#of making them experience the game to give that to them

[fangirl-overload13]

I have personal experience with this too, though in regards to family and not a relationship.

The house I lived in with my cousin that by the end of it I was paying for everything even though she was the primary on the lease; we had tried to share the space equally because we're both adults and have very similar interests so things could share a space no problem!

Except I had more belongings that I had accumulated over the years like books, games, movies, electronics, art supplies. Everything had a space, there were dedicated shelves and cabinets filled with my belongings. Meanwhile she had gotten rid of most of her stuff when she moved deciding to build up over time later on.

At one point she decided that I had too much stuff and started taking, giving away, or trying to trow out my belongings. At one point she removed all of my books from the living room, I'm talking several bookshelves full, over 700 books. And piled all of them in my room on my bed while I was at work.

That was the final straw, so I packed up everything and moved out.

Your space should never have to be limited just because someone doesn't agree with how you fill it.

You shouldn't have to get rid of everything you care about because it's not important to the person you share space with.

You have every right to keep the things that make you happy even if they don't fit someone else's vision of a space.

Compromising is fine, but it's not Compromising if one of you has to sacrifice everything to please the other.

I’ve seen this new trend of girls posting videos like “I hate my boyfriend for bringing all of his stupid boy things into our apartment when we moved in together 🙄” and then pictures of his hot wheels collection or a Halloween skeleton or an extremely cool pirate flag. Give him to me you do not deserve him.

[bonus-links]

Is there a reason why the links are all in different states of age/post-canon? (Wake being 20, much older than in-game, Mask only being 15, and Mage being 32, very much different from his canon)

I mean, 99% of this au is a departure from canon 😂

It was mostly just up to what I wanted their role in the story/group dynamic to be. To use the ones you mentioned as an example, I wanted OOT Link to be a teen still sorting through the baggage of all his time travel nonsense, while ALTTP Link is the oldest with the most experience under his belt, but not necessarily suited for a leadership role because of it. I liked the idea of an older WW Link who was still technically one of the younger ones across the board, but with the sort of personality that immediately makes him take charge of the group anyway.

Everyone is also plucked out of their state of post-canon at different times, which gives them different degrees of separation from their quest and how it affected them. Which gives me more leverage for certain character interactions. and also my time travel lore is wibbly at best 😂

[remstrrs]

Stranger Things VR and How it Portrays Byler/Elmax VS Milven

I wanted to make this post bc I haven't seen the ST VR game discussed on here much at all, especially in terms of it's Byler/Elmax content, and I think some people weren't even aware of it's existence!

In short, the game consists of nine chapters which switch through different time periods from 1979 to 1986, and contain the perspectives of multiple characters, including Henry/001/Vecna (mainly), Will, Billy, and El. The chapters all focus on how Vecna is influencing the characters or vice versa.

Although all of the chapters have very interesting lore woven into them, in this post im going to focus in on chapters 3 and 4 (which are more Will centric) and chapter 9 (which is El centric).

Chapter 3: The Possession of Will Byers

Chapter three opens with us as Will in November of 1984 while he slowly becomes possessed by Vecna. Vecna begins tormenting him in his mind, which prompts Will to attempt to focus on a good memory. He ends up at Castle Byers with Mike.

Mike talks to Will for a couple moments, but soon, Will's mind goes back into Upside Down hallucinations.

The player cycles through multiple hallucinations in which Vecna taunts Will and tells him his friends see him as a freak, while also tormenting him with visions of the demogorgon. This continues until Vecna tells him that he'll show Will "how miserable he really is"

We then cut to another memory/hallucination (it's slightly unclear, and i believe that's the point) where Mike tells Will that El is "different from anyone" Mike's ever met, and tells Will he wouldn't get it because he's never liked anyone. Then, we get this heartbreaking dialogue that lowkey makes me want to cry (all lines are Vecna speaking to Will):

Obviously, Will's feelings towards Mike are already canonical, but this gives us even more confirmation that these feelings root back all the way to at least mid-season 2. Also, we do get more of a look into Will's POV on El before he met her, which is a little bit upsetting :(

Then, Vecna taunts Will more by telling him that he understands him the most out of everyone, and we cut to Ch4.

Chapter 4: The Spy

Chapter 4 also takes place in November of 1984, but it's main premise is Vecna attempting to take hold of each of the party members' minds by taunting them with their fears.

He fails in taking hold of Dustin, Lucas, and Mike's minds, as they have been made too strong by the events of season one, but manages to weaken Will's mind enough to be let in.

I'd like to point out, though, that the main fear Mike is taunted with is losing El, and never knowing what "could've been" between them-

But when Vecna breaks into Will's mind, he specifically asks him what Mike is afraid of. It's as if he doesn't know because taunting him about his relationship with El couldn't reach him. Keep in mind that he also failed to break into Lucas and Dustin's minds, but it was only Mike's fears that he asks Will about.

Shortly after, Will's nose starts bleeding and Mike immediately notices and uses Nancy's shirt (lmao) to go up to him and stop the bleeding.

At this point, we reenter Will's mind, where Vecna is throwing all sorts of taunts at him, and telling him that his friends have outgrown him, and that "he'll finally matter to someone" (i assume this is referring to him potentially joining Vecna, but it's an interesting detail). However, Will is able to break free of Vecna's control by paying attention to Mike, who is tending to his bloody nose and taking care of him.

I do believe that it means something that a lot of post s4 content focuses in on Will's relationship with Mike, and, knowing that Will could experience possession in season 5, it sets up an interesting dynamic by giving us even more examples of Mike being the only one able to get through to Will.

Now, you might be asking, "well, Will's chapters are very focused on his relationship with Mike in particular, so El's probably is as well, right?"

Well, you'd be wrong!

Chapter 9: The Resurrection of Mad Max

Firstly, i want to start of by saying that while chapter 8 is also El POV, it only covers her origins with 001, and covers already mostly known info, so I decided to focus in more on chapter 9 instead.

Ch9 takes place in March of 1986, and we open immediately with the scene in which Max gets put into her coma. Vecna speaks to El and blames her for this, but El tells him that she won't let him take Max.

We then get an expansion of the S4 scene where El goes into Max's mind, cycling through different memories there while Vecna continues to taunt her.

In this sequence, one of the most interesting lines in my opinion is this one:

"You chose her"

Here, we get more evidence that Max is El's most important relationship. Max is El's person.

Throughout both El-centric chapters, Mike is mentioned only a couple times in passing.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, is an almost perfect parallel to Mike's speech to El, but this time it's from Max:

Max brings up the first time her and El met, just like Mike did in his speech. However, while Mike blatantly lies and tells El it was love at first sight, Max is honest. Even though their first meeting wasn't pleasant, she recalls it truthfully.

Then, we get this parallel, which I think is insane:

In Mike's speech, he tells El that she's his superhero, which is one of their main points of argument earlier in the season- El doesn't want to always be the superhero, she doesn't want to be placed on a pedestal, but Mike doesn't quite understand that. Max, however, tells El that she likes her just as herself - that she's human, and doesn't constantly have to fit that role that she's been put into.

Max knows exactly what El needs to hear, and their bond is more important to El than her bond with Mike, which is why Mike is not a key character in her story in this game (and wont be in s5). Will needs Mike, and it's Mike's care for him that pulls Will out of his visions and nightmares - which is why Mike is a part of Will's storyline in s5 (and will be in s5).

Max is El's person, and Mike is Will's person. Ty.

[k1mbe3rly]

Hey queen you should totally do myung gi nsfw alphabet if you haven’t already also ur funny 😜😜

Myung gi NSFW alphabet

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

he becomes very caring and very gentle, he cleans you off and if your able to move than he’ll help you shower

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

his favorite body part about you is your neck, he loves to nuzzle his head into there and inhale your scene, and leave hickeys all over it as well

his favorite body part about himself is probably his fingers just because he fingers you reallyyy good, and his fingers are long

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

He doesn’t care where he cums just as long as he does, if you let him cum inside even better but sometimes he loves to see his ropes of cum land on your ass

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

A dirty secret about him is wanting to try pegging

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

He’s experienced, obviously since he used to date Jun hee, but over all he knows what he’s doing

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

His favorite position is definitely doggy style, he loves to see the way his hips crash into your ass and the way it just moves as well

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He does get nervous and says a joke or tries to make things funny but the moment he’s inside you he’s done for, he gets serious

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He shaves but not often

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

He’s very into the moment and if he going rough and sees your struggling to handle it he’ll stroke your hair a bit

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

He jacks off, not often but reasonable times

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

He doesn’t have any, he just likes degrading and praising

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Anywhere in the house

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

You in general, or when he sees you laying there after he got done screaming about crypto to his computer

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

anything that would hurt you extreme

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He mainly eats you out often at least everytime before yall fuck but he does really love when you suck him off

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Kinda depends on his mood, if he’s mad than rough, if he’s not really like feeling anything just horny than it’s a mix, he’ll go rough than gentle than rough

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

He does do quickies and not that often but mainly when yall are in public and he gets jealous

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

He gets really nervous about it and does try to keep you down, but if he really wants it he doesn’t gaf, he just wants to be inside of you

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

at most 3-4 rounds

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

no toys

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

he does tease every now and than but not often

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

if he top than just groans and growls, but if he’s bottom than he does whine out, whimpers and low moans

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

he’s most likely to order a strap on

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

I’ll say about 6 inches at most, 6.5 when he’s hard

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

it’s medium wage, but there is times where he can go on and on and on

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards

not long after he finished taking care of you and making sure your okay, but if you don’t fall asleep nethier does he

[rowansender]

Unfortunately, the reality is that most people who play ttrpgs aren’t actually that into it as a system or medium. They likely are looking to get something else out of their experience: social interaction, free form make-pretend, OC generator, and a million other reasons to be attracted to the rpg space. I think ultimately this variety is probably a net positive, but it does cause a major issue.

Without the labor of understanding and running systems, the rest of it can’t exist. Even GMless games need at least one person to understand what’s going on. I’m going to call them gms for the sake of clarity, but someone with this interest could also be a player.

So there’s all of these pillars scattered around the space, but they are mostly there for balance while the bulk of the weight is carried by the central gm pillar. Not to glorify this position too much, but again, if they don’t exist the game doesn’t happen and the artists don’t have things to draw, and the role players don’t have unique heartfelt moments. This puts a huge amount of pressure on one slice of the potential players that could exist in the space. They have to not only master the system to such a degree that they can make up for other peoples lack of interest, but more often than not, organize play, create an environment where other players interests can be fulfilled, all the while trying to pitch ideas that they actually want.

In turn, this also compresses the gm segment further. I don’t think I’ve met a gm that doesn’t have at least one game that they want to run “if only I could find someone was up for learning lancer” or any other game. Even if they only run dnd because it’s the easier sell for people, they want to do something else and unfortunately the only people interested are other gms, an already small segment of players.

I’ve often thought that the solution is actually to give up the conceit that any of this is a game and create a space where people can just play make pretend without any bounds or rule beyond what the group consensus decides is possible. I think that this may actually appeal to more people, but it’s such a hard sell if you’re trying to pitch it to people.

D&D 5e supposedly has a GM shortage and idk maybe if the player culture of the game didn't treat GMing as a thankless job and the rules of the game as an issue to be fixed by the GM maybe things would be better. Ah well, who knows. Maybe a couple hundred more "we ruined the GM's campaign on purpose" memes will make people enjoy running the game better.

[insidekatmind]

Nsfw alphabet -Alejandro balde

Wearning: +18,smut

Request: yes!

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Alejandro is so sweet: He will shower you with kisses and caresses and will become very clingy.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Alejandro loves your ass and your tits, in fact he can't help but admire your body especially when you wear something tight.But above all, him love your smile and your beautiful eyes, love getting lost in your eyes.

Alejandro loves his muscular and athletic body and loves his hair, he is very obsessed with his hair and above all he loves when you pull it or caress it.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

He likes to come inside you and all your body.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He would love to fuck you in his locker room.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

He has enough experience to give you pleasure. It was his first time and little by little he learned your body and knows very well what you like and what you don't like.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

He loves when you straddle him on top, watching you try to ride his big cock and loving seeing your tits bouncing and your expressions. Alejandro also likes the missionary position, especially when you make love and looking into your eyes without ever taking his eyes off you.

J = Jack off (handjob headcanon)

He doesn’t do it often since you started having sex

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Loves dirty words and especially loves when you praise him saying that it is making you feel good. He loves it when you warm up his cock after a long day of training.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

He loves you so much that anything excites him.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Anything that could actually hurt you

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He loves you so much that anything excites him.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Alejandro is both he can be fast and rough but at the same time sweet and sensual, it all depends on his mood.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

He loves quickies especially before training or before a match.

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

He loves the risk, it excites him even more especially because you don't know how to keep your moans silent.

S= Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Being an athlete he has a lot of stamina

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

He likes to groan and grunt especially when you give him a blow job

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

It's long and big. When you first saw it you were worried because you didn't know if you could catch it.

His cock gives you a lot of pleasure.

[rewiringtoheal]

To Exist Here With You

Alpha!PeggyNat x Omega!Reader

Summary: Your Alpha's risk their lives everyday to protect you from the horrors that plague humanity. They are not prepared in the slightest for the moment you decide to do the same for them.

words: 2, 444

Warning: canon typical violence, gunshot wound, Talks of blood, emotional conversations, angst.

Chaos. You were surrounded by pure chaos. Detecting the hydra infiltration earlier this week was a piece of cake compared to this. You are a high clearance tech analyst within Shield and have bare minimum field experience. Right now, you wish you had listened to your Alphas when they tried to get you to train with them. You were naive thinking Black Widow and Captain Carter would always be around to protect you. Never stopping to realize that maybe one day they would be the ones that need protecting. You’re hiding in plain sight behind a clothing line watching your love's battle for their lives. 

Peggy is getting pummeled around by the hydra stomper. It makes your stomach churn with fear. You know she’s giving it her all. If there is any way she can save you and Natasha she’s going to take it. Even if it’s at the expense of her own life. The absolute idiot. Meanwhile, Natasha is valiantly taking on the Iron Maiden, knowing full well that if the Red Room gets their hands on the three of you, it’s game over.  She’s tired and slowing down after fighting through waves of other black widows beforehand. They both are reaching their limits. God, why did you have to mate with such self-sacrificing Alphas? There has to be something you can do. 

Your inner Omega keeps screaming for you to save them from their fates. Protect them. You can’t lose your mates. It’s too painful. You must save them. The odds of not getting captured are high with the red room scanning for living beings within their nuclear village but you can’t stay here anymore. Looking between both battles you see that Peggy and the hydra stomper seem to have come to a stalemate during your inner contemplation. She may be trying to convince Steve who he really is and with any luck hopefully she will be able to break through to him. Your decision made on where to go you finesse your way closer to where Natasha is battling the Iron Maiden. You’ve never seen her get thrown around like this. It’s terrifying to watch.

The way to protect Natasha becomes abundantly clear within a few seconds. You know they are going to be furious with you if you somehow survive this but if they are willing to lay their lives down for you. Why can’t you do the same for them? The Iron Maiden has Natasha on the ground with a heel stepping purposefully on her throat. A gun aimed point blank. You react without thinking, lunging towards her with speed you didn’t know you possessed, tackling her to the ground. You hear the sound of the gunshot going off from beneath you but nothing compares to the feeling of the bullet piercing your abdomen. Time feels like it’s moving in slow motion as your body grows taut from the pain. You’re not quite sure what happens after that. All you can focus on is the warmth of the blood seeping out of your body as it pours onto the ground around you. You hear your Alpha’s howling in grief and the swish of Peggy’s shield. It is truly a mystery to you how you end up cradled in Natasha’s arms. She keeps telling you to stay with them. The look of despair in her eyes makes you want to, but you're so tired. Peggy’s trying her hardest to keep pressure on the wound. It seems to be in vain. You don’t want her to blame herself but the heart broken look she’s shooting you tells you all you need to know.

“Darling, please hang on. The quinjet is almost here.” Peggy pleads. 

You want to stay more than anything. To live a lifetime with them is your dream but you're growing so cold. Your eyelids are so heavy. You no longer have the strength to hold them open. As you start to fade away you can’t help but think how thankful you are that the last thing you will see on this earth are the beautiful faces of your mates. 

“No, Detka. Keep your eyes open for me, please.” Natasha cries.

You really wish you could.

xXx

You know something awful happened to you. You just aren’t sure what it is. You can’t seem to open your eyes no matter what you do. Every minute of the day is spent in darkness. You can hear the sounds of steady beeping and muffled voices. You can feel a weight resting in your right hand. You can even smell the most exquisite aroma and feel soft lips press against your forehead. 

On some days, the muffled voices turn into only one voice. This voice pleads with you to wake up. You wish you could more than anything. If not to figure out what’s going on then to bring comfort to this person. Everytime it happens the person seems to grow more and more desperate for you to come too. 

You’re not sure how long this cycle has been repeating. It could be days, a month, or even a year. Truthfully you’re not even sure if you are alive anymore. It feels like you are just continuously drifting through a never ending limbo. Is this person you so desperately want to comfort even real? Are you even real anymore?

All these questions float around your sluggish brain until one day something feels different. Someone is coaxing you back to this world. You can feel your mind getting sharper and becoming more aware. You can feel yourself reconnecting with your body and you feel a dull ache in your abdomen. A bright light looms over your eyes. And for the first time in a long time your eyes flutter open. And everything rushes back to you. The memories of the Iron Maiden pulling out a gun and aiming it directly at Natasha. The piercing pain after intercepting it and the howls of grief stricken Alphas echoing around you.

You are brought back to the present moment by a woman's voice. You look around seeing the familiar face of Dr. Cho in pink scrubs.

“Miss Y/L, I hope you remember me. It’s Dr. Cho, sweetie. You were in a very serious accident and have been in a medically induced coma for the last three weeks. Your body needed time to heal from the bullet wound and the amount of blood loss you suffered. Don’t try to speak, we haven't taken your breathing tube out yet.” Dr. Cho said soothingly. 

Before you can fully take in what she has said. You feel the weight in your hand give a tight squeeze. You move your eyes to the right and see a very disheveled Natasha Romanoff. She looks like she hasn’t slept for days; dark black bags are underneath her eyes. Her hair is in a messy bun and she's wearing one of your old MIT sweatshirts. What really rocks you to your core though is the lingering look of devastation mixed with hope in those beautiful green orbs. It breaks your heart. The person pleading with you to wake up was Natasha. And you’re not sure how to process that. Your mate has always been soft for you but the stoic Alpha displaying her emotions so openly is jarring. 

Your eyes flick around the room in search of your other mate. Until they land on the familiar regal silhouette of your Alpha staring at you through the room window, tears cascading down Peggy’s cheekbones. The longing in her gaze is undeniable. You wonder why she's so far away from you before returning your gaze to Natasha. As you lay there staring at her you can see the devastation and hope quickly turn into panic.

“Is this normal? She doesn’t seem to know what’s going on? What if she didn’t get enough oxygen to her brain when she was down?” Natasha’s voice was coated with worry.

“She is stable right now and coming out of a coma, Nat.  It’s normal for her to be a little out of it. There is nothing to worry about yet. I will tell you if that changes.” Dr. Cho reassured her.

Natasha didn’t look convinced in the slightest. And knowing her as well as you do, you knew she was ramping up for a fight, so you mustered up all the energy you had in you. And you squeezed her hand. Natasha’s eyes snap to yours; fresh tears spring to those emerald eyes you love so much.

“Y/n?” she whimpered. 

xXx

The past few weeks have been quite the journey. Recovering from a fatal bullet wound is no joke. The pain and anxiety that has come with it has been overwhelming. You wouldn’t have been able to get through it without your Alpha’s. They have been the most supportive partners while you heal. That being said, as Dr. Cho examines you for the last time before you’re released from the med bay; you can’t help but stare at the pacing Alpha’s through the window. Their behavior as of late is concerning you. Natasha can barely have you out of her sight while Peggy is always here to support you but she’s grown distant. It’s understandable. It really is but it’s terrifying you. 

“Well Miss. Y/L, your healing has exceeded expectations. You’re going to need to take it easy for a while but you will be out of here in no time.” Dr. Cho moves to gently rest her hand on your shoulder. Giving it a comforting squeeze. “I know you're scared right now but they are dealing with what happened to you in their own way. Believe it or not they are in far better shape then they were when you were brought in.”

“I can’t imagine they were any better than I am when one of them ends up here. I never wanted them to feel that pain but I did what I had to do to protect them.” You shrug helpless and full of sorrow. 

Dr. Cho gives you a soft smile. “I get it. Trust me. They just aren't used to being on this side of things. They are always the heroes that end up waking up from injuries, not the loved ones that worry over said injuries.” She chuckles a little. “And those Alpha’s of yours are always so quick to blame themselves.”

“I know…I don’t know what to do.” You whisper.

“You talk to them, sweetie. Now, it’s about time we let those two back in here so you three can get on home.”

xXx

Your Alpha’s fluff the pillows and cushions your nest is made out of. Before tucking you in with blankets they’ve scented to bring you comfort. The relief you feel surrounded by their scent is instant. Your scattered mind clears and your sore abdomen finds solace in the warmth. 

Peggy kneels beside you, caressing your cheek. “Do you need anything else, love?”

“We can get you more blankets or a couple of our hoodies if you’re not comfy enough, Detka.” Natasha snuggles into your unoccupied side, gently rubbing her nose over your scent gland. 

You allow yourself to bask in their presence for a few seconds, pulling Peggy down to lay with you as well. The familiar essence of cinnamon clove and lavender grow stronger as you cuddle them.

“I’m as comfortable and as happy as I could ever be here with you guys. The only thing I need is for the two of you to start talking to me about what happened. Natasha can barely stand to have me out of her sight and Peggy is here physically…but emotionally not so much.” 

The arms wrapped around you squeeze you just a tad bit tighter. You watch Peggy’s brows furrow and her deep, chocolate brown eyes fill with guilt. You feel wet tears sliding down your neck where Natasha clings to you. 

“Darling, I didn’t mean to neglect you in this way. I couldn’t bare to see you in that hospital bed,  looking so pale and fragile. It broke me. I’m so sorry, I haven't been handling this well.” Peggy pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing. “You have to understand how difficult this is for us. When I heard that shot ring out and saw you laying there. I couldn’t..” 

The sob she releases breaks your hearts. “Peggy, I do understand, I promise. We all deal with pain in a different way. The terror I feel everytime I get a call about you or Natasha being injured is unbearable but I always talk to you guys about it. You can’t lock your feelings away, sweetheart.”

“I know…I think I’ve been trying to avoid facing this. We watched our Omega almost bleed out. It was harrowing. There was nothing Nat or I could do but apply pressure to your wound while watching you drift away.” she croaks, her teary eyes searching yours. “I’ve lost so many people in my lifetime but losing you or Nat…I wouldn’t survive it.”

You hesitate, struggling to find the right words. “And I wouldn’t survive losing either of you. The Iron Maiden would have shot Natty.  I couldn’t let that happen.” Your eyes well up with tears, pleading with them. “I’m sorry for the pain it caused you both but I will not apologize for saving her.”

Peggy inhales shakily. “You didn’t tell me that, Nat.” she reaches for her with heart broken eyes. “I almost lost you both.”

A choked sob escapes Natasha’s lips, as she burrows further into you. “Our Omega shouldn’t have had to save me. I should have been stronger…Everytime I close my eyes I see it. The endless pool of red that spilled out of her, the paleness of her skin and the way the light left her eyes. It was supposed to be me.” she said, voice thick with despair. �� 

“Oh baby, no. Don’t you dare say that. I survived what happened. I’m here with you both. If it had been you. We would have lost you. The Iron Maiden was aimed right at your-” you can’t even finish the sentence, so overcome with anguish. 

Trembles overtake the three of you as you lay clutching onto one another. Your Alpha’s openly weeping onto your collarbone, as you drag their hands together, intertwining them over your heart.

“See, my brave, strong, fearless Alpha’s. I’m here, feel the pounding of my heart underneath your hands. And the pulse of each other in your palms.”

“I love you so much, my darlings.” Peggy mewls.

“I love you two more than anything.” Natasha whispers.

“I love you too, my precious Alphas.”

[scientificwitchry]

Explaining & Exploring Caleb's Behavior in Homecoming Wings

This contains spoilers for what happened in Caleb's Homecoming Wings main story update, especially Night Unending so I'd suggest finishing reading it before reading this because this is just me talking about Homecoming Wings.

Before I begin, if you dislike Caleb that is completely your right. If Caleb upsets you that is completely fine. Additionally, this also isn't a justification because let's be real even though as far as yandere's go I don't personally find him that intense he was acting pretty crazy in his main story. Also wanna add that nobody owes Caleb like understanding of his character at all if it's that bad for you. This isn't being written with the intention to change minds or that you have to suddenly like Caleb cause of it. I'm just really obsessed with this man.

I mainly just wanna add more nuance to the topic of Caleb a bit? Because while he is and was certainly unhinged I don't like the idea of people labeling his behavior as him doing crazy stuff just for crazy sake or purely because he's a red flag. Because to reiterate he is def a red flag and more than a bit unhinged but he isn't ONLY that and I don't believe his behavior is based solely on being that but a myriad of things.

For instance, the most problematic and controversial moment in the main story is when Caleb gives MC medicine which results in her soon after noting drowsiness. Many people are of the opinion that Caleb purposely drugged MC, some think it was an act especially ill-intentioned. I personally believe it was not as malicious as it came off considering MC was indeed sick and the cold medicine she took helped. But it's also implied that Caleb gave her the medicine knowing that it would make her drowsy. Anyway, I'm not going to debate whether it's right or not.

Rather, I am more interested in the reasoning. That reasoning is simply that Skyhaven is highly dangerous. Throughout the main story, I can think of at least two incidents in which MC finds herself in danger. The first is with Viper who in the story attacks MC. While MC obviously manages to at least fend off Viper she still struggles and it ends up being Caleb who saves her.

This of course makes sense to me because MC is first and foremost a hunter. She's trained to fight wanderers, not what sounds to be experiments meant to serve as weapons considering Viper is either quite obviously a cyborg or made to some extent of machine.

The second is when MC manages to chip and track Caleb and follows him to the Farspace Fleets clean-up. Which MC finds out is actually them getting rid of ridhuman-turned-wanderers (from what is implied to be unethical experiments). She gets attacked by a bunch of wanderers, injuring her knee but is yet again saved by Caleb.

What I mean to say isn't that MC is somehow defenseless but rather she is completely out of her depths with Skyhaven. It's not a lawless land like the N109 zone rather it is a strict place to the point it exudes almost a sort of oppressive feeling. Crazy, messed up stuffis clearly going on there that MC has only begun to unravel, and will perhaps never truly grasp. Of course, this is not her fault as Caleb is stubbornly insistent on being secretive and won't tell her. Though the "won't" is closer to a can't (due to circumstances even we the players have yet to be fully aware of other than what the game seems to imply).

Where I'm going with this is not only is Skyhaven much more dangerous than N109 zone but on top of that realistically speaking compared to Sylus, Caleb is pretty much powerless. His role is that of a pawn and he has much power as is desired of his role. Sure he can order and boss people around as Colonel but what good is any of that when he lacks the true power needed to protect MC?

It's already clear that the professor that Caleb is implied to have made a deal with in order to protect MC has his sights set on her. Even more by how Kevi who was "saved" by the Farspace Fleet ended up becoming a part of this professor's "family" suspiciously including Viper and a seemingly present Caleb it seems that the Farspace Fleet and this professor is connected. I don't think it would be a stretch to presume based off of this that it's all connected to the Ever MC is looking into.

Considering all of this, what can Caleb, a pawn meant to be eventually cast aside for a better piece do to protect MC when his power is so limited? The answer is, of course, to hide her. Which is why on several occasions in the story he restricts her movement (by locking her up). He obstructs her goals on several occasions not because he's a red flag but rather because he knows every goal she intends to complete will put her under the radar of the exact people who will hurt her, and who he wants her hidden from.

Which is why he even gives her that cold medicine likely knowing it'll make her drowsy because if MC was actually successful in her attempts in rescuing Kevi from the fleet's grasp (and by extension the professor's and possibly Ever's) then she would be put be in deep waters. Everything Caleb does is so seemingly in order to protect MC even if it means being in misery and pain, even if it means upsetting MC, even if it means the only person in this world he cares about ends up despising him. To Caleb, none of that matters if she's safe.

However, Caleb is completely powerless, defenseless, and weak under the authoritarian (and so far mysterious) system of Skyhaven so his only option is to play the villain to keep her safe as otherwise means to let her get hurt.

Because of all this, I even personally believe that Caleb is more overprotective than he is possessive. It's just that it wraps back around to being possessive. It's a lot more than just him loving her, than him wanting her to be his but that he believes that despite his powerlessness that he is the only one who can protect MC. That the only way MC can be safe is with him. This is purely because Caleb has been playing the role of MC's protector, her shining knight in armor for so long that it's deeply entrenched in his identity. He cannot imagine himself living life as anything but someone who protects MC. In fact, I'm of the opinion he believes his only purpose is to protect MC and keep her safe. The only thing that keeps Caleb alive and somewhat sane is this role he clings to desperately. Not because that is what he is but rather it and MC is all he has left. Without it, he is nothing. So perhaps, in this regard despite how much Caleb tries to convince MC, it is he who needs her the most rather than vice versa.

MC can survive without being his princess just fine. Rather, MC even doesn't have the slightest desire to play the princess role Caleb seems to want her to. Her consistently communicating to Caleb the sentiment of "I don't need you" is exactly that. It's not just her refusal to play the role of a princess, not just her denial of Caleb's role as a protector but a rejection of him entirely because even as MC's gege he has only existed as a protector to her. She might as well have just told Caleb "I hate you" which is why I believe after hearing it he almost always seems to snap. He doesn't see it as an assertion of MC's independence (which I personally do) but as MC wholly, entirely rejecting him. Since what even is his purpose if he can't protect MC? What's his purpose if she doesn't need him like he's always needed her? What's the point of having lived and suffered all the way up until now if MC doesn't need his protection?

I feel like a lot of his behavior in Homecoming Wings, especially in Night Unending can be explained simply by this. Caleb's only role, his only purpose is to keep MC safe. Even in the nearing end of Captive Bird where his snapping is less about his role as protector and more about his deep feelings towards MC and his role as her family and MCs albeit understandable insistence on imposing it, he still clings to that role of protector. He still obsessively talks about protecting her, about keeping her safe because again, that is the only purpose and role Caleb has known his entire life so that role is as connected to his feelings as anything else. Ironically enough, despite him resenting the role of being MCs gege he still retains an identity of it.

[vee-art-zone]

#14 - What if Minecraft had Yaks?

As I talked about in a previous post, Snowy Plains biomes have been often overlooked and are exceedingly lackluster with cool things in them. Now, much like how every Desert Village has a unique Camel mob, every Snowy village has... the Yak.

Yaks are, in many ways, the ultimate farm animal - they provide access to beef, leather, and over time will shed Yak Hair, and 2 Yak Hair can be combined into 1 White Wool. While they cannot be sheared like Sheep, making them a less reliable source of wool, it is nonetheless what you have to go off of in a snowy biome.

Yaks can also be ridden, although they may try to buck you off at first. Over time, however, they will settle down like Horses and allow you to ride them. While slower than Horses, they are able to plow away Powder Snow no problem, and can carry chests on their back - first Cows, then Sheep, and now Donkeys? The Yak can truly do it all.

Yaks can be bred with Hay Bales, although there's only 1 Yak per village, so you'll need to find 2, bring them over, and start a wheat farm in the tundra to start breeding them. Rest assured though, they make just as good of a food source Alive as they do when Dead.

Yak's Milk is its own item compared to regular ol' cow or goat milk, and in addition to clearing effects, it restores 3 hunger points and has the best saturation in the game - an early-game Golden Carrot and all it costs you is a bucket and a Yak! No wonder the villagers were able to subsist on the Yak in the wastes of the tundra. However, like Milk, it is not stackable, making it not very feasible as a permanent food source in the endgame.

However, there's another use for Yak's Milk...

Smelting Yak's Milk in a furnace gives you a block of Yak Butter. While inedible (I guess the player is lactose intolerant :P), between its dyed variants and its variety of stair/slab/wall versions, you could makee a variety of beautiful Butter Sculptures just like the ones seen here (only yknow. blocky)

All in all, a VERY useful mob for the Tundra. While hard to farm like a traditional farm animal, the Yak definitely adds something unique to Snowy Villages and makes living in the snowy plains biome... a unique experience.

[goatskickin]

Hi! I know you have played TS2 for ages. Have you ever had a phase where you've gotten tired of it/felt like you have gotten everything it has to offer out of it? Sorry for my not-so-perfect English but I hope you understand what I mean!

Hi! What a fab question.

Also, your English is perfect! :) While I have been playing TS2 'for ages', there was a large chunk of time where I didn't play TS2 at all. This was from about 2015 - 2019.

The reason why I was not playing is not because I was sick of the game. It was twofold: 1) my outdated student laptop could not handle TS2 at all. And I was graduating college, so I had far less time for a time consuming game like TS2. 2) in this time period, I needed to learn how to Be A Person In the World. My mental and physical health went wildly unmedicated. I went to therapy twice. I got my heart broken. I got fired, made lots friends, I was a reckless self-destructive idiot, and I learned how to fix bicycles. I worked 4 jobs at once in an attempt to Not Feel One Single Thing At All. I was so broke that my card got declined at the grocery store because I didn't even have $50.

But I missed TS2! And I really missed creating! I think every person needs a creative outlet to feel like they are living full life.

So in 2020, when my life was much more stable, I bought myself a nicer computer. And I committed to making this ancient and weird game work for me.

I wanted to learn how to mesh clothes, so I did. I knew how to retexture hair, so I did that a lot! I wanted to experiment with CC free lot building, so I did that too. I wanted to put my knowledge of Sims 2 animations to work, and I wanted be challenged by making a story so I did that. I've wanted to do a real apocalypse challenge since forever ago so I did that too! I’ve always wanted to stream, so I do. If someone asks me a question about CC making, I answer it.

And I am constantly inspired by our community! There are so many ways to enjoy this dollhouse game.

~~~

So, if you're feeling like you're getting tired of it - take a break and go do some real world stuff.

Start talking to your neighbors and then pick up trash in your neighborhood with them. Learn how to change the oil in your car. Volunteer at your local historical society. Join a gym. Whittle little animals out of wood and give them to your friends, even if they look terrible. Try new food as often as you can. Go see some foreign movies. Go for a walk in the woods with a plant identification book. Learn the name and back story of the cat that lives in your local bookstore. Get yourself together.

The richer your life, the more creative you can allow yourself to be with TS2. 💫

[simbic]

I hope this doesn't come off rude, and sorry if it does, as it is not the intention, but I just want to offer some perspective on this.

The installers might not work consistently well for everyone (they didn't for me, and they repeatedly caused more problems than they solved). I can admit that maybe I did something wrong, but given I've been dealing with ts2 for 20+ years and I tried to make it work, repeatedly, I doubt it at this point.

For example, it was easier for me to just reinstall UC from EA itself than to use the installer, and then manually apply the fixes myself like I've always done. I tried the installers hoping they would help. They didn't.

Like I think it's more than fair to try to understand why some people are saying they can finally play again. It's because the game is literally just not playable anymore for some of us. Like I had a story I was writing and eventually was forced to abandon because the game hates me. I can't do my MCC, and if you've seen any of my posts, you'll know I had so many issues before I even got around to playing.

When I find a solution, it proves to be only temporary, and I give up repeatedly because I'm tired of having to constantly tweak things in between sessions. I don't like having to rely on reshade to solve my issues with crashing, because the vulkan method is the most reliable, and tbh I don't like reshade appearing in games I don't use it with.

I think some people are just hoping for a smoother and more reliable experience with the game, and they can't l be faulted for that.

I really dislike this narrative where everyone comes through and does their damnedest to dump on the excitement and hopefulness. Like let people be hopeful and let them be excited. If it doesn't work out, then it just doesn't, but you don't have to make anyone feel bad for wanting a game that works without a bunch of fixes. Some of us want things to just WORK, like my life is stressful enough. I remember when ts2 worked without me having to fight with it. I want that to be a thing again.

Tbh I am cautiously hopeful that this rerelease might relieve some of the issues that have plagued my game and made it basically unplayable.

If this experience as it is, with installers and fixes, is comfortable for you, then that's fine. I personally am sick of having to use an installer and/or GRM and having to constantly search for solutions to a problem that I'm sick of dealing with. If it works better now with win10, please take my money, I want 10.

Please just understand that it goes beyond being able to install and apply a bunch of fixes. I'm personally really tired of it, I miss my game and really am just reaching for whatever possible solution that presents itself to me.

tl;dr let people be excited pls

why are people saying that they're finally able to play ts1 and ts2 again soon? the installers exist, you'll be spending money on stuff that you can have for free with community fixes.

[greml1nb0i]

I hate the fact that Alastor’s reasoning for wanting to be a powerful sinner overlord is just... power? That’s it?? I wish the reason he made a deal with the devil was tied to historical context like not being able to become a radio show host due to the racism of the time. That desire could have slowly driven him to do anything to achieve his dream, leading to some really questionable actions for the devil (like cannibalism) which ultimately got him sent to Hell

What also pisses me off is that Viv didn’t even need to add the voodoo element . She could have just said that he practices dark magic with the devil granting him the knowledge as a reward for giving away his soul. Then instead of using voodoo symbols she could’ve replaced them with radio schematic symbols you know since he's referred to as the radio demon???

And don’t get me started on the whole Wendigo-deer-cannibal thing which is a huge misconception about Wendigo folklore in Native American culture which is also considered cultural appropriation due to how a creature from their culture has been co-opted and changed in ways that do not reflect their traditions

This is what critics and even fans I've seen mean when they say Viv is terrible at character design because it’s so clear she does Z E R O research

Oh boy, yes Alastor is a loaded character, he has so much wrong with him that if Viv just spent an hour or a week longer on thinking about, they'd be better versions than what we have.

Im going to use my own rewrite and my experience with the occult to best answer this. Bare with me folks. Lets take a deep dive into Alastor's character.

Alastor could very well have had his motivation be racially charged. He lives in an era where Jim Crow is rampant, it'd not hard to believe, that Alastor would want to prove a old white mf wrong by being the best damn radio host ever. This is where imma bring in my rewrite.

In my rewrite, i made Alastor dream of getting a radio show his whole motivation BECAUSE of the baseball games he'd over hear on Sundays with his Ma and Pa. The interworking of the mechanics [radio waves and the such] fascinated Al and so he went on to pursue a impossible dream. Alastor's parents whether their support is there or not, greatly affects where or not Alastor thinks he's doing the right thing or not, they are his conscience for better or for worse.

Then a jealous white guy "gives him an opportunity to prove himself". Only for it to be a cheap prank that make Al look like a fool. The prank can go from harmless and humiliating, to down right atrocious and evil. [im not spilling all the tea on Alastor's chapter, nice try, wait til it releases lmao].

Anyway you get the point

THIS is where the real motivations can come in. Its "justified" in Alastor's mind to murder these people; but ofc to the audience we think he should just run.

What he actually does is dependent on a few things.

THIS could be the story of Alastor but Vivzie keeps fucking around with the edge lord shit.

------

Onto the voodoo stuff.

Alastor's ties to the occult, more specifically Voodoo, is:

1, not shocking to me in the slightest.

and

2, incredibly offensive to not only Bipoc individuals but also other Occult practitioners.

We may not practice the same things but we will get pissed if a branch of the Occult is being used in media for the "oh so scary and evil trope".

This is one of those moments where Viv didn't even bother doing research.

Let me first explain what a closed practice is.

A close practice is an occult practice that is otherwise determined by your ethic background. If you are not born into it or invited, you may not be allowed to practice. Some practices do not give out Initiations or allow "outsiders" to practice.

Voodoo is a closed occult practice that has many branches,[yes like a government] most of which are all tied back to bipoc cultures, such as Cubans, Haitians, etc., They follow a certain code and ethics. For example: Those who are Haitian take part in Haitian Vodou who believe in the Lwa.

There is also a difference between Hoodoo and Voodoo.

Hoodoo is more spiritual and a way of mindfulness and superstition with folklore such as throwing salt over your shoulder and never placing your purse on the floor, while Voodoo is more religious and more polytheistic.

Hoodoo is also designated to those who are Black. So it doesn’t matter if you’re Haitian, Cuban, Brazilian, Caribbean or even American; just as long as you hold African roots, you can participate in the practice.

-----

You still following me? Good. Lets move on.

Now that i have these explained what Voodoo and Hoodoo is, i can talk about how they've been demonize in media, even to this day, and why Viv is a dumbass for doing the same exact thing.

Lemme make one thing clear first.

Cultural appropriation is when cultural beliefs or traditions are stolen and slightly altered to be someone else’s idea in the name of a trend.

When we as a society adopt practices from outside of our own culture it’s important to be mindful and conscious about where they came from.

Appreciation doesn’t hurt anyone but appropriation does.

---

In America, Voodoo has been used to perpetuate damaging stereotypes of the black community and deepen the act of ‘othering’.

Newspapers and fabricated racial stories about Voodoo were used to portray black people as primitive and dangerous, and particularly to present black men as rapists of white women, framing Voodoo as the space in which they commit violent sexual acts.

This may explain one of the Jim Crow Laws but in a different light, since interracial marriage was illegal and black men could be beaten or worse, killed for it. I wouldn't be surprised if this was why, besides other racists illogical reasonings obviously.

The idea that Voodoo was something negative, violent, alienating and anti-white, was concocted by white supremacists, slave owners and colonists. Racists mfs basically

Sadly it was never sincerely questioned, and as a result the common perception of Voodoo remains negative and ill-informed.

Thus why we still see depiction of Voodoo and Hoodoo being used as "evil" in Princess and The Frog, The Child's Play film series, EVEN Batman, AHS, the list goes on and on and on, but now Hazbin.

In conclusion, Voodoo was seen as satanic, [Satanic Panic] and rituals were described as "summoning zombies, devils and spirits". Practitioners were seen as animalistic, violent, hyper-sexualized and barbaric. This played into the societal want to control and maintain the many racist laws that were in place. Voodoo was used to paint black people and the BIPOC community as a whole, as threats to civilization, to safety and to freedom.

As you can see the depiction and use of Voodoo nowadays is not in the best light nor has really ever been, Viv continuing to deflect the "you shouldn't do this, its racist and cultural appropriation" critiques, in order to have her WHITE idea of "spooky scary evil" magic.

Which may remind you DOES NOT EXISTS.

If a person claims to be doing "dark" or "black" magick, that mf is full of shit cuz that stuff doesnt exist. Its a cycle that never got broken and probably never will.

There is a form of magick called "shadow magick" however its purely for inward reflection on the mind, body and soul. Basically hardcore therapy but its all on your own and your "shadow self", which is a manifestation of your inner mind and self conscience thoughts. No you aren't actually summoning a shadow being, its all metaphorical and for therapeutic means. Please go see a therapist before ever performing this type of practice on yourself. You may find out things about yourself you do not like.

Also please do not begin practicing the Occult just because you might think its edgy or cool, Occult practices can be dangerous if you don't know wtf you are doing or know the basics. They are also not used for "funsies". Think of it like any other religious practice, be respectful with it.

Do your research and please for the love of the gods, do not claim to have supernatural abilities, you will be laughed at by others in practice.

----

MOVING ON.

Stick with me folks this is the last sections i promise.

Now lets talk about something that i love, Cryptids, specifically Wendigos.

Wendigos are not deer creatures, that is the Hollywood version of Wendigos, because real ones are butt fucking ugly.

The wendigo is part of the traditional belief system of a number of Native tribes, including the Ojibwe, the Saulteaux, the Cree, the Naskapi, and the Innu tribes.

The Wendigo is described as:

-being an emaciated corpse

-like a gaunt skeleton recently disinterred from the grave

-Lips being tattered and bloody, or unclean and suffering from not eating flesh

- it gave off a strange and eerie odor of decay and decomposition

---

So tell me where does the deer description come from?

 Blame Filmmaker Larry Fessenden,

He was the reason it became a huge thing.

He claims that a teacher in school originally told him a wendigo-like story about a deer monster, which he combined in his head with the wendigo tale from "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark."

Then later, the classic Wendigo story by Algernon Blackwood, creating his own mythology of the beast that he used in creating a 2001 movie simply titled Wendigo.

It was a weird horror movie and didn't even relate too closely to the myth, with the monster barely appearing.

Larry was unhappy with how the suit turned out because it was rushed, but the image caught on big from that point.

So can we all collectively say FUCK YOU LARRY.

---

And there you have it Anon.

Viv doesnt research shit and it took me only an hour to type all this out and double check some thing.

This is probably the longest deep dive ive done for Alastor, ive already done one on his character design in a previous ask, so if you want my opinion on that, look for that post.

Thank you Anon.

[a-bottle-of-tyelenol]

I see what you mean but I do actually disagree with this!

Polites is a character that we don’t know much about but we do see a very clear dynamic starting in Full Speed Ahead. A reoccurring scene in EPIC is Odysseus blatantly ignoring Eurylochus or dismissing him, which is what leads to the distrust between them and the opening of the windbag. This is something that still happens in FSA, except Odysseus does give Eurylochus some acknowledgement by saying that “if we don’t return, you can make this whole place burn”— showing that he heard Eurylochus and even agrees with him.

This was not a middle ground reached by or because of Polites, it was one reached by Odysseus.

(As with every post/reply I do, this got long so I put the rest under the cut.)

Polites and Eurylochus are meant to act as our first introductions to open arms and ruthlessness, with Polites actually voicing what open arms is and Eurylochus acting as the first human representation of it before Poseidon can come and properly introduce it. They are two sides of the spectrum and Odysseus is the middle ground; he is the king, the captain, and ultimately the one who makes the decisions. Polites does not change Eurylochus’ stance on anything, he only changes Odysseus’. In a situation where Polites made it to the opening of the windbag, Eurylochus and the crew likely would’ve just ignored him or hid it from him because I could very well see a world where they believe Polites is Odysseus’ favorite and the only one he will properly listen to— especially in a world where Odysseus has already seen Polites die and is keeping him close to try and prevent it.

“Everything’s changed since Polites” has next to nothing to do with Eurylochus, it’s only about Odysseus. Odysseus is the one that changed because he no longer has someone to be the other side to Eurylochus’ perspective and therefore has to embody it like Polites did, which is why Eurylochus ends up getting dismissed over and over again. It’s no longer Odysseus seeing the two perspectives and choosing which pieces he wants to use (like a game master or even a puppeteer), it’s him already having chosen which perspective he’s going with because he has to be the one to carry it forward.

In the time loop system that I proposed, there is another important thing to remember: Odysseus has already gone through these loops before. This is notable because Odysseus is coming in with preconceived notions of what he does and does not think will work. He has the experience of knowing how these situations played out, and that leads him personally having to pick and choose which actions he takes based on what has already happened to him instead of what Polites and Eurylochus offer as hypotheticals or general opinions.

This means that Polites’ existence doesn’t really change anything, nor does Eurylochus’, because Odysseus is no longer looking to them for guidance— he’s looking to himself and his personal experiences. He might listen to Polites if he has something new to offer, but that would likely end in Odysseus doing the same thing he did to Eurylochus— hearing him, but not really listening if it doesn’t fit with what he was already thinking.

This is mostly because the idea that I’m playing with is fate, and fate is unchangeable (there are obviously caveats to that, especially when you introduce the common conflict of free will versus fate, but still).

If the concept was “time loop au where Odysseus DOESN’T have memories of the previous loops but he somehow gets Polites to survive” then you would probably be right. Having Polities on that initial trip to balance out Eurylochus and offer Odysseus the choice between the two likely would’ve worked and could’ve gotten them home— though, it is hard to definitively say that because we don’t know how starvation would’ve affected him (an issue brought up in FSA that would’ve been exacerbated because they didn’t get food from the cyclops) or what his other philosophies in life would be. Many people read between the lines and say that Polites would’ve supported a lot of Odysseus’ monstrous acts because open arms means to try and be kind, not to naively trust everyone and never fight back when it’s an obvious enemy. Polites is a soldier that survived for ten years, after all, and he didn’t protest attacking the cyclops so it’s hard to say what his stance would’ve been further down the line when things got worse.

But, otherwise, Polites “being the glue” doesn’t really work when Odysseus already has a lot the answers and is merely trying to keep as many people alive as possible. In the end, Polites being there means nothing because fate dictates that it means nothing. Odysseus will still fall victim to his own hubris and Eurylochus will still fall victim to his own mistrust and Polites will still fall victim to the narrative and his own philosophies. All that changes is when it happens, how it happens, and how much it deviates from the original timeline.

time loop!au where odysseus is forced to continuously attempt to get home alive and he realizes that, no matter how hard he tries, he simply cannot save polites. it is weaved in the very fabric of his existence, his fate, and the only way that odysseus can ever get home is if polites does not come with him.

if it isn’t the cyclops, polites dies trying to protect his friends from the laestrygonians. if it isn’t the laestrygonians, he dies to poseidon’s hand as an example for odysseus’ disrespect. if it isn’t poseidon, he dies fighting circe because hermes is no longer there to help. if it isn’t circe, he dies fighting the souls of the underworld. if it isn’t the underworld, he dies falling for the siren’s song. if it isn’t the siren, he dies being struck by zeus’ lightning. if it isn’t lighting— oh, who am I kidding? it’s always the lightning.

polites will never make it— he can never make it. he falls victim to the narrative, the words of fate that dictate odysseus a hero in his own right. odysseus can only change if polites dies and he can only go home if he changes. with polites alive, he can never internalize what his morality means to him. with polites alive, he can never question his own judgment. with polites alive, odysseus remains fractured from the war and has no reason to fix it since, after all, you can still see yourself in a broken mirror.

it is no longer about choosing whose blood is on his hands, it’s about choosing which face he would rather see for the rest of his life. at least polites will only haunt his dreams.

[average-mako-enjoyer]

I've read a post and now I want to talk about Merrill and Anders.

I think the main message of DA2 is that even the kindest and strongest people can be broken, and the broken people can be driven to unspeakable acts of cruelty to others.

From the Alienage elf, who was separated from his wife and hasn't seen her in 10 years, to the First Enchanter Orsino, anyone can be driven to blood magic.

Now let's talk about Merrill, who absolutely uses her blood magic for combat, it's not just a game mechanic, she uses it to protect herself and her friends, and she can use it against her own clan in the end, and that's very important.

So Merrill is Marethari's First. Marethari has given Merrill enough knowledge to become the Keeper of her clan, and she keeps telling Merrill that she should take care of her people here and now, that the Eluvian is valuable, sure, but not more valuable than the safety of the clan, but Merrill becomes obsessed with this thing and the lost history and glory of the elves.

The Keeper (who is basically Merrill's mother) and her people are not as important to her as the inanimate object, and everyone knows it. When you first arrive at the Dalish camp, everyone is already done with Merrill's antics. They've tried to talk her out of her experiments too many times, and they're done.

So Merrill travels with Hawke to Kirkwall, finds herself a place in the Alienage, and continues to work on the Eluvian. And just like with her own clan, she makes no attempt to get to know anyone there. At the end of her personal quest in Act 3, she openly admits to Hawke that it never occurred to her to find out anything about the Alienage elves and their lives in all the years she lived among them. Hawke can make her reconsider, and she can reluctantly agree to start talking to the Alienage elves.

But what about Hawke's team, and Anders in particular? I won't argue that Anders is an ass to her because of her blood magic, but she's an ass to Anders too! Everyone is an ass to each other in this game and that's why it's so good, tbh.

Merrill is terribly condescending to him, and she's not just mirroring his attempts to lecture her about blood magic.

"There are no good spirits, you dummy Anders, I'm sorry you didn't know that."

"Oh yes, I'm working with the demon, but unlike you, I'm smart about it. Oh, and we don't fuck. Ew."

She completely brushes off his warnings about blood magic and losing control and becoming a monster. She's childishly ignorant about this even, telling him to stop scaring her, but continuing to use blood magic again and again, for years.

When Marethari sacrifices her life to save Merrill, Merrill blames her for it, saying "she had no right to interfere." Merrill also blames her clan, saying that everything she did, she did for them.

"But she pleads for Anders after he blows up the Chantry!"

Well, let's see why.

Anders can plead with Merrill to join the Kirkwall mage rebellion just before the end of Merrill's personal quest. Once again, Merrill brushes him off, saying it's not her fight, and then she loses Marethari and her clan.

When she pleads for him in the final chapter, she specifically talks about giving him a chance to atone for his sin. I think, Merrill pleads for Anders not out of the kindness of her heart or because she cares for him, but because she sees herself in him. Marethari dies because of Merrill's blood magic, Merrill either destroys her clan or is banished because of her blood magic, there's no atonement for her, but maybe there is for Anders. So is she pleading for him or for herself in this situation? Is this about a person she never respected or tried to know, or is it about her very fresh trauma?

Merrill is a very complex character. Smart and ignorant, terribly selfish and yet selfless. She's as blinded by the need to restore the elven lost history as Anders is by the idea of justice for the mages, they complement each other perfectly in that sense.

Every character in this game is so well written, I will never get over it.

[lookingfts]

Dialogue Game - Prompt #19

Just one today! I've gotten a lot of asks about how I'm doing and, thank you. I'm good. Just needed a little break, but I wanted to write something sweet and sexy today, so enjoy. (Spicy snippet below)

#19 - “I noticed” (fitrahgolden) and “I can take it” (Anonymous)

Her husband was a beautiful man.

She’d seen him naked an innumerable amount of times now, but her pulse still fluttered as he stepped out of the shower. Every inch of him obscenely defined and exposed to her as he used the towel to squeeze his hair dry.

“Hey, babe,” Anthony said with a little smirk. Of course he had noticed her staring, not that she was being particularly subtle. Loath as Kate was to inflate his ego, the ring on her finger gave her the right to stare at him in all his glory, didn’t it? “How was your day?”

Truthfully, she could barely remember. Whatever stress or tension had wound her up during the day slipped away at the sight of him. Not just a naked, wet and half-hard Anthony, but the man she adored coming home to each day. As much as he might drive her crazy, as much as they pushed each other’s buttons until they were shouting over something stupid that only they cared about, no one felt more like a shelter from the storm of the world than her husband.

“It was okay,” she said, her voice lilting. “You could make it better.”

A pause, and then Anthony’s smirk grew into a broad grin that lowered the pulse between her thighs. “It’s that kind of night, is it?”

“It’s that kind of night.”

Anthony hung his towel on the hook attached to the door - he was too fussy to leave them strewn about on the floor - and pulled her into his arms with a soft but heated kiss. There was something so arousing about the dampness of his bare skin sinking into her clothes, about his vulnerability in showing himself to her entirely while she was still in her teal shift dress and heels. Almost as arousing as the knowledge that for the first time in her life, she could ask what she wanted, and it was granted to her. There was so little Anthony would not give her.

His lips made a wet trail along her jaw until they hovered against her ear. “Thought about you all day,” he murmured. “Do you know how distracting it is to sit in a meeting and think about how warm and wet your cunt is?”

Kate shuddered in his arms, her nails curling into his shoulders. His erection was pressing against her thigh, growing steadily harder, his own fingers digging into her waist. Mingled with his husky voice and the enticing cedar scent of his body wash, she felt entirely lost. “What are you waiting for, then?”

Chuckling richly, he walked her backward, stretching her out across the bed. Kate reached for the zipper at her side, but Anthony caught her hand, his eyes flashing. “I like this dress.”

Reaching underneath the hem, he hooked his fingers into her damp knickers and slid them down her legs, over her strappy gold shoes. Anthony replaced them with two fingers, thick and rough inside her, and her breath caught as her back arched. “Y-Yes,” she whimpered.

“Sorry,” he grunted, twisting his fingers and stroking her. “I can’t hear you, baby. A little louder.”

She rolled her eyes, but lord knew she couldn’t be desperate for her husband without him being unbearably smug about it. That was the price of ending the day with a mind-melting orgasm, and Kate thought it was a fair trade, even if she would never admit as much. “Yes,” she moaned, pointedly loud. “Just fuck me. I can take it.”

It would be a stretch, but she didn’t care. Anthony would probably grumble a bit about wanting to eat her out, but she needed to be filled up.

Nudging her legs apart, Anthony notched himself at her entrance and pushed in. Kate scratched his shoulders lightly, lifting her hips to take him deeper. Not quite slick enough for an easy slide, but she had years of experience fitting around her husband’s cock.

He fucked her slowly, deep and measured strokes, their bodies working together in a practiced rhythm. “Put your legs around me,” he panted.

“I’m still-.” Another rough thrust to steal her breath. “I’m still wearing my heels.”

“I noticed.” Sliding his hand underneath her thigh, he urged her leg around his hip. “Hurt me, baby.”

Slickness rushed between her thighs. Wrapping her calves around his waist, she pressed her heels into his arse, just enough to make him hiss at the sensation. The friction between his bare chest and the silky fabric of her dress was audible, his nipples stiff as they brushed against hers, and Kate didn’t know why it turned her on so much, only that it did. Even when Anthony was on top, it always felt like he was putting himself in the palm of her hand. Letting her have all of him, no matter how much she gave him in return.

“I’m gonna come,” she whispered against his neck, caressing the base of it. “So good, I’m gonna come.”

“Ready when you are.”

A surprised, strangled laugh left her lips, and then her orgasm washed over her, burning and sharp. Anthony groaned into her skin as she clenched around him again and again, his hips jerking as he spilled into her.

They took a moment to catch their breath, Anthony still locked inside her, and then his fingers dragged the zipper down. Kate worked with him to push the dress up and over her head. It was wrinkled and would need a good steaming, but at least they wouldn’t need to explain come stains at the dry cleaners.

Anthony eased out of her, and Kate stretched out, a languid smile on her face. “How was your day?” she asked, her physical needs temporarily sated.

“Doesn’t even matter,” he said, tugging her against him. “It’s perfect, now.”

[electricneonvalkyrie]

Owen Moore: The Nice Guy Who Isn’t So Nice After All

Believe it or not, I actually don't hate Owen. He irritated me the whole game, so he'll never be a favourite... but I don’t think he was altogether terrible. Similar to the other characters in The Last of Us, he was flawed but also surprisingly layered, with a mixture of good and bad traits.

But I can’t emphasize enough how badly I wouldn’t want this guy dating my daughter, and I certainly would not want a partner with his character traits as someone living with PTSD, so let’s talk about that.

I’m fully aware this is going to ruffle some feathers, but I’m all about a healthy discussion. If it leads to further deep dives, the nerd in me is pretty chuffed about that, too!

This is my opinion, based on my lived experiences. It’s totally cool if it doesn’t match yours.

Owen is the biggest goddamn coward.

There. I said it.

Throughout the game, Owen's cowardice is evident in his indecisiveness and unwillingness to fully commit to literally anything (Abby, Mel, the WLF, or even his dreams of peace).

In a game so focused on the importance of community, Owen is shockingly bad at fostering it. I find his isolation of the women in his life extremely problematic. Not only does he cut Abby and Mel off from himself, but he also keeps them apart from one another.

The kicker? Mel was Abby’s friend first.

There are some serious manipulative dynamics at play, with the way he keeps Abby tethered to him emotionally, even as he pursues a relationship with Mel.

I get it. Abby wasn’t making it easy for him.

He ached for a different her, untainted by the trauma and guilt that clung to her, a her she couldn't be while so deeply entrenched in her past.

Rather than understanding Abby's emotional limitations, Owen's unmet desires created tension and resentment, likely intensifying Abby's overwhelming guilt.

Does it make him a bad person for wanting more? No. Does it make him an ideal romantic match for Abby? Also, no.

But isn’t that the nature of human relationships? We often fall for people who aren't right for us.

This isn't intended to belittle Abby's relationship with Owen; it's clear she deeply cared for him. But considering the betrayal and selfishness inherent in this relationship, it's absurd to call it healthy or in any way safe.

Poor Owen, Abby couldn't let go of the past!

Abby wasn’t the only one stuck in the past, let me tell ya.

Owen fixated on who Abby used to be, while her present was irrevocably shaped by trauma, grief, and a desire for vengeance, a space Owen would only ever enter half-heartedly. He oscillated between trying to pull away from Abby and gravitating back to her when it was convenient.

He wanted Abby, make no mistake. But was he willing to support her and love her to the degree she needed at the time? I mean… fuck no. Give me a break.

Wanting someone and loving someone are two different things entirely.

It would be wonderful if we could remain the optimistic people we were before experiencing trauma. Unfortunately, that isn’t based in reality.

Owen’s nostalgia wasn’t just unhelpful—it was actively harmful because he clung to an idealized version of Abby that no longer existed.

No matter how much Owen tried to remind her of who she once was, Abby's past self was irretrievably lost. What she needed was someone to support her during difficult times, showing her how to find her own inherent goodness in a different light.

Now… which badass, bow-wielding characters come to mind in that regard… hmm.

You want to know who also consistently rose up to meet Abby where she was—who genuinely cared about supporting and healing her relationships with other members of The Salt Lake Crew? You want to know who actively desired Abby's freedom from isolation? Manny. But I’m saving that for another deep dive.

(Stay tuned, because it’s going to be a juicy one.)

Speaking of the people Owen's actions deeply affected, let's discuss Mel.

I hope it goes without saying, that pursuing your ex-girlfriend’s closest female friend, after your ex-girlfriend has tragically and brutally lost her father, is the least sexy thing I have ever heard of.

To me, this was just another staggering example of his cowardice and selfishness. The betrayal is multifaceted, given Mel's close mentorship under Abby's father. However, a romantic relationship with someone who appears to have spent more time with Abby's father than Abby herself is, at minimum, unsettling.

The psychology behind this is so interesting to me and something I may actually get into down the line. Was Owen truly as empathetic as he let on?

Owen felt empathy for the elderly Seraphite, yet paradoxically, he demonstrated very little empathy towards Mel and Abby, two of the most important women in his life.

Now let’s dive headfirst into the meat and potatoes.

He got Mel pregnant. Abby’s words, not mine.

Owen's actions toward Mel caused significant and far-reaching harm, rippling out to Abby as well.

Emotionally abandoning a woman during pregnancy, a time when she needs stability and reassurance more than ever, is horrific. That abandonment wasn't merely negligent; it was cruel, particularly in a world demanding trust and strong alliances for survival.

Emotional infidelity isn’t a thing anyone wants to own up to, until it happens to us, right? But Mel likely sensed it long before Owen’s physical betrayal, which would have left her incredibly insecure and isolated.

Owen’s inability to communicate or take responsibility for his actions likely diminished Mel's sense of agency and worth.

You either have it in you to cheat on a woman you're involved with or you don't.

This man not only carelessly contributed to getting Mel pregnant in tumultuous, uncertain times, but he turned around and risked doing the same to Abby in a fit of passion.

Kinda don't love a guy who behaves like this. Kinda think he's a creep in this regard.

Again, I wouldn't want any daughter of mine anywhere near him.

Abby would have eventually recognized this betrayal of Mel as part of his larger pattern of selfishness and avoidance. If he could emotionally and physically abandon Mel, the mother of his unborn child, what would stop him from doing the same to her? And for Christ’s sake, don’t say love, because that’s not a realistic notion whatsoever.

The destruction of Abby and Mel's bond sent a shockwave through their already fragile group, and Owen’s involvement shouldn’t be ignored if we want to have honest, interesting conversations about these characters and their dynamics.

Ironically, Owen's idealism was pretty selfish too; his vision of peace and his plan for a better world were merely a personal escape, ignoring the needs and well-being of others.

Yes, he was weary of the constant violence the WLF demanded of him. But at what cost was he willing to escape it?

While I could itemize his selfish behavior, example by painstaking example, it feels unfair and ultimately unproductive, as everyone is imperfect—in their world and ours. But Owen Moore's irritating self-importance and obnoxious behavior were impossible for me to ignore, solidifying his place as one of my least favourite characters.

But do I hate him? Nah.

I just think Abby would’ve made a much better father to Mel’s child by a long shot.

Uh oh. I did a controversial take, didn’t I?

😉