#unless she gets some character development between now and then

[originalwinnercheesecake]

Wish list for CBS ghosts season 4

Make Patience a recurring antagonist for at least 2-3 episodes before that story gets resolved and she gets regulated to a background character.

Patience character to be 50% good religious farm girl, 50% crazy witch. She also needs to have a wicked(ly cool) ghost power

More of Isaac loving dinosaurs

More solo development for Isaac

More of Isaac and Hetty's awesome friendship

No Nigel for a while. I do not like him. He did a lot of things in his and Isaac's relationship that are textbook abusive partner behavior.

I think it is about time for Jay's restaurant to start up, and I would like that to actually become pretty successful/profitable. Mostly because I would like Sam and Jay to have a bit more disposable income to do things around the manor, and I know the B&B is unlikely to become super busy next season (unless the show is ending , which I really do not want).

The difference in treatment between the above ground ghosts and basement ghosts to be addressed. I know after season 3 that they aren't going to move them all up stairs. But it would be nice if Sam and Jay could like furbish the basement , and then more Basement ghosts than just Nancy got invited to come upstairs for games or discussion.

Just to be clear I still want Nancy to keep making her frequent visits up stairs and hang out with the man 8. I just also would not mind seeing Stuart or another nameless basement ghost standing or walking by in the background on the occasion.

Explore Pete's power more. He does not need to hop on a plane and go across the country or anything, but let him keep going out into town and having adventures. Also let him keep going on dates with other random ghosts outside of the house.

I know that Pete&Alberta will probably happen at some point in season 4. The thing is though while that ship was cute in season 1, the way the ship was handled in season 2 soured it like milk to me. Both characters need a lot of development, and separate explorations of what they want out of a relationship, before I can ship them again.

H-Money is still a couple I kinda like. I do not expect them to get back together in season 4 (Please not another season that is fully devoted to coupling up all the character), but I would like them to start scheming together again. Let them figure out how to interact together as friends, and build a stronger foundation to eventually, in season 5 maybe, try again.

I have heard people suggest that Pete's power could maybe be extend to getting the other ghosts through the barrier if they are like holding onto Pete's hand. I want this. Now I know Sass will want to visit a Pizza Hut, and Issac a dinosaur museum, but I would say the most important thing to do with that would be to take Thor and Flower over to the Farnsby manor to visit Bjorn and his girlfriend Judy. It would also be cool if there was a lesbian ghost living there they could set up Nancy with. Since Nisaac is on a "respite" and queer representation (preferably healthy queer representation) is important.

Everyone remember in season 2 when we learned about Flower's super protective, formally MIA, army vet brother : Rob. You remember how the show's staff said they would love to have Rob come to the B&B for a visit, and were already considering actors who could play him? I want this episode. Also if you cannot directly tell Rob his sister is a ghost on the property, then can Trevor or Alberta use their powers to help Flower send a message to Rob. To say that she still loves him. I cannot deal that both siblings spent like 50 years thinking the other hated them when neither did. It is to sad.

It would be cool if we could also have Ira visit once too. I know Flower did not love him like she did Michael or does Thor, but he was still someone who was a big part of her life for a while, and knowing her cannonly had a large impact on his. Maybe we find that while he has done charities in her memory, trauma over watching her be killed by a bear has also lead him to sponsor bear hunts or poaching. Flower is horrified. Then Sam and Jay have to spend his visit looking for a way to convince him that is not what Flower would have wanted.

Four standard episodes for each season are a Halloween episode, an episode where Bela visits, one where Stephanie wakes up, and one where Crash appears and is slightly relevant. I have no idea what to do for an episode with Crash, but for the others

-Ghost animals on Halloween

-Home theater night for ghosts and guests on the night Stephanie wakes up, complete with all the drama of set up and shenanigans that going to the movies encores.

- Bela is broken up with Eric, she does not even like him. This time her and Jay's parents come with her for the visit. Bela wants all the latest gossip surrounding the ghosts, but they have to tip toe around the parents. Jay's dad does not fully support the B&B even without the knowledge that it is haunted, and Sam does not want to give her mother in law another reason to suspect that she might be crazy.

Owning back to the "Can Pete take the other ghosts off the property" theory, can Thomas Woodstone be a ghost who died visiting a neighbors property. We have no reason to see Elias again since he has decided to stay put in Hell. But Thomas reappearing could be interesting for both Hetty and Alberta. If he does show up though I want the twist to be that he is actually severally cognitively impaired (think Lenny from oMaM)... I mean the man was from an inbred family, played with lead based toys as a baby, had a cocaine addict mom, and a father who was a lot of things. He could not have been all there. Also address more on if Earl ever actually cared for any of the people he was two timing (again development that needs to happen to make Alberta want to go from dating an Earl to a Pete).

A Sasappis based episode that is not his death story. I feel like he needs at least one more episode exploring what his life alive was like, to be appropriately gutted when we learn about his secret death.

Actually maybe we can hold off on Sass's death and Hetty's ghost power until season 5. let's keep the element of mystery in the show for a little longer.

[felassan]

Some things in BioWare's transcript of the August 30th dev Discord Q&A are a lil different to what was actually said in the Q&A. not only editing to tidy up and be concise etc; some of it seems to actually be new/additional (or updated?) information. this post is just a quick summary of the new or different things I noticed when comparing the BioWare transcript to a word-for-word transcript (or at least the ones that stood out to me anyways). DA:TV spoilers under cut.

This post is a mix of new snippets and rephrased answers to things that were rephrased in a way that stuck out to me or interested me. nb, it doesn't highlight changes if the change was something not being included in the BioWare transcript (there was some of that too).

John Epler: "I don't know if any of [the Evanuris] consider [tea] a favorite beverage"

[re: hugging Assan] Assan "always appreciates the attention. He's got a sharp beak and he'd let you know if he didn't."

Variation of the WEWH question answer:

"There's always going to be politics to some degree - there are a number of different groups with different priorities, and not all of them are going to be immediately disposed towards trusting you. But while the Inquisitor had an organization and an army (and even Hawke and the Hero of Ferelden spent more time moving in political circles), Rook's situation is a little more desperate and immediate. Their approach is therefore a little more direct, and so while they may occasionally find themselves in the political sphere, they're not trying to assemble an army or build consensus amongst nation states."

[on companions' ages] The part of this where they described the companions' age range has been changed from where it said "early-mid twenties" to just say "mid twenties". Also, Taash was said to be "early twenties"; she is now simply "the youngest".

New sentence on the ages: "We don't usually nail down a specific age, unless it's something that comes up in their content, but we want to have an idea as to their general age range as we're writing them."

If no side characters stand out as a good candidate for a 'light' romance, this is never something they want to force

Griffons as half-bird half-lion - it now reads half-eagle half-lion

"Thedas has always been filled with extraordinary people, and in DATV you're trying to save the world. It stands to reason that the people you're bringing on board are going to be people with extraordinary circumstances of their own."

On the Veil not being in great shape and having been deteriorating in recent times/the intervening period between games, a more specific figure is given: "things in general have been slowly getting worse over the past decade and a half"

Lucanis and Bellara find out they have a lot in common and develop a "really fun" friendship, even though "it's hard to think of two companions who feel more different on the surface"

Neve and Bellara's friendship "kind of evolved organically as we were writing them, and finding out all the opportunities we could to throw little tastes of it into dialogue was a blast"

when enemies are slowed due to Slow Time, Rook stays moving at full speed

Rook's weapons and companions' gear can also be transmogged in addition to Rook's armor gear and casualwear

New sentence: "I've built Harding as a Support Character one run, and a DPS the next run. If you want to use Davrin as a DPS, you can do that."

"But each Companion has a gift that you can purchase from vendors in the world, and then give it to them." - it sounds like there is only one unique gift that you can give to the companions each?

"In general, something like a short story anthology is a volunteer thing - we ask people what they want to write and, generally, people tend to gravitate towards character ideas and concepts they already had in mind for a companion."

"So it's rare that we write a character that isn't intended to be a companion and then think 'oh wow this character would be a great fit', but it's not unheard of either."

"Ultimately we wanted to be sure that The Veilguard could be a good entry point to Dragon Age for new players and people who know almost nothing about the universe. But if you're the kind of player who wants to catch the most references, I'd suggest reading The Missing (most recent comic series) and Tevinter Nights. The former is a direct narrative setup for the beginning of the game" while Tevinter Nights is "less of a direct narrative tie", though it introduces "characters, concepts and story elements" that show up in the game

New sentence and info: [John Epler] "The Archon's Palace floating was something we came up with midway through writing Tevinter Nights and I had to furiously rewrite a few things." - the Floating Building is the Archon's Palace?

"Mae is a character that means a lot to so many DA fans" (<3)

Crow politics are now described as "complex" as well as deadly

"Some romances allow you to express interest without 'committing'" - so it sounds like not all of them allow this? - "but all romances eventually end up being exclusive"

"With each specialization we wanted to explore, both visually and through gameplay, what a specific class member of that faction might look like. Spellblade, for example, is our answer to the question 'what does a mage assassin look like'."

Our ability to save PCs so we don't have to start from scratch in CC each time was very important to the devs

"the feeling we want to evoke over the course of the game is one of growth, both in yourself as Rook and in your companions as they overcome their own problems with your help. These problems are often external in nature, but they are always tied, at their core, to the conflict that the character carries within them. And they are, also, always uniquely Dragon Age problems on the surface, but still relatable."

The difference in the answer to the is Lucanis possessed question interested me.

Original for the sake of comparison:

"So, again, spoilers, everyone has been warned, fairly warned. So Lucanis Dellamorte is also known as The Demon of Vyrantium. And, he has spent a lot of time killing Venatori, who are mages, and who do know a lot about demons, so. Yeah, somebody decided that it might be a good idea to make that nickname stick."

New:

"There's definitely something going on with Lucanis - and before you hired him, he was known as the Demon of Vyrantium. Might be that someone took offense to that nickname, especially since he earned it by killing Venatori."

New sentence in the answer to the is Thedas a southern continent question:

"Of course, nothing says that distance to the sun is the only factor impacting weather."

.. [probably reading too much into this don't look at me ik many factors influence weather irl hhh] magic? the Veil? the deteriorating Veil? the risen Gods? the Blight? Thedas is experiencing global warming? :D

"As part of our attempt to make the companions feel like they have their own lives outside of just Rook, we asked ourselves what pairings made the most narrative sense and then talked about how they might actually unfold in the game. And even before companions get together, you can see that interest starts to develop. Which is, I think, one of my favorite things about the companions. They don't just fall in love with each other, they become friends, confidents, and even rivals at times"

It takes Davrin a while to trust others. He can be a little standoffish, but eventually he warms up to anyone who shows that they have his back

As a monster hunter a lot of Davrin's hobbies revolve around that

"a lot of elves go around shoeless, and that's in part because they believe it brings them closer to nature. What better way to understand what the world and ground are saying than to walk directly on it? but not every Dalish follows this custom" [...] "The Veil Jumpers, in general, are a little more likely to wear boots and shoes, as they're far more likely to end up in dangerous places and fighting unsettling creatures than the average Dalish"

On Bellara's boots: "you never know when you're going to find a broken artifact with a lot of sharp edges."

Bellara is a big fan of pan-frying anything she can (re: food)

Lucanis has the refined palate of an Antivan Crow

Getting the beards to work with all the armor variations that they have was especially challenging with dwarves because they "tend to be" shorter

Those beards that were designed with dwarves in mind can alsobe used for humans and qunari (I wonder then if elves cannot have beards in CC? Like I know they usually don't have them or have it in CC and that lore says they don't but there are a also a few lorebreaking instances of it and I wasn't sure which way this one would go given how 'free choice/options for all' the CC in this game has sounded like it has been designed to be)

"You'll see more on this as we showcase character creator in our runup to launch"

For this question "Since you can choose to be a part of the same faction for most of the companions, will that give you an advantage when trying to befriend them?", the answer now reads that in addition to the unique dialogue same-background Rooks have with the companion of that background, it can also "change the timbre of your relationship a little bit"

John Epler: "one of my favorite things about this group of companions is how much time they spend with each other"

[on the companions] "They're a family, and like a family, they don't always get along"

"A lot of Solas' relationship with the player is personal. He sees a lot of himself in Rook - both the good and the bad - and largely talks only to you, as you're the one he has a connection with."

"Not to mention at least a couple of followers who would likely love to ask an ancient Elven god some questions."

"a common complaint we've heard in past games is that many players disliked always feeling like they needed a Rogue to be able to lockpick, so fortunately Rook finds a method to use these exploration abilities even when the associated Companion is not in your party"

An example of a companion's unique exploration ability is that Emmrich has an ability to briefly reanimate skeletons to open gates

Qunari not wearing helmets and only vitaar allows more flexibility when it comes to horns customization in CC

"yes - there will be some pretty obvious Act breaks. Not all content fits neatly into these buckets, as it's more a way of breaking up the critical path (companion and other side content follows a different cadence), but there are some pretty obvious Acts built into our game. A lot of the missions, though, we want to make sure players have the freedom to decide what they do and when they do it, so while they may have internal acts (follower missions form their own arcs), they don't conform to the overall main quest arcs"

The difference in the answer to the is Assan the only griffon question confirms that Assan was specifically one of the baby griffons that hatched at the end of Last Flight. (as opposed to another clutch that was laid in the last decade)

Old:

"So, again, just to be clear, spoilers, but yeah, Assan has brothers and sisters, so Assan is not the only griffon that shows up in Dragon Age The Veilguard."

New:

"If you read Last Flight, you'll know that Assan isn't the only griffon from that clutch of eggs, so he's got brothers and sisters. And if one griffon is good, a whole family of them is better, right?"

"We briefly experimented with other options for last names but it became unwieldy as we do refer to your Rook by their last name on several occasions, and accounting for 6 potential last names is already a lot of complexity."

Variation of the 'what goes into bringing back old characters' question answer:

"We always - both for Morrigan and any other characters we bring back - think about what they would've been up to since the last time anyone saw them. These characters should feel like real people, and the last thing we want to imply is that their stories stalled out while they weren't directly in the player's adventuring party. So we look at their arc before the time skip, and then think about where that arc would've taken them. In the case of Morrigan, she's coming to terms with a lot of truths about herself and about her mother. There are elements of her past that she's come to terms with, which is why she wears a version of Flemeth's crown. Ultimately you want the world to feel like it's real. And no one's the same person today that they were 10 years ago. That's stagnation, and it's bad in fictional characters as it is in real people."

The orb part of orb and dagger is called an Elemental Orb

Variation on the Dalish Elf vs City Elf question answer:

"While I think 'city elf' vs 'Dalish elf' is a useful distinction in the South, there's a lot more nuance in the North. Rivain, for example, has Dalish settlements intertwined with other cities. There's just not the same separation, so each of the factions has a unique approach to your lineage. You can define some of that further with choices you make in conversations - we really wanted to leave a lot of that open to players to RP."

[localization question answer variation] "Games are so complex and have so many moving pieces that you need to be in regular communication or things get missed. And a lot of that is because ultimately localization is more than just a straightforward translation. Jokes, metaphors, sayings - even specific lore terms - aren't just a matter of finding the equivalent word in another language. Every writer has a story about a time they had to explain the specifics of an off-color joke they wrote so that localization could properly capture the intent."

So mostly variations (as in rephrasing) and things, but some of the new info that particularly stood out to me was things like the description of Emmrich's exploration ability, the mention that the Floating Building is the Archon's Palace (iirc this was speculated before but not confirmed?), the new lil details or insights on Assan and Davrin, the bit about Assan being from the Last Flight eggs, etc.

[amore-reads16]

Liam Mairi x fem reader

Overview- Liam and Y/N have been spending a lot of time together over the past few months and feelings between the pair have developed deeply however there is a betrayal under the surface that is uncovered leaving only heart break behind.

Note- okay so this is and idea that came to me and is meant to be like the turning point of an enemies to lovers story where the protagonist has been betrayed and finds out so mainly the feelings of hurt and betrayal. So yeah have fun with that one if you can! Also listening to I love you I’m sorry by Gracie Abrams might set the tone…

Liam had been missing from dinner which was strange as he always made time to sit next to you even if it was to talk about trivial things. Even though you had only begun properly getting to know each other five months ago there had not been one day where you had not seen to him, spoken to him, laughed with him and for the last few months exchanged and sneaked kisses in the hallway away from prying eyes. So for Liam to be missing from your side tonight was beyond weird. In fact he always was by your side you suddenly thought. Strange how one person can go from not knowing another to being completely and utterly consumed by them. It was a feeling you had tried not to become dependant on but the strange feeling in your stomach told you that you had failed miserably at that task.

After finishing dinner and having seen everyone else, including your friends and brother leave, you knew something wasn’t right. Something was out of place. It wasn’t just Liam missing from dinner you had observed. His friends had also been absent including Xeden Riorson, which yes was nothing new, but tonight was different- they were all gone. Finally picking yourself up from the bench you had been sitting at hopefully and wistfully waiting for the blond haired, bright eyed boy to stroll by in the cocky, childish way he usually did, you quietly exit to dining room.

Wrapped up in your thoughts you suddenly realise that your body has taken you to the outskirts of the building to a small garden that Liam often took you to- a place he called his ‘secret little spot, away from nosey people��. However it must not be that secret you think as you catch a glimpse of five hooded figures, some in incredibly tall and one shorter signalling a mix of men and women within the group. Using the stealth you have fostered from years of sneaking around your family home as a child, you creep around the corner within earshot of the group hiding in the dark shadows the crevice provided, curiosity taking over your mind. The voices are muffled of course, but there is one distinctive boyish voice that stands out. A voice that often soothed you and whispered sweet nothings in your ear now sounded serious, concerned and ultimately regretful.

“She’s different to what you think Xaden” so Xaden is one of the hooded figures, you think, makes sense.

“Liam, I couldn’t care less if she is an angel sent from the heavens herself- she’s dangerous. To us. To everything we’ve been working for.” Xaden replies. Who is she?

“So what? We just kill her? She’s innocent Xaden” Liam responds angrily. That tone is a tone you have only heard a couple of times. Never directed at you of course unless you do something stupid that puts you in harms way. Istead that tone is used towards people that disrespect you, sexualise you, try to hurt you.

Xaden tuts and lets out a short breath “don’t tell me Mairi that you’ve actually fallen for this girl.” Suddenly the identity of this girl is becoming clearer unless Liam has been cheating on you, which would be extremely out of character, this mystery girl the cloaked figures have gathered to discuss is indeed you.

Liam pauses for a long moment before answering and you swear you can hear your heart beat in your chest so loudly it will give your identity away. “No. Of course not” he eventually replies.

Heart ache consumes your body. Although you have never told Liam you love him and he has never uttered those three words to you, you have felt it. You have felt how much you love him and in return how much he loves you. And that had been enough for you. But now hearing him deny the affection you was sure he felt, your heart felt like it had been crushed under your own dragon’s foot.

“Her signet is just as dangerous as Aetos’. She is a valuable weapon for them, one they will never let go. Liam you know who her parents are. Her dad cut half of us down during the rebellion and her mother was the greatest healer of all time and it seems she is set to follow in her foot steps. Are you sure her signet is healing?” Xaden asks

“Yes. I have seen it. It is impressive but not at its full potential yet. She told me that she has been advised that is will manifest even deeper and only grow stronger. With the right training she will be able to heal a body that is on the brink of death” Liam says in a quieter voice then he used before- he almost sounds defeated you think as you refuse the sudden urge to scoop him into your arms and comfort him. Comfort the man who has just betrayed you and your secret. The man who has just signed your death sentence.

“She can’t ever expand her powers. It is too dangerous to have her running around healing everyone we try and take down. We will never win when the number of us decreases and theirs stay the same” another voice speaks and you immediately recognise it as Imogen’s. She has always hated you. You have always been able to sense it, see it in her eyes. Not that you blame her. Your dad killed a significant number of their people before he was killed himself, and your mother did nothing to help. She could have healed them all but yet she didn’t and kept on healing the men and women on the other ‘right side’ of the rebellion as your father used to quote to you.

“Liam you need to gather more information from her before we take her down. We need to know more about Aetos. They are still training together?” Garrick asks. So this is where they all were you think, instead of eating pie they were plotting your downfall. Liam was plotting your downfall. Betrayal curses down your spine. The heart break that had initially struck you has now been transformed into anger. Pure loathing anger. You gave your heart to that boy, you have everything up for that boy, and he used you. For information, for knowledge, for the secret you were swore to protect but gave away so easily to a pretty smile and twinkling eyes. Pathetic. You have been pathetic. But no longer you think.

“Yes they train every-“ he begins but you have had enough. Even if it gets you killed you cannot bear to sit here in the shadows, like a coward, another moment longer. Standing up Xaden immediately notices the movement.

“Shit. Shut up” he commands

“No need” you reply “I’ve heard everything” you emerge from the shadows that just before kept you hidden in your heart break. The anger you feel in this moment is a feeling you think you will never forget. To have loved someone and then been stabbed in the back by the same hands that held you at night. To have trusted in someone so profoundly only for your trust to have been built on lies and deceit. To have sacrificed your families beliefs, honour and status only to have them proven right and you painted as the naive love struck girl. It was sickening. It was transforming. Love turned into a bitter gall of hatred.

Storming up to the group, dagger in your hand, the faces of the cloaked figures run towards you but you can only focus on Liam’s surprised, hurt eyes. His mouth is agape and he somehow despite his betrayal looks guilt stricken. “Y/N please, I can explain” he pleads with his hands but you are not giving in.

“Keep your nerves quick one!” Rhella, your dragon encourages, as you focus on your movements ducking out of the way as Bodhi tries to restrain you followed by Imogen who you elbow swiftly in the windpipe chocking her causing her to fall to the floor gasping for breath. But that doesn’t matter as you have swiftly reached Liam and without hesitation you raise your dagger to his throat. Your breath is heavy. Your eyes are wild with anger. Your breath is ragged.

“Please let me explain Y/N” Liam says again

“NO!” You yell back and press the dagger harder drawing the slightest bit of blood. Perhaps you might have drawn more if it hadn’t been for Xaden’s shadows flinging the dagger from your fingers and Garrick restraining you whilst the others watch in shock.

Squirming in Garrick’s arms you try and wriggle free but it is no use, he has both your arms locked, and you suddenly begin debating if these will be your last moments on earth.

“Jesus Christ you came out of no where” Bodhi mutters helping a still winded Imogen up who has already set a deadly glare on you. Not that you care. She is the least of your concerns at the moment.

“Fuck” Xaden mutters as he places a hand on his head and begins to pace as if thinking very deeply.

“Let me go you fucker” you yell at Garrick.

“Shut your mouth” Xaden storms over to you grabbing your chin in his strong hand causing your mouth to shut immediately as he commanded.

“Xaden” Liam interrupts in a harsh tone almost as if he is warning him.

“Liam I think it’s best you leave” Xaden says in a low deadly voice making you shudder.

“No” Liam bluntly says causing Xaden to turn around still holding your chin strongly. “I mean- no I’m not leaving you to kill her in the middle of the bloody school. Do you know what kind of message that will send? They will know it was one of us or at least blame us for ease. We are done if you kill her now and you know it.” He says convincingly but the way Liam just coldly bargained for your survival without any compassion for you or your life causes a tear to roll down your face. He want a you alive to save their own treacherous necks. Not because he loves you and can’t bear to be in the world without you. Fucker.

“Well what do I do with her now then Liam ? She knows too much” Xaden says

Liam sighs and groans “just- just all of you go and leave her with me I can talk to her, make sure she keeps this a secret.”

Imogen lets out a shrill strangled laugh “and HOW are you going to do that Mairi? She won’t trust a word you fucking say now”

You let out a grunt in agreement to that statement causing all eyes to fall back on you. Usually Liam’s eyes are the only ones you meet however the darkness in Xaden’s are hard to look away from in this moment. He wants you dead, that much is clear, and you aren’t sure he is going to let you leave this garden without claiming your life.

“I’m going to talk to her Imogen. We clearly can’t kill her now” we is the word that stabs you “so we will have to keep her alive and on our side” Liam angrily explains finally walking forward to where you stand putting his body only a few inches from yours where Xaden still stands manhandling you. “Let her go” he tells Xaden. Xaden looks reluctant but lets go. The relief to have his strong hands off you is unmatched, and you are sure your jaw will be deeply bruised from the strength of his grip.

“Leave everyone” Xaden commands and although the rest seem reluctant to go they do. Clearly Xaden is their leader. Now only Liam, Xaden and Garrick, who is still restraining you, remains.

“Listen and listen closely” Xaden whispers “you will not utter a word of this to anyone. You will not let anyone know we are aware of your signet and you will not tell anyone what you saw or heard tonight” he explains blandly as if it was that simple.

“And if I do not comply” you practically spit at him.

“I will personally kill your brother. Jude is it? He seems sweet, naive much like you, but kind and caring. I will crush him with my shadows and rip his soul out of him” Xaden says- no hint of any emotion on his face making his words more haunting. “Do you understand me?”

Water swells in your eyes as you quickly spare a glance at Liam who looks mortified. How dare he? This is your life, your brother’s life that is at risk not his.

“Yes” you whisper.

“Yes what?” Xaden demands.

“Yes Riorson I understand and I will not utter a word to this to anyone” you reply.

“Brilliant-“

“On one condition” you add.

Xaden laughs but it is not humoured. It is bitter and hateful. “You aren’t exactly in the position to be making demands Y/LN” he grabs your chin again causing Liam to finally interfere somehow pushing his hand away.

“Enough Xaden” he says in a tone so demanding and sure it frightens you. “What is it you ask Y/N” Liam asks you.

You look into his eyes hoping to see some glimmer of what you used to see- love, admiration, respect. But there is only desperation. Desperation for you to not anger Xaden further.

“You must promise that you will not harm my brother nor me. You will let us both live despite whatever vendetta you unjustifiably have against me as an individual. I am not my family. I am my own person with the right to prove all of you fuckers wrong. Let me live and leave my brother be” you ask Xaden avoiding Liam’s penetrating gaze at all costs. To look into his eyes now would be to cry and look weak in front of the shadow lord in front of you- being weak will get you killed. So you keep your gaze strong, focused and unfaltering.

“Deal” Xaden agrees “but if you break this deal your brother will die and you will watch. Once you have processed your grief I will kill you also” he says plainly before signalling to Garrick to let you go which he does immediately.

“You have ten minutes then you both need to leave before we all get caught” Xaden says to Liam as him and Garrick turn around walking back inside not sparing you another glance, like you have now become worthless to them.

It is now just you and Liam. You and the backstabber. The silence is deafening and makes you want to cry. Liam sighs and attempts to reach for you but you step back wrapping your arms around your body as if to shelter yourself from anymore hurt he could inflict.

“Y/N” he says softly.

“Please Liam spare me your lies” you say, your voice raw and full of emotion.

“You don’t understand. I had to. Xaden needed the information and at first you didn’t mean anything to me but as time went on I started to like you and then I started to catch feelin-“

“Stop” you cut him off meeting his desperate gaze “don’t you dare. Don’t you fucking dare stand there and tell me that you felt anything for me whilst betraying me and lining me up like a pig to slaughter”

“I don’t want you dead!” He shouts “I never did! I- I- I love you for gods sake! I love you and don’t want you dead” he yells loudly.

You still. He has never said that to you. “It is amazing the lengths you will go to keep my mouth shut” you reply coldly “if you ever loved me you would have never have done this to me. Love shouldn’t include betrayal and you have betrayed me in the worst way possible.”

“You think I wanted this? Wanted to lie to you? To seduce you? To make you trust me? To fall hopelessly in love with you? I didn’t! But it happened and it’s real! I would have NEVER of let them kill you. You must know this” Liam sobs, he actually fucking sobs.

“I know nothing.” You say numbly “Infact that is a lie I do know this, I know that I now regret every moment spent with you, every word I spoke to you, every kiss I gave you, every night I let you have my body. I know that I hate you Liam and will never forgive you for this. I know that if you so much as look in my direction again I will not hesitate to kill you, consequences be damned. I know that I loved you and now I detest your existence” you deliver the lines with such confidence that you almost believe them yourself. Tears that you once shed have already dried on your face and your body feels heavy ready to collapse at any moment but you know you must stay strong.

“You don’t mean that” lean chocks out. Trying to come closer to you but you just step further away

“Get out of there quick one before you take back every word you have just said” Rhella warns and you heed.

“But I do” a hateful smile falls on your face “you fuck yourself Mairi” you say as you turn around ignoring Liam calling your name over and over. The last sound you hear his him sobbing and a thud that sounds a lot like a body collapsing to the floor as you speed walk to your room.

Making sure no one is lurking in the halls ready to rip you to shreds means it takes longer to get to your room but eventually you get there collapsing on the floor immediately as you shut the door. Your room still smells of him making it harder to breathe. Funny, you think, not only 24 hours ago the man you loved led in the bed in front of you and now that bed is empty alongside your heart. Only one thought manages to keep you going as you prepare for bed.

‘I will kill Liam Mairi if it is the last thing I fucking do’

[ghostofskywalker]

Sweet Dreams

Hunter/Reader

Fictober 2023 Day 1 of 31

Words: 914

Summary: You get a visitor in your bunk for the night, and Hunter can't help but find it adorable.

Note: happy october everyone! i'll be posting 31 fics for 31 different characters this month!

Clone Troopers Masterlist

The sound of someone whispering your name and the feeling of that same person shaking you awake was the first thing you registered when you opened your eyes. The bunk area of the Marauder was still completely dark, indicating that it was not yet morning, so you were a little confused about the reason you were being woken up at this point.

Blinking your eyes open (and trying to keep them from immediately closing again), you could see the faint outline of someone next to your bed. “You need smmm?” you managed to croak out, voice heavy with sleep. There weren’t too many rules on this ship, but one of the ones that did exist (and was usually well-respected among the squad) was the one about not waking you up, unless there was a serious problem (like fire, death, or ambush).

In the haze of your sleepy state, you could hear Omega’s voice, and as the world came into focus you could see that it was indeed the young girl who had woken you. “What’s wrong?” you asked, immediately snapping awake when you noticed the tearful expression on her face.

“I had a nightmare,” she admitted softly. “And I know you said-”

You reached out to take her hand. “I remember,” you said, shifting so that there was more space next to you in your bunk. “Do you want to lay with me for a while?”

Omega nodded, immediately crawling in next to you. A little bit after she had started traveling with you and the Bad Batch, you had all had a conversation about nightmares. When the other members of the batch had left the area, you had softly offered that if she ever had a nightmare and she wanted some company or wanted to be somewhere else, she had full permission to just crawl into your bunk, whether you were in there or not. At first she had tried to say that your offer wasn’t necessary, but softened when you talked about having nightmares yourself, and the two of you agreed that even big kids could be scared sometimes.

“Do you want to talk about it?” you asked as she got settled next to you, and you wrapped your arm around her once she had gotten comfortable.

“Not really.” Her voice was soft and slightly shaky, and you just smiled as you brought your arm up to run through her hair, the soothing gesture bringing a smile to her face.

“That’s fine,” you whispered. “I’m here if you change your mind, but it’s okay if you just want to stay here too.”

She nodded, and you could see (even in the dark of the ship) that she was growing more and more tired. You brought your blanket up to cover more of her body than it had been before, and the sound of your soft hums guided her to sleep, with you falling back asleep right beside her.

***

As Hunter stared out at the blue streaks of hyperspace passing by, he tried to keep his fatigue at bay. If it were up to him, right now he would be snuggled up in his bunk, fast asleep as someone else took a shift making sure that nothing in the cockpit blew up while they soared between systems. But unfortunately it was his turn to spend half of the night awake, and that dream could not be a reality for another hour or so.

Well, if it was really up to him, he would be snuggled up next to you. While he did not yet have the official title of “boyfriend,” something serious was certainly developing between you and him, and sometimes the two of you shared a bunk (something he secretly hoped happened every night). He didn’t think his brothers knew anything about it, but he wasn’t sure.

By the time Echo stepped into the cockpit to relieve him of his “shift,” Hunter was yawning and could barely find the ability to stay awake. He nodded at his brother in thanks as he got up to head back to the bunks, but as he walked down the hall, he could have sworn that he heard Echo say something about not being able to sleep in his bunk, which he just barely acknowledged before stepping into the room. Suddenly, his brother’s comment made both more sense and less sense (if that even made sense at all).

Hunter’s bunk (as expected) was completely empty, but he finally found the answers to his questions when his head turned to look at your bunk.

Omega was cuddled up next to you, and the two of you had similar expressions of tranquility on your faces. He couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face at the scene, and there was a part of him that wanted to see if he could get into bed as well, to try and wrap his arms around both of you. But he knew (as did Echo, apparently) that he wouldn’t be able to do so without disturbing you, and so Hunter decided to sleep in his own bunk for the night.

As he fell asleep, he tried not to think about the fact that he had apparently not been as secret in his affections as he previously thought, and it was likely that everyone on the ship knew something about his affinity for you.

And of course, he also couldn’t stop thinking about how cute you and Omega looked cuddled up together.

- the end - 

i no longer have a taglist! if you're interested in being notified when i post, you can follow my library blog @ghostofskywalker-library and turn on notifications!

[ooctlt]

I really like this blog most of the time, but sometimes you take reasonable earnest asks that are trying to be thoughtful, and are such a dick about it.

Like if it's the characters being dicks, fine. But you could say something in the tags or post to indicate you're not just viciously mocking someone for trying to engage.

I still haven't submitted an ask since seeing your response that led to comments along the lines of "anon should go die in a hole" for asking, pretty reasonably, why harrow would want to stay with people she didn't seem to like or want to be around or interact with.

(i know, because she does like them and does want them around but doesn't know how to show it) but it's an ASK blog. How do we hear that from her unless someone ASKS

i understand it might be surprising and a bit hurtful to see an ask answered with the characters being mean/flippant, and for that i do apologize that it wasnt made clear that it would be a common thing in this blog. id like to issue the disclaimer: there is always the possibility that the characters here will not take your question well. they might answer rudely, and instigating behavior is not only encouraged but expected on both ends. this does not reflect my personal opinions as the artist; there are over 250 asks even after i constantly compile duplicates, and i will answer the asks that i personally like.

i will assume you are referencing the two most recent posts where gideon acts rudely and i repost an old panel: for the former i thought anon was really sweet for being so heartfelt and encouraging, but gideon isnt the kind of person who needs to be told shes brave for doing that by a stranger. it was a simple act of survival. and harrow is still very much in the passive deprogramming phase. the latter response was meant to kickstart (spoilers) what i will call the "dicks last resort" arc, where i clean out the inbox and share more simple, low effort, but potentially rude responses*. this is because i have roughly drawn almost daily for 87 days straight, and would like to recuperate without being burnt out because i love this blog and i love art.

this leads me to my next point: some of these answers will be curt and short and rude, because they are easy to draw. if i only prioritized the "good" asks or to make certain ask responses kinder, or longer, it wouldnt be a daily blog. it would be a monthly blog where 5 asks get answered among 100s. i didnt anticipate people asking about harrows piercings, and i considered shutting it down by just having harrow say she likes them etc. but i did want to give more insight into harrows character even if she wouldnt say so herself, and that took roughly 3 full unemployed nights. if i treated every ask in good faith the same way i wouldnt have time for anything else, because they take more effort and have to be seriously considered for the future. i can retcon their favorite ice cream or play off griddlehark fighting - it takes more to keep track of a narrative about people talking Around their issues

* by rude responses i mean "this will affect the 679ers negatively, much like making your sim 🧑‍🤝‍🧑➖➖ someone" there are a few asks planned to hurt in the same way one drafts a bad end in a visual novel, and this type of interaction is encouraged. of course if you dont want them to get worse dont send asks telling gideon she should flirt with MILFs (you cant send this ask now i already said it), but i encourage the banter.

TL;DR this is the "characters think you are weird for personal questions" blog. i am sorry i didnt warn of the ask-response banter, because i also enjoy drawing these characters being dicks. i do like when aggravation and conflict leads to character development. "how do we get earnest answers unless someone asks" sometimes you will never explicitly get that from them, and thats what the dead ends are for: to let you know to try something else and read between the lines

[deathlooksgoodonyou-if]

FAQ

The long awaited faq is here! All your asked and unasked questions at one place! I was planning on posting this after releasing the demo but I realised things here can be a somewhat puzzling for new readers. Hence, here we are. I'll just keep updating this as we move forward.

Most of the questions I have received have been related to character dynamics haha.

Warning : this is super long.

The romance and character dynamics.

1. Are we romancing a ghost here?

No. Opportunities to romance Jules take place in the past. Some of them in the form of flashbacks. A few chapters will be dedicated solely in the past for a better understanding of MC and Jules' unhealthy relationship and what took place between them.

2. Why is a dead person an RO?

I have been hesitant of labelling Jules as full fledged RO since the beginning because they are well, dead, you know. Also, because their route is drastically different from what is typically expected. I have now settled for the term 'semi RO' since the MC can choose to never move on from Jules or healthily accept their death but choose to never settle for another person etc.

3. Is romancing Jules' necessary?

Not at all. But the MC will always be a close confidant of Jules. Other ros and characters' disposition towards you changes depending on your relationship with Jules. In fact, most routes— including Jules— are easier if the MC's relationship with Jules is solely platonic.

4. How do the character dynamics change?

That would be spoilers, but I can give you a few hints. Some ros would be hesitant of romancing the MC, most would feel insecure— especially if the MC seems hung up on Jules. MC can romance an ro, only to use them as a rebound. You can choose to go for the twin solely for the reason she is similar to Jules' in appearance and use her as an anchor.

5. How did Jules and MC's friendship/relationship develop?

You'll find out!

6. What was Dylan and Jules' relationship like?

Summarising it in one word— disastrous!

7. Do I have to care about Jules and be affected by their death?

The MC can be indifferent to anything regarding Jules' in the present but they will always be somewhat affected by their death. HOWEVER, you will get to choose why you were affected in the later chapters. There are plot reasons for that, trust me.

As for the past, the MC will be forced to care about Jules'. That is something which is set. Sorry about that. You can choose to change your disposition towards Jules after Dylan enters the picture.

8. So, warren has a crush on the MC. My MC is not into men. Can that somehow change?

No, sorry. Feelings are not something anyone can control but I can assure you Warren will never make a move on the MC (unless you trigger his romance route) because he would never want to put them in an uncomfortable position. He is a considerate friend of the MC before anything else.

There have been no romantic undertones in MC and Warren's friendship prior to the story taking place— despite of the MC being aware of his feelings. You can choose why.

I am planning on writing a serious conversation between warren and mc's who are not into men. But I don't want it to turn out too painfully awkward either. Although, even if it did, it would make sense and be in character but... I am not sure. I guess, we will have to see. I don't want to write something that will make my readers uncomfortable and be done with it. Maybe I will take advice from my audience.

9. What was Jules and MC's relationship?

The romance route is pretty messy and quite difficult to summarise in one word. A lot happens. Overall, romanced or not, it will be a unhealthy relationship.

10. Hold up. Then, why is Dylan Jules' ex?

Jules and MC met before Jules entered into a relationship with Dylan. There was undeniable tension that was never addressed :)

As for why Romanced!Jules dated Dylan— you'll find out in the demo (though not all their reasons are justifiable) You can choose to get jealous, take it as the biggest betrayal in history or immediately lose feelings for them.

11. I don't like Jules' romance route.

Please understand Jules is a very conflicted individual due to their upbringing and being with them can be difficult at times. If that is not your cup tea then Jules romance is simply not for you. Jules actions at times, may not make sense or be justifiable. Jules is not a good person; they can and will emotionally scar you. Getting involved with Jules is supposed to be traumatic. There is a reason why mc starts the story at such a low point. You can romance the very much alive ros and if none of them appeal to you then maybe— the romance in this story is not you. :<

12. I don't like [this] OR [this] is problematic.

I would like for you to consider if it is a personal preference or an issue in the writing. Some things are problematic on purpose. Especially, if you're romancing certain ros. :<

13. Regarding MC's disposition towards certain characters.

As it is evident from the intro post, the MC has a set view of some characters. That can, however, change from Episode One. You don't have to worry about this.

14. Are there any love triangles?

1. MC, Jules and Dylan.

2. Not revealing the characters involved because that would be spoilers. :)

15. Are there any Poly routes?

No, sorry. Most ros have beef with each other. Also, too many variables. This is my first time writing interactive fiction and I don't want to get too ambitious or overestimate myself. Maybe I'll give it a try in the future. I hope that's okay.

16. Do the ros experience jealousy? Can the MC get jealous?

Yes and yes.

17. Are there any explicit scenes?

Yes. At least one for every RO.

18. ROs sexuality?

They are all playersexual.

Stats.

1. Sanity.

Some present time choices— general and some specific ones regarding Jules— will affect mc's sanity. They will notice things most don't. They may begin to act out of the player's control. Character interactions and dynamics will drastically shift. So will the MC's inner monologue.

2. Major Stats.

Earlier, I had planned for the MC's strengths and weaknesses to be based on their major but I realised doing that would be stupid and make no real sense. Hence, I have decided to scratch off that idea. I am going for persuasion, athleticism, intellect instead. Maybe I'll add more as the story progresses.

You shouldn't have to worry too much about stat checks since the story is more choices & relationship focused.

3. Roll the dice mechanism.

Now, just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have achieved perfection and will always succeed no matter what. Similarly, just because you're not the best at something doesn't mean you won't be able to succeed. A little luck goes a long way.

This one is huge maybe though. :))

[this feature can be turned on/off during the beginning and the stats screen!]

4. Personality stats.

Anxious/Assured

Impulsive/Methodical

Outspoken/Reserved

Honest/Deceptive

They will mostly be used for flavour text only.

The MC.

1. Character customisation.

DLGOY covers the basics but I am open for suggestions. I like more customisation only if it comes up again in the story.

2. Unreliabe narrator.

What the title clearly suggests.

Story structure.

The story will switch between two timelines. The past and the present. The former focuses on MC's childhood and relationship with Jules.

General.

1. Why has my ask not been answered yet?

I am getting to it! I tend to edit them a lot, so it may take some time. Please be patient. <3

[I don't answer more than 4-5 asks a day because I want to avoid spamming]

2. Where to submit bug reports?

Send an ask!

3. Feedback?

I am open to suggestions and criticism as long as it is polite. I listen to them all but I don't promise to implement everything!

4. Is this a standalone or a series?

Standalone!

[fallow-hollow]

this is a bit of an obscure ask but could you do some hcs for crushing on holm? i like to imagine he's surprisingly charming despite being so quiet and laid back... preferably with a reader who's the total opposite of him (loud, feisty, etc.)

spirit of pining

…ft! holm kranom x gn! reader

…tags! pining, fluff, confession, pre-relationship, relationship study, banter

…word count! 1152

…notes! i’m glad i can feed the holm fans on this fine day. writing for side characters truly is the activity of all time

Unless you’re somehow extremely subtle about your feelings, Holm probably knows or at least has an inkling.

Even though he finds you pretty interesting himself, he doesn’t make much of a move immediately. He tends to prefer taking it easy and not rushing things, so he’d instead just focus on spending time with you, letting things develop gradually and finding out more about you.

If you’re in the same party as him, you can expect a lot of light conversation and banter to fill the time while exploring the dungeon. Everyone else has sort of picked up on how you two always walk next to each other, and it’s pretty much become common practice during your explorations.

“You’d think after this long, they’d learn…..”

This probably shouldn’t have been funny to you, considering that up ahead, Kabru was struggling to yank his leg free from the grasp of a man-eating plant. Nonetheless, laughter caught in your throat as you approached the scene with Holm by your side. This situation didn’t give off much urgency at all, but you thought it was best not to dawdle.

“Quit it, that’s not nice!” Attempting to pout at him only resulted in an awkward expression between laughing and frowning, which only seemed to amuse him further. “Let’s go, before the poor guy is hanging upside down.���

Holm was even relaxed enough to maintain his half-lidded smile and loose grip on his staff through all of this. “I suppose you’re right… otherwise Kuro will get thorns up his nose again.”

Holm is generally a pretty lax guy, but he does his best to assist you whenever possible. This goes for all of his teammates, of course, but it’s more enjoyable to spend time with you, so he has a slight bias.

Sometimes he’s even able to push through his tendency to freeze up if you’re in desperate need of assistance during a fight, it’s pretty sweet.

If you don’t know as much magic as he does, he’ll be happy to teach you! (Fun fact, gnome-style magic is generally recommended for tallmen to learn as opposed to elf-style magic because of its lower mana cost!) He also may help you commune with spirits as well, such as his undine!

Speaking of Marillier, I think it would be pretty funny if she took a liking to you because her guardian does, too. Perhaps the spirit even picks up on his feelings.

Your cheek was now soaking wet from the glob of water that was almost nudging itself against your face, but you couldn't find it in you to be upset, finding the behavior rather cute. In fact, it roused curiosity in you more than anything.

After a few moments of searching, your gaze landed on the undine’s guardian, who was currently observing you with equal parts endearment and surprise.

“It seems like she likes you a lot.” The corners of his mouth perked up ever so slightly, a subtle change that clued you into his mood. “That’s pretty rare — she’s usually shy around others. Maybe it’s because I let you feed her before?”

A playful grin washed over your face. “Or maybe she’s taking after you! You know, because I’m your favorite and all!”

The gnome knew very well you were just teasing, so he merely responded with a chuckle and an utterance of “Sure, let’s go with that.”

What he didn’t tell you is that spirits do tend to be very intuitive, and pick up on the emotions of those around them… but he’d rather not dwell on that possibility at the moment.

A lot of time is also spent with you and thinking about you outside of dungeon work, too, which sets you apart from the rest of his traveling companions.

I imagine he even takes the time to write to his sister about you, only for her to write back that Kabru had long since informed her of your whole mutual pining deal. The man would be absolutely mortified about it.

If you’re not the type to take initiative, he’ll definitely confess eventually, but if you’re a more hold type, he’d likely let you tell him about your feelings at your own pace. He may find it cute to see you be so earnest, but he isn’t motivated purely by self interest — Holm is actually a pretty empathetic guy, and just really doesn’t want to rush you. After all, he hates having lots of pressure put on him, so he’d do his best not to do the same to you.

It was during a stargazing session that you’d told him.

He enjoyed these evening outings with you, and observing the sky was a common activity that you’d partake in together. Sometimes, he’d talk about the practical use of constellations, or even the air spirits that played a vital part in weather patterns, but often, mutual silence was just as fulfilling.

The intense stare you’d been giving him for the last few minutes was hard not to notice, if he was being honest, but you seemed not to know that he was already aware of your gaze, so he let it be. If you had something to say to him, you’d say it when you were ready.

“Can I ask you something?”

Ah, there it was. Holm took his sweet time turning his head to look at you. It’s not like you were going anywhere, after all. At least, if his desire to stay with you was reciprocated.

“Mhm, what is it?” The way you fidgeted with your clothes left him nothing short of charmed. Your eagerness truly was something to be admired… and admired, and admired some more.

Under the canopy of stars, there was little light to be found, making it a bit hard to see your face clearly. The movements of your lips were clear enough, though. “Well, I was just wondering if we could try going out again sometime… in more of a date-ish setting?”

The clumsy phrasing didn’t stop him from smiling warmly at your words. He wasn’t surprised or startled at all, but he had visibly softened.

“Of course, I thought you’d never ask.”

Your silhouetted form jolted sharply at his response. “You— you knew I would…?”

“Well, I had an inkling.” Far more than an inkling, really, but he didn’t want to embarrass you that much, as amusing as it was. To soften the blow, he added, “Or maybe it was just my wishful thinking. I feel the same, after all.”

“So it’s a yes?”

Even in darkness, those eyes of yours were as bright as the stars. How could he deny anything you said, really.

“Mhm,” he nodded in response. “Though, let’s keep this to ourselves, alright? Knowing the others, Mickbell probably started a betting pool on when we’d start dating. And he’ll probably throw a fit when Kabru ends up inevitably winning, so let’s delay that a while.”

[therainscene]

I heard you were having doubts about will having powers so what do you think about the theory right now/gen

Hi anon! Thanks for calling me out on that, I've been itching for an excuse to talk about this.

Here's the thing: while the version of the powers theory I wrote up for tumblr does tie neatly into Byler, the original version was a replacement for Byler, dreamed up in my anti-Byler days. If Will wasn't going to get the romance he desperately wanted, I reasoned, then at the very least he deserved to be a cool gay wizard.

But now that I'm feeling secure in Byler endgame and have reassessed the canon, I no longer think it's necessary for him to have powers:

First and most importantly: getting rid of powers doesn't mean we're getting rid of the supernatural aspect of his queer coming-of-age story; his connection to the Mind Flayer is perfectly capable of handling that by itself.

Second: there's a nice symmetry between Will and El -- she's connected to Henry through the lab and her powers; he's connected to Vecna through the Upside Down and the Mind Flayer. Do we really need to upset this balance by giving Will redundant new abilities? Why not just develop the abilities we already know he has?

Third: there's a lack of foreshadowing. Whatever makes Will supernaturally special rarely aligns with the visual language the show uses for powers -- flickering lights, nosebleeds, etc. (Sure, there's some weirdness with the lights in S1, but we don't have confirmation of who/what caused them. And while we sometimes see lights flicker when his neck tingles, I think what's really being foreshadowed there is that someone else with powers is behind the MF.) Instead, Will is always associated with dimensional fuckery -- slipping into the Upside Down, sensing the Mind Flayer, time weirdness.

Powers do pair nicely with his wizard persona... but so does the supernatural knowledge afforded to him by the MF. And that's the angle hinted at when he's in his Will the Wise costume, as seen above. (I've talked about Will's knowledge motif before; it's like the polar opposite of my powers theory in terms of notes but I think it's a much better Byler analysis.)

Finally... revealing Will's powers and Mike's queerness in the same season would imply (whether intentionally or not) that Mr. I-Have-No-Self-Worth-Unless-I'm-Superman's-Boyfriend is only interested in Will for his powers. That's not a good fit for his character arc. What works much better is if Will is dealing with something terrifyingly different from El that would have negative consequences for Mike if he got involved... but which he chooses to risk anyway out of love for Will.

So yeah. While I'm still open to exploring ways in which powers might tie into whatever Will and the Mind Flayer have going on -- they definitely tie into whatever Henry and the Mind Flayer have going on, after all -- I'm not a Will has Powers truther anymore lol.

Right now my theory is that what we're really looking at is a time travel story, and maybe Will's connection to the MF is some sort of temporal scar from the events of S5.

[the-solar-system52]

TPOH UPDATE THEORY

THERE HE IS!!!! MY GUY!!!! IM GOING INSANE OVER HIM RIGHT NOW!! LOOK AT HIS EXPRESSIONS!! I LOVE HIM SM BEST CHARACTER EVER!!

Also look at Hero putting his hat back on! I really hope these two get more time to bond in this chapter! Plus I noticed a little star shape beside him on the first panel? Like an emote or something? I wonder what that's supposed to mean.

PLUS WE GOT A SPEECH BUBBLE! Albeit it's empty, but the fact that it exists may hint at him getting some dialogue in the future??

HE LOOKS SO CALM AND CHILL ABOUT EVERYTHING?? No wonder he's just ignoring Anxiety. Make sense since he's the opposite of RGB, but I wonder how long this collectivness will last. (AND HERO LOOKS ADORABLE HERE)

AND WHAT IS HE DOING HERE??

He's definitely taking advantage of his static electricity, but to do what? Charge his cane with LIGHTNING? (that'd be so cool) But wouldn't that decapitate his hand or something?

In the first panel, he seems to notice that the glass from the mirror maze is stuck inside his suit. And in this one, the shards of glass seem to be falling out from his sleeve. Was this just a side effect of whatever he's doing with his cane or is it the goal? Trying to get all the pointy shards that may hurt him out so he can fight better? Or maybe use them for something?

Also, this is another instance of Negative being associated with RGB's gaps, which mentioned in another theory.

As for big lore stuff, it's revealed in this page that the Butterfly doesn't seen to know who Negative is. This does disprove some stuff that I said in my earlier theories, but that's ok because I think it works well with the reveal that the Butterfly is a personification of Anxiety.

The reason the Butterfly showed up in a lot of scenes associated with Negative was because Negative causes anxiety. Hero is afriad of him and RGB is afriad of water (plus his weird human memories) so it causes Anxiety to pop up. But Anxiety doesn't need to know who Negative is to make that work.

And now that Hero is less scared of Negative, Anxiety is finding it harder to get two's attention, because Anxiety can't hurt you unless you are afriad of something. Negative is so insanely calm about everything that he doesn't even seem to hear Anxiety.

But this is going to make for a really interesting dynamic between Hero, Negative and Anxiety. Hero originally said they should turn RGB into Negative to fight the Butterfly because Negative is more scary than the Butterfly.

But now it seems to be the exact opposite. The Butterfly is having a hard time affecting them because Negative is chill, and Hero is only a little nervous around him now. His calm nature seem to make Hero calm as well, so Anxiety can't influence her.

BUT! The reason Negative isn't attacking right now is because he doesn't view the Butterfly as a threat. However, if the Butterfly or the doubts were to do something to make Negative attack, then wouldn't that make Hero scared of him? Like she was the other times he showed off how scarily good he was at killing stuff?

And if Hero was scared, then Anxiety would be able to easily affect her! So Negative attacking the Butterfly may actually make the situation WORSE. Negative will have to find some way to balance keeping Hero calm while also defending himself.

But will he succeed? I mean, this is only their third time meeting eachother, there's still time for more character development. It could be possible for Anxiety to exploit Hero's fear and end up escaping, but maybe show up again later in the comic! It will take awhile for Hero to fully trust Negative, but I wonder what direction Modmad will take that character arc.

I also remember someone mentioning in Modmad's comments that Negative was caused by HAPPY tears this time, whereas the other two times we saw him he was caused by SAD tears.

This could explain his more calm and mellow attitude in this page. He doesn't seem to possess the "fight or flight" instinct we see him have in his earlier appearances.

Maybe his personality changes based on what kind of tears get into RGB's air vents! If someone is crying sad tears, it usually means something bad is going on, which is why Negative quickly jumps into battle the first time we see him. But now he is calmed down because he didn't wake up with the predisposition that something bad is happening.

He also doesn't have that black goo rising above his eye, which seems to be caused by strong emotions, similar to RGB's mouth blood. I think this means that he will be less confrontational in this chapter since he is in a better mood.

Which is good, because I like seeing my favourite characters happy, and it may give Hero and Negative more time to interact if they are both less on edge.

Overall, Sunday is the best day of the week and I'm so happy Negative is back!

[bwabys-scenarios]

Reunited

Part 23

Illumi x Reader x ??????

part 22

part 24

A/N: so feitan may seem OOC and that’s only because he’s already gone through most of his character development. The next few chapters will delve into Reader and Feitan’s backstory :3

taglist: @tsukilover11 @mercyboluthecrazychicken @sxyriii @merinfawleygoestohogwarts @shidoni-san @living4tomrua @lemonslut @honeylunalove

if you’d like to be added to the taglist, comment a ❤️, make sure you can be mentioned/tagged, and have your age in your bio!(this fic is 18+)

(Name) steadied her basket against her hip, humming to herself as she walked down the street. She stopped every few minutes, pretending to check the wares of a market stall, but she was focusing on tracking auras.

Her grumpy friend had told her his friends were tough, but she didn’t think she’d have that much trouble finding them. She’d been walking around for an hour, slowly reaching the edge of town before she had noticed.

(Name) looked over the vast expanse of empty land, stepping off of the paved path to venture out. She made sure the lid of her basket was firmly shut before she began walking.

If a band of thieves would be anywhere, it would be in the middle of nowhere.

(Name) hadn’t ever asked what his group was called, and she didn’t really want to know. Being friends with him was easy when she didn’t know the extent of his crimes, and she wanted to keep it that way.

Was it selfish, and morally wrong? Maybe, but (Name) wasn’t one to judge people for their ways of life, unless it was someone like Hisoka. Now he gave her the creeps.

The farther she walked, the more sure she was that she could sense one of the men’s aura. He was the boss of her friend, a man named Chrollo.

They had first met when Chrollo came to fetch her friend. He said he owed her, but she refused to accept that. After all, saving her friends life wasn’t something she saw as a debt. Even if she hadn’t befriended the grumpy man, she didn’t view people’s lives as transactions.

(Name) saw a building in the distance, the aura growing stronger with each step she took. She kept her own aura calm, not performing any nen.

When she finally reached the building, (name) felt a hand on her shoulder.

“What are you doing so far from town, Miss?”

(Name)’s grip on her basket tightened. The voice belonged to a woman, one she didn’t recognize. She’d only met male members so far, so the woman wouldn’t know her either.

“I’m a friend of Chrollo.”

The woman’s grip on her shoulder loosened for just a moment, before returning. “I see.”

Pakunoda had looked into the girl’s memories, and knew she was telling the truth. She kept her grip on her shoulder as she led (Name) inside. “Don’t make any sudden movements.”

(Name) nodded her head in response, allowing the woman to lead her to the center of the building.

“My name is Pakunoda. Your friend will be arriving tonight.” She informed (Name).

“I know. I’m a bit impatient.”

“I can see.”

Light trickled into the dark room, a few figures visible.

“Oh, Pakunoda- wait, who is that?”

A blonde man approached the two, leaning down to get a better look at (Name)‘s face. She backed up a bit, Pakunoda squeezing her shoulder lightly to get her to stay still.

“She is a friend. Pakunoda, you can release her.”

Pakunoda did so immediately, (Name) reaching up to rub her shoulder. The woman must not know her strength, because (Name)’s shoulder ached from the pressure of her hand.

“Chrollo! Oh it’s been ages!”

(Name) waved, walking forward slightly before someone stood in her way. Another blonde, taller than the previous one, stood between her and chrollo.

“(Name).” He stated, staring down at the girl. She gasped, a smile appearing on her face.

“Phinks!”

She gave him a quick hug, laughing. “Did you get even taller? Oh my gosh!”

She pulled away, happily patting his arm. The man didn’t react much, only giving her a small smile. “You shouldn’t get too close to the boss, some of the members don’t know you well enough yet.”

(Name) glanced around the room. There were a few faces she didn’t recognize, a small creature, the blonde from before, a man covered in bandages, and a girl with short black hair.

Then there we another familiar face.

“Uvo, is that you?”

She left Phinks side, the beast of a man stepping forward. “The one and only, doll face. Forgiven me yet?”

She scoffed, pulling out a bag containing 10 large cookies. “You ate three of my chickens. Alive. It’s not that you aren’t forgiven, I’m just still perplexed on how you didn’t get salmonella.”

The man took the bag, cheering childishly. “Ahh, (Name)‘s home cooking. What’s the occasion?”

He had ignored her statement, deciding to toss multiple cookies into his mouth at once. She put her hands on her hips, a grin on her lips.

“Can’t I just treat some friends to some snacks?” She asked, before pausing.

“Oh, wait. I need to introduce myself!”

She set her basket down, making sure it was out of Uvogin’s reach.

“Hello, I’m (Name). I met one of your comrades after he was injured. I took care of him, and we became friends. He told me you would be meeting up in York New, so I decided to visit! Oh, and I brought treats!”

The girl busied herself with pulling out the various baked goods, not noticing the people around her whispering.

“Pakunoda, is she really not a threat?” Bonolenov asked, glancing at the girl. Pakunoda nodded, leaning against the wall.

“She tells the truth. The girl is not to be harmed, unless you want to piss off the boss and-“

Shalnark watched as (Name) cleared off a section of the floor, Uvogin lifting and tossing large debris at her command.

‘Interesting, she knows quite a few of us. The boss seems to like her as well.’

He watched her spread out a pink and white checkered picnic blanket, humming to herself as she set out several plates of treats.

“(Name), I assume he told you to wait to see him until tomorrow.”

The entire group quieted when Chrollo spoke. He had approached the girl, standing a few feet away. (Name) looked up, pursing her lips.

“Well… I may have gone against his wishes and followed your aura here…”

Chrollo smirked, crouching down in front of her. “Oh, have you learned nen? Is he aware of that?”

She nodded, lifting a plate of cookies to him. “Yes, but I haven’t told him my ability yet.”

The troupe watched in mild shock as Chrollo took a cookie, taking a bite before continuing.

“Mm, that’s probably for the best. It’s smart to keep your ability and class a secret. Some people can use it against you.”

Chrollo finished his treat and peered into the basket, (Name) noticing and opening it wider.

“Don’t worry, I brought the jam you like. I made it just before I left home, so it’s fresh!”

Chrollo took the jar, nodding in approval. “Thank you. I was surprised when he called me saying you sent me a package of jam and syrup because you heard my birthday was in autumn.” He hummed, giving her a once over.

She was an interesting girl, and he owed her a great deal for saving a fellow spiders life, even if she didn’t want to be repaid.

Uvogin laid out across the blanket, snacking on the various baked goods, but there was something else in the basket she hadn’t taken out.

“(Name), what else is in the basket?”

Chrollo already knew, having seen it when she’d opened the lid.

“Oh, it’s a birthday cake, but that’s off limits, so don’t eat it. That means you, Uvo.”

The large man waved his hand dismissively. “I won’t. Rather not get beat with your shoe again.” he teased. (Name) turned red, smacking his thigh lightly.

“Ugh, I told you not to tell people about that. I still feel awful! Though you did deserve it…”

Shalnark took a seat next to the girl. After witnessing Chrollo be so calm around her, he saw no need to be weary.

“So, tell me, who exactly are you here for?”

——————

As the sky darkened, the late group began approaching the designated building for their hide out.

“I sense another presence in the building, one that doesn’t belong to any of the spiders.” Nobunaga stated, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Machi hummed. “Probably a hostage. Maybe that’s why we were summoned. Feitan, looks like you have some work to do.”

The man was quiet, simply following behind the two. He could sense the presence as well, but it felt weirdly familiar. Maybe it was someone out for revenge? Oftentimes when the troupe stole, many lives were taken. A loved one of the deceased could have come seeking revenge.

The soft sound of laughter could be heard through the building, Feitan recognized Uvogin’s hearty laugh almost instantly. There was also a soft feminine voice speaking along with him. It was just soft enough that he couldn’t place who it belonged to, but recognized it.

“It seems they���ve arrived.”

Chrollo closed the book he’d been reading, causing (Name) to jump. She had been exchanging numbers with Shalnark before he spoke, the two becoming quick friends.

“Oh!” (Name) turned around, looking out the door to see several figures standing in the doorway.

As they stepped into the light, (Name)’s face lit up, jumping up into a standing position.

“Oh, does that presence belong to this girl? Hmm.” Machi stated, giving her a once over.

“(Name).”

Feitan stood a few feet in front of her, his eyes wide and confused. Why was she here, and why was Shalnark sitting so close to her?

(Name) stood and brushed off the skirt of her dress. It was a plain white summer dress, but it hugged all the right curves and showed off a bit too much cleavage, something that hadn’t gone unnoticed by some members of the troupe. Including Feitan.

She walked forward, pulling Feitan into a hug and giving his a light squeeze.

“Feitan! I missed you so much!”

The entire group stated on in shock as she planted a kiss on his cheek, squeezing the man tightly.

‘Oh dear, she’s dead. And we just became friends too.’ Shalnark thought, getting ready to delete her contact from his phone.

But no one was ready for what happened next.

Instead of ripping her heart out or throwing her to the ground, Feitan’s hands awkwardly patted her back, a tired sigh leaving his lips. He was obviously flustered from the kiss, but hid it well enough.

“Missed you too.”

—————

It took everyone a minute to recover, their attention kept firmly on the girl in front of them.

“Told you to stay at condo.” Feitan mumbled, rubbing his cheek. “Dangerous.”

“You know I hate waiting. Besides, I got here fine on my own, didn’t I?”

She gave him her signature smile, the man sighing. “We talk about it later. Introduce yourself, they don’t know you.”

The girl nodded, approaching the middle of the room.

“Hi, I’m (Name). Some of you know me already, but I’m Fei’s friend. We met a few years ago after he was injured in a battle. I found him, nursed him back to health, and now we meet up when we can!”

She smiled sweetly. It was a lot to take in. Feitan was a quiet and cold man, ruthless in nature. It was hard to imagine him befriending such a sweet girl. Especially when she seemed so… soft. In both the physical, and emotional sense.

Feitan kept the girl close to him. Although he didn’t touch her, his eyes stayed on her figure, only glancing up when Chrollo began to speak.

“Treat her like one of our own. (Name) has my respect.”

(Name) blushed, waving her hand dismissively. “Oh, Chrollo, I told you I’m not worthy of your respect. I didn’t do anything special.”

Chrollo shook his head, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Taking care of a person for three months isn’t something to sneeze at.”

He addressed the troupe, smiling. “(Name) has prepared snacks, they are safe to eat. Enjoy them while we wait for Hisoka.”

(Name) froze at the mention of Hisoka’s name. ‘Hisoka will be here? I mean, I knew Fei and him were connected somehow, but I was hoping he wouldn’t show up.’

She sat down, handing out cookies and chocolates to the members that approached. Shalnark was the first, sitting next to her again and taking a cookie from her hand.

Feitan didn’t sit down, but he stood near (Name), watching over her interactions with his fellow spiders. Just his eyes on them was enough of a warning to not try anything funny. It’s not like they would, considering Chrollo gave her such high praise, but Feitan… worried.

He hadn’t planned on EVER introducing (Name) to the entire Troupe. Sure she’d met a few of them out of necessity, but that was where he wanted to leave it.

“Fei, are you gonna try some?”

(Name had scooted closer to him, offering him a piece of dark chocolate.

“Try later. Tomorrow.”

She gave him a small pout, but her expression quickly changed when the chocolate was eaten out of her hand by Shalnark.

“Man, Feitan, you’re missing out, this is great!”

He reached over her lap for another, but quickly pulled away when he made eye contact with Feitan.

‘Hmm! He sure is giving me a good death glare!’

Feitan, brushed his hand against the handle of his umbrella, his eyes never leaving (Name). She seemed oblivious to the staring, chatting along with Shalnark and Uvogin.

“Yeah, she finally had her babies! Fei, do you wanna see the pictures?”

“Already showed me.”

(Name) had pulled out her phone and started showing the group pictures of her cat Tammy and her kittens. Pakunoda seemed particularly interested, (Name) promising the woman that she could meet her cats someday.

Feitan had already received his fair share of pictures and videos.

“Aww, but this one looks just like you!”

Feitan raised an eyebrow at this. Shalnark gasped, pulling her phone closer. “Oh wow, it really does. Haha, Fei we’ve found your twin!”

Feitan rolled his eyes, strolling over to (Name) and holding his hand out. “Oh? Here.”

She handed him her phone, the man scrolling through her pictures to see the cat she had been talking about.

It was a small black kitten with a white puff on its chest, resembling a skull. It had the prettiest gray eyes, stretched out on its back to expose its tummy.

“…”

He kept scrolling, pausing when he came across the image of her with another man. He was tall, with long black hair and piercing dark eyes. The man had a hand on her waist, pulling her in closer, (Name) smiling.

“Who this?”

Feitan turned the screen to (Name), trying to hide the jealousy bubbling up in his chest. She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes to get a better look.

“Oh! That’s the guy who kidnapped me!”

“Kidnapped?” Chrollo asked with a tilt of his head. “I wasn’t made aware that you had been kidnapped, (Name).”

She laughed, Feitan huffing. “Oh, well kidnapping is an exaggeration. We fought in the exam, he threatened to kill my friend, I was like NOO! Then he knocked me out and I woke up in the infirmary. He was like “grrr you owe me a favor”. And well darn, I don’t really wanna be in debt to an assassin, so I went with him!”

She said this as if it were the funniest thing in the world, but the troupe just stared at her in a mix of shock and intrigue.

“(Name), I think you were just kidnapped.” Shalnark stated, flicking her forehead. “And an assassin? How exactly did you become indebted to him?”

“Oh, he saved my panties. Wait! That was someone else…”

“Didn’t tell that part.” Feitan said, pinching her cheek. “How that happen?”

“Ow! Okay so… the assassin trained me, and one morning he woke me up by throwing me in a river.”

He pinched harder. “Left that out too.”

“Hey I don’t have to tell you everything!” She swatted his hand away, crossing her arms over her chest. “Anyways, I hung out my clothes to dry and had to walk around in a sports bra. Super uncomfortable but hey, not every outfit can be a winner.”

“Idiot.” Feitan slapped a hand over his forehead, groaning. He knew she was a bit ditzy, but he had assumed his sweet friend would at least have enough survival instincts to not walk around half naked during a Hunter exam. Now part of him wished he had joined her… of course to protect her, not for any other reason.

“Rude. So, of course, I had to hang my underwear up. The assassin said I shouldn’t, but gosh, maybe he shouldn’t have thrown me into a river! I saw a big fish, do you know how scary it is to come face to face with a fish underwater?? I don’t think so!”

“Off track.”

She blinked. “Oops, sorry. I met up with a friend of mine I made during the exam, and his badge was stolen, and so were my panties! Him and another guy I became friends with left and took back his badge and my underwear. It was my lucky pair, so I was really glad to have them back!”

She smiled triumphantly, brushing her hair out of her face. The building filled with laughter, none other than Chrollo himself being the source of it.

“Ahh, interesting as always. It’s never boring when you come around, (Name). Do you have any more stories of the exam?”

(Name) nodded excitedly. “Oh, plenty!”

———————

“And then Hisoka was like “tell anyone and you’re dead” or something! I don’t know I wasn’t really paying attention cuz my wrist hurt!”

She made a motion of grabbing her wrist, mocking Hisoka’s voice.

“… he hurt you?”

(Name) froze, sensing a change in Feitan’s aura. She’d only ever felt something like that once before, when she’d been attacked in her home when she was caring for Feitan.

“Already dislike. Should teach him a lesson.”

“Feitan.”

The man’s aura calmed when Chrollo spoke up, flipping a page of his book. “You know the rules. I’ll talk with Hisoka about his behavior, so don’t worry about it.”

Feitan just nodded, staring at her wrist. It had healed completely, but just the knowledge that she’d felt pain because of Hisoka made him sick.

“Fei, don’t worry. It doesn’t hurt.”

She said this in a whisper, leaning closer to him. He’d finally taken a seat at the picnic blanket, though he wasn’t exactly relaxed at the moment. It was hard to concentrate on her words however, when she was so close to him. The man only tsked, pushing her head away. “Whatever.”

As the night went on, (Name) started to become visibly tired. Her eyes fluttered close and her head began to lean forward before she’d jump awake, answering whatever question Shalnark had asked.

Although weary, most of the group didn’t seem to mind (Name)’s presence. She had that kind of magnetic personality that pulled people closer to her, the kindness she gave out so freely being the pulling force.

Several of the spiders had joined the picnic, including Pakunoda, Shizuku, and Nobunaga(due to Uvogin’s urging). (Name) stayed by Feitan’s side, partially because she wanted to and also because he was keeping a good grip on her arm.

Her, Pakunoda, and Shalnark were getting along great. She had even exchanged numbers with Pakunoda like she did with Shalnark, immediately sending the woman all the pictures of her cats she had available.

As she once again dozed off, she was awoken by Feitan catching her, the man growling. “If tired, go home. Late.”

“Mmm…” she nodded, sleepily leaning against his shoulder and passing out again.

“…”

Phinks couldn’t help but snicker. I mean, who wouldn’t laugh seeing their usually cold friend being used as a pillow by a girl he was obviously interested in.

Feitan moved (Name) so she was resting her head on his lap, allowing himself to run his fingers through her hair for just a second.

—————

After Hisoka joined and they had their meeting, (Name) stirred, opening her eyes.

“Ah, what time is it?”

“Late.”

(Name) looked up to see Feitan, the realization that she was laying in his lap dawning on her. “Oh no. I should probably head home.”

She stood, collecting her basket, but leaving everything but the cake behind. “I’ll visit again some other time, please enjoy the baked goods. I have more at home, so these are all for you!”

(Name) yawned and began walking out the door, before being stopped by Hisoka.

“Going alone?”

The girl paused at the sound of his voice, glancing in the magician’s direction. “Yes?”

“Mmm, that’s unfortunate. I heard that York New is swarmed with the mafia because of the auction. Could be dangerous for a little thing like you to be out and about.”

(Name) turned slightly to meet the magician’s gaze. “I’m not defenseless anymore. I can handle it.”

“I go with you.”

(Name) hadn’t even noticed Feitan had snuck up behind her until he was grabbing her basket. “You don’t have to, I’m-“

“Shut up. Not busy tonight.”

“I thought you would be busy the night of September 1st?”

“(Name). It’s August 31st.”

She paused. “Oh. I knew that.”

——————

Shalnark watched the pair leave, turning to Phinks once they were out of earshot. “So… is that his girlfriend or something?”

Phinks let out a laugh. “No, not even close, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Feitan wishes she was. You saw the way he was watching her, right? Never seen him look at a person like that before.”

Shalnark hummed, looking down at her contact. “She’s cute. What do you think she sees in Feitan? A girl like her doesn’t seem like the type to hang around criminals.”

Phinks stopped laughing. He leaned against the wall, peeking out the window to watch the two walk into town. “You just met her, so keep your thoughts to yourself. (Name) ain’t the type to care about whether we steal or not. She’s got a good heart, and it seems she’s willing to let Feitan take up some space in it. I think he deserves to have someone care about him like that.”

Shalnark rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, closing his phone. “Oops, my bad. I guess I don’t know her.”

The blonde smiled. “But I think I will by the end of our stay.”

——————

“Fei, don’t walk so fast!” (Name) whined out.

The two had finally reached town, and despite it being late the streets were crowded. Feitan wasn’t a big fan of people, so he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

“Ouch!”

Because she was rushing to catch up with Feitan, (Name)’s foot caught on an uneven patch of concrete. She fell and scraped her knee, struggling to get back up before she got trampled.

The feeling of a hand grabbing hers caused her to look up. Feitan looked down at her with an unreadable expression, pulling her to her feet.

“Always trip. What, I gotta hold your hand like kid?”

(Name) huffed. He really seemed to enjoy teasing her. “No. I can walk by myself.”

Despite saying this, she kept her hand in his, allowing him to guide her through the throngs of people. He could feel her body heat through her hand, stealing a glance at her smiling face.

Once the pair finally arrived at her condo, she opened the door and invited him in. “Chrollo said you aren’t busy tonight, so why not stay? The bed is b-“

“Not sleeping in same bed.”

Feitan took a seat on the couch, crossing his legs as she set her basket on the table. “Aww, but you didn’t have any trouble sleeping with me last t-“

The man shot her a glare, silencing her. “You the one scared by storm.”

“Yeah, but I seem to remember a certain someone holding my hand while I slept!”

“You grabbed me. Strangely strong grip for girl.”

(Name) was the one to glare at him this time. “Whatever. That doesn’t matter, but…”

She opened the basket to reveal a small cake, covered in vanilla frosting and topped with big strawberries. “Happy Birthday!”

Feitan froze as a memory replayed in his head.

flashback

“You don’t have a birthday?”

“No. Don’t remember.”

The two sat on the porch of (Name)‘a home. Feitan relaxed against the porch swing, staring at the river. “Oh. That’s unfortunate…”

A few days passed, (Name) being weirdly secretive about something. She’d been coming to and from town, baking something she wouldn’t allow him to see.

“What are you hiding?”

(Name) nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Feitan whisper into her ear. “Hey! I thought I told you to stop sneaking up on me! I’m gonna pee my pants one day and I WILL make it your problem.”

He only rolled his eyes, glancing over her shoulder to peek at what she was making.

It was a small cake, with the words “Happy Birthday Feitan” written in messy icing. He was taken aback, physically backing away.

“Why?”

All he could do was ask her why. He hadn’t been the kindest to her during his stay, so why did she feel the need to make him such a thing? He couldn’t understand.

“I just felt like it. Everyone deserves to have a day where their birth is celebrated. I’m happy you were born, Feitan.”

Those words went straight to his heart, the man immediately leaving the house. He had trouble processing the way he felt, walking alongside the river until long after sunset. The cool night breeze helped to cool off his red face.

When he returned, the house had been decorated, with his favorite meal set out on the table. It was late, but (Name) sat at the table, looking up with a big smile when he returned.

“Happy Birthday, Feitan!”

flashback end

Feitan was much more relaxed with (Name), but her affection and care for him still unnerved the man. She quickly set the cake on the counter, sticking a few candles into it.

“Ah, darn. Forgot a lighter.”

Before she could rush out the door to go find one, Feitan flicked his own lighter on. “Have one.”

He lit the candles, (Name) offering him a seat after he finished.

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to youuu~ Happy Birthday dear Feitannnn~ Happy Birthday fo you!”

He waited patiently for her to finish her song before blowing out the candles.

“What did you wish for?”

“Not supposed to tell. Said it yourself, remember?”

She gasped, nodding before pulling out the candles to cut the cake.

He only had one wish, and that was…

‘Keep this idiot safe.’

(Name) walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair and wearing a nightgown. Feitan wore a pair of sweatpants and a black hoodie, lounging around on the couch after his own shower.

After his long stay with her, (Name) packed a few pairs of his clothes with her whenever she left to meet up with him, knowing he didn’t often pack extra outfits himself.

“Mmm, Fei, imma head to bed. If you get hungry there’s food in the fridge. Goodnight!”

He watched her close her bedroom door behind her before he responded.

“Night.”

Feitan rested his hand against his cheek, his ears turning pink. He didn’t want to admit how much he liked the lingering feeling of her lips, but now that he was alone he could allow himself to enjoy it.

“Stupid girl. Doesn’t understand how much I restrain myself.”

He laid down, pulling the soft pink blanket she’d provided him up to his chin. Hearing the sound of her soft breathing in the next room lulled him into a peaceful sleep.

——————

“Do you think you’ll ever find the one?”

Feitan stared at Shalnark from the corner of his eye. “The one? Meaning?”

The blonde laughed, leaning his cheek into the palm of his hand. “The one you’ll fall in love with. Like, a girlfriend.”

Feitan scoffed. He turned the page of his book and frowned. “Don’t believe in that.”

“Hmm, really. That’s a shame.”

“Feitan, Feitan!”

Feitan opened his eyes to see (Name) leaning over him, her finger poking his cheek. He was quick to slap her hand away, the girl yelping. “Okay, rude. I’ve been trying to wake you up for like 5 minutes. Breakfast is ready.”

He groaned, lifting himself up into a sitting position. “What’s the time?”

“It’s only 7 am. I know you like to wake up early.”

She set a cup of coffee and plate of pancakes in front of him before sitting down and starting on her own serving.

There was a small bowl of chopped fruits in between the two, which (Name) dipped a spoon into. “Get as much as you want. I’m not gonna be able to eat all of this.”

He didn’t say anything, his mouth was already full of pancakes. She tried not to giggle at his big cheeks, turning her attention to her food.

“So, what are your plans for today?” She asked.

“Nothing. Walking around town.”

(Name) glanced up, a smile pulling at her lips. “Oh? Then you’re free?”

“If boss doesn’t need me, yeah.”

She clapped her hands together, smiling down at the man. “Let’s go on a date, then!”

A/N: the next few chapters will go into feitan and (Name)’s history!!

[nikethestatue]

I think that the great disconnect between some of the characters, the readers' perceptions of them and the reaction to them, stems from the fact that most readers, unless they are the OGs, read at least 2-4 books back to back.

Maybe you started reading once ACOMAF was done and there were only 2 books in the series. Or maybe you joined after ACOFAS and before ACOSF. Maybe you began last year, or even this year. I'd say a good chunk of the fandom read all 5 books in one sitting.

And then...everyone started talking about 'well, he/she is out of character!' 'Azriel is an incel who is gross and entitled' 'Rhys is a misogynist pig' 'Cassian is a misogynist pig' and on and on.

But the interesting thing is that what most people don't realize is that SJM isn't writing the same characters that she did in 2015. She went through an evolution as a writer, as did her characters. What many readers perceived as ''OOC' is really the evolution of the character in SJM's mind. When you start off with a character that was written a certain way in 2016 and then you move through various iterations of said character up until 2024, that's almost 10 years. That's 10 years of where Azriel was first introduced and when we saw him last in HOFAS. And that's a long time. So the question is --what IS in character? 2015 Azriel? or 2024 Azriel? or 2021 Azriel?

In reality, they are ALL Azriel. And what so many consider to be the 'incel/entitled' Azriel, is...also Azriel. And if you didn't like Azriel in his POV or in HOFAS, I would say, brace yourself, because that's the Azriel that SJM is moving towards. Snappy, sarcastic, argumentative, and consumed by Elain--that's the Azriel we'll be getting.

Rhys--kind of the same thing. the Rhys of ACOMAF is gone. And Elain--Elain won't just fall in line and run to Lucien. The Elain that we saw in ACOSF, that's the iteration of Elain that SJM is working with. Snappy, willing to stand up to others, someone without regard for Lucien and his feelings. Eluciens might not want to hear this, but this Elain has been developing since ACOFAS.

I feel like the progression of all these characters is pretty clear and comparing them to what we got in 2015-16, or even worse, to TOG, won't serve random ships. You got to get onboard with what these characters are now, and not what they were a decade ago.

[syntax6]

Just wanted to jump on here and say I’ve been working my way through your catalogue of X-Files fic and having an absolute blast with them all. Was thrilled to hear you’re now a published author and am looking forward to reading some of your work once my X-Files obsession has cooled off some (if it ever does!)

As a fellow writer who one day hopes to get published, it’s really refreshing seeing authors who don’t shy away from their background in fanfiction. I was always taught fanfic was “not real fiction” and that “real” writers didn’t do it. People like you are an inspiration and prove that’s not the case! ♥️

Thanks so much! I'm glad you have enjoyed my stories.

The best part about fanfic is that it is writing for the sake of pure joy. Joy for the characters; joy for the written word. Once you have to figure out how to make money from your words, it becomes a different thing. It can still be rewarding. It can even still be fun. But it's not the same.

I've said this before but the one thing fanfic will not teach you unless you seek it out is how to be a better writer. Because of the shared joy over the original product, your fanfic will find eager readers no matter what quality it might be. I could do the writer equivalent to taking Mulder and Scully dolls and mashing them together while saying, "Now kiss" and it would still do numbers. Because people want Mulder and Scully to kiss! My writing skill doesn't have to make them want that. They already want it before they even start reading.

I have two fanfic friends who are lovely smart people. At the time I met them, several decades ago, they were both unskilled fanfic writers. They were shooting out stories with endless head hopping, poor character development, and bland dialogue. One of these writers decided she wanted to improve her craft, so she: 1) studied writers who were better than she was to figure out the difference between what she was doing and what they were doing; 2) took classes on writing; 3) asked for honest feedback from other writers. Twenty years later, this writer's work is MUCH stronger. The other writer is no better, but she's still having fun...which is kind of my point. You can be both kinds of writer in fanfic, one here to work at it and one here just to have a good time.

Thanks for the ask! Good luck with your writing journey, wherever it takes you. :)

[deusvervewrites]

okay good cus i have au brainrot and a sleeping problem

right now im working on lov traitor himiko bc she has done no wrong and possibly one of my favorite characters bc have i mentioned shes awesome /lh

also how do you make sure your characterization is right? ive deleted work before after working on it simply because they got slowy ooc over the course of the snippet lol

(sorry if im just barraging you with asks just tell me to stop if youre uncomfy as i mentioned i have brainrot haha)

yeah word dump (im sorry)

(This is the Anon from this Ask, but I didn't get around to this right away)

I'm not going to say Toga did nothing wrong but I love her, and the idea of her as a traitor is wild. Given her shapeshifting powers, she's probably the best situated for it after Shigaraki himself. Also she's a middle-school dropout homeless teenager so figuring out how she has the resources to do what she does could be fun

[Writing advice starts here]

For characterization, all characters are at their core comprised of three questions: 'What does this character want more than anything else?', 'Why does this character want it?', and 'How is this character going to get it?'

If you know those three questions you can handle pretty much anything. Here, let's give an example.

Bakugou:

What does Bakugou want more than anything else? To be the Number One Hero

Why does he want it? Because he has no self-worth unless people are praising him, so he's set his sights on the top celebrity in the world.

How is he going to get it? Going to UA High School.

On the other hand, Midoriya:

What does Midoriya want more than anything else? To help people.

Why does he want it? Systemic discrimination has given him a strong sense of justice and compassion for others.

How is he going to get it? Going to UA High School.

You can see how these answers inform other parts of their personality--Bakugou is insecure, so he lashes out. Midoriya is compassionate, so he empathizes with the antagonists. Additionally, Bakugou's answers change over time in response to his character development.

While thinking of characterization as a list of traits can certainly help, knowing these three questions makes it easier to keep a character consistent even as they develop in response to events.

Toga, for instance:

What does Toga want more than anything else? To live freely and not be judged for drinking blood.

Why does she want it? Her parents abused her, and she's never had the chance.

How is she going to get it? Running away from home. Later, joining the League of Villains.

Obviously, characters want more than one thing at a time, which can create drama when they have to choose between something they want versus The Thing they want more than anything else.

You can also use these questions to create character foils. As mentioned above, Bakugou and Midoriya have the same answer to the third question, but similarities and differences can come from any of those three questions.

Let's say, hypothetically, you're writing a fantasy story about three kingdoms in an uneasy peace. You might have characters who want to unite those three nations under one banner that look something like this.

Character A:

What does she want more than anything else? To unite the three nations.

Why does she want it? A mixture of nationalist pride as the crown princess and a desire for revenge.

How is she going to get it? A war of unification.

While Character B:

What does he want more than anything else? To unite the three nations.

Why does he want it? To put an end to the racial prejudice he faced as a child.

How is he going to get it? Diplomatic schemes and manipulations.

And you've got two characters who are suddenly very similar in some ways and completely incompatible in others.

(And you thought you had word dump!)

[silverskull]

Aside from each other, obviously, who is your favourite character for Tim and Lucy to each interact with? (So basically, your favourite non-Chenford relationship for each of them — platonic, professional, or otherwise.) And, who is the one character you wish they would each interact with more?

OOOH, SARAH. I do love this so very much.

I'm going to put it under a cut, because it got WAYYYY out of hand

Okay, well, let's start with my girl Lucy, because she deserves the world and all she got last season were multiple kicks in the teeth.

I loved Lucy and Jackson. I loved Lucy and Andersen. Both of them are gone, and who knows where Tamara will be this season, given that we have to make time FOR MONICA I GUESS, or whatever. Melissa herself said at the virtual con last weekend that she'd like to see more of Lucy with Grey - a mentor that comes without romantic entanglement - and I have to say, I loved the two of them together this season too.

Buuuuuuut... I would actually very very very much love to see Lucy spend some time with... GENNY. They got along so well, even besides the dark, mopey cloud that was moody Tim Bradford throughout their introduction arc, and I would love to see how that relationship developed once Genny officially knew about their relationship. I also feel like (having been the sister figure on the other side of a messsy breakup) those bonds can be very strong between women, and the man doesn't always figure into it once he's gone, even if he is your brother.

Also - this side eye I MEANNNNNN

Tim is a little bit more difficult. I love him with Genny too, obviously, but I am often very distracted by his face and not paying close enough attention to his interactions.

I love him with Angela, I do. And we got a good dose of that in S6, which is the only reason she doesn't make this list. I love him with Nyla, especially when they talk about Lucy (not sure what sort of Bechdel test this encroaches on) because having my two favourite grumps fight over their favourite sparkling little pixie is just delicious. And I love him with Grey, because - although he is still a superior and a mentor figure - over the years Tim has come to be more of an equal to the Watch Commander. And I LOVE that growth for him. I think part of it is Eric and Richard’s fantastic friendship shining through, but I’ll take everything I can get.

Honestly - I’m going to go with a cliche here and say I would like to have seen more of Tim with Tamara. I went sorta deep into their relationship when I wrote Saudade Season, and although I’m not fully on board with the whole Tamara-is-Chenford’s-daughter vibe, I do think they have an EERIE amount in common, and their connection to Lucy only solidifies that. Their banter back and forth when they did interact was always charming (I maintain that Tamara’s ‘Officer Zaddy’ quote was 90% directed at Lucy and only 10% girlcrush because, ewy) and they both have such similar loss and hurt in their childhoods and backgrounds that I think they are good for each other.

I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this on tumblr (you’re NOT allowed say it on twitter), but I’m holding off on my opinions of the ‘new rookies’ until S7 airs. I don’t know the actors, and they seem simply lovely, but I’m not going to dive off a cliff for them yet. So, for now, unless it leads to more chenford interaction, I’m not interested in adding MORE extra character backstories to The Monica Show, I mean The Rookie, sorry. 👀

And finally, in case I haven’t already entirely succeeded in avoiding your limit of 2/4 additional characters, I would have LOOOOOVED to see Chenford interact more with Rosalind. Sure, she could have whatever weird fascination she had with Nolan as a side gig, but I can’t believe that this woman was supposedly so calculating and clever that she evaded the entire LAPD, and then thought that killing Chris-motherfucking-dry-wipe-Sanford would be adequate vengeance on Lucy for escaping her clutches.

I know we were limited with the sad passing of Annie Wersching, and it is a terrible loss to her family (and the film world in general), but that bitch TOTALLY clocked that there was something going on between Tim and Lucy, and the only reason she couldn’t gain her proper revenge is because they were cavorting in the gangsters private airplane bathroom at 30,000 feet.

[polarisbibliotheque]

Are you into MBTI? If yes, may I ask for your idea on DMC characters types? If no then feel free to skip this ask, sorry for bothering you.

First things first, my beloved: DON’T APOLOGIZE. None of you are EVER bothering me by sending an ask – unless, of course, you’re completely crass, deranged, borderline criminal (or full criminal) with your words or just gratuitously rude. Those types are bothersome and will get blocked and ignored.

Unless I’m on an Axl Rose like rampage and want to burn and fistfight people along my way, then I’ll use the stupid being in question to pour all my anger and have a good reason to spend hours in therapy :)

But you are NOT one of those, my dear. That’s a very fun question and do feel free to ask me random things like that, I enjoy answering!

Now, I’m not really big on MBTI – I know enough about mine and my family’s so I can make things work between me and them. I also like to know my friends MBTI’s because the memes are usually freakishly accurate with all our personalities xD

I am an INTP! Quite proud, if I might say so hahahaha I like the weird vibes and I have adopted in my heart Sherlock Holmes as an INTP ‘cause he was my role model when I was a teen (I know, HORRIBLE role model, but it is what it is) – and that’s how I got into MBTI.

(more under the cut, this answer is LONG)

Big introduction for me to say: VERGIL, THIS LITTLE SHIT. INTJ. I DON’T EVEN HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.

I’ll start with him and then Dante. I won’t share my 2 cents on the rest of the crew because either they aren’t that much developed as the twins or I’m not really trusting my MBTI judging abilities here.

Without further ado…

Vergil

I debated quite a WHILE on Vergil, to be honest, because we all know INTJ is the typical villain archetype used everywhere on media because heaven forbid a villain is not calculating and devoided of emotions.

And there’s where I got a little stuck: emotions.

Vergil does have emotions, and I dare to say his run even deeper than Dante’s, so I got a little sidetracked. But then I took my own personality, INTP, and thought about it for a while. I have the same problem as Vergil: my emotions do run deep and I’m always guarding them in a dark, secret place inside of me so I won’t get hurt, opting for a more thinking, analytical and practical approach rather than the feeling approach. And oh boy does my life get difficult with feeling types like my aunt, my mom and even my sister.

I got to the conclusion, then, it’s not how you feel, but rather how you present yourself. I took the test as if I was Dante (I needed that to figure him out, not sorry) and a lot of questions are more leaning on that. It’s not that you don’t feel or don’t understand feelings, it’s more like you have a different approach when doing things and processing all of that – because it can be quite overwhelming.

So, there we go, Vergil is BLATANTLY Introverted and Thinking. The Introverted I got from what I heard some people saying that it’s not that “oh I like talking to people/I don’t like talking to people”, it’s energy: at the end of the day, do you prefer being alone to recharge or around people to recharge?

Me and my sister are opposites on that. My sister was always quieter and shy when she was a kid, and I was expansive and always came back with a new friend. Lo and behold, I’m an Introvert and she is an Extrovert. How? I HAVE and I NEED time alone, completely for myself, with NO ONE around at certain times of the day and I do get AWFULLY tired when I’m being social for too long, needing some me time with tea and a good book. My sister NEEDS to be around her friends after a long, tiring week at work, famously going to 3 parties in a row, in 3 different days, different groups, outfits and all, exiting one party to go to the other, and then BAM going to work on a Monday completely replenished. I’m an Introvert. She is an Extrovert.

Dante and Vergil seal of approval here hahahahaha

His Intuitive part, though, comes from the art – poetry, philosophy, reading, education. Vergil is obviously BIG on that, loving poetry since he was a child and always being found in libraries, we can all picture him going to art galleries, concerts, operas and such. But, particularly, I extend that to his thirst for knowledge: everyone who enjoys reading the dense stuff he does, tends to fall for philosophy, sociology, the metaphysical part of physics, mathematics, all that. There was a reason why great mathematicians of the past were also philosophers: knowledge walks together.

Loving that deeply, Vergil has to be quite Intuitive. Yes, he will do things with discipline and how they should be done to achieve the result – but he will rebel and do things his own way if the knowledge he acquired so far points him to another direction; he will follow his intuition. He’s not one to dismiss the big questions in life: quite the contrary, I think one of his favorite past-times would be drinking wine along his s/o while talking about philosophy into the wee hours of the night as if they are the only people in the world.

Vergil is an open minded, curious and always searching for the meaning of things kind of person, and I will die on this hill. There is no way a guy who likes learning so much would be against challenging his own point of views: to learn, you have to first be a novice; and to improve, you have to admit there’s much you still don’t know and keep an open mind to fail and do it again, and again, and again, until you master what you are learning. Just the way he fights tells me he is very much like that and I’m still dying on this hill.

And lastly, Judging. No, not because he’s the judgy bitch of the series who’s always side-eying someone and sighing while saying “pathetic” just because they got scared by their own shadow. I have to say I wasn’t too sure on this one when I realized Vergil could end up as an INTP and that bitch can’t be an INTP like me, I claimed it.

Jokes aside, Vergil can be quite Perceiving at times, because, wanting or not, he has had his moments of needing to improvise and spot opportunities that weren’t quite on his schedule… But, I do have to admit, INTPs are a mess and Vergil is FAR from being a mess – and when I say a mess, we are everywhere: reading 5 books at the same time, leaving them scattered all around the house, laying upside down in bed to think and come up with a great idea for something… INTPs aren’t pragmatic or schedule oriented. And Vergil would DIE in an environment like this, I think.

So, my conclusion was: his ability to survive does come from his Perceiving characteristics, but his pragmaticism comes from his Judging – and the second is a lot stronger in him. He would like the schedule, he would do things as he has programmed and, if you interrupt him, he’s counting the minutes to go back to his schedule or else everything he has carefully programmed for the week will be delayed and his plans are all but GONE (read: Verge at the Temen-ni-gru screaming “WHY ISN’T THIS WORKING?!” when ALL the plans he carefully executed for WEEKS so he could get to THAT moment and open the gates of Hell just went down the drain ‘cause he missed something in his calculations. Man is in excruciating pain he missed something and ALL was for NOTHING and he’d have to TRY again).

Verdict: Vergil is an INTJ. Expected, annoyingly villainous personality, but it does fit him wonderfully.

Plus, we are the 'we don't have feelings' types :D

Dante

Oh, Dante. My beloved. My red devil. The man who haunts my dreams.

Seriously, I had a REALLY hard time pinpointing his MBTI.

Remember I said I took the test as him? Yes. I did. To check some things and argue against others hahahahaa

I don’t think Dante is as black and white as Vergil. The blue devil is almost textbook INTJ, but Dante…? I have my doubts on SO many parts of his personality, because, unlike Vergil, Dante does a LOT just for show.

Starting with the Extroverted/Introverted. Most people won’t even think before saying Dante is an Extrovert, but I had my doubts when taking things in consideration. What we usually see is that, yes, he does love being around people – but Dante spends most of his time alone, without electricity, reading his old magazines at his shop, sleeping or eating pizza by himself.

Depression? Yes. YES. This man is more depressed than the San Andreas Fault. This can make people behave differently from their personalities, so I had to think a little more about it. Dante doesn’t really go out of his way to be around people, to party with his friends or just have a nice time with them around. Dante wants to be alone, because he thinks he doesn’t deserve to be with people – and that they are better off without him, safer. He puts them in danger, at least that’s what’s on his mind. So, he isolates himself and prefers to spend time on his own, away from everything and everyone.

That’s where the energy thing comes into play! What gives Dante energy? Honestly, my man looks drained and just the dust of his being whenever they get to his shop and he’s been living in that condition for months. During the games AND after the games, though? He looks a lot better – even if he has been beaten up by a bunch of demons. And that’s because, I think, Dante gets energized by being around people – friends, family, loved ones. Just like my sister, he can conquer the world after going to 5 parties in a row. Vergil, in the other hand, would be drained and dying by the second one, just like Dante is when he hasn’t been around people too much, always isolating himself.

So, despite his depression that makes him behave differently, Dante is an Extrovert in my book.

One that I don’t even think too much about him is the Perceiving trait. Dante is like that, 10/10. He can’t thrive on a schedule, things in his life are Everything Everywhere All At Once, and my man is in his lane with that. Try to fit Dante in a box with a set routine and too many rules, he’s dying. Aside from that, he has a knack for improvising and finding the best opportunities in unexpected situations.

Hence why he has so many freaking weapons and is just using all of them and all of his fighting styles at the same time, taunting demons and dancing Macarena right after – and making it all look like it makes the most absolute fucking sense. No one can pull that off like Dante, king of winging it.

Now, I do believe he is Intuitive. Dante might not be the art and poetry type like Vergil, but he is well educated. He has to be, to do what he does. And I do believe his thing for philosophy shows when Dante is lecturing demons: that WHOLE answer he gives Agnus about what demons lack compared to humans, that is VERY much philosophy. Dante doesn’t just go and takes everything at face value, because, if he did, he would very much say the obvious: demons are, objectively, stronger than humans. But all the heart, all the internal things that make humans stronger than demons… That’s philosophy.

I can see Dante enjoying movies – blockbusters, yes, packed with action and special effects, but let’s remember… Titanic is a blockbuster. And there’s so much heart in that movie, so much philosophy, so much about choosing your own fate and not being tied to the one that was handed to you… Titanic can pack one hell of an existential punch and make you think about so much in your life – you just have to be open to it.

Differently from Vergil, Dante wasn’t the library and heavy books sort of guy. But he was the guy to go to the movies, to watch all of that. To go back home (wherever his home was at the moment, even if just a place for him to crash for a while) and think about everything he watched in the silent darkness of his room. To think about the things Eva taught him – and see the value of all that.

He’s not the type to go to an art gallery, or read philosophy, or go to the opera. But he will go if he is invited, he will discuss things the way he learned them, and he will enjoy it. He’d be more than willing to talk about what makes humans so precious and spend hours doing so, as he would be open to listen to his s/o explaining what makes him so human despite his demonic heritage. And he would spend days thinking about it, always willing to discuss those topics if his s/o wanted to.

He's not textbook Intuitive like Vergil, I think, but he still is, in his very own way. I’d say Vergil is academically Intuitive, while Dante learned his Intuitive trait on the streets – we all say Dante is a safespace for everything, and a man like has to be open minded and curious. If he wasn’t, he would have never welcomed Trish and given her a chance to be human: he would’ve killed her right away for being a demon. And that isn’t our red devil.

Last but not least, Dante is a Feeling. I’m always dying on this hill, even if that one ALSO made me have some doubts.

Because you see, Dante just pretends to be a goof, but he isn’t. He is very intelligent and cunning, very perceiving and observing, but wrapped in a reckless rockstar package. It’s his own way of coping, but that is what makes him SUCH a great devil hunter (sorry, Nero). Even if we might disagree on this, I do believe Dante has his emotions very much controlled.

Which is a little evidenced by the lyrics on his theme song in DMC V, Subhuman (I know we ALL love Bury The Light and Devil Trigger but OH MY GOD, I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT HOW SUBHUMAN IS AWESOME AND FITTING FOR DANTE). The song is VERY explicit how Dante is always controlling his rage and keeping his demon on a very tight leash so he has control over it all the fucking time. That isn’t very Feeling in my book – it’s quite Thinking, like Vergil.

That’s what made me think a little about Vergil’s as well. I have what might be an unpopular opinion about the twins after thinking so much about them and seeing how they react and act in all of the games: Vergil has a tendency to loose control and overkill, while Dante has a tendency to let his rage burn at the exact moment he needs it and use his power just as much as he needs to get the job done. Dante is more controlled with his emotions than Vergil – and in my opinion, it’s because Vergil bottles up and ignores his emotions until they become a storm that can’t be stopped (cough cough personal experience cough cough) while Dante controls things so he can use his emotions and let them be expressed/gets them off his system in “safe” environments for him, which would be killing demons.

So, why the heck is Dante a Feeling in my book? Precisely why Vergil is a Thinking. It has to do with how they present themselves – and that is the point that makes them so different and butt heads almost every game.

The devil on Dante’s leash is his rage, the feeling he allows and wants to run amok and uncontrolled is his love. Dante controls his bursts of anger and the demonic blood who craves for mayhem – but he doesn’t control his human heart that does everything out of empathy and love. He will run to the rescue when his loved ones are in danger, he will protect weak people against the powerful ones, he will lecture corrupted humans who see nothing but power in front of them, he will cry and he will do everything in his power to keep love alive and thriving. He will react immediately, he will understand, he will feel the pain of those who are injured and begging for help – he will let his heart melt and do everything for them.

Therefore, Dante is a Feeling. And I think that’s what makes him and Vergil opposites and always fighting: Vergil wants power and puts logic over feelings, avoiding them like the plague, while Dante wants love and puts feelings over logic, embracing them and acting out of what his human heart tells him is the right thing to do. The whole series is based on this – at least in my opinion.

Verdict: Dante is an ENFP. Didn’t really expect it, but after analyzing with care, it makes a lot of sense to me.

Also, all the memes with ENFP x INTJ relationship dynamics I just checked are basically Dante and Vergil in a nutshell - I’ll leave some of them below and you guys will HAVE to forgive me not really crediting the people who created these memes, I honestly just found on google and wanted to share so you can have an idea of what I’m talking about.

But I honestly have been wheezing for the past hour and I thank you SO MUCH anon for this ask – I hope you enjoyed this little TED Talk about the Sparda Twins’ personalities please Capcom hire me to write official canon about them

If this isn't Dante and Vergil, I dunno what is

And last but not least:

That's all the games in a nutshell, really.

[rayssion]

Let's chat about Magnus Chase and the gods of Asgard!!

So not me saying 'tomorrow' then proceed to delay that tomorrow for as long as possible, not my fault though! Each time I decide to write the review people just be like "oh, look at her, she seems at peace, let me just go.... Annoy her" that's my family summarised btw.

But yeah, we're finally here!

First off, the general rating for me is 4.5 for the entire series.

Now let's talk about somethings:

As a matter of fact, there's nothing I hate in this books like wth why dose it have to be this good??? Which translates to: I'm just going to fangirl, that's it, just FANGIRL.

I also want to establish that I didn't know not even a single thing about Norse mythology before reading these books. I didn't even know what Norse meant guys, I'm hopless like that. And even after they explained them a little my brain is still stuck at the "they're fancy vikings" setting lol I'm sorry.

So my whole Norse "knowledge" comes from, you guessed it, how to train your dragon🤡. It's bad, I know I know, yet it's still a start right? Like dude I never watched any Thor movie before (in my defense, it's not horror, and I enjoy horror) so just to put it simply, I don't know shit about Norse mythology.

Which is good btw!! Me not knowing anything about the mythology is actually good to measure how much Rick is good at explaining things that are totally new.

The first book took me two days to finish because it's like an introduction, so there were many new words and terms that my small brain couldn't keep track with, so I suppose you can really enjoy the series as a reread more than first time reading. Guys, it took me days to learn how to pronounce ginunngagap. So unless you already have a background on Norse mythology (not jumping into the books like stupid me) I feel like one's can't see the books true potential.

Alright, so we laid the ground about me being an uncultured swine, now we have the writing: we got the classic Rick's first person pov writing style that he went for in the original series pjo. But I got to note that it clearly improved, I can see that he was trying to step out of narrator Percy's shadow as he wrote mcga and toa, seeing that he wrote Magnus as an oblivious kid who's trying to stay out of everyone's business as much as he can, and he wrote Lester with no heroism in him whatsoever at the start. So clearly he wanted something to add contrast and volume to his universe and that's quite good. He achieved his goal with toa much more than in mcga in my opinion. Magnus, as lovely as he is, still finds time to roast people the good old Percy Jackson way, in other words you can see the resemblance between the two characters at some points. (I didn't include tkc because for me, Sadie and Carter are like Percy devided into two people, the fierce rushy personality went with Sadie, and the trying-to-pretend-to-be-calm-so-as-to-improvise-a-plan personality went with Carter, yet the two of them can be be snarky at their times).

To be Frank with you guys, not much of a character development happens during the books, I mean yes, Sam stands against her dad, and we get Amir into the picture, but yeah that's it. I guess the character who got the most change was Randolph, we love a little remedy arc at the end.

Oh other thing I like to point, Muslims don't call mosques you know "mosques" we call them Masjids (Masjid, sing.) I see it's a little slip but I prefer if it never happened, because mosque actually means "house of mosquito" so, yeah.

We also have the matter of Sam's hijab, I'd like to say that's not how being a hijabi works but I don't want to start a religious war here. Let's just say, you don't just wear your hijab when you want and not wear it when you don't want. What's the point then, if I can easily just go with my head uncovered? But we're not having this conversation, most of you won't be interested in this anyways.

And another thing! I've seen all these fanarts of Alex in the wedding dress (because I'm a sucker for Alex) and I wanted to point out, Alex was disguised as Samirah, Samirah is Muslima so her wedding dress would be, you know, Muslim friendly? Idk. But yeah, it should at least be ancle lengthed with high neck and long sleeves and the veil must be thick to cover her hair, like a hijab. Also it should be wide/big a little not clenching to her body. Just a little advice for artists there :).

Now that we spoke about Sam, can we talk about Alex? Tbh I like, knew nothing about genderfluidism(?) before this book (I read it on some blogs here on Tumblr and I imagined something totally different so I'll spear you my pathetic story) so it was nice learning new things with Rick. Like bro, in my head Alex is mostly a boy yet when I rant to my aunt I mostly use she/her. It confused the heck out of me during the first chapters actually. But I'm proud to say that I FIGURED OUT THAT LOKI WAS HER/HIS MOM LIKE BY MYSELF WAY BEFORE THE BIG REVEAL SO YEAH I'M HELLA PROUD.

I love Alex. Nothing else to say, I'm infatuated.

And yet if I'm infatuated with Alex then I'm fucking ready to die for Magnus at any given time! The boy is just so adorable!! He's so sweet even if he's being sarcastic like I just want to kidnap him and keep him in my pocket forever! I wanna hug him and pat his back, ruffle his hair and kiss his forehead because he deserves it! I just love him guys! Everything about him is just so endearing even if he was being a coward he's still lovely! I know I'm not making any sense here I just want you to know that I'm head over heels for him. Also I wanted to say that one of the things I really admired about his character is that he's never the fighter, I love how everyone else would be plunging into the battle and he'd just stand there waiting for either a chance to bargain with the enemy or an injury that he must heal. I love how Rick went out of the line this time and chose a god that, tbh, we'd never hear about him on regular basis. Like in pjo we had our protagonist Percy, son of Poseidon who's one of the big three, tkc we have Carter and Sadie channelling the power of Hores and Isis, major gods and Hores is the king or the gods, hoo's heroes are kids of the Olympians and Apollo is like, an Olympian god himself. So it was a nice turn to have Frey a neutral god who's concern is to live in peace, having our protagonist's main power to be healing or like disarming people, nothing big or fancy, yet it fits so much! Like my boy just wants to live a simple quite life (with a transgender genderfluid partner if possible and practically canon gay parents) even when there's an enemy he's like "can't I just go stand there and then a miracle happens and I don't need to fight them anymore?" Gosh I love him.

Magnus and Lester are just so relatable and so average-human-coded that you can't help but love them!

And I liked how most of the characters are also lovable, like the whole floor 19? They're just the best family and I'd be so delighted to spend eternity with them (till Ragnarok at least) I really love their dynamics. And then we have Blitz and Hearth and oh boy how much do I love hearth! I was like that's my soulmate out there pretty much since he was introduced. I'm not joking guys, these people out there have one of the best found families ever.

I also wanted to note that I'm kind of a sucker for villains like especially those who are antihero much. So, confession time, I kinda liked Luke back in pjo, I liked Set in tkc, and like Apollo himself I might simped once or twice for the emprors. The thing I wanted to say is! First book I like liked liked Loki, ngl till the end I found him fancy. Like if he wasn't so much interested in Ragnarok and world ending and whatever I might even put him with my favourite characters. Like, why do villains have to be hot?? If you don't want me to simp then don't make them hot! (What am I doing guys, I must seek help wtf)

Another topic, people would be oohhh percabeth omg omg and I'd be awww big sister Annabeth is the best! Like have you seen those Annabeth and Magnus scenes??? Bro let me tell you I'm fucking dead, like they're the best cousins out there, like that's so cuttee!!

This's a p.s actually but I wanted to say another thing, about the ending of the ship of the dead, yes it was emotional, yes I teared up. But don't you guys feel like there's much more to it? Like I'm sorry but how could we not return to the fact that Magnus can talk to birds now (Disney Princess™)? Or how in the first place can he talk to them, hearth himself doesn't know if his father had the ability. Speaking about fathers, the visions that Magnus saw about Alex's father, are we just going to pass them like they never happened? Guys idk I feel like there are some plot holes that might be left intentionally (hopefully for a next book sometime) and I also feel like there's something wrong with the gods, like the last scenes we had with them, I might be paranoid but I really feel like Frey was hiding something. Anyways yeah, that's what I wanted to add.

So this barely covers anything from the feelings I had reading this series (because I'm a sensitive bitch who visibly tremble and scream while reading fluff) but yeah, I must hurry up a little, so next thing we have is a couple of screenshots I took cuz why not? Some of them might even be out of context but I like it.

So I was going to post them in different posts and tag them here and Tumblr just said NO ") so yeah ig.

Hope you guys enjoyed this review (which is me basically simping as always) I'm like 100 pages into tsats now, hopefully I'll come back to talk about it soon.

Have a nice day/night♡!!