#like there doesn't have to be romance involved. it's just something that all parties agree to

[spinnysocks]

In the Three Queens au how would the family bloodline continue?

if the three didn't want to have kids of their own, then kion could continue the bloodline. i haven't fully developed him in this au yet, especially not who i'll ship him with if anyone at all, so i suppose that could leave room for him to have biological cubs in the future?

other than that — family lines don't have to be blood. take timon and pumbaa being uncles to simba and bunga for example! kiara, tiifu and zuri could adopt a lion cub or another animal if they so wanted :)

but if they did want biological cubs, they'd have someone be a sire. probably kovu, assuming that the outsiders pride redeemed themselves... or even if they didn't, UNTIL kovu sired the three queens' cubs. imagine the birth of those cubs being a reason why the outsiders reformed, now that'd be interesting lol

[drenched-in-sunlight]

I'm sorry but like, how are ppl believing that Rellana and Messmer are a thing when the evidence provides otherwise? Apparently there're a lot of small details that have been surfacing lately and apparently it confirms that they're a couple? Even though there's a lot of evidence that there's also not? Like what's the truth? Also I'm reading some Japanese text as well, which they're also unsure of, but they're still concluding that it's one sided. Can you tell me lore wise what's going on?

i mean if ppl ship something then every small details can become sth to talk about (i literally look at Rellana's sword having gold engraving and claps my hands "gold? gold. oh she's in love with Marika i knew it." 😂😂)

i don't ship those two, so i can only give you a rundown of something that doesn't involve any romantic connection, cuz i don't think there's one. so idk whatever i said can even be considered "lore wise"?

but there's one lore implication i find fascinating: Ymir probably has a hand in convincing Rellana to follow Messmer, so he can gain access to LoS and Cathedral of Manus Metyr via her (he was her mentor + at the place where you find her dueling shield, there’s a glintslab firefly). we know how much of a manipulative rat he is so i don't put it past him to do so.

also, in an absence of any items confirming outright mutual affection, you turn to character dialogue. and Messmer and Rellana have no dialogues involving each other, even in cut ones (which i know ppl are upset about, but i find it funny ajdfd). hell, everyone only agrees Ciaran has a crush on Artorias because Hawkeye Gough's cut dialogue confirms it so.

have you seen Godfrey's cut dialogues about Marika? if From wants a canon romance they can very much write it cuz what the hell is "Dearest Marika is precisely what I must take back." "Dear Marika, do not fear. I am returned." "Oh Marika, I will take thee in mine arms once more." (he's so real for that).

so like... believe whatever you want, you can ship something from one throwaway detail, you can ship something because it's canon, you can do whatever. a validity of a ship doesn't have to rely on "truth" (which is always vague in From lore to begin with), and even if a ship is canon, you can choose to ignore it too. ppl do that all the time lol. just don't crash other ppl's party. leave each other alone and enjoy our own crops.

[nica-my-beloved]

Things I Love and Dislove About Ikemen Games

These are my opinions!

CONTAINS ADULT CHARACTERS

You don't know how much this means to me because most of the time I try finding shoujo mangas I end up with stories that involve high school kids.

I'm a die heart fan of demon romance but majority of the shoujo manga that explores supernatural beings involves a 1000 year old demon king falling in love with a 16 year old high school girl. This sickens me not only because of the age gap but one of the party is a freaking minor.

As an adult, I'm so happy the Ikemen Games doesn't involve younger characters or at least characters that are 'minor' as a romantic partner.

MC's ONLY JOB IS TO SIMPLYFY THE STORY

I have said this before, MCs are just props to simplify the story and characters to us because the writers think we're too dumb to understand what the character is saying. They're like Paimon so that we don't use our braincells to understand the characters better.

I wish they didn't do that and have MCs backstories that describes their personality. I mean, all the MCs want to 'prove' to the male leads that they wanna be 'strong' but I'm tired of this trope.

Why does MCs have to always be innocent and prove themselves? Why does she always want to 'understand' the male leads? Can't we...for once have a romance that doesn't involve MCs teaching male leads true love?

Also STOP give MCs odd jobs! Book stall employee...letter carrier? I mean who is happy and satisfied doing this? How about giving the high-paying jobs like Auditor or Businesswoman or Scientist or etc etc...I know Mai is a fashion designer and businesswoman and Mitsuki is a travel agent turned maid. Alice is a baker and Yoshino is a pharmacist. The only MCs that continues to follow the path of their dreams is Mai and Yoshino.

MATURE ROMANCE

I enjoy seeing two adults slowly fall in love.

There is something different about teenagers falling in love vs adults falling in love. The romance is more realistic. They don't talk about how they're gonna plan their future together or which college they're going to go instead their chat is much more deep and that's refreshing.

NO BAD ENDINGS

Happy endings are nice. Everyone deserves one! But when there are no bad endings, the story won't have stakes.....and when there are no stakes, I can't take any gunshot sounds, blank screen and MCs saying 'Is this the end?' seriously.

Just stop being cowards writers! Put some bad endings!!

FAIR SHARE OF ROMANCE

Although I have played my fair share of Maiden games, majority of them are not that romantic.

I love cute romance moments to lighten up the mood and I really need them. Ikemen games delivers that too well....way too well...

I do have some criticism for random steamy scenes, I don't mind as long as they have context and mood.

The story is not so story focused all the time and also has time for mischievous romance which I like! It helps in calming me down and enjoy at the same time.

BULLSHIT GACHA SYSTEM AND NON-EXISTING GRINDING SYSTEM (Not very F2P friendly)

Even though Genshin's gacha system is shit (you need mf 90 wishes to get a guaranteed 5 star and 180 wishes to get the limited 5 star you want!) I still think it's ways better than the gacha system of these Ikemen Games.

Yes I agree that both the games are different in genre, one is an open world anime rpg and other is a maiden game with gacha mechanics. But that doesn't mean that I have to always pay to buy limited gacha tickets!! At least genshin gives us an open world to explore and grind primos (even though its time consuming)

Yes they do give limited tickets when you enter an event or complete the mission board but that's only ONE TICKET and you need 50 LIMITED TICKETS to get your guaranteed limited 5 star card. On the other hand, they give out many standard tickets but what am I gonna do with it if they aren't gonna update the standard banner?

These games are NOT F2P friendly and if you wanna...like say, want rank no.1 in an event you'd have to save a lot of items.

Ofc I know about the subscription thing and you do indeed get a lot of items, but the most essential thing for me is limited gacha tickets and diamonds because I wanna collect as many beautiful cards as possible and you don't get them from these monthly subscriptions. It's a waste of $5 very month. I'd rather buy a nice hair care or skin care items from that.

INTERESTING SETTINGS

I have my criticism in some of their stories but I can't deny that I LOVEE their story settings. Their premise for each game is solid to the point it makes me wanna actually try it.

This is something I find very rare in 'shoujo' genre.

For example, I don't like Vampire themed games because they suck! (both figuratively and literally) but Ikemen Vampire interests me because they take real historical figures and makes them vampire, which is a really cool idea! You don't know but I'd die to get myself in situation like that because it would be an honor to meet some great historical figures, chat with them and make them lose all their brain cells just like me. I would die to meet especially Isaac Newton and grill him for making those torturous physics theories that gave me brain tumors in my school.

Very cool setting! I can't wait to see what's in store for us in the future!!!

EVENTS ARE INSANELY BORING

I've never enjoyed a single story event from Ikemen Villains. They are boring and makes me fall asleep immediately at chapter 1. I think that kinda spread to Ikemen Prince because I barely open Ikemen Prince app now.

I honestly don't find the stories of these events interesting at all. It always feels like 'I have seen this before' maybe in some other game or some other manga.

And the Collections events.....yeah, I hate them! I wish they never existed!!! They keep the fan-loved characters at the butt-end of the list where 90% of the players don't even make it unless they burn their whole month's salary. I know that's why they do these anniversary elections because I bet if Sariel was the most voted character, his story would have been the most expensive one to get.

VERY LIKEABLE MALE LEADS

This is a personal thing but I love charismatic male leads a lot! Male leads with a lot of suave and beauty! Yes I care about these things when I play gacha games okay! I play gacha games to look at hot guys (because I know I'm never gonna get one in real life!)

But I also love that the devs puts an effort to make them feel good too. So I wanna give a shoutout to them!!! 'KEEP GOING!!! JUST DON'T MAKE TRIGGERING MEN WHO SAYS 'I'LL KILL YOU'!!!

[eponastory]

Breaking down the Zutara 'platonic' relationship scenario.

As someone who is ace aromantic, I can understand the view of a platonic relationship instead of a romantic one.

So, the reason I agree to this is because I have a relationship like this (bare with me... I'm still not sure where I fall when it comes to sexual orientation and gender... mostly because of religious trauma and SA in the past. I'm recovering, and I'm trying to find my way to knowing myself) with someone I was supposed to marry. And I also want a relationship with someone that doesn't see sex or romance as a core part of a relationship as well.

These are beautiful relationships that can (sometimes) become sexual in nature if that is what both parties want. It is totally up to them. Love is love in regard to the bond you have with someone.

That being said, I really do believe that Zuko does love Katara by the end of the series. This love is known as Philia or a deep bond between friends. It's not platonic, as friendship can be intimate in many ways that don't involve sexual attraction. It's mostly the comfort level two individuals have with each other and how much they know. It's a very beautiful relationship. It truly is and it can go in more directions.

If I were to define the love between all the characters and ships, then we'd be sitting here all day. But Zuko and Katara have a good relationship after TSR because all cards have been thrown on the table face up between them. They've seen each other at their worst now, and that leads to something very deep and profound. It's just a shame that they are literally kept from developing that bond further (be it romantic or friendship) by the writers.

Instead, we have Aang demonstrating Mania (obsessive love) towards Katara. But hey, I'm no expert in love. I just know a thing or two.

I would love to see more stories with Zutara having that deep relationship... not platonic, but like soul mates. Because soul mate does not mean it has to be sexual. It can totally be friendship or sibling like.

Anyway, just wanted to put this out there.

[itzpris15634]

The Zinnie not Zinnie thiiiing

So the way this scenario would go, let's say that Zoe currently does not have a crush on anyone, and she's kinda not happy with it >:(. She likes having a crush because then she gets to date that person most likely and you know, she craves romance.

So after a while, she decides on what to do. So she goes to Vinnie (who she knows also does not currently have a crush on anybody) and just casually asks "Would you like to pretend date with me?". And Vinnie's just befuddled cause since when does Zoe pretend date? Why? And why with him most of all? He's pretty sure he's the furthest person from her desired romantic partner. So he asks because at this point he doesn't understand if she's serious or if Pepper has finally rubbed off on Zoe and she's playing a prank, a pretty cruel one if he does say so himself.

So Zoe explains. Basically, she's bored but she does not have a crush on anybody at the moment but she does want the thrill of dating somebody. However, she wants it to be non-committal cause she's sure she will sooner or later develop a crush and want to date that other person. He's right, he's not exactly her ideal type (she says it more, you know, delicately) but because of it he's perfect for being casual plus the whole not dating anyone at the moment, and they do already know each other so she can skip all the introduction stuff etc etc.

Still a bit confused but Vinnie agrees. Zoe's clearly willing and he has nothing against it, so why the heck not? And so they pretend date. If someone asks, no, they're not a couple, no, they don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend, Zoe is still very much actively trying to find someone to fall in love with.

But they do coupley stuff. I imagine Zoe would take charge of that cause well, Vinnie's still not 100% sure she's serious and of course, she's more experienced. So she takes him on dates for example, going all out of course cause she's Zoe. Expensive restaurants, movie premieres, maybe balls, parties? Lots of stuff! However, since she knows it's non-commital, she in a way soon starts getting more comfortable with him. She doesn't need to try so hard, she does not need to impress him. So while they are close, they're much more casual than she ever was about dating. They basically just hang out but there is also lots of affection involved. Again, Zoe took charge of it cause she wanted it. She started giving him kisses, hug him, as more time passes many other things. She never thought she'd be the one to have her partner on her lap, not the other way around, and yet with Vinnie is just so natural because she doesn't try to be all seductive. She can just hold him and kiss him without thinking too much about it when she craves to shower someone with kisses and all that.

As for Vinnie? Well, once he really gets in this mindset that they're really doing it he gets really comfortable with her too. He wants those kisses, those hugs, all this affection and compliments, why wouldn't he? And he gives her those too, especially when it comes to verbal affection cause he's like that. He's more shy with touch but soon he does start like laying his head on her lap she she leans down to kiss him or not so casually exposes his neck for her to play with.

And yes, I imagine they do the kissing on the lips. They're both okay with it and they do like it, so why not?

My point is, they're having fun with it, Vinnie gets his fix of affection and Zoe gets her dating thrill. Yeah, "dating" him is different than anyone else she ever has, but it's nice actually.

It can end in many different ways. The more lighthearted ones like Zoe finally wanting to really date someone else and they end it but in result become better friends, or they could both realize that "You know what? I like that actually, so why not just continue? Take the pretend out of pretend dating and become official." Or maybe the angst way, Vinnie does actually end up falling for Zoe which is something he never expected. But Zoe is too good for him he fears. So either he says nothing and just lets her go when time comes or he does say something and she has to tell him that she meant it when she said pretend dating.

Or the fun route. Vinnie has been aromantic this entire time and has been doing it all to be close to one of his friends in a way that is usually unattainable to him cause no one wants to act like that without the title of "romantic partners" being attached to it which is not something he desires.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Idk just Zoe and her short not-boyfriend who she can not-love all she wants

After I texted you that first message, it was taking a while to get a response, so I thought “Oh… maybe they didn’t want to send it anymore? Mkay.” But then I see the length of this and go “Oh. That’s why.”

*Buttercream voice* AAAAAAAaaanywho-!

That’s such a cute scenario! I can totally see where you’re going with this. And I like the ways it can end, too.

It benefits both if them, clearly. I like the idea that Zoe tries act like a “proper” girlfriend (stemming from her consumption of romantic media, I imagine) even if she wouldn’t really like what that entails. So the fact that she has this outlet to just be herself without worrying about “ruining” or “losing” the relationship is awesome. And y’know, Vinnie just basking in the attention. Like, he enjoys Zoe as a friend, but the fact that he gets kisses and cuddles as a bonus? Sweet.

I dunno about you, but I kinda see this (and Zinnie in general) as a QPR thing. Kinda why the aromantic Vinnie ending is my fav one. They’re not really boyfriend-girlfriend, but are still super close to the point that they’re kinda mistaken as one. So, kinda, not really. They’re not, that’s just how they are. And good for them!

I’m so sorry that this reply is so short, especially in comparison to what you just wrote 😭 But idk… I don’t have that many extra things to add for them. It’s a cute not-ship, but to me they’re just those two people in the friend group who knowof each other’s existence, but barely interact.

[cinamun]

Alright, I, me, Antwanyce do not feel like Indira Dior Destiny Drake has to commit to anyone that she doesn't want to commit to. However, like everyone else, I have the privilege of seeing both perspectives. I know we live in an individualistic society that tells us "Do You Boo" but that only works when no one else is involved or at least that's how it should work. As a person who enjoys a good study of the human condition. I'm inclined to believe that most humans are not capable of enjoying the accouterments of a "relationship" without catching feelings. Usually, when one is not capable it stems from being guarded due to past trauma, lack of natural empathy, or just plain selfishness. I just think it's wild that no one can see that. They do more than just fuck. They literally do stuff together so much so that it almost feels like he lives there. I don't care what anyone says this behavior is not normal regardless of gender. It feels like she's either guarding herself in fear of disappointment, self-centered, or both. If she cares for Charlie she should leave him alone because clearly he wants something she is not willing to give him and if she's tired of repeating herself then maybe her actions need to match her words. If she doesn't care (because it's nice to be adored) she can continue and he'll either move on or become obsessed and we know what obsession can lead to. And yes I know this is fiction but isn't discourse about fictional characters half the fun. Like, did we all not just socially online have discourse about Bridgerton, Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, Grey's Anatomy, etc. Didn't book clubs meet up to have a discourse about The Coldest Winter Ever? Do we always agree, no. Do we always like the OC, also, no but doesn't that make the storytelling all the more fun and interesting, yes? Maybe I'm wrong or I just see things through a different lens. I don't know…

P.S. Why are we acting like most of the time sex doesn't make things complicated?

Sis... now you know I gotta add a cut to this LMFAO

I know we live in an individualistic society that tells us "Do You Boo" but that only works when no one else is involved or at least that's how it should work

Says who tho? What happened to communication being the key to lasting relationships be they friendships or something more? If Indira Destiny Dior Drake says she is "doing her" who are we to tell her it doesn't work that way just because she wants the benefits of orgasms with her friendships and communicates that AND all parties agree?

I'm inclined to believe that most humans are not capable of enjoying the accouterments of a "relationship" without catching feelings

Actually, humans are biologically predisposed to polygamous relationships due to the unconscious desire to preserve the species (we've since evolved into monogamy due to sociological conditions)

Couldn't those feelings just be the feelings of love or care associated with deep friendships and not the very clear romantic feeling that Charlie is exhibiting and low-key expecting from Dira?

Usually, when one is not capable it stems from being guarded due to past trauma, lack of natural empathy, or just plain selfishness. I just think it's wild that no one can see that.

But sis, no one said Dira is "not capable". Most are saying Dira doesn't want that level of romance right now. Some are saying its related to past trauma. People aren't seeing it because they don't think she's incapable. No one said she was incapable.

They literally do stuff together so much so that it almost feels like he lives there. I don't care what anyone says this behavior is not normal regardless of gender.

So you don't do stuff together with your friends? You've never heard of besties just coming to chill at your crib and watch tv, help you cook or help you move in? I don't see how that's not normal friendship behavior.

If she cares for Charlie she should leave him alone because clearly he wants something she is not willing to give him and if she's tired of repeating herself then maybe her actions need to match her words

This was brought up a few times today, its not an uncommon feeling after today's post but I need to tell y'all to stay tuned on that note.

As for everything else, I agree! I've always said the commentary is the best part and that's why we have the Ratchet Reading Room™ packed to capacity and breaking the fire code and running out of wings when shit gets heavy! Its a beautiful thing to witness.

As far as sex making things complicated, that's not always the case and it certainly doesn't have to if you (say it with me) communicate your intentions. Tre was blocked before he even got to smash so clearly he complicated shit before the sex.

Your honor, the defense rests.

[naranjapetrificada]

Consider this your opportunity to be an Astrology Bitch and go off about Leo Stede!

(signed, a Virgo sun, Cancer moon, Capricorn rising who simultaneously is and is not an Astrology Bitch, more of a Tarot Bitch tbh)

Okay! You asked for it lol.

I should start by saying that I'm an August Leo sun. Stede is a July Leo, as confirmed by the show:

July Leos are...different somehow? It's not a bad thing and it's not their fault, and if anybody else comes for them we August Leo's will throw down for our siblings, but there's something about the vibes! Maybe it's the Cancer proximity, idk. If anything my anecdata suggests that they're more well adjusted than the rest of us. 🦁❤️🦁

Anyway, I immediately sat up and noticed when they cut to the gravestones because it's second nature for me as an Astrology Gay. Obviously I didn't know Stede at the time and I don't actually know what went down as the character was developed, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if I learned that at least one person in the writers room was a fellow Astrology Gay.

So I completely forgot about his birthdate because a) ADHD and b) swooniest romance I'd ever seen, but I started thinking about it again when I showed up like a year late to the fandom and saw people talk about whether they were Ed coded or Stede coded. I am heavily, heavily Stede coded for neurodivergent reasons, but he also exhibits certain Very Leo traits that I recognized immediately.

Leo stereotypes:

Let's get the stereotypes out of the way because while they do apply sometimes (especially for Stede), there's no need to rehash them in detail.

Leadership, which he struggles with at first but a) takes up the mantle of it anyway and b) improves enough that by the end of the season the crew that wanted to mutiny saves his life.

Good hair. Nuff said.

The man has an auxiliary wardrobe for fucks sake.

His "theatrical instincts are finely honed" and while Izzy says it to encourage the fuckery, it's not a lie.

The Revenge

If an 18th century Leo was going to custom build a pirate ship and money was no object, they would 1000% build the Revenge. I could see arguing that a Taurus might build something similar, but honestly I'm not sure a Taurus would become a pirate by choice. Maybe a Taurus might build like, a pleasure yacht or something. A Libra might build a ship that's as good-looking as the Revenge but sharing expensive tastes isn't enough to convince me either. Stede's money allowed him to build and decorate luxuriously, but plenty of rich people used to comfort didn't have ships like the Revenge. As Nigel says during his tour, it's just so incredibly him.

Now for some feelings stuff:

Leos love it when other people are happy, and when we can be involved in fostering that at all for people we care about we are ON IT. Stede wants to create space for others to get what they need to make that happen. Literally in the first episode he talks about the Revenge as somewhere for his crew to work on their trauma and communicate their feelings.

The above is also an extension of Stede's instinctive generosity. Canon doesn't tell us where Ed got his clothes for the French boat party in episode 5, but given that Stede has an auxiliary wardrobe (which he shared with Ed almost immediately) the most likely scenario seems like he loaned (or maybe even gave!) it to Ed. Another possibility is that it was on the ship where Frenchie found his and Oluwande's outfits, but the purple jacket in particular seems very extra in a way that says "Stede" to me.

Speaking of episode 5, let's talk about the party game. Obviously the main takeaway is that Stede has enough of a handle on passive aggression to make the French assholes tear each other apart, but it's not just the passive aggression, it's in the delivery. With sufficient motivation (Ed's hurt feelings, if not his own) we see Stede command the room with confidence. He chooses his targets well. He knows just what to say to get them to agree to play the game at all. The fire wasn't part of the original plan but it shows just how powerful those hard-won skills are when he wants to apply them. (This doesn't feel like it merits its own bullet point but Leos are protective, ride-or-die friends, something else we see in this episode.)

Stede's love language, imo, is quality time. There are arguments for others (there's also a really good meta about his love language causing miscommunication with our touchy-feely boy Ed, if I can find the link I'll edit) but quality time seems the most appropriate to me. Another part of the whole generosity of spirit thing is that he seems to enjoy what a friend of mine called "engineering experiences" for people i.e. crafting activities and jam sessions for the crew. The most obvious of these is the treasure hunt for Ed, which of course comes out of his fear of Ed leaving, but it's also a way for them to spend time together. I'm not at all surprised that a lonely, bullied kid would grow up to value quality time.

I would also extend this to the clearly routine (but still extravagant) breakfast for two that we see Calico Jack crashing in episode 8. Not to mention the first breakfast he and Ed ever share up on the maintop in episode 4. It's not fancy, but he wakes Ed up to share in that moment because he's enjoying the sunrise and the marmalade, and I can't think of anything more Leo than enjoying something then immediately wanting to share it because someone else might enjoy it too.

Stede's not perfect of course, despite all those seemingly positive things I just said. In the way of some Leos he is frequently thoughtless, up to and including when he didn't make to the dock. I can't speak for every Leo but I have definitely accidentally flirted with/been read as flirting with people before, whether I was attracted to them or not. And yeah his quarters are nice but he could have used some of that space for more crew quarters, right? And how could a Leo possibly misread "what makes Ed happy is you" as badly as he did?

Well I may be an Astrology Binch but I mostly like it (and anything else that puts personalities into discrete groups) as an analysis tool. It's just a fun lens to examine behaviors through, IRL and with fictional characters. Also, the show is clearly trying to examine things like trauma and self-loathing in ways that are gonna inform character behavior way more than a hypothetical astrology enthusiast in the (admittedly pretty queer) writers room. But the vibes? The vibes are so there.

[dutchdread]

Hello Dutch! Do you think the loss of mystery and less impact on certain scenes in the narrative was caused by long-term fanservice?

Yes and no. I certainly think it was a factor, but I don't think it was the biggest one. If I had to guess, and since I am not a mind reader a guess is the best I can do, I think the biggest reason is the necessary change of the pacing of the game. In remake the developers made the (in my opinion) mistake of constantly showing Sephiroth, almost from the start of the game even. The decision to do this was based on three main factors I think. 1: "In the OG the first time you see Sephiroth is in Kalm, however, that is only a few hours into the game. If we did the same with the Remake we wouldn't see Sephiroth until game 2 and we can't have an entire FFVII game without Sephiroth." 2: "People already know Sephiroth, so the mystery is gone anyway, so it doesn't make sense to treat his appearance as one when everyone already knows him". 3: "People love Sephiroth so lets give them a bunch of Sephiroth!!!".

I personally think all of these are flawed. For one people are capable of influencing their mind state to resemble someone who is watching something for the first time. It's not exactly the same, but close enough, there is a reason people can watch the same thing over and over again and get similar responses on repeat viewings. When people love a story they are willing to watch things as though it were the first time. They can feel mystery and suspense even though they know the answer. I also think that there is enough happening in FFVII that you can keep the player occupied while playing a long game when it comes to mystery. If anything I think that the extra time to let mystery build could be used to enhance the experience, rather than making it feel drawn out. Especially in remake I think Shinra was MORE than good enough to qualify as the main villain for the story segment, and I think Sephiroth being only "a shadow on the edge of memory" for 90% of the game would make his unseen appearance in shinra HQ all the more terrifying. And ofcourse the reason people love Sephiroth is how effective he is as a villain, and part of that is the mystique. If you give people more Sephiroth you are actually giving them LESS Sephiroth, because Sephiroth isn't just the man, it's the idea, the presentation, and that presentation requires restraint in implementation.

My suspicion is that the mystery surrounding Clouds condition was approached very similarly. They figured they had the new mystery surrounding the "parallel worlds" as an overarching mystery and since people already know whats going on with Cloud that mystery could essentially be spoken about more openly. But this suffers from the same problems I mentioned above. I can totally watch FFVII as though I do not know the mystery, and experiencing said mystery was what I was looking forward to most. To me it's the best part of FFVII, and without it I barely even consider it a remake. And yes, I think fan-service did play a part. One of the things you hear most often when discussing the LTD is the retort that FFVII is not a romance story and that we're too focused on something that FFVII just isn't about, and while I disagree with that assessment, since romance ABSOLUTELY is a massive and crucial element to the story, I do agree that the romance is, for the most part, something that is in the background, it is the underlying backdrop that is required to understand the characters and their actions. But the focus is still on the actions themselves, as well as feelings and events that the romantic backdrop have caused, namely Clouds alter ego and accompanying mental problems. However, in rebirth the romance is NOT the backdrop, it's the focus of a large part of the game. Hell, the main play loop of the game revolves around you getting the party members to like you. And while it is true that this also involves, for instance, Barret and Nanaki, I think it's pretty clear that this entire core aspect of the game was implemented mostly as a way to explore romance in the game and satisfy fan desires. The question is, did that impact the mystery? And yes, I think it did. For one, everything related to Aerith and Zack in chapter 14 is PURE fan-service bait. The entire "can we save Aerith" plotline was fan-service bait from the start. And both these things, on account of both not being well handled, and overshadowing the actual mystery of FFVII, have a negative impact on how well rebirth is able to tell the story of the OG. Not only that, but SE tried to avoid burning bridges by not being clear with their story in regards to Aerith. I've heard people say that SE was wishy washy when it comes to choosing between Tifa and Aerith, they weren't, this game is about as pro-Cloti as it could be, Cloud and Tifa are a thing, if that weren't already obvious it's even more obvious in rebirth. No, the thing SE is being wishy washy about, is between Aerith and Aerith. Between the interpretation of Aerith loving Zack and simply using Cloud as a stand in, or Aerith as having "genuine" feelings. And the problem is that by trying to keep that a mystery they've made themselves incapable of properly examining either idea. There could have been deep meaningful scenes and conversations about how Aerith is still searching for the guy she lost. But they can't be that explicit without alienating fans, so they instead are vague, which results in a whole host of issues. But the most important issue for this question is that this approach creates an unfocused story, one that lacks clear direction. And a story without clear focus and direction will never be able to tell its mysteries in the most engaging and enthralling way. They want to show Zack, they want to discuss Zack, so they can't have Zack be a twist, but they also can't properly discuss Zack since that would be too explicit and so they half-ass it. They want to imply that Aerith is looking for Zack in Cloud, but they don't want to burn bridges, so they also want to hold open the possibility that Aerith actually likes Cloud for Cloud, and by doing all this nonsense you're creating a teenage love drama where you could have had a meaningful story about two people helping each other where the scenes could be directed to maximize the effectiveness of the mystery of Zack, rather than playing into a "I love him, I love him not" soap opera that got boring 27 years ago.

[mathlann]

1, 11, 28, 42, and B for Casimira? Sorry for sending so many, there's so much I want to know 👀

From this ask meme. Thank you! Ask and you shall receive lol.

1. What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?

Answered here!

11. How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?

She's a seek clarification type of lady. Cas will not have herself looking stupid because she made an assumption she shouldn't have. With anything genuinely important she'll make sure both parties in the conversation agree on what is being asked and what she plans to do before she does it. The exception to this is Marazhai because he will maybe let her get one question in and still won't give a straight answer 80% of the time, so in that case if she still doesn't know by Dodge Answer #2 she just goes with it until she can read whatever cue he's giving. It never ends up being that much of a problem but also he's generally not in charge of stuff like "trade routes" and "making sure the colonies don't implode" so his exception is allowable.

28. Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth? 

She prefers the unpleasant truth. A lie has a high chance of making fools out of everyone involved but an unpleasant truth can at least be worked around and come to something better. Duly note that she is a bit of a hypocrite on this, because she herself is okay with lying if she thinks there's no consequences to it, like telling Heinrix she didn't know anything about the sword shards. And when the need comes for her to approach a difficult topic she will internally grind her teeth and drag her feet to avoid the conversation until something forces her hand.

42. How badly do they want to reach their end goal? 

Her end goal here being: "make the Protectorate less chaotic and get the dynasty under the control," greatly. Cas has never had a great opinion of off-worlders in general and Imperium nobility in particular and so frankly everything that happened after her arrival on Theodora's flagship was a reinforcement of all her biases. Between Theodora's neglect and Calcazar's scheming, Cas hasn't had a peaceful night since she left Iocanthos because there's just so much she needs to do, fix one problem and five more spring up. But if she can actually get things back into some kind of working order her way that will make all the difference (and stick it to a political entity that she very much dislikes, so a mighty bonus).

B. What inspired you to create them?

Oh that's a long and convoluted answer. In short I'd say she's an amalgamation of a lot of character concepts that I've played with off an on since I got the original Rogue Trader TTRPG book a decade or so ago. The CRPG is quite different from any of the FFG 40k games but Casimira being A) high Fellowship, B) Xenos-friendly, and C) probably from Iocanthos (a favorite from Dark Heresy) were going to be givens for me. I'm always looking to play high charisma PCs in general and I also really like having characters that are from the outskirts of Imperium society in some way. Also just for the general concept I'd just finished Catherynne M. Valente's Palimpsest, and I'll say the Casimira in that book is very much her vibe (alone and in parts of her romance w Marazhai) in ways I didn't know when I first grabbed the name off of her.

The rest under the cut because it's long 😅

Mechanically, since Psyker (my usual preference) wasn't fully implemented in EA, the original Cas in EA/first half-playthrough was a Death World/Commissar/Operative (conceptually similar to how I see her older sister actually). That Casimira was more genuinely "good person" Iconoclastic, which didn't quite fit what I was going for but also I didn't really know how the Iconoclast/Heretic split was going to go at the time. This Cas was practical, had some Dogmatic moments, and generally was approaching her role as Rogue Trader by trying to be a decent person/"benevolent noble" more often than not.

Then Yremeryss kicked my ass back to Act 1 and Cas was remade as a Hiver/Noble/Officer, both for the Fellowship bonuses and because at that point I'd decided Marazhai was the one for her and frankly "You. Serve Me." being the Noble's key ability was, uh, fitting for their dynamic. That Cas was going to be from Scintilla, and I made her a bit more spoiled, callous, and scheme-y, very into crime and other light heresies because she's very sure of her power as Rogue Trader and the right to do what she wants.

The current Xenoheretical, actively Anti-Imperium, Chaos dabbler Casimira emerged partway through that playthrough. She became Iocanthan again, an envoy this time, and Hiver still fit with the nomadic background. She got some of her old altruism back but it was more out of pragmatism than genuine feeling and could be overridden if she felt wronged or that her immediate want had a greater benefit. Also her being nominally a Noble but unable to meet the proper expectations of how she should act (according to Imperium standards) became a bigger part of her arc, one that ended up resulting in the Great Heinrix Divorce Arc and her darker turn with Marazhai in the second half of the game. And with all that, the Casimira I have today!

(Honorable mention vibe-wise, Bizet's Carmen, and specifically this performance of "Ramparts of Seville" conceptually influenced quite a bit of how I see her and Heinrix in that they definitely fit the "uptight man married to his job meets a mezzo soprano and they are not compatible and won't end up together but boy will they wreck his fucking life with the time they've got" genre 🤫)

[halfbakedspuds]

Did they have a meet cute? Or was it a train wreck?

If someone flirted with or showed an interest in their S/O, how would the other react?

For anyone you'd like :)

Thanks for the ask! I'll do this for the major couples across all my WIPs.

It's long, so it continues under the cut.

Did they have a meet cute? Or was it a train wreck?

Lyanni Sverik and Adrian Castellan (Children of the Stars):

Lyanni and Adrian meeting was a very uncomfortable time for both of them.

Basically, Lyanni had slighted her people's temples by digging a little too deep into their secrets and because their word is law, she was turned from the heiress of a fallen noble house into a slave destined for the mines, or worse.

Adrian, having just won a rather brutal war for Lyanni's people, was offered a choice of slaves to choose a servant from, and she was the only one he could save without destroying a delicate political balance integral to his job, despite abhorring the entire concept with his very being.

The first thing they ever agreed on was to pretend that that whole ordeal had never happened, that their official relationship according to the documents didn't exist and that they were just housemates. And of course, that blossomed into friendship and finally into a romance of some exceptional blindness all round.

Adrian Castellan and Dima Leznitsky (Children of the Wolves):

Dima was Adrian's boyfriend before he left Callisto, and they actually met while trying to do the exact same thing.

Adrian and his siblings had tried -and rather catastrophically failed- to secure a trade deal with another clan, resulting in him booking it through the lower parts of Hab-tower 6 while being chased by another clan's warriors and eventually pulling the old "slip into the same booth as someone at a restaurant and act like you belong there" trick.

The person whose booth he slipped into turned out to be Dima Leznitsky, who was actually doing something similar to hide from a Solar Homeguard search party and to figure out what he was going to do next, which is how Dima ended up living with clan Castellan for a few months and him and Adrian becoming more involved in that sense.

Jason Haliday and Helga Ravenscar (The Tempest Prince):

I distinctly remember them meeting because Jason called Helga out for purposefully intimidating some of the younger kids that trained with them only to proceed to getting his ass beat in a duel for the next... 4, 4½ hours?

Yeeeaah, he became a magos for a reason, man's can't fight worth toffee...

It was a bit of a trainsmash, but after ironing out some kinks from both their sides, they became inseparable and a long adventure later, share the surname 'Snowsong'.

Alex Haliday and Isaac Blackwell (The tempest Prince):

Unfortunately, Alex isn't the POV character of the first few books, so there's only really snippets of their meeting (although I want to actually change this in my second draft to have multiple POVs including this scene.

Anyways, Alex and Isaac met because of the inter-city blood games, where both of them had had a sibling representing their respective city in the unascended category (basically: regular humans beating the shit out of each other, not hunters yet) and we're supporting them

They had a somewhat cute scene with Alex trying to give Isaac his number and learning very quickly that Allyria doesn't have any cell coverage, but they did hit it off and made plans to meet up again, which did work out after the chaos that was the war of transcendance.

If someone flirted with or showed interest in their S/O, how would they react?

Lyanni and Adrian:

Lyanni early in the book might've felt a bit uncomfortable, but would've brushed it off. Later in the book she would definitely go full passive-aggressive or aggro mode, and I think she actually has a line in the book where she says something along the lines of "Excuse you, b****," to someone who was flirting with Adrian in a very obvious manner.

Adrian's just fucken oblivious, but if he did manage to notice he'd handle it in classic Adrian fashion: sauntering up to Lyanni and asking a seemingly casual question while putting emphasis on referring to her as 'My love' or something along those lines. Something he just doesn't usually do, but that would signal to the other person to back off. If he missed his opportunity, he'd feel a bit jealous but wouldn't really show it.

Adrian and Dima:

Imma be honest, these two were more so a case of a very passionate and hastily made decision backfiring than anything else.

Even younger Adrian is just oblivious to these things, but considering what Dima ended up doing to Adrian and his people, I don't think he would've cared enough to feel anything about it.

Jason and Helga:

See, early Jason and Helga would just ignore this to try and not cause a scene.

By the time they start dating, they're both comfortable in their relationship to have decided to make a game out of this.

I'm going to use an example where Jason is getting flirted with and Helga watches this happen, but it works the same the other way around as well.

In this example, Jason will play really, really stupid to the interested party's flirtations, trying to throw them off and make them uncomfortable as they try to be ever less subtle to get their point across. In comes Helga, acting like a totally unknown individual who's also interested.

The goal is to see how badly they can get the other person to embarrass themselves in an attempt to flirt before giving up, and it's actually a common enough occurrence (thanks to people trying to use them for status and power) that this is how they pass the time at social functions

Alex and Isaac:

Alex has a bit of a confidence issue thanks to his power making a lot of people afraid of him or deem him as 'subhuman' (even though only the children are fully human in the hunter cities in any case), and so he'd sulk about it quite badly, but he'd just back off: believing that Isaac deserves better than him in any case.

Isaac on the other hand, is rearing to start some shit. Hallowsteel knocks out sensation for about an hour and having a prosthetic arm lined with the stuff he's not afraid to give someone temporary full body paralysis for trying to flirt with his man. In fact, one of the biggest things Alex lectures him on is to 'stop stunning people, goddamnit'

[tooti-fruiti]

UNDERTALE BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND SCENARIOS

Halloween!

-TORIEL

Halloween with Toriel is a little boring to be honest.

She only hands out candy and watches kids movies with Frisk.

Her costume doesn't even match yours. She's a witch because it's the least scary thing she can think of. (She'll also get mad if you scare Frisk with your costume)

But this part is a little understandable because the only decor she has outside her house is spiderwebs and gravestones.

However, if this is what you're looking for, then Toriel is for you.

"So, (Y/n)! How do I look?"

-SANS

Halloween with Sans is always so much fun.

You two watch scary movies and later he hosts a Halloween party and all your friends are invited.

There's all sorts of Halloween themed games and desserts (thank you Muffet).

Costumes with Sans are always dirty. Something kids would think is innocent but not adults.

Such as the charger block and socket.

Or one time, Sans dressed up as a hotdog and made you dress up as a donut.

You two have fun with it though because this sort of shit is your style.

Or, if you two feel especially lasy, you'll just wear sweats and t-ahirts that say "Error 404, costume not found" and instead of throwing a party, if you two feel lazy, you'll just go around to Haunted attractions and stuff.

However sometimes you go trick or treating with Frisk and Toriel, and if he sees any bones, skulls, or whole ass skeletons as decor, he's going to be disturbed.

"hey, you humans sure do hate skeletons huh?"

-PAPYRUS

Papyrus HATES scary movies. So don't expect him to watch any on Halloween.

The only Halloween movie he'll watch is The Nightmare Before Christmas. (He loves Jack Skellington [Sans will watch it too])

Papyrus loves to pass out candy to little kids and go trick or treating with Toriel and Frisk.

He, like Sans, also gets disturbed when he sees skeletons laying around. Including Jack Skellington.

Papyrus is also extremely torn between three costumes.

A vampire, a pumpkin, and Jack Skellington.

He loves to wear capes and being a vampire is just an excuse to wear a cape, look cool and attractive, and sharpen his teeth.

He thinks he looks really good in orange and that's why he wants to be a Papyrus shaped pumpkin.

And then Jack Skellington is self explanatory.

So he switches between the three costumes every year. And you're happy to dress up with whatever he chooses.

"(Y/N) LOOK! JACK'S SUIT HAS A TAIL THINGY!"

-UNDYNE

Since Undyne is a piranha, she thought it was only right that she was a pirate.

You two absolutely DECK the house in booby traps to scare little kids.

(Toriel and Frisk don't visit during Halloween)

You both think it's funny scaring the shit out of kids.

Once "passing out candy" is over, you two watch scary movies.

But if there aren't any new ones to watch, you two will go Haunted houses or Sans's party instead.

"OH! GOOD IDEA (Y/N)! WHEN THE KID WALKS ONTO OUR LAWN, THE FAKE SPIDER WILL FALL FROM THE TREE AND SCARE THE CRAP OUT OF THEM!"

-ALPHYS

Alphys doesn't really want to participate in Halloween.

She likes to cuddle up to you when you two watch something scary.

But she's anti-social and doesn't want to pass out candy to kids or go to Haunted Houses.

The only thing she will do that involves going outside is go to Sans's party because she knows everyone there.

And the two of you dress up like mummies. Because that's the only Alphys can really agree to dressing up to.

"O-Oh! (Y-Y/n)! Friday the 13th is on! You wanna w-watch it with me?"

-METTATON

Mettaton knows he's sexy.

And what kind costume is sexy enough for Mettaton?

A vampire.

Ever since Mettaton came to the surface, he knew that vampires had a high sex appeal, and that's what he dresses up as every Halloween (he takes very good care of his costume btw).

He knows you like seeing him look so elegant too.

Mettaton wears that costume all day until he needs to recharge his battery.

You two spend the day watching monster romance movies because it's Halloween-y and he thinks they're cute.

You two don't pass out candy or go to haunted houses either, but you two do go to Sans's party.

Fashionably late of course.

To match Mettaton's sex appeal. You also to decide to dress up in something slutty. Either it be the devil, another vampire, or even a cat.

"(Y/N) DARLING, YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! GLORIOUS! RAVENOUS EVEN."

-ASGORE

Asgore, despite being able to be a fearsome king, is quite scared of Halloween.

He doesn't like getting scared and he gets scared quite easily.

More easily then he would like to admit.

So when Halloween comes around, you two just stay inside and watch comedy movies instead.

He knows you like Halloween and apologizes for getting too scared.

However, you both still dress up. Your couples costume is a demon inspired one.

"Hey. I'm sorry we can't do anything Halloween-y except for dressing up..."

-GRILLBY

Grillby doesn't care for Halloween.

He doesn't get it and he doesn't see the point.

He lets you do Halloween activities by yourself while he takes care of Grillby's

"...have fun at the party."

-MUFFET

Muffet loves Halloween. She loves every holiday, but Halloween is her favorite.

Not only does she get to make holiday themes desserts, but this is the one time of the year where monsters have feel like they belong on the surface.

She doesn't dress up, but she definitely celebrates Halloween.

"Oh dearie! Look at these cute Pumpkin Donuts I made!"

-GASTER

Gaster, like Papyrus, also really likes the Nightmare Before Christmas.

But he also likes old horror movies. Like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and The Wolf Man.

Black and white movies like that.

Gaster actually was the invisible man one year for Halloween, he created an elemental formula that allowed his bones to turn invisible.

You can bet he had funny teasing you that way.

However, he did figure out a way to make himself visible again.

Like Papyrus, Gaster switches between costumes.

Gaster will either be Dracula, Jack Skellington (when Papyrus isn't dressed up as him), The Invisible Man, or Victor Frankenstein.

You two visit everyone at the party, but don't stay for long.

Once you two get home, you'll pass out candy and watch old horror movies.

"☟︎♏︎ 🙵♏︎◻︎⧫︎ ♒︎♓︎⬧︎ ◻︎❒︎□︎❍︎♓︎⬧︎♏︎! ☟︎♏︎ ♎︎♓︎♎︎ 🙵♓︎●︎●︎ ♒︎♓︎❍︎ ♋︎⧫︎ ⧫︎♏︎■︎ □︎🕯︎♍︎●︎□︎♍︎🙵!"

(Translation: He kept his promise! He did kill him at ten o'clock!)

[Hope you enjoyed. Stay tuned for more and have a good day]

[lost-in-the-pink-mist]

Thinking about Raph and Mona again because we love them

Mona's race, the Salamanderians, are all inherently psychic, and they form permanent Connections with their partners that, socially, they consider the biggest indicator of a serious relationship. Even marriages are nothing compared to it. The Connections happen on their own, and there is no one timeline for them, so some form days after meeting, some form years later, and some never form even when all parties involved want them to. That's why they don't consider marriage (binding contracts to share assets, not too different from Earth Western marriage, just with no inherent requirement for romance or exclusivity) a big deal, the courting period is very short, only long enough for all parties to try things out and agree that they get along and would want to share their lives, and then they get married and if a Connection forms it will and if it doesn't then it doesn't. If a Connection forms before even the courting period starts then that immediately becomes a fully fledged life bond

So how does this affect Raph? Well, she meets Mona while both of them are traveling through the astral plane. They hit it off pretty quickly, and spend a lot of time together projected simply because its safer, even after having met in the physical world. Because of this, the lines that separate them as individuals are already a little blurred. They're used to sensing each other, its not odd to have lingering effects even when not projecting, and Mona wasn't exactly expecting to Connect with a non-Salamanderian (its been known to happen, but its not common), so neither of them even realise they'd Connected until Mona leaves the range of the Connection (which isn't something that can happen easily. If both parties were on opposite sides of the same planet they wouldn't be anywhere close to the limit)

The sudden emptiness that fills Raph terrifies him, all she can tell is its related to Mona somehow, and frantic texting ensues, which is a problem because it takes time for the signals to arrive (the freakout starts when there is a 20 minute delay, and Mona is traveling fast so that delay gets longer and longer), and Raph spends the next 36 hours or so freaking out as they sloooowly figure out what's going on, and then freaking out even more when Mona finally realises what happened and explains, because while he's not against it at all (like. At all. No opposition whatsoever. Excitement comes later.) she would have liked to know that they were bonded for life/alien married to their gf! That would have been very nice information to know thank you!

And you know what doesn't help Raph's stress? Two comatose big sisters! This timing is very inconvenient! (And, unknown to everyone but Donnie, a certain Victoria Shelley Hamato is a little bundle of cells forming in a tube rn)

[smuttyfang]

Kasumi, A Bet (Male Reader)

"Ah, that makes total sense, don't worry about it. Also you still did great writing from the male perspective. If it's not too much to ask, could I request you do a Male Reader/Kasumi scenario? I've always liked her and found her to be underrated. A bit disappointing she was never a romance honestly."

Words: 1,362

Approaching the entrance to the party, you adjusted your tie. You had agreed to help Kasumi get this statue she wanted so badly, but damn you were nervous. The last thing you wanted to do was make a mistake. She had taught you a lot though throughout all this time. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

"Nervous?" She asked you, smiling. "It'll be okay. You can do this. And you look incredibly handsome if nothing else." You couldn't help but smile. Everything she said and did made you feel.. awesome.

"Maybe a little, but.. I bet I could get to that statue first." She laughed at you. "Well.. I can try." You knew how much she loved competition, so why not make it a little more fun?"

"You really want to bet on that?" Kasumi smiled at you. "You're joking, right?" You couldn't help but grin at her.

"Sure, why not?" You knew better than to bet against the best thief in the galaxy. Without a doubt though, you could create some kind of bet that you would still end up on the winning end of things.. something that could benefit you both. Your mind wandered to so many places. "You've taught me a lot, after all."

"Sure, but that doesn't mean the student can surpass the master by any means." You could see her eyes shining from under her hood. She knew you were being snarky.

"Maybe not, but I can try." She smiled.

"Keyword of the day.. try." You smirked at her. Taking her hand in yours, you squeezed it. "Alright, see if you can get to the statue faster than I can. Whoever gets there first wins."

"What do I get if I win? I have a lot of things in mind." Kasumi grinned, tracing her finger from your chest down to your stomach.

"Hmm. If I win, I get to be in charge of you." She then traced her finger along your hip. You could feel your cock twitch at her touch. "And if you win, which you won't, I will let you take charge."

"Oh, damn. Sure sounds like I'm getting screwed over in this deal. But, sure. I'll go for it." You said with some major sarcasm. Kasumi let her finger lightly trace your cock from the base to the tip.

"You'll be getting screwed either way, so.. does it really matter that much?" You shook your head no. Your breathing halted for a moment. Every little thing she did had you completely obsessed with her. It felt like she had cast some kind of spell on you and you wouldn't be able to pull yourself away from her, even if you tried. Not that you ever would of course.

"Absolutely not." She cupped your cheek with her hand and pressed her soft lips to yours.

"Get ready to lose." She disappeared before your eyes with her cloaking device. You decided to take a more subtle approach. The woman owning the statue.. you knew a bit about her actually. She was a single woman, human. Upon your research before coming to the party, you'd seen a ton of articles about her dating life. She was, more often than not, always in some drama involving the men she dated. They would always be caught with other women, sometimes men, and usually younger. They would all always mention that she was 'crazy'. That she was just 'too much'. You decided to try a different approach knowing this information. Seduction? Making Kasumi slightly jealous and angry? Making her want you more? What could you possibly lose? Except the bet, but that's a loss you can definitely handle.. Approaching the woman, she immediately left the conversation she was already in and turned her attention toward you. She wasn't a bad looking woman by any means, but you knew what kind of monstrous things she was involved in. She was the definition of an awful person.

"Hello, Miss." You addressed her. You took her hand in yours and kissed the back of it lightly. "My apologies, but I felt compelled to come speak with you the moment I laid eyes upon you." It was quite easy to find out she liked this classic romantic shit. She placed her hand upon her chest and looked away like she was in a terrible romance movie. What a turn off.

"Oh.." She fluttered her eyes at you. "Hello.. It's lovely to meet you. My name is Kate.." She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She really wants that stereotypical romance shit from the movies.

"Unfortunately, I don't believe my name matters as much as yours. Please, tell me more about yourself." Kate was more than happy to oblige you. On and on she went, prattling on about her daily life and how she got as rich as she did. You didn't exactly pay a lot of attention, since you started scanning the room for Kasumi. She happened to show herself for a split second on a high half wall in front of you. It was dark, and impossible for anyone to notice her there. However, you did. You could see her pouting before disappearing again. As Kate finished speaking to you, she looked to the floor.

"I am sorry, I have a habit of talking too much." You held her hand again.

"Not at all, Kate.." You let her name linger on your tongue just a bit, clearly making her nervous. "I do have to admit though.." You pulled her body into yours, placing your hand on her lower back and whispering in her ear. "It's a bit noisy in here.. don't you think? It would be wonderful if I could hear you tell more somewhere a little more quiet.." You felt her breathe in heavily.

"Oh.. my.." She was melting at your words, and you couldn't give any less of a shit. You just wanted Kasumi. "I.. I think I would like that. Please, follow me." She dragged you away from the party, and the noise died down with each step you took. She used her omni tool to open the door to her private bedroom. How in the world was it this easy? The door closed and you looked around as you walked past her. The statue Kasumi wanted to steal was in the center of a round table in front of the couch.

"You have a beautiful room Ka-" You heard her body slump to the floor. Turning around, you saw her lying on the floor, not dead, but unconscious and still breathing. Turning back to the statue, Kasumi had it in hand already. She was sitting on the couch, examining it.

"Please, this steal didn't exactly require such a delicate approach." She glared at you as she said 'delicate'. "The security here is complete trash."

"Maybe it didn't, oh well." You shrugged your shoulders. You were smiling to yourself, knowing that your plan to make her jealous worked. "Maybe we should get out of here before someone finds this old broad."

"Oh, they won't. She wasn't smart enough to put cameras in here. Probably to not let anyone see all the men she brings in here out of her own desparation." Kasumi stood up, setting the statue down gently on the table. She approached you. "I won."

"Yeah, I figured you would. You're just too good." She pressed her body to yours with her hands behind her back.

"I didn't like watching you flirt with her. I was a little jealous, but cringing more than anything else." She smiled. "That romantic stuff is absolutely ridiculous."

"Yeah, you never liked it, did you?" You pushed on her body slightly, letting your height tower over her. She grinned. "You like it aggressive, and passionate." Giggling, she tugged at the waistband of your pants.

"Of course I do. Now get on the bed." She pulled you by your waistband to the bed, turning you around and shoving you down on it. She crawled on top of you, pulling her hood back and showing her face. "I want to see how aggressive and passionate we can get before we get caught."

[bengiyo]

Happy Ending Romance Eps 7 & 8 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

Unfortunately, I lost the first version of this post after episode 7 ended. I'll do a quick scroll through that episode and rebuild some of my thoughts, but it's a loss.

Episode 7

I was really looking forward to this quartet working together, but Wu Ju has been turned.

This seating arrangement with the two sofas and armchair shows up a lot in Kdrama. Can someone explain why they're always arranged this way in offices?

We had two different "please take good care of me" exchanges, and only one of them felt genuine.

Han Tae Young is remarkably earnest, and I liked the spit it out scene.

Editor Yeong Seon is honestly fantastic. Telling someone you want them to be miserable takes a level of offense I respect.

All successful writers do is attend meetings. Jung Hyun's never writing.

I really like this first kiss. I like that Han Tae Young asked to kiss him after weeks of professing his love. They haven't beaten the TMS guys, but it was nice.

Another goddamn meeting.

I expected the reveal that Jung Woo was ghostwriting, but the reveal that it's what he outed that other writer for makes me wonder what the point was of going public in the first place.

I think Jung Hyun means it when he says he wants to protect Jung Woo, bit I think it inevitably infantilizes Jung Woo. He's never required to face anything, and still they both suffer.

I like the use of a bridge for a sad moment for Jung Woo. He can't go back now that everything is in the open.

Love that Han Tae Young was only worried that Jung Woo had left him again. We even get a pretty decent second kiss.

Episode 8

I really like the arty bed scene. There's been a lot of angst and long-term pining hanging over this, so this works. I also like it because this doesn't feel like a first-time-with-another-man experience for either of them.

For all that Kim Jung Hyun irritates me, Leo has done a great job embodying this character.

I can't believe a writer left his computer unsecured.

I feel for Yeong Seon. She keeps getting caught in all this drama.

I have enjoyed how when Korea does a love triangle, it's complicated by the different ways people love the same person and whether that might be best for the parties involved.

I'm wondering now if the professor figured out they were ghostwriting and blackmailed Jung Hyun.

It's a unique feeling of relief to see Kim Jung Hyun let go and team up with Han Tae Young. Now we've got a full party.

Oh, the professor didn't know.

There's a lot happening in this spiral just for Cha Jung Woo to end up back at Literature Square again.

The smash cut from the dour party to Jung Woo yelling was well done.

Hey, this non-fight is really good. Karam has done a solid job with a rather subdued character in Jung Woo. He's stepped up his expressiveness at this point and it works so well.

I loved this framing with the bus stop to place Jung Hyun on the outside.

Of course Jung Woo isn't going to let someone else sacrifice himself at this point.

Leo is good. I felt sympathy for Jung Hyun's relief that something he wrote on his own strength was good. I'm even glad he reconciled with Yeong Seon.

Man, I like that they let us know that the book worked out, and I like seeing Jung Hyun agreeing to work with Tae Young. This joke flirting between all of them at the end is a lovely touch.

Final Verdict: 8, Recommended. I think there are some shaky bits early on; I wasn't sure what I wanted to care about. Still, I like the ideas in this about the need to face pain and fear, and how trying to protect people from any disappointment can sometimes make things worse. I also enjoyed a lot of the dynamics, though I felt some emotional hand offs were missing. I will say I found a lot of the cross-cutting between scenes to be a bit distracting, and sometimes made it hard to focus.

[t4tpumpkinduo]

cquackbur<3

okay. listen to me. to an extent, i support and agree, and i can be understanding on the base appeal and i can go so far to meet halfway and say maybe i kind of like it sometimes maybe. but to act like the fandom's treatment of everyone involved hasn't deeply soured me on it would be 👍a lie.

first off, i feel like it's the klance of the dsmp lmao. ppl more obsessed w a sharply to the left idealized version of something rather than what's actually on screen, and it's kind of almost insulting to me, because there IS so much there to be enjoyed and explored and unpacked, and yet its squandered bcs people just can't stop being fucking insane and weird abt it and that leads well into my point abt ppl being insane and weird abt cee wilbur ill get to that right now actually.

ive mentioned before that i really really despise the woobification of wilbur in the fan base and that deffo doesn't change in tntduo spaces, if anything it's worse. i feel like people are very eager to scrub away his flaws and agency to make him very palatable, more easy to defend and consume instead of accepting the complexity that their guy kinda sucks bad and that's OKAY 👍 he's deeply hurt and complicated and painfully human, and he's understandable i fucking feel for the guy i really do, but he's also. he can also be very very selfish, and very cruel, and very quick to hurt others in a pursuit to feel good about himself and only himself and it isn't. okay. and he does this a lot w quackity.

wilbur isn't nice to q. he doesn't seem to particularly respect him, not really see him as an "equal" and ESPECIALLY not originally, and while he does come around a bit more, he still puts q on a weird pedestal that q bristles at more than people like to think. and in that tntduo haze, along w that specific brand of wilbur soot apologism, people brush right past those kinda flaws and just. ugh.

one good example of this is the fanbase general consensus of "omggg look at nikis birthday party 😻 look at their romance!!" like wilbur didn't spend the latter half of that calling q worthless and only good to be looked at (something quackity explicitly goes over and over hey fellas can you please not do that to me if i don't ask for it. please.) and the schlatt's bitch isms and then pulling a long ass PURPOSEFUL powerplay where q had to practically beg him to calm down and listen and not blow up manburg, if he could please just give him a chance to talk to schlatt, and niki in the bg of her own party clamoring for wilbur to look at Her abt it please talk to Her abt it and him flatly ignoring her to fuck around w q. but yeah true love♡♡ yeah im sure q walked away from that one incredibly smitten.

or another great example, the way all of hitting on 16 tends to be treated. this interesting conflicting story that shows quackity DOES like parts of wilburs back and forths, he clearly does care abt him, he is clearly having a degree of fun, and just like before wilbur can't stop taking it too far, and people ignoring all of it for ship fodder like thats not a good chunk of the story 😭 the scene where q went "sit down wilbur." and wilbur listening being treated as some fucking weird sexual thing, like it's not quackity coldly shutting down wilbur after he spent 10 minutes calling him stupid and ugly and worthless and then making fun of his scar, q making it a POINT to shut it down and that he's Done w this conversation and then calling wilbur pathetic for it, and wilbur explicitly scrambling over himself because he knew he crossed another line. but lmao yeah true love 👍i too love when my suitors purposely go out of their way to say the most vile shit to me imaginable and then get upset when i go cut that shit out.

even the later scene w tubbo is a great example, their physical fight, it being treated as some ohh it's it SEXY when q pushes wil into a wall like the man isn't genuinely fucking furious at tubbo being put in such danger again be SERIOUS and for WHY. so wilbur can kill his horse for no fucking reason because he "messed w him" BY DOING WHATTTT 😭😭😭 imagine his plan went through and he kills ossium and q is left standing there behind the glass oh real romantic id swoon. girl i would KILL HIM ‼️

and also uhh the fact a lot of tntduors are like plain racist to q can i say that. 👍 can i say that. sorry for being upset abt it.

i have more points too, the way karlnapity or pumpkinduo will be treated in regards to it n again those two have heavy flaws 😬!! im aware!!! i am aware and acknowledge, but to flanderize and criticize both those relationships, to the point of Making Shit Up to make tntduo look better in comparison and then replicating those v critiques within that space because you think it's hot. well be serious is the thing :heart_hands:

anyways, despite my critiques i do find it enjoyable on occasion, i do think it can be so interesting and snappy and (sorry) kismises like in the sense of a rivalry w GENUINE respect and acknowledgement, that push to be better that rush to improve and also gay sex and then maybe...gay love? 😳 but for that to be possible the respect has to become more undeniable it HAS to be both ways and consistent and i feel like more often that not it just isn't the case. and the fandom stuff i have mentioned. pissed me the fuck off forever.

7.5/10 ssorry sorry sso srry don't look at me

EDI: 0/10 FUCK CTNT WHAT WAS I ON

[gctchell]

@arachnaemboss asked: i for carmilla, r for lilith!

𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐖 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭 // 𝖆𝖈𝖈𝖊𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

If romance is part of the session? God, Carmilla is very intimate. There are no bars here, everything is laid bare and she is giving into it completely and utterly with no restraint - there's no reason to hold back anymore. She is giving her partner everything. This is an act of love and it is an act of devotion, and she's come to commune.

The kissing, it barely stops. She keeps her lover locked in, she can't get enough of them and is kissing them breathless. Carmilla loves kissing, she loves it, she loves it, she loves it, and she can do it for hours with the one she loves. Time can easily slip away, and foreplay honestly lasts quite a while unless her partner is taking the initiative to keep the ball rolling - she is much too enchanted with them and their lips, their taste, their breath and the exchange to focus on much else.

When she is not keeping her partner lip locked, she is buried into their neck and leaving her mark in their place. In casual intimacy, this is not something she does - she's not above biting of course, but leaving love marks is not something for the casual fling, it's reserved for this. She leaves her mark all over the neck, all over the shoulders and the clavicle. She can bite hard, but they need to let her know that - if they agree, her teeth are in their skin and might be drawing blood if that is part of their love practice.

Holding hands is something very common with their sex, at least one hand is being held with the finger entwined. It's a tight hold, and when the intensity starts to build, it's deliciously shaky, but she doesn't let go as she trembles.

She is speaking in such a husky voice to them, telling them how precious they are and that she loves and adores them, and that her heart and body belongs to them. She mixes in a little dirty talk too, saying that she has never felt herself become so soaked until this moment - they're playing he body like a ballad.

Lovemaking honestly is the way she gets off the hardest - romance involved just does it for her. She can go for hours just entangled with her partner, slow and deep, rough and steady, cowgirling and holding hands, but she cums harder when in love than when in casual. Romance is her thing.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Lilith is completely open to experimenting, so long as it is done without crossing their personal boundaries (actions that would make them uncomfortable, such as bringing in another party. she is monogamous and not open to things like swinging, having someone watch them, etc. risky public sex with the potential of being discovered is not included). She's open to taking risks so long as they're both on board for it. She only need hear the suggestion, and it's very rare that she'll turn down the opportunity to explore it.

Pushing bloodplay is something that is experimental risk, and she finds that she enjoys it a lot. Feeding her blood to her lover and watching them feel her power run through their veins, boosting them, driving them insane with sexuality and carnal need from the thriving, living succubus in the state of sex.. wonderful.