#wouldn't be the same here for me if i hadn't rewatched.

[thr4shit]

HEY HYBRIDS!

"All Good Things" is now 6 years old.

It's been 6 years since the Finale.

Who's still around? Who still cares?

Did you stick around?

Because I know I did.

More gifs from my collection.

One of my best choices was doing my emH rewatch. Y'all have been fuckin fabulous.

And I hope it'll be that way far into the future.

As always, keep feelin good, and feelin sassy.

Y'all are great, so,

Happy anniversary, guys.

[hikarry]

So, I was rewatching season 1 and got stuck in that scene between Shadwell and Aziraphale in the bookshop.

What if Aziraphale never stepped into the circle? What if the fire never really happened?

Imagine:

Shadwell is lost in his shenanigans, ready to banish Aziraphale to whatever place witchfinders banish witches, and Aziraphale is slowly walking backward.

"Oh, but this is utterly ridiculous." He stops on his tracks, looking Shadwell in the eye. "I'm sorry, good man, but I have no time for whatever silliness is happening right now. If you don't mind, I have an Armageddon to stop." Aziraphale snaps his fingers, and Shadwell disappears, reapearing a few streets over at the other side of Soho. There surely he wouldn't get in the way.

Careful not to step on the active circle, Aziraphale leaves the bookshop and flags down the first cab he sees. The driver stops right in front of the bookshop, and he gets in, giving him Crowley's address in Mayfair.

The last time he called, the demon was home, so that's exactly where Aziraphale hoped he remained. With a bit of luck, he hadn't left for Alpha Centauri... Now that he thought about it, he mentioned having an old friend over? As far as he knew, he himself was the only friend Crowley had, so that statmebt now sounded like a load of nonsense. But whatever. He just needed to speak with Crowley, old friend present or not. Heaven clearly wanted the war to happen, and he had been naive to think they would see reason. The only chance the Earth had of surviving now was the angel and Crowley. He could only pray it wasn't too late and Crowley wasn't gone. He knew where the Anti-Christ was, after all. They could stop this!

When the cab stopped on the street of Crowley's building, Aziraphale paid his fare and threw a quick blessing in the driver's direction for his speed and efficiency before crossing the street and entering the complex.

He had been to Crowley's flat once or twice in the last 20 years. All he had to do was go through the entrance, get on the lift to the last floor, and walk down the corridor towards the last door. And that's exactly what he did, always fiddling with his fingers in a show of the nervous energy that seemed to take over him. They were running out of time. The end of the world would occur any minute now, and Crowley needed to be home. They still had to drive all the way to Tadfield's airbase, and the clock was tickling rather ominously inside his head.

Finally in front of the door to Crowley's flat, he knocked. A few seconds passed with no response, and he decided to knock again, stronger now, but he got exactly the same result.

Aziraphale looked around the hallway, taking a deep breath and smoothing his waistcoat, considering his options.

"Crowley?" He ended up knocking again. "Crowley, we need to talk!" Silence. "I know you're cross with me after our last conversation, but you were right. I talked to the Metatron. And they want the war. As I told you on the phone, I know where the antichrist is, and it would be very nice of you if you opened the door so we could get a wiggle on and stop the Apocalypse." Once again, he was met with silence.

Was it possible? Did Crowley actually leave for Alpha Centauri? He was here minutes ago! He couldn't have left already, right?

Oh, bless it all. He wasn't going to waste any more time.

With a final deep breath, Aziraphale snapped his fingers, and the door unlocked. He opened it slightly, peering inside.

"Crowley? I'm sorry If I'm intruding but this matter is rather urgent." All he got in return was silence. Not a single noise from the demon himself or the so called old friend.

He pushed the remainder of the door open and stepped inside, silently closing it behind him. He looked at the living room, but it was empty of any living soul, apart from the plants on the far wall.

"Crowley?"

Aziraphale called again, now walking towards the office to the left. The door was slightly ajar already, so he spied inside. It looked empty, but he walked in regardless, almost stepping on a pile of goo right there in front of the floor.

"What the...?" He looked down, stepping over the weird substance.

It smelled weirdly of sulfur and...was that Holy Water?

His head snapped to the desk, where he found the thermos he had given Crowley back in the 60s, the cap unscrewed by its side.

Suddenly, he felt his heart stop, and his veins turn into ice. His body gave an involuntary step back away from the smudge, his back hitting the throne as he lifted a now trembling hand to cover his mouth.

No. This couldn't be happening. He would-! Crowley certainly wouldnt-!

A sob escaped his throat as his whole body started shaking.

Oh lord. This was a nightmare. It could only be a nightmare. This wasn't real. Couldn't possibly be real.

Oh Crowley...

Aziraphale's legs failed him, and he ended up on the floor, back leaning against the side of the ridiculous throne Crowley liked so much. Not that he would like anything ever again because he was gone. Crowley was gone. And it was Aziraphale's fault. He was the one who gave him the cursed thermos against his better judgment. And now all his fears were laid bare right in front of his eyes.

Another sob escaped him and he let the heartache take charge, spilling warm tears down his cheeks.

Crowley was gone. The Apocalypse was coming and Crowley was gone. Not to Alpha Centauri but actually gone. Utterly destroyed. And all that remained of his best friend was an unidentifiable goo. Not a trace of Crowley remained.

He hugged himself, hanging his head low, letting the tears fall on his crossed arms and allowing the wretched sobs to take over. He couldn't bear to look at it a second longer. The smell of sulfur and Holy Water was starting to get nauseating.

Well, contrary to popular belief, Crowley was actually very much alive, speeding through the streets on London in the direction of the bookshop. He parked in his usual place and snapped his finger to open the doors of the building.

"Aziraphale?" He looked around, quickly spotting the active circle. Lifting an eyebrow above his sunglasses, he carefully walked towards it, still searching for any trace of the angel. "Aziraphale, are you here?"

The circle was still active with holy energy, so no one had actually stepped through it, and Aziraphale was clearly not in the bookshop, so where could he possibly be?

With a sigh, Crowley turned around and went back to the Bentley. He drove around Soho for a bit, trying to spot some blond curls in the crowd but falling short of success.

"Aziraphale, where the bloody hell are you?" He muttered to himself, carefully scanning the streets, until he gave up, changing his course back to Mayfair.

He needed to regroup. Without knowing where Aziraphale was and without the information on the antichrist he apparently had, Crowley needed to think.

He made his way back to his flat without paying much attention. When he noticed, he was already unlocking the door with his key and stepping inside. And, as soon as he did so, he heard it. Sobs coming from the office. That was...bizarre. Could it be Hastur? Had he figured out a way to leave the answering machine, and now he was crying over Ligur? Crowley almost laughed at himself with such a thought. Hastur? Crying? Now, that would be a sight he would pay to see.

Still, in the name of caution, he slowly made his way to the office, trying to be as silent as possible, when he quickly spotted the angel he had been looking for throught the wide open door, sitting on the floor besides the throne, arms around himself and face hidden while his whole body shook and heartbreaking sobs escaped his vocal chords.

Carefully and confused, he approached, stopping short of the door.

"...Angel?"

Aziraphale's head snapped up, staring at him with wide eyes, his face marked by tears.

"...Crowley?"

"Yeah." He slowly walked his way to the angel, careful not to step on Ligur, squatting in front of him. "Are you alright? What happened?"

He was still staring at him with clear confusing in his eyes, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly until he finally appeared to have found his voice again:

"You-! The-!" Aziraphale's body trembled, looking over Crowley's shoulder and then back at the demon. "You...you're gone!"

Crowley raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

"I just went to the bookshop searching for you, but when I arrived you weren't there already." Aziraphale shook his head, some more tears escaping his eyes along with a single sob. "Hey, hey." Crowley placed his hands on his shoulders, squeezing them. "What's-?" And then that's when it suddenly clicked inside his head. He looked up at the empty thermos on his desk and back over his shoulder to what remained of Ligur. "Oh, Aziraphale. No, no, no." His hands moved up to Aziraphale's face, forcing him to look up at him, his thumb brushing away some of the new tears running down his face. It burned considerably; angel tears were holy water after all, but right now, that wasn't his focus. "That's Ligur. I used the holy water to make a trap for him and Hastur when they came to take me." He brushes his thumb through Aziraphale's trembling lips, leaning in closer. "That's not me, angel. I'm alright."

Aziraphale sniffed, trying to regain control of himself, but failing miserably.

"I-I thought you were dead. I thought you had used the Holy Water. I thought-"

"Shhh." Crowley wrapped his arms around the angel, leaning his face against his, pulling him into an embrace. They had never hugged before, so it felt a bit strange. Awkward even. "I'm right here. That's not me." The angel grabbed handfuls of his shirt and pulled him closer, burying his face on the crook of his neck, taking deep breaths. "Yeah, that's it. Breathe." He ran his hand through his curls, trying to soothe him. "Everything is alright. I'm right here."

After a while, Aziraphale finally calmed down and moved away, just enough to be able to look at Crowley's face. For a moment or two, they just stared at each other. Aziraphale's red rimmed blue eyes looking right at Crowley's yellow ones; his sunglasses had ended up on his head at some point. The angel's eyes slipped down to the demon's lips for a second and Crowley's licked them involuntarily, before his gaze went back to his eyes.

"You were right." Crowley tilted his head in confusion. "I talked to the Metraton. They want the war to happen...The Anti-Christ..." Aziraphale mumbled those last words.

"Right." Crowley stared down at Aziraphale for a couple more seconds before getting up, offering his hand to the angel to help him do the same. "You said you knew where he was?"

[dapperapple]

Mike's crush on El does not necessarily contradict him being gay rather than bi

I wanna start off by clarifying that if you see Mike Wheeler as bisexual rather than gay, THAT'S 1000% VALID don't let anyone take that from you babe

this is just my perspective as a lesbian who thought she was definitely straight until the end of 10th grade (age 16, a bit older than Mike and Will are in canon)

I was rewatching a lot of scenes from the show, mainly s2 and s3, to see if I thought that Mike's feelings for El came across as weird/forced or if their relationship felt off

and honestly it left me (a Byler shipper) pretty confused at first

because YES there are a lot of odd things about his feelings and their relationship

BUT ALSO

there are a few moments that are so cute and feel so genuine I didn't know what to do with them for a sec

mainly all the scenes where they're together at the Snowball dance

because that shit seems real to me, it's cute as fuck, that is a Mileven win right there if there ever was one

and honestly, the forehead touch when she and the Byers are about to leave, and again when they reunite in s4

dude that shit is so sweet okay

(Mileven shippers are valid even if I disagree with it for the narrative)

ANYWAYS here's where my personal experience comes in to help out with my confusion over this

Mike in s1 feels the most obviously comp-het to me

because I had a big crush on a boy in kindergarten, another in gr2/3

I didn't even know what gay people were, I knew girls liked boys, so if a boy was my friendly, and nice to me instead of mean, I probably would've liked him or thought I liked him

Mike in seasons 2-4 reminds me of myself in gr7/8

the most intense crush I had on a guy was in gr7/8

I was more used to being friendly with guys at this point but this guy was becoming a close friend of mine

a cute confident guy who was nice, funny, and taking an active interest in me as a person was like wooaahh

I really do believe that Mike unintenionally idolized El, putting her up on this pedestal, with his self esteem all wrapped up in her liking him back

but I also don't think that's his fault, when you're young you don't know any better

the pressure to date starts to increase a bit, and low self esteem is kicking your ass

I did the exact same thing with the guy I liked, I had this whole other version of him in my head and I started liking him less and less the more he didn't act like that ideal

(insert Mike's behavior towards El after she assaulted Angela)

even after I figured out that the kind of person and the kind of connection I wanted in a relationship was something I was far more likely to find with a girl, I still thought I was straight, so it just made me kind of sad

like- I had resigned myself to the fact that I would struggle to find a guy that I TRULY liked

maybe it was lingering internalized homophobia, idk, I had lots of gay friends, but I just hadn't felt that way about any girl at all before, I didn't think I was capable of being attracted to girls

and then there was her

we became very close friends, she was such a kind person, so fucking funny, an incredibly skilled artist, and absolutely gorgeous

and it finally clicked

finally my mind registered the fact that I COULD be attracted to girls

I still consider her my first love

and then there was no turning back

WHICH IS WHY

I wouldn't be surprised AT ALL if it takes Will coming out to Mike/the party in order for him to consider Will romantically

not because he isn't already in love with him subconsciously

but because I don't think he has registered it as a possibility for EITHER of them

moral of the story:

COMPULSIVE HETEROSEXUALITY IS REAL GUYS AND IT CAN FEEL MORE REAL THAN YOU'D EXPECT

especially since when you're young, the differences between boys and girls (both physically and how we're socialized) are much less apparent

MIKE WHEELER I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE (because me too!!)

[multifandomimagin3s]

Mercenary! Reader - 141, Los Vaqueros + Konig

So I recently rewatched Deadpool, and I was thinking about what the boys reactions would be to finding out that (r/n) is a mercenary - gave them a little bit of Wade's personality too~

Mentions of violence, strong language, little bit of angst if you squint.

Simon "Ghost" Riley

Oh, he definitely doesn't trust you.

He's impressed by your skills on the battlefield, and knows that you're very good at what you do - otherwise you wouldn't be a mercenary - but he absolutely wouldn't turn his back on you.

Price would have probably already told 141 about you, but even if he hadn't he probably would have put two and two together on his own.

Doesn't judge you...much - he's done some pretty fucked up things, it comes with his line of work, but being a mercenary is on another level.

Your sense of humour piques his interest, his humour is dark at the best of times so the fact that you can match his dark comments with some of your own is fine by him.

Don't get it twisted though, if he thinks that you're trying to double-cross his team, he wouldn't hesitate to kill you.

If you were recruited to help 141 on a mission, it would probably mean that the mission was going to be hell on Earth; I can see Shepard hiring you - his intentions were probably never disclosed to you, which makes you trust him less and less.

Given that you're not part of the British Army, your clothing and gear probably wouldn't be similar at all; picture the suits from Black Widow, because Yelena is a goddess~

He definitely hasn't secretly admired your arse when you're not looking - Soap definitely caught him once and was given a glare as a warning to keep his mouth shut.

You'd have to prove yourself to him before he lets himself feel any of the feelings of attraction he has for you - mans has a lot of past trauma that he doesn't want repeated, so until he knows that you're trustworthy, he's going to be cold and calculative as always.

Johnny "Soap" MacTavish

While he may be a generally friendly guy, Johnny is far from stupid; he'll make small-talk with you in the beginning, but knows not to let his guard down - no matter how much your sense of humour makes him chuckle.

Watches you take down 4 soldiers almost twice your size with ease, and almost pops a boner.

If you're anything like Wade, he's a bit of an over-sharer; when you tell him about parts of your past that led to you becoming a mercenary - some parts which may have been slightly traumatic and concerning to hear - with a smile on your face, he's a bit worried for you.

Definitely flirts with you on the regular - Ghost just gives him a blank stare, wondering why Soap likes to gamble with his life since the team barely even know you.

Once you prove that you're trustworthy, he opens up to you more; we've seen how he acts with Ghost, undeterred by the big guy's cold exterior.

He asks to train with you - doesn't mind being thrown to the mats a hundred times over, "I don't mind the view from doon here, like ;D" [doon = down], "Aye, I knew you'd look great on top a' me"

Asks to try out your weapons - some are not too different from his own, while some are quite clearly black-market issue.

All in all, Soap's an easy-going guy - so as long as you don't try to kill him or anyone he cares about, you're golden.

Captain John Price

Another one who doesn't trust you at all.

He's been in the military for a long time, and he's encountered mercenaries from across the globe - most of them weren't the friendly type, especially when they were after the same target.

He's definitely angry when Shepard tells him that you'll be accompanying his team on the next mission; he's offended, for one, as it makes it seem as if his team are incompetent or not skilled enough to go it alone.

Doesn't take his eyes off you for a second - in his eyes, you're not a soldier, you don't abide by legalities and you essentially kill for money so you might as well be a fully-fledged assassin.

Doesn't bat an eyelid at your humour either, and doesn't let his guard down.

Your fighting skills are undeniable - you're very good at what you do, and you're clearly very intelligent, but don't mistake this for respect.

You probably don't show your face at all - revealing your identity would probably incriminate yourself and put yourself and anyone around you in danger; this doesn't phase him, but it makes it harder for him to trust you.

For Price to trust you would take a hell of a lot of work; you'd have to prove yourself, not just in the field but from a moral standpoint too.

If you do manage to prove yourself to him, then he might gradually start to see you in a different light.

Soap may or may not have caught him eyeing you up appreciatively - but a stern look from his Captain shut him up immediately.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

I can see Gaz keeping out of your way as much as possible.

Out of everyone in 141, he's the youngest and hasn't been in the military for very long either, so he hasn't encountered mercenaries before.

That being said, he knows what a mercenary is and knows that Price doesn't trust you at all - the fact you were hired by Shepard is questionable in itself, so he keeps his interactions with you to a minimum.

Doesn't know what to make of your humour - sometimes your comedic timing and the things you come out with are quite funny, he can't deny that. But other times, you come out with some twisted shit that makes him wonder about your mental state.

He's naturally curious at to how you went from being a soldier to a mercenary - he doesn't have to ponder for long, sometimes you'd just openly remark about things that happened in your past and he was able to figure it out on his own.

He'd never admit it out loud but watching you rile up Ghost with your sarcastic comments and dark humour was entertaining - even if he did fear for your safety when the hulking soldier was due to blow a gasket.

If you showed him your face, he would be pleasantly surprised - Price definitely gives him the disapproving Dad face whenever he catches Kyle oggling you after that.

Alejandro Vargas

*I used google translate for both Alej, Rudy and Konig so if the translations are wrong I apologise*

Oof, he is angry.

We saw how he reacted with Valeria, he doesn't like soldiers who turn their back on morality for money.

He doesn't even attempt to hide his distaste for you.

"Eres un maldito traidor y un asesino." ["You are a fucking traitor and a murderer."]

Finds out you're working with 141 and he's just >:(

"¡¿Por qué diablos están aquí?!" ["Why the fuck are they here?!"]

Warns you that if you betray the team - his friends - that he'd be coming for you, and he would kill you without hesitation.

Your dark humour would probably rub him the wrong way, further solidifying his perception that you were a soldier who walked down a path that you couldn't come back from, "No tienes verguenza?" ["Do you have no shame?"]

I think that even if you did prove yourself, he still wouldn't fully trust you - it would take years for him to look you in the eye with a modicum of respect.

If he sees you getting along well with 141, it might slightly make him think differently of you - especially if Ghost seems to be okay with you being around them.

But it would take him a while to see you as anything other than a killer; "No eres malo, pero recuerda, traicionarnos y estarás muerto antes de que puedas correr." ["You're not bad but remember, betray us and you'll be dead before you can run."

Rudy Parra

Rudy's naturally quite a quiet guy, so I doubt he'd say much to you anyway.

However, this silence doesn't mean acceptance.

He keeps a close eye on you, analysing every move you make.

Would probably ask for your opinion on things when you're on a mission; it's partially out of curiosity, a way to see how your mind works, and other parts to air on the edge of caution because your sense of humour consisted of coming out with some crazy shit.

I reckon if he did trust you, he'd still be very cautious and aware of what you were and what you were capable of; after seeing you take down soldiers like it was nothing, he's inwardly grateful that you were fighting on the same side...for now.

If you let your guard down and told him about aspects of your personal life, it might change his mind a bit - it shows that you're human, you have a life outside all of this...but that being said, he's never seen your face, so you could walk past him in the grocery store and he would never know. It's unnerving.

If you do trust him enough to show your face, he's conflicted; "No te ves como esperaba que te vieras." ["You don't look how I expected you to look.] You look perfectly normal, minus the black paint around your eyes - pretty, even.

Alejandro doesn't like you one bit from the jump, and is constantly hovering around you both like >:(

It'll take a while for Rudy to trust you, but rest assured if you were to break his trust, it wouldn't end well at all - he's a Sergeant Major, and don't let his quiet nature fool you, he too is capable of doing damage.

König

The big guy is unphased - he's a mercenary too, so if he were to judge you then that would make him the biggest hypocrite of all.

Nonetheless, he doesn't trust you either - if you're not from KorTac, and he doesn't know who you are, then he's not letting his guard down at all.

Your sense of humour could go one of two ways with him:

If he's out on the field, and you're making dark jokes and sarcastic comments, then he'll probably laugh and join in; he's a completely different man when he's working, it's what makes him so good at what he does.

But if he's back on base...he's probably going to be a little awkward - the adrenaline's worn off and he's back to being his normal, shy self.

Wants to train with you but is hyperaware of his size and strength - he's seen you take down soldiers his size, but he's still concerned that he'd seriously hurt you.

Pin him to the mat and watch as his eyes widen and he averts his gaze, cheeks heating up under his mask; "Du kämpfst gut." ["You fight well."

There's a slim possibility that he would show you his face - you made the mistake of teasing him and he almost backed out, "Show me yours' and I'll show you mine~"

If you show him your face, he won't be able to look at you the same; how is he supposed to focus now when he knows you're attractive?!

[pipsqueakparker]

i'm writing a fic (it was not supposed to be as long as it's becoming) with millie & blitz that takes place right after western energy

yknow for maximum angst

but anyway so i rewatched the episode for Research purposes and this was the first time i caught this

i mean, first of all, love all the foreshadowing hidden amongst these like 2 second frames. but does that say 3 days?

im assuming that's a reminder notif for the meeting with oz in 'oops' - are you telling me that happened 3 days after he was nearly killed?

so this man rolls up to ozzie's, still freshly full of ptsd from his own assassination attempt, i'm sure. and then is there for the moment ozzie finds out his boyf has been abducted (just like stolas had been) and that also, it was the same fucking man.

also okay now that i'm here, can we just talk about not only the like reliving of trauma that just seeing striker probably did to stolas but also.

but also.

ozzie's reaction to fizz being kidnapped & threatened is, like, probably the exact reaction he wishes blitz had had. that's the response he wishes he could garner out of someone, but instead. his wife put the hit on him, and... no one cared, at least in his experience of it, i'm SURE that's how it felt.

like, yes, moxxie & millie came and saved him, and yes, blitz had such a valid reason to not be there. but if we're looking at it through stolas's eyes - the only thing that kept him from being fucking murked right then and there was stella calling it off. millie & moxxie got there after that, but if stella hadn't called would they have gotten there in time??

and i mean, striker sure did make a point to rub in how no one was coming for him. (and like then he got left on read while he was in the hospital! ouch!)

if stolas felt a little bitter while he watched ozzie fight to do whatever the fuck crimson wanted just to keep fizz safe... yeah, i wouldn't blame him. that fucking sucks. that. fucking. SUCKS.

this poor goddamn owl.

(and i'm not disparaging blitz at all with this before anyone reads it that way. this all started bc i'm writing a whole ass fic now from blitz's pov after the 'git bevver swoon' text, bc as someone with a lot of useless guilt in my soul, i love digging into characters and their guilt complexes)

[the-words-we-sung]

Thoughts and pictures - S3E4

I've never been that slow with a Young Royals rewatch >< It's hard for me to get through this season (especially now that I'm in the last 3 episodes...)

And here we go, starting directly with a very sad Simon 😞 Omar plays a crying Simon way too well, it breaks my heart every damn time...

I like hearing Wilhelm call Simon his boyfriend 🥰 Also is it me, or do we have a lot more close up shots in season 3? (No clue if that's what it's called, I mean shots that are very zoomed in on their faces like this one.)

Vincent drawing a dick on the ground, of course... And I don't get his explanation: "why even try if there's no reward for the effort?". It means if the school closes, they all won't graduate and have to do their grade all over again? Surely if they're taking tests and all, it counts for something? Why fail an important test and take the risk to fail your year? 🤔 (Not gonna lie, most of Vincent's reactions to what's happening to the school this season left me quite perplexed ^^') And if it's just the graduation ceremony that is cancelled, it still doesn't mean they're not graduating, does it? 🤔

But can you really Simon?

And Wilhelm repeating his mother's words "it's a privilege, not a punishment" breaks my heart >< (Also I'm gonna be a little shit about it but even the Royals have a choice in the end about accepting or not their role and job: after all, Wille is gonna renounce it in 2 episodes :p)

I do like what he said about the role of the royal family in Sweden! We have very little information on that in the show so I appreciate it here. And he looks so pretty in this light!

Wilhelm sounded so surprised that Farima said yes immediately when he told her they needed to help Simon. He was expecting to have to fight them on that.

Why did he have to delete his whole account? Why not just put it on private? (I know I've read in several fanfics the idea that searching and deleting through all the new people who followed him before going on private would be too much of a hassle but I feel like it's a stretch, and an acceptable price to pay to keep his account?)

Their conversation about Wilhelm's choice of foundation makes me so so sad! I had hoped that he would see Simon's point of view on how he can use his role as Crown Prince to try and make things better! I was actually pretty surprised that he was 100% not interested. It's a new facet of Wilhelm's personality that we hadn't really seen before I guess? And it feels like it creates a serious gap between them, it shows that they're not on the same page at all about a pretty serious subject (which is not good for the future of their relationship...)

This shot of these 3 made me laugh :p

This one hurts... Another crack in their relationship 😩 Simon is realizing how different they are. He knew they were but this season is showing us a side of Wilhelm that just seems incompatible with Simon :/ It's not just differences in tastes or personality, now it's differences in their core values also. And that is a huge problem.

So we learn that Simon mostly avoided Micke for Sara's sake. Or maybe he's exaggerating that fact because he's really angry at her.

The sit-in scene is very funny, they're all so dramatic, thinking they might starve to death xD I didn't think that August's eating disorder would be confirmed this way! Also I guess Vincent does have ADHD then? It was not just an excuse to get pills.

"Because we are different?" Yeah... that's what this episode is really about, how different you both are. Which wouldn't be an issue for me if it was less about such important matters :/ I wish we had seen them learn more from each other this season, instead of being in conflict to much.

I agree with Felice that it's getting out of hand! (I still enjoy the whole thing though 😁). I don't dislike Stella as much as a lot of people seem to, but I don't like her in this scene and how she talks to Felice!

Cutest scene of the episode.

I adore this scene. It makes me want to cry. I love them both and I'm so happy that they're slowly finding their way back to each other <3

"Erik was there." This sceeeeene!! Such a punch in the face, so fucking terrible >< (So well acted also!!)

Another trauma for my poor boy...

So lots of mixed feelings with this episode! I'm very frustrated with Wilhelm and his reactions, but I love the Sara arc. I really like the end of the episode, with some very good scenes. But now I really don't wanna go watch the next one ><

[criminal-sen]

Hello!! Going back to that post about being ok with people asking you about your fic... can I? 🙏 I'm gonna 🫣

So when I first found Imperfect, I hadn't watched Bleach in... dunno... 10-15 years?? Gawd don't wanna think about it. So, I'd forgotten a lot of stuff, and I hadn't finished the last 3-4 seasons. So I thought a lot of stuff you wrote about was canon, and when I rewatched it all for the upcoming 3rd part of tybw, I was like... so when are you guys gonna mention this??

But anyway, focusing on the actual question, how did you come up with all the little details about Mayuri? Like the way he talks to AJ in their own internal world, the microdosing of Super Human drug in daily life and they way it feels, the ability to smell pheromones... it makes the story, which is already awesome, much more realistic to me. It's almost like he wrote it himself, it's so, so enjoyable. Love it sm, you already know 😊

Anyway, no pressure to answer, just been thinking about it for a while and thought I'd chance it!

Aw that's so cool u mistook my stuff for canon, I feel like it's Highest Honor for ff to be believable enough to trick someone>:3c Tho I'm sure it was kinda frustrating too, sorry for that haha (and I've also been fooled so I very much understand the feeling)

Future Sen here: when I say I'm long-winded, this is what I'm talking about. This is like.. the textbook definition of Verbose. So under a cut it goes, have fun with soooooo many words:D

Hmm so the microdosing Superhuman Drug just popped into my head right before I wrote it in (chapter... 5? I think? Where he's sitting in the hotel after a flashback), I think I was having a bit of a conundrum on how he could sit there and have such a long and detailed flashback in such a short time? And before I could do the obvious fix of having more time pass, as literally nothing was at stake time-wise, I remembered the Superhuman Drug exists. And the more I thought about it, the more sense it made for him to use it, to the point where I choose believe it's canon unless proven otherwise XD Like you can't tell me someone whose whole thing is Thinking wouldn't jump at the opportunity to do more of it in less time. As for the way it feels, hmmm idk, I just thought real hard and made it up. All we know from canon is what he explained to Szayel, and what Szayel experienced, which is just. Brain thinks faster, making time feel as though it's passing slower. And od'ing on it is Real Bad💀

Hheeeehooo What Next>:3 (btw im having a blast rn, ty for giving me a free pass to be sooooo long winded about this very niche thing XD) Right, Jizo communication here we go>:33333 So him talking to Jizo was based on what I read in a wiki about the Zanpakuto... rebellion arc? I think it's called (could definitely be wrong)? Where everyone's zanpakuto spirit is running amok? I just remember reading he didn't speak. And though I have mixed feels about the design (hence he is Moth in my fic XD), him not speaking really made sense to me. He just seems like such a fucked up little guy🤔 Like.. okay so I've mentioned this briefly in a chapter preface but want to elaborate... so I strongly believe he consents to being modified, cuz even Mayuri would probably have a hard time wielding a zanpakuto that fucking hates him. Which means he's loyal (arguably to a fault) and trusts Mayuri to do very fucked up and painful things to him. Which, to be fair, Mayuri does equally painful and fucked up things to his own body.. and that makes me wonder if Jizo isnt merely consenting but is of the same mind about this fuckery? Like idk if I can even say this in a way that makes sense🤦‍♂️ but I like to think they share this no-holds-barred, nothing-is-sacred delight for experimenting on themselves. Like Jizo is also a mad scientist in all but name>:3 (I decided on this version bc it Fucks Severly imho, but also bc it's FAR less depressing than the overly-trusting, Stockholm syndrome one, like i cannot deal with writing something that sad tbfh) Anyway, regardless of which version, he is an intensely weird Creachure. And I just can't fathom him saying fucking.. anything... that would even remotely make sense to anyone but Mayuri??? And the telepathy thing just fits Mayuri's whole.. fast thinking, Big Brain vibe. If a zanpakuto were to impart information to him through words, I can see him tapping his foot like GET TO THE POINT>:(

Lastly, the pheromone thing.. haha well this one's pretty short (future Sen here, i am a liar! It is not short😬) - I borrowed it from another ff. It's that one I mentioned at the end of.. who knows which chapter... Quantum Mechanics by Illegitimi (no link, sorry, might put one after i post)... which was Mayuri/Isane, and which I loved So Much back in the day, despite hetero romance being kind of a fuckin.. icky vibe for me in regards to Mayuri. No problem with it fyi, just usually wouldn't choose to read about it. Ugh I'm talking too much about it already but I have changed a LOT since.. 2016? Give or take? And I don't think I could stand it nowadays for a whole bunch of reasons. But. BUT. It was very well written and had some very cool hcs for him that I've clung onto. The pheromone one just fits him - if he could sharpen his ability to sense something, ofc he'd do it - plus it's very fun for romance and smut reasons, which is undoubtedly why the author thought of it. They also had that scar across his nose, though iirc it was kinda squiggly and not the upside down V that I made up. In my defense though, there's a lot I didn't borrow from that fic, too. Some highlights: Mayuri practiced feng-shui (like he'd spend his precious Sciencing time to do smth like that smh) he had these absolutely luxurious captains quarters, complete with a whole fancy bathhouse, like there was a waterfall and shit nsvdhshdv (I'll admit this was quite fun in the ff but i obviously interpret his quarters a lot differently)... and, last one I mention I promise😬 his paint rubbed off easily, big reason why I changed it tbfh cuz it immediately didn't make sense to me, like his hands especially? Is that different paint than the rubbing off paint? Or does he leave paint on every surface he touches, and discreetly wipe it up and reapply before anyone notices???? Expmain yourself, ff writer😤 jk jk it was really good for what it was, and I still very much appreciate it for helping me form my version<3

Omfg I really... shit what time is it😭 (over an hour, I've been sitting here for over an HOUR jesus fucking.. goddamn) Okay well I don't get to blab v often about this stuff, and it turns out I have a LOT of words in me today! So it was a perfect storm😩 Well I hope this was enlightening, thanks sm for the ask, it was a very fun hour lol. And sorry for the uhhh. the amount of words:p

[teenitrash]

I just finished my rewatch of AOT and one thing I noticed is how different Connie is after Sasha died (or just Season 4 in general)

We know him to be an idiot and a joker even in serious situations, like in Season 3 where he made a joke even though the rest of the Survey Corps was literally dead (honestly he was so real for that. I, too, use humour to cope lmao) and then Sasha hit his head as a result.

Obviously, all of the younger main characters had drastic character development after Season 3 and it makes sense because of what they've been through. For example, Armin spoke up more and wasn't as timid as he used to be. Jean's leadership skills really showed itself in Season 4 and he became less of an asshole.

So yeah, they all changed quite a bit, but in my opinion, Connie changed more obviously because it sort of went in a "negative" direction. Him changing is not bad but because he became a little more aggressive (something we don't really see in S1 - S3) and he lost most of his joking nature (something we DO see in S1 - S3), it was more noticeable to me.

He became more angry or defensive in certain situations and he kind of lost his joking nature after Sasha died. It's not a bad thing at all BUT this just shows us how much Sasha meant to him and how much of an impact she had in his life, just as he did in hers. He really meant it when he said they were like twins and that she was his other half that died. The only joke I remember him making and the only time he ever laughed throughout the entirety of Season 4 is when Annie was stuffing her face with pie and that's it. Here are 2 examples of when Connie got really aggressive that, for me, felt out of character for him compared to Season 1 - 3:

When Onyonkapon released them from their cell and Connie's first response was to choke him against the wall and shout at him. It doesn't ONLY have to do with Sasha's death, but I feel like if Sasha were here, he wouldn't react as aggressively

Same here where he demanded that they feed Falco to his mom and even went as far as kidnapping him. If Armin and Gabi hadn't shown up the next day, there would be a higher chance that Connie would've made his mother the Jaw Titan. Even when they were camping in the forest, Connie started talking to himself, saying that he misses Sasha

I'm not entirely sure about the reason behind Connie's character development, but Sasha was definitely a huge part of it. Even if he didn't become angrier because of her death, it was definitely that that made him joke around a lot less and made him become more serious

[mollysunder]

Another Clue in Viktor's Tarot Card?

I think I figured something out. In an older post I talked about how Arcane used tarot symbology to possibly hint at future developments for season 2. It was specifically how Viktor and Jinx fit into the role of the Magician and Death tarots respectively and how it works for Sevika. There was one thing that was bugging the hell out of me when i finished it. What was the symbol within the Machine Herald's grasp?

At first I thought it was the mathematical symbol for fish (∝), without the curves, like how Ekko' infinity symbol are sharp triangles instead of round loops. I thought it could mean Viktor needed to recognize the balance and proprtions necessary to unlock the Arcane and be an indirect reference to how similar but different Ekko and Viktor are. But I think the answer might be simpler.

It's an 'X', sideways. Obviously, the 'X' could refer to the x-factor the Magician needs to unlock the Hexcore's power. And that's the fun trick of it because there's only been one person I know in League that's been explicitly associated with this kind of 'X', it's Jinx.

When Jinx's character debuted in League of Legends, instead of releasing a bio first, they had her 'vandalize' Vi's page with graffiti (really fun marketing move). The end of the page had a signature tag that said "X WUZ HERE" because they didn't want to reveal her name so they used this special "X" instead. Later, the tag was just replaced with "JINX WAS HERE.". I thought it was a one-time thing, but no, Jinx's special 'X' still remains in the game to refer to her presence. For example, one of Caitlyn's gag interactions has her shooting her rifle that's been tampered with by Jinx. And when it happens Caitlyn goes, "Ready, aim... (gasps) Urgh! Why am I not surprised?". Who else could it be?

So this symbol is still associated with Jinx, specifically as a substitution for her name, and it's in the Machine Herald's grasp. I don't think this is meant to hint at any future control Viktor would have over Jinx, nor would he want to. It could mean that he will need a partner in Jinx to help him complete the Hexcore once he and Jayce have their falling out and he's cast out from Piltover (some real Silco and Singed vibes honestly). But maybe it's another hint at how similar their actions will be perceived by us, the audience, like they fly under the same banner of void-touched outcasts playing offense and defense against Piltover. And more so that they will have a deeply impact full relationship with one another. Look at Ekko and Vi, they both bare her tag and you can't pretend she hasn't left her mark on them and their motivations. It's just odd that for Viktor, her tag is in a different position. Maybe it's a past, present, future thing.

I wouldn't bring this up if the creators of Arcane hadn't said that there were plenty of hints at season 2 that the audience hasn't picked up yet, so maybe this is another one. Also, I have noticed that Jinx sometimes has Ekko's infinity symbol on her marketing but it's still solidly an Ekko thing. Even when she has it on her Flame Chomper grenades it's used explicitly to frame Ekko and the Firelights for her damage because it's so well associated with him.

Update: I don't know why I'm just remembering this, but Jinx is also just wearing a big X on her shirt. In fact she's covered in X's, her shirt, her necklacklace choker thing, her shoelaces, her belt, her bandage, the back of her shoe they all have X's in her design.

Update 2: I found more X's! They're all over her background in the 'Enemy' music video. The art really isn't being subtle when you notice.

Update 3: Pretty sure this is the last one... maybe. After rewatching I noticed Vi's prison uniform actually has the symbol as a part of her ID number. Altogether her ID would be X516. Though whenever Vi was referred to as prisoner 516. Alone it actually says her name in Roman numerals, 5=V, 1=I, and 6=VI (a but redundant). If we treat it the 'X' as Jinx's name it makes Jinx and Vi before Vi even knows Powder has grown into Jinx, already intertwining their identities.

Update 4: I really thought I was done, but I wasn't. I found that both of Ekko's loc rings (which look similar to the bullet shells Jinx uses in her braids) have partial infinities that look similar to her symbol. Ekko specifically is represented with a complete hourglass, and this is literally the one exception. The fact that this symbol is visible when he talks about Zaun and Silco makes me feel ridiculous. If this is a subtle hint at the way Jinx affects Ekko... wow. Jinx isn't even dead, but she's practically haunting all these characters.

Seriously, it's a purposeful choice to do this, his game icon has full hour glasses. But in Arcane they're not, they're drawn to be similar to Jinx's symbol. Just like with Viktor and Vi, it means internally, not even consciously, he's seeking her out for her.

[shaniacsboogara]

...maybe i will 😈

The setting description and the voices Shane was built for this 👏👏

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Dangancember 2024 - Danganronpa Top 24 Class Trials: Number 22 Danganronpa Another 2 Case 5

//Right above DRV3 Case 6 is SDRA2 Case 5, and I'm honestly kind of surprised that this one ended up getting this low on the list, because as far as I was concerned, it was a pretty decent segment of the story.

//But strangely enough, besides the big twist at the end of the trial, this chapter is honestly not very memorable. I actually kind of had to go back and rewatch it in order to make some notes for this.

//Which, to be perfectly frank, was not very enjoyable, because of all the games that are on this ranking, SDRA2 and V3 are easily the ones that I like revisiting the least.

//But don't get me wrong. From what I do remember of this trial, I do respect what was done.

//I think one of the biggest issues with this trial is that this is kind of where, for me at least, the tie-ins with the previous game really start to come in in spades. And if you hadn't played Another 1, which wasn't as commercially available as Another 2 at the time it came out, there are some things here that kind of end up being confusing.

//But what this trial was able to pull off was pretty amazing, and even though I have never been a huge fan of the way LINUJ writes his characters or his story, this chapter in particular showed the leaps that he was willing to take to tell his story that somebody like Kodaka wouldn't.

//Now obviously with Rain Code, it's clear these days that Kodaka is not afraid to mass-murder his characters. It's just not something he felt he could do with Danganronpa due to a very limited cast, especially in the latter parts of the game. And yeah, no one actually dies in this chapter besides the victim, but...We'll take this one step at a time.

//I don't feel like going as in depth about this trial as I did with the previous post, because I care more about that trial and it's failings more than I do this one. And I do understand that this is a widely popular trial, but I, personally, am just not that crazy about it besides how it ended.

//I'm personally not too keen on most of SDRA2's trials, as I've already implied, but putting myself aside, the fourth trial often stands out as a fan favorite due to its bold emotional stakes and plot twists, while the final trial delivers climactic, overarching revelations. Sandwiched between these two, the fifth trial can feel underwhelming, lacking both the emotional depth of the fourth and the high-stakes resolution of the finale.

//Which isn't an issue any of the other fifth trials have except for Game 1 Case 5.

//Also, I don't know if this is just me, but for a trial that is supposed to be incredibly climactic, the themes of betrayal and trust, while VERY pivotal leading up to this entire chapter and what should be central to the trial, feel underdeveloped or poorly executed. While previous trials build strong thematic narratives, this one struggles to create the same emotional resonance. It tries to heighten drama through character conflicts, but these moments can feel forced or out of character.

//What I mean is it really does just feel like the characters got really...dumb...? Which is a big issue I had with Game 1 Case 5 as well. It really kind of feels the cast are just playing a game of Among Us.

//No one even considered the possibility of Iroha being the acomplice instead of the murderer. Just because she did the paintings, doesn't mean she killed Teruya, and since she's a VOID she has to listen to everything Mikado says because it's against the rules to betray VOID, so her being the acomplice was just as likely as the killer, and I kind of saw the trial going in that direction and, lo and behold, I was right. But no, they didn't even consider it

//Everybody spent this entire game always casting suspicion on Mikado, despite the fact that in most of the trials, it's so obviously not him. So what, they just randomly got desensitised to suspecting him of the murder?

//If that's the case, then that's a clever move on Mikado's part. Just that I feel like that could have been explained better. Maybe it's a translation issue.

//And as is the case with quite a few of SDRA2's story beats, the pacing often feels drawn out with repetitive debates and unnecessary padding. Of course, this is NOWHERE NEAR as bad as Trial 2 and 3, but still, this trial lingers on certain points, reducing the overall tension.

//This trial is honestly very hard to review in general because of how intergral it kind of is to the story, so I will say one good thing about it is that unlike quite a few of the Chapter 5's in Danganronpa, this one actually serves as really good build-up for the finale.

//If there's one thing I can give SDRA2 credit for, while the story does feel like it's paced poorly, the plot twists that happen throughout the game are spaced pretty well. Chapter's 4 and 5 really do a damn lot to build up to the final chapter and the events that happen, even though the final chapter ends up being pure information overload anyway, but this is still an insane setup.

//So let's talk about a few things that stand out. Firstly, the victim of this case is Teruya Otori, the Ultimate Merchant, who is actually a returning character from the original Another game.

//Now, I'm not the biggest Teruya fan, at least not compared to everybody else on the internet, but what SDRA2 did with him in Chapters 4 and 5 is actually really fucking good if you're already familiar with his character in Another 1.

//Teruya has fucked up a lot in the past, but this is a very different kind of fucked up that he's become, and for a good reason: Because you can really see how much Tsurugi has influenced his actions since establishing the Kisaragi Foundation.

//In Survivor, I tend to play Tsurugi is more...chill than he is in the canon games, but as the leader of the Kisaragi Foundation, he's still very much the Malcolm X to Kyoko's Martain Luther King. He will find the truth, and he will protect the world by any means necessary, and that's what I find great about Teruya's character in this latter part of the story; because he adopts very much the same mindset.

//Teruya with a gun is intense if you've already played the first game because you know him to kind of be a fun-loving character, kind of like Hiro in the first DR game. But still, it doesn't feel out of character for him to lose it later in the game, because that happened in the original Another too, and again, his plan to stop the game and take control of things has Tsurugi's name written all over it, and I think that's fucking awesome.

//But still, it doesn't stop it from being a little overdramatic, which generally kind of gave me a negative opinion of Teruya by the time he died.

//However, all in all, him ending up the victim of this chapter was still honestly kind of shocking. Sure, they killed off Rei in the first chapter of the story, but by this point, she was revealed to be still alive outside the simulation. So it automatically gave me the indication that those who survived the first game would also survive this second one.

//And it's not like DR doesn't have a precedent set for that. Besides Ryota and Munakata, everybody who survived the Final Killing Game in Danganronpa 3 were the characters from DR1 who survived. Hina and Kyoko almost bit the bullet, but their deaths were ultimately fake-outs.

//And this twist plays into the main reason why my admiration for LINUJ peaks in this chapter, which, again, I will get to.

//Either way, the point is that not only was Teruya and already established character from DRA1, but he also seemed near integral to the plot in this latter part of the story, and it really makes you think that he might be a survivor of this plot. I mean, Tsurugi was, and his attitude in the latter part of DRA1 was very similar to Teruya's role.

//But no. We got straight up sidelined by this twist. AND that's not even mentioning that there was a fake-out literally just before this, that made you THINK Teruya was fine, and that he might have just gone missing.

//And credit where it is due, I really feel like this should have happened in Danganronpa 3. Ultimately, I'm glad it didn't, because that would have pissed me off with DR3 even more than I already was, but had DR3 been better structured, a twist where you kill off one of the main cast of the first game would have worked. And they almost did it with Kyoko before she miraculously survived.

//To me, it feels like LINUJ took that extra step that Kodaka and the DR Devs were afraid to do.

//But then there's Iroha, who is a bit of an issue.

//In general, VOID are one of my least favourite factions across the DR multiverse, because I don't really like any of their members besides Hajime M. at least not that much. I might get more into this if and when we cover SDRA2 Chapter 4, but to skip the preamble, this chapter mainly revolves around Iroha, who is the suspected, and ultimately voted for, killer.

//Unlike the rest of the VOID's, who were either revealed to be VOID in the chapter they died, or right before their execution, Iroha was revealed to be a member of VOID earlier.

//I do tend to give Iroha a lot of love for this blog, and I do like her in this blog. But she is easily among the worst characters in the original SDRA2. She was just so unforgiveably dumb.

//Iroha to me was kind of like what would happen if Yasuhiro had somehow turned out to be Junko's sidekick/the traitor instead of Sakura or Mukuro.

//And it kinda doesn't work.

//Like, I get that the VOID's are kind of just a ragtag group of abused children like the Warrior's of Hope, and this kind of bullshit can happen to basically anyone. And it isn't hard to imagine Iroha, type of character that she is, having such a depressing backstory that she could be a member of this criminal group. But that doesn't mean she's cut out for it.

//Literally any other character would have made a more interesting member for VOID than Iroha would. I feel like the only reason she IS one is because LINUJ DESPERATELY wanted to give her plot relevance.

//I'm also fairly sure that when Weeby Newz (pretty big DR streamer btw in case you haven't heard of her) found out about this plot twist, she laughed uncontrollably because of how little sense and how random it was.

//Of all the characters in this game you could have made a VOID, like Setsuka, or in an unexpected twist, Teruya. Why is it THIS fucknugget?

//Anyway, this big reveal happened in Chapter 3, so it kind of took me out of it when we started suspecting Iroha to be the killer, because we already KNEW she was working for the bad guys. So she really wasn't that interesting a killer either.

//...

//But THAT'S when it got me.

//Oh lord, THAT'S when it got me GOOD!

//Okay, so, I know I always preface this with a spoiler warning, and you really shouldn't be reading this blog or these posts if you haven't played the original game, but for me personally, there are two twists surrounding this case that are, without question, two of the most phenomenal twists this game has to offer, and the payoff, as unexpected as they were, was spectacular.

//First and foremost was the twist of Sora and Yuki's true identity.

//Again, the big issue with SDRA2 is that it was more commercially available than DRA1 was in the west, so if you haven't played the first game, the twist that Yuki is Utsuro, and Sora, more shockingly, is Akane Taira, this wouldn't mean anything to you.

//But for me personally, it's very reminiscent of the twist at the end of DR2 that Hajime is revealed to actually be Izuru Kamukura. However, even though I love that twist of the Remnants to death, I would state that Izuru's inclusion is the worst part of it.

//The reasons is that before right until this trial happens, Izuru is not an established character, and the concept of created Hope was not properly hinted at. So when it happens, it doesn't have that much weight to it, as shocking as it is, because there is so little build-up.

//Again, if you don't know who Akane Taira is, this twist means nothing, but if you DO, then this twist is FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC!

//I would argue that because it gets revealed in Chapter 5, it gives the final two chapters more weight to it.

//Unlike Izuru, Taira was an established character AND established threat. And her inclusion in this game, and that Sora might BE her reincarnated body is SHOCKING, and it really explains a lot of Sora's actions throughout the game and why she's so subtly devoted to Yuki.

//Again, it feels like Izuru's, and arguably Utsuro's from the first game's, twist, but with actual meaningful build-up, and a good time to reveal it, because then that information carries on into Chapter 5's trial, and Chapter 6.

//But of course, that's not the biggest selling point for this trial. If you know the game, you know exactly what I'm going to talk about, because this trial, surprisingly, does something that not a single Danganronpa trial has done before. The closest we've gotten is Chapter 6 of V3, and Chapter 5 of DR1, which...doesn't really count for me.

//And that is, of course, that this Class Trial ends with an INCORRECT VERDICT.

//This moment is iconic, and again, I will explain why at the end of this post. I've already mentioned that this trial is dumb, from the way that the characters don't even consider that Iroha could have been an accomplice to murder instead of the actual murderer, but the fact that this still happened is shocking.

//See, what happened is everybody believed that Iroha had murdered Teruya using cyanide. But what ACTUALLY happened is Mikado applied the cyanide PRIOR to Iroha's murder scheme, and all she did was shake some salt into the water. This fooled everyone into believing Iroha, including Iroha herself, had applied the cyanide, and that results in everyone voting for the wrong killer.

//And as the rules state, if the killer is voted wrongly, everybody except them dies. And that's damn near what happened.

//I've established before that I don't like Mikado, because I think he fails to live up to the hype around the likes of Junko and even Akane from the previous game, but for me, this is his most iconic moment, and his BEST moment that really made him FEEL like a worthwhile and worthy Killing Game mastermind.

//His plan is, frankly, brilliant, and any one of the original Danganronpa characters WISHES they could have been this smart with their murder schemes. Even Junko's gambit in Chapter 5 to eliminate Kyoko, and Tsumugi's gambit to stop the killing, paled in comparison to this in my opinion, because both of those actions felt...desperate. Mikado's plan on the other hand, felt meticulous. And cunning, in a good way.

//Having Iroha set up pretty much everything in such a specific way that makes everyone, including Iroha herself, believe that she's the culprit while HE'S the accomplice in the case, really sold this case, and to an extent, Mikado, for me.

//Again, this is Mikado at his BEST. He actually FEELS like a VILLAIN in this chapter, though he spends a lot of the game acting really jovial, buddy-buddy, and dumb with everyone, to the point that he can't really be taken seriously. But these final two chapters do a lot for him, and although he's still my least favourite mastermind, these moments are standout, even for me.

//I think one simple reason why this twist and this whole sequence is so good is because...well...we've never GOTTEN the culprit wrong before. There have been several times, ironically in Chapter 5 usually, where the case just seems unsolveable, but one way or another, the heroes still manage to come out on top.

//And yeah, they do, but they WOULDN'T have if not for sheer dumb luck of Syobai pulling them out in time! But you can't convince me we all haven't ever wondered at one point "Hm...What DOES happen when we get the culprit wrong?"

//And man, LINUJ definitely SOLD that idea.

//And this is the main reason why I like this trial regardless, because yeah, it's still not my favourite, but it really symbolizes why these Fangans ARE great, despite all the issues I personally have with them.

//Trial 5 is painfully frustrating because it generally feels incredibly underwhelming and almost too easy, when it's always been established that Trial 5 in EVERY game, regardless of how good they are, tend to be extremely complex cases that shows off exactly why Danganronpa is such a good mystery series. And when Iroha was singled out as the culprit, I genuinely did not care, and being someone who did kind of suspect that Mikado was the killer, it makes me cross at how stupid everyone was kind of acting in this case.

//But again, the final twist of the wrong verdict is the prime example of what makes SDRA2 such a worthwhile game playing. Wheras DRA1 kind of played it safe with its context, clues, mysteries, and characters, SDRA2's main purpose was to do something DIFFERENT.

//As edgy as it can be, what makes this trial great is because it shows that LINUJ is not afraid to do what the canon games wont.

//Besides the island setting that was ripped from DR2, and a few other story beats, this game is LARGELY different from any Danganronpa game that preceded it, and that's why it's the most well-known and hot-topic Fangan on the market. Because it takes the original series, and sprinkles in some creative freedom; telling a similar story from a different angle by a different writer with his own beliefs.

//Some of those beliefs aren't great when it comes to LINUJ, but the point stands. The fact that this trial ends with a WRONG verdict is...awesome! It's really cool and super different, and again, that's what SDRA2 does so well. It does things that Danganronpa has never dared to do before.

//So overall, a pretty crumby trial that I didn't care much about, but definitely with the spectacular condiment of some of SDRA2's best plot twists sprinkled on the side. Enough to make it one of the most standout trials in SDRA2, but not enough to put it higher on this list.

[ms-rampage]

Anything For Khaleesi

John "Soap" MacTavish x Fem Reader

Warnings: Smut. Language. Some fluff.

Word count: 4k

Author's note: I am a firm believer that Soap has a crush on Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen (or Emilia Clarke in genral), and refers to her as his wife. So Y/n decides to exploit that crush. Also, lots of Game of Thrones talk, sorry to those who don’t watch the show. I had only recently started watching it myself. 😅😅😅

****

So you've been working with the 141 Task Force for not long, you're an operator. Ever since your arrival Soap had taken a liking to you, but of course he would never admit it.

He played it off as being friendly, since he's that way with everyone, but you were 100% sure he has a crush on you.

One time you were going to his room because he had borrowed some laundry detergent. Oh the irony, you hope he hadn't used all of it since you bought it in bulk and was expensive.

When you approached his quarters, you knocked on the door. "It's me!." you say before being allowed entry.

"It's open." you hear him respond.

You enter, and hear the sound of a dragon, and people screaming coming from his TV.

"Game of Thrones?." you ask, turning to look at what he's watching.

"Mhm." he hums, not looking away from the TV.

"Do you still have that laundry detergent I let you borrow last week?." you ask, turning to him, but his full attention is on the television.

"It's over there." he answers, motioning to the shelf behind you. Taking it from the shelf, needing to get some laundry done before you're stuck with piles of paperwork for the next few weeks.

"Catching up?." you ask him, on his status of the show.

"Rewatching." he replies, still not paying attention to you.

You could've walked into his room naked and he probably wouldn't even notice, or naked with a baby dragon on your shoulder.

"Your eyes are glued to that damn tv." you joked, trying to break his concentration.

To your surprise, he actually looks away from the TV to look at you.

"You watch the show?." he asks, sitting up slightly in his seat.

"I’ve only watched up until season 4. Mid season 4." you tell him, "Haven't caught up since."

He chuckles, "You're a few seasons behind lass." He has that cute little side smirk that made you fall for him, but you’d never tell him that. It would cause a lot of teasing from his end.

You sigh, "Yeah, I know, but I have laundry to do, I'll catch up at some point. I gotta get going, I’ll see you around.”

“See you later lass.” he says, before leaving his room.

Fast forward to several weeks later, a few weeks away from Halloween. You assumed no one dressed up for the day. The occasional decoration here and there, some candy, but nothing serious.

You chuckle, as you knock on his door, “You alright in there Soap?.” You don’t know, but he actually jumped as you knocked at his door.

Ghost scared you on a mere daily basis, especially when he would turn up unexpectedly as you walked down the hall. So that can count as a Halloween scare. Walking down the same hall as Soap’s quarters, which is in the same building as yours. You hear the sound of moaning coming from his room.

Getting up from his seat to open the door, “Y-yeah, I’m fine.” he says, trying to keep his cool, and himself collected.

“Alright, cause it sounds like you’re watching porn in there.” you joke which makes him turn red.

“I’m, uh, watching Game of Thrones.” he mutters, “It's at a-.”

“Sex scene?.” you finish his response, “I figured. Well I won’t interrupt, enjoy your sex scene.”

That response makes him laugh, “You’re welcome to come in, since you need to catch up on the show.”

You decided to take him up on his offer, “You know what? Sure, I’ll watch it with you.” That put a smile on his face.

You can’t tell, but he’s internally doing flips, and cartwheels because Soap does, in fact, have a crush on you. Gaz and Alex being the only ones who know this, Ghost doesn’t really interfere in that sort of thing, and Price suspects Soap has a thing for you, but not it being mutual.

“What season are you on?.” you ask him, taking a seat on his couch.

“Finishing up season 7.” he tells you, “Am I gonna rewatch it again? Yes.”

“I got to season 5.” you tell him, “So spoilers are ahead of me for this season.”

“I got you.” he grabs the remote, and changes the episode to season 5, “What episode?.”

“I believe episode 9.” you tell him, “I’m getting to that one.”

He changes it to season 5, episode 9. The Dance of Dragons. It gets to the part where they’re in the fighting pit, and the Sons of the Harpy are attacking, surrounding Daenerys, Missandei, Tyrion and Jorah, then Drogon comes to save them, taking Daenerys to safety.

“Daenerys and Missandei are totally in love with each other.” you say, “Either that, or they’re really really close friends.”

“Both, possibly?.” he says, “She’s had many lovers, Drogo, Daario, and spoiler, Jon Snow in the later seasons. If I had a woman like her, I’d never let her go.”

Now that makes you throw your head back in laughter, “You think you’d have a chance with the Mother of Dragons?.”

“Absolutely!.” he tells you in a matter of fact tone, “I would definitely have a chance with her.”

"You got a crush on her? Or Emilia Clarke?." you ask, shifting in your seat.

"Both." he responds, "She's my wife."

That really makes you holler out. He's ridiculous, and an idiot but he's your ridiculous idiot.

You two continued to watch the rest of season 5, then all of season 6, and you made your way into season 7. At some point you fell asleep with your head on his shoulder. He felt butterflies in his stomach seeing you asleep. You looked so cute, and he didn't want to move, not wanting to wake you. A whole episode later, you wake up. Forgetting where you were. “Shit.” you mutter, rubbing your eyes.

“Hey sleepy head.” he teases youu, “You missed a few episodes of season 6.”

"How long was I asleep for ?." you asked, sitting up.

"An hour, you missed half of episode 2, and the first half of episode 3." he tells you, "Or at least I think you did."

You checked the time on your phone, and it was starting to get late. "I should get going, it's after 11."

Soap checks the time on his phone, "Shit, we really did watch a whole season. Well I did at least you fell asleep".

You sleepily laugh at his comment, "Shut up." Followed by a yawn.

You both get up from the couch, he opens the door for you while you gather your things. "Goodnight." you tell him.

"G'night." he responds as he closes the door.

A few days later, you're in your room doing some paperwork, taking a minute or 2 away from it. You search online for any Daenerys Targaryen outfits and a silver wig. You wanted to test the waters and see how Soap would react to you dressed as his so-called 'wife'.

You found a few of them, you were wondering what outfit would he like the most.

You settled with the blue dress she had worn season 3.

The silvery blonde wig, you wanted it to be real hair so it'll be easier to braid, but synthetic hair is slightly cheaper, and nearly similar. So that is what you went with. You ordered the dress, shoes, the wig and other accessories. Making sure you got the right size and measurements, even if it was a little big, you can always hem it, but if it was too small then you'd have to DIY your own dress after spending so much money on the one you purchased for one day, or somehow lose a ton of weight for it to fit.

With Halloween being a few weeks away, you hope it came sooner rather than at the last minute.

A week passed, and your items had arrived. You went to check for your mail, and everything came in a box. You looked like a gremlin going from the mailroom to your quarters with a semi large box in your hands.

Making it back to your room, you open the box and the dress is beautiful, from looking at it. It looks like it'll fit you.

The silvery blonde wig, now it won't suit you, but hey, it's only a costume, not a permanent look.

You had it prepared, and ready for Halloween, the wig you kept on a lamp that you never used. You hoped no one saw it, so you kept it at the far corner of your room covered by a stack of boxes.

You and Gaz were hanging out in the base's lounge area.

"Does anyone ever dress up for Halloween?."you ask him.

"Not really, with Ghost wearing his mask all the time, it feels like Halloween all the time." he tells you.

You let out a soft laugh, "Yeah, I can imagine."

"Price and Laswell usually have bowls of candy here and there, but nothing too major." he continues. "Why? Are you planning on dressing up?."

You shrug, as if you didn't spend money on a silvery blonde wig and a dress, "Probably not, wouldn't know what to dress up as anyway."

Some time later you walk down the hallway towards your room, and surprise, it's Soap man coming from the opposite direction.

"Y/n!." he calls out.

"Hey." you greet back to him.

"Haven't seen you for a while." he tells you, "Laswell keeping you busy?."

You let out a soft chuckle, "Yeah, she's been keeping me busy. Paperwork that I still need to get done."

"I'll let you get back to it." he tells you, hand on your shoulder. "See you around."

And that day has come, Halloween. 7am. You took a shower before getting dressed, you put on a little bit of makeup before you got dressed. You carefully put the blue dress on, so it wouldn't get stained by your makeup. The cloak that came with the dress, the dark pants and boots.

This could be an everyday outfit for you, without the cloak though.

Finally, the wig, you had styled it the night before. Taking 2 small pieces of the hair making it into one braid, then taking 2 more pieces and making them into one braid. It sounds complicated, but the image helps out when doing it.

Luckily the wig came with a bald cap, keeping your actual hair away, and in place.

Having the whole outfit intact, you almost didn't want to look in the mirror out of embarrassment, but when you did, your whole face turned red.

"Oh my god." you hold back your laughter, one hand over your mouth. This color of hair did not suit you.

"Oh fuck, Y/n. What are you doing?." you tell yourself. Oh that's right, you wanna know if Soap actually has feelings for you, and so you dress up as The Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen for this holiday to get a reaction out of him.

Just go about your day, don't even acknowledge the fact you're wearing a very silvery blonde wig. It suits Emilia Clarke, but not you.

You gather your stuff and go on with your regular route on base. Soap probably isn't in his room, he's probably in his office, or chatting with the other members of the 141.

Your regular route involves going by Captain Price's office, and so you made a quick stop at his office. He's usually there, plus you had to give him some files that Laswell had you working on the past week.

Once you get to his office door you knock on it even though it's open slightly.

"Come in." he responds, looking down as he fills out some paperwork.

"Captain, I have the paperwork Laswell wanted me to give to you once I finished." you tell him as you enter.

"Set them down Y/n." he tells you. Setting them down on his desk.

"Was there anything else Laswell wanted me to do for you?." you ask him, still waiting for him to look up at you in this ridiculous wig and blue dress.

He sighs, "No, not that I-." He cuts himself off when he sees you in this costume. "Know of." He lets out a breathy chuckle that makes you burn red.

"Did you attend to the dragons, Khaleesi?." he asks in a joking matter, but playing along with whatever is it that you're doing.

You can't help but burst into laughter, "I did, and they're growing everyday. Soon they'll be able to feed themselves."

You both share a laugh for a few seconds.

"I think you're the only one who dressed up." he tells you. "That's if the others dress up."

"I would say Ghost too, but then he looks like that all the time." you tell him. "I think it'll be a tied costume contest if there's one."

You two chat for a bit, getting a few compliments from a few other soldiers walking by.

"Soap is gonna lose his mind when he sees you." Price tells you, "I know you and him are fans of the show."

"I'll know it when he sees me." you tell him, "I'll see you around Captain."

You continued down the hall, your usual route that you do everyday. You hear Gaz and Soap's voices coming from the lounge area. You stop in your tracks, fix your dress, and wig before proceeding.

Soap sat with his back to you while Gaz turned his head as you walked in.

"Hey guys." you greet them as you walk in. Keeping your cool, and trying to act like you're not wearing a costume.

"Uhh hey, Y/n." Gaz greets back. Soap hasn't looked at you until you sat in the chair in front of him.

"Hey Soap." you say, taking a seat in the chair across from home, looking through a book that is on the table in front of you.

"Hey Y/-." he stops as he is completely hypnotized by your appearance. Hand placed over his mouth. You can't tell if he's laughing, or crying, or both.

But his change of mood, makes you do the same.

"What?." you ask, putting on an innocent tone "What's wrong??."

"What are you doing?." he asks, if you didn't know any better you can tell his eyes were heart shaped right now.

"I'm doing anything." you say innocently. "Just reading." You flip through a page in the book you're 'reading'.

He knows what game you're playing, and it's a dangerous one. "You're a tease. You know that lass." he tells you before getting up from his seat and leaves.

"Am I a tease?." you ask Gaz.

"You planned this? Didn't you." he answers your question with a question.

"In a way." you respond. "Didn't mean to give him an awkward boner.". Making you two laugh.

Towards the end of the day, you've gotten many compliments on your costume. Hell, even Ghost complimented you, it's not unusual, but somewhat rare.

You're heading back to your room, right when you pass Soap's room his door immediately swings open, and he pulls you in. You didn't even have time to process what just happened, it was very quick.

Locking the door the second you're in. Pinning you against the door, both his hands on either side of your head. Your hands are down to your sides, flat against the door.

"You cheeky little minx, you thought I wouldn't notice lass." He tells you, his eyes dark and feral.

"I don't know what you're talking about Johnny." you tell him still playing the innocent card. His face inches away from yours.

"I think you do." he whispers in your ear, his whole body pinned against yours. You can tell your cheeks are red by the burning sensation you feel. Feeling a slight poke at your inner thigh.

"You wanted to get a raise out of me, did ya?." he growls, moving a strain of hair from the wig out your face.

A smirk now on your lips, "I know how to get you. It's quite easy."

One of his hands snakes to the back of your neck, the other on your waist. A growl comes from the back of his throat, "You know how to get me going, especially dressed like this."

His lips clash with yours, a moan escapes your mouth. One of your legs snakes around one of his. Both your hands on his shoulders.

His kisses are rough, and aggressive. His hand squeezes the back of your neck. Making your legs weak. Seeing this, he grabs you by your thighs and lifts you up. Carrying you towards his bed, dropping you onto the bed, breaking the kiss, letting you catch your breath.

"Fuck." you pant, biting your lip, looking up at him. He chuckles looking down at you, pressing his forehead against yours.

"Gotcha where I want you Khaleesi." he says with an exhale, before kissing you again. His lips hungry, and wanting more of you.

You hand trails up his shirt, he grabs your hand, stopping you from going further.

"Not so fast." he chuckles, breaking the kiss, "Since you decided to tease me. You're gonna take it like a whore."

His words made you wet down there. You can feel it. You love this feral side of Soap.

"Strip." he commands you, taking a few steps back to give you some space.

You start with the shoes, once those were off you got to the pants, lifting up the dress slightly to remove them.

Once those are off. You unclipped the cloak, tossing it aside, same with the necklace. You stop for a moment.

His eyes still dark, even more dark than from a few minutes ago. "I didn't tell you to stop, did I?."

"No." you mutter in a soft, naive tone. Grabbing the dress but it's hem, you pull it up and over your head. Your bra and panties, matching the same color as the dress. You notice the bulge in Soap's pants.

You're about to remove your wig when his words stop you.

"Leave the wig on." he orders you. There you are standing in your sargeant's room in your matching bra and panties on Halloween. He can't help, but take in your beauty. He's had a crush on from the day he met you. The only thing in common you two have is this damn show, probably other things too.

"You're.. so beautiful." he tells you, feeling butterflies in his stomach. Cupping both your cheeks, and placing another kiss on your lips. Your hands gently touch his neck, one of them, tracing down to his pants.

His movements are fast, he quickly spins you around, forcing you to bend over on his bed. Knocking the wind out of you. "Shit." you mutter under your breath.

You hear the sound of his belt being undone, followed by a zipper. His rough, calloused hand giving you smack on your left ass cheek causing you to yelp.

He yanks down your panties, the only thing that was covering how wet you are. Running two of his fingers down your wet folds.

"Khaleesi, wet for me already, huh?." he teases, followed by a chuckle and him sucking on his fingers. You feel the tip of cock, teasing your entrance. Causing you to whimper and squirm.

One of his hands gripping your shoulder to keep you place, while the other is on your hip. Enjoying how you try to get away from him.

"Just like how the Dothraki fuck their women, huh?." he whispers in your ear, forcing his cock into your wet core.

"Fuck!." you exclaim, grabbing the bed sheet as he rocks his hips against yours. "Oh. Fuck."

Letting you adjust to his cock before pulling down, and shoving it inside you at a more aggressive pace. Your tight walls squeezing his cock as you push yourself back against him. Back arched.

Abusing your poor hole, stretching you out completely. You feel him put his hand on your stomach.

He chuckles, "Looks like I'm inside you, lass." Going back to his fast, rough pace.

You're holding onto his blanket for dear life, balling it up to muffle your screams into. He was ready to get you to cum over and over for the rest of the night.

Once he's done abusing your back hole, he turns you over onto your back. Both of you are sweaty, and out of breath, but he was determined to get you to cum.

Somehow your wig stayed on during all that. He kicks his shoes off, shirt already gone as well as his pants, and boxers. He stood naked before you, while the knky article of clothing you had on was your bra.

Trying to catch your breath, he attacks your neck with bites, and soothes them with kisses. Leaving his mark on you.

"Johnny, please." you beg, feeling your makeup run from the sweating you're doing.

A shit eating grin on his face with one hand on your waist, "Please what doll?."

You let out a pathetic moan, "Please fuck me."

Letting out a devious little chuckle, "Anything for Khaleesi."

He lines himself up with your soaked velvety entrance, and shoves himself in you. Pinning you down, grabbing both your wrists with one hand while the other remained on your waist, giving him a better advantage to rearrange your insides.

"Fuck." you cry, arching your back.

"You take me so well baby." he groans, snapping his hips back and forth against yours. "You know how to get me going."

Hoping no one hears the pathetic noises you're making, but at the same time you wouldn't really care, especially if he was making you feel this good.

You begin to feel yourself come undone.

"Fuck.. J-Johnny." you whimper, "I need to-." Followed by the most pathetic whimper you've ever produced.

"C'mon lass, use your words." he teases you yet again.

"I need to… cum." you cry, tears running down your face, "Please.". Your toes curling, feeling like you're losing control of your limbs.

"I want to cum with you." he tells you, one hand on the back of your neck again, "Together, can you do that for me?."

You let out an incoherent moan.

"Use your words, love." he places a kiss on your forehead that turns you into putty.

"Y-yes, Johnny.. I can." you try your best to mutter out. He continues to fuck you at an aggressive and rough pace, like he's trying to catch up with your euphoric climax. By the time he knows it, he's ready to release himself.

"Where?." he asks, holding back until you give him permission where to release himself.

"Inside.. please." you plead.

He raises his eyebrows, "You sure?."

Nodding, "Yes, please."

His movements become sloppy, and start to slow down. "Please, I need to-." you beg yet again.

"With me, my love." he tells you, foreheads touching. You both cum at the same time. The feeling of release, makes the both of you nearly pass out of pleasure. Soap drops himself on top of you. Breathing heavily, sweaty and needing to take a shower.

"You okay love?." he checks on you, moving the strain of wig hair out of your face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." you respond, "You were amazing." Bringing a smile to his face, "You were better.". He places another kiss on your lips. He takes in the image in front of him.

You naked in bed with him, and dressed as the Mother of Dragons, or what is remaining of your clothes.

"I'm not sure how this wig stayed on during all that." you joked, taking it off for a second to fix it. Soap laughs at the fact you're wearing a bald cap to keep your actual hair intact.

"Nice bald cap lass." more teasing from the Soap man.

You let out a soft chuckle, before putting it back on "Shut up."

You two proceeded to stay in bed a little longer before showering, but you two ended up staying in bed for the rest of the night.

[halliescomut]

LITA (jpn) Episode 7 Feelings

I did only watch the episode once, instead of doing a full second-rewatch, because I feel like I want to keep my initial thoughts. But I did also scroll through the episode to get the story bullet points, because there's so much happening and the bouncing back and forth, I didn't want to forget anything.

We start basically where we left off, which is Kurosaki approaching Kai, but now it's Fuma's perspective, as he's followed him. One of the things I appreciate about the choice of actor made for Kurosaki and for Gun in the og, is that they did intentionally choose attractive guys. There's a consistent trope in all media to make villians 'ugly'-the idea being that your 'evilness' will be reflected in your outward appearance, which is many levels of problematic. By making this absolute nightmare of a man from Sky/Kai's past pretty attractive, it subverts that trope. (Also, it's important to me that you know the actor playing Kurosaki was born in 1987...how TF does he look that good??)

I also think it's interesting to see Kurosaki's interaction with Fuma, it's almost an attempt to be unassuming, and Fuma doesn't really fall for it, because he's too aware that Kai wouldn't have reacted as he did if this man hadn't done something to frighten him. He might not guess they have history, but he would understand that this man was a threat to Kai for some reason.

This re-encounter with Kurosaki, sends Kai into a full spiral, he leaves, basically runs home and starts ignoring Fuma and any attempts he makes to contact him. I think this change from the OG, is one of the few that I kind don't see creating any real shift in the narrative. It's basically Sky/Kai was starting to feel comfortable- incident happens that reopens that Pandora's box in his mind that tells him eventually everyone get's "tired of him"- and he pushes Prapai/Fuma away in a desperate attempt to keep his heart from getting more broken. It is a good example of how you can change some details of a story and not only reach the same end, but have the same emotional journey. Things don't have to be set in stone.

And speaking of, one of the biggest benefits of having both couples' stories coincide, is that we're actually getting a lot more interesting interactions. While Kai is hiding from Fuma, he stays with Rei, (I think something similar happens in the og, but a couple other classmates are there as well) and while there we get a really nice and insightful conversation between Rei and Kai. One that especially helps to show Rei in a more serious light. I especially like this addition, because I do think it's good to have Rei also reminding Kai that he's worthy of love. Yes, hearing it from Fuma is important, but I think for anyone's long term healing, it's best to have that support from multiple places.

Our next big point/scene is the "break-up" and here we get a face-to-face confrontation, and I honestly don't know which is worse. I do know that I had an epiphany watching it again, which is that the words Kai throws at Fuma in his best attempt to hurt him enough that he gives up are that "he's tired of him" and "he's bored of him" and even though I've taken in this story countless times in 2 years...I JUST put together that Kai uses those words SPECIFICALLY because that's what Gun/Kurosaki said to him, and it's the most hurtful thing he can think of to say.

The whole scene is really beautifully done, very subtle acting from both sides, with Kai's sort of minimal/monotone voice and stone face, while we see some really subtle face acting from Fuma, the concern and confusion, but I think interestingly never anger here. We saw anger covering up the hurt in the og, Prapai throwing the phone, but such an outburst wouldn't be appropriate here. It's also oddly more affecting given the setting that was chosen, this brightly lit, sunny street, that should feel warm and happy, is a massive contrast to the emotions that are happening.

Once Kai leaves we cut to what may be that night, or a few nights later where Fuma has lost a race. We have the reappearance of Stop (I simply can't look up to check what his name is, it's a bit now), and he and his crony observe Arashi and Rei, setting up that we are in fact going to get the kidnapping. Stop's as greasy as ever, but Arashi and Rei are absolutely precious, and we get to see more of Rei's insights when the three return to what I'm assuming is Arashi's family shop. He encourages Fuma to not give up on Kai, that there was something there, and he should fight for that. I was very interested at the start of the conversation, because I truly was curious to see if we might get an inkling that Rei new about Kai's history, or at least knew about Kurosaki, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Fuma leaves, and Arashi and Rei are left behind to nest like two turtledoves.

Now...I'm not gonna say there aren't glaring problems with how Fuma gains access to Kai's apartment and his notebook, but I think viewers will appreciate that Kai directly calls him out for it, and doesn't mince words about it.

In regards to the reciting of the notebook itself, I understand that it is incredibly hard to watch emotionally. But I also don't really think Fuma is in the wrong here. Kai needs to hear these thoughts that HE WROTE, he needs to reconcile that he was thinking about a future with Fuma in order to see that Fuma was also thinking about a future with him. It's a terrifying thing to be perceived, that's true, and a breakthough like this, not easy, but it's also necessary. Kai needs to believe in Fuma's words. He's already recognized the love expressed in his actions, this is the next step.

I'm not going to make any direct comparisons between the adaptation and og, because honestly, I think it undermines the emotional labor that was undertaken to give us these scenes by these four actors, and I'll just say that I was incredibly affected watching this for the first time, the same way I was with the og. Me:

Following all of this we have what I think might be another of my favorite changes, which is our second NC scene for Fuma and Kai, and I think the decision to have them not engage in sex until AFTER the journal confrontation is so much better for their story. I think it made it easy for Sky to see what they did as just sex, and use that as another excuse to undermine Prapai's feelings for him, where Kai doesn't really have that excuse. And while I think stringless sex is perfectly fine for anyone who wants to have it, Kai needs strings. He needs to know that he's loved as a person first, because part of his fear is that dehumanization and objectification that Kurosaki impressed on him.

(I'll make a note here that both NC scenes have very different vibes, which makes sense considering the difference in the mental/emotional headspace the couples were in, so it feels a bit odd to compare them. But I was also very distracted by the fact that Kai's head is basically resting on the shelf that's a part of his bedframe, and that simply can't be comfortable.)

We cut from that scene to both couples having lunch again at that cafe from episode 5, and I will say I do like this scene much better than the og when Rain finds out Sky and Prapai are boyfriends now, because it was genuinely weird that he was as shocked as he was. None of it made sense and I'm still confused. I much prefer Rei's effusive excitement.

Now as discussed, we do have kidnapping confirmed, and I fear that sadly Rei is also not beating the coconut allegations, because car horns and motorcycle horns do not sound the same. Why would he assume that is Arashi honking, but even less so, if he had forgotten something, why would Arashi not just call him? Questions abound and Rei is in the back of a nondescript van....and we'll see what happens next week. Though he didn't actually send the "I'm home" text so hopefully that means Arashi will figure things out earlier rather than later.

[golbrocklovely]

finally, after so long, here is my review of the conjuring series/hell week.

this is EXTREMELY LONG so strap in, grab a drink, and a snack. or, feel free to skip to the end to read my overall thoughts lol

like previous hell weeks, i'm gonna rate each episode and then answer whether or not i would rewatch the episode.

lmk what you guys thought !

episode one:

the obvious meat and potatoes of this whole video was satori and cody's method, which i'm just gonna refer to as The Method just bc it's easier to say then writing out their names over and over again lol

i'll be honest with you, i'm super glad that snc did their best to debunk the tapping and whatnot. i honestly think that if they hadn't tried, a lot of ppl wouldn't believe them at all or would think that either they're lying, or satori and cody are.

as for the answers that satori and cody gave… it's hard. bc on one hand i truly do believe in psychics and mediums. i myself have experienced readings or things i have done on my own. i have had a lot of things happen to me that just logically don't make sense. i do believe there are ppl that have the ability to talk to the dead. but part of me is weary of satori and cody. idk know them from a hole in the wall. they could have easily researched snc, and their past relatives, and just bullshitted the rest. same thing with their producer. it's not hard to look up someone's ancestry. i would like to believe that isn't the case, but you can't be too sure.

the debunking that snc tried did make a strong case for The Method, especially doing it in random locations that they didn't know about. but again… idk. part of me just felt like i was side-eying the whole time. and look, i want to believe that they have good intentions and they are genuinely contacting something. but again, ppl lie for far less.

but no matter if they were lying or not, i 100% believe snc's reaction to it. it was real for them, and that's all that really matters to me tbh.

i felt really bad for sam, or i guess happy for him but sad that he was crying so much. my theory with him has always been that even tho he has experienced attachments and heard things, seen things, all that jazz - i truly think for the longest time he never fully believed. i think he would rather chalk up a paranormal experience as a group psychosis before saying a place was haunted. but since that probably wouldn't bode well for either of them, he just agreed that what they experienced was "crazy" and moved on like nothing happened. also, i have this general feeling that he doesn't believe his own experiences, which is why he questions ppl like colby when he goes thru something, but i haven't really fleshed out why that could be the case. but i think this was his "come to jesus" moment, so to speak. i mean, he explained it himself that he honestly didn't think there was anything after this life. that once you died, you're gone. so this was both great and terrifying news to hear. not to mention, to hear it from your dead grandmother was definitely surprising for sure. i honestly hope this brought him some closure or comfort. bc i know i always felt really sad growing up that my grandparents, literally all of them, never got to see me graduate high school or college or perform on stage. but i always had a feeling that they watched me do all of that so it's nice to hear that for someone else, that was the case.

granted, The Method could just be bullshit to conjure up an emotional response for views and notoriety… but for now, i'm gonna just take it at face value. sure, it's real. i think what also makes me lean towards that is that cody and satori don't charge ppl for this. it only happens at the conjuring for the most part, so…. unless they start becoming a side-show circus act with a big ticket price, i'm just gonna take them at their word. plus, the random locations snc took them to, unless the boys are in on it (which opens up too many cans of worms), The Method wouldn't have been able to work in these spots or actually have satori and cody come up with real ppl that died there.

i will say tho, it was kinda funny that sam's having this emotional breakdown over hearing his grandmom telling him she's watching over him and his siblings, and then colby's getting his great grandfather coming thru to tell him to tell his parents that he's there lol like…. thanks dude i never met. appreciate the love and support.

overall this episode was fine. it wasn't my favorite of the series, but it wasn't a bad way to start the series. this episode did draw me in enough to want to see the rest, but i was also a little weary of what was to come.

(oh yeah i forgot to add that the new owner… something feels deeply off about her. like i can't put my finger on it, but if it comes out years down the line that she was bringing demons into the house or something, i will not be surprised lol)

rating: 3/5

would i rewatch: yeah i guess, but not fully

~~~~~~~~

episode two:

so going into this episode, i was a bit… not excited, since i knew amanda was going to be in the video. i've always had my reservations with her. mostly, i think she has abilities, i just think she talks them up to be something that they aren't. plus she has made some comments in past videos that just make me look at her sideways bc they don't make a lick of fucking sense (ie queen mary, she talked to a ghost that said he had lived other lives before this one, he was just stuck in this one for some reason, and she literally told snc she didn't believe that bc "reincarnation isn't in the bible" …..BRO, you talk to the dead. maybe not everything in a 2000+ year old book that's been translated 150+ times is gonna be accurate. also again, need i remind you, YOU TALK TO DEAD PPL). as for how i felt about her during this episode, she was fine, i guess. the only time she annoyed me was during the estes method where her and sam were just bouncing off one another in the worse way lol but i'll get more into that later.

i think it was really interesting that they interviewed andrea perron. they need to do that more often: find ppl that used to live in these places that they visit and get their story, instead of just listening to tour guides who amp up the scares just bc they need to. i thought her interview was really intriguing and i can only imagine how horrible it must have been to live in that house all the way back then. and to see your mother get thrown across the room?? idk what i would even do as a kid in that moment.

so the first part of the investigation was with amanda, snc, and cody and satori. (side note, i love that the touch toy for the ghost kids is a basset hound). i think this whole first part was kinda funny only bc in my most cynical mind, it's three fake mediums trying to one up each other the whole time lol

i don't fully believe that, but that's what my mind kept going back to.

i do find it odd that amanda couldn't see her past relatives but The Method was able to allow them to talk. idk, if i could see dead ppl, i think i would be a bit pissed if my loved ones were like "nah, i know you got the vision but i ain't showing myself in front of you". it also doesn't really help her case of what her abilities are or how strong they are if she can't even see ppl she actually once knew.

i also find it odd that all loved ones are apparently able to get across is "watching over __" bc both snc and now amanda got that message. again, to me, this just reads as like someone in this scenario is faking something. idk what, but i just remember laughing at this whole part bc it just felt funny to watch each one try to one up the other and then snc are just like :O the whole time.

and what made this top tier comedy to me was sam asking who wrote amanda's name, and them saying it was a spirit. i'm so sorry…. but you gotta be on fucking CRACK to think that happened. i believe in ghost, the paranormal, the whole enchilada………. but a ghost soldier wrote amanda's name in the sand???? no. sorry. that didn't happened. and you cannot tell me it did lmao

honestly in situations like this, i'm more incline to believe equipment than these, respectfully, quack jobs.

i thought it was sweet that colby kept being really nice to abigail and calling her the matriarch of the house. isn't he just a sweet boy lol

the second half of the day 2 was where i got more interested and into the video. the rempod going off constantly, the camera immediately dying, that little cabinet door opening, all of that in like five minutes is crazy. and then the estes method, while interesting, was also deeply annoying since sam and amanda decided to tag team and do the one thing i hate that they try to do during the estes method - connect everything while the words are still coming out. like CALM DOWN. connect later. it was freaky to see the rempod going off in time with their estes method tho.

the woods session was kinda cool. idk how i feel about the alice box yet. why does it only say some words but the others are just on the little text box? whatever i guess. gonna be honest, woods don't really scare me for paranormal reasons. i'm more inclined to believe i'm gonna get my ass eaten by a bear or stabbed by a human so it wasn't really all that creepy, but it was cool to see this half. and then to have snc sleep in the woods… props. but to be in the woods in august in hoodies was a choice i wouldn't make, personally.

day three josh and seth came and thank GOD there were ppl in this series/episode i actually liked that joined them. their half made the video a lot better. so they start off by doing the ritual, which honestly just felt more like (literally) dancing on someone's grave so…. idk about that one. a bit disrespectful if you ask me. colby literally did the ice spice on her grave… boy i would haunt your ass for eternity for that one lmao

hearing andrea perron speak of that fateful night of her mother being possessed, again, my heart breaks for her. whether you believe in the paranormal or not, something traumatic happened to her and her family. and i just feel for her.

so when they moved on into the investigation, i just gotta say, if they plan to use the spirit box, they NEED to invest in a microphone or a better speaker for that thing bc good god i couldn't hear a single thing that was coming thru. but moving past the spirit box, the door to the library just opening on it's own?? and the camera moving slightly?? that's nuts. bc it's one thing for a draft to open a door. you're talking about the middle of august tho. there's not gonna be strong winds (for the most part) during that time of the year unless it's storming. so if a draft blew the door open, it had to have been a HUGE one to literally push a rock out of the way. and it can't be ac bc then that door would be constantly opening.

when they separated, i get why they did, but like… why do you have to do it in the dark? i would be turning on flashlights or some form of light immediately. you're not about to catching me busting my ass on the stairs of a 300+ year old house lol

josh's sleeve moving was actually kinda freaky, ngl. i know it was very subtle, and technically could have just him moving his arm and then feeling the sleeve pull or relax or whatever, but to me… it looked like something pulled it.

then when snc went in alone, i find it funny to think of a spirit just running up and down the stairs, fucking with the rempod or the motion sensor, just to see them freak out. when sam invited whatever it was up to them, and then it got near the motion thing, and colby noped out of there and literally yelled at sam like "why did you invite it up here with us?!" ngl - favorite part of the whole video. also it was kinda cute that snc tried to do The Method on their own. kinda wish it would have worked for them.

colby doing the whole "imagine being andrea perron" speech he gave…. colby, can you not? also, are you good? lol

okay, so my overall thoughts on this episode - dragged in the beginning, but got good half way thru. they also got some really good evidence outside of The Method, which i would rather they not use every episode (but end up doing regardless).

rating: 3.5/5

would i rewatch: sure, but only the second half

~~~~~~~~

episode three

so the previous episode left off with sam going into the basement late at night, almost looking possessed or something. and while i obviously didn't think that, i did want to know why he would go down there alone for some reason.

but that's for a later point in this review. let's get to the collab they did.

larray and bella…….. omg, i'll just be completely honest: i hated this collab. like genuinely, it takes a lot for me to find ppl insufferable, but larray took the cake this time. bella was fine, she seemed nice and did her best. and i love that me and @xplrvibes literally said "oh i bet they're gonna try to say bella is an empath bc she's a girl bc they do that all the time" and WOULDN'T YOU BELIEVE IT 11 minutes in they asked if she was one. i'm just glad she said no lol but back to larray……. first off, that shirt was a choice. and i'll leave it at that. but secondly, i'm okay with ppl joking is scary situations. i'm okay with them having guests that hear them say something insane and then immediately go "yeah fuck no to that, i'm leaving" or some iteration of that joke. but, larray took it too far. i don't think he said anything else other than "i don't want to be here" ect. and i get he was scared, but GOD, SHUT UP. like i got it the first five times you said it, i don't need to hear it the next 24. it literally took for him to get a message from the beyond to get him to be quiet.

i'll be honest, i don't even want to review this half of the video bc it was SUCH a drag. i remember i wasn't even half way thru and i was like… oh you're joking, we're not done yet? bc that's how annoying that whole section was. it wasn't solely larray, but he definitely exacerbated the problem.

the ring of lights that ppl can cross over, idk about that. it feels like it's fake but whatever. bella having a separate phone just for content… i love that for her lol them going into the basement is cut short only for the fact that we KNOW sam went down there first and colby was none the wiser until like two days later. The Method being done for bella and larray was cool i guess. but then sam getting an extremely private message that he couldn't share, i get that. and i hope that whatever message he got was something he needed to hear (but the way he mouthed "oh no" makes me think otherwise). my only issue is why even use any of the footage from that then? i know it's a bit nitpicky, so i'm not gonna press on it too much.

to the fans on tiktok that were saying "omg what if the message was from corey la barrie"….. please seek professional help. this isn't a fanfic. stop thinking like it is. bc i saw MULTIPLE tiktoks saying that.

but continuing on with The Method, i'll be honest with you: i'm not sure what the afterlife is like or what it entails. but it is hard for me to just blindly accept that it's all good and light and love and whatever random other words satori and cody wanted to throw in there that abigail said. i know it's my cynical mind, but hearing shit like that just makes me roll my eyes. like i know that sounds dark and sad, but that whole thing just made me go like "okay… sure."

maybe it's bc it's too generic. like that's what every form of media has said about the other side for forever. if i was able to get my point across and reach a ton of ppl, i would be sending messages like "god is woman and she sucks at beer pong" or "ice cream is free up here but only on tuesdays" or "guess what? i'm hanging out with EVERYONE'S dogs" not just love and light. boooorrrrriiiinnngggg lol

but i will note something that i thought was interesting only bc i've always had a similar thought process: cody says he doesn't know why they're able to do what they do. he believes it might have had something to do with his cancer complications and dying once. and the reason why i can believe that is i've always had this belief - so, as someone who has attempted to end my own life twice, i've come very close to death. and i think ppl that knock on death's door, you can't just unknock. you can't ding dong ditch death. so i kinda feel like those that get very close to the other side cross a line that can't be uncrossed, so to speak. which i think is also why i had the most paranormal experiences when i was going through some dark times (or had just gone thru them).

what i find peculiar is how the narrative of the basement has changed. before it was dark and demented, something evil lurking around each corner, colby having a full blown panic attack down there. all that, right? but now it's "oh it's just a trickster spirit that likes to cause havoc and is for the most part harmless. and also really would rather you be in the woods." and yet even with that knowledge in mind, everyone was still too freaked out. like if they kept getting cryptic and weird messages i would just be like "find a different trick. you don't scare me" or eventually just leave the basement altogether if nothing was going to be happening besides "come to the woods" over and over again.

but bc snc never listen, they went to woods. and again… woods to me aren't scary for paranormal reasons. more so for bears or humans. but they did get some cool evidence at the graveyard.

i'm just gonna skip that whole thing and get to the part that i want, no - NEED, to talk about which is…. colby standing up for himself when sam told him about the basement.

i was genuinely confused as to why snc weren't mentioning sam going into the basement. like i figured, sam went down there, something happened, and then he told colby. or something to that effect. but to find out that a) he had no real plans of posting this into the vid and b) he waited like two days to finally tell colby it happened…. that's really fucked, ngl. the absolute hurt that was on colby's face is so evident, no wonder sam started backpedaling (but just made it all the more worse). like colby has made it abundantly clear time and time again that he doesn't like being left in the dark about where someone is going/doesn't like being left behind and sam did exactly that. not only that, but he then did something that both him and colby swore they would do together - go to the basement. everyone was waiting to see them go together and experience whatever's down there, but sam took that for himself - like colby said. and then sam tried to justify it with "oh nothing really happened, plus we don't have to show fans, plus i really needed to do it bc everything has been so crazy" and it's like………. WHO DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN ON THIS JOURNEY WITH YOU???? it's colby. while colby might have had some form of belief system before all of this, this whole situation has been insane to him as well. so you don't get to use that as an excuse. and then to say that fans don't need to see this footage, that just feels wrong. bc at the end of the day, the person sam hurt was colby. and regardless of whether or not we would have known about it, colby still would have known. and that's the part that sucks. sam was extremely self-centered for making this decision and then thinking colby would just let it slide.

and i know some of you are gonna probably be up my ass about this opinion since god forbid i give criticism towards sam. but i would have done the same thing if the roles were reversed, especially if sam was upset about it. and god knows there wouldn't have been an argument about including those clips in a video, but i digress. i just think it was messed up of sam to do to that to colby. and i hope bts he apologized profusely.

but to be a bit more light hearted about it… colby looks really hot when he's angry or annoyed. so that's nice, i guess lol it's the clenched jaw and the narrowed eyes, in case you didn't know why you found it hot either. also, he was too calm, and that's hot AND scary lol

i think it's funny to think that if they didn't include sam going there by himself and then this confrontation, we would never know why in the next part colby seemed annoyed/angry and ppl probably would have just blamed the spirits or some shit.

which also did happen…

but to bring it back for a second, you know what the scariest part of this video was for me? the tick on colby's leg. GROSS. disgusting. i would have screamed so loud i'd wake the dead lmao

but anyway the estes methods they did in the basement were very revealing and honestly the best part of the episode imo. them realizing, or believing, that dave is actually the trickster spirit and not some soldier following them around was actually really cool to see unravel. and surprisingly this time around sam jumping to conclusion over and over again paid off well. and then when colby was asking the questions, it was interesting to see his reaction to what was being said. him being annoyed at sam before hand really elevated the estes method, funny enough.

maybe it's bc i don't know about trickster spirits and what they are meant to do or whatever, but if i know the spirit i'm talking to is fucking with me, i'm just not gonna talk to it anymore. i'm not gonna give it what it wants, which is to see me scared. and i think snc, without knowing it, were feeding into what dave wanted.

their equipment malfunctioning over and over again was crazy, ngl. but the actual scariest part of the whole vid was who the FUCK was that behind them in the basement coming up the steps??? fuck The Method, now THAT is proof of the other side existing, especially if snc were alone in that house at that point (which assumingly they were).

so this episode was a bit of rollercoaster for me. some parts were just plan bad to me. like i wouldn't even consider rewatching the first half again tbh. it was tedious to do it just to make this review, so that alone deducts this episode a bunch. but the second half, basically everything after The Method where larray and bella's loved ones talked to them, was pretty decent/better. and of course, once snc were alone, the video was at its best. i truly wish snc would just realize that they do so much better and get such better results without other ppl. just the two of them is enough. i truly wanted to like this episode, and i did to some extent, but no offense to larray, his over reactions just soured most of the video for me. he seems like a nice guy, and i didn't mind him the first time around when snc collabed with him, but god… just shut up next time lol

rating: 2.9/5

would i rewatch: only the tail end, tbh…. so no i guess lol

~~~~~~~~

episode four

i'll be honest with yall, i was mixed about how this final episode was gonna play out. part of me was excited to see it, another part of me was like… eh, don't care. but i will say, i was pleasantly surprised with this one. i guess in a weird way it was my favorite of all the episodes, but that's not saying much since none were really my favorite anyway.

niki and george were fantastic. honestly no notes. they didn't talk the entire fucking time, they weren't overly negative, they kept in line with snc's humor and or seriousness. i loved it truly. 10/10.

i completely forgot that kris called them to tell them about a dream she had. her and niki, and celina too… all having dreams about snc. what are they, fans??

i'm joking btw.

i think the dream element can be a bit questionable, but i do also think it's kinda creepy too. even if for argument's sake it's not real and/or is propped up to be something more serious than it is.

the foil house/tent thing they built was…. confusing. but i'm down for them to start using different methods, especially if they end up working or are interesting. they split up and neither really got anything that compelling, but when they played the picture game it was creepy that only colby's pics got fucked with a bit. it's always colby lol

but i gotta ask, didn't they break the first rule of the game which is nothing is supposed to cross over the circle in the middle? bc sam did that by putting the water cup down in it. also, i highly doubt that snc trashed that camera. highkey it's probably in their office rn.

the duel estes method, in theory, is a cool idea. but the execution wasn't really good enough. like sure, they got some answers, i guess. but half of the words were just random. and tying niki and colby together was kinda pointless. snc just love exploring their kinks on camera huh skskks jk

so, i think what was a bit confusing about sam freaking out (before) going into the basement is that did you really think colby wasn't gonna send you down there at some point? he has made a big stink about it since it happened to him. of course sam had to have known this was gonna happen. not to mention, sam's fucking challenge for colby would have literally caused him to get lost in the woods…. so i would say sam got the nicer of the two options.

as for what transpired in the basement, clearly sam was absolutely losing it. whether it was paranormal or not, he was scared out of his fucking mind. and i get it must have been creepy as hell down there. and god knows he lasted longer than i would have. but there is no reason he has to push himself that far to believe there is something more. like is it really worth being permanently scarred just to know if something is down there? not to mention, but whatever is down there, feeds off of havoc and scared energy. and you basically fell into its trap. like, i'm not blaming sam for freaking out. god knows i would be way worse in that situation. but i also wouldn't have been the dumbass who leaves my phone upstairs and has no extra back up light.

also colby is too forgiving bc i would been like "since you love the basement so much, here you go :)" lmaooo

(sidenote, why is colby walking around in only his socks???? ewwwww. do that in your own home, not the conjuring my guy. and another sidenote, does sam's face look swollen in the basement, or is that just the camera being hella zoomed in? idk why he just looks different)

colby giving a whole disclaimer or explanation about why he could leave sam in the basement…. i blame the fandom bc there is no reason for him to being doing all that. sam was literally gonna have him walk alone to the fucking graveyard. sam is fine in the basement. he can leave whenever he wants to. colby ain't a bad guy for giving him a challenge like that.

the walkie dying is so eerily spooky to the og alone conjuring video it's kinda crazy. but, maybe there is just bad reception lol

moving onto the final stretch of the video, the tarot reading. i know snc kinda showed more of the original reading on xplrclub, but if they truly think her first reading was super accurate, i really hope this reading is also just as accurate. snc deserve a lot more positive than negative these next couple months. so i hope that happens for them.

(might have to do a tarot reading on them myself just for funsies)

The Method's last messages… again, idk. imma just say this, to quote beetlejuice the musical "positivity is luxury that few can afford" and i'll just leave me beliefs at that.

i'll be completely honest with yall, idk what the priestess did with snc. the whole thing, the ouija board and exorcism/cleansing was intriguing, don't get me wrong, but idk what the fuck was happening. i kinda just watched it and accepted it at face value bc again, idk anything. it probably would have been for the best if snc explained it a bit better or did something to let us know what was up. i don't really believe everything that the priestess believes, but i do find her interesting enough that i hope she comes back eventually. god knows snc are gonna need another cleansing at some point.

colby going into the woods blindfolded…. is he trying to literally fall off of a bridge? what is with yall using blindfolds and ties? enough of the kinky shit, already.

but as for what happened out there, i think it was an interesting end to the final investigation. i could sort of hear something running up on colby, and i can only imagine how that would have felt in the moment. and who knows what it could have been? my bet is it was an animal, but i also feel like if it was one, it would have kept chasing him. but who knows. i'm just glad he didn't get hurt.

overall, i would say this was my favorite episode. i think it had a lot more high moments than lows, and that alone makes it the best. the collabs were good in this one, they got really cool evidence, and it was just a great way to wrap up this series.

rating: 4/5

would i rewatch: yeah :)

~~~~~~~~

now, onto my thoughts on this whole thing:

so going into this series, i wasn't too excited, as i had mentioned before. i felt as if snc should have taken this year off and came back during hell week if that was something they direly wanted to do. bc a lot of the content that came out this year was just… not good. it wasn't on par with what their calibar is. but i think this series was probably the best thing that came out this year by them. a lot of cool and interesting things happened in this series, and clearly snc's hearts were fully invested in this. there was passion in this series, and that's what a lot of their other videos this year have lacked, imo.

as for The Method and it changing the world….. i love snc, clearly. i deeply care for them. but they truly need to have someone in their camp that's gonna tell them reality. i mean, just as i'm writing this, there are tons of ppl on tiktok and youtube trying to disprove and nitpick apart the series and in particular The Method. but here's how i feel about that: satori and cody could be lying, that's true. they could be faking it somehow. but i don't think that's the takeaway from this series. i've seen how many ppl this brought closure to, how many ppl feel better now knowing there is something else after this life. and that in itself is worth it, even if it's not real. this series wasn't gonna change my mind bc i myself already believed in the paranormal and already believed that there is something more out there. i don't need two random ppl to prove to me i'm right. i already believe that on my own. and in that regard, i know that this series isn't for me. it's for those that needed to hear those words, that needed the confirmation. and for those ppl, i'm happy this gave you that. honest to god. just bc i didn't get that out of this doesn't mean i look down on those that did. if this helped you in any way, that's fantastic and i'm glad. i'm not here to argue whether or not The Method is a lie. idc tbh. snc believe it, and i believe them.

and if it comes out that satori and cody lied, fuck them. but until otherwise proven, i'll believe what they're selling. i'm just… not gonna buy any myself.

but even taking them out of the conjuring equation, snc caught some crazy shit there. of course, a lot of it was amplified by The Method, but i think what they did outside of that was more interesting and compelling than The Method. what i think will be more important is what they now do with the information they know. how are they gonna move forward now knowing what they know? what are they gonna impliment now that they didn't think to use before the conjuring? that's what matters to me.

idk if i got an ask that said this or not (i would have to double check but if i did - hi anon, here's your answer), but i know ppl are asking how snc are gonna top themselves this next year for hell week. personally, i don't think they have to. i think they should go back to what hell week looks like usually: a bunch of different places with different guests, but now more amplified. maybe, crazy concept, do more solo investigations. how about during next year's hell week you just… go alone to all seven places? maybe stop by the conjuring another time? you already proved (for the most part) that there is an afterlife and more beyond this life, why not go back thru your greatest hits with fresh eyes? that's what will make a difference in the content and take it to the next level without you literally contacting a demon or something.

i was pleasantly surprised by this series, and i'm more excited now to see what they do next than i was before, so… mission accomplish lol

[menaasstuff]

Shadowed Halls

(Chapter 1)

Summary: For a girl who grew up in a small town in west Texas she'd never known an unfriendly face. People would greet each other with sweet smiles and small talk in the morning, always ready to lend a hand to their neighbor. Any would think this an ideal environment for one to grow and mature in, but as she ventures into unknown territory she'll see just how wrong she was and how much more cautious she should've been.

Word Count: 2.5k

I just finished rewatching Strangers From Hell and it left me wanting to write about it, therefore this was born. If you like it please feel free to leave a like and comment your thoughts <3

-

-

-

-

As the taxi rolled to a stop in front of the run-down cobblestone complex, you felt the excitement that had been sitting in your stomach fade slightly the longer you took it in. Your thoughts were cut short by the rough, hacking cough let out by the taxi driver before his eyes cut sharply to you in the rearview mirror. Without saying anything, it wasn't hard to get his message with the impatient raising of his brow. Glancing at the meter, you grabbed your wallet and pulled out some cash before handing it to the man with a timid smile. After he finished counting and deposited the money into the cash box, it was clear that any business he thought he had with you was over as he popped the trunk and unlocked the taxi's door locks. Not wanting to cause any more annoyance to the man, you flashed what you hoped came across as a grateful smile and chirped a goodbye before getting out to retrieve your suitcase from the back. Hauling the suitcase out of the trunk pulled a grumble from within your throat, the cab driver didn't seem to want to offer the same help he'd previously given when you'd loaded it in initially. With one final huff, you were able to get it out and place it on the sidewalk before grabbing your duffle bag. Slamming the trunk closed and walking back onto the concrete sidewalk was all the confirmation the cabbie needed as the tires let out a slight screech as he pulled off. The taxi's departure marked a definitive point; there was no turning back now.

Turning to face the building, a feeling of surreal disbelief flowed through you and left a tingly sensation from the tips of your fingers to your toes. The feeling of success was undeniable; making this move was something that you could only dream of doing while working on the farm with your father. Your parents hadn't exactly been thrilled with the idea when you proposed what you thought would be the next step in your young adult life. Hearing that you wanted to move from Texas to New York nearly sent your mother into cardiac arrest. It took weeks of explaining before they realized how serious you were about following through with your plan. While your mom tried to take the calmer approach, your father had no problem telling you how outlandish and ridiculous your idea was. The determination you had to follow through with your proposition eventually wore them down and got them to support their oldest daughter's dream to spread her wings in the "big city." A vibration from your jeans pocket caused you to jolt before reaching to grab your phone and look at the screen as a smile slowly spread across your face. Hitting the accept call button, you leaned onto one leg and raised the phone to your ear while holding the handle of your suitcase securely in the other hand.

"Hey mom, miss me already?" you greeted with a hint of teasing in your voice. Saying goodbye to your mother had taken the longest, so it wasn't a big surprise to you that she'd be the first to call.

"Hi Sugar, I just wanted to check on you. You said you'd call when you landed, but it's been 2 hours since your flight got in. You know I worry," the soft voice with a southern twang that could only belong to her mother rang through your ears.

"I'm sorry mama, you wouldn't believe how plumb crazy the airport over here is. I swear it took me nearly an hour to get my luggage and then another half hour to flag down a cab. I just reached the apartment complex; I still need to go get the keys," you explained to your fretting mom while people rushed by you on the sidewalk, smiling at the few that seemed to cast you inquisitive or annoyed looks.

"I warned you, city folk move like someone's lit a fire in their pants. You'll get the hang of it soon. Remember that papa's already paid the first three months' rent for you. Once you save money from your new job, you'll have to take it over yourself, but everything should be sorted with that---" Your mother's chirping faded out when your attention shifted to a man who walked out of the doors of the complex. He was dressed in a grey suit and held a black briefcase; you couldn't help but feel like he looked like he walked off the pages of those fancy fashion magazines they have at the doctor's office. In your daze, you couldn't help but find it odd that a man that looked as sophisticated as him would be walking out of the worn-down building you'd be calling home for the time being. As if he felt your steady gaze being directed his way, his narrowed gaze cut up to yours from where it'd previously been focused on scrolling through his phone. You held the contact for a second before it sunk in that he'd caught you more or less gawking and you looked to the ground in embarrassment. Manners had always been something that your mother and grandmother had stressed over drilling into your head; leering at someone was sure to get your knuckles rasped with the wooden spatula. When a respectable amount of time seemed to pass, you glanced back up to find the man gone and breathed out a sigh of relief before refocusing back onto your mother.

"I've just finished sending out your stuff; Bobbie down at the shipping office said it should reach you by the end of the week, and then you can get the movers to bring it over to your apartment. Don't forget you have to call them, bunny." She finished before you heard a garbled voice call out for her in the background.

"I'll call you back later tonight, sweetie; your brother needs me. You just get your keys and get settled in, okay? Love you!"

"Love you too, ma," you chirped back with a smile before hearing the telltale click which signaled that she'd hung up the phone.

Sliding your phone back into the safety of your back pocket, you readjusted the slipping strap of your duffle and made your way to the stairs that led to the front door of the apartment complex.

Opening the door and making your way in didn't leave a better impression than simply looking from outside did. The harsh fluorescent lights on the ceiling seemed to buzz from overuse and served mostly to highlight the light dusting of dirt that coated the floors. Straight across from the entrance was an elevator with a handwritten 'out of order' sign taped in the middle. To the right was a set of stairs that presumably would lead to the upper floors, and to the left was the front that you'd been looking for—a faded green door with the word 'office' labeled on it in equally faded gold script.

Breathing a slight sigh of relief at finding the office so easily, you hiked your duffle further up your shoulder and made your way over to the door. Raising your hand up, you rapped your knuckles against the hard wood next to the frosted glass windowpane and waited until you heard a croaked-out voice call to come in before releasing a rough cough.

Turning the handle and stepping inside with a smile, you were greeted with an older man sitting in front of a desk shuffling through a stack of papers with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, seemingly looking for something. He looked to be around your pa's age, his hair more of a receding line with splotches of grey mixed into what once was black. The clicking that signaled the opening of the door caught his attention and caused him to halt his search as his dull grey eyes scanned you from head to toe while a smirk hitched one side of his lips up. The smoke that filled the room burned your lungs the longer you stood in the room, and the slightly cracked window to the left of his desk did little to help.

Flashing the man another smile, you glanced at the nameplate on his desk before beginning. "Hello, Mr. Miller, I'm your new tenant and was told to come here to pick up the keys for my apartment. I just got in today; I'm Y/N L/N."

"Hello, darling, yes, I remember; welcome to Pinecrest Manor. Had I known we'd have a little doll moving in today, I'd have dressed up a bit more for the occasion," he responded playfully while standing to leer at you before walking over to the glass case on the right side of the wall that held numerous pairs of keys. As Mr. Miller sauntered over to the glass case filled with keys, you couldn't help but feel a mixture of discomfort and impatience. The smoke-laden air made your throat itch, and you subtly coughed again, hoping to avoid inhaling more of it.

He continued to talk as he riffled through the keys, his voice raspy and slightly amused. "Ah, you said Y/N L/N, right? Yes, your paperwork is all here. Pinecrest Manor isn't much to look at, but we do our best to keep things in order around here." He chuckled to himself, finding his own comment amusing.

You nodded politely, though you were eager to receive your keys and get settled into your new apartment. Glancing around the office, you noticed the outdated décor and the layer of dust on some of the surfaces. It wasn't exactly the welcoming environment you had hoped for, but it would have to do for now.

After what felt like an eternity of Mr. Miller fumbling through keys, he finally selected a set and turned back to you with a grin. "Here we are, darling," he said, extending the keys towards you. "Apartment 305, up on the third floor. Elevator's out of order, so you'll have to take the stairs. But I'm sure a young thing like yourself won't mind the exercise." He paused before raking his eyes up and down the length of you as you stood to receive the keys. "You need some help finding it; I wouldn't want a sweet girl like you getting lost on your first day here."

You took the keys from where he dangled them teasingly out to you with a polite thank you, managing a small smile despite the persistent discomfort of the smoky room. "I'm sure I'll be able to manage. Thank you, Mr. Miller. I appreciate your help."

Though he looked mildly disappointed by the rebuff, he nodded, his smirk widening a fraction. "Anytime, Y/N. And if you need anything else, you know where to find me."

With that, you turned to leave, eager to escape the stifling office and finally settle into your new home. As you closed the door behind you, you took a deep breath of fresher air in the hallway, relieved to be out of Mr. Miller's smoke-filled domain.

As you made your way down the hallway, the dimly lit corridor of Pinecrest Manor seemed to stretch endlessly. The faint buzz of the fluorescent lights overhead added to the eerie atmosphere, contrasting sharply with the relative brightness of the office you had just left. You glanced down at the keys in your hand, feeling a mix of anticipation and apprehension about what lay ahead.

The worn carpet under your feet creaked softly with each step as you approached the stairwell. With a slight hesitation, you gripped the handrail and began ascending to the third floor. The staircase, much like the rest of the building, showed signs of age and neglect. Faded paint, scuff marks, and occasional cobwebs greeted you as you climbed higher.

Finally reaching the third-floor landing, you navigated your way to apartment 305. The hallway here was eerily quiet, the only sound being your own footsteps and the distant hum of the building's ventilation system. As you approached the faded green door labeled 305, you inserted the key and turned the lock.

The door swung open with a slight creak, revealing your new home. Stepping inside, you found yourself in a modestly sized living room. Sunlight filtered through dusty blinds, casting faint patterns on the worn carpet. The furnishings were basic but functional—a worn couch, a small coffee table, and a TV on a stand in the corner.

Setting your duffle bag down with a thud, you took a moment to survey the space. It wasn't luxurious by any means, but it would serve its purpose as your sanctuary for the foreseeable future. You walked through to the kitchenette, noting the outdated appliances and the flickering fluorescent light above the sink.

The bedroom was similarly modest, with a double bed pushed against one wall and a small dresser nearby. A narrow window offered a view of the neighboring buildings, their own faded facades staring back at you.

As you unpacked your belongings and began to settle in, you couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over you since entering Pinecrest Manor. The interaction with the building manager left a sour taste in your mouth, and the first impressions of the building weren't fitting into what you'd pictured the whole flight over. Closing the drawer of the dresser after placing the last of your belongings inside, you glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand and saw the time flash back at you—2:00 PM.

Suddenly, a new feeling rushed through you as you realized where you were and what you'd done. Walking over to the double bed, you sat down and scanned around the room one more time, a new light making everything seem so much better. In contrast to when you'd first walked in, you felt like there was so much possibility and hope to be found in your new apartment. Letting out a squeal of excitement, you fell back onto the mattress and let all the excitement rush through your body in the form of more squealing and tapping of your feet from where they still rested on the floor.

In your excitement, you failed to realize how loud you'd been until you heard three rough bangs coming from the connecting wall with your neighbor which jolted you back to reality. Snapping back up to sit straight on the bed, you went quiet and waited a minute to see if they continued; when they stayed silent, you released a breath of relief before falling back down. As you went back to quietly getting lost in your thoughts about how you'd decorate your new space and fantasizing about the adventures you'd have in this new environment, a ping from your phone sounded before it began to ring with a familiar ringtone that caused a smile to spread across your lips. Sliding the device out from your back pocket, you held it up in front of you to confirm what you already knew you'd see and sat up while swiping to accept the call and holding it up to your ear.

"Hello?"

[writing-hat]

Was rewatching Hands of Time because I wanna get Nya right for my fic (I know I won't but this is an attempt), and I am suddenly remembered of Karlof.

Why is there a metal master? Isn't Cole supposed to be the earth master?

So! Here's why Cole can't metal bend - at least not now, not in this universe, and/or not in my head

Everyone has their own opinions! And this is just me speculating I guess! You can skip if this bores you lmao

Okay for those that are reading my insane and ridiculous overthinking that makes sense for me but might not for everyone cuz I can't explain shit (also cuz yknow this is a lego show for kids all of this wasn't thought through lmao)

So Metal Bending from ATLA is something that always makes me go insane because it is super well brought up AND built up. Because, yknow, Toph is a fucking badass and she's the best actually no contest here I don't take criticism- BUT BUT it's something that somehow feels expected because of how well she handles her powers and how it works when it comes to earth benders

Now for Cole, and earth masters in general, this wouldn't work in my mind, because I feel like the ninjas powers work more in a- "magical" way?

NOW YOU KNOW ME, this does not mean magic doesn't work with physics of our world, yaddi yadda, yknow how crazy I am when it comes to powers being handled with a price, and actually thinking of physics (to an extend, I didn't major in that for a reason LMAO). But it does occur to me that the connections between powers work differently in Ninjago compared to ATLA

This is also why Nya wouldn't be able to blood bend in my mind (EVEN IF THAT'S FUCKING COOL and I want to see content of it always and forever (are there any content on it actually harrass me if there is I wanna see that)), because she's not that kind of close to water, but she is close to it in an other way?

How would I explain that. Hm.

So like imagine a path, and it bifurcates in two different kinds of fields, but it still started from the same branch. Here, one becomes the bender of the matter, reaching potential as badass as blood bending, while the other masters it, understanding how it works to its fundamental, going as far as fusing with the element itself ; it's what makes it so that fire benders can bend lightning, and why that can't be for the ninjas/masters. Because it was never meant to be that.

This comes with the idea that the "Illusion of Separation" is a thing in ATLA! Which, I think would also be the case in Ninjago IF the FSM hadn't seperated them (the powers)- but I still don't know how to explain my thoughts there, other then to say the FSM had all powers before and there's no way he didn't use them at the same time or make them fuse (yknow aside wind and water of course) but he stopped that when he decided to pass it on future masters? something?

And that's why Karlof is the Master of Metal. It got seperated.

(doesn't that mean it can be brought back together? Lloyd I'm looking at you)

ALSO! I think what's taken into account here is the differences between metal and dirt, rocks and such. The chemical/physical differences, how iron is but a mineral in most cases incrusted too deep into the rock before brought back and used to make pure iron (or something idk the exact names) or used to make steel (with carbon levels being too high but yeah this goes to deep I'll stop now) (also if I'm wrong please tell me I'm not a scientist and idk that much on the subject (I think that shows))

More so, Toph's powers and bending works with WAVES! Cole's doesn't (yet, because if he can actually cause earthquakes then O BOI)

Not only that, but they are all born with those powers, and it's hard to master. But for the ninjas, they're "on their own", in way that the generations before them didn't get to teach them shit before they poofed out, and those that are left behind are people that were as clueless as them- looking at the Smith Parents, or even Wu! Who prbably has to learn everything from his father's scrolls because the FSM is a piece of crap actually (not sure how he's handled in the books but rn in my mind he is a piece of crap with how Wu and Garmadon react to most things (that's another talk a bit more Encanto flavored (generational trauma yknow)))

Also, there's the fact that it took so long for the show to show us Cole control the earth from a distance! Usually, his powers are associated with strength- which is in my opinion a huge waste of talent, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT'S REALLY COOL! You know what I mean?

BUT COLE, even if he doesn't bend metal, there are other things that come with earth powers, things I CAN'T WAIT TO write about, but won't speak for here since I'm still working on it (also they might actually suck but Idc I'm having fun lol)

I wouldn't be surprised if other people found about these abilities tho. Y'know it's the internet! Lots of people think of the same thing

But uh yeah! I guess that's it?

Thanks for reading, and see ya!

(Also if you think I'm wrong about some things, which I prbbly am, or if you wanna add things, correct some of my stuff and all, you're welcomed to do so! I'm always open to being told I'm wrong LMAO)