#i wonder if i can level up to 6 before dealing with that

[lordeasriel]

I appreciate how deranged the Baldur's Gate 3 fights have been so far. I *definitely*was prepared to fight off a horde of cursed Harpers after wasting all my slots to save Isobel lmao in tears

[thekeeperof-thefandoms]

My girlfriend requested this

Hazbin men trying the period simulator. Somewhat of a follow up to my period post so this is based on the reader having severe period pain due to PCOS/ENDO

Lucifer

The man is sweating before you even attach the simulator. He knows he fucked up. He only agreed to this because he loves you a lot.

He handles the first 3 levels ok. You tell him very few women experience that little pain and that usually 4-6 is the average.

Those levels make him tense. He's uncomfortable, but still pretty able to work and do normal things. 5 has him pausing to do deep breaths every now and then. (If this is the canon timeline where he birthed Charlie he compares it to bad kicks).

6-8 he's pretty much doubled over. If you tell him that's the level you experience, he will cry. Literally begs forgiveness since again, period and labor pain is technically his fault. He is so sorry. If he didn't have issues with his Dad before he does now because this is fucked up. God's fucked up for doing this.

He doesn't make it to 10, he's crying by level 9. This is labor levels of pain. He gets why all you do is sleep. Treats your period like a sacred ritual after that. Preps for weeks. He goes full Bible, sheltering you for the duration of it so you can have peace and quiet. Please never hook him up to this again.

If you wear it at anything from an 8-10 and tell him "It's close, but I've hurt worse" he's gonna sob and then try and fight his Old Man again. He'll settle for offering to have your bits removed for you.

Vox

Once again this man hates admitting he was wrong. And yeah he knows your periods are really bad, especially now he's witnessed it. But it's still a huge knowledge gap for him and he doesn’t really take the time to think about it.

He handles 1-5 well. He's mildly uncomfortable by 5, but thinks that if this is the average experience, then it's not such a big deal. Tell him the statistics on how many people with periods actually experience 6-8 because that's actually the majority, and he's just confused. How is the average pain level not the most common?

6-8 has him gritting his teeth and glitching, but he refuses to stop and keeps trying to work. Is starting to wonder how you went so long working with this level of pain without him noticing.

He makes it to 10, but by then, he's unable to move, clutching his abdomen and sparking and glitching. Tells you it feels like his entire insides are being squeezed. The fact that he can feel it in his groin. He's kind of afraid of period sex with you after that because of how much he felt it. And you said it's caused cramps from your ribs to your knees. He's like... genuinely scared of your period and pain tolerance.

He's going to snuggle the fuck out of you afterwards and apologize for not appreciating how much you still do for him when you're not feeling good. How he didn't see how hurt you were. He does a lot of research after that and not only does he spoil you by buying whatever you need for your periods and giving you time off, he looks into treatment options. Even if that means chopping the useless fucking things out. Sinners can't have kids anyway so who needs ovaries and a uterus?

He's more convinced you should just be rid of the damn things when you wear it and 8-10 is "Yeah, this is close, but it doesn't really cover how much of my body hurts".

Valentino

Is only doing this because he was dared to by Velvette. Or if this an au where he's trying to be a less toxic person. But really I think it's also to prove that you're all being dramatic. It's a perfectly normal body function and his employees are just trying to get out of work.

He gets all the way to 6 before he starts to realize he may have fucked up. Especially when it's explained that this is what most people experience.

By 10 he's gritting his teeth, chain smoking, clawing at things. He refuses to give in, but he can count on one hand the number of things in his entire life and death as a pimp and a whore that he's experienced that come close to this level of pain.

No one told him his dick was gonna hurt. Sitting hurts. Breathing hurts. He doesn't even try to eat. He won't ever admit to being wrong, but he does behave more leniently with his actors when they're on their periods.

If you put it on (and lets say he actually cares about you) and setting 8-10 is "Yeah, this an average day for my cramps. My bad days are like..5 or 6 levels worse" it's gonna rearrange his brain a little. He might be a little afraid of you and some of the other actors with periods because your pain tolerances are so high. It threatens his ability to control you and them. But on the other hand, that's kinda hot???

Alastor

Has never once doubted that people who experience periods undergo serious struggle and has nothing but respect for women (and trans people he just associates it with women more because of the time period and his mama) who work through it.

He is actually the one who heard about the simulator through Rosie and asks you to show him your experience. Just to better understand you. He knows you're the type to try and function through the pain (probably because society ingrained into you that your pain doesn't matter).

Initially, he wants to skip the lower levels and just have you set it to your pain level. You tell him that's a bad idea, and to be honest, you're not sure if this thing goes that high. He asks you to check and you set it to the highest setting and say, "It's pretty close. It's been worse, but this is a rough idea," he's a little frustrated but still tries it.

You agree to set it to 4 and tell him 4-6 is what most people report feeling. He acknowledges it, registers it as unpleasant, but otherwise is fully capable.

7-9 has his ears flat, his smile is more a snarl. This is uncomfortable. Not what he considers painful but certainly irritating. It makes sitting, stretching, and eating feel much more difficult.

10. There's static visble around him. His teeth grind. Actually painful. Not the worst pain he's experienced, but he hates it. He hates the way he feels it in his back and hips as he walks. He hates the way taking deep breaths (which for someone as dramatic as he is and with the transatlantic accent, breathing technique and posture is important) stings. He hates the way it causes his stomach to cramp and churn. He hates the ache in his thighs and groin that make sitting feel stiff and ackward. He can only picture how blood loss would make this worse. Tired, losing nutrients, the headaches, the increased moodiness. It's no wonder you sleep, so much, but he wonders how the Hell you sleep like this? He's snappy and short tempered because of the pain (and again he gets why you would be if you weren't sleeping so much).

How does this affect how he treats you?

Not much. He still expects you to know your body and your limits. He would never dare to presume otherwise. He still helps prepare whatever you need for your time of the month and still meal plans for you, though he perhaps finds ways to ensure you get all the iron and vitamins you need without cooking steak and other big, heavy meals, since he now understands how bad your stomach hurts.

The only really noticeable change is how much more protective of you he is. Your time of the month hits, and Alastor hates being more than a few moments from you. He growls, pins his ears, and his antlers grow when people get too close to you. He's more prone to letting you snuggle with him when you want, trying to comfort you.

Angel Dust

Another who volunteered. His girl besties insist he doesn't have to do this, he's got the pass. He still wants to do it though, for solidarity.

He also starts on 4 and handles it well. He handles all of the levels pretty well, even 10. By 7 it's obvious he's sore, maybe a bit more withdrawn, exhausted, trying not to move too much or eat too much. Just trying to find a comfortable way to exist. The sad problem is, Angel already has to do this after rough nights at Val's.

He's used to sitting being uncomfortable and aches in his groin and thighs, cramps in his stomach from muscles clenching constantly. 10 is the only level where he's visibly ill, hunched over, lower arms curled around his midsection protectively.

He and the girlies all curl up together and nap and chat and snack on easy to digest junk food and granola bars. He's the first one to say "I bet it's even worse for you gals, but I tried".

He gets it. He's one of the girls. Honestly, kind of becomes a favorite when the ladies have period problems. (If you're dating any of the others and Angel is openly your favorite after this it is gonna cause a lot of dramatic pouting, posturing, and tantrum throwing.)

Husk

I'm going full balls to the wall on Veteran Husk. This man has seen some shit and dealt with his fair share of pain. Like Angel he takes it the best, with very little outward reaction. He's used to stiffness and nausea. The pain in his crotch is a little off putting, but it could be worse.

He's more cautious how he moves, rests more, occasionally a cramp causes his ears to pin back or a small hiss. Overall he takes it like a champ.

Offers you endless amounts of supportive words for dealing with this as well as you do, for days on end. Also is deeply sorry you even have to put up with this shit. Offers all sorts of tips on how to do stretches that help with easing cramps and stiffness without pulling something. Tips of foods/protein drinks to keep on hand to make sure you're maximizing how much nutrition you get. Man's a whole ass survival guide.

He only offers advice if you ask, though. He's not mansplaining how to handle your own body. He genuinely wants to help you, and that's the best way he knows how.

When you're on your period and just want something soft and warm he doesn't even bitch about it, he just settles on top of you and purrs, offers a massage, maybe offers a sly grin and a "no man left behind" joke as he helps you through these dark times.

BONUS:

ADAM

Would only do this if you challenged him, he has to prove his masculinity. He is definitely nervous as fuck though because he's seen yours. You and Lute already forced him to sit through a whole PowerPoint on women's anatomy and shit. He remembers how shitty he was to Eve, even if hers were in comparison, not that bad, just scary and new.

You forcing him to learn about and acknowledge female health is making him scared of pussy. This isn't gonna help.

3 and 4 make him whiney. He's uncomfortable. His groin feels weird. This sucks. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS ISN'T EVEN THE AVERAGE?!"

By 5-7 he's actually on his knees, curled over his stomach. He tells you getting stabbed hurt less. This is making him re-evaluate his entire view on women (again he knows about trans people, but because of personal history equates periods to women. Wouldn't hate if a trans person had a period, it would just take his brain a second to process). He whines that you and Lute shouldn't be more badass than him.

"I thought men were supposed to be tougher and stronger. This pain tolerance horseshit is a lie. You guys suck."

He insists on going to 10 because quitting is for losers. He may actually throw up at 10 though. Every time the stupid simulators sends out a pulse and his stomach clenches, he groans. He's in the featal position, there are tears. One hand clenches his stomach the other is cupped around his groin. He's apologizing so much and he doesn't even remember what he's apologizing for. At one point its just "I'm sorry...oh fuck this...sorry about...ugh just...just men?! I guess. Fucking shit ass. Men suck. Women are...fucking great. Aces. You do this shit every month? For like 5 days....what the fuck. What the fuck what the fuck."

You feel a little bad, but Lute is definitely filming this. Afterwards, he tells you you're a badass and any person shit talking people for bitching about period pain (Not that a lot of Winners do, but ya know, obviously they let some questionable people into Heaven if Adam and Lute got by) he's gonna beat the shit out of them. Like "Do you even fucking know, bitch? They're literally so much fucking better than you. Absolute queens. You try doing literally anything when it feels like your dick is falling off and your insides are trying to claw outside your body!"

[jxwl4k]

Hay! Heh, I am a fan about your post, and i was wondering if you can do a bakugou x y/n post where they are 25 and have a 6 year old son named kanji that looks and acts like bakugou, and they are at a grocery store and kanji sees a toy and makes a BIG tantrum embarrassing Y/n, and bakugou let's out his strict father side, aka bakugou is 1 hero, so... yeah.... rich.. THANK YOU 😭

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ tantrums .𖥔 ݁ ˖

☘︎ . . . genre. fluff

☘︎ . . . pairings. timeskip!bakugou x reader

☘︎ . . . requested? yes by anon

⤿ bakugou may be japan’s number one hero, but parenting his son kanji is a new battle.

At 25, Bakugou Katsuki had accomplished many things. He was Japan’s Number One Hero, the face of countless campaigns, and had won battles most couldn’t dream of. But right now, standing in the middle of a crowded grocery store, he was locked in the ultimate showdown—with his 6-year-old son, Kanji.

“Kanji, no,” you said firmly, crouching down to his level, trying to reason with him. “You already have enough toys at home. We’re not getting this today.”

Kanji, however, was Bakugou’s child through and through. With spiky blond hair and fiery red eyes that mirrored his father’s, he was a little ball of determination and stubbornness. Holding a brightly colored action figure, he puffed out his cheeks and shouted, “But I want it!”

The other shoppers were already starting to stare. Some whispered to each other, noticing the resemblance between Kanji and the explosive hero standing a few feet away.

Bakugou, who had been grabbing protein bars off a nearby shelf, turned at the sound of his son’s voice. His crimson eyes narrowed as he took in the scene.

“Oi, brat,” he called out, striding over, “what the hell do you think you’re doin’?!”

Kanji turned to his father, his little hands clutching the toy tightly. “I want this, Daddy! And Mommy says no!”

The tantrum escalated quickly. Kanji stomped his feet, his voice growing louder and more dramatic. A woman with a cart full of groceries chuckled nearby, whispering, “He’s just like his dad.”

You groaned internally, wishing the ground would swallow you whole. “Katsuki, can you—”

Before you could finish, Bakugou crouched down in front of Kanji, his imposing presence instantly silencing the little boy’s wails.

“Listen up, Kanji,” he said, his voice low and firm, “you think throwin’ a fit is gonna get you what you want?!”

Kanji sniffled, his lower lip trembling, but he managed to nod defiantly.

“Wrong!” Bakugou barked, his tone sharp but not unkind. “You don’t get to act like some spoiled little extra, especially not in public. You wanna act like this? Then you get nothin’. Got it?!”

Kanji blinked up at his father, stunned into silence.

Bakugou softened just a fraction, placing a hand on his son’s head. “You’re better than this, kid. Don’t make your mom deal with your crap. Apologize.”

Kanji hesitated, glancing at you. Finally, he muttered, “Sorry, Mommy.”

You sighed in relief, your embarrassment fading. “Thank you, Kanji.”

Bakugou stood, ruffling Kanji’s hair roughly. “Good. Now put the damn toy back and let’s go.”

Kanji pouted but obeyed, returning the toy to the shelf. As the three of you continued through the store, you leaned into Bakugou’s side, whispering, “You handled that pretty well.”

“Course I did,” he said, smirking. “Kid’s got my attitude, but he’s gonna learn not to mess with me.”

You laughed softly, watching as Kanji walked ahead, now contentedly carrying a loaf of bread. Even in moments like this, with all the chaos and noise, you couldn’t help but feel grateful for the little family you’d built together.

As you reached the checkout line, Bakugou leaned down, his voice low and teasing in your ear. “Bet you’re thinkin’ I deserve a reward for bein’ such a good dad, huh?”

You rolled your eyes but smiled, the warmth in your chest undeniable.

[allastoredeer]

It's kind of funny to think that when Lucifer points out to Charlie that they have the same blood, it's clear that Lucifer has golden blood due to being an Angel, while in battle we see that Charlie actually has red blood, probably due to being the daughter of the first human/sinner woman, which ironically makes her even closer to Alastor just on a visual level.

Another thing I love about that song is that Lucifer stresses that he will support her, but always focusing on material things and the use of his power. While Alastor, the manipulative bastard who knows everyone's weaknesses, brings out all the bonds and emotional support he's given Charlie just by being there from the beginning, how they've become friends, how he makes her laugh with his jokes, he even hugs Niffty, and all that "corny" stuff is what Charlie really appreciates, but she has no interest in material things.

Ooooh! Good point about the blood! In that aspect, she could be more closely affiliated with sinners than Lucifer or the hellborn.

Also, that's what I REALLY love about Alastor and Lucifer's song, because your right! Lucifer is focusing on all the things he can get her. Material items. Which is exactly where he went wrong.

Charlie is the princess of Hell, I'm pretty sure she has no problem buying anything. Lucifer may be able to snap things into existence, but that's not what Charlie wants. It's not what she needs.

Alastor, on the other hand, is observant as fuck. He was with the Hazbin crew for only a week before he pegged Charlie's daddy issues.

It is also very interesting that in this photo Lucifer is in the spotlight with his back turned to Charlie, and Charlie's body language is so hurt and closed off, she's literally on the brink of tears. I'm just saying, I don't think we give Charlie's feelings about her and Lucifer's relationship more credit. We tend to focus more on Lucifer's emotions and that is such a shame because LOOK at her. Charlie is not okay.

Charlie wants connection, support, and community. She wants someone to be proud of her. She wants someone who is reliable and involved.

And Alastor knows that and, when you think about it, he HAS done that.

Look at Charlie's face when he tells her he's happy to "fulfill all her bizarre request."

Requests. Not just poofing items into existence.

We've already seen examples of Alastor being involved with the hotel and doing things that Vaggie and Charlie ask him to do, such as taking the egg bois with him, sitting in on Charlie's exercise's, making a commercial, building a new wall, dealing with clogs--and I imagine he's done a lot more over the 6 months that he's been there.

(Also, not to go off topic but Alastor's back arch oh my god??????)

Look at her face when Alastor say's that she's an "impressive young lady" and that they're all "very proud of her."

He didn't even need to say "I'm proud of her," it was "we're proud of her."

It makes me wonder when the last time Charlie heard those words. Did Lucifer and Lilith ever tell her they were proud of her? I looked through the episode transcripts, and there wasn't a single time Lucifer said "I'm proud of you", even after they rekindled their relationship.

I think it's something Charlie has wanted to hear for a VERY long, and hearing it from Alastor (who's as close to a father figure as she's had, I guess), I can't imagine how much that meant to her.

Also note Charlie's face when Lucifer interrupts them to request he meet her other friends.

Charlie wants emotional connection. She doesn't want Lucifer to come in and fix all her problems, she just needs a little help. She wants his support. She invited him to the hotel so she could show him what she was working on and how much things have improved.

And let's be honest here, Lucifer went to the hotel for purely selfish reasons.

He didn't go to listen to Charlie's pitch or even consider helping with it. He already said no about setting up a meeting with Heaven and he went into the hotel already believing it wouldn't work, with no intention of keeping an open mind.

He missed Charlie and went there only to see her, which isn't altogether bad! He missed his daughter. That's fine. But by all accounts it was a selfish decision that he made purely for himself. It was to benefit him, not her.

And I think, on some level, Charlie expected that.

So when Alastor swoops in saying all the right words, knowing exactly what Charlie wants (because he's been paying attention), knowing that she doesn't need material items but emotional connection, you know, I can't blame her for looking the way she did, and I'm not surprised it sent Lucifer head-first into a whirlpool of insecurity.

Lucifer went wrong by trying to "buy" (for lack of better term) his way back into Charlie's good graces. I don't think he meant for it to come off like that, but the whole basis of his "i'm a better dad than Alastor" argument is "look at all the things I can get for you," "look at all the ways you can benefit from my status" and "we're blood-related."

Whereas Alastor's was "here's all the things I've done to help and support you," "look at the times I've been reliable" and "you've already made a found family here, you don't need a biological one."

I'm sorry, but going by the song? Yeah, Alastor kind of beat Lucifer in the dad category.

Doesn't mean he's an actual, loving, and supportive father figure to Charlie LMAO, but by all accounts, he's checked the boxes.

[darkshrimpemotions]

Was talking to some WWDITS friends and had a Realization. This is a synthesis of a lot of conversations that I've had over the past year or so, so I'll try to credit any of my friends who put specific pieces together for me.

In the early seasons, Nandor both casually touches Guillermo and allows a level of easy familiarity and touchiness from Guillermo that we see him shy away from in later seasons. I had just assumed this changed because Nandor found out Guillermo was a vampire killer, but now I'm rethinking that assumption in light of season 6.

Nandor has NEVER been afraid of Guillermo. His reaction to his little familiar being a vampire killer has mostly been amusement or excitement. He gets a kick out of it! He thinks it's cool! He even brags about it. And he demonstrates multiple times (3x01, 5x10 for example) that he trusts Guillermo with his life.

So what if that's not the reason? Given what @karofsky and others have pointed out about the constant camera checking and the comments from Nandor in 6x11 about being glad the cameras will be gone soon, given how touchy Nandor is in general with the people he cares about as both karofsky and @bom-beii pointed out to me, given how Guillermo KEEPS going back in for affection despite getting rebuffed, like it's something he was used to getting from Nandor and forgets is not okay anymore... (I genuinely can't remember who said that first but it's an EXCELLENT point, like who keeps seeking affection from someone who never gives it and has never given it? Most people would give up and be afraid to ask anymore!).

What if Nandor becomes less and less comfortable with this level of casual intimacy in front of the cameras as he becomes more and more aware of how much he craves it and how important it is to him? From Guillermo specifically?

Like before Nandor started realizing his feelings, touching Guillermo was no big deal. But the second his feelings for Guillermo really started to assert themselves, he started realizing how much more he wanted and started pulling away because of it? (Thank you @badgerswake for yes-anding me on this!)

I mean, we see via Marwa in 4x06 how MUCH Nandor wants to say sweet things to Guillermo, touch Guillermo, cuddle him and kiss him, and tell him how important he is. "I don't know what I would do without you," she says. And once she touches him, it's like she can't STOP, like she has too many feelings to express in a single hug or kiss. And how many little moments do we see Nandor reach for Guillermo's hand only to then jerk away like he's affronted at the touch HE initiated?

I wonder when Nandor realized if he ever embraced Guillermo he would be unable to stop? And I wonder when he decided that was something he wanted to keep just for THEM, not the cameras? I'd say sometime in mid-season 2.

TL;DR: With the cameras gone, Guillermo is never getting anything done again unless he can do it with Nandor hanging off his body and whimpering any time Guillermo stops playing with his hair. I, for one, wish him a very get cuddled forever.

[littlejuicebox]

My Sun, My Moon

Pairing: Spawn Astarion x GN!Reader/Tav Summary/Setting: 6 months post BG3 / Part 2 to my other fic Astarion talks in his sleep. Rating/Warnings: PG-13 / In game spoilers / Alludes to sexual encounters / Mentions of past trauma etc / Pretty much all fluff / It’s so sweet it’s going to rot your teeth Word Count: 2.3K Notes: This is 5/5 Days of "Star-mas!"

*takes a bow* Happy Holidays! Hope you all enjoyed!

I'm also entering this into the #BG3HolidayFluffle23 challenge under the prompt "twinkling lights."

Click here to see my master list.

-----

After Astarion’s sleep-talking gave away his little secret, you’d spent nearly every waking moment anticipating the rogue’s proposal. You were horribly, terribly wrong every time, of course. You began to think that perhaps your original assumptions were right, and that an engagement would come much later on. Maybe he wasn’t quite ready. Maybe he was just planning and thinking about the future… the frustratingly distant future. He’d ask the question when he was ready, you reasoned; in his own time and on his own terms. You could respect that.

But then, on the eve of the Netherbrain Battle’s six month anniversary, you came home to a dinner that Astarion had cooked (almost) entirely himself. Candles were lit, table settings were placed, and your lover chose an expensive wine pairing for the meal. His steak was, of course, entirely raw while yours was seasoned and cooked to perfection. You were certain you had Shadowheart to thank for your half of the meal, but you’d complimented your lover and all his efforts, nonetheless. At the end of dinner, you were quite confident that this would be the moment you’d been waiting weeks for.

“I have something to say.” Astarion murmured, lithe fingers rubbing circles on the back of your hand as he clasped it in his own.

You practically felt your soul leave your body in that moment. Oh gods, you knew what your answer would be, you knew this was coming, and yet here it was, and you were still wholly unprepared. You barely fumbled out a, “Y-yes, my love? What is it?”

“I read your mail.” Astarion responded, his eyes flooding full of guilt at the confession. He expelled a small sigh, flicking his gaze up at the ceiling and then back down to you. “Darling, I know we have been discussing this for months, but I really don’t think we should go to the Underdark. You’re getting so many outstanding offers that require you to remain in the city. You’re the hero of Baldur’s Gate, for god’s sakes. I know you want me to be safe from the sun… but I can’t, in good conscience, do that to you and rip you away from so many wonderful opportunities.”

“O-oh…” Your chest deflates and you catch yourself frowning for just a moment. Astarion’s brow furrows as he incorrectly interprets the cause of your sudden mood shift to be the current conversation and not the crushing disappointment you were trying to shove aside. You quickly try to move into a more neutral expression, but the rogue is already jumping into another worried explanation.

“Darling... Please hear me. I love you more than anything, and I know you better than anyone. You will not be truly happy there, of that much I am absolutely certain. These offers you’re receiving will give you multiple avenues to build the life you want…. the life we want. Imagine the good you could do with that level of influence, my love! Let me help you; I can review contracts, negotiate deals… whatever you need to ensure your success. Do not throw away so much potential on my account. I simply couldn’t live with myself if you did.”

He was right, of course. The only thing you wanted almost as much as you wanted Astarion was to continue the good work you two had been doing for Baldur’s Gate.

You sigh and nod your head, squeezing his hand gently. “You’re right, my love. I suppose it would be silly for both of us to throw away so much opportunity.”

Astarion beamed at your response before leaning over the table to plant a kiss on your lips. You smiled at the rogue when he pulled away to look at you with adoring crimson eyes. Perhaps it hadn’t been the conversation you were hoping for, but it had been a good and much needed one, nonetheless.

-----

Tonight, you and Astarion decided to take a stroll around the city. You were following the vampire’s lead, ambling around the streets as he pointed out more than a few of his old haunts. He revealed some of the difficult moments in his past as you two meandered about… more than one of the tales nearly made you cry with an overwhelm of sympathy for your lover. But you held back, knowing the elf hated eyes full of pity almost as much as he’d hated Cazador.

You noted that Astarion seemed to look back on his experience with more acceptance now. You knew, of course, that there were likely an infinite number of stories he had not yet revealed to you and perhaps never would. But you were still happy to see a bit of lightness in him as he spoke his truth. He hadn’t appeared to have one of his episodes on the entire walk, and as you pondered this, you also realized his night terrors had only occurred a handful of times this month. Such an improvement to what had been an almost daily incidence when you two originally moved in together.

Before long, you and your love arrived at the docks, where just over six months ago you’d felt as if you’d been stabbed in the gut as you watched the rays of sunlight scorch the vampire until he was forced to run for cover. But now, you two stood there hand in hand, resting in a pocket of comfortable silence. Both of you were admiring the twinkling starlight, full moon, and dark, mysterious expanse of the sea.

“The stars were so much more beautiful in the wilds… don’t you think, my sweet?” Astarion asks, his eyes filled with wistfulness as he ponders the sky.

You utter a little hum of agreement as your mind flashes to the first night in camp, when you caught Astarion reclined on his bedroll, stargazing. You turned your head to look at the rogue and remind him of the memory, but found he disappeared from your line of sight. Your vision wanders down and there he is, bent on one knee.

Oh this had to be the moment. Just when you were about to shout yes before the rogue even had a moment to say anything, Astarion looks up and smiles, a small pouch of gold coins in his hand. “Look! I suppose it’s our lucky day, darling. Their loss is our gain, would— are you alright, Tav? You’ve got this strange look on your face.”

Gods, not again. You feel your face flush with embarrassment. In your excitement and overwhelm, you’d almost ruined everything and let Astarion know that you knew his little secret. You made the decision then and there that this would be the last time you anticipated his proposal; let it happen when it’s meant to happen. You were done playing the guessing game. You couldn’t ruin everything with your big fat mouth.

You nod your head slightly before turning to look back at the stars once more, taking a deep breath and hoping to settle yourself.

“Yes, my love. I suppose I’m just thrilled by the beauty of the stars and the full moon, tonight. And by your beauty, of course.”

The rogue stands up, tucking the small sachet in his pocket. He smiles and places a soft, loving peck on the apple of your cheek before wrapping his arm around your waist. The two of you look up at the stars once more, and you spend a few moments pointing out some constellations in the sky. Stargazing had been one of the first things you two bonded over in camp.

Astarion is watching you with devoted interest as you ramble on about the planets and the mythological creatures represented by the patterns in the stars. Finally, there is a small lapse in conversation, and you want to take the opportunity to kiss him, but when you turn, the vampire is once again out of your sight line.

When you look down this time, Astarion is looking up at you, holding a velvet box in shaking hands.

“Tav—" He manages to choke out, but then his eyes fill with tears, and he stops to blink them away, chuckling softly at himself. You immediately come to kneel in front of your love, hands pressed to either side of his face, silently urging him to continue.

The vampire inhales shakily, suddenly quite overwhelmed by the extreme vulnerability he knows he’s about to lay before you. But the softness of your hands on his face grounds him in the moment and he smiles, admiring the look of utter adoration in your eyes.

A couple of tears fall over the edge of his lash line, and you immediately swipe them away with your shaking thumb. Another chuckle escapes the silver-haired elf, and he shakes his head in disbelief.

“My love… I’ve rehearsed this for weeks. I’ve said it all out loud more than a thousand times, I’m sure. I’ve spent almost every opportunity in your absence practicing this. One time I even had Shadowheart pretend to be you while I rehearsed my grand speech. But now that we are here… I’ve nearly forgotten everything I wanted to say.”

You move forward to press a kiss to Astarion’s lips, your hands still shaking as you run your thumb over his cheekbone. “It’s okay, my Star. Please continue, when you’re ready… rehearsed or from the heart… I want to hear it all the same.”

Astarion nods just a fraction and inhales. The shaking hand that is not holding the ring box comes to lay atop your own hand resting on his face. Your love slowly, absently runs his thumb along the back of your palm as he gathers his thoughts. He stares into your eyes with so much love that you almost kiss him again but hold yourself back to allow him to continue.

Astarion exhales a shuddering breath and then continues in a reverent tone, as if he’s whispering a prayer, “My darling. I have lived long life. Much of it was a sad and hopeless one. When we were walking through the city, I pointed out several places where I’d encountered horrible things. Many of those things are still hard to talk about… some of it, I don’t know that I will ever be able to.”

You are crying now, from the overwhelming blend of sympathy for your little Star and palpable feeling of love in this beautiful moment. Tears begin coursing thin streams down your cheeks. Astarion wipes away the tears as they fall, though his lips start trembling from your display of emotion.

“B-but what I do know is that… in many of the places I pointed out, there are also memories of us. Of our friends. Of the time we spent together before saving the city and of the six months we’ve spent here after that. Little by little, we are taking places that only held horrible memories for me and turning them into places that hold feelings of hope and happiness.

I guess what I’m saying is that… these past six months have been the counterweight to two hundred years of misery. And I do not think I deserve you, but I cannot imagine my life without you. You are everywhere I go, everywhere I look, and every happy memory I hold in my heart. If you’ll have me… I would like to spend the rest of our lives, however long they may be, turning this city into a place of hope for us and for the people we hold dear.”

Astarion opens the box, and you gasp in true awe as he reveals possibly the most beautiful ring you’ve ever seen. At the center is a beautiful moonstone, emitting an ethereal glow that shines brilliantly in the darkness of the pier. The setting is gold, and an intricate sunburst pattern made in smaller gems surrounds the center stone.

“Standing on the dock that day, after that long battle… I had the thought that my life was ruined when I realized I could no longer stand in the sun. I thought I might never know true happiness again. But it turns out, that was the moment my new life with you began… and you’ve opened the door to more happiness than I could’ve ever imagined for myself.

Even if I never see the sun again, I have made my peace. I would make the choices I made to be here with you, on this dock, in this moment, again and again in every lifetime. You are my sun and my moon. And my darling, it would be my honor to be your Star for the rest of time. Tav… will you marry me?”

As soon as the question comes out of your lover’s lips, you instantly push forward to crash into Astarion, enveloping the elf in an emotional kiss. You both topple over from the sheer force of your ardor, and as you do, the vampire deftly snaps the ring box closed to protect it from spilling out onto the dock.

When you finally break away, panting heavily, both your faces are thoroughly flushed with excitement. The vampire looks up at you, scarlet eyes filled with absolute devotion. You giggle and press one more soft kiss to the rouge before taking your hand in his and pressing a kiss to his knuckle. “Yes, Astarion. Nothing in this life would make me happier than to share it with you.”

-----

Later that evening, the two of you are naked in bed after several rounds of vigorous celebration. You’re admiring your ring, which is still faintly glowing in the semi-darkness of your bedchambers. Astarion takes your hand and presses his lips to the ring with a small smile; his scarlet eyes closely examine the gem.

“I don’t know how it works… you would have to ask Gale. But the center stone glows when I think of you, you know.”

You blink, moving to touch the gemstone in the middle of the ring with curiosity. “But it hasn’t stopped glowing since we’ve been on the docks.”

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we’ve been on the docks.” Astarion replies simply, moving his hand to stroke your cheek as a gentle, good-natured laugh escapes his mouth, “Perhaps now you’ll have some insight into how often my thoughts revolve around you, my sweet.”

You feel your eyes welling with tears again. Damn this man and his beautiful heart… he truly never misses a detail when it comes to you. You move forward to pull his lips into another loving kiss, and when you break away this time, a thought crosses your mind.

“Astarion… did you really find that bag of coins on the dock?”

Your lover grins mischievously, his crimson eyes crinkling at the corners as he grabs your ring-clad hand and kisses it once more.

“No, my sweet. But I had to throw you off. Shadowheart told me about my mishap. I wanted to surprise you… but you know me far too well and you’ve never been easily fooled… and the sleepy confession didn’t help things at all. I just figured that you would never anticipate that I’d drop down on one knee twice in a row.”

Astarion knew you just as well as you knew him… and he had been right. He’d fooled you. You roll your eyes and chuckle as the rogue moves closer to you, nuzzling into the side of your neck where fresh fang marks throbbed.

“Now what do you say, darling? One more round of celebration before we go to bed?”

[ssivinee]

✧Expert Level✧

Part 1 | Part 2

*Part 2 of "New Game, New Player," so I suggest you read Part 1 first!*

BEBE!Bada Lee x Dancer! F Reader: Jeon Y/n and Bada fall for each other, finding comfort in the latter. Bada never knew how to react around you but kept a strong facade. Yet that comes crumbling down as days go by and you slowly become each other's person.

Word count: 5.8k

Note: This took so long... my hands need a dam break from typing. ALSO VERY MUCH NOT PROOFREAD I GOT TOO EXCITED TO POST THIS.

Character Vision Board

You shouldn't have expected anything less from the leader of Bebe. The deal was to win 2 more battles for a date, which she did just that. She had two matches exactly, one against Redlic of Mannequeen and the other against Gooseul of DeepNDap.

On the other hand, you didn't have any further battles. Other crews were targeting the other members instead. It made you laugh at their face each time Lyn, Heaven, Enyo, and Aria showed out. They shouldn't have questioned the capabilities of your team in the first place. The team was winning more than you can count on one hand, and it made you proud.

When filming ended, Aesthete was all in their room, preparing to leave. As you go to the neighboring room, your duffel bag rests on your shoulders. The team full of youngsters heard a subtle knock on their door. Aware of who it is, Bada opens the door, revealing the other tall dancer.

"So you ready for that dinner?" You ask, leaning on the door frame. She hands you her phone, "Let's switch numbers, and you send me the details," you nod, complying with her wishes. "I'll see you later," you wave off, and she bows in response as your team follows behind you. She turned around, shutting the light blue door, and all her teammates began squealing.

"Wha~ It's really happening," Soweon swoons over the interaction. "Never thought I'd see the day THE Jeon Y/n is hitting on you, unnie," Lusher adds, and all her teammates nod. "The girl who everyone is in love with asked you on a date. I don't know if I should be happy or jealous of you?" Minah jokes at her leader.

"I wonder where she's gonna take you?" Kyma asks, and Bada feels their comments and questions coming at rapid fire. "How bout I go on the dinner first, then I'll let you guys know," she says teasingly, groans filling the room at her sarcasm.

"You're telling us you're not one bit excited for your date?" Cheche wonders, and Bada's face goes red in shame.

"I didn't say that," was all she could say before her crew jumped like little bunnies around her. "This is so exciting for you, unnie," Lusher tells her, and Bada leans her head back, trying to save herself from embarrassment by looking at the ceiling.

"Let's just go home," she grumbles, but their teasing doesn't stop.

"So you can get ready for your date?"

"Will you guys shut up!"

Bada was now at her apartment, readying herself for the next few hours. She had just gotten out of the shower, and her phone notified her about a message.

Y/n❣️ You good in an hour?

Bada was now alarmed, looking at the time. It was only 6 p.m., but she was agitated, knowing she was nowhere near ready.

Ocean🩵 I don't even know what to wear?????

Y/n❣️ Something fancy

Bada replies sure, connecting her address to the message, and scurries through her closet. Fancy? All Bada saw in her closet was her array of baggy clothing. That was until she was nearing the other side of her closet, catching the sight of a handful of dresses. She decided to wear a black velvet bodycon dress that hugged every curve of her body, then topped it with an off-white light cardigan and some sandals.

Time went by, and she heard the doorbell of her place ring. Bada rushes over to her door, fixing up her oreo hair that was now up in a ponytail before opening the door to see you.

Her eyes grow wide at the view of your apparel. Your hair was in a low bun, showing off the chains you wore. Your suit made you look like you had legs for days, and your boots added an inch to your height.

You made Bada breathless.

You reveal the flowers that hide behind your back, giving them to her with a broad smile as you look her up and down, enjoying the sight. Her usual style had gone out the window, and what stood before you was a feminine beauty who looked divine in the sleek dress.

"You look gorgeous, Bada." You tell her softly, and the latter is trying to take everything in all at once. Your perfume filled her nose, and she smiled at you, "I could say the same thing about you."

"Well, are you ready to go?" She only nods, clutching her bag as she takes your hand. Your eyebrow raises at the touch, but you grasp her hand tighter, loving the warmth it gives you. You take her to your car, open the passenger side, and she thanks you. Making your way to the driver's side, you make your way to a fancy restaurant, and Bada marvels at the building. "Isn't it expensive here?"

"The prices don't matter, Bada. I asked you to come with me. So don't worry about anything." You tell her as you help her exit the car. She wraps her arm around yours, taking in her surroundings. When the two of you enter, her grip becomes tighter, and you look at her. Unable to hold the smile you had, her eyes were roaming around like a lost child.

You go to the host and ask for a table for two. The duo was seated, and you immediately asked for some cider, something light since you still had to drive home. The two of you reading up on the menu and picking out some meals. "Are you sure about this Y/n? The prices are actually crazy."

You grab her hand from across the table, looking at her earnestly, "I told you not to worry about it, Bada." Her heart quickened at the tone of your voice, just nodding.

The two of you drank the alcoholic beverages and started to chat. "I guess I'm your top student now, huh?" Bada jokes, getting an airy chuckle out of you. "Well, you're gonna have to prove it." Her face goes puzzled. "And how would I do that?"

You lean your body forward and whisper, "You just have to be a good girl. You can do that for me, right?" Bada's face was now painted red, her body heating up at the choice of words. She obediently nods, and you let out another chuckle, amused by the reactions she gave you. The world knew her as the confident, tall dancer, but to you, she was a beautiful woman crumbling under your gaze.

"So~ Working as an in-house choreographer under SM?" You try and make conversation. As much as you liked teasing her, you genuinely wanted to get to know her. "Yeah," she says with a tight-lipped smile. "Can I ask how that happened?"

"Uhm, YoungJ oppa had been working with NCT, and he introduced me to Kai first. I guess he liked my dancing so much that he kept asking me to work on the pieces with him." You nod, knowing how Kai was when meeting him while hanging out with BTS Jimin at one point. "I noticed he really does hand-pick the dancers he wants."

"What about you and HYBE?" You sigh at her question, and her brows furrow at your reaction. "I got in due to Bang Si-hyuk's request."

She looks at you weirdly, "Then what's with the reaction?"

"Cause everyone thinks it's cause of Jungkook-oppa." You quickly say, and she nods in understanding. "I started working with TXT first, just so people wouldn't say anything. I even did my best to avoid any project with him, but I couldn't avoid doing RunBTS."

"Why is that?"

"Cause oppa and his members personally asked me," you tell her, but truthfully, they all bombarded your phone and visited your place until you'd accepted. "Do you enjoy it? Being under HYBE?"

"Of course I do. What I hate is all the words being thrown around with it. It's a blessing and a curse," you admit, head hanging low. You hated talking about it in a pessimistic way, but it was something that would be looming over your head for years to come. "Never mind that. How about we talk about that class we agreed on?" Bada grins at your words, "What do you have in mind?"

"A duo dance," you say instantly, and Bada's eyebrows rise. "To what song?" That's when you shrugged. "Whose your favorite artist? We can do a song from them," you suggest.

"It's Vedo," she answers simply, but you laugh, "I should've assumed."

"What does that even mean?"

"Do you know how many videos I've seen of you dancing to his music?" She goes shy, looking away at the question. Your food then arrives, and the two of you get to eat.

"What about this one?" Bada points at the tattoo on your collarbone. The two of you talked about all the ink on your body. You mainly explained that you just loved the look of it, but some did have meaning to it.

The tattoo she gestures to is a rose intertwined with the words, 'Your only limit is you.' You smiled just thinking of the words, "It's just my daily reminder," you joke. "In all seriousness, though, it just reminds me that I shouldn't stop getting what I want, no matter the cost."

You pause before looking dead in her eyes, "Like getting you."

Her mouth goes slightly ajar at your words. She wasn't sure if she loved or hated you for making her feel completely different. THE Bada Lee was having a hard time with someone for once, and she didn't know how to handle it.

The dinner continues to go smoothly, and you suggest going for a walk on the beach. To your dismay, Bada agrees, and you two are now taking a stroll. You lent her your coat, making sure she wouldn't freeze, and the soft sand buried your feet as the cold breeze of the ocean waves over the two of you.

Hand-in-hand, your arms swayed with each other while listening to the sounds of the crashing waves. "Bada, what do you see in your future?" You ask suddenly, and Bada thinks, unable to respond quickly. "I see a dance studio in my name, with Bebe still by my side and a loving partner who would do anything for me."

"That's a very leader-like answer," You smile at her, "How about you?"

"I don't know yet," you go deep into thought. "I just want to be happy. I guess I just like living in the now." You tell while rubbing the back of your neck. "I do want Aesthete to still be together. They brought me a new sense of life," Bada stared at you as you talked about your team in admiration. Bada saw a glimmer in your eye for the first time, maybe the longing of wanting something you could keep forever.

You chatted more about work, dance, family, and friends before realizing how late it was getting. So you drop her back home, walking her back to her apartment door. "I had a good time," she says faintly, and you kiss the back of her hand. Bada was entirely surprised by your gentlewomanly tendencies, "I'm glad, truly." She couldn't look you in the eye, looking at your hand instead. "About that class... wanna make it happen? With Bebe and Aesthete?" You ask. Bada looks at you, "You were being serious? I mean, I'd love to. It would be fun."

"I'll make it happen, Bada. I promise."

The next day, the class mission had just been announced, and it got everyone busy. Your teammates were around the building, finding a quiet place to start working.

You decided to offer to listen to 'Smoke' with Bada in the large dance studio the Street Woman Fighter building had. The two of you stood in the room, listening intently to the song's beats, rhythm, and lyrics. Most of the time, Bada observed you as your body moved quickly, instantly becoming familiar with the music. It was watching your true form at work, and she loved every moment of it.

Bada commended you in her head. Dance just came so quickly to you. It should be that way, but she couldn't fathom the amount of style you used in one go. You were like an oiled machine with much information stored in your brain. While doing that, you went in and out of the room, explaining to Bada that you were just helping and checking up on your girls.

As you repeat some of your moves, trying to find the perfect ones, Bada joins you. Unlike you, she just used the beat and lyrics instead. Occasionally, your brain starts picking up the movements she connected together. You watch as she starts from the beginning. She isolated her neck as she sauntered, mimicking the lyrics, "Light it up."

She flicks up her hand, imitating a working lighter, and you hype her up a little. Your cheers and sickening facial expressions gave her more confidence to use massive power. Despite being technical rivals, you weren't afraid to admit how cool her movements were. You take a break at some point, and she watches as she pieces the second half of the choreography. By the end, you were clapping for her with a proud smile as if she had just won an award. "Your brain works wonders, I tell you." You pat her butt, and she tackles you. Your arms go around her waist, making sure you find your balance. "You ready for this?"

"I think I am," she answers you with a smile, and the two of you head down to the fight zone, seeing all the leaders already there, and sit next to each other.

All you could say as people took turns, they were harsh.

It was soon Bada's turn, and you look at her. Bada tended to bite her lip when she got nervous, and you realized how much she did it throughout every dance a leader presented. While paying attention to everyone's words, your hand makes its way onto her lap, and you clasp your hands on hers as your thumb rubs the back of her hands, calming her down.

When it's Bada's turn, you give her a thumbs up as she stands there. She begins, and everyone finds her choreography the coolest and most doable.

"It looks the coolest. I want to do a dance that can prove our abilities as dancers."

"The groove of it is nice. I wouldn't mind using this piece."

"Isn't this harder to steal?" You look over to the owner of the voice, Mina Myoung. "If we try out for this dance, we have a higher chance of losing." Bada only nods at her words, understanding the thought she took into consideration. Yet, you didn't get it. You wanted so badly to defend Bada.

All of you were dancers and professionals at that. It was your job, and if you didn't have the confidence to do it, maybe it wasn't suitable for you. You held back your tongue, knowing it wasn't your place to talk.

It was then your turn to show out, and you got up to the walkway, showing the powerful yet sleek dance you had prepared. Everyone expresses how they liked the route you took and how cool it made you feel, but on the technicality side, it had aspects of popping and locking with some commercial sprinkled in there that looked difficult to pull off, which makes you nod in understanding.

"Doing this dance would be great. The lines are clean, and it looked empowering."

Kristen smiles at you, "Dude, you're insane. The stylistic choices, the rhythm your body used? I wanna learn it." Yet you hit the same wall Bada does.

"The technicality of it, though, it's not something many of us can't do."

"As cool as the dance is, this choreography is much more in your favor."

That's just when you had to say, "As leaders, we should all be able to dance something at a high level due to our years of experience. We come here not only to show our dance but our leadership to people." Your words simmer in many of their minds, knowing you weren't wrong.

The voting began, and it was a close call between yours, Bada's, and Akanens. The leaders decided to come back and group up later when there was more thought in their choices. When coming back, Bada's dance wins against yours 5 to 2. You were satisfied, though. In fact, you were joyed. You shake her shoulders, congratulating the girl, "You're just too good." And she hugs you in happiness, squeezing hard around your shoulders.

You tell your team, and you are pleased with the outcome. You just knew how trendy the choreography looked and how everyone would be dancing to it when the episode was released.

Now, the leaders were back in the Fight Zone, where Bada prepared to teach the choreography. You decide to stay beside Kristen and give her a fist bump. Bada begins, and as she teaches everyone, the Aesthete and Jam Republic leaders' voices can be heard.

"You really do move those hips like water, Kris," you tell her as you pat the shorters hips, and she giggles. "Says you."

"I mean you over here using so much space and extending your moves. You're making my muscles tense over here." You say, and she hits you jokingly. These interactions happened often throughout the session.

Bada's gaze kept looking at the two of you with much distaste. Your focus should've been on her and her only. This causes her mood to sour, and she targets you gradually during the rehearsal.

"Y/n, you didn't move your chest during the walk."

"No no, that's wrong, your angles are too small."

"Jeon Y/n, are you even paying attention."

You were taken aback by her quick flip in emotions. What the fuck is happening right now?

You couldn't understand what went wrong. Every move was correctly done, down to the facial expression and vibe. As you made friends with the other leaders, you realized it had worsened. Bada was scoffing and giving you death glares every moment she could.

During your break, Bada strays away to the Bebe hideout, and you follow her. You enter the room without warning, making Bada whip her head at the door's sudden opening.

"What is your problem right now, Bada?" You ask, a sound of hurt layered underneath. "I've been doing everything properly?" Your statement sounded more like a question. Throughout the hours, you began doubting if you did anything right but were honestly trying your hardest. So why were you getting shunned for it?

When Bada hears your pain, she beats herself up mentally. She couldn't help but be jealous when she had no right to. "I'm sorry," she huffs, and you sit beside her. "What is it, Bada? What have I done?" You ask with caution, and Bada can't meet your eyes.

"I don't like how close you are with Kristen." She mumbles, and your eyes widen. That was the issue? You chuckle at the girl, and she looks at you with large eyes, "It's not funny," she says, whining. You found it endearing, squishing her face.

She discreetly yearned for your attention the entire time.

Bada was bitter about the attention you gave others and couldn't comprehend why since it was her dance and she was teaching it. "You do know I'm only interested in you, right?" You state the obvious, but Bada's heart flutters. Your arm wraps around her shoulder, "Come on, it's time for the main dancer auditions."

You two head down, and everyone notices the two of you together, which causes every team to tease you two. Bada sat down with her team, hiding her face as she tucked her knees into her chest. You loved it, though. People would now aware of the situation between you two, and you believed it would reassure Bada.

"Dang unnie, it's only been two days, and you guys are that close?" Lyn teases. "They seemed more than close. Are you guys dating yet?" Heaven asks, and you just hushed them. "Auditions are starting, please focus."

That they did, but as time passed, none of your girls made it as main dancers. You were still proud since they had all made it to the second round of reauditions. They were the biggest competitors in each class.

It was time for the leaders, and Bada's group was up first. You stood behind them while marking your movements beside Kristen. After your chat with Bada, you made it your mission to dance all out, proving that you were paying attention and that she was your number one priority. Bada's group goes first, and no one saw anyone else but Bada on that stage. She was like a bright candle standing taller above the rest, unwilling to give out. During the hip roll, you bite your lip. God, is she so sexy. You then quickly erased your thoughts when it was your turn.

As you begin, you walk up, and everyone's attention is on you and Kristen. You let the music fully control your body, and Bada watches the two of you with hawk eyes. She wouldn't openly admit it, but she wanted to keep you and Kristen in check. She liked you but also wanted to carry the tradition of holding the main dancer. The way the two of you dance made her nervous. You two filled the stage and danced like no one else was around.

The judges have a hard time choosing, so they make you reaudition. "For the reaudition, we want Tsubakill's Akanen, Aesthete's Jeon Y/n, Jam Republic's Kristen, and Bebe's Bade Lee."

You and Akanen were up first, and you were holding your ground. You knew the advantages you had in this. The stature of your body was similar to Bada's, but you had more muscles, and you knew you could copy Bada's movements to the tea. Once you end, the two dancers switch with Bada and Akanen. You watched, pleased at the two and their difference in styles. Kristen made sure to use the entire stage and show her flexibility while doing certain moves, while Bada showed much more attitude than usual. It felt captivating yet exhilarating to watch, and you got excited

The four of you stood on the stage, and you smiled hearing Shonwu's words. "We have another reaudition. It's Bebe's Bada Lee and Aesthete's Jeon Y/n." You wink at Bada, who smirks at you, feeling the adrenaline coursing through your veins.

You were grinning ear to ear and stood beside each other on stage. Once the music begins, the two of you turn to serious mode. You guys danced similarly, and everyone realized how difficult the choice would be. It was identical, almost as if you mirrored each other’s movement. It looked like Bada took over your body while you took over hers.

When you finish, you see the looks of disdain on the judge's faces, making you chuckle quietly. They talked for 5 minutes, but it felt like an eternity until Monika announced Bada had won the position.

The taller brings you into a relieved hug. You mumble how amazing she is, so she kisses you on the cheek. You were amazed by Bada, not because she beat you, but because she carried such humbleness. She held you close, and you wonder if she was so scared of not meeting everyone's expectations.

But she knew she lived up to yours.

After 3 days of waiting, today was the day you all had to film for the video. You sat in the makeup chair, feeling the black mascara almost smeared on your face's temple area. You open your eyes, looking around at the other leaders. Their makeup was a mess, making you all look like you were all a part of the cult.

While Bada, on the other hand, looked like the queen you were all worshipping. Her lips looked fuller due to the applied lipstick, the gems on the bridge of her nose accentuated her sharp facial features, and you couldn’t even react how you wanted to, not wanting to mess up your makeup artist.

Your gaze was now fixed on your mirror, and you were stunned at the look. It looked tamer than the rest, the makeup artist even putting some gems around your eyes. You were confused but didn’t question it, being a little happy you had something special going on.

Bada's makeup was completed first, and she took some mirror photos to capture her beauty. You had sneakily gone beside her, comfortably putting your arms around her waist. She flinched, "what are you doing?" She asks.

You just mumble into her shoulder, "Just take a picture," your deep voice giving her chills. She was sure glad she had layers of makeup on her face, or else you could see the blush forming rapidly. You continue to take photos, some even with you being in front of Bada, due to your height, arms wrapped around your neck, while acting as if she was gonna give you a peck on the cheek, yet she couldn't, afraid of getting her lipstick on your face.

"Filming begins in 5!" Everyone was told, and you all made your way onto the set.

Everyone crowded around on set when the camera started rolling, and you all marked your positioning. Kang Daniel made an announcement as filming progressed, but none of the leaders paid any mind about it, just focusing on their jobs. The ending scene had you, Bada, and Kristen dancing together, and you circle around each other being part of Bada’s idea. She blows on her thumb, insinuating she blew out the lighter.

When monitoring the entire thing, your eyes only watched Bada. You whistled when seeing her face and called her hot so often that the dancer tried to cool herself down by thirsting on her ice-cold water.

The shoot was complete, and you were excited to remove the makeup. Bada sees your bare face and how precious you look without all the fixed production all over you. Your long hair was messy, and you wore a navy blue tracksuit. You had texted her while getting ready to go, offering her a ride home, which she openly accepted, and asked her to meet you at the parking lot.

During the ride back to Bada's place, you notice the lip-biting and calmly tell her, "You know I'm here for you, right? If you just wanna get something off your chest, I'm all ears." She admits she was scared in a shaky voice. Everyone had worked really well on set. Bonds and friendships were being made left and right. Bada couldn't help but worry over her choice of worst dancer. You had thought about it, too. It was about to come down to the tiniest things when making a choice, but you just laid your hand on Bada's thigh, rubbing it in comfort, "When the time comes, I know you'll make the right decision."

You pause a little and joke, “even if it’s me.” You say, lifting up her mood. The both of you knew well in yourselves that she wouldn’t pick you. Really, she couldn’t even if she wanted to. Bada gave you many ways to shine: the makeup, the outfit, and center position in the final scene. There was almost no way she could pick you without looking like the craziest person in the world.

You drop her off, and this time, as a goodbye, you kiss her cheek, "I'll pick you up on Friday? So we can go on set together?" and she just obliges with a nod, not trusting anything to come out of her mouth because of your kiss.

Friday comes, and you pick Bada up from her place. That was after you had stopped by a coffee shop getting you two some bitter iced Americanos as you learned it was Bada’s favorite.

"You didn't have to, Y/n," she says as you hand her the coffee, "But I wanted to." She smiles as she joyfully sips on the drink. You had your music on the radio, with Bada and you singing to each other as you let her dance crazily while trying to drive safely. The car was full of laughter before the nerve-racking day, and it kept Bada's mind off it for some time.

As you make it to the building, you grab her hand and walk hand in hand-into the building. People notice the sight of the two together, and the teasing again erupts as you're both talked about by other crews, even your own. When the two of you separate ways, you see your team of younger dancers grinning your way. "Please tell me the two of you are dating now," Aria says, giggling beside you in the hideout. "You seem more excited about us getting together than we are," You kid.

"Unnie, you have to ask her out? What if someone beats you to it?"

"You mean if someone beats Bada-unnie to it." Lyn and Enyo argue, and you just smirk. "I don't think either of that will happen," you say with pure confidence, and your team shrieks in anticipation.

Everyone gets ready to head to the main stage, but you pull her aside when you see Bada walking in front of you. She looks at you anxiously, and you take both hands into her grasp, trying to shake the nerves away. "You'll make the right choice. I know you will," you tell her as you caress her face and kiss her forehead, which causes you to have to fix her beanie a little. She nods while deep breathing, "You're right, you're right." She tells you but repeats, seemingly trying to reassure herself of what will happen.

You were the last ones to the fight zone, but rather than receiving the teases and comments, it was dead silent. The tension was getting to everybody. This was for the first mission, and it was for the sake of their teams. It was terrifying, to say the least.

The videos started with the rookie class, where Rena was the main dancer. While watching, everyone was energized, the rookies boosting the mood of the studio. You watched the youngest, Lyn, who looked like she had the most fun while dancing to the high-energy pop song. When the video ends, you smile at Lyn, patting her thigh.

"You did so well, Lynnie," you tell her, and she tightly wraps her arms around your neck, giving you a quick cuddle in the crook of your neck.

As you watched the other videos, you never expected anything less from your team. Everyone did their jobs and did it right. Enyo and Heaven could be seen in the sea of dancers, and that told you enough. The air shifts when Mannequeen's Yoonji and Waackxxxy pick Kyma and Cheche as the worst dancers. The younger girls were asked to speak, but almost nothing came out. So Kang Daniel reverts the attention to Bada, "Bada-nim, what can you say?"

She picks up the mic and finds the right words, "I'll just have to consider this when choosing whose worst dancer is in leader class." Your mind spiraled at Bada's relaxed manner as she nodded, adding salt to the wound. Mannequeen was already down by 100 points. They couldn't afford any more losses right now.

Aria was whispering about their problems with you. During the video, everyone enjoyed it. The Lusher and Latrice duo made you proud of both girls. Latrice's solo in the end and Aria's center moment made you glad.

But while talking about the sub-leaders, the mood was still uneasy. "It seemed like most of us got along, other than Latrice and Downy. But Redlic did seem like she had a lot of say behind the scenes about Kristen being there helping Latrice help direct the video." You nod, understanding the circumstances now. If Kristen was there for support and threw ideas around, you didn't see the big issue. You assumed the other sub-leaders were questioning Latrice's leadership the entire time. Jam Republic then discussed who to pick, and you hear several names thrown around until you hear one of the girls saying a word that began with an 'R.' So you knew even before announcing who it was.

"The person I pick as the worst dancer is Redlic," by all means, after what you heard, you weren't even shocked by her choice. If you felt disrespected, you'd do the exact same thing.

It was now the leader's turn, and your hand felt sweaty. You knew in your heart you did well, and there was almost little to no chance of being the worst dancer, but you worried for Bada, not knowing if she'd be able to take the reality of her choice.

Everyone watched, and the crews were in awe. The way it was filmed, the dance, the vibes, it was too good. In the ending scene with you, Kristen, and Bada, everyone cheered, giving you all a standing ovation. You bow while seated, showing your respects, but it is finally time to pick.

Bada chats with her team and you. You look at her, feeling your chest getting heavy. She turns around and brings the mic to her mouth, "The leader I pick as the worst dancer is... DeepNDap Mina Myoung."

Kang Daniel asks for some words from Mina, but as she cries, your eyes never leave Bada's, seeing the tears falling down her cheeks. Your heart ached at the sight as her members tried to calm her down quickly. Never in a million years did you want to see Bada cry out of sadness. All you wanted to do was run up and give her the warmest hug you could.

Bada's eyes meet yours, and they plead for you to be near her. You bite your lip with a nod, getting frustrated as the time felt like it was going too slow for your liking. Even when your team ranked second, your mind was tunnel visioned on the tall dancer, and when you heard "Cut" from the director, you ran over to Bada. She stands up and lets your body fall into hers.

You swayed her body, and she relaxed, leaving her chin on her shoulder. "There were no wrong choices. You picked what you felt was right." The hug lasted forever, but you took her to the Aesthete room when you pulled her apart. The sad girl stood there as you whipped her tears away with a soft tissue and smiled a little.

"What are you smiling at, huh?"

"How pretty you are," she simply states, and you laugh. You grab her face, pecking her with light kisses, and she giggles. The tickling feeling makes her swoon over you. You then wanted to ensure you sealed the deal, giving her soft kisses on the lips.

For some reason, this doesn't surprise Bada. She takes it with open arms, even reciprocating it. "I don't ever wanna see you cry like that again," you tell her sincerely, but she laughs. "With you? I doubt I ever will."

Taglist: @1luvkarina @only-minghaos @kpopgirl-97 @tikitsune

[watchnrant]

Agatha All Along Episode 6: Easter Eggs & References

Tower Reversed

Lilia’s Tarot Readings Are Weaving a Magical Web

Alright, folks, if you’ve been keeping track, Lilia’s tarot card game in Agatha All Along is officially on another level. In Episode 6, while doing a reading at William’s bar mitzvah, she drops “The Tower Reversed.” Now, if you’ve been paying attention to the tarot cards scattered throughout the series—and the promo cards (yes, they did that)—you know there’s more to it than a casual reading.

“The Tower” card? That blue crown we saw Teen rocking at the end of Episode 5? Yep, same one. And we’ve already seen the High Priestess tying back to Jennifer Kale in Episode 2 and the Knight of Wands matching up with Alice Wu-Gulliver in Episode 5.

So, what’s up with the Tower reversed? Well, it’s all about dodging disaster or going through a huge personal transformation—totally fitting for where things are heading in this magical chaos. Trust me, if Lilia’s pulling cards, it’s a sign things are about to go down (or maybe up?).

Early Argento Vibes

A Nod to the Master of Horror

So, in Episode 6 of Agatha All Along, we catch William complimenting Lilia’s palm reading tent, calling it “very early Argento.” Horror buffs, you know the deal—this is a clear shoutout to Dario Argento, the horror maestro behind classics like Deep Red, Tenebrae, and Phenomena. Argento’s influence is all about eerie atmospheres and vibrant, unsettling visuals, and it looks like Agatha All Along is taking a page straight out of his spooky playbook.

Split Souls

Lilia’s Crystal Ball Teases William’s Dual Identity with a Sneaky Tarot Twist

When Lilia tells William his lifeline is broken in two, take a good look at her crystal ball. You’ll catch a glimpse of William as Billy, rocking his now iconic hoodie and sweater. That’s a nod to his future goth teen look as Billy Maximoff! What’s even cooler? The reflection is upside down, with the Tower and Wheel of Fortune cards inverted behind him. Those tarot reversals are no accident—they’re setting up some major life-altering moments for William. Lilia’s reading hints that his lifeline is split, describing it as “a new you,” but we know it’s a sign of something much bigger—William’s fate as someone who’s destined to hold two souls in one body, creating his dual identity.

Teen’s Sigil

Lilia’s Crafty Magic at Work

Alright, Agatha All Along fans, Episode 6 just dropped a major witchy bomb—Lilia is the one who cast Teen’s sigil, hiding William’s true identity from every witch out there, including herself. This little spellwork went down right before Billy Maximoff’s spirit took over William’s empty body. So, if you’re wondering why Wanda couldn’t track down her kid in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, this is your answer: the sigil was already in place long before Billy inhabited that body. Lilia’s magic game is seriously next-level, and it’s all part of the tangled web we’re unraveling.

Radio Echoes

A Throwback to WandaVision’s First Episode

As the Hex is shrinking and William is traveling home from his bar mitzvah with his parents at the beginning of Agatha All Along episode 6, they can hear both Vision and Wanda's voices on the radio. Likewise, the dialogue is specifically from the very first episode of WandaVision and its I Love Lucy/Dick Van Dyke Show homage. This aligns with the broadcasts that were picked up by SWORD agents outside the Hex, as was discovered by Darcy Lewis and Agent Jimmy Woo.

Alice Wu-Gulliver’s Fate Flip

From Eastview Cop to Agatha’s Victim

In Agatha All Along, we get some juicy flashbacks that show William Kaplan was already connected to every witch in Agatha’s new coven long before the magic hit the fan. During his bar mitzvah, he got a hand reading from Lilia Calderu, and he was apparently a loyal subscriber to Jennifer Kale’s YouTube channel—where magic meets skincare (because who doesn’t love a good mystical exfoliant?). But here’s the twist: Alice Wu-Gulliver, who later becomes one of Agatha’s coven members, was actually the cop on the scene when William’s accident happened, working for the Eastview PD.

And just when you think you’ve seen it all, the show flips the script. In Episode 5, Alice tries to cast out Evanora Harkness’s ghost from Agatha’s body, sacrificing herself in the process. Agatha, being the power-hungry witch she is, siphons all of Alice’s magic and life force, leaving her for dead. It’s a full-circle moment: Alice witnesses William’s last breath, and years later, Billy Maximoff, reborn in William’s body, ends up watching Alice’s tragic end. It’s a fate-twisting, time-bending move that shows the witchy web Agatha’s been spinning all along.

Whispers of Billy and Tommy

William Encounters Familiar Voices

Right after William's heart stops beating after the car crash, Billy and Tommy Maximoff's voices can be heard telling each other goodnight right before they disappear as Wanda brought down the Hex in WandaVision. However, Billy was able to find William's body as the closest empty vessel to inhabit, resulting in the split life that was foretold by Lilia at the bar mitzvah. However, there's hasn't been any indication as to what might have happened to Tommy's soul, revealed to be Billy's reason for walking down the Witches' Road.

Billy’s New Identity Unlocked

A Classic Wiccan Origin Twist in the MCU

Alright, MCU fans, they did it. When Billy wakes up in the hospital in Agatha All Along, he looks down and spots a medical bracelet with the last name “Kaplan.” That’s right—the show is borrowing straight from the comics, confirming that Billy Maximoff’s spirit has found its new home in the body of Billy Kaplan, just like in the original Marvel lore. And those familiar faces? William’s Jewish parents, Jeff and Rebecca Kaplan, are a perfect match for their comic book counterparts.

William’s Wall of Wonders

Hidden Gems of Magic and Adventure

As Billy explores William’s room, it’s like a trip down the ultimate retro rabbit hole. The walls are covered with posters from magic-infused and adventure-packed classics like Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, The Black Cauldron, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. There’s even a poster for The Goonies—only, it’s oddly titled The Goofballs. Clearly, William had a thing for the magical and mysterious. And judging by his magic-themed bar mitzvah, he was all in on the fantasy vibes. Fast forward three years, and Billy’s transformed the room to reflect his Hex obsession and deep dive into witchcraft lore.

The Westview Conspiracy

Billy Unveils What Really Happened with the Hex

When Billy shows his boyfriend Eddie his deep dive into the Hex, Eddie drops some serious intel: the Westview incident was officially explained away as an “Avengers training exercise gone wrong.” But Billy’s no rookie—he’s figured out the real story. Thanks to his research and a sharp eye for runes hidden within the Hex, Billy’s convinced that magic—not a superhero blunder—is behind the entire event. Talk about peeling back the layers of a cover-up!

Guess Who’s Back? It’s Ralph!

Westview’s Ultimate Insider Spills the Tea

In a shady parking garage meetup, Billy’s mystery Reddit contact is revealed, and—surprise—it’s Evan Peters’ Ralph Bohner. You remember him—the guy from WandaVision who got duped into being fake Pietro and Agatha’s puppet husband. Now, he’s left Westview behind, still haunted by the mind games he endured during the Hex. And with this new alliance, it’s clear he’s ready to spill some secrets.

What Really Happened to Sparky?

The Chilling Backstory You Didn’t See Coming

Brace yourselves—Ralph Bohner drops a bombshell about Sparky, the beloved dog from WandaVision. Remember when Agatha claimed she killed Sparky? Turns out, she forced Ralph to do the dirty work, making him poison the poor pup. It’s a gut-punch revelation that takes Agatha’s villainy to the next level. As if hexing an entire town wasn’t enough, she also made Ralph, under her control, hurt the most innocent of creatures.

The Soundtrack of the Witches’ Road

Lorna Wu’s Magic Tune Takes Center Stage

In Agatha All Along Episode 6, as Billy digs into the mysteries surrounding the Hex and Agatha Harkness, Lorna Wu’s rendition of the “Witches’ Road Ballad” plays in the background. We first heard it performed in reverse during Episode 4 when Lorna’s daughter Alice and the rest of the coven sang it. But now, for the first time, we’re hearing the actual rock ballad as it was meant to be played. It’s eerie, it’s epic, and it’s the perfect witchy vibe for the MCU’s spookiest storyline yet.

Billy’s Deep Dive Begins

333 Clues & a Hex of a Search

When Billy kicks off his search into Agatha Harkness, he types “Agatha Harkness Ancient Witch” into Looky and, surprise surprise, he gets exactly 333 partial results. And, if you’ve been paying attention, that 3:33 clock time from Episode 1’s interrogation scene suddenly clicks into place—definitely no coincidence there!

Among the search results, Billy stumbles upon The Macabre Wiki, an encyclopedia “created by two blood witches from Salem” that covers all things that go bump in the night. There’s also a Witchy Resource page that casually drops some intel about ancient witches and warlocks being “not well documented traditionally” (big shocker, right?) and hints that these mystical types have good reasons for keeping their secrets.

But here’s the real kicker—Billy finds an entry on how witches can choose their age and appearance, stopping their aging at will to stay looking thirty-something for centuries. Talk about defying time!

Finally, he hits up Dreadit and finds threads speculating on the Salem Witch Trials (SWT for short). One user points out that there are actual reports of witches surviving drowning and burning. Looks like Agatha’s ancient game of hide and seek is about to unravel, and Billy’s just getting started.

Agatha’s Dark Digital Footprint

From Salem to Jolene—The Witch Is Everywhere

As Billy dives deep into Agatha Harkness’s past, he uncovers some serious historical tea. He stumbles upon threads in the DreadIt forum—an underground community where users like “witchygirlblack” and “4thlevelwarlock” speculate about witches surviving the Salem Witch Trials. One post even mentions Evanora Harkness’s coven and hints that some of the young children escaped. When user “SamSamwitch” drops an image of Agatha Harkness, Billy follows the trail using Looky image search. What he finds is wild.

The search leads him to the Bellecross Daily Tribune, revealing that Agatha was listed as a missing resident after the Hindenburg disaster. But that’s not all—Billy finds a 1972 surveillance photo on a site claiming to show Dolly Parton with the “real Jolene.” Yep, someone’s suggesting Agatha was the homewrecker behind that iconic song, stirring up trouble with Dolly’s husband.

Digging deeper, Billy lands on Brujapedia, the self-proclaimed “Encyclopedia of Witches.” The site lays it all out—Agatha’s been spotted throughout history, from The Titanic to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1973. And the kicker? She’s got some seriously dark credentials: murdering her coven, possessing succubus powers, and being the only known survivor of the Witches’ Road.

As Billy reads on, Lorna’s Ballad starts playing, and he realizes he’s just scratched the surface of Agatha’s long, twisted legacy. This witch’s been weaving her chaos for centuries, and it’s all right there for anyone willing to follow the digital breadcrumbs.

Agatha’s Fashion Swipe

Ralph’s Family Reunion Just Got Weird

In Agatha All Along Episode 1, when we revisit the interrogation scene through Billy’s eyes, we finally get the full picture of Agatha’s antics. Turns out, while she was under the spell thinking she was a detective, she was rocking a “Bohner Family Reunion” shirt the entire time. Looks like Agatha’s not above a little wardrobe theft—especially when it involves messing with Ralph’s life even more.

[shanastoryteller]

happy pride! god zagreus, please?

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

It's not that difficult to find the bright, blazing light of Zagreus above the surface and pull himself there. He didn't even go very far - he's still on the same mountain as the entrance to the underworld.

Except when he appears, it's nothing like the mountaintop he remembers. All his angry words die on his tongue, replaced with a tentative sort of wonder.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Zagreus asks, beaming as he gestures to the lush forest and garden, full of plants and fruit that he's never seen before, in colors that shouldn't exist.

It's wild, but cultivated. They're in front of a fountain and there's a cobblestone path winding deeper into the forest, and even a hammock and a fishing pole near the pond, which is the part that he focuses on because it's the part that's connected to the Zagreus that he knows. He can easily imagine him lounging in that hammock for hours, pole held in a lazy grip that flicks back whenever he feels a bite.

"Prince?"

He turns and there is a woman coming up the path. She's beautiful, for a mortal, and just as lush as the greenery surrounding them. Zagreus's power is all around them, but she glows with it, giving her a subtle golden aura that any immortal could pick up on.

"Eliana," Zagreus says warmly. "Your father is taken care of. He was bragging about you to Sisyphus when I left."

She smiles, and it's tinged with sadness, but she says, "Thank you. You're all he talked about at the end. He was so excited to meet you."

He ducks his head. "Well, I hope I lived up to his expectations."

Zagreus had said that he wasn't married, but what else can this mortal be, who is cloaked in his power and speaks to him so casually? Thanatos's stomach flips then fills with acid.

"You never disappoint," she reassures, voice warm and fond and familiar. She flickers her eyes in his direction and raises an eyebrow.

"Ah," Zagreus's grin widens. "There's someone I want you to meet. This is Thanatos, the god of death, and, more importantly, he is my oldest and dearest friend."

She bows to him deeply, although she does not fully prostrate herself, which he feels uncharacteristically miffed about.

"Thanatos, this is Eliana. She is my high priestess. She oversees my the building of my temples and my orchards and is charged with discharging blessings in my name."

Ah.

No wonder she had not gotten to her knees before him. That level of devotion is reserved only for the god who's power she wields.

"You're a god," he says, staring at Zagreus, trying to reconcile everything he thought he knew with what's in front of him.

He smiles, teasing. "I've always been a god."

Yes and no.

He was always a god, but one without a domain. One without temples or worshippers or tributes. Even Thanatos doesn't have temples in his name.

"What are you the god of?" he asks, trying to ignore the tightness in his throat.

Eliana answers, "Our Prince is the god of life and the god of blood. Only he can provide shelter against the endless winter."

Thanatos blinks, because out of everything he's been told, this is the most unbelievable. "You - you're trying to stand against Demeter?"

"I have been standing against Demeter," he says, that familiar arrogance in every line of his body. "Who besides me? I am the son of the Lord of the Underworld and the Goddess of Spring. I will stave off death and call forth spring, for I am the god of life."

Fuck.

Thanatos misses a couple minutes ago when he thought they just had a civil war to deal with.

[thankyouforthememoriesworld]

So I (🔎) decided to dig more into 2016 because I had plenty of evidence for overlap but also didn't lol. Note this was Azzi's first year with Fairfax Stars and Paige played for North Tartan. Long story short, there was overlap but they were in different divisions. Paige played on NT 8th team the summer before her 9th. Azzi was apparently playing on a 10th grade team the summer before her 8th grade. But they were indeed in the same locations.

---------------------------------

North Tartan Summer Jam - June 2016 (No Overlap I can tell)

A fun little quoted tweet from North Tartan account in 2016 featuring Fairfax Stars and Azzi Fudd lol "They are legit"

https://x.com/NorthTartan/status/744032001620082690

Fairfax Stars 15U displays 3 future BCS players. Malu Tshitenge 6-4 C 2019 Elizabeth Martino 5-10 G 2020 & 2021 Azzi Fudd 5-10 G 2021.

The same guy tweeted on the same day:

https://x.com/brethoops/status/744011067588653057

North Tartan Starks 2020 team features Trifecta Paige Bueckers 5-10 G Mallory Brake 6-0 F & MacKenzie Kramer 5-7 PG. 3 future talents.

Now looking at the schedule for Summer Jam 2016, Azzi's Fairfax 15U did play North Tartan 10th EYBL but Paige actually wasn't on this team yet and played on the 8th NT team. Hence why they never played.

Tournament Schedule:

https://tourneymachine.com/Public/Results/Division.aspx?IDTournament=h201510192243367598877fa9d1c264f&IDDivision=h20160609131643192b6faa6c1558d4b

Azzi played several levels up while Paige did not participate in this tournament it seems (it only included North Tartan 9th and up). Now if you are wondering why Paige didn't play levels up I refer you to this tweet years later from her coach: https://x.com/22TTStarksMom/status/1151503192166948864

AAU Super Showcase - July 2016 in Atlanta (Overlap)

Then, Azzi had this tweet from July 2 2016: https://x.com/azzi_35/status/749378901768536065

AAU Sup Showcase Sched Wed 7/6 3:00pm vs. North Tartan - ct. 7

They were both at the super showcase but again, same deal - different divisions. https://image.aausports.org/dnn/girlsbasketball/2016/supershowcase/9-11SSTEAMS.pdf

They ended up advancing but losing to North Tartan (not Paige's team).

https://x.com/FairfaxStars/status/751563695000543232

Paige's team won the super showcase for 9th grade

https://x.com/22TTStarksMom/status/753615080315613184

Battle of the Boro 2016 in Nashville (Overlap)

Paige was part of the Freshman Division and won:

https://x.com/NorthTartan/status/753287011583332352

And seemingly, it seems North Tartan on all levels won championships:

https://x.com/NorthTartan/status/753331171023609856

Her team was undefeated in July thus far

https://x.com/NorthTartan/status/753287923965976576

https://x.com/NorthTartan/status/753285630654906368

Azzi was part of the Sophomore Division as part of the all tournament team:

https://x.com/FairfaxStars/status/754125955795419136

https://nyghoopsreport.com/news/battle-in-the-boro-all-tournament-team

-------------------------

On a different note - you can pull some scouting comments for Azzi's game since she was in middle school: https://nyghoopsreport.com/search?query=Azzi%20Fudd

Also the North Tartan twitter congratulating Azzi's team in 2017 and 2018 which I found endearing.

https://x.com/NorthTartan/status/876517915373309953

https://x.com/NorthTartan/status/1008389932413603841

I particularly enjoy "standing room only" for their match up in 2018: https://x.com/preferredscout/status/1008061107330789376

Last random thing I found - here's an incredibly old interview of Paige, my guess is from 2017 just from the headband

https://x.com/MrCmonNow/status/1167555153169268736

I don't know what to say other than bravo. Phenomenons from a young age ✨.

Bonus: Baby P with her baby voice 👶🏻

[bronx-bomber87]

Hello my wonderful fandom family :) Thanks for being so patient with me. I know I have till January but I am moving/slash road tripping at the end of Sept to a new state. Which is a HUGE change. Going two time zones ahead and everything. So wanting to get it out there before I move and have even less time LOL Also thank you for wanting to take this journey with me. S6 was hard on all of us.

Haven't had a show rock me this hard in a very long time. So I'm forever grateful for the love and comments these in depth reviews get. Never want to take that for granted. This was a ROUGH season to say the least. But I’m excited to dissect it with decompressed eyes and somewhat healed shipper heart. Be lying if I was saying it was fully healed. But was a much needed break for me. Let us begin shall we?

6x01 Strike Back.

Premiere starts off with a literal bang. They’re all trying to figure what is actually happening. The mastermind clearly not the man they just took down in Luke Moran. Also loving how scruffy Tim is in this first shot of the premiere. The stubble all over that gorgeous jawline of his. Mmm. Delicious dusting. Love to break me off a piece. Wouldn't be a review if Feral Caitlin didn't make an appearance would it? ha God he's beautiful I can't help myself. This is his fault really.

Anyway back to matter at hand.... Lucy points out Luke may have been a patsy for the real crime. Diverting all their resources to this this one spot instead of their real target. Our girl always being the brains and Tim being impressed by it. They go hand in hand. You know that man loves her brain. Her intelligence is just one of many reason's he fell in love with her. Fun to watch her flex it I have to say.

There’s so much to love about these shots in the shop with them. The Metro call sign being one of them. It does things to me. It’s just sexy. Also the automatic way she’s paired with him in this moment. Like anyone else would be in that car with him but still. Ever the packaged deal. Just the little things I always love so very much. They don’t share shops anymore. So this is a treat. Riding together, brainstorming, and just being the bad ass team they always are in the field. Makes my shipper heart happy to see it.

After the Federal Reserve mayhem we skip 6 weeks into the future. I always wondered what happened in those six weeks with our ship. Probably nothing massive tbh. But be fun to know what shippy goodness could’ve occurred. I imagine they had some time off after that. Spent it together and decompressed from the madness. Just a nice thought to think about is all. *cough fic writers cough.*

We start off our cuteness with Lucy in Tim’s office studying. There’s so much to love about this scene it’s unreal. Let’s start with Lucy taking residency in his office like it’s hers. Knowing it’s a quiet place for her to retreat to. Also I’m sure Tim offered it up long ago for her. Which makes me giddy to no end. He’s not the least shocked that she’s using it. Only that she’s not out on patrol. Married status continues to level up in this moment.

Lucy explains she’s fallen way behind in her studies. OT is killing her atm. I can’t imagine how stressed she feels. Lucy is our resident academic. Not having the time to nerd out on her studies has to be killing her. It’s why she reaches out to her man for help. To pivot this in a different direction. Something that worked for Tim when he needed studying time. Asking if she could ride with him today? Could quiz her between calls.

Getting flashbacks to 2x02 when she helped him study between calls for his exam. I always love the callbacks they do for them. Continuity is ship crack for me. I eat it up. He accepts and Lucy is beaming. Their smiles in this scene are so adorable. Couldn’t be more in love if they tried tbh. I remember thinking how much I missed our idiots in love so much. I'll be this way for S7 too. I miss them.

Tim looks excited for this challenge. You can see it in his face above. But he is also letting her know how hard it’s going to be if she wants him to do this. That it’s probably not going to solve her problem. But he’s willing to expand her knowledge base on wildcards. This way she can take any curve balls Primm has to throw. Lucy’s smile is everything when she thanks him. Relieved her man is gonna help her her out. I mean of course he would. Nothing he wouldn't do for her and she knows it.

I remember seeing the funniest post for this moment before it aired. How it was her basically asking ‘Babe, please be mean to me.’ LOL Lord knows this woman is well aware he wasn’t gonna take it easy on her. Just like the old days. It's where she learned the most. So it makes sense she would wanna dip her toe back in that pool.

Tim is ready to roll. Starting his ‘boot’ engines back up. Don’t tell me it's not a little bit of a kink for Tim. That man is too damn excited to be able to boss her around again. That being said says she learns best when she’s pissed off. I mean he’s not wrong…No one knows how to teach her better than he does. Lucy counters by saying does she? Or is this is just giving him permission to be an ass?

Tim letting her know if that’s really how she feels she doesn’t actually want his help. Lucy backtracks and is desperate for him to guide her with this. Saying she needs it. Tim is lighting up like a Christmas tree. You know that man LOVES her needing him professionally. It’s been awhile since she has. He’s excited. Lucy has been a self sufficient cop for long time now. Hasn’t needed his guidance for quite some time. So for her to come to him with this he is a happy camper.

Tim is thrilled to put his T.O. hat back on for her. They have such married energy through out this scene. Lucy telling him she doesn’t like his excited smile. Tim deflecting saying it's just his smile haha The absolute wifey look she gives him is hilarious. They just be flirting freely in the hallways. Like they aren’t completely married at this point. Even though he’s driving her insane she follows him out with an 'in love' smile. She loves her ass of a boyfriend haha

They hit the road and Lucy is still questioning her decision. Oh my girl. Saying maybe should’ve chosen Harper or Lopez instead…Tim makes a joke how Angela just got back. Her cop brain is just booting up. Which earns a smile out of Lucy. She loves this man sitting next to her so very much. Written all over her face. Doesn’t take long before Tim triggers a Lucy rant though.

Poor man is just trying to help the woman he loves get through this. Wasn't expecting the time bomb he received. He sets her off by saying no matter who teaches her they all have the same database. That there’s only a 8 percent difference between ranks. This is what ignites the Lucy meltdown above. That Primm is going to use that eight percent to trip her up. His face above when she starts is priceless. Tim is just bracing for impact at this point LMAO Ain't no stopping what's coming his way.

The flood gates have opened and phew lord what a meltdown it is LOL Holy hell. She is the queen of them. I adore how Melissa can shoot off so much dialogue in one breath. It’s impressive af if you ask me. Also makes me cackle so much cause I’ve been her. So many times when I’m under immense stress I do the same. You prattle on until you run out of steam. I can’t believe there isn’t a gif set of this rant so I made one. It’s too good not to have in this review.

It’s the look on Tim’s face that has me ROLLING. It’s been awhile since he’s had an epic Lucy rant thrown at him and it shows. Eric the King of facial expressions is at it again. I’m laughing so damn hard. I remember having to pause cause I was laughing so much at his expression. He most definitely wasn't expecting the rant that he got. If you can look at him above and not laugh you're made of stone. Hang in there Tim lmao Your girl Is worth this intense stress/anxiety vomit she just spewed all over you. It's like he doesn't even know where to begin after she's done. So he just doesn't....

The married energy continues once Lucy has wrapped up her meltdown. Tim being the smart man he is doesn’t say a word. He’s learned a thing or two from this relationship. Lucy though takes his silence as saying everything for him. With her ‘Please don’t.’ Tim trying not to start anything telling her he’s said nothing. He truly wasn’t expecting the explosion he got. Was happy to be a passenger princess today, while he quizzed her through out the day. And instead got an epic freak out right out the gate.

Tim can’t win for losing in this scene. (or this episode really) Lucy telling him she hear him thinking it. I remember there being a Chenford Bingo of some sort before the premiere. And exasperated husband was on there. This delivered that in spades. His reaction after her saying this is gold. Haha This is the woman you’ve chosen to love Timothy. LMAO You know he loves her to death neuroses and all but good lord ha.

Their banter never fails to hit and the marriage vibes on top of this is top tier. I am here for it all damn day. One of those 'When did they get married again?' moments. His look at the end is like he’s chanting to himself . ‘You love this woman…you love this woman...’ Lucy tops it off saying she just won’t sleep till the exam. Leaving Tim to shake his head more and not say a word. Only look out the window as he rolls his eyes. Primo banter and chemistry here. *chef kiss*

They roll up to their first wildcard. I adore the Metro call sign as they do. Tim assigning the crime scene to Lucy as he does. *fans self* I can’t explain why the call sign so sexy. Just is. Also them sharing it on the scene also gets me all in my feels. Tim is telling her that he is there as a resource for her. But she is the one in charge. Asking her what’s her first move?

The Plain Clothes Day vibes are all over this scene and it's fantastic. Another callback I am so happy they touched on. Lucy confidently strides onto the scene and explains her move. Tim tells her to call it in. Love the way she looks at him the entire time she does. Tim asks her what else? This is where Lucy’s confidence starts to wain sadly.

Where that panicked rookie from all those years ago begins to resurface. The way she is talking at Tim trying to figure it out oh my lord. The PCD vibes are so strong. Only this time Tim is helping her out a lot more. Unlike back in S1 he was there to watch her flop around, second guess herself and drown. It’s much different this time around. He truly wants her to succeed and let's her know as much in his responses. Lucy doesn’t see that in this moment though unfortunately.

Tim telling her the obvious boxes are checked but what’s her wildcard? The spiraling is so real for her in this moment. It hurts to watch the anxiety build in Lucy. Tim testing her knowing she can do this but her confidence is eroding in this moment rapidly. He is trying to get her there faster by saying she doesn’t have a minute. Which she really doesn’t when we know how this scene ends…

One of my fav parts of this scene is the line above. The kindness and gentleness Tim has. Because he wasn’t in love with her during PCD like he is now. Here he is trying to be supportive and gently guide her to the answer. Even give her an out for it. S1 Tim never would’ve said there’s no shame in not knowing the answer. Not this directly anyways. Doing his damn best to support her through this. But also help her get to the answer so she learns. Lucy takes it the wrong way though.

Reason being it has nothing to do with the man next to her. That man would die first before not supporting her. Level headed Lucy would know that. Sadly she is not here with us at this crime scene. Who she really is mad at is herself at this point. Because she should know the answer and her brain is stalling out in this moment. Tim told her he wasn’t gonna take it easy on her. But breaks a little with his kind reply. Giving her an out if she wants it. Lucy can’t handle it though...Because she is being far harder on herself for this than Tim could ever be. I can relate so hard to this it's unreal.

I do love the way she says ‘Sergeant Bradford, please.’ Lucy feels like she’s suffocating in her own thoughts. The panicked rush to get this right and hitting a wall. The anger building towards Tim at the same time. The confidence she has built since S3 just melting away the more she stresses. All the while taking it out on Tim. Why you ask? Because in this moment she is projecting that anxiety and stress onto him with her reply. Defense mechanism thy name is Lucy Chen.

Doesn’t take long after that line for the sprinklers to come on….The wildcard revealing itself on its own. We watch as the evidence literally gets washed away and the bullet down the drain….Lucy rushes to chase it and watches as it goes down a storm drain. A reflection for how she feels about her hopes of passing this test…It’s a rough scene to watch unfold for her. The devastation on her face when she realizes that bullet is gone is very rough.

They return to the station and Lucy is as defeated as she can be. Hoping no one knows about it as as she rubs her tattoo. They start to play clown music as she enters. SMH. Tim trying not to laugh. Aaron doesn’t help when he also laughs at her misfortune. Not a good day for our girl….Lucy gets distracted by Wesley being there with the baby.

We get a small sweet departure from her anxiety in this moment. While she has him she wants his legal opinion on her crime scene. He too laughs. These men in her life are the worst right now. Not helping her building anxiety and loss of confidence. Wes telling her she fatally ruined that scene. That she’s gonna need a straight up confession to convict someone. And that’s only if she finds the killer…oof.

We rejoin our beautiful duo staking out the crime scene. Lucy grasping at straws to fix what she so royally screwed up. Her heightened state of spiraling continues on in this scene. Lucy admits she wants to skip the exam. Her face breaks my damn heart. Killing me here Melissa. I do love the way he says her first name in response. Still gets me he can. After years of Officer Chen and ‘boot.’ Just hits differently and makes my shipper soul happy.

Tim tells her she is ready. That man would not tell her she was ready if she wasn’t. Relationship or not that man doesn’t hold back. Wouldn't send her head long into failure. If Lucy was in a better place emotionally she would’ve heard him. Heard the confidence in his tone. Seen the empathy he was exuding for her. This man has changed so much in his time with her.

It sky rocketed when they got together. Tim couldn’t have been more supportive if he tried in this scene. Hell this entire episode. But she is so very stuck in her head. A place Tim could normally shake her loose from. A specialty of his really. He can’t gain an inch of ground in this scenario. Lucy has dug her heels in so to speak that she’s gonna fail. Nothing he says is getting through.

Our girl is experiencing massive amounts of anxiety and self doubt. The panic attack is real. The fact that the one person she would’ve sold her soul for, in order to get his support back in the day, isn’t getting through is a problem. Lucy goes on to say she knows herself. That if she takes this test right now she will fail. Her confidence will die along with it. That it’s better to wait. Tim steps from one minefield to the next with this convo.

When he once again is just trying to be supportive and says ‘Then wait.’ Not only is he being in her corner he gives her something she can do in meantime. Something he hates the idea of. Her going UC while she waits this anxiety/doubt out. If that isn’t him supporting her idk what is. He is also still learning how to be there for her emotionally and she isn't giving him the grace for that. Sadly Lucy isn't in the right mind to see that though. She is just stuck in the mode she's been trapped in all ep.

I get it I really do and empathize with her. I’m the same way when my emotions are in a heightened state. Nothing gets through. I'm frozen in place emotionalIy. I get very doom and gloom as well. Lash out at anyone who isn’t going to be positive and reassuring. Which Tim is doing his best to be. But Lucy is in such a dark state of mind she doesn’t see it. All she sees right now is he doesn’t believe in her and is kicking her while she is down. She needs reassurances right now. To her he isn't delivering that the way she is wanting at this point. Him agreeing with her that she should wait is only making matters worse.

Anxiety is a cruel cruel master. It makes you believe things that aren’t true. Amplifies them to the point that you’re so wound up you’re lashing out at everyone. Even your person. Which is exactly what’s happening with Lucy in this moment. Her accusing him of making it worse with how bad she already feels. When Tim is professing words of encouragement all she hears is him saying she can’t do it.

Tim is desperate for her to know he’s in her corner after this display. Asking her if she heard him? Lucy is distracted by someone showing up to the crime scene. Tim asks her what? Lucy replying that woman was looking at the crime scene while crying. Tim is so sassy in his reply I’m proud of him. ‘Or maybe she just had a frustrating fight with her girlfriend’ heh love this. Calling her his GF always gives me the feels.

Lucy gets a last minute win with this case. Catching this lady trying to get her bracelet back after tossing the gun. Her cop gut serving her well. Sadly Lucy doesn’t see this win as such and it bleeds into this final scene unfortunately. Once again the music is absolute perfection. I’ll post some of my fav lyrics at the end of my analysis of this fight. But first let us witness the incredible chemistry that is Eric and Melissa in this final portion. You know your ship is amazing when even their angst is lightning in a bottle goodness.

This fight I will say when I watched it originally excited me. Because it just showed they’re human. Real. The both of them. They make mistakes and aren’t perfect. How healthy this was for them to get off their chest. Because honestly the UC/detective tension has been building for a long while. This was the boiling point for it IMO. This scene hurt so good to watch. I rewound it a few times before I could process it the first time.

Tim starts off with congratulating her on her 4th quarter win. He’s genuinely so proud of her for bouncing back. Felt like she NEEDED this win. So he makes sure she knows. But like I said earlier Lucy isn’t viewing it that way. Her perception is more than a little skewed atm. Her building anger at Tim has reached it's peak. She is cold to him and brisk as hell. Tim immediately picking up on her clipped ‘Thanks.’ Like she was going to be able to hide her anger and frustration from him. Girl no. Tim asks her what? Lucy shrugging him off once again.

Tim pulls on her arm gently and parrots her own damn words back at her from 5x21. That they’re not gonna work if she’s going to lie to him. Lucy conceding immediately to that. I mean they have a lot to work on communication wise, but they’ve also come really far in this aspect too. Don’t wanna disregard that. Look at Tim confronting this right away and communicating effectively. There are causes for excitement with that growth. That being said they have a ways to go. This fight is proof of that.

Lucy pulls zero punches when she asks if he undermined her today so she wouldn’t make detective? The absolute look of hurt painted across his beautiful face kills me. As you all know I relate with Tim so very much. He is so deeply loyal and loving. That any of his motives are to help those he loves around him. He truly thought he was helping her out today. Being supportive and helpful. So for her to come at him like this is leaving him stunned and extremely hurt.

His person the one person who knows him better than anyone, accusing him of something he would never even fathom doing. I was hurt for him watching this. Last thing he would ever do would be to hinder her intentionally. Loyalty to a fault is having someone else hurt you first before you’d ever do the same. That’s Tim. It’s why he is so defensive the rest of this scene. And rightfully so. I'm proud of him telling her it upset him she would even think that of him. Because IMO he did not undermine her. That man did what was asked of him.

All of Lucy’s pent up anxiety, anger, and frustration comes out full force at Tim in this scene. And my boy didn't deserve it. I was on his side the first time I watched it and I am now. I didn’t see that changing though lol. Do I understand what Lucy is going through? Yes. Good god yes. I've been her. I feel so much for what she's going though. I want to make that very clear. But Tim didn't deserve this barrage against him. Wanna also note i’m so proud of the writers for tackling mental health from the jump with this season. Both our babies got issues and this was the precursor to the season really. We just had no idea at the time....

Lucy assumed all day he was undermining her. Instead of just confronting that fact she sat in it. Stewed in it really. ALL. DAMN. DAY. Which isn’t like her. She is the type to face it right away and voice that to Tim. But didn’t this time. Giving us a little taste of their communication problems early on this season. There’s that saying. 'When you assume you make an ass out of you and me.’ And by the end of this convo Lucy is feeling like an ass. I guarantee you that .

Lucy continues to dig herself a hole when she bring up that maybe it was "unconscious". Not deliberate but also that he couldn’t help it. Which doesn’t make Tim feel any better. Nor would it make me feel any better either tbh….Basically saying he has no control over things he does. Which just insult to injury at this point for him. Then Lucy goes for her next punch below. One I still feel was unfairly delivered.

Does Tim still carry those issues? Of course he does. 100% that is still a weight on him. It’s reflected in the next ep when the subject of UC comes up. But does it belong in this fight with him? No. It has zero place in it. But like I said before she is feeling a loss of control and confidence in herself. So she is projecting her insecurities and feelings onto Tim. By bringing up his and using them to stabilize hers. It's a low blow she is dispatching to him.

She is running from her own feelings about this. She is also protecting herself by making it about Tim and his problems. (Which he has for sure) Because she isn’t ready to face the fact that she’s afraid of UC and all that will come with it. How being a detective on top of it is going to pull her from him even more.

She voiced these concerns in 5x19 when she was originally studying for her exam. It’s easier for her right now to hide in and blame Tim for his problems, than deal with her own right now. Tim’s reaction is so valid in this moment. Because to him all he did was have her back from the jump. He is feels sucker punched by this explosion and it's written all over his reaction.

Lucy asked him to help her. He did. Even told her it wouldn’t be easy and he wouldn’t be soft on her. She accepted the terms of this situation willingly. Tim supported her best he could through her meltdown. Did his damndest to not comment on it. He knows it’s her process to spiral a bit then right herself. Because he knows her so well. He had her back in trying to help figure out her wildcard. She rejected it and drowned.

Tim was calm and kind even if she didn’t recognize it about the exam. When she was doubting herself he built her up letting her know she can do it. Did his best to be in her corner if she truly felt she wasn’t ready. Then congratulated her when she got her case win. To Tim all that was him having her back.

It’s why he’s so blindsided and hurt by her words. Lucy is basically kicking him while he down in this moment and it hurt to watch. Because her anxiety and immense stress has blinded her. Making her act so very not like herself. She came at him with a one-two punch. First punch accusing him of undermining her and second being an unfair Isabel punch.

The K.O. punch really is him reading her face above. The way she looks at him when he says ‘But if you can’t see that then…’ Doesn’t even finish his sentence. He can read her just as well as she can read him. Lucy cannot see that right now. Too clouded by her extreme anxiety and stress to see him and his intentions clearly. So he ejects out of the convo. She has knocked him down for the count.

Tim can’t take the way she is looking at him right now. The way she is making him feel. Tim has always held how she viewed him in high regard. Nothing means more to him than what she thinks of him. So for her to level him with this is heartbreaking for him. So he reverts back to old Tim and clams up. Tells her he’s tired and for them to take the night off. Then walks away from her with no way for her to retort.

Lucy is a block of ice until this line of his. She was fully expecting him to apologize and go home with her. And he did not. He ejected out of the conversation to go lick his wounds. The look of shock on her face is everything. She wasn’t expecting that at all. You can see the panic on her face. That raw panic of her being left behind by him. Of Tim leaving her. The tears building in her eyes as he does this. Oh the painful foreshadowing that is this moment…..

The lyrics for this scene are so poignant and perfect. As is the entire musical lineup for this season. Perfectly encompasses Lucy in this episode and especially this scene. Here are some of my favs.

‘I think I’m losing my mind. I see you’re losing your light. Drowning out the decibels. Do you wanna find the antidote? Trying to watch my obstacles, see how fully I’ve been broke.’ Lucy is so broken in this episode and doesn’t reach out to the one person, her person to help fix her. She was drowning and went to him for the antidote and then refused it the entire time. Then gets consumed by it all.

Just a glaring look into how they both deal with being emotionally overwhelmed and vulnerable. And it’s not a good look for either of them this season tbh. But we start out with Lucy’s where I side with Tim before we go head long into Tim’s and I side with Lucy it's balanced at least lol. Damn good premiere though. I was buzzing with excitement after it.

As always thank you to anyone who read this. To all the likes, comments and or reblogs I may receive you are the best. I shall see you all in 6x02 :)

Side notes-Non Chenford

~~~~

Scruffy Tim in this ep has my ovaries in overdrive. Mmm just wanna nom on his jawline like corn on the cob.

Nyla Harper being a bad ass in a tense situation is primo. Can always count on her. The aftermath sucks for her though.

Angela being more excited to see a burrito than her husband is hilarious and so on brand haha

Main baddie gets eliminated at the end of the ep. Not sure I remember why tbh haha Things got hazy at the end of the season for me with the SL.

[dragonnarrative-writes]

GhostGaz Week - sweet talk // missed connection

I'm so so so excited to have participated in @ghostgazweek this year! It's the first time I've done an event like this and it's brought me so much joy. To everyone who has read and commented on my work this week, thank you! I'm so excited to play with some of these concepts some more.

CW: Relationships between coworkers, mutual pining, front of house/back of house relations, Phillip Graves (derogatory), kissing, a taste of dirty talk

“Takin’ my ten,” Kyle tells his manager, pulling his phone from his pocket. Price nods, waving him off and assigning Kyle’s tables to Alex and Nova. He swings into the kitchen with an absent wave as he checks his messages and steps out back.

“’M no’ sayin’ ye have’ t’ declare yer love in front o’ the whole bloody team.”

Kyle perks up at the sound of Soap’s voice, but back-of-house gossip is going to have to wait while he tries to figure out what his off-again situationship is complaining about now. Or not - the meltdown in his messages is not worth dealing with. Just as he’s about the round the corner though, the growl of Simon’s voice freezes him.

“That’ll do, Soap.”

Kyle has to bite his lip to keep from gasping. Simon isn’t the head chef - that’s Farah - but he might as well be her right hand. He’s the glue of the weekend dinner rush. Level headed no matter what, rarely raises his voice above a raspy muttering, huge hands that Kyle has seen split an apple in half without a hint of visible effort. Whoever he dates is going to be envied by the entire front of house. Partially because he’s bloody gorgeous. But partly because he’s just the perfect man.

“Nae, yer gonna listen t’me,” Soap insists. “I promise, ‘e’s interested.”

“’E’s not,” Simon says. “Already tried flirtin’ wit’ ‘im. No dice.”

“Leavin’ a note wit’ yer phone number - in a pile of other notes with phone numbers - is no’ flirtin,” Soap says, and Kyle can imagine the despair on his face just from the tone of his voice. “Do you ken ‘ow many o’ those damn notes ‘e gets in a night?”

“Exactly. And he’s got a bird.”

“They broke up last week,” Soap hisses. “She’s shacking up with her ex.”

Kyle would snicker at how close he sounds to pulling his hair out but…

Kyle’s situationship ended last week. Because she moved in with her ex and Kyle doesn’t want to go through that roller coaster, again. And Kyle’s the flirt on shift, so he gets the most notes and phone numbers on receipts…

“’E’s got better prospects,” Simon says. Kyle hears the flick of a lighter. “Gorgeous, competent, charismatic? Kyle could have anyone.”

“And ‘e wants you, ye daft fucker,” Soap groans. “Steamin’ Jesus the two of ye. Just fuckin’ tell ‘im.”

“Tell you what,” Simon grumbles, muffled by his cigarette. “If he comes out here before my break’s done, I’ll tell ‘im.”

“Then ah’ll go in an- Oh you mother fucker! 30 seconds?”

Simon sounds amused when he says, “Tick tock.”

Kyle probably couldn’t ask for a better dramatic entrance, so he rounds the corner with a, “What’d I miss?”

Soap yelps and clutches at his chest like an old woman. Leaning against the wall, Simon looks about as surprised as he ever does, which means there’s a hunted look around his eyes, but he mostly looks tired and resigned. He settles into his thousand yard stare and takes a long drag.

“Gaz-bear!” Soap exclaims. He circles behind Kyle and shoves him forward. “Simon has something to tell you that is of a very personal nature. Do not let him distract you with talk about the kitchen! I love both of ye and ah’m tellin’ Price to fire both of ye if ye don’t talk!”

And then he’s slamming back into the kitchen, leaving Simon and Kyle alone in the alley.

He could play coy, but Kyle’s a bit giddy. “You like me, Simon?”

Simon grunts, contemplates his cigarette as he says, “Wondered ‘ow much of that you ‘eard. But don’t worry, I’ll keep professional.”

“God no.” Kyle can’t imagine anything wants less. “Tell me when you wrote me that note.”

“Dunno," Simon shrugs. "6 weeks after that shit with Graves?”

Two years ago, before Price took over, Phillip Graves had been the manager. He’d been a nightmare, harassing hostesses and firing anyone who dared to point out he was bad at his job. After the tenth straight day of a front of house person running into the kitchen to cry, pursued by Graves himself, Simon had had enough.

“I c’n make this a much more hostile working environment if tha’s what we’re aimin’ for.” The big beautiful bastard had shoved his knife a good quarter inch through a cutting board. The reverberation of the blade had rung through the painfully silent kitchen. All of the back of house looked to Farah for direction. She'd looked at Simon. Kyle, Nova, Alex, and the girl they’d been consoling by the fridges had all held their breath.

“I could fire you,” Phil spat.

“You won’t. You fuck with this kitchen, you’re losing your job,” Simon had answered. The fact that he had looked and sounded bored had scared and aroused Kyle in equal measure. “So ‘ere’s what’s going to happen - Keller and Garick are supervisors now. Pay them like it. You got a problem with front o’ house, you talk to them. Another girl comes runnin’ in here, then I‘m coming out there an’ you and I are ‘avin’ words.”

Graves had sputtered, looked around at everyone gathered, then spun on his heel and left.

Three months later, he’d gone missing. Two weeks after that, Price had arrived, greeting Farah and Simon like old friends and preparing to make the restaurant the best Kyle had ever worked at.

What did it say about Kyle that rumors that Simon had gotten rid of Graves for good only made him more attractive?

“That was more than a year ago,” Kyle says, sidling his way under Simon’s arm and leaning into him. Kyle’s not a short man, but Simon is tall and broad and warm under his work tee. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Simon takes another drag, and looks down at Kyle out of the corner of his eye. “I’m not exactly dating material. And you had a bird.”

“I would have dumped her in a heartbeat,” Kyle admits, startled when Simon barks a surprised laugh. “I would have! Fuck, I could have been sneaking out here with you for seven months? I’ll break up with her again right now.”

“Fuckin’ ‘ell,” Simon laughs, smashing his cigarette into the wall and dropping the butt into flower pot turned butt bin. He doesn’t move his arm from around Kyle’s shoulders.

“We’re dating now,” Kyle declares. “We’re boyfriends.”

“Movin’ kinda fast,” Simon points out.

“I’ve been in love with you for more than a year. Catch up,” Kyle dismisses. “My lease is up in four months, and I’m movin’ in with you. Now kiss me.”

Simon doesn’t hesitate. His lips are just the slightest bit rough. He smells like cigarettes and spices, and he turns to bracket Kyle against the wall. One large hand finds it’s way to the small of Kyle’s back to pull him in and press their hips together.

“Fuck,” Simon growls when Kyle moans against his mouth. “Pretty, pushy thing. Gonna be this demanding all the time, Gorgeous?”

“I have a lot of time to make up for,” Kyle groans, nibbling kisses along his jaw. “You should let me blow you.”

“Oh, should I?” Simon’s rumbling laugh sends shivers down his spine. “Should let Farah and Price catch you choking on my cock?”

Well, if Kyle was half-hard before, he’s rock hard now. “God, yeah, let me.”

“Not yet,” Simon growls, and that yet sends sparks flying through Kyle’s veins. His next kisses are just this side of too rough, tongue and teeth making Kyle’s lips so sensitive. Finally, he pulls himself away to pant into Kyle’s ear, “Let me take you on a date, huh, Gorgeous? Let me take you out, wine and dine you. Wanna know all about you, wanna talk about something other than work for more than five minutes. Then I’ll take you home and lay you out. Kiss you all over, suck that gorgeous cock of yours, yeah?"

“Jesus,” Kyle hisses. He tries to rock his hips into Simon’s, but strong hands hold him back. “Yeah, okay, yeah. Kiss me again.”

Simon laughs, dips down to give Kyle another closed-mouthed kiss. “Gotta head back in.”

“No,” Kyle pants. “Kiss me again.”

Simon growls into the next kiss and shifts to press his whole front into Kyle. When he pulls back, he presses a thumb against Kyle’s lips. “Be patient, Gorgeous. Gotta get through work tonight.”

He knows he’s pushing it, but, “…kiss me again.”

Simon’s lips are achingly gentle for a moment and then they’re gone as he takes a step back. “’M goin’ inside, now.”

“Thai food after work?” Kyle pants.

Simon chuckles and adjusts himself. “Yeah.” He swoops in for another brief peck. “It’s a date.”

[rottenpumpkin13]

AGS tries a period cramp simulator. Shoot.

Cissnei bought a period cramp simulator from the internet and takes it to the SOLDIER floor after killing the other Turks with it wondering how the First Class trio would fare against the horrors of menstruation

*Angeal has it on*

Angeal: You know, I really respect people who menstruate so much. They endure pain beyond our understanding and should—

*Cissnei turns it on*

Angeal: OH GOD I CAN FEEL MY GUTS SCREAMING FOR HELP. UGH. UGH. UGH. WHY DID YOU START IT AT 10!?

Cissnei: This is 4.

-

*Genesis has it on level 3*

Genesis: This isn't so terrible. Sure, it's uncomfortable, but I've been stabbed in the stomach before, and this feels worse than this. Women exaggerate.

*Cissnei cranks it up to 6*

Genesis, sobbing: I'M SORRY WOMEN.

-

*Sephiroth has it on 5*

Sephiroth: It's uncomfortable, yes, but I would still be able to perform my job with this, as do our operatives who menstruate, who go on missions during their period with no complaints at all.

*Cissnei cranks it up to 10*

Sephiroth, the breath leaving his body: ........

Cissnei: Get up, you gotta go to work.

Sephiroth, turning blue: .........

Cissnei: You have children to take care of.

Sephiroth, slowly perishing: .........

Cissnei: You have to act as if you're okay because men become uncomfortable when you mention your period.

Sephiroth, on the floor: ........

Cissnei: It's just a period cramp, what's the big deal? Take some ibuprofen and walk it off.

[vintagetvstars]

Bea Arthur Vs. Lily Tomlin

Propaganda

Bea Arthur - (Golden Girls, Maude) - Okay okay where do I even start!! Bea Arthur is incredibly attractive. She has a SUPER deep voice (stunning), a sort of regal, statuesque way of moving and talking, and she can kill you with a single piercing look. Like seriously. Her Looks have become a thing in both shows she plays a lead character in. Did I mention: TWO characters were *written for her*!! When she did Maude in 1972, she'd appeared on All in the Family as a side character and the people there loved her so much they went "this woman needs her own TV show". SO THEY WROTE IT. And made 6 seasons of it. That's how good she is. When the pilot for The Golden Girls was written, creator Susan Harris described the part that Bea would end up playing as a "Bea Arthur type" before they'd even cast her in the role. She was Jewish, she served as a typist and truck driver in the marines during WWII, she had a whole career off and on Broadway behind her by the time she started her career in television, and she was an ally to the gay community — there's even a shelter for homeless queer youth named after her. And did I mention her voice?? Because she can sing too!

Lily Tomlin - (Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, Saturday Night Live, Murphy Brown) - “Lily Tomlin is, I believe, a great artist. I find that her work succeeds on every level: She is a great actress; she is a brilliant comedienne; she is a coruscating commentator on our times and on her place in the world; she is frighteningly clear in her ability to see and to share what entered her mind and her heart; she is amazingly generous with her material. The final point is one that you will not understand until you begin to create your own work, and you will know the brutal difference between those who give a great deal and those who give according to fashion and whim. Trust me when I tell you this is a brutal point.” — Tennessee Williams

Master Poll List of the Hot Vintage TV Ladies Bracket

Additional propaganda below the cut

Bea Arthur:

She was just so funny and compelling onscreen. She had great timing. And she was beautiful no matter what age and she was an incredibly LGBT+ ally.

I think it's a very common experience to start watching The Golden Girls and immediately develop a crush on Dorothy Zbornak - and it's not a coincidence. Between her statuesque figure, her regal poise, her sharp wit and her wonderful, deep voice, Bea Arthur brings so much to the table that it's impossible not to be head-over-heels in love with her from the very first moment she appears on screen. Career-wise, she's a legend of the small screen; she received the third most Emmy nominations for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (an incredible 9!). Her guest appearance as Maude in All in the Family impressed both the public and the executives so much that they made a spin-off series *especially for her*. She led Maude - the sitcom - for six incredible seasons to critical and public acclaim, and this would already be enough to nominate her among the greats, but then - as the true queen she was - she went on to star into *another* legendary show, The Golden Girls, as *another* legendary character, Dorothy, and won another Emmy (as well as several nominations) for it, just because she could. As for her private life, she was known as a private, introverted person, who loved the simple things in life; all her fellow TV stars (including Angela Lansbury, who was a dear friend of hers) recall her as a kind, decent person and a wonderful professional, with impeccable work ethic and truly immaculate comedic timing. We do not support the military complex here, but we do support girlbosses winning, so let me just mention that she was one of the first women (ever!) to join the US marines; she was also a licensed medical technician. All in all - a legendary lady who definitely deserves your vote!

how many people can dress up as the Statue of Liberty and look this good?

have you ever seen a woman so beautiful you started crying

MOTHER

soft butch queen. Who else could rock a papillon like that?!?

1982 Bea Arthur - Fifty Percent.avi

Beatrice Arthur, Down in the Depths, 1980 TV

Lily Tomlin:

She's beautiful and hilarious! Her smile is so bright! photo of her and her partner Jane Wagner:

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Agatha all along ep 6 spoilers.

After the ep 5 ending I was really looking forward to seeing ep 6 and I have to say it did not disappoint. This episode was great and we got some answers but also some more mysteries to solve. I do think this episode had some really dark moments amd themes in it but then that was balanced out with some comedic moments too.

First I want to talk about one of the darker more tragic events of this episode and that's the William Kaplan/Billy Maximoff backstory. This situation is tragic in so many different ways. When it comes to William Kaplan obviously the tragedy is that he is this young 13 year old boy, he has a loving family and has just celebrated this huge milestone and has his whole life ahead of him when there's a car accident that suddenly cuts his life short. I think unfortunately this is a story that happens way too often in real life, and it's always devastating when someone so young is lost like that.

But this situation is made darker because you've then got William's parents who have no idea that their son has died. They know that he is different and that he doesn't remember them, which is really hard to cope with, but they think it's a result of the head injury from the accident, they don't know that their son died and was replaced with Billy Maximoff and how would Billy even begin to explain that to them. But it means you've got these parents who have gone through one of the most devastating things a parent can go through, the loss of a child, but they don't know it has happened and so can't properly grieve for their son. All they know is that he is different than he was before the accident.

Then you have Billy. That moment when he was in the hospital and you could see how terrified he was, well that was heart-wrenching. Billy must have been so confused and scared, one minute he's saying goodnight to his brother and parents, the next he's bleeding in a car, being rushed to hospital and is surrounded by strangers. On top of that he is being told by everyone around him that he is William Kaplan, that he doesn't remember that because he was in a car accident but he himself believes he is someone else, that he's Billy Maximoff, that something isn't right, so he must be really struggling through an identity crisis and trying to figure out what is real and who he really is. On top of that he has memories of his twin, Tommy, he can sense him but can't find him. It's a lot for a young boy to go through and to deal with. He can also read the minds of those around him which adds to the distress he feels. He spends the next three years trying to figure out who he really is whilst also feeling like an intruder and like no one truly knows him which must be really lonely. I think that's why when he hears Eddie thinking about telling him he loves him he confesses to him because he wants at least one person to know who he truly is. I think he struggles with his identity up until his meeting with Ralph and hearing Ralph talk about Wanda and Vision's sons is when he gets that confirmation that the identity he knew, Billy Maximoff, is real and that's when he begins to re-embrace that identity and he becomes determined to find his brother, the last member of his family still left to him.

Another added level of tragedy to this situation is Wanda. She spent the events of MoM desperately looking for her children, wondering why they existed in every other universe but her own, feeling that bitterness and grief and how unfair it was that in every other reality her children exisisted and were with her, so why didn't they exist in hers as well, why was she without them. But the heartbreaking truth was that they did exist in her universe but, Billy at least, was hidden by the sigil. I do wonder why it is no one can find Tommy and what happened to him? Did he also end up in the body of a dying kid? Is his soul just kind of floating around without a vessel and that's why Billy can sense him but not find him? I also wonder if when Wanda could hear her sons calling out for help whether that was real and was her sons in her reality subconsciously calling out to her. We know Billy was going through a bit of turmoil, it's possible Tommy was aswell where ever he is, so maybe Wanda was picking up on that in the post credit scene where she had the darkhold and could hear them, but maybe the sigil prevented her from being able to physically find them/Billy. If that makes sense, so she could hear their thoughts, but when she tried to actually look for them, the sigil plus whatever is hiding Tommy, prevented her from finding them. I will say though that Agatha's line about how every witch with heartbeat can hear Billy now becomes even more heartbreaking when you think that Wanda no longer has a heartbeat and so she'll never know that her son is still alive. Unless of course the mcu find a way to bring her back which I am still holding out hope for.

So speaking of the sigil, out of all the potential characters that could have cast it I was not expecting the reveal to be Lilia. That being said it does make sense to the story, she's a divination witch and clearly saw something that made her feel the need to put the sigil on him. I do wonder what exactly she saw, clearly she saw William dying and being replaced by Billy but I can't help but wonder if there was more to her vision than that and whether the sigil was to protect him or to protect others from him.

Another thing I did like in this episode is how Billy/William came into contact with all the members of the coven at some point, Lilia at the bar mitzvah, Alice at the car accident, Jen on YouTube and Sharon when he ran into her car. It adds to that idea of a coven being brought together by forces of fate.

The relationship between Billy and Eddie was so cute and wholesome and I hope we get to see more of them. I love how supportive Eddie was of Billy when he confessed to him that he wasn't William Kaplan and how he helped Billy try to unravel the mystery around his identity, even going so far as joining him in a creepy parking garage to meet a creepy stranger from online.

Ok kids I do need to say though if you make contact with someone online, especially someone named bohneriffic please don't go meet up with them, especially not in a creepy parking garage, Billy was not deploying street smarts there, the only smart part of that plan was that at least he took his supportive boyf with him. I do have to say that when wandavision first aired, I really, really, really hated the reveal that Evan Peters wasn't another variant of Peter/Pietro but was some random dude named Ralph Bohner, mostly because I really loved Evan Peters version of quicksilver in the xmen films and so was excited to see him in the mcu. So finding out that he wasn't actually quicksilver was like a slap in the face. That being said the scene between Mr bohneriffic, Billy and Eddie was a balm that helped sooth the sting a bit. The scene was very funny and I think Evan did a great job with it. It was also interesting to hear from the point of view of someone who was under Wanda's hex and what that was really like for those who lived in Westview. I'm still hoping that one day we'll see Evan's quicksilver in the mcu though.

Speaking of funny scenes and seeing things from a different pov, getting to see the whole chase and interrogation scene from the first ep from Billy's pov was hysterical, it really did leave me in stitches. Highlights have to be, her using the end of a hose pipe as a gun, when she kicked him out of the chair but actually it was just this really goofy kick she laid on him, the whole poking the bear bit and of course the iconic 'I don't want to go back in the closest' line. Again, though, it was also interesting to see it from outside of agatha's pov and see how different the reality actually was. It's kind of funny how she saw Billy as this mouthy, confident teen when in reality he was actually being really sweet and kind of goofy.

Another interesting scene was the ending between Billy and Agatha. I do think they have an interesting dynamic and they always have had, there does seem to be an affection there between them, like I believed Agatha when she said it was good to see him again, also she didn't want him feeling guilty for taking over William's body and she seemed to have a kind of pride in him and saw him as even more of a witch because he survived, like witches do. But at the same time there is that antagonism between them too, they've wronged each other and Billy does have trust issues when it comes to Agatha, I also wouldn't be surprised if Agatha is now a bit less trusting of Billy after he threw her in the mud. She clearly was enjoying mocking him about his parents and brother and trying to get a rise out of him.

Honestly for me this show just keeps getting better and better, I can't wait for the next episode and to see what will happen next, where Jen and Lilia are now because let's be real they aren't dead. What's rio up to because she's been noticeably absent since Alice died. Is Billy going to be able to find Tommy at the end of the road and what's Tommy been up to since the end of Wandavision. So many more questions I need answering.

[milesluna]

My Favorite Games of 2023.

Hi. Hello. Thanks ever so much for clicking on this page. Happy to have you.

First thing's first: I'm a little freak when it comes to video games. I don't feel the need to beat most games I play. From Software is one of my favorite studios in the industry and I've never finished a single one of their games. This means, fortunately, that I get to play a LOT more games than the average bear.

I've written up some blurbs about my top ten favorite games from 2023, but before that here's the list of every game I remember playing this year that left any sort of lasting impact on me (in no particular order):

Dead Space Remake Resident Evil 4 Remake F-Zero 99 Humanity Dredge Metroid Prime Remastered Anemoiaplois Alan Wake 2 Baldur’s Gate 3 LoZ Tears of the Kingdom Counter Strike 2 Hunt Showdown El Paso Elsewhere Jusant Slay the Princess| Remnant II The Finals Street FIghter 6 Lethal Company BattleBit Remastered Don’t Scream Homebody The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog Pizza Tower World of Horror Super Mario Wonder Mr. Sun’s Hatbox Fifa 23 Sea of Stars (Demo) Half-Life (25th Anniversary Update)

And the games I played that were NOT released in 2023:

Unpacking Persona 4 Golden Picross 7 The Order 1886 Shovel Knight Dig Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Spider-Man: Miles Morales Pac-Man Championship Edition DX Project Zomboid Quake LoZ The Minish Cap Drill Dozer Wario Land 4 Pokemon Pinball Resident Evil Revelations Summer of ‘58 Trackmania TwinCop We Were Here Visage Cursed Halo CE Half-Life 2 (I probably play this once per year) Witch Hunt Red Dead Redemption 2 Cyberpunk 2077 Borderlands 3 Brutal Legend Cultic Slay the Spire PUBG Rez Infinite Batman Arkham City Alan Wake Alan Wake: American Nightmare Max Payne LoZ: Majora’s Mask 3DS Metroid Prime Metroid Prime 2 Tunic Everhood Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VII Remake GOODBYE WORLD Yakuza: Like a Dragon Critters for Sale Dome Keeper Phasmophobia Hades Nintendo Switch Sports

Now that you understand the kind of freak you're dealing with…

Let's dive into my top ten favorite games from this objectively fucked up year.

10. El Paso Elsewhere Developed by Texas indie studio Strange Scaffold, El Paso Elsewhere is a Max Payne-clone with vampires, an opinionated narrator, and lots and lots of bullet time. As a small studio punching well above their weight class, Strange Scaffold leans into abstract, PlayStation 1 minimalism when it comes to visuals and pairs them with a soundtrack that will make your hands sweat. The vibes are here and they're ready for the end of the world. I'm personally also a big fan of everything this studio stands for.

9. Mr. Sun's Hatbox I want you to imagine Metal Gear Solid V. Now I want you to imagine that game as a 2D, level-based, slapstick platformer you can play with up to three friends. If you think that sounds stupid, you'd be right. And it's beautiful. As you build up a secret army of soldiers with various skills (and disorders), you'll start to develop *favorites*. This game constantly asks if you're willing to send those favorites on a harrowing mission and risk losing them forever… or if you'd rather send an idiot you recently captured who blinks constantly and can't kill anyone without fainting.

8. Dredge Every year I feel like I find one game that falls into the “just one more round” category, and baby… Dredge was it for 2023. As a weary fisherman in strange waters, you'll make the most out of your 12 measly hours of sunlight only for your daily voyages to inevitably pull you into the darkness of night, and night is when things get weird. Rocks emerge from the fog that you swear weren't there before, your equipment malfunctions, and you're pretty sure you just saw something in the water… something big. Despite only containing a small collection of islands, the world of Dredge manages to feel vast - perhaps vast enough to swallow you whole.

7. Resident Evil 4 Remake I was curious to see what sort of changes would be made to the timeless classic and father of modern 3rd person shooters, Resident Evil 4. I wasn't let down. RE4 Remake takes all the things that didn't age well about the original, tossed them out, and replaced them with only good things. And MORE things! It's campy, fun, and better than a game of bingo.

6. Jusant I really feel like this one didn't get the recognition it deserves. Jusant is a rock climbing game that combines the quiet contemplation of Journey with the mechanical specificity of Death Stranding. Unlike Death Standing, though, there is very little story to interrupt your flow. There are plenty of collectible bits to find for those curious to learn more about what happened before the events of the game, but the environmental storytelling does most of the heavy lifting. For me, the joy of the game comes from how it feels. Right trigger controls your right hand grip, and left trigger controls left hand grip. Plan your route, manage your stamina, and climb high above the clouds in search of answers.

5. F-Zero 99 This. Shit. Slaps. I've never been a big F-Zero guy, but this MADE me one. The “battle royale”, 99 player format is the perfect fit for the ruthless, high octane world of the game. Races last about three minutes, and friend, they are the most intense, white-knuckled three minutes of your life. The decision to make your boost meter the same as your health meter started in F-Zero 64 (I believe), and it is so much more HARROWING in this game when another player could side-swipe you mere meters from the finish line and blow you to bits. Sadly it's only playable via Switch Online, but it made me cheer, laugh, and scream enough this year to earn a spot in my top 5.

4. Alan Wake 2 Remedy makes weird games that also manage to exist in the AAA space and for that I will forever love them. Although Alan Wake 2 resembles a 3rd person shooter survival horror, I'd honestly say it's more of a narrative game than anything else. There's sidequests, there's puzzles, there's upgradeable skills, but at the end of the day the characters, world, and story are what kept me playing. If you haven't checked them out recently, you should definitely watch a story recap of the original games before diving into this sequel, but the wild swings for the fences this game takes are well worth that small price of admission. There's a god damn musical number, for Christ's sake.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom I've really got nothing to say about this game that most people don't already know. It's incredible. The fact that Nintendo made a game that redefined an entire genre and then made a SEQUEL to it that ups the ante is remarkable. To be honest, I've only cleared the Rito, Zora, and Goron cities. I got a bit tired of exploring the depths and guiding Koroks to their friends, but I can't deny the sheer level of complexity and polish on display here. I saw someone on TikTok build a functioning Mecha Godzilla in this game. Good God. I've heard that the ending of this game is one of the best in the franchise, and if I'd seen it this year then it may have wound up higher on my list, but for the time being I'll continue picking up this masterpiece from time to time, chipping away at it until the day comes that I can finally smack the tits off thicc Ganondorf.

2. Half-Life (25th Anniversary Update) I know I'm gonna get shit for this, but I don't care. This year was the 25th anniversary of Half-Life and Valve released an update that made playing it (and it's online Death Match) much more accessible. I threw it on my Steam Deck out of curiosity, expecting to play for 20 minutes. I could not put it down. It is unbelievable how modern this game still feels. I simply had so much fun sprinting through the corridors of Black Mesa with a dozen weapons strapped to my back, blasting aliens and military Spec-Op chumps as a 24(?!) year old theoretical physicist.

1. Baldur's Gate III This game is fucked up, man. The sheer amount of writing in this game scares me. We can all talk about how BIG this game is, it deserves it, but the thing BG3 does better than any other role playing game I have ever experienced is actually encourage roleplaying. I've played through Act I four times now, with four different groups of friends, and it has felt fresh every time. I have seen the same events play out in so many different ways that it boggles the mind, but in every one of those play sessions I see players asking themselves “What would my lil guy do here?” rather than "what is the best thing to do here?" The game rewards players constantly for just trying shit and the D&D 5e rule set means playing like the character you said you were from the start leads to frequent Points of Inspiration. Maybe one day I'll see the end of this story (probably not), but I don't have to in order to feel a connection with BG3's world, characters, and most impressively, the characters I made myself.

Honorable Mentions for 2023

5. Dave the Diver 4. Homebody 3. Sea of Stars 2. Humanity 1. Super Mario Wonder

Top 5 Favorites NOT from 2023

5. Metroid Prime 4. Final Fantasy VII Remake 3. Cursed Halo (Halo CE Mod) 2. Red Dead Redemption 2 1. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (3DS)

Games I didn't have a chance to play from 2023 but still want to when I find more time...

Viewfinder Venba Chants of Sennaar Thirsty Suitors Hi-Fi Rush Moonring Armored Core VI Laika Aged Through Blood Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

OKAY THANKS BYE!