#i cant articulate how much i love this scene

[damconcha]

Every so often I’ll think about how when Luffy needed a blood transfusion Shirahoshi said something along the lines of

“My blood isn’t type F but it’s still red though, isn’t that enough?!”

[lemongogo]

they should get to kill each other at least twice .i think

[daily-hanamura]

i have more screenshots but idk if tumblr can handle it

[dreadfutures]

.

I love Solas, and I love Solavellan, because I find the character and story so compelling, but sometimes I feel like a fake Solavellan

to me Ixchel and Solas has kind of always been about two friends who both suffer from the same affliction and they are the only two people who can ever understand it, the affliction being outside (duty, responsibility, guilt) and inside (inherent fatalism in philosophy, viewing the self as unworthy, haunted by despair) and though

they can't at first forgive themselves or find the strength within them to stay out of their dark spirals, they can do it for the other. and how important that is. that's love. the smooching and everything is on top. the knowing what dark predators haunt the other person's psyche and saying I'll be there with you when the wolves come, we'll survive together. the I know exactly who you are and how ugly it is and I love you for it and I see the beauty still. the I will never get tired of you even if youre never "fixed." that's love right. that's Ixchel and Solas to me.

so like yeah they have been Together for about like 170+ chapters. they're not being tested about being pulled apart by duty or fear anymore, they're testing the strength of that bond in those dark ugly moments that come for us all. and mostly theyre good. mostly they're just on an adventure together.

somehow it feels like I'm a fake Solavellan 🥲 like early dpdf captured something and... getting together, having truths revealed, this *aftermath* is like I left that behind somehow. like it's beyond what Solavellans want. idk. I think about other fics that are post- truth coming out and staying together and they're very different vibes, I think, you know?

I like my action/adventure fic, I like them together, I like having moments where they find that there is still a dark corner they haven't swept out into the light yet and the way it's still scary for someone to want to know those ugly parts of you that they maybe haven't seen yet. I like having them be mostly utterly confident in each others competency. I like them united against the unknown together. but like did everything about them peak in Here Lies the Abyss, you know? or maybe Wycome? I'm so nervous about everything in TBG :'( it's just hard for me RN in my heart idk to feel confident of like. where it Fits into fandom besides "blue loves lore and wants to explore metaphysics with Ixchel (new perspective) and Solas (wise, experienced guide)"

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[chilpilled]

one of the things i love most about the relationship between chilchuck and laios is that though they have vastly different outlooks, they still respect and engage with the others opinion. their relationship is one formed on the basis of deep mutual trust and respect. chilchuck doesnt hesitate to tell laios whats on his mind, and laios values his opinion and knows that chilchuck will be honest and blunt with him!! its easy to play it off as chilchuck being mean or a hater, but hes shown to really do care and be willing to actually engage with laios‘ ideas, like when he actually started second guessing himself about the mermaids. most of chilchucks criticisms are valid and laios knows that! thats why he trusts him and follows his advice.

laios doesnt understand why eating fishmen would be wrong, and though chilchuck cant really articulate it, laios immediately accepts it when he says its just a matter of feelings, while on the other hand, chilchuck actually does end up second guessing those feelings that he had, too. he kept quiet for marcilles benefit but he also ate the eggs himself and reconsidered his own stance. hes genuinely willing to engage with laios‘ ideas even if they go against his instincts! (as is shown in basically every single chapter)

especially considering the impact the shuro situation had on laios and how much he struggles with people lying to him and only pretending to understand, i think its nice that he has someone he can rely on to be honest with him and just tell him what he thinks. thats what laios asks of chilchuck when he goes to confront the demon, too. he wants chilchuck to bring him back to his senses, because he trusts him, and he knows that chilchuck will be the one person who would know what to say. and they didnt get the opportunity to actually try this plan, but i think the scene where chilchuck convinces laios to go back up to the surface again is all you need to know about why the winged lion isolated him.

[allmannerofmalady]

In continuation of my clownery, I started a new DATV playthrough because my beloved Inquisitor looked so jarring I had to remake her and replay like 20 hours of the game. But hey, I made peace with the fact that I am playing DATV to wrap up Inquisition and get an ending scene at this point, I'm not currently foreseeing a second playthrough, so I gotta do it right, y'know?

Spoilers, and me complaining at extreme length, yet again, about my own personal expectations vs reality into the void. Please ignore if DATV negativity is something you prefer to stay away from, protect your peace & what you enjoy.

So I replay HOURS. I'm having fun killing everything as fast as I can - I don't know what it is about playing as a rogue in this game that has tickled my ADHD brain so much, but I'm surprisingly really good at the arrow bonanza and relentless enemy aggro?! This turn based bitch? I digress.

I see my bb Inquisitor Lavellan - she still doesn't look like herself, but I can live with it. She got some ill-advised fillers in Tevinter, she's been through a lot, let her LIVE.

This time around my strategy is pure lore hunting. I'm getting every codex, I'm SQUEEZING this playthrough for whatever lore/easter eggs I can get because idk if I'm going to play again. I got all of Solas' murals early on, got Mythal's essence before Weisshaupt even, I think. BUT WAIT! I have one more treat! The locked room in the Lighthouse! Solas' study! There must be something juicy for all the effort, right? RIGHT? :'D

I know it's been beaten to death, but PERSONALLY, the game still feels incredibly flat to me, jarringly so. If I'm in the Dreadwolf's home, I want to snoop. I want Rook to look through his library, his books, his garbage bin. I even remember the devs saying they wanted being in the Lighthouse to feel an old friends house, or something? I could be wrong, my brain is fried. It's not just a Solas thing - I'm playing this game because I'm desperate for info about the characters I love, but as Rook, we are IN Solas' HQ and I want to rip open the floorboards. I'm trying to RP as much as I can RP in this G.

Anyway, I was so thirsty for something more, something deeper than just these lovely environments I cant do much with, and notes on how Solas hoards raisins - so I collected the wisps and did all the things to unlock the second door in the Lighthouse, forever booboo the fool, thinking I would get some juicy content or something. Trying to stay positive.

No. NO. I got some gear, another empty room Rook has no comments on, and fine, some of Solas' observations on the anchor. It does seem to confirm he kept the Inquisitor’s arm aaaand I love him your honour.

Back to backflipping and shooting arrows in the air, and wanting to grab Emmrich by the beautiful lapels to shake him and ask about the Pentaghast family. Where's my WIFE --

On to the Weisshaupt mission, which was actually ridiculously fun to play - until I was told Weisshaupt is gone haha wow great love that at least the Inquisitor & gang are keeping Southern Thedas safe *subtle foreshadowing* 😃🤞 weeee

I was SO MAD at myself for expecting more like the clown that I am, it was something dumb but just annoyed me all over again and got me all… opinionated 🫠

So, I'm mad again. I cannot begin to articulate my feelings about the incredible amount of storylines and lore we've lost with the decisions made in DATV's writing - they've already been written so eloquently by much greater minds than myself. SO I'm just laughing my way through the pain 🤡

People pleaser that I am, I see other creators I've followed and loved for ages defend the game's choices, tell others they lack media literacy, that your criticisms mean you have rose tinted glasses about the previous games - whatever, your opinion can be valid without tearing others down. So, I genuinely thought something was wrong with me for being so hung up on details. But I can't even engage in fan theories anymore because I'm so jaded at this point. When I see new deep dives into lore-based theories on the game, 99% of the time my mind goes "There is no deeper meaning. They just wanted to wrap it up." Why do you think this thing happened? What do you think that thing is hinting? Nothing. And this is coming from someone who played all the games, owns all the novels, art books, World of Thedas I and II, the bloody Inquisitor lamp from the BioWare store LOL, I was primed and ready to engage in these conversations, but I can't. I have nothing to say that won't end in a cynical answer, and maybe that's because I'm also jaded by working in the game-adjacent VFX industry.

The factions are, yet again, fun but shallow, the logic confusing, and lack much of a backstory for Rook (I think Grey Wardens and Mourn Watchers seem to be the best developed from other reviews and playthroughs, I've only played extensively as a Shadow Dragon, to be fair). Why are you a mage in this one faction? Why are you a rogue in another when it doesn't make sense without a story to support it? It's all this beautiful candy floss that melts away the minute I stop and think about it. And then the cynic in me thinks - these are probably vestiges of the live service part of the game that EA was pushing for. I have to slap myself and stop looking for deeper meaning within corporate decisionsssss there is no swimming pool behind that closed door you needed 7 wisps for 😃

I desperately did not want this to be the case. I was hyped. I preordered the game and organized vacation around it, I'm too old and dealing with way too many crappy personal things to just be a hater for the sake of being a hater. Gaming and Dragon Age are my comfort spaces. But for the LIFE of me, I can't imagine playing DATV again once I finish, let alone more times than I can count like the previous games. Or imagine listening to 4 hours of Youtube videos of party banter to analyze, or even imagine how companions would react to certain things because they feel so stiff. Everything is beautiful, but sterile.

I do love Emmrich - I'm enjoying his storyline and romance, it's like the loveliest most whimsical Vincent Price Pixar romance, but still, something is always missing with the characters even as some do grow on me. I can't imagine anything close to just the party banter ALONE between Solas and Iron Bull. Cole. Fenris and Anders. And to be clear - the whole DA was GRITTY and DARK, DAO supremacy - NOT ME. I love all the games but they have always been whimsical and silly, cringey at times, and did not take themselves seriously. I remember doing the quest where Hawke is running around trying to keep Aveline's date with Donnic from going south, cracking up at how ridiculous it was, and just thinking - gods I LOVE this game.

Speaking of romance, while I'm enjoying how sweet the romance with Emmrich is, when I see others complaining about lack of spice... ahem. I still cannot get over the art style when it comes to characters. This is subjective, and a me problem - I still find it jarring. I don't like the proportions, the bloom, how smooth everyone looks. They still mostly look like cartoons to me, with no body hair and the big heads, and I find everyone's hands so distracting because they look like plasticine. I'm ok with no spice between these characters with their current designs lol let me leave it at that. Ok, except for Felassan and Solas, chef's kiss, no notes.

Solas and story elements directly around him still mostly hold the familiar weight, for the most part. I think credit goes to his amazing VA and the strength of what was likely written for his arc from the very start, before the rewrites and dev hell the game went through. I still have opinions, obviously, but even as a ride or die Solavellan I don't like having the Solavellan angle hijack conversations, so I'm not going to go there. If I'm going to criticize stuff I'll do it as a gamer/DA fan first, egg lover and apologist second.

As I reach the end of Act 2, the game continues to makes me feel like I'm stripped of all agency after a lifetime of playing choice-based games. I talk to companions when it allows me to, then they are relegated to set dressing. My conversation choices all feel the same, or don't match what I'm choosing sometimes. The Lighthouse does not feel like the vibrant hub it was sold as. I am on quests I mostly cannot accept or reject. I cannot interact with my surroundings unless it is gameified (light a candle, move a crystal). The companions abilities are all just - platforming? I know I sound hyperbolic, but it's all I can see currently.

I played Persona 5 from end to end, twice. I played FFXVI. I loved both, had no issues with their linear storytelling, and how the game led you to their end points. Those games are not DA, they did not have the expectations you would have from a BioWare title 10 years in the making. You were not lured in by tales of an incredible character creator, teased about what might be coming from previous games, told this was a sequel to an immersive fantasy RPG series in a beloved fantasy world where the defining studio mechanic was CHOICES MATTER, even when they changed a lot of other things from title to title. In P5/FFXVI you were Clive, you were Joker, you were playing out their story. They were not direct sequels to anything. I'm loathe to be seen as a mindless critic who just wants to shit on things, but a part of me does feel emotionally manipulated for $$$. I still resent how much hype was built for the game by maligning the previous ones (we're fixing Inquisition's mistakes!!).

I'm back to my mission of finishing the game I paid for, enjoy what I can, and get my Solavellan ending scene cause I'm down BAD for literally the only ship I have ever shipped🧍🏻‍♀️I appreciate that it was included. But also - wow does it exacerbate what wasn't included for everyone else's choices.

Something I hate is how everyone immediately jumped on the Baldur's Gate 3 comparisons - BG3 was a life changing game for me, but it's not perfect, and the comparisons are not fair. The one thing I will say is that when I first played BG3, despite its issues and the later criticisms of how Larian reacted to pressure from fans, I remember my earliest impression was - it feels good to be respected as a player. I didn't feel the game was talking down to me, and I got SO much for what I paid for (700 hours baybeee). Jaheira and Minsc were included as companions in homage to the previous games. Yes, they did Viconia dirty, nothing is perfect - but for example, Jaheira would tell you about her husband Khalid from the original games, which came out in 1998 and 2000. There was a lot of world building/easter eggs that not everyone was familiar with or even noticed, because not every player played BG1 and 2, or were familiar with DND 5e - but it was included. Drizzt Do’urden was mentioned ffs, they didn’t overthink about who read those books or not. I’m aware of my biases and I may very well be looking through rose tinted glasses, but I did not feel like the information was presented like I was dumb, or "ah they'll never understand this - SCRAP IT". It just feels like it’s there to honour the past and out of love for the world Larian were playing in.

—> edit to say that I do notice and enjoy the codex entries, callbacks to Tevinter Nights, Masked Empire, the older games. I wish that care and detail was woven into the main story and overall end product and not just background fluff. I know others are satisfied with those additions, wish that were me. I saw a tweet saying that every callback to a previous game or storyline actually pissed them off even more lol, I relate.

I don't feel that respect for the player in DATV, I'm sorry. There is love there, but as hard as I try, it feels like it's there despite of the overall design of the game, not part of it. I keep remembering interviews before the game was released and things that were promised, and I don't see it. At all. No more meaningless fetch quests!! Most companion-focused game! The quests are largely boring or formulaic, but addictive and fun because they are so packed with mindless combat that my brain enjoys. Sometimes it feels like filler - we didn't know what to add here, FIGHT! You unlocked a poignantly named gate in the Crossroads? NO STORY MORE FIGHT! And I'm eating it up, let me not be a hypocrite, I have 80 hours in the game. But personally, it feels designed to pad out this beautiful, sometimes fun, but bitterly shallow game. I can't even go into companion specifics because I have nothing to say, no story I want to analyze. Some have grown on me, but there is no bite or nuance to the writing that compels me and I have no urge to know more. In the previous DA games I would take the long route wherever I went just to get more banter from my companions, and I was instantly interested in them, even if I disliked them. I've seen the comments, I tried, I don't think it's because "I haven't spent enough time" with the DATV companions.

The level design of long narrow corridors, which do remind me of DA2 and FFXVI, has become so predictable to me that I almost always know exactly where I'm going to find loot. So it becomes this admittedly satisfying run of grabbing and fighting to the end point, getting the dopamine hits of collecting pointless stuff, but not really taking in the environments and enjoying the adventure. The level design is not immersive. These do not feel like real cities or real people, and that was intentional. It feels like “levels”, not a World. No one reacts to a single thing you do. Even in the ultra minimalist style of Zelda BOTW, townspeople would react to things you did. Sometimes I walk up to yet another obvious fight arena where the enemies are just chilling, waiting for me while standing still - almost like they're on shift at a haunted house LOL. I can imagine the Venatori stubbing out a cigarette, "C'mon guys, she's here, showtime". The funny part is this has all been seen before in older games, and it never bothered me. My own expectations and overhype might be to blame, but it feels like a big step back when so many games are stepping forward. Me = clown

I keep going back to my first reaction when the disappointment hit me. It feels like being given Persona 5 Strikers or Hyrule Warriors, and told that it's the sequel to the actual RPG. It's fun, it wears the skin of the thing you like that makes you happy, but stops there.

Other things I shake my fist at

Cheap ass The 6th Sense ass Varric death. Yes, yes, Solas villain arc whatever - it was cheap. Way to honour a multi-game beloved character and the player, even if the time had come for him to die in the story.

No, I cannot find a single redeeming reaction from a companion that makes Varric dying make sense in hindsight, except that they are all made of cardboard. I saw comments saying on a second playthrough it's clear Harding is in mourning - sorry, I don't see it.

So. Dorian, the Inquisitor, Charter, Harding, your party, Maevaris, Isabella, list goes on - not a single one of them asks about Varric or mentions his death? Expresses condolences? Nothing? Cheap. Even if Solas was playing with your mind, doesn't it make the overall characters in the game seem even more wooden and unrealistic to the player? It was not the gotcha they seem to think it is.

When the novelty of the cameos and the emotion associated wore off, they were just flat and felt random. Cassandra should have been there, doing Seeker shit (my WIFE). Ok no cameo? Casual dialogue with Emmrich about having a Nevarran in the Inquisition (or as the Divine?!) Lucanis info dumping about Josephine as an Antivan, Zevran as a Crow, nvm, time for a coffee joke. Merrill, eluvian queen, how is she a nonentity? Habibi Fenris should have been in the Shadow Dragons, spitting on the ground after being approached by Solas to join his uprising (lol what uprising amirite). Ok I'm cooking hire me Bioware 🍳 but at least they can remain untainted by the Isabella Treatment (tm)

This leads into the yeeting of the Keep, world states, choices, and hypocrisy around claiming to want to level the playing field for new players. No, all I can see is - it was treated as a buffet that they picked from as it suited. This is the one disappointment I will never let go of. Facsimile's of beloved character cameos were tossed in, you could not really talk to them outside of what limited dialogue you were allowed. Certain world states are now canon apparently - Dorian being recruited in the Inquisition, Morrigan drinking from the Well etc. You want a reboot and you've committed to tossing the choices and burning down Thedas (literally)? Go down with GLORY! Have all the previous main characters/companions alive. Have them all mentioned, even in passing. A portrait on a wall. Say goodbye to them, get your reboot. Honour what you built your business on. But yeah, Emmrich and Harding get to have their picnic in Fereldan fml bye

The argument of: well, the games are old now, it shouldn't matter. Ah - not too old to capitalize on the IP and DA name? Not too old to use some cameos to lure old players? The argument of - it was too many choices to track. Ok cut them down, but don't go scorched earth? 3 choices, mostly irrelevant to those who don't care about Solas (could never be me), and then literally telling you everything else in the South and Weisshaupt is now razed to the ground. But also the illuminati did everything.

FINALLY - the Inquisition should have been in charge of the hunt for Solas, hill I will die on. Fine, have Rook, but Inquisitor should have been the other protagonist. The people... who knew Solas best and betrayed by him... who were in an organization to save the world... Why did we have that cunty dagger stabbed into the map of Tevinter cliffhanger to have the Inquisitor reduced to a pyjama wearing husk BIOWAAAAAAAARE

It's this stuff that builds up, and makes me think - does this game hate its fanbase and source material that much? I very obviously need to go touch some grass 🤠

I keep engaging with Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter - all to my detriment because it makes me feel like there's something wrong with me for not loving it, all over again. I also desperately have a fic in me I would love to write, an ode to the story in my head from years of loving the world of Thedas, a love letter to my Lavellan and others - but idk what to do with the post-DATV world atp. I just want to get through Act 2/3, get my Solavellan smooch, ignore the ~secret Illuminati ending, and be grateful I'm not a Mass Effect fan so I don't have to go through this again 🐣

[i-heart-hxh]

hello! i have a question, but i dont quite know how to word it….

i like listening to people’s thoughts on hxh, because sometimes its difficult to collect my own thoughts and hearing others articulate it helps me form my own analysis. usually it clears up confusions on narrative choices, however this thing still confuses me because ive seen lots of meta which sometimes conflict with each other or infos from the show. maybe i missed something?

i dont want to link anybody because i dont want to “call them out” but its a frequent opinion ive come across, so not one person. but what i hear sometimes goes along the lines of: gon vowed to sacrifice everything to defeat pitou -> killua arrives -> despite going through with his jajanken, killua’s presence causes gon to realize he doesnt actually want at all to sacrifice everything and the vow is broken (causing him to lose his nen when he recovers from the physical toll)

i really love this reading. the scene where gon turns to killua right before the screen goes white has always been impactful and seemed important to me for reasons i cant explain. but i’m reluctant to adopt it because the way i understood the nen vow was that it was actually a condition—that gon would only use this power to kill pitou, and then per the “rules” he would lose everything as equivalent exchange when pitou was defeated. and that the reason why his nen was lost was because nanika healed him as he was—which was nen-lost. but the show mentions vows and conditions in conjunction so much sometimes the difference gets muddled in my brain, so i suppose im confused about that as well.

i guess im just asking your thoughts on killua and gon’s love for him potentially being the thing to cause gon’s vow/condition to break. i think its a really sweet idea but im not sure if the mechanics of what exactly gon did to kill pitou support it

sorry for the long ask. please have a nice day!!!!!

Hello! Great question!

So, my way of understanding it is that Gon traded all of his nen potential (meaning all of his nen he had at that time and all of the nen he would have ever had in the future) in order to achieve his adult form and have enough power to kill Pitou. By the time he had achieved that form, he was already doomed to have no nen once he used up the massive but finite amount he had, which was his whole lifetime worth. Like taking out a loan on the full amount of money you'll ever make in your lifetime and then burning it all, but more abstract because it's not money.

It very well may have killed him as well, if not for Killua arriving. Think of the cost to his body to unnaturally achieve that form and use that much nen, which is what Killua recoils at realizing when he sees Gon in that form. I'm sure this is why he ended up as such a withered husk afterwards.

Killua showing up definitely saved him, however, both because he helped him dodge Pitou's Terpsichora and in a more far-reaching emotional sense as well. I think when Killua arrived and called his name that final time, it made Gon realize that he wasn't just giving up his own future--he was giving up his future with Killua as well, and by giving up his life it was going to destroy Killua and leave him alone. Gon had steeled himself to die prior to this, but looking back at Killua's face, his expression entirely changes, softens. As a result, I think Gon holds back a bit with his final Rock and preserves himself just enough to keep his body going. Then Nanika heals Gon's body, but this doesn't undo the nen contract he made--even though his body fully recovers, he did still give up all his nen potential, after all.

(I'm very sorry for posting these pages, know that it breaks my heart to look at them.)

So, the way I see the scene, it's less about the mechanics of it, as that's relatively straightforward. Gon losing his nen was already set when he decided he wanted to give it all up in order to be strong enough to defeat Pitou. It's more about how Killua reaching Gon impacted him emotionally and made him hold back to the degree he could at the very end. Because at that final moment Killua was able to reach him at last--by saying his name, an echo of other scenes in the arc with Meruem and Komugi.

I absolutely think the intent of that scene is that Killua has become Gon's light and saved him--by showing Gon that he wasn't alone, that there was someone else worth living for, that Killua cares about him and doesn't want to lose him. Gon lost sight of that previously amid his trauma and guilt, but in that final moment, he truly sees Killua's horror and pain at what he's doing, and Gon realizes he doesn't want to leave Killua behind forever. Gon manages to barely survive as a result.

[pizza-hats-of-the-world-1882]

Caderousse and Albert for the character bingo? :3c

hello comc and drawfee mutual!

ok im ab to say smth that may not make sense if you didnt follow one of my quests [the comc 19th cen. fanfic quest (i read a couple of comc fan sequels from the 19th cen. {they werent very good})] and in these fan sequels he is criminally underutilized!!!! bc he ends the real book when he is BEGINNING a character arc! he is on a quest to restore his family honor and make a new life! and i think the book ended at a good spot im not saying it should have followed him further but! if! you are writing a fan sequel, hes the only one who has an actual trajectory[spelling?] to follow and they! do! nothing! with him!

i love how we are introduced to him as like. a frat boy/spoiled rich kid and slowly it is revealed he has like actually many good qualities. this frat boy has a moral backbone! that doesnt always line up w what is socially expected of him like in the duel! or even what i expect of him like when he first finds out ab his dad's war crimes and he decides to cover it up but is also absolutely devasted i cant articulate it but that was a really interesting moment for me

i had an answer to this one but now i cant explain it. he really is just a silly guy! hes not interesting bc of any hidden issues to brood over or his dynamic w the count, hes interestong bc hes a rich frat boy who apparently has moral integrity!

and by fans i mean the aforementioned 19th cen fic writers and also some adaptations. i never think ab how much i love albert until i am deprived of him then i start screaming for him to get more screentime.

i think he would enjoy being a purse dog

when my mom was reading comc and she was fairly early into it she said "i hope they dont have albert and haydee have a ~thing~ going on just to cause drama" which i must say is a thought that absolutely never would have occured. to me.

hes just a silly lil guy!

and now caderousse:

i just like it when charcters have a signature accessory. the red kerchief is a look!

i like how different he is from the rest of the haterz clubtm. bc he straight up didnt want to do that! he just wanted to complain and drink! but danglars and fernand went wild w it. he even wanted to come forward afterward but danglars threatened him! i just think its neat that everyone else in the haterz clubtm seal their fate here except caderousse, who gets locked into the vengeance much later when he kills that jeweler*. edmond was straight up going to forgive him/give him a second chance and massive diamond for providing exposition. gaspard you fumbled the bag!

i get why he tends to be cut, hes not as integral or dramatic a part of the vengeange as the rest of the haterz clubtm but if you dont have ONE then whats even the point

idk im just kinda curious ab him. especially his past w benedetto!

*or maybe didnt kill that jeweler i love how ambiguous it is on who killed who in that scene very interesting [and also i love how the intro sets up what each of the haterz clubtm's fatal flaw will be, and caderousse is greedy yes, but also he is completely spineless!! if danglars says keep your mouth shut, you do it! if your wife says lets kill this guy, you do it! if benedetto says it'd be super easy to rob this place, do it! my guy, stand up please!!!! my mom said "he should be on america's dumbest criminals but for france" i cant disagree.

well yeah

the red kerchief is a look! is it a good look? who's to say...

he's a lil cringfail baby kitty cat who cant do anything right<3

[journey-to-the-attic]

Hi there

So i have already read the last two chapters and that was days ago. I had to literally turn off my phone to gather my thoughts because omg my heart hurt so much. I have so much i want to say but i’ll do my best to summarize it

First of all, i want to hug Ik so much that all her bad thoughts are squeezed out of her. Like i want to mention how much i really like how you wrote how Ik saw herself. Her family situation is complex and there was no one who was “right” or “wrong” but what’s clear is how it affected Ik so much. Like when i saw how she said wanted to have the power to turn back time so she wouldnt exist hurts me and i think it may or may not be mentioned in the fic but i can see why Satan opened up to her quickly when he learned about her family situation. He and Ik were not planned and they see themselves as something unlikeable, something unwanted. Which is so not true, yes they werent planned but what is life without a few unplanned suprises, those unplanned suprises can still be a good one. Even during the last two chapters, Ik still had a hard time of realizing she is loved, that people do care about her. And that just sucks because no one should feel unloved. But maybe, just maybe with time, she will truly realize that she does have people who loves and care about her.

Second of all, I really like how you added the newer exchange students seamlessly. It wasnt so big that you think they might be some important person that will directly change Ik life forever but it wasnt so little that they were forgettable. Im honestly hoping you have some oneshots or anything regarding OM mephisto since out of the three, he seems to be the least to appear in your blog in general. But i do like how characterize all three of them! (Also can you explain why did the brothers seem pissed during the dragon show? I think i missed something but i just cant figure it out)

Last of all, i just want to thank you. Thank you so much for making this masterpiece. This fic has been one of the best fanfic i have ever read in my entire life. The way you wrote it is just amazing, the characterization is on point, the world building is so interesting, and the sheer found family in this fic is over 9000000000! I seriously love this and i sincerely hope you would continue to make amazing masterpieces like this for a long time!

I kinda still have more to say but i dont know how to articulate it to words in this ask but in short, thank you for this amazing journey!

- 🐧 Anon

:'))) thank you so much!!

yeahh as much as things are better for her, it's going to take ik much longer to unlearn a mindset she's had for like a decade, but man if she doesn't love her family soso much

as for the dragon scene! this did end up kind of poorly communicated, partially because ik's narrating and doesn't realise what's going on, but the brothers are just emotional - it's the first time they've seen her get excited about something to that degree, so they saw that big happy smile and it was over for them

[littlelambdrgnfly]

You said if you have scenarios send an ask and I don’t have anything concrete but I will say I love the idea of John and George being Paul’s babies.

I think George’s oral fixation (how much he loved food and his ciggie addiction) would translate well to like, sucking on dummys and of course sucking dick, but I still like the idea of him being the “older” of the littles. It would be an interesting dynamic where George has some power over John but still has to answer to Paul, which I think would kinda mindfuck him because he had such a big hero worship of John IRL and hated Paul treating him like the kid brother. Also idk just the way you portray John as such a sensitive baby (still able to be bratty but also very sensitive and sweet and quick to cry) would contrast really well with George being more grumpy.

As for baby Johnny I think having a second little would bring a lot of emotions! First of all he doesn’t want to share his daddy, and it’s embarrassing that even with another little around he’s still the youngest babiest who can’t control himself (I imagine George wouldn’t be into messing at least not for a long time). At the same time I see George being extremely obstinate to the idea even if he wants it, which would in turn make John - who is very resistant himself but also more used to the dynamic, now more likely to cry than misbehave - seem especially good in comparison. Maybe Johnny gets more praise for wetting and messing his nappies or eating baby food or playing horsey and in turn it makes him fall deeper and deeper into his baby mindset and he’s able to really enjoy himself.

I also like the idea of the littles playing with each other like jumping through their nappies, which depending on Paul’s instructions could end up with them being punished or encouraged. I like the idea of like, Paul putting John in mittens so he begs George to rub him through or under his nappy.

—

Also just for John and Paul idk if they’re playing their baby game I like the idea of John slowly wanting to do more childish things but being scared to admit it. Like I like the idea of him maybe wanting to “accidentally” start weeing while his diaper is being changed like how babies do, and trying to articulate this to Paul.

Also the idea of “potty training” but like the point is the John is still too young, like he’s given pull-ups and stuff but they both know it’s not gonna be enough. The idea of him getting too desperate and wetting himself and it runs down his legs- especially hot if they’re at home and he’s only in a pull-up and shirt. Or they have a potty training chart but it’s perpetually empty of stars because Johnny cant ever make it. OR a sort of un-potty training chart at the beginning when John is still really apprehensive where Paul actually rewards him with a gold star if he wets himself without fussing about it.

Bless you, darling, I adore all of this!!! If I ever get around to writing a sequel to The Sum of Them, it will basically be just that plot of George babying John with Paul again, then allowing himself to be babied for the first time and John’s red hot jealousy of Paul babying someone besides himself. I love the idea of John acting like an even bigger baby to draw Paul’s attention, omg. The whole experience would be so mortifying for George, but I think it would also be one of the most intimate experiences of his life. I have this scene in my head where John absolutely loses it and has a full-blown tantrum, and ends up wetting himself when Paul is spanking him. George feels so bad for John and how humiliated he obviously is that he wets himself on purpose so Paul will also spank him. John and George are put into a bath together and John quickly gets over his grumpiness so he can have some playtime with his new big brother. 😏

Goddd I also love the idea of John wanting to act more childish during their games and being too scared. The diapers would have been a big step for them and I’d understand if John was afraid to push the boundaries, like if he goes too far he’ll turn Paul off. I can see him having more and more accidents on purpose just so Paul will diaper him, being naughty so Paul will spank him, and acting totally helpless, asking Paul to cut his food and dress him, acting like a dumb little baby who doesn’t know what anything is… Paul would catch on and play along, but Johnny likes his new lifestyle so much that it’s hard to stop pretending even in front of other people. 😳 Jesus Christ, the image of piss running down John’s chubby thighs when he’s just wearing a pull-up and a shirt, omfg, it’s gonna haunt me! 🥵🥵

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

"the church on ruby road" thoughts + reactions

(tumblr is broken so i cant delete this space without breaking the post :))

"you saw a ladder in the sky and you thought, yeah, ill give that a go, babes" rose tyler CALL OUT

"what's the problem with hanging on? it's all the friction and the weight and the burns. so i got rid of that" and that's why u are still Fucked Up doc. this is NOT how u do rehab!!!

"learn the lenguage" eyes emoji "coincidence is what makes the baby tasty" EYES EMOJI

"it sitches you in. it weaves you into the day. you become all complicated and knotted and vivid"

"it's like a tapestry, it's gorgeous" self congratulating ur own writing, russel? sldkfjsdlkfj

"like the best, like wow" 13 and ‘fam’ walked so 15 could run

"a screwdriver needs screws" (so whenever the screwdriver works it, it works by resonating articulations and undoing binding agents, but it cannot do “untangling”)

VENTILAITON SHAFTS!!!! (my "this new era is the cartoon era" meta is born)

"amazing!" "no it's not" nothing changes lol

this feels *so* wilderness years (positive)

the MASTER knot you say....………………………...

"i've got no one" aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

"it's not magic, it's a lenguage, like a different form of physics" he’s coping about the “little” salt mistake still...

damn 15/ruby chemistry is so good….. can't wait for it all to go up in flames. And tragedy. Flaming tragedy.

"but only one of them stayed" mirror...? QUICK someone count how many companions have there been and if it's 33?????

im having sm emotions wtf

honestly ppl thinking rtd would retcon this were so hilariously off-base lol as if there's anything more of a catnip-plot for a soap opera writer than a “figure out parental origins” plotline

follow the crack... the crack in time and space...

it bothered me that in the special they used so much contemporary colorful theatrical lighting, that didnt fit the "grounded" doctordonna era at al, but it works much better here in that we're properly in the color ncuti era

"dont say that" aggggggggggggg

(ppl forgeting about ruby feels kinda clara coded / foreshadowing?)

"then why are you crying?" im going feral

"i will fix this" rtd voice: he will make it worse

oohh, the hubris in this ep was the arrogance of the doctor saying "they are NOT time travellers" sdklfj

baby catching... xena coded

blue / gold motif my beloved!!!

its a wonderful life~

"everything i do just makes it happen" -> "maybe im the bad luck"

"where are you goin now?" nbd just ruby going to buy some bread at the same store as yaz

CONCLUSIONS!

this was so wholesome t.t i really enjoyed that!! it has some lore implications and long-run stuff but mostly i’m really glad to finally get some new stories/a new vibe. I really enjoyed the glimpse we got of ruby’s family world and also love that both mine and 15’s reactions was “i’ve only had ruby for half an hour but if something happened to her i’d murder everyone here and then myself probably”. her wardrobe is beyond iconic.

besides the “biggest family in the world” parallel, the bb photos in the fridge give me like… TTC’s o"ther lost incarnations are their siblings vibe". Or, every "other time lord is technically the doctor’s children" vibe.

aesthetically, i really enjoyed this one. Specially The Big Scene (13-era blue/gold motif my beloved). This is one i see myself rewatching in the future just for the feel-good feel of it. the goblin number was fun! a clever parody of how much of pop uses “baby” and sweets-related metaphors for the sake of romance and here it becomes all for the sake of cannibalism lol (big brown eyes, caramelise~). 15/ruby being *so in* tune is cute+fun (and slightly sus). promising start to the new era.

[brekker-by-brekkerr]

hsmtmts s4 first thoughts

spoilers ahead!! you have been warned!

i have covid and my head feels like it's stuffed with cotton so this may be the most nonsensical of ramblings but here are some of my thoughts from a first watch:

"sometimes i think i'll be okay. then sometimes i stay awake for five nights in a row." oh ricky. relatable but also. how i worry for you

miss jenn and mr. bowen giving me the ick as always

oh thank you thank you thank you they're done

mr. mazzara being in a boy band was not on my season 4 bingo card

one of my ships is endgame!! let's go jenzzara <3333

mazzara saying these are her children yes thank you this is a family

i love ricky standing up to gina's mom bc i have things to say about this woman

ricky giving out cards in nini's place!!! my heart. so they still talk they're still friends I'm crying thank you for this crumb thank you

they are really redeeming ricky and gina for me guys i must say like they're crossing off all the boxes i needed crossed for them so what can i say

i never thought i'd see portwell interact again and I'm in so so much pain. i thought i was fine and moved on but stars no i love them i miss them

"we'll always have risotto right" got me crying. i know people think this was a stupid ship and it's a stupid show but they meant something to me. i love them and I'm so done w people online bullying anyone who mentions portwell (i have so many thoughts about how toxic things have gotten w the hsmtmts shipping discourse but that's another post). i like gina and ricky they're cool i am also allowed to miss portwell

antoine coming back and being like "don't tell anyone i was here i have a bad enough reputation with the police as it is" was also not on my hsmtmts s4 bingo card but then again, most of this wasn't

ej still getting a storyline!! him being a good teacher yes you're so right miss jenn!!!

i wanted ej to sing scream so badly but it wasn't going to work with this season. but ricky did eat that

actually love the way they're using hsm 3 scenes to have double meaning, like for example, the troy and miss darbus college discussion scene

big red's speech to ricky <3

i love this show. i love that the found family is here

antoine and big red????!!!!! this show is so out of pocket i love it

"just in case this is the last time we're all in the same room" i am not emotionally stable enough for this help

the way they're like endings are sad but also okay (idk how to articulate this but it's so good)

"i used to think that strength came from being fearless. but i've realized that it comes from overcoming fear not the absence of it." yes yes yes this is so important this has been one of the biggest life lessons for me

EJ GOT A GOODBYE TOO WHAT WHAT I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THIS

miss jenn being their mom the found family is so real

ricky's love confession was so so beautiful and the wildcats singing with them I'm so unwell

the wildcat fam being like our parents are getting together!! (about jenzzara)

why am i crying they're just running out of the school together

it's just that they're all together one last time and they're all so happy and i didn't think they would all be there i didn't think my boy EJ would be there and they're my little theatre found family i love them

oh that was such a perfect ending and now I'm sobbing i cant handle this

miss jenn getting choked up singing "because i knew you" got me again

after the mess of s3 thank you for this ending thank you <3

[kath-artic]

more weird dreams

it's starting to fade now because i've waited too long to start writing it down, but i do remember some vague fragments. there was some scene at the beginning where i was being made to get into bed with a much older man and his wife but i was also disguised as his wife i think? but he kept touching me and i could tell he was naked under the covers and the other woman in the bed was gonna get up to go to the bathroom and leave us alone and i begged her to let me go with her and spent the whole night in the hallways outside the bathroom (also worth mentioning the bedroom was my parents room in my childhood home and the bathroom was placed in the exact way it was in my childhood home)

and then i was wandering in the snow down empty new jersey highways i've been lost on in other dreams (the port city i often dream about also made an appearance but i cant remember the context) and came to my high school except it looked different. i dont remember how he got there, but i wound up running into my first ex (the one who assaulted me) and he was the version of him i knew before we dated. he was funny and charming and after everything that had happened in the last part of the dream, i needed that comfort. he was so kind to me this time and i remember us walking outside together and him packing a snowball to throw at me and i stopped short and said "my mom cant see us together" because i knew her car was parked nearby and she was waiting to pick me up. he asked why not and i couldnt bring myself to say "because she knows you raped me" because i was so afraid of breaking the illusion that he was a good person.

then there was a third chapter where i was staying w my friend who i stay w a lot in real life except she lived in a big modern house instead of a college dorm and the whole front face of the house was windows and i was playing a lot of bg3 and looking out at the snow unsure of where anyone was. and her and her roommates kept phasing in and out and they were getting ready for some dress up event and i was just gonna be alone in the house and i started flashing through to another dream where i was in canada w my grandparents staying in a big treehouse in the woods and exploring a nearby swamp (neither of which exist on their property in real life lol) and i knew there were faries out there. i flashed back into the house dream and i had to pack to go home but as i started packing it quickly became my childhood bedroom and i was packing up my toys and i look outside into the snow and feel so so alone.

the whole dream felt so lonely and empty. like everybody was getting blown away with the snow. something in there about tainted memories. and the part with my ex is so particularly strange because i was trying to find him the other day to see if he's still alive and okay. despite everything he ever did ive always found it hard to think of him as a bad person and some part of me will always care about him because he used to be such a dear friend of mine. and even though i know i shouldnt i can sometimes justify what he did to me, i just know i probably wasnt the only one

i think the thing that really gets me is that i ran to him after my friend who was like a brother to me passed away from an overdose because i never got to articulate how much i loved him and i needed to give that love to somebody. and then he developed a drug problem. and its like he did so many horrible things to me but some part of me still wants to save him. weird.

[merotwst]

your writing is chefs kiss. I cant really explain what I love about your writing so I'll try to explain why I love your writing.

I love every little thing you write, to the most obvious thing down to the smallest detail. Your writing feels like a breath of fresh air or finally finding that one thing you ate as a child you forgotten as you grew up. They way you write your scenes makes me feel like I'm a bystander of what happening, they way you explain the feelings makes me feel as if i just felt those emotions for the first time. They way your thought or ideas of the characters seem as if it's really them and something they would do. The way you write is a beautiful art, an art I could watch forever. I could re read your works more than one thousand times and never get bored.

The way you write feels like a connection. Like a string had found me and won't let go. No matter how hard I try to cut the string I always find myself re tying it, causing litte knots to ruin its perfect shape. But I never really minded them knots as long as you didn't.

anon rizzed me up wtf half the time my mind is blank when im writing im so sorry but ON BEHALF OF THIS BEAUTIFULLY, VERY WELL ARTICULATED REVIEW OF MY WRITING SKILLS, ANON. WHOEVER U ARE. SEND ME UR FAV CHARACTER AND ILL WRITE SOMETHING FOR U BECAUSE I MIGHT HAVE JUST FALLEN IN LOVE W U.

if ur fav character is sebek, im sorry tho. i dont write for him sadgely.

fr tho im honored and stunned u think of my writing this way?! i definitely study other writers' works tho! so my style can also be credited to community writers like rosa (@/kalims), amora (@/amorisqasayid), dem (@/demonichikikomori), pio (@/oepionie and pio is more of a recent inspo) and these are only some of them cuz early on, i read their works before i even started writing twst myself and they helped me solidify my twisted wonderland writing skills (unbeknownst to fhem lol)

im blushing!

thank u anon u rly made my night 🥺 i hope ur having so much love and happiness around u rn sending you my love!

[bookinit02]

HI im so sorry i just finished reading the e4 script and i am just . fuckign speechless i cant articulate at all lol it was soo amazing when i finished i needed to stare at a wall for like three minutes straight just to process hang on one sec hang on a minute let me uh let me jsut two seconds here hangn on HDSHHSDCHSCSCVGSCVGDVGSCDCGSXCGXSCXSCGSGSCGCGHCXGHCGXHCHXHXFFHCHXD#DFFDCEFHDFSNCNKSDCNJDSTHFH3489FDJNHJFVDSHJFDHSDFDHVHGSDCVDGHC489FHJHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH i am literally SO OBSESSED you are such a talented writer and im so sorry once again for dumping all my thoughts in ur askbox especially when most are just incoherent but i have so many of them 😭 and this has been on my mind like all day lmao chewing on drywall actually<3333

okay first of all i LOVE HOW EVERYTHING IS COMING TOGETHER IT'S SO INTERESTING all the little plotlines feed into the bigger ones,,,,,, th hive mind isn't toxic plot which means SHITT vecna isnt trying to kill them he's trying to do something Else WHY ARE YOU SO GOOD AT PLOT TWISTS AAAAAAA and the back-and-forth between dustin and robin, the reveal that vecna was trying to force someone out ("where's will?")CHILLS. THE CHILLS. GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD it was so cool omgg omgomgomg. also max's storyline is literally INSANE i am SO INVESTED and i love how you've handled it so far i can't wait to see where you're gonna go with it!! <3 like. LIGHT. run the other way run to the light,,,, and the whole thing with TERRY is so genius it all makes so much sense but i never saw it coming and it was just SOOO SICK to see play out on the script i was on the edge of my damn seat the whole time you are literally SO TALENTED i am yelling sosososo loud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kind of continuing on from that i love all the references to past seasons :D the heart motif with lumax and byler has me in a chokehold btw grnjfrgnjfdjknnfjdgvknjkgfdjnkhehe!!!!!!! and the "you can leave, it's---" the rain is DEAFENING. will FLINCHES. THE RAIN SCENE??? also HELLOOOOOOO EMOTIONAL RAIN SCENE i think i can speak for all of us when i say im FLOOORED!!!!! gahhhhhh I CANT I ACTUALLY CANNOT YOURE AMAZING AND SO IS YOUR WRITING!!! plus the curiosity voyage WHO CHEERED :)

the. the byler quarry scene i. the lead up to it was INCREDIBLE and the gut punch sliding down walls head in hands heartwrenching 1000year brainrot is REAL because it has been my resting state since i read it when it dropped!!!!!! <3 basically my quick review is AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and woag the slightly less quick review is also AAAAAokay no im kidding dont worry i have soo many thoughts head FULL girl i am so unwell over it "stay" THE CHEEK TOUCH THE HAND OVER HEART THE "i cant" and then it's TOO LATE.throwing up!!!!!THROWING UP and the jump and the running start and the rainstorm as a whole i am . I AM !!!!!!!! I AM SOOOOOOqhjwhjsdhjjhdjhdsjwjsdjhhjdhjehjwejhogufdoudfgjgdfjjwhdjhd dyinf a thousand deaths passing away rn

ANYWAYYY looking back on this i realize how long it is I AM SO SORRY JESUS😭😭😭 but yeah thats my roundabout way of letting you know that this rewrite and the s5 plot and scripts and fic and shoutout to the characterization which you NAILED it's absolutely EVERYTHINGGGG okay i promise im done now im so sorry like i said this got Way Unreasonably Long but thank you sosososo much for sharing this with us i hope you have a great rest of your day!! :D

this is the comment that made me cry at work btw so please never apologize for it being long😭😭 this was soooooo nice of you and it makes me so happy to know that all the work i put into these scripts is being recognized!!

one of the biggest challenges of this script has definitely been all the intersecting plot lines. i’ve never really attempted anything this expansive or complicated before, so there’s definitely a learning curve to it! i’m glad you’re enjoying it so far. & while i don’t think this plot twist is one of my best by any means, and honestly i wasn’t even thinking about it as a plot twist, i’m still glad you liked it! i really adore writing plot twists, and i love the feeling you get when reading something that has been so cleverly executed. it’s really the same feeling that i strive to emulate in all my fics!

i just said this in another ask, but i am SO psyched about max’s plot. i was really stuck on what to do with her, but i didn’t want to sideline her. pairing her up with terry was something that i never considered, but i literally had a revelation one night and was like oh my god that’s PERFECT!! & i haven’t seen anyone else do anything even moderately close, so i’m very excited to try something new.

i love a good reference!! parallels make my heart so happy. or so sad. depending on the circumstance. the rain fight one was a little bit evil, i’ll admit. the curiosity voyage was a lot more fun!

i was also unwell over the quarry scene. i literally cried writing it. i had to take multiple breaks. just ask suni i was SO unwell oh my god😭 so i’m right there with you.

again, please don’t apologize!!! this was incredibly kind of you, and it makes me so unbelievably happy to get comments on my script. this is an episode that i was insanely proud of, and i’m really happy that everyone has enjoyed it so much. thank you so much for all your kind words!!💗🫂

[cheolhub]

hi sar🫶!! it’s the anon from the other day that sent you my thoughts on love scene. i kinda wrote that initial message in a rush so i felt like i didnt articulate myself fully so i wanted to send you another hehe

love scene has me in a total brainrot like never before🫠🫠 as i said in the other message i almost never seek out any sort of seokmin fics so i just read love scene for fun but i’m still ???? thinking about it days later ???? 😩

smart soft dom!seokmin and reader have such a lovely dynamic that i think you wrote so well🥲 i love how you introduced them w an established relationship leading to where the fic itself had its actual setting in (if that makes sense?) and how you wrote about reader being insecure abt graduating and how seokmin handled that insecurity through the dialogue and the sex… you just made him so so sweet!!!!! despite his character being described as smart and awkward and funny, the soft dom side of him is just so nice and comforting to read🥹 and a nice contrast to his personality!!

i think their relationship/overall dynamic has so much potential in this kind of universe, after reading love scene i started thinking different scenarios abt them, like their first time with each other once they started dating or what kind of life they’d create together post grad etc etc. i absolutely love it. i’m just so obsessed with love scene you have no idea🥹🥹🥹 LOVE U SAR!!!!!! can’t wait to read more works from you🫶🥰🤭

HI!!! seriously omfg this … this… im so nauseous in a good way (that sounds ridiculous but like i mean i have butterflies in my stomach). i wish i had the words to tell you how much i appreciate you for even sending an ask about love scene 🥹 the first ask u sent abt it literally had me giggling and kicking my feet, but THIS ask??? it’s 3 am and im bawling my eyes out over this. you’re such an angel, seriously. thank you so so much for reading and genuinely enjoying it and thank u a million and one for sending me ur feedback and thoughts 🥺 i seriously don’t deserve u omfg shdh

i love u sm and i cant wait for u to read them as well!!! have the best day ever <333