#i just wish that that i could be dead. it would solve all my problems. but my family and ffriends would be sad.

[superkooku]

My reactions on the Ithaca saga

Ok since the livestream was cancelled, here are my reactions after listening to the Ithaca saga a second time. These are my first impressions, without reading anyone else's opinion that could have good points. I may change my mind.

The good

That's just repeating myself at this point but the music !!! I'm in love with Epic's musical style. There's not a single song that I don't like musically. This last saga definitely delivered

Using 'Just a man' motif is always gonna get me

Spoilers from here

The end of Hold them down... I expected Antinous to die first since he does in the Odyssey, but not that fast 😂. That genuinely surprised me.

Penelope immediately accepting Odysseus' actions is spot on. I love that. All the OdyPen stuff was sweet, honestly.

The olive tree bed reference (also, I miss the song 'Olive tree' btw)

The meeting with Telemachus was sweet. No, the Ithaca family reunions were all well-done.

Small stuff, but I love the door opening effect in the last song. Epic would benefit from having a bit more sound effects and this is definitely the proof why. We imagine ourselves with Odysseus, as he discovers Penelope again.

The Warrior of the mind callback was really sweet !!

Odysseus (the song) gave me goosebumps. Especially the end, where it's just the suitors screaming until dead silence. I also really like the various singers.

Though when Telemachus sang "Throw down your weapons and I'll ensure you'll be spared", I couldn't stop thinking about that "The king doesn't like those with their hands in the air" thing 😂😂. And I had to pause the song and laugh.

The suitors asking Odysseus to spare them ? That was funny too. They're absolutely pathetic but somewhat threatening.

I like that Telemachus has the courage to fight. Edit : he DID fight, according to the animatics. I had the feeling he needed to contribute to the action and him standing there would be weak, but he did so that's a new positive !!

The less good

While I really liked this saga and don't have that much to point out (no bad surprises like other times), I do have smaller issues with it.

The first doesn't have anything to do with the saga itself but rather me... I regret listening to so much snippets 😅. I knew the Challenge by heart, Hold them down too (until the end), some parts of Odysseus as well. The only song that was totally new for me is "Would you fall in love with me again". Next time Jorge does a musical, I won't touch the snippets. At least not most of them.

I can't help but think that Odysseus' reunion with Athena was a bit rushed. They didn't address the fact that she helped him get out from Calypso's island, how she feels after God Games, or all those years of separation after the argument. I do like that it shows both of their evolutions and the differences them but a bit more in-depth closure (a few seconds longer) would've been even better

Penelope is a bit underdeveloped. Odysseus has his arc, Telemachus too, but she doesn't. She's beautiful in this saga and at least we see some cunning in 'The challenge', I just would've wished she appeared in Wisdom !! That would've solved the problem. Edit 2 : ok we have some god games aftermath thanks to the animatic. I still would've like them to address that a bit.

I'll separate this from the negative segment because it's just something funny, but Odysseus saying "rape" alone will definitely alter Epic's rating 😂. At least it doesn't gloss over saying it this time (I would've wished the Calypso incident was addressed in that case).

Ok ! I'm gonna listen to the Ithaca saga now. I'll watch the livestream after sleeping and THEN I'll come back to this post and add stuff.

[crimeronan]

pain is so annoying. i'm trying to make this a funny relatable post with a creative metaphor but the pain is currently humming like a swarm of mosquitoes inside my eardrums and is louder than my ability to write. the worst part is that it's making me want to pound extra adderall with an energy drink so i can actually hear my own thoughts and focus on something other than the incessant sucking drainage but that is called """being an addict""" so i'm probably gonna lay down and try to go to sleep instead even though i'm not very tired, which is called """depression,""" and then i'm gonna be too distracted by the nervous system's air raid sirens to fall asleep so i'll lay awake looping through the same miserable thought spirals for hours, which is called """anxiety.""" dumbest fucking use of metabolic energy possible i fucking Swear-

[scarletcomet]

ngl besties but i am not doing so great right now. anyone else not able to function because of constant thoughts of hurting yourself and crushing depression?

[gerbithats]

The sims 4 is not a lost cause, it just needs some love.

SO i recently came back to playing sims 4 after a long hiatus and i have to say i'm surprised. I'm no EA apologist, they are indeed cashgrabby. But to see that lots of new features were integrated over the last few years that facilitated different styles of gameplay actually surprised me.

It seems tho that a pattern has been set, were they will release the most lackluster pack (whatever it is) and keep fixing it over the next few years. Pack reworks became a thing and thank god for it, since the releases don't seem to be stoping in order to give us better results.

It's a bittersweet feeling for sure. The game has more than 70 packs released and somehow it can still feel dead when it comes to live mode. And that's what this post is about: how could they bring the love the other games had for live mode in a base game that's so purposefully made for cas and build/buy?

Part 1: Nostalgia driven gameplay

Seeing the UI from the sims 1, 2 and 3 brings me back a lot of memories. It was a staple to this series that was lost due to a cleaner redesign. Not only that, but a core mechanic was also changed: the wants and fears system.

I believe that what makes me so nostalgic is TO KNOW that this worked so perfectly and hardly needed any refreshes.

Your sims now have emotions and yet, they rarely feel like something integrated to a goal or something you can truly affect while in gameplay.

Bringing back the wants and fears system would not only make our decisions during gameplay more impactful to our sims emotions, but also help to choose the direction any story could go.

An aspiration meter that's connected to the rewards shop would make decisions much more impactful (rather than getting them just by working through what is currently known as the "tutorial aspirations").

Your sims moods should be important, and so what makes them feel that way.

Part 2: World overload

With the amount of packs released, the world selection menu quickly became a problem. When seeing that screen, it all just feels like a blur of information that's been set in a certain way for convenience.

Maps such as these became popular in the community for a reason. The experience of playing needs to be inviting from the get go. It's clear tho that the reason behind not giving us something like this is no long term planning and pack exclusive experiences.

So what if it just became a larger sims world? A concept were you wouldn't select the city at frist, but the entire region were it is located in order to acess the one you prefer.

That would also make this refresh friendly to a future create a world tool (whenever that may come).

Part 3: Pack refreshes are the bread and butter of the future

Let's face it: we're stuck with this game for another 10 years at least. So other than dwell on the fact that we don't have open worlds or things of that nature, we should look at what can reasily be solved, and that's pack refreshes.

From seasons coming out without properly made textures and snow depth to functions that will simply not work as they should, I like to believe we do have a voice in this community. I made this post several years ago and now, looking back at it, I see so much improvement over things that we were desperately asking for.

Don't get me wrong, by that I don't mean that EA developers are searching through my page or yours to find what we think and expect for The Sims 4. But talking about these things openly as a community is what makes the difference.

Part 4: Simmers Unite

In conclusion: uniting our voices to ask for these things to come as refreshes and revamped features are crucial for the next few years. Let's, together, avoid a "my first snowdepth pack" or similar things that could yet come our way.

I created a blog called @sims4-communitywishes to reblog rants and wishes such as these. Our blogs and separate voices may be small, but a repository of it is much more impactful.

So thank you for reading this all the way through and in case you want to share your wishes for the future of The Sims 4, tag it as #s4comunitywishes

[fairlyang]

i neeeeeed more loser!katie my mind is actually rotting and it’s because of her

I loved loser!katie so bad and wanted to write a part 2 since I wrote it in december- leave it to me to dust off an old ass draft😭😭 im so sorry for the long ass wait anon

Loser II 🏹

w/c: 2.5K

pairing: loser!katebishop x f!reader

tags: 18+ smut. masturbation, fingering, she is knocked tf out, or so you think, she wakes up, secretly watches you, voyeurism, such a perv, getting caught, 2 pervs (freaky ass frogs!!), mutual masturbation, finger sucking

part one | kinktober masterlist | main masterlist

what indeed did change were your thoughts towards kate. Not in a bad way at all but hearing her moan out your name while doing something so intimate just had your brain thinking a bit.

you had always thought she was an incredibly attractive girl but for her to think of you that way seemed almost insane, out of nowhere.

until you started remembering her attitude towards you lately and it clicked.

she liked you too.

you never thought what started off to be a small little crush on your roommate, now close friend, would be reciprocated back.

so of course you had to calm your growing nerves after what you just heard by masturbating as well.

surely it solves all problems.

you had already taken your dress off and put on one of her shirts she once let you borrow that you never returned and she never asked for back.

she was too nice to ask you to give it back but also she’d give you anything you wanted with the snap of a finger.

she secretly loved how pretty and cute you looked when wearing it but too bad she got shitfaced and had a body shaking orgasm that she immediately fell asleep and won’t get to see it.

since she was luckily, a heavy sleeper, you also figured why the fuck not.

so as you spread your legs wide and ran a hand up and down your thighs, the back of your mind couldn’t help but wish, pray, that she would wake up just to see you masturbating in her shirt.

she’d probably lose her shit and there was nothing more you’d love to witness than that but those loud snores that left her mouth were a dead giveaway that that would not be happening.

nonetheless you figured you’d make yourself cum because just the thought of how she was pleasing herself was getting to be too much for you already.

you still couldn’t believe she reciprocated those same feelings back and were in complete shock but the alcohol in your system was working overtime to forget about feelings for a second.

you began by rubbing your clit in slow circles over your panties but to tease yourself a bit. you quickly felt your arousal seep through the light fabric and you realized how it took nearly nothing for your body to respond.

you then decided to just go for it over waiting. and who had time to edge?

with your left hand you move your panties to the side then with your right hand going down to feel your wetness with just one finger.

it only took one dip for your finger to be soaked so you just move two fingers to your entrance then slide them in with ease.

you bit your lip, grabbing your body pillow and pulling it as close as possible to your body as you slowly moved your fingers out then back in. You spread your legs wide and start to fuck yourself but being mindful of how loud your wetness could be.

even though Kate is dead asleep right now, you didn’t want to take any chances.

though deep down you really wanted her to wake up.

so you took your chances anyway and started off by letting out quiet moans at first to see if her sleeping body would react.

she didn’t.

you turned your head to the right to see her sleeping peacefully and your eyes stayed on her bulging biceps that were tightly hugging her body pillow.

your eyes rolled back as you fucked yourself faster just imagining her on top of you, arms above your head. there was just something about her muscles that made your head spin.

especially when you had the luck of her asking you to go to one of her archery tournaments and you were so out of it just paying attention to those damn arms over her skills.

it was the one and only day she didn’t wear her purple archery jacket and instead had on a black tank top because she had gotten there late (as per usual).

you could tell she was just working out only based off how absolutely sweaty she looked. Her baby hairs were glued her to forehead and her ponytail low over her usual one that would be in the middle.

the tank top fit her so good that once she started you weren’t even looking at her shooting the damn arrow, just focused on how the bra she was wearing made her tits pop and how chiseled her collarbones were as she shot it.

she looked so fucking good that day you may as well have been drooling all over the floor with your friends teasing you about it when she made a bullseye that you didn’t even get to see.

since then you’ve had somewhat of a crush on her, always trying to refrain from flirting because you didn’t want to make her uncomfortable but after what you witnessed, things for sure would change for the good.

now you were the one that was so desperate and pretending she was the one finger fucking you. you started going deeper, imagining that’s how she would do it.

you didn’t know how the hell you were going to bring this up in the morning without sounding like an absolute pervert and maybe if she caught you now it’d be easier to explain.

but her loud snores being the only sound in the room crushed those dreams.

you looked at her again, staring at her lips and wondering how they’d feel on yours. looking down at her hands and subconsciously letting out a moan, she only shifted.

then she let out a muffled moan and you stopped. your eyes grew wide and you felt like dying of embarrassment.

but that was it. she didn’t move.

that’s when she stirred in her sleep and you watched carefully, for any signs that she'd wake up. luckily that was all she did and you were in the clear, for now.

you started pumping your fingers inside you again and that’s when kate’s brain decided to form an all too realistic wet dream. you were moaning her name.

these usually took over her dreams at night but this one felt so real. her consciousness waring off and she heard actual moans in her eyes.

she kept her eyes closed and laid still as she listened carefully. she could hear you trying to be quiet, something she was used to but this was different.

that’s when she heard the noises coming between your legs and it sent a shiver down her spine. she felt her heartbeat in her chest and she was so conflicted on what to do.

there was no fucking way she was gonna be able to sleep knowing you’re masturbating with her in the room and no way she was going to pass up this opportunity to hear you.

maybe it was the slight voyeur in her or maybe it was just her taking advantage of the fact that this is her only chance but she had hear you.

meanwhile you closed your eyes and turned your head to the left as you bucked your hips up while fucking yourself. you gripped your pillow, trying hard to keep quiet but the thought of kate being between your thighs was so strong and you were losing control.

you let more moans slip from your lips, some just of pleasure and others of her name because you felt like being bold.

as soon as kate heard her name leave your mouth she nearly screamed in happiness. but she kept her mouth shut because otherwise her cover would be blown and she had to hear everything.

she decided to open her left eye slowly because she was greedy and wanted to see you. the light of the bedside table lamp was all the light in the room and after her eye got use to it, she was able to see you.

gripping a pillow for dear life while you finger yourself but her eye focused on something else first.

you were wearing her shirt.

you were wearing her shirt.

her other eye shot open and she bit her lip to keep quiet because she was on the verge of absolutely losing it.

your eyes were closed shut and you were letting out occasional moans without a doubt thinking she’s still fast asleep.

once kate heard her name again, her right hand snaked down to her boxers, slipping it inside where she was met with a pool of arousal. not at all surprising since she came hard and now with this sight, of course she was going to be even more soaked.

she quickly slipped two fingers inside and tried to match your pace just from how your body was moving with the pillow. she grabbed onto her pillow as tightly as she could, mostly praying it’ll cover the noises of her wet pussy because she didn’t want to risk you hearing her.

luckily the pillow did cover the noises that came from her end of the room but not much from yours — which was good news in her books.

she was still clearly able to hear how wet you were and it was making her lose her mind. not only was this somehow not a fucking dream and you really were moaning her name but she was watching you fuck yourself while doing it.

she’s not sure what she did to deserve this, her wettest dreams coming true but lord was she grateful for it.

maybe you making out with that girl meant absolutely nothing.

maybe there was a chance that you liked her back.

“fuck katie- just like that-“ you whimpered and bit your lip afterwards but the damage was already done.

kate was struggling to keep quiet so bad, her body began to shake and her cheeks were getting red. she was struggling so badly, she accidentally let out a moan and it was game over.

what little dignity she had was gone and you’d probably ask to be switched roommates. her head was going a hundred miles an hour through all the possible outcomes that would occur that she didn’t even realize that you did not stop.

as soon as you heard her, your eyes shot open and you turned to look at her. she was spacing off, thinking it was the end of the world but was technically still looking at you so you were looking at her pretty face while she was in an identical position as you.

you didn’t stop fingering yourself and just looked over at kate, who had her own hands down her boxers. what a fucking view.

you cleared your throat and she snapped out of it, now looking into your eyes with anxiety filling her body. you have her a small smile and joked, “seems we both have confessions to make huh?”

kate looked at you in shock, not believing where you were going with this because it still felt like she was in a wet dream.

“that doesn’t mean we’ve gotta stop though…” you murmur and pump your fingers deeper, “i’m almost close.”

“fuck- is this really happening?” kate mutters, mostly to herself but you just chuckle and nod.

“mhm. i mean we both did drink a bit but no way we’d be having the same dream right?” you tease and she nods.

“well i uh.. um- fuck this is hard.” she stammered and gulps.

“how about we focus on one thing then worry about the rest after?” you suggest and she quickly nods.

you grab your pillow and set it aside because there was no reason to hide anything. kate followed your lead and did the same.

she then was able to see how you’ve been fucking yourself and didn’t stop. her mouth was watering and she wanted to go to your bed so bad to take care of you but fought against it.

she matched your pace once again and instantly let out some moans making you moan too. her eyes went back up to your face just to meet your eyes already looking at her. her face burned even more and you gave her a wide grin.

“didn’t think of you to be so much of a perv katie..” you teased making her scoff.

“you’re wearing my shirt!” she called back and you shrugged.

“it’s my shirt now.” you say and giggle.

“but i also got here right as you were finishing… might’ve heard a familiar name come out of your mouth…” you say breathlessly, feeling your arousal drip down just thinking about it again.

kate’s face was burning red, she was so embarrassed but then realized, “so you heard me? and what decided to go to town too?”

you kept quiet, lightly biting your lip while kate chuckled and smirked, “whose the perv now?”

“technically you still beat me.” you mutter and kate waves you off, “no shot.”

“you were just watching me play with myself…” you murmur and she laughs, “fine! we’re both pervs, are you happy?!” she jokingly exclaims and you just grin, nodding.

“good because i can’t believe this-“ she says and is cut off by a moan.

you whimpered and buck your hips up in desperation, kate’s eyes roll to the back of her head as she hears your sweet noises, “you sound s-so good-“

then kate moans and you were going back and forth just moaning for each other and hearing intently to the other’s moans.

your panties were beyond soaked now and your legs start shaking as you feel your orgasm about to hit you. the eye contact with kate was so intense, her blue eyes bored into yours as her body was also warning her of her incoming orgasm.

you went as fast as you could, chasing after your impending orgasm when you could hear kate doing the exact same and you just looked into her eyes while you both are hit with hard hitting orgasms.

you both let out loud mewls and whimpers, riding out your highs as you look at each other in adoration and hazy eyes. you slowed down and attempted to calm your breathing down but your heart was pounding.

kate quickly went to the rescue as she slipped her fingers out slowly then pulled her hand back from her boxers before quickly getting out of her bed and hopping onto yours.

you moved over making space for her as you slipped your fingers out with a plop. she nearly moaned but kept it inside.

you lazily bring your fingers up to her mouth, looking at her expectantly and kate obediently opens her mouth as you slip them inside her mouth. she sucks every drop of your sweet juices, savoring everything you had to give her — while looking directly into your eyes as well.

you pull them out with a loud plop and you grin. that’s when kate brought her fingers up to your mouth and you quickly opened your mouth and even grabbed onto her wrist. you took her fingers all the way down to her knuckles and this time she did moan because the sight was beyond better than any sex dream she’s had.

you push her wrist away after savoring every drop of her, and immediately realizing you’re gonna need to taste properly tomorrow. but for now you settled into her arms, making yourself comfortable against her chest as you listen to her heart beat louder than yours.

[dkmbookworm]

Odysseus’s Mistake w/ Open Arms

After listening to a podcast featuring Jorge Rivera-Herrans. I am so fascinated by his explanation for why Odysseus revealed his name in his version of the story.

Obviously one of the elements at play is the fact he just witnessed the death of a friend so there’s a lot of rage and pain involved for why he wants to taunt the cyclops as they leave. And we all know that hubris was the other factor especially when he dips down into lines like “I am neither man nor mythical”. And Jay further went into this point by saying

“Odysseus in this moment is riding this high of thinking ‘I am so smart, that I don’t have to depend on brutality to solve my problems. I am so clever that I alone can carry along this philosophy of Open Arms because I can always find a different solution’”

That is such a fascinating display of his hubris while simultaneously trying to hold onto the memory of a dead friend. It shows just how flawed this interpretation of it at that moment, and how that carried forward for him. Because Odysseus was just introduced to this philosophy, one that he could have used to go forward. But the literal representation of it is killed in front of him so all he has to go off of are these vague concepts on top of his own problems muddying the waters

The biggest example of this to me, is how he approaches speaking with Eurylochus. Open arms or mercy, is not something that can only exist in terms of not slaying your enemy. It requires a lot of emotional intelligence that Ody does not really have. When eurylochus questions him on his plan with Aeolus, his fears and concerns are not being addressed. Sure yes, bad idea to do this in front of the crew and sow seeds of doubt in them. But if ody is going to dedicate himself to this ideology he has to go the full way and learn to communicate with people.

When Polites reached out to ody, he recognized that he felt troubled. That he was carrying s lot of guilt and was trying to ease his mind. Odysseus felt heard and understood, and he was willing to listen to his friend. By comparison he does none of this with eurylochus. He shuts him down and tells him to be devout. All that he’s accomplished is to shut him up and keep things to himself, which only makes things worse and leaves his doubt to fester

It represents such a tragic element in this story because Odysseus is trying to fulfill this wish from his friend while having a broken version of it he never got to fully learn or understand. That Polites could have potentially helped him make the journey into leading a kinder life. But the consequences of his actions came knocking on his door and it became this nonstop effort of drilling ruthlessness into his head as the only option of survival.

The podcast in question if any of you would like to check it out

[mcflymemes]

CONCERN FOR OTHERS PROMPTS *  a collection of dialogue to express how much you care

how's your head?

we're in this until the end.

i've never looked at anyone the way i look at you.

hey! can you hear me? i'll be right there!

i know you better than you think.

stay safe, okay?

let me take a look at your injury.

you're special to me.

why are you limping?

problem solved!

you didn't deserve that.

i brought you some food.

i wish you would just listen to me.

i'm right behind you.

why are you covered in blood?

you can lay your head on my shoulder if you want.

sleep. it's all right. i'll keep watch.

please come in. you're not intruding.

i've got you. hold on.

i let you sleep.

you need to rest. you're not ready.

wrap your arms around me.

this never should have happened.

i'll take care of everything.

call me if there's an emergency.

i went and got your mail.

i have you on speed dial.

five more steps. you can do it.

when's the last time you slept?

i have your coffee order memorized.

here, take this. this should help.

don't forget your jacket.

you're running a fever.

i know exactly what you're thinking.

over my dead body.

do you need help in the shower?

you don't have to lift a finger.

let me tidy up the place for you.

need a ride?

can i get you anything? food? water?

let me get you something to drink.

take my hand!

shut your eyes for a while. it's okay.

you can use my bed.

i'll carry you if you want.

need a backrub?

i got your message. are you all right?

i'll take care of it.

no matter what happens, i will always love you.

where did you get that bruise?

let me draw a bath for you.

wait right here. don't move.

i've been looking all over for you.

i made this for you.

this should help with the swelling.

you deserve better than this.

you can have my umbrella.

come inside. i'll take care of you.

where does it hurt?

i'll pick you up tomorrow morning.

you were supposed to go home an hour ago.

this was the only place i could think of.

you're the only person i can turn to.

you've always been on my mind.

i'll lay right here. i won't go anywhere.

squeeze my hand.

it's just that i love you so much...

if something happens, call me.

don't move. i'll be there in ten minutes.

you mean the world to me.

i don't know what i'd do if something happened to you.

go! i'll cover you!

let me massage your shoulders.

when's the last time you ate something?

here, take my jacket.

how long have you been here?

you sit. i'll find it.

i started the shower for you.

i cleaned while you were asleep.

don't you see? you matter to me.

if you fall asleep on me, it's all right.

a life without you is no life worth living at all.

i've never loved anyone like i love you.

take some deep breaths.

[mazeinthemiroh]

So I had an idea 💡 so I was thinking what would be ateez ot8 reactions ( separate ) to you being broken up with and all they can think about is how much better they could treat and how much happier you would be with them

best friend! ateez wishing they were dating you

genre: headcanons; hurt / comfort??, slight angst, a sprinkle of crack

word count: 1k

song rec: treat you better by shawn mendes

warnings: cursing, woosan are bold, iconic kings

please like and reblog if you enjoy! thank you for your support <3

hongjoong

hongjoong has to hold his tongue each time you tell him you have a partner

because he has a problem with it. and he doesn't realise at first why he had such a problem with it

until you come to him crying because of the horrible breakup you were currently going through

he let you cry on his chest and cuddled you close for the rest of the night

... yeah, this is the guy who supposedly 'doesn't like skinship'

and yet here he is, wanting nothing more than for you to stay in his arms, where he can keep you close and safe

and thus, his feelings are realised. and suddenly being jealous of all the guys you ever talked about started to make sense to him

seonghwa

seonghwa can't help but feel a little disheartened

seeing the people you end up with and how they always end in disaster, he feels bad for you, of course

but he can't help but feel you are missing out on a guy that has always treated you with love, respect, sincerity, kindness, and nothing less

*cough, cough* HIM *cough*

he will continue to comfort you and provide a listening ear as your... 'confidant'. but all he really wants to do is ask you to be with him instead, so that you'll know what it's really like to be in a good relationship. one that doesn't have an ending...

but he wants to choose an appropriate time to confess his feelings. so for now, he'll be there to dry your tears

yunho

yunho would literally take the complete piss out of your partners like he's so shameless

can and will laugh in your face when you whine about your relationship issues

because he knows they would all be solved if you go out with him

and he'll flirt with you and make jokes about you guys dating:

"you know, none of this would be an issue if you went out with me 👀" or "technically, we're on a date right now... as we speak... should we kiss?"

but you just take that as him being one of THOSE besties who just flirts for the sake of it

and he's giggling and laughing along but really he's dead-ass serious ☠

it's all fun and games ig??

yeosang

would focus more on your feelings than his own

he wants to comfort you and be a supportive friend; he's not going to let his feelings for you get the better of him when you're going through a relationship crisis or a bad breakup

and it doesn't really faze or hurt him at all. he's good at separating his feelings for you and being a comforting, good best friend

whether that's healthy or not is up for discussion!!

but unless you suddenly take a serious interest in him and make advances to him first, he's not going to go for it himself

because if he reads your signals wrong, he is at risk of ruining your friendship

and he would rather have at least one connection with you, rather than none at all

san

san is always there for you

especially when you have just broken up with your asshole partner that he hates so much anyway. he is there to cuddle you tight to his chest and comfort you, asking if you want him to beat your ex up, etc...

he's a great friend in this way. but he can't help but feel like he wants more

and so he hopes and wishes that you see his efforts. you appreciate his comfort and the way he's there for you whenever you need him - enough to not go out with anyone who isn't worth your time, but rather, go out with him

and he might just come out and say this because he can't bare to deal with another one of your heartbreaks

"this is where i want you to be," he'll say. "in my arms. every night. not just the nights you get dumped. you deserve so much better, baby. and i want to be the one to make that happen."

mingi

he literally loves you he loves you HE LOVVVESSS YOU

it's so obvious, come on guys

when mingi has a crush on somebody it's painfully obvious, it's actually hilarious

so you ignoring his adoring eyes and his attempts to make goofy jokes only to see your smile, and the way he buys you gifts and dotes on you and does anything for you ITS SO OBVIOUS

but yeah, stay blind ig?

he will flinch every time you mention your partner or your ex only because that pulls him right back into the reality that he is, in fact, not dating you currently

then he gets pouty but tries his best to hide his disappointment about the situation and fails lmao

wooyoung

will get frustrated. like, superrrr frustrated

because he has a massive phat crush on you BUT he has to hear about all the people you've dated and blah blah blah

ON TOP OF THAT!!!! he gives you advice on how to fix your relationships that pretty much inevitably fail anyway?? nope, he's defo losing it

for the longest time, he's always wanted to just ask you out himself. but there was never a good time. between you going out with people and recovering from break-ups, he never deemed it appropriate

but after what felt like the thousandth time of you crying about some asshole who had broken your heart, wooyoung had finally given in to his desires

"you're not going to waste any more energy on someone who doesn't care about you. instead, you're going to use it on me, your new boyfriend."

jongho

jongho is hilarious in this situation

because he's so subtly trying to make it clear that he likes you in his own... special way

he's not always sure how to go about it

to be fair, he's a very good supportive friend. he provides with the consolation and comfort you need when you come to him with relationship problems or are going through a breakup

but he also tries to use this as an opportunity to give you hints here and there

"you know... the love of your life might be closer than you think 👀"

"maybe your next partner is with us right now 👀 👀 👀"

".... but it's just me and you, jongho."

" 👀 isn't that interesting, y/n"

i literally can't take him seriously atp

ateez taglist: @a-wandering-stay, @xlovehwa, @yeosangsbiceps, @anyamaris, @acciocriativity, @hawaiian-angel, @chammak-challokys

[theresattrpgforthat]

Yo, I am under the impression there’s a flourishing market for “campaign supplement” games that can be played as like slice of life side-bars to another campaign? My play group just finished an Ebberon campaign but we still love these characters and I’m wondering what’s out there? I’m curious for whatever but stuff with a focus on settling down or running your new dukedom would be lovely.

THEME: Fantasy After-Campaign Games.

Hello there! Yes, there are a number of games that you can probably use to keep your characters around and explore other parts of their life! I've got a few games that might be somewhere in the realm of what you're thinking, and then I've got some other ideas that popped up in my brain as I was writing this out.

Peace in the Land, by JunkyardTornado.

Peace in the Land is a cozy one page fantasy ttrpg about solving some regular kinds of problems in a fantasy town. There is a very simple character creation process based off a simple system, the Quick and Dirty System, originally designed for one-page rpgs. 

If you want low-stakes problems and quick rules, you might want to check out Peace in the Land. The rules are pretty standard, with a typical success threshold and differently-sized dice according to player abilities. You can probably place the simple rules into a setting that you’re already familiar with, and then generate problems that the townspeople might turn to the player characters to solve. If the group wants to settle down in one location but still go on minor adventures, this might be a game for you.

Pour One Out For Her, by MrPluckyComicRelief.

She was the greatest hero the world had ever seen. She slayed the Beast of Artenfield, rescued every princess north of the Green River, outgambled the demon Jav-Urok The Bold, and she never paid for a drink. All those years ago, all of you stood by her side, as her faithful companions. You supported her through thick and thin, through triumph and tragedy. You thought she would live forever.

But in a cruel twist of fate, you’re all here, standing at her funeral. For her last great prank, she stated, in her last will and testament, that you would all give a joint eulogy.

Pour One Out For Her is a gm-less RPG for any number of players. It's about good times with old friends, reckless adventures, and a celebration of a the greatest hero to ever live, who was taken too soon.

This is more of a one-shot kind of game for a solemn, last goodbye to a character that didn’t make it. Because it’s GM-less, if you traditionally had a GM in the game, this might be a chance for them to embody an important NPC who saw the characters through the bulk of the story.

Pour One Out For Her assumes that the dead companion had a dying wish, and that the companion was a team-player. Apart from that, I think you could use it to remember the ending of a character that meant a lot to the party.

Stewpot: Tales From A Fantasy Tavern, by Takuma Okada.

The adventurer’s life is tough. It's time to call it quits. For years you stumbled through hostile lands, living off stale rations, and struggling to get a few hours’ sleep. Now it’s time to hang up your weapons, sell off your armor, and settle down. If only it were that easy…

Stewpot: Tales from a Fantasy Tavern by Takuma Okada is a collection of cozy mini-games that tell the story of a tavern run by former adventurers. Gather your dice, pick up a deck of cards, set aside a shiny coin, and get ready for a new set of challenges. Only this time… your adventures start behind the bar.

Stewpot is divided into a series of slice-of-life scenes, with a different set of simple rules and prompts helping adjudicate each scene. You might be scrambling to cook something edible with random ingredients, bartending for troubled souls, calming down a tavern brawl, going shopping for all the things a tavern needs, and more! Work to upgrade your tavern's cuisine, atmosphere, and service. In the process, you might just learn a little bit about yourself - and your fellow party members.

Takuma Okada is known for a number of thoughtful games, including Alone Among the Stars, a solo roleplaying game of introspection in space. Stewpot looks to deliver a cozy, retrospective experience, probably similar to Dungeon Meshi and Legends & Lattes. Stewpot recently finished funding on Backerkit, so if you’re willing to wait for a little bit, you should be able to order a copy of it from Evil Hat’s website! If you’re not willing to wait, there’s a Sampler PDF available on DriveThruRPG.

Wolves & Spices, by A.Tian.

Wolves & Spices is a simple tabletop roleplaying game, based on the traveling mercantile adventures of the light novel/anime series Spice & Wolf.

You are traveling merchants in the medieval country of Feldland. Your shared dream is to earn enough money and goodwill to open a business as a permanent part of a community.

You could use Wolves & Spices if you feel like your characters wouldn’t necessarily settle down in one place, but rather would be more likely to turn to trade as a way to earn their keep while still travelling from town to town. Your goals will probably be more focused around meeting other people’s needs, using your earnings to help meet your heart’s desires (also called your Wolves). If you want a game where the quest didn’t bring about the happy ending your characters hoped for, you might want to try out Wolves & Spices.

Some Other Thoughts

Another way you could possibly re-visit your character’s stories is to re-visit them in a different genre or setting. There’s a lot of possibilities if you’re up to remixing a game or two! For example, you could re-cast your characters as fantasy investigators, such as in Swords of the Serpentine, or follow their attempts at romance, such as in Passion of the Jukebox or Thirsty Sword Lesbians. You could also follow up with the adventures of your characters’ children; my group followed up our Spectaculars game with a game of MASKS, playing as the children of our characters. Games like Kids on Bikes or Kids and Spirits could also work if you want to combine solving mysteries with passing adventure down a generation!

Games You Can Also Check Out

Merchants & Monsters, by AndieSanade.

Dungeon Mart, by May Day.

So, the Beast is Dead, by Prepared Heathen.

Back Again, from the Broken Land, by Cloven Pine Games.

The Laughing Kobold, by therabidbanana.

[sapphic-agent]

You wanna know who the #1 beneficiary of the tech power creep is in this series? Momo. One thing this mech suit shows is that Momo totally wasted her time trying to beat people with sticks. The idea of trying to create items in a battle as a form of problem solving is stupid, or at best, should be done as a last resort. Her power was always meant for technology. That's the true power in this world. She should have been trying to be Ironman. You know how All Might spent his fortune on the suit, and that was meant to be a limiting factor as to why this tech can't be widely used? Well, guess who has the ability to generate materials with no cost. Even the idea of her inventions requiring studying to make things more complex stops holding water when you look at the torture device she tried to strap Midoriya into during Class A vs Deku. She made that in an instant and it posed an immediate threat. What could she make if she wasn't trying to do it during stressful battles with enemies right in front of her? So, her limiting factor really is her ability to study advanced concepts and have people explain them to her, and most importantly, what an author is willing to let her do. The path forward for her was always to pay people smarter and more educated than her to invent things and then she can have them explain it to her so she can recreate it. If her family had paid the cost to design that Iron Might suit, then she'd pay it. Once. And then be able to use the schematics to create as many of them as she wants. Or better yet, make killer robots except use the tech inside of the suit. Create an entire army of them so she never has to be in any sort of danger at all. Control them remotely. UA has been shown to have advanced AI robots who have personalities. Said bots have enough restraint to never kill any of the kids in the sports festival or entrance exam. This could be used for hero work. This also gets into what a valuable resource Mei Hatsume is and how if you wanted Momo to be a god, you could just have them meet in middle school. Mei just has to design a working device, once, and then Momo can study it and forever use it. What could she come up with, if the idea was that Momo would hide somewhere, perhaps in an APC, while she uses drones and robots to fight at a distance? Energy/food costs for her also aren't a concern. She's clearly able to output more energy than she takes in, given she can create cannons and things that weigh more than her. So she could use up all of her lipids creating a dead meat cube that contains as many calories as she's capable of packing into an object, then eat it. And repeat this process as needed.

This is definitely interesting.

Momo absolutely has the potential to be the most OP in the series. Horikoshi originally wanted to give her quirk to a pro but recognized that someone experienced would nerf the entire story.

I don't necessarily think that making things for problem-solving is the issue; I think it's way more that Horikoshi just didn't have the creativity for it. Like you said the entrapment device she made during 1A vs Izuku was maybe her most effective creation. Instead of disinfectant, imagine she made poison gas and simply knocked Kendo and the other 1B students out (not sure if she can create chemical reactions, but she could theoretically cause one by using components right).

I doubt she would be comfortable doing next to nothing as a hero. I do wish we knew her motivations, but relying purely on her money while doing minimal work doesn't paint a great picture for her. I like that in canon she doesn't rely on her status or wealth for hero work, she relies on her intelligence.

Momo should be an underground hero. She could be the equivalent of Batman (no this isn't my love for Batman over Iron-Man talking), strategizing and having any gadget she needs at her disposal. I would love to see more tech incorporated into her work as a hero. I also wouldn't mind the bo staff if she was allowed to actually use it like a bo staff (seriously she barely does anything with it what's the point of giving it to her. Nah give my girl a sword and let her cut people)

[thievinghippo]

So I promised a postmortem and it’s finally time! Here’s the TL:DR. I loved it. I can already tell I’ll probably have more played hours in this game than Inquisition, and I fucking loved Inquisition! Good, bad, and ugly beneath the cut and there will be heavy spoilers for the entire game, so read at your own risk. (This is also long, because I have a lot to say!)

THE GOOD

Rook. Once I let go of my preconceived notion of how Rook was (mid-40s and serious but kind) and accepted Rook for the young, sarcastic character they are, I fell in love. Edda is going to be an A possibly even S tier OC for me

The dwarves. We were fed so well, y’all. So much lore and dialogue choices. There was even a Grey Warden dwarf specific dialogue choice. I love the confirmation of what we all suspected with the Titans. I just wish that a dwarf Rook had the opportunity to confront Solas. He apparently apologizes to Harding. But what about a dwarf Rook?

Exploration. I’m an idiot when it comes to figuring out in-game puzzles and such. I’ve read some complaints that everything was far too easy, but for one of the first times I remember, I could do a vast majority of puzzles and finding treasures without consulting a game guide. And I was actually proud when I figured things out. When I play Edda again, I’m going to 100% the world and I cannot wait

The Companions. Bonus points for Emmrich Volkarin. I ended up loving all of them. Even the ones I was very ‘meh’ on before playing the game. Like Bellara. She was on my list to romance second to last. And she has moved up to third, after Emmrich and Davrin. 

Emmrich Volkarin. Yes, he gets his own special mention. I love him so much that I created a second Rook to romance him. That way I have one Emmrich that is not a lich (Edda’s choices) and one Emmrich that is a lich (Sonnet’s choice). I love his compassion, his kindness, his reverence of the dead. I adore his romance and how clear it is that Rook has bewitched him, body and soul. The fact that they lean into the age gap and it becomes entwined with his own fears of death. He has my favorite personal quest. I loved the music, the atmosphere. How it pertains to his own journey, facing his mortality (plus Johanna Hezenkoss can get it). Plus it has the banger line of ‘Show them what a real necromancer can do!’ I even can’t wait not to romance him and see what the friendship is like and encourage him to hook up with Strife

The backgrounds. Granted, I’ve only played through the game 1.5 times, but there have been so many background mentions. Especially for the Grey Wardens. Mourn Watch has some great ones too. I mean, there was Grey Warden romance banter during a fight. In a side quest! I can’t wait to discover more

The character creator. I love how inclusive it is, especially when you compare it to previous Dragon Age games. The hair is beautiful (but where is my braid crown! my kingdom for a braid crown!) and I have overweight OCs, which make me very happy. Varric's shaving mirror is also amazing, and because I want EA to know that people are using these options, Sonnet is a trans woman who will save Thedas

THE BAD

Weird tonal switches. Emmrich and Harding are going to Ferelden so she can show him around but the South is being razed by darkspawn. Harding’s mom sends her back with pie and gives great hugs. How in the world are they getting to Ferelden? Rook was amazed to see the Inquisitor in the North so why would the members of the Veilguard be able to go to the South? Some of the codex entries are so dark and yet everyone is happy in the Lighthouse 

Give Rook a problem, please! I kept waiting for Rook’s LI to go up to her and ask if there’s anything distracting her. If there’s any problem they could solve together. But that never came and Rook is apparently the only person on the team that can’t be distracted by their own problems. How amazing would it have been if Rook had some sort of personal quest. Maybe based on lineage. Or background. Something that shows that she matters as much to her companions and they mean to her

The Act One Choice. Still mad about it. Are you telling me that two extra people would have saved Minrathous? That a city full of the most powerful mages in the known world couldn’t take down a fucking dragon? It didn’t feel earned and it did annoy me a great deal

Let. Rook. Mourn. While I appreciate that Rook was able to mourn Varric and Davrin (in my playthrough) privately, the fact that it immediately jumps to a sex scene sort of bothered me. Especially Emmrich’s taking them to the Necropolis so they can bang in a coffin. This was not the time to leave the Lighthouse, Emmrich! The rest of the team got to mourn Davrin and worry about Neve together. I wish Rook could have been a part of that too. 

Let’s talk Varric’s death. I didn’t see it coming. I actually ranted to a friend before I knew what happened that they should have killed him in the prologue if this was how they were going to use him. Oops. I hate how callous the truth about his death makes Rook look. I hate that Harding and Neve didn’t even really seem to mourn. Hate how the Inquisitor or Dorian or Isabela don’t mention him at all. I hate how obvious his death is in my second playthrough. I will have to fix this all in fanfic

THE UGLY

Assuming there is another DA game, where do we go from here? I really dislike the concept of the Executors in the secret ending. One thing I’m optimistic about is that by basically wiping the south off the map, we might be able to have more games there. Because everything will have been reset, so to speak. How does the South deal with the mages when they’ve all been fighting darkspawn for their lives? Put them back into Circles? I think not

I’m also not sure about what choices would move forward into a new DA game. Not talking companion choices, but choices that actually affect the world. No matter what we do, the Blight is over and the Veil is safe. If BioWare couldn’t be bothered to have the Well of Sorrows choice matter, I can’t imagine they’ll care how Solas was bound to the Veil, whether it be by choice, trickery, or force. Minrathous or Treviso is the only other non-companion choice I can think of that might possibly matter

But honestly, it doesn’t matter, because who knows if we’ll ever get another Dragon Age game? I know I would love one, but I have this sinking feeling there won’t be (please let me be wrong!)

So there you have it. I really love this game, good, bad, and ugly. And I found so much more to love than to dislike. I have a feeling I will be yelling about this game (and Emmrich!) for a long, long time

[destinygoldenstar]

Worst ways to describe Ninjago to people

(Let me know if I should turn this into a series, or if you come up with any)

(These are all jokes)

"This is a show about how plastic makes tornadoes"

"That's Jay, the blue guy. His special power is screaming at the very top of is lungs"

"That's Kai. He's an anime protagonist. His special power is getting sidelined in everything he's ever been involved with"

"That's Cole. Best hair. No criticism" (Quote my GF)

"Society hates and torments a ten year old because he's a brat"

“See, his father is a tired old man who wants to be a better father, it’s hard when you’re an evil terrorist trying to turn the world into your personal zombie land”

"And then the child slipped on ice and fell into a snake pit, and then he was a KING"

"So there's this purple snake. He eats purple snakes. That's how you know he's a good friend"

"Also there's a pink ninja. Yeah. We don't talk about pinkie no no no no no-"

"He's always wondered who he was on the inside... turns out he's a bunch of wires"

"If he could get someone to fall in love with him, the curse would be broken. But who could ever learn to love a snake?"

"His dad didn't say NO MUSIC, he said YES MUSIC, ONLY MUSIC"

"So they have the devil himself living in their boat, and they all think he's a really good neighbor who wouldn't try to kill them while they're sleeping. Except for this one guy who is suspicious. What a hypocrite he is, am I right?"

"Do I save the entire world or do I have this one child? I'm gonna save the child, c'mere child"

"'No destiny, I AM the Green Ninja' 'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-'"

"And then the emo child became god"

"So he died. Then he died. And then he died again."

"A machine told her that cheating was okay"

"To save her life, he gave her a piece of his heart. Literally"

"And then they were yeeted into space"

"The Flash is in this show"

"You know how they say the cake is a lie? Wrong. It's the noodles"

"The best way to make things right with your friend is to try to strike them with lightning"

"I must fulfill my daddy's wishes to start up the evil empire-but wait, why is this fire boy so pretty? I think I'll side with him"

"Dude was drunk on power holding a stick, don’t worry he’s fine, they just had to slap him with a jet”

"He was born a devil in a human's body. Then he became a devil. Then he became human again. Then he became a snake. Then he became a dead person. Then the devil again."

"Dead people are deadly allergic to water"

"What do you do when you don't know what to do with a character? MURDER THEM... and then bring them back as a ghost. Problem solved"

"A thousand year old genie wants to marry a teenage girl"

"You ever heard of Romeo and Juliet? Well Jay just said NOPE"

"A young boy became the father of an elderly man"

"Oh Lloyd, if only there was someone out there who loved you"

"And then his dad was brought back from hell to drag him along"

"They didn't die, they were transported to the middle of nowhere"

"A child grew up with his four dads, and then became thousands of years older than said four dads and tried to become a counselor to their rocky marriage"

"Cole fell into the void"

(Come up with your own when reblogging)

[estrellami-1]

If I Should Stay

Part 1 | . . . | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67

Joyce never thought getting sucked into whatever the hell this crazy Upside-Down world is meant she’d still have to deal with teenagers and their hormones, but it does make a certain kind of sense, considering teenagers are the ones leading this whole thing.

When all this is over, she’s taking so much Valium and not getting out of bed for a week. She owes it to herself.

Vecna’s dead. That’s great. She hadn’t known he was an issue until about an hour before she helped kill him, but it’s one less psycho in the world, so she doesn’t really care.

But now there’s Papa, and apparently he’s all but abused El, and as soon as he’s dealt with, Joyce is going to take up knitting and firmly ignore any problems that can’t be solved with yarn or knitting needles.

Until then, though, she’s got a teenager who thinks the world is ending—a common occurrence, at seventeen—and who knows a secret that could hurt a couple of very good people.

Not to mention apparently her son is involved in all this mayhem, too, and she does her best to be a good mom, and a good mom would get involved and listen and find solutions.

But when this is over? Knitting and Valium. Not necessarily in that order.

She finds Nancy and Jonathan sitting at the end of the driveway, tucked behind a car. Jonathan’s a little awkward, but he’s got a good heart, so he’s angled toward her, listening.

Joyce can tell, from Nancy’s body language, what she really wants is someone to hug her, to tell her it’ll be alright, that what just happened didn’t actually happen.

Joyce can do two of the three, so she sits down next to Nancy and does her best to smile encouragingly. “Sucks, doesn’t it?”

Nancy scoffs. “That’s an understatement.” Tears well in her eyes. “I thought he loved me. I know he said he didn’t but just a week ago he was all over me, it was almost stifling, but now that it’s gone I just want it back.”

Joyce sighs and carefully wraps an arm around Nancy’s shoulders. She leans into it, so Joyce tugs her in more securely. “Did he explain why he broke it off this time around?”

Nancy sniffs. “Some bullshit about me not feeling the same as him.”

Joyce hums. “I think that’s the same word he used when describing what happened at the party, dear. The same night you implied you didn’t love him. I’m not saying either of you are in the right or the wrong. Breakups are tricky things, and they hurt both people in the relationship.”

Nancy sneers at the ground. “Didn’t hurt him.”

“It actually sounds like it did,” Joyce says softly. “The first time around. Think about it this way, right? He’s got some inside knowledge because he’s been through this already. He knew breaking it off, instead of pretending to have feelings for you, would end up better in the long run. And he knew you don’t feel the same way for him as he did for you.”

“Says who,” Nancy asks, “no one bothered to ask me this time around-”

“Nancy, honey,” Joyce carefully says, “I haven’t heard you once say you love him.”

Nancy opens her mouth to answer, then hesitates and shuts it as she sniffles. A tear drops down her cheek, and she roughly wipes it away. “So- so just because I can’t say it-”

“It doesn’t really matter if you can say it or not. What matters is how you feel.” Joyce sighs. “Did he tell you the whole story? Why he really broke up with you this time around?”

Nancy sighs. “Yeah, but I didn’t this time! I would never-”

“I thought the same,” Joyce says. “I was in love with a boy once, I thought he was perfect, but he wouldn’t give me what the boys’ dad did.”

Nancy frowns. “So you- with their dad?”

Joyce nods. “Now, if I could go back and change it, I don’t know if I would. It got me my boys, and I would do anything for them. But if I could get them and not have gotten with Lonnie in the first place, I would’ve in a heartbeat. You can appreciate what you had, or what you got from something, and still wish it hadn’t happened that way. Does that make sense?”

“I think so.”

“And as for you cheating on him… I don’t know, honey. I know that’s why my boyfriend at the time broke up with me. For that reason, I can’t really fault Steve. Can you?”

Nancy tucks her chin on her knees. “I guess not. But it still hurts.”

“And it’s allowed to,” Joyce tells her. “But I need you to know, honey, you can’t tell anyone who he’s with.”

“I wouldn’t!” Nancy turns so quickly Joyce worries she gave herself whiplash. “I know exactly what would happen. My dad’s like that. I’m upset, but I don’t want Steve dead, and that’s what would happen if my dad found out.”

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[atlastimborn]

Promise?

They gazed up at the villain, only to find that they were already looking down at them." Will you stop staring?" the hero sneered, irritated. It simply made the villain grin.

"Well, I got to make sure that you can't hurt me." The villain cocked an eyebrow and said under their breath, "Or yourself."

The hero wasn't sure if the villain intended for them to hear the final portion, but they did. This simply made the hero even more enraged. "How about you fuck off?" 

"Weren't you the one who showed up on my doorstep?" the villain said, "I mean, I didn't invite you, and here you are, dirtying up my couch with your filthy body."

"Well, sorry," scoffed the hero.

They started to get off the couch, using both their arms to try to get up. Their body was still shaking, much like a spiderweb in the wind. Their pale forehead gleamed with a cold sweat with the effort. The whole time the hero mumbled about places they would rather be, but only came here because the villain owed them. It wasn't until the second attempt at getting up, and a lot of pained groans with it, that the villain intervened, pushing them back down on the couch.

The villain rolled his eyes, and said, "Well if I would have it all over again, I wouldn't have allowed you to save my life." Their hand was still on their chest. The heat of it only caused the hero to groan in pain.

"and then you would be dead," the hero grunted with closed eyes.

"Wouldn't you wish? We are great enemies and all." They paused, and then added,  "I am frankly surprised you even trust me when you are at your weakest. If I just killed you now it would solve all my problems."

The hero looked at the villain with wide eyes, trying to figure out what the enemy was implying. They only returned an expressionless stare, not breaking eye contact until the villain walked away, leaving the hero staring at a blank wall. The villain circled the couch, the floorboards groaned under their weight, and came to a halt behind them. The hero strained their neck to see them, but they could only bear to move their neck so far.

"You must be really desperate and friendless to show up here for help. I thought you heroes fought in groups?" They mocked. The villain's hand came to a rest on the back of the couch, near their shoulder. 

The shame of being so easy to read, enough that the villain knew they didn't have anyone, made them feel ashamed. The hero clenched their jaw. Involuntarily, they scratched at their skin, leaving raised red marks. 

The villain walked into the hero's line of sight again. "Sore subject?" the villain mocked, eyeing the marks. Their eyes met, and the villain smiled, "Be honest. If I just killed you now, would anybody miss you?" 

The hero felt shivers run down their spine. The hairs on the back of their neck, and arms stood up.   They started to come up with different scenarios of what the villain could do to them. This only made the panic worse. With the ability to only move as their wounds permitted, they knew that speed, nor strength was going to be with them. 

 They looked at the door, only so many feet ahead. Their eyes landed on the villain once again - their eyes staring blankly at them. "Leaving?" the villain asked.

The hero gulped. They started to get up, and all the while, the villain stared blankly at them, watching them struggle. The hero couldn't even raise their leg without grinding their teeth in pain. "I wouldn't even bother. You wouldn't even make it one inch." The villain said. The hero ignored them and, slowly and painfully, stood up. 

"Sit down," the villain softly, much like a parent scolding a young child. The hero ignored them. The villain clenched their teeth, and said  "Sit down before I make you sit."

"you really are a bastard you know that, "the hero grunted. Their chest heaved up and down. They leaned against the couch for support.  "You can't even keep a promise."

"I'll tell you what I think," Villain yelled, spit flying out of their mouth. They pointed their finger at them. The villain moved closer to them, close enough that they could feel the heat radiate off of them, making them even more sick, "I think you should have left me for dead. But you were too big of a wimp to do that." The villain grabbed their throat and pushed them back down onto the couch. The hero fell like dead weight.

The villain forced their head sideways and lowered their mouth to the hero's ear. Their hot breath sent shivers down the hero's spine. The hero tried to move away. The villain only tightened their grip, bruising the hero's skin. The villain laughed an ugly laugh, and whispered into their ear, "You really should have left me for dead."  

[erendur]

So I saw War of the Rohirrim and these are my thoughts in no particular order because I have spent my two post-flu remaining braincells trying to teach the subjunctive for 4 hours in a row this morning :

The Crone ! Loved the Crone !!! Don't know if she came with the fortress or what but loved her. I want more old hags in my films.

Olwyn the shield maiden : another great one !! Loved her !! I've been saying for years that we should have more non-nonsense hyper-competent women in charge and she is just that. She knows stuff. She can fight. She can glower. She can mount rescue operations. She can ride a horse. She knows how to be curt and get people to do things. Just put that woman in charge of something important. Frankly if she'd been in charge of the war effort she would probably have had Wulf up by his ear in about 5 minutes and everybody would just have gone back home. Problem solved.

Héra : I was very impressed with the way she dealt with that oliphant. Sure, the watcher in the water was a big piece of luck. But. Taking him to the forest was a very good idea. Well done. The wedding dress scene was iconic. She slayed. That visit to Gandalf could have been a one-line message but she needed an excuse to get away and live her best single life so who am I to criticise it ?

Helm : the film I felt was kinda nice to him because in the book the killing of Frekka does feel like an embush and an execution but other than that I liked him. He should have listened to people around him and was dick to his daughter, his nephew and also Wulf, let's be honest. And never let his twink son go to war. Seriously just send him make sure the hag in the Deep is doing well or something. That baby had no place on a battlefield. I particularly liked the scenes where he "is a wraith", they were beautiful and worked really well I found !!! My son was very nonplussed by the death scene and did not quite understand how someone could be frozen solid with their arm up and a hammer in it to which I kind of agree, but we agreed that it's a legend so that "he was found on the morning undefeated with knees unbent standing up in front of the gate" sounds cooler than "he was found all blue curled up against the door" in the morning. So.

Freca : I you agree to a fist fight with someone nicknamed "Hammerhand" you are either seriously delusional or have a death wish. Either way that was a bad idea. Plus he had evil tattoo so I think we all got the message he was bad news.

Wulf : is a little piece of shit obviously but I also feel was slightly unfairly treated by the film in the sense that he had some genuine grievance against Helm (the exile sentence was a bit much - plus the guy came to see the King expecting today to be his day !! Was going to marry that cool girl and dad would be happy ! And then dad ends up dead and you are exiled and dispossessed and obviously are not going to marry the girl. I would be bitter too), plus at some point he must have been vaguely competent/charismatic since the Hill People who normally have no lord take him as a lord...But we only see him being whiny and petty and consistently ignoring the advice of Targg. He is a piece of shit though.

Targg : "Wulf, don't take the bait !" Man, you know he is going to take the bait. He's been consistently taking the worst strategic decisions possible against your advice for the past hour. We've seen it, you've seen it. How can you not know he is going to take the bait ? Maybe it's time to rethink the whole loyalty to your lord and the line of your lord thing ? Hmm ?

Haleth : he was hot and alas he died, which is a shame because he was hot and also brave. Loved his haircut.

Hama : he died and that was devastating. The death scene was horrible but the most devastating scene is the one just before where he gets off his horse and just waits for death because he knows he is fucked (yes, I know he also takes two of them with his bow but - he is waiting for death). And it was so sad even though even my 8yo could tell by the line "Maybe one day songs will be sung about me" that he was cooked. Poor thing.

Fréaláf : was cute, competent and had good ideas. Shame he is sent away, but the story needed to happen and he looked awesome when he came back wearing Helm's helmet. Will probably make a great king blah blah blah (not a fan of monarchist discourse but it's Tolkien so that's on me).

the orcs were cute and fun !!! I liked them !!!

that wooden bridge was weird and I can't believe for one moment that running down it on a horse at full speed would be a good idea. But Héra looked good doing it so it's fine.

Liked the Mad Max vibes of the Hill People btw with the masks and so on. That was cool. Less cool was the fact that it did feel quite a lot like the blond heroes defending themselves against swarms of brown oriental invaders with a throwaway line by Wulf about how his entire life he's been ostracised for having Dunlending blood and ugh. Can we not ?

[saturnine-saturneight]

OC Questionnaire Tag

Tagged by @gioiaalbanoart [here], @the-golden-comet [here] [here] and [here], @rotting-moon-writes [here] and probably more that I'm missing! I am not on top of my activity tab. At all.

My questions:

What would you do if your enemy asked for help?

Would you ask your enemy for help?

Do you act on impulse, or do you think before you act?

What is your happiest memory?

What do you wish to achieve?

How far will you go to reach your goals?

What never fails to make you laugh?

How can you tell if you’ll get along with someone?

Do you prefer sweet, savory, sour, or salty snacks?

What was your favorite childhood toy?

What has been your worst injury?

Where do you go when you need to think?

Doing this for Nat and Ron.

1. What would you do if your enemy asked for help?

Nat: "Laugh in their face about it. Or - wait, no. How exploitable is the situation, exactly?"

Ron: "Question the fuck out of the whole thing. I mean, probably a trap, right? But if they're sincere, I dunno. Depends on the enemy? I'm trying to come up with people I'd actually consider that and I'm kinda coming up empty, though."

2. Would you ask your enemy for help?

Nat: "Not over my dead body. I solve my own goddamn problems, I don't need that kind of help."

Ron: "Is this a hypothetical where they're, like, the only person who can help me? Then yeah dude, probably. I'd have to figure out what they could want from me in return that I can give without getting tangled in anything."

3. Do you act on impulse, or do you think before you act?

Nat: "I think before I act, of course. I'm a creature of intellect. I plan." [They don't.]

Ron: "Way more often on impulse than I'd like, that's for sure." [He's also wrong about this.]

4. What is your happiest memory?

Nat: "I'll pass on this question. Those memories are mine, thank you very much." [They're thinking hard, but they're coming up empty.] "Oh. Being picked out by Bishop. But you can see how that went for me."

Ron: "I dunno, nothing really sticks out. I like the days best where nothing happens and we're just hanging out. With most of the rest of the happy memories, they usually involve escaping by the skin of my goddamn teeth from something and being happy I get to live another day, lol." [Please don't say lol out loud, Ron.] "Man, that night that we decided to hit the bricks and run away together was really cool, though. Just the three of us, right? Me, Teo, and - y'know." [He rubs the back of his neck.]

5. What do you wish to achieve?

Nat: "I just need to make one good contribution to the field of blood flowers. I need to leave my mark before I die, and if that doesn't work out, then I need somebody to take my field notes and publish them for me posthumously."

Ron: "I don't know, man. I don't think I'm living the kind of life where you achieve shit! More of an accomplishing kind of deal, you know? Let me use that in a sentence: Nat and me are accomplishes in crime :P"

Nat: "That was terrible."

Ron: "You don't fucking appreciate me."

6. How far will you go to reach your goals?

Nat: "Don't ask me that. You aren't going to like the answer."

Ron: "Depends on the goal? I like ferretting out solutions to shit, but I'm not super keen on putting myself in danger."

7. What never fails to make you laugh?

Nat: "Someone tripping over something. Gets me every time."

Ron: "People-watching and talking shit with Nat."

8. How can you tell if you'll get along with someone?

Nat: "When that somebody isn't incredibly useless, I will generally be fine with them." [Nat doesn't get along with other people in general.]

Ron: "If they're not immediately trying to kill me?" [Even then he'll consider it.]

9. Do you prefer sweet, savory, sour, or salty snacks?

Nat: "I don't snack an awful lot. When I do, it's usually salty, though. I drink more water than the average person, so I need to mind my salt intake."

Ron: "Sour all the way, fuck yeah. You know those super long rolled up candy snake things with the fizzy powder? Those are the shit."

10. What was your favorite childhood toy?

Nat: "Ugh, I'm not sure. A doll, probably? Who gives a damn." [Nat doesn't remember the majority of their childhood.]

Ron: "Stones? We used to play with stones a lot. You know, skipping them, doing board games on the ground, stuff like that."

11. What has been your worst injury?

Nat: "Getting the entirety of my shoulder degloved, I would say. Does the word degloving apply to body parts that aren't hands? If it doesn't, then it should."

Ron: "The eye thing." [Which he doesn't want to talk about.]

12. Where do you go when you need to think?

Nat: "Into my field notebook or my notes app on my phone, generally. I like to write things out and see how I feel."

Ron: "Rooftops? Road trips too. Somewhere quiet."

Bonus questions for you:

If you had to pick an item of clothing or an accessory to wear for the rest of your life, what would it be?

If you were forced to forget one memory, what would you choose?

What is a positive thing your worst enemy would say about you?

(Re)Tagging gently:

@paeliae-occasionally @rotting-moon-writes @marlowethelibrarian @tragedycoded @noblebs

@writingrosesonneptune @davycoquette @the-golden-comet @gioiaalbanoart @chauceryfairytales + open

Feel free to do any of these, none of these, whatever you like.