considering she's more into him romantically than platonically, so that leaves Ken and Doug. Doug is actually quite a bro in the playthrough that you get with him, and I have no doubts that he and Lee would've been great friends if he survived. My only issue with him is that he lacks determination, which is understandable for sure, but Lee would definitely get a little annoyed here and there if Doug was ever slacky. As for Kenny, you see how much of a bro he can be when you've got his back, it's understandable how much he values protecting his family, which a guy like Lee admires. Ken's only issues on how he likes to be right, but Lee is generally good at getting to him and being his bro when the man needed it the most, and in return, Kenny offers himself to go on a death mission to get Clem back.

4 for Javi: Hmm, idk about this one. Javi's actually a pretty fitty character when it comes to this sort of topic. He's good for comedic relief, good in a fight, turns into a man with values, is definitely trustworthy despite his shortcomings and isn't afraid to step up to the plate when he's needed on the many occasions. Now I'm not too fascinated with a TON of serieses, but the mind boggles with the thought of him being in maybe the actual TWD show, as it does with other main characters. Stemming away from the apocalypse vibe, maybe Red Dead 2 (im biased but he'd figure it out). I'm not too into the whole landscape of things just yet but I'm making time for it.

[shiirocassilda]

I finished playing The Outer Worlds yesterday. I generally enjoyed it, and would definitely recommend it. More details and some thoughts(probably with spoilers) below.

Starting off with character creation, I put most of my points into the intelligence and stealth directions. Experience with Fallout games tells me that combat can always be bypassed or cheated but if you cant do a speech, lockpick or hack you get locked out of some things. Then I meet a definitely trustworthy scientist and get dropped down to the planet to meet a smuggler for some reason.

Oops, the smuggler's an idiot and now he's dead, time to steal his ship(and identity). Ships broken. Go find a part in the nearby town. Do some side quests, get involved in local politics, make some new friends. I ended up with the deserters in charge, it seemed like the least bad ending. I died a few times early on until i found something other than the starting pistol. I don't think I ever died again after that. Leave the planet.

Now i'm on a spaceship. Now I'm impounded. Now you're free to go, by the way do you want to rat out the only person you know to the evil corporation? Doesn't seem like the right call. More side quests, go to a different part of the planet, make some money, buy the key to the next place. Also got some new friends on the ship. Felix is cool, also a loser.

Now to the second planet, more local politics make friends with the local cult, one last friend joins the crew, she has some unfinished business, more side quests, leave the planet, stumble into a dlc.

Murder mystery, find an OP weapon, never worry about combat again. Solve the mystery, kill a big worm, leave. Back to the main game, stomp everything in my path to the radio tower, already made friends with the locals so I don't need to do anything. A ship falls from the sky. Locals want me to salvage it for only one of the groups, forced to make a choice(I guess there was a path to peace but it wasn't a quest marker). Give the ship to the company, they seem a better ally. The cult is attacking now, this battle seems like it should be more cinematic but it isn't. The cult leaders are in the abandoned church, kill them. Ignore the second copy of one of them and the company president that are standing there like they are going to negotiate, you didn't pick that path.

Back to the scientist, time to get some chemicals to help your frozen friends. But first, the other DLC. No real strong notes about that one. Back to the big city, sneak into a politician's house. Nope, someone else bought those chemicals. Sneak into capitalism hq, now every guard is hostile. Good thing i have the Spectrum Gatling. Shoot my way in, shoot my way out. Time to move the frozen people closer. I can sneak this time. Queue the only actual cinematic moment in the whole game. Sneak back out.

Scientist is captured, time for a prison break. Some friends show up to help, but I have enough dps on my own. Pile of bodies high enough to solve the food shortage. The chairman thinks he has leverage, dies. Hack the final boss. Rescue the scientist. A powerpoint says i got what seems like a good ending for everyone but the rich.👍

Bad retelling aside I did enjoy the story, and I rarely felt too limited in my ability to make choices.

But there is something to the intersection of fps and rpg that tests my suspension of disbelief. What exactly is leveling up that a person can become more resistant to being shot in the face? If it's abstracted there can be excuses, but in an fps, no, I shot you in the head. Your best excuse is a helmet, and that only takes you so far.

In the end, it's Fallout New Vegas in space, and it's a good time.