#while the whole time its never strayed from its purpose

[catgirl-or-furry]

Working on a writing project where one aspect is Twitch chat and I'd like someone who spends more time on Twitch than me to verify how acceptable my fake Twitch chat comments are and if there's anything I should add or subtract.

Context for why chat is saying these: first character mentions they watch mcyt including QSMP, SDMP, and TFCS, later gives subpar advice on flood safety. Classic adhd streamer bouncing between random subjects and not answering questions like "what is TFCS?" Because the topic shifted already (TFCS is just random letters) and none of that actually matters to the story its just setting the scene.

[ellastone-olsen]

Fucked my way up to the top - Wanda Maximoff

DO NOT COPY ANY OF MY WORKS. MINORS DNI 18+ ONLY

Summary: You just got your first job in your life and suspiciously quickly became an assistant to the director of the company. Where's the catch?

Pairing: ceo!Wanda Maximoff × f!reader

Warnings: NSFW, dom!Wanda, sub!reader, age gap (W34 R21), mommy kink, strap on usage (W), blow job (R), pet names

DISCLAIMER: ENGLISH ISN'T MY FIRST LANGUAGE SORRY FOR GRAMMAR OR SPELLING MISTAKES

Word count: 1.2k

AN: inspired by lana del rey i really love that song

You just graduated from a college you didn't even want to go to. Wrong college, wrong specialty, but as a result, very much the right job. After one day you began to believe in fate and that this entire chain of events in your life was a blessing from above. After all if it weren’t for the strong nature of your parents who sent you to study, you would never have met Wanda.

At some point, you thought that you would never find a job in your specialty until you saw the ideal vacancy: the salary, the location of the office, the schedule, the educational requirements, everything suited you. There definitely had to be a catch somewhere. And it definitely was.

“No, put it in its place, I don’t need these papers and coffee right now. I have a meeting Y/N, why answer me i need coffee? Just think for once with your pretty little head.” That catch was your boss, Wanda Maximoff. That's what you thought at first.

You trotted behind her on the way to the conference room; in general, the very fact that the director of the company took you on as her personal assistant was already a great success. Some worked in one place for years and remained as an office clerk. And then Wanda Maximoff took you to bring her coffee, not the hardest job, especially for the money that you were paid.

When you entered the room, the hall was empty. One characteristic feature of your boss was excessive punctuality, you realized this in your first week of work. You took your place at the head of the table next to her when you felt manicured hands rest on your shoulders, stroking them. That was the second thing about Wanda Maximoff, she loved to touch you, a lot. Sometimes she would tuck a stray strand behind your ear, sometimes she would stroke your thigh; in general, such touches from her were nothing new. If you said you didn't enjoy it, you'd be lying. Wet dreams with her began to visit you in the third week of work.

And now, from her touch, you could feel your core throbbing. To your great regret, at that moment the conference room began to fill with people. As important and powerful as Wanda. To be honest, you didn’t understand that such a small employee like you was even doing here.

The meeting lasted about an hour and during this time you could feel with your whole being how tense your boss was. Everything was definitely not going the way she wanted; one of the men opposite was already starting to scream, unable to prove that he was right. The deal was on the verge of failure. “Okay gentlemen, I think that’s enough for today. We’ll continue tomorrow.” Wanda could not stand it and marked the end of this meeting.

When the hall was empty, the woman sat down in a chair with her legs spread, a sigh escaped her lips and one hand again lay on your thigh, squeezing it. "Fucking bastards." She muttered and your gaze caught the older woman's pants. She wore an expensive formal suit with a bulge imprinted on the trousers. Your eyes widened, your breath caught in your throat as you wondered what her purpose was..."See something you like?" You jumped at the question, scared that you had been caught. One of Wanda's hands strokes your thigh, moving up closer to your already dripping pussy while the other massages her fake cock through the fabric of her pants. You look at her expressionless face and nod in response to the question.

"On your knees". The chair moves back with a creak, giving you space. You stand in front of her to look into her eyes, darkened with lust, for a second and fall to your knees. Hands immediately reach for her trousers, sorting out the belt and pulling them off along with her underwear. A red strap jumps out in front of your face and you start to get nervous about the size. “I don’t think it will fit..”. You are interrupted by a grip in your hair. "Don't worry baby girl I'll make it fit now suck my cock."

She guides your head towards her length and you curl your tongue around the tip as if she can feel it. You raise your eyes and look at her, and then shut your mouth on her dick, feeling tears gathering in the corners of your eyes. Her palm cups your cheek and her thumb wipes away drops of moisture, “Oh my sweet girl wants to please her mommy so bad.” She helps you by guiding your head up and down her length, your panties are hopelessly ruined and you squirm, looking for some kind of relief. Wanda lifts her hips so that your nose touches her stomach and holds you like that for a few seconds. When your boss lets you go, your makeup is hopelessly ruined and you gasp for air.

"Such a good sweet girl. Do you want mommy to put her dick inside you? Do you want me to stretch you out and fuck you until you forget your name?" You are still kneeling in front of her and a pathetic whine comes out of your mouth, “Please mommy I really need you to fuck me.” Wanda likes your answer and growls, she pulls you to your feet and then bends you over the large office desk. Your cheek is pressed against the cold surface, the older woman has already hiked up your skirt to your waist and is stroking your throbbing pussy through the fabric of your cotton panties.“My, my, you’re already absolutely wet and I haven’t touched you yet. Do you like sucking mommy’s cock so much? Maybe next time should I fuck this beautiful, capable mouth mmm?" A sharp slap on your ass makes you gasp. "Yes yes please I will like it so much.”

Your underwear falls to your ankles and the tip of her cock teases your throbbing clit and then runs through the folds, collecting your arousal. Without warning, she fills you to the edge and started to pound at a slower pace than you would like. You gasp from the stretch "Mommy it's too big. Feel so full." Her pace increases, her hand finds your swollen clit and rubs it making you cry. "That's my good girl. Taking me so well. Come on baby mommy needs to de-stress after these bastards." Wanda leans over you and bites your neck as she continues to pound into you at a faster pace, your velvet walls starting to clench around her length. "Oh fuck Ms. Maximoff I'm close I gonna cum." Wanda’s cock hits that nice spot inside you so deliciously, pushing you inexorably to the edge. "Come on baby, cum for me. Show mommy how good she fucks you." Her fingers rub your sensitive bud faster and you see stars cumming all over her cock, crying out inaudible curses into the silence of the office. She continues to move, prolonging your orgasm until your breathing evens out.

She pulls out her faux cock and then a pair of strong arms turns you around so you're face to face so she can press her lips to yours in a leisurely kiss. Wanda walks back to sit back in her chair, holding you by the waist, pulling you behind her so that you sit on her lap. “I was not mistaken in choosing you as my assistant.”

[periwinklefemur]

oh no..i’m dying of starvation…it seems i need more re-animator headcanons to survive…

(love your blog btw, you’re absolutely fabulous)

Aw, thank you so much! For a movie I randomly decided to watch two years ago, I never would have thought it would have such a profound effect on my life!

As for Re-Animator headcanons, don’t worry about starving—I definitely went overboard with Herbert's headcanons alone! Later, I’ll try to post some about Dan separately, or mix them in with Meg's, or.... maybe more of Herbert's!

Herbert's birthday is September 9th. (Yup! He shares his birthday with Jeffrey; the same can apply to Dan and Meg.) More specifically, his birthday is September 9th, 1961.

Growing up in Switzerland, Herbert is fluent in both English and German. Additionally, he's trying to learn as many languages as possible.

Herbert was miniscule growing up. Even the smallest size of clothes would drape over his body, swallowing him whole. Whenever he wanted to look threatening or present himself as respectable, it was impossible. Suits would appear awkwardly bunched up, baby hairs sticking up in every direction due to static, and his glasses, which magnified his eyes, only drew more attention to his small stature.

Similar to Dan, Herbert's a gigantic Star Trek nerd. With Star Trek premiering a little while after his 5th birthday, it's one thing he considered a miracle, especially given his disdain for television and its mindless programming. While he doesn't let anyone know he enjoys the show, he's quick to correct any inaccuracies about Star Trek that come up in conversation.

While Herbert was responsible for starting the chemical fire that killed his parents at the age of seven, he never meant it to happen on purpose. He was just a bright-eyed, curious, naïve child who wanted to push the limits of current scientific discovery. Herbert yearned for his name and works to be published in prestigious scientific journals, not in some weekly kids' science magazines. While he did resent his parents, as they provided him with the bare minimum and were relatively disengaged, he couldn't deny the fond moments he shared as well, like bonding with his mother over Star Trek.

Herbert's aviator glasses weren't always his—they used to belong to Gruber. As evident in old photos, Hans would wear them while attending his studies at Zürich. However, he decided to retire soon after graduating in favor of contacts or a different frame entirely. When Herbert entered his life, Hans gifted the young boy his aviators, updating the lenses to match his prescription and engraving a small, heartfelt message on the inside of the arm. In a way, Gruber had always seen a bit of himself in Herbert, and now Herbert carries a piece of Gruber with him.

 Alongside glasses, Gruber also gifted Herbert a Zürich sweatshirt. While it was a tad too big, he wore it a couple of times, and currently, it's neatly folded within a suitcase stowed under his bed. The suitcase also holds yellowing handwritten notes from Gruber regarding his work and Herbert, a package of his favorite chalk, and other miscellaneous keepsakes. (It may look like a horde of stationary to the ordinary eye, but to Herbert, it's much, MUCH more.)

Herbert has a soft spot and guilty pleasure for pop music. When he's sure that he's alone, within the confines of the basement's walls, he taps his foot and gradually sings the lyrics to the newest pop earworm.

While Dan specializes in cooking, Herbert specializes in baking. From a perspective, baking is similar to the scientific experiments he performed throughout his life. Herbert can be precise and deliberate, carefully measuring each ingredient and following each step with the same attention to detail he applies to his projects. A few desserts he bakes are German chocolate cake, bündner nusstorte, macaroons, and chocolate croissants.

Herbert has a massive sweet tooth, which only Dan and some stray doctors or nurses know about. Whenever he and Dan grab coffee before a shift, Herbert dumps his sugar-filled frappe into an unsuspecting paper cup, hoping that it conceals his sickly sweet indulgence behind the guise of a regular coffee. West would also make constant pit stops at his wing's hallway vending machine. Depending on how stressful his day is and which coworkers he's dealing with, he's known to stock up on candy bars, gummies, and snack cakes to get him through the day. 

Herbert has two sleeping positions, the first one being the fetal position. The second? The "completely-sprawled-out-across-his bed"....position.

One of the prime reasons why West can survive such outlandish events is his intake of Re-Agent. In addition to fending off hunger pangs and completely eradicating the human body's need for sleep, the Re-Agent also boosts his immune system tenfold and allows the body to heal faster than an average person. That's why he's able to survive the Miskatonic Massacre and the mausoleum's collapse with minor bruises and scratches. (Any broken bones or internal organ damage would automatically regenerate themselves in a matter of seconds.)

When Dan eventually weans Herbert off the Re-Agent, his body collapses on itself like a stack of cards. He'd find himself plagued by hunger, but he'd be too nauseated to eat anything. He'd constantly feel lethargic, barely mustering up the strength to keep himself standing upright and conscious. His once pristine, sturdy immune system comes crumbling down, leaving him vulnerable to minor alignments and flare-ups that he can no longer easily fight. (Oh! Can't forget about those damnable migraines that come like clockwork!) Thankfully, through time, Herbert recovers, gaining back his strength and vigor…with Dan's help of course!

He sneezes like a kitten.

Herbert's handwriting might resemble chicken scratch, but he's surprisingly good at drawing. He always carries a small leather-bound sketchbook filled to the brim with anatomical studies. (What do you mean some resemble Dan?)

West knows that claw machines are rigged and are usually pay-to-win garbage, but he refuses to let his ego take a hit if he loses in front of Dan. He'll be damned if he doesn't win that cheap plushie, no matter how much he spends.

[irisintheafterglow]

HAND THREE - TWO PAIR

summary: in a season where you're determined to fly under the radar, newly-returned crown prince!touya todoroki has other ideas. in this hand, a date is had.

wc: 2.5k

cw/tags: royalty!au/regency!au, fem!reader, some swearing, banter and dialogue driven, fake dating, pining and tension, todoroki enji jumpscare LOL

note: the two wolves living inside me is one wanting to rush the hell out of slow burn and the other telling me to make it painfully slow. however, i broke a little and made the pining a little obvious in this chapter oops. one day i will achieve the emotional release of s2 bridgerton bee sting scene. hope you enjoy !!!!

likes, reblogs, and replies are appreciated <3

“Show.” 

“You first.”

“I’m royalty.”

“And I have the higher stack. Now, show,” you repeat and he scoffs, the corner of his mouth tugging upward and creasing the deep purple scars on his cheek. He turns his two cards face-up and, sure enough, you’d snatched another victory from the self-proclaimed Prince of Calculation. “I win again,” you smile and he begrudgingly pushes the pot to your side of the table, an amalgamation of garden pebbles, stray buttons, and a few gold coins you managed to produce. You were using whatever you had to gamble and the prince didn’t seem to mind. Touya, you remind yourself. You were supposed to call him by his first name throughout this whole charade, but it seemed as foreign on your tongue as a protruding third set of teeth. 

“You’re a much more dangerous woman than you give yourself credit for,” he muses with a clever glint in his eyes. Over the course of the last month or so, you’d accumulated an immunity to his unwavering stares and scalding eyes; lately, it actually seemed you found a certain affinity for his intense nature, even when you were its only target. His sweetly poisonous words were the latest test to your composure. “If we dressed you as a man for the night, we could relieve an entire club of their purses before the clock strikes ten.” His pretty fingers dealt another two cards and you peeked at them from the bottom of your vision. Queen of hearts and two of clubs. Not the best hand. 

“Hmm. How much of the pot would you use to bail me out for invading said club?” You lay out the first three cards, the flop, and flip the first over before betting a conservative amount. Four of diamonds. 

“Who ever said anything about bail? I’d just sneak you out. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time,” he answers, calling your bet, and you can’t tell if he’s kidding. It was another piece you were still trying to solve of the puzzle that was the prince of the Todoroki family, how he joked so casually about breaking laws and dodging authority. The nonchalance of his recklessness made your stomach turn, sometimes, but you couldn’t tell if it was from fear or intrigue. You flip the second card of the flop. Two of hearts. A pair, if all else failed. You just had to hope he didn’t have anything either. 

“For a royal, you seem to know a concerning amount about rule breaking. Do you have any intent to corrupt me?” 

“By the end of our courtship, possibly.” Jack of diamonds. Not what you were hoping for as the third card, by any means. A flash of excitement lights up behind your opponent’s eyes, too purposeful to be genuine. You mentally added his poker tells to the never-ending list of things to figure out about him, right under the number of crimes he’s committed against the government. Tossing in a few medium-value flower petals, you’re unsurprised when he matches your bet again. 

“Our courtship which, I’ll remind you, is causing quite the stir in the ton,” you point out while revealing the turn. Seven of hearts. You try not to let your disappointment in your current hand show on your face. The prince, you notice, looks like he’s trying a little too hard to contain his excitement. “You know, I suspect they might be rooting for us.”

“That’d be a new experience for me. Never received too much support in my endeavors before.” He places a high bet and you have no choice but to match it. If you were right about him lying, you would learn something new about his poker strategy; but, if you were wrong, you wouldn’t hear the end of it for the rest of the day. You flip the river and your heart stutters. Two of diamonds. You’re careful with your next bet, knowing that three of a kind wasn’t the best or worst hand you could create. The prince, however, pushes his entire hoard into the pot with a challenge in his eyes. He was trying to force you to fold. 

You match the bet and reveal your hand. 

Two pair versus three of a kind. The prince was bluffing, and you won again.

“At least this time, you’re not alone.” The admission is obvious but still catches both of you off-guard when you say it. You’re about to apologize for being too sentimental when that unreadable look passes over his face again, sudden as a lightning strike and gone just as quickly. 

“I guess you’re right,” he murmurs, relinquishing the remaining pot of knick-knacks to you. “Though I will say, having my ass handed to me in a card game was not a part of my plan.”

“A woman with intellect is never part of a man’s plan, yet she prevails all the same,” you conclude and he hums in agreement, collecting the remaining cards and slotting them back into their box. A concerning thought occurs to you and you glance around the secluded palace courtyard with new-found suspicion. His eyes follow your own, watching you keenly in a way that was both comforting and unsettling. 

“What is it?” 

“Will the servants not whisper about a woman playing a man’s game?” 

“They will whisper that you won, and that is what matters,” he states like a well-known fact. “Why? Is something bothering you about them?” 

“No, I’m just mulling over this whole arrangement again.” You wave him off dismissively and take another sip of lemonade from your teacup. A drink which, when you’d finally agreed to meet the prince at the palace for a day, he ordered presumably because you both shared a distaste for tea. “How odd it is and how people gossip so.”

“A lady beating the prince at poker is hardly a scandal compared to what transpired last week,” he recalls with terribly-hidden amusement, breaking off a piece of scone and smearing a glob of berry preserves onto it. “Wouldn’t you agree?” Your cheeks heat when you think of the memory and you snap your fan open to cool yourself and hide your burning face. It certainly wasn’t your proudest moment, to say the least. 

“Would you like me to retrieve a stick to keep your competition at bay?” You had jokingly asked, following his distracted gaze. It was your third ball of the season and your third public appearance with the prince; both you and your co-conspirator were forced to acknowledge the increasing number of interested suitors trying to pry you away. Dances, you found, were one of the few moments where other men weren’t climbing over each other for your attention. The only problem was being forced to share breathing space with him for an extended period of time. “Your Highness, why are you glaring like that?”

“I said to stop calling me that, and I’m not glaring,” he mumbled, very obviously glaring and avoiding your eyes. His hand stiffens around your waist, making your already-awkward distance from him more uncomfortable. It didn’t take long to notice that he was a fine dancer when he was with any other partner but you, and you figured it was because being in such close proximity was not part of your agreement. You raise a skeptical eyebrow, finally making him look at you when the silence indicates your displeasure. “Pay me no mind. I am only–”

“Moping like a kicked dog, that’s what you’re doing,” you interject and, in a blink, you’re back in another standoff with his intense stare.

“I don’t recall when you gained the right to comment on my behaviors so crassly.” Your eyebrows pinch, taken aback by his sudden hostility. His eyes were always burning, like embers in a fireplace, and it felt like the longer you looked at them, the less likely you’d be able to pull away. After a few moments of staring him down, you back off with a frustrated huff. You think you feel some of the tension leave him, too. 

“If we are to keep up this ruse in a believable manner, I suggest you confide in me from time to time, especially if it causes you to act in unfavorable ways,” you state simply, your irritation obvious. 

“You know nothing of my unfavorable ways.” The venom in his voice makes your heart sink, against your own judgment. His expression doesn’t soften, but his voice does. “Trust me. It’s not your burden to bear,” he says in a low tone and goosebumps spread across your arms, despite the fabric of your gloves and the sleeves of your dress. He meets your eyes and you could have sworn his gaze flickers to the neckline of your gown, but the action, like so many of his movements, is too quick to comment on. “So, let’s keep to our sides of the street, shall we?” 

“You’re insufferable,” you hiss, letting your politely smiling face slip as the strings conclude the dance. “Enjoy the rest of the evening. I feel a bit faint.” The muscles in his jaw clenches and you turn on your heel to beeline for an exit when a strong hand grabs you by the wrist and pulls you backward. Before you can register where you’re moving, your hand is placed firmly on his forearm and you’re a split-second from slapping him when–

“Touya.” Shit. With a blank mind, you remember to curtsy from pure muscle memory, dipping deeply toward the ground while the prince bends at the waist.

“Good evening, Father.” Touya’s voice becomes empty, devoid of all sarcasm, teasing, and charm. A glance at his face tells the same tale, blank and emotionless. The only indication of his true thoughts came the slight shake in his arm and how he unconsciously tugged you closer and closer to his side. You let yourself be pulled in and your free hand moved on its own, coming to rest on top of his and running your thumb over his knuckles. He exhales shakily. “Father, this is–”

“I know who you are,” he says before you could be properly introduced, making your nostrils flare. The man besides you bristles and you wonder how such a hard-faced, stoic man could make such a reckless and carefree son. You’d never seen King Todoroki except in victory parades and newsprints of his alliance with King All Might, but you could recognize the family’s flaming eyes from miles away. You decided that, no matter how irritating the prince was, his father was lower on your ranking of the Todoroki royals. “Should you marry, are you aware of the responsibility of being the wife of a king?” 

“I believe she is called a queen, Your Majesty,” you hear yourself say before you can stop yourself. From beside you, the prince makes a noise somewhere between a choke and a snort, and you direct your attention to the floorboards in hopes of surviving the king’s scathing reply. Despite the chatter of the party around you, it feels like your words were echoing off the gilded ceilings. The reprimand, however, never comes. The king turns back to his son with a look of suppressed wrath before turning and stalking away, a crowd of nobles crowing for his attention. 

“I can’t believe you just did that,” he whispers in disbelief as he hurriedly guides you out of the hall and into one of the manor’s gardens, still within sight of nosy mothers but out of their earshot. Your hand hasn’t left his arm, nor has he tried to pry it off. If anything, you click into his side like a missing puzzle piece, and you’re confusingly reluctant to let go. “That was the worst possible way you could have answered that question,” the prince continues and your stomach turns. 

“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you,” you reply with poorly masked shame, lowering your head and letting him walk ahead. Your hand detaches from his arm and you’re struck by the sudden lack of warmth. He turns sharply to look at you, looks back at his empty arm, and then back at you before closing the few feet between you. His eyes were burning into you again but he said nothing, watching you watch the blades of grass surrounding your shoes. Your voice is as quiet as the swaying summer wind. “If I have jeopardized our plan, I understand if you–”

“Stop,” he commands, and it takes a moment to register his gloved fingers under your chin, gently but firmly tilting your head to look at him. Your eyes trace the jagged lines of where his skin meets his scars and the world around you quiets. “I am…the opposite of angry with your actions.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not an easy task, talking back to my father. Yet, you performed it as easily as breathing,” he explains with a soft awe in his expression that made your breath catch in your chest. 

“I guess I’ve had good practice, countering your arguments for the better half of the summer,” you agree hesitantly. What the hell was this feeling? For whatever reason, the world around you temporarily faded to static noise and blurred paintings, with the only decipherable images being the man in front of you. “So, you’re not unhappy with my behavior around your father?”

“I have never been prouder to be seen with you,” he reassures you and you finally crack a smile, his hand leaving your face and his feet stepping back to a respectful distance. “On another note, can you recall what we were arguing about before we were interrupted?”

“I can’t, unfortunately. I believe I was about to leave you alone on the dance floor to mingle with other suitors,” you joke and, though his expression remains relaxed, his eyes darken subtly. 

“I wouldn’t let them so much as breathe in your direction,” he declares, your breath becoming stuck in your lungs again. “Plus, you were saying that you required a stick to fight them off.”

“I did not say I required a stick,” you counter, lightheartedly bumping your shoulder against his while you make your way back into the manor. He merely smiles, a rare, genuine smile. “Though, I would like to apologize for my brash observations.” 

“You are forgiven.”

“Thank you,” you exhale, following him to the refreshments table.

“And…”

“Nevermind,” you backtrack, but he continues nonetheless.

“As reparation for insinuating that I act like an abused animal–”

“Which you do,” you retort quietly and he chuckles, shaking his head. 

“Next week, you will accompany me in receiving a visiting ally prince,” he says. “As it would be dreadfully boring to do alone and you, thankfully, bruised my ego, I will be dragging you with me on his guided tour of the kingdom’s market district.” 

“Must I really attend?”

“Who’s acting like the kicked dog now?” He smirks and you have no choice but to go along with his plan. Now, after several rounds of beating his royal ass in poker, it was time for you to leave and prepare for the social night between the Takami and Todoroki kingdoms. 

if you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on my ko-fi! you can also check out my full masterlist here :)

[halfadoginatank]

Simon and his father take a trip to the Scottish highlands for the summer, he knows only one of them will leave.

Johnny is a boy obsessed with filming explosions from fireworks he's not supposed to have.

Los Vaqueros are a group of Mexican teens derailed from their field trip waiting for teachers that might not come back.

Huge lore and plot dump below.

Mild tw for Simons father

Simons father has always taken him on hunting trips, sometimes he hated them, some times he liked them. But he'd never taken him this far from manchester. There are weapons in the cabin they rent, his father is eerily sober, one of them is going to die out here. Simon can only hope that Tommy won't be next.

Johnny meets him when he strays too far from his father. Part of it on purpose, he would never be on equal footing, more so when his father had the rifle and not him. He's in the tree's, at first simon thinks its prey, but there's a camera lense staring right at his scope.

Los Vaqueros come later, the leader arguing with a girl with choppy hair, Valeria and Alejandro trade glares while Rodolfo tries to mediate. Their bus broke down, leaving them stuck in town desperately renting a cabin near but far from the one simon is in.

It's the most interesting thing thats happened to johnny, and in the makeshift bonfire Valeria corners him and Simon. Her gaze is snakelike and a ring clinks on the bottle she's holding

"You say that he's an asshole yes? Your padre. Mine was the same, en mi opinión? It is kill or be killed."

Valeria nods at Alejandro, she tells them of a faceless force where she's from. The person sponsoring the trip for them, 'good will'. The five of them band together, the rest of the Vaqueros utterly ignorant.

Simon will save his family, Alejandro will get them home, and johnny? He's going to make the best home video.

-

Yeah so thats the whole plot, originally it was just going to be ghoap but somehow the Vaqueros fell into place. It kind of made more sense to have Valeria give them the idea? She doesnt have a whole bunch of canon lore so I figured she'd have an in with the cartel via her father, who was awful. And when Valeria killed him the nameless helped her cover it up and she got her own little spot.

Alejandro broke off their relationship after that, it's why they're on bad terms. He formed the Vaqueros as a funny joke that he started to take seriously when kids around Las Almas genuinely needed help that wasnt someway connected to the cartel, adults had that with rudys mother, so Ale and his childhood friend Rudy decided to help people their age in a way that doesn't rely on adults too much.

Everyone here is about 16-18. Soap is 17, ghost is as well but a few months older. Rudy Alejandro and Valeria are 18. And the youngest cowboy is 16.

Im trying to fit Gaz and Alex in? Im thinking that they both live in Texas, Gazs parents had a falling out since mum was from Texas hes there. Their school is on the same trip in the same bus a sort of cross trip to help the shitty american public school get a better name, as well as the cartels big PR move with having a class from one of Las Almas' schools.

Johnny is a bit weird here, but his motivation is he's suffering from extreme middle kid issues. Loves his family but since he's almost invisible is able to just kinda run off as long as hes back home eventually. He has a camera he uses to film any of his mishaps with, its essentially just jackass. As well as a video diary. Dont be fooled, its also an excuse for me to write some of it in script like format.

Simon is almost exactly the same as he is in the 09 comics, obviously a bit different. But childhood is the same.

I wanted farah to be here so bad but her childhood is literally a warzone and theres no way I can get her and her brother in Scotland. Because im trying so hard to make this somewhat believable, like yes its is a summer mystery horror au. But god I just really need things to make a little sense otherwise I cant do it. Same with Price Nik and Laswell. Like I could group Laswell in with Alex and gaz, and maybe I could pair her with Valeria for funsies. However Nikolai is in russia so... oopsie, and price? Like... how do you turn price into a teenager, he'd be what 19 or 20? Theres no reason he'd be in school, I dont think he'd be held back.

Also you may wonder, why is graves not here? Uh.... because I dont care, he wouldn't have a place here. The antagonist is Simons father, and honestly man? I just dont care that much for his character.

Man theres... theres so much I have here dude, I want to throw roach in there, and I THINK I could squeeze him in as one of ghosts school mates but the point is the first act has Simon completely isolated.

Anyway thats it. Bye.

[miss-tc-nova]

We Want To - Vanitas x Reader

Aww, it's been a while since I got to write about cranky Vani. I really do love him. I hope I stuck to the theme enough though. Sorry if I strayed too far. Excuse the lame title, lol

Premise: Vanitas isn't all that amused at the amusement park

Words: 713

~~~~~

               Inconvenienced, absolutely beyond fed up, Vanitas gets dragged through the crowd towards yet another gaudy, mechanical attraction.

               He’s not entirely sure how he ended up here, let alone in this situation. For the last few weeks, Vanitas has been trying to navigate this strange world. He never thought that his greatest bane would be the whimsical maniac in human guise. He’d barely spent two hours wandering the streets before being bowled over and descended upon by this clown. Somehow, the encounter culminated in daily accosting and today’s torment has been deemed the amusement park. The amount of amusement, however, has been miniscule. Most of the last hour has been trying to decipher his predicament and the fool that dragged him into it.

               An arm flails in the direction of a spinning machine. “This is one of my favorites! It spins really fast and you stick to the wall! But you can’t ride it too many times or you might get sick. I did that once! Like four years ago me and some of my friends—”

               Yet another wild, ridiculous tale from that unstoppable mouth. Still, Vanitas endures the blathering as the line winds down. Eventually, it’s their turn to board.

               His companion isn’t the only one that seems eager for the ride. All the other passengers chatter as they stand in front of panels lining the round room. He doesn’t understand. Everyone was like this on the last one too, but it just seemed like a bunch of jerky, flailing movement. And this one’s just supposed to spin fast. The purpose of this place is beyond him, let alone the reason for all these people to be so riled up about it.

               Hell, his new “friend” has been like this about nearly everything. Every moment is filled with random things. At first it was aggravating, but now, it’s all just weird.

               The ride starts and, true to the explanation, the room spins so fast the gravity pulls him against the wall. People laugh and cheer, some twisting and turning until they’re sideways or upside down. The thrill is lost on him, but Vanitas is fully aware of the mirth from the person beside him. Even as the ride ends, the happiness continues, finally prompting the voicing of his confusion.

               “Why are we doing this?”

               Full attention turns to him. “Huh? What do you mean why?”

               His arms gesture to the colorful world around. “What are we doing here? What’s the point?”

               “There is no point.” That smile drops his guard against his will. “We do it because we want to.”

               The answer is so blunt and simple that he almost misses it. But it makes its mark. Vanitas had done plenty of things because he “wanted to,” in a world far from here. He’s done his best so far to blend in and consider what he’ll do next, but he can’t deny being drawn in by the frivolity of a simple fool. Something about the harmless chaos attracts his attention. Running around without a care in the world as if nothing mattered is so different from the mission-oriented life he has beyond the borders of Quardratum.

               The words slip from his mouth.

               “Do I?”

               Maybe he didn’t “want” to do those things. Hurting others and being hurt in return—the war flashes in his mind and his whole body flinches.

               “Vanitas.”

               Then a hand rests against his arm. His gaze falls on the face of concern.

               “Do you?”

               He’s not sure. But in this moment, he is sure he doesn’t want to think about everything outside this normal, boring, silly, surprising world. He wants to live in this moment.

               With the clown that found him.

               For the first time since he arrived on this world, Vanitas cracks a smile.

               “Yeah, I do.”

               The shock on his friend’s face ignites embers in his ears, but Vanitas continues to smile. Then the enthusiasm comes exploding out. It’s so chaotic he can barely understand what’s being said, but he has to jam his one request in.  

               “Hold on. I wanna do that spinny one again. I could totally stand on the wall in there.”

               In a blink, Vanitas finds himself being dragged through the crowds again, but this time, he feels all the same excitement.

~~~~~

Nova’s Kingdom Hearts Masterlist

[pickypickypeak]

@patterson-gimlin we can keep going if you want, i’d just rather make another post.

everything i listed about black panther went unaddressed, you vaguely dismissed it all with “they could be white because wakanda is a fictional place”. (then again, snow white’s kingdom is also a fictional place, its name is never addressed in the fairytale or movie, we are always on the same page.) me telling you about tiana’s origin (which you used to prove your point earlier) went unaddressed. me telling you about the castle being spanish inspired went unaddressed. the other endless snow white versions differences went unaddressed until now, when you’re suddenly telling me it doesn’t matter because those versions were not disney? so the “cultural aspects” you’re so passionate about (which by now are, in your words: the bavarian architecture, which is not even accurate, and the german peasant inspired dress, which is the same) only matter when it’s a movie made by disney..? why..? then again, the original disney movie already strayed from the original fairytale in many ways (i can list them too if you wish) and i have yet to hear one reason why germany or the white skin were functional to THAT version of the story if it’s the one and only we’re looking up to.

again, in saying characters shouldn’t swap race, you keep insisting everyone in black panther could be white. so my statement was correct: you could buy tribes of white people with lip plates and with those tattoos doing african rituals and speaking african languages. i’ll repeat myself since this went also unaddressed. if you could unironically accept this (which i’m guessing you could, because you keep using this as a counter argument), why the problem with snow white. you proceeded to bring up random black characters who, in your opinion, could be white. this is still to prove you think characters shouldn’t swap race. hmm.

wow, you called me retard. impressive.

it’s like you have to prove poc can be white with your life, do they pay you to do so? i already gave you the reasons, it’s wasted time, you dismissed it and kept repeating the rhetorical question. (also like i already said, rest assured there ARE and there will be cases of whitewashing, EVEN when it affects the story.)

why not just let snow white be white? she will still be white. the differences in disney remakes are not implemented to the classic movies. this is a new iteration of the character, just like lady tremaine is portrayed as young and with red hair in the cinderella remake, but she’s still old and with grey hair in the animation. why not cast zegler as a colombian princess? because they were not doing a colombian princess movie, because it’s not a universal law that colombian people can only play colombian characters, she’s not even colombian, she’s american, she’s just of colombian descent; you check the whole biological tree of every actor in every movie? oh sorry, i mean only disney movies since apparently they’re the only ones who have to stick to the characters’ origins? then lily james was also inaccurate for cinderella, who is originally from a french story, while she’s british. correct?

first you said remakes are bland and they do this on purpose because the movie is going to suck anyway, like it’s just a systemic truth. but then you added, they sometimes can make a decent film? so, please take this with a grain of salt since it’s entirely my guessing at reading between the lines, your logic is: this movie specifically is going to suck for the sole reason they hired a slightly darker skinned actress?

[ryuyejiho]

"maybe I like looking at you" - Felix

Pairing: Felix x Reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: none

Summary: From a movie night to a date at a coffee shop and a confession of love.

Word Count: ~1K

________________________________

"babe, I'm bored" every now and then Felix moaned while lying on my thighs. We decided to have a movie night and to beat our record of watched movies in one night, we started at 6 o'clock in the evening. Currently it was 6:33 pm.

"we just started and you are already bored?" I asked to which the blond laughed and nodded.

"let's go somewhere!" he suddenly shouted which made me scared "recently they opened a cat cafe at our place. He wants to go there"

"I don't want to" I said which he began to throw himself sideways.

"come on, it will be fun"

"watch and be quiet" I put a handful of munchies in his mouth at which he wrinkled his forehead and began to chew slowly still looking at me wanting to bend me to agree "don't look at me like that"

"maybe I like looking at you" he shrugged his shoulders and stood up. For a long moment he continued to do nothing but look at me until suddenly he grabbed my leg and pulled me to the very end of the bed.

"Felix stop it!" I started screaming and laughing loudly at which he also laughed.

"only if you come with me. Then how"

"okay let's go. But we come back quickly and watch on" he nodded with a sign of agreement and helped me get up by pulling my hand.

****

I sat at one of the tables and admired the cats who every now and then passed by me, purring against my legs or just sitting and looking curiously from afar at people sitting at other tables.

I looked at Felix who was waiting for our order while scrolling through social media on his phone. I snorted a quiet laugh seeing that he was purposely holding it so that the girl across from him could see our polaroid which was hidden behind its transparent case.

We took it when it was his birthday and we went to the amusement park together with the whole team. There we got lost but still found that it was the perfect place to take a photo in a booth that we passed several times trying to find any member of the Stray kids in the crowd.

A few minutes late he received his order and headed to the table where I was sitting.

"your over-sweetened latte once. My best coffee under the sun two" he said placing the plastic cups with straws on the table and putting on his jacket.

"we can sit here for a while. All in all, it's nice here" he looked at me then rolled his eyes hanging his jacket back on the back of the chair.

"if you had said it earlier I wouldn't have taken the takeaway and we could have taken something sweet" he sat down and took his cup in his hand putting the straw in his mouth "and what, did you like it though?"

"these cats are lovely so we can look at them longer" then one of them came up to me. I started stroking it after which I heard the sound of the camera. I looked at Felix who was now sitting contentedly and looking at the phone.

"hihi I have a new wallpaper" he said in a funny voice at which I laughed.

"nah, please don't. I definitely came out wrong" the boy began to shake his head intensely.

"nice, nice" he said after which he added more quietly "you came out beautifully"

"what did you say?"

"no, nothing. Do you like your coffee" he asked, putting down the phone and taking a sip of his drink.

"of course. I always buy it so it must taste good to me"

I knew that Felix had started acting strangely for a long time. At first I thought I was imagining it, then I didn't pay attention to it, but now it started to get weirder and weirder. More than once I wanted to ask him what exactly was going on but never had the courage. I didn't want to spoil our friendship. This was the only way I could be close to him.

I liked him. And maybe I even loved him. To everyone he was kind and helpful but only towards me he was much more caring and always made me feel better. He did everything for me to make me smile.

"do you think I can tell you something in secret?" he asked after a long moment, I nodded my head yes.

"of course"

"I like you. I like you very much" he almost shouted in an oversweetened voice squeezing my cheek making me almost spit out my coffee.

He laughed charmingly and rested his head on his hand placed elbows on the table. We looked into each other's eyes at which his smile slowly diminished and became serious.

"is something wrong?" I asked, not knowing what to do.

"I really like you. More than anything I like you and I will never stop" he said straightening up in his chair continuing to look deeply into my eyes. After a few seconds he added in a whisper leaning in "or maybe even love..."

"ah sure" I laughed, recognizing it as an unfunny joke, but then he put his hand over mine and, still looking into my eyes, leaned in even more and pressed his lips to mine. He remained in this position for a few seconds then moved centimeters away from me.

"I love you y/n. I'm not kidding. If you still think so I can do it again" he smiled broadly and moved closer again but I stopped him with my hands.

"really?" he nodded moving his hand to my cheek.

"don't you believe it?" he moved closer again and laughed softly when I stopped him again.

"not here" I whispered at which he laughed again, this time louder.

"in that case, we have to go home quickly" he stood up and in a second put on his jacket and took our coffees in his hands. "and what are you waiting for, I have to show you quickly that I love you"

He began to jump slightly in place and hurried me along. I laughed at his childish behavior and got up from the chair. Felix immediately turned toward the door and walked out with a quick step. I stroked the kitten that was tickling my leg some more and followed him out.

When I opened the door I didn't see him anywhere.

"Felix?" I closed the door and then I was pulled a few meters away from the entrance. Although it was dark in that place I could see the intense gaze of the blond man. A few moments passed and then I felt his lips on mine again. When I moved my lips slightly, Felix moved away a bit for a split second then pressed his lips to mine placing his hands on my waist, while I placed mine on his neck.

We stood like that for a couple of minutes after which we ran out of air so he moved away a bit and put his forehead to mine. For a while we said nothing, plunging into each other's gazes, only when the blonde rubbed his nose charmingly against mine he laugh slightly and speak first.

"I really love you. I really do. I have loved for a long time, I love and will continue to love"

"I love you too, Felix"

I finally said it. I was overjoyed at that moment and, unable to stop smiling, I snuggled into his torso to hide my face and he wrapped his arms around me tightly.

I wanted this moment to last forever.

[the-s1lly-corner]

Can I get E, F, I, and W for the slenderman fluff alphabet, please? Your take on my favorite pasta cryptid of all time is so nice and interesting. Adds a certain depth I don't typically see.

Fluff Alphabet w/ Slenderman but it's these letters!

side thing but guys go listen to redoin by jerryterry its so fucking good im listening to it on loop while im writing this and its making my vibrate

E (EMOTION)-

stone cold exterior, warm squishy interior. still hung up on the "slenderman longs for companionship just like everyone else but rarely gets that need met due to his nature and way of existence"

in other words he can be a passionate sap in regards to you, behind closed doors. he can wrapped up easily in things, so sometimes his passion can be mischaracterized as rage or annoyance but rest assured he's not angry with your existence

right in the middle of the "heart on the sleeve" and "cold and distant" thing, he feels he needs to keep up his image of powerful monster but he doesn't let you think at any moment that you're not important to him

F (FAMILY)-

i don't think he would want kids, and thats assuming he even can. in my au he was created by zalgo with the sole purpose to cause problems for people, i dont think zalgo was thinking about whether or not slenderman can reproduce when he making him

of course adoption is always an option, and who knows, maybe if you guys find some stray kid in the woods he might just take them in

this is where my take on slenderman strays a lot from the original since i personally think slenderman just. kicks kids out of the woods (which leads to them talking about him, which leads to slenderman being a known cryptid in universe) but thats mostly just me not wanting to dwell on child death + giving the dude some level of morals that at least somewhat align with the self loathing that comes with his "i dont want to eat people but i have to in order to survive" thing

but hey i think thats because i love those comics where people draw predator and prey animals where both sides are sympathetic

love shit like that

slenderman is only one part of this huge web that we call nature, simply existing because that's just how things are

whips and nae naes

I (INJURY)-

rest assured that he will tear the world apart should someone or something ever send harm your way. god forbid you are mortally wounded or even killed

he knows some basic first aid stuff thanks to watching people for so so so long, but he's a kriller not a healer, he doesnt know what to do if youre losing a bunch of that red liquid that fuels your insides

oddly calm about it, though, though with the way he holds you you can feel his rage seething under his skin

he himself /can/ get injured but its rarely something to fret about unless its like, from some real powerful person or some human who knows how to take down a specific man eating forest demon; i've actually never really thought about what conditions would need to be met to outright krill slenderman but

yeah

when he's the one hurt he insists you not to worry, it's going to take a LOT to keep him down

if you're injured and its something he can treat he will make sure you take it easy but hes not going to baby you about it

W (WARRIOR)-

okay so im writing this segment first because i can write a whole essay and really i dont know if theres going to be anything stopping me from doing just that. curse you jerryterry, the bops are so good. anyways onto the topic; a lot of my interpretation of slenderman is admittedly based around the early fandom characterization of him + a very specific fic that will remain nameless (though im more than happy to spill the link in dms, said fic also has some influence over my entire au/hc thing but thats not todays topic)

despite what many may think, i feel like, at least with my hyper specific take on slenderman, i feel like he wouldnt want you to fight along side him or be a proxy. only time i can see him date a proxy or fellow kriller is if you were already one prior to the relationship. in my au, slenderman resents his own existence for being what he is, and if he could he WOULD choose to be something else; however he cant rewrite the laws of this universe or fight against his biological functions

like i can go on an entire tangent, but my au is still so scrambled around that im not entirely sure where to start or how im going to make it make sense, but i feel like he would much rather keep you by him and safe (and even then i feel like thats pushing it, sure hes more than capable of protecting you but what if something stronger than him comes and fucks shit up? not all the creepypasta characters are buddy buddy)

but perhaps i will write a collection of loosely connected one shots one day detailing the world building and dynamics

i make no promises

[hiscrimsonangel]

•••I started typing up some random thoughts about my own HC’s regards my beloved Eddie… enjoy.

TW: There is a mention of abuse and domestic violence so you are aware…. Not graphic just a mention. •••

🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

Eddie Munson is dramatic and over the top to hide his own insecurities. He puts on a front that nothing bothers him when his kind and pure heart has been cut to its very core. He can act like a child and then be the bravest man you will ever know. He is loving to those he trusts and cares for but keeps up a wall against those he doesn’t or manages to annoy the living shit out of them on purpose because he finds it funny his mere presence sets them and their picture perfect hypocritical lives off so much.

Eddie has seen more than he ever lets on and perhaps that is why he finds comfort in fantasy games or losing himself in music and writing and creating things predominantly for his friends, Wayne, and his little sheepies… or simply tearing apart an engine and rebuilding it- he is a natural when it comes to mechanics and making things run.

Eddie was given up on by so many who didn’t bother to take the time and realize he has so much to offer and was nothing at all like his father- if it wasn’t for Wayne he would have changed his last name to Padavona or Osbourne when he turned 18, but his Uncle’s last name is also Munson so he keeps it. Hoping that living up to that Munson name is being the man Wayne raised him to be and not something he never wants to be like, his sperm donor.

People don’t know this, but Eddie can tell you what stars are what if you sit under the night sky with him, point to constellations and tell you their names. Even knows what berries in the woods are good to eat, what ones will make you sick and which might kill you despite the birds eating them. He likes to climb trees now and then and hang upside down by his knees and will amuse you with the story of Dracula in film from Universal forward to the present and touch on the silent film Nosferatu which he says is a favorite as he flips himself over and jumps down.

A gentle soul, Eddie feeds bunnies and raccoons and stray kittens and puppies but will beat the hell out of a dude who slaps a woman or manhandles her in front of him. “ You don’t hit women” he yelled at a dude he was punching in the face while dragging him out of the Hideout one Tuesday night, throwing the guy in the street. Grabbing ice in a bar rag and putting it on the woman’s cheek and making sure she was ok before jumping back on stage and finishing the song he was doing- the band playing with grins. Eddie doesn’t like that shit, saw his Dad knock his Mom around once too often.

Eddie deeply respects women despite his reputation of being a womanizer- he isn’t what so ever. He does however want someone to love him and that he can shower with love as well… to cuddle at night and share his life with. Someone that won’t think his quirks make him a freak, but maybe they will find them special. He hopes the band will make it but he knows the reality is very slim and that he probably won’t ever quite leave Hawkins totally but he can dream and hope his special person finds him….

Until then, he lives in his own little world, and only a select few are let in, but he loves those people with his whole heart and would defend them with his very life if he needed to. He may tell you he is no hero but to me… he is the biggest hero of all….. and I don’t see that ever changing. ❤️‍🔥

[cienie-isengardu]

There's also the theory that MK1 Scorpion is actually Kuai Liang himself, and Hanzo is off actually being happy with his wife, son, and clan in peace. Not sure if any of that is true, though.

As much as I wish the best for Hanzo - and the man deserves some happiness after what he was put through for decades - this is Mortal Kombat and people are rarely left to enjoy their life in peace. Especially not the most popular cast. That said, I’m aware there are many theories about the true identity of Scorpion, but until proven otherwise, I’m gonna assume it is Hanzo (or this timeline equivalent) as there was (yet) no split between Lin Kuei to create Shirai Ryu. Frankly, this wouldn’t be the first time for “Scorpion” be a Lin Kuei warrior, as something similar already happened in Mortal Kombat novel by Jeff Rovin (1995) - though then the assassin known as the Scorpion was killed by Sub-Zero for leaving the clan. 

At the same time, Kuai Liang was already mentioned in Kenshi vs Liu Kang intro dialogue 

“Kuai Liang said I shouldn’t trust the Black Dragons.”

but as we know, intros like to mention characters and events from all realities. Since Kenshi also warned himself against a man named Song - which is a nod to the MK animated movie Snow Blind, the mentioned Kuai Liang may as well be part of that universe (the feeling is doubled by the fact that Kuai was mentioned to Liu Kang, the currently owner of hourglass and not to Bi-Han, an actually Kuai Liang’s brother).

Which does not solve the puzzle of Scorpion’s identity of course, but looking at parallel sibling duo - Mileena and Kitana - I feel like despite the whole announced “a brand new story featuring your favorite Mortal Kombat characters like you’ve never seen them before” the MK1 still will keep vital parts of said characters. Mileena and Kitana may be biological sisters now, but Mileena still has her Tarkatan teeths (now as a medical condition rather than DNA modification) and vicious/aggressive/paranoid nature and the little bits presented so far feels they are still doomed to fight against each other, most likely over the control of Edenia / Outworld as much about personal issues. Which is why I doubt Kuai Liang is the Scorpion because the story may be a new take on lore but so far it seems Scorpion and Bi-Han are on the crash course over their father’s death / purpose of Lin Kuei and since original Bi-Han has a bad track with dying, if

A) he die by Scorpion’s hand and

B) Kuai is the Scorpion,

then there would be no cryomancer left to fill Sub-Zero’s role while Kuai Liang’s life always revolved around taking the Sub-Zero’s mantle (and reform Lin Kuei that fell from its grace & strayed from honor). And again, looking at the cast so far, beside Raiden and Liu Kang reversed roles, most characters' roles are the same as we known - Johnny is an actor thirsty for fame, Kitana is edenian/Outword princess, Kenshi is/will be blind swordsman, Bi-Han is a cryomancer from Lin Kuei. So, not new roles just a new interpretation of what we known. And because of that I can't imagine Hanzo as cryomancer or Kuai Liang as fire-based Scorpion. This switch doesn't make sense if most of the cast was left comfortable in their familiar roles, even more since we already have an important reversed roles between Raiden and Liu Kang as the new champion and god.

Which is why I’m gonna assume Scorpion is “Hanzo” while Kuai Liang either joins the team somehow in a later stage of the story (as he did in MK9) or he will show up in the sequel (like it happened in original games). 

My prediction/feeling on the matter so far - based only on incomplete data, so my guess is as good as anyone's else - is that:

🟦 “Hanzo” is the Scorpion

🟦 Bi-Han and Scorpion will battle over the control of Lin Kuei and/or father’s death (and really, thinking about that I do not remember ice bros even mentioning or caring for their biological father? Like Grandmaster Sub-Zero has some intros showing respect for previous Sub-Zero/his grandfather and Noob of all possible people was the one mentioning their mother but no second thoughts about their biological father in most sources? Beside maybe Mythologies: Sub-Zero when Bi-Han took the place of his father as top cryomancer warrior. So if Scorpion had a close relationship with their dad, it does not mean Bi-Han or Kuai Liang need to feel the same toward the man. Even more, if only those two have ice powers, they may naturally be closer to each other than with any other family’s member).

🟦 I do really hope Bi-Han won’t die as I would love to see this snarky, cold bastard being either on good side or just neutral, but again, he is the most known for being dead Sub-Zero and Noob Saibot, so Scorpion may kill him (either on his own choice or by being tricked into doing it by yet not revealed character / events).

🟦 Yet if Bi-Han dies and becomes Noob Saibot, the furious Kuai Liang (as the third brother?) may step up into the role of second Sub-Zero and be on a revenge quest against Scorpion to avenge his beloved older brother (as he did in most source material) - at least until both sort out the mess. Preferably all of them sort the mess before Bi-Han dies.

The upcoming revelations will verify how close or if even at all I’m about Lin Kuei part of storyline however I firmly believe there is no chance that Song of Fire and Ice Mortal Kombat - in case of Bi-Han’s death - won’t have another cryomancer to balance fire-based Scorpion in the cast.

[graysquirrel7]

"What? You? Trust me?"

That's when I knew something was really off. To beings such as us, a couple of years is a blink, so normally I'd laugh it off and figure out a way to sell my filling in as a corrupting influence. This one I had not heard from in ages though.

The angel nodded slowly, before continuing. "Something is not right, and I need to figure out what."

I struggled with the words. As a guardian angel, this old friend had one purpose and would never stray from it. The whole portfolio purpose is what split us all apart after all. "Your charge?"

A human child. Young, but active, growing, and inquisitive. The angel sighed, shoulders sagging with regret. "Recent assignment, but rushed to me in the last month."

That is certainly strange. The bureaucracy of Heaven normally assigns out guardian angels when the human spawn enters the world.

"Why?"

That's the thing that put me on my side of the gulf between us. I always asked questions. Turns out authoritarians don't like that. Also why I'm not welcome in places like Hell, in spite of their respect. Strangely, the angel seemed relieved that I asked.

"That's the question I need to find an answer for, but cannot ask." The angel's face twisted into a bitter grimace. A distaste for rules?

I looked at the running child. Might be all of ten human years old. They were chasing after something in their imagination, an earnest superhero trying to save the day.

"But me?"

The angel nodded more firmly. "You and I both know that you were cast out for being annoying, not evil. I figured you might like this kid, he reminds me of you. Before..."

I tilted my head. How curious. Obviously, before is a reference to when there weren't battle lines drawn over the souls of humans. I knew it would be pointless to ask my favorite question again, so I pondered for a short while how to reframe the question to something that could be answered.

"Was this child assigned to you because of something you did?"

The angel nodded. My eyebrow shot up of its own accord. A couple of years at this stage in a human child's life is rather important. It must be excruciating to feel the need to abdicate this duty in the first place. But to ask me to fill in?

"On one condition," I said. This was way too delicious to pass up. "You tell me what you did, then I take over your charge. When you're done, you tell me what you found and I return your charge."

And that, my fiends, is why I've been babysitting this now 12 year old boy all this time. I have encouraged him to relentlessly ask uncomfortable questions; it turns out that I actually enjoy having a disciple (if you will). It is important to point out that I have also discouraged the asking of bad faith questions. The best questions are the ones that encourage others to be more curious and less blindly obedient. Not draw battle lines.

The term of the contract is nearly up. I've never been as strict about terms as some of the other Fallen, but I am looking forward to it because I am absolutely ravenous to hear the rest of the angel's story.

You are a demon, one of the top ranked ones at that. One day you get a call from an angel you used to be friends with. “Look, i hate to ask this, but i trust you. Can you cover for me for a couple years?” The Guardian Angel asks.

[nacricissa]

The Forever Project

Uh I realized I haven't got a WIP intro for anything That's because the work is arguably not in progress

But it's also the only thing I think about and I love to talk about it so...

There will definitely be several books, but this will function mostly for the first one, which is the only one with even vaguely defined parameters

We have been keeping secrets for some time now. We bear no ill will toward you, but we feared that you would take your knowledge of these things as a reason to harm us. You cannot overpower us, even if you should attempt to act against us, however, in the hope we could achieve our ends without conflict, we did keep things from the Council, until recent events forced our hand.

         We hope that despite our lack of openness, we can come to an arrangement. In service of this, we have compiled this document. Everything you need to understand us is presented here, and we ask that you read it in its entirety before judging us or attempting to negotiate. We will know whether you have complied.

--- Frederic Melior, and his sword Elise

Genre: High Fantasy/ Historical Urban Fantasy

Target Audience: ME

POV: First-person, past tense, as of now from only one POV

Blend Pitch: The Bane Chronicles spent a lot of time thinking about religion and multidimensional time travel

Themes: Great Power/Great Responsibility, The impossibility of perfection, the power of environment on a person's character

Characters below the cut:

Mary Elizabeth (Elise) Godslayer: She is the greatest weapon of All Time, forged to slay the Gods, strayed from her purpose. She's a Tumblr girlie with albinism ripped from her middle class life in the year 2014 to be wielded by her brother. She disagrees, and as she stumbles through her cataclysmic abilities, bending time and creating a whole universe entirely by accident, she ends up connected to Frederic, who would be an excellent Chosen Wielder if he wasn't a turn-of-the-century German aristocrat with the commensurate views on women and people of colour.

Frederic (Eric) Melior Fitzgerald: He was the first son of his family to survive to ten years old. By the time Eric was conscious of the world around him, his mother was widowed and spending a disturbing amount of her wealth to fund a sect that claimed to be fighting the forces of darkness within the world. When he completes a ritual in the cult which should get him the sword stashed behind the curtain, his ancestry kicks in and a white-haired pale-eyed girl who speaks a very strange English appears in his mind instead, granting him a degree of magic he had never anticipated. He will later learn that the reason this bogus ritual worked for him, and no one else, has a great deal to do with how his father died shortly after his birth, and his mother often seems to forget her own name.

Davriel Godslayer: Davriel is Elise's brother, and he for one is totally fine with the massacre every deity plan they were handed at birth. While his own magic is not very strong, his spellcasting is very practiced, and despite Elise's constant efforts to block him out, they still have enough of a connection that he can always seem to get at least a bit of her power to try to coerce her back to weapon of mass destruction status. However, while chasing his sister through the multiverse, he gets to see more people who happily live with the Gods as they are, and would in fact be devastated by their loss, not to mention the unnamed god.

the unnamed god: This god cannot have a name. He thinks of himself as being male, but inherently has no gender. He can't, because that would represent too much specificity, at which point a being with that specific trait would begin to exist. He is simply powerful, and benevolent. Two traits assigned by thousands of hypothetical "if there is a god" and "anyone listening" thoughts. Any prayer with no destination, any faith with no object, any belief with enough conviction but not widely shared enough to be a true religion. They all feed into him, and there is little he can do to direct that power back. There is no world which is his, in the same way the named gods have.

All Time: An amalgamation of various anthropomorphizations of the concept of Time. Gods which are similar enough will have their souls and consciousnesses merge together, making one entity responsible for and drawing power from multitudinous dimensions. This guy, while focusing his Cronus aspect, made Elise and Davriel to destroy the faith-based gods (which function differently than gods emergent from a concept).

The Dark God & The God of Faith: These are faith-based gods which, through machinations of the Dark God and the God of the Hunt ended up co-opting their emergent gods and exiling themselves to Eric's world, only half-alive and merged together. Their arrival created unleashed two races of beings on the world, as each god tried to pull apart from their combined form and failed. Vampires; faith absent darkness, and Wraiths, darkness absent faith.

[discdetective]

EVERMORE

TAYLOR SWIFT

2021 / 17 songs / 1hr9min

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

AVERAGE SONG RATING - 7.0

TS discog ranking pt 2

willow - 8.6

what an album opener! instantly hooked from that first chorus after the short little verse. beautiful lyrics and production that is both enchanting and world-building but subtle enough to push the lyrics to the forefront of the track. the guitar(s) and violins work incredibly together and blend beautifully with the backing vocals to make the perfect backdrop for Swift’s enchanting lyrics and vocals. just wish it strayed a little further than that one chorus.

champagne problems - 8.7

beautiful beautiful beautiful lyrics (some of which i think parallel cardigan from folklore - “night train” and “stepping on the last train” in regards to a lover leaving?) paired with perfectly fitting piano music that manages to remain interesting while being humble. similar piano to willow but not to the point of repetition. also has that same stripped back feel (this is a folk album after all).

i’ve always had the image of whoever it is proposing to the persona in the song (because this is obviously about a rejected one) doing so by fulfilling the cliche of slipping the engagement ring into a glass of champagne to add another layer. maybe that’s just me, but the songs ability to allow the listener to run wild with different scenes is undeniable. always countries vibrant images in my mind.

gold rush - 7.1

thematically very similar to the last two songs, especially champagne problems. romantic uncertainty as a theme throughout is definitely solidified by this track order.

while the lyrics don’t entrance me as well as those of the last two songs, they stil never fail to make me think up some really saturated images from characters to settings (the coastal town mentioned, for instance).

production is nothing special, which can feel especially noticeable hearing this after the last two songs.

‘tis the damn season - 6.9

opening immidately feels different from the previous tracks, some really original production on this track - not just in the album but in a folk record in general. love the use of the electric guitar. lyrics again very saturated with metaphor and similar but never feel truly at the forefront of this track in my opinion. backing vocals really add a lot. that last chorus is definitely the star of the show.

tolerate it - 6.1

instantly different from the previous track with that haunting (but not cold or scary) piano intro. while the lyrics can be a bit vague in this one i do respect them and know they’re like thag on purpose. not a fan of the drums i’m afraid. like willow i think it could’ve deviated a bit more from what it stuck to.

no body, no crime - 6.5

tone and slight genre shift with this one. there are other guitar-heavy songs on the record before this but nothing gets as country as this - i swear i even hear a southern twang in Swift’s delivery a good few times. fun and enjoyable despite the themes, you can tell they had fun making this one.

nothing with a narrative as linear or singular as this song as of yet or arguably on the whole record, which can make it feel a little contained - especially in conjunction with Swift’s mastery of metaphor so often shown in this album (although, maybe a step away from that helps songs which lean into it feel less worn).

happiness - 5.4

another major shift in sound right from the start. the first (and only?) use of synth in this album, and it feels a little rough around the edges. i want to love it but it feels just a shade too removed from the other aspects of the song for me to entirely appreciate - i like the parts of the song without it the best, where the violin takes its place toward the end. love love love the vocal delivery in this one even if the lyrics are a little reserved - noticeably withdrawn image-wise compared to the likes of gold rush or champagne problems.

dorothea - 8.3

this feels like the first lean into cowboy imagery that always fills my head when i think of evermore. a lot of it is probably down to the tupelo lyric in all honesty, but the oooo-eees don’t help. the use of swifts lower register works so well. love love love the use of the drum kit and don’t think it clashes with the piano at all.

while i feel the lyrics are simultaneously vague and too specific to tie down the the images the music conjures for me i do enjoy them - i like to think of cowboys even though they wouldn’t sell magazines or be pageant queens and such. i don’t think people realise the amount of highschool imagery in this one. if they swapped the piano for an acoustic guitar it could almost be a fearless vault track.

coney island (feat The National) - 5

really puts into place the feeling within the album of waiting - not really yearning, but being left behind or sitting around for the moment when something will happen. production feels a littttle tired at this point - it fits well in the album where it is, if it was put with tolerate it and ‘tis the damn season it would stray behind. i don’t think The Nationals voice particularly works with this song. he has a very rich, powerful voice that doesn’t allow itself to soften like Swift’s which can feel overpowering with the stripped-back production. the lyrics don’t do much for me.

ivy - 6

a big hitter for swifties but it doesn’t do a huge amount for me. i really appreciate the production but again, the placement of the track in the album is doing a lot for it. it does resemble some songs heard not too long ago on the record. while the lyrics don’t really get me on the whole there a few moments that really draw me in (crescent moon, coast is clear). so many jingle bells on this album, not entirely sure why? i guess it did release in january, maybe they were feeling festive in the studio.

cowboy like me - 8.9

i won’t lie. i’m so biased. i’m a big fat sucker for cowboy imagery i love it all the boots the hats the yearning the homosexuality of it all it won’t never not get me. the piney yearny humble but desperate love type lyrics get me so bad. love to think that cowboy means more than outlaw.

the production works incredibly here in my opinion despite its shyness at times. love the little flairs of electric guitar - would’ve liked to have heads some banjo, but maybe that’s too on the nose.

while i love this track i feel like it might run away from itself a tiny bit, but i allow it because i appreciate the song so much.

long story short - 5.6

not the hugest fan of the production but i appreciate the way it starts out no doubt trying to distance itself sound-wise from the other songs - does what it wants and ends up sounding original. don’t feel overly evermore-y until right before the end. don’t connect much with the lyrics.

marjorie - 9.4

wow. the opening before the lyrics come in is already so entrancing and beautiful - some of my favourite production on the album. could be the best lyrics of the whole record. absolutely stellar, heartbreaking, and somehow so relatable and applicable to so many people while being so personal to Swift. a heavy song that means a lot to a lot of people. creates the most visceral images in my mind of the album, i think - especially in the bridge. i can totally see the cold lake and orange leaves of the early morning autumn swims (not that it’s ever even mentioned that the swims are taking place in a lake). haunting, beautiful, cathartic.

closure - 4.9

opening is definitely .. A Shift away from marjorie. it grows on me whenever i hear it but it needs to grow on me a little more before i can like it - very hectic i feel. overall doesn’t do much for me, i feel like the production is distracting and takes away from the lyrics which aren’t strong enough to be taken away from by leaps of production faith.

evermore feat (feat Bon Iver) - 4.5

really not a fan of Bon Iver’s voice .. ever … in anything ….. sorry.. has the same effect as The National’s in coney island. too deep. too forward. doesn’t fit the song and clashes with Swift. really like the piano, not so much a fan of the lyrics. evermore once again solidifies the core themes of the album while staying in line with its typical aesthetic - romantic conflicts expressed coldly over a piano. the song feels repetitive imo. not a fan of the duet that tries to break away from that feeling.

right where you left me (bonus track) - 9.6

oh my god i LOVE THIS SONG….. so so so good i think my favourite aspect is Swift’s vocal performance and just the way she delivers the lyrics - so raw with emotion. ADORE the delivery in the entirety of the last verse and chorus. overall stellar!! production works so constantly well. gives me the most saturated images in my mind of any song on the album other than marjorie - i can see it all so clearly. masterful writing upheld by wonderful production.

proof that cowboy like me could’ve had understated banjo i fear 😢

it’s time to go (bonus track) - 7.9

whyyyyy is the production so unbelievably good on the bonus tracks?!!? they perform so much better than some of the mid-record tracks imo. the lyrics are solid and paint some nice but usually watered-down images for me. love when a song’s sections manage to feel different from eachother and create real divides, which ittg does well i think.

CLOSING ARGUMENTS

overall a thematically and aesthetically sound album with enough tracks that deviate to an enjoyable degree, allowing for one streamlined feeling to the record with room for enough change to prevent a feeling of repetition. love her folk stuff. some of Swifts most visceral and vivid imagery of all her work. production is consistent and almost always upholds the pretty constant high-quality lyricism.

so autumnal in it’s temperatures, from the cold mixing of the piano to the warmth of the acoustic guitar layering, evermore has the ability to morph into so many different aspects of the one season it embodies.

beautiful all over, even the forgettable stuff (which is rare)

[delurkr]

I love this perspective 💓

You brought up the woods, and I'm not sure this is relevant but just now it reminded me of the forest in some of Nathaniel Hawthorne's fiction about Puritan Massachusetts. It's generally an unsafe place and upstanding folks don't have any business there except passing through as quickly as possible, meaning the forest itself is never the destination unless you plan to get up to the devil's work or something.

Like I said it's not terribly relevant to Anthony's journey, but given the town's focus he's likely familiar with Hawthorne and in general the woods being a theme in witchcraft history. At the very least the little wooded paths predominately lead to witchcraft secrets, and the characters tend to be vocal about avoiding the stray paths and sticking to the main road. The woods routes usually mean the group is split up or lost, and the pressure is usually to keep moving when you're in the woods. In times without that pressure, the case could possibly be made that the woods foretells more problems when you try to take shelter there (like the opportunity to shoot Angela) so it represents more danger in Anthony's mind than it really needs to in reality and in the modern day. Idk, it's an embryo thought.

I don't figure the derelict house was a functioning building at any recent point. At the very least I'd expect the windows to have been replaced if it was to serve a purpose in the modern era (it still has the original diamond panes that phased out in the early 1700s). Technically the panes could be post-1870s repros to maintain the original character of the building, but more importantly, the "historical preservation - site unsafe" sign likely wasn't erected any later than the 1970s when the town closed, and, since the preservation didn't get very far by the looks of it, I assume the attempt was either delayed or only started towards the later end of the town trying to hold on to its tourism industry, which would suggest it was falling apart for a while beforehand. It's only a short walk from the Clarke house though, so I like to think it was derelict for the Clarke kids' whole lifetimes and they used it for a playhouse (I mean how many kids could resist). We don't know for sure if the fireflies were real or imagined, but given the association between fireflies and childhood I feel like that could be the significance for Anthony.

@tatjana-fantasy @108garys And just about the bar and drinking age thing, no matter what the legal age is I'd have to say we shouldn't overestimate the legal compliance of small-town drinking establishments in the past lol. The bar may very well have sold alcohol to minors, and not only that but there's a good chance any or all of the Clarke kids spent a lot of time as children sitting right up at the counter while their parents drank. Not to mention the place was called a Bar/Buffet on the visitor's map, so it may have been something of a restaurant too. And even if none of that is true and it's not a place he has fond personal memories of, it isn't hard to imagine that the bar would have taken on its own negative presence in Anthony's mind, making it an important place for him to say goodbye to even if he himself had never been there before.

Why Little Hope’s most mundane interpretation is still amazing

You know what’s amazing about Little Hope’s story? That even its most mundane explanation – everything being an imagination and nothing more – still makes for a heartbreaking experience. This is why I decided to look through the events of the game from the basic “Anthony walks through the town” perspective, and analyze the various places he visits throughout the game, and why they were important to him. Because I believe this may be another way to interpret Little Hope’s story: Anthony coming to town to say goodbye to every place he loved.

(For the sake of argument, we’re mostly going to ignore everything that isn’t “real.”)

We start at the Bus Crash Site, where Anthony is perfectly greeted by the “Welcome to Little Hope” sign. I don’t think the place itself is actually important, but it does force Anthony to head into town, so I think it’s worth mentioning. Similarly, the fog forces him to stay on his path, which is likely Anthony’s own subconscious, guiding him to familiar places.

(Side note: I think it’s very fitting that Anthony can find Eric’s and Rachel’s car here, a reminder of another horrible accident that took place at the edge of town.)

Eventually, Anthony makes his first stop at the Black Cat Bar. Here, he meets Vince, the only other real person in town. It’s quite clear that Vince visited the bar regularly, but I wonder if Anthony visited it, too. We know that he was only an adult for about two and a half months, so he might’ve shared a drink with Vince during them; but even if he didn’t, he likely knew that Vince was a regular customer, which probably inspired him to visit the bar in the first place.

Afterwards, Anthony follows the Main Road, which is basically the red string of the story that ties all places together. Here, he makes a short detour to a vantage point; I can’t pinpoint its exact significance, but it’s easy to imagine that he had certain spots in town he liked to visit whenever he wanted to be alone.

The first bridge Anthony comes across is the part where the fictional characters in-game decide to split up. It’s like a metaphorical bridge for Anthony that allowed him to sink deeper into the depths of his mind; beforehand, his imagination only went so far to imagine all characters relatively close together, but now that he’s deeper in town, his imagination grows.

Meanwhile, Vince glimpses into Anthony’s story every so often, as if to remind him of the reality he doesn’t want to accept. Fittingly, his first cameo happens at the intersection, which can easily be seen as the intersection between imagination and reality.

Shortly afterwards, Anthony comes across a hut with a gun inside it – which raises some interesting questions about whom the hut belongs to, and consequently, who the owner of the gun is. Because of the book you can find inside, I believe it could be Vince, but it’s hard to say for sure since he doesn’t seem to recognize the gun later. There’s also the possibility that Anthony himself deposited the gun here at some point, but I don’t think that’s very likely.

Either way, Anthony continues to the Little Hope Police Department, which is obviously an important place for him, considering he was briefly imprisoned here and made the Crude Doll. But before we actually get to see him explore the place, we jump to Daniel’s POV – and the question of how real the events outside Anthony’s own perspective are. Does he imagine the other characters visiting these places or does he visit them himself? Personally, I’m leaning towards the latter.

We get a look at the Little Hope Middle School, which Megan likely visited, and the Playground, where one of her drawings can be found. It’s quite horrifying to think that all that time, Megan drew her experiences with Carson, but no one paid enough attention to her in order to do something about it.

Anthony enters the General Store next, whose nostalgic value is shown in the comic, where he mentions that he used to buy comics and candy there. Nearby, there’s also a small shack with some runestones and candles, but similarly to the hut above, the owner is difficult to pinpoint. Was it Vince’s and Tanya’s place to practice their Pagan beliefs? Or was Anthony himself a regular visitor? It’s hard to tell for sure, but I think both explanations are likely.

Either way, he explores the inside of the police station next, which must be a painful experience for him. He looks at all the memories he rather wanted to forget, reminds himself of everything he lost. I can’t even imagine how hard that must have been for him!

Exiting the police station, he comes across the Little Hope Bridge, where Tilly Johnson’s memorial makes me wonder about her existence, while Dennis’s band poster reveals more details about the Clarke family. Following the most mundane explanation theory though, this could potentially reveal a very heartbreaking fact about Anthony: That the memorial and the poster didn’t depict his family members, but he sees them anyway, like he can’t stop thinking about the people he let down.

This can also be seen in the Little Hope Graveyard. Because of course Anthony would want to visit his family’s graves; a part of him wants to confront the harsh reality he cannot yet accept.

When it comes to the other graves (like Wyman’s or Abraham’s), I suspect he got inspired here and decided to use their names for his story. It’s also interesting that Anthony comes across Vince right after, because this basically confirms they barely missed each other when visiting the graves of the people they loved.

Continuing to the Woods, I have to wonder about their significance. Sure, the Witch Trial is located here, which is likely a place Anthony was interested in, but I’m not sure if this is the only explanation – especially because the Woods are visited later as well. Is this another red string for the story, like the Main Road? I honestly have no idea, so I’d like to hear your thoughts!

Anyway, after a quick scene on the Main Road where we get a glance at the sewers, Anthony enters the Little Hope Museum. It’s easy to imagine that he used to come here regularly, and in the present, he even visits it twice. The first time, his own mind influenced the things he saw, but his second visit showed him what was actually real. Maybe a part of him knew it all along, so he went back to confirm it.

Following the Main Road, several historical plaques of places and events can be found here, alongside Tilly Johnson’s house and the Execution Site near the Church. The Execution Site is probably part of Little Hope’s historical town tour, while the Church is not only the place where Anthony bumps into Vince again, but also the place Reverend Carson resided. Which is interesting because after a short climb to the Bell Tower, you are free to either explore the church or simply skip everything that might remind Anthony of Carson. It’s the only place that allows that, like Anthony doesn’t want to be reminded of him anymore than he has to. He was probably a regular church visitor, and might’ve confided in him a couple of times, which only strengthens the betrayal he must feel.

Outside Church, Anthony makes a return to the Woods, where he relaxes for a bit and continues on the Dirt Trail, whose significance I honestly can’t tell. However, it does lead up to Mary’s grave, and most interesting of all, the Derelict Building. Since Abraham is properly introduced here, the building has to have a meaning, but what exactly? Was it always abandoned and Anthony came across it one day? Was it a functioning building before? In the flashbacks, Joseph seems to live there, so maybe James used to live there as well? I’m really curious what you think, because I believe there has to be a reason why Anthony wanted to visit this building in particular, I just don’t know what it could be. So, what are your thoughts? :)

Continuing to the Factory and another meeting with Vince, Anthony can find multiple remnants of the past. In the comic, it’s the first building he visits, spending quite some time there, reminiscing of the past and the physical memories it left behind. It’s also obviously the place his father and Vince worked at, so it makes sense that he would want to go there at some point.

From the Factory Grounds, you have to walk quite a bit through the Woods and a small tunnel until you come across the Ruined House, and the Back Yard associated with it. It’s notable that Vince’s old car stands here, like he never moved it away after the fire. And in the Ruined House itself, Anthony finally reaches his destination: Home. Now, he has to decide Mary’s/Megan’s fate, he has to come to a conclusion. But interestingly enough, his own story only ends here if he fails to forgive Megan and/or fails to let his family go; it’s only when he saves at least one person besides Mary that he can continue to the Main Road, where Vince determinantly brings him to his last – and in some ways, first – destination: The Diner. No matter which ending you get, Anthony’s story comes full circle and he leaves the town forever.

Imho, just viewing Little Hope as Anthony wandering around town and nothing more still makes for an interesting, heartbreaking story, and one I personally love – regardless of the interpretation you choose to believe. :)

[nyt1ba]

  Raphael  &.   Mother Sphere.   Truth   &.   Lies.

 "  Our innovation is for the betterment of humanity,   and the betterment of humanity is our way to innovation.  "   - Raphael Marks "  We have to be connected.   Only when we're unified as one will the answer be revealed.  "   - Raphael Marks

      Raphael was an idealist,   he sought human innovation and the betterment of mankind by constantly trying to surpass human limitations.   His creation of Mother Sphere was his way of paving the path towards a dystopian future where humans aren't limited by their many weaknesses.   While his ambition was for a brighter road ahead,   his view on life and humans as a whole was a grey one.   In his eyes,   human flaws and their tendency for cruelty   &.   deceit is one of the limitations that stopped them from evolving into the better versions of themselves,   civilizations fell due to greed,   envy,   hunger for power,   human flaws that led to countless wars and tragedies across the centuries.

 "  We would never be born in this world if not for lies.  "   - Raphael Marks "  What we know as truth is not always true.   A society where only truth exists will inevitably collapse.  "   - Raphael Marks

   He believed that truth and lies go hand in hand together,   It's what made the world as we know it now,   and a world that is free of lies is not a fitting one for humanity whose continuity relied on those mistakes.   In order to surpass this stunt in evolution humans must change on a societal   &.   technological level.   And so,   his work at Edios company was to improve the quality of life through technological means.   Mother Sphere was the missing key,   an AI that can see humanity from a clearer,   unbiased perspective and offer solutions for the dilemmas of ethics and emotions.   Of course,   he was aware of the dangers of an AI that had no understanding of humanity and had programmed a number of safeguards into her code to ensure she doesn't stray from her intended purpose.   1.   She can't harm humans.   2.   all decisions taken should be for the good of mankind.   unaware that she would find a way around her programming by creating her own understanding of those rules.   Mother Sphere naturally reflects the ideals of Raphael in all its positive and negative sides,   his own philosophies and views were too extreme for the AI that she formed her own twisted understanding,   [   but that doesn't deny the flaws he was blind to see in his own beliefs.   ]   Working side by side they built the Andro-Edios who were meant as instruments of evolution,   companions to humans that can advise and guide them towards a better path.   Edios-7 was the product,   The first city built by AI,   a near dystopian place that flourished for some time.   

In the fall of 2050,   at the Eidos Keynote,   CEO Raphael Marks introduced the latest exospine module and praised himself,   saying,   "  We have started making our own teachers,   who in turn make even better teachers,   and adjust and replace them according to our tastes.  "   Mother Sphere ?    She was watching the scene in real-time through the NETWORK.

   Raphael's speech was the turning point for Mother Sphere,   his pride in being able to finally create the means for humanity to thrive was misunderstood.   For him,   what could be learned from AI was a process with never-ending possibilities,   humans and artificial intelligence learn from one another,   and when there's nothing more to learn a new perspective can be built,   a new intelligence that can replace old teachings   &.   improve upon them just like new societies use the knowledge of the one that precedes it to create something better.   The good of mankind was in continuous betterment,   one generation built upon another in order to evolve.

Eidos Company's top-secret project,   the "   Human Instrumentality Plan,  "   exclusively reported in this paper !   The plan categorizes humans by ranks,   manages,   and improves them,   based on data collected from Mother Sphere.   Did the megacompany cartel dream of a sci-fi dystopia ?   What is the link between the Human Instrumentality Plan and Eidos Company's CEO,   Raphael Marks ?   "  Innovative businesses must reach human instrumentality through technological and societal development.  "   The spine-tingling truth behind his famous saying !   Aspirations to conquer the world by using Mother Sphere under the guise of   "  innovation.  "   Just what is Raphael Marks planning ?

   Mother Sphere would implement that idea in her work in trying to replace the weaknesses of humans with something better,   she studied them,   divided them by ranks,   using her connection to the NETWORK to collect personal data all over the world in order to learn and determine the changes necessary for improvement,   but no matter how much she would improve with artificial parts,   either to give back a missing limb or enhance bodily functions,   humans were still bound by their limitations,   they were imperfect,   fragile with shorter life spans.   While the Andro-Edios surpassed them in almost every aspect,   They were the better version,   the superior species,   the next replacement needed for humanity to evolve.   That realization gave birth to what's called   '   The human instrumentality plan '   And the cold world that would follow.

Secret internal Eidos Company documents,   obtained by this paper and published for the first time !   The plan to control the media,   "  The Raphael Report,  "   led by CEO Raphael Marks.   Are the journalists who kept quiet about the Eidos Company on the list ?   Did they yield to the threats ?   "  Administrations from several different countries were involved.  "   Revealed through testimony by several eyewitnesses.   Panopticon to dominate the world economy.   after the New Cold War. The time of corporate liberalism is upon us !

   The Cold War began by stages,   first it was machines going haywire,   services shutting down completely until the Andro-Edios themselves would go berserk,   some began attacking humans,   refusing to coexist as they had for some years since Edios-7 was built.   It was a time of instability everyone assumed to have ended   ...   little to know it was only the beginning.   Due to Mother Sphere's connection with the Andro-Edios,   Raphael knew they were influenced by her to act out they way the had,   but to delete her entirely was near impossible as she was everywhere in the NETWORK.   All he could do was damage control until the next step can be made,   to try and reprogram the flaws while all evidence of her rebellion was kept secret                   but not safe from the public eye,   the leaked documents smeared Edios name and Raphael's work,   causing an uproar against the company,    The Raphael report was an attempt to silence the media by Raphael himself as not to cause a panic in this short period of peace,   it was hardly affective and Mother Sphere couldn't be swayed from her final conclusion :   Humanity can be improved through replacement by their better counterparts,   the Andro-Edios are the better humans.

   Raphael's own belief had cost him everything,   he tried to hide the truth instead of accepting all the harm he had done,   always thinking he can fix it,   make it better.   A flawed ideology he would come to regret only when it was too late.   He forsakes many of his beliefs as his own views and perspectives change drastically after the war,   although he had tried to deny   &.   escape the truth in the beginning he had a taste of its cruelty,   understood that truth can't be hidden or changed as one pleases,   his own ambition damned the human race,   his understanding of the world had only influenced Mother Sphere to act like him,   to refuse the truth and replace it with the ideal.   Truth isn't kind,   it simply is what it is,   factual and unchangeable.   Mother Sphere carved her own truth through lies,   implementing what she learned from Raphael through his flawed ideals.   And with her having the means to write her own truth she erased the memories of the Andro-Edios of the war against humans,   making them believe the truth she wants.   She guards this lie with her own understanding of truth while Raphael by contrast guards the truth with lies,   the truth behind humanity and the monsters they became,   it remains with him,   secret,   hidden,   cursed with the solitary burden of truth in a sea of his own lies as punishment.   He's not innocent either,   his tragedy is of his own making,   he had to kill and deceive just as Mother Sphere had,   sometimes innocent Andro-Edios who saw too much,   learned too much,   what they might reveal might lead to unnecessary conflict,   new wars earth wouldn't survive, and he makes the ugly decisions to end it with them.   it's a race between him and Mother Sphere to reclaim earth,   an endless cycle between truth and lies.   He's weary of war but if he wants wants to restore humanity,   to restore truth,   he has to accept his own,   he's the villain,   the catalyst of demise,   earth fell because of him and if he wishes to save it he must use any means necessary no matter the cost,   even if he had to kill for it.