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itsclydebitches · 4 years ago

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re: that ask you posted a couple days ago about the male and female representation in RWBY, part of what makes RWBY's whole 'girl power' thing ring exceptionally hollow to me is the fact that there are like... no women in positions of real power in remnant. like at all. except the big bad.

winter is second in command to james. glynda is second in command to ozpin. all of the headmasters are men (for no discernible reason, imo; why theodore and not dorothea?). the leader of the ace ops was a white man (and then winter seemed to take over clover's position instead of either of the women of color on the team, and she was still second to james). RWBY is an all girl team, but JNPR was led by a boy despite a girl arguably being far more qualified (pyrrha). the happy huntresses are all women, and robyn had no real power to speak of--she didn't even manage to win the election, because jacques rigged it, and then the council ceased to matter. there was one (1) woman on the council, but she was so inconsequential that i can't even remember her name. (i suppose we're lucky it was the guy and not her who james shot lol) jacques controls the SDC instead of willow, even though he's not even a schnee by blood and actually married into the family for power. (and we don't even know how he got it over his wife.)

and then there's the white fang, which ghira led and not kali--and it's ghira who leads menagerie itself, while kali seems to be a housewife. sienna had five minutes of screentime before being brutally killed and her position assumed by adam, a man. cordovin is basically a one off lackey we haven't even thought about before or since. neo was second to roman. you have cinder, sure, who is a second but to salem, a woman, and raven as the leader of the branwen tribe--but what does it really say about your 'girl power' narrative when the only women with genuine systemic power in your world are villains or antagonists with massive bodycounts??

atla has the same sort of problem--a couple great female characters, but all the leadership positions are men (except the kyoshi warriors, an all girls group, and even then the leader of their island is an old man) and the one female mentor figure also turns out to be evil--but it at least has some great writing to help overlook that fact, and it came out in the mid-00's and so has some sort of excuse of being a product of its time. but rwby didn't even start until 2013 and it's still going and still making these kinds of decisions well into 2021.

where is this supposed girl power, exactly? am i really supposed to overlook the very patriarchal worldbuilding just because the title characters are girls?

That's an excellent summary of the situation, anon, and as with so much in RWBY, it comes down to the full context. Any one of these examples isn't necessarily going to mean much on its own. It's when you look at the pattern that you can start making a case for those conclusions: Why is the show marketed on "girl power" set in a world where men hold the vast majority of that power? And, more importantly, why is that setup not the point? We could easily have a story where that lopsided gender dynamic is the problem that the girls are looking to fix, but... that story doesn't exist. Like the problems discussed with Jaune, the supposed point here exists only on the surface. Dig just the tinniest bit — the above — and you hit on a lot of structural problems with this "girl power" world.

To add just a few details to what you've already said:

Salem indeed has power, but she's never allowed to fully use it. Each volume the frustration with this grows as Salem accumulates more abilities and then just sits on them. From literally hiding out for a thousand years to worries that she won't use the Staff in Volumes 9-10, Salem really isn't allowed to be the threat she's presented as on the surface. And yes, this is absolutely due in part to the "She's too OP and the writers don't know how to let her be that powerful while still having the heroes win" issue, but again, context. That problem doesn't exclude others occurring simultaneously.

Same double explanation with Summer. Yes, dead moms are an incredibly common trauma to dump on a protagonist, but it still left Yang and Ruby with Tai as their primary influence. And Qrow. The uncle becomes the extended family influence while Raven is the absent one/eventual antagonist. It's personal power as opposed to political power, but Tai, Qrow, Ozpin, formerly James... most of the mentors are men. Maria, a key exception, has been ignored in that regard. The story announced that she was Qrow's inspiration, setup her being Ruby's new mentor, and then... nothing. Nothing has come of that. She disappeared for a volume and then went off to Amity and was literally forgotten by the story when evacuating everyone was the finale's whole point.

Like that Endgame moment I mentioned, the Happy Huntresses feel a little too forced to me. Yes, it's the same basic idea as in ATLA, but ATLA, as you say, has a lot more going for it. The Happy Huntresses feel... on the nose? Idk exactly how to explain it. Like, "Here they are! Another team of all women! Isn't this how progressive storytelling works? Just ignore how this is a one-off team of minor characters compared to the world building issues discussed above." And if you're not paying attention, you miss just how insignificant they are, with a side of Robyn being, well, Robyn. The Kyoshi Warriors, at least, are based off of Kyoshi. A woman avatar who is a significant part of their history. That is, presumably, why they're an all women warrior group (but who notably still teach Sokka). The Happy Huntresses are all huntresses because...? There's no reason except that meta "We want to look progressive" explanation. Just like having all the women superheroes team up for a hot second so people get excited and ignore the representation problems across, what? 21 films? Don't get me wrong, I love that May is among the Happy Huntresses. I think including her in the explicitly all-women group was one of the better things RWBY has done in a long time, but the rest is still a mess.

RWBY is arguably about these smaller groups as opposed to systematic power (despite the writers trying to work that in with things like the White Fang and the election. Not to mention the implication that everything in Atlas is fine now that evil Ironwood has died and taken the symbol of wealth (the city) with him. We saw a human holding hands with a faunus after all. Racism and corruption solved, I guess.) So yes, our group is dominated by women... but Whitley is the one saving Nora, helping to defeat the Hound (plus Willow), thinking of the airships, and providing the blueprints they need to escape. Salem is our Big Bad, except Ironwood is the one the volume focuses on. Ruby is our leader, but Jaune is the one leading the group into the whale and getting praised for how heroic he is. Ren does more to shake things up, even if he's painted as the one in the wrong. Oscar gets to confront Salem and destroys the whale threat. Ozpin provides the information they need to evacuate. Meanwhile, when the girls do things in Volume 8 it's almost always followed by a long-stint of passiveness. Nora opens the door so she can be unconscious for most of the volume. Penny keeps Amity up so she can also be unconscious for a good chunk of time. Ruby sends her message and then sits in a mansion. Blake fights so she can tearfully beg Ruby to save her. Weiss, as said, takes a backseat to Whitley (and Klein). They forward the plot, absolutely, but comparatively it doesn't feel like enough.

It's that pattern then, no one specific example. More and more the personal power, not just the systematic power already built into Remnant, seems to be coming from the men. Not all the time, but enough that scenes like the tea drinking moment feel like a part of a much larger problem. Pietro taking control, Watts hacking, and Ambrosius literally remaking her when Penny is supposed to already be in control of herself and her fate. Winter being presented as the active mentor to Weiss, only to turn around and claim that Ironwood was actually responsible for everything. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and May straight up commenting on how awful things are out there while Yang, Jaune, Ren, and Oscar lead the charge against Salem — with the latter three doing the most to forward that mission (no fear, semblance, cane). As others have only half-joked, Yang's supposedly badass moment was bringing up a mother she's ignored for six volumes and briefly blowing up the immortal woman for a couple of seconds (with Ironwood's bombs). Even Marrow is arguably the most significant Ace Op after Clover. Vine isn't actually a character, Elm slightly less so, Harriet is there to go crazy and try to drop a bomb (notably before admitting to never-before-existed feelings for Clover), but Marrow? He's the one who breaks out. Who is meant to heroically stand up against Ironwood. Who comments on how awful it is that teenagers are fighting and, regardless of how messed up the moral messages are, is supposedly pushing for active change while all the women in his group, including Winter, insist on maintaining the status quo. Look at all these choices as a whole, it makes throwaway worldbuilding choices like "All the Maidens are women" feel pretty hollow. Why does it matter if Amber is a Maiden if she dies in a flashback so Ozpin can struggle to pass on the power? If Pyrrha dies before becoming one so Jaune can angst about it? If Raven is one and then disappears from the story entirely? If Winter has enough power to break Ironwood's aura, but supposedly had no power throughout every other choice she made getting here? If Penny is one, but is continually controlled by men and then asks another man to help her die? It's just really unconvincing, once you look past the surface excitement of a woman looking cool with magic powers.

When you do consider the whole of the story — both in terms of our world building and who is forwarding the plot in the latter volumes, getting the emotional focus, being proactive, etc. — there are a lot of problems that undermine the presumed message RT wants to write. They say, "girl power" by marketing RWBY with these four women, but too many of the storytelling decisions thoroughly undermine that, revealing what's likely a deeply ingrained, subconscious bias.

#rwde #rwby #mymetas

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bustyasianbeautiespod · 3 years ago

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Episode 1 Transcript: Not Exactly Like the Tom Bradys

G: Hello, everyone, this is post-edit Grey. I just wanna inform you all that for this episode and a couple of the few ones after this, the audio quality is not exactly the best. However, I hope you guys still stick around, because it does get better. Thank you!

[intro guitar music]

G: Hello! My name is Grey.

C: And my name is Crystal.

G: And this is Busty Asian Beauties, a Supernatural commentary podcast where I, someone who has seen the show several times

C: and I, someone who only knows the show through social media, discuss every single episode of Supernatural, from start to finish. Also, we are both Asian.

G: We are both Asian.

G: So, first episode of the show, the pilot. Crystal.

C: Yep.

G: Since you've never seen the show before, I am going to ask you: what do you think will this episode be like?

C: Okay, so I feel like I've seen honestly probably most of the plot of this episode through social media already. I know it starts with a flashback and Mary burning on the ceiling and John screaming, "Mary, Mary," whatever, and then we go to Sam at Stanford, and then Jess is there and she's hot. And then Dean shows up, and they have to go find their dad, and then there's like some creepy ghost lady or something-

G: You know so much!

C: - I guess they kill her at some point? I guess I assumed it would probably be through burning or something. And then Jess dies at the end of the episode. Yeah. So I feel like I know what happens in this episode already.

G: Yeah, sounds like.

C: Next episode, though, no clue.

G: Well next episode, we can't even say the name of, so, Supernatural, go!

C: Right. Next episode, redacted.

G: So let's start talking about the episode now. The intro screen, right? It changes every season. Did you know that?

C: Yes. I don't actually remember what the intro screen was for this episode, it wasn't particularly memorable.

G: It's very forgettable, yes, it's not memorable. It's just a black screen and "Supernatural" in bluish-white, so it's not significant. I suppose every season we have to talk about the intro screen.

C: Right.

G: So that's going to be our thing.

C: That sounds like a good idea. Graphic design is their passion.

G: Graphic design- [laughing]

G: First off, we open up in Lawrence, Kansas, and it's a happy family intro. Okay, I have a question. I have a question for literally every scene in this show. Do you, in your family,for example, do you put babies in another room?

C: I think like when I was little, my crib was in my parent's room for a bit.

G: Yeah, exactly!

C: Because it seems a lot easier to do that than to have a baby monitor set up next to your bed and get out of bed and walk to another room every time the baby's crying. Like I don't know what the point is.

G: Like what if the baby chokes in their sleep? You have to have the baby beside you! What if the baby has a demon feed them blood?

C: Exactly! Exactly! If the Winchesters were just Asian and kept Sam in their room, none of this would have happened.

G: So, Sam is in a separate room, and the clock stops, and the lights flicker-

C: Can we talk about the decor in his room, actually? Because he has this baby mobile, right? And you look up. And it's like little baseballs and baseball bats just hanging around? Like, what is with that? Like, they were like, "this is a boy baby, and therefore, instead of having cute animals like the average baby mobile, we're gonna have sports so he knows to sport"?

G: Yeah, it's a baby. It doesn't care about sports.

C: And then later, John asks Dean, "Hey, do you think Sammy's old enough to kick around a football?" which is like, a joke I guess, but Sam is six months old, stop making him kick around a football!

G: Okay. It was kinda cute, okay, Crystal?

C: Fine.

G: It was kind of cute, so I'll give them a pass.

C: Alright, this is just the establishing scene, right, and they decided the establishing fact about Sam is that he is boy and does sport.

G: Yes. [laughing] It doesn't do wonders for our trans Sam agenda, but

C: I guess they just knew early. At six months old, their afab little baby was like "I'm a boy now" and they were all like, really supportive.

G: So, Mary thinks that John is in the room, so she goes out, and I must say, the shadow effect in this episode is exceptional. It looks really good.

C: They did a good job with it.

G: Like, every time that they do a shadow scene, so like, the Dean-Sam fight scene later on, the one where they're in the staircase, it always looks gorgeous. It looks amazing. And Mary walking around looks amazing as well. And then, you know, it's the usual. She finds John in the living room, sleeping, and then she runs upstairs, a scream, and then John, and then- we all know what happens. This is the pilot episode of Supernatural! We all know what happens.

C: Right. He looks up, there's blood dripping on his hand, he looks up, it's Mary, stabbed to death on the ceiling. He screams, and she bursts into flames.

G: And then there's the iconic line, you forgot it!

C: Oh right. [in unison] "Take your brother outside and run-

G: -as fast as you can, now, Dean! Go!"

Dean takes Sam outside and they're sitting outside and there are firefighters everywhere, and then we cut to black, and it's Stanford! We are at Stanford. Present day.

C: Good for Sam. I don't know how he got his rec letters or how he got in without any extracurriculars, but I don't know, but maybe 2005- or I guess 2001 was when Sam applied? I guess maybe it was easier back then.

G: So we're at Stanford, and we see Jess, first and foremost. She's wearing a-

C: - sexy nurse outfit.

G: Sexy nurse outfit! And she looks hot.

C: Right, she does.

G: She looks amazing doing it.

C: And they specifically pan up from her legs, like they're trying really hard to sexualize her.

G: I actually did not notice that because I was looking at the foreground, at the Mary/John portrait. I was focusing on that, and I thought it was, you know, it's Mary and John! What more do you want?

C: The perfect marriage!

G: And then we have the iconic- it's not iconic, but the first line in the show by a main character, well I guess Dean spoke earlier, but by Sam. "Do I have to?" Which, you know.

C: Poor Sam.

G: Really embodies Sam's character. It's just "do I have to?" over and over again.

C: Sam's getting dragged around all this episode.

G: And then they go to a party and they talk about Sam's LSAT score, which I have no idea what a high LSAT score is. Do you?

C: No, what did Jess say it was? Like 176 or something?

G: 174.

C: I'm assuming the LSAT is out of 180, but I can check. Oh, yeah, it's 120 to 180, so 174 seems pretty good.

G: Good for him! Good for Sam.

C: Congrats, Sam.

G: And then, this is the beginning of one of our little segments inside the segment which is talking about the actual show, which is "Grey doesn't understand Americanisms." Because I don't, and there's a line here where Sam goes, "We're not exactly the Bradys," and then the dude he's talking to goes, "Well, we're not exactly-" and then a name that I did not catch. Do you have any idea what that means?

C: The Bradys is referencing The Brady Bunch, which I think is like a show- oh, okay, so Luis said, "I'm not exactly the Huxtables," and I've not heard of the Huxtables, but Urban Dictionary says-

G: I thought the Bradys were like, Tom Brady? Because he's the only Brady I know!

C: Oh, no, no. No, it's like, The Brady Bunch, I think it's like a family show where everyone's really close? Okay, so the Huxtables was a family on The Cosby Show and it's used to reference upper-middle-class Black people or families.

G: Oh, 'cause he's talking to a Black guy, yes?

C: Right, right, I guess Luis is Black and Sam is white, so he is talking about the Bradys and Luis is talking about the Huxtables-

G: Oh. I really thought it was Tom Brady! Because they talked about, like, home run, right? And that's- I'm sorry, that's a baseball thing, right?

C: Yeah, it's a baseball thing.

G: And Tom Brady is a baseball player.

C: Is he?

G: Or, I don't know, football? American football?

C: Yeah, he's a football player.

G: [laughing] I am failing at understanding references.

C: It's all good. Honestly, I'm not great at references either.

G: When I was younger, 'cause Dean spouts references, right? Like, later on, he also says references that I took note of. When I was younger, I thought the reason why I didn't get anything that Dean says is because I'm just young. I haven't been cultured enough, so that's why I don't get it, but now I'm like, "no, he just really says shit, though."

C: Yeah, he really just says shit.

G: Later on in the show, he really will just start referencing whatever. And you know Cas's famous line, like [in unison] "I don't understand that reference." I feel that incredibly deeply.

G: We have Jess and Sam sleeping for the next scene. They kiss, and then they go to bed and sleep.

C: Yeah, and they're sleeping back-to-back under no blankets in late October where it's probably cold! What are you doing?

G: For real? Amazing. And then we get the next shadow scene, as I say, which is Dean walking into the... dorm? Is this a dorm?

C: I think it's an apartment because if Sam's a senior, then he probably has the chance to live off-campus, and a dorm would not allow him to live with Jess, probably, like I think school dorms are usually quite separated by gender, so I think it's an apartment that he and Jess are renting.

G: We get the Sam and Dean first fight scene. Yes! And then we get the iconic-

C: I love how we're supposed to-

G: Sorry. Go on.

C: I love how we're supposed to be scared of Dean when we first see there's an intruder or something, but then you see his silhouette. He has his stupid spiked-up hair, and honestly probably his stupid prettyboy eyelashes in the silhouette; that is not a threatening figure.

G: Literally, like, he was doing a pout! He was doing a pout with his mouth! He was like, pouting! Like he's not threatening at all.

C: Like, I'm not scared of this little man, he's 26, dude!

G: We get the iconic line, the first adult Dean line, which is, "whoa, easy tiger." I love that line.

C: It's the Year of the Tiger, by the way! Right? So, very opportune.

G: Yes. We are in fact Asian and we know that it is about to be the year of the tiger.

C: Right. It's not started yet.

G: So we have Sam and Dean talking. A line that I noted there was Sam says, "You should've called." And then Dean says, "Well if I had called, would you have picked up?" which is like oooh. Ouch. I feel bad for Dean. So like, throughout this episode I was like, "Dean is so fucking annoying! Sam has an interview, don't you get that?" And then towards the end, when he was like, "okay, I'll drive you home," and then the shot of the camera is just showing him- It's weird, because I've never seen them do this shot again in the show, I don't think. The shot where Dean is sitting- we're skipping ahead, but that's fine. So the scene where Dean is sitting and the camera is literally perpendicular to him, I was like, "I've never seen this shot anywhere else in the show." It's weird that they only use it once, if they only really did use it once.

C: Yeah, maybe it's a pilot thing.

G: But also, it's weird 'cause it separates them, you don't see the brothers together. So I guess the whole point is the separation or whatever.

C: Yeah, yeah. Good catch.

G: And then Dean says the Smurf comment...

C: Right. Love a man whose third line is sexual harassment.

G: [laughing] Oh my god. And then Sam pulls this thing where he's like, "If you wanna talk to me, you have to talk to Jess, too," and Dean was like, "Dad's on a hunting trip, and he hasn't been home in a few days." And Sam's like, "Excuse us. We need to go outside." And it's like, “Sam, are you stupid?” Like, you know.

C: Like what did you think he was gonna say?

G: Yeah, what did you think?

C: "Hi, Sam, can I borrow some money?" Like what did you think was happening here?

So they go outside, right, yeah?

G: Yeah, they go outside, and we get exposition, exposition, exposition. "Ever since Mom died," blah blah blah.

C: The most unnatural dialog ever.

G: But at least it looks pretty! Compare it to season 15 of Supernatural.

C: Sam looks real pretty with the shadows on his face.

G: Yeah, he has the K-pop boy mullet hair cut-

C: [laughing] No, he literally does!

G: Like it's like a middle part and then a little bit of a mullet thing going on. He looks good! He looks pretty. But it is exposition. And Sam says, "You think Mom would have wanted this for us? He raised us like warriors." And I was like, ah!

C: Yeah, I never understood why they said "warriors" instead of "soldiers." Warriors sounds quite heroic and noble, soldiers sounds more like "ugh, we're sludging through the trenches."

G: Well, you know. Actually, I don't know. I have no idea why they said warriors instead of soldiers.

C: Yeah, I guess maybe they were still trying to set up the glorification of hunting even though Sam is currently against it?

G: Yeah, the heroism of it all. Dean asks Sam, "What, are you just gonna do this? Live a normal life?" And then Sam says [in unison] "Not normal, safe." Safe, yes. And then Dean's like, "You ran away! Is that why you ran away?" And then Sam says, "Dad told me that if I should go, I should stay gone." And like, agh! Sam! Because when I first watched Supernatural, I was a Deangirl. I loved Dean. I started watching Supernatural again last year from the start. Because usually I just pick episodes I like and then I watch those. But this time I was like "let's do it chronological." And watching Sam now that I'm older and closer to his age at the beginning of the show, I'm like, "Oh! This hits!" 'Cause like his plot, I understand now why a lot of people gravitate towards Sam in the first seasons. 'Cause his plot, just in this first episode, is just like, agh!

We get Dean saying that- he says, "I can do this alone, but I don't want to," which is such a Dean thesis statement.

C: It is, yeah.

G: And then we get the iconic "I'm 26, dude!" Like Sam's like, "Okay, tell me the lore."

C: [laughs] Iconic.

G: Well, he doesn't say "lore" yet.

C: Yeah, I don't think lore happens until later.

G: I can't wait for it. I'm looking forward to hearing Sam say the word lore for the first time.

C: Yeah, me too.

G: But Dean does list the lore.

C: And I'm also looking forward to "So, get this" as well.

G: Yeah. "So, get this"? Ah! Sam! And then he lays out the voicemail, and I wrote in my notes, "I do not care," because I really do not care about the plot. I do not care about the hunting plot of any episode of Supernatural. So in this podcast, if you're expecting us to go into detail about the hunting plot of every episode of Supernatural, well, unfortunately, we really only care about the characters.

C: Yeah, very very true. And I only really care about Cas, so it'll be until season 4 when I'm really engaged.

G: [laughing] So Dean's like, "It's been two years, I've never asked you for a thing."

C: Right, which is weird because college is four years.

G: Yeah, and Sam is a senior.

C: Right, I mean unless Sam sped through his classes...

G: I think it's been talked about. I've read about it, this is a mistake in the script. 'cause they were supposed to age down Sam and Dean, and then they aged them up, but they forgot to add the two years in the dialog. But because they said it already in canon, it is canon that for the first two years of college, Sam and Dean were in contact! That could be interesting. Of course they never explore it, but it could be interesting.

C: Right. Right. Is that the end of the conversation?

G: Yeah, I think so.

C: Sam's like "okay," and then goes back in and he's packing, and Jess is like, "Are you sure you wanna do this? You never talk about your family or you seem to have issues with them, tell me where you're going" and Sam's like, "It'll all be okay! And I'll totally make the interview!" And then- I don't know, was there an issue with the way it was shot? Because it seemed like he just totally abandoned his bag of knives on the bed and then just walked out empty-handed.

G: [laughing] I did not notice that at all. Maybe he just forgot. Maybe later on he'll come back.

C: And then Jess yells after him, "At least tell me where you're going!" and then it cuts.

G: It cuts to Jericho, California.

C: And Sam's gonna feel really bad about walking out on Jess by the end of this episode.

G: Yeah! At least they have that call in the middle. Is that even a call? That's a voicemail, right?

C: You don't say I love you at the end of a voicemail though, right?

G: Okay. Here's a fun fact. In my country, we don't have voice mails, so I've never received or given a voicemail. It's just never occurred, never happened. So I don't know the etiquette of voicemails.

C: Or, okay, maybe- I think maybe actually you do sometimes say I love you at the end of voicemails. Yeah, maybe Sam was just listening to a voicemail. It seemed weird that he didn't reply to the I love you, like that seems rude, so perhaps...

G: Perhaps it is a voice mail. So this is the last time they spoke to each other. That is so sad.

C: Right. Sam didn't answer the question, and he just left all his knives!

G: He just left without his knives!

C: What if Brady went and stabbed Jess with one of the knives Sam left behind?

G: You know what's interesting? You know about Brady, and I don't. I don't remember Brady at all. But I know who he is.

C: The Samgirls are really into him.

G: Yeah, I know. The Samgirl nation is really into Brady. Unfortunately, I am more of a Casgirl myself, so... But I love Sam. Let it be known by everyone that I love Sam.

C: Yeah. Let it be known by everyone that I love Cas.

G: So we go to Jericho, California, and we see a dude come across this woman in a white dress.

C: Right. And at first I was like "Why the fuck would you let her in? She looks gray!"

G: Because it's Halloween. It's Halloween.

C: Right, it's Halloween. He was like, "This woman has creepy vibes, but that is on purpose and not as a result of her ghostly nature."

G: So the guy is obviously flustered, and the girl asks the guy to come home with her.

C: Right. He stares at her boobs a lot and then says, "Hell yeah!"

G: Yeah, and her thighs... It's, it's, you know. It's a scene from Supernatural.

C: Yeah. It's a scene from Supernatural.

G: So, they stop-

C: Do we know why she's in that dress? 'cause I'm assuming she didn't kill herself while wearing her tits-out dress.

G: Yeah, I mean, is it a nightgown?

C: Is it a night gown? Are nightgowns usually this tits-out?

G: Because it's like, thematic if it's a nightgown because Mary dies in a nightgown. Jess does not wear a nightgown, but she dies in a nightgown, right?

C: She's in some kind of white dress. There's like a sash on it though, right?

G: Maybe it's an oversized shirt.

C: Yeah.

G: We're just making excuses for Supernatural at this point.

They stop at the house at the end of- and I highlighted this- Breckenridge Road. I don't know why. It's irrelevant. But the woman says, "I can never go home" and disappears. Ooh! Creepy! And then [laughs] a bat attacks the guy.

C: Right.

G: Which I thought was so funny. And then he goes running away in his car, ends up on a bridge, and we see a blood splatter.

C: Well, first there's like the panning shot from him in the driver's seat to her in the backseat and then her in the mirror, which I thought was a little classic horror move, but I thought it was fun. And then screaming, car shaking, blood, uh oh!

G: We cut to Sam and Dean... Okay. I have another Americanisms question. Do gas stations like this really exist?

C: I mean, that one looks pretty run down, like grimier than the gas stations I usually see.

G: Because like, this gas station looks like it's from fucking Red Dead Redemption. [C laughs] Like it looks so old and run down... Isn't that dangerous?

C: You know, it definitely looks like it got attacked by the Dust Bowl and then no one bothered to fix it afterwards.

G: And this is in California, right? California, what is California?

C: Yeah, California doesn't have dust bowls.

G: Is it a desert state?

C: Yeah, well it's called the Golden State, I think is the nickname, but yes, it is mostly desert and also-

G: Yeah, so maybe it is in the desert-y area of California.

C: Yeah. Yeah. That makes sense.

G: But all I was thinking was, "It looks dangerous." Like, it looks so dangerous.

C: Yeah, I don't think it's really up to building code standard.

G: And Sam is talking about credit card scams just like, out loud.

C: Right, and also like in the sloppiest exposition known to man after the first sloppy exposition of the episode.

G: Yes. So he's talking about scams out loud for everyone and God to hear. Just, out loud. And then he dunks on Dean's cassette collection, which is always funny. We get the iconic line, "Driver picks the music-

C: "-shotgun shuts his cakehole."

G: Yes, amazing. And then we get our- is this the first music cue? It is, right?

C: Maybe, yeah I think so.

G: Yeah. We get "Back in Black." Which is a good song, I must admit. I have rocked out to it multiple times after watching Supernatural when I was thirteen.

C: I feel like I haven't really listened to any music that was made before 2000? So, is ACDC- is "Back in Black" from after 2000?

G: ACDC, yes. It's an old song.

C: I've heard of ACDC. Okay, yeah, I just don't know classic rock, like at all.

G: I only know classic rock because I watched Supernatural [C: Supernatural!] young. Literally. You know what, a friend of mine, a British friend of mine was like, "You are the prime victim of the American dream." Because like, I watched Supernatural once, and immediately I'm like "I'm gonna listen to classic rock, I'm going to do all of these things that are considered American."

C: Ouch.

G: It's, yeah, yowch.

C: Yeah, instead of yassification, USAfication?

G: Yeah, it's very unfortunate. And you know, we are pushing back against the USAfication of Grey.

C: Yeah.

G: Okay. So they drive some more, and they end up [in unison] on the bridge.

C: And for some reason, all the blood splatter that was there before is gone.

G: Yeah, totally gone.

C: And they're like, "The car is completely clean, there's no sign of a struggle..."

G: The car is clean. There's nothing on it.

C: Do you think she just licked up all the blood? Like what do we think happened?

G: No, because like, if the body is gone, it's not a leap to say the ghost

C: - disappeared the blood -

G: Disappeared the blood as well. Because it is also part of the body, so.

C: Right. That is true.

G: Yeah. It's not a continuity error at all. So, you know, we have federal marshals telling Sam and Dean that they're too young and Dean saying, "Aw, that's awfully kind of you mister!" or something like that, which I was like, "Ah! This guy is charming." Unfortunately. [both laugh] Okay. So they talk a bit to the marshal about what's going on.

C: Dean has his ACAB moment.

G: Yeah. Do you remember the line?

C: "Well, that is exactly the kind of crack police work I'd expect out of you guys."

G: Yeah. [laughing]

C: And then Sam stamps on his foot. Very siblings.

G: Sam stamps on him. And afterwards, Dean hits him on the head and is like "What was that for?" It's like, it's very funny. It's very siblings. Like, I have done that with my siblings.

C: It is very siblings. Absolutely.

G: It's very fun to watch. And then, you know, they go out. They go looking for this girl.

C: Right. Troy's ex, Amy?

G: What's her name? Amy? Amy.

C: And they find her.

G: They say they're Troy's uncles? Did you catch that?

C: Right, yes. Which, like, you know what? Is fair, because I'm the aunt to people who are older than me 'cause my dad's the youngest out of seven siblings, but like...

G: Yeah. My mom's the youngest out of ten siblings.

C: Oh, wow, nice! High-five!

G: It's, it's you know. I have cousins that are super old. Like, older than my mom.

C: Yeah. I think I'm technically a grandmother? One of my nephews is in his twenties and had a baby?

G: Yeah. It's the natural order when you have a big family. It just happens. But like, would you introduce yourself as like "I am the grandmother," "I am the great-aunt," you know?

C: I would not. Like, cousins works so much better. I don't get it.

G: Yeah. We're his cousins! "We're his uncles"? You're 26, dude.

C: [laughs] Also, like, it's weird. Amy says "He never mentioned you to me," like how often do you talk about your uncles to your partner? Like, not often.

G: Yeah, that's why they were able to get away with it! So it's fine.

And, you know, they're talking in the cafe booth. And you know, they mention the pentagram, Sam mentions it's actually to ward off the devil, etc etc, and then Dean- there's only one thing that I remember from this scene, and it's that Dean says "ladies," like he calls the girls "ladies," and I find that so annoying.

C: I remember that too. Yeah, I was like- I think I wrote down "Dean misogyny tally number 2" or something.

G: It's so annoying! Don't- I don't know.

C: Yeah, it seems condescending.

G: Yeah, it is.

C: Right, and like, her boyfriend just died? Be a little nicer.

G: But they do have that cute moment where the girl- or Amy says, "Oh, they talk about... something" and then Sam and Dean both go "What do they talk about?" at the same time. And I was like, “Ah! Siblings.”

C: Siblings.

G: Look at them.

C: Yeah. Still in-sync after many years apart.

G: And then they go and research about what Amy said, which was that someone got murdered on Centennial. And then when researching-

C: Using the world's oldest Google-

G: Dean's researching, and he can't find jack shit. So Sam pushes him aside and does the research for him. Dean calls Sam a control freak,

C: Which is so ironic, given that Dean is absolutely the control freak.

G: They find out that-

C: Constance Welch-

G: Constance Welch committed suicide after her kids died-

C: Both her kids drowned in a bathtub or something.

G: Yeah, her kids died on the bathtub, she died on the bridge.

C: Oh my god, wait, sorry, um, I'm looking at the transcript now, and it says that the last line of the article is, "'Connie might have been quiet, but she was the sweetest, most caring girl I ever knew,' said Deanna Kripke, a neighbor"!

G: [laughing]

C: Eric just namedropped his own wife into this article!

G: Yeah, well he's in love.

C: Oh, right. She's not like that hateful Jessica that broke his heart in college and now must die on ceilings.

G: So they go to the bridge and it's night now, it's nighttime. They go to the bridge and they start talking about- Sam is like, "I'm not gonna do this forever," which agh! Oh my god.

C: Sorry, Sam.

G: Sorry, Sam.

C: Sorry, bud.

G: Dean was like, "You're one of us," and Sam's like, "I'm not like you, I'm- this is not gonna be my life," and then Dean- the ic- I keep saying iconic, but it's actually not that iconic- but like the scene where Dean's like, "Well, you have a responsibility" and Sam's like, "What? To you? To Mom? Mom is dead, and she's never coming back." And Dean gets mad at him.

C: Right. That scene is so interesting to me because earlier we see like the brothers roughhousing around with the foot-stomping and the head-smacking, but this is a moment that feels actually dangerous, like it no longer feels like siblings, like I'm like scared of Dean, like I'm realizing there's a hierarchy in this relationship, you know?

G: I don't know. I didn't see it as that. I didn't see it as Dean being like-

C: I- as a Dean- as a Dean hater [laughing]- as a Dean hater-

G: Are you ready to alienate half of our audience?

C: Sorry. As a Dean- as a complicated feelings about Dean person, I felt- I think, it's also, I'm an older sibling, and I would never do that to my younger sister. I would not do that, like that's so bad! Like, they're on a bridge!

G: You have never had your sister on a chokehold? Are you-

C: No.

G: No? Well, I am the younger sibling, so-

C: Once she bit me until I bled because I was singing a song that annoyed her, but like-

G: [laughing] I think it's the sibling hierarchy. Like if you're older, and you're much older, you're not allowed to be an asshole.

C: I'm only two years older. I think I'm allowed to be an asshole, I just never really was.

G: You're kind of allowed. Meanwhile, [laughing] I have literally gone on wrestle fights with my siblings.

C: I've definitely fought my sister before, but it was never just a sudden- like there was always a chance for her to fight back, like the chokehold- there wasn't really a chance for Sam to fight back, you know?

G: Yeah, I guess so. But it wasn't like a serious threat, he was just like, holding him against the post.

C: Yeah, I think it's also that I'm scared of heights, so I'm like "Oh god! You're shoving him against a bridge! He's going to die!"

G: Anyway, they do jump off the bridge because they see Constance Welch. And then she jumps off the bridge, and she turns on the engine of the car, and she drives them off to the side of the bridge.

C: Right. Dean gets covered in mud-

G: Sam holds on-

C: Sam's hanging off the edge-

G: Right. Sam's hanging off the edge because he's smarter than Dean. [both laugh] And so he's holding off the edge, and then he does this little laugh, which is the first time we see him, I guess, laugh in Dean's vicinity. Like he does this laugh of relief, and that was very sweet.

C: Yeah, I was like "Oh, that's sweet! Because aww, you were just fighting, but you still care."

G: Yes. And then, you know, Sam gets off the bridge- Dean, I mean, gets off the bridge-

C: Dean says, "That Constance chick, what a bitch!" which is Dean misogyny tally number 3.

G: And he shouts it so loud, too.

C: It's so loud.

G: It's like, every single time I watch this episode- and I've watched it a bunch- I always am like, "Oh! Oh! He really just says it! He really just shouts it!"

C: It's so loud. Right. And it's like- I feel like in 2005, the word "bitch" was way worse than it is now? I feel like now, people just say it to talk to their friends all the time, I feel like in 2005 it was more of a swear word, so, truly Dean misogyny moments number 3.

G: If you keep that tally up, we will never- until the end of the show, I am interested if we keep this up.

C: Yeah, I'll try. I'll write down the numbers.

G: [laughing] So they go to the motel and they find John's room because of the credit card whatever. And then, you know, they find that John actually already solved the thing. He already solved the mystery! So why is this Constance "chick," as Dean says- do you say chick, by the way?

C: Yeah, he says "that Constance chick, what a bitch."

G: No, no, you. Do you say chick?

C: Um, no, I do not say chick. I feel like there was a reckoning in like maybe 2010 that it was kind of misogynistic and then it sort of like tapered off. And I was too busy being in elementary school before then to say chick.

G: I actually- in my country, you call a group of beautiful girls "chicks," and that's like, a bad thing. That's not something you should do.

C: Like a catcalling thing?

G: Yeah, it's a catcalling thing. So, "oy, chicks!" Like that. It's not good. So every time Dean says chick, I do flinch a little bit because of the way it is used in my culture. So...

C: I don't think it's necessarily as bad in America, but like it's definitely-

G: It's something.

C: -definitely a little bit condescending.

G: They have the no chick-flicks moment-

C: Right. Also- why is Sam apologizing? I think Sam did nothing wrong, I think Sam said things that were completely correct, and then Dean freaked out on him. Why is Sam apologizing?

G: Well, because- okay, to put myself in Sam's perspective, he did insult their mother. Like, he was like- And that's a sensitive topic for Dean.

C: I guess. But he said she wasn't coming back, which is a true statement.

G: Yeah, that's true. Yeah.

C: Like, he wasn't like, "that Mom chick, what a bitch!" Like- he just said she's not coming back, even if we get this revenge, which I think is a fair point.

G: But, you know, it's a sweet moment, and it's referenced in the show, you know, again.

C: Right, everyone's really a big fan of the line "no chick-flick moments." Oh, is this Dean misogyny moments tally number 4?

G: Why? Is it because he said chick-flick? I think chick-flick is fine. Or is it because he says "jerk" and "bitch"?

C: Can we combine "no chick-flick moments" and "bitch" and also when he calls the men who were killed by the woman in white "you sly dogs"- can we combine that into one misogyny tally? Like they're all kind of small, but can I combine that into one?

G: Yes. I approve of this combination.

C: Alright. Dean misogyny tally number 4.

G: So Dean finishes up showering and then he goes out to buy food, and it's morning. I don't know how the time works; was it midnight when they went out to the bridge? So like, it's morning now?

C: Yeah, maybe. Did they get to sleep? I hope they got to sleep a bit, but I don't think they did.

G: Probably not. We know Sam and Dean.

C: Oh, and we also see that John had a picture of him with Sam and Dean in the room-

G: Yeah. Sam finds it.

C: Which is quite sweet honestly-

G: Yeah, it is quite sweet.

C: But it's probably also quite sad for Sam to see, given that his dad kicked him out and hasn't spoken to him in four years.

G: [laughing] Yeah. So, Dean has his iconic putting on the jacket- the leather jacket moment, that he steals off his dad's room.

C: Right. Transmasc AF.

G: And he, you know, work work fashion baby. He looks good! And then he gets caught by the police. And he tells Sam to go.

C: And then the iconic "my boobs" line.

G: Yeah. "My boobs." "You got anything that's real?" "My boobs." Which is, you know.

C: Yeah, trans Dean moments. But also, [laughing] Dean misogyny tally number 5?

G: Hm... Ehhh...

C: No, I won't. I won't.

G: Yeah, it's. He's, you know. He's got boobs!

C: Yeah, you're right, you're right.

G: He is- This is like AMV fodder. Like if you make a Dean AMV, you put this scene. And I support that.

Anyway, so we find Dean in the police office. He's being interviewed. And then he says a bunch of words that mean nothing to me. He says, well first, I'm assuming that Nugent is a reference?

C: Um, I don't know, but-

G: Well, we'll never know.

C: Yeah, I mean, doesn't he take a lot of- Okay, so I'm looking it up, and Ted Nugent is a hard rock guitarist, so yeah, I think it's just Dean's thing of taking names off of music artists.

G: Yeah. And then he- the police says, "You're in trouble," and Dean's says, "Misdemeanor kind of trouble, or squeal like a pig kind of trouble?" And I'm like, what do those words mean?

C: I- okay, so a misdemeanor is just like- it's below a felony in terms of crimes-

G: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

C: So I know- "Squeal like a pig"... Right, at first I was like, "Is this sexual?" or like, maybe he just means "you will be slaughtered" kind of trouble, like a pig squealing before it's slaughtered. I'm not really sure.

G: I thought it was like a song reference or something, but I guess it's not. He's just saying shit at this point.

C: I think this is just Dean saying shit.

G: And then we see, for the first time, John's journal, which will haunt this show for eternity. This journal will be here for the rest of time. Something I noticed was, when it pans to the journal, and it pans to the coordinates, you see the grain of the film, and it reminded me that this was shot in film.

C: Right.

G: And I was like, yeah, it's good. It's a good choice to shoot. Especially because of the vibe of season 1 to 3. I think it really amplifies that vibe. So I commend that.

C: Definitely. It attempts to be a gritty show, and by using gritty film, that helps.

G: So Sam on the other hand is out there interviewing Mr. Welch.

C: Being the worst fake reporter in the world.

G: Yeah. He's saying that John and him are partners, and he's fact-checking- oh my god, king of fact-checking! [both laugh] Dean has the paperclip escape, after Sam fakes a 911 call. And in my notes I wrote, "Dean is soo pretty, he is so handsome, so charming." And he is. Like in this scene, he looks so good.

C: Sorry, I just think his hair looks too stupid in this episode for me to be attracted to him. His hair is so spiky.

G: Well, he's having a moment. He's having a hot boy moment. [both laugh] He escapes, and he calls Sam, and they figure out that Dad has already left Jericho- why am I calling John “dad”? [laughter]

C: Dean and Samcoded.

G: John already left Jericho. And then, Sam is like, "What's going on?" and then he almost- well, he hits the ghost, but it's a ghost, so he doesn't hit it. And then the ghost appears on his backseat, right? And then is like, "Take me home" or whatever. And Sam is like, "You're scared to go home!" And so he drives her to the house. And then-

C: Yeah, but, well first, she forces herself on him.

G: Well, no. He drives her to the front of the house, and then she, like, assaults him. Because to make Sam vulnerable to her, he needs to be unfaithful.

C: -unfaithful, and apparently, sexual assault is equivalent to cheating.

G: Yeah, well, you know, it's a ghost. It's an evil ghost. It goes to Hell afterwards, so, you know.

C: Right, yeah, her morals are not pleasant.

G: Dean shoots at the woman in white. Sam drives the woman into the house.

C: Yeah. He crashes the Impala into the house.

G: Yeah. Which is such a moment. It was good.

C: Yeah, how badly-made is this- are cars really that strong?

G: It's wood, right?

C: Yeah, I guess. So I guess cars are that strong.

G: I don't know. But like, he was kind of fazed afterwards. Dean was like, "Are you alright?" 'cause, yeah. And then-

C: The ghosts of the kids show up.

G: The ghosts of the kids of Constance shows up and then sends all of them-

C: Going "Why did you kill us, Mommy?" or something.

G: No, I think they just say "Mommy, you're home!"

C: Oh, and somehow they all die via group hug?

G: They die via group hug, in a scene that looks like they're all being sucked in by the Empty?

C: Yeah. No, I remember writing down "the CGI here is not great."

G: Yeah. And then, 15 years later, they will use the same CGI to get Cas into the Empty, so, you know.

G: We get "Highway to Hell" again- well, no. That's later.

C: We get ACDC again when they start driving back, and it is "Highway to Hell," which is a new song.

G: But like, Dean says like, "If you damage my car, I'll kill you," which is, you know, classic Dean moment. And then they do that "Highway to Hell." Dean's like, the scene that we talked about earlier, that he was like, "Oh, are you going? Are you going?" And Sam's like, "Yeah." And Dean's like, "Okay." And they do the classic buddy cop comedy scene where Dean goes, "We make a good team" and Sam's like, "yeah," and then just walks away.

C: So Sam comes in, he's looking for Jess, there's a note on the table over some cookies, like "I miss you, I love you." He's like, "Yay! Great! Time to eat some cookies and leave crumbs all over my bed while my girlfriend's in the shower, and afterwards we'll have hot return sex before my interview!" But then blood starts dripping on his face, and he looks up, and there's Jess.

G: Jess is on the ceiling!

C: Stabbed in the stomach on the ceiling, just like Mary. And then she bursts into flames. He screams. And then Dean runs in and he drags Sam out while he's screaming and trying to get to Jess, I guess sorta like a parallel of Dean taking Sam out of the fire when they were little-

G: Yes.

C: And then they're outside and Sam's like "Well, there goes my hopes at a normal life. Goodbye, Stanford Law School. Time for guns. We've got work to do."

G: Yes. "We've got work to do"! My question is, what are they doing with a carload of guns and weapons in a crime scene? Like, it's just open!

C: Right! I was like, it's just open, and there are like, firefighters and police right over there.

G: Literally you can see the sirens. The sirens are in the background, you know.

C: Yeah, like, my dudes. My dudes.

G: They were having a moment. And they needed the "we've got work to do" because it is an iconic scene.

C: Yeah, and the whole trunk closing shot is also iconic.

G: So that's the end of the episode! So, what did you think about this episode?

C: Um, I thought for a pilot it was pretty good, it established the family relationship pretty well. I mean, I thought the hunt was kind of boring and also I'm aware they "adapted" the monster of the week from... Mexican folklore? was it? and probably botched it a lot, but I liked the cinematography, I liked the shadows...

G: Yeah, the shadows were amazing.

C: Yeah. And I feel like it set us up for a good season where I know what's going to be happening, it's going to be monster of the week while they try to find John and more brother moments. So yeah, I feel like it was a decent episode.

G: So, we have this segment called "Guess the IMDB Rating," and I already looked at the IMDB before this because I was trying to figure out what we're going to do the segment about. So I know the IMDB rating of the pilot, but just the pilot, I don't know anything else about the other episodes. So, for this episode, I'm just going to ask you, what do you think is the IMDB rating of this episode?

C: Okay, so, well, the pilot is gonna be the most widely-watched and most widely-rated episode, which I guess makes it a bit fuzzy. I think it was decent, and I feel like people who are very into the show would go and rate it as a nostalgia thing, so maybe like a 8.7?

G: You got it like, right. Did you look?

C: No, I didn't! Is it literally an 8.7?

G: It's literally 8.7, yes.

C: Oh my god! Good for me!

G: You're very good, yeah! I would have guessed a little bit lower. Like maybe an 8.5. 'cause like, I guess I've just watched it so many times already, it just doesn't have any impact on me anymore 'cause I've just literally watched it so many times already.

C: Right. Yeah.

G: So, I'm like, eh, it's an episode!

C: Right. Those lines that I already know sure do line!

G: Yeah. So like, yeah! That's it for this episode of [both laughing] Busty Asian Beauties.

C: No Asians in this episode.

G: Yes, no Asians in the episode.

G: So next week, we're going to be doing season 1 episode 2, [together] redacted.

C: So- I don't know- subscribe?

G: No! It's follow, I think.

C: Follow? Follow. Follow us.

G: Yes, follow us on social media and on your podcast whatever, and then, yeah! Send us asks, whatever.

C: Recommend us to your friends 'cause we're very interesting to listen to and everyone loves us.

G: Yes. We did not just alienate all our Dean audiences.

C: Right. Um, I love- I love Dean, he's super totally hot and his eyes are pretty- what- what do Deangirls like about him?

G: I don't know.

C: He's serving absolute mother figure? Is that something they like?

G: He's serving absolute eldest daughter? Like, that's what they say, right?

C: Yeah! Serving absolute eldest daughter syndrome, he is also bisexual, and-

G: I mean, he is, so-

C: Well, he is, yes.

G: Good for him.

C: And also a- a babygirl?

G: Yeah.

C: There we go.

G: Yeah. We- we love Sam, we love Dean, we love Cas, you know. We will cater to your interests.

C: Yes.

G: Okay, that's it!

C: Oh, and you can email us?

G: You can email us.

C: At [email protected].

G: Yeah. That's it!

C: Have a nice night or morning or day, guys.

G: Have a nice day, guys. Bye-bye!

[guitar music]

#transcript

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lightrises · 4 years ago

Text

"Only in allowing her to pass..." — Hornet, The Radiance, and the means by which Hallownest turned its victims against each other

A quick note: I read Hollow Knight as an anti-colonialist text. As such I'll be touching on topics related to colonialism as it's depicted in the world of the game, and said analysis will reflect both a sympathetic take on The Radiance and a critique of The Pale King that won't pull its punches. If this sounds up your alley, hello and thank you for the read! Let us be sad about these bugs together.

———

So!! A while back I realized something about pre-canon that felt rather... "curious" is one way to put it, I think. To wit: for all the effort and scheming and determination The Pale King poured into trying to get rid of The Radiance, neither of his plans involved directly killing her.

Was that his long game? Well, sure, that seems clear enough. His tack changed from luring the moths away from their god and creator to a more literal form of incarceration once the infection became a factor, but at its core the end goal never really changed—The Pale King very sincerely wished to destroy Radiance via obsolescence. The Seer lends us foreshadowing to confirm as much:

[Image descriptions: Two screenshots from Hollow Knight, showing the Seer and Ghost in the Seer's alcove at the Resting Grounds. Across both screenshots, the Seer tells Ghost the following: "None of us can live forever, and so we ask those who survive to remember us. Hold something in your mind and it lives on with you, but forget it and you seal it away forever. That is the only death that matters." End description.]

(Which, by the way and given the context, talk about an extremely unsubtle allusion to cultural genocide huh!!! Whew.)

In any case, we're left with a whole bunch of machinations which build up to... well, two very roundabout attempts at committing deicide. That's kind of weird, all things considered! Why not just do the deed in one fell swoop and get it over with?

This could be for any number of reasons. Maybe the king was devoid of the means to instantly kill another higher being. Maybe his personal sense of scruples stopped him short of signing off on MURDER murder (although, y'know, the aforementioned genocide + eternal imprisonment = still cool and copasectic apparently!). Maybe the long drawn-out cruelty was the point. Maybe the idea of playing fuckign 4D chess with the circumstances was too delicious for him to pass up—that man did love to tinker and stick his claws where they sure as hell didn't belong—or maybe it was a little bit of All The Things. Who knows!!

But interrogating The Pale King's methodology on this count isn't what I'm here for, at least not really. The main reason I raise this question at all is that in her own way, Hornet did too.

"I'd urge you to take that harder path... "

See, going by The Pale King's actions and what The White Lady explicitly says, they both foresaw two outcomes wrt the infection: it can be allowed to spread, or it can be contained. At Teacher's Archives, Quirrel acknowledges the fact that Ghost is expected to do... something about this, but he doesn't elaborate on what HE thinks that's supposed to be apart from the obvious "Gotta bust into Black Egg Temple first". Hornet is the one person who presents to us—to Ghost—what's framed as a third option: confront and destroy the infection at its source.

And she doesn't bring it up like it's just another tactic for Ghost to consider, prim and indifferent to what they would do. She nudges them towards it, actively, up to the point where she throws herself into the fray against Hollow at a juncture that's uniquely dangerous to her and her alone just to make that option feasible.

Even when she's couching it in disclaimers that this is still Ghost's decision to make (and let's be fair, she's extremely not wrong about that lol), no one can pretend Hornet is unbiased. It's obvious in that buttoned-down Hornet kind of way that she is way the hell done with the increasingly tenuous stalemate that's kept Hallownest's desiccated corpse from collapsing in on itself. Personally it's hard for me not to read some Toriel Undertale-esque "My father was too entrenched in his own foolishness to pursue any course of action that would have DEFINITIVELY ended this" shade into her stance here, regardless of whether that's strictly true in canon.

And that bit—Hornet's hopes for an end to Hallownest's stasis, moreover her grim calculation of what needs to be done to get there—that's the bit I find super interesting but likewise tragic and depressing as shit, on multiple levels. In no small part because a) canon itself gestures towards Hornet feeling conflicted about the very plan she's pushing, and moreover b) she has at least two (2) damn good reasons to feel that way.

So, what do I mean by that? Let's look here first:

[Image description: A screenshot from Hollow Knight, of Hornet and Ghost inside the Temple of the Black Egg, standing in front of the unsealed egg itself. Hornet has been struck by the Dream Nail and her dialogue is displayed as follows: "... Could it achieve that impossible thing? Should it?" End description.]

As the curtain is about to drop on things one way or another, Hornet thinks,

... Could it achieve that impossible thing? Should it?

Now, looking at that last bit it's easy to go "Oh no, Hornet's worried that Ghost won't survive killing The Radiance!" And I do think that's part of it: Hornet is, categorically, not her father. By endgame it's clear she's not content to view her Void-borne siblings as tools to be used then disposed of. She's also well aware that as a healthy autonomous Vessel amongst the countless dead, Ghost is the only person left alive who has a fighting chance against The Radiance. Knowing someone is the only qualified candidate for the job doesn't make encouraging them to embrace a probable death sentence any less of a bitter pill to swallow, though. And odds are on that this sentiment extends to Hollow too, who IS going to die no matter what happens here. To put it bluntly, it's more than reasonable to conclude that Hornet hates the absolute fuck out of this.

But I don't think that's all there is to it either. Remember what I said earlier about The Pale King's bids for genocide? Well, it's not like the man deigned to limit his efforts to just the moth tribe.

"We do not choose our mothers... "

On top of everything else—an infected Hallownest being all she's ever known, the fact that she only exists because of the infection, the list goes on—Hornet has spent her life wedged into a position that's been uncomfortable and terminally unglamorous at best: she is both a daughter of her father's kingdom and of Deepnest.

Deepnest, which like the moths and many others was here long before the wyrm and his lady wife swanned onto the scene and the God Become Bug laid claim to everything the Light touched plus a considerable amount of change. THAT Deepnest, which has fought claw and thread to retain its sovereignty against same-said settler king, and for which Herrah not only surrendered her life but also agreed to bed her worst enemy, all in hopes of securing a viable future for her people (put a pin in that last part by the way, I'll come back to it soon).

Two Worlds, One Family (Ft. An Indigenous Woman Trying Her Damndest To Work With What She's Got Versus An Imperialist Who Only Signed Up For This Because He Needed The Political Favor THAT Badly, So It's The Height Of Dysfunctional Actually). Fun times!!!!

The baggage this entails for Hornet is gnarly enough without implications made by The White Lady and the pre-canon timeline of events and even Team Cherry's dev notes that the king may well have looked at baby Hornet, gone "YOINK", then ensured she spent the lion's share of her childhood reared within the pearly auspices of his Pale Court*. That would be rather advantageous for Him Specifically after all, the potential to mold a born foe into a future ally and even have her trained in combat under the same tutelage as her doomed sibling. And far be it from him to stop a grown Hornet—his own flesh and blood too!—from making Deepnest her forever home if she so pleased. He totally wouldn't be reneging on his "fair bargain made" by doing this one simple thing until Hornet came of age, not t e c h nic c a l l y.

If that is indeed the case, there's a non-zero chance Hornet's formative years were a hot mess of cultural alienation and being a good deal more privy than most to just how much of a bastard her father could be. There's an equally non-zero chance that at some point she stood or sat within earshot as The Pale King finally, finally dropped all pretense and euphemism to name the Light for precisely what (for who) it was.

See, in conjunction with the question that started this whole dang train of thought I've been asking this one too: Does Hornet know? When she speaks of confronting "the heart of [the] infection" does she know she's talking about not just a literal person but someone very specific? The Radiance, who god though she may be shares skin in the game alongside Hornet as a native woman screwed over by the same settler king, likewise deprived of her kin and saddled with a life gone horrendously pear-shaped?

I'll assume for the sake of exploring the possibility and because I think it's a likely one anyway that yes, Hornet does know. She knows, and despite everything can't help empathizing. She might even look at Radiance and see bits and pieces both reflected and slightly inversed in her own mother: Radiance was forced to the sidelines while her people—her children, the brood she was meant to lead and care for—died out under The Pale King's rule, and it's no stretch to assume she's at least as upset about that as she has been about everything else; Herrah too took drastic measures for her people's sake, trying to head off annihilation by relegating herself to the sidelines in an act that was as much calculated risk as an attempt to find wiggle room and leverage in the face of a nasty proposition.

A calculated risk that, if things continue as they are, might well amount to nothing as the rest of Deepnest gets eaten alive by the infection. It survived The Pale King's advances for so so long, only to fall here. Herrah's sacrifice would be for naught; the other tribes—themselves the king's victims—would keep succumbing to the infection too.

And this is where things fall apart.

"... or the circumstance into which we are born."

Let's be clear: I think Hornet is wise enough to know what's what here, that all the carnage and suffering falls on her father's head for starting this slow-motion trainwreck in the first place. Hallownest wasn't always Hallownest. This domain was Radiance's home first, along with many others. It was the worm-turned-king who rolled up on the scene unsolicited and decided this was a ""'problem""" that had to be """solved""".

But the fact of the matter is that he's gone and The Radiance is here, raging, seemingly inconsolable. Above and beyond being Deepnest's rightful heir, Hornet isn't in a position to countenance more splash damage even if the grief and fury fueling it makes perfect sense. She can understand without ever bringing herself to love Radiance, and she can bend her knee to practicality even if she hates the everloving shit out of it because the fact that it "has" to end this way isn't fair.

This lends itself to one last awful conclusion: that Hornet has probably considered and (rightly or wrongly) discarded the possibility that Radiance can be saved, at least not without dragging more collateral along for the ride. If even her mother and every other enemy to the king seemed to dismiss talking Radiance down as an option way back when... well. Why should Hornet hope for any better after things have escalated so far?

Again, it's practical. A practical net good is what Hornet strives for. And again, it fucking sucks.

For extra tragedy points, this makes Hornet's extended crypticness around Ghost followed by her last minute casting about for a reason to tell them "Wait, don't; not just yet" that she never voices even more of a gut punch. She can't bring herself to burden Ghost with the context that haunts her so, least of all when it might weaken their resolve to go through with what (she thinks) needs doing.

It's the "same song, different verse" which led to the mantis tribe and Deepnest being pitted against each other: Hallownest rigged the game so that two women who could have been powerful allies—who have a mutual vested interest in driving out settler rule—wound up poised as enemies instead. And how awful is that? The king for all his being extremely fucking dead still gets the last laugh, because outside of a miracle the game never manifests Hornet can salvage what her mother started and look forward to a future where Deepnest pulls itself back from the brink if and only if The Radiance dies.

Resolution comes at the price of a completed genocide. Add two more dead siblings to the unconscionable pile thereof, while we're at it. That's what it boils down to whether or not Hornet can bear to articulate it as such, and there's no grace or even a properly bittersweet ending to wring from this clusterfuck. And that is rough.

———

* This has been better explained elsewhere, but a quick rundown: The White Lady tells Ghost that Hornet and Herrah "were permitted little time together." On its surface this can be taken to mean that Hornet was still very young when Herrah was shipped off to Eternal Dreamland—except this doesn't jive with the fact that we meet Hornet as an adult. If the stasis kicked in once the Dreamers went to their rest, which in turn halted the aging process for every living bug in Hallownest, AND before all this Hornet experienced little by the way of quality time with her birth mother... I think you can see where I'm going with this.

To top it off we've got Team Cherry weighing in ominously from their dev notes on Herrah: "As part of the agreement for her alliance and her role as a dreamer, King gave her a child (Hornet). Was she allowed to keep this child or was she taken away?" This isn't confirmation by itself of course, but given additional canon details (see above): Can I get a "yikes" in the chat fellas.

#hollow knight #hornet (hollow knight)#hornet hollow knight #hk hornet #the radiance #hk radiance #herrah #hk herrah #hollow knight meta #sup folks it's been a minute since i dropped a whole dang essay but Here We Go!!!!!!

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maplecornia · 4 years ago

Text

Chapter 4

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱: 3.06K

𝔰𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: You watched them from the sidelines ever since you were a young teenage girl. Now you’re grown up, they’ve returned after 2 long years and everything has changed. What happens when you pull back the mask and find the darkness within? What happens when you see that they’re broken?

𝔞/𝔫: this one is literally just revolving around one of the BTS members. i don't really have much else to say other than HYUNJIN'S BACK and I'm crying.

tags: @kookaine | @fangirl125reader | @kookiebbyxx | @taradevonne

Kim Namjoon never imagined he would lose his assistant.

JaeJin was a great worker and a great friend. He loved music and expressed it through his very soul, his every move whenever he danced or helped Namjoon produce a song. Namjoon smiles as his hand hovers over the soundboard.

In the back of his mind, he remembers the days spent here ever since Jaejin was promoted to his assistant. He remembers the first time he met his dear friend, how nervous Jaejin looked, unspoken excitement reverberating off of him in waves.

As Namjoon pushes up the volume on the soundboard, he thinks back to the moments spent as Jae learned how to be his assistant, as Namjoon taught him as much as he could. How what started as respect turned into a mutual friendship, and later, a brotherhood.

Though Namjoon is sad to see JaeJin go, he is happy to see his dream accomplished. He will miss Jae's smile, his laugh, and his good heart, but he knows that just because Jaejin is taking a different path doesn't mean they will cease to be friends.

As soon as Joon finishes a part of his song, he sighs, pulling away from the board and whipping out his phone.

He doesn’t know why he started thinking about him all of a sudden, he was one of the first people to know that Jae was leaving. Besides, he would see him soon, it’s not like Jaejin leaving for a couple of months means that he won’t ever see him again.

Standing, RM walks out of the room, leaving Suga to continue by himself.

He's lucky that Yoongi has his headphones on. If he caught Namjoon slacking he wouldn't get off easy. Carefully, RM exits the room, shutting the door softly behind him as he leans against the wall next to the door to the studio. Turning his phone on, he checks the time, his heart thumping slightly.

8:30 am.

Perhaps the reason his mind is so full of nostalgic memories is that he’s been waiting since last night to meet his new manager.

Jaejin said that his replacement should show up around this time, but he hasn't given much information other than that. Namjoon pockets his phone and heads down the hallway towards the front lobby.

Staff members pass by him, some working for TxT, others for the new girl group they put together about 3 years ago, and even more for the new boy group that BigHit began putting together in 2020.

Namjoon finds their presence surreal.

The members of BTS's staff have been around ever since their debut, and even more, have joined the crew over the years. These staff members will no doubt do the same for their groups, maybe stick around till the very end.

If anyone asked Namjoon's opinion, he would say it was the staff that had to do the real work. And all from behind the scenes. They are the ones who help them put on a great show. They are the ones who tutor them, provide for them, allow them to create their vision, their masterpiece. They are the stitches behind the fabric.

To Namjoon, BTS is just the face. The whole idea of them, of their message, was created through everyone's effort. Including ARMY, including their staff, including BTS themselves.

Losing one of their members would be like trying to fill a hole that cannot be filled.

Perhaps that's why Namjoon is so worried about Jaejin's replacement.

No one can truly replace him.

Namjoon never wanted a new manager.

There was a reason he chose Jaejin out of all the others, a reason he turned a backup dancer into his manager. He needs someone with the same passion, the same grit, the same determination that he has. Jaejin had that, and more. He was able to keep up with Namjoon’s crazy schedule, his unhealthy habits, his tendency to overwork himself.

Normally it was Suga trying to keep up with him, trying to help him, trying to do the best for him, but when he met Jaejin, he found exactly what he needed in a manager.

Will his replacement be able to do the same?

Entering the lobby, he knocks on the counter, where a receptionist is taking a call. She looks up at his knock and he smiles at her, receiving the usual smile back and a slight blush on her cheeks.

After a moment of their little staring contest, Namjoon grows impatient. He indicates silently that he’s waiting to speak with her and her eyes widen in realization. She nods sheepishly at his signal, holding up one finger to signify to him that she'll talk to him in a second. He complies, settling in as she continues her call, faintly aware of Kim Namjoon behind her.

Namjoon is never sure how to feel about these types of things.

People recognizing him in the street, others noticing him even with a disguise, he doesn't know what to do with the attention.

Why didn't people pay attention to him before? When he didn't have all the makeup, the money, and the influence? Are they looking at him because they appreciate who he is as a person?

Or because he is Kim Namjoon?

RM of BTS.

Putting the thought out of his mind, he turns his back to the receptionist, unlocking his phone, and opening the chat with Jaejin. He doesn't see any sign of his replacement, but then again, how would Namjoon know what she looks like?

Hey

YOUNG APPRENTICE- oh hi, what’s up hyung?

When was your replacement supposed to be here again?

YOUNG APPRENTICE- ummmmm, 8:00 am or so, why?

RM pulls away from his phone, looking around for any sign of a girl who looks lost or out of place in the lobby. Every time Jaejin talked about this so-called friend, he referred to them as a “she” so the only thing Namjoon knows about this new manager is the fact that she’s female.

Sadly, as he desperately scours the lobby, there's no sign of anyone there that fits the description. The one girl who was waiting in the waiting area has just been called aside and led to a meeting room. Namjoon, a little worried, bites his lip before a buzz in his hands causes him to glance at his phone.

YOUNG APPRENTICE- Namjoon?

Yeah?

I’m sorry it’s just….she’s not here yet

YOUNG APPRENTICE- WHAT

Namjoon rolls his eyes playfully at Jae's reaction before walking out of the lobby. If she's not here, there's no need to hang around, and it doesn't seem as though the receptionist is paying much attention anyway.

As he leaves, the receptionist stares after him almost hopelessly, Namjoon oblivious to the longing gaze.

He glances at his phone once more maneuvering his way through the hallways of the building.

YOUNG APPRENTICE- are you sure?

YOUNG APPRENTICE- I'm gonna murder her

Well I can’t know for sure

Could I have a picture or maybe a name?

YOUNG APPRENTICE- I never gave you one?

Not to my knowledge

YOUNG APPRENTICE- oh I am so sorry hyung! Her name is Lin Yen and just give me a minute and I'll find you a picture

"Lin...Yen...." Namjoon murmurs, pondering it in his mind.

"Just who exactly are you?" he whispers, putting the phone down once more as he comes to a stop in a corner of the hallway.

Yen...he repeats in his mind, playing around with it, trying to see how it sounds on his tongue, how it feels circling in his thoughts, how it plays on his voice.

It's a beautiful name, one he hasn't heard often, and for some reason, he feels as though it's foreign. Another vibration from his phone jolts him out of his pondering thoughts, and he looks down at the screen, immediately bursting out laughing.

Jaejin has sent the picture of you, but it's not just any picture.

It's a picture of you eating salad.

But that's not what makes it so funny.

You and Jaejin are at a Korean BBQ in the picture, and you hold the signature salad bowl up to your face, your chopsticks hooked around an enormous bite. You're shoving the bite into your mouth, your cheeks puffed up like chipmunks, your eyes wide and nose pinched.

Your expression, your face, the fact that you're attempting to shove a huge bite into your mouth, everything about the picture is hilarious, and Namjoon can't stop looking at it.

He can't stop looking at you.

Now he is sure that you are a foreigner, with that complexion and your facial features. You aren't necessarily tall, but not super short either. Then again, Namjoon doesn't think that Park Jimin is short, so what does he know?

One thing is for sure, though…

You are beautiful.

And it’s not only the physical things that make you beautiful, though they are a contributing factor.

It’s the personality.

The charisma that exuberates off of you, managing to touch him most charmingly through a mere photo. The way you smile, how it lights up your eyes. The blush of your cheeks, and even the color of your hair. Everything about you has captured his attention, and he can't look away.

His smile doesn't want to fade, so he covers his face with his hand, leaning against the wall. No doubt he looks like an idiot, but he doesn't care.

You have that gift.

The natural gift of familiarity when you are less than strangers.

And it has surprised him. The cool, calm, professional, wise Namjoon wouldn't have thought that such a thing could reach his heart...and yet he can't stop smiling.

"Namjoon."

Startled, the smile fading just as quickly as it began, Namjoon jumps, his phone slipping out of his grip. Frantic, and a bit embarrassed, he fumbles to catch it before it falls, but to no avail.

He watches in hopeless despair as the phone hits the ground with a sickening thud, the screen immediately cracking at the impact of the harsh tiled floor.

Namjoon lets out a groan, while a slender, pale hand reaches out and picks it up. Wincing, he glances to his side.

Where Min Yoongi holds his phone in between his fingers as though it were a dirty piece of trash; looking unamused. Glaring at him with a stare as cold as ice, he drops it into RM’s hands before folding his arms across his chest. Namjoon rolls his eyes at his luck, sighing inwardly.

He doesn't look too happy.

"Hey, Yoongi, I--"

"Yes, please explain, Kim Namjoon." Yoongi drawls, his voice monotone and sending shivers down Namjoon’s spine. Almost shamefully, Namjoon turns off his phone and slides it back into his pocket, avoiding that icy stare.

"You're supposed to be helping, yet you left for what? To laugh at memes? Now is not the time to be fooling around with Jackson for heaven's sakes!” Though Yoongi doesn’t raise his voice, the severity of his tone is enough to make it seem as though he has and Namjoon has to restrain himself from visibly flinching away from him. After a moment of silence, Suga sighs, rubbing his temple with frustration. “Why are you so distracted today?"

Joon has been asking himself the same question.

"For one thing, they weren't memes and I wasn’t talking to Jackson. It was a picture of Jaejin's replacement. I was trying to see if she's arrived yet." He explains, a bit indignantly, before walking away towards the studio once more, hoping to escape the conversation.

He should have remembered that nothing escapes Yoongi.

"And did she?" Suga follows Namjoon, managing to walk fast enough to catch up with him and yet still look nonchalant and unbothered. RM sighs at the question, speeding up his pace, as he notices the studio door in the distance.

Jumping at the opportunity, Namjoon makes a break for the door, Yoongi calling after him in surprise. He reaches it, leaving Suga behind in the dust. Opening the door he sinks into a chair as though it were a refuge from the uncomfortable situation he found himself in. As Yoongi comes to a stop in front of the door, Namjoon acts as though he were there the entire time.

"Do you need something?" he asks innocently, and Yoongi rolls his eyes, walking in and closing the door behind him before settling into a chair of his own.

"Yes. I need you to focus on this project. This is important, and is nowhere near done if it's going to be our next title track." He murmurs, immediately setting to work, his mouse echoing in the silence. Biting his bottom lip in guilt, RM turns back to his phone, frowning a bit at the sight of the cracked screen.

Yoongi is right, Namjoon knows this.

They dedicated this day to work on BTS’s new title song.

Namjoon especially wanted Yoongi to produce it because of his incredible skill and work ethic. He practically begged him to take time off from his other projects to work on this with him, Yoongi is sacrificing a lot of his time just to be here.

Namjoon knows how important time can be.

It doesn’t help matters considering how this song is so essential to their comeback album. Promotion is still far off, but it doesn't change the circumstances. ARMY waited for them for so long to come back to them, it’s only fair that they give them the most groundbreaking album they can.

But RM can't focus.

And it’s for such a stupid reason.

Just because Jaejin is gone doesn't mean the world will fall apart.

He knows this, it's just...

Namjoon smiles a bit bitterly, turning back to the booth as he resumes his work once more.

"She wasn't there." Suga turns to Namjoon at the sound of his voice. Namjoon notices but doesn't pay any mind, continuing to play with the soundboard, creating his type of spell, his sort of magic. "In response to your question."

Yoongi doesn't respond, waiting for Namjoon to finish. That's the way he is, sometimes RM can’t finish a thought in one sentence and it takes him a moment to piece things together, what with everything else running through that expansive mind of his. Suga knows when to wait, when to stay silent, and allow RM a chance to tell him everything he needs to.

He's no stranger to listening to people, especially when it comes to Namjoon.

Sometimes, Joon just needs to let something out without anyone saying anything, and Yoongi won't say anything unless he feels it's necessary. He’ll listen, and be there for anyone to lean on, able to offer them the emotional support they need to carry on.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm a little nervous to meet her." After a moment, Yoongi responds to him, his soft voice carrying across the room in a comforting murmur.

"What's the big deal? If she's professional, she'll be perfect. I'm sure there's nothing to be worried about." He reassures him. RM nods, trying to concentrate once more, and put the thought of your arrival to the back of his mind.

Maybe Yoongi is right, maybe there is nothing to be worried about.

However, Namjoon can't help but think that your arrival will change their lives.

And who knows if it'll be for the better?

𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔢: how are you guys liking Jaejin now? lol

chapter 5 here

check the Infinite Stars masterlist for more chapters

check my BTS masterlist for other BTS content

check out my masterlist for other kpop fanfics

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athys-obelia · 4 years ago

Text

summary: no one's evil au lmfaooo but make it pt. 2

character/s: anastacius de alger obelia, claude de alger obelia, athanasia de alger obelia, jennette de alger obelia

and here's part 1 <3

oh my god okay. okay. so.

ana, claude, athy and jennette - they go on a LOT of vacations

claude complains every single time but anastacius pulls his trump card and sends athy and jettie BOTH after him

u think he's strong enough to say no after that? lmao jokes

and their vacations always go this way:

jennette: isn't this scenery just gorgeous, uncle

claude: indeed it is. and...quiet

jennette: ...too quiet

[cut to anastacius in the distance, fighting a bear as athy cheers him on]

athy + anastacius, hands down the most chaotic pairing yes i will not be taking criticism

they have tea in ana's palace everyday, just the two of them, they're so poised and picture perfect through the entire thing everyone thinks it's just the emperor giving profound advice to his heir

it's actually them deadass scheming,,, ana has no qualms discussing everything from court gossip to military tactics, both of which she's so on top of all the time

if anyone shit talks jennette or claude, this tea party is where their slow and agonizing demise is planned out to the dot

[true story - count sivan once made the fatal mistake of expressing his favour for athy as the next empress, dissing jennette by comparing her to athy sm which inevitably sparked a debate that ranked the princesses. a week after athy's sources informed her of the kindling behind this new debate, the count's sudden divorce became the talk of the town, and the man's business faced bankruptcy all of a sudden. the sivans still haven't recovered.)

athy n jennette were actually allowed to visit kiel in arlanta a few times, except it was too dark at their first arrival, postponing the meeting to the next morning

buttt then jettie can't sleep and she decides on a midnight snack run (their hotel doesn't really have the maids the palace does, but oh well. she's left the palace w lucas n athy plenty of times)

felix tags along btw, he knows this trip is important to the girls since they're leaving the palace without their Overprotective Papas™ for the first time and want some sense of independence, but... she's just so smol n he couldn't bear it if anything happens so he just shadows her

she totally knows he's there

n e ways so there's a juice place right beside their hotel which she aims for, but when jennette reaches it, it's closed

and out of nowhere, a voice addresses her - "hey you, do you come here a lot?" she nearly jumps out of her skin at the brunette, relaxing when she sees he's literally a kid around her age and not a murderer lmfaoo "me neither," he continues without waiting for her, pouting at the closed sign, before he asks for her name and whether she's new in arlanta

she confirms that yes, she's only visiting, and refuses to tell the stranger her name, still feeling strange at being addressed as 'you' for the first time (well, minus lucas, but he was like her brother and had the emotional capacity of a teaspoon, so)

he eyes her. "you're so weird. i've never seen a girl out so late before, and alone too. are you stupid?"

(felix has his sword out at this point)

she's flushing now and has no idea why she's still out here, but then this stranger kid apparently senses her mood and tells her the best ice cream store in arlanta is not too far away

(he also explains he knows someone who's starts doing weird things when she's hungry as well, and tries to defend that ice cream is actually a healthy midnight snack, "you can just take a healthy flavour like strawberry or mango, mangos are healthy,,right"💀️💀)

so jettie has travelled all the way from obelia, she loves her papa but he would have a heart attack if he found out she was ever awake this late?? yeah bc she's never getting this chance again, jennette accepts the offer

the stranger boy seems to be taking the whole "i'm not telling you my name," thing like a joke, and asks what he should call her since 'you' was getting boring

she goes with "lady j" and like a knight, the boy becomes "sir c"

(felix is on the verge of committing a crime - the princesses can only have one knight, after all)

they walk as the the boy navigates the streets in the dark, and she asks whether he's from the academy, seeing his uniform

"of course i am! you could probably tell bc i look so smart, right?"

she snorts. "yeah, that."

she also comes to know that this guy,,,well he might as well be a tourist? she's out here asking stuff like "oh where's the statue of lady alphia?" or "aren't we really close to the museum where they keep the first emperor's sword?" and he goes "lady do i look like your brochure?? but if you turn right from here there's a cool arcade and across the street from there is the best street food vendor you'll ever eat from."

well at least mans had his priorities straight 😌

"so can you take this off?" he asks, pointing towards her dress once they've neared the store

um???????? sir tf????????????

anyways jettie has been living with lucas n her dad farr too long to not take this the wrong way?? "...no?"

the boy raises an eyebrow "look, it looks like an expensive cloak but i promise i'll return it, alright? i gotta hide my uniform."

ohhhhhhh. 😳.

so she unfastens the cloak and because he's kinda just staring at it cluelessly (he can't even tie his shoelaces fight me), jennette sighs and moves the clothing over his shoulder, fastening it in place at his neck

he's literally a tomato when she looks back up and realises that yes, we are way too close rn

bc she's ana's daughter, jennette by default cannot function when she's flustered. so she kinda stumbles backwards like a fish out of water (years of princess training n etiquette? where art thou??) and 'sir c' has to grab her forearm so she doesn't bump into the pillar behind her smfh

the shopkeep is definitely suspicious of this pair that's definitely too young to be out so late, but chalks it down to his sleeplessness

they escape the store with the ice cream before the shopkeep can ask any questions, and 'sir c' escorts jennette back to her hotel. he climbs onto the roof of the building, helping her up as well

(felix wishes he had a magic stone to capture this moment, this is the first time he's seen jennette become such fast friends with someone)

she stands on the roof (it hurts her butt so she doesn't wanna sit)

"my sister would be so jealous right now," jennette murmurs, "she told me her ideal first date would be either a picnic or something like a moonlit walk. we're having like a moonlit picnic."

it's silent for a few seconds the boy speaks up, "is this a date?"

oh-

oh.

"i mean- i didn't- i don't- uh."

give her some time lmfao she's loading

"i don't really mind that," he tells her, and she thinks she might just walk off the roof in her embarrassment - who just says something like that?? "you're probably feeling really lucky right now, right?"

jennette: ✊😔

he does look pretty in the moonlight, she admits to herself, listening as he excitedly tells her about his siblings at home and how she should send an offering to the gods since they gave her the good fortune to be on a date with the most good looking one of all four of them

in turn, she tells him about how she spent her childhood away from her amazing dad and had gotten closer to him recently, about her sharp-witted uncle, her sister and friends

(the 'friends' section includes felix and he's melting)

she smiles - it's almost as if, at finding out he treasures his family just as much as she does, they've gotten a bit closer

and he tries to listen. jennette had guessed that his temperament was somewhat like her dad's - her dad didn't know how to listen, always making his opinion known before anything else, though she supposes as emperor he could do that

'sir c', on the other hand, tried his best, his blue eyes focused on her as he almost burst from the unsaid words he was holding back, trying to let her finish. the sight was an odd mix of sad and insanely adorable that she couldn't help but let him tell her about everything he couldn't hold in

sensing she could pass out from her exhaustion nearly half an hour later, and 'sir c' escorts her to her window and helps her sneak in bc "what sort of knight would i be otherwise?!"

(felix can't stop shaking the entire night)

the next morning, jennette's heart is pounding as kiel shows her, athy and felix across campus - the chance is low, but still...

"ezekiel!" comes a voice, and the four watch as a turquoise haired boy waves down the alpheus heir "are these the guests you mentioned?"

kiel introduces the trio to johannes vastia before asking, "where's cabel?"

"at the training grounds, he asked if you could bring everyone there so he could show them around there."

"... they're my guests though?"

athy is quick to befriend johannes (i mean she and his sister are practically the same person, so) and at the grounds, jennette's blood runs cold

(so does felix's)

the brunette doesn't notice her at first, arguing with johannes about something as kiel introduces him as cabel ernst

jennette is hyperventilating?? actually back up is this girl even breathing??

cabel ernst from kiel's letters? the 'loud and obnoxious cabel ernst', who gradually turned into 'my acquaintance cabel ernst', then 'hardworking, passionate cabel ernst', and finally 'my friend cabel'?

she'd actually rather admired this slow build of respect between her friend and the ernst boy, and had even expressed her interest to meet him

"this is the first daughter of his highness prince claude de alger obelia, princess athanasia-" cabel mock salutes the princess before his mouth forms an 'o' and he remembers to bow, "-and here's the emperor's only daughter, her highness princess je-"

andddd his eyes widen comically "-hey, lady, it's you?"

yeah jettie is on the brink of literal death - her entire face reddens as this...cabel, grins at her

she watches as he glances behind her, "and you're the guy who was following us - sup?"

felix flinches "...you knew...?"

cabel shrugs. "i mean you do kinda suck ass at the whole subtle thing."

"don't say it like that," jennette retorts, "felix was trying his best."

"princess 😭😭 you knew as well?"

"uhhhh no?"

athy + kiel in a corner: 👁️👄👁️

they watch as cabel's eyes widen all of a sudden and he just,,,runs away

...🐦...🐦...🐦...

yeah well anyway he comes rushing back a few minutes later, a piece of cloth in his hand "...*huff* here *huff*...you go."

athy totally flips out "jennette is that your CLOAK???!??"

"uhhhhh no?"

"um do you realise uncle would literally wage war at this."

and as if it would make everything better,

"i washed it," cabel offers with a grin

"you didn't," the vastia heir deadpans

"i mean, johan helped a little bit."

kiel smiles murderously at the pair. "johan, did you know cabel took the princess out?"

"wait, you're a PRINCESS??"

your honour they aren't very smart

so the group orders some coffee (milk for cabel smfh) to find out what happened, cabel mentions "date" and everything goes to shit again lmfao

kiel and felix scheme against poor cabel while athy n johan get over that stage pretty quick ("listen. MY sister will be living with ME after the marriage and if your friend wants to be with her he'll have to come with us to obelia." and johan's just like "fine by me ✌️😊") and start planning the wedding

cabel + jennette dip n sneak out of the academy again to get the juice they couldn't the night before bc shit is getting awkward here

on another note, our uncle cius' musical intelligence is actually very high - he can probably play more instruments than i can name tbh, but he feels most comfortable singing and i shit you not, this man has straight up an angel's voice

(didn't like singing in front of others coz he was secretly a nerd and only knew old love songs with deep lyrics, athy found out and educated him)

jennette tends to have nightmares often, most often regarding their family - she's seen her father murder her uncle for the throne, and vice versa, athy admitting her affections towards jennette were a front to get the position of crown princess, her uncle killing her to solidify athy's claim, etc - her family is her everything, so despite however many times these horrible scenes play before her, she's left sobbing uncontrollably

and on these nights, she leaves for her father's room, who holds her close and sings her to sleep

also lucas n jennette are like sibling duo# 1,,, jettie is an active lucathy shipper even though he denies it sm - like their dynamic is just peaceful walks in the gardens as she watches the plants n lucas shi talks the nobility and kiel

claude and athy have a thing for each other's sleeping on each other? idk it's weird

athy once fell asleep on the couch while reading with him, and claude moved her head onto his lap so she wouldn't be uncomfy sitting - well, she woke up to his hand absentmindedly raking through her hair and it was just so soothing that whenever she's tired and he's working or reading, she just plops her head on his lap and zzzz

and claude wondered what was up with that, so she proposed they switch roles and he felt so awkward trying to lay down in front of her lmao

obviously athy noticed and she just started reading, thinking he might be more comfortable if her attention isn't on him completely - she ended up reading out loud while playing with his collar and he just,,,passed out

also anastacius has definitely pulled jennette aside regarding the issue of his heir at some point - she had been hesitant at first before admitting she wouldn't like to be the empress at all

i know we'd all love to see empress!jettie and her sister duchess!athy ruling the court, but i really really really can't see her wanting the title?

so thus start athy's empress lessons, but holy shit her teacher is mean

like this man makes me want to bash his face in?? so he doesn't like the idea of athy becoming empress over jennette at all, all bc of both hers and claude's mothers being commoners

he has one of those long ass sticks that you use in presentation to point at stuff?? idk but basically mans has athy name every region, its lords and their vassals during their first lesson

the first time she gets one wrong, she's too shocked as the stick meets the delicate skin of her forearm to react

now the thing is, wmmap!athy would probably stand up against this bc her dad is the emperor and she's his only heir, but i imagine with anastacius' social nature he holds many parties / balls where she's probably heard claude's mom + diana slander and it wouldn't be unreasonable for her to be self conscious abt it (now she's the emperor's heir while jennette, 100% royal + noble blood, is right there which probably makes her feel even less legitimate)

so she endures it, the light marks on her arms as well as the taunts of his she's too smart to not understand - perhaps this is the price to be accepted in jennette's place?

and honestly, no one really notices until at breakfast a few weeks in, where jennette mentions how her dresses are still so modest when sleeveless dresses were more in fashion - ana is suspicious because athy is always on top of these things, societal trends and such, and claude is sus from the way she hesitates slightly in her answer, "i haven't had the time lately, i suppose"

the lesson after focuses on ettiquete since everyone knows she's good at politics and such already, but now tears of frustration are pooling in her eyes because what the hell?? this guy had made an opinion of her long before he even met her, so anything she did would be wrong in his eyes

he gives her a sinister smile, "tired, princess?"

"no," she insists, keeping her voice level. he's about to spout some other nonsense, when anastacius enters the room, taking a seat across from her

anastacius watches quietly as athy answers the teacher's questions in her "public" voice. he watches as her usually cheery disposition is replaced by something far more...dead, despite the front she puts on for him. he's soundless as she hesitates in her answers where she normally would've been louder, more confident. he stops watching in silence when his niece flinches at the sight of the stick

oh.

he interrupts her lesson, not missing the way she winces almost imperceptibly when he grabs ahold of her arm, announcing, "we're going."

he just- it's just that that was the moment he knew for sure - the sight of his niece emotionally disheveled for the first time reminds him too much of how his own brother had once been, and he'd... he'd promised he wouldn't let anyone hurt his family anymore

he ends up taking her to the port with some of his advisors to welcome some royal guests, insisting that she would learn better from experience rather than books - but the guest delegation gets so boring that he sneaks her out of the meeting n they end up in the streets

now athy has no idea where they are, but apparently her uncle does?? ana has his hand on her head as he navigates the streets of the capitol as if he comes here everyday, using magic to casually disguise the two of them

in the meantime?

felix is at the port trying to cover for them smfh, he makes up this huge story about how the great wise emperor wanted to familiarize his heir with the locals, understand her subjects, yada yada

back at the palace prince claude is currently dragging a man by his collar and only upon jennette's insistence does he throw him in prison rather than literally kill him

(jettie visits him later in prison to give the guy a piece of her mind, after felix's visit he's sporting a few noticable bruises and the prisoner is practically unrecognizable once lucas visits)

back to athy + ana, they end up stuffing themselves with some super good street food as anastacius confesses that yes, he has definitely been sneaking out of the palace ever since he was a lil kid

athy almost mentions that she, lucas n jettie sneak out too but that might give him a heart attack, so

"it's so pretty, uncle cius," she says, gesturing towards the necklace he holds up. once he's paid for it, anastacius fists the necklace, opening it to reveal the jewel pendant - now imbued with his magic and replaced with gold lettering of the word athanasia

and she realises that yes, that's what both him and her dad have called her all her life, haven't they?

"you're my heir, athanasia," he uncle tells her with a small smile, "i am proud of that."

getting teary, she tells him, "i'm really proud of you too, uncle cius," triggering a very flustered + blushy anastacius

this mans craves validation - not from the sycophantic nobility, or the obsequious concubines he'd dismissed all those years ago, but from the family he thought he'd neither have nor deserve

and just the acknowledgement is so large for athy - he wants her as his heir, not because she's his niece, but bc he trusts her to look after his hard work after him??? - yeah she's totally bawling her eyes out

anastacius magics her a handkerchief but my mans magic isn't that strong?? lmao he's used up so much by now that the 'handkerchief' turns out to be some scratchy tissues

awkward amirite

nope! athy laughs at that, offering him a sip of her drink as she magics another straw and a proper handkerchief lmfaoo

n e ways so when they return, everyone's shocked to learn that the crown heir, princess athanasia will actually be joining the official circles as anastacius' temporary aid - he doesn't wanna entrust her to anyone but family, and decides that the best way to learn is by his side

(she's so confused bc lucas doesn't normally bat an eyelash when she wears the prettiest gowns, but he deadass can't look her in the eyes when she's in her aid uniform - it's more like a suit than it is a dress)

yes lucas women in suits >>>>>

everyone is STUNNED when at dinner, claude proposes they leave on vacation??

anastacius is just not having it?? like no, this is not my brother, and he throws a grape at claude to check if it's a clone or sum (¿¿how does that work??)

anyays so he ain't no felix, ana's aim is ass and it hits jettie instead

mans nearly gets on his knees to apologise

long story short everyone preps for vacation, but by some aCCiDeNt claude n athy end up at a different destination than jettie n ana, when she suggests returning to the palace to regroup, mans deadass sulks

"so you wouldn't like to spend this time with your father, despite barely visiting my office for weeks?"

o-oh

so at their return, the nobility starts pestering everyone that the princesses aren't independent enough, yada yada idc so to quell this annoyance, to the girls' joy, they get to move into emerald palace together, while claude and ana stay in the ruby and main palaces respectively

literally emerald palace becomes such a cool place to be in since it's the residence of the only decent people in this family, the brothers spend hours going through the requests of maids who want to be transferred

it's such a busy time because of athy joining the court and jettie starting her studies as well - naturally, since she isn't becoming empress, she'll be getting the duchy claude + athy were to be given in the beginning

speaking of futures, jettie's interest in plants and cooking has definitely branched out into herbs

claude notices her tending to a small garden during his visit to athy and even gives her a few tips (he had been studying medical since he was a kid, and picked it up again when athy was born and the empire stablised somewhat)

this soon becomes a routinely thing, and he actually starts reading up on some herbs and even orders a few for her prospering garden

after a month of her learning from books, claude proposes adding a medic as one of her teachers, and turns out his hunch was right?? she's excelling at medicine and they keep it between themselves for the time being

it doesn't last long though, bc they're on a hunting trip when ana injures his leg

and !! this girl istg, she gets to cleaning and wrapping the wound without blinking an eye, as if it's the most natural thing ever, and claude is just smirking while athy and anastacius and literally everyone else: 🌟💞✨jettie✨💞🌟

literal tears coming out of anastacius' eyes "how come my daughter is smarter than me😭💅"

claude: that's not a very high standard, brother

anastacius: ✨suddenly i'm an only child✨

behold, the people in charge of running an empire everyone 👏👏👏

even though jennette is claude's (unofficial) student and athy is her uncle's heir, they both ask their dads to the debutante

yes athy does dance with lucas, anastacius sent him an invitation even though he wasn't a noble (he's an active match maker 😌) and nobody dared question the emperor's special guest

at the end of the night, kiel gives jettie a letter from arlanta - it's an invitation to the academy during holidays, from a certain brunette

when she brings up the subject, felix lets out a squeak and literally everyone goes silent 😭😭

athy n kiel are just out here DARING him to spill them beans

but anastacius takes on look at his excited lil kid and decides that yups, she's going to get everything she wants

a/n: i literally don't know how many parts this should have lmaoo but y'all made it this far!! thanks for reading i hope you liked it<3

#non dysfunctional family!au #or ana decides to stop being a shithead!au #functional family!au ??#wmmap #sbapod #who made me a princess #suddenly became a princess one day #anastacius de alger obelia #claude de alger obelia #athanasia de alger obelia #felix robane #lucas #jennette magrita #jeannette magrita #kiel alpheus #ezekiel alpheus #beware of the brothers #cabel ernst #johannes vastia

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retphienix · 4 years ago

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youtube

I Have A Lot To Say So I'll Read More This.

The short of it?

I'm glad I played Joker- I played it because I wanted to know how DQM evolved when it reached the DS and I got my answer.

It's mediocre. Not bad exactly, I enjoyed playing it, it adds some REALLY appreciated features to the DQM series and if you were playing it at release it had online play which plays well with the post game content which I haven't touched by the time I wrote this:

-but there are some engine/console specific things that made it a drag and there are some parts of the game that are just weaker than the previous games which is amusing since the previous games were simple GBC titles.

And finally, I don't really recommend playing through Joker 1. Can't speak on the sequels, but Joker 1 was a pretty middling experience for me so I'm the wrong person to get a positive recommendation from.

And since the opportunity presents itself: If you like monster RPGs and haven't tried it- go emulate Dragon Warrior Monsters 2 for the GBC, it's really good and also if you emulate you can fast forward the GBC era grind if that's your taste- really a win all around.

On to my rambling:

I debated on writing, rewriting, rewriting, and better presenting my thoughts on this game and the series as a whole but nah, Joker ain't getting that, I'm ramblin'- lol

I will split it slightly between "The ending" and "The game as a whole" though.

Ending:

1:07 - This is slightly a 'game a a whole' thing but honestly it's funny to me that you unlock a permanent repel in this game by doing the main quest. I entered this dungeon feeling strong enough to beat the game, so I just avoided 90% of encounters entirely.

5:00 - I genuinely got a laugh out of Sparkpug's whole deal in this finale. Not story wise, that's fine, no complaints- I mean that Sparkpug is clearly built to be a monster that can carry an ineffective team. He's clearly meant to be bred a few times and a god tier member of a potentially inexperienced player's team- but I literally never used him after the intro.

So during this scene it's supposed to be like "I'm a demi-god monster, you can't possibly beat me" and I'm thinking "Dude, you're like level 10 and shit tier, you can't win, this is hilarious."

Obviously it's a real boss fight and not 'face the monster you once had' but I was having fun roasting him behind the scenes of this recording.

45:00 - What an entirely unexpected change of pace.

Like, I had it spoiled for me by a screenshot that Dr. Snap becomes a monster or something- but I thought maybe he was always a monster or something, and also I got a bad look at him.

HE TURNS INTO A BODY HORROR BEAST, THAT'S NUTS.

Genuinely a highlight of the game.

52:00 - I fucking laughed what a meaningless exchange where the payoff is saying "He was stupid!", it's honestly just silly and dumb but not necessarily bad just dumb lol

55:00 - Not a great 'you won' victory lap. Like at all. Kinda feels like they should have just made this all a cutscene where I appear back at town and see that Solitaire is the leader now etc etc.

I kinda don't understand why it's a victory lap at all? Because all anyone says is "They picked a weird successor to Snap >:(" or "Snap went to the island? I bet he was stopping the calamity :)"

If you have 2 lines of dialogue prepared, maybe don't make a victory lap???

1:00:00 - What a fucking stupid payoff lol

Like sincerely, Solitaire does NOTHING the entire game! She's meaningless from start to finish! And the 'surprise' is that she's the new commish??? And she got the position because she's a rich spoiled brat??? Like LITERALLY that's why????????

What a stupid fucking ending lol

Now her proposed evolution of the contest is fair enough, I mean it's childish as hell, but to be fair- more contests is a fine idea especially since prior games and this game demonstrated the public's interest in watching monster fights. And the goal being to fight her as the final fight is fucking egotistical and stupid- BUT- it does play into the fact that the player didn't get to fight her the whole game so it's whatever?

1:03:00 - This is both the best and worst lol.

This game has no story, like at all, it's fucking empty front to back, and only explodes with like- 1 event at the very end.

This moment is a montage of memorable moments with your 'best friend' Sparkpug. It's cinematically very nice to be honest! Even includes a moment I don't remember at the arena which probably didn't happen lol.

So visually it's cool- I dig seeing the camera zoom out as we run across the beach, and the flashback moments intersplice over us making our way to the scout memorial- that's very well done.

The content is empty lol

As I said there's no story, these moments are nothing lol

And that's that.

All said the ending was a very nice challenge to face with my team- I had to abuse items like mad but I MADE IT! It was a GOOD fight.

The rest I've already said.

On to the game as a whole:

I have issues with this game, but there's good too. It's really like 4 steps forward 6-7 steps back it's weird, it's really weird.

Positives are neat!

> First and foremost- TRAITS!

Monsters in Dragon Quest Monsters have always had a problem with keeping their identity for long. The way I'd explain it to an outsider to the series is that Monsters DO have special stat variance and intended movesets and all that jazz- but the breeding system completely and entirely destroys that relatively early into the game.

While a monster might normally have really high defense and low other stats while knowing buffing magic- breeding, EVEN UNINTENTIONALLY, will have that same monster come out with 9 billion attack and all ice magic.

Monsters in DQM have a habit of becoming canvases for the breeding effects rather than their own mons- and this is undeniably a downside. It makes the game feel unique, it doesn't 'hurt' it, but when by mid-game monsters are more easily identified as sprites rather than strengths and weaknesses or even types (family) it's a slight downer on the series.

Traits fix this a lot by making every specific monster have unchangeable traits which offer things like "immunity to x type of damage" or "higher crit chance"- it's small, but it gives each monster more identity.

> Second and secondmost- SKILLS!

The older games didn't use trees, it used each individual spell as a potential pass on during breeding.

Each monster could have 8 spells, and when you breed two monsters you pass on all 16 spells to the offspring (they don't learn them all at once, they learn them as they level up) as well as the natural spells the monster would learn by level up.

So in the older games it is really easy to end up with a refined and overpowered list of 8 spells on each of your monsters.

Now spells are tied to Skill trees and your monsters can have 3 skill trees total (which are passed on as OPTIONS when breeding).

All to say skills do a lot for removing the "Master of all, weakness of none" spell lists that the older games made trivial to make, now you have to limit your builds and be more specialized- also they added skills like "Attack up" to add more variance to a build- instead of having spells you might just have high stat buffs as skill trees.

Overall I think Skills are an improvement because coupled with Traits it makes each monster feel much more specialized and unique and less like a sprite with no identity.

> Breeding is improved.

This is very much because of skills and traits- again- but also the system is just improved in general. Instead of being told "That's a monster you haven't had before!" and judging your decisions based on the name of the offspring breed, now you get to see a small sprite of the resulting monster to help you decide- ALSO instead of getting 1 result for every combo (to the point where you have to back out and choose Monster A + Monster B and Monster B + Monster A as separate options), you now get up to 3 results to pick between for every breeding opportunity.

It's just better.

> The engine is impressive.

At least to me. This is a DS title using (from what I read) a rework of the DQ8 PS2 game's engine- it certainly looks like it.

Combat models are nice, using moves looks nice, overworld exploration looks nice- it looks nice.

Now for some negative and general nonsense- all of which is more often than not 'weird'.

> I gotta be unfair and say "The Story" first and foremost.

DQM 1 and 2 are not intense story games. They aren't.

But they both knew how to handle their story well for what they wanted to tell, I can and will praise both for their narratives because they know what they are and do it well.

DQM:J does not. It's fucking bad.

Basically: The overall story doesn't exist- you're told to be a spy, but that comes up 1 time towards the end of the game and LITERALLY doesn't matter at any other moment INCLUDING the one time it comes up.

You have NO meaningful objective from the start up until near the end of the game. You show up and have no goal- so you get told to get some crystals with no meaning behind it (not even a lie because they are clearly evil- not even a lie to motivate you! NO MEANING IS PRESENTED! JUST DO IT! TO DO THE CONTEST I GUESS! WHY? SHUT UP!)

So 90% of the game time you're not doing anything meaningful. So what about the islands? Any small narratives to keep things moving?

NO!

NOT AT ALL!

So you go 90% of the game having no real objective, just kinda wandering forward mindlessly- and then the game suddenly goes "Oh! Guy who seemed sus! He's evil! He's gonna unleash the calamity that you were 'kinda but not directly' working towards with your dog! You know, that plot point that's kept vague and paid 0% attention to the entire game? Yeah it's happening! Aaaaand you're done! GG!"

Basically there's just nothing going on in this game, it's all background noise until the last 10% of the game. And that's lame.

DQM1 had a light story- but from the very intro cutscene you have a clear objective which makes every action you do seem relevant as you are working towards that goal.

From the start of the game you know "My sister is gone! The king says a magic wish can get her back! I'll go do that!" and then you do!

DQM2 has a much better story!

You have a goal from the start (The kingdom is physically dying and you have to save it by getting a new plug!) AND it has stories for each world you visit!

THAT'S MILES BETTER! THIS GAME COULD HAVE DONE THAT FOR THE ISLANDS!

Anywho. Story is lacking and empty and lame especially when DQM2 has a similar format but does every part better- you have a clear objective you're working towards AND side stories to keep the light narrative moving!

WTH!

The spy plotline doesn't matter! It could have been used to build suspicion on who's the good guy!

The islands are so empty of story!

DQM2 has a fun mix on how a rival character works which makes every world interesting to see how they get involved!

This game has a rival that does NOTHING!!!!!!!!!

It's just such a step back from the previous games, it's weird to see DQM 1 land a solid simple story and DQM 2 build a great format to expand the story going forward- and then DQM:J just slams its head into the dirt and wipes out.

> Game's slow.

The engine switch is a good thing overall, but it makes combat slower (a lot), adds loading screens to combat (primarily), and they didn't bother speeding up the grind from previous games.

Because of the grind still existing which isn't a problem in and of itself- the game becomes SLOW AS HELL because the engine makes that grind take longer.

Also world exploration is slow which is to be expected when moving from 2d to 3d, but this is countered by adding things to the world to find or do- and Joker tries but it's still noticeable. The world exploration isn't a problem, it just stands out alongside the combat being slow as hell.

The engine change was a great thing- but it feels like they should have put more work into speeding up combat to counter the slowdown of load times and flashy animations.

A GOOD WAY TO FIX THAT MIGHT BE XP!

> Music ain't great in my opinion.

DQ has amazing music. This game has some weak renditions in my opinion. The CELL HQ theme song is a pretty good poster child for the worst there is, but just in general even the better music is lacking compared to the chiptunes of the GBC or the better mixes of the main series.

Maybe it's unfair, it's a DS game, I don't know, I just know I ended up just muting most of the game because it didn't sound great. I played the GBC games OSTs instead for a large portion of my playthrough. I listened to videos instead for the bulk of the game.

It's just not pleasant to me, sorry to say.

> XP!!!!!!!

I'm being a spoiled ass on this but yeah!

XP SUCKS IN THIS!

There aren't good placed to grind until you beat the game! (apparently)

The first level blatantly has too low xp which makes you grind before you can tackle the boss of the island- and the late game has you mindlessly grinding low xp rewards in order to be ready to face the final boss.

It's WEIRD!

Why is it so low!

> Tech is weird!

I could ramble on this alone but here's the short version:

DQ has a unique fantasy world aesthetic that each game has explored in its own way. It's basically "swords, magic, monsters, and charm- things feel light but aren't afraid to get scary sometimes :)"

This game... doesn't.

This game has fuckin' tech watches, jet skis, TOWER PCS????

This ISN'T dragon quest on a world building level.

It's like, contemporary modern world but with slimes.

And that could be good I guess, but it feels so fucking weird to see PCs right alongside swords and axes and a dracky.

Like... why?

It's a poor aesthetic according to my tastes. Maybe I'm an ass for that. The tech is weird.

All to say, in a poor rambling "I gotta get this out of me" kinda way, is Joker was fine.

I enjoyed breeding. I enjoyed seeing the engine. I enjoyed the unique additions like a 'hero monster'.

But I also had to grind mindlessly on a slower game.

I had to endure a story that forgot to show up until the very end.

I sat there thinking about replaying the older ones the whole time.

It was fine.

It's mediocre.

I'm glad I played it.

I'm done now :)

#RetPlays #Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker #Dragon Quest #Dragon Quest Monsters #Dragon Warrior Monsters #DQM #DWM #DQM:J #DS #Nintendo

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kiyo-yoon · 5 years ago

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Hes already bored of watching everyone fawn over valentines day so he's probably spent all his time listening to music. Yamaguchi has been oddly quiet all day and anytime he speaks, he won't shut up about the event. He thinks a quiet Yamaguchi is an annoying Yamaguchi and eventually breaks when they're walking home after practice.

"Why do you look so depressed?"

"Umm...I'm not, it's just...Daichi and Suga were really affectionate weren't they?"

"Well they are boyfriends and its valentines day. Are you blaming them or something?"

"What? No! No! No! No! It's just...we're boyfriends and...we don't really do that...umm, but I'm not trying to hint that we do more stuff, just pointing out and observing! Ahh! But not in the creepy way! Just th-umm?"

Yamaguchis rambling would be interrupted by Tsukkishima suddenly placing his headphones on him. He would get to listen to some metal band playing for two seconds before the blonde would lean over and kiss him.

"Valentines is about love isnt it? I love music so...so take what I love. Here, J-just listen and shut up..."

And he would walk away with a blush on his face, but never allow Yamaguchi to see it! Meanwhile, Yamaguchi is literally dying on the spot, face red and hands shaking and lips tingling. Plus he's got to listen through Tsukkis headphones which is a bonus!

All day, he's been watching couples get together and give each other gifts and cards and even kisses. During breaks between classes, he cant help but point out a new couple that's gotten together, or even someone who's been kissed or hugged...

They had a short practice of volleyball today, but he couldn't even concentrate because he's been busy admiring Suga and Daichis affectionate teasing and behaviour. He's totally jealous, but doesn't show it and as a result, realises that his own boyfriend has actually forgot what day it is. They all leave Asahi and Noya to lock up and on the way home, Tsukki finally breaks and asks him what's up.

He explains and then totally freaks out when Tsukki thinks hes not happy for Suga and Daichi. His freaking out disappears when Tsukki gives him headphones and a kiss and...that's enough for him, really.

"I can't believe Tsukki just-oh my g-!"

"What did you say? Something wrong?"

"No! Sorry Tsukki!"

Considering that they're already a couple, Daichi plans out the perfect day for them. His parents are away on holiday for a week, so he's pretty keen to get Suga at his house. He's been admittedly more lovey dovey than usual and after giving Asahi a pep talk for later, he takes Suga out of practice and out to town. He takes him to a cake shop where they would have cake and whilst he's ordering, Sugas waiting at the table.

Daichi is totally known for his jealous nature and when he returns to the table and spots some drunk delinquent high schooler, with an arm draped around Suga, he politely tells the guy to...go away.

And of course when he doesnt, Daichi would provoke him until the delinquent ends up trying to start a fight. The cake shop owner ends up kicking all three of them out and Daichi storms away in a mood because everything's been ruined until Suga stops him and grabs him into a hug.

"Sorry...I guess I just wanted today to be...perfect..."

And after a bit of reassurance from Suga, a cheeky innuendo, they end up sharing a smooch and head back to Daichis.

Suga would be the type to constantly tease Daichi for not getting everything right, it's in his nature to be cheeky. He succeeds in making Daichi blush when he lies and says he's upset for not getting flowers. Where's his kiss and hug? He didn't even get him a card? Heartbroken...

Still, Its cute that Daichi is dedicated anyways. Suga would probably be the type to leave a longing kiss, enough for Daichi to remember long in class. He's been listening to his boyfriend mumble their plans to himself and he's totally flustered with that because that's just adorable.

At the end of practice, they walk towards a cake shop, hands joined together and Suga sits down at a booth whilst he's waiting for Daichi to come back with cake. Suddenly theres a weight on his shoulder and he realises it's a teenager, maybe his age? And...yep, definitely drunk and now rambling about anything and everything.

After a few attempts of trying to get this guys arm off him, the guy is refusing to budge and Daichi is standing there and then the pair start arguing and before they know it, the owner of the shop has kicked them all out. Suga ends up chasing Daichi down the street when he storms away in a huff.

"Oi wait up! Daichi! Oi!"

Daichi rambles on about how he wanted today to go perfectly and then Suga pulls him and hugs him again.

"Today was more than perfect. You were pretty perfect too"

Suga would bring his face down for a kiss and then squeeze Daichis hands and grin and hint that they should probably go back to his place because Daichis parents arent in and the rest is up to them.

All day today, his new boyfriend of one week, Kageyama has been in some sort of weird mood. It's their first valentines together, so Hinata had done some research and bought Kageyama chocolates. Unfortunately for Hinata, he didnt know Kageyama is...allergic to nuts and therefore couldn't eat it.

Practice was short that day so Kageyama decided to use the special date as...their official first date together. Hinata is still wondering why the heck his boyfriend is in a bad mood until he spots an arcade poster and teases Kageyama that he would beat him in all the games.

Challenge accepted.

They head to the arcade and after constant arguing about the other somehow cheating, they go to the coin slot machine because...its impossible to cheat on that game. Hinata spots an adorable keychain of a nose with kawaii eyes and tries his best to get it. He fails, watches Kageyama get it and when Kageyama does, Hinata has to scream at him that the keychain is not ugly, it's cute!

On their way home, Hinata is about to split ways from Kageyama when Kageyama gets all sad and moody.

"I'm not just saying it though! I'm serious!"

"Really?"

Hinata would nod with a smile.

"This is my favourite day with you!"

Kageyama would surprise him by tossing the nose keychain over and after listening to Kageyama have some sort of weird battle with himself, Hinata would try something they've never done before.

Kiss...

Except...they've never done it, Hinata doesnt know how to and he's too short to reach Kageyama. Kageyama leans down because Hinata is making some weird face and Hinata pushes himself up on his toes and kisses Kageyama on the cheek.

The lips are too far for their early stage relationship right now.

But his face turns scarlet and he cycles away home and turns around and laughs when he sees Kageyama wobble in his steps. Not bad for a first valentines.

So as soon as he wakes up, Kageyama NEEDS to plan out today since he and Hinata just got together last week. Only problem is...he's utterly clueless. What's he supposed to get Hinata? Flowers? Chocolates? Those are normal...if you're a girl.

Still, he's unsure but decides to just let today go with the flow. At school, Hinatas been commenting on his 'scary' face which, rude, it's the face he was born with. Hinata tries to give him chocolates but...hes allergic to those specific ones..oops.

He's still pretty much clueless, decides at the last minute that maybe he should do extra volleyball practice because Hinata likes that, only for Nishinoya to explain that he and Asahi are locking up instead. They havent been on a date yet so...maybe a date would be pretty good for today?

So on their walk after school, thankfully Hinata finds something for them to do! He finds a poster for a new arcade that's opened and he literally just called him a loser...

Challenge accepted!

Hinata somehow wins the air hockey game three times in a row, cheating obviously, until they both settle on a coin slot game. No way Hinata could cheat on that...

He doesn't, but now Hinata has a new motive and that's to get the most ugliest nose keychain in the world...it even has kawaii eyes on it, as if that'll make it look cute.

In the end, Hinata doesn't win the keychain, but he does instead. He keeps it for a while because...is he supposed to give it to him right now? Later?

They end up walking to a certain path that they'll split ways when Kageyama finally decides to hand over the ugly stupid keychain that makes Hinata smile so much.

"Yeah, just keep it, or throw it away, or keep it..."

And then Hinata would surprise him by making some sort of...weird face by widening his eyes and suddenly theres lips on his cheek and...wow, they technically just kinda kissed in some sort of weird way...

Before he knows it, Hinatas cycled away and he needs to walk home and...wow, his legs are so wobbly right now.

Thank God Hinata can't see his embarrassing smile right now.

Hopefully valentines will be the same next year.

She's not really bothered about valentines to be honest. She's just getting right into her studies and managing the volleyball team etc...

During school, she spots several couples acting all loved up because of the day and...well, she just passes by. She's not one for poking around in anyones personal business, even if it is just something silly like receiving a box of chocolates.

Her only thought right now is...why is she the manager of a ridiculous childish volleyball team?

Because it certainly looks like Tanaka is proposing to Nishinoya and the libero is hiding some sort of letter behind his back. Oh. Tanaka is using his girl voice...isnt it usually the guy who proposes?

Still, she cant help but let out an adorable giggle which attracts Tanakas attention and suddenly, he's bounding over towards her with his face flushed red. He shouts her name loudly, once exactly and then suddenly retracts and spins around and sprints out the hallway.

What...just happened?

Later, at practice, Kiyoko ends up getting a call from her mum, warning her that it's still quite dark at night so she was to be careful.

Tanaka, being the loud person with a heightened sense of hearing, decides to shout and declare that he'll walk her home and...well, maybe a bit of company would be nice?

Maybe she should put Tanaka out of his misery already...

Nah, she's way too playful like that.

"Maybe...maybe you can walk me home?"

And Tanaka? Well, he does his usual adorable cheer that he does and they're on their way! She refuses to let him hold her bag though, shes self independent that way.

Its decided as soon as the clock struck midnight and its valentines, but he decides that he wants to make today a day that Kiyoko will remember!

Obviously he'll get the bro advice from Nishinoya since he has also asked for some advice. So, he ends up heading to school, bumps into Nishinoya who is...screaming about a letter that was posted through his door that morning and Tanaka can only snort at the original poem that's been written inside.

He advises his bro that he should totally just let it play out, be all romantic and even does a simple drama performance for him to follow. And then...Kiyoko is standing there looking perfect as per usual and she blinks twice and suddenly, his feet have left the floor, ready to shout for Kiyoko to hear his confession!

Wait

Hes supposed to be all suave and romantic, especially on the most romantic day of the year. So he stops, clears his throat and spins around and sprints out of there, embarrassed! He was totally NOT cool!

Later at practice, he hears Kiyoko mention that they'll be finishing up soon and then answers her phone. Tanaka just so happens to be standing nearby and hears Kiyokos mother mention how dangerous the streets are because it's still quite dark. This could be his chance!

He could totally walk her home, right? At least occupy her?

"Oi! Kiyoko! I can walk you home if you want!"

For a second, it seems like shes gonna just ignore him again, but then she gives him the most adorable tiny smile ever and nods ever so slightly.

"Maybe...maybe you can walk me home?"

Then hes ready to run away because Kiyoko ignoring him is pretty hot but-hang on, she just said...

Yes!

"Spending valentines with Kiyoko!"

She smiles again and he notices her bag and holds a hand out.

"I'll carry your bag!"

"No thanks"

Where to begin?

Asahi ends up having a nightmare of a valentines! Hes spent every single day of being in Nishinoyas presence, debating whether he should confess to him or not. He ends up asking for Asahi and Sugas advice over the phone for several nights before he finally comes up with the idea.

A letter? That's pretty basic and even Nishinoya should understand the concept behind that. So he wrote one out, maybe the original poem was too much but he had too many things to say and a poem sounds like it should be enough to express his feelings.

He slides it into Nishinoyas foot locker and sprints away before the said boy comes in and catches him. Now he just needs to wait.

So naturally, in class, he cant concentrate. He cant focus on any of his schoolwork and Suga ends up flicking him on the back of the head with a rubber during class because he can literally see Asahi shaking that much...

Why did he ask Nishinoya to stay behind after practice again? Why did he write that? Nishinoya probably wants a different valentines. What if he rejects him? What if he decides that he just...oh god. What if he quits the team? Never speaks to him again? Could he be reading all of Noyas signals wrong?

Something hard hits the back of his head again and he turns around and theres Suga again with his criticising look. The teacher yells and he turns back around with an apology. How embarrassing.

Later, at practice, he's ready to freak out again because Kageyama asks Nishinoya if he and Hinata could lock up. They'd recently become a couple...what if Noya said yes? Asahi wouldnt be able to give his confession...

Thankfully, Noya says no with an apology and then a short explanation that he and Asahi would do it instead. Then Daichi is running over and patting Asahi on the back with a calm 'Try not to freak out. Dont worry, just worry about Suga if you do end up chickening out' and then hes away again!

When it's just the two of them, they clean up together, quietly until Nishinoya finally pulls out the letter from his bag and looks up at Asahi.

"This letter..."

And of course...he freaks out.

"Umm! Oh! It's just...you dont have to read it, well even though it looks like you already have, but it's not worth reading, I suppose you could just look at it as a joke if you want to, but even though it's real...I'm sorry if it wasted your time!"

And to his surprise, Nishinoya only laughs and wiggles the letter in his hand.

"It didn't waste my time, but...are you serious? About your feelings...about you liking me since I was a first year?"

"Mhmm! Of course! I just...sorry, that probably sounded creepy!"

"Eh? No! No of course not!"

"But it's the truth! I'm completely honest! You...you're the best person to have ever come into my life so...so please hear my confession! I...I love you Noya!"

He's pretty sure he hears Noya chuckle for a bit and he wishes he could see him, but suddenly tears are building in his eyes and the thought of rejection from Nishinoya of all people is enough to make him cry.

His body is suddenly falling forwards, Noya is falling backwards because hes grabbed onto him but Asahi is fast, so he loops his arms around Noya and straightens them up so they're standing. Noya grins and then pushes forwards for a hug and presses his forehead against Asahis forehead, his blonde fringe pushing against the aces headband. Asahi can only sigh in relief because thank god...he couldn't imagine going on in life if this turned out differently.

He's never really thought about valentines to be honest. He's always had one person in mind and he's pretty sure that's rude to try and confess to your upperclassmen. Sure he plays along with Tanaka to protect Kiyoko, but its more of a...let's protect the girl because guys are creepy predators kinda thing...

Anyways, he heads to school like a normal day, changes shoes and...is that a letter?

It totally is!

Someone just...this is definitely Asahis handwriting! This was a dream, right? If so, please dont wake him up!

He reads the inside, smiles at the cute poem and when he realises theres a message asking to stay behind after practice so they could talk, he fist pumps the air and rushes to find Tanaka.

He shows him the letter, asks for advice and all Tanaka does is simply tell him to let the day play it out, just like a volleyball game. He even gets down on one knee and pretends to propose, as if that'll happen today.

Still, he keeps it in mind, not for...future reasons...

He watches Tanaka sprint over to Kiyoko within seconds and then run away and remembers that he and Tanaka were on the phone last night. The future ace had declared that he wanted valentines to go perfectly for Kiyoko, so he would act like the perfect gentleman!

Still, he waves to Kiyoko and heads to class.

The rest of the day, he doesnt see Asahi which isnt much of a surprise since they're in different years. He has caught sight of Suga and Daichi kissing at some point and frowns.

If he and Asahi were to get together, there would surely be a lot of looks. People already mistook him as an elementary kid and Asahi as a grown man who is also apparently a delinquent. But hey, when was he to care about looks?

He looks away from Suga and Daichi in the distance and lightly pats his burning cheeks twice before shaking his head. He liked Asahi, no, he loved Asahi! He'd admired the man from day one!

So when it comes to the end of practice which is cut fairly short, he has to quickly explain to Kageyama that he and Asahi would be locking up instead. Kageyama looks slightly annoyed but hey, he always looks like that. He ends up showing Asahi the letter and of course, the big ball of anxiety starts to flip.

But in the end, Asahi confesses properly...reveals that he's liked Noya from day one and...

"I love you too you big baby! Oi! Why are you crying?! I accepted your confession! Baka!"

And then he lunges forwards to try and grab Asahi into a hug but they end up staggering for a bit and...god, he wishes Asahi would just stop crying! He does though, and they hug and Noya really wants to kiss him right now, but hes pretty sure the ace would faint if he did it right now. So he settles for a forehead touch, just so he can reassure Asahi that he's there and...he's not planning on going away anytime soon.

He's there, he's not disappearing and even when Asahi graduates, he knows they'll still be together, no matter what obstacle they face.

#tsukkiyama #daisuga #kagehina #tanaka x kiyoko #asanoya #tsukishima #yamaguchi #daichi #suga #kageyama #hinata #tanaka #shimizu kiyoko #asahi #nishinoya #haikyuu!!#haikyuu #happy valentines day

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accioxreparo · 5 years ago

Note

i've listened to "you & me" at least 5 times today and i can't stop thinking about george x reader in someone to you because you said it reminds you of them and AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

CECE OH MY GOD I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS ALL DAY LONG YESTERDAY AND TODAY!!!!

Legit while I was working on that last fic I posted last night and literally all that kept popping into my head was George x reader in STY so have these cute little hc’s about them because ily!!!!

***

It had never really occurred to George to give you a nickname

you were always just ‘Y/N’ to him and he didn’t really think there was any need to call you anything else

it happened during your fourth year and while he himself isn’t able to pinpoint where ‘my love’ came from, Fred remembers clearly

you’d been spending more time than ever with Oliver, especially considering he’d given in and officially had McGonagall make you his assistant captain instead of just saying it

not to mention the fact that Alicia was out for at least a couple months after a particularly bad fall and you were in charge of helping Katie catch up on all the formations

It’s late, nearing curfew, and the typical sound of you and Oliver bickering can be heard the moment the portrait hole cracks open

“Regretting trying out yet?” Fred smirks as he sees the dead tired, and frankly annoyed, look on Katie’s face. She falls onto one of the armchairs and her voice comes out muffled. “I’m getting there.”

George, however, has his eyes trained on you and Oliver arguing. It was a sight everybody was used to but it looks different now. It sounds different too.

“Babe, I’m telling you, that maneuver is never going to work.” “Of course it will. Give me three practices and I will have Angelina and Katie perfecting these moves.” “I’ll give you half of one to give it a try.” “Two?” “One, final offer.” “You’re so difficult.” “Whatever you say, babe.” “Don’t call me that.”

The second Oliver leaves the Common Room George is standing to move next to where you had sat on the floor nearest the large windows without a second thought. He stares at you for a few moments before finally shaking out of his small trance

“When did that happen?” You frown at the question and lean your head on his shoulder just as you have hundreds of times before. “When did what happen?”

“He means when did Wood start calling you ‘babe’?” Fred interrupts and sits in front of the two of you without hesitation, leaning back on his hands with a smirk. “Is there something we should know about?”

“I’m offended you’d even think so,” Your nose scrunches a bit and you drop your gloves on the floor beside you. “You’d have to ask him that. Hate it though. Doesn’t suit me. Not from him anyway.”

And that statement is the one that gets stuck in George’s head and he doesn’t quite know why. Doesn’t suit me, not from him.

Honestly, he doesn’t even know he’s doing it, it just kinda happens without meaning to

“Hand me those ingredients over there, please, dear?” “Did you catch what Binns said, honey? May or may not have fallen asleep during the lecture again.” “Hogsmeade tomorrow, angel?”

Most of the time you roll your eyes but don’t say much about it. That is until he breaks out a new one. The last new one.

“What do you think, my love?” George looks up from where he’d been looking over some of their newest footage only to find you staring at your Charms homework intently

He can read you like a book. The name had caught you off guard and he’s finally gotten a reaction out of you. It’s only confirmed when your head shoots up to look at him. “Sorry, uh, what happened?”

George tries his hardest not to smile so instead he goes back to the screen in front of him “I asked what you thought about Fred and I making these videos a weekly thing, my love.”

“I, uh,” You clear your throat, finally managing to look him in the eyes again. “I think it’s, think it’s worth a shot.”

He looks at you once more and gives a nod, “Good.”

A week passes and George has successfully managed to work ‘my love’ into every conversation he has with you, probably enjoying your reaction just a bit too much

especially when he overhears you scolding Oliver for the nicknames again

“I’ve figured it out,” Fred announces one day after watching you walk away from them with Katie again. “You were jealous.”

“About what exactly?” George is only half paying attention but the next words that leave Fred’s mouth have him doing a double take. “Of Y/N and Oliver spending so much time together.”

George is silent for just a little bit too long.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He finally says, putting down the thing he’d been working on and glaring at Fred. “Why would I be jealous?”

“Well I don’t know, Georgie, why are people usually jealous of their friends being close with other people?”

“Do you ever say anything how it is?” “Do you ever acknowledge anything without deflecting?”

They stare at each other for a second before George shakes his head and looks at his parchment again. “You’re reading too much into it. Y/N’s done the same thing with Ginny, Mione, and Luna for as long as she’s known them. Started doing it with Harry too. The nicknames mean nothing.”

Fred knows better than to push any further. He does, however, feel a bit obligated to mention the conversation he’d overheard you having earlier in the Great Hall. “She’s got a date this weekend.”

George doesn’t look up again but he does stop and put his full attention on the sudden change in topic. “With who?” “Alex Creswell.” “Why?”

He rolls his eyes when Fred laughs at his reaction, finally looking up at him again. “I didn’t know Y/N even knew him.” “They’re partners in Arithmancy apparently.”

Fred watched closely as George seemed to silently work out what it was he’d just been told. When he couldn’t easily figure out what his thoughts were he asked “What do you think, then?” “About what?” “The date, obviously.” “What am I supposed to think?”

He lets out a groan and lets his head fall backward before quickly changing the subject, figuring the topic wasn’t going to turn out to be as interesting as he thought

You don’t notice any of the whispers and George doesn’t either

Not when he runs into the Great Hall a couple months later alongside Fred shouting, “You will never guess what happened, my love!”

Or when the Celestial Ball is held and you both go with other people but you’re constantly by each other’s sides anyway “C’mon, darling, you love this song!” “But, my love, I’m tired.”

Not even when the twins hit their first big milestone on their channel and you throw them a party in the Room of Requirement. “You, my love, always believed in us.” “Well of course, darling, you know how much I love you guys.”

Nothing ever happens though and after those first few months of George shouting ‘my love’ everywhere you went together, everybody else simply gets used to it.

You get used to it too and you’ve never thought twice about the nickname, one you don’t even realize he doesn’t use with anybody else

You don’t notice it until the fake dating starts.

It’s then that you backtrack just as you had all those years ago, nervous about who overhears and what it means.

That’s the thing, though, really. You’re not sure if it even means anything at all and you’re terrified that you’re thinking about it too much where he isn’t.

The more things evolve in yours and George’s relationship, your fake relationship, the more confused you get.

You start to hang on to the words whenever you hear ‘my love’ leave his lips, whenever you see them typed on the screen.

Then the looks become a little too long and the touches a little too soft and one day you shake yourself out of the flurry of thoughts you’d let yourself slip into and convince yourself that it’s all in your head.

George calling you my love has always been normal. It means absolutely nothing different now than it did when he first started using the nickname.

Right?

#ahh i just love these two so much :')#oof and i promise the little bit with oliver will make more sense after the next part lol #i wrote some hc's about reader oliver and charlie to go with the next part and forgot i hadn't posted them yet whoops #ANYWAY CECE ILYSM OH MY GOSH!#someone to you

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danni-chuu · 5 years ago

Text

The 7 brothers with a 10 year-old lilith (+ side characters & mc)

This is an hc is inspired by the chapter 14 flashback, so the gist of this Hc is what if lilith gets turned into a 10 year old child try as diavolos way to save her. This is gonna be a really long post so strap in~❤️.

This hc post is made with the help of my friend, @heeminchan, thankiez.

General info about 10 year old lilith:

She has no recollection or memories about the celestial war or being an angel at all.

The post might say 10 years old but she's probably already pass the 1000+ mark, but still is and acts like a child.

She looks like ruri chan ( for reference here)

So without further babbling, lez go❤️

Lucifer

" if you behave I'll give you a princess poison apple and play with you "

Lucifer being the eldest takes it upon himself to be a father like figure to her. In front of the others, he makes sure to keep a strict front but in private, he's alot more softer on her.

Lucifer's room has a toy chest for her since she likes spending time and playing in his room. And being the child that she is, she even dresses up the skeleton in his room. If he's not busy, he would play with her, simple playing house and all.

One time while lucifer was doing paper work,lilith wanted to help him . So to keep lilith busy, he handed her a bunch of void documents and told her to sign them. In the end she got bored and decided to draw her with her 7 older brothers. Which luci decided to frame and put up at the entrance hall.

If lilith gets into trouble, luci doesn't shy away from punishment. But rather than stringing someone upside down and leaving them like that for 100 years, he would just ground lilith and take away her toys. (Buuuuut her other brothers would just sneak some of her toys to her room, especially beel and belphie)

Mammon

" heh you should be greatful you're brothers with the GREAT mammon, shortie! Huh?! w-wait dont cry! "

Mammon loves teasing lilith. Be it calling her a pipspeak, shortie, cry baby, etc. He's said them all, buuuuut he always takes it back because lilith might tell lucifer and he gets punished AG A I N.

Lilith as much as possible doesn't leave any of her things in mammon's room, because her other brothers warn her that he's going to sell them away.

One time mammon stole something from lucifer (probably something to profit from), and lilith was in lucifers room because she was playing hide and seek with beel. Seeing mammon stealing, she gets out of her hiding spot and tells mammon that she will rat him out to her big brother lucifer.mammon taking non of this shitz says he'll do whatever she wants. By the end of the day, lilith gets a new plushie and mammon still got ratted out because how can she lie to her big brother lucifer?

Mammon does try to get her involved in his schemes sometimes. Making her ask money from her other brothers and other more shenanigans, but when he's feeling it he will in fact spoil her with little treats such as candy.

Leviathan

" wooah you look so much like ruri-chan! Can you sing too?"

Levi is still as much of a shut- in, having a younger sibling that he can teach TSL or play games with is his dream come true. Lilith goes to his room to watch anime (for her its cartoons but dont tell levi because he will be very triggered) with him and play video games.

If lilith does go to levi's room , he's always watching out just in case she ends up using his precious figurines as dolls or touching his precious merch. Sometimes( most of the time) when he's too busy playing his games, lilith will just talk to henry 2.0 and feed him.

Levi is a mega ultra super duper (insert more hyperbolic words) fan of ruri-chan, so during lilith's birthday..he gave her a ruri-chan costume (the other brothers already knew where this was heading but they couldn't stop it since lilith liked the cute clothes). She wore them and levi literally freaked because she looked just like her! He posted a picture of her on devilgram and the pic got a decent amount of likes.

The only time that lilith gets in trouble with levi is her staying with him past her bed time, she gets pouty about it but in the end she still gets taken to bed by her big brother lucifer.

Satan

"i can read you a story or we can play tea time, what do you prefer? "

Satan acts alot like a tutor to lilith, he teaches her about manners, reading and writing, and many other things. Satan loves teaching lilith especially when he sees her trying to pronounce big words, which he finds adorable.

Satan for the most part wants lilith to stay out of his room because there are too many dangerous books around. But he would rather play with her in her room instead, either reading a children's bed time book before going to bed or playing tea time with her. They both share a love for pets and animals, so in his free time, he will take her to a kitty cafe where she can play with the lil furballs.

Satan was regulary teaching lilith about different animals, until they got to the cat. Lilith became so intrigued by cats that satan spent a good 30 minutes to an hour of answering her questions about cats. One day, he saw lilith crying by the stairs. He quickly went over and asked her what's wrong, only to find out that she asked lucifer if they can adopt a cat wherein lucifer completely dismisses the idea. Knowing that Lucifer's mind wont change, the next day satan surprises lilith with a black cat plushie with a red bow tie thats as tall (or alitte bit smaller) than her. Until this day, the cat plushie satan gave her is her favourite. She is never seen without it, and she even gave it a name, mr. Momo.

The only time that lilith ever gets in trouble is if she joins in on satan's pranks on lucifer. But most of the time she's let off the hook if they're harmless ones.

Asmodeus

" waahh~ lilith's so adorable, but not as adorable as me"

To lilith, asmo is the closest thing to a sister she can have. Being the only girl in the house( before mc, if mc is a girl ), asmo likes to doll her up and make her his little dress up doll. He often buys clothes for her because he just LOVES making her pretty.

She doesn't spend as much time in asmo's room because there isn't much to do there, but when asmo calls her in after a shopping trip. She already knows he's going to make her pretty as a peach!

It was lilith's birthday and Asmo wanted to dress her up for the occasion! Hair? Check! Make up? Check! Clothes? Check! She was looking as pretty as ever (but not as pretty as him). After dolling her up , lilith went to her other brothers to show Amos work. All of them asked if a child should be wearing that much make up, but asmo tells lilith to shrug them off because they can't appreciate beauty even if it hits them in the face!

The one thing that gets lilith in trouble is lucifer seeing her being dressed by asmo , wearing clothes not fit for a 10 year old girl. Seriously, devilgram level make up on a kid is not appropriate (well in lucifer and some of the other brothers point of view)

Beezlebub

" the eggs taste like plastic..huh? I'm not supposed to eat them? Sorry, they looked too realistic"

Beel is very close with lilith. He spends most of his time watching over her or bringing her to his favourite food joints to eat. Since beel is so big, she loves it when he carries her around, either on his shoulders or just being carried in general. Beel wants to protect lilith at all times, so if sorcerers or witches want to summon lilith, he comes along to watch over her still.

if its not Lucifer's room, lilith's next stop is always the twin's room. She goes in and jumps on either of the beds and having her toys there as well she can already entertain herself. When beel is there to play with her, she likes to play chef and make him food using her plastic kitchen toy set( though some pieces are missing since beel keeps forgetting that its plastic). If she doesn't want to play with her toys, she tries to tickle fight beel and always wins.

Beel was in his room eating a box of cupcakes until lilith barges in and sees him eating cupcakes, she pouts at beel asking why he didn't tell her that he had cupcakes. Beel, being beel just says to her, " they're my cupcakes". She pouts even more and says that she wants a cupcake as well. Beel couldn't resist and splits the cupcake, giving the other half to her. After finishing the cupcake, he promises to buy her a box aswell next time.

Lilith having a sweet tooth herself will often look in the fridge for sweets. She sometimes ends up eating beels food(custard), and hides the evidence. Beel rampages again and breaks the kitchen. Lucifer then lines all of them up and ask who ate the custard, and all of them immediately suspect mammon. But being a good girl, lilith admits her mistake and apologizes to beel, who calms down and says ," you could have left me some..".

Belphegor

" how about later...? Im still too sleepy to teach you..."

Belphie, same with beel, is pretty close with lilith. If he isn't cuddling her as his favourite cuddle buddy, he's teaching her how to dance ballet(Based it off his dancing sprite). Lilith spends most of her afternoon napping with belphie.

Besides playing with beel , lilith also loves playig around with belphie. She makes it an everyday challenge for herself to wake him up in the most creative ways. It can be things such as ice,drawing on his face, tickles, etc. When belphie is too lazy to stand up from bed( which is often), she just plays with his hair and does whatever she wants with it. When he finally does stand up, he teaches lilith some ballet. While she's even wearing her full ballet attire, with tutu included.

It was the middle of the night and lilith had a nightmare, she wanted to go to her big brother lucifer, but it was already late and she might be disturbing him. But then she remembered that mid nights is when his big brother belphie is awake, so she goes over to him with mr.momo. belphie is alittle confused since its way past her bedtime so he asked her whats wrong. She climbs up his bed and hugs him, after calming down she tells belphie that she had a nightmare. Belphie was well acquainted with nightmares, so he knew exactly what to do. They went to the kitchen and both had a cup of warm milk. Going back to his room, he cuddled up with lilith and made sure she had a good nights sleep.

Lilith ends up over sleeping and gets very cranky if she gets rudely awakened.the others find it very adorable.

"...." * Huwgs*

So this depends on the mc's personality but lets start from the beginning. After being sent to the devildom and having the basic run down of what is to come, mammon takes you to the house of lamentations. The first thing you notice once the door opens, is toys scattered all around the entrance hall. Not only toys, but you see a height lines at one of the door frames. Mammon gets more annoyed because he stepped on one of the toys and he shouts out," lilith!". A small girl carrying a black cat plushie almost her size comes down the stairs. Mammon scolds her for leaving her toys out like that and he introduces you to their 8th sibling, lilith. Lilith immediately hugs you (no matter the gender), because it's been a while since she's seen a human. And you become her instant play mate.

The mc's room already has a toy chest, filled with lilith's favourite toys. She likes to play around with the mc and actually gets quite attached to them.

Lilith gets so comfortable around the mc that she ask permission from her big brother luci if she can make a pact with the mc. Of course, lucifer is skeptical but he allows it because of liliths enthusiasm.

Diavolo

" ah lilith , I didn't think you would be accompanying lucifer today. "

Dia acts alot like the rich uncle that only comes back during the holidays to give out presents. Lilith rarely gets to see diavolo because most of the time it's only lucifer that gets to see him. But, when lucifer does come back he often gives lilith sweets that barbatos made by diavolo's order.

On the rare occasions that lucifer brings lilith along with him, she acts very reserved and shows off the manners lessons that satan has been teaching her.

On one evening, lucifer brings lilith along to dinner with diavolo. While eating, diavolo jokes around saying that lucifer should just stay in the castle with him. Suddenly, lilith bumps in and protests against the idea, " no big brother luci's staying with us". She hugs as much of lucifers arm that she can, giving diavolo her most pouty and "menacing face". Dia loves seeing how much she cares for her brother, while lucifer is trying his best to hide his embarrassment.

Luke

" ahhhhh! Im not a child! I dont want to play with a demon!"

When lilith first saw luke, her mind immediately said," playmate! ". Though luke always complains about being treated like a child because he's short, he tries to bare it because simeon convinced him to play with lilith.

When in the purgatory hall, she brings along mr.momo and some other toys. luke sometimes pretend he isn't there so he doesn't have to play with lilith, but once he hears a sniffle of her almost crying. He couldn't help but open the door for her and play.

Upon first meeting luke, the key difference in height was..still... apparent. Somehow, lilith is still a few inches taller than luke. Being the giddy child she is, she tells her brothers about it and they all start laughing their lungs out. And when luke finally got wind of it, he was so flustered and embarrassed, he almost refused to leave his room.

Solomon

" why not make a pact with me?"

All her brothers warn her about solomon and to stay as far away from him as possible, she rarely gets to interact with him. But most of the times they do meet, he often ask her to make a pact with him. She always replies to him, " i have to ask big brother luci's permission first". Solomon just smiles and pats her head.

Huhu not much i can say about him since im sure the brothers distance lilith from solomon as much as possible.

And that concludes this very very long post , hope you guys enjoyed it❤️❤️❤️

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me!#obey me lilith #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me diavolo #obey me mc #obey me solomon #obey me luke

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cruciferousjex · 6 years ago

Text

The Attendant Five:

Make The Bad Thing Good

"Look, I don't have the temperament for...for whatever the fuck this is, " Glimmer said. She paced back and forth before the couch where Catra sat, hugging her arms around herself, still in her bloody clothes despite Hordak following her about with a folded nightgown, desperately urging her to take it.

He had reacted badly to the blood. He was still at his post outside the dining room door when Prime finally dismissed them, after a hours of grilling about Etheria and the weapon it contained. Hordak straightened on seeing the girls exhausted and covered in blood, his green eyes going wide. He took Glimmer by the shoulders and turned her, looking for the wound.

"It's okay," Glimmer said tiredly. "It's not my blood."

He glanced conceredly at Catra.

"Not hers either."

He looked back and forth between them. Something flickered in his expression. His eyes narrowed. He glanced back inside the dining room as if to hold someone accountable for this offense to his charges, but the dining room was empty. He returned to the girls, placed his hands protectively on their upper backs, and gently urged them back towards their rooms, dead eyeing any clone who passed them in the halls. As soon as they got there he retrieved fresh clothes for them, which Catra opted for, but Glimmer was too much of a nervous wreck to do anything but pace.

Catra lay on the couch, wearing the simple white nightgown Hordak had handed her, sipping tea as she watched Glimmer traverse the living room, Hordak following her with a nightgown.

"How are you so calm!?" Glimmer snapped at Catra.

"Look Sparkles, nobody just 'has' the temperament for this. Especially not you. You're a Princess, of course you don't understand anything about rulers."

"The fuck this that supposed to mean?"

"That means if you ARE the ruler you never have to learn to work a ruler."

"Oh, because you learned to work Hordak, is that it?"

"Pretty much," Catra said, drinking her tea.

Glimmer glanced at Hordak, who at this point was wide-eyed and limp eared with concern, practically begging her to take the nightgown. She turned to Catra with a look of quiet horror.

"Catra...was...was Hordak like that?"

His ear flicked slightly at the name.

"No," Catra said. "No, Hordak was...I mean he could get angry and violent, but he wasn't like...twisted." She looked at him. "He was actually kind of pathetic. All he cared about was trying to buy his way home."

"By using Etheria as payment? How is that not twisted?"

"I meant in the sense that he never forced me to eat a bowl of myself or walk around with my tit out."

Glimmer frowned. "Well that's...something. I guess." She turned to Hordak and took the nightgown. The relief on his face was palpable. "Why would you ever want to come back here?" she asked him.

Hordak quirked his head at her, not understanding the question.

"I mean...when something is all you know, it's all you know. Even if it's bad," Catra said, looking down into her teacup. "It's like you have to make the bad thing good. You have to make the bad thing good or ...or you'll die, or something."

Glimmer 's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? There's nothing good to be made from Prime. What did he think he was going to change?"

Catra didn't reply at first. She sighed.

"Sparkles...Glimmer...your mom loved you, right?"

Glimmer seemed taken aback. "Yeah? Of course she did. Everyone's mom loves them."

Catra laughed grimly.

"What?"

"Okay first of all, no, not everyone's mom loves them. Some moms are fucked up. Some dads are fucked up. Sometimes parents have their own fucking goals and you aren't one of them. But like… that doesn't matter when you're the kid, you know?"

"I don't."

"Even if they're fucked up you still...love them. And like...you want them to love you. More than anything. More than like...breathing. Even if you don't like them, even if you HATE them, you literally feel like you'll die if they don't love you, like there's a huge…hole...in you...and you'll do anything…." Catra's voice broke. She grimaced. "You'll do anything you think you have to do. For Hordak, that was take over Etheria." She sighed. "At least I think that was what was going on with him."

Glimmer considered this.

"Is that...is that also what was going on with you?" Glimmer asked softly.

Catra's mouth made a tight line. She gazed into her tea.

"Go get changed, Sparkles. Take a bath or something." She turned to Hordak. "Attendant, draw a bath for the queen."

He leapt into action, seemingly overjoyed to be put to work.

"Catra-"

"Look how happy he is," Catra chuckled. "He's drawing the living fuck out of that bath. Go. You'll hurt his feelings."

Glimmer frowned.

"Go!" Catra said. "I can't watch you freak the fuck out anymore, okay? Go calm your royal nerves."

Glimmer gave an exasperated sigh and followed Hordak.

"Careful he doesn't make you absolutely squeal," Catra called after her.

Glimmer shuddered and made a big show of pretending to vomit. Catra laughed.

"I'm absolutely horking chunks," Glimmer said. "Prime's so gross."

"He's so fucking gross," Catra agreed.

***

While Glimmer bathed, Hordak joined Catra in the living room and carefully folded their bloodied clothes, then dumped them in what she assumed was some sort of hamper. His eyes narrowed as he did this. Mouth made an even straighter line than usual.

"You're… you're pissed off, aren't you?" Catra asked softly as he refilled her tea. "I know that look."

Hordak did not reply. He stood next to the couch with his hands clasped behind his back, servant like, at the ready.

"Sit down," Catra said.

He made to sit on the floor.

"On the couch, dipshit," Catra said. "God, we were taking over Etheria together and now you don't even know how to sit on a couch. Remember building all those cool robots? Coming up with all that...stuff? You used to really love being in your lab tinkering with things. You called it your Sanctum." She took a sip of tea. "Fucking nerd. Now look at you. All of that...all of this...for him? For that guy, Hordak? He doesn't love you, he was never gonna love you, and now you're-"

Hordak watched and listened patiently, green eyed, expressionless.

An ache rose up in her.

"Whatever, " she muttered into her teacup. "You made your bed. This was what you wanted, right?" Her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes burned. "Bet you thought winning would be different, huh? You thought Prime would hug you and spin you around? Tell you you're a good boy?"

He tilted his head. Blinked.

"I'm sorry he did this to you, " Catra said, sniffing. "You were a real piece of shit, but…."

Hordak took a napkin from the tea tray and handed it to her.

"What's this for?"

He pointed to her cheek. It was wet.

"Aw. Aw fuck," Catra said, dabbing at her cheek. "I know I'm not crying over you."

He stared at her.

"I wish you'd talk," Catra whispered.

Hordak frowned, and with much effort, said, "Good...boy."

"Yes," Catra said. "Yes, you're a good boy."

And he smiled, as though that were all he needed to hear.

***

After Glimmer's bath Catra had one, then Hordak herded them into the bedroom like a sheepdog.

"Oh is it bedtime? Is this like, enforced bedtime?" Glimmer asked. "What are you my mom?"

"I could go for some enforced bedtime, I'm exhausted," Catra said. "One bed. Thanks Prime, you sicko weirdo fuck." She frowned at it. "Though to be fair it's huge."

"Prime sized," Glimmer muttered.

"He wishes," Catra said.

"He clearly does and it scares the shit out of me," Glimmer said.

There was a knock on the door. The girls froze. Hordak's eyes narrowed with the same anger Catra had seen while he folded their bloody clothes.

"What the hell does he want now?" Catra asked. "It's the middle of the night."

Hordak went to answer the door. Catra and Glimmer remained in the bedroom listening.

"Prime requests the presence of the Queen and her Lady," said a clone.

There was silence for a long moment. Glimmer and Catra exchanged worried looks.

"Sleeping," Hordak finally said, as though it was difficult for him to find the word.

"Prime requests the presence of the Queen and her Lady," the clone repeated.

"Asleep," Hordak said. "Sleeping."

Catra peeked around the door frame. The clone tilted his head, peering at Hordak.

"Prime. Requests the presence. Of the Queen. And her Lady," the clone insisted, slowly, as though Hordak were too stupid to understand him.

Hordak lifted his chin.

"Sleepy," he said, crossing his arms. "Sleepy girls."

The clone frowned. There was a tense standoff, which ended when Hordak simply took a step back and allowed the door to slide shut between them.

Catra and Glimmer gave big sighs of relief. Hordak joined them in the bedroom, glancing back at the door as he walked.

"Thank you, Hordak," Glimmer said. "Good boy."

He smiled.

"Are you going to get in trouble for that?" Catra asked him.

"Oh no," Glimmer said. "Oh god, do you think-"

"I don't know. I mean I'm pretty sure he just disobeyed a direct order." Catra's eyes widened. "Holy shit, Hordak. How did you-"

She stopped talking when Hordak slowly raised his arms and placed his hands on top of each of their heads. He looked at them both in turn, as though trying to impart something, but what that was wasn't clear.

"Sleepy girls," he finally said. "Sleep."

And with that he left the bedroom.

When they awoke the next morning he was sat in a chair facing the door, standing guard. There had not been another clone messenger knocking in the night. Prime had chosen to leave them alone.

"Was he here guarding us like this the whole night?" Glimmer asked.

"Looks like it. Good morning, Hordak," Catra said.

He did not turn, but he did glance back. His ear gave a slight flick.

"Did you see that?" Glimmer asked. "He's starting to think that's his name."

"It is his name," Catra replied.

"Yeah," Glimmer said. "Yeah he gets to keep his name. Attendant!"

He turned and rose from the chair.

"Stay seated," she commanded. She walked over to him and paused before him with a royal gravity. He looked up at her with wide eyes, as though she truly was his queen.

She held her palm vertically before him, touching one shoulder with the side of her hand, then the other.

"I dub thee Hordak," she said. "Rise."

#absolutely horking chunks #I almost called this but nah #glitra #hordak #horde prime #glimmer #catra #the attendant

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hoseokslefteyebrow · 5 years ago

Text

Best Of Me || K.TH ||

Pairing: Kim Taehyung X Reader

Genre: Fluff, tiny bit of Angst, Spy au!

Summary: You've hated Taehyung for as long as you can remembered. But what happens when you're both get teamed up for a mission and Taehyung turns out to not be as bad ad you've expected?

Wordcount: 3.2K ( this was suplosed to be a drabble from like 500- 1k word drabble but it got out of hand oops.)

" You have to be kidding me!" -Your first reaction as you heard the news.

The man across from you smirks.

"C'mon Y/N. You're lucky, not everyone has the luck to get a piece of me." - Taehyung

You couldn't believe you were assigned as Taehyung's date for this mission.

Yes, this mission was important, but you didn't want to be doing this with him.

" It's only for one mission Y/N. And I have already decided." Namjoon looks at you from beside Taehyung.

" You know that I have something against him, why are you putting us in a team?" You ask him.

" You both may hate each other, but your fighting styles complement each other. And this mission is important. The maknae line of the inner circle is going, and that includes the both of you." Namjoon explains as if it's obvious.

And so you simply huff and walk away while excusing yourself.

Tough it sounds as if you're part of a gang, you're actually part of one if the national spy organisations, Bighit to be exact.

You and Taehyung have been in this organisation since forever, and you've always had a thing against each other.

It started with him beating you on a test, and since then you always had this competition going on.

You had never worked together.

Until two weeks from now.

Taehyung was feeling the opposite of you.

He liked how competitive you were in trying to beat him, but he too tough you could make a good team.

He was excited to work with you, and hoped that you two could maybe become friends. Or maybe more...?

He blushed as the last tough crossed his mind and smiled up at the ceiling.

"What are you smiling about?" Jungkook, his roommate asks as he just came out of the shower.

Taehyung just shakes his head, simply answering him with a 'nothing'.

You go shopping with a few of your frirnds next week.

You don't know what the mission is about yet, but you do know that it's formal, so you use the excuse to go shopping for a dress.

" I ship it." Your best friend states as you told her everything.

" No-"

"Yes, you two look great together. You're just too stubborn to admit it." She says as you roll your eyes.

Your best friend knows you're a spy, in fact she kind of knows everything about you.

" Well what are you waiting for, let's go to that fancy store." She smiles as you both go to the store to try dresses on.

Taehyung happened to be in that same mall too, with his friends Jungkook and Jimin.

He was about to get a suit.

So did Jimin and Jungkook who were also assigned to the mission.

He and the boys walked by the shop you and your best friend were at, when Jimin spotted you.

And Taehyung saw you with a dress on and realized,

You were actually pretty.

Especially when you showed off your curves a bit.

Meanwhile you were complaining about your dress to your best friend.

" Are you serious? I think I might explode with how tight this is." You tell her.

" Fine, try something else on." She huffs at you and you smile back at her.

When you hear the bell of the store, you and your friend both turn to see Taehyung and his boys.

And you just hoped that he would pretend to not know you.

But then he really goes-

" Hi, that's my date and I wondered if you could get us something that matches?" He smiles at the saleslady.

And she smiles and turns to you.

You smile awkwardly and wave to Taehyung trough gritted teeth.

Because you cannot pretend to not know him, considering the fact that you never know when there's other spies around.

" Ah, I see. So this is your date?" The saleslady smiles at you.

And you can see she's excited to put you in something that will match with him.

When she asks you two if any of you prefer a color, you smirk at Taehyung and tell her a soft pink would be nice.

However much to your dissapointment Taehyung smiles at the saleslady too and really goes-

" I don't mind, just whatever color she would like." He winks at you at the end.

And you're so suprised by this that you just blink.

You turn to your best friend for support, and to make it worse, she too winks at you.

Before she does the absolute worse.

" The boys and I have a few errands to run, so we'll meet you two later." She smiles before taking Jimin and Jungkook with her.

You don't know if this is a good or bad thing.

You can't believe she really abandons you like this.

The saleslady is so happy that she ends up showing you and Taehyung a bunch of dresses.

And you realize that this will feel more like you're trying on wedding dresses or something.

You get a certain feeling on the tough of getting married to him, and you don't really know if that's disgust or something more passionate.

You think some of the dresses are very nice, but Taehyung doesn't, and you end up fitting a few of the ones he and you agree on.

The first few dresses you try are a no for you.

The third dress is a no from him.

But the fourth dress, takes both of your breath away.

It's a baby pink dress with lace on the top and it kind of sprinkels into a soft flowy skirt.

You end up picking that one before helping Taehyung pick out his suit.

You end up being a bit more picky about his suit fitting, just because.

He ends up only fitting two suits.

One white one, and altough he did look good in it, he disagrees.

Because, " It's not matchy enough with her dress." He really said.

And the saleslady finds it so cute that she abandons you two for a moment.

You and Tae are both shook because of her sudden dissapearance.

But a moment later she comes back with a white suit jacket which had the same lace design on one part of the jacket.

The lace was coincidentally also a light pink.

He tries it on, and this one looks even better on him.

He ends up picking that one.

When you look at the saleslady with a quistioning look, she kind of just smiles sadly and suddenly drops a tear.

And then she tells you two.

" They were supposed to be for my daughter and her prom date, I designed them myself. But they passed away in an accident before they could see them." She said.

And you and Taehyung switch glances.

Because even tough the moment feels magical, you two were still faking the relationship.

You open your mouth to stutter something out, but Taehyung beats you to it.

" Are you sure you want to give this to us?" He asks.

She nods.

" Yes, in fact I'm proud to give them to you two." She smiles almost motherly.

You two decide to both pay half of the prices.

And the lady smiles as you two leave, even waving you off.

Taehyung takes you hand and pulls you a tiny bit closer as you walk away from the store as you two leave to search for your friends.

And suprisingly, you don't mind it.

And therefore don't stop him.

The next time you two see each other is when there's a meeting about the mission.

Namjoon is happy that you two seemed to have stopped arguing, and catches Taehyung sneak a few peeks at you.

He tells you what the mission is, and it's less easy as what you had hoped for.

You hoped that you would stop some kind of deal or something.

But no.

The mansion the party is at has a lot of rooms, and the people there often use them to hook up.

Your part of the mission is to have a man by the name of Michael in one specific room, and to knock him out.

Taehyung's job is to protect you for when things go south without being spotted.

You two will stay in a hotel for three days.

Starting the day before the party, to act as if you're from America.

Jimin and Jungkook both have different missions, tough at the same party.

After that meeting, you realize Taehyung had started working out more.

You realize it because he's almost always in the gym as you are.

And he's gotten bit bulkier, which you accidentally realize on your way to your seat in the plane.

You were originally seated next to Jungkook, but he had swapped tickets with Taehyung because

" It'd be better if we act as couples now already." - His words.

If you were still the same person as before the shopping trip, you would have hated you life now, or had threatened Jungkook.

But you don't, because ever since that shopping trip, Taehyung has started looking at you with a different look in his eyes.

You do too, but you don't realize it.

Your best friend did when you found her by the food court later in the shopping trip, and hasn't stopped teasing you ever since.

Anyway, you realized Taehyung had really bulked up, because some guy almost knocked you over in the small space between the seats in the plane.

And you fall straight into Taehyung, who doesn't budge and catches you.

Literally, he doesn't move a centimeter.

He smiles at you between his arms.

And he really goes:

" It appears you have fallen for me." He bites his lip.

You just smack him on his side, where one of your arms is awkwardly stuck.

And realize he's toned there too.

You try to ignore it

" Don't flatter yourself." You mumble as you wringle yourself out of his grip.

He just winks at you and sits down in his seat.

The plane ride goes without a problem

You do fall asleep though, your head falling on Taehyung's shoulder.

He was watching a movie while you were falling asleep.

But once he feels your weight on his shoulder, and turns to see you asleep, he decides to join you.

And so he makes himself comfortable, grabs you hand and joins you in your slumber.

When you wake up you've almost landed.

And when you try to lift your head you realize you can't.

When you see Taehyung's hair in front of your eyes, and smell his cologne, you realize it's him.

You don't mind it, and realize right then and there, that you might like him.

Especially when you see your two hands intertwined and like the feeling of it being gently held by him.

You wake him up five minutes later, and strangely enough, he listens.

You were suprised he did, because you've heard from Jungkook, who's also his roommate, that Taehyung's often hard to wake up.

When you get off the plane and grab your bags, it's already midnight.

And by the time you're finally in the hotel room, it's three in the morning.

And you're roommates with Taehyung, but you don't really give a damn at this tine of the night.

So you just get changed into your sleepwear and brush your teeth before lying down on the bed.

Taehyung joins you after doing his nightly routine and smiles at you.

" You look cute like this." He mutters to you, pecking your forehead.

You just grumble in response, and before you can say think of the meaning behind his actions he turns off the light and wishes you a goodnight.

The next day is full of training and acting casual.

The day after is the day of the mission.

And you're a little nervous, but so is everyone else.

When you wake up, the first thing you see is Taehyung shirtless.

And you blush and act like you're asleep again.

" I know you're awake." Taehyung tells you after a few moments and you keep quiet.

" Stop acting, you can't be this pink because of a dream." Taehyung tells you, and you can practically hear his smirk.

And so you groan and get up.

When you open your eyes again, Taehyung's still not wearing a shirt.

He sees you glancing at his chest and to your suprise he just smirks at you and goes

" Like what you see? Well don't worry, I'm all yours girlfriend."

You don't know if you should take him serious or not.

Until 2 in the afternoon you train together.

Afterwards you each shower before going to grab dinner.

Jungkook and the others are down in the restaurant while you and Tae are in the mood for takeout.

So you get some from a nearby Mackey D's.

And eat together in the hotel room.

It's comfortable and feels kind of domestic.

You both watch a movie while eating.

Princess and the frog to be precise. ( it's your favorite.)

And you're once again so far pulled into the movie, you don't see Taehyung stealing glances and smiling softly at you.

Until he suddenly stands up from a side chair and walks over to you once he's done eating and lifts your legs, who were thrown comfortably on the couch, on his lap.

He moves your empty food boxes on the table too and simply holds your hand and smiles at you before letting your interwined hands rest in your lap.

You look at him for a moment and he takes that as a negative reaction.

But when he tries to pull his hand away from yours, you hold onto him.

" So what are we now exactly?" You ask, because you know he won't break the comfortable silence.

" Well, I don't know. But I would like to tey dating after tonight."

He tells you softly as he just stares shyly at your still intertwined hands.

You realize that this was probably the first time you've seen him so shy.

" I'd like that." You blush while telling him.

You both smile and stare at each other for a moment before returning to watching the movie.

And by the time the movie's done, it's time to get ready.

And you dissapear in the bathroom to do your makeup, your dress is also hanging there so you'll change in there and Taehyung will get changed in the main part of the hotelroom.

You decide on a soft natural look as the dress is popping enough.

When you're done you put your hair in a fancy bun with a fancy little necklace like thing around it.

When you put your dress on, you get stuck on a certain part of th dress' zipper.

You realize you'll need Tae to help you with it.

And so you knock on the bathroom door and ask him if he's done.

He tells you he is, and when you open the door he really isn't yet.

He's still working on a few buttons of his shirt, but looks up from his blouse when he hears the door open.

" Can you zip me up? It seems like it's stuck." You ask him.

He smiles at you and nods as you turn around.

And after messing with it, he zips it all the way.

He steps back as you turn around and smiles brightly at you.

" You look beautiful." He smiles as he bites his lip and looks you up and down.

You blush and thank him.

" Aren't you supposed to do your blouse?" You wink at him as he stops drooling over you.

" Right."

And then you watch him struggle with his tie once he's all buttoned up.

For like five minutes.

You decide to help him out once he starts thinking about tying the tie in a bowtie and considering to go like that.

" Thanks. Where'd you learn to do this?" He asks as he watches you tie it.

" My brother's stubborn, so I used to do it for him." You shrugg and he nods.

Afterwards you both go down to the lobby of the hotel and meet the others there.

Everyone looks beautiful and together you move to the garage where you have three cars standing.

One for you and Tae, another for Jimin and his 'date' and another for Jungkook, who's going as bachelor.

You're all tense, because this is an important mission and none of you want to mess this up.

"Well, we'll see each other around." Jungkook mutters before moving to the Mercedes.

You arrive way to fast for your liking, and Taehyung parks the Peugeot Onyx before jogging over to your side of the car and helping you out, being a true gentleman.

" Are you ready?" He asks you as you both stand in front of the mansion.

You take a deep breath before nodding and walking up the stairs with him.

The first bit of the night goes easy for both of you.

It's really just staying close to each other and letting Taehyung do most of the talking.

But then the suspect arrives and you force yourself to relax under his disgusting stare.

And greet him with a forced smile as he greets you while checking you out with no shame.

You feel Taehyung tighten his grip on you.

And you glance at him to try and get him to calm down.

Getting the man in the spot you want him too is easier than both of you have realized.

Because he's more stupid than anyone you've ever met as you manage to lead him on with just a wink and nodding in the direction of the stairs as you 'excuse yourself to go to the bathroom'.

Taehyung gets the clue and excuses himself 'to get some drinks'.

On the way to the room ( second in the right hallway on the second floor),the man tries to push you up against the wall more than once.

Luckily you manage to slip from his grip by simple touches like running your fingers over his jaw.

And once you step in the room, the man follows, but is soon knocked out by Taehyung who was standing behind the door.

And you huff because,

" We could have asked him questions before sending him off you know."

But he simply scoffs in return.

" We can do that later, I don't like the way he was looking you up earlier."

And that was an answer you didn't expect.

However before you could react, both Jungkook and Jimin run into the room.

" We'll explain later, for now we have to go!" Jimin tells the both of you.

And you and Taehyung share glances before following after Jimin, his date and Jungkook, leaving the suspect behind.

Jimin doesn't explain anything until all of you are in Jungkook's hotelroom.

However, the words that leave his mouth are beyond what both you and Taehyung could have ever expected.

Because, " Bighit is taken over by JYP. Namjoon and Jin made it out, but I believe that we're the last hope currently standing."

And none of you know what to do.

Btw this was the dress I had in mind and the way her hair was styled:

#bts #bts x reader #kim taehyung #kpop x reader #taehyung x reader #v #spy #au #bts spy au #fluff #angst #idkeitherman #idk anymore hashtags lol

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writing-without-time · 5 years ago

Text

if you can't handle a heart like mine

don't waste your time with me.

read it on ao3

this is peak canon divergence me complaining about minor in game things but make it fluff while i did it

More often than not, Bonnie found herself at the heart of Slumbering Weald.

A beautiful area that was so quiet, so serene, so perfect to just sort out your thoughts. A lot of the time, Bonnie had ran into Hop sitting by the water, contemplating random problems. But today she was alone, as she sat on top of the tombstone belonging to heros. She had come here to think. Not really to solve a problem, no, there's no solving her issue, just to think about it. Calm down, maybe. She breathed deep as she clung her cape close briefly, before letting it drop on the ground behind her. Hopefully Zacian wouldn't mind.

Bonnie was stuck thinking about her adventure. What lead her to now. Not just the adventure itself, and for once, not about Hop, and the shared nights, and camping together under the wild area night sky, and battling together and against each other... She shook the thought from her head. Not the problem right now. She figured she'd have a fucking relationship crisis, 'oh no, i like my childhood best friend!' bullshit later. What bothered her was a common occurrence that also stood out beyond everything. It was this habit her friends way older than her had.

It happened alot. She could recall a few select times: Outside of Spikemuth, when the dynamaxing started happening, when Hop and her had found Lee and Chairman Rose at the top of Rose Tower, and a few other instances that passed through her mind. She was told the same thing, every single time: "Don't worry, let the adults handle this."

She hated it.

She didn't like to admit it, but Bonnie grew up young. She had to. And so it got under her skin, and in a more "adult" term, pissed her the fuck off, every time. She knew there was no hard feelings behind the statement, she and Hop were only sixteen. She supposed some people would still consider that young. She pondered though, how much bullshit would we have avoided if we just let Bonnie and Hop help out for like, 10 fucking seconds? Probably a lot.

When she had left Rose Tower, she had knew, oh she was aware that Chairman Rose would entirely fuck up her match with Lee, but she hadn't told anyone. But look who was right? It was her. She always knew something was wrong, and that Leon and Sonia and all the others couldn't handle it without Hop and her- as conceited as it sounds- but she would be dismissed because she was a kid.

She supposed, in theory, it was nothing to seethe in rage over. One, it was all over now, and two, she had long proved she is more than just a kid. Hell, she's the fucking champion! But it still got under her skin, bothered her. It made the depths of her soul question: Was she ever good enough? Did she still have to prove herself? Is she still just a silly little kid? She sighed, frustrated as ever as she looked to the setting sun and began to hum. Humming and singing helped clear her mind, as she began to sing a song where she couldn't remember where it came from, hands running through her hair as she tried to relax herself.

"..and cut a rug with orphaned girls, now memories are blurred, and their faces are blurred, but I still know the words to this song-" She sings softly, sounding awfully louder than she was in the quiet area.

"I haven't heard you sing in a long time." Hop laughs, causing Bonnie to literally shriek as she falls backwards off the tomb she sat on, only to be caught as she falls back into Hop's chest. "Woah! It's just me." He laughs, shit eating grin on his face as Bonnie looks up at him.

"You're an asshole.." Bonnie mutters, ignoring the small smile that graced her own face while she stood up.

"What a role reversal." Hop laughs, ignoring the comment as he looks at Bonnie with his hands folded behind his head. "Aren't you usually the one running into me?"

Bonnie rolls her eyes. "Not my fault you're late to your scheduled therapy appointment." She snickers, which causes Hop to laugh as well.

"Well, what has you out here?" Hop asks, picking up Bonnie's cape and throwing it around his own shoulders, something he jokingly did often. Bonnie liked it. He sits down where the cape once sat and invites her to join him.

"Just.. frustrated about stupid things." Bonnie sighs. "You?"

He shrugs. "Stressed, a bit." He laughs nervously. "Being a professor is hard. But I'm not giving up!" Hop smiles confidently.

"That's the spirit." Bonnie smiles, messing with his dark purple hair, causing him to swat her hand away, and she laughs as he fixes his hair.

"What's got you frustrated?" Hop asks as their laughter dies down, turning to Bonnie with a more serious tone.

Bonnie sighs. "Something about our..adventure, I guess."

"It's not something I did, is it?" Hop looks worried.

"No, no no, not at all!" Bonnie rushes to clarify. "Quite the opposite, actually.. I just.." Bonnie runs a hand through her hair, effectively messing it up and making it look like shit. "Do you remember, how every time we tried to help Lee and Sonia with things, we were told to 'let the adults handle it'?"

"What do you mean?" Hop asks, tilting his head slightly in an adorable way.

Bonnie thinks of the most easy to remember instance. "Back in the Rose Tower, when we found Lee talking to Chairman Rose." She lists, careful to not bring up their shared kiss, Arceus forbid she decides to have a crisis about that. "When we left with Lee, he just told us not to worry about what we heard. And...well, that went great." She rolls her eyes.

"I.. suppose you're right.."Hop says, seeming to recall the moment Rose had made a bitter remark- 'there are times when adults just cant seem to have an honest discussion with each other. sometimes our pride gets in the way.'

"It just- it's been bothering me. So much shit could've been avoided if someone just listened to us. It felt like we had to run 20 miles and more just to prove we're not just little kids." Bonnie sighs, letting her head roll back and hit the concrete behind her.

"Yeah, I suppose." Hop says, turning to Bonnie. "But that's part of the glory of it. We went from just random kids from a farmer town, and look at us now! Heck, you're the champion!" Hop cheers, only bringing a small smile to Bonnie's face.

"And what about you?" She asks. She had a solid answer to that one. He was her entire world. But she wanted to see his answer.

Hop hesitates. "I-I'm.." He breathes in. "I'm gonna be the best damn professor in all of Galar." He grins confidently.

"Hell yeah." Bon smiles, letting her head rest on Hop's shoulder as she observes the sun has already gone all the way down, and they were now greeted by the stars.

"You're the best champion in all of Galar, Bre." Hop says, quietly. Bon halts. Bre was her real name. She didn't use it much anymore. Not after she moved out of Kalos. Hop was the only one who knew her real name, and he didn't use it a lot. She didn't trust a lot of people to know her real name, cause what was the point? It didn't mean anything good to her. But it meant something good, that through everything, even when her name poured out of his lips, she wouldn't flinch, just for once, and it wouldn't be a reminder of her horrible story.

"..Thank you, Hop.." She sighs, letting her head rest again. Hop lets his own head rest on top of hers, and they're warm and quiet as they watch the sky turn. It's a comfortable silence until Hop breaks it.

"Bon." He calls.

"Yes, Hop?" She asks, quietly.

He hesitates for a couple beats, his face turning as red as it can. "Do you.. you.. I-" He struggles.

"Take your time." Bon laughs softly. He rolls his eyes as he and Bon both pick up their heads to look at each other.

He waits a few more seconds, and she nearly see the gears turning in his head. "You.. Do you know I.. I love you..?" He asks, almost afraid of the answer.

Bon hesitates before nodding her head. Hop holds his breath, waiting for another response. "You should know I love you too, you dense playboy." She grins cheekily, sticking her tongue out briefly. Hop lets go of his breath, if only to laugh before pouting at the nickname. The laughter dies down as their eyes meet and stay there, Hop slowly letting one of his hands cup Bon's cheek. She leans into the touch, seemingly holding her breath as she does, and the two inch closer. And it's a painful amount of time before their lips finally meet, a soft and sweet kiss, leaving the taste of each other on the other's tongue. They pull away slowly, wishing they could stay like that for an eternity, before they let go of each other, and continuing to huddle close against the stone, watching the sky as Bonnie drifted off, and Hop didn't seem to mind.

"Hey, Bon?" Hop asks, again.

"Mh?" She hums, too tired to even open her eyes anymore.

"I like your singing.. you should do it more.." He blushes as he trails off, getting even quieter. She nods, and it's a few beats of silence before she starts humming. Bonnie hadn't sang to hop in a long time, not since they were camping together in the wild area. She had sang to him because as childish as it sounded, he had a nightmare about hurting someone he loved, and it freaked him out, and her singing helped him fall back asleep.

As they both drift off holding each other close, they found comfort in the other, and knew that this was where they would feel okay, and where they could always go for comfort. Into each other's arms.

#pokemon swsh #swsh hop #pokemon #self insert #minor vent #fluff #pokemon trainer oc #pokemon swsh oc #*laughs in too nervous to post this*#*so im procrastinating in the tags*

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punkscowardschampions · 5 years ago

Text

Venus & Leilani

Venus: Hey girl! 😘😘👋 Leilani: hiya Venus: Awh 🥺😔 how you holding up? Leilani: as expected maybe Leilani: thanks Venus: Of course, so sad! 😥😥😥 Venus: I'm totally here for you, btw Leilani: that's really nice of you Venus: Gurl, of course Venus: I'm a pretty nice person Venus: only to people who deserve it, obviously 💁 Leilani: I'm honoured 😅 Venus: You totally are 🤭 Leilani: 1st exclusive club I've been a part of, for sure Venus: That's honestly even more tragic Venus: oops 🙊 you know what I mean Leilani: 😅 Leilani: yikes Leilani: the tragedies are piling up Venus: What school did you go to before? Leilani: [the name of a school, obvs not a catholic one just standard, are we saying the ruster kids go to a fancy one cos rich and now so does she or are we keeping them #humble?] Venus: [I think you in particular need to go to a standard one to humble yourself, also you aren't smart enough to get in on your own merit so] Venus: I dated a guy who went there Leilani: oh maybe I know him Venus: He was super hot but like, so uncultured Venus: he'd never left Ireland like 🥱🥱 Leilani: I wonder if it's a coincidence that all the uncultured kids go there becos me either yet Venus: WHAT 😱😱😱 Venus: aren't you like, properly African Leilani: I've never been, I was born here Venus: oh my God that's WILD Venus: bless you Leilani: bless my parents for wanting me to have a different life, I suppose Venus: I'm in Paris as often as I can because of my daddy but we go somewhere sunny practically monthly, when the school isn't being extra 🙄 Venus: it's the only reason I stick around, honestly 😂 Leilani: he's french or he just lives there? Venus: He's American, he teaches at this AMAZING college there Venus: he's lived loads of UHMAZING places but Paris is his base now and definitely the best Leilani: what kind of accent does he have? Venus: he was from some middle of nowhere town like this, but in the US Venus: so he had to get out to live his best life Leilani: sounds like he is Venus: Totally 😘😘 Venus: he's the smartest person in his field, like EVERYONE has to go to him to know what to do Venus: hence I can't live with him because he's ALWAYS working 😩 Venus: I told him I was cool with it but he's SUPER protective of me so I have to stay here 🤷 Leilani: I know what that's like, my mum was the same Leilani: protective workaholic Venus: Poor you getting thrown into this mess Venus: ugh Leilani: Grace isn't that bad 😅 Leilani: more of a workaholic maybe but less OTT protective Venus: I guess not Venus: did you know she got stood up at the altar though Venus: would you not just lay down and DIE Leilani: me & my mum were there Leilani: so yeah Venus: 🙈 cringe Venus: we were all there honey, I can't Leilani: your bridesmaids dress was gorgeous though Venus: she can enjoy those photos 💁 Leilani: I think it'll be a long time before she's looking back at the album Leilani: longer than it's been atm Venus: DUH 😂 Venus: they'll be in the 🔥 if she's got any sense Leilani: she did re-sell her dress so maybe Venus: LOL I hope she advertised it as cursed or that woman gonna be 😤 Leilani: I'm sure she worked out why it was listed once she picked it up & saw that Grace's weight hadn't dramatically gone up or down Venus: getting dumped at the altar is next-level bad juju though it's not like she just got too excited Venus: I'd be so pissed Venus: have to sage that SO HARD Leilani: I'd be happy I got a bargain Venus: yeah, nothing says happiest day of your life like that Leilani: getting into debt for it would personally ruin the mood but you know Venus: Don't have a wedding you can't afford, obvs Leilani: yeah ideally Venus: like you can't live above your station that's just basic rules of life Venus: in all areas, tbh, not just funds Venus: like look what happened Leilani: you think he was out of her league? Venus: I can't even remember what he looked like tbh Venus: but clearly the baggage was too much regardless of how fine or not fine he was Leilani: clearly he has his own issues to do something like that Venus: Doubt it Venus: he could've bounced sooner but he still did the right thing 😂 Leilani: he should've said or done what he needed to do before it got to the altar Leilani: he had time, she was planning the wedding for like a year Leilani: maybe longer Venus: whatever, he clearly felt SO trapped by the psychoness Venus: we all know what was up Leilani: what was up was that he didn't have enough balls for the convo Venus: the defence squad is so real, chill out babes Venus: it happened, she took that L, end of story Leilani: It's unfair to blame her for him wanting out & doing it in the most cowardly way is all Leilani: she didn't deserve to be treated like that Venus: that's life, babe Venus: it's not fair Venus: if she couldn't see that coming that's on her Venus: what kind of unobservant head ass person you gotta be Venus: like I'd KNOW if my man was not feeling me 🥴🥴 Leilani: I didn't know him, I can't judge it Leilani: but I didn't foresee my dad walking out & neither did my mum Venus: big YIKES 😬 Leilani: & your dad didn't think your mum would end up keeping you Leilani: some things you can't see coming or don't want to Venus: You mean her breaking a contract? Venus: yeah, it should be illegal Venus: and you don't know what my dad knew or didn't know actually Venus: she literally took advantage of the fact he wasn't legally protected and desperately wanted me Venus: like, your point? 🤷 Leilani: my point is, dragging Grace is pretty rude Venus: She's had worse happen, as you've mentioned 🥺💔 Venus: I think she'll get over it Venus: that's if you even bothered to tell her which would be so petty, honestly Leilani: you don't know what he told her or didn't or how it affected her Leilani: maybe she won't get over it Venus: 🥱 Venus: your mom literally just died, like Venus: people have real problems, you should be the one preaching that Leilani: thanks for bringing it back up, it had slipped my mind Venus: do you like, not want to talk about her ??? Leilani: atm I don't want you to talk about Grace how you are Leilani: she's the person who's in my corner, looking after me Leilani: so yeah, I've got her back & I don't care if you think it's extra Venus: I'll talk about her however I want Venus: you're grieving and I'm trying to be nice and let you talk about it, but like, catch me letting you police me and my opinion Venus: not today, not ever, honey Leilani: say whatever you like once you've gotten away from me Leilani: I'm not trying to hear it & if I do I'm not letting it pass through unchecked Venus: As if I want to be having this conversation with you right now Venus: 😬 bigger yikes Venus: catch me trying to make you welcome at school, seriously Leilani: I can settle myself in without your help Venus: yeah, your personality is like, A++ Venus: 👏 good luck with the amount of invites you'll HAVE to turn down, damn, sis Leilani: maybe it's the grief, maybe I just don't like your personality Leilani: make up your own mind Venus: I truly do not have the time to worry about you or what you're doing Venus: you continue to think up all those what-ifs though, that's cool Venus: can be your thing Leilani: next time that it slips my mind that my mother is dead, I'm sure your opinion of me will be right there at the front Venus: okay, word of advice, milking the whole sympathy thing is not going to get you far in the long run Venus: it'll get old faster than he was running the opposite way down that altar Leilani: I don't need advice from someone who's never been here Venus: 🙄 sure babes Venus: that's some USP Leilani: it's really not Leilani: there's a really big group of us Venus: So like, get over it Venus: the levels you can't get away with being a rude ass hoe just because something bad happened to you Venus: toxicity off the charts Leilani: when I do it won't be to make you feel more comfortable Leilani: the levels it's not your place to tell me how to be when we've just met Venus: I'm not the one telling you what to say though, sis, soooooo 💁 Venus: clearly not the one who's uncomfortable am I Leilani: I said I'm not going to listen to you badmouth Grace, you can take it anywhere else & I can't stop you Venus: why are you so pressed 😂 Venus: is she checking your messages to make sure you're #grateful enough Venus: damn, ok, Angelina Jolie Leilani: I like her Leilani: that's enough reason to not want to hear it Venus: Awh Venus: big love Leilani: sure thing Leilani: I'm a big joke to you, okay then Venus: if you feel you've acted a fool, that's on you Venus: I'm unphased by this mess Leilani: no, you're trying to treat me like one, it's a very different thing Leilani: I'm not entertained or entertaining it Venus: Hoe, where??? Venus: Honestly, I'm SO curious 🤔 Venus: I offered you support and a space to talk about your mom and you've just been nothing but combative, honestly Leilani: telling me to get over it isn't supportive Venus: I'm not gonna not keep it 💯 Venus: and don't twist my words or the situation Venus: I said that was how other people would feel if you came at it all with this attitude Leilani: you have no idea where my attitude is coming from becos we don't know each other like that Venus: Why would I put my time and energy on you when you treat me like that? Venus: using your past as an excuse for bad behaviours now, no ma'am Venus: not in this house Leilani: you said I'm milking the sympathy thing when you're the one assuming everything I said here is a grief reaction Leilani: maybe I'm serving you attitude becos it's deserved Venus: so you're just like this Venus: weird flex then, babe 🤷 Venus: the luck I put out there is even more warranted Venus: cuss me out for giving you the benefit of the doubt about your foolishness, chile... Leilani: the disrespect towards your own family & entitlement you have towards being that way is what's getting you cussed out Venus: and I'm the one making assumptions Venus: 😂 Venus: Grace told you some tea and you think you're in the know now Venus: 👌👌👌 keep on that hype, waste your energy Leilani: it's all been expressed in your own words, barely sentences into this convo Leilani: your assumption was that I'd be eager to join in Venus: No, honey Venus: your assumption is that I consider them to be my family Venus: and your tone policing is literally not welcome anywhere near me Leilani: they consider you to be theirs, it should be enough of a reason not to treat them how you are Leilani: hell, human decency is that Venus: Like I said, hilarious you think you are educated on it Venus: let alone enough to lecture ME Venus: I literally got kidnapped by my father's surrogate and his partner, her brother was too cowardly to do anything about it? Venus: miss me with this nonsense, you're the one stressing on this family Venus: they love a stray, they'll accept you sis, it's all blessed Leilani: I know Grace loves you & she would never use any of your misfortunes as a way to amuse herself or anyone else, so that's what I'm speaking on Leilani: the rest is your business Venus: that's her choice? Venus: the levels I don't concern myself with what people say on me Venus: you sound mad paranoid, that's no way to live, girl Leilani: again, your advice on how I should live is unwelcome Venus: THE HYPOCRISY Venus: are you being satirical now, oh my GOD Venus: I am creased 😷😷😷😷💀 Venus: I will say whatever I want about any sad case in that family, and I can laugh at their tragic life choices, and there's 0 to be said or done about it by anyone, least of all you Venus: if they were living better lives, they'd be unphased, if they ain't, who's fault is that really, look inside not @ me Leilani: don't bring it to my door & think it won't get closed in your face, that's what has been said already Venus: 💔💔 dying to be BFFs, obviously Venus: as has been said, my kindness has been thrown in my face, that's your karma Venus: I'm good Leilani: if you think that's kindness you have your own coming Venus: SIS, focus 👏 on 👏 your 👏 own Venus: your life is super sad Venus: it won't get any better wishing ill on me Venus: 🙏 on your own karma and demons, I don't have everything but I am GRATEFUL for what I do have Venus: I'm still out here trying to help you, even though you've literally cussed me out and put lies on my name ??? Venus: point fingers at your own evils Leilani: thanks for pointing out all the necessary work I need to do Leilani: but you have your own Venus: 😂😂😂 and you get to tell me because? Venus: I've evidenced all the work I DO do Venus: you're still sat here being petty Venus: couldn't be me, God bless though Leilani: I'm grateful for what I have too & part of that is gratitude I'm not you or needing to be around you if this is how it is Venus: 😬 that's so dark-sided I feel really terrible for you Venus: you can be grateful for your good without pointing out other people's bad Venus: lowkey that's kinda the point Venus: go do some charity work ASAP, work out those thoughts and all the negative they attract in your life Leilani: I'm already the charity case as you see it but okay Venus: oof Venus: the self-pity Venus: you really think you're so, so down-trodden you can't do ANYTHING to help your fellow man? Leilani: you think I am, I can't voice what I think unless I speak directly over you atm Venus: I don't allow words to be put into my mouth Venus: not by you, not by the devil Venus: offering friendship does not imply anything about you, but a lot about my character Venus: it's actually very sad you can't see that and have to take it so negatively Venus: no wonder your life is where it is Leilani: the only thing I took negatively is what you said about Grace, how quickly you withdrew your offer of friendship becos I disagreed with you about her is what says things about you Venus: Okay, so my offer is withdrawn because SEVERAL times in this short conversation, you've attempted to tell me what I THINK, what I SAY and what I DO Venus: and no, I can't have that kind of negativity around me, my protection of myself is more important than making myself a conduit for whatever ill you're trying to spread by tone policing so violently Venus: charity has to have limits or it can get twisted by people who seek to abuse it Venus: I have to go on my instincts with this one, I am not one to ignore red flags Leilani: I'm not a charity case & you're not better than me, there's my limit Leilani: I don't want your pity dressed up as friendship & I definitely don't have room for your smugness & condescension Venus: You have to ask yourself, where this inferiority complex really comes from Venus: I've not said or implied I'm better than you, so why do you feel that so strongly you have to attack my personality to convince yourself of the fact I'm actually, much, much worse than you Venus: I'm really sad for you 😥 I wish there was something I could do but that's inner work 🙏 Leilani: you literally called me a stray, so maybe that's where I got it Leilani: not to mention how ready you are to bring up every perceived flaw in my character but also call them evils as if that's a word to be casually thrown around Venus: It's truly not about you Venus: self-obsession is a sign that you're not putting in the work Venus: a happy person does not think about themselves constantly, or think EVERYONE else is too 🙄 Venus: your behaviour towards me has been flawed and it DOES signal troubling thought patterns Venus: I'm well within my right to comment on them Venus: if you think I'm wrong, you'll have no issue continuing as you are Leilani: I'm not a happy person & I am having troubling thought patterns but that's not about you Leilani: you came into this convo knowing that & what it was about Venus: I really don't think it's cool to blame your problems on your mom's passing Leilani: I'm not feeling very cool about anything atm sorry Venus: I hope you get there 🙏🙏😘 Leilani: thanks Venus: I'll see you at school then 💓 Leilani: yeah

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