#his interactions with others. because he is such a funny character

[familiarscars]

Lost In Control | Bad Omens | CHAPTER 26

adult content | minors do NOT interact.

⋆ 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. Bad Omens X ex-girlfriend and singer!Reader.

⋆ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒. You and Noah had a difficult ending but you still need to support each other for the band.

⋆ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆(𝐒). melancholy, ex-boyfriends, difficult relationships, alcohol abuse, swearing, drug addiction, violence.

It's okay to not agree with the characters' attitudes during the fic. It's good to remember that the story is fiction from the author's sick mind and of course they will make dubious decisions according to my fantasies. Nothing is done to be compared to reality.

A fearful man, nearly two meters tall, was walking behind you in the dark woods, using the light of a cigarette lighter and you as a shield. This was about as pathetic as your life could sound at the moment.

You both walked hesitantly, careful not to step on any dry leaves that might alert whatever was making the noises nearby. Noah seemed to get closer with each step, and whenever his arm brushed against yours, a brief shiver ran down your spine.

“Could you stay at least one step away?” you muttered while checking behind a bush. “You’re making me nervous.”

“You’re the one with the light, and I can barely see in broad daylight, let alone in the dark!” Noah retorted, almost offended. “Don’t think I’m using this situation to take advantage of being near you.”

“Oh, really?” You raised an eyebrow, shaking your head at the joke. “I never would have guessed if you hadn’t said anything.”

Noah huffed and took a step back, and you chuckled as you continued walking, pressing the lighter's button with a bit more force. It was a simple motion, but it required extra effort with trembling fingers, a side effect of withdrawal.

Pretending nothing was wrong was becoming an impossible challenge as each withdrawal symptom hit harder than the last. Your body’s dwindling supply of the drug felt like a red alert. The abrupt pause gnawed at you more than years of uninterrupted use ever had. No one gets clean overnight.

Least of all you.

Your thoughts were interrupted as Noah jumped, startled once again by a sound coming from the bushes. You couldn’t help but laugh, covering your mouth with one hand, but when you lifted the lighter’s flame toward his face and saw his blank expression, you quickly stifled your laughter and focused back on the strange noise’s source. It was almost funny, the way he trusted his life to your shaky hands for a few seconds.

Ruling out the possibility that it was a real person, your chest felt a bit lighter. After being chased through the streets and finding your house open as if someone had broken in, you weren’t taking any more chances.

“Ah…” you said quietly, almost frustrated, as you knelt on one knee and looked up at the towering monument that blocked the moonlight. “It’s just a bird.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” he muttered, incredulous, and from his tone, you could tell Noah would have preferred it to be a bear if only to make his earlier display seem less ridiculous. “Fine, fine, leave it there, and let’s head back inside.”

“He’s hurt.” Your words sounded more like sorrow as you handed him the lighter so he could provide some light. “The weird noise was because he got tangled in the branches. Look!”

You stepped aside, giving Noah room to kneel beside you. Thankfully, he had enough empathy not to say anything snide, instead waiting to see what you’d do next. Maybe he remembered that you loved animals, adored birds in particular, and always wanted a dog but never felt competent enough to care for one.

Now, the two of you watched the small bird among the dry leaves, its wing broken and a raspy whistle escaping its beak. You bit your lower lip, trying to devise a quick and effective strategy, your eyes falling on a loose thread from your sleeve. Wrapping the thread around your index finger, you tugged it free with your thumb.

“Do you think it still has a chance?” he asked, tilting his head as you gently brought the bird closer.

“When Seth used to shoot at birds singing in our backyard, he rarely hit them, but the shock of the gunfire made them fall and injure themselves just like this one,” you recalled, the bitter memory immediately filling you with regret for sharing it. Still, you continued, inspecting the bird. “I’d keep them in my room, tying their wings with string and popsicle sticks until they could fly again.”

“Did it work?” There was genuine interest in his voice, warming the cold knot in your stomach and making you smile as you nodded.

“Yes! Two days, and they’d be flying again, even if slowly.” As you spoke, you knotted the thread and, using a hairpin, improvised a splint to keep the bird’s wing stable.

“It’s a shame we won’t know if it truly healed since we’re leaving it here alone.”

“We’ve done our part, offering help without taking it away from where it belongs for some selfish idea of solidarity. It will decide what to do next with this new chance.” You smiled, standing alongside him, watching the little bird struggle but ultimately move forward—free.

A few steps ahead, you found a river where you insisted on stopping to wash your hands. Subtle raindrops fell over the water, unable to blur the moonlight so bright it illuminated the entire area. You lifted your gaze, fascinated by the reflection on the water.

“Damn, it’s freezing here,” Noah grumbled, hugging his arms. You barely heard him as you played with the water, dipping your fingers into the cold stream. Rain had a special way of making the chill feel bearable, even pleasant.

“Hey! What are you doing?” he exclaimed in near desperation as he saw you strip off your clothes, tossing them onto a rock. Wearing only your underwear, you smiled, recognizing the tone of his voice. It was almost like a time machine. Noah was still as unsure as the first time he’d seen you embrace the rain without fear of soaking your clothes.

“I want to jump in the river,” you declared, puffing out your chest as you freed your hair. He struggled not to stare at your body in the moonlight, his restless eyes darting nervously.

“You’ve lost your mind!” He let out an awkward laugh, grabbing your shirt from the ground and tossing it at your chest. “Get dressed! Let’s go! You hate working sober, and you’ll definitely make my life hell if you get sick!”

“It’s been so long since we’ve had any kind of break that maybe I am losing it. We’re stuck in a deserted place with no way back to the hotel before dawn. Like it or not, we have to put up with each other, so why can’t you stop being so unbearable?” you teased, tossing the shirt back at him and shrugging, certain you were close to pushing him over the edge. “I won’t tell Scarlet if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

“You’re pathetic and immature,” he muttered, rolling his eyes impatiently. “I’m freezing, Miss I’m Willing to Annoy Noah Sebastian!”

“Well then, don’t let me stop you! Look how nice the water is!” Taking advantage of his distraction—Noah had let down his defensive posture—you pushed him into the river. To both your surprise, it was deeper than it seemed.

You stood on the riverbank for a moment, laughing at your audacity, but you couldn’t resist for long. Taking a few steps back to gain momentum, you leaped into the water after him. The impact was cold and disorienting, but it didn’t take long for your eyes to find Noah’s figure beneath the surface.

His expression was anything but amused. His eyes were narrowed, his lips pressed into a line of disapproval that only made your laughter intensify as you both surfaced.

“You’re insane!” he muttered, spitting out water and pushing his hair out of his face. “And I’m freezing, thanks to you!”

“Oh, poor thing!” you teased, splashing a handful of water at him.

“Oh, it’s like that, is it?” He raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes.

Before you could react, he splashed water at you, igniting an awkward, laughter-filled battle. Every movement sent water splashing around you, mixing with the rain that continued to fall, turning the river into a chaotic dance of droplets.

You tried to swim away as he closed the distance, but the sound of your shared laughter — yours and his, in perfect harmony — drowned out any sense of urgency. You were both surrounded by problems, carrying the wreckage of everything that had trampled over what you once felt for each other in the past two years. Day by day, you fought to bury it, to smother the persistent flame that refused to die.

But it was impossible.

The energy between you was an uncontrollable force. In the same space, the air shifted, gravity seemed to pull you together. You radiated electricity, igniting each other, yearning with an almost insane intensity for what no principle or real obligation could replace: the singular feeling only the other’s presence could bring.

“There’s no use running!” he exclaimed, launching himself in the opposite direction to cut you off.

Eventually, you felt his arms reach you, a touch firm yet gentle, as if he always knew exactly how to hold you. Both of your breaths were heavy, your faces close enough that you could see every drop of water on his skin, his intense gaze locked onto yours.

Noah paused for a moment, his smile softening, as if lost in something deeper than the river surrounding you. Your hands rested on his broad shoulders, his soaked shirt clinging to his torso, outlining his chest and strong arms.

“You know this is the part of you I always hoped would never change?” he said, his voice low, almost drowned out by the rain and the current.

Your eyes searched his, a mixture of surprise and anticipation building within you.

“What part?” you asked, almost breathless.

“This one. The part that lives. That doesn’t mind getting wet, laughing out loud, dragging me — even if only for a few seconds — into feeling what it’s like to be as free as you.” He smiled, small and genuine, and that expression, so sincere, completely disarmed you. “I’m still a fan of that part.”

Before you could respond, he leaned in, threading his fingers into the damp strands of hair at the nape of your neck, bringing your face to his, and the kiss happened. It started slow, as if the entire world had slowed down to let that moment exist. Then it grew more intense, with both your bodies colliding, separated only by the droplets of water sliding between you, filled with everything words couldn’t say.

You savored every chance to be together again as if it were the last of your lives.

The rain continued, but you no longer felt the cold. Only the warmth of his touch, the hands that held you as if nothing could take you away. And, for an instant, the rest of the world didn’t matter. Each drop sliding down your skin was forgotten in the heat of that moment, in the pressure of his lips against yours. The river seemed to transform into an exclusive stage for the two of you, as if the universe itself conspired for that moment.

When the kiss finally broke, you stayed close, your foreheads almost touching, your breaths mingling as you tried to catch them. Noah opened his eyes, a different kind of light reflecting there, his lips trembling from the cold.

In the rain — your shared trademark.

You both remained silent for a moment, the sound of water and rain filling the space between you. It was as if the world had paused, allowing you both to process what had just happened.

“So…” you began, swimming slightly backward, trying to break the tension that was starting to form. “Still cold?”

“Not enough to forgive you for pushing me into the river,” he replied, but there was a playful smile tugging at his lips.

“Oh, so you’re still mad?” you teased, splashing another handful of water at him.

“Maybe,” he said, a mischievous gleam reappearing in his eyes as he moved closer again.

“Maybe?” You instinctively retreated, but he was already too close, his strong arms wrapping around your waist once more. Before you could protest, Noah spun you both in the water, drawing a surprised laugh from you.

“Now we’re even,” he declared, and for the first time in a long while, it felt like you’d both let go of everything that haunted you.

The rain began to ease, the drops now softer, as if even the sky was weary. You swam to the shore, the laughter gradually fading, but the lightness of that moment lingering between you.

Sitting side by side on the wet grass, both of you soaked but oddly comfortable, he looked at you with narrowed, bright eyes, an expression that held more than words could say.

“You seem worried about something.”

“It’s my mom’s birthday today…” you said softly, knowing Noah usually didn’t like when you brought her up. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, just as you expected. “Sorry for bringing it up with you, but it’s impossible not to remember every year.”

“I’ve always been a good listener. Above all else, we were best friends. You don’t need to apologize for wanting to talk to me,” he said quietly, with evident hesitation but sincerity. “I know you can’t talk to anyone else.”

“Thank you.” You raised one side of your lips in a smile that was more a reflection of relief.

“You always called her on her birthday, Mother’s Day, and Christmas. I remember that.”

“I filled her voicemail,” you said with a slightly embarrassed laugh, but out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Noah still serious, his gaze lost in something that wasn’t in front of him. “After a while, Crystal’s phone stopped ringing. Now it seems like it’s turned off.”

He cleared his throat slightly, as if something scratched at it, diverting his gaze for a few seconds before returning it to you. “Maybe she changed her number.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” You nodded, relaxing your shoulders and tossing a stone into the river, the sound of water breaking the uncomfortable silence. “Do you think she might’ve looked for me at some point over the years?”

Noah’s gaze was fixed on you. His restless fingers fidgeted with one another as he swallowed hard before shaking his head.

“I’m sure not.” He said, the words coming out slowly. “But… but it matters to you, doesn’t it?”

“I thought about going back to Richmond and stopping by her house a few times. I don’t know, don’t ask me why, but I felt this need countless times. To see her, to know how she was doing.”

“But you’re afraid of what you might find if you go there.”

“Yeah…” you replied, the word escaping almost as a whisper. You rested your chin on your arms, using the silence to reflect.

Anyone in your place would hate her, and maybe you had felt that at some point. But in the worst moments of your life, when pain was your only ally, your mother’s company was still what you sought when you returned home. Hers was the name you called out every night, and it was her you hoped to see at the end of every performance.

You waited for her for nine years.

From the corner of your eye, you saw Noah shrink slightly, pressing his temple in silence, as if he didn’t want to bother you with his groan of pain. Without ignoring him, you got up and gently asked him to walk back with you. After gathering everything that was scattered around, you both walked through the woods. He offered to carry you on his back if you were tired, but you refused and kept walking barefoot.

You tried to distract him so he’d forget the discomfort that was clearly bothering him. You brought up random topics, teased him more, and the two of you even managed to come up with part of a possible new song. But every now and then, he’d fall silent when that pounding in his head demanded his attention.

Back at the house, you used a pile of wood to light the fireplace and warm up. Noah had forgotten his hoodie at home, so he gave it to you to cover yourself while your clothes were hung to dry. You watched him sitting on the floor, his bare back exposed, revealing the large, colorful tattoo on his skin. He was in nothing but boxers, poking at the flames to make them grow.

In your pocket, you felt a piece of plastic pressing against your fingers. When you pulled it out, you saw an orange pill bottle with his name on the label.

“You’re the person most against self-medicating that I know. Would it be invading your privacy to ask why you’re carrying this in your pocket?” you asked without letting go of it, still calm as you looked at him. He turned his head slightly, his expression serene as he glanced over his shoulder at you.

“I still feel the same way about self-medicating, but the doctor who treated me said it’d be good to use those when I get headaches like that.”

You tightened your grip on the bottle, your eyes fixed on the label. Something about that name, about the doctor’s stamp, pulsed in your memory—like a song you can’t remember the lyrics to but know you’ve heard before.

“Dr. Klein?” you murmured, frowning as you scanned the printed name. Unease crept down your spine, as though an old shadow were trying to infiltrate your thoughts.

Noah turned slowly, his eyes scanning your face as if trying to decipher what had changed in your expression.

“Yeah. Is there a problem with that?”

You hesitated, your fingertips gliding over the bottle, now more cautiously, almost as if it might explode at any moment.

“I don’t know… I think I’ve heard that name somewhere before.”

He raised an eyebrow, a little suspicious, but chose not to press the matter. You were grateful for that since you needed time to rummage through your memory to figure out why it felt so familiar. But nothing seemed clear in your mind, and you dismissed it as a silly déjà vu.

After he fell asleep, you stayed by his side, hugging your knees as you watched him. The night’s silence seemed to amplify the sound of his breathing—a soft but fragile rhythm, as if it could shatter at any moment. The empty bottle nearby felt like a cruel reminder of his vulnerability.

You rested your head against the windowpane, staring at the reflection of the dimly lit room. The moonlight filtered through the half-open curtains, illuminating Noah’s features. Every line on his face, every shadow formed by months of absence and suffering, seemed to cry out for something he’d never admit out loud. Help.

Your chest tightened, a dull ache you couldn’t ignore, like a fist pressed against your heart. You hated feeling trapped in that bubble again, in that fate of trying to protect him at all costs. So many times, you’d sworn to yourself that you wouldn’t let it happen, but there you were, watching over his sleep as if every second of vigilance could make a difference.

He shifted slightly, a soft sigh escaping his parted lips. You held your breath, waiting for any sign he might be in pain again, but he only settled deeper into the blankets. Even so, you didn’t relax.

The doubts swirled in your mind like a storm. What if he needed you? What if he was getting worse? What if you weren’t enough to help him this time?

A warm tear rolled down your face, but you ignored it. The fear was overwhelming, a weight that seemed to sink your lungs, and the silence of the night only made it more oppressive.

“You can’t carry the whole world, you know?” you murmured to yourself, but the words felt empty, powerless.

Noah mumbled something incomprehensible in his sleep, his brow furrowing for a brief moment before relaxing again. You wanted to believe he was fine, that the apparent calm was real, but you couldn’t convince yourself.

And so, the night stretched on, slow and relentless. You stayed there, unmoving, staring into the early hours with tired eyes and a heavy heart, promising yourself you’d be there if he needed you—even if it meant losing yet another part of yourself in the process.

Finally, dawn arrived, and you were getting ready to head back to the hotel. Noah insisted you keep his hoodie when he noticed it was still drizzling outside. He was still groggy, unusually quiet, and you found it odd, knowing that mornings were rarely his silent moments—especially after the previous night.

“Are you okay?” you asked, watching as he turned away from the pensive moment he’d been caught in at the door.

“I don’t remember falling asleep in the bed…” Noah murmured, scratching the side of his head. “Did you figure out where that noise was coming from?”

You stared at him for a few seconds, folding your arms tightly when you saw the pure sincerity in his confused eyes. Noah didn’t remember the night before.

“I did… it was just a bird,” you said softly, and he gave a faint smile, nodding with a compressed grin.

“Ready to go?” He craned his neck to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything, and you followed him.

“We’re heading back to the hotel, but before we go any further, I really want to propose a truce.”

“A truce?” he asked, raising his eyebrows with a cautious expression.

“I’m not saying this night changed our lives or erased everything we’ve done to each other over the past two years, especially the last few months.” You took a deep breath, summoning the courage to continue. “But I think we can coexist as two human beings who… who loved each other deeply and now respect each other.”

Noah looked at you, puzzled, as if trying to decipher your words.

“I can’t promise things will be like they were or fool us with a false hope that we still have a chance, because I haven’t changed, Noah. And I can’t lie to you—I really haven’t changed.” You gave a sheepish smile, scratching the side of your head. “But I really wish we could live in a bearable environment until this is over, and we each go our separate ways.”

He stayed silent for a few moments before nodding slightly, his lips flexed in hesitation. Internally, you crossed your fingers, hoping he wouldn’t turn your attempt to be near him into something so complex. You felt the need to stay close, and you desperately needed an excuse to do so. He needed someone.

“You’re right.”

Noah sniffled discreetly, brushing off the discomfort in his nose, and took a step forward.

“But you’re not the only one who hasn’t changed… I’m still the same as back then, and that’s one of the reasons I want to keep my distance now. This version isn’t what you deserve.”

A painful silence lingered between you, and you closed your eyes for a few seconds, hoping to find another scenario when you opened them again. But he was still there.

“We should go. We’re going to be late for soundcheck, and Matt will chew us out,” you said. He gave a faint smile, trying to lighten the moment, but the shadow of his words still hung between you.

After the soundcheck, you returned to the dressing room and slumped heavily into the chair in front of the vanity. Your trembling hands rested on the surface as you stared at the pale reflection in the mirror. Your eyes were sunken, heavily concealed under layers of makeup. Your pupils were dilated, and cold sweat dripped down your neck. A tremor ran through your legs, forcing you to cross them in an attempt to mask it.

Your knotted stomach couldn’t digest anything but liquids, and the sharp pain in your head was a cruel reminder of withdrawal.

The sound of your phone ringing hammered at the back of your skull like a knife turning slowly. It was constant, repetitive, deafening, and every time you answered, all you heard was faint breathing in the background and the sound of something scratching. It made you stop paying attention to the device, treating it as if it didn’t exist.

With a sudden movement, you grabbed it and shoved it under the couch cushion, as if that could silence the noise that seemed intent on driving you mad.

You leaned forward, holding your head in your hands, when the door suddenly opened. Scarlet walked in, radiating that insufferable energy of control disguised as concern.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her tone suddenly softened but still laced with something insidious.

“It’s just a lack of patience,” you replied, trying not to show the weight of your confusion. “The incessant ringing of my phone gives me a headache.”

Scarlet glanced around and easily found the device under the cushion.

“You mean this phone?”

You nodded, not raising your eyes to her.

She frowned, glancing between you and the screen. “But it doesn’t have any missed calls.”

“What?” You jerked your head up, feeling the ground shift beneath your feet.

“Look…” Scarlet extended the phone toward you, and the blood drained from your face as you realized she was right. “There haven’t been any calls. Are you sure about what you’re saying?”

“Stop asking me if I’m sure of what I see or know, as if I’m crazy!” Your voice rose, echoing through the narrow dressing room walls.

“I’m sorry, but it’s normal for me to worry when I see you like this.” She tilted her head, her tone falsely empathetic, poisoning the air. “Your mind’s getting more confused every day. It’s not hard to imagine you’re seeing things that aren’t there.”

“But I’m not making this up! I’ve really been getting messages and calls nonstop for days!” you snapped, running your nails along the side of your head, as if you could scrape away the irritation. “Even…”

You stopped yourself, hesitating to mention the recent episodes—the feeling of being followed, the sight of your door being tampered with.

It was exactly the kind of thing Scarlet would use against you.

“Don’t tell me you’re also feeling like you’re being watched or constantly followed?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but the alarm in her eyes betrayed her. “I really should be worried about the clear signs of paranoia you’ve been showing…”

“STOP!” you shouted, the tension crackling in your voice like electricity, but she pressed on.

“You know it’s common for people in your state, don’t you? These things you’ve been using long-term erode your brain, and the tendency is for you to become more dangerous every day—not just to yourself but to others. That explains why Noah’s been keeping his distance.”

“I already told you to stop and get out of here!” Your voice shook, and you ignored her words, turning back to the mirror. The reflection was a battlefield where your inner chaos spilled outward. It wasn’t the moment—by no means—to absorb anything she said. You simply didn’t have enough control.

“Maybe it’s the perfect time to lock you up in rehab again.”

Those words hit like a punch, knocking the air from your lungs. Blood drained from your face, and your hands began to tremble as you heard something that should’ve been confidential. You had guarded that secret so carefully, buried under layers of shame and failure. Those months had felt useless—a recovery attempt now being used against you.

How did she know about that?

It didn’t matter.

You clenched your fists, jaw rigid, forcing yourself not to respond. Your vision blurred, breathing quickened, and a suffocating heat surged through your body. The incessant noise in the back of your mind, the weight of the accusations, and the physical pain melded into a whirlwind. Before you could control it, you lunged at her with all the force of your pent-up rage and despair, slapping her across the face.

Your body collided with hers, knocking her backward into the vanity. The impact sent some items crashing to the floor, but you didn’t stop. Your hands gripped her shoulders, shaking her as you screamed incoherent words—a mixture of anger and pain slamming her head against the wall with each strike. Blood trickled from her nose as the blows intensified.

Scarlet tried to defend herself, grabbing your hair and pushing your face away, but you were in an uncontrollable state. She attempted to slap you, but it only fueled your fury, blinding your vision until all you saw was red. You shoved her hard, slamming her against the wall again. She gasped for air but maintained that broken, defiant glare. With a firm tug on her hair, you alternated between punches and slaps. Adrenaline burned through your veins as you pinned her down, straddling her to immobilize her movements.

“Now you’ve got plenty of proof to call me crazy, you miserable bitch!” you screamed, your eyes wide, tears mixed with sweat streaming down your face.

She managed to free herself for a moment and tried to fight back, but the struggle was clumsy, chaotic. You both stumbled, knocking over a chair, until the sound of the door opening interrupted everything. Someone had heard the commotion and was about to step in.

You let go of Scarlet, breathing heavily, while she collapsed into loud sobs, struggling with exaggerated difficulty to move.

Both of you stayed silent for a moment, the room suffocating with the tension of the fight.

“What the hell happened here?” Noah’s voice cut through as he scanned the wrecked dressing room, startled by the disheveled girl sobbing and clinging to him.

“She freaked out and attacked me!” Scarlet sobbed, clutching his torso, her smudged makeup running as she brushed blood-matted hair away from her face.

Noah glanced between her and you, waiting for your explanation. But you merely shrugged with a restrained smile. After all, she’d come out worse. She was more injured than you, and any argument you made would be dismissed.

If she wanted to be the center of attention tonight, you had given her that.

⭑ @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard ; @iluvmewwwww75 ; @anarchydomainglory ; @foliosgirl ; @lacy1986 ; @chey-h ; @supersquirrel1996 ; @zozaline​ ; @just-randomm-stuff ; @do-it-jakey-baby

[cynicalclairvoyantcadaver]

LET'S ENJOY GREEK MYTH RETELLINGS AND STORIES BUT NOT TAKE ALL OF THEM SERIOUSLY

You know, I really have to say this.

I don't think that Greeks, Hellenistic Pagans and other people who know Greek Mythology would be as frustrated as they are today if people DIDN'T TAKE MODERN SOURCES DEPICTING GREEK MEDIA AS ALWAYS ACCURATE.

Bear with me now.

All right, so, we all know about Percy Jackson.

And PJO was basically the Greek God make or break of its time and it broke the Greek Gods. Greeks and Hellenistic Pagans had the unfortunate experience of being bombarded with false, incorrect interpretations and thoughts about their deities.

And we have to remember here that to these Hellenistic Pagans, their gods are as sacred to them as God is to Christians. Maybe they wouldn't kill people over their gods, an added bonus, but we must respect the fact that they worship the gods and we must be respectful of Greek Gods when interacting with them.

See, I'm not saying that you can't be lighthearted. You can joke around and all that-it's just that actually hating and condemning the Greek Gods shouldn't be done when you're interacting with their worshippers.

Now that I'm done with that, well, Rick Riordan fucked up with Greek Mythology big time. Making Athena have children, HIS MISOGYNY. THERE ARE ENTIRE TAGS DEDICATED TO RICK'S MISOGYNY, NOT JUST OF HIS FEMALE CHARACTERS BUT OF ACTUAL ANCIENT GREEK GODDESSES. If I did a whole essay on his misogyny, I'd have to make multiple posts.

Rick done fucked up with them. I do not have to be the first person to tell you that.

HOWEVER, I am obligated to say that any author is freely able to portray the Greek Gods as they want (unfortunately at times).

And so Rick is free to interpret them how he likes.

Let's also remember that Rick thought terribly of the Gods and their worshippers when he was writing Percy Jackson and the other series.

Of course, he HAS changed for the better. Now he's more respectful of Pagans and has apologised, which is nice, but I just thought I'd let you know.

See, now we can accept and criticise Rick's writing, but before-

Well, before, it was absolutely awful for Greeks and Hellenistic Pagans. I mean, it's still awful, but it was more awful back then because almost nobody criticised Percy Jackson about depicting Greek Gods terribly. Everyone said that Greek Gods were American and belonged to America-ugh, that was horrible. It's absolutely appalling to do that, no less to Greeks themselves. People ranted about how horrible the gods were.

And I mean yes, the Greek Gods could be awful by modern standards, but we need to remember two things-

The Greek Gods were based on an ANCIENT SOCIETY with DIFFERENT MORAL STANDARDS. Judging them by modern moral standards isn't going to do anything.

The actions of the gods were SYMBOLIC, NOT LITERAL.

a) Artemis' cruelty towards humans? That's the cruelty of nature towards him. Artemis was a nature goddess and she hunted and resided in the wild.

b) Dionysus being kind and charming but also mad and ruthless at times? Well, that's what wine does. It can make people funny and charming to a point, but it also drives people mad and makes them violent.

c) Hades kidnapping Persephone? Well, Hades represents death, and that's what death does-it rips children from their parents' arms. Also, it signifies the fact that daughters and mothers did not have a say in their marriage, the father could give the girl away to any man in those times. Demeter actually being able to get Persephone back was a comfort to grieving mothers.

d) Zeus cheating on Hera multiple times?

There are multiple explanations for this one.

First, kings and princes often claimed to be descendants of Zeus, so Zeus was said to have many affairs with royal mortal women so that their claims to divine lineage could be accurate.

Second, Zeus' rain represented fecundity and fertility. As I said above, the actions of the gods are symbolic and they represent their domains, so he had multiple affairs and loads of children to signify his fertility.

Third, the Greek Gods were based on Ancient Greek society where multiple men took concubines and lovers. And Zeus did this too, because he was a king!

e) Hera punishing the lovers and bastards? That's what queens did to some concubines for revenge, since they couldn't take it out on the king.

It's all either symbolic or based on Ancient Greece. The gods that humanity created were based on those times, and they were created millennia ago, when things were different in nearly every way possible.

Anyway, what I'm trying to tell you is that we're allowed to have fun with these stories and retellings that include Greek Mythology, but if you really want correct information on Greek gods, go and read the myths and the compositions of Ancient Greek poets and playwrights (Homer, Hesiod, etc).

Because many people, when reading these modern retellings and the like, think that they are actually real mythological information and accordingly spew nonsense.

People call Apollo 'Asspollo' and harass his worshippers because of one incorrect comic that came out in 2018. Apollo never raped Persephone.

And people also view famous figures like Odysseus and Achilles incorrectly because of incorrect translations that don't correctly capture the original and CERTAIN RETELLINGS (cough-Madeline Miller-COUGH)

And there are so many more examples I could give, but then this would be too long to post.

See, it's not that the writers completely rip the original lore out. They keep a lot of it, but they also add in some incorrect information. And sometimes this isn't that bad or malicious, it's just incorrect.

So if you're not sure about whether something in a retelling or story depicting Greek Gods is true, you should search it up online or ask someone who knows.

Because Greeks and Hellenistic Pagans are constantly frustrated at how their gods are portrayed and that everyone just takes the retellings as mythologically correct.

TLDR Greek mythology retellings can be fun for you to read but don't take all of the info in them as mythologically correct. You can be lighthearted about the Greek Gods but please don't actually loathe or mock them with others who believe in them and worship them. If you're not sure about info in a retelling or story, then search it up or ask someone you know.

There are multiple blogs on tumblr who can tell you more information about the actual Greek Gods and they're pretty nice about it too, so don't be too afraid.

[return-of-the-queen-au]

Just thought of the funniest level mod for a hat in time

Disclaimer, if this ends up actually being a thing it'll probably take LOTS of effort and I'll kiss whoever did it because I can't code or make levels for shit

But imagine. You know those mods that have multiple levels? Okay that, but pre disaster subcon.

like we get multiple levels where we get to interact with the people of subcon, the guards, the flower girl, the town folks and even get inside the manor without worrying about a crazy ice monster killing us.

And the levels are just more silly versions of the normal levels we have of subcon.

(Obviously the interpretation of the characters are my versions, but obviously I don't mind seeing how others see things.)

Contractual obligations:

We meet the prince and he greets us right before entering subcon. He notices that we're a foreigner and that we're looking for a specific object. He says he hasn't personally seen 'em, and that he'll help you find them by checking places we can't go in, but days to ask people around to see if they did see the time piece.

And it turns into us doing various (and really easy) tasks for the townsfolk, while also knowing some lore which is just them talking about what's happening rn and their personal lives.

in the end, we get this kid going to us saying he found this hourglass shining and that he noticed we were looking for it, so he gives it to us.

The subcon well: apparently there's some problems in the well, it's clogged and everyone is annoyed about it.

as we go around, the prince jumpscares us by popping out from somewhere (probably an ally or something like that.) doing the iconic snatcher "WHY HELLOOOOO THERE! you didn't forget about me, did ya?"

Before he says anything, he apologies for scaring us. He says how it was really just a prank he found funny. He giggles about it.

But either way, he needs our help.

He noticed how we were really helpful with his subjects and he thought he could ask us a favor to help him too.

he rambles about how he would have made us sign a contract but since we're a kid, he has to stick with shakes of hands and pinky promises.

Then he tells us how the well, or any of them in subcon, are clogged and it's bothering everyone. Especially Vanessa because the well is connected to the pipes in the manor and now they're clogged too (and Vanessa can't take a hot shower and she hates it.)

So he's asking us to help unclog the well (and the pipes) so everyone is happy.

"Normally" he would have asked an actual plumber, not a random kid who is ALSO a foreigner, but for some reason none of them are available and there's no way he's touching the well any time soon. It's too dirty in his opinion.

anyway, the level is similar to the original one from this point, we get the time piece from unclogging everything.

Mail delivery service:

Once again with the prince scaring us to death at random when we start exploring the place.

he apologies again, but not for the scare but because he's asking us again to do stuff. Yes he laughs again at hat kid getting scared.

This time he complains about how literally no one is available and that he bets he soon will have to ask you for your help again.

but this time he has a good offer.

We have to deliver some letters and packages (but this time it's dlc style where we have to deliver under a timer.)

He says that if we do him this little favor he'll give us a time piece he found in a random bush around the manor.

Once we're done, he thanks us, saying how he really needs to hire a new mail man because the last one has gone *poof* for some reason he doesn't know either.

Toilet of doom:

the public bathroom is acting funny. we notice because there's a line with way too many people that passes through the entire town.

once we reach the end (or start.) of the line we see two guards.

When we go talk to them they sound worried, saying how they've been waiting for the guy in there to come out so the others can use the bathroom but guy has been there for HOURS.

They tried asking both the queen and prince but both said they refuse to go near that bathroom, they think it's too filthy (and smelly. Especially smelly.)

when we go and reach for the bathroom door to open it, you struggle and it doesn't open. So we beat it up with the umbrella until it opens and a boss fight happens.

it's pretty much the toilet of doom boss fight but we see everyone around us occasional complaining about the smell.

Queen Vanessa's manor:

Vanessa centric level! We don't see the prince in here.

We basically get asked by two guards to go to the manor because the queen wants to see us, and so we do.

We get all vibes of the queen being some cold hearted dictator and when we enter we head the famous "WHO GOES THERE?!" From Vanessa.

We don't run (because we can't) and when we see Vanessa come in we see the pre monster Vanessa, who immediately recognizes us and goes "oh hello there!!!!! You're the foreigner my dear prince told me about!!!! The one who helped my subject and was kind enough to.....unclog that disgusting bathroom..."

In general, we see Vanessa as some really sweet and kind woman. She even offers us cookies (that aren't poisoned!)

We talk to her for a bit and then she tells us that she asked us to come over because she needed help.

the entire manor is a MESS and normally she would just ask her maids to help her clean, but they would take too long because the manor is big, and she needs the manor squeaky clean because the prince is coming back soon from his studies abroad. (Which is why we don't see him on this level)

So the task is to once again go around the manor, but instead of hiding from Vanessa, we clean around. (There can be maids around, like 2-3. Definitely looking the same or maybe the only difference is the hair.)

Anyway, just like in the og, we can snoop around Vanessa's diary and we get the time piece in the attic.

The final boss fight/your contract has expired: basically right after the whole misunderstanding mess.

We see everyone frozen and the manor doors open.

Stealth little game as we roam around with Vanessa (very angrily) looking for people and crying about the prince cheating on her.

We have the choice to go to the cellar and see the prince freezing there, we can't talk to him but if we're quiet enough we can hear him sniffle and quietly cry.

Anyway!! Once we reach the second floor we see Vanessa and there's this whole chasing part until we go out of the manor. From there we start getting chased AGAIN until we just run away completely from subcon.

The storybook from the time rift will probably be town folks centric during the whole disaster, we see the flower girl and any character we helped in the first level and how they ended up (likely dead and frozen.)

[theheirofthesharingan]

I'm genuinely baffled why you thought I was talking about Itachi Shinden novels, when everything I've written here is obvious in Manga itself.

I've never said Uchiha deserved their fate. They absolutely didn't. But I'm dead against blaming Itachi, or considering him "as bad as" Hiruzen and Danzo, which happens in the Uchiha fandom frequently, when the actual perpetrators —Madara, Fugaku, and Obito are excused. They were the ones who ensured the Uchiha met with their fate, and yes, their contribution varies from each other. A traumatized 12-year-old is not responsible for adults failing to talk and negotiating. He was a tool. And he would have been used by either of the side. The village just exploited his fear of war and desire to keep Sasuke safe, whereas Fugaku didn't even bother to acknowledge that his decisions would bring a doom upon everyone, including his sons.

Fugaku gets criticism for his parenting. Some people might hate him, but nobody uses heavy words for or him goes out of their way to dedicate hate accounts/hate blogs on him. Words like "Nazi" and "Hitler" are used for Itachi, along with other vulgarities I don't want to write. The moment you shared from manga, not only it seems Mikoto is lying to Sasuke, and even if she isn't, it reflects badly on her. Imagine the only way you can comfort your child is by telling him that your other son isn't loved and he's paid attention to is because he is useful. And if Fugaku indeed did so that, he wasn't much better either.

While Fugaku defends Itachi, we also get to know Shisui was spying on Itachi. Fugaku consented to it. Before and after this moment, he is never present in Itachi's life. If anything, while Itachi needed his support, Fugaku's attention was only on Sasuke. Itachi was already seen as an adult and how his family treated him only affirms that. Fugaku had enough sense to not drag Sasuke into the political mess, but hey, let's use Itachi.

Itachi is criticised heavily. There are literally mythologies invented to "prove" he was evil. Some of his fans certainly deify him, but when internet is infested with the opinions like "Thanos was right", "Sasuke did nothing wrong" and "Madara did the right thing" along with using other morally ambiguous characters to whitewash them, Itachi is likely to have such fans as well. Itachi alone doesn't have such fans.

It's funny you mentioned Itachi Shinden, because in the novel they do try to talk to the Hokage, but in Manga, where Obito is trying to portray the Uchiha clan as a victim and defending them, never does he mention they ever tried to go for talks. We never see Kishimoto saying Uchiha clan tried negotiation before the coup.

No, I understand that. Fugaku did not have evil plans to ruin Itachi's life, but it still happened anyway. My whole criticism, more than Fugaku himself, is towards the Uchiha fans who think Fugaku must be excused, while also simultaneously blaming a literal child for not making decisions despite being shaped by the adults around him.

No, I mean Fugaku doesn't stand by Itachi's side at all. Before and after Shisui's death. There's not a single instance in which Itachi looks happy with his interactions with his father. Fugaku is very much aware of it. He's very much aware of the fact that Itachi isn't in it and is unhappy, but there's no emotional support for him whatsoever.

The comparison between Fugaku and Hashirama is interesting and of the two, I do prefer Fugaku. However, Fugaku's unwillingness of battling Itachi came from the place of guilt. Both Hashirama and Fugaku are loyal to the institutions they belong. While Hashirama doesn't mind killing his own kin for the village, Fugaku also doesn't mind sacrificing his son for the clan. If the coup had already been carried out, it would have resulted in a bigger conflict, because no one would accept a clan that took power by force.

Fugaku did not intend to guilt-trip Itachi, but that's very natural that Itachi would feel, after sharing those moments with his parent. It's worse because Fugaku could not have thrown Itachi away like this. And like he himself said, "Compared to yours, our pain will be over in an instant." Itachi lived for nearly a decade with tremendous guilt for the choices he didn't want to make, because of the life he was forced to live and done so by his own family. Fugaku threw him away and Mikoto was thoroughly absent form his life. But when killing them shook him to his core, it's not a rocket science to understand how much guilt festered inside of him.

You don't have to fathom killing someone you love. The good thing is, none of us are characters in a fictional world. Although, irl these instances aren't unheard of either. If your family or a loved one tries to pose a threat to the larger mass, and all else fails, sometimes eliminating them is the best idea. I'm going to use an irl example: a queen in my country killed her son after he sided with the British and became a threat to the civilians, leaking information to the enemies.

We don't need Manga panels to understand the consequences of coup. I've already stated above. Coup is 'forcefully taking power'. So, even if Uchiha clan succeeded in it, why would they not face any resistance? Why do people (and Uchiha themselves did) think that the village would have accepted them had they attacked the village. Why would Danzo sit quietly? And most importantly, Obito was looking for an opportunity. Sure, Fugaku didn't know anything about Obito, but other threats were glaring in their face. A civil war on its way had coup happened.

The comparison between Fugaku and Itachi is wrong and makes no sense, although it's not the first time I've heard it. Itachi's actions are objectively worse than Fugaku's, but Fugaku had no reason to expose his son to the kind of violence he did. "..prepare him for the harshness of the world and make him 'stronger'" is not an excuse, when he isn't willing to do it to Sasuke as well. Itachi, on the other hand, had to leave Sasuke in the village where he would be unsafe, living among the people who could take his life any moment, or get kidnapped (basically, all the things Danzo did). He wanted to be sure Sasuke would be able to protect himself against such people + wouldn't believe Itachi was a good person and loved him + wouldn't be a threat to the villagers who had no hand in the Uchiha tragedy. Itachi regretted everything. He cried torturing Sasuke and did his best to avoid it the second time.

In regards to Hashirama -- he did not "weigh state over his closest friends and own family". He had the responsibility of countless others. And it comes with personal sacrifices whether you want to do it or not. If the lives of Madara or others is important, so is the lives of those civilians who aren't blessed with superpowers some Shinobi are.

Hm, been contemplating these panels lately and thinking about which character is constantly demonized within the fandom/fan works involving them and which is frequently viewed as the ultimate loving and moral person...

And:

One is a man bearing the supposed 'Curse of Hatred' who loves his children so much that he is continuing to parent and offer unconditional love to his son even after said son has already participated in the brutal state-sanctioned genocide of their people/culture and is about to end his (and his wife's - who, btw, is on the same page as him) life.

The other is a man from the supposed 'Clan of Love' who boldly holds the conviction that he would cease his compassion towards even his own child if they stood against him and his dream (the village), regardless of the fact his dream (the village) is a corruptible entity that does not maintain personhood.

Interestingly, I think there is something to be said for the fact both Fugaku and Hashirama are also shown struggling to understand Itachi and Madara (respectively).

Fugaku is actually quite honest regarding his issues in relating to Itachi and while we're not always privy to all the conversations they've had about the state of the clan/sentiment of the Leaf village towards their people, it's clear that those discussions have been had. While the panels where we do see more explicit conversations taking place show Fugaku reiterating to Itachi that his role in ANBU is to serve as a pipeline between the clan/village (which could be argued as an unfair burden foisted onto a child, in my opinion) there are also moments that indicate Fugaku is willing to defer to Itachi (at least on some topics) when his son offers a contradictory viewpoint (like attendance at Sasuke's entrance ceremony, for example).

Side note... this also reminds me of the very short (unfortunately) interactions we see between Madara and his father, Tajima. Tajima clearly respects his son as well and defers to him when Madara insists that they not fight Hashirama and his family on the river - Tajima accepts this from his son without pause.

Alternatively, we also see Madara trying to explain his perspective to a skeptical Hashirama before he commits to taking more drastic actions. Madara is trying to articulate his frustrations with what is happening in the village/how it is progressing with regards to his clan and (even though we never really get Madara's own unfiltered perspective on this time period) we are shown instances of Madara's grievances holding water (ie. Tobirama advocating for Madara not to be made Hokage, but instead pushing randomly for a democratic system that never seems to actually be cemented or made precedent within the village afterwards but absolutely benefits Hashirama/the Senju in the short-run, Madara 'overhearing' Tobirama's continued bias against the Uchiha in private conversations between the brothers, Hashirama continuing to scold his brother -someone who had ample power within the system of governance since its inception- for his bias against the clan even when they're brought back via the edo tensei, etc). Hashirama tries to (weakly, in my opinion) defend the village status quo/way it is progressing and seems to want to better understand Madara, but isn't willing or is unable to go that extra mile for his friend - and, perhaps in some ways, Madara too was unwilling/unable to articulate himself in a more digestible way once their divergence of opinion on their shared village came to this new crux.

Ultimately, I just find it interesting that Fugaku, this character who is often portrayed by fans as a demon of hatred and cruelty, would (in reality) stand by his son even in his darkest hour, even as he is unjustly slaughtering their family, and continue to reaffirm that he is proud of Itachi/loves him - and this is directly counter to Hashirama who asserts he would absolutely kill anyone (including a child) that stood between him protecting that which he loves the most (the village).

And, of course, we also have this to chew on lol...

Sasuke explaining to edo Hashirama that Itachi inherited his 'Will of Fire' jingoism.

Mandatory disclaimer that Fugaku is not infallible and all the characters here (but Fugaku and Hashirama in particular) are their own people/the circumstances do vary (especially as one relationship is framed in the context of father-son and the other as two friends/peers)... I should also note that I still enjoy Hashirama as a character, I just think his flaws are often under-examined and that the hypocrisy inherent to the 'Will of Fire' philosophy/the Leaf Village (and by extension the shinobi world) is equally neglected especially when it comes to this fandom's love of tearing down the Uchiha to their worst traits/moments. But, man, something about these two panels and character portrayals in particular have just been eating at me the past few days, so I figured I'd try to work out some thoughts on them.

[mittenlady]

klavquill is fun not only because of how they would interact with each other but also because of how their relationship would affect others. hear me out

• klavier and athena have more excuses to interact. this is so important actually. athena gets a rich uncle and they are both so silly and listen to taylor swift and gossip in german together (usually about simon right in front of him) and simon is mildly annoyed — but at least athena knows he’s finally moving on, connecting with others, living instead of waiting to die. + simon forced to go outside because of the blue-eyes freaks (people who care about him) that refuse to leave him alone

• aura finding out simon is dating a famous (former) rockstar when she gets out of prison and pulling out the robot army during family dinner to give him a talking to. awww so cute :) she has an initial and fervent hatred of the blond-haired Jezebel of the courtroom (she did not go to prison just so her baby brother could have his heart broken by some blond twink) but upon discovering they share a mutual pastime (annoying simon) she grows to accept that maybe klavier gavin can live another day. + there’s something to be said in the differences in how klavier and simon’s respective older siblings treat them. damn imagine having an older sibling that DIDN’T use you and actually cares about you that’s insane

• ema once being able to find hater solidarity within simon only to discover that he has joined the dark side. once she was able to endure klavier’s swooning with the knowledge that her hatred had company, that she was not the only one who wanted to behold the downfall of the glimmerous fop. she lived a peaceful lie: that simon blackquill, her ally, would not be swayed by the fop. now there is no peace. + she totally was forced to aid in their mutually pathetic courtship attempts because let’s be real. neither of them are normal and working near them would be intolerable. she had to play matchmaker for the sake of humanity

• imagine u r apollo justice pulling up to the courtroom and then the prosecution’s bench is a slut who won’t stop speaking german and playing minute long guitar solos and an ex-convict who is not only british but could also kill you with his bare hands and both of them find amusement in tormenting u. imagine. could you imagine

[the-judicial-assistants-notebook]

the Klavier-Edgeworth parallels of I Don't Care How You Feel, the Truth Is the Only Thing That Matters™ are very interesting, but the Klavier-Phoenix parallels of nothing bad has ever affected me in my life idk what you're talking about that didn't mean anything I'm not talking about it I'm not thinking about it I'm not acknowledging it they may not be dead but they're dead to me and that's how I like it I'm never looking at them again because they're dead they're gone they're a ghost and this is a perfectly healthy way to live look at me I'm thriving I'm thriving I'm thriving are also very interesting, do you get what I'm saying.

[dooblez]

thas his emotional support animal right there

[moeblob]

They're soulmates in every single universe and I miss them at the most random times.

[another-goblin]

SPOILERS for 2.2 and Aventurine's message

So his stone was completely destroyed, and the IPC knows about it. I've also got the feeling that he wanted to free himself from the IPC. So why, at the end of 2.2, does he act as if most of 2.1 didn't happen? I mean, why would he expect a rise from Diamond? He clearly still has full support of the IPC too.

Can you even be Aventurine the Stoneheart without aventurine the stone? Is Diamond going to give him a new one? 

I hope he's up to something. Otherwise, it doesn't make much sense.

I'm also a bit confused about this. Didn't it all happen exactly according to his plan? How was it foiled?

[thedrotter]

Re:Kinder Fun Facts of the day☺️!!! Have you ever wondered who talks the most from the main cast in Re:Kinder?? Well, I did😊. Today I'll be answering this question with some graphs and as a bonus telling you what words each character uses the most! I will warn you, this will be a bit long and I don't know how to be less verbose so, yeah!!!

First, I've made some basic rules as to what I counted regarding how much the characters speak. Not all lines really count as speaking, after all.

Any of the incoherent screaming lines don't count. There's a lot of screaming since the characters die a lot (as expected for a horror RPG game), but I don't really count that as speaking unless they're saying proper words. In that same vein, I didn't really count any of the panting or sniffing and such that are conveyed through words. Again, I don't really see that as a character actively speaking their thoughts!

If I cannot tell who a line belongs to, I will not give it to anyone. This happens for certain lines, so I felt this rule was important.

I won't be counting repetitions of the same line if it's on a variation of the same scene. This may sound a bit strange, but when a character dies, the game goes on to the same next scene it would regardless (unless the scene that follows it is an ending), with variations and new lines here and there to account for the dead character, but a lot will be reused and placed in the exact same beats it normally would have been in originally. So, this rule is here for that. Oh, and also the scenes with bits of Yuuichi's backstory that appear in Shunsuke's head won't be counted twice, because some appear twice line by line.

Of course, the "..." lines won't count. I am so sorry Aya!!!!😞

Now that the ground rules have been set, there's just one thing I want to mention. Though I will count all the total lines for Takumi and Yuuichi like any other character, I just want to mention that first I will have two separate counts for them! Takumi | Takumiel and Yuuichi | Yuuichi's Heart respectively.

Takumiel is separate because I was curious about how much Takumi spoke as an archangel compared to when he was alive. Yuuichi's Heart is because he speaks so much he feels notable enough to be given his own division, even if he and Yuuichi at the end of the day are one person

(I count the silly mind telepathy where Shunsuke is being directly spoken to [and being told things normal Yuu would avoid saying at that point] and the comical theater as Yuuichi's Heart. I clarify in case one assumes he only starts being counted the moment he's directly labelled as Yuuichi's Heart. Any line that can't be distinguished between Yuuichi's Heart and Yuuichi will be given to Yuuichi by default.)

With nothing else to be clarified let's get to the numbers!!!😊😊

First, the line counts with Takumiel and Yuuichi's Heart counted individually!! Here are the rankings:

Shunsuke (With a lead of 535 lines over second place!!)

Yuuichi

Rei

Yuuichi's Heart

Hiroto

Ryou

Sayaka

Aya

Takumi

Takumiel

You may be thinking— woah, does Shunsuke really speak that much?! You could say that, for a good chunk of those lines are from how he describes interactable points around the map and his inner thoughts, so they aren't all exactly said out loud. The benefit of being the protagonist, I suppose ww

Funny enough, Yuuichi's Heart has almost as many lines as Yuuichi does for not having that much time in the game, being on the higher end between the characters that don't get the benefit of being a protagonist (lol)!

Admittedly I had expected for Rei and Hiroto to have a more similar amount of lines given their nearly equal amount of presence, but for what it is Rei surpassed Hiroto by 51 lines! I also had expected for Takumiel to speak a little bit more than Takumi but turns out the opposite is true.

While the lack of lines of Takumi and Takumiel are to be expected due to their short time on the game, what stands out is Aya not even reaching triple digits between her other peers who are in there for most of the game. This is because a good chunk of Aya's lines in game are silence!^^" And thus weren't counted. If ellipses were a word, she surely would have reached triple digits, but unfortunately they're not.

Now the line count with combined sums of Takumi | Takumiel and Yuuichi | Yuuichi's Heart!!!

In here, the ranking isn't affected, with Yuuichi remaining second place and Takumi being last place. But the disparity of everyone's numbers compared to Takumi's feels a bit more clear to see when Takumiel isn't individually counted.

With Yuuichi's line counts combined, Shunsuke remains 318 lines ahead of him, but it also means Yuuichi has a 59% the amount of Shunsuke's lines; and impressive feat for someone who doesn't get the benefit of being the point of view for everything you press... Although he does also have an upper hand over everyone by essentially being the plot of this game ww

But maybe line counts do not suffice to tell how much a character speaks. Yes, Shunsuke has a bunch of lines from everything he interacts with, but is it really reliable to say he speaks all that much in all those lines? A good chunk of those could easily have 3 words each! So with this in mind, let's do a word count.

Even in a word count, Shunsuke has the lead, having a lead of 2,247 words over second place. But we'll see about that when we combine Yuuichi's numbers. Anyway, here's the ranking!

Shunsuke

Yuuichi's Heart

Yuuichi

Rei

Hiroto

Ryou

Sayaka

Aya

Takumi

Takumiel

This time, Yuuichi's Heart is the one at second place!!! It's pretty funny that he speaks more than his physical counterpart ww. I genuinely didnt think he'd out yap himself that way when I chose to count for him individually 😭!!! He has a lead of 63 words over himself, but a lead nonetheless.

In here, Rei and Hiroto are more even than in the line counts, with the difference seeming more minimal when put into words. But it also showcases that despite Rei having more lines than Yuuichi's Heart in the line count, those only get to have a bit over half of the amount of words he talks (To be fair he does get to infodump a lot in his section of the game).

And here's the combined word count!!! Suddenly Shunsuke's lead is only by a mere 55 words! So Yuuichi speaks about as much as he does with 318 less lines.

I must admit that I genuinely did not expect it to be that close. When I chose to count the lines for when you interact with things for Shunsuke, I thought he was granted to speak an absurd amount more than anyone else. But turns out that Yuuichi speaks about the same amount out loud when most of Shunsuke's are his own thoughts ww. But it does make sense! He is still the plot of this game.

So, after all those charts, here's the average/middle point of lines and words for characters to have, because why not, it's fun.

Average Line Count (YH and Takumiel counted individually): 197 lines

Average Line Count (When combined): 247 lines

Average Word Count (YH and Takumiel counted individually): 1,333 words

Average Word Count (When combined): 1,666 words

So there it is. That's how much the characters in Re:Kinder speak!

But wait!!! I am not done. I will share with you an additional fun fact... Did you ever want to know what word each of these characters said the most?! This one will be quicker, I do promise.

When it came to counting these words I did not count stop words, that being common words that are used all the time by everyone in English. "I, you, me, the, to, a, my, your, yes, no"... Words like that! Otherwise everyone would have one of those as their most said word and it'd be rather boring to look at. With that said, here are the words these characters say the most!

Shunsuke: Yuuichi - said 40 times! (this genuinely confused me so much im sorry he uses interjections so much I had expected it to be something like "huh" or "um" but no i dont know how this passed by me as i was rounding up all the lines he says or proofreading or writing all of those lines WHAT?!?! its been two days and it still takes me out)

Ryou: Shunsuke - Said 14 times

Sayaka: Murderer - Said 7 times (All in one sentence!)

Takumi | Takumiel (counted in one for how little he speaks.): Takumiel - Said 3 times (That name is so important, he said it thrice.)

Aya: Sorry - Said 5 times

Rei: Hell, gonna, look, Yuuchi - said 8 times (Most of the repeated words she says are stop words for she doesn't tend to speak about the same things repeatedly.)

Hiroto: Shunsuke - Said 17 times

Yuuichi (separate from YH): Problem - Said 17 times

Yuuichi's Heart: Mama - Said 24 times

Yuuichi (Overall): Mama - Said 31 times

So that is finally it. That is the fun fact of today.😊😊 Use this to woe your friends at parties!!!

I am aware Mami speaks about enough to be counted in, but this is pretty time consuming to do and I'm not sure anyone is invested on her enough to count her in. But if there's enough curiosity regarding that, I'll try counting her in. But for now this suffices.☺️ Thanks for reading!

[aroaceleovaldez]

do you think nico and hades are cool with each other these days? would hades helo Nico if nico really needeed it?

Oh absolutely - I think their interactions in HoO (and again, see my like 5 different posts about Nico being guaranteed immortality after his death by Hades) pretty solidly confirm that. Them being on solidly good terms seems to start during the Battle of Manhattan - when Nico brings reinforcements in the form of Hades, Persephone, and Demeter. They seem to have mostly sorted out their disagreements and understand where each other are at, and by the end of TLO we see them generally being on good terms. By HoO they're actively communicating more, we see Hades giving Nico advice, offering him reassurance in BoO, etc etc.

I'd even go so far as to say Nico seems to also be on relatively good terms with Persephone now as well. Heck in TLO he even seemed on decent terms with Demeter, which is kind of fascinating in my opinion since we really only see them somewhat interact once.

Nico's really interesting in that regard to me because he's probably the demigod who is on good terms with the most deities we know of, or at least those deities view him favorably even if Nico is iffy on them. He's on good terms with his dad and step-mom, and seems to be on decent terms with Demeter. He's explicitly friends with Apollo and Hestia. If you want to count Iapetus/Bob, Nico is friends with him too. Dionysus is literally his therapist. Heck, Cupid even has a personal interest in him for whatever reason and after beating him up basically goes "good job, kid!" and it's implied they met a long time ago and HoH isn't their first interaction. Achlys (while being ominous) says Nico is "perfect" (because of his suffering, but at the same time she says it in a way that seems to be that she's praising that attribute of his and doesn't attack him or anything. So I like to go out on a limb and say she views Nico favorably). There's some implication that while Nico is personally iffy on the Hunters they don't view him negatively. And according to Un Natale Mezzosangue Nico is on even friendly terms with the Etruscan god Charu.

But yeah, re: your question, it is basically canon already that Hades would help out Nico if he's able to and Nico needs it.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Just finished replaying the entirety of Melody of Moominvalley in preparation for the dlc release! I won’t be able to get it right away but it’s the principle of the thing. Also I love this game and I highly recommend playing it if you want something sweet and heartwarming, even if you’re not familiar with Moomins (though all the Easter eggs make it a little more rewarding if you are a fan).

I’m hoping to see more of Sniff and Snorkmaiden in the dlc - I should hope so at least; Sniff is Fuddler’s brother and I just can’t see Snorkmaiden not wanting to help out with something romantic like this.

[tmae3114]

the other day, a friend of mine invited me over to testplay a paper-and-pencil storytelling game he's been working on for a while and feels like he's finally got a workable version of and one of his mentioned reasons was that "you're a fellow storyteller, I want to see what you'll do with it"

I promptly created a character which violated exactly zero (0) rules but nonetheless obliterated one of the core intended mechanical limitations of the game and I didn't even do that on purpose

after the game, when we were laughing about this, he admitted that one of his other reasons for asking me specifically to testplay was because he knew that "if there was anything that could be broken, you would find it and break it"

[rivilu]

I started making Ellu in the dav cc for fun and. Tell me why I'm tempted to actually play him.

[calloohly]

heeheehee

[amelikos]

Actually a bit surprised that Cap's allergy to the word "cute" has been brought up a few times after it was first revealed.. And that it was brought up once when Spinel was in the vicinity in HZ054..

I wonder if it'll be brought up again in the future.