#i completely forgot about arcade games when writing this up despite that being a big yellow episode oops

[tallsc]

AvA Yellow and Leadership: Character Analysis

Well, the last character analysis went over very well, and I'm always down to ramble about sticks, so here's some stuff I've been noticing about Yellow and their struggles with leadership and pride. I don't have quite as much planned for this one, but we'll see how it goes.

So in the Color Gang, everyone seems to have preferred roles on the team. Orange and Green like to be leaders - albeit in different ways - and both tend to take leadership roles whenever appropriate. Blue and Red don't seem to enjoy the leadership role as much, and thus take support roles in the team. Yellow, however, seems to me like they like being a leader in a way, yet when it comes to it, generally ends up in a support role.

There's a lot of evidence of this, mostly in season 1 and 2, though a little in season 3 too. In the early days especially, Yellow loved taking charge and showing off, not unlike Green in some aspects. Yellow made the roller coaster so that all their friends could take part in something of their design - without even riding it themselves, apparently, since I would have expected they'd notice the problem at the end if they tried. The Lucky Blocks episode started with Yellow figuring out a bit more about the lucky blocks and then showing off to their friends. They drag Red into a lot of their plans too, both when first discovering command blocks and when messing with texture packs. They do similarly with Blue in the first Ravager episode, leading Blue to Mango's castle.

So it's pretty clear Yellow likes making the plans, or setting the scene. They love being the one who knows everything, the one who makes the decisions, the one who leads. So why, whenever there's a bigger fight or something that has to do with the whole team, are they so rarely the leader? Why are they the ranged fighter in the back who spends most of a battle giving their friends supplies? While it's helpful, it doesn't seem like much of a leadership style, right? Well, I think there's a few reasons.

First, they love being the one who knows everything. Turns out, in a new situation, they're rarely the one who knows everything. In the Raid, even Blue was more of a leader than Yellow with the villagers, because the only thing Yellow knew about the situation was the command block, so they focused all their attention on that. It went well, and they seemed quite happy about it, but their time was spent giving their allies buffs and gathering reinforcements rather than really taking charge themselves.

Second, there just isn't space in the team for a third leader. Orange and Green balance each other out, Green taking charge in tighter situations and Orange tending to step up when there's a bit more time to think, or occasionally just leading their own sub-groups. The only times Yellow really gets the chance to take that role is when they set up the whole situation themselves, which is what they do quite often as prior stated. In most other situations, they don't have the time to figure everything out so someone else steps up before they get the chance to.

Third, especially in the case of an actual battle, Yellow just isn't much of a fighter. They know how the game works incredibly well, but give them a sword and they don't end up doing much with it. So in a fight, they're better suited being a backup for their friends, getting everyone the supplies they need while lobbing bombs from a distance. Their fighting style just lends itself to a supporting role.

Fourth, this is less of an analysis and more theoretical, but I wonder if there might be some lack of trust between Yellow and the others? In all the examples I used for Yellow acting as leader, it did not end well. Whether it was dropping most of the group off a cliff, or making the computer devolve into chaos, or getting everyone possessed, or falling for a villain's trap, every time Yellow leads, bad things happen. So it wouldn't be surprising if the rest of the CG didn't quite trust Yellow in a leadership role again. Which has got to be frustrating for Yellow, cause it seems all they want to do is make their friends happy and proud of them.

That's why I'm quite happy with how the last few episodes are going, and am really hoping Yellow's command staff doesn't get used for anything bad. While Yellow spent most of the Raid doing their own thing with the command block, when they returned to the nether, taking point in the fight against Mango, I feel like that has to be the perfect spot for Yellow to be in. With the command block, they're in an element they're comfortable with, they're in the lead like they want to be, with still the supporting, defensive aspect that they're good at.

As dire as the situation is right now, at least Yellow might finally be settling into a better role for themselves.

That ended up quite a bit longer than I expected, huh! There were even some more points I had in mind that I never felt a good time to bring up, so guess I had a lot more to say than I thought. Well, if you read this far, hope you found it interesting! I'm sure I'm going to be making more of these in the future, so see you then! (Please look at my art too though I work very hard on it ^-^)

[slade-neko]

Saw this video game tag thing pop up on my dash a few days ago. Wanted to do it.

1. First game you played obsessively? Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I believe I was 5yo. Still waiting on that FF7 Remake treatment.

2. A game that has influenced you creatively? Writing, drawing, etc. Well if I play a game and like it, then I'll create sims of it. Does that count?

3. Who did you play with as a kid? My brother from the day I was born.

4. Who do you play with now? My brother FROM THE DAY I WAS BORN.

5. Ever use cheat codes? I wasn't lying when I made this post. {link}

6. Ever buy strategy guides? Yes! Mainly to look at the artwork though. (Don't need no guide!)

7. Any games you have multiple copies of? Lots of games, most being Left 4 Dead with 6 copies (3 Xbox 360, 1 PC case, 2 PC digitally.) What can I say, its a GOOD GAME!

8. Rarest/Most expensive game in your collection? Gold cartridge Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time (maybe that's rare?)

9. Most regrettable purchase? I don't regret my purchases, but I have received games I have never played like Cubix (PS2) no clue where that game came from, but I have it somehow. Madagascar (Xbox 360) came with my Xbox 360, never opened it from its case. And Monsters Inc. Scream Arena (Gamecube) or something... it was a gift.

10. Ever go to a midnight game release or stand in line for hours? No, because then I'd have to interact with people.

11. Have you ever made new friends from playing video games? I'm only friends with people BECAUSE of video games, so yes.

12. Ever get picked on for liking games? No, that'd be ridiculous.

13. A game you’ve never played that everyone else has? Probably a lot, I'd say Call of Duty, but I technically played CoD 1, 2, and 4. The campaign mode was alright, but I don't really care for CoD games at ALL.

14. Favorite game music? Koji Kondo and Grant Kirkhope are two BIG ones.

15. If it was a requirement to get a game related tattoo, what would you pick? Triforce is the most basic option, but I'd rather not get a tattoo.

16. Favorite game to play with your friends IRL? Super Smash Bros. Brawl with hacks, but that was over a decade ago.

17. Ever lose a friend over a game? No, that'd be ridiculous.

18. Would you date someone that hates gaming? No, that'd be RIDICULOUS.

19. Favorite handheld console? PSP. 3DS is great, but PSP Monster Hunter has ALL of my portable gaming memories. Like playing in school after End of Grade tests with my friend.

20. Game that you know like the back of your hand? Sims 4 I like to think I know everything about Left 4 Dead. Quite a bit about Monster Hunter, more so of a series though than a specific game.

21. Game that you didn’t like or understand as a kid but love now? I'd say Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. I loved it as a kid, but had a lot of complex pen & paper RPG mechanics that I never understood. I understand a lot more of it now, but its still complex as all heck. I just know you hit things, they die.

22. Do you wear game related clothing/accessories? That's the only thing I wear.

23. The game that you’ve logged the most hours into? Not sure so I'll list a few. Sims 4, Smash Bros. Brawl, Monster Hunter (its a series though), or Left 4 Dead

24. First Pokemon game? Leaf Green

25. Were you ever an arcade game player? No, don't like paying to play.

26. Ever form any gaming rivalries? No.

27. Game that makes you rage? I don't get mad at games, but I had a custom modded Hard Eight mutation in Left 4 Dead that is absolute bullsh*t!

28. Ever play in a tournament? No, because then I'd have to interact with people.

29. What is your gaming set up? A giant wall of video game consoles spanning from NES to Switch, 4 TVs, but I sit at a desk with a PC.

30. How many consoles do you own? "I own every console that's ever existed." - I Don't Play Games When I Play Games (My STRENTH) original song by Smooth McGroove BUT no seriously I own 32 consoles including handhelds.

31. Does the 3DS and/or Virtual Boy hurt your eyes or give you headaches? Yes. 3DS gave me headaches though I only really played with the 3D feature in Ocarina of Time 3D. I think my eyes broke because I couldn't get my 3D to work very well after.

32. Did you ever play a game based on your favorite show/cartoon/movie/comic? Sure I play games based on a lot of things. Literally any anime game. If I had to pick Dragon Ball Xenoverse is kinda like a dream Dragon Ball game. Oh, Attack on Titan 2 is pretty neat too!

33. Did you ever have any bootleg games or plug-n-play games? Some SEGA plug-n-play thing once. Played it like once and now its lost to time (or my closet.)

34. Do either of your parents play video games? Yes. Mom and Dad played NES Super Mario Bros. My Dad went HARD at that game until he saved the Princess. Then he quit forever.

35. Ever work in a game store? Or do you have a favorite game shop? "Hi. Welcome to Gamestop!"I never want to hear that again, but it was my main store until I went full digital/ online orders.

36. Have you ever shed actual blood, sweat or tears over a game? No, I don't tend to get upset or emotional, but Bill dying in Left 4 Dead made me pretty pissed.

37. Have you played E.T. for the Atari 2600? Do you think that’s the worst game ever, or do you have another nomination? Never played it. I don't really play "bad" games, but maybe Sims 4.

38. A game you’re ashamed to admit that you like? The Sims 4

39. A sequel that you would die for them to make? Dragon's Dogma 2 WHICH I think is actually in development, so I'd have to say Fallout New Vegas 2. C'mon Bethesda you cowards, hand the keys back over to Obsidian so they can make another good Fallout game!

40. What to you think of virtual reality headsets or motion controls? Two part question, two answers. VR Headset to immerse in world, yes. Motion Controls, no.

41. A genre that you just can’t get into? MOBAs and MMOs. I don't like paying to keep playing.

42. Maybe it wasn’t your first game, but what was the game that started you on your path to nerdiness? Nintendo 64 opened me up to what video games could be as a kid. Sad to say my parents' NES didn't really do that for me. And years later Fallout 3 was a big game changer for me too.

43. Ever play games when you really should have been concentrating on something else? Every day of my LIFE.

44. Arcade machine that has consumed the most of your quarters? None. I'd rather emulate.

45. How are you at Mario Kart? Pretty dang good. 3-STARS MARIO KART WII, BABY!

46. Do you like relaxing games like Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon? Yes, both of those. I preferred when Animal Crossing had more character to it. New Horizons looks so pretty, but feels so bland compared to classic AC.

47. Do you like competitive games? No. Not really. Usually amongst friends or if I can get competitive against AI Bots. I love my machine bot friends cause they don't cry like 10 year olds when they lose.

48. How long does it take your to customize your player character? Too long. I've seriously restarted games because I wasn't happy with my character's appearance.

49. In games where you can pick your class, do you always tend to go for the same type of character? Yes, I am always the magic man, my brother is always brute warrior, and my friend is the ranger.

50. If you were a game designer, what masterpiece would you create? I don't really know. Honestly, I'd rather mod already good games to make them better than create something completely new.

51. Have you ever played a game for so long that you forgot to eat or sleep? No, that'd be ridiculous. But I've had a friend fall asleep playing games at my house 3 different times and currently dozes off during our Minecraft sessions. So, maybe that's not a completely ridiculous thing after all.

52. A game that you begged your parents for as a kid? Kirby 64 apparently. My brother tells me we had to count out pennies to buy it. I must've been too young with no recollection, but I believe it.

53. What’s your opinion on DLC these days? It's good if its not in the game's files from the beginning and is actually developed AFTER launch... and pre-order bonuses should be standard DLC a month or two later. Some games have content lost to time because of that pre-order bullsh*t.

54. Do you give in to Steam sales? Of course. If you want a game and its on sale then why not? I typically wait just for Steam sales to get games.

55. Did you ever make someone you hated in the Sims and did mean stuff to them? No? I typically make people and characters I like in Sims. I've made villains like Dio, but he's an anime villain and I don't really HATE him despite the horrible things he's done.

56. Did you ever play Roller Coaster Tycoon and kill off your guests? No. Never played that game.

57. Did you ever play a game to 100% or get all of the achievements? I try to for all the games I really like.

58. If you can only play 3 games for the rest of your life, which ones do you pick? The Sims 4, Skyrim, & Fallout: New Vegas. Mods make them live forever. Left 4 Dead and Monster Hunter are good choices too.

59. Do you play any cell phone games? Those aren't games.

60. Do you know the Konami Code? No? But I'll take a guess. Is it make an IP and forget it exists?

61. Do you trade in your games or keep them forever? Keep forever... even the bad ones.

62. Ever buy a console specifically to play one game? PS4 Pro for Monster Hunter World. It was basically for early access since the PC version was being developed and releasing after PS4, but I don't like waiting.

63. Ever go to a gaming convention or tournament? Sort of. Been to anime cons and walked into the gaming tournament rooms only to walk out less than 10 minutes later.

64. Ever make a TV or monitor purchase based on what would be best for gaming? No, but I'm going to be doing that soon, hopefully.

65. Ever have a Game Genie, Game Shark or Action Replay? Did it ever mess up your game’s save file? GameShark for N64, PS2, Gameboy, and Action Replay for Gamecube, DS, 3DS. And no not really, I would cheat responsibly... but there was this one time at school my friend and I borrowed another friend's Gameboy game, loaded it up with my Gameshark, tried playing, it crashed, loaded it back up, save file corrupted... we just stared at each other jaws dropped, "Here's your game back, dude. Make sure you don't play it til you get back home!"

66. Did you ever have have an old Nokia with Snake on it? No, but I remember seeing them on billboards in the game DRIV3R on PS2.

67. Do you have a happy gaming-related childhood memory you want to share? Every game I play is filled with happy memories (mostly.)

68. Ever save up a ton of tickets in an arcade to get something cool? These tiger plushes. My brother got white and I got orange. They were the coolest. Got a butt load of tickets from some jackpot spinning light game thing as I was good at the timing with repeated jackpot hits.

69. In your opinion, best game ever made? I've played quite a few masterpiece games, but to pick one, I'd say Fallout: New Vegas

70. Very first game you ever beat? Super Mario 64. I was a mere child on a Sunday morning and ate celebratory pancakes made by my Dad.

Wow, that was long... I get the feeling this was supposed to be a "send me ask with numbers" thing, but answering all at once is more fun.

[seungkwanslowqualityenglish]

Boyfriend!Soobin

Who: Soobin [ TXT ] 

Word Count:  2,113 words

Genre: Fluff 

Warning: N/A

Request: No.

@ultkyu​ I had planned to write just a short simple little fic for your birthday, however we know how that goes for me, short turns into not so short, and it’s still not done. So, enjoy this instead, I just wrote this quickly so it’s not the best, but enjoy.

Also  💕 💕 💕 💕 𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝐵𝒾𝓇𝓉𝒽𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝒦𝓇𝒾𝓈𝓈𝓎  💕 💕 💕 💕

You two would meet at a grocery store.

Like why do they always have to put the things you like on the top shelf.

You don’t mind climbing up the shelves, but that’s just sorta frowned upon, so you try not to.

You were just about to be giving up your goal of getting this one certain item, it being on the tallest of shelves, when you saw him.

He was over there looking all tall and handsome, but mostly tall, like really really tall, tall enough to reach the top shelf with ease.

It would have been an easy walk over, ask to get item, receive item, and thank them for getting the item, had he not turned around at that exact moment.

Of course, in doing so, he locked eyes with you, and here you are, that weirdo staring at someone else in the grocery store.

That was when you finally stuttered out “Help please”, after you finally got over being captivated by his stunning eyes and smile.

Like damn someone needed to write his parents a thank you letter, for giving birth to this god among men.

Maybe he was just used to this, or maybe he was just good at hiding his feelings since he simply chuckled, before asking “which item?”

That was just the first of many times you met him.

Often in that same grocery store, since his friends and parents often sent him on the food runs.

It wasn’t until one of your old friends invited you over to his house, that you got to really meet him.

While at Yeonjun’s, you learned his name was Soobin, despite all the times you met him in the store, never once did you get his name.

That was the first of many times you hung out with the guys.

Taehyun and Kai were like annoying younger brothers, and Beomgyu was as well.

It was about two months into being friends with them, that Yeonjun noticed something odd.

You always referred to all the guys as your brothers, but Soobin, he was just Soobin.

Yeonjun isn’t exactly a mastermind, but he felt like playing cupid, and that’s how you ended up at this restaurant with Soobin, waiting on 4 others who were not to come.

You had been sat about ten minutes when you finally got a text from Yeonjun, “can’t make it enjoy your date”.

That was followed by Soobin receiving identical messages from Kai, Beomgyu, and Taehyun.

He had set you up, and you couldn’t be mad at him, since they knew neither of you would have admitted your feelings and asked the other out.

The date was going well, however it still felt odd.

A fancy restaurant just wasn’t your vibe, and that’s how you two found yourself at an arcade.

That is how you stood here by the skee-ball machine, Soobin swearing he’s a pro, while also missing every single target.

This went on all night.

He was a skee-ball pro, a pinball master, a Pac Man wizard, and so forth.

But in reality, he wasn’t, he was just really trying to impress you, but it was sorta failing.

But honestly, it wasn’t really since you were impressed by his confidence.

As the night was nearing an end, he claimed he was a pro one last time, the crane machine.

While he played, you excuse yourself to the bathroom for a moment.

Had you stayed during that time, you would have seen him fail at the crane game many times.

During his times losing and his mumblings about wanting to win you something just once, he caught the attention of some other couple, who had their fair share of things from winning.

That was how he got the stuffed animal that he gave you, claiming he won it, once you returned.

Maybe you should thank Yeonjun, but his ego probably would inflate too much if you did, since it was due to him that you got a boyfriend.

After that, Soobin finally had the confidence to ask you out, well out again.

As he was dropping you off at home that night, he asked you for another date.

That one set off a string of other dates, before you two finally decided to become official.

Yet, in announcing it, it wasn’t anything the others didn’t know, since they’ve been knew, they were just waiting for you to confirm it.

You are dating the softest tallest sweetheart ever.

Like Soobin would treasure you, and nothing could ever stop that.

You would be precious to him, and nothing else can compare.

The two of you would have the cutest relationship, going on adorable dates to the arcade, the cafe, the beach, and stuff. 

You two would be dating about a month before he finally works up the courage to kiss you.

The both of you were just having an at home date, having dinner and a movie in the boys dorm.

That was your first mistake, having your date in the boys dorm.

The second mistake was thinking the others wouldn’t interrupt.

The dinner went well, you and Soobin cooked, and did not burn the kitchen down, which is a big achievement.

The movie was going well as some random romance movie could.

It being a bit chilly, you found yourself moving close to Soobin, as he wrapped his arm around you, pulling you closer to him. 

It was at that moment that he decided to make his move, and he kissed you.

As your lips touched, it was a perfect moment.

Well, it would have been, had it not been for Kai and Taehyun running into the living at that exact moment.

 Usually this moment would be described with fireworks and butterflies, but instead this moment was filled with screams and a door slamming.

Not exactly the most ideal thing to happen during your first kiss with him, but the rest of the boys coming home at that time wasn’t exactly ideal either.

It hadn’t been five minutes before all the other four knew, and it somehow shifted from you two kissing to completely making out on the sofa.

Which concerned Yeonjun, until you quickly explained that you were not, and that the others were exaggerating it.

It was that moment that the two of you both realized that this was the real thing, it wasn’t some short lived fling, and you didn’t run off when Kai and Taehyun interrupted you both kissing.

From then on, Soobin would constantly be giving you kisses.

Like if he doesn’t give you at least one kiss a day, he’ll die, or at least he claims.

Often it’s soft forehead kisses and occasionally nose kisses, at least when the boys are around.

Kisses on the lips is reserved for only when the others are gone, since you have no doubt it would be exaggerated if they witnessed it again. 

Soobin would love just holding you.

Like you sitting on the sofa, not for long, your in his lap now.

You are sitting without holding his hand, not for long, now you are not only holding his hand but also have his arm around your waist.

He is here for pda, except he’s not that much here for it in public. 

Like in the safety of your house or their dorm, he will hold you to his heart’s content, but in public, nah, he might hold your hand, if even that.

He would give the best cuddles.

Like literally the moment he starts cuddling you, you just want to stay there forever, and he would honestly let you too.

You both would have been together for a while, when he finally realizes he loves you.

It was his birthday, and imagine his surprise when he opens one of his many presents from you.

It was something he had vaguely mentioned wanting months ago, but he didn’t think he would actually get it. 

You got him that, along with some other things he had mentioned wanting, but never bought for himself.

It was at that moment he realized that he didn’t only love you, but he was in love with you.

You remember little things about him that others forget, and you remembered all the vague little things he mentioned wanting, and the others had either not heard or forgot about.

Would probably immediately say “I love you” without thinking, just for you to reply “I love you too” and he’s just like so confused, like what just happened.

He would love seeing you wear his clothing, if they fit you. 

Like he’d purposely leave his hoodies in your closet when he’s at your house, just so you wear them.

And if they don’t fit you, he’d purposely buy then bigger, and then be like “I like over-sized hoodies” when you ask him about it.

He would purposely buy couples hoodies and leave one at your house, and then you’ll wear it and he’ll also wear his and be like “oh look at that, I guess I had two.”

But you catch on easily, since he’s not that discreet about it.

He probably claims something like it was buy one get one free or something, but you know it wasn’t, he’s just not gonna admit he purposely bought one for you.

He would call you hella nicknames, like everything but your name.

His favorites are angel, prince/ss, and baby; and he probably has you in his phone as 💕My Angel💕 or something like that. 

He says Angel so much, his parents will think that’s your real name, until he explains like no it’s not.

He’d probably introduce you to his parents after a few months, and you’d be so nervous, but he’d be even worse.

Like he would be freaking out the whole time running through different scenarios, and in his eyes, the worst thing that could happen is his parents hating the one he loves.

But they love you, and call you both adorable, and it goes well.

He would enjoy going places with you, and doing things with you.

Like you want to go shopping, he’s fine being your hype man for three hours as you try to find the right pair of pants.

You wanna go to the beach, he’s up for it.

He doesn’t mind where you go, as long as he’s with you.

He sends you good morning and good night text.

When he is gone, he’d facetime you every night, if he could.

He’d call when it’s night for you, talking to you until you fall asleep. 

You wish he’d wake you or something, but he probably says some cute things like “seeing you sleep makes me feel like I’m close to you” or something.

He hates leaving you, so be prepared for daily selfies, and he would also like it if you sent him at least biweekly selfies.

Claims he’ll forget what you look like if you don’t.

Also overreacts saying you’ll forget what he looks like if he doesn’t send you daily selfies when he is gone.

Probably also fills your phone with selfies of himself before he leaves, so you have something to look at while he’s gone.

He loves taking photos of you, himself, and you both together.

He has a whole album of selfies of himself to send you, along with a whole album of photos of you he took, and a whole album of couple photos.

Normal people run out of storage from memes or music, he runs out of storage from photos of you.

Probably does something cute like compile photos of you and you two together, and then makes some cute scrapbook for your first anniversary. 

Wants to document each moment he has with you, so he’ll never forget it, which leads to you having tons of photos around.

Totally plans on telling the story behind all of these stories to your future children, whether the two of you have children or you just consider the other boys’ children yours. 

Loves taking you out to make these memories.

But absolutely under no circumstance are you to order mint chocolate chip ice cream, especially with him, the president of the mint chocolate chip ice cream haters club.

If you hate it as well, he’ll enlist you on clowning Yeonjun about liking it.

If you like it, well at least you have other redeeming qualities to him.

Sees himself with you in the future, but is sorta shy to admit it.

You are both young, and he just doesn’t want to scare you off by telling you.

But honestly, you see yourself with him in the future as well.

[thevioletquinn]

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS // VIOLET X NOAH

Who: Violet Quinn, Noah Fynn, Unnamed Staff What: Noah tricks Violet in to actually celebrating her birthday. Where: A Bowling Place When: Friday 23rd October 2020 Mentions: N/A Trigger Warnings: N/A Word Count: TBA (Ongoing Chatzy)

(Forenote: Laura is a dumbass and forgot to save the start of the chatzy and can no longer access anything before this point. I’ll write up what basically led up to this when I get chance but the basics are that Noah asked Violet if she could pick him up which she begrudgingly did and he surprised her by booking out a bowling alley just for the two of them. At first Violet’s annoyed because she literally hates her birthday)

---

Noah had assumed that Violet wasn't a huge fan of her birthday, having guessed that was probably the reason why she had only told him about the date at the very last minute the year before. Still, Violet was one of the most important people in his life and he just couldn't let the day slip away without doing something to celebrate, even if she was looking at him like she would happily set him on fire right now. "I know that you're annoyed right now but I don't think that I'm the worst. If I was, I would have thrown you a huge surprise party", Noah pointed out, a cheeky grin on his face as he was confident that he would be able to get her to enjoy herself. After all, if she was really angry, she would have stormed out already. "Come on, the bartender has been eagerly awaiting your arrival so that he can start pouring drinks and the cook is on standby so that you can have whatever you want. We've literally got the full run of the place, it's a very private way to celebrate".

Violet remained with her arms folded for a few moments longer, really trying not to let that cheeky grin of his make her break her front. He did have a point though - if he had thrown a huge surprise party, he wouldn't have been seen again. The second he mentioned a bartender, the brunette's eyes flicked to try and find the bar. "Fine, but just so you know I'm staying for the alcohol, not for you." She told him but at the end, there was a small smile looming on her lips as she walked over to him, spinning him around to guide them both in the direction of the bar. Her hands remaining on his shoulders as they walked.

Despite her protests, he could tell that there was a tiny part of her that didn't completely hate what he had planned; yet he knew that she wasn't likely to admit that until she had a lot of alcohol in her system. "Damn, I shouldn't have gone to such an effort then. Next year, I'll just put my credit card behind the bar at Mars Bar and we'll just drink in silence", Noah teased, allowing her to guide him towards the bar. "Considering we're the only customers here tonight, I'm making a rule: we cannot order anything boring to eat or drink. The bartender is going to be bored if we just order beers all night and I bet the cook doesn't want to make some fries and then sit on his ass all night. I'm talking cocktails and literally everything on the food menu, Big Quinn".

"Technically, I didn't want any effort so..." Violet told him and only shifted to his side when they were at the bar. "Hm, okay, that's fair. You're going to make me fat but okay." She joked and started to look over the drinks menu before she noticed something. A slush machine. God, she hadn't had one of those since she was a kid. Her eyes shifted to the bartender and leaned forward slightly. "You want something not boring? I want a mixed slush and I want..." She hummed in contemplation. "... two, possibly three, shots of vodka mixed in with it." Her arms folded like she couldn't be told no and looked to Noah to see if he'd join her on that or not.

"Technically you shouldn't have befriended me, then. I'm not exactly the type of person to let a special occasion slip by without any sort of celebration", Noah pointed out. It just wasn't in his nature -- he loved a good celebration. "I think that's a physical impossibility, Vi. After all, I help you work out very vigorously on a very regular basis", he laughed. He looked at her with an impressed expression on her face when she decided what she wanted to drink; glad that she was starting to get into the spirit of things. "Bartender, can I please have a large mixed slush with three shots of vodka for my beautiful friend here; and a large blue slush with three shots of tequila for myself?"

Violet considered his point. "Fair point. Next year I'm hiding in a foreign country so you can't trick me in to celebrating, you sneaky little shit." She half-joked. There was every chance - if she remembered - that she would just take a holiday around her birthday so she had an excuse not to answer anyone. "Yeah... I might need a couple of work outs tonight in that case." The brunette tried to hide the smirk on her lips. Though a smile soon grew when he decided to join her on her order and turned to look back at the bartender. As much as she still wanted to be grumpy and mad that he'd got her here, there was a good part of her that actually really liked his idea. There was a choice of what she could do next - bowling or head to the arcade - and she weighed up these actions until she had her drink in hand. Surprisingly, Violet hadn't actually been bowling much in her life so she knew she was probably going to fail miserably at it so she figured she'd start there so she could end on beating Noah at arcade games. The girl thanked the bartender for her drink before swirling her straw in the cup to mix the liquor. "Bowling first?" She suggested to Noah.

"I can't believe that you would go overseas for a vacation and not invite me. I don't think I did anything to deserve such a cruel and unusual punishment from you", Noah said with a dramatic sigh. He was already mentally planning for how he could still do something to celebrate Violet's birthday next year if she was going to insist on going to such lengths to avoid said celebrations. "I think that can be arranged, although that really all depends on how tonight unfolds. I'm a pretty sore loser so I might not be in the mood later", he joked. "Good choice on the drink front, Vi", he told her once he had taken a sip of his drink, before nodding his head and leading them over to the front desk so that they could get bowling shoes. He ordered shoes for both himself and Violet; and as they were donning them, he looked at her curiously. "Have you bowled before?"

"It's not a punishment to you. I just really hate my birthday and maybe I'll hate it a little less from a foreign poolside with a constant flow of cocktails." Violet told him with a shrug. She rolled her eyes playfully at his joke. "Nice try but I'm not going to just let you win so I get sex, Fynn." She said - playing along with his joke - as she sipped from her drink. The cold feeling slipping down her throat feeling more than refreshing to her. "Thanks. I've not had one of these since I was a kid... minus the vodka obviously." The brunette swirled the straw around and followed him to the front desk to get their shoes. His question made her glance up at him briefly before continuing to tie her shoes. "Once or twice. It depended if a friend's parent was paying for everyone or not. If not, 'oh sorry, got school work to do'." Violet explained as she finished tying her shoes and drank a bit more of her slushie. "So, no, you're not allowed to laugh when I'm not good at something for once."

"I think you would enjoy it a lot more if I happened to be sitting next to you around the side of the pool", Noah was quick to counter. Violet had made the mistake of admitting her date of birth to him and it would now be very hard to stop him from celebrating entirely, although he was willing to dilute the celebrations slightly so that she wasn't too overwhelmed. "That definitely wasn't my intention, I want you to bring your A-game! I'm just warning you that I won't be feeling very sexy if I lose at literally everything tonight", he laughed. "Really? All my slushs had alcohol content, even from a young age", he teased; although he was only half-joking. He and his friends had probably started experimenting by adding alcohol in their early teenage years. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that because bowling is literally one of my favourite activities. If I had known that you had only played once or twice, I would have dragged you to the bowling alley ages ago". Without overthinking it, he leaned over and kissed her cheek; like that would help to alleviate the memory of her childhood. "I can't promise that I won't laugh but I will offer you some insider tips and tricks to help you improve".

"Maybe... I'd enjoy it more if I could push you in to the pool. Ruin that hair of yours that you probably spent way too long prepping for the pool." Violet joked. "I don't believe that for a second. Mainly because you look sexy all the time so how could you not feel sexy?" She complimented but rolled her eyes at the same time. A laugh leaving her thinking he was entirely joking about the slush thing. The brunette did make a mental note of bowling being one of his favourite activities in case she ever needed to pull him out of a bad mood. "Good luck dragging me. Mainly because I know I'm going to be absolutely terrible at this and strangely enough the idea of being worse than some kids around me sounds like hell. Luckily though, we have the whole place to ourselves." Violet explained why she probably would have tried to get out of it prior to today. She did appreciate the kiss on her cheek with a small smile on her lips. She'd gotten used to this action from Noah at this point but if anyone else tried kissing her cheek, she'd probably have backed away. "I can't promise I won't hit your arm for laughing but I definitely want the tips and tricks."

"What is your obsession with ruining my hair? What did it ever do to you?" Noah jokingly challenged. Over the last couple of months, Violet had certainly taken advantage of every opportunity to mess up his hair, despite his protests. "Even people as gorgeous as me don't feel sexy 100% of the time. Personally, I'm not really up for performing when I'm hungover or when my pride has been severely affected by repeated losses", he laughed, aware that she would ridicule him for that. "Even if you suck, I'm pretty confident that you're still going to look cute as hell whilst doing it", he assured her. "If it makes you feel any better, I can put up those bumpers and break out the ramp that they use for kids", he offered, only half-joking. "The first tip that you need to know is that kissing your very attractive bowling companion brings you good luck".

"It annoys you and you're adorable when you're annoyed." Violet answered honestly with a smirk on her lips. "Nah, the hangover one I get. The losses? I don't know, I think that would spur me on to do an even better job." The brunette responded with her view on that matter. She exhaled a laugh at him calling her cute while losing and ended up shrugging. "Okay, I'm not going to suck enough to use a ramp but the bumpers... I might need the bumpers or else I'm going to get gutterball every time." Violet considered the offer seriously before flicking her eyes back to him when he was giving her his first 'pro-tip'. A smile grew with a roll of her eyes and leaned in to give him a way more passionate kiss than he was probably expecting and only pulling back a couple of seconds later. "I need all the luck I can get."

"I'm always adorable, Quinn", Noah insisted. "That's because I'm clearly the sore loser in this relationship. It's not surprising that you'd be able to push through to redeem yourself whilst I'm still sulking in the corner", he laughed. "Bumpers it is". He quickly passed that information to the attendant that was working tonight so that they could set up the bumpers for Violet. He had been expecting Violet to just roll her eyes and dismiss the comment but instead, she rolled her eyes and quickly pulled him into a passionate kiss. He easily kissed her back, grinning at her when she pulled away. "Are you feeling lucky now? Are you ready for your first bowl of the night, birthday girl?"

"I can't argue with that." Violet agreed. "You know I won't be able to stand for you sulking in a corner. I'd probably have to kiss you until you stop pouting." She threatened like it was an actual threat. The girl appreciated how Noah wouldn't judge her for using bumpers. He never had judged her which is something she adored about Noah. Their connection was unconditional from both parties. "Very lucky." Violet told him, smiling brightly up to him. The brunette gave him a look when he called her the birthday girl but settled in to it. "I'm ready." She agreed and took his hand to guide them over to the lane set up for them. Violet initially went to the bowling ball rack to find a ball she could easily carry and use to bowl with.

"If you even tried to argue, I would know that you were lying", Noah was quick to retort. "... I suppose that might be a successful way to stop me from sulking but I don't that it would nurse my ego enough to make me put out", he joked before laughing at his own comment. "If you manage to get a spare or a strike, we'll know that my kisses basically have magic powers", he told her as the two made their way over to the lane. Whilst Violet was selecting her bowling ball, he programmed their names into the system (Fynn and Quinn) before selecting a ball of his own. "Alright, game on. Do you want me to go first so you can try and mimic my impressive moves?"

"I can't argue it but I can say that I'm more adorable." Violet teased back. "I never said you had to put out. I just don't like seeing you sulk or be grumpy. Last time you were grumpy, we had a threesome to get you out of it." She reminded him with a grin. "Oh, Oh! So what you're saying is: if I actually do good, you get all the credit for it?" The brunette questioned with a joking scoff for effect. The names didn't surprise her. They probably called each other by their last names more than their first names at this point. "You're going to be insufferable if I let you go first..." Violet pointed out but a small moment of hesitation later, she took a seat and looked to him. "Well, your name's first. You might as well go first." The girl was very good at pretending like she was good at everything but there was still a side of her that didn't want to show herself up and maybe - as he suggested - if she watched him go first, she might get an idea for the best way for her to play this

"I hate to break it to you but you're absolutely delusional. No one is more adorable than me", Noah retorted. Although Violet was one of the most adorable people that he had met in his life, he refused to admit that to her; knowing that she would never let him live it down. "I wasn't grumpy, I was sad because I had just been dumped... again. That being said, that threesome was a damn good way to cheer me up. You basically became the best wing woman I've ever had that night", he said with a grin, having very fond memories of that night. "I obviously expect 50% of the credit", he laughed, acting like it was a pretty fair request on his part. "Smart choice", he told her before walking up to the lane and taking his first bowl; loudly exclaiming when he knocked down all the pins bar two.

"I'm delusional? You're the one that thinks you're more adorable than a drunk me." Violet argued with a grin. Although she didn't always appreciate her drunken self, there were definitely times that she could be 'adorable'. "I don't see what the difference is. Sad. Grumpy." Her hands motioned like a weighing scale that was balancing out. "Either way, I at least know a trick to get you out of that mood and in to another mood now." The brunette responded with a smirk on her lips. Her eyes rolled at him taking the credit. "You're making me want to do bad just so you have to take credit for me being terrible at this." She retorted, mostly to cover that she might actually be bad at this and can then act like it was all on purpose. Violet took note of how Noah bowled so she could try to mimic it when it was her go. "Aw and here I was expecting you to get a strike on the first try, oh pro-ly one." The girl teased.

"That's not delusion, Quinn. That's a keen sense of self-awareness", Noah retorted, adamant that he was right. That wasn't to say that Violet wasn't also adorable, he was just in the mood to brag about his own achievements. "Do you really not know the difference between sad and grumpy? If so, I'm a little worried about you. That's something that they teach in primary school", he teased. "Something tells me that you're going to keep storing tricks in your mind until you have a full arsenal of strategies that you can use when I'm in those moods". Thankfully, said moods didn't actually happen that often; otherwise Violet would likely find him too draining and exhausting to spend time with. "We both know that my ego won't allow me to take responsibility for that", he laughed. "Easy there, tiger. You get two bowls per goal -- watch me get a spare with my second bowl", he told her. He focused intensely before taking his second bowl, cheering when he achieved just that.

"That's not to say that you aren't adorable... just that I'm more adorable. That's where the delusion is. Maybe we should just agree to disagree?" Violet teased. "Noah, you know I'm not good with emotions at all. Grumpy and sad fall under the same umbrella when it comes to me." She gave him a look as she said this. He knew that emotions weren't her strong suit so he shouldn't be all that surprised that she can't overly tell the difference. "I already have plenty of tricks on how to get you out of those moods. Sex is high on that list. Boosting your ego being another. Sometimes that means both." The brunette considered aloud. "No but I can still blame you and your kiss for making me bad at bowling." Violet countered with a big grin on her face. "But a spare isn't a strike. I'm still so disappointed in you." She exaggerated before laughing as he got the spare he claimed he was going to get. Hopping up from her seat to take her turn, she wandered over to him, stepping close. "You're such a show off, you know that?" The girl told him before giving him a quick peck that she would claim was for good luck if she was questioned before she bowled her ball. She attempted to do as she watched Noah do but somehow still managed to slip the ball out of her hand too early and watched it slowly make it's way down the alley at snail pace. "Erm..." Violet blinked as it knocked down two pins.

"I will agree to disagree on this occasion, purely because it's your birthday and I don't want us to spend the whole night arguing about who is more adorable", Noah conceded. "Do I need to make you a feelings chart to help you distinguish between basic emotions?" he teased, knowing that the comment would elicit some sort of reaction from her. "What would you do if sex or boosting my ego doesn't work?" he asked curiously, wondering what other tricks she had up her sleeve. He was always a little surprised when he remembered how well Violet knew him, mainly because she always made it clear that emotional connections weren't her strong suit. "I think the blame for your lack of bowling skills rests firmly on your lack of experience, not my kiss", he laughed. "Don't you worry, I'll get three strikes before the night is over", he said confidently. He just laughed when she called him a show off and kissed him quickly before stepping up to take her first shot, finding it very sweet that she had stopped protesting about the birthday celebrations and seemed to be enjoying herself. "Okay, silver lining here - it's very impressive that you still knocked down two pins when you didn't actually bowl properly. That was clearly a slip up", he pointed out, trying to bolster her confidence. He quickly made his way over to her and stood behind her, gently taking her arm so that he could properly demonstrate the movement she needed to make. "Try it like that", he encouraged.

"Ah, ah. No using the b-word." Violet reminded him. Her eyes rolled at his teasing. "Don't you dare make me a feelings chart. I don't want to offend you when I throw it away." She told him - though she probably wouldn't do this. The brunette paused for a minute to think. Usually those two options were enough to work. "Alcohol and weed is always a good back up. If all else fails, I might give in and play with your hair - not in a mess it up kinda way - because when you were ill you said it was comforting." The brunette recalled. "... Or I'd just mess it up so you'd focus on that instead of whatever got you down." She joked. He definitely wasn't wrong when he told her that her failure would be through lack of experience but it didn't stop her sticking her tongue out at him. "Yeah yeah, I'll believe it when I see it." The girl waved off his confidence. Violet quietly watched him come over to her and move behind her. She followed his guided motion and nodded slowly after. "Okay. I can give it a try." Violet got her ball back from the rack and copied the movement he showed her, this time the ball goes much smoother and knocking down a few more pins.

"You're acting like I just called you a bitch", Noah laughed. "Would you really throw away something that I worked hard on? What if I made you a deal? You have to display the feelings chart but in return, you can choose something that I have to display on my bedroom wall", he offered. "Those are good strategies, actually. I didn't realise that you paid so much attention to me". Honestly, he was kind of flattered that Violet cared about him enough to commit such strategies to memory, just in case she needed to use them in future. "You'll be eating your words before the night is over", he said confidently. He watched carefully as Violet bowled again, clearly trying her best to implement the technique he had demonstrated. He cheered when she knocked down a few pins, pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her head. "That was much better! You'll be a pro before the night is over".

"You might as well have. You don't want to remind me how you tricked me here, Fynn." She told him, giving him a look but turning it in to a smile after. Violet hummed in contemplation on whether she actually would throw it out but his proposal intrigued her. "Even if I say it has to be one of your own nudes and you'd have to explain to hook ups why you have a picture of your own nude on your wall?" The brunette asked entirely straight faced so he couldn't read if she would actually go that far or not. Maybe a few months back she would just to keep her 'evil' streak alive but nowadays probably not. When Noah pointed out that he didn't realise she paid that much attention to him, she shrugged in initial response. "Yeah, well... you pay me attention all the time so I can return the favour by paying a little attention to you." The girl acting like it really wasn't a big deal. Her eyes rolled at his confidence but a smile pressed on her lips. A squeak of an eep left her as he suddenly cheered and wrapped his arms around her. "If I don't get a strike by the end of the night, I'm blaming my tutor." She teased, leaning up to kiss his lips since he kissed the top of her head.

[house-of-ocs]

His

A/N: This is what happens when I sit and think. Dazai and Danielle are about eighteen in this one. It’s omegaverse and there isn’t really a set timeline. 

She was a beautiful omega. Calm, sweet, pliant, and she was all his. Dazai was sure that he was addicted to Danielle, he could barely go a day without seeing her. Her sweet forest scent was always on his mind, always calming him, and ninety-five percent of the time she was in his office with him. Talking, laughing, as if they weren’t in the mafia building, and he wasn’t the demon prodigy. She made him feel normal, and loved two things he never dreamed anyone could make him feel. Danielle was everything to Dazai, his light, his love, his innocent little rose, she was his and the entire mafia knew by now, he still remembered the day he met her. 

It was oddly warm for a November afternoon, and Dazai had just finished a mission. As he walked back to the base he passed a cute, little cafe that was mostly hidden by the other stores around it. Curiousity getting the best of him, Dazai entered the cafe, it was mostly empty with only a couple people hanging around. Dazai sat at a table at the far back of the cafe, and simply watched the people mill about. “What can I get you sir?” A voice asked, it was light, cheery, and it made Dazai’s ears tingle, he looked up and the first thing he noticed about her was her scent. She smelt like flowers, and wet earth, her strawberry blonde hair was tied into a ponytail, her bangs clipped back by floral hair clips, her lips were pink, and her skin was a soft looking pale. But what really captured Dazai was her eyes, such a beautiful shade of rose, he could spend hours staring into them. “Uh, sir?” She asked, and Dazai realized that he had been staring, he blinked in surprise, the waitress giggled, a sound that made Dazai’s heartbeat speed up, “I asked if you wanted anything?” She said. Dazai placed his order, and the waitress wrote it down in her notepad “Coming right up sir!” She chirped, and walked away from Dazai’s table, and disappeared into what Dazai could only assume was the kitchen. 

Stunned, Dazai sat for a moment. What was that? He had never felt that before, hell these days he barely felt anything other than pain. So what had he felt just then? Deciding to ignore the feeling, Dazai took a book and started reading. The waitress came back a few minutes later, her gaze zeroed in on the book in Dazai’s hands “‘The Complete Guide to Suicide’?” She read. Dazai’s eyes flitted to her then back to his book, he nodded, and the girl sat down in the chair next to him, making him even more aware of her scent. She asked him why he was reading such a book, and Dazai told her all about his dreams of committing the perfect suicide, preferably with a beautiful woman next to him. Instead of being disturbed or frightened, like most people were when he told them this, she was interested. He showed her some of his favorite methods he had read about so far, and she sat and listened, and before he knew they weren’t talking about suicide methods anymore. Somehow their conversation shifted to the girl, and Dazai listened to her as she told him about plants, of all things. He stowed away the information of poisonous plants for later use.

Before either of them knew it, it was dark outside and the cafe was about to close. The girl gasped and stood up from the table “Shit! I didn’t realize how late it was. I gotta go.” She started to leave the table, but then she stopped as if she had just remembered something. “I almost forgot!” She gasped. She turned around and her hand encircled Dazai’s wrist, she scribbled something across his palm with a pen she had found in her pocket. “That’s my phone number, in case you ever want to talk again. My name’s Danielle, by the way, Osa Danielle. I really have to go now. I hope I see you again.” She let go of his hand and left the building leaving behind a stunned Dazai, her name playing on an endless loop in his head. Danielle Osa.

The weeks following Dazai got to know more about Danielle Osa. Being with her was fun, when he was with her it was almost as if he could forget where he came from and what his life was like. Everyday since then he had gone to the cafe solely for the purpose of seeing Danielle again. Eventually, their hangouts extended to the arcade, where they spent hours playing and teasing each other, sometimes, Dazai let her win the games they played. Dazai loved teasing Danielle, the cute blush that would appear on her cheeks when he caught her off guard, which was almost always, never failed to give Dazai a rush. One night, as they were walking about the streets of Yokohama, Dazai stole a kiss from Danielle, he expected her to recoil away from him, to yell at him, but when she pulled him back pressing their lips together once more he knew he was a goner. 

After that, neither individual knew where they stood in their relationship anymore. They knew they weren’t dating, but they certainly weren’t just friends anymore either. Dazai wanted Danielle, there wasn’t any doubt about that, he wanted her to be his, but he knew with his life there would almost always be the threat of Danielle’s life in danger, and he couldn’t do that to her. Despite only having known her for a few months, Dazai cared about her in a way, and he didn’t want to see her hurt. The day Danielle came into his office smelling like an unfamiliar alpha, forced his feelings to come to light. He cornered her demanding to know who’s scent it was, but the look in her eyes stopped him in his tracks. It was then that he noticed that the glow that normally surrounded her wasn’t as bright, her scent was laden with fear, and the bruises on her cheek and collarbone became more apparent. “Who did this to you?” He asked in a deathly quiet tone, Danielle flinched and shook her head “It’s nothing Dazai, really. I’ve been through worse.” She said smiling at him, but it was forced and that knowledge alone made Dazai physically sick.

Dazai stared into her eyes and the broken look in them spoke volumes. Immediately, his anger spiked. Someone had been foolish enough to hurt his omega?! The scent of angry alpha permeated the room, and Danielle cowered against the wall her head lowering in submission. “Please Dazai just let it go. It’s not that big a deal.” She pleaded her hands fisted in his shirt. Dazai tried to calm down, but it was useless. The knowledge that someone was hurting her made him angrier than he’s ever been before, but he could worry about that later his omega needed him right now. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing her face into his shoulder. He would get answers from her later, he would protect her.

His light, his flower, his rose, his omega. She was his and it was high time that everyone knew what would happen if you hurt his omega. 

A/N: Yeah, I have no idea where this came from, but I liked writing it. 

[stevenuniversallyreviews]

Episode 56: Love Letters

“Three’s a crowd.”

So, it turns out time passes in Beach City! Its residents aren’t in a Springfield Limbo where seasons change but ages stay the same, and this opens a whole new realm of possibilities to expand the ongoing narrative of Steven growing up by having him actually grow up. We really shouldn’t take this for granted, considering how easy it is for a cartoon to freeze characters (especially child characters) in time, and honestly my biggest initial takeaway from Love Letters is that it’s the first episode that deals with how the passage of time by itself, rather than a series of events like Steven’s adventures, affects the show and its characters. This is a show where Steven, Lars, and Sadie disappeared for a week and nobody seemed to notice, so yeah, it matters.

The reason time alone is a factor is because we focus on the all-but-forgotten Jamie the Mailman. After a cameo in Mirror Gem/Ocean Gem, Jamie disappears without a trace for thirty episodes. This isn’t remarkable for a side character, especially one whose only other appearance is the first scene of the third episode. Jamie may be sweet and funny in Cheeseburger Backpack, but on a show full of sweet and funny characters he was easily lost in the background.

Well, it turns out his absence for the latter half of Season 1 has an in-universe explanation, one that allows the show to hang a quick lampshade on the common trope of vanishing characters while reintroducing him to those of us that forgot he existed: Jamie was literally gone, looking for his big break in the bright lights and busy streets of the Sunflower State, the big KS itself, home of Dorothy Gale and the Rockin’ Chalkin’ Jayhawks, that’s right, Kansas.

I’m really glad he’s back! Jamie is similar to Ronaldo in his role as a background character and occasional lead whose cluelessness is played for laughs and occasional drama. Both are passionate about self-expression (Jamie through acting, Ronaldo through blogging and the occasional documentary) and show some skill at it, but think themselves masters. However, where Ronaldo fluctuates between funny and grating at the drop of a fedora, Jamie is a consistent force for entertainment; he never reaches the comedic highs of Ronaldo’s A-game, but we never suffer any lows.

The secret, I think, is that Jamie’s core kindness evokes empathy instead of annoyance when he goes off the rails. His silliness doesn’t hurt anyone, and in an episode where he could’ve turned bitter and nasty over romantic rejection, he handles it surprisingly well considering his maturity level in other regards. This reaction may be a thematic necessity to teach Steven and Connie and the audience a generic “honesty is good” lesson, but it sets the tone for Jamie’s fascinating ability to be self-important without being a jerk.

Jamie’s overacting always benefits from Eugene Cordero’s veteran comedy chops, but is amped up even further by Lamar Abrams and Hellen Jo’s delightful brand of hypersilliness (see: Steven and Garnet’s workout in Future Vision, Amethyst’s burial service in Watermelon Steven, all of Rising Tides, Crashing Skies). Jamie’s love letter is zany enough, but actually seeing him write it does wonders to enhance what could have been a simple letter-reading sequence. Even if Jamie didn’t literally write the letter this way, it’s a nice peek into his ridiculous self-image, complete with anime twinkles.

Steven and Connie are classic theatrical meddlers in a classic farce, where love letters gone awry and easily avoidable misunderstandings create melodramatic tension. It’s a nifty twist that they aren’t playing matchmakers despite their resemblance to middlemen like Don Pedro or Dolly Levi, but just want to spare Jamie’s feelings. And I love that Steven, a hero with a weakness for schmaltz, rejects the idea of Jamie and Garnet as a couple even before Garnet does, solidifying that neither the show nor our well-meaning but misguided kids are going in that direction.

(Love Letters also don’t drag out secret of who wrote “Garnet’s” response letter, which further subverts typical farce tropes but probably has more to do with the eleven minute runtime.)

As Jamie says, Steven and Connie are super cute. It’s nice to have them as supporting characters (albeit the characters with the most screen time); we get snippets of them just hanging out in most of their episodes, but this time it doesn’t contrast with more serious drama like Connie’s replacement by a doppelganger or the possible end of their friendship. This is the first full episode of the two kids just being kids since Winter Forecast (oh look, another Jo/Abrams episode), and it’s soon to be followed by Connie’s temporary indoctrination; heavy episodes like Full Disclosure and Sworn to the Sword may be great, but a respite is appreciated.

Fortunately, a calmer (if wackier) tone doesn’t mean Love Letters lacks good character moments. Connie gets a quiet display of her growing emotional intelligence in the back-to-back scenes of Jamie’s admission of multiple rejections and the rewrite of Garnet’s letter. In the first scene, after hearing all about Jamie’s emotionally vulnerable state, she sees no issue with handing him another rejection and has to be stopped by Steven; whether or not ripping off the bandage is the right course of action, Connie’s reaction shows a distinct lack of tact. But in the second scene, she’s the head writer of the revamped letter (using the power of torrid soap opera know-how); even if she and Steven are way off-track in terms of how romance works here, she understands the problem and wants to help.

Little slip-ups and corrections like these do a great job of showing how far Connie has come from Bubble Buddies without losing the realistic awkwardness that makes her so endearing. Her disadvantage to Steven on the emotional intelligence front also continues to even out their relationship, as she schools him in book smarts throughout the series and will soon become a far more capable tactical fighter to his natural talent, a la Katara and Aang. Just because Steven isn’t an idiot and Connie isn’t emotionless doesn’t mean their differences have to go away, and Love Letters is a great example of her lower-key foil duty in action.

Garnet is mostly great as the oblivious, then apathetic subject of Jamie’s affection. Her sexualized emergence from the sea is played for laughs thanks to over-the-top visual effects and Estelle’s exaggerated sultriness. Visually, while her introduction may evoke classic Birth of Venus imagery, the more amusing sight gag can be found in the, erm, interesting positioning of Jamie’s mailsack malebag mailbag as he’s filled with sudden lust:

But back to Garnet. Her instant and insistent dismissal of Jamie may be cold, but it’s fair and faithful to her character: Garnet is locked down on the relationship front, and we’ve seen how little she cares about the feelings of human strangers from her interactions with Kofi (and her general demeanor). She benefits from having little to do with Steven and Connie’s scheming, which makes her another victim of poor communication who gets fed up with what she perceives to be a pushy admirer instead of doubling down on her bluntness to a point that might make her seem mean; it also reinforces how important is to take the feelings of both people involved in a crush into account.

Even so, my biggest/only issue with Love Letters is her final conversation with Jamie, where she dismisses his infatuation as a performance. I guess I get that she’s trying to let him down easier than before and is putting things in a way he understands, but there’s a much better way to differentiate between love and a crush than essentially saying his crush is delusional. As someone who’s had crushes and has been in love, sure, the latter is strong enough to make the former look tame in retrospect. But that doesn’t make infatuation an act, and for a show that’s all about feelings, Steven Universe could do way better at explaining Garnet’s point of view without being condescending about someone’s emotions (especially the emotions of a young audience).

That said, Jamie’s response is somewhat true: local theater, at least, is really solid advice.

Future Vision!

Beyond local theater being in the future, Love Letters gets a nice resolution in Jamie insisting that he’s moved on in I Am My Mom. And then we get to see that, uh, nope, he’s still holding the torch as of Reunited.

Our introduction to Barb is a long time coming, and the fact that she knows Greg telegraphs their low-key and largely off-screen friendship.

If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have inconsistencies…

Despite Garnet proclaiming that love at first sight doesn’t exist, The Answer more or less shows Ruby and Sapphire’s relationship to be just that. Maybe they spent more time on the surface getting to know each other than it seems, but as per its fairy tale nature, love springs up pretty much immediately. (And it’s great! But maybe don’t have that person be against the notion of instant love.)

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

I enjoy the goofiness here and the dedication to a farcical format for a theatrical character, and as I said, the acknowledgment that time is an actual factor for this show earns some points. But beyond not sticking the landing, and it’s honestly just a little too broad to be a favorite.

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

Rose’s Scabbard

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Winter Forecast

On the Run

Warp Tour

Maximum Capacity

The Test

Ocean Gem

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Future Vision

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

No Thanks!

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