#this is honestly such a common thing in media when the MC can play an instrument

[storyteller-ish]

begging the Never Let Me Go team to stop showing neung's hands while he's playing the piano if they aren't gonna have the music play remotely in sync sjbfdj

[legacyshenanigans]

Just a piece of advice.

Write and create what makes you happy!

Rant ahead

I honestly feel like SO many writers carry on creating content for characters and fandoms that they're no longer interested in, purely because they can't BEAR the thought of losing their clout and followers if they stop. And it ends up running them into the ground and affecting them mentally to carry on doing it, JUST for the sake of other people and their own social media clout/validation.

For example, I still do posts using the HL characters, mainly silly little things that come to me that I can do using them, because I still do actively play HL, I still LIKE it, and them as characters. But when it comes to certain content creating, it's nowhere NEAR as much as it used to be, I don't really do nsfw content or larger fics on them and MC anymore off my own back, because thats no longer where my brain or time wants to focus 🤷🏻‍♀️ So I stopped..And focus more on Marvolo and Rowan because THATS what makes ME happy here on MY blog.

Could I have carried on giving the majority of my following what they wanted? Which was mainly nsfw fics and audios of the HL characters? Sure. But would I have enjoyed it? FUCK NO.

Did my following and "clout" mean more to me than my own happiness and peace of mind? FUCK NO.

Did I lose a bunch of followers when I stepped back from doing nsfw character/MC content on those characters? YES, of course I did, because that's what happens, that's normal when you fandom/content hop from one thing to another, you WILL lose people because you are no longer giving into what THEY WANT from you. It is what it is.

I only ever write and create for ME and what I WANT, and what makes ME happy. The fact I still have a little group of folk that enjoy it is a blessing and a bonus 💚🤍

The only time losing folk stings is like what I've said before, when you thought you'd built a friendship with them. Other than that, I couldn't give two fucks if people leave because our interests are no longer common ground.

You do not LIVE to SERVE what everyone else fuckin WANTS from you. If they don't like that, let them leave, let them fuck you off, let them be fuckin mad and COPE that you no longer do the content they want you to do.

~

[elendsessor]

SPOILERS FOR BOTH PERSONA 3 FES AND RELOAD’S EPISODE AIGIS AHEAD!

(don’t expect much persona stuff on this blog either i just found this interesting)

disclaimer: if you like episode aigis, more power to you. this isn’t meant to be an attack, rather a critique!!!

because a lot of discussion regarding episode aigis kept creeping into my recommended, i was genuinely curious about some cutscene changes and yeah reload absolutely fumbled the shadow mc’s death… but not in the way i think some discussions see it.

the common consensus with how it was handled is both tried to go for two different tones, which is true. however, the original scene is seen as strictly the horror of death, which is where i don’t think people understand what made it work.

that scene wasn’t only that. it was meant to represent the beauty in the macabre.

the original persona 3 played with visuals more than reload and that’s just a fact. compare the color choices, the openings, all of that. in terms of modernsona, it’s the most visually distinct game as a result, which serves as a much more interesting way to explore emotions. that scene serves as a testament to such.

disregarding the gorier elements of the original scene, how the visuals of letters peeling off the shadow mc’s skin just matched how uncanny it all is, the sudden use of 3d animation, and finally the burst of blue butterflies adds impact as it sort of shifts emotions.

notice how that’s the last thing that happens as the shadow mc fades away. there’s no struggle, blood, immediate reactions, any of that. it’s a quiet death.

and that’s why the answer’s worked. the skin peeling represents the mortality, fragility, and in some ways decay, yet the butterflies bursting gives life and peacefulness. you can find the chaoticness horrific, edgy, grim, saddening, any number of feelings.

there’s no right way to interpret the scene—it’s meant to be an emotional rollercoaster—but to say that there can’t be more than one takeaway aside from horror is objectively wrong.

however, with episode aigis, there is only one real way to interpret it. this isn’t just because all the shadow protag does is fade away, but the inclusion of character reactions actively hurts it because it tells you how to feel. you’re meant to be as distraught and sad as sees. aigis may be the most expressive, but you’re meant to be aigis, not the player, so the ultimate interpretation is it’s sad (and beautiful if you find it beautiful). there is no room for debate because there’s the fucking answer right there. death is sad and nothing more when in reality it isn’t.

it’s okay to add the reactions but not in the moment. afterwards leaves a better impact because by letting the death play for itself, the player’s feelings come first, not aigis’s.

in that sense i suppose, yes, both games were trying to achieve different results. however, those results are either up to the player’s interpretation or what the writers wanted, which the latter is terrible storytelling.

something a few writing teachers have said, at least in my experience, is once your story gets out there, it’s up to the reader to decide how they see it, not just the characters. if the author is telling the reader how they’re supposed to feel, in some ways it’s talking down to them. disregarding their feelings. leaving no room for experiences.

that’s the danger of the tell don’t show rule, which is why it has to be used sparingly or avoided if at all possible. if it’s used incorrectly, then it can result in media illiteracy and be an overall insult to the reader.

episode aigis is anti-reader as a result, making it genuinely awfully written. plus, that scene is honestly the best thing in the answer, so they fucked up the best part, making it actually worse in comparison.

i’m not here to call the answer a masterpiece or anything because it isn’t good. not horrendous, but it’s definitely the weakest storyline tied to p3, which is a shame because, despite all the issues 3 has, the story was the best thing about it.

reload did sanitize a bunch of aspects for a more wide appeal but it ultimately harmed the original message and interpretations. it genuinely hurts to see.

[raeygina-george]

Whole ask game for winry and alluka :3

I already did some asks for winry so i'm just gonna do alluka & if i have a good answer for winry i'll answer it twice

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

big fan of nanika's power system. me when all she's ever wanted was to be loved and she's blamed for everyone else's own greed!!! i am also a big fan of how alluka is like. locked up. i know that sounds really bad but im a big fan of like. 'princess locked in a tower' type stories.... she's also just really sweet

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

TRANSGENDERS!!!!!!!!!

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

Idk I wish she got more screen time I guess? Bc as it is she was just kind of like. A convenient way to fix the mc's mess & a good segway into the next arc. Which isn't bad by any means I just like her a lot so I think it would be cool if she showed up more

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

I would put her in a lighthearted magical girl anime because I think she would have a blast and she deserves it

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

i/me/myself by will wood

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

hmmmmmmm............ i am also loved by everyone who sees me (words of a delusional man)

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

i love it when people give her fun outfits and a good relationship with kalluto. big sister alluka living her best life post-zoldyck torture is everything to me

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

not a big fan of when ppl use alluka as just like. a way to get killua and gon together if u know what i mean? like make her just be obsessed with killua's love life. i can see the train of thinking there but idk i mean i don't think most people are like super obsessed with their siblings love lives? and she's got more to her character than playing matchmaker

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

probably, but i don't think either of us are going to do the dishes...

10. Could you be best friends with this character?

yes! or at least i think so

11. Would you date this character?

no she is 11

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

she'd probably be really good at a bunch of random things. like she can't fight but she has a wide array of mostly useless skills that she taught herself to stay entertained

13. What's an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot?

she's very ^-^ and <3 and :D

14. Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character.

lolita! specifically like sweet lolita

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

don't have one lol. for winry,,, i mean edry is pretty good

16. What's your least favorite ship for this character?

pretty much all of them???? there r some im neutral on but in general im not a big fan of shipping her w anyone

17. What's a ship for this character you don't hate but it's not your favorite that you're fine with?

i don't spend that much time thinking about shipping 😭

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

i admire her relationships with killua and nanika because. yeah. for winry i like her relationship with alphonse!

19. How about a relationship they have in canon that you don't like?

i can't really think of a specific one? alluka doesn't get much screen time & i think most relationships have interesting dynamics and are good in their own ways

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

gon AND nanika AND killua and honestly kind of leorio. i see her as having like. a kind of small but close family that talk often even if they're across the country

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

i love exploring her trauma. im reversing time and putting her back in that room and shaking her around

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to ths character? Something you don't like?

same thing as the asks from earlier; i like her having contact with kalluto & i don't like her being reduced to a love device

23. Favorite picture of this character?

these two probably? i like the close ups where shes smilling and stuff but i also really like the world tree photo bc look at them they're having such a good time. & for winry its the pic i have as my discord pfp

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

may chang for sure (for alluka)

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

i saw alluka before i watched hxh so she was portrayed as like very sweet and happy, and for the most part my opinion hasn't changed but i did learn how the nanika thing works which brought so so so much more depth to her character

26. this was a free question so i'm talking about card games

i think if they were playing egyptian rat screw winry would lose. alluka seems like she would be scarily good at reflex-based card games & chess

[arcanadreams]

That time you and your demon boyfriend went viral

hi yes hello obey me fandom!! my name is Gabbi and i have never played a single second of the actual game but i have read enough fanon content for the past year to have this idea swimming around in my head and now i am finally letting this accursed thing out of my brain and putting it in yours

also i’m only doing the brothers because any more than that and i’d have an aneurysm probably. oh and shoutout to @obeythebutler and @beels-burger-babe for inspiring me with their works to feel brave enough to write for this fandom

Lucifer:

You and Lucifer go viral on Asmo’s Devilgram story!

You’re in the kitchen helping Asmo with dinner duty and singing along to one of your playlists of human realm music that you like to show him.

Asmo starts filming your cute little dance while you stir the pot on the stove because you are just adorable!

About ten seconds into him filming, Lucifer appears in the doorway with quite the stern look on his face. You know, the one that comes right before a “MAMMOOOOOON” and strikes fear into the heart of all those with functioning eardrums. That one.

He opens his mouth, presumably to tell y’all to shut the fuck up, but then there’s a lull in the music and the eldest can hear your voice ever so slightly above the song’s vocalist and he freezes.

Man stops in his tracks like someone just smacked him in the face with a midair volleyball.

Asmo can be heard stifling a laugh behind his phone.

Lucifer’s face gets so soft and he almost, almost, loosens his metal-rod-through-the-ass posture before you notice him and give a little wave and ask if you and Asmo were being too loud like the considerate darling you are.

Lucifer clears and his throat and says something like, “No, you aren’t. I was just coming to check on how dinner is coming along,” and leaves, after which Asmo immediately presses the post button.

Screenshots of Lucifer’s heart eyes for you go absolutely viral because every demon on Devilgram goes absolutely feral for seeing the eldest demon brother lose his dignified composure. It becomes a meme template. “Get you someone who looks at you like Lucifer looks at MC” and “me at the delivery demon when he shows up with my spicy bat wings” posts become commonplace. (Asmo thinks the memes are totally worth getting strung up with Mammon for laughing at them.)

Mammon:

Much like Lucifer, you and Mammon end up going viral off Asmo’s Devilgram. (Noticing a pattern here?) 

He pulls a silly prank on your asses and honestly I don’t know how you fell for it. But hey, they say “idiots in love” for a reason, so...

You and Asmo are sitting in the common room of the House of Lamentation just chillin. Well, he’s chillin, you’re on the floor studying for an upcoming exam.

The video starts in the middle of a conversation you and the avatar of lust were having.

“No, Asmo,” you say. “Mammon and I don’t use pet names for each other.” Now that’s just a darn lie, and every demon and crow within ten miles of Mammon and you together knows it.

“Really? I find that very hard to believe, MC.~” 

You sigh in response to Asmo’s teasing. “Okay, he has a lot for me but I’m just not much of a pet name person, y’know?” The rest of the exchange goes like this:

“Oh, I totally get it.” *pause* “Hey MC, what do human world bees make again?”

“Honey.”

Cue a sheepish Mammon sticking his head in the doorway at the bluntness of your tone when you answered Asmo.

“Yeah, babe?” he looks like a puppy left on the side of a highway oh my god hUG HIM-

Asmo turns the camera back to his smug ass face and in the background you can be heard tripping on the damn carpet trying to get up and hug your mans. (”MAMMON GET OVER HERE SO I CAN HUG YOU” “W-WHAT? I THOUGHT YA WERE MAD AT ME?!?!?!?!”)

Leviathan:

Streamer Levi? Streamer Levi.

You guys go viral the first time you make an appearance on one of Levi’s weekly (insert cool Devildom streaming service name here) streams. 

It’s completely unintentional. You had been asking him for weeks to play with him on there, but he’s the avatar of envy after all. He doesn’t like sharing his partner, even if it’s with random strangers who have no real access to you.

However, he has his stream on a Thursday instead of a Friday one week, and you come into his room carrying dinner because 1) You didn’t realize he was streaming and 2) No matter what he was doing, the boy needed to eat. It wasn’t unusual for you to bring him dinner, so you had no idea why he was blushing and stammering even more than usual this time in particular. Boy was speaking in beached whale trying to tell you what was wrong.

Then you notice his screen. Oh! “Hi chat!” You wave, setting Levi’s food down on his desk in front of his keyboard. “M-MC!” He full-on whines, slamming a hand over his mouth afterwards when he remembers his viewers could hear that.

Honestly, they’d meme the fuck out of him if it weren’t for the fact that they are FINALLY SEEING HIS HENRY!!! THE MYSTERIOUS MC!!!

Chat is bombarding you with questions while you make Levi eat dinner. And by make him eat dinner, I mean literally feeding this man forkfuls/spoonfuls while he games because you love how flustered he gets when you do that. 

Does it impact his score? Absolutely. Does he care? Not really when you’re pampering him like that.

You start answering chat’s questions about you while he’s chewing so he can’t tell you to stop LMAO-

You’re a natural on stream. The VOD becomes the most popular on Levi’s account in a matter of hours and soon cute highlights compilations of you and him on that stream start making the rounds on Devildom Twitter.

Satan:

There was buildup to Satan going viral, similar to Levi in a way. 

Satan does have a Devilgram, but it’s basically a white woman’s Instagram with added book reviews for variety. Unless you’re a reader his account is pretty boring: candles, books, fireplaces, and cats.

However, after you two started reading together fairly often he began posting pictures of your legs draped over his while you sat together. They’d always be captioned with vague ass pretentious literary criticism. 

This goes on for months, and he gains a lot of (horny) followers after the leg pics start up. He doesn’t really get why but you both joke that it’s because you have some damn nice legs and I mean neither of you are complaining about the new following.

You two go viral when he finally shows your face, entirely by accident.

The post is a video, which is already strange for him and grabs attention. In it, you’re scoffing and reading an excerpt of a book, mocking its understanding of female anatomy.

“I’m quoting here, Satan: ‘her breasts bouncing around like giant pacmen.’ I’M SORRY?? THAT ISN’T HOW BOOBS WORK SIR. WHY ARE MEN ALLOWED TO WRITE?” 

(fun fact that is a very real quote from a very real book I really read last month pls save me)

Originally the camera is focused on your body, with your head out of frame to protect your privacy, but your righteous anger made Satan laugh. Like, a real laugh. The one that makes you and everyone in earshot wonder if he truly was never an angel cause he sure as hell laughs like one but anyway-

When he threw his head back, his DDD angled up just a tad without him noticing, and your face was in view for like .2 seconds. Screenshots of it are making the rounds on Devilgram almost immediately: FINALLY THE LEGS’ OWNER HAS BEEN FOUND.

Satan apologizes profusely but you honestly find it funny and you two opt to just start taking selfies while reading with both of your faces in them from now on. 

Asmodeus:

I’m gonna be real with you: you and Asmo go viral all the time. Pretty much everything Asmo posts can be considered viral because of his social media following and his status as one of the seven avatars of sin.

However, there are some fairly cute highlights to be pointed out among the times you were both featured in a post that blew up.

Your favorite is probably that time Asmo livestreamed on of you guys’ ‘Nail Nites,’ as you call them.

You’re both on the floor, doing your nails and kicking your feet back and forth while talking to chat. A lot of the questions are about your relationship, and there’s a lot of flirting back and forth between the two of you.

A particular clip of the stream does blow the fuck up on Devilgram, though, when someone screen records it and posts it with a bunch of heart emojis edited over it.

“’What colors do you think best describe each other?’ Ooo, that’s a good one, chat!” Asmo claps his hands together excitedly, making sure to be  careful of his nails.

Pretty much everyone expected you to say pink, but you surprised both your boyfriend and your viewers when, after a pensive few moments, you replied with “Hmm...probably yellow or orange.”

“Can I ask why, darling?” Asmo tilts his head in confusion. I mean, yeah, those colors look good on him, but he doesn’t wear them often so he’s wondering about your thought process. 

“Well, in the human world those colors often represent happiness, optimism, and positivity. You’re always the cheerful presence I need in my life when things get hard, so you have the vibe of those colors.”

Asmo proceeds to burst into tears and hug you, messing up both of your nails and prolonging the stream since you both have to start over. But neither of you particularly care. 

Fun fact: Asmo has the clip that demon made of that portion of the stream saved on his DDD and watches it whenever he feels sad.

Beelzebub:

Beel and you probably go the most viral out of everybody. Like this moment is an entire phenomenon across the Devildom internet. 

It’s a video, or well, multiple videos, taken at the end of a Fangol game that Beel’s team had just won. Everyone is cheering and going crazy, yourself included, and you just really wanted to congratulate your boyfriend.

So, like the rational person you are, you elect to climb up onto the railing of the bleachers and wave to get his attention. 

You were absolutely fine up there, and sat all comfortably motioning Beel over to you. He notices, of course, and jogs over, standing right beneath you and looking up. (Back where you were sitting, Mammon is screeching like a hyena in heat and Belphie, who is laying down, has one eye open to glare at him. The youngest knows Beel would never let you hurt yourself; you’re fine.)

A bunch of assorted demons at the game has started filming while you were sat atop the railing since you were rather noticeable. Therefore, there’s a shit ton of different angles of the adorable events that follow:

You slide off the railing, landing right in Beel’s waiting arms bridal style. You’ve got this brilliant smile on your face as you pull his helmet off. None of the DDDs filming can hear it over the crowd noise, but Beel asks you why you just went through all that trouble and you tell him it’s because you wanted to tell him how proud you are.

Soft boy’s chest puffs up and he smiles this big cheesy smile at you reach up to run a hand through his hair. You feel him practically purr at the contact, and with a laugh you pull him in and plant a big ole smooch on him.

The crowd, at least those of them that can see, scream. Everyone is running high on adrenaline and happy emotions; something that cute causes a ruckus!! When you pull away Beel proceeds to put you on his shoulders and you celebrate with him and the rest of his team.

The videos of you two being adorable go completely viral and there are some threads dedicated to stockpiling every single angle taken of the event. Beel is completely oblivious to the attention but you have a lot of them saved on your DDD.

Belphegor:

If you think Belphegor has any sort of social media presence whatsoever then you are sorely mistaken. (Well okay he actually does run some anonymous troll accounts to meme on Lucifer’s posts but that’s neither here nor there-)

Therefore, naturally, you two go viral off of Asmo’s Devilgram. 

Okay so someone in the obey me tag the other say headcanoned that Belphie will go out of his way to nap in ridiculous places and my brain really took that and RAN WITH IT.

So what happens is that Belphie will fall asleep in the fucking weirdest places. I’m talking on top of the fridge, underneath the dinner table, on top of bookshelves...you name it, he has slept there, no matter the effort it takes to get there in the first place. 

And, ever since you two started dating, you would join him. Sometimes it involved putting yourself at risk of great bodily harm, but the little smile he gave when you he saw you fucking scaling the countertop to reach him made it worth it.

So anyway, since Beel adores the both of you to no end, he takes pictures whenever he sees you two napping together, whether or not it is in a crazy place. He sends these to the family group chat because he thinks they’re adorable.

Over a span of weeks to months, Asmo has built up a stock of images of you and Belphie cuddles up in seemingly impossible places. Once he has about ten or so, he posts a compilation of them to his Devilgram with some cheesy ass caption like “The things we do for love <3″.

They become a meme SO QUICKLY. Like UNBELIEVABLY quickly. 

The picture of you and Belphie sleeping on top of a bookshelf, in particular, is a big hit. Memes abound.

“If my girl doesn’t climb up a bookshelf to cuddle my ass, she don’t love me.” “Get yourself a partner who scales bookshelves just to be with your ass.” Etc etc...Belphie doesn’t give a shit but you laugh at a lot of them so he sees that as a good outcome.

[marimopeace]

there's a limit on how much you can be an isekai intellectual...

a bunch of analyses have been popping up before me all day so i wanted to throw my hat into the ring. all love to ppl who are exercising their creative minds + ppl like geoff here who just talk about these things because of fan interest but i feel like there reaches a point where exploring the "types" of isekai is pointless? i've seen ppl list out the different types of villainess revenge isekai or fantasy mmorpg isekai but eh why fit them all into separate boxes like that?

i think it's easier to think of isekai as a "type" (genre) of itself with only two categories: 1) a focus on isekai (lit. another world) 2) tensei (lit. to be reborn). this allows for a variety of applications and thus tropes that ppl see so many trends of!

with isekai - in another world

you see everything from:

pure fantasy (inuyasha, digimon wait maybe not the best example but in my childhood mind i count digimon as pure fantasy, fushigi yugi)

mmorpg inspired fantasy/adventure (.hack//legend of twilight, sao ugh, log horizon, overlord (LOVE OVERLORD!)

otome game-esque worlds >>> this is where it gets complicated with "villainess routes" since i admit there are multiple villainess tropes but this is why it's nice to not think of this as a "sub-type/genre" bc it frees you from those complications! (the saint's magic power is omnipotent, the white cat's revenge as plotted from the dragon king's lap soso cute!, the savior's book cafe in another world, i'm a villainous daughter so i'm going to keep the last boss wait i can't remember if she's reborn in this one lmaooo see this is why rules make everything hard)

with tensei storylines - being reincarnated/reborn in another world as *insert character/role*

you see...

the same tropes!!

pure fantasy (a returner's magic should be special, reminiscence adonis, the lady and the beast, light and shadow, i can't think of a manga off the top of my head for this ah)

mmorpg inspired fantasy/adventure (so i'm a spider so what i stan kumoko so hard, her majesty's swarm, can't name another off the top of my head ah i hate lists shorter than two things...)

self-insert based games/novels (fiance's observation log of a self-proclaimed villainess, who made me a princess, death is the only ending for the villainess, the villainess wants to marry a commoner, honestly games vs novels are different applications but i'm not in the headspace to try to remember a bunch of both lol)

*insert line break to give random ppl a break from scrolling but tl; dr just enjoy things for what they are no need to micro analyze*

similar variations occur in both genres (if ppl want to be super technical i guess i'm arguing that isekai itself is a massive genre that has the "another world" subgenre and "reincarnation" subgenre tl; dr) so i think it's honestly a huge pain to try to separate all these trends into so many different types of stories. for me personally it's easier to not get overwhelmed by this gigantic umbrella of "isekai" that spans light novels, manhwa, manga, and mobile games by just stripping each story down into its trademark tropes (aka character archetypes, story structures) and slapping "oh this is a person going to a world that's not ours" and "this person gets reborn as blank in another world". none of this "omg this power fantasy is such a this kind of isekai moment" or "there are 14 different types of villainess revenge stories and this series fits into this" bc AH labels! limitations! circle-jerks via ppl trying to compartmentalize everything and sound smart for leaving a comment on story analysis instead of ooh-ahhing over a character's face! dividing things into light novel manga vs manga vs korean manhwa ft. female characters!

the last bit is mainly why i feel frustrated by ppl's insistence to group everything?

the video linked at the beginning of the post (honestly good video essay, i enjoyed it, i just kept thinking in my head the whole time "marimo these are tropes do not take the genre talk literally") has a baby comment thread talking about "korean isekai manhwas" as a genre featuring nothing but reincarnated villainess' and i can't.

like i cannot acknowledge that as a genre of any sort. the energy i felt reading through some of those insights takes me back to 2012 when all yt americans discovered k-pop and deemed all korean music k-pop from then on! (ppl still do this now, yes you are seen and don't talk to me pls i don't like you. k-pop is korean pop music and nothing less and nothing more. take a few seconds and try to parse apart aspects of korean culture instead of slamming everything into a monolithic label that has the letter k and a hyphen.) it feels so odd to see a bunch of young ppl on ig and tiktok acknowledge korean media that happens to be in the form of a webtoon as "oh stories all about young girls becoming villains in stories they made/played" bc it feels so reductive u.u

(positionality disclaimer that i'm praying isn't actually necessary: i am a 3rd-generation korean of japanese descent do not fite me i am exhausted irl of ppl asking for validation/verification bc massive shove off.)

breaking news! korean manhwa...is just as multifaceted as japanese manga...bc how can comics as an art-form not have multiple genres...huh such a shocker?!?! same likely applies to media in other parts of the world like chinese manhwa and french comics--not my place to explain either of those i just know those industries exist bc of wakfu and donghua shows by Tencent.

at the end of the day it's not like analyzing any kind of isekai is wrong--absolutely not!! i think it can be super fun to think about how isekai elements complicate a story (MCs trying to go back home, ppl from the og world, reincarnation plot-twists) or maybe even bash a series for including some kind of other world element when they could have just written a super fun fantasy.

insert marimo's brief ramble that hey you can get sick of truck-kun's hitting disillusioned guys who happen to be super duper smart or girls who happen to be master chefs/craftsmen but transporting a fully-grown being into a fantasy setting is the ultimate cheat code for making mundane modern technology seem cool and overpowered, and being reincarnated as a fully grown person in a world with a pre-made story/game set-up completely bypasses the need for an author to slowly flesh out world-building in a natural progression so isekai is actually a really smart writing tool it's just that there are some series where the author didn't use it well at all and it's cheesy or clearly isekai was misused as a vehicle for character/story development and it was pointless *DEEP BREATH OUT*

in this essay i will argue...lol i am such a culture studies major!! if i were an english major i would be talking all about writing but here i am having a side-tangent about world-building via someone being reborn wow i love this for me (don't get me started on when an author has someone reincarnate as a baby and the story is mostly them having warm fluffy moments with their family--typically father figures--and getting lots of powers i could and would and probably will rant about east asian toxicity)

but anyway am i crazy????? like yes for being passionate about the technical use of a word like genre (i am a scorpio rising let me be fussy pls) but i don't think it's a lot to ask for ppl to not unironically see "villainess revenge isekai" as the definition of korean manhwa.

idk as someone who resonates with why japanese isekai is so popular domestically + why a lot of korean manhwa feat. the same tropes (it's not for great reasons lads it's actually depressing tbh) i'm just starting to feel kind of pained by the generalization and need to separate "cute japanese girl in an otome game"/"japanese boy finds a harem in another world" from "korean girl dies and comes back as a villainess" bc they are just! applications to the same story device!!

recommendations for any who makes it this far down below <3

// also gladly recommend any of the examples i've listed in the above rant as i've read/watched all of them and adore them v much! //

save me princess

super refreshing fantasy manhwa ft. a princess and her ex-boyfriend having to save the world!

the beginning after the end

an AMERICAN web novel turned into a comic (but see it being not korean/japanese doesn't really matter when you just consider isekai as a genre...isn't it nice to not overthink it?) ft. a super-powerful wizard king reincarnated into another world and starting from scratch--gives mushoku tensei vibes but huge twists!

the reason why raeliana ended up at the duke's mansion

love love LOVE this story--read the title and you'll learn how this girl reincarnated as the character raeliana in a book gets married to a duke!

trash of the count's family

such a good novel!! a guy gets reborn as a lazy oaf and he takes the hero of the story under his wing...plot twists come up later on!

this time i will definitely be happy!

v good and refreshing for a shorter series! she's been reborn 3 times and remembers every time the hero's stabbed her in the back, and now she just wants to break up with him!

silver diamond

older manga but v good adventure w intrigue! a boy who loves plants get sucked into a desert world with demonic lizards and a mysterious bodyguard by his side. shonen-ai not BL but wonderful vibes nonetheless + great side characters!

the princess imprints a traitor

adore everything in this from the world (not in that way this society makes me so angry) to the machinations at play and the dynamic between the fl and ml

[aesterblaster]

How Blue Lock Flips Tropes On Their Head

This'll be a more in depth look at blue lock's relationship with tropes and how it's different than most stereotypical stories about sports.

I would like to first talk about some tropes to do with the main character of the story.

In most sports manga the mc has some sort of advantage, an ace in their pocket so to speak. They are also usually a bit of a softie/naive. Isagi, the protagonist of blue lock, fits this bill at first glance. However as you dive deeper into the story you realize Isagi isn't all that special, everyone has an ace in their pocket. Hell, he isn't even the best at predicting moves. But he makes up for this by not being as naive throughout the whole story, he can be selfish and egotistical. He can push people around and degrade them if need be.

Honestly, I find this to be a refreshing take since he is much more believable as a character than some 100% bubbly gifted kid.

Next up are a few tropes that are..personal pet peeves.

Sometimes in sports genre manga you see a character get beaten nearly to a pulp, but they still get back up and win. Why? Because they just wanted it that badly. Blue lock does have many moments where a character pushes through and beats the odds. But in all cases the character had the skill, planning, and ability to back it up. I mean, Naruhaya, Kunigami and plenty of other characters also wanted to win badly but still failed. This not only heightens the stakes, but makes the moments when characters do pull off a miracle win or last minute goal much more satisfying. Because it doesn't happen for everyone.

The *slow down* moment is another common trope in sports mangas. So that you can really simmer in that last play or build tension towards the point scored. But Blue Lock throws it out the window. Often, the chapters are non stop action where you have to make yourself pause to soak in the individual panels. This makes it mirror an actual sports game since yeah there are stand out moments, but it still keeps going making reading an intense roller coaster.

The protagonist ends up making their way to the top, is a huge factor in most if not all sports manga. After all, that's the point. That's what you're waiting to see. And yet we all know quite clearly that Isagi isn't a stand alone best player. But he is still highly formidable and respected which is realistic. Just because you aren't ranked number 1 doesn't mean you can't still hold your own.

Now for general character stereotypes.

The rival that becomes a friend and the rival that stays a rival till the bitter end are both tropes I see a lot in media (in general tbh). But when it comes to Rin and Isagi, they don't fit in either box. After all, they aren't friends and barely interact outside of games, but they still work incredibly well on the field together. To quote rin (not exact but yeah), "This twisted relationship is how you and I should be."

The snotty uptight character is also a big archetype. But the thing is that they are normally straight up dislikable or fitted with some sad backstory to make up for their attitude. Barou is neither of these things. While he does in fact, have a higher than thou mentality at first and seems annoying, he begins to grow and evolve as a character. We see him fall off this gifted kid pedestal and violently climb his way back up, breaking the illusion that he can solve any issue with ease. Which is why his goals and triumphs are actually satisfying instead of predictable.

The rich kid, like the snotty gifted character, is often bratty and lazy. But Reo flips this by being genuinely passionate. He learns to stop relying on what he already has and work for what he wants on his own. Most character's that are rich are explained to be cut off from or disconnected from people their age. His character does explore that idea as well but from a different angle. One where he takes a look in the mirror and decides to fix it instead of pouting. (Though he does go through his little fall from grace break up period)

The last one that I'm choosing to talk about is, actually, what makes all of the main characters so likable. I began to cover it in the above section but after thinking about it, it truly deserves it's own point. The likable characters all try to overcome their issues. Try does not mean succeed. As stated before, a couple of characters fail to rise to the occasion and get kicked from blue lock, but all of them struggled to the very end. When a main character, is held back by something they can't control (EX: better players, a teammate turning against them) they overcome it with skill and/or planning. While most manga will spend whole chapters or arcs dedicated to the character overcoming this one focal point issue, blue lock forces the character to change in an instant. With pressure, suspense, and heightened stakes, we see the true desperation and soul of the characters shine through as they claw their way through matches. At the end, win or lose, we have a newfound respect for their ability to keep fighting or adapt. Most of this development taking place during matches, not arcs, not storylines, just sewn together make or break moments.

And that is truly what makes blue lock so special and different from other sports manga.

[oh-boy-me]

Alright I'm curious about your take on movie night with the undateables, including Luke since this is non- romance. Snack preferences, what movies they choose, funny stories from movie night. Whatever strikes your fancy with the idea is good with me. Thanks in advance!

Sorry it took a little bit (´ω｀。) It’s my first time working with these characters so I wanted to give it my absolute best

I’m setting this up as individual movie nights so that each character can get the spotlight for a while; I hope that’s ok!  Also, a lot of them somehow ended up in a context of it being the first time you’d hung out one on one lol

Simeon:

It feels like Simeon spends just about all of his time with Luke and Solomon, while you spend just about all of yours with the brothers.  So, you decide to have a movie night to finally spend some time together without having to divide your attention.  Purgatory Hall is the obvious choice of location, since its residents are much more ready to leave you alone when asked.

This angel is a traditional kind of guy, as angels tend to be, so popcorn is the only snack idea that comes to mind.  Traditional doesn’t mean close-minded, though, so he’s more than willing to try out any snacks you bring along.  Actually, he encourages you to bring a bunch of snacks to try out together!  You can have a taste test while you watch the movies!

Simeon likes Hallmark movie-type movies a lot, mainly because they demand little emotional investment.  Movies like horror don’t scare him, but they do stress him out because he wants all the protagonists to get their happy ending!  Another benefit of Hallmark movies is that it’s fun to try to guess exactly what will happen, since they can be so predictable.

Of course, he doesn’t want to monopolize your movie lineup, so if there’s something you want to see he’s all for it.  If you want to go for something more thrilling, he’ll power through it like a champ, but you can see him visibly cringing at some points.

Simeon is lowkey a movie cuddler, but like in a way that still respects your personal space bubble.  He won’t spend the film with you in his arms or anything, but the entire couch is fair game.

Simeon apparently likes to talk during movies–he doesn’t mean to, but the thoughts kind of just come out.  He’s brutally honest about what he’s thinking, so if you’re down with it, talking about and roasting the movie as it’s happening is a load of fun.  “I don’t know MC, I don’t think this guy’s all that great either?  Sure maybe he isn’t completely ignoring her, but look, he obviously has commitment issues; at least her ex was just busy all the time.  Look, Mr. Lone Wolf’s beard is uneven.  Why does she want a man who wants to look rugged but can’t get it right?”

Simeon also will accidentally spoil any movie he’s already seen like this, so you’re best off watching films that are new to both of you.

He knew that you were a nice and fun person, but honestly he’s kind of taken aback by how good you are to be around.  Since the only human he’s usually around is Solomon, talking to one and not feeling like you need to second-guess everything you’re told is a new and welcome feeling.

Before you split for the night, he asks if you’d like to do something like this again.  As an angel, there’s a lot that he hasn’t experienced–a lot of food, a lot of activities, a lot of media–and you’re someone that he feels like he would be comfortable trying new things with.  You can expect lots of texts like, “Hello!  I hope you’re doing wellヾ(＾-＾)ノ Are you free tomorrow?”

Luke:

You probably decide to have a movie night after Luke ends up spending way longer than he expected to in the kitchen at the House of Lamentation.  On the condition that absolutely no demons are to join you two!  Ok maybe Beel and Levi are ok but absolutely no one else!  After a call to Simeon explaining that he isn’t coming back to Purgatory Hall tonight you guys are good to go.

He always brings baked goods when he comes over, plus whatever he was working on in the kitchen, so you’re more than covered!  The majority of it is things like cookies and fudge bark.  They’re easy snacks to grab a handful of.

Luke tries to insist that he wants to watch a movie with lots of violence or a horror film, or any other kind of movie that teenagers sneak into.  He’s doing it because he’s so frustrated with everyone calling him a kid when he’s centuries older than a human will ever be, stop making fun of him!!  For his sake and yours, you should tell him that you don’t want to watch that sort of movie, because if you let him get away with it he’ll get too freaked out in the first 20 minutes.

Most likely you’ll end up having a Disney marathon.  They’re so fun, and since the Celestial Realm is pretty isolated when it comes to cultural exchange, he’s only seen a couple, so you can show him your favorites!  Also, he’s not crying.  No, you saw that wrong.

He starts off on the other side of the couch, one again trying to be mature and shit, but that won’t last long.  Anyone who sees you huddled together like that will be punched in the gut with the sheer level of sibling energy y’all are radiating.  Lucifer almost doesn’t want to mock him.  Almost.

That thing where immediately after consuming a piece of media, you imagine yourself as part of that universe?  Luke loves to talk about that sort of thing.  “If I lived there, I’d have given Gaston a piece of my mind!”  “Ok but if I was a piece of furniture what do you think I’d be?  I can totally see you being a…”

“I think you’d be the footstool that acts like a dog, Luke.”  “Hey, Lucifer, you weren’t invited to our party!!”

You might (will) have to fend off a few nosy demon brothers to protect your demon-free movie lair.  Luke swears that next time you have to come over to Purgatory Hall, but he’s having way more fun here than he’s willing to admit.

He also learns that most of the brothers will listen to you without complaint.  He will definitely keep this in mind.

This kid angel has so much energy, how is he still awake after five movies?  You absolutely have to establish a bedtime because he literally will not go to bed until you do.

Solomon:

It’s quite rare for you to have a break from the seven avatars of attention hogging, so if you’re going to have a movie night, Purgatory Hall may as well be a godsend.

You may want to be careful about getting there, because if Asmo catches wind that you and Solomon are having a movie night without him, he’s going to show up unannounced and then refuse to leave.  Solomon can come pick you up if you need.  Just, he’ll be waiting a block away so Asmo can’t catch up.

Solomon is a “dinner and a show” kinda guy.  He will offer to make dinner.  Do not let him do this.  Either make it yourself or order takeout.

You’ll pretty easily agree on alternating who chooses the movie.  You get the first, he gets the second, you get the third, etc.  Definitely isn’t letting you choose first to lure you into a false sense of security about the DVD in his hand, what made you think that?

Solomon is the kind of person to lie about what sort of movie he’s put in.  “Solomon what is this supposed to be?”  “Oh, don’t worry about it.”  It’s gonna be a weird movie.  You just have to wait and see.

He is going to rip into your movie choices.  He liked how they worked with this, and that was impressive, but these bits?  Did they think they could get away with that?  What was the budget?  Rest assured, though, he expects you to do the same for him.  In fact, he’ll be quite disappointed if you don’t.

He prefers a setup on his bed rather than on the couch.  He’s also one of the ones who keeps to himself in terms of personal space, although that’s not to say that he isn’t relaxed.  Some might say he’s too relaxed, but that’s just who he is: too relaxed in any situation.  On the surface, at least.

As the only humans in the Devildom, some of the night is probably spent reminiscing on how different things tend to be here.  Solomon does feel bad that you in particular have had to make so many changes to your life and habits with no warning.  He has his magic to rely on, so he’s glad you have your reputation of “the human that made a pact with the student council” to keep demons from messing with you.

If you want, he’s happy to let you sleep over so that you don’t have to explain why you’re coming home so late.  He also encourages you to not say anything to your dorm mates.  Wouldn’t it be fun to make them wonder?  They’re always breathing down your neck, aren’t they?  Make them squirm a little bit.  You’re going to get a scolding for sneaking out regardless.  It’s incredibly cruel; you know they worry sick about you more than is called for.  Will you play along?  That’s up to you.  I advise you not to.

Like Simeon felt like he needed to second-guess everything around a bunch of demons and Solomon, Solomon sometimes feels like he needs to keep himself guarded around a bunch of demons and two literal angels.  You, however, are a human.  You have common ground, and Solomon can see how your vulnerability here translates into strength.  He’s not quite ready to admit it but, your ability to survive on character and not power is inspiring to him.  Shortly before you go home/to sleep, he mentions something about himself, and for once it seems like he’s being honest.

Barbatos:

You have the movie night at the House of Lamentation, under Lucifer’s promise that he’d keep everyone else busy.  It’s Barbatos’ first day off in 325 years, and he doesn’t want to take any chances of Diavolo forgetting that fact and giving him an order.

It may come as a surprise, but Barbatos wants nothing more than to order a pizza.  If he managed to get enough time off to have a movie night with you, he doesn’t want to have to think about preparing food.  A single night where he can just hang out and eat less than perfectly prepared cuisine is exactly what he needs to unwind.

Out of habit, he insists that whatever you want to watch is fine.  If you remind him that this is just as much for him as it is for you, he’ll suggest you look up what new psychological thrillers are trending.  Whenever a scary scene is playing on the screen, there’s the tiniest smile gracing his face the whole time.  It’s a little disconcerting, but something tells you that you shouldn’t bring it up.

If you do bring it up against all better judgement, though, he’ll explain that the villain in the film is being so messy.  Given the circumstances, it’d be better for him to do this or that.

“Don’t ask how I know all of this.  I’m just saying, if you find yourself with a body to dispose of, alive or not, you know who to call.”

Time spent with an off-duty Barbatos grows more relaxed as the night progresses.  You split the sofa 50/50, and over time you can see his posture relax from stiff and straight to leaning against the arm with his feet up.

Oh, yes, he’s also brought along a nice bottle of wine to share.  He made sure to get something that should affect demons and humans equally, of course.  If he’s going to get inebriated, you’re going down with him.

Turns out, working for the Demon Prince for all eternity gives you a few grievances.  Also turns out that the Demon Prince’s butler becomes quite loose lipped and downright snarky when he’s had enough to drink.  “‘Which flavor do you think Lucifer would like best?’  I don’t know, My Lord, might I suggest you ask him yourself?  No, no, I hear you laughing, MC!  This happens every time!”

There’s still a movie playing, but why would you watch a movie when Diavolo’s butler is such a gossip?  You definitely know things you shouldn’t by the time the night is over, but you swear an oath of secrecy.  And, although he regrets how liberal he was with his stories the next day, it does feel nice to have some of that off his chest.

And, well, he’s already gone this far, so he hopes you aren’t too surprised when you receive a text from him a week later: “Ok SO.”

Diavolo:

You guys decide to do the movie night at the palace, mainly to avoid Lucifer.  Diavolo wants to get to know you better, and he knows that if Lucifer is around he’ll end up making you the third-wheel.

Barbatos is going to be around, so Diavolo leaves it up to you whether you want to make it a party of three.  (Barbatos is still in on-duty mode, of course, so his time here is much less relaxed than in his solo scenario.)

Diavolo’s read about movie nights in Youthful Fun 101, and he wants to try out the whole snack list.  Popcorn, pizza rolls, sodas, you name it, he’s got mountains of it.

If you suggest also making ice cream sundaes, he’ll be the happiest demon in the entire Devildom.  It seems that the esteemed Demon Prince really loves chocolate sauce.

Really really wants to watch your favorite movie.  What sort of Devildom host would he be if he didn’t get to understand the Human World from his guest’s perspective?  Whether it’s something like Gone with the Wind or something like Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2, he’s enthralled.  So this is Human World cinema!  There’s something so imaginative about it, even in the driest moments!

After your favorite, he’s got a checklist of iconic movies to get under his belt.  Not all of them end up holding your attention, and you develop a voting system–after the first 15 minutes, you hold a vote on whether to keep the movie going or to move on.  Since there’s only two of you, only one of you needs to like the movie to keep it going, so you give yourselves one immediate veto each.

Diavolo uses his veto on the first movie he wasn’t super into, and you have to keep reminding him that there’s no secret second veto that he can use.  Cut him some slack, this level of democracy is unfamiliar to the future Demon King.  He does end up really liking some of the movies he tried to avoid, so he learns to chill pretty quickly.

Also insists on watching the movies in a massive blanket fort.  He’s not a movie cuddler, per se, but he is an emotional movie watcher, so you can expect him to grab your arm during an especially sweet or sad scene.

You’re going to have to clarify what’s realistic and what isn’t sometimes.  No, that’s not a real animal.  Yes, that event really happened.  That may or may not be true, we aren’t sure.  Diavolo please this is a conspiracy theory.

If you thought that this wouldn’t end up in a sleepover, I don’t know what to tell you.  Maybe you just tried to watch way too many movies and passed out in the fort.  Maybe you tried to call it quits and then he gave you big puppy dog eyes until you agreed to have a slumber party.

Side note, but Lucifer is still recovering from seeing Diavolo’s car appear unannounced at the House of Lamentation and then being told that it’s actually here to pick you up and that he absolutely can’t come along.  Has he been replaced?

Masterlist

[marveloussupernerd]

GURL YES IT WAS ON TV LAST NIGHT AND THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS LIKE JUMIN AND MC JUMIN AND MC!!! But yes I came from a YOI imagines blog who recommended you and I’m glad I came! But seriously take your time with it and do NOT be afraid to SHATTER MY HEART MERCILESSLY. Honestly I think we are living the same life in different places! Have a great week my friend!

money can’t buy happiness - Jumin Han

The original request:

Warnings: angst

Summary: dating Jumin Han meant constantly being in the spotlight. However, the press had a vendetta against you. At what point does your sanity take priority over your love towards Jumin? Will almost definitely get a happy pt 2 resolution if someone asks for it bc writing angst makes me sad lmaoo

[support me :)]

You were taking a shower. It was getting late and Jumin wasn’t home yet. The two of you had been dating for about four months and he asked you to move in with him. With you being in the public eye so much, he felt better knowing his security team could keep an eye on you.

You heard a knock on the bathroom door. It opened then shut. “I’m home, My Love. Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

You opened the shower door and leaned over to give him a peck on the lips, then focused back to your shower.

“You mind if I join you?” He asked, pulling his tie to loosen it.

“I... uh-“ you had been sort of self-conscious about your appearance lately. The media didn’t help; they were always reporting on how you looked. You didn’t let Jumin know. You knew it’d only worry him. “Okay. If you want.”

He deftly undid the buttons of his shirt and got undressed, slipping into the shower with you. He wrapped his arms around you in a tight embrace. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered, pushing a damp strand of hair out of your face. “You want help washing up?” He had a goofy grin on his face, hand settling on your hip.

“I... I’m not feeling really good about myself... and my body image today,” you confessed, staring at the water droplets on the shower wall.

“I wish you wouldn’t read those news articles. They’re horrible.” He carefully turned you in his arms so you were facing him. “You know I think you’re the most beautiful person in the world.”

“‘Jumin Han’s partner is gaining weight. Could a child be on the way?’” You quoted the article, word-for-word. It was etched into your memory. “I just was popping my hip out to the side. I don’t know. I thought I was being trendy. But they thought I was pregnant?!”

“Don’t listen to a thing they say.”

“I kind of look pregnant though. I need to lose some weight.” You bent over and got some shampoo, massaging the soap into his hair.

His eyes fluttered shut at the sensation. “You look perfect. That feels nice.”

“I just hate how they talk about anything and everything. You have a meeting with a woman? You’re cheating on me. I’m carrying a different purse? I’m a gold digger. I put all my weight on one foot, heaven forbid, and all of a sudden I’m pregnant.” You clapped your hands together, soap spraying against the shower door. “It just sucks.”

“I’m sorry.” He grabbed some conditioner to return the favor. “I got you some more flowers. I know it won’t make up for it all, but I thought they were nice.”

“Mhm. That is nice.”

“Let’s go out for dinner tonight too,” he offered.

“Last thing I need is more people thinking I’m eating too much.”

He pouted. “You’ve gotta eat somehow though.” The two of you stood under the stream of the shower. “I’ll get us a private room? At your favorite place too.”

You sighed. “It’s late Jumin. Don’t make more work for Jaehee.”

“I’ll do it myself then.” He stooped down to kiss your cheek. “Anything for you.”

The two of you got out of the shower and wrapped up in your towels and Jumin wasted no time calling the restaurant. “Hi!” He sounded overly excited. You laughed. “Oh... yes I can hold.”

“This is what it’s like to be a commoner,” you chuckled, pulling out a clean dress shirt for him to wear. Powder blue. He wore too many pinstripes. You really liked the way the color looked on him. You had a dress in the same color. He bought it for you when you bought him that shirt for his birthday; he thought it was cute when you’d match.

“Yes. No problem. This is Jumin Han... Oh! No worries. I was just hoping I could book a private room for a half hour from now,” he was so cute and flustered on the phone. He likely had never done this before. “Yes, that’d be great. Thank you.”

He hung up the phone and you laughed, giving him a hug. “You’re so freaking cute,” you uttered, your towel slipping down your body from the eagerness of the embrace. You pulled back. “I picked out some clothes for us, if you like ‘em.”

He glanced over at the clothes you had hung up and nodded. “Perfect. You’ll look so beautiful in that.” He walked over and grabbed his clothes, taking them off the hanger and starting to dress.

“Don’t forget to call Driver Kim,” you reminded him, picking out a pair of shoes.

“I texted him already. No worries.”

You turned to grin at him and he was already half-dressed. You couldn’t tear your eyes away as he buttoned up the shirt, hiding more and more of his perfect figure. He paused on the top button. “You’re staring.”

“I can’t help it. You’re just so handsome,” you giggled, walking towards him and helping him with the top button. “Will you zip up my dress for me?” You turned your back towards him. He complied, zipping you up.

“Tie or no tie?” He asked, glancing at his reflection in the mirror.

“No tie.” You replied confidently. He nodded, putting on his suit jacket to complete the look.

You glanced at both of your reflections in the mirror. You laughed out loud. “I just realized my hair is soaking wet.” You pulled a hand up to run through his hair. “Yours too.”

“Oops. Guess I didn’t think about that. Why don’t you wear it up then?” He pulled your damp hair off your neck and held it up so you could get an idea of how it’d look with the hair away from your face. “Looks nice to me.”

“Okay,” you smiled. You checked the time on your phone. “We’re going to be late,” you chuckled, sitting down to put your hair up.

He grabbed your shoes and kneeled next to you, helping you step into the heels. As you put Bobby pins in your hair to ensure it looked nice, he grabbed a nude lipstick off the counter and applied it to your lips. “We make such a good team,” he chuckled. You looked at your reflection, satisfied with how well Jumin did on your lipstick.

“Do I look presentable enough?”

“You look breathtaking. Come now,” he offered you his hand and you grabbed it. “Driver Kim is out front.”

You had made it to the restaurant in no time. The staff was extremely nice, taking you to your own private room where you could enjoy each other’s company in peace. The dinner was lovely, but there were some bumps along the way. The waitress served Jumin a glass of wine and you a glass of water. Pregnant women couldn’t drink, of course. You tried to explain you weren’t pregnant. Your eyes were watery and honestly you were extremely embarrassed; it was challenging to get out the words. Luckily, all it took was Jumin requesting to “get her a glass of wine, please,” with a hard look on his face to fix that problem.

Luckily, the food was great. It was your favorite restaurant, after all. Jumin even offered to get dessert. All you wanted was a brownie, but they didn’t have brownies. They made you a brownie. You felt like an inconvenience, but Jumin tipped significantly to reassure you that there was no problem. You asked the chef to come out and thanked them for a their flexibility.

“I can’t believe everyone reads those articles,” you whined when you got in the car. “She really thought I was pregnant.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why she’d think that. The media is... challenging.”

“They hate me. Not that it matters. But wow. The press really is not fond of me,” you confessed, playing with a strand of hair that had fallen from your updo.

“They hate everyone.”

“Your father hates me too.”

“He only hates you because he wanted to date you instead of me. He thinks you’re lovely,” he defended his father.

You sighed and leaned your head on his shoulder. “I’m tired.”

“You can shut your eyes. I’ll be right here when you wake up.” He reassured you. You nuzzled into his shoulder to get more comfortable and shut your eyes.

You woke up to a clank sound. You sat up, startled. You were in bed? “Jumin,” you glanced at him, sunlight lighting his features. “Wow... I was pretty tired huh?”

“You were. It was adorable... but challenging... helping you get to bed.” He had the sweetest smile on his face. You realized you were in your pajamas. He had helped you get changed, taken off your makeup, and let your hair down, all while you were asleep?

“You’re the sweetest.” You glanced at the clock. He usually didn’t leave work for another hour, yet he was all dressed up already. “Come back to bed and lay with me?” You peeled the covers on his side of the bed down, offering him the spot.

“Wish I could, but I have an early meeting today.” He got down on his knee and gave you a kiss. “I made you pancakes though. Hopefully that’ll make up for it.” He stood back up, grabbing his watch and putting it on.

“I love you. Have a good day at work.” You smiled.

“Have a good day at home. I’ll try to be back as soon as I can, but I might be a little late. I’ll call you later.” He walked to the door to leave, but made his way back to you and kissed your lips once again. “Love you.” And with that, he was gone.

You opted to stay in bed with your pancakes for a while. What was shocking to you, though, was to see your name trending on Twitter. You sighed, opening the tag and bracing yourself for the worst. Gold Digger? Jumin Han’s Girlfriend Doesn’t Even Bother Dressing Up for her Nights Out, Endangering Baby, Sources Say. You groaned. You thought you looked okay. Jumin said you looked beautiful. You hadn’t even seen a camera, but there it was: another unflattering picture of you.

And at the top of the trending tag, a tweet from Sarah. “This girl is not only a home wrecker, ruining Jumin and I’s engagement, but an awful mother-to-be. She clearly only cares for herself.”

You hated this. All the replies were in support of her. Was that... no. Jumin’s father retweeted it too. A sob escaped your mouth. You’d never be good enough for him.

You were packing clothes in the suitcase before you even knew what you were doing. You didn’t know where you were going, but you were leaving. You left the dresses and gifts Jumin got you at the apartment; you were not a gold digger. You didn’t want anything to remind you of him; it’d hurt too bad.

You grabbed a piece of stationary off of the desk in the home office Jumin had installed. You pulled out a pen and began writing. You couldn’t abandon him with nothing. Your heart wouldn’t let you.

Jumin,

I’m sorry. I was never the girl your father wanted me to be. Never the girl the press thought you deserved. I was always kidding myself by thinking I was the right fit for you.

You’ve been raised in the spotlight your whole life. You’re brave and confident and never let anything get to you. I, on the other hand, am sensitive, fragile, and unrefined. I can’t stand in the spotlight; I’ve messed up a million times and I would just keep messing up if I let myself.

It’s not so much that the media has gotten to me; that everyone has turned against me and sided with Sarah... even your father. It’s that I know this will never stop. There will always be problems with me around. You will never have a moment of peace with me. You’ll never be able to walk into a room with me without hearing the whispers. I notice them everywhere I go.

That’s why I have to leave. For you. For your company. And because I’m not strong enough. I’m not who you thought so highly of; I’m an imposter. I could never succeed in your world.

Don’t come looking for me. I don’t even know where I’m going, I just know I need to get away. Get married to Sarah, or someone else refined and beautiful and polite. You deserve the perfect woman who society loves and who knows exactly what to do. That’s not me. It never will be.

I love you, and I wish you only the best.

You were sobbing. There was no point in signing your name. The teardrops littered all over the paper were signature enough. You dropped the note on the bed, grabbed the suitcase, and headed to the door. You were in leggings and a hoodie, sunglasses obstructing most of your face. The last thing you needed was to draw more attention to yourself.

You took a taxi to the airport. You paid for everything with your own money. You left the credit card Jumin had given you at home. You didn’t need to take anything from him. You went to the front desk and booked the cheapest flight as far away as possible. You had always wanted to go to Orlando, you figured. Maybe you could go to Disney World and spend the day sobbing at the happiest place on earth.

You checked your suitcase, went through security, got a drink from Starbucks, and settled down at the gate, waiting for your flight. You cried openly at the airport. Who cared at this point? You couldn’t eat. The only thing giving you any sustenance being the drink in front of you. Eventually they called your boarding group.

You weren’t in first-class, like you usually were with Jumin. No, you were in a cramped row of three at the back of the plane. It was refreshing. You were leaving your old life behind. You glanced out the window as you walked towards your seat. Goodbye Jumin. Goodbye RFA. You should have called Seven and told him. Told him not to track you down at the very least. You’d have to purchase a new phone. You were going to start completely anew. You sniffled, but kept walking down the aisle to your seat, each step feeling like purgatory as you felt the distance from Jumin increase.

[woodsiessilverduckies]

My view on Jumin Han and the MASSIVE effect his route had on me

Look it’s late I should be asleep let me rant about this legend, also I’m sorry this turned out to be an essay but honestly what I wrote is really important to me

He might just be my favourite fiction character ever because I relate to him so hard

From what I’ve played so far-

((I haven’t finished every route of every character, in fact I only played 1 Jumin route and I got a bad ending around day 9. Why don’t I play more if I claim to love him so much? SCHOOL))

-his route really managed to capture a lot of what I’ve been through, on a really personal level.

I think I started to realise we were in similar shoes when he talked about his father and his relationships (my dad has literally been with more girls then I can count)

Also my dad isn’t a good person, I’ll come out and say he’s an asshole to everyone. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like, that I don’t have fun with him sometimes and that I don’t enjoy being around him

I’ve read a lot of fan fiction, experience a lot of people’s ocs, seen a lot of media where terrible parents are made out to be absolute evils. But Jumin’s route was the first thing I’ve seen to make me go “...Finally. Someone finally understands.”

Another thing Mystic Messenger managed to represent wasn’t a hate Jumin harboured towards his father, or some type of warped love either. Just pure indifference when it came to the aspects of his father he disliked.

I can not emphasis enough how true this is!! I can’t count on both hands the times my dad’s picked me up from school with a girl I don’t know in the car, or when I walk into a room I don’t know with a woman in it I’ve never met.

I’m never confused, angry or disappointed when this happens; just indifferent. Try and be polite but also make sure not to get attached at all (both of which I do without even realising). Just pure indifference. Like how he was on his phone during dinner.

This was my second “Finally someone represents it right.” Moment.

From then on I was already attached.

Something I noticed about Jumin (though I may be reading too into things) is that he always has so much pressure on his shoulders. But, I don’t think that pressure is from his father, he seems pretty chill about Jumin’s whole “heir to the company” situation.

That pressure may have stemmed from his responsibilities, but Jumin put it all on himself.

I understand this so much. Both my parents have rather good jobs (or had... in the very least they had amazing education) and I’ve always been a smart child praised by them

But my mum puts no pressure on me at all. Well she does but only the normal amount. And my father the same, pretty much. Yet I still have to be at the top of the top class, the smartest of the smart, I’m always more disappointed in myself then they are in me.

I definitely feel like this is something Jumin struggles with.

Along with that pressure, he’ll never let anyone see him break. I’ve talked about my family life more in this post then I have to anyone irl. Why? Because I’m the smart, happy girl. The perfect student, perfect daughter, perfect friend, honestly I think I’m the empitomu of normal if I don’t consider my family life.

Jumin is like that too to an extent. He’s never going to let someone else see him break (unless they’re me of course, but we don’t all have mc’s in our lives lol). It really hits deep, ya know?

At this point I was beyond loving his character. Because Jumin was just incredible, beyond that even. A real representation of what I’ve been through, I’m genuinely in love with him.

Also, there are things we have in common on a basic level too; a love to an extent it’s practically religion for cats, casually formal and proper, and honestly I thought he was funny! Like seriously guys his jokes weren’t actually bad they made me laugh a lot!

It reached a point where I was so into Jumin’s route that every visual novel scene I would find my cat and cuddle with her while playing (funnily enough she’d a black ragdol so she looks a lot like what I imagine Jumin would look like if he was a cat).

So then, I vividly remember reaching a scene where Jumin starts talking to Elizabeth the third. He knew it was unhealthy that he trusted a cat more than any human being, and that the Elizabeth the third doesn’t actually understand what he’s saying, he’s just deluded himself into thinking that.

So this makes me look down at the cat in my arms, the cat who shared my bed most nights for the past eight years, the cat that’s seen my cry more then twice as much as any real human being, the cat who I’ve always spilled my heart out to and imagined as my best, most understanding friend.

//FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK//

I got the bad ending on purpose because I’d heard about the bad endings for Jumin and I was done being serious I just wanted some time to laugh and something to remind me that Jumin Han is not Jesus himself despite bringing me the realisation of a lifetime

Obviously I don’t relate to Jumin exactly, I’m not the son of a corporate legend and I’m sure Jumin’s never had to worry about his families financial status, and I bet he doesn’t have any of the problems I do with my health

Still crazy in love with Jumin though and this is how I am a Jumin Stan to death without being a kinky queen

I genuinely see him as a very wholesome and loving character because, well, because I see him as myself. I think he’d be so kind and gentle to MC because unlike anything else he owns, he can’t just buy a new one if she breaks, his money can’t solve any issues with her, and that’s what I think he needs

To summarise I need recommendations for wholesome Jumin fanfics or literally any Jumin fanfic lemon without all the kinky stuff please it’s surprisingly hard to find

[kirishwima]

For scenarios... could I request rfa accidentally meeting MC before the party? no drama like "there's a bomb so I gotta run to your place" they just accidentally meet somewhere and MC recognises them from the pictures in the chatrooms and goes to greet them. Rika's apartment can't be far away from where the others live so it should be impossible. (if you can find a way to squeeze in V that's okay but you don't have to)

i really liked this idea! hope i executed it well ^^

YOOSUNG:

MC and he were actually studying at the same university, but different subjects!

They had a common elective course of modern history though, one that Yoosung’s friends convinced him to take with them since they could share notes, and MC simply had an interest in it, and well, needed the extra credits

Neither of them really noticed each other at first-it’s a big classroom and it’s in the afternoons, so oftentimes Yoosung just skipped lmao

Once though Yoosung’s friends couldn’t make it to the class so he offered to go and take notes for the day, and rushed into the class a little late, so he took the first seat available-right next to MC

He struggled to both write and listen to the professor at the same time, and eventually he got a little behind with his notes. MC noticed his cute frustrated face and shared their notes with him, tapping him on the shoulder as they quietly pushed their papers to him

Yoosung’s happy face was stuck in MC’s mind-he wore his feelings on his sleeve and it was so refreshing to see someone this innocent at this day and age.

They became fast friends afterwards-exchanging facebook accounts and talking via messenger often, sometimes about the class, sometimes about anything and everything else

They even had study sessions to help each other study!

Near the end of the semester, and right when this extra class ended, is when MC stumbled upon the RFA messenger-and one look at Yoosung’s name along with his shooting star emoji got them excited to realise there’s a familiar face amongst this strangeness

The rest of the members found their friendship cute, and Zen constantly tried to play match-maker for the two, telling Yoosung that ‘he should’ve told the RFA he has such a cute girlfriend’ lmao

(*cue Yoosung flushing redder than Seven’s hair*)

ZEN:

No, contrary to what you might think, MC wasn’t his fan-they did however hear about Zen through friends interested in musicals, and agreed he was handsome

No, instead, they met him whilst helping out a friend who was working backstage at one of Zen’s shows-they needed help finishing up painting of some background sets, and MC offered to help them in their free time, and as a return their friend offered MC tickets to the show

Zen met MC whilst rehearsing-he knew MC’s friend and went over to say hi, and met MC, who he of course instantly tried to flirt with, even though he was half-kidding about it

Well, flirtatious nature aside, the two really hit it off, and became good friends-not that they were super close or anything, but Zen would stop and chat with MC after rehearsals, and he invited MC out along with the rest of the crew after the first successful run of the show

He didn’t exchange any social media accounts with MC, because quite frankly, he doesn’t have any lmao, and MC’s phone was broken so they couldn’t give him their number either

Zen insisted that if they leave it up to fate, they’ll meet again, and well-he was right

Lo and behold, MC joined the RFA, and whose face is the first they see in an oh-so-modest selfie?

Yup, Zen the Knight it is

His first words when he realised who MC was were ’See? I told you fate would find a way!’

Sure Zen,,,sure lol

JUMIN:

MC actually scored an interview as Jumin’s executive secretary!

They were so thrilled about it, and did their best to calm their nerves before the interview, knowing that being jittery and anxious would lead them nowhere

Well, they were more than shocked at Jumin’s cold behaviour, but they did their best to match his pace, answering each of his questions without missing a beat, mentioning their credentials without bragging about them

Honestly, Jumin was very pleased-he saw a perfect candidate across him, albeit a little inexperienced due to age, but that didn’t really matter to him-with a little training they’d be perfect for the job

Well, eventually though a better candidate came along, so MC was left with the rejection e-mail in their inbox, disappointed but ready to move on

They had all but forgotten about Jumin Han until stumbling onto the RFA and meeting him again, confused and surprised at the difference of his character in the chatrooms

They didn’t mention the interview at all, but Jumin has the memory of an elephant-one look at MC’s name reminded him of how he met them, and he reassured them that they were incredibly good at the interview and left an impression on him

It takes some getting used to his different attitude, but it’s refreshing to see a man they thought of as cold and calculated be a complete cat-loving goof-and it’s honestly one of the things that makes MC fall for Jumin

And vice-versa, Jumin remembers MC’s serious confident attitude at the interview, and is pleasantly surprised to learn what a gentle, kind person they are in the messenger

When they meet Jaehee though….boy are they glad they didn’t get the job lmao

*pat pat* it’s okay Jaehee…hang in there baby

JAEHEE:

MC was working part-time as a barista at a coffee shop near C&R!

It was a small independent shop, hidden in-between bigger franchises, but their coffee was great, and if there’s one person that loves good coffee, well, it’s Jaehee

The first time she visited the shop she was at a loss of what to order, the possibilities endless with all these brews of coffee they offered, and MC found Jahee’s flustered face adorable

They chatted her up to see what kind of flavours she likes and dislikes, and ended up making her a delicious cold brew with vanilla cream-just sweet enough to give her that sugar rush she needed, but not enough to hide the flavour of the coffee itself

Well, Jaehee was more than thrilled both at the taste, and at the cute cashier *wink wonk*, so she quickly became a regular at the shop

Yes this is your good ol’ cliche coffee AU DON’T JUDGE ME

She’d always stop for a cup of coffee before work, and would secretly be happy on the days she ended up meeting MC during their shift-she’d try and visit during her breaks too, when time would allow it, and would sit and sometimes chat with MC when the cafe wasn’t too busy

MC eventually learnt some stuff about Jaehee, that she works as a secretary to some annoying cat-loving rich dude (lmao sorry Jumin), that she loves coffee, and that her dream is to eventually open her own cafe, if circumstances allow it

One day, Jaehee went to the shop, knowing that MC had a shift at that time, but they were nowhere to be found-their co-workers said MC called in that they can’t make it today because something urgent came up, so Jahee nodded along, wondering if MC was okay

….well, she didn’t have to worry for too long, as not soon after she got her coffee and headed back to the office, a familiar name popped up on the RFA chatroom

Yup, this is a coffee shop au alright-just with some hacker and cat-loving twists lol

SEVEN:

You can never convince me that this boy is not an active reddit user, and you most definitely can Not convince me he isn’t in any and all paranormal and horror forums either

So he’s scrolling around on reddit one day, posting memes and trolling people, when he stumbles upon a really interesting thread someone made about the origins of mothman and possible sightings outside the USA

He’s hooked and spends a lot of time reading through the thread, intrigued by the sophisticated way the OP wrote their points and how well-thought of their evidences were

He started commenting on the thread and talking with the OP, who he soon became online friends with-he loved to chat with them about spooky stuff, cryptids, conspiracy theories and so forth

He didn’t talk much about himself, and would sometimes even make up some lies because he didn’t want to seem like a creep that won’t even share his name, but he couldn’t give out his info that easily; he did however tell them his code name, 707

Eventually they started talking outside of reddit too, through facebook messenger (i mean…we already know this dude has a facebook account and posts his cars there lmao), and is thrilled to find out more about his new online friend, MC, and to even find out they live far closer than he thought!

Well, he gets used to talking with MC almost everyday, and it’s actually one of the few highlights of his day-he’s never really had someone care for him the way this person, someone he hasn’t actually ever met in real life does. He wonders if they’d change their mind about him if they ever met him in real life, but shakes the thoughts away-it’s not as if this could ever develop into something more than an online friendship anyway

Well…or so you thought, Seven lol

When a stranger comes barging into the RFA messenger, he’s instantly tracing their steps and finding out all their internet activities, and lo and behold-whose facebook account is this that he ended up finding? Why, it’s none other than MC!

The moment Seven found out, he got suspicious; was MC just pretending to be online friends with him to hack into the RFA? Were they stealing information without him knowing?

It hurt to have to think this way, but how else could they be linked?

When he slowly found out MC was actually innocent, he was more than relieved-he secretly happy that he could now chat with them both online and on the RFA app, that he could share parts of himself with MC that he couldn’t before

to say he fell for them is the understatement of the century lmao

V/JIHYUN:

When he first started with photography, he took some classes at a local university to learn more about professional photography, photoshop e.t.c

And MC happened to be taking the same classes as him!

They often sat next to each other, not talking at first, but then their professors would sometimes ask them to pair up to work on assignments, and MC ended up paring up with Jihyun more than once

They became fast friends-Jihyun was a little distant, but always friendly in a cold, aloof way, and always polite, and he found MC to be so warm and gentle, he was naturally drawn to them

He did feel attracted to them, but never made a move-he was still struggling with so many things himself, he didn’t want to drag anyone else into his mess. He just wanted to focus on photography and that’s that

So whilst they talked a lot during university, as soon as they graduated, V drifted away, and when he even changed his phone number all communication was lost between the two

Well, time went on, and MC slowly began to forgot about the mint-coloured man they met, until they stumbled into the RFA chatroom

They didn’t realise it was Jihyun at first-he did change his name after all, and everyone in the char referred to him as V, but the way he texted was very familiar, even though MC couldn’t quite understand why

When he finally introduced himself, they were stunned. They didn’t want to ask him if he remembers them though-it’d be too embarrassing if he said he didn’t

But of course V did remember them-the moment Seven told him their name after his background check, all the memories came flooding back, opening up a Pandora’s box in his chest where he locked all those feelings away

Even if they’re back within arms’ reach, and even if they seem interested in him though…it’s useless. He’s far beyond repair, and if he didn’t want to drag MC into his mess then, he most certainly doesn’t want to drag them into it now

So he becomes distant again, more so than ever before but MC isn’t having it-they call him out on his bullshit, and tell him to square up and be honest otherwise they’re leaving

So V reluctantly admits to it all-to remembering MC, to his feelings towards them, and to his own cowardliness back then, and how it’s now too late to change anything; even if he wants to. God, he wants to.

hi I’m soph and i love to torture my favs lol

-send me a mystic messenger scenario/prompt for character reactions!-

[eg4mccc]

Sims 4 Patch Survival Tips

Rather than doing a link-heavy post that'd take me all day to pull together, I want to just write to you, instead.  You're welcome to come to Deaderpool's Discord anytime, for help with lastExceptions and other Sims 4 issues.  

However, after the absolute MESS the June expansion pack patch (before Island Living/Mermaids) made of the server, where it felt like all 20,000+ of our members descended on us, in a never-ending wall of panicked players, that honestly did not slow down for Two Weeks... I'm appealing to each of you, to Please show more common sense, this time around.

This patch will be a bad one, and a lot of things will break, both mods and custom content.  

If this will be your first Sims 4 patch, if you're a new player, welcome!  Come to Deaderpool's Discord when the patch drops, if not sooner.  Our Support Team has done post-patch recovery for almost three years on Discord.  

Here are some steps you can, and should, take before any patch, to make things easier on everyone involved:

Batch fix your CC with Sims4Studio if you plan to, before the patch.

Organize your Mods and CC.  Type is a good way.  If all of your files are loose in /Mods, start with Date instead. Year folders will make it more manageable if you have a lot of (older) files.

REMOVE your Mods folder.  If you don't, EA will disable them anyway.  

Patch.

Repair your game.

Load up once Vanilla, with no mods or CC.

Either make a new save, or, make a Save As copy of your game file, to keep your pre-patch save intact.  (You'll be missing CC.)

Come to Deaderpool's Discord.  

This is the part where knowing what just changed for the game is important.  We'll have links to the patch notes when they're available, and we'll be testing and tracking broken and updated mods and custom content, as reports are brought to us by players and creators.  We'll try to help you get your game put back together as soon as it can be done.

PLEASE Do Not Harass Creators, asking when their mods or CC will be updated.  That is not helpful, it's distracting, and you're actually taking them away from time they could be working on those files for us.  Plug into social media.  They will all post to their sites when their updates are complete.  Be patient.  It's important.  Everyone who creates for The Sims 4 would appreciate this, from everyone who plays the game.

As far as our support channels go, I'm also going to ask you NOT to bring us a 3.82 MB lastException error file that's full of all the mods and custom content that have just broken.  

That's why I said earlier to Take Everything Out, before you load up that first time after you've patched.  Most of what game changing mods you've had will not work any more, and there's no reason to even try them.  The script mods and UI mods (including school, club and career mods) will almost surely all break.  Package mods will take a hit, also.  CAS and Objects could, too, because EA will be adding new things there.  

Another point, when the pack comes out after the patch, there might be another round of updating needed for some mods/CC.  We'll just have to see what happens when the time comes.

Be Skeptical, after the patch (any patch).  TEST.  Whether you come to Discord for help or not, it's in your best interest to SLOWLY add your content back in, to check it for errors, especially if you're testing while we're waiting for Deaderpool to update MC Command Center.  

Keep in mind, without MCCC, you'll need to keep an eye on your /Sims 4 folder for new lastExceptions, you won't get any notifications in game.

Don't blindly trust Mod Conflict Detectors.  They do not know how to handle script mods at all, they are only for package files.  Their biggest feature is pointing out duplicates (recolors) and Sims 3 package files.  Doing 50/50 is the best way to find broken content.  If you don't know how, or what that is, come to Discord.

Above all, Don't Panic.  Many of us on the Team have been through patch-recovery several times over the past five years, and as long as everybody plays nicely, we will all make it through.  Do your legwork beforehand, and come visit while we're waiting for news.  

We have several chat channels you might enjoy, too.  If you haven't been on Deaderpool's Discord before, or recently, you may need to Verify.  If all you see are "read only" channels, you haven't verified your way past the bot, yet.  

And if you're at all interested in giving back, check through the Read First section, you might see some opportunities.  Always looking for new Interpreters, if you speak more than just English and would help us with other players, please, let us know!

Thanks for reading.  Get ready, University is coming!

[komatsunana]

Hi ! I love all your posts about NANA, especially the relationship meta ! If I may ask, do you have one about Nobu ? What do you think of him as a character ? What about his relationships with Nana, Hachi, Asami, Blast, Ren ? (sorry if I ask a lot...) Like every new year I think about NANA, I bought the first volume in january 2004, my feelings about characters and the choices they made may have changed since I grew up but, no matter what, I still love this story. Thank you for your time xox

Thanks!

Haha, it’s actually funny I was just thinking yesterday about my promise that I didn’t live up to to write some more meta (including a Nobu one) after my latest NANA re-read almost a year ago. A few deaths and other tragedies happened so I never finished my re-read... (Right at the start of my favorite arc at that!!)

But let’s see if I can’t give a quick summary of my current Nobu feelings....

My personal thoughts of him are complicated. Or maybe they aren’t? I don’t particularly dislike or like him. He’s definitely the character I understand the least.  

I’m very interested in his evolution of learning to call female characters by their actual names (Him refusing to call Hachi Nana until they broke up, him only starting to call Miu Miu instead of Myu when she hinted that it bummed her out no one ever tried to say her name properly, to him calling Asami Asami instead of Yuri the moment she told him her real name).

On the other hand, I have some misgivings on how Nobu becomes more grabby and manhandles Asami, grabbing her by her arm/wrist and stuff when it used to be a big thing with Nobu and Hachi holding hands.  I def need to finish my re-read to get a full grasp on that aspect of his character, because my memory of him doing all that is completely at odds with how I remember him being respectful of Asami being involved with sex work.

Another thing I am really interested in Nobu is like... Ok so I’m kinda a connoisseur of shojo (lol) and there’s this trope that often comes up with male love interests who are have sad backstories shutting out the female MC early on in their relationship and being like “you’ll never understand because you’ve had a happy childhood.”  And what interests me is that I feel like Nobu is that female MC in this case??? Like with Nana and Ren both kind of shutting Nobu out and telling him he should stop struggling with a music career and just take after his family business. What’s interesting about that is that I feel like it could just as easily been Takumi and Nana that shut Hachi out for the same reason... but they really don’t (even if they totally recognize that they are drawn to Hachi because of her happy home-life growing up). Idk if I’m explaining it in way that makes sense but idk I think it’s interesting.

I’m also like............. extremely interested in the fact that Nobu apparently has some ESP abilities?!?!? Like something very supernatural happened to him after Nana’s grandma’s death and then later after Ren’s death. I find that fascinating, especially in a series that is so praised for it’s realism that the most “normal” character hast this latent, unexplored ability.  I really hope we get to see more of that if the series ever continues.

His relationship with Nana is a stand-out relationship for me.  Outside of Nobu saying he used to have a crush on her, I really love that their relationship never goes romantic either.

I think Hachi once said that Nobu just kept saying all the things she wanted to hear him say right before they got together... And frankly he does the same thing for Nana.  The way he says he only wants to play guitar for Nana’s voice, when it’s all that Nana wants Ren to say to her... Gosh I am very interest in that.  

Both Yasu and Nobu take on a lot of Nana’s emotional burdens but it’s very interesting the different kinds of burdens she puts on them both? I can’t quite put my finger on the differences atm, but it’s not some simple thing.  But as Yasu said after the news about Nana’s mother broke out in the media, Nobu was the only one that Nana can completely cry and break down in front of without shame.

As for Hachi... I feel like I’ve talked at least a little bit about it but...

Hachi/Nobu was def Hachi’s most healthy relationship... And yet it wasn’t healthy.  As Hachi noticed early on in relationship, Nobu was idealizing her. 

I did note earlier that Nobu was grabby with Asami after his break up with Hachi, but I can think of at least one instance too where after their break up that Nobu grabbed Hachi by the wrist.  Idk if this was something purposeful in the narrative, but it really is something I want to look at more in the future because shojo manga really does have this bad habit of male love interests just grabbing women by the arm and that somehow completely subdues the woman and makes her unable to get away. (read about it here (Possessive Wrist Grab) and here (Standard Female Grab Area) on tvtropes for more on it) and I feel like it’s something that Nobu developed as a result of Hachi’s “betrayal.”

Idk, I really don’t have any new things to say about their relationship atm that I don’t (think) I’ve already wrote about. I think there’s quite a few meta I haven’t added to my meta masterpost. I’ll try and do that ASAP and reblog it

OK then! His relationship with Asami.... I really do need to sit down and do a proper full length meta about this relationship sometime but for now:

As I said earlier about Nobu grabbing at Asami’s wrists in a way he never did with Hachi while they were romantic.  Other than that, Nobu was pretty much always emotionally unfaithful to Asami (though I admit for a significant portion of it he was trying to get over Hachi) and all in all, a bad boyfriend to Asami.  

To my memory he was good at supporting her as a sex worker, but unfortunately I think the only reason he was able to do so was that he’d gone from the idealizing Hachi as a purity extreme to being with a woman that he was unable to separate her porn career from her a person.

Basically I think his relationship with Asami really just highlights that Nobu looks like a guy who drinks his respecting women juice... but really he kind of continues to struggle to see his love interests as women who are actual people.

(I really do promise I don’t hate Nobu!! And honestly lots of  this are just from my memory of the half of the manga I haven’t read in a number of years.)

Blast!  Simply put, Blast wouldn’t exist with Nobu.  He’s the heart and the reason for it’s creation.  

I think it’s easy to think that Nana is, but I’m pretty sure I remember that Blast was named before Nana joined - that Ren and Yasu were part of Brute before that. They didn’t say it but Nobu just isn’t the kind of guy that would be in a band named Brute.  So that name had to go for Nobu to be in it.  Lol.

Additionally, when Nana moved to Tokyo if Nobu hadn’t insisted on following then any band Nana would have formed wouldn’t have been Blast.  Blast on exists in Tokyo because Nobu went there.  Nana can have her own solo career, but Nobu won’t because he only plays for Nana’s voice but at the end of the day... Even though Nana is the singer and Yasu is the leader, Blast belongs to Nobu.

I mean, plus he writes the songs.  And he’s so passionate about music and Nana’s voice - that’s why their band succeeds.  Nana’s voice and Nobu’s desire to make music only for that voice.

And oh gosh... Ren....

Ren might have more in common with Nana, but Nobu is the one that really knows Nana better.  And I think Ren knows that - he trusts Nobu in a way he doesn’t trust his best friend Yasu.

I’ve talked about it a bunch before, that child!Ren is the result of Hachi’s current pregnancy and that Nobu is the biological father... And it just makes *so* much sense for Nobu’s bio child to have Ren’s name. I weep.

I already mentioned it but... It speaks so much volumes that of everyone that was mourning Ren’s death, it was Nobu who received that supernatural moment - the song that played with no CD in the stereo.  Ren leaving it up to Nobu to be the one to play the music for Nana’s voice, so Nana’s voice will never be silenced.  If the common theory that Ren’s gift to Nana was a song that Ren wrote for Nana to sing, then I think it’s likely the song that Nobu heard after Ren’s death was that song.

That’s all I got for now!  But I’ll write more someday... I promise!! I just can’t promise when.  But yes! I so relate - NANA was one of my very first manga too... One of the first 10 at the very least!!!!  I still remember so much, picking that first volume up at a library and wanting more just from the prologue!  I’ve loved measuring my own maturity by reading NANA and reacting differently... It’s just one of the those series!!

No problem!!!!! I always have time to talk to other NANA fans.

[saizoswifey]

you don’t have to answer this if you’re too busy, but i’d love to know what your best boys (saizo, johan, kyle, kiro, etc.) have in common and what you love about them 👀💗

Okay I know I already told you but I love this ask sooo much lol. Thank you!!!!! It really made me think a ton. Which I LOVE. 

To start off, I’m going to have to begin with BEST BAE JOHAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY LOVE MY HUSBAND!!!!!!! LOVE OF MY LIFE!! Because he is quite frankly the most complex. 

_________________________________

“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads; and on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads were blasphemous names… And the dragon gave it his power and his throne and great authority… They worshipped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, saying ‘who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?' “

There are so many layers to Naoki Urasawa’s Monster and Johan as a character that I honestly would need to go off on it entirely on its own, and I would STILL have a tough time touching on everything I love. 

Johan Liebert is a typical type of character I go for. He is probably THE top favorite character I have ever come across in media when it comes to Evil and Complexity. And he actually has a bit in common with Saizo. 

What I love about Johan is the tragedy of what he became. You can truly look back on his past and see all of the factors that led him to become the way he is; a man with extreme intellect, cunning, the incredible ability to charm everyone he meets. A true genius. But also, someone who can manipulate people, even children, even ORPHANS to suicide or murder. Someone who murders and doesn’t think twice. What could he have been had the path lay different for him? Or, perhaps, was he always destined to live with this Monster inside of him, considering he was born out of a Eugenics experiment, to begin with? That’s what I love so much about him and this series.

 It’s so focused on a few key things. Among those are our choices in life and how they can easily stack up to eventually become the mountain of solitude we stand on, the struggle with identity, mainly: NAMES. 

Lastly, another important aspect to the series is the playful way it dips in and out of reality. 

What I mean by that is, Johan really has this fictional quality to him. That’s another reason I love him SO MUCH. We often hear even Inspector Lunge question whether or not Johan is an actual person. Johan is like a character in a fairytale, which fits well with the fairytale we have in the actual story. Even Johan’s name seems like an illusion of the mind. 

Tenma: Stop it, Johan! I know you! I was your doctor nine years ago. Don’t add any more crimes to your list!

Johan: Heh… heh heh heh… 'Johan’… There was a time when I went by that name. But it’s not my real name.

You honestly come to doubt at a point whether or not Johan is a real person, and that’s EXACTLY what he wants. Johan, in a sense, is nothingness. So fictional at times that some characters even said he was a real-life vampire. 

I think I have something in me that draws me to suicidal characters or characters with no sense of self-preservation but Johan is no exception. Feeling abandoned by his mother and alone, 

and being used and abused and brainwashed, being groomed into the next Hitler and then moving from place to place, he emulated The Monster in the picture book. He moved from family to family trying to take on their names and become what they wanted but in the end, he killed them. The monster inside of him broke free. 

Johan captivates me because he is so enigmatic, seemingly everywhere and nowhere at once. He never had a sense of self, and that’s what makes him so horrifying, enough that he makes even average serial killers look less terrifying. Because at least they have methods to their madness, yet Johan kills pretty coldly and without any motivation. He tried to orchestrate what would be his “perfect suicide” after murdering the Liebert’s but when Nina failed to kill him and Tenma saved him he turned to, like, plan B. Just like how he, as a child, manipulated the weak points in the orphans and staff, orchestrating what would have them all turn and kill each other, he would try to do the same in the world. He doesn’t work with a set of principals aside from chaos. 

All of his life it had been hammered into him that life was about being on top, the best. You either succeed and come out on top or lose. His sister being chosen over him, and the experiments at 511 kinderheim. How many children did they go through and toss aside like garbage before Johan? Even the eugenics experiment that was a series of chosen “perfect specimens” to create the next world leader, bringing about his birth. It’s always survival of the fittest to Johan. He had to come out on top. So in his loneliness and strife for being left the only one standing, fulfilling what he was born to do, he decided to throw the world into chaos and let them all devour each other to show his superiority and also to get revenge for bringing him into this world yet leaving him alone and with nothing, not even a name. 

When he stumbled upon the book in the library it triggered him and changed his thought process a bit, though. He was reminded of his childhood again, and the perfect suicide. I think around here is when he began to play with the idea of letting Tenma kill him once he got rid of everyone who knew who he was. He could then disappear like he never existed. So he could evaporate into his complete loneliness like the monster in the book. And I love how expertly manipulative he is, using the people from his childhood and everyone he can in order to help him achieve this goal. They think they’re going to be immortalized or help rule the world next to Johan. They think they’re the power players but never come to see they’re simply pawns until Johan eventually kills them. 

I love extremely intelligent and charming characters. I love evil characters. And I mostly love characters who are evil for chaos’ sake. Characters who do terrible shit with no rhyme or reason why. Bonus points if they have that ONE PERSON who they are attached to and would never harm. Johan hits all of these for me and I instantly fell in love. 

I like the parallels between 511 Kinderheim and Iga. Both Saizo and Johan are lonely, both ending up in a place where they are brainwashed and abused and taught to rid themselves of all emotion and human attachment in order to become the ultimate weapon/specimen. I also see a lot of parallels between Johan/Nina and Saizo/Hotaru. 

Both Saizo and Johan are tragic characters, both suicidal but for different reasons. Both of them grapple with their own duality and their sense of self. They really don’t know who they are at the core, and both feel as if they’re just tools living in the shadows and one day they’ll disappear into nothing and no one will care. 

They are also both incredibly charming and good looking, able to get away with so much and slip into any circle due to their high level of intelligence and cunning. They’re both characters that have done some lifechanging GOOD for people, but have also done terrible things on the other end of the spectrum. The dynamic in both is vast, and that’s something I love. Because humans are not ornately ‘good’ or ‘evil’ but a mix of both. It makes them great characters. 

Genya also has a lot of these same points in common with Johan. And even more so because he has a twin just like Johan. A twin who was weaker than him that he felt the need to protect, a twin that he felt was his other half. Just like Johan. 

Almost all of the characters in my top boys have either high intelligence or a tragic/traumatic past. Sometimes both. Mugen, Levi, Johan, Saizo, etc. they all have this in common. I also love characters with self-destructive tendencies. Bonus if it’s a coping mechanism lol. 

I like characters that have pain in their past and could either go dark or light because of their trauma. I tend to go for the characters who end up going down the dark path like Johan but I also don’t mind the ones that end up going on the light path like Saizo, Levi, Mugen, Kyle, and Genya. Kyle has intense trauma and could have easily turned to anger and hatred but he chose to forgive and live and save people. He’s still a dumpster fire sometimes with his drinking to cope with his pain and memory but he’s a good man. 

I think Kiro has more in common with Kyle than anyone else in my favorites. They both have trauma in their pasts and they mask it with smiles. Both are kind of brick-headed when it comes to love and err on the side of taking things slow and supporting each other without looking for much in return and I like that about them. I like that they both offer tons of support to MC and encourage her to be the best she can be, and they enjoy just being around her without needing anything else. They are good friends first, and the rest develops really naturally. 

Overall, if a character is: 

cocky as fuck

shady as fuck

evil

murdery

chaotic

pained by the ghosts of their past lol 

god mode at sOMETHING 

GENIUS 

hate everyone but that One Special Dumbass they will protect at all costs

stoic

at war with whether to be evil or good

take things extremely slow with their MC/SO and come at them from a level playing field of respect

chances are I’m in love with them hahaha. 

Thank you for this!!! Sorry its Johan loving hours here 24/7 so most of this was just me yelling about him but whvedhjwv I hope this did an okay job answering you!!!!!!!!! 

[badchoicesposts]

Don’t Dream It’s Over Chapter 4

Series Summary: Liam and Ali thought that their relationship was perfect, but their whole world came crashing down when Constantine called him back to Cordonia. Four years later they meet again at Liam’s bachelor party, determined to make things between them work even if it isn’t always easy.

In this AU, Liam and MC (Ali Moonessar) dated for a year in New York while Leo was still crown prince. They broke up when Constantine asked Liam to come back to Cordonia, but they meet again at Liam’s bachelor party before the social season. The story will contain flashbacks, which will be italicized, of their relationship and follow them as they try to navigate the season with Ali as a suitor. I’ve messed around with the timeline a bit so that it fits the story better. I’ve also added in a few OCs of my own.

Pairing: Liam x MC (Ali Moonessar)

Word Count: 3,444

Taglist: @flowerpowell, @kingliam2019, @ao719, @emceesynonymroll, @hopefulmoonobject, @dcbbw, @qammh-blog, @liamxs-world, @drakesensworld, @i-only-signed-up-for-fanfiction, @timothygorgeous (tagging your new blog in case you still wanted to be on here, if not let me know)

A/N: This is my first time ever posting a fic. Please let me know if you enjoyed it and would like to read more. I thrive on validation, lol. Thanks for reading! 

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Leo watched from his place beside Liam as their father’s face filled the computer screen. At first glance the king appeared to be completely calm, but as Leo looked closer into his eyes, he could see the fury beneath them. It was a look that he had been very accustomed to, having seen it directed to himself on many occasions. However, Leo couldn’t think of a time where he had ever seen Liam be the object of their father’s anger. 

Liam had always been the perfect son and everything Constantine wanted in an heir. When the two were young Leo wondered how Liam always seemed to be so well adjusted. Although he loved his younger brother dearly, he was often angry that Liam always did what he was told and in turn made him look worse for wanting a life outside of politics and courtly events. It wasn’t until they were older that he realized how much Liam sacrificed his own happiness to please their father, and how much he himself was to blame for that sacrifice. 

The first time he truly noticed it was when Liam returned to Cordonia from New York four years ago. 

Leo opened the door to Liam’s room in the palace and dropped himself down on the sofa next to him. He grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the table in front of them and took a gulp before turning to his brother with a smile on his face. 

“How are you, brother?” he asked. 

It had been a while since the two had seen each other. The last time they had spoken, Liam had just begun working at the Cordonian embassy in New York. 

“Where have you been, Leo?” Liam asked, sighing as he ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair. 

“Fiji. It’s gorgeous this time of year. You would love it. When did you get back from New York?” he asked as he continued to drink from the bottle. 

He still hadn’t sensed the other man’s agitation.

“Last week. Father asked me to return home because he had no idea when you would.”

Leo was taken aback by the sudden harshness of his sibling’s voice. 

“Is there a problem, brother?” he asked, raising his own voice now.

Liam shot up from his seat and began pacing the length of the room. 

“I shouldn’t have had to do it, Leo! You’re the heir to the throne, not me!”

“You’ve never had a problem pretending to be the heir before!” Leo yelled, getting to his own feet now as well. 

“That’s because I couldn’t!” 

Liam’s words stopped him completely. The two brothers just looked at each other for a moment, both trying to catch their breath after the intensity of the argument.

“You were always gone and father needed someone. I couldn’t have a problem with it because someone needed to be here while you weren’t,” Liam said more calmly this time. His shoulders slumped, and the tiredness was evident in words as he spoke. “I shouldn’t have had to do it this time, Leo. I shouldn’t have had to leave her.”

Leo properly looked at his brother for the first time that night and saw a sadness in his eyes that he had ever seen there before.

Liam dropped back down onto the sofa and rested his elbows on his knees before burying his face in his hands. 

“I didn’t want to leave her.”

“What were you thinking?” Constantine asked, his voice calm but filled with control anger. 

“Father, I-,” Liam began, before stopping himself. 

He didn’t know what to tell his father. He didn’t know how to explain that when he saw Ali he felt as if he couldn’t control himself. She had always brought out a different side in him. A side that was more carefree and loved without consequence. A side of him that made him want what was best for himself and not just for his father or his country. 

“How could you be so reckless, Liam?” Constantine yelled, his hand slamming down on the desk his computer was resting on. “The social season is only a month away, and you know how dangerous indiscretions like this can be. There are videos of you kissing this woman in the middle of the street! Are you honestly willing to ruin your reputation for some common whore?” 

Leo watched as his brother’s face hardened. 

“She is not a common whore or an indiscretion!” Liam yelled back, his fists clenched at his sides. 

“She’s not a lady of the court. She shouldn’t matter!” 

There was no denying that Constantine was furious now. He opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could get a word out, Leo took the chance to begin speaking himself. 

“It’s obvious that Liam has very strong feelings for this girl,” he began calmly.

“Obvious? It’s more than just obvious. The entire country saw him kiss her, heard him beg her to stay with him!” Constantine exclaimed. 

Leo took a breath to keep from losing his own temper, knowing that it would only worsen the situation. 

“Yes, as I was saying, it’s clear to everyone that Liam has feelings for this girl. Father, you and I both know that Liam has never done something like this before. In all twenty-eight years of his life he has done nothing but follow your instructions and do what you think is best. But, the fact that he was willing to go after her and make a fool of himself in public must mean that she’s something special,” Leo said with a small laugh. 

Both Liam and Constantine glared at him, and he immediately removed the smile from his face. 

“Is there some point that you’re trying to make?” Liam asked, annoyed. 

“My point is that we should give her a chance. If Liam thinks that she’s worth it then we should trust his judgement. Let her prove that she can fit in at court. I’ve already spoken to Lord Maxwell Beaumont, and he has agreed to sponsor her for the social season.”

Liam’s jaw dropped at his brother’s words. He had never considered the possibility of having Ali join the social season. 

Leo looked on as his father mulled over his words, his face serious. When he saw Ali last night he knew that there was no way he could just let her go. It was his fault that the two had ever really separated in the first place. After the fight he and Liam had the night he got back from Fiji he had done enough self-reflection to see how his actions had changed his sibling’s life. He made the decision to abdicate the throne because he knew that he would never make a good king, but in the back of his mind he had always felt guilty for putting so much on to the other man’s shoulders. He had completely changed Liam’s life. However, seeing Ali gave him the opportunity to change it one more time in what he hoped would be the best way possible. He would do whatever he needed to do to make sure that Liam ended up with the love of his life. 

He had spoken to Maxwell after everyone had gone back to their own rooms last night. It did not take much convincing for the young Beaumont to agree. He already seemed to have taken a liking to the girl, and it was quite clear to him and all of the other guys that she and Liam had never truly gotten over each other. Everything was already in place regardless of whether or not their father approved. Who House Beaumont chose as their suitor was entirely up to them, and it would seem inappropriate for the king to outwardly oppose them. The only thing really left now was to get Ali to agree to come back with them. Constantine was backed into a corner. 

“The point of the social season is for Liam to find a suitable wife, someone capable of being queen. If the Beaumonts make the decision to bring this girl to court then that is their choice, but, Liam, you should do well to remember that it is your job to put Cordonia first,” he said, a note of finality in his voice. 

Liam and Leo both knew what he meant. His words were a warning.

“Yes, father,” Liam said.

He ended the video chat and leaned back into his chair, looking up at his brother. 

“Do you think she’ll actually agree to come back with us?” he asked.

“If you had asked me last night I would have said yes without a doubt, but now it’s going to depend on how much that whole ‘I apologize for my for my lapse in judgement’ thing pissed her off,” Leo said, bringing up his words from earlier.

                                                      ~~~~~~

Ali sat alone in her room, the Mamma Mia soundtrack playing loudly in the background and Tuesdays with Morrie clenched tightly in her hands. They were two things that were guaranteed to make her feel better no matter how terrible her day was. However, as she mindlessly hummed “Super Trouper”, she realized that she couldn’t concentrate on the words on the paper in front of her. She grabbed her phone and huffed out a breath as she rolled over onto her stomach. 

It had been buzzing all afternoon. She didn’t want to know how, but the press had already figured out who she was, and her social media accounts were blowing up. After the first few frantic messages asking her who she was and if she wanted to comment on this morning’s events, she had logged off of all her accounts altogether. There was nothing to tell. Liam was going back to Cordonia, and everything would blow over once the social season began. 

“Some things never change,” came a soft voice from behind her.

“What are you doing here, Liam?” she asked tiredly without turning around. 

“I wanted to apologize.”

“For what? Your momentary lapse in judgement?” she asked sarcastically, finally moving to look at him.

“I wanted to apologize for speaking to you the way I did this morning. I wanted to apologize for telling you that I loved you and then taking it back.” 

Liam stepped further into her room, and when she didn’t object, he sat on the bed next to her. He pulled her closer to him, grabbing one of her hands in both of his.

“Ali, I love you and I’ve never stopped loving you. I’m sorry for everything that I’ve put you through,” he said softly. 

He tried to look into her eyes, but she immediately pulled away, moving to stand in front of him instead. 

“Okay.”

“Okay?” he questioned. 

Ali sighed.

“I know you Liam. Or at least I think I do. I know that you didn’t intentionally want to hurt me this morning, but it was all so much, and it happened so fast. Everything just made me feel...gross,” she finally said, after not being able to find the right words.

“And I’m angry. I know you apologized, but I’m still angry with you and with this situation. I’m angry that you came after me when you knew that you were leaving again, and I’m angry that you called it a ‘lapse in judgement’. I’m not going to let you treat me like I was a mistake, and then just forgive you because you say that you’re sorry,” she continued defiantly, beginning to pace around the room.  

Liam got to his feet and placed his fingers under her chin, tilting her head so that she looked up at him. 

“I know that I can’t take back my actions, but I am so sorry, my love. You could never be a mistake. I hope that you can find some way to forgive me.”

Ali nodded, not saying anything. Her mind was still reeling, and she was still upset, but she couldn’t deny that finally getting her feelings off her chest helped her feel a little better. It also helped to know that he felt guilty about it. 

“I’m sorry for trying to sneak out this morning,” she said quietly, “I just- I’m just so tired of missing you. I thought it would have been easier if we just didn’t have to say anymore goodbyes.”

“I don’t want to say goodbye to you either. That’s actually why I’m here.” 

“What do you mean?” Ali asked, her brows furrowed. 

“We should go talk downstairs,” Liam said, taking her hand and leading her back down to the living room of the penthouse.

Upon entering the room, Ali was surprised to see Maxwell sitting awkwardly on the edge of one of the recliners. Emma and Ezra were both sitting on the couch opposite him just as uncomfortably, glaring over at him ever so often. Drake, however, was leaning back comfortably on the couch next to them, his arm thrown carelessly over the back of it as if he was used to being there everyday.

“Maxwell? Drake? What are you guys doing here?” she asked.

“Oh, Ali! It’s so good to see you!” Maxwell said, letting out a sigh of relief and jumping to his feet to pull her into a tight hug. 

Ali was caught off guard for a moment, but then hugged him back anyway. Drake nodded to her from his place on the couch, and she felt a wave of guilt surge up inside of her. 

“Sorry for walking out the way I did this morning. I know you were trying to help when you offered to go for a walk, but I just couldn’t handle everything going on,” she said, quietly. 

“I get it,” he said casually. 

Ali could tell that he wasn’t upset with her, and she was grateful that he was willing to just let everything go. 

“What’s going on, Liam?” she asked, turning to him again.

“Let’s sit, and I’ll explain everything,” he said, motioning for her to sit down. 

“As you know the social season is beginning soon, and as the crown prince, I’ll be expected to find a wife. Each of the noble families of Cordonia will put forth a young woman, usually from their family, to represent their House as one of my... suitors,” Liam began, cringing at his own words. He had always known that finding a wife during the social season was old-fashioned, but saying the words out loud made him realize how bad it sounded. 

“During the social season the women will attend court functions and participate in events, and I am in turn supposed to spend time with each of them so that we will be able to get to know each other. At the end of the season I’m supposed to pick one of the suitors to marry. I wish it could be as simple as me choosing the woman I love to become my wife, but it is important for me to choose someone the people like. Someone that would make a good queen, as they will inevitably be one day. One of the most important parts of the season for the suitor is proving to the people, the press, and the king and queen that she would be able to make a good leader.”

“Okay, I have a lot of opinions on everything you just said,” Ali began. 

“Let him finish. You’ll definitely have a lot more when he’s done,” Drake piped up.

Ali and Emma shared a look of confusion and distaste.

“As I said earlier, it’s the job of each of the noble families to put forth a suitor. However, House Beaumont is only made up of Maxwell and his older brother Bertrand. They were still unsure of who they were going to choose until last night. Maxwell wants to sponsor you so that you may join the social season.” The hesitation was clear in Liam’s voice as he finished speaking and looked to the woman he loved with hope in his eyes.

Ali, however, stayed rooted to her spot, staring at him with her mouth slightly agape. 

“Okay, so you’re telling me that you want me to leave my entire life here and follow you to Cordonia where I’ll have to participate in some royal version of The Bachelor that could very well end in us not getting married? Wow, Liam, I’m flattered,” Ali said sarcastically. 

“My love, I know that it’s a lot to ask of you, but it’s the only way I can think of for us to still be together. I meant it when I said I couldn’t lose you again,” Liam said, rising to feet. 

He walked over to where she sat on the couch and kneeled before her, taking both of her hands in his. 

“Please tell me you’ll consider it,” he pleaded. 

Ali pulled away from him and walked over to the drink cart that the Larsons had in the corner of the room. She had always made fun of them for having one, saying that it was something that only stuffy, rich people on TV shows had. But, now she was glad to have the alcohol in such a close vicinity. She grabbed the first bottle she touched and took a large gulp of the brown liquid. 

“Liam, I’m twenty-five years old! I’m broke, working a minimum wage job as a waitress, and still trying to finish my Master’s degree! I can’t just pack up and leave based on a promise of ‘maybe we’ll live happily ever after, but there’s a good chance we won’t’,” she stopped to take a pull from the bottle before continuing, “Not to mention, I have a family here. The Larsons have been the only stable thing in my life for as long as I can remember. I can’t just walk away from them. I can’t just walk away from my life.” 

Liam looked over at her sadly. 

“I know that this is a big decision, and I don’t want to force you into something that you don’t want. You don’t need to decide right now. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to… to take you on a date first,” he said nervously.

“A date?” she asked, a hint of bewildered amusement in her voice. “Really?”

“Yes, a date,” he said, getting up and walking back over to her. “Let me remind you how good we were together.” 

Ali sighed and took another sip from the bottle. It had been a long day. She stood still for a moment, focusing on her breathing. 

“Fine. Take me on a date,” she said tiredly. 

Liam’s face lit up with a smile. He pulled her into a tight hug, wrapping his arms over hers so that they were stuck at her sides, and she was only able to awkwardly pat his elbow in reciprocation. He quickly pulled away when he realized why she was doing this and smiled shyly at her.

“I’ll meet you here tomorrow night at 7:00,” he said, still beaming at her. 

As Ali looked up at his happy face she couldn’t help but smile back, suddenly excited by the prospect of spending an evening with him. She momentarily scolded herself for the giddy feeling that came over her, regretting the choice to start drinking again. She needed to keep a clear head if she didn’t want to do something rash. Liam gave her one last gentle kiss on the forehead before the three men got ready to leave for the night.

“Drake, can you wait for a second?” she called after his retreating form.

He motioned for the other two to move on and turned back to meet her. 

“Do you think I should do this? Go to Cordonia?” she asked.

Drake sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Look, you know how I feel about court, but I think it’s pretty damn obvious that you two still love each other. I’ve watched him pine for you for the past four years, and from what Emma’s said, you’ve been doing the same thing.”

Ali furrowed her brows and turned to glare over at Emma. The other girl ducked behind her brother, a guilty smile on her face. 

“If this means that you two have a chance at being happy together, then yeah, I think you should do it,” he finished. 

Ali looked into his eyes and could see that he was telling the truth. She nodded, looking down at her feet as she listened to him walk away from her. She had a week to figure out whether or not she was going to uproot her entire life.

[meditatemoremedicateless]

Give us the Trans headcanons for the Dokis

Sure thing.

Rose (Main Character) - As soon as I got to naming a character to play the game for the first time, me and my housemates immediately decided that, regardless of what the game said, we’d be a transfeminine nb named Rose who uses they/them pronouns. The game is pretty insistent that you use he/him pronouns, but it doesn’t actually put in much work to say that you’re a boy per se. All DDLC content I create has Rose in the place of MC - they look pretty much like MC, but their hair is a bit longer, and their interests lie more in video games than manga (to give them a little less in common with Natsuki).

Yuri - People who have been following my blog for a while will know that I tend to hc my favorites in all media as trans (Victoria Chase, Pyrrha Nikos, Yang Xiao Long, etc), so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that I hc Yuri as trans. I didn’t initially - I initially only hc Natsuki as trans, but I honestly got so pissed off when I saw what ‘trans Natsuki’ discourse was that I made Yuri trans. I hesitated on that a little b/c of some fear of depicting Yuri as a ‘predatory lesbian’-esque character, but I think it’s worked out. I currently write Yuri as transfeminine nb using she/her pronouns.

Natsuki - As mentioned above, I head canon’d Natsuki as trans upon playing the game. I don’t remember any particular lines that made me think it, but both me and my current partner got that impression from the game. I figured that might play into her tsundere behavior - the complications of gendered bullying as a transitioning trans girl, especially when it comes to the possibility of anyone being attracted to you. 

However, when I found out why Natsuki was commonly thought to be trans (or, more precisely, why people on 4chan and Reddit thought she was a ‘trap’), I was... pretty pissed. So I started hc’ing Yuri as trans as well specifically in retaliation to the idea that trans girls always looked a certain way,  I guess, as well as to counteract both predatory lesbian and trap tropes. It’s one of the reasons I started shipping these two in particular so hard, beyond just finding them cute.

Sayori - I don’t have a detailed reason for this. Sayori is agender and uses they/them and she/her pronouns. They’re too fatigued to have a gender today. They are in love with literally all of their friends and only depression and anxiety keeps their charisma and libido in check. God nerfed them before Monika ever did.

Monika - The realization that even your conscious recollection of a life before being put into a video game is a fabrication of the game itself can do a lot to you. For one, it can give you an intense belief that nothing you assumed to be true about yourself is true, but was instead forced upon you. And if you had the chance to stop and take stock, both to choose and discover who you really are . . . maybe you wouldn’t make the same decision your creator did. Not to sound too much like a Hot Topic slogan, but Monika isn’t a girl. Monika’s an existential nightmare.