#though i may even if this flops because. i want to write this so bad

[fireylesbianhell]

This World Won't Ever Forget Us

Javid Bonnie & Clyde Au? tumblr made me do it. woo!

Based on the fic "Bite The Bullet" by and Orphan Account and a post made by @/spacestamps!

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For Jack Kelly, it simply started as a way out.

He didn’t mean for anything more significant; he figured all he had to do was get a job or two done and hightail it way out west; away from ugly old Oklahoma to somewhere, oh good god, somewhere better than here.

He had his eyes set on a little place called Santa Fe. Seemed endearing, and god knows New Mexico was far enough away from here.

Jack Kelly wasn’t a wise man - hell, he was a little orphaned 21-year-old with no money, barely a plan, the clothes on his back, and a hijacked car.

Ah, speaking of that hijacked car, the sirens behind him got more worrying as they got louder.

Revving slightly and pushing the pedal almost as far as he could go, breaking several traffic laws without even trying he blasted off down the dusty old roads, tattered shirt rippling in the pushing force of wind trying to slow him down. He saw a parting in the roads and smiled traffic coming up, and the good thing about the car manufacturers out here today was almost all these damn cars looked about the same.

He turned into the trafficked area and did his best to blend as he weaved through the exits and cut off a few now very angry civilians. He found a tail in a near-identical car that suddenly left him and the police were none the wiser as they sped off when he slowed;

Time to figure out where the fuck he was.

Jack cruised a bit, the adrenaline not gone but not as rampant as before. He passed apartments, bars, dusty old hair salons, and-

A quaint-looking diner called ‘The World’, with a bright peeling paint emphasizing the dreadful rundown look of the place.

Perfect.

He pulled in with a casual tumble, grabbing his ragged worn-out trench coat from behind him, and a simple little newsboy cap he found pawned from manhattan. Something about history or whatever, he turned out pretty quickly when he heard the cheap ass price.

Strolling in, the first thing that caught his eye- or, well, his ear first, then his eye- was the berating of some poor waitstaff.

“David! Getcha’ sorry ass over here!” sneered some sorry ugly-faced man in an even uglier bowler hat and- No, jack was sure he wasn’t seeing doubles- the wonder twins of ugly old' lane were harassing’ some unfortunate soul named ‘David’

Speak of the devil, some poor guy about his age skimped out with a poor look on his face, about the likes of a kicked kitten trudged his way out, a similar looking cap and a neat little blue shirt and vest combo- he wasn’t poor, by the looks of it, and held a clean air to him.

Jack found himself a seat, trying to law low of course in case Lucy Law strolled their way in after snuffing the dead end, but keeping a keen eye upon the waitstaff, who looked about in for a hard time with the look the disgustin’ doubles were sharin between themselves.

“Hey David, didn't we tell ya to keep these counters clean?” the one on the left scowled

“Yes, Morris.”

“And,” butted in the other one with a snarl, “What do we have here?”

Morris and wonder twin two pointed to a small splotch of a coffee stain, which looked pretty fresh. David sighed, grabbing a rag nearby and starting to soak it before-

“Hey! We’s ain't finished, kid.” Butted in Morris again. Smiling a sinister smile, he nabbed the rag from David’s grasp as the other twin corned him from the back.

David, God bless his soul, looked like he was trying to decide whether to soak the two in and out, or take a nap on the floor for a good century. His remarkably blue eyes looked dampened, and his hands were fidgeting and fleeting with emotions trying to grasp for control in the shit of a situation he was in.

Jack decided to choose a new spot at the bar, taking a seat two empty from a properly dazed lookin old fellow who was drooling into his eggs and potatoes.

“Excuse me, fellas-” he cut in as the twins were about to go on a spiel. The two looked at him with disgust while David looked with the relief of a man who just found a spring in the desert.

That paused him, letting out a fumbled smile before continuing

“I, ahem, just would like a coffee please.” nothing he intended on paying, mind you. He needed his money to go elsewhere, then a flirtin’ with the poor, pretty boy also stuck planted into Oklahoma to get away dime free wouldn't hurt nothing.

The other twin - Oscar, he gathered from the peachy little pin fallin' off his apron - sneered again, looking sad he didn't get to berate his poor employee anymore

‘Yeah, whateva. David! Get on it, and I better see that man served, this counter cleaned and this floor spotless when I get back or Snyder’s gonna be getting a really bad report.” he called behind him and trailed off after his brother.

Sighing once more, David looked up and met Jack’s eyes. he gave a pitiful smile to jack. 

“Thank you, sir. Now what would you like?” he said formally, that twinge of tired defiance laced his voice as it turned into an artificial customer-service mode. 

“No problem, at all. Were the wonder twins givin ya problems?” he leaned over the counter slightly. Hints of genuine concern laced Jack’s voice, which not only surprised David but himself as well. He was a romantic, yeah, but he never thought he was This bad.

The waiter paused, a bit taken aback before sighing yet again- he was on a roll now, - and letting down his coffee pitcher slightly. Grabbing a cup and pouring out the coffee he continued,

“Yeah, it’s my first day on the job here. And Oscar and Morris are…very strict. I’m already miserable but, money’s money, at least I get to see more than two places in this dead state. It’s up to three now.” he joked dryly, meeting Jack’s eyes as he placed the coffee down in his hands. 

He grabbed a towel, turning but keeping a side towards jack as he started to clean. Jack took a slow draw of a slip. Wow, what a guy. Surprisingly similar too. He placed the cup down, giving a chuckle and flashing his winning smile out to him. 

“Yeah, well, I feel ya. I’m gettin’ outta this hellhole though, mark my words.” 

David smiled back shyly, turning more. “Oh, I will. Say, I’ve never seen you round here much. New in town?” 

Jack chuckled again, “no, oh do I wish. But I got a car and a plan, how hard can it be?” 

David’s head slowly turned up, like gears were calculating in his head. His mouth set to open like he was about to say something before- 

“Dave! What did I say bout’ these counters!” Morris snarled out, stomping over to the two. He gave jack a downright nasty look before David grumbled and suddenly cut through the noise of the twins speaking over eachother 

“I’m taking a smoke break. When I get back in I’ll do it.” David said with a surprising edge of sass in his voice, despite how ready he seemed to pass out. 

He tossed the towel over his shoulder and grabbed a small pack of cigars from his pocket, leaving through the front of the diner, and back out toward the opposite parking lot. 

Jack fumbled, seeing Morris steam in his spot until he shot a look at his brother. Oscar nodded and followed him out. 

That can’t be good. 

Jack waited for a moment, hearing the yelling rise. Yeah, definetly can't be good-

He shot from his seat toward the exit as the old man beside him seemed to wake up a bit, (the bastard was even eyeing his coffee up)

he sharply turned the corner and what jack Jack found was a bloody-nosed David with a look in his eyes that could have knocked Jack out.

It was so cooly fierce, determined but not in a stupid way. This kid may not have the brawns but, those eyes were dangerous, and Jack loved it. 

But when David spotted Jack, he looks fleeted away for one of relief, followed by fear as he ducked away from another fly-by of Oscar’s fist. 

Jack ran up and clocked the guy behind the neck, gettin' him real good before flying in front of Dave and landing a kick in Oscar’s left thigh again. 

He reeled back and swing wildly, catching Jack’s cheekbone and giving it a bruiser. Jack cried out a yell and turned to see Dave on the other side that Oscar wasn’t looking from and got him in his bottom back, completely knocking the wind out of the guy from his side, probably achin his ribs for good measure too.

Oscar doubled over in a wheeze and Jack took this as an opportunity to grab Dave’s hand and bolt away. 

They got a good way to Jack’s car before he paused and said 

“Wait, wait- where are we going?!” he blurted, looking David in his furiously blue eyes. 

“Don’t know, don’t care, get me out of here. Far out of here. I don't care, you have your car and your plan- well I want in on that too. Please.” he grabbed and pulled forward both of Jack’s hands, eyes pleading yet forceful. 

“Wh-woah there, hold on- I can't just let ya- do you- how- don’t you have a home? A family?” he blurted again, quickly as he heard more yells from inside the diner, likely the boys of satan troubling up again. 

“I…they won’t care, it’ll be easier on them with one less person to care for. They don’t need my money if they don’t need to spend it on me.” he reasoned. his conflict was evident yet his drive to get the hell out of dodge was clearly winning out. 

Jack paused again- he felt for him, he really did, and good god did he want to run away with this boy. But, he had to be reasonable. he wasn’t exactly just planning on taking a drive mind you.

Dave must've seen this look before cautiously saying “if it makes you feel better, ill leave some money and a note saying Im safe’n all.”

Jack nodded before slowly starting “I don’t exactly have a very safe plan, though-“

Hearing a door open and a subsequent yell, Jack was cut off and panicked. David took this to jump in the car and shove jack in beside him. he got the memo pretty quick and backed out if there like a madman on wheels.

Hightaling it once more, this time he just happened to have a cute boy in his car. 

that had no idea he was a criminal.

Shit. 

[benispunk]

Good Company

logan howlett x reader

hello!!! guess who's back with a new story...I'm actually a bit nervous about it because I haven't (fully) written a reader insert fic in so long and I don't even know if it's a good depiction of the characters😭 anyway keep in mind that it was hard to write that, English is not my first language, and that I also want to write more, but I'm kind of shy around here. Okay enough about me. Enjoy!!

Wade worries that he’s seriously messed up with Logan, thinking he’s done something so bad that Logan might actually want to destroy him. Unsure of what went wrong, he turns to Y/n, Logan’s girlfriend, for advice.

TW: language, and Wade Wilson I guess.

Masterlist

Y/n was enjoying a quiet evening at her apartment, curled up on her couch with a book, when she heard loud knocks on the door. It was so insistent that she couldn’t help but roll her eyes, already suspecting who it was.

She opened the door to find Wade standing there, with a pizza box in one hand and a six-pack of beer in the other.

« Wade? » She raised an eyebrow. « What are you doing here? »

The man in question grinned brightly, shoving the pizza box toward her face as if it were an offering from a royal subject. « Surprise! I come in peace with gifts, for you, your majesty. I know, I know, you’re probably thinking ‘why is my most handsome friend standing at my door on this particular Friday evening, when I could be enjoying some alone time’- but here’s the thing, I was in the neighborhood, and I needed an excuse to come and see you, sunshine. »

Y/n’s skepticism deepened, her eyebrow arching even higher. « You were in the neighborhood? »

He shrugged, unbothered by the disbelief in her voice. « Fine, I was bored and I needed to see you and get away from the apartment. »

She frowned slightly, trying to figure out if there was more to this visit than he was letting on. « Alright, Wade. Come on in. »

Wade didn’t need a second invitation. He strolled into the apartment, setting the pizza and beer on the coffee table before flopping down on the couch with the ease of someone who had done this a thousand times before. Y/n followed, sitting beside him, her curiosity piqued.

« Okay, spill it. What’s going on? » Y/n asked, tilting her head as she studied him.

Wade cracked open a beer, took a long sip, and then let out a dramatic sigh. « First, I did really miss you and I’m so happy to see you »

Y/n softened at that, a small smile playing on her lips. « I’m happy to see you too, Wade. But what is it? »

« Second… » Wade’s usual bravado faltered slightly as he searched for the right words. « You know how Logan’s got that permanent scowl like he’s auditioning for ‘Grumpiest Man Alive’? Lately, though, it feels like he’s been directing all that grumpiness at me. I’m used to him being grumpy—kind of comes with the territory—but now it’s like he’s gone from ‘mildly annoyed’ to ‘seriously, get out of my sight.’ »

He paused, looking down at the beer in his hand, his fingers fidgeting with the label. « And I know I’m an asshole and I annoy him every single minute of his life- like a sugar rush and a headache all rolled into one- but he’s been kind of on the verge of trashing down the place all because of one stupid joke. So I’ve been trying, or at least I think so, to be less…the annoying bitch that I am, but I feel like he’s getting worse with me? I’m trying to laugh it off, but honestly, it’s kind of eating at me, Y/n. You’re pretty much the Logan-whisperer—got any insights? »

Y/n’s expression softened at Wade’s revelation. She reached over and squeezed his arm gently. « Logan’s got a lot on his mind and, as you may know, he doesn’t know how to deal with that. And I think that, because he doesn't know how to express all of those things, and the fact that it takes a lot for him to open up, he might be pushing you away. He did the same thing with me at the beginning of our relationship. It was fuckin’ hard to deal with but I couldn’t let him do that. »

« Yeah, but your his girl. It's different. What if he decides he’s done with me? I mean, who else is gonna put up with my charming personality and endless movie references? » Wade’s attempt at humor fell flat, his unease still evident. 

She chuckled softly, shaking her head.

« Sorry, I just- It’s just that I- ugh. Do I need to pay you at the end of this therapy session, counselor? »

« Go on, Wade. » Y/n urged, her tone gentle but firm.

He sighed, leaning back against the couch. « He’s my buddy. I don’t want to lose him. And I especially don’t want to be the reason he’s leaving me. I would rather have you telling him to stop being friends with me. If he even considers me as a friend…»

Y/n cut him off, her voice firm. « Of course, he does! You’re his friend, Wade. Probably one of the best at that. Never doubt that, trust me. And I’m sorry he has you feeling that way. Those walls he put up around himself, it’s not for his own safety, he truly believes that he’s a danger for others. Whatever he does to you, it’s because he cares too much about you to be a burden in your life. He’s a fucking idiot for that, yes. It hurts even more to know that, yes. And I’m certainly not trying to defend him, but you should know that I had to work hard to break those damn walls. »

Wade stared at her, a mixture of hope and disbelief in his eyes. « You know, for someone who spends so much time with a guy who barely talks, you’re pretty good at this whole talking thing. »

She smiled, her heart warming at the sight of Wade starting to relax. « Takes a lot of practice. »

As they settled into their usual banter, Wade felt a little lighter, knowing that Y/n understood his concerns and had reassured him. Logan might be tough to figure out, but with Y/n in the picture, Wade felt like maybe things would be okay.

He grinned, the familiar mischief returning to his eyes. « I’ll fight for our man »

Y/n laughed, shaking her head in amusement. « You’re ridiculous. »

Wade took another sip of his beer, his grin widening. « Yeah, but you love me for it. »

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the fond smile that tugged at her lips. « Yeah, I guess I do. »

___

Logan found himself standing outside Y/n’s apartment door, hesitating. He could hear muffled sounds of laughter from inside, recognizing Wade’s loud one. With a heavy sigh, he pushed the door open.

Inside, Y/n and Wade were on the couch, a pizza box and empty beer bottles cluttered on the coffee table. Wade was in the middle of an animated story, and Y/n was smiling at him. The sight made his chest tighten. He’d been so wrapped up in his own head lately that he hadn’t even noticed how much he was distancing himself from all of this. 

Wade spotted him first, grinning from ear to ear. « Hey, Logan. Decided to join the party after all? »

Logan grunted, closing the door a little harsher than he intended, making Y/n jumped at the sound. « Didn’t expect to find you here. »

Y/n smile faded slightly, sensing the tension in the room. She moved on the couch, making space for Logan beside her. « We were just hanging out, figured you might want to join us » she said.

Logan hesitated, his eyes lingering on Wade for a moment before he finally sat down. The silence that followed was thick, the easy banter from earlier replaced by a heavy, unspoken tension. Y/n could feel Logan’s frustration radiating off him, and Wade’s nervous energy was practically palpable.

« So… » Wade started, trying to fill the uncomfortable silence. « You, uh, missed some prime pizza. And I even saved you a slice. It’s in the kitchen, waiting for you, like a good little slice of heaven. »

Logan just grunted again, staring at the coffee table instead of acknowledging the gesture. Y/n felt the tension mounting and knew she had to do something before things got worse.

She gently nudged Logan with her elbow, giving him a small, encouraging smile. « Maybe you should eat something. Might help you feel better. »

Logan glanced at her, his hard exterior softening just a bit under her gaze. But before he could respond, Wade cleared his throat, drawing both of their attention back to him.

« Listen, Logan, » Wade began, his usual bravado faltering as he tried to sound casual. « I know I’m not exactly Mr. Sensitivity, but…have I done something to piss you off more than usual? You’ve been, uh, a little more…murderous lately, and I’m starting to think it’s not just my charming personality. »

Logan frowned. « What are you talking about? You’re always fucking annoying, bub. »

Wade forced a laugh, but there was an edge of vulnerability in his voice that Logan couldn’t ignore. « Yeah, I know, but it feels like I’m more of a target than usual. Like, did I cross some line? Or is it just me being my usual, lovable self? »

Y/n squeezed Logan’s hand gently, trying to ground him.

He looked at her, his frustration battling with the guilt that was slowly taking over. Admitting that something was wrong was never easy for him. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, clearly conflicted.

« It’s not…It’s not you, Wade, » Logan finally muttered, though his tone was still gruff. « I’ve got a lot of stuff on my mind and, uh, I guess I’ve been taking it out on you. »

Wade’s expression shifted, a mixture of relief and concern. « Okay, so…what’s on your mind, then? Maybe I can help. Or, at least, I can try to stop doing whatever it is that’s making you want to claw my face off. »

Logan didn’t answer right away, his eyes darting between Wade and Y/n. He could see the worry in her eyes, the way she was trying to keep the peace between them. It only made him feel worse. He wasn’t used to people caring so much, and it unsettled him.

« It’s nothing you can help with, » Logan said after a long pause, his voice softer now. « Just…shit I’m dealing with. Doesn’t mean I hate you, Wade. Just means I’m not great at dealing with stuff. Also, you’re still a pain in the ass. »

Wade nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing just a little. « Okay, I can get that. I appreciate it. But, you know, I’m not exactly great at feelings and all that, but I’m here if you need to… I don’t know, punch something or whatever. »

Logan managed a small smile at that, finally meeting Wade’s gaze. « Yeah, I know that. Thanks. »

Wade grinned, his usual energy starting to return. “Well, now that we’ve had our little therapy session, how about we crack open another beer and watch a good movie? It’s like the ultimate bonding experience. And what’s the best thing for that? A fucking musical.”

Logan’s expression immediately soured. « You’ve got to be kidding me. »

Wade’s grin only grew. « Oh yeah, peanut! »

Y/n laughed, her eyes twinkling with excitement as Logan let out an exaggerated groan, his shoulders slumping as he reluctantly gave in.

Wade chuckled and patted Logan on the back. « Let’s fucking go. »

As they settled onto the couch, Logan couldn’t help but shake his head in amusement. Despite his grumbling, there was a genuine warmth in his eyes as he looked at Y/n and Wade. He found himself laughing at Wade’s over-the-top dance moves and Y/n’s infectious joy.

Logan glanced at his girlfriend, who was practically glowing with happiness as she sang along to the movie’s songs. It was clear he was enjoying himself, even if he wouldn’t admit it out loud.

___

Later that night, after Wade had left and they were alone again, Logan stayed behind at Y/n’s apartment. He was still living with Wade but coming back home after tonight wasn’t the best idea. He needed the calm he found in Y/n’s home. They sat together on the couch, the remnants of their evening scattered around them.

« You know, you handled that pretty well. » she said softly.

Logan let out a long breath, leaning back against the couch. « Yeah, well, didn’t feel like it at the time. »

« But you did, and that’s what matters. » she insisted, turning to look at him.

He looked down at her, his gaze softening as he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. « I don’t know what I’d do without you. »

She smiled, leaning into his touch. « Lucky for you, you won’t have to find out. »

Logan pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on top of her head. For the first time in a while, he felt like things were starting to make sense again.

He tilted his head slightly, brushing his lips against the top of her head. She lifted her head up, catching his gaze, her eyes reflecting a mixture of affection and relief. Logan's eyes softened as he looked at her, the weight of the past few days seeming to lift.

He leaned in, pressing his lips against hers, soft and slow, as if she was made of glass. The most precious thing in his heart. Y/n's hands found their way to the back of his neck, pulling him closer as she deepened the kiss.

When they finally pulled back, their foreheads rested together, both of them breathing a little heavier.

Logan searched her eyes, his voice soft and sincere, a contrast to his usual gruff. « I love you. »

Y/n’s lips curled up. « I love you too, Lo. »

For the first time in a while, he felt a deep sense of peace. And as they sat there, surrounded by the soft glow of the apartment, he knew that, no matter what challenges lay ahead, they’d be okay. They’ll always find a way.

xx

Thank you for reading <3

[kairiscorner]

i just want what's best for you. — miles 42 x reader

summary: no matter how much miles may love you, you still have to get through his mom for you two to be together. first impressions didn't go so well, and now... now you're starting to think she's right about you. but somehow, you both come to an understanding, and... eventually, an understanding can be made between you two. pairing: miles 42 x gn!reader genre: slight angst + comfort word count: 2,646 request: Could you do a miles (42 or 1610 or both) x reader where his mom isn’t to fond of her but, it’s only because she doesn’t want to see him get hurt. And reader considers breaking up with him and his mom overhears and feels bad. a/n: hello, my lovely anon !! omg i loved writing this ngl, I INTENTIONALLY PUT MORE ANGST HERE THAN I DID FOR 1610 MILES AAAAA please multiverse, don't let this flop PLEASEEEE also SORRY FOR THE CRAPPY SPANISH AND OOC RIO, I TRIED UUEUEUUEUUE BUT I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS !!

(reblogs are greatly appreciated, it helps get my content out there! if you guys like what you see, please reblog it too <:D)

you had never felt any more intimidated and nervous than you did right now as you sat down with miles' family for dinner. you had partners before and met their parents, it wasn't all so bad; you actually had fond memories of those people and sometimes would reminisce how kind they'd treat you, how they'd welcome you into their families and give you a home away from your home when you'd need it. however, when it came to miles' family... it was so-so.

his uncle aaron, without a doubt, was one of the nicest father figures you had ever encountered in your whole life. he was a sweet man who cared for miles and would, be proxy, care about you, too. he'd tease you and miles when he'd see you two together in the most low-key ways and still make miles lose all his cool and stoic composure around you when his uncle would expose how much he talks about you.

"this kid can't ever go through another day without thinking about you. like seriously, all i did was take him to the convenience store downtown and i see him with all these snacks i've never seen him eat before, snacks he told me he hates with a burning passion. i look at him and ask him why he's got those snacks, and he mutters under his breath... 'these're for them, not for me.' how cute of my nephew, no?" he said with a chuckle as miles glared up at his uncle and pouted at him, with you giggling at the story as everyone but his mother was laughing about that little anecdote.

uncle aaron nudged rio a little, to which she shot him a glare similar to miles' and muttered something under her breath in spanish. uncle aaron sighed as some tension was caught in the air and enveloped the entire dinner table, with no one else uttering another word or sound as you all ate in silence. you felt rio's gaze on you at times while you all ate, and unlike the other mothers you had encountered with your previous partners, she had a gaze that felt a little... judgemental, in a way?

you felt pretty self-conscious as rio looked at you, and you felt yourself jump slightly in your seat when she'd ask you questions about you and her son. she called your name randomly, shattering the silence and causing the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up as you nearly sprang up from your seat in utter surprise. "y-yes rio?" you asked her as she winced, as if she heard a discordant tune when you uttered her first name. without even looking up from her plate, she asked you, "did you know miles got a b in spanish? ay, i'm proud of you, mijo, though... you usually do so much better than that. i'm worried, have you been missing classes recently? and do you know anything about it?" she asked you as she turned her gaze up at you, causing you to freeze up and instinctively shake your head.

miles breathed out a small huff as he tried to think of a reason to give his own mother, who he promised he'd never lie to, as his uncle aaron tried to tell rio that maybe now wasn't the right time to talk about it, but rio told him in spanglish that now was as good a time as any, she had to know if her son was being distracted by... she didn't dare finish that thought. she looked over at you then at miles and raised an eyebrow. "so? is no one gonna tell me anything?" she asked the two of you as you bit the inside of your cheek, feeling pretty intimidated by her right now. "mama, it's nothing, i promise you, i--" "it's nothing?" "oh, no." uncle aaron muttered as he silently excused himself and left the table with his plate in hand, gesturing to you to follow what he did and to seek refuge into the kitchen, away from the mother and son.

you did as he directed and excused yourself, nearly stumbling out of your chair as rio's eyes followed you with a kind of suspicious gleam in those hazel eyes of hers. indistinct conversation and arguments between the mother and son were heard, with the sound of running water, the squeaking and setting down of plates being tuning their voices out as you gratuitously helped uncle aaron wash the dishes. "hey, sorry about them, miles' mom hasn't been in the best mood lately." he muttered to you as you nodded. "i-i understand, aaron. it's really okay..." you murmured back as you both finished, with uncle aaron wishing you a good night as he disappeared into the garage doing who knows what.

as you exited the kitchen, you heard rio's muffled voice from the dining room mention your name, and you walked over in a morbid kind of curiosity to know why she mentioned you when she was scolding miles; though a part of you thought of why, you hoped what you thought of wouldn't be the case. "sé honesto, ¿te estás distrayendo con ellos?" she asked miles with a stern voice as miles looked down at the ground, clearly frustrated, but wasn't about to run his mouth off at his own mother. he shook his head and murmured, "mi amante no tiene la culpa de lo que me ha estado pasando, mama."

rio sighed exasperatedly as she looked at her son in disbelief. "and you mean that? you seriously... look, mijo, no quiero hacerte infeliz, y sé que crees que entiendes lo que es bueno para ti, pero… no puedo permitir que ellos te pongan en peligro. they might... not be a good influence on you." she said with a soft voice as miles looked up at her with an incredulous expression on his face. "mama, you have no idea who they really are." he said as rio kept talking to him, but he stormed off on her. she called for her son repeatedly, but he marched into his room, with her sighing aloud and storming off herself, too.

you felt a heavy weight on your shoulders as your anxieties and worries over what miles' mother thought of you were realized; she doesn't trust you, and she doesn't think you're good for her son. you felt so weak in the knees at that moment, thinking that you would never be able to love miles freely without his mother intervening or trying to convince him you're not right for him, that you're a distraction for him. you didn't want any conflict between the two anymore, so you thought of a way to end their feud peacefully, and the only way that'd work was... one neither of you would particularly like.

you snuck upstairs to miles' room and gently rapped at his door, muttering that you were there, and that you wanted to talk to him. miles opened his door a crack, and when he could confirm it was you, he opened the door wider and gently took your hand in his. "cielo," he greeted you softly with a light squeeze of your hand as he looked at you. "am i ever glad to see you." he said as he led you into his room, with you reciprocating his touch and squeezing his hand back. he gestured for you to sit down on the side of his bed as he sat down, with you following him and sitting down on the plush of his bed.

he brushed a few hairs from your forehead and kept his gaze on you as you looked down at the floor, unsure of how to tell him what you were articulating to yourself in your head; unsure of how he'd take it, if he even will be able to. you sighed a little longer than you planned to, causing miles to pull away from you and have worry drawn on his face as he tried getting a better look at your expression. "cielo, are you okay? did something happen...?" he asked you as you shook your head gently. "nothing, nothing, i..." you began, but you stopped yourself, trying to think of how to tell him all over again as all you could think of at that moment was that: miles' mother doesn't think you're any good for him.

you took a deep breath and faced him with saddened eyes. "i'm sorry, miles, i just... i don't think you should be dating me anymore. it's not because of you, of course not, it's... it's on me." you whispered, with miles feeling like he took a blow to the gut, feeling utterly helpless and confused at what you just told him. he wasn't sure what you meant by 'it was your fault', but he wanted to let you know right now that you weren't at fault, for whatever it was that'd come between you two.

miles appeared a little more hurt and distressed by what you told him, the matter at hand still not sinking in, that you told him you'd break up with him... he couldn't, wouldn't, believe it. "what? amor, what do you mean? 'your fault'? i doubt that..." he began as he tried to reassure you, feeling himself coming undone at the seams and desperate to know why you wanted to part ways with him. was it because he couldn't spend as much time with you as before? because he was too busy with his job as the prowler to be with you? if you only told him, then... then he'd find ways to make it work, not make you feel alone ever again, make up for what he lacked in the past by working hard for you now in the present.

"is it... is it because i'm not able to spend much time with you as before? mi vida, i'm sorry... i'll make up for it, i promise!" he said as you shook your head. "no, miles... it's not your fault. it's mine, even if you don't say it is." you said with a melancholic voice as miles looked at you with feebleness filling his face as he tried to understand how it's your fault for anything. he defended you in front of his mother the best he could, and yet... he'd still lose you in the end, if not the argument.

you couldn't figure out how to tell miles that you didn't wish to break up, you wanted to be with him still, but there was no better way of getting his mom and him to make up if you were still in the picture. you heard his mom say it himself, you didn't seem like a good influence on him, and maybe her behavior towards you was a sign that you really weren't being good to miles, good to his parents, and just... weren't good in general. you sighed, trying to keep the tears from flowing as miles tried to tell you that if you really wanted to break up with him, he'd respect your decision, but... he begs of you to tell him how it's your fault.

you felt your heart throb and your throat flare up as you tried to stifle your cries and sobs. "i'm just, i'm not good for you, okay, miles? i'm sorry... you deserve better." you told him in a quieted voice as you got up and went over to his door, about to leave him and give him an easier time with his family than stay with him and just ruin his relationship with his mom even more.

"espera, mi cielo! hold on a minute, can't we talk about this...?" he called out to you as you opened the door to leave, to keep yourself away from miles to keep him and his mother from getting angry at each other and fighting all over again. however, when you opened the door, you saw a familiar face look back at you, and a familiar voice shrieking in surprise--it was miles' mom, who was eavesdropping on you two. you shrieked at his mom's shrieking, as miles shrieked at your shrieking.

"mama!" miles exclaimed as he saw his mom at the doorway, with her telling the two of you to calm down, and that nobody needs to break up with anybody. "i'm... i'm sorry i eavesdropped, but i came here to... to say sorry, mijo, and... i'm sorry to you, too." she said as she turned to look at you with guilt and shame in her eyes. "you didn't deserve to hear all that... i shouldn't have said that." she muttered as she looked at the two of you. she leaned against the doorway and sighed as she began to speak again, looking around miles' room.

"i didn't mean that you were a bad influence, i just... i default to worrying about what miles could be doing because, you're a teenager, miles--you're both teens and... you both wanna do your own things. it worries me when miles doesn't tell me anything, it makes me feel like i'm failing as a mom when... i'm the only parent you have now." she said in a soft voice as she looked at miles sadly and up at you. she sat down next to miles on the bed and held his hand. "i wish you could just be honest with me." she muttered to him as miles looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "i am being honest with you, mom. you don't even... you don't even know how amazing my partner is, you hardly give them a chance, and that's what hurts me every time." he said as you looked at the two of them.

miles' mom got up from the bed and placed her fingers underneath your chin and lifted your head up to look at her and sighed. "i'm so sorry i judged you too quickly, i just... mom instincts kicked in, and... i got a little carried away and thought i knew what was good for my baby boy, but... i guess i don't know as much anymore. maybe... i'd know him better if i trusted him, if i trusted you." she said with a slight smile on her face as you gave her a slight smile back. "again, i'm so, so sorry for how i was earlier, and... just, in general." she uttered as you nodded. "it's okay, mrs. morales." you told her as she smiled wider and pulled away from you. "y'know what, that just made my evening much better. i think i like you a bit better already. 'mrs.' morales, finally." she said with a slight chuckle as you chuckled back at her little quip, with miles smiling to himself as he finally witnessed you two get along. she let miles keep dating and seeing you, only if he promises to get his grades back up to how they were before.

as his mom left the room, miles told her you two needed to talk, alone. she understood, but reminded him not to lock the door. "lo tengo, mamá, entendido." he said as he closed the door the minute she headed down into the hallway, leaving you both in an awkward silence after you two had 'broken up' a few minutes ago. before miles could say anything, you wrapped him in a big hug, muttering under your breath how happy you were to be with him, that his mom finally accepted you. miles slowly reciprocated your hug, holding you close and kissing the top of your head as he smiled against your hair. he was beyond happy and relieved to know his mom finally saw you as a person he loved, not as a distraction to him or a bad influence, just someone he cared a lot about to devote himself to, someone he wouldn't leave nor let anyone, not even his own mom or uncle, get in the way of him loving ceaselessly.

he gets that his mom just wants what's best for him, but... maybe it was time for him to decide what's best for him on his own, and that'd be to love you with all his heart and stay by your side, never leaving you once because he loves you too much to let you go that easily.

tags !! @ii01vq @luvstarrstruck @maxoloqy @k4tsu3 @solecitoszn @toneystank-3000 @fiannee @popeheywardssecretgf @lovefrominaya @onginlove @meowmoraless

[comically-callous]

Can you do a story were you date Sirius so he can actually Date Remus and reg don't know and likes you and gets jealous

If you can thx you <3

I didn't think I'd like writing this as much as I did lol.

Regulus Black x Fem!Reader

Some Warnings: Technically a modern AU, a bit of cursing, mentions of a bad home life, jealous Reg, sort of angsty???

A/n: I made this new Year's themed even though new years has passed 🤗 Cause y'all can't stop me 🤬🤬🤬 This is DEFINITELY my longest fic yet. PLEASE DON'T LET IT FLOP GUYS.... My requests are open btw

Ah, winter break. It was something everyone at Hogwarts looked forward to. Well, almost everyone. There were those who didn't get to go home to their families and some who wished they didn't have to go home to their families.

One of those people was a friend of yours, Sirius Black. He often avoided talking about his home life, but you knew it wasn't good. And you knew going home for the holidays could be hard for him. So, when it was the day before winter break and the two of you had a moment alone, you asked if there was anything you could do to make the break easier for him.

"I need you to be my girlfriend."

Seven words you'd never expected to hear from your best friend. Your best friend who was in a gay relationship, nonetheless.

"What?" You asked in bewilderment. "No!"

"Wait, wait, wait. It's not what you think." Sirius put his hands up as if to show his innocence. "I don't really want you to be my girlfriend. I just need you to pretend. Please."

"Why?!"

"Because," he explained. "My parents have started to get... Suspicious about my total lack of any girlfriend. And I may have told them that I was dating you.... Y'know, to throw them off my track..."

You stared at him. "You told your parents we were dating?!" You repeated, clearly upset at him.

"I know, I know. It was a shitty thing to do, and I'm sorry." He says. "But, if I didn't give them some sort of excuse, they might've found out about me and Remus!"

You were still upset, but you could understand why he did what he did. "So..." You crossed your arms. "You said I need to pretend to date you. What is it exactly that you need me to do?"

"Over the break, I need you to come over for a couple days. My parents will meet you, get to know you, blah, blah, blah. And then, you'll never have to speak with them again. If they ask about you after that, I'll say we broke up."

You really weren't a fan of having to fake date your best friend. You also weren't a fan of having to meet his parents who you'd only heard negative things about. But... You knew how happy he was with Remus and you would hate for his parents to find out about the two. You sighed. "You're lucky we're friends."

"Is that an agreement?" He asked, a grateful smile on his face.

"Yes. But, you'll be forever in debt to me."

"Fine by me."

The next day, while on the train to 9 3/4, you and Sirius mostly just planned for you having to meet his parents. You decided that you'd arrive the day after Christmas, stay for news years eve, and leave new Year's Day.

A lot of the train ride was spent establishing some basic facts about your "relationship". How you'd met, your first date, what your wedding would be like (which was strange, but Sirius assured you that his parents would ask about marriage), and some other details.

Soon enough, the train ride was over. Your winter break was fine. You enjoyed getting to see your family, but you were quite stressed about seeing Sirius' family. Part of you wanted to call the whole thing off, but you knew that was out of the question. You had to do this. For Sirius.

The morning of December 26th was a cold one. You wished you'd had more protection against the cold, but the formal attire you were wearing could only do so much. Sirius had told you to bring nice, formal clothing for the few days you'd be there. You were a bit worried you'd still be underdressed, though.

You took a deep breath and knocked on the door to the literal mansion that Sirius lived in.

After a few moments, the door opened. Regulus black stood on the other side.

Oh.

"Hi." You greeted, trying to politely smile at him. He didn't return the gesture. He did the opposite he gave you a look of... Annoyance?

"You're here for Sirius."

You couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement, so you just gave a nod.

He stepped aside to let you in, his eyes trailing over your attire, making you feel nervous. "He's in the living room with mother and father." Regulus said before walking off.

What a strange interaction. You and Regulus weren't close, by any means. But, you never thought he disliked you. You thought the opposite was true. Whenever the two of you did interact, he was always quite nice.

You tried to shrug off the interaction, but you just couldn't. Even when you were next to Sirius, meeting his parents for the first time, the way he'd acted toward you was on your mind.

The worst part of your day was dinner. You were worried about everything. How you were eating, how you were sitting, the way everyone was looking at you, the way Regulus was looking at you.

"Y/n," You were broken out of your thoughts by Walburga's authoritative voice. "I want to know how you and Sirius began seeing each other."

You nervously glanced over to Sirius who gave you a forced looking smile. You looked back to Walburga. Gods, she scared you. "Well, it wasn't too long ago." You said, trying your hardest not to break eye contact with her. "It was late September. He told me since we'd known each other for so long, he thought we'd be a good match."

Sirius nodded along. "We went on a couple dates, turns out we really like each other." He said.

You glanced over to Regulus. He was glaring at you. You didn't break eye contact and after a moment something else flashed through his eyes. Something softer. Sadness?

"So," Walburga broke your attention away from Regulus as you looked back to her. "Are you serious about your relationship with my son?"

"Very." You replied.

"Do the two of you plan on marrying?"

You swallowed. "As soon as possible."

You heard silverware clatter as Regulus abruptly stood up. "I need to be excused." He said lowly.

Walburga raised an eyebrow. "You've hardly eaten." She stated. There wasn't any concern in her voice like you'd expect. It was a blatant statement.

"I know." He says. "I'm done."

His mother gave him a disapproving look, but didn't object.

Regulus stormed out of the room. You couldn't help but frown as you watched him leave.

The next few days were a bit uneventful. Most of your time was either spent in the guest bedroom you were staying in, or talking with Sirius. You were still confused by Regulus' attitude toward you. You knew his and Sirius' relationship was a rocky one. But, you didn't think that affected what he thought of you. He'd known you and Sirius were friends, and he still treated you kindly. But, now that the two of you were pretending to date, he had a problem with it? It didn't make any sense!

It was December 31st now. You and Sirius were sitting in his room, eating lunch while sitting on the floor.

"I was thinking-"

"Oh, God."

"Shut up, let me finish." Sirius chuckled, playfully hitting your arm. "I was thinking about going to a party tonight."

You furrowed your brows. "Where?"

"James and his family have a new years party every year. I'm sure they wouldn't mind some extra company."

You thought about it. Honestly, you weren't really in the mood for a party. Plus, if his parents caught you sneaking out, your heart would probably stop. "I think I'll sit this one out." You said after a moment.

"You sure?"

You gave a nod. "Yeah, I'd rather stay in. I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun without me."

"Oh, I will."

You smacked his arm.

The clock read 11:39. You were alone in your guest room sitting in your bed. You had your laptop open in front of you as you watched a broadcasting of one of the many new Year's events that were going on tonight. You were absentmindedly looking at the crowded city streets displayed on your screen when-

"I wouldn't be using that while having the door open." Regulus said. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, looking from you, to the laptop, and then back to you.

"Why not?" You asked.

"My mother doesn't approve of us using muggle technology." He said. "And I doubt she'd be okay with her son's girlfriend using it."

You sighed. "Right... Girlfriend."

Regulus raised a brow at how you'd said that. "What are you watching, anyway?" He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"A new Year's parade."

"... Could I join you?"

You were surprised at that. After how cold he'd been acting toward you over the past few days, you'd assumed the last thing he'd want to do tonight is spend time with you. But, you weren't against the idea of not being alone when the new Year started.

"Sure." You replied as you moved over on the bed to make room for him to sit.

The two of you watched the parade in silence for a few minutes until Regulus spoke. "How come I had no idea you and Sirius were dating?" He asked.

You glanced over at him. "What do you mean?"

"You said the two of you had been together since late September." He said. "How come nobody knew about it?"

You subconsciously began to fiddle with the fabric of your shirt. "I don't know." You shrugged. "Guess we weren't shouting about it from the rooftops."

Regulus didn't break his gaze away from you. After a pause, he spoke. "I never would've guessed you liked him in that way."

You didn't know how to reply to that, so you just shrugged again.

Regulus was still looking at you, even though your gaze was focused on the screen in front of you.

He paused. "What made you fall for him?" He asked.

You thought it was an odd question. When you turned to look at him, he looked sort of sad. "He..." You trailed off.

Regulus looked at you expectantly. You were trying to come up with something, but your mind was blank.

"You do like him don't you?"

You looked away nervously. You began to wonder whether or not he'd even care that your relationship with Sirius was fake. If he really was upset about you dating Sirius, then wouldn't he like to know that it was all just pretend?

"Y/n." He said your name and you were pulled away from your thoughts.

"He's not actually my boyfriend." You blurted out.

Regulus paused. "What?"

"He asked me to pretend to be his girlfriend. He didn't want Walburga finding out about his actual relationship, so-"

"It's all fake?" He asked.

"All of it."

"You don't like him?"

"Not like that."

You swore you saw a sliver of a smile creep on to his face. "That's... Good."

You tilted your head. "Is it?"

"I mean..." He shrugged. "I just... I guess thinking you'd gotten with my brother was making me upset." He said.

"Why?"

"Because..." He hesitated. "I like you, Y/n."

You felt your heart skip a beat. Fuck, that actually explained a lot. You couldn't believe you hadn't realized sooner. You felt your face heat up. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "I was jealous. That's why I was acting so... Weird. Sorry for being such an asshole to you."

"That's alright." You paused. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? About your feelings, I mean."

He shrugged. "I didn't think you'd feel the same."

Honestly, you'd always found Regulus quite attractive. But, you figured there was no way he'd ever like you back, so you let go of that silly crush a while ago. But, this? This was making all of those feelings wash over you again.

It was 11:59 now. You could hear the commentators of the parade excitedly get ready for the countdown.

"I feel the same." You said, watching as a blush creeped on to his cheeks.

"Really?"

"Really."

His eyes seemed to sparkle at your admission. "I..."

You heard the countdown to the new Year begin.

"Can I kiss you?" Regulus asked softly. You nodded.

"Five!"

He leaned closer.

"Four!"

Your tongue darted out to wet your lips.

"Three!"

His hands came up to cup your cheeks.

"Two!"

He closed his eyes. You closed yours.

"One!"

Your lips met in a soft, romantic kiss. He brushed some hair out of your face and Gods, his hands were soft. You couldn't believe you'd ever managed to stop liking him.

When you pulled away he sighed contently as if that kiss was all he'd been needing his entire life.

You whispered something to him before pulling him in for another kiss.

"Happy new year."

[dvilsdesire-a]

Some in depth character analysis... (:

This is going to get long... as I do a bit of a character analysis on Haarlep with little bits of Raphael as well. I will likely go on tangents if they come to me, so please be aware that there is likely no solid structure as I ramble!

Please note that this is ALL speculation and headcanon as there is no way of analysing a character's full potential when you only see a few moments of them in game, let alone Haarlep's relationship with Raphael when you don't even get to see them interact outside of Haarlep's small comments and end-game letter.

Know that there is also no right and no wrong, and I will be exploring both sides and "what if" scenarios. These are just some things I want to expand upon, and we are all entitled to different opinions and headcanons. That's the beauty of getting to explore and delve into characters that are given no depth to them--you can make them your own!

First and foremost, it should be noted that DnD lore on incubus has flip flopped over the editions. Where they were once strictly demons, they were then turned to devils, and now they are recognised as simply "fiends". Haarlep, in game, is a fiend, and his race is incubus. Again... be your OWN DM... do what makes you happy, that's the beauty of DnD (but also remember that Larian itself have their own set of rules and lore that they made up which may have separated them from DnD lore as well, and that's not a bad thing! The more creativity, the better imo, especially in a world like FR).

I personally write Haarlep as a devil aligned fiend who is neutral evil (as incubus are neutral evil in lore), but that's just me! Toss in a little demon bloodline, especially with the Queen of Succubus, and play around a little! I could also see him being chaotic leaning in some areas, considering succubus and being demons (or once demons in previous editions).

Okay, let's get into Haarlep! (potentially triggering content)

I'm going to go through this in order of Haarlep's scene. There was a really neat theory that was shared HERE about how Haarlep starts off with a poem as they are introduced. Is this something that the devs simply used as trickery so we THINK it's Raphael in the bed (even though it clearly says Haarlep)?

Also note how Haarlep uses the term "Mouse", the one that Raphael has been calling the player the whole time. A coincidence? Or is this proof that Haarlep is aware of what is going on with Raphael and his potential client? Is this rhyming corruption simply from being within the HoH or something that Haarlep has picked up from via time spent with Raphael? All of these things fascinate me, because as a devil, and Raphael who is quite literally meant to symbolise the real world devil (there is a lot of symbolism with Raphael and Satan/Lucifer imo but that's not something I'll delve into here), or are they just trying to lead us into a false sense of security that this is just Raphael playing his games (despite the name on the subtitles)?

Maybe it's an outer moment of we know as the player, but our actual PC doesn't know. Which gives us the opportunity to play around a little with them, which is also cool. But the idea that Haarlep also says a little poem and speaks in such a devilish manner, is a nice little touch and a reminder OF Raphael as well.

Then, of course, the player themselves, identifies Haarlep as Raphael, despite the youthful look (I'll delve into this later).

What interests me is Haarlep's response if you actually say this. He seems amused that you'd even THINK he's Raphael, despite his obvious visage. The pride of an incubus, perhaps? Haarlep simply toying with you and making this encounter last longer by the way he speaks so slowly and playfully? Luring you in, one question and curiosity at a time.

Haarlep genuinely seems interested in WHY you are there, yet if we go from line one where they're calling you a thief... it pretty much indicates that he knows you're there when you're not supposed to be (which makes entire sense since the whole HoH has its own riddles and games you need to play to get inside rooms under lock and key). Even to get into the boudoir, you require an invitation (though Raphael clearly forgot that he left his door to the balcony wide open and there's rock formation you can traverse lol--things like this are PURELY game mechanics, and I don't think they should be read into deeply. It's a game, your player NEEDS access, whether it's getting it the hard way, the lawful way, or outright breaking in lol).

If you lie to Haarlep and claim it's a botched teleportation spell, he instantly sees through you, you don't even get the chance for a saving check on this. No matter what, Haarlep knows you're not supposed to be there. However, he wants to know WHY you're there.

Interestingly enough, Haarlep's voice is very aggressive when you lie to him, especially when the first introduction is all sweet and breathy. This comes down to control, imo (which we also learn that Haarlep is the dominant role in the bedroom, or at least a top--more on that as I go). Genuinely, though, it feels like Haarlep is very displeased if someone lies to his face, though being the incubus they are, will also give you a chance to respond truthfully before he decides your fate--this is something I also see Raphael do. Even if you attack him in your first meeting, he gives you a second chance (and a third if I recall? He only tells you the deal is off if you attack him in Sharess' Caress and kicks you out of the Devil's Den--tho correct me if I'm wrong as I'm focusing on Haarlep here).

So is this typical devil behaviour and something we can expect from devils, to give you a second chance so they can get the information they want? I'd say yes. Especially if they DO want to know. Haarlep is more than happy to kill you if you don't give him what he wants, so it seems pretty standard for devil practice, and of course, he returns to being softly spoken again, almost immediately, like it's second nature. Or is this something he has simply learned from being around Raphael for so long?

If Raphael does give you a third chance, guess what? So does Haarlep. You can lie to him (though exposed instantly), and then outright tell him you refuse to tell him why you're there, and he gives you the final chance:

Obviously, fantastic that the player can really choose what they want to do, but there's also been far quicker battles in game. Haarlep really is trying to get that information from you (and your soul no doubt). If we wanted to delve deeper (I did say what ifs!), we could also question if this is just Haarlep being playful or lazy. Does he really care to go to the effort to kill, or would he rather just get some useful information? Is he threatening the player so he can just be done with his game, have sex with the player and let them leave so he can just add their glamour to the collection? Who knows! It's all under speculation.

Haarlep's health in battle, if you choose to fight him, is also 169, whereas DnD monster manual has them at 66HP. Haarlep is a stronger incubus, and at 169HP, it's much greater! Again, is this scaled up just due to game mechanics? Or something else? Makes sense by the time you delve into the HoH, a HP of 66 isn't that challenging anymore. I did do a little hc post about my thoughts HERE. Funnily enough, there was also THIS about Haarlep being titled as a courtesan.

Moving on to if you tell Haarlep the truth about why you're there. I find his response here to be very interesting, especially in the way he seems to drop the sensuality for a moment. The thoughtfulness and pause to Haarlep as he likely recognises who you are now.

The facial expression changes also, to something more concerned looking. Of course, this could all be a facade, especially as we know that Haarlep absolutely gives you the Hammer if you're willing to sleep with them.

Not the usual plucky, jovial Haarlep that is being seen, but a moment of thoughtfulness as the creature no doubt ponders what the next move could be. Perhaps Haarlep is even contemplating what Raphael would do if things were out of his control? If Tav was killed.

I often DO wonder how Raphael would react if the game ended where Haarlep killed the PC. Would he be furious that his means to get the crown is entirely fucked now? Would he just go that's frustrating but I'll get it another way? Haarlep, no doubt, would be in a lot of trouble, but it seems that either Haarlep doesn't actually care (because he knows Raphael can't really resist him anyway), or he might just get the crown another way.

Whatever the case, Haarlep does seem to entirely underestimate the powers of Tav an Co, because he attacks them if you don't comply, and I doubt he thought even if they DID get the Hammer, they weren't going to get through Raphael (Haarlep likely is playing his own game, in where yes, sure you can take the Hammer now that I have gotten what I wanted, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to leave). Once the Hammer is taken, the entire HoH becomes hostile, meaning Haarlep LIKELY knew this, and didn't think you were going to actually kill his master.

IS he outright betraying Raphael, or is he just... shortsighted? All of this is entirely up to speculation of course, but Haarlep would 110% be aware of the fact that Raphael is the son of Mephistopheles, and there is no denying that Raphael is the HARDEST boss battle of the entire game, even if you CAN power shot him with your super builds. There is no denying that Raphael's boss battle is difficult, and he would be considered one of the most powerful fights in the entire game (which is so insane to think about since you can SKIP the entire thing or just outright MISS it). So why WOULDN'T Haarlep think that Tav and co would get fucked by him in a fight, when Haarlep has likely witnessed Raphael's wrath and fury before? When we speak of this betrayal from Haarlep, there's no telling that his actual intentions were.

So... was Haarlep being a typical devil/fiend, scheming and getting what he wanted just to win both ways by believing Raphael would have bested Tav and friends (even if it didn't turn out that way in the end)? Or was he betraying Raphael because he just didn't care? OR, a third option, was he making sure Raphael wouldn't get the crown because his true master is Mephistopheles? By stealing the Hammer, there was no deal that Raphael would GET the crown in turn. There's so many things we could assume and guess, but the fact is... we don't know, because Larian never told us, and that's okay! Because that's what fanfiction is for.

As we move the scene along, Haarlep finally introduces himself. We all know that Haarlep is an anagram for Raphael, which in itself is fascinating. Where did Haarlep get the name? WHO named him? Is Raphael so in love with himself that he named his personal incubus after himself? Was it Mephistopheles? As some kind of joke? Was it Haarlep themselves? What does interest me is is how Haarlep explained that he's not just glamoured as Raphael's image, but he's transfigured. I feel like this makes it something more permanent, or even as a base setting.

I love the idea of True Form Haarlep, personally (and it is my general go to with my writing), but I DID say what if's above, and this is one of them. What if Haarlep HAS no true form? What if his form is now FIXED as Raphael as a base form (we know he can still take on other forms since yours and Haarlep says out loud he has a collection), but what IF? What IF? Because another little bit of DnD lore? Incubus are supposed to change back to their natural form when killed, and guess who doesn't? Haarlep! He remains in Raphael's glamour if you kill him (: So... THAT'S interesting. We just don't know...

I wanted to delve into this line next, because someone pointed out something interesting which I actually wanted to delve into deeper with it:

You might be going "no you're not, you don't look like Raphael as he does now". Well, you are correct. However, I do have a theory behind this as well. As we know in canon lore, cambions generally stop ageing in their 20's. Funnily enough... Haarlep looks around that age, which is where I personally headcanon that they first met and first slept together, when Haarlep was gifted to Raphael. That's not to say Haarlep can't change to Raphael's current, more mature, visage (or even his human form). But when Haarlep says he's the PERFECT copy, I do feel like there's some burn to that, that Raphael is reminded that HE has aged and is no longer that perfect resemblance of what he once was.

There's also a fannon theory going around that Raphael's more mature look is actually a farce, and that he uses it to appear more mature to get souls, etc. That's a really interesting take, and I love it (how manipulative of him and that works!), but my personal headcanons? Raphael is no mere cambion. Raphael is the son of Mephistopheles, and we know nothing about his mother (as mother's die at childbirth). She could have been anyone! Mephistopheles is an Archdevil, and Mephisto also looks more middle aged in most of his pics. It makes sense to me that Raphael would age more compared to other cambions simply because of his more potent bloodline and the fact that he is the son of someone so powerful. This could be a symbol of something amongst devilkind even. We know that Antilia (Raphael's half sister and Mephisto's daughter), though pretty no doubt, is described to look a lot like Mephisto.

So, my theory is that Haarlep is the appearance of Raphael when they FIRST had sex, and when he first consumed Raphael's glamour, and he wears it proudly, and no doubt Raphael keeps Haarlep around like that as a reminder of how youthful and beautiful he was. I'm not saying Raphael isn't a silver fox (he is), and Raphael still considers himself attractive, but it's like looking at your younger self when you've lost some of that edge, and you wish you could be there again. It's almost torment, which... just fits with devils, especially Raphael being such a complex character and a narcissist.

Some people have pointed out that there are some different structures within Haarlep and Raphael's face. Yes, there are. These are actually the things that change with age. The most obvious to me, is the ears. Raphael's are larger. This is legitimately something that happens with age. So is the structure and plumpness of cheeks (as someone who works in healthcare, these are things I see every day with patients). Even myself if I look at a pic of me 10 years ago.

(If I could mod, I would get the same screencap to compare, but for now...)

All things that come with age are (within humans):

Larger ears, wrinkles, less fat around the face and skin that becomes less plump and taut, (particularly cheeks, chin and eyes), and the thinning of lips and complexion paling. These are all exactly what Raphael has in comparison to Haarlep.

A little note on Raph's nose is that the distortion COULD be caused by changes in cartilage over the years, OR... it could be someone punched Raph in the face and it permanently got fucked after he'd been with Haarlep (whatever the case, it's still beautiful!). I still like to think someone punched him tho >.> lol.

You're looking at at least... 20 odd years between these two, tho. Raphael is said to look middle aged (in his 50's), and Haarlep, to me, looks about... 25-28 with those small wrinkles at his forehead and crows feet when he smiles?

I can't say the technical details of who designed this in game? But they did a phenomenal job on what they actually aged (or deaged for Haarlep's encounter). I have no idea if they simply used that technology on Raph's original form or what they did for Haarlep, but it's damn good.

I implore you, take out a photo of you what looked like 20 years ago (if you're old enough) and I can guarantee you'll see some of these changes. Maybe do it of your parents, or grandparents, and you'll see. My older brother looks like a carbon fucking copy of my dad when they were both in their 20's. Genetics are FASCINATING and awesome! And I think they did a super good job with making Haarlep and Raphael's age gap noticeable while changing those important features.

I won't go into Raphael's sexuality in this post because it'll add too much to it, but I DO want to in the future. But moving on to Haarlep once you agree to sleep with them. What does interest me is that Haarlep wants to make sure that you're comfortable during the act, which is when the Archduchess comes to play.

Now... this one makes me question a little (and please fill me in as I don't know all DnD lore!). I do understand that incubus/succubus can be seen as interchangeable, and from what I have read in earlier editions, they can shapechange much like changelings (succubi can appear as your most desired appearance, without any 'glamour'). They can simply use ANY model, any face, WITHOUT consuming someone's body. Unlike Haarlep, who seems to require permission/vow to take on a desired form.

Haarlep speaks about how they're adding your glamour to their collection and that's basically what they are getting out of this little transaction of yours. This is provided with the following prompts:

This gives the impression that Haarlep requires you to actually verbally VOW that he can have your body... that he can add it to his glamour...

Is that the case, or is Haarlep simply using you and playing games because they WANT to hear you say it? Is this devilry at its finest? Or does an incubus literally require permission to gain that glamour? Like the victim is literally giving up a part of themselves in some wicked contract?

So, please... let me know how it works with Raphael's Archduchess form, OR was this simply something Larian threw in there so the player could feel more comfortable with a choice of female or male? I would love to delve more into this, because I REALLY am curious about how the hell Haarlep got a female version of Raphael, or was this something the devs just thought "We'll give them an option".

Personally, I just feel like without that knowledge, I can't see it outside of a "let's just chuck that in there so they have another option and say Raph is curious at times". But please, please let me know if you do! Some devils of Baator CAN change sex on a whim, but by disrupting the order of the Hells, they are actually punished if they do it, even tho it's entirely allowed and absolutely a-okay to do! The laws of Baator are just very stringent. Being a creature of sex, maybe it's different for incubus and succubus? Either way, I find it strange that Haarlep requires permission compared to other previous editions, but then the Archduchess exists. Maybe he's under his own contract? Maybe he's special? Maybe it's just a LepLep thing!?

Also just a note here, you can call Haarlep he, she, or they. The Narrator, in game characters, all use he when Haarlep is male, she when Haarlep is the Archduchess, and they during some of the Narrator's comments.

Speaking of glamours, though, it has been deciphered what Haarlep's harness says in Infernal, and it says "1000 lover's in 1 body" (link to reddit).

Some people have theorised that this is part of the secret contract that Haarlep was under. Personally... I think it's for nothing but Haarlep to gloat about in the Hells. I think it's entirely an aesthetic and prideful thing and nothing more. We know the devs have scribbled infernal on contracts and it literally says nothing (looking at Raphael's lol), it's all weird junk and silly things, so it's no surprise that they've written something like this on the harness Haarlep wears. Some little inside joke, but also a boast for Haarlep.

Raphael clearly likes to see himself wearing skimpy clothes, so maybe it's even to please Raphael. Maybe it's Raphael knowing that Haarlep has slept with that many others while wearing his face? Who knows. But personally, I really don't think there is anything significant when it comes to this, it's just a good little bit of humour added into the game.

During the sex scene, you will notice that Haarlep's eyes begin to glow throughout the rest of the encounter. I also find this fascinating, and I think it likely comes down to arousal or the power of the act, which when taking the glamour, would be a form of magic or corruption.

Pre sex:

During / post sex:

They are significantly brighter, and remain that way throughout the rest of the encounter. So, could it be the use of charm? Could it be arousal? Could it be the corruption and taking your body? Either way, it's something that I found interesting and I wanted to put here also.

Once the act is done, we get back down to business. This is where you can ask if Raphael is any good in bed. Of course, this is a whoooole debate amongst the fandom, and honestly, I don't think it needs to be taken so seriously. You've got to remember, Haarlep is an incubus, someone that is forged from lust and sex, and has likely slept with waaaaay more people than Raphael (especially if we take it literally when Haarlep says Raphael only wants to sleep with himself). That's a whole different topic, though, and this is Haarlep not even elaborating, just laughing and saying "no". But you're never going to get as good in the sack as an incubus, that likely knows all the trades. This isn't just a skill, it's INSTINCT for someone like Haarlep. Even if Raphael WAS bad in bed, though... what's the big deal? Who cares? I actually think it's something that makes Raphael more realistic, because he has a flaw and someone else is better at something than him. Good, make him feel vulnerable, let him be reminded, and perhaps that is also why Haarlep is kept around, so Raphael can imagine the incubus' prowess as his OWN whilst he wears his face.

Back to where Haarlep could be seen as potentially betraying Raphael by pointing you into the direction of the Orphic Hammer. Once again, like mentioned above yonder (this is getting long), there's no telling where this is coming from. Is this a betrayal? Is this Haarlep being short sighted and not really thinking Tav and Co could kill Raphael once he came back, knowing that the HoH was rigged to attack the moment the Orphic Hammer was taken? Interesting how Haarlep disappears amidst the chaos as well.

There's no saying what Haarlep was thinking, it's all speculation and guessing games, which fits perfectly with a fiend, tbh. He's a scheming little shit, just like everyone else in the Nine Hells. Makes perfect sense to me that we don't know his true intentions. Plus, it's literally a 10 minute interaction. You can't possibly understand someone with a 10 minute interaction, you can only guess and assume.

What I do find a little funny is the following:

So we have Haarlep saying that Raphael hides NOTHING from him, and can't (likely because Haarlep wears his face and potentially uses charm on him to get what he wants, and because he's an incubus--these creatures that are behind every high devil or demon, manipulating from the shadows), but also...

Haarlep gives you the key. To. The. Safe. The safe that he doesn't know what sits inside it... (bullshit).

He literally pulls it out of his arse and just hands it to you. Flat out. So how did Haarlep get the key? Why does HE have access to it? But doesn't know what's inside the safe? Definitely bullshit. He knows what's inside it, and Raphael, who has every door locked and invitations required and a ritual to get inside his house etc... just... hands his safe key to Haarlep? Or doesn't realise Haarlep has stolen it and keeps a copy?

Either way, this line about Raphael telling him everything indicates that Haarlep and Raphael talk to each other. Which, of course they do. They have been sharing a bed for who knows how long?

The reason why I have come to it being over a thousand years of being with each other goes back to Haarlep having Raphael's much younger glamour. Raphael is 2000+ years old, as we know thanks to his comment about Karsus' Folly and how he was there to see it.

Haarlep likely came after, after he raged about the Crown, and when Mephistopheles realised that his son was ambitious and wanted power. 1000+ years is a long time to share your bed with someone and not grow some sense of comfort within that company. Even without realising it or admitting it (or even being in denial), Raphael is still a half human and half devil, those weaker natures, those human natures, he no doubt falls to every now and again, no matter how much he detests and attempts to refuse it. Company is company, and if anything, this is the sort of company that feels like it's there for complacency and self gain (not realising the self loss in the process).

I am not saying Haarlep and Raphael love each other. In fact, whatever they share is likely nothing but a mutual benefit from one another somehow (and of course, Haarlep being contracted there). But love is an extremely complex notion, and it's not that simple. I don't think it's yes, and I don't think it's no. I think it's an exceptionally GREY area that has become complacency, comfort, possessiveness, and selfishness. As for Haarlep? Who is a full fiend, tho an incubus of all fiends (master of lust, sensuality, intimacy...), I think Raphael has a greater chance of falling in love than Haarlep does. And that's saying something.

We know for a fact that Haarlep was sent via Mephistopheles, but there's some conflicting dialogue that can feel like Haarlep is "sworn to" Raphael but he's a gift, so who does he really serve?

Whatever the case, I still think that Haarlep is absolutely capable of manipulating Raphael in ways that others can't. Also, if Raphael didn't really care to have Haarlep around, he could just get another incubus to have his glamour and be done with it. Haarlep can change his face to be Raphael, yes, but he can't change his personality that easily. If Raphael really hated Haarlep, he'd just go "be gone" and throw him out the window.

Obviously, as a GIFT from his father... that might hold a little bit of sentimentality to it, especially for someone like Raphael, who is obsessive and possessive of his possessions. Haarlep would be seen as his, and only his. Of course, it would likely be seen as some sort of an insult to Mephisto if he did this as well, because he WAS a gift to his son, so of course he can't be denied. That would make pappa angry.

Then there's the indication that Haarlep is unhappy and hates Raphael as much as any other devil in Baator. Haarlep is jovial in nature, he makes fun of people, including Raphael, his supposed master. I really don't see his end letter as him hating Raphael.

As above with the quote, Haarlep states Raphael can hide nothing from him, and deny him nothing, which pretty much solidifies that Haarlep has him wrapped around his little finger. If anything, Haarlep is the one in control of whatever relationship that they share (whether that's just sexual or not). Raphael still has power, of course, but it's this dynamic that shifts up and down between them, until they are back to the very same place they always end up.

The letter that you see in the epilogue never states anything on Haarlep's feelings towards Raphael. They state what OTHER devils feel. What the letter says is:

The only indication that one might get from this is the term "timely end" when it comes to Raphael's death. I wouldn't say this is an indication of Haarlep detesting the man. Haarlep isn't known for his love, so why would he mourn to a stranger? Why would he care, really? He's a fiend. The death of Raphael meant he was no longer bound to any contract, so it's absolutely opportunistic for him! But opportunity doesn't mean hate.

The entire atmosphere of Haarlep's letter has a sense of superiority around it, which if course it does. It's Haarlep. He's a fancy little snob that thinks he has better taste when he's actually fucking gelugons on a daily basis... Have you seen those things?

I'm more interested in the contract that was binding him to secrecy. It's never explained more upon. Was Haarlep bound to secrecy to stay within the HoH? Was he bound to secrecy so no one knew him and Raphael had slept together and that Raphael had a personal incubus? Raphael has invitations for others to come into the boudoir, so I highly doubt Haarlep was some little secret shame of his. If anything, Raphael seems the sort to boast about getting to have sex with his handsome self. Not to mention multiple people in the HoH (Nebuldin and the Archivist) pretty much tell you to go see Haarlep and enjoy yourself? So yeah... Haarlep being a secret? DEFINITELY busted.

The only secrecy I can get from this would be the fact that it was a secret Haarlep was keeping from Raphael that he was a spy for Mephistopheles.

Which... let's talk about this spy as well. We don't know the terms and conditions of the contract between Haarlep and Mephisto, all Haarlep claims was that he was sent to "distract" Mephistopheles' naughty son.

Doesn't really mean spy. It CAN mean spy! Absolutely it could mean spy (and the devil's in the details). But if we think about what Haarlep was potentially sending back to Mephisto... why didn't Mephisto do anything? After all, Raphael can't hide anything from Haarlep or deny him anything, and that gives me the impression that Haarlep knows most of what is going on, and if he told Mephistopheles about all of that, I'm pretty sure Mephisto would have a shit fit over the fact that his son is after the crown that has been stolen from his vault.

This is a crown that Mephistopheles KNOWS pissed Raphael off when he took it and locked it away. Raphael tells us that he raged over it for years after it happened. So when the vault was broken into, I'm pretty sure Mephistopheles would have been onto Raphael about it immediately. If Raphael came up empty handed and literally didn't know a damn thing about it, maybe... MAYBE his father would be willing to go "fine, whatever," but this is a very paranoid Archdevil that has killed his own spawn before to better himself. Raphael is no different. He is expendable. He doesn't even live in Cania anymore (HoH is in Avernus), and as far as I can tell, he's keeping all those souls to himself so he can use them to turn into an ascended form (which makes me wonder if he got the idea from his father and Cazador).

So for being a spy... Haarlep is a pretty damn poor one, if you ask me. Haarlep comes off as more of a sloth than someone who is really interested in doing hard work. He wants pleasure and games, and he is content if he has that, but he's also a fiend, and Haarlep is still as selfish as any other devil.

If you kill Haarlep, you can also speak to his corpse, where he will give you the same information just in a different way. He will tell you where the key is, he will explain that Raphael was never on top during their bedroom games, and he will tell you he was sent to distract Raphael from Mephistopheles.

I am absolutely certain I could keep going with this, but I'm running out of juice, lol. Anyway, this is my little (big apparently) analysis of Haarlep's character, and why I write him the way I do.

There is no right and wrong when it comes to this, remember. We ALL have our unique headcanons and opinions on characters, and we see all but 10 minutes or so with Haarlep in a game that lasts over 100 hours of gameplay. There is always room for character growth and development. Just because you don't agree with someone's personal hc doesn't mean they're wrong or you're right.

I would love to delve further into some more headcanons, especially with Raph, his sexuality, and Haarlep and his relationship a little bit more, but for now, this his already gotten long enough, so some small dot points:

Hope says she has been in the boudoir against her own will (which makes me believe Haarlep and her have likely shared a bed--this is apparently triggered if you save Hope before doing anything else).

Haarlep is a top in the bedroom (as provided by his own words when you speak to his corpse)

Haarlep doesn't know of any weakness Raphael has in battle (this is indicated when you speak to his corpse and ask if Raphael has any weaknesses in battle, to which the corpse remains silent and the Narrator says "the corpse does not know"). A really neat hc post about that HERE.

Incubus eat hearts and meat (Haarlep, if you agree to let him devour your soul and body) stated that he will eat your heart.

If Haarlep devours your soul and takes your mind and soul, you do not die, you become a thrall of his to command, which will obey him and "my master" (which makes me think he speaks of Mephisto more than Raphael).

Haarlep can command imps (he summons them if you decide you want to battle)

If I think of more, I will add, I'm tired now, lol. If anything, can y'all appreciate how long this got? :'D

[the-s1lly-corner]

It'll be nice if you would be able to do head cannons of the TADC crew having to deal with a reader that has a biting on things problem have it and looks like a dog/pup (depending if you want to set an age range)

Like no one knows if they're just really playing into their part of being a annoying gremlin or they had a bad habit of chewing things in the real world then it being intensivize since being trapped in the digital prison

TADC cast x dog!reader who bites things! (Platonic!)

Wasnt sure whether to go with a dog or puppy reader but UHUH!!

Written on mobile! Gonna knock out some requests then I might work on art today!

This may be on the short side, I hope that's okay! I've been having some struggles thinking up hcs for TADC stuff the past few days <\3

Probably the first TADC post where I actually write the character segments in order (of them being listed) instead of bouncing around LMAO

CAINE:

You know how some people blow bubbles for their dogs to play with them, letting them chase and pop them? I feel like he'd do that with you and bubble (whether or not you view this as bubble torment is up to you, personally I don't think bubble would give too much of a darn).. may or may not help with your biting habit, or maybe it makes it worse? Really I think it depends !

Gives loads of hesd oats and chin scratches, I think!

POMNI:

Has probably caught you chewing on the dangle... bell.. end parts... of her hat when she has her back to you. Too nice to scold you but tries to politely redirect you to chewing on something else that isnt a part of her person..! Tries to ask why you chew on things, but even you don't seem to know the source so you're both just kind of.. stumped.. definitely not mean about reminding you of her boundaries

RAGATHA:

Probably tries to find you a oral.. fidget.. thing.. I forgot the proper term of them but you know how theres some stuff that's made specifically for oral fixiations and chewing and stuff? Like those chewable necklaces and stuff? Those! I think ragatha would try to find you one of those, or a safe stand in! Though.. does it really need to be safe if this is your digital body...? Has probably made you a blanket with bones on it, or maybe a bone shaped plushie

JAX:

Honestly whether or not he gets annoyed by your chewing habit is 50/50, I think! I mean it's not like he can say anything, I personally hc that he has a huge habit of fidgeting with anything and everything (though... I tend to write jax to be a bit of a hypocrite, given the "I like watching funny things happen to people" and then immediately getting mad when something funny happens to him)

Do I think he would let you chew on him, or any if his belongings? No, absolutely not. But would he grab something from someone else? Oh yeah most likely

Probably plays fetch/catch with you, if that's something you're interested in, though he suggests it in a way that you csnt tell if he is teasing you or not

KINGER:

Obligatory he gives off dad vibes so hes a dog person (is that a dad trait?? Or was I just exposed to that a lot in media as a kid?) So he kind of gravitates towards you because "dog :)". Obviously he knows you're a person, and he doesn't really do anything to treat you as anything less outside of that! Honestly you guys probably develop a father/kid dynamic, maybe!

"Hes just a little guy," he says after you take a comical bite out of the circus' walls (imagine the trope in cartoons where there's a bite out of something and theres the teeth marks)

Honestly doesnt care if you chew on his robe, either he truly doesnt mind or hes just too spaced out to notice. Tends to flip flop between those

ZOOBLE:

Similar to jax, whether or not they get onto you for the chewing is a coin toss. I think it really depends on how zooble is feeling that day! They tend to get more irritated than the others, I think, at least going off of the pilot. And they dont want to upset you, truly, they dont because you guys are friends! But zooble really values their belongings and personal space so they may get a little short with you if you decide to munch on those! Though, I think that despite the "I dont care" attitude, theyd try to find an alternative that works for you both!

GANGLE:

Too shy and sweet to tell you to stop if you start chewing on something you dont want her to; if she does eventually bring it up its probably after the fact.. tries to talk it out with you to figure out why you do that.. is it a stim? A simple habit? Something else entirely? But you dont seem to know the answer... I think she would do what ragatha does and tries to find you something you use long term as a chew; or maybe even tries to find you a habit if it's one you personally want to work on! Though she won't force you to change, if it's not something you want

[technikki]

ray tpn is autistic and i'm gonna tell you why now

ray is one of the most heavily autistic-coded characters i can think of, and i've been wanting to write up a post going over as many of his autistic mannerisms as i can because there is a lot. this will probably be long because i am also autistic and i am especially autistic about ray, so please enjoy while i psychoanalyze this anime boy with way more scrutiny than anyone would consider healthy <3

body language

perhaps one of the strongest arguments for ray's autism can be made by looking at his body language. ray tries to keep a stoic, neutral expression and voice the majority of the time (though he's often quite. bad at that too) but he is always extremely expressive through his movements and gestures, the most noticeable of which being the use of his hands. pretty much every character uses hand gestures, but ray is ridiculously excessive. it'd take frankly way too long to compile every instance of this (or even half) throughout the manga, so here's a small collection of gestures from s1 of the anime to give an idea:

note that this is not even close to all of them and that he's exactly like this in the manga as well, though the animation and its use of snappy, exaggerated movements does help to make these much more noticeable.

moving away from his hands there's also just a lot of really expressive full-body language as well, such as this friendly chokehold:

this dramatic shrug:

and this even more dramatic flop:

just to name a few. basically, ray has a thing for grand unnecessary movements and no one is surprised.

poor emotional regulation and masking

as i mentioned before, ray tries really really hard to bottle up his emotions and keep a sort of stoic persona during his time at gracefield. he's also really really bad at doing this. not terrible, as he was able to keep up a believable enough front that none of the other kids saw anything odd about his behavior for 6 years, but that's also because he deals with so much more stress once the events of the escape arc actually get going. there is a stark difference between his quiet and detached demeanor while emma and norman are still in the dark about the house, and him nearly having a meltdown every time something strays from his meticulously crafted plans while they actually begin making their preparations to escape over the course of the arc.

just a few examples of this include him nearly having a breakdown when emma insists on taking everyone:

or one of my favorite anime exclusive moments where he strains his voice while yelling at isabella to the point he breaks into a coughing fit:

and it's not just big flashy meltdowns, but little bursts of anger as well. shoutout to this moment in particular where he launches this bucket with enough force to tear up a bit of the damn ground:

this emotional instability can be seen after the escape as well, the most glaring example being how he interacts with yuugo:

their dynamic in general really does a good job of showing ray’s mental state after the escape, because pre-goldy pond yuugo is An Asshole. and ray is so, so easy to piss off and quite frankly tired from bottling up his emotions for so long that every interaction with said asshole is a massive struggle to keep himself from physically attacking him.

as for the topic of masking, that’s what ray’s attempts to hide his emotions feel like to me. ray is constantly in danger of losing isabella’s trust, whether that be by revealing he may be a little more attached to the other kids than he lets on or by showing too much emotion that the other kids start to wonder what the hell’s going on. ray has to constantly hide and cover up his emotions with more palatable ones for others out of fear of looking out of place or being seriously hurt, and well if that doesn’t just describe autistic masking to a tee i don’t know what does.

maybe one of the things that gets me the most about that is that he's essentially been masking for about half of his life, and doing that for any extended period of time is extremely draining. ray has been drained to the point that he will have full meltdowns when put under any sort of stress and when you take into account the fact that he already has pretty severe anger issues as a result of his trauma, it's really no wonder he has such a short fuse.

lack of a filter when speaking

ray is a very blunt person. he speaks matter-of-factly and he wastes no time in getting straight to his point, sometimes with only a single sentence:

the way he talks is also pretty significant, as he generally has a more monotone way of speaking. he really only yells when he gets really worked up which like i said, happens a lot, but there’s almost no inbetween for him. pre-escape, he tries to show as little emotion in his voice as possible outside of his outbursts.

as for post-escape ray, he does seem to show much more emotion in the way he speaks. its a bit harder to judge, as nothing past the escape arc was ever adapted into the anime (s2 isnt real it cant hurt you) but his facial expressions become much more varied and it’s easy to say his vocal inflections likely do as well. however, what we can say for sure is that he remains just as blunt as ever:

no matter how comfortable he becomes with expressing himself, this aspect of his speech never seems to change.

while we’re on the topic of his speaking mannerisms please also direct your attention to these panels:

these need no explanation.

sensory issues. so many sensory issues

briefly moving back to the subject of ray’s hands, i couldn’t help but notice during my countless s1 rewatches that they are almost never just resting at his sides. if he's not using his hands for unnecessary gestures they are either shoved into his pockets, or he's crossing his arms. it's very likely his arms default to these positions because they offer a sort of sense of security, the former keeping his hands covered and the latter keeping him more closed off, almost like he's constantly hugging himself. basically, ray is a 'likes to feel covered and secure' autistic and if he was buried in weighted blankets he'd probably love it.

also tying into the ‘likes to feel covered’ aspect of ray’s autism is this scarf he acquires sometime during the volume 12 timeskip:

it’s a well known autistic thing to get attached to articles of clothing and wear them as much as possible, and boy does ray get attached to this scarf. i can count 2 post-timeskip scenes off the top of my head that have him not wearing this scarf, and the image on the right takes place a full 2 years after the left one in canon. he has no explicitly stated emotional attachment to this scarf and we don’t even know how he got it, just that he almost never takes it off. it could easily be seen as a comfort item, maybe he just likes the way the fabric feels or the extra coverage it offers him. there is post-canon content that depicts him without it, but the fact that he wore it almost nonstop for at least 2 years straight is still pretty significant.

another sensory thing i feel is worth mentioning is that ray seems to have a very specific tolerance threshold for physical contact. he seems fine initiating touch himself, and touches from emma and norman are generally alright, likely because they are the only people he has openly allowed himself to be close with his entire life. sudden touches from others however, are a different story. the one that immediately comes to mind is this interaction with don:

don in particular is someone ray becomes pretty close to, and i would say that besides the obvious growth with emma and norman, don is likely the person we see the most development with with in terms of their relationship. him having this reaction to a hug from someone he’s so close to seems indicative of some issues with unexpected contact.

and finally one of my absolute favorite things the anime added, which is ray experiencing what looks a lot like sensory overload:

this takes place right after the argument with isabella, which ended with him being knocked to the floor and locked up in a room by himself, so its needless to say that he’s pretty shaken up. he gets so overwhelmed that all he can do is yell and desperately reach for any sort of stimulation to keep him grounded, curling in on himself and aggressively ruffling up his hair. i genuinely cannot think of an allistic explanation for this scene.

and basically, he is just so autistic

all in all, theres some pretty damn solid evidence for ray being autistic and whether it was intentional or not, the sheer amount of autism-coding present in ray’s writing is almost impossible to ignore. i love some good projection but i don’t even need to do that much, hes just doing this all on his own. in conclusion:

[itwoodbeprefect]

5, 8, 13, 37!

5. Share one of your strengths.

i was trying to think of something i haven't answered to this type of question in similar ask games before, so i'll go with a slightly sideways take and say, hey, i like my own writing. which is great! it means i get to have fun writing it, and it's (mostly) not a chore to read it a dozen times, and then once it's posted i optionally get to sit down and read this story i like that checks off a whole bunch of specific things i want from fic. i would never ever have been able to write as much as i have, or learn to write as well, if i didn't enjoy reading my own writing.

-

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

this is from something that still hasn't been posted (though soon, hopefully. let's ignore that i've been thinking that about this fic for at least six months), but i think it's a fun exchange that fits the way steve and danny express their love through their bicker-banter dynamic, and i really enjoy how this flows with the bits of description too:

The door to the master bedroom doesn’t creak either, but the bed rustles when the dark shape of Steve’s head pops up. “What’s happening?” Steve asks, at a tone a touch too proud to be a whisper. He doesn’t sound like Danny just woke him up, but that might just be Steve’s Steveness.

Danny pauses at the foot of the bed regardless. He’s tired, so he figures it’s best to go hard on the offensive rather than prepare for a lengthy sparring session. A little too much truth usually does the trick. “I miss you.”

“I’m right here,” the Steve shape says, from right there.

Like Danny doesn’t know that. “I know that,” he says, because he does know that. He knew that even when he was in the other room, and it didn’t functionally change anything. “Did I say I was being rational about this?”

The Steve shape is quiet for a moment, like he’s waiting Danny out. “Well, what are you doing all the way over there?” he asks eventually, like that’s the part of what Danny is doing that’s insane.

Danny’s chest finally feels whole again, but he ignores it because he’s busy walking around the bed and getting in under the sheet and complaining. “You hadn’t invited me yet. I’m not in the habit of climbing into other guys’ beds uninvited.”

Steve flops down on his front, muttering right into his pillow, “Yeah, you are.”

-

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

show don't tell? which is tricky because like almost any writing advice, it's not a magical rule that always applies and can never be broken, and you do need to learn how to apply it well. but oooh. ohoho. if a newer writer starts figuring this out, it levels up their writing tenfold. i know mine got better when i started doing this more intentionally.

-

37. Talk about your current wips.

oooh, i don't even know what counts as a current wip for me at the moment, so this will be very scattered. but i guess the things that have been on my mind the most are the last chapter of A flip-flop state of mind (it will happen! at some point!); the nearly finished h50 fic that the snippet above is from (which is superficially about junior moving out of the mcgarrett home, but that's just a cover for a very domestic getting together fic); another h50 fic that's, well, more domesticity (but established relationship), and is 95% dialogue so far, though it's not supposed to become a dialogue-only fic; somehow two different starsky/hutch fics of which both are in some way inspired by a song by dutch singer boudewijn de groot; another starsky/hutch fic based on a dutch song, only this time it's by someone else (and more actively relevant to the fic. i may end up translating the whole song if this fic ever gets posted, purely as optional context); a bad buddy fic in which pat and pran's respective best friends try to be annoying (affectionately) but get outclassed by patpran's competitive streak, and they all acknowledge (some with more dismay than others) that they've become friends; and finally another bad buddy fic which. i think it's done, probably. it's been done for weeks, i just can't decide if i like it the way it is or if i need to figure out a way to switch a certain part up before i hit post. i think at least in part it's that i'm running into the inherent difficulty in getting a character to Sound Right through a translation, which has made me go "oh my god how did i do that" a lot at the many many years i was constantly writing dutch fic for english media. but i'll figure it out! i hope.

[where-are-the-spooky-gays-2]

May write this later but sharing to get others to add on

Living my life like a best friends to lovers trope, me and my best friend staged a fake proposal at a restaraunt in order to get free cheesecake. This whole thing just smells like a cheesy fanfic about them.

Like, they walk into the restaraunt planning this whole fake-marriage-proposal on the fly, it's literally something they came up with in the parking lot. And because this restaraunt is hours away from their homes the chances of them coming back are so slim to nothing that "come on let's fuck around a little bit, maybe we'll get free dessert out of it"

"Okay"

Virgil is embarrassed and anxiously stimming the whole time, but he's excited cuz its so stupid it may actually work. The plan is that one of them (Virgil) will run to the bathroom, and Remus will pull the waiter aside and share the secret: "I'm proposing to my boyfriend tonight, I was wondering if I could order his favorite cheesecake ahead of time and you bring it out at the end of the meal?"

Virgil comes back out and they're giggling together at their stupid scheme. Once or twice they talk about if they should back out cuz "oh the waiter is telling all her coworkers" and "oh my god why are we doing this were roping in so many people into our lie"

"Imagine we go through with this and it doesn't even work"

They share a meal because the portionings at this restaraunt are absolutely insane (and it has absolutely nothing to due with the fact theyre broke college students and this is more cost effective, not at all). By the end of it there's still a third of it left. Virgil offers the rest of it to Remus to take home because "we got what I wanted to eat, you should at least be allowed to have the leftovers" and Remus is like "you enjoyed it so much, you should take it home"

And the cheesecake finally gets delivered, it's a chocolate-cherry-something or another. Across the plate is a cherry and chocolate drizzle spelling out "happy aniversarry" and Virgil is wondering when that aspect got woven into their lie. Suddenly he gets pulled up from the table by Remus. His hands shook as Remus got down to one knee, and now everyone is watching them and the waiter has Remus's phone and is recording the whole thing. He knew to expect this but the fact it was actually happening?? He could barely hear what Remus was saying.

"Virgil, we have known each other for six amazing years, and I got to call you mine for five of them. I want to take this moment and make you mine forever. Will you marry me, and have me as yours, for the rest of our lives?"

Virgil couldn't convince himself to speak but he nodded, and Remus pulled himself up and pulled Virgil into a hug. Virgil was still shaking, nearly losing his balance as he flopped back into the seat.

"Damn it. We don't have any forks."

Forks. Thats what Remus was focused on? Forks for what-- right, cheesecake. That was their mission. Free cheesecake.

God damn it, that felt way too real. Virgil needed to drag himself back into reality.

"It's nice to know that's how it feels even though it's fake. Can't imagine how amazing it will be when I actually get proposed to"

"I know, right?"

They get the check. Remus wordlessly reads over it and starts laughing, tossing it over to Virgil.

Virgil's face goes white when he reads the charge next to the cheesecake. "Ten dollars?!" He whisper-shouts. "Highway robbery. All that just to be charged for the cheesecake!"

"Maybe you should have stormed off in anger, and leave me in front of all these people without an answer. That probably would have gotten the whole meal comped."

Wow I kinda popped off sorry for the long post ✨️😔 I'm too lazy to make this an actual fic but maybe I'll put the whole thing together one day. Or someone else could do it for me

-🐀

Committing to the bit but also committing to each other <3 I L O V E this S O fucking much I feel so bad for cackling at the fact that they did all that planned out and everything just for them to still be charged poor Vee got feels too XD Next time Ree should just sneak into the back where the kitchen is and once the dessert is done make a run for it XD

[bringthekaos]

fdslkgjslk I know I've come late to this fandom and I can't believe this is my first ask here but. The latest ones you've got have made my brain go BRRRRR. I think that Viktor as the Herald wouldn't be 100% machine and it's not only because of fangirling ok. This dude is gonna be a posterboy of What It Could Be for humanity. A symbiosis. There's the Hextech/Flesh mix he's made of some of himself, which he'd keep. There's the parts I think he'd def change into a machine entirely. As someone who does have chronic pain, I don't think he'd replace his entire torso, because he's already spent like ten years in a harness, and paradoxically if he replaces his lungs and heart and throat and spine, he'd like to feel what it's not like to be in pain and not be constricted there. Like, maybe he changed his ribs, or maybe he put metal over the sides, but not around the whole thing? So, that's a cyborg feature. I feel like he'd augment his left leg with cyborg parts (specially on the knees and ankles) but keep the flesh. And the hips and buttocks, same thing - Lower back and hips reinforced, flesh for the rest. There's a spiteful streak to him, after all.

And he'd keep his human face. To fuck with Jayce. To know that yes, he has a mask on, and he may believe the mask is his real face (hell, even Viktor feels like it sometimes); but he could take it off any time he wants to.

(Also the temporo-mandibular joint is def going to be metal tho, supported by the chin, because look at this guy and tell me he doesn't have bruxism. And I'm sorry about this huge thing, maybe I should've made a sketch X'DD)

Hiiiiii! I said it once already, but welcome to the fandom! We’re stoked to have you!

I do a lot of flip-flopping on how much I think he’s replaced as the Machine Herald. Sometimes it’s more than others. Like… he preaches the superiority of metal and how the human form can only be improved upon. But then… he enjoys sweetmilk. He has a sense of humor, even in League, where he has supposedly eliminated a fair share of his emotions. So there’s also an element of hypocritical thinking when it comes to Viktor. Like… he says emotion is a barrier between humanity and their highest possible form, but then he finds joy in the little things (like the aforementioned sweetmilk), which is a fundamentally human character trait. And on the other end of that spectrum, as you said, he’s spiteful and holds grudges. Like… my guy has deluded himself into thinking he’s above emotion.

Until we get a definite confirmation in Arcane on just how much augmenting he’s done, it’s fun to play with the options, as a writer. I can write a more detached Viktor, who has replaced basically everything except his brain. And I can write him with very minimal augments—really just what was required to save his life and stop his pain. It’s actually kinda nice, not knowing. For now, anyway. It gives me freedom. But when we do eventually know, I’ll get to write a whole bunch of new canon-compliant stuff!!

I don’t know that Viktor would do anything mod-wise specifically to fuck with Jayce… it kinda depends how bad their falling out is. I feel like Arcane may be stepping back from the contention between them, and making it more of a tragedy of circumstances with notes of personal betrayal. Idk though. If Jayce really does end up betraying him, then all bets are off. He builds parts of himself with the sole intent being to torture Jayce. And maybe even builds the mask so that he never has to look Jayce directly in the eyes again.

Ugh. Can’t believe S2 is still a year away. I NEED ANSWERS.

[hoodoo12]

NSFW alphabet (Collettejuice) 1/2

I am the worst. I want to formally apologize to @diehatecry24 for taking waaaaay to long to post this . . . and I'm not going to lie but I only have half of it done. The past month has rabbit punched me with extra shifts at work, increasing musical rehearsals, and not one but two different medical issues that due to the abysmal state of US healthcare have been denied coverage by my insurance. None of that is a worthy excuse and I once again apologize to @diehatecry24.I did have a lot of fun writing this; I will continue to work on the rest and will post them as soon as I'm able.

NSFW (it's in the title), Collettejuice (also in the title) headcanons.

Please enjoy!

A-Aftercare (How are they after the deed?) 

At first, he’s either, “so long, thanks for being a receptacle” or immediately flops over on his side away from you and snoring. Once you make it clear--you have to be firm--that you expect more and that you deserve more, he grumbles but will stick around, stay awake, and cuddle. It’s not as begrudging as he wants to make it seem, though. He’s been rejected so many times that he never got the chance to really enjoy the afterglow. When he gets the hang of it though, he’s a damn octopus clinging to you. 

B-Bondage (what are their stances on it?) 

A 100% yes if it’s you. He’d do it first time you called him up! You might want to get to know him and actually trust him before agreeing, though. He’s a conman after all, and it’s not above him to get you in a compromising position and then make demands you may not be ready for. 

If it’s bondage regarding him . . . nothing close to his neck. Too many bad memories. You want to get a little frisky by using handcuffs or a spreader bar? That’s definitely on the table. Keep in mind that he can slip them any time he feels like it, so you better make it worth his time by edging the hell out of him.

C-Cum (Anything involving cum--creampies, etc.) 

Yes yes yes. There’s nothing this Beetlejuice likes more than his come inside you or smeared on you. Territorial, you know? Claiming you. Ask nicely, and he’ll even bring his clones out so you can be the guest star of a bukkake party. 

D-Dirty Talk (Do they like to dirty talk/degrade their partner, or are they the more silent type?) 

Beetlejuice never.stops.talking. He narrates everything. Even his mouth is occupied, even if you decide to introduce a ball gag, don’t forget his party trick of throwing his voice. He’ll keep up the dirty talk to egg you on. Depending on what your relationship with him is like, he may be incredibly raunchy, encouraging in a dirty way, degrading, or sweet (in a dirty way). You really want to get him going? Return it. Tell him he’s a slut. Tell him how much you want to ride him, fuck him, and how much you love his cock. Tell him to put his mouth to better use than talking and then force him to use it. 

E-Experience (How experienced are they, do they know how to please their partner well or no?) 

Experienced in general, yes. Could use some guidance on the whole “this is for both of us” thing! With his history, Beetlejuice is more used to taking than giving, but he’s willing to learn. Positive reinforcement works well for him. Your moaning or gasping or grabbing at him when he does something good for you makes him want to do it again, so use that to your advantage. 

F-Favorite Position (What is their favorite position-or more- to make love in?) 

His favorite position is your favorite position. He loves being behind you ‘cause he loves to see your ass. He loves being on top because he gets to control the pace. He loves you being on top because then he can relax and let you do the work while he gets to watch you. You wanna try something exotic like the Amazonian position? He’s into it. It’s all good.

G-Goofy (How serious or not serious are they in the moment?) 

With Collettejuice that’s hit or miss. At first he’s pulling out all the stops and using jokes, innuendos, etc. as a defense mechanism. To make sure you’re serious, you know, and also to deflect and have an excuse if he’s wrong about you wanting to get it on. Once he knows it’s real, he’s all business. But! If the two of you settle into whatever constitutes a real relationship, that silliness will rear its head now and again (ever see a dick painted black and white like a sandworm with a little figure dressed in a red tux plus a cowboy hat riding it? Don’t worry, you will).

H-Hair (How well maintained are they? Does the carpet match the drapes, etc.) 

Ha ha ha hahaha

It’s a full on bush down there. Plus or minus a little moss and mold. Maybe a bug or two. It’s funky. It’s green-ish. It’s its own ecosystem with a happy trail to match. 

If that’s not your cup of tea, tell him you’re going to do something extra special for him. Lay him on his back. Make it seem like a lark. Praise him. Coo at him. Caress him. Lick him. When he’s nice and relaxed, thinking you’re just showering him because of how much you enjoy every inch of him, gently suggest a little trim. So you can get even closer to him with your mouth, winkwink. He’ll let you. 

Then, when he realizes it is better being at least a little manscaped, he’ll keep it up. Honestley, it’s too much sometimes. You might find he’s sculpted his pubic hair into a heart or a lightening bolt as a surprise for you when his pants come off. 

I-Intimacy (How intimate are they?)

He pretends he’s not. He pretends this is just your lucky day, getting sexy time with him. 

But remember, he’s a liar. He loves the little things: a comfortable touch to his wrist, giving a little wiggle to your hips to flaunt your ass just for him, pushing stray hair off his forehead, inside jokes. 

Something he will never admit is that he talks to you when you’re right at the cusp of falling asleep. He talks about how hard it’s been, how lost he was, untl he met you. If you can fake falling asleep, you can listen to him. He’ll deny any of it if you mention it, though. 

J-Jack off (Masturbation Headcanon(s)) 

Like you have to ask. DO NOT bring a black light or any type of paranormal research equipment into your place because you WILL find out how much of his ectoplasmic come is smeared and splattered all over. 

As for jerking off with you present--I mean, with you aware--he’d much rather get off in you. But if you ask nicely, if you really beg, he’ll consent to some mutual masturbation. Put on a good show for him though, pleasuring yourself, but not too good. If you moan that you love his cock and it would feel so good to have it in you . . . baby, that’s gonna happen, no matter what he agreed to do. 

K-Kink (What is their special kink--or more--that really gets them riled up?) 

It’s a weird dichotomy for Collettejuice: he likes you being dominant and forceful and he likes to dominate you. He doesn’t want someone passive or meek. He wants fire and someone who will not put up with his shit. The more domineering you are, the more he’s going to try to be alpha . . . which leads to some very intense fucking. 

L-Location (Where do they like to make love the most?) 

Beetlejuice would have sex with you on the table in the middle of family dinner if you let him. He’s a horndog and if you give him an inch he’ll take a mile. So be very very careful teasing or joking around with him about fantasies.

[andsaid]

Should BlazBlue Get a New Fighting Game Entry?

Duh. ... Okay, well let me explain. You've probably never heard of what the heck a "BlazBlue" is. BlazBlue, BB for short, is a 2D traditonal fighting game made by arcsystemworks. It was created when they had lost the rights to Guilty Gear momentarily. They wanted to have an IP that would be fully theirs', and so BB was born. That's the basic history of BB. As most games do, it had multiple installments. The last game we got in the BB name was a game called BlazBlue Entropy Effect in 2024! While a good game, this... was not a fighting game, instead an action platformer. So, when was the last BB fighting game? Let me enlighten you on... BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle!

This game released in 2018 and was the last entry in the BB fighting game series. Unlike Entropy Effect, this was a fighting game! Hooray! Well, actually no. To put it lightly, it isn't a good game. The gameplay is too easy even for beginner players, there was way too many broken moves that completely shut down some characters, and half the cast you had to pay to get. While in concept, having a cross-series fighting game with Blazblue, Persona 4, Undernight Inbirth, and RWBY was cool, it didn't do well. The game stopped receiving any updates after it's final DLC season, not even patch notes. Nowadays, BBTAG is labelled a pretty dead game. But, it isn't all that bad for BlazBlue fans, because...

BlazBlue Centralfiction exists and is very much a great fighting game that is still being played! A big roster of well rounded characters that are both lovable as characters in the fighting game and characters in the story, satisfying combos that were actually practical, and a stable competitive scene. If you want to get into BB, this is the game!! Well, if this game is great, well balanced, has good online, and a stable fanbase, what's the problem? Well, this game came out in 2015... It's nine years old as I'm writing this!! To put how old this game is, Street Fighter 6 came out and is in season 2, Guilty Gear Strive came out and is entering season 4, Tekken 8 came out, and Mortal Kombat is still trash. In the time that all of these happened, BlazeBlue fans still haven't got a successor to BBCF, a tried and true fighting (unlike BBTAG). "Why doesn't the develops just make a new one? Clearly there's a demand for it..." Amazing question! Well, after the the flop of BBTAG, the director walked out on BlazBlue. And well, without a director, a game is pretty much put on a deathbed. Since then, BB has been in limbo. To be honest, BB is one of my favourite series' and I know that's true for so many people as well. Many people want BB back in the fighting game scene in just anyway since even though BBCF is a good game, it's numbers aren't anywhere near games like Street Fighter and Tekken. There is so many lovable characters in this series like Ragna, Rachel, Kagura, Hazama, Jubei, and by god so many others. It sucks that this game is left this way, and if you've actually read this, you'd probably agree too. However... I want to end this on a positive note. Even though BlazBlue has been going through a massive rut, two years ago, arcsysystemworks stated that they do not want BlazBlue to compete with Guilty Gear, their other fighting game. They also stated that they haven't forgotten about BlazBlue. They are a company that honestly puts a butt ton of effort into their games (like seriously just look at Guilty Gear Strive gameplay. The game is really well animated). What they do take a lot of time, talent, money, and passion. It may be a while until we get a new BlazBlue fighting game, but they have said they want it to have a huge impact when it does come out. Of course, things could change but... BB fans are at least reassured that the IP itself isn't dead with Entropy Effect coming out to great reviews and arcsystemworks stating the above. Well, this has been andsaid. Thanks for reading :)

[alldisneyrankings]

WDAS Ranking: Wish

So I was expecting to hate this movie going in, because the reviews were atrocious and it’s now considered a huge flop. Fans are even making their own versions of the movie to make it better, and considering the original concept to be superior.

So when I finished the film I thought…

It wasn’t THAT bad!

Like I agree it’s not Disney 100th anniversary material, but on its own it’s not a terrible movie! I think part of it is knowing what we could have had vs what we got is making people upset. And this was also SUPER hyped because it was released for disney’s 100th anniversary.

I’ll start with the bad parts.

Asha is a bit of a boring character, because she’s too perfect. The movie even comments on this! (“My weakness is that I care too much”). I mean, Disney has done this a lot lately with their movies, the main girl character is too loving, willing to defend her people, wants to stand up for….etc etc etc. She just doesn’t have any real flaws, she doesn’t grow as a person in my eyes.

The animation style I felt like they tried to appease the 2D fanatics but it didn’t look as polished as some of their shorts. If it was stylized a bit more, I think the movie would look much better. The color palette they used is also kinda muted and dark.

The songs….oh boy. I love Julia Michaels I really do. I think she bit off more than she could chew for this. There’s been a rumor that she wasn’t supposed to write all the songs (only the end credits song) but so many staff quit the production and everything was super rushed and they just had Julia write everything in the span of weeks. And if that’s true I can totally see it. AI HAD to have been part of the writing process, at the very least. Otherwise, she’s a pop writer/singer, not a broadway musical writer like L-M M.

The goat character kinda sucks. I feel bad for Alan tudyk for some of the lines they had him record. He’s just kinda there and comments on everything.

Speaking of characters, there’s WAYYYY too many characters in the movie! You have Asha’s family, the king and queen, 7 of her friends, and the star. That’s a lot of main characters, and none of them were fleshed out.

I think the thing that hurt the story the most was they tried to cram in all these Disney references EVERYWHERE! At some point it’s not cute, it’s annoying. You didn’t need to do that. Just make a good movie. I’m sure that frustrated a lot of writers/animators.

Okay, good-ish things.

The story is simple and cute, it’s about one kingdom that has one king that goes a bit crazy and then gets punished for it. You don’t need to have a complicated story to get my attention.

The star character is pretty cute I KNOW I KNOW, I’m sorry! I know we could have had star boy (and I would rather have had him) but what we got at least wasn’t ugly. And I guess it kinda makes sense if the goal is to get Asha to make the decisions instead of Star.

At LEAST we got an actual villain. And he wasn’t that bad! He may not be up there with Ursula and scar but he’s fine in my book. Probably the most entertaining character in the movie.

Before I make this too long, I was expecting to hate it and I didn’t hate it. Would I watch it again, maybe! Not anytime soon though.

[dragoncookies]

Roller coasters!

Here’s how I think some of the KOTLC characters (The teens) would react to going on a rollercoaster at amusement parks in some AU where they do that (like a scary rollercoasters with loops and big drops and stuff).

Sophie:

She would be less terrified than you’d think. She rides Silveny all the time so she used to that kind of thing and she’s also used to human machinery so she’d be nervous but have a good time regardless, though she has her limits. She’s perfectly okay with waiting behind while others go on some life destroying roller coaster. She loves the rides that are like those swings that spin around (you know?). 

Keefe: 

Daredevil extraordinaire. He’d be so down to do it but you’d hear him praying for his life once the ride actually starts. Like full on confessions but once the ride is going he’d be doing that happy yell thing you do on a roller coaster. He’d also be the most likely to loose a shoe or smt on the ride. 

Biana: 

She would love rollercoasters and I know it. She’s the type to be smiling and laughing and enjoying the sound of her friends screaming. When you go and see the pictures she looks so happy. She’s a rollercoaster enthusiast.

Fitz:

Scared shitless. He’d squeeze his eyes shut and scream for his life. As soon as the ride stops he’d be the type of person to just flop over his seatbelt or something dramatic. His photos at the end look goofy as hell and always cause the most laughs. He still is convinced by his friends to go on every ride somehow though. 

Dex:

Personally Dex would be my favorite rollercoaster enjoyer. He’d be the type to sneak food or something on there so as you’re going up the hill you just watch him whip out a meal or a board game. He’d be the type to somehow be wearing sunnies in the photo because he’d just KNOW where the cameras are. 

Maruca:

She’s lowkey the most enjoyable person to go on a rollercoaster with. She’d get butterflies and you could see her get nervous about it but in a way that makes you more excited and less worried. She’d be the type of person to look at a roller coaster and say “there’s no way I’m going on that” but go on it anyways. She’d also be the type to have her hands up the whole time. Also, in line, she’d sit down and start crocheting something. For real.  

Tam:

It’s not for him :/.He wanted to go on one once to be with Linh and didn’t show any fear for the sake of others but when the ride was done he’d fainted! He may or may not throw up after riding rollercoasters. He still goes to amusement parks with friends because he carries all their stuff and looks great in a visor.

Linh:

So excited about rollercoasters. She’s kind of like Biana in that they make her laugh but she does not have an endless appetite for rollercoasters. She got a lil ambitious and went on four in a row and threw up (like Tam did) but she wasn’t fazed and went on another half an hour later. A true trooper. She likes watching the world do a lil spin on loop-de-loops (spelling?). 

Wylie:

An ambitious rollercoaster consumer and tries to predict where the cameras are so he can make sure to have a comically stoich face. He likes to sit next to Dex so his poker face stands out more in photos. He’d definitely panic while up there but love the thrill! He wasn’t a natural rollercoaster daredevil but built up his stamina. He’d also be the one to help convince other people who don’t want to go on the rollercoaster to yolo and try it. 

Marella:

Do I even have to write this? She’s literally out there risking her life to go on the most horrifying rollercoasters. Some rollercoasters even relax her. I’m scared of her. She LOVES spilling the HOTTEST TEA while waiting in line too.

Stina:

Super skeptical about the human technologies. Consistently doubting the whole time in line, but she’d have such a good time on a rollercoaster she’d have to admit they’re not so bad. She won’t go on ALL rollercoasters, she does decently well. She’d be the type of person to squeeze your hand or need to like hug someone while the rollercoaster is going. It’s not so bad ngl. 

Thanks for reading all of it. Like seriously you made it to the bottom congrats.  

[zendyval]

I don't know if you've discussed this but I was just on that ugly ass place called X and seeing some people argue whether Twister was successful or not.

Apparently the 90s film in 90s dollars made over 400 mill and this Twister 2024 with a known and famous movie before it, with the next global superstar sexiest man alive (jokes) lead Glen Powell made 300mill Domestic, and couldn't crack 50mill internationally.

So the argument is some people are calling it successful because it made good money Domestic but others are pointing out with a budget of 150-200mill it can't be considered a success, so much excuses and faffing around about how Deadpool cut it off before it could make money and just other bullshit, others arguing it couldn't even beat the 90s box office numbers, just all around interesting conversation in the movie space.

I personally want all movies to do well but the standard people hold for one movie vs another is crazy to me because I can already see this not even having a smallest effect on Glen going forward as it will be called a success, the same way I can see Furiosa making 170mil with a 168mill budget not affecting Anya because "it's not her fault the market didn't take to it".

I know nothing about Twister so won't really speak to this film particularly, but online film discussions have become so tiresome. Both in terms of quality of films and what defines success because literally nothing is good enough ever and most of it is at its heart a fan pissing contest because they want everything to be a "flop" besides whatever their faves do.

I do think it's entirely unfair to compare a megahit movie from the 90's to the performance of a movie at the box office today because the environment/world/circumstances are just totally different. So I do feel like anyone that leads with those arguments is being disingenuous.

I do find it hard to claim that a movie that did $300 million domestically is a flop in a sense of that is about all you can ask of a movie domestically. I also think how to determine the success of a film has changed also, with streaming and streaming deals and etc.

There may be legitimate conversations to have though on the size of film budgets and if most of them need to be less, in light of current box office expectations.

My other pet peeve is when twitter posts a movie clip of anything out of context to say it's the worst thing they have ever seen- either due to CGI, or acting, or the writing, or cinematography, etc. And it's usually not, it's just a movie clip posted entirely void of context so other people can pretend to sound smart. See when they posted that one Challengers clip or something and twitter decided that Lucas was a bad director and the editing/cinematography was bad.

[geekgemsspooksandtoons]

My review of John Logan’s Bioshock movie script

Heavy spoilers concerning the first Bioshock game, and the script that I’m finally going to review. This took a while to make. It’s long.

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I’m going to be honest with you all. I wanted to reread the entire thing. But as I read it, I started to rush through Steinman’s part and to Rudy’s introduction. I have read this script possibly countless times or just a lot. I know what happens, and I have read little details. There’s really no need to waste time reading more of it. But its best to just speak about it. This will be spoiler heavy about the script. If you’ve played the games, that’s okay. But again, just a heads up as I will have a keep reading option.

John Logan was the one in charge of writing the script for Gore Verbinski’s Bioshock movie back in the day. It was expected to be released in 2010, but due to complications such as the budget and the hard R rating, and the “Great recession” whatever happened and Universal not wanting to put out a big budget R rated film that would flop because Watchmen had flopped. There was a change in director, Gore was merely producing, and while the film was 8 weeks from shooting. It was Ken Levine who cancelled the project.

There are pieces of concept art and storyboards online to see. And Gore Verbinski has said there is all kinds of crazy stuff in pre-production. Such as literal screen tests (I REALLY want to see those) and whatever else. And I would like to mention considering those concept arts and storyboards (I wished there was more of them hopefully) that pretty much confirms to me that this script is ACTUALLY REAL. I hope, but that’s me overthinking it. Because the concept art showcases details that highly reference what happens in the script, even the one leaked storyboard.

I’ll get to talking about the script soon. Despite I’m not in the fandom as much. I love Bioshock. Particularly the first two games, and this franchise I guess helped me through 2020. I have drawn and written stuff for it. While I may not be as active as I used to be. And my opinions have changed over time. The Bioshock franchise is still one of my all-time favorite video game series.

A movie has always interested me. And when reading this about a year ago or so, I felt like I had closure after I had read this script I kept reading about. And while I had an EXTREME reaction at first to it...I want to make a detailed review of it. My own personal thoughts about it...and why it wouldn’t have worked as a film.

I’m going to review it as best as I can. Because while I have read articles talking about it. I don’t think I’ve seen a review talking about how it works and...whatever else. I’m going to say some things that may bother fans. This is all my opinion.

This is my review of the script as a fan of Bioshock, as a gamer, and as a person who loves/likes movies.

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1. To be honest, I think Gore Verbinski is an excellent choice. I liked his Pirates of the Carribean work. And his visual style would’ve been so fitting for this series. I can understand why they hired him, and I think it was technically a passion project for him (I could be wrong though because he was saddened he couldn’t finish it. He had a vision, and he went to Ken Levine for advice. Despite how I feel about that...

The scene for the introduction of the Flying Dutchman in Dead Man’s Chest...I don’t want to sound weird. That is just perfect, and I can only imagine or well, that tone or just that work...Gore can do that horror/thriller aspect. Both in tone and visually.

Again, Gore is a director I like. But...the script John Logan wrote...and John Logan doesn’t seem like a bad writer. He seems to have written fantastic work.

I do think I was kind of harsh saying John didn’t understand the source material he was given. He was hired to literally write a script of story that...took a video game to tell it in a longer fashion...but it’s just some of the choices he made. And...fuck it. He does his best and you have to commend him for doing that. Yet...that’s also one of the reasons why I don’t like this script. Or why I seem to be on Filmento’s side that...you can’t repeat the first game. You can’t do the twist, and whatever else advice Filmento says. Whatever opinions you have about him...I think he’s right.

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2. The script is 112 pages long. And as I’ve learned from Marcus Nispel, the director of the 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the 2009 Friday the 13th reboot. In his documentary of the deleted scenes for the 2003 remake of TCM. He said every page equals one minute. While I question if that’s true for every film, I’m no filmmaker. But if I take into consideration with Bioshock’s script...

The film would’ve been maybe 112 minutes long. And they were going to use the WYK twist in this movie that would’ve been an hour and fifty-two minutes...that is rushed. And the script shows that. But this isn’t just about that. It’s about...the structure and plotting of the story.

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3. The script again, would’ve used the famous, “Would you kindly” twist from the game. Where the reveal where Jack was being controlled the entire time and Ryan reveals that. And Atlas had been using Jack that entire time. Along with the other twist that Fontaine is actually Atlas.

What makes that twist so impactful, however you feel about it. It works so much because you are in a video game. And you have an entire game worth of hours of playtime, finding clues, seeing the hints about it. And it fits the game’s main themes about choice, especially with the ending. Where your actions determine the kind of person Jack will become if you harvest a single Little Sister, or none at all.

Even if the game has been talked to death, especially about this certain moment. It was a big deal and still is. But here’s the issue of trying to incorporate this twist into a movie...

IT DOESN’T FIT.

Listen, I get twists like this have happened before in films and shows before. But what made the WYK twist so powerful was the fact the player played the game. And they realized their main goal was technically and their agency was taken advantage of.

You’re not simply just an avatar for the player. But you are also a person, Ryan’s literal son who was legit bred and experimented on for one goal in life, and that’s to kill Andrew Ryan himself. Jack’s blood is the reason why the bathysphere in the lighthouse even works when they are all shut down. It’s the reason why Jack is able to survive multiple does of ADAM and possibly not become a Splicer. He’s not just a sleeper agent, he’s literally a killing machine. The man is a literal super soldier in a similar vein such as Halo’s Master Chief and Doomguy. Even if Jack was brainwashed, the dude’s a fucking badass. And he’s technically “Immortal” if the vita chambers remain on.

It's what makes Ryan’s “Suicide” haunting as he literally proves a point that you are nothing but a “Slave” at that moment in the story. It’s basically Ryan telling Jack, “Fuck you” to the player and Jack himself. Especially with the last few lines he says as he is beaten to death.

But this works in a video game fashion where you can find this information or whatever else, and it works for gameplay. Yet in this...you’d have to be a fan to understand some of that because some of the changes made in the script...it’s interesting.

Again, the point being the twist works so much is because it’s a video game where the player is supposed to have agency. But when they find out they were helping one of the main villains. It comes as a literal shock. When putting that in a film or a book, it’s not as effective. Especially with the hints and...the script’s obvious ways of showcasing something is going to happen.

Basically, it works so well because again, the twist works for a video game. Because in video games unless you read a manual or discover more details, you don’t question your orders and all that crap. But in a film where you aren’t controlling the characters...it doesn’t work.

It also raises certain questions like moments in the original game. At least with the original game with certain theories and you can understand why Atlas doesn’t say “Would you kindly” consistently. Because there’s “Sane” people around and other crap people talk about. But in the film, it makes me think or maybe I’m just a sick bastard.

In scenes where Atlas is with Jack the first time, and whatever else. Why doesn’t he just tell Jack, “Would you kindly” when handling a gun, and instead of trying to act like a normal person? Or the fact...in fact...this relates to other stuff that bothers me.

The fact instead of being on a radio and he’s in person, he can easily control Jack easier or just...I want to get to the next part. He’s literally having to drag his ass after Jack’s ear gets bitten off and all that shit. When he could easily just order him to keep pushing forward.

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4. This is merely something that bothers me, or it's something I feel that’s...kind of almost excluded from the script. I get you can’t explain everything right away. But what made Bioshock such an amazing game is that the city was technically a “Character” in itself. Despite we see the aftermath of the Rapture Civil War. You have audio diaries by characters that tell the story of how it came to be.

I get having to shorten it and...one of the major themes of why Rapture fail was the fact Ryan built the city upon a flawed foundation. The “Objectivism” point of view where he pretty much explains it. People can do whatever they want without consequences. Rapture failed like places on the surface because Ryan didn’t address those concerns, such as unregulated businesses becoming corrupt, immoral experiments, and the discovery of ADAM made it worse. It sped up the process.

You even have characters like Fontaine and Sofia Lamb, even Sinclair and Bill McDonough who realized this shit was getting bad. There are other things that explain this better. But basically, don’t a be a shitty person, there’s no problem with having rules, and the so called “Paradise” was built on a selfish or...flawed ideology. Where the poor were treated like shit, and the rich could do whatever they want. Especially with Capitalism still involved...it’s a major theme of the game.

What bothers me about the script is...Rudy quickly explaining there was a civil war. And at the end with Brigid mentioning Rapture was a “Controlled experiment” and mentioning the true potential of men is “Evil” and Atlas talking about the ultimate realization of the human animal. And I’m sorry, I just dislike this simple mention of Atlas starting a resistance, and Rudy’s movie references and suggesting who to play who in a possible film about Rapture. There is still mentions of Atlas bringing things from the surface.

To be honest, I’m glad the theme of “Choice” is still involved. Because in a film, that can still work like something in Spider-Man 2. Where the whole conflict is Peter Parker having the choose between living a normal life or continue being Spider-Man. It’s a theme that can work if handled right...but not with the WYK twist. And somehow, it can still be intervened with the whole theme of why Rapture fell. Because like in words of Andrew Ryan himself.

“We all make choices. But in the end, our choices make us.”

Because yeah, that can still work. Actions speak when concerning characters. But back to the point...I’ve seen someone on a Bioshock Discord say the message sounds like a “Chosen one/breaking free narrative just screams generic empowerment for that 18-35 male target audience” and the fact...Bioshock has many themes concerning its story.

 Such as the fact the game’s ending is dependent of what the player does. Do you want to be better than Ryan and Fontaine by not becoming power hungry and start a normal life with a group of Little Sisters? Or do you become as bad or worse than them, maybe starting a war with the surface and whatever else?

Again, or so, the main themes are there of how extreme ideologies can destroy a city if there aren’t any rules or any empathy. Because when you don’t have that, the consequences are horrible. And you have characters like Ryan, Fontaine, and others that showcase that when they are well...really shitty people in control.

And that brings me to the ending for the script.

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5. You know, when I heard this ending was going to be “Darker” than the bad ending in the original game. And hearing Gore wanted to blend both the good and bad ending if I recall right. Along with what Jack does in the end...this is what I imagined.

Because of how this script before I read it, they kept saying it was REALLY dark. And I had imagined the ending to be depressing. The idea of Jack after he and the Little Sisters killing Atlas/Fontaine. That Jack, the Little Sisters, and Tenenbaum go into one of the bathyspheres to leave Rapture. But before they get to the surface, in a “Werewolf” like scenario. Jack sadly succumbs to becoming a Splicer, unable to control himself, kills Brigid and the children by beating them to death with his wrench. And when he gets to the surface at the lighthouse, he’s completely gone mad.

He’s so spliced up; he doesn’t know what to do. He’s no longer himself. He can’t go back to Rapture MAYBE. And now, he’s stuck on the island where the lighthouse is at. He’s going to die possibly of starvation or whatever else...and his story ends in a tragic ending where he sadly couldn’t stop his transformation and everything he had done was for nothing and how ADAM literally destroyed him mentally and physically. Almost like a person who is cursed to be a werewolf who kills a loved one, and they sadly couldn’t control themselves.

That is what I thought would happen when I read a tag saying Jack killing Tenenbaum and the Little Sisters in the end when he turns into a Splicer...

But no, it’s actually worse in context. Because throughout the whole story, Jack is pretty much a guy who understandably wants to get the fuck out of Rapture. He’s not a bad dude, yet for some reason, he takes...Atlas’ words to heart and...it’s literally just the bad ending. It’s almost a 360 turn because throughout most of the story, he understands right from wrong and...it’s just bullshit.

I get the story is dark. And I feel like because Gore took advice from Ken. Along with knowing Ken only wanted the bad ending to be canon but 2K didn’t want that. This feels like Ken also wanting his original vision still be seen. When in reality, I think the game having two different endings is great because it plays an important role in the themes of choice. 

The ending here...I guess is just for shock value and I strangely would’ve preferred an ending where Jack dies giving his life or something so we wouldn’t have such an ending. Yeah, that’s depressing but alias...I’m not into the ending.

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6. The characters and how they are written is what I’ve been wanting to talk about too. I want to admit that there’s nothing wrong with different characterizations. But I do think it depends on the character you are writing and how that characterization respects the original. Does it respect the character or not?

But the script’s interpretation of some characters...I think it's also me being annoyed by some pieces of dialogue. I’ll get to this point.

I HATE the idea to make Atlas and Fontaine not one person. I get it because of the runtime, but overtime, Fontaine IS Atlas. It’s just kind of weird to me because I guess it makes Atlas more interesting. It’s what makes Atlas stand out. Even though with this change, it does make it easy. But it makes me wonder about the lore in this script if...Atlas did well...he did smuggle shit into the city.

But what I hate is the mischaracterization of Atlas. His dialogue after the twist just doesn’t click with me. John could’ve written the direction with Atlas is that he put up a “Good guy” font in front of everyone when in reality he’s pretty fucking horrible. Yeah, you may not have, “Name’s Frank Fontaine” but at least have Atlas being a fucking bastard who knew Rapture would fall and taking advantage of it. Instead of, “We can be free again”, or “I’m free now. I’m the first man who has ever been free...I AM ADAM” and other pieces of his stupid dialogue in the final battle.

I fucking love Fontaine and his Bronx accent. Don’t judge me. I think I’m being nitpicky too. There’s also another thing I joked with my good buddy @atlas-slut-of-the-people​​ long ago. And this concerns Jack’s...experimentation of becoming a sleeper agent. Did Atlas actually have a wife and child? Or was the woman and child on the sub just two random people?

Did he literally take Jack into his house, do experiments on him, and you have Moira going like, “ATLAS PLEASE SPEND TIME WITH ME AND PATRICK!” and Atlas is like, “Not now honey. I’m creating my own personal sleeper agent” as he forces little Jack to watch films of fake memories. Listen, I know Fontaine’s plan is fucking insane. But did Atlas need to do that? Did he speed up Jack’s age in this universe too? Or did Jack grow up naturally? No, no...some things aren’t explained.

Oh, I found out he did inject ADAM into him during his...experimentation...and there’s also the fact Jasmine is the “Baby carriage Splicer” and hinting that Jack was a baby...like...good lord...listen, I as a fan understand the lore and Jack’s life...

But this being left up in the air is just stupid. I also hate the fact that possibly Tenenbaum and Suchong aren’t involved in Jack’s creation. But that’s another thing. And there’s the fact whether I should call this good or bad that it confirms in the script Tenenbaum created the Big Daddies...I hate the Suchong erasure.

Let’s talk about Jack. Listen, I don’t hate Jack, I like him. And I love that on Tumblr, lots of people love the good ending and see him as a person. That’s absolutely great. Yet I will admit that...and this is likely just me being annoyed by the fandom. There is nothing wrong with head canons and all that or how you feel about characters. But I get tired of this fandom and it’s intriguing to a series that’s M rated...some of the fans try to act righteous. But I shouldn’t be the one to judge.

I just hate it when people act like their opinion is fact. But that’s not the main point, yet it kind of relates to what I’m going to say as Jack.

He is a character; he is a person. But in the end...he’s still technically the player’s avatar. And his choices are dependent on what the player does in the game. And the script’s interpretation of him is...something.

Fuck it, I’ll just get to it. The role of Jack as in the game can’t work in a film. You can’t have a character like that in a film unless...you did something different. A main protagonist, whether hero, villain, or whoever needs to have a goal, what is their motive? What keeps them going forward? You can’t have a character like Jack with just...listen, a part of me feels like the whole college graduation stuff isn’t worth it. Including the obvious hints to the upcoming twist. 

Like, did Atlas put that shit into his memory? Considering shit like Jack’s dad mentioning a “Mr. Ryan” from New York, the visions of the ADAM syringe in the pool.

I have even called this Jack a “Bitch” or so...Jack’s original character can’t just be put into a different medium. Like...to me, he’s the one character in the franchise that NEEDS to be reinvented if you are going to use him in some way. Because the story of the “Ace in the Hole” is something that can’t be done in a film unless someone thinks of something crazy good.

I guess the only thing to say is that he lacks personality, you don’t have a reason to care for him unless you were already a fan of him. He’s a “Boring” and “Blank” protagonist you aren’t invested in.

Characterization is an issue with this script. Like...I felt like Tenenbaum and Ryan aren’t that bad. But some of Ryan’s dialogue at the end is a bit weird. A popular character like Sander Cohen is used for only one scene and quickly killed off. And the Big Daddy isn’t much of a character and...

There’s...nothing to be invested in. It sounds rough saying that. And you have the introduction of Rudy Pendergast. A character that...I strangely hate, but don’t. John could’ve seriously used a character like Bill McDonough or even Diane Mcclintock. But like Atlas-slut-of-the-people said. He’d probably would’ve made them evil somehow. And you have Steinman for one scene where Jack tries to ask him stuff.

You know, I’m also bothered by how my favorite character, Tenenbaum is saved for the end. I’m going to say what another person has said, the script feels so singular, particularly with its characters. The only person who gets an arc is Jack and everyone else is...there for his arc. I want to continue on.

But also, I get the intention with “Flower” the Little Sister Jack meets...again, despite it’s a fictional story and...you need to write characters instead of whatever. Yet okay, that scene with her and Jack is nice.

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7. You know, I actually admire the direction to make this REALLY hard R. I feel like the type of grim violence I can compare this script’s is to films like Aliens vs Predator Requiem and the 2010 remake of The Wolfman. Despite their critical receptions, those films are fucking brutal. And considering the tone and violence of this script, it would’ve made it stand out. I’ve even called this script Bioshock Requiem due to how...tonally dark this is.

Particularly for scenes like Flower the Little Sister being brutally murdered by Rudy, and after that, Rudy getting fucking brutalized by a Big Daddy. Then you have baby carriage Jasmine getting ripped apart by a Spider Splicer in front of her own son. You even have the scene of Jack shooting the passengers and pilots aboard his airplane when he’s being brainwashed. Even the stewardess he was talking to earlier. Also, keep in mind when it mentions when Jack is on the plane, families were mentioned to be on there. So, it makes me wonder if Jack sadly...shot children. Glad it doesn’t make it explicit. 

And you even have the one part I mentioned that sticks with me. That being the scene where the Football Splicer bits Jack’s ear off. Maybe his right ear, I forgot if it mentions it, I think it doesn’t. But I find it funny when thinking of some shit I write, I think of an idea where a character bites a character’s ear off...it just sticks with me.

Considering how violent and brutal the games are, it’s actually fitting. And I wonder if the violence serves a purpose...and it seems to because it really captures the unpredictability of the Splicers and even the brutal power of the Big Daddies. It sells it brilliantly, especially with the Splicers hurting each other, as they were once people that sadly lost their minds.

It really reinforces the horrific downfall of Rapture. Even though I still wonder if you could do more with it. But maybe that’s the point that the violence is so horrific and unforgiving because it could’ve been prevented in some way. 

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8. You know, the direction with Rapture in this script. The fake neighborhood, literal parks, a...ice cream truck is mentioned...it’s weird to me but unless it was shown in motion...it’s just interesting to read about parks in giant domes instead of places like Arcadia sadly and whatever else. There is the mention of “Olympus Height Tower” but...it’s weird not hearing other places and Fort Folic Club” being a small club or so...

Listen, I’m so used to Rapture in the first two games. That the idea of an ice cream truck, and the fake neighborhood, or even the mention one of the Splicers is a cop, and one being a magician. But I think with the magician seems like he could be from somewhere like Fort Folic. And the cop Splicer could’ve been someone who was trying to reinforce Ryan’s rule before going crazy.

This kind of relates to the themes. So, in this, did Ryan just not care or invite certain random people? Because this city unless I read it wrong, sounds like it’s more...streamlined than what was shown in the games. Unless I’m thinking differently. But the point being with what I’m saying Ryan preferred people that were rich, he didn’t care for the poor. 

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I think it’s time I finally finish this post. I’ve taken breaks when making it. This got really long, but hey, it’s a detailed review about a script I’ve read a lot. I’ve looked back at it when making this.

You know why The Last of Us on HBO worked? While it being a tv show helped it A LOT. But it's the fact while there were changes to help it and make its own thing...the story is pretty straight forward. The issue with a series like Bioshock, particularly the first two games is the layout of the stories. We’re talking about video games where you learn about characters through audio diaries, the emphasis on choices and endings that can be either canon. It’s only when Infinite, Burial at Sea, and Minerva’s Den are the ones that a story where player choice is heavily involved.

Hell, while I have my issues with Paramount Plus’s Halo tv series. The idea to make it its own thing and not being an exact adaptation is a fine idea. But the way it was handled, and as much as I want an adaptation of Combat Evolved and other things...you need to be careful. But seriously, Halo is a whole other discussion.

Video games are such a different medium and adapting certain games into movies or shows is difficult. And I agree with a YouTuber I respect, that being Filmento. Whatever you feel about him or so. I think for something like Bioshock...you can’t make an exact adaptation of that first game. And I think for the sake of this fanbase, you can’t make it within the canon of the games themselves.

The Bioshock film, especially the upcoming Netflix one needs to be hold its ground as a film. It’s the same thing as a comic book adaptation. Such as Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy or Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. You cannot copy and paste a certain story unless there are certain changes. Which I think most people get that. But with Bioshock, considering how much this series is loved, I feel like more people need to understand that. Even for diehard fans, IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

This is why films like the Sonic films work, and even the recent Super Mario Bros Movie did well. And even a film like Rampage (2018) and talking about these three franchises is something else. But again, these four films work as films.

But you need to respect the source material, while making something new with the material. You make a movie with game elements as Filmento has said. Especially for a series like Bioshock. You can have a prequel show with Bill as the main character later on, and whatever else you want to do.

In a nutshell like with all films, make a story that general audiences can follow easily, characters they can get invested in, and again, take the best elements from all three games and develop something new that honors the legacy of those games. It’s weird I’m giving out this advice because I do still keep Filmento’s tweets of what to do with this film. It’s also because with how much I was critical of this script for a cancelled movie.

I’m hoping to God, and I worry what Francis Lawrence and Michael Green will do is just try to adapt that first game. When to me, this script proves you shouldn’t do that. Unless what they deliver changes my mind, just remember what I’ve talked about this script and what I criticized.