#for anyone who doesnt know what the parent trap is

[justawrites]

I want the Crown to parent trap Narinder and Lamb

[vaguehotels]

had the most braindead repetitive conversation/argument with my parents. buzz cuts are too masculine but if you dye a design on it it become effeminate which is bad because then you look weak and if youre weak then society falls apart (all societies ever that have fallen apart for any reason are actually because of feminine men) and we start sacrificing babies. and also all mental illness is invented because only 4 people had anxiety in the 90s and covid was made up so that we would all become gay and trans and then the government can control us better and be joe biden's little sex slaves. and also i need to keep my hair long because my father finds it attractive. what

[alchemist-shizun]

I've come to the realization that I've known about mdzs for about 4 months and so far I've been juggling in my head 3 different songxuexiao fic ideas (ones actually not ship fic only about post canon song lan and inner turmoil which we love) and SOMEHOW all of them involve little kids to a certain degree, either raising them or having a group of little ducklings following u everywhere u go.

This is a first and a pattern I wasn't expecting but I guess I'm welcoming it!

[melrosing]

People when Jaime feels detached from his children who he explicitly had to be detached from or their bastardy might be discovered and cause them to be brutally murdered: 🙄 he doesnt care about anyone but himself

yeah i think people just like. don't want it to be complicated lol. but idk what to tell them bc it very intentionally is?? you can decide that Jaime is unforgivable in your mind but you can't insist that others see it the same way, or that GRRM intended this as a black and white issue. several things are true at once like

Jaime's automatically placed his children in grave danger by agreeing to have them in the first place. he could've just not

he repeatedly increased that danger by continuing to have reckless sex with Cersei. he could've just not

he is incapable of grieving Joffrey, a child who might not have turned out quite the way he did if Jaime had intervened in some great or small way

but also

Jaime and Cersei's relationship is not purely hedonistic - it is built upon the maladjusted relationship they've developed from birth, and the trauma on both sides that has compounded their obsessions with the other. for two people essentially trapped at court in roles they've both suffered greatly within, it is not surprising that they continue to turn to one another, even if rationally they ought to know this has potential for severe repercussions (not just for themselves but their children besides). given the context it's just not that wild to me that they do this. like why do people smoke?? why do parents smoke around their children? why do parents smoke if they have children at all, knowing the risk that their child could lose a parent to this? these are questions a smoker might ask themselves and they're good ones, but if you're caught up in a habit (especially a maladjusted one), sometimes the answer doesn't feel straightforward. like you're getting away with it now aren't you?? you're still here now??

maintaining disinterest in his children is not just a safety measure for the kids, but a safety measure for Jaime. if he lets himself care for them, then what. he's still got a lifetime to spend at their side, knowing they cannot know, and nobody can know, that they're even his. he will never have children he can claim; all he can do is watch as a man he despises call them his, a man who has claimed Cersei too, and a man Jaime is sworn to protect. Jaime, a guy who has practised 'going away inside' since he was a kid, has understandably used this technique in a big way when it comes to his children

like man he fucking tries to mourn Joffrey. he tries to tell himself he'd avenge the kid, tries to work out the truth of how he died, thinks he must be a monster if he can't summon an ounce of affection for him, is entirely self conscious about it - but what can he fucking do, Joffrey was pretty uniquely vile and had no redeeming features. there is no foundation of a positive relationship to look back on, there are no fond memories he has of the boy, Joffrey never longed to know him nor loved him as an uncle, he's just some nasty ass kid who came between he and Cersei and wanted Jaime's beloved brother dead and believed Robert his father and perhaps never gave Jaime a second look. tbh at least Jaime tries to give a shit, I don't think it's super condemnable that he doesn't quite manage

by the time Jaime has finally idk... opened his fucking eyes, he is interested in being a father. he does try to intervene with Cersei's parenting, to help and guide his son, to begin an honest relationship with them that might be the foundation of a loving one. from what we see he obviously likes Tommen, worries for him, wants him to be happy and secure. as soon as he allows himself to love this kid, he does, and obviously wants to begin a new relationship with Myrcella as well

and i don't think you even have to forgive Jaime for the former to accept the latter, but when it comes to stories i don't see why people have this pov that actions have to cancel each other out and that Jaime cannot change his relationship w fatherhood bc of how it started out. why do ppl want characters to be static so badly it's insane to me

[year2000electronics]

Ayoo! A question for your monster falls au. Did the twins' parents know about the monstrous aspects of the town prior to sending the twins there?

And, before Tourist Trapped with the kids turning into monsters, did Stan & the gang disguise themselves magically in anyway? Same for when the agents arrived; is the monster-aspect of the town a well-kept secret or do only a few people know?

their parents did not!

so i imagine the town of gravity falls in monster falls is kind of, like, an open secret to the rest of the world? yknow, since gravity falls in canon has LITERALLY a bunch of anomalies, unicorns, gremloblins, GHOSTS, SCANDALS ABOUT PRESIDENTS, MULTI-BEARS, and yet somehow nobody really talks about that much weirdness contained in one town? yeah, that applies to monster falls too.

heres what people will usually tell you about the town.

theyve never heard of it (doesnt matter if there would be amazing things happening in town, if they havent heard of it in canon, why would they hear about it here?

anyone who passes by the town assumes that the monster curse is a local myth, and that anyone who looks like monsters is dressing up and being gung-ho about the myth. usually to drum up tourism. (think like how point pleasant in west virginia has a mothman statue and mothman musem, and salem massacheussets is pretty much only thought of as 'the town where the witch trials were'). the agents dont believe dipper that he is "LITERALLY A DEER-TAUR YOU GUYS DO YOU NOT HAVE EYES???".

see, i like purposely keeping this vague, much like gravity falls the show likes to keep gravity falls' barrier/natural law of weirdness magnetism purposely vague (they never answer their "chicken or the egg" question with regard to the UFO crash!) but i definitely have been implying that the curse is almost "sentient" in a way, and works in a specific manner to keep people it thinks are staying in town in town, and will actively work to keep tourists as tourists if theyre not "cursed" enough. so there's almost a SUPERNATURAL amount of plausible deniability. remember too in boss mabel where dipper showed tourists a gremloblin and they went "honey you can see the strings" while pointing to the gremloblin hair. THATS THE VIBE! its ridiculous how little the outside world notices whats going on here.. BUT THATS THE POINT!!

[crushedsweets]

Bing bong, I got a question.

What is Dina like in your AU?

Also, Merry Christmas!

-Bing Bong Anon

MERRY CHRISTMAS IM SO LATEE!!!

i realized i have no good footing for what i want dina to do in my AU. and so i kept putting this off. but i decided if i just talk, something will get out. so i got this.. THIS COVERS MY REWRITE OF DINA AND LAZARI!! <33

tw for cult topics, suicide mention, death, etc etc

i know i want lazari and dina's stories to intertwine.

i want them to be born into the same cult

dina is born to the leader. her birth is ceremonial and important, immediately she is treated like the second coming of christ. as she gets older, they begin to view her like a prophet of some sort - she's often referred to as a guardian angel just by existing, like her being keeps the cult intact and safe. blessings are attributed to her presence, loss is attributed to her absence.

as a result, she was kept under constant surveillance and incredibly isolated. she wasn't allowed friends, aside from some half-siblings who were still treated as below her. constantly being praised and treated like you are some sort of celestial being . . . really messes with someone.

in turn, lazari is in the same cult, but her mother was infertile, which the cult sees as a complete failure of a woman. so her mom sought out new forms of conception, and a demonic ritual involving zalgo took place. zalgo is lazari's "father", but she is raised by her mothers husband.

for opposite reasons, lazari is kept under constant surveillance and incredibly isolated. her mother is constantly doing rituals on her, trying to 'beat the demon' out of her daughter, as she regretted her actions the second lazari was born. she felt no love for her child. around age 7, lazaris mother does kill herself in front of her daughter. demonic tendencies begin breaking out for lazari

when dina is about 13-15, she begins sneaking out more often. it's just things like sitting on fields and talking to some random boys in the cult, something she'd NEVER be allowed by her parents.

one day, when she's out doing things she shouldnt do, she bumps into lazari. lazari is completely out of it, red eyes and black bloody oozing out of her mouth, all her veins are pure black and it looks fucking scary. and she bites dina. the next day, lazari looks normal.

dina doesnt tell anyone. she wasnt supposed to be out, she'd be in more trouble than it was worth to snitch on lazari. but shes scared, and she begins noticing changes in her own biology

her own veins darken, at night she wakes up black liquid fogging up her vision (crying a bit will get it all out), she is constantly ill, convulsing, etc. her own parents begin getting scared, and the rest of the cult begins whispering

and dina is fucking pissed. shes been given the entire world on a silver platter her entire life(aside from freedom), and lazari took it away in one bite.

after a couple months of dina's health and image deteriorating, dina is overcome with anger. she stumbles her way to lazari's little home, convincing her to go on a walk. lazari is suspicious but was raised to never deny authority, so they do.

dina guides lazari to the forest, deciding it her divine right granted by god to take lazari's life. completely convinced she is allowed to cast judgement on this 11 year old girl as punishment.

it doesnt work, very quickly they get physical - this 17 year old is trying to kill this 11 year old, but lazari is literally half demon. the second blood spills and lazaris adrenaline spikes, dina is slaughtered in the middle of the forest.

lazari tries to run away. but she is a product of zalgo, and zalgo is trapped in the forest due to slender pages decorating the perimeter. she'll stand at the edge of the forest, trying to get out, but there's some barrier that wont let her escape

and all the while, dina's corpse is being overtaken by zalgo

now lazari and dina are stuck in the same forest.

[midnightbrightside]

Can you please tell me what are your favorite Kristin head cannons please?

OH IM SO GLAD YOU ASKED

i couldnt choose a favourite so i wrote out like ten but that was too many so i've limited myself to five and now they're written down half of them are more like fic premises than headcanons BUT

phoenix was genuinely in love with kristoph at some point. it was near the beginning, before he realised any of the lies. and it took him so long to really pursue that nagging suspicious he had because every time he woke up to kristoph's sleeping, vunerable face, he felt sick to his stomach for doubting him.

and in turn kristoph was genuinely in love with phoenix too, but it was further along into the 7yg and he couldn't admit it to himself, so it manifested as a twisted posessiveness and a desire to control. he must keep phoenix under his control or else phoenix will leave just like how everyone else does.

phoenix is popular with the single mothers (and some of the dads) on the PTA at trucy's school and kristoph is Not Happy about it. he starts attending parent-teacher evenings with phoenix just to loop his arm in the crook of phoenix's elbow to not-so-subtly ward off anyone who so much as looks at his not-boyfriend

one december trucy sets up mistletoe in the doorway to trap phoenix and kristoph underneath. phoenix laughs a bit and pulls kristoph in by his waist for a brief kiss. it's soft and sweet and strangely romantic, far from the first kiss they've shared but it's the first time theyve kissed in front of trucy. in a way it almost feels like confirmation of his place in their family and he doesnt know how to feel about that. trucy, watching him closely, cant tell how hes feeling either, but she doesnt pick up on any annoyance or disgust.

phoenix gets back into drawing during the 7yg, he sits down with a couple of hb pencils and a few sheets of printer paper and starts idly sketching the people around him. one day kristoph sees him sketching and says he didnt know phoenix could draw (a lie, hes dug into every nook and cranny of wright's history) and asks to see. he's prepared to glance at the page and say something about how phoenix has a wonderful talent but he can tell his real calling was the courtroom (a jab at his artistic skills and at the disbarrment).

instead he's struck silent for a moment. the pages are filled with sketches of trucy, maya, larry, staff at the borscht bowl... and kristoph. candid sketches of kristoph working, tucking his hair behind his ear, even smiling. they're far from realistic but they contain so much character. is that what phoenix thinks he looks like? has anyone else looked at kristoph and seen this much humanity?

people should give me more excuses to talk about krisnix im so full of thoughts and feelings

[platonicallylovesick]

Some more "ppl defending Mrs. Bakugo" crimes against my mental wellbeing

People on titok are genuinely insane oml

"It's not abuse tho abuse is where its mentally and emotionally affecting the child's well being. and i think Bakugo is completely fine since thats his family's love language." GURL WHAT. GURL. DID YOU WATCH THE SAME SHOW?? IS BAKUGO DEVELOPING A CRIPPLING INFERIORITY COMPLEX AT THE AGE OF 6 NOT AFFECTING HIS WELLBEING???

"this is just for comedy... plus Bakugo is a brat and needs to be slapped sometimes" literally no child *NEEDS* to be slapped. the 16 yr old boy does not NEED to be slapped and esp not in front of his teachers who he genuinely looks up to and respects? ESP NOT WHILE BEING TOLD HE'S THE REASON THAT THEY NEED TO BE MOVED INTO DORMS IN THE FIRST PLACE????

"They're just messing around, have you never had a good relationship with your mother?" I have a lovely relationship with my mom, and there is a SOLID different between being lightly and playfully smacked on the shoulder during a lighthearted conversation AND BEING HIT ACROSS THE HEAD WHILE BEING YELLED AT TO SHUT UP IN FRONT OF *MY ONLY IDOL*

"Plus lets not forget in the earlier seasons this dude was a BULLY plus if you look at Bakugo he isnt even phased by her words he's just mad cuz she hit him. also if you watch the rest of the episode, Mitsuki says to All Might and Aizawa to take care of Katsuki and shows worry for him" oh so there's plenty to unpack here! First up. I WONDER WHY HE WAS A BULLY? I WONDER WHERE THAT 5 YEAR OLD LEARNED THOSE BEHAVIORS?? IT WASNT FROM ALL MIGHT VIDEOS, I PROMISE YOU THAT ?! Next up: "he isnt even phased, he's just mad she hit him." Bbg if you're told you're trash even just once a week for at least a year, you will stop reacting to it every time, in the moment. that does not change the mental stress it puts on you. Now add in the factors of "its def more than just once a week," "that is his MOTHER," "He's already immensely guilty about the situation," and "HE IS A CHILD." Then we have, "He's just mad she hit him." YOU'RE TELLING ME. YOU WOULD NOT BE UPSET. IF YOU WERE HIT BY YOUR MOTHER. IN FRONT OF *ANYONE* YOU RESPECT. LET ALONE THE LITERAL SYMBOL OF PEACE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE HIT BY *YOUR* MOTHER IN FRONT OF FUCKING IRON MAN?!

Last but MOST CERTAINLY not least: "She shows worry for him." Babe imma hold your hand in an white knuckle grip when i tell you this. I don't think you've ever been abused in your life. Because you do know that most abusers don't wake up thinking "MAN today will be a great day to torment my only son," right? She doesnt think she's abusing him. She's just doing what comes natural to her. She isnt reflecting on what effect her actions have had on her kid, she's the mother so ofc she's in the right and she loves her son so clearly the problem is his peers praising his powers too much, I cant possibly be to blame because i love him! She doesn't think about how its affecting him at all. Hell, it could even be a cycle bc honestly it already is one. When Katsuki is faced with unruly children he correctly identifies that there's some kind of lead kid (because he was a lead kid at that age, he was a problem child), and then HIS SOLUTION IS TO PHYSICALLY FIGHT THE KIDS, USING THE JUSTIFICATION THAT THAT WAS HOW HE WAS RAISED AND IN HIS OPINION HE TURNED OUT FINE.

This is actually a trap I've fallen into myself, I have recommended a little more tough love against my little siblings because I was treated much more harshly at that age than they are now. I WAS NOT IN THE RIGHT. KATSUKI IS NOT IN THE RIGHT. THIS IS HOW MALTREATMENT CHANGES A CHILD'S MIND. THIS IS HOW IT WARPS OUR VIEW OF THE WORLD AROUND US. Unless he gets some serious SERIOUS help, he will carry these experiences with him for the rest of his life. He might become just as terrible a parent as his mother.

His behavior is not his fault. He is a CHILD. A MINOR. If he was in his twenties and has experienced life firsthand and he was still being a bully for no reason or being physically violent with minimal to no provocation, I would agree that he needs a serious wakeup call. Still wouldnt agree with hitting him, but like yeah he's an adult, his prefrontal cortex is fully developed, he should be self reflecting. But AT SIXTEEN. HE IS A CHILD, A LITERAL CHILD. THIS KIND OF HOUSEHOLD ENVIROMENT IS ALL HE FUCKING KNOWS. IT IS THE RESULT OF HOW HIS PARENTS RAISED HIM, WHICH WAS TOXIC, ABUSIVE, AND EMOTIONALLY NEGLECTFUL.

Shoutout to the one guy in that comment section fighting for his life making good points as to the fact that YES Mitsuki is the fucking issue.

[cartoonrival]

ok + for goodness' sake sasuke so that the screenshot takes up less space

1)parallels between naruto/sasuke and naruto/kawaki. i think honestly carrying over and actually bringing attention to the love-obsession thing that was going on sort of mostly unaddressed in the original series (in terms of no one called naruto as insane as they frankly shouldve) has the potential to be very interesting, especially because bringing it into the sphere of a father-son relationship rather than a platonic/romantic one is not really something i've seen before, along with the fact that kawaki doesn't actually know naruto much at all, making this very much an idolization of an idea of the person who saved you, someone who can do no wrong and is so without flaw. it was what this dude said:

like kawaki's obsession is weird and emblematic of how he grew up. also, the way that both of them sort of end up treating the other like a thing to be protected or owned or passed around, kawaki trapping him in time prison with zero regards for the fact that no one wants to be in time prison, and naruto's famous "give sasuke back/dont talk about sasuke like you own him in front of me/i'll get sasuke back/ill break your legs if i have to", there is the dismissal of actual personal wants However.

kawaki does this because he thinks that naruto's life is worth more than anything ever, and the reason he thinks this is because he thinks naruto is the most perfect person in the world and the only one who can save the world from evil. in naruto's case, even though he has a habit of possessiveness, sasuke is very much still a person to him, someone he violently and desperately wants to be close to. he doesnt think sasuke is perfect or can do no wrong, he just doesnt really give a fuck what wrong things sasuke does because he loves him too much and wants him too bad to ever hold anything against him. anything sasuke does is understandable and forgivable. naruto wouldnt put sasuke in time prison to protect him because then they couldnt hang out, and he knows sasuke wouldnt want that anyways. while i think naruto's obsession is insane, its more possessive than dehumanizing, which is def the angle kawaki is taking. again, i think this could be interesting if it was expounded upon but i dont think anyone in boruto is enough of a character for this actually do be pulled off in any satisfying way.

2)boruto/kawaki vs naruto/sasuke. i think honestly i just dont really have it in me to even act like kawaki and boruto have a dynamic that even comes close to the bullshit naruto and sasuke have going on, but if i were to attempt to explain why i dont think this is the case than i think at least part of it (beyond the fact taht ever character in boruto is painfully undercooked) is that boruto and kawaki's bond is based almost entirely around both being marked by karma. like they become friends sort of on a more surface level same way boruto is friends with anyone else, but its definitely not the same as naruto and sasuke's inexplicable pull towards one another since they were kids. even though kawaki has like sort of stupid convoluted internal strife going on, boruto doesnt honestly have enough inner issues to even shadow the bizarre knot that is sns. boruto and naruto both didn't want to kill their wayward friends because it's hard to kill someone you care about, i don't think that reads as a strong parallel because its like . what kind of story would it be if boruto was just like Okay lets kill him... now! also if kawaki dies naruto stays trapped im p sure so if he kills kawaki he is also functionally killing his dad

3)naruto and sasuke are both terrible parents but sasuke is leagues leagues leagues worse and he sees boruto has his son more than he will ever see sarada as his daughter. to him, she is his daughter because that is the only way she should have the sharingan. he can't really stand being around her and any interaction he has with her is out of guilt. boruto is his son because boruto is naruto's son

4)why did they bring up that jiraiya might get resurrected and then just drop it or is this me forgetting since i watched boruto 6+ months ago

[boarwinds]

OP i beg you tell me everything about the phantom of the opera/parent trap au, i need all the details.

Here u go:

What if CSLG never have that 3rd person convo, they still go to the cabin n CS gets rid of the guns.

u where cslg split amicably (as amicable as a split can be w cs being involved). Cs never brings up the 3rd person, they still go to the cabin, and cs still gets rid of the guns. Atp he starts realizing he can go back to d2/the capitol without worry n rly, lg has no use for him, he'll only slow her down. He doesn't worry abt lg betraying him bc who'll believe her over him? Either way she can't tell anyone, going back to d12 is a death sentence for her.

He makes promises he knows he can't keep, like how he won't let anybody hurt a hair on her head despite not having the power to guarantee her safety. The effort he's putting into this performance is a flimsy excuse to say he tried to keep them together. He knows she knows, n he's counting on it, for her to say it's no use so they can split n he won't have to feel guilty abt leaving her.

Only he needs to know that the next time they meet, he'll be in his rightful seat at the top of the capitol social/power ladder, he'll sweep her off her feet n she'll be so grateful. He'll rise to power n ask for forgiveness later.

Just as he predicted, lg tells him they're not in the games anymore, they won't get lucky again, he can't protect her in d2. So they stand in silence in the cabin nobody making a move, bc they know the only one she can make is to leave. Lg comes to the conclusion that they've made use of e/o, they've reached their end. She goes. He's back in the capitol in no time.

(He waits a while before going back to 12 to give her enough time to escape before the peacekeepers are alerted. Cs heads to the covey where he personally let's maude ivory know lg is gone. He just let's her cry n punch into his chest.)

Meanwhile lg continues further into the wild.

Back in 12, a new mayor is elected, but the real power lies w the new commander. He's strict but not overly cruel. Don't get in his way n everything will be alright. He's young n handsome n has managed to charm most of d12, it makes it easier for everyone to fall in line. Maude ivory doesn't like who he reminds her of.

A few months pass n the new commander goes out patrolling the outskirts of 12. He's overseeing the construction of the barbed wire fence to be set up around the perimeter n wants to see for himself before it happens. He stumbles upon a lake w a cabin. Inside is a person, silent n still, face down on the floor.

(After yrs in the wild) lg is dying. She knows it. She's made her decision. She's going back to 12 to see her family one last time, she doesnt care if she's caught. Whether it's illness or a hanging that gets her, it doesn't matter, life in the woods alone without family isn't a life for her. On her worst days she wished she had come along w cs.

He realizes she's still alive when she starts to cough n rushes to her side. He starts to pick her up to bring her to the infirmary. Even w the grime n dirt on her face he would recognize her anywhere, the songbird who won the 10th games, the one he couldn't look away from back in the capitol. She opens her eyes n the only thing he hears is "...c○ri○|@nus? What did u do to ur hair" as she reaches up to his face n passes out.

Lg wakes up in a hospital in 12. She thinks she's hallucinating when she sees cs sitting by her side. She says "c○ri○|@nus" again n panics n starts to pull at wires connecting her to diff machines. The man notices n tries to calm her down, hands up like shes an untamed horse, "my name is William H. Bonney. I'm the commander of d12. You can call me billy."

(Referring to billy boy as billyb from here on out) billyb knows who cs is. Ever since his face was plastered all over the capitol bc of the games, all he's heard was how much he looks like him. He's heard the rumors of cs running away to 12 to be w his victor, his lover. He guesses those weren't unfounded. He shakes his head at how cs could ever leave a woman like her behind. How had she ended up in the woods half dead n him on his way to be president.

When lg wakes up again billyb have to restrain her. Billyb is so close to her, his eyes are exactly the same, he's telling her she's safe n she's transported right back. He has to tell her he's not cs, to look at his hair. He tugs at it to show her "see the roots?" It wasn't the hair that convinces her, billyb has a mole cs does not. He tells her "Idk what he did to u but I promise ur safe"

Over time billyblg develop a friendship. Lg has a hard time looking him in the face but sometimes she catches herself staring. Billyb feels her stare n let's her. Sometimes he stares right back w a smirk or a wink to catch her off guard. Lg feels ridiculous for blushing.

Billyb opens the hob back for lg n the covey.

Idk where it goes from here 🙂

Side note:

Cs had been working behind the scenes to keep d12 mostly lax for lg, removing the bounty for her, technically the reason billy was sent to 12 as commander

[ibrithir-was-here]

So the basic idea that came to me late at night for Baby Dream was more of less this weird little mash up of Matilda/A Little Princess and Definitely Platonic Dream and Hob : 

Baby Morpheus who's like, 6, is from a family with innate magical gifts, that are related to their canon ones but nowhere and near as strong

And one day  gets kidnapped by Roderick Burgess, who was trying to get his older sister Teleute but his henchmen grabbed the wrong one

So now Morpheus is being held in the basement (not in a glass case just in a locked room with some magical protection around it that keeps him from leaving)  while Burgess tries to figure out what powers he has and how they can be exploited

Morpheus in this stays silent out of terror/trauma more than any stubbornness, and he himself doesn't fully understand his powers so he doesn't know how to answer Burgess's questions anyway

His only source of comfort is his raven plushie Jessamy, who he held onto when he got grabbed

So of course one day Burgess rips it in two in an attempt to intimidate Morpheus into speaking

That night Morpheus in despair crafts himself a dream that when he closes his eye he'll wake up somewhere safe, where he'll be cared for and loved and never made to feel afraid (his home of course wasn't too great either, Night and Time are still terrible even as mostly human parents)

And so he goes to sleep, and dreams that he wakes up in a cozy bed in a room made just for him

And the kindest man he's ever seen is in the kitchen making pancakes

Hob Gadling would normally be surprised to see a tousle haired tot shuffling into his kitchen but this is clearly a dream so he's not that weirded out, and while he doesn't understand why this sad but sweet little Dream child is here--he doesn't look anything like the son he lost-- but he's still happy to play caretaker again for this one night

So he makes pancakes and plays games and reads stories and slowly draw the little Dream boy out of his shell until at last Hob tucks him into the little bed in the room that exists only in this dream--and the Dream child finally smiles up at him, and it's the sweetest thing Hob's seen in a long while

Hob wakes up wondering what on earth could have prompted such a dream, but happy overall he had a nice one where he got to take care of a child, instead of the nightmares he usually has about the loss of Robyn

And then it happens again, and again. Each night for a few months Hob dreams he's taking care of a tiny boy with the messiest hair and bluest eyes he's ever seen. And though he never says anything each night the Dream child becomes a little less fearful, a little more happy and open, and Hob finds his heart opening more and more to this little stranger who's come into his dreams

Morpheus meanwhile is still trapped, still subject to Burgess's abuse, but at least now each night he has an escape with the kind man in his dreams. Each night he "wakes up" in his room in Hob's dream version of his flat excited for the time they'll spend together and he's always desperate to stay in the dream as long as he can, dreading waking up for real to the dark reality around him, knowing that at this point the people who know he's missing have long stopped looking for him 

Hob however has started looking. He's sure this recurring dream must have some sort of meaning, he's never dreamed like this before, so consistently, so clearly. So he starts looking for clues online, if anyone else has had similar experiences. Finally he even has someone draw the child from his dreams, making corrections until it's as close as he can get it

And the picture once posted leads him to discover the disappearance of six year old Morpheus Endless

The moment Hob sees the child's photo he knows it's his child, the Dream child. And he knows he has to figure out how to help him. He doesnt know if Morpheus is dead--he hopes to anything he's not--but he's determined to find him and save him from whatever it is that puts the sadness back in his blue eyes each night 

Que Hob trying to wheedle things out of baby Morpheus each night about his location, as much as he can with Morpheus being six and  locked away and still not speaking

And Morpheus not being sure whats happening, his dreams are supposed to be his safe place where he doesn't have to think about the bad place he's in

And Burgess finally starting to reach the end of his rope with this stubborn silent child who's been more trouble then he's worth

 But of course Hob finally manages to discover where his Dream child is, and bursts in good old fashioned Fishbowl Rescue style and breaks down the door to Morpheus's prison

There's this long moment where they both just  stare at eachother, each not quite aure they're not still dreaming--and then Hob scoops Morpheus up in his arms, whispering that "it's ok now little Dream, you're safe"

And for the first time in months Morpheus actually believes it 

Hob takes him back to his flat that night. Morpheus's room doesn't exist in the waking world but he makes him a bed on the couch and tucks him in tight and safe, and that night Morpheus for the first time in months doesnt need to craft a dream to help him sleep 

(And once they've called the police and Morpheus gets returned home and Hob sees what a wreck it is there he gets him out legally (probably all the other Endless kids too) and gives Morpheus (and the others) a real home) 

[etherealspacejelly]

ERM

ok so

anonymous bc no way am i showing my url on this Jhshsheheh

so like all my friends at school. they seem. so much more mature than i am???

like even the ones who are younger than me. they're already thinking about partners. and dating n stuff. like some of my friends already have partners

but i. just am not interested in that rn??? and sometimes i feel like there's. something Wrong with me. yk

like im year 9 but. i feel like i should be thinking about this and it feels like im not mature enough that i don't want to worry abt that now

- 🐉

there is nothing wrong with you. listen to me. there is absolutely Nothing wrong with you.

it is perfectly normal to not be interested in romantic relationships, i wasnt at your age and im still not. i am in a platonic relationship with my best friend, mostly because it comforts us both to know that no matter what happens we will not be alone. even if all of our other friends get into romantic relationships and prioritise them over friendships

desiring a romantic partner does not make you more mature than anyone else. having a romantic partner or a partner of any kind is not a requirement for happiness, fulfilment, or maturity.

focus on what You actually want. ask yourself what would make You happy, what would make you feel fulfilled and satisfied with your life. set aside these notions of what we are Supposed to want, of what it is ""Normal"" to want, and focus your attention on yourself. this is your life, and you owe it to yourself to follow your own path.

i think it would help you to research aspec identities, especially aromantic ones, and talk to aromantic people about their experiences. you might not be aromantic! alloromantic people can still have no desire to be in romantic relationships, and that is perfectly fine and normal. and likewise aromantic and arospec people can want to be in romantic relationships despite their lack of romantic attraction. what i think researching this community will do for you is show you that romance is not the be all and end all of human beings. it is not a requirement for existing and being happy.

i think even progressive parents can fall into this trap of telling their kids "when you grow up and get a girlfriend or a boyfriend" or "when you get married to your spouse", and like, yea its great that they arent assuming you will be straight, but they are still placing the expectation on you to Want a romantic relationship and that you will have one no matter what. and that doesnt have to be the case!

your "happily ever after" does Not have to involve riding off into the sunset with your One True Love, it can in fact be a freezeframe of you and your best friends jumping into the air together and pulling silly faces!

idk this is. a long and rambling answer to what was a fairly simple question but. this ask hit me very close to home. i know how you feel. i felt Exactly the same way when i was your age. i felt wrong and broken and different and i didnt understand Why everyone was so excited about dating and kissing and relationships. so. im telling you what i wish someone would have told me.

take a deep breath. and let go. you dont need to have it all figured out Right Now. you can in fact just enjoy life as it happens! you dont have to know exactly what you want at this age. you can figure it out as you go. you have So Much Life ahead of you to learn and grow make mistakes and change your mind and figure things out and just. live.

the world wont end if you never want a romantic relationship. life will go on. you will find out what Really matters to you. and thats the beauty of being alive! please do not force yourself to do anything you dont Really want to do, just because thats what it feels like you're Supposed to do.

you are unique and beautiful and so so alive. you are doing just fine, and im so proud of you. you belong here.

you are loved.

[android-anathema]

hearing my therapists report he was sending off to my case manager made me upset. hearing myself described as having a pattern of intense, quickly moved into dysfunctional relationships irritated me. i dont like my most recent breakup being described that way. i know its why he even said that. cos theres only one other he knows about which is hardly a pattern. ofc he said it was just generic stuff about my condition but that irritates me more. to directly say I'm being stereotyped on little evidence. i think the thing that annoys me most about it is why make me question myself in such a way when you can't resolve just how deep the issue is? theoretically I'm meant to have failed to form a healthy attachment to abusive parents and so falling in love with anyone who doesnt trip up my hypervigilance is a kind of way to restore the comfort and self confidence a normal childhood makes one capable of in ideal circumstances. but this feels like... a statement designed to trick you into thinking you understand a situation and one that fails to describe what the right thing to do. there's a narrative my therapist seems to be toying with that i form these relationships too fast, let too much slide during them to preserve it and it implodes when they arent who i thought they were. either being genuinely unacceptable and abusive or personally intolerable. and it disgusts me. he seems to suspect i tolerated too much in past abusive relationships and i think its completely baseless. additionally i just dont think my most recent breakup is evidence for some strong pathology here. the more i think about it the more normal the whole thing seems. i think its the most normal failed relationship I've had. i know ive had more of this pattern of intense dysfunctional relationships thannmy therapist knows and i know my mental health affected this relationship too, but to create this pattern out of an abusive relationship i was trapped in formed with someone i did actually take things very slow with plus the most normal failed relationship i had is just insulting to me.

[karlkapri]

Hi, I'm back actually, sorry if you like, moved on, still thinking over here, because like. It's Flower. Of course it's Flower who knew. Nicest guy in the league who can pull a prank on anyone. Who has all the connections. Who gave him the helmet and who Brandon got in a fight for and who hid Brandon's clothes and who drew on Brandon's face on the shirt but not on Connor's and- and- and-

And there's a picture of this kid who looks kind of like Connor but also like someone else (and also kind of like his kid but all kids look alike when it's only been a few months right?) and Connor never said anything about anyone who could he possibly- whatever, whoever he is isn't there. Or maybe he is, Connor's been hiding a kid, after all.

It's the same onesie. He figures he'd find a lot of the same onesies in Connor's place in Toronto that he has in Denver. Because the Fleurys think they're funny, probably. Matching onesies because that's what Deweys do, match (they both got traded, and now they're both wearing blue). And it's all right there, Connor and the kid and the onesie, so easy to believe for a moment that this isn't a second hand photo that came from Flower but that it's just Connor texting him. A snapshot of a different life. It's all right there except it's not because it's all in fucking Toronto half a continent away and the only person Connor told wasn't Brandon.

-J

hi good morning im glad you decided to start your day by going: you know who deserves to suffer? joy.

little sprinklings of flowerdeweys that’s so delicious actually.

the timeline kind of depends on whether or not the wild make the playoffs. minnesota doesnt play the leafs after the deadline and neither do the avs so like.. if the wild makes the postseason none of them have a chance to go visit connor and potentially discover the baby until after one of them is eliminated. if the leafs are the first team out then connor could disappear up north for the entire offseason to figure things out & stay out of the limelight and just…

unintentionally make duhaime so so angry.

every single one of his teammates, past or present, has stopped by to admire his baby or lend a hand and all he gets from connor is a few texts and the occasional call where connor sounds.. just.. drained.. and duhaime is disappointed worried furious.

anyway shaw goes to visit connor and figures it out that way. flower, i think, maybe suspects something the second he sees duhaime with a baby. hes been around the deweys for years and around hockey players for decades and he knows unrequited pining when he sees it. he directs all of his prank energy into parent trapping the deweys (and also anonymously sends connor a bunch of baby stæsj which connor, sleep deprived and paranoid as he is, gets zero enjoyment out of because the very first care packet came w a note saying “i know your secret :)” and now he thinks someone is threatening to out him to the toronto media)

anyway the first time duhaime sees dewar w a baby he quickly looks away and thinks about normal bro stuff (bench pressing and pr-ing his deadlift and um. maybe he should up his macros or something) because he is genuinely worried he’ll accidentally manifest another baby out of thin air w the force of his longing

[boofts]

have you ever cried so hard you stopped breathing and your chest hurt so bad that you thought you would feel better if maybe you did stop breathing?

im stupid.

an overthinker

insecure

and overall, a hopeless romantic.

my thoughts trap me inside my head, and i spent the whole day trying not to cry at a volleyball camp, thinking im not good enough after i was placed in the lowest group for gameplay.

im good,

arent i?

i always thought i was.

im supposed to be.

but i dont think i ever have been.

i look back and see failure after failure, placed in the lowest group each and every time. i thought i deserved better, i thought i was better.

but maybe i was wrong.

so here i am,

crying in my bed.

clutching the bee swarm simulator plushie my girlfriend bought me for christmas.

it came in a pretty little bag along with the order to not open until december 25th, a necklace matching her own, which i wear all the time, and a card.

i opened it a day early, and it saved my life. because the day before christmas i wanted so very badly to die. i was overthinking, like i always do.

what if instead of a present, it was a breakup letter? and she just wanted to let me down gently, or at least, not in person.

but no, it was a present that saved my life.

a bee swarm simulator plushie with an inside joke i named Zipper, that i squeeze when i feel alone and unloved.

a necklace i wear to think of her, which is constantly.

and a card, that in the moment said everything i needed it to.

but what got me to overthink it in the future was that, for her present i wrote the most heartfelt thing i could think of without flat-out telling her she saved my life. and she did tell me i changed her life (for the better) and she loved me "sososo much", but people can lie, cant they?

she almost never texts first, used to not tell me she loved me back. the last few times we called she said it first, but last night i told her i loved her before we hung up and had to go to bed. no response. just hanging up.

okay,

i mean, no problem really. i told myself i wouldnt overthink things again.

"On a balcony in Italy, I know I won't. But I might."

a line i wrote this Fall.

then today i get back from the volleyball camp, and in a groupchat with two other friends who are talking about their next year schedules.

she says she has summer homework for AISE english next year.

which is weird, because we picked our schedules together and we decided to take English 2 honors together. i checked the test schedule paper i was given, and sure enough. English 2 honors is printed on the paper.

i message my guidance counselor asking to change my schedule to match hers.

am i being annoying?

thats probably being really clingy?

maybe her parents wanted to change it and she just forgot to tell me?

she doesnt tell me many things about her life.

she doesnt love me anymore does she?

so here i am, spending the night listening to a playlist i made a while ago, one i named "Maybe I Should Try Harder" after the Beachbunny song Sports.

one i created because i felt like i was never good enough.

thinking about weve been together for almost a year, and my chest hurts. because maybe i want to grow old with her. and so what if im just a hopeless romantic. but what if she dosent think the same, hasnt thought about it at all, or even worse, just dosent care?

here i am hoping this post gets lost and never gets read by anyone i know, anyone at all.

or maybe im hoping the right person sees it and knows exactly what to do to help me.

i dont know what i want.

maybe i just want her to kiss me, kiss me and tell me she loves me more than i love her.

[larnax]

finally managed to rewrite a version of thronés story i actually like

first we have to decide what thronés story is like. about. on a material “what happens in the story” level and then on the thematic level of why those things happen. right now i think thronés story is probably supposed to be about getting freedom and something something family abuse but what actually happens is throné trying to get this weird collar off which she does by performing a very convoluted paternity test she didnt even know she needed to do until halfway through the story and its About how fucked up it would be if this one weird horny guy had too many kids that he was evil to. that sucks ass so we’re gonna change it. im fine with the “what happens” being throné trying to get her collar off, i actually think it works pretty well as a way to symbolize her being trapped in the blacksnakes and you can do a lot of interesting things with the degree to which her metaphorical collar even can come off the way a physical collar can, so thats what the story is actually gonna be About. the focus of the story should be on the conflict between thronés desire for freedom and a Normal Life and the fact that shes never Had that and the life shes had instead is extremely difficult to get out of

the single biggest problem with thronés story is that i cant emphasize this enough at the finale it suddenly nosedives into her being told about her biological family history and then needing to go on a quest to find this one random fucking dude who she has never met before and who is so blatantly evil he might as well just be a generic villain and then she has to kill him and then the story immediately ends. its not ‘bittersweet’ because im still feeling whiplash from a completely different story busting in at the last minute and the story claude is from is so morally simple(should this evil immortal rapist be killed? yeah, probably???) that it literally cant be bittersweet because it was definitely good that he died and throné has no reason to care about him

i understand that ot2 wants to have the character’s stories all tie into the postgame(except agnea lol) and honestly i dont even hate the idea of taking the theme of grooming her story has and giving that exaggerated form in this immortal organization but for the love of fucking god the leader needs to actually be a part of the story before the eleventh hour and it makes me insane that hes not because its so so so fucking obvious: Father. you know, Father? that guy who was introduced in chapter one and who throné actually has an established relationship with and who has actually been the one grooming her for her entire life before the story? why the fuck is the climax of his death preceded by a confusing and boring account of his relationship with thronés biological mother who she never knew who cheated on him with a complete stranger all of which happened before throné was born and that she did not know about until just now and is mostly irrelevant because it doesnt change her relationship with him at all because she just kills him. what is going on where am i.

so the first thing i would do in a rewrite of thronés story is remove the question of who thronés biological family is entirely. it doesnt matter and in fact actively makes the story weaker. what matters to throné and ideally the player is the people who raised throné who she considers her family and who she actually has a relationship with. even though Father is now an immortal who created the blacksnakes hes not biologically related to the children because thats stupid im sorry its just dumb.

he created a gang of children the normal way by taking in poor children who don’t have anywhere else to go and don’t have anyone to miss them with the promise of a place in the world and food/board with the caveat that they work for the parents Forever. this also means that some of the blacksnakes believe theyre in the organization by choice, or that this is the best option for them(will be relevant for mira), and are willing to accept the treatment not just because of the collars but because of the metaphorical collar of poverty. none of this even needs to be outright said & in fact i would significantly prefer that it exists almost entirely in the inquire/etc options for npc blacksnakes and the player is allowed to simply pick this up through characters who act as if its true. throné specifically will have joined the blacksnakes because she was drawn in by the idea of having a family and a place in the world as a kid who was starving to death in the streets of fucking uhh idk i play in spanish whatever Sotoburgo is. this does not need to be established in a flashback, it can be established entirely through simple mentions about how the blacksnakes saved her life and then the player can just recognize what’s going on.

Mother still exists and is still the primary antagonist of chap 1-2 while Father exists sort of in the background, but she needs to have the simplistic evil turned down just a tiny bit. as it is the blacksnakes’ familial structure feels really shallow because Mother is all vinegar no honey. the mafia boss who is very rewarding and affectionate with well-performing underlings and simultaneously cruel with under-performing underlings is both another character who can just exist and the player will like Get It almost instantly, but is also much closer to how a lot of abusive mothers work. oh also uhhh im. replacing pirro with mira entirely. sorry pirro but mira is the second most interesting character in the story and i want to give her more screentime. mira is Mother’s golden child, shes younger than throné and kind of bad at her job but Mother insists on sending her on jobs with throné anyway and blames her if things go wrong, so when the diamante job goes sideways and one of their crew dies and also they fail to recover the objective Mother does the whole whipping her in front of everyone thing and then demands that she go and singlehandedly complete the mission, which Mother clearly considers to be a suicide mission to do solo right after a failed attempt when the place will be crawling with guards, but throné has no choice to accept it because, you know. collar. so throné goes and tries to stealthily infiltrate the diamante manor and manages to recover it but what then? why, it’s mira! mother has trusted her with her first ever assassination, and it’s to make sure that even if throné makes it to the objective alive, she doesn’t make it out of the manor. throné fights mira and wins, but when mira realizes she might die she begins pleading for her life and throné can’t bring herself to kill her so she flees the manor and decides that her quest to leave the blacksnakes begins Right Now. on her way out of town she’s “ambushed” by Father, who came to congratulate her for successfully making it out of diamante because he knew she would be able to complete a mission no other blacksnake could. throné is conflicted between feeling good that he’s proud and knowing that shes gotta get the fuck out of here and feeling just a little bit incompetent for not being able to kill mira(she doesnt say any of this explicitly, she thanks him for praising her and hes kinda like ‘cmon champ say it like you mean it’ and throné thinks ‘but i dont’). he leaves and throné thinks about her objective— she needs to remove the collar, so she needs the keys from Mother… and Father. she knows that at this time of year Mother goes to visit the orphanage in Sotoburgo she uses as a front for educating and taking in young blacksnakes.

she arrives in Sotoburgo and sees. well look who it fucking is, mira! a normal blacksnake wouldve been executed for failing an assassination(throné was definitely going to be executed either way which is why she needed to leave immediately, this is unstated but you can guess), but mother’s golden child rides again. throné disguises herself as a nun and sneaks into the orphanage to find that mira has been brought with Mother as a punishment for failing the mission, where shes being treated as a child. throné walks in shortly before mira is used as an example to the children of what happens if they fail to succeed in their duties and shes whipped. after that Mother leaves to go to the garden and throné pursues her but when she gets to the garden Mother reveals that she knew it was throné the whole time and mira steps out of the shadows, Mother reveals that mira was spared from execution on the condition that she helps Mother eliminate throné now, there’s a double battle where mira protects Mother but after throné overpowers them both and knocks mira out Mother also begins pleading for her life and uses the fact that she spared mira to prove that throné is actually very kind and all this will be forgiven if she just— and then throné stabs her and as Mother’s dying shes like “damn.. you really are your father’s daughter…” and throné is like ah. the agonies. anyway then mira recovers and realizes mother’s dead and does the whole “SHES ALL I HAD” thing and that shes really gonna kill throné this time Youll See and throné tells her that shes clearly not meant for the blacksnakes either but that the next time they meet, it’s kill or be killed. mira asks throné what other options does she think she has(even if you get the collar off, what will you do then? do you really think you can live a normal life?) and throné… cant answer her. she leaves. Father ambushes her again on the way out and tells her that hes proud of her for killing Mother, and asks her to go on a job with him. throné agrees, and he leaves. throné wonders if this really is all somehow part of his plan

thronés chapter 3 is actually really good so im leaving it unchanged

but ok so chapter 4. throné confronts Father and he tells her how proud of her he is for making it this far and that he knew she would. if she succeeds here, she’ll prove once and for all that shes worthy to lead the blacksnakes. throné tells him that shes fucking off forever after this and he cant stop her. he says he doesnt have to— someone with so much blood on her hands can never live a normal life. even if the collar is gone, she’s still a killer and a thief. sooner or later, she’ll realize the blacksnakes are all she has. throné wants to refute him, but can’t come up with a satisfying response. Father switch to fighting sprite and tells her that it’s time to stop trying to run away from the life she chose, that she was meant for. throné defeats him. his last words are “i love you”. throné switch to heavy damage sprite and after a pause says “i hate you.” she reaches for the keys and unlocks the collar, but realizes that she really doesn’t know what to do now. she leaves the montwise cathedral but on the way back to town is grabbed by a strange man who is just repeating . idk like “i’m lost, help, help, i’m lost” or whatever this guy is one of the broken vessels and throné manages to shove him off and kill him but finds a note in his hand that is a map leading to an X or maybe directions. idk whatever but this is a map to the gondola

throné arrives at the gondola and finds lostseed. i actually love lostseed i think it owns and its one of the coolest locations in the game so im slamming it in just like the writers but at least trying to make it relevant. throné finds the shrine(btw this is the shrine) and goes through and who is it at the end You Guessed It it’s mira. throné is like. what the fuck is going on. mira tells her that this village is where the successor of the blacksnakes must go to receive the gift of agelessness and throné is like. what? she reveals that Mother and Father both wanted to have their successor candidates and that mira was Mother’s. the gift of agelessness is like. a fountain you have to drink from or maybe it is the flame itself somehow, and all the broken vessels are people who tried to drink from the fountain but were unworthy and instead went insane and are now empty husks. mira says that shes going to kill throné once and for all so she cant come back to take revenge and then mira will drink from the fountain and become the successor. throné tells her that this is a bad idea and shes definitely going to become a husk. mira tells her to shut the fuck up and you know what at least she knows her place in the world and attacks. throné overpowers and kills her. mira has a bit before she bleeds out where she tells throné that she always knew throné was stronger than her, and that throné could be the best leader the blacksnakes have. her last words are. ok so this would be easier in japanese but in english even though i feel like its kind of clunky you can still have mira call her “big sister”. throné obviously decides not to drink from the fountain of youth. you dont need to have any dialogue to establish that she has now realized she had complicated feelings about mira but i want to have her unlock mira’s collar and maybe give her a burial in lostseed. her last scene is returning to montwise and buying a raspberry turnover or whatever. she reflects that she still doesnt know where she goes from here, but that she at least knows that no matter what, she won’t be the blacksnakes’ successor. i was debating between her endcard being that or the grave but since temenos already has a grave endcard i think having a version of her endcard that references the raspberries thing is better

OH also her design on her endcard is way better than her ingame design. no thief design is complete without the little mantle and also please give this poor woman some fucking pants. i think she should also have gloves though. tbh i also want to have her skirt be full instead of asymmetrical but i do acknowledge that at this point im basically just describing tressa’s clothes with a longer skirt but in my defense i really like tressa’s design and they could add details to make it different.

MORE IMPORTANTLY THOUGH for crossed paths . its so fucking stupid that her crossed paths is with temenos i fucking hate it here for real. throné doesnt even do anything shes literally just the Specialest Birthday Boy in the world’s sidekick and its so frustrating bc again theres a way more obvious pairing: osvald. obviously osvald. if you asked me which character i would pair with the girl whose main trait is that her abuse was from her father, the guy whose main trait is his relationship with his daughter would be a lot fucking higher on my list than catholic sherlock(partitio can just be kind of there in temenos’ story and in the postgame he suffers a lot less from being completely ignored because The Most Important Guy In The World is the only person that matters for temenos’ torch(no hate to partitio btw i love the spaghetti western man but someone has to be the sacrifice)). throné and osvald are mirrors of each other in a bunch of interesting ways, thronés conflict is about whether or not shes her father’s daughter/osvald was extremely close with his daughter who was a lot like him, throné has spent her entire life in the underworld but wants to live a normal life/osvald was living a normal life but has recently been plunged into the underworld, etc. you could have osvald and throné conflicting because both of them are projecting their father/daughter onto each other and their crossed paths are about them realizing that they need to approach each other as individuals, you could have the two of them ending up falling into a father/daughterish dynamic in a lighthearted way, you could have an inverted mentor/apprentice dynamic where throné ends up teaching osvald mugging tips and tricks or whatever, you could have the two of them sharing the conflict of not being sure if they can ever find a normal life when osvald has dedicated so much of himself to revenge and its not like he can just fucking. pick up his life where he left off and throné doesnt even know what a normal life would be like and hey maybe osvald could share some of what a normal life with a caring father is supposed to look like. if the crossed paths were tied to their main story you could even explicitly have the two of them conflict over what osvald owes to his daughter now that he knows shes alive or have throné react to harvey changing elena’s memories, or you could have osvald get invested in thronés conflict because as a father hes got a personal stake in seeing a father treat his daughter like shit. or i dont. fucking know. thatd probably be best saved for travel banter actually but what im saying is their dynamic is much more interesting and i would pretty please like to allow throné to have an important role in what is allegedly supposed to be Her shared story.

but in the spirit of not completely rewriting everything osvalds crossed paths actually works fine with throné instead since she and partitio both have a get item path action but throné’s motivation for helping regulus will initially just be contrarianism where osvald is like “dont waste your time” and throné is like “hmm interesting. unfortunately i do have to see what happens solely because you seem so upset about it”. i think this story works best where throné and osvald sort of unconsciously fall into a father/daughter dynamic where throné feels a sudden powerful urge to exert major teenager energy. the second entry is again mostly the same but throné offers to steal it instead and osvald is like “no im going to punch this guy”. during the stargazing scene regulus mentions that osvald’s new assistant reminds him of elena and that he thought she was the only person who could drag osvald into wasting his time and osvald is like ill fucking kill you and throné is like ah papá i did not know you were so weak willed that a ten year old could drag you around and osvald is like ill blow this whole building up (paraphrasing). this is definitely on the lighthearted end but thats fine octopath really doesnt like having protagonists conflict which does suck ass but i also understand

for the postgame obviously like i said lostseed is the location of the scholar/thief shrine, the blacksnakes’ founder found a way to harness the power of the flame to achieve immortality and the leader of the snakes is brought into the moonshade order and theyre supposed to sacrifice themself to snuff out the torch, if youre really dedicated to The Sacred Flame Is Unambiguously Good No Matter what you can have lostseed not be the shrine and just keep the blacksnakes leader sacrificing themself bc ik octopath’s canon mythology is allergic to being interesting but either way osvald can be like. Damn you dodged a fucking bullet huh(paraphrasing)

since mira has tragically passed away she cant be the postgame quest but instead the elderly guard/gondola operator being twins can still be a thing so i would like the guard to have a brother and also like. niece who he thinks died, and so he asks you to see if you can find anything that remains of them. the brother is his twin and his niece is the “give it back” girl. the solution is still to bring the guard to his brother, and the brother leads him to the girl and explains that she was another successor candidate but that when she tried to drink from the fountain it turned her into a husk and so he stayed in lostseed to watch over her. the guard and ideally the player realize that all these broken vessels were once full people and decides to stay with his brother to watch over the town in case a way is ever found to heal them