#so that i can buy that rank back in future games

[orcelito]

feeling very. unamused, today

perhaps rn it's the hunger

[fishermanshook]

LOVELANGUAGE.com (Suvivors! x gn!reader)

# day 6 w/ @philomena-propellente ‘s valentines event! , cut 4 length , grammar and spelling warning

INTRO

You just started dating them, and now it’s your job to figure out just how they show their undying love for you.

꒰wc꒱ 1.4k

The Prospector 

Norton doesn’t have the money to buy or get you anything fancy. It hurts his heart a little because he would love to splurge a bit on you, but also being stuck in a dangerous manor game doesn’t help either of your situations. (Especially when you are low on clues to get food…)

Norton’s love language is Physical Touch. This man is (already) all over you from the beginning to the end of your relationship. He just loves the way you feel in his arms and it makes him feel a tone better.

You should also make sure to reciprocate these actions. Norton will probably feel even more loved by you knowing that you want to touch him as well.

Please hold this man gently in your hands as he rests his head on your lap.

The Journalist

Alice most likely has her time slots filled with random things she has to get done, so as her partner, she would like you to understand and accept the fact that she can’t spend a lot of time around or with you. What she can do, are Acts of Service.

What she lacks in time management she makes up for in getting things done for you. Too tired to grab your laundry? She’s on it. Need a snack but you're too lazy to go and get it? She’ll be right back babe. And as a last resort, she would take your place in a match for you. ONLY if something bad has come up and the two of you have discussed every possible route you can take. (and only if you promise to heal her up + kiss her bandages.)

Alice adores every part of you and she seems like one to not fall very easily. So be thankful and glad to have someone like her in your life, and don’t take her for granted.

Please be gentle with her cuts and bruises as you heal her back up again.

The Mercenary 

Naib loves his alone time as much as he loves you, and he loves you a lot. Like Alice, you have to understand that he sometimes needs to be on his own for the time being. You search for him if you’d like, but he’d rather only wish you do if it’s an emergency. He will seek you out when he wishes for you to see you. (and that’s often.)

Naib seems like he would also dabble in Acts of Service. He’d do a lot for you, free of charge. Well, as long as you’ll cuddle him later. (Maybe make him something sweet?) The Mercenary would go as far as to kill for you, but would only wish to resort to this if necessary.

Naib is a man of few words and has his walls up at all times. (Like someone else I know… *cough cough* GANJI *cough cough*) You’ve managed to worm into his heart and he doesn’t plan on letting go any time soon.

Please hold this man in your arms when he inevitably wakes up from his recurring nightmares.

Cheerleader

Lily can be easily described as a bundle of energy just waiting to be released. She’s a great company and fills any void of loneliness in your bones. She is bright, funny, and overall an amazing person.

Lily has been cheering on others her entire life. Encouraging her brother as she watched him climb the ranks is a fond memory of hers and is cherished deeply. For these and many other reasons, Lily’s love language is Words of Affirmation.

To think that Lily’s enthusiasm would lack or stop when it came to you is just silly. If anything, it grows even stronger. You become her motivation to take on the day and the challenges that come with it. To run for her life if it meant she gets to see you at the exit game waiting for her arrival.

Please cheer her on as well, she needs you just as much as you need her.

The Seer

Eli should have predicted this, should’ve known he would fall head over heels for someone in the manor. But at last, you can’t change the past, or the future. Eli’s learned that the hard way. So while you're here with him now, let him bask in the light you radiate.

Eli Clark is one for Words of Affirmation alongside Physical Touch. Your skin is warm against his and envelops him completely. The Seer has always kept you close to him. Whether it be his hand entangled in yours, an arm around your waist, or anything else, he enjoys keeping you close to him.

Eli knows how words can affect people, so he always tries to compliment you when he can. Your outfit, your match performance, anything, and everything gets a smile and a nice compliment from him.

Please let this man wrap his arms around your waist as he hums an unrecognizable song in your ears.

The Priestess

Fiona is a self-proclaimed devotee to her god, but nowadays, she finds her devotion slipping. Her faith, disintegrating into ashes the longer she’s stuck in here. It’s given her a lot of time to think, but it’s also given her more time to spend with you. To forget about the unknown wonders of the world and just embrace your presence in its entirety.

Fiona Gilman’s love language is undoubtedly Quality Time.  She��enjoys nothing more than to spend time with you outside the games. She doesn’t mind what or who it’s with, just that you're there. She also seems like she’s a sucker for picnics. Just the two of you is best, but if you insist on having others then that’s fine as well.

The Priestess has spent most of her days devoting herself to her religion and belief, which you don’t shame her for. She knows that her beliefs may not align with others, but she appreciates that you don’t give her crap about it. If she ever does find her faith in her god restoring, she would love to show you some of her practices.

Please accompany her on walks long after your curfew with only the stars as your witnesses.

ADDED BONUS’! 

 Bloody Queen

Mary was born with wealth and nobility to her name, she knows the power money has over people and the influence it can make. So she more than understands the currency of this strange manor. Not that she’s complaining though, she has more than enough clues and fragments to last a lifetime.

Mary Kriegburg's love language is Gifting. She has the clues too, so why not splurge on a new outfit for her daring? It’s the best way for her to show you that no amount of money can compare to the love that floods her unbeating heart.

If you do end up gifting something back to her, handmade or bought, she will cherish it. It may seem that Mary doesn’t like the handmade doll you made of her, but she sleeps with it during the nights you can’t accompany her. Her bed does feel cooler without you.

Please cherish everything she gives you, as she will do the same for you.

 The Photographer

Joseph doesn't get to see you often, as the two of you have your respective matches you're forced to perform in. And for whom? You'll never know. When your games are done for the day, he'll choose to seek you out. While he does prefer his own alone time, he wishes to be with you.

Joseph Desaulniers's love language has to do with Quality Time. He spends his time wisely so that he can save more for when both of you are available. The Photographer enjoys afternoon tea parties with you. Talk about anything or keep your mouth shut, he won't mind either. Your presence warms his dead body and it's such a welcoming feeling for the man that he yearns for it.

Joseph has already lost his brother in an already tragic manner, the Photographer keeps you close to ensure you don't meet an unexpected demise while he's not there. No, he doesn't want you to go back to your dorm room yet. Just stay by him for a moment longer and let him know you're not going anywhere one last time.

Please soak up the sun with him as he takes another picture of you.

note: RAHHHHHH I LOVE THIS (don’t come at me if you thought different love languages for them okay 😭)

(2024)©️fishermanshook — do not steal, translate, plagiarize, or repost my work on any other platform

[clavissionary-position]

Ikeprinces As Ranked By Gilbert

**Best enjoyed after reading Gil’s route. There are also spoilers of varying degrees from some sequel routes (Chev, Licht).

1. LUKE

Luke: I’m surprised I got the top spot. Don’t you and Chevvie go way back? Gilbert: That’s true, but you’re my adorable little kid brother. I’ve carried you on my back. You’ve carried me on your back. Good times. Luke: Aw, Dad… (bear-hugs Gil) Gilbert: (pouts as he struggles to breathe) Did you even… hear a word of what I said… Luke: I heard ‘kid’. That makes ya my dad, right?

2. CHEVALIER

Gilbert: So? What do you think? Chevalier: (ignores him and continues doing paperwork) Gilbert: (high-pitched voice) “Please, oh please, Gil! Please trample my country to the ground, rebuild it in your image and then run it for me!” Something like that, right? Gilbert: (dodges pebble) Ahh, sorry, sorry. It would probably be more like “Please, oh please, Eyepatch!" Gilbert: (dodges another pebble) What is going on here? Do you roll around in the garden before coming to work every day?

3. CLAVIS

Clavis: (stiff smile) I baked you one of my most sought-after creations as thanks. I’d be honored if you’d try it, Lord Gilbert. Gilbert: Hmm, it looks as unappetizing as I expected but smells delicious. Oh, and... (sniffs) ...you even infused it with my favorite poison! Clavis: Hahaha! Well, I didn’t want you to get the idea that I’d learned nothing about you during all our years working together. Gilbert: Of course, of course. Would you like to share this with me Clavis: (stiff smile) No, no, no. It’s best enjoyed alone. Please, I insist.

4. RIO

Rio: If you’re trying to use me to get to my mistress, then I’ll— Gilbert: You misunderstand me. (Sets down two plates of pain perdu and places his hand on Rio’s) I really do commiserate with you, you know. It’s not easy seeing the one you love go off to be with another man. And yet you gladly sacrifice your own happiness. As though it were someone else's joy to give away. Rio: It is. My joy belongs to my mistress. Gilbert: Hmph? Let's see. Pain perdu means ‘lost bread’, right? Poor, poor abandoned little toast, molding under the table. Gilbert: Oh, by the way. I asked the little rabbit if I could bring these to you on her behalf. (Proceeds to eat all the pain perdu himself) Rio: (smiles brightly) So I’ve heard you love exercising!

5. SILVIO

Silvio: (kicks down the door) Where's the list? Gilbert: (innocently sips tea) So you can tear it up? Did you think I didn't make copies to send to every one of your little merchant friends? Silvio: My real friends know what's up. Gilbert: What a hurtful thing to say. I’m just honoring our friendship. And buttering you up for future manipulation. Silvio: Tch. I don’t know what game you’re playing— Gilbert: Human chess. Silvio: —but I’ll buy up every damn piece before you can get your filthy little mitts on 'em. Gilbert: Hehe, splendid. (Sits back with a smile) What’s more fun than controlling someone who controls everything else?

6. KEITH

Keith: Picked me over the other guy, did ya? Gilbert: Oh, he’s on the list too, of course. But I can’t stand how much of a do-gooder he is. And besides, you’re much more fun to play with. Keith: That right? I’m usually the one doing the teasing around here, though. Gilbert: (looks around dramatically) Around here? Where only a handful of people even know you exist? Tell me, if a tree falls and no one’s there to hear it, does it make a sound? Keith: >:0

7. KEITH

Keith: (hangs head) So you know… about him… Gilbert: Ahaha, there's no need to look so down! You haven’t done anything wrong, have you? It’s all him, right? If only he’d just disappear and stop taunting you from Spot #6. Keith: N-No! I don’t want that! I don’t… think I want that… Keith: Yes, I’m sure of it. He and I can share our friends. Gilbert: (stops smiling) Sharing only works if you can fully trust the other person to not take advantage of your kindness. You may think you can do that now, but people change. Circumstances change. The galette must one day burn. Keith: :’(

8. JIN

Jin: (thoroughly unamused) How kind of you. Gilbert: Isn’t it? But you should know that I’ve got nothing against you personally. Whatever enmity there is between us stems primarily from you. If you weren’t royalty, we might have even co-brothered Luke together. Jin: (throws up in his mouth) I don’t see how that has anything to do with this. And you’re the most detested royal figurehead on the continent. Gilbert: (shrugs) I’d say I’m sorry you can’t see past that, but I’d be lying if I claimed there was anything there to be seen in the first place. Thanks for the lollypop. Jin: What? HEY—

9. SARIEL

Sariel: (stops as soon as he enters his office) What are these vermin doing here? Gilbert: (sitting in Sariel’s chair) Just a little gift I brought so I could congratulate you for making it onto my list. Would you like to do the honors? Sariel: (plucks him up by the fur) Am I to understand you’re giving me a chance to correct my oversight before you take things into your own hands? Gilbert: (brushes himself off) I expect you to do most if not all of the work since my hands are tied while I’m a visiting guest here. But I’m happy to take them under my wing if you can’t even do that much. Sariel: “Kill them, or be forced to kill them,’ is it? (glances at the tied-up assassins) I wonder which one of us they would consider a fate worse than death.

10. LEON

Leon: (glares) I take it you only stuck me on here out of diplomatic courtesy. Gilbert: Haha, maybe. But there’s something about you that’s always reminded me of someone I know. Leon: Whoever it is, I feel bad for the guy. Gilbert: (bittersweet smile) You might be right. Maybe I need to do better by him…

11. LICHT

Licht: Do I know you? Gilbert: I was wondering the same thing, to be honest. But I’ve seen you around the palace enough times that I figured I might as well throw you on here. Gilbert: Nice eyes by the way, hehe. Licht: Oh no you don’t. My only family is Nokto.

12. NOKTO

Gilbert: Oh. There are two of you. Must be nice having an identical twin. (Resting his chin in his hand) Do you two switch places a lot? Nokto: You never noticed before today? Never received a report from one of your spies about it? Gilbert: Oh no, what sort of boring activities do you think I have my spies do all day? Nokto: Well, for starters, you sure seem to have paranormal insight into the contents of our kitchen at any given moment. Gilbert: So you'd rather I left all the carrots where they are? Nokto: ...

...

.......

................

Yves: Prince Gilbert!

Gilbert: (stops but doesn’t turn around)

Yves: I saw your list, and I couldn’t help but notice—

Gilbert: No, I believe you noticed everything you were meant to.

Gilbert: (leaves to go find the little rabbit to fix his bad mood)

[dira333]

If I’m not too late for the most recent game I’m going to say Kisame 24!

The plotbunny game is always ongoing, so there's never a "too late"! Thanks for calling in!

Your prompt: Lonely water, won't you let us wander (how fitting!)

Lonely Water - Kisame x Reader

The ground is slick from recent rain as you run, the mist swallowing all color.

"Wait for me!" You call out with the annoyance only a five-year-old can muster, "Kisame!!"

"You're too slow!" He grinds out only moments later when his arm shoots out from your right, pulling you down a narrow alley.

"I'm not!"

"Are too!"

You huff and try to step on his foot, but he moves out of the way just in time.

“Come on,” he grumbles, clearly annoyed, “We’re going to be late.”

-

It’s not easy growing up in Kirigakure. But it helps to be a child, quick on your feet and small enough to get into all the spaces grown-ups can no longer slip through.

There’s work at the docks for children, but you have to come at the right time and know the right people if you want to keep the money that you earn.

Kisame’s good at that. He’s taller than most of the children your age, so he’s not good for most of the work, but the fishermen are afraid of him and the Shinobi let him get away with almost everything. 

“Here,” he pushes you toward one of the older ships, “I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

-

There used to be a time when your father didn’t want you playing with Kisame. Back then you still had money, a nice house, and people working for you instead of the other way around. But father got into fights with the wrong people. One day he just never came home.

-

“What’s a nice girl like you doing at the docks?” The guy asking has no teeth left. His gums have turned grey and his eyes have turned cold. You press yourself against the walls, well aware of the small sum of money that’s hidden in your pocket. The captain of this ship pays fairly, even though it’s never enough for the amount of work, never enough for the rising prices.

“Hands of my girl!” Kisame snarls from behind you, teeth bared. The threat is effective.

He guides you down the dock and up the streets, through the market where you buy a loaf of discounted bread and a few small fish. It eats up most of your earnings, but Kisame’s hand is warm around yours, his grip strong and self-assured. Everything will be okay.

- - -

The rich women of Kirigakure love their luxuries. Expensive dresses, expensive food, and, most importantly, cosmetics made from the finest ingredients.

It had been Kisame’s idea to get you into a pharmacy family when you didn’t show any signs of talent for the Shinobi traits. 

You’re good at this kind of work, and it pays well. Well, enough to feed Kisame and you. If he keeps rising in the ranks like this, making more and more with each mission, there might be something like a future for the two of you. If he thinks like that of you, that is?

-

You’ve barely turned sixteen when he steals you from your bedroom one night, whisks you out of the village in a heartbeat. He’s gotten taller, broader in the shoulders, wears a proud smirk even when there’s nothing to be proud about - you’ve heard about the Chunin Exams. “Where are we going?” You ask, breathless. He’s too handsome for his own good, his light can’t be dimmed by neither nightfall nor mist.

“To the water.” He urges until you hit the shore, freezing cold water running over your toes.

“What’s going on?” You ask, hand curling around his. You don’t want him to let go. But he does.

“Nothing,” he insists, looking up at the stars, “I just can’t breathe properly in the village. I need to be out of that damned mist.”

You laugh. “You’re lying. Something’s up.”

He grins at that. “Fine, you caught me. I got promoted.”

“Really?!” You press your hands to your lips before they can do foolish things, like take a hold of him.

“Really! I’m working directly under Fuguki! If everything goes well, I might be a member of the Seven Swordsmen too, soon.”

“And then?” You ask, regretting the words the moment they spill from your lips.

“What do you mean?” Confusion draws over his face like clouds over the moon. 

“I-I mean, I… what do you plan to do… when you reach that?”

“Well, be rich and famous, I guess.” He shrugs. “I don’t know how much they’re paid per mission, but I guess if I saved a little, it wouldn’t be too hard to buy a house. You could come by and cook for me then.”

Something cold and uncomfortable wedges itself into your heart. Your lips move on their own again.

“Wouldn’t I live with you then?” 

You’re painfully reminded that Kisame is a Shinobi. He freezes, face completely still, but you know his mind is running a mile a minute just by the way he fixates on you. That’s how he used to look at the fishermen, trying to figure out who to avoid and who to trust.

You know he’s figured you out when he speaks up.

“Listen,” he says, “We’re friends. We grew up side by side, but if you want to have a husband and a little cozy house, I’m not the man for you.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” you rush to say. It’s a lie. Kisame’s always been able to tell when you were lying, but this time he’s not calling you out on it. 

When he takes you back to your room shortly after, he does not look back when he leaves and you wonder if you’ll ever see him again. 

- - -

Kisame Hoshigaki is a name known by all and feared by many. 

They praise his loyalty, ready to slaughter all his comrades to keep the village safe. 

It’s been almost two years since that day at the shore so you’re a little surprised to find him in your bedroom once again.

“Hey,” you’ve learned to go along with his antics long ago, so don’t scream when you find him slumped over your bed late at night, the bandages around his arm an ugly shade of red.

“Hey.” He grinds out. “Long time no see.”

“Whose fault is that?” You ask, unable to keep yourself from being a little petty.

He does not apologize, not that you expected him to. 

“Did you get hurt?” You step up to him, hands reaching for the bandages. He moves away before you can reach him, his eyes boring holes into you.

“Why are you always nice to me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” You ask back. 

“You don’t owe me anything, okay? I kept you safe, but you kept me fed. We’re even.”

“I know Kisame,” you insist, voice softer than it probably needs to be, “I’m not doing this because I owe you.”

“Then why?”

Your hands clench and unclench next to you, your heart heavy in your chest. You don’t want to say it, but what good does it bring to keep it in when he already knows anyway?

“I love you,” the words hang heavy in the air, “Love cares. Just because.”

Kisame buries his face in your bedding at that, body stiff as a board. You give him a minute to gather himself, to leave or do something else, but he doesn’t. When you reach for the bandages this time, he lets you.

When it’s time for you to sleep, he still hasn’t moved. Gingerly, you slip into bed next to him. He rolls a bit to the side so you can properly get under your blanket, face blank of any emotion. But his good arm comes out to pull you close as soon as you’re under the blanket. 

Kisame doesn’t apologize nor does he address the topic at hand. But you should have known that that’s not something he would do.

- - -

The sky is clear for once, the ever present mist retreating from the shore.

The sand is cold underneath you, but you’re not willing to budge. 

Something’s bothering Kisame, enough to drag you here. His knee is pressed against yours, the only form of touch he allows outside of the walls of your bedroom. His skin is warm and reassuring even though his silence is not.

“Do you ever feel stuck in place?” He asks suddenly, his voice barely above louder than the waves crashing.

“Sometimes,” you admit. “But I guess for different reasons than you.”

“What are yours?”

“There’s this guy I love and I guess he likes me too,” his lips quirk up, just a little, “but he won’t allow it to be official. So we have to hide in my bedroom when all I want is to hold his hand and make him breakfast and lunch and dinner.” You rest your head on your knees and look out onto the water, “What are your reasons?”

“There’s this girl that I love,” he admits, voice barely quivering at the last word. You force yourself not to look at him, but your knee presses harder against his. “And I want to give her a life that she deserves, a life that she had growing up. Where there’s food on the table everyday and she doesn’t have to worry that I won’t come home one day. Where our kids won’t have to fight for their life and people are honest to each other.”

“But?”

He sighs. 

“But I fear we can’t have that life in Kirigakure.”

You swallow against the tears that are threatening to fall.

The waves keep crashing, like they’re stuck too, forced to come in again and again and again.

“Lonely water,” you sigh out the prayer your mother tought you, “Lonely water, won't you let us wander? Let us hold each other.”

Strong arms pull you in until your head is resting against his chest, his heartbeat loud and steady in your ear.

“Will you leave with me?” Kisame whispers into your ear.

You listen to his heartbeat that’s as steadfast as the waves and close your eyes.

“Yes.”

[lovingseventeen]

Hello! I've been stalking your blog and I can't explain how much I love your writings, they made my day 🥺 Anyway, if it's okay, can you do svt as your co-worker (could be just platonic/romantic/both, whatever you prefer). Thank you in advance! ✨️

svt as your coworker

a/n: AAAA so sorry to get back to you so late 😭 i hope you still get to read this and enjoy it,, i tried to write this as platonic with the hint of something more?

seungcheol:

○ quite the good employee

○ in his nature to lead group meetings and be pretty proactive in delegating roles that are suitable for everyone

○ always checks in with you that you’re okay with your work load and offers to help too

○ is it relevant that he looks very good with the sleeves of his button-up rolled up?

jeonghan:

○ master of wasting the company time and he somehow drags you into it

○ definitely plays some kind of little game with you every day

○ you both have used up several packs of post-its due to endless rounds of hangman, tic-tac-toe, etc

○ he loves to bet little prizes like “okay so over whoever loses has to buy lunch tomorrow”

○ he loves to waste time but is also somehow occasionally employee of the month???

joshua:

○ definitely the office hunk

○ half the company has a crush on him (how could you blame anyone, look at him)

○ definitely the kind of gentleman to grab coffee for himself but also bring back some extra drinks for those who sit near him too

○ when you try to pay him back he just smiles and brushes off your offer “you don’t need to do that” with the sweetest smile ever

jun:

○ always falls asleep at his desk but also never gets caught

○ is either very productive or doing nothing at all, no in between

○ you have to nudge him awake when you hear that the ceo is walking around the office and you swear your heart skips a beat when he looks at you in his sleepy state

hoshi:

○ one of the company’s long-time employees

○ a funny guy but also super reliable and hardworking so most people tend to look for him for help

○ you call him over to review something on your laptop and he’s leaning on your desk with one arm

○ when you talk to him he watches you intently and you’re wondering why your face suddenly feels hot?

wonwoo:

○ he’s quiet and always finishes his duties efficiently

○ the kind to send one-sentence emails (idk why i thought this seemed very him)

○ he sits across from you and when your eyes meet over your desktops you quickly turn back to your screen (you don’t realize he’s chuckling)

woozi:

○ employee of the month honestly

○ one of the people in the company who moved up the ranks pretty fast and at a pretty young age (he’s younger than most of the people with the same position)

○ he overhears your music playing through your headphones in the elevator one day (some of you will get this reference i hope)

○ “is that [insert obscure band]?” he’ll ask. you lift one side of your headphones to hear him and you nod happily when you realize his question. (from then on he has a little crush on you and he tries to start conversations in the future by asking if you’ve heard about that band’s new release!)

minghao:

○ you were a little intimidated by him at first

○ there’s no other way to describe it other than he looks so effortlessly cool, with his subtle piercings and painted nails amidst his business attire

○ you realize he’s warmer than you think when you work up the courage to compliment his nails

mingyu:

○ he’s employee of the month #2, also a very diligent guy

○ honestly a joyous person to share a desk with

○ “good morning ~~” he’ll say as he settles in for the day

○ from the second he gives you that wolffish grin you know this is gonna be a problem

dokyeom:

○ the kind of sweetheart to stay with you during your overtime so that you aren’t the only person left in the office

○ “you don’t need to stay!” you try to tell him, feeling a little bad you’re stopping someone from going home. he even has his bag all packed up

○ “y/n trust me, it’s a little scary when no one else is here” he assures you, “i stayed here one time and something dropped in one of the cubicles and it freaked me out” (he left out the part that he bolted out of the office when he heard that)

○ you think about it for a bit, opting to just hurry a little bit with your tasks. “okay fine, i’ll try not to take too long”

○ while you work, he even goes so far as to go to one of the vending machines down the hall to get you both a snack

○ bonus: on your way out you playfully go “did you hear that?” and his eyes widen immediately, “hear WHAT?”

seungkwan:

○ would be employee of the month if he didn’t get into arguments with coworkers here and there 😭

○ not a rude employee by any means but he’s just passionate about doing well

○ it is so nice when you get paired to work with him because he motivates you to do so well too

○ the longer you work with him, you do get to see more relaxed sides of him and he even hums a little while he works (soon you discover he’s incredible at singing)

vernon:

○ also doesn’t talk too much, not exactly because he’s busy but he also tends to sit idly sometimes, rotating on his chair to pass time LOL

○ he’s great to work with though, he’s so chill and open-minded that he’ll let you take the lead but also input his ideas when he feels necessary

○ you start talking to him when you come in on a monday, a little excited, “did you see the movie that everyone’s talking about?” you ask

○ his eyebrows raise and he sits up in his chair because he has in fact seen that movie

○ thus ensues emails about work but also with a movie recommendation in the final line

chan:

○ was the baby of the office when he was just an intern but he’s a hard-worker so he eventually got hired full-time

○ you catch him kind of dancing while he’s trying to pick out a vending machine snack

○ gets so embarrassed (he may have a crush on you) that he doesn’t talk to you for a good week 😭

[czteryd]

My guide to Internet warfare and taking back control

By which I mean minimizing screen time and wasting your life on making Zuckerber rich. Scrolling Instagram doesn't seem to be dangerous, but there is probably nothing less hurtful than wasting time of milliards of people on things they don't care about. Using willpower to work on this is a lie — you will need real weapons, technologies and strategy.

^this is the lost future you are fighting for. Technology can be good.

Remember, that wars are rarely won in a week, I am in trenches since last summer when i ditched my phone, when i say "It takes time" i mean 5–10 months. It is still hard, but the improvement is amazing.

This is a list of things I have been doing for more than a year that improved my life. Ranked with ease (EAS) + effectiveness (EFF) from 1 to 10.

It is still not perfect, but this is a warzone and you will adapt and not be allowed to surrender, soldier!

Remove the smartphone – 5 eas + 15 eff

Sorry. This is a military grade weapon that milliards of dollars are put into to make you waste your time as easily as you can. You can move forward with your phone, but nothing is as effective in taking control back during your commutes, breaks, walks and free time etc. and it is a very important part of learning to deal with stress without mindless scrolling and games. There is no real phone hacks to help you. We and the enemy know that timers don't work. If you can enable all enemy weapons with one switch it is not enough.

You will need a dumbphone or a custom rom to use this technique and stay in society.

It is not as hard as it sounds, actually you don't need it that much. Check out #dumbphone or r/dumbphones for inspiration and support. Me and many of my friends who done it as well don't look back.

Buuut i can't – 9 eas + 5 eff

Yes you can. But if you insist, still, buy a dumbphone or find one in the drawers and put your sim card there; carry them both. Now you can use the Internet only when you have wifi, but you can use offline maps, listen to downloaded music and watch downloaded movies, read pdfs etc. Check your email, bank, messages, memes at work or at home. You will regain control over walks, commutes and socialising. But if you still have any social apps, at home or during breaks, you are still cooked. It is still a very good first step to moving away from phone dependence.

Smartphone substitutes

Email, socials, work, school – all will now be done on a pc or a laptop. This is good. It allows you to distance yourself from stress, tiring family members, school, work and problems of others and engage with them only when you want to. It allows you to take a break. It is not your duty, to engage all the time and the ability to do so at your own pace is the biggest advantage you can get on the battlefield. If something important is going on — someone will call you, don't worry. Just inform others that WhatsApp is not a place to discuss emergencies.

Fun, music, reading – you will need to get a dumbphone that supports some music, pdf viewing, photos and maybe light web browsing, they do exist. Or just buy an mp3 player, some books and a notepad. An e-reader and a camera for the high tech soldiers. Y2K is back in fashion anyway, and you will be much cooler and people will start conversations. Having everything in one place was convenient, but, if it means having time–wasting hazards in your pocket, it is not worth it.

Libraries are here to support you on your journey.

Block the feed — 10 eas + 4 eff

Hopefully you got rid of your phone, the biggest danger now is your web browser.

Use LeechBlock to block or regulate access to the biggest dangers – youtube, instagram, fb, reddit. On the weak side it is no better than the timer in your phone, supportive, but not really effective and fills you with guilt. Guilt is bad.

On the strong side you will block all access, allow very rare and short usage, put as many defenses as you can, put blockades on your blockades. Your brain is very effective at overcoming barriers, but they need to be put in place.

It is the first step, but it is not enough to win the war. Real psychological effects will show only after months of usage and well adjusted settings that acknowledge how your brain works and as you adapt your barriers will need to adapt as well. On the flip-side it requires no real conscious work or wasting your willpower if your filters are good.

You will sometimes need to bend the rules, to fix something or watch a lecture or a tutorial or just for some well deserved Forgotten Vines Compilation. Remember to put them back in place later and spot the times where you never did — and do it then.

Warning: nerd shit! (3-6) eas + (7-10) eff

If your friends sent you a funny video — don't unlock the site to watch it. Use external software like MPV or VLC to watch this video using only the link, without getting rid of your defense line. This is easiest on a linux machine.

You also have the nuke – block websites on your router and gate settings. You will need the support of the rest of the war room members in your house to use it and it will cut access to actually useful things. But this is a war for your life and every sacrifice is worth it.

Block the biggest hazards — 6 eas + 9 eff

Sorry, but you will need to use some nerd tactics.

Shorts, reels, tik toks, explore, for you pages. They need to be blocked immediately and for good. No access, no overrides, no fiddling in options. LeechBlock browser addon will allow you to block specific pages with harder barriers. Do it and never change them.

They are the biggest danger and you know it. Your brain will not be mad if it won't get dopamine this way, it knows you would never find the perfect 1 minute video that would make you happy. The urge to scroll some shorts will go away real fast.

This will allow you to fight only the easier fights — against the normal infinite feeds.

UblockOrigin

Is a double edged sword. Removing ads makes your life on the internet easy and fun. It is only a good thing to a certain extent – our fight is to make some parts of the internet as hard and painful to use – but it will help you keep your sanity.

Use it to block the feed! Click on Ublock icon and use the little pipette to add a rule that blocks the infinite feed on webpages of your choice.

Select the area and click the blue button to create a rule on the main page. Now you will not be distracted with algorithmic content, but you are free to not block groups important for you or your work or still see notifications, messages and other functions.

Cons: sometimes your rules will break with time, you will need to make many of them. Removing ads from youtube is dangerous as the reward is easier to obtain, thus making the boobytrap more effective.

Don't use apps and don't use the browser. 10 eas + 6 eff

Minimize a chance of getting distracted while doing something else.

For messages, school and work remove the browser from the equation. Use desktop clients for messaging, microsoft office, Teams, email etc. They have exactly what you need and are often more convenient to use. No chance of opening Instagram in excel.

For social media and online entertainment use the browser, don't use the apps! You are going into the warzone, you will need the armor – Leechblock and other addons are here to help you. Time wasting apps are engineered to remove your personal defense – never use them.

No Screentime before coffee – 1 eas + 10 eff

This one is behavioral and requires actual brain work, but give yourself some time and it will give you great effects.

Do not check memes, messages, mail etc. before waking up. Easier said than done.

Going to school or work will be easier, waking up will be easier, you will start to eat and have more energy during the day.

It will require you to plan your day in advance, check the calendar and your plan for the day the night before. I never learned it as a child and it is very hard to work on it, but the effects on my psyche are immense.

If you got rid of your phone, you are halfway there. If you can remove your laptop from proximity of your bed — do it. If you have an ability to put your pc in a seperate room — it would be perfect, but not many are able to, including me.

Separate your working, from sleeping, from entertainment spaces, we worked on it during COVID soldier, don't forget your training.

Remove the noise — 1 eas + 4 eff

somewhat. You probably don't actually need podcasts and music to work, walk or sleep and regaining your ability to focus there is also important. Maybe substitute them with white/pink/brown noise at least sometimes, especially for brain heavy tasks this is very helpful to get work done in a reasonable amount of time. Blanket app is a good desktop noise generator that won't require the browser.

But I will not blame you if you won't, this is the least problematic part and humans have always met to do menial tasks while hearing others talk and many conditions are easier to live with some background noise.

Pick your allies

Internet is a meadow and a minefield. Place for art and support and knowledge filled with weapons designed to use you as an revenue generator. Watch content only from curated, quality places and people you follow. Never look at the algorithmic feed. Tumblr is a prime example of a site that can be your ally, but don't trust it – block the For You page.

don't lose your steam

Do not engage emotionally with things beyond your control. This was the twitter's weapon of choice. If you do not have the money or time to support a cause, you know about it and you know all your mutuals already support it – don't let the algorithm put it down your throat against your will.

Do not follow war hashtags, do not look at pages when you can see hate and violence against your will. Educate yourself, do as much as you can, follow people who inspire you and do real work, but allow yourself to move on if it is beyond your abilities or strength. Your local anarchist group will do more good in a month, than you reading political posts for years. If you honestly care – join them and focus on real work. If you can't contribute, just learn about it and move on. There will be more opportunities in the future and then we will need all your strength. This is the sad part of winning the war. Some sacrifices have to be made.

^you soon

Wish you luck soldiers. This is a fight worth fighting.

share your weapons of choice if you can and tell me about your experiences.

[pocketramblr]

Ask game where izuku time travel and somehows saves hawks which leads for massive hero worship of him

1- izuku is yeeted backwards through time and crashes outside the shanty Tomie and Keigo lived in. Tomie hides and, curious, Keigo peaks outside to see a darkly costumed hero in a torn cape and cowl sparking lightning and spasming bits of darkness. he thinks that is very cool but also probably dangerous, ready to fly off.

Izuku, who looks around and has no idea where he is, sees the shack and heads closer to try and see if anyone is there and can tell him where he is

2- Tomie freaks and grabs Keigo to run, but Izuku is able to pretty easily catch up and pull out his hero license, apologizing for the scare and getting halfway through asking where he is when he stops because either Hawks has a secret lovechild that Shoto and Fumikage are going to go crazy about, or, this kid is just Hawks. which means he's time traveled. And he knows exactly what's going to go down, how the commission botches the war arc, leading him directly to the runnaway arc he was in the middle of- not to mention Keigo is like, six years old right now and looks just like all the other small kids Izuku's helped before.

3- Izuku is like "Hey, actually, can i like, buy you some food? or we can go to a safehouse? from your villain husband/father that i know about?" and that spooks Tomie enough that she tells Keigo to fly away as fast as he can, but he comes back in under a minute to help her, only to see Izuku letting her go back inside the house, and muttering to himself about how to help them.

He could try to hunt down All Might, but he doesn't know if his number is the same this far back, or the ramifications of dealing with time, or if Gran Torino will believe him, or if his teacher has even started at UA at this point, and Keigo lands and says he sounds like he knows a lot of heroes.

Danger Sense didn't warn Izuku and he's startled, but nods, saying the problem is a lot of them don't know him yet.

4- Izuku thinks about it for a while with the vestiges as he takes Keigo into town and brings food back to the home for dinner, figuring out what he should do because none of them know what to do about time travel. Eventually, he decides to take Third's advice- he doesn't know any heroes that will believe him or can risk causing a paradox with, but he does know a hero he can blackmail whose life choices he probably can't make any worse.

To say that Endeavor is surprised when some stranger waving a hero license in the air and carrying two civilians with his quirk lands in his front yard is an understatement.

5- Izuku gets Enji to talk with him in his office while he shoves Tomie and Keigo at Rei and the three todokids, telling him everything- that he's from the future, that he can prove it with a lot of information that he really shouldn't have and a very legit license from the future, and that if Izuku is about right about when he time traveled, Rei is very recently pregnant with Shoto so Enji better get it together before Touya tries to kill the infant threatening to replace him as central piece in the mini eugenics experiment he decided to run. He tells him off for caring about the ranking system more than the reason heroes exist, warns him that he should probably see if he can stop the commission from training the kid they currently are training to be their super illegal and immoral assassin before she snaps and kills the president, and then decides 'oh what the hell, predictions of death have been great motivators in mine and All Might's experience!' and tells Enji that unless he wants to be killed by a quirk affected Shoto minutes after killing Touya, he'll prevent that future by changing things right now.

Izuku leaves the office with a stunned Enji and announces that Endeavor oh so kindly offered to make sure that Tomie and Keigo have safe housing and food. He ruffles Keigo's hair, tells him that he should be proud of working so hard to improve his quirk so quickly that he's practically faster than Izuku, who was so bad with his quirk originally that it was out of control and broke his own bones, recommends Touya look into Sheild Industries for support tech, waves at a shy Fuyumi, and then slips the kids a phone number for absolute emergencies with the passcode 'one for all' written on it. Then he leaves.

Keigo watches him go and announces that he must be the greatest hero ever, and Keigo is going to be just like him one day.

Touya takes offense since obviously Endeavor is the greatest hero and then Touya will be. Keigo looks at the still stunned Enji, then back at the very cool multi quirk silhouette, and decides that Touya's tastes cannot be trusted.

+1- Several years later, Endeavor watches the sports festival and pulls out his phone, calling Touya and only saying "no" because he knows that Touya is also watching and seeing the bone breaking kid who looks just like the hero from ages ago. Touya protests that he didn't want the kid for internships anyway, just thought he must be that old heroe's son. Enji goes 'nah, it's him, before he time traveled' and does not elaborate even as Touya asks if he's joking. Keigo is already filing the paperwork for the internship, and says he already knew that, because Izuku muttered a lot- but he's not going to let him vanish without a word this time! not to mention, his agency is going to be the one to make the first official merch that Keigo has been dying to collect for over a decade now. Touya questions Keigo's tastes, and Izuku ends up picking another agency.

[touristbree]

❤️ Pokemon Center Ranking ❤️

The Pokemon center has been a location in every Pokemon game since the beginning, a safe place for the player to stop, heal, and reorganize. The Pokemon center varies between regions, so part of me wonders which is the best one, I created a set of Criteria to judge each Pokemon center:

Design: Overall, how much do I like the design?

Coziness: How comfortable does this place look? Would I feel safe being here?

Environment: How well does the Pokemon Center blend in with the environment? Is it well hidden and feels like a natural part of the town or does it stick out unnaturally?

Theme: How good is the song played? Is it a simple song or does it make you love being at the Pokemon Center?

I did some checking and made a Google form for voting (featured at the end of this post). For now, here’s my opinion on the various Pokemon centers, best to worst.

Blueberry Academy (19)

Design: 3

Coziness: 1

Environment: 10

Theme: 5 (Shares Terarium Theme)

Looking over the history of Pokemon centers, it’s interesting to see how the technology and functions changed over time, Gen 5 saw the Poke-mart put inside it and Gen 8 removed the PC, Blueberry Academy removed the entire building. The “Self-Service Healing Centers” are pokemon centers stripped down to their bare essentials, you heal, buy items at a nearby vending machine, and leave, there’s no calming theme or lady to welcome you, you just heal and leave. The areas they are in don’t take away from the surrounding terarium, but it also doesn’t feel like somewhere I can just sit down and rest

Johto (23)

Design: 4

Coziness: 6

Environment: 6

Theme: 7

I know most of my problems with Johto are its system, but I’m still not a fan, the colors are very extreme, the layout and building are the same as the Red and Bue one, and the music adds this drum-like sound to the original music that really doesn’t help it. Also, the chairs don’t have backs, everyone who sits there will be slouching. Sorry Johto fans, this isn’t my cup of tea… but the Heart Gold-Soul Silver Pokemon Center is.

Johto (HGSS) (26)

Design: 10

Coziness: 3

Environment: 5

Theme: 8

I won’t be including the ORAS or FRLG Pokemon centers since they’re either HD upgrades to their original design or just the Hoenn Pokemon Center. The Johto Pokemon Center in HGSS is a fairly solid design that changes a little to fit some towns, and the interior is two floors, something only one other pokemon center will have and I will always love. The theme is much better, the drums actually work now, but this pokemon center loses in terms of comfort… there’s nowhere to sit and rest.

Kanto (27)

Design: 5

Coziness: 7

Environment: 7

Theme: 8

Ah yes, the original pokemon center and I’d say it’s a pretty nice one, there are seats with backs, a few nice trees, and the theme is a nice base for future themes to build on. This pokemon center is fairly basic, but still a nice place to be, I feel like if pokemon centers were real, they’d look more like the Kanto ones.

Galar (27)

Design: 10

Coziness: 5

Environment: 7

Theme: 5

Similar to the basic Kanto Pokemon center, but has more of a comforting atmosphere that’s able to blend in with a lot of Galarian towns, especially Spikemuth and Ballonlea, even including a variation that’s built into other buildings. The theme is alright and the building is nice, but where the Galar Center fails is coziness, there are no seats, only tables so everyone has to stand.

Alola (28)

Design: 8

Coziness: 7

Environment: 6

Theme: 7

Alola is fairly similar to Galar, the interior is very well-themed to Alola, and even has a cafe to one side to make up for the wooden chairs it has. The exterior, specifically the roof, stands out a lot of the time, and from a lot of towns, and I think the start of the theme leans way too much into it being in Alola. I will admit the Po Town is cool, but that’s only one location.

Sinnoh (29)

Design:6

Coziness: 8

Environment: 7

Theme: 8

The Sinnoh Pokemon Center is the same as the Hoenn, Unova, and FRLG Pokemon Center, only missing a glass table, but the tree and bookshelves are nice. Initially the theme had a lower score, but then I heard the night version and I fell in love with it.

Hoenn (29)

Design: 6

Coziness: 8

Environment: 5

Theme: 10

All that’s different some Sinnoh is that there’s a table… it’s fairly similar… but has one big saving grace: THE THEME. It is so calming, it perfectly remakes the original pokemon center theme in a way that makes it more relaxing and maybe even nicer on the ears. I was genuinely caught off guard by how good it is.

Paldea (32)

Design: 9

Coziness: 7

Environment: 10

Theme: 6

I was initially going to do a simple ranking and I was going to put Paldea as second worst… but in a strange way all the things I dislike about Paldea make it a really good pokemon center. The design is fairly simple and doesn’t stand out that much, but that perfectly allows it to blend in with the environments, the massive pokeball sign above it doesn’t take away from the surrounding area but still marks its location. I initially gave it a 5, but noticing it has some chairs on the side of it boosted it to a 7, not higher because there aren’t any walls, sure the game doesn’t let pokemon enter the area, but realistically that level 89 garchomp is still getting me.

Kalos (34)

Design: 8

Coziness: 10

Environment: 6

Theme: 10

My first game was XY and I’m happy I got this solid of a pokemon center. This is probably the coziest pokemon center, it has chairs and a long sofa with a corner seat, changing room, the largest pokemon center library out of any region! The theme is so good, the guitar playing the classic theme is so soothing, Kalos and Hoenn have the best music. There is only one thing that holds Kalos back from being perfect, the design, the interior was painted by Caulde Monet himself… but the exterior… Why does such a cozy building have such an industrial roof? You’re telling me if I sit down and look up I’ll see a Costco Roof? This ‘bold’ design heavily contrasts a lot of the towns they’re in.

Unova (35)

Design: 10

Coziness: 9

Environment: 7

Theme: 9

This is the best pokemon center building, it has two floors, the first to combine the pokemon center and the poke-mart, and across from the poke-mart is a cute area to sit and read a book. The entire building reminds me of a mall, a social area for people to gather and get what they need. The theme is probably the most pokemon center, pokemon center theme, comforting and makes me feel like I can relax.Technically this is the best pokemon center but I just love the number one pick even more.

Kitakami (37)

Design: 10

Coziness: 8

Environment: 10

Theme: 9

Many will disagree with me, but the small pokemon center stand in Mossui town is the single greatest pokemon center in all of pokemon. The design is so wonderfully simple and fits perfectly into this small town, a full size pokemon center would be such a distraction and feel so out of place. The theme for it is Mossui town which is also really good, there’s nowhere to sit, but who needs to sit when there’s this Nurse Joy, when she smiles and heals your pokemon, it doesn’t just feel like a friendly woman doing her job, it’s your aunt helping you out and doing a little gossip on the side. Her presence alone clears every other pokemon center in any other region.

Here’s the link to join the discussion and vote on which is best:

Edit: Wrong link! Sorry!

[averyangrytissuebox]

I'm going to level with you for this campaign. I am very biased because I love this campaign. I have lots of fond memories of playing this campaign with my friends by the seaside. Passing nervously as we did the last scenario or doing absolutely busted shit because we didn't realise how overpowered double or nothing can truly be. This doesn't mean you should take my review with a 3 autofails worth of salt because I stand by what I say, I just wanted to gush first.

Path to Carcosa: The perfection of the base formula

This is a big claim to start the review so let me explain what I mean. Path to Carcosa is the quintessential arkham campaign which every future campaign will deviate from in different directions with stuff like Edge of the Earth's large maps or Scarlet Key's open world. If you loved the base game set up in Night of the Living Zealot and Dunwich Legacy then Carcosa is for you.

Path to Carcosa follows our investigators as they investigate a bizarre performance of a mysterious play which pulls them across the world to France as they try to understand exactly who they face before venturing to Carcosa in an attempt to escape their influence. This campaign spans a variety of locations from high society parties to the streets and catacombs of france but always followed by the Man in the Pallid Mask.

The campaign plays with an interesting dynamic where depending on whether you believe what you see or doubt its very existence changes how the campaign is played with whole scenarios being inverted depending on the route and even the final boss being changed. This is a formula which other campaigns follow suite on to varying levels of success (Scarlet Keys doing it well while Forgotten Age's only matters if you want the secret ending / which companion you want and Circle Undone changes some stuff but not noticeably in my opinion.) This does make saying a favourite scenario hard because there are lots of variance.

If I had to choose a best scenario (and I am writing a review here with a specific format so I sort of do), I'd name the last one but this will require some spoilers. Skip to my complaints to dodge spoilers. Dim Carcosa is the culmination of the decisions you've made across the campaign because depending on whether you had conviction or doubted all that you see. If you doubted the existence of the other world, now you have nowhere left to run because he is all around you but if you hold to your convictions, now you must face him head on at his strongest because you fed his power.

That being said, there are some complaints to be had with this campaign. Echoes of the Past snowballs one of two ways: If you get the cultists under control, it is easy but if you don't, you will struggle to get it back on track. Secondly, Dim Carcosa is harder than most other scenarios. I don't have that many complaints about the campaign as a whole if my gushing doesn't make that clear enough

In terms of investigators, brain is the name of the game. Mental damage is way more common than physical so having a decent sanity is needed unless you plan on buying Elder Sign Amulet. Keep relics and spells handy because there is an enemy which can't be beaten quickly unless you use them. An investigator capable of evading is also super useful depending on the route you take. Finally Calvin Wright can achieve godhood in this campaign so yknow go apeshit if you want.

Overall, I love this campaign. It is classic arkham perfected where the scenarios themselves aren't complex but the theming is rich and gameplay is interactive. This is the perfect introduction campaign to try with friends. If you are reading this and are even vaguely interested in trying it out, try it out (If you know me personally, message me pls pls pls pls). Finally the end of review ranking, this is the best campaign so far with Dunwich Legacy 2nd and Night of the Zealot last

Other reviews in this series:

Night of the Zealot: Let's start at the Beginning. It is a very good place to start

Dunwich Legacy: Good but with Growing Pains

The Forgotten Age: Flawed but interesting

[goldenguy]

I was reading on Twitter that the files for old FN characters have been updated. But then they said that the update was just them moving the characters to a new folder.

Some people were speculating that it's so they can add these battle pass characters to the shop in the future, if they get enough positive feedback from the community to bring them back.

Other people think that they've been moved to a new folder so that no more "Paradigm" sort of mistakes can happen. If they're moved to a new folder, it might lower the chance of them being added to the item shop accidentally.

I just hope hope hope hope hope that maybe one day they'll consider selling old battle passes. I don't mind working and levelling up to unlock OG Midas instead of buying him, I just really want that darn cosmetic. I would play a hundred hours for that skin. I'd play ranked for that skin. I'd cry and write Epic games a darn letter for that skin.

Honestly, they could bring back old battle passes, they could bring back the cosmetic trade feature, or they could bring out a gifting feature where they include battle pass skins as an option to gift and. 👏 include. 👏 Midas. 👏

But I don't want to get my hopes up for the single shred of hope to be crushed and taken away by them (but I still am hoping that they bring old battle passes back. Please give me OG Midas, I beg).

[cleoselene]

I started up Interview With the Vampire because y'all have been getting to me with the memes, and then my good bitch @sandushengshou informed me that the first season was up on Netflix. Which, you know, I could pirate it but I'm lazy! And I can leech off roommate's account, so having easy access I don't have to download and put on a flash drive that I stick in my tv is good bonus motivation.

Well I'm only like 20 minutes in and it's already totally engaging. I never read the books but I did see the films. Loved the Tom Cruise one, but thought Brad Pitt's acting was wooden, terrible boring bland. It was sad, because everyone else in that movie was pretty delightful. Tom Cruise and Kirsten Dunsten were fantastic! And then there was Brad Pitt. I read once that Cher was almost cast as Louis, and well, Cher's a much better actor than Brad Pitt, I'd have been there for it.

BUT! Jacob Anderson is great so far and interesting and lively and not like some guy reciting lines! And we've just met Lestat, who I know the fandom has enjoyed, and he's been fun so far. I'm read for this to be a rolicking good time.

I spent the whole day in World of Warcraft: The War Within and my Arcane Mage is level 73. I figured it was enough for one day, lol, I don't need to burn through the content. It's really fun to play on release weekend though! I've never done that! Back when I first started playing it was like, people camping out at Gamestop at Midnight to buy it. The game is sooooo different and yet the same in all the right ways.

One of the reasons I dipped out around Legion was that they were talking about cutting back on flying/phasing out flying in future expansions, or that was the rumor, and I thought that was fucking shitty, but now I'm back after several years and lol. yeah, not only have they not phased it out, they've gone harder on it, and getting to fly immediately and not when I reach max level in the expansion is certainly a change philosophy. I wonder if other players hated it the talk of moving away from flying as much as I do. I never bought the alleged idea that "if you're on a flying mount you're not appreciating all this beautiful scenery we coded" because we still spend a large amount of our time on the ground doing stuff.

I'm still obsessing over the WoW version of Pokemon. Up to 1086 battle pets, and somehow keep slipping on my server standing even though I've moved up about 5k spots on the site ranking. Proudmoore has always been a super competitive Pokemon server. BACK IN THE DAY, I was like #7 on the server. I actually had someone on tumblr back when I very first joined be all "YOU! YOU HAVE BEEN MY ARCHNEMESIS ON WARCRAFT PETS! YOU KEEP PASSING ME, I KEEP PASSING YOU!" It was validating lol.

[miketownsends]

could you explain the current vibes of the mariners around the trade deadline? everything seems positive but surely they must also be losing some possibly important players, especially reading both their top draft signers

vibes are good! we’ve been BEGGING ownership to buy at the deadline and they’re doing that. still need at least one more good bat but we’ve got a little time.

we lost Aidan Smith and Brody Hopkins in the Arozarena trade (ranked #12 and #22 in the Ms system, respectively) as well as a PTBNL. obviously not sure who it is yet, but the report is it will be another minor-leaguer who is not quite as highly ranked as Aidan or Brody. Rays are still deciding from the list they agreed on but it sounds like it’ll happen in the next few days. there was some speculation initially that the list included recent draft picks (including our two top picks), but as far as i can tell that’s not the case after all.

then for Yimi Garcia we traded Jonatan Clase (#10 prospect) and Jacob Sharp (unranked). losing Clase is kind of sad - i liked him a lot (watched him in Everett and at the Futures game last year!) and he’s been up and down with the big league club this season. but unfortunately, he’s just not quite ready to play in MLB full-time, and now with Arozarena we’ve got an outfield logjam, especially when Julio comes off the IL. Sharp i don’t know much about other than that he’s a catcher and has been in Modesto all year.

is it possible that in a couple years i’m gonna see one or more of these guys doing something incredible and go “damn i wish we held onto him”? definitely! in fact, i HOPE so because i want all these guys to succeed! but the Ms have a deep farm system. we can stand to lose some guys. even top prospects don’t always pan out - players get injured and don’t come back the same (Kyle Lewis, Evan White 😔) or they hit a wall somewhere (either in a higher level or when they reach MLB) or any other number of things.

i pay a lot of attention to our minor league teams. i’m emotionally attached to a lot of our minor league players and i don’t want to see them go. but i also want the Ms to GO TO THE FUCKING PLAYOFFS and this is how we get a shot at that! especially in a year where the division title is SO in reach!

so, yeah. tl;dr - vibes are good, we haven’t lost anything we can’t replace, and i’m still hoping they do more ✌️

[attic-club-sandwich]

To Ascend Again

Summary: After falling from the Celestial Realm, the seven brothers must rely on each other emotionally to cope with the loss of their sister, Lilith. Meanwhile, they are also trying to adjust to their new forms and heal both the physical and emotional wounds caused by the Celestial War. Their bonds become stronger than ever since the fall, and they learn to rise again from the calamity that befell them.

Genre: Angst/Hurt

CW: Blood, Mammon swearing, very minor violence

A/N: This is the first chapter released since Nightbringer came out! 🎉 I honestly was holding out for NB's release to get a feel for the story so I could figure out exactly how I wanted the future chapters to go. Now I know the situation of RAD in NB, but I had already mentioned it before i prior chapters so to keep it consistent, we're just going with it lol I'll try my best from here on out to include some stuff from the game, so i'll be sure to include if there's potential spoilers. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy!! I also apologize in advance for what i'm about to do to Satan 😬

Taglist: @amberrskiies @delphi-dreamin @obey-me-posts @sassykattery @bite-sized-devil @flemmingbamse

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Masterlist

Read on Ao3

Chapter 8: The Fall of Satan

The brothers stared as Diavolo placed a rather large catalog in front of them on the dining room table. “Uh, what’s this?” Mammon asked, tilting his head. “This here is a book of all of our Uniform options at my Academy!” The demon prince boasted. Lucifer pulled the catalog closer to himself to get a better look. “So, we can choose whatever we’d like?” he asked. Barbatos nodded from his place at the end of the table. “Yes, that’s correct. Most demons go for a standard, traditional uniform. But you can customize any of the pieces such as the style and color of the ties.” The brothers all crowded around Lucifer as they looked at the wide variety of uniform styles that Diavolo offered.

“Feel free to browse for the rest of the day. As soon as you decide we’ll get them ordered and you will be able to start attending the Academy.” Lucifer hummed as he glanced up at Diavolo, clasping his hands together in front of him. “And how exactly will we be paying for this?” Diavolo chuckled. “You needn’t worry, the Academy takes care of the costs for all of the student uniforms.” Barbatos nodded in agreement. “That is correct. However I must mention that you now have a household fund that the Demon King has set up in honor of your rankings.” Lucifer gaped at him as Mammon’s head shot up, abandoning the catalog. “Did ya just say ‘household fund’? Like, we have actual money?” Lucifer nudged him harshly, noticing the golden hue that began to shine in his younger brother’s eyes. “Mammon, that’s enough.” he hissed in warning. The white haired demon ignored him, his mind clearly clouded by greed. Diavolo tossed his head back in laughter as he slipped Lucifer a small rectangular piece of plastic. “Now calm down, Mammon. This credit card here is exclusively for household spending. You should have plenty in there to buy some more clothes to start out as well as ingredients to stock the kitchen.” Mammon huffed, crossing his arms to his chest. “Fine, I really do need new shirts. My wings keep rippin’ holes through ‘em.” “Me too, I’m so tired of it.” Asmo whined, resting his chin in his hand. Lucifer ignored them as he held up the small card. It was black with gold lettering that spelled out his name as well as a series of numbers. “When you go to buy something here in the Devildom, you can either use the physical form of currency as you had before, or simply hand over this card. It’ll automatically take out the funds from your account.” Lucifer glanced from the card back to Diavolo. “Is it really that simple?” he asked. Diavolo nodded. “Indeed. Almost too simple. Now, be sure to keep that away from Mammon.” he chuckled, nudging his shoulder. 

Once Barbatos finished explaining the uniforms, Diavolo plopped a big box down on the table, catching everyone’s attention. “Now, these are another important thing that will assist you greatly here in the Devildom.” One by one, he brought out a small, rectangular looking device and set them on the hardwood surface. “These are called D.D.Ds, which stands for ‘Diavolo’s Devildom Device’. They are manufactured by a well known company here in the Devildom called the Three-Legged Crow Conglomerate.” Levi reached for one and touched the screen, causing it to light up. “Woah, no way! These are kind of like human world cell phones!” he said, his voice rising with excitement as he unlocked the screen. Belphie shuffled his way through his older brothers to stand next to Leviathan, his violet eyes sparkling with interest. He watched as Levi tapped his way through the different apps on the home screen. “I’ve heard of cell phones. Li-” the youngest demon paused, his face falling almost immediately. “Um, I mean I just used to hear the other angels talking about them, is all.” Diavolo smiled sadly at the youngest brother as he handed the rest of the D.D.Ds out. Lucifer glanced over at Belphie, who was now staring at the ground. He knew that Lilith had a fascination with items from the Human world, Lilith was always telling them about her new discoveries. Diavolo’s voice brought him back from his thoughts and he noticed he was now holding one of the devices. “Belphegor is right. They do work very similarly to human world devices. These will allow you to stay in contact with each other when you’re away, and you can also browse the many applications that come with it.” Lucifer gently held the D.D.D. in his hand as he stared down at it. “So how do we use it?” he asked, quizzically. Barbatos cleared his throat, holding up his own device in his gloved hand. “Allow me to show you.” For the next several minutes, the butler assisted with showing the brothers how to send messages, calls, and also access the variety of apps that were installed already. “There's one more thing. If you happen to need any aid with your D.D.D, it comes with its very own virtual assistant.” The brothers watched curiously as he pressed a button on the side of the device. All of a sudden, a giant hologram of a crow appeared before them. “Greetings, I am Karasu.” Barbatos smiled as he watched the brothers gasp in surprise. “This is Karasu, he serves as a helpful assistant whenever you need help with your D.D.D. Simply just say the words, ‘Hey Karasu’, or press this button here.” he said, pointing to the small button he had pressed just a few moments earlier. Lucifer stared wide eyed at the crow as it sat floating in the middle of their dining room. “This is…. Amazing.” he muttered. Levi nodded in agreement. “Yeah, way beyond technology the human world has.” 

As the brothers continued to browse through their D.D.Ds, Diavolo and Barbatos saw it as an opportunity to excuse themselves. “Please, let us know when you have decided on the uniforms. We’ll have them sent to the House of Lamentation and then we’ll discuss the details of the Academy. We’d like you to start attending as soon as possible.” Lucifer nodded as he led the two demons back to the entryway of the house. “Thank you for your help. Words cannot express how much I am grateful to the generosity you have shown me and my brothers.” he said, dipping his head. Diavolo smiled as he reached out to place a large hand on his shoulder. “There’s no need to thank me, Lucifer. You shall repay me soon, but for now, I’d like you to focus on settling in.” He winked before turning around and heading out the door with Barbatos following closely behind. Lucifer sighed as the large door creaked shut. He really didn’t know what he meant by ‘repaying’ him, but he decided Diavolo was right. That was a problem for the future. Now he just had to focus on not only taking care of his brothers, but a whole house. 

The rest of the evening was quiet. After a very chaotic afternoon deciding with his brothers over what to order from Akuzon, Lucifer found himself in his room, scrolling through his D.D.D. and enjoying peace and quiet. They had been instructed by Diavolo to leave the house as little as possible, as the Devildom was quite shaken up from the word of their fall. However, they needed food and clothes desperately, so they took up trying out the Akuzon app on their D.D.Ds. They were successfully able to order what they needed to be delivered within just a few hours. He had finally got his brothers to settle down and gather their things from the order to head to their rooms for the night. As he was browsing through a Devildom news app, his phone suddenly emitted a high pitched ding and he flinched, almost dropping it. He saw a message pop up from Diavolo.

Good evening, Lucifer.  Are you settling in okay? Lucifer sat up, rubbing his forehead. He really didn’t understand why the Demon Prince of all people was messaging him at such an hour. Was that normal? Sighing, Lucifer tapped on the message and began to type out a reply. 

Yes, thank you Diavolo. 

We’ve picked out uniforms, I’ll send the order your way.

….

…

Very good! 

Now Lucifer. 

I mean no offense by this but…do you know how to do that?

Lucifer stared wide-eyed at Diavolo’s message. On second thought, how did he go about doing that? 

Um.

No. My apologies, Diavolo. 

It’s quite alright. How about we meet tomorrow at my Castle? Come by whenever you are ready for the day.

Have a good night, Lucifer.

Lucifer blinked. Was he…laughing at him? Is that what that picture meant? The eldest demon sighed, setting his D.D.D down on the bed. The demon prince truly was a mystery to him. He still couldn’t understand how one of the most powerful demons in the Devildom could show this much compassion and kindness towards him and his brothers. Lucifer groaned, sliding underneath his covers and pulling them to his chest. He hated to admit it, but the generosity that Diavolo was showing to them was cracking the surface of his already fragile state of pride. He knew he didn’t deserve it. It was his fault they were all here anyways. His fault that Lilith was gone. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell his brothers the truth about their sister’s fate. He was failing them, and he could only sit here keeping secrets. He allowed his eyes to flutter shut, deciding to try and get some sleep since he would need to be at Diavolo’s early on the next day. However, flashes of Lilith’s bright smile filled his mind and kept him awake. She used to be the light in their lives. She always took care of them, cheered them up when they were upset. She was always smiling, and it made him smile. Lucifer could just barely remember the days when he didn’t constantly frown. Then one day, in the blink of an eye, her happy disposition was ruined by the corrupt laws of the Celestial Realm. Lucifer’s eyes shot open once more. Since when did he think of their laws as corrupt? He never thought of them that way before. He was always more than happy to uphold the commandments of The Celestial Realm. Obviously Lilith’s actions were forbidden by Celestial Realm law, so he should have had no opposition to their ruling. Lucifer rubbed his eyes. Just another sign of the pitiful creature I've become. Lucifer felt tears beginning to stream from the corners of his eyes, leaking onto the satin material of his pillowcase. There he was, crying again. He’s been doing a lot of that lately now that he didn’t have to share a space with Mammon and Leviathan. He wouldn’t dare to allow a single tear to slip in front of his brothers. He stuffed a fist to his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut, allowing himself to give in. An audible sob broke the silence in his room as his shoulders shook, unable to control the involuntary shudders wracking through his body. He wasn’t sure how long he cried for, but he began to feel his eyelids growing heavier and heavier. Lucifer sniffed as he wiped the tears away with the sleeve of his shirt. His head was becoming fuzzy, but it was almost…pleasant? Relaxing? He wasn’t sure exactly what the word for it was, but he sighed softly as he closed his eyes once more, allowing himself to give in and slip into a deep, much needed slumber. 

When Lucifer awoke the next morning, his head was surprisingly clear. He didn’t feel groggy like he normally did when he fell asleep with a tear stained face. Almost like…magic, he thought as he remembered the hazy feeling that overcame him last night. He snorted at the thought. Who in the hell would be working their magic on me? I simply exhausted myself once more. Shaking his head, he swung his feet over the side of the bed and stretched. He decided he should begin to get ready for the day, as he needed to go meet with Diavolo to get their RAD uniforms settled. He made his way to the bathroom and glanced in the mirror. He noticed he had shifted into his demon form at some point, his two large black horns curling from the sides of his head. His raven black hair was messy, sticking up in various places around his horns. He sighed as he pulled his shirt over his head and turned around. He was trying to get a glance at his back in the large mirror where the 6 wounds resulting from his terrifying fit of wrath stared back at him. He hated being in this form lately since his wings were beginning to grow back. It was unbearably itchy and sore, but the warm water from the shower helped soothe them for a short period of time. He practically groaned when he stepped under the warmth of the shower, enjoying the feeling of the hot water hitting his bare skin. 

After he was finished showering and dressed, Lucifer headed downstairs to the kitchen. He was surprised to see that the Twins were already there, getting breakfast ready for them all. “Good morning, Lucifer.” Beel said, flipping a couple of the biggest pancakes Lucifer has ever seen. “Good morning, you two. Thank you for getting breakfast ready.” he said, glancing at Belphegor. The youngest demon nodded. “Yeah, we settled on pancakes since we’re still getting a taste for Devildom food. Hope that’s okay.” he paused, then gave Lucifer a small smirk. “How did you sleep?” he asked. Lucifer blinked, confused at his expression. “...Very well, thank you. And you?” Belphie giggled softly. “Of course I slept well. I’m the Avatar of Sloth, remember?” Lucifer crossed his arms, beginning to piece together the situation. “Belphie…did you use your powers on me last night?” The 7th Born winked at him, his long, cow-like tail swishing excitedly behind him. “It’s possible. I was coming to talk to you about something but…I heard…” he trailed off, his tail suddenly stopping its movements and lowering to the ground. Lucifer smiled, reaching out a hand to ruffle Belphie’s hair. “I appreciate it.” he murmured softly. Belphie’s cheeks flushed, clearly flustered by Lucifer’s compliment. He turned to Beel, nuzzling his face into his arm. “O-Of course…but you don’t have to treat me like a child…” he muttered. Beel glanced away from the pancakes he was making and down at the top of his brother's head, obviously confused. Lucifer only laughed, “Come by my room this evening and we’ll talk. I have to meet with Diavolo today about our RAD uniforms, so I'll be out for a while.” The young demon nodded, still pressed into his twin’s side. “Wait, you’re leaving us alone? With Satan?” a voice sounded from the doorway. Lucifer turned around to see Levi, looking horrified. “It’s going to be fine, Levi. I’ll only be gone for a few hours.” Levi groaned, spinning back around and running straight into Asmo. “Ow, Levi! Watch where you’re going! You almost made me drop my D.D.D.” the 5th born whined, clutching the phone to his chest. “Oh shut up Asmo, Lucifer is leaving us to babysit the little ball of rage that is Satan.” “What?! You demon! You evil creature! You can’t do this to us!” he shrieked. Lucifer rubbed his temples in agitation. “Will you stop screaming? Listen, I have to go discuss this at Diavolo’s castle. I can’t keep having him come here all the time.” A chorus of groans filled the kitchen, all except for Beel who was shoving a pancake into his mouth. “Hey, Beel, save some for the rest of us.” Belphie sighed. 

Breakfast was thankfully uneventful. Satan didn’t come down from his room, so Lucifer took it as an opportunity to discuss the fact that he’d be leaving them alone for the first time since their fall. Of course, Mammon wasn’t happy to hear the news either. “What are we supposed to do if he flies off the handle again, eh?” Lucifer sighed. “Here’s hoping you all can stay calm for long enough that it doesn’t happen.” Mammon groaned. “Fine, but you better hurry up.” They all finished their breakfast, saving a plate for Satan to eat when he eventually came down from his room. Lucifer pulled on a large, wool jacket over his shoulders that he had gotten from last night’s Akuzon order. “I’ll be back soon. Please behave yourselves.” he said. The brothers nodded, shooting each other worried glances. Satan was in his room for the time being, but with his wrath being so unpredictable, they were all feeling incredibly anxious. “If you need anything, just call me. I’ll get back as soon as I can.” The brothers nodded as they watched Lucifer head out the door, leaving them alone in the giant house. 

About an hour went by after Lucifer’s departure, and the brothers found themselves hanging out in the living room together. “Did you guys see this app? It’s called Devilgram.” Asmo said, excitedly scrolling through his D.D.D.. “I’ve been scrolling through for hours! I’ve already made my first post! You guys need to follow me right now.” Mammon hummed, pulling up the app. “Can ya make money from it?” he asked, curiously. Asmo rolled his eyes. “Not everything is about money, Mammon.” Levi finally broke his silence from his spot on the couch next to Mammon. “I just downloaded this game, look.” he said, turning his phone for them all to see. “It’s called Ruri-Tunes! Isn’t the character so cute?” Mammon scrunched his face up, “Cute? Eh, I dunno about that.” Levi rolled his eyes, pulling his phone back to his chest. “Fine, you don’t get to be graced by her cuteness if you can’t appreciate it.” Mammon scoffed, a small smirk forming on his face. “Weirdo, who thinks a cartoon girl is cute?” Levi was about to retort when a voice interrupted. “Shouldn’t we text Satan and tell him food is down here for him?” Beel wondered out loud. “Awe Beel, you’re always so worried about food.” Asmo cooed, “But we probably should…I guess…” he sighed. “I’ll do it. I’ll start a group chat with us all.” Levi said, bringing up his messages. Group Chat: House of Lamentation (7)

Hey Satan, we have breakfast down here for you if you’re hungry.

Yeah, we noticed you didn’t come down so we wanted to save ya some before Beel inhaled it all.

….

….

They all watched as the tiny dots appeared and disappeared again. “...Is that him typing?” Belphie asked, glancing up from his phone. 

And you guys didn’t come get me?

You’re always leaving me out of things. That’s fine.

I don’t belong here anyways. 

….

….

Seriously, I can't stand being around you all. 

The brothers all jumped as they heard a door from upstairs slam shut. “Oh shit.” Mammon muttered, listening to the footsteps come down the stairs and echo down the hallway. “He’s coming down.” The 2nd Born got to his feet, standing protectively in front of his brothers with his wings spread out wide. They watched as the small form of Satan finally entered the living room, his green eyes glowing with uncontained wrath. “Satan, hey, just calm down for a sec! I’m sorry we didn’t come get you, we thought you were asleep!” Levi jumped up next. “Y-Yeah t-that’s all! W-We didn’t want to wake you is all!” Satan only glared at them, “Shut up! You guys don’t even care! You think I don’t hear what you’re saying?!” he shrieked, his tail lashing back and forth. “Satan, knock it off right now, ya damn brat!” Mammon growled, baring his fangs. “Mammon, that's definitely not guaranteed to calm him down.” Beel said, slowly rising from the couch. “I’m leaving, you all can fuck off!” Satan yelled, making a break for the entryway of the house. “Oh no ya don’t, you out of all of us can’t leave!” Mammon said, grabbing the smaller boy’s arm. Satan spun around, letting out an inhuman-like growl as he sunk his fangs into Mammon’s forearm. “Fuck!” Mammon hissed, letting go and grasping his arm. “Someone call Lucifer! Now!” he yelled back at his brothers, who were looking horrified as they saw blood dripping onto the hardwood floor of the living room. Asmo shrieked and jumped up to head to the other room to call the eldest demon. Satan once again made a sprint for the front door, but was stopped by Beel who grabbed him from behind, squeezing him to his chest. Satan wailed, attempting to wiggle free from the Avatar of Gluttony’s grasp, but it was no use. He was strong, and Satan’s small frame was not nearly powerful enough to break free from Beel’s strength. His tail, however, lashed against Beel’s legs, back and arms, causing the red haired demon to stumble. “Guys, I can’t hold him for much longer.” Beel hissed through his teeth.  Suddenly, a burst of magic filled the room, and the brothers all looked up to see Barbatos entering through a portal out of thin air followed by Diavolo and Lucifer. “Beelzebub, drop him.” Barbatos said, sternly. Beel obeyed and released his grasp on the wrath filled demon. Satan dropped to the ground, gasping as he attempted to get to his feet once more. The next thing he knew, he had no feeling in his limbs and he fell forward, his head hitting against the tile of the entryway. “I've immobilized him. It should last until we get him contained.” Diavolo said. His normally cheerful voice has been replaced with an uncharacteristically serious tone. Lucifer made his way over, rolling his little brother’s small body over with his foot. Satan’s eyes lit up once more at the sight of the eldest demon, his lip curling in disgust. Lucifer frowned, noticing how his face was stained crimson from what he guessed to be Mammon’s blood.

“Satan, what have you done?”

[annkous]

Some Obey Me! Nightbringer commentary, up to Lesson 10 because I just finished it and I need to yell to the void about it 🥲 and for my own future musings when more content comes out...

I'm still missing some side lessons/hard modes because I need to get higher ranks to unlock them but the main story up to date is done!

First of all, I love a more chaotic MC. I also love time travel plots a lot, and how this game explores more deeply the relationship between the brothers: I felt they took it a bit more seriously than the og Obey Me! More seriously it's probably not the right word but... better paced? Which I like a lot considering they are still adjusting. I saw most of them struggling with issues I wanted to see in the og game and damn did I get fed. We haven't seen all of them in 10 lessons, but seeing them also worry about each other as they went through different shit was amazing, considering how they "joke" about leaving each other to their demise in the og game lmao. I liked this a lot more.

Also a day or two ago I thought about us still having the Ring of Light while progressing Nightbringer (I even went back to og Obey Me! to catch up... I left it on Lesson 68 and was saving up on rainbow sticks and AP, only for my dumb ass to forget that they have a promo of 0AP going on so I put on the seatbelt, grabbed my 70~ rainbow sticks and plowed through the damn thing up to Lesson 80 while I farmed some grimm in Nightbringer to level up my damn cards and continue the story when I was done. And I found out that yes, we still had the ring with us in the present) and how they would find out we had the thing. And lo and behold, on Lesson 10 Lucifer sees the Ring and flips his shit just like I hoped he would bc it's an important plot point and I was a bit worried they'd forgotten about it lmao. The brothers did see MC use the Ring before on Lesson 9 but Luci wasn't present and MC pulls a "oh they're just similar" and that's it bc they buy it lol I love them.

Also I thought it was weird none noticed we were human, but Diavolo was onto us on Lesson 8/9. He pulls us aside and outright asks and I was like "THANK GOD" bc SOMEONE between these powerful bastards had to notice eventually. I mean, I know people pointed out in og Obey Me! sometimes they can't tell and perhaps we've been with our demon and angel family too much so they kinda can't tell what we are. So. Yea. Also demons can change their appearance/don't always look like demons, so it made sense. But I still made fun of their radar lol.

And then Diavolo pulls a "you can't stay here as a human, the situation is already dire as it is" and I was like "WAIT NO GO BACK". I legit thought we could fly past it with a task, like the usual trials Diavolo puts MC through, but I underestimated how more serious Nightbringer was compared to og Obey Me! and at some point I legit believed we were going to get our ass kicked out of the Devildom by the end of Season 1 and we'd have to come back for Season 2, just like in the og game.

For the "Diavolo trial" (lol) I thought it was going to be the Mausoleum job Mammon mentions the moment we get back home, because it fits the usual MO (I had just done all the trials to get into the Student Council in og Obey Me!.....), but when we get there we meet Adam (who posseses poor Mammon) and hello there, YET ANOTHER MYSTERY IN THIS GAME, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD? GREAT! Leaving aside the whole Adam thing because that's a whole other suitcase to unpack another day and I'm not in the mood to revise Biblical history right now to look for Lilith+Eve stuff (and besides he said his beloved was in the Celestial Realm, so it can't be Lilith...... I think.) when he mentioned that a demon who called himself Nightbringer told him a human with the damn Ring of Light would lead him to his beloved in the Celestial Realm I almost flipped my shit. I kept changing my mind about the "unknown person" who sent us back being Barbatos because it could also be a red herring (god knows I've eaten those up way too much so I have Trust Issues with very Obvious Stuff), and past Barbatos didn't recognize us despite being able to see shit everywhere, past-present and future. But if future Barbatos wanted to keep his past self without knowing shit, I suppose he could also do it... So, yeah, I believe it's him, but for what purpose? I think he saw shit going down in the future and the only way to help us/everyone was to send us to the past without us knowing.

As an extra: before heading out to the Mausoleum job, MC wrote a goodbye letter for the brothers because of Diavolo kicking us out. When I tell you I got misty eyed xd like, damn. "Lucifer, be nicer to your little brothers." "I always had fun with you, Mammon." "We have to go bookshopping, Satan!" etc etc, it was all so sweet. We have it with us at the moment, but we didn't give it to them at the end Lesson 10 bc Shit Went Down (I'll get there in a second). Also there are little details, like them commenting how the "empty guest room" makes them feel so at ease thay they even caught Lucifer napping in there. Who tf is cutting onions.

I thought it would be a while until we revealed we're a human to the brothers but Lesson 10 had other plans (very cool Lessons 9 and 10 btw, with Beel's and Belphie's stuff going on and Lucifer trying to face Diavolo for the sake of his little siblings I love this man so much)

and then, after a Cool Heroic Moment after which we are left out in the open bc we used all of their powers oops, they leave us with this confrontation and A CRIMINAL CLIFFHANGER.

Lucifer doesn't exactly buy it for some reason because we're too op lol and Belphie is reclutant for obvious reasons. And they end it with this as the final blow:

And that's it!!! Good luck waiting for the next lesssons bitch. Have fun lol

Oh you think the next stage before the boss battle is going to be the end of this convo? Nope: it's Solomon and Simeon being cryptic. I wonder what Solomon told Simeon. He warned us about Time Paradoxes so I don't think he'd go that far to tell Simeon. Solomon did tell him something though, and we won't know what it is yet......

I am suffering here. But God Nightbringer gave me a lot of good stuff. I will eat this time travel plot like candy. I feel I'm being spoiled by the game with all the scenes they're giving me and I'm enjoying every second of it. Plus the dynamics, I already talked about the brothers between each other, but there's also new stuff, like Barbatos hating the absolute shit out of Solomon. After Solomon uses his pact on him to save our asses he takes revenge on the Sorcerer lmfao I KEEP WONDERING WHAT DID SOLOMON DO TO HIM TO GET HIM SO PISSED OFF?? But man that was hilarious do it again.

Bonus Barb: one of the last things you can say to him in og Obey me! is "I love you" so if he's Nightbringer it's going to be Fun (and I can't WAIT I've grown fond of Barbatos too agh).

Plus there's the whole Simeon being human issue, but he seems to be faring better at the end of the game. He keeps saying "He (Michael??? Their Father????) probably had a reason to do it" but it won't stop me from kicking some Angel ass ngl. It's gonna be fists out with Michael the moment I see him, I swear.

Plus I want to see the present demons losing their shit with MC disappearing. I bet they're all frantic o(-< and Solomon said he can go back and forth between fuckin dimensions, so he could probably go back and tell them we're okay???? But he hasn't. I think. This is a mess lmao poor MC and demon family. He does say if something happens to us Lucifer will have his head, so..... you can do it, Solomon, I believe in you jdfgsdg

I can now farm side lessons and hard mode at peace for extra scenes, wooo.... o(-< oh and there's new songs in Lesson 10, but only in Lesson 10. The duets/group songs remixes were there and they were a breath of fresh air ;u; I hope they add more.

Time to farm side content in peace and prepare my cards for when they release the next lessons............ whenever it''ll be. Sobs.

Edit: NEXT UP: LOSING MY SHIT ON LESSON 11 LET'S GO BABY

[mmoneystones]

Citrinne Land Meta 01(?) - The Most Important One

Because who else will try to map out Citrinne's land if IS is too afraid to do it.

For those unaware, the main reason for me having this stupid idea comes right from one of Citrinne's notes in her Ally Notebook entry, that being:

Personality: Compassionate and thoughtful. Raised in great comfort, now uses her wealth to pamper allies. Has a resting scowl. Owns more land than any other ally. (Citrinne Ally Notebook A-Rank Entry)

Now yes, not everyone else in the Fire Emblem universe, let alone Engage itself, is flaunting their wealth so gung-ho to try matching this claim. But...more land than any other ally??? What does this even mean. And what does this actually say about Citrinne's wealth?

I'm not an economics major, nor do I own a single plot of land. Let's look at this together!!

Part 1: In-Game Evidence

To start, let us simply take a look at every line of dialogue that can refer to or confirm Citrinne's land ownerships. Starting with every support chain she has, then bond conversations with Emblems, and finally miscellaneous dialogue. Supports will be listed by recruitment order (ie Alear, then Clanne, then Chloé, etc.)

ALEAR SUPPORT - "Yeah I'll buy you an entire island what of it"

[Citrinne] Aha! A gift idea has just come to me. [Citrinne] An acquaintance of the Brodian royal family is looking to sell their private island─at cost! [Citrinne] What would you say to your own private island getaway? My treat, of course. (Citrinne/Alear C Support)

Now, this act in particular is in a bit of a grey area, as Citrinne never truly purchases the private island mentioned in this C support since Alear's support chain transitions to the true value of a gift. However, this support easily gives us a reference for what Citrinne is capable of purchasing land-wise. It might even come to bite back in the future...

LAPIS SUPPORT - "So this is where Luigi's extra mansion went"

[Lapis] A note? No, an address. What is this? [Citrinne] That's the mailing address for one of my family's spare manors in the heart of town. [Citrinne] We haven't lived there in quite a while, so it's only staffed by grounds- and housekeepers. Citrinne/Lapis A Support)

By the end of their support together, Citrinne offers one of her vacant manors to assist in hiding Lapis' commoner background.

"One of my family's spare manors." One. This is huge chat.

Snippets of dialogue from Citrinne's Somniel flavor text include suggestions of Citrinne living in several manors or castles throughout her life.

This may rival the cooking from my manor back home! Such culinary skill must be hard-earned… (OK Food Dialogue for Citrinne)I’ve enjoyed staying in mansions and castles, but this is a far more exciting place to live. (Fond of Somniel for Citrinne)

Combined with the above evidence, it is apparent that Citrinne's family owns many mansions or luxurious homes, and even has the hired help to maintain them while not in use. How much exactly is "many," though? That's a good question. Anyway.

VEYLE SUPPORT - "Ah fuck she actually bought that island"

[Veyle] And why did you hand me this deed saying I own "a deserted island with beautiful beaches"? [Citrinne] It also says, "private villa included." A pretty dress deserves a pretty escape, don't you think? (Citrinne/Veyle B Support)

So, we can take this exchange in two ways. One, Citrinne is once again offering the island she mentioned previously in Alear's support. Which, honestly, I would find really cute that Citrinne offers the same plot of land to two dragon allies. She can even be giving her the deed in advance and hasn't purchased a private island yet, similar to how she only offered the island in Alear's C Support.

However, there is option two, which I personally think suits this situation. Not only has Citrinne already bought out and mapped this "deserted island with beautiful beaches," but this is a different island to what she offered Alear. Now if this land was also from a family friend or just vacant land she believed Veyle deserved, that can be up for debate. But nevertheless, this is a heavy change for the Citrinne land ownership game.

This is where the supports end for land-specific ventures. Many other supports go to show Citrinne's vast wealth which can be adjacent to how much land she owns, though that is more suited for a real different meta.

BOND CONVERSATIONS - "Some side purchases"

Likewise, and more realistically, the bond conversations with Emblems are usually too short or brief to truly reflect on Citrinne's land-purchasing capabilities. However, both Eirika and Byleth's conversations end up with some decent enough clues.

[Citrinne] There must be some gift I can offer you, Eirika. Shall I buy you a mountain? Rent out the coast? [Eirika] Um, those would both be a bit much, but I can sense your sincerity. Let me think it over. (Citrinne/Eirika B Bond)

I have no idea how much acts of buying out a mountain would cost, but it's something Citrinne feels comfortable offering for a mythical being! Surely must be realistic.

[Citrinne] I'd love to hear one of your lessons, Professor. I think I'll pay for a lecture hall to be built here... [Byleth] Just for one of my lectures? What's wrong with the buildings we already have? (Citrinne/Byleth B Bond) [Citrinne] Oh, of course! Increased attendance calls for a proper school. I'll begin the preparations now! [Byleth] An entire school just for my lectures? That's a bit much...but I trust you'll do it right, Citrinne. (Citrinne/Byleth A Bond)

Regardless if Citrinne ended up paying for that lecture hall in the B Bond, she definitely is confident in having the resources to construct structures. The choice of a lecture hall and school in these, while fitting for Byleth, is also a great nod toward how Citrinne tries to use her funds to assist the people in Brodia from all corners of life.

SIDE QUOTES - "And here's extra!"

This final section aims to cover Citrinne's Exploration and Somniel lines in particular. Though if I have missed a certain type of dialogue that reveals even more of Citrinne's coverage, please let me know! More proof only brings the possibility of Citrinne buying out the entire world closer to reality.

Most dialogue here mainly serves to reinforce Citrinne's glandular wealth, though hints of potential ownership do show themselves.

We claimed the Emblem Ring here, so…why not restore this fortress to be a bit less gloomy? (Northern Fortress for Citrinne)

Further proof that Citrinne not shy to utilize money to not only own but refine fortresses.

The sea is so beautiful! I’d love to buy this land, but a peaceful spot like this should remain free. (Azure Coast for Citrinne)

She's going to still buy the coast, probably. I don't trust her.

Please, you must allow me to help restore this beautiful port town… I’ll assist every way I can. (Florra Port for Citrinne)

More serves as backup for her desire to use funds for the good of others, but this felt important to highlight for the scope said funds can handle.

When the war ends, I hope to throw a party on this ship. Just allow me one tiny, naive dream… (Route to Elusia for Citrinne)

Weezer cruise? Weezer cruise.

Part 2: Jesus how do I liquidate this

So real quick, let's sum up all that Citrinne potentially owns throughout or by the end of Engage:

1-2 private/deserted island escapes (Alear/Veyle supports)

Multiple manors, which possibly even extends to castles/forts (Lapis support + Somniel lines)

And here is what she can theoretically buy or purchase on a whim:

Mountains and coastlines?? Maybe mines (Eirika bond)

Infrastructure and the ability to maintain it (Byleth bond + Exploration lines)

Without even considering exchange rates between their real life value and Elyos' gold/currency, it would be nice to know how much this turns out to be, both in money and distance. Let's use everyone's savior (Google), for some frame from reference.

Ignoring potential costs such as keeping the island in shape, the staff required for such a task, and any other bonus expidentures, private islands seem to generally range from $200,000 to $200 million depending on their size. Clearly a large range of price, though at least it's something!

Similiarly, a manor or mansion's cost heavily depends on how large it is, with small ones potentially being as cheap as $500,000 while much larger ones can go to tens of millions of dollars. Not even considering the several facilities some of the grander manors of the Brodian royal family possibly contain.

I was unable to find anything truly concrete for a mountain purchase, although one site makes a good point in mountains technically being government-assigned land when not being put to use. So in reality, the price of a hill Citrinne desires would depend on how much the rulers of Brodia are willing to sell it for...considering the heavy emphasis on gem deposits in Brodia, this wouldn't be a mere penny. Coastlines result in lesser results.

As for infrastructure, I kept to the concept of the Byleth bond conversation and checked costs for an average school. For an elementary school, this would be around $295 per square foot, with middle schools raising the rate to $325 and high schools to $359. Universities are much more expensive, so let's keep it to lower education, potentially what can assist Brodian youth. These buildings can be tens of thousands of square feet.

With all of this random information combined, I'd like to at least try assigning all of this a number.

For the islands, as I am assuming Citrinne can purchase both the "private" (Alear) and "deserted" (Veyle) islands, let's assume the former is the worst case of $200 million and the latter is a less greedy $200,000 thanks to the "deserted" tagline. Actually, raise that by another million due to the promised private villa.

Trying to guess how many manors Citrinne's family owns and their values can get messy quick. It is also important to consider she likely doesn't own every manor she's been to while mentioning that in her Somniel text. For a frame of reference, let's total this to 6 family manors and a total of $50 million.

Let's assume Citrinne's mountain offer to Eirika is a best-case scenario, where the mountain in question lacks purpose for mining or other use. Probably still a decent cost...$3 million?

Finally, the school will be about 90 thousand square feet with the rate of a middle school. That still ends up being a hefty $29.25 million!

In sum, this approximates to...$283,450,000????

Converting this to a proper in-game price would be a nightmare when trying to understand the value of smaller items in FE economy results in headaches. This is also a very, very gross estimation that is meant to be a joke, but...maybe we can derive some meaning from it?

Part 3: So, my muse is a public multi-millionaire. Now what?

Let's be honest, I'm probably low-balling it here and Citrinne is actually a billionaire in-universe.

And as much as I wanted to compare Citrinne's potential wealth to that of Scrooge McDuck, it turns out that the duck is living on a much higher paycheck than a couple of billions.

Without naming names, a quick search seems to imply that some billionaires (at least, when limited to the US) own just over 2 million acres in raw land. While it would be nice to leave the assumptions at that, perhaps round down the number a little, I just had the realization - does Brodia even have enough land for 2 million acres??

Kind of hard to say when we only see like, 2 to 3 locations of Brodia in-game tops. Though I think the most logical conclusion here (and one that makes me realize how pointless this entire rambling meta has been) is that Citrinne might not own it all, but it is clear that her position allows her to influence all of Brodia, at the very least. Assuming a clean economic conversion between lands in Elyos, this likely even extends to similar lands in each country.

In all honesty, all of the estimates and number jumbling is just an extensive way to state "she sure owns a lot!" Expressions of such within Engage are clearly meant to be lofty exaggerations to further illustrate the lesson that money doesn't buy anything. So who would I be to keep trying to slap value on something truly priceless?

...okay but do you think she can buy out Brodia Cast-

Conclusion

How much land does Citrinne truly own? In the end, it really depends on the reach of her own family, which just turns out to be the royal family. The limits aren't endless, but with her statements and offers to own and exchange isolated islands, mansions and potentially castles, Citrinne's reach is truly wide. "Owning more land than any other ally" was, thankfully, not a lie.

To be real this idea started off as just analyzing the dialogue implying Citrinne owns land but then spiraled into this stupid real life connection and I had to rein it in before it went too far. I hope...it was funny to think about at the very least?

Addendum: Neku how did you forget Heroes exists

Hey so thanks to Nat on Discord for reminding me that Citrinne in fact appears in Fire Emblem Heroes to yap more about what she owns. I won't go to the silly lengths of estimating the value of what any of this means, but here are the highlights to add to her possession:

I'd like us to become friends, so let me start off with a gift. Oh, I know! What would you say to your very own island getaway? (Citrinne Status Page)

Another mention of an island venue. While I did headcanon that the islands Citrinne offers to Alear and Veyle are different, I will put my foot down here and merely assume Citrinne can be referring to the same islands she offered to the dragons previously. Mainly because Heroes makes it clear that most status page lines such as this are fanservice to the source game.

Unless you really want Citrinne to have a series of island ready for giveaway. Go crazy!

Gems are Brodia’s main export. My family owns several mines, so we have a steady supply. (Unworked Pride Citrinne Forging Bonds B)

Here is a piece of land that is much more linked to Brodia itself: gem mines. It is nice to have more literal proof that Citrinne has a decent few of them directly under her family's possession.

It’s a deed to a piece of land in Brodia—a territory high in the mountains, atop a scenic plateau. (Unworked Pride Citrinne Forging Bonds A)

Yes, the land that feh!Anna sells like NFTs to the rest of the Order of Heroes. This can be most closely compared to the manors mentioned in her Lapis supports, although it is more implied here that this land has not been worked on or at least isn't one-to-one a mansion just yet. Maybe this could be undeveloped land that Citrinne holds close for times of need, such as this Forging Bonds event?

I am glad that Heroes did provide some more information regarding this topic, without going comically over the top! If anything, these new bits contribute further to her capabilities of helping the poorer with her wealth.

[bakersstreetirregulars]

In the Shadows of the Dunes - The Editor’s Hot Take

Okay… the update is over and we’re gonna see more Lotus lore soon, but in the aftermath of this burning mess of an update this March… LET’S GET THIS OVER WITH. No Cookie commentary. No seasonal things like Trophy Race and Guild Run. This is all talk with your Editor Meringue, AKA DerpyToad the blog mod, about the temporary main events and the Cookies as someone who’s been playing since August 2018 and slowly getting more burnout. If you want more of these hot takes from me in the future, or have follow-up thoughts and comments about what I had to say, do let me know.

Main Event- Village of Mirages

The concept of this event was recycled from last month. Just get the ranks using the new Cookies, then get the S rank to unlock hard mode. The primary difference was their execution of bonus content and rewards in the hard modes, which did- to their merit- award a Legendary Treasure which I’ve yet to examine: the Lamp of Endless Dreams. The Jobs seemed interesting, although some did take a few tries to do if you missed the mark by *that* much. Normal Mode basically dictates two options: get the new Cookie, or use GingerBrave. As we all know, score-wise, Brave can’t do much even if he’s maxed out. The story content was decent enough (no, this isn’t concerning the individual Cookies, I’ll get to them later) as a whole, and it was rather easy to unlock entire segments in one sitting. The minor rewards were substandard. What can you even buy with a whopping 20 Crystals from getting the rank? Absolutely Nothing.

April Fools- Doughnut Ball Invasion

Intentionally-shoddy MS Paint graphics and choppy music aside, this year’s event was the most intriguing of the lot yet (also counting stand-alone events like Brave’s Trial, Bright’s Trial, Brave’s NEW Trial, and Invocation Card Matching). The addition of an actual story (and making Mic Mac canon in CROB as a “coach” with his own voiceover commentary) makes it more engaging to a point until you finish it since the rewards besides the Costume, story cutscenes, and Title were a combination of 1s and 4s, which could make it either very high or very low. It put the running concept in a new light since you aren’t auto-running like Donkey Kong Country’s minecart segments. You have to punt your now limbless Brave with accuracy (blindly without crosshairs, I should add) so he lands where you want him, and so he doesn’t roll backwards down a hill and lose you progress. The challenges were reasonable to a point, but anything at 3-2 onwards was trickier to get due to intense platform-punting under the risk of rolling back down a hill or into a hole. Fall in the hole, and it’s Game Over immediately. Add the low gravity in area 4, and you’ll have yourself one helluva time trying to regain control while not falling in said holes while your energy ticks down.

The Cookies- Centipede and Peppercorn

*sigh* Once again… that’s a double yikes. Did they even bother to hire a historian or something to fact-check their work for sensitivity in SWANA culture? Bet not. The outfits are a considerable problem in stereotyping. The fact that Centipede has a whip and Peppercorn has bombs *ahem* smoke bombs doesn’t make it any better. Heck, Peppercorn having anything remotely similar to a cartoonish bomb 💣 (see that emoji for example) while being part of a Yogurca update (which dropped during Ramadan, I should add) makes it all a big red flag, clan’s assassins and rogues or not. I shouldn’t have to explain why this is a problem besides referencing tragedies that happened in the last thirty years that stemmed from explosions. Also add a BOMB JELLY SET to this mix, and that’s Strike Three and You’re Out!

Report Card

Here’s what I thought of it all using this grading scale, with F being the worst and L being the best:

F, E, E+, D, D+, C, C+, B, B+, A, A+, S, S+, SS, SS+, SSS, L

Village of Mirages

Gameplay: B

Maps: B+

Minor Rewards: E

Main Rewards: S

Side Challenges (Jobs): A+

Story: B+

Scoring Requirements: C

Fun Factor: C+

Overall: B

Doughnut Ball Invasion

Gameplay: SS

Map: B

Minor Rewards: D

Main Rewards: C+

Side Challenges: C

Story: A+

Scoring Requirements: B

Fun Factor: A+

Overall: B+

Centipede Cookie and Peppercorn Cookie

Gameplay Skill: C+

Story: D+

Appearance: F

Accessories: F

Pets: C

Overall Gameplay Utility: B

Timing of Release: F

Fun Factor: D

Overall: D

Final Grade: C+

Could Be Better, But Eh…

So… do you think I was too harsh? Not harsh enough? Do you want me to do more of these hot takes? Any suggestions for the future? I’m all ears for your input, and I hope they do better next time.