#he didn't jump off a cliff for you to write him so out of character

[puckishpuppeteer]

I hate that trope in fanfics when Will either doesn't understand the way Hannibal talks or is sick of his metaphors.

Because that man delighted in that shit. That was their way of flirting. It's not only the murders and cannibalism, it's also the way neither of them could talk about anything normally.

Everyone needs to stop dumbing down Will Graham, because my man could and would talk circles around any of you.

[ci0zi0]

INANIMATE INSANITY S2 18 SPOILERS

A ramble time

Okay so.. the beginning scene of the episode where the karma song played..

Mephone4's mental state is shattered, and he's thinking back to the past. The previous seasons, the contestants he had made..

But the scene that made me think the most was where he took the auditions.

This is Mephone4's thought process and mental state, this entire scene.

Right here, Mephone4 is drowning in his guilt and mistakes. A happy little idea, just forming into something horrible and corrupt. Ruining the mentalities of so many people around him.

The guilt is overwhelming.

The way certain people's expressions shift (Paintbrush starts angry and shifts to a more saddened expression as they pass)

And the change of expressions from joy to overall despair when they pass HIM.

The fact he can visualize how the contestants would appear upset at him is.. agh..

This is all conjured by him, since not everyone had such a reaction like this. He wasn't even there to them in person. (Most of the Bright Lights didn't even learn the truth until later in the episode - Test Tube, Fan, Lightbulb; yet we see them raging at Mephone4 all the same.)

He really does know his creations, and knows how rightfully upset they should be toward him.

This scene especially made me go agghh...

Lightbulb and Tissues specifically.

Lightbulb is the most angry we have ever seen her. She's been saddened in episode 15, but not to this degree.

Mephone is literally visualizing her to being this upset. The most cheery, happy contestant in the game.

Knowing all the contestants are in a way Mephone4's ways to escapism, fun ideas to run away.. Lightbulb being the one here to look so tired and angry is so out of her nature.

Mephone4 literally cannot invision anyone happy with him, not even the most cheery goofy character.

The depiction of Lightbulb really shows how dark and depressing the loss of everyone is to Mephone4. There's no bright light here.

She's even angry in the story board. Meaning this was intentional.

As for Tissues, his face isn't even shown in this scene. It's as if he's avoiding Mephone4, looking away from him and not giving him a glance.

Mephone4 knew he messed up the most with Tissues. A silly idea!! It ruined a person.

Can't even dare look at Tissues in this scene or imagine his face.

Because you know if Tissues was given a face, it'd be the most pained.

Lastly there's the words in the back. The traits he had given his creations. HIS hand writing.

In a way... I feel like these traits can also be described to Mephone4. As creations can be an extention to yourself.

Then there's this moment where Mephone4 falls off Crappy Cliff. This scene is so symbolic honestly.

He's usually the one telling the contestants to jump off, and now he's the one falling. The contestants look down on him as he falls, shadows obscuring them.

He made them fall so deep into despair and into the fakeness of the reality show.. and now their faces are gone. They're gone.

Hes alone.

And all he can do in that moment is think about all the wrong hes done to these people he created.

Everything that led up to this. How he kept running from his problems and caused so many people to just die to his abuser. All because he wanted to escape.

And because he wasn't vocal and honest.

He could've been better than Cobs. But was he really?

The pain, disbelief and shock in Mephone4 just... speaks millions. And with the scene of all the contestants yelling at him... angry at him...

This phone deserved that hug from Mephone3gs.

God.

[aki-bara]

A YouTube comment I typed out to try and help someone understand Sanji's character a bit better:

I almost left this comment on your last video, but didn't because I didn't want to be "that guy." I'm only leaving it now because I believe you will genuinely be able enjoy the show more if you understand something about Sanji's character.

Sanji is a closeted character.

Not (necessarily) in the homosexual context, though many have (and will) argue that point. What Sanji is "hiding" is a self perceived flaw in his own character-- a feeling of not being good enough, and particularly of not being masculine enough.

Sanji grew up around a lot of toxic masculinity and was constantly belittled for not being like them. He hates men because of this, but as a result also desires approval. There's a certain amount of self-preservation in it too, an idea that if he tries hard enough to "fake it" he can get by without being "seen" for what he is.

I do NOT think this excuses any of his perverted behavior.

However, what I think you and many others may have missed is how much of Sanji is just a front. He IS the man behind the curtain. He is literally ALL talk.

I cannot say this with 100% certainty as I've been reading the manga over the course of many many years, but I believe that in the comic Sanji has never once touched a woman without her consent. He does not hesitate to go on at length about how beautiful he thinks women are, but he still respects women as people.

Sometimes Toei (the animation company) make him act like more of a perv because they think it's funny. I do not fault you for finding this annoying. It makes the anime basically unwatchable to me personally, but Sanji as Oda writes him genuinely is and wants to be a gentleman.

He genuinely believes that women are better than men, and therefore thinks its only "proper" that he act as their servant. He also believes that all men are inherently dog shit. His issue with Zoro can be boiled down to "he's a masculine guy" and masculine men are threats to Sanji's well being. Zoro mostly fights back because Sanji is annoying about it.

Many people (for multiple reasons) believe Sanji actually genuinely wants to be a woman, and thus view his hatred of men as an extension of his own self-hatred and his admiration for women's bodies as an expression of that desire. Again, IF true this would not excuse his behavior, but in no way is his "perversion" born from a desire to CONTROL.

Sanji would absolutely never ever do what Hogback has done to Cindry. If a woman rejected Sanji, he'd think-

Of course she would reject me, for I am a disgusting pig/man/pervert and she is a lady. This is the natural state of things.

-and continue to fulfill her every desire. And if her desire was for him to jump off a cliff? HE WOULD DO IT.

He doesn't "serve" women because he wants something from them, he genuinely thinks women just deserve to be served.

So please, if you can, look at Sanji's actions and not at his words. Keep in mind who it is he says these things to. This is not a command! You can have whatever opinion of Sanji you like, I just think you'll like the show more if you can keep this idea in mind.

[dontbelasagnax]

MISSION SUCCESS MUHAHAH I'd take any of the prompts from you really, so how about 21? Wildcard! Dealers choice! My only request is that it's in-universe 😚

(if you can't decide then maybe bloody kiss? I did once say that you writing angst would be the ultimate win for me)

Alright!! I've finally finished this first prompt!! Both of you, @lightasthesun and anon, wanted bloody kiss so here we are. Ann, since you wanted angst, I believe I am delivering that. However. You must know I'm not an angst person so I cried three times while writing this despite knowing it has a happy ending. You will pay somehow.

Pairing: CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 1,851

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Major Character Injury, First Kiss, Getting Together, Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary:

All things considered, Cody probably should have seen it coming.

[ OR: Cody gets shot off a cliff. This is obviously quite dire. If he's got one chance left to kiss Obi-Wan, he'll take it. ]

(fic under the cut if you wish to read here on tumblr)

All things considered, Cody probably should've seen it coming.

He didn't.

There was a moment, just one, where he looked over his shoulder at his General and their troops. It was oddly peaceful, trudging forward together. He had a passing thought that moments like that were rare.

He was on a cliff. And then he wasn't.

Somewhere amidst the blast, the rush of blood in his ears, the icy lurch of his stomach, and a panicked thought that he really should've worn his jetpack, he heard a shout.

It might have been his own voice. He couldn't be sure.

The fall was rough. His body seemed to find every jutting rock off the side of the cliff to bounce off of. He says bounce. The gravity on this planet is stronger than most. It was more of a solid collision straight down with the weight of his body rolling him off every surface he met until he fell straight through air to what he thinks is the ground.

He blinks rapidly, spots of black dancing across his vision. Breaths come out shallow and laboured and- is it silent? Where's the sound? Is it- there's a high pitched ringing and-

"-ody! Cody!"

The spotty sky is cut by blurs of Obi-Wan. There are lines down- oh. His visor must be shattered. Nevertheless, he doesn't like the expression on his general's face.

"Cody," it's husked out, too harried and somehow gentle at once.

"Sir," Cody tries to say. It comes out raspy and gurgled. His mouth tastes of iron. This isn't good. "Did you-" a cough wracks his body and it's perhaps the most painful moment of his existence, "jump?"

"You know the answer to that."

Against his better judgment, Cody feels compelled to sit up at that. He can't quite pinpoint which part of his body protests most. It all turns into one searing blaze of pain. His vision blurs.

He heaves a great stuttered breath which seems to hurt almost as much.

He knows it's bad.

"The men need you," he tries.

"At the moment you need me more."

"Sir."

"Cody, please."

Cody closes his eyes. Breathes as shallowly as he can. A tear trails down his cheek. He swallows dryly. "Can't move."

"Oh, Cody."

"Can you- helmet?"

There's the hiss of his bucket coming unlatched and then it's tugged free.

With the increased range of vision, he glances down at whatever he can make out of himself. It's not pretty. Plastoid is somehow painted red and his left arm seems to be twisted at an unnatural angle.

Yeah. He's not making it out of this alive.

He drinks in the sight Obi-Wan makes above him, hair flopped over his forehead, a smear of ash across his cheek. He's beautiful.

The warmest, kindest hand cradles Cody's cheek. "I'll get you a med-evac-"

"They cut off," Cody fights a wheeze, "communications, remember?" A wet cough erupts violently- shaking him from the inside out. Time ceases through the blinding pain. When his lungs quiet there's wetness falling down his face. Blood and tears. "You've gotta go, sir."

"No, Cody. No."

"Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan goes stockstill, staring with wide, wet eyes. Too soft. Too full of urgency and pain and yearning. He's always trying to get Cody to refer to him by his first name.

There's always a first time for everything. And a last.

"C'mere."

"Cody," Obi-Wan says even as he leans in closer and rubs a thumb across Cody's cheek. Their foreheads meet. He can't decide if Obi-Wan’s breath on his skin is comforting or exhilarating.

With all the strength he can muster, Cody tilts up his chin and closes the remaining distance between them.

A kiss.

Warm press of lips to lips. Just the hint of facial hair brushing against his skin. He can't imagine it gets better than this, even with lips as cracked as they are and wet with blood instead of a balm or saliva. It's not as if he knows better. It's his first kiss after all.

Another first and last.

It's only fitting for it to be with Obi-Wan. The person he's very privately begun to think of as the love of his life.

In another life, when he opened his eyes after their first kiss, the cause of his blurred vision would be Obi-Wan's fault alone. "Always wanted to do that," Cody croaks.

It's true. He's wanted a lot of things. A lot of simple, impossible things that will never be. But. He's dying here and now. He knows how to make the best out of a bad situation.

Obi-Wan’s expression is nothing short of cracked through and through with devastation. "I won't leave you here."

He doesn't think he's ever heard his general’s voice clogged with tears before.

"You will.”

And because he doesn't have to pretend anymore that he doesn't want to touch his general--that he doesn't want to feel his skin and share his breath and know him in the most intimate of ways--Cody reaches for Obi-Wan's hand.

In an instant, his stomach churns as his vision swims, he realizes his mistake. That was his mangled arm he tried to move. The tide of the pain is too strong to fight. Obi-Wan blurs to nothing but a smear, words turn to garbled noises and-

The world goes black.

[Beep]

[Beep]

[Beep]

Cody comes to with the groggy need to open his eyes. It’s a struggle. Seemingly with the weight of an AT-AT upon his eyelids, he blinks his eyes open to searing bright white. Immediately his eyes shut. Not to be deterred, he tries again, blinking steadily until he can see.

Sterile white ceiling. Fluorescent lamps. A flimsy curtain. Annoying beeping.

He's in a med bay.

Tubes and wires. Barely patterned sheet. A hand holding his own-

A chunk of unmistakable ginger bangs flopping onto an eyebrow. Tired eyes looking at Cody so fondly, creases of a smile drawing from the edges of his eyes down his cheeks.

“They said you'd awaken soon,” says Obi-Wan. A thumb strokes Cody's wrist.

"'m I dead?" Cody croaks. His throat is drier than the heated days on Geonosis. He frowns. Obi-Wan is here. That isn’t right. "Are we both dead?"

"I should certainly hope not.”

So. Not dead.

Well.

That's unexpected.

“Wha-” Cody's throat catches on a cough and he splutters roughly.

“Here, here, dear.” Obi-Wan’s there with a cup of water, directing a straw past his chapped lips.

He sips the water down gratefully, satisfied as it soothes the parched gravel of his throat. He tilts his head away when he's done and Obi-Wan puts the cup down.

“What happened?” Cody tries again.

“How about I tell you later? After Egg has checked you-”

No. That won't do.

“Sir,” he interrupts, unyielding, “Sitrep.”

Obi-Wan must be tired because he doesn't even try to do their usual mutually stubborn staring match; he just sighs. “Ghost company managed to infiltrate the Separatist base and contact the admiral to request reinforcements and med-evac.”

Cody narrows his eyes. There is a glaring gap of information. “Where were you?”

“With you,” he says plainly.

Cody opens his mouth to say something but Obi-Wan effortlessly silences him by placing his hand over Cody's once more.

“I wouldn't leave any of my men behind to die, but, you- Cody.” There is a deep ocean of emotion pooled in Obi-Wan's eyes and spoken in the two syllables of Cody's name. “I couldn't leave you. Not like that.” Obi-Wan sighs as if expelling the weight from his shoulders. "And,” the corner of his mustache twitches upwards, “personally, I think I deserve a better kiss.”

“You- what?” Cody's brain flickers mid thought.

“The kiss. I deserve a better one, “ he says with near haughty conviction. “It was rude, quite frankly, to kiss me and nearly die. Gave me quite the fright.”

Cody swallows, his mouth suddenly dry again. “Is that so?”

“Mhm.”

Cody's eyes cannot be dragged away from Obi-Wan's lips. As Obi-Wan sits on the edge of the bed, all Cody can see is the hint of teeth catching on Obi-Wan's pink bottom lip.

He's closer now. Closer still as he gently pitches himself over Cody.

Fuck. Fuck.

“Kiss me,” Obi-Wan breathes.

It's not an order. Not really. Cody is helpless but to obey.

He makes a wounded noise into the meeting of their lips.

Obi-Wan is so soft and warm- his lips, his beard, the nudge of his nose. His hand slowly trails up Cody's good arm, bare as Cody seems to only be wearing a med gown. Sparks dance up his skin.

As their lips push and pull into kiss after kiss, heat grows inside Cody's chest and belly, competing with his fluttering stomach, elated and happy and-

“Ahem.”

Their lips separate with a smack. Reality filters in alongside the sound of rapid, high pitched beeping. Obi-Wan pulls away, expression nothing short of sheepish.

Their highest ranking medical officer, Egg, approaches the bed. “I see you're awake and someone failed to notify me.”

“Yes, well-” Obi-Wan starts, face adorably growing pink.

Egg ignores him. “Commander, how are you feeling?” As he speaks, he taps buttons on a machine attached to the wall which blissfully makes the beeping stop. “Any discomfort? Nausea? Pain?”

Cody sets aside the embarrassment of being caught and evaluates himself. He feels… surprisingly fine. “No, nothing.”

“Good. If that changes you've got a button you can easily request more meds with. Use it; there's nothing valiant in unnecessary suffering.”

Cody nods, fully aware he needs to cooperate if he wants to stay on Egg’s good side.

"And, General,” Egg looks directly at Obi-Wan for the first time, “stop making my patient tachycardic."

"I make no such promises.”

Cody shoots him A Look.

“Darling,” oh Force- this is a development Cody had not seen coming, “I do endeavor to never make a promise I can't keep.”

Okay. Well. That's-

Egg sighs, long and weary. “I'll be back in roughly two hours for rounds. If you spill any body fluids in my med bay I'll be requesting your transport to The Resolute med bay. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” both Cody and Obi-Wan respond.

With that, Egg makes his departure, fully swooshing open the privacy curtain before leaving the room.

There is a moment of relative silence. Cody realizes that Obi-Wan is once again holding his hand. He likes it. He likes it a lot.

“That couldn't have gone better,” Obi-Wan announces cheerily.

Cody can't help it.

He laughs.

It starts small, just a huff of breath out his nose until he's wheezing, lips stretched over gum and tears dripping down his face, clutching Obi-Wan who similarly chortles. His laughter is the most joyous of music.

He's alive. Miraculously. And somehow- somehow they're doing things like hold hands now.

It strikes Cody that, although he's confined to this awful med bay bed, for the first time in his life he feels happy. He's actually, truly happy.

There's no way it can last but he hopes he'll remember this moment forever. Acting an absolute fool with the man he loves most. Happy.

[rvb-canon-grimmons]

RVB RESTORATION THOUGHTS!!!!

LONG POST IM SO SORRY I HAD A LOT OF FEELINGS

(Im so sorry this got so long, but i got emotional while writing it so please bear with me, read this like its the morning paper while u eat breakfast or something i have alot to say)

Before I go into the things I didn't like I do want to focus on some positives.

-Like I said in an earlier post, Geoff's acting…he absolutely killed it, and maybe this is because I'm a little bit Geoff/Grif biased but he was giving so much emotion and everyone else felt a little bit flat. Also only he could have delivered the "Come with me" line with so much Homoeroticism -I Had a pretty fun time watching the fight in the second half, The references to Monty we're sweet and getting to see Tex and Carolina fight together was pretty epic! -A good handful of jokes got me good. "23rd in my class" Shelia translating Caboose's Spanish to Lopez

Ok……. the next bit of this will get a little bit negative, but I do want to say this is coming from a place of deep love and care for this series. I have run this blog for like 6/7 years now and I've been a fan of this show for double that. My biggest fear is that fans get the same treatment we did when no one liked RVBZero. I have criticisms. This is a 21 year old series that so many people have had a part in and so many have loved. I was not looking for perfection, I wasn't even looking for something good. I was looking for an ending to the stories of characters people have held in their hearts for 21 years. Unfortunately, what I feel we were left with was a hastily thrown together hour of basically nothing.

-Why weren't they friends…..Why weren't they friends…No one cared for the others. I understand that we have semi warped perceptions of the characters from fanon works and things of that nature. But even in canon, the reds and blue care about each other. On their own team and the other team. Simmons, Grif, Tucker, and Caboose spent MONTHS together in chorus and same for Donut/Sarge/Wash. I've recently rewatched blood gulch and Caboose and Sarge have a great dynamic! Tucker and Grif canonically get along pretty well. Simmons was ON BLUE TEAM for like a hot minute there. THEY KNOW EACH OTHER AND CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER. This was zero percent present in this film. No one had any motivation to look for Tucker. No one cared that it was Tuckers body inside the suit. THE REDS LEFT CABOOSE FOR DEAD!!!!!! THEY JUST LEFT HIM!!!!

-Tucker, I'm so sorry baby girl, this was supposed to be your arc, your moment. You were hardly in it. No build up to how he became the Meta. The scene where he breaks out of it to not kill caboose was the best part of the arc. And he just wakes up and remembers it "like someone elses Nightmare??" ok sure

-Wash………………WHAT THE FUCK???? WHAT THE FUCK???????????????? WHAT THE FUCK??????? WHAT THE FUCK???? TO RUIN THIS MANS ENTIRE CHARACTER ARC BY MAKING HIM COMPLETELY OBSOLETE. PUTTING HIM IN SOME RANDOM HOSPITAL FOR AN UNKNOWN INJURY THAT HAPPENS OFF SCREEN AND ISN'T EXPLAINED. HAVE HIM HALUCINATING DOC FOR SOME FUCKING REASON. HAVE HIM SHOW UP TO THE FINAL BATTLE AND DO ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING BUT JUMP OFF A FUCKING CLIFF AND NOT SAY A WORD TO ANY OF THE RED AND BLUES I AM LIERALLY ABOUT TO FUCKING CRY TYPING THIS I AM LITERALLY SO FUCKING PISSED OFF. AGENT WASHINGTON, THE CHARACTER THAT WAS SO HAPPY IN THE SEASON RIGHT BEFORE CHORUS JUST TO BE ON BLUE TEAM AND HAVE A FUCKING FAMILY AGAIN. JUST SIDELINE HIM FOR NO FUCKING REASON AND THEN NOT LET HIM SPEAK TO ANY OF HIS FRIENDS EXCEPT CAROLINA AND DEAD DOC. AND DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE FACT THAT TUCKER BEING THE META WAS LITERALLY A PLOT POINT CATERED TO HAVE WASH BE INVOLVED. THIS IS LIKE AGENT WASHINGTON ANGST BAIT 101. YES IM A TUCKINGTON SHIPPER BUT PUT ALL SHIPPING ASIDE, THEY WERE STILL FRIENDS, THEY WERE FRIENDS THEY WERE FRIENDS.

Grimmons. I am disappointed. But really not surprised. Honestly for everything I disliked I thought Grimmons was handled ok… at this point im like….. they couldn't even throw us a bone. company was dying, final season airing, and they couldn't even throw us a solid Grimmons queerbait joke. Its whatever….I don't wanna get too upset about shipping because at the end of the day, ships becoming canon isn't what shipping is all about (says Tumblr user "RVB-Canon-Grimmons) you get what im saying.

-Donut…..where was he…..Fucking Homophobic honestly

-DOC IS DEAD?????????????????????????????? FUCKING WHY???

-Sarge's death was fine, I'm not upset by it I just didn't feel like it was emotionally satisfying. Especially after the shock of them leaving Caboose and the much better scene of tucker fighting the meta's control over him to not hurt caboose.

-PEOPLE CALLED U SIR ALL THROUGHOUT CHORUS SIMMONS WHAT THE FUCK??????????? WHY IS SIMMONS PROMOTED AND INCHARGE OF NO ONE???? WHY DID GRIF LEAVE HIM???

Im sorry………..this is so long………just remeber this is only my opinions and if u don't agree thats totally ok!!!!! I am just a critical bitch….

[snowyowlsthings]

ok, so im thinking more about ds!chapter 2... (im trying to write it rn) and i feel like keeping queen in the role of the main antagonist of chapter 2 feels like i'm just rewriting it?? with some things changed?? I feel like queen as a character works better with berdly and noelle, rather than susie and kris. so, perhaps, let me propose anotehr way for this to occur: tenna and queen are swapped, and spamton and flasgam (noelle's old creepypasta personified) are swapped. this is just a suggestion tho!! some notes:

- Tenna took over cyber city, trying to "stay relevant". NPCs dont really like him, ("this newcomer! I can't understand his behaviors!") but because the internet is down, he was able to take over (becuse most were down) (and some didn't care about politics). sweet cap'n'cakes is swapped with the mike trio, as well (mike trio got tired of his insanity). Tenna would keep trying to use internet humor (unlike queen) and fail MISERABLY. it would be really funny

- he's a mother gothel type figure to kris, like "hey, don't you wanna go back! You don't need new computers. You have me! see, im much more powerful!". Thus, why he makes a whole room personified to them

- Susie is more of an afterthought to him. He's actually really scared of susie, and thus would hide from her. he'd do that jumping up sprite but try to appease her "for kris' sake"

- He gives her a contract, which would have special properties that make her fight the gang (for the final boss fight).

- The roller coaster segments would still exist, but maybe tenna wouldn't be able to see that they're incomplete/he malfunctions.

- Instead of the wire enemies, it'd be Shadowguys that he made contracts to

- Flasgam would be insanely corrupted (bc i BET noelle downloaded a bunch of shady stuff), and thus would have a speech quirk like [download failed] or like FREE FREE!! NOT A SCAM!! that kris would side-eye Noelle over like "what did you do to the free library computers..."

- Tenna Takeover would make sense, because Tenna did build his entire world off of the purple cliffs.

tell me what ya think!! I think this would be fresher and funner to write for me, but maybe our two versions can coexist :3

Omg, I was actually writing some things about his I thought Teena could work in Queen's place lmao.

I do agree that Queen works better with Noelle and Berdly. She would basically be Noelle's Teena being her laptop instead of her TV.

I really like your idea, honestly go nuts. Deltaswap isn't mine, mostly just what I think would happen in DS. So you can do your own take about this.

Plus if it's fun for you then you should write about it :3.

I do find the idea of Teena taking over cyberworld due to the internet going down something very clever.

About the rest I really enjoyed reading it. Teena being scared of Susie is something I thought too! TV man only working with her in fear of being trashed and to appease Kris 😭

Not to mention the Teena takeover sounds really cool and him failing to be funny using internet humor sounds hilarious.

Flasgasm sounds like an interesting character! Especially using Noelle love for Creepypastas and it being corrupted sounds really cool.

Is it an OC? I'm asking because I couldn't find it when I googled the name but it sounds amazing.

Overall I really liked your idea and I'm so interested in seeing what you would develop.

The things I mostly had in mind as differences in what I was writing were:

The whole roller coaster segment would be replaced by a car chase emulating an action movie with tenna reporting the chase as if it was a news channel. Eventually after making the car's crash Susie and Kris would go out flying like team rocket from pokemon.

The word puzzles would be trivia questions like in TV world.

I was thinking of swapping the sweet n cakes trio with Lanino and elnina and instead of having to dance you'd have to compliment them. No need to learn B-Action and R-Action since Berdly and Ralsei would have learned that in chapter 1, due to Berdly refusing to follow Noelle and Ralsei being forced to unlock a new ability after Noelle and Berdly almost kill each other.

The couple would have a small quarrel that would be solved by rouxls who would appear and say a cheesy poem about liking both types of weather making the duo fall for him.

The rouxls throuple plot-line would happen here but with some differences. The store would be basically Lanino and elnina with rouxls there and making them kind of uncomfortable. (They do say he's hot but that he's... Weird). Rouxls would mention something about the lightnerds being a throuple that doesn't match unlike them and will be quickly shut down by a disgusted Noelle and Berdly.

The weather couple would later dump rouxls the second time you encounter them with Kris. After realizing that he isn't really their type. Rouxls would run away dramatically.

The "Acid Tunnel of love" would still exist but having more romantic decoration akin to romance movies or series. Rouxls would fight you here heartbroken thinking you're the cause of his break-up. After defeating him you'll see Lanino and elnina making amends after having also spent time in the tunnel of love.

For the Mike trio I was thinking of making them like the Addisons giving you autographs, taking photos of you as if you were a celebrity, some tips to "deal with fame" and instead of Flavor tea they would give you Coffee.

In a way, what I imagined was making cyberworld a more tv like version.

Using your Teena takeover idea with the only difference that most npcs wouldn't dislike Teena as much since he managed to mostly bring his "crew" to TV world. Tv world would be like the original but with bits that look like cyberworld, as if something was wrong.

Instead of Flasgasm I was thinking of using ramb, who's a corrupted plug that was left damaged by Kris. Due to being broken and corrupted they would be in a constant electric glitch. Ramb's neo form would be him becoming completely corrupted, and becoming a glitchy mess with a lot of electrical attacks and with cables everywhere. Something like a cable monster.

(this was made by Darkcloud013 on DeviantArt )

The fight happening in the backstage of Teena's mansion that would be like a movie studio.

Ramb's speech quirk would be Binary code so between his text it would suddenly say stuff like "01001001 01110100 00100000 01101000 01110101 01110010 01110100 01110011 00100000"

Which would just seem like junk but would help to decode ramb's thoughts if a hypothetical player were to translate that.

Teena's contract would have a "binding" type of effect that would be what he uses to control others to his will.

Susie would have signed a contract but Kris wouldn't since they wouldn't be so sure and they would think that Susie didn't either.

The contract would give Susie a TV head similar to Teena's and to free her you would have to break it carefully. Failing to free her would cause Susie to break the TV using her face and she'll end up with a broken nose in the light world. The TV on Susie's head would reproduce a Godzilla movie.

Instead of giga queen, Teena would give a last encore and you would fight him in a similar way like in chapter 3. The help you'd receive from others would be help on the mini games, like shields, slowing attacks, and the correct answers on trivia. A neutral would give you less help and probably make it harder but not too much.

Susie would bring everyone together to help you, since you were nice to everyone. In case of a neutral run she would explain that some people didn't wanna help you for some reason but that it doesn't matter because she can help you too.

Kris would be trapped in a ball just like Teena trapped the fun gang in chapter 3.

Eventually seeing he's losing, Teena would try to explode the building, but he'll be stopped by Kris. Causing a small explosion and launching the light nerds to the ground while Teena protects Kris, who would then yell at Teena in a similar way Noelle did to Queen.

You can't really kill Teena in the fight, because the second he knows he's about to lose he'll trigger the explosion.

Teena would be sad and become small talking about how he wanted Kris to be happy again like old times.

Eventually they would come to terms and Teena would understand, however when Susie comes back she would have the same thoughts Berdly had of still opening a fountain but would be stopped by Ralsei. With Teena explaining he did not know about the consequences of a dark fountain due to being mis-informed.

In the Thornveil route Teena would be weirded out because his studio is empty, and no one is responding to his calls. As if everyone had vanished, he even tried checking on the cameras but they're broken.

Kris is tired and sleeping in their room while Susie is MIA with Teena not being able to find her.

When confronting the trio, he would try to force either Noelle or Berdly to make a fountain and try to start the show but when he tries to start the lights or anything nothing would work and he would just become sad feeling like he failed Kris.

Ralsei would comfort him and tell him that he shouldn't feel like he failed and then explain the roaring. Teena would be shocked and feel even worse and just tell the lightnerds to go and seal the fountain and that he won't bother them anymore. Berdly would give him a small talk similar to Susie and Queen.

The ramb fight would be harder since it's just Noelle but it would be here where she would learn a spell similar to snowgrave (akin to x slash) and be able to defeat ramb who would explode.

Teena would be depressed after realizing that he's alone in castle town except for a single shadow guy.

For chapter 3

Spamtom would take ramb's place, he's Noelle's spam mail and probably talks about the viruses she used to put in her laptop when trying to download stuff.

He's not as crazy as the original Spamtom. He's more chill but with grey hairs and talking with him reveals that he used to be greater but fell off and all he could really do is become queen's receptionist.

Instead of a videogame he would show you a game to download in a rusty computer.

The game would be like a Flower shop management simulator that looks normal but as you progress it becomes creepier. In that flower shop sim you can unlock a character similar to Kris and take care of little animals like lizards and other things.

The "Boss" here would be caused after while taking care of the lizard instead of feeding it there's an option that simply says "Knife" and it would stab the lizard repeatedly before the game corrupts and you're forced to fight a weird glitch like entity by clicking it. Kinda like a creepypasta type of game. Imagine lacy games.

The sweet n cakes trio would take Lanino and Elnina's place here and they would have an argument over music genres and eventually split off. Rouxls would come here and try to join the one you chose.

Instead of love, here he would try to be a "brother figure" and act like a cool brother.

Eventually tho they would reunite and rouxls would not be in the band, not because of lack of talent but because of ego.

He would eventually be resigned to being a lamp feeling ashamed for failing to join something again.

For the mini games here is where Swatch and Tasque manager would appear.

Swatch would have a restaurant mini game where you deliver food while Berdly cooks and ralsei cleans the tables.

Something like dine dash or penguin diner.

Tasque manager would have a memory mini game.

The third one would be handled by sweet n cakes after being reunited which would be the music minigame where the lightnerds play music.

The Addisons would take the Mike trio place. The Addisons work as queen's ad campaign.

Their fight would make great use of your mouse to click stuff.

This is mostly a word vomit but that's mostly what I was thinking. I love your take tho! I really enjoy reading your asks, you're a very creative person :3

If you ever write something about what you said I hope to read it :). Have a good day/evening/night.

[taintedsoul-if]

Hello once again it's me, the young woman who writes long notes instead of going by bullet points. Can I make it into a post instead? Probably but I'm in college and live in the USA where anxiety is stalker instead of neighbor to me so apologies how late and messy this is going to be. (Pss: Yes, I did have a good weekend thank you. But I must go back to the bane that is long boring essays so before I go into that darkness I must write about something that has nothing to do with it 😂)

So quick recap from revised version, my mc Esmeralda got teleported into a new world, in case anyone is new here my MC is crazy and generally has a love to hate relationship with Tristan (aka prince trash is what I like to call him.) I chose the revenge route (I wonder how popular that route is) because I head cannon that Esmeralda when she decided to jump off the cliff literally mentally snap and seeing some poor lamb that reminds her of all of her mistakes of loving her mother who never cared for her.

She fully broke (or some would say reborn? Eh? Get it?) so what takes in her place is a creature who's not afraid of getting her hands dirty, and will make everyone regret not burning her body sooner. I'm going for the poly route so both C and A got their work caught out for them because Esmeralda spoke in the girl boss, gatekeep, and chaos. The best way I could describe her would be Scylla from EPIC the musical (highly recommend) and Evil Little Mermaid. (Also recommended Lydia the Bard's Disney evil princess songs and what if songs. The one I was describing was Ariel's villain song called Siren)

Her manipulative mother has trained her to see all the bullshit and reused their own words against them like how she didn't kneel before the emperor because he clearly told her not too so why should she say no? Haha~ I absolutely love prinx aka Sascha. I mean yeah they give mc the option to poison themselves but they're such little goober I mean even getting insulted by Tristan they still offered it to see mc character.

(I remember you answering one of my asked questions and telling me Sascha was blind? So are they still blind or is this a plot point for a later date?) Anyway Esmeralda lost her mind a bit and basically opened the key to hell throwing everyone except Sascha and her away which gets noticed by the whole royal family. (I noticed Sascha when introduced to my mc mentioned something about her always being in the light but now can accept the dark? Or questioning if she could? I found it interesting to say because right after mc crashed out they gave you a piece of paper of their name and invited MC to meet them again at a later date.)

(So I took it that Sascha is aware somewhat of the new host and then became shocked by seeing a glimpse of mc power scale and then deemed MC someone they should have aligned themselves with.) Unfortunately the emperor is paranoid bastard so it was hilarious to see him snapping at the host's father and step mother believing only they could've done it. Best believe my Esmeralda is different going use that juicy little detail to her father whenever the emperor is around. Oh? You don't want me to do this thing? Well that is unfortunate but maybe you should focus less on me and more on the royal family, don't want them to think their precious lives are less important to mine. After all you still haven't found their potential murder yet~

Let's go back a bit and talk about some of the original characters before the update. We now know MC's friend was actually one of her biggest opps from before she was just mc's best friend now she's goddess? High level entity who needs mc/host soul shards to give to their unnamed master. I do wonder if she doppelganger herself into the world as last time she was keeping eye on mc as her bestie or if she's taking backseat letting mc's mom take the role of killing mc once in all. If she did come back too I'm guessing she would be someone mc would feel compassion for so either the host's maid or the empress.

Continuing on from that question throwing out guesses here since she said him wanted MC's soul shard. I'm guessing it be the emperor because going off what your post you said that the emperor's soul mate was the host mother but since she died to his child and was married to the host's father. The emperor never a chance to have her so they gone for MC since they are the closely resemble the host mother. They in a previous timeline was unfortunately traded to be a bedmate to the emperor.

And since C and A are working together to get their soulmate behind the scenes I doubt the enemy is A because he could've easily stolen the shard from C and why would he if C and A want MC to gain their memories? It can't be N because while they do hate mc currently I doubt they want mc's memories and soul. Maybe Sascha? But you can only date them if you choose the not revenge route and why would they want the soul shard if in the past they got brutally murdered.

Trashcan can't know as they are in trance by the host half sister and is tragedy route, so that leaves the host's whore sister and the emperor. The sister has the power of foresight so perhaps she could be aware of the different timelines? But the emperor is an ultra SSS user similar to MC and perhaps C but I'm unsure if A is one. Therefore, being that over leveled may give potential to remember the other timelines.

Moving on. I continue to let mc's mother turn into a maid because two reason one it would be hilarious to have the women who made your life hell be underneath you in power scale. Two: I was tempted to have her as a love rival but eeh? While that would be fun I'll save that for another MC probably one not seeking revenge. (I'm sure at some point either MC or MC mother will remember their past so it makes the revenge even sweeter since she will fail once again and since right now her memories are locked I'm guessing something will happen to unlock a part of it like Trashcan's memories.)

Three its funny to have her so close to her objective but failing because my Esmeralda doesn't trust any of her families servants and knows none is loyal to her specifically. (I remember the old demo had her have two servants that was loyal to her that I guess was from C as host's family is dead so where else would they come from other than him? Plus given their assassin skills I figure if C can't constantly be watching mc, then he certainly can have his servants that will as A is currently a teacher and will see MC more in that situation compared to C who's just a classmate.)

This makes me wonder will the doc come back? Is he the one who will potentially violate mc? Or someone else? Maybe prince trashcan by why would he if so far he hasn't shown any interest in my Esmeralda yet. I don't think the obsession will start so soon. (I'm watching you emperor.) If MC goes for T route will it be an abrupt end? As you said in old post T is destined to die by the first arc? And if you did choose that route would it be a similar end to the host's previous lives?

MC is favored by the God/Goddess of this world so I don't think MC will simply die that quick if this is the last timeline unless T route is a fake romance. Who truly is Sascha? And why are they cute? Why can the darkness not hurt them? And how will C cope when he's fated to fight mc in the academy train arc. Will he hold back or get turned on by battling mc seeing it more like flirtation dance (if you're in that route)

Would I be biased if I said I look forward to your asks more than I should… and that I tend to answer them reluctantly (no, I’m not in love). I just… read them an abnormal amount of times. 🥹

It’s already halfway through the week, so I hope those essays aren’t bursting your brain open. The revenge route is definitely popular—people aren’t too fond of T… so is that a win or a loss?

And yes, Sascha is still 100% blind and sickly. The truth is, when Sascha stares at someone, they’re not seeing the person’s body—they’re seeing their soul. In a way, Sascha is caught between the land of the living and the dead.

Yes—because Sascha knows what it’s like to live in the darkness. Once upon a time, the wisps of color that now differentiate one soul from another were nonexistent. Back then, the only way they could tell morning had arrived was by standing at their window and feeling the kiss of early sunlight on their skin. In their past life, all they ever knew was darkness. It was damning—cold, and above all, unbearably lonely.

So, in that scene, Sascha was shocked that the MC would willingly drink the poison—especially one that could potentially rob them of their sight. That’s why they made that comment.

Hehe, in a way, it’s because years ago, the young OH made a promise to a little child—that one day, they’d heal them and show them how beautiful the night sky truly is. Young Sascha didn’t know what that person looked like, but they remembered the name they were told. They kept it close to their heart ever since.

I’m going to be honest with you—while writing that scene, I couldn’t stop cackling. I was like, Artilius, remember your image! You’re supposed to be the benevolent ruler—magnanimous, just, and fair. And yet, here you are, an Emperor, and you can’t even deflect a single attack? Why are you so useless?! 😒

If some players choose to hide their abilities until the Armistice Competition, the Emperor is going to be stunned when he sees the MC using the exact same ability that was used to attack him weeks ago. Artilius is petty like that—he never forgets an attack.

Yes, years ago, I already knew what kind of character Ada was supposed to be, especially considering the MC’s true identity. So even during the long periods of disappearance—when I wasn’t actively writing—things were still quietly clicking into place. Because, like I said, this story has been with me for longer than anyone could imagine. (You might even say I’m crazy, but honestly, at night I’d shut off my brain, and these stories would just start playing in my head. Like watching TV. Then in the morning, it’s like the scene just paused.)

Anyway, I’ve finally gotten around to figuring out most of the major threads—right down to the baby that crawls. The truth is: the real Ada was consumed by the fake Ada, just like the real Caitlyn was devoured by fake Caitlyn’s soul. Mhmm, Ada will return—but her identity will be something completely unexpected.

Mhmm… A is just as powerful as Cadmus. I really wish I could spoil everything, but I just can’t—this whole section is a major spoiler minefield. That said, none of the ROs want the MC’s soul shards. I absolutely love your analytical skills though—they’re top notch. 🫶

One thing I think I’ve failed to mention is this: in the real timeline—the one where Yesenia was on her deathbed—the OH is actually the protagonist of that world.

Now, the item Yesenia received allowed her to rewrite the world in her own image, placing herself directly in the OH’s role and creating a “better” life for herself and her mother. So the storyline your MC is being fed by Nothingness— that’s the fake timeline. Of course, your MC will figure that out soon enough… Caitlyn is far too impulsive..

And yes, in the fake timeline, it was written that OH became one of the Emperor’s concubines. During those years, the one who kept OH company was Sascha. Hehe… and yes, Drusilla will be returning.

Also, MC remembers their past life with Caitlyn—it’s just that all the other lifetimes they’ve lived are forgotten… for now.

Nightingale and Rallyum will make an appearance soon, because after what happens at the mall—trust me—Neosho can no longer stay by the MC’s side.

Doctor Simon won’t be returning; they're just a side character, unfortunately. Thinking about it, I feel like I missed a scene for them… hmm. Maybe I’ll add it in the final demo—we’ll see.

As for the one who will potentially try to violate the MC—that’s T. Human nature is terrifying, especially when you’ve been in love with someone for years with no reciprocation. You finally wake up, realize you’ve been wasting your time, and decide to stop chasing them. Then they see you getting close to someone else, and suddenly, they want to shower you with attention. When you avoid them, they convince themselves "you’re just playing hard to get". And in that moment, they decide to take what they think they’re owed.

Example:

T: “Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted? You always wanted to be underneath me… so why are you pushing me away?” Pushes the MC against a tree.

Something like that.

It will be a different end—soft-core romancers will be abandoned by Nothingness, and their abilities will be siphoned off. If your MC dies during this path because they insist on falling in love with T, then the final soul shard will go to Caitlyn. Because everything—right from the first kiss down to the softened eyes or tender touches—was all a grand scheme. And yes, they’d be forced to serve the Emperor, as was the original trajectory in the other timeline.

As for T’s death... I’m still thinking about it. Do I want them to die, or live a life worse than death? Choices, choices. Not to mention, the Montholon family has done far too many wicked things over the years—death would be a relief for them.

Sascha is a cutie pootie, that’s what they are. But behind those sparkling eyes—is a vengeful beast who’d love nothing more than to rip someone’s limb off, grinning from ear to ear. The reason Sascha wasn’t harmed by the darkness is because [Redacted]. Honestly, I’m a little sad no one’s caught the trap I set...

As for C—oh, he’ll be very pleased to test the true strength of the MC. After all, he’s been feeding their soul for years. There’s no way they’re weak. In fact, C might go all out and nearly kill the MC—for platonic readers, of course.

For the romancers, C has always feared their spouse. He’ll forfeit. Even if your MC is pissed, he’ll walk away confidently—because you won fair and square. And if your MC tries to sneak attack him, he still won’t raise a finger. Why would he, when your MC could use this moment of triumph to challenge T or Yesenia? C knows everything.

But if your MC insists on fighting, then he’ll accept—just know it’ll cost ya. 😈

This took me two days to go through because, honestly, this week hasn’t been the best for me… but I think I’m getting back to normal. Anyway, one of my favorite things is reading about your character’s journey—it gives me more time to dig an even bigger hole for her 🌚. I think my maniac side is slipping through.

That said, make sure to take breaks in between writing essays and eat a balanced meal—or at least something good. You deserve it.

Thank you for the ask, and sorry for getting back to you so late.

[justatalkingface]

Everything Changed When The War Arc Attacked:

Or, why do I hate the War Arc so fucking much?

At this point, eh, why not? Writing every day is supposed to be good for improving as a writer.

ECWTWAA is a simple, quippy line that holds all of my festering loathing for watching MHA gleefully hurl itself off a cliff once the War Arc happened, and, much like someone jumping off a cliff like an utter moron (or the Air Nomads after the Fire Nation attacked), it has never truly recovered.

*sigh*

In retrospect, MHA had been going downhill for a long time before that point, and a lot of it was something I noticed unconsciously, but didn't quite rise to me really paying conscious attention to it, beyond a few notable points (*cough*, Bakugou, *cough* FuCkiNg NIGHTEYE), but as my brain was somewhat in the off position as I read, I was still enjoying the ride, even as it bumped; the enjoyment was as much, if not more, that I used to enjoy it more than the actual content, but there was enjoyment.

If MHA before The War Arc was a somewhat imperfect roller coaster ride, the only way I can describe the War Arc is if the roller coaster ride abruptly ended in the side of a cliff, only somehow dragged out for months of slow paced agony. I watched, in vaguely real time, as Hori systematically trashed the last foundations of his story, the swan song of one of the best, most interesting characters in the series, toss aside the sudden yet exciting development of it's main villain, and escalate to a higher gear than ever before the constant work to protect some of the most vile characters, including said mass murdering villain, from even the slightest criticism by sacrificing everyone around them, as well as the very integrity of the story, to the alter of, 'They're not that bad, honest! Don't hurt their little feelings, you bully!'

And, I watched him finally finish the lobotomy on his main character, permanently ripping away what remained of his original personality and intelligence, leaving an empty puppet, a Deku, with the singular purpose of driving the story faster, and faster, and faster towards that thing that Hori seems to crave above everything else now: The End.

Freedom, freedom from the strangling chains of a merciless Jump schedule, of a plot long grown too complex for him to manage, or for him to even want to try, and from the burden of writing characters and stories he so clearly seems to despise, for some reason. And if they only way he feels he can get it is by burning everything he's done down to the ground, well, Hori's clearly more than willing.

In all honesty it became obvious that, in all of MHA, he only actually liked six things: Endeavour, Bakugou, body horror, dramatic, flashy fight scenes with flashy super powers, attractive women in minimal clothing and vaguely fetish-y torture scenes on attractive women in minimal clothing.

These things, from that point on, are the only things he has spent real, actual time on, developing, giving focus to. Everything else, everything else, is rushed, pushed constantly forward by Deku, the puppet, as he runs from plot point to plot point as fast as he can, never allowed a moment to rest, to reflect, to really think at all, all in the name of progression as empty as he has become.

In all honesty, it was a needed, if unwanted, shock to help me realize the truth, but at what cost? At what cost is this clarity? The joy is gone now; once I dropped my unconscious acceptance of the narrative, everything I had been ignoring came to me a rush of horrified realization, even the most mild of flaws became glaring, and now reading the early chapters that got me into this story in the first place is just... hollow now, like I'm watching my old self enjoy them, rather than enjoying them myself, and I can't help but be both jealous and vaguely contemptuous at the innocent pleasure that person had.

I'll admit, I'm being more dramatic than I'd like to be, but... I've said this before, I'd been reading MHA for years before this point. Years of enjoyment, interest, and focus, and it's all ash to me now. I'm somewhat bitter about it.

[lost-inanotherlife]

Wait, okay more thoughts on Jate in the finale. And also on Jate in the Candidates? (That’s the submarine episode right?)

with pleasure!

i wrote a little abot about jate in "the candidate" here if you want to read it. not a big fan of that episode in terms of jate bc physically injuring a woman character so that the man character can realize Things is well, obiously sexist, but also extremely lazy and boring writing. basically in that episode kate is used to make us audience understand that the mib is lying to jack (the mib and charles widmore are paralleled in that episode) so kate being harmed is what makes jack understand that they don't have plot armor (so to speak) as he thought they had (bc he believed the mib's words). so kate in pain is used so that jack can "snap out of it" and where "it" stands for "believing every word the mib says and never questioning him because ???".

the thing i was interested to see, though, is how much of a crybaby kate is. YES, OF COURSE, I KNOW she got shot in the shoulder, it's not a boo-boo but i think it was necessary to see a version of kate that's more vulnerable and that doesn't simply shrug things off of her. and in that state of vulnerability she still looks for jack who, let's all remember, was actually her ex-fiancé, lol.

i don't agree with the motivation, but i think we did need to see a kate without plot (and hero's love) armor to make her feel more human and relatable after the cardboard cutout that she had sadly been for almost two seasons.

as far as "the end" is concerned, in part I i liked that kate started being angry at jack but i disliked the usual skate obsession LOST writers had. having sawyer and kate make flirty jokes after sun, jin and sayid died just because in the flash-forward the writers wanted to bait the viewers and make us think that kate was gonna "wake up" thanks to sawyer was poor taste.

luckily, in part II we're finally done with the love triangle shit and i've appreciated that, at least, they didn't write kate and jack in an unnecessary over-sentimental, pathetic way.

jack has made up his mind and kate is mad at him. however, she doesn't try to persuade him, she is honest with him and that last "i love you" was also a last plea to make him leave with her but it didn't work. jack left her and didn't look back. and she was so livid she jumped off that cliff without even thinking out of rage.

this might seem bleak but it's not bc kate was fundamentally wrong. as much as i'm pro "let the island sink" the writers were smart enough to conveniently remind us that other people lived on the island. other people like rose and bernard, OUR rose and bernard. people who need thst island to live. so no, jack couldn't let the island sink because the island wasn't just suffering, it was also a place of love and freedom for other people. love and freedom being the reason why jack decides to do what he then proceeds to do. he had to put the cork back on otherwise people would've died and kate and the others wouldn't have been able to leave.

so yeah it was bittersweet but i really appreciated how the romantic love story served to frame a bigger story about Love (with no labels nor adjective) and Freedom. is that fucking tragic? of course it is but jate is a tragic love story from the beginning so, sadly, the happy ending wasn't meant for them.

does that mean it was all for nothing? clearly not. i think it's important to move past the need to want to see a happy ending where by "happy ending" we mean heteronormativiy. happy endings can be complex and messy and sad and bittersweet because "happy" doesn't necessarily mean "content" but fitting, effective, too. and i humbly think that jate's ending was fitting and effective. at least it was to me.

[pullingonmyownheartstrings]

MW3 SPOILERS!!!

MAJOR SPOILER RIGHT OFF THE BAT!!!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

My thoughts on the MW3 campaign after playing it last night. I successfully avoided spoilers and social media the whole day yesterday.

Seeing people talk about Soap's death is so weird to me. Cause as a writer, it makes sense to me.

- "His death was anticlimactic."

- "It was rushed."

- "They treated him like a side character."

- "Ghost, Price, and Gaz didn't react at all."

I think people forget that COD is propaganda for the military. In the moment, you can't grieve. You don't have that luxury. Their silence. Price's hesitant response to even say that they had a casualty. Not to mention the jump from Laswell writing up the report to the boys on a cliff woth Soap's ashes. That had to have been a couple of weeks. They had time to process their grief. They'll probably still hurt. They are going for revenge. Price already started with Shephard.

On the note of his death and how some people saying it was anticlimactic? I personally think it was perfect. We played most as Price and Soap through the whole campaign. The flashback mission to Verdansk. The moment between Price and Soap where Price said he shouldn't have stopped Soap from killing Makarov. They really put in perspective what they both put into all of this.

And for the people saying they hoped his death would be more dramatic. That wouldn't go along with how Makarov carried himself or his plans. The man constantly talked about how time was precious and everything needed to happen according to his plan to the T. He talked and talked and talked about how time was important. He wouldn't have wasted time showboating. It makes sense that he killed Soap so quickly.

His quick death was so jarring and shocking from how it was carried out. It had me sobbing for an hour on a call with friends. One friend was ahead of me and finished the campaign just to get in the call cause he knew how I was going to react. I didn't even process Makarov getting away. Silent tears rolled down my face until the moment you cut the wires and stopped the bomb. I started uncontrollably sobbing. Hearing Ghost's "Johnny..." killed me.

The game may have felt rushed due to how high paced it was. It was high stakes. Millions of lives were on the line.

I'm going to play through the campaign again. I want to take my time now that I know what's coming. Enjoy Ghost and Soap banter when they were on the island. Shove Makarov around more than I did with the Verdansk mission and take a longer moment to appreciate Ghost in his OG gear and mask.

It's still a good game. I'm not okay, and it's going to fuuuucking hurt for a bit. I have opinions on some other aspects of the game, but I don't have time to continue on at the moment. I'm on lunch at work.

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing okay after this. Please go drink water. All these tears are gonna make you dehydrated. ❤️

[17dvds]

Your top 5 relationships (not just romantic ones, anything!) in The West Wing?

... OK in writing this i realize i could do top 15 and still not be done. Thank you for the question and sorry for the ramblings:

1. Charlie and President Bartlet. 'He gave him the kniiiiiife'. Seriously, the father-to-son-he-never-had. How protective Charlie is of Bartlet, like when he realized that basically his girlfriend was a reporter he dropped her in a SECOND. "He's not just the president". Charlie faffing around to avoid graduating from COLLEGE so he could serve the President. Man was in such a hurry to graduate he did half of college while in high school, and slammed on the brakes to stay with Bartlet. The Knife! And the watch! Basically saying "i love you like a son" SO many times.

2. Josh and Donna. I mean. Every episode? How Janelle decided from the beginning to play Donna as if she was in love with Josh. "If you were in an accident I wouldn't stop for beer.". "If you were in an accident I wouldn't stop for red lights". And they were fighting at the time! Or at least Donna was super hurt! And she still said "i love you too and I love you more". Or at least was more aware of the fact that she was in love with Josh than Josh was aware of being in love with Donna. I don't think he really REALLY knew before she left to work for Russel. He just took her for granted kinda. And how she took care of him in Noel. And was the first to notice. And helped him with the MS!

3. Josh and Sam (I love Josh). I love Rob Lowe, he was the perfect foil for Josh. The fireplace! Josh flying out three times to get Sam to work for two separate president's. Perfect. The shorthand they had. "haven't said I'm signing on, but I can tell you this: I won't stay unless you go. One of us is getting on a plane tonight. If it's you, you're back in a week. If it's me, I'm gone, adios, for good.". For all the faults the last few seasons had, bringing sam back the way they didn't wasnt one of him. Theirsupport! So many things they were the only ones supporting each other, in the Oval sometimes! And when Josh had his PTSD, how he helped him. And Josh helped Sams campaign in CA (though that was more Toby).

4. CJ and Danny. OK so before I found your blog I never thought of CJ as lesbian/bi, and now I can kinda see it, and definitely if Sorkin (or maybe someone else) was wrote it 10+ years later she could be. But I always liked Danny and CJ together. Just the flirting and how he pursued her and also respected her boundaries and on my last rewatch she never said she didn't like him like that! Allllll the times he argued they should date and there was nothing wrong with she didn't explicitly say "i don't like you", it was her moral issues with the press which he respected and let her set the boundaries. "But if you keep kissing me what do i care". But he was still a reporter. Didn't take the Take Out The Trash Day story because he was in love with her, but still investigated the assassination! And stood up to her, and she let him! And then he left cause the new writers didn't know what to do with him and then the "jump off a cliff" and "i wanna talk cause i like the sound of your voice" and ugh such patience and maturity. And CJ flirting and kissing but being unsure and "that's how'd I'd get you" has me dying every time. She's hot and she knows it. They're great together and I like the idea of them staying together.

5. Bartlet and Leo. I just. It's the relationship that started all the others! "Bartlet for President". The napkin. I can't write as much especially about the last season or I'm gonna cry because John Spencer. But their relationship. The trust and friendship and the fighting and the love. Leo had the occasional awful character assassination (we dont always know how it ends? My Leo would never), but overall they looked out for each other. "I take a bullet for the President he doesn't take a bullet for me". There's like at least five episodes where Leo and Bartlet use the staff to protect each other against the others express wishes lmao.

Honorable Mention: Sam and Ainsley. They ABSOLUTELY did it in the kitchen in 17 People when they "looked for food". They had such great chemistry and I wish Emily Proctor was in every single episode.

[allmoshnobrain]

𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

part 21 of ? | masterpost

word count: 4066 | ao3 link | fic's playlist

I blinked, seriously caught off guard. That was too much to take in at once. First thing slamming me was anger—what did she mean by her and my dad being here to pamper me? Weren't they the ones who kicked me out? Cut off all ties? And now, they popped back into my life, not because they missed me or anything, but to wheel and deal for the family name and business—that was their concern. Concern that grandpa's "empire" wouldn't last with me at the wheel. Concern that I wouldn't know the ropes when the time came.

✦ summary: Nore's sense of normalcy unravels as her parents resurface, offering support for her dreams—with strings attached.

✦ on this chapter: dave mustaine x female!oc, oc is cliff's cousin, +18, language, slice of life, angst, complicated/kinda abusive family dynamics

✦ a/n: Hello! This part was a bit longer, and focused more on Nore's relationship with her family. I hope it helped understand her character a little bit better! I haven't included all the "lore" regarding her parents in the chapter directly but I recently made a post here explaining it a bit for anyone who's curious! I haven't been able to write a lot because I had some power/internet outage problems at home, but now that everything's back to normal I hope I can update more quickly! And we'll have some more James x Nore interactions on the next part :) Hope you liked reading, feedback is welcome!

✧ nobody's daughter, she never was, she never will / be beholden to anyone she cannot kill ✧

The next few weeks weren’t exactly easy.

Dave and I usually kept our relationship light; we rarely argued, and if we did, we patched things up quick. We got each other too well and just couldn't stand being apart for too long. We were young. We were in love. At that time, no issue seemed big enough to mess with that.

But this time, it was different . It's not like Dave was giving me the cold shoulder, but I could tell he was still feeling the sting from everything that had happened with the album and his songs. He started isolating himself more and more, hanging out at David's place for long stretches, diving into his new band. When I tried talking to him about what was going on, he'd just smile and steer the conversation elsewhere. It was like all that easy, spontaneous intimacy we had from the beginning was vanishing, slipping through my fingers like water. 

And it freaked me out.

Being away from my cousin and my friends didn't make things any easier. I knew they had my back, but it's not like I could spill my guts to them over the phone about Dave. Since I'd left home, I'd felt sad and angry a bunch of times, but by September, I was more down than I had been since I first moved in with Cliff. Still, I held onto the hope that things would get back to normal soon.

Little did I know what the end of the year had in store for me.

It kicked off with a surprise phone call one evening. It was nighttime, and Dave and I were catching a break, chilling and watching some random movie on TV while sharing a cigarette and a beer when the phone decided to ring.

"I'll grab it," I said, jumping up from the bed. Dave gave a nod, his brow furrowing as he focused on rolling another joint for us to share. I rushed to the living room, picking up the phone. "Hello."

"Ellie?" a voice I knew too well replied, making my heart race and my jaw drop in surprise. "Is it really you?"

"Dad?" I blurted out in shock. In the whirlwind of my new life, getting a call from my father after nine months of radio silence was probably the last thing I expected.

"Hey, Ellie! So, this number is really yours. How've you been?"

"I... I'm okay, but... Dad, what's going on?" The words tumbled out, confusion turning into genuine concern. If he was calling out of the blue, something serious must have been up, right? I couldn't think of any other reason.

"Can't a dad check in on his daughter?" He said it casually, like it was no big deal. I furrowed my brow, annoyance quickly replacing my concern.

"You haven't said a word to me in months," I shot back, my voice shaking a bit, my eyes threatening to fill with tears as a whirlwind of emotions churned in my chest — first of all, anger. But then hurt. Confusion. And pain.

I glanced up at the sound of footsteps, spotting Dave leaning against the bedroom door frame with a lit joint in his hand. He gave me a questioning look, his concerned brown eyes checking out my state. I sighed, motioning for him to hold on. He came over, wrapping an arm around my waist and planting a gentle kiss on my shoulder, which managed to coax a small smile from me.

"So, Ellie, your mom and I..." my father hesitated on the phone, sounding a bit unsure of himself. "We were thinking that maybe we've been too hard on you. We just got back from London..."

"You went to visit grandma?" I snapped, my anger surfacing in the way my voice cranked up. "That's what this call is about, huh? I'm guessing she wasn't thrilled to discover you kicked me out. Bet she and grandpa gave you a reality check!"

"We went to celebrate your mom's birthday. And yes, we saw your grandparents," my father went on, his tone getting a bit sterner. "We were just thinking... It would be nice if you and your boyfriend could join us for dinner sometime. You know, your mom misses you..."

"Oh, bullshit."

"She does. Eleanore, it was her idea to send you that motorcycle as a gift. She thought it might lift your spirits a bit. Maybe you'd swing by..."

"She's always pulling that stunt!" I grumbled, annoyed, cheeks warming with irritation. "I can't be expected to read her mind. And for the record, I didn't ask for whatever gift she sent my way!"

"I get it. Ellie, I get it," my father reassured, clearly trying to ease my frustration. "Look, I think she regrets laying it on you like that. Especially after talking to your grandma... She just wants to fix things."

"Then why didn't she just call me herself?"

"You know how your mom is. She thought maybe you'd be more open to hearing me out. And, hey, it's not like I don't miss you too," he said, explaining. I took a deep breath, still annoyed but conceding that my father had a point. I could have a conversation with him, but if it were my mom on the line, I might've just hung up. "Ellie, she's trying, alright? It's more effort than she usually puts in. Give her a chance..."

"She didn't give me any chances. Why should I be the one handing them out?" I questioned, my voice now getting choked up as my anger gave way to the underlying hurt I was feeling. My father sighed, seeming uncertain about what to say.

"You can come next weekend if you want," he finally replied, straight-up ignoring my question and making me groan in frustration. "I'll ask Marcy to whip up that pumpkin pie you like, what do you think? Mull it over, alright?"

Then, he hung up, leaving me with a heavy heart and an anguish that had been haunting me for months but that I just didn't want to face. I slammed the phone back on the hook, maybe a tad harder than I should have.

"Hey. What was that?" Dave asked, leaning his chin on my shoulder and pulling me closer, his arms around my waist. I sighed. "Was it your dad on the phone?"

"Yeah," I murmured, my voice trembling a bit. He nuzzled into my neck, planting a soft kiss on my smooth skin, his lips moving up to my cheek for another kiss.

"Babe, you know you can talk to me if you need to," he whispered. I sighed, pulling away a little to meet his gaze, a mix of concern and seriousness in his eyes. I managed a faint smile, the hurt in my chest blending with the happiness of having, even if just for a moment, the old intimacy between us. "What happened? What did he say to you?"

"I just... I hate this!" I finally let it out, a tear rolling down the corner of my eye and making its way to my cheek. Dave cupped my face in his hands, wiping it away with the tip of his thumb. "My family’s always doing this. They act like the stuff they do to me, the way they treat me, doesn't matter. Like it doesn't hurt me! It's messed up."

Dave sighed, pulling me closer in a comforting hug. I knew he didn't have all the words, but I could feel him trying to ease my pain. I sniffled, a few more tears streaming down my cheek as I buried my face in his chest.

"My dad invited us for dinner... Both of us, him and my mom," I laughed bitterly. "It's funny, isn't it? They kick me out of the house, and then they think they can invite me to dinner, like everything's normal. Like nothing happened."

"And do you want to go?" he asked, softly, his hand soothingly stroking my back. I shook my head with a sigh.

"I... I don't know. I think that's the worst part," I admitted, pulling away and meeting his gaze. "I'm so angry, but I still miss them. I think that's what hurts the most."

"That you can't help but love them, even though some of the things they do hurt you?" he murmured, and I felt my heart tighten at the bitterness in his voice. "Maybe you should go, Nore. Maybe it's a good chance for you to patch things up with them."

"I don't know if I want to do that," I whispered, and he gave a slight smile.

"Yeah, I get it. Come here," he pulled me close again, his lips meeting mine with an unexpected hunger that sent warmth through my body. I clung onto his arms tightly, my nails leaving small crescent marks on his fair skin, while his lips moved down to my neck, kissing a spot that Dave knew would make me sigh and shiver, forgetting, even if just for a moment, anything but his body against mine. He pulled away, his familiar crooked smile on his lips making my heart race as he lifted my chin with his hand. "You can think about it later... How about coming back to bed with me?"

The car screeched to a stop in front of the big light-yellow house. I sighed, feeling more jittery than I'd like, despite the chill evening and the sun setting, casting warm hues all over the landscape. I knew my decision to visit my parents in Long Beach with Dave's car was a bit of a rebellious move against their expectations, and I hated it. They probably anticipated me rolling up on the motorcycle they gifted me. Instead, there I was, with my boyfriend and his car — two things that could potentially give my mom a nervous breakdown.

Dave raised his eyebrows, whistling softly as he checked out my parents' garden.

"You fancy-ass kid. So, this is where you used to live?" He chuckled and playfully nudged my arm, but I could tell he was a bit surprised. He seemed to catch quickly onto my nervousness; his eyes instantly turned serious when he saw my expression. "Hey," he said, his hand gently holding mine. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. Okay?"

I nodded. Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure why I agreed to visit my parents or let Dave come along and meet them. Maybe, despite all the drama and hurt, there was still a part of me that missed them. Perhaps deep down, I hoped they'd be proud of me — for standing on my own all this time, for finding someone who cared about me and loved me. For not turning out to be the failure they expected when they kicked me out, assuming I'd come running back at the first sign of trouble.

But deep down, I knew that wasn't happening.

"It's okay," I squeezed Dave's hand, attempting a confident smile. "We're already here, right? Let's do this."

Dave and I stepped out of the car, strolling across the well-kept garden until we reached the front door.I paused for a moment before ringing the doorbell. Then, the door swung open, and my dad appeared, beaming when he saw me, the blue eyes I got from him shining.

"Ellie!" he exclaimed, pulling me into a hug. I blinked, a bit confused, but returned the embrace. He pulled back with a smile, seeming only then to notice that Dave was by my side. "Oh. You must be David?"

"You can call me Dave, sir," Dave smiled, shaking my dad's hand, but I could see he was a bit nervous.

"Pleasure to meet you, Dave. I’m George." my dad smiled, a bit more serious than before. "You've arrived just in time! Marcy is almost done preparing dinner. Let's go inside."

Dad walked in first, and I followed suit. Dave strolled by my side, holding my hand gently. He leaned in, whispering in my ear:

"Ellie? So, is that what your parents call you?"

"Just my dad. And I hate that nickname," I murmured, and he laughed.

As we strolled into the house, Dave scoped the place with raised eyebrows. The living room was cozy and rustic, sofas, armchairs, and rugs thrown together just right. In the corner, a shelf showed off my dad's vinyl collection. From there, you could head to the dining room through the side door or hit the garden through the glass door at the back. Upstairs, you'd find my parents' bedrooms, my old room, and the library where my parents spent most of their time when they were home.

"Ellie, why don't you give Dave a tour of the library? I'll summon your mom for dinner; she was introducing the new gardener to the plants," he said, jokingly. 

"Oh... Sure," I mumbled. After being away for so long, everything felt way larger and unfamiliar than it should — especially after bouncing around from the little room I shared with Cliff to Leanne's house and then my cozy spot with Dave. I watched my dad head out the back door. Dave linked his fingers with mine, sensing my nerves, and stroked the palm of my hand in soothing circular motions with his thumb. I raised my gaze and met his brown eyes, locked onto my face. "So, wanna check out the library?"

"Actually, I had my eye on something else," he grinned slightly, and I blinked, intrigued. "Your room," he clarified, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "I want to see how you lived, you know? Before I showed up and changed your life forever."

I chuckled, rolling my eyes before tugging him along by his hand, leading the way to the stairs. We climbed up to the first floor, strolling through the lengthy corridor, passing several doors before hitting the last one right at the end. I twisted the knob, relieved to find that the door wasn't locked.

I sighed as I swung the door open, taking in the sight of my old room. The room was spotlessly clean and organized, meaning that my parents at least kept the place tidy. Next to the window, my bed was neatly made with the same sheets I'd left in a mess before heading to San Francisco. Above the headboard, posters of bands and movies adorned the wall. The door in the corner was open, showing my private bathroom.

Below the window, my study desk, with drawing and painting materials meticulously arranged. In the corner, a shelf with my books, records, and tapes, plus a TV and stereo. It stung a bit to look at it, to reminisce about all the time spent there; everything was the same, but I didn't feel anything like the girl who once called it home.

Dave seemed to understand the contemplation in my silence; he rested his chin on my shoulder, giving me a tight hug from behind before planting a kiss on my cheek.

"Nice room you got here," he remarked, and I laughed, a bit shakily, realizing tears were welling up in my eyes. Despite that, it felt good not to be alone. To have him there with me.

We quickly stepped apart when we heard a knock on the door. I turned around and found Alice, my mom's assistant, eyeing us with her serious gaze, her curly blonde hair pulled into a ponytail so tight it made me uncomfortable just to look at it. Of course, she would be here, I thought with a twinge of annoyance. She smiled, a cold and almost robotic smile.

"Welcome back, miss. Your mother is waiting for you in the dining room," she said, then turned and left, seemingly not even acknowledging Dave's presence.

I sighed, annoyed, feeling the anxiety in my chest rise in a wave of panic that subsided as soon as I felt Dave's fingers intertwining with mine again. He smiled at me reassuringly.

"Let's go," he murmured. "I guess it's time for me to meet your mom."

I stepped into the dining room hesitantly. It was funny how being near my mom always kind of intimidated me; she was everything I'd never been able to be, everything they expected me to be. I bit my lip as I spotted her, and she turned in our direction. 

My mother was probably the most beautiful woman I'd ever known, tall and statuesque like a model, with long, wavy black hair that reached her waist, a slim and charming face, and serious dark brown eyes. I was nothing like her — much more like my dad, shorter with brown hair, blue eyes, and a much less glamorous body.

"Eleanore," she murmured, with that familiar distinct accent blending Scottish and French. She walked toward me, holding my face in her hands, a faint hint of affection gleaming in her eyes before being replaced by disapproval. "Oh, God, what happened to your hair? Did you cut it yourself?"

"Leave the girl alone, Clémence," my dad spoke, sitting in one of the armchairs in the corner of the room, casually reading the day’s newspaper. He looked up, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "She's old enough to know how to take care of herself."

My mom pursed her lips slightly, then let go of my face. She shifted her attention to Dave.

"You must be David," she spoke resolutely. I could see the disapproval in her eyes shifting from me to him, like he was a pet she didn't really like but had to put up with. If Dave caught onto that, he hid it well. For the first time since we had met, he was completely serious, which probably meant he was a bit on edge. "Well, come along. Dinner is ready. We were waiting for you."

We sat down for dinner, and my nerves were all over the place. I could hardly taste the food, and it seemed like Dave was in the same boat. I reached under the table, giving his knee a reassuring caress. He shot me a smile.

"So, Dave... You're one of Cliff's friends, huh?" my dad asked.

I noticed Dave's jaw tense a bit, but he managed a polite smile.

"Yep, we used to share a place. That's how I got to know Nore."

"And what do you do? Are you a musician too? You know, I have a pretty large vinyl collection here at home. Love music. Always wished I had the time to pick up the drums," my dad kept the conversation rolling with a grin, and I could see some of the tension in Dave fading away.

They chatted about music for the rest of the dinner, and slowly, I started to ease up. Mom stayed pretty quiet, her eyes bouncing between me and Dave like she was trying to figure us out. But Dad seemed genuinely interested in getting to know my boyfriend better. By the time dessert was served, I almost felt like we were a normal family again.

When we finished eating, we cruised back to the living room. Dad and Dave went straight to the vinyl collection, and Dad put on a Led Zeppelin album, the music filling the living room softly. That's when Mom got up, giving my arm a light touch.

"Come with me, Eleanore," she said in a low voice before heading to the garden. I hesitated, glancing at my dad and Dave, still deep in their conversation, then decided to trail after her.

We wandered through the backyard garden, the flower beds and trees soaking up the gentle glow from the property's lamps. Mom sparked a cigarette with a sigh, and we drifted in silence until we hit the pool area. She eased into one of the lounge chairs under the covered spot before looking at me.

"Take a seat," she motioned to the chair right across from hers.

"I'll pass," I muttered, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you always have to complicate things?" she asked, and a surge of anger bubbled in my chest. Classic mom move: the woman who couldn't go an hour without emphasizing how I was a screw-up.

"Does Dad know you picked up smoking again?" I asked, a bit acidly. She looked up at me, a small, cold smile playing on her face. I knew my mom; she could front like she was flawless, but she had her flaws, just like I did. At least I owned up to mine.

"I smoke when I need to focus.You know how insane the end of the year gets at your grandfather's company," she shot back, sidestepping my question. "Or you would know if you cared about the family business instead of living in your love fantasy."

"My relationship is not a fantasy," I frowned, and she scoffed.

"If you say so," she flicked the cigarette butt to the ground, crushing it with the tip of her heel. "So, you know your dad and I just got back from Europe. I talked with your grandfather, and we came up with an idea... Oh, please, Eleanore, spare me that face. You haven't even heard what I have to say!" I tried to hide the displeasure that surfaced on my face. Nothing good ever followed when my mom claimed to have an idea. Never. "Well, as I was saying. Your dad and I think it's time for you to invest a little more in your future."

"Not this again," I grumbled. "Mom, I don't want to go to Law School!"

"I'm not asking you to!" she retorted, her tone sharp and irritated. Then she sighed, as if making an effort to calm down. "Look, we know you love art. You were part of the Theater Club in school, and you enjoyed your drawing classes so much! But I don't want my daughter to just finish high school and call it a day. It wouldn't be suitable ."

"And what's your deal, then?" I asked, getting a bit defensive. Until now, Mom didn't seem to be pushing me into anything specific, but I knew she never dangled anything remotely cool in front of me without expecting something in return.

"Your father and I are willing to pay for any course you want, at any university you want. What do you say?" she asked, a slight grin playing on her lips, but her eyes stayed icy. "You can study wherever you want! You can be close to your cousin, your new friends, your... boyfriend. Pursue the arts career you want. But," she raised an eyebrow. "you have to be aware of your role in the family business. So, you'll get involved in the day-to-day routine, learn the ropes, and be ready to handle everything when your father and I aren't around to pamper you. Fair deal, right?"

I blinked, seriously caught off guard. That was too much to take in at once. First thing slamming me was anger—what did she mean by her and my dad being here to pamper me? Weren't they the ones who kicked me out? Cut off all ties? And now, they popped back into my life, not because they missed me or anything, but to wheel and deal for the family name and business—that was their concern. Concern that grandpa's "empire" wouldn't last with me at the wheel. Concern that I wouldn't know the ropes when the time came.

On the flip side, it was kind of a tempting offer. I mean, having my parents backing my dreams would be awesome, even with a few strings attached. I used to dream about more than just ringing up customers in record stores; I missed the days when I had time to create , to be part of something. But, if I went for it, what would it mean for me and Dave? Would we drift even further apart?

I didn't want to dive into that mess. Too many details, too many what-ifs.

"You don't have to figure it all out now," Mom said, her tone soft, like she was reading my mind. "Whenever you want, Eleanore, you can come back home. We'll work things out then, okay? Just take your time."

With that, she got up and casually walked back inside, leaving me to grapple with my thoughts.

[boosmidnighthour]

[WIP] Meet the Victims (Part 1) Screenplay

Here's what I have for the first episode of the rewrite. Mind you, I've been avoiding it for months, and at least half of it is just copied and edited from the actual episode. It's also not finished.

I decided to delete the scenes with the audition tapes, so if it feels more rushed than the actual episode's introduction scene, that might be why. I did this because I want the reader to get to know the characters and their goals, instead of having it spout out at you in 5 second intervals. Plus, a few of the characters didn't get an audition tape scene, so I just think it's only fair. Some of the lines are rewritten, though, so I do suggest you still read it.

I'm also fairly new to writing outside of like... regular fanfiction writing. So, yeah. Have fun!

Chris McLean: Back to the rundown cabins, hungry bears, hungrier bugs, the stinky outhouse where contestants confess their secrets, Chef’s disgusting food… What more could a teenager want? 15 years ago, this is where it all began, and I intend to bring back the good ol’ days. 

*Chris walks into the camera’s view*

Chris: Today’s 16 new contestants arrive, and battle to be the last one standing and win 1. Million. Dollars! But winning won’t be easy. This isn’t just a reboot, it’s a re-boot to the face! [Smug laugh]

*Camera pans to Chef, who looks unimpressed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes*

Chris: *Mutters* Someone doesn’t know a good joke when he hears one… *Clears his throat* Anyway… *Points to the camera with his signature smile* Crazier challenges and deadlier dares, all hosted on today’s show. I’m your host, Chris McLean, and welcome back to Total. Drama. Island!

☆☆☆

SCENE: Dock of Shame

Chris McLean: Unlike the first season of this show, this cast of… interesting characters knows what they’re getting into. This time, they’re willingly coming to this crummy camp. *Wrinkles his nose in disgust* Can you believe that?

Chris: Now, here comes the first victim- I mean… camper. First up-

*Chris points to the first to arrive and the camera sweeps in that direction, focusing on Millie*

Chris: Welcome, Millie! Just over here is fine. *Gestures to the dock*

Millie: *Steps off the boat once it has stopped at the dock*

Chris: Next up-

Chris: Axel!

Axel: *Throws gear onto dock*

Chris: Wow, you came prepared for… everything. Perfect~ *Smiles smugly* Over there please! Next up-

Chris: Priya.

Priya: Wow! I can’t believe I’m actually here! I can’t wait for my very first Total Drama challenge. I’ve always wondered what it would actually be like. I bet we’ll have to dive off the cliff like in the first Total Drama season and All Stars. It’s always some sort of physically challenging… *Gestures awkwardly* challenge the first episode-

Chris: All Total Drama challenges are physically demanding. It’s a bonus if it's mentally straining, too. *Chuckles ominously* Join your fellow campers.

Priya: *Walks over and stands by Millie*

Millie: … How long have you watched this show? You seem to know more about it than the average person, at least from my school.

Priya: Oh- uh, I’ve always watched this show. My parents love it to death.

Millie: Interesting…

Chris: Next up, all around fun dude-

Chris: Zee!

Zee: Chri-hi-hi-is, my man! Bring it in! *Walks towards Chris to give him hug*

Chris: *Stops him* Nope! Welcome to the island. *Gestures to the other campers* I hope you enjoy your stay. *Snickers to himself before collecting himself* Our next camper is-

Chris: Ripper.

Ripper: *Jumps off of his boat and onto the dock* Time for beast mode! *Rips shirt off and flexes his muscles*

Priya: *Looking disgusted* Oh- oh my…

Millie: *Looking disgusted and unimpressed* Ugh…

Axel: *One hundred mile glare*

Zee: *Takes a loud sip of his soda*

Ripper: *Makes his way over to the collected four* Take a long, dreamy gander, ladies, ‘cause once I win the million bucks, I’ll be outta your league.

Chris: I don’t see a suitcase. Was that your only shirt?

Ripper: Ah, man!

Chris: We’ll find you something. *Turns back to the camera* Next up-

Chris: Damien!

Damien: *Makes his way off the boat and onto the dock very carefully, before making his way over to Chris* Ay, wassup, man! I’m here for that million bucks. Where it at?

Chris: *Frowns* We don’t just give it to you. You- you have seen this show before, right?

Damien: Nope! How do I get the money?

Chris: *Smiles evilly* Oh-ho-ho, you are gonna be fun! Go meet your fellow campers; I’m sure they’ll happily inform you.

Chris: Speaking of fun-

Chris: Here comes Lauren!

Lauren: *Giggling evilly*

Chris: Welcome!

Lauren: You should stop looking at me.

Chris: *Covers his eyes* Well, then. Right over there, please! *Gestures vaguely where he thinks the other campers are before continuing* Let’s look at our next camper-

Chris: Bowie!

Bowie: *Cleaning his heart sunglasses as he walks down the dock with his bag* *Smiles at Chris confidently* Chris. *Continues over to the other campers*

Chris: *Rolls his eyes before continuing* Next up, Emma!

Emma: Chris, it’s so good to be here! I can’t wait to-

Chris: Oh! Here comes Chase!

Emma: *Eye twitches* What-

Chase: *Water-skiing from the boat bringing him in* WHOO-HOO-HOO-HOO! *Hops up off of the skis and onto the dock, throwing off his safety jacket*

Emma: *Fuming* What. Is he. Doing here?!

Chase: Babe?

Emma: Ugh! *Tries to attack him, but Chris catches her*

Bowie: Ooh. *Mutters to Ripper* I like this one… 

Chris: *Leading Emma away from Chase* Wow. Wow! In. Tense. *Looking at the camera smugly* You’d almost think we brought you both here on purpose! *Winks at the camera* Up next? Mary Kate.

Mary Kate: *Walks by with her bags, hands in her jacket pockets* It’s just MK.

Chris: *Shrugs* MK, just over there, please! And now *Sighs dreamily* Caleb…

Caleb: *Smirks to the camera*

Priya: Oh my…

Bowie: *Staring dreamily*

Emma: W-Woah…

Intern: *Staring at Caleb* *Accidentally crashes boat onto the beach* Wow. Sorry, I- I just… I’ve never seen anyone as handsome as you!

Caleb: No worries. Happens all the time.

Zee: Wow, it’s pretty clear who’s gonna win this thing. *Mutters to Priya* Twenty bucks on that guy.

Priya: Betting against yourself seems wrong…

Zee: Dis-oh-gree! If I win, I get the million. But if I don’t, and he does, I make twenty bucks.

Priya: *Just shakes her head in disbelief*

Chris: Our next two players came as a package deal. All the way from Northern Alberta, Wayne and Raj!

Raj: *Looks down towards the lake* Duuude; imagine winter time. This lake turning to ice…

Wayne: *Joins him on the edge of the boat* Biggest hockey rink ever, bro!

Raj and Wayne: *Laugh as they jump onto the dock*

Raj: ‘Sup, man; we’re here, eh!

Chris: *Gestures to the rest of the campers* Boys, go set your stuff down and meet your fellow campers. *Looks back to the camera* Our next camper is a bit of a big deal. Welcome… Nichelle Ladonna!

Nichelle: *Has somehow arrived unnoticed until now* Yes! *Swipes her hair back confidently* Hi; it’s me!

Bowie: *Gasps* Nichelle Ladonna?! Star of the hit TV show, Hot Team Ninja Detective Squad!

Emma: I loved her in Gorgeous People High.

Priya: *Whispering to herself* Be cool. Be cool. Be cool- *Starts waving her arms and hands around excitedly, nearly hitting Zee* O.M.G. I am literally the biggest fan ever!

Nichelle: *Checking her nails* … M-kay.

Priya: *Cringes, quietly playing with her fingers*

Chris: Now, here is our next arrival. Welcome, Julia! You can join the others-

Julia: *Wraps arm around Chris’s shoulders while holding her phone out* Sorry! Could youuuuu… *Takes selfie with him* Thanks. *Walks away texting* “Growing! #My journey begins!”

Chris: *Blocks her from joining the other campers* Um, remember the legal blah blah contract you signed? *Pulls out folder that probably holds that contract* There was that bit about no phones on the island?

Julia: *Looks around in confusion* But… how am I supposed to grow as a person if I’m not telling my followers I’m growing as a person?

Chris: That is a question for someone who cares about that question. *Chef walks up to them with a box* Give Chef your phone, please.

Julia: Fine. I’m stronger than you think!

Chris: Wonderful. *Smiles deviously* Now all your phones.

Julia: *Freezes before turning back to the box* *Drops two more phones into the box* That’s it. I swear on the planet.

Chris: *Pulls out a security metal detector* On the planet, huh? *Swipes the detector over Julia until it buzzes* Wow.

Julia: *Puts another phone into the box* Bye, babies! Don’t worry; mommy will be back for you.

Chris: Don’t fret! Your phones will be safe… at the bottom of this lake.

Chef: *Chucks the box of phones into the lake like a football, causing Julia to scream and Chase + Priya to cringe*

Chris: *Smiling* Now I think I have a pretty good idea of who will mesh well with who, so we’ll split you guys into your teams now! Chef, go grab the flags.

Chris: I think most of you know how the game works, but let’s go over the basics while we wait for Chef. Obviously, your teams will be competing against each other. Whichever team wins a challenge, you’ll all be safe. However, the losing team will attend a marshmallow ceremony at the campfire. There, you’ll vote off one of your teammates and send them home on the Drone of Despair.

Chef: *Returns with two flags, one red and the other green*

Chris: Finally!

Chef: Keep it up and you’ll be short a host.

Chris: Okay, okay. *Turns his attention back to the campers* Axel, Ripper, Priya, Millie, Chase, Lauren, Damien, Zee. You will all be known as… the Ferocious Trout!

Chef: *Gives Priya the red flag*

Priya: *Excitedly grips the flag and bounces foot to foot* Thanks, Chef!

Chris: Emma, Raj, Wayne, Caleb, MK, Bowie, Julia, Nichelle. Your team is called… the Deadly Frogs!

Chef: *Gives Emma the green flag*

Emma: Whatever, fine. At least I’m not stuck with him. *Glares at Chase*

Chase: *Doesn’t notice*

Wayne: *Laughs at the Ferocious Trout* Guess that makes that… the other team, then. *Smirks confidently* Whatcha think, Rajie?

Raj: *Snickers* I’d be more impressed with a clogged toilet.

Ripper: Oh, yeah, well… you two aren’t… you-you’re both… then- look out ‘cause-

Raj: Oh no! I think this half naked one’s broken! *Laughs*

Wayne: Oh, be nice, Rajie! Maybe it’s his first day with a new mouth hole! *Laughs with Raj*

Ripper: *Walks towards the two as he growls angrily*

Axel: *Looks unimpressed and stops Ripper* Save it for the game.

Ripper: *Points sharply at Axel* Don’t tell me what to do!

Axel: *Growls angrily at him*

Ripper: *Backs off* … I’m gonna save it for the game.

Chris: Excellent! *Sighs happily* I get such joy seeing you all accomplish nothing except hurting yourselves… for everyone’s entertainment.

Damien: *Laughs nervously* Sorry, uh… hurting ourselves? *Doesn’t notice Lauren smiling creepily behind him*

Chris: *Whispers to Chef* He’s never seen the show.

Chef: *Shakes his head with a heavy sigh* This kid’s gonna die…

Damien: WHAT-

Chris: There are two cabins just over there, which I’m sure you know of. Go hang your flags on the flag poles and settle in. We’ll meet back up at the campfire at noon for your first challenge. Were there any questions?

Ripper: *Suggestively* Are the cabins co-ed? *Laughs, before Axel drops her bag on his toes* Ow!

Axel: Can I vote now?

Millie: I assume challenges get postponed if it’s too hot-

Lauren: Can I switch to the team that has “deadly” in the name-

Zee: Ah- what if I don’t have a question?!

Damien: DIE?!-

Chris: *Blows air horn, wearing headphones* Time’s up! No more questions. *Snickers* Goodbye~

☆☆☆

SCENE: Outside Cabins

Emma: *In front of the Deadly Frogs’ cabin’s flag pole, looking at the flag in her hand* … How are we supposed to get the flag up there?

MK: *Sarcastically* All you gotta do is learn how to fly. *Walks past to get to the cabin*

Emma: *Rolls her eyes with a laugh* Gee, helpful. *Looks to Nichelle hopefully*

Nichelle: *Looks off to the side, pretending not to see her as she also makes her way to the cabin*

Emma: *Deflates* Ugh!

Chase: *Walks over* Aw, don’t worry, babe! I got it-

Emma: *Glares at him* No you don’t. We’re on different teams. Go put your flag up.

Chase: Well, I totally would, but…

Priya: *Has already parkoured up the flagpole and gotten it hung up with a victorious little cheer*

Emma: *In awe* Wow… if only we had a trained camper on our team…

Chase: *Smirks* We?

Emma: *Glares at him again* Yeah, we. As in me and my team. Not you! Go away!

Chase: Aw, c’mon, you know what you meant-

Bowie: *Has finally reached the flagpole* Oh, buzz off, Trout. Go get comfortable while you can.

Chase: *Scoffs before finally slinking away*

Emma: *Sighs in relief and looks up at Bowie with a grateful smile* Thank you.

Bowie: *Smiles* Don’t worry about it. We have other things to worry about.

Wayne: *Walks up with Raj, placing his bags down* Ah, we got it, eh?

Raj: *Takes the flag from Emma* Go high, Wayner!

Wayne: *Climbs the flagpole with ease and catches the thrown flag before hanging it up*

Bowie: Wow. I thought you guys were hockey jocks. Where’d you learn that?

Raj: *Laughs* Wayner and I used to hang the loser team’s underpants after a game. We’d gather them up before they got a chance to leave the ice, put them in a bag, and then find the highest place to put them, eh. Wayne learned how to climb so that it made it easier. You should see their faces when they find out their underpants have gone missing. They spend hours looking for them.

Wayne: If I had my phone, I’d totally show you pictures.

Bowie: *Snickers* Impressive.

Emma: You should totally teach me that. I could use it on Chase!

Bowie: What’s up with that, anyway?

Emma: Ugh- I don’t want to talk about it.

Wayne: C’mon- let’s go pick our bunks. First one there gets the top bunk! *Runs to the cabin with a laugh*

Raj: Hey! *Scoops up their bags* No fair! Stop cheating!

Bowie: *Sighs* I should go make sure they don’t die going up the stairs.

Emma: *Rolls her eyes with an amused huff* Have fun with that.

☆☆☆

SCENE: Inside Deadly Frogs’ Cabin [Boy’s Side]

Wayne: *Runs into the cabin with a victorious hoot* Ha! I win!

Raj: *Runs in after and throws their bags onto one of the beds* That’s because you cheated, cheater! *Tackles him to the floor with a laugh*

Bowie: *Walks in seeing the boys roughhousing on the wooden floor* *Rolls his eyes with a snicker* Boys… *Walks to the middle of the room with a hum*

Raj: *Pins Wayne to the floor before looking up* Oh, hey- uh…

Bowie: Bowie. Which one are you? Wayne or Raj?

Raj: Raj!

Bowie: Raj… okay. *Looks around the room again, before walking over to the bunk the other two’s bags are on* You boys mind if I take this bunk instead?

Wayne: Nah, go ahead, eh. *Takes advantage of Raj’s pause and flips them over with a triumphant laugh* I win again!

Raj: Oof- stop cheating, bro! *Struggles longer before huffing in defeat* Get off, eh! Lemme breathe!

Wayne: *Gets off of him before getting their bags off the bunk Bowie has claimed* Here, lemme get these for ya before my buddy here breaks his arm trying.

Raj: It was one time!

Bowie: *Shakes his head* You two sure are something. *Places his bag on the bunk*

☆☆☆

And that's all for now. 10 pages in, around 9 to 10 more to go. (The intro would count as a minute, and each episode is technically 20 minutes because of that, minus the credits.)

I'm liking it so far, minus the copy and pasted parts in the intro scene, but I'm so bad at introductions, so I can't really blame the writers for how awkward it feels. I'm having a hard time coming up with things for the characters to do after this stopping point (remember, this is the episode where the characters are going to interact before the challenge next episode). I feel like the scenes are a little rushed, but that's nothing a little narrative writing won't fix later on down the line.

Let me know what y'all think. Critiques and ideas are always welcome!

[kiefbowl]

Not the same anon but re : HIMYM. My god. My god I could write a book on the horrid misogyny in this goddamn show. The waving away that Barney is a fucking rapist (rape by deception). The fact that lily went from aspiring artist to breeding housewife to marshal, who of course got to fulfill all of his dreams as a judge while she stays at home, unfulfilled. Ted who is the most boring mediocre man of all time yet expects his perfect little wife to be perfect in every way.

I could BARF anytime I think back on this show

It's actually fascinating to me re: Marshall/Lily that the writers seemed to lose interest in their drama and conflicts. I think one of the big reasons HIMYM was lauded in the first season and really gave it an oomph in the second was the fact that Lily leaves Marshall! It not something typically done in a sitcom, it was very compelling writing and it paralleled nicely with Ted/Robin's story (not only because they got together, but because we the audience know that Marshall and Lily are quote unquote soulmates, and Ted and Robin are not...at least at the time of writing it).

The story role of Marshall/Lily and Barney switch places at some point. The pathos of Barney's character truly doesn't matter in the first two and a half seasons. He's comic relief, he's player C for the B-plot. Very normal in a sitcom, you have five main players so you can pair two characters in the A plot (or the B plot sometimes), and the other 3 characters are doing the B-plot (or sometimes the A plot). One of the five tends to be, you know, the goof guy. He's not integral to the main over arching story, he comes in to be an imp and cause mischief and be a catalyst for some mayhem. Barney is clearly specifically written in that archetype from the very beginning. Now as sitcoms go on, these "fifth guys" do tend to have their role expanded and we will get more insight into the drama of their lives. They rarely get to be "promoted" as Barney did, even if they are a huge break-out character, like Barney was. Sometime the "fifth guy" is so break-out they become the main character, but that tends to make the sitcom very zany!! We're going to sea world! We're going to SPPPAAACE!!! etc. Barney wasn't made the lead, but his story was promoted. Marshall and Lily's dramas were then demoted.

This was a mistake, because Marshall and Lily were given a lot of story lines that weren't appropriate for Ted but fit into the theme of the show (the theme being "how are you still growing up in your 30s in the 2000s"). When should we have a family, what are our careers going to be, what have we lost by being each other's "only ones", did we choose New York, debt...these were interesting story beats for a sitcom.

I also have a conspiracy the writers were secretly torturing Jason Segel. They didn't actually care about Ted and Robin, they just wanted to make PG Saw Traps for Jason Segel. At some point the writers said "fuck our original vision, I personally want to make Jason Segel suffer." In season 8 they made him break the fourth wall (a thing they only did ONCE before to great effect) like six times already!!!! They want to kill that man!!! They wanted Jason Segel to die!!! They made Jason Segel show up to set at gun point and then gave him a doo doo garbage script on purpose!!!

Joking aside, yes it's atrocious they didn't use Marvin (the baby) as a jumping off point for Lily's career story. We had to spend time farting around about Barney getting a dog wing man (painfully unfunny) instead of spending some time with Lily's anxieties again (it's been well established and set up!!) that becoming a mother has put her that further out of reach of her art career. Again, haven't finished, but I don't think they really go back to this story beat.

only theory that makes sense is that they wanted Jason Segel to jump off a cliff and tried their hardest by making the most dookie hot garbage scripts they could think of.

[intertexts]

EPISODE 6 TRIVIA aka YAYY FANTASY BULLSHIT WORLD:

- PRIME DEFENDERS DND CHARACTER SHEETS COMING SOON BABYYYY

- this was all the way leading up to a split the party scenario where vyncent would have gone with minerva on his own BUT that changed all because she said ONE LINE that sounded sus that made charlie immediately like "nope no we cant let him go by himself"

- EVERYBODY LOVES WORMY !!!! "i hope wormy like snuck onto one of our pant legs or something. i want wormy with us always"

- wormy the worm is like this campaign's goobleck (<< context: goobleck was a temporary player character in riptide when gillion went missing and when goobleck stopped . being needed . i guess. he split into like a million pieces and has tiny versions of himself across the entire multiverse goobleck is canon in every campaign. in riptide he lives in the floorboards of the ship and occasionally says things. i only explain this bc im pretty sure they make a goobleck joke in pd at one point but i cant remember when)

- at the end of the episode grizzly said "it was really hard not to say 'vyncent you better come back soon before william falls in love with me'"

- some cool powers the toy guy had that bizly didnt get to show off: a barrel of monkeys that would hinder, immobilize or paralyze; wind up robot toy with a DC 20 WILL CHECK because it makes this loud screeching sound; and a couple more that he didnt say because theyre cool and he might use them later :]

- bizly likes to sit on his roof when he writes. this is SO REAL of him. also when he writes the beginning of an episode he actually draws out a little comic book format and writes in the panels whats happening in each of them. i think thats such a cool process

- they rolled for stats but ended up scrapping those numbers because charlie rolled SO BAD (unsurprising) and it made bizly nervous bc "if you die in the dnd world. you die. none of the bs mutants and masterminds death rules we are playing dnd full tilt william wisp WILL BE DEAD FOR REAL"

you know what i'm SO glad charlie was like "nope no we cant let him go by himself" because LITERALLY as soon as she said that line i also was like oh FUCK no they can NOT let him go alone with this strange lady through the hell portal. so glad they didn't split the party man.

I LOVE WORMY.. he is my favorite too.. also delighted by this goobleck lore?? also dakota third wheelisms 2 their bullshit will never not be funny 2 me. god. he's so real its so delightful.

+ thats so fun......... thats such a cool process i like it sm!! he's so good at specifically like, the visuals & framing of every scene it's always so evocative so kind of storyboarding it like that makes a lot of sense 2 me... i LOVE hearing gm thought processes so this is awesome yayyyy :]

ALSO SHAKING U. YEAH THIS WAS WILD TO READ FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE WILLIAM WISP JUMPS OFF A CLIFF HOLDING ONTO SOME GUY AND ALMOST FUCKING DIES. head in hands. great timing!!!

[queen-tashie]

Writing Whispers

Tagged by @mrbexwrites (go check out her post!)

Rules: find a few paragraphs of writing from as long ago as you can. Re-write them how you would now.

Leaving this one as an open tag today! :)

I actually have a good comparison project from my very first attempt at writing (and finishing) a novel!) It's from an old high fantasy project that I never did quite get round to finishing, but did attempt to re-write one NaNo a few years back.

2008 - from the first novel I ever tried to write, so early on before I really understood what writing meant to me that I didn't even have a placeholder name for this story, the file is literally called "Second Draft Novel." It's also not a second draft haha, just a second attempt at it with a different starting angle. (bonus points if you can manage to understand what the characters are from this excerpt)

Valdore flew up into the air. Arian jumped up after him. Failias followed Valdore, trying to block whatever Arian might do to harm his brother. Arian spun around and did a swift kick, knocking Failias to the ground. He jumped up after recovering and head butted him in the stomach. Arian winced, but wasn’t shaken by it . He flew towards Failias, and grabbed him by the neck with both hands. Arian hurled him into some rocks on the river, making a loud cracking noise. Failias went limp. Valdore, who had been flying up very high, dove straight at Arian. He dodged it with amazing speed. Valdore almost hit the ground, then turned around to find his brother right behind him. Valdore was pinned to the ground, unable to move. His head begun hurting terribly again. The scab had come off and he was bleeding.

2023 - how I'd write it now (if I decided it was a good idea to try to resurrect this horrible idea XD)

Before Failias could stop him, Arian threw his weight at him with a kick, knocking Failias to the ground. Arian wasn't letting his brother escape this time. Failias kicked off the ground after Arian, gaining on him quicker than Arian had expected. With thick horns, Failias headbutted Arian in the gut, stopping him dead in the air and knocking the wind from his lungs. Arian gasped for breath as he grappled with the bastard, the father that abandoned him. No, he was his father no longer, just an obstacle between him and Valdore, his brother. When he caught his breath, he spun in them the air, still connected to Failias but his grip was faltering. He gained momentum enough to throw Failias from his grasp, sending his back into the cliffside below. He impacted the cliff with a crack and went limp as he fell to the river below. Suddenly Valdore was on top of Arian, clawing at his eyes and neck. Arian tried to shake him, but Valdore pressed on, driving the two of them towards the ground. Just before impact, Arian rolled in the air, placing his brother between him and the earth. The impact still hurt. A lot. But Valdore took the brunt of it, and judging by the massive wound in his skull, Arian had finally succeeded.