#i failed to screenshot that part where mc is like
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incorrect-ikevamp-quotes · 1 year ago
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Y'all I been doing Dazai route in eng for the collection event and I'm just.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE WRITING HERE. DAZAI AND MC ARE OFF THE CHARTS???? I FEEL LIKE I'M IN IKESEN RN HELP
I never want off this tragicomedy this is amazing. Just look at this shit:
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There's so much going on here???? I'm in stitches?????
Dazai if you're going to roll with familial obligation PICK ONE ROLE, what is this madness!!!
MC full on out here UNIRONICALLY looking at Charles and going:
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MC: I could make him worse twirling hair around her finger
What's even more uproarious to me is Dazai like "I must. Protect MC from his vile eboy clutches." And MC is straight up like "Dazai if you won't tap this then I will have my hot girl summer." Can you tell I love her so much for this I'm sobbing. Girl math queen of "I want what's bad for me"
Charles. Trying to whine his way into a hot night and Dazai's abrupt "Haha, no." Just imagining the delivery of that line straight up made me astral project, Dazai is feeling petty and I'm LIVING
"NotMyName-san." Do I even need to say it. MC dragging his ass and I'm wheeze--
Aight but that last screenshot. I swear to God that's where I lost my veritable shit. I think I've just gotten so used to Comte and Leonardo being so literal of like "oh yeah that f**ker can't keep his hands to himself, give me a second to get rid of him" that I just did not see Dazai's roast coming. And not only how iconic and subtle a jab that is, but the ENDLESS implications????????????
"He seems like someone who can't keep his hands out of the picnic basket." Dazai was COOKING. He said "boy's got no patience, he can't pace a relationship properly." [Note: Dazai can't pace a relationship at all, so uh, pot meet kettle--]. He said "man's going to get to third base on the first date and that is GAUCHE." I love this bit because of how much it gives him away. Dazai out here like "I'm just a silly silly goofy no thoughts guy! Hahaha!" And then the second Charles tries to drag MC around like a rag doll, Dazai comes out like "what is this. menace doing with a nice young woman. I say, young man, cease this horny shitfkery at once!" The man who sat in bed with MC naked after a month's worth of knowing her and does not explain (though in fairness he was trying to be helpful [?]). Can you tell I love him. Osamu "Do As I Say, Not As I Do" Dazai.
Dazai out here like "I just know he's going to ask too much of her, and that could have grievous implications when it comes to being a vampire." As much as it might be a throwaway line, I gotta say I see that amongst his concerns. And tbh I think he means it both in the sense of bloodlust but also in the sense that Charles is a bit wayward with his self-control (not entirely Charles' fault). Dazai out here like "I know this little shit ain't got an ounce of foresight, and I hate this for my best girl." No beef to Charles, but the man lives in the present (in some ways by circumstance) and I can see how he might not be able to have MC's best interests for the future in mind (he's got a lot of healing to do).
Man can you tell I just can't get over the way Dazai flamed him. It's giving:
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Also for the record no shade to Charles as an LI, I just think it's hilarious how jealous Dazai is and how that makes him uncharacteristically choose so much violence khafjlsjkshgdfjh
I gotta say if there's one thing that gets my ass so bad when it comes to Comte and Dazai it's how they're so like. "Peace and love on planet earth~"
Charles/Vlad: hi
Comte and Dazai:
Comte and Dazai:
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surely-galena · 8 months ago
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So I finally read Vyn’s Winterwish SR Timeless Wishes and it has NO right to be this funny. I was laughing the whole way through
First, we continue the saga of Vyn unable to handle the cold (like fair enough dude, he’s wearing THREE layers in this card -- vest, shirt, turtleneck). Attached screenshot is from the Blizzardous Threads of Red invitation where we see Vyn trying to imply he is this close to freezing. (It's because he's not wearing gloves...)
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And then MC goes ahead and calls him a PATHETIC MEOW MEOW--
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Next up, we have Vyn getting unintentionally psychoanalyzed by the handicraft shop owner. Hey. Hey Vyn... how does it feel to have the tables turned on you...
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Then Vyn and MC return home and we get THIS BIT that still makes me laugh:
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Vyn, what are you using Ogier for??? Is cleaning your room all the SPECIALLY TRAINED BODYGUARD is good for? This is so hilariously baffling to me. Does Ogier literally drop by Vyn's place just to tidy up? Is he going to walk into the room and sigh at the sight of Vyn's bedroom floor covered in a ridiculous amount of yarn? And this begs the question: what else does Vyn call on Ogier for? To deep clean the kitchen?? Ogier, my guy, I genuinely wonder how you feel about this because you are not beating the butler allegations...
Okay, and then we get some wholesome fluff where Vyn and MC exchange gifts, but Vyn looks so perplexed at MC's collection of wishing cards that I had to include this screenshot. MC truly never fails to surprise him.
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And then after the card story is done, we get THIS text conversation when MC declares she wants to make... DIY slime. Vyn's reaction is what makes this part for me. Mr Fancy Two Degrees honestly had no clue what slime was and was probably mildly concerned at her suggestion (although she explains what she means by slime after the cutoff).
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Vyn, expecting normal activities like crochet or pressing flowers: What shall we try next?
MC, incredibly up-to-date on all the current trends: slime!!! :DD
Vyn: say what now
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The second text message references the Cooking Card again and I just thought it was hilarious that Vyn purposely misunderstands the point of the card. He uno reversed the situation on her, but I can't really fault him for that. It's definitely a Vyn move.
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hollowwrites · 10 months ago
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✨Drabble Masterlist✨
✨ Link to Regular Masterlist ✨
My masterlist got too big so here’s where all the waffley, cutesy stuff goes.
~
🤍 The Bois 🤍
Oh… and keep an eye on the staircases, they like to change. - How the bois would tackle the girl dorms being inaccessible
I’m Bothered by these Boggarts - Headcanon of what our bois Boggarts would be
All aboard the Hug-Warts Express - How our lads comfort MC
Where has my Cardi-gone - How our bois react to pilfered clothing
Proper Proposals - The lads discussing how they proposed to their significant others
And a Happy New Year - The bois celebrating at a New Year’s party
The Serpent Sisters - Anne, Imelda and Evelyn defending the bois
Medusa’s Vipers - Ominis and Sebastian being protective of Evelyn
🔞 Character AI Screenshots 🔞
Ominis, Garreth and Sebastian, Sebastian again
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🎁 Gift Giving 🎁
In game ideas for a relationship system. Like Dragon Age!! Plus I want give my favs gifts Okay?!
Sebastian, Garreth and Ominis
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🕯️ Trio Chatter 🕯️
- Based on game files showing we could have had TWO companions. Little conversations between possible combos
Sebastian and Ominis
Ominis and Misc
Garreth and Sebastian
Garreth and Sebastian…again
Sebastian and Imelda
Garreth and Ominis
Poppy and Amit
Trio Chatter for when MC is in a relationship, how each person would behave:
Sebastian and Garreth | Sebastian and Ominis | Garreth and Ominis
Three’s a Crowd - Trio Chatter for a party with all the same house
Trio Chatter for my Ships: Part 1, Part 2
~
🔮 Random Headcanons 🔮
Garreths’ Nicknames for people
Spell Practise - Ominis and Garreth dialogue for in-game
Class of ‘91 - Ideas for classes for all our favs
Leaving Hogwarts Grounds - Dialogue for dragging our babes out of hogwarts. and some more!!
Hallway Antics - Leander trying to bully Ominis and failing feat. Garreth
Hallway Antics - Garreth and Ominis discuss the origins of Hobhouse hatred
Hallway Antics - Sebastian and Ominis contemplate Garreths’ house
House Pride (and Shame) - MC talking about their different Houses
Parseltongue-tied - Ominis teaching MC Parseltongue (suggestive 🔞)
Mother in Laws Tongue - Ominis can talk to plants too apparently…
A Very Ominous Christmas - 🎄Garreth has a surprise for Ominis
A Magical Christmas - 🎄 Gift Giving amongst the gang
A Weasley Good Christmas - 🎄Garreth giving gifts cause he’s baby boi
Crossed Wands Headcanon - Different duelling styles for our favs
A Summary of The Houses - The difference between my MCs
The Adventures of the Sallow Twins - Garreth and Sebastian discovering they look VAGUELY similar
Tis the Season - 🎃 Pumpkin spice Drabble for Ominis, Sebastian and Eve
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black-flag-if · 5 months ago
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What kind of story is it?
A motorsports IF. You're a formula driver. It's romance-focused and deals with drama and angst while going after what's really important to you.
Can I romance more than one RO?
Absolutely. Be as messy as you want or as loyal as you want. There will be a choice to lock in who you want to pursue, but for the start, it's up to you what you do.
Will there be consequences?
Yes! Some ROs will deal with it better than others.
If I choose to be friends with the ROs, can I get on their romance route later?
As of now, no. It would be nice to explore, but it's not a priority yet unless I see a good opening for it in the story.
Is there an enemy to lovers route?
I was thinking of doing one for Ryder's route but I haven't decided yet. It fits the character the best, but it's a WIP and I will just have to see how it presents itself later on. So maybe? Not sure yet. If there's a good opening, I would like to add it but it'll just depend on how much I have on my plate.
Is Lane canon?
I don't think any of the LIs are canon. This story works just fine with trying to improve MC and focus on themselves and their career. Take out all the ROs and it's still simply about MC finding their place. It is a romance story though so if you're simply here for the plot and don't want to deal with romance, it might not be as fun but do with your time what you will. I try not to push any of the ROs onto the player, so I hope Lane doesn't feel canon. The story makes sense with any branch. Lane comes up a lot, yes, but they're a big part of MC's past. You should not have any scenes with Lane nor should your MC think good of them unless you choose such options. If you simply want to be friends - they're friendly interactions. If you don't want anything to do with Lane, they should hardly make an appearance in the story except when needed and it won't be anything romantic. So, if you feel like you have too much of Lane, then maybe reconsider your choices. The most important one is if you say you still have feelings. That's telling the game you want to explore that part more so it'll offer romantic choices and a way to reconcile but you will still get a chance to choose what to do with it all.
Will there be jealousy/break-ups?
I get this one a lot. Not sure if that's a good thing or something you all want or are just afraid to explore, but yes, this game has all of that. It'll depend on the RO because not everyone is jealous, but expect some angst, arguments, breakups, etc.
Why is there no back or save button?
I am working on a save button for future update. Back button will still not be implemented simply because it will be a coding issue for this game.
There's a bigger chance for errors if I let you go back to fix something because some codes use a variable that tracks choices. An example is I sometimes use "history macro" and if you visit the passage more than once, the code won't work so you'll end up with missing information and it will fail to properly connect you to other passages.
When are updates?
I don't have a schedule. It's a WIP, it's a side project, so whenever I have time or energy to write, I do, and update at the end of every chapter.
Why am I not answering you?
I don't purposely avoid comments unless the messages are rude. If I don't answer, but you want an answer, please try again. I could have simply missed it. Send in with a username instead of anon so I can actually get back to you. If I have something to say or add to your comment, I usually do unless it's repetitive. If it's already answered in FAQ's, it's also another reason I might not answer from now on.
Find spelling, errors, or mistakes in general?
I appreciate people letting me know and yes, send them in, but PLEASE let me know WHERE. The sentence or screenshot will work fine just so I know where to look. If you just say there are mistakes, I have no idea where to look and will most likely stay that way until it comes up again. If you want a reply but not make it public, please give a note stating so and I won't post it publicly. Instead, I can just reply to you personally if you don't write as an anon. Thank you to everyone that sends the mistakes in, especially to some anons that take their time to write out every sentence where they saw a spelling mistake. I appreciate it and you make things loads easier.
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undercroft-files · 5 months ago
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Bringing in the MC
Hello again, it's ya boy (god I'm cringy 😣). I have ABSOLUTELY no drawing skills when it comes to faces and people so y'all just gotta bear with me on screenshots I've taken from my own game from Hogwarts Legacy.
I don't have all the screenshots I want because I didn't come up with the idea of having my MC even be a plausible character in my works until recently. Also, part of the reason I don't have as many screenshots as I'd like is because of the update that has been frame rate dropping me and also kicking me out of the game every five seconds so that's fun. 🥲
Anyways, here's the boy and all his info (I'll write fics for him on Ao3 and I'll provide links)
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Yes, I know he looks like Harry Potter.
SHUT
I try to make myself and every time, without fail, they end up looking like Harry Potter or Leon Kennedy from the Resident Evil franchise and idk how to not have that happen.
Anyways, here's some of his info that's kinda basic.
Name: Jeremy Carter
Birth Date: December 1st (whatever year this takes place because idk 😭)
Where In Europe Is He From?: England
Blood Status: Half Blood
Height: 5'7 ft
House: Hufflepuff
Wand: Pear wood, 11 three quarter inches, quiet bendy, phoenix feather core
Patronus: Stoat (they're like the ferret's prettier cousin)
Father: Wizard, deceased
Mother: Muggle, alive
Relationship?: Jeremy has eyes for Amit Thakkar
Extra facts
Jeremy has autism (at the time, they probably didn't even know this existed but they all take kindly to Jeremy and give him patience).
Jeremy's father told him about Hogwarts and the wizarding world before his father's passing.
Jeremy's mother thinks the father is lying about everything.
Eleazar Fig becomes the closest thing Jeremy has to a father.
Mirabel Garlick becomes the closest thing Jeremy has to a loving mother.
Jeremy and Ominis become best friends (through traumatization from Sebastian).
Jeremy went out of his way to find all the constellation tables immediately after helping Amit find one (that was Jeremy's way of saying "I like you").
Jeremy's favourite class is potions.
So yeah, I'll post some chapters for Jeremy's story on Ao3 along with a gallery of screenshots (when I decide to end the story) for you all to enjoy! Stay tuned for those updates!
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sixosix · 1 year ago
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hi hello
I'm here to write about my experience while reading the latest writing of wanderer. (it shall contain what I'm doing as I'm reading and my reactions - so if you don't wanna read it - that is a-okay!)
I'M STANDING IN -3°C OR EVEN LESS ON A TRAIN STATION FREEZING. I'm reading this by taking a glove off of my hand to scroll and then switching it to the other (taking the other glove off putting this one on) - pain fr, and then smiling to myself like a love struck idiot at 6 FUCKING AM. ON A FOGGY CROWD FILLED TRAIN STATION.
you did say in the a/n that the first part was "unnecessary" but I enjoyed the potrayal of friendship - it fleshed out the mc fr. also didn't except Heizou to be so touchy bUT THEN I gave it a second more of thought (lol) and I can see it. wanderer wearing all black is fucking canon in my eyes in modern!teyvat/world/somewhere.
the flashback was written really cutely, managing to catch the good vibes and capture, in a quite the short amount of text, the history the two have. (except like why does he think he hurt them-myb he thinks it is cos they left? idk listen I'm still sleepy if I missed something dO NOT HATE ME I WILL REREAD LATER TODAY)
next, I manage to find a spot in the train to sit, now nice and warm, chuckling at the boys & mc interaction in the hotel room
takiNG PAUSES - TURNING MY PHONE OFF AND LOOKING OUT INTO THE DARKNESS OF THE MORNING WHEN THEY KISS???? WHEN HE SAYS ANYTHING? I'm out here yet again smiling to myself and looking out of the window before continuing my reading
little love confessions cute! cute! cute!
thE FUCKING CUDDLES THE CUDDLES THE. CUDDLES. as a deeply touched deprived person with main love language being physical affection (with only selected few I care for, otherwise I hate any physical contact) my reaction is - YES. tysm. bless, thank you for your service.
it warmed my heart, perfect perfect perfect. ALSO THE LINE - I JUST RECALLED, THE LINE "You think I'd settle for less than you" - screenshoted, screamed internally, felt special, felt pain no one in this bitch ass world has me yet like that - no one ever will prob let US BE REAL (I'm mentaly dating all of them fictional mfs) , looked out of the window, paused, thought about stuff, leaned my head back to reimagine the scene as I try to also nap and fAIL cos I'm too hyped to read it - like man! 5k words - a LOT (it indeed was not a lot, I forgot how fast I read even when I reread lines and pause, and that I finish a thick ass book in 2 hours.)
it was slow burn without the slow but you worded it so nicely, paced it out, captured the essence of the thought proccess of a "crush" and stuff. also heizou being mentioned so much DOES make sense in the way - that ofc you'd think to tell your bsf this shit and chat with him DUH.
the detail of Aether texting his sister warmed my heart.
roll back a bit earlier - did I mention my train arrived late to my station - and in the freezing dark cold morning I smile and was like "ehe" cos I get to read this in PEACE for 15 mins longer - cos of the late train.
roll back to the present. after the kiss someone sits next to me so I'm putting my phone away, like I'm reading straight up smut of some shit, yet again rethinking everything you wrote.
then I see "a/n" - cut to me screaming, yelling, crying internally for more - feeling like it just began - I need the two days, I need more of the kissing, I need how they solve the end of vacay, and how they work all of it out - ALSO WHERE IS XIAO AMONGST MY ANEMO BOYS
on the topic of xiao I do understand it would be difficult for me as well to put the two boys I love the most in the same fic and just not have anything with one of them. furthermore, I understand one of your notes on a Xiao writing you did as a Xiao main. Listen me too, I could not write about my beloved. it would be a struggle just like it is for you but I KNOW WHY LET ME TELL YOU WHY - to quote Jane Austen "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more" I rest my fucking case.
I CAN FURTHER SUPPORT MY CLAIM WITH THIS - I'm talking to my friend the other day about genshin and he's like tell me about you favorite character, I say a bit while also trying to keep it spoiler free but I struggle so much, because my mind just fills with everything about him, every single thing Xiao has been through and dear gods how do I say it all, how to get across everything he is, has been through. yeah. the quote is true.
I beg on my knees for somehow another part of this wanderer writing I'm just gnawing at a train plush soft cushion (not literally).
every timE I READ ONE OF YOUR THINGS ABOUT THE SHORT SNARKY BOY I'M ALWAYS SMILING TO MYSELF ALWAYS PAUSING LOOKING AWAY, WHAT DO YOU PUT IN THIS WHAT IS THIS SORCERY?
I am very aware of how long this is, hope it wasn't boring - but HEY it is an ask, so technically you can ignore me
I probably didn't manage to caputre all my thoughts while reading it cos I'm just still very tired - hope you have a great day
ps. I could very well write an ask about how I started enjoying (read: liking) Wanderer + how the pulls went (it would be more put together than this ask honestly lmk)
pps much love, keep writing stuff x
hi hello! of course id love to read. i love the trend of sending long asks like this!! the only time i dont like long asks is when readers are requesting something---i dont like that at all :/ but youre not doing that!!! youre talking about your experience in reading my works and it really really warms my heart reading through it
OH NO T__T i cant even imagine. my countrys temperature never falls below 25-30°C so i cant even imagine surviving outside when the numbers are NEGATIVE T__T
the first part was absolutely unnecessary HAHA but thank you for justifying it. My hopeless crush wormed in and i wrote too much to just delete it sigh…
now for your question--scara moved out and essentially left the reader. it was more of a reference to scaramouche's canon backstory. he felt hurt that ei left him! and now, he's leaving the person he cares about. of course, in my head, he would assume that you'd feel what he felt. its why i put scaras mommy issues in the tags hahaha
im glad you like their interaction!! i loved writing their banter so much. i love writing scara talking to anyone in general because the way he talks is the way i think irl LOL
im so glad you also like the "you think i'd settle for less than you" line!!! ill tell u a secret. a few minutes before posting the fic it wasn't even there, but after reading through it i thought it would fit perfectly with the way i wrote scaramouche's character :D
and im so glad u pointed out the pacing!!! in all honesty i am far from confident with my pacing. i never know if im doing it right so thank u so much for saying that!!!!!!!! T__T <3 i dont know if i should clap for the late train for letting you read in peace? ??
LMFAOOO IM SO SORRY. this is exactly why i avoid reading fanfiction out in public even if i dont read smut. these strangers cannot know that i read about scaramouche kissing me.
and also fun fact!!!!! in the previous author note, it was not written that way. let me show you proof!! i cant find it rn but ill go into the version history version of my docs :D
AHHH that quote is so real im stealing that sorry. Everytime someone brings up why i dont write xiao enough ill pull that up !!!!! i know exactly what u mean :/
and about a part two… some people are already asking for it but i just don't do part twos T__T unless its stated in the fic that there's another part coming--it means that that's it…… your imagination will probably do better than whatever i can cook anyway !!!
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agentnatesewell · 1 year ago
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Book 3 is such a ride, it feels like it's building up to something bigger, and I liked its focus on relationship development. I am doing complete reruns since I am finally able to delete old saves and create new ones (PROPERLY NAMED AND DATED SO I KNOW WHICH FILE IS WHICH) so I did N and A so far (currently doing F's route and it's as cute with some angst as I remember!), but—
Oh God. Oh my dear God, N in Book 3 killed me.
The part where you get caught if going without Rebecca and we saw just the tip of the iceberg of N's powers? Suddenly, every single thing they said, truths they "admitted" or deflected from answering coming to be seen at a different light? WOW.
"Caught by Trappers" Route is SO GOOD. I haven't tried it with A yet, and I actually decided to try it with N randomly, and I was like "Well, mark me down as scared AND horny!!" when I read N enter the auction room.
Also, was it just me or was there a hint at N's powers hurting MC like M's did in Book 1 with Murphy?
I was looking at Book 3 N's Route screenshots and initially thought it was MC hurting from being thrown around and blinding lights in their eyes, which were mentioned, but then I thought, hmm, maybe not... 🤔 The phrasing feels like it's ambigious on purpose and easy to be dismissed considering the circumstances!
Hello hello! That’s how I feel about Book Three! It’s so massive and it feels like a set up, sort of turning point for the series. My friend made a point of it being more ‘mythology’ than a ‘monster of the week’ like books one and two (and if you’ve seen a show like the Xfiles, you’ll know what is meant by that)
I love Book Three, it definitely has a different feel and one of those feelings is that it sets up the rest of the series, especially with relationships and the transition from human liaison to agency member
And I am beyond excited and looking forward to the next book!
Okay! So! I have only done the N, A, F, M routes once and working on the LT. I had decided since I did the Rebecca route in book three for N, to stay with the Rebecca route for the first playthroughs. Then go through again and do the solo routes because -
I HAVE to see that N scene for myself!! I have mostly avoided the screenshot (but have heard about it) and I am just on the edge of my seat about it. From what I understand, going in solo and the ‘fail throughs’ are better with the Auction House
Mishka did say that the N scene hints on what their secret power! As for affecting the detective, that’s interesting! I am going to go through and look for that on my next N run (which I am planning after LT). If they affect the detective like M’s pheromones did then 👀
Thank you for this ask and thank you for sharing your thoughts!
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cooltuna69 · 1 year ago
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Crimes of Passion 2 Thoughts
I'm replaying CoP before the second book comes out and having a lot of thoughts about book 2
Note: these are my speculations (pre release) but I'm gonna put them under cut in case people don't want to see them or have the experience spoiled
Thoughts on plot:
Drakovians are gonna take Trystan back by force, along with Marguerite for "failing to do her duties" by not forcing them
MC will frantically fly over to Drakovia after them, hopefully followed by the rest of the gang
We're gonna have at least a full chapter or two without Trystan's active presence when MC tries to reach Trystan
Then MC will rush in headfirst to Trystan's side, getting themself in a royal mess (literally)
There might be a few empty compliments about catching Sonja's murderer
Thoughts on the emojis in the last newsletter:
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(Screenshot credits to @korgbelmont)
So, we have eight royals, five daggers, and two skulls. It's not hard to guess where this is going. Skulls definitely portrait murders, and with what book one set up, one of them most likely belongs to Juliana. The other could either be a new victim or MC's dad. (To be honest I can't see how Jimmy Rose's murder could have anything to do with Drakovian royals. A new murder on the other hand is a good way to raise the stakes even higher.) The royals definitely portrait the Drakovian royal family, but the most interesting part is the daggers. Because according to this, 5 out of 8 members of the royal family are responsible for 2 murders, which also means 3 aren't. Now, depending on whether Marguerite and Trystan are part of the emojis, there are at least 1 and at most 3 new characters we can trust. Who they are is yet to be known. (Personally, I'd like to think Marguerite is and Trystan isn't, but we'll see.)
Final Thought: In book one, it's heavily implied that the queen hates Trystan. Also, in the extra sneak peak at the end, we can see a faceless 'your majesty' seems to know too much. With how circumstantial the implications are, I'm betting my money on the queen being one of the innocent royals and the king being the mastermind. That's just how crime books work.
Feel free to share your own thoughts!
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angryteapott · 2 years ago
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A reflection on why the introductory episodes of Alchemy of Souls part 2 are putting me off so much, featuring mild spoilers:
(TLDR if you like AoS’s softer female lead as of part two ep two, I really think you’ll like the show Lighter & Princess even though it’s contemporary. Check it out!!)
To be honest, I think the reason I’m grumpy about the current direction is the exact reason other people are liking it. While both seasons lean into the salt and fat style of making entertainment (always tastes better with More), part one uses breakneck pacing and shenanigans as it’s flavoring (which I prefer) where part 2 is using wildly popular romance tropes.
IMO, part one’s buddy comedy feel suits AoS’s anachronistic hairstyles, fast and tone flopping dialogue (that part where naksu almost gives uk to the soul shifter and instead of going all angsty they have him go “hey!” never fails to crack me up) and balls to the wall world building. It’s a romance, but a romance of two people who are first and foremost partners in chaos and who treat their goals as seriously as they treat each other. While a lot of its elements are common fare for its wuxia roots (ie introducing a new technique, saying it’s impossible, and giving the MC a hack to do it anyways within 10 minutes), AoS part 1 makes itself feel fresh by not lingering on its own self importance but instead on how batshit, amoral and funny its main characters are for using duct tape power ups as they scrabble towards the finish line, all while delivering surprisingly solid character arcs that emotionally anchor the decisions about arbitrary magical problems. It reminds me of the first few episodes of sword snow stride if sword snow stride thought women were people. In other words, it’s an absolute banger.
And now part two has launched, the ostensibly darker finish. After the teasers I personally was hoping “darker” meant the same pedal to the metal feel while it treated itself less lightly. However thus far (although it’s early days), this season’s MSG seems to be “dark” id appeasing romance tropes . They’re leaning into the fairytale elements more, which could be fun, but with this comes a closed off ML/ wide eyed FL romance and resultant overwrought angst (FL in her rapunzel era! she cries defeated until he whisks away the boat!! Marriage of convenience!!! Uwu she’s too insecure to even try with the lantern :(!! “She’s my wife” FL starstruck moment 🤩!!!). Which I’m not against as a concept, by the way!! I mean I just devoured lighter and princess and that’s a whole cheesefest. But thus far naksu’s uncut sweetness makes the simultaneous attempts at chaotic hilarity not land for me, and it doesn’t really jive with the previous emotional knots driving character actions approach as much as it does an angsty arbitrary romantic drama. Case in point is the writing giving the actress very Naksu ACTIONS (entrap a strong husband at all costs!!!) while direction is likely what’s making her give the most calf eyed, spaced out performance as she does it, which barely even makes sense. She doesn’t look frustrated at all with her “mom” for trapping her, even though she plans on escaping (and wrecking the jin reputation and harming her “mom”) in the next scene? She’s desperate enough to say something as vicious as jang uk’s so alone that he should marry anyone willing, but with a soft, spineless tone? Sheltered rich girls can have a spine, just see Lighter & Princess! For me, the screenshot parallels people are posting are the real knife in the gut- why are season one’s expressions so good while season two’s are just slightly confused? The hair is still wacky, the world building’s still like swiss cheese, and everyone else is still trying to banter… and I’m supposed to be swept into this played straight disney princess routine? While people seem to be loving the love affair, I keep waiting for why I watched in the first place.
That said, Uk and the crown prince still have mad beef in a way that feels both emotionally honest and funny (CP’s reaction to the wraiths was exactly what that plot point needed to deflate its self importance), and evil guy fieri remains delightfully schemey. So maybe they’ll bring the magic back!! For now, everyone else seems to be eating up the tropes, so maybe I’ll just stay grumpy alone.
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geographerdose · 2 years ago
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Celestial Screenshots Destined for Fame, Part 5:
Marvin Gaye
⚠️⚠️ TW: death, violence, abuse, childhood trauma
All of the information used in this article was taken from Marvin Gaye’s Wiki page/biography. I am a student of astrology and thus all that I have learned in that course deserves the instructor’s credit, along with all the astrologers before him from Vettius Valens to the translators of ancient texts. I thank you for passing on this knowledge and am grateful to receive it. To protect his privacy and name (because what if I’m completely butchering these concepts, lmao) I will keep it to myself. I believe in the importance of giving credit where it is due and thus that is my intention here. I also believe in the right to privacy and thus that is my secondary intention.
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🌖 First things first, his chart ruler is the Moon. It falls in his third house (where it has its joy).
🏆 It is being opposed by benefic of the sect in favor which is good despite it being a difficult aspect because at least both planets see each other.
🍀Even better is the fact that Venus is exalted in Pisces, while Jupiter is in its domicile. These are both benefics and in the place of God. I do know he started singing in church as a child and I believe he remained religious. I get the feeling he had a strong faith but it does not say outright.
🎤 I imagine this would give one an extra big voice and the man is a legendary vocalist. He was a pioneer that helped shape the Motown sound.
🎺 His Moon is also in opposition to Venus, although by sign vs degree and I believe this helped make his voice beautiful. Since Venus beautifies and Jupiter expands.
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🥇But first of all, he was SO meant to be a star/famous simply looking at the ruler of his chart. Since the moon is not in its own domicile, it must rely on its ruler Mercury. It is up in Aries conjunct the Sun and Saturn, all dangerously close to his MC. {this stellium will be important later}
🏹 Even though the Moon has a 15 degree range, his Sun falls shy just a couple degrees. Or else his chart ruler would be in aspect to that Aries stellium near his MC directly.
🍑 However since the ruler of the house holding his CR is in aspect to the Sun+Saturn near the MC, the effect is basically the same.
💼👔Ruler of the tenth house is under the beams and thus career significations are hidden —> he had no desire to become an R&B singer when first signing to play drums. His first single release failed and he continued to play drums for other bands.
🚔“What’s Going On” was delayed in its release because of its political implications but ended up being a massive hit once released. I believe this is partly the example of Mercury and Saturn being under the rays. Mercury is associated with words and Saturn is associated with long-term rewards, both under the beams of the Sun so hidden. That song was sort of like a hidden slice of fame that eventually got brought to light.
👮🏻‍♀️It was inspired after witnessing police brutality at an anti-war event.
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🎬 Also I found it interesting that he would perform with his eyes closed and was criticized as appearing to be sleeping, being told to open his eyes while performing. He refused to go to the grooming school which is something I would expect of an Aries stellium native {love it}
⚠️⚠️ TW: death, violence, abuse, childhood trauma
🪦Alright so I was trying to see if I could predict how he died using astrology since I did not know when I originally started this post a few weeks ago. I could not have even guessed the crazy sht that actually went down but looking at the astrology afterwards, it makes so much sense.
🙏🏻My honest to God “guess” toward cause of death before reading his Wiki: ➡️ “Lack of communication related to his work as a voice artist, possibly regarding siblings or children.”
👩‍🦯I completely overlooked both significations of the father though, with his eight house of death being ruled by Saturn (then bc Saturn is not in its own domicile, it must rely on its ruling planet Mars which falls in Capricorn).
💢He intervened an argument between his parents and his father shot him twice.
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🟥 A square exists between Mars and Saturn. Saturn is also squaring Chiron+Pluto. Then Mars is opposing Chiron+Pluto. I believe this accounts for his abusive childhood at the hands of his father. He regularly received beatings. He even had a half-brother due to his fathers extra-marital affairs.
🌵Died during a ninth house profection year on the eve of his 45th birthday. The lord of the year was Jupiter, which is the planet in his chart capable of doing most good but it is opposing his Moon, representative of Native’s physical vitality. (The opposition possibly in effect here.)
🎼Passed away during “chapter 3” of his life during a fifteen-year Aries period. With a day chart, Mars is the malefic contrary to sect and ruling this period.
🪗 His peak periods are Libra and Capricorn, with Cancer as a moderate peak and Aries as a minor peak.
☠️ Level 1 Aries —> Level 2 Cancer —> Level 3 Cancer —> Level 4 Aquarius on 1 Apr 1984
🏜️ His eight house of death is Aqua, as is his Lot of Spirit. This is not a concept at all but still interesting bc I believe I came across a similar situation with Chris Farley (I will have to check).
🏈 Did you guys know he almost played football professionally for the Detroit Lions? Then legality regarding his music career stopped it or something. But, yeah, a man of many talents!
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himbrisko · 2 years ago
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some random thoughts of kamen rider w that i want out of my system. — warnings? ; some spoilers here and there but not a whole lot. — a/n ; i've only made it to episode 14 of kamen rider w and i kinda want to write my thoughts out in a cool monologue like how shotaro does it. absolutely NO spoilers from anyone who has seen it— let me clown in peace over how wrong my predictions are, thanks but anyway; here go my thoughts on kamen rider w up until episode 14. opinions are subject to change after a few episodes or so.
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— first thoughts on the three idiots main characters: how shotaro's introduced personally made me laugh a little bit, because of how hard he tries to emulate an 18th-century detective. that's how i knew that i would really like him and every episode so far has me really curious on how his development as a main rider will eventually look like. so far, so good! the rest of the trio (narumi, philip) are also equally as interesting. the hard part to think about is... how will narumi eventually cope with hearing the loss of her dad? ...who, mind you, we met in just the first episode. and he died. so, how will they eventually tell the tale? is this another megumi aso situation for the female lead (narumi) because it's really starting to look like it. i liked megumi though, so hopefully this development makes itself count! i'm personally more interested in how philip will develop most especially since we don't really know much about him other than the fact that he's basically this library that's stock filled with information that he has to research himself and then pass on to shotaro. ...but that also leads to a bane of his in which he's stubborn to the point that if he focuses on ONE thing that he wants to know the answer to, he won't stop until he gets it... which was evidenced in a lot of episodes. again, really solid cast so far, and i'm liking the characters already. which is quite rare.
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— first thoughts on the villains: it's really hard for a series to make me hate one antagonist from the get-go, but the sonozaki family somehow made me do that perfectly. although there is one member of the family that i'm neutral on that i somewhat like as a character (for now), as there is light to darkness; so there is like to dislike. and one particular name comes to mind... that name being none other than kirihiko suda. runner up goes to his wife (fiancee?) so much so that if i wish for them to divorce already; you already did something right in terms of your writing. because jesus christ, i hate these two. here are some screenshots from a friend's dms that i took of myself.
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...and that already says a lot. but for some reason, kirihiko's name, however, never fails to piss me off. WHY? let's have a quick look at some of my screenshots of me hating him on my twitter. (shameless self-promo, but do note that it is 11pm here and that i'm tired to explain why i hate him so much and my posts there are self explanitory.)
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...so yeah. that's all i want to say on kirihiko. moving on. the rest of the family is clearly evil; keeping an eye on the father, though; what kind of power does he hold? it was briefly shown in the episode where w fights against the sweets memory and nazca, so i'm really curious... and... the runner-up; how is saeko related to w? we briefly see her in the first episode as her dopant form, but now that she has an importance into the story as the main villain (for now?) how will her fights against w go and how will she end up developing? as much as i dislike her so far as a character, and in terms of development (there just barely is any...) i just have a feeling that it won't extend to the one that i'm currently neutral on; wakana sonozaki. otherwisely known as wakana-hime. BUT ALSO KNOWN AS THE PERSON WHO WILL MOST LIKELY BREAK PHILIP'S HEART BECAUSE OF WHERE I AM IN THE STORY good god okay, yelling aside— i don't know why but i genuinely like her for now. of course her side gig as being an mc for a radio broadcast station is cute and all, however one specific part really got to me and it was the "heart-to-heart" scene (for lack of a better word) when philip and wakana do this... wall to wall thing where they start opening up a bit which causes philip to research more about her, which leads to her disadvantage due to one specific scene (the one where her younger brother yells at her for not being the big sister he knows...? don't remember the context exactly) and him being the curious soul that he is uses that against her right when she's about to murder someone. until nazca finishes them off in her stead for wanting to spill the details of the sonozaki family. so, that aside— my thoughts on her are, does she even have a good side to her? or is she just nothing but malice like the rest of the family? either way, i can't wait for the rest of her development overtime.
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and there you have it! my thoughts on kamen rider w (so far!) i hope you enjoyed reading this despite how sidetracked i got while doing so. anyways, enjoy the rest of your day and don't die out there! (...i guess?) see you in the next entry! o7
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fkevin073 · 2 years ago
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just read the update on your fic and am so deeply shocked by all of the developments. i admit, i don't read through comments on popular stories because i've noticed (and as a long time fanfic reader this seems like a recent development, or at least something that's always happened but gotten particularly bad recently) there has been a general uptick in nasty and rude comments and behavior in fandoms (esp the hotd fandom where people insist on constantly being at each other's throats), and especially for works that actually provide nuanced, complicated, real characters who make real decisions that aren't always rational. and as a reader, seeing those comments even upsets ME and hurts my feelings, so i cannot imagine what that experience is like for a writer. therefore, i didn't realize there was any backlash to your latest chapter, which i thought was one of your best. i cannot overstate how much i love this story, and each of your messy delicious developments (i adored the jace/alyssane moment and all of the drama and complex emotions of it, and i adore alysanne as a MC. at the end of the day i support women's rights but i especially support women's wrongs and your alysanne feels like a real well-rounded flawed human being rather than some self-insert happy go lucky caricature). and then i read the latest announcement, and i admit, i am still not sure how your reply has offensive implications, however perhaps i lack context for the situation and what exactly happened. but either way, i really admire you for your apology and the mature way you've handled everything, and am honestly in awe of your ability to produce such high-quality work in the face of entitled commenters and remain level-headed and mature. i am so so happy to have gone on your tumblr and to see that you have been getting kind supportive comments here, and i would just like to add my voice to that support and the love and gratitude being sent to you. take all the time you need and make whatever decisions you need to make, but i truly hope you never doubt what a brilliant writer you are, and what a brilliant story this is. the past few months of my life have been a mess, and reading your hotd fics has been such a genuine bright spot by being something to help me get through each week and giving me something to look forward to. i am eternally grateful for the time and work you put into each one. sending you so much love and light. thank you!
tbh, I don't really have much energy health wise to rehash the whole situation and how everything went down. someone had been commenting on the story for a while with some entitled undertones, and then their comment on the most recent chapter (after a string of pretty severe hate - the worst of which will never see the light) caused me to lash out. after lashing out, I realized that part of my response crossed the line (bc it can be interpreted differently).
I don't have a screenshot of the OG comment that person made, but I do have a comment of my OG reply, so I guess I could share that? tho that just feels like stirring the pot again, and I don't wish to do that. idk, I've seen a few people debating whether that was offensive or not, and I don't think that's the point, you know, even if I do appreciate the support. people experience/interpret things differently.
anyhow. thanks for the statement of love! it means a lot, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the story. while I will not, and will never, unblock that user, two wrongs don't make a right and all that. I just want to move on, and the readers to move on (while taking this lesson into account). I just feel like I failed in cultivating a fun space for people, tho I suppose that might have been too big of an expectation? I've never experienced stuff like this before, and I feel like with popular(ish) stories in big fandoms it might be better for authors (or at least me) to not engage with comments.
thanks sm for reading again 💜
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choicesarehard · 4 years ago
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I keep my streams about Wolf Bride light-hearted. It’s been a hell of a year, and I think we all need a space where we can laugh together. But part of responsibly consuming problematic media is being aware of where it fails. And that’s why I think it’s important to talk about Morgan, and Wolf Bride’s troubling depiction of blindness. 
Morgan is one of the first Love Interests in Choices to have a canon disability. She is representation many players with disabilities, like myself, are eager for. But like any form of representation, writing a blind character requires research. A quick google search will lead you to numerous visually impaired voices who outline the tropes and stereotypes that harm their community. Wolf Bride has included nearly all of them. 
signal boosts are appreciated
Not All Blind People Wear Sunglasses
Morgan is shown wearing dark sunglasses from the moment she appears on screen. And there are certainly blind people who wear sunglasses — particularly those who (unlike Morgan) can still perceive some degree of light and dark, and experience painful light sensitivity. But no context is ever giving for Morgan’s use of sunglasses. In fact, they aren’t even addressed for four chapters. 
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[ID: Two screenshots from Chapter Four of Wolf Bride. The first features a text box over a forest background, and reads “You glance at Morgan, and are surprised to see the dark glasses still covering her eyes.” The second features a labeled image of her sunglasses, placed over a black background, with a selectable button that reads “What does Morgan look like without these?”] What follows is a scene Pixelberry could have used to provide insight into an assistive device the sighted community may not be entirely familiar with. They could have touched on degrees of visual impairment, or why some blind individuals need dark lenses while others don’t. They could even have explained that for some individuals with visual impairments, dark lenses make tasks like reading or navigating dimly lit spaces harder.  Instead, and far more troublingly, MC is given the option to ask Morgan not to wear them anymore. And depending on your choice, the book is coded to remove the sunglasses from her sprite in future scenes. This reduces an assistive device to a fashion choice, something our MC can wish away if they don’t find it attractive. And that isn’t okay. 
Unusual Eyes
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[ID: Two side-by-side screenshots from Chapter Four of Wolf Bride. The first features a text box placed over a forest background that reads “With a start, you realize her pale eyes aren’t looking at you, aren’t seeing you, aren’t seeing anything.” The second features Morgan’s sad sprite in the same forest setting, and a text box that reads “...I’ve been blind since birth.”] Morgan has a customizable sprite. But regardless of the ethnicity you select for her, she is depicted with pale blue eyes. And that troubles me. Because the stereotype that all blind individuals have cloudy, distorted, or unusual eyes is pervasive and harmful. 
Even when it isn’t tied to another harmful trope — the blind character as mystical seer or psychic — this stereotype create an expectation that blindness is something that always manifests in a visible way. And for millions of blind individuals, that isn’t the case. 
And while cataracts, trauma to the eye, and corneal infections can all cause the clouded effect most of us recognize from media, none turn your brown eyes into blue.  Heightened Senses
Another common stereotype in media is the blind character who’s remaining senses have become heightened as a compensatory mechanism, often to a supernatural degree.
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[ID: Two side-by-side screenshots from Chapter Four of Wolf Bride. The first features Morgan’s surprised sprite in a forest setting and a text box that reads “I guess I sort of...feel things. Like the place on my cheek where the branch blocked the wind.” The second features Morgan’s neutral sprite in the same forest setting, and a text box that reads “I can smell the dew on the leaves, and the moss on the bark. Can’t you?] Individuals with visual impairment may learn to rely on their other senses to navigate the world around them. But they do not suddenly gain the ability to sense the location of a branch based on wind patterns, or to accurately throw a dart at a carnival game ballon based on its smell. 
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[ID: Two side-by-side screenshots from Chapter Eight of Wolf Bride. The first features a text box placed over a carnival background that reads “Pop! Pop! Pop! Three darts fly through the air, striking their targets.” The second features the white MC with straight blonde hair. Her sprite is surprised, and beneath it is a text box that reads “So you did that by smell, too?]
This trope may seem harmless — after all, it gave us Daredevil, a beloved blind superhero — but it contributes to the unachievable expectations we often place on real-world individuals with visually impairments. And that isn’t fair. 
Of course, we all suspected Morgan’s abilities were due to something other than heightened senses. And that in and of itself is a problem. 
Magical / Supernatural Abilities
To the surprise of no one, Morgan exhibits these unusual abilities because she is a werewolf. But choosing to give a blind character magical abilities should only be done after asking yourself some challenging questions. As visually-impaired Tumblr user @mimzy-writing-online explains:
Your blind characters don’t need a magical ability that negates their blindness. [Ask yourself why it’s so important to you to give them one]. If it’s because they can’t do all the things you want them to do without it, then should you really have written them as blind in the first place? 
And that’s the thing. Morgan isn’t actually written as a blind character, not when it counts. Morgan shoots bullets with accuracy, runs through unfamiliar terrain, and navigates moving objects with ease. She doesn’t use common assistive devices like canes or screen readers. Her sunglasses are discarded at MC’s request. The scientific papers that fill her research facility are not digitized for accessibility or written in braille. 
Even her dreams, which should be reflections of how she perceives reality, look identical to Bastien's — which makes no sense for someone who has been canonically blind since birth. 
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[ID: Two side-by-side screenshots from Chapters Five and Eight of Wolf Bride. The first features a scene from Morgan’s lucid dream. Set in a glamorous hotel, it includes visual details like twinkling lights, and patterned carpets. The color is tinted a grey-blue and the exposure on the image has been increased to an unnatural level. The second features a scene from Bastien’s lucid dream. Set in a forest, it shares the same tinted and over-exposed qualities as the first.]
Her blindness isn’t an integral part of her character. Instead, it’s a narrative device, paraded in front of the reader when it can further a central — and deeply disturbing — plot point. [content warning: discussion of discrimination and child abuse / abandonment ahead]  Morgan Was Left to Die Because She Was Blind 
And Jesus, what a plot point it is. In Chapter 11, we learn that Morgan was left to die in the woods because she was born “wrong, sickly, blind.” But the only canonical disability or illness she is ever shown to have is her blindness. 
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[ID: Three side-by-side screenshots from Chapter Eleven of Wolf Bride. The first two feature the white MC with straight blonde hair’s shocked sprite in front of a forest background. The first text box reads “I don’t understand...” followed by two dialogue options “Why was Morgan abandoned?” and “Is that what you do to full moon babies? Kill them?” The second panel’s read box reads “Just because she was blind?” The third panel features  the old woman Noemi’s sad sprite, placed over a forest background. Her text box reads “If we know an infant will not survive, it is best to let it die quickly.”]
I...am frankly having a hard time thinking through the screenshot-induced fury to make a coherent argument here. To imply that blindness is an impairment so limiting that death is the only foreseeable outcome? That being born blind somehow makes a child “wrong”? The ignorance and prejudice shown in this scene is staggering. 
But equally troubling is the response of the main characters to this revelation. Yes, in fiction, bad people sometimes do bad things. But Noemi isn’t shown to be a bad person. Neither is Bastien, who knew what his pack had been guilty of in the past, and even seeks to justify it to a limited degree. 
Most shockingly, Morgan herself, who in the second screenshot below has just overheard that she was left to die as an infant because she is blind, isn’t angry or upset. She’s almost apologetic, still seeking a place within the pack. 
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[ID: Two side-by-side screenshots from Chapter Eleven of Wolf Bride. The first features Hispanic Bastien’s sad sprite in front of a forest background. The text box beneath him reads “It doesn’t happen often, Clara, but...” The second features white Morgan’s sad sprite in front of the same forest background. The text box beneath her reads “I didn’t mean any harm. Especially after...what I just overheard.”]
By introducing the idea that a child born blind cannot survive, let alone thrive, without superhuman abilities, and then failing to soundly and thoroughly refute that idea through the characters we identify with, Pixelberry is unintentionally perpetuating the same false beliefs that have led to real-world instances of infanticide for centuries. And that isn’t okay. 
I don’t know where Pixelberry will go with the story from here. Perhaps in today’s chapter some of these concerns have been addressed...but I doubt it. In the meantime, I’ve also written to their support staff to express my deep concern and disappointment in the treatment of Morgan’s character. And I’d encourage you to do the same. 
Will I continue to keep streaming Wolf Bride? For now, yes. My VIP subscription is already paid for, and frankly, I want to see Morgan’s arc through. I guess the small part of me that was excited for the representation is still hopeful the narrative can be corrected. 
But I’ll be adding a content warning at the start of each stream for ablism, and that’s something I never thought I’d have to do.  Screenshots courtesy of CrimsonFeatherGames on Youtube
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foodiegoogie · 3 months ago
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is there such a thing as post-fanfic depression bcoz if yes, im pretty sure i have it rn
GOSH 😭😭😭 idek where to begin, honestly. but I’m just so glad i got to read this really reaaally beautiful masterpiece of yours. like from the way you describe things, the metaphors, the yearning (GOD THE YEARNING), the dialogue and absolutely EVERYTHING about this series.. i just love so so much 🥹🫶🏼
OH AND THAT TITLE DROP MOMENT GODDDD for a moment i thought the mc was gonna say it to james,, but james said it instead 😝😝 god i love it when authors do that cuz it never fails to deliver ! HAHAHA
while i am sad that it’s over, im also happy that they got to have their happy ending at long last 🥰 now, me when? 😆
this will definitely be one of my most faaavorite fics that ive ever read in my entire life. no exaggeration there just pure honesty babes bcoz this is seriously good !!!!
so yeah, thank you for sharing this beautiful series of yours with us here 🫶🏼 it’s an honor to have been able to be a part of this journey for you!!! will never ever forget abt “it’s always been you” fr. like, during the first time i read this, i even took a screenshot of the first line of the FIRST chapter:
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BCOZ ITS JUST SO PAINFULLY TRUE AND SOOOOO WELL WRITTEN AND JUST AHHH I COULD GO ON AND ON ABT YOUR WRITING 😭😭 YOU ARE AN AMAZING WRITER I SWEARRR
so yeah, im sorry this got so long but ugh gosh u made me feel a lot of things just by reading and following along this series so.. hehe :3 I LOVE YOU AND I CANT WAIT TO READ MORE FROM YOU AAAA
It's Always Been You - Chapter 12
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james potter x fem!reader
summary - Things hadn't gotten much better with James, and you knew you could only go so long without talking to him—after all, he was still your best friend. But, considering all that'd happened, along with some encouragement from your friends, you knew the time had come to finally admit you wanted more than that.
wc [6.2k]
a/n: alr guys ... very happy and also sad to say this is the last chapter of it's always been you!! :( i've loved every minute of writing this series as well as sharing it (its become my baby atp), and it is definitely because of all the love and support everyone reading has given it. thank u to everyone stuck around to this point, & i hope u guys enjoy this last chapter!! i send all my hugs and kisses <3 - e
all chapters | <- Chapter 11
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It'd been another hour or two until everyone had fully returned from Hogsmeade and dinner was being served in the Great Hall. You finally changed out of your dress and into your everyday clothing again, already feeling better, but that didn't mean you felt good. You didn't think you could feel good when both your brain and heart were hurting like they were. And worst of all, the one person you'd go to in times like these for comfort was the same person you couldn't go to. Not now.
The girls had been doing their best to get your mind off of everything that had happened that day, aside from when Marlene profusely apologized to you for letting Potter hear her outburst in the common room.
"Although, I have to say," she admitted afterward. "I'm not completely sorry for him that he had to hear it. I may be brutal but I never tell a lie."
That fact didn't leave you as you sat with her and Lily in the Great Hall for dinner, a number of seats away from the other Marauders. You recognized with a skip in your heartbeat that James was with them, surprisingly enough since you knew how he was accustomed to skipping meals in the dining hall when he wanted to be alone, a habit you both unfortunately shared. But that didn't mean he was enjoying himself either.
You could see even from your seat down the table that he wasn't saying much, mostly keeping to himself quietly, something so out of character for him yet you'd seen him do it constantly the entire week. You wanted to yell at him and shake him silly, but you also wanted to hug him. When you caught yourself in the midst of those thoughts you turned back to your own spot at the table shamefully.
You tried to force yourself to eat, catching your friends' concerned looks at your full plate, but you didn't feel much like it. Especially not when you still felt maybe a dozen pairs of eyes on you from every corner of the Great Hall.
Even with all that'd happened since just that morning, the rumors and whatever else people had come up with to talk about had not yet been forgotten about by the school like your friends said it would be. Then you thought about whether news had spread of your disastrous date in Hogsmeade, and prayed that nobody had caught wind of that incident either. You didn't think you could handle any more of the staring.
Immediately after you had that thought, you spotted a fifth-year in Ravenclaw robes walking past your table, watching as he blatantly pointed at you as he spoke to his friend, and you looked down at your plate with hardened eyes.
You heard Marlene scoff from next to you. "Hey!" she called to the boy. "Didn't your mother ever tell you it was rude to point?"
The fifth-year didn't respond to her but looked to his friend, hurriedly taking a seat at his own table, his whispers being drowned out in the loudness of the dining hall.
Marlene fumed from next to you. "I can't believe these people. Are they really that bored with their own lives that they're so obsessed with a bloody rumor?"
You shook your head toying with your fork. "Just ignore them. That's what I've settled on doing."
She sighed from beside you and you thought that'd be the end of everything, until you heard gasps from down the table. You looked up and followed the sounds and were met with a sight not even the magic of Hogwarts could've prepared you for.
James—your James—had stood up on the bench he'd once been sitting in, and you thanked Merlin he wasn't standing fully on the table; though you had absolutely no idea what he could possibly be up to, you knew it couldn't be anything good. He cupped a hand to his mouth as your heartrate picked up.
"Can I have everyone's attention?"
He didn't have to ask twice for it. His voice boomed out loudly, something that seemed to come naturally to him, and the noise in the Great Hall had died out in a mere second until it was almost completely silent—quiet enough for you to hear the beating of your heart in your chest as you looked up at him. Your throat went dry.
"Not that it's any of anyone's business," he started confidently to the hundreds of eyes now looking at him, tone nothing but sober. "But nothing happened in the broom closet. Or in the locker room."
You felt the churning in your stomach claw up into your throat, then felt it drop back down, keeping you stationed in your seat. He didn't give much context to his declaration, but with the popularity of the topic amongst the school, it didn't seem like he needed to. His voice almost seemed to echo, all other noises drowning out as everyone stared up at him. James looked around the entire room appearing completely unafraid and you didn't know how the hell he did it; you probably looked more fearful than him.
"So," he began again, "I don't want to see or hear anyone talking about those rumors any longer. And if anyone has a problem with that, they can answer to me. Alright?"
Of course, nobody said anything then, but you could see in their eyes that they were going to listen to him. Or at least, they'd make sure they didn't get caught going against him. Maybe it was from his impenetrably confident voice or his respected status around the school, you weren't sure, but he had that unique effect on people in an almost effortless way.
When it was clear he'd gotten his point across, he scanned his eyes over the sea of students until they found yours. In a dizzying way, it felt like you were the only two in the room for a moment, as cliché as the thought sounded in your head.
You didn't know what had motivated him to do what he did, but you could see in his eyes something fragile that juxtaposed the self-assured look they'd had only seconds ago. He looked away again and stepped back down to floor level once more, not taking a moment before striding out of the Great Hall, his form disappearing seconds after.
Even without his physical presence, his action seemed to linger over the room for a moment more before chatter broke out once again. You were still frozen in place, not knowing if moving would finalize the idea that whatever just happened was real and not just part of some wild dream.
Marlene had confirmed that it definitely had happened, however, when she turned to you with her jaw dropped, an amazed but delighted sparkle in her eye. "Someone tell me you saw that too."
"Oh we saw it," rang Lily, who also looked much too happy about that fact, probably just relieved James's antics weren't centered on her for once. You could see them both staring at you expectantly, waiting for you to react. You could also see the boys in your peripheral, the three of them remaining at the table searching your face for a reaction.
Yet, all you could do was stand up and walk hurriedly towards the exit. Dozens of conversations rushed past your ears as you did, a blur of remarks ranging from "Potter's lost it" to "He's so bloody fit." Whatever they were saying, you noted with gratefulness in the back of your mind that none of the conversations were about you.
You reached the doorway and stopped once you were a safe distance away in the hallway, heaving breaths in for a moment to yourself before finding that you weren't alone. All of your friends had followed you without blinking an eye, and you didn't know whether you found it endearing or inconvenient. Though, to be fair, you didn't know where you were going. You just knew you couldn't sit there and pretend as if nothing had happened.
You blinked at the three boys who neared you with puzzled looks on each of their faces. "Did you guys know anything about this?"
"No," promised Sirius. "In fact, James has hardly said anything to us since this morning."
You shook your head to yourself, feeling breathless. "I can't ... believe he would do that."
"Really?" Lily stared at you. "I mean, it's Potter we're talking about. It's exactly something he would do."
You couldn't fight the smile that tugged on the corners of your lips even as you shook your head. You ran a hand over your hair as the blonde from next to you hit you in the shoulder.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" You frowned over at her as she stared at you expectantly. "Go to him."
You stilled, gaping at her. "What?"
"Go to him. Do I have to spell it out for you?"
You tipped your head at her like it would help you understand her better, parting your drying lips. "I thought you said he was a selfish git." You heard Remus snort from beside you.
"I did, sure," reasoned Marlene, not without a hint of pride. "But only because I thought he was ruining your chances of moving on now that you were over him. But seriously, I can see your face when you look at him." She shook her head. "That's not the look of someone who wants to move on."
Your eyes flickered over her face as she spoke, an infinite number of thoughts overtaking you. In the silence of your thinking, a Hufflepuff boy walked past the six of you in the hallway, staring all the while.
"What are you looking at?" snapped Marlene, turning to him without missing a beat. "Did you not just hear Potter?"
Like he'd heard him loud and clear, and also like he was scared of Marlene, he hurried away with his head bent forward. Satisfied, the blonde turned back to you. At your conflicted expression, she asked, "Well?"
You chewed on the inside of your cheek. "It's just that," you began, not even knowing where you were going with your rambling. "I've spent so long trying to get over him. It's not fair to myself to just forget all of that, and it definitely wasn't fair to Sebastian-"
"For Merlin's sake," cut in Lily, to your surprise. "You keep talking about what's fair and what's unfair, but what about you? What do you want?"
You stared at her, beginning to feel breathless under the eyes of all your friends. "It's not just about what I want. It's not that simple."
"But what if it is?" she questioned. "I know how difficult this has all been for you. And I know you said Potter doesn't just get to realize his feelings for you and suddenly be with you, that it doesn't work like that. But what if it does?" She raised her hands at her sides. "Not everything is a perfect story to tell. Especially not when it comes to you two. It's not every day you fall in love with your best friend and he finally sees that he's fallen for you too. Are you seriously going to let him go because of some made-up system of rules?"
Your breath was becoming staggering now, and you didn't know what to think, because everything they were telling you sounded so right.
"I don't know," you began unsurely. "Of course, I don't want to lose him. Not talking to him for the past week has been harder than I ever could've imagined. I don't even know what it would feel like to have to do it for longer than I already have been." You blinked down at your shoes, truly realizing those things at the same rate you said them. "I think I just ... miss him."
"Of course you miss him." Marlene looked at you sympathetically. "That's why I think you should go tell all this to him."
You felt bile rising in your throat. "I don't even know if he'd want to see me after all we've said to each other."
"Are you joking?" Remus butted in exasperatedly. "Prongs is bloody in love with you. Can't you see that?"
"Remus," you warned softly because you didn't know how much more of this hope you could take before you did something you'd regret.
"I'm telling the truth." His voice was heavy with meaning. "Maybe it took him a while to realize it himself, but the rest of us have had to sit back and watch you both act like you don't have feelings for each other for years. Believe me, the only reason he's in his room right now and not with you is because he thinks that's what you want."
Your brows pinched. "You can't truly know that."
"Really?" he laughed. "What do you think we talked about that night Vance asked you out?"
Your expression faltered and you forced yourself to think back to the night James had begun acting distant from you, though it wasn't difficult to, the storyline of it all clicking into place in your head.
"You," breathed Remus. "We talked about you."
"Not to mention," Sirius added, "we're the ones who've had to spend every night in our dorm listening to him bitch and moan about Vance this and Vance that." You swallowed at your friends' words, but they didn't quit.
"And we know James was being a right idiot today," Sirius insisted honestly. "But you should've seen him this morning right after you two argued. He was heartbroken. More than he'd ever been over Evans." He turned to the redhead in question. "No offense, Evans."
Lily rolled her eyes lightheartedly. "Trust me, Black, none taken."
He nodded and turned back to you swiftly. "So for you to think that James would want anything other than to fix things with you and just be with you is bloody mental."
You stared at all of your friends who were looking so determinedly back at you that you didn't think you could tell them 'no' now. But still, your feet didn't budge.
"It's not just that," you almost whispered. "I guess I'm just ... scared. What if it goes wrong and we get into some ridiculous fight again? What then?"
Marlene took a hold of your shoulders, slightly scaring you in her resoluteness. "Potter just stood up and yelled at the entire bloody school and you're trying to tell us you'rescared?" She shook you a little, and your friends smirked from behind her. "Be a Gryffindor for Godric's sake! Go to him!"
Before you could say anything more, she was turning you around and shoving you a little until you had the momentum you needed to take steps toward the Gryffindor common room. You made it all the way up the nearest set of steps before you paused, turning back to your friends with a grateful smile.
"Thank you, you guys." You expected them to share the sweet moment with you, but they only rolled their eyes.
"Go, woman!" Sirius groaned, and you rolled your eyes back at them, but it lacked any real annoyance.
You didn't know exactly what you were planning on doing, but you didn't have time to think about it because your legs were carrying you speedily through the halls in your anxious state and wouldn't let you stop until you reached the portrait entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Taking a steadying breath in, you said the password and entered the room.
With everyone else still being at dinner in the Great Hall, it wasn't exactly difficult to find James. He sat in the common room, his brunette head of curls visible to you in the low light. They covered the majority of his face that you could see, his head tipped downwards with his elbows resting on his knees. That changed within the blink of an eye as you entered the room, his head swiftly lifting until he locked eyes with you, and you had to fight a shiver at the feeling it sent shuddering through you.
He seemed to think you were just going to go to your own dorm and ignore him, and he averted his eyes to look somewhere else, maybe the fireplace, until you left—but you didn't. You only walked closer to him until you were separated by only one of the couches, the distance still small enough to make your breathing quicken.
At the soundlessness of your stilled footsteps, James looked back up and met your eyes again, and he swallowed. Clearly, he hadn't expected you to make any move to talk to him that night, even after the scene he'd made in the Great Hall. The problem was that you hadn't expected yourself to either, and now you didn't know what you wanted to say first, because there were certainly a million things you had to make sure he knew.
"Thank you," you said, because you figured it was a good place to start. He nodded up at you, his eyes not revealing much of anything, but you didn't let that sway you. "You didn't have to do that, you know."
"Of course I did." His voice was stubborn, but too sincere for how little his expression gave away.
You looked down at your feet, letting a moment pass before speaking again. "Well, now it seems like everyone is going to be talking about you from now on."
"That doesn't matter to me." James's voice cut through the air richly, and when you looked back up from the floor he was staring at you meaningfully. "They can say whatever the hell they want. As long as they're not talking about you."
Your shoulders dropped at his words, and the way he held your eyes as he said them made your heart beat faster in your chest. It hadn't even been a full day since you'd last spoken to him, but you already missed him.
"They wouldn't leave you alone," he said concretely, his tone beginning to fill with emotion. "And then, I heard what Marlene said in the common room, about some girl harassing you in the library? I-" he shook his head frustratedly, rubbing at his forehead with one of his hands. "I'm just mad at myself that I've let it go on for this long. Or that I didn't even know that happened."
You already felt too emotional for your liking, the feelings inside of you swirling more aggressively at every word he said to you. "It's not like it's your fault, James."
"Well it's not like I did much to stop it, did I?" He seemed genuinely angry at himself now, and you didn't know what you could do to help. A painful lump was rising in your throat, but you stayed rooted in your spot behind the sofa. "And I'd ask you why you didn't come and tell me, but that'd be a bloody stupid question."
He shook his head, eyes becoming wistful like he was recalling a memory, one that pained him. "Earlier, when Marlene was defending you in the common room, the look on your face was ... I don't know. Crushed. Sad."
You swallowed at the memory, because that had been exactly how you were feeling, amongst thousands of other ways. James looked down at his lap.
"I just wanted to try and help, do anything to make that look on your face go away, but I couldn't. So I just kept replaying how you looked in my head, and the more I thought about it, the more I hated myself because I realized you were only hurting because of me. And that was the worst part. Realizing that it was all my fault."
You felt yourself wanting to take a step towards him, wanting to just reach out to him as the tips of your fingers teemed with the longing you felt in your chest. "James," you began, your voice hushed. "It's not all your fault."
You meant it. To try and say to yourself that you had no part in all the confusion between the two of you would be a blatant lie, one that you couldn't let James go on believing, especially not with the pained look on his face.
He only shook his head at you. "It is," he insisted. "And here you go, being perfect towards me when I don't deserve it." A muscle worked overtime in his jaw. "Marlene was right. I was being selfish, and petty, and a lot of other things, but most importantly, I wasn't being a good friend." He paused, a grieving confliction tugging at his brow. "That's ... that's not what friends do."
You went still then too, the word 'friend' hanging in the air between you with a weight that only made you tired. The truth was that cobwebs had grown in the house where you'd fostered that unforgiving title, and it felt like some intangible force had locked you both inside with it blindly.
"Yeah, well," you began, your voice small, "we've been doing plenty of things that friends don't do, lately.Like you said, we kissed, right?" You let out a breathy sound like a laugh that lacked any joy, and the way James's eyes flickered up at you knocked the rest of the air right out of you.
"About that," he began hesitantly, and you could tell he was thinking about both the night it'd happened and that morning when you'd fought, just like you were. "I know you don't want that to mean anything, so it- ... it doesn't have to. Even if I want it to. Because it doesn't matter what I want—what matters to me is you."
You were thankful you had the couch next to you to brace a hand on, because you'd never felt so swept up by a conversation and you weren't sure how much longer you could stand the way your heart was nagging at you.
"You were right," swore James, but the slight shake of his eyes back and forth on your face didn't look as adamant as he sounded. "It's not fair for me to expect something from you when you already got over me."
The words you'd shouted at him in Hogsmeade that morning sounded foreign and wrong coming from his lips, and you knew the months of dishonesty that laced them like you knew the back of your hand.
"And it's too late now, I get that." His voice went from deep and determined to on the cusp of breaking, and it killed you. "I just want to know that you're happy, and if being happy means being with Vance instead of me, then ... I can deal with that."
You watched as he swallowed, like he was forcing the words to come from his lips even if it pained him. The way he hadn't broken eye contact with you the whole while was starting to make your head spin.
Your blinking sped up, maybe holding back the emotion you knew you was fighting to come out, and you whispered, "James."
Maybe you hadn't been loud enough, or maybe he just knew you'd try to disagree with him again, but he only continued determinedly at you.
"I know I probably went and ruined your chances with Vance, like an idiot, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you another date with him." He nodded at you once firmly, and within a second he was standing up, taking an intentional step forward. "Hell, I'll even go talk to him right now and-"
"James," you called again, louder this time. "Stop."
You put a hand out and it landed on his arm softly but firmly, and all you could was pray you could find the right words to say to him as he stared at you, level with you now in an unsteadying way.
"You didn't ruin my chances with Sebastian. It wouldn't have worked out regardless, even if I'd wanted it to. Because being with him isn't what I want." You shook your head, recalling back what James had said to you only moments before. "He wouldn't have made me happy." You sounded desperate now. "He's not you."
James stilled, his glistening eyes the only thing showing movement as they danced across your face intensely, though you saw them widen with something bright like hope. "What?"
The confusion of the word that he'd practically whispered out unspeakably attested to how you felt yourself, the terrain of the land you were exploring right there and then with James uncharted and rocky. You pushed on, knowing there was no going back now.
"Marlene wasn't completely right, James. She only said all of those things because I'd spent all this time trying to convince her—and myself—that I didn't still have feelings for you. But I do, clearly." You tipped your head down for a moment in exasperation and exhaustion, willing yourself to keep going. "Everyone can see it. All of our friends. Hell, even Sebastian could see it." You laughed, though your eyes were growing blurry. "So for me to try to push those feelings down any longer would just be lying to you and to myself." You let out an exasperated breath. "And I'm so sick of lying."
Your shoulders sunk as you stood there, a steadily shrinking distance between you and James that was both comforting and daunting to you. You couldn't do anything but watch as James's face stilled and then shifted as he thought, studying your own face in a way that made you conscious of every shift in your expression.
"I just," he began, and then raked a hand through his hair. "Why did you feel like you needed to hide how you felt in the first place?"
You felt your mouth go dry at the question—one you knew came only out of a desperate curiosity and nothing else—and your mind began spinning. The last few years of your friendship seemed to swirl in your head, flickering in and out of focus as you tried to come up with an answer.
"I-" you began, willing yourself to say something, anything at all. "I was scared." The words rang true so much that they made your heart pinch. "Scared that you wouldn't feel the same and I'd go and ruin everything. That I'd lose you."
James's hands lifted up from his sides like he wanted to reach out to you, and he did. He took your hand in his, grasping lightly at your fingertips in a touch that steadied you and made you feel lightheaded at the same time. He shook his head at you with a firm hold in his brow.
"You could never lose me."
His lips were parted, and his hazel eyes glistened over in the low common room lighting like the thought of your suggestion was painful enough on its own. Looking at him then, his face lined with years of a comforting, steadying familiarity, you knew deep in your chest that what he said was true. But that didn't alter all that you'd felt for the past number of years.
"It's not just that," you said, looking down at his hand that held yours and blinking away the guilt that crept into your stomach, because it wasn't James's fault that you had felt this way. "Even in Hogsmeade, James." Your voice was becoming unsteady again and it only frustrated you more. "What if everything you said you felt for me was just some spur-of-the-moment thing from some kiss? What if you didn't feel the same way a week from now? Or a month? I knew I wouldn't be able to get over that fear. Especially when I'd been hiding how I felt from you for years. And then there were your feelings for Lily to think about and ... I don't know."
You trailed off, finally able to stop yourself. You felt petty, so petty, because you were so close to getting what you knew your heart wanted, but you felt the insistent need to ruin things for yourself and think of every way things could go wrong. You'd never felt closer to James then, but also never farther away. All you could do was stand there and wait for him to say something, anything.
James stayed unmoving for a beat staring at you, wordlessly taking everything in with a fragility in the air that hallowed your labored breathing. Then he started to shake his head like he was in disbelief. He ran a hand through his brown hair.
"For Merlin's sake."
His voice was low, a mutter, and he stared at the ground for a moment in thought before dropping the hand that once held yours, turning and walking away from you, leaving up the steps to his dorm room. You watched his back as he disappeared, your fingertips feeling cold and empty.
You felt your blinking speed up in a dizzying confusion. You didn't know what had come over you, not even sure exactly what you'd said in all of your desperate rambling that had made him decide to leave, but your vision started to blur even more than it already had until you recognized the wetness forming beside your eyes.
Nothing made sense. Not then, and not in the last twenty-four hours. You moved until you were sitting down on the couch in front of you, feeling lightheaded as the fireplace crackled a few feet away. The light from outside had left with the sun and the room had a comforting kind of warm lighting, though even that did little to soothe you as you sat there with all the unresolved feelings within you.
You were confused and lost and wanted nothing more than to just fix things, but you were even more at a loss for words when you heard quick footsteps coming from the staircase James had left from, and then saw his returning form making its way down the steps.
You turned your head to him swiftly in confusion, following him and his soft but energetic steps as he came to sit next to you, and that was when you noticed he was holding something—a box. One that was tattered on the corners, its black fabric aged and dusting over.
You wiped at your eyes quickly, brows tugging in all your bewilderment as you waited for James to explain.
"I-" he began, and stopped as soon as his eyes focused more on your face. You must've looked as broken as you felt, and at seeing the look on your face, he held one of your hands in his before swiping across your cheek gently with the pad of his thumb.
You felt like wilting under his soft touch that you'd missed more than anything in the confusing weeks, mentally and physically exhausted from everything but still wanting more than anything to understand.
When you looked perhaps more stable, he looked back at the box that he'd set down beside him and placed it on his lap delicately as he spoke, his words echoing out slowly.
"I know you think I've just realized my feelings for you a week ago, and that they came from some kiss at a party. But, you have to believe me when I say that they're so much more than that." He placed the box in your hands, and you took it from him with a note of fragility, resting it atop your legs. His eyes bore into yours, like it would break him if you couldn't understand the words leaving his lips. He took a shaky breath in. "I need you to know, more than anything, that you're everything to me. You always have been."
Your lips began to shake at the earth-shattering words coming from your best friend's lips. "James, what-"
He stopped you with a gesture of his head that told you to look inside the box, and you did. Carefully, you lifted the flimsy cardboard top and placed it to the side, brows pulling together tight and something loud and hearty threatening to pull from your chest. You shook your head as tears began to well over your eyes again as you recognized what James had given you.
The box, the measly and old mess of cardboard and paper, was full of all the letters you'd written to him over the years—all the thank you notes, the letters you'd sent him from that summer and all the past ones—every single one of them. Your eyes raked over each of them when you felt too stunned to use your hands, but your heart still felt touched by the memories of each one all the same. It took everything in you not to release the sob you felt rising in your lungs.
"It's you. It's always been you."
James's eyes never left your face as you took everything in, the look behind them never having seemed so determined, so desperate. But there was something behind the way he looked at you, something so warm and honest, so familiar that you felt ridiculous for never noticing it before. And when your gaze flickered downward for a second in contemplation he tipped his head to follow it endearingly.
"Always," he promised. "Not Evans, not anyone else. I know I'm a bloody idiot, and I know I haven't been great at showing my emotions when it comes to you, but that's because it's you, and you mean everything to me and have since we were kids, and if this can't make you see that then I promise I'll spend every day trying to make up for it, and-"
"James." You stopped him, not knowing how much longer you could take sitting next to him and not getting rid of the frustrated crease between his brows, or how much longer you could ignore the thrum of your heart that called out to him so clearly now.
"Yeah?" he asked, and his eyes were like a deer in headlights. The warmth in their color reflected the simmering warmth from the fireplace, but that didn't compare to the fire that lay behind his gaze.
You placed the box, his box of the last six years of your friendship and then some, atop the couch next to you, and didn't wait another second before engulfing him in a hug. Your body crashed into his as he leaned back against the couch, his hands coming up to embrace you right away, and you heard him breathe a smile by your ear before he laughed, a perfect noise.
You felt like laughing then too, and crying, and everything else, because you couldn't remember the last time you'd gotten to hold him like this without the fear of revealing too much to him nagging at you. Your cheek pressed against his neck, his curls fanned against the top of your head, his hands held you tight, and you never wanted to leave the safety of his arms. Except to do one thing.
You pulled away from the hug and so did James after a second, his eyes wide and glistening but truly happy. He was smiling widely, his lopsided grin appearing after days like the sun after a storm, and you loved the sight more than anything, locking it away in the back of your mind as a memory you'd keep forever, like the box that sat next to you.
You laid a hand on his chest, another on his cheek, and James grasped the one that was flattened on his chest in his own, quickly glancing down at your hand in his like he couldn't believe he was holding it. He pulled you into him with it and leaned his head on yours.
"It's always been you, too," you whispered, and his eyes glanced down at your lips as you said the quiet words that'd been lingering on your lips for much too long. You had to push away your smile because you were aching to just kiss him like you'd wanted to for years. With a courage that could've only come from Godric himself, you finally did.
You leaned in until your lips met, a flutter of skin dancing shyly together until you leaned into him even further, and suddenly it felt like the crash of a wave, and sounded like the earth was moving beneath your feet, the sound of something right—and this time, you knew it felt the same for him too, because you could feel his boyish grin that you'd spent years admiring tugging against your lips.
You were kissing your best friend. For real this time. It felt so impossible for your mind to imagine such a thing, but luckily it didn't have to.
James moved his hands but they never left you, one sliding through your hair smoothly and one delicately holding your waist like you were something fragile. Butterflies fluttered through you at his touch, something familiar but foreign, wrong but also right, and somessilyperfect. You couldn't believe you'd spent all those years just a few words away from getting to feel it, getting to be surrounded by it.
You pulled away after a moment, your lips feeling puffy and burning with the heat of his kiss, but all you could think about was how free you felt, how happy you were that he was finally yours.
James looked down at you, his eyes dancing all across your face and stopping on your lips, and then somehow growing even warmer when they met yours again.
"I can't-" he began with a slight disbelieving shake of his head, voice coming out breathless and dazed as heat flushed into your own cheeks at the sight. "I can't believe..."
You laughed, feeling out of breath too, and adjusted the glasses that now perched crookedly on James's nose in an agonizingly cute way.
"Me neither," you finished for him, because you knew just how he felt, a secret the both of you shared; it was the only secret you still wanted to keep.
And it was a feeling you never wanted to have to live without again. Though now, with him in your arms and his familiar chocolate curls still brushing against your forehead, you knew you would never have to.
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missnight0wl · 3 years ago
Note
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What do you think was JC's purpose in adding this in the Weird Sisters SQ? I suppose the note says different things depending on the year the person does this on? You think it means something or was it just them being quirky?
This actually might be one of the biggest mysteries of the whole game.
All right, let’s start with a brief history of this quest. “The Weird Sisters” TLSQ was one of the first time-limited side quests ever released for HPHM. I believe it was like… the fourth one? We were in early Y5 at the time. Then, after a while, it was pulled out, along with some other quests (some regular ones, some time-limited). Jam City claimed that they did it for adjustments, whatever it means. Still, the quests were gone for a very long time. Interestingly, in the case of the regular ones, they often are still referenced in the main story – even if you didn’t complete it! For example, in Y2, there was a regular SQ where you learn Episkey. Currently, it’s gone, but MC still claims in Y4 that Madam Pomfrey taught them the spell in the past.
Anyway, only recently some of the quests started returning, and “The Weird Sisters” is obviously one of them. I don’t really know if any adjustments were actually made, but… this very scene is surprisingly exactly the same as it was. This is my own screenshots made in November 2018:
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As far as I know, it wasn’t different for different years. Although I admit that I don’t know of anyone completing this quest in Y7… But because Jam City didn’t remove it in general, and it was originally written so early on, I personally believe that it is in fact important – or at least it was supposed to be. Moreover, I suppose it refers to the Gillyweed/Coral key which appeared in the main story twice – and both cases are pretty interesting on their own.
First, Rakepick manipulated MC into finding the key in Filch’s Office (Y4Ch9):
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And I’m sorry, but this is such a bullshit explanation. Dumbledore basically hired her to deal with the Cursed Vaults. There’s no fucking way he wouldn’t simply give her permission to search the Office. She wanted MC to know that she can trick them. But if she was always a bad guy, why the hell would she do that?
And then, we found the key with Sicklewoth in Y5Ch32:
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Again, if Rakepick was looking for that key for that long, why she didn’t take it with her? Like, she knew she’s about to betray MC in the Portrait Vault, right? What? She was planning to kill everyone in the Vault and then return for her things to Hogwarts? It doesn’t make any sense. Now, I’m not saying that she wanted Sickleworth to deliver the key to MC, but…
Seriously though, all those situations feel too similar for it to be a coincidence, so I guess that it all has to be about the same key.
Now, I have to mention in this place the events from the end of Y6 (the Sunken Vault) to discuss it further, but as always, I’ll try not to spoil too much.
Basically, the note is never mentioned in the main story, at least as for the current point (Y7Ch18). In fact, we totally forgot about the Coral Key Sickleworth gave us, too. However, while the game wants us to believe that we’re done with the Cursed Vaults, I really doubt it’s the case. And it’s not just about that damn key. The Sunken Vault was simply… off. Yes, I’m sure that for a big part, it’s the fault of bad writing, but still. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we’re gonna return to the Sunken Vault yet, and then, it might turn out that the key was super important all that time. And perhaps, we could talk about that letter again as well.
In other words, I assume that Jam City simply wanted to use this opportunity to build the ground for future events. They just failed with execution, as usual. Although I have to say that they also fucked up with it a bit from the beginning by putting it in a time-limited side quest. I mean, no important information like that should be placed in a TLSQs, simply because not every player is gonna complete it.
So yeah, I don’t think it was just about being quirky. I do believe it was supposed to be important, and I hope it still will be. I also hope it answers your question! If I wasn’t clear about something, feel free to ask for clarification.
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The Monoma Meta Nobody Asked For
I don’t remember who it was on Reddit that said it makes sense for Monoma to be one of the most empathetic characters in BNHA cuz of his Quirk, (his quirk allows him to walk in the shoes of other people in ways most will never be able to even if for 5 minutes at a time), but let’s talk about it for a minute.
Monoma is a character full of contradictions but there’s a method to the madness. 
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Let’s take a real deep look at the manga shall we?
It’s pretty much canon that Monoma trash talks 1-A so much in-part b/c he cares that much... too much... about his own classmates.  It’s implicitly obvious based on the way he interacts with his classmates and phrases his rants at class 1-A. 
The fact that he’s obviously influenced by Vlad is just the cherry on top. 
He’s prideful of not just himself but also his friends.  Let’s break down the nuances there.
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Ch196 above, Ch207 below.
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Empathy
The kid has a way with words. 
The kid has a weirdly poetic way with words.
He goes out of his way to encourage or reassure his classmates in a deeply thoughtful manner at every given opportunity.
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He hyped up Setsuna Tokage before her battle with Bakugo and we saw him grin in pride when Komori took down Tokoyami. 
Whenever Monoma does criticize his classmates, it’s always frank, honest, but constructive, with the intention to help them improve.  He’s even contrasted with his own teacher for being relatively more kind in the delivery of his criticism (see the next screenshot).  Given that Monoma’s shown to be strongly influenced by Vlad, this particular difference stands out.
You never see an anime/manga character get fancifully philosophical & genuinely helpful like this unless they are an adult, usually the MC’s mentor.  Monoma’s legit acting more like an anime mentor than any of Deku’s multiple mentors.  lmfaooo.
Realistically speaking, all of this, the philosophical speeches & level-headed advice, takes an incredible amount of emotional & mental labor.  The kid’s practically doing half of Vlad’s job for him.
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It’s during the joint training arc we begin to see why his classmates put up with him and are on friendly terms despite how obnoxious & cheesy he can be & how often they need to keep him in check.
It’s clear even as far back as the sports festival that his classmates don’t actually hate him, despite the smacks & tough love they also just shake their heads with a smile on their face as they say “sorry about him,” cuz that’s just the way he is.  They love him anyways.
He’s an annoying little sh*t but he’s their annoying little sh*t.  Perhaps they even realize why he acts the way he does towards class 1-A, it’s because he cares too much.
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Sketch translated by @aitaikimochi​
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Putting Up An Act
I think there’s actually even more to it when it comes to his rowdy & brash behaviors. 
Monoma is empathetic because of how his Quirk works.  He needs to learn to use the Quirks of others in order to become a hero.  In doing so he logically needs to become privy to all the Quirk’s weaknesses, not just their strengths.  Not only does he need to become privy to these often deeply personal details of one’s lived life, he needs to experience them, even if for just five minutes at a time.  It’s natural, even necessary, for Monoma to become exceptionally close to his classmates.
But he’s only like that because of how his Quirk works.  It’s his naturally nurtured self.  His conscious self, though, is notably different.
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What we see when Monoma says he and Shinsou need to do unheroic things to get by is not his naturally nurtured self, but is a conscious decision.
At some point in his life, Monoma came to the conclusion that being too kindhearted all the time will be weakness.  This is clearly implied, almost outright stated when we heard Monoma’s thoughts when faced with Deku’s Black Whip, “All of the hopes and dreams in my mind from when I was younger are gradually becoming these heavy burdens... like some sort of curse.”  I am 99.999% sure it’s Monoma’s thoughts being shown there because the speech pattern & context don’t match up to Shinsou or Midoriya at all.
Basically, Monoma is a little sh*t because he saw his own empathy as a weakness, and overcompensates for it.  He’s trained himself to be brash & mischievous, likely from a very young age given how consistently brash he is.  We can see a little bit of this when interacting with his class-B classmates as well.
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It was @thyandrawrites​ who first noticed this in this post, but here we see Monoma scolding Kendou after losing the beauty contest, giving perhaps too much tough love & TetsuTetsu steps in to Kendou’s defense.
Given how Monoma during the Joint Training arc clearly said everything he did to motivate his friends to do better, this is likely not an isolated occurrence.  The dude cares way too goddamn much for anyone’s good.
Yet there’s something else up with the guy too, something else that contributes even more to his unhealthy obsession with the rivalry vs class-A.  The dude has some serious self-esteem issues but is too prideful to seek real help.
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Self-doubt
The fact that he’s the only member of class-B who failed the midterm despite having an intelligence stat of 5/5 speaks for itself.
Him failing the academic exam would be a sign of serious issues going on under the surface in itself, him failing the practical means he probably failed b/c he couldn’t hold his own and his teammate had to pick up the slack.
Him failing b/c he held back his teammate would have hit very close to home since we now know he was told “You can’t be a hero if you can’t do anything yourself” since he was a kid.
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Basically, yet another reason he continues to antagonize class-A is a textbook example of someone pushing their insecurities onto someone or something else.
For something often played off as comedic relief there’s a lot of layers as to why Monoma does what he does.
But wait, there’s f*cking more.  There’s actually a particular reason Monoma expresses his insecurities in this unhealthy manner, and that reason ties into what I’ve already begun to address about his empathy.
Another Act
I don’t think it’s accident that the first time we see him have a real heart-to-heart with someone is when he’s attempting to do it for the sake of someone else.  Even if it is in a clumsy manner that ends up annoying Shinsou, it’s the intent I’m interested in here.
We almost never see Monoma receive or accept praise or reassurance, he’s always the one giving it.  He always makes it a point to put himself in the position where he’s being the emotionally strong one. 
He got over class 1-A securing their victory exceptionally fast, ready to put on a strong face for Tokage and the rest of his class.
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The few times we do see him genuinely depressed, he’s distancing himself from others.  
He’s afraid of holding others back not just as a hero, but emotionally as well.  His instinct to be emotionally strong for the people he cares about stems not just from his strong empathy and caring nature nature itself, but also from his pride, insecurities and conscious decision to do everything he can do.
This is why he’s too prideful to seek or accept real emotional help & ends up venting his emotions in unhealthy & destructive ways.
His many depictions as an actor of sorts was intentional.  He juggles many acts, he puts on an act of emotional strength for his classmates, and he puts on an act of cruelty to get by as a hero.  To antagonize people in an attempt to throw them off their game.  Sometimes... oftentimes even, he misapplies these charades & gets carried away.  Oftentimes he fails entirely, he’s trying to do some hella complex things for a kid.
Finally, His Pride
Let’s not kid ourselves here, the dude has a major superiority/inferiority complex.  He fails to see how needlessly cruel he’s being when saying class-A asked to be attacked by villains etc.
I’m willing to bet he’ll be in a phase denial for a while now that Class-B and Class-A have gotten more openly friendly in recent chapters.  But because he cares so much about his classmates he’ll likely eventually come around to adjusting to a new frenemy relationship with 1-A... with much difficulty when we take his pride, insecurities & self-righteous envy into account.
He’ll probably end up being Tsundere about everything to protect his ego and so Horikoshi can keep using him for comedic relief lol.  Even if he does realize a lot of what he’s done was f*ked up, he’s too brash of a prankster to ever go fully soft on them either.
TL;DR... Monoma is a piece of mf work.  Not surprising really.
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