#I think this is the first time they dropped bitch into the dialogue

[shittysmscreencaps]

#I think this is the first time they dropped bitch into the dialogue #Most of these are tigers eye being a pissed off nice guy #sailor moon #sailor moon super s #Ep 144 #tigers eye #villain #amazon trio

[morgana-ren]

Has your opinion/understanding on Astarion's character changed much as you play through the full game?

Actually, yes! Big spoilers again btw.

So, I will admit, my perception of characters is always slightly biased. It's always tilted in favor of my own predilections and desires, so I tend to see things in a skewed way. The less information I am presented, the more my brain will fill in the gaps thusly.

In the early access, Astarion is presented as a selfish vampire spawn clawing for his own survival from the vicious vampire lord that spawned him and has held him captive for centuries. It should be noted that he is one of the only companions open to the idea of abusing the tadpoles rather than removing them and only seeks to cure them if they cannot be controlled. It becomes apparent that he craves power above all else. He dislikes altruistic speech options, tends to veer directly towards ones that bolster said power, especially at the expense of other people. He seems the closest to a stereotypical 'chaotic' follower that you really get.

However, he isn't evil. He's a very rounded character despite his inherent selfishness. He is manipulative and vicious, but he is also desperate and afraid and slow to trust. Most of what he does, he does for his own survival and comfort rather than active malevolence-- though that isn't always the case.

You get an alright idea of him in the early access, as in enough to know if you're going to want to keep him around and invest time into him as opposed to just dropping him at camp perpetually. You catch glimpses of the man he is behind it all, but mostly he appears flamboyant, resourceful, flirtatious, and of extremely dubious morality. Fun, right?

Very, very wrong, actually.

As you progress through the game, you come to understand him better, and it's... tragic.

The first thing to slip is his explosive temper. He is confused, bitter, and frightened. He expects Cazador around every corner, stalking in every shadow, watching and waiting to sling the collar around his neck and yank once more. Paranoid. He has mystery scars painstakingly carved into his flesh that he cannot see because of his condition, in a language he cannot read, with horrible memories he doesn't want to recall. He is angry, and he isn't in the company of people he trusts even remotely at first and literally cannot remember the last time he was in centuries. He bottles up all those emotions to avoid the devastating vulnerability of showing emotion and shoves them down beneath his posh and nonchalant facade, and eventually, it finds a way out.

Occasionally, he snaps. He becomes enraged and has these moments of intense anger.

And then, there is what you might think to be a moment of connection.

Astarion, once he decides that he approves of you, will make a move to seduce you. Should you accept, you might find that he says something along the lines of "Isn't that why you came? To lose yourself in me?"

It seems like typical seduction dialogue at first, but this is very deliberate. The wording is very deliberate as is everything he does. Like a choreographed waltz that he has danced again and again and again--

Until it comes as natural as breathing.

After your night together, he evades a conversation that would take anything any further. No relationship, no nothing. Just a one off that turns you into the equivalent of ye olde fuckbuddies. He stays by your side, of course, but nothing changes between you other than him acknowledging what happened.

So, you progress a little more.

Eventually, both through necessity and happenstance, he does end up opening up little by little. And you find out bits and pieces about him. But there's one that stands out to me:

The crazy blood bitch in Moonrise dehumanizes him, speaks down to him, and refuses to even acknowledge his personhood. She only speaks to you, and makes you an offer regarding your 'property.' An invaluable potion for a moment with 'your pet vampire spawn.'

And he has a visceral reaction to this.

If you have a fucking heart and you don't make him do this, he comes to speak to you later and confides in you. Cazador had used him essentially as a honeypot, forcing him to use his body to lure unsuspecting citizens back to the vampire's den-- against his will. He was so degraded, so dehumanized, and so looked down on for so many years that he has genuinely come to believe that it's the truth. He thanks you genuinely for considering him and viewing him as a real person with emotions and feelings, but is also... confused. He doesn't understand, because that rotten, stagnant belief is still a truth to him: That he is nothing but a tool and a means to an end; that he doesn't matter. That he is a filthy thing to be used and cast aside when convenient. He doesn't understand why you didn't make him do it when it was only his comfort on the line.

And if you ask him to drink from her, he will. He stiffens his upper lip and drinks despite the fact that something is wrong and he knows it. He does it because you command him to. Because that's what he has done for so long that you don't have to have the lord's control over him anymore for him to follow orders.

There is a moment of stark, dreadful realization that sex and seduction have an entirely different meaning to him but he has still been doing it. That the love and connection that he truly needs might be support and a friend and not a bedfellow. That his agency and personhood have been stripped away for so long that he doesn't even recognize them anymore. He is bitter and mean but vulnerable and confused and terrified and he doesn't know how to seek comfort, so he resorts to what he knows while simultaneously distancing and degrading himself.

He does not believe that he is worth loving or caring for, or anything but being an object to be molded. Used. Discarded. He suffered for so long that this is a fundamental truth to him. He is a monster. A filthy vermin barely a step above the rats he's been fed.

You do what you should do: You give him the power. You try to build him back up. Try to help him understand that he isn't a monster or a tool. He is a man; he is a person, and he deserves a say in his own fate. His wants and desires matter. What he wants matters.

If you've done things right, he will take a gigantic leap of faith. He will be with you-- truly be with you. It's slow and he doesn't understand, but he knows he wants it, and you take it as slow as he needs-- but he's still hurt. He is still scarred.

In the Sharess Caress, there are a pair of Drow twins that will attempt to seduce you into what is essentially a foursome. If Astarion is there and he is a love interest and you attempt this, he will say "I'm really not ready for this." while looking extraordinarily uncomfortable, and almost panicked. The scars are still there, and they're barely healing over, and still so, so tender. Easy to tear right back open. Easy to push back into his shell to never come out again, because he tried vulnerability and it burned him.

He does not think he is worthy of love or happiness. He doesn't get to have a loving partner who adores him. Even slipped free of Cazador's yoke, his claws are still stuck steadfast in his soul. He is taking it slow and barely learning to trust another being again, leave alone put his neck out and care for one. He wears his misery as a shield because it cannot hurt him that way. He is a monster who has done horrible things and deserves to be alone forever. And even if that isn't the truth, then Cazador is still lurking out there, waiting to strike-- to rip away that newfound happiness.

Astarion is, above all things, a truly tragic character, and one that I empathize with. It makes my adoration for him slightly guilty. I'm not all the way through the game quite yet, but what I have seen hurts my heart something dreadful. With my character, he is slowly learning to trust and love again, but it's painfully apparent that he thinks he doesn't deserve this, and he is simply waiting for something to fall apart and send him back into the spiraling black chasm that is his life. He still believes all these miserable things about himself. He was forced into immortality, and he believes he's going to spend it alone, reviled, and wretched - not to mention enslaved.

As fun as it is to have a sexy, dark, controlling Astarion, I don't think it's necessarily true to his character as he is presented if you choose to do things right. He isn't evil - he is a complex, tragic man who desperately needs to be able to see his own reflection in a way that isn't horrifically warped by everyone else's eyes.

Vampire. Monster. Killer. Slave. Pet.

It's been so long he's lost track of himself. Of Astarion the man.

He needs to find himself and find peace. He asks to view himself through your eyes, maybe because he's looking for something-- anything-- within himself to hold onto.

If you ask me again in a few days, I'll probably have a fully fleshed out idea of his character, since I'll probably have completed the game or at the very least gotten a bit further, but this is what I have at the moment. Doesn't mean I'll stop writing Astarion as I adore, but I've always openly admitted that my writings on characters are skewed despite their actual content lmao.

#morgana and friends #astarion #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 spoilers

[brujahinaskirt]

Just some lil' thangs you might not notice about the level of detail RDR2 puts into Arthur's interactions with horses if you aren't personally experienced with horses:

[Sorry if this has been done! I couldn't find a post like it in recent tumblr history, and hope I can at least add some thoughts that haven't been analyzed to death already!]

(First, a note about me: I was raised on a quarter horse ranch and trained by a cadre of old-school cowboys in the Western tradition. Some of them were excellent teachers and some of them were crabby-faced bastards who thought "horsemanship" = engaging in a constant war with your horse... which gives me a little insight into positive and negative horsemanship styles on display in RDR2.)

(Second, thanks to fellow horsegirl @mangocats for helping me compile this list!)

(Third, a simple note to say that although I playfully use the term "horsegirl" in this post, the notes here apply to any gender. Same goes for the use of terms like "horsemen," which is not commonly used in the Western equestrian world to indicate a rider's real gender.)

Now, without further ado:

Press X to Calm. Arthur uses a tried-and-true low-stress, gradual escalation method of approaching and calming a spooked horse that begins with establishing physical contact with one hand and slowly increasing contact until the horse is fully calm and is once more amenable to human direction & commands. This is usually a preferable method to getting a frightened horse under control imo, but it's a "soft hand" method, and not something you always see in machismo-loaded equestrian circles. I've written about this a little in another meta post, so I won't get too deeply into it here.

Overall Horsemanship Style. You'll notice that while he does occasionally drive them hard in emergencies such as escaping the law or chasing a train, Arthur never "forces" his horses to comply with commands; in other words, he doesn't use his strength to try and bully a horse into doing something, like crossing a river, or physically punish a horse to "desensitize" it. "Forcing" horses to do things using tack designed to create discomfort or using raw bodily intimidation + fear & pain-motivated negative reinforcement is a tragically common tradition in old-school Western riding (and still advocated by some popular TV equestrians whom I think are straight-up animal abusers... if you know you know). It's dismal, but for a lot of the cowboys I know/knew, when a horse isn't obeying, you need to "show it who's boss." Arthur never approaches animals this way. By contrast, especially for the time period, he is exceedingly patient with horses and animals in general. We can even see this in his dialogue to wild horses; when they gradually calm down after the initial "breaking in" process, Arthur usually says something companionable like, "See, we're friends now."

And a sub-point on that: Horsemanship Temperament. Arthur never gets mad at or yells at his horse. Even when he gets chucked to the ground, he'll yell DAMN, THAT HURT, and then it's back to trying to calm the spooked horse. Which is exactly the right attitude to have. (Though if you've never been hurled face-first into a pile of sun-baked manure because your horse saw, idk, a twig on the road, you might not appreciate how even-tempered a character Arthur is for never succumbing to the temptation to yell, "COME ONNNN GIVE ME A BREAK IT'S A STICK YOU SILLY BITCH!")

Horse responsiveness. The horse emotional cues in this game are incredible, from their reactions to other animals and weather events to their reactions to Arthur. You can see the horse's neck muscles tense and relax when being calmed, their eyes changing in size, their head drop and raise in response to the reins, and their annoyance seeping through with stomps and pinned ears well before they start to spook. When Arthur speaks to his horses, you can even see a subtle ear flick backwards as they listen to him. When he gives certain commands (such as a mild squeeze of the knees to speed up a bit), a calm and attentive horse will often issue an affirmative snort; this is incredibly lifelike and essentially a "roger roger" between horse and rider. I was also impressed that Arthur uses his thighs and his knees to cue his horse more than his heels. Usually you just see the dramatic heel cues in in video games, but in real life, a rider gently but firmly squeezes their knees/thighs far more often than laying into their horse with boot heels, which is a fabulous way to get sent to the moon. One thing I would have liked to see is more riderless idle horse animations. Lazy or bored horses do a very classic pose where they rest their weight on one side, cock a hip out, and jauntily kick a back hoof up. It would have been right at home at the hitching posts in RDR2, and the horses are otherwise so lifelike, I find myself missing this little pose.

Historical bits. As players, we don't have much choice with this, since Rockstar matched bits to saddles rather than letting us customize them. With that disclaimer out of the way: Arthur uses a wide range of bits, some of them much harsher than others, designed to offer more control over a difficult horse's head through pressure points within the mouth. This is historically sound and far from obsolete in modern horsemanship, though I would certainly avoid using some of the harsher bits in RDR2 on my horses to avoid hurting them accidentally. That said, it's important to note that "harsh" control bits (like those wickedly straight-shanked bits you see with some of the cooler saddle styles) aren't instantly or automatically painful. While many of us modern horsegirls may frown upon the just-for-the-hell-of-it use of many styles of old-school, Wild West bit, in the hands of an experienced horseman with a good sense of appropriate rein pressure (which we can assume Arthur is), even a curb bit should not be a tool of pain. In the hands of a novice, however, some of those bits would absolutely hurt a poor horse's mouth and are typically reserved for troublesome (potentially dangerous) animals who may need to be curtailed quickly. I'm assuming Rockstar chose them for style more than characterization... but I do wince when I see those hard stops with the straight shanks, every time.

Horsetalk. We all know Arthur baby talks horses, and that his babble to his horse increases in affection with bonding level and varies a little depending on the horse's sex. But he also does something peculiar and frankly delightful with his vocal modulation on certain horse chatter lines. In those moments where he seems to go a little vibrato, warbling his voice as he talks ("waiaiaiaiaiaiaiat! come bahahahahack!" he calls after a fleeing mustang), Arthur is actually mimicking calming/positive horse sounds (usually a friendly nicker or a greeting whinny) in an attempt to communicate in horse language. While I think a TON of horsegirls have secretly nickered at our horses when no one else is around the stable, making horse noises at your horse is not a "traditional" training technique, and imo is something other gang members would definitely make fun of him for. It is also very adorable. I wanted to add that while horses are excellent at noise commands (like whistles, clucks, kisses, etc.), they usually aren't very good at identifying spoken word commands, including their own names. Therefore, the majority of the talking Arthur does to his horse is just free companionable chatter, much like we babble to our house pets. The command is in the cluck, the leg pressure, the yah, the rein slap; it's not the spoken, "Come on, girl, here we go!" That's just Arthur being a horsegirl.

Saddle checks. If you pay close attention, in cutscenes and in the map, Arthur will occasionally reach down and test various pieces of his saddle. This is particularly true with checking the cinches (those big straps that loop behind the front legs and under the belly), which good riders often do, as saddles can adjust during a ride. Straps that are too tight or too loose will cause a horse discomfort, since they change the way the saddle rests upon them and distributes the rider's weight. You can even watch the saddle shift when Arthur mounts and dismounts, reflecting the changed distribution in weight! This honestly floored me the first time I saw it. Rockstar really consulted people who know their stuff.

Bad Habits. IMO, Arthur's a little slouch-backed in the saddle. This is noticeably worse if he's hungry or sleepy, but even well-fed and rested, his shoulders drop and curve out his spine more than is ideal. This won't hurt his horse, but it will come back to bite him directly in the lower back as he ages, and I argue it's probably biting him in the ass a little now. (More on that below.) Arthur's "behind the horse" etiquette isn't particularly lifelike. In RDR2 (as in life), sometimes idling or benignly messing around behind a horse will cause them to randomly kick, and any equestrian knows not to hang out aimlessly in the kick zone. IRL, if you're about to walk close behind a horse, it's good etiquette to reach out and gently lay a hand on a horse's hip to let them know you're going to pass behind them before you step into the kick zone. I would have liked to see an animation for this, but I'd guess this would have been a real pain to animate without "locking" Arthur in place (as with the petting and brushing animations), so I can't really count this against him in good conscience. He also holds his reins in a full fist rather than between the appropriate fingers. This is a novice mistake, but I'm guessing this is an animation choice more than a characterization one, because I can't imagine getting those wobbly rein physics to rest perfectly between a model's wee little fingers. Which brings us to...

Reins. Arthur keeps a pretty tight (though not oppressive) grip on the reins when he has a horse in motion, facilitating quick communication from rider to horse and increased emotional response from the horse, and he tends to use both reins when he isn't holding something else. This increases control and often allows for clearer communication between horse and rider in comparison to the laxer "rein knot" one-handed Western style. More on that point: Arthur sometimes holds the reins in one hand. This is not lazy horsemanship, but rather a mainstay of the Western riding tradition; holding the reins in one hand allows for a rider to keep one hand free for whatever they might need... usually rope/weapons. Using two hands, one rein in each, does deliver much more refined control (especially with a nervous or inexperienced horse), which is why you often see Arthur switch between one- and two-handed riding. Rockstar also makes the clever choice to make reins “stretchy” so they move with the neck and simulate rider give and restraint, rather than having them just flop around at a static length. This makes reining feel a lot more dynamic and responsive, in my opinion.

Bareback vs. Saddle: To Rockstar's credit, riders' carriage when bareback is entirely different from the saddle carriage animations, and displays a lower center of gravity.

This note is a bummer, but it is, I feel, an important one to know. Arthur is WAY TOO BIG to ride a significant number of horses in the game. Horses are not bikes or cars. In real life, it's extremely important to consider a rider's weight and height and general carriage when matching them with a horse, especially for long-distance rides... and unfortunately, Arthur is prohibitively huge. If I saw a man Arthur's size astride that teeny little Morgan, boots tips damn near dragging, I'd give him a piece of my damn mind. That said, it's just a video game, so if you love that white Arabian or that sweet little Morgan, ride without shame; you are not hurting a pixel horse! But if you're into max realism or a horse an experienced rider like Arthur might conceivably choose for himself, go for something larger, leggier, and stronger. Though Rockstar fictionalized their breeds a little bit, I think one of their taller well-balanced styles like the Dutch warmblood, standardbred, Hungarian, Andalusian, or even one of those svelte Americanized Belgians suits Arthur much more comfortably. Online's Kladruber would also be an excellent choice for Arthur. (Ain't nobody saying SHIT to Arthur Morgan on a heavy breed like a Shire, though they aren't well suited for everyday long-distance all-terrain riding, and I feel sympathy pains about that leg spread just thinking about it. Speaking of...)

Real talk about Arthur's "swagger": Though I'm 100% sure it's a dominance thing for some crusty ol' cowboys, most equestrians don't saunter around Like That TM because they are listening to Rod Stewart croon If You Want My Body And You Think I'm Sexy at all times. That "swagger" is just... well... to be blunt, it's sort of what happens to your gait after you spend all day with your legs straddling a big animal moving on rough terrain. Hang out with some adults who have ridden horses daily since they were wee beans and they'll tell you allllll about what it can do to your posture. Contrary to cowboy jokes, it's not so much about being bowlegged (which is massively exaggerated as it pertains to horseback riding) as it is about lowering one's center of gravity to compensate for things like muscle strain, spinal compression, and lower back pain. Due to the high impact nature of riding, many career horsepeople develop chronic back problems and "swaggers," and for some it's eventually more comfortable to ride than to walk. Not saying you can't hc an Arthur who struts his stuff, of course! Just saying that, for those of you who might struggle to reconcile Arthur's blisteringly low self-esteem in his physical appearance with his "swagger," here's a horse world answer.

Knights Templar'ing it. This is another bummer for a ton of cute fanfic scenes, but riding two-to-a saddle is really not good for a horse. It's not just about raw weight, but about the distribution of that weight and where the pressure rests on a horse's back/organs. A bean like Little Jack sitting right in Arthur's lap isn't going to add too much stress to a horse big enough to carry a tanky dude like Arthur comfortably, but a whole second adult sitting behind a saddle is a very different story. Imagine the difference between carrying someone piggyback versus having someone stand on your spine! It's all about the position. Larger breeds can tolerate riding double for a while, but it should not be done for long distances, and it definitely should not be done if a rider expects to need heavy exertion from the horse. Adults riding double doesn't happen too often in RDR2 (usually just during an emergency), so this isn't a critique of Rockstar or Arthur; it's more so a helpful realism note for fanworks. An experienced horsegirl like Arthur is sure not to ride double casually. Pro-tip: If you want someone to teach your (non-bean-sized) OC how to ride a horse, consider having the teacher controlling the horse from the ground via a lead/lunge line while your OC sits in the saddle.

Oof, that smarts... When Arthur picks up hay bales with short sleeves on/bare hands, he makes a soundless "OOF OOOH EEEE OUCH" face. The first time I saw this, I absolutely lost it with glee. Anyone who has moved hay (or straw; they're different!) with bare arms knows how prickly and scratchy and itchy it is, and it's loving little touches like this that make RDR2's horses feel so darn real.

That's all I can think of for now! I hope this list was at least somewhat helpful, even if it's far from an all-encompassing resource on horsey stuff in RDR2. Happy riding, meatverse horsegirls & virtual horsegirls, and remember to always thank your horse :)

#rdr2 #red dead redemption #arthur morgan #horsegirl gamergirl hours #long post #redmeta

[hubristicassholefight]

Swordswoman Showdown Round 3

Malenia (Elden Ring) vs Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess)

(Better here in a "preferred character" sense, not "who would win in a fight")

Propaganda below cut

Malenia

She is arguably the hardest boss in any Fromsoft game.; She is the favorited boss of Animal from the Muppets.

"Arguably" the hardest boss in any fromsoft game? You don't even know. She is OBJECTIVELY the hardest boss in any fromsoft game. On march 1st 2023, a bit more than a full year since the game's release, From Software released the stats on the amount of attempts each boss took for the players collectively. As of march 1st 2023 Malenia has killed the players 329.000.000 times. That's 10 Tarnished every second. That's almost the entire population of the United States. Malenia is also an optional boss in a secluded area hidden away from everyone. According to PlayStation trophy statistics, only 37.9% of people who ever bought the game managed to even REACH Malenia in the first place. Which means among those 329.000.000 people she has obliterated were only the most dedicated of Fromsoft fans. Only 33.3% of people even managed to beat her. That number also includes everyone who beat her with summons, which makes her significantly easier. This means out of all people who bought the game on PlayStation 4 or 5 and reached Malenia which is about 3 million people, 377.000 just fucking dropped her, they didn't even do it with summons. Difficulty aside. Malenia is also extremely pretty and has the softest lips, her Goddess form looks like a painting. She fights with elegance and style unrivalled by any boss in the game, dancing through the battlefield with deadly, fluid motions. Malenia is also 256cm or 8'4" tall. Huge woman.

post let me solo her

#malenia is 8'4“ flat chested and broad shouldered#she kills you with incredible grace and poise#trans icon#id let her Waterfowl Dance on me and Infect Me with her Scarlet Rot...

#malenia is so dedicated to the sword it mends her failing body. she lives by fighting#her strongest attack is a technique that halts the progress of her terminal illness#i can never stop thinking about that. by all means she couldve rotted into a mile of mush before the game started#but she persists!! she persists!!!

#malenia blade of 15 layers of contradictory goals and personality traits summed up in like twelve total lines of dialogue#she's a stupidly good character but shes also a woman who did horrible things in a game with a deliberately vague narrative#so everyone just enters What A Bitch / Step On Me mode with her#as they are wont to do. the lowlives.#anyway what would happen if you hated yourself and successfully became someone who can do plenty of good#and yet the only way to live on and keep doing good would be to embrace the self who causes so much pain#but there's nothing left. so you wait and you rot and you keep telling yourself that you're still the self you love#and then you have to do it again. and now your conflictual agony is over because clearly you lost yourself long ago#and you look up knowing that you're the danger you've always feared you were. and you smile#and turn john eldenring into filet in 2 seconds flat

Xena

Warrior Princess

She wields a sword and chakram. Just had to submit a biconic swordswoman.

i love her. she made me gay as a kid. Anyway, her weapon of choice is her sword, she is obviously very good with it

#unfortunately i have to choose and i have to choose xena#a) utena had no warcry. b) xena fought gods. c) xena has kickass goofy comic book combat which is my favorite

xena didn’t just fight gods. she fucked up a girl’s life so bad that she (calisto) devoted her entire being to destroying everything that xena loved that ended up with calisto becoming a god in order to destroy xena, which didnt work because xena entombed her in lava. and then when xena and gabrielle encountered calisto in the (christian) afterlife (different from the greek one which they also fought her in), calisto dragged gabrielle to hell so xena became an archangel in order to save gabrielle and then sacrificed herself in order to undo all the harm that she did in calisto’s life and then when not!jesus (played by timothy omundson) revives xena and gabrielle, calisto impregnates xena with the reincarnation of calisto’s soul in order to end the cycle of hate. xena doesnt just fight gods. she creates and destroys them

#this isnt even mentioning her fighting julius ceasar several times#telling brutus that caesar is not his friend#xena and gabrielle’s souls reincarnating across centuries in order to kick ass and fall in love all over again#or the time xena became a god but tbh that ep is kinda ‘uhhhhh…..’ even if they did hire a consultant for it

#I think everyone here knows to vote for Xena. I think a couple people here might have some propaganda for Xena saved already#everyone remember that Xena/Gabrielle is CANON and that's a pretty big deal also#(does anyone have that Xena Loves Trans People interview around because that would also make good propaganda)7:47 PM

#malenia #elden ring #xena #xena: warrior princess #poll #official #round 3 #swordswoman showdown

[the-owl-tree]

genuine question bc I haven’t read the books since. Idk a long time, why do ppl hate nightcloud so much?? I have literally only ever heard of her as an afterthought. Like she’s the third choice for crow feather bc he needed to take a mate to not be seen suspicious and just picked her, there’s no love between them, and afaik he basically forced her to raise her son by herself, not counting the moments of attention he DID give which seemed to be overwhelmingly negative and even abusive. Isn’t she allowed to be bitter and that when he’s very clear abt his apathy and even resentment toward her and her son?? Or am I missing some context

People took Crowfeather passing the blame onto Nightcloud for Breezepelt's behavior at face value, despite two arcs worth of books proving that wasn't true at all. I'd argue the writing team ALSO believed this, as with how they characterized her in the subsequent Field Guides. Immediately, Nightcloud's past actions were re-contextualized to be negative, to further push this idea that she was this old coddling bitch mom who didn't let poor Crowfeather be involved with his son (look at the language of the field guides, they genuinely wrote "she should be glad to be alive").

Crowfeather was (and in some circles still is) a pretty popular character, and a lot of people were quick to latch onto the idea that he was blameless. I can't remember if CrowPool was or wasn't a popular ship, I lean towards yes, so take this line with the knowledge my memory is fuzzy, but I'd also argue that Nightcloud being the "replacement" mate was what made people even more hostile to her.

So, what is Nightcloud actually like? I'm only going to cover scenes where Nightcloud is either mentioned or actually appears, so no Outcast, click the first link for a better look at that. I'll only cover Po3 and OoTS for now.

Nightcloud's Appearances in the Power of Three

Our first meeting with her is in The Sight, where ThunderClan intervenes when they're being chased around by a dog. Her first piece of actual dialogue is her defending Breezepaw from Crowfeather, which is not coddling, especially when given the added context in Outcast that Crowfeather is verbally abusive towards his son. She also proceeds to lecture him about his manners towards a ThunderClan cat, so, she's not the one encouraging his rude streak.

She is then absent for most of the book until the end, when during one of the contests at the Daylight Gathering, Lionpaw and Breezepaw get hurt in a collapsed tunnel incident and she understandably is quite distressed. Then Leafpool drops the "i'd give every drop of my blood for you Crowfeather" line and Nightcloud just tries to divert attention from that, understandably uncomfortable with what's being said.

One of the scenes that's commonly used as "evidence" that Nightcloud stopped Crowfeather from bonding with Breezepelt is this one:

No hissing or swatting. She just doesn't let him help, and considering we now know Crowfeather has been absent from the beginning and isn't above hitting and screaming at his kid, I think it's understandable that she arguably isn't going to stop just so he can help. But that's my interpretation, I think this scene in itself proves nothing of the sort either way and people were reaching when trying to use it as evidence.

Nightcloud's remaining appearances in The Sight is her watching over Breezepaw and Lionpaw as they recover:

That is the entirety of her appearance in The Sight. Onto Dark River! Where her first mention is Leafpool identifying her and Jaypaw sensing some jealousy from Leafpool, as the patrol is going to check in on WindClan and get information because of uh scents. you know usual warriors border bullshit. We then get Jaypaw noticing her breath, and finally him sensing jealousy from Nightcloud (that she does not act on). This is the entirety of her appearance in Dark River:

Cue Leafpool being polite to Crowfeather, and Crowfeather waving as many red flags as he possible can.

And onto the infamous Outcast! Where Nightcloud has *drumroll* one fucking appearance.

She also has one appearance in Eclipse where she's part of the patrol that attacks Lionpaw, but I'm not even going to mention it it's quite literally just him going "Nightcloud!" before the scene shifts to his and Heatherpaw's conflict. She is entirely absent in Long Shadows, there is no appearance of her beyond allegiances.

And finally in Sunrise, she is entirely absent until near the ending. She's first mentioned by Crowfeather when Jayfeather asks him if he knew the truth, then noticed at a gathering by Hollyleaf:

When the secret is revealed, Nightcloud stands with Crowfeather. No hissing or hitting or turning on him, here is the entirery of her appearance when Hollyleaf reveals everything:

This is it. This is the entirety of Nightcloud involvement in the story, she is barely mentioned and she is barely a character. Her appearances are dwarfed by Crowfeather and Breezepelt, and she is literally just a normal mom character throughout.

Nightcloud's Appearances in Omen of the Stars

Nightcloud is absent throughout the entirety of the Fourth Apprentice. She is only mentioned in the allegiances. She has one appearance in Fading Echoes:

Then there's Night Whispers, where her first appearance is her arguing with Crowfeather while Flametail goes "yikes!":

Her other appearance is the infamous grabbing scene that people latched onto as proof that Nightcloud was an abusive monster who was hurting poor Crowfeather and was forcing him to not bond with his son. Breezepelt and Lionblaze get into a border dispute and it escalates into a fight:

Leafpool intervenes and asks Crowfeather why he's not doing shit, he then proceeds to throw up multiple red flags in front of her and does the red flag dance:

We finally get Nightcloud where she comes in and pulls Crowfeather away from Leafpool. Despite using her claws, presumably because she does not have fucking THUMBS to grab onto him, no blood is drawn. She just pulls him away in an already emotionally charged and over dramatic situation. This is not comparable to Crowfeather's abuse of his son and with everything else I've presented, her grabbing him is not indicative of their relationship, ESPECIALLY given the circumstances of the action:

Her last appearance is her talking about shredding RC cats, it's not relevant but uh it's there. That the entirety of her appearances within the book.

She has no appearances in Sign of the Moon. She then has a two appearances in The Forgotten Warrior where she is hostile to Hollyleaf (which feels understandable to me considering what Hollyleaf did):

She has one onscreen appearance in The Last Hope where she defends Jayfeather from the Dark Forest attack with some other WindClan cats:

Her only other mention is Crowfeather blaming her for Breezepelt's behavior:

In canon, this never happens. We never see Nightcloud encourage Breezepelt to hate Crowfeather, but we instead see Crowfeather spending an entire book abusing Breezepaw when Nightcloud is away. This is bullshit, but the fandom took this as truth and immediately turned on Nightcloud despite no actual evidence.

There are three takeaways from this:

Crowfeather blaming Nightcloud is....false. It's false. We see no canon evidence of this, and in fact the books tell us another narrative.

Nightcloud is barely a character. She has so few actual appearances that calling her "complex" is a lie, she is a narrative tool that moreso supports Crowfeather and Breezepelt's conflict than any story of her own.

Even if Nightcloud did do all that offscreen, Crowfeather STILL abused his child and that is directly tied to Breezepelt's motivations within Omen of the Stars. Nightcloud's behavior does NOT negate the harm that Crowfeather did to his own son.

#warrior cats #nightcloud #breezepelt #crowfeather #deer rambles #stealing bonefall's essay format LOL but it's useful for organization. #anyways. i've wanteed to make this post for a while sooo ty anon for the excuse to

[daisies-daydreams]

Office Hours - Chapter 6 (Professor!Miguel O'Hara x F!College Student!Reader)

Pairing: Professor!Miguel O’Hara x F!College Student!Reader Category: Angst/Comfort Warnings: Family Issues, Implications of a Car Accident, Drinking, Swearing, Descriptions of Vomit, Reader's a bit of an asshole Word Count: 2.1k+

Summary: A part of Miguel’s past is revealed. Meanwhile, you stumble into your apartment and find support where you’d least expect it.

A/N: Still some angst in this one but I added some comfort. Next chapter will include more fluff/comfort for sure.

Ch. 5 <- -> Ch. 7

MINORS/AGELESS BLOGS DNI

One Year Earlier...

Miguel glanced up to see Gabi rehearsing her lines, her brows scrunched together in deep concentration. She’s been practicing for months now, and even though it was only a few lines of dialogue, it meant everything to her.

"You're going to do great, mija," Miguel reassured his daughter. Gabi looked up, her warm, brown eyes glowing as she smiled sheepishly.

"Do you really think so, Papá?” she beamed. Miguel's wife, Mari, gave him a gentle smile as he looked at Gabi in the rearview mirror.

"I don't think so…I know so,” he smiled confidently. Gabi giggled as she gripped her notebook. Mari and Miguel exchanged warm glances before he suddenly pumped the brakes. Everyone in the car lurched forward as Miguel threw up one of his hands, the driver in front of him suddenly stopped.

"Hijo de puta-it's like nobody knows how to drive these days," he scoffed [Son of a bitch]. Mari pinched the back of his hand, shifting her wide eyed glance between him and Gabi.

"Miguel," she whispered loudly. His lips tightened as he cleared his throat.

"Don't repeat the first part of my sentence, Gabi. ¿Tú entiendes, mija?" the large man asked [Do you understand, my daughter?]. The young girl nodded fervently.

"Sí Papá," she said as she folded her hands in her lap [Yes, Papa]. He gave a firm nod before gently pressing on the gas again. The family hummed along to Gabi's favorite soundtrack as they waited in the drop-off line. The young girl sighed as she stuffed her notebook into her bag.

“Papá…are you coming tonight?” she asked. Miguel frowned as he pulled up to the curb.

“I’ll do my best, mija,” he said with a weary grin. Gabi frowned as she tugged on her red hat.

“Okay,” she sighed. Before Miguel could reply, she already opened the door and hopped out.

"Have a great day, Gabi!" Mari smiled and waved.

"Bye Mamá! Bye Papá!” she said as she waved back.

"See you tonight, pumpkin!" Miguel called. He and Mari smiled as their daughter slipped into the crowd of children, her long ponytail swishing beneath her wool hat. They watched until she safely made it inside. Miguel immediately switched to a different playlist, his wife giggling softly.

"I'm sorry, but I can only handle so much Encanto," he sighed while shifting his car into drive. His heart leapt as Mari wrapped her hand around his and brushed her thumb over his knuckles.

"It's okay-it’s not like we've heard it at least five-thousand times," she winked. Miguel chuckled. His beloved sat back in her seat as she tapped her fingers to the beat of the song. He raised a brow when she sighed.

"What's on your mind, hermosa?" Miguel asked. Mari pursed her lips. He bit the inside of his cheek and gently squeezed her hand. "I know that look. Come on, you can tell me," Miguel said softly. His wife shifted in her seat.

"Are you really going to show up to Gabi's play tonight?" Mari asked. His smile fell as a pang reverberated inside his chest. Miguel knitted his brows together.

"What do you mean? Of course I will," he said with an uneasy voice.

"From start to finish?" she asked in a serious tone. He sighed before letting his hand slip back to the steering wheel.

"I'll do my best," Miguel replied. Mari frowned as she took another deep breath.

"Miguel...you've been 'doing your best' for a long time, and even then you rarely show up to her events," she said. He clenched his jaw.

"Mari, you know I have to work. How else am I going to afford paying for her school?" Miguel said. Mari paused.

"I know, cariño...but she misses her Papá," she said. Miguel's heart sank at his wife's words. He inhaled deeply as he gripped the steering wheel.

"And our house? I don't want Gabi growing up in a rough neighborhood," he explained. Mari nodded with a solemn expression.

"I think we make enough money between your teaching and my research," she said. Miguel sighed.

"I just...I want to make sure she has the life I always dreamed of when I was her age," he said. Mari gently rested her hand on his thigh as they pulled up to a stoplight. Miguel hesitantly glanced over, his heart softening when he saw his wife's warm expression.

"You already have…but now you need give her the life she needs. And that includes you being in the picture more often,” she said. Miguel's throat tightened as he gave a slow nod. Come to think of it, he was been more involved in his job more than any other part of his life…his family included. When was the last time he even went out with them. Miguel cleared his throat.

"I...I’ll make sure to be there for her more. Starting tonight," he said with a firm resolve. Mari beamed as she leaned over and pressed a warm kiss to his lips. Miguel sighed and smiled as he cupped her face. A sudden honk pulled them from their embrace.

"Ah, idiota," he huffed and shook his head [Idiot]. The large man chuckled as his wife pinched his arm.

"You really need to tone down on your language," she scolded playfully.

"Sí, querida," he said while batting his lashes [Yes, dear]. Mari laughed as they pulled up to the Natural Science building. Miguel unbuckled his seatbelt and captured his wife's lips in a soft kiss. She squeaked as he splayed a hand on her side, a noise he always adored. He melted into the kiss, letting his lips linger for a few more seconds before parting.

"Te amo mucho, mi paloma," Miguel smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear [I love you very much, my dove]. Mari cooed and cupped his face.

"Te amo..." he laughed as she kissed all over his face between each word. "...mucho mucho mucho mucho mucho!" Mari said before pecking his lips. Miguel chuckled and squeezed her waist. She slipped out of the car and traded places with him.

"Gabi and I will come by and pick you up since you plan on getting out on time tonight," Mari said as she buckled in. He nodded before kissing his wife on the cheek.

“Sounds great. Have a good day, cariño,” he murmured softly [honey]. Mari smiled and pecked his lips.

“Have a great day, hermoso,” she winked [handsome]. Miguel chuckled as his wife closed the door. He watched as she drove off, the red brake lights glowing in the sheet of flurries. The professor shivered before making his way inside the massive building. He knew he had a hefty load of Modules to grade and exams to oversee, but he wasn’t going to let any of that stop him from being there for Gabi tonight.

He was going to give her the life she needed.

Present Day…

“Hey…hey!” the Uber driver raised his voice. You shot up in your seat, your head throbbing as you blinked and looked around. The car hummed as you stared at the glowing doors to your dormitory. The driver impatiently drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

“That’ll be $35.89,” he droned. You wrinkled your nose.

“For a few blocks?” you asked. The driver shot you an unamused expression. You sighed as you pulled out your phone. After you paid and stepped inside the building, you felt your heart sink into the pit of your stomach. The shock was starting to fade into a sick, heavy feeling inside your chest. You took a shaky breath as you made your way down the hall.

You gripped the key to your dorm as your hands shook wildly. You jumped when a tall, lanky figure suddenly shot up from your couch right as you opened the door.

“Gwendy? That you?” Hobie groaned as he squinted his eyes. You clenched your jaw.

“Oh, great. Just what I fucking need right now!” you snapped as you slammed the door behind you. Hobie yawned and stretched his long, wiry arms above his head while you stomped into the kitchen. 

“Rough night?” he asked. You glared at him before yanking the fridge door open. You snatched a can of beer and slammed the door shut. Hobie watched with raised brows as you guzzled it down, the carbonation scratching against your dry throat. You wiped your mouth and gasped for air, the Brit still staring at you with wide eyes.

“What?!” you barked. Hobie raised his hands up as he slipped off the couch. Bitter tears pricked at the corners of your eyes as you gulped down the rest of your beer. You jumped when he appeared next to you, his thumbs hooked over his jean pockets. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Hobie asked, his voice softer than usual. Your hand squeezed the empty can as you laughed caustically. 

“Oh, yeah, like you would be any help,” you spat. Hobie’s frown deepened as tears suddenly spilled down your cheeks. Embarrassment quickly flooded into every inch of your body as you stumbled back, nearly slamming yourself against the fridge. 

“Hey, hey take it easy,” he said as he helped steady you, one hand gently resting on your hip and the other on your upper arm. He tilted his head down to meet at your eye level. “Just breathe with me, yeah?” he said. You nodded, your heart rate slowing as you slowly inhaled and exhaled with him. Hobie kept his palm on your waist as he rubbed your arm. “Feel better?” he asked. You sighed. 

“A little,” you said before nearly tripping over your feet. Hobie hooked his arms beneath yours, supporting your body with his lean frame. 

“Let’s have a seat, yeah?” he suggested. You puffed out a breath of hot air before nodding. Hobie slung one of your arms over his shoulder as he helped you over to the couch. You gagged as you fell onto one of the cushions, acid burning your esophagus. “Easy there, love,” he murmured as he rubbed your upper back. You shook as you leaned over, your head spinning as your chest was torn in the riptides of heartbreak over and over again. 

“He-he used me, Hobie,” you violently sobbed. “Used me as a stand-in for his dead wife or girlfriend or some shit,” you shivered. His hand stiffened against your spine as you choked. 

“Who used you?” he asked, his voice laced with tension. You sniffed and wiped your eyes. 

“M-Miguel,” you cried. You could hear every muscle in his body tense as he gritted his teeth. 

“That fuckin’ twat,” Hobie growled lowly. Your head shot up, eyes widening when you saw his eyebrows furrow and nostrils flare. Your bottom lip trembled before you suddenly lunged forward, wrapping your arms around his thin frame. 

“I-I was so stupid,” you hiccupped. Hobie shook his head as he gently wrapped his arms around you, his hand stroking your back as you cried onto his shoulder. “I shouldn’t have gone into it expecting that he’d feel the same way…especially since he was probably thinking of his wife while we were-” your hands gripped at the back of his ripped t-shirt as you cut yourself off. “Fucking stupid, stupid, stupid,” you scowled. 

“Oi, look at me,” Hobie drawled. You slowly pulled your head up, your eyes red and puffy as he looked down at you with a gentle frown. “Y’not stupid, y’hear me?” he said firmly. You blinked away a few more tears. 

“Yes, I am!” you sobbed. Hobie cupped his hand beneath your chin, tilting your head up to meet his gaze again. 

“No, y’not. You didn’t know a thing about what he was doin’,” he said. Your heart fluttered for a second, your mouth suddenly feeling a bit dry. Your hands found their way to his puffy wicks as you pulled his head down, crashing your lips against his. Hobie gasped quietly before gently pushing you away. 

“Hobie, please,” you begged as your hands fell to his sharp shoulders. He frowned and shook his head.  

“(Y/N), this really isn’t what you need right now. Trust me,” he said. Your face glowed with heat as you balled your fists against his sleeves. 

“Please! I-I need this-need you,” you gulped. Hobie cupped your face with his hand, his calloused thumb stroking over your cheek. 

“I’m right here, love. But I’m not going to let you repeat what he’s done to you,” he said sternly. You looked at him silently before a bitter taste filled your mouth. You frowned before you parted your lips, vomit spilling all over his shirt and pants. You coughed and sputtered as he patted your back, his expression unchanged as you emptied your stomach across his lap. You sniffed, hands still clawing at his sleeves as he sighed. 

“C’mon, love. Let’s get ourselves cleaned up,” he said. Your eyelids began to droop as you sank into the couch. The last thing you heard was your name falling from his lips before you drifted into a deep sleep. 

————

Thank you for reading! ❤️

Taglist: @maybethatfanfictionwriter @depressesoespressorat @yuhhtricki999 @sebinis-musings @lavenderbabu @tayleighuh @thedevax @famouscattale @spktrgantenk @zombieblogxx @mrswhitethornbelikov @migueloharastruelove @galaxy-dusk @samanthashadowriley @theloneshadow24 @xxkay15xx @inspace1 @manlikemilesmyguy @ghostslynx @synamonthy @oharasfilipinawife @scaleniusrm @jotarossshark @acotarobsessed @8xbygirl @blueapplesiren

Want to be a part of my taglist? Comment down below!

#miguel o'hara #miguel spiderman #miguel o’hara x reader #miguel o’hara x y/n #miguel o’hara x fem!reader #miguel o’hara x you #miguel o’hara fanfiction #miguel o’hara angst #miguel o’hara fluff #spiderman astv #astv miguel #astv #astv x reader #astv x you #astv x y/n #spider man: across the spider verse #spiderman across the spiderverse #across the spider verse #across the spiderverse #into the spider verse

[ali-r3n]

Eddie sees his girlfriend's breasts for the first time

Eddie Munson x F!Reader

Boobs, its all fluff and boobs so 18+

Based on this post and a special thank you to @zarajyne for the inspiration {Some of the dialogue was from them}

Y/N kneeled on her boyfriend’s bed, her lips attached to her beloved Metalheads. She paused their kiss so that he could pull her shirt over her head. Eddie’’s eyes bugged out of his head and he froze as he stared at her chest. 

She bit her bottom lip and crossed her arms to cover her large breasts. He blinked as he was snapped out of his daze. 

“Sweetheart, why did you hide them from me?” 

“Why did all you do is stare?” she countered.

“Because…because you are so small. I didn’t expect you to be so big.” He used his hands to enunciate the size.

She turned her face away to hide from him. 

“Sweetheart?” Eddie asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. He tilted his head to try and catch her eye. “Are you okay?”  

“Yeah,” she answered, quietly. “It’s just…do you not like them?”

“What? No, I love them.” 

Y/N blinked up at him. “You do? You don’t think they're too big?” 

“Too big?” he balked. “No! They are perfect because they are yours. Why would you think that I would think that?” 

“Because others have made some not so nice comments about them.” 

“Idiots. They wouldn’t know a nice pair of breasts if it hit them in the face.” 

She couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her at his comment. He grinned as she playfully shoved his shoulder.

“I mean it, Sweetheart. You are beautiful and so are they.” he motioned to her covered chest. “Can…can I see them again?” 

She nodded and uncrossed her arms, baring her bosom to her boyfriend’s eager eyes. 

“Jesus H. Christ,” he muttered and adjusted himself in his black jeans.

“Would you like…to touch them?” 

She could’ve sworn that Eddie had a stroke. Oh shit, I broke my boyfriend, she thought. 

“Eddie?” 

“I would be honored to touch them, Sweetheart.”

Y/N put on her best seductive face and batted her eyes at him. "Well, help yourself."

His jaw dropped. "You're killing me."

"You love it," she purred.

"Ozzy help me, I do."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eddie Munson Taglist:

@seros-bitch @eddiemunsons-girl @m-i-1-0 @lunar-flwr @winchester-angel @angelbbygrl @madnessismylover @cherrybean1116 @edwardjamesmunson @3ternalreal1ty

@meaganjm @sweetpeapod @eddiemunsonsfavbitch @fangirling-4-ever @zzokks @mattymurdocksbitch @fillechatoyante @luvbug4728 @doll-in-the-walls @ches-86 @shenevertricks1831 @urlocalhippie2029 @celestair @ruinedbythehobbit @purple-storm

@sarai-ibn-la-ahad @livslifeonline @strangerthingsstories5255 @becca-alexa @aactuaaltraash @wren-2-d

Stranger Things Taglist:

@valeriiecameron @maruushkka @rainbows-dreams @april-foolish

Stranger Things (Billy excluded) Taglist;

@sleepyhead1456

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson smut #eddie munson blurb #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #stranger things x reader #stranger things x you #stranger things x y/n #eddie munson x f!reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x female!reader

[hezuart]

YOOOO! HazbinHotel Trailer just Drop!😱 Spoilers Along with the Release date of Season 1 and 2! Let Us know your Opinion about it!😆

Some things we know:

Amazon Prime is the streaming service that took it up Season 1 will be released in January 2024

It's going to get a season 2

The voice actors still haven't been announced for some reason? The trailer has no dialogue on top of that. We see Lucifer, a lot of Alastor and Vox fighting, the weird demon-looking angel Adam, a meeting of Hell overlords discussing the angel threats, and Sir Pentious is part of the gang now. That's about it? The trailer's music reminds me of a Disney movie for kids. There are a lot of Tinkerbell chime noises and jazzy upbeat music which I don't think is fitting for what the show is trying to go for as a teen-to-adult plot regarding demons from Hell being murdered and dealing with abuse. (They have "Guess what, bitches?" on a text screen in the trailer too) So first impression is extreme overcrowding. List of characters that appear in the trailer alone: Charlie Alastor Vaggie Angel Dust Husker Niffty Sir Pentious Lucifer Lilith Vox Velvet Adam Rosie and we all know Cherri Bomb and Valentino are gonna show up too. These are way too many characters to introduce or juggle in an 8 episode season. There is no possible way to give our main characters enough screen time, focus, or development to make them meaningful protagonists. They either have to rush plots or drop character arcs to squeeze things into 8 episodes.

#really confused and surprised theres a season 2 announced when season 1 hasnt even been released yet #but it is A24 so maybe theyre more willing with their money than netflix or disney #im confused as to why it was announced as soon as the writers strike ended #because season 1 was finished and it was nothing but streaming service deals and PR team stuff happening at that point #so i dont think that is hte reason #it had to have been a streaming service deal still being refined #i just dont see anything meanful in the announcement trailer so #we'll have to wait for the official one #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel critical #im kinda sad that im not excited anymore #i waited years for this series #but after helluva boss season 2 #ive kinda learned what to expect and i dont think its gonna be any good #especially because it breaks a ton of religious lore rules #and that means the world building is gonna be a mess #watch charlie vaggie and niffty get no development #everyone is still also very very red #the thumbnail alone... who are we meant to focus on? #im so tired

[jessicashome]

thoughts after tbosas movie (severe waffling!! with spoilers)

FIRST OF ALL!!!! ik like being british vs american (panem was north america) has some pronounciation differences but ive been saying their names so differently!!!! like ive been using soft As for the Anus brothers but its actually Anus so thats crazy.

next its very different to how i imagined, obviously they cut out so much (which is making me Need to read the og hunger games) but without coryos constant dialogue, i think more people are gonna fall into sympathising with him.

everything was also just so much more larger, like in my head the snake tank was as big as a fish tank not like all the snakes she was gonna drop into the games. the arena was sorta smaller than i imagined. the beam that i pictured lamina on was metal not concrete/stone. marcus :((( obvs the watches changed to screens. the origin of rat poison is different.

THE PRONOUNCIAtion OF TIGRIS!!!! and grandmaam was so much kinder than how i imagined.

i sort of wish we saw coryos inner dialogue because i feel like its a bit confusing to new people without it.

also like why r they dealing with jabber jays (dr gaul does make a brief mention but that was such a small detail thats so easy to miss).

for me seeing it as a movie solidified how evil he is because how could he do nothing seeing sejanus up there like😭. VISUALLY seeing him have a STRAIGHT face during that was heartwrenching.

from the book, i thought casca was actually so weird for having such a grudge against him but i see why now. not exactly justified but given the way he is bringing more 'life' to the games when casca's actively trying to kill them is understandable. THE WAY SNOW KILLED HIM??? crazyyy. Snow Lands On Top

hunter schafer ATE!!!!! like the "you look just like your father" omgg after she told him that she always saw hate in his eyes. shes so good. also from what i remember in the book he didnt even like his father why does he want to be like him in the movie😭😭 wish we saw his love for his mother a bit more

the way lucy's footsteps disappear LIKE BOOK CRUMBS! or like i guess it may have been mentioned in the lyrics of the folk song when she was singing but still so cool.

THE HOBB IS MASSIVE.

aLSO i think the movie goes down the route of snow being veryyy paranoid at the end. because her voice is echoing like it does at the hobb, i doubt her actual voice and singing would sound like that from the jabber jays? so was that actually her or his paranoia making things up?? yes shes actually gone (run off) but never truly gone from his life. the way he thought he shot her😭😭😭

i personally think they did love each other but snow strayed way past that line of good. dr gauls ideologies corrupted him (well like that lie about humans at their core being evil). he had his prejudices from the beginning but there were times he was good. idk he believed he was good when he was helping lucy gray but then he also had his ulterior motives for that so it made it all muddy. he says its for her but also for the money and in the end he chooses money.

anyways coriolanus snow is a bitch!!! a handsome one but still a bitch. bro went "IM SO SORRY IM SO SORRY" like what the hell u quite literally had him killed. bitchass man 🖕🖕🖕🖕

#the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #coriolanus snow #lucy gray baird #i am haunted by what happened to lucy gray baird #tbosas #tigris snow #tbosas spoilers

[the-ravenist]

That's my wife

Steve Binder x Fem!Black!Reader

Reader and Steve are married, they share both of their last names, reader is somewhat tall, reader is a boss ass bitch, reader is implied/mentioned to be infertile, reader is female(sorry), Steve is a simp for reader, suggestive dialogue(no smut), reader wears pants, reader and Steve match accessories, and protective!Steve(I think)

The smell of cigarette smoke fills the sound room, multiple eyes focusing on Elvis on the stage below, the young man's voice blasting through the speakers. The abrupt sound of the door slamming gains the attention of people in the room, yet a pair of blue eyes stay focused on the act below. Those pairs of blue eyes belong to the amazing Steve Binder-(L/N), a great man, producer, friend, partner, and husband, yes husband.

Steve had the opportunity to work with the infamous Elvis the Pelvis Presley, to produce his Comeback film. At first, he was hesitant to accept the offer, but he could see that Elvis's career wasn't doing...well. But Bones had convinced him, there could be a possibility that old Elvis might come back.

Steve can feel a headache beginning to form, a dull pounding at the back of his head and the slight twitch in his left eyebrow gave it away. If the Conole didn't shut his yapper soon, Steve was gut him like the fat fish he was.

"Kennedys' been shot!"

That definitely broke him from his thought. The backtrack of Elvis's song continued playing through the pen-drop silence throughout the studio.

Dancers, makeup artists, hairdressers, singers, and others alike were piled in the small dressing room, the dialogue of the news lady sounding like white noise besides a couple words Kennedy, shot, and dead stick in the brains of the listeners. The decrease in volume catches the attention of the grieving, Steve stands in front of the TV eyes slightly red and glistening with tears.

"Listen I, uh, I just want to say that," a sad chuckle breaks through his lips. "This nation is hurting, it's lost you know."

A couple of nods and sniffles ring throughout the group.

"It needs a vioce right now, to help heal it," he nods towards Elvis. "You, you have to a statement EP," said man's eyes lighting up.

"Mr. Presely doesn't makes statements." Eyes snap to the colonel.

"He sings here comes Santa Claus", he walks towards Steve menacingly. "And wishes everyone merry Christmas and good night", he continues with a sharp glare on his face.

A beat of somber silence passes by, anger and frustration build up in Steve and Elvis. Steve knows that the Colonel could care less about the president's death and Elvis, he was The Snowman, after all, he was cold in all ways.

"This tragedy, a tragedy yes," fake sympathy is plastered on his face. "But it has nothing to do with us."

At that Steve had calmly stormed out of the room, Bones and Jerry following. Everyone else had walked out of the room slowly after, all going their separate ways to dressing rooms mostly or back to the stage. Steve had walked, well stomped into the sound booth, lighter lighting the cigarette in his hand.

He takes a deep inhale of the toxic smoke, holding it for a beat. He knew that he had a show to run he knew it but during this time, nobody was really in the best mental state to work. As he exhaled the smoke the phone on the best corner rang, he let it ring for two more rings before his shaky hands picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey sweets, you okay?"

At the sound of your voice, his body instantly slacked. He was glad you called, but that's not what he's worried about at the moment.

"I'm fine puff," he had called you that due to your afro, rather than a halo of curls on top of your head reminds him of a puff of smoke. I know weird comparison.

"'M just a little tired, how about you?"

" 'M not gonna lie to ya sweets," your voice shakes a little. "I'm a lil shakin' up."

Steve puts out his cigarette as he exhales the last bit of smoke. He can feel the dull pounding get a bit louder, now trust me dear reader it's not because of you I promise.

"Yeah, this...event has everyone shakin' up," a small sigh. "I wouldn't be surprised if the damn whole country stopped functioning." A small laugh was heard through the speaker.

"Honestly, I'd believe it," A huff escaped your lips. "Damn near got into a fuckin' car accident when I heard it."

"What?"

"It's nothing though, I'm fine the cars fine," you murmur softly. "And so is my fro." Steve couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

The line is silent for a moment, it's somewhat comforting in a way. "Even though neither of you is facing the other in the comfort of your shared bed, it seems as if you were standing next to one another.

"Hey, puff?"

"...yeah?"

"How do you feel about getting creative again?"

"I'm on my way."

Elvis, Bones, and Jerry are watching Steve pace in the small room. Elvis laying on the floor by the piano, Jerry lounging on the black couch on the wall, and Bones leaning on the crisp black piano watching his friend stress out.

"What's he stressin' about," questions Elvis.

"I don't know E," Jerry says eyes narrowing on the nervous man.

"He's nervous about his dames," Bones speaks up from his spot.

"Wait his girl," Elvis questions. "Why is she comin'?"

"I guess-"

Steven turns around quickly startling the men in the room. He seems calm, yet his eyes give him away; they're wider than normal.

"I'm sorry boys," a hand runs through his hair. "This might seem completely out of character of myself," and was it ever.

"Yeah, we can tell," Jerry mutters. "Why does your girl make you nervous?"

"Huh?"

"Bones had said that your girl was coming," Elvis had said from his spot on the floor.

"And we want to know why you're actin' a nervous mess," Bones continued.

"Well if I'm being honest boys," Steve reluctantly starts. "I'm worried how she would think of y'all, minus Bones."

Well, it's not like you were a judgmental person or anything like that. It's just that you're kind of intimidating in a way.

"What," Elvis says through a small laugh. "Whaddaya mean?"

"Now listen EP," Steve's is laced with seriousness. "This woman is very important to me, she's the best out there for this operation."

"So please behave," he slightly begs.

"But still be yourself, and don't say anything stupid," Bone adds.

"Don't worry my mama taught me better than to disrespect a woman," Elvis says as he sits in a crisscross position.

"Good, 'cause she'll," he takes a glance at his watch. "She'll be here any minute now."

Just as he says that the door is pushed open, with a dark brown heeled boot. And those boots are paired with brown high-waisted pants, a white turtle neck, and a pearl necklace.

"Sorry that I'm late, sweets," the woman closed the door with her heel.

"I had to speed back home to get the stuff that I thought we could use, but then I realized that I had no fuckin' scissors," she dropped the bags full of supplies on the couch next to Jerry.

"So, I had to drive to the store to get scissors, and I realized that we'd might be here a while so I bought myself a silk scarf cause why the hell not, and-"

Steve grabbed you by the shoulders and shook you a bit, to stop her rambling. She had stopped talking as she looked at Steve with wide (e/c) eyes.

"Puff, I'm glad you're here but we have company," his eyes dart to the people behind her.

"Shit," she looked at the men behind her. "Right, my bad y'all." She coughs to clear her throat. "Hello, my name is (Y/N) (L/N)-Binder, and I'll be helping y'all 'cause y'all desperately need it."

"Now excus-"

"And you, white and sideburns," you point to the boy on the floor. "You must be the big Elvis the Pelvis Presly," the boy smirks a bit. "Now I'm not a big fan of yours but I have to admit you have some hip swingn' songs." The woman demonstrates as she moves her hips a bit.

"Well thank you," Elvis trails off, not sure if what the woman had said was a compliment or not.

"It's no problem," she dismisses, she puts her attention on the entire group.

"Now what have we gotten so far hmm?"

Silence

"Have y'all at least started on a song?"

"I mean," Jerry bravely speaks up. "We sort of do," (Y/N)'s sharp (e/c) eyes are basically pinning him to the couch.

"All right let's hear it."

And then the construction begins.

"Alright, the song is done," she sighs in exhaust. " And let me tell you, y'all are by far the hardest people I've worked with."

Jerry and Elvis gawk at the confidence of the women in front of them.

"Now E," the switch from sarcasm to seriousness throws off the boys. "It's quiet obvious to anyone with an IQ of a basic human being, that your career has been nothing but a pile of flaming shit lately."

Steve chokes on a bit on the smoke of his cigarette.

"But with this song and a killer outfit by my design," you can see a child-like excitement spark in Elvis's blue eyes. "You'll bounce back in no time."

"Now," you snap loudly. "How does everyone feel about leather?"

.

.

.

"Good night boys, I'll see your show tomorrow m'kay," you say as you watch the guys leave. Leaving you and Steve in the small room.

You plop your body down on the dark green couch, body slacking once it hits the cushion. A sigh leaves your mouth and your eyes begin to close.

"God, I'm getting old. I've never been that tired in a hot minute," you mutter as you grab your head scarf from your purse.

Steve nonchalantly kneels before you, hands reaching for your boots.

"You're not getting old, you need to stop saying that," he mutters as he unzips your left boot and gently slides it off your foot, hands moving to unzip the right one.

"Oh right, I'm not getting old. I'm aging," your speech is sarcastic. Yet Steve ignores it and places your boots next to the piano.

Steve plops himself on the couch next to you as you wrap your hair with the scarf. The scarf in which looks similar to the ascot that you're husband is wearing around his neck. Once finished you wrap your leg around his waist and your arms around his neck. As if automatically, he wraps an arm around your waist and slides a hand into your back pocket.

"You know what else ages," Steve croons teasingly as he locks eyes with you. You hummed in a curious tone.

"Wine, wine ages," he leans his head forward, lips grazing yours.

"'nd you my darling puff, are some very fine wine~" His lips finally touched yours. Once your lips touch you fight back a smile as his comment registers.

"Oh, Mr. Binder you are the devil in disguise I swear," you're able to say through the onslaught of kisses you're receiving.

"If I'm the devil, you're my angel in disguise," he purrs as he continues his trek of kisses to your neck.

"Okay, now you ruined the mood," you snort as you push his head back slightly.

"Aw whaddya mean," he rests his chin on your shoulder.

"... he's so young sweets, too young."

"I know."

"He looks like a young man but has the eyes of a man who works at an office 9-5. Tired, stressed, yet yearning."

You begin to play with Steve's fingers as you begin to ramble.

"He misses his mama Stevie, he stuck to me like glue. Kept looking at me, as if he was looking for affirmation. Like a child would."

"God Stevie, why do I want someone to look at me like that again?"

Your eyes begin to water as you subconsciously rub your stomach.

Steve frowned at your sadness, he knew you wanted kids. The both of you did. The thought of having a little bundle of y'all's creation running around the house made him smile. Of course y'all have tried but when you went to a doctor the worse news has erased that dream. As an interracial couple adopting a child was harder than it looked, so in the end it was replaced with two fur babies you have at home.

Oh, Harley and June, two energy filled great danes. They're probably sleeping in your shared bed, drooling all over the sheets. The thought of them brings a small to your face.

You look at Steve's blue eyes. Oh, how you love those blue eyes. You cup his cheek, he leans into it, it makes you snort. You peck his lips, once, twice.

"Let's go home Stevie," you hop off his lap. You bend over to grab your boots and bags. Steve of course can't help but take a glance at your ass. Those pants accentuated everything. You pop right back up and turn to Steve, who still sits on the couch looking up at you. "I have to go home and sew a leather suit for a 6'2 man."

Your husband groans as he reluctantly gets up from the couch, standing in front of you.

"Do you ever rest?" His hands grip your hips as he sways them a bit.

"Yes, but only during a full moon," you tease with a smile.

"That tracks," you let out a squeak of a shock. He turns you around and carries you bridal style.

"I'll have you know that I'm working because I want to," your arms automatically curl around his neck. Steve takes the bags from your hands and puts them as far up on his arms as possible.

"Mhmm, puff y'know Harley and June don't need set after set of pajamas, he remarks as you begin to walk out of the office.

"But they're cute~."

#steve binder x reader #black!reader #black reader #steve binder x black!reader #x reader #x black!reader #x black reader #x black!fem!reader #x black fem reader #black writer #darce montgomery #darce montgomery x reader

[prettysymbiosis]

frank vs. russia

starting the episode in media res and the circular storytelling!! the writing in this episode is really good overall, just so clever and inventive and effective. go off megan

“you ARE ready. everything you need is already inside you” sunny is ready to do a gay, gay-ass love story you guys. the gays are already inside it

titling it frank vs. russia when that’s clearly the b-plot? because we’re burying the lead? because we’re telling lies???

the denny’s shirt…

“aren’t you like 60?” misogyny is so sad 😞

dennis ANYBODY can get a guy to bang them ONCE reynolds

everyone wants dennis’ help but who will help dennis? :(

when mac says “it’s VERY romantic” dennis literally smacks the counter like… yikes

“one day he will and it is going to be hot” - I choose to believe this means that rcg think old man yaoi is hot and they are excited to show it :)

sunnyblr university is producing so many brilliant scholars who understand the significance of the beads as a metaphor for queerness and whether the audience is in or out and how it doesn’t matter because the queerness is all the way in and as of this episode it’s been turned up to full blast and leads us to a resounding victory. I’m just rehashing what others have said but I wanted to make sure I include it with my notes from this episode because it really is such a central idea and yet one that can be so easily missed by someone who isn’t reading the show like this... ugh the duality of sunny will never cease to confound me

dee calling mac out like yes bitch get his ass!! (so to speak)

uncle fucking jack walks in saying “they dropped all those charges weeks ago” - playdate EW - “I don’t– I don’t have any ice cream” - “shut UP dude, that’s gross, man”

charlie is so PRECIOUS in his little outfit and glasses

is he schizophrenic? I wonder if that will come up again or if it was just a throwaway joke

violent heterosexual shushing from dennis

the backing track of the sinned system/date scene is “in the hall of the mountain king” and it’s just so fucking classic sunny and so perfect

how did mac show patrick that he needed his power? and how did he engage physically?? we need to know these things!!!

kaitlin’s whole performance in the date scene is so fucking good

“the person who made him feel powerful, but also powerless.” the macdennis of it all is truly overwhelming sometimes

 the person whose validation he’s been seeking his entire life :/

“it worked” jesus christ mac

“well yeah but listen, the dennis system is a system for getting a woman. this is a system for getting a man, and that’s why sinned is actually dennis backwards!!” when I first watched this episode I was high as balls and sick with anticipation and this whole bit nearly pushed me over the edge. I mean he basically just straight up says that it’s bad for him to like men (sin) after explaining a tried-and-true system for getting them???

and then mac and dee are like “what are the chances??” and dennis is like HIGH >:( because they don’t see it. they don’t see it even though it’s been plain as day the whole time :(

dennis: “I’m still buzzin from last night” 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

AND I HAVE TO BE WITH HIM oh baby boy I pray you will be

the nastiness in dennis’ voice when he says “well no, see, that’s the thing – johnny doesn’t love you. he doesn’t even like you.” glenn I’m scared of you

“they ARE my favorite” he wanted mac to realize :( and yes the crabs are deeply metaphorical

“yeah, because I AM johnny” “then who’s dennis?” “what do you mean?!” “well if you’re johnny, then who– who’s you?” one of the best sunny exchanges of all time!!!!!!!! I cannot overstate how much I love this dialogue. it just captures so much about them so succinctly go off megan!!!!!

“I can’t engage with you on this right now” great delivery rob, so funny

does dennis want to control frank like a pawn bc he felt like that’s what frank did to him? or he’s just frustrated at mac and wants a situation he feels in control of?

kaitlin’s “... yeah” when dennis asks if dee has more pills is just so funny I keep remembering it and laughing randomly

“we’re gonna need to turn the lights out.” GLENN I’M SCARED OF YOU

the POV Being Frank throwback! I love the tossing of the clothes and the blackness and the sound of the door, cool little sequence

charlie’s such a good cheerleader 🥹 his little point is so funny

do you ever wonder what danny devito might be doing with his career if he wasn’t pretending to be split in half by giant vibrating anal beads on it’s always sunny in philadelphia??

“you don’t have to do this” this one speaks for itself I think.

dennis and uncle jack, two sexual deviants having a laugh in the van :| (also the van situation is so classic sunny obvs)

mrs. mac saying “nice” god there are just so many hilarious little character beats in this episode

“I DON’T KNOW HOW ELSE TO TELL YOU!!!” :( what’s in the texts rcgm

macdennis fightin :)

the full-blast alarm sound effect just gets me every time like to me that is peak comedy

The Burning Heart by Survivor is kind of macdennis coded tbh… “It's a primitive clash venting years of frustrations / Bravely we hope against all hope / There is so much at stake” “Does the crowd understand?” “Though his body says ‘stop!’ his spirit cries ‘never!’ (omg) / Deep in our soul a quiet ember knows it's you against you” like sorry if this song was supposed to be for straight people but it’s not anymore

so there’s something there about what’s acceptable and going full blast. the mommy issues are now explicit. dennis is bisexual. and he chose to have a romantic and sexual relationship with mac while pretending to be someone else, to the point that mac was in love with this other version of him. and he was so mad mac didn’t realize that he actually played his hand and told him, and mac still couldn’t accept it, upsetting dennis further. wtf man these homos are INSANE

#I realize the new episode just aired so this is weird timing lol but I've had a busy week #also it's long! because I got shit to say!!! #and this was truly such a jam-packed episode like I am genuinely impressed bc we all know the writing can be hit or miss #but this one was in a league of its own man #sunny #always sunny #iasip #it's always sunny in philadelphia #s16 #s16e4 #frank vs. russia #dennis #macdennis #I'm having so much fun being crazy with all you little gay people on the internet :)

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM BATMAN *  assorted dialogue from the 1989 film

i want you to do me a favor.

i know who you are.

can you pass the salt?

why is it every time i come for you, somebody always gets in the way.

who do you trust?

are we gonna try to love each other?

i thought i was a pisces!

i like you a lot.

you know what they say?

that wasn't easy to get over, and don't think that i didn't try.

he stole my balloons!

i'm sorry, this is my cab.

i've gotta go to work.

perhaps you could try telling them the truth.

i love that tie.

listen, i was here first!

pardon me, but that's not a denial.

nice outfit!

if you gotta go, go with a smile.

i'm only laughing on the outside.

shall we dance?

what? what are you talking about?

it's an important job.

my life is really... complex.

i mean, how childish can you get?

i don't know if it's art, but i like it!

i've been dead once already.

i'm gonna need a minute or two alone.

who the hell are you?

i've recently had a tragedy in my life.

i have no wish to fill my few remaining years grieving for the loss of old friends.

they say he drinks blood.

oh, you're a visionary.

they don't make them like they used to.

you idiot! you made me!

i don't seem to be on the guest list.

you wanna get nuts? come on. let's get nuts.

i always ask that of my prey.

you killed my parents.

they're not bad people.

i thought champagne would be in order.

what are you?

will you marry me?

you look fine.

maybe we can cut a deal.

they love you a lot.

i'm not going to kill you.

i say... you're full of shit.

i'm not a bit surprised.

come on, you gruesome son of a bitch!

i just like the sound of it.

what are you laughing at?

take your camera.

i'm glad you're dead.

what do you want?

oh thank god you're alive.

hey, let's beat it.

we'll just shake hands and that'll be it.

grab it. whatever you do, don't let go.

right now, shut up.

feel free to drop in.

i'm going to kill you!

i don't like it up here.

oh, i got a live one here!

as you can see, i'm a lot happier.

now that's good work!

you know why they're so odd?

will you buy me lunch?

i didn't ask.

i like them already.

i couldn't find my socks without them.

you wouldn't hit a guy with glasses on, would you?

if you could see inside, i'm really crying.

you must be joking.

nobody wants a war.

you can quote me on that.

i've got to get you to the church on time.

if anyone else calls you beast, i'll rip their lungs out.

where does he get those wonderful toys?

don't kill me! don't kill me!

how do you know?

is that what you heard?

well, i'm in trouble now.

i love a good party.

let's broaden our minds.

what a dick.

i'd say we break into the place, trash the office, and make off with the records and say it was industrial espionage.

i make art until someone dies.

this house and all this stuff really doesn't seem like you at all.

honey, you'll never believe what happened to me today.

wait 'til they get a load of me.

can we get somebody else to do this?

what if we say no?

you say such beautiful things.

the pen is truly mightier than the sword.

some people say the same thing about you.

i mean, let's face it. you're not exactly normal, are you?

do i look like i'm joking?

you must be insane.

i'm reading your stuff.

i'm no picasso, but do you like it?

so what brings you here?

life's been good to me.

stop the press! who is that?

shut up and listen!

don't flatter yourself.

haven't you ever heard of the healing power of laughter?

i want you to tell all your friends about me.

it's time to retire!

brought you a little snack.

#rp starters #rp memes #rp prompt #rp meme #rp musings #roleplay memes #roleplay prompt #roleplay meme #writing prompt #askbox meme #ask memes #ask meme #rp asks #inbox prompts #inbox prompt #rp inbox meme #sentence starter #sentence starters #sentence starter prompt #batman #mcflymemes #movies

[naivesilver]

@lizardthelizard please forgive the unorthodox method of response, but Tumblr was, as we tend to say, a fucking bitch - also, I'm sorry, this might be the little shit in me, but my first reaction upon seeing this request was "why not both?" ashkdhaljskfhlkjaf 💗

Kid/Parent Dialogue Prompts

6. "How did you grow up so fast? Yesterday you were still my little baby..."

(Related, of course, to my very self indulgent EAH Uncle Wick AU 😊)

"Uuuuh, guys?" Cedar ventures, unsure of who exactly she has to address at this point. "Why can't anyone tell me where we're going? Is it another secret dance? Because it's going to be fairy hard for me to spoil the secret, if I'm already going down there with you."

She hears repressed giggles around her, which confuse her even more. "Nothing like that, I promise," Raven replies from somewhere to her left - the blindfold makes it hard to pinpoint the exact spot, but Cedar can feel her friend holding tight onto her hand, warm and familiar. "Just a little surprise."

Cedar's plenty used to surprises - learning things at the very last minute is pretty much the norm, when you can't help but blurt them out otherwise - but they don't often focus on her, in truth. She doesn't think Raven, Maddie and Cerise would lead her astray just for a laugh, and it's not like they can go very far; the chaos surrounding them can only belong to the Book End village, as familiar as it can be grating. She should be safe from nasty tricks, strictly speaking.

Still, none of that is enough to make her relax completely. "Alright, but where are we going? I feel like I'm walking my feet to splinters."

"We're here!" Maddie announces cheerfully. "Are you ready?"

Cedar is, in fact, very far from ready, but she only manages an unconvinced mumble before she is made to stop abruptly and the scarf is pulled from around her head. Her eyes don't need time adjusting to the sudden bright light as much as real ones would, but she's still so taken aback that for a moment all she can do is look up in confusion at the area around them, the clear sky and the top of the Mad Hatter's Tea Shoppe.

Then a man's voice says, "What, no warm welcome for me?"

Cedar gasps, glancing down in a second - though not much further down, it has to be said. There is a fairy familiar figure standing in front of the Tea Shoppe, tall and slim and grinning broadly at her, though he has his hands buried deeply in his coat pockets, as if he were pretending not to be all that invested in her reaction.

There is a beat of shocked silence; then Cedar throws herself at him, shrieking in joy as Lampwick drops the facade and wraps his arms around her, lifting her up as though she weighed nothing. "Uncle Wick, how- What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in forever after!"

"That's exactly why I'm here, sprout. Didn't get a chance to say goodbye when you left for school, so since I had some business in the area I thought I'd swing by... And I asked your friends to help me set this nice meeting up, to see tha' sweet shocked face of yours."

He presses a kiss to her cheek that makes her snicker, before putting her down with an exaggerated huff. "How did you get so big in so little time is beyond me- I coulda sworn you were just a green bud last week, and now you're almost as tall as me."

"That's never going to happen, Uncle Wick." Undeterred, Cedar clings to him like a lifeline, though she turns to smile gratefully at her friends, who are standing a few feet away to give them space. Maddie looks fit to burst with excitement, and Cerise seems pleased under the brim of her hood, but it's Raven that appears the most self-satisfied, regarding them with a proud smirk and her arms crossed against her chest.

And she has every right to act so, Cedar thinks. There's a good chance this might be the best weekend she's had since the beginning of the school years - she always knows exactly when and where she might see her father and grandfather, but Uncle Wick is as slippery as an eel, here one day, gone the next. To have him on hand like this, so unexpectedly... It beats every encounter she made on Yester Day, that's for sure.

"Still, we gotta water your roots some, kiddo." He ruffles her curls with fond cheekiness, then makes a broad gesture that encompasses them all and the building behind them.

"Let's go, girls. Tea's on me for everyone- let's see if the old Hatter is still as good as I remember, shall we?"

#lizardthelizard #ask meme #fanfic #ever after high #eah #cedar wood #pinocchio #lampwickcore #if you saw the first version of this prompt fill - no you didn't LMAO #also my apologies to the person on here I thanked for giving me an idea for this au #it's been ages and I still haven't written that BUT I WILL I PROMISE #you were very helpful

[vashtijoy]

I am so sorry if I missed it somewhere but is it confirmed that Akechi killed Wakaba? It is heavily implied but I am curious if you translated the moment when Akechi and Shido mention Wakaba?

And the second question: Is there something interesting in Feather Seeker?

Thank you in advance!!

Hi, anon, I'm so glad you asked as this one has been on my mind a lot lately. I think this is long enough without me getting into Featherman Seeker, lmao, but if you want to drop me another ask about it, I'll hopefully get to it soon.

To answer your question up front: yes, it is pretty much confirmed that Akechi kills Wakaba. Here's Sae, interrogating Joker about Kaneshiro:

Sae 若葉の死は2年前⋯『あれ』が起き始めた時期とも一致する⋯ wakaba no shi wa ninenmae... "are" ga okihajimeta jiki to mo icchi suru... Wakaba's death was two years ago... That also coincides with when the incidents started occurring...

IIRC this is the line that the idea that Wakaba was the first person Akechi murdered comes from. It's not explicit that she was the first victim—in this line, Sae has only just realised Wakaba didn't kill herself—but if she wasn't, she may very well have been the first to immediately die.

What gives far more credit to the idea that a. Wakaba was the first person Akechi killed, and b. that he feels bad about it to this day, are the various mentions of her that he sprinkles through his dialogue. And that's what the rest of this post will largely be about—though page down to see more about the Shido scene you asked about.

akechi and wakaba

Akechi mentions Wakaba by name several times. I talked recently about how Akechi's use of ellipsis can be important, how it sometimes indicates something deeper going on—surprise, or shock, or a hidden emotion. Or that he's just taking his time—sometimes an ellipsis is just a pause for effect, and Akechi does use them a lot.

But ALL FIVE of Akechi's mentions of Wakaba by name—two in the first year, and three in the third semester—have an ellipsis. They have that pause that indicates he's for some reason thinking more about what he's saying.

Let's take them one by one.

8/28 in leblanc

NB (2023/05/21): putting a quick note here to say that I'm pretty sure now that the mention of Wakaba on 8/28 is not out of surprise, he's prepared for it and intending to mention her all along. So he doesn't open up until Joker and Futaba ask him (without words) what's wrong. At some point I'll rewrite this whole section (hopefully), but for now see below! for the continued WAKABA ANGST.

This one is pretty easy to cover: Sojiro cuts him off as soon as he mentions Wakaba. I don't know about this scene. I never know how much he's genuinely surprised, how much he doesn't expect to see Futaba out of the house, how much he's just being a bitch, prodding and poking because he can, to get a response, like he does.

The interesting thing is that, of course, seeing Futaba segues into his notorious "trauma dump"—he ends up telling Joker and Futaba about his childhood, about how he was an orphan passed from place to place. Did he walk in intending to do that? I very much doubt it. And one more thing before we move on:

... they ask him what's bothering him. They look at him like "? dude sup". The trauma dump is not as unprovoked as it seems.

And there's no sign that he connects with Joker over it—of course—but you know who he does connect with?

Yep. Futaba sees the similarity between his story and her own. And it looks like Akechi sees the similarities too. That suggests IMO that his background is not dissimilar to hers—that, as the anime suggests, he was fostered by a succession of family members who neglected and probably abused him, as Futaba's story describes.

... and we get another ellipsis. Just a pause as he reaches for her name, perfectly innocuous. Except he knows her name; he's been talking to Sae about her.

I don't know. This is an incredibly hard scene to read. He has that performatively-sad cut-in that I don't trust at all, for a start; he could be being purely malicious, or sharing more than he intends; he could be genuinely shocked to see Futaba, or fascinated to see one of his living victims face-to-face. Or the whole thing could be a performance for Joker's benefit. It's an interesting scene, that's for sure.

shido and akechi

This is the scene you asked about, of course. Strap in. Shido talks about pulling the plug on cognitive psience, Akechi touches his chin and leans back, and he says this:

Akechi 一色若葉⋯でしたっけ? あの研究者。素直に従えば、死ぬことはなかったのに。 isshiki wakaba... deshita kke? ano kenkyuusha. sunao ni shitagaeba, shinu koto wa nakatta no ni.  ...Wakaba Isshiki, was it? That researcher. She wouldn't have had to die if she just complied. It was ... Wakaba Isshiki, yes? That researcher? If only she'd been more amenable, she might have lived.

This is pretty well translated in the localisation. Some notes:

We have that kke—Akechi is not saying "do you mean Wakaba Isshiki, Shido-san", in case you were wondering, he's saying "am I remembering right that her name was Wakaba Isshiki".

sunao ni shitagaeba—literally, "if she could have meekly obeyed", but in English, unless we want to sound like murderous psychopaths (cough), we say "if she could have complied; if she could have been amenable".

Lastly, we have that no ni, at the end, which gives the statement a sense of regret, which turns that "if she could have complied" into "if only she could have complied". "She might not have died; what a shame". In the Japanese audio (and for all I know btw, this happens in the English audio too), Akechi's tone and manner change on this line, from sinister and self-satisfied to something slower and more preoccupied. On his next couple of lines, his speed and smuggery progressively pick back up.

Here's the scene—it's fascinating to listen to his voice shift, especially to how dark it gets when he tells Shido how he agrees with his ideology and supports him politically. (lol) Plus, watch out for the evil wink, as he mocks his public image.

This should be "celebrity ace detective", by the way—while karisuma does mean "charisma", a karisuma is a person, a celebrity. It's often translated correctly in P5, just not here.

ok but back to wakaba

So what's going on here as regards Wakaba? First of all, Akechi does remember her—he's been talking about her with Sae since at least July. Shido knows Akechi murdered Wakaba—that's not the point. Shido knows Akechi is pretending to investigate the shutdowns and breakdowns—so the mere fact that Akechi knows her name is not the point either.

No, what's going on here is that Akechi doesn't want Shido to know he thinks about Wakaba. That, after two years, he still has her name at his fingertips. And so we get exactly the same style of pause as in the Leblanc scene with Futaba, when he pauses for just a moment to act like he doesn't properly know her name. We get that moment when his voice shows that he's feeling something and concealing it beneath his mask.

That's a pause that implies remorse or guilt, IMO. The mask he shows Shido is essentially Cognitive Akechi—gleeful, remorseless, sadistic, relentless. Make no mistake, there's a lot of Akechi in it, like there's a lot of him, despite what he'd like to think, in the detective prince. There's a lot of how Akechi aspires to be in his mask for Shido, and a lot of what he truly values about himself. But it is still a mask. And one of the things it's hiding is that Akechi still thinks more about Wakaba than he wants Shido to know.

This, IMO, is what implies that Wakaba was his first murder—this odd little moment where he has to pretend he doesn't properly remember her.

the third semester

The third semester is where it all gets a little more complicated. Akechi mentions Wakaba three times here; the most emotion he shows is when he first sees her. And the likelihood is strong that anything he feels about her is overshadowed by his own predicament—namely, being dead.

First of all, here's that moment when he first sees her. And you can see him understand: he looks at her for a long moment, then he touches his chin and has one of his "...... putting-it-all-together" thinky moments:

... and then he puts on his bright smile and the detective prince voice to get Joker outside. That's to say: he comes in without his customary pleasant-boy mask, sees Wakaba, and then drops straight back behind it—when he must have known there were others present on the way in. Like he needs a heavier mask to make sure he doesn't fuck up. Or to hide something.

Let's look at those three times Akechi mentions Wakaba, one by one:

1/2 in the launderette

The only thing I'd pick at in the localisation of this little exchange is the missing ellipsis on the last line, so let's take the rest of it straight:

Akechi: But, what's even more unbelievable to me is... Joker: Wakaba. Akechi: That's right.

Akechi ⋯一色若葉。 ... isshiki wakaba Wakaba Isshiki. ... Wakaba Isshiki.

Here's the scene. All we really have for his Wakaba textbox is the ellipsis, but listen to the first one—"what's even more unbelievable to me is...", and compare his tone to the preceding lines where he's been all business and matter-of-fact. Do you hear his voice thinning? It's by far the most unsettled he sounds all scene; Wakaba's presence is difficult for him.

And it's not his own death that's in question. If you ask him "how are you alive", he'll deal with it then—he looks away with the sad sprite, but then picks himself up fast. Even his model looks away, which is a bit of a tell—but as for traces in his voice of what's really happening, no, there are none.

1/8 at leblanc

There are no interesting vocal tricks here—a week later, Akechi is well on top of the reality around him and his own situation. And he doesn't like it—this is the "it makes me want to puke / I'll be the one to choose my path" phone call. It's only at the end of the call that some emotion creeps in, as he asks what's happening with the other Phantom Thieves, and if Joker is still on course.

Let's take a look at the original first line:

Akechi 死んだはずの若葉や奥村⋯彼女らは本当に『生きている』ことになってる。 shinda hazu no wakaba ya okumura... kanojora wa hontou ni "ikiteiru" koto ni natteru It seems that Okumura and Wakaba are both considered alive by all accounts.

I'm not sure what's going on with the noun order here, on wakaba ya okumura—it's been rendered "Okumura and Wakaba". I can't track down a reason this would be grammatically necessary (anyone know?); more than that, Akechi clearly considers Wakaba the more important of the two—he goes on to group them with kanojora, "her and her group".

There's possibly a bit of foreshadowing here, too—lists with ya tend to be incomplete lists; they have a sense of "et cetera". So wakaba ya okumura is "Wakaba, Okumura and so on". Who's Akechi's unnamed "and so on"? Yeah. But see below on 2/2—he may well just mean "no doubt there are lots of other cases like this".

So that's probably the real reason he trails off here—it's not about Wakaba, it's about him. Likewise, when that bit of feeling creeps into his voice at the end of the call, that's still about him, and whether Joker is going to follow through. But Akechi is still thinking primarily about Wakaba, rather than Okumura, who was, by all accounts, an asshole almost as bad as Shido.

2/2 at leblanc

Akechi 一色若葉や奥村のこともある⋯そこに違和感を覚えないほど、僕は馬鹿じゃないさ。 isshiki wakaba ya okumura no koto mo aru... soko ni iwakan o mienai hodo, boku wa baka ja nai sa There were also the cases of Wakaba Isshiki and President Okumura... Of course I'd find all of that suspicious. And then there was Wakaba Isshiki, and Okumura... I'm not so stupid as to not find their presence unsettling.

Man, once again Okumura has been promoted by the localisation. Someone really likes this guy. Akechi says isshiki wakaba ya okumura—the same usage as before, despite that he's been outed as dead—"Wakaba Isshiki and Okumura". But in English, Okumura is suddenly President Okumura, presumably so we don't mix him up with Haru. Make no mistake, though, Akechi is not giving Okumura the benefit of his title.

Wakaba is up front again, of course, coming to Akechi's mind first. Maybe because if he just said "Isshiki and Okumura", we wouldn't know who he was talking about?—even in Japanese, Wakaba always gets her full or given name. Maybe so. Or maybe not.

Also note the very Akechi usage boku wa baka ja nai sa—"I'm not that much of an idiot, you know." This is rolled into the rather more bland "Of course I'd find that suspicious", probably to fit it into the textbox.

And yeah, the ellipsis. That pause, and the word Akechi uses that's rendered as "suspicious"—iwakan. Not a detective's suspicion, but unease; a sense of incongruity, of wrongness, almost uncanny valley. It's the unsettling feeling that something is out-of-place. The sentiment "I killed them, and yet there they are, walking about" is very iwakan.

conclusions??

yes, Akechi certainly kills Wakaba.

yes, the exposition sequence with Akechi and Shido supports this.

... yeah, it really seems like he feels bad about it. Not bad enough to overshadow his concern for himself, perhaps, and never badly enough to get in the way of his current obsession, of course. But he's not wholly without conscience. He still thinks about her, and there are slight suggestions he might even think about what he does to Futaba—like when he sees her, and thinks of Wakaba, and promptly trauma dumps all over the Leblanc counter. Like when his voice gets a bit softer when she comes up.

also the localisation loves Okumura way too much

#persona 5 #p5 meta #japanese language #i hate the marukiverse #goro akechi #ren amamiya #wakaba isshiki #asks

[jiminiesfavouritecolourisblue]

Hi, dear Blue, I saw your post and Rushed over! Coincidentally I reread the first three chapters of the CEO series before work today because it is a masterpiece! So I have fresh thoughts on them rn. Hope this helps motivate you even a little🥰💜

Chapter 1: Complaint

Ah the first part of what has become an Absolute Masterpiece!

From the first chapter I was hooked, obsessed, and addicted. This particular part was what really got me excited for the series-

“Did you get hurt, angel?” Jimin says softly. Tears definitely start to well up in your eyes as you look towards him. Taehyung let’s go of your chin to caress your cheek as a tear drops and he wipes it away. Namjoon’s eyes darken, they know for absolute fact you could do no wrong but unless they wanted HR to come visit they needed to resolve this in house. He knew that bitch was lying through her teeth about their favourite girl, but they needed you to tell them what actually happened so they could get rid of her without any mess. “We can’t help you baby girl if you don’t tell us,” he says, hoping it would elicit something out of you.“You guys are the problem,” you say through a sob, and your arms come to cover your face as more tears shed down your face. Their hearts sink at your words, Taehyung frowns at you, his dark eyes disappearing to look at you with sadness.

I've reread this one more times than I care to admit lol including thrice just today. One thing I noticed immediately and really loved was that you were careful to mention everyone, even if they didn't get a ton of dialogue you made sure to mention their thoughts or actions.

Chapter 2: Mediation

Aka Jimin's chapter. You know an author understands how to write Jimin when I can literally hear Filter in my mind while reading his parts. Our Blue is truly amazing🤩💜💜💜

All of the boys feel thoughtfully written as well. Jin who's calm and gentle but we all know he's just as if not more dangerous than the rest, Joon is the epitome of calm before the storm as well as the storm itself, you do NOT want to be on his bad side, Yoongi ever done with everyone's sh*t and probably wants to fire the rest of the building on the daily, except for Y/N of course who brings out his secret not so little soft side and the cutestgummy smile known to man, our Sunshine Hobi whose dark side is just as scary as his bright side is cheerful,,,, mad Hobi is honestly so attractive though,,,, and I love watching the Maknaes be petty towards Suran (or anyone really lol) and protective and clingy with Y/N🥰😂

Chapter 3: Resolution

The Dinner Date! It was such a cute chapter, short and sweet and has me grinning like a schoolgirl with a crush everytime I read it. Once again you go above and beyond making sure all the boys get a fair amount of attention while still making Y/N feel like the main character. I love being able to watch the character grow and really related with the anxious self thought in the first part of the chapter. Oh to have seven boyfriends to boost my self-worth at any time😍 Y/N is definitely living the dream right now.

P.S. Sorry this ended up so long hehe my bad.

💜

Why are you apologising 😭 this was exactly what I needed 💜🥺 I have a really hard time balancing the characters and the storylines but at the heart of all my stories I think the characters are central and I forget that sometimes 🙃 I also always forget about chapter 2 and 3 🤣 and then when I reread to check continuity I’m like … I wrote this? When? 🤦🏽‍♀️

Lovely you are literally such an angel, and I’m keeping you forever; genuinely if you leave me I’ll riot and go on strike 😤 no pressure 😁

I’m so determined to finish the next chapter today, I’ve got one more scene to write and then it needs editing

#THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS WERE SOFT I NEED TO BRING BACK THE SOFTNESS #ceo au ask #my favourite people in my ask box makes my week #especially when they write essays about something I’ve written #😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 excuse me while I go cry #screenshot this and Imma put it in my motivation album #archive

[eastwardbound]

Hey guys so umm on my 21st (?) day in octopia and just got to the part where Izzy and Alva are introduced and there were just SO MANY good things about it so yeah. Here are my pointless observations I made while playing ☺️

• okay so first of all Alva and Isabel making their entrance not by train like normal people, but by CRASHING INTO JOHN AND SAMS HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. I just love this, it’s so chaotic and perfect- Isabel and Alva being like “WERE SOO SORRY WE WILL MAKE IT UP TO YOU 🙏🙏”, Sam being like “WHY TF IS THERE A UFO IN MY HOUSE ?????” And John just standing there like “😀 who are you”

• Alva casually dropping that she hasn’t eaten all day once John offers to cook like girl me too 😭

• I WAS RIGHT!!!! I PREDICTED IT ALVA GAVE SAM HER SHOES OH MY GODDD

AND SAM SAYS THE EXACT SAME DIALOGUE AS SHE DOES IN THE GAME YALL I ACTUALLY STARTED SQUEALING AND KICKING MY FEET UUGHHH <33

• THIS. SCENE.

It’s just so perfect. Like I love how it’s after this really chaotic and funny scene with Alva and Izzy, cause this part is more calming and you can just see how they really GET each other. Like Alva didn’t even have to finish trying to say that she wanted to move to octopia, Izzy just immediately understood her.

And like those last lines Izzy says to Alva when she’s already asleep…. Like they just got introduced and you can already tell how much they care about each other and I think that’s so perfect for octopia because it’s a universe without the miasma, apocalypse, or any of the sad things that happen in eastward, so this is the PERFECT time to have more wholesome bonding moments like this one.

• Human Daniel is so salty and passive aggressive to almost anyone who isn’t robo Daniel or William and I think that’s SO FUNNY 😭🙏

Like if you go to the shop when robo Daniel is working it he says “we sell only the highest quality goods !” But of human Daniel is running the shop, he’s straight up says “it might not be the cheapest, but it’s not like you have any other options.” LIKE. DANIEL 😭😭😭😭

Also this:

I know he gets that from William ✋

• ALVA AND LEE ARE CANONICALLY SIBLINGS OMG.

Don’t have screenshots on my phone but that one guy (forgot his name lmao) says that Alva is looking for her big bro or smth like that, and mung says “just don’t go gambling like that brother of yours” And THEN Silva says later “I didn’t know she and Lee were related” BITCH ME EITHER WHAT????????

In eastward I just thought they were like childhood friends and had grown up together, BUT SIBLINGS???? THIS IS EVERYTHING IVE EVER WANTED IN LIFE <333

(Or maybe they’re not actually related and they just call each other brother and sister idk either way I LOVE IT UGHHHH)

• Alva and mung already knew each other before octopia apparently??? I mean from the way they were taking they definitely weren’t like meeting for the first time there and already knew each other, Alva also says stuff like “Mung has always been like this”. Anyways the way she talks about him and the way they interact reminds me of Alva and Lee which is cute

OKAY THATS ALL I CAN THINK OF FOR RIGHT NOW…. What do y’all think of all the characters so far??? I definitely think octopia is doing them justice ☺️

#eastward octopia #eastward #john eastward #sam eastward #alva eastward #isabel eastward #lee eastward