#they're all different kinds of nerds and they each think they are the most right

[ananke-xiii]

I literally don't care about Dean teaching Jack how to drive&fish but I absolutely need a fic with Sam, Rowena and Cas going to meet the shaman Sergei who was recommended by none other than Ketch. Cas huffs and puffs about it for the whole drive, Rowena complains about Sam driving too slow and Sam thinks about driving them all into a cliff, the thought of dying Jack is the only thing keeping them all alive. What's even worse? The ride back home. With Sergei. Level of "I'd rather be in the pit of hell than in this car with you all" over nine thousand. It's, again, the thought of a dying Jack that keeps them all safe from eternal damnation because these people would otherwise Commit Crimes&Sacrileges.

[thy-lovelylionheart]

Mike Wheeler: S4 Outfits & Identity Crisis Analysis

One of aspects of s4 I find the most interesting is Mike's costuming. We see him in 4 distinct outfits in this season (not counting the white t-shirt look since it's not a separate outfit), and they are all interesting in their own right. But ultimately, they all contrast each other and represent different aspects of Mike's internal conflict and identity crisis.

s4 is the season where Mike's internal conflict is externalized via his costume design. He’s trying to figure out who he is and – like for so many queer teens – it starts with his hair and his clothes. 

Shout-out to @glisten-inthedark because it was during a fantastic discussion that I drafted out a much shorter, much rougher version of this analysis!

*Disclaimer: While a lot of my analysis is formatted as statements – more out of habit from years of writing academic essays than anything – much of this is still speculation and subjective opinion. If you have a different perspective or disagree with my analysis, that's perfectly fine! This is just my interpretation.

1.

First up, my second favorite outfit: The Hellfire outfit.

If you put this Mike beside any of his s3 outfits, the difference is incredibly stark. s3 Mike has bright colors, neons spread throughout the palette, nearly all of them collared shirts. Yet the first outfit we see Mike wear in s3 is edgier: nearly all-black, featuring the word HELLFIRE loud and proud, the face of a tiefling or daemon, and weapons. This is also the first time we've seen Mike wear a graphic tee, which is more up Dustin's alley.

Not only this, but his hair is long enough to brush his shoulders, the longest we've ever seen it. Finn Wolfhard calls it "kind of the most metal Mike's hair has ever been."

So why is this so important? Let's talk about modeling for a second.

Dustin models himself after Steve in parts of s2. He listens to Steve's romantic advice and styles his hair like Steve's for the Snow Ball. For Dustin, Steve represents the masculine, heternormative ideal: the kind of guy who girls want to date, a "ladies man." When Dustin does find a girlfriend who loves him for him, he stops modeling after Steve in terms of outward appearance and returns to his own personal sense of style in s3. In fact, it's Dustin who ends up giving Steve romantic advice in s3, because their roles have flipped: Dustin is comfortable in who he is and his romantic prospects, whereas Steve is struggling. ("Instead of dating somebody because you think it's gonna make you cooler, why not date somebody you actually enjoy being around?"

Lucas wears a Karate Kid shirt in s3 bc Max thinks Ralph Macchio is attractive, so he wears clothes that reference him to appeal to her, his girlfriend, but he mixes it with his classic camo bandana because Lucas has a very strong sense of self that was only rocked in s4, when he tries to model after the basketball team, who are also representative of (1980's) socially acceptable masculinity and heteronormativity, for popularity's sake. But he ends up rejecting their blind conformity and regains his sense of self by the middle of the season.

And Mike…..models after Eddie. Eddie “forced conformity is what’s killin’ the kids” Munson. Not just in clothes, but in his more "metal" hairstyle. Eddie even makes a note about Mike’s wardrobe change during the cafeteria scene, saying he’s no longer wearing whatever his mom buys him at the GAP, which highlight this change for the audience.

This is significant because even though Dustin and Lucas are his fellow nerds, even though both Dustin and Lucas end up being chased down by Jason & Friends for their status as members of the Hellfire Club, even though they're labeled as outcasts and reject conformity in their own way –

– they still model themselves after classic heteronormative and socially acceptable representations of masculinity, while Mike is the only one who actively models himself after the school “freak" and vocal non-conformist.

Sure, Dustin wears the Hellfire shirt too, but Dustin is the graphic tee king of the show and he still wears an iconic baseball cap and overlays his graphic tee with a fun and funky button-up in s4. How he dresses in s4 is wholly consistent with his identity throughout the rest of the show. Whereas Mike's first outfit of the show contrasts heavily with all of his outfits from the previous seasons particularly s3.

And this is intentional. This is what Amy Parris, costume designer for Stranger Things says in this GQ interview about it:

Mike's Hellfire Outfit represents his growing internal resistance to and rejection of conformity and societal expectation.

2.

....which is exactly why the airport outfit gives the viewer such insane whiplash.

It is bright, gaudy, dorky, cartoonish and a completely different person than we were just shown. It's no version of Mike we've ever seen. Sure, we've seen him in shorts, and that surfer shirt is technically a button-up, but that hat? Those glasses? Flip-flops? It's so clearly an act that it's laughable.

Amy Parris, in the same GQ interview as before, goes as far to say, "We knew we'd wanted something that felt like an outfit maybe he would've bought at the airport before he got there."

This isn't Mike. This is Mike's attempt at conformity, post-meeting and modeling after Eddie. This is Mike feeling like who he is in Hawkins – the edgier Mike who models after the school "freak" – isn't the "right" version of himself to immediately present to El after months and months apart. Almost like he feels the need to wear something more similar to what he wore in s3, the shorts and the bright colors, to "ease into" the rest of his wardrobe, because when he's with El, he strives to present as "normal."

Finn Wolfhard says this about Mike in s4: "I think Mike's just trying to be as normal as possible and trying to keep on a normal path." Yet Mike says this in s4: "Have you ever considered that we don't want to be popular?"

If Mike isn't trying to be "normal" in Hawkins and is sitting at lunch with the school "freak," then in what ways he is trying to be "normal"? It's when he's with El in California, particularly their first day before everything goes to hell. Yet we see that "normal" = not himself.

Amy Parris notes in the GQ interview that they picked an orange (a rather yellow orange) button-up because it's the opposite of what Mike normally wears (blue tones).

The purple shirt is also an attempt for him to appeal toward El because purple, according to Mike, is one of her favorite colors. He is trying to appeal to El's taste/likes while wearing the literal opposite of what he normally does.

Mike's Airport Outfit represents his attempts to conform to heteronormativity and society's expectation of what a "good straight boyfriend" does, is, and looks like – and how unnatural and unlike himself this attempt is.

3.

This plaid look is my personal favorite Mike look in s5. This is one of the very few times we see Mike with an untucked shirt – possibly the first time we see him wearing a button-up/collared shirt and it's not tucked in. Untucked makes him look less preppy, taller, and more mature. It's a very flattering look and especially refreshing after the airport look.

But, I also have a lot to say about this symbolism of this particular outfit.

The rich blue is a standard Mike color, so it's the first outfit he wears in s4 that feels familiar to us. Additionally, the hint of yellow is commonly speckled throughout Mike's wardrobe. However, look at the pattern. It's plaid.

We all know by now that Mike is the king of stripes. Stripes and the color blue are the most consistent aspect of his wardrobe other than his calculator watch. But plaid?

There are only two instances in the entire show where Mike wears plaid. (I've triple-checked this, but if I still somehow overlooked anything, please let me know!) Here, in s4, and in his final scene in s1:

(top row is unedited, bottom row is brightened – no I couldn't get a flattering screenshot of the second image lol)

A blue plaid with (faint) yellow accents. Hm. How intriguingly familiar!

In s1, we see Mike experiencing conflicting emotions in his final scene. He is very happy that Will is back and that Will is having fun with his DND game. But he is also sad that Eleven is gone and experiencing survivor's guilt. His emotions are split between Will and El. This emotional turmoil is illustrated with the use of much busier pattern than Mike normally wears, but because that pattern is plaid, a pattern Will often wears, it aligns him with Will.

Why does plaid connect Mike to Will yet not El, even though El has worn plaid before? Because El has only worn plaid because of her circumstances, not her own personal style.

El first wears plaid when Hopper gives her his flannel in s1. This continues into s2 when she begins living with him. She's receiving either hand-me-downs from him or boy's clothes because he's having to hide the fact that he's sheltering a girl wanted by the government. If Hop were to start buying girl's clothing/more feminine clothing, that would be suspicious. When El goes on her shopping spree with Max in s3, after Max tells her to focus on what feels like her – "not Hopper, not Mike, you" – she picks bold, bright colors and abstract patterns, completely avoiding plaid. Then, in s4, El is living with the Byers and receiving their hand-me-downs and borrowing from their closets.

Amy Parris confirms this in the GQ interview, that what El wears in s2 is meant to feel mismatched, borrowed, and hand-me-down because she is trying to figure out who she is in Lenora.

She also says this:

It was intentional that when El wore plaid in s4, it was meant to remind the audience of Will and look as though she was wearing his clothes.

Which means Plaid = Will, not El.

So let's put this all together: Mike has worn plaid once before, when he was experiencing conflicting emotions torn between Will and El. Plaid is Will's pattern, not El's. Blue is Mike's color, and it's commonly known that yellow is Will's, which means that not only is Mike wearing Will's pattern, he's wearing a hint of Will's color. On a more minor note, the return of the black jeans and converse from his Hawkins/Hellfire outfit means that the facade had dropped and he's slipping back into what he's more comfortable in.

It's also notable that Mike wears a blue plaid shirt the very next day after Will wears a blue plaid shirt. (Also, Will's blue plaid shirt has more white, which suits his wardrobe more than black, whereas Mike's blue plaid shirt has more black, which suits Mike's.)

And this is the shirt Mike wears during his fight with Eleven, where she calls him out on never saying, "I love you," accuses him of thinking she's a monster, and he calls her ridiculous and tries to place the burden of their relationship issues on other people ("You can't let those mouthbreathers ruin you! Ruin us!")

Visually, the plaid tells us what's going on in Mike's head and heart.

Mike's Plaid Outfit represents his internal conflict between Will and El while simultaneously betraying where his true feelings lie: with Will.

4.

Last outfit! The outfit he spends nearly a full week wearing, the teal outfit.

Right off the bat, this color is one we've seen him wearing before in s3. However, as @hawkinsschoolcounselor points out in this brilliant post, the teal polo he wears in s3 looks nearly identical to one his father wears in the same season.

This has a few nuanced implications.

Firstly, in s3, it carries the visual implication that s3 Mike is currently on a path that could cause him to turn out like Ted. What does s3 Mike do? He neglects his friendships to spend time making out with his girlfriend, tries to reject his childhood hobbies and passions as childish (Ted disdainfully calls toys "hunks of plastic," in s2) and something he needs to grow out of, and, like Ted, makes a comment that could be interpreted as a homophobic slight – ("It's not my fault you don't like girls!" – a comment that I believe is a moment of projection for Mike due to internalized homophobia, not legitimate homophobia toward Will. In s3, Mike is trying to be "normal," "grown-up," socially acceptable and heteronormative.

Remember how I talked about modeling earlier? Yeah, s3 Mike models after Ted in mild aspects.

Yet the very next season, it's revealed that his rejection of his hobbies, passions, and games like DND was a complete farce. He returns to wholly embracing DND and, other than this teal color, stops dressing like Ted. He stops modeling after his father, much to Ted's disappointment: "Might as well call [Hellfire] the high school dropout club."

Secondly, because this teal color ties Mike to Ted, it's notable that this is the color that Mike wears when he tells Eleven he loves her.

(Now if you've read this far, my guess is you're a Byler fan and you've read 50 million analyses of the I love you speech, but if you haven't, the gist of the conclusion of those analyses is this: Mike felt pressured to say he loved El in order to save her and because he believed she commissioned the painting, but he tells provable lies during it that will be dismantled in s5.)

If teal is a color Mike wore during a season where he's modeling after Ted, a husband who the show makes very clear is lacking in passion to the point of his wife feeling unsatsified, a father emotionally distant from his two eldest children, and a man who is the epitome of heteronormativity and the typical mundane nuclear family man – this does not bode well for the success of Mike's romantic relationship with El, nor does it frame his romantic relationship with El in a healthy light.

Thirdly, there are several key differences between s4's teal shirt and s3's teal shirt.

Mike's s3 teal shirt is buttoned-up to the top button (in most of his scenes wearing this shirt) and is tucked into higher-waisted black shorts. It's solid-colored, neat, and preppy, and gives two hilariously contrasting impressions: the outfit of a little boy, and the outfit of a tween trying to dress like an adult.

In s4, however, Mike's outfit is partially unbuttoned, revealing a white tshirt beneath, with gives it a more sporty or even outdoorsy vibe. It's also not a solid color and has angular grey accents – particularly, triangular and diamond shaped accents.

This is what Amy Parris has to say about those grey accents, + what she says about how they purposefully added triangles to Robin's outfit as LGBTQ+ symbolism:

Because of this, it is not a stretch to speculate that the angular accents and, in particular, triangle design on Mike's breast pocket is a nod to his queercoding.

It's no coincidence that this is the shirt Mike wears during his bedroom talks with Will, the van scene with Will, his interrupted pizza parlor talk with El (that reads more like an impending apology and amicable breakup, not a confession – just mute the music look at his face during that scene, and El's), and his speech to El.

Most notably, it's the shirt he's wearing during this moment:

Look at Mike's face. Look at how conflicted he is. How guilty. This is the first time since Mike put on this teal shirt, the first time since he had his two separate bedroom talks with Will, the first time since "as a team," and "best friends," and the van scene & painting, that Mike has to deal with Will and Eleven at the same time.

Mike's Teal Outfit represents the tug-of-war between two contrasting concepts: his internal struggle with practicing comphet and heteronormativity (pursuing a romantic relationship with El and pretending to be straight), and his growing internal resistance to comphet/hetnorm and desire to embrace a truer, more alternative/noncomforming identity (his true romantic feelings for Will and accepting his queer identity).

Conclusion

I could honestly continue this post with analysis of the s5 outfits we've seen from Mike and what that means for his characterization/arc in the final season, but this post is long enough already. Perhaps when we get more content/trailers for s5, I might put out a speculative post in anticipation for it.

If you have a different perspective and want to share it, feel absolutely free! I'd love to hear other people's thoughts.

[silverynight]

The two barbarians

Izuku belongs to a barbarian tribe that deals with magic and herbs; there are different kind of tribes in that particular land, but the fiercest of them all is the one that has learned to control dragons.

Izuku's tribe has started to trade with them and so far it has been a pleasant business relationship between the two groups, even though they don't actually trust each other that much.

The dragon's tribe has settled close to the mountains, where most of the dragons live; Izuku's tribe is still nomad so they usually agree to stay in the forest for a while until their business are completely over.

However, they have been taught to be careful, even though the other tribe has promised them peace.

So when Izuku finds himself in another part of the woods to collect herbs and hears a noise behind him, the first thing he does is to grab the man behind him, toss him to the ground and point his dagger right at his neck.

The green haired man is not an idiot; it takes him just a glance at the tall blond on the ground to know that Izuku shouldn't consider the fight as over. The young barbarian can easily jump up and keep fighting him.

He looks strong and judging by the many scars on his chest, he's a very skilled warrior too and has protected his tribe before. And the dragon teeth on his ears are not very reassuring at all.

Besides, Izuku starts getting worried when instead of a growl or a hiss he gets a huge smile back. He's pointing a dagger at his neck and the barbarian looks quite happy for some reason.

That's... a little bit alarming.

"You're trespassing!" Izuku says suddenly, reminding himself they're close to where his tribe is camping, only the leaders of the dragon tribe are allowed to get that close. "What are you doing here?"

The blond's expression doesn't change at all.

"You're beautiful."

Izuku gasps, takes a few steps back and allows the other to rise up while he blushes to the tip of his ears.

He has the feeling that he's not good to hurt him, although he's probably trying to make fun of Izuku.

The smirk on his face becomes huge and his eyes start roaming all over Izuku. The piercing red eyes glance at Izuku's thighs a couple of times.

"Not everyone can throw me like that," he keeps grinning, looking at the basket with herbs and the book next to them that Izuku is carrying. "Quite impressive for a nerd like you."

Izuku narrows his eyes at him and the blond just chuckles.

"I'm Bakugo Katsuki. The dragon prince. It's a pleasure."

Izuku can't quite back off because he's too distracted thinking that he might have pissed off one of the leaders of the dragon tribe by accident. Then he blinks and blushes even more when Bakugo kisses the back of his hand.

Well... maybe he's not that pissed after all.

"Midoriya Izuku," he mumbles, feeling shy.

"Take me to one of your leaders, Izuku."

The green haired barbarian nods, however he is still ready with his dagger close to him in case something happens.

"We're not... you shouldn't address me by my given name, it's not–"

"You can call me Katsuki."

"I can't. We just met!"

"Come on, nerd!"

He takes Bakugo to where All Might is and is ready to leave them alone when the prince takes him by the arm.

He's gentle so Izuku doesn't make any attempts to shake him off.

"I want you to stay, nerd."

"But I'm not–"

"It's alright, Midoriya," All Might assures him with a hint of amusement in his voice.

The things that are discussed in All Might's tent are not that confidential so Izuku doesn't worry too much; Bakugo tells All Might that his parents are not with them at the moment so all the agreements and deals have to be discussed with him instead.

At some point Izuku excuses himself and walks out, but a couple of seconds later Bakugo catches up to him.

"So what do your people do for fun around here, Izuku?"

He has no idea why Bakugo is still with him or why he's there at all, but since All Might seems to trust him, Izuku decides not to question it.

"We collect herbs to..."

"I said for fun," Bakugo cuts him off, rolling his eyes. Before Izuku can say something in return he adds: "Would you like to spar?"

They end up sparring because that's something they both find interesting; they're actually pretty even, despite Bakugo being taller and looking stronger than Izuku.

"I like you, Izuku."

The green haired barbarian smiles back this time.

"I like you too, Kacchan."

At first, Bakugo gets a little bit irritated by the nickname, but he gets used to it quickly.

Much to Izuku's surprise, they become friends in a very short time.

Izuku then meets Bakugo's dragon Dynamight and he kinda loves the big creature immediately. He acts like a puppy around Izuku and is constantly demanding pats on the head. The barbarian prince gets a little bit irritated because of this sometimes.

However, as time passes, Izuku realizes that it's getting close to his tribe's departure and he knows he's going to miss Baku–Katsuki dearly.

"Let's get married," Katsuki says one day, making Izuku choke on his water.

"Please, don't joke about something like that," Izuku says, turning slightly pink despite knowing it's nothing serious.

"I'm not joking. I want you to be my husband."

"We can't, we're from different tribes," Izuku reminds him, still telling himself it's a joke because his heart can't quite handle the truth at the moment. "You know the rules!"

"Fuck the rules!" Katsuki laughs in the way Izuku has learned to love. "Mark my words, nerd. I will marry you."

This time he doesn't protest because if he's being completely honest, he's quite pleased with what Katsuki is saying.

Izuku wants to marry him too, even though it's not possible.

***

It's time for Izuku's tribe to go and he tries not to feel too sad because that means he won't see Katsuki in a long time.

"I have to talk with the hag and my old man first, but I'll see you soon, nerd. I promise."

Izuku nods as he holds back a couple of tears because he doesn't want Katsuki to call him a crybaby.

This time Katsuki doesn't do that though, he leans closer and kisses Izuku's forehead, prompting the other barbarian to blush again.

"And then we'll get married."

"But Kacchan–"

"I told you, Izuku, I don't give a fuck about the rules."

Actually, Izuku was about to scold him for joking, but then his friend puts his arms around his waist and kisses on the lips.

So maybe he's not joking after all.

***

Izuku sees him again only a month after that; he arrives on his dragon and scares the hell out of the members of Izuku's tribe.

He kisses Izuku in front of everyone and asks for All Might.

Katsuki knows that not only he is the leader of the tribe, but also Izuku's father figure so he has a meeting with him. This time Katsuki doesn't act arrogant or grumpy; he calmly and respectfully tries to explain to All Might how much he loves Izuku.

He promises to take care of him, to protect him (even though he knows Izuku can do that himself) and basically bares his heart in front of them in a way that makes Izuku tear up.

Before he can finish, Izuku rushes towards him to hug him and kiss him and decides that even if All Might doesn't give them his approval, he'll marry Katsuki anyway.

"What did your parents say about this, young man?" All Might asks, right after smiling at Izuku, almost as if he knows exactly what he's thinking.

"The hag doesn't want me to get in trouble, but she knows I won't give up on Izuku," Katsuki says. "The old man just wants me to be happy."

All Might nods and in the blink of an eye, he's hugging both Katsuki and Izuku in a very tight embrace.

"You have my approval."

Izuku cries out of happiness and Katsuki calls him a "crybaby" but he keeps kissing his tears away gently, almost lovingly.

Katsuki cries too, but the day of the wedding; both tribes are present. Izuku's mother too and despite their differences the two tribes celebrate as one that day.

***

Patreon

[nitrowyverine]

Finally played the TOUCHSTARVED Demo! Still thinking about it over a week later.

(Above: Steam banner image for TOUCHSTARVED from Red Spring Studios)

I love it SO MUCH. and i have QUESTIONS. my extended thoughts below the cut [Demo spoilers included]

General thoughts:

this game is SO up my alley that it's insane. local goth gaming nerd is kicking their feet and giggling

the music? and sound design? It's honestly incredible, even beyond the infamous Every Time We Touch cover (Which is how I found this game). We all have to be giving more props to the music/sound work, it absolutely punches the experience up so many notches. When a soundtrack is released I'm immediately keeping it on hand for all my tabletop needs

absolutely enamored with the backstory mechanic. It adds so much individual depth to the character. you can feel attached to your MC without them being a complete blank slate. I absolutely love that different MC backstories have you pick up different details about the characters. (My favorite is The Hound immediately picking out who the leaders are amongst the group, in contrast to the other MC backgrounds)

I wanna eat the backgrounds. I wanna eat them whole. They're so detailed and colorful and have a great sense of depth. 100000/10

Specific character thoughts/theories:

(Images courtesy of the Touchstarved character Lore posts from the Red Spring Studio socials. I'll be linking them in each of the character's names)

Ais:

Thank you, Red Spring studios, for blessing the players with the ability to bite him if you're an ass to him the entire demo. You truly know what we want

Lore seems to indicate that Ais came over from the demon realm for some unknown reason, and was possibly some kind of demon king or leader? Fascinated to learn what happens there

Ngl the Seaspring looks like it would taste good. My favorite raspberry/rhubarb tea looks just like the Seaspring water. Gimme the group juice.

Question: If Ais gets infected with MC's madness....does that mean. the WHOLE groupmind gets infected? Humans and soulless alike? That's a city-destroying disaster waiting to happen

CONCLUSION: Most likely to adopt 6 dogs instead of picking up the groceries. Least likely to let you have the car aux cable.

Kuras:

I do believe Kuras is the actual best shot at a cure/treatment of all candidates. Assuming the curse is some level of demonic, an angel's touch is probably the best bet.

Let me be clear here though, I do think he might just go "Well you can just like. not have arms" and take them. That is a possibility

Most of the other characters I can get a rough idea of what they want and why. Kuras? I have NO idea what his goal is, which is very frightening.

Twitter bio image does say "Repentant Angel", and that his fatal flaw is "his sins can only be repaid through suffering". Possible linkage to Lovent's fall? Or another major disaster?

its okay sweaty we all get The Guilt (tm)

If Kuras somehow gets MC's maddness (I have a feeling it may not effect him? but if it did) that would just. end the world right there.

CONCLUSION: Most likely to be the one guy you might be able to bring home to your parents. Least likely to put on oven mitts to take a frozen pizza out of the oven.

Vere:

I love Vere for being the character I thought I could trust the least, turning into a character I actually trust allot. I trust him to be extremely dangerous. He probably wasn't lying when he said his heart is on his sleeve.

Also, big props for having him just kill you in one of the demo endings. What a guy, I love him, no notes

Wait what he's over 100 according to his birthday post. thats, allot? older? than I thought?. okay yeah the lore posts mention he's a possible deity figure. not comforting

Vere is very fae-logic coded. Like, the words he says can be true and false at the same time. Don't tell him your name, he will cannibalize you for fun, etc etc ya know fae stuff.

i will protect him always

CONCLUSION: Most likely to fuck your dad. Least likely to be your new stepdad.

Mihn:

Mihn is much dodgier than the rest, but I think that makes them more trustworthy. They're not as interested as playing games.

I nominate Mihn as a secondary protagonist, since Leander, Ais, and Kuras seem to be interested in them quite a bit. Even Vere has a rivalmance kinda thing going for Mihn. If MC didn't show up, that would be the dating sim right there

I'm excited by the lore post and the implications that Mihn is from Lovent (or has traveled there? and survived?) and potentially getting greater lore expansion about the world surrounding Eridia

I think it's interesting that their strength stat is relatively low compared to the others, yet they're one of the characters that actually uses their strength in the demo.

Also, I think we see the least of their "monstrous form" of everyone in the demo (minus their ability to dodge in and out of shadows). I'm thrilled to see what their monstrous form actually entails.

Mihn would survive bloodborne. That's it thats the entire thought

CONCLUSION: Most likely to do all the work in a group project. Least likely to be chill during Mario Party.

Leander:

OKAY ALL OF MY QUESTIONS ARE HERE. I AM DEEPLY AFRAID. Something is absolutely wrong but we have no current ability to pinpoint what it is.

I've seen theories Leander is dead. However, in Vere's route, he mentions that Leander smells like aftershave. While this could be part of an extra-elaborate ruse, hair doesn't grow after death (Minus the appearance of it happening due to natural decay processes) so he wouldn't need to shave. However, I am betting on him being involved in some sort of un-death cycle.

actually I can guarantee his story is all about cycles. Has anyone else mentioned how his belt is the triple goddess symbol.

you know. the symbol of maiden/mother/crone. birth/life/death. beginning/middle/end. like

Moving on, the vast majority of his smiles are forced (Mouth is smiling, but there's no eye movement/crinkle that would indicate it's genuine). That is enough of a red flag but honey I am so much more worried about my next point:

WHERE DOES HE GET HIS MONEY. He's constantly buying rounds of drinks for a packed bar. It's briefly mentioned his clothes are nice. He pays for anything MC needs. However, says Bloodhound rates are "Free". Where does he GET HIS MONEY for all of this. Twitter posts from Red Spring point out he doesn't accept bribes (at least overtly).

WAIT I'M REREADING THIS POST WHAT THE FUCK ARE THE SILENT CRYPTS.

Looking again at Leander's stat post. The Ouroboros in the background is. Not comforting. Also, "Forbidden Magic"? yeah I have a feeling we know why he's not in the Senobium

Theory, potentially Leander is currently being paid by the Senobium to maintain lowtown/Silent Crypts order? I think there's still a connection between them. Like the Senobuim can remain detached while having ties to whatever horrible things Leander is doing.

Okay, in the twitter relationship charts it says that Kuras has looked out for Leander "Since he was young". Kuras probably knows. SO much we don't.

When Mihn scolds Leander for not telling MC to be off the streets past dark. I think Leander intentionally "Forgot" to mention that. I think he wanted the MC to see how dangerous Eridia was so MC would stay closer to Leander for safety. I think it was a very intentional manipulation tactic.

(Furthermore, did he actually cast a spell of luck on MC when he gave them the lilies from his introduction magic trick? Then bet on the MC living through the day?)

I do think Leander's surprise at MC going out to the Seaspring was genuine, since his spit-take clashes so starkly with his cool-guy demeanor.

I also have a feeling that Leander has been past the veil/shroud. he's doing something fucky and the veil is prime fuckery territory.

(Are we...going to get a timeloop story????)

CONCLUSION: Most likely to dramatically use himself as a human bridge over a small puddle (as an excuse to get walked on). Least likely to remember to go to bed after playing Stardew Valley for 13 hours straight.

Touchstarved game things I'm concerned about:

(I feel like I wouldn't be doing my game designer duties if I didn't point out my concerns as well. To be fair, there aren't many.)

I hope the bad endings get fucked up, story-wise. Since it's a horror game, I know it might turn some people off to have things go super wrong, but I really hope they do. I want to see some endless pain vortexes, some real Juniji Ito-style suffering. But I would also understand if the devs want to softball some of the worst outcomes for the sake of widespread appeal.

We all have countless examples of kickstarter games looking strong out the gate, but then falling flat upon release. While I have high hopes for Touchstarved, I do know the reality and intense difficulty of kickstarter games. I'm really hoping the demo isn't the best the studio will have to offer.

OVERALL: I am rooting for the Touchstarved team/Red Spring Studio all the way! I'm thrilled to see where this game goes. I am poised on this purchase button and ready to buy when it releases.

[strawberryfairi]

Synopsis🌹: After discovering a strange yet alluring red book in a boutique bookstore, you find yourself sucked into a strange world, where all of your inner most desires exist…

Pairings: Wakasa Imaushi X Musician! Black Fem 🤎 Reader (ANYONE CAN READ🧚🏾‍♀️) Content: Author AU, scifi, Musician! reader, reader is a talented nerd, smutty (slow burn) romance, tiny doses of angst, adventure, futuristic city, magic?, !!sexual tension!!, etc (just find out the rest, lol)

w.c: 3.4k💠 Released: October 12

Previous | Next | Chapters Masterlist

A/N🧚🏾‍♀️: I figured I'd bless y'all with a little Saturday night smut, teehee🤭

C.W: Oral Sex (fem receiving)

Tags: @nixalozt @lilthana @wakasaishot (I hope y'all enjoy this chapter as well🌹)

↳ (Let me know via inbox or the comment section if you would also like to be tagged here for this story🩵). Enjoy guys!!

𝟑 || 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬

(Bliss Theme: Fantasy - Lost Traveler)

"Mmmm." You moan, licking your lips and raising the glass to take a much bigger sip than last time. And another one, then another.

"Easy, Doll. Don't drink it too fast." Wakasa muses with a grin.

You blink, as suddenly, the world around you seems somehow even brighter.  Then when you glance over at him, your heart does an overdramatic flip. His voice had sounded so different. It's like he has some kind of natural reverb affect, with the way it echoed softly in your mind like a faded whisper. It's much more sensual than before. But wait, now that you think about it, everything about him seems at least ten times more attractive than before. And that's saying something since he's already damn fine.

You go to open your mouth, but your words catch right in your throat. And that's when you feel it. This odd sensation in your eyes, a gentle little thrum that makes you blink again.

You blink once more, and one more time, then catch a look of your reflection in a nearby glass bottle on one of the bartender's shelves. Your eyes, they're glowing. But not just glowing like the bartender and other people's eyes, they're pulsing. With little, cute, neon pink hearts.

You do a double take, before turning back towards Wakasa, wondering if he's noticed the change in your eyes too. But as soon as your eyes land on him again, it feels like you've been pulled into some kind of trance. For a moment, the world around you seems to slow like a scene out of a movie. It almost plays a trick on your mind, making you believe for half a second that maybe time really has slowed down.

You stare at him openly, unashamedly, and for the first time in the history of you checking a guy out, you don't even try to hide it. The edges of your lips curl into a lazy, content smile as you tilt your head, fully taking in his appearance as if it were the first time.

Wakasa is striking in a way that seems almost unfair. His lilac colored eyes gleam under the dim lights of the underground club, their half-lidded, relaxed gaze giving the impression of someone who doesn't even need to try to be this devastatingly attractive.

His full lips are so dangerously tempting. Every word he speaks, every grin, it's like a bold dare for you to lean close and steal a kiss. Each little detail about him feels meticulously perfect, yet somehow completely effortless.

"You're feelin' it now, huh?" He says softly. His voice is almost tangible, like a gentle caress against your cheek that sends shivers down your spine. You giggle, the sound light and bubbly as it escapes your lips before you can stop it. Your fingers raise to toy bashfully with a coil of your thick hair, twisting it this way and that as you keep your heart eyed gaze locked onto him, unable to look away.

"Yeaah." You nod dumbly, "I feel so amazing." Another small burst of giggles leaves your lips.

Wakasa notices the shift in your demeanor, of course. His half-lidded eyes flickering down towards you as a faint smirk pulls at the corner of his lips. "You're lookin' at me like you've never seen a guy before." He teases.

You don't bother trying to deny it. Why should you? The drink in your system made it impossible to pretend, and honestly, you don't even want to. You let out another soft giggle, biting your lip as you continue to openly admire him.

"I've never seen one like you. You're beautiful." You sigh, your voice low yet airy. "Like...really beautiful."

Wakasa chuckles, the sound warm and amused, clearly enjoying your new found boldness. "Oh yeah?"

Your eyes lower subconsciously, shamelessly lingering on his tempting lips again before drifting back up to his eyes. "Yeaah." You reply, your voice almost a hum. You're still sitting there twirling your hair, cheeks on fire as the pink hearts relentlessly pulse in your eyes.

You feel so giddy, a little dazed by the effects of the drink, but mostly just completely and utterly captivated by him. It's like some kind of love spell, keeping you locked onto him and nobody or anything else.

"You're staring, Doll." He teases softly, leaning in towards you just a little.

"I know," You admit with a coy smile. "I can't help it."

He takes another long sip, finishing his drink with that smirk still present on his lips. "You're lucky you're cute."

You let out an excited little gasp, your heart catapulting itself against your chest. As soon as his words leave his lips, he blinks, and you notice those neon pink hearts begin to pulse from his eyes.

Excitement bubbles from deep within, and the only thing you wanna do, for some odd reason, is get on that dance floor with him.

"I wanna dance," You say softly, "I wanna dance with you."

Before he can answer, you take his hand and lead him away from the bar, the touch sending a ripple of electricity through you. Without protest he follows behind you onto the dance floor, the crowd parting for you both before closing back in like a tide. The music is much louder here, the bass thrumming deep in your chest, and the synths vibrating all through the walls of the place. It feels like stepping into another world.

You move to the center of the floor, surrounded by bodies swaying and shifting to the beat, each lost in their own euphoric trance. You turn to face him, his lilac eyes and pink hearts glowing under the flashing lights. There's a mischievous glint in them, but something more, too—something that makes you feel like you're the only person in the room.

Wakasa's hands rest low on your hips, pulling you close to him until there's barely any space left between you. His chest presses against yours, and you can feel the warmth of his body seeping into your own through your clothes.

You tilt your head up to find his eyes, and for a moment, the rest of the world falls away. There is only him. His sultry eyes, the way his hair frames his face, dyed strands catching the neon lights, and the faintest hint of a smile playing at his lips.

The music swirls around you two, the deep bass thudding in time with your heart. Every movement feels like a silent conversation—a brush of fingers, a sway of your hips, a tilt of your head—and the more you dance, the more you feel yourself getting lost in him. It's like he's drawing you in, pulling you further without any fight into his orbit. Into his world.

You don't even notice how close you both have gotten until your back is pressed tightly against his chest, both hands resting on your waist and holding you in place as you move together. The faint whisper of his scent triggers shivers to race down your spine. Your hands boldly place themselves overtop of his, adding a whole new level of closeness to your beautiful acquaintance.

Wakasa's lips brush faintly by your ear past your hair, and you can just feel the little smirk that tugs at them as he murmurs, "You look good with those little hearts in your eyes."

You blink, startled, realizing that the neon pink hearts are still there, pulsing and thrumming with fervent life in your eyes, all centered on Wakasa.

"How does Bliss even do this to our eyes?" You ask curiously.

"It's hard to explain the how, but I know you get these hearts when you're with someone you're attracted to." He explains with a hint of amusement in his tone.

You feel your cheeks heat up, but you don't shy away. Instead, you allow yourself to lean back into him and close your eyes, feeling the solid warmth of his body against yours.

"It's just 'cause you're so close to me," You reply playfully, your tone light and airy.

"Mhm." Wakasa agrees, but there's something in his voice, a knowingness, an intensity that makes you think he's fully aware of exactly the kind of effect he has on you.

"And maybe it's 'cause you're so close to me." His fingers trace feather-light patterns on your upper thighs near the hem of your dress, and you feel a deep flutter in your stomach that has absolutely nothing to do with the Bliss and everything to do with the man that's holding you.

The song shifts once more, slowing down, and you both move in sync, swaying gently to the softer beat. The crowd around you fades into the background, their movements becoming a blur of color and light. You bask in the way his hands leave flirtatious trails of electric fuzziness as he continues to slowly stroke your sides up and down. It's as if his hands are hypnotized by your body.

Then, in a low, deliciously sultry tone he asks, "What d'you wanna do now?"

You don't even hesitate with your response as you turn around to face him. "I wanna have smokin' hot sex with you; all night long." You tell him, your voice dripping with want as you look him right in the eyes.

His brows raise, for the first time looking genuinely caught of guard, though the amusement is clear on his face. Without another word, he wraps an arm around your waist, his other hand cupping your cheek as his lips crash onto yours for the most intoxicating, toe curling kiss you've ever received. It's searing like fire, and electric at the same time. His lips move against yours masterfully, caressing your lips and eliciting a soft moan that reverberates against his.

Your arms don't dare delay to wrap around his neck, his tongue coaxing your lips apart, and deepening the kiss. You feel so amazing, so alive. You're more alive than you've ever felt before, ever. And with everything in you, you don't want this to end. You love it here, right in this moment, somewhere far from reality, far from the dull monotony of real life.

It's magic here, and you wanna stay.

You can't help the small whine you let out as he slowly pulls away, the hearts in his eyes pulsing at a much faster pace than before as he gazes down at you.

"Come on." He says, his tone a bit breathless as he guides you through the sea of people by your hand. You nod, biting your lip excitedly.

He leads you down a hallway, painted electric blue with neon pink heart signs all over the walls and in a straight line along the ceiling, resembling the hearts that appear in people's eyes from the effect of Bliss. There's two other signs, one that points to the men's and another to the women's bathrooms.

You aren't completely sure which one he takes you into, as you're way too focused on being amazed at the way his lips move against yours yet he manages to skillfully enter the bathroom with you at the same time.

He picks you up with ease and sets you down on the edge of one of the bathroom sinks, hiking up your dress in the process. Wakasa pulls away, only to lay down a trail of fiery kisses along your exposed neck. Your face explodes with heat as you bite your lip, overwhelmed by the feeling of him hungrily sucking on your neck in between each kiss.

The sound of his lips against your skin and your soft, airy whimpers begin to echo like distant music in the dimly lit bathroom. He gives you hickeys everywhere you're most sensitive, licks your neck, kisses your collarbones.

"Wakasa, I-I-..." You trail off shyly, already losing whatever it was you were trying to say like it's a forgotten memory. He leans up, lifting his head to meet your gaze.

"What?" He murmurs against your lips.

"I don't know." You whisper back, your eyes immediately getting themselves lost in his.

"You gettin' shy on me now?" He teases, then sucks on your bottom lip gently, earning himself a needy, low pitched moan from you. "Mm mm."

"Good, 'cause I'm gonna spread your legs and make you cum on my tongue. How's that sound?" He asks sensually, the hearts in his eyes combined with the seriousness in his voice hypnotizing you. You feel your breath hitch as your heart clumsily skips a beat, and a deep, unmissable flutter between your legs. His words nearly knocked the wind out of you. You can't think of a time a man has ever been so sexually bold with you.

"That sounds fantastic." You sigh wistfully, your cheeks impossibly warm. Had you been fully in your right mind, you would've never agreed to doing something like this in such a risky, public place. But a part of you deep down knows full well how much you've always wanted to try it.

Looking at you with an amused expression, he pulls away, taking his hair down from it's previous style. You're mesmerized for a moment as his dyed hair cascades down to his shoulders, pretty purple mixing together with blonde. Then, he puts his hair back up, this time in a lazy bun. He kneels down in front of you, his hands gently stroking your plush thighs before spreading them open.

You bite your lip, the thrill of possibly getting caught pumping through your veins as he slowly pulls your black lace panties to the side. You whimper as cool air makes contact with your pussy. Wakasa stares hungrily for a while, cussing under his breath as he licks his lips. It's like he's a starved man, and you, his first meal in thirty days.

"I want you to watch me. Don't look away." He instructs lowly as he kisses your inner thighs. Butterflies erupt all throughout your stomach, giving him a lazy nod in response.

"Your pussy's so pretty..." He hums seductively, almost sounding like a moan.

You let out a deep gasp as he abruptly brings his face in, and runs his warm, wet tongue between your folds at a sickeningly delicious pace. He begins with open mouthed kisses, his tongue flicking upwards against your touch-starved clit every time his lips pull away. You jump a little with every abrupt stripe of his tongue, letting out a mixture between a startled whimper and a moan.

Then he sucks on your pearly clit, and his warm hands massage and caress your soft legs. Your own hands fly downwards, gripping onto his luscious hair as you let out a long, drawn out moan of pleasure.

Unconsciously, your legs try to close, clamping down and caging his head in place like a trap. He reacts quickly, grabbing underneath your thighs and holding your legs open.

He picks up the pace, fluttering his tongue and sucking on your clit a little rougher, forcing your moans to rise in volume. "Uuuughh!" You close your eyes, throwing your head back in pure ecstasy. He lets out a deep, low moan, the sound vibrating against your pussy and sending shockwaves up your body. He turns you on so much.

His tongue ventures down to your little, pink hole, pressing and prodding against it teasingly before sliding inside.

"Wakasa!", You cry out with a gasp, "That feels so goooood!" Your legs shake, and your heels slowly slide off of your feet, clacking against the hard ground. The moans you give him spur him on, and his movements become much dirtier, slurping you up messily.

"Ohh, uuugh!" Your small hands tighten their grip on his hair, subconsciously using it to press his face closer. You have officially become a coalescence of pants, and more whinier, sob-like moans. You get the feeling he likes it when you pull on his hair with the way he moans a bit louder against your pussy. You hear him panting, and occasionally taking a deeper breath, completely engulfed in this like it's his only purpose. He's on a mission.

You may not know much at all about this man, but one thing is for certain...

He is, indisputably, the king of oral sex.

It's the way he has your body twitching, toes curling, head thrown back and lips parted wide as mewls escape them like a running faucet. Every movement of his tongue is well thought out, strategically planned to sink you deeper and deeper into ecstasy. He's amazing. He's gotta know what he's doing to you.

Then, your eyes meet, and you swear you could cum just from the sight of him alone. Watching him worship your pussy has you instantly skyrocketing towards an orgasm that you can tell is about to be mind-fuzzing. His eyes are ablaze with lust, the hearts only working to further emphasize it. And his cheeks, you notice, are dusted lightly pink. He looks so damn good like this.

"Wa-Wakasa, mmm...'s so good! Please don't stop! I-I'm gonna cum!" You cry loudly, the slight anxiousness of being caught long forgotten. Your fingers tangle in his hair tighter, holding on like it's your sanity. You become a mess, nothing but loud moans and cries. 

You throw your head back, both hands pressing his head further against your throbbing pussy as your little toes curl. You can feel the pink hearts in your eyes pulsing at a rapid fire, reacting along with the rest of your body to his touch. It's overwhelming, his tongue working you up like this. He's freaking amazing.

"There you go, angel." He murmurs against you, the vibrations of his voice sending shivers through your core. "Lemme taste you."

And that was all you needed to finally reach the peak. You cum so satisfyingly hard, crying out loudly as your legs tremble. It's astounding, the way he so easily guided you straight into heaven. No man has ever made you cum so hard, so fast. Even you couldn't make yourself reach this level of pleasure.

He allows you to ride it out, then gives your pussy a gentle little kiss before he pulls away. You pant, your grip loosening as you lean back against the mirror behind you. With a blissful sigh, the corners of your lips shift into a little satisfied smile.

Wakasa gives you an amused look, "Looks like you liked it." He says, placing his hands on your waist. You look at him, heart eyed and dazed, pulling him gently into a lust filled kiss. Your all goes into it, giving him a silent show of gratitude. Then as you finally pull away from his soft lips you mutter, "Loved it."

His grin widens, and something in his eyes glimmers, making your stomach do a small flip. He doesn’t say anything at first, just watching you with that same knowing smirk. Wakasa leans back just a bit, giving you a moment to collect yourself, though his hands on your waist stay firmly in place, grounding you. 

"Good," He says, his tone light but with an underlying edge of satisfaction. "'Cause I’ve been thinkin' about doing that all night."

You feel your breath hitch at his words, your pulse quickening once more. Your mind is still reeling from just a moment ago, and now his words are making you feel even more off balance. You lick your lips, trying to steady yourself, but all you can think about is the way his mouth had felt on your pussy, and how much you want to feel it again.

He must have sensed it, the way you're still stuck on cloud nine, because he chuckles softly, his fingers stroking your sides in a way that sends those familiar shivers up your spine. "So," He starts, his voice smooth, almost too casual. "You wanna get out of here?"

You blink dumbly. "And go where?" 

Wakasa’s grin turns playful, that glint in his eyes never leaving. "My place," He replies, his voice a low murmur. Then, with a slightly teasing raise of his brow, he adds, "If you want."

The suggestion hangs in the air between the two of you, the weight of it making your pulse race even faster. For a moment, you just stare at him, your heart thudding wildly in your chest. The idea of leaving the crowded club, of being alone with him, makes you feel a tidal wave of exhilaration.

And honestly with the way he's looking at you, the astounding sex preview he'd just given you, and the bliss in your system—it makes your decision all too easy. You nod, your lips curling into an excited little smile, and despite the few butterflies swirling in your stomach, you tell him, "I'd love to." 

[louthestarspeaker]

[ID: A collection of six images of Jurassic World: Chaos Theory promo material. The images are in the style of a magazine, with a cover and interviews from each of the Nublar Six, minus Brooklynn.

The cover has all of the Nublar Six lined up on the docks in Costa Rica, just after they made it back to the mainland. Yaz and Sammy are holding hands, Kenji has a hand on Brooklynn's shoulder. All the kids are smiling nicely, with the exception of Darius whose smile is kind of awkward and looks a little uncomfortable on camera. The title of the magazine, The Dino Times, is splashed across the top of the page. Just below it is the subtitle "Who are the Nublar Six?". Below the photo of the campers is text that reads, "Meet the miraculous survivors of the Jurassic World catastrophe in this exclusive, celebrating the anniversary of their return."

Each of the interviews has a picture of each of the Nublar Six as a young adult, their name printed large, and a little logo for The Dino Times in the corner. A transcript of the text of each interview reads as folllows:

Darius: Dino Nerd Turned Hero

Darius Bowman never would've expected a shy, nerdy kid from Oakland could become the leader of the Nublar survivors.

"Back at Camp Cretaceous I had to learn to trust myself and my friends to make it through. It was a terrifying experience, but what they were doing to those dinosaurs at that facility just wasn't right. Somebody had to do something."

Since his return, Bowman has traveled all over the country giving talks about dinosaur conservation, and has worked with the Department of Prehistoric Wildlife.

Ben: Brave Soul Against All Odds

Ben Pincus had perhaps the most dramatic metamorphosis as a result of his experiences at Nublar.

"I was terrified of pretty much everything," he said. "Germs. The dark. Non-organic snacks. And then all of a sudden we were up against actual dinosaurs."

Luckily, Pincus found an unlikely ally in a baby Ankylosaurus he named Bumpy.

"Bumpy is my best friend. She helped me face my fears and see how much I had to contribute to the group."

We'll have to see if the campus office can make an exception for Bumpy as Ben gets ready for college in the fall.

Sammy: Cattle Rancher, Dino Wrangler

Sammy Gutierrez lived with her parents on a Texas ranch before Camp Cretaceous. Ever the optimist she remarked, "At least I was already used to big animals before that whole fiasco! There;s really not much difference between a longhorn and a Triceratops if you think about it."

Back at home, Gutierrez maintained that positive attitude by staying busy.

"I have my own ranch, now. And my girlfriend, Yaz. And tons of pies to bake! We don't have time to keep worrying about all that running for our lives stuff!"

Yaz: A Track Star and Her Team

Yasmina Fadoula went from national track star to Nublar Six survivor in the span of months, and the aftermath hit her particularly hard.

"I wasn't used to feeling helpless. Before, I would just push through to the finish line no matter what. Nublar made me realize you can't win all your races alone."

She credits her relationship with fellow survivor Sammy Gutierrez as a major source of support.

"I've been going through a lot of anxiety since coming back, and Sammy's been there constantly. I want to show her I can be the strong person she sees in me."

Kenji: Cool Kid Finds New Family

Kenji Kon has declined to comment on his father's incarceration.

"All that matters is my new family. They're the ones who always had my back."

The Nublar Six have been instrumental in Kenji's return to normal life, from his relationship with Brooklynn, to his best friend Darius.

"All I wanna do is chill, you know? I've moved out somewhere peaceful. Started my climbing school. All is good in Casa de Kenji."

End Transcript. The page of Kenji's interview has a ragged edge, like the page next to it has been torn out. There is no interview for Brooklynn. End ID]

[stregoniconiconii]

I think a lot of people really don't get the Eddie Dustin dynamic. They think Dustin and Eddie are new best friends, that they are equal, which is not the case. Their dynamic is more mentor-student coded. Eddie said it himself he sees the people in his club as little sheep he saved, he never really was their friend. His world view also shaped Dustin's personality. This kid and his friends saved the world 3 times, they consider themselves heroes and yet by society standards they are seen as nerds and get bullied. Then there comes a dude who they think gets it, so they latch on. Even though he is not that different from popular kids who think they are better than the rest. His harmful opinions influence Dustin (I would argue even Mike) that they suddenly ditch their friend, are mean, failing school even though in Dustin's case he absolutely loves learning and so forth. Eddie brought out the worst of them which contributed to the tensions in s4 between Steve and Dustin (along with Dustin maybe being jealous of Robin tbh I haven't considered that way but it makes sense). You can't compare the Steve and Dustin dynamic with Eddie and Dustin because Steve never saw himself as something better than Dustin, he always treated him as someone equal which is why their bond will always be stronger than the bond Dustin has with Eddie. I really hope for s5 they somewhat touch on this. (Sorry for coming in your inbox like this)

Most people in this fandom don't get Eddie, full stop. They completely buy into the bullshit he spews about conformity and "the man", which isn't helped by the Duffers also leaning into it. Most egregious example being the supposed conclusion to Lucas' s4 arc. It's ridiculous precisely because Eddie does begin to learn that his assumptions/"doctrine" is wrong through his growing admiration for Steve and his bravery.

Eddie's relationship with his friends is absolutely not based on any kind of equality. He is looked to as a leader and not a particularly forgiving one at that. More like a tyrant. It's played for laughs but Mike and Dustin are genuinely anxious about how Eddie will react to not only Lucas not being available for DnD on one particular night, but him being unavailable because of a basketball game. Lucas didn't even want to talk to him himself, probably because Eddie has already shown himself to be unreasonable when it comes to DnD and basketball.

It's not purely Eddie's influence that leads Dustin to his meaner path, but he certainly doesn't help. Dustin has always been a know-it-all and cocky, he has a foul mouth, and he clearly has hard set ideas about other people that he finds very difficult to let go of. I think Eddie's main influence is in the us vs them attitude that Dustin adopts regarding the "popular" kids, but Dustin's overconfidence is definitely also because he has cheated death 3 years in a row. Nobody that was real to Dustin has died and he believes his plans are infallible... until Eddie dies following one of his plans. Yes, Eddie made the stupid decision to run into certain death for no real reason, but it is through Dustin that Eddie is connected to the larger plot. If he had just witnessed Chrissy's death and then hid, then he would have eventually been found by someone else and never directly involved with the Upside Down.

The thing I mentioned about jealousy over Steve and Robin's friendship, I think it's something that gets overlooked Way too much. Dustin was very invested in his idea that Steve and Robin are perfect for each other. We all know why they're not together, but Dustin doesn't. He just sees Steve being best friends with Robin instead of boyfriend and girlfriend like he had expected/predicted and that throws him off. 1. He was not right about something and 2. HE'S supposed to be Steve's best friend. He feels replaced. So, he tries to replace Steve. Not totally, because he can't, but Dustin Literally says to Steve "You're just jealous I have another older male friend". Dustin doesn't have subtlety. He's Trying to make Steve jealous and it is working!

Steve and Dustin's friendship was so fresh and unexpected. They're not supposed to be friends, but they are. Steve watches Star Wars with Dustin, Steve does Dustin's hair. They save each other's lives. Attempting to recreate that brotherhood with Eddie just...doesn't work. They haven't gone through what Steve and Dustin have gone through. Plus, you're right, Steve and Dustin are on a more equal level. There's elements of mentor-student with them, but most importantly they teach each other. Steve isn't leading Dustin down a road of enlightenment, he's just hanging out with his buddy. Eddie doesn't compare.

I have zero faith in s5, which I'm barely certain I'll even be watching. The Duffers lean too hard into fan service so they're going to recreate the Justice for Barb storyline but with Dustin and it's going to suck. The Duffers don't think it's a bad thing that Dustin snipes at Steve constantly or puts down his intelligence, because it's meant to be funny. Comic relief yay. The characters on this show are mean to each other, yes, but it's annoying to deal with when we see Steve apologise for going too far when he bites back at Dustin.

[absolutebl]

Hi!!! Your posts are always amazing and I have so many bookmarked because you create the best little collections. Anyway, I am in a big BL rut right now and I can't seem to get into anything. Any fast-paced, recs that can bring me out of my slump? Thanks so so much :)

Oooo, fast paced is pretty subjective lemme think...

Imma got with the narrative sense of the word pacing (rather than just an in-your-face fast-moving plot, although that too,) so: good tension, craft, and narrative. Here's my pulls - I went broad and into the well, in case you had seen some recent stuff.

10 Fast-Paced BLs to Pull You Out of a Slump

(I'm assuming you have seen KinnPorsche)

I did a quick pitch for each cause I'm drunk so maybe they're funny, all spelling errors are my own and the result of growing up in 3 different English speaking nations and 2 non-English ones.

Someone wanted more elevator pitches a while ago, here ya go!

Our Dating Sim - nerds in love, reunion, deadlines, gaming, teasing, pining tiny idiots, ADORABLE

2. Semantic Error - you cannot be a BL fan and not have watched this, the ultimate enemies to lovers, also the prettiest

3. To My Star - neurotic actor (actual puppy), grumpy chef, sparks, cooking lessons, LOVE!

4. We Best Love - defines fast paced in romance, literally when asked why his character fell in love so fast Yu said, "well I only had one 20 minute episode." Yet... we BELIEVED IT.

5. HIStory 2: Crossing the Line - it's a perfect sports romance, don't bother me with trifles

6. Not Me - also how do you say antidisestablishmentarianism in Thai? + hot boys kissing who probably shouldn't be and convoluted soap opera identical twins plot... someone at GMMTV thought it made sense, we just here for the tattoos and the the Pride scene

7. The Eighth Sense - who let Korea be this angsty? SO MUCH TENSION.

8. Unintentional Love Story - omg the plot, forced into a totally understandable betrayal, falling in love despite himself, put into a corner he can't get out of, the AGONY, the eyes EMOTING at us in PAIN

9. HIStory 3: Trapped - hot cop falls in love with hotter mafia boss he is chasing for MURDER (bonus weirdly domesticated switch-blade wielding hit-man obsessed with geeky police tech support - COME ON)

10. Long Time No See - assassins, cat fishing, either side of a turf war, HOT sex scenes then even hotter beating the shit out of each other and kissing while COVERED IN BLOOD (this came from KOREA?)

There.

All kinds of flavors.

One of them just HAS to work!

If not, you could go for shorts. Try Strongberry:

(source)

[wolf-among-mechs]

MW5: Clans

Having messed around with Mechwarrior 5 Clans for a bit I think I can throw out a pretty strong recommendation for it for anyone still uncertain. The TLDR: I enjoy it plenty, lore and gameplay. The cutscenes and characters are pretty good.

I apparently made a review of it because I felt like talking about it into the void. With largely positive things to say about it. Bunch of stuff I honestly want to hear other people's opinions on too.

It is quite back to the old days in Mechwarrior 4 with characters and opinions and how it flows with the fights. While I enjoyed MW5 Mercs, it is kindof lacking in that department though as the DLCs pile on you get a lot more of it or at least attempts that aren't halfbad. Good effort has gone into making the people sound right, with accents and affects. Like yes, the clanners talk as they're supposed to. When one of your team uses a contraction every clanner outside your star immediatly lose their shit. Not in the meme sense but it they might as well have said c*nt next to a bunch of americans in terms of foulness spoken out loud.

The story following the smoke jaguars during Operation Revival is interesting considering they commit the worst war crime during the invasion and also kindof continually fumble the ball against the Combine. Your star, five lone mechs against the inner sphere, are part of the proceedings and the different characters in the star interact, sometimes disagree or just give each other shit. Got a nice team atmosphere. It introduces stuff and concepts among the clans quite nicely so even if you're not familiar with them you'll pick up what they're on about.

I think it does a pretty nice job of showing things from the Clans perspective of Operation Revival and how they are completely unprepared for the Inner Sphere and continually frustrated with it and things just going increasingly awry. There's a few beats that I think could've been done better certainly but I think it's good drama and a fun time in that regard. I could go more into what I think of the depictions of the clans in the game but that's basically some nerding out about the larger battletech universe and stuff. After turtle bay I kinda had that feeling that I've had in the past when a game makes you a culprit of a war crime or something terrible. A special kind of disgust made all the more visceral as you see the people, the resistance, in Turtle bay reacting to the bombing. Then everything blowing up.

Another thing that I quite like of this depiction is that the inner sphere does put up some serious resistance. Stuff doesn't roll over. They put up some serious fights. More often than not this is called dishonourable because the inner sphere descends into trickery and lies even though aforementioned trickery and lies are often extremely basic ambushes or "send more mechs to the fight." It is funny to contrast with Mercs where this just is how the Inner sphere fights. That said the clanners do eventually learn that they will set traps and ambush and attempt to fight unfair. Very often sending tons of mechs and people into the meat grinder in so doing. Some of the fights do get pretty intense and hard. You also get to see Comstar be Comstar. Wearing their space wizard garbs and being a manipulative force that will never tell you the truth.

The maps while feeling a bit more lived in than most of what Mercs managed to do, are kindof cramped and not great half the time for the kindof long range shooting matches more than half your equipment is good for, not helped that even with the added control to your lance or star mates you still have to be the one to step into the breach. Luckily there's many things you can do to fit that problem. I kindof wish that the star command screen had a pause function so that you could assign targets or at least go into bullet time. Because by the time the enemies show up. They're usually ontop of you so that's not really time to get your map out and play mechcommander. The fact it doesn't pause or slow down so you can set attacks or even give things preferences such as "maybe don't waste all your ammo on the fricking Locust when it will fall over from a stiff breeze" is honestly kindof baffling. Especialy how exciting it otherwise looks and how much detailing you can do with the Star mates XP and omnipods for their mechs. Which is not quite like tabletop omnipod but makes more sense than those omnipods.

Because of the tight maps the AI will more often than not walk in front of you when you're trying to hose something down way more often than they did in mercs. And they will complain about it when you invariably remove all thier back armor by mistake. You get used to it.

The fights feel pretty good honestly. Good challenging combat maps. They got a lot more field repair bays around compared to MW5:mercs. Which... I think I only remember 2? And were introduced like they were going to be more common in the campaign. Which holy shit, you're going to need those repair bays. You get to visit some really varied battlefields, a Star League depot, a cave system, cities and country side. Lots of mountain passes. Deserts and even do battle on a space port.

There's boss battles now. With various levels of canonicity. I don't know if we needed those but I see the point of them. They are usually there to give some variety to shooting stuff after waves of mechs and vehicles and vtols. You can also shoot down shilones now. I'd say aerospace fighters but it's all shilones.

All in all. If you enjoy mechwarrior, if you enjoy battletech. Chances are Mechwarrior 5 clans will have you eating well.

[visiblenostalgia]

small decently sized download came through mentally about what I see going forward with Pluto now firmly going into Aquarius for good.

Concerning the entertainment industry, if Hollywood is not going to be the center of the entertainment hub anymore (with celeb culture having an slow but egregious ego death, and then there being all the rages from lawsuits to workers rights being violated), then there will come from it a de-centralization of things. What I see going forth is more access to different ways of creating media. Centralized hubs will always exist in each state in some way shape or form. There will be studios designated to film and media, heavily relied upon by their peers in their hometowns. "World Class" will become just a "Standard" for many o' folk to be inspired by but build off of so there can be a "State Class" or something akin to a "People's Class" level education in film due to how decentralized it will become.

On another note, remember how TV channels used to be all about at least five big channels? Hybrid cable (digital signal with an antenna of some kind) will be a big proprietor. Think after the news wraps up at ten o' clock at night and the adult cartoons come on to entertain the peeps that come back from work that don't wish to use any other service other than their cheapest and most affordable network. The funds from that episode going on air coming from ad revenue like usual. Filling the pockets of the local show creators in a direct way (all local talent and local work going into such a project like that). Streaming is still available, but it'll be up to the creator's choice unless they're ready.

Social Media is also one of those things that will be bound to decentralize. It's become too global. And with many people clashing due to different viewpoints that it gets straight up murderous/psychopathic - it doesn't matter what side, all sides aren't immune to being delulu af (get real) - the quiet reserved, honest ones will become the people to start something anew. Squeaky wheels will not get the grease because said wheels have become defunct and unusable. So to speak. Algorithms have started to prove themselves to be hardwired addicting to people. And yet the same people who have shown us that research are probably still on their phones.

Read up on Cal Newport's book Digital Minimalism if you're looking to use tech still, but don't want those crazy algorithms to reign over your life. Highly recommend.

Not to mention maybe a greater emphasis on personal websites like SpaceHey or even NeoCities will be greatly beneficial due to their individualistic design. NeoCities of course letting people create their own websites for free or if you want more to the website due to how much coding it takes, an easy fixed and affordable flat rate monthly.

Also on point with Aquarius. It's a deeply detached sign. Often methodical. If one is to win out through this transit, then fighting for a cause is great and all. Yet, one has to be stoic and realistic about its consequences. If the cost benefit outweighs the cost negative then obviously go for it. Just prepare for repercussions in case there is any. If it's a cost negative outweighing cost positive, leave that idea be. Don't even come back to it. Save it, but don't come back to it. It will appear when it must. Those won't know under this transit, but they'll be prepared without thinking about it much.

So it stands reason to say congrats to those that watch their thoughts and pay attention to what they think. Unless someone has only thought about what people say they should think, then it's a deeply disturbing transit for those that don't think for themselves. It's a time where one learns HOW to think, NOT WHAT to think.

Also if there's any nerds out there, y'all are about to shine. It's for geeks, radicals, ostracized, unconventional peeps, weirdos and the small guys. Yes. Even the crude ones. Remember that talk about honesty? If you're a bit sensitive to the elements, just make sure to steer clear of a lot of mature stuff. Cause with Aquarius being as open to thought as a sign, it can take mature stuff with ease. No rage, emotion or anything. If someone likes the weird stuff, hell yea man! Enjoy it. But gatekeeping it because of morality superiority is gonna leave one dead in the water.

Smollest but most straightforward download: Pluto in Aqua hates the status quo. Trying to keep it (no matter perspective) will only further exhaust you.

All in all, people gonna be peepin'. That's what's up for Pluto in Aqua and that's what I see coming forth.

[lunasgayshit]

🦉Positivity owl reporting for duty! This was sent by a friend who wants you to smile as much as your posts make them smile. Please list five things that make you unique, four things you are super passionate about and why, OR three of your favorite memories. Feel free to send the owl to those who you feel deserve to smile🦉

Oh wow um, first, thank you anon 💜😭😳

Five things that make me unique? Uh, not exactly unique, there are so many humans that any one thing is highly unlikely to be unique, but in combination they are :)

My egg was exceptionally hard to crack due to circumstances

I work in tech but my heart is in the arts and humanities, and having seen what capitalism did to my tech hobby, I will never make the same mistake with my art

I approach every person in my life with love in my heart, and treat them as such. Kindness, empathy, and patience are more important to me than I can say. We're all connected, we humans, and bringing love to every interaction is the best way I can think of to interact with others.

Due to the particulars of my autism (it's hard to focus on anything other than a conversation if I'm listening to that conversation, among other auditory processing issues), almost all of the music I like is nonlyrical. I have music for every mood, some of it the most beautiful things you've never heard, but none of it has a single word. I also always have something playing, whether it's music or a game I'm playing or something I'm watching.

I'm really good with mental arithmetic for numbers below a certain (ill-defined) size, especially things like Fibonacci numbers, square numbers, and addition/subtraction/multiplication (just like with a computer, everything but division is easy and fast). The numbers just come to me, a lot like Ramanujan said they come to him (except in my case they're not delivered by Hindu deities while I'm sleeping). I'll have the answer for a calculation before I even realize it and I won't know how I got the answer, but it'll be the right answer. It's weird, but it works!

As for things I'm super passionate about and why, this'll be interesting as I'm rather autistic so this is basically asking me to ramble about my special interests :) If anon knows anything about me they must know I'm autistic and they probably know at least a couple of these, so the list shouldn't be entirely surprising :) For all of these I could go on for longer than the post altogether so I'm going to try to be brief; know that there's so much more to say for each of these.

For as long as I can remember, language has been a special interest of mine. This manifests most specifically in words, meanings, etymologies, dialects, identifying languages from words / scripts / sounds. There's so much complexity and beauty in language, and it affects and influences every element of being human. I don't feel comfortable saying it's something that makes us human, particularly with recent research into cetaceans and other animals, but it is nevertheless an important part of being human.

I've been a Star Trek nerd similarly long. A lot of folks are Trek fans because they like the stories, the utopian vision of the future where most diseases have been cured and you can trans your gender in an afternoon with enough time left over for a fancy dinner, the egalitarian society, but for me it's deeper. Those things all matter, to be clear! They are important! But other things matter even more. For me it's about the radical love and acceptance people in the Federation show for one another. There's an implicit social contract of acceptance of differences and diversity, there's representation on screen and in universe of so much of the diversity of humanity. This is absolutely a result of the optimism, of living in a post-scarcity society, but it's also how I personally try to treat others.

Perhaps unsurprising is that I'm absolutely in love with science / mathematics, have been since I was a kid. Sure, there are certain fields I'm more interested in (physics, calculus, psychology, anthropology, linguistics as said above), but the broader subjects have always held my interest for as long as I can remember. If real life is a game, then science is the rules for how that game works. It's about the knowledge per se, for me (which is specifically why I say science / mathematics instead of an applied field like engineering)--all knowledge is worth having. But it's also about the learning, both students learning things and researchers discovering things. Learning things is cool! I genuinely hope we never learn everything about the universe, about ourselves. An existence where science / mathematics is genuinely, truly "done" would not be nearly as fulfilling.

Just as important is my appreciation and love of arts and the humanities more broadly. Like with language above, I'm not going to say that our pursuit of these subjects makes us human. However, like the sciences, these subjects do certainly make being human more rewarding and worthwhile. Again, like with the sciences, there is so much beauty in this world, so much nuance and subtlety that the arts and humanities help us understand. I genuinely see the sciences and the humanities as closely related in this way, in what draws me to them: much of what I said above about the sciences applies to here as well. It's all about learning and beauty, learning about the universe and ourselves and seeing the beauty and love that existence shows us every moment of every day. It's not coincidental that I get a bit poetic about this! Again, like with the sciences, there are certain kinds of art and subjects in the humanities that draw my attention more, but I do have a general appreciation for all of it.

I hope you can forgive me, anon, for taking so long to respond to this ask. I have taken your questions seriously and, in tandem with good old ADHD (and distraction from the many cuties on here), it's taken some time to arrange my thoughts.

[stormyoceans]

personal taste is so crazy because the way i cannot for the life of me understand where y'all guys see pondphuwin's chemistry (pond just doesn't do it for me as an actor tbh he's so stiff in literally all the roles i've seen him play, for me it's like he's playing the same character over and over again) but i'm in love with greatinn old-friend's type of chemistry and the way the seem so comfortable around each other and the way they're selling the pining and longing and will they won't they vibe... all this to say i love how different people's views of the same things can be lol

it really is so fascinating to see how people can perceive things in different ways and have different taste!!!!! that's one of the most fun things about fandom to me actually, just going through everyone's thoughts and opinions and see how a character, or a pairing, or a scene can be experienced and interpreted in so many ways, and none of them are wrong!!!!! because we're all our own individuals with our own likes and dislikes that are true for us!!!!!!! (the problem is when people aren't nice about others' tastes, but that's a whole other point)

but yeah, it's so interesting because to me pondphuwin have a very natural and powerful chemistry, every time i watch them i can actually believe their characters are in love even just by the way they look at each other and are aware of the other's physical presence. and while i personally don't think pond is a bad actor, i do agree that he gets stuck way too much in very similar kind of roles, which is why i would LOVE to see him and phuwin swapping their usual character types!!!!!! LET POND BE THE LOUD NERD AND PHUWIN THE CHARMING POPULAR GUY!!!!!!!! (BUT ALSO PLEASE GET THEM OUT OF SCHOOL PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!)

im also wondering if familiarity plays a part in the way we perceive a pairing, because the 'old friends who are fully comfortable with each other' kind of chemistry you mentioned for greatinn is actually what i love about forcebook. and i did like forcebook right away, but for example i wasn't the biggest fan of joongdunk at the beginning, however getting to know them even outside their roles helped me a lot in appreciating them and the kind of playful chemistry they have, to the point that now they are the ones im most excited about to see in the heart killers, so maybe there are some pairs that just. grow on us with time and maybe greatinn is gonna be one of those for me!!!!!!

[andorstar]

Can

I

Yap

About

Tiso's

Siblings

?

(Why am I asking, this is my fcking blog, I can speak about anything I want)

Let's go from eldest to youngest (like almost always)

Tara

As you have seen, Tara is the one who is in charge of the family

She has some... fears (and I mean that she's the one who gets scared the most.)

Fear of high places, fear of getting lost, fear of getting into fights (she avoids violence), fear of loosing her siblings, etc, etc

If she's left alone and her siblings don't come back in less than 1 hour she'll probably have a panic attack, in special if her siblings didn't tell her where did they went

She's a bit overprotective and TOO caring, sometimes treating the sibs like childs (when they're already grown-up ants.)

She listens and understands. She's not someone who gets into arguments, she just looks for the right way to solve things.

Tara also likes when (most) of the family is together, it brings peace to her, seeing her siblings (the only thing she has left) alive and safe, next to her.

In case that anyone gets hurt she'll try helping without hesitation, that's her work and everyone deserves to be helped.

The twins (Tein and Tain)

Stubborn and violent. These little boys run into the battle and yell into the face of death.

They can ARGUE as they fight enemies, cause it's a daily routine starting to bother each other for x or y reason

If someone who is fighting them and they stop the fight so they can finish the argument... when the enemy tries interrupting they'll just beat the shit out of it

They both are trying to convince Tare and Trix to become warriors like them, even if they're not interested into battles and have their own aspirations

The skulls (?) They wear on their heads is like a claim of 'victory and glory' after killing their first enemies

Tain likes teasing Tein with his secret crush, and Tein just tells him to stfu and that he won't get any bitches (And Tain doesn't want bitches anyways cause Aro/Ace characters are supreme)

Now... Tase

Beautiful, kind, but able to kill you

She won't hesitate, NOT EVEN A BIT, to kill anyone who hurts her siblings. Even more if you hurt the younger ones

She meet Katane on a travel, Katane was just flying around and Tase totally fell for her. They both have a lovely relationship, even if Tase had to leave her alone when her and her siblings went to Hallownest in search of Tiso

She's really humble with her friends and family, and will do ANYTHING for them

No one understands why she chose that thing 9f all the weapons, but she knows how to handle it, and it works for her

Tote

Tote... Tote, Tote, Tote, Tote....

Said by himself, he's a jerk, yes. But not only a jerk, he's a SMART jerk. And he's right about that.

He controls everything around, searches for the fragile point of the enemy, chooses the bomb that he'll use, picks different things from his surroundings to make new munitions

He doesn't do something because yes.

He thinks everything he's gonna do.

That doesn't change the fact that he likes teasing his siblings, and he admits it, but he also knows that he would never say anything mean towards his siblings (at least not talking serious.)

He makes bombs from anything he can get. And I mean from ANYTHING.

He's the second leader of the family, with Tara being the first one

Tori

Tori is the nerd of the family, but he's also the one with the best strategies

Trapped in x place? He'll find a way to get out

Surrounded by enemies? Let him make the strategy

Need to get x information? Leave it to him

He's not a fighter, but he's ok with that, because he likes helping by using his brain, not his strength.

He can also run pretty fast. Like, imagine him being chased by tons of infected bugs and he's taking notes of them or already thinking how to save himself from that situation.

He's also pretty talkative, and speaks about lots of different things, but mostly: bugs. He loves learning about other types of ants, or any kind of bugs, he's always looking to learn something new, and Hallownest was the right place for that.

Teal

Teal is the voice of reason. He doesn't like arguing or fighting, but he will if it is needed.

He can even sacrifice himself for his family (he already lose an arm and a eye trying to protect them)

He's pretty chill and loves spoiling the younger siblings, but he also knows how to put limits.

His missing arm was never a problem to him, he can use his sword perfectly and he didn't lose his battle style

When you meet him, he's kind and even funny, but gaining his trust is difficult.

He just wants to protect the ones he loves.

He also appreciates the beauty of the places he visits, his favorite place from Hallownest would be the City of Tears.

Tare

Tare is the cartographer and artist, they have a really good memory and they're amazing at drawing

They are really shy and will get nervous if they need to talk to someone

Unlike the other siblings, they're not so talkative. They rather stay back, drawing in silence, focused on what they're doing (and will only stop if their siblings call them)

They tend to be distracted when they're in a new place, which makes them an easy target.

Fortunately, they always have a sibling covering their back.

They're pretty sweet, and when you gain their trust they're a sweetheart.

Trix

Mistaken for the youngest one (the youngest is actually Tiso) the ray of sunshine

She loves humming, dancing, traveling, playing, making her siblings laugh

Anything that can bring joy

She CAN fight, but barely does it. She's more into other things, and training tends to be boring

She's always cheering up everyone and she's also really positive, seeing her sad is something pretty strange.

She can also try mimicking her siblings just for fun

She's very affective and loves hugs. Like, a lot.

Trix is also very curious and loves asking things, even if she can't understand some explanations, but that's alright for her

Not you might think that I'll talk about Tiso

And you're fcking right, I'll talk about Tiso

The youngest of the family and the most stubborn one

Pretty attached to Tara, also to the rest, but mostly to Tara

She always took care of him, his injuries, she listened to his thoughts, to his aspirations, she supported him with everything

The day he left... when he was far away from his siblings...

He cried. He cried because he wanted to see them again, but he knew that he couldn't do that until he reached his goals.

He never forgot about ANYTHING that his siblings taught him.

How to deal with injuries, how to know when your enemy is weak, look for fragile points, identify poisonous or safe things.

He had all of that on his mind during his journey

He still misses them a lot, but he never talks about it (and if someone ask hims he'll probably avoid the question)

And that's all I have to say right now because iam sleepy and bqjsbaksbkq

Also, the Ao3 account is coming and I still don't have a tag for Tiso's siblings

HEEEELP

[kira-quartz]

For the ask game: Carryshipping (you can do the individual pairings involved if u want), thiefshipping, irateshipping :>

Blarhgsjkhgkas sorry for the wait 😓 (And sorry the Carryshipping section is such a mess, 😂)

SEND ME A PAIRING

Carryshipping

I don’t know them enough | wtf | why | just NO | tolerable | they’re okay | cute | awww | babies | hot | I will go down with this ship | and I won't *mumble mumble* and surrender~ | there will be no white flag above my *shrugs* | they're in love, and *gives up and googles the lyrics* | OT3

Okay, so I didn't forget about your other ask; I've been trying to will myself into a state of feralness (turns out I can't do it on cue, 😅!), so I might as well do it here:

AAAAAAAA

MY GLORIOUS CANOE-TYPE THING

LOVE THESE CORNFLAKES

THEY ARE THE CUTE

THEY ARE A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF MY BRAIN

hfvlΩß˙b,jfuzgakuwfhzlgbakug;aoeyoliahliuhougkujdrstewtkuvcfsfm

Like, think about it. Puff, Buddy and Protect are all adorable ships on their own. You have the sweet, polite little nerd who loves all things creepy and the former gang member with a heart of gold who's terrified of the occult and also happens to be a nerd. You have the two lovable idiots who've been best friends for years, who know each other like they know themselves. You have the tough-looking guy who's actually a massive softie and the gentle, fragile-looking cornflake with all this hidden inner strength. So you put all three of them together and there's this whole sun, moon and Earth dynamic where their personalities complement each other in different ways and it just works!!!

Joey and Tristan would always be there for Ryo and remind him as many times as they need to that they want to be there for him - no more disappearing into the Isolation Pit for him if they can help it. I think he'd bring out their softer sides; partly because he's so heckin' adorable, but also because he wouldn't judge them for showing vulnerability.. In the past, they've both had problems with toxic masculinity and felt pressured to act tough, and while they've both come a long way by the time I usually imagine the Carryship setting sail, they probably still have some lingering Stuff. But Ryo's just... himself. I don't think he cares about whether or not he measures up to some made-up standard, and he wouldn't care if other people do either. I see him as a good, sympathetic listener - if anything's bothering them, they can talk to him about it, but he won't push them to talk if they're not ready. (You know how he spent most of the Téa vs. Mai Duel comforting Yugi? Yeah.) Based on some of his dialogue from his Duel Links event (and not just with Joey), I HC that he's really generous with compliments too. If he has something nice to say, he just says it, so there's this kind of funny, kind of interesting contrast between how sincerely he expresses his feelings for Joey and Tristan and how sweet they are to him, and how those two act towards each other: i.e. not too differently to how they did before they got together. They might be a bit more openly affectionate (mainly physically), but they're still Joey and Tristan, and they'll still bicker almost as much as always, 😂!

In between the bickering, Joey would be *vocal* about how much he loves them, and often cheesy as heck (Ryo finds it cute; Tristan "secretly" does too but covers it with a sprinkling of snark. Joey is not fooled in the slightest. Tristan doesn't really mean for him to be.) He's quick to cheer them up or offer encouragement when they're having a bad time, and I can see him encouraging Tristan to stand up to his dad about the factory situation and pursue his own dreams - they deserve to be happy and he'll fight anyone who says otherwise (not necessarily physically because he's matured since canon, but still!) He and Ryo would be so cute nerding out over games together, 🥰. He gets to enthusiastic about things (he threw himself right into that first Monster World session) and that would mean a lot to Ryo. (Tristan's willing to join in, but he's not as passionate about it as they are.) With his interest in model-building, I think he'd appreciate the work Ryo puts into his dioramas too. And they can both be Odd Cornflakes at times - Ryo might be the Weird One of the three, but Joey did call the original Duel Disk a "cup ramen thing", 🤣. I bet they'd occasionally wake Tristan up talking about whatever completely random thought popped into one of their heads at 2am, 😂.

Tristan will keep them grounded and be the voice of reason as usual... unless he's getting swept up in whatever Joey's doing, because let's face it, with these three, there *will* be moments when no one has the brain cell and it's just skittering around unattended. (Do brain cells skitter? Serious questions asked on my bloggo.) He's sometimes a bit confused by Ryo, but that doesn't bother him. He's accepted that there are some things he just won't get, so he's just going to concentrate on doing what he does best: loving and supporting Ryo unconditionally, as well as keeping a close eye on any occult stuff that's going on - *no one* needs to get possessed again. (Joey will watch from a safe distance, (read: "over Tristan's shoulder like when he found out that Shadi was a ghost", 😂), but no matter how terrified he is, he'll still be ready to take action if things start to go wrong.) If anything's wrong with either of them (and he always notices), he'll go out of his way to help, even if all he can do is listen, which happens more often than he'd like, especially with Ryo. It's not always easy, though, so they make sure to let him know they appreciate him, and be there for him when he needs it.

Overall: 200/10, can't believe no one named it before I did.

Thiefshipping

I don’t know them enough | wtf | why | just NO | tolerable | they’re okay | cute | awww | babies | hot | I will go down with this ship | OTP

It's been a while since I've really thought about them, but this is probably my favourite ship for both of them, mostly because of the fandom's portrayals. None of these options really fit them for me, though? 😅 They're an entertaining mess. A pair of heckin disasters. XD

Irateshipping

I don’t know them enough | wtf | why | just NO | tolerable | they’re okay | cute | awww | babies | hot | I will go down with this ship | OTP |

Well, I haven't seen much art for it, but I like the idea of it! It'd be interesting to see how it happens, with the whole brainwashing thing and Joey's tendency to hold grudges. They'd definitely have to address that, 😅. (Oh, and about your reply to my ask: what exactly is a hamster-like death? 😂)

Thanks for asking!

[agentravensong]

two scenes i would add to nerdy prudes must die

the thing about being autistic is that i will have no motivation to sit down and write stuff for my grad school applications all day, but then at night i'll find it in me to spend 3+ hours writing a tumblr post about my latest hyperfixation ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

this time that hyperfixation is nerdy prudes must die, a show that, despite still not being my favorite starkid hatchetfield musical, has really dug its claws into me. i'm gonna detail two scenes that i think would add to certain character arcs, give ritchie (and ruth)'s death(s) more impact, and really drive home the show's themes. don't think i need much more preamble than that, so, here we go!

1. Second Lauter family scene

A scene set between Ritchie's death and Ruth's, fitting best in the plot as is right after "Hatchet Town".

Primary purpose: Show more of Steph's character and her relationship with her father; show that the attitudes that made the teens' high school experience hell (pre-ghost!max) are reinforced by the adults

Basic outline: Steph and her dad are having a convo, prompted by the mayor, about how school is going; a kind of convo that, with how awkward it is, clearly doesn't happen often. Lauter says something half-hearted about how it's a shame her high school experience is being ruined by these events, because it was the happiest time of his life (as a contrast to the opinions our protags express in the opening number).

Steph doesn't want to talk about the murder stuff (duh) so she redirects to how her grades have genuinely improved (or at least did for a minute there) thanks to her studying with Pete, in a way that makes it clear she's genuinely proud of her improvement.

Mayor Lauter, in response, tells her that he doesn't want her hanging out with the nerds anymore, in or out of school, because it makes her a target (and also a suspect).

Steph gets upset at this dismissal; what kind of dad, she scoffs, would tell their daughter who was finally succeeding academically to stop trying? Especially when he was the one who told her to get her grades up?

And Mayor Lauter says something to the effect of, "You don't need to be a star student. I know you, Stephanie; that's never going to be you. All you need to be is good enough. Can you just do that for me?"

We have the mayor leave at this point; let's say he gets a phone call, cause that makes sense, and also is a deeply ironic reason for him to leave a family conversation considering his criticism of Steph's phone use. Steph could even point that out as a joke.

Here is where, if we have time, we give Steph a solo number. Well, it could be a solo, or it could be a duet with her dad — the kind where they're not singing to each other or aware that the other is singing, but they're basically singing their different perspectives on the same thing (in this case, their relationship). I propose the duet version because Corey deserves to get to show off his vocals more prominently in these shows.

Alternate ending if we're not doing the song: Steph can storm out, and the mayor can have an ominous line foreshadowing the drastic measures he'll be taking when we see him again.

The idea with this scene is that I want to give more weight to the whole "she's smarter than she thinks she is" angle to Steph's character. Show that she has found something through her bond with the nerds (Pete mainly) that makes her want to be more than just the "cool girl". And show that there is a part of her that wants a better relationship with her father (because if he won't believe in her, be proud of her, then who will?).

But also, we see how her dad has pigeonholed her into being that kind of airhead. All he cares about is that she stays out of trouble (which is to say, anything that would cause trouble for him). He doesn't care what she's genuinely interested in, what she aspires to; he's spent most of her teenage-hood assuming she's not interested in anything worthwhile, that she doesn't aspire to anything. He doesn't see her as a full person.

And, perhaps most importantly, him telling her not to associate with the nerds draws a direct line between him and our main antagonist, Max. Which matters for reasons that will become clearer as I discuss the second additional scene I came up with.

For the record, if I only got to add one of these scenes (NPMD is the longest of the Hatchetfield shows already, and both these scenes would have to be Act 2 additions), I'd pick this next one. So let's get to it.

2. High School Regression scene

Primary purpose: Showing how the murder(s) has/have affected the student body, and making the point that the hierarchies Max represented can't be disposed of that easily when he's still, literally and metaphorically, haunting the place.

This one would happen in between when the protags find out about Ritchie's death and when Grace informs Pete and Steph of Ruth's death. Practically, this means it would have to be set either:

A) right before Ruth goes to the BBQ Monologues rehearsal, with the scene centering around her, and leading directly into her arrival there (maybe replacing the cop convo entirely? maybe they're at the end of it)

or B) as basically a replacement for the Beanie's scene, but still leading into "If I Loved You" (and everything that comes after)

The beat-by-beat for this one is less solid in my head compared to the first scene, but the idea is that we see some of the cheerleaders and jocks going back to bullying Ruth in version A or Pete in version B (though in a less confident and malicious manner than Max did, as if their hearts aren't fully in it). Ruth or Pete gives some pushback and asks what changed to make them revert to this behavior.

I'm not sure how exactly the bullies express the "why", but in plain-speak, it's this: the students know about Ritchie (and Ruth)'s murder(s), and, maybe more importantly, the "nerdy prudes must die" that was written in Richie's blood. The message they've taken from that is that there is a killer reinforcing the social hierarchies they all abandoned when Max died. And so, with that latent threat hanging in the air, these students have decided to fall in line, in the hopes that they'll therefore be spared. Maybe, even, the murders will stop.

(you could also have one or two kids who are genuinely almost as cruel as max and are using this as an excuse to going back to being the assholes they were before, but you'd need more proper set-up for such a character i think)

Version A is pretty straightforward. I like the idea of Pete and/or Steph being there as well so it isn't just Ruth experiencing the misery (considering where things go from here)... but I know that they need to be dressed as different characters for when Ruth gets to the auditorium, so that probably isn't practical. Maybe there'd be time for Mariah to have made that quick change if Joey really stretched out his bit? But I know the change was tight even for Angela as is.

For version B, you could have the bullies find Steph and Pete at or on their way to Beanie's and be assholes to them there (because it makes sense to me that Steph and Pete would want to have their potentially incriminating conversation off high school grounds), but I think it has more thematic punch to set it in the high school.

Wherever it's set, in version B, Steph and Pete talk a bit about how the bullies' regression sucks, how things are even worse now than they were before Max died, which then leads into their conversation as it is in the actual show over whose fault this all is.

With Pete specifically, I think it'd be neat to call back to what he said to Steph way back in the show about his desire to blend in, to be invisible. That maybe, for a little bit, he liked being accepted, being important (to one person in particular), but it wasn't worth it. And with Steph, if we do have the second dad convo in this version of the show, we can maybe have her comment on how even her dad seems to believe in this bullshit social hierarchy, how they might never escape it.

I mentioned in my post detailing my initial nerdy prudes thoughts that I wished Pete and Steph had a convo that felt like Paul and Emma's convo right before "Join Us and Die". Basically, this is my attempt to give these teens that, without adding an entirely new scene just for that.

As a whole, this scene is my best attempt to Make Something of the themes and plot threads that are so well set up but get kind of lost in the last... third? of the show. Plenty of people have rightly posted that the adults are the real villains of this story. Max isn't scary just because he's one guy; he's representative of larger ideas, a larger system, perpetuated by those adults. Hierarchy, competition, and domination, treated as the natural, necessary state of the world. A system that reduces the personhood of all those ensnared in it.

Those ideas won't just disappear with his death. Max might have peaked in high school even if he lived because of the specific brand of boisterous asshole he was, but the world that instilled those ideas in him, the world beyond high school, will keep fostering and enforcing them, in its more mundane, subtle (comparatively) ways. It will keep producing more Maxs, and more Solomon Lauters.

Like, the whole "fuck clivesdale" bit is a running joke, and a funny one! But, also, I think there's something to be said about the fact that both the teens and adults are all in on this seemingly one-way rivalry, and how much focus is placed on it, in a show about *bullying*. A show about people who have arbitrary labels slapped on them as an excuse to be cruel to them.

"you're fucking losers, and we'll kill you!" isn't that far off as a sentiment from "nerdy prudes must die", is it?

and, like. their team name is the clivesdale chemists. chemists, like, nerds. it's supposed to be part of the joke, i'm pretty sure, that they're named after something nerdy, not a cool animal. if that parallel isn't intentional, then, i dunno man. it's still there either way.

(see also: the musical motif underneath the "who will pray for me" section of nerdy prudes must die also appearing as the chorus of "hatchet town". a motif that plays both when max asks ritchie who will remember him (who will remember *them*), right before enacting his ultimate "justice", and when the adults twist their memories into an excuse for a witch hunt, their own paranoid search for "justice".)

In real life, getting rid of the one asshole at the top of a rotten system doesn't fix the system. If the non-nerdy teens in this school were impressionable enough that one asshole could make them all act in line with his arbitrary beliefs, then his haunting presence (even if they don't know it's literally his ghost) should absolutely have *some* effect on them too.

And I think if you included a scene like this, it would make all that stuff in the script that's subtext, or half-developed, feel like it really was intentional, purposeful.

Does that all make sense? I hope so.

I know that actually trying to fit both of these into the show would require cutting some other stuff down for time, and it would complicate scene transitions and maybe fuck with the overall pacing. Really, this is more a thought experiment than anything else. I'm just glad to have it out of my head after it's been brewing there for multiple days, There's other stuff I'd change if I were to do a full edit of the script, sure, but these are the big things that really would've made the show click for me on the level tgwdlm does.

[sapphire-weapon]

I think people tend to ignore Leon fucking up (like with Shen May), because they have the mindset of "oh no, that's my favourite character! So he can't do anything wrong or have any flaws!" It's such a limiting way to think. I mean, I really like Leon too, but I'll openly say that he often gives me the fucking ick, lmao. The Shen May scene had me recoiling. Man's a stereotype of "that creepy guy at the bar" and he exudes that a LOT. I'm glad he was turned down. Even the characters we love need to be humbled when they're full of shit, because it's realistic and interesting. It's okay to think outside of the caveman "he good! no bad!"

Also, tacking on, because despite it being a different topic, I may as well stick to a singular ask. Jilleon is such a weird concept to me, lmao. I think for the most part it's treated pretty lightheartedly, but I'm confused because I couldn't really identify where it came from, other than that they're both attractive. I love Jill, but I don't see her reciprocating any attraction. Like, remotely. They get along fine, but I can't even see a close friendship. Maybe I'm biased though, cause I love her and as much as I enjoy Leon, dear god above he doesn't need another love interest. Also Capcom please just grow your balls and properly address Valenfield. We all know they're either a couple or have been pining for several decades.

I'm not gonna lie, if OG Leon asked me out, I'd have told him I had a boyfriend, too. Or maybe just even told him I wasn't interested in men all together. His approach is so... old-fashioned in a bad way. It's evidence that his development was arrested in 1998; he hasn't matured past that point, so he thinks that it's still a thing to just go up to a cute girl and ask for her number right after getting her name.

So like. I'm not surprised that it's pretty much exclusively early 20s and younger ppl who don't think he's trying to ask her on an actual date, because no one does that shit anymore. That was already out of fashion by the time I was in high school, even, and I entered high school in 2003.

But for any tiny childrens who are reading this: yes this is literally how relationships would start in the 80s and 90s. Out of nowhere and on a whim between complete strangers and just hoping it works.

Re: jilleon

Prior to Death Island, I would have agreed with you. 100% I didn't understand what the basis for it was, and I didn't think she'd be interested in him at all.

Then I watched Death Island. And I'm 85% sure that they've already slept together LMAO Chris dropped the ball between RE5 and DI, and Leon just kind of slid in there and took his shot and actually seems to have made it???

If I'm not mistaken, Jill is the only person other than Remake Ashley in the entire series who actually laughs at Leon's jokes. And she actually gets him to laugh out loud in return -- which is almost unheard of for him.

They just seem very comfortable around each other in general. Jill seems more at ease in his presence than she's been in Chris's since... Lost in Nightmares? And Leon is definitely more comfortable being with her than he is being with Ada or Claire. Like, Jill seems as comfy as a presence for Leon as Chris and Ashley are.

I just really like their dynamic in general. I don't think of them as romantic, but I see them as very, very good friends who just fuck every once in a while.

Like, Chris is still Leon's best friend, but their relationship is a lot more intense. But Jill is the person that Leon first thinks to call when he needs to nerd out about movies or to just bullshit in general. And then every so often, a text message conversation happens like:

"Gonna be in DC for a weekend for BSAA shit. Pick me up from the airport?"

"Sure. What hotel?"

"Staying with a friend actually idk if you know him. Leon Kennedy? In the DSO. Brown hair, blue eyes, giant cock?"

"Never heard of him. Sounds like he's in for a fun weekend though."