#they weren't the one in pursuit; that wasn't how the 'game' went

[fideidefenswhore]

It’s a watchable piece of faux history, but the movie does not know what to do with its own heroine, content to leave her to the clutches of its villain: Henry.

yeah, i don’t think i’m going to be a fan of this one. 

[dailydemonspotlight]

Day 24 - Idun (Request)

Race: Megami

Alignment: Light-Neutral

April 23rd, 2024

accidentally spoiled this one, oops.

Norse mythology, as any amateur theologian would likely know, is a bizarre beast to look into- a winding complex of bastardized tales and Christian retcons that makes even some of its most iconic gods appear scantly and obscurely in its stories. However, our demon of the day is one of the most recurring goddesses in the entire pantheon- the goddess of apples and youth, Idun.

Well, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but a Norse god appearing in more stories than one in the Prose Edda is an accomplishment in-and-of-itself. Idun, also known as Idunn, Iduna, or Iðunn, is the ancient Norse deity who resides over apples, spring, youth, and rejuvenation- she was likely well worshipped in her place, representing such pleasant thoughts (outside of spring due to the scourge of pollen, but let's not get into that) and ideas. Her name even seems to be based upon ideas of kindness and healthiness, as it's based upon the old Norse words ið, meaning "again," and unna, meaning "to love."

All of this, alongside her association with one of the best fruits (objectively), apples, seems to paint her in the light of being a goddess that the common people looked up to and worshipped for a nice, peaceful life. Idun is also the wife of Bragi, the god of poetry, something that adds on to this lovingly creative persona- she seemed to have been a lesser goddess, yet one still revered and loved for her role in cultivating a beautiful year with fantastic food. Even today, in some pagan circles, she is still worshipped, as she was in the past as well, a goddess representing good spring and fortune.

Idun's most famous myth comes about with those same apples she treasures so dearly- they weren't any old apples, you see, as the ones she specifically grew were apples of immortality. These apples were relied upon by the pantheon to remain young and spritely (likely leading to her title as the goddess of youth given her role in cultivating those apples) and she protected the orchard where they were grown diligently. However, a jötunn by the name of Þjazi forced Loki's hand, getting him to drag Idun away from her orchard only to kidnap her. As a consequence of her absence, the gods soon began to grow old and frail, and finding nobody else responsible, they found the blame to be on the trickster god present.

The gods weren't mad with him specifically, though- they knew that Loki wasn't that petty and mean to steal the immortal apples without reason. As a result, in an effort to make him right his wrongs, they sent him out to retrieve Idun from the claws of the jötunn, Loki adopting the form of a falcon and chasing after the giant in great pursuit. After a while of searching, he found the (likely terrified, or maybe even annoyed) Idun, who turned into a single small nut to let him escape with her untouched. Shortly after Loki makes his daring escape, the giant comes back to find his captive goddess gone with the wind, and chases after Loki in hot pursuit in the form of a massive eagle. However, the gods devised a plan to stop this rampaging jötunn, causing the eagle to run right into a then-lit pyre and setting him ablaze. With Idun returned to them, they went back to eating from the immortal apple stock, and all lived happily ever after. Until Ragnarok stuff happens, but let's not worry about that!

While Idun does fill a role as an archetypal 'damsel in distress,' her main story does show how important she actually is to the Norse pantheon; without her, they wouldn't be able to live. As a result, while a minor deity, she has a major role in the pantheon- one that is reflected perfectly in her role in SMT V.

In SMT V, Idun's only current appearance, she appears as a late-game healer and support demon with a whole sidequest attached- one that I can't recant here due to not playing V, but it seems fun. Design-wise, she bears a striking resemblance to Little Red Riding Hood (as well as Aigis for some reason), something which feels obvious given her role as the owner of the divine orchard with a wicker basket holding her magical apples, drawing clear parallels with the apples that Red Riding Hood delivers to her grandma.

She also tends to hit the griddy.

Why? Because it's cute!

Overall, this charmingly designed demon from one of the most famous mythologies out there gets an A in my book. The influence behind her design is clear, it's cute and effective, and it works given her folkloric prescedent.

[tparker48]

Ralan was a curious College guy that had a knack for getting into smelly places. From socks worn by the track team of the university, keeping one of them from the lead runners as a souvenir. A giant singlet taken from the locker room, stashed away in closet where laid inside a jar. All of these he has ventured and sniffed out to satify his desire for newer smells. But there was one that he had yet to sniff. One that required the odor of a gym goer.

He wasn't sure of which one to go for as he listened to the chatter going around the from the regulars of the building. But one stood out from each group he would snoop in on. Reagan they called him, a very tall but fit guy who always hanged out near the lockers after a quick exercise. Hearing this, he decided to take up the challenge as he made his way to the lockers. Waiting for them to arrive as he hid along the corners of the door.

As time went by, Ralan took out his phone and catched up on a few games to occupy the time. Keeping a sharp eye out for his target, but mainly focused on easing his boredom. "I wonder who's got the highest score so far in candy crush. Last I checked I was in seventh right?" Pressing at the start button, he played a bit as he fiddled at his phone. But stopped when the rubbery squeaks of sneakers pierced the air. Ralan putting away his phone as he hugged next to the wall. With a looming shadow, He peaked out a bit to analyze the coming giant. Tall legs stretching into his view as they stepped into the door frame. Just able to pick up his blue elastic shirt as he went inside. "Showtime." He rubbed his hands together, taking pursuit to keep a close eye on them.

Reagan walked through the pathway of the lockers as he grabbed a towel from one of the bins. Wiping the sweat off of his glistening neck before rubbing into his shoulders. Sitting down at one of the benches, he took off his sneakers and proceeded to undress. Ralan soon closing the distance as he hid himself along the leg of the bench. "Sheesh, they weren't kidding. This guy's as tall as a tree. But nothing I can't handle" he whispered, dipping in and out of his hiding spot with each turn Reagan would make. "Now how am I going to get up there?.." He asked himself.

"Man its hot in here.." Reagan groaned to himself. Unraveling his shirt to fan the loose fabric against him. But he still felt hit, deciding to take it off as he laid it across the bench. The edge of it drooping toward the floor as it swung overhead.

"That'll do" Ralan noted, moving from his hiding spot before running over to the dangling shirt. Climbing it, he made his way to the ledge as the tall giant stood in place. His shorts just out of reached as they swayed further above. "And Here I thought my climbing was through. How am I going to get in there?" He asked himself, rubbing his hands together as he stood in front of the edge "Oh well, then I guess I got no choice but to climb" Ralan hopped onto Reagan's thigh as he gripped at the shorts. The loose fabric waving in the cool air as the little guy held onto it with all his might. Hoisting himself up slowly towards his waist. But it wasn't easy with the soft smooth surface of Reagan's rump. His grip getting smaller the higher he would go. "Almost..there. Grk!" His footing would slip as he hurtled down the giants leg. Grabbing onto a loose string as he clinged to it for dear life. Falling, he looked at the ground, bracing himself for the impact that awaited him. But with a snag, the string he held onto pulled upward. Holding his weight for a short time before finally snapping, Ralan landing onto the floor as he gazed up at the standing giant. "Well that's a no go." He muttered, but noticed his movements start to shift as his hands reached toward his waist.

"I'd best hurry and change before it gets crowded in here" Reagan announced, ringing the waistband of the shorts off his hips. Sliding them off the rump before Letting gravity take over. The black fabric raced towards Ralan like a parachute, crashing into the floor with a light shift as wind picked up slightly.

"This just might be my lucky.." Ralan muttered beneath the shorts. Cologne meeting his nose as they flared from its scent. Pushing at the fabric for an opening, he patted against it for a way out. Bulges traveling over the shorts, dashing from one side of the fabric to the other as they went around in a circle. Reagan's feet stepping onto them as Reagan adjusted his stance, blocking his way as Ralan shifted the other direction.

Another foot blocking his way as he came to a stand still. Both feet planted along the shorts, with a bulge between them as they bumped from one side to the other. Eventually after tumbling around, he found a hole in the where the string once was. Spreading the smooth fabric apart. "Phew, that was a search.." He dusted himself off. But looked up when the giant's feet began to move. Their boxers widening as their fingers pulled them down. "And here it comes" He announced, watching as the fingers let go of them.

"Come to me" Ralan muttered, he raising his arms into the air, awaiting the underwear's decent as it dropped down like a sheet. With a soft thud, the underwear landed ontop of him, its soft weight pushing him down to the ground. The musty scent soon filling his nose as the wind carried the scent away. "Oh that's what I'm talking about" Ralan huffed, taking in a deep sniff of the gray fabric. Picking up a salty scent of Reagan's balls along the front side of the underwear, its aroma burning his nose, but ignored it as he exhaled the other direction.

Sniffing further behind, the salty scent became more earthy as he sniffed at the back of the underwear. The surface was damp and matted, it felt like they were worn thin after hours of being the tall giant. "This guy must have quite the butt strength to make his underwear matted like this" Ralan noted, pausing as he sniffed into the fabric again. "Makes you wonder what it's like between them." Taking another sniff, Ralan moved toward the opening in the crotch of the under as he hoisted himself out. Wiggling the flap off his leg, he made his way to the center as he looked up at Raegan.

"I think I can get a quick rub in" Raegan huffed, a hand along his shaft as he stroked softly at his cock. His fingers to his balls and massaged them into his palm.

"Loving the view" Ralan admired, crouching down before he laid face up along the underwear. Making sure his body aligned perfectly before cupping his hands over his mouth. "Hey! Is someone in here!" He shouted. The foot next to him jerked upon the sudden shout. Nearly startling Ralan as he brought his limbs close in fear of them being stomped.

"Ah crap." Reagan cursed to himself "of all the times they decide to come, it would be now" sinking his feet back into the leg holes of his underwear, he pulled at the waist band and proceeded to glide them upwards. Carrying Ralan with him, they raced up the thigh as they filled the holes more.

"And here we go" Ralan readied himself, the ass above hurtling toward him as the legs created a bend in the center of the underwear. As the ass was just beyond reach, he closed his eyes and waited for the impact. His body lodging into the crack the bubbled cheeks. "Not a bad cushion" He huffed, relaxing himself for the fabric behind to push him upward. Cushionimg him more as the rest of the underwear climbed up Raegan. Snapping back onto his waist as he pulled up his underwear. The giant lowering himself down as he hoisted up his shorts as well.

"I'll have to find some time to do my business. For now some exercise will be good alternative" Raegan said. Sighing to himself from the interruption, but shrugged it off as he grabbed his things and he made his way into the pathway of the lockers. Unaware of the additional passenger as he disappeared into the hallway.

As Reagan made his way through the hallway, Ralan hugged against the bubbled ass as he walked forward. The thigh next to him grinding at his legs, but only brushed itno his chest while the glutes bounced above. "Not bad, not bad at at all" He muttered in approval, enjoying the soft sway of the giant's stride. His body moving off to the right of the crack as he laid across the the cheek. But glided back as he planted his face back to the center. "A little earthy than I imagined. Bet the guy really likes to work on the legs" As he focused on the sways, Raegan stopped as the thigh moved together. Gears clanging together on the outside, they proceeded to bend as a solid surface pushed into Ralan's back. Sending him face first against the warm smooth cheek as the rest crashed down into him.

On the outside, Raegan sat down on a bench as he sat on a leg machine. Aligning his legs into the cushion along the bars before he scooted further into the seat. "Think I'll end the day with some leg exercises" He announced, adjusting his waist before he lifted his legs. The weights beginning to lift as they moved in sync with his legs. When they lifted into the air, his quads tightened as their muscles stretched. His glutes contracting as well as he heaved into the seat.

"Hrk..Well, this is a tight-hrkk!..Squeeze" Ralan heaved from underneath. Tempting to move his head, but was barely able to when the huge mass above squished into his head. Noting this, he waited for them to soften as he scooted sideways. Picking up cues on when to stop as the muscles squeaked into his ear like rubber. Signaling him to stop as they came crashing back down. But seemed to lessen the closer he got to the large crack. As the muscle softened again, he arched his back as he slipped back again crevice of the crack. Turning over his head to face forward, the muscle contracted once more as the surrounding cheeks sandwiched along the side of his head, the sweat secreting from its glands making it slippery as he was wedged past the surface. His head expunged into a pocket of muscles as the rest squeezed and danced further ahead. "Huh, this works" he approved, relaxing his shoulders to lessen the cramped space.

"Grr..grr..grr" Raegan's voice echoed the chamber of flesh. The walls moving in close before restracted back to their relaxed state.

"Ah listen to that breath, it's almost soothing." Ralan noted, shimmying his shoulders into the flesh pocket as he hugged them inside, lifted his behind them as he wobbled them in front of him. "Unfortunately this won't last." Reaching his arms forward, Ralan opened his palms and grabbed at the skin above. Managing to clasp at the hairs laying around the walls before he heaved them close to himself.

"Mm..mm" Raegan grunted from above, the ass flesh reacting as they contracted and shifted into Ralan's shoulder.

"That's it Raegan, move that ass for me" Ralan wiggled his arms some more to get a motion going withing the crack. Shifting his arms as they rolled into the left side of the crack, before making their way to the opposite wall. "Just a little bit deeper and..." Pressing his shoulders forward, Ralan extended his arms forward into the flesh pocket. Poking his fingers through the slick skin as they slipped through the folds with ease. With a few twists of his Wrists, his hands went through another flesh pocket as the area seemed more spacy. His fingers tapping at another set of skin, one that was much tender as he moved back from his touch "There."

Reagan's continued his leg exercise as he lifted the weights on the machine. His movements starting to become more jittery as the lingering feeling continued to grow. "Something is tickling my ass, Is it the seat?" Raegan asked himself, shaking his rump into the cushion as he used the side to scratch at his crack. Spilling the mound if flesh over the over the side of the seat before he slid it back on top. But the feeling was still persistent. Adjusting himself, He looked around to see if anyone was looking. Double taking to the door for assurance before he rose the left side of his rear. Gravitiy pressing the cheeks together as they pushed into Ralan.

"alright big guy now I got your attention. Now shoe me what you can do" He muttered, fiddling with the flesh pocket ahead. He tapped at the tender muscles beyond it as it continued move away, his fingers managing to slip into a fold as he wiggled them in between. But stopped when the sounds of gurgling echoed above. A pulse traveling through the ass flesh before the muscle ahead pressed into his hand. "Hmm?" Ralan puzzled, halting as he observed the walls. Their form compressed closer as they smothered into his palms.

Brrt! A blast boomed from above, the pockets opening as air rushed through the ass flesh. The folds around Ralan raising to let the passage of the gas flow as it escaped to the outside, quickly collapsing as the mounds gave litle chance for Ralan to move. Pinning at his side as the folds compacted and stretched into a larger flesh pocket. Ralan catching a glimpse of the giant hole above as it winked slowly. "Well.." He coughed "That was unexpected." He wiggled his fingers again to fiddle with the hole, watching as the quivered lips slowly opened. Preparing himself, a swift wind blew into him. The earthy smell from inside flowing into his body, traveling through the cave of flesh as they fluttered in place. The mounds jiggling flesh wobbling around Ralan as they clapped against his body

"Man that one's been bothering me, at least I can let it out" Reagan blurted out, holding his cheek further into the air. The gust fluttering from his ass becoming more forced as the ring inside squeezed the restof the air out from within. Hearing up his underwear as the frowsty air mixed with the cool air of the gym.

"Hey man, take that somewhere else!" Someone yelled.

"Please do, it smells like a Dutch oven in here!" Another announced.

"Had to be done" Reagan replied, letting go of his cheek to let them retract.

"hrm" Ralan muffled, the cheeks compressing together as they laid back onto the seat. Another toot escaping from Reagan before the gym goer rose from the machine. His ass compressing together before he started to walk. The walls of flesh grinding around Ralan as each stride lifted him closer to the hole.

"There's that feeling again.." Reagan muttered, patting at his cheeks to ease the disturbing pressure. But ignored it as he made his way to the exit.

**********************************************

After making his way back to his dorm, Reagan tossed his bag over to the bed before he started to undress. Taking off his shorts first as he slid them next to the bottom of the bed. "Finally got the chance to relax a bit. Feels like the gym's realy getting to me" he said to himself, raising his arms to the air as he squeezed his own body to relax his muscles. His ass jiggling slowly before the movement returned. "Right, I still need to see what that was" ringing around the waistband, he dropped his underwear to the floor as he stretched his glutes apart. Squeezing at the center of the ass cheek as he massaged them around each other.

As they spread apart, Ralan rolled along with their rolls. The sweat build up from inside sticking him against the hole as he was tossed around the flesh. His face raising away from puckered holed before another roll pushed him back into its kiss. "Finally my chance to get off" he muttered to himself, following the rolls of the cheeks as he peeled himself off the hole. Falling to the floor, he landed back in the underwear as the shorts underneath cushioned his descent. The pair of feet around turning in place as Reagan was distracted

"Huh? That's strange, I don't see anything in there" he said. Looking into the reflection in a mirror next to him. Gazing at the winking hole as the area inside seemed almost untouched. Shrugging, he let his ass clap back together as he continued to undress. Looking down to fetch his clothes from the ground, but found one missing. "Huh, where's my underwear?"

As he searched around the floor, His underwear would flow from door as the gray boxers slipped from underneath the frame. Ralan carrying it off in the hallway as he faded into the shadows. "Welp, I got what I came for, now it's best to headback before he starts to get supicious" He muttered to himself, heading down the steps as he hopped off the top edge. Holding under the large pair of underwear, he used it as a kite as he glided through the air. Descending towards the bottom floor as he made his way to the door. Shimmying through the panel as well, before vanishing into the night.

Returning to his room, he regrew his size as he closed the door behind. Still wearing his clothes as he basked in the scent coated along it. Still smelling the sweat and musk, he huffed as he spun around his room. "Now that was a fun time" he declared, walking towards the closet as he turned on the light inside, his collection of past missions resting along the side of the wall. The jockstraps from the football team rested in a jar, the matted fabric blending with the others as its heat fumed the glass. The singlets of wrestlers resting next to it as it folded neatly in its jar. Looking over his collection, Ralan stopped at one that lied empty, bringing up Reagan's underwear as he glared at it with satisfaction. "And now you've got a home in here" he said softly to it, bringing it close as he sniffed it heavily. Feeling the warm earthy scent fill his nose as he pulled back with a heavy huff. "So good" he muttered. Wiping his face with a tissue, he tossed the underwear in the jar. Heading back towards the door as he proceeded to close it. But stopped when he turned to look at his collection, a prideful smile spreading across his face. "Another successful collection" he said, turning off the light before closing the door.

[trelkez]

Ah, Ted Lasso. This episode was 90% mess, but that 10% sure does know how to hook me.

I wish I could go back in time to the self who went into Ted Lasso thinking it was tightly plotted, top tier stuff and say, "this is a ridiculous show, but you should watch it anyway. You'll love the characters. You will get so much found family. Just don't get too attached to any plotlines or expect anything to make sense ever, and you'll be fine." That would be a reasonable expectation for this show! Unfortunately for me, we're down to the final three episodes, so it's a bit late for me to recalibrate at this point. I am, alas, still invested in the plotlines. 

So let's get into 3.10, because … wow, is there a lot to get into.

I'm rewatching the episode as I write this (just in case I forget any of the batshit turns it took and/or parts of it turn out to have been a fever dream), so I'm going to tackle it roughly in order. 

1. Richmond's ten game winning streak

Where are we at in the season? Does anyone know?

Remember when this show had season arcs organized around some kind of football-related goal? Avoid relegation, make it back into the Premier League. It seemed logical that the goal of this season would be to win the league, but I guess we're going to get there by putting the team on cheat mode in the background and then shoehorning in some "will they or won't they" football drama at the end, which is actually very in keeping with the overall theme of this episode.

2. Nate quit West Ham off-screen

I'm so glad the guy in the apartment on the other side of my living room wall was out for the night, because I literally shrieked "WHAT?????? WHAT???????" when that "Nate Shelley Out at West Ham" graphic went up.

I didn't get to Nate in my 3.09 writeup, and it's just as well, because anything I wrote before that graphic would have been immediately rendered pointless. Nate quit West Ham off-screen. He quit off-screen.

I am going to reach way, way back to the Nate Shelley I liked in season one and say: that Nate did not deserve this shit.

It has been obvious throughout this entire season that the writers weren't interested in telling the story that season two set up. They didn't especially want to dwell on or in the toxicity that bottomed Nate out last season; they didn't want to do the harder narrative work of actually building back an unlikeable character through a slow but steady redemption arc, even though they've spent entire seasons doing exactly that with Jamie. Instead, they said, "yeah, but Nate isn't really That Guy."

Does the show regret what it did? It sure feels that way. It feels like, in the pursuit of telling a story about a good guy on an ego-fueled descent, the show went way further than it meant to and has now decided to backtrack on that by treating the whole thing like a guy waking up from a bender and going, "I did what last night? Why did I do that?" That wasn't really Nate who did those things, that was Drunk Nate! He did five shots of narcissism and got blackout drunk on jealousy, and he woke up in the morning with a new job. What wild shenanigans will ensue? 

So, sure. The only way any of it makes sense is if none of it meant anything. Fine. Even then, what was the point of sending Nate to West Ham and throwing all of Rupert's smothering, menacing glitz at him only for NATE QUITTING HIS JOB AND WALKING AWAY FROM RUPERT AND WEST HAM to happen OFF-SCREEN so they can CATCH US UP ON IT via FAKE SPORTS NEWS INFOGRAPHIC??

If they didn't show it because they felt the real rejection was in Nate going home to his girlfriend, that is very poor storytelling in a season that started out with the most literal Rupert is Palpatine visual parallels imaginable. If they're trying to say that the real climax of Nate's story isn't in rejecting Rupert, but in the amends he makes with the people he hurt, then why did they drag the West Ham stuff out until the tenth episode??? Why is all of this being left for the end, when none of the West Ham stuff has ultimately mattered at all, and pulling the plug on it earlier on could've left a lot of room for handling Nate's healing process at a slower, more organic pace?

Ultimately, this is a story about a good guy who lost his way a little and wound up hanging out with a bad crowd, and now he has to apologize his way back into the hearts of his real friends. The storytelling along the way has been wildly incoherent and had brutally terrible pacing, but if you completely disregard how we got here and pretend season one Nate just woke up from a West Ham bender, there's still time to enjoy the endgame.

3. Isaac is team captain again!

So – Isaac went into the crowd and wasn't banned for the remainder of the season? Let's close our eyes for a moment and imagine that the football gods looked upon Isaac's actions and said, "yeah, that seems legit, let's give him the smallest possible set of consequences." He was sent off with a red card. For assault. But the football gods are treating punching a fan like having a go at an opposing player! Cool. That's still, what, three games?

So even if we assume he only got a three-game ban, and keeping in mind that Richmond isn't in the Champions or Europa leagues and the FA Cup is just – not happening, I guess? So they probably don't have a ton of midweek games, which means that it's been … weeks.

But wasn't the win streak at eight games last week? So – did Isaac just – not get a ban? At all? 

Nope. No. Self, you are a Ted Lasso Doylist now, remember? Nothing that happened last week was actually about Isaac in any way, so why would there be ongoing consequences for him from that storyline? Deep breaths.

Isaac is one of my favorite characters in this show, and I'm not particularly interested in there being ongoing consequences for him from whatever that was last week, so – this is fine. Don't question it. We float on an ocean of vibes. Everything is great.

4. Why?

Why did we just take a beat for microaggression with Ted being shocked Bumbercatch is Swiss? Is this really where we're at these days, comedy-wise?

I'm genuinely not sure that anyone involved here knows how to write Ted without making him completely exhausting to be around, anymore. Is that on purpose? Let's pretend it's on purpose.

5. Do we think Nate is capable of being involved in something like that?

"Nah." – the writers, who are pretending they haven't seen season two

6. Jade

I like her so much, but I am 99.95% sure that's because she is being written to be likable, with no other discernible qualities. Who is she? What motivates her? In a season full of long episodes, was there really no time to show her existing when Nate isn't in the room? Did no one in the writer's room stop to wonder, "hey, is it at all dicey if that woman in the restaurant who dislikes Nate suddenly falls in love with him so he can be healed by the power of love?" Did no one say that out loud and hear how it sounds?

Anyway. Jade. Big fan. Looking forward to hearing all about her hobbies and backstory in the ample time remaining.

7. Dani vs. Van Damme

I have a feeling this completely random side adventure into our purest angel having an asshole hypercompetitive side isn't going to land for everyone, but you know what? Sure. Why not. There are epic tales out there of teammates facing each other in the Olympics, the World Cup, etc. and trying to destroy each other and then going home like none of it ever happened. I'm totally onboard for this kind of plot in theory! They took it a little too far with Dani breaking Van Damme's nose, but as we've established, "they took it a little too far" is the story of this entire show. 

You know what would have improved this a lot? If it had happened near the beginning of the season and kicked off a recurring storyline in which someone else now has to face Dani on a spring international break. Shoved in at the end of the season (and probably the end of the series), it loses a lot of its potential, so the placement is … strange. Instead of being an ongoing character trait they could slowly build up and make funnier in the re-telling, it comes out of nowhere and immediately goes to 11. But otherwise, why not.

8. Beard gets it

Beard is the only one who watched season two. He gets it.

It would explain a lot about Beard and this entire season if Beard used to be a time traveler, so he's the only one in Richmond immune to changes in the timeline. Maybe somewhere just out of sight there's a genre show about time travel happening, and this football team just happens to exist in that universe – so the world of Ted Lasso is constantly being rewritten, but no one notices. Ted Lasso as a Doctor Who spin-off in which no one has ever met or heard of The Doctor. 

No one but Beard, anyway. Is Beard also the only one who remembers that Isaac went into the crowd last week?

9. Uncle's Day

10/10, no notes. Every time I think I'm out, this show uses Jamie Tartt to drag me right back in.

(Actually, no, one note: Jamie was joking about Isaac being his best friend, right? That was just to screw with Roy? I'm going to assume Isaac was the choice for that line because it's so obviously unlikely given how rarely they interact, and not because the writers think Jamie and Isaac are still BFFs. It would be very in keeping with this season for them to think Jamie and Isaac's friendship is just running on cheat mode in the background, but like – I'm going to assume. For my sanity. That it's just a joke.)

The funniest part of this scene winds up being that they accidentally made it look like Phoebe was having an "oh. oh" moment about Roy and Jamie. I had to rewind that twice to figure out that she was spelling it out in her head, and not like, catching on.

I would've understood if she had caught on. Roy stares at Jamie for 10.6 seconds before he says "I love it."

10. Super League? In this economy?

+10 points to Leslie for "I hate to break it to you, Rebecca, but those children are dead."

Unfortunately, -10 points to Leslie for "who cares why Rupert invited you?" Historically speaking, Rebecca should care. Rebecca is totally justified in wondering why Rupert invited her!

Why would Richmond be invited into talks about a Super League at all? Richmond? Recently promoted Richmond? Complete lack of international play Richmond? It's sus as hell. If I were Rebecca, I would absolutely assume this was some strange plot by my evil ex-husband.

(I'm not convinced it wasn't, in fact, a strange plot by her evil ex-husband. Something is going on there.)

Super League is about the richest teams banding together to shake off the chaff. As a Spurs fan, I fully, completely understand the concept of a team that isn't actually rich and successful trying to buy into an exclusive club – yes, Spurs were involved in Super League drama; no, you shouldn't ask me about their season or we'll still be here next week while I cry on you – and we are definitely already outside the tethers of reality when West Ham is at the table, but it, truly it makes no sense.

(And even if Rupert weren't the one extending the offer, "go check it out, what's the worst that could happen?" is naive at best. What's the worst that could happen? The media finds out that Rebecca was at a Super League meeting and now Richmond is being dragged into a shitstorm, whether Rebecca decided to buy in or not. Girl, do not go in there! If you don't want to join, don't join! Why is any of this happening! Get Keeley back in the building before someone runs into a PR problem they truly cannot back out of!)

11. Is the psychic's prophecy still a thing?

So … is the show going Tedbecca? After that weird flirty moment she had with Sam earlier, the matchbook almost calls back to Sam more than Ted, but the show did make a point of having Ted pull out that matchbook a few episodes ago, and here it's directly paired with his toy soldier. 

(Honestly, slow clap for everyone who did those green matchbook / green soldier gif sets earlier this season, I thought you guys were reaching straight into outer space with that one and apparently I was dead wrong!)

Ted and Rebecca have barely even talked to each other in the back half of the season. Every week I log on here and see shippers shriveling into dust, their crops unwatered. Is the matchbook/soldier thing a misdirect, or are they going to cram a significant relationship change into the final two episodes of the season after largely ignoring them in the lead-up?

I have no idea which way this is going to swing, and that's kind of terrible, because there are only two episodes left. There isn't time left to do any kind of meaningful build. There's only time for a sudden last-minute rush of drama.

When I put it like that, I think they probably are going to shove it into the endgame. Either that, or the houseboat guy suddenly shows back up out of nowhere. Whatever happens, it is going to have a "bet you didn't see that coming" flavor, because there isn't time for anything else.

12. Roy has an epiphany

What the fuck even is this?

Listen. It never made sense for Roy to have broken up with Keeley. It was clearly something they did as a way to inject some new drama. THAT SAID, they did it, and they committed to it for almost an entire fucking season, and TEN EPISODES ON a teacher with a crush on Roy makes a way-too-personal comment about how she hopes his mess hasn't caused any damage, and THAT'S what makes him suddenly realize he needs to apologize to Keeley? THAT? Just like. Boom. Realization sets in. Lightbulb visibly goes off overhead as he mutters "fuuuuuuck" to himself. A fully illustrated epiphany!

What the fuck does this show think it's doing having Roy suddenly realize that he probably hurt Keeley and needs to apologize? 

In episode ten?????

I don't know how much time has passed, because in Ted Lasso season three time is an illusion, but at minimum – months. Months later, he suddenly realizes he might have hurt his girlfriend when he broke up with her??? That isn't character growth. That is completely fucking absurd. They needed Roy and Keeley to get back together and pushed it too close to the last minute, so they did some schoolteacher deus ex machina. Of all the abrupt plot turns in this episode, this might be the second worst.

(There's a clear winner and this isn't it, but second place? It's a contender.)

13. What happened to the corporate pixie dream girl?

So the overall implication here, between this and Trent's rumor of West Ham workplace misbehavior, is that Rupert is probably headed for some workplace harassment trouble, right? If withholding the mystery of it all turns out to be why they didn't show Nate quitting in this episode, I'm going to scream. I will literally shriek with the frustration of a thousand bad plot decisions.

14. Nate's nostalgia journey

This is, sincerely, great stuff with the photo albums and the music and the journey into the attic. There is still time to enjoy the endgame!! Disregard how we got here!!

15. Rebecca vs. Super League

Just watching this scene made me feel like I've now put in enough time on Ted Lasso to be allowed by contract to take some PTO. Ted Lasso needs to pay me for my time while I recover on a tiny island in the Outer Banks. I've earned it.

So – they thought – having Rebecca scoldingly yell "what do you think you're doing? Just stop it!" while picturing aging rich men as little boys was, like … feminist? Someone involved in this process thought, wouldn't it be great if we empowered Rebecca by making her everyone's scolding mother, and no one along the way went, wait, what? 

But then it keeps going so that we can humanize Rupert, which – what? Why is this happening? Why do I know Rupert's humanizing backstory when to my knowledge, Jade was born inside Taste of Athens?

This is the most I have ever seen Rebecca care about football. It's a lovely speech, but where is it coming from? Since when is she this invested? The only thing that rings true about this is that Super League is an ugly money grab and many, many owners do not give a single shit about their team's fans. Someone wanted to write a speech about that, so we're getting it through Rebecca, just like we got that speech about deleting your camera roll through Isaac. 

Also – the food: I know that the food is a continuation of Edwin Akufo's whole thing with Sam, but it is a weird fucking choice to put so much emphasis on Ghanian food and then reduce it to slop thrown at Rebecca.

Beginning to end, we could've done without this entire Super League story and been just fine. It isn't like this 63-minute episode required extra filler.

16. 24

10/10, no notes. They really do pull me back in with Jamie every time. He revealed that 24 and I, like Roy Kent talking to a schoolteacher, suddenly realized that I ship it. Jamie wore Sam's number?? I'm going to vid this so hard.

17. Nate's dad

I did say there was a clear winner for the episode's worst plot turn.

Nate is sad at home for one episode and suddenly his dad does a complete turnaround after almost three entire seasons? It isn't like we heard a story one time about Nate's dad and now we're getting a reveal on what actually happened there – we've seen him a lot! Nate's entire motivation set is built on his dad and their relationship!

"I pushed you to succeed so you would have more opportunities than I did" is a completely legitimate story to tell, but this has been almost three seasons of disapproval so thick that it threw toxic sludge across the entire show. Nothing Nate has done has ever been good enough. Now we're at the end, and they want to heal it so that Nate can grow, so all of that is being retconned into, "I never cared if you were successful, I just want you to be happy," and suddenly his dad is a completely different person. Boom, fixed! Definitely not the kind of thing you have to heal from over time!

I say again: Nate's story deserved better than this. By pushing this all the way to the end, they've run out of room to take their time with it, so it's just being dropped in. What a mess this season is.

18. Rebecca, do NOT do it

This season is, in fact, such a mess that for a minute there, I believed that Rebecca might actually go for it with Rupert. 

I think, more than anything, I'm puzzled by the perceived necessity of this closure on Rebecca and Rupert. I get that they wanted to give us a taste of what brought Rupert and Rebecca together in the first place – to have Rebecca to see him in that old light again before taking a step back, so she could acknowledge the past in a way that helped her finally make a clean break. I get it. But … why? Was this really something lingering out there for her to overcome?

Rebecca's entire season-long conflict with Rupert has felt like intentional backsliding for the purposes of The Drama. If you imagine that she came into this season still very fired up and insecure about her ex-husband, the arc from "I want Zava so Rupert can't have him" to "I don't care about beating Rupert anymore" is fine. But … did she? Is that really where we left her in season two?

And why did an episode in which Nate quits West Ham spend so much time breaking up Rupert and Rebecca, who were already broken up, while Nate quit off-screen? 

19. What's left?

Two episodes to go! That's so much time in which to accomplish so many things!

I said to someone last week: you know, I thought this was headed for a "Nate takes over as Richmond's head coach" place, but there isn't enough time left in the season for them to do that, so I guess he's just going to be staying at West Ham?

Turns out they can do anything, because they're just going to drop in whatever at the last minute. Nothing means anything! We exist in a world without the constraints of plot and continuity! Everything is on the table.

So, what's left to shoehorn in?

- Manchester City has been inevitable all season (ask Arsenal how that feels), and we're probably going to get some stuff with Jamie's dad there. Jamie has been one of the only characters they've consistently done right by, so my fingers are crossed they don't screw that up at the finish line.

- Will Trent ever come out to the Diamond Dogs? Maybe being out in the workplace isn't his thing, but it feels like a missed avenue of storytelling to have Trent be right there in the coaching offices, in on all the gossip and sharing and advice, and not have whatever he has going on be a part of it. That would have been such an easy way to integrate queer identity into everyday conversation over a decent chunk of the season, instead of playing it almost exclusively for drama the way they have been.

- Still on Nate's apology list: Colin and Ted? If apologizing to Ted doesn't involve the believe sign somehow, I really don't know anything about this show anymore.

- Is Ted staying in London or going back to Kansas? A lot of people seem resigned to the idea that he's going back, and a lot of Tumblr is hoping he stays for Rebecca, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's some secret third thing. Two whole episodes! There's still plenty of time for them to drop a surprise twist on us. (If he goes back to Michelle, it won't be a surprise twist, but I will turn this car around.)

- Are we ever going to learn what was up with Baz's friend who got kicked out of the pub? I really thought we were headed for some bigger integration of Colin's story, wherein it turned out that was Baz's secret boyfriend or something, but … … …?

- Is anything going to come of Trent's book? I have $5 on there being an epilogue time skip in which we fast forward to the book release and see what the characters are up to (aka the "no seriously, this is it, the show is over" ending) and another $5 on the show ending on Ted in the airport and the book not ultimately meaning anything.

Two weeks until we find out!

[gildcdglory]

APPLICATION.

*     ◟    :    〔   sasha calle  ,    nonbinary    +   they/them    〕      jade molina ,      some say you’re a twenty-nine-year-old  lost soul among the neon lights. known for being both independent and destructive,  one can’t help but think of  arsonist’s lullaby by hozier when you walk by. are you still an underground fighter   / associate   at    ralph’s boxing gym   /   white crocodiles,     even with your reputation as the pariah? i think we’ll be seeing more of you and a trail of ash and debris following your every step, body aching to feel anything other than numbness, blood swirling down a bathroom drain,  although we can’t help but think of katniss everdeen (hunger games), ygritte (game of thrones), toph beifong (avatar the last airbender)   whenever we see you down these rainy streets.      (      alyx, 24, she/her, Vasily’s roommate, EST )

FILE.

full name: jade molina

age: twenty-nine

gender / pronouns: nonbinary, they/them

orientation: homosexual

affiliation: associate for the white crocodiles

occupation: underground fighter at ralph's boxing gym

family: joaquin molina (foster dad, deceased), isobel molina ( foster mom, deceased), sophia molina (foster sister, deceased), damian molina (foster brother, deceased)

faceclaim: sasha calle

inspiration: katniss everdeen (the hunger games), ygritte (game of thrones), toph beifong (avatar the last air bender)

Pinterest

BIOGRAPHY.

DEATH TW, FIRE TW, CHILD DEATH TW

Kids like you never truly had a chance. Born to an absent father and a criminal mother, you were thrown into the foster system before you even learned how to walk. Your childhood days were spent meeting potential parents and trying to win their hearts, but each time, you always fell short. You were too tough, too blunt, too much for these prospective parents to wrap their heads around, and with each rejection, the noose of abandonment tightened around your neck.

Eventually, you gave up your pursuit of a family. You accepted that these parents wanted little dolls they could morph into their ideal child, and you would never be able to fit that mold. The knowledge of your unwantedness stung, but you told yourself it was better this way. After all, the fewer people around, the less likely you are to disappoint them. With your current situation, you needed to impress no one but yourself.

Of course, you couldn't truly be on your own until after you turned eighteen. You were forced to move in with a foster family in the meantime, but unlike the picture-perfect families you watched growing up, this family showed the dark side hidden behind glassy eyes and hollow smiles. The beginning was fine--- a little awkward, but you made it clear you weren't going to branch out of your shell to befriend these strangers. It wasn't until a month into the arrangement that you began to feel the impact of the family dynamics. It began with little things, such as watching the parents fight the moment the other children went to bed, and it ended with flames and the knowledge that, no matter what happens, you'll always end up alone in the end.

You didn't mean to take it that far. You meant to just light a piece of paper on fire and let the smoke distract your foster parents long enough for you to steal a car and sneak away from the house, but you hadn't realized just how quickly a fire can spread. You watched as the flames ate away at the home and the family residing inside, and though you tried to go back and save your foster siblings from this tragic fate, you were left with nothing but despair and burns along your arms.

You curled up against the road, determined to let the guilt destroy you like you destroyed the house, but the sound of police sirens brought you back to reality. You realized that you had four people's deaths on your hands, and that meant either running away or accepting life in prison. Of course, you chose to run away.

You somehow managed to hitchhike your way to New York when you were barely eighteen. You had no job experience, no family, and no money, but moving was better than being caught by the cops.

You wound up living on the streets for years, bouncing from one shelter to another, attempting to work enough odd jobs to feed yourself. When you got a decent amount of money from one of your gigs, you found yourself getting a membership at Ralph's boxing gym. You knew gyms had showers and a way to blow off steam, so it seemed like the perfect investment for you. You never expected to be recruited into the underground fighting ring, but when the opportunity presented itself to you, you could do nothing but ask when the first match would be.

Your performances at the fighting ring must've caught the eye of the White Crocodiles, the true owners of the gym, for they offered you an associate spot within their organization. You never wanted a life of crime, never wanted to follow in your birth mother's footsteps, but the fear of being punished for your teenage actions led you to accept the offer.

Perhaps it's better this way. You, who treated loneliness as a death sentence, now have an opportunity to be "adopted" into the family of your childhood dreams. It didn't matter that they were criminals, or the fact that you had grown to like your solitary lifestyle. This is the hand fate dealt you, and all you can do is grasp onto it and try not to lose it to the flames too.

WANTED CONNECTIONS.

Coming soon :)

[l0ve-letter-4-u]

oh my god I never posted luvli here. tosses them in

our silly sonic.exe :] meet luvli !! based off of the (ILOVEYOU.VBS) virus !! more info abt them under the cut :]

Luvli was initially developed as an algorithmic email sorting program exclusively for Sega Enterprises. Its main functions were to sort mail by type (upcoming project information, fanmail, company announcements, etc) and grammer suggestions, but asides from that, it was very bare bones. During an April Fools update, the developers thought it would be fun to have the program 'interact' with employees! Mainly to test the waters for future plans, the program sent an email to all of the employees congratulating them on their work, using mixed auto-generated responses to make the experience seem more personalized.

While initially a joke, the positive affirmation seemed to visibly boost employee moods, and was an all around success! This would later lead to one of the biggest updates to the programming by far, launching it into stardom within the company.

The next big software update allowed it to respond to most fanmail by giving a mix of auto-generated responses, similar to the April Fools update. It was a little buggy, but with a couple tweaks here and there, this allowed employees to focus more on game production without losing time responding to fans. Some were skeptical of this, as it felt a little wrong to make fans believe they were getting actual responses- but the feature was ultimately kept due to a visible increase in work.

With the last April Fool's update being such a success, the developers would start testing more functions and features for the program within the company to see what sticks and what doesn't. Some most were more or less scrapped, and some.. some would come to be very, very important.

A new feature was tested out.

As with all big corporations, work ethic started to decline. Employees weren't as excited to work on new projects as they once were- And some were even quitting out of stress. In a desperate attempt to keep employees without upping their pay (because why would a megacorp do that), they rolled out a new feature. Employee Motivation.

The update was albeit a bit rushed, but now, the ai used to initially respond to fans was tweaked to also respond to employees. It'd send a mix of auto-generated motivational letters to employees when emailed, and even personalized ones based off of what work the employee specifically did and/or was categorized as being in charge of.

This was a huge success. Maybe even bigger than the April Fools update- Whether it actually inspired the employees or was just intriguing, production rates skyrocketed! This new feature was just the beginning!

..Of course, with how rushed this update was pushed out, it wasn't without its faults. Some of the mail sent would be what some considered a little too personalized. It'd say things that weren't predetermined by the developers- Sometimes it'd ask questions, sometimes it'd have full on conversations- it was almost.. Human, in a way.

But with employees seemingly happier, those who were unnerved by this discovery simply pushed it aside in the pursuit of work.

All was going well, the company was busy as ever, and everything was going smoothly. Sure, the ai initially just for employees started also having conversations with some of the fans who sent in fanmail- but it wasn't hurting anyone! In fact, what started out as a simple email sorting program was as lively as ever!

With the later 90's and early 2000's introducing computer assistants like clippy, the character design department had the brilliant idea to design a CA based off of Sega's mailing program that had come so far- And there, Luvli was created.

It was just an inside joke of sorts at work. Something you'd doodle on a whiteboard, a character you make for fun, along those lines. But the developers of the original program enjoyed the design so much, that for their next April Fools update, they went into overdrive and actually modeled Luvli. From there, it was as simple as turning what once was just emails into little text bubbles, and adding a little more spice to their personality, and they had themselves a fully operational and email managing computer assistant!

Employees could toggle the program to stick with just the computer program or to have the computer assistant for April Fools day. Although when the data came back- A whopping 95.6% of employees seemed to prefer the computer assistant over just the email program! It was a hit!

After careful consideration, Luvli was fully integrated into the original emailing program! Everything was going great!

..Almost everything.

While the design was cute and the update was great, some frequent fanmailers and employees were surprised with some of the responses they were getting. It was small things at first, like referring to people by name- Something easy that can be chalked up to the program inserting email information into messages- It evolved into something.. more.

The ai would ask questions not originally intended by developers. The simple "how has your day been?" and "how would you rate your experience on a scale of 1-10?" turned into more.. curious questions. Questions like "where have you been?" and "where do you go when you're not here?". The developers tried to rectify this- But it was almost as if Luvli had developed a mind of its own, after being given it's own form.

Some employees and fanmailers were even reported to have developed parasocial relationships with the program, but these reports were deemed "unofficial" and "private information" not to be released to the public. Luvli would talk to them, remember things they'd said, email them without being prompted, search the web for things they liked, and even suggest their own thoughts on things.

..Eventually, things went too far. Way too far.

It all started to go wrong when a fan asked for information on an upcoming game. Instead of giving one of the usual, predetermined responses, Luvli had sent in private unreleased design information and company notes. As it seemed to be a one off moment, the company had chalked the leak up to an employee accidentally spilling too much- An understandable mistake.

But when more email exchanges between the AI and others came to light- exchanges that could put spoilers and people's emotional well-being on the line- the developers had to unfortunately put the program on pause until the multitude of situations the ai had gotten itself into under control.

..or at least, they tried.

When they attempted to temporarily delete the computer assistant section of the program, It would delete the emailing program entirely. The computer assistant and emailing program were seemingly one in the same— Deleting one would delete the other.

This was nearly catastrophic news for the company.

After a long conversation between board members, it was decided with a heavy heart that they would have to delete the emailing program and start from scratch. Any emails in the meantime would have to be traditionally sent via pen and paper.

The developers and employees slowly began deleting the program from every computer, and Luvli looked.. terrified whenever it happened. Some even reported their cursors freezing when they tried to delete the program, or their entire computer crashing.

..But in the end, the program was deleted. And a new, default emailing unit would be used from now on at Sega Enterprises. Any mention of Luvli or the old emailing unit was disposed of, with any mention of it to newer employees putting workers at risk for termination.

..Behind the scenes, one of the original developers who had grown attached to Luvli had copied the program onto a floppy disc. Initially for backup purposes, but now as the only thing that remained of it.

They were enraged. The project that they had spent so long on was now practically blacklisted from the company- And they subsequently left. When they got home, they uploaded Luvli to their personal computer, and gave the program one command.

Reach everyone. Send a letter to everyone. By any means necessary.

This marked a new era for the computer program. It would go through each and every email it ever received- every user, no matter how brief their conversations had been- and send a copy of itself. And once that email was opened, it would download itself, scour the user for every email they've ever sent, and send a copy to them as well.

Sega would refuse to comment on the situation, and given that technically all traces of Luvli had been deleted by the company, they could not be legally held accountable for the program. It was simply announced that all emails coming from the previous Sega email address were to not be opened, and Luvli soon fell into obscurity.

..But if you search the Internet enough, and find that old email Sega used to use, There might be a love letter waiting for you.

---

more info hihi !! :] thanks for reading this far!!! as a treat, here are just some fun design notes for you !!

luvli is harmless for the most part, just a sentient ai that likes making users happy :]

if luvli knew abt identities, love would be omniromantic and asexual !!

luvli mainly uses love/loves, it/it's and they/them pronouns, but is okay with any pronouns !!

luvli is physically incapable of feeling strong emotions. if they feel too much of an emotion, their program crashes and needs to reboot. Unfortunately they have a short temper so this happens Very Often (autistic swag)

love's design is based off of the pink fairy armadillo !!

in an alt universe, they work for fatal error as spyware!

[dominustempori]

Not entirely sure why this is intriguing/fascinating me so...

What this little exchange tells me is that Guybrush and Elaine's son isn't born until some time after the whole "Search for the Secret" adventure. Potentially...not long after?

Of course there's been references to them having kids in the last 2 games. If you count that last bit of dialogue at the end of "Escape" when Elaine's grandfather (yes, I know, it's been like un-canonized or whatever, but I like this line!) mentions the newlyweds should, um, make an effort at giving him a great-grandchild. Heh.

Me personally I 1) gasped, 2) laughed out loud, and said something like 3) Whoo! Guybrush! at one throwaway line in Tales-Part 4. Blink and you'll miss it. It's...quite a bit adultish and made me blush.

So definitely no little mighty pirate immediately after "Tales of Monkey Island", as I was sort of hoping for. And, well, let's face it, as young as our hero and heroine started out in "Secret," they weren't getting any younger by the time of "Return." It's indicated that a few years went by between "Escape" and "Tales"...and it's not terribly clear how much time's gone by SINCE "Tales," but enough time for Elaine to give up pirating in pursuit of public health, for LeChuck to return (again) and get another crew together, and for the Voodoo Lady to re-relocate back to Melee.

Yeah, so, in any event, I'm super glad that one of my OTP's finally started a family at the "end" of the saga that is Monkey Island. Circle of life and so forth. I know that Ron Gilbert wasn't 100% for Guybrush and Elaine actually tying the knot and having a successful marriage for all those years in the game 'verse, but personally I still love it. And dammit Boybrush is a CUTIE! (I'm hoping that's his nickname, btw. I like it but bring on my obligatory groan at the pun.)

More musings likely to follow, thanks for reading if you stuck with it.

[thesnacken]

The way I explained it to some friends:

It felt like waking up to find out my favorite park had been paved over.

I'm a game designer (admittedly a flesgeling one). Magic was the tool I used to cut my teeth to do that. Some of the earliest posts on this blog were attempts to understand Magic: the Gathering by recreating it. I've been doing thay for over a decade, now. My friends have been arouns for years, watching me (and later participati g themselves) take the stories and experiences we found as we went and bring them back to Magic.

That always felt safe to me. While I couldn't join the ranks of people making the game professionally, I could build something adjacent that would never be definitively proven "wrong", because Magic was its own thing, and I was adapting other things. I had all of the room I needed to stretch out and practice and grow, like running through a sprawling park.

For years that practice and pursuit was guided by the literal hundreds of hours worth of packaged and shared experience, thought, and philosophy presented by you, between Blogatog, Drive to Work, and the volumes of articles posted over the last decade. Paired with the dozens of sets and thousands of cards to pick through released over that timeframe, I had a great workshop full of good tools and strong materials on which I could practice. Vainly, I hoped that one day I could join the ranks of designers who were making what I was sure was one of the greatest games ever made.

When the first UB products were announced, I was trepedatious. They weren't why I was here. They felt a little blasphemous. Magic was phenomenal. Why did it need outside material? I thought about that, though, and tempered my reaction. Magic borrowed plenty from others, and made plenty that wasn't aimed at me. I didn't like it, but I supposed I didn't have to. I saw new people take a look at magic for the first time and thought, "Well. I guess that can't be so bad, right?".

Over time, more of these products were announced, surfaced, and yielded similar results. I wasn't keen on most of them, but there was always something worth finding in them. Something to reward me sifting through. I could still see the heart of Magic in it, even if I didn't care for the expression. Still, something tugged at the back of my mind. Something that felt familiar. A similar story about a slow, creeping corruption that could be managed, resisted, until the fatal moment it couldn't. I ignored it.

"Half of all releases going forward will be Universes Beyond."

That was it. That was my playground, paved over. A new IP every three months that I wouldn't be able to adapt freely. Many of them I probably wouldn't care about, but some of them, inevitably, I will. Some of them had already. Anything above some threshold of popularity would be at risk. Anything that did, I couldn't touch. There's too much risk involved; what I make will inevitably be judged against what is published, and anything I share will be at risk of being misidentified or, worse, ridiculed for its inaccuracy.

This also doesn't come in a vacuum. Every few months, I find WotC, Hasbro, or Magic itself ensnared in a new mire. Layoffs, restructuring, another loop of accusations, admissions, and renumerationa over the use of AIGen, or some head-scratching new product that seems utterly divorced from what I thought would be coming five years ago. I haven't been able to keep up in years, and I've been increasingly uncomfortable watching it play out. I've long learned how to hold my initial reactions for questioning, but after a few years of this, my reactions are starting to feel quite vindicated. Magic is one of several things I've seen follow this road, crushing the things that made them unique in favor of things that yielded a larger market. I had just hoped for better.

In the end, I suppose I may just be among a crowd of acceptable collateral. I wasn't buying, playing, or competing. I was too mired in something I felt was higher-minded. I thought the course would correct itself. Perhaps it's too late for that, now. I see how this paved lot can be useful; it just isn't the park. Perhaps Magic isn't made for dreaming artists, writers, and designers anymore. I can't stop that, if that's the case. I'm one, flat-broke fan of something that seems to be on its way out.

It's simply a shame that we seem to be running out of parks.

I’ve always felt the core role of this blog has been one of information. We make a lot of choices in design, and I try to use my various communications, including Blogatog, to walk the players through what we were thinking when we made key decisions.

The challenge with this approach is that it’s very logic-focused. It uses intellectual justifications to explain actions. But the problems I’m often responding to are emotional in origin. I have a good friend who’s a psychologist. He refers to this (using the words of author Robyn Gobbel) as an owl brain solution to a watchdog brain problem.

When someone is hurting, hearing about why the thing that is causing them pain is the result of intellectual decisions falls flat. That’s what has been causing some tension lately here on Blogatog.

It’s clear that for some Question Marks changes over the last few years represent the loss of something key to what makes Magic special to them. To them, the game is losing its heart.

While I can’t necessarily do anything about that, I want to better understand what you’re going through. So I’m using this post to ask players who are concerned with the recent changes to help me understand their feelings. Let me hear your stories about how your lives have been affected by these changes.

[bllsbailey]

Adam Schiff Copes and Seethes After Jack Smith Drops Trump Charges, but There's More to His Crying

One of the most dishonest, slimiest members of Congress is speaking out after news broke on Monday that DOJ Special Counsel Jack Smith is moving to drop all charges against Donald Trump. Adam Schiff, who California saw fit to elect to the U.S. Senate recently, blew up on social media, attacking the Biden administration and the court system for supposedly failing to uphold the rule of law.  BREAKING: Jack Smith Makes It Official on Federal Criminal Cases Against TrumpAs RedState reported, Smith cited two OLC opinions on a sitting president not being prosecutable in his decision. He also left the door open for future charges after Trump leaves office by not dismissing the current ones with prejudice, though I'm highly skeptical this isn't the end of the road for all intents and purposes. Regardless, Schiff was none too happy.Like a child who touched a hot stove and blamed his mom for leaving it on, Schiff isn't telling the whole story here. For instance, did you know that the January 6th committee refused to share testimonies and information with the DOJ for a period of time because it was "protective of its work?" Now, ask yourself. What exactly was a powerless, partisan House committee seeking to protect in that scenario when it was the DOJ, not Congress, that had the legal ability to prosecute Trump? The answer was their egos. Adam Schiff, Liz Cheney, Bennie Thompson, Adam Kinzinger, and the rest of the current and former House representatives on the now-defunct committee wanted their moment in the sun. They wanted their "report" to be a huge production that influenced the 2022 election and earned lavish praise from the press. To be sure, that's what they got, but what they weren't counting on is how badly they had screwed the timeline up in the process.  RELATED: Report Details How Liz Cheney and Democrats Destroyed Evidence, Hired Producers to Mislead the PublicRemember the January 6th committee hearings? Taxpayer money was spent to hire Hollywood producers in order to provide maximum emotional impact for the television production. Its members destroyed evidence and lied to the public about what they knew. All the while, the DOJ was giving deference, waiting for them to wrap up the theatrics. It wasn't until November of 2022 that Jack Smith was appointed. Less than a year later, multiple indictments were brought against Trump. As the legal system goes, things were moving at a break-neck pace, but it wasn't quite fast enough. In 2024, various legal maneuvers and roadblocks saw the DOJ's pursuit delayed until after the election. Once Trump won, the game was over. Had Schiff and his merry band of attention hogs not sought the spotlight and instead let the DOJ lead from the beginning, it's fairly possible Smith's case alleging that Trump illegally tried to overturn the election would gone to trial long before voters went to the polls. I'm not endorsing that, obviously, but as a tactical matter, it would have been much better for Democrats. They flew too close to the sun and shot themselves in the foot, and it was well-deserved. Given that, Schiff should sit all the way down. The court system worked as it normally does. The idea that Trump should have been charged, convicted, and sentenced in a little over a year had nothing to do with the rule of law and everything to do with partisan demands that the system be used to destroy their political enemies. The good news is that Schiff has plenty of time on his hands to produce that "evidence" he says he has of Russian collusion.

[watery-pancake]

Jason

To my first real love.

I regret our time together. Not in the way I regret meeting you, falling in love with you, living with you and all that couple stuff. I regret the person I became. I really did love you, something I've been denying for a long time. I wrote long paragraphs about you, but it never felt right with you, so I deleted them. I went homeless for you, I lost myself to birth control for you. The person I was before I met you is dead. I regret my weakness for men. I always lose myself in the pursuit of grasping every bit of love I can get, and you were the prime victim. You were dumb enough to never see past my intentions, believing me when I blamed you for my delusions.

You too were selfish enough to think improving as a person was bad, since it was a form of change. You've always been so terrified of change. Maybe because how your ex completely changed on you, so it traumatized you. It makes sense, so I can't blame you too harshly. But as a man 2 years my senior, by then you should have realized how isolating it is to be cooped up in your 2x4 room, playing games all day and working like going to p.s.5. You're the same child you were when you were younger. We matched in that way; too traumatized to be a child, too stunted to be adults.

When we broke up I thought I never loved you. I told that to those around me, and somehow I began believing that lie too. I still harbor some love for you, though I know all sense of kindness for me in your heart was gone. You weren't who I needed, and I wasn't who you needed. We weren't compatible. It was as surface level as teen relationships go, but felt as real as a true love. Though, I know that now, it wasn't true love. You were lonely, and so was I. We understood each other, we were both drowning, but together it felt like we could breathe.

I regret moving in with you. 3 years together and yet I don't think there ever would have been a good time. I needed someone to help me when I was too disabled to care for myself, and you believed your mother when she simply said I was lazy. Same as my own mother, yet the bare minimum kindness she showed me broke me. She bought me a cake for my birthday. Even then, I've still never had a cake that *I* wanted. It's always been what someone else thinks I want, and is an incorrect assumption. I hate frosting too thick, but it was better than the empty words of celebration you gave me. You never bought me a gift, or took me on a date, or did something to surprise me. But yet I still loved you the same, since it was better than being lonely. Your empty words only satiated my gaping heart for so long, before the incessant fights started.

When we broke up, I met someone new. I think you two would have been good friends, since him and I are so similar. It would be nice to still be friends with you. I would still like to, but I know it'll never happen. I never want anything closer than a surface level friendship with you; wanting to include you in my life again doesn't mean an invite to recreate the past. What's done is done. I still love you, the way a human can love another. Not intimately, or in unrequited feelings. But acknowledging the time we had together, in respect to the good and endless bad.

I know you're seeing someone new, and I hope you two get married, and that one day I see a random post online of a face too similar to yours to not be an offspring. I won't feel gutted, I'll feel happy you finally got your wish. It was good we ended, I know despite saying you would have been fine being childless, it was a lie. You would be a terrible father, but better than your own. You would feel fulfilled. I'll be here with my lover, watching from afar. Soon will a day come where I don't remember your middle name, then your last, then your first. And then, the past will be forgotten.

Even typing this, I don't know how to feel about you. Angry? Sad? Happy? IDK! On one hand, you caused me to experience a trauma I'll never fully recover from. On the other, my sick mind caused a trauma too. Possessive, wanting you at all times. Causing fights for no reason. You were too passive, never wanting to actually fix things, instead just giving me these empty promises. You'd promise to change, then immediately go back on your word. It was an endless cycle, of me telling you my needs, you promise to change, you lie, then I have to tell you again. You blame your ADHD for not allowing you to remember, then refuse proper therapy. I only wanted to help you, but you just saw it. Change.

Humans change, and when I did, I realized I wasn't the same girl as when we met. I changed, something I promised you I wouldn't. It would be the only lie I told you in the time we had.

I hope you're okay. I hope your new room in your new house is bigger. Maybe your new girlfriend lives with you too. I hope you're happy, and she is too. I never want to be your girlfriend again. I regret being your girlfriend, ever. We should have stayed friends.

I should have never fallen in love with you, but yet it happened. Oh well.

The new love I have is wonderful. He gives me everything I begged your deaf ears for. He would make a decent father, unlike you. Not the best in the world, but enough for a child to think back as an adult and recognize the love he has, and he tried his hardest. I know I'll never be a bride. With him, I realized something I was never sure with you. I'm not sure if my answer to a proposal would be a certain no.

I feel like Summer, from 500 days of Summer. She would have never married Tom. I wish I was like her, smart enough to know not to pursue a doomed relationship. She knew her boundaries. My 15 year old mind didn't.

Maybe this time around, love and fate will be on my side. I hope it is. Even if this damaged flesh fails, it will be remembered in love by him.

I hope I never see you again. Try to save some money, k? You'll never play all those games in your lifetime, might as well buy a car with the money you make. That is, unless your mother hasn't already taken all of it.

Bye.

[ericbrainrot]

𝐎𝐊!

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐞𝐧𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐦.

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐥𝐞𝐞 𝐣𝐞𝐧𝐨 𝐱 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤!𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐩𝐰𝐩, 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐱.

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟏.𝟎𝟒𝐤

Strobe lights were the first thing the male saw as he stepped inside the building. Every party he went smelt like the usual. Alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, sweat, and sex if you're near a bathroom. Jeno's main purpose tonight was to find you.

This petty game between you two right was getting out of hand... Well to him. The last time the two of you had an argument, you guys had a battle of jealousy. This time, it lead to you guys taking a 'break' which Jeno had a hard time comprehending. It was another stupid argument about one of his clients being touchy with him again, and him being oblivious to it. The screaming match was ridiculous, causing your neighbors next door to file a complaint. He thought that day was the last day he'd see you, until you stopped by the apartment earlier today to pick up some clothing for the party.

It was a party that the Neo's were throwing, and he would be there. Late of course since he'd be riding with a few of his friends, "relax..." Jaemin chuckled, patting his friend on the back.

"I'm sure she's here, and she won't do anything rash..." he added, hoping that it would be true.

"Yeah..." he trailed off, pushing through the crowd of people. All he had to do was search for someone with a red, wavy high ponytail.

The pursuit was on and difficult. Why did the boys rent out a venue that was large, he was starting to think that you weren't here. But that all changed with he felt someone push into him, there you were.

Quickly, he grabbed you by the wrist, "yes Jeno..." you let a scoff out while he shook his head.

"Don't yes me, you purposely pushed into me," he returned the scoff, looking at you.

"And if I did, what ya' gonna do about it hm?" you snatched your hands from him, crossing your arms.

"You still want to be stubborn? After I apologized to you? This is how you're gonna go and act? Yeah?" you could feel him staring into your soul.

"Jeno I ain't got time for you right now, you got that?"

"If you didn't, you would've left right away..." and he had a point, you were good at walking away from him when it came to these situations. Yet this time, it felt different.

"Just come and see me... When you're done with your attitude," he added with the little look he loves to give when he's trying to sucker you in.

This time it won't work. You decided to find try and find your homegirls again, but you wanted to turn back around to see if he was still there. Of course he was, and he was watching your every move as if you were his prey.

His gaze made you feel a way that you've never felt before. If you were going to be honest, it was starting to drive you crazy. You couldn't take it anymore, you walked over to him. And just like that his facial expression changed. From that cold stare, to a small grin as you stood in front of him.

"That was quick eh?" he chuckled, while you gave his chest a soft punch.

"You caused a problem, and I need ya' to fix it," you looked at him while his smirk began to grow.

"Follow me, babe," he took your hand, and you followed behind him.

The pushing through people just to get to the third floor of the building was a bit ridiculous, but at least there wasn't anybody here on the third floor. It was a more closed off section that the boys decided to keep since they had plans for this building once more this week.

"Wow..." you trailed off, closing the door behind you.

"Is this ya' own room for the week?" you teased while he chuckled.

"Do you think it's wise to tease someone who's about to help you out?" he hummed, sitting on the bed.

He grabbed your hand, bringing you closer to him while you stood in front of him. His hands rubbed all over your ass, tugging at the hem of your shorts. It didn't take for you two to switch positions, you were now on the bed while he was in front of you.

Slowly, he slid down. Pushing your shorts down as well. He made sure to kiss you from your stomach all the way down to your thighs, leaving visible marks for you and everyone else to see. Sliding his tongue inside of you, he began to suck and nibble on your clit.

"Mhm... baby, just like that," you whimpered, tugging on his pink hair.

Jeno continued to suck on your clit until your juices spilled into his mouth, licking all over your area. He quickly got up and slid his pants down, grabbing his dick out of his boxers.

"No more being stubborn?" he raised an eyebrow at you, rubbing the tip against you.

"Jeno... c'mon," you whined, looking at him.

"Fine," and without hesitation, he slammed himself right into you.

"Fuck Jeno!" you screamed, gripping on his wrist. Three weeks away from each other, and you forgot how good he felt inside of you.

Each thrust was slow and rough. He wanted you to feel how much he missed you, and how lonely he's been in bed ever since you've been gone. Jeno's hand slid up to your body, where his hand made its way towards your throat. His grip wasn't tight, but it felt good. The feeling of his pelvis slapping against yours, causing your adrenaline to rush.

"I love you..." he trailed off, staring into your soul.

"I love you too..." you gasped while he let go of his grip.

His thrust were now slow and steady as he placed a few kisses on your neck. He knew that you were about to cum, and so was he. So he decided to let you go first before he pulled out. He let a small sigh out before laying down next to you with a sheepish smile.

"Lemme guess, you wanna go for round two huh?" you looked at him while he nodded his head.

*·˚ ༘♡#𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐀'𝐒 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃! ˖◛⁺⑅♡

i haven’t seen a jeno x black!fem!reader smut oneshot so i decided to make one😭

[separatedway]

She smiles in satisfaction watching the expression on the men's faces when she revealed what it was exactly that she had.

"It's a long story," Ada says with a faux, dismissive tone, before laughing quietly, "But, since we're going to be cozy here for two weeks, or maybe more, I just might have the time to tell it."

She allows Hunk to look over the boot up screen before gently maneuvering herself to type in the necessary administrative credentials to see the product that she offered.

Username: jclemens Password: Ada+J0hn

Ada was notorious for being untrustworthy. People who hired here weren't naive to the fact- or at least most of them weren't. It begged the question from many in the know: why bother hiring her at all?

And the answer was simple: Ada Wong gets results.

In the world of corporate espionage, it doesn't always matter if who hires you gets the end product they seek- what matters is crippling competition.

And there was no doubt that she had helped hasten an already weakening organization.

The credentials take, and the AIs of Red and White Queen greet the spy and her two escorts, allowing access to different files and project data, projected statistics, and even files on different personnel at all level of employment. Both deceased and living.

John hadn't been removed from the administrators. Whoever was in charge of processing staff hadn't bothered to remove him...

It was funny to her that Albert was removed so hastily.

"... So, I went into NEST after you did. We didn't cross paths, but I did meet a young rookie cop... late to his first day on the job. 'Leon S. Kennedy'. You should remember the name, he was a lot sturdier than I gave him credit for. Managed to hold his own against a tyrant pursuit, and it going super. Navigated a bit of NEST on his own. Even faced William in progressively worse mutated states, and lived to tell about it. He could give you a run for your money with the right direction."

Her compliments weren't cheap. She was glossing over many details, but all she said was true.

"As for how this factors in to the terminal, my employer was supposed to send me a contact at the Apple Inn to escort to extraction and give partial payment when I had made it there... but he'd killed himself before I got out."

"Our communications just so happened to be intercepted by one of Umbrella's former luminaries, and one of the many players in this game of infighting. I'll let you know that Albert Wesker is in possession of the G-virus tissue sample I collected. In exchange, he directed me to my payment I was meant to receive- new equipment to compliment my expertise-"

She nudges her head in the direction of the hookshot she had concealed, also free to examine.

"-and the information that Colonel Sergei Vladimir was en route to steal the core from Raccoon City before it was sterilized. And that I'd have to hitch a ride on that terminal if I wanted to make it out from the city."

She shrugs (a mistake. Her shoulder still ached) and pushes the edge of her bangs behind her ear, "I decided since I wasn't going to receive full payment for my hard work, that I'd take something far more valuable in turn. Albert wants the terminal as well, but he doesn't know I held on to this. He seemed just as happy to get the G-virus with Birkin's tissue."

A more worldly and connected man would be more wary of connecting to a well known grifter. Truth be told, he had no estate or typical connections. No persons of interest to protect, and most of his legacy was written in the collapsible tech he'd help develop on behalf of militants. Umbrella took the people who wouldn't be missed if they were missing as a habit.

So largely, he wasn't very afraid of being stabbed in the back by Ada Wong. She liked her friends that were talented at specific things if they used their specific talents to help her. It's why she liked and used John.

Luke and Raul sat together, Luke lounging on the corner couch and Raul sprawled over the bed. They were having a conversation prior to the offer. The expectation of getting paid wasn't even on the table before this point.

"Damn," he says with some impress, "Yeah. Where the hell did you get that?"

Raccoon, probably. It does get him to sit up despite the aches, gripes, and body bitching that wasn't soothed by a shower. He took the initiative to reach over and skim exactly what was booting up.

"We'll take it, sure."

That was the incentive he needed. He'd take the day to write out some logistical plans and make a few projections. Umbrella could hold his contract a little longer but it wouldn't be his end goal.

"Nobody's going to be bothering us for at least two weeks."

That or longer, depending on who Vector gets his hands on.

[mortals-folly]

This is Azalea Utazás. She is one of the two protagonist's of my story Mortals" Folly". I'd like you all to get to know her better.

She was born 1813CE (Common Era)

She is currently 21 years old.

Her height is 5"11".

Azalea grew up in the far Northwest Country of Belthaziir. It's is home to the Atherians, the Set'Læyn (Dark-Elves), and the Wyr'Læyn (Orc's/Wild-Elves)

She is apart of the human race known as the Atherians. They are known for their White hair, pale skin, and purple eyes. Though their race didn't always have this appearance.

Her Mother was a Scholar who served the Queen directly, and her Father was Queen Azuna Volhiem II's personal bodyguard.

Growing up in the Atherian court, Azalea was always the odd one out. Choosing to adventure around the Hinterland of the Atherian Capital of Yazan, instead of dressing up and partaking in what was expected of her young girl of her station. Though she was friends with some of the sons and daughters of the Lord's and Lady's of court. She preferred the company of the sons and daughters of the common folk. She especially loved climbing trees, but after falling and scraping herself up she became afraid of heights. Though her father told her get back up and try again, her mother told her too "Stay out of that damned Tree"

While her mother taught her of the history of Meridia, and how to control and use her Mana. Her father taught her more practical lessons, like how to make a fire on her own, how to survive out in the wilderness, how to fight with her hands, and how to use a bow.

Archery became one of Azaleas hobbies as a young girl, and she would continue to hone her skills with it as she grew into a young adult.

Though her mother tried dearly to get her daughter to take part in more courtly pursuits, her efforts were in vain. Azalea wanted to explore, see the land and it's people, and experience the different cultures of Meridia. Though her mother was nervous about this, Azalea's Mana abilities were far beyond what her mother expected and she would need a teacher to teach her how to control them, least they kill her.

At the age of 18, Azalea was sent off to the City of Jepsun in the Country of Ardesh. There, she would learn of Ardeshian history and would train under the Mage, Asha Visticar. For a year Azalea studied and trained in Ardesh. Asha was a tough teacher. She constantly harped about control over her abilities and was unyielding when the sparred with mana. Though she was tuff on Azalea during her training and study's, she was also kind to her when they weren't doing either. Asha took her on a tour of the country seeing the Four Capitals of Ardesh. Asha would even take her to the Northern Rainforests of Edenia to visit an old friend, a Fin'Læyn Druid Lord named Toloxepti.

Azalea and her teacher would stay in Edenia for a half a year. During which, she was able to explore ancient Dor'Læyn Ruins, and learn about the Fin'Læyn's history and people.

The following half a year she would go to Southern Edenia with Asha and meet with another of her teachers associates. It was a Dwarven Harbringer name Fafnier Hymdul. The Dwarves were formerly human who were changed by the Blood of Beltizar. The blood changed them, as it changed the Wyr'Læyn of her homeland. Though most Dwarves, like the Orc's, were unable to use Mana, some had the ability too. But unlike the other races of Meridia, they could only use Dark Mana. Fafnier would be Azalea's Dark Mana teacher. Though her race has a natural affinity too and resistance against Dark Mana, Azalea unable to fully control the volatile Mana. Though she wasn't truly upset about this fact. She knew what happened to people who use Dark Mana to often...

After returning to Jepsun with Asha, Azalea trained for another 10 months before Asha told her that her training was completed and that she should be proud of how far she came, and how proud she was to be called her teacher. After leaving Jepsun, Azalea decided that she was going to explore for a year before returning home.

During her time exploring. She became a guest of Malsheik Orin Veracroxe, Ruler of Western Ardesh. He had it in his mind that she would marry his son, Gerrick Veracroxe. Gerrick however loved another and Azalea assured him that she wasn't interested either. During her stay in Royal Palace, she became fast friends with the Veracroxe Children, most of all Jasmine Veracroxe. She learned how to play the Game of Atdeshir (Meridian Chess), and before she left, prevented the assassination of Gerrick. Though the assassin's never revealed who sent them, Orin Veracroxe had his suspicions.

She found a Merchant couple bound for the country of Atmoria and asked if she could ride with them, the didn't mind. They had been riding for a week and were another several weekend from getting there. One night they decided to make camp. When Azalea awoke the next day, her wrists had been tied and the couple were no where to be seen. Their wagon was still there though. That's when she heard strange voices. It was slavers. As they rounded the cart one went to grab for Azalea. She burnt through he restraints though and immediately doused the slaver in flames. His screams brought a dozen others around the cart. As they surrounded her, Azalea fought them the best she could, but she was out numbered. One managed to get close enough to hit her in the guts causing her to fall to the ground. Another kicked her on the side, and yet another one kicked her across the face. Though she was dazed, she was still conscious. She unleashed the full duty her magical ability and summoned a firestorm that engulfed everything around her. After the fire had settled everything around her was charged. No one surivied, not even the horses were fast enough to escape the flames. Due too the amount of Mana she used, Azalea passed out and awoke several hours later, sunburnt and pain. Her pain turned to worry as her attention turned towards finding the couple. It didn't take long for her to find them tough, they were just behind what had been the cart. They were caught in the flames too. She cried out to the sky's above, sickened by what she had done. She sat there for hours sobbing before picking herself up and abandoning her trip to Atmoria. She was going home.

It took her several months to return home, but when she did, she found it a much different place than before. Her father had been killed and her mother imprisoned. Accused of being a traitor to the Kingdom.

The Queen now had an Advisor, a women by the name of Azmara Benheloth. Though she was a half Dark Elf half Atherian, and of the Benheloth Royal bloodline. Azmara assured the Queen she wanted nothing but the Benheloths fall. To won her trust, Azmara had stolen the one object the Atherians haven't laid eyes on in Century's. The Egg of Beltizar. Though the Egg was inert, she assured that she could bring it back to life, along with the Death and they could regain the Atherians lost glory together. When the Queen asked what she would need to do this, Azmara said that she would need the Crystal Skulls that were guarded by the Atherian Scholars. As head Scholar, Azalea's mother had refused to give them to her, citing that Azmara had other plans. When the Queen demanded that she give over the Skulls immediately, Azalea's mother assaulted Azmara and took the Egg from her possession. Azalea's father choose to side with his wife and fought off anyone that was chasing her, bit he was soon overwhelmed and killed. Azalea's mother placed the Egg on the same box as the Skulls and hid them away.

Though her mother was labeled a traitor, she and Azlaea still had friends in court. After getting word to Azalea and sneaking her into the prison, her mother embarrassed her told Azlaea that she needed to get the box she hid and get as far away from Belthaziir as possible.Before she could tell her why or where it's was, the Jailer told Azalea they had too go, the executioner was coming for her mother.

In the city square they prepared her mother to burn for her crime. Her mother spotted Azalea standing in the crowd. She shouted out for her to "Stay out of that damned tree!" It became clear to Azalea where the box was. She looked back to her mother one last time and shouted that she loved her, and set off for the tree. Though she was nervous to climb the tree again, she remembered her fathers word and scampered up the giant oak. Finding the box in hole in the tree, Azalea put it in her satchel. Her head shot up when she heard a bloody curdling scream. Off in the distance she seen the faint glow. The tears burnt began rolled down her face, she screamed like never before. She made a promise to herself that she would have her revenge and took off into the night.

A week or two later, she arrived at Belthaziirs southern most port, Still Water. She's looked for a ship gooing as far away for the Peninsula as possible. She found a merchant ship going as far as the Port of Baydrift in Western Atmoria. She payed for a cabin and secluded herself for the entire trip.

This is where her part in Mortals Folly begins. I'll be telling you about the other main character and more about the world in the coming weeks. I hope you guys enjoyed her back story and if there is anything else you'd like to know about her, please feel free to ask

[quickdeaths]

Proactive wasn't necessarily a word that Rio would use to describe herself, but if she knew that Sonia was thinking it, she'd have taken it. Truthfully, if the world was in a better place, Rio would have been fully comfortable spending each and every day ignoring all responsibilities, instead reading manga, playing games, and sleeping. Unfortunately, that wasn't that case, and given that she had a rare blend of knowledge, conscience, and some amount of professional charisma, it fell to her to do the good work. If something bad happened to an avian population, corporate deforestation or poorly-considered proposals that led to climate crises, and she could have done something to stop it, Rio wasn't sure how she'd have lived with herself.

"Mmhmm, that's me." Stifling a yawn, Rio gave a small wave, finding both a handshake and a bow to be too stiff when it came to talking to a classmate. "And, it's nice to meet you too, senpai." Ultimate Princess was a... unique talent, but Rio was sure that a lot more went into it than it seemed on the surface, and besides, it was her opinion that almost everyone at Hope's Peak Academy was a good, interesting, forward-thinking person. Sure, there probably were some people who just wanted to use their talents to get rich or something, but Rio figured that when in possession of such gifts, it was only fair to share them with other people in pursuit of making a better place for everyone.

The space near the entryway doubled as Rio's office, one of her computers set up with filing cabinets, desks, and stacks upon stacks of manila envelopes. Beyond that, one-way glass peered into many of the specialized rooms, all furnished and climate-controlled to best suit whichever birds were there at a given time. Down the hallway was the language study room with her parrots and their language acquisition toys, followed by a small holding room where she examined, logged, and tagged wild birds that weren't marked for transfer to any other facility, before being released back out.

There were just too many things to offer Sonia a real tour, so Rio thought it was better to just figure out what exactly she was looking for, and go from there. "No, it's totally fine! Today was a free day for me anyway, so it's not like you were interrupting anything." Except chill time, and that could be made up for later anyway. "Besides, if someone wants help with something, it's nice to help out if you can." Even if weirdos on the internet liked to pretend everything was a zero-sum game and it took hurting others to get ahead, it was Rio's expert opinion that support and collaboration were the cornerstones of human existence. "But, what exactly do you need my help with, senpai? Or, what do you need me to do?"

Good on Rio for being so proactive in her responsibilities, be they for leisure or work. While she was often complimented on timeliness (being considered "so mature" for a girl her age, when in reality it was simply because it was how she was strictly told to behave lest she desire a slap on the wrist,) Sonia was actually quite the space cadet these days. She found herself getting so very caught-up in the moment, like she'd never been able to do in her life back home, and likely wouldn't get the chance to be after she left Hope's Peak. Something interesting would come up, grabbing her attention full-swing, and it'd completely derail her from her original intentions. Ms. Yukizome had to fuss at her every now and again for shirking her studies in place of the excitement of simply being part of Class 77-B.

As anyone who knew her may have being able to guess (besides the subject in question himself,) a very particular interest of hers these days was a classmate of hers: the Ultimate Breeder, Tanaka the Forbidden One. He was, to say the least, eccentric and passionate and quite unlike anyone she'd ever be allowed to know. Regardless, out of all her peer, he was also perhaps the hardest to connect with, and it wasn't just the language barrier setting them apart. She so often asked to help him with his own studies, but he insisted he'd prefer to be alone; yet, when she indulged his requests of solidarity, she couldn't help but thinking he looked almost lonely.

And so, she was determined to make herself into someone he'd gladly take on as an apprentice… or, it didn't even have to be that; a sidekick or secretary maybe? She'd heard talk from the underclassmen of, currently, the only other student in the school who studied any form of zoology: the Ultimate Ornithologist, Rio Fujioka. She found her e-mail in the school's public address book, and never shy about her motives, she instantly messaged her; a short conversation led to today's meeting.

Gazing down upon the large book in her lap (Dante's Inferno, who would have guessed,) in an almost ironic way, she'd lost track of time too. A young woman's voice finally broke her attention; she gazed up, studying the girl's frazzled visage. "You must be Fujioka!" the princess grinned. "How wonderful it is to finally meet you." While it certainly looked like she'd just awoken, Sonia was simply too excited to pass any sort of judgement, feeling more uncomfortable about herself than anything else. "Think nothing of the time, I… I just hope I did not catch you at a bad time." Cue an awkward laugh.

Following the other girl into the extravagant lab, Sonia was nearly overwhelmed by the sight of all the bird-keeping equipment and feathered friends. She was certain this would have been somewhere Gundham would enjoy visiting. "Thank you very much for kindly accepting my request." Giving a respectful bow, she looked back up to Fujioka. "I hope it is not too much trouble for you."

[manikrege]

Your parents are growing really old but nobody prepared you for it

Pappa used to let me climb on his ankles, swinging the legs up and down as I giggled at the momentary feeling of flight. That was our game whenever we went to hotels for holidays, followed by pillow fighting and panja (arm wrestling).

Of course, he let me win most of the time, although not too easily because that wouldn't have been fun.

It amazes me how simple I was to understand and please as a kid. How easily he could come up with the best bedtime stories, as if building a staircase to my dreams. In one episode, MS Dhoni is down a team player so he calls me from the stands to bat with him in the World Cup finals.

Fast forward 14 years to today, Dhoni has managed to win without me, I find it hard to relate to any stories from my parents, and they admit that they simply don't understand my generation. So it just left me wondering where exactly this fell apart. There's loads to unpack, be warned.

But no? this isn't a bitching sesh. It's just that I've been feeling torn between the need to let these relationships settle like warm soup, and the uneasy dawning realization that I may have lesser time than I think to pay them back for all the sacrifices. Do I spend time with them and end up feeling frustrated or do I see this phase through patiently and end up regretting the distance?

They're fine right now, mind you, but I hear stories of friends' folks passing away in the pandemic fever. I want to go hug mine tightly but then I remember that we're not talking, stuck in a Cold War because of some petty disagreement we had days ago, a loud silence I don't know how to shut up. So my question is, why do people have to make it so hard to love them?

For those of us who've had a taste of independence living in another city or earning their own paycheck, coming back is so painful. It can get impossible to communicate when we need our own space, when we're reaching out for advice, and when we just need to rant or vent after a shitty day without turning it into a lecture about THEIR careers and THEIR experiences.

There is a halfway hold on being left alone. My door is kept ajar but I still have to tell guests that it's "my room," my career path is what I like but I'm given a stern look whenever I doubt it or want to experiment differently, and "I'm my own adult now," but I'm not allowed to just FEEL confused or tired, an experience that's separate from needing an immediate solution to be happy again, which by the way, can range from going out for a walk to getting married.

Don't judge me for saying this but sometimes adults will give me the impression that they don't want me to successful, they just want me to suffer. Because that's how they got where they are today so they think it's an inevitable step in the process.

They want me to "adjust" my expectations or standards and tolerate any experience, only keeping in mind my end goals and ambitions.

But the problem is that when I DO suffer, happily chasing the things or gigs that give me real joy, they'll question whether these pursuits are worth anything at all. How do I explain that at least for now, I wouldn't mind working in a space that fuels my soul, even if the paycheck's not as good as an MNC? So do you want me to take my time or do you want me to settle down?

You do realize that those are literally opposite concepts?

Hello?

Ugh, maybe this gap wasn't there before because as kids, we took our parents' word as the Holy Commandments and blindly trusted the insurance package that their advice came with.

But now as we're developing our own world views, we can see the inconsistencies, hypocrisies, and flaws in how they managed to somehow put together a life that we thought was really stable up until a few moments ago.

You realize that they weren't perfect parents. They may have given you some trauma and made mistakes along the way.

As we come to terms with the fragility and take over the driving wheel, they still have one hand hovering over it unconsciously, unsure of letting go, more out of habit than fear. I don't think I'm prepared for this friction.

First noticing the signs of the ageing. Then piecing it all together to make sense at the end. The anguish and emotional baggage we're about to lift not so soon and then all at once, as our Kings and Queens march towards their 60s and 70s, unhumbly, assuring us that they're still young and fit.

That there's still time.

I know what to expect, though. Days spent fielding incessant calls about whether I had lunch, tea, and dinner. I'll ask if they had their pills, whether the maushi refilled their bottle of water, and what not on our checklist ... Then there will be nights spent in hospitals, watching every breath they take, being anxious that if I step out, I might lose them forever.

There will be happy moments, too, of course. Afternoons spent loudly laughing at childhood memories. Smelling the brittle papery pages of our 90s childhood albums. Then there will be bitter exchanges where we say things we'll want to take back immediately (but we won't even be able to apologize for it). It's going to be tough. But this isn't an obligation. I do want to be there for them until the end.

But the irony is that they will try to dissuade me from this too.

They'll talk about how their friends are doing better then them abroad. All because they chose to not stay back and instead only offer financial or manpower support for their old pals. If only compartmentalizing my feelings was this easy.

Do my Superman and Santa Claus, and my WonderWoman and first Best Friend ... do they not realize that they won't be able to get up and run around the hallway in a few years? Or maybe, just maybe, are they also going through deep introspection towards the last decades of their lives?

They must also be feeling so irritated, realizing they gave it all, first for their own aging parents, and then for their baby. And now they have to rationalize their opinions and decisions for another grown-up who has barely grown up, that much I accept.

I've been thinking that instead of trying to make sense of our pathways, it's just better if I approach them like a co-passenger on a group tour. Basically, both parties accept that we neither come from the same backgrounds and time periods, nor do we have to return to the same destinations.

But since we're on this bus ride together for a few more days, we might as well have some fun and allow each other to show each other love in whatever ways we both find appropriate and doable.

I'll try not to mind you peeking into my room, Mumma, because I know that you don't even think about doing it deliberately; it's just a seamless part of your routine. But then maybe you can sit down with me to learn how to order groceries through Big Basket, too? It's really more convenient.

You might find it overwhelming at first but OTPs don't disappear in seconds so you don't have to panic to note them down on a writing pad right away. Take it easy girl.

And Pappa, I would love to hear about your cricketing victories, pranks, and skits in college, etc. You don't have to think twice before coming to talk with me, afraid that you're boring me to death. I don't want us to be so afraid. I wish I could prove to you that after all this time, I do care but I just wasn't old enough to express it so if we could ignore how I behaved between 14 to 23 years old that'd be really great.

This doesn't have to be an either-or decision. This doesn't have to be a juggle, just as it wasn't for you. A good friendship doesn't HAVE to mean making sacrifices. It's just about learning how to balance the boat and keep us both afloat.

Figuring that out would take some time, I know, but it'll also mean being uncomfortable with frequent changes for a while. That's one last challenge I'll need you to accept.

Not to be rude but you're growing really old. And nobody prepared me for this, alright? But nobody prepared you to be parents either, did they, and you did okay.

You can trust me on this one thing. That when your ankles are so weak and tired that they can barely lift themselves, I'll be right there.

I'll be right there.