#well not really a spoiler but just in case

[hsnlv]

strawberry lemonade | s.jy

pairing: bestfriend!jake x reader

teaser: “have a pack?” you ask, cocking your eyebrow at him. jake is confused, utterly. a pack of what, exactly? but the question in his head is quickly answered by you. “cigarettes.”

warnings/others: suggestive!!!!, mentions of smoking and vaping (and the actual action of doing it too lol), smoker!jake agenda (?) somehow…

wc: 1.3k

a/n: pls enjoy this hello?? my chest feels so warm (not in a cute way) when i wrote lmfao!! comments are reblogs are highly appreciated! anyways, happy reading lovelies🎀 here’s my masterlist!

"this movie is shit," you groan, letting your head fall back against the leather couch in jake's living room.

you don't know what's worse-the absolute trainwreck of a film playing on the screen or the fact that you and jake's science project is an utter failure. either way, both are enough to drive you insane.

beside you, jake chuckles softly, the sound sending a flicker of irritation through your already sour mood.

“have a pack?” you ask, cocking your eyebrow at him. jake is confused, utterly. a pack of what, exactly? but the question in his head is quickly answered by you.

“cigarettes.” you reply with a well-no-duh tone, as if that’s the most obvious thing in the world to ask about. but jake’s confusion turns deeper when he heard you.

"you smoke?" he asks, head tilting just slightly.

oh, fuck. why is that hot?

everyone tilts their head when they're confused, but jake? it's different. there's something about the way his sharp features soften just a little, the way his glasses slide down his nose ever so slightly, the way his dark eyes fix on you with pure curiosity-it's almost infuriating how attractive he is.

you've always thought so. al-fucking-ways! the feelings you have for him-buried under layers of playful teasing and feigned indifference-have been there for as long as you can remember. and seeing him now, with that confused yet intrigued expression on his face, does nothing to help the situation.

"yeah, sometimes," you say, shrugging like it's nothing. "only when i really need it."

jake swallows, and you don't miss the way his throat bobs. his mind is running wild, you can tell. maybe it's the contrast of it-you, the one who always nags about health, casually revealing this habit. he doesnt take you as someone who particularly smokes.

he still remembers the night where you would clean the overall of his room before you slept on his bed because you said “boys are dirty and disgusting” but in reality, you did it because the thought of sleeping in the same bed as him freaked you out —or turned you on—and you just wanted something to somehow distract you from the pooling heat on your panties. spoiler not so spoiler alert: it failed!

he clears his throat, breaking the brief silence. "i don't have any."

he can feel his throat goes dry at the mental image of you puffing out the white puff from your mouth. oh oh, sim is in trouble!

his reply makes you sigh against the couch. and as if you hear the bell of the ice cream truck, you excitedly sit up from the couch, remembering that you always carry a disposable pod with you.

quickly, you dig into your bag, fingers brushing against the smooth plastic before you pull it out. a small, pale pink device. a guilty pleasure. something you keep just in case you need one. and that ‘just in case’ happens to be now.

you flick it on, settle back into the cushions, and take a slow, deliberate inhale. the sweetness of the flavour fills your mouth and lungs, smooth and almost intoxicating.

strawberry lemonade.

you hum in satisfaction, tilting your head back as you release the thick, milky cloud of vapor into the air. it feels good-too good.

but what feels even better is jake's reaction.

his eyes are darker now, hooded as they watch you. his breathing is slightly heavier, his lips parted just barely and his cheeks flushed. you can see the way his fingers twitch, like he wants to reach for you but is holding himself back.

you lift the pod, offering it to him. "want some?" and your voice clicks him back into reality. he replies with a soft ‘yeah, sure’.

maybe it’s the stupid nicotine that messes up with your brain or maybe you’re just purely stupid when you take another long drag, letting the vapor sit on your tongue as you crawl up to him.

slowly, you shift, climbing into his lap and straddling him with ease.

jake stiffens under you, his hands instinctively finding your waist, fingers digging in slightly as you settle against him. his breath is shaky as he mutters a soft yet whiny ‘shit’, his eyes wide, and when you lift a hand to tap gently at his cheek, signaling him to open his mouth, he obeys without question.

you lean in, closing the space between you both, lips hovering dangerously close to his as you part yours, exhaling the white cloud into his mouth, your lips almost touching his.

and fuck, that almost makes his heart bursts— so does his growing dick!

his lips wrap around the vapor, drawing it in, and fuck-he groans. it's quiet, barely there, but you hear it. feel it.

his grip on your waist tightens. his head falls back against the couch, his adam's apple bobbing as he exhales, savoring the feeling, the taste of the sweet strawberry lemonade, and the intensity of the moment.

and god, the sight of him like this-his chest rising and falling, his jaw clenched, his lips slightly swollen-sends a rush of heat straight between your legs.

he gently lifts his head up back again, cocking an eyebrow at you, his gaze calling you in.

and before he can speak, you do it again.

another hit, another lean in, another slow, intimate transfer of smoke.

but this time, jake doesn't let you pull away.

instead, his hands slide up your back, firm and sure as they press against you, keeping you close. and then-he kisses you.

it's slow at first, exploratory, lips brushing over yours in a teasing, featherlight way that makes you whimper before he deepens it.

his tongue traces the seam of your lips, tasting the sweet remnants of strawberry lemonade before slipping inside, tangling with yours.

it's intoxicating. dizzying. the way he kisses— deep and consuming, like he wants to devour you whole-makes your head spin.

they should make flavour that tastes as sweet and as good as him and named it “jake”. because hell, how can someone taste this good?!

his hands are everywhere. gripping your waist, sliding up your sides, brushing against your thighs. and yours are no better, fisting the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer, pressing yourself against him, needing more.

a quiet moan slips from your lips, and jake groans in response, his fingers digging into your hips as he pulls you down harder against him.

you can feel him. every bit of him.

the realization sends a shiver down your spine, and when you rock against him ever so slightly, he curses under his breath, hands tightening their hold on you.

"fuck," he murmurs against your lips, his voice breathless, needy.

his hands shift again, one sliding up to cup the back of your neck, the other pressing against your lower back, holding you firm against him as he kisses you deeper, harder.

it's too much. not enough.

your fingers thread into his hair, tugging slightly, and the groan he lets out is nothing short of sinful.

he's losing control.

and you love it.

but then-he pulls back, panting, his forehead resting against yours as he tries to catch his breath.

his eyes flicker open, dark and filled with something you can't quite place.

without a word, he moves.

slowly, effortlessly, he shifts, standing up and lifting you into his arms with ease.

you yelp softly, instinctively wrapping your arms around his neck, legs around his waist as he carries you.

"jake-"

"shh," he whispers, pressing a kiss to your temple. "just let me have you, please?”

his voice is soft, but there's a hint of desperation behind it. and how can you say no?

instead, you let him carry you, let him press gentle kisses to your skin as he walks, let yourself melt into his hold.

and when he finally reaches his room, gently placing you down onto his bed, his eyes filled with nothing but want and adoration-you know it’s going to be a long night.

© all rights reserved | hsnlv | 2025

[felassan]

Some more DA:TV and related snippets from Sylvia Feketekuty, Part 6. rest of post under a cut due to length and spoilers. [Post One, Post Two, Post Three, Post Four, Post Five]

User: "after [Emmrich and Rook's] argument they don’t really bring it up again, is it pretty much the case that Rook being lost in the fade made them both realise what was important so that conversation wasn’t really needed? or did they have it off-screen?" // Sylvia Feketekuty: ""is it pretty much the case that Rook being lost in the fade made them both realise what was important so that conversation wasn’t really needed? or did they have it off-screen?" I think either one is valid. There's some time skips, so I figured if you imagined your Rook and Emmrich talking about the argument, it could've happened while, say, they're traveling to the Necropolis. Flow-wise it seemed best to rely on that passage of time to smooth that part over, and get to the point where we enter the talk by the coffin. Or perhaps they're so in-sync that, like you said, Rook and Emmrich feel they can just move on. (If you bring Emmrich to Isle of the Gods he's apologetic there, and Rook picks up on it, so maybe that was enough short as it was.) (To my mind it's not a huge thing to declare one way or another, but I'd prefer this one to be player's choice)" [source, two, three, four]

User: "had a question about emmrich's last name. i know there is a banter with harding that confirms it is a commoner name, but i was interested in what his surname breaks down into meaning? I assumed volk=folk perhaps, but is there any other meaning/significance? thank you!" // Sylvia: "You pretty much have it right with "volk" = people. I liked the idea that Volkarin would sound fancy to someone speaking English (well Harding's not speaking English per se, but you know), but have its roots in something that plain. So yeah basically I got a kick out of the thought that in Nevarra, Emmrich's last name is the equivalent of Smith, or Jones, or Wilson. (The "arin" part is just because I thought together it paired well with "volk")" [source, two]

User: "With Hezenkoss, as a romanced rook, it feels like she's a bit jealous and was stuck in a one sided crush with her "friend" Was this intended? Or was she just competitive and annoyed at his popularity with everyone?" // Sylvia: "I always pictured Hezenkoss as annoyed that as they grew up, Emmrich become popular and effortlessly well-liked, while she, with her sheer brilliance, was clearly resented by jealous fools. Fools!!! (I pictured Johanna needling Emmrich over his romance mostly her going 'now there's some nice sore-spots I can press' because she has correctly anticipated his insecurities.) "become popular" Arg I meant to write BECAME. Cripes." [source, two, three] // Sylvia: "TBC I also don't want to invalidate any head-canons! My general rule is that if it's not stated outright in game, it's up for interpretation, regardless of my thoughts. La mort de l'auteur, etc." [source]

User: "I recently made an appreciation post on reddit how relatable he is for me and how it helped me with my anxiety. There were also other users agreeing and sharing their love for the character." // Sylvia: "I read your post and the others, and I'm glad meeting Emmrich touched people like that. His story was a team effort, and everyone making him knew we needed to hit this theme right. (His actor Nick Boraine deserves especial praise for nailing those lines.) I have indeed experienced what Emmrich does, and from the thread and other fan interactions, it's not an uncommon thing. If I can offer something I read a long time ago: you have the right to think about death without being in a state of absolute fear. I don't know why, but that thought helped me focus when things were rough. Maybe because it was correct: we DO have that right. Even if life and our own psyches conspire against us, it's ours." [source, two, three] // User: "I felt seen in a way I never have when Emmrich said he is terrified of dying. I've had panic attacks about it since I was old enough to understand what death is. Thank you for making so many feel seen and helping people realize its not just *them.*" // Sylvia: "I'm really glad it helped, because the conclusion I've come to is this is more common than we think, it's just not something people talk about." [source]

Sylvia: "(Full credit to the great feedback I got from the other writers and editors early on [re: Emmrich], he wouldn't be as good without them.)" [source] // Sylvia: "All credit to the team, especially the writers and editors who gave feedback that made him so much better during those early days and beyond." [source]

Sylvia: ""who came up with Davrin's "hand-to-bone combat" line?? 🤣" Haha that was Davrin's writer, John Dombrow! I'll let him know you (and other people) got a chuckle out of it!" [source]

User, on Manfred: ""I'm so curious -what about the almonds caught his fancy, and why so many?" Some things are a mystery even to me when it comes to Manfred. (Whatever his reason, I thought as a vegetarian Emmrich would probably have a lot of nuts handy which was the germ of the idea.)" // Sylvia: "Some things are a mystery even to me when it comes to Manfred. (Whatever his reason, I thought as a vegetarian Emmrich would probably have a lot of nuts handy which was the germ of the idea.)" [source]

User: "When Rook romances Emmrich, through banter we can see that Emmrich is surprised that the other companions know about the relationship, and also h says to Johanna that it's a private matter. Is it because he wants to keep things private only, is it because he is worried that Rook may not be the one true love, or is he worried about the age gap, or all these reasons and/or others?" // Sylvia: "In this particular case, I think Emmrich just wanted to be discrete because he didn't want to assume it was a serious thing, and for people to think HE thought it was serious. (Though his line to Hezenkoss is snappish specifically because he knows she's needling him, haha.)" [source]

Sylvia: Down Among the Dead Men and Luck in the Gardens "mean a lot to me, being my first published stories in a book.)" [source]

User: "Are there any other areas of Thedas that you think young Altus mages would tour? Poor Dorian looked like a fish out of water in Ferelden." // Sylvia: "Completely talking off the cuff here, but Orlais and Antiva, certainly, and some of the "better" Free Marcher states seem like good candidates. (Poor Ferelden! Always forgotten by the north.)" [source]

User: "I know you said previously that emmrich doesn't really vibe with cats or dogs But like if rook already has a dog or something (that someone is like pet sitting for them while they're kicked out of their faction and traveling with varric) would that be a deal breaker" // Sylvia: "Nah that'd be fine, they're not his favorites but he'll put up with them for Rook." [source]

Sylvia: "I have indeed seen Cushing's version of Hound of the Baskervilles, for some reason that part where he whirls around and throws the knife is embedded into my brain. What a great Holmes he made." [source]

User: "1. Where did Emmrich live in Nevarar when he was a child? 2. When do you think his birthday is? 👀 3. How did Johanna know him?" // Sylvia: "1. He lived inside the bounds of Nevarra City itself. He's always been a city boy. 2. For some reason, he feels like a January/February birthday to me. 3. They met as young students in the Mourn Watch." [source]

User: "if Emmrich didn't think it was serious when he'd always wanted one true love -apparently-, why did he embark on this relationship, especially with so much passion?" // Sylvia: "I think he thought it wouldn't be so serious at first, but then things progressed. And people want conflicting things, sometimes." [source]

User: "I really love Strife being a love interest for Emmrich! What lead to him as the choice if he isn't romanced?" // Sylvia: "The writing team discussed who felt right, and I liked that Strife was from one of the factions because it gives the feeling of your followers interacting with the wider world. And I felt Strife would provide a nice contrast with the romance with Rook. Unlike them, he's more established in his place in the world, like Emmrich is. Just felt like a different dynamic." [source, two] // User: "Strife balances Emmrich well since they are both interested in study but have gone about it differently." // Sylvia: "Agreed! (I wish I had thought to put it like that.)" [source]

User: "how are pets and animals honoured in the Necropolis and by the Mourn Watchers? The same as any other being?" // Sylvia: "Beloved animals are absolutely permitted to be buried with families. Mild Necropolis exploration spoiler: inside the passage you unlock after finding all the wisps in the belfry area, there's actually some caskets for faithful hounds interred in the crypt." [source]

User: "My question is do the mourn watcher/nevarra in general raise their pets after they die to keep them around? like a dog skeleton with a whisp in it?" // Sylvia: "To be honest I hadn't thought out this one, but it's a very good question. I'm not sure how common that would be, or even if it's permitted to have pets running around the family crypt. (I definitely thing people would WANT to do it.) You know, I think I'm going to have to leave this one in the vague quantum foam of the future. I think I'd want to not only double check existing lore, but answer that in-game (or in a book or etc.) if we ever need to. (Hope that's not too much of a cop out. Sometimes I like to leave questions I'm not sure about alone, because until it's in an official game or story, it doesn't quite count.)" [source, two, three]

User: "how long has Manfred been under Emmrich's care?" // Sylvia: "That's a good question, yet another thing I left a little vague in case I needed to define it concretely in the future. And since I've left, the answer is very much in my head only. But I feel it's likely to have at least been a decade. (Hezenkoss acts like she knows about Manfred, I figure she could've met him during an earlier clash. But I don't think Manfred was around when she and Emmrich were young students.)" [source, two]

User: "if Emmrich had tattoos, on what theme would they be?" // Sylvia: "Something anatomical/surgical, patterned on the MW's mystic theories of the body and death, feels appropriate to me." [source]

Sylvia: "BioWare put out an infographic about choices a few weeks ago, and "lich" was winning out. 1) When Emmrich says how he feels will change did he just mean his senses or is it on an emotional level?" He's definitely talking about his senses in that scene. On an emotional level: unknown. (I imagine it WOULD change someone because it's such a big shift, but exactly what does it do, mystically, if anything, is something I'd like to leave alone since I didn't really cover that in the game, and it feels like it'd been bigger consideration if that makes sense.) I kind of want how the lich-romance proceeds to live in players' imaginations, purely so people can tailor it to their own story. I'm afraid any writer-declaration would narrow the possibilities instead of expanding them, if that makes sense." [source, two, three, four]

Sylvia: ""I've been waiting for Nevarra for years and it was everything i could have dreamed of and MORE!" I'm very glad to hear it. The rest of the Necropolis team and I were very excited to finally get to portray even a small portion of the ancient and hallowed graves of Nevarra." [source]

User: "If I remember correctly, we only really see Emmrich use necromantic magic in-game. Are there other types of magic (elemental, healing/spirit, etc) that you think he would gravitate toward?" // Sylvia: "Hrm. He does have a bit of healing magic, mechanically in combat. It coudl work, but somehow I don't think Emmrich would ever be a high-level healer. He could maybe get the basics but it's not his great gift. Something about the gravic magic of the force mage specialty feels appropriate though." [source]

Sylvia: "I'm so glad you liked meeting and getting to know our necromancer. (Huge props to our cinematic and audio team on that garden scene, it was incredible seeing it come in finished for the first time.)" [source]

Allegra Clark: "I just wanted to say that I miss you so much and I’m so excited for whatever comes next in your career. Josephine means so much to me and I’ve fallen utterly in love with Emmrich (how dare you, he’s perfect). Thank you for trusting me with your child over a decade ago ❤️" [source] // Sylvia: "Allegra! Thank you so much! I'm so excited you've been digging our gentleman necromancer. I hope you've been seeing people ping me about their love of Josephine. I heard someone very good did her voice.. Thank YOU for embodying her so quickly and completely!" [source, two]

User: "how was Emmrich doing when Rook was trapped in the Fade?" // Sylvia: "Probably very poorly! Poor man would've been incredibly anxious and working all hours towards a solution." [source]

User: "So i asked you before what music emmrich does like but um is there any music he hates I feel like he'd die if someone took him to a death metal concert XD" // Sylvia: "I think that's a good one to pick, lol. "It's all just noise!"" [source]

User: "Did Emmrich teach (or at least attempt to teach) Manfred how to read?" // Sylvia: "I think that was beyond his skillset, beforehand; Manfred could be taught to recognize objects, but the abstraction of reading was one step too much at that point." [source]

User: "Do Mourn Watchers undergo a Harrowing?" // Sylvia: "They do! You may've missed it but there's a MWer in the Necropolis who mentions MW Harrowings if you go by them. (The MW has had to suspend theirs because chaos in the Fade.) But that's a temporary suspension, probably resolved by the time the credits roll. In general: I figure that if you're a mage who underwent a harrowing in some other circle, that stands, but that the MW would also perform harrowings for students they took in early. Also: not a silly question! It doesn't really come up with the MW except that one ambient line, and it's very easy to miss." [source, two, three]

User: "Doing a 3rd MW playthrough after not playing one for a couple of months feels like coming home again" // Sylvia: "That's some commitment to the dead! The Mourn Watch approve." [source]

User: "if two mourn watchers were to share a piece of grave dowry between them, that's grounds for a serious relationship?" // Sylvia: "You mean like each one having the half of a necklace, or having the same bit of gold made into matching rings? Or swapping jewelry? Either way, what a nice idea. It could be!" [source]

Sylvia: "Emmrichwas very much the work of the team, including some very good feedback early on from the other writers and editors." [source]

Sylvia: "The team and I were also super excited to get to explore the Necropolis. It was an honour to open up the tombs to everyone." [source]

User: "Emmerich's particular respect for trans characters was extremely enticing to me." // Sylvia: "Thanks, I'm glad he resonated. (Some trans colleagues kindly spent the time to give me some feedback on the wording of the lines, which I think made them way better.)" [source]

User: "Emmrich is so amazing" // Sylvia: "Thank you again, that is incredible to hear. (And I want to mention, only possible with the team; they helped improve the story every step.)" [source]

Sylvia: Tevinter Nights "was a fun collection to work on" [source]

User: "Does lich Emmrich feel anything when Rook kisses him or touches him?" // Sylvia: "yeah, I don't think he's "numb" so to speak, he can sense a touch (with his new powers from beyond the graaaaaave 🪦💀🌹)" [source]

User: "about Emmrich so i know he's into flowers and botany but is he into plant meanings and symbolism" // Sylvia: "I think he is - Emmrich mentions some flowers that are "famed in verse and song", I think he'd enjoy reading up on the cultural importance and symbolism layered on to them." [source]

User: "Obv the game mechanics require Rook to make the choice but would a romanced Emmrich choose to become a Lich if the choice was in his hands? Would he abandon his dream for love?" // Sylvia: "I must refuse to answer on the grounds that it's too melancholy to contemplate. ;_;" [source]

User: "On the dinner date in the Necropolis I loved how Emmrich felt philosophical, it was so relatable, especially when he talked about the connection to something finer than we are. It was magical!" // Sylvia: "I'm really pleased that last part of the dinner date, resonated with you, I was trying really hard to get a certain feeling across." [source]

User: "What month do you think Emmrich was born in? I really wanna know what my guy's zodiac sign is" // Sylvia: "I don't know anything about zodiac stuff but weirdly, I do have a range, for some reason I always thought it'd be January or February." [source]

User: "1. How does Emmrich feel about children, both in general and possibly having them? 2. Would Emmrich be into gift-giving?" // Sylvia: "1. In general, he likes kids okay, and tries to be kind, but his students are mostly older so he doesn't really chat with many. Regarding having them, if circumstances aligned so that was the case, I think he'd be excited if maybe a little overwhelmed by the thought. 2. I think so! Not overbearing about it, but he would like to show some tokens of affection at appropriate times. (There's no way he's not delighted to get gifts.)" [source, two]

User: A more recent one but thanks to Sylvia Feketekuty it was the whole arc with Emmrich and his fear of dying because it's something I often experience myself and I don't think it's ever been addressed in a video game before and it was done so well in DA:TV too." // Sylvia: "Thank you so much! It means a lot to me too, to hear that it resonated with you." [source]

Sylvia: [Emmrich] "was the work of many other devs we're toasting here too, everyone working on Emmrich and the Mourn Watch went fully in." [source]

User: "I've wanted to thank you for all your work on DA. Emmrich, Manfred, and the Necropolis kept me going through some rough months. I was delighted to learn that you wrote Josephine too. I hope to see more of your work in the future. You're an amazing writer." // Sylvia: "Thank you, Kobra! And I'm very glad that meeting Emmrich and exploring the necropolis brought you some comfort." [source]

[whenlifegivesticks-blog]

The long overdue, extremely lengthy Heroes in Crisis Review. Put on your reading glasses because this is long. I just want to give a little summary, The entire comic is the definition of disrespecting existing characters as well as real people and their problems. I seen better writing from 13 year old wattpad kids who are just getting started on their writing journey. It's hard for me to believe professional writers wrote this. Now onto the detailed review.

Brain rot enjoyment meter (how much I enjoyed it without actually analyzing it) : 7/10

Actual rating: 3/10

I'll go on with the analysis part by part.

first of all characters: Half of them are out of character and the other half are random characters that dc hasn't used in over a decade, we don't care about. Only to kill them off and it has no impact whatsoever as we don't know who these people are plus bunch of one panel cameos of characters for absolute no reason and adds absolutely nothing to the actual plot or story. For example, Red Devil, Tattooed man, Hotspot (i later recognized him from teen titans). I am pretty young person so I absolutely did not know half the characters. And they didn't introduce or reintroduce in this case any of these characters. We barely know what their issues are or why they are at sanctuary.

All characters are out of character or completely dumbed down. Wally's entire character is massacred and even by the end I barely understood what was up with him. I'll expand on this later.

Batgirl, Barbara was just frustrating and felt really empty. Like she was just there and really didn't seem to add anything to the story. At least as a character she doesn't. She felt more like a plot device.

Batman was just ??? but he wasn't that bad but suffers from same thing as Babs. Felt like he was just there as a plot device and character wise he added nothing whatsoever. We don't even see him investigating properly.

superman was downright foul And made no sense. Ok so you're working on the investigation with Diana and Bruce, so what's with the tension and secrecy??? Like Clark is that really you?

and louis lane was just evil, will be explained later.

Hal Jordan made one of the one panel appearances and that one panel was enough to show that the writer knew absolutely nothing about him. I been reading old GL comics and that one panel was just... wow.

the bat kids made cameos and they just copy pasted dialogue for them with little differences.

The comic is only 9 issues and is short so it just doesn't really show off a lot of personality from characters that aren't Harley or booster. And even then these two were just... not very satisfactory.

Second of all, plot: Made absolutely no sense whatsoever, I read the ending twice and still don't know what happened or what's the message.

obvious spoilers:

So, in a heroes mental institute called sanctuary, everyone was found dead other than Harley Quinn and booster gold. Booster saw Harley kill everyone. Harley saw booster kill everyone. So its a murder mystery.

Except the comic is all over the place and does not give any needed or required context so it doesn't really feel anything. Like it immediately pulls you in with no context whatsoever, with characters you aren't allowed to build a connection with.

There's this ridiculous segment where Harley Quinn defeats the trinity like what???? Harley Quinn defeating superman , wonder woman and batman is impossible. Ya telling me Harley is stronger than darksied??? Better plot armor than batman...

and superman comments saying how Harley is just as good as Bruce... I call BS. The writers really trynna convince us Harley is stronger than batman.

like what?

she went toe to toe with booster gold and I'm like??? even with half his powers, booster gold wipes the floor with Harley.

And here's the thing, Barry Allen thinks booster killed everyone. Ya telling me he chose to believe Harley Quinn a known dangerous criminal over booster gold?? Booster gold isn't even a anti hero. he doesn't kill. Plus someone pointed out to me Booster probably experienced all this after he watched a version of batman kill himself in front of Booster. Which explains Booster talking about how he sees the blood on his visor despite nothing being there.

Barbara helps Harley and takes down blue beetle (whose helping booster) like even she chose the psycho Harley to protect over booster??

what they smoking!

Now if you take actual culprit. it was wally. Now the story shows a pretty okish segment of wally's downward spiral to a mental breakdown. Except it still was more tell than show. And the plot made no sense.

Wally had a mental breakdown because he believed everyone at sanctuary was faking their mental illness to make him feel better. That he alone was the crazy one. So he "hacked" the system in place and found recordings for everyone's sessions and lost control of his powers accidentally killing everyone.

Ok I can believe he accidentally killed everyone. He was insane and not in the right mind.

but then the writers make him make a plan to frame Harley and booster so he can have time to release all the footage he found as a way to do good for the world what??? people anonymous confidential therapy sessions to louis lane as a way to do good in exchange for his murders and framing others. He also time traveled to kill himself and get a body??

Wally has a segment where everyone tells him he's hope or something. Plus him reliving his Titan days. Him using the stupid mask. But I can't make a sense of it. Because mentally ill people are more likely to hurt themselves than others. The comic perpetuates harmful stereotypes even if Wally killed by accident.

worst part is the writer make it a good thing showing bunch of cameo characters who came to therapy because they realized they weren't alone due to the released recordings???

so Wally was insane enough to lose control and kill and yet still manage to make a supervillain ass plan to frame and kill himself. the story's point is lost in this nonsense.

Plus Clark didn't tell Bruce or Diana about louis having the recordings and only told them after releasing them to the public. What happened to patient confidentiality??? Do superheroes not have rights? Clark went on a spiel about being a reporter- So being a reporter means stomping other peoples rights and outing their private info. The time travel nonsense didn't make sense even with my drawn diagrams to make sense of it. So I'm just left confused. The conclusion is this vague shit where its ok to get help and hope something.

third thing the premise: The premise is mental health institute yet, the writer shown they know nothing about mental health Sanctuary isn't run by people. its run by an AI. The place has chambers where heroes can go in and make anything they want. Any scenario. Now imagine mentally ill people with no guidance and just using the chambers for whatever they want. Wally was using it to relive his dead family in fantasy lala land. Lagoon boy was reliving his ptsd again and again and again Gnarrk was the only one who it helped and that's because he wasn't mentally ill in the way wally or lagoon were. He was just lost and used it as a guidance because he already knew his own issues. Yet dc tries to frame the chambers as a helpful thing and heroes are getting better You cant expect me to believe that after watching wally ignore the AI's questions and pretend has back with his family in a fantasy. The comic is an insult to mental health.

Again, we don't know why 90% of the heroes are at sanctuary. They are just killed off after one appearance. Plus, Jason canonically never went to therapy. Roy was killed off for shock factor. Green lantern apparently doesn't know what "WILL" is... Harley Quinn's word is taken more than Boosters-

I have so many more things I could say but if I have to list everything wrong in this comic this review would be longer than my future. I DO NOT recommend this comic. It's trash and save your sanity. Not even the retcon of this comic salvaged it. Over all, The only good thing in this was Harley and booster interactions because it was funny. That's it.

[casscainmainly]

Hi! I've loved reading your thoughts on Cass and other overlooked characters on this blog, it's really opened my eyes and made me want to explore canon more (sadly until recently I was solely into fanon)

I've seen you talk about Steph a lot, and you seem like one of the best people to ask about her. See, I've only ever seen shallow portrayals of her in fanon, and when I've tried looking into canon, I get...mixed portrayals at best. Especially when it comes to her dynamic with Bruce or Tim. And I'll admit I got put off by it.

But since you've already made me excited to learn more about Cass, I figured if you like Steph too, she must have more to her than what I've stumbled onto. So if it's not too much trouble, could you recommend some comics/stories to help someone trying to lose the fanon goggles get to know (and hopefully adore) her?

Hi!! I'm so glad you're diving into comics, it's a wild ride but honestly a lot of fun <333. And Steph is definitely a character with incredible amounts of depth to her. For a full reading list, check out @bitimdrake's reading order (it stops at the New 52 which is a company-wide reboot, for post-N52 stories check out this page and then this one).

Steph's portrayals are often marred by misogyny both in and out of text. Her relationship with Bruce can be off-putting, and sometimes her treatment will be absolutely infuriating. However, all of this makes her super interesting to me - she's a character who refuses to give up, whose tenacity is so strong it even defies real life mandates to erase and belittle her! If you stick with her, you will come out with a character who's so much more than anyone ever thought she'd be.

I'm not a Steph expert by any means, so I'd recommend asking Steph-centric blogs like @a-bad-case-of-the-stephs (whose metas are incredible) because you might get better recommendations from them! But for Steph stories I've personally enjoyed, they are:

Batman: Huntress/Spoiler - Blunt Trauma: After an earthquake, Steph teams up with Huntress to take down some bad guys. This one issue undoes a lot of fanon - it dives into Steph's outlook on life, moral beliefs, and her relationship with her father. Highly recommend!

Batgirl (2000) #26, 28: In Cass' Batgirl run, Steph features as a prominent side character and their relationship is one of my absolute favourites. #26 is a Steph-centric issue where she fills in for Cass, and explores her insecurities in a really fascinating way. #28 is also a Steph highlight, showcasing her perseverance and why Cass is so impressed with her.

Solo (2004) #10: Not sure if it's in-continuity, but Damion Scott (Cass' co-creator) has a super fun story in here about Robin!Steph and Cass. Just really adorable and fun, and one of the best encapsulations of the Steph-Cass dynamic.

Batgirl (2009): Jumping over to Steph's Batgirl run, it does hit better if you've read Robin '93 but honestly it's good either way. Steph has so much personality in this run, it's incredibly fun and shows her humour, resilience, and heart, as well as some of her flaws. Really really worth reading!

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Batgirl: A Bruce-Steph story that may require some context, but it's probably the best Bruce and Steph reconciliation we'll ever get. Very interesting insights into how Bruce and Steph see each other, as well as a really iconic slap.

A general rec for Steph is Robin (1993), which is important for her Spoiler and Robin days (I assume this is the run you've tried though). Detective Comics (2016) is not really the best Steph portrayal, but it's far from the worst and has a really nice one panel about Robin!Steph.

I hope this helps!! Steph is an amazing character who deserves a lot more from both fandom and DC, so any interest in her is greatly appreciated :))).

[serapharua]

୨୧ 一 &TEAM REACTING TO YOU MAKING DOE/PUPPY EYES AT THEM . . !

&team ot9 — GENRE : imagines headcanon fluff — PAIRING : gn.reader — WARNING : none — REQUESTED : yes. ☆ — &t masterlist

K :

K wasn’t one to be easily swayed, and you knew it. He was calm, logical, and not one to give in to whims without solid reasoning. But that didn’t stop you from trying. You’d asked him for something—nothing too unreasonable—but his initial answer had been a firm, “No.”

That’s when you pulled out your secret weapon: the doe eyes.

You tilted your head slightly, gazing up at him with wide, pleading eyes and just the tiniest pout for good measure. At first, K didn’t even look at you, sensing your tactic. “Don’t,” he warned, his voice even but with a hint of amusement.

“I don’t know what you mean,” you replied innocently, holding the expression.

He glanced at you out of the corner of his eye, and the way he paused gave you hope. “That’s not going to work on me,” he said, arms crossing in defiance.

You held firm, blinking slowly and tilting your head again for added effect.

K let out a long sigh, his hand moving up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “You’re so persistent,” he muttered, but the small upward tug at the corner of his lips gave him away.

“Does that mean yes?” you asked, barely holding back a triumphant smile.

K shook his head, finally meeting your gaze with a soft chuckle. “Fine. But only this once,” he said, his tone exasperated but affectionate.

“Only this once, huh?” you teased, knowing full well you’d won.

“You know I can’t say no to you when you do that,” he admitted, his voice quiet as he reached out to gently ruffle your hair. “But don’t think you can win every time.”

Spoiler: You probably could.

FUMA :

Fuma was confident, grounded, and not someone who caved easily. He liked to think he had a strong will, but when it came to you, things were… complicated.

You had asked him for a favor—not a big one, but he’d said no anyway, claiming it wasn’t practical. You could’ve argued your case logically, but where was the fun in that? Instead, you went straight for your secret weapon: doe eyes.

Fuma barely glanced at you at first, already sensing what you were up to. “Don’t even try it,” he said, his tone flat but amused.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you replied sweetly, your eyes wide and innocent.

He let out a laugh through his nose, shaking his head. “You think I’m going to fall for that?”

You leaned in slightly, blinking up at him like some adorable creature who’d just lost their way in the forest. “Please, Fuma?” you said softly, drawing out the last word just enough.

He froze for a moment, his eyes flickering to meet yours, and you caught the slight waver in his expression. “You’re so unfair,” he muttered, trying to sound exasperated, though the corners of his mouth twitched.

“Does that mean yes?” you asked, your tone hopeful.

Fuma sighed dramatically, resting his hands on his hips as he gave you a mock glare. “Fine. But only because you’re too cute for your own good,” he relented, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe himself.

You grinned triumphantly, clapping your hands together in victory. “Thank you, Fuma! You’re the best!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled, though he reached out to pinch your cheek gently. “You owe me for this.”

“Anything you want,” you replied cheerfully, knowing full well he could never stay mad at you, especially when you used your secret weapon.

NICHOLAS :

Nicholas liked to think he was immune to your antics. But when you wanted something—really wanted something—you had a way of softening his edges that made him question just how much self-control he actually had.

It started innocently enough: you asking him for a favor, nothing out of the ordinary. But when he jokingly told you no, you turned to face him, head tilted slightly as you gave him the most heartbreakingly sweet expression he’d ever seen.

“Please, Nicholas?” you said, your voice soft, eyes wide with that doe-eyed look you knew he couldn’t resist.

He blinked, clearly caught off guard, and then let out a dry laugh. “Are you serious right now?”

You said nothing, just blinked up at him a few more times, letting the silence work in your favor.

Nicholas leaned back, narrowing his eyes at you as if he could will himself not to give in. “That’s not going to work,” he said firmly, though the small smile creeping onto his face betrayed him.

“Oh?” you replied, stepping closer, still holding the look.

“Don’t even think about—”

But you did. You clasped your hands together, tilting your head just slightly to add an extra layer of cuteness to the effect.

Nicholas groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. “I hate this. You’re being ridiculous.”

“I’m being strategic,” you corrected, your lips twitching with amusement.

He sighed, dropping his head in defeat. “Fine. You win. What is it? What do you want?”

Your smile grew impossibly wide as you told him, and he rolled his eyes, though there was a warmth in his expression that said he didn’t really mind.

“You know, this is emotional warfare,” he muttered, grabbing his jacket as he moved to follow through with your request.

“Maybe,” you teased, wrapping your arms around his waist in a quick hug. “But it worked.”

Nicholas let out a soft laugh, shaking his head as he pulled you closer. “You’re too dangerous,” he said, kissing the top of your head. “But I guess I don’t mind losing to you.”

EJ :

EJ had always prided himself on being level-headed and practical. He liked to think he wasn’t the type to be easily influenced—until you came along and completely ruined that idea.

When you’d asked him for a favor, he initially said no, not because he didn’t want to help but because he genuinely thought it wasn’t the best idea. But you weren’t about to give up so easily.

Instead, you took a step closer, tilted your head slightly, and gave him your best doe-eyed look. EJ noticed instantly, freezing mid-sentence. “What… what are you doing?” he asked, his voice soft and unsure.

“Doing what?” you replied innocently, blinking up at him with wide eyes.

He let out a short laugh, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Don’t look at me like that,” he said, his voice almost pleading.

“Like what?” you pressed, your tone sweet and unassuming, though you knew exactly what you were doing.

EJ’s cheeks turned a faint shade of pink as he avoided your gaze, trying to keep his composure. “You’re not playing fair,” he muttered, glancing at you for half a second before looking away again.

“So… is that a yes?” you asked, leaning in just a little closer.

He let out a long, defeated sigh before finally meeting your gaze again. “How am I supposed to say no when you look at me like that?” he said, his voice soft and full of affection.

You beamed, clapping your hands together excitedly. “Thank you, Euijoo! You’re the best!”

He chuckled, shaking his head as a small, shy smile crept onto his lips. “You know you’re dangerous, right?” he said, reaching out to lightly poke your forehead.

“Dangerously cute?” you teased, earning a laugh from him.

“Yeah, let’s go with that,” he said, his eyes warm as they lingered on yours for a moment. “But don’t think this’ll work every time.”

You both knew it absolutely would.

YUMA :

Yuma didn’t think he could ever be someone who got flustered easily. He was calm, rational, and good at holding his ground—until you came along with those ridiculously persuasive puppy-dog eyes. The first time it happened, he thought it was a fluke. But now, it was an undeniable weakness.

He was seated at the dining table, flipping through a book on choreography concepts when you walked over and sat beside him. You didn’t say anything at first, just waited until he glanced up, curiosity flickering in his expression. That’s when you made your move.

“Yuma,” you said, your tone sweet and almost hesitant. “I was thinking… maybe we could go for a walk? It’s such a nice day outside.”

Yuma tilted his head slightly, looking at the sunlight streaming through the window. “A walk?” he echoed. “I mean… maybe later? I still have—”

You didn’t even let him finish. Your eyes went wide, lips softly pouting, your entire expression radiating innocence and longing. “But it’s the perfect weather… and it’d be so much better if we went together.”

He blinked. Once. Twice. His hand hovered over his book, frozen mid-turn.

“Are you—” He paused, narrowing his eyes. “You’re doing that thing again, aren’t you?”

“What thing?” you asked, your voice soft and oh-so-innocent.

He leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply as if he were trying to resist. “That look. You know exactly what you’re doing. It’s unfair.”

You smiled, resting your chin on your hand as you leaned closer. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Yuma. It’s just me asking nicely.”

Yuma gave you a flat look but closed the book anyway, standing up and stretching. “Fine, let’s go,” he said, grabbing his jacket.

“Really?” You lit up immediately, practically bouncing in excitement.

“Yeah, really,” he replied with a small laugh. “But next time, don’t think I’m letting you win that easily.”

You beamed at him, taking his hand as you walked to the door. “I don’t know what you mean. You’re just too sweet.”

He rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips. “Sweet? Or weak when it comes to you?”

“Both,” you teased, squeezing his hand.

“Yeah, I thought so,” he muttered, shaking his head. But the way he looked at you—the faintest trace of a smirk on his lips—was enough to tell you he didn’t mind at all.

JO :

He was sitting on the couch, listening to music with his headphones on, when you appeared in front of him, arms folded loosely and a small pout on your lips. Without saying a word, you stared at him with those big eyes that seemed to carry so much unspoken affection.

Jo immediately paused his music, pulling one earbud out as he raised an eyebrow. “What’s with the look?”

You tilted your head slightly, your lips parting in a small, almost mischievous smile. “What look?” you asked, feigning innocence, though your eyes gave you away instantly. “I was just wondering if we could… do something fun today?”

He crossed his arms, trying to appear unaffected. “We could do anything, just say it.”

But you didn’t immediately speak. Instead, you let the silence stretch just long enough, making sure you had his full attention. When you finally spoke again, it was in a sweet, soft voice. “Maybe we could go out for ice cream? You know, just the two of us?”

Jo’s eyes narrowed slightly as if weighing the options, his mouth twitching into a smile despite his efforts to stay composed. “You really think you can get me with that face?”

You shrugged, leaning in just a little closer, lowering your lashes in the most endearing way. “I dunno… I think I’ve got a pretty good chance.”

He couldn’t hold back the chuckle that escaped him. “You’re ridiculous.”

“You’re not saying no, though,” you quipped, your eyes lighting up as he slowly stood up, hands in his pockets.

“Fine, you win.” He smiled, shaking his head as he reached for his jacket. “But you owe me one. No more puppy eyes for a month.”

“Deal!” you cheered, grinning from ear to ear.

Jo rolled his eyes, but the warmth behind his smile couldn’t be hidden. “You’re lucky I can’t say no to you.”

HARUA :

Harua, being the soft-hearted and empathetic type, was always a little more sensitive to your emotional cues. He was used to being the one to cheer people up, to offer comfort when it was needed, so when you gave him those puppy eyes, he found it incredibly hard to resist.

You were sitting next to him, your hand resting on your lap when you suddenly turned to him, big eyes staring up at him like a puppy looking for attention. Your lips curled into a subtle pout as you waited for him to notice, knowing full well it would make him weak.

Harua blinked, clearly caught off guard. He cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly on the couch as he avoided your gaze. “U-uh, what’s going on? You alright?”

You didn’t say anything, just leaned in a little closer, blinking slowly and staring up at him with exaggerated innocence, knowing that he’d struggle to keep a straight face.

He gulped, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to focus on anything else but you. “Y-you’re doing that thing again…”

“What thing?” you asked sweetly, your voice soft and angelic, your puppy eyes never leaving him.

Harua let out a nervous laugh, clearly fighting his inner battle. “You know what I mean. You’re making that face.” He glanced at you, his face starting to turn a shade of pink. “Why are you using that on me?”

“I’m not using anything on you,” you replied innocently, your smile growing as you watched his struggle. “I just thought it’d be nice if we did something together today… like go for a walk, maybe grab some coffee?”

He hesitated, trying to hold back the smile tugging at his lips. “You’re… you’re so sneaky.”

You leaned a bit closer, keeping your eyes wide and sweet, and that was all it took. Harua let out a soft sigh and reached for his phone. “Fine, fine. But only because you’re too cute to say no to,” he mumbled, unable to fight the growing smile on his face. “You really have me wrapped around your finger, don’t you?”

You grinned, pleased with the victory, and Harua couldn’t help but chuckle as he shook his head. “I’ll never get used to how easily you get your way with me.”

“Is that a bad thing?” you teased.

“Not at all,” he said, his voice soft but warm, as he took your hand. “Let’s go, you silly thing. But no more puppy eyes until tomorrow, okay?”

You giggled, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, making his heart flutter in his chest. “Deal!”

TAKI :

Taki had always been the playful and cheeky type, but when it came to you, he couldn’t help but be a little softer. He loved teasing you, and in return, you knew exactly how to get under his skin.

You were sitting together on the couch, quietly talking when you decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. You turned your head toward him and, without a word, widened your eyes, tilting your head slightly to the side. Your lips were pursed just enough to make you look like you were trying to hold back a pout, but it was clear to him that you were playing your usual game.

At first, Taki didn’t respond. He simply raised an eyebrow and continued scrolling through his phone, pretending not to notice. But he knew, of course, that you were trying to pull the puppy eyes on him.

You repeated your tactic, this time making your eyes even bigger and drawing out your pout, hoping he’d cave. You didn’t say anything; your silence was all you needed.

He finally sighed dramatically, putting down his phone and giving you an exaggerated look. “Are you really doing this right now?” he asked, his voice full of mock disbelief.

You just blinked at him, your eyes still wide, and waited for him to crack.

Taki stared at you for a moment, trying to maintain his composure. He shook his head. “You know I’m not going to give in to that, right?”

But you didn’t say a word. You just continued to stare up at him with that sweet, innocent expression. It was impossible for him to focus on anything else.

His resolve faltered, and a soft laugh slipped from his lips. “Ugh, fine,” he muttered, defeated. “You win again. What do you want?”

You broke into a big grin, your eyes shining with triumph. “I was thinking maybe you could help me with something in the kitchen? You know, I can’t quite reach the top shelf…”

Taki looked at you, still smirking, though there was a softness in his eyes now. “You’re lucky I’m whipped for you,” he said, standing up and stretching his arms. “Alright, let’s go, before you start giving me those eyes again.”

You followed him into the kitchen, feeling accomplished as he grumbled under his breath but still helping you with everything you asked. You were sure he’d never admit it, but he kind of liked it when you used those puppy eyes on him. Maybe it was a little unfair, but you knew exactly how to make him melt.

MAKI :

You had figured out a little trick: making doe eyes at him when you wanted something. At first, Maki had laughed it off, convinced he wouldn’t be affected. But as time went on, he realized that whenever you did that, it was hard to focus on anything else.

So, you sat next to him on the couch one evening, quietly chatting about nothing in particular. You were getting close to asking for his help with something, but you decided to have a little fun first.

You turned toward him, your eyes suddenly wide and full of innocence, a subtle pout forming on your lips as you gazed up at him. You didn’t say anything. You just stared at him, holding the gaze with an almost puppy-like gaze.

Maki, ever the observant one, immediately noticed the change. He raised an eyebrow, glancing at you for a second before looking away, pretending not to notice. “What’s that look for?” he asked, trying to stay casual.

You didn’t respond, just continuing to gaze at him with your doe eyes, and this time, you added a little tilt of your head, just enough to make it even more convincing.

He sighed, closing his eyes in mock frustration. “Come on, you can’t be serious right now.” He glanced back at you, trying not to smile. “What do you want?”

You leaned in closer, eyes still locked on him. “Well… I was thinking maybe you could help me with that thing we talked about earlier,” you said softly, your voice just the right amount of sweet.

Maki rolled his eyes, but you could see the corners of his mouth twitching upward. He tried to hold back his smile, but it was clear that the puppy eyes were working their magic. “You’re unbelievable,” he muttered, shaking his head as he reached for his phone. “Fine, what is it? I swear, you know how to get me every time.”

You grinned triumphantly, leaning against him. “Thanks, Maki. You’re the best.”

Maki let out a dramatic sigh, but his grin didn’t quite hide his affection. “I’m only doing this because you’re lucky I’m whipped for you,” he teased, a little more fondly than he intended.

“You’re not fooling anyone,” you said, playfully nudging him. “I know I’ve got you wrapped around my finger.”

He smirked at you, finally giving in fully. “Yeah, yeah, don’t get used to it,” he said, even though it was clear he didn’t mind helping you out one bit.

It wasn’t about the task at hand. It was about the way you knew how to get to him, and that was something Maki would never admit was his weakness.

Word count : 3274 | serapharua, 2025.

[ramblingandpie]

HOKAY SO On the "Pie watches DS9 for the first time" tour, tonight I'm going to ramble about something that's been in my head since I watched it, just, stuff percolating.

Major spoilers for season 3 episode 13, "Life Support," under the cut.

So part of the reason I am loving DS9 is Julian Bashir. They really did say like "Ok take some of Pie's favorite tropes and also favorite areas of academia and roll them up into one (1) repressed twink." And I love that for me.

So for those who don't know me IRL or, like, well over the internet, I fucking love bioethics. It is my jam. One of my biggest regrets in life is that I didn't even know that "clinical bioethicist" is a job that some people can do until I was in my mid-30's and I don't have enough formal philosophy training to get into a good bioethics grad program. I am an attorney and I work in healthcare regulation, which is close enough, I guess. I've written huge research projects about the history of the eugenics movement on aspects of modern health law. I'm also an MPH student. If I win the lottery and can then not worry about money but just do what I love, that's probably what I'd go back to school for. So, like, when I say that bioethics is my jam, I also am not just being an armchair philosopher. Am I the level of a clinical bioethicist? No. Have I done full bioethics consult simulations? Yes.

And, yes, I do have some spoilers for Dr. Bashir And Bioethics And Maybe Why He Cares So Much About Patient Autonomy and hot damn they really did take my favorite tropes.

AND HO BOY did this episode give me a lot to chew on.

Basically, there are 4 "pillars" of clicial bioethics. Patient autonomy, beneficience (the benefits of treatment), nonmaleficience (do no harm), and justice (what's right for everyone involved [not just, like, patient family, but also things like medical supply rationing]). Patient autonomy is HUGE and IMPORTANT and the biggest thing is like... allowing patients to make their own choices with as much information as the patient can have, even if that choice is "I don't want to know." Which presents difficulties. BUT here, Bareil was like ok yes doc tell me everything ok yep I'm choosing to take this course of action that means I'll probably die. Because it's important to me and my values. Which. LEGIT.

AND THEN I got worried because my man Bashir was like I have concerns but it's your call, dude. AND THEN HE WAS LIKE HEY WINN I NEED YOU TO LIE TO THE PATIENT????

NO??? Don't lie to the patient, Bashir! I'm so disappointed!

... UNTIL he was like "Because you benefit politically if he dies you're not a neutral informant so fuck you." And then I was like OH SNAP!!!! Because! One of the ultimate goals is to try to distill what the PATIENT wants, not what the folks around them (who might have ulterior motives) want!!!! So ok yes in that case you might be like "Hey I need you to balance what you did by doing this other thing so that the patient can look at the situation as a whole without a third party trying to get something out of THE PATIENT'S DEATH."

So basically that episode was like crack to me THE END.

[lordofthenecropolis]

Veilguard spoilers btw (cut it just in case)

The soul isn't really a spirit, though they do sometimes call it a spirit. I think more so because the soul is the "spirit" of a mortal being, whereas a spirit is a being of the Fade. Spirits cannot create things on their own, they exist because mortals exist and that gives them purpose/identity in return- if possible unreliable narration on the faith with the Maker is to be believed. But it is also supported in why the Fade looks the way it does, and behaves the way it does. Since it is separate from the mortal world, it can only be shaped by mortals through dreams, emotions, etc. This is kinda how magic in DA works too, but that's another tangent.

A spirit is a reflection usually of an emotion or idea. Weaker spirits are wisps and aren't more than just impulses, and stronger spirits can be of locations (genius loci).

A soul is the essence of a living being. What makes a person a person, I suppose.

I can't remember where the conversation is from but to further support the above, someone (Emmrich...?) talks about a soul and a spirit being two different things as well. That a mage would never confuse the two.

Rolling back to my Lichdom being a process of turning a soul into a spirit.

The idea started with the statement of a soul once it has left the body is gone completely. If the soul stays in the body, it can be them coming back to life but the logistics of that seems to be equivalent to how revival works in real life. Nevarran's believe that once the soul leaves the body it travels through the Fade and displaces a spirit, which is why they leave the bodies and prepare them for spirits to possess. Only a spirit can enter the body of the deceased. Canonically, Liches are a nightmare unless you apply the spirit concept to them.

Emmrich, as we can observe, does not change as a person. He is truly him, and yet there is still subtle differences. He sees a lot more of the Fade, his magic's signature has changed (Neve's comment). There's not really any major hints except that he seems a little more emotional, and a lot less able to hide those emotions. My only resource on this is the difference between the argument scenes and the after-Fade-prison romance scene.

So... Since a mortal's soul cannot return to the body once it has left (and it's inferred that Emmrich's soul very likely left the body given the language used to describe the event before and after) and considering Emmrich's now closer relationship to the Fade and Spirits... I concluded that Emmrich is now more spirit-like.

This was also my "I want to fix a probable plot hole" that the game may be retconning the Cardinal Rules of Magic that the devs followed for the other games.

Finally, life is finite. A truly great healer may bring someone back from the very precipice of death, when breath and heartbeat have ceased but the spirit still clings to life. But once the spirit has fled the body, it cannot be recalled. That is no failing of your skills or power, it is simple reality.

Here "spirit" is being used for both soul and spirit alike. Once a spirit is removed from the body it has been placed in, it returns to the Fade in a similar manner that a soul does. Thus also why Manfred cannot be revived. The fact that he can be is almost equally lore breaking, but it's been established at least that a strong spirit may survive being ethered as long as they are remembered...? idk that side of things still confuses me.

Is Lichdom a transcendence of the soul into a complex spirit?

Because the need for so many rituals and final sifting of the soul/judgement makes sense if someone were trying to change their person into such a being.

Thematically it fits too, contrasting sharply with the Evanuris going from spirit to person...

I know there's probably not enough information on this to say for sure, but I'm rolling with this for headcanon now.

[vivenecii]

I had some fun with the basic Studio Pen brush, therefore the linear is bolder than usual

[peskytimes]

this is gonna be wl session 3 /j

original under the cut

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Unsolved Mysteries.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[lucabyte]

Hmmm just gonna spit this headcanon out in text post form since A. I don't think I could exposit it well enough in image form and B. It's not actually textually/thematically substantiated and I don't like actually staking my stuff on just vibes alone*

But anyway. I'd say it's pretty evident that all the islanders forgot their names, right? King obviously. Because why the hell else would he do that, but also Siffrin No Middle Names No Last Name.

They're 'pretty sure' they've 'always' been 'Just Siffrin' 'as long as they can remember'. It's a pretty cruel twist of the knife to say that they don't even get to keep their birth name as a memento, which is why I'm saying as such.

My utterly unsubstantiated claim is I think it'd be cute to say that Sisyphus *is* the name Siffrin initially picked, assuming the myth of King Sisyphus is recontextualised as idk, just a play or something in the setting. But I like the idea of Siffrin going 'oh shit 🫵 he's just like me fr' at a tortured fictional character long before the irony kicks in.

As for how Sisyphus -> Siffrin. I think that chronic mumbler and emotional doormat Sif just did not correct people who misheard the name during their time travelling, and went through enough places with incompatible phonologies (pronounceable sounds in the language) without ever really writing it down that it just got kinda. Changed until it was unrecognisable, and Siffrin just went with it until the earlier pronunciations slipped out of their swiss-cheese brain. And they just kinda don't remember any of that.

Also, something something the horrid realisation that Siffrin also named themselves after a King. Just not as blatantly.

*(though I think there's something here about Siffrin, a guy from a belief system that seems to thoroughly disincentivise autonomy and self-motivated choice continuously having their hand forced to make changes/choices they don't want but have no choice but to... It's not solid enough to really back this up tbh, but it informs it.)

Anyway.

[crystalartsandanimation]

I know Alan said this was a temporary ad, but imagine if this ending bit was actually included in the original video

It would be the biggest mood whiplash ever after 20 minutes of an extreme emotional rollercoaster ride ☠️☠️☠️☠️

[cowardlykrow]

"That is where you are wrong, my boy!"

@ratb4stard3 and I deliver another Cowardlyghostbro's(™) collab ✨💛

[katagawajr]

BORDERLANDS 4- the lore so far

a post compiling all the tidbits from the trailers/descriptions, about everything we know about the story (so far).

wanted to make this post because i may be borderlands' biggest hater, but this new stuff looks really intriguing so far! call me optimistic but i'm definitely interested for now...

(speculation/theorizing involved here. i'm not actually 100% knowledgeable on all the lore but this is just what i'm gathering from it. if it turns out to be true then i called it here first <3)

so here's the timeline we know so far:

-> At the end of Borderlands 3, Elpis is crashing into Pandora. To save everyone (on both places), Lilith flies up and teleports Elpis away. Presumably, just like Sanctuary in BL2, she can't exactly control where it goes.

-> Where it happens to go is the planet of Kairos: a planet hidden in space- it's insinuated that the "protective barrier" surrounding the planet (made of glass?) turned it invisible. Or at least undetectable.

-> This "revealed" Kairos to the universe. Elpis presumably has been pulled in and is now orbiting Kairos.

-> Kairos is currently being controlled by "The Timekeeper." The Timekeeper is not a PERSON, but rather an Eridian Guardian. AKA... A Vault Monster.

-> This is explicitly stated in one of Nyriad's diary entries from BL3. She mentions the Timekeeper by name as an "Eridian Creation," in the likes of Graveward (BL3) and the Traveller (TFTBL). It's also obvious by the images above that it isn't Human- it has robotic limbs, floats, and seemingly harnesses/is connected to the Vault Gate behind it.

-> The Timekeeper is described as a dictator obsessed with Perfect Order, furthering the idea that this hidden planet was in a perfect state of "Order," with only the Timekeeper + its "synthetic" army. Remnants of whatever Eridian Society created it, and hid it away, for whatever reason.

-> Elpis crashing into Kairos, and breaking the barrier, has enraged the Timekeeper, who's planet is now visible to the galaxy. And a big hole in the ceiling of it's house. Damn.

-> It's confirmed there's a few years' time-skip between the crashing of Elpis and the start of the game. The SCAVS of Elpis (and bandits of Pandora most likely, however they hitched a ride) have now made their way to the surface of Kairos and are causing mayhem. They seem way more mechanical in nature than the last time we saw Elpis, but similar vibes. Very tech-y, robotic, etc. -> These bandits become their own faction known as "The Rippers," and their leader is a robot lady named Callis.

-> Queen Callis is shown in the trailer to ALSO be not human (robot? something else? Kairos's influence, or Elpis tech? who knows.) But apparently she also has the power to control the bandits, through their masks. She puts the masks on them and their eyes turn red, matching hers. So it's possible she's just mind controlling every bandit.

-> Anyways, it's a "robo-bandit" VS. "synthetic Eridian" civil war deal. The Timekeeper appears to be attempting to subjugate the entire planet again, especially based on all the "break free" wording of the teaser descriptions. Whether you're fighting WITH Callis's army or just as a third party, it appears the Vault Hunters are from Elpis (or, were on Elpis when it got yoinked at the very least). And they're trying to escape this planet. -> The last description does mention "cast of characters, new AND old," so it remains to be seen in what capacity old characters are involved. It IS a time-skip, so maybe Sanctuary finally tracked down Lilith's whereabouts and she's stranded on Elpis. Maybe Ava is an adult now and leading the Crimson Raiders. Maybe the whole "Timekeeper" business means there will be timeline fuckery- pulling alternate timeline versions of old characters, bringing back dead ones, who knows.

-> (I'M PERSONALLY INCLINED TO BELIEVE that Sasha and Fiona will also play a role in this game? Because New Tales called specific attention to Sasha being in a different part of the galaxy unable to be found (hidden planet? wink wink?), and Fiona's talk of Sasha's anahatium pocketwatch, with the etched phrase "TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS.")

-> (Who knows if that is true, or what that really means. Just speculation here. I miss Sasha and Fiona, and they've been hyped up with BL3 Echoes, New Tales stuff, and even their own book. Give us the two best Borderlands characters back please.)

-> Last thing as an aside, it DOES show that we will be getting a Siren VH again. So she either needs to have Steele's unknown power, the Leech power, or some secret third thing. Maybe she isn't a real siren at all. The device on her arm could either be a way to REPLICATE a siren's power (like Anu, making her a "fake siren") or possibly as a way to enhance/contain the Leech power, like Tyreen alludes to in BL3. Interested to find out.

TLDR: we're finally getting the Eridian War plotline! They didn't forget guys! AND it directly involves Elpis, like the game where we first learned about the Eridian War!

Synthetic "Eridian" army led by a Vault Guardian/Monster, THE TIMEKEEPER, vs. the robotic bandit army, the Rippers, led by QUEEN CALLIS. Time-skip again (intrigued to see how long this time. It's canonically been at LEAST two years since BL3.) New + Old characters. New Eridian planet, like Nekrotafeyo. 4 New VH's, either FROM Elpis, or wayward travelers who accidentally crashed onto Kairos.

“Early 2025” gameplay reveal, unspecified 2025 release date.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Something something about Eddie learning Buck will be there for him off the job, even without Chris being in the equation.

Something something about that being an important realisation for him to finally make because he’s always hidden behind his son when it comes to Buck (and his love life more generally - even Shannon in reality was for Chris not himself) but he won’t be able to this time.

Something something about that realisation being the key to giving himself permission to examine his heart and feel his true feelings.

[wishesofeternity]

I find it so very convenient that Nettles’ appalling erasure in HOTD S2 means that the showrunners probably won’t have to confront the fact that Rhaenyra – who they have textually glorified as divinely ordained to rule and the 'rightful' heir to the throne – was canonically a racist, entitled piece of shit who tried to sabotage and murder her own ally purely out of spite and jealousy.