#i just do not have the aim to be a good scout

[blu-s0da]

I have learned how to rocket jump! Kind of.

I like to delude myself into thinking I'm improving

[icewindandboringhorror]

It's always interesting to hear about people's weird/unexpected "alternate life paths". Like, something that you could have done with your life, a job you almost took, a school you almost went to, etc - that was still actually realistic enough that it could have happened, but NOW it seems to not suit your current personality.

Like for example, I currently hate advertising (how manipulative it is, brands trying to be 'relatable', social media amplifying it to an obnoxious extreme, etc.) so much that even seeing a little ad before a youtube video is grating to even witness, but there was a point in time where I was genuinely seriously considering going into marketing/making commercials as a career lol. Or like, I have a relative who was very inclined to be a pastor when they were younger, even though today they're a super strong atheist, etc. etc.

[b1eedthefreak]

⋆ 𐙚 ̊. Blue Hair

⌇daryl dixon x reader

⌇summary: you loved daryl, he loved you, but he couldn’t let himself feel.

⌇warnings: angst angst angst

⌇word count: ~4.6k

a/n the request i got was if i could write based on the lyrics of blue hair “i guess ill just miss her, even though she isn’t really gone. things are just different.” (notice how i made the title blue instead of pink? haha get it blue hair)

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It was supposed to be a simple run. A trip outside the gates for medicine, maybe some canned peaches, and whatever else they could find for the pantry. You and Daryl had done this countless times. He scouted, you kept track, made sure nothing got missed. You loved it. You loved any excuse to be near him, in the woods, on the road, or even driving back in silence with the sun warming his cheek. It was simple with him. Or maybe it used to be.

The day turned on its head somewhere between the old gas station and the back lot of a feed store. You weren’t paying attention, you saw a box of vitamins in a tipped-over cart and bent to grab it. You didn’t even hear them coming. Daryl did.

One guy had a knife pressed to your throat. Another was patting your pockets. It all ended in seconds… blood on the pavement, Daryl breathing hard, crossbow still aimed.

You looked at him with wide eyes, whispering, “I’m okay.”

But he didn’t take your hand. Didn’t ask if you were sure.

Instead, he exploded.

“What the hell were ya thinkin’?!” His voice was sharp, louder than you’d ever heard it. “You don’t ever look around, do ya? Always trailin’ after me like some damn dog. You even know how to protect yourself?”

You stood there, frozen.

“I ain’t always gonna be there, y’know!” he growled. “One day— one day I ain’t gonna make it in time. Then what?”

You said nothing.

And that was the last word between you both until you made it back to Alexandria.

The gates opened with a low groan and Aaron greeted you with a wave. “Hey! You two find anything good?”

You nodded faintly, holding a box of fruit. Daryl said nothing.

As you walked toward the pantry, Aaron clapped Daryl on the shoulder. “Man, I swear. You’re lucky. She’s sunshine.”

Daryl didn’t answer. Just turned and walked off toward the infirmary, needing space, needing anything but the echo of his own anger in his ears.

An hour passed. The sun was lower. And when he made his way back to the house you shared, the silence was deafening.

He climbed the stairs, expecting the quiet hum of your voice, maybe you brushing your hair or folding laundry like you always did when you were trying to settle your nerves.

Instead, he found you packing.

Your dresser drawers were open. Your bag half zipped. Your small stack of books was already tied together with string.

“What’re you doin’?” he asked, voice low, heart thudding in his ears.

You looked at him. Calm. Tired. Empty.

“I’m leavin’,” you said simply.

He frowned. “Leavin’? Where the hell you gonna go?”

“I’m staying in Alexandria,” you clarified softly. “Just not here.”

You picked up a blouse and folded it carefully. “Daryl… I love you. But I’ve spent every day trying to reach a version of you that won’t let me in.”

He shook his head, confused, defensive. “I let you in.”

“No,” you said, gently. “You didn’t.”

You turned to face him fully now, eyes glassy but strong.

“You won’t let yourself feel anything, not really. You carry the whole world on your shoulders and forget that maybe I want to carry some of it too. But every time you push me out. Every time you explode or shut down or pretend I’m not someone you can lean on.”

He tried to step toward you, but you stepped back.

“I understand why you are the way you are. I do. You’ve lost people. You think if you stay hard, you’ll survive. But love isn’t weakness, Daryl. And I can’t keep being a stone next to someone who’s scared to feel.”

His jaw clenched. “I have to be strong.”

“I never asked you not to be.”

“I ain’t the boyfriend you want.”

Tears were slipping down your cheeks now.

“You’re the man I want,” you whispered. “But I can’t beg you to want me the same way back.”

He raised his voice then. “I do! I just— I can’t— You want me to sit here feelin’ everything all the time? People die, alright? Everyone we know — they could be gone tomorrow! So yeah, I shut it off. I have to.”

You stepped toward him, placing your hand on his cheek.

“Then I hope one day, you realize that loving someone doesn’t kill you, Daryl. It saves you.”

You kissed his cheek and walked toward the stairs.

He followed. “Where the hell are ya goin’?!”

“I told you.”

He reached out, fingers brushing your elbow.

“Leave then,” he snapped, more out of fear than anger. “I never needed anyone! Been fine by myself!”

You paused at the door, looking back one last time. “I know.”

Then you left.

The door shut behind you.

And everything fell silent.

Daryl stood there for a long moment. Then something cracked. He stumbled back, hand in his hair, chest heaving, and knocked the side table clean over. A glass shattered. A lamp hit the floor.

He sank to his knees and cried. For the first time in years, he cried.

—

Three months later,

You still lived in Alexandria. You had your own little cottage now near the gardens. You opened a bakery with Carol’s help. Cookies, breads, muffins, it was the coziest thing in the whole community.

People smiled when they saw you. You smiled back. You were okay.

Daryl watched from afar.

He never left Alexandria, but he never tried to talk to you again either. He wasn’t sure you’d want him to. He wasn’t sure he’d even know what to say.

He passed you sometimes. Once you were helping Judith decorate cupcakes. Another time you were sweeping your porch, music playing low from a small solar radio.

You looked happy.

He tried to be happy too.

And then one day, he went on a run again. Alone.

While sitting around a fire with a few good people they’d met, someone asked, “You ever lose someone?”

He stared at the flames for a long moment.

“Yeah,” he said finally. “I did. I miss her.”

“What happened?”

He paused. Picked at the label of a water bottle.

“She ain’t really gone,” he said, voice rough. “But things’re just… different now.”

He didn’t say your name. He didn’t have to.

The fire cracked, and Daryl sat back.

And somewhere, deep down, he wished he’d just let himself feel.

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[felikatze]

ISAT and Ludonarrative Harmony: Combat is a Storytelling Tool

Or: How Siffrin is stuck in the endgame grind, forever

Please Note: This is primarily aimed at an audience that already played In Stars and Time, because I am bad at explaining things, and it's good to already know what the fuck I'm talking about. I tend to only bring up game elements as I want to talk about them.

Spoilers for.... all of ISAT! Especially Act 5!

(image to show how i feel posting this and as an attention grabber over my wall of text)

To pull a definition of ludonarrative harmony out of a hat, game writer Lauryn Ash defines it as follows:

Ludonarrative harmony is when gameplay and story work together to create a meaningful and immersive experience. From a design implementation perspective, it is the synchronized interactions between in-game actions (mechanics) and in-world context (story).

It is, generally speaking, how well game mechanics work hand in hand with the story. I, personally, think ISAT is an absolute masterclass of it, so I want to take a look at how ISAT specifically uses its battle system to emphasize Siffrin's character arc and create organic story moments. I want you to keep this in mind when I talk here.

So, skills, right? If you've played any turn-based RPG, you know your Fire spells, your "BACKSLASH! AIRSLASH! BACKSLASH!" and the many ways to style those.

Well, what does casting "Fire" say about your character? Not all that much, does it? Perhaps you'll have typical divisions. The smart one is the mage, the big brawny one is your tank, the petite one's the healer. And that's the barebones of ISAT's main party, but it's much more than that.

Every character's style of combat tells you something about them. Odile, the Researcher, is the most well-travelled and knowledgable of the bunch. She's the one with the expertise to keep a cool head and analyze the enemy, yet also able to use all three of the Rock-Paper-Scissors craft types.

To reflect her analytical view of things, all her skill names are just descriptive, the closest to your most bog-standard RPG. "Slow IV" or "Paper III" serve well to describe their purpose. The high number of the skills gives the impression there were three other Slow skills beforehand - fitting, considering the party starts at level 45, about to head into the final dungeon. She's also the oldest, so she's the slowest of the bunch.

Isabea, the Fighter, has all his skills in exclamation points. "YOUR TURN!!!" "SO WEAK!!!" "SMASH!!!" they're straightforward, but excited. He's a purposefully cheerfull guy, so his skills revolve around cheering on his allies. He's absolutely pumped to be here, and you see that from his skill names alone.

Mirabelle, the Housemaiden, is an interesting case. She's by all means the true protagonist of this tale - She's the one "Chosen by the Change God," the only one who survived the King's first attack, the only one immune to his ability to freeze time, the only dual-craft type of the game - just a lot of things. And her skill names reflect that facade she puts on herself - she can do this, she can win! She has to believe it, or else she starts doubting. This is how you get "Jolly Round Rondo" and "Mega Sparkle Heal" or "Adorable Moving Cure." She's styled every bit a sailor scout shojo heroine, and her moveset replicates the naming conventions of "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

Even Bonnie, the Kid, who can't be controlled in combat, has named craft skills. And they very much reflect that Bonnie is, well, a kid. "Wolf Speed Technique" or "Thousand Blows Technique" are very much the phrasings of a child who learned one complicated word and now wants to use it in everything to seem cooler than they are, which is none, because they're twelve.

Siffrin's skills are all puns.

You have an IMMEDIATE feel for personality here. Between "Knife to Meet You!" and "Too Cleaver by Half," you know Siffrin's the type to always crack a joke no matter the situation, slinging witticisms around to put Sonic the Hedgehog to shame. It's just such a clever way to establish character using a game mechanic as old as the entire history of RPGs.

This is only the baseline of the way the combat system feeds into the story, though.

The timeloop, of course, feeds into it. Siffrin is the only character who retains experience upon looping, whereas all other characters are reset to their base level and skills. And it sucks (affectionate).

You're extremely likely to battle more often the earlier in the game you are - after all, you need the experience (for now.) Every party member contributes, and Siffrin isn't all that strong on their own, since they focus on raw scissor type damage with the addition of one speed buff. (Of course it's a speed buff. They're a speedy fucker. Just look at him).

At first, the difference in level between Siffrin and the rest of the group is rather negligible. Just a level or two. Just a bit more speed and attack. And then Siffrin grows further and further apart. Siffrin keeps learning new skills. He gets a healing skill that doubles as an attack boost, taking away from both Mirabelle's and Isabeau's usefullness. He gets Craft skills of every type that even give you two jackpot points instead of one - thus obliterating Odile's niche. Siffrin turns into a one-person army capable of clearing most encounters all on their own.

Siffrin's combat progression is an exact mirror of story progression - as their experience inside the loops grows, they also grow further and further away from their party. The party seems... weaker, slower, clumsier. Always back at their starting point, just as all of their character arcs are reset each loop. Never advancing, always stagnant. And you have Siffrin as the comparison post right next to them.

I also want to point out here a change from Act 2 to Act 3 - Siffrin's battle portrait. He stops smiling.

Battles keep getting easier. This is true both for the reason that Siffrin keeps growing stronger even when all enemies stay the same, but also for the reason that you, the player, learn more about the battle system and the various encounters, until you've learned perfect boss clear strategies just from repetition. Have you ever watched a speedrunner play Pokemon? They've played this game so many times, they could do it blindfolded and sleeping. Your own knowledge and Siffrin's new strength work in tandem to trivialize the game's entire combat system as the game progresses.

(Is it still fun? Playing it over, and over, and over again? Is it?)

You and Siffrin are in sync, your experience making everything trivial.

As time goes on, Siffrin grows to care less and less about performing right for their party and more and more about going fast. A huge moment in his character is marked by the end of Act 3; because of story events I won't delve too deeply into, Siffrin has grown afraid of trying something new. And his options of escape are closing in. They need an answer, and they need it fast. He doesn't have the time or patience to dumb himself down, so you unlock one new skill.

It doesn't occur with level up, or with a quest, or anything at all. At the start of Act 4, it simply appears in Siffrin's Craft skills.

(Just attack.)

No pun. No joke. Just attack. Once you notice, the effect is immediate - here you have it, a clear sign of how jaded Siffrin has become, right at every encounter. And it's a damn good attack, too! The only available attack in the game that deals "massive" damage against all enemies. Because it doesn't add any jackpot points (at least, it's not supposed to), you set up a combo with everybody else, but Siffrin simply tears away at the enemy with wild abandon. Seperated from the rest of the party by the virtue of no longer needing to contribute to team attacks (most of the time. It's still useful if they do, though).

Once again, an aspect of the battle system enhances the degree of separation between Siffrin and the static characters of his play. You're incentivized to separate him, even.

Additionally, there are two more skills to learn. They're the only skills that replace previous skills. You only get them at extremely high levels, the latter of which I didn't even reach on both of my playthroughs.

The first, somewhere in the level 70 range, Rose Printed Glasses, a paper type craft skill, is replaced by Tear You Apart. It's still a pun about paper, but remarkedly more vicious.

The second is even more on the nose. At level 80, In A While, Rockodile!, a rock type craft skill, is replaced by the more powerful Rock Bottom.

I didn't get to level 80. If you do, you pretty much have to do it on purpose. You have to keep going much longer than necessary, as Siffrin is just done. And the last skill he learns is literally called Rock Bottom.

What do I even need to say, really.

Your party doesn't stay static forever, though.

By doing their hangout quests, side quests throughout the loops that result in Siffrin and the character having a heart to heart, all of them unlock what I'd call an "ultimate" skill. You know the type - the character achieved self-fulfillment, hit rank 10 on their confidant, maxed out their skill tree, and received a reward for their trouble.

These skills are massively useful. My favorite is Odile's - it makes one enemy weak to all Craft types for several turns, which basically allows you to invalidate the first and third boss, as well as just clown on the King, especially once Siffrin starts racking up damage.

But the thing is. In Act 3, when you first get them, yeah, they're useful. But... do you need them? After all, they're such a hassle to get. You need to do the whole character quest again, you can't loop forward in the House or you'll lose them. If you want to take these skills to the King, you need to commit. Go the full nine-yards and be nice to your friends and not die and not skip forward or skip back. Which is annoying, right?

Well, I sure did think so during Act 4. After all, a base level party can still defeat the King, just with a few more tricky pieces involved. Siffrin can oneshot almost all basic enemies by the time of Act 4. It's this exact evalutation that you, the player, go through everytime you return to Dormont. Do I want this skill, still? Would it not be faster to go on without it? I'm repeating myself, but that's the thing! That's what Siffrin is thinking, too!

I also want to take a quick moment to note, here - all skills gained from hangouts have art associated with them, which no other skills do. This feature, the nifty art, hammers home these as "special" skills, besides just how they're unlocked.

Siffrin also has one skill with associated art.

Yeah, you guessed it, it's (Just attack.)

At first, helping the characters is tied to a hefty in-game reward, but that reward loses its value, and in return devalues helping Siffrin's friends every loop. It's too tedious for a skill that'll make a boss go by one turn faster. You, the player, grow jaded with the battle system. Grinding experience isn't worth it, everybody's highest levels are already recorded. Fighting bosses isn't worth it, it's much faster to loop forward.

Isn't this what all endgame in video games looks like? You already beat the final boss, and now... what challenge is left? Is there a point to keep playing? Most games will have some post-game content. A superboss to test your skills against, but ISAT doesn't have any of that. You're forever left chasing to the post-game. That's the whole point - to escape the game.

As most games get more difficult as time passes, ISAT only gets easier. The game becomes disinterested in expanding its own mechanics just as I ran out of new things to fight after 100%-ing Kingdom Hearts 3. Every encounter becomes a simple game of "press button to win."

The final boss just takes that one up a notch.

Spoilers for Act 5 ahead boys!

In Act 5, Siffrin utterly loses it. His last possible hope for escape failed him, told him there's nothing she can do, and Siffrin is trapped for eternity. So of course, they go insane and run up the entire House without their party.

This just proves what you already knew - you dont need the party to proceed. Siffrin alone is strong enough. And here, Siffrin has entirely shed the facade of the jokester they used to be. Every single skill now follows the (Just attack.) naming conventions. Your skills are: (Paper.) (Rock.) (Scissors.) (Breathe.)

To the point. Not a moment wasted, because Siffrin can't take a moment longer of any of this. Additionally, his level is set to 99 and his equipment becomes fixed. You can't even pick up items anymore! Not that you needed them at this point anyway, right? Honestly, I never used any items besides the Salty Broth since Act 2, so I stopped picking items up a long time ago. Now you just literally can't.

Something I've not talked about until now - one of the main equipment types in this game are Memories, gained for completing subquests or specific interactions and events. They all by and large have little effects - make Odile's tonics heal more, or have Mirabelle cast a shield at the start of combat. For the hangout events, you also gain an associated memory that boosts the characters' stats by 30. It lets them keep up with Siffrin again! A fresh wind! Finally, your party members feel on par with you again!

...For a time. And just like that, they're irrelevant again, just as helping them gave Siffrin a brief moment of hope that the power of friendship could fix everything.

In Act 5, your memory is set to "Memory of Emptiness." It allows you to loop back in the middle of combat. You literally can't die anymore. Not that Siffrin could've died by this point in the first place, unless you forgot about the King's instant-kill attack. This one memory takes away the false pretense that combat ever had any stakes. Siffrin's level being set to 99 means even the scant exp you get is completely wasted on them. All stakes and benefits from combat have been removed. It has become utterly pointless.

Frustrating, right? It's an artistic frustration, though. It traps you right here in Siffrin's shoes, because he hates that all these blinding Sadnesses are still walking around just as much. It all inspires just a tiny fraction of that deep rolling anger Siffrin experiences here in the player.

And listen, it was cathartic, that one time Siffrin snapped and stabbed the tutorial Sadness, wasn't it? Because who enjoys sitting through the tutorial that often? Siffrin doesn't. I don't, either.

So, since combat is an useless obstacle now meant to inspire frustration, what do you do for a boss? You can't well make it a gameplay challenge now, no. The bosses of Act 5 are an emotional challenge: a painful wait.

First, Siffrin fights the King, alone. This is already nervewracking because of one factor - in every other run, you need Mirabelle's shield skill, or else you're scripted to die. You're actually forced to fight the King multiple times in Act 3, and have to do it at least once in Act 4, though you'll likely do it more. Point is: you know how this fight works.

You know Siffrin's fight is doomed from the outset, but all you can do is keep slinging attacks. Siffrin is enough of a powerhouse to take the King's HP down, what with the healing and buff skills they have now, not to even mention you can just go all in on damage and then loop back.

(And no matter which way you play it, whether you just loop or use strategically, it reflects on Siffrin, too. Has he grown callous enough not even death will stop their mission? Or does he still avoid pain, as much as he can?)

This fight still allows you the artifice of even that much choice, not that it matters. The other shoe drops eventually - Siffrin becomes slower, and slower. Unsettling, considering this game works on an Action Gauge system. You barely get turns anymore. The screen gets darker, and darker. Until Siffrin is frozen in time, just as you knew he had to be, because you know how this encounter works, know it can't be cleared without Mirabelle.

And, then, a void.

Siffrin awakens to nothingness. The only way to tell you've hit a wall is if Siffrin has no walking animation to match your button inputs. You walk, and walk, until you're approached by.... you. The next enemy encounter of the game, and Siffrin's absolute lowest point: Mal Du Pays.

Or, "Homesickness," in english. If you know the game, you know why it's named this, but that's not the point at the moment.

Thing is, where you could damage the King and are damaged in turn, giving you at least a proper combat experience, even if its doomed to fail, Mal Du Pays has no such thing.

You can attack. You can defend. But it is immune to all attacks. And in return, it does nothing. It's common, at least, for undefeatable enemies to be a "survive" challenge, but nope. The entire fight is "press button and wait." Except, remember the previous fight against the King? The entire time, you were waiting for the big instant death attack to drop. That feeling, at least for me, carried forward. I was incredibly on edge just waiting for the other shoe to drop. And, as is a pattern, Siffrin is, too. As Siffrin's attacks fail to connect, they start talking to Mal Du Pays.

But he gets no response, as you get no attacks to strategize around. The wait for anything to happen is utterly agonizing. You and Siffrin are both waiting for something to happen. This isn't a fight. It just pretends to be. It's an utter rugpull, because Siffrin was so undefeatable for most of Act 4 and all of Act 5 so far. It's kind of terrifying!

and it does. It finally does something. Ma Du Pays speaks, in the voice of Siffrin's friends, listing out their deepest fears. I think it's honestly fantastic. You're forced to just sit here and listen to Siffrin's deepest doubts, things you know the characters could not say because it references the timeloops they're all utterly unaware of. This is all Siffrin, talking to himself. And all you, all Siffrin, can do, is keep wailing away on the enemy to no effect whatsoever.

So of course this ends with Siffrin giving up. What else can you do?

And then Siffrin's friends show up and unfreeze them and it's all very cool yay. The pure narrative scenes aren't really the main focus but I want to point out here:

A) Mirabelle is in the first party slot here, referencing how she's the de facto protagonist, and Bonnie fills in the fourth slot left empty, which shows all characters uniting to save Siffrin

B) this is the only instance of the other party members having act specific battle icons: they're all smiling brightly, further pushed by the upbeat music

C) the reflecting shield Mirabelle uses to freeze the King uses a variation of her hangout skill cut in, marking it as her true "final" skill and giving the whole fight a more climatic feeling.

It's also a short gameplay sequence with Siffrin utterly uninvolved in the battle. You can't even see them onscreen. But... it feels warm, doesn't it? Everybody coming together. Siffrin doesn't have to fight anymore.

At last, the King is defeated. Siffrin and co. make for the Head Housemaiden, to have her look at Siffrin's sudden illness. Siffrin is utterly exhausted, famished, running a fever. And this isn't unexpected - after all, their skills in Act 5 had no cooldown. For context, instead of featuring any sort of MP system, all skills work on a cooldown basis, where a character can't use it for a certain number of turns. The lowest cooldown is actually Siffrin's Knife to Meet You, which has a cooldown of 1. In universe, this is reasoned as the characters needing a break from spamming craft in order to not exhaust themselves.

Siffrin's skills in Act 5 having no cooldown/being infinitely spammable isn't a sign of their strength - it's a sign that he refuses to let himself rest in order to rush through as fast as possible.

Moving on, Siffrin panics when seeing the Head Housemaiden, because seeing her means one thing: the end. Prior to this in the game, every single time you beat the King, the loop ends when you talk to the Head Housemaiden.

Reality breaks down, the whole shebang. It's here that Siffrin realizes - they don't want the loops to end, because the end of their journey means their family will leave, and he'll be alone again. The happiest time of his life will be over.

Siffrin goes totally ballistic, to say the least.

As it turns out (and was heavily foreshadowed narratively), Siffrin has been using Wish Craft to subconciously cause the timeloop because of their abandonment issues. It's rather predictable if you paid attention to literally anything, but it's extremely notable how heavily Siffrin is paralleled to the King, the antagonist they swore to kill by themself at the start of Act 5. The King wants to freeze Vaugarde in time because it is, in his mind, "perfect," for accepting him after he lost his home - a backstory he shares with Siffrin.

Siffrin has become the exact antagonist he swore to kill, and it's shown by how the next fight utterly flips everything on its head.

Siffrin is the final boss.

In a towering form made of stars, Siffrin looks down at their friends. His face is terrified, because of his internal conflict; he can't hurt his friends, but he can't let them go, either. The combat prompt is simply changed to "END IT!"

This fight is similar to the previous, in that you just need to wait a certain number of turns until its over. However, this time, it's not dreadful suspense. It's... confusion, and hesitance.

You have two options for combat: Attack your friends, or attack yourself.

And... you don't really want to do either, I think. I certainly don't. But what else can you do? It's Siffrin's desires clashing in full force. Attack your friends, and force them to stay? Or attack yourself, and let them go safely without you?

Worth noting, here - when you attack Siffrin's friends, you can't harm them. Isabeau will shield all attacks. And when you attack yourself, Mirabelle will heal you back to full. And the friends don't... do anything, either. How could they? Occasionally, Mirabelle heals you and Isabeau shouts words of motivation, but the main thing is...

(Your friends don't know what to do.)

None of them want to harm Siffrin. Both sides simply stare at each other, resolute in their conviction but unwilling to end it with violence. It's of note that this loop, the last one, is the only loop where the King isn't killed. Just frozen. And now here is Siffrin, clamoring for the same eternity the King was. Of course everything ends in a tearfilled conversation as Siffrin sees their friends won't leave him, even after the journey ends, but I still have to appreciate this moment.

Siffrin is directly put in the position with their friends as his enemies, forced to physically reckon that keeping them in this loop is an act of violence, against both their friends, and against himself.

It's a happy ending. But... what does it mean?

Of course, ISAT is obviously about the fear of change. Siffrin is afraid of the journey ending, and of being alone. However, ISAT is also a game about games. Siffrin is playing the same game, over and over, because it's comforting. It's familiar. It's nice, to know exactly what happens next. These characters might just be predictable lines of dialogue, but... they feel like friends. Have you ever played a game, loved it, put countless hours into it, but you never finished it? Because you just couldn't bear to see it end? For the characters to leave your life, for there to be a void in your heart where the game used to be?

After all, maybe it became part of your routine! You play the game every day, slowly chipping away at it for weeks at a time. For me, I beat ISAT in four days. It utterly consumed me during this time. I had 36 hours of playtime by the end. Yeah, in that week, I did not do much more than play ISAT.

And once i beat it, i beat it, again. I restarted the game to see the few scenes I missed, most specifically the secret boss I won't talk about here. I... couldn't let go of the game yet. I wanted to see every scrap I could. I still do. I'm writing this, in part because I still do. It's scary to let go.

Ever heard the joke term of "Postgame Depression?" It's when you just beat a game, and you're suddenly sad. Maybe because the ending affected you emotionally and you need to process the feelings it invoked, or you search for something that can now fill your time with it gone.

The game ends, for real this time, the last time you talk to the Head Housemaiden. But Siffrin gets... scared. What if everything loops back again? And so, his family offers to hold his hand. They face the end, together.

For all loops, including the ending, you never see what happens after. After they leave the loop for good. Because the loop is the game itself. It's asking you to trust that life goes on for these characters, and it holds your hand as it asks you to let go. There's a reason for Siffrin's theater metaphors. He is the actor, and the director, asking everyone to do it over one more time. He's a character within the game, and its player.

There's a reason I talked about endgame content. This, the way it all repeats, there's nothing new, difficulty and stakes bleed away as you snap the game over your knee - it's my copy of White 2 with two hundred hours in it. It's me playing Fire Emblem Awakening in under 3 hours while skipping every cutscene. Are you playing for the sake of play, for the sake of indulging in your memories, because you're afraid of the hole it'll leave when you stop?

Of note: the narrative never condemns Siffrin for unwittingly causing their own suffering. He's a victim of circumstance. It's seen as endearing, even, that Siffrin loves their friends to the point of rather seeing the world destroyed than them gone. But Siffrin is also told: we'll stay with you for now, but we'll part ways eventually. And one day, you'll have to be okay with it.

Stop draining the things you love of every ounce of enjoyment just because you're afraid of what happens next. I'm not saying to never play your favorite games again. Playing ISAT a second time, I still had a lot of fun! I saw so many new things I didn't before, and I enjoyed myself immensely, reading the same dialogue over and over. But... it makes me look at other games I love and still play, and makes me ask... is this still fun? Do I still need to play this game to enjoy it? Even writing this is an afterimage of my enjoyment, but it's a new way to interact with the game, to analyze it through this lens. Fuck, man, I write fanfiction. Look at me.

All of this, fanart, fanfic, analysis, is a way to prolong that enjoyment without making yourself suffer for it. Without just going through the motions of enjoyment without actually experiencing any. But one day, the thing you love won't be fun to talk and write and draw about. And it's okay. You'll have new things to love. I promise.

In the end.... I'm certain I'll replay ISAT one day. Between great writing, art, puzzles and unresolved mysteries, it's my shoe-in for game of the year.

But I won't replay it for quite some time. I've had enough, for now, so I let my love take other forms.

Siffrin is never condemned, because love is no evil. Be it love for another person, or for a game. And please, if you're overempathetic - it's still a game, at the end of the day. The great thing about games is that you can always boot them up again, no matter how long its been.

A circle within a circle indeed.

To summarize:

The repetitiveness of ISAT's combat, lack of new enemies, and Siffrin's ever increasing strength eventually allows you to snap the combat over your knee, rendering it irrelevant and boring. Though this may seem counterproductive at first, it perfectly mirrors how Siffrin has also grown bored with these repeated encounters and views them only as an obstacle to get past. The reflection of Siffrin's own tiredness with the player's annoyance increases the compassion the player has for Siffrin as a character.

Additionally, the endgame state of the combat system serves as commentary on the state of a favorite game played too often, much like how Siffrin has unwittingly trapped themself in the loop. Despite the game having no more challenge or content left to over, a player might return to their favorite game anyway, solely to try and recreate the early experience of actually having fun with it. This ties into ISAT's metanarrative about the fear of change and refusal to let go of comfort even when the object (here, your favorite video game) offering that comfort has become utterly bereft of any substance to actually engage with. Playing for the sake of playing, with no actual investment to keep going besides your own memories.

Later on, stripping away even the pretense of strategy for a "press button and wait" format of final bosses highlights the lack of options at Siffrin's disposal and truly forces the player into their shoes. Truly, the only way to win is to stop playing.

[mareastrorum]

Hello! I’ve been looking at your blog after Critical Role episodes for a couple of weeks now and I have to agree with you wholeheartedly about pretty much all of it. I wanted to ask you your opinion on the idea that a majority of us are calling Bells Hells the bad guys because all they’re doing is ‘wanting to dismantle the oppressive force that aims to destroy an entire established society of innocent people’. I’m having trouble understanding what oppressive force that is?

Thanks for the ask! There's two parts to this, so I'm going to address them separately.

First, there is no "oppressive force that aims to destroy an entire established society of innocent people." Like, the only group that came close to that in this campaign was the Weave Mind and the Imperium, which intended to take over Exandria in its entirety and subject the entire population to hivemind slavery--but Bell's Hells did little to oppose them. Vox Machina (backed up by an army) demolished the Imperium's main forces at the Exandrian base of the bloody bridge. The Mighty Nein killed the Weave Mind and then started mopping up their allies that remained on Ruidus. Bell's Hells did nothing to support that rebellion other than assist on a scouting/sabotage mission and then flee.

Otherwise, there is no force aiming to destroy society. Ludinus wanted Predathos out so it could eat the gods, and there was no intent about anything other than that. He did not care one way or the other about collateral damage. Predathos doesn't either, but it wants to eat, and we do not know what level of divinity is too small for it to prioritize. And let's be serious, unless a god flees and lures it away, there's no reason for Predathos not to look at a planet full of life and think, "Hmmm, it might not taste good, but I am so fucking hungry."

A good while ago, when the Hells had initially reached Vasselheim, I saw discussion of whether Vasselheim and other Exandrian forces intended to wipe out all Reilorans and other Ruidus-based species. I think Evoroa's plea and assistance made directly to the leadership of Vasselheim has already prevented that potential result. Of course, the Exandrians are working together as a collective of dozens of factions, and each of those has untold numbers of individuals working for them. It's possible some of them will insist on war anyway, but given the actions of the three campaign parties, I don't see that happening on an organized scale. Regardless, Bell's Hells aren't focusing on that right now, and nothing they could/would do with Predathos would affect that either.

The only other faction that comes close to that idea is the Betrayer Gods, but they don't care about society. They want genocide. They want to murder every single mortal in existence, and then torment their immortal souls for all eternity. I literally cannot overstate the disdain the Betrayers have for mortals. They are Exandrians' ultimate enemy. The Divine Gate is the only thing protecting mortals from the Betrayers, and it requires every god to unanimously agree to drop it. That is phenomenal protection. There's been no serious threat to it since its creation.

In particular, I want to highlight that "the gods" as a category of entity are not a united faction. The gods don't rule anything on Exandria--not even Vasselheim. That's a purely mortal project! Mortals decided to build a city dedicated to the gods, and given that it's filled with their followers, the gods have historically spent particular attention to protecting it. That makes perfect sense, and it doesn't mean the gods are in charge of it.

Obviously, there will be other factions across Exandria that could fit that bill, but Bell's Hells hasn't had to deal with them in this campaign. Like, chaotic evil factions exist, they're just not in this story right now.

Next, whether Bell's Hells are villains, bad guys, etc.

I've written up how I assess villains in my pinned post. That's my general approach to any type of story, whether it's interactive, written, oral, etc. It's a very broad overview of when is a villain an effective narrative device? I am rather harsh in my criticism of villains: if they didn't improve the story, they should not have been included at all.

We could cherrypick through the various episodes to come up with an argument that Bell's Hells are the bad guys, but my problem with them is that they aren't effective villains. A villain's primary purpose is to highlight a theme in the negative: what is the wrong thing to do in these circumstances, and why is that? The reason they aren't effective is that they don't have a motivating purpose.

Bell's Hells are a chaotic faction that consistently deviates from whatever is requested of them. They claim to be for the people, then denigrate and oppose every faction they've encountered. They claim to have changed their minds about some of the gods (the Matron and the Arch Heart in particular), then repeatedly ignore or contradict the plain statements told to them, but they still seek out the gods' instructions regardless. This carelessness or apathy makes it impossible to map a philosophy onto the PCs other than "I felt like doing it in the moment."

None of them have been able to articulate a reason that they chose this path. Maybe the players will come up with some hamfisted excuse next episode, but it's still going to be unsatisfying from a narrative viewpoint. This stream had hundreds of hours to show that and instead needs someone to say it in the last episode. It's terrible storytelling, and none of them could claim that it was impossible to see this confrontation coming. We've known it was coming since Ludinus successfully bridged Exandria and Ruidus. There was time, and it was not spent wisely.

Going beyond dialogue, there's no consistency to Bell's Hells's actions except the desire to kill Ludinus. That muddled any potential message that could be conveyed about them as villains in a story except "kill Ludinus in particular." We can't even say they oppose any existing hegemony because none has been established in Exandria. There's no racial, economic, social, religious, etc. group dominating the world. Again, as said above, the gods don't rule anything, and they're stuck behind the gate.

Any potential to build Bell's Hells into worthwhile villains was squandered. Everyone but Orym had an explicit, tailor-made opportunity to lean into their darker personality traits, and every one of them chickened out--except Ashton, who gave into his desire to be special and have power to lash out at people standing over him. Unfortunately, Ashton's attempt to absorb another shard of a primordial would have also broken the game on a D&D level, so that got reversed and reworked into a character moment that also had no lasting impact on his character arc. Ashton hasn't bothered exploring it since. That's really the core problem: every time the PCs had the option to pursue a villainous path, they ran the fuck in the opposite direction, then dithered about what to do.

Without conviction, villains are merely bullies. They're just here to be mean, stop other people from getting what they want, and jeer at others when they get their way. We saw that in this latest episode. There's nothing Bell's Hells wants. They don't even want to be involved. They're just doing it because they can't even commit to going home--because they're player characters in a D&D game, and the players didn't want to switch to new characters.

That makes for a terrible villain story. Like, once we see the final episode and all the PCs have had an opportunity to take action and speak on their own behalf, we'd be able to revisit this with more definitive statements. Unfortunately, I can't think of a single way this could go that would correct the flaws I've already listed. It's far too late to correct the characters' lack of direction to develop a coherent villain arc for any of Bell's Hells.

[willowed-wisp]

ghost, soap and könig as civilians

If the military wasn’t an option, what would these three men do with themselves?

simon ‘GHOST’ riley

- Still aims to take care of his mum and brother, Tommy.

- Simon Riley was born to have a gun in his hand, so he’ll be drawn into the police armed division.

- However, I could also see him as a detective who gets stuck with a Scottish newbie on the force.

- Meets you, behind the receptionist desk, he’s never been too good with women but you’d take over the conversation.

- Could listen to you talking nonsense for ages and that had NEVER happened to Simon before.

- Simon knew you were the one when you managed to convince him to not beat the shit out of his dad when he interrupted a dinner at his mum’s house.

- And when you shouted to his dad, “Stay the fuck away from my family!” Slamming the door in his face- bolting the door.

- His mum and Tommy shared a look with Simon, who was exasperated by you in that moment.

- He’s still reluctant to have kids because for the abuse he incurred as a child. So you take it in baby steps, your black and white cat is called Ghost.

- His family adore you.

johnny ‘SOAP’ mactavish

- Johnny would definitely be scouted for rugby very early on and would play the sport

- But his anger issues didn’t mesh well with it

- He sort out a place that would enforce discipline onto him.

- And he was born to have gun in hand and protect people, and his first week as a policeman… he’s partnered with officer Riley… Simon Riley.

- Opts to go into the Canine Unit, he’s tough enough and loves doggos

- You’re a civilian and he’s the officer questioning you. He asks for more than a witness statement- getting your number through his eyes alone let alone the accent

- Johnny loves coming home to you, your dog and a cup of coffee.

- Complains about house prices because he wants to upscale from an apartment that looked shitty before you put your own spin on it.

- At least one Scottish flag is hung up

- He wants a home because he’s desperate to be a dad- he’d be there everyday to pick them up and drop them off when he wasn’t at work

- Invites Police Chief John Price over for a Sunday roast

- Price always turns up with a 6-pack of lager in hand and chatting all night with you both with rosy cheeks

redacted ‘KÖNIG’ redacted

- He’s got carpenter energy- he’s good with his hands (in more ways than one)

- Has to find ways of coping with his anxiety because he’s dealing with customers everyday

- It’s easy when you come in wanting new wooden doors for your house. You go over the plans and invite him over for dinner to take measurements…

- Coz god knows he wouldn’t muster the courage up to ask you out

- You were intimidated by him at first- you tell him at the dinner table. He seemed dejected until you placed a hand on his, “And then I found out you were the most gentle person I’ve ever met…”

- That makes his heart melt- he’s been with you ever since.

- You soon realise that kids flock around him because he’s like a personal climbing frame

- Everybody in the small village knows König and say it’s nice to see him come out of the shell when he coaches the kids in football or sports

- He’s like a climbing frame

- And by your side, König realises that he’s fine the way he is. Kids were just cruel at that age and his height and build come in handy in many ways

————

masterlist

[soficraft]

I think the next season of the life series is gonna be named "Opposite life" where you have to make the opposite of what you would normally do.

The finalist would be Jimmy, Lizzy, Mumbo and Skizz. (Tango, Budbs and Etho were almost there, but they kill each other beacuse of course they didn't team up)

Bigb would be so normal.

Grian and Scar would never interact.

Scar would play it safe, no tradings involved. No sellings, no betrayals. He would be an angel.

Scott would be the first one out. He betrayed everyone. Even his no-allies.

Marty would be honest and loyal (not to rendog do). He would be mostly alone, but fighting for the well-being of everyone.

Pearl would have lots of cats or no animal at all. She would be like the therapist of the server.

There would be no Gs (or any variation of it)

Bdubs would kill every horse he sees. He would tame pigs and do races where the slowest one wins. He also would be the one to take Etho's last life.

Tango would actually kill people with redstone traps.

Impulse has a garden or something. He has cows and sheep, too. He has an army of axolotls, for what? Idk. A plan? NOoooOOo he is just chilling.

Grian would be happy alone or with company. Doesn't feel the need to "serve" to anyone. Is the first one to die of his teammates.

Cleo would make the nicest comments to everyone (no sarcasm)

Gem... Gem would build something horrible. She won't think when is caos, she would just act. She would also burn everything. (She would die 3th or 2nd)

Joel would be green for the entire season, only would be yellow and red on his last episode. (Would also team with Scott, but he betrayes him, so he kills him. HE KILLS HIM)

Ren would be just a normal person. No roel play, no dramatic voices. He would just do what he has to do. (He kills Martyn)

Etho would be dedicated to building cute bases and being loyal to his teammates. He would only have one team and it wouldn't be with Tango, Skizz or Bdubs.

Lizzi would hate bad boys and red names.

Skizz would be so good at the game that he would be chilling.

Mimbo would love Etho's suscribers and would be so cool around Etho. He also is the best at killing with lava.

And Jimmy... well...

And the final battle would be something like...

Lizzi team up with Mumbo, Skizz is alone, and Jimmy just lost his teammate Etho at the hands of Bdubd, who was then killed by Tango with an epic trap Jimmy, for some reason, hates Tango, so he kills him.

Now, alone, he decided to play it smart and safe, but it's night, so he kills an ederman cause he can, and prepars with everything he needs to fight.

He is smart, so he goes to the high ground and scouts the area. After a while, he sees them, Mumbo and Lizzi, clearly looking for him.

He watches when Skizz runs into Lizzi and Mumbo, and the battle begins. Is epic. All of them masters of the sword, the bow, and the wherever other weapon is on minecraft.

Mumbo seems to be winning. He is so good at killing that it is a shock he hasn't ended Skizz yet.

But plot twist. Lizzi betrays Mumbo, using her redstone knowledge to pull a trap in seconds, which mumbo is incapable of understanding. And Mumbo is gone.

He is a genius, so he understands what is happening down there, Lizzi and Skizz are teaming up against him, knowing that he is the big boss and alone they can't defeat him.

They start walking, searching for him, and he knows it is time.

He does what he has to do and shoots an arrow to Lizzi. With his perfect aim, he gets her, but that doesn't kill her. Lizzi is on full diamond armor, with the best enchantments cause all season she had been stealing the enchanter.

Now they know where he is, so he quickly runs away, ender palearl ready in case of emergency.

He goes to his base, where he builded an epic redstone trap just for this moment.

He watch them get closer to his tower, and he sees as Skizz aims at him, but he is quick and crouchs, or moves, idk, but he avoids the arrow.

He looks one more time.

Perfect. They are at the perfect place.

He talks to them as a distraction, and of course, he isn't mute, he checked first cause he is smart.

As they talk, Jimmy slowly walks closer to the edg, and BOOM!

A minecart with dynamite falls onto them, but to his surprise, Skizz notices, and only Lizzy gets boom by it. She is gonne.

It doesn't take much for Jimmy to compose himself and quickly takes his sword out. In one hand his sword, and on the other, his bow.

Skizz is quick and agile. In a secnd he is in front of Jimmy.

Is no surprise that Jimmy reacts quickly and shots an arrow direct to Skizz's head. And when Skizz is about to hit him with his full enchanted diamond sword, Jimmy enderpearls outside of his base, just beside a button, which he press.

He says a really cool frase, and then all it can be heard are the explosions of tnt. His trap has work.

Skizz blew up

He won.

______________

I'm sorry for this. I really am. I slept like, an hour? I'm not sure. My head hurts. My face hurts and my brain is still loading. But i had this revelation and needed to share it. Hope you understand.

I don't intend to offend anyone with this post. Is just me exaggerating the bad things. All of the lifers or wherever the name is, are amaizing and cool, and we all know each of them lack at something but that's just part of being human.

We love them.

[samwitcch]

will byers, the resident sniper and medic - apoc au details under the cut!

---

will's role in the party:

a scouter - stays back to watch over the area during runs w/his rifle and is a backup supply runner if need be. just prefers to scout with dustin and mike

medic - normally takes care of the group regarding injuries and medicine. is very gentle :)

the angel on mike's shoulder -> knows how to placate mike the best if mike's being unreasonable or too harsh

most knowledgable about the infection and how it works -> helps with understanding the patterns of infected people, what attracts infection, etc.

party mediator - rarely ever fights with anyone (mostly with mike haha) and is usually the person people most often go to for a vent or a rant

skills + hobbies:

best with a rifle + second best with guns! -> he practices a lot with lucas but refuses to kill animals

cook of the group along with el (taught her how to cook): rest of the party can make edible food but don't know how to make it taste good

great knowledge of plants and medicine -> jonathan and joyce taught him all they know about it (they are healers)

draws in a sketchbook that mike stole from another group for him: filled with mundane sketches from life and treats it like a daily journal

likes to collect cds and cassettes that he finds around to play in the car (him and max discuss music the most) - fave bands include system of a down, gorillaz, the clash and the cure :) he's an alt rock fan!

quirks / fun facts:

him and lucas have an ongoing competition that started with their aim and is now based on literally anything -> they've been keeping score since they were nine (lucas is currently up by ten and the points are in the thousands)

will shuffles different music in the car and observes who in the party likes what so he can make his own little mental playlists for them!

him and dustin talk a lot about how the infection works. they have some very intense debates about it, especially when it comes to if the infected still have human consciousness or not (will thinks they do, dustin thinks they don't)

--- other notes: canon will, in a short summary, is a very sweet, sensitive, empathetic and capable boy who consistently puts others needs before his own :') of course, i wanted apoc will to share those attributes, with a big emphasis on his empathy, strength, and kindness. first - i wanted him to be a medic to show how he cares about other people and how he helps the people he loves as well. it's shown a lot in the show how much he cares for people and living beings (see: his actions with dart, el, mike, feeling bad for jonathan's hand after he had just woken up, etc.) and him being a healer is very in tune with this behavior. will as a healer is very special to me :') and him learning this skill from his mom and his brother strengthens the theme of family also!

second - him being good with a hunting rifle was to showcase his quiet strength and capability (i'd also like to add that his dexterity on his dnd sheet is extremely high) -> he's a non-confrontational survivor. his strength shines from afar and is put on the backlight, but no one in the party thinks will is weak for his empathy. mike and lucas, in particular, are actually quite jealous of the fact that will is still able to see so much good in humanity and life while being so strong. of course, his connection to the upside down in st is mirrored in this au as well, where he has an innate understanding of how the infection works because of experience, observation and other story spoilers...

looking at the current poll results, it seems im going to be drawing lucas and max next :D see you for that!

[supernova41st]

I LOOOVEDD your girly reader x sniper hcs.

May I request the opposite? Like a tomboy, introverted, Adam Sandler fit and overall just a freaky ass reader x sniper? =^.^=

Gangnam style 🛹

A/n: BIG SIS FIGHT BACK. PLEASEEEE, BIG SISTER GENERAL, COCONUT, BIG SISTER. 🥥🥥🥥

Warnings: Body shaming, ‘Bromance’

Sniper

Hey, he gets it.

Sniper takes a quick liking to you. Your sarcastic behavior/humor always has him snickering, even when it’s against him

Once you were in the frontlines he almost shot you, you just had some thoughts to share <3

“Crikey! ‘pologies!!”

“Jesus Christ sniper! You have better aim when pissing jars 😒”

“Hehe, good one mate”

Enjoys your introverted side, you guys love going on road trips in his van. Enjoying the silence together is great and all, but so is bantering with each other.

“Motherfucker-no way you listen to jazz.”

“Oh shut ya yob! What’s wrong with jazz?”

“You serious? I’m snoring over here, play some beastie boys I dunno!!”

“Oh please that’s dunny music”

He hates what you do to his van, he never notices the mess you make until after the trip. The shoe prints on his seats, the empty bags of chips and energy drinks, your axe deodorant. He puts in all in a plastic bag then gives it to you lmao

He’s pretty iffy about your fashion sense, sure it looks comfy but just.. why

“Should I get the Superman shirt or the sonic one?”

“You should put ‘em both back. 🫤”

“Alr bitch”

Being a messy sleeper is no help to him since his bed barely fits him so when he invites you over to sleep with him you better be TUCKED. Otherwise your gonna kick him off the bed in your sleep

Scout

He’s so fucking confused. It’d probably take him more time to have him understand how you’re a girl wearing masculine clothing than teaching him how to read

“So, you’re a chick?”

“Yeah?”

“But, you’re wearin’ dudes clothes?”

“..Alright bro”

Okay but actually you guys have a nice Bromance. Smacking each others ass fist bump being each others hype man etc.

“See ya losers later, ima go bang this chick I met online”

“Oo, can I watch?”

“no.”

Asking you for relationship advice is like asking an Italian mother in law what she thinks about your cooking, feedback will be given but someone’s just gonna get hurt in the process

“Do I look like a guy who would eat pussy? Be honest”

“You look like a guy who’d eat anything”

“Ok ☹️”

Spy isn’t really fond of scout, so imagine how he feels about you two combined..

“Can you guys stop playing that silly game and help around here?”

“Fuck you spy!”

“Get the fuck out spy you freaking French bitch,-“

“I’m gonna kill you spy close the door I swear to god!!”

“FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKIN- FUCK YOU”

The aura you guys carry is disastrous, such loud losers..

“Guess you can say we’re some kind of team fortress 2 👁️👁️”

“Say that again..”

“Oh my god please shut ya traps..”

[silverzoomies]

Imagine quickie rails u so good u squirt but you’re low key embarrassed bc that’s never happened before but he talks you through it so sweetly and so hornily bc he obviously finds it the hottest thing in the world and he’s kinda obsessed with the fact that you just did that bc of him

…..yeah I need to know what he’s like talking you through it …….

anon, i'm so sorry. i dunno if this is what you were expecting. but i went a little off the rails. i haven't actually sat down and written anything in fifty gajillion years. apologies in advance if i'm super duper rusty. you're a doll, by the way. thanks for the inspiration !! this ask had me red in the face all over again !! 🤍 here's a short drabble for ya 🤍🤍🤍

In the boring emptiness of some secret, government research facility, soft squeals call out with ecstasy.

Hold that thought.

Aren’t you supposed to be on patrol?

🤍

Since the OG X-Men were busy with more important endeavors (another fancy gala. Huge snore fest), Xavier took it upon himself to recruit some newbie trainees. He sent three of them to a top secret facility. Super below radar. The building sat far away from the bustle of society, hidden at an off-the-record base.

It’s around one AM when Quicksilver himself finally crashes your boring, patrol party. He zips through the entire building, scouting the area; before checking in on the trainees. After sending the other two off on their twenty minute breaks, he soon finds you.

A newbie he’s far more acquainted with. In more ways than one.

But not as many as he’d like.

You look bored as hell sitting there by yourself, swirling in a swivel chair. A series of CCTV screens flicker before you. But you barely pay them any attention. Keeping your head down, clipboard on your lap; you doodle all over a security protocol sheet. Your legs kick in a childlike way.

Your first, official mission is the most lame of X-Men operations. But even despite that, you appear to be in high spirits. Peter’s almost jealous. The first time he joined up with the team, all he got out of it was a lousy, broken leg.

Anyway, you’re cute and all. But…don’t you have a job to do, you slacker?

Peter leans against the doorway, his hands nestled in the pockets of his silver, bomber jacket. Beady eyes watch you through the lenses of his goggles. His earphones hang around his neck. A quiet jam resonates from them. But you're so mesmerized by your doodling, you don't even notice.

In a flash, Peter makes his presence known. Big hands grab your shoulders hard. He leans in to whisper sternly in your ear. His voice vibrates, robust and quaking in an attempt to spook you.

“GOTCHA! Annnnnnnd, yer dead, kid! Mwahahaha!”

You swivel around in an instant. Hopping from your seat, you raise your hands in defense. Jeez! Peter's caught off guard by how quickly you react. Blinding beams of golden light burst from your palms. The same glow floods your eyes. You hurl scorching hot rays in Peter's direction.

Well…shit.

Thanks to Xavier's mad training skills, Peter's a little faster than light nowadays. And he's ultra lucky for it. Had you raised your hands and gone pew pew pew so many years ago - he probably would've charred to a crisp right then and there. 

“Damn! You got some killer aim! That was a close call.” He whistles. Peter gawks at the holes seared into the wall, straight through some ruined blueprints. A smirk plays on his lips. He gestures at the damage with a thumb, “Eh, they probably got backups ‘a those lyin’ around, right?”

Your only response is an affectionate eye roll. But Peter notes the curl at the corner of your mouth as you try not to smile. 

Screw it. You're pretty fun. Why doesn't he hang with you for a bit? He's probably got some time to kill. At least before Chuck realizes the speedster isn't dressed to the nines, bored out of his mind at the gala.

The two of you goof off for a few minutes. As you doodle, Peter looms over your seat. Watching the CCTV screens with a ready eye, he teases you about your lack of focus on the job. You're just such a supreme newbie, he can't help it.

To which you respond with a counterpoint - isn't he the reigning champion of getting sidetracked?

Touché, little newbie. Touché.

Boredom quickly makes him antsy. And being antsy has Peter's brain reaching for any stimulation he can find. Pacing the room, Peter casts subtle glances at your figure in tactical clothing. Hot damn. Black really does highlight your most bodacious assets.

Amidst casual conversation, Peter shamelessly flirts with you. And when you flirt back, he isn’t all that fazed. The two of you are always making saucy passes at one another. Horny topics of discussion happen more often than they should. You once poured your heart out for twenty minutes, complaining that you couldn’t squirt when you got off. Part of him took this confession as a challenge.

Peter never forgot how sexually charged the energy of that night was.

Or…maybe it wasn’t? Maybe you just wanted to vent to someone who would listen. Yeah. He’s probably uber delusional. That ‘energy’ might’ve come from the sunbeams radiating in your genes.

Sure. Nothing sexual.

But if that’s the case, why else are you giving him bedroom eyes - if not ‘cuz you really wanna bone?

Expelling a bland sigh, Peter leans back against the console where the CCTV screens are. He bounces a random ball he swiped from a researcher’s desk. Flirtatious teasing continues back and forth, remaining casual.

Until Peter makes a needlessly suggestive comment.

“I’m just sayin’. Picture this, ‘kay? You ‘n me, goin’ at it like there’s no tomorrow. Pretty sure I’d get you off in under, say, three minutes er less. That’s not a promise, it’s a fact.”

Throwing you a sly look, Peter smirks payfully. He bounces the ball again.

“Pshh. Not fast enough.” You mumble.

Peter’s dark gaze leers at you from under his brows.

Oh. Oh no, you didn't just...

His eyes fire across each CCTV screen, double checking for any unwanted visitors. All clear, it’s go time. Moving swiftly, he props you up on a nearby desk. At record speed - before you can begin to comprehend his impossibly fast actions - he crams six inches of girthy, speedster cock inside you. All without any warning.

In hindsight, maybe he shouldn’t have been so impulsive. But in the microsecond it took him to move your body and pull your pants off, at the very least; he had the courtesy to prep you with his fingers. And now, you’re coming undone as he jackhammers your cunt. Peter rolls into you in a blur of silver motion. Your walls clench perfectly over his cock.

You protest through shallow moans, “W-Wait! Oh my g-...too fast, Peter! Too fast!”

The tips of his fingers circle your clit, the vibrations shattering your moans. Wrapping your legs around his waist, you bring him closer. Peter shivers as your pussy squeezes him so tight. It’s an outrageously awesome sensation that drives him to drill his dick deeper. Tilting forward, he groans, his lips grazing yours.

“Y’think I can make you squirt like this?” He chuckles, his throat bobbing as he swallows down a moan.

You shake your head wildly, whimpering the softest, “Noooooo! I told you already, I cannnnn’t!”

“Huh? What’s that, cutie? Aw. Too bad. ‘Cuz I’m not gunna slow down ‘til you do.” Peter teases, looking over his shoulder at the CCTV screens. He smirks crookedly, “Better be quick. Yer teammates’re gunna be back soon.”

You tip your head back as you whine again. Peter ruts into you so inexplicably fast, his pace renders your lungs useless. His fingers keep torturing your clit, guiding your pearl in a whirring dance of speedy buzzes. You shudder, clawing into his arms as your hips move on instinct. 

Speeding the rhythm of his thrusts, Peter furrows his brows. His cock pulses when he watches your tits bounce in your shirt. He bites his lip to stifle a whimper. Below him, you try to call his name. But his powerful movements rupture your pretty voice. “Hell yeah, gorgeous. That’s it. Don’t hold back, ‘kay? Just let it happen. Gunna cum, pretty girl? C’mon, ya gotta cum for me. You can do it. C’mon.” He begs, his tone a little closer to a whine.

Not even two minutes into sexing you up, he has you gushing a spritz of luscious heat. Score. He'll be thinking about this sexy success for weeks. The corners of your eyes leak hot tears, as a rapturous orgasm overtakes you. The entire, lower half of your body tightens, muscles clenching. Your pussy pops with a juicy burst. Leaking down your thighs and ass, your slick coats his twitchy cock.

He kisses you, his breath burning hot, “Doin’ so good, princess. So good for me. Was that fast enough for you? Hmm? Oh, fuck. I'm sorry, baby, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-”

Pulling his soaked length free, he showers your tummy in virile, white jets. Leaning over you, Peter laughs again, exhaling a long sigh of elation. His lips capture yours, drinking in your kisses for a few beats. He feels his heart twist with satisfaction. All at the awesome notion that he drove you to such an intimate, breaking point.

“How’s that for a quickie?” He teases with a cheeky grin, winking down at you.

Your blinky eyes gaze over his shoulder, looking somewhat dazed. Beneath him, you stir in place. You’re trying to say something. But you’re so braindead from the totally slammin’ orgasm he gave you, the words won’t happen.

But then, Peter notices the way your glazed hues narrow. That vibrant, golden glow from earlier returns. Sitting up on an elbow, you raise a hand to point at the CCTV screens behind him. Oh, you probably saw someone on cam. Peter’s dark gaze widens. A sudden beam of light pulsates at the tip of your finger.

“NO, NO, NO, NO-” He starts.

Too late. The golden flash fires like a speeding bullet from your fingertip, colliding into the screens. A powerful burst shatters the entire CCTV setup on impact. Electric static buzzes amongst broken glass and fried wires. Peter sighs, looking over his shoulder, then back down at your cute face.

“Babe, seriously? Now’s not the time to be tryin’ interior decorating!” He rolls his eyes, playing ignorant to your shared romp in the research lab, “Hold that thought...aren’t you supposed to be on patrol?”

[miss-musings]

"I Say We Take Her With Us": How TCW's Waxer & Boil Prefigure Hunter & Crosshair in "The Bad Batch" Series

A running joke in the TCW/TBB fandom is that all the clones have Dad Genes™️. Outside of Jango Fett himself, the first indication we have is Waxer and Boil's dynamic with Numa in "The Clone Wars" Episode 1.20 "Innocents of Ryloth."

In revisiting the episode recently, it struck me how much Waxer and Boil's initial reactions to Numa and their eventual bond with her feels like a template for Hunter and Crosshair's dynamic with Omega in "The Bad Batch" series.

Like Hunter, Waxer bonds with Numa very quickly and takes more initiative when it comes to her safety. He's also more comfortable with physical affection -- patting her head, booping her nose, putting a hand on her shoulder, etc.

Like Crosshair, Boil argues to leave Numa behind when they first encounter her and isn't as concerned about her well-being. He does eventually take a liking to her, promising to keep her safe. Unlike Waxer, Boil isn't physically affectionate. He doesn't initiate any shoulder touches, etc., and he seems caught off-guard when Numa does.

In the end, both clones form a deep bond with their "little sister," even if their dynamics with Numa play out differently. Just so, Hunter and Crosshair both form a deep bond with Omega, although their dynamics with her play out very differently thanks to a variety of factors.

While this is the gist of it, let's take a look at Waxer and Boil as characters, including their interactions with Numa in TCW 1.20 "Innocents of Ryloth".

(NOTE: If you've already seen the episode and have a good understanding of the plot and characters, I recommend you jump down the "Prefiguring Hunter & Crosshair" section.)

Waxer & Boil in "Innocents of Ryloth"

Character Introductions

Even before they meet Numa, we get a pretty good idea of who Waxer and Boil are as individuals.

As their gunship flies toward Ryloth's surface, Obi-Wan and Cody tell the clone troopers to keep an eye out for the locals and avoid damaging their settlements.

Boil, who was carrying heavy artillery, puts it down after Cody tells them they can't use it. He then remarks to Waxer:

Boil: If we're here to free the tail-heads, the least they could do is get out of our way.

Already, we see that Boil has a shoot-em-up kind of attitude. He wants to go in guns blazin' and get the job done, and he doesn't like that consideration for the locals is putting a damper on his fun.

He's also maybe a bit racist??? (Tail-heads sounds like a racial slur to me, and I've seen other comments agreeing with that assessment.)

Waxer seems to take this in stride and later, when Obi-Wan says their squad needs to disable the enemies' guns, Waxer says:

Waxer: Here we go again.

I know it's an iconic "Star Wars" line, akin to "I've got a bad feeling about this," but it's still worth noting.

The two go with Obi-Wan and their brothers to take down the guns, with Obi-Wan commenting how Waxer and Boil "wanted action," implying he overheard their earlier comments on the gunship.

The two help Obi-Wan take out gun towers and then infiltrate the village, which is deserted. They're then ordered to help scout the village.

Obi-Wan, to Cody: Send your best men to scout ahead. Cody: Will do, sir. Boil, Waxer, come with me. Boil: I guess we're the best.

The way Boil delivers this line, it sounds like he's halfway between proud and uncertain. He probably appreciates Cody's vote of confidence in them, but is also wondering if it's because they happened to be nearby because Cody didn't explicitly call them "the best."

As the two are scouting -- both before and after they leave Cody -- Boil has his gun raised. He's ready to aim and fire at a second's notice. Meanwhile, Waxer has his blaster lowered to his torso. He's not as tightly wound up as Boil is.

As the two walk through the village by themselves, Waxer starts asking Boil questions about what might've happened to the residents, whether they were killed, etc.

Boil notes that there are no bodies, so they were likely driven from their homes.

So, even before meeting Numa, we've got a decent idea of who these two soldiers are.

Waxer is more caring and compassionate. He's definitely not as trigger-happy or aggressive as Boil, but he still does his job well.

Boil is more practical and by-the-book. He's ready to spring into action, and takes his job as a soldier seriously. He also might be older/higher-ranking than Waxer, as Waxer seems to defer to him in some cases, and Cody calls to him first.

Meeting Numa

While scouting, the two hear a sound and investigate it. They find a little Twi'lek girl, whom we later learn is named Numa.

Boil, as he sees Numa: Ah, it's just a little girl. Waxer: Well, what are we going to do with her? Boil: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Why do we have to do anything? We've got a mission to finish.

Looking closely, Boil actually lowers his blaster first, realizing who/what Numa is. But, he also sounds a bit disappointed that he doesn't get to shoot something.

Waxer immediately starts worrying about her well-being and what their duty of care is in this situation. However, Boil believes their responsibility is to complete the mission, starving kids be damned.

Waxer doesn't back down, though:

Waxer: We should do something. I say we take her with us. Boil: You can't be serious. She'll only slow us down.

Again, Boil is focused on completing the mission, while Waxer is concerned about Numa's safety.

A probe droid comes into the vicinity, and Numa cowers. Boil thinks it's because she's afraid of them, but Waxer notices the droid and realizes the truth. The three then hide, and the droid leaves.

The droid worries Boil, who says they need to keep moving. However, Waxer presses him for a third time that they need to do something about Numa. Boil reluctantly agrees to Waxer's plan to take her with them, and bends down to grab Numa. She bites him, and he calls her a "tail-head."

Waxer correctly deduces that Numa is afraid of them, as she probably assumes they're droids. He takes off his helmet, showing her he's human:

Waxer: It's alright. See? I'm flesh and blood, just like you.

The two then notice that Numa looks hungry. (The captions say Boil takes note of this, but based on the audio, I think it's actually Waxer. Waxer doesn't have his helmet on, but Boil does, and the line is delivered by someone who isn't wearing a helmet.)

Anyway, Boil takes out a ration and hands it to Waxer, who hands it to Numa. While Boil might be older/outrank Waxer, he's apparently letting Waxer take the lead in this particular situation after Numa initially bit him.

As Boil also removes his helmet, Numa calls them "nerra," which we later find out means "brother." While they're unaware, it's an indication that Numa already trusts and respects them.

Waxer tells Numa their names, but Numa continues to call them "nerra."

Boil, as he puts his helmet back on: Oh, you made a friend. Mission accomplished. [sighs] Can we go now?

I find it interesting that Boil says Waxer made a friend, when Numa was calling both of them "nerra." So, while he didn't know what "nerra" meant, he only acknowledges her bond with Waxer and not himself. Once again, he's only focused on completing the mission. He doesn't give a crap about this kid beyond answering Waxer's complaints that they need to do something with her.

Waxer stands and puts his helmet back on, as he prepares to follow Boil. He calls to Numa, who seems reluctant to leave.

Boil: Look, she doesn't even want to go. Little monster was fine before we came along, so let's MOVE.

Boil has finally convinced Waxer that they don't have any more responsibility toward Numa. She'll be fine as-is. Waxer takes one last look at Numa before following Boil out into the street.

Following Numa

Later, Numa follows the two through the streets of the deserted village. Waxer immediately notices, looking back at her, but keeps walking.

Waxer: I wonder what happened to her family. Boil: They're probably dead. Hopefully, she'll survive this mess.

Again, we see that Waxer is concerned while Boil is practical to the point of being cavalier. However, that last line makes me think Boil is starting to ... warm up ... to Numa. (Sorry, I had to.) He's definitely not on the same level as Waxer is... yet.

Waxer continues to focus on her well-being, especially with the context that she's likely an orphan. (We find out later that she's not, but they don't know that yet.)

Waxer: So, what happens to her? I mean, after we leave. Boil: I don't know. Ah, don't get any ideas. We're not taking her with us.

I do wonder who the "we" is that Waxer mentions. Does he mean his company specifically, or the clone army in general? I imagine, from context, it's the former.

I also find it funny that Boil preemptively shuts down Waxer's idea of taking her with them. He must recognize that Waxer's Dad Instincts™️ have kicked in -- probably because his have too but he's fighting them, unlike Waxer.

The two realize that Numa is no longer following them, and Waxer says in a very disappointed tone:

Waxer: She's gone. Boil: I'm sure the little biter will turn up.

Out-of-context, "little biter" sounds like it could be a term of endearment. I wonder if Boil meant it that way, but knowing his personality, he probably meant it more literally.

The two then turn around and see that Numa snuck in front of them, as she stands directly in front of Waxer. He kneels down and affectionately boops her on the nose, which makes her giggle.

Boil's a bit thrown off by the fact that she was able to sneak up on them, considering they're trained soldiers.

Numa then starts pulling Waxer, calling him "nerra" again, and pointing down the street. She runs off, clearly wanting them to follow her.

Waxer calls after her, telling her not to go that way because "that's where the recon droid went."

Boil: Waxer, let her go. Waxer, running after Numa: I'm not just gonna let the droids get her. Boil, running after both of them: I'm just trying to keep you alive! I'll be darned if I know why.

Once again, we see that Waxer's priority is Numa's safety, as he runs after her without hesitation.

Boil, like before, is focused on a combination of following orders, completing the mission, and keeping his brother safe. So, he runs after both of them.

As Waxer catches up to her, he pats her on the head affectionately.

Boil, catching up to them: Good, you caught her. You know, I have binders if we need them. [defensively] What? ... What are we doing here anyway?

Boil almost talks about Numa like she's a prisoner in their custody -- how Waxer "caught" her and how they should put binders on her. Yikes!

He's clearly getting tired of dealing with Numa, partly because she's a child and partly because they can't communicate with her. He's also getting tired of Waxer throwing himself after Numa, when they still have a mission to complete.

Comforting Numa

Numa leads them inside a destroyed house, which Waxer assumes is her home. He's sympathetic to her plight, calling her a "poor little thing" who "lost it all."

He spots a small tooka doll on the ground and gives it to her. Numa starts crying, and he comforts and reassures her by putting his hand on her shoulder.

Waxer: It's OK now. We're here to help.

Numa embraces him and continues crying. He doesn't really know how to react, but ends up reciprocating the embrace by putting a hand on her head.

Finally, Boil approaches them and kneels down too.

Boil: Don't cry kid. We'll keep you safe. I ... I promise.

Numa then embraces him and seems to stop crying. Like Waxer, Boil doesn’t know how to react to being hugged, but pats her on the back.

For Boil, this is clearly a turning point in how he handles Numa. We see later that he's still not happy about having to take care of her, but he has definitely softened toward her, after seeing what she's gone through.

He took the initiative to comfort her. He didn't need to. Waxer seemed to be handling the situation well enough. But, Boil apparently felt compelled to act too.

I imagine that, for a soldier like Boil, making a promise is no easy thing. He wouldn't have told her that if he didn't mean it, so I think -- like Waxer -- he finally let his Dad Instincts™️ kick in. He's not fighting them anymore.

And what's more is he actually one-ups Waxer in a sense. He makes a promise to take care of Numa, which Waxer never did. Waxer just said they were there to help. The wording was more general. But, Boil promises to keep her safe. It's more specific, and could be seen as more comforting: "We're here to help" vs. "We're going to keep you safe."

Side note: I do wonder if Numa is able to understand some Basic, because she gives Boil a meaningful look when he makes that promise AND she stops crying as he directed.

Protecting Numa

While they're still in Numa's destroyed home, the clones' communicators start flashing. Boil is upset, saying they'll be punished for failing to complete the mission and/or report back on time.

Waxer wonders how they're going to explain Numa to their company. He starts coming up with white lies they can tell to avoid getting into trouble.

Boil: We can try. But, mark my words: this will end badly.

Both Waxer and Boil, but more so Boil, are concerned with possible demotion/punishment.

However, they at least don't seem to be arguing about what to do about Numa anymore. They both just start leaving the home and apparently assume Numa will follow them, because they don't physically or verbally have her come along.

When they get outside, both clones take a defensive stance when they realize something's coming. Numa hides behind Waxer, telling him of the danger, before running back into the house.

The two start fighting the creatures attacking them.

Boil: You see what happens when we don't follow orders? [grunts] Waxer: Let's get out of here.

Despite having some change of heart, Boil is still preoccupied with following orders and completing the mission. He is still very much a soldier, even if his Dad Instincts™️ have kicked in.

They barricade themselves inside the home, with Waxer holding the door while Boil shoots at the creatures. Numa opens a tunnel in the floor. Waxer helps her with the heavy stone while Boil puts down cover-fire, until all three escape safely.

When they come out of the tunnels and rejoin their company, they tell Cody they "got sidetracked." Numa, who's holding onto Boil's hand, then peers out from behind him at Obi-Wan and the others.

When Obi-Wan approaches her, she continues to hide behind Boil. Meanwhile, Waxer explains that Numa knows her way around the tunnels.

When Obi-Wan asks in her language, she says she can lead them through the tunnels and even pulls on Boil's hand to come with her.

Numa then leads Obi-Wan, Waxer and Boil through the tunnels to where the other villagers are being held prisoner.

Obi-Wan hands Numa off to Waxer. When he later indicates for the two clones to follow him, Waxer puts Numa down and Boil gestures for her to stay quiet. Numa even mimics his hand gesture as she watches the two clones follow Obi-Wan.

After Obi-Wan frees the villagers, Numa reunites with her parent, and Waxer and Boil help Obi-Wan take out the enemies' main guns.

When the two clones get injured, Numa runs to them. This causes the other villagers to come out and join the fight against the droids.

Just as the tactical droid is about to fire on Obi-Wan and Numa, the villagers swoop in and save the day.

Leaving Numa

As Obi-Wan's company prepares to leave, Waxer bids Numa farewell first. He kneels down, puts a hand on her shoulder and then pats her head.

Waxer: See you later, little one.

Again, Waxer is more comfortable initiating physical affection than Boil is. He's also intentional about getting down on her level to say goodbye.

As Waxer walks off, Boil calls to her:

Boil: Hey, Numa. Stay out of trouble.

At some point off-screen, the clones found out Numa's name. I'm assuming Obi-Wan translated for them. So, it's significant that Boil calls her by name, now that they know what it is.

Boil also recognizes Numa has a penchant for getting into trouble, and tries to warn her against it.

Numa then runs to Boil, who's standing, and hugs his leg. Boil reaches down and puts a hand on her shoulder/back.

Like before, he's not as comfortable as Waxer with initiating physical affection, and he's still not very good about receiving it either. But, he's adjusted well enough.

Boil: Don't be afraid. We'll be back.

Both Waxer and Boil tell Numa this isn't the last time they'll meet. They really did form a strong bond with her, and while it's not clear when they would have a chance, they plan to return and see her again.

As Boil walks away too, Numa looks sad to see the clones go. Her parent comforts her. She calls out "nerra" to the clones several times as she waves goodbye.

Waxer, to Obi-Wan: Sir, what is that she keeps calling us? Obi-Wan: "Nerra." It means "brother."

The two clones then exchange a brief look with each other before turning back to Numa. Waxer waves goodbye, and the two clones walk off into the proverbial sunset with the rest of their company.

I think, in that moment, they were really struck by how Numa viewed them. They probably assumed "nerra" meant "friend" or something similar. They probably had no idea it meant something as powerful as "brother."

Clearly, Numa bonded with them so intensely and trusted them so much, she viewed them as family -- even as far back as their first conversation, when they took their helmets off and gave her food.

Remembering Numa

While we don't get many more appearances of Waxer or Boil, we do see them again in Seasons 2 and 4.

In Season 2, Boil has a picture of Numa on his helmet; and Waxer also has one on his helmet when he dies in Season 4.

It just goes to show how fondly they both remembered her. They literally painted her on their helmets, as if to say, "Heck yeah, we're Numa's brothers!" I can imagine them proudly talking about their “little sister” anytime someone asked about the design.

It's also implied that, at some point during or after the war, one or both clones returned to Ryloth to visit her.

When we see Numa in "Rebels," she's wearing 212th armor and even has Boil's name in Aurebesh on it. I know it's probably more of an Easter egg/headcanon, but I like to think Boil survived the war and returned to Ryloth to see her. It would explain how she got the armor and why his name is on it.

Plus, as I said, Boil is a soldier. He's not going to make promises flippantly. If he said "We'll be back," then I believe he’d follow through if/when he had the chance. I'm sure Waxer would've too, if he hadn't died on Umbara.

The three of them really had a special connection that lasted the rest of their lives.

Prefiguring Hunter & Crosshair

If it wasn't clear already, Waxer and Boil's dynamics with Numa -- both as a group and as individuals -- are very similar to Hunter and Crosshair's dynamics with Omega later in "The Bad Batch" series.

In both cases, two clone brothers are presented with a relatively helpless girl. One insists they have to help her, while the other is against it, believing their priority is their job as soldiers.

Even some of the dialogue is similar, with Crosshair and Boil both continually emphasizing how they need to "follow orders" and "complete the mission." Even Boil's "let her go" is similar to Crosshair telling Hunter:

Crosshair in 1.15: You want to protect the kid? Then let her go.

Ultimately, both sets of brothers decide their responsibility to their "little sister" is important, without forgetting their duty to each other, their other brothers and everyone else who's counting on them.

Similarities Between Boil & Crosshair

These two are definitely the more aggressive brothers in their respective duos. They both seem to have an affinity for heavy weaponry, and are always looking for an excuse to shoot something. Trigger-happy, in a word.

They're both also very practical and mission-driven. They're completely focused on their duty as soldiers. They're constantly bringing up their need to “complete the mission” and “follow orders,” even if it means leaving a girl to fend for herself. They also mention, at least once, their duty to keep their brothers safe as well.

Also, Boil and Crosshair criticize their brothers' paternal instincts when they initially meet their respective "little sisters". They protest taking her with them and/or bothering with her at all.

Later on, both Boil and Crosshair seem to generally care about their sisters' well-being, but not to the same degree as their brothers. They don't want to see her get hurt, but they also don't want to be around her either.

However, perhaps despite their best efforts, they ultimately give into their Dad Instincts™️. For both Boil and Crosshair, this seems to be when their respective "little sisters" are in great distress and/or danger.

For Boil, it's when he sees Numa crying in her ruined home, realizing just how much she's lost and how desperately she needs comfort and protection. For Crosshair, it's when he and Omega are imprisoned on Tantiss, when she has no other physical or emotional support system.

After their respective turning points, Boil and Crosshair seem to be more open to and comfortable around their "little sisters." They don't mind her displays of physical affection (holding hands, hugging, etc.), and do whatever they can to help and protect her.

Ultimately, both Boil and Crosshair have flavors of the "grumpy man who's actually a giant softie" trope, which is why the scenes of Numa hugging Boil and Omega hugging Crosshair hit similarly (at least they do for me).

There's one more specific thing I find interesting with these four characters: Boil and Crosshair calling their "little sisters" by name.

While Waxer was arguably closer to Numa, we never see him call her by name. He just calls her "little one," even after (apparently) finding out her name off-screen. But, Boil specifically calls her "Numa" in their final scene together.

Throughout TCW 1.20, Boil calls Numa "tail-head" and "monster" and "little biter." While I wonder if the latter was meant with some affection, the former two are definitely mean-spirited.

In the same way, throughout TBB Season 1 and 2, Crosshair calls Omega "a child" or "the kid" or his brothers' "little sidekick" in a demeaning way.

But, in Season 3, Crosshair only calls Omega by name. While his brothers and other characters often refer to Omega as "kid" or "the kid," Crosshair never does after Season 2. She is "Omega" from thereon.

Waxer and Hunter (and the others in CF99) can call Numa and Omega "little one" or "kid," because we know they mean it in an affectionate way.

But, Boil and Crosshair don't have that luxury, because they've only employed nicknames disrespectfully.

It also shows just how much both characters' attitudes have changed when they call their "little sisters" by name.

Finally, it's worth noting that while Boil and Crosshair were initially "against" Numa and Omega, respectively, their "little sisters" don't hold grudges.

In fact, even though they bonded with Waxer and Hunter more quickly and (arguably) more closely, the girls still consider Boil and Crosshair their "brothers" all the same. The girls hold them in an equal (or near equal) degree as they do Waxer and Hunter, despite Boil and Crosshair initially rejecting them.

Similarities Between Waxer & Hunter

Unlike their brothers, Waxer and Hunter are characterized as being more compassionate and caring from the get-go, even before meeting their "little sisters."

When he sees the devastation on Ryloth, Waxer wonders about the residents, whether they were killed, etc.

Meanwhile, throughout TBB 1.01 "Aftermath," Hunter lets Caleb Dume escape Order 66 and then lies to protect him. He also refuses to kill the civilians on Onderon, and starts to see the Empire for what it really is.

This is also a small thing, but we get parallel scenes of Waxer and Hunter noticing a probe droid that their brothers didn't.

In general, both Waxer and Hunter push back on their brothers' more cavalier attitudes toward people in danger/need.

Waxer repeatedly tells Boil they should do something about Numa, and then continues to worry about her well-being while she's following them.

In "Aftermath," when Hunter sees Crosshair trying to kill Caleb and then complaining they didn't kill civilians, he calls him out on it. He also generally confronts Crosshair about his obsession with "following orders," when that was something CF99 never worried about in the past.

Then, after they find out Omega is a fellow clone, Hunter insists they need to return to Kamino for Omega despite the dangers.

When meeting their "little sisters," Waxer and Hunter seem to be naturals with kids -- at least compared to their brothers.

They intentionally get down on their knees and talk to them at eye-level. They address them calmly and respectfully. Waxer takes off his helmet to show Numa he's not a droid. They try to make their "little sisters" feel safe and comfortable, despite the stressful situation.

Once their "little sisters" are with them, Waxer and Hunter very naturally switch into Dad Mode™️. They look out for them, protect them, give them reassuring head-pats, shoulder-touches, and so on. Weirdly, though, neither are very good with hugs initially, but they get there eventually.

On top of being more immediate, Waxer and Hunter's bonds with their "little sisters" are arguably much stronger than their brothers'.

Numa seems to be more comfortable around Waxer, especially initially, despite calling both clones "nerra" after they took off their helmets. Again, it's possible that she understood some of what they were saying, and realized Waxer was trying to help her while Boil really wasn't.

For Omega, she spends more time with Hunter early on, as Crosshair was separated from his family due to the Empire enhancing his inhibitor chip. Thus, she develops a very strong bond with Hunter very quickly. Even with Tech, Wrecker and Echo around as well, Omega and Hunter's bond is special.

Overall, Waxer and Hunter seem to be the "default" or "go-to" brother when Numa and Omega are in trouble.

Finally, I also find it interesting that the last gesture of farewell is Waxer and Hunter's.

Even though both Waxer and Boil turn back to look at Numa after finding out what "nerra" means, only Waxer decides to wave back at her.

Similarly, in the TBB series finale, the epilogue shows only Hunter saying goodbye to Omega. Even though both Omega and Hunter acknowledge the other brothers' role in her life, that final moment is theirs.

Just like Numa with Waxer, Omega bonded with Hunter first. So, it feels fitting that her final scene should be with him.

Final Thoughts

It's been fun rewatching "Innocents of Ryloth" and seeing these proto-versions of Hunter and Crosshair. I have no idea whether the TCW/TBB writers did that on purpose, but even if not, it makes for an powerful parallel.

Obviously, there are some major differences. Numa's parent was still alive, while Omega never had a proper parent to begin with. So, Hunter and his brothers arguably had an even greater responsibility to Omega than Waxer and Boil did to Numa.

Also, while Waxer and Boil definitely stayed in the "brother" category, as Numa's parent was still alive, Hunter (and his brothers) crossed over into the "dad" category in Omega's life.

Unlike Waxer and Boil, Hunter & co. took care Omega for years rather than a day or two. They provided for her; they taught her; and they cared for her physically and emotionally from the TBB series premiere to the epilogue.

If given the opportunity, I'm sure Waxer and Boil would've gone back to Ryloth and checked on Numa. Maybe, after the war, they would've even stayed long-term and kept an eye on her like a big brother or uncle might. Again, they bonded with her so strongly that they drew pictures of her on their helmets. They really thought of themselves as her brothers, and ran around battlefields representing her even months after meeting her.

As fans have joked about: put a Jango Fett clone in the immediate vicinity of a kid for a decent amount of time and they will turn into a Dad™️.

Doesn't matter if they're being mind-controlled. Doesn't matter if their priority is to follow orders. Doesn't matter if they're set to be shipped to another world once this mission's done. Doesn't matter if this is literally the first kid they've ever seen in their lives (except fellow clones).

And, even if they don't get enough "incubation time" around the kid to turn into a dad, they will -- at minimum -- turn into a Nerra™️.

[multiheadcanons]

FLIRT WITH THE MERCS

scout: jeremy is stupid enough that he thinks most flirting with him is a joke, and is generally happy to play along. he is very used to being aggressively shut down, and doesn’t really give it much thought anymore. he will not get that you’re flirting seriously until he has agreed to a date. then it’s like it clicks in his brain. and he becomes a grade A USDA certified dickhead. “yeah, i got a date! with who? oh, you wouldn’t know ‘em!”. what an ass.

soldier: why are you trying to flirt with this man, first of all. you know this man can’t understand a literary device past a knock knock joke, right? compliments are shrugged off. he knows he looks good for his age. he knows he’s got stellar aim. he worked like a bitch to achieve these things. coy questions get unamused answers. what’s he doing after work? more work. he’s training. eating. cleaning his weapons. sleeping. if you want to flirt with him that bad, slap his ass. the yelp he’ll let out is humorous. but the grin he gives is better. you’ve opened pandora’s box, maggot. let him show you how to make a real advance.

pyro: you want to flirt— with pyro? are you ready to see a grown ass adult become a straight up tweaker, no dope necessary? they point at themselves in shock. are you talking to them? are you— are you talking to them?? the squeal, the giggles, the heavy breathing, they are genuinely shocked and taken aback, and incredibly flattered. will hug you very tightly, before running away. they’re squealing, they’re barely making it ten steps before they have to stop and catch their breath. they’re gonna write about this in their diary later.

demo: he acts like… a stereotypical man when you start flirting with him. have him giggling and kicking his feet and shit. he is one of those men who will beam when he’s told he looks handsome when he smiles. you can be a borderline creep to demo and demo will tuck his hair behind his ear and say “aw, you don’t mean that!” but just know… however far you take it, demo will match your freak. so tread lightly. or don’t! whatever you want to do!

heavy: heavy is uninterested and will shut you down the first few attempts. however, if you don’t take the hint, and he thinks he can get away with it, he’ll use your little crush to squeeze whatever he thinks he can get from you. regardless of what it is, he’ll start subtly, maybe an occasional flirt back, a laugh, a slight bow of gratitude. but then he starts asking you to do things for him. a quick delivery. retrieval of items. leaning in to ask you quietly. he’d be incredibly appreciative if you would oblige and do this one little thing for him. he’ll owe you. then it escalates. bury this body for him? he’ll come out and watch your back, don’t worry. oh, and he forgot to mention… the body isn’t dead. you mind taking care of that too? he just likes to see how far he can push you. what he can get from you, and when he finds your line in the sand, it is duly noted and he is done with you until further notice. he did enjoy the sweet words though, undeserving as he may be of them.

engineer: he’s not as expressive as demo with it, but you can get him quite flustered if you don’t let up. not in the long con way, either, i’m talking family-bucket-20-piece-combo-no-biscuit-no-drink-two-sides-mukbang do not let up. “you’re looking good today, dell! ass looks great in those overalls, whatcha got going on later?” you can watch a man turn into a tomato in real time. he short circuits. lets out an awkward laugh, thanks you kindly, and gets the hell out of dodge before he says something stupid. but he’ll think about it all day. it’s a big mood and confidence booster for the week. and dell gets real sweet when he feels good about himself.

medic: the first time you flirt with this man he side eyes you. hard. but he cannot hide the smile creeping on his face. he’s not shocked, but he’s a little surprised you’re looking at him that way. but he stays silent. he hates direct approaches, he finds it crass from anyone of any gender. but a thinly disguised compliment will give him pause. he’ll size you up every time, pondering if you’re worth the effort and the risk. especially as you up the frequency, and he decides you’re actually serious about this. if he wants to reciprocate, he might ask you to dinner. he will also write about this in his diary later.

sniper: “oh, thanks!” and no more outward emotional reaction. but it makes him feel good. he’s quite tickled. this is a team of pretty good looking guys, nice to know he’s a catch with the rest of them. a consistent flirt with him will result in him matching your interest, wherever you want to take it. he is not one to play the long game, if you’re expressing interest, he’s certainly interested.

spy: “well, thank you.” unlike his counterpart, this spy can play nice and gracious very well. he gets no enjoyment from playing haughty at other’s expense; but he does get an ego boost from flattery. he’s just better at being humble about it. he knows he looks good. he always looks good. his plans are the same as they always are. no he has no interest in changing them today. yes, he’s french. nice place to live until the tourists ruined it. stay away from paris. no, he has no family. he’s good on lunch. he’s heard it all, and what he hasn’t heard he’s mentally simulated, and he’s got formulated responses for everything. it gets old, and it is old to him after the third attempt. you cannot flirt your way into his heart.

[ushkoo]

What do you think are the Morning or/and night routines of the mercs? :o

TF2 MERCS NIGHTTIME /MORNING ROUTINES 🌙☀️

Scout:

Scout doesn’t tend to go to bed until he is genuinely struggling to keep his eyes open. By then, he’s too tired to bother with anything fancy, at most he’ll wash his face if he looks in the mirror and sees that he looks particularly drained. All Scout will do is brush his teeth, lazily take off his shirt and flop onto the bed. He’s definitely more of a morning guy, in the mornings he’s up and running around! He gets up, runs a few laps around his room then goes to shower. He slaps on whatever shower products are in there (he has no idea what they are or what they do), rinses, runs out, grabs a towel and goes back to his room. He then gets dressed and ready for the day! Scout has a pretty big appetite, especially in the mornings. He’ll eat whatever is cooked then do a few laps around the base then come back for more food.

Soldier:

Similarly to Scout, Soldier doesn’t have much of a night routine. He’ll brush his teeth, take off his shirt and sleep in whatever else he’s wearing. He doesn’t struggle to sleep at all, he’s out as soon as his head hits the pillow. He does tend to sleep talk a lot though! Sometimes he even sleep walks, Engie is usually the one to guide him back to his room. In the mornings, he’ll wash his face, brush his teeth, MAYBE take a shower and leave his room to wake up the others. Soldier is almost always the first one awake, he’ll usually wake up at around 4:30 - 5 AM and will get angry that nobody else is awake yet. He’ll be a little less grumpy after eating something, which is usually bacon.

Pyro:

Pyro doesn’t go to bed until around 1AM. They like to stay awake and watch TV when nobody else is around. Midnight is the perfect time for this, nobody is there to change the channel or complain! Pyro gets the TV all to themselves until they get tired at 1AM, then they’ll go back to their room. They’ll take off their mask to brush their teeth and wash their face, I think that they avoid looking in the mirror too much though, in my mind they have facial scars that they hate looking at. They shower at night rather than in the morning with whatever products are there (although they usually have to buy products aimed at sensitive skin). Afterwards, they’ll dry off a bit, put the mask back on and go to sleep. In the mornings, Pyro is usually a bit grumpy from staying up too late every night. They’ll brush their teeth again, change into their usual clothes and leave their room. They don’t usually eat breakfast, they don’t tend to eat in the mornings as it gives them a tummy ache.

Demo:

Demo is a sensible man, he works out when he has to wake up in the morning and gives himself at least 8 hours of sleep. He’ll usually go to bed at around 9:30PM, maybe a little later if something good is on TV. Before he goes to bed, he always makes himself hot chocolate, maybe one for Pyro too if they’re around. He doesn’t do anything fancy like whipped cream or marshmallows, he just has it plain. Afterwards he’ll brush his teeth and go to bed, nothing extra, he’s simple. Depending on how he wakes up, Demo is either the best or the worst person to be around in the mornings. Is he wakes up on his own and goes at his own pace, he’s great! He’ll happily make breakfast for everyone and help everyone else wake up. If he is woken ip by Soldiers yelling however, he is the WORST. He yells, he complains, he snaps at anyone who dares to say good morning. He’ll usually start drinking first thing on days like this, he needs a way to stay somewhat awake and cope with the day. He has a simple routine every morning of waking up, showering if necessary, getting dressed, brushing his teeth and either making breakfast for everyone or yelling at anyone who comes near him.

Heavy:

Similarly to Demo, Heavy is a sensible guy. He will go to bed no later than 9PM, which is usually when he starts getting tired. Unlike most of the other mercs who usually sleep in their clothes or MAYBE a different tshirt, Heavy has his own set of special pyjamas that the Medic got him as a gift. He had another set before but Medic said they didn’t look as nice as the current ones. Usually, Heavy is the first one to go to bed out of the mercs. He’ll go all around the base to say goodnight to everybody then make himself a cup of chamomile tea to bring to his room. He usually has a few sips and then forgets about it </3. Once he’s either finished or forgotten about his tea, he’ll go to wash his face and brush his teeth before finally going to bed. In the mornings, Heavy is decent to be around, he’s pretty good at accepting the fact that he needs to get up and doesn’t make a fuss about it. He’s actually often woken up by hearing Scout sprint past his window. He’ll get out of bed, have a very quick shower, clean his teeth, get dressed and go to either help with cooking or eat (depending on what time he gets there and who is cooking).

Engineer:

Engie tends to stay up later than others but usually aims to get to bed before midnight (mostly because he knows Pyro will get grumpy if he’s still watching TV by then). His nights are usually spent watching TV with a beer, sitting outside with a beer or in his workshop with a beer. He likes his beer. Once he does eventually go to bed, he just brushes his teeth and sleeps wherever he previously was. On a chair outside, in his workshop, maybe the couch if Pyro lets him, it’s rare for him to actually sleep in his room. In the mornings, Engie is usually a little grumpy, he’ll complain a lot but give up after a few minutes and get on with his day. He’ll go to the bathroom, bush his teeth, wash his face and maybe shower if he thinks he needs to. He’s accepted it as his job to cook breakfast for everyone, mostly because he’s the only one with a decent amount of cooking knowledge. He’ll cook everyone bacon and eggs, eat some himself and then go back to his workshop.

Medic:

Medic has intense night AND morning routines which he executes THOROUGHLY every day. At night, he has a strict schedule that he follows very closely. At 9PM, he begins his routine, nobody can disturb him from now onwards. He shuts himself in his bathroom and begins by removing any makeup, usually some concealer, maybe some eyeshadow, nothing too heavy but he likes to look his best! Anyway, after a hard day of battle, he certainly doesn’t look his best, so it’s time to take it off. Afterwards, he will VIGOROUSLY wash his face then (depending on how old he feels he looks that day) apply a face mask of some variety. He’ll leave it on for the required time then wash/peel it off. He’ll brush his teeth then give his face another quick wash before changing into his silk pyjamas and climbing into bed. In the mornings, Medic is usually rather irritable, don’t even try and talk to him until at least an hour of him being awake. He’ll go into the bathroom again, shower, wash his face, apply various skincare products then begin his makeup. Like I said, he keeps it fairly light, applying concealer on parts of his face, maybe some eyeshadow if he feels he needs it and perhaps some blush. Either way, he looks pretty <3. Then he’ll comb his hair before getting dressed properly and going out to eat.

Sniper:

As much as I would love for him to have a super complex routine, I don’t think this man even bothers to wash his face. Its a miracle that he even showers. He goes to bed whenever he feels too tired to stay awake and will usually just brush his teeth and flop down somewhere in his van. He doesn’t care where he sleeps as long as it’s comfortable and somewhat clean. He MIGHT sleep in his actual bed if he’s been having a particularly hard day. Every morning, he grumpily wakes up and makes himself some coffee. Don’t even attempt to talk to him until he’s had some coffee, you WILL be punched in the face. He’s the worst person to be around in the mornings, the other mercs don’t dare bother him until at least an hour after he wakes up. He’ll take a shower (doing the bare minimum), brush his teeth then eventually go to get some food with the others. Nobody talks to him at the table, which he prefers as he’s still recovering from waking up. After they’ve all eaten, thats when he’s feeling a bit more social.

Spy:

Spy goes to bed at exactly 9:30 every night, no later, no earlier. He will force himself to stay awake until 9:30 even if he’s exhausted. He’ll grumpily keep lighting cigarettes to pass the time. Once the time has come, he’ll take off his mask to brush his teeth, wash his face and check if his hairline is intact. Depending on how hot it is that night, he’ll either put the mask back on or leave it off. He typically only leaves it off if it’s dangerously hot. Is it a bit silly to sleep in a mask? Yes. Does he want to risk Scout breaking into his room and seeing how similar their faces are? No, absolutely not. Once he’s finished in the bathroom, he’ll finally got to his bedroom. I like to think that he reads before bed, usually only the more classical political books such as Animal Farm by George Orwell or The Trial by Franz Kafka. He doesn’t care for sci-fi or fantasy, don’t even ATTEMPT to make himself read it. It’s bad enough that Scout made them watch Forbidden Planet on movie night. In the morning, Spy is almost as grumpy as Sniper although he probably wouldn’t hit you, he’d just insult you. He wakes up, complains to himself about how he has to work, go into the bathroom and shower. He only uses expensive shower products, a lot of the other mercs think he’s being snobbish but he doesn’t care, looking and smelling this good isn’t cheap. After he’s showered, he’ll wash his face and brush his teeth, maybe even do a LITTLE skincare but only a little! Just to keep his skin looking healthy (even though it’s covered by a mask </3). After that, he’ll go and dress himself before heading to go and eat with the other mercs. He’ll usually sit near Heavy as he’s the only reasonable one there.

🌖——————————————————————🌖

Sorry this took me ages! Ive bn having a hard timw recntly :( i got m anti eyebrow pierced tho! It rlly hurt

I also wnt to a con! I saw tf2 cosplayers nd fell in luv w a sniper from afar

I cosplayed ame from nso \(•w•\)

Again srry this took me ages!

Feel free to leave requests!

[junkomc]

One month before he fell in love with an attractive single father (Title TBA)

I've started writing a little bit of COD AU/Simon Riley x babysitter male reader that I said I wanted to read before... but honestly I don't know if I'll continue, and I'd rather read something someone else wrote than write it myself...!!

If I continue, I'll post it on AO3. I want to aim for a romantic comedy, but of course I also want to write some sexy scenes... anyway, everything is undecided. By the way, the main one is Simon x reader, but as usual there's also John x reader and Price x reader. There's also a little bit of Kyle x reader (that's my style of writing)

You are a coffee shop employee, looking for excitement in life and believing in fateful encounters, but you work day in and day out. You have been looking for a side job for a while, and your best friend Kyle offers you a very interesting job...

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

"So, which do you prefer: a really unsociable but sexy guy, or a cute, affectionate guy like a big dog?"

You ask Kyle, a customer and friend, from across the counter.

The coffee shop where you work is about to close, so there are hardly any customers, and Kyle doesn't mind the other customers and engages in small talk with you until your order arrives.

"Well, I'm not gay, so I'll try to think of it by replacing the part "man" with "woman", but... hmm, it's difficult. By the way, is that your real problem right now? Are you torn between two different types of men?"

"No way! Just a fantasy. If there is such a world like a romance novel, I'd like to jump into it. Unfortunately, I don't have either type of man... or any men around me right now!... Well, you're not gay, and the owner is bi, but he's my boss, so he's not going to pay attention to me..."

Saying that, you looked at Price, the owner, who was facing a computer with a serious look on his face in the back of the store.

"I know. A fateful encounter at a coffee shop!... There's no such thing as a movie-like encounter. I'm going to stop looking for excitement in life and look for a partner on a dating app in reality."

You handed Kyle a freshly made hot coffee, and he took it, took a sip on the spot, and muttered to himself.

"...I see. If you really want a more exciting life, I might be able to make your wish come true."

"You mean you'll introduce me to a good guy?"

You leaned over the counter excitedly and asked Kyle.

"Well, that's not it. I'm more interested in introducing you to a job than a guy. I think you were looking for a side job, right? Actually, I have an acquaintance who's in trouble, and I thought you might be able to help him..."

"Hey, can you stop scouting for my employees in my shop without my permission?"

When you turned around, Price was standing right behind you, so close that you could almost smell his warmth, so you moved hurriedly, which made your body touch him in various places and your heart pound.

Your attractive boss leaned forward to deliberately mock your nervousness, leaned her face close to your ear, and whispered in a low voice.

"Also, I don't think dating apps are for you. If you ever end up meeting someone in person, you have to talk to me first."

"...Yes, Daddy."

You groaned, and Kyle looked at you with a grin.

"Anyway, if you're interested, call me again. I'll tell you more then. By the way, the job is irregular, so I don't think you'll have to quit your job here. Your boss is cooperative and understanding, so I'm sure they'll be able to work it out."

Gaz glanced at Price, said "See you later," and left the store.

After coming to your own conclusion, you turned to Price, who was still right behind you.

"...Price...Can I just ask Kyle for the details of the job? Please, Daddy!"

You acted as cute as you could and stared at him with your eyes back and moist. You knew that Price loved you like a son and watched over you warmly, so you always used this strategy when you asked him for something.

"I have no choice... I get it, so stop calling me daddy. It's bad taste to make fun of old people. As soon as you know the details of the job, tell me. Of course, if it seems even a little suspicious or dangerous, it's not okay."

"Thank you!! Price, thank you so much! I love you like a real father."

As you said this and held his hand, Price's expression became a little complicated, but you were so excited about the new mysterious job and the excitement of life that you didn't notice it.

The next day, you called Kyle and asked him about the details of the job.

"The job is exactly that, a babysitter and housekeeper. You know, you told me before that you like children, right?"

It was true. You were paid quite a bit as a babysitter when you were a student. And you did like children, and you wanted to raise them and have a family if you ever found a partner.

"That's true... but it's unexpected. When you say it's an exciting job, I thought it would be something more special."

"Haha, maybe I set the bar a little too high. To tell you the truth, the child's father is a little strange, and I think working at his house will be the exciting thing you want in life. Specifically, he leaves the house for about three days to a week twice a month for work. During that time, you will be taking care of his child and doing the housework."

"Um, wait a minute... does that mean the father is a weirdo? By the way, what about the mother? What kind of family is it?"

"Well, the child's mother isn't there... she passed away... OK? There are only three things I want you to keep in mind when working for him. You don't talk about your mother in front of them. Also, don't enter his private room. Also, don't ask him about his job. He, Riley, wants you to come right away if you can keep those rules. And he said he'll pay you 1.5 times the salary at the cafe."

That was... an exciting story.

Is he strange? And what's his job? And the room you can't enter... You were very intrigued. And the salary was 1.5 times higher! Actually, you were thinking of moving because of trouble with your neighbors, so it was a very attractive offer.

Of course, you accepted without hesitation.

All that remained was to get Price's approval, which you thought would be fine if the job description was babysitting and housekeeping.

"By the way, he doesn't like to show his real face, so he always wears a mask, so please don't mention that too much."

The last words Kyle added made your interest meter go to the peak, and you wanted to visit the Riley house right away without Price's approval.

Then, that day at work, you explain your new job to Price in your usual begging mode, with sparkling eyes, and Price acknowledges it, albeit with a reluctant look on his face, and gives you a flexible shift.

Of course, you never told Price that the child's father was a mysterious masked man of unknown occupation.

To be continued?

[quitealotofsodapop]

Wukong's wings strained as he darted around and between the complex, taking note of entrances, possible exits, and any guards and security systems he could spot. The place was built like a fortress, demons and bandits mixed together in a truly frightening number had it been any normal mortal that scouted the place and there were likely even more traps and tricks within. It had been a long time since ehes truly used his transformations this long and in this manner, usually only slipping in and going straight to his goal or finding a resting spot to spy from rather than actively scout a location out. But he wadnt taking any chances, not with Havoc who he remembered all too well as the dangerous beast he had been before, and especially not with his newest string of hostages! Not with his son and Master on the line.

If he were to look, he could just barely spot his brothers a distance away, taking cover behind a group of boulders as they awaited him to return with his findings and a plan of action. Waiting for him to save the day like he normally did. Unfortunately for them and for himself, he isn't finding any opening that could be used without causing a ruckus. Havoc had learned from his previous encounter with Wukong and the whole place was covered in barriers and traps meant to catch a sneaky demon slipping in under a glamour or disguise, and there were too many of his lackeys to simply sneak past on their own. Wukong did one last circling of the complex, hoping beyond hope that he had been wrong in his assessment, before banking towards where he'd left his brothers with a series of quick flaps.

Only to freeze into a glide when he noticed the shadow against the sun. It was impossible to tell coloration with the glare shadowing it's form, but Wukong would be a fool not to realize that was a large predatory bird diving straight towards him at ridiculous speed. With an alarmed chirp, he began pumping his wings, trying to gain speed to avoid the hawk or eagle that was after him and barely missed being caught in sharp talons. As the bird fell past he managed to get a good enough took to realize it was a falcon of very dark plumage. Where falcons were build for speed and ambush, sparrows were built to darting and weave around, giving Wukong a bit of an advantage as he pumped his wings to get away from the bird, especially since most falcons would not go after prey when their initial ambush failed.

Apparently this bird was different however, the falcon quickly ascending once more and chasing after the smaller bird in a manner far too similar to how Wukong had once been chased by a certain celestial warrior with similar transformative abilities to his own.

'Well, guess this is going to be a chased then' Wukong mused to himself as he began his ducking and weaving, very much wishing they weren't in the open sky as branches and foliage would give him the coverage he'd need to transform into something else and lose the predator behind him. As it stands, with him so close to Havoc's castle and in the open air, it'd be too risky to do so where anyone could see. And the falcon behind him was gaining on him, apparently determined to catch the sparrow it had spotted. '

Wukong is proud to say he had been able to send the falcon on a merry chase that lasted quite a while before he inevitably faltered as his tiny sparry body finally couldn't keep up with his frantic wing flaps and heart and began to slow. He let out a curse as he felt sharp talons snag one of his wings and then close around his body, pinning the appendages to his side. He wiggled about in the other bird's grip as it banked, aiming to fly away with its catch as his tiny beak useless pecked and bit at the bird's legs. With a huff of frustration, Wukong began to gather his power, aiming to transform into something thay could get him out of this, damn the consequences.

'I don't have a choice but to reveal my presence to Havoc!' Wukong's thoughts screamed at him, 'I am not going to be a bird's dinner!'

But before he could release the power that would allow him to transform, the talons around him tightened, oddly gentle for a predatory bird with its next meal, and he felt a foreign and suspiciously familiar magic tightened around his own, cutting him off from transforming. The falcon glared down at him with a single purple eye and Wukong felt all thought and air leave his body. It couldn't be...

In his shock, Wukong could barely comprehend where they were headed until he felt himself be dropped, his transformation breaking as he turned back into his true form. With a gasp, he sat up as he turned to look behind him. Just in time to see the falcon transform itself mid flight and a dark figure land heavily as he leaned over him, a face Wukong had dreamed of but never imagined he'd ever actually see again.

"M-Macaque!"

That feel when your last meeting with your husband/life mate ended in a bitter arguement, and you both stewed in regret and ire for 500 years because you couldn't contact each other in that time. And you mad at them for going on a religious pilgrimage/parole to appease the very same Heavens that prosecuted you, thus keeping you from your family.

Macaque would 100% make Wukong think he about to eat him.

But the shouting and kissing can wait until their son is safe.

I love your writing so much.

[paper-mario-wiki]

scout how do i get into tf2. i want to play but i'm intimidated

u can choose one of the 9 guys, and theyre all fun to play.

first guy is the fastest and jumps twice, but has low health. he has a strong shotgun as his primary that can kill people from full health in 2 shots if youre close enough and aim well enough

second guy is kinda slow and has a rocket launcher, which does a lot of damage (but not enough to kill anyone in a single hit like other FPS games, unless you get a crit), and hes got a lot of health

third guy is my favorite one and is one of the more mechanically complex. u can do a lot, but for now think of it as area denial. not very much range, but high output and leaves them on fire

fourth guy is like junkrat: he launches grenades that explode on impact with a target, but if they hit a wall or the ground they wait out their natural timer before exploding. he can also leave bombs that he can detonate at any time. hes also pretty slow but has more health.

fifth guy has the most health and the strongest gun, but is also the slowest and one of the easier guys to pick off from a distance. hes got a big gatling machine gun

sixth guy specializes in utilities. he can deny an area by putting down a sentry that fires automatically and be upgraded twice (faster firing + rockets with levels 2 and 3). he's not great in 1v1s but he can hold is own if you play smart.

7th guy is the main healer. you point at a guy and click on him to heal, but after youve connected to him you dont need to keep looking at him the whole time; as long as youre within a certain distance and you keep holding down the mouse button you'll keep healing. he also passively regenerates health slowly, but as the worst offensive options in the game

8th guy is broken. you can instantly kill anyone from any distance as long as you click on their head. not super great in close combat but has optional weapons that can enhance his survival rate when he's rushed down

9th guy goes invisible, can disguise as enemy teammates to fool them, and can instantly kill anyone with a backstab, but he's also easy to kill and has poor defensive options if he's caught out by himself.

the game is free to download, and once you do i suggest queuing for casual selecting any maps that look good

i suggest Harvest, Badlands, Sawmill, and Viaduct for King of the Hill

i suggest Badwater, Upward, Frontier, Snowycoast, and Borneo for payload

i suggest Turbine, 2Fort, Double Cross, and Landfall for Capture the Flag

go have fun. dont worry about being bad. just play and find joy in any way you can.