#not sure why I got this ask or why my opinions important but there ya go

[youre-gonna-see-a-lot-of-me]

That's so fucked up that people are romantizing Franco, because even Red Barrels are showing him as a total creep and disgusting person. In Outlast Tag I have a feeling that some artists are making him completly different character, making him charming/safe/lovely. I even have seen some people who were drawing him with normal face (without big forehead) and you couldn't tell them that it's the right character design! I feel like Franco enjoyers are more agressive than fans of other Outlast character. Even with Coyle/Eddie simps they seem to understand that they are evil and they murder others, but with Franco I feel like they can take it when someone tell them that he's grown up, murder people in very brutal way and his voice lines are just disgusting... it really seems that people are getting agressive only because someone tell some shit about 🎀✨️Franco🎀✨️. I know his fans isn't the only one that have stick in their ass (cause I seen a lot of shit bout Coyle/Big Grunts/Easterman etc.) but yall need to understand that FRANCO IS A GROWN ASS MAN and you would run for your life if you'd meet someone in irl as 1% fucked up as he is. Saying that he's just a Baby and he made nothing wrong is just 🤮 and problem is in yall if you justificate him and things he made.

idk how to tell you this ,,,, but this game is fictional. The characters are fictional. You're free to feel however you want about them, just like I and anyone else is.

I partially agree with the part about changing his appearance to make him look more "normal" or whatever, but at the same time people are allowed to interpret their favs however they want to. They can draw / write for him however they want to. I don't like "fixing" his face, just because it (personally) feels like saying "he's too ugly", but again, that's just me. As an artist, I know that people are going to have different interpretations of a character I like. It's just part of other people existing in the world. Not everyone thinks like you do, and that's okay.

Do you know how many posts I saw (and STILL see) about Eddie Gluskin, doing essentially the same thing as what you said people do with Franco?? That man would cut you open to "make a baby in you" no hesitation and people still ""romanticize"" him (me fuckin included I LOVE YOU EDDIE). Its just part of liking fucked up characters, some people are going to want to make them more "normal".

Personally, I see the normalization as more like wanting to give him some normalcy in his life, because of his past / lore. I love the idea of letting Franco have a normal life, be a normal person. A life where he never had to deal with the stupid Mafia stuff, had a decent father and never ran into Murkoff, having a normal, happy life. But, I also seriously adore his original, fucked up character.

Honestly, who actually cares if people are "justifying" his actions??? None of them are real. He is not real. I have never understood the sentiment that you have to make sure people know you don't justify a fictional characters actions... they are not real. It's not a real person. None of the things he did happened.

Maybe it's just me, but I would not run from someone like him. That's not some edge lord "im so evil and dark" bs but because of my real life experiences. Been with and around people in my life / family who are quite like him and I didn't run.

I imagine some of us are using it as a sort of coping mechanism, because (at least for me) some of us dealt with people who treated us like he would. Though, that's getting into personal territory, and I won't try and speak for others.

All I can really say is either learn that not everybody's going to have the same ideas as you or block the tag. Sorry if that's too harsh a response, but life is too short to really give that much of a fuck about someone /something other people like.

And I've said this before but this is literally Outlast, all of the characters are this fucked up, it's not just him.

Like does no one remember Outlast 2??? Does no one remember the pile of dead burnt babies, or the hundreds of other fucked up things in that game?? I really feel like Franco does not compare.

So, can we please just be over with this now? I mean, drama is totally fun and I love it, but I can imagine others don't.

[lucysarah-c]

Levi's horrible flirting skills part 8.

Masterlist link to all the previous parts.

“So... King’s anniversary’s coronation. Are you coming?” Erwin casually dropped the question without a clear addressee, or at least in Levi’s opinion, as he played with a pen while waiting for the early morning meeting to end. He had only slept a very counted number of hours. 

But as the silence reigned, it made him raise his attention, fearing that the question was directed at him. And indeed, it was. Erwin was looking at him. 

“Are you coming?” Erwin insisted. “I don’t think I’ve to remind you how important this event is.” 

Escaping the intense blue eyes, Levi pretended to be interested in anything else inside the room. “I... I’m rather busy. I’ve got a lot of delayed paperwork I should work on over the weekend.” 

The commander looked exhausted as he stared back at him, the invitation slowly dropping onto the table. “I’m sure your boss, me, wouldn’t mind you presenting your work a couple of days later.” 

“You don’t know my boss.” 

Erwin sighed loudly and put away the letter with the invitation. “You know, very influential and powerful people attend these events. It would be great for the Scouts’ economy if you could go and land us some donations.” 

He passed his plus-one invitation to Hange so they could try to get some donations for their titan investigations. Levi fought the urge to roll his eyes as Erwin’s speech was so frequent and repeated, like a mother angry at returning home to find the dishes not cleaned. 

“You know that me and influential filthy pigs don’t get along.” 

“Hey, I’ve been part of the Scouts longer, and he gets his own invitation while I get a plus-one?” The brunette complained. 

“’Cause you’re not Humanity’s strongest?” Levi asked back with a raised eyebrow. “If you want it, I’ll gladly give you that stupid invitation.” 

“Ugh, since that title landed you a date with that nurse of yours, you’ve gotten cocky about it,” Hange pointed out playfully, intending to get on Levi’s last nerve. 

Erwin chuckled as Levi squinted his eyes. “She didn’t go out with me because of it.” 

“Not even you believe that,” unlikely of him, Erwin joined in on the joke, making Levi roll his eyes and frown deeply. 

“You two are just so fucking jealous. When was the last time any of your titles or medals got you a chick?” 

The other two’s silence spoke volumes as they searched for a proper comeback. 

He began to notice the small changes, like when they met again in a hallway. She greeted him first over Erwin and, very important detail, she still called him “captain,” but Levi swore it had an underlying sexy accent to it... or at least that’s what he liked to believe. 

The first rule in the animal world is to land her interest; the second one? Maintain it. That means marking territory. This time subtly, he was not committing the same mistake twice. 

How many hours was Levi sleeping to manage getting his paperwork done, his work as a captain, and trying to pay her as many visits as he could when he was over at the Capital for meetings? None, but at least he made sure a good couple of the MPs, who also walked around the hospital trying to land a nurse girlfriend, would think twice before approaching her. 

“You want scones? It was my day for buying supplies for the staff room,” she commented while moving around, preparing tea. Levi was there doing paperwork he brought with him. Balancing both of their schedules wasn’t particularly easy, and perhaps that’s why their second date was just going to be a little after-work dinner. 

‘Maybe... it’s my moment to casually imply that I don’t have a sweet tooth.’ 

“I don’t like sweet stuff, actually.” 

‘...great, just great.’ 

The confusion was all over her face as she turned around. “Oh...” she softly frowned as she gave it a deeper thought, “...but I gifted you a cake.” 

“Yeah.” 

Lips pressed together as she stared at him. “You could just tell me.” 

‘Yeah well, the time I tried to just tell ya, you got angry at me for a good fucking time, so perhaps it wasn’t the best idea.’ 

How many times had he seen the same picture he had right in front of him, only separated by a couple of steps? Eyes rolling and clicking his tongue, finding it so idiotic that it was even annoying. The only sort of speech he could come up with for his own defense was that “he wasn’t in service,” and usually they were. 

Yes, they. Military police members walking around downtown without the jackets of the uniform on, but instead, the green unicorn swinging as any of their girls walked around with them on their shoulders. 

There she was, the wings of freedom adorning her back. The sleeves weren’t on, just the shoulder pads casually resting on hers, preventing it from falling but not secured enough. ‘It’s like too cold... but too warm for my coat,’ she had mentioned as they exited the building, doing honor to the season where taking the winter coat early in the morning is a good idea but, by afternoon, it hangs on your arm. 

“Here,” he had said, and before he knew it, he was seeing her walking slightly ahead of him with the jackets contrasting against her doveish uniform. 

Marking territory, isn’t it all about that? Especially at the Capital, where all the MPs are looking at them as if they were the most absurd of all couples or perhaps it’s just plain jealousy. 

“You’re going to love them! The food is so good, and the portions are huge,” she commented behind him as she guided him through streets it was rather obvious she knew better than him. As the sky turned coral, with days getting longer, the golden hour only helped highlight how cute he found her like that. 

‘I’ve become what I swore to destroy...’ 

“I’m asking for a small one because if I eat too much, I am gonna fall asleep, and today I’ve got night service,” she commented, looking at the options at the street stand. 

‘Thank god her suggestion wasn’t some stupidly fancy shop at Mitras that would force me to eat plain rice for the rest of the month.’ 

“You work tonight?” he commented back as he decided what to eat. 

“Yes, there are a lot of mothers who reported feeling contractions. I may be working all night,” she replied before pointing, “If you like spicy, those sauces are great.” 

He handed the money to the owner as he received both options and passed hers forward with his left hand. 

“Thank you~” she sang, smiling back at him. 

“You’re welcome,” he muttered as he put away the change back in his wallet. 

‘Havin’ a girlfriend is expensive.’ 

He felt the tug from his arm as she gripped his hand and began to guide him. “Come on, I know a good spot at the park,” she said enthusiastically as she hand-hold dragged him. 

Her hand felt stupidly soft against his, he thought, and delicate as if the absurd feeling of breaking it crossed his mind. 

‘...but 100% worth it.’ 

He let her drag him, mostly because she could hardly even dream of moving him if he refused, but if she wished to get him somewhere, he would just let her have it. 

‘I’ve to give it to them... the Capital is full of classist snob jerks, but the places are fucking nice,’ he thought, recalling how the downtown closer to the Scouts’ facility at  

Wall Rose always smelled like horse dung, the little poor town always looked a bit grey, and there wasn’t much to do there. In contrast, the huge park with well-kept green grass, flowers, kids with expensive uniforms, statues, and decorated benches like the one they were sitting on marked a difference, especially since that place received the early spring sun directly. 

‘There go my taxes.’ 

“MH-” she hummed, passing down a bite from her meal, “You want to taste mine?” 

Pushing her option in his direction for him to take a bite, Levi checked their surroundings and felt the shame of perhaps someone seeing him doing that, but he soon began to suspect that keeping a relationship would require him to start doing a lot of embarrassing stuff. He took one bite and hummed in agreement. 

Swallowing, he said with his usual monotone voice, “Wanna taste mine?” 

As she bent forward to take a bite, Levi forced himself to look away as perhaps there were too many kids around to even think it. 

‘Why when she offers it, it’s cute, and when I do it, I sound like a fucking pervert?’ 

“Mhhm, very good, I like yours. It’s more creamy!” 

‘...stop it, please.’ 

As they ate, he asked, “Do you like kids?” 

She turned around, confused, almost shocked. “Fuck—no. I didn’t mean it like that,” Levi quickly realized how odd that sounded. “I mean, the Midwife path is hard, so you must like kids a lot.” 

‘I mean if you want to reply to the other question, it’s also valid... I like kids very fucking much, let me know when you’re willing to start practicing,’ he thought. 

“Ah!” she exclaimed, understanding he referred to their previous conversation about her prospects of work tonight. “I became an orphan very young; both of my parents were very old when they decided to have me, so they passed away before I finished my studies. And midwifery is a very necessary but judged profession. Most of my coworkers can’t do it because their husbands or fathers think it’s inappropriate for a girl to be around strangers’ houses in the middle of the night.” 

“So... since I’ve nobody to tell me what I can or can’t do, I decided I should do it,” she replied to him. “This is a good time to tell you, I guess, that I’m not dropping my career.” 

Levi shook his head. “I don’t mind it.” 

“That’s why I went to Erwin’s office the other time,” she commented, making Levi frown, recalling the scene. “He was helping me write a project to present to the higher ranks.” 

Her enthusiasm dropped slightly. “But... they didn’t accept it. I felt so bad.” 

“Ah, that was why you were all weeping when we returned from the expedition?” he dropped the detail, but mostly because the idea was still lingering in his head. 

One hand covered her mouth, and then she blushed. “Ah! You saw that?! So embarrassing,” she said, giving a subtle little hit on his arm playfully. “Why didn’t those morons accept it?” 

She shrugged with a soft sigh. “They said something about the government resources not being enough for that proposal.” 

“Tch, they have money for their stupid events but not for this? What did you propose?” 

“Ugh... mh.hmp,” she seemed reluctant to reply and hummed incoherently. “I... don’t want to offend you.” 

Levi frowned deeply but raised a single eyebrow as a silent question. 

“It was about doing campaigns of pre-natal check-ups on the underground pregnant women. Sometimes they have difficult pregnancies, and the lucky ones are dragged up here if they have some connections when the situation is already unsalvageable. The pre-natal non-permanent posts are all around the walls except there... but, well, I told you their resolution,” she scratched the side of her neck nervously as she explained.  

“Probably because we will have to bring security to go, and MPs do not want to participate.” 

“Why would that offend me?” Levi spat out the question as her nervousness appeared ridiculous. 

“Oh well... I thought that perhaps it’s a sensitive topic for you, and I didn’t want to ruin the mood.” 

“I’m not that soft,” Levi replied quietly, but he felt completely different. He knew she was kind-hearted, but it warmed him that, despite the idea not reaching far, at least there were people trying to change something. “You should keep trying until those assholes listen to you.” 

She hummed positively. “You could try to change their minds,” she suggested between chuckles. 

Levi scoffed. “Talk to Erwin; he’s the one who doesn’t allow me to beat their asses.” 

‘Everything is going so well... it’s suspicious.’ 

“Oh! Careful!” she said, catching his attention before she ran her finger through his chin and then sucked it clean. “You’re going to dirty your shirt’s neck.” 

‘... just let me fuck you already, I’m on my knees.’ 

“I was thinking...” she started, turning around to look at him, doll eyes and a cheeky smile. “Maybe we could hang out this upcoming weekend. The celebrations for the king’s coronation will be ongoing all night all around the walls. I thought that maybe we could stroll around too.” 

Levi was already sweating cold; she was taking the initiative, inviting him out... there was only one issue. 

“Wouldn’t it be nice?” 

“Ehm—” 

‘Think of an excuse, you asshole.’ 

“I... I actually have to stay at my place that weekend,” he said, but his last words were quickly followed by a soft pout, puppy eyes, and a subtle “Ow,” from her. Levi wasn’t usually a person to give excuses or unnecessarily explain himself. 

‘Oh shit, it’s not that I don’t want to—it’s just that—’ 

“I had this stupid invitation to the higher-ranks party whatsoever and—” 

‘And I’m kinda escaping my responsibility of attending that shitty party that’s why—oh... oh no,’ he thought. 

Her eyes began to shine, and the smile returned to her features. “Oh my god, you’re going to the official party?” 

‘No... no I wasn’t going—that’s the whole point,’ he thought. 

“I always wanted to go to one of those,” she said with a dreamy stare, her voice subtle and soft, almost begging but not quite. 

‘No, for fuck’s sake, don’t look at me like that.’ 

— 

“These are the preparations for the upcoming week, and I’ve already reviewed your paperwork, and they seem alright,” Erwin reorganized the piles of paper in front of him quickly for the other soldier. 

Slender fingers picked it up, returning to the door’s direction, yet the pace was rather odd, and the fingers tapped the new papers with uneasiness. Erwin didn’t pay it much mind as he returned to filling out the multiple letters he needed to get ready so they would be sent first thing the upcoming morning. Spreading dust over the black ink so it would dry quicker, his movements were controlled yet rushed. 

“So... I was wondering... do you still have that invitation?” 

Those words made the blond freeze up mid-movement. He slowly looked up at Levi, who was standing in the middle of his office. Each second that passed, announced by the clock, changed the Commander’s expression from confused to angry as his thick eyebrows drew together. 

Straightening up but not saying a word, his fingers intertwined. “Tell me, Levi... how many years have you worked with the scouts?” 

“Tch,” Levi switched his weight from one leg to the other, arms crossing on top of his chest. Levi rolled his eyes, annoyed, “What does that even matter? Five.” 

“Ah, yes, I see,” Erwin muttered as if he didn’t already know the answer. “And how many balls, parties, and official events have you been invited to?” 

The Captain had a feeling where this was going and only frowned deeply. “Many... all of them.” 

“Yes, that’s correct,” the blond confirmed slowly as if the information needed to sink in. “You see, I’m asking because it seems like I must be losing my memory... because I can’t recall a single damn time you went to any of those events without me having to coerce you into it.” 

“When I don’t go to those shitty events, it’s about me not supporting the scouts. When I decide to fucking go, it’s also an issue?” 

“No, no, no, no,” Erwin clicked his tongue repeatedly, “You didn’t decide to go... she wants to go, isn’t it?” 

Silence. Reigning silence. 

“Are you making me a jealousy scene?” Levi raised an eyebrow, confused. 

“No, I just can’t believe that as your boss and friend, I’ve begged you all this time to go to those events, and you’re going because a girl—my friend—asked you to. You’re so henpecked it should give you secondhand embarrassment.” 

“Fine! Yes, yes, I’m doing it for her. Happy?” Levi replied, offended. “In a week and a half, we’re leaving for an expedition, and I’ve not even seen a shitty ankle! Fucking excuse me for trying to get laid before I risk my life out there with one of your suicidal plans! Maybe I should get out of here and ask Mike what type of stupid bullshit you did to get Marie’s attention.” 

The battle of stares was over when, reluctantly, Erwin pulled out the invitation from his drawer and handed it over, “Here, thank you for reconsidering it.” 

“You’re welcome... I’m in favor of the plans for the upcoming expedition, by the way,” Levi walked back to the desk to pick up the letter and replied as he took the piece of paper with him. 

“Glad to hear.” 

And the two of them carried on with their responsibilities as if neither of them had ever mentioned anything. 

Link to my masterlist and my other works if you feel like checking them out. Tags!: @nube55 @justkon @notgoodforlife @nmlkys @humanitys-strongest-bamf @quillinhand @thoreeo @darkstarlight82 @aomi04 @levisbrat25 @fxnnyackerman @secretmoneybearvoid @trashblackrainbow @l3visthighs @hum4n-wr3ckag3 @hannieslovebot @flxrartsstuff @feelingsandemotionsnotexplored @starrylevi @rithty @mariaace @ackrmntea @emilyyyy-08 @levisfavoriteteashop @katestrophes @katharinasdiaryy @ackermanswifee @levistealeaf @an-ever-angry-bi @youre-ackermine @searriously @blackdxggr @storiesofsung @abiatackerman @braunsbabe @moonchild-angel @galactict3a @lemonsupernova @hyuckwon-my-husbands @heyitsd1yaa @sydneyyuu @love-for-faeries-go-burrrr @mandaax @sugacor3 @r0ckst4rjk @vegetasgirl2799 @catiwinky @pinksaiyans @sparklykeylime Wanna join my tag list? Here!

[spikezonebby]

Okay, okay I wanna see what you come up with for this song. “Sew My Name” by Josh Pike (the live version at the Sydney Opera House is the best version in my opinion).

GN!Reader x TFA!Ratchet with a dash (or more than a dash) of cathartic angst.

Sew My Name - TFA!Ratchet/GN!Human!Reader

Word count: 1,667

You liked to leave your mark wherever you went.

For as long as Ratchet had known you, you loved to leave something of yourself behind. You thought it important that the universe knew you existed in some capacity. You carried a knife around in your back pocket so you could carve your name into tree bark. One evening, you had asked him to show you how to sew. You wanted to know, so you could sew things into the collars of your clothes.

Ratchet always thought clothes were kind of a strange human invention. What good was armor that didn’t protect anything? Winter clothes, that was a different story. Humans had less-than-stellar temperature regulation so it made sense that you needed that.

Didn’t stop you from shoving your hands into the warm mesh just under his chassis whenever you got chilly, though.

If Ratchet had had any idea how much he’d miss the little things you did, he would have savored it longer. Been a bit more hesitant to pluck you off of him, or tried to close the distance between you a little more. 

Bumblebee was lucky, the little scrap. He was lucky because his favorite organic was actually a techno-organic and would live a long, long life alongside him. For Ratchet, it seemed like with every visit back to Earth from Cybertron, there was less of you to go around. 

Then one day, there wasn’t any of you left.

You passed away on a seemingly innocuous Tuesday evening and he didn’t even hear about it until the next time he came to Earth to check up on Sari. She broke the news to him, and he wasn’t even sure if he felt sad or not. Perhaps he’d been mourning all this time in preparation for the news, knowing how short organic lives were. He knew what he did feel though.

He was angry. Angry, raging, pissed off beyond belief that you could put so much of yourself into the universe, only for it to not even blink or grimace in your absence. He wanted to drag Primus himself down by his audials and give him what for.

“Doc-bot, I didn’t even think you were that close with them.” Sari said, setting a hand– or were they servos now? He still wasn’t sure with her unique anatomy— on the back of his calf.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I was their primary doctor! Not only that but they were a part of the team, weren’t they?”

Sari didn’t really have an answer for him, she wasn’t really looking at him even when he turns to face her. After the battle with Megatron and his copies of Omega Supreme, things changed. It was largely for the better, with Team Prime being accepted as heroes. Prowl’s death, though noble, shocked all of them to their cores. It’s been decades since then and Sari had gone from a teen to an upstanding young femme, struggling with her father’s own slowly decaying mind. Ratchet hated to say it but he always figured Issac would go before you, not out live you.

It wasn’t right, it wasn’t fair. 

“What happened? I thought humans could live to be over a hundred years old.”

“I don’t know.” Sari admits, “I wasn’t really close with them. It just… got hard to talk to them, ya know?”

Ratchet hadn’t thought about that before. Sari, with her unique nature, may very well be the only person capable of understanding both the human and the Cybertronian angle of time. It made sense that Sari would slowly become unable to relate to you, a fully organic human being, the older you got…

It made him wish he’d spent more time talking with you. 

“They did want me to give you something though, Ratchet.” Sari speaks up after a tense moment. 

Sari had always been a girl that packed light, but Ratchet had entirely overlooked the bag she’d been holding. It was just a plastic bag but the real mystery was the parcel held within. Something small and light, bound up with a red ribbon. Sari sets it in his open servo and immediately he’s drawn to the softness of it. 

It’s fabric, whatever it is. You were known to be a purveyor of various hobbies, it isn’t strange to think you might have gotten into fashion before your passing. Last he’d heard, you had taken to raising these insects called ladybugs. And before that, you had had an infatuation with sailing and the early history of your planet’s nautical culture. 

He should have seen the signs of you slowing down way, way before this.

He unwraps the gift, revealing the folded fabric. A long strip of soft and silky material carefully hand embroidered with delicate gold. It reminded him of a thin scarf. On the very end, he finds his name stitched into it by hand. There’s the taste of something bittersweet on his glossa then, knowing he taught you how to do this. You kept up with it all these years later.

“Oh! I know what that is!” Sari chirps, and in an instant, her jet pack pops free from her back and boosts her up onto the medic’s shoulders. On her way up she snags the fabric from his grip, and with practiced ease, balances herself just behind his helm. She wasn’t as small as she used to be but still small enough. 

“What on Cybertron are you doing?” 

“Gimme a sec here!”

And a second is all she needs, because she loops the fabric around his neck cables and starts folding and twisting. Then, turns it around on him so the delicate puff of fabric is on the front of his chassis, hanging down and standing out as a stark, bright shock of color against his white paint. Like an ascot or a necktie or some other name for the vast many types of cravats there were on Earth.

“Guess they didn’t think you looked spiffy enough, Doc.”

The established base had tons of reflective surfaces, so one of them, a monitor, made a good enough mirror for Ratchet to adjust his new tie a bit. It was pretty, like Sari said, spitty, on him. He appraises himself, turning this way and that.

“Huh, not something I woulda gotten myself.”

“Pfft. That’s probably why they got it for you.”

“I didn’t think I was gone from Earth for that long for them just to… vanish like that.”

Sari shifts so she’s resting her arms and chin atop Ratchet’s head, legs throne over either of his shoulders and hoping her weight and her presence are soothing to the old medic. She squishes her cheek into the top of his helm.

“I don’t think anyone actually has a schedule for when they plan to kick the bucket. It just… happens. They probably wanted to give it to you in person but just ran out of time.”

Ratchet could picture it. You, old and greyed and still insisting they ride around on his shoulder while he talks about all of the numbskulls back at headquarters. Then they poke his cheek and tell him to stop being so grumpy, and give him their gift.

“Hey, you don’t have to answer this if you don’t wanna but…” Sari’s big blue eyes find his face in the monitor’s reflection, scrutinizing his expression for any minute detail. “Did you like them?”

“Of course I liked them. Why else would I put up with them? I like you, don’t I?”

“Awww, you do?” She flicks the unbroken point of his chevron, “Cute but that’s not what I meant. I meant like-like.”

“Oh, you mean like you and Bumblebee?”

Sari sputters and gives him a quick bop on the helm, “Yeah, yeah sure! If you need an example.”

“Honestly, Sari?” Ratchet begins, rubbing the golden seam of the tie between his fingers, “I…I don’t know. Cybertronians live so much longer than any organic life. It stands to reason that we fall in love slower too.”

“But that isn’t a ‘no.’”

“You’re right, it’s not. It’s not a ‘yes’ either. I guess, maybe, I could have if there was just more time.”

Sari doesn’t respond to that, not verbally anyways. She drums her fingers atop his helm, then he feels her squeeze him a bit tighter.

“I’m sorry.”

“And I’m Ratchet.”

That gets a snicker out of Sari. She pats the top of his helm and then he can see her in the monitor as she jerks her thumb back behind her.

“Bee wants to go grab some highgrade if you wanna join us.”

“Who’s ‘us?’”

“Me, Bee, Bulk, Jazz, and hopefully you. Optimus is still busy– Because when is he not– but he promised to call us all tonight.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“Does there have to be? All my old friends are finally together so, why wouldn’t I wanna hang out with them all? Don’t have to have a reason besides just saying you miss someone.”

Sari always was the glue of the team. Her and Bee, friends against all odds. Young bots that just loved one another and loved all of the people around them, even if they could be a little annoying.

“Yeah, I don’t gotta head back to Cybertron for a while yet. Might as well show off their gift, right? And hope Bulkhead doesn’t spill highgrade on me.”

“Aw yeah! That’s the spirit!” Sari pumps her fists, then bounces on his shoulders, “Giddy up, let’s goooo!”

That gets a laugh out of Ratchet. Yeah, it was probably better that he spent some time with friends anyways. You would have wanted to if everyone was in the city at the same time. Even if he didn’t like to have a drink himself, he’d drink to you. To your memory.

So that the universe knew that you really had your name stitched onto his very spark. That there was some piece of you that couldn’t be erased. He wouldn’t let it be erased.

[duncanor]

WAIT PLEASE CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THE LEGATO BDSM AESTHETIC FROM THOSE TAGS IM SO DEEPLY INTERESTED (I care legato so much)

First off, I’m truly sorry for how long I took to answer ya. I often forget I even got an Ask-box ahah!

As to my opinion on why “The Leather/BDSM-like aesthetic is important to Legato’s character”...

I know my original post was a bit vague but it’s truly less about how “cool” he looks, and more about the symbolism of it. Legato outfit is outwardly menacing. It's a silent threat. Similar to those birds who evolve to have brighter colors to warn off predators.

And sure the metal skull looks sick, but it isn't as bone chilling (ah-ah). When he's first introduced, everything just Stop so you can take it in the Danger reeking from him. He’s bound by leather straps, got giant metal spikes coming out of his shoulder like some sort of fucked up pauldron, as well as bits of a real human skull directly sewn into the hard leather of his coat.

(Adding to that my UNPROVEN suspicions that the skull belongs to Legato’s abuser..)

And that’s just his outfit. He’s surrounded by similar things. His weapon is truly the less subtle example of this.

A mix of different truly lethal weapons in the form of an Iron-maiden/sex-toy/stress-Toy. The face of the weapon bound in leather with only one of her eyes being visible. (similar to how Legato usually only got one eye visible because of his hair).

It’s blatant and disturbing. It’s depraved Flesh and deadly Metal.

Then, he gets his spine broken by Knives. And where does that put him?

In a metal sarcophagus pretty similar to (once again) an Iron-maiden. He stays there for the most of the story. Bound to it, stuck, mangled. Yet he’s still as terrifying as ever if not more. Sometimes portrayed similarly to a butterfly cocoon, waiting to hatch and release something more powerful..

And finally, his resident-evil goons.

They aren’t really interesting nor are they developed as anything more than Legato’s barely human servants. They got no dialog, no personality, no free will.. Nothing but an imposing mass of flesh in hard leather binding them, blinding them. They look like they come straight from an Hellraiser movie.

Even Legato’s powers themselves are a manifestation of his trauma. They’re metal wire used to fully control bodies against the will of their owner. Making them slaves and most often than not leaving them as a mass of mangled flesh.

Even Legato’s name itself meaning “bound” in Italian. (Thanks to @jackalandhare for this information btw)

In conclusion,

Legato's whole aesthetic reeks of his trauma. It's suffocating, eerie, menacing and binding in seemingly debilitating ways at times, as well as kinda sexual in undertones. It’s Legato abuse and pain on display. And I think all of these details, this aesthetic is a big insight on Legato Bluesummers as a person and what he went and is going through.

HOWEVER, that is not to say Stampede approach will be uninteresting! The symbolism is still strong with Orange. They tend to channel it through a more solid World Building.

We know they planned to add lore on colored hair in link with sexual slavery. And the design of the metal skull as well as his arm, probably implies some sort of body modification more similar to the other Eye of Michael experiments.

I just think it’s a bit unlucky that the change in aesthetic made us lose this much symbolism wise..

[guzmapkmn-archive]

bring me back to life

ও word count: 1,953

ও relationship(s): pre cirrus/guzma

ও warnings: brief implied self harm and violence, blood

ও summary: cirrus takes care of guzma after the disaster that is the iki town festival tournament.

ও notes: fun fact I started this last september. everyone is so proud of me and my ability to finish writing fics in a timely manner <3

ok to rb!!

Tonight was the festival - the "Full Force Festival'' as people called it. A stupid name, in Cirrus's opinion, but to be honest, it didn't care enough about it to poke fun. 

After the news of the beachfront grunts' defeat, Guzma was in a worse mood than usual. He had gripped the armrests of his chair so hard his knuckles turned white, and Cirrus worried the stuffing would pop out. "Hey." It patted Guzma's arm in an attempt to be reassuring. "Don't worry, Guz. The Slowpoke tail stall is getting set up now. There's no way that kid'll get away."

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say, as Guzma slammed his fist into the chair, mouth twisted in seething anger. "A fuckin' kid, C," he groaned. "Wasn't even me that got beat and I feel like I can't show my face. Who the fuck does he think he is?"

"Well, he won't be anything once he gets beat."

This seemed to placate Guzma, as he sat back with his chin in his hand. "Yeah. You're right. He won't be, not after I'm done with him," he said thoughtfully.

The plan was all set up, with A, as he dubbed himself, taking part in the competition for something-or-other, and a group of other grunts manning a popup food stall just in case. But… the beachfront grunts were strong, and according to them, the kid had beat them like it was nothing. Cirrus was reluctant to voice its concerns out loud, but for everyone's sake, it wanted to be 200% sure of their success.

"Why don't I head down there, just to keep an eye on things? Not that I think there will be any problems," (it did), "but, ya know. Just in case. Couldn't hurt," Cirrus suggested.

"No," Guzma said after a beat of silence, hopping to his feet. "You stay here. I'm goin' to crush that kid. Won't even take a minute. I'll be back before ya know it."

"Oh," Cirrus said. It was honestly surprised that Guzma hadn't ordered it or Plumeria to go help out earlier. Leaving something this important in the hands of a bunch of grunts wasn't always the best idea, but Guzma rarely got so directly involved. This must have been bothering him more than he let on, to decide to go to the festival himself. "Uh, okay. Are you sure? It'd be no trouble for me-"

"You can't always count on other people to do your dirty work for ya. I need to destroy him myself. Make sure it's done right." 

He left before Cirrus could say anything further, leaving it alone in his room.

"Ugh. Typical," it grumbled, flopping down in Guzma's chair and swinging its legs over the side. As much as it didn't want to go to the festival, being left alone while everyone else was there, even for business, was even worse. It just hoped Guzma wouldn't do anything stupid.

~~~~~~~

The next thing Cirrus heard was a frantic clamor coming from the downstairs of the mansion, a cacophony of shouting and yelling that awoke it from its accidental slumber. Shaking its head in an attempt to dislodge the sleep that still clung to its eyes, it was about to make its way to the door, but was interrupted by a grunt swinging open with enough force to make it jump. Well, this is definitely Not Good.

The grunt wrung her hands, shifting her weight from food to foot nervously. “C-Cirrus!!” she wailed upon spotting it, looking as if she might burst into tears at any second. Oh dear. “Hey, hey, take a breath, alright?” Cirrus stumbled down the stairs and across the room, gently ushering the grunt out of the room. All of the remaining fatigue had faded with the commotion, and was now replaced with worry. “What happened?” it asked once they were outside.

"I… Th-the boss is hurt, and…!" 

Wait… Guzma was hurt? It was just supposed to be a battle tournament, right? And he wasn’t even the one competing…

"Where is he?"

"Downstairs, A just brought him in, but… but…” she trailed off, and Cirrus pressed its lips together.

“Shit. Okay. Thank you.” Cirrus hated to leave her here when she was upset, and reached out to squeeze her shoulder in what it hoped was a reassuring gesture before running down the stairs.

~~~~~~~

The ruckus downstairs had mostly quieted down as Cirrus arrived, save for A and Guzma loudly arguing. A’s mouth snapped shut once he noticed Cirrus, staring at it from over Guzma’s shoulder, with the taller man following suit, turning around to give Cirrus a clear look at the blood dripping from his forehead and the bent and smashed sunglasses in his clenched fist.

The worry that had been welling in Cirrus’s chest bloomed into anxiety as it took in the scene in front of it, with Guzma refusing to look it in the eyes, and the way the dim light in the mansion reflected off the shards of glass from the shattered sunglasses that were embedded in his forehead, and the blood dyeing the tips of his bangs red. If only it had pushed harder for Guzma to let it go instead… this wouldn't be happening.

“Guzma,” it said quietly, waiting until said man crossed his arms and began stomping his way towards it to head towards the bathroom upstairs.

Cirrus sighed as it shut the door behind them, frustrated, worried, exhausted… “I’m not even going to ask.”

“Good,” Guzma spat out, waving away Cirrus’s hands as it attempted to help him onto the counter.

A scowl had crept its way up Guzma's face in the few seconds it took Cirrus to grab the first aid kit from under the sink, with an angry crease forming on his brow.

"Hey. Quit it with the grumpy face, you're making my job a lot harder."

Guzma huffed, but smoothed out his scowl, allowing Cirrus to tilt his head up and carefully pick out the remaining shards of glass from his wound. It worked in silence, only uttering a quiet sorry when Guzma flinched back, hissing through his teeth.

The room was thick with a palpable tension that Cirrus tried hard to ignore as it dabbed at the now dry blood that had dripped down Guzma's face. It knew how destructive Guzma got when he was angry - had seen the aftermath of his rage firsthand - but he had never done anything like this to himself. At least, not that Cirrus knew of.

Something was up, something had happened, but Cirrus didn't want to pry, especially so soon. Besides, the chance of Guzma opening up so easily was slim to none.

Resisting the urge to sigh again, Cirrus took the gauze and bandages it had set aside and pressed them to the wound, making sure they wouldn't fall off the second it let go. "There we go," it said, brushing Guzma's hair back over his forehead, "good as new!"

"Thanks…" Guzma muttered, tugging at his bangs. With the admittedly amateur doctoring complete, Cirrus was able to take a step back to truly take in the other man's disheveled state, with his shoulders drooping and the bags under his eyes darker than normal.

"Guz… Maybe you should get some rest, yeah?" Cirrus suggested. It didn't know when the last time he slept properly was, but it couldn't have been recently. "'M fine." Guzma rubbed at his eyes almost aggressively, as if trying to clear the obvious heaviness from them. "'Sides, I didn't get the chance to heal Golisopod or Masquerain after the battle, 'n I gotta do that first." He had grimaced for a brief moment at the mention of the festival, but broke out into a yawn.

"I can do that. You look dead on your feet. Go to bed."

"I toldja I'm fine-"

"I'll go take care of them. You go take care of yourself," Cirrus said firmly, leaving no room for arguing. It held out its hand expectantly, raising its eyebrows when Guzma crossed his arms. "Fine," he said, reaching in his pocket for the pokéballs and placing them in Cirrus's outstretched hand. "Thank you. Now go rest," it stressed. "Or I swear to Arceus I will drag you to your bed myself."

"Yeah, yeah," Guzma waved Cirrus off but slid off the counter, stopping once he reached the door. "...thanks," he said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. "For helpin' me out. I… really appreciate you." 

A dark blush crept its way up Cirrus's face and Butterfree fluttered violently in its stomach at Guzma's words. "Shit," it choked out once Guzma left, trying to drown out the pounding of its heart. I appreciate you. He didn’t just appreciate the action, he appreciated Cirrus. It clenched the pokéballs in its hands and took a deep breath before heading outside.

“That’s a normal thing to say to someone when they help you, right? I’m… just thinking too hard about it. That’s a perfectly normal thing to say,” it said to itself as it made its way down the winding staircase. The eerie silence from inside the now-abandoned Shady House followed Cirrus out to the yard, making it shiver. 

Cirrus let Golisopod and Masquerain out of their pokéballs, and stayed quiet as it sprayed the Pokémon with potions. The harder it tried to not think about what Guzma had said to it, the more it ended up thinking about it. A frustrated groan escaped its lips and it threw the empty potion bottle to the side, a bit harder than it planned. Golisopod gave it a look, then busied itself with Cirrus's bag, poking at it with his claws. "Ugh, I'll pick it up in a minute - hey, what do you think you're doing?"

Golisopod continued to nudge at the bag even when Cirrus took it from him. "Oh, you smell the poké beans, don'tcha? Well, y'all're in luck - I got the good stuff." It pulled out a rainbow bean from its bag, which was promptly snatched and devoured by Golisopod the second it was in view. "Hey now!" Cirrus raised its eyebrows at him. "I know you're Guzma's Pokémon, but use your manners!" A pause. "Don't tell him I said that."

Gentle moonlight shone down within the walls of Po Town, seeming to have a calming effect on the run-down city. The emptiness usually scared Cirrus, it didn't enjoy being out there after dark, but that night it looked almost pretty, in a strange sort of way.

Cirrus handed another bean to Golisopod, who took it much more delicately this time.

"Ooh, such a good boy!!" Cirrus cooed, reaching up to scratch Golispod under the chin, laughing as he trilled contentedly.

Masquerain started buzzing angrily around Cirrus's head, clearly jealous of the attention it was giving Golisopod. "Oh, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you!" It pet her head and fished another poké bean out from its bag, then sat cross legged on the grass, watching Masquerain perch upon Golisopod's head with the treat.

"Y'all fought hard for the boss today, huh?" Cirrus tugged at the grass absently, a small frown on its face.

"I just wish he wasn't so hard on himself…"

It flopped onto its back, staring up at the clear sky and letting the calm air wash away all its worries from the events that had transpired that night. Guzma's earlier words echoed in its ears - I really appreciate you - and it groaned loudly, covering its face with its hands as a hot flush began creeping its way up its face.

If only it was brave enough to tell Guzma… it felt the same way. If he only knew just how deeply Cirrus's appreciation, admiration, adoration, ran.

~~~~~~~

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[ananxiousgenz]

SONG FOR A CAGED LOVEBIRD: A TPP HADESTOWN AU

PART 8

so this one isn't in sequential order BUT it's important context that helps explain the twist at the end of part 7 and also some other things that will come up again later :)

HEY CREW IT'S FUN TIME @smidgen-of-hotboy @ceaseless-watchers-special-girl @urjover @one-joe-spoopy @waters-and-the-wilde @demonic-panini

“Hey, Mista Steel?”

“Yes, Rita?”

“I got a question for ya.”

It was closing time at the bar, the last few customers finally beginning to trickle out into the arctic night air, and Juno and Rita were cleaning up empty glasses, stacking chairs, and wiping down tables. Buddy had come down from her room to “supervise” them, doing what was also known as “having her nightly shots of whisky”, and Peter was sitting with her.

“Shoot, Rita.”

“But I can’t shoot, Mista Steel! I ain’t got a gun!”’

Juno sighed heavily. “I know, Rita, it’s a figure of- nevermind. Ask your question.”

Rita swiped shot glasses off the surface of a table that had recently housed some particularly drunk travelers. “Where did that song come from?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know!! The song!! The pretty one you sing and make the flowers and stuff show up! Where did it come from?”

“I-” Juno paused mid-lifting a chair. “You know, I’m not really sure. It feels so familiar, like I’ve heard it before, but I’m not sure from where. I just came up with it, I guess.”

“Oh, but you have heard it before, darling. Have you ever heard the story of Hades and Persephone?” Buddy called, finishing one of the several shots lined up before her.

“Hades and Persephone? Like the gods?” Peter asked, his brow lightly scrunched in thought. “I thought that was nothing more than an old fairytale.”

“Exactly so, Pete. But sometimes fairytales can hold valuable information regarding one’s current situation.” Buddy slid a shot across the counter to Peter, who caught it expertly. “I told you their story once a while back, Juno, dear. Why don’t you recite it to us?”

“Uhhhhhh……” Juno had all the eagerness of a deer with a gun at its neck. “Can I say no?”

Buddy sighed dramatically before taking another shot. “I suppose I cannot force you. Very well then. If Juno will not tell it, then it appears I must take matters into my own hands. Gather round, children. It’s time for a story.”

Rita stopped working and happily trotted over to Buddy’s chair, taking a seat on the floor as eagerly as ever, and Juno slowly and reluctantly made his way over behind her. Buddy tended to tell stories about the old times, stories of gods and heros and monsters, almost like she had actually been there. She hadn’t, of course. But she excelled in acting like she had. 

“Now. Once upon a time, there was a god who was the king of the Underworld. His name was Hades, and he lived in Hadestown, way down under the ground, where the air is hot and the souls are many. Whether the town was named after him or he was named after the town is a fact that has been lost to history, my dear, but that is besides the point.

“He was rather lonely, this king, despite all his glorious wealth and all the souls living in the underworld. So, he made the decision to look for a wife. He went up to the surface to find the other gods and discuss his plan with them, but as soon as he made it up, he saw her there. Dancing in her mother’s garden in the sunlight and fresh air. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her name was Persephone, darlings, the goddess of spring and rebirth.

“He saw her standing there, alone against the great blue sky, and was overcome with a feeling he had never known before: he was in love.” At this, Juno and Peter, who had been holding hands beneath the table gave each other a look, and Juno squeezed Peter’s hand tightly.

Buddy continued: “He spoke with her a while and convinced her to come home with him and be his wife. Persephone’s mother threw a fit, of course, but we can never rely on the opinions of our parents to be the correct ones. They were married and lived quite happily after that, with the exception of Persephone having to spend six months away from Hades to ensure a successful spring and summer back on the surface. It was believed that this cycle between them is what created the seasons and the rhythm of the earth.

“The point of the matter is this, Juno dear: the song you sing to bring the flowers back now is the same song Hades sang for Persephone at their wedding, the same song they both sang to keep the rest of the world in harmony. At least in the version I’ve been told.”

Juno looked suddenly thoughtful, chewing on his lower lip. “Ohhhhhhh. So that’s why it can do all of that stuff. It was already connected to the seasons even before I-”

“WAITAMINUTE!” Rita cried, nearly bursting in her excitement. “If those old gods ‘n stuff really made the seasons happen, then why did they stop? What happened to Persephone? Is she okay? ARE WE GONNA HAVE TO GO ON A HEIST TO SAVE HER??”

Buddy chuckled warmly and shook her head. “No, I’m afraid not, Rita dear. You see, Persephone doesn’t exist anymore.”

“‘Doesn’t exist anymore’? Whatever do you mean, Ms. Aurinko?” Peter asked, tilting a head.

Buddy raised an flaming red eyebrow and tossed some of her long hair over her shoulder. “I believe I told you to stop calling me Ms. Aurinko and start calling me Buddy.”

“My mistake. It’s a force of habit Ms.- Buddy.”

She smiled then, all neat white teeth and gentle affection. “Thank you, Pete. And to answer your question, I mean to say that the original Persephone is dead. Has been for centuries.”

“She’s- she’s- she’s dead?” Rita whispered, eyes wide and brimming with tears. “Whatdaya mean she’s dead, Ms. A? She can’t be dead! That means spring is neva comin’ back eva again and we’re all gonna die and-”

“No, no, no, Rita dear. I said Persephone was dead. I never said the goddess was dead. You see, the gods, as much as they would like to be, are not entirely immortal. Sometimes, they get into situations where they die, whether by man or by each other, and their positions in the pantheon are left open. Those gods will then be reincarnated with new names, and allowed to resume their place in the pantheon. The original Hades and Persephone died quite some time ago and have reportedly had a few reincarnations since then. It seems that perhaps the reason the seasons are so wrong now is because something has happened to Persephone’s reincarnation.”

An uneasy silence fell over the table. It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together and figure out that whatever had happened was clearly very, very bad for the world to be in the state it was. Maybe they were stuck somewhere. Maybe being held captive. Maybe even actually dead, with no reincarnation to follow. The gruesome possibilities were endless.

“Well. I must say, that was a cheerful note to end the evening on. Let’s liven up the mood in here a bit, shall we?” Buddy said, shattering the silence and standing from her seat. “Finish the rest of these shots for me, darlings. And then, Juno, would you be a doll and play us a tune on the piano? I feel a bit like dancing tonight.”

Juno grinned. It was going to be a long night.

[verdantcrimson]

Preparations for the Future - 1

Writer: Suika

Season: Autumn

TL: verdantcrimson

Proofread: Saki

1 | 2

Kuro: Isara, Ritsu. Sorry to trouble you guys.

Mao: It’s cool. I had a day off today anyways.

Mao: Besides, It’s not everyday I get to eat Kiryu-senpai’s cooking, so it feels like I’m getting something out of this too ♪

Kuro: Haha, that sure is nice of ya to say.

Kuro: I’ve been studyin’ a couple of recipe books, but some of these dishes are my first attempts at makin’ em.

Kuro: They might not look all that pretty but… I’m gonna be cookin’ a whole bunch of dishes, so eat as much as ya can.

Ritsu: Appearances might be important, but what really matters is if it actually tastes good.

Ritsu: Don’t worry. I’ll sample them and give you my opinion.

Kuro: Sure. I’ll be countin’ on ya.

Kuro: … Then, let’s start off with the first dish. I don’t need any compliments, just your honest opinion.

Ritsu: Fufu. Then I’ll make sure not to hold back. Thank you for the meal. ♪

Mao: It looks like a suuuper tasty dish! That’s just what I’d expect from someone studying cooking ~ !

Kuro: All I did was follow the recipe, it ain’t anythin’ special.

Ritsu: ... Mhm, you’ve always been someone who cooks after all. It really is delicious. I give you my compliments. ♪

Mao: It’s so good! See, the meat just melts in your mouth doesn’t it? It doesn’t have an overpowering taste, so you can eat as much as you want ♪

Mao: If you can cook this well already, I don’t think you have to worry about appearing on a cooking show, right?

Kuro: Thanks. That’s a relief to hear.

Ritsu: Hmm~. But you know, it’s odd to see Kurocchi on a cooking show.

Mao: Ah, I thought so too.

Mao: Kiryu-senpai… Could it just be because AKATSUKI is a serious unit that values more traditional performance arts?

Mao: I can’t really imagine them being on a regular cooking show…

Mao: I don’t mean any offense, but I thought Kiryu-senpai was trying something new to challenge himself.

Kuro: I get what you’re tryin’ to say, about a change in attitude and all.

Kuro: Actually, I was thinkin’ the same thing. If you had asked me a while before, I woulda said no.

Mao: If that’s the case, then why exactly did you accept this job?

Kuro: It was a coincidence. … Originally, there was supposed to be a completely different idol on this cookin’ show.

Kuro: Seems like there was a sudden change in that idol’s schedule, so they couldn’t make it.

Kuro: There was a vacancy, so I offered to lend a hand ‘cause they needed someone.

Ritsu: So that’s why you got the job. Could it be that you’ve actually wanted to appear on a cooking show for some time now?

Kuro: It’s not like I didn’t have any interest. More like I didn’t have any strong feelings about bein’ on one. 

Ritsu: I see~. Could it be that you wanted to gain favor with your superiors then? Anija was doing that too.

Ritsu: That’s how it is in Kurocchi’s agency, right?

Kuro: That ain’t why I took on this job though… It was for a much nicer reason.

Kuro: That’s why I asked the little miss for a bit of a push.

Kuro: And conveniently, I happened to be discussin’ the Feature Live with her.

Mao: Now that you mention it, Kanzaki was talking about how Kiryu-senpai had been asked to perform in a Feature Live pretty happily the other day.

Kuro: Haha, I can’t let that guy down, so I guess I gotta put on a good show. ♪ 

Kuro: Whoops, got off topic there. In any case, I’m doin’ this job of my own volition.

Kuro: That’s why I’d like to do it properly…  Anyways, I’ve got another dish for you to try out.

Mao: That’s fast!? It looks fancy too……

Mao: If it means getting to eat food this good, I’ll gladly help out. ♪

Mao: If you want, I could call someone else to do a taste test too. I’m sure that Subaru guy would be thrilled to help.

Kuro: That’d be nice. I’d like to get as many opinions as possible. Ask him to come if he can make it.

Kuro: Actually, I’ve called in someone knowledgeable to help out too. You know what they say, about how you gotta leave it to the experts. ♪

Ritsu: In the case of food, the ‘expert’ in question would be…

Niki: Sorry for being late, Kiryu-kun.

Kuro: Haven’t been waitin’ long at all. We’re still on the appetizers.

Kuro: I ought to be thankin’ ya, sorry for callin’ you over.

Niki: No sweat! You can always count on me to taste test food ♪

Kuro: Nah, I didn’t just call you to taste the food. Shiina was gonna teach me how to cook, right?

Niki: Nahah! I knew that already!

Ritsu: So you were talking about Nikipyon after all~. There’s nobody better.

Niki: That makes me happy to hear, Ritsu-kun. Since I’ve been specially called, I’ll do my best!

Mitsuru: Kiryuuu-senpai! Are you gonna feed us yummy food!?

Sora: HaHa~! Sora is also here to eat Red onii-san’s cooking!

Niki: Oh, that’s right! I ran into Tenma-kun and Harukawa-kun on the way here, so I asked them to be taste testers!

Kuro: Ah, welcome. I just finished cookin’ a dish, so you can go ahead and dig in.

Ritsu: It suddenly got crowded~

Mao: I mean, this is a four-person room, but it is pretty cramped right now, isn’t it?

Kuro: Right. I was plannin’ on moving to the kitchen to cook when Shiina arrived, so let’s move there.

Niki: Alrighty, let’s all work together and bring the food over there~

Mitsuru: Then I’ll take this plate~!

Sora: Hihi~. Sora is looking forward to eating with everyone~♪

Kuro: Hm? ……Sorry, that’d be my phone. Could you guys go ahead to the kitchen without me?

Mao: Gotcha. Then, we’ll just eat while we wait for you.

Kuro: …… Yo, little miss. Are you doin’ alright? It’s not a problem.

Kuro: So you’re contactin’ me to discuss the Feature Live?

Kuro: Sounds like that’d be a hit. ♪

Kuro: So you’ve got some details about the contents of the live show and wanted to share materials with me?

Kuro: Gotcha, that day oughta be free accordin’ to my schedule. I’ll meet ya at the office then.

Kuro: Oh also, about that cookin’ show, thanks for givin’ me the opportunity for that job.

Kuro: You’re sayin’ that you’re the one that asked for my help and that you’re glad I volunteered to take the other idol’s place?

Kuro: I’m glad I could help ya out, little miss.

Kuro: Studyin’ how to cook? So the little miss heard. Actually just a few minutes ago I was havin’ people taste test the food I made.

Kuro: You also heard that I was practicin’ for the show passionately…?

Kuro: Well, s’pose that might be true…… Could say I had a little change of heart.

Kuro: I’ll do my best so that you can say that you’re glad you left this job up to me, little miss. Just watch me. ♪

[delafiseaseses]

Beatrix Russell's insights

Beatrix Russell, I'm sure most Fallout New Vegas players know her, but when was the last time y''ad a proper conversation with her? I should also say we ay gonna be analysing 'er recruitment into the Wrangler's employment 'ere or her sexual side (mostly, it'll come up a bit).

Beatrix's Advice

Beatrix offers a lot of insights into Freeside and also offers a few bits of advice. We'll start wi' those for structure all of these responses come from saying 'Got any advice to share?' I'll be honest wi' ya, the 'these are reffrence to X' I'm gonna be sayin' is jus' Wiki information. But I'll also provide me opinions on the quotes.

"Feed a man for free, and he'll be back asking for more. Feed a man a bullet. You won't hear from him again."

That's certainly true, and pretty applicable in the Wasteland, I s'pose.

"Good, bad... The guy with the gun makes the rules."

That's a reference to the movie Army of Darkness and the line 'Good...bad...I'm the guy with the gun.' and, apparently, that's also something John Browning said possibly? Reportedly, anyway. Still, also applicable in the Wasteland (and, if we go metaphorical, applicable to most authority). Personally, I think 'good' isn't applicable when anyone makes rules with the authority of 'gun'.

"Time you enjoy wasting isn't wasted time."

This is an adaption of the quote 'The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.' by Bertrand Russell. The wiki points out the fact that they're both B. Russells, which is pretty curious. The quote itself I agree with (naturally, I mean, why else would I be doin' this? Hahahaa.) and is probably important to consider as someone as old as Beatrix.

"The only thing I know for certain is that I don't know nothing."

That's a pretty famous one, even wi'out the Wiki tellin' me I know that's Socrates accordin' t' Plato. Let's not get too deep into this 'un. Unlike the last two I see no particular relevance to Wasteland life and, quite frankly, this isn't even advice, Beatrix.

"Longing makes the heart grow fonder, but I've always been a fan of hog-tying my lovers to make sure they can't escape."

I'm sure that's advice to people who're into that sorta thing, but I'm very much not the target audience for it (bein' a proud aroace repulsed at the very idea of engaging personally in such acts). Still, maybe someone over the years has gotten into BDSM because the Ghoul Cowgirl who's name rhymes with 'dominatrix' an' good for that 'ypothetical person.

So, in review, some advice that makes sense in the Wasteland, some philosophy and a bit of oversharing that I s'pose could work as foreshadowing of her future profession in a lot of playthroughs. Let's get t' the juicy stuff now, the reason I decided t' make this.

Beatrix's on the History Freeside

Yes, this is the excitin' part. We'll start wi' the start 'Tell me about Freeside.'

"What starts in misery tends to stay there. Freeside wasn't Freeside until six or seven years ago. That's when Mr. House's robots rolled out of the Lucky 38 and started pushing everyone who wouldn't join him off the Strip. Lots of folks died. Some scattered to the winds. The rest wound up in Freeside and seem never to lose the habit of living like refugees."

Things like this, it puts it all into perspective Freeside, The Strip, Hell even Westside and North Vegas Square am all recent developments. The walls an' divisions aren't even 10 years old. Robert Edwin House created modern New Vegas through violence. We have no idea how many people were killed by it, what 'a lot' means here, but think about it this way: there's a good chance that everywhere on The Strip that ain't the Lucky 38 were all inhabited by people who were either killed or displaced by House less than 10 years prior to the game. That is t' say The Tops, Gomorrah, The Ultra-Luxe, the NCR Embassy an' Military Police HQ and even Michael Angelo's Workshop all were potential homes to people who's lives are now lost to time.

There were people already in Freeside, the buildings and streets not claimed by House, that's why you'll meet many people who are 'Freeside Locals' and have been far longer than 7 years, but as Beatrix said, Freeside as we know it wasn't the Freeside before House. None of the three families lived in those casinos (the Boot-Riders weren't even stationary before becoming The Chairmen). The place was created in an act of miserable violence by House.

Beatrix's Views of Factions

Now for faction opinions. After hearing Beatrix's statements about Freeside's violent and very recent founding we can ask 'What about The Kings?'

"What about them? Pretty much the sort of gang you'd find anywhere else, just with better clothes. The King himself, though? He's got that something special you can't put a finger on. Too bad he likes girls with skin."

I'm not 100% sure if Beatrix knows that last part or presumes it, regardless she overall has a rather cynical view on The Kings as 'just another gang'. An', y'know, while they do have points over a lot of nastier gangs, I'm gonna guess 'Gang as de facto government' is a very common arrangement throughout the entire Wasteland. The Kings isn't the worst bunch in the world and The King is a flawed idealist, but its worst tendencies, encouraged by Pacer and its other more nationalistic and violent members certainly makes them not as clean as I'm sure many see 'em. Still, the gimmick is fun (I bet Beatrix even knows who Elvis is).

'What do you think of the NCR?'

"I reckon they care about getting water and electricity from the dam, and that's where it ends. The locals here are just an inconvenience to them, something to step over or stomp down. They're here for the resources, plain and simple."

Beatrix is correct. Here's a link to Colonel James Hsu sayin' as much an' gettin' called an imperialist bastard by me due to it.

'What's your opinion of Mr. House?'

"Before or after the human race shot itself in the foot? I been around long enough to have both opinions, see. Before the war, Mr. House was a famous captain of industry - robotics, to be specific. Seemed charming in interviews, until he became a recluse. Since the war, though? Didn't make a peep for near two hundred years - but when he came back, he came back strong and killed a lot of people."

Some stuff we already knew there. Unlike Raul, Beatrix is 100% convinced and aware about House bein' House. Beatrix don't actually say her opinion on modern House, but the implication in the way she highlighted that he killed a lot of people 7-8 years ago says all that needs t' be said. She also revealed that House preparing for the War was noticed by the public.

'What do you think of the Followers of the Apocalypse?'

"I don't know how they do it. They're like saints, those Followers. If they didn't charge for their services, I'd think they was crazy. But no, they're just naive. Warms your heart."

Beatrix is a bit of a cynical person, as one would expect from someone who saw the War, saw the next 200 years, saw Mr House's rise and is aware of the intentions of the NCR. So, it's nice to see her have a bit of fondness for the Followers even if she sees them as naïve.

'What do you know about the Van Graffs?'

"A couple of Radscorpions, those two. Gloria is the stable one, but she'd slit your throat if there's a profit in it. Or rather she'd tell her brother to do it for her. Jean Baptiste is one of the sicker humans I've had the displeasure of observing."

Hmm, pretty comprehensive view. Wonder if she ever did any work for the Van Graffs from this view. Prob'ly not, actually, I'm gonna guess she just means she's seen Jean-Baptiste bein' a monster, been in the Silver Rush or maybe she knew the original inhabitants of the Silver Rush who the Van Graffs did a Mr House to. The only other time she uses the term 'observing' there am some sexual undertones, but I reckon that's not 'er intent 'ere.

Conclusion

So, that was Beatrix's insights Freeside, Various Factions and... life, I guess. Some interestin' stuff, I think. An' 'opefully me own provided thoughts an' commentary 'as been int'restin'.

[alienssstufff]

Okay, so I saw your thing about QSMP classpects and I just wanted to throw my opinion in. Kind of already sent an ask about this but I think it got lost on the way to the inbox.

Maximus is absolutely Void aspect. He’s constantly characterized by the things he doesn’t have. He’s probably a Mage, too, one of his major motivations and themes is Knowing.

His son is dead. His husband/partner disappeared under mysterious circumstances, was never seen again, and might also be dead. He usually isn’t paid much attention to. He’s the reason why we know at least 95% of the lore. His mystery-solving was fueled by a grief-induced crisis. He used to binge drink to forget. He had a egg persona that nobody acknowledged. He’s suffering from unrequited feelings for Forever. He doesn’t even tell anyone about any of this that often. Not a lot of people really know there’s anything he actively suffers from because his default mode of existing is inherently wacky and out of pocket.

He wants to know the unknown, knows what it’s like to not be understood, and knows what it’s like to hurt by the absence of people and things.

Maximus is a Mage of Void, and this is why I’m sure of it. Thank you for entertaining this mini-essay I decided to write out of nowhere.

Hi ya I saw the other one (slwo to answer ><) I did a classpect assignment on q!Maximus in another ask as the Prince of Void but I also really like the idea of him being Mage of Void as well and the different ways we reached either conclusions: One assignment (Prince of Void) focuses on the present-future of Maximus' arcs and goals - whilst the other focuses on the past-present (Mage of Void) what he's gone through and what he's doing now about it, regardless there's no incorrect answer to which (I think).

I'm going to put your part from the other ask here as well:

[ more undercut ]

Expanding on that Mage of Void theory, quick recap mage of void are those who uniquely experience their Aspect, both good and bad. As a result, they gain a unique understanding of what their Aspect is or does.

Maximus was the first parent to ever experience an egg loss through 'neglect' (I've written my doubts on that HERE). There were implications before but his final conversation with q!Trump at the funeral most likely jumpstarted raising suspicion against the Federation and Maximus' willingness to understand the unknowns (Mage) of the island / breaking a part from his role to uncover the secrets of the Federation etc (Prince)... He also was the first resident to canonically die (death by a Binary monster).

By that Maximus uniquely experiences and hence uniquely suffers because of it. Maximus as a Mage of Void suffers from nothing - not that he literally suffers from nothing but like you said his struggles from an outsider's perspective are unknown that it is difficult to sympathise with him because others have simply not felt the void in the way that he has. Not only that but his actions also suffers a net nothing. Despite being extremely important to lore, no one would have even known or done anything about a lot of Maximus' if he never reached out.

That being said, my one mini criticism about both our theories when considering Maximus' role in lore: to push others and the narrative forward in the right direction. I'm no Maximus-expert (anyone feel free to put their input) and don't fully understand whether his motivations are for himself or for others - though I feel a passive-class (-) that serves a team might also be a good fit for him like a mf Seer of Void but then again I am unsure >w<

[pageofheartdj]

Hi! Autistic aroace anon here!

Can I say I got all gushy when you said “I love your rants”? I’m not even sure if it was indeed for me but I was all

Also, YEAS!! Exactly!! I dislike, although I get it, how the fandom goes “they only fit in this box”, no! They’re amazing and we’re so involved with them bc they got layers!! I love rottmnt rather than any other tmnt franchise bc THEY. GOT. LAYERS!! (They’re onions, Shrek!)

It’s the first time you CAN’T define them by a word. “Oh Raph’s the violent one, leo’s the leader, Mikey’s the clown and Donnie’s the nerd”. NO! They finally went and showed who’s these characters truly are (also, kinda controversy opinion, but bayverse kinda did that as well, but not as good, they got layers there but still kinda.. not rlly) ((I love that movie but once again hate the sexual-romantic tension btw April and the turtles. Bc its always only that!!! For her to end up with Casey ANYWAY!!!))

•cough• SO! We finally get to see how Raph is still head on on stuff and kinda short fuse, but that’s bc he cares and worries and is overprotective. And with the other brothers as well, you have no idea how HAPPY I was when Donnie got in the fight and wasn’t a helpless nerd whose only trait is computers, like in the others. Yeah, he asks for help (his comedic “help! Help heeeelp!” In the giant bird episode is amazing), but it’s not only him, all of them do at some point.

They finally showed who they are and why they’re like this! So the fandom taking away this important trait of them always makes me go feral.

My memory suck but I think I remember what your asks were, so YA! =3 (Plus I think you are the only one who gives me this long asks?? I think???XD)

Like I get flanderization in fandoms, especially when there is no new material, and fans are playing so much with fanons, they kinda get lost in it too much, so they forget the canon and strip off the characters of some of their traits!

Like, 'I like this one trait/I want to explore this trait more', this is liked by many, it gets explored some more and in the end people forget that it wasn't the only trait and it wasn't even that prevalent in the first place. Like Donnie's touch aversion. Some wanted to explore it, cause autism and all that and that's fair. But after some point people forget that he is aversed like 10% of the time. Which is NOT a lot, not the way people write him 'he is in a good mood so he bares his brothers touching him for a few seconds' =/

I won't say other versions didn't explore turtles characters cause I don't remember much xD I just know the basic characterisations. And I LOVE Rises spin on them!! Raph is still hot headed and angry, but he also directs it into aggressive protection and it feels REALLY nice, not just 'I am angry cause I am' xD Like I am sure other versions are protective too, they suppose to care, but I dunno, I don't remeeember if it was explained as well as with Rise Raph x) I like Rise Leo even more cause he is much more different from other versions while still having his core characteristics, like he is smart and observant and strategic, that's so cool!!! But he was not burdened by being a leader so he is a goof, which is kind of similar to 2012 Leo xD Donnie is just. Superb in every way xD He can fight, he LIKES fighting, he LOVES creating his tech for fighting XD Mikey doesn't need to be The funny one, cause they all are <3 So he gets a bit of different role that still feels similar <3 (Can't say much about Bayvesre caaaause I just can't get behind not 2D xD That's why I just couldn't stick with 2012, barely finished S1 xD)

[light-end-dragon]

Chapter 3

Arthur: So that is what happened….do you know the boy’s identity?

Cain: No. Honestly, it’s a miracle I know that much.

Akira: Um…a little while ago when we were investigating, I did overhear you say that “that has to be where it happened…” 

Cain: Oh, you heard that? Yeah, that was the incident I was thinkin’ of. Grief and regret are all sorts of things that’re easily affected by the Calamity.

Cain: Still, at the same time, the possibility that boy turned into the wandering spirit’s pretty low. What do ya think, Faust? 

Faust: …It might be possible. When I tried to unravel the curse before, the presence did feel a lot like a child.

Faust: The possibility that the missing kid is the true form of this wandering spirit works well enough, in my opinion.

Akira: …That’s so sad if it's true, though. His future being cut short as he was just about to start his dream….

Cain: Yeah. I heard about it when I was in the Order; he was apparently 12 years old at that time. …..If he were alive now, we would’ve been the same age. It really left a lasting impression on me after I realized that…

Akira: Wow, I don’t blame you. It really is terrible…

Cain: Yeah…

Cain’s expression was clouded for a moment, but soon he shook his head, raising his eyes again.

Cain: Anyway, the important thing right now is to find out that spirit’s true form.

Cain: Also, if my hunch is right and it is that boy….we should try whatever avenue we can to find out his name.

Cain: And if he isn’t, I can only hope he ended up in the place where he was meant to be. 

Akira: Yeah, me too….

Bradley: Ugh. Stop with all the tearjerker crap, will ya? I ain’t got time for this shit.

In contrary to my solemn agreement, Bradley just gave a scornful laugh, waving a hand at us like he was shooing off a dog. 

Bradley: Our goal, if ya didn’t forget, is to get rid of this curse as soon as possible. If offin’ the source of its grief was easier, I’d be all for it.

Cain: Yeah, I know. I would too if we had the means.

Cain: But this wandering spirit was originally a human. I’d rather be able to choose how to resolve this curse, so I wanna prepare in case it happens. 

Bradley: Buzz off; I ain’t doin’ this for anyone but me. I don’t see why I hafta care about some punk kid that don't matter. 

Cain: …..

Cain frowned slightly as Bradley’s unrepentant refusal, then paused to take a breath.

Cain: ….I really can’t see eye-to-eye with you, can I?

Bradley: Hey, you’re the one who was preachin’ about holdin’ hands and joinin’ up before.

Cain: Yeah, I know…..hey, hold up! We’ve flown pretty far already; we should probably turn back soon and go ask around at the local tavern.

Arthur: The tavern?

Cain: Yeah. Cause it’s a place where both people and information gather. I’d like to go ask the locals if they know anythin’ about all this.

Cain: So uh, what direction is that town from here…..

Bradley: Wait a hot secon’; ain’t you forgettin’ to do somethin’?

Faust: Doing what?

Bradley: Change yer clothes, duh. You can’t go into a tavern lookin’ like that. That tailor kid ain’t here today, so y’know what? Consider this a gift from yours truly.

Bradley snapped his fingers, and suddenly the night filled with a light aroma of gunpowder, smoke, and danger. It was a scent that always lingered after him, layered on like a cologne.

(Sound of Bradley’s magic.)

By the time I’d noticed what happened, our clothes had all changed.

Cain: Woah!

Faust: This is….

Arthur: Your clothes? Bradley, are you lending them to us?

Bradley: What d’ya think I’m doin’? Y’all better thank me for this; I dragged this shit out from underneath the shit at the bottom of my dresser.

Cain: So in other words, you’re givin’ us the stuff you don’t wear.

Akira: Th-thank you for going out of your way to do this. But isn’t using magic….

Cain: I’m sure the spirit sensed it, but it’s all good. We’re goin’ a different way than we were before now.

Cain: If we leave traces of our magic here, it’ll serve as a pretty good decoy for it.

Cain: …..is what you intended when ya used magic, right, Bradley? 

Bradley: Yeah, sure, whatever. More importantly, you idiots ain’t got enough of an impact to be goin’ and talkin’ shit in taverns, so I’m takin’ over.

Bradley: An’ you, Cain, you got th’ know-how to point that out, and yet here you are tryin’ to shove off to town without even thinkin’ of that?

Cain: I….got distracted…..

Bradley just shrugged with half-closed eyes at apparently having hit a nerve in Cain. However, he still had a slight smile on his face.

Cain had said they couldn’t see eye to eye before, but right now they were acting just like a senior with his junior.

Akira: (I can’t tell if their chemistry is good or bad……Actually, more importantly…)

Akira: Well, I’m glad it’s on purpose, but….erm, by the way…..

Arthur: Master Sage? Is anything the matter?

Akira: It’s just…these clothes Bradley gave us are, well, a little big in a lot of places….ah! The belt, the belt’s falling!!

Bradley: Hey-don’t go droppin’ things-that shit’s expensive! Probably.

Cain: …Probably?

Faust: What is this belt even for in the first place…..No, that’s not important. It shouldn’t be too hard to shrink the clothes down with magic, I’d think. 

Bradley: Ha! Why? You guys all look like beggars! Well jus’ remember to put them back after, or you’ll regret it.

Arthur: Of course, thank you very much for lending them to us, Bradley. Cain, are you sure you’ll be okay as is? 

Cain: Yeah. Me and Bradley aren’t real different in physique. Right?

Bradley: Don’t ‘right’ me; it’s clear as day I’ve got the better body. Look-aw, you got some extra cloth right here! 

(Sound of rustling of clothes, then something being hit.)

Cain: O-ow-that hurt! And there isn’t that much extra, jeez! Ugh…well, if it gets in my way, I’ll rip it off or something. 

Bradley: Don’t fuckin’ tear it either! I said it’s expensive! Probably! 

While the two of them bickered, Faust just snapped his fingers, causing all our clothes to faintly glow. After a second, all the clothes and belts that came with them shrank to fit us perfectly.

Cain had a firm grip on the handle of his broom.

Cain: -Okay. Then while the spirit makes its way here, lets turn back towards town.

(Sound of the wizards flying off.)

-----------------------------:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･------------------------------

We arrived at the tavern at about midnight, when the date changed.

Arthur and Faust would not be going with us there; instead, they were returning to the forest to investigate there. We decided too, to meet back up with each other at dawn.

(flashback begins)

Arthur: I too will go with Cain to investigate at the tavern.

Faust: No, you’re coming with me to the forest, and in charge of delivering a message to the Manor at the expected time.

Faust: The order in that particular tavern is pretty terrible; kids definitely shouldn’t be in there at this hour.

Arthur: I am 17 years old. That may not be considered an adult, but I am not a child.

Faust: That is literally a child. Besides, outside of insisting you’re not a kid, you haven’t given me anything that would persuade me into letting you stay.

Arthur: ….

Faust: I’ll repeat; I’m not letting children frequent dangerous taverns at this time of night. We should get going on our own task.

Arthur: ….Yes, you’re right. I’m very sorry for being so unreasonable.

Arthur: I was just thinking about how Cain got cursed because he was protecting me…I couldn’t calm down.

Arthur: All because I simply couldn’t move….

Faust: That was not any fault of yours. That spirit was something you fundamentally cannot look at. Your body was most likely just trying to defend itself.

Faust: The fact that Cain was able to move was an exception. As a knight, he was most likely trained specifically to respond like that, and mastered the ability to overcome his fear in an instant.

Faust: Each and every one of them had it ingrained in their heart to take the best, most suitable course of action. That is the only thing that played a part in this outcome.

Arthur: …Okay. Thank you, Faust.

Faust: No need to thank me. ….Sage, you should probably accompany those two instead.

Faust: Carry this pouch with you for self-defense. If you sense you are in any danger, tear it; and don’t part from the Sacrificium’s side.

Akira: Okay, I understand. You two take care as well. 

Faust: Yeah, we will.

Faust: Let’s get going, Arthur. Beyond this point, there’s a high likelihood that we will come into contact with something curse, so please stay as close to me as possible.

Arthur: Understood, I am in your hands!

(flashback ends)

[raw-law]

In response to the other anon asking if you guys look for our identities, frankly i couldnt care less if you know who i am, its fairly easy to figure out. i just like reasons to relate myself to Deer. I did a self portrait once as a deer mount pouring blood. it was quite...something. definitely got a lot of responses to that one.

as for art being subjective vs objective:

i can see where each of you in coming from in that sense. some things ARE blatantly what they are and it would be kind of wild to say otherwise. like who am i to tell Da Vinci that the Mona Lisa is actually an space cat alien, not a woman. but i do still think its possible to get multiple interpretations out of her.

i will also be the first to say im not a fan of the genre of what is technically in the art world called a "ready-made". basically like what you said, taking an object that already exists, fastening it to something, setting up lighting for it, etc. ya know, MINOR changes and calling it art. im not a big fan. its lazy and unoriginal in my blunt opinion. it doesnt create new ideas and thoughts in my brain unless i BS them. like if i see an apple on a pedestal, im taking it at face value, because its simply an apple on a pedestal. it being placed on something doesnt make it any less or more to me. its just an apple. and according to your definition, it would not be art since it does not cause or create new ideas or conversation to flow. it furthers nothing.

unfortunately, in the art community, its hard to have this debate because the widely used definition is the "everything is art" one and some people cannot take criticism to save their life. if you tell suzy sue that her michael jackson x barack obama fanart is not visually compelling and offer her advice, she might cancel you on twitter. we all need to stop being wusses and also stop being rude in the art world. its important to give your fellow artists helpful and meaningful critique and feedback without being harsh or condescending. and it is of equal importance to learn to accept that feedback and use it to better yourself as an artist.

i think another big thing for me and whether something is actually art is the design itself. does it have an interesting composition? does it use an impactful color scheme? does it have a focal point? etc, etc. if these points can be argued for a piece, im more willing to call it art.

realism is also a point of contention because some will ask "whats the point if it just looks like a photo?" the skill, the effort, the time. the unique touch of human hands that gives it a slight charm even in the most hyper realistic pieces. that is the point.

have another piece as a treat. a drawing i did from life for class last semester, its a plant. about as opposite as you can get from the other piece i shared:

https://imgur.com/a/hkcqYKK

-🦌

Light:

Ooh, that's interesting. Why the choice of deer, though, so specifically? Is it for some reason, or just an instinctive decision?

And I agree with your point on what you've referred to as "ready-made". I guess, for art to be meaningful, it has to mean something in the first place, and an apple sure as hell doesn't mean anything to people. Honestly, it seems like lazy artwork to me, even though I'm not an artist. But I'd like to ask you: what exactly would you define as 'ready-made'? Would that mean, then, that photographers' work are technically also 'ready-made', as all they're doing is taking picture of something preexisting and hence not creating, in that sense? What's the boundaries between something that's art, and something that's 'ready-made'? Is it something that you can define at all?

There's this branch of art called 'Dadaism', and there are some works inside that may be considered 'ready-made' in a way. For example, Marcel Duchamp's Fountain and Bicycle Wheel are famous examples of that art movement. And Dadaism was actually made up of artists who wanted to use this nonsensical, crazy form of art to express horror and disgust of the bloodshed that occurred during World War 1. It was commonly known as the 'anti-art' movement, and its main purpose was to create art that would confuse, shock or even aggravate the public.

This ties in to what you'll see Ryuzaki discuss below. Perhaps the occurrences of this 'ready-made' art isn't really the art itself, but it's the thoughts and emotions the artist wanted to express when making the art. And, if this 'ready-made' art exists because of a true effect the artist intended to create on the general public, then it's arguable that it could be considered as art, because isn't art used to express your feelings in the first place? Even though I still don't really consider 'ready-made' pieces as art...it's still interesting food for thought.

And your piece is wonderfully drawn. I love how you rendered the leaves; it looks really beautiful. Kind of reminds me of Chinese bamboo paintings...I'd love to see more of your work, if you'd like to share!

Lastly, thanks for your ask. I love having these kinds of discussions, even though I unfortunately took a long time to get back to you..

L:

wow.. the plant piece is beautiful.. all of the strokes come out so nicely and eloquent. it really makes me want to see this deer self portrait now. that sounds even more intriguing. no pressure though, of course. i just think it's a really fascinating idea.

and as much as i despise "ready-made" pieces too, i honestly have a slight respect for them. i would still consider them art, because i do think it evokes a conversation, but specifically the kind of conversation that makes you question it's existence, if that makes sense.

for example, that duct-taped banana i mentioned in the last ask, that's actually what made me question the whole idea of art in the first place. if something so insignificant can be considered so valuable to people, then who am i to tell them that it's not really art? maybe it is. or maybe the questioning of what it is was the whole point. maybe, the conversation it was actually sparking was more-so like.. a rebellion. a taunt. almost as if it were saying: "you want art? i'll give you art. and you'll be forced to take it." if i remember correctly, there was actually another artist who did that exact thing. his name was richard mutt and he submitted a urinal with a signature of his name as an art piece. it was stupid, and absurd, and that was the point. he submitted it to prove that if he signed his name on it and paid the application fee, the group he submitted it to would've accepted it no matter how thoughtless. he made an art piece that was meant to depict what stupid art looks like, and it worked. so as much as i despise the pieces, i do still think they're art, at least to an extent.

it's things that are made with the intent of gaining either popularity, money, or whatever else there is that i don't consider art. i'd go into more detail about it, but there's already a video out there that depicts it really well, so i'll just link it here. it's by cj the x and he's known for being very chaotic, so it might be a difficult to listen to at first, but i personally really like it. their points always wrap together really nicely as the video continues and the humor is my style, so i swear it's worth a watch, hah.

anyways. i'll stop myself there so i don't annoy you too much, but i do also agree with your points on the design, process, and overall thought that gets put into art pieces. i really like this discussion overall, actually. i apologize if i sounded rude at all, i have no intention to. i enjoy being able to converse about these topics, haha. so thank you for letting me, truly.

[he-just-wont-die]

WALKING DEAD WIKI

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WALKING DEAD WIKI

A New Day (Telltale)/Transcript

EDIT

The following is a transcript of Episode 1: A New Day of The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - Season One.

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Police Car

A police officer is driving a police car down the road in the daytime. He adjusts the rearview mirror in his car to look at the passenger, Lee, who is handcuffed in the backseat.

Policeman: Well, I reckon you didn't do it, then.

Lee: Why do you say that?

Lee: You know what they say about reckoning.

Policeman: Ha, I don't, but I reckon it's a lot like assumin'.

Lee: Yeah, something like that.

Lee: Does it really matter?

Policeman: Nah, not much.

Policeman: Hmm. Nope, definitely not.

Policeman: Y'know, I've driven a buncha fellas down to this prison. Lord knows how many. Usually is 'bout now I get the "I didn't do it."

Lee: And what do you say?

Policeman: I say, "Yep, I know ya didn't."

Lee: Not from me.

Policeman: 'Cause guys in your position already said it enough?

Lee: Every time?

Policeman: EVERY time.

Policeman: Hmmm, but you don't talk too much, do ya?

Police Radio: We've got what looks like a 10-91E near Peachtree Exit of 285. All cars asked to keep on the lookout for a 91V in the area.

Lee looks at the rearview mirror.

Policeman: I followed your case a little bit, you being a Macon boy and all.

Lee: You're from Macon then.

Policeman: Yep. Came up to Atlanta to be a city cop in the seventies. Always wanted to work a murder case, like that senatorial mess you got yourself mixed up in, with all due respect. A real shame, that is.

Lee looks out the window as another police car speeds past in the opposite direction with its sirens on.

Policeman: Hell, the whole family used to be regulars at your folks' drugstore right in downtown. Still there?

Lee: Sure is.

Policeman: Good.

Lee: You've got an opinion then?

Policeman: Wouldn't say that. I go in for that innocent 'til proven guilty thing.

Lee looks out the window as another police car speeds past in the opposite direction with its sirens on.

Policeman: Even considering who they say you killed.

Lee: What do you think?

Policeman: (shrugs) I'm just glad I chose law and not order. A big, messy trial like that.

Lee looks out the window as another police car speeds past in the opposite direction with its sirens on.

Policeman: Even if you was innocent, a lot of what happened can't ever be undone.

Policeman: (shrugs) It's not every day a fella from Bibb County goes off and kills a state senator, that's for sure.

Lee looks out the window as another police car speeds past in the opposite direction with its sirens on.

Police Radio: Be advised of medical personnel on route to Hartsfield, various 10's and 20's coming in.

Looking at the mirror makes the policeman begin talking again, but he will also do so if Lee does nothing for a few moments.

Lee: Any of that seem important to you?

Policeman: All of it, but that box never shuts up. Sit in this seat and pay too much attention and you'll drive yourself crazy.

Policeman: I got a nephew up at UGA, you teach there long?

Lee: Going on my sixth year.

Policeman: You meet your wife in Athens?

Lee looks distressed and turns his face away, looking out the window.

Policeman: You wanna know how I see it?

Several more police cars pass by with their sirens on, along with a SWAT truck, all of them driving in the opposite direction.

Lee: Sure.

Lee: Not really.

He picked up on that.

Policeman: Well, too bad, it's my car. You might have the right to remain silent, but it don't mean I gotta be.

Lee: I got much choice?

He picked up on that.

Policeman: Sure don't.

Lee says nothing.

The policeman opens his mouth, about to speak, but notices Lee glaring at him and stays silent for a few moments.

Policeman: Regardless, could be you just married the wrong woman.

Lee opens his mouth to speak, but decides not to, grunting dismissively.

Lee opens his mouth to speak, but decides not to, grunting dismissively.

Lee opens his mouth to speak, but decides not to, grunting dismissively.

Lee opens his mouth to speak, but decides not to, grunting dismissively.

Radio turns on.

Policeman: You'll have to learn to stop worrying about things you can’t control. Helicopter flies past car.

Policeman: You’ll have to learn to stop worrying about things you can’t control. Lee and the officer stay silent for a few seconds.

Police Radio: Riot in progress. All officers available for incoming 217's. Rolling calls and dispatches to all locations.

A helicopter, two SWAT trucks, and several police cars pass by.

Policeman: I'm driving this man once, he was the worst one. He wouldn't stop going on about how he didn't do it. He was an older fella. Big, soft eyes behind a pair of smart folk glasses, and he's just wailing back there, says it wasn't him. Crying and snotting all over, right where you're sitting.

Police Radio: All officers are available for incoming 21--

The policeman turns off the radio.

Policeman: Then before long he starts kicking the back of the seat, li--like a fussy baby on an airplane. And I tell him he's gotta stop, that's government property, and I'll be forced to zap him otherwise. So he stops, and having exhausted all his options, he starts crying out for his Mama. "Mama, it's all a big mistake! It wasn't me!"

Lee: Man.

Policeman: Man?! Not even close!

Lee: Maybe he was innocent.

Policeman: Innocent?

Lee: So did he do it?

Policeman: Well, blabbermouth, let me tell you something.

Policeman: They caught the fucker red-handed! Stabbin' his wife, cutting her up as the boys came through the door! He sits in my car screaming bloody murder that it wasn't him! I think he actually believed it himself. It goes to show, people will up and go mad when they believe their life is over. Oh, I got another good one for ya. This one's a little bit less depressing and a bit more hilarious if I do say so.

The policeman turns as he is talking, looking away from the road as a zombie wanders right in front of the car.

Lee: Watch out!

Lee: Oh, shit!

Lee: In the road!

Lee: Fucking drive!

Lee says nothing.

Policeman: This other time--

The car crashes into the person on the road, veering out of control, through the guard rail, and off the edge of the cliff. Half-conscious, the man sees zombies moving outside the car and hears screams and growls before passing out.

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Forest

Lee wakes up some time later.

Lee: Ugh... Ow, shit.

Lee tries to take off his handcuffs but is unable to.

Lee: Thirsty... Ahh! Fuck, my leg.

Lee looks at the large, bloody cut on his upper leg. He looks out the back window and sees the officer lying facedown on the ground with blood smeared behind him. Lee turns to the side window and grunts as he continually kicks it until it falls out of the car.

Lee: Hey! Hey, officer! Are you alright?! I'm still cuffed back here!

Lee: Officer! That doesn't look good. He wasn't ejected from the car...

Lee: He's not moving.

Lee: He must have the handcuff keys on him.

Lee: Why the hell did he have his gun out?

Lee: Maybe it was tossed from the car during the wreck?

Lee: I need to... drag myself out that window...

Lee climbs out of the window, landing painfully on the ground. He stands up and walks around the edge of the car, reaching the area where the officer is.

Lee: The officer's shotgun is over there.

Lee kneels down to pick up the shotgun. Lee: Looks empty.

He puts the shotgun down.

Lee: It'll be easier to carry with these cuffs off.

Lee leans down and picks up the shotgun shell, placing it in his inventory.

Lee: Officer?

Lee: Goddamn...

Lee approaches the officer and takes the keys. He tries to unlock his handcuffs but drops the keys.

Lee: Shit.

Lee leans down to pick up the keys that have fallen next to the officer's face. He unlocks his handcuffs and rubs his wrists. The officer starts groaning faintly.

Lee: Uh, officer...?

Lee falls backward as the officer growls and tries to grab him.

Lee: Holy shit!

Lee: What in the hell?

Lee: What the fuck are you?!?

Lee: What happened? What happened?!

Lee looks at the gun.

Lee stares at the bullet.

Lee: Get away from me!

Lee: What the hell are you?

Lee: Just stop! Back up!

Lee picks up the shotgun next to him and tries to load it with the shotgun shell, but drops it.

Lee picks up the shotgun next to him, he then picks up the shell, tries to insert it but drops it.

Lee picks up the shell next to him, then the gun, he tries to put the shell in it but drops it.

Lee: Shit!

Lee picks up the shell and loads the gun, pointing it at the officer.

Lee: Don't make me do this...

Lee shoots the officer in the head and throws the shotgun to the ground.

Lee: Man.

Lee: His skin's all rotten... and he smells like shit. What the hell is this?

Lee: Are you dead? Hey! Are you dead?!

Clementine stands in the distance and Lee calls out to her.

Lee: Help! Go get someone! There's been a shooting!

Clementine runs away. Groaning, slow-moving zombies emerge from the forest. Lee tries to run, but trips over the officer's body and falls. He gets up and limps away as he is chased. He climbs over a fence to escape, crawling backwards as the zombies pound on the fence. Shots are fired in the distance, and the zombies leave to chase the sound.

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Neighborhood

Lee gets up and looks around, noticing he is in the backyard of a house in a small neighborhood.

Lee: Hello? Anybody?

Lee's idle comments

Lee: Help!

Lee: Somebody? Yell if you can hear me!

Lee: Is there anybody here?

Lee: Strange man here! Bleeding in your backyard!

Lee: This would normally get a man arrested... Again.

Lee: Please... please. Someone, someone, anybody...

Lee: There's something going on...

Lee: I can't go back out there.

Lee: (sarcastically) Maybe I'll just go for a dip.

Lee: I'd fill one of those tea cups with some bourbon if I could.

Lee: No ladder... I'm not getting up there anyway, this leg the way it is.

Lee: Anybody up there?

Lee: Hello? Anybody in there?

Lee: I thought I saw a little girl in the forest... Are you up there? I'm not one of those things.

Lee: (shrugs) I guess it's empty.

Lee: Maybe I should just check inside the house, through the glass door, before wandering out into the neighborhood.

Lee: I wonder if anybody's home.

Lee knocks on the sliding glass door.

Lee: Hello? Anybody home? I need a little help.

Lee opens the door without hesitation.

Lee looks at the door again. Lee: Screw it. I’m just going in. Lee knocks again. Lee: Hello? There’s something going on. Lee peeks through the window. Lee: Doesn’t seem like anybody’s home. Lee bangs on the door. Lee: Maybe it’s unlocked. Lee reluctantly opens the door.

Lee slides the door open.

Lee: Coming in. Don't shoot, okay?

Lee enters the house and closes the door behind him, then grabs his leg in pain.

Lee: Ahh, shit. Hello? I'm not an intruder... or one of them.

Lee notices that the furniture in the living room is knocked over and there are bloodstains on the floor and wall of the kitchen.

Lee: These people might need more help than I do.

Lee: It's fake. Damn.

The book shows a mostly colored-in drawing of a unicorn.

Lee: Jesus...

Lee: Maybe there's something on there.

Lee: Furniture overturned...blood everywhere... Jesus...

Lee: God, a kid lived here...

Lee: This whole neighborhood is deserted... What the hell?

Lee: Hmm...cable's out.

Lee enters the kitchen, slipping on the pool of blood.

Lee walks over to the kitchen unharmed.

Lee drinks the water. Lee: Ah...

(Unavailable if Lee didn’t slip) Lee: Hmm... The Marsh House. That's a Savannah area code. But that's the type of note you'd leave a babysitter...

Lee opens various drawers and cabinets.

Lee: This place has been ransacked. Just about anything worthwhile is gone.

Lee opens the drawer near the fridge, takes the radio and puts it in his pocket. Lee then opens the drawer by the sink and finds it empty.

Lee opens the drawer near the sink, takes the radio and puts it in his pocket. Lee then opens the drawer by the fridge and finds it empty.

The answering machine beeps until Lee turns it on.

Automated Voice: Three new messages. Message one. Left at 5:43 PM.

Diana: Hey, Sandra, this is Diana. We're still in Savannah. Ed had a little "incident" with some crazy guy near the hotel, so we had to get him back to the ER and have it checked out. Anyway, he's not feeling well enough to drive back tonight, so we're staying an extra day. Thanks so much for looking after Clementine, and I promise we'll be back in time before your spring break! (chuckles)

Automated Voice: Message two. Left at 11:19 PM.

Diana: (panicked) Oh, my God, finally! I don't know if you tried to reach us; all the calls are getting dropped. They're not letting us leave and aren't telling us anything about Atlanta. Please, please, just leave the city and take Clementine with you back to Marietta. I've got to get back to the hospital. Please let me know that you're safe.

Automated Voice: Message three. Left at 6:51 AM.

Diana: (tearfully) Clementine? Baby, if you can hear this, call the police. That's 9-1-1. We love you...we love you...we love y--

The machine beeps after the last message. Lee picks up and looks at a picture near the phone, which shows Clementine and her parents. Then his walkie-talkie activates.

Clementine: Daddy? Lee hears voice from his pocket. Lee: Huh? Lee takes out his walkie-talkie from his pocket and walks over to the glass door.

Clementine: Daddy? Lee hears voice from the kitchen. Lee: Huh? Lee walks over to the kitchen.

Lee takes the radio from the drawer by the fridge, answers it and walks over to the glass door.

Lee takes the radio from the drawer by the sink, answers it and walks over to the glass door.

Lee: Hello?

Clementine: You need to be quiet.

Lee: I'm not a monster.

Clementine: Good.

Lee: Who is this?

Clementine: I'm Clementine. This is my house.

Lee: Hi, Clementine. I'm Lee.

Clementine: You're not my daddy.

Lee: No, I'm not.

Lee: Are you okay?

Clementine: I'm okay. They tried to get me. But I'm hiding until my parents come home.

Clementine: Hello? Did they get you?

Lee: I'm sorry. I'm here.

She wonders why you're not talking.

Lee has the opportunity to choose one of the other responses. He can also choose silence again.

Clementine: Please don't go.

She wonders why you're not talking.

Lee has the opportunity to choose one of the other responses. He can also choose silence again.

Clementine: Are you dead too?

She wonders why you're not talking.

Lee has the opportunity to choose one of the other responses. He can also choose silence again.

Clementine: Hello...?

She wonders why you're not talking.

(If Lee continues to be silent, she will continue to repeat "hello". Lee must eventually answer.)

Lee walks into the living room.

(This option is not available if he asked "Who is this?")

Lee: What's your name?

Clementine: I'm Clementine. This is my house.

Lee: Hi, Clementine. I'm Lee.

Lee: Where are your parents?

Clementine: They took a trip and left me with Sandra. They're in Savannah, I think. Where the boats are.

Lee: How old are you?

Clementine: Eight.

Lee: And you're all alone?

Clementine: Yes. I don't know where anybody is. How old are you?

Lee: I'm, uhh...37.

Clementine: Okay.

Clementine: Hello? Did they get you?

Lee: I'm sorry. I'm here.

She wonders why you're not talking.

Lee has the opportunity to choose one of the other responses. He can also choose silence again.

Clementine: Please don't go.

She wonders why you're not talking.

Lee has the opportunity to choose one of the other responses. He can also choose silence again.

Clementine: Are you dead too?

She wonders why you're not talking.

Lee has the opportunity to choose one of the other responses. He can also choose silence again.

Clementine: Hello...?

She wonders why you're not talking.

(If Lee continues to be silent, she will continue to repeat "hello". Lee must eventually answer.)

Lee enters the kitchen, avoiding the puddle of blood, and stands over by the window.

Lee: Are you safe?

Clementine: I'm outside in my treehouse. They can't get in.

Lee: That's smart.

Clementine: See?

Clementine opens the door to her treehouse.

Clementine: Can you see me? I can see you through the window.

Lee: Where are you?

Clementine: I'm outside in my treehouse. They can't get in.

Lee: That's smart.

Clementine: See?

Clementine opens the door to her treehouse.

Clementine: Can you see me? I can see you through the window.

Clementine opens the door to her treehouse.

Clementine waves at Lee and he waves back.

Clementine: AHHHH!

Clementine jumps back into the treehouse and closes the door. Lee turns around and sees a zombified Sandra behind him. She growls and tries to attack him, but he pushes her to the ground. As he tries to run away, he slips on the puddle of blood and hits his head on the counter. His vision is blurry, but he can vaguely see Sandra crawling toward him and he kicks her away.

Lee: AHH!

Lee gets up and tries to run, but Sandra grabs his leg and trips him. He punches her away as she attacks again. Clementine runs up to the glass door and opens it, holding a hammer. Sandra attacks again and Lee pushes her away, continually kicking her in the head and crawling backwards.

Clementine: Here...

Once Lee reaches Clementine, he takes the hammer from her shaking hands.

Clem says nothing.

Clementine: Here!

Lee takes the hammer, gets up and whacks Sandra with it. He continues to smash her in the face until she stops moving.

Lee: Aaaarggh!!! Lee violently bashes Sandra’s head in and deforms her face.

Sandra bleeds out.

Lee: Man... Hi there.

Clementine takes a step backward as Sandra's blood oozes across the floor.

Clementine: Did you kill it?

Lee: Yes.

Clementine: It's okay. I think she was a monster.

Lee: I think so too.

Lee: I don't know. I think so.

Clementine will remember that.

Clementine: Sometimes they come back.

Lee: Have you killed one?

Clementine: No. But they get shot a lot.

Lee: I think something else did. Before me, I think.

Clementine will remember that.

Clementine: I heard her scream two nights ago. Maybe one of the monsters got her.

Lee: Two nights ago? Yeah, that's probably what happened.

Clementine looks quizzically at Lee.

Clementine seems afraid.

Lee kneels to be at Clementine's eye-level.

Lee: You've been all by yourself through this?

Clementine: Yeah. I want my parents to come home now.

Lee: I think that might be a little while, you know?

Clementine: Oh.

Clementine looks down sadly and Lee moves closer.

Lee: Look, I don't know what happened. But I'll look after you until then.

Clementine nods.

Clementine: What should we do now?

Lee: We need to find help before it gets dark.

You chose the safety of daylight.

Clementine: Yeah, it's not safe at night.

Lee gets up and holds Clementine's hand.

Lee: Let's go. Stay close to me.

They leave the house and Clementine closes the door behind them.

Lee: I'd fill one of those tea cups with some bourbon if I could.

Lee looks up at the treehouse.

Lee: (sarcastically) Maybe I'll just go for a dip.

Lee: I can't go back out there.

Clem goes ahead of Lee and he follows her. Lee approaches the gate and notices two men in the street trying to push a car.

Chet: Aw, man... I ain't never getting home to Mama at this rate.

Shawn: This sucks.

Chet: It's hot dish night.

Lee is about to open the gate, but turns and kneels in front of Clementine, who looks conflicted.

Lee: What's the matter?

Clementine: Should I stay?

Lee: What?

Clementine: I don't want to sleep in the treehouse tonight, but I don't know if I should leave. What if my parents come home?

Lee: I won't leave you alone.

Clementine smiles.

Clementine: Let's go somewhere safe that's close, okay?

Lee: That's a good idea.

Lee: They won't. We should go.

Clementine: Then they'll find me, right?

Lee: I won't leave you alone, okay?

Lee: I don't know...

Clementine: Neither do I. Let's go somewhere safe that's c

ALRIGHT BUDDY WHAT IN THE 😭😭😭

thiz makez me wanna play the walking dead I haven’t seen it in YEARS.. Lee and Clementine were my favoritez!! :3

[maideninorange]

for the ask game, not sure what you would do with this prompt but i'm curious anyway!

16. “You don’t have a choice.”

Oh my! I wasn't sure either for a while there! Sorry about the long wait (even by my standards)! But I came up with a decent idea in the end, so here we go!

(TW: Just some somewhat graphic death threats, choking imagery, and mild blood. Nothing too dark here for this one, because I was more in the mood for something humorous. Also, Maiden getting too into her worldbuilding, even by her standards.)

It was a little embarrassing, in Tenkai's humble opinion, to get so absorbed in their grumbling over misplaced things on the shelves that it took them until the knife at the back of their throat presses in for them to realize it was even there.

They raise their arms up, "Not even gonna bother by the spell card rules?"

"And put myself at a disadvantage? Why would I do that?"

Ah, they recognize that voice. So they've been ambushed by that scoundrel? Well, it was only a matter of time before they got the bright idea to try picking on them. This was gonna be fun.

"Ah, the Black Shitodo has finally decided to threaten me? Remaining a scoundrel I see," Tenkai can't help but smirk as the knife presses a little further into their neck, "Still 'accquaintances' with Saragimaru there?"

"I don't exist." And the snake is here too then. This oughta make their week.

"Shut up and keep watch," Kuroji's attention turns back to Tenkai, "Now Zuifeng, if you don't comply, no amount of danmaku will help against a simple knife. You'll-"

"I'll be nothing but a mere corpse on the floor? Have the snakes been rubbing off on you or something? You can't even be creative in how you're gonna kill me like Orochin usually gets!"

"...?!" Speaking of snakes, that must've got Saragimaru's gears turning. This'll make screwing with these scoundrels extra fun.

"Unlike Yaorochi, you'll find that I prefer much more simple measures of murder. So do you truly want to test me?"

Ouch. And now there's some blood gushing out from where Kuroji pricked them, making their point. They let out a nervous chuckle, "Geez, not gonna even give me the illusion of free choice?"

"You don't have a choice."

They gathered that much. But confirmation is always nice.

Tenkai takes a step forward, not quite sure what direction they wanted them to go in yet, "So what are you guys after this time? Money? Powerful artifacts? My pride?"

"Knowledge, actually," the scoundrel answers with a light hum, "Sources say Azumaterasu has a rare book cataloguing the Senri family line all the way back to the very first priest of Mugenri."

"And by sources you mean some poor village historian you extorted that information out of."

"He didn't even try to fight back. Just gave in begging for his wealth to be spared," Saragimaru grumbles, confirming what they already knew.

Tenkai was even pretty sure they knew who that someone was. Always was a snivelling coward. How anyone could've entrusted him with such important information is beyond them.

But even so...Ooh, this was definitely going to be fun!

They bite down a mischievous grin, "Let me guess, trying to one-up the current priest? I never knew you had any sort of interest in history!"

"I don't," A low growl hisses in their ear, "I simply see the value in learning all I can about this world. The rarer information I know? The more of a bargain it will be, if you know what I mean..."

"And to make that worthless priest they won't shut up about jealous. Or something." They can just hear Saragimaru shrugging.

Tenkai suppresses a loud chuckle at Kuroji's annoyed shout. Oh, make no mistake, it would be awful if they got ahold of it. The untold havoc that scoundrel would wreck simply by having one of the most important pieces of documentation the Senri clan ever entrusted to their family cannot be underestimated. And their superiors would have their head. That too.

But that implies they plan on letting them get ahold of it in the first place.

"Can't let ya pass on that one," they exclaim, trying to sound at least a little worried, "Even if I wanted to, that book is under lock and key. Sorry!"

"Allow me to repeat myself, just this once: You don't have a choice in this."

"Or what? You'd actually slit my throat? I mean, you are a scoundrel, so..."

And there's the knife drawing blood again. Ouch.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Yes I would. So start marching."

Tenkai obeys, legs automatic, "Sheesh! Someone needs to learn better manners!"

"Don't you know manners and this scoundrel don't mix? Not that you would know much more about manners yourself."

Tenkai can only click their tongue at that. Tsurubami would've been proud.

Kuroji drags them deeper into the bowels of the shop. The "Employees Only" scroll on the door was cheerfully ignored, and they were taken in and out of various rooms in less a sinister waltz and more a clueless stumble. They even start making low growls as the charade goes on. They oughta be glad Tenkai was left to their own devices (miraculously) today, otherwise they would be very, very dead right about the second room. Maybe the third if they want to be generous.

Oh, make no mistake, their superiors are gonna be pissed if they find out Kuroji decided to break into Azumaterasu, and at them especially if they find them compromised like this. The aftermath would not be pleasant if they get caught.

But then again... it's been a good while since someone tried to knock those arrogant asses down a peg. So why not give them a little helping hand, by a certain definition?

The dizzying constant shifting of their surroundings only stops when a loud crack rings out, causing both of them to look in its direction.

...Oh darn, the snake knows a thing or two about picking apart barriers. Not much, clearly, as Tenkai can easily bypass that particular barrier without busting it so loudly, but they did know how to destabilize the inscriptions at the very least.

Saragimaru turn to look at them, the blue glow at their fingertips fading away, "...Found it."

And by the grin returning to Kuroji's face, it seems Tenkai's reaction had given it away.

"Oh my oh my Saragimaru, how did you ever know the entrance was right there?"

"The melon took me into this very room when we met the first time. Something about the inscription working best in that room... though they were lying so..."

Saragimaru fixes them with a harsh glare. Tenkai can only give a half-hearted shrug, unapologetic, "So you can remember how to break the barrier like I showed you, but can't keep track of prices. Suits ya pretty well if you ask me~!"

"...! Why I oughta-"

"Put the sword down. We still need them to bypass whatever traps these old farts put in order to gatekeep us."

Saragimaru lets out a loud groan as they sheathe their kodachi, their jaw clenched. Kuroji hums in their ear a moment later, "But don't worry! Once they disable all the traps it should be perfectly alright to take care of them then!"

... Okay, now this is just downright hilarious. Last time they got held at swordpoint, the youkai were all cheerfully talking about dismembering them once they served their purpose. These guys are just being more polite about it!

Needless to say, Tenkai bursted out laughing. As if these two could ever be the death of them! They kept laughing as they were ushered through the library doorway and down the stairs.

It wasn't until their laughter became full blown wheezing that they were asked by their current captor, "...What's so funny?"

"You..." They wipe a tear from their eye, less walking down the steps and more skipping down them, "...You plan to kill me once I've outlived my usefulness. Are you sure you won't consider a career as a comedian?"

Judging by the low hiss, like a little bird trying to sound bigger than it really is, Kuroji was making, they weren't too impressed by their wit. The knife presses into their back, forcing them down two at a time.

"...Huh. I now see why you want to kill them. All this time I thought I was craving bread, not blood."

"I told you they were better off dead!" Their eyes bore into them from behind, "So don't tempt me! I will if I have to, consequences be damned!"

"Bloodthirsty now, I see?" Tenkai snickers, "See what I mean? Utterly hilarious! Seriously, both of you might have a future in comedy!"

"Shut up..." They both mutter in unison. That will probably be the first and last time they ever agree on something, to boot.

Tsurubami would definitely be proud. They've come a long way since...

Their feet touch down on smooth stone. They swallow hard, knowing where they are and what they'll have to do.

"March," Kuroji whispers in their ear. The knife digs into their back, and Tenkai obeys.

Tenkai roams the long corridors of books and scrolls, one foot firmly in front of the other. They knew exactly where the book in question is. Tsurubami had quite a few suggestions for it when they stole that very book the third time they met. Their superiors didn't know it, but they had gleefully heeded their suggestions.

Not that Kuroji knows that. Nor do they intend to let them know and ruin their fun.

Tenkai guided the scoundrels over to the bookcase in question. The one at the very back, the oldest and mustiest.

Oh, and the only one concealed behind a very obvious and visible barrier. Can't forget that part!

"...So what happens if you touch that barrier there?" Saragimaru asks.

"You rapidly age as your future death plays out right before your eyes."

"Even to the ageless...?"

"Then just the vision of your future death," Tenkai smiles as a loud sigh rolls by their ears.

Okay, they've never actually seen what happens when an actual intruder like these two tries to touch that barrier in question before. They do remember only getting a small shock as a kid when curiosity got the better of them though. One of their...more overdramatic caretakers did spin that story to scare them away, so perhaps there's a grain of truth in it?

Not that it really mattered. They aren't hearing any protests from them, that's for sure.

"Well I happen to like being the age I'm at," Kuroji huffs, "So...? Are you going to grab the book or not? Because if you're not, I presume you know-"

"You'll slit my throat and then leave me to bleed out and die. Yadda yadda yadda," Tenkai rolls their eyes, "If you're gonna actually go ahead and kill me, at least do something more fun than a simple knife to the throat."

"Believe me, the possibilities for me killing both of you are endless if I had it my way," Saragimaru deadpans, as if they actually had the power to follow up on that particular threat.

"I'm well aware. You've told me plenty of them already," Kuroji sounds way too chipper when refuting their wayward servant in Tenkai's opinion, "But unless you would rather be the one to try and break that barrier there, I would -"

"I lost the right to share my opinion. Got it," The butt of a wooden pole jabs against Tenkai's back, making them take a step forward, "...Hey melon, if you find a way to throw this scoundrel into that barrier, please do. Preferably at once."

A huff, "Ignore them. Try that and I'll show you 'creative'."

"I make no promises!" Tenkai grins, flexing their fingers, warming up with power, as they strut towards the barrier.

In theory, this barrier, designed to keep important books under lock and key (and far away from the nose of their least favorite apprentice), is one of the sturdiest, most complex constructs second to only the Great Barrier itself. It contains dozens of inscriptions, and many riddles to keep intruders (and certain smart alecks) from easily confusing and breaking it. Few should be able to access it without an elder's say so.

Keyword: should.

In practice, this barrier was merely further proof that their superiors have never actually fashioned a complicated barrier in their lives. Perhaps it was Tenkai's genius getting the better of them, but this barrier was about as complex as the one on their safe box of gag gifts ill fitting for someone like them to hold onto. It does it's job against one who knows jack about breaking barriers, but only serves as a fun puzzle for a professional barrier breaker.

Tenkai just so happened to be one such professional barrier breaker.

The runic inscriptions light up with a quick swipe over the barrier's surface. Glowing orange fingertips scrawl over it, seeking out the vaguest, frailest sentences.

...Found one.

A twisted grin sprung to Tenkai's face as they began to pour all their energy into it. The inscription glowed brighter and brighter, until it was almost blinding. And then, right before this section could crack, disabled, under the pressure, they let up.

They then reach inside the glowing section of barrier, and yank the target book out.

"You insult me," They huff as their handiwork fades, leaving the barrier like it was never touched, "I could break barriers like that in my sleep."

"...All you did was reach through the barrier and make the room smell like melons," Saragimaru pinches their nose, "You less broke the barrier and more bypassed it."

"And alert my bosses that they were being robbed the moment it shatters? You really ought to be thanking me for not blowing your cover!" They let out a small chuckle at Kuroji's low growl, "Breaking barriers is child's play. Now bypassing barriers? That's a completely different skillset! I put in all this hard work for you guys, and you're too greedy to even thank me?"

"The book. Now." Considering the knife now back at their throat, they guessed so. Kuroji is, at least. Saragimaru is more easily manipulated than greedy.

But nevertheless, Tenkai deposited the book into Kuroji's waiting hand, whistling a small tune as they cast their glance at a nearby bookshelf. It immediately vanishes into their electric purple jacket, never to be seen again.

"Thank you. Cooperating wasn't so bad, was it? Less painful," Kuroji's focus turns to Saragimaru, "Now tie up this loose end here. We don't need all of Azumaterasu coming down on our heads, now do we?"

"On your head. This feels a little too easy, knowing Tenkai Zuifeng. Don't you think they got something else up their sleeve? And don't mix me up in the consequences of your own actions!"

"Oh no, they'd definitely come after you too," Tenkai clasps their hands together, doing their best imitation of the grin Tsurubami typically wore when about to discipline troublemakers, "An excuse to go after one of the last remnants of Yamata-no-Orochi's lineage? It would be a crime to let it go to waste! And then both of your families for good measure! ...Just speaking from personal experience here."

They conveniently left out the time they went after Tsurubami once, for the exact same crime by raw coincidence. They were pretty sure Saragimaru and their beloved Yaorochi would be able to keep their hubris unscathed (unfortunately). Now Kuroji? ...A little more debatable. But that scoundrel's upset worse people before and their superiors are all old farts, so who knows?

It did the trick though. Saragimaru's eyes widened a little, "They'd go after Yaorochi-sama?"

"Loose end. Tie it up," Kuroji deadpans, their gaze flitting between Tenkai, Saragimaru, and the room all around them."

"So I can finally kill this obnoxious melon?" Saragimaru's voice lightens notably, a fang nicking their lip as they bite it.

"Tempting, but no. Leaving a body behind is the exact opposite of a clean break-in. You're going to tie their tongue up so they can't say we were here."

They put their naginata back in its sheathe, restrapping it to their back, "Ugh...Why do I always have to cast the curses? You can cast them too. I've seen you do it."

"...Because your curses are more effective, obviously," Kuroji's gaze turns back to Tenkai, nostrils flared.

"Translation: They can't cast magic like you and I can there, Saragimaru," Tenkai jeers, snorting at the death glare Kuroji then gives them.

"I mean, we all know that...I was just wondering why they weren't gearing up to-"

"Shut. Up. Both of you. You've lost the right to speak," They turn their back towards Tenkai, "Now curse them. Then let's get out of here."

"... Yes Your Excellency," Saragimaru grumbles, stepping towards Tenkai. A blue glow, like rainwater, emits from their fingertips, ominously pressing closer and closer to them.

Or at least, it would've been ominous if they haven't been so desensitized to the dark side of magic. Thanks Tsurubami.

"Sheesh, you guys are so mean! Can't take a little joke or-"

The glowing blue hand closes in around their throat, "Shut. Up."

Tenkai suddenly felt like they were choking on something. They tried to laugh through the pain of talons digging into their nape, but every sound they tried to make sounded garbled. A small white cloud puffs from their mouth, like breath on a cold winter day. Saragimaru's teeth gnash together, and soon enough Tenkai's throat felt clogged with them.

They gargle, clouds bursting from their mouth in a rapid stream like bubbles, purging their tongue of what occurred in this library. And then, just like that, it was all over and the magic all dissipated, their windpipe clearing of misplaced weather.

Saragimaru lets go, the glow of their magic fading, and Tenkai's body drops to the floor with a thud, as if they had dropped them. Air flows through their lungs like sand, black spots dancing in the corners of their vision as they watch their tail sway gently from side to side.

"There. If they say anything about our robbery and hostage taking, the heavens shall rob them of the ability to speak the truth. ...Poor thing, I'd feel bad if it wasn't for them being Tenkai Zuifeng..."

"Good enough. We got all that we need, so let's leave them here."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? People are going to know someone was here once they notice your stupid book is missing..."

"But will they be able to tell it was us specifically? Besides, it's not like we can't pin this on Tsubakura when all is said and done. They say the Senri priest has some kind of right to this book, don't they?"

"I thought this whole pointless excursion was to make that dumb priest you are so obsessed with jealous. Blaming them for your crime sounds very counter-intuitive."

"And that's enough out of you. Let's make our exit while this place is still clear of those elders we're supposed to fear."

"...Did I actually curse the right person?"

"Oh you're such a tease! Didn't you know my body can be just as loose as my lips?"

"Ugh..."

Tenkai clamours to their knees, watching the scoundrels march up the stairs, bickering all the way there. Right as they both reached the top, Kuroji whirls around, and tips their hat to them.

Then, the scoundrel and their swordsnake vanish.

Tenkai pushes themself to their feet, coughing up one more cloud as the curse rolls around their throat and onto their tongue, tasting of smog. It was a pretty unpleasant feeling actually, but Tenkai has been under enough of these sorts of curses to know a strong one from a weak one. And if Saragimaru really wanted them to shut up, they'd be coughing up clouds and hail for weeks on end for daring to think of the forbidden object in question.

It would also be much harder to unravel than this, going by the magical handiwork now decorating their throat and along their chin. Though going by their few unpleasant encounters with that scoundrel, that wrench in their plans was well deserved.

Not as good as the one Tenkai threw though. They can't wait to see the look on Kuroji's face when they realize they handed up a rulebook instead of the history book they were actually after.

Tenkai wobbles over to the bookcase off to the side. They pluck a certain book off the shelf, and with a wave of their hand, the barrier vanishes, revealing A Brief History of the Senri Clan in all its musty glory.

(It hasn't been updated since the fifth priest before the current ones. Tsurubami had ranted to them long and hard about that once they finally got their hands on the book.)

Like Tsurubami had suggested a long, long time ago, Tenkai had the book swapped out for a conveniently dense decoy, disguising both with a cloaking barrier as the other. Not even their superiors had figured out the swap, but that won't last much longer once someone finally realizes they're missing a book or two.

Especially not after Kuroji's plan blows up in their face and they inevitably throw caution to the wind over it. Tenkai can just picture their rage now. The way their cheeks puff up and turn red when angered had always made them snicker.

They blow the dust off the cover before tucking it under their arm. Oh, they couldn't wait until their little prank is discovered. People like those two are way more fun to manipulate than some of the other idiots that occasionally try to make use of them. It's going to be great.

But right now...What exactly should they do? Their superiors are going to be pissed either way, even though they have dozens of those bloated rulebooks lying around in here. Should they put this book back and let sleeping dogs lie for a little while? Hm...

Their attention turns to the old forbidden bookcase it should be on. A smirk plays at their lips.

Perhaps the scoundrels can serve one more use to them after all? They may not know it yet, but they've already humiliated their superiors once today with their crime. What's a little more to teach those hags a well overdue lesson?

...Tsurubami would definitely be cackling at what they've done if they were still here. They'll definitely have to tell them about this when they meet again.

[sholven]

Hi! I already asked this question to other people but I just want your opinion on this:

What would the reaction of some Bloodborne bosses (before they turn into monsters) when meeting the Good Hunter, who is a New Game+ that somehow managed (maybe accidentally) went back in time before the event of the game starts? My impression of the Good Hunter is that they're a contracted hunter when they came out of the clinic. Due to social anxiety from not talking to sane people in their last round of killing Flora, the people of Yharnam will end up get the impression of "He's just standing there, menacingly" vibe off of em'. And to top it all off, they're blood quality is so pungent then normal blood saint, its as if they themselves is a great one (if ya wanna go with the squid baby ending then be my guest).

Hope you get well soon <3

HI, I'M SO SORRY I'M JUST NOW GETTING TO THIS, THIS SICKNESS HAS BEEN KICKING MY ASS AND I'M JUST NOW STARTING TO GET COHERENT THOUGHTS 😭😭😭

Looking at some few bosses rq that transform when we see them, I'd have to agree with how you put it! Gascoigne especially would be bewildered as to why the Good Hunter is so reluctant and shocked. Almost as if they'd seen a ghost! We know Gascoigne though revels in the fight while he's still human, so I think he'd eventually have enough of just Staredown: The Game, and initiate the fight himself if he had to.

As for the next one on our list, Amelia, I feel like she'd be more sensitive to the presence of the Good Hunter's blood. If she has the chance to pull herself away from her prayer when approached, all of this plus the hunt and her impending transformation would probably make her even more afraid at that moment. Who is this hunter she's never seen before? Why is their blood something akin to Old Blood and maybe something stronger? And more importantly, why are they staring at her in such as way, almost as if they are as scared as she is at that moment? I think she might also take it as a sign from the Great Ones themselves. Unfortunately, I don't think she will have the time to ponder why...

As for some other bosses throughout the main game, most I think will not have that important of a reaction, but others like Ebrietas, Logarius, and Wet Nurse will definitely take some notice. Mostly the same between them all. Considering the other Great Ones we encounter are stronger than Flora, they could also most likely have knowledge of the events from before and recognize the Good Hunter as well. As for how they'd react to the blood? I'd say either cautious or inquisitive.

As for the DLC... Ludwig is an interesting one, being the opposite of most cases in Bloodborne. He turns from a beast back into a man. I feel like that experience along with being in the Nightmare plus his connection to the Moonlight Greatsword would give him an idea of sensing other powers. He is a very caring individual so I feel like he would take notice of the Good Hunter's reactions and body language in this situation, and might even ask about it. Whether or not he gets an answer, I feel like he would have some suspicions as to what's going on. Maria might be the same, as well

And as for Endgame...

Gehrman catches onto everything the second the Good Hunter sets foot into the Dream workshop (again). He's dealt with enough shit to understand the Hunter has something otherworldly about them in some way. But I also feel like he knows about the reset, being forced to relive imprisonment, and fighting the Good Hunter all over again. If anything, I think he'd react to it all with pure sorrow. (Why can't peepaw ever be happy 😭)

Flora would obviously know. And she would be fucking. Pissed. The Good Hunter's strength with the ascension by just its presence would probably weaken her. She knows they got the better of her before and she is going to make sure it doesn't happen again. One thing I do think though, could some of the power be taken from Flora in the past experience? And if so, does she lack that power still in this current run?

BONUS

Micolash would of course sense everything and might even be aware. Is he gonna do or say anything about it? Fuck no. He's probably going to be the exact same. Might even jump through EVEN MORE mirrors. What good research it would be, to see how much you could annoy a Great One!

[nivq87]

@gloompun

Sorry for all the pings as I try to figure out wtf I wanna do formatting wise.

I’m uncertain what your starting knowledge of it is so forgive me if I’m rehashing stuff you’ve already heard. Discworld is a set of books written by the late Terry Pratchett, and they’re all fantasy (which is more or less relevant depending on the book), comedy, and satire that riffs on a bunch of topics. Reccing a starter book is always a fun and tricky time because if you ask literally any discworld fan for a reading order you’ll get a very long answer and it’ll be different from the next guy because we’re all Very enthusiastic to get people to read it and Very opinionated on the ideal path.

That’s because with one exception (sorta), every book really does just stand on its own? There’s a bunch of mini series that do have continuity, but knowing what happened before is nice but really important because each book deals with what it’s about and he’ll tell you any important context as it comes up. Like I honestly read them first in whatever order I could borrow them from my library and what I found in stores or on amazon (back when they primarily just sold books lol) and that really does just work fine. I’ve got more to say but if you wanted to just stop reading here with my blessing to go crazy go stupid and just read blurbs until something vibes that’s A okay.

That said I would steer clear of the first 2-3 books he wrote for discworld, not because they’re bad (I like them quite a lot!) but because they’re not really representative of what the series becomes. He’s still very noticeably figuring out what he wants to do with this space in the first two, and is more firm on it through the third. By the fourth book, Mort, the foundations of the world are a lot more defined and it starts the voice of the books that carries until the last couple books when his health went on the decline. So like, if come bell or high water you decide to follow him through his process from the beginning because starting in the middle feels too off putting, you Can go for The Colour of Magic which is immediately followed by The Light Fantstic, but just know that the vibes’ll change. But it’s about this wizard named Rincewind who very much wishes things would stop happening to him and the disc’s first ever tourist Twoflower who Loves when things happen so he can take a picture of it and remember it for his memoire. Meanwhile Rincewind is trying his very best to not let them die.

If you wanted to start where I did, you can start with The Wee Free Men which is YA, and since most of them are not, it like, doesn’t have much to do with anything else going on for the first couple books in the Tiffany Aching series. The first book is about the coming of age of Tiffany, who recently decided that she wanted to be a witch because she likes knowing things, and the people in her community somewhat recently killed this old lady for being a witch, but was really probably just old and lonely in her isolation. As she’s making these resolutions a faerie queen steals her younger brother and she takes issue with that, and with the help of some funny little blue men that really like to test the age rating of this book, go on An Adventure to get her brother back.

If you want a lot to chew on afterwords as far as fanfic goes, you can start with the city watch series in Guards! Guards! and follow Samuel Vimes on his road to recovery from his alcoholism as he tries to live up to his ideals of what a watchman should be and oh gosh oh fuck oh beans why the hell is a dragon here burning shit? Better consult an expert, except that expert is a lady who breeds dragons but those dragons are a sneeze a way from a messy alchemical explosion and the group of ladies whose hyperfixation this is are like if quilting groups were horse breeders. I’m sure this won’t be relevant. Tumblr girlies love love love shipping vimes so if fan content is something you want to be sure of, this is a good pick. The city watch books also happen to be my personal favorites.

Speaking of tumblr girlies, everyone seems to be big into Monstrous Regiment again? Very fun one off (not part of a series) about Polly who is trying to recover her brother who went off to war, and basically mulans it to figure out where he is if he’s still alive. Except whoops! The new recruits she’s trying to fake it amongst are Also women who joined up for one reason or another. There’s a lot of queer and trans vibes here honestly which is pretty cool for something that was published in 2003. (Although not what I would argue is the first, that one is in the city watch books and I’ll expand if you want.

If the Tiffany books seemed interesting but you’re not in the mood for YA, then the witches series is like that but more mature, where Wyrd Sisters is a comedic riffing of hamlet and macbeth. (Technically the second book in the witches series, but the first is Equal Rites and is pratchetts third book that I mentioned is somewhat tonally different from everything else.)

In a similar vein if Rincewind trying to survive sounded fun, but you’re deciding to not start at the Very beginning like most advise, then Sourcery is the third book in the Rincewind series, someone too OP to exist hits the scene like a brick in a sock to the face… and Rincewind copes by… running away. Except there’s problems literally everywhere? Maybe more running will save him?

There’s more than 40 books, and that’s some starting points, but if you wanna click around and maybe get spoilers if you scroll too far, there’s also the wiki (which isn’t fandom blessedly) most of these have lil blurbs on em and quite a few have plot synopsis so if that’s territory you’re willing to tread here’s Literally Everything lmao. The only things on here I haven’t read at least once are The Science of Discworld mini series, so if there’s anything you want further opinions on feel free to dm me or something.

https://wiki.lspace.org/Bibliography