#its not the same as valuing winning over having fun

[cobaltdevils]

it feels like non-hardcore gamers hold a distaste for competitive spaces because of some notion that playing to win is inherently opposed to having fun - as well as the stigma against passion and dedication - and thats why people think pachirisu won a tournament just by being sejun park’s favourite

[jadeluz-official]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is one of those movies where you could throw a theory out and nothing is wrong.

Which is why it sucks as a linear story plot.

And I love this franchise to death, loved the sequel too. But it does have its errors with plot holes about civil servants (especially BJ himself), a contract being broken by the Handbook despite both parties agreeing (+ that didn't involve Afterlife authority intervention to begin with), and Richard not being able to see Lydia was never?? Explained?? Delores wanting immortality despite already being dead, Lydia's mom still being alive, ugh, etcetera etcetera. The list goes on. This sequel leaves us with more questions than answers. And that's the point - we're supposed to assume how to fill in those gaps, which doesn't work well in this case without proper seeds to find it.

This movie ends us off with a "What the fuck was that ending?" because seriously, what the fuck was that ending? If not putting their foot in the door for a third movie setup, they want us to talk about it and theorize it from the ground up.

I personally think the dream started when BJ said "I love a good dream sequence" and Delores coming in, and Lydia backing out of the deal was his worst nightmare. As far as I'm concerned, they're happily married and sleep in the same bed together. That's my take on it. Nothing more. The Babyjuice at the end is just a fun gag and reference to Carrie (2013).

But at face value, this movie is nothing more than a love story between Lydia and Beetlejuice. Like that's it. It's just Beetlejuice trying his hardest to win over Lydia and he almost gets her. I'd argue that's the only plot point where the movie takes itself seriously, haha

The only thing that will disprove any of these theories or clear up some or plot holes is a BJ3, which I highly doubt is gonna happen. And this sequel ends off on a Beetlebabes-ish note either way, I'd take that as a win

[moon-river-me]

Hii

A recommendation would be that the reader flirts with Spencer and he is very blushing because of it. The team would have fun with it haha.

Have a nice day!! 💖

ok so this is my first fanfic so i would really appreciate feedback(good and bad).

Ties.

fem! BAUreader, awkward spencer reid, sfw. I imagined early seasons spencer but it is non specified.

551 words.

“Did you know that wearing a tie can reduce blood flow to the brain by 7.5 percent?” Ties. That was how this exceedingly embarrassing rant began, you did that thing you do were you randomly compliment spencer; he loves it and hates it at the same time. Which for someone like himself, a logical man who values concrete answers, does not appreciate. Spencer loves problem solving, he has always been an amazing problem solver, when there was an equation, there was an answer, when there was a question, there was an answer, but the random comments that never fail to tinge his cheeks a rose hue, Spencer Reid did not have an answer for that.

By now Spencer realized he has been spitting useless facts about ties for over 3 minutes, which resulted in his face turning an even brighter shade of red.

“Pretty boy, all she said was nice tie,” Derek’s belly laugh could certainly be heard through the entire bullpen. Great, and even bigger crowd for his humiliation.

You giggle, keeping your eyes directly on his, “no no I love your facts spence, as long as you don’t give me a statistic on coffee and its correlation to some unheard-of disease, I will happily listen to you talk.” You add a subtle wink when you finish talking. Spencer’s bashful expression morphed into one of shock.

“You do?” The pure confusion in his voice added to your melodic laugh.

“Of course Spence, it’s the best part of working here.” While light-hearted, he picked up on the truth behind your words, making a shy grin appear on his face. He pushed his glasses up before realising his hair had now fallen Infront of his eyes.

“Here let me,” and before he knew it, your hand was directly in front of his eyes, pushing his hair out of his view. Spencer couldn’t take his gaze away from you. You keep the silent staring contest between you going. You know you will win; you always do.

“Boy genius, you look like a tomato” Penelope states are she strolls past to Derek’s desk.

“Red? I- I am not red its just hot in here.” His voice goes up at least an octave, his hand automatically travels to his cheeks.

“Okay keep telling yourself that Dr Reid,” you whisper the last part so only he could hear. You hand goes and taps his shoulder, keeping it there for a second longer than what could be considered normal, before moving to your desk, which coincidently is directly opposite his.

“I wasn’t lying by the way. Your tie is really nice. Suits you.” You state nonchalantly, as if that sentence didn’t make Spencers stomach swirl and form knots.

“I like yours too! Wait no.” You were not wearing a tie. Great. His utter screw up made you throw your head back laughing, increasing greatly when you looked at his horrified face.

“Thank you, Spence.” Your laugh slowly morphing back into your staple giggle, “maybe I will wear one tomorrow, and then you can mean it.”

“I’m so sorry,” Spencer felt like a puddle on the floor, but the look of admiration in your face made that feeling run for the hills.

“Don’t apologise, it was very cute. you are very cute” You promise him, nodding your head to accentuate your point.

oh. oh.

a/n

ok so sorry this is so bad but feedback would be very very great thanks!! I have some Aaron Hotchner x readers' coming up <3

I did NOT proof read lets pray this makes sense :)

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

Man, I like Daily Wire in concept but Matt Walsh needs to shut the fuck up about video games. The same guy who tried to resurrect the tired old "violent video games are harmful!" crap is now acting like he's the first person to notice that video games are pushing woke nonsense (even though there are about a hundred channels and outlets that have been talking about this for years) but his solution is to, of course, for the right to stop playing video games.

No. Just, no.

This is the same "bury our head in the sand and pretend pop culture doesn't exist" mindset that got us into this situation in the first place. You can't win a war (and there is a culture war going on, no matter how many people on both sides want to pretend otherwise) by retreating from every battlefield. You win by raising awareness of a problem and then offering a real solution.

And it's especially stupid seeing this cultural retreat mindset from someone working for DW because DW actually knows exactly how to fight this battle. They created their own media company to fight against woke Hollywood. Are all their movies and shows good? No, not at all. But they still did the right thing. They put their money where their mouth is, and created an alternative.

A much better example is Angel Studios, which is probably the only Christian movie studio I've ever seen that puts out top quality content with great acting, writing, and production values. They're raking in money and getting their content onto mainstream streaming services as well as theaters. In other words, they're taking their message to the people who need it the most. The ones who aren't already in the echo chamber. Unlike Daily Wire, which only offers its content on its own website through a subscription service to its own audience, and never advertises anywhere.

Another successful example outside of movies is Eric July's Rippaverse. He's been killing it with his comics, with every single one of his campaigns raking in over a million dollars, every cent of which is reinvested back into his business, helping it grow, creating more content, and expanding his already impressive roster of writers and artists. Mainstream writers and artists, by the way. Like Chuck Dixon, the guy who co-created Bane and wrote the seminal Tim Drake Robin comics, among many other credits, and Mike Baron, who wrote some of the best early Punisher comics. Eric had a following before he started the Rippaverse. He runs a successful YouTube channel and he's a regular contributor to The Blaze. He could have walled himself off with his fanbase, wrote comics about ancaps saving the world from the evils of government, and made some money while pandering to the people who already agreed with him. Instead, he went big. He invested his own money, runs his own distribution center, owns his own business with zero outside investors, hires the best talent he can, and offers a product that focuses on story and characters over messaging. His work isn't even "anti-woke". It's just not woke.

And that's what we need in video games. We need alternatives. We need to roll up our sleeves and wade into the deep waters and actually contribute our ideas and our talents. Offer an alternative. Hire people who know what they're doing, who care about quality content first and social engineering never. There is a huge untapped audience who would pay hand over fist for good video games free from microtransactions and woke nonsense.

But retreating is not an option. It's not brave or moral to hide in our echo chambers and scoff at anything fun. Entertainment is necessary. And maybe more importantly, it's not going anywhere. We will never live in a world where people go to work and spend time with their families at home and do nothing else. We need to engage with the world as it is. Not wait around for whatever our idea of a perfect world is to magically form so we can finally interact with it. You can't change society if you keep pretending large swaths of it don't exist.

[mugiwara-lucy]

One thing I just can NOT stop thinking about is Trump saying he was going to let Elon Musk control the government in the office chance he gets elected.

Like….He actually said he would treat the Government like he treats Twitter. (Not calling it X because fuck that.) if you didn’t know, Twitter has lost over EIGHTY PERCENT of its value since he took over:

Now consider what would happen if he did the same to our government and he said he would slash EIGHTY percent of the government:

Couple that Trump’s “Mass Deportation” and Tariffs schemes?? America would LITERALLY collapse on itself and I’m not sure how long it would take to recover…..

IF we could….

And you don’t have to take my word for it. Over TWENTY THREE award winning economists acknowledge just how destructive Trump-Musk would be.

THIS is why I say to NOT get complacent! Are we doing great? Yes.

Do I think we can win? YES!

But we can NOT throw in the towel at the end! We still have FOUR DAYS!! I dunno about you guys but I did NOT spend four months making phone calls, knocking on doors, sending emails/post cards and making DAILY posts getting people to vote blue down the board just so ELON FUCKING MUSK would be running the government.

So let’s push through to the end these last four days….

Because THIS is how Russia became the shit show it is today.

And this mother fucker has the balls to say it’ll be “fun”?

Yeah because you’re a billionaire so you won’t be impacted by his bullshit.

I hate him as much as I hate Trump but not as much as Vance

[viaviv124]

Angst Bowuigi Concept

So basically Luigi is stuck in a timeloop/reincarnation circle of sorts. He lives the same lifetime over and over and over again. It's always the same except one little thing changes each time at random, basically like the FUN values in undertale whenever you start a new run and you can have certain random events. As a child he doesnt remember his past lifes but around his late teens he gradually starts to rememeber.

Now, you see, Luigi is in love with Bowser. Deeply so. Yet Bowser only has eyes for Peach. There were a few timelines where Luigi was able to win Bowser over but then he always died to some accident. But he doesn't give up. He keeps trying and trying and trying, each and every possible method. And it doesn't work out. Nothing works out. So he's stuck in an endless chase for Bowsers love, hoping to grow old with him and die by natural causes in order to get out of this circle. No matter what changes, his feelings for Bowser are always there. And they don't go away. And each time he was close to his happy end he died suddenly, so this has to be it, right? A happily-ever-after.

When he's dead there's a brief period where he finds himself in a weird place with weird orbs flowing around. At first it was just one. The amount increased each time. By now it's pretty much overfilled. The orbs show Luigi's life of the particular circle lt was created from. And he can't help but hurt himself by looking at the ones where he was happy, even for a short while. Espacially if it's after a circle where Bowser dispised him.

There as one life in particular Luigi holds dearly. The first time Bowser requited his love. He had also told Bowser what was happening with him, how often he's been doing this and how much he was suffering. And Bowser held him. Not asking questions, not doubting him, just holding him close and giving him the warmth he's been craving for so long. This was coincidentally the timeline where their relationship was at it's best. They managed to spend 10 years together. Luigi thought he's finally free. And then? One of the sharp decorative parts on a chandelier broke off, impaling Luigi right through the heart. And then he was back in this weird, white place. And that's when he realized he wasn't free. Would probably never be.

So its again time to wait for the next re-birth, spending it either by watching old lifes or drowning in self-pity.

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 2, Match 3 MAGIC vs. MEME

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for MAGIC:

MAGIC MY BELOVED MAGIC!!! Its one of the best MVs in the entire series, even including T2. Magic is visually stunning and has some fantastic art direction but also is very clever in how it conveys its themes and ideas. Magic doesn't really hide anything from you, not really. It's all symbolic but it Tells You Things. It shows you the abuse, it shows you the cat. There's a fun little relationship going on here where, In Magic. Amane's pain and suffering isn't taken seriously by the people around her and the Audience we are discouraged to take it at face value due to the fictionalized nature of Magic. It's so cool. I'm so fond of the song as well, it's one of the best in the series purely cause of the Layers in it. The implications of this Inability to be good is seeped into Magic. Amane knows this isn't reality, Magic knows it's a show, she watches it at the end. And it's so Sad to me that even in her fictionalized happy world she Cannot be a good girl. It's a standard completely out of reach for her and that idea is just conveyed so well visually.

Im not even talking about the goddamn cat yet- the cat symbolism goes Deep. That cat is HER it has the same wounds Amane has in Purge March. I- I cant talk about the intertextuality of Purge March and Magic here this is Magic propaganda only- I- there's so much good stuff to Magic. I Re watched it over and over again. It has some the Best Writing and Visual Communication in Milgram and I will Die on this Hill.

---

shoutout to magic for having pretty props AND being vague as fuck about the crime! diversity win!

seriously though amane looks SO cute in it! the mv has such a pretty and colorful style and even with that it's able to show the horrors of what amane went through.

adding onto my last point. that scene where the cat is hyperventilating and you see the camera shaking???? that scene where the mascots find amane helping the cat and they're all standing over her? CHILLS. im repeating myself but the fact that they were able to portray the awful things amane went through in a genuinely emotional way while still keeping the cute cartoon look is soo impressive

there are SO many layers to itill the entire cartoony style making it look like a tv show… utilizing the cartoony effects and bright colors to show amane downplaying her own pain… the transformation after she gets punished barely changing anything to show just how manipulated she was from the start… ueueueue

ALSO ALSO ALSO THE SCENE AT THE END WITH AMANE STARING AT THE SCENE? OHHH ITS SO GOOD it adds such a feeling of dread and reminds you on top of this whole thing that all of this is truly horrifying! something is going on here!

this song is so catchy it gets stuck in my head CONSTANTLY

"Dear wise one, Am I worthy? Is it ok to spoil myself?" AMANE... UEUEUUEUE

the little ding sound effects in the instrumental?????

amanes voice is ADORABLE

THE INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT PART WHERE SHES HELPING THE CAT HAS THAT GODLY TYPE SOUND YOUD TYPICALLY ASSOCIATE WITH CHURCHES AND STUFF AND I DONT KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT PROPERLY BUT JUST RELISTEN TO IT AND YOU WILL KNOW WHAT I MEAN. ITS SUCH A NEAT DETAIL

i could go on about this mv for days but i am not a theorist unfortunately. just. magic sweep

Propaganda for MEME:

"MeMe is fantastic because it plays off the audience’s assumptions about Mikoto as a character and tells a “double story”. There’s layers to it and it’s deliberately deceptive in the way it presents the events out of order. Even the instrumentals themselves tell a story. The shift from piano in the second chorus climax is so good - and the way they combine in the last chorus, plus the addition of a violin culminates the song perfectly."

---

"For propaganda: I love meme so much because even the music alone tells as whole story. It goes from heavy metal to calm to heavy metal to calm and that happens a few times and then there’s an epic and creepy intermission with an amazing guitar and a scary of sound of Mikoto’s heavy breathing. And then the psychedelic music and BAM the final chorus. The final chorus of meme just gives me the absolute chills. Like it’s the calmer chorus we see earlier but with epic symphonic metal and an amazing build up and climax like it’s perfectly encapsulates a story through music alone I just love it so much. Also it’s literally called meme lmao."

---

"I could go on about the motifs in MeMe - like identity loss, living and dying, dreaming etc. It's a song, more than with any other character, about the inner self and what hides from the surface. Of the fear that comes with one's identity and place in the world being challenged and crumbling. The intricate designs on the tarot cards have so much depth to them"

[initiumseries]

Hi,

I searched your blog but didn’t see anything, not sure if I’m using the wrong keywords.

I’m watching Angel for the first time and I’m wondering what your takes were on Spike being a champion and the whole Nina/Angel relationship.

Thanks for looking! I haven't talked too much about s5 because usually on a rewatch I'm sick of the show by season 3, but I've contemplated skipping s4 entirely or just watching episodes and then jumping to s5 to refresh me. But anyway, I never really had strong opinions about Nina and Angel. I think at most, I was glad we were finally no longer acting like sex was off the table for Angel, because it never was. Sex with Buffy is off the table and that's because, well, true love. So with Nina came the acknowledgment that there was not the same kind of feelings there and that was fine. Especially after the whole horrible Cordelia thing, it was a breath of fresh air at the time. I don't know if I'll still feel that way now, but I did at the time.

As for the Spike thing...well...hmm. Lol. I don't believe Spike earned his position as a Champion. I think that they made Spike a poor man's Angel and I think his character deserved better than that. Angel's soul was thrust upon him, sure, but he rose to the occasion when called. Spike, did not. Spike lamented his circumstances despite doing it to himself. He whined and self pitied and then was used against the side of good to kill potentials for the first because he was so weak willed. I don't think he did a single think in s7 BTVS to deserve being a champion other than sacrificing himself, which, honestly, isn't enough, because again, he didn't do that to save the world, he did that to save Buffy. Spike's motivations for being "good" have always been either, because he still got to kill (when he had the chip), and then eventually because it got him closer to Buffy. In Angel, s1-3, Angel is put through hell because he is still atoning, but Spike...just gets to be a Champion now? Lmao. He doesn't earn it, and it's insulting honestly. But I think shows struggle with characters changing while still maintaining their core personalities, because it requires a longterm goal and plan.

Consider Zuko's redemption arc. It's probably the best redemption arc ever done on television. But it's because from the very beginning, Zuko was not irredeemable. He struggled, but he received love, he was forced into situations that exposed him to the violence of the fire nation, and ended up on the receiving end of that brutality. He was stripped of his royal status and had to interact with every day people, seeing the scars of war. It fundamentally changed him as a person. And even then, when the time comes for him to make a big choice, he makes the wrong one. He chooses his home, his sister, his previous life, and Aang nearly dies for it. But he had idealized the palace, and when he returns, and his uncle refuses to speak to him, he feels shame and regret. He realizes he isn't the same person he was when he left. He finally makes the right choice, and seeks out the Gaang, and they don't accept him easily. When they do, it's because Zuko *acknowledges* how he hurt them and how he plans on doing better. And even after ALL that, he still has to win over Katara.

But Spike? Lmao. Spike gets a chip in his head - which on its own is hilarious and fun - but becomes exhausting after a while. He doesn't spend more time around the scoobies and begin to see value in what the scoobies are fighting for. He doesn't begin to realize all the fear and harm and damage demons do to humans. He doesn't even actually save anybody, he just kills demons because it's the only people he can kill. He creates the buffybot out of his obsession with Buffy, and she rewards him for it. He doesn't go out and save people on his own, he kills demons on his own. He doesn't begin a path to redemption and keep trying to do right. He manipulates Buffy into spending time together "fighting evil" to expose Riley and stands outside her house so long he leaves piles of cigarettes. When he keeps Joyce and Dawn safe, it's to impress Buffy. It's not really about Joyce and Dawn. Sure, he likes them, but if they weren't an extension of Buffy, he wouldn't care about them nearly as much. He has no path to redemption, no reckoning with who he used to be, no guilt even. With a soul he mocks Robin, and wears his dead mother's jacket. Angel was ANGUISHED over what he'd done before. Spike tries to rape Buffy, then gets a soul to punish her. He never truly apologizes or is forced to confront what he did to Buffy. The scoobies aren't even allowed to be mad at him over it, much less make him work for their forgiveness. Buffy just lets it all slide. Then he self immolates and he's a champion? Where's the path to goodness? Where's the redemption? Where's the amends? Angel has an entire episode dedicated to making amends. Spike? Lol.

So all that to say, I don't think him becoming a Champion is any more earned or deserved than I think it made sense for Cordelia to suddenly take Buffy's place cuz she got visions.

[ishouldgetatumbler]

Hxh Ships:

Killua/Gon: You are my light. I could cradle you in my loving arms until the earth grows cold. I am going to spin kick you.

Meruem/Komugi: If you weren't such a fascist this could be such a beautiful love story.

Gon/Alluka: We are having so much fun! The trauma is inexorable. I love spending time with you! Sometimes I think about the things we've lost.

Kite/Pitou: Yes I murdered you but in doing so I destroyed the greatest thing I ever held and learned the value of you in retrospect so takesies backsies.

Killua/canary: I trust you with my life. I would give up everything for you. But no I wont go to bruce springstein with you.

Kurapika/Leorio: We fuck in a beat up SUV in a target parking lot at 2 am alot. Its alright but every time our mutual friends gather it is so awkward.

Leorio/Silva Zoldyck: I fucked your dad by accident but it means I win any argument ever so actually this is okay

Leorio/Zepile: Bro... I heard pineapple makes your cum taste better... theres no way... well... there is only one way to be sure... Let me cover my dick in pineapple and then... no. I shant say...

Illumi/Hisoka: Trying to figure out which one is more demented and psychosexually agressive is half of the fun, and the other half is kinky sex.

Kurapika/Hisoka: If you weren't such a bitch I could like you. If you weren't so sexy I could hate you. I will settle for rough sex and mindgames.

Ging/Razor: "Do you ever think two manly men could smooch and touch butts?" "no but now that I have it is all I long for."

Kurapika/Chrollo: Buisiness casual for hate sex. Love hate with anti-social twinks who love books.

Shoot/Knuckle: What! Bro jobs aren't gay? Bro, get over here! I need to give you a straight up gay sloppy sucking to ENSURE its gay this time.

Bisky/Hisoka: Fighting and fucking are 10% the same thing but with careful teamwork I believe we can raise this number

Palm/Mito: Hey. I got your text. Yeah the uhaul is loaded. I'm so sad I didn't get to say it first, but I love you too.

[centrally-unplanned]

I went to the book talk event for "The Hollow Parties", by Daniel Schlozman & Sam Rosenfeld - hosted by Matt Yglesias for bonus fun times! For those who don't know, it explores the idea that political parties have been "hollowed out" over time, not becoming less powerful from a "wins elections" standpoint but losing any ability to make decisions beyond that; anywhere from setting agendas to nominating candidates to strategically pivoting branding. It is an explanation for political decay, as parties that cannot act strategically cannot implement ambitious agendas, and tend become hostage to the parapolitical orgs and outsider candidates that circle them.

I am definitely interested in this idea (I certainly view America's political parties today as poorly built institutions) but I don't think I will buy the book. The talk was quite fun, for sure, but they appear to be - not shockingly - falling into the same "mold" as so many nonfiction books today of essentially padding out their text from a focused, causal argument into a wide-ranging history & exploration of the minutia of parties. While nothing wrong with the latter, it both interests me less and is also not a good marriage with the former. It muddles the argument to like talk at length about Van Buren and his impact on party structure, I roll to disbelieve that its super relevant to how parties are today, but if you elevate its importance via page count you are avoiding making hard choices about what matters most. This sounds like a classic case of "Sam Bankman-Fried is right" - this book could have been a (long) blog post. They actually mentioned their intent to write a mini-book at first before it ballooned, alas!

Also continues to be crazy how high the delta is on public speaking, if you are good at it it makes such a difference. Yglesias is obviously a professional in this regard and is very talented, while of the authors one was perfectly adequate while the other was actively mediocre - bad habits included name-dropping arbitrary academics with no value-add and interrupting his co-author with bad timing instincts. So you are at a panel with two authors of the book and its like guys just let Yglesias talk, he is hitting your book points way better than you lol. "Hire a public speaking coach" is very much a thing more people should do if you are living this life.

[mrbubblyurchin]

Adapting Republic Commando into canon

Yes. I am doing this for fun.

RC was written for the EU, so I thought it could be fun to try to adapt some of its story into the current canon. In fact, there are only a few issues that need to be solved for this to work! Let’s begin.

1- Twi’Leks and Humans can breed

This was a rule that took place in Legends, but obviously we known Kanan and Hera had Jacen in Canon, which means there is now no reason as to why Atin and Laseema cannot.

2- CSF

In the EU, the CSF were pretty popular as the police force more than the Coruscant Guard. I figured that this doesn’t change anything in particular, maybe just that Kal says he prefers working with the CSF over the CG because he has Obrim in the CSF

3- Mandalore

So, obviously Mandalore from the EU and Mandalore from the Clone Wars are… different. Well I have a solution to this. The clones were created in 32 BBY, which was during the Phantom Menace. AKA, after Obi-Wan met Satine, well, after Sabine’s well established rule, she created Mandalore as pacifists. But, for the sake of this universe, a group of Mandalorians went to form their own ‘Mandalore’ on Kyrimorut to adhere to their more traditional Mandalorian values. Jango ruled this new Mandalore for a short time, explaining why Shysa wanted his heir, and why Shysa eventually becomes a Mandalorian ruler. This place would still be Mandalore to them, but it would be separate from the actual Mandalore of the Clone Wars Series.

Kyrimorut= New Mandalore= From Republic Commando

Mandalore= Actual Mandalore= From The Clone Wars

4- Spaarti Clones

So obviously the Spaarti Clones bred by Palps don’t exist in canon. So we are changing them to the most recent batch of clone troopers shipped off Kamino at the end of the war. Maybe still made with second generation Jango DNA. Instead of investigating the Spaarti clones, maybe Besany can find something related to Order 66. Which brings me to my next point…

5- Order 66

This is the biggest issue of canonization within the series. Because in the EU, there were no inhibitor chips. The clones just followed orders. So… what does that do here? Well… there are a few solutions.

Solution One is that they didn’t listen. The Nulls are already incredibly deviant when it comes to orders, so not a real problem there. Omega Squad is iffy, because they weren’t around any Jedi when it happened, but they knew they were going to meet up with Etain, who was a known Jedi. I could see Darman still fighting the chip, but not really for Niner, Atin, or Corr. Fi doesn’t matter since he isn’t wearing his trooper armor, and therefore doesn’t receive Order 66.

Solution Two is better. And it’s that Besany discovered the inhibitor chips based on the same report made by Rex that Ahsoka watched. She managed to access Anakin’s database or whatever cause Jaing tech skills for the win. While she did not discover the purpose of the chips or anything, she discovered they were there, and Kal hated having those chips inside his boys’ heads, and had them be removed as soon as possible in secret. Not to protect the Jedi, but just because Kal didn’t want the Kaminoans to be able to control his sons in any way. Then, when Order 66 rolled around, none of them obeyed.

So, yeah. That’s my idea on adapting RC into canon. Thank you for reading!

[scramblecat]

Hi! Me again, back with another Scramble Ramble. I was listening to a bunch of Narrator’s dialogue again and started thinking about the bucket endings, and how the Narrator reacts to all of them.

Then I made the realization that wait, the Narrator is reacting to most of those, because most of them aren’t planned. And I got to thinking, how in the world did the Narrator get roped into involving himself with fifteen brand new endings in a game which he values its integrity, involving an object that was never meant to have narrative significance in the first place?

So, without further ado, under the cut because it’s another long one, I present to you:

The Bucket, the Narrator, and the Endings of Ultra Deluxe

I highly doubt the Narrator would WILLINGLY talk about the bucket for 20-something endings, knowing how obsessed with the game’s integrity he is. There are few endings that are 100% planned from the start to involve the bucket as a narrative element and not a character— the only ones I can think of are silly birds, freedom, Mariella, and coward. The rest are either reactions (gameshow, broom closet, out of window, comedy, separation, cushion), the Narrator trying to prove a point to Stanley read: the Narrator getting jealous of the bucket and/or trying to convince Stanley to get rid of it and listen to him again, but we’ll talk about that later (bucket destroyer, apartment, bottom of the mind control facility, elevator) and the rest don’t even involve him at all (museum, escape pod, vent)

So it’s not his INTENTION to have the bucket be a pivotal part of the game. It’s his intention to show up the game developers, to prove to Stanley that he’s better than the developers & win him over again, to give him something to project on & an outlet for him to describe in detail how being held by Stanley would feel because despite being something inhuman he sure acts and feels like one I mean what

The bucket becomes a huge part of the game by happenstance alone… unless you take the influence of Gambhorra’ta and apply that.

We already know from the bucket vent ending how exactly the bucket affects people, and the fact that it’s really closely tied in with Gambhorra’ta. There’s absolutely nothing stopping the same thing from happening to the main cast of TSPUD as well! And nothing does stop it.

Seeing how much the bucket changed the Curator and the museum, it’s not difficult to confirm that it’s messing with both Stanley and the Narrator as well, albeit in more minor ways. Unlike the Curator, Stanley and the Narrator still have many of their needs and desires intact, though some are adjusted to fit more within the bucket’s influence— such as Stanley’s inherent human need for connection, and the Narrator’s need for Stanley to listen to him. For the Narrator, there’s also that aspect of control that I’ve talked about before— he needs control over the situation, & he THINKS he’s in control all the time, but not being able to control the situation is a harsh reminder that he’s not, and it stresses him out and even makes him scared.

I think the Narrator comes to see the bucket as a threat— he isn’t able to control Stanley’s attachment to it, and because of it Stanley is no longer listening to him. So he feels fearful about the fact that he’s losing the one person he has to listen to him, his companion, to this bucket, and he feels helpless because he can’t control that, and as a result that translates to despair, frustration, and desperation. I think that’s when that third category of endings starts to come in, where he’s trying everything to get rid of the thing. He created it for Stanley to have a sense of companionship and warmth since he knows Stanley needs those things, being human, and he also knows that he’s unable to provide those things himself. He writes up a few fun little endings for Stanley to be able to experience (planned endings) but the bucket begins to get in the way of things, causing turmoil and uncertainty on the Narrator’s part (reaction endings) and he begins to realize that the bucket is taking all of Stanley’s attention, and as a result Stanley is not listening to him. Maybe, for a bit of added angst, we could say that he’s recalling the skip button ending, and already knows the damage that having nobody to listen to him has caused and what it will cause. That’s when he becomes desperate, trying his best to convince Stanley to get rid of the bucket entirely.

And just like that, despite the fact that the Narrator only meant it to be a prop with a few oneoff gags, with that whole arc— ranging from planned endings to normal endings being disrupted by the presence of the bucket to completely altered endings by the Narrator— now half the endings in the entirety of Ultra Deluxe have been made about the bucket.

I think that’s fascinating to think about from the perspective of the characters and the story, because I’ve only ever really thought of it from an external perspective of ‘a bucket was added that doubles the endings’, and left it there. But fuck, man, Davey continues to surprise me on how well he can wind this stuff into an existing narrative & existing character personalities.

[sweetcloverheart]

Clover Rants Miraculously: Complexity

Miraculous suffers badly from complexity addiction and it’s gotten absolutely worse since season 5 started. Character routes can’t be predictable or just being A to B to C anymore - no, there has to be a twist every minute, they have to deconstruct all the tropes and chara types, they have to keep the audience on their toes every second or else! No one’s allowed to predict anything and things can’t be simply as they appear. However, they also lacks the patience to make the complexity they put in relevant or meaningful. As a result, character growth becomes flat as their personalities and values are changed or reverted back to previous stages to suit whatever the plot needs, with opinions that seem ripped straight from reddit pages and twitter threads that seem to lack any understanding of the topics they’re preaching. No one is allowed to contradict or question anything and status quo must be maintained at all costs, even as it bogs down all the new plot elements and lore they try to bring in. It wants everything to be “deep” without actually doing any work in digging for it.

Which is why the canon Chloe salt, Marinette’s bullying backstory, sentikids, and the Gabriel thing fall flat in their jobs to get everyone to subscribe to the writer’s sole interpretation of the characters/plotlnes they present (and nothing else) - because the writers want the benefits of creating a deeply thematic work that goes outside the bounds of its genre without actually doing anything to create said depth.

Chloe can’t just be a dumb mean girl bully with a sad backstory to explain why she does it - nah, she has to represent the worst of humanity and parallel an abusive parent and monologue about how she has no soul and everyone’s stupid for thinking she does and turn out to be responsible for every bad thing to everyone ever, but the writers will never actually address any of it meaningfully while actively trying to pretend that any implications they made about her character or backstory doesn’t exist or act like it was actually this super malicious psyop done by Chloe herself and we just imagined seasons 2 and 3 in a collective mass hallucination.

Marinette can’t just be cringe about her first crush because she’s a teen and that’s what teens do when it comes to first crushes - nah, she has to have this completely out of nowhere and nonsense dramatic backstory about a prank by Chloe and Kim that justifies all the (kinda borderline creepy) stuff she pulled in the start of the show with PTSD and now you can’t make fun of/criticize her or your mocking a trauma victim you jerk (all while these issues get solved in one episode and all the other reasons to properly explain her flightiness around Adrien are either swept under the rug or just ignored due to inconveniencing their insistence of pushing this “Dating trauma” storyline that somehow only effects her with Adrien and not Luka or Chat Noire for reasons)!

It’s not enough that Adrien (and Kagami and Felix) is an abused kid trying to get out of his father’s controlling grip and come to his own as he explores expanding his boundaries and learns to stand up for himself - nah, he has to be a magical slave golem with 180 different flavors of awful implications baked into the lore of how his creation works and no feasible way for him in canon to actually break away from his dad on his own or with help, with the ending (if it makes it to the final draft/actual episode) regarding it making his entire journey of self-actualization and independence basically meaningless

Gabriel can’t simply be being an over-the-top control freak because of losing his wife and have that be shown as unreasonable - nah, he needs to be given Marinette’s exact same backstory (minus the bullying but I would not put it past them at this point) to justify why he’s totally in the right to be ruining children’s lives and terrorizing citizens and should totally be allowed to win in the end. It’s not that he’s unfairly putting the responsibility of his grief onto completely strangers and poorly justifying it with the idea that it’ll restore his family back to their idyllic days and benefit his son - in the end, guy’s just “a man who loves his family”, so let’s just forget about all the terrorism and emotionally abusing his only living child and focus on the important stuff, like the fact that Chloe and Lila are both the devil and more evil than him.

(Speaking of) Lila can’t just simply be a consummate liar who develops an irrational hatemance against our leading lady for pointing this out - nah, she has to turn out to have a gajillion different damn fake families and even faker aliases to jump through when she get tired of it or they get compromised, and all with it’s own naming system! Are her eyes actually green? Does she really have hair? Is she even Italian? Who knows - certainly not the writers! Isn’t great you invested years of interest and headcanons into a character who turned out to be a complete sham and whom the writers are now going to use to recycle the S1 villain gimmick because the Butterfly is the only villain allowed to exist? I sure am!

The writers want their story to be overly complicated and “deeper than average kids cartoons” but they want to retain their “silly simple cartoon” format and while it’s possible to do, the show runners seem adamant in not taking the steps forward necessary to achieve it, causing a constant conflict in both the show’s genre and character narratives that hurts it’s plotline

TLDR: In the immortal words - pick a lane my dude

[itsprjc]

Well, Season 2 of TDI Reloaded (TDI Rematch) has had its first four episodes out for about a week. I figured I’d share my thoughts about what we’ve gotten so far:

-The challenges are a little more fun than in Season 1. They have a good amount of variety and the often led to really fun moments between the characters. From the Skunks clogging the toilet slide, to basically all the Rat Faces being carried by Caleb, and of course the AB questions challenge. My girlfriend and I straight up paused the episode each question to try and guess the answers. (We got over half of them right.) As for my personal ranks on the challenges:

-Taking it to the Rim Reaper (Ep. 2): Memorable concept, without going too overboard with it. Also, I’m a bit of a simpleton sucker for the pratfalls.

-Choosin’ for a Bruisin’ (Ep. 4): Great challenge for both character insights and just playing along with it during a first-time viewing.

-You Poor Saps (Ep. 3): I technically prefer Ep.1’s challenge, but this one led to so many gold character moments.

-The Pink Painter Strikes Again (Ep.1): Solid start. Simple challenge, nothing too crazy.

-Animation is pretty much on the same level as Season 1. The facial expressions are GOLD! I’d argue some parts feel more dynamic than Season 1, like the slide moments in Episode 2, but overall, no complaints.

-The characters feel like they never left:

-Priya: I kinda get why she’d fall hard for Caleb, as keep in mind, she’s been stuck with this training with hardly any friends. This also explaining why she instantly jumped to befriending Millie when it seemed they got along. It’s clear that she does value the friendship as she was the only one to give Millie a chance after Episode 2. She also did work as an effective leader in the same episode, instantly taking advantage of the challenge’s slide order rule. Overall, I’m okay with Priya.

-Bowie: I dig his plot. Bowie made it clear at the end of Season 1 that he’s willing to bend the rules…and it’s clear that he probably cares about Raj more. Since people are more weary of him after the finale, it makes sense to have his conflict be more about whether he’d play dirty again. Also, this joker in Episode 4! As a captain (assuming those roles are official) I feel Priya’s more effective, though.

Millie: It’s clear she had alot more learning to do about being a good friend. (I still say both her and Damien could have taken the two-point slide together if they were both weary on the third.) Though her elimination was pretty anticlimactic, unfortunately. I do prefer her in Season 1, but I’m not against the plot they gave her.

Julia & MK: I’m putting them both together because they’re basically a package deal this time around. Overall, live their dynamic. It was a sudden jump from animosity to friendship, but that’s just because they know game when they see it. They have so much fun just being underhanded together, and it’s honestly a refreshing take on villain alliances. While I’d say MK is the breakout of the two, since she’s the brains of the whole alliance, Julia’s dialogue is so on point that it hurts. My hopes is that MK does succeed in backstabbing Julia, but she doesn’t even get mad. She just respects a player and roots for her to win…underhandedly, of course.

Emma: Compared to Millie…honestly not that mixed. I’m glad she cut the chord with Chase early and she got him booted in a clever way. The one thing that’s kinda backwards is how she ends up being a poor judge of character in Episode 4 when she basically red Chase like a book in Episode 2. But then again, I guess that’s just chalked down to being used to his sorry butt the most?

Chase: Everybody (including me) called that he’d be an early boot…and he was. I’m perfectly content with that, as it’s clear that character development was never the end-goal with Chase. And the moment he left, the Skunk Butts became the de facto best team. Props on his ballsy attempt to outrun the balloons in challenge 1, though.

Zee: All I wanted from Zee in Season 2 is for him to still be Zee…Good news, Zee is still Zee. I honestly got worried the “soda influencer” plot would be a cheap and easy way to make him an early boot…and they make him Papa Zee instead. I love this lanky boy.

Ripper: My one complaint on Ripper is that he feels like he’s really not there that much. In Episode 2, he disappears for a good while until the mid-end. And he doesn’t really get to interact with his new team that much. The only real time he interacts with the other skunks is when he asks about how to approach Axel. Let’s talk about Ripaxel…I honestly really wanna see what they do with it! It is a little sudden how it starts, but in its defense, so was Rajbow. Their interactions in Episode 3 were fun to watch, and that POEM. Hey, fanfic writers…Raj and Ripper having a poetry battle…think about it. Despite him disappearing sometimes, what we do get from him is enjoyable. Here’s to more!

Wayne and Raj: My boys are untouched! The one blessing is that they NEVER went for some stupid jealousy plot! (Wayne cares too much for Raj for petty stuff like that.) And they are arguably goofier than in Season 1. (Shoutouts to them wanting burgers after seeing the slides and the “Cyclone-Spin Cycle”) It is funny how many people (again, including me) wanted to see their mischievous side more, but instead the boys are even bigger boy scouts with their understandable disgust at cheating. While I still think one leaving earlier is more likely, I really, REALLY hope that they stick for a little. Imagine them against Julia and MK for at least an episode or two! And while I still would love a Damien VS. MK finale, Wayne or Raj VS. MK works great! Fair and honest player against a crafty cheater. It would be gold!

Damien: I’m really holding out for him since he’s pretty much jogging in place a bit. Sure, he wants to take more risks, but it’s not to a great extent. Then again, the season’s only gotten started. I just hope his crafty side comes out more later. He’s not too afraid anymore, so now he needs to push his brains to the forefront.

Scary Girl: I dig the “Lauren” design. Unfortunately, the “normal” bit wasn’t really used all that much, as she barely had a presence in Episode 1. She had some small scenes, but nothing outstanding until she got herself eliminated. Though given how she was enjoyable, but pretty one-note last season, I feel she works well as a first-boot. Will she return to stalk everyone? Who knows. Probably.

Nichelle: I dig her more confident attitude. Part of me wishes we saw her gaining that confidence DURING the season, rather than all that development being off-screen, though. It makes sense for her to train beforehand, but I would have just as easily liked her having a bit of fire in her and then training throughout the season. As she is, I like how she’s so done with her old Hollywood life. Hopefully she does interact with Damien more, as they seem to have a friendship growing.

Axel: Besides MK, Axel was the biggest relief of the S1 pre-mergers. She’s still hostile and hardcore, but I find her showings of care towards the team being well-needed additions. Examples being her helping Damien back to camp after the four-point slide, and her warning her team to be cautious about getting stuck with the sap. I already said my piece on Ripaxel, so my personal hope is that there is a survival or stealth challenge where the two have to work together. (Ala Hide and Be Sneaky, Eat, Puke, and be Wary, or Hurl and Go Seek if you wanna count the “zombie” thing.)

Caleb: Caleb was simple, and he still kinda is. I like how paranoid he was in Episode 1, but overall he’s just a more effective Justin. I do prefer him over Justin, as he can be a massive asset to the team, as shown in Episode 3. Like Zee, I’m fine with him as is, and can only wait and see what he does in later episodes. Will his alliance become genuine romance or just a tool for Caleb to outlast Priya? Probably the ladder, as he doesn’t seem to show any romantic interest in her that feels genuine.

And that’s Total Drama Island Rematch so far. Tomorrow should be the debuts of Episodes 5 and 6, so here’s to a great season. I was honestly shocked at how much I loved this cast, and how refreshing it felt seeing the show after a seven (eight if you ignore Ridonculous) year hiatus. I will be making sure to watch the series again when it comes to MAX in seventy years. As for whether or not I wanna see the Gen 4 cast again…I’ll probably be content with them stopping their run after Season 2. Reloaded and Rematch work as just two halves of a nice little package, and I really don’t want them to risk having this lovable cast go through what Gen 1 did. If we do get a new season, I’d be fine with them having a new cast. Fans will probably like them as much as they do with Gen 4.

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 1, Match 4 HALF vs. MAGIC

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for HALF:

kazui may just be an old gay man but HE CAN SING.

its. literally stunning.

like aside from his character and everything else, half is just really really beautifully written

THE INSTRUMENTALS.

HIS V O I C E??? its so pretty

heartbreaking lyrics. i dont love kazui as a character but i have bawled to half

GAY RIGHTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love amane but she will undoubtedly win when her purge march poll rolls around, so lets let the old man have a win shall we?

---

half propaganda let's goooo sorry i'm sobern't in true kazui style so this probably won't make a bit of sense

theatre kid man. i love him, incredible mv.

this song is pure ASMR to me

visually aligned with Cat and it's so lovely to see that continuity

the GRAINY MOVIE DOTS THING ON THE MV <3

kazui is so dramatic. i love him i love him

dapper gentleman. such clothes

the key change is so well done

AND THE . THE PART WITH THE. THE ENDING SORT OF LYRICS OVERLAID WITH SPEAKING. and then his quieter singing and, and, and o h my god. im sorry. im not very coherent abt this rn

every part of the song is amazing but once it gets to the key change and after it keeps stepping up the amount of being perfect

kazui is in it

um

kazui is in it

go my psionic warriors vote for everyone's favourite failhusband

no children were tortured in the making of this MV (cough looking at You magic)

---

Allow me to present my Half propaganda!

- The slower tempo adds a very relaxing feeling to the song. Kinda ironic, but I like it! It sort of reminds of old indie songs from 2012 (especially with what I think is whistling added in the instrumental in-between chorus and verses.)

- Kazui’s voice. Enough said.

- It’s very easy to listen to, and I find it’s one of the only songs from Milgram that I like to listen to out of context (besides After Pain, Backdraft, and Purge March, oddly enough.)

- The MV is rife with imagery, and is used to beautiful effect. It really makes you feel for Kazui and his situation.

- The scene with him and Hinako before the key change… that makes me so emo.

- The overlapping part at the end… the lyrics combined with the dialogue in the background makes me really sad in a way I can’t explain.

Propaganda for MAGIC:

MAGIC MY BELOVED MAGIC!!! Its one of the best MVs in the entire series, even including T2. Magic is visually stunning and has some fantastic art direction but also is very clever in how it conveys its themes and ideas. Magic doesn't really hide anything from you, not really. It's all symbolic but it Tells You Things. It shows you the abuse, it shows you the cat. There's a fun little relationship going on here where, In Magic. Amane's pain and suffering isn't taken seriously by the people around her and the Audience we are discouraged to take it at face value due to the fictionalized nature of Magic. It's so cool. I'm so fond of the song as well, it's one of the best in the series purely cause of the Layers in it. The implications of this Inability to be good is seeped into Magic. Amane knows this isn't reality, Magic knows it's a show, she watches it at the end. And it's so Sad to me that even in her fictionalized happy world she Cannot be a good girl. It's a standard completely out of reach for her and that idea is just conveyed so well visually.

Im not even talking about the goddamn cat yet- the cat symbolism goes Deep. That cat is HER it has the same wounds Amane has in Purge March. I- I cant talk about the intertextuality of Purge March and Magic here this is Magic propaganda only- I- there's so much good stuff to Magic. I Re watched it over and over again. It has some the Best Writing and Visual Communication in Milgram and I will Die on this Hill.

---

shoutout to magic for having pretty props AND being vague as fuck about the crime! diversity win!

seriously though amane looks SO cute in it! the mv has such a pretty and colorful style and even with that it's able to show the horrors of what amane went through.

adding onto my last point. that scene where the cat is hyperventilating and you see the camera shaking???? that scene where the mascots find amane helping the cat and they're all standing over her? CHILLS. im repeating myself but the fact that they were able to portray the awful things amane went through in a genuinely emotional way while still keeping the cute cartoon look is soo impressive

there are SO many layers to itill the entire cartoony style making it look like a tv show… utilizing the cartoony effects and bright colors to show amane downplaying her own pain… the transformation after she gets punished barely changing anything to show just how manipulated she was from the start… ueueueue

ALSO ALSO ALSO THE SCENE AT THE END WITH AMANE STARING AT THE SCENE? OHHH ITS SO GOOD it adds such a feeling of dread and reminds you on top of this whole thing that all of this is truly horrifying! something is going on here!

this song is so catchy it gets stuck in my head CONSTANTLY

"Dear wise one, Am I worthy? Is it ok to spoil myself?" AMANE... UEUEUUEUE

the little ding sound effects in the instrumental?????

amanes voice is ADORABLE

THE INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT PART WHERE SHES HELPING THE CAT HAS THAT GODLY TYPE SOUND YOUD TYPICALLY ASSOCIATE WITH CHURCHES AND STUFF AND I DONT KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT PROPERLY BUT JUST RELISTEN TO IT AND YOU WILL KNOW WHAT I MEAN. ITS SUCH A NEAT DETAIL

i could go on about this mv for days but i am not a theorist unfortunately. just. magic sweep

[vilentia]

Flirtatious Intentions

Tony Stark x reader

Summary: Will Tony finally gather the courage to confess his true feelings and pursue a relationship with you, or will he continue to hide behind his flirtatious facade?

***

Tony Stark, the genius inventor and playboy, is used to getting what he wants. However, when he meets you, he finds himself completely smitten. Despite his reputation as a flirt and a ladies' man, he's never felt this way before. He's never been so drawn to someone, and he's never been so afraid of being rejected. So instead of being straightforward with his feelings, he tries to win you over with his humor, charm, and flirting.

At first, he tries to impress you with his wit and humor, cracking jokes and making you laugh. He compliments you on your intelligence and your beauty, and he shows a genuine interest in your life and your passions. He's always one step ahead of you, making you feel like you're the only one in the room. Despite his initial efforts, however, you remain somewhat aloof, and Tony realizes that he's going to have to work harder if he wants to win you over for good.

You assume that Tony is just like all the other men you've met in the past – confident, charismatic, and only interested in a good time. However, you soon realize that there's more to him than meets the eye. Despite his reputation, he's kind, thoughtful, and always puts your needs first. You notice how he goes out of his way to make you feel comfortable and cared for, often anticipating your needs before you even realize them yourself. He remembers small details about you, like your favorite food or your preferred method of coffee, and he uses that knowledge to surprise and delight you. You also see how he treats the people around him with respect and kindness, even when they don't necessarily deserve it. Over time, you realize that Tony isn't just putting on a show for you – he's genuinely kind and caring, and he's been that way all along. This realization deepens your feelings for him, and you start to see him in a new light as you fall for the real Tony Stark.

As Tony and you spend more time together, Tony becomes increasingly nervous about revealing his true feelings. He's afraid that if he tells you how he feels, you'll reject him. He's afraid of being vulnerable and putting his heart on the line. He's been hurt before, and he's afraid of putting his heart on the line and risking rejection. He's used to being in control of every situation, but when it comes to his feelings for you, he feels completely out of his depth. He's afraid that if he tells you how he really feels, you'll reject him or see him as weak. He's also afraid of losing you as a friend, since he values your company and companionship so much. So instead of being upfront with his feelings, he tries to win you over with his humor and charm, hoping that you'll pick up on his subtle hints and signals. He knows deep down that this approach is risky and might not work, but he's too afraid to take a bigger risk by telling you the truth.

As the days go by, you begin to notice a pattern in Tony's behavior towards you. He'll flirt with you one moment, making your heart race and your stomach flutter, and then suddenly pull away or become distant the next. You're confused and frustrated by this hot-and-cold behavior, and you start to wonder if Tony is just playing games with you. You begin to question whether he's really interested in you or just looking for a fun distraction. Your feelings for him grow stronger every day, and the uncertainty and ambiguity of your relationship begin to weigh on you. You want to confront him about his behavior, but you're afraid of what he might say or how he might react. You're stuck in a state of limbo, not knowing how to move forward and feeling like your heart is on the line. You're falling for Tony more and more each day, but you're not sure if he feels the same way, and the uncertainty is starting to take its toll on you.

One day, you and Tony have a particularly confusing interaction that leaves you feeling frustrated and hurt. Tony had been acting especially flirty with you all week, sending you suggestive texts and making comments that made you blush. You thought that this might finally be the moment when Tony would open up about his feelings for you. However, when you finally meet up in person, Tony acts distant and aloof, barely paying attention to you and seemingly interested in everything but you. You're hurt and confused by this sudden change in behavior, and you finally decide to confront Tony about it.

You arrange to meet him at his lab, and as soon as you walk in, you confront him about his behavior. You tell him that you're tired of the mixed signals and want to know once and for all what he wants from you. Tony is taken aback by your directness and honesty, but he knows that you're right. He's been struggling with his feelings for you for a long time, and he knows that he needs to be honest with you. He takes a deep breath and begins to open up about his true feelings.

He tells you that he's always been attracted to you, but that he's never been able to express it properly. He explains that he's been burned in the past and is afraid of getting hurt again. He's also afraid of putting your friendship at risk if things don't work out. But as he speaks, he realizes that he can't keep playing games with you either. He knows that he needs to take a chance on love and that he wants to be with you.

You are surprised by Tony's admission, but also relieved. You've been wondering for so long what he really feels for you, and now you know. You're also moved by his vulnerability and honesty, and you know that you feel the same way.

In response, you open up about your own fears and insecurities. You admit that you've been struggling with your feelings for Tony too, but that you've been afraid to make a move because you're not sure how he feels about you. You tell him that you've been hurt in the past, and that the idea of getting your heart broken again is terrifying. You're also worried about ruining your friendship if things don't work out.

Tony listens attentively, and as you speak, he begins to understand you better. He can see that you've been struggling with the same issues he has, and that you both need to take a chance on each other if you're ever going to be truly happy.

As you talk, you both realize that you want the same things. You want to be together and make a real go of it. You both know that there will be challenges and obstacles to overcome, but you're willing to take the risk. You promise to be honest and open with each other, to communicate your feelings and fears, and to work together to build a strong and lasting relationship.

After your conversation, Tony takes you in his arms and kisses you. You both know that it's just the beginning of your journey together, but you're ready to take the next step. From that moment on, you're a real couple, with all the ups and downs that come with it. But you're both ready to face whatever comes your way, together.