#t: failsafe

[lyriumpulse]

Fenris lets Varania go with only a few words from the people he has been calling his friends for years now. Hawke has lost her entire family -- to the darkspawn, to the Wardens, to the ravings of an insane blood mage -- and Varric, too, has just said farewell to his own brother for what must be the final time. So despite the hate churning in his veins demanding retribution, vengeance for what she has just done to him, Fenris allows Varania to leave with her life.

But she truly must be his sister, because she cannot take what he offers her without first getting in that final verbal blow, another trauma to pile onto the top. That he wanted what was done to him, fought for the privilege to be owned, used as either a weapon or a pet or a toy, all in exchange for her freedom. For their mother's freedom. Worse still, she honestly believes he still led a better life than the one she wound up saddled with.

What follows is the same feeling of crushing loss and defeat that he felt after slaughtering the Fog Warriors. That same sense of inevitability. He has no family to turn to, no one to answer his questions of who he was before all of these cruelties were done to him. He barely even has friends, it feels like.

He doesn't even have Anders anymore.

"I-- need to leave," he says, his voice sounding strange, but before he even reaches the door, agony rips through him, blinding and hot.

His markings flare, and he thinks someone must shout his name through his own screaming, but his vision goes black.

---

Leto wakes in an unfamiliar bed. A nice bed, at that, though the surroundings make little sense to him. The sunlight pouring in through the hole in the ceiling is the dark orange of late afternoon, yet it is unseasonably cold for Tevinter, and this is not the slave quarters he shares with his family nor the healer's rooms.

He shifts to try to sit up and pain scorches a path across his skin, seeps deep into his muscles, and he cries out, startled at just how badly he's hurting. What happened? What had he done to cause so much discomfort? When he breathes, every exhale is a whimper, and when he reaches up to push the hair from his eyes -- snowy white and short, not the long dark hair he fell asleep with -- instead of the skin of his own hand, he is met with sharp gauntlets, crusted with dried blood, scraping his own forehead.

"Where--?" Not just his hands, but his chest, his shoulders, covered in a heavy layer of armor.

Leto turns his head, and there's an unfamiliar man in a chair near the bedroom door. His breath catches, and he quickly runs through what he does know in his head. When he had fallen asleep last night, it was in the slave quarters that he, Varania, and their mother share with another family on Master Aurelicus's estate in Carastes. He had spent the day doing hard, thankless manual labor -- which could possibly account for the muscle aches, but not this searing pain like his skin is being scratched nonstop. He had disappointed his master yesterday, enough to earn the whip -- each lash healed away, of course, no sense in damaging property more than strictly necessary -- and now he is here.

Was he sold?

His heart drops suddenly, heavy as a stone.

The stranger's staff leans against the wall beside his chair. The table he sits at is covered with books, some lying open and face-down on the surface. A mage. Is this his house? This room is certainly large enough to be a master bedroom, but it's so... dilapidated. There is no care put into this place. Cobwebs cling to the corners, there's broken glass by the door, the wallpaper is peeling away, and there is, again, the massive hole in the roof. What sort of magister lives this way?

And why had Aurelicus not sold the entire family as a unit?

Because he is being punished, he realizes. He is in so much pain.

The stranger is approaching him, and Leto's heart races so loud he can barely concentrate on the words he's saying.

"I..." He doesn't know this man's name. What city he's in. How long he's been asleep. He does know that he's speaking out of turn, but to get out of bed to kneel or bow feels impossible right now. His skin is on fire. The stranger reaches out a hand, possibly just to gesture, and Leto flinches away, expecting a strike that doesn't come. "Forgive me, Master, I... I cannot recall how we got here. Or why I-- Please do not harm me. I'll do whatever it is you ask."

[maimmadison]

i have to pack my bags to go somewhere today in like. 6 hours lol. so far i've had an oreo icecream sandwich, some of which went down the wrong pipe while watching brittany broski and trixie mattel collab vids

[darkopsiian]

Thumbnail art, character art and concept art for DrMOTH "The Interview" I highly recommend watching it before looking at the concept art. It took me 4 months to make. I truly believe this is my best work in a long time. also; don't forget to look at the Biotape Anniversary Poster that's available in 5 sizes!

SPOILERS AHEAD

The full body concept art for the previous iterator group.

Covets The Rapture [F]: A failsafe primus, is tasked with constantly monitoring and providing counters for terrible events. The oldest of the group and also the quietest. Harvester of Eyes [M]: Youngest of the group and already the most unhinged, originally tasked for monitoring Overseer channels but met a terrible fate and now suffers unending paranoia. Fated Comets [F]: Studies base around astrology mapping and predicting fates through her own personal tarot sheets. Tangled wires have resulted in her always sounding like she's singing even when she's not. Unlikely Monologues [M]: Most lax of the group and tasks himself with the studies of architecture and literature. Has managed to avoid insanity purely though obliviousness. Cannot stop talking.

T-Posing MOTH model.

[corviiids]

favourite strangers ive met recently

guy at a music venue who heard me bemoaning that im too much of a pussy to make new friends and shouted at me across the room "IM ALSO A PUSSY!!!"

lady selling me pasta who nodded furiously when i changed my mind and decided to get extra cheese after all and said to me "say yes to cheese. we should make t-shirts."

guy who got into the lift with me at work and when it started to descend went "aaaaarggh!!!" (at a respectful and jovial volume) and proceeded to laugh uproariously at his own bit for three floors before saying "hey they do have a failsafe if this thing drops right?"

[bluepwnsu]

Xelzaz Version 1.12.0 - The Dawnguard Update is now live!

Xelzaz Version 1.12.0 - The Dawnguard Update is now live on Nexus and Bethesda.net! Featuring commentary for the entire main quest of Dawnguard, new interactions with followers, new unique model for Xelzaz's Mind of Madness 'reward', Xelzaz's new unique daggers and even a new food item! The update adds over 600 new lines of dialogue! Here are the patch notes:

Xelzaz Version 1.12.0 - The Dawnguard Update

NOTICE: Any characters that are in the process of, or that have completed the Volkihar questline will have Xelzaz abandon them after updating or installing the mod. This will happen even if Xelzaz hasn't been recruited yet, Xelzaz will simply continue on to High Rock on his lonesome. If you wish to have Xelzaz along for the Volkihar questline, please bring him along when you are joining the Vampire Clan for the first time.

This update features commentary for the main quest for the Dawnguard expansion! Other additions include bug and typo fixes, more conversations with Xelzaz, interactions with other followers and new surprise content for players that are able to find it!

Bug Fixes and Typos

Fixed some typos.

Removed disruptive conditions from some dialogues.

Added a 10 minute timer failsafe for Xelzaz finding Varona that ends the scene should he have gotten stuck.

Moved scripts checking for quest stages of Thogra and Lucifer's (Nebarra interactions) quests to a new player alias, to prevent potential script spam from the game thinking Xelzaz is constantly changing locations.

Tweaked the timer on the script forcefully equipping Xelzaz's Scarf should he be wearing his default armor, to prevent him from equipping it during fast travel.

Sinderion's Journal will now be cleared from the list of aliases attached to the Crimson Nirnroot quest, allowing it to be dropped once it is no longer relevant. (This will not work retroactively.)

Added a check that Xelzaz is following in order for him to be able to handover Roovi and the Propylon to Malborn during the Main Quest.

Additions

Added new greet lines.

Added new goodbye lines.

Added a new conversation about master spells at the College of Winterhold.

Added a new conversation relating to Master Sul after reaching 100+ Relationship and having been told a certain story.

Added new unique daggers (Kukri) for Xelzaz.

Added a new unique model for Xelzaz's Banquet Fork, which now may also be used as a weapon. (In saves that already has Xelzaz with the fork, simply leave it in his inventory and greet him until he says "Hm?" and it should swap it to the new model/weapon.)

Added a new food for Xelzaz to cook: "Lava Foot Soup".

Interactions

Added new interactions with Remiel.

Added new interactions with Redcap.

Added new interactions with Lucifer.

Added new interactions with Nebarra.

Added new interactions with Thogra.

Troubleshooting

Added a line on the Roovi debug dialogue script to tell the player if Xelzaz is in a scene or not. (Translators will likely need to update this script: BPUF_TIF_05F1A5E1)

Quest Commentary

Added commentary for the Dawnguard Main Quest line.

Added (more) commentary for 'Discerning the Transmundane'. [See changes further down.]

Changes

Disabled asking Xelzaz to cast Healing Hands on an injured player if they are a vampire.

Gave Xelzaz his own unique version of 'Reanimate Corpse' with conditions preventing him from raising animals. This should stop him from raising fearsome chickens for battle. It will unfortunately also mean that every creature that has the keyword 'animal' will not be raised by Xelzaz, such as trolls and bears. (On existing saves you will need to go toggle this spell back on.)

Added a check to prevent Argonian players from spamming Jel greetings when meeting Xelzaz for the first time for disposition.

Made Xelzaz's comment about being given Frost Resistance increase his disposition towards the player.

Revoiced some old lines.

Altered the journal entry for 'A Lawman's Ambition' to encourage players to spend more time with Xelzaz prior to bringing him to the Hammerfell Gate.

Removed commentary on getting the (Dragon) Elder Scroll from Main Quest commentary. It is now instead located in the commentary for the quest 'Discerning the Transmundane'.

Made it so the persuasion check at the Hammerfell Gate will always succeed if the player has Telvanni Bug Musk applied (in case people have patches nerfing it.)

Altered line about 'Altmer eugenics' to 'Altmer traditions'.

Added a line to the bleedout scrips preventing Xelzaz or the followers he interacts with to comment on each other going down if they are already in a scene. (This was done to prevent, for example, Xelzaz from crying out about Khash being injured way after combat has ended, due to already being in a scene while combat was happening.)

Upon death or when permanently dismissed, Xelzaz's tracker will now be removed from the quest log.

Misc.

Migrated some of the Main Quest commentary to Discerning the Transmundane commentary.

Added failsafes to Remiel-Xelzaz-Redcap Winking Skeever scene

Xelzaz's Saltrice Noodle Bowl's meshes and textures were modified in order to allow the bowl to be reused for more unique foods. Thus the noodles have a new mesh path. This means you must update the AE plugin if you are using it.

Xelzaz AE Plugin 1.12.0

Compatibility

Changed the mesh path for Xelzaz's Saltrice Noodles.

Added hunger and warmth effect to Xelzaz’s Lava Foot Soup.

Fixes

Added Xelzaz's small treats (from Sweets and Such) to the AE treats formlist.

[section-chief-prentiss]

girls

Summary: After an UnSub threatens to out you, you come out to Emily. 

Word Count: 2269

TWs: threats of being outed, coming out

Ao3

This whole case had you on edge.

It was a local case, and normally, that fact brought you comfort. Sleeping in your own bed after a long day was exactly what you needed. 

You got home late and beelined for your bed. If you were lucky, you could squeeze in a few hours before you needed to be back at the BAU in the morning. 

You started stripping as soon as your door was closed and locked behind you, shedding clothes on your way to your room. You threw on the first oversized t-shirt your hands touched and rolled into bed, your mattress welcoming you into its warm embrace. 

You plugged your phone into the charger on your nightstand and set your alarm, cringing at how soon you would need to be awake. But before you could lock your phone, a text rolled in from an Unknown Number. 

Stop investigating or I’ll tell your team you’re gay. 

Your blood froze in your veins. The UnSub your team was chasing was technologically savvy and had proven he wasn’t afraid to use it. Through various social media accounts and other media leaks, he’d flaunted the victims he’d kidnapped and killed, and so far, Penelope had been unable to track him. 

You debated the odds of this being a random spam text when another appeared.

If you arrest me I have a failsafe that will alert them right away. 

You knew better than to respond, but you knew you couldn’t block him until Penelope took a look at the message.

The thought stopped you in your tracks—if you showed Penelope these messages, the team would find out anyway. 

It wasn’t that you were ashamed of your sexuality; your family knew—you came out to them when you were 12. Your mom and your brother were your biggest cheerleaders, and while it took your dad a little longer to come around, he was firmly in your corner now as well. Your friends were no different. 

But work was another story. You loved your BAU family and trusted them with your life, but you’d only been with the team for a year. And you weren’t in a relationship at the moment, so your dating life just… hadn’t come up. You’d always known you’d tell them eventually, but you wanted it to be on your terms. 

Despite the threat, you had no intention of stopping investigating or encouraging your team to do the same. 

But the nagging voice at the back of your head that it could all come crashing down at any moment left you with a lingering feeling of dread that kept you awake, tossing and turning until your alarm went off just before sunrise.

You stumbled through your morning routine like a zombie, moving aimlessly from room to room. You made coffee on autopilot, dressed in a daze, and didn’t realize you had two different shoes on until you were one step out the door. You swapped one out for a matching set, grabbed your bag, and headed to the BAU.

You wished you could shake it off. Pretend it didn’t bother you. But as you took your seat at the round table, you knew the carefully crafted facade you’d put up was already chipping away, and it was only a matter of time before your team saw through it. 

“You look like hell,” Rossi said, taking the seat next to you. “Did you sleep at all?” 

“Not really,” you hedged, taking another swig of your coffee. 

Tara and Luke filed in next, and you absentmindedly exchanged morning pleasantries with them, glancing at your watch and wondering what was taking the rest of the team so long.

Emily, JJ, Reid, and Penelope buzzed into the room together, and the energy they brought with them made you sit up a little straighter.

“Our UnSub has made his next move,” Emily announced. She stood at the front of the room, pulling something up on the screen behind her, while the rest of the team took their seats. 

Screenshots of texts filled the TV, and a hush fell over the room as everyone took them in. 

Stop investigating or I’ll tell the press about your addiction, one read.

Stop investigating or I’ll tell the media about your pathetic sister, read another.

With a click of the remote, two more messages appeared, with familiar text that sent a shiver down your spine.

If you arrest me I have a failsafe that will alert them right away. 

You glanced at the timestamps of the messages, fighting to keep your expression neutral. You’d stared at the messages you received long enough to know they came at 2:41 AM. These messages had been sent just a few minutes before.

“JJ and Reid received these texts last night; we assume they’re from our UnSub,” Emily announced. “Before we start today, I need to ask if anyone else received a message last night. You don’t have to reveal what it said; JJ and Reid gave me permission to share theirs, but I need to know if he’s targeting anyone else.”

The team glanced around the table at each other, shaking their heads. When Emily’s eyes met yours, you found yourself shaking yours as well before you could think about it. 

“These threats say more about the UnSub than about us,” JJ said. “He thinks these are threats, but they just prove we’re human. It wouldn’t change how people perceive us, and even if it did, I wouldn’t care.” 

You’d turned to Reid, skeptical. “Is that how you feel?”

To your surprise, he only shrugged. “I’m proud of my sobriety. Last year alone, 17.82% of Americans had a substance use disorder. It’s more prevalent than anyone wants to believe.”

Your heart swelled at their bravery. But the text message you’d received still hung over your head.

“Penelope is working with JJ and Reid’s phones to see if she can trace the messages back. If anyone else receives anything, please let me know right away. In the meantime, Luke and Rossi are going to head down to Metro P.D. to interview more of the victims’ families,” Emily said. “Tara and Y/N, the M.E. is expecting you; she has the latest autopsy results. JJ and Reid are going to stay here with me, and we’re going to work on the profile.”

The team dispersed, but you felt glued to your chair. 

“Are you okay?” Tara whispered.

You nodded. “I just need a minute. I’ll meet you in the bullpen?” 

Tara put a hand on your shoulder before doing just that. 

When your legs stopped shaking, you stood and glanced through the windows at the rest of your team. Emily made eye contact with you through the glass, and you tilted your head toward her office. The raven-haired woman nodded, and you both wordlessly made your way over.

You beat her to it and started pacing across the carpeted floor. You kept your hands clasped so Emily wouldn’t see they were shaking. 

The Unit Chief closed her office door behind her. 

“Is everything okay?” she asked, sitting on the edge of her desk. 

You opened your mouth, but no words came out. You closed it again, mind reeling. 

Were you really about to do this? This hadn’t been your plan when you walked into work this morning, but you knew it was the right thing. 

Despite that, your heart raced in your chest. Stars danced across your vision, and your breathing became shallow. 

This wasn’t fair. You cracked your knuckles, a nervous habit, but your hands shook as you did so. 

Tears threatened to spill over, so you turned away from your friend, sitting on the small couch on the opposite side of the room. You pressed your palms against your eyes, willing the emotion to go away. 

“Not now,” you whispered. “Please not now.” 

The couch shifted as Emily took a seat next to you. She placed a gentle hand on your back.

“Take your time,” she murmured.

You pulled your hands away from your eyes and clasped them in your lap. 

“I got a text from the UnSub last night too,” you said, voice raspy. 

Emily moved her hand from your back to resting on your knee. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.” 

You nodded. You knew you could trust Emily—trust your whole team. None of them would judge you or think lesser of you, of that you were sure. But your heart still felt like it was going to burst out of your chest. 

“He threatened to out me to all of you. And said that if we apprehended him, he had a failsafe in place to make sure everyone found out.” 

Emily’s face crumpled. “Y/N…”

“It’s not that I’m ashamed of who I am,” you whispered. “I’m not. My family knows, my friends know… It’s just that it’s private. I wanted to tell you all on my terms, when I felt ready. And he took that choice away from me.” 

Emily took your trembling hands in hers, and tears welled in your eyes. 

“I love you, Y/N,” Emily said with a sincerity that stilled you. “We all do. You are our family, and I can say with full confidence that this doesn’t change how we feel about you.”

You took a deep breath. “I knew it wouldn’t. I just wanted to control how I told at least one person. How I told you.” 

“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me,” Emily said. “I can’t tell you how honored I am.” 

“I know we have to tell Penelope,” you said. “So she can try to trace it.” 

Emily shook her head. “We can wait. See if she can get anything from JJ and Reid’s phones; we may not need yours.” 

You grimaced. You didn’t want to hinder the investigation or ask Emily to do the same by keeping this to yourselves. 

“That means a lot to me,” you said earnestly. “But I can’t ask you to do that.” 

“You’re not asking; I’m offering.” Emily’s dark eyes pierced yours. “Just tell me what you want to do.”

“Will you come with me to talk to Penelope? I’d feel better having you there.” 

“Whatever you need,” she assured you. “Is it okay if I give you a hug?” 

You nodded, and it wasn’t until Emily’s arms were around you that you realized how badly you needed some comfort. You sank into her embrace, resting your chin on her shoulder, letting your friend hold you.

She rubbed one hand in circles on your back, and you closed your eyes, the exhaustion of the case catching up with you. You could fall asleep right now. Now that you were safe. 

But there was still work to do, so you pulled away, your cheeks flushed. 

“Thank you,” you said.

You wiped your tears away, suddenly self-conscious when you remembered the rest of your team was just outside. 

As if anticipating your hesitation, Emily asked, “Would it be easier if I brought her in here?”

It was tempting, but you didn’t want to call more attention to yourself.

“No, that’s okay,” you said. “Let’s go to her office.”

Emily didn’t stand until you did, but once you did, she was ready to hold her office door open for you. 

As you walked through the bullpen, you couldn’t bring yourself to look at your teammates. You heard them murmuring—working on the profile, you told yourself—but you held your breath until you were out of sight and knocking on Pen’s door.

“Enter!” She chirped from the other side.

You scanned your badge and the door clicked open, revealing Penelope in front of her wall of monitors—the text messages up on one, another busy tracking the source. 

“Do you have a minute, Pen?” Emily asked.

Penelope whirled around in her chair. “Anything for you, Peaches.” Her eyes widened when she saw you standing beside Emily. “And Y/N! To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“I got a text from the UnSub,” you said, your phone in hand. 

“Have you gotten anything from JJ’s or Reid’s yet?” Emily asked.

Penelope frowned and shook her head. “Not yet; the UnSub is flexing his tech knowledge, but I am better, and I will find him.”

You smiled at your friend’s easy confidence. 

“Can I see?” she asked.

You nodded, wordlessly unlocking the device and handing it over.

You watched as Pen scanned the message. Watched as her mouth opened in shock. When her eyes reconnected with yours, there was fury behind them. 

“I will bury him,” she growled. “How dare he—”

Emily held up a hand. “Needless to say, discretion is important here.” 

Penelope’s eyes widened. “Oh, Y/N, I know I’m not known for secret-keeping, but I would never…” she shook her head. “I’ll never tell a soul.” 

Your heart swelled. “Thank you, Pen. I will tell the team, I’d just prefer to do it on my terms.” 

“Of course,” Penelope said.

“I can take your place with Tara,” Emily offered. “If you want to stay here and work on the profile with Reid and JJ.” 

You shook your head. “That’s not necessary. But thank you.” You looked between Emily and Pen. “Thank you both.” 

“Let’s go make this son of a bitch pay.”

Tag List:

@yena-reyna, @propertyofemilyprentiss, @chaekhan, @obsessedwjill, @mrs-prentiss, @i-lovefandom, @tireddeadgirl, @lez-talk1, @emilyprentiss-ily, @ssablackbird

Join my tag list!

[wren-of-the-woods]

Curse Fic Recs

I absolutely love Witcher fics where a character gets cursed so I thought I'd share some of my favorites! All of them are Geraskier except for a few Lambden ones at the end.

If anyone has other fics to reccommend, please feel free to give them a shoutout – I’d love to read them!

~

Cursed Jaskier

A Friend in the Wild by @samstree (Rated T, 1k)

In which Geralt acquires a tiny mouse friend who wouldn't stop following him.

If There's Any Sleep At Night by @smolalienbee (Rated T, 22k)

A mare, also known as a mara or a zmora - a malicious entity, a bringer of nightmares and a demon of the night. An easy enough contract to fulfill, if only frustrating, or at least that’s what Geralt believes when he first sets out to hunt down one such mare. What he doesn’t expect is to be wrapped up in a tale of a wronged soul, of love and of joy.

My Name is Hidden On Your Tongue by @anarchycox (Rated T, 10k)

Jaskier is cursed. Well his whole family line is. Every male born child cannot be named. They can be given a name, but it will never be a true one and people will always have an allergic reaction to saying this false name. Only a soulmate speaking your true name aloud will break the curse. The family though has never cared, they've only cared about the family fortune and marrying well. But Jaskier cares. He is determined to travel the world, find his soulmate and learn what his name is. And the best way to travel the world seems to be with a rather taciturn witcher named Geralt of Rivia. If he started to hope that Geralt would be the one to say his true name, well that was one thing that Jaskier would not say aloud.

The Cursed Jewels of Lettenhove by GoldenDaydreams (Rated T, 8k)

Geralt has no intention of getting involved with breaking a curse and naturally ends up very involved.

Silver and Copper by @heronfem (Rated M, 56k)

Jaskier is kept from becoming a bard. Geralt finds him anyway.

Priceless by @handwrittenhello (Rated M, 38k)

Jaskier was cursed as a child; when spilled, his blood turns to rubies and his tears turn to diamonds. When his secret is discovered, Geralt must save him from those who would take advantage of it. Together they work to break the curse, but the cost might end up being too steep.

Set My Wings on Fire by bilboakenshield27 (Not Rated, 4k)

Jaskier gets turned into a bird and has to warn Geralt about an ambush.

Sleep of the Dead by @dancedelion (Rated T, 20k)

Jaskier thinks he hit rock bottom when Geralt flushed twenty years of friendship down the drain, but then he finds himself suddenly translucent and rudely walked through by a traveller. Apparently he's dead - that's certainly a new low. He needs to find out what happened, and who better to help him than the man who's made more than clear he wants nothing to do with him.

The Sandpiper by @welcomemysentence (Rated T, 2k)

When Jaskier gets cursed into an actual sandpiper, the little coast bird, the only way to save him is with true love's kiss.

What's Engraved Upon My Heart (In Letters Deeply Worn) by @made-of-constellations-blog (Rated T, 6k)

Jaskier gets cursed to be a lark with a strange failsafe to turn him back. Geralt misses this, and realizes too late that he's not ready to lose his bard.

to be held by @wanderlust-t (Rated T, 1k)

The knife dropped on the ground. And Geralt’s thoughts reached to a halt for a moment. He had no rope. Not anything to keep Jaskier still. To hold him back. Oh. That was going to be a really long night.

Catskier by @al-in-my-head (Rated T, 17k)

Due to an unfortunate encounter with a mage while him and Geralt are apart, Jaskier is transformed into a cat. It just so happens that Geralt likes talking to animals.

~

Cursed Geralt

A Marvelous Night for a Moondance by @flowercrown-bard (Rated T, 1k)

There was a warning every child living near Oakwood Valley knew. "Don't go out at night, or you'll disturb the Moonlit Dancer." No one truly knew who the Moonlit Dancer was, but everyone agreed on two things: The Dancer must be dangerous. And he must be oh so lonely.

animal instinct by leodesic (Rated M, 13k)

Despite Jaskier's hard work, there are still plenty of people who hate witchers. They think they're monstrous, inhuman, only held back from violence by a thin veneer of control. One mage has a plan to spread his views by capturing a witcher and bewitching them to remove their control. When the Butcher of Blaviken walks into his hideout, he's convinced he's found the perfect candidate - and a convenient way to get rid of the pesky bard that's been singing his praises. Jaskier is forced to agree witchers are not human, but that doesn't mean they're dangerous. In fact, he's astounded by how many of Geralt's uncontrolled impulses involve touching.

Connecting dots by @dapandapod (Rated G, 3k)

Geralt is hit with a lying curse, and it takes Jaskier an embarrassing amount of time to figure it out. Now, it Jaskier only would stick to the safe questions....

Don't Go Stealing My Heart by @thesilverqueenlady (Rated T, 17k)

When Jaskier is stiffed by a lord on payment, he decides to help himself to proper compensation. Alongside the correct amount of gold and silver, he also steals a beautiful silver wolf's head medallion. It's safe to say that he is not expecting the medallion to be haunted by the spirit of a very grumpy, very handsome, very cursed Witcher.

Cuddles, Curses, and Confusion by me :D (Rated T, 3k)

Geralt becomes oddly affectionate after being cursed by a mage. Jaskier would just like his life to be less complicated, please.

Spectre's Soul also by me :D (Rated T, 31k)

When Jaskier tried to go on a date with a man named Rience, he did not expect to nearly be killed. He certainly did not expect to discover a beautiful valley while running away from him. He very definitely did not expect to find out that the valley was haunted — by an absurdly beautiful man. Or: In which Geralt is cursed to be a ghost and Jaskier is the first person in decades to talk to him.

~

Cursed Aiden

Headache at First Sight by YorkAndDelta (Rated T, 12k)

A story of how Lambert ends up looking after a cursed cat, helping a Witcher from a rival school retrieve his gear from angry mages, and maybe finds love along the way.

~

Cursed Lambert

the mortifying ordeal of being known as a cat by @skaldingrayne Rated M, 10k

Lambert is cursed to be a cat. Fortunately, he finds Jaskier.

~

You can find my other reclists here!

[jokertrap-ran]

BAD MEDICINE ~Infectious teachers~ [PC GAME] Kashu Remu (Chemistry) Route Translations (Doll END)

MC’s name is retained as the original MC name Kawana Hina.

* Words within ' ' are spoken in English – *Spoiler free : Translations under cut! *T/N: And with this, Bad Medicine has been completely translated! It's been a long run, so I'm glad to finally close this project after... 7 years? Thank you for sticking around!

Prologue / Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13 / Part 14 / Part 15 / Part 16 / Part 17 / Bad END / Good END / Ruin END / True END / Doll END

—That night.

Years after he was plunged headfirst into the depths of despair…

Yes, what happened mattered not to time. After all, time stopped for no one.   Time was equal to all who stood in its way.

Regardless of the path you’re on.

And thus, the sun rises today, as always. 　 Just like how dawn arrives after the night without fail.

———————————————

Kashu: Good morning~

Hina: Good morning.

Kashu: Now, where’s my morning kiss?

Hina: …Here.

Kashu: Mm… Ehehe~

Hina: I made breakfast.

Kashu: Yay~ What’s for breakfast today?

Hina: Onion soup.

Kashu: Ooh! I wanna eat that with some bread!

Hina: Here you go.

Kashu: Hmm, maybe bread rolls?

Hina: Got it. Please wait a moment.

Kashu: Okay. Ehehe…

Hina: …?

Kashu: I was just thinking about how blessed I am.

Hina: I… see.

Kashu: I mean~ We’re living in such bliss, aren’t we? I thought these things were only possible in books and TV shows!

Kashu: But, now that I’m married and living with you. I get to see you every day, and I realize every time without fail that this isn’t all just a dream~

Hina: This isn’t a dream. It’s all real.

Kashu: Mmhm, I bet it is! Right?

Hina: Yup.

Kashu: I think it’s about time we thought about children.

Hina: …Yes.

Kashu: Really? Are you sure?

Hina: …Yes.

Kashu: Eh~ But you don’t seem too sure about it. Oh! I won’t though!

Hina: Huh?

Kashu: I won’t get jealous over the kids getting more attention from you, so you don’t have to worry!

Hina: …I see.

Kashu: Because you belong to me, from the top of your head to the very tips of your fingers.

Kashu: So even if we do have kids, it won’t affect me.

Kashu: Besides… Having an anchor like that would be a much more failsafe method.

Hina: …

Kashu: Oh, look like the bread is ready~!

Hina: …Yes. Please take a seat.

Kashu: Okay~

Hina: Here you go.

Kashu: Thank you for the food~

Hina: Yeah.

Kashu: Oh, yes! I might be back a little later today.

Hina: Understood.

Kashu: Ah, I’ll eat dinner when I’m back, but you can go on ahead to bed if it gets too late, okay~?

Kashu: Feel free to eat before me!

Hina: Understood. I’ll do my best to wait for your return.

Kashu: You could just eat first… but, I’m glad to hear that~

Kashu: I’m so happy to have someone whom I can share a meal with~

Hina: Yeah… Oh.

Kashu: Oh? Ohh? Are you okay? Ah, are you feeling unwell…?

Hina: Y-Yeah… a little… My head hurts… a little…

Kashu: Whoa! Whoa! That’s not a little! Medicine! Where’s the medicine…?

Kashu: Oh, there it is! Got it!

Kashu: I’ll administer it for you. Mouth-to-mouth, of course!

Hina: …

Hina: …Mn.

Kashu: …Haa… Did you get it down properly?

Hina: …Yeah. Thank you.

Kashu: No need to thank me~ You’re precious to me, after all.

———————————————

—Precious? To him? Hilarious.

It makes me want to vomit.   He’d never have done this if I truly was someone he treasured. All that considered, how dare he? He had the nerve to even say such disgusting words.   There was a disconnect between my thoughts, actions, and the words that came out of my mouth. They did not match whatsoever.

Because… whoever’s talking and moving right now? That isn’t the real me.   I’ve been taking the medicine he made for a long time now.   This medicine— It creates a doll that moves and acts at the whim of the creator, or in this case, the administrator. It turns humans into living dolls.   I’m constantly being forced to take those drugs, so there’s no way I’d be able to wrangle such thoughts in my mind. Or so, he thought.

In reality, it was the complete opposite.

As more time passed, and the more and more this farce repeated itself before my eyes…

The more my negative emotions grew. Expanding, thickening. 

———————————————

Kashu: Oops, I’ve gotta run~ Hey, hey.

Hina: Yes?

Kashu: Can I get a kiss before I go? Can I…?

Hina: …Of course.

Kashu: Ehehe! Mn…

Hina: (No way in hell! But… it’s not like I can do anything against his wishes right now.)

Hina: (But, I won’t give up. Someday…)

Hina: (Someday, I’ll definitely kill you with my own two hands.)

———————————————

Kashu: Haha… This is brilliant! Perfect, really! This isolated world is all you have now.

Kashu: And in this world, I am the only one who exists. In other words, I am the only other person who exists in that little world of yours.

Kashu: Hate? What of it? It’s just another emotion, isn’t it? A rather strong one, directed toward a single individual.

Kashu: Heh… Ahaha. Emotions are brilliant things, aren’t they? They can hurt so much, and burn so much.

Kashu: So, why don’t you direct those emotions at me? Give me everything. Even the deepest, darkest, and ugliest parts of you.

Kashu: I don’t know why, but it’s satisfying to experience it for myself.

Kashu: Is this how it feels to no longer be alone?

Kashu: It feels as if I’m being tightly bound by chains, and at the same time, it also gives me the shivers… Hehe…

Kashu: Haha… Ahahaha!!!

[bestworstcase]

@cryptidblues tumblr ate this one too, maybe drop tumblr support a line to check if you’ve been erroneously shadowbanned 

Oscar is dying! He’s dying! We’re getting the full weight and crisis of the merge in volume 10 I NEED IT. The image of him collapsed on the sand as the sunrises with his back to the long memory OOUGH just like Ruby and crescent rose after she drank the tea, before the tree took her. The reversal on “I don’t want to be me anymore” / please let me stay myself. The lad is being eaten alive! From the inside out! By an unstoppable brain parasite that will kill him! And Replace Him! I Need the slow build up of horror from Oscar and everyone involved. “And Oscar…just isn’t himself” they’re place setting. Getting the table ready. Ooh yknow he’s hiding those merge episodes/attacks from his friends. I NEED the existential terror and dread! BUT I NEED THE CATHARSIS OF OSCAR BEING KNOWN, SEEN & SAVED TOO ;-;

NOT to make a post oscar about ozma instead but the thing that is really, really pulling the hinges off for me is the implication that this is happening because oz started actively fighting the merge. as long as oscar resisted and oz kept up the drumbeat of “this is inevitable, there is nothing either of us can do,” the curse kept on quietly eroding oscar as the boundary became thinner and thinner between them. it was, for lack of a better term, stable. 

the moment oz tries to resist, the curse starts trying to rip him forward. to force him to take over, inflicting what seems to be torturous amounts of pain on both of them. the subtle, silent, invisible violence that was inflicted on oscar before explodes outward to attack both of them. 

how many times have i said this curse is specifically designed to make it impossible for ozma to change? that the whole point is to prevent ozma from ever changing his mind or defying the god of light? never doubt me. the literal fucking instant ozma tries to break free, the curse becomes YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE. 

the curse had a failsafe the whole time.

/ozma tangent

oscar though. this poor kid. like the greatest burden on his shoulders in the last four volumes has always been that no one wants to openly acknowledge what’s happening to him and the nature of the merge’s violence being so completely internal means that no one has to look at it except him. and he’s been so isolated in that existential dread but he’s also grown so accustomed to being treated like just. the next ozpin. that when the violence abruptly becomes externalized in reaction to oz’s resistance, oscar… hides it. keeps it to himself. somewhere deep down the idea that it doesn’t matter to anyone what happens to him got lodged in his brain so deeply that he keeps it hidden!!

and i’m obsessed with the emotional complexity the layers of what he’s feeling with regard to ruby, because it’s not as simple as that he misses her and aspires to her optimism; there’s also some underlying resentment there (“you were always so sure that everything would work out…right up until the moment it didn’t” <- paraphrasing) because she was wrong and he wishes he could borrow her certainty but she was wrong. she fell. she was wrong. 

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, everyone else believes that they’re gone forever. that they’re dead. oscar doesn’t. he’s thinking about it in terms of where they might have gone, what might have happened to them, he’s doing research because deep down, there’s a teeny tiny spark of hope that hasn’t been extinguished yet. so there’s this subtext of i wish i had your certainty. even though you were wrong. i’m still trying to find you. we’re still fighting this. you always saw me for who i really was. i don’t know who i am anymore.—there’s this tension throughout the monologue between bitterness and hope, and i don’t know if oscar is even capable of seeing that he is still hopeful or that he does have, if not ruby’s kind of certainty, something of his own that rhymes. he’s feeling this bleak about everything and still trying to figure out where they are because he doesn’t believe they’re dead. 

it was oscar’s idea to put the memorial where the portal had been. it’s taller than a person and shaped like a door. it’s a memorial but it’s also a symbol; the portal is gone, but they were inside it still, we should build our own door so they can find their way home. and then they do, according to the context given. the blacksmith gave them a doorway that went right through their memorial.  ETA: never mind, misremembered

ruby confronting and facing his mortality after running away from it for three volumes to galvanize her to really try to save him vs oscar doing whatever he can think of to somehow save her while roiling in all these complicated painful feelings about how no one cares to know how he’s suffering because it isn’t like there’s any real hope for him. tasty!

[cosmic-seer]

I saw your terastilized juliana art and it reminded me of a moment in the dlc. When you approach the elevator, your asked if you've gone down it before. Answering 'i dont know' makes Briar say "Oh? Did you already forget what happened last time you were here? Perhaps this is a side effect of prolonged exposure to Area Zero..." Which just, gives so many ideas to ways being down in area zero for too long could mess someone up

God, okay, man-

That was where I was coming from with it, though my interpretation is pretty sure that the response comes from being uncomfy about Briar’s intentions, which, thoughts about Briar aside (and I have a l o t to say), my inspiration from it actually came from seeing the crystallized tree you find in the Underdepths. (Which reminds me a lot of Xerneas which, yknow, the theories about Paldea and Kalos being connected and the crater a result of it have some ground here I would think.)

I did have a mini uh au/worldbuild about it that I’m mentally fleshing out.

Putting stuff under the cut —

Originally it was inspired from the fact that AI Sada and Tulo both terastalize as a failsafe result of the programming and also just from overuse of the time machine harvesting terastal energy.

My idea was that the Paldaen Squad all got ‘terastal scarring’ as a result of this; it affected EVERYONE, but MC (Juliana) gets the worst of it from directly taking the burden of battling AI Sada/Tulo.

For the most part, cos they all left immediately afterward, they were pretty okay from it and it didn’t have too many adverse effects.

So it isn’t until MC agrees to go down to the depths the second time around that the consequences start really taking effect due to the energy being more pure and potent than from the caves above. And the deeper they go the worse it gets and then I haven’t quite yet worked out the rest, but I am thinking extremely heavily about the emotional ramifications regarding the ‘Dons and how it affects everyone else (including Kieran). The image of a Titan Terastal Koraidon trying to defend MC (Juliana) currently lives rent free in my brain. And maybe there’s a way Terapagos can be helpful rather than being misused.

When I work it out, I’ll make a post and draw stuff about it (probably) but yeah.

[landprince]

Riku is one of two identical clones of Sephiroth, though about half the original’s age as he and his twin was only created once it became apparent Sephiroth wouldn’t remain a docile and obedient Shinra servant forever and a failsafe needed to be put in place

Neither are a pure recreation clone of Sephiroth but both Riku and his Replica (Ritsu) are completely indistinguishable physically and verbally

Kept fully secret by Hojo and have had no outside interaction other than Hojo

Riku: more independent and open to interacting to new people 

The one to escape the lab more often

Ritsu: extremely distrustful but follows orders to a dogged fault

Often is the one to actually bring Riku back to Hojo’s lab

Both are bad with interacting with other people

Riku keeps his hair shorter, more manageable as he’s more a physical attacker and it gets in the way

Ritsu keeps his hair longer as it helps his mana when using magic

Just like Sephiroth, both were trained as living weapons and to be obedient attack dogs but Riku’s willful nature caused him to break out after turning 15 

Pod-born around the age of a physical four year old with no degradation done to their cells like previous attempts Hojo had dealt with

Both underwent intense brainwashing and medical procedures, both to make them compliant and to test how strong they could be(come)

Riku and Ritsu both have a large fear of medical appliances due to this

Riku always held Ritsu’s hand afterwards whenever tests had to be done

Riku tried to get Ritsu to go with him but Ritsu had more brainwashing done to him to keep him in line and it became a physical fight between the two

Ritsu technically won but Riku pleaded to his brother to let him go and Ritsu had always had a soft spot for his twin

Hojo made it Ritsu’s mission to track down Riku after that and “solve the problem” 

Riku wanders Gaia after escaping Midgar, full of intellect and strength, helping people and earning Gil along the way

He keeps his eyes peeled and his ears sharp, ready to leave any town he blows into at a moment’s notice

Tries not to make friends t make his departures easier but makes friends with the middle-aged leader of a small no-name town named Mickey

Writes to him whenever he has time 

Doesn’t stay still long enough to get letters in return

Had to learn interpersonal skills at a run in order to eat food he himself didn’t hunt for, get new clothes after his become too worn to mend anymore, and for a bed to sleep in that isn’t a tent

Being so fresh to the world he doesn’t know current events obvs so when he’s in a bar for a meal the TV is talking about AVALANCHE and asks the bartender who they are

He is so sincere when asking that everyone goes dead silent

“What do you mean you don’t know about the eco-terrorists????” 

Bartender is an AVALANCHE supporter and thinking Riku might be one points him into a building he should go to to meet with “like-minded people” 

Riku (idiot[said affectionately]) of course goes and meets up with a spunky young man named Sora who he’s immediately drawn to

Doesn’t know what affection is, attacks on sight because obviously Sora’s a threat because he’s never felt this way before

Sora is the only person to match him blow for blow other than his brother

The fight ends in a stalemate 

“WHAT’S UR FUCKIN PROBLEM BRO?” “IDK I FELT WEIRD.” 

Sora is also flabbergasted Riku doesn’t know what’s going on and only gets shut out whenever he presses Riku on if he lived under a rock his whole life

Teaches Riku about Shinra, AVALANCHE, the lifestream, etc 

By the time he’s done explaining Riku’s fully into wanting to help 

Teamup 

[phoenix-and-found-family]

Agent Phoenix should be fucking dead.

That wasn't a thing where "oh, they survived so many dangerous impossible things!" No.

They

should

be

DEAD.

They felt the spot where they got shot not two minutes before, straight in the head.

Nothing but a tiny scar.

The goon looked at them in utter horror.

"H...How..."

"...I don't know..."

Their voice sounded foreign to them. Wrong. Like it was someone else's.

Agent Phoenix(?) felt the bullet, still covered in blood, on their palm, and they took a step forward, into a florescent lit square of the world.

"S-Stay back! I'm warning you, I-I..."

"You'll what?"

The goon shook in fear as they realized they couldn't kill them. As Phoenix(no) realized they couldn't kill them.

"You'll what, Jared? Tell me."

"...Please...I don't wanna die..."

Phoenix- no, whatever they were right now wasn't Phoenix. This wasn't the normal firecracker, shit talking ball of pure spite energy inside of them. They weren't Phoenix. They were more like a riptide than a firecracker.

Riptide. They liked that.

Riptide grabbed his throat and lifted him up into the sky, choking him without much effort. A small smirk played on their lips as he clawed desperately for survival.

"And yet you still wear that damn symbol like a brand..."

"T-The logo?!"

"Take it off."

He practically ripped off his jacket. They dropped him to the floor with a thud.

That fucking logo... It was tattooed on their arm. They didn't know how they knew that but they did. These assholes made them and they hated them for it.

"Take me to your higher ups. Now. Only then will I let you go."

He nodded rapidly and used a radio to talk to someone, scrambling away as fast as he could.

"M-Mauve, um, the-the experiment got loose... It wants to talk to the director..."

They studied the body they realized was theirs more closely as they waited. This one had less scars than Phoenix. Was that good or bad?

"...Mauve, appreciate the advice, but it's right there."

They raised an eyebrow- did they have eyebrows? They definitely had eyebrows- at that.

"Does he even know about it?! ...And how on earth would I get the lead support agent on the line, we don't-"

He blinked in confusion.

"Hello, sir, um..."

They used telekinesis- which they knew wasn't possible -to yank the radio out of his hands. He looked... Relived?

"Who is this?

"Phoenix?"

A man's voice came from the device that rooted them to the spot. Their bones suddenly felt like putty, they were barely still standing at this point. They wanted to listen. Phoenix wanted to listen. They knew him. Handler. Crane.

Reginald.

"Agent, I don't know what's going on. Are you alright? All I heard was something about a rampage?"

He was still backing up. He was going to hit the fucking button on the wall, but they couldn't stop him. They wanted to. Everything in their body made them stay.

"Well, whatever the case, you really shouldn't engage with that. Rampages are usually pretty bad for your health for any parties involved. ...Don't ask how I know that."

They couldn't stand anymore. They sat down hard. The alarm blared around them and they should have been terrified of going back to that cell but they could only focus on him.

"...Phoenix? Hello? Normally you talk back at this point..."

"...do you know about me?"

"What?"

That was all they could say before they got injected with the syringe, before they couldn't move anymore and before the radio got ripped from their grasp.

"Surprised you're alive, Jared."

He was panting still.

"I, uh... Will this place kill me if I quit like Zoraxis?"

Someone talked to him through the radio as they got dragged away.

"Don't worry, Crane. Just a standard break in. Phoenix is fine."

"It's been alive for one goddamn day and it already broke seven failsafes... It's sure got their skill, alright."

"Do you think Morales'l scrap the project?"

"With how many eggs he's put in this thing's basket?"

The person dragging them chuckled.

"No fucking way."

[kakerutori]

Byler headcanons - an extremely domestic sharing things edition!!

Because I thought of one thing and couldn’t stop

They both use 3-in-1 shampoo because they’re insane

A domestic given but they share a calendar and Mike loves Will’s little doodles for holidays, events, anniversaries, and so on

The kitchen is never individually occupied. When one of them cooks, the other is back-hugging them or they’re making things together

Blankets are also never individually occupied because cuddles

When noise cancelling headphones drop they’re both obsessed, fighting over sharing a single pair on and off

Whenever they go on walks Will takes right earbud and Mike takes the left as they listen to their shared playlist. They also hold hands btw

Every meal is basically split between them and they always feed each other

Like literally no meal, snack, candy, beverage, nothing is safe from being consumed by the both of them at any point

They have one car they use to commute to work (at a comic/editing company of course)

Similarly, they arrange for similar work shifts so that they can use the same alarm clock (and failsafe: if one of them doesn’t wake up, the other kisses them awake)

They get a house together btw

They also get a dog and go on walks together :)

And/or a cat and play with them together :)

They love stealing each other’s clothes, especially t-shirts to wear to bed

But most socks and belts are automatically in a share pile

They like to read together too, sometimes cuddling after a long day of work and reading from the same book even if they read at different paces they’ll always wait for each other before turning the page

They both need glasses and at one point have the same prescription for each eye so they often accidentally use each other’s glasses

Stealing sunglasses is also a very common occurrence

They keep a notebook together for creative ideas and build off of each other

Also, their pens and pencils never have a fixed spot, they’re always being passed back and forth around the house

They’ll share a toothbrush when they forget to buy some more (I hated writing this one but why does it feel right)

Sometimes they share gum, too (now this one’s even grosser to me for some reason lol)

The one thing they won’t share is lollipops. Gum is no problem but this crosses the line lmao

[mammalsofaction]

hey... 🌹 :3

Plucked from my Mission Marvel re-write;

Candace is hyperventilating a little bit, she can tell, but besides a bit of “oh godohgodohgodohgodohgod" under her breath through the comm system, she’s following Ferb’s instructions to a T.

“How much time do we have?" Isabella asks.

There is a reluctant pause, but Ferb knows better than to keep bad news from her.

“An hour." He admits. “And you need to send the space shuttle right into town hall."

And it’s a 20 minute journey between the station and earth. Isabella has 40 minutes to find the failsafe compartment, unlatch it manually, and hurry them both back into their space shuttle.

Isabella inhales deeply, and nods. Surfboard and toolbox in hand by the outpost exit, she declares; "I’m ready!”

[strandnreyes]

I found out from ref googling that it's a real book!♡ I read the description on amazon and screamed!

>Whether it's your Mum, your best friend, or your significant other, sweep the person you love off their feet with failsafe recipes for show-off meals for two. Table for Two is food writer Bre Graham's first cookbook, showcasing recipes to cook for the people you love. Food to make your heart beat faster, things to risk looking silly eating like spaghetti twirled straight from your fork onto your white t-shirt, super quick to whip up things, and alcohol-infused everything. These dishes are for the days when you want to set the table for two and focus on someone special.

weepweepweep

Yes!! That’s why I chose it for them, it’s perfect

[melina-mellow]

What if...? S2 E3 review:

This episode was also just one big Diehard reference, the real title should have been "What if... Diehard, but with superpowers"

This episode gives off such 2012 era "everyone lives in the tower" fanfics, lol. From the tower having a dedicated karaoke floor, yoga floor, gym floor and a room that has all the materials for the costumes.

Even the dynamics of all the characters such as the Steve-Tony rivalry, them doing charity work that is sometimes silly, Natasha being on mission and Thor just popping in at the end... All 2012 era Avengers fics nostalgia.

Also it seems like Tony drops all of his "interns" on Happy to deal with, man cannot catch a break when it comes to dealing with chaos children.

It's also very appropriate that the Christmas episode features Jon Favreau, lmao nice.

Justin Hammer is just a delight as always. Bro, thinks he's Tony's greatest enemy and 100% fully believes this delusion. I missed this man so much... bring him back in Iron Heart or Armor Wars (if that's still happening) please.

Side note; but Happy's "Hulk" looks like that knockoff, off brand movie "The Amazing Bulk" Which I'm pretty sure was intentional.

I also love the implication that Tony has been working on E.D.I.T.H for a long time, not just after their defeat at the hands of Thanos. Since E. D. I. T. H is a failsafe protocal if he died, he probably started working on it post battle of New York in the first Avengers movie. This man doesn't go to therapy he goes to his lab to make A.Is that are very dangerous if it got into the hands of the wrong people *cough* Mysterio *cough* Damage Control *cough*

Final Score: 8.5/10.

I know not many people like these more lighthearted episodes, but I enjoyed it all the same.