#even there they're just posing without acknowledgement of each other

[melonymint753]

"if it was a girl and a guy you will find it romantic" Temenos and Throné have a whole side story that's just the two of them solving a mystery, and their "&" tag is one of the highest relationship tags on Octo2 AO3 (this includes other romantic pairings) while their own romantic tag is nowhere to be seen among the top ones

they just have so much No Hetero energy that it defied conventional shipping heuristics. respect

[pippin-katz]

Alex & Being Bisexual 🩷💜💙

I've seen a lot of people complaining about Alex not having as big of a crisis over being bisexual as he did in the books, but I feel like a lot of people are overlooking the development he does go through.

Henry is the first guy he has felt attracted to that he actually knew prior to getting physically involved.

Alex & Miguel

Nora's asks specifically about men Alex has "been with", not men he's liked or interested him. She means physically, and he knows that too. Alex doesn't even bother with giving any context or details for his high school hook up. His description of his hook up with Miguel is straightforward, direct, and factual, because he doesn't have an emotional attachment to that moment or Miguel.

This, and his interactions with Miguel, gives the impression that they don't really know each other that well. It seems like they met during the campaign, made out in a hot tub, and now occasionally they talk at school.

They don't seem like friends, rather acquaintances after a one night stand, which is pretty much what they did. Their first conversation is mostly Miguel trying to get quotes for his journal and flirting with him rather than any kind of real discussion.

Gifs courtesy of @phakphumm from this post

Alex isn't stupid; he knows Miguel is flirting with him, however he chooses not to acknowledge it. He doesn't discourage him, but he does not encourage him either.

He avoids saying anything about it at all. His expressions after the eyelashes comment show him at a bit of a loss for how to respond. Alex seems flattered by the compliment, but doesn't seem to have any real desire to hook up again.

Everything Miguel says, he says in an attempt to get something out of him, whether it be flirting to hook up and/or get quotes for his journal.

Same thing at the state dinner; Alex isn't fully paying attention cause he's busy staring at Henry, but Miguel opens with compliments, specifically about his memo, which is definitely an attempt to flatter him. Then he starts asking direct questions about the campaign, Alex doesn't answer, and he walks away. They're not really friends.

New Territory

It's one thing to admit being somewhat attracted to the same sex, under limited, physical circumstances. Lots of people often joke about "being straight/gay but I would sleep with this person".

It's another thing to develop an attraction to a person you know of the same sex when you've never had those feelings before. It's not just physical anymore, because you know and like this person outside of that context, and the physical intimacy gains a new meaning.

Alex VS Feelings

This is a new feeling for Alex. This man practically makes out with two women he barely knows without any qualms, but when he's waiting to see Henry? His close friend who he knows and plans to kiss?

He is nervous; not just a little nervous either:

Alex is a pretty confident guy, able to host massive parties and dance without any reservations about it, unlike Henry who awkwardly bounces. He's a fantastic public speaker. Excluding the wedding, which were extreme circumstances, he's able to navigate a room comfortably. We know from the closet conversation that he used to get scared, but it's clear based on his campaign efforts, the DNC speech, and so on that he's grown into his role and can play it well.

Here, Alex can't sit still. He doesn't know how to stand. He's shifting around, almost pacing. He visibly tries to muster up the confidence we know he has, but can't. He's trying to pose, or look confident, and almost gets there, but the second the door opens, he panics and just stands there.

"But that's just cause he really likes Henry!"

Yes, exactly; Henry is his first step towards fully realizing his identity.

Once the tension is broken, Alex is confident again and doesn't hesitate anymore. He may not be completely sure of his identity, but he is completely sure that he wants Henry. Those thoughts take priority when he kisses him. He knows physical intimacy. He knows how to kiss with someone regardless of who they are. He has been with a couple men, and is a man himself, so he knows what feels good. His confidence stays intact during their exchange when they get to his bedroom.

There are very small moments where you can see his nerves poke through.

When Henry pushes Alex over the couch, not only is it surprising to him, it also disconnects them for a few seconds. He has a chance to look at Henry while they're not touching or kissing, no direct distraction.

When Henry starts undoing his pants, he looks up, inhales quickly, blinks a couple times, and swallows; it's almost like he's thinking "okay this is actually happening now". Again, no direct distraction, as Henry isn't doing anything yet, and Alex isn't touching or kissing him.

Both moments go by fast though because he's focused on what he knows, the physical part. He knows he wants Henry physically, so he can focus on that, and deal with the other feelings later.

Alex is aware that he has feelings toward Henry that are new to him. He doesn't know what they mean, and it's nothing even close to what he feels later in Paris and at the lake house, but they're starting to form. He's the one who suggests that he and Henry see each other again, and you would have to be blind not to see the brief disappointment on his face when Henry says it has to be very casual. It's also important to note that this is right after Alex comes out.

The Bisexual Label

While his feelings make Alex nervous, Henry is still his friend and he feels comfortable around him. He's the first person he comes out to; he was unable to say anything definitive about his identity during his conversation with Nora, despite her best efforts to help him.

Henry is the first person he tells and he distinctly shows uncertainty when he first uses the bisexual label:

He's serious about it; not overly serious, but he's coming out very formally. He's nervous, even though he's telling Henry, who he literally hooked up with five minutes ago. Henry already knows he's attracted to men. Alex is not nervous about that; it is clearly the label that he's uncertain about.

Confidence

A lot of people get taken by surprise when they start questioning their identity because they had simply never thought about it before.

The uncertainty Alex has about his identity was initiated by his feelings for Henry. Alex clearly never considered the idea of being in an actual relationship with a man. Without Henry, he may have never figured out that he was fully bisexual. He may have continued fooling around occasionally with guys, never giving serious thought to the other possibilities, unless/until he met someone like Henry who basically smacks him in the face with a mirror.

Being with Henry makes him truly think about himself, and come to the conclusion that he's bisexual. Seeing/dating Henry also makes him more comfortable and confident in his identity over time.

While Alex hadn't acknowledged Miguel's advances before, after he sleeps with Henry, he actively calls him out on it and refuses without hesitation as soon as Miguel puts the suggestion out there. Miguel even says "Well, I don't anymore", confirming that had been his intention in earlier scenes.

He had been trying to hook up with him again, and because Alex never addressed it, Miguel thought that it was possible. Alex may not have addressed his comments, but Miguel could see for himself that they had a positive reaction; he felt flattered and bashful. That response coupled with the fact that Alex did not outright tell him to stop was enough reason for Miguel to think it could happen again.

Also, Alex told Nora that he got the feeling Miguel wanted to hook up again, but that he was a journalist, which does not say he wouldn't be down. He never says he wouldn't want to; instead he expresses his apprehension to the idea due to his job. So for all intents and purposes, before Henry came along, Miguel was correct to think it was a possibility.

This seems to be the first time Alex has ever actually addressed their tension, and it occurs after he starts seeing Henry and using the bisexual label.

Owning The Bi Label

Then Zahra finds him and Henry the next morning. She is kind enough not to tell Ellen immediately, because even if she won't admit it, she does care about Alex a lot and recognizes the importance of something like this. However, she makes it very clear that he needs to tell her ASAP or she will.

When he comes out to his mom, he is significantly more sure of himself when he uses the bisexual label. He laughs and uses the shorten term "bi" which is a small detail but indicates his confidence, compared to how he cautiously said "bisexual" when coming out to Henry. He's not at all nervous to use the term, and says it grinning.

This is also indicative of his confidence in his label because Alex doesn't lead with his sexuality. He leads with meeting someone, and clarifying that it's a man, and that it's Henry. So once they're on the couch talking, Ellen is also already aware that he is attracted to men, but this time, he's prompted about his label and he shows zero nerves about using the term "bi".

Queer Identity

By the end of the movie, Alex is able to publicly refer to himself as having a queer identity. Obviously, he was outed against his will, but he is still able to stand up and acknowledge who he is without nerves about it. He has been with Henry for a year, and he knows who he is, and he’s not ashamed of it. As he says, the leaks were an issue of privacy, not shame. Alex is not afraid to say who he is, and he is queer, he is bisexual. He’s a different person than he was before Henry. He’s learned about himself because of him.

Does he have a complete, computer-error-noise breakdown over it? No, he doesn’t, but he does not immediately start waving a bi flag around either.

Okay, that’s all! This took so freaking long to put together, but I hope it helps people understand how his bisexuality is addressed in the movie. Just because he has a different journey than he did in the book does not mean he did not have a journey at all, and I hope this allows people to see it more clearly!

Thanks for reading!! If you enjoyed this essay & would like to support me, you can give me a tip on my Ko-Fi! ☺️

[epwritten]

Post Concert Notes

Hey everyone! It's 10:39pm where I am right now, and about 24 hours ago Stray Kids was singing their final encore songs. Last night was the absolute best night of my life...I'll admit though, I'm slowly getting post concert sadness. Like, last night coming back to the concert was fine, even earlier today I was just happy but as the sun went down so did all of the happy parts. No, I worded that wrong. I'm happy, of course, and I'm so very grateful. It's just now slowly starting to sink in that it's all over. Plus, the guys left Toronto earlier today and they're on the skies right now heading back home. Which, of course, they deserve their break. They had a successful North American Leg of tour.

With that being said though, yesterday night I came back from the concert writing down my thoughts on each of the members after seeing them in real life, and I want to share them with you! 🥹

So without further ado, here was my post concert notes!

CHAN

he is the most attentive, most sweetest, loveable guy you could ever meet. And it's not saying that just because, like, "oh, he's just saying what the script tells him"  no, no, no. You can hear the heart and appreciation he has for all of us as stays. And it is genuinely in a loveable way that he places people first, it comes from his heart. He just wants everyone to be okay. It's a weird definition, but you feel like you're his, just in the way that you're LOVED by him and protected. It doesn't matter if you've never met, he still makes you feel safe.

- He expresses a lot of himself actually, like he is aware of how he feels and puts it in beautiful words, you can tell he truly loves with his heart.

- Oh! He also really doesn't like when people give him his flowers or hype him up or even appreciates him, like he always downplays himself and makes sure others are credited, but it's like "okay yeah of course you make 1/8 of stray kids, PLUS the band, PLUS the dancers, PLUS the staff, PLUS the production crew...etc are there too, but respectfully honey, NO." There's so so much more. And he genuinely doesn't like it I just want to hold him and shake him and tell him how much he means to us because truly he has no idea in the slightest just how much he has helped people.

- also....that man is BEAUTIFUL

- but in a "not putting himself out there" way, and that makes him even more attractive

- he's also very FUNNY lol like genuinely

- he's also sassy it's amazing 

- he's also giggly and smiley it's beautiful

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LEE KNOW

- that man smirks A LOT. Like, his smile is a smirk.

- he has so much power like his energy wasn't talked about enough honestly. I'm talking specifically in LALALALA and Megaverse like he takes a lot of power and exuberates it

- he performs like he doesn't even know he's on stage, like "oh, there's 50K people? I did not notice" and think that's only because it's not a show for him, it's like "I get to dance and sing on stage today", like it's not performative, he just happens to do what he loves and we just happen to be there to witness it

-i think he was the most quiet out of all of them during the night, but that doesn't go without saying anything wrong, all except the fact that he came to have a good time, and we just happened to be there

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CHANGBIN

He thrives off of hyping up (as he should!) But even that, it's not in the way of arrogance, it's like he genuinely cannot keep a straight face if we all started cheering for him, he immediately does the ultra pose

- but the more you hype him up, the more energy he gets like it's so cute

- i think he's also like Lee Know but in the opposite sense where may not be initially performing for people, but at the same time he wants to give the best and acknowledges how we can hype him up

- he was also so smiley and engaged with conversation as well and he likes to laugh or make the other members or us laugh so he would throw in funny comments

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

HYUNJIN

okay so I must say this man almost does not look a part of Stray Kids...but let me explain

- they're all beautiful, but he's a different level of beautiful. Like, genuinely and ironically the definition of what he likes to do: art

- he's very focused and dance driven, but dancing is in his soul like he does not NOT dance. Ever.

- Hyunjin's also very in the moment. So meaning, he's the type of guy to take everything in and you visibly see it. Whether staring dreamingly over the stands, whether walking to the side of the stage and just looking at everyone scanning left and right while the members are in their corner goofing off, or whether he closes his eyes and opens his arms and just is THERE...you can just see how much this all means to him, how much he's reflecting on it all when it's all over (and i'm not even talking about the night, but when time passes and they're not doing this anymore)

- but he genuinely looks like a painting...(and that's WITHOUT his long hair lol can you imagine if he did have it for the Toronto stop? I would genuinely walk out of that night with a new bias haha jkjk)

- on the flip side though, he's cute!! Like a baby

- there's something so adorable about him like his little accent (like not even for speaking in English, when he was speaking in Korean and giving his speech) and just everything....he's a baby! Protect him at all costs!

- also there was a pabo moment as well during my pace where I guess he didn't hear because he started singing behind the back track but he heard it finally and he paused and gave this cutest little almost embarrassed giggly reaction but it was too late for him to do anything after that point haha

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

HAN

wow...Han Jisung is quite literally the coolest person ever. Like honestly.

- he KNOWS - like I can't describe it but he knows his impact (again, not in a cocky way but like...he's just so chill with it)

- but he's also a rockstar! Like he is a performer for sure

- but there was never a doubt about that. He's confident in not wanting there to be language barriers like he made sure he was giving his chaotic personality in English, so it wasn't reserved

- you know when you're speaking a different language and you may forget a word, and then you either just forget about it entirely and give up, or you do the thing where you restate it but not fully in the way you may have wanted because the wording is different, so it doesn't come off as the same that it would if you were to speak your native language

- for Han, that literally never happens. He made sure - even if it was a word he didn't know- to take his time but still carry the same message, the same joke, the same sassiness..etc

- he also IS British LOL because where does those posh sounding words come from?

- also would love to add the fact that he had the most screams when he would be shown on screen (WHICH WE LOVE)

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

FELIX

WHERE DO I START

- no for real though...where do I start?

- I think I'll start for when we were walking to the venue and you could see the stadium and it was a long walk in the middle of nowhere but as you were getting closer, they were doing soundcheck and you heard them (which I was like "there's no way they're THERE right now, this is real"

- but it came to chk chk boom, and I got to hear Felix's LOUD BOOMING VOICE FROM MILES AWAY FROM THE STADIUM I got chills

- HIS VOICE IS SURROUND SOUND YOU LITERALLY CANT ESCAPE IT, like if you went to the bathroom I'm pretty sure you'd still hear him

- but okay....real talk...

- you genuinely believe God exists because only GOD created that man

- talking bout "my God reminds me I'm human" are you sure?!?? Because no human just looks like that

- he is so....ethereal. like unearthly I don't know it doesn't make sense and it sounds weird and it sounds like something I would say, but like...PICTURES OF HIM DOESNT DO HIM JUSTICE AND THE PICTURES ID SEE OF HIM ARE ETHEREAL

- BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE there's that duality because he was a prince/fairy/angel in one moment, and then suddenly the vest is off, he's in a tank top and suddenly he's just....unleashed like that duality part

- Something interesting that I noticed was that Felix can actually be to himself like a lot more than people think though, like zoned out. He'll come back in and joke with them members when he snaps out of it, but sometimes he's drifted in thought....or he'll walk over to wave to stays as well, he considers them friends for sure

- but of course his singing voice/rockstar voice is very bellowing, but Felix also like...his talking voice, everything it just hits...it's very low and measured. Sometimes he would emit a lower "yessir", like extremely and i....

- let me stop now before I go crazy (it's sexy SORRY I SAID IT)

- but basically he's a magnet, everyone's drawn to him at the end of the day

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

SEUNGMIN

let me be the first to tell you this man owns every corner of every place he's in

- what do I mean by that? Well, you didn't come to see Stray Kids. That man will make sure at the end you came to see him. Let the members be bygones for all he cares

- but that's just who Seungmin is like I don't know how to explain it

- it's like Seungmin's stadium and we're just jumping in it

- like this was his tour, his production, just his

-okay this sounds...I don't know how else to say it, but he takes ownership of every song he sings

- like he will drive the song, he will drive our reception of it as well, very commanding

- there's a ground level that like shakes wth his voice and I know that sounds like "what do you mean" but I can't describe it

- he's just KIM SEUNGMIN there's nothing else to say

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

I.N

sir?!?!?!

- maknae of the group?!? Baby bread?!?! Youngest?!? My fellow 01 squad member?!?

- that dude was feeding off of "I KNOW IM HOT" ALL NIGHT

- also abs 👀 I said it I said it

- he's also confident in himself when it comes to performing, I feel like there's not a lot of credit when it comes to Yang Jeongin

- but no, I think he does get babied on a lot and so tonight really showed otherwise (and good for him honestly)

- burning tires hit DIFFERENT like he was very...just yeah

- but also he gives literally 200 percent of himself whichever song (okay minus the encores where he was just being him)

- like Han, he's a performer for sure

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

STRAY KIDS

after everything that happened, I can confidently say the guys are exactly how you see them. They are chaotic and also very strange like in a "what's wrong with these guys and why do I love them?" way, but you can't help but love them

- seeing them together, seeing their bond, you can't help but smile

- they were meant to be in each other's lives

- I especially loved the moments where we all just sat back and watched them say silly things with each other, like having their own silly conversations and their own banters and basically forgot we were there until Chan literally had to be like "what were we talking about?" That happened a lot

- but that was the whole point, though. It wasn't a concert really, it was just seeing these group of kids - yes they are quite literally kids- doing what they love and loving each other while also going off and singing and dancing like their LIFE depends on it..all at the same time

- they are so so very beautiful and I'm grateful that I got to see them feel loved and have fun and perform all in one night 🥹

[skunkes]

I've talked about this before I think but I think "art theft culture" is actually what makes scenarios like this worse... and I Know because I've mentioned that it happened to me before, where a few years ago I was heavily inspired by an artist for a couple of style study drawings without acknowledging them as inspiration, they contacted me after their friends notifed the similarities, and it was resolved as I explained that I had no "plans" for long term theft or passing off as my own, I was just passing by and figuring out what I liked about the style. But I should have just mentioned them!

And that's the point I'm trying to get at here, I feel for a lot of people there's still either shame in using references (I took the upper half of a pose for a recent comm from one of the first memorable google image results for it... How embarrassing!), and there's similar in openly admitting that somebody is currently directly inspiring you, or that you liked something someone made so much you're making your own spin on it.

This is probably because you don't know how people (your audience or the original creator, or THEIR audience) are going to react with regards to """theft""" (which I also feel varies. Like everyone I've seen trying to emulate my style has never gotten close. Which is how it works! Its a good thing! Absorb it into your own! Thats what I do!

But I've also had someone lift every aspect of my art identity and basically try to replicate exact pieces, poses, and dialogue of mine with their characters like oh ok nvm this is kinda weird.) so I get it, because it's scary! It happened to Me, I was a perpetrator LOL and that's that it was style inspiration and not direct copying so I get it... I feel it all the time too, but I wish it wasn't like this in General ykwim. Wish it didn't feel so humiliating to admit influence

EDIT: THIS IS ALSO NOT ME SAYING "you need to list off all your inspirations every single time you post a drawing"

Its more like oh this person is using my exact brushes and exact colors and exact half traced poses and my handwriting and exact dialogue and personal symbols to the point where they're pretending my autobiographic doodles happened to them while pretending they've never seen my stuff in their life, or even shit talking me. Some of these individual aspects are okay (I've literally shared all my brushes with everyone, for example, who cares. My colors are awesome...who cares. 4 petal flower shapes don't belong to anyone, I don't care.) But all of them in combination is what's weird. Ykwim. Like that level of "hey man what the fuck"

I'm about to answer an ask going more into depth about this but I also need to explain that it's hard being on the other end of this too because it really isn't that serious ykwim... I see ppl on twitter get clowned on every day because "you can't steal a style" and that's mostly true. Me and some mutuals "steal" aspects from each other all the time without "crediting" because it's obvious, or we know each other, as well as the "stolen" stuff being something we already made our own thing, so I promise this isn't about that. Art is meant to be shared and inspire and influence.

I'd never point fingers unless it got severe over a long period of time (not adapting it into your own style), with someone who wouldn't talk it out with me but sometimes I wish I could show some of these specific examples, like I promise I'm not blowing up because someone """stole""" uhhhh the little squiggles I add to my commissions. I myself "stole" that from deco sticker sheets. Who gives a shit.

[starlightseraph]

honoured to have been summoned, comrades 🫡

@dtmsrpfcringe

those screenshots are truly unhinged.

- ever heard of candid photos? ones that aren't posed or staged to have the person look a specific way? ones that capture the essence of a moment and have a more organic feel? ones that can celebrate the mundane? is it abnormal for family/ friends/loved ones to take candid in-the-moment pictures? no. or if it is, then i guess everyone i know, all the people i've seen doing this, and every person who's ever posted a non-posed photo of their loved one is a creep.

- appreciation and kindness for everyone but him? let me refer you back to this: "happy birthday to the best person most of us will ever know. the kindest of people, the cleverest of people, the funniest of people and the best dad of (many) people. sometimes i wonder what i do to deserve him..." and this is only a selected example, not an exhaustive list.

- hijacking his party and refusing to acknowledge that it was his? the card they posted was literally for a combined party. a 90th birthday, and given that david's not 90, but he's in his early 50s while she's almost 40, and it's not anywhere near either of their real birthdays, it's fairly obvious that it was meant for both of them. as you would know, if you payed attention to the goddamn card.

- normalising abuse? girl where. you have no knowledge of their private communication and boundaries, what they've talked about/agreed on, what they find mildly annoying and what they are genuinely upset by. poking fun, egging on, banter, all are perfectly healthy. if he's truly disturbed by anything, it is his responsibility to communicate that, and her responsibility to respect it. but these interactions are normally not public. they've almost certainly discussed social media sharing outside of the few snippets we've seen. it's fairly safe to assume, then, that any conversations they've had on-camera apply to those specific instances. "not right now" as opposed to "not ever". and a reminder that we literally do not know these people. you can't draw a diagram of an entire house by peering through a few windows.

- about the criminal offence bit, i can tell you, with absolute certainty, that no one is going to report anyone to the police for taking a candid photo in a kitchen. i promise, it's not illegal, by any stretch of the law, for a wife to take a photo of her husband standing at a counter. it may be technically illegal in some places to distribute those photos without the person's consent, but we, as outsiders, have no way of knowing and therefore shouldn't assume that she didn't get consent. i have several lawyers in my very close family, and i can already hear the legalese they’d break into to counter this argument.

the most important point i want to make is that they are married, and have been for a dozen years, and have known each other for years more than that. they understand each other, they probably know each other better than anyone. they certainly know each other better than we do. when you get to that point with someone, you generally don't need to confirm every single thing you do. in most cases, you can get a sense of what's ok and what's not. it's possible that georgia has some difficulty with that, as she's neurodivergent, but in that case the boundaries just need to be clarified for her. if she's unsure, she can ask, if she's unaware, he can tell her. because human relationships go both ways, boundaries need to be communicated, understood, and consistently adjusted. only then are they even tangible concepts that can dictate social interactions. and smaller things or individual moments can exist freely, without a giant rubric attached. they're both adults, they both have agency, and they both have access to support. trust that they're making good choices for themselves and each other, because you have no real reasons to think otherwise.

[tenebraevesper]

Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 7)

Welcome back to Part 7 of my Shadow, Sonic, and to an extent, Nine character analysis! This one will cover Episode 21: Home Sick Home and Episode 22: The Devil is in the Tails. In addition, this and the next post will also have a lot of gifs coz I'm hellbent to analyze every detail of this show.

So, let's dive in!

''Shadow, you're alive! Help a brother up?'' ''We are not related.''

After getting knocked into the abyss Nine made, Shadow makes an epic return by saving Sonic from the Grim Variant Trooper, with Sonic being happy to see that he's alive. Shadow... doesn't get the joke, but Sonic doesn't care. Also, Shadow does the pose from Sonic X. X3

*sighs* ''Nevermind. You okay?'' ''I survived. Nine's Alphas deployed a massive army to keep me down here.'' ''Alphas? You mean the ones that can duplicate themselves?''

''If I still had that Chaos Emerald, I could've teleported out of here. But, it's lost to the Void. And, smashing hordes of Sonics isn't the worst thing in the world.''

''Up for smashing a few more of mes?''

Okay, hol' up a second there buddy! ''Smashing Sonics?'' I hope the writers knew what they were doing, because the internet is going to take this conversation WAAAY out of context... and they already did.

In any case, we get an explanation to what Shadow was doing, and while yes, we see Shadow literally flying out of the abyss without the need for a Chaos Emerald, I assume that he meant that there was such a huge army of troopers that he needed the Chaos Emerald to get out. However, by the time Sonic arrived, the number lessened, so he could escape.

In any case, he's definitely up for smashing more Sonics.

They continue fighting the troopers, and what I really love about this fight is how they basically start playing tennis with the robot, throwing it from one to the other before Sonic slams it down.

''Hahaha! Helloooo, teamwork! Up top!'' ''These troopers are one thing, but the Alphas can generate an endless army. They are the real threat.'' *sighs* *high-fives himself*

Hey, Shadow, Shads, Shad, dude! Don't leave Sonic hanging like that. At least you could've taken the moment and high-five him since Sonic just wanted to celebrate your amazing teamwork. Admittedly, I can also understand Shadow here, as he is all business, quickly pointing out to Sonic how Nine's army works.

''Rebel's plan is working. The Scavengers are through to the citadel. They're gonna cut Nine off from the Prism.'' ''Which is in Nine's lab, guarded by the Alphas. They'll never reach it!'' ''So, how do we destroy them?''

Earlier, Sonic had managed to team up with all of the Shatterverse Variants, and instead of being reckless, he left it to Rebel to figure out a plan to get them through. However, Shadow doesn't have much faith as he understands just how much danger the Alphas pose, with Sonic recognizing that Shadow is right and asks for advice. After all, Shadow is usually the one who can see the flaws more easily.

''We don't. We're going after Nine!'' ''No, we're not!''

''We''? Did Shadow just say ''We''? He did! He shows absolutely zero hesitation wanting to work with Sonic in taking down Nine, and I have to say, I'm so proud of him managing to get to this point. However, as it was shown last time, Shadow needs to acknowledge that, while he did accept that he and Sonic need each other, they also need more help.

Also, remember how Shadow attempted to reach out for Sonic when the latter grieved his loss back at Ghost Hill, but backed away? Well, Sonic shows no hesitation here, quickly grabbing Shadow's arm to stop him. Shadow doesn't even push him away or anything, just glances back before yanking his arm out of Sonic's grip and remains on the spot, listening to what Sonic has to tell him. Their communication skills have definitely improved.

''You said it yourself. If we don't go after the Alphas, we're cooked. And the only way to win this thing is if we work together. We need the others.'' ''It is the end of the universe-''

As Sonic talks to Shadow, we can literally see Shadow go through several expressions and emotional states, and honestly, this scene was killing me when I first watched it! X3

Shadow goes from ''Not this again!'' *eye-roll* to ''Yeah, that makes sense'' to ''What the hell, Sonic!'' in a matter of seconds and I'm loving every bit of it. He is so expressive and this little moment shows that he there is more to him than it seems.

That, and he's dealing with Sonic, so obviously, he'd show more emotion than usual, since Sonic seems to be the only capable of triggering such emotional reactions from him. Not to mention, Shadow is certainly comfortable enough in Sonic's presence to show these kinds of reactions.

''-and you're still thinking about your friends!'' ''Of course I am! They're all here, fighting, sacrificing themselves, for me!''

Shadow berates Sonic for thinking about his friends when the fate of the world is at stake, with Sonic arguing how of course he'd do that. They are fighting and sacrificing themselves for him, and he isn't going to let them down. Sonic will always put his friends as his priority and he is not wrong for doing that.

''All the more reason to go after Nine while he's distracted!'' ''And let my friends get pummeled when Nine only wants me? *gasp* Nine only wants me... I have an idea!''

However, I cannot argue that Shadow is wrong either. He is right that they need to go after Nine before everything gets destroyed.

Honestly, this very argument showcases best how Sonic and Shadow's minds work. Shadow will focus on the end goal and how to achieve it, while Sonic looks at the bigger picture, at the people affected by their decisions. Both are right and wrong at the same time, and both want to take a different approach, but the only way to win this is to work together.

Especially with Sonic suddenly realizing that there is a way for them to win this war.

As Sonic and Shadow go join the rest of the group, we see all of them taking down Robot Big, with Shadow and Sonic exchanging looks after seeing this feat happen. Sonic grins, giving Shadow an ''I told you so!'' look, while Shadow is genuinely surprised that the group had managed to succeed in taking down such a formidable foe.

''Gang, this is Shadow! Shadow, meet, well... everyone, I guess.''

Rebel is glad to see Sonic, with Sonic quickly introducing Shadow to everyone else, which... awww, just look at them!

Sonic literally pulls Shadow into a side-hug, smushes his face against his cheek and rubs his shoulder, showing nothing but pure affection and being completely oblivious to everything else.

Shadow in turn, goes first into panic mode when Sonic pulls him closer, not sure what is happening, but unlike last time when he pushed Sonic away, he let's Sonic hug him. He certainly shows annoyance, but I think it is more out of embarrassment for being hugged like that in the public. He really doesn't mind being hugged by Sonic, and he even stays like this until Nine makes his move.

Also, where is Shadow's arm? It literally disappears when Sonic hugs him. Honestly, I choose to believe that he placed it on Sonic's back.

D'awww, they're so adorable!

I also love how literally everyone's reaction to this is just being unimpressed (with Renegade Knux being 🤨?).

Everyone's reaction just screams ''Sonic, did you really have to introduce your boyfriend when it's the end of the world?''

Well, of course he had to. He and Shadow are closer than ever now and it's the end of the world. One might as well do whatever they want.

SONADOW FOR THE WIN!

''Well, that's... terrifying.''

However, things quickly go south when Nine starts gathering more and more energy, making the The Grim decay even faster. This then leads up to the Chaos Council's mothership to be blown up.

''Mr. Dr., are you alive? Say something!''

Fortunately, Mr. Dr. Eggman manages to escape in his robot mech, wanting to melt Nine for what he had done. I just love how Shadow is also in the circle, wondering if Mr. Dr. Eggman survived or not. It's kinda hilarious.

With Prim's team defeated and the Shatterverse Variants being back to square one, Sonic quickly tells them their plan, and one notable thing in this shot is that, after they confront Nine, he looks to Rebel, then to Shadow, who nods in response. It is as if he's not only seeking for approval, but also making sure that they all have his back.

They're all in this together.

''Finally! Prove your worth machine!''

The battle begins anew, and I love how Shadow has beef with Grim Alpha Sonic, given how the latter had knocked him down into that abyss.

Seriously, I kept an eye on Shadow during this whole battle, and whenever he's shown, he mainly seeks out Grim Alpha Sonic, which made me think about something...

How cool would've it been if Nine had made Grim Alpha Shadow as a reference to the Shadow Androids from Sonic Heroes? I think people's minds would be blown.

However, as the battle goes on, we see Sonic's team losing, with Sonic confronting Nine. Gotta say, even if Shadow lost, look at how many troopers were sent to take him down. He would definitely be able to defeat all of them, though, if it weren't for one thing...

As we learn in Episode 22: The Devil is in the Tails, Sonic had managed to convince everyone to act as if they lost (yes, even Shadow followed that plan) and let Nine focus solely on draining the Prism energy while fighting Sonic, leaving the robots without power.

This leads to a victory for Sonic's team as they defeat the de-powered robots... at least until Nine powers them up again. Nevertheless, while Sonic (and later on, Renegade Knux) is focused on getting through/defeating Nine, everyone else focuses on the Alphas.

''You aren't going anywhere.''

When Nine orders the Alphas to target Sonic, most of them get knocked back by the Shatterverse Variants, with Shadow once again facing Grim Alpha Sonic.

We can see a parallel to Sonic and Shadow's fight from Episode 02: The Yoke's On You, but unlike last time, with Shadow fighting against Sonic, Shadow is now fighting for Sonic. He does get knocked down, leaving Grim Alpha Sonic to join Nine. I also checked that episode, and both Shadow and Sonic got knocked out after colliding. I suppose the Grim Alpha survived due to being a robot.

''We're not finished!''

However, Shadow makes a comeback, destroying the robot, much to Nine's shock.

''No! HOW?!'' ''I am... the Ultimate... Lifeform'' ''Modest too!''

Shadow's statement is once again very simplistic and factual. He is the Ultimate Lifeform, of course he'd beat a robot duplicate of his rival. I also love how Sonic jumps in with a comment, mainly because I have no idea if he was just messing with Shadow and Nine, or if he was genuinely honest about Shadow being modest. It's hilarious nonetheless. X3

Nine refuses to give up, using the Prism energy to paralyze both Shadow and Renegade Knux, while Sonic uses his own ability to create a barrier as The Grim decays faster and faster.

''He's not gonna stop.''

Sonic knows that he has no choice. Nine won't stop unless Sonic stops him. So he spin-dashes into Nine, knocking him down into the light of the Paradox Prism.

I absolutely loved how we could see here both Sonic and Shadow's growth, as well as how their ideals both clash and work together, leading up to the final confrontation (and also getting more Sonadow content because, hey, why not? XP).

Considering how Ian Flynn was a consultant for Sonic Prime, this episode really gave me the impression that this was the House of Cards arc from Archie!Sonic, as in the issues where Sonic and Tails have their big fight, but was written way better, acting like a redemption for that rushed mess.

Rest assured, the next (and last Part) will show us he big finale of this show!

#Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 6)

#Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 8)

#Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer (Masterlist)

[sergeant-angels-trashcan]

I CANT. I'm also getting the dinkate vibes off of ghostkate and it's making me a bit feral. Kate making bets on every shot she makes and calls them in even when no one responds she legally owns half of the teams guns. Someone gives her their jacket and the whole team heart eyes at how small and scary she is while she is just >:( she gets hurt on a mission the they all turn into rabid guard dogs and she makes them get her everything. Kate wears ghosts skull mask and talks in an absurd British accent and gruff voice and stands next to him in the same pose and Johnny is like why am I blushing Ghost pretends to be annoyed but is actually fond. Kate watches them train a couple times and then uses their moves against them. Kate sees ghost without a mask once and falls off a building and has to get grappling hooked back up to the roof.

we're gonna get a little nsfw here, yall been warned also oops it became poly!141.

oh my god ohh my goddddddddd kate hustling the 141 i am SCREAMING

like it would only work for real when she first joins up with them because eventually they WILL learn that she does not miss shots. Or she'll make them take bets as a form of caretaking. "If I make this shot you have to go take a nap" "if i don't make this shot i'll do your laundry but if i DO make it you have to tell me what's bothering you"

before that, though. i wanna say she technically owns Price's car, three skull masks, something with the MacTavish tartan, and like two of Gaz's jackets (sometimes more, sometimes less. she steals his jackets. they're in civvies to go do something and he'll say "that's my jacket" and she will lie to his face about it. gets to the point that he just starts putting things in the pockets when she's wearing them, she may as well carry his phone since she's WEARING HIS JACKET). This is also how she got keys to everyone's off-base housing. All of them regret this fact. Soap was coming home from a bar one night with a pretty hot girl and they're running into walls, etc, for some reason they go through the kitchen and the girl shrieks because there's a person??? on the counter????

it's Kate. crouched on the counter, tucked into a little ball. she's....sleeping???? she blinks up at him and informs him he's out of bread before tucking her head back down

The girl doesn't stay. Obviously. And Soap has to figure out why a terrifying pocket-sized sniper is sleeping on his countertop and not Ghost's??? Ghost is BAFFLED by this question. Why is she more likely to be on his countertop than anyone else's. Which is how Soap finds out that Hawkeye and Ghost AREN'T doing the nasty??? (Maybe they are and just lying about it. Either way, Gaz and Soap get a lot flirtier with her. Ghost h888888 it. But also it's kind of cute. He's conflicted)

It also leads to the entire team realizing they have no idea what she does when they all head off base

JOHNNY SEEING HER ACT AND DRESS LIKE GHOST AND BEING LIKE OH NO IS THIS A THING FOR ME. If she wasn't doing the bad accent he would be DEEPLY into it

that night Ghost comes up to her and tells her she can't ever do that again, and he's so serious so she's apologizing, she didn't mean to insult him or hurt his feelings--

which is not the issue at all but kate won't let it go until finally he says something about how he can't be half-hard as he's yelling at recruits!!

now of course she has to find out if it's a mask kink or if it's a his mask kink and Ghost is vehemently denying it's a kink at all (it totally is). Soap gets dragged into this conversation and is like, yeah, this is absolutely a kink. don't worry simon, he totally gets it

widely agreed upon that Hawkeye + Soap is the cutest drunk combo. they will sit across from each other and try to imitate each other's accents. VERY funny when kate has been stressed out and parts of clint's midwestern accent she picked up start to come out (y'all)

(Also widely acknowledged if not spoken about that Kate and Gaz kissing would be very pretty. Am I saying that Price and Soap try and get them a little drunk so they make out? Maybe)

Price keeps track of who she is hanging out with because there are certain combinations that are...inadvisable (he completely ignores his effect on things. The ones in parenthesis are ones he pretends dont exist)

(Price+Ghost+Hawkeye: honestly they just sit and vibe with each other for hours. If they need to get something done Price and Ghost will let Hawkeye body double them for the ADHD. all of them have leadership roles and don't want to make any decisions during their time off so they have a "wheel of activities" that they spin)

Ghost+Hawkeye: never a combo Price worries about. if he can't find them they're probably napping somewhere or at a range shooting something. sometimes they disappear for a few hours and you'll see something on the news about, like, a child abuser getting their hands broken before they were carted off to jail, but that has nothing to do with them

Ghost+Soap+Gaz+Hawkeye: they generally just chill together, decreasing their chances of getting involved in shenanigans. Hawkeye and Gaz will probably wind up in the walls or ceiling at some point. only becomes worrisome if they start discussing conspiracy theories

Ghost+Soap+Hawkeye: now this is a chaotic grouping but it's mostly horny, so there's less to worry about

Hawkeye+Gaz: something is getting set on fire or they're going berry picking, no in between.

(Price+Soap+Hawkeye: Hawkeye and Price butting heads the whole time. Soap thinks it's hilarious. Actively tries to get them to fight, is not sneaky about it. Loves when they figure him out and focus all their attention on him.)

Hawkeye+Gaz+Ghost: if they do anything that's not outdoorsy, it's a whole Thing. The last three times they went out to eat together they uncovered various smuggling rings. It took Ghost an hour to get them to leave the smuggled sloth last time. He got the silent treatment for two days.

(Gaz+Price+Hawkeye: ends in tears most of the time. Either Gaz and Price vs Hawkeye or Hawkeye and Gaz vs Price. If Hawkeye and Price manage to work together Gaz stops functioning. They bark out orders at the same time? Both say he did a good job? Gaz cannot be expected to function under these conditions)

(Price+Gaz+Soap+Hawkeye: terrible choices have been made. someone is getting injured. three of them lowkey trying to impress Price and they don't even realize it. from an outside perspective it seems calm, trust me it's not)

(Price+Hawkeye: Both of them trying to be in charge. whatever they were supposed to get done doesn't happen but they do come up with an apocalypse contingency plan)

Hawkeye+Gaz+Soap: worst possible timeline. something is getting blown up. something has already caught fire. they are accompanied by an animal or have rescued a small child. The Hague is being reconvened. they are dancing on kissinger's grave. it's pandemonium. someone will probably get a medal for it. Get Ghost over there IMMEDIATELY

Nickname drift where when Kate gets irritated at Soap she calls him Mr Clean and he's like "It's SERGEANT Clean to you, lass!"

Kate getting hurt on a mission!!!! the whump i live for. if she gets hurt on a west coast avengers mission, the task force is PISSED AS FUCK. FUCKING. UNACCEPTABLE. BULLSHIT. if you can't take care of her you don't get to have her!!! again, i feel like Price is the most terrifying one, here. The others are all very visibly angry and loud about it, and Price is standing in the back, looking calm as he comes up with five plans to dismantle this team

if she gets hurt on a task force mission....uh the young avengers are PISSED AS FUCK. if you can't take care of her you don't get to have her! no it's not important how we wound up on this secure military base!

Clint is revoking everyone's Hawkeye privileges as they speak

She doesn't even ask them to bring her stuff. They just do it. They have to be forcibly removed from her room. Clint's like, yall cute but I'm in charge. Gets annoyed at Price at some point and turns his hearing aids off. Clint and Ghost getting very territorial and legitimately hissing and growling at each other. Kate is on very strong painkillers and thinks she made that up.

one night Kate hangs out with a different group on base and 141 is like "are we not good enough anymore? what did we do? does she not like us?" hardcore mopery happening. but that's what happens when you refuse to play darts with your hawkeye!!! also, she's probably hustling the other guys. Gaz promises he'll play darts with her. wraps his arms around her waist and gets her pinned to the couch so she has to hang out with them

alternatively, the 141 sees her hanging out with other people when they came TOGETHER for weekend drinks and Ghost goes over to her and picks her up, carrying her back to the 141 table. Not! acceptable behavior!!! but she did kinda like it. tbf if someone tries to hit on one of the task force she's like haha. no (: will sit in laps, play with hair, spill a drink, whatever is needed. just need them to be weird little freaks about each other

Gaz says something about "age before beauty" and she's like WOW fuckin RUDE and that's how they find out she's older than Gaz. Literally none of them caught that.

ugh i am having so many thoughts about this crossover and i accidentally started writing a real fic about it. save me.

[simmingwormly]

Wormville: Rotation 11: Shadows Serene

Wormwriting! Have you wondered what is going to happen next in Wormville's political scene? Have you ever thought, "Damn, I miss when your blog posted pages upon pages of two characters staring at each other talking"? Do you miss Serenity? No? Then I have a treat f- oh, okay, I'm posting it anyway.

Featuring Nico Devir and Serenity Elaho-Inipp, while Balthazar, Lester, Agatha, Aranni II. and Victor are heavily mentioned.

No energy for posing, sorry. Have them hugging.

The priest of the Entity waits for her, leaning against a tree. “Hi. Thank you so much for coming.”

She puts her hands in her pockets. “I considered ignoring you, but I still abide by the Church. Plus, this is a very nice park.”

“You're looking good tonight. The new haircut suits you a lot.” He walks up to her and smiles.

She regards him with a stone-cold stare. “Well, I just cut my hair in mourning. I believe I don't have to explain that custom to you?”

Nico sighs. “Oh. I'm sorry. I should've thought of that. I apologize.”

Without acknowledging his apology, she continues, “Tomorrow morning I'll be cutting my mother's hair. She asked me for help.” She looks into the distance. “Her hair has always been her pride and joy.”

“Serenity… I'm so sorry.”

She just slowly shrugs. “But no matter how much hair we cut for him, he's not coming back.”

“Unfortunately.” They're walking down the park as the sun begins to set.

“Yeah, unfortunately,” Serenity gives him an indecipherable look. “Good that you've already slapped his murderer on the wrist, very gently.”

The priest frowns. “I couldn't do anything more. Victor committed a horrible sin, but he didn't break the law.”

“We truly live in a community where you can just jump somebody at night and suck the life out of them, and it's perfectly legal.”

“In most cases, it's not. Only in an active clan feud.”

“I know. But the fact that the rules for the feud even include murder is so… archaic and barbaric.”

“They are ancient rules. But people in that time were no more violent and bloodthirsty than we are. They still mirror the way we live. Unfortunately, many still find it in their hearts to kill.”

She takes a deep breath. “If you're referring to Agatha, I must disagree. My mother and Victor are nothing alike. She killed to save lives. He killed… to show off, basically.”

“She didn't save any lives, though. What she did… what she did wasn't right. I can't fully condemn it. It's hard to imagine not at least consider going that way in her situation. But she didn't save any lives in the end, she simply exchanged them.”

Serenity connects her hands behind her back. “And she made herself the arbiter of whose life was more valuable. I know. She started the war.” She sights and looks at Nico. “But it was still… love that made her do it. And I'm glad that she did. I couldn't imagine life without Lester.”

“It’s not pleasant to think of, but that could've been life with Balthazar,” he says calmly. “Of course, I'm not saying that Lester doesn't deserve to live or that it is their fault that Balthazar died. It's just… resurrections are always a messy business and they rarely lead to long-term happiness.”

Serenity takes a turn and starts examining something in the nearby bush.

She still answers, as if nothing. But her voice shakes a little. “Then why did you allow mother to do it? And I mean you… in general. The Church.”

Nico stands by her side. What she's looking at turns out to be a spider of some kind.

“To be honest, I can't really tell you. Father never liked talking about it. And he definitely didn't confide in me when it was happening.”

Serenity straightens herself. “I guess he was the kind of high priest who didn't really want to shape the lives of the people under him. He would allow them to do anything…” She returns to the path and smirks dryly. “Just like his son.”

He shakes his head. “Would you like it better if I was going door to door and tried to force everyone to put themselves together?”

“No, definitely not. But then, maybe you could try to find a compromise. Like drawing the line at murder…” She shrugs dramatically, with her palms raised and open.

Nico rolls his eyes. “I've already told you that despite being the authority in name, there's nothing I can do about Victor. And…”

“And?” Serenity looks at him with something that can be classified between disapproval and curiosity.

“Nothing I really want to, Serenity,” the priest sighs. “In some sense, it would be just to go eye-for-eye and sentence him to death or torture, and I'm sure it would give you short-term satisfaction, but it's an empty gesture. Pain for pain’s sake.”

“The satisfaction would be way more than short-term, I assure you…”

“Would it? I know you. You would be happy with it as long as the rage and pain in you is fresh, but then you'd start to see the emptiness in it. You would see Victor's children in the street and ruminate on whether it was really the only way. It would eat you alive.”

She chuckles and kicks a stone. “Do you think I'm that weak?”

“No, Ser. I think you're kind. You are a good Sim. You aren't a torturer. You aren't a killer. Sending a man to his demise would hurt you as much as it hurt him.”

It takes a moment of silence for her to respond.

“I… lately I fail to see that kindness in myself.”

“Anyway, trust me, Victor got his due. His pain is different from yours, and although it cannot be compared to what Balthazar went through, and Victor is not the victim, he is suffering right now, and will be for a long time.”

“How? Are you gonna tell me that he's good, too?”

Nico smiles. “Yes, actually… most Sims are. I would like to believe that everyone is.”

Serenity raises her eyebrows. “He killed my brother with his bare hands.”

“Yes. And it will mar his soul forever. I think that's a punishment in itself.”

She leaves it stew for a while, and then sighs. “Can I tell you something? It's… unsavory.”

The priest nods. “Of course. I'm discreet.”

“Sometimes I do see his kids in the street. Fabian… he is in my house often, to spend time with Zach. I could just grab him. Fool him with sweet words, slip poison in his tea… he would have no idea what hit him. I keep imagining Victor cutting his hair in mourning.” Serenity smiles darkly.

“But you won't actually do it.”

“You're right, I won't. I'm not a monster. But sometimes I want to. I believe you when you tell me Victor's in pain. He acts… he acted that way. But I still want him to feel like I do, to grieve like I do.”

“That is very natural. You're not evil for feeling that way. You're just suffering. It's important that you don't act on it, though. You cannot bring more innocents into this.”

“Innocents… Where is the line between an ‘innocent’ and the enemy? I was never treated as innocent,” Serenity says. “The first thing I learned when I was old enough was that there was a clan of people who hated me just because I exist. The second thing I learned was… that I should hate them, too.”

Nico frowns. “The old generation makes sure to pass the hatred on…”

“I didn't really hate Victor, Beatrice or Bennett when I was small. I was sad, actually, that we can't be friends, and I thought it was unfair.”

The priest keeps nodding. “You were right. It is unfair.”

“But they kept treating me like I was a monster. And my parents all said that I wasn't supposed to bring a Beldine home from school anyway, and that I should not hang out with them, because they were… despicable and boorish.”

“Serenity.” He gently puts a hand on her shoulder.

She stops. “What now?”

“Why don't you end it, then?” Nico asks.

She smirks. “Wait… is that why you wanted to talk to me?”

He gives her a mischievous smile. “Well, yes and no. I mainly wanted to check if you were alright, but also yes, I think it's a conversation we need to have.”

She shakes her head and smiles, too. “You're really lucky you already got me comfortable talking, and that I really like the crisp air here, otherwise I would've left right now.”

“I know. I strategized.”

She playfully pushes him. “You're an absolute weasel of a priest.”

He leans forward to her. “And your friend.”

Serenity sighs. “...and my friend,” she admits.

“Let's get back on track. You are in a unique situation. You have all the power to stop this clan war. Nobody else has to die because of Agatha or Victor. Nobody's children have to be indoctrinated to hate each other.”

She just exhales heavily. “I've already tried once. He screamed at me, accused me of arson, and then his wife yelled more abuse at me on the way out.”

“Yeah, that was… bad. But now you're in a much different position. Victor is racked with guilt. He will agree to any demands, you just have to make them.”

Serenity sneers. “So, he kills my brother and I should crawl to him and ask for peace?”

“No. You wouldn't be crawling,” Nico corrects her. “You have the upper hand in this situation, and I'm just asking you to capitalize on that opportunity and use it to end this stupid conflict.”

“Yeah, yeah, you don't have to keep repeating yourself.” She sits on a bench, knees apart, and puts her arms on her chest. “I will not do it. Victor should be the one to start the negotiations. I did it last time, I took the hit, and now it's his turn.”

The priest sits next to her. “You and I both know that will never happen. He's too ashamed to start anything. He's not in the position to make offers. But you are.”

“Nico…” The Elaho-Inipp heiress looks up to the colorful sky. “It's funny. Until very recently, I would've loved to end the feud. I wished for nothing but peace. I wanted our families to at least try to get along.”

“But then Balthazar died,” he says matter-of-factly.

“Exactly. It changed something in me. I am no longer sure if I'm even interested in peace anymore. Maybe I just want to isolate my family from their filth and eventually watch the clan Beldine burn.”

“You're going to be watching that burning from your own flames. This feud has been catastrophic on your clan, and I genuinely doubt it's going to change.”

“I know… that is still why, rationally, I still am in favor of peace. It's just hard not to see it as a loss.”

“You've both lost the moment the feud started. You missed out on social connections, economic opportunities, many of you got injured many times…”

“Tell that to my face.” She absent-mindedly touches the still bruised area around her eye. “Today's the first day I could take the eyepatch off again.”

“And Balthazar lost his life,” Nico adds, making Serenity shift uncomfortably. “Ever since the war started, nobody profited from it, not even once. And there has never been a better time to wrap it all up.”

She closes her eyes. “As long as mother is still alive, my hands are tied anyway. I am not the head yet.”

“That didn't stop you the first time.”

“I was much younger and stupider back then. I did not know that what I did bordered on betrayal. And now, the atmosphere in my clan is angrier and more… warlike than ever before.” She frowns at the rising moons. “If I sought peace with Victor, even if I succeeded, my own family would've condemned me.”

Nico makes a ponderous noise. “I have never noticed Lester showing anything but unconditional support for your rule. Plus, they are no longer eligible to be the head instead of you, as long as they don't switch clans back. And who else is there? Zachary, who doesn't have any blood claim? Or your children?”

“I'm not afraid of being replaced. I just don't… I…” Her voice trails off.

The priest nods. “You just don't want to be seen as a bad leader.”

“Am I really that see-through?”

“I didn't get the psychology degree just so it looks good above the toilet,” he gives her a small smile, “and besides… you might not believe me, but I can relate to that particular fear.”

“I think that if Victor shows enough remorse, I might… try. I will not go to him directly. I will gather my clan and family and try to persuade them. If I succeed, at least partially, then I will offer peace to the Beldines again.”

Nico spreads his arms and leisurely puts them on the top of the headrest. “That is a lot of ‘ifs’.”

“Well, I have to decide based on the actual situation at hand, don't I? And, to be honest, so far, I don't see that remorse I'm looking for. Aranni assaulted both me and Lester several times since the murder.”

“She will stop if the feud ends. Plus, one of the fights will net her an actual punishment.”

Serenity sighs deeply. “Oh, indeed! But the same goes for me.”

“It takes two to tango.” Nico raises his eyebrows.

“She attacked me. She started it. I was only defending myself!”

“But before she made it physical, you goaded her and taunted her relentlessly. In the Temple.”

“Verbal fights are allowed,” she protests.

“But are they appropriate in the Temple? It's a place where the Entity wants us to rest, to heal, to laugh, to make love, to meditate and explore our souls and our faith. It's the house of peace. Verbal or physical, you were picking a fight, and it displeased the Entity. That's why I'm punishing you both, not just Aranni.”

Serenity runs a hand through her hair. “And do you already know what the punishment is? Or are we employing a no spoilers policy?”

“I’ll tell you at the next council. I haven't decided yet. I don't want to do anything cruel, and I do not think you deserve to suffer for such a small, mundane crime. But I also want to impact you, leave you wiser, so… it's hard to come up with something good. I have some ideas, though.”

She looks at him. “I could imagine a different priest just having us pay a fine. Or spend a night in Iulius's new jail.”

Nico scoffs. “Don't even talk to me about that stupid place. If Iulius thinks I will be sending him people to torture so he can play policeman, he's very mistaken.”

“He knows that you don't command any force to crack down on him. You can keep sending him disapproving glares, but that's about all.”

“Maybe I should give him some financial arguments to stop. Perhaps a new, drastic tithe raise only for those clans that operate a prison in their houses?”

Serenity seems to all brighten up. “Actually, that might be your best idea yet. Imagine how many projects he could finance!”

The priest grins. “I'm glad to see that the thought of other people paying taxes has returned joy to your life.”

“Come on! You must admit that the Fiera coffers are ripe for… making investments into the town's infrastructure.”

Nico doesn't resist laughing. But he's also shaking his head. “Just like you felt our conversation topic ripe for changing and burying. Serenity… Let's go back. We were discussing ending the war.”

She smirks and then sighs. “Okay, if you insist… Recently, Victor attacked Lester.”

“Presumably he will stop also once he has no reason to keep picking fights.”

Serenity watches the trees. “What if mother is right, though? What if it is in their nature? I thought I didn't believe in such deterministic nonsense, but after Balthazar…”

Nico starts playing with his hair. “You have to pick what you believe in. Do people choose their actions and aren't born to be one particular way, or does somebody's ‘nature’ objectively exist and the way they were born makes for who they are?” He pauses, observing her reaction. “You can't claim the first and then add that Victor and Aranni Beldine are the exception and thus are somehow inherently evil.”

She lets out a long sigh. “I know. Rationally I know all that. But growing up around Balthazar, knowing all the awful things he believed about himself and about the futility of his life, and then seeing him die before - before he got to prove himself wrong, it… does something to you. It makes you one step closer to believing in inherent evil.” There are sadness and zeal in her voice, it takes Nico aback.

“I am really sorry,” he says. “Do you want to talk about him?”

Serenity chuckles sourly. “I do nothing but.”

“I mean about him and yourself. About your grief. About how you feel.”

“You… would really hear me out, Nico?” she asks, as if she needed to.

“If you're willing to talk to me, I would, anytime and anywhere.” 

The priest carefully puts a hand on her arm, not sure how receptive she will be to touch. Serenity freezes a little. Then she grabs him and gives him a hug.

When they pull away from each other, she continues as if nothing happened. “It's strange, because I have nobody else to talk to about it. Mom and I basically don't speak about anything else, but it's never my grief. She doesn't want to talk about it, she's… coping really hard with hers. Zach is way too withdrawn now. We were never that good friends in the first place. Lester is really close to not talking to me at all, because they're afraid that if they do, they'll doom me to Balthy’s fate. And Stella… she is awesome, but there are a lot of differences in how our people experience death and grief. Plus, she barely knew him. She listens to me, but I know she doesn't understand…”

Nico nods in compassion. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“No, it's alright. There’s a sort of unwritten rule that states I have to be the strong one, no matter what happens, anyway. If I'm not, then how can the people who look up to me be?”

“Opening up about your feelings doesn't make you any weaker.”

“You know what I mean. ‘Strong’ in the stoic and invulnerable sense.”

“Yet you can't stop it from hurting…” he says gently.

“That's true. I can't. He was so scared and unhappy, ever since he was old enough to grasp the concepts of death and purpose… He thought his life was somehow less than mine and Lester's, and that he just didn't have a place in the ecosystem of our community.”

“His visions couldn't have helped either.”

Serenity murmurs in agreement. “No, they definitely have not. He often saw things that just weren't there. Omens. And had such vivid, terrifying dreams…”

“He was a Seeker. There is one of several in every generation of us worms. They can become incredibly wise and powerful, and often make the best priests. But their gift can also be a horrible curse.”

“It is hereditary, isn't it?”

“Yes. But it's not only that. If no Seekers have children, or none of their children show the abilities, then a random child in town can develop them instead. The Entity creates Seekers when there are none.”

The Elaho-Inipp heir seems to think. “Yearning’s still a toddler, but her grow up milestone is approaching. Is there a way to know whether she does or doesn't have the ‘gift’ at such a young age?”

The priest nods. “Certainly. I can test her. And I will, if you and Zach allow me.”

“Please, do. If we know in time… maybe we can help her? The way we… failed to help Balthazar.” The darkness in her voice isn't lost on Nico, but he doesn't comment it.

“Definitely. In the previous generation, there was one Seeker, as far as the Church knew. It was one of your parents, Alexei. So given that it can skip generations, maybe your and Lester's kids should be tested, too.”

She shakes her head. “Only Lester's. In our family, it never mattered who sired which child, but I am fairly certain that my sire was Alexis. I compared our faces, and I resemble her way more than Alexei.”

“Alright. Next time I see Lester, I'll tell them.”

For the next several moments, they sit in silence. They're close, almost touching. The evening air begins turning chilly.

“I still remember…” Serenity says, “vaguely, that's true, but still… I remember when Balthy was born.”

“You must've been very little.”

“I was. But I guess I remember because of all the… pain. Lester was dead and I didn't take it well at all. So when I got a new brother, I was confused, a little disdainful… but also so relieved that I won't have to be alone after all. I remember trying to help take care of him, even though I was barely out of diapers myself. I thought that I will protect him. That he will never be lost like Lester.”

She just stares at the sky.

Nico leans forward and joins his hands. “His death wasn't your fault. You didn't fail to protect him.”

She frowns. “If I wasn't so eager to be a witch, he wouldn't rush into it either. And if he wasn't a warlock, maybe Victor wouldn't hurt him.”

“That doesn't make it your fault. Becoming a mage was Balthazar's choice, and it wasn't the reason for his death.”

“I told Lester they didn't have to research the initiation ritual anymore. I don't want to be a witch. Not after this.”

“That's understandable… And you never needed to be. Magic is often treacherous and easily grows rotten. You don't need it. No one really does.”

The sudden mood change is almost palpable.

“Be careful. If you continue saying such things, people might start thinking that the Church is against the practice of independent occultism and wants to keep all knowledge and arcane powers to itself.”

Nico sighs. He knows he's about to play with fire, but he never believed in deceit being a part of his work.

“Serenity, it was ‘independent occultism’ that killed Balthazar, or at least enabled Victor to kill him. It was ‘independent occultism’ that started the feud!” He can't help putting emphasis on his words – perhaps even too much.

“Magic is a tool. It can be used for evil and good.” She sounds resolute. It seems like she has had this discussion many times before in her head. “It also so happens to be my family's life blood.”

“Yet you are doing just fine personally without it,” he notes. “Magic is a tool, that's true, but it's also a master. And even if it wasn't highly corrupting, it's a tool of inequality. Unless everyone embraces ‘independent occultism,' which would be apocalyptic, I cannot condone there being an elite class of people who can teleport, heal and cause maladies on a whim, and even animate corpses.”

She smirks. “Good thing there isn't any other elite class like that already, nobody who could pull supernatural feats that others cannot, based largely on their birth and social status. Do you know what would be twisted? If we all had to listen to and obey those people.”

Nico chuckles.

“You have a point. The Church isn't fair, it isn't egalitarian. But the amount of personal destructive power the priest has is minimal in comparison to mages. It is also directly dependant on my behavior. If I fuck up and turn my people against me, I will be stripped of all power instantly and quickly replaced. It would take little more than ten-twelve people to think they don't want me as their priest anymore, and my priesthood would be over. While with mages? Can you take Victor's power away just by deeming him undeserving of it?”

Serenity falls silent for a while.

“I'm just concerned that caution will slowly turn into fear. You're reasonable, but your successors might not be. My clan remembers witch hunts. They always start with someone making valid points about witches being a little too untouchable, and they end with lynching.”

“I assure you I don't want anyone to get ostracized or hurt for being witches. I just want to bring order and a little more fairness into… independent occultism.”

She raises her eyebrow. Just one. “I think I might be able to help. You'll have my suggestion before the next clan council.”

“I hope…” Nico sighs. “Serenity, I just hope you'll be still alive for it.”

She gives him a forced laugh. “I'm not organizing and financing an expedition to die on it. I have studied the risks. Everything is going to be fine. And we'll return with something spectacular, I can feel it.”

“The Entity has not been giving me any premonitions concerning the project. I don't have any warnings to give, but I am positive we don't know half the actual risks of that place. That is something I feel.”

Serenity smiles. “Sounds like you need to go with us and make sure everyone's safe, then.” She winks at him.

“I would say that I would love to, but that would be a lie. My place is to stay here and take care of the flock,” he explains. “I hope you'll forgive that I won't be sending any Devir either. In fact, they're discouraged from joining, as our clan withdraws from the project.”

She shrugs. “And yet, I already have a Devir who signed the informed consent papers, ready to go. Though, they're more of an Elaho-Inipp inside, I guess.”

“I thought that Lester might want to go. They would follow you to hell.”

She nods. “It's going to be beneficial to have a witch on board.”

“Definitely. Has anyone else signed up yet?”

“No. But I've been speaking to Cyrus Anora. He'd make a fine guard, if he agrees to go. I also have my sights on a guide, but I need to act quick before Victor steals them.”

“Who is going to lead your clan, if neither you or Lester come back?” Nico assumes she knows how much risk she's taking, but still…

“Zach, for the time being. Then Resi, when she's ready.”

“Well, I see you have it all figured out. I'll be praying for you all.”

She rubs her forehead. “There is a problem, though. I wanted to secure a shipment of… medicine. Just in case. But Regina let me know that she's unable to provide. We'll pack several boxes of the soup, but I really hoped we'd have something… stronger in case the predictions about infections are right.”

“That's troubling.”

“Honestly, I don't get why she doesn't just sign up. From what I've seen, she's in a tip-top condition and knows a lot about basically everything. Not to even mention her medical knowledge in particular! She would be such an asset!” Serenity waves her hand.

“Regina is not participating for the same reason I'm not. She can do more good if she doesn't risk her life.”

“Zach and Oliver aren't going either. Everybody with a sliver of actual medical training is staying home.”

“That… unnerves me a little, but I can't say I blame them. They're not exactly the survivalist types.”

She pauses for a hearbeat. “Still, we'll be prepared.”

And he looks at her. He can almost feel her fatigue. “Aren't you tired, Ser? Of always having to be prepared…”

She smiles slightly. “There are moments when I feel like screaming.”

Nico looks around. Then he beams with mischief.

“So scream. We're in a park. It's the evening. You can just let it out.”

“You know what…” Serenity gets up from the bench. “I just might.”

She takes several steps and stretches. Nico watches as the light from the street lamp plays with her hair. She tilts her head to the sky. He looks up, too. The stars don't shine as bright above the light-polluted Downtown as they do in Wormville, but that is okay.

Serenity Elaho-Inipp, the scientist, the heiress, the future matriarch, lets out the most powerful, desperate, cathartic scream she can. That is okay, too.

Meanwhile, in the Splat mansion...

[cbsxreader]

it’s so good to see you posting again 🥹!!!

if could maybe CBS x cakehole piss idk if you do cbs x freak???

if not CBS x red Demoman that would be like so coolizes!!!!! 🥲

I haven't shipped freaks before but heck I'll give it a try!

Christian Brutal Sniper x Cakehole Piss

TW: Obviously mentions of murder, mentions of carving/bodily mutilation, swearing

Of course they go on murder sprees together, they can't go without that. Even if they're both doing their own thing, it's the company of each other that counts.

They wrestle affectionately. Either they're bored or they're feeling stubborn with each other, they'll hop to fighting to get some energy out.

They fight/argue over dominance in the relationship and in intimacy. No, Cakehole isn't Brutal's twink or something just because Brutal is more popular or Cakehole is said to be stupid. They're both powerful freaks that just so happen to be stubborn enough to worry about such things.

Most of the time they settle it with who can round up the most victims in a certain amount of time.

Not big fans of PDA, the most they'll go is a hug or one of their arms is behind the other on a couch. They're both freaks capable of horrible things but their egos are too big to be seen as "lovebirds" or cutesy together. This is more prominent in Brutal than Cakehole though.

Sometimes they take naps together, but it's always in a private place where they can't be seen. It's usually after one of their shared murdering sprees when they let go and slump against each other and regain some energy.

Also, they have a tendency to switch each other's hats in private.

They don't really verbally show their affection, it's quite rare. When they're in private, they might realize they haven't said anything sweet to the other and they'll go: "I love you." "...Love you too, mate."

Cakehole sometimes seeks approval from Brutal, he'll make sure to pour in some work in carving someone and them show it off to Brutal.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's a piece of fine work, mate." Brutal chuckles, admiring the skin-less statue of a heavy.

"Only the best for the worst bastards." Cakehole adds with a grin. As Brutal walks away, Cakehole lets his smile be a little warmer, even though he won't admit it to brutal directly, he likes it when he acknowledges his skills.

Speaking of Cakehole's work, Brutal sometimes suggests ridiculous poses for him to shape the victims into for a good laugh, but he also shows that he cares in that way.

They don't really care which knives belong to who, they regularly use each other's knives without even knowing.

Their favorite "dates", if you can call them that, are going on massacres, watching horror movies and pointing out the inaccuracies, smoking or drinking together and sharpening or cleaning their weapons.

If Brutal gets flirted with while he's not with Cakehole, he'll bluntly deny them. "No...I have a boyfriend." And if they doubt him, he'll fire back "You heard me. And if you don't stop pestering, he'll carve your skin off ya."

Brutal calls Cakehole a "stupid cunt" affectionately.

[jenna12381]

Thieves In Time Redux: Rewriting Episode 5

Listen to Toad Town - Purple Streamer Removal while reading this.

Episode 4: Here

Episode 6: Here

We're almost at the finish line, kids.

I've included an as of yet unnamed penultimate mission to this one. Naming it will likely be one the toughest things I'll have to do when I get around to Episode 5 in my upcoming full rewrite...

Here's how the final regular episode will go...

Just so you know, Salim is still the ancestor in need of help. Miss Decibel is also still the villain who needs to be defeated.

After the events of last episode, the boys' trust in Penelope has reached an all time high, in very stark contrast to canon. They absolutely love her.

Our heroine, meanwhile, has managed to see the error of her ways. She's also nearing the end of her character arc. She's no longer distant. She's grown to like her friends all over again. In fact, she's grown to believe they're all she should care about for the rest of her life.

Can you blame her for overcorrecting after the giant mistake she made?

Now that Penelope has achieved most of her goals, only two remain:

First, defeat Le Paradox. And second, take her secret of betrayal to her grave.

We've also seen other changes in the characters, mostly regarding Sly and Bentley.

I'll get back to Sly when I get to All Rolled Up.

Bentley, however, has come to understand something vitally important. His girlfriend is not a helpless damsel. Heck, he's even willing to send her off to dangerous missions, confident she'll return in one piece. He's also just as willing to patch up her injuries without freaking out at the slightest cut or bruise. He even believes the gang’s common enemies should be afraid of her, not the other way around.

And most importantly... he's grown to become incredibly proud of her, saying as much in the unnamed penultimate mission.

Did I mention that recognition is actually one of the things Penelope has been wanting since the beginning of this rewrite? I don't believe I need to say how happy hearing that would make her.

Speaking of which, let's talk about Murray.

Unless you count Carmelita, Murray is the only playable character who doesn't get a lot of development. The most he gets is his brother/sister relationship with Penelope.

And the big payoff? She finally acknowledges him as her honorary older brother, during the mission Copy Cats.

Murray's reaction is, in a single word, priceless. His younger sister took this long to finally be ready to see him as her big brother.

The reason I say all of this now is because of what happens during All Rolled Up.

If you'll recall from vanilla, Carmelita ended up having to pose as a belly dancer while the boys did their thing.

In this rewrite, I thought I'd have Carmelita pilot a belly dancing robot created by Penelope. In the meantime, the boys and Penelope break into wherever that door goes.

Why does Penelope go in there instead of piloting the robot? Simple. She firmly believes she can be of more use to the boys if she goes with them. She's also still trying her hardest to redeem herself; that is, play a major role in taking Le Paradox down.

At this point, the possibility that her secret could come out matters very little. She's too close to her goal to slow down now.

Before we go any further, though, it's time we talked about Sly and Carmelita once more.

Sly and Carmelita have not been getting along well at all. Everything that has happened has led to Sly doing something a little surprising, even in-universe.

Sly's going to give up on Carmelita. In his mind, his chances with her are shot. But before that, he will apologize for his dishonesty. He does that during the unnamed penultimate mission.

Sly giving up on the love of his life happens at the beginning of All Rolled Up. He also announces that he will not be going back to his job as a cop. He's staying with his friends, because they need each other.

He would still like a future with Carmelita, but doesn't think it'll ever be possible after what he did. For now, he'll settle for an eternal future with his honorary brothers and sister.

As in canon, Carmelita is left behind. Our four heroes (Sly, Bentley, Murray, and Penelope) head inside.

The next series of scenes shows us just how much Penelope has grown since Episode 0.

She joins a Team Hand Stack as though it's second nature to her.

Rather than being dragged along for the ride, she actively helps the boys advance forward, and is more often than not at the ready with banter. In fact, she's happier than she's ever been.

She jumps into action when her friends are threatened, especially for Bentley. And luckily for her, Bentley is no longer overprotective. He applauds her heroic efforts.

But nothing lasts forever... Our four heroes are soon met by Le Paradox and Miss Decibel.

"Wait, hold the phone. Four? That cannot... *looks at Penelope, and sees a silver Cooper Gang badge where a Le Paradox emblem should be*"

You can probably guess what happens next...

"Oh, for the love of... You can drop the act now, Penelope."

This is where Penelope gets outed as a traitor. She falls silent. The boys think Le Paradox is lying... until he clarifies...

"Now, why do you look so ashamed? You should be proud of this beautiful blimp you helped me build!"

That's right. A Liar Revealed scene.

Le Paradox, thinking Penelope has been acting this entire time, asks her to rejoin his side.

Too bad there's only one problem with Le Paradox's little speech. Penelope's not acting anymore. She's on the heroes' side now. She refuses his order to return.

She also tries to convince Miss Decibel to stop fighting for someone who doesn't care about her (or anyone besides himself, for that matter), but the latter doesn't listen.

Our four heroes then proceed to fight Miss Decibel and win.

After the boss fight, there is no celebration. Le Paradox has taken Carmelita, and Penelope has been revealed as a traitor to her friends. The fact that she's no longer working for Le Paradox matters little, at least for right now.

Our four heroes return to modern day Paris, not looking forward to what they find. The boys also have no idea what they'll do with Penelope.

You might be wondering why the Liar Revealed scene is during Episode 5, rather than in 4.

Hear me out. It makes more narrative sense for the reveal to happen right now.

Our main focus is on Penelope, and what she would lose if her secret came out. Let's have it come out when everyone's trust in her is at its highest point, and while she's willing to actively help them.

And yes, the journey back to modern-day Paris is very quiet for our four heroes.

Next time, we're going to see how Episode 6 plays out.

[vivalgi]

My review on BOLAS 2

In general I found the sequel to be a worthy successor to book 1. It had lots of funny scenes, heartfelt moments and surprising twists. Most of the new art was great and high quality as usual and I really enjoyed the world building. The main aspects that felt lackluster were romance and the final battle, plus a few smaller annoyances.

Things I liked:

world building - the story not only vastly expanded but almost turned the lore we'd learned in book 1 upside down. It was cool learning that the world isn't just black and white, the evil shadow realm and the good light realm, but much more complicated and each side sees the other as bad guys. It was a positive surprise to learn that amongst the dangerous monsters there were ordinary and good-hearted people living in the shadow realm. Tyril and Nia even had existential crisis after learning that dwarves were using shadow magic without getting corrupted.

complex (ex-)villains - that snarky Aerin was very annoying at first but it was hard to keep hating him even after the damage and heartache he'd caused in book 1, especially since Nia who'd suffered the most was able to forgive him. Similar thing with Valax. At first she seemed like a typical one-dimensional villain with a single wish to wipe out the light realm. Then it turned out she was just a purpose built tool and brainwashed to carry out someone else's world domination plans. In reality Valax was compassionate and cared about her people and sadly had never felt love and affection. Even the couple from the shadow court was strangely sympathetic.

dark and twisted moments - especially what happened to Cherta's grandmother. The way she turned into an ugly and murderous creature when Cherta was trying to keep her alive must have been an extremely traumatic experience. All the challenges the girl went through to find cure for her grandma only for it all to end in such an ugly manner. The couple of times when the MC had PTSD attacks were also heavy and heartbreaking. Or how we fed a cute puppy to a dragon for a magical feather.

Art - I loved most of the CGs, the one with Nia telling a story to kids was especially sweet and tear-jerking. The party artwork was a bit funny though, especially giant Nia just posing for us while others were busy with important stuff. New backgrounds were beautiful and new characters like the dwarves and goblins looked interesting. And why are evil women always so damn hot? I liked the original looks of LIs more but the redesigns were alright too, although I had to correct Nia's hairline to keep it consistent with book 1 hairstyles. Premium outfits were well done too, though I complained how different in style the male and female Whimsywood outfits were. My favourite was the male Shroudwatch outfit.

Things that weren't so great

pacing - The story started off very quickly. Following a short recap the MC was immediately kidnapped and after escaping and getting the gang back together it was a constant running and fighting. Luckily the story slowed down a bit later and we finally had more time to really catch up with our friends and loved ones after 3 years of waiting. The story should have focused more on how the kidnapping affected everyone. Those were the best scenes.

romance - some may like the poly/harem style freedom that they can easily romance anyone whenever they want without any limits and repercussions but for me it took away the sense of progression. It often felt like romancing my LI in book 1 meant nothing. There were a few rare moments where it changed a scene a bit but most of the time it seemed like we were merely friends. I'd like to see more acknowledgement that I'm dating one character, especially from other characters. I don't want my LI to be called just a friend when they're clearly more than that. I would have loved for an opportunity to lock to a certain romance path or involved parties to sit down and discuss polyamorous relationship. It was also strange that the MC had to sleep alone and couldn't choose to stay with the LI after making love. Another thing that grinded my gears were the romantic choices. Almost all of them were about asking a kiss from the LI, even with Valax after just a few flirty options. It's nice when picking romantic choices leads to kissing as well but romance is so much more than pushing tongues down each other's throats. Where are the tender moments, pouring one's heart out, cuddling etc? The romance has become too shallow and lustful in Choices books.

the main villain - The Ash Empress could have been an equally complex character like her daughter. After all, she turned out to be the former Mother of Grey, an old deity with an unfortunate destiny who was good-natured at first but banished to the shadow realm where she got corrupted. However, besides a tiny glimpse of hope for redemption, she remained a typical one-dimensional evil character with a banal desire to conquer the world. She didn't seem very dangerous and frightening either, despite her looks. Everyone kept making fun of the empress which easily triggered her. And defeating her felt super easy, barely an inconvenience.

the final battle - I think it was too big and convoluted. There was a lot going on, the MC kept running from one place to another to help others but the stakes never felt high enough or the odds against us, unlike the first book.

Other remarks + hopes and expectations for book 3

I wonder why the Watcher left the rift near the White Tower for last. After all, that's where our journey began in book 2. It doesn't make any sense besides plot convenience.

I guess since the story teased a new world deep below ours, we are going to spend most of the time there, which is how PB was able to give us such important choices at the end. We probably won't be seeing the consequences of our choice for long, only in the first chapter until we get the gang back together and start a new adventure. Later on it will probably just be mentioned here and there.

throughout the first two books we've had a chance to learn so many skills and find so much helpful magical bling that our MC feels very overpowered already. All of them seem underused as well. So, instead of being introduced to a plethora of new stuff, we could finally put the 27(!) already learned skills to good use and focus on something else...

...like characters. We now have 6 LIs who all are hungry for our attention. Let's spend more time with them. And the social quests could also have platonic routes. I would have gladly spent on scenes with others besides my LI but unlike WTD the 30-diamond scenes were purely romantic.

Threep (and Loola) should rejoin the crew. The owlbear cub was cute and Mal constantly picking on Tyril was funny but Threep was one of the highlights of book 1.

No more "💗 I'd like a kiss" choices. The heart icon already hints at the romantic choice, the rest doesn't have to be so obvious and should allow the writers to be more creative.

I hope to experience more moments that make us laugh, cry, puke, pull the hair out and punch the screen. Action scenes can be fun but it's the emotions I mostly look forward to.

Unlock the damn closet!

[essaytime]

Listen, I hate car-centric infrastructure as much as the next guy and I wholeheartedly agree that a lot of drivers behave like some sort of entitled homicidal maniacs, but those of you acting like cyclists are just riding their bikes doing nothing wrong - and especially those of you in the comments saying that if cyclists pose a danger to you you must be an unsafe driver - really need to spend a day in the Warsaw or London city centre as a goddamn pedestrian.

In my life, which has been pretty short for both objective and this site's standards, I have encountered:

A man in London that rode in front of me at lightning speed on a crossing with no traffic lights, despite clearly seeing that all the cars had just stopped to let me pass and this was a crossing near the bridge in the middle of the city

A cyclist (that actually happened this Monday) who didn't stop despite having plenty of time to, honked (what is the English word for using this like alarm button on your bike?) at me and uttered some mean comment at me, right next to a bus stop which a bus, my bus, was pulling up to, and it was plainly visible from his perspective.

Near my school there is a slope with stone stairs in a park that I walk down to get there. Someone once rode down this slope, along the stairs, at full speed and just continued driving without slow down. To this day I don't know how on earth he didn't kill himself.

A cyclist in Kraków who was doing an actual race against time on a route near which plenty families with children were strolling, and when my little brother, three or four years old at the time, ran too close to him, he started yelling and swearing at us - a string of k-words at a four-year-old - rather than acknowledging a busy site with so many children was not a place for amateur Tour de Pologne

My friend was once getting off a bus and two nearly rode her over and bumped straight into each other, but that's only what I heard from her

When I do get into a car, which I do most rarely out of my family:

When my dad was turning to drive into a small street in the city centre, with a speed limit of I don't even remember what, a man suddenly rode into the street without even looking sideways so we had to stop the car immediately, and then turned around to yell

My mom says a young woman who was riding in the middle of a road on headphones and not paying any attention to the traffic knocked on her window and told her to drive more carefully because "that is dangerous". I would normally be wary about what a car driver says, but that's my mother who is frantically scared of causing an accident and would never even get close to a speed limit in her life

The one good thing about car drivers is they stay on the road and nothing is likely to happen to you until you have to cross it, so this saves up some of a pedestrian's patience. Cyclists' crazy behaviour you can on the other hand, encounter everywhere: the pavement, the road, and especially the places which are definitely not where they're supposed to be riding according to the law. You just can't predict where they pop up.

I fully support choosing bikes over cars, and I don't know how this looks in the US (some of your roads apparently don't even have pavements?), but my European experience is the reason why so many people hate cyclists is not because of a car culture conspiracy, but because a significant part of those are honestly just freaking insane. And I can guarantee you that the people in the notes who say cyclists cause problems for them even when they're driving carefully aren't unsafe drivers, it just is like that.

[cheeseburgerjaunt]

The breathing space of my wanting to express, and my wanting to learn, are combative. So let's have them meet, and let's assume that they're friendly - that they _want_ to know each other.

I so badly don't like this - I so badly do not like stretching out my imagination, or foraging for inspiration. I'm reliant on marking a point of impulse. Photography, my thoughts on sin - When I find the point of excitement, I demand that it be taken up. Fascinatingly, that may just be my downfall. no, let's not say downfall, but let's agree that this revelation is interesting, and that acknowledging it could lead to a deeper understanding of self.

okay, so, what I'm observing is a comfort in relying on inspiration. On pressure. I'm observing a lack of familiarity in building pressure from a space in which there is none.

And pressure doesn't even sound correct.

I assume that inspiration, excitement from my own imagination, can only occur without my intervention. That it's not about the space I allot it. And yet, I'm always feening for more space - more breathing room. So let's do it.

---

a show sounds so daunting. I assume that I'll do it wrong. Incorrectly. This show won't be as good as that show. I'm this old, why would I not have put more thought into it?

So what I'm missing is, the foundation of a selection o f images.

I can't assume that I'll go into it with a narrative. I don't shoot from narrative. I can make you feel good is a great set of images, but I do believe Mitchel largely gets away with a lack of narrative but encompassing all of the images into one grander idea.

The Altitude Talking is in the same vein.

However, I'm not sure that's the show IO want to perform, that I have the tools available to deliver the message.

I am Trying - Really Hard.

Why? To what end? And trying how?

I am trying to make you proud.

I only feel, so recently, that I have a vision that I'm not interested in your approving of. but I don't understand that vision for myself.

I go back to Kharan - a time when I felt like I made photos that I cared about, in a place that I found interesting, for. person I wanted to make pictures for.

It just goes back to people - but then there is a symbolism that I'd like to carry.

Tension - that as you are or do one thing, you are affecting another. That there is something that waits or lurks, or ponders around you. That balance is temporal. When Kenneth flies, he only lifts so far, and although it's no technical feat, the image is that he rests in the air of believable. What if more images were from this in-between state. A tension that made your stomach tighten.

The gift of photo is that it can hold you in a place that allows your imagination to wander. when looking at a body, it can allow you to imagine the physicality of that pose, the tension in muscles, the concentration - it requests a physical interrogation.

Mess - that there is no such thing as perfect, even when everything looks to be. That perfection is tainted once too much effort is exhibited in order to keep the illusion alive. Mess looks like several elements - in front and behind. Mess looks like posing not erectly center, or in the midst of chaos. I think of mess feeling more psychological than visual, though. Although, mess creates more visual stimulation. It's not calming. It's an abstract - it's a painting. Yes, something was done, an act was conducted, a meeting, a motion. For me, I have links to it all, but I'm not interested in controlling where you go with it.

[dynamightmite]

Just to be clear, the whole "Deku and Bakugo holding hands by the end of the manga" thing isn't like. Something weird or made up, or even indicative of shipping. It's literally just the culmination of their interactions considering the way Horikoshi centralized "reaching to/for" as being foundational to Bakugo and Midoriya's relationship. Almost all of their big moments can be described as the act of one reaching for the other, both physically and emotionally—and both matter.

The whole reacher/reachee dynamic starts (chronologically for them) at about four, and this one interaction defines the entirety of their relationship going forward.

Notice how Midoriya reaches, and Bakugo shoves him off. He clearly recognizes the gesture, but he absolutely refuses to respond in kind. This is the break in their relationship, the symbolic moment where Bakugo pulls away and Midoriya is left trailing behind after him.

It isn't until years later that Midoriya reaches out to Bakugo again, under similar, but much more dangerous circumstances. One thing hasn't changed; Midoriya is the one originally doing the reaching. What does change is that Bakugo, unlike when they were kids, reaches back:

I think a lot of people pass over Bakugo's response here as unimportant because you have to translate it through seven asshole filters to realize he's roundaboutly trying to thank Midoriya for saving his life, but it's relevant in that it sets the tone going forward. This moment shows that Bakugo is willing to reach back—not necessarily kindly, and certainly not physically, not yet—if Midoriya reaches first. It's the first sign that Bakugo does actually want a reciprocal relationship, even if he can't verbalize or actualize it yet.

We see this extended after Deku vs. Kacchan 1. Midoriya reaches out to Bakugo, chasing him down to do so. While he doesn't reach out physically so much, he emotionally reaches out by (vaguely) offering Bakugo information about OfA.

While Bakugo isn't nice about it, once Midoriya has shown his vulnerability, Bakugo responds in kind, emotionally reaching back to Midoriya. He doesn't leave Midoriya hanging, instead going the extra mile and, unprompted, exposing his own vulnerabilties. This is more movement towards a reciprocal relationship—if Midoriya opens up, Bakugo will follow suit, even if he still won't go first.

It takes their final exam for Bakugo to physically reach back. After Midoriya "reaches" (read: punches, but look at the posing, and how his arm is outstretched) Bakugo does the same. They manage it because it's hidden under the guise of training and teamwork, more violent than anything.

This sequence isn't just physical, though; Midoriya reaches out to Bakugo and reaches through his defenses emotionally in a way that actually affects him. Here, for the first time, Bakugo feels like he's being acknowledged. Seen. Midoriya's right, Bakugo doesn't just give up and neither does Midoriya, and if they understand that about each other, maybe they can manage to understand more. To be more than just estranged ex-childhood friends and rivals. So Bakugo reaches for Midoriya and shows him that he can and will reciprocate, so long as they're doing it on his terms.

It's after this, after Bakugo has realized he maybe can reach back when Midoriya holds out his hand and it won't be terrible, that they're thwarted by the plot. For the first time, Midoriya is prevented from reaching out, physically, and instead does so verbally, and Bakugo, who is also unable to physically reach out, verbally reaches back. Call and response. A pantomime of what they want, and intentionally unsatisfying.

This is contrasted boldly and meaningfully against Kirishima physically being able to reach for Bakugo, who takes his hand without thought.

You'll notice this is mostly a physical act, not an emotional one. Sure, they're both happy to see each other and both their emotions are running high, but this moment isn't meant to be vulnerable and charged the same way Bakugo and Midoriya's reaching out is, because Kirishima and Bakugo have an uncomplicated relationship, while Midoriya and Bakugo do not. This moment is supposed to show Bakugo's individual, personal growth (in that he can even have a reciprocal, uncomplicated relationship built on respect and kindness with another person), but Kirishima's reaching out to him is largely utilitarian and being used within a larger contextual frame. It cannot exist alone because of how motifs function within works as a whole. This moment exists to bring attention to the act of reaching out mutually, and why it matters so much that Bakugo and Midoriya have yet to achieve it.

Having established that they both are actively thinking about this aspect of their relationship, it's only after Bakugo and Midoriya's near miss that things change again. Not entirely—while Bakugo instigates Deku vs. Kacchan 2, he doesn't really reach first. He's still too defensive, still too distrusting of Midoriya's intentions. He instead goes in on the offense, exposing Midoriya by bringing up OfA and forcing Midoriya's hand.

It's only when Midoriya reaches out, both physically and emotionally, that Bakugo breaks and reaches back.

Look at the posing and the positioning of the characters within these panels. Bakugo isn't drawn like this for shits and giggles, he's intentionally shown to be holding his hand out to Midoriya. Their whole fight has been characterized by Bakugo asking Midoriya for things (information about his quirk, the fight itself, why did All Might choose him as successor), and this is one more time. He is asking Midoriya to keep reaching out—to let Bakugo reach back, despite his ongoing rejections. To be there with and for Bakugo as he works through his own issues and to not let go. To let him be weak until he can work up the strength to fully reach back, and even reach first.

Which he wants to do. Desperately.

And when he does...

Bakugo reaches out first in his apology. Emotionally, not physically. Possibly because Bakugo actually tends to be pretty prickly about physical touch, and seems to treat that as more intimate than many of his peers, but I think his choice to reach out emotionally more has to do with Bakugo making the decision to do the difficult thing, to give Midoriya what he deserves. Because reaching out physically is just moving your hand—baring your soul? That shit hurts. That's hard. But it's what Midoriya needs, and it's what Bakugo wants to give.

And now it's Midoriya's turn to reach back. Not emotionally, but physically, stumbling his way to Bakugo. There is no emotional reciprocation on Midoriya's part this time—Bakugo will need to reach out again, later.

It isn't until the very end that Bakugo reaches—physically—first. And for the first time, Midoriya's not there.

The whole point of their relationship, the moment this all suggests they are heading to, is the two of them reaching for each other and being able to connect. Physically and emotionally. That is the entire purpose of this constant back and forth, one reaching out in the hopes that the other will reach back. So far they haven't completely managed, but for the arc of their relationship to be complete, that has to happen.

I understand why this often gets put under a romantic lens, and while it can be, I guess, the motif itself and the arc of their relationship exists regardless of any reader's personal preferances. That's what writing conventions are for, so we can recognize and predict the outcome of the story as intended by the author. The act of reaching out isn't exclusive to Bakugo and Midoriya within the story by any means, but their relationship being defined by the act and symbolized by it, continuously depicted with it as the main focus, is certainly not an accident. It is the culmination, and the ultimate end goal of their relationship, which—again, if writing conventions are followed—should be met. Like I understand that people get told "there's no correct answers in media analysis" but baby, sometimes there are answers with enough supporting evidence that suggesting they're wrong is... I don't even know.

[gartenofbanny]

The author had to kill off SOMEBODY the audience knew and cared about so it would have any impact. People like Funk Man, Eel Boy and Crust had no character work done on them. Midnight was chosen, but it could have been anyone from UA. But he wanted to keep using Mic and Eraserhead, so here we are. I think her death was absolutely pathetic because her supposed two best friends didn't even talk about her death! But we can devote loads of panel time to Kurogiri's situation, when they knew the guy for a small amount of time before he got died and resurrected. Think about it. The time he was their friend is barely a blip on the radar compared to the amount of time he's been dead to them. But Aizawa didn't want to talk about Midnight's death, and so he and Mic shut up about it forever. What's funny is that Midnight was also a complete nothing character outside of Vigilantes, which most MHA fans never read. She wasn't built up to be the Aizawa to anyone's Shinso. Even when Mina talks about her, it's about how she liked her classes. Absolutely nothing about knowing her as a person. She's avenging an acquaintance because the story didn't build any bonds between these characters!

I'm not even gonna lie, Midnight in the War Arc has been disrespected. She was never brought to visit Kurogiri despite Midnight and Shirakumo (Kurogiri before he became a Nomu) were best friends and Shirakumo even had a crush on her, it was just Present Mic and Aizawa who visited Kurogiri. You are right Midnight was never mentioned again by the students or her best friends, hell bringing up her death to Kurogiri might cause him to change. I'm pretty sure Midnight is just a fanservice-y character, but Vigilantes actually gave her depth which is why I prefer Vigilantes over MHA. Midnight in MHA mainly helped the students with their hero names, and ultimate moves, and was really just around before striking a smexy pose every third time she's on screen. When it comes to teaching Midnight mainly acknowledges and compliments the students' success. The last paragraph is without a doubt true, we don't know much about most of the cast aside from Deku, Todoroki, Bakugo, Aizawa, Iida, and Ochaco. Either some of them already had an arc and they're just around or some of them just didn't need one. That's the problem with having too many characters in one series because once their mini-arc is done, they're done. We don't know what their relationship is like with other characters, Horikoshi just has them be cool with each other and admire the Big 3. God knows how many times these characters suck the dick of Deku, Todoroki, and Bakugo.

If any of the characters would've died, it should have been Gran Torino. He trained Izuku and taught him everything, he's still powerful but not as powerful as he was before, and he even had a nice speech saying that "Death can be another form to save someone" after Izuku gave Torino, Nana's regards.

Gran Torino's entire arc was basically done and he's severely injured and old, I don't believe he's capable of fighting again. So what's the point of keeping him alive?

[hyperpotamianarch]

I would like to point out, there's a very specific difference between this and the old "man vs bear" question. In the man/bear scenario, the threat each possibility poses is different: the man might assault you but the assumption is that he is slightly less likely to kill you, while the bear could do that. By voting bear, a person shows that either a. They think the chances a bear will kill them are lower than a man assaulting them, or b. They view the chances are equal but prefer a quick death over sexual assault. Of course, the immediate question to be asked is why so many women consider the likelihood that a man will sexually assault them given the opportunity to be equal or higher to the likelihood of a bear attacking them and what life experience led them to this conclusion, but that's not the point. The point is that the antisemitic bear poses the exact same threat as the Charlottesville neo-Nazi: a violent antisemitic attack. The Columbia Hamasnik might pose the same threat as well, though OP claimed in a reblog that the Columbia Hamasnik is less likely to be armed than the neo-Nazi. But the threat is exactly the same type of threat. Without accountability (IE, in the woods at night), all these people are likely to attack you based on your ethno-religious grouping. The attack is likely to have the same result - you dead or injured, since you have no weapons.

Let's go over the pros and cons: firstly, I would like to note that there doesn't seem to be a pro for going with the Charlottesville neo-Nazi. OP claims they're likely to be armed and trained at the use of their firearm. A possible pro might be if you think you can wrestle their weapon away before they manage to shoot you, but then it all depends on your experience with such a weapon. I wouldn't count on mine. Another pro might be that leftist spaces will acknowledge that this was an antisemitic attack, something that won't be done with the Columbia Hamasnik ("they killed them for being a filthy Zionist!") or the bear ("that's an animal attack. That's a freaking animal attack, WHY ARE YOU CLAIMING IT WAS ANTISEMITIC?!"). However, current political atmosphere in the USA might mean that the police and government won't acknowledge that. You'll be dead either way, since we assume the worst - unless you believe you could convince the neo-Nazi that you're not Jewish.

Columbia Hamasnik is apparently unarmed, which means the threat is mostly being harassed by words. That's certainly a pro - unless they take an example from Amsterdam and push you into a river or something. That could quickly become a wrestling match, so it depends on your physical strength against the average university goer - could be a pro, could be a con. If they managed to seriously hurt or even kill you, leftist media won't recognize it as an antisemitic incident. However, right wing media will. And considering most people I've seen around Jumblr think Trump is trying to use Leftist antisemitism and his opposition of it to boost his reputation while not actually taking care of other antisemitic incidents... This is a huge con, as the Trump administration, according to this view, will take this opportunity to boost themselves. The actual difference between the Hamasnik and the neo-Nazi in this scenario is not the intent but the capability, which might be slightly more fluid than you might think.

Antisemitic bear is a bear. It also, for some reason, hates the Jewish people. It possibly believes we drink the blood of young bear cubs during Pesaḥ, that there's a great conspiracy to replace all bears with Jews, that we have all the honey in the world... You know the list. But first and foremost, it's a bear. Right now is the wrong season, as bears are just starting to wake up. A couple of months ago, if you were alone with an antisemitic bear in the woods at night chances are it was asleep. But the equinox is drawing close and I'm pretty sure bears wake up during this season.

I don't know how bears express hatred. However, they probably aren't very verbose and thus unlikely to verbally abuse you. They are, however, very large predators with natural weapons such as claws and teeth. Homo Sapiens, alas, was not blessed with such weapons - not even the Jewish people, despite all the rumors. However, a bear might not know that. Beyond being a bear, this bear is antisemitic, which might mean it believes in antisemitic conspiracy theories such as Jews having horns. A normal bear is generally more scared of you than you are of it, unless you threaten its cubs. In this, the season again comes against you - because Pesaḥ is coming, and the bear might preceive you as a threat to its cubs. Convincing it that you're stronger than you seem in such a case will be folly. Also, no media outlet will consider this blatantly antisemitic attack to be what it is, as it will be viewed as an animal attack. The antisemitism problem among the local bears will never be resolved. You could try to find if the bear has atheistic relatives who are willing to protect you, but the scenario calls for being with the bear alone in the woods at night, so that shouldn't be a possibility. So I suppose it depends on the gender and marital status of the bear, but the worst case scenario is worse than any of the two others. Seeing that, I'm not sure me choosing the bear was the right call. Here's to hoping it'll be a single male bear that I can scare off with the threat of horns.