#time to not play any games that involve player choice for a long time

[macgyvertape]

BG3 Act 3 thoughts and liveblog part 7

Yeah I romanced Astarion but funnily enough I find him the least physically attractive of all the companions (except Minsc), especially with his out of place ripped abs. I think its just the way he’s “generically attractive” 

I know there’s a lot I missed especially in act 3 when I hit side quest fatigue and had irl responsibilities. I had no idea about the deep stalk mushroom since I blew up that area in act 1, no idea using Heal revealed special Dark Urge backstory since I usually used health potions. I intentionally didn’t finish finding Dribbles because I found the running around tedious, but I never did anything with the newspaper, post office, or iron flask

Like how the game tells me there's no turning back, so I loaded up my squad with as many fireworks and explosives as they could carry. Astarion, Karlach, and Gale are the final group. I made the choice for Karlach over Lae’zel just because she has unresolved business with Gortash and I need Gale for Counterspell and to use these 20k worth of scrolls I���ve been hoarding.

Ok so Gortash is in the morphic pool but sadly Karlach doesn’t have her own conversation with him. There isn’t any dialogue that leads to combat, so I just had my character attack him and said “theres no we” but sadly Karlach doesn’t seem to have any reaction to killing him here and the quest journal doesn’t acknowledge it. Out of universe I want to finish the game vs getting the cutscene at Wyrm’s rock, in universe I think it's very believable my character would want to kill Gortash when he’s isolated especially to twist the knife when he thought he was about to achieve his alliance. Even without the Urge it doesn’t mean she’s good. 

Using Speak to the Dead on Gortash’s corpse and what answered was Bane, with nothing of Gortash left. Bane said my character “lived for power” which is a true characterization up to a point. That Bane punishes his Chosen for failures in the same way Bhaal would have punished her or how Shar punished Shadowheart, this is just another point reaffirming her view that the god's chosen are pawns.

Wow Astarion is really outspoken where he doesn’t care whether we help The Emperor or Orpheus but he really doesn’t want my character to become a mindflayer. 

Karlach offered to be a mindflayer, and I think my character would have considered it the best of a lot of bad options. Becoming a mindflayer is not something she’s willing to do, especially with how Astarion spoke up against it. Karlach is dying and said she’d rather die than go back to Avernus so this respects her wishes in that. Theres no way my character would trust The Emperor with the netherstones, she didn’t even hand them over to Gortash who was less powerful. My character freed Orpheus, yeah he's mad about the creche, but better Orpheus free to fight against Vlaakith than sacrifice for Karlach or worse the Emperor’s powers

On a personal note lame how the Emperor just decides to go join the netherbrain to become a thrall again

The way Karlach is talking about how she has a new chance at life and all it cost was turning into a monster; I think my character would just want to make sure to keep in touch with Karlach more so she doesn’t end up isolated. 

Fun to see the moment where all the allies I have show up. It was a bit buggy where it kept thinking my character was the mindflayer, and the Gondian gnomes weren’t there. 

The ending bit reminds me a lot of Dragon Age Origins final fight but thankfully I’m way overprepared and the game is more generous with healing items and spell slot restores

I got a big kick out of the Emperor summoning all the Dream Guardians as opponents. I recognize mine but who matches what npc or if they’re random

I thought the runepowder bomb would do more, it only did about a hundred damage to the Emperor. All the allies I cared about summoning died waaay too easily so I just summoned Yugir, Astarion’s hoards, and the Necromancy of Thay ghouls to keep the dragon busy, and they ended up killing it

Even if my character trusted that the Netherbrain wouldn’t break out of control after a few months she is way too attached to Karlach, especially after Karlach’s sacrifice, to kill her to control the brain. Karlach sounds so happy that she was the key to the world getting saved and she got to live on afterwards

Sure wish the game offered me a choice in asking Lae’zel what she wanted to do. I told her to go with Orpheus because at this point she and my character aren’t super close so what personal ties or purpose would she have in Faerun? 

Gale is really going for it. The game gave me several conversations about the crown past the point of no return, and I wonder what the key moments to sway Gale actually are and how much room you have to tell him two different things. My character of course is told him to go for the crown and had for most of act 3.

I think it's really interesting my character who over the course of the game has such a up and down relationship with gods, Gale extends her the offer of being his Chosen in his godhood. What are the power dynamics of a kinda former Bhaalspawn who might be as powerful as a demigod one day, who would be tied to Astarion through the vampire sire bond and to Gale through god-chosen bond??

FUCKING HELL the character who talks to you after Gale is randomly chosen, so it could be a character you are romancing or it could be one you don’t like and says nothing about Gale. I spent some time savscumming but this is what compliation videos are for.

Halsin doesn't have much dialogue for my character if he gets randomly selected, it's a shame how the game doesn't treat the romance as if it's relevant here.

Astarion has some snarky dialogue about how since he ascended to power now everyone is doing it, and he thinks Mystra will crush Gale. (edit: looking it up Gale doesn't become a god and there isn't a middle ground of not being a god but just a extremely strong magic user. Apparently the Gale becomes a god ending was cut, which is a shame as he deserves an "evil" ending. Becoming the god of ambition fits so nicely with several character arcs in this playthrough).

Lmao one last conversation with Astarion about the two of yalls evil plans and then its roll credits. 

BG3 Act 3 thoughts and liveblog part 1

I couldn't stop comparing DOS2 act 3 and BG3 act 3, since act 3 is a bit underbaked in both games compared to the other acts, but wow BG3 just has so much more polish and content.

The prologue reveals my character is a Bhaalspawn, I feel like it's just so widely known at this point

Defining character moment for Astarion “the problem with what Cazador has done is he did it to me”. Since Asatarion really wants this she’d help him sacrifice his “siblings” what matters to her is that Astarion is safe, but she’s worried about the unknown details but is still planning as if its possible. The dialogue options of “a killer isn’t worthy of respect” is fucking laughable my character would never say that lmao. 

When the narrator was saying you have a bunch of options what will you do, for my character it felt best to say “when the moment comes I’ll do what feels right”, since she's more of an opportunist

Ooof that fight with the gith was rough even on easy mode.

My character wanted The Emperor to prove he was the protector, but then tried to read his thoughts anyway. She’s also very grateful Lae’zeal wasn’t around when this happened considering Orpheus is real and a renegade mindflayer has him prisoner

Learning that the protection against the Absolute comes from Orpheus being trapped really puts a damper on my character’s plans to not get rid of the tadpole and associated powers. It's too dangerous to count on Orphues being imprisoned. Also the Emperor was a successful power player in Baldur’s Gate, so she’s more wary of his plans and agenda than the fact he is a mindflayer. 

My character did turn down the Emperor’s offer to evolve her, sorry she just is too attached to how her body looks. She also thinks this is a line in the sand she’s not going to persuade her companions on, unlike the tadpole powers. (personally it's the fact that it messes up your teeth, huge personal squick). I guess had my character take on so many parasite powers it gave me a fucking 21 score roll to not evolve. 

EDIT: the next day I got spoiled on the Emperor’s seduction scene and it’s friendly manners being all a front; real fucking surprise pikachu face moment for me. That my character who manipulates, lies, and seduces people might encounter someone who emotionally manipulates, lies and will seduce people. I didn’t fully trust it and thought it might have its own agenda, but still I was a little too trusting that there might have been some genuine emotion. Like DAMMIT I was rewatching Felix rvb scenes before I started the game and he has a line “Funny how an act of sacrifice like that [getting hurt] buys you so much trust”. Which is exactly what the Emperor did, where it knelt down and made a big show of how it trusts me not to hurt it and when it calls on us for that dramatic rescue that while genuine was an excellent opportunity for it to be revealed. Apparently the 21 roll is because I used so many tadpoles which the game treats as buying into The Emperor’s promises. Its repeated lines of “just like you” and “i’m on your side” to establish common ground and then presenting itself as a criminal with “a heart of gold” in its backstory. I/my character was skeptical on some details considering it also presented itself as a major power player, but bought into it’s use of “allies” when what he meant was “pawns”.  

Gale had the comment “you’ve not taken this power for yourself… why offer it to me” and I wish I could respond like what Astarion said, that don’t want to sacrifice my body. Astarion had a whole lot to say on the subject but Karlach only had 1 line about being surprised I hadn’t taken the power/transformation. Funny to see how other companions had lines about how they hadn’t done any tadpole powers and they weren’t about to start now. 

My character’s made an enemy out of the undead lich Gith queen, whom only Orpheus can oppose, and there’s an entire Gith resistance working to free him as well. So that really kills any plan of using the Absolute for herself because she’d be better off with Orphues fighting the Gith queen

Really Astarion and my character have come so far from act 1 where he was warning me about how easily Cazador could kill me to now where he’s saying if Cazador comes for him he’ll strike back and he’ll have my character along with him 

The one group my character has been consistently nice to with no promise of reward is kids, so at this point she’s just resigned to them showing up at camp as long as there’s someone like Withers, Halsin, or Wyll to keep them from getting hurt. 

My character is helping the strange ox yet again. It won’t reveal what it is but she’s really curious, and it hasn’t seemed to kill people, so she’ll help it because it might be a useful ally in the future

I love Biscotti what a GOOD DOG (love the animal writing in this and DOS2)

I think its funny that for a while I was thinking that Astarion wasn’t that pale, but in the bright light of Baldur’s Gate he really is. I think it's due to my monitor that has super high contrast

Surprised Halsin has the most dialogue in the refugee area mostly about how he’s rapidly becoming disillusioned with the city, and I tried a earlier save without him and the other companions like Astarion or Karlach don’t speak up if he’s not there.

Community meme about Gortash: I can excuse him being the chosen of an evil god and using his power to found a murderous evil cult but I draw the line at him and his PMC making surveliance cop robots. Bane is just the god of cops and Gortash works for Boston Dynamics

I like to think a bunch of the companions have been a positive force on my character so she’s helping the refugees in her own manner (lots of intimidation), and wants to see the Tiefling refugees make it after all the struggles. That there were explosives in toys justifies her being nosy and helping

Karlach really wants to go to the circus, unfortunately my character is a vicious murderer lmao. Thankfully she’s great at [persuading] and charming. Astarion, Halsin, and Karlach seem to be the best “go to the circus” group

Incredibly cool to hear my bard character perform along with the other bard in the circus

The dinosaur and the magic cat in the circus are being mistreated, Halsin is right to be mad about it. I used Astarion to pickpocket the key, then mage hand to open both cage doors

My character doesn’t like clowns and after she felt that murderous urge there’s no way she’s getting on stage. I watched the different versions of sending Halsin or Karlach up on stage but sending Astarion up on stage really is the best version. Role playing it as after he made that comment about clowns being a horror and with how both Karlach and Halsin approve of picking Astarion while he doesn’t approve if you pick someone else; its some light hearted group teasing of a guy who usually has a joke at others expense “You love the spotlight, don’t you… here’s your big chance”. Yeah he says he’s going to kill me but he’s not seriously upset.

Astarion and my character both enjoy killing clowns, see we’re great together

My bard character was pissed about the Djinn scamming with the spin the wheel game so of course she went back to rig things to get the jackpot. 

Ok so my character gets her meteorites back, that she’s a Bhaalspawn, she’s not surrendering to the D!urge or worried about atoning, but that she’s being encouraged to slaughter her line and that its the woman who hurt her before is a opportunity for power and revenge coinciding nicely

For now the only person my character is telling is Astarion, this is a big thing to confess and she wants to play this close to the vest for as long as possible. While she did have earnest suspicions since the oubliette, she’s more afraid about standing up to a god and the loss of control. I personally like how Astarion comforts you after that dialogue a lot more, especially the way he says you must try to beat Bhaal and not become a slave.

[delusional-day-dreamer]

New Year's Kiss - p.b

‣ paige bueckers x reader

‣ wc: 3567

‣‣ synopsis: you were known as one of the calmest, most well-tempered players on the ucon wbb roster. so what happens if you lose your cool for the first time in a game? takes place at the uconn vs notre dame game on dec 31, 2022: based off this post/req from my nonnie 🫶, and lowk inspired by paige's bloody nose at the uconn vs seton hall game!

‣‣‣ a/n: hey guys.... i'm so sorry for being so inactive but the writer's block hit me HARD. I have a few more drafts in progress I hope to release this week, thank y'all SO MUCH for the support and patience! Also, for the opponent in this game i refer to her solely as the, "marquette girl", as i don't know their players that well and don't want to use an irl girl!

Up until the second half of the game, everything had been going decent for you. Sure, this game was one of the most aggressive of the season, but you were right in the peak of your season, so it made sense that emotions were running high with the pressure to do well.

But that didn't excuse the fact that the Marquette girl that had been assigned to defend you had been playing dirty the entire night. After the fucking hellish week you had just gotten through, this girl was about to be the straw that broke the camel's. your, back.

After Paige's acl tear in August and the work and energy you had been endlessly pouring into your game from the past two and a half years till now, you had basically solidified your place as one of the main starters on the team, which meant you were receiving a lot more consistent playing time. The thought of being a more prominent player on the team didn't panic you the way it might others, as you you were known for always being a very level-headed, reliable player under pressure, as you had been dubbed by the media as the "Silent Assassin". But tonight was proving to test your limits to the max.

Any time you were on the court for the first two quarters, the Marquette girl had been glued to you, illegally all up in your space, pushing and shoving at you, taunting you over and over again, and even tripping you once when you lunged for the ball. All of which she had done without receiving a single foul, which not only pissed you off, but also your teammates on the court, the players on your bench, and your coach.

And of course, the one time you had defended yourself against her in the second quarter was the only time the ref called a foul on both of you. She had nearly pressed herself up against you the second your hands came in contact with the ball, leaving you with no choice but to pass to your teammate Aaliyah to sink a layup, when she hooked her arm through yours and pulled just as the ball left your hands.

Her unnecessary aggression caused something to snap inside of you, as the second you felt her yank on your arm, you turned around to push her off of you, hard. She stumbled backwards a little bit, not tripping or hitting the ground in any way, but the damage had been done in the, very biased, eyes of the refs.

The two of you rapidly reacted, approaching each other as you were yelling out meaningless threats and a long string of curses. Thankfully, your teammates holding the two of you back firmly, preventing any further physical altercations.

The two of you both received technical fouls for the unnecessary physical contact and unsportsmanlike behaviour. However, the foul you received only irked you more. Why were the only fouls called on her when it involved you pushing back? Could they not see the way she was treating you the entire game?

And of course, Geno wasn't thrilled about one of his starters getting a tech in the first half of the game. While benched, he had chewed you out for losing your temper at her, especially for cursing, which was something refs never let slide. But his reprimands didn't hold the usual level of anger or frustration, as he internally agreed that the Marquette girl had it coming for her, but, he had to remain professional.

Of course basketball was a physical sport, and with aggression came some conflicts with other players, but her behaviour tonight was unprovoked and incredibly aggravating to you. Which only worsened in the third quarter.

After your tech, you had been trying your best to ignore the incredibly annoying actions of the Marquette girl, but you simply couldn't anymore after she had purposely elbowed you in the nose to make her shot.

You immediately stumbled backwards, folding over at the waist as your hands came up in an attempt to alleviate the intense throbbing your nose felt. You could feel the blood begin to dribble down to your lip as you walked over to the bench with Lou escorting you, awaiting the ref's call.

The refs decided to not call a foul on the other girl, claiming that she hadn't reached backwards on purpose, it was simply the angle of her basket and granted UConn two free throws. The call enraged you, and something inside you snapped. You very quickly forgot about the tissue you were firmly holding at your nostrils as you approached him, insisting with him that the call was blind and blatantly biased.

You hadn't noticed the blood resumed to flow down your face while arguing until it hit your mouth, but you paid no mind to the taste of iron that filled your mouth as you persisted angrily speaking to the ref.

"Paige, go get her before she gets another tech," Geno whispered into Paige's ears over by the bench.

She nodded at him, making her way over to you to pull you away from the ref who was now threatening to eject you from the game.

"Okay enough, you need to get checked out by the team medic," Paige wrapped her arm around your waist to pull you away from your heated conversation, despite your struggle against her. She wasn't that much taller than you, but the extra two ish inches she had on you were proving useful right now.

She dragged you over to the bench, ignoring your many protests. She pried the used, bloody tissue out of your fingers to toss to the medic waste bag, grabbing new ones from her hand to help your bloody nose. It was apparent to everyone on your team, even the fans watching, that your stubbornness wouldn't allow you to accept the call that easily and allow the medic to clean you up. So, Paige would just have to do it herself.

Since your first day on the Uconn campus, you and Paige had become extremely close. With the two of you being assigned roommates your freshman year, the COVID year, it would've been impossible to not become best friends, considering the fact that you spent all of your time together.

If not at practice or hanging out with the team, the two of you were trapped inside your dorm, forced to find company within each other for the entire year. And with Paige's injury her sophomore year, you were one of the only people she was able to open up to, other than Azzi, and you had become her comfort during her rehab time, both then and now. Despite no longer being roommates, you two still always hung out at each other's respective dorm, even having frequent sleepovers.

Your incredibly close relationship wasn't left unnoticed by the media either, especially social media platforms like tiktok. When Paige and Azzi denied the relationship allegations at the same time you made it clear that you liked girls, the internet quickly refocused their attention onto you and Paige, and neither of you had the heart to deny any rumors circulating. Considering that after Azzi, you were the least active on your social media when it came to anything other than basketball, it wasn't too hard to ignore the internet's speculation.

All of which to say, Paige had made it incredibly easy for you to catch feelings for her. Until her, you had never known what it was like to be completely head over heels for someone. The way your heart skipped any time the two of you made eye contact, the way your cheeks flushed when she brushed against you, and the chemistry the two of you shared on and off the court was undeniable.

Unbeknownst to you, she felt the exact same way, and for the last two years, everyone but you two could see the feelings you harbored for each other.

If only you could feel the way her heart was beating as she held your face in one hand, using the other to apply pressure to your nose and wipe away at the blood on your face, neck, and jersey as she listened to you rant about the refs and how they were cheating you guys out of fouls the entire game. Although, she wasn't able to focus on the words coming out of your mouth, only the plumpness of your lips as they moved, something you noticed as your verbal attack slowed down so you could take a breath in between your sentences.

"She's literally fucking stuck up my ass and the refs ignore her which is actual bullshit, the amount of times this girl has literally made unnecessary contact or-, Paige are you even listening to me?"

Her lingering gaze on your mouth quickly snapped up to your eyes, a sheepish smile settling onto her now flushed cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah sorry."

She wiped the remaining blood from around your nose before calling over the medic to check your nose. A small bruise had formed near the bridge, but thankfully it wasn't broken. While she was checking your nose, Paige did her best to avoid meeting your curious stares.

Of course the two of you had small moments where you could envision that Paige felt the same for you. But never one that was so blatantly obvious as her staring at your lips, especially so publicly.

Nonetheless, you barely had time to analyze the interaction before the medic was clearing you to return to the game, Paige patting your butt (this) as you jogged by her to sub back into the game, which, until the handshake line, went without any further incidents, despite your team beating them by 13 points (HVL VS TEXAS Y'ALL).

When passing by you, you heard her mutter under her breath, "fucking bitch," in response to your half-hearted, "good game". It was safe to say you didn't take that well, responding to her with, "you wanna come say that to my fucking face? Pussy ass bitch." For both of your sakes, Dorka and one of her teammates were able to keep pushing the two of you down the line and out to the lockers before the post-game conference with Lou, Nika, and Dorka, which Geno insisted you attend to apologize for your behaviour.

***Small Time Skip***

"So Y/N, the multiple incidents that occured tonight with you and (BLANK) from Georgetown, do you have anything to say about them? I mean, you're known for being a very calm and collected player, but tonight we saw a very different side of you," a reporter questioned you. The questions for you from tonight's post-game conference mostly avoided the fight, treading the waters carefully as it was unlike anything you had ever been involved in.

"I'm not gonna try and cover for myself or anything, it was unprofessional and unacceptable for me to lose my temper on the court like that. Like you said, I've always tried to place an emphasis on just basketball when playing and avoid any other personal feelings or problems, but I guess tonight I didn't do as good of a job on that as I could of. This is something that I will keep in mind for all of our upcoming games as that's not the kind of image or reputation I want to set for myself or the team I represent. I would never want this kind of behaviour to be defining moments from our games because my teammates really put their all into every single one of their games, especially tonight's, and I don't want to create any personal animosity with the girls on the Marquette team, as I have a lot of respect for them."

Your diplomatic and cordial answer had appeased majority of the reporters, along with Geno and the team publicist in the back corner of the room. Except for one nosy reporter who seemed unhappy with your tactful response and was practically feining for drama.

“This one is for y/n, but with the events of today, you mentioned that you try to keep all personal feelings off the court. Is that an implication of some external underlying tension or problems between you and number (BLANK), as the two of you got quite physical today?”

What the fuck? Now they really were trying to start something between the two of you that never existed in the first place.

“No not at all. I have no connection with number (BLANK) off the court and don’t even personally know her. As I mentioned before, I have nothing but respect for the girls at Marquette and there are no hard feelings on my end. You know, basketball is a physical contact game and that just means that there a few rough moments here and there, it’s just part of the game.”

If they ask any more stupid questions about you and the Marquette girl you were actually gonna lose your mind. Especially if they somehow tie in the fact that you like girls with the fight.

Which, thankfully, they ended up dropping the fight for the rest of the interview, and you and the others were finally allowed to go out and celebrate New Year's Eve the way they had originally planned to.

The whole team, and Kayla of course, was prepared to celebrate at your favorite local bar, Ted's. All of the girls who were taken were bringing their partners along and those of you who were single were all ready to hunt someone down for a drunken kiss at midnight. Except you.

You were far too down bad for Paige to even fathom kissing someone else at the moment, especially not while going out with her and the rest of the team, who all knew about your ginormous crush on Paige.

Nonetheless, you still did your best to get ready quickly, wearing your baggiest pair of low-rise cargo pants and a very cropped white halter tank top in an attempt to cheer yourself up from the fact you wouldn't have a New Year's kiss this year, again.

But by the time you were throwing back shots at the bar like they were water, you couldn't find it in you to care about how single you were. It was common knowledge that you weren't the best at holding your liquor, as the team often made fun of your ability to get drunk off of two to three shots, which is exactly the position you found yourself in.

Until, of course, "guardian angel Paige" decided she needed to intervene in your drinkfest, walking up to your barstool and effectively cutting you off by having the bartender replace your drink with a regular shirley temple just before midnight so that she, or any of your other friends, wouldn't have to deal with you throwing up at four in the morning.

"You gotta go easy on the shots y/n/n, you're gonna hate yourself in the morning if you keep drowning your liver in alcohol."

"Funny, coming from Storrs's resident party girl, Miss Madison," you teased. There were only about twenty minutes left until bar's tv would depict the ball dropping in New York, and the disparity of your situation had begun to sink in.

Not only would you be suffering through another New Year's with no midnight kiss, but you had no relationships since last year or even a single talking stage, no potential relationship prospects for the future, and worst of all, no Paige.

"Yeah well, at least I can hold my drinks. You, on the other hand, are the most lightweight out of all of us. Besides, what happened to your little New Years tradition, the whole eating the grapes thing to find the love of your life or whatever?"

You went off on a little drunken tangent at this, complaining that it was completely ineffective, but also, the fact that it made you look stupid in front of the entire team when absolutely nothing came out of it.

"I mean it's so dumb. I don't get why my love life is so barren, like actually non-existent, it's not like I'm super unattractive or anything like that. Right? But like, I don't even have a midnight kiss this year, again," you grumbled to Paige, unaware of the way she was staring at your lips for the second time today, mesmerized by their movements.

"You are most definitely not unattractive. You're like one of the most attractive people I know. Besides, it's not like I'm kissing anyone this year," Paige reassured you, and somehow, your drunk brain simply did not process the way she had flusteredly complimented you.

"Yeah but you're Paige Bueckers," you emphasized, "you could kiss anyone in this bar if you wanted. Men and women, single and taken, would literally form a line two blocks down if you even mentioned wanting to kiss someone," you gazed up at Paige from your leaned position against the bartop, watching as the gears turned behind her eyes.

"Anyone in the bar? Like, anyone at all?" She asked you curiously, a small smirk graced her features as she peered down at you.

"Yeah probably, but there's only like two minutes left or something, so you should pick someone soon."

"Oh I already have someone picked out, I just don't know if they would kiss me back."

"Oh?" You felt your stomach drop at her statement, and you couldn't stop the jealousy from coursing through your veins if your life had depended on it. But Paige's unwavering gaze never left your face, and you could feel your cheeks flush at the way she was intently looking at you.

"Quite the staring problem tonight P?"

"Well it's pretty hard to not stare at the prettiest girl in the room," she flirted, scooting closer to you, effectively closing some of the distance between you two.

"I-, what?" You stuttered, taken back by Paige's actions.

"How many hints does I have to drop before you finally start picking up on them? I want to kiss you y/n, I want you."

The ten-second countdown had begun as Paige confessed to you, and you were left gawking at Paige's face, your heart threatening to give out from how fast it was beating.

"FIVE, FOUR,"

You yanked on Paige's belt loop, pulling her flush against your body as your eyes focused in on her lips.

"THREE, TWO, ONE, HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!""

Your right hand reached up to grab Paige's jaw at the end of the countdown, pulling her lips firmly down onto yours. The bar's loud chants barely registered to you as you lost yourself in the intoxication of Paige's lips. Your tongue glided across her lip as your mouths moved in unison, causing her to groan into you. You took it as an invitation to slip your tongue into her mouth, the kiss deepening with unrestrained passion.

Your built-up need for each other was apparent as you made out, sending shivers down your spine at the pressure of her mouth against yours. It felt as if she was the oxygen you needed to breathe, and now that you had her, there was no way you could let her go now.

***The next morning: New Year's Day***

Your eyes fluttered open with a pounding headache, yet, the utterly familiar weight of a certain pairs of hands around your waist provided a sense of comfort you knew only she could provide.

Paige's soft snores rung out throughout the room, and as you gently reached forward to her nightstand to grab your phone off charging, you realize it was still extremely early in the morning, not even eight a.m.

And yet, your phone was blowing up with notifications from all social media platforms, even your text messages had over a hundred notifications.

Confused, you click on the apps to check what all the fuss was about, quickly realizing what had happened.

The entire interaction between you and Paige at the game was recorded by the cameramen and had instantaneously made it's way all over the internet, only fueling the dating rumors about the two of you.

The comments and posts were going feral at the way Paige was the only one who could calm you down, the way she wrapped her arms around your waist to pull you back, her holding your face ever so delicately, her smacking your butt as you ran back onto the court, and of course, her transparent staring at your lips the entire time you were an inch apart from her.

"What are you looking at baby," Paige sleepily mumbled into your neck, tightening her grip around your waist to pull you further into her, slinging her right leg over your waist.

You put your phone down and turned in her hold, wrapping your arms around her body as you peered down at Paige's sleepy face, admiring how beautiful she always looked.

"Your fans are going crazy about how obviously down bad you are for me P," you teased, running your foot up and down her calf as Paige pressed her face into your chest to absorb your body heat.

"Let them, just go back to sleep with me for a little bit longer."

And of course, how could you ever say no when your girlfriend was asking you so sweetly?

a/n: thank you for reading all the way through, and i'm so sorry if the ending is kinda rushed, i just wanted to finally get another fic out 🤗

[lunar-years]

SOTR SPOILERS!!!//

I've already seen some complaints about how the plot was bad and the rebellion attempt didn't make sense/was far-fetched, but honestly that was one of the things I liked best about it!

Yes, the rebellion plot was an EXTREME long shot. The end goal really wasn't clear, the plan itself was shoddy at best with about a million things that could go wrong. It's honestly amazing that Haymitch and Ampert managed to carry out any part of it "successfully." And even then, they're really just the pawns of the rebel adults around them (like Katniss and Peeta in that way, except that unlike Katniss and Peeta, Haymitch's problem is being told too much, rather than being kept in the dark.)

I think it's pretty evident that this was a last minute, thrown together rebellion attempt hastily contrived of by immensely desperate people (and almost certainly prompted by Beetee's son unexpectedly being reaped.) Beetee needed his son's death to mean something. His wife was pregnant. He was probably already foreseeing losing them, too. He needed to at least try this. He was desperate enough to try it even if it was ill-thought and highly likely to fail. Wiress (Beetee's most recent mentee) and Mags (who's basically mother teresa like oh my god maggggs <3) would of course be wiling to jump in with him. Plutarch is desperate to get something, anything, stirring in way of rebellion. And finally they pull in Ampert and Haymitch to carry the thing out, the two tributes who have already been marked as direct, personal targets of the Capitol and have seemingly no chance whatsoever of coming out of the arena alive. it's easy to see why they alone were chosen, no other kids involved. After all, Haymitch has been told from President Snow directly that he is going to be killed. He's as good as dead already. He has nothing to lose.

Trouble is, no one expects Haymitch to actually emerge as Victor, lest of all Haymitch himself, but also everyone around him. The others are all adults who know and accept what could happen to them if the plot goes south. They take on the risks willingly. They are banking entirely on Ampert and Haymitch being dead anyway. And isn't it better to go out fighting back against the true enemy? The only thing Snow can do is take it out on them in the arena, which he will be doing regardless. Unfortunately, they're forgetting just how much Snow likes to play with his food before eating it. It's pretty clear with the poisoned milk picnic basket that Snow was indeed intending to kill Haymitch right up until the very end. He was merely waiting for the right time, after the right amount of humiliation, after forcing Haymitch to watch all his closest allies die horrible, targeted deaths. Only this time Snow waits too late. And then he has no choice but to pull Haymitch out alive so that the Capitol can have their victor.

I think the fact that it all fails so colossally is the biggest point of the book. As Plutarch comments at the end, when it does happen, the timing needs to the right. There needs to be an army to rally behind the rebels. Haymitch was given none of that. He was moved around on a chess board by desperate players. The rebels had hardly anyone on the inside. They didn't have the country behind them, no soldiers. They didn't yet understand their enemy well enough. He is set up to fail on all sides, the rebel side included. And they pay for it greatly.

On the other hand Katniss, when she comes, is very significantly not some grand "chosen one." She's pretty inarguably far, far less rebellious than Haymitch is at the start (in part because they have very different motivations in their games). Breaking into the arena to attempt to shut it down, working to destroy the generator, killing gamemakers in the arena, all that is about 10x more explicitly rebellious than the berry trick. The difference is not that Katniss is smarter or stronger. Imperatively, the only difference of any great significance is that Katniss manages to ensure her acts get seen. The berry trick cannot be covered up or cut out. It's the grand finale. And that's what makes it far more of a threat than all of Haymitch's crazy, reckless schemes to tear down the arena.

(interestingly, I think Haymitch would have been way more successful if he'd had the opportunity to carry out his backup plan of bombing the cornucopia during the final confrontation of the Games. The part of the plan that he came up with entirely on his own. it has to be something the Capitol's propaganda can't wash away, something that would have been impossible for them to cut out.)

Which is ultimately to say, the book is effective because it acknowledges just how complicated rebellion is. It takes far more than a few extremely rebellious, reckless people to make it happen. It takes a whole community banding together and rising up for change. On a series level, I think it also fleshes out some of Haymitch's decisions in the original trilogy, because it's easy to see why Haymitch would be so hell bent on keeping Katniss and Peeta entirely in the dark for so long. After all, look at what happened to him when he was in on all of it too soon.

[luvsophen]

The romanced Inquisitor and the Redeem ending (Veilguard spoilers)

I often see misunderstandings and critical comments, especially on Reddit, about the role of the Inquisitor in the redemption ending. I want to explain how I see it from a narrative designer's perspective. I'll approach the topic from a broader angle, so I ask for your patience and understanding. Long read.

To understand the ending and why the Inquisitor is written the way they are, we need to revisit Solas's motivation and psychology as presented in the game. Even in “Inquisition”, it’s clear that Solas clings to the past as if it were the ultimate truth. He asks the Inquisitor to prove him wrong, but that idea feels doomed from the start. Just as I thought ten years ago, I still believe that his primary motivation isn’t solely about his people but rather a deeply complex internal crisis. Solas is a complex and layered character, and his motivation should reflect that complexity according to all the rules of storytelling. It’s incredibly unfortunate that the story arc involving the rebellion and the spirits was cut, as this truly simplified his character and didn’t give players a chance to ponder his beliefs more deeply. But we know that this motivation exists in the background and is alive. We only hear about his motivation related to his people, that is, the spirits, in the final choice with Rook. Naturally, the fact that Bioware put his personal regrets and trauma front and center is psychologically accurate, but the player should have come to this conclusion on their own, discovering it themselves. It’s too obvious, but such are the modern trends in storytelling.

Now, regarding Lavellan. The ending with a romanced Inquisitor suffers from the same issues as the rest of the game — lack of variety and exclusive choices.

I see that some people are disappointed with the ending because the Inquisitor's love and pleas were not enough. I assure you, it was never intended to make it enough. If the Inquisitor’s love/friendship had been enough, Solas's story in “DAtV” wouldn’t have even begun. Solas is as immersed in his past as any millennia-old being could be, leaving no room for anything but his burden, guilt, and despair. Left to his own devices, he will always choose the path of least resistance to his trauma, repeating his mistakes in what he believes is for the greater good until he reaches the point of ultimate self-destruction. He is truly a broken man because of all the terrible things he has done and the horrors he has endured.

The point of the storyline was to showcase the depth of his regrets, the weight of his burden and moral downfall. The Inquisitor (friend/lover) affected him in a way that no mortal ever could. Solas runs from them, and there are objective psychological reasons for this beyond simply not wanting to hurt someone he cares about. Lavellan isn’t wrong when she says she could influence Solas. Yes, if they had years and time for such conversations, but that opportunity doesn’t exist. He doesn't leave her a choice and decides for both of them.

The logic of the ending is that you need to peel back Solas's “layers”. In the finale, Solas is deeply wounded and exhausted, and it’s the perfect moment to play on his emotions while he’s so vulnerable. From a dramaturgical perspective, the focus was correctly placed: the present, future, and past must come together to lift the burden from his shoulders, show him a new path, restore his wisdom, and give him a new purpose. This is how the writers envision his salvation without killing him or distorting his spirit.

Rook represents the present — the modern world and its people. And the modern world asks Solas for mercy, pleading with him not to destroy their lives even more, reminding him that more violence won’t make “the flowers” bloom as Solas wishes. Rook delivers the first logical blow: “Who benefits from tearing down the Veil —you or all of us? You’re lying to yourself and drowning in regrets”. Solas knows this, but knowing and accepting are different things for the psyche. That’s why Rook, as a representative of the world Solas aims to destroy for the “greater good”, steps forward first, asking him to reconsider his true motivations. And Solas does ponder. By this point, he’s already filled with doubts, born long ago, but he’s still not ready to make another choice. The massive burden of the past and a graveyard of sacrifices remain on his shoulders. Solas rejects Rook, rejects the desires and opinions of the present, the modern world, just as he always has. As he must. For now.

Then the Inquisitor steps onto the stage. Whether a friend or a lover, the Inquisitor was the first to show Solas during their time together that he was wrong, cracking his convictions. This is especially clear in the letter to his beloved Lavellan.

Look at how he acts in this scene. How he freezes upon seeing the Inquisitor, how he lowers his head and dagger, the sadness and regret on his face, the tears welling up. In Lavellan’s case, he exhales painfully: “Vhenan”. After all these years of separation and his betrayals — “My love, my heart”. For me it was a emotional moment of vulnerability.

The Inquisitor is here to give Solas two things: forgiveness, which Solas cannot grant himself, and a reminder of who he is, who he dreamed of being, offering him a choice for the future. But even these gifts may not be enough for Solas because a person trapped in the past and overwhelming regrets, committed to self-destruction and mass deaths, sees no reason to choose a different future.

He has lost all hope for it. He believes he deserves neither happiness, love, nor forgiveness. And when Lavellan says she forgives him, Solas doesn’t understand why. What’s the point of forgiveness after all he’s done? Look at his face in that scene. He can’t forgive himself. He tries to prove to himself that he doesn’t deserve forgiveness: “I lied, I betrayed you”. The contrast with his self-justifications in “Trespasser” is stark. And yet, she forgives him. It means a tremendous amount to him, and he turns away from this gift in disbelief. It will take years before he truly forgives himself.

This scene is meant to show how deeply he’s sunk into his past, into his own darkness, unable to step back even for the sake of his beloved or a friend, for another path and future. He’s filled with self-justifications.

Solas explains why Lavellan’ forgiveness isn’t enough: “And then I... and then she died for nothing”. No, not because “she/Mythal” died for nothing. Everything he’s been through, everything he’s done to the world—everything—was for nothing if he keeps the Veil. And how can he live with that? All the suffering must be justified. His millennia of fears, pain, and guilt—these are stronger than his feelings for the Inquisitor. This is realistically portrayed, even if it hurts his beloved, even if it hurts you as a player. He can’t release himself from his burden and guilt. He’s come up with a thousand justifications. You hear this throughout the game from Mythal, Ghilan'nain, Morrigan, and so on. Solas is an unreliable narrator.

The present, the future, the past. Mythal is the catalyst for everything. That’s why she has to deliver the final blow, and she breaks him. For the last time. I won’t touch on the ethics of this moment. His entire tragedy began with her; his downfall started with her. He ties all his burdens to her. She embodies all his past and all his pain. Through her more benevolent version in Morrigan, Mythal shares the burden of their joint crimes with him. She doesn’t apologize or express remorse to him but directly destroys his last justification—that it was all for her. She no longer needs it. He is free. The world has suffered for too long, Solas has suffered for too long. It is time to stop. And in the finale, there’s no time for him to create another reason to justify his “delusions” and mass deaths.

Solas no longer has the strength to fight himself, and he agrees to stop. His past, present, and future simultaneously redefine his purpose. Now he has a new goal. This suits him as a spirit bound to serve his purpose. But he can't forgive himself and that's logical. The romanced Inquisitor is here to demonstrate for him immense wisdom and generosity by mortal standards, a deep understanding of Solas's spirit, and the strength of her love for him. It should break through any rational defense of his psyche. He is seen, heard, forgiven, given hope and purpose, his fear of being alone is shattered, and he is loved so deeply that he can hardly believe it. These are all the needs and desires of Solas that we have learned about from the two games. He desperately needed it and Weekes gives it to him with the help of the Inquisitor, his beloved. This is intentional. Solas is so disoriented and broken that he can't say anything to her except to give her a choice, one last chance to turn away from him, because he himself will no longer turn away from her.

Narratively, the Inquisitor, friend or lover, represents a bridge between Solas’s past and future: a factual happy future and a new purpose if you are his lover and leave with him; or you grant him a new purpose, reminding him of who he is, if you do not leave with him or are his friend. Solas faces dangerous work both on himself and on the Blight; this is not a respite.

The Inquisitor, however, will never be freed from their religious and mythical role. This character will always be tied to that role in the story.

Lavellan here embodies almost a religious myth about the great power of love that surpasses all contradictions, a bond stronger than rational reasons. It’s pointless to rationalize, and you won’t find solace in that process — their relationship is meant to be a deeply emotional romance with an irrational, mystical and mythical connection between two lovers.

Lavellan performs a strictly narrative function here, but out of respect for those players who cannot associate themselves with such an Inquisitor, there should technically have been an option to not go with him into the Fade right in that scene, instead of at the tavern.

Narratively, the writers are concluding the arc involving the story of the Evanuris, Solas, the Blight, and the Veil. Above all, the writers focused more on this overarching narrative than on how to incorporate the player's various choices into the plot. Therefore, the canonical character of the Inquisitor takes precedence here — that's how the writers envision this character.

Canonically, The Inquisitor like the HoF, is a hero with a specific, grand purpose in the plot. This is a character who brings order to a world on the brink of madness. They think on a global scale and resolve global conflicts. They don’t create problems, they solve them. The same approach is shown with Solas. He is both a global and personal problem for Lavellan. Solas forces the Inquisitor (any of them) to endure a lot of pain and unpleasantness, turning their life upside down.

Lavellan’s resentments, wounded pride, and sorrow may later be expressed or dealt with differently, but right now, the fate of not only Solas but the world is being decided (quarrels will not help anyone solve the task on a global scale; Lavellan will not be petty, nor will she be too proud, just as she won't think of herself first when faced with the world's fate; she will only think about it once the world is no longer in danger). Lavellan cannot convince Solas, but will keep trying with the influence she has.

Personally, I believe that this type of love (type of the lover) is exactly what Solas needs for his personal growth.

The Inquisitor offers him forgiveness and understanding because that is their role here — to be above it, to be wiser than Solas, to show more mercy, patience, and understanding toward others’ nature and spirit than Solas ever did toward the modern world and mortals. And this is especially valuable for the narrative. Mortals (Rook, the Inquisitor, Morrigan) give Solas what he couldn’t get in the past: the freedom to be himself, and salvation and/or love. This idea is even repeated in the game’s cut files.

According to interviews, Bioware wanted to level the playing field so that any player with any world state/choices could choose the redemption ending — I'm not a fan of this decision from the perspective of character development, but after all, this is a game, not a book story.

I’m not too critical of the Solavellan ending, even though I’m not a Solasmancer; I just like him as an antagonist and a character. I don't find the ending with his solo redemption psychologically credible. I'm sorry they didn't add at least Cole to the game to help him on this painful journey.

In my opinion, Solavellan ending is the best thing that happened in the game for Solas (and in his whole life). At least somewhere, he was given happiness and something he didn’t even dare to hope for.

The game itself is a big disappointment in terms of narrative, but I don’t want to criticize Bioware too much without knowing the reasons why it turned out this way. And for this reason, you should try to look beyond the execution and focus on the content and context of the story to understand the writer’s intent.

Thank you for reading to the end!

[notebooks-and-laptops]

We all know that the real reason you hate Veilguard is that non-white people have agency and power in the story, unlike your precious BG3 fetishizing racism. Imagine you giving a shit about the fact that Karlach's story is incomplete because Sven Vincke believes that oppressed minorities deserve racist abuse.

Okay so obviously this ask wasn't sent in good faith (and bizzare considering Karlach, Lae'zel and Wyll are my favs in Bg3 and I've been outspoken about disappointment in their treatment by Larian compared to Astarion but I digress). But it has prompted an interesting thought because....

What agency do characters (any, but especially our non-white as anon has pointed out) have in Veilguard? I think of any RPG (maybe even any videogame?) the Veilguard companions have the LEAST agency I've seen.

All RPGs involve an element of helping to decide your companions fate; will Merrill smash the mirror or keep it? Will Isabela come back? Will Alistair become a warden, a king or a drunk? Will Leliana let ruthlessness or compassion rule her? And how you play does effect this; often there are important choices at certain moments.

I think these decisions in general work better when they're slowly built up over a number of choices (e.g. Leliana in DAI, who will be divine) or come from approval/disproval (Merrill smashing the mirror if she feels she has nobody on side vs. keeping it if she feels she has you at her back). This is because in these situations the characters are not just asking what to do to the player they are influenced by numerous situations and circumstances and that effects the decisions they make.

But veilguard...well. the approval system doesn't exist. None of the companions can hate or dislike Rook, they can only like you to various degrees of intensity. So that doesn't effect anything. They have no agency over their relationships and whether or not they like someone. And there is a total of one choice which I would say truly affects the game long term (maybe you can argue two if you say a meaningful decision with long reaching consequences can happen an hour before the game ends) and even making that choice won't really sour Lucanis or Neve against you fully.

I've mentioned a few times that veilguard companions have no line in the sand; they're very maluable to just...whatever Rook tells them. None of them have strong opinions about magic, religion, race, culture, society. Is that agency? Is it agency to water down a character so they have no stance on anything? Can a companion HAVE agency if they don't have any real negative opinions ever? If they never truly get to be influenced by the world to make decisions for themselves?

Each companion has a choice of two endings and Rook makes them for the companion in question. DA has done this kind of decision before (Bull comes to mind) but they've never followed such a formulaic system in which everyone looks to Rook at one moment and decides the fate of their lives (and in Bellaras case their people) from one decision the player makes. The companions don't push back against Rook for making a choice they dislike or regret letting Rook make for them. When you chose to kill Avelines husband for her she is pissy at you YEARS later for making that decision for her in the moment. In veilgurd there is just. Nothing. They lack any real agency in the narrative at all that can last beyond the scene they're in.

This I think is particularly aggregious with Bellara and Taash; Bellaras agency in the narrative is completely bulldozed by the fact that Rook is allowed to decide whether or not she keeps the archive spirit; something with deep significance to the Dalish/her culture. There's an excellent post about how this is akin to book burning even if DA didn't mean for it to be. You can just tell her to get rid of it and she does! No regrets! Because her culture is never truly at the forefront of her storyline it's viewed as something tangential to who she is; something she can easily discard if you tell her to. Is that agency? She doesn't get mad at you for any particular decision, is that agency?

And then Taash...God Taash deserved so much better. They're living a story about lack of binaries and yet every single choice is about forcing them in one. Taash says they're happy being multicultural at the beginning of the story and you slowly but surely strip that from them and you're FORCED to do so. Is that agency for them? Is that what you think giving characters agency Is? Is that not one of the more racist/insensitive options Bioware has EVER placed before a player.

Davrin spends the narrative learning there is more to him than having to die at the end of a hard fight; he becomes a father, and allows his love of Assan to guide him in the sense that Assan acts as a mirror; just as the griffins can be reframed as protectors of Arlathan rather than just wardens doomed to die so can Davrin...but then they decided that Davrin should be up as the choice of who dies and not only that but they made that decision because they thought players would find it hard to chose between ASSAN and Harding not Davrin and Harding. Which. Is gross. I do think Davrins storyline is handled the best out of everyone which is why he's my favourite, but the ending just adds a bad taste to my mouth.

Neve, Dorian, Mae and the Black Divine are happy to leave their countries future political situation to a complete outsider no questions or disagreements mentioned. Is that uhhh. Is that agency?

Even Solas is stripped of any agency in this narrative; Mythal made him do it! If she says he can stop he will! What? Where did THAT come from? How uninteresting does that make Solas?

As for if the Veilguard companions have power or are in positions of power....I guess? Maybe? Neve can be the leader of a smuggler gang (don't think too hard about what they might smuggle in the slave capital of the world) which is a position of power. Or an...inspiration? Which gives her very little concrete steps towards actually helping docktown. Lucanis can lead the crows I guess? That's powerful...altho he doesn't seem to want the position or be able to refuse it or even complain about it. We have no idea or clue what happens to Harding, Davrin, Taash after the game but hey maybe that's because they could all be dead.

The characters ARE powerful ill give you that. We have some immensely powerful mages in our party and I LOVE every scene where Neve throws up a sheild or places herself as a shield to protect her friends. I wish we'd got to see more of Bellaras science and tinkering smarts but what we get is GREAT. But having a powerful character isn't the same as a character having agency in their story or being able to effect meaningful change.

So yeah. I mean. Obviously bad faith anon straw manning me because I dared to have an opinion about a game they happen to like (and liking the game is fine! I like parts of the game! I think the characters deserved better but hey ho). But I think it's interesting to think about agency and power in this narrative because....I don't think anyone actually gets much of it. Certainly not in comparison to previous DA characters like Blackwall, Leliana, Viv, Zevran, Fenris, Anders, Merrill, Isabela etc.

[thewholekittyandkaboodle]

Perfect End AU

The Perfect End AU is a world where the king successfully took over Vaugaurde and somehow rewrote reality so that the saviors would never stop him. Unfortunately this came at a great cost, as now reality itself is on the brink of collapsing. If the king isn't stopped everything in this world will fall apart into nothingness.

You (Either an OC, canon character, or even AU version of a cannon character) are summoned to this alternate dimension and are tethered to a time loop for as long as you stay in this world. Each time you die you will loop back in time until the world is right again. You have a choice. Do you try to free this world of the king no matter how many loops it takes or will you simply try to escape back home?

Should you persist you will have to uncover how the king gained his reality altering powers, decipher how the world was before he came to power, and find a way to reset reality back to the way it was before.

Cast:

Head Housemaiden Mirabelle: As the recently appointed head of all the housemaidens of the House of Perfection she strives to live up to the lofty expectations she's suddenly been thrust into. She loves helping her friends so she'll gladly shoulder any weight to make their lives perfect. The king needs her to be strong, so she has to be. But the pressure is really getting to her, she can't even seem to recall the name of her...predecessor... Regardless of where you come from, she'll welcome you with open arms and a big and not-at-all forced smile.

Captain of the Defenders Isabeau: He never shows an ounce of fear, he can't afford to with the safety of the public at stake. He certainly isn't unaware of the strange hues that appear in the sky or the potential dangers they signal, but he can't let the public know lest they succumb to fear and then to panic. So he makes sure to protect and serve with a smile, lifting the spirits of the townsfolk and distracting them from any strife. Anyway, who is he to question things with such a perfect community? If he just keeps everyone safe like the king wants then everything will....be...fine....

Former Master Scholar Odile: Once she was the head of all the king's scholars and keeper of The King's collection of ancient manuscripts. Now she's a fugitive of the law on the run for stealing one of the very manuscripts she was trusted to protect. The King claims it to be a sign of madness, but the only way to know for sure would be to ask her yourself...

Bonnie: A poor lost child trying to find their sister. They babble on about how "Everything's all wrong!" and "You're all acting weird!" This little troublemaker never gets far before getting dragged back into the dungeons, though the Head Housemaiden and Captain of the Defenders personally make sure they are well fed and comfortable behind the king's back. But should the king have his way, they will be properly "fixed" and they won't bother anyone with their inane prattle anymore...

The King: His mind has been long warped by the mysterious power he wields. But it is a sacrifice he is glad to make for the chance at the perfect world he fought so hard for. The universe brought him here, and he won't let anyone stray from the path he has wrought.

The Wanderer: A figure that lurks in the woods behind Dormont. With dull lightless eyes and a darkless cloak and hat they peer out from the shadows with an eerie grin stretching from ear to ear. Those who've seen them can't make out their intentions, but they swear they had seen in their eyes the same hues that come from the sky!

This is a GM or game master type rp, meaning I will act out the characters in this world and you the "player" will interact with the characters and world and make choices to advance the story as if you were playing a video game. A bit like an escape room of sorts. There will be puzzles, combat sections, and time loop shenanigans. Other players can join in on a person's campaign and become a member of their party if all players involved agree.

If anyone interested has any questions, feel free to leave them below.

If you'd like to play then...

BEGIN

[ashybooy]

!!Life series idea!!

I was randomly thinking of the life series since a new season is coming and I got an idea that might be bad, could be fun. I have no clue what it would be called, maybe something like 'Hunger Life' and that will make sense in a moment. This would be a one off because this idea is insane and no really sustainable for long term playing.

Basically the usual players are all tasked with choosing someone outside of the life series sphere. The choices can sort of be from any server but it would most likely be their friends/maybe partners.

These people become Tributes for the og players (like hunger games sort of - i'm thinking song birds and snakes style where Lucy was Snows tribute).

Two different versions could come from this:

the tributes fighting while the ogs get to watch in spectator mode (the more boring option for the ogs but is still an option).

The ogs are teamed with their tribute (this can either be just like district like or double life style where their hearts are tied.)

This means there are up to 36 players in this one thing (if every single lifer has a tribute which some can opt out), it would be chaotic and that's why it would only really be able to be a one time thing.

I kinda just want to see people outside the life series but are friends with members involved.

Possible Duo's/District pairs

Scott (Smajor) + Shelby (Shubble)

Scott (Smajor) + Cam (Camba010)

Pearl (escentmoon) + Cub (Cubfan135)

Cleo (ZombieCleo) + Joe (JoeHillsTSD)

Someone + Aimsey

Someone Else + Guqqie

Someone + Tommy

someone else + Tubbo

Ideas for outside players to be put on as a tribute:

Aimsey

Guqqie

Cubfan

Joehills

Shubble

Cambam

Falsesymmetry

Hbomb

Ranboo

Tubbo

Tommyinnit

Fwip

Sausage

Bekyamon

Ijevin

Captainsparklez

Jojosolos

DocM77

Xisuma

Its a dumb fun idea and it would feed the chaos and the lore could be wild! If anyone wants to suggest more duos in the comments, feel free, feel free to expand on the idea too, maybe give some lore ideas.

<3 <3 <3

[tubbytarchia]

Ngl I kinda hate it when you talk about lizzie cause you always talk about this version of her and the fandom that's so utterly foreign to me as a lizzie fan, it always feels like a damned if you do damned if you don't scenario where she isn't allowed to interact with men and ignoring all the depth of her character in order to overanalyze specific events or headcanons in a vacuum and then saying it's ignoring her character and misogyny, as well as ignoring the irl misogyny that shapes the cc's choices for their c's. Big sister and protector is a title she bestowed upon herself and it should neither be dismissed as "just that one time " (because so much of everyone else's characterization is based on things that were "that one time" and it is also something both her and jimmy choose to quite fondly call back to) nor incongruent with her character at someone who loves a good "i meant to do that" and self-agrandizing herself. It feels more like you have to ignore several years worth of both hers and jimmy's story and characterization and also the more problematic realities of the situation (such as it being lizzies second season, while it had been jimmy's 5th season of an incredbly prominent ongoing plot point, and that lizzie's external interactions of note were, outside of our power and for various reasons, primarily with men, among other things) to boil the whole situation down to its most barest of bones of "people make lizzies death about jimmy". Which I find an untrue twisting of the actual concept most of the time but acknowledge it is sometimes simplified to, and there are aspects of misogyny in lizzie's portrayal, but you frame it in a way as if the concept itself is inherently misogynistic and purely a fandom issue. The fact is that no matter who it was, the first first death that wasnt jimmy was always going to be a bit about jimmy, there is no avoiding it and no seasonal plot that was going to overcome that fact, and lizzie is a good friend whos become his sister who explicitely had a plot about wanting and failing to protect him, who had a significant interaction with him not long prior where he killed her accidentally, and died while specifically targetting a man who was both jimmys tormenter and joels rival whom she randomly selected to be her target, and died due to a tripping failure which has already been previously interpretted in the past as being tied to fate, and the in game reactions being cpnfusion, happy/shocked jimmy managed to not be out first, and swearing to avenge her death. You'd be hard pressed to believe these things wouldn't be still true and play out the same if she was a different gender, and most of them would still happen even if she was an entirely different player. Nevermind the copious different interpretations that fall within the framing of it as a seablings moment, from wanting to give an accidental death more meaning and connecting dots (because thats most of what fandom does with an ad libbed story like the life series to begin with), to simply enjoying the poetic irony of both seablings being the first out, lizzie showing her true cringfail colours now that shes returned to the series, to tying it into the fact that yes she didn't do it onl purpose, but she absolutely would tell people and even herself that she did just to retain her dignity in the same way a cat who missed a toy stops chasing it and starts grooming themselves like they never meant to go after it in the first place.

And also, like, you ARE a Jimmy person also, so I'm not surprised you primarily interacted with stuff that involved Jimmy. As a Lizzie fan I saw plenty that was to do primarily with Lizzie, and yeah there was a significant amount that involved Jimmy. I didn't see any one of the people who complained about that fact actually go on to make works without Jimmy. I did see other Lizzie fans before and after making such works, and the works that did involve Jimmy being works with deapth and love for their specific relationship, stories, and personalities. I saw plenty of people who hadn't watched Lizzie at all suddenly become interested and retroactively watch her series, and of course the works the made before doing so weren't centred on her, because they were coming from different povs and didn't know as much, and their works after became more in-depth and come out the gate swinging during wild life where she stole the spotlight for much of the season.

I don't know as much about Pearl and Gem's fandoms. But I do know that Pearl is frequently treated as a wet cat and a little crazy, but also she loves playing particular characters like postwoman and cleaning lady that specifically utilize their responsibility to enact chaos through malicious compliance. And Gem takes open pride at being smarter and less ridiculous than everyone else even while actively doing the same things as them, she loves going "youre crazy!... I'm in." And she's pulled a "stupid boys" move several times. Which is to say, whether you consider it a product of misogyny or not, it is an aspect of their characters, they don't live in a cultural vacuum and by the nature of the series where they are only partly roleplaying and each character exists within the framework of their cc's biases, you cannot just analyze their actions like its a typical narrative with a single author you can point to and say they poorly write women. And you cannot blame fandom when these aspects of their character are represented, and while some do do so to the exclusion of the rest, 5am Pearl is the only life series plushie for a reason. Nevermind the difficulties of analyzing what people an fandom think of characters based off of the popularity of certain art and umbrella narrative concepts from fanwork posted excitedly in the moment without going to each individual and asking them what their full thoughts are on a character assuming they have the ability to articulate their opinions and thoughts properly. I'm sure those people who complained about Lizzie's death being tied to Jimmy had a LOT of thoughts about Lizzie, but as I said none of them actually bore fruit in the form of fanworks. Most people do not have time or ability to convey complex ideas, what you see at any given time when searching through fanart and short text posts in particular are the most resonant, dramatic, small thoughts and moments that touched something in someone enpugh to inspire.

That is to say, as a Lizzie fan, one of the reasons I love her is the exact trits that lead to her choosing to become Jimmy's big sister in empires 1 in the way that she does. Her paper thin often facade of respectability and dignity, her failures despite it, her talent for mixing drama and comedy, her ability make up stories that often agrandize herself, her instant chemistry with most anyone, her ditziness and distractedness, her ability confidently declare facts even when theyre completely false, her ability to tie coincidences together into a coherent story. And absolutely all these things are also relevant to why I and others find framing her secret life death in a seablings light to be compelling. Personally, for me, I love that her death connects her to others when her time in secret life was so lonely. It can be bother angsty and, because these games don't end at the persons death, comforting and sweet. And I don't know anyone who was compelled by the potential character connection who wasn't also compelled and even directly spurred on by her as an individual. To boil it down to "she died for a man's story" is both untrue and removing it from its context, the especially when half the context is 2 narratives Lizzie herself crafted for herself and the result was something she herself enjoed enough to play into to craft a 3rd narrative in the next series.

Anyways... I know this won't change your mind. I don't expect it to. I'm just so tired of shallow takes and people who aren't even Lizzie fans talking about Lizzie's narrative through the context of the small snippet of what they see from other non-Lizzie fans based off immediate gut reactions that often stifle the way people talk about the women in this series to ironically complain about how people talk about women in this series. The feminist analysis in this fandom feels so... shallow. Like it begins and ends with the bechdel test as applied to more conventional works of fiction. Big sister bad, women interact primarily with men bad, people see women as responsible because misogyny. No further depth or context despite the endless paragraphs dedicated to these ideas, especially once theyre disseminated out to use against other fans to tell them theyre creating fanworks wrong.

Because of how politely this is written, it took me a few rereads and external evaluation, but I recognize that you're criticizing me for the things I criticize. All your ask really boils down to, is defending fandom practises that I criticize because I disagree with them. Like that of making Lizzie out to be a one-note character. You make good points, you speak the truth. The fandom IS like this. And that's why I criticize it. Because I don't like it. You're absolutely right that you haven't changed my mind

People are allowed to have their fun, I do not police people. I do not maintag my opinions 90% of the time. I'm allowed to voice my disagreements. You pointed out that a lot of fandom goers just don't care to dwell deeper into characters, that's fine. But I do

I think it says something when you have to make Lizzie's character about a relationship that was canon in ESMP1 and bears little to no actual presence elsewhere like the Life series. I don't care whether people headcanon her and Jimmy as siblings even in traffic, the issue is that she gets little to no characterization outside of that in SL, a series in which their only notable interaction was Jimmy killing her. Lizzie deserves an identity outside of "choosing to be Jimmy's sister". (She'd also gone out of her way to try and kill Scott because of Joel, it wasn't random.) And this type of treatment is detrimental to Jimmy too. Just as the misogyny in the fandom is always detrimental to the men also. Quoting one of my evaluation friends: "They aren't inherently wrong, you cant detach the men from the story and have it be the same but also to take an already interesting moment and story beat and just start piling unnecessary 'sibling' stuff onto it kind of ruins the drama and tragedy of the death itself"

Of course women can have meaningful connections with the men. It's not bad or misogynistic. I talk about Pearl and Scott's dynamic constantly and have never seen nor received a complaint about Pearl's character being made to be all about a man. Think about the relevance between those two vs Jimmy and Lizzie in the Life series

I talk about Lizzie frequently because I like and care about her character. I'm not saying that the people I disagree with don't. Clearly you care a lot too. The sentiment that people are just creating based on something that left a big enough impact on them to inspire, eg Lizzie's SL death, is very fair, but I can still disagree with it. I mourn that more people don't take that newfound interest to indulge in Lizzie's POV more, and that because of people's tendency to absorb characterization from the fandom to feed back into itself, that's all a lot of them know and care to learn about ("Lizzie taking a bullet for Jimmy" and all) and how so many characters (not just the women) in my opinion end up being absurdly one-note in their analysis and opinion pieces for being players in a death game (+ the practise of often shunning people who dare touch upon anything less desirable or popular in their analysis like abuse)

If it were a guy in Lizzie's shoes, characterized the same way that I disagree with - I would still disagree with it

I've explained it before but no, it's not misogynistic to credit the women for their successes, to point out when they're smart or protective. I see it as misogynistic when women exclusively are being accredited to successes that are not exclusive to them constantly to label them as the leaders of their groups, labelling them motherly or big sisterly solely because they're thought to be better than their male counterparts, viewing all the women as the best players specifically, etc

Lizzie's death was always going to be tied to Jimmy, yes, by the fandom, and I just don't like that personally. I don't want to resign myself to something because it "was going to happen anyway". I don't want to resign myself to approving of what little Lizzie gets in the way of the fandom because it's better than getting nothing. I shouldn't have to settle for more canary analogies than actual Lizzie centric content that barely exists. And I mean actual Lizzie centric content, I haven't seen any uptick of it that you speak of. That's all any of this really comes down to. You and I might both be avid fans of Lizzie's character but we're gonna have to disagree

[utdrmv-confession-box]

Transcript: I don't know why Flowey and Player aren't drawn together often. Flowey was literally made to be like a representation of the player when he discovered he had the power to reset because that's how the power of timetravel twist your whole morality. You can do anything, try every option, try every method, read every book or burn every book, know everything about a person. You do it so much that the world just become a repeating lines of dialogues and numbers. You feel nothing when you make people suffer because you never have to worry about consequences cause you could just load in to your last save or reset. Even though the only difference with Flowey to the Player is that he lacks a soul so he can't feel emotions, he's not any different to us. He can still get angry, annoyed, scared and longed and can still do nice things like when he tucked in Toriel when she passed out.

As an aroace person, I at least understand how Flowey feels. What it feels like to lack the emotion to be romantically or intimately interested in someone. That doesn't make me a heartless monster, I could still have relationships like having friends and family. I could still be kind and respect people. Though I don't have time travel skills to deeply understand how he turned out twisted and apathetic. I could still understand him as a player. We too, the player, mess with our power to reset, save and load just as much as him.

I played many games, especially ones that involves choices, and reset everytime I make a mistake so that I could get to a perfect ending. I skip through every dialogue I have already read so I could quickly catch up to where I was before making the mistake. Done too many times that I no longer feel for the characters anymore, they're just words to me now instead of a person and I don't just wait around so I could get to my goal as soon as possible. Once you've reach the goal and got the achievement, you'll definitely want to try things differently. See everything, do everything, breaking apart the game to find out everything they had to offer. We too grow apathetic, soulless like Flowey, to these characters.

I've seen a lot of parallels and duo fanart to characters who had meet Flowey. Like Flowey and Frisk, Flowey and Chara, Asriel and Chara, Asriel and Frisk, Flowey and Papyrus, Flowey and the rest of the main cast, but never seen fanart with Flowey and Player (more specifically, ambigious Player), the one person who would understand Flowey the most. Frisk would come second to that cause they experienced the resets differently because they were never in control, they were a victim and a vessel but still had an understanding why resets changes you so much as a person.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Do you have any recommendations for solo TTRPGs about time travelling or being in time loops? Thank you, and happy gaming!

Theme: Solo Time Travel.

Hello friend, I have a good number of games for you to choose from, as well as a few games at the end of this that I’ve talked about previously, or that I think are somewhat relevant.

Dos Milennia, by ell0.

In another reality, the world ended in 2020 and a time machine called Dos Millennia was created to travel to the past. You find yourself holding this device.

Playable as a solo game or as a supplement to another game where you (or a game master) wish to implement time travel to the past.

Judging by what I can get from the comments on the store page, this game can be used alongside something that you read, although it looks like it can also be combined with another ttrpg of your choice. Since it’s only 24 words long, it should be pretty simple to pick up and use.

Revisionist Historian Training Module I, by Amida Bosatsu.

This is a solo journaling TTRPG about being empowered to travel to your past to make changes. The premise is that you are a new employee of Ret-Chron, a company that employs time travel to revise history. Your first training session involves an event in your past. It is assumed that altering an event you know well, in a familiar surrounding will be a good way to ease you into the profession.

I really really like the premise of this game. You use a pair of d4s to determine how successful you are at doing something (Caltrop Core), and provides a series of prompt questions to help you build up the moment in your character’s past that you would like to change. Your character won’t arrive exactly at that event, but rather a few hours before it happens - and so you’ll have time to try and change it.

I think you could potentially experience a good amount of character bleed when you play this game, especially if you replicate an event that’s actually happened in your real life. That might be something that draws you to this game, or something to keep in mind if you pick it up. The rules definitely work for whatever setting you like, so your imagination can fill in a lot of the blanks here.

You own this game if you picked up the Solo But Not Alone 3 bundle!

Out of Time, by GinGal Games.

In this Solo Journaling TTRPG, you are a person out of time who can travel anywhere along the timeline. As you travel you will encounter people and feel large and small emotions. This journal is the record of your travels. 

Out of Time casts you as a member of a super-secret organization, employed with a stopwatch that will allow you to transport yourself to a different moment 15 times. Your role is observation, not intervention - although I think the game is designed to try and tempt you into intervening. You journal while pulling cards from a deck and rolling a d4 to determine when the moments happen, with words attached to the value of the card that you drew. The game itself feels like you can make it rather personal, so if you want to entwine your character with the timeline, you might be interested in this game.

Timeshapers, by Beth & Angel Make Games.

You’ve found a Timeshaper: an object able to change your perception of time. You don’t know how to control it yet, though; each time you touch it, it randomly affects your perception of time. Embrace your new relationship with time.

This is meant to be a game that works for both a group of people or a single person. For a group of people, I think it works best for folks who prefer largely free-form role-play; for a solo player, you could use it by itself, or add Timeshapers to another solo game in order to complicate things, especially if you’re interested in horror or sci-fi genres. The rules themselves are rather simple; it’s basically a roll table with different ways time might affect your character.

Dead Ends, by kay w.

I see it in the rearview mirror. I see it in the middle of the road. It knows. It could kill me right now. It's killed me a hundred times already. If I can just make it for long enough, then I can find the exit. I don't have to be this person forever.

DEAD ENDS is a solo tabletop roleplaying game about a road trip that never ends. In it, you play someone hunted by the Shape, looping again and again through the same four Stretches of the highway. Something you did brought you here, and now there is only one option: keep driving and hope there's an escape.

This is a game where a time loop is one of the fundamental ingredients for horror. It uses a deck of cards to determine the reason why your character is stuck in a time loop, as well as an oracle to determine more about your experience, your memories, and more. I think this game is something worth checking out if you like games that are meant to make your character suffer - if you’re a fan of Wretched & Alone games, you might also like this, even if it doesn’t work exactly the same way.

You Can’t F☆ck with the Timeline, by Lady Tabletop.

You're a traveler and all you can do is watch.

A thought-game for one player.

This is a solo game that you can pretty much play anywhere, about a time traveler who cannot change the timeline; only witness it. It allows you to game-ify people-watching, coming up with answers to questions and creating stories in your head. It can last for as long as you need to wait somewhere, or while you’re on a commute. The game is also short enough that you could probably copy it out onto a small card, and keep it with you as you travel.

A Moment Too Late, by toribee.

Guide a tortoise through the annals of history. However, due to the inherent slowness characteristic of a tortoise, you always arrive just after the major historical events have unfolded. Each time you draw a card, it represents a historical event described with vague and sensory details.

Your task is to interpret these scenes through the eyes of the tortoise, often leading to whimsical and humorous misinterpretations due to its limited understanding of human culture and history.

As you journey through different eras, from ancient battles to key moments of technological innovation, you'll document your adventures in a journal, creating a narrative that blends historical curiosity with the charming perspective of a tortoise.

This is a really funky twist on playing with time, that uses a deck of cards to bring you (and a tortoise) through big historical moments. It looks like you can use this game to play either a specific romp through history (with hints towards what event is going on) or allow the “clues” to keep you and your turtle equally befuddled. If you like cute animals and games that don’t feel too rushed, this might be a game for you.

Other Solo Games In The Ballpark…

The Diner Out of Time, by Mystic Mushroom Press.

Project Ecco, by Elliot Davis.

You can also check out my Time Travel and Solo Games recommendation posts for more!

[madameevil]

I think I've made my peace with Veilguard being a soft reboot of the franchise. I want more people to be involved in the fandom. I want them to hop in during this game and have fun.

The barrier of entry to the fandom & game series was massive. First you gotta play through a great story in a game that barely runs anymore. Then you gotta play through a good story in a heavily recycled game. THEN you gotta play through a good story buried deep beneath hours of side quests. Then after all that the fandom will talk to you.

I love all DA games...but I've resorted to playing through Origins 10s of times and sending friends the save data to import into DA2 just so they can have some idea as to why I love the games so much.

Instead of all that, imagine just saying hey, it's safe for you to jump in at this point. I'll give you a brief backstory for the small choices you can make and then you can enjoy yourself.

That's great for new players and great to keep the series alive. Even if it is sad to lose some of our world state along the way. We still don't know how the game will handle subjects but so long as it doesn't overwrite anything then that's fine. It's still my world, just a separate corner of it.

Anyway...everyone is entitled to their own opinions on it and everyone grieves the loss of years of adventure in their own way.

I'm still reserving any strong opinions until I actually, ya know, play through the game. I'm not convinced that 7 hrs out of 40-100hrs of gameplay is enough to establish any solid opinions. I mean if this was Inquisition you'd still be trapped in the Hinterlands :P

p.s Happy 7 days remaining until Veilguard!

[sonicthehedgehoglover2]

I decided to collect all the information that we managed to create on this wonderful Player AU. So, let's start in order.

In this development of events, we know that the phenomenon of players was at least known (It is quite possible that the main records of this were recorded on the Forgotten Island, and were slightly related to their religion, as guides or something like that, but the details were lost, like a bunch of other things)

Therefore, in the ordinary world, either there is a whole franchise dedicated to this universe, or some kind of interworld crap. Perhaps Wishcraft is somehow mixed with this. Loop can be aware of the player's presence, communicate with us directly, thus creating an unforgettable experience, and giving both Siffrins a person on whom they can safely dump their anger (since for him, the player only appeared in order to achieve his goal of killing the King, and that's all… And basically their entire backstory)

Therefore, Mirabelle does NOT have such a guide, which confirms the fact how hopeless this entire quest was initially… And makes Siffrin admire her even more, because she managed to get to SUCH a result on her own! (Possibly increased self-flagellation of the mz for the fact that you screwed up so much that because of your mistakes you and your team needed a parasite (Guide) from the universe because you yourself clearly can't cope. After learning about Wishcraft, it becomes more or less clear that the presence of the guide also happened as a consequence of the distorted power of Vogard's desires. (And Loop's desire. I just can't imagine their mental state when they realize that even with such a huge support and with all their sacrifices it was almost not enough. They both almost lost … And all because of this stupid DESIRE (if I could I would highlight this word in red, but alas). They were literally CHANGED, Stardust literally got a BLINDING CONDUCTOR, and Loop himself as support … And still. And still … they almost repeated Loop's mistake. (And in those variations of events where the Player is more cruel to Siffrin, I can't help but imagine that Loop himself feels that this everything is deserved… If only it could be delivered to the address (Lup himself) and not Stardust. After all, the universe knows better.)

After the entity was noticed (or in other words, the 4th wall was broken) The person under their control can feel some influence, and possibly conduct some semblance of communication (I'm not entirely sure, but communication will be damn difficult) Basically, there is a nudge towards some thought or action. (The fact that Siffrin himself was constantly running even before the player's arrival is conveniently forgotten by all parties involved, allowing Sif to have another reason to behave antagonistically towards the Player (And from our player's side, somewhere from the third Act - a nudge towards the least destructive idea that Siffrin came up with this time. As you can understand, they do not have as much choice as it may seem from the outside). )

God of Change knows. I doubt details are needed at this point

Whatever the outcome of Siffrin's relationship with the Player, he will miss them (But whether it's a longing for kindness, or a longing for the feeling that whatever happened was not your responsibility, or that any damage was deserved… That will be determined by history (because even the worst things in our lives can be missed))

… I just can't help myself from giggling, because I really like this imaginary dynamic between our wild Player, who is just a stupid someone (I wonder if Siffrin's mind will label them as Audience, Prompters, or something else) and who just wants to enjoy this game and is trying to be decent to those whose lives he is playing with… And who for some stupid reason they like. Lupa, who is very bitter towards Stardust and has a grudge against the player, who abandoned them when they defeated the king and woke up in a clearing, and yet who has never been truly cruel to Siffrin. And Siffrin, who is simply having the worst time of his life.

And now I'm not sure if I want to make it so that the whole 4th wall breaking thing is unique, or that it's a common knowledge about this particular game… (And I imagine both of those facts would be funny (And just imagine if the whole fandom just kept this little secret extra so that new players could enjoy the feeling of exclusivity, only to have their dreams crushed. It would be funny and cruel, right? (Even thinking about it makes me a little sick… So I guess it's a good idea. But too cruel. But that's up to you, AU creator~) Because if it's a common knowledge… How many horrible AUs could they create :) Tee hee~ (And at least the fandom aspect is possible… I think it would be cooler if there was just a limited number of copies with such a small addition as the 4th wall, and the rest enjoyed the regular version, without any additional moral obligations)

But then again, I got a little carried away) I just love that we we create and i hope to see more of thee soon. it just so intresting! ... and i really need to do something about my giant text. i cant tell my ideas in less words sadly.

Thank you for organizing everything.

I very much want this all to be the Canon idea for theis AU thus far.

The people of the Forgotten Island were aware of the Universe and Players. Players were seen as some sort of guide for those deemed worthy - or something. (Siffrin finds a book about this in the library in the House. He can only read it after getting the Memory that allows him to read his own language).

Siffrin and Loop definitely blame the Player for their problems.

I love the idea of Siffrin thinking of the Player as a parasite. Especially if it developed over time. (Siffrin thinks of the Player as some kind of gift, but - depending on the actions of the Player - they soon see them as some kind of curse or parasite).

Loop has some kind of magical ability to interact with the Player, but there's not much they can do to stop the Player. (Not now, at least~)

The 4th wall breaking thing is definitely going to be a unique thing.

[leejenowrld]

do they have any domestic routines or moments you imagine for them? like, do they split up certain tasks, one handles mornings, the other does bedtime, or something like that?

also, since they’re loaded💸 do they get any help with daily stuff or are they the type to do everything themselves just because they want to?

jeno and y/n are, at their core, the most involved and present parents you could imagine. they are gentle, attentive, always putting their babies first, sometimes to the point of exhaustion, nights up together soothing fevers or lying on the nursery floor, hand in hand, whispering promises that they’ll figure it out as long as they do it together. their house is filled with routines and rituals, morning kisses before anyone leaves, bedtime stories in the big bed, dance parties in the kitchen just because someone’s having a hard day. they are the type of parents who research everything, always wanting to do right by their kids: y/n has stacks of parenting books by the bed, signs up for every child development seminar, drags jeno to baby yoga and CPR classes, and jeno never complains, happy to be along for every step, secretly proud every time he gets to show off his diaper-changing skills.

they keep their children’s world beautifully small and safe, fame and fortune a distant, background hum. junseo and serin grow up blissfully unaware (well until they have understanding) that their daddy is the most famous nba player on earth, because at home he’s just dad: the man who makes pancakes in the shape of hearts, who lets them draw on his arms with marker, who will always drop everything to build a fort or fix a broken toy. their lives are defined by warmth, affection, and a sense of security so profound the outside world barely touches them. y/n is always there—bandaids, soothing words, gentle hands, teaching her babies to trust their feelings, to come to her with anything. jeno is patient, endlessly present, never too busy for bedtime, always sneaking in one more story or song.

their sacrifices are quiet, constant, and never broadcast—turning down trips, adjusting practice schedules, giving up sleep or privacy, never resenting it because the kids are the center of everything. even when things get hard, tantrums, sibling fights, sleepless nights, they stay soft and united, always looking for ways to do better, to be better, for their babies. the kids grow up cocooned in love, unaware at first of the world’s attention, just knowing their parents are always there: listening, guiding, loving without limit. this is what family means in their universe: a shelter from everything outside, a promise to always come back to each other, no matter what.

when junseo and serin get a little older, curiosity blooms: a friend’s parent slips, a teacher gushes, or they catch glimpses of their father’s face in places no ordinary dad would ever be. it starts with small questions, why do strangers sometimes ask for photos? why does everyone stare when they walk through the airport together? and jeno and y/n never brush them off or try to hide the truth. they tell their babies the real story: their dad is famous, one of the best to ever play the game, and that means a lot of people know who he is. they speak gently, honestly, letting every answer find its shape in the quiet, not sugarcoating what fame brings, the chaos, the boundaries, the reasons they’ve always protected their privacy so fiercely.

y/n holds serin close as she asks if it means their family will change, and jeno pulls junseo into his lap, meeting his eyes with a promise: “it just means you have to know who you are at home. you are ours before you are anybody else’s.” they explain the years of careful choices, the times they said no to cameras, the reasons behind so many whispered goodbyes and careful exits. they remind the kids that nothing about who they are, or how much they are loved, is defined by the outside world. junseo nods, serious and wise, and serin giggles, reaching for her mama’s hand, suddenly proud that her daddy is someone so special but even prouder that he belongs to them first. in that moment, it’s clear: honesty, warmth, and the unbreakable trust between them are what matter most. jeno and y/n know that their children’s strength will always come from the softness of home, from knowing that, no matter how bright the world gets outside, there is always a quiet place to land—a place where truth is told gently, and love is the only legacy that matters. sorry i went off topic but to actually answer your ask:

how the rhythm is built (even when it’s always breaking):

some days, it’s effortless, a current that pulls you all forward. other mornings, it’s like dragging yourselves through fog with one arm each, balancing babies, breakfast, spilled milk, and half-formed apologies. routines are sacred, but they’re more like talismans: you all keep them not because you must, but because you can, because making meaning out of the mundane is a kind of spell you cast together, over and over.

mornings—teamwork and tiny hands:

jeno wakes up first, every time, he’s used to getting up early due to his NBA clock. there’s always a point at dawn where he lies in bed, your legs draped over his, and he listens for the sounds of the house, the little feet padding down the hall, the shuffle of toys, the sleepy whimper from serin’s cot. he untangles himself from your arms as gently as he can, presses a kiss to your forehead, and tiptoes to find his boy and girl.

junie is never awake on purpose, he’s the kind of kid who burrows deeper when the sun comes up, murmurs “no, daddy, more sleep, dream…” but jeno coaxes him out with soft words, a gentle rub of his back, promising pancakes and cartoons. he scoops him up, messy hair, mismatched pajamas, clutching his favorite blue blanket, and whispers, “let’s go see what serin’s up to.”

jeno’s voice is low and warm in the hush of morning, soft as he pulls junie close and kisses the crown of his head. “you can rest on daddy,” he promises, settling his son against his chest, big arms curled around that small, drowsy body. junie sinks into him, cheek pressed to jeno’s shoulder, legs tangling around his waist, eyes fluttering as he lets himself be carried—trusting, safe, still caught in the sweet space between dream and day. together, they move through the quiet house, jeno murmuring, “daddy’s got you, baby,” while junie clings tighter, knowing this is home: soft arms, slow steps, a promise kept every single morning.

serin is always already standing up in her cot, fists balled around the rails, cheeks flushed, grinning with her six-toothed smile. she babbles “dada! dada! up!” arms stretched, so desperate to be close. jeno swoops her into his arms, and she squeals, legs kicking, grabbing for his nose and then her brother’s. junie yawns, wipes his eyes, and immediately shoves his blue blanket at her, she chews on it with total adoration.

jeno’s mastered the morning ballet—broad arms, steady hands, one sleepy boy anchored to his chest and serin perched on his hip, giggling, sticky with love and sunlight. he moves through the hallway, effortlessly balancing both, his strength a comfort neither child ever questions. serin leans into his shoulder, chubby fingers reaching for junie’s hair, and junie, still half asleep, pats her back with clumsy affection. “all my babies, right here,” jeno murmurs, and it’s true: both children pressed tight, tucked in close, trusting that no matter how big the world gets, their dad will always be strong enough to carry it—and them—in his arms. the three of them move as one unit, a little family orbit, hearts beating together, laughter bubbling up, until they find you waiting in the kitchen, the whole day already golden and safe.

morning spills gold across the kitchen floor, softening everything it touches. jeno moves like a gentle giant, both babies tucked on his hips—junie nuzzled into his chest, face pressed against the sleepy curve of his dad’s neck, and serin clinging tight with arms and legs, babbling quiet songs against his jaw. the air is filled with their little voices: junie mumbling, “daddy, pancakes, please,” and serin echoing, “cake! cake!” in her sweetest lilt. jeno hums to himself, one hand flipping pancakes, the other balancing his kids, peppering their heads with kisses between every turn, whispering, “my good babies, my loves.”

when you wander in, wrapped in his oversized shirt, hair wild and eyes still soft with sleep, the whole kitchen glows. junie slips down and pads straight to you, arms outstretched, burying his cheek against your stomach as he whispers, “mama, you were in my dream. you saved all the dinos.” serin wriggles to follow, launching herself from jeno’s arms to yours, face sticky with sleep and joy, chanting, “mama, mama!” over and over as you scoop her up and kiss her round, rosy cheeks. the four of you melt together by the counter, laughter mixing with soft kisses and sleepy morning cuddles, the world outside held at bay by nothing but warmth and love and the bright, heart-aching happiness of being together.

mid-morning rituals—love in the details:

some days, junie wants to help make breakfast. he sits on the counter, feet swinging, and you guide his tiny hand as he cracks eggs into the bowl. serin claps, cheering every time you hand her a new spoon or piece of fruit to mash. jeno makes coffee just the way you like it, sliding the mug over with a wink, and presses his lips to your shoulder as you talk about nothing and everything, the dreams the kids had, the NBA trade rumors, what color to paint the spare room.

after breakfast, everyone piles onto the couch. there’s always a show playing that only the kids care about, something with bright colors and songs that stick in your head. serin climbs all over you, tugs at your charm bracelet, babbles nonsense, and junie presses his cold feet to your thighs, giggling every time you shiver. jeno slips behind you, long arms encircling everyone, murmuring, “look at us, baby. perfect little team.”

errands and the little things:

when it’s time to leave the house, the real chaos begins. serin hates shoes, always chucks one at jeno’s head, and junie insists on picking his own outfits, usually superhero capes over pajamas. you laugh, try to wrangle everyone into jackets and hats, and jeno says, “don’t worry, i’ve got her,” lifting serin with one arm and wrangling junie’s backpack with the other. you always check twice, wipes, snacks, serin’s pink bunny, junie’s blue dinosaur. somehow, you’re always late, but always together.

at the supermarket, junie pushes the cart, jeno following close behind with serin perched in the basket, both of them pointing out everything they want. you split up sometimes, one of you heads for the produce, the other takes the snack aisle, each baby getting one-on-one time. sometimes, jeno slips a bouquet of flowers in with the groceries, just for you, even on a tuesday.

afternoons—everyday magic:

nap time is sacred. junie only falls asleep if you tell him the story of the day he was born; he lies on your chest, thumb in his mouth, hair splayed over your heart, eyes blinking slower and slower as your voice softens. serin is the opposite, she needs jeno to walk laps with her around the living room, her head tucked under his chin, his deep voice humming lullabies she’ll never remember, but will always feel. sometimes, you watch from the doorway, heart aching at the sight—the strong man you love, reduced to gentle giant, swaying with his daughter until she finally surrenders to sleep.

when both babies are down, you and jeno steal an hour for yourselves. it’s never glamorous; sometimes you nap together, sometimes you just curl up on the sofa, legs tangled, laughing quietly about the latest disaster. sometimes, it’s sex—soft, slow, like remembering who you are outside of “mama” and “dada.” always, it’s connection. always, it’s love.

evenings—teamwork and tenderness:

dinner is another adventure. junie wants to help set the table, serin tries to eat with her hands, jeno wipes chins and catches flying peas. sometimes, mark and areum come over with their own kids, and the house fills with shrieking laughter, sticky fingers, cousins chasing each other in circles. you and areum swap stories, compare bite marks and scraped knees, watch as your husbands teach the kids to “cheers” with juice boxes. family dinners always end with someone falling asleep at the table—usually serin, face-first in her mashed potatoes, or junie, head on your shoulder, fingers wrapped around your wrist.

after dinner, you all head for bath time, a circus every night. you and jeno kneel by the tub, sleeves rolled up, letting the kids dump water on your heads, laughter echoing off the tiles. serin is obsessed with bubbles, junie wants to rescue every rubber duck. by the end, everyone’s soaked, hair wild, cheeks flushed with joy.

pajamas, story time, bedtime—each with its own ritual. junie snuggles in your lap while jeno reads, voice deep and silly, both of you stopping to answer a thousand questions. serin climbs into your arms, curls up under your chin, breathes you in. when the lights go out, both babies sigh, content and safe, wrapped in the kind of love that makes nightmares run.

teamwork in every mess:

they could have nannies, they could have help, but for now, this is what they choose, hands-on, heart-full, sometimes bone-tired but always together. laundry is folded as a family, dishes washed with a baby strapped to your hip, toys tidied by all four hands. even on days when the house looks like a tornado hit, it’s alive with memory: junie’s handprints on the wall, serin’s giggle trailing down the hall, jeno’s voice humming in the kitchen.

you and jeno trade off the heavy lifts. on his nba trips, you hold the fort, running bedtime solo, sneaking serin into your bed when she’s restless, promising junie he’ll get an extra story tomorrow when daddy’s home. when you’re burnt out, jeno takes over, cancels a practice, orders takeout, sends you to take a bath while he lets the babies climb all over him in the living room. he never lets you go to bed angry or alone; you never let him forget that he’s the anchor and the safe place, too.

emotional depth—what the babies give you:

it’s in the little things—the way junie holds your hand when he’s scared, the way serin looks for her daddy every time she wakes. junie is soft, sensitive, feels everything, cries when serin cries and laughs when she laughs. he insists on tucking her in, choosing her bedtime story, being the first to clap when she walks. serin, for all her energy, worships her brother, follows him everywhere, copies every word, lights up when he’s near. you and jeno sometimes watch them together, hearts aching at the tenderness, grateful for the softness you’ve built in them both.

love in the little things—what never changes:

every night, no matter how wild or weary, you and jeno end the day together—sometimes in bed, sometimes on the couch, sometimes standing in the kitchen under the yellow light. you whisper, “we made this,” and he pulls you in, holds you close, kisses you like it’s the only thing that’s real. sometimes, junie sneaks in, curls up between you both, and serin soon follows. the bed is too small, but the love is endless.

jeno always says, “teamwork, babe. always.” you say, “always.” and you mean it. you really, really mean it. that’s the life you built—intimate, messy, magic in every mundane moment. every task, every cuddle, every laugh and tear, it’s all part of the tapestry. you wouldn’t trade it for the world.

little rituals, soft chaos, and love in every corner:

every season brings a new set of matching pajamas, dinosaur ones for junie, little pink foxes or yellow moons for serin, a grown-up version for you, and a blue bear print for jeno. sunday mornings, you all pile into bed, everyone still wrinkled with sleep, and you snap photos of the four of you tangled up, feet poking out, laughter bubbling, sun streaming through the curtains. jeno always tries to get the timer right, but someone (usually serin) moves at the last second.

bath time is a riot, serin insists on “bubbles! more bubbles!” and junie lines up the rubber ducks in formation like a parade. sometimes you and jeno are both kneeling by the tub, sleeves soaked, trading off shampoo duties. other nights, junie insists on “washing sissy’s hair,” pouring too much water but being so gentle it makes you want to cry. serin, chubby hands clinging to his wrist, giggles, eyes shining with trust.

brushing hair after bath is a ritual. you gently detangle serin’s baby curls, humming her favorite lullaby, while she plays with your charm bracelet (again) and watches you in the mirror. jeno handles junie, slow and patient, brushing his hair while telling him stories about the stars, or making up tales about knights and dragons. when he finishes, junie grins and throws his arms around his dad’s neck, saying, “thank you, daddy,” which makes jeno beam every single time.

bedtime stories are sacred. most nights, you all end up reading together—junie tucked on your lap, serin in jeno’s arms, two or three books stacked high. sometimes, you read chapter books aloud just for the sound of it, or make up stories together, each person adding a line. tears come easily; sometimes, the stories remind you of how much you love them, and you get choked up. junie always notices, leans over, and wipes your cheek with his thumb, whispering, “it’s okay, mama, it’s a happy story.”

in the deep, dark of the night, there are always dreams and shadows. serin is sensitive, so when a nightmare startles her awake, her cries echo down the hall. you rush to her room, heart pounding, only to find her bed empty. for a split second, you panic—until you check junie’s room and see them together. he’s wrapped her up in his arms, her cheek pressed to his chest, his hand gently stroking her back the way you and jeno do for him. he whispers, “don’t be scared, i’m here, it’s just a silly dream. wanna hear about dinosaurs?” she nods, sniffling, and he starts softly telling her his favorite story, his little-kid voice shaky but determined. you watch, quiet at the door, tears streaming down your face at the sight of your children loving each other the way you always hoped they would. when you tuck them both in, serin mumbles, “my junie,” and junie replies, “always sissy’s hero,” and you just sit with them until they’re both asleep, holding each other like it’s the only thing that matters.

every now and then, the whole family ends up in one bed. on weekends or after a hard day, you, jeno, junie, and serin squeeze together, blankets everywhere, arms and legs in a heap. serin sleeps on your chest, thumb in her mouth, and junie clings to jeno, their heads pressed together. sometimes, in the early dawn, you wake to find jeno watching all of you, eyes glassy with love, mouthing, “thank you” as he brushes your hair off your forehead. it’s chaos and comfort, peace and noise, all at once—this wild, woven knot of family you built from scratch.

facts & forever memories:

serin worships her brother—follows him everywhere, copies his words, throws her head back in laughter whenever he’s silly, cries when he cries.

junie is fiercely protective, sometimes bossy, but always gentle with her, sharing his snacks, fixing her bows, defending her on the playground even when he’s mad at her.

there are days when you find them hidden together under a blanket fort, whispering secrets, or sitting quietly on the porch watching the rain, heads leaning together, sharing a world only they understand.

every bruise or scraped knee, serin goes to junie first—“kiss it better!”—and he does, with all the care in the world, before she runs to you for cuddles and jeno for a sticker.

dreams are sacred in your home—junie loves sharing his, and serin always says, “i saw you in my dream, mama, you were a fairy,” or “daddy was a giant!” bedtime is where the real magic happens, everyone sharing hopes and worries, promising to find each other again in their dreams.

[cookies-sports]

Women's football journalism, information, misinformation, and online harassment, via England's goalkeeper situation

I've had some thoughts about the state of journalism, "big name" accounts, and the general state of information and misinformation in women's football, and how it contributes to the growing harassment and abuse towards players for a while now. The goalkeeper situation at England, and a whole bunch of things tangential to it, have done quite the job of demonstrating some of the issues.

The general points I end up making are not just applicable to the goalkeeper situation; it is causing problems for all kinds of things in women's football. It certainly is playing a role in how racism, misogyny, and other forms of bigotry are increasing within the WoSo fan spaces.

I just found this situation particularly rooted in many of the problems around misinformation spreading and how rivalry between two distinct "sides" was leading to harassment. It's a long ride, because I like to ramble and yap, and can do so about many things. So buckle up (if you want).

A word on contributing issues

While I have issues with the quality of a fair amount of women's sports journalism, especially women's football, I'm not saying any of the following applies to all journalism in the women's game. Some reporting is well researched and well-written. I also don't think the quality issues are the sole problem.

I think there are a few other things involved as well, including:

A number of popular social media accounts got big after the Euros and are not massively knowledgeable about women's football pre-Euros.

Social media algorithms and the way they push and restrict content on people's dashboards.

Search engines being a black hole of a mess that makes it increasingly difficult to find older articles and information.

The general cesspit that often is rivalry in sports, including the bigotry and abuse it brings and how it gets written off as "banter" or a "really small minority" so it's never really dealt with.

The more general issues reported in social interactions in more recent years, exacerbated by the pandemic and other factors.

You could probably write a book if you wanted to cover them all (maybe someone is! I'd like to read it). The main focus here is journalism and information from big name accounts, with some references to the other points above.

An overview of the goalkeeping situation at England

In summary, under Sarina Wiegman, Mary Earps had, up until recently, been the first choice goalkeeper. She put in strong performances at the Euros and at the World Cup. As a result, she received a lot of media attention and accolades and, already being quite popular on TikTok, her social media blew up. There was a lot of backlash alongside the fanbase that grew for her. Some of that was pure misogyny from men who hated her, women's football, and anything related to it. Some of it was from fans of women's football who felt she was overrated or didn't like her for various other reasons, some football related, some less so.

After having a strong season at Manchester United in 2022/23, a lot of problems began to appear for Earps (and at Manchester United in general). As time went on, Earps' performances for club throughout the 2023/24 season became inconsistent, and a few of her performances for the England team also wobbled. She ended the 23/24 season with a match where she conceded 6 goals to Chelsea.

At the same time Earps was on a low; Hannah Hampton was on the up. She cemented herself (mostly) as Chelsea's first string keeper by the end of the 23/24 season and had earned herself some admirable performance, stats and kudos. Made more impressive by the fact she played fewer than half the season's games for the team. Talk, of course, turned to whether she was the one who should be stepping up to take England's #1 shirt. Khiara Keating also had a strong season, having to step up unexpectedly to become Manchester City's #1 keeper, earning herself the Golden Glove for the season in the process while still a teenager.

Then, in the Euro qualifiers, Earps went off injured and Hampton subbed in, and stayed in for the remaining qualifier games. Even after Earps had recovered from her injury. The 2024/25 season started: Earps struggled in her start at PSG, and Keating was dropped back to second string keeper at City, then not called up for England at all. Leaving the #1 shirt seemingly Hampton's.

This competition between the goalkeepers has been taken up by the media and other accounts in a way that I think demonstrates many of the problems in WoSo journalism and information generally, and also probably to the detriment of all players involved.

The journalism and discussions around England's goalkeepers

Truthfully, Keating has not been the focus of much of the media attention. The Earps vs Hampton narrative has been the focal point. However, Keating has her own challenges right now following an arrest for possession of cannisters of nitrous oxide. It is entirely possible that her dropping to second keeper at City and off the England team entirely is as much to do with that as it is to do with her still being young and needing to develop her skills as a keeper in various ways. I don't want to say much more about Keating's situation because we don't know everything and there's probably stuff going on there that the public are not privvy to, so she's facing a lot is where I'll leave it.

With Hampton and Earps, however, the media have had a field day, knowing that if they push the rivalry/fighting for the same spot angle, they will drive clicks and engagement to their posts and articles. Earps' name is already used a ridiculous amount to drive engagement; to the point TikTok videos that she made for fun were being used as the basis to write whole articles.

An article came out just after the qualifiers that made a big deal about how Wiegman was "firing a warning shot by benching Earps", letting other players know that no-one was safe. It was all a very dramatised way to say 'if player's aren't in form, they might not play' (which given some of Wiegman's choices, I feel that it has only applied to the goalkeeping position so far, if we're honest). It worked because it got some of the people who didn't like Earps celebrating her downfall and some of the people who did like Earps making a big deal about it on social media. Discussions about it began to very quickly show that there was absolutely the "Earps side" and the "Hampton side" in some parts of the WoSo fanbase, and the media were going to hammer on all the sore points they could find there to get their engagement.

Earps then had a disastrous start in the domestic season at PSG when PSG were knocked out of the Champion's League by Juventus. WoSo journalists and popular accounts who had never shown an interest in the Première Ligue posted about PSG and Earps' performances, pulling clips of poor moments and posting them to the predictable engagement of their followers. (Once Earps and PSG settled down into more of a rhythm in the Première Ligue, these journalists and big accounts by and large lost interest.) If you listened to some of these journalists and accounts, PSG's failures were entirely Earps' fault. She lost them the Champion's League qualifications.

It's not true. Earps was poor in the Champion's League games, but so was everyone else on the team. PSG were a disaster; they were completely overlapped on the wings and could barely get any shots, let alone any on target. I can understand why PSG started Earps, but you have to wonder whether those games might have been slightly less disastrous (though it's not like the goalkeepers could make the forwards score) if Kiedrzynek had played given she can speak French well and was already much more familiar with the team.

Anyway, after that there was even more celebration of Earps' downfall online, with an increase in the number of negative comments on her social media, ranging from mockery to outright abuse with a hefty dose of misogyny. 3 days after the Champion's League second leg game, Earps was on the bench and Kiedrzynek started against Guingamp. Despite the fact it was quite apparent that this was rotation at play, the English media had their cue: out came the articles about Earps being benched. Then Earps was unwell for the game after that and dropped out of the squad shortly before kick off. All this is where misinformation really ramps up, but I'll come back to that.

Meanwhile, as Earps had numerous struggles in her season, Hampton had a strong start at Chelsea, with the team winning all their games in the league and Champion's League (which Hampton has not yet played in yet) so far. Hampton has also made some key saves to prevent some defensive embarrassment on Chelsea's behalf, including keeping their 1-0 lead in the season opener under a lot of pressure from Villa and keeping out multiple attempts at an equaliser in an intense second half against Arsenal at the Emirates.

Like Earps, Hampton has been rotated for one game and was unable to play one game because she was unwell.

England camp came about in the international break and the Hampton vs Earps discussion reared back up again. More articles came out about the competition between Earps and Hampton; both players were asked about it in interviews. Discussion online brought the two fanbases back into butting heads.

Hampton started against Germany in England's friendly a few days ago and... well, apparently the England team had watched PSG's disastrous chaos in their Champion's League games and decided to use it as inspiration because the game was mayhem. 7 goals, no-one looked outstanding on the pitch, lots of chaos with panic vibes. Earps was shown on-screen after some of the goals went in, watching from the bench, and one photo in particular has been all over some parts of WoSo social media. A lot of presumption is being made about the look on Earps' face, but honestly, it looks like a woman who knows damn well that camera is going to pan to her, trying to keep her face as neutral as possible while her team has just gone 3-0 down.

Now we're waiting to see what happens in the friendly on Tuesday.

Misinformation, Disinformation, and Harassment

If you go under numerous posts on social media now about Earps, you will see multiple people who completely believe that Earps is riding the bench at PSG, or that she's been dropped from the squad, or that she's not getting any minutes. Even Wiegman commented during a press conference that there was this sentiment in English media that Earps isn't PSG's first string keeper, when she is.

As of writing this, Earps has played more minutes domestically (Premiere League + Champion's League) this season than Hampton so far. 450 minutes to 360 minutes.

So where has this narrative of her not playing come from?

WoSo journalists, big name accounts, and multiple accounts on social media, mostly. That news article that came out the first time Earps was on the bench, reporting on her fall from stardom — from "Sports Personality of the Year to PSG's bench" — was the start. Then when Earps was unwell ahead of the next game and Kiedrzynek played again, this also led to commentary online. Now not only was Earps benched, she'd been dropped entirely!

Some people tried to point out that there was no way Earps was off the squad completely and it was much more likely she was sick or injured, but it was somewhat overshadowed. It didn't matter that she came back as the first keeper for the next two games, the media had already moved on by that point.

So, now we have a bunch of people who seem to genuinely believe Earps isn't playing at the moment and who have never thought to double check that assumption before posting about it.

There's also been an assumption that Earps is the individual referenced in part of a recent expose kind of article in L'Équipe. The article is about various problems at PSG and in one part, there is a mention of an unnamed "international player who complained that her lack of game time was affecting her social media engagement". Now, I couldn't say that it definitely isn't Earps: I'm not at PSG. However, it would be strange for a person who has voluntarily taken a break from social media (a break which started weeks before the article came out) and who is regularly playing to be the person to complain about lack of minutes affecting social media. In a write-up in another article, a player (not Earps) was actually named as being unhappy about her limited minutes so far, though no reference of social media was made, so it's unclear if they're the same person.

What probably made it easy for people to presume the article (not that many of them read the article, it is in French and behind a paywall; they read a tweet thread about the article) was about Earps was that they already believed, thanks to the earlier articles, that Earps wasn't playing.

Hampton has also been the subject of media scrutiny and judgments, though not so much in recent years (sadly, I think that is likely to change and she'll be subject to unwanted media attention again, too). After a departure from England camp in 2022 and some strange tensions and goings on at Aston Villa, articles began to crop up about Hampton being sent home from the England camp for "attitude problems". No-one knew anything more than that, and the original article itself was fairly light on details with a strong hearsay vibe to it. Hampton some time later posted online about being in hospital.

Aston Villa was another matter entirely where, in addition to what was reported, the coach at the time, Carla Ward, made some comments in an interview that invited more scrutiny to Hampton. Ward and the author of the original Guardian article were criticised by some, especially given Hampton's age and the scrutiny she was being placed under as a young player. It all added to the general sense of "something is going on!" that interested the media. With little information to go on, though, the story soon found itself falling out of the news cycle and Hampton returned to the England squad some time later.

However, it has arguably left some people already primed to assume Hampton has attitude problems. I've seen some suggest this underpins some of the online discourse about Hampton in recent days.

We're a few days out from England vs Germany, in which Hampton had a fairly shaky performance. Now she is in the awful position of receiving abuse online from some people who rate Earps over her, from some women's football fans who take issue with her performance, and those same men who hate all women's football but it has popped up on their page due to the social media algorithm. (Misogynistic football fans, if you interact with posts about women's football, the algorithm will feed you more of it. That's why you keep seeing more of it.)

Weirdly, Earps has also caught flack from the misogynists who just assumed she was in goal and don't actually know Earps from Hampton... Goes to show just how knee-jerk the misogyny and hatred is, I guess.

And the rival fanbases have come out to clash once again. Fans of Hampton are pointing out that more of the blame lies on the outfield players than Hampton and are posting about Earps' worst performances to point out that she also had bad games. Some are claiming that Earps "never received this criticism or hate for her poor performances", when she did, including from some of the same people making the claims. Some of those who previously posted things to the effect of 'you can't always blame the defence, if Earps was a better keeper she'd save more of them' are now claiming the goals Hampton let in were unsaveable and entirely the outfield's fault. The outfield were absolutely to blame for a fair chunk of those goals, but Hampton didn't have a particularly good performance either. No-one in that defence came away unscathed.

At the same time, fans of Earps are equally ridiculously claiming that Earps would have saved both penalties or not conceded behind the mayhem on the field. They are all over social media insulting Hampton just as Hampton fans are insulting Earps, and calling for her to be dropped. There is no way Earps would not have conceded in that disaster of a game. A like-for-like comparison on the goals is a pointless endeavour because both keepers run their back-lines differently. Additionally, while Earps has made some huge penalty saves in the past, no keeper is expected to save penalties because the odds are stacked so much against them. The likelihood of her saving one let alone both is small. It's a silly and immature argument to make.

It is, in summary, very much a case of "any under-performance from the player I like is someone else's fault, any poor performance from the player I don't like is entirely their failing" repeated over and over. That and a mix of "my well rounded and justifiable criticism" vs "your unwarranted and uninformed hate" for every discussion. So, a big chunk of football rivalry in a nutshell.

As the argument rages about each keeper's strengths and weaknesses, current form and past performances; a whole bunch of fans are being incredibly vile and unpleasant, including sending abusive comments to the players. As I said above, Earps has been off social media for the most part (she's posted what seem to be some contractual posts like partnerships/sponsors, with nothing personal) for weeks, and now Hampton has had to turn off the comments on her most recent social media post. I think it would probably serve them both well to stay well away from social media for the foreseeable future; something I think we will see more and more women footballers having to do.

The push for more rivalry (which some fans were calling for) and the media squeezing all they can out of this goalkeeper situation may have brought a lot of online engagement and discourse, but I doubt it's done anyone much good. And I suspect neither Hampton nor Earps will have any peace going forward.

We're in a situation now where we have a young goalkeeper being held up as the WSL's best keeper and England's number one at just 23 years of age; she has a huge and unfair weight of expectation on her shoulders. Whenever she fails, she will be bombarded with awful comments and harassment. If Earps gets put back in goal and she fails, those same fans of Hampton will come back just as viciously to berate her. Both of them will likely be scrutinised, compared and contrasted when they return to their clubs. Any failures there won't go unnoticed.

Certain fans of each will only ever see the best of their favourite and the worst of the other. They will use that to fuel more engagement and rivalry online, which will lead to even more clashes between the fan bases. Some criticism will be level-headed and reasonable; others will just be hateful and abusive. There will be squabbling about what falls into what and dismissal of just how much of the latter there is.

You can only imagine this has to put some strain on the two keepers. Competition is healthy and necessary; this bullshit? Is anything but helpful. Each of them has strengths where the other struggles and they could push each other to improve in those areas, but with the constant push of vicious rivalry and their every moves scrutinised by the media for engagement, I have to wonder how much that gets in their heads. It's easy to say "well, they should just be professional and get on with it", but it's not easy to shrug that stuff off.

So, the poor quality reporting from the media over the years and how information spreads in the world of WoSo fans has now contributed to a situation with two players at the centre of scrutiny and abuse. Neither can win, both will end up losing out somewhere, and I can't imagine it's going to get any more pleasant from here on out. Maybe, and hopefully, I am wrong.

Some resources for references

I've included the references because I'm talking about the media and their role in all this. Given the above discussions, a critical approach should be used while reviewing them. Some of them are downright odd in their approach, some are poorly research and others are more balanced.

TikTok clip from Steph Houghton and Ian Wright discussing Khiara Keating

The Telegraph, Hannah Hampton v Mary Earps: Battle to be Lionesses No 1 shows Sarina Wiegman will drop anyone

The Times, Mary Earps: from Spoty winner to PSG bench (with no shirts in club shop)

Goal.com, Mary Earps vs Hannah Hampton: England need long-time No.1 to thrive at PSG amid competition from Chelsea star for Lionesses starting berth at Euro 2025

Football.London, Hannah Hampton gives Sarina Wiegman more questions than answers as England reach Euro 2025

Goal.com, Is Mary Earps in danger of losing the England No.1 shirt? Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman confirms PSG goalkeeper is facing 'huge competition' from Hannah Hampton after tough start to life in France

BBC, Sarina Wiegman 'will not comment' on Hannah Hampton's absence from England squad

The Guardian, Euros winner Hannah Hampton dropped by England over attitude

Since-71, Four Different Versions of Events: Hannah Hampton In Media Disarray

Telegraph, Mary Earps still in my plans despite PSG struggles, says Sarina Wiegman

BBC, More questions than answers for England in defeat

L'Équipe, Élimination en Ligue des champions, tensions en interne, joueuses frustrées... le climat est électrique au PSG féminin

[utmvarchive]

Underplayer: a summary

...

In one reiteration of the Alpha Timeline, an outsider hijacked the script... code... like others have. Only, they did not do it to assign someone else as their vessel. They created and recolored a duplicate of Frisk, even putting a piece of their own SOUL into the custom vessel simply called "PLAYER" and taking Frisk's power to Reset.

One of the side-effects of PLAYER's more brazen interference with this reality was that their LV was impossibly high– an infinite string of nines– despite never harming anyone else, even in other timelines.

They were going through all this trouble because they wanted what they'd call a "perfect ending."

One where his highness Asriel could stay. One where their highness Chara could be here with them. One where they and Frisk could exist separately and they could break the Barrier together... and PLAYER could live with them all as well. One where they could come clean, restoring Flowey's and Sans' memories from other "worldlines" with other "players" to add upon what they knew about Resets.

Corroborating the claims and inferences of others, their engagement with our world works like a game– with a preset avatar, preset boundaries and preset rules to navigate... unless they too know how to write scripts of their own.

...

...I think I knew for a long time. I'd second-guessed myself, and I continued to as long as I could justify my doubts. But now, it will only obstruct my investigation to keep looking for what else could give this impression excuses alternative explanations...

...

Their presence alone made this universe a reiteration, but even so, the world... what they called the worldline... would eject them whenever the scripted circumstance for the Barrier's breakage played out, or whenever they made any other significant deviations, sending them to another worldline.

PLAYER tried different things. Cooperating with Frisk. Resetting. Guiding them to the happy ending. Stopping Frisk from falling and taking their place. Stopping Frisk and trying again to give Asriel a SOUL. But there were still hard limits on where and when they could stay before being disconnected, even after removing the other vessel from the picture.

Sans began to suspect the reason for PLAYER's LV was because of the toll it took on themself, or perhaps their LOVE really stood for love. Either way, it never returned to zero because they were sent to other worldlines rather than back in time whenever they thought a Reset had been forced. So after their talk, they thought they'd try one more time to break the Barrier.

They identified Dr. Gaster as the one rejecting their presence after their Determination finally overrode his efforts, so when another player connected to Frisk next Reset and attempted a merciless game, PLAYER took matters into their own hands as soon as they found their way back. They took over when Chara would have offered a total Reset, and used it to send the other player to another universe entirely. After which, Frisk was able to differentiate their own choices from the player's again, so with some gentle coaxing from PLAYER, they Reset one more time to undo the other's violence.

...So PLAYER was finally able to go back to worldlines they were forced out of and arrange the ending they wanted, in which the heirs could be revived and Frisk could be independent. They could even duplicate their custom vessel.

They just... couldn't stay.

His highness Asriel did not want freedom from the mountain to cost any more sacrifices, but for PLAYER, this meant the perfect ending they wanted could not include them. They ultimately decided to withdraw awareness of their involvement, reintroduce themself to his highness as a magician and leave after breaking the Barrier one more time.

...

So even direct intervention does not guarantee that they'll get what they want. They too have guidelines to follow.

...

[patchwork-crow-writes]

Thoughts on Kris x Ralsei

This is so long I had to split it up into parts - this is Part 1, which looks into how the roles that Kris and Ralsei are given contributes to the idea of their romance. As more parts are written, they'll be linked below in this handy-dandy TOC!

Part 1: And They Lived Happily Ever After <- (You Are Here!) Part 1.5: I Believe Your Choices DO Matter Part 2: A Pair of Star-Cross'd Lovers Part 2.5: In Another World, We Could Have Been (Just) Friends

Okay, so.

Wanted to elaborate a bit on my viewpoint of this ship, because I don't think it's something I've ever really discussed before and I think it's actually a very interesting dynamic (or at least has the potential to be, depending on where the rest of Deltarune goes).

So, Kralsei is cute, isn't it? It's fun to hug the fluffy boy and watch him melt into incomprehensible stuttering and blushing. All the little signs he's really, really into Kris, all the cute little snippets of dialogue you can initiate with him, all the alone time they spend together, in both chapters... honestly, the game makes it hard not to root for this pairing.

And yeah, it's cute... in a very surface-level, don't-think-about-it-too-hard kind of way. But once you start thinking about it... hoo boy. There is. A LOT to unpack here. So much more is going on just under the surface, and once you see it, it's difficult to un-see it. And in my opinion, it makes the Kralsei dynamic so much more nuanced, more compelling, and potentially quite tragic.

Now, a disclaimer: it's fine to like this ship on a surface level. No real harm is being done, these are fictional characters and it doesn't matter what reason you enjoy it for - if it provides comfort to you and gets you through, then more power to you! This is more me sorting through my thoughts on the subject and is not a judgment on how others approach it. With that said, and in the spirit of full disclosure, this will go into slightly uncomfortable territory - picking apart the idea of destined love, the deconstruction of common romance tropes, how outside manipulation might play a part, and even the potentially incest-adjacent nature of the relationship. If you don't want to deal with any of that, you can stop reading right now, and that's okay. Please continue to enjoy Deltarune in the manner that is best for you, and thank you for your attention thus far :)

If you're still with me, then please click the read more and we'll get started.

Part 1: And They Lived Happily Ever After

The first thing you have to understand is that Deltarune is utterly determined to cram the notion of Kralsei down the player's throat. The game is not subtle about this in any way, shape or form. Everything from the narration, to the dialogue, to major game events, to item interactions, and even the roles that Kris and Ralsei play both in the story and the party, serves to reinforce the notion that these two are very likely to end up romantically involved with each other in some way.

Let's look at the characters first. Kris is portrayed as the noble knight - stoic, unwavering, courageous, a natural leader - clad in medieval-inspired plate armour and wielding a sword and shield. And Ralsei is the archetypal princess - demure, dainty, kindhearted, nurturing - who uses magic to heal his allies and pacify enemies.

I did not mistype there - Ralsei is a prince, but the characteristics associated with him are more commonly found amongst female healers in JRPGs. Think Fina from Skies of Arcadia, or Marle from Chrono Trigger (minus the temperment), and you might have an idea of what I'm on about.

Think of knights and princesses for a moment. Imagine St. George slaying the dragon to save a helpless damsel. Imagine Lancelot and Gwenevere. Robin Hood and Maid Marion. Link and Zelda. Squall and Rinoa. Every single fairy tale involving an imperilled princess and a knightly rescuer. For a more modern take, imagine The Bodyguard. Ness and Paula. I could go on, but then we'd be here all day.

Suffice it to say that there is a pretty entrenched tradition surrounding these archetypes - a male-coded, phsyically-adept, courageous, stoic, action-oriented figure, is paired with a female-coded, magically-adept (depending on the medium of course), less-physically-capable by comparison, emotional, and more passive foil. The (male-coded) knight protects and rescues, the (female-coded) princess nurtures and soothes.

It is a very, VERY emotionally-charged dynamic, by its very nature. Through their acts of service to their protectee, the Knight displays their devotion and care for the Princess, and is in turn emotionally-enriched and cared-for. There is a great deal of physical and emotional vulnerability between them, and it is therefore ideal for romance stories.

Look at Kris and Ralsei again, through this lens. Kris is immediately put into the role of Knight, and Ralsei quickly establishes himself as a classic Princess. Almost instantly, before you've even become aware of it, you've made the connection - they're going to fall in love, because that's what ALWAYS happens in these stories. Ralsei supports and encourages Kris, both in dialogue and in battle, and Kris...

...Kris, uh...

...they...

...hug Ralsei sometimes...?

...they... they give him a ribbon...?

...no, that can't be right.

But it is right, for two reasons. One, Kris doesn't have to do anything. The roles are already established, and Ralsei is playing his part like a pro. And two, Kris doesn't do any of those things in the first place - you do. It's the player who hugs Ralsei, who gives him the ribbon, who picks the dialogue options, who makes the connections. You're the Knight in this scenario, not Kris.

Because Kris doesn't get to make that choice. Kris has to do what you tell them to do. And many of us have already jumped to the conlusion that this romance is happening, becuase that's what always happens. The Knight and the Princess fall in love. They get married. They live happily ever after.

So we ship them, because hey, it's cute, and it's easy. I can't stress enough how easy the game makes this. I'm fairly convinced that Ralsei was designed by comittee, like the Funzo toy in that one episode of the Simpsons. Like he was created with the sole purpose of being the most disgustingly adorable, lovable, awkward little cinnamon bun that ever existed. Like he was created to generate the maximum emotional response in players. It's the cuteness response dialled up to 11, and we are almost hard-wired to want to protect this little bundle of fluff from any and all danger, because lookit how sweet and adorable he is! The glasses make his eyes look all big, his fluffiness is reminscent of that of baby animals, he stutters and fumbles his way through dialogue, and you just want to scoop him up and put him in your pocket or something.

And so, we're more than happy to fulfil the role of the Knight to Ralsei's Princess. Whether Kris actually wants to or not. Because it does become increasingly obvious that outside of our influence, Kris is still their own person, with their own goals and desires, but no real agency with which to pursue them. Would that we could know what they truly want, but we are never presented with an opportunity to find out.

The thing is, Kris is not particularly... knightly. They play pranks on their friends, they swipe sweet treats from their mother, they seem to enjoy getting a rise out of people, and particularly from Asriel, if the story about "dropping the lizard into the pit to jump higher" is any indication. They sleep through class, yet by Berdly's grudging admission they are the "third smartest in the class". The only reason they go to church is so they can drink the "sick fruit juice". They don't seem to have any issue with prank-calling their mom, while she's taking about them with their tutor, while they're standing just out of sight, while they're balancing a trash orb on their head.

Nothing about this behaviour screams "Knight." If anything, it would make more sense for Kris to have become a Rogue-type character upon entering the dark world. So the question remains - why is Kris forced into that role? And to what extent is the seemingly "fated" romance between Kris and Ralsei part of that role?

Folks, we have barely scratched the surface here. If I keep writing here this will become a novel, so I have to stop for everyone's sanity. But I will follow up soon, looking into the ideas of Purpose and Destiny and how they relate to Kralsei in-game. If you've stuck with me up to this point, let me just say thanks, because wow I wrote a lot here, and it's probably a bit rambly and says the same things two or three times, but I just. Had to get this onto the page in some way or another, so... here it is.

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next one :)