#here’s dishonored i know the games you like and i know you will love this one!

[presiding]

a doctor turned serial killer turned doctor again, an actor who paints, a gang leader, a mining baron, and a vice overseer walk into the room.

oh yeah and they lead karnaca now.

dishonored 2 is my fav game but i think it's mid, story-wise. here's why dh1 works and why dh2's overarching story sorta misses

tl;dr: story integration is critical for gameplay that offers audience payoff, but emily's personal arc from dishonor to honor is inconsistently demonstrated in the story, and is not an interactive part of the gameplay.

essay/long version under cut >

recap: what's dishonored's deal

[skip if you want] dh1 is an underdog story: corvo is an honorable man swept up in the machinations of a callous city, so his canonical ending being 'this child will rule over an empire' isn't about the child's rule but rather about corvo's reputation being restored in a more hopeful city, due to his & the player's rejection of the violent connotations of the tagline 'revenge solves everything.'

similarly, in dh1 DLCs, daud's story arc is that of an anti-hero: a dishonorable man who realises too late he has done irreparable harm. he sees the error of his ways after a single monumental death, and eventually a single life redeems him when he/the player stepped in to circumvent a terrible fate for a child, enabling her to rule unfettered.

daud & corvo come to a satisfying conclusion within the extent of their narrative arcs. it doesn't matter that a child on a throne isn't really a fix for a decaying empire - the player's actions throughout the city of dunwall was what mattered - and these stories could be framed as parables. in that sense, young emily as a ruler is a metaphor for a hopeful future for the city & empire.

dishonored 1 & its DLCs are also great examples of storytelling with perfectly integrated gameplay - you, the player, worked towards the outcome that redeemed the protagonists.

in your efforts to save young emily, you either achieved a good outcome (corvo) or prevented a worse outcome (daud).

bringing us to dh2 -

what's emily's arc

emily's arc is a coming of age: we're introduced to a reigning empress who questions her role & skillset ("am i the empress my mother wanted me to be?"), then her titular fall from grace occurs. from there, she learns to reject the violent, selfish connotations in 'take back whats yours' tagline (a la daud & corvo!) while rediscovering why her rule is critical to the empire.

emily's rule is no longer metaphorical, but:

a literal thing for audience assessment (is emily a good ruler?) AND

the crux of her storyline.

at the beginning of dh2, emily is introduced as a disengaged leader ("i wish i could just run away from all this;" "i dont know if whether i should sail to the opposite side of the world, or have everyone around me executed"). the antihero has a precedent for the dishonored series in daud, so it's not at first glance an issue*, however, the fact that emily has ruled poorly reframes corvo & daud's endings as being less than ideal (a moralistic retcon) *we could talk here about how ready an audience was in 2016 for a flawed women as a protagonist, hell, even in 2023,,,

throwback to the beginning of this essay when i said:

'this child will rule over an empire' isn't about the child's rule but rather about corvo's reputation

emily's story arc, unlike for daud & corvo, is literally about the quality of her rule. we're no longer in metaphor territory (ironic phrase): a parable-style ending doesn't work.

does emily become a good ruler

we know she becomes a good ruler because the game says so. it is narrated to the audience via a (literal) word of god in the space of 30 seconds, after the final boss. the outsider tells us that emily becomes known as Just & Clever.

drawing a distinction here - this narration is not the same as the player actively being involved.

the player does not throughout the game become aware that emily has made political allies. during the game, she doesn't talk to these characters about saving karnaca or being a better ruler to the empire (there's a few lines might imply it, but you need to be actively looking and being careful to wait for every voice line. it's a far cry from daud & corvo's fight to save emily being unmissable - even though daud doesn't know at the beginning that's the goal).

how does the game show it

you can coincidentally not kill most of your subjects and never be aware that emily is looking to restore karnaca by means of instating a council - it's never brought up. it *couldn't* be brought up, because that council serves under the fake duke (armando), who is the last person she speaks to before she leaves for dunwall. its her suggestion that he rules karnaca, but armando's condition is that he will rule as he sees fit.

to back up a bit, emily's canonical method of restoring karnaca is by banding together key allies - hypatia, stilton, [byrne &or paolo], pastor, under a council beneath the duke's body double. they are passionate people who would each individually make worthwhile advisors, but if you think about those characters sitting at a table trying to reach an agreement, it feels like an assortment of people that emily didn't kill along the way and doesn't feel organic (up to interpretation). it's not stated if emily herself banded this council together, but logically she must have (worth a mention these are mostly characters that you as the player had reasonable rationale to kill during a high chaos run, except pastor). the underlying concept may be that karnaca's power is returned to its people - which is interesting given that the monarchy remains and armando's decision is final.

this overarching solution could also be taken as a critique to dh1's 'put your kid on the throne,' which is another reason its worthwhile looking at how emily was shown to be a better leader. obviously my point isn't that her solution was bad given the circumstance, but i mean she has very little agency here in all. if emily was shown to be more controlling as a leader, this could be interpreted as character growth, but that's not the case.

coming of age

how do you learn & grow when you can't specify your failings? emily doesn't really touch on her shortcomings as an empress. she non-specifically worries delilah makes a better empress than her. it's hard to argue her worries are meaningful when someone good at their job will still worry when lives are in the balance.

emily's best 'aha' moments (eg. crack in the slab comment about gaining perspective) are consistently undercut by a conversation with sokolov or meagan afterwards in which she demonstrates she hasn't learned anything (before the grand palace, emily condemns 'toadies sucking up to me' and is reminded by meagan that she's part of the problem). the story is confused about what it's trying to say about emily's progress, and when she's meant to show progress, if she was meant to show any progress at all. it could be argued that emily was never even a bad ruler, she had just been fed misinformation about the problems in karnaca and been the victim of slander by her political enemies. the game doesn't make this clear - it's easier to argue that the opposite is true given that her allies only have criticism.

worth a mention here that the heart quotes about armando - a fake ruler - interestingly mirror emily's character concerns. "see how he sighs? his life is a gilded cage." but this essay is already long.

while corvo & daud spend their games (and through the gameplay) 'earning' their redemption, emily is being led by the NPCs around her to a conclusion and a fix for the political mess in karnaca: meagan & sokolov guide emily to her missions, and there's no recurring quest for emily to investigate possible allies. she is able to gather the people she hasn't killed to herself by manner of... post-game narration. during the game, she's primarily concerned with getting her throne back.

an easy fix: if there had been less dialogue & narrative focus on emily's failings perhaps the ending would have felt more satisfying. it has the feel of cut content, but i don't know what was cut to be able to comment on it.

so what went wrong?

i can't help but wonder if arkane were worried they would lose a certain demographic if corvo wasn't playable (may have been deemed too much of a risk - 2013 was a different time), and so they had to take out story elements that were unique to emily's growth as a character/empress, because the usual storyline/gameplay integration had to work for both characters - in other words, gameplay that made sense for both corvo & emily was prioritised before emily's story & character development. which is a silly problem to have in a game that added character voices for the sake of improving characterisation - maybe emily's tale would have felt more akin to a parable if she had less lines that betrayed her ignorance (to the disdain of those around her).

i wish more care had been taken with emily's story. most players will never really notice the large variety of different endings - they're not particularly satisfying in and of themselves.

it's ironic that one of Emily's complaints is about her father/protector being overbearing, when his (parallel universe) presence in the gameplay may be one of the reasons her own narrative arc falls flat.

what are the upsides here

changing tune from what didn't work - don't you think the concept is fantastic? it's a great idea overall - can you imagine if the coming of age storyline was better integrated into the game?

it's valuable to talk about the integration of story and gameplay and characterisation from a craft perspective. dh2 genuinely is my favourite game - it's beautiful, the imm-sim design philosophy makes the world a delight to explore, the combat gives endless creative options for tackling any fight, there is a far greater diversity of cast in an in-text canonical way. there's loads to love!

i love emily as a dodgy leader, to me it adds interesting dimensionality to the outsider's narrations - of course in dunwall there's never a neat happily ever after! emily, like the outsider, both work well as characters who hold ultimate power but aren't necessarily worthy of it - and this makes perfect sense for the dishonored universe's morality & critiques of power. however, within this grey area there's still plenty of room for a satisfying ending, which isn't what we ended up with, whatever the true reason for that was. and also, damn, emily's a marked assassin empress, if she can't lead well then who can?

while dh1 was criticised for its narrative simplicity, dh2 in contrast and in hindsight shows us that simplicity isn't so bad - there's satisfaction in gameplay achieves a clear, simple narrative goal.

[min3nc]

love is stored in the steam library sharing

[shalotttower]

Equations

Title: Equations Characters: L Lawliet x Reader (female) Summary: A short snippet of Reader and L moving places. Probably can be counted as imagine. Word count: 990+ Notes: yandere L, kidnapped Reader, captivity, L and Reader were together at Wammy's House, Stockholm Syndrome, L is being a shithead gremlin.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it keeps no record of wrongs.

You're not religious at all, but those words glimpsed once on a bookshop wall stuck in your mind when Wammy's House stayed behind, somewhere in-between the pages of your journal, so carelessly flipped through by a boy with a blank expression, who had and still has no idea what those verses mean.

"What is it?" you ask, when Watari enters your room with a suitcase.

"We're leaving in an hour," he says. "Get ready, please."

You don't argue.

L doesn't have many rules, and most of those existing are unspoken. Some can be bent, some can be bargained and twisted into an illusion of freedom until it snaps. But if Watari comes in and tells you to get ready, you obey. It means you're moving somewhere else, another place unknown. So you pack: clothes, shoes (just two pairs, there's nowhere to wear them anyway), hygiene necessities which fit neatly inside one single bag.

When you get in the car, L is already there, looking through the window. The glass tints everything a tone darker.

Watari starts driving.

The first time you used it as a chance to understand where you were, memorize the road signs, the turns. By the eleventh you stopped caring, because it didn't really matter ─ even if the whole world map was imprinted inside your head, what would it do?

So you lean against the seat and watch the cows in the pasture on the right. Everything is green and yellow outside. Some rural town probably ─ a happy little world tucked away. A small part of you wishes to exit this car right here and now, just to see what happens. Intrusive thoughts are like that sometimes. They pop up and disappear without a reason or logic behind.

The sun is bright.

There's a church up ahead, with freshly painted doors and windows which have a stained glass pattern of white lilies among golden rays of light. A beautiful work of art put onto display for whoever cares enough to look.

You wonder: if God existed, what would he think of L's fingers curling over yours. The touch is barely there at all, yet you feel it down to your bones.

Love is patient, love is kind. His thumb brushes over your knuckles.

"What are you doing," you ask flatly, not expecting a reply. It's a reflex, like the knee jerk reaction, to ask him questions, because otherwise who knows what's there in that shaggy-haired head of his.

"Holding your hand," L says.

"I can see that. Why?"

"Why not?"

"That's not an answer."

"Then ask a better question."

You turn to look at him and immediately regret doing so, because his eyes are wide and focused, and you can see your own face reflected there. Between his bony fingers and yours are lifelines crisscrossed together by a forceful hand.

"Stop that," you tell him without much heat behind.

L doesn't look away, nor does he stop staring.

"Stop what?"

"That."

"If I knew what you're referring to, I'd probably have better chances of stopping it."

L tilts his head to the side. So that's what it is. One of those times when he feels a tad more playful, a bit more nagging, and tries to drag you into a verbal game that doesn't end until you surrender and let him have his way.

The church is long gone by now, and the cows too. Just empty space surrounded by trees which line up along the sides of the road.

You wish you were tired enough to nap through the rest of the ride, but since Watari brought a humidifier for your room, your night sleep has never been better. That leaves reading, and you pull an e-book from your bag to continue the novel started a few days ago.

You feel his head lean closer to your shoulder halfway through chapter six. His hair has grown a bit and tickles.

"Find your own book," you murmur and flip to the next page.

L hums and stays in place.

Ten minutes pass, then fifteen, he doesn't move and you wonder �� when. His fingers are linked loosely with yours and you haven't tried to pry them off yet. Why haven't you?

When did you start tolerating his presence to this extent?

It's quiet save for the tires noise. Your index finger taps a pattern against the screen. Tap-tap-tap.

"The killer is-" L begins right when you get to the chapter nine.

"-male-" he continues despite your elbow hitting his side.

"-mid-thirties, dark hair-"

You slam your palm over his mouth, and the e-book falls from your lap onto the car floor. L blinks once before licking your hand like he's five years old instead of twenty three stepping into twenty four. You yelp and wipe it off against your jeans while Watari coughs in the front seat.

"You-" you catch yourself mid-sentence, then take a deep breath. "I would appreciate if you didn't spoil the books I'm currently reading."

Or movies you're watching; or games you play; or anything at all really whenever it catches your attention long enough to become invested. He doesn't do it often when he's on a case, but off those L tends to get very bored very quickly and finds entertainment in your reactions.

His lips twitch, and you know 100% percent that he's going to do it again until you give up on reading altogether and spend the rest of the ride talking to him instead, though "talking" is a loose term here. More like indulging whatever topic L decides to fixate on this time around, because if you ignore him, he will be just as content with staring at you for hours on end with nothing but silence between you both.

[thegnomelord]

For the prompt game, maybe 7 with price and m!reader. Price gets pissed off that reader almost got themselves killed on a mission to protect him. Just some lovely old man angst

Tumblr's acting up again and it's deleted my draft like 3 times so fingers crossed this works else I will cry😓 . I saw the old man angst and immediately thought of Rodolfoparras work and this so yeah. Play the game HERE.

Prompt: “Well, I’m sorry I fell in love with you, okay? But it happened and I can’t do shit about it.” “You… What?”

CW: SFW-ish, Omega John Price, Alpha Male reader, mentions of gore, kissing, angst, omegaverse.

When your file had landed on his desk he had contemplated refusing; you were a stereotypical alpha — a loudmouthed meathead with little regard for your own health, headstrong and stupidly stubborn over the dumbest shit, and with a long list of incident reports dating back to the first day you joined the army. TF141 was your last chance before a dishonorable discharge and Price, stupidly, had taken you in like the stray you were.

Safe to say you turned out to be the leading cause of his grey hairs with all the shit you pulled. . . but. . . not to the extent he expected.

Unlike most alphas, you were surprisingly receptive to taking orders from an omega like Price, and carried yourself around the others without attempting to establish the dated hierarchy. After giving you guidance, and learning how you thought, Price had been seeing serious improvement.

'Course, all of that went down the drain when you decided to charge head first into a group of enemies when Price had gotten stabbed.

"What the fuck were you thinking lad?" Price hisses harshly under his breath, eyes boring a hole between your brows. He's standing at the foot of the medical bed, watching your chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. "What the fuck were you thinking?" You better not die so he can kill you himself.

He doesn't expect you to answer, knocked out as you are with your chest wrapped in fresh bandages after the docs fished out who knows how many bullets from your torso— 16, his inner omega reminds him, 16 bullets he took for You.

He sighs, "You're a lucky muppet." Walking around the bed he places a hand on your thigh, slowly inching up to rest on your lower abdomen, dark red spots denoting where bullet wounds lie. "But a stupid alpha." He growls. It's a good thing military alphas are like walking tanks of fat and muscle, you can take a few hits, though the thought does little to soothe his omega when you lay unconscious.

He doesn't even notice he's making a small distressed sound in his chest until your eyes flutter open, squinting from the harshness of artificial lights before you notice him looming over you; something between a guardian angel and death itself.

"Price?" Your nose twitches, lungs expanding despite the ache in your chest to catch his scent, your alpha noticing the sharp acrid taste hiding his usual pine smell. "What happened?" You ask, achy as you are you manage to tilt your head enough to let out a low chest vibrating purr, seeking to calm your omega.

"What happened, it that you dumb muppet almost died!" He hisses, anger making his scent even harsher, hating himself how his omega swoons at the purr, at how you put him before yourself even when you're knocking on death's door. "Were you trying to get killed?"

You hand your head and look away. You can scarcely recall what happened, the drugs and adrenaline muddling your mind so any memory comes out like an abstract painting, but one detail remains — Rage.

A Deep.

—bleeding flesh neath your fingernails, painfilled screams silenced by your snarls—

Dark.

—the 'crack' of bone against stone as the strength behind your hands forced the skull to shatter, blood and brains splashing against your face—

Animalistic.

—desperate hands scrambling against your head, the frantic pulse beneath your tongue rapidly dwindling once your teeth dug deep enough to tear through the jugular—

Rage.

You don't remember ever being as angry as you'd been when you'd seen Price clutching his side, the bloodied blade of a knife clenched between his fingers, unknown hostiles encroaching towards him. Your omega had been injured. Your omega had been injured. And you didn't think twice, vision turned as red as his blood with a singular thought of Kill Kill Kill banging on your skull you didn't even notice you were bleeding.

Like a proper animal. Like something you've been trying to prove you're not.

"I'm-" You swallow, though cleaned, you can still taste the blood of the enemy whose throat you'd torn out, your teeth still stained red. "-sorry. I'm sorry."

"'I'm sorry' he says, is'at the best you've got?" Price presses on, coming closer and bracing a hand on your chest, his limb vibrating from your purr. It's hard to stay mad at you when you're doing this, his omega wanting nothing more but curl next to you, to share warmth and protect you while you recover. "What was going through your thick skull? Wait, let me guess: Nothing." Still he persists, not showing what he's feeling.

You hang your shoulders low and head lower still, chewing on your lip as you listen him chew you out. Something sits heavy in your chest, growing bigger with every word he says like a snowball, his anger leaving your alpha —dumb creature that it is— confused and hurt; why is your omega angry, when you protected him? When you nearly died for him? When you love him—

“Well, I’m sorry I fell in love with you, okay?" You snap, rough and angry, your gaze fixed on his. You stop purring, leaving the room too cold and silent without it. "But it happened and I can’t do shit about it.”

“You… What?”

You flinch and suck in a breath as pain flares across your body. You expected a lot of different responses, from anger to indifference to being told you're out of the taskforce. . . not that.

"Lad." Price's voice is unnervingly calm, one hand on your scruff, the other holding your chin, the sudden contact of his skin on yours fooling your alpha into letting him tilt your head to meet his eyes. "Repeat that. Slowly."

You gaze into his eyes, so many things swirling in the blue yet you're unable to tell any of it. Slowly you breathe in, "I. . . I love you." You say, open and honest and too vulnerable for an old omega like him.

". . .oh, you stupid alpha." Price almost laughs, dimples around his mouth as he smiles. Like puzzle pieces something clicks in his head.

Before his words can feel like a slap to your face he leans in, your foreheads bonking together before you find the right angle for his lips to meet yours. He tastes like his cigars and black coffee and everything you thought he would, your body melting into his, your nose full of his scent, your brain full of him.

"Could have told me without nearly dying." You separate to catch your breaths, foreheads resting against each other, breathing the same air and only now do you notice Price is purring. It's not the same bone rattling purr alphas can produce, but just as soothing, and you can't help but giggle when your own purr causes his to become louder.

You think, maybe, everything will be alright—

"After you get better." He whispers against your lips, soft and sweet, saccharine pine scent sticking to your nose like amber. "You and I will have a long talk about safety."

Maybe not.

[yantalia545]

May I request the axis three + America with a darling who finds out they’re pregnant and tries to escape while the axis are away. Their partner finds out after this darling fled (or perhaps they suspected)

Japan:

The day he found his place empty after a long day of work was the worst day of his life. His love had run away from him. Somehow, you had managed to chip away at the locks of his front door and escape. Though there was some light of hope that resonated that day.

He had found your positive pregnancy test.

Maybe you were just scared? You were worried about what he'd think about you becoming pregnant with his child and ran off? You're such a worry, little plum blossom. Of course he's nervous. Who wouldn't be after finding out that they're going to be a father, but this is your child. A child that the two of you made together. Japan couldn't be any happier when he found out that he was going to be the father of your child. He's so excited to start a new chapter of life with you.

There's just one problem though, Japan has to find you first.

As your husband and father of your child, he sees fit that he has to be the only one to track you down. After all, how can one prove to be a good father if he has someone else do his dirty work? It's dishonoring and lazy.

Japan will have fun with this. He tracked you down months ago but is playing a little game to punish you. He'll play mind games until the time is right. For starters, he'll leave your door wide open with a gift sitting in the middle of the kitchen table for your baby. Then things will start to go missing and your place of work will go up in flames. You know this is his doing but without proof, you can't do a thing.

As he plays with you, he's also preparing for you and the baby.

He loves watching you grow more paranoid as the months roll by. Watching your belly swell with his child had been bliss too. He just can't seem to contain his excitement over your growing body. Japan will take lots of photos when you least suspect it to satisfy his growing hunger for you.

When the time is right, most likely just before you are about to have your baby, he'll swoop in a whisk you away. What kind of father would he be if wasn't present for the birthing of his child?

Germany:

Germany will most certainly use your pregnancy to its full advantage.

Being the father of your baby, he has equal rights and deserves access to his child. Using his position in power and a few bribes to the judges, he'll use this opprotuity to bind you closer to him with the deverlopment of his child. You legally won't be able to just up and run away from him without facing legal reprocusions, and with you being a govermental figure from your country, this is a big deal. You could potentially start a war with Germnay if you ever decide to run away.

You wouldn't give up that easily though. If you couldn't run, you'll use his own people against him and show the whole world of Germany's wrongdoings.

You'll tell your story of how he had abducted you for forced you to bare his child against your will. When word gets out about your story and what his court had taken part of, the whole country will be turned upside down. Fighting if the story is true and the corruption taken place by the system for keeping you here.

It'll be troublesome For Germany. He just wanted to settle down with you, but now he has to deal with rioting civilians shouting outside his door. He won't stand for this. The people spread the word of your situation will be hunted down and incarcerated. The police and agents would be involved in shutting down this uproar. Germany has them tirelessly working around the clock just to put an end to this all. He needs this taken care of before his child arrives.

As for you, You'll be on tighter reigns. If you can't be trusted with anyone, you won't be allowed to interact with anyone but him. Germany won't allow for such behaviors to continue when the baby comes. He'll have you trained. Harsh training to ensure that something like this will never happen again. You'll be a well-behaved mother and wife for him rather you like it or not. You're his!

Italy:

It had been over a year since he had last seen you. Italy had searched everywhere for you. He even got Germany involved and he still couldn't find you. His heart splintered as more time carried on with no sign of you.

It wasn't until one fateful day when Italy unexpectedly found you. He could recognize your radiant beauty from anywhere no matter how much time had passed. What pulled it all together was the little Bambina wrapped up in your arms. At that moment, Italy knew that your baby was also his. How can anyone mistake the inherited curl of his? That was definitely his baby.

Without much thought, Italy would race up to you as if it were any other normal day. He watched the color drain from your face as he gushed over you and his little bambina.

"Is this our baby?!" Italy would ask as he ripped your baby right out of your arms. Admiring his baby. The way he said 'our' baby sent a shiver down your spine. You had wished you would never see Italy again. He locked you in his apartment and made love to you; Claiming he loved you.

He was sick and in nowhere stable enough to be anywhere near your baby.

You were terrified. You swiftly tried to take your baby back, but Italy was in no hurry to give her back. Much to your dismay.

"Aww, She's so cute~! She definitely has her mother's looks" Italy gushed while you could only stare in horror. When he called your name, your heart sank. You knew you were done for.

"(Y/N), why did you leave me? You know that's not good for the baby." His voice wasn't his usual cheery tone. It was much darker. Anger boiled under his tongue as each word struck your heart like a hot metal rod.

You couldn't answer him. You could only manage to shakely reach for your baby before he pulled her away from you; Walking away with your child as he did so.

Your heart raced as you blindly followed after him. Worried for your poor baby's life in the hands of your captor and baby's father.

"Don't worry (Y/N). We have plenty of time to catch up. I think some family time is in order. After all, our family is finally back together again!" Italy cheered.

America:

The day you found out you were pregnant was the most terrifying day of your life. America had finally done it and now you're the one that has to pay the price. While you were in complete shock and denial, America was on cloud 9. He had always wanted a child and to live out the American Dream. He made it after all! He's had a rough childhood and had wanted nothing more than a stable family of his own ever since he was a young boy.

You would never give him that satisfaction. You would never allow your child to grow up under the guidance of a monster. What if they turned out to be just as terrible as him and steal girls they love? The thought horrified you to your wits end. You just had to get out of here before it was too late.

You had everything sorted out while America was away for work. You'd run through an underground foreign route the get across the border where you'd find the help to go back home. You just had to get from America's penthouse in New York City to Texas.

Your skills in speed driving got you far, but America's cops are shifty. Stopping at nothing to be in favor of a powerful man such as America, and so, every trooper was on the lookout for any sign of you.

You've managed to outrun most state troopers. You were just too quick and had the turning skills of a mad hound for them to keep up with you for long. It wasn't until America joined a drag race with your did your luck take a turn for the worse.

Being a drag racer himself, the best in the U.S, that is, you were no match for him. He managed to corner you in an ally way and it was all over; You've lost. America couldn't have been happier to finally have found you again. As your husband and father of your child, he'll take good care of the two of you. A love crazed look in his eyes as he pulled you out of your car and back into his arms where you belonged.

"That was fun (Y/N), but you really need to start thinking about our baby. That was really dangerous and could have gotten our child seriously hurt. Let's head back home where we can be a family."

Your head dropped and tears began to trickle down your face at his heart wrenching words. You're never getting away from him now. You've spent your only chance.

[shitpostingkats]

(for the record. i love the aj trilogy. i'm not trying to dunk on anyone here. just calling it as i see it) one very funny thing about aa4 and aa5 and their active conversation with one another is aa4 is a game about defending criminals. all of whom are at least a little sympathetic but still. committed crimes (but it's still your job to defend them because they still deserve a fair trial and a shot at a better life). and its also a game that's like "hey evidence is cool and all. but like sometimes :) its not enough :) sometimes the law is wrong and sometimes you lie and you win and no one finds out you lied that's just for you to think about at night" (it wasn't even your choice. you didn't even know what you were doing). with that in mind. it's then really funny to play aa5 a game which is begging you PLEASE DO NOT DO BAD THINGS FOR THE SAKE OF A GREATER GOOD. PLEASE FOLLOW THE LAW FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. YOU CAN FLIP COPS BUT THAT IS IT. and with that in mind it's absolutely hilarious to me that one of these games was sponsored by the japanese government and it WASN'T aa5.

Oh definitely. I personally wasn't very grabbed by aa4 as much as I would have expected, partly because I was spoiled by playing the great ace attorney games first, and apollo justice brings a lot of things to the table that get further refined in that duology. (Everyone should go play tgaa if they haven't already- *I am dragged forcibly off the soapbox*)

But I find it interesting that in aa4, you are defending criminals, and that's a very good thing. You are Apollo Justice. All your clients are criminals, yes, and through investigation get found out and are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. (Aside from Phoenix, cough cough). The Kitaki's leave the mafia and become honest buisnessfolk. Vera's forgeries are discovered, preventing further pieces from being sold on the black market. Machi actually hands himself over to the Japanifornia courts because it is viewed as more benevolent and trustworthy than returning to his home country. They're all sympathetic criminals, and the court is sympathetic to them in turn. The judicial system is painted as something that reforms people and finds answers.

Meanwhile in aa5, the courts are a mess. There's a whole case dedicated to blatantly showing how legal professionals are being trained to disregard actual facts and the one person trying to root out corruption is murdered. Your client goes behind your back to indict themselves because they don't trust the system to not blame an unrelated innocent party. Multiple times. Aura kidnaps and threatens half a dozen people as a direct response to knowing her brother is going to be executed for a murder he didn't commit. There's multiple discussions of not just copaganda, but actual propaganda for the courts as well. It makes everything about the judical system come of as shady, dishonorable, and in desperate need of reform.

Aa4, the game sponsored by the japanese government, is the story of how guilty people come into contact with the court system and stop doing crime, while aa5 is the story of innocent people coming into contact with the court system and immediately doing so much more crime.

[pilferingapples]

An Impromptu Ranking of Hugolian Adoptive Parental Figures

Ursus,The Man Who Laughs : I know everyone's going to want Valjean to be first place, but he's not. Ursus takes the lead not only because he's got two adopted kids, but because he does what no other dad-mom-general-adoptive-parent on the list does, and actually does the grubby hands-on work of Raising Kids. He doesn't have maids or nannies or nuns or any help; he's just a guy living in his traveling van and raising up a couple kids (who arrived at his door horribly sick and injured, even, which he manages to treat?? ) with zero support except for a literal wolf. He's honest with them and openly loving and teaches them how to survive in their own time and society. Too bad about the kids existing in a really bleak Hugo novel, but you did great, Ursus. 10/10.

Jean Valjean, Les Miserables: He loves Cosette SO much and tries SO hard! Second place only because (1) during the convent years, he sees Cosette for one hour a day , and while that limitation is definitely not his ideal choice,it does mean he's just not the constant primary caregiver the way Ursus is and (3) More Trauma means More Problems, and especially So Many Communications Issues. Plus a really really misguided faith in the importance of attaining bourgeoisdom. IDEK , man. Heroic efforts, heroic failures, 18/18 Napoleonic Antithesis Points maybe?

Lethierry, Toilers of the Sea: a decent normal guy raising his niece, who has very normal 19C Dad Faults-- too much trust in stereotyped gender roles, and too much focus on his job at the expense of his domestic life. Absolute middle of the road, not heroic as a parent but also doesn't do anything that makes me go "holy shit NO , dude" . He's just a humanly flawed but caring parental figure. 5/10 complete middle of the road

Cimourdain, Ninety-Three: Listen I LIKE Cimourdain. I respect his whole narrative arc. I think he's probably the most interesting character in the novel. But he loses Parenting Points for (1) not being the primary hands-on caregiver for large chunks of his adopted kid's life and (2) uh. the whole. the thing where he kills his adopted kid. There are circumstances yes I know but still . If you are directly responsible for the death of your kid you are going to lose points in the parenting games. That's just how it is. 4/4 with full symbolic meaning of the number.

Frollo, Notre Dame de Paris: HOLY SHIT NO, DUDE.

Semi-adopted THREE kids and TWO died horribly and he directly threatened the life of the last one. Even before then he's not a GREAT parent, largely leaving the raising of his sort-of sons up to others, locking one up in a single building, letting another fall into addiction, and the third go starving and homeless on the streets. So it's already not doin' great but arguably he's Trying?

But then he wants to bang a teenager, and decides they're all expendable. Absolute worst reason for the absolute worst parenting decisions. 8/8 you ARE the Fatalité , dude, look within and quit blaming your issues on teenagers.

Honorable Mentions: Radoub, Ninety-Three: gets the "like a mother" comparison, goes through a firefight for his adopted kids, stays sweet and cheerful and soft around the babies to the end. Gets set here because he's NOT an adoptive single parent, he's actually co-parenting with the kids' birth mom and they are delightful platonic parenting partners. We wish you, Michelle, and the kids all the best , Radoub! Good job getting out of your novel without killing anyone you love!

Gavroche, Les Miserables: OK he only manages to adopt the momes for an evening, and for an adult I'd be docking All The Points for that, but for an unparented 12 year old he is doing GREAT. He even kept looking for them afterwards! The biggest and most sincere You Tried star for you, Gavroche, it's not your fault you're all getting atomized hard enough to explode a barricade.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Gillenormand, Les Miserables : If you're gonna hold a kid as a financial hostage and destroy his dad's life because the kid's soooooo important to you, you might also try making sure that kid has any way to know that you actually give a damn about him? Maybe at least don't beat him with sticks? Legos be under your feet forever, Gillenormand!

The Slaveowner Uncle in Bug Jargal : absolutely perish

[laxi0v0]

Finished Arcane! My condolences for being in this fandom and having to deal with the immense trauma haha

Just wanted to talk alittle about the art so it might contain some spoilers; I assure you nothing major tho

I think the biggest thing that drew me to the show is the beautiful architecture and aesthetics, the steampunk city of progress piltover reminded me so much of old games I love.

I really love how much inspiration is drawn from art Deco and art Nouveau in both the architecture but also the art you see on the walls.

Now it's just in theory cuz I don't really know much but it seems piltover leans more towards Art Deco with all the rigid geometrical architecture and furniture

While zaun is alittle more ominous and still has some elements of art Deco it leans alittle more towards Art Nouveau with the curves and more beautiful organic lines and shapes

While Zaun still draws inspiration from modern art movements I did notice this one art they did of Jinx

And how much it reminded me of Alphonse mucha, who was a part of the art Nouveau movement, pretty cool detail my nerd ass got excited for.

Here as well

Would really love to do a deeper study of the art styles and aesthetics of this series cuz it's absolutely beautiful.

Now I'm going to go play Dishonored religiously this weekend. I miss Corvo my boy

the architecture in that game brings out the nerd in me and is probably the reason why I love Arcane so much

Even the illustrations in the game remind me of the Arcane artstyle but more rendered out.

The whole stuff with Caitlyn's kiramman key and the machine it operates, the gas masks and the illustrations of the Grey. They hit me like a nostalgia brick and they were so cool.

Almost feels like they should turn Arcane into a game. That would be legendary

[smoooothoperator]

Beautiful Stranger

03: The Name Of The Game

Driver! Lando Norris x OC (Lily Barton)

Summer love, strangers to friends to lovers, Greece and Greek mythology references

Words: 3.6k

warnings: fluff, too much fluff. flashbackks are on italics

Masterlist

Official playlist

previous part | next part

a/n: hello beautiful people! here we have this duo again. This are getting a little messy, right? don't worry, the best is about to come soon ;)

Every way of feedbask is very welcomed

🖌️

Don't think about him. Don't make a suspicious noise that would make him come. Don't. Don't. Don't. But those god damn blue eyes were staring back at me, so alive and so real.

"Uhg, no" I groaned, closing the sketchbook.

When I woke up I went as fast as I could to my art room, thinking that what I drew last night was some type of dream. That I was dreaming that I was drawing his eyes.

But no, they were real and captured on those thick papers, draws of his eyes from every angle I saw them. 

"You are so stupid, Lily" I groaned, face palming myself.

I wanted to tear off the pages. But… those eyes were so beautiful, and they were looking at me.

"God, you are acting like a teenage" I groaned, closing the sketchbook and leaving it on the table. "So annoying"

I sighed, opening the window and looking at the sea. So close but so far at the same time. It's like the sea is calling me to go but I know that it won't be possible.

I grabbed my phone, playing soft music on the speaker, and focused on the empty canvas that was in front of me. I want to paint, but I don't know what. I want to do something since I can walk around the village or go to work, keeping my mind busy.

"What should I do with you?" I sighed, grabbing a pencil and taking a deep breath.

I sigh and let my hand work, moving all over the canvas. 

Since I was little I always wanted to paint. My school notebooks were full of drawings. I secretly bought all the material I needed and hid it under the bed. I watched tutorials on the internet in the privacy of my bedroom.

I always did this alone.

"What the fuck?" I frowned when I saw what I was drawing. "No way, come on!"

It's as if my brain was letting my heart have the reins of my hands.

I groaned and grabbed an eraser, undoing everything that gave any type of hint about the crush of my brain. 

"How can I be so ridiculous?" I sighed.

Baking is good, I don't have to draw someone, not even the guy next door with beautiful eyes… Stop!

"Oh dear Zeus, help me" I groan, tying my hair in a ponytail. "Not you, Aphrodite"

I always felt that every type of handmade thing was my specialty. I can draw, I can make jewelry, I can bake and cook. I would be a perfect housewife, just how my mother wanted. 

Too bad I'm not that type of woman.

One of the things that really made me fall in love with Greece was the food. Those Mediterranean flavors were something addictive for me, and the pastry was something I needed to learn how to make.

"Shit…" I groaned, feeling the pain in my foot. 

I shouldn't be standing up, if Logan knew he would come and push me to the couch immediately.

Logan, Logan, Logan… why the hell I can't stop thinking about him? Maybe it is the fact that he came running to check on me, worrying about me. Maybe my heart is saying that it’s a signal of some kind of fate.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous” I scoffed at myself. “Fate with him? Don’t make me laugh”

The angel in my shoulder was saying sweet things through my ear to my brain, trying to convince it that this was something new. I could hear how the devil in my other shoulder was getting in the argument too.

“I need air” I groan, going to the balcony and looking at the sea with some kind of sadness.

I wish I could be there, I wish I didn’t meet my neighbor, I wish none of this happened.

I wish…

“I wish you were never born!” she exclaimed, slapping my cheek, making the skin burn like if someone lightened a bonfire on ot. “You bring dishonor to this family!”

“But…” I mumbled, feeling the tears blurring my eyes. “Mom I don’t want to…”

“You have to” she stated, mad. I could see her eyes getting red with anger, how the vein of her neck was getting more visible as she tensed her jaw. “It will be in a week. You better not embarrass us more that you already did”

I gasped blinking quickly the tears, surprised by my own memory. I sniffled quickly, brushing the furtive tears that escaped my eyes and ran down my cheeks, making me sigh and hug myself.

No. Don’t get back there, Lily. You are better than this.

“You okay?” I heard him from the other side of the wall that separated the balconies.

I sigh and roll my eyes, closing them. It’s really impossible to not think about him.

“Are you crying? Are you in pain?” he kept asking, making me bite my lip.

“I’m okay, Logan” I said, more sharply than I wanted. “I’m just hating the fact that I can’t go to the beach because of this stupid bandage in my feet”

“I get it” he sighed. 

I sigh and walk back inside the apartment, going around with the clutches. When I smelled that sweet scent coming from the oven I smiled, opening it and getting everything out of it. 

I smiled proudly, looking at the perfectly made baklava and how the scent of it made my stomach growl in hunger. If you want to make a woman happy, give her her favorite meal.

I looked at the clock of the wall, biting my lip. I should make lunch, it's time for it. Morning went by pretty quick, thinking about a certain someone and trying to distract myself. It was good, refreshing. Something I really needed.

Peaky Blinders was playing in front of me, but I stopped it when I heard the front door opening.

"Hello?" I frown, looking at the front door, getting surprised to see Logan there. "Logan? What are you doing?"

"Do you have scissors?" he asked, walking inside the kitchen and placing the bag he brought on the table in front of me. "Oh, it smells nice, what is it?" he smiled pointing to the freshly made pastry.

"Baklava" I frown, following his movements with my eyes. "What are you doing?"

"I'm searching for the scissors" he said, opening the drawers. "I swear I saw some yesterday… here!"

I frown, looking at him turning around with the scissors on his hand and walking towards me, sitting in front of me.

"Put your foot here" he said, patting his thigh.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I frown looking at him, confused. 

"You want to go to the water, right?" he asked me, sighing. "After you told me you were bad because you couldn't go to the beach I went back to the medical centre to talk with the doctor"

"You did what?" I mumbled surprised. He really did that?

"I talked with him" he said. "With the help of Google Translate, of course, and I had him on the phone with a friend that is physiotherapist"

I looked at him and swallowed thickly. Why is a stranger doing such things for me? I'm sure he feels guilty, because it was his fault I am like this. 

"The doctor said that it wasn't too swollen, he put the bandage to immobilise the ankle And my friend said that with injuries like that he likes to use elastic bandages that can be taken off" he explained with a smile, making me look at him. "So… that's why I'll cut the bandage and put this"

"You… you did this… for me?" I was surprised.

No one did this for me. No one cared for me like this. 

"Yeah" he nodded, opening and closing the scissors with a smile. "So, before I cut this bandage… Can I eat?"

"What?" I frown, suppressing a laugh.

"Yeah, I didn't have lunch" he said. "And that… thing looks and smells delicious"

"It's a musaka" I said looking at my plate. "I have more on the fridge"

"Okay" he smiled and got up, going to the fridge and opening it. 

He walked around my apartment like he was in his own house. If someone else walked inside my house and grabbed everything like that I would be annoyed, but he wasn't annoying me. There was something in my brain that didn't turn on the alarms. 

"God, you really are an amazing chef" he said after warming the plate and grabbing a fork, sitting next to me. "See, another thing I know about you"

There was something about him that didn't annoy me. Maybe it was his smile, how it reached his eyes. He looked friendly, shameless, open-minded. 

"Why are you doing this?" I frown, leaving the fork on my plate. 

"Doing what?" he frowned, talking with his mouth full and then swallowing it. "Eating?"

"No. This" I frown, moving my hands between us and them to the scissors and the bag. "Why?"

"You said you wanted to go to the beach" he repeated. "And I want to take you to the beach. That's it"

"Yesterday you said that I shouldn't go" I frown. "God, you are confusing me, Logan!"

"I felt bad when I heard you cry" he sighed. "I don't like knowing people feel bad, or are angry because of me. For once I want to make someone happy, even if that means doing a simple thing as going to the beach"

I look at him and sigh, eating again in silence.

No one did something like that for me. No one wanted to  gesture like that for me.

"Come on, Liliane" my mother said, standing at the door. 

"I don't want to!" I cried softly.

"Ah… don't act like a baby" she groaned, rolling her eyes. "Things like that happen. Dogs die and you'll keep living"

"He was my best friend!" I cried, hugging the small plushie he loved. 

"Stop being a crybaby and get dressed!" she exclaimed. "Your father is waiting for us! This is important, Liliane!"

"I said no!" I cried harder, hiding under the blankets.

No one tried to make me smile after crying. My father used to buy me things to make me shut up. My mother used to look at me disappointed.

"Thank you" I whisper, swallowing the lump  that memory left in my throat. "For doing this"

"It's okay" he smiled. "I'm bored, anyway. Some adventure and fun wouldn't be bad, you know?"

I smile weakly and nod.

Right, he's bored and now I'm his way of getting rid of boredom.

🎮

I always hated to hear girls cry. It really made me sad. 

When my sisters cried when we were kids I always felt like a punch in my chest and I always tried to do something to make them smile again. When my friends cried because a man broke their heart I was always there for them.

And hearing Lily sniffling made my chest hurt. I don't know what it is, I don't know what attracts me to her, but I feel like an invisible force pushing me to her.

It's not a crush.

Or maybe it is? 

After all this time, being famous and having a lot of girls following me hoping that I would choose them, meeting a girl that doesn't know who I am and tries to avoid me, is something that makes me interested.

Hearing her music in the morning is something I would like to get used to. Or smelling the scent of the things she baked. 

Okay, yeah. Maybe I do have a crush on the girl next door that I barely know about.

"You shouldn't keep your foot down" I said pointing at her ankle. "Come on, put it here"

"But…" she frowned, looking at my thigh.

"No buts" I interrupted her, patting my thigh. 

She sighed and placed her leg on my thigh with the help of her hands, letting out a sigh of relief afterwards. I smiled looking at her, watching how her shoulders relaxed and how she ate in silence.

"See? It's fine, I don't bite" I said smiling.

Then I saw her smile, while rolling her eyes. But it was a smile. And I swear it was the most beautiful smile I have ever seen in my entire life.

"Okay, so this is the plan" I said after I finished eating. "I cut this thing, we put that thing and then we'll go to the beach"

"And you know how to put that thing?" she asked, pointing at the bag. "What's that, by the way?"

"Oh, it's an elastic bandage" I said, grabbing the box and showing it to her. "I bought it before coming here"

"You didn't have to…" she mumbled, and I could see the blush in her cheeks. 

"You wanted to go to the beach, then we'll go to the beach" I said, smiling. "I'll take you there"

"On the scooter?" she frowned.

"Yeah" I nod.

"Oh god, no. I think I changed my mind, I like to stay here and do nothing" she nodded.

"Very funny" I laughed. "I'm serious, Lily. I'll take you to the beach and you'll get in the water"

"You promise?" she asked, blushing and trying to not look at me.

"I promise" I nodded.

She giggled softly, finishing her meal and then looking at the kitchen counter. I looked at where she was looking and I got up slowly, leaving her foot on the chair where I was sitting, and grabbed our plates to wash them on the sink, washing them.

"You want to try the baklava?" she asked me.

"Oh definitely" I laughed. "What is it made of?”

“Basically pistachio and syrup” she explained. “It’s nice”

“Okay, then I want some” I smiled, grabbing two small plates and putting the portions on it.

There was something about her that made me want to be here, taking care of her and giving her my attention. It was like she put a spell on me, making my mind clouded. I can’t even know when it happened, when my heart and brain decided that I wanted to help her and take care of her.

“Oh fuck, it’s delicious” I gasped with my mouth full of this delicacy. 

“Thanks” she smiled.

When we finished the pastry I washed the dishes again, and then I sat in front of her, with her foot on my thigh. I washed my hands and then looked at her.

"Wait, you know how to put that bandage?" she asked me, stopping me before cutting the bandage.

"Eh…" I frown looking at the box. "No"

I looked at the instructions, but they were in Greek. She sighed and grabbed the box, her fingers touching mine, making me blush softly.

"Okay… Yeah, I get it" she nodded. "Cut the bandage, then I'll explain you how to put it"

"Okay" I nodded.

I started to cut the bandage slowly, placing my hand on her skin. It's soft, so soft. I heard her sighing relieved when the bandage started to leave her skin, leaving marks on it.

"God, so good" she groaned after her foot was free of bandage. "You have no idea how good it feels"

"I can tell" I nodded, watching her ankle. It's a little swollen, and purple because of the blood. "God… I'm sorry I made this to you"

"It's okay" she sighed. 

I smile weakly at her and sigh, grabbing the box and opening it. I did everything she told me to do, wrapping it on her foot and making sure she couldn't move it.

"Now go get changed" I said. "I'll get changed too, okay?"

"Okay" she sighed, looking at the bandage in her ankle. "Wear comfortable shoes to drive"

"I won't drive" I frown. "We'll go on scooter"

"Yeah, how innocent you are if you think that I'll go on a scooter with you again" she laughed, making me roll my eyes. "I have a car, we'll go on it. Plus, I still have to use the crutches, it will be easy to wear them"

"Okay…" I sighed.

I walked out of her apartment to get changed. Thank god I searched on the Internet where I was coming and packed beach things. 

I took a deep breath and started to get changed. But then I started to think…

What if someone sees me? What if they find me? We'll go to a beach with more people on it, right? If one of them knows who I am, I'm really fucked up. No, I can't go to the beach. I can't, I can't.

Why the hell do you do things without thinking first, knowing that you'll regret doing them, Lando?

"Hello?" I heard her knocking on my door. "Logan? Are you ready?”

“Eh…” I frown, being taken out of my thoughts. “Y-yeah”

I sighed, grabbing my backpack and hanging it on my shoulder. I opened the front door and I swear I nearly died. Lily was standing in front of me, wearing a baby blue summer dress and her hair tied on a braid that falls on her right shoulder.

God, please help me to control myself.

“Are you ready?” she asked me with a smile.

How can I say no to her? 

“Yeah” I smiled weakly, getting out of the apartment. “Do you need help?”

“No…” she frowned, looking at the stairs, then she sighed and smiled weakly. “Please?”

I chuckled and nodded, going some stairs down and she grabbed my backpack and put it on her back. I felt her hands on my shoulder and how she took a step closer to my back. I’ll have to hold her thighs, her body close to mine.

God help me please.

“My car is there” she said, pointing to a white car that was near us.

Of course it was a car that screamed Greece vibes. She’s the representation of what every girl wants to have after watching those Mamma Mia movies.

“Cool car” I nodded, walking towards it with her still in my back. 

“Very sarcastic” she said, patting my shoulder.

“No, I’m serious!” I laughed, placing her on the ground. “It’s a cool car for a place like this that have rocky roads near”

She chuckled and nod, walking to the backseats and leaving our bags there. 

Why do I have that feeling of being comfortable seeing her do something as simple as that? God, I hate those feelings.

“Let’s go” she smiled, sitting in the passenger seat. 

“Ehm… there’s a chance… to go to some type of small beach? Like… with not a lot of people in it?” I asked before starting the car.

“What?” she frowned, looking at me surprised. “Woah, woah… stop there you creep!”

“No! What? No! I’m not saying that” I exclaimed, understanding what she was thinking about. “It’s… well… I have agoraphobia”

Three lies already. Hoe can I be so fucking stupid?

“Oh… Oh!” she gasped. “And a beach full of people won’t help… I get it, yeah”

“Yeah” I smiled weakly. 

“Oh, I know one” she smiled, grabbing her phone and putting the GPS on it.

I took a deep breath and started driving where the GPS said, parking where she told me. At this point I’m praying that she doesn’t discover that I have been lying to her since the start. 

“Here we are” she smiled once we were in the sand. 

Only a few people were there. And all of them were old people, women talking between them. I should be content with this.

I followed her, she was walking slowly to not hurt her foot, and then she placed her bag on the sand, taking her towel and laying it there. She took off her sundress, letting me see the white bikini she is wearing, and taking off the bandage.

How can she be so beautiful? 

“Can you help me go to the water?” she asked me, looking back at me. “I promise I won’t swim, I’ll go until the water reaches my chest”

“I’ll go with you” I said, putting the towel down on the sand and taking off my shirt and shoes.

I felt her eyes on me, and it made me blush. Do I have a boner? No, maybe not yet. 

“Come on” I said, holding her hands and helping her get up, trying to not look at her when she stood in front of me.

She walked slowly, groaning everytime she had to take a step with her bad foot. I just sighed and stood next to her, wrapping her arm around my shoulders and then my arm around her waist, helping her walk.

“Better?” I asked, hearing her sigh.

“Yeah” she nodded.

The moment her feet touched the cold water she sighed louder, making me smile. We walked slowly into the water, she was holding my shoulders and I was holding her waist.

"Good?" I asked her.

She nodded and took a deep breath, then I saw her close her eyes and get underwater, making me gasp.

"Lily!" I exclaimed, holding her close to me. "What the fuck was that!"

"I wanted to have the rest of my body wet" she frowned, holding my shoulders since I was hugging her waist.

We didn't say anything else. She was floating and I held her close to my body. We were silent, any word exchanged between us.

She licks her lips, making me look at them. They look… kissable-

No. Stop it.

"Hi" she whispered, her hands on my shoulders.

"Hi" I whisper back, looking into her eyes.

God, give me strength to not kiss her right now. Give me strength to not do something as stupid as kissing a stranger.

God, give me strength to not fall for her as hard as I'm already falling. 

taglist

@lestappenloverr @racinggirl @roni-midnights @livster8 @kakorrhaphiphobia @starkeyellow @celestialpierre @ophcelia @msliz @lorarri @ironmaiden1313 @imsorare @mycenterfold @im-an-overthinker @soosheee @karmabyfernando @landoyesrizz

[wrenhavenriver]

Top 5 dishonored NPC lines?

ohhhhhhh this one is so hard, the incredible amount of really damn good NPC dialogue is one of my favorite things about dishonored and probably THE number one thing i love gif'ing the most from it. i have to exclude Outsider lines from here to give anyone else literally any chance, but i spy an Outsider specific ask in my inbox rn so thankfully there's that sorted. instead of spending five hours agonizing over the literal dozens of lines i love here are some random ones that came to mind immediately from base game dh1, in no particular order:

Samuel: "Maybe it's not my place to say, but men of the faith shouldn't live like barons." there's just something so samuel about it, the coating of dignified humility around a center of utterly unimpeachable morality. it sums up so well his role as a quiet observer/arbiter of the actions of the people around him--and how he often goes unnoticed by those very people, in part because of that humility and the way the powerful look down on him as a working class man (see the bastard trio, especially havelock, wildly underestimating him--when he can remember his name at all). there's a reason it stings so hard when samuel finally calls a high chaos corvo out in mission 9, like, this man just sees straight through to the heart of matters (and people), and he is never wrong. but on the flip side, that makes it just as amazing in low chaos when he praises you instead.

plague survivor in the flooded district: "I don't blame them. I know why they did it. But I only wanted to die at home." this brutal line. unbearably poignant. a man who wasn't even asking to live, just to die at home, and how even that tiniest of mercies was denied to him.

on a lighter note - Miss White: "You're a scandal in that mask. I like a man with poor judgment!" makes me laugh every fucking time, 928340923 playthroughs later.

Sokolov: "Once you start ordering people killed to get your way, everything else becomes mere detail." stealing my own very ancient tags from the old blog to explain why i like this line so much: this is essentially dishonored's main cautionary message and it falls to anton sokolov to say it, goddamn. in short it's a snappy bit of writing and also just kind of funny who gets to be the mouthpiece for it--really says something about how dire things have become in dunwall.

Daud: "And you choose mercy. Extraordinary." just. gives me terrible shivers. the awe of it all. the recognition of the incredible, impossible choice corvo has made. indescribable.

[presiding]

genuinely admire those who were optimistic for dishonored 3 but in this videogame industry climate and [insert a 4hr video essay about arkane's recent history here], honestly, not getting dh3 is good news

[bonefall]

bones……. please …….. spare words for mushrooms? i cant find any in the lexicon …. also love the clanmew stuff :)

I wrote a whole guide and then Tungle crashed OTL

I'll have to make a whole entry on shrooms at some point but for now, I'm going to give you the most basic words for various mushrooms. Know these things;

Cats can taste mushrooms, they describe the flavor as wrale, savory.

This is because mushrooms are full of glutamate, an amino acid that tastes like meat.

Even some poisonous mushrooms taste good. It is very important to teach apprentices of all Clans about mushrooms they can and can't eat, and to never eat a mushroom they haven't identified.

ShadowClan, however, finds this more culturally important because they live in a wetland. Mushrooms are used in more of their cooking than the cuisine of other Clans, ergo, ShadowClan warriors generally know more than the cats of other Clans.

That said, you can actually expect Exampleclaw of any given Clan to generally know more about mushrooms than flowers, on average.

Fungus = Molf All things which grow in moist, dark environments, typically on rotting things. Mold, mushrooms, lichens... AND also moss. The cats aren't working with phylogeny here. Fuzzy mold = Gross moss.

Edible Fungus = Lelof Stuff you can eat. Chicken of the woods, blewit, bay bolete. Smells soooo good, really pungent, rich specimens are shredded, dried, and used as toppings. Yumyum!! Yellowfang's pe-dishonor title name, Shroompelt, was Lelofborrl.

Mushroom-shaped Mushroom = Skubi If you're not in ShadowClan, this is any fungus with the characteristic shaft and cap. ShadowClan will mock you relentlessly if you look at a stinkhorn or funeral bell and call it this, and call you Skubi for the rest of the night. It's a ShadowClanmew-exclusive word for an "undiscerning" or "know-nothing" person. Especially if you ARE a ShadowClan cat and you forget the right word. You say the wrong word ONCE and you see your clanmates' eyes go wide like they're about to get zoomies. Like, it's over. "I'm skubi-dubi-doo for the rest of the night i guess." -poor tawnypelt Even MORE confusing, Skubi Yaywi, "Bright/Intensely Colorful Mushroom-shaped-Mushroom," is ShadowClan slang for someone who is extremely attractive. ShadowClanmew is an ENTIRE dialect just dedicated to fucking with outsiders, honestly.

Polypore = Cholf Shelf-shaped mushrooms without stems that grow directly off trees. Usually pretty hard in texture and not very delicious at all, but often boiled as medicine.

Jelly = Oogaw BIZARRE, squishy, tarry shaped fungi that seem to "ooze" out of trees. Has all sorts of shapes-- cups, clusters, cakes, wavy bunches. Ends up as an "other" category of sorts when they have no idea what to call it. Examples of this is Jelly-Ear, King Alfred's Cakes, Witch's Butter, Poor Man's Licorice, etc.

Ball = Pulf Puffy, solid fungi that balloon right out of the ground. The most well-known of this type is the giant puffball, which gets as big as a cat and is used for eating, wound-dressing, or playing games with.

[halflucidramblings]

Do you think Misty Fey would've been a less divisive, possibly even beloved, and tragic character if they just made one adjustment in her story? What if instead of disappearing in shame, she was exiled or chased out of the village? (as a coup by Morgan, perhaps)

Compare these two scenarios:

Misty Fey, disgraced by her failure and having brought a lot of negative attention to her village and the art of spirit channeling, chose to escape it all. Rather than having her daughters be associated with a "sham" of a mother, risking their reputation being ruined as much as her own, she would rather that they not be associated with her at all. Though it breaks her heart, she opted to cut all ties with her child and infant daughters for those reasons.

Misty Fey, having put spirit channeling into the public perception in a negative light, is ostracized by her village. In the end, she is forced to leave the village. (Possibly as a ploy by Morgan, seizeing the chance to get Misty out of the picture for good.) Rather than taking her daughters with her, knowing that she lacks the resources to give them a proper life, she chooses to leave them behind so that they can live comfortably, albeit without a mother.

It may just be me, but I think I would sympathize with Misty much more than I already do if the story played out like the latter. Not to mention, it opens the door to a chance to add more to Morgan as an antagonist.

I'm not saying that Misty is a bad mother who abandoned her daughters without a second thought solely because of "dishonor" and selfish reasons. I'm sure it must've been the most difficult decision she had ever made in her life. It's clear that she holds both very close to her heart. I believe she grieved until her last breath upon hearing about Mia. And she would go on to give her life for Maya's.

She's not entirely a bad mother. She's a loving and dedicated mother. Just a very flawed one. But the way she's presented in game, a portion of the fanbase is bound to have that bad impression of her for the fact that she willingly chose to run away and leave her daughters. Of course she's going to be seen as an absentee parent for leaving when she could very well have stuck around and simply lived with the shame.

Maybe I don't get the whole "dishonor" thing. There's undeniably a cultural difference at play here. Depending on the audience's background, they will have different opinions of Misty leaving out of "shame and dishonor". But it's my belief that if she was forced to separate with her daughters by forces out of her control, a lot more people would view her in a more tragic, sympathetic light.

[roo-bastmoon]

Fractured and Adrift

I was going to write a big huge post with lots of screen shots and chart data and analysis that I'd saved on my phone, but honestly I'm too sick right now to sit up and organize all that. If you go on twitter, you see in real time what is happening, anyway.

Bottom lines:

it's very clear to me that ads, payola, pay to play, vpn and other "networking" tactics that go against what BTS has always been about have pretty much come into play--for a catchy, but ultimately impersonal and generic, pop single that was given to only one member.

I'm not just disappointed, I'm gutted. I don't know where to go from here, as someone who used to take pride in being an ARMY and stanning artists who made it to the top the organic and hard way, by being genuine and talented and real with us.

As always, I look to my ult-bias, Jimin. His debut album was abandoned the moment he hit #1, yet he continues on with this company and to be a team player. He was with JK on private time during a couple's holiday. He's been filmed with and is likely working on some sort of project with JK right now. These are my cues. So without any further information about what is happening, I will continue to follow Jimin's lead.

I am a person who believes in the potential and the very best of others until I just can't any more. But I also cannot hide from the glaringly obvious. Jimin was mistreated, and Jungkook was prioritized in ways I personally find dishonorable.

I don't know how much, if any, input JK had in this. He's got a Masters in Communications, a decade of industry experience, and owns stock in his company; but I also know that talent are very rarely given complete insight or say over sales and marketing strategies--that's external, executive business decisions. I don't know what conversations, trade-offs, or internal pressure came into play here.

At this point, I would say I'm very adrift.

I'm a good soldier. I bought the CD, I bought each version of the song, I added it to my playlists. But I no longer feel needed as a fan for Seven; I feel replaced by Scooter's dollars. And I don't feel any personal connection to this particular song, as catchy as it is. I was excited when the styles JK helped choose seemed to be an homage to Jimin's Face, but... now a lot of the elements of this work seem rushed and disjointed. I just don't know.

I'm very worried about what this rollout means for our 7, especially how they are supposed to come together in a fair and equitable way after military service. I'm trying to read through their book when I can stay awake long enough. Trying to trust and hope and manifest the best.

I wish there was more transparency, more communications around what the game plan is, and if the members are all on board with everything.

All I can think to do is to keep loving Jimin and the people who are good to Jimin, keep working hard for what I want and not invest energy and time into what I don't. I do believe that Jungkook and Jimin love one another.

But I'm... fracturing... inside. It hurts.

I'm very ill. Maybe I'm just too emotional right now because I'm so sickly. Maybe I just need more time and more data to have a more rational perspective.

All I can think to do is hang in there and wait to be more anchored in facts before I can decide what all this means--for Jikook, for BTS.

I'm sorry if this post isn't very coherent. I'm on a bunch of steroids until I can get to a specialist and the brain fog is immense. I'm gonna go rest now. I think I might stop posting memes and thirsts and other things for a bit, while I just focus on getting well. But I'm sending you all so much love.

Hang in there. Deep breaths. We will find our way. We will make our way, if necessary.

[kiwiwinjindouche]

Nightmares From the Void: a horror Dishonored AU

(unless this title is already taken by something else or idk sfwjdwmfjdj i've not found anything? but let me know if it does)

I've talked about it a little some time ago, and even if I have to figure out more things (this is really getting out of hands), I have some bits to share!

Putting all this under a 'read more' cuz this is going to be a huge post.

I'd love to have your thoughts about it, if you feel like it!! <3

Quick description:

This may be a Horror!AU, but it’s definitely not just “OOOO JUMPSCARES AND GORE”. Horror isn’t just that, you know? And the best part about this is looking for references and more information because this is so interesting and so much better than just blood and viscera everywhere. I really wanted them to have their own little vibe, despite everything, and playing with the different kinds of horrors and fears. This all needs a bit more thinking yet, I’m sure, but I really like it so far.

There’re uh, changes, and maybe I’m thinking this too much like a third person game? I don’t know, maybe in first person it’d still look great.

This is just about Dishonored 2 (for now, at least?), and I mostly though about the main villains, to be honest. But as time goes by (and as I’m writing this post), I want to explore the other areas too.

I find some of the ideas a bit too obvious, somehow, but eeehhh :fingerguns: My mindset was kinda 'how could we go further, and into the horror genre, than this?"

After the ritual to bring back Delilah, in 1849, powers from the Void started to spread into Aramis’ mansion, crawling into the veins of those who were here. They slowly turned them into more monstrous versions of themselves. The closer to the ritual you were, the bigger the impact the Void had on you. Some of the guards got infected as well, but way less than the main crew. Memories of alternative lives flashed through them too.

Differences for the coup crew:

Mission 1: A Long Day in Dunwall

Enemies: /

Description: Something feels off, as a puppet-ish Luca arrives. Then, Delilah appears, and the crowd is horrified by her look and all the vines and flowers.

Additional notes: Delilah can flee with Alexi’s corpse, so the player must fight her later as an undead.

Boss battle: Ramsey is not affected by the Void, so nothing changes.

Mission 3: The Good Doctor

Type of horror: Kind of slasher, ‘virus’, body horror

Enemies: The guards are infected with bloodflies and mushrooms (? Virus?). They technically are undead and immortal, but weak. They can be killed for good with fire. Guards + Bloodflies.

Description: The player tries to escape Grim Alex’s grip. They can carry a torch to keep her away.

Additional notes: There are a torch, blueprints and upgrades regarding fire equipment in Vasco’s belongings.

Boss battle: First, the player must find the main nest of the bloodflies and burn it. Grim Alex follows the player, and she can control the bloodflies. If the player tries to kill her, her body gets infested with bloodflies and she charges back. She is afraid of fire. Her fight only has one phase, and the player either helps her with the serum or kills her for good.

Why this? Because Alexandria is already kind of infected by something, and I think she should be a bit more unhinged when you face her. I decided to go with a wendigo/rake vibe for her. She follows you everywhere you go, and you can’t really get rid of her if you don’t have fire. Everything feels more organic yet dead at the same time. There should be a spark of hope somewhere, though.

Inspirations: RE / TLOU / Redead / Scorn / Outlast / Bloodborne

Mission 4: The Clockwork Mansion

Type of horror: Psychological

Enemies: Cyborgs and clockworks. The guards are a bit weaker than the original soldiers, but they can share some capabilities. Guards + Clockworks.

Description: A kind of Hide and Seek in the mansion. The player gets knock out at the beginning and must find their stuff.

Additional notes: Sokolov is saved after the fight. They are eyes on the wall.

Boss battle: The player fights Kirin in his laboratory. He is waiting for them and jumps on his greatest clockwork (a huge one). First, the player fights the robot. Phase two, the fight is taking place beneath the laboratory, in the basement, room of the generator. The player can tear Kirin’s artificial arms/legs apart. The final move is pushing him against the generator and watching him getting electroshocked. Either it kills him or not is up to the player, depending on the power of the shock (player can get to the room before the battle).

Why this? I was thinking about more clockworks and mechanical things. In fact, the starting point of all this was for Kirin to build cyborgs too. Then, the idea of him having bugs features came to me, as a reference to him tearing their legs and such. But then, and as much as I wanted to avoid the spider thing, Kirin playing with you, as you try to escape his mansion (his web) sounded more fitting.

Inspirations: Lies of P / Shining / Bacterial Contamination / BG3 (Malus) / Mimic / Nosk / DrOctopus

Mission 5: The Royal Conservatory

Type of horror: Paranormal and jump scares

Enemies: Zombies and stuffed animals. The guards are slower but hit harder. Guards + Witches + Animals.

Description:

Additional notes: Lots of illusions. Aggressive skulls. Moving around through mirrors.

Boss battle: The player has the option to fight a big cursed plush to get the defective lens. With each hit the doll takes, it loses a member part (leg, arm…) and the player must destroy them too before they go back to the doll. Then, mirror labyrinth to get to Breanna, while the player is followed by zombies. Breanna’s fight takes place in a room surrounded by mirrors too. If the player goes behind the scenes before phase two, they can use the defective lens and remove Breanna’s powers, leading them to the non-lethal ending. Phase two, she is mostly stronger than before, but also helped by the doll if the player didn’t destroy it earlier.

Why this? I had the idea of zombies for Breanna for a long time. Again, just thinking about “how could we go further?” But zombies weren’t enough. And then I thought ‘well, there’re also a ton of dead animals there’. I also wanted to find something revolving around the lenses, or rather, glasses, hence the mirrors, and the illusions. As for the cursed plush, we already know witches have some voodoo plushies they use from time to time, so I thought it was a good reference to this too.

Inspirations: Twilight Princess (Blizzeta) / Collector (Hollow Knight)

Mission 7: A Crack in the Slab

Type of horror: Liminal spaces and gothic horror

Enemies: Ghosts. The guards don’t attack the player unless player attacks them first. They have 1 hp and respawn at each time switch. Guards.

Description: The player travels through Aramis’ mind. They must find all the broken memory pieces to restore Aramis’ health and spirit. The player starts with a 45 minutes chrono. After 15 minutes, the level starts to fall apart. The player can use clocks and hourglasses to slow or speed time.

Additional notes: The level falls apart, much like Aramis’ mind. Clocks, hourglasses. Maybe some enigmas. The player still can’t use their powers.

Boss battle: Race against time. The player must travel through past and present to stop the boss – who is TBD still (a strange chimera? And echo of Luca?). To help Aramis fully recover, the player must defeat it. Else, they can either decide to kill him or let him stay insane.

Why this? What better than liminal spaces and fear of the nothing for Aramis? His mind is falling apart, and so is the level. You must be a bit quick into this labyrinth. As I’m writing this, this needs some more thinking, but maybe thanks to a new power (or simply, a better ‘Possession’) you can go to Aramis’ mind instead of just wondering around his mansion. The idea stays the same, but still.

Inspirations: Backrooms / Crys Tales / Poes

Mission 8: The Grand Palace

Type of horror: Survival…?

Enemies: Puppets. The guards are more agile, dodge more the attacks. Guards.

Description:

Additional notes: Show off. The player must repair the false duke and the pieces are all around the palace. Inspired by the royalty and the Game. Some puppets and guards wear masks. There are music boxes in the palace (around the ballroom). Puppet and some bits of flesh.

Boss battle: Luca waits for the player in his ballroom, where they find multiple false dukes dancing with the ‘guests’. They must find the right one and defeat him. They can also be helped by a dysfunctional puppet they must repair first – Armando. Then, Luca twisted and turns into a giant puppet with wacky movements.

Why this? So, this might be the less ‘horror’ one, somehow. Depends on if you are fine with getting surrounded by puppets or not. But why puppets? Because Luca longs for control. He is creating himself a perfect little world where everyone will obey him. And yet, he is one of them, because Delilah is already using him. I had in mind a ballroom, more excessive and unnecessary shows off. He is rich, he is powerful, he doesn’t care about the others.

Inspirations: Little Nightmares / Steelrising (ambient) / Skull kid puppets / Nutcracker

Mission 9: Death to the Empress

Type of horror: Analog horror and strange imagery, a bit of dark fantasy but tiny bit

Enemies: A bit of everything and living paintings. The guards are moving when the player is not watching. The paintings can catch and block the player, attack them or simply scare them. Guards + Witches + Clockworks + Paintings.

Description:

Additional notes:

Boss battle: First, the player fights her outside, but there are other living paintings that attack them. Every weakness moment of Delilah, the player can reunite her with her soul. Then, she runs into her perfect world, the player shall follow her, but instead they find a crying Jessamine. They have a small chat together, until the player realizes it’s Delilah using her powers to stab where it hurts. The player then fights Delilah, but with Jessamine’s appearance. Lastly, Delilah charges a final blow, and statues are attacking the player. They must survive a certain amount of time. Then, the final blow explodes and both her and the player are thrown out of the painting. The player wakes up before she does, and either they decide to kill her or not by messing with the ritual.

Why this? Well, I know analog horror is also about found footage and doesn’t suit Dishonored, but the weird imagery looks just fine for a painter. Also, what about moving statues? Surely this is not new, and not all of them would move obviously.

Inspirations: Mandela Catalogue / A Hat in Time / Layers of fear / Canvas Curse (Drawcia)

And that's ... almost it? Wait, could this be... what's up there???

Epilogue: Secret Meeting

Type of horror: Cosmic horror

Description: If the player found all the runes and bonecharms throughout the game, after the credits they appear in the Void. The Outsider comes to them to talk about their run, their choices, and asks them if they wish to see his true form. Then, the player can decide to fight him.

Why this? Because I wanted to add cosmic horror to the list! And the Outsider is already kind of that, the Void is a space beyond true comprehension and such. I still have to figure out his ‘true form’ as a powerful being.

Inspirations: Lovecraft

AND NOW, that's about it so far! As you can see, some things still need a good thinking and such, to be worked on. I've also started to think about a playlist, but I'm not sure about it yet and this is going to be for later. There'll definitely be more to it, I just don't know when lol.

THANK YOU SO MUCH IF YOU'VE READ IT ALL, it means a lot!!!! 💗​💗​💗​

[meowmeowriley]

Hi costume anon here!

I am severely sleep deprived rn so I blame that for this… What are your thoughts on a Corvo Attano Ghost and an Outsider Soap from dishonoured?

I feel Iike most people would hc it the other way around but Ghost fighting to get back to and protect Joey after being betrayed + the mask fit his character better especially as he “dies” in prison.

Soap being an unknowable eldritch abomination with a fondness for whales and their explosions oil who just wants entertainment someone to talk to.

If you want more rambles I can tell you who I think other characters would be

Anyway I’m going to sleep now have a great day!

Hi, Zuko here! - That's what I think of every time you leave me an ask 🤣 You have Zuko energy. Have you had a redemption ark? I think you'd make a great Firelord. (Do I know you? Nope! Does that matter? Also nope! You've got great taste, that's all that matters.)

*Stares intensely at my old PS3 and my copy of Dishonored. I FUCKING love Dishonored. I never got to play the second game, but I did very nearly get the outsiders symbol tattooed on my hand. Still could... hmmm...

I know Ghost is a stealthy man, but God imagine him getting pissy and summoning a swarm of plague rats. Stealthy? No. But Outsider!Soap would love the chaos of it. And really, I think a fic where Ghost *started* being stealthy and high honor/low death count, but progressively got more vicious and killed more people in more creative ways because the way the Outsider's laugh peals like a bell warms his cold dead heart.

Outsider Soap feeling true glee for the first time in a long time as he watches Ghost freeze time to move some whale oil in front of someone who'd just shot at him, but not before unbuckling the shooters pants and lowering his trousers, just for the hell of it.

By the end of it there would be chaos, all of Dunwall would fall to the plague, but the Outsider wouldn't be so alone anymore.

BTW you got me to start binging Danny Phantom. That's your fault. 😘