#xander but he’s modern

[little-devil-art]

[Modern AU Xander]

“Phrases like “Welcome back“ or “Here you are, finally“ while accompanied with a warm smile gave me a feeling of safety and for a short moment, all worries are faded away.“

- Probably a Quote from an imaginary Fanfiction about Barista Xander when you enter his newly opened Coffee Shop after a while of visiting it.

[creativesplat]

a little doodle of my favourite fire emblem guys (modern au!)

[laslow]

🏈 Our muses playing an autumn sport

Autumn Prompts!

Over the past spring term, he'd managed to befriend the football team's captain. (The quarterback, in football language.) Commiserating over an awful professor forms an unshakable bond, cemented over puzzling out extremely vague assignments and even more vague feedback.

Inigo follows after Diamant, waving at the few players he knows in passing. They dot the grassy field in various states of warm-ups--some are stretching, while others throw a football back and forth. Now, Inigo's never been one for traditional sports. They looked fun, but held no appeal when it came to pursuing them. Dancing holds his heart in an iron grip and always will; he's enjoyed fencing, yet he thinks he'll sheath his sabre for a final time after college.

Still, college is all about trying something new, right? Diamant had asked Laslow to join a practice, just for a change of pace. Laslow can't say no, especially since he's grown to truly admire Diamant. The least Laslow can do is spend an afternoon doing what his new friend loves. How hard can it be, catching a ball, then running it across a field?

As it turns out, very hard. Laslow keeps looking at the uneven ground, terrified he'll trip and twist an ankle. The others tease him for not keeping his eyes up. Diamant offers words of encouragement, and Laslow does feel bad he's not giving it his all.

One play. He can survive one more play, then gracefully bow out. He squints through his helmet. A breeze kicks up, offering a pleasant chill against his heated skin. Diamant makes to throw the ball, and this time, Laslow leaps for it without a second thought.

It's a rather impressive leap, if does say so himself. Toes pointed, back straight, arms outstretched, the ball sails directly into his chest. "Oof," he exhales, instinctively closing his biceps around the oblong shape.

He lands awkwardly, once more wary of where he places his feet. But he remains upright! Well, look at that. Laslow glances at the ball, suitably impressed. Maybe team sports aren't all that bad--

--oh, right, he needs to run. Laslow makes it two steps before another player slams into him, sending him directly into the grass. Dazed, he sits up, grinning at Diamant. "How'd I do?"

[dawnbreakersgaze]

NOPE

NO

NO THANK YOU

I don't like the way those are lining up AT ALL.

"Broken free of the shackles of natural law"

We've heard/seen Zayne be referenced as "shackled" at least 3 times before at this point. By Raymond, by the 'Narrator' ("remains shackled to time"), and in reference to the Foreseer myth. This makes the 4th. I genuinely hurt every single time the story so heavy handidly reminds me that Zayne really is a dog on a chain. The Foreseer robes even have a LITERAL collar of thorns over the neck of it ffs. It's painful to watch at this point and it breaks my heart.

"Why persuade Zayne? What he really needs is a pair of hands. Ones that can carry out God's mission and allow for God's descent."

Between this, and the one below of-

"At least he has another option. His last one"

I'm torn on which one is referencing Astra. On one hand, Astra really could be a modern made "God". An elevated man of great power, someone Zayne turned to in his 11th hour to try and save MC (though we all know how that turned out, unfortunately). It would seem that Xander Sciences is playing at God, and if we know anything about the sci-fi scene, it's that human experimentation ALWAYS ends up going ~soooo well~ and nothing ever goes wrong there 👀

On the other hand, the "last option" really gets my gut feeling going. My theorist brain is telling me Zayne is gonna go full Warlock pact and make a deal with an entity in exchange for MC's life. Only it's gonna go tits up and be a Fey pact, and because we all know how MC and he end up, clearly Zayne did NOT read the fine print (or more likely, Zayne thought he could out maneuver the rules). Ever since I read the Mt Eternal anecdote and realized the Tower and Mt Eternal are in the same location, I could not shake the feeling that Zayne already has made contact with whatever "Astra" is. Be it a very powerful person, an actual God, or someone else entirely different (like another time traveler, such as Xavier and the backtrackers). We know he's traveling back there multiple times by himself, conducting research of an unknown variety, that only he and Dr. Noah are privy to. I'm just saying if ever there was a cover up for having contact with a supernatural being/aliens/a God, that's a really fucking good one.

Whatever it is, this new lore drop has really really spelled out in big bold letters, that Zayne is thought of as a tool by a LOT of people. Xander Sciences, Astra, even the Dean of the medical academy had a moment there. My poor man even thinks of himself as a tool, one that is meant to save MC (from himself he even says at one point 😭😭😭 like oh my God Zayne stoppppp). He literally considers himself expendable so long as he saves her. Once he's done his job and secured her future, even if that means passing on the ability to save her to someone else, he's fine laying down his life for that.

And that's seriously the saddest part of this whole fucking game imo.

[figsandfandoms]

i feel like buffy and xander are both struggling with gender but like, from different angles?

buffy wants to be a typical girl, with the hair and the dates and the boys and the dresses. that's the life she wants, but instead she's the strong one, the protector, the fists. she's the one having to make the tough calls, she's the one who can't commit and can't say i love you, two traits that are typically given to male characters.

she struggles against this the whole series, the forced masculinisation of herself that comes with being a slayer.

meanwhile xander is the more feminine-coded one of the group- he's the damsel in distress, the one who needs protecting and saving, he's the heart. he's the one who goes to buffy and talks to her about her relationship with riley, something that could have easily come from willow but xander noticed and had the talk.

xander's the one staying at home and cleaning while buffy is out saving the world. he's struggling with what it means to be a man in the late 90s and early 00s, especially coz he doesn't have the role models he wants or needs- not his father and not even really Giles to an extent, since Giles is the one watching and not acting, but that's not the kind of man xander wants to be.

maybe this is where a lot of the anti-xander-ness comes from in a modern re-watching of buffy. coz it's more acceptable for a woman to struggle with the pros and cons of womanhood than it is for a man to struggle with being perceived as weak or girly. (and i'm saying woman and man here but for most of the series these characters were teenagers).

[gilverrwrites]

Michael/Reader, 1.6K words Established vee dynamic: Michael/Adam & Adam/Reader, which will evolve into a triad. [1/3] Four things you explain to Michael, and one thing he explains to you. [X][2][3]

Chapter 1: Buffy, Bussin', and Kiss-Cams.

It took a while to get there but telling the differences between Adam and Michael had been easier than expected. Like now for example. If Adam was manning their body he would have slouched beside you on the couch, helped himself to your snacks, and asked you about your day. Instead, Michael stood, looming in the doorway of the living room. His stance is like a soldier at attention, head high, shoulders straight, watching you with no expression. 

“Hello, Michael.” You greeted. “How are you today?” 

“I am well.” He approaches, situating himself between you and the TV screen. “What is this?” 

“I’m good too, thank you for asking.” Social queues will likely never be his thing. “This is a TV show.” 

“I am aware.” His shoulders sag briefly, unamused by your sarcasm. Whether he understood that you were teasing is a mystery, he likely thinks that you’re an idiot who thinks he’s an idiot, which is arguably funnier. “I meant, what television show is it?” 

“Buffy.” You answer. “It’s actually really good, it’s about a teenage girl who is the chosen one-“ 

“Chosen?” He interrupts, but you let it slide. You wonder if he’s thinking of how he was once ‘chosen’, and now he’s here, metaphorically sandwiched between his partner and his partner's partner in a tiny apartment in Minnesota. He could leave at any time, commandeer their body, or escape it entirely and take off, but he doesn’t, he hasn’t. Which really speaks to how much he cares for Adam. 

“Yeah, she’s the one true slayer, kind of. So, she has to juggle killing vampires and stuff with normal high school things, like homework and boys.” 

He’s looking at the screen, not at you, but you can see his eyes narrow. You think he might be scrutinising your choice in vapid human media, but his response surprises you. 

“Yes, I recall Adam used to watch this show with his mother.” His probing glance falls back to you now. Adam is there, they’re both always there, but it still feels like you’re discussing him behind his back, so you awkwardly attempt to move on from the subject. 

“Oh, well… Would you like to sit and watch it with me?” You shuffle over, making space for him beside you and patting the pillow. 

“No.” Michael is just a blunt person? Being? Angel. So, you don’t take the sting of his rejection to heart. 

But despite his rebuttal, he makes no attempt to move. Instead, standing stock still in the middle of the room. Occasionally asking questions as the time passes. 

“Who is that?” 

“That’s Angel. Buffy’s sort of on again off again boyfriend.”

“Angel?”

“Yeah, he’s not an angel, he’s a vampire.” 

“How paradoxical.”

-

“That one reminds me of you.” 

“Who? Cordelia?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“She talks too much.” 

-

“Why does Willow simply not confront this Xander boy about her, albeit inadvisable feelings for him?”

“Teenagers are stupid.”

“Humans are stupid.” 

“Thanks.”

Four episodes later he remains unmoved, you’d tried not to speak to him unless spoken too, afraid you might scare, or more likely annoy him away, but your stomach is starting to grumble. 

“I’m gonna order takeout, do you want anything?” It’s not addressed to Michael, and he knows that. 

Their posture falters as Adam takes over. Adam also moves with confidence, but his is far more relaxed, comfortable in his own body. The couch pillows dip under his weight as he sits beside you, arm casually draping over your shoulders. He greets you with a familiar boyish grin that makes your heart flutter. “Pizza?”

Something is wrong. That much is evident by Michael’s uncharacteristically expressive face. He’d been silent when he’d returned home from the store, a chore he and Adam had taken up since their return from the cage, a familiar, easy task that helped to ease them into modern society. 

You could tell it was Michael because he’d been ignoring your presence since he returned home, quietly, and strategically putting away the shopping bar a solitary; “Hello.” 

Now he was eyeing a single can of Monster Energy Drink that sat alone on the kitchen counter. The intensity of his stare had you worried it might explode. You certainly would not be cleaning that up. 

“Something on your mind?” You ask, keeping your tone calm, and pleasant. Not letting on to your amusement at his one-sided staring contest. 

He spares you a scornful glance, before looking back at the can. Then he seems to have a light bulb moment, body perking up as he turns to you once more. He might actually think you’re useful for something other than Adams's enjoyment. 

“Yes. What is ‘bussing’?” The word sounds so comical coming from his lips, and you suppress a laugh, not wanting to patronise him or dampen his curiosity. 

“Bussin’?” You repeat, ensuring you heard him right. 

“Yes. ‘Bussing’. We heard a boy at the store use the word to refer to this. Adam nor I have heard the term used in this context before.”

Adam had filled Michael in on a lot of modern and pop culture things, but having been locked in a cage for the last decade meant that he was a little behind the times. You made a mental note to ask him later if not understanding the latest slang terms made him feel old. 

“It just means something is really good.” You explain, and his face drops.

He picks up the can, swaying it back and forth as he examines the label. It hisses as he eventually cracks it open, and his face scrunches when he gives it a sniff. 

Adam only eats and drinks to maintain a feeling of normalcy, Michael’s grace dissolving any actual need for human bodily functions. Michael never eats or drinks, so the prospect of his first taste of human food being a sip of Monster excites you greatly. What a terrible introduction. 

He must sense your anticipation because he turns, body shifting completely to face you. His face remains stoic, excluding his eyes which watch you hopefully as he extends the drink to you. “Would you like a taste?” 

“Uh, sure.” You take the can from him and allow yourself a mouthful before handing it back to him. It’s sugary, and sour, and abhorrently fizzy, just as you’d expected, but you try not to let your face give anything away. “It’s fine. Your turn.” 

“Fine.” He repeats under his breath, hesitating as he brings it to his lips. He takes a quick sip before slamming the can forcibly back onto the table, gritting his teeth, clearly repulsed by whatever is going on in his mouth right now. “That is not bussing.” 

Michael hadn’t exactly taken to human pastimes like a fish in water, preferring to take a back seat and let Adam enjoy himself. He had, however, found a great appreciation for war films, books about astronomy, and sports. Particularly, sports that had a strategy aspect to them. Which is how you’d found yourself in the bleachers of an ice hockey match beside him. 

Adam liked sports too, but not to the same degree. Michael sat, hunched over, weight on his knees as he watched the players glide across the ice, batting the puck this way and that. The match was tense, and the atmosphere lively, so you didn’t really mind his silence. You knew he wasn’t ignoring you, just focusing on the game. Even the quarterly breaks were filled with music, the big screen displaying funny accidents and lookalikes, which kept you entertained. 

All in all, you were having a good time, and when the kiss-cam popped up, you watched, amused as the camera crew zoomed in on different couples. You watched an array of different kisses, some cute, some awkward, some a little R-rated. It was all fun and games until you recognised yourself on the screen. 

Panic rushed through your body as you turned to look at Michael. You’d come around to the fact that Michael was always there. Always. Even for the intimate moments. But there was a massive difference between Michael being there during a kiss, and kissing Michael. 

You’re not sure if your sudden nervousness or the cheering crowd watching him from every angle clued him in, but Micheal takes notice, looking up at his own face on the display and asking; “Why are we on the screen?” 

“It’s a kiss-cam. They want us to kiss.” You hope that filling him in will bring Adam front and centre, but to no avail. Adam doesn’t want to play right now it seems. Probably revenge for implying he was old. “I’ll wave them away.” 

“Don’t.” He instructs, and before you can process what’s happening his lips are on yours. 

He tastes like Adam, like sugary cereal and cheap cola. He feels like Adam, clean-shaven and soft lips. But he does not kiss you like Adam. 

Adam kisses you like he might never see you again. Like it’s been a thousand years since he’s last laid his lips on you and he wants to commit every micro-movement of your body, every inch of your mouth to memory. His kisses are intense and passionate.

Micheal is the opposite, surprisingly. This might be the gentlest he’s ever been, he presses his lips to your delicately, like he might break you if he uses too much pressure. A hand cups the side of your face with the tenderness one would show a wounded animal. He kisses you like you’re made of glass and must be cherished. 

When he pulls away you feel completely flushed and unsure how to proceed. The kiss-cam is gone, and the screen counts down the seconds until the game continues. Micheal, in preparation, has resumed his watching position, leaving you to stew in your own emotions, likely oblivious to the many, many thoughts flooding your mind. 

Please remember: Being sensitive is not a weakness.

[starriri]

Danganronpa Despair Time is a artistic masterpiece.

When I first stumbled upon DRDT, I didn’t see it as anything else but another danganronpa fangame, a simple derivative of the mainline series created by a admiring fan like all the other Fanganronpas invented (not to put shadow on other fangans, as they are all unique and also level to despair time. the skill and work put into them can’t be overlooked. take a look at Heartless Deceit and Brave Danganronpa for example!!! holy fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!). However, it did not take me long to realise that, in fact, Despair Time, is much more than that.

Danganronpa Despair Time is an amazing creation, a hidden gem with quite an alluring charm to it. What else is there to say? (there is a lot more to say.)

Ever since the prologue, the prelude, the start, the calm before the storm, released, Danganronpa Despair Time has never failed to deliver a beautiful and extremely compelling narrative. It doesn’t take a genius to tell that there has been an enormous amount of effort put into it.

The art, for one, is absolutely stunning. It’s level to the likes of famous games like, for example, Fortnite Battle Royale and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare IV. Both games have multiple artists, unlike Danganronpa Despair Time. The fact that it’s just one singular individual working on such is almost unbelievable.

The sprites mimic the Danganronpa style to a verisimilitude, looking extremely realistic. The cutscenes seem to also be similar, yet subtle hints of DTDev’s personal style are shown (eg. The lineweight), creating something that cannot be described as anything but perfection. It’s amazing how it works so nicely.

Let’s not forget the scriptwriting. The characters are extremely realistic, their struggles, goals and motivations hitting quite close to home for many individuals, including me.

For example, let’s take our protagonist, Teruko Tawaki. She is first introduced as someone who has no sense of belonging, not knowing who her parents are and being separated from her only (known) sibling at a young age. This, coupled with her amazing design, displays how Teruko is much more than the Ultimate Lucky Student, much more than simply the main character of Despair Time.

During chapter one, Teruko begins to feel more comfortable around the people around her, enjoying more of her time and even making friends. She builds trust with them, and forges bonds, just like we do.

However, when she meets up with Xander, things start going immediately downhill when he stabs Teruko, causing her to become unconscious and indirectly causing his own death in the process.

Once Teruko wakes up, she’s in the middle of a crime scene: Xander’s now a bloodied corpse, and she’s the main suspect for his murder. Because of this, everyone around her (who, mind you, got along with her extremely well before) began to move away from her.

This is exemplified even more during the first trial, where the spotlight ends up on Teruko, everyone seeming to believe that she was the one that killed Xander even though *he* was the one that attacked her first. Because of this, Teruko ends up flipping out in the middle of the trial, daring the others to vote for her, breaking down in anger and frustration for being betrayed by everyone in such a manner.

In the end, when Min is revealed to be the culprit and promptly executed, Teruko states that she hates everyone and says that she’s never going to trust anyone ever again, moving away.

A lot of people have said that they dislike Teruko for this, but I don’t share the same sentiment. In fact, I think it’s extremely realistic for her to have such a change in nature and breakdown. After all, consider:

- Someone she trusted immensely (Xander) tried to murder her and broke her trust through doing so. Infact, Xander was the first person Teruko met, so his bond with Teruko may have been stronger than the others.

- Min may have technically prevented Teruko’s death, but she also caused Xander’s and framed Teruko for it, making everyone think that Teruko was the one that killed him.

- Even though Teruko was clearly injured and frightened after being stabbed, the others kept seeing her as nothing but a potential murderer who’s proof of guilt would save their own lives, throwing heartless accusations at her without even letting her defend herself. Teruko had grown to like and trust most of them, so what do you think she’d feel if those people began to avoid her and think of her as a bad person who’d murdered someone out of cold blood?

How would *you* react if this happened to you?

Personally, I’d also react the same way as Teruko, throwing a fit and breaking down, perhaps even in tears. I don’t quite see why there’s any reason to hate her for such if you’re going to do the same thing in her position.

Then again, I’m not implying that Teruko is in the right, either. Especially since what she does in the Daily Life segment of Chapter 2, forcing Charles to take his clothes off and holding J at knifepoint among other things. However, there was a reason these occurred, that being the others’ betrayal of trust. Everyone’s technically in the wrong, and that’s the best part.

To elaborate on my last point in the previous paragraph- humans are not perfect. Pardon me for getting into a bit of philosophy and ethics, but there can never be a truly ‘good’ person as there is no true definition of morality, either. For example, someone stealing your copy of Persona 5 Clash Royale Silver isn’t nice, but so is yourself getting angry at them and burying them seven feet underground. Let’s all be honest here: We’ve all done something morally questionable in life at least once.

It’s also the same for the opposite end of the spectrum. In evil, there is still a hint of good. Your teacher in middle school may have been painfully strict, but he still had a soft spot for kittens. Criminals of all sorts have harmless hobbies, like gardening or cooking michelin star meals, that do not harm any humans in the process.

Danganronpa Despair Time understands that concept and utilises it with all the characters, not just Teruko. For example, Arei may seem quite rude, but in chapter two, when Arturo threatens Eden, she immediately jumps in to brutally roast Arturo to make him leave, but offers Eden to become her friend. She, like Teruko, is a extremely well-written character with many dimensions.

However, I digress. The point I’m trying to justify is that all of the individuals that make up the cast of Danganronpa Despair Time are beautiful characters that have clearly been well thought out.

Additionally, the story of Danganronpa Despair Time manages to sprinkle in the perfect mix of humour, drama and realism in its plotline and characters. Even if only two chapters have been released, you can tell that the future chapters will also be beautiful works of art. It’s just that sophisticated and fantastic. I’m surprised that Spike Chunsoft hasn’t contacted DTDev to make DRDT a real installment to the canon Danganronpa series.

Ultimately, to summarise, I’d like to reinstate that Danganronpa Despair Time is a gracious, absolutely splendid work of art this clearly has a lot of thought put into it. It’s characters, plot, story- everything, works together piece-by-piece to form an exquisite piece of media.

I’d like to thank everyone that has worked on DRDT- DTDev, Gen, Hydrator, Haru-Suwan, the voice actors, and the translators- for working to create such a sophisticated and sensational video series.

If anyone that I’ve mentioned above is reading this, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for creating such a wonderful masterpiece. I cannot reiterate it enough. Thank you so much.

[lena-cant]

I started replaying fire emblem: path of radiance earlier this week after recently really only playing modern (awakening onward) FE for the past 5 years and it's really hitting home for me how much of modern fe's script is taken up by useless minutiae. camp conversations in por are the thing really hitting it for me. In more recent fe games, there's a lot of little bits of dialogue in the between-level hub but it rarely ever adds to our understanding of a character or interact with the story. It's just there because the characters are in the hub and therefore they need a sentence or two to say to the protag.

meanwhile path of radiance has these wonderful little conversations in the camp. they're not all like, peak fiction or anything but they almost always deliver on short nuggets of story that let you know how specific characters are reacting to what's going on in the story, or otherwise just something about them. I can count on my hands the amount of moments in three houses and engage where characters outside of the "main cast" of those games actually react to story events but they're doing it left and right in path of radiance.

this, along with the fact that most characters only have 3-5 supports means that the characters all feel sharper, more present, and like they're a part of the story. I'm not gonna pretend that every character in por is a masterful study or anything but even the weak characters in por feel less annoying than some of the strongest characters in three houses or engage because they're just inserted into the world more elegantly.

so much of the dialogue in the newer games just feels superfluous by comparison. xander doesn't have checks notes 12 romantic supports because the devs/writers felt that he as a character needed that much fleshing out. he has them because they needed him to have that many girls to kiss for the eugenics mechanics to work! part of the reason why characters in the newer games feel significantly more one note in comparison is that they're stretched thin. there's so much pointless shit they have to say, decided by quota before the writers even got their hands on the characters and it all builds up into a weaker end product

anyway this has been one elitist whinging about the new games that I like less

[love-and-deepspace-wiki]

Surrounding Characters: Mr. Raymond

Age: 39

Status: Deceased

Cause of Death: Unknown

Update! Occupation: Renowned art collector; founder of Xander Sciences

Residence: Three-story mansion in Linkon City's southeastern suburbs

Appearance: Based on his silhouette, he likely has scraggly hair and some amount of facial hair on his chin?

Details:

We meet Mr. Raymond on the protaganist's very first mission (Mission HM- U-0048-3015). En route, she finds Zayne on the side of the road with his broken-down car. She gives him a lift to Raymond's residence and learns Mr. Raymond is one of Zayne's former patients.

The mission details mention a person named Henry, who is one of the Hunter's Association's clients. They also note that Mr. Raymond is Henry's employer.

During her Wanderer inspection, the protaganist detects Metaflux and follows the Resonance Trail to the collection room. There, she finds Mr. Raymond is lying unconscious on the floor.

After the Wanderer is dealt with, the protaganist notices a Metaflux-infused painting that causes hallucinations. They reasoned it could be where the Wanderer had been hiding and the reason why Mr. Raymond had been acting so strange.

Mr. Raymond is still unconscious when the helicopter arrives and Zayne accompanies him to the hospital. The protagonist then reports the painting to HQ as needing special treatment.

Key Details:

Mr. Raymond had a serious congenital heart disease, hence Zayne's medical visit.

Zayne mentions that, based on the improvement of his vital signs, Akso's equipment determined his age to be "far younger than what it actually is"

Seems to have some connection to Xander Sciences, since the protaganist overhears him trying to convince to Zayne to work for them.

The painting in question was made by Rafayel and was sold by Flux Arts.

Mr. Raymond's Mansion:

Built near the sea and mountains, the southeastern suburbs of Linkon City are home to various luxurious villas and holiday resorts. The entrance to his mansion has an ornate iron gate. Architecturally, his three-story mansion has a style of modern design and simplicity.

Courtyard:

The exterior courtyard (left) is surrounded by a large pool (right) and the water's surface covered in blue-green algae.

First Floor:

The central feature of the first floor (below) is a large fish tank containing what appears to be a Lemurian skeleton. It is surrounded by a spiral staircase to the next floor. The room also includes a sofa set and a grand piano.

Second Floor:

(We don't get any images or description of the second floor)

Third Floor:

This floor is where his art collection room (below) is located. One of his collected items is a painting by Rafayel.

Murder Details:

The case of his murder is currently unsolved and has little known information to work with. But, through multiple accounts from other characters, I've gathered the following information.

Zayne's Statements:

When Zayne calls for medical backup, he mentions the following:

"Male, 39 years old, he collapsed from shock because a Wanderer appeared five minutes ago. No external injuries. His heart rate is normal, and his pupils react normally to light,... The address is..."

Rafayel's Statements:

When the protaganist visits Flux Arts, a digital version of the painting Mr. Raymond bought was displayed in the original's place. Rafayel's disembodied voice says the following regarding the painting:

The story behind it was a dream he'd had in childhood. In it, he had turned into a fish and swam in search of a place beyond the water's surface.

But despite his efforts, he only ended up in blood-red seawater.

That dream was the first time he'd ever seen such a color and he spent many of the following years trying to recreate it. But he never really could get that same shade of red. It was always a slightly different hue.

Thomas' Statements:

When the protaganist tells Thomas what happened to Mr. Raymond and mentions a connection to the painting, his face turns pales before he quickly regains composure. He mentions the following about Mr. Raymond:

Was a renowned art collector famous for his discerning taste

He visited Flux Arts last month, was utterly smitten with the painting, and needed to buy it.

During the process of arranging, displaying, and selling the painting, more than a dozen people were in contact with it. None of them mentioned anything about a Wanderer.

Notes that Rafayel mentioned often hearing strange noises in the studio late at night, but Thomas thought he was trying to trick him.

When the protaganist detects Metaflux from the coral stones in the Flux Arts office, Thomas says Rafayel uses them to make his paint.

Joe's Statements:

Joe is a reporter from Weekly Art who was following Rafayel in hopes of getting a scoop for a future article. He mentions the following about Mr. Raymond's case:

Mr. Raymond had drowned in his bathtub

Was found by his butler Herman. But by then, it was too late.

Before he died, Mr. Raymond had made a bunch of cuts into his arms and legs that resembled "a bunch of fish scales"

[riddles-n-games]

There is a very delicate topic that has to be delegated within the world of the Hawthorne brothers: music. While I know we have been somewhat exposed to what the boys listen to in One Hawthorne Night, we have to really dive in to their personal tastes.

Nash-Although Taylor Swift is his pop exception and being a hardcore country fan, he is actually quite diverse with his taste in music. He loves indie folk, acoustic, synth-pop, R'n'B, even some electric. It was actually him that introduced Gray to Frank Sinatra and the other old 50's classics.

Grayson-No surprise, he loves classical music but also listens to jazz and traditional pop. He's not really the type to listen to modern songs with lyrics, sure, as he grew up he loved listening secretly to some popular songs but he gave up on that. He has a deep appreciation for movie soundtracks and live orchestra. The only oddity in his music taste is that he loves energetic music for his workout playlists which can go hard from rock to chase sequence music from favorite films. On occasion, he will listen to ocean wave spa music to relax but VERY RARELY.

Jameson-A classic case of needs to be in his feelings so raging rock and metal works. However, Jameson's go to genres when he's in a pinch with a mystery or needs to clear his head at 100 miles an hour, he is all for hip hop, EDM, rap, and house. Okay, and he may listen to love songs like the romantic sucker he is and will sing them at the top of his lungs.

Xander-The most spontaneous, Xan's choices change on the dime. He could be listening to pop then he'll be listening to rap to dubstep to kid's movie songs. It's clear that he's well rounded (just that might be because he listens to anything and everything when he works in his lab at night). A safe choice is alternative, Japanoise (yes, that's a real thing), lo-fi, K-pop, blue yodeling, cowpunk (also a real thing) and disco.

[krakkenchaos]

Based on the trailers, I'm not convinced the Clone High reboot will be as entertaining as the original, but it's smart that it's seemingly leaning into the angle of "characters from a 2003 teen drama trying to adapt to living in a 2023 teen drama." It's a meta-humor goldmine because the fandom that emerged in 2020 when JFK clips randomly went viral on tiktok is a downright fascinating specimen of how our perception of characters in pop culture has changed over the last 20 years (I feel old.)

The clearest example of this is how Joan x JFK got warped into a wholesome OTP darling of the fandom. The actual show pretty explicitly characterizes JFK as an obnoxious playboy douchebag. That's the entire archetype of his character and it's exaggerated to extreme extents for humor. There's exactly two examples of the JoanFK "romance" in the original series and both were just the punchline of jokes that wouldn't be well-received today. The first is JFK being relieved that he's not gay when the "man" he was attracted to was Joan in disguise. The second is JFK having sex with an emotionally vulnerable Joan in the literal last minute of the show as a parody of the dramatic out-of-nowhere twists in TV shows of the time. It should be strange that this ship was warped into the definitive wholesome face of the fandom. But it's not strange when you look at Abe and the modern view of characters like him.

See, Abe is the character Joan is "supposed to" end up with. He's the awkward, dorky guy chasing the hot, popular Cleopatra while oblivious to the cute alt girl at his side pining to be more than friends. It's classic "she's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers" stuff common in the 2000s. However, that trope became hated within the last few years because it's "pitting women against each other." Even more-so, Abe's character archetype has become detested. Abe is Ross from Friends and Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Today, it's unpopular to have empathy for characters like that because their passive "nice guy" misogyny is recognized as just as, if not more harmful than the blatant misogyny of a JFK-type character. Meanwhile, fandom culture has fallen in love with himbos, hence why JFK has been shoehorned into that archetype despite still being an awful person in the show. There's so much comedic potential with this contrast and the reboot seems to be at least somewhat aware of it based on the joke from the trailer where JFK is commended for being "so sex positive."

[ourlittleforever]

mornings are for lovers

400 words, tooth rotting fluff w Xander, from his POV because I like being told I'm pretty and nice.

note: my self insert uses she/her in the game canon since it's old-timey, and they/she in a modern setting.

When Xander wakes up, he can smell breakfast cooking. Bacon sizzles down the hallway; he crawls out of bed and follows the sound.

Millie is standing at the stove. She's wearing his shirt. It hangs down to her thighs like a nightgown. A smile touches Xander's lips as he sneaks up behind her and wraps his arms around her.

“Mornin’,” he says, kissing the top of her head. Her hair smells like his shampoo. They haven't had the chance to go out and get Millie soap of her own, but Xander doesn't entirely mind. She smells like she belongs here, like she's his. The thought makes him squeeze a little tighter. 

“G’morning.” Millie leans back into his touch. “How'd you sleep?”

“Fine.” He's been sleeping better now that he has someone to share the bed with. They both get nightmares sometimes – how could you not, after a place like Gloomwood? – but the terrors are easier to bear with one another. “Smells good.”

“Me or breakfast? Because I can hear you sniffing my hair.” 

“Both?”

Millie sighs lovingly. “Go ahead and sit down. It's done.” 

Xander does as he's told. The morning paper is already at his seat. Millie has split the sections up. She always takes the comics and editorials, leaving Xander the rest. 

Millie plates their breakfast (biscuits and gravy with a helping of bacon) and sits down across the table from him. Her wedding band catches the early morning sunlight and Xander's heart warms.

He'd never really seen himself as a married man. Sure, he'd wanted a spouse, someone to share his life with, but it never felt like the right time. And then Millie came along. 

Once they escaped Gloomwood, he took her to the first courthouse they came across and married her. Millie was sweet, intelligent, beautiful. She could hold a conversation and was eager to learn. And she loved earnestly, purely, without any expectation. He couldn't let a girl like that go. 

He promised once they settled down some, he’d give her a real wedding. He dreams about her, a vision in white…

“You're staring,” she says, pulling him from his reverie. “What's up, honey?”

“Oh, nothing,” Xander replies. He reaches across the table and squeezes her hand. “Just thinking about how lucky I am.”

Her face reddens and she glances away. “I'm the lucky one.”

“How ‘bout we're both lucky?” 

“I'll take it.”

[the-vampire-queer]

The Vampires Digital Media Poll: Round 1, Bracket 8

Please reblog for a bigger sample size.

Results get posted on December 10th. at 5PM CST.

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If you wish to learn more about your options, either as a refresher or an introduction, press the "Keep reading" button.

What is Buffy the Vampire Slayer about?

Summary: "Sarah Michelle Gellar takes on the role of Buffy Summers in this TV version of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," based on the film of the same title, which starred Kristy Swanson. Buffy is a Slayer, one in a long line of young women chosen for a specific mission: to seek out and destroy vampires, demons and other forces of darkness. Unlike her predecessors, Buffy establishes a group of supportive friends who aids her in her battles with evil, including Willow, Xander and Cordelia. Her battles with evil are frequent, since Sunnydale, where Buffy and friends live, sits atop a gateway to the realm of the demons." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Source: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Cast:

Sarah Michelle Gellar - Buffy Summers

Nicholas Brendon - Xander Harris

Alyson Hannigan - Willow Rosenberg

Anthony Head - Rupert Giles

Additional information: Before the show, there was a movie of the same name that takes place before it. There is a spin-off series titled Angel based on a character from the show by the same name.

What is Blade (1998-2004 movies) about?

Summary of first movie: "A half-mortal, half-immortal is out to avenge his mother's death and rid the world of vampires. The modern-day technologically advanced vampires he is going after are in search of his special blood type needed to summon an evil god who plays a key role in their plan to execute the human race." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Summary of second movie: "Exploding from the pages of Marvel Comics comes the thrilling follow-up to the blockbuster "Blade." Half Man ... half vampire, and consumed by a desire to avenge the curse of his birth and save the human race from a blood-drenched Armageddon. In this newest action-packed adventure, Blade (Wesley Snipes) is forced to team up with the very vampires he hates in order to overcome a new type of monster which threatens to eradicate both races." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Summary of third movie: "The war between humans and vampires continues, but the humans' best hope, human-vampire hybrid warrior Blade (Wesley Snipes), has been framed for countless murders, turning popular sentiment against him. The vampire leader responsible for Blade's bad publicity is Danica Talos (Parker Posey), who's determined to finally lead her bloodthirsty compatriots to victory. Now Blade must team up with a band of rogue vampire hunters (Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Biel) to save humanity." Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Source: Blade

Cast:

Wesley Snipes - Blade

Stephan Dorff - Deacon Frost

Kris Kristofferson - Abraham Whistler

Additional information: These movies are based on the Marvel comics of the same name. There will be a continuation coming out in 2025.

[tia-amorosa]

Sunset Died - Wolff/Sekemoto

Examination day

Morgana was just finished working on her laptop when the door opened and Gerhard entered with his son. “Oh, hello Malcolm, aren't you at school today?”. The boy shook his head, but was too shy to answer. “He's coughing a bit and I don't want him to infect the other children"/ ‘that's very exemplary, of course. well, shall I examine you?’/ ‘mhm, but I don't want any nasty medicine’/ ‘hnhn, let's see if you need it or not’.

Nancy came in just a few seconds after the two of them, breathing a little heavily, “do you always have to run so fast, i can hardly keep up”. This was of course a good opportunity for Morgana to examine her. “oh, hello Mrs. Landgraab, it's good that you're here, I'd like to talk to you after I've examined your son“/ ‘what do you want from ME?’/ ‘hnhn, I think we both know what such a ’surprise' feels like”. Morgana pointed at her stomach. “Gerhard, do you have…"/ ‘I don't have anything.’.

Morgana first examined little Malcolm. He had reddened mucous membranes and it looked as if it might develop into a cold. She gave him the right medication to take for three days. She then examined Nancy. And she was amazed at the device Morgana used for the examination. She wanted to let her do her work in peace. She only asked her about it outside. “It was Nick, wasn't it?”.

Morgana looked at her with serious eyes. “You knew about all these things, didn't you? And you had to… check on us"/ ”please, let's not talk about it, it makes me very uncomfortable to have done these things. Apparently he's done something good now. The only question is how long it will last"/ ”I think we'll see in the near future. In any case, everything is fine with your baby, but just take it easy for a while”.

“Oh, I do that. It's less stressful when you can live in your own home without someone throwing a stupid line at you every day.”. Nancy had indeed become much more relaxed since living alone with her husband and son. “Wait, Dad, I want to play along…"/ ‘hnhn, he's much happier now too…’/ ”Yes, that's right…. I see another patient there, good luck for now and please get in touch if anything should happen”.

When Morgana went in with Pauline, she was surprised at how many people were here today “Hello, you're… Miss Summers, aren't you?”/ “Yes, that you can remember after all this time?”/ “Sure. Where are you staying?"/ ‘With a few others near the junkyard’/ ‘I'll take care of you in a minute. I'll just do a quick check-up on Miss Wan’.

Morgana went into the small examination room with Pauline. And there she saw something on the small table that looked a little familiar. “Is that…"/ ‘An ultrasound machine, yes, one of the more modern ones.’/ ‘Where…’/ ”I'll explain that to you another time, okay? Now we can see how your baby is doing"/ ”Now I'm almost a bit scared of it. “/ “Don't go crazy before the examination, okay? We'll do it in a relaxed way”.

“Are you otherwise okay?"/ ”Yes,. Xander's really nice to me. Of course, he's still a bit cautious sometimes, well, because of this thing that's still going on"/ ‘We can get to the bottom of that right away, I just need a bit of blood from you’/ ”How?” Morgana explained the other things to her while she did the ultrasound on Pauline.

… “I have a blood analyzer. It's quite modern, small and compact, but it has all the functions that a large hospital laboratory has."/ ‘really? where did you get that?’. Morgana looked at her with a tilted head and a slight smile. “Oh, I get it. I'd best not ask any more questions, hn"/ ‘Well, anyway, I can find out a lot with this device from your blood’/ ‘for example?’.

.“Well, for example, you can use it to detect early on whether a woman is expecting a boy or a girl“”/ “Really? How does that work?"/ ”Not only is your own DNA flowing through your body at the moment, but also that of the baby. I can therefore create a DNA profile of him or her… And thus also find out who the father is…"/ ‘unbelievable’.

Pauline had gathered up her dress and the sweater underneath so that Morgana could easily reach every corner of her belly with the transducer. “You're about 7 months pregnant now and your baby is already a good size, almost a bit too big for this stage. But it's all ok and… hn, I can clearly see what it's going to be”.

Morgana put the transducer aside again and switched the device off. “Would you like to know?"/ ”I don't know. It's always said that the main thing is that it's healthy, but… I'd like to call it by a name beforehand and not always just say baby or little one to it"/ ‘o.k…. You're having a beautiful, big girl’/ ”A girl… Just what I wanted. “..

The examination was complete and Pauline was able to stand up again. “So… How long do you think it will take for the paternity test results? I'd like to be the first to know… “/"First I need a sample from Xander. Maybe you can send him to me under some pretext?“/”hn, I'll tell him you're doing a health check on everyone, how's that?“/”A good idea, hnhn”. Pauline took another quick look at the little ultrasound machine. “Unbelievable, now I'm even more excited…"/ ‘I'm sure you are under pressure’/ ‘mhm, some days very much’/ ‘then it's time you knew for sure’.

While Morgana took care of the other people, Nancy is very surprised by her husband's attention. “What, where did you find these? Wait, they're made of paper"/ ‘from your son and from me… Are you going to tell me what my colleague said or are you going to claim medical confidentiality?’/ ‘hnhn… No, definitely not, we're going to have another boy, Gerhard’.

“A boy? That's wonderful. And is everything all right?"/ ‘Yes. She just said that I have to take it easy because I don't have a young body anymore’. Gerhard took his wife's hands in his “She's right. She's done so much so far. Maybe I should really start working alongside her."/ ‘You would really be a great help to her alongside Dr. Jolina’.

As Morgana had said to her husband that morning, it was going to be a good day. So her hunch wasn't wrong, and she grew to trust Nick a little more. But she still had a lot of questions in her head. For example, where these modern medical devices came from. But she was also glad that she now had more opportunities to provide the people here with good medical care.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

End of this Part

@greenplumbboblover🙂

[ribbytherabbit]

I kinda hate existing.. Anyways, new OCS!! Yay!!! I am OCmaxxing!!!! 💗💗 here's some info on em!!

XANDER ROGER

- he's a famous author who's in his 40s-60s! But he despises his fans AND readers..

- he usually goes by his last name, most people get confused when they realize "Roger" isn't his first name-

- he's bi-curious

- he has a slight addiction to alcohol (specifically beer) but he tends to prefer cigarettes

- he had like 6 wives, he's currently single now

- he tends to forget to take care of himself because of work

- he always wears sunglasses! Mainly coloured ones

- he's very intimidating, he's a grumpy dude but mainly cuz he's tired and annoyed-

- he can get verbally abusive (but he would NEVER hit anyone)

- he writes his works with a typewriter because he hates most modern technology 😭

- he thinks Miu is pretty annoying but as much he hates to admit it.. He enjoys her company and somewhat sees her as a daughter figure? But he tries pushing that thought away

- he usually goes to book festivals and conventions to sign books

- not rlly important but he's based off Harlan Ellison!!

MIU MĀHOE

- Miu isn't her real name, she named herself after an anime character!

- she's enjoy writing fanfics as escapism from reality

- she likes horror stories and she's also an otaku

- she admires and looks up to Xander alot! And tends to follow him around alot everytime she sees him

- she's a scenekid!

- she's Polynesian and Hispanic (Hawaiian and Mexican)

- Miu sometimes visits xander's house.. Nobody knows how she got his address-

- she wants to work side by side with Xander some day

- she's blind in her left eye due to an accident that happened when she was at an convention in a cosplay.. She got hit with a yaoi paddle ☠️

- speaking of conventions, she's goes to alot of them! Specifically anime cons, comi-cons, ect

- she enjoys cosplaying she sometimes forces Xander to join her, LOL (he usually gives in) miu tends to spend alot on money on her cosplays that she usually goes broke- so her regular clothes look "cheap"-ish

- she sprinkles a bit of Japanese and Spanish into her sentences, mainly Japanese tho-

- her pupils are always very small fsr

- she's recovering from depression (incase you didn't notice, she has cut marks on her wrists and thighs)

Tell me what y'all think of em!!! Please!!! :333

[twincovesgame]

So for the older ROs (Az, Rook, and Xander) Which time period was their favorite if they would have one? You could also do it for the other ROs too, for which time period they would like the most.

Az was a big fan of the 80’s. Please picture him dressed as Spike from Buffy during that flashback.

Rook does not spend time in the mortal realm unless extremely necessary… but probably the Victorian era lol.

Xander was quite partial to the Romantic period. He was hanging out in Paris with the writers, artists, and revolutionaries having a grand old time. That’s also when he met the (first) love of his life, Laurent.

Though all of them favor the modern day era. Progress is good, after all!

I do think Eli would be happy just living on a farm in the middle of nowhere with no electricity and some chickens. But he can do that now too!

And Wren would fit in during the medieval era with all the courtly romance and chivalry. But he’d detest the rigid social hierarchy, as he does in Faerie.

The rest of the ROs are good with the 90’s lol.