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miwiheroes · 7 months ago

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Mike Wheeler and his Promise

"It means something that you can't break. Ever."

A huge part of Mike Wheeler's hidden character arc is set up in season 1, episode 2 with this scene right here. It's pretty much the motivation behind many of his actions towards El and Will, can be a partial explanation for his internalised homophobia and explains why he seems like to have a saviour complex.

Narratively, promises are made to be broken. When writers decide to make a promise 'important' and emphasise that this promise cannot be broken, ever, it will always come back to bite that character in the ass. Promises are either made to be broken in stories like these, or they are made to make a character feel trapped. Promises are rarely ever used in a romantic fashion unless the character cannot keep their promise or they feel like they are forced to.

What makes it really seem like Mike and El are a doomed couple to me is that the writers chose Mike to say: Ever.

No word is misplaced in writing a script. There is no such thing as an unintentional line in Stranger Things tbh, and this word in particular means two things:

Mike will always keep his promises throughout time.

Mike will keep his promises no matter if circumstances change, no matter if his feelings change.

There is no reason for this line to be in there other than to foreshadow the fact that Mike will eventually have to eat the words from his naive 12-year-old self. He will eventually regret promising something, but he'll feel like he can't go back. Ever.

The domino effect Promise begins:

*Smiling* "And we can go to the Snow Ball."

*Smiling* "Promise?"

*No longer smiling* "Promise."

This promise was made in order to foreshadow that it doesn't come true right? Because that is often what happens to promises narratively, and of course, it can't come to be because they get separated and Mike thinks she's died.

But.... the promise does come true.

So instead, this promise was made, narratively, to trap Mike. While this seems harsh of course, this young Mike has no idea that what he has just promised to himself is not only to go to the Snow Ball with El (which was a promise made to comfort her here, to make her feel like she will survive). He doesn't necessarily seem happy about making this promise. He seems more... indifferent. Knowing that this is something he just has to do.

Yeah, because this is definitely the actors' expressions and lighting and scenery you want for a first kiss, right?

So not only has Mike promised to go to the Snow Ball with her, he has also promised to save her, he has promised to be with her. And he can't break this promise, ever.

Even when his feelings change:

The writers separated Mike and El and put Mike with Will in season 2 for a reason. They used it to build up a good development of Mike and Will's dynamic of course, but it was also to change Mike's feelings.

It eventually becomes apparent to the viewer that Mike has resigned himself to not finding El. In season 2 episode 2, the last time we see Mike on the walkie, he walks away. Music swells and El looks onwards. Instead of looking happy, she seems disappointed that her bond with Mike is not as strong as she thought.

Mike, after his talk with Will in the same room, has begun to give up.

And over time, he figures out that maybe... maybe finding and choosing to Will's friend is the best thing he's ever done instead. Once he figures this out, he cries, he's not loud, he's not angry. But it's at least the thing to bring Will's message forward.

Then El comes back, and Mike feels like a liar.

I've never really figured out why Mike shouts 'LIAR!' many times towards Hopper when he's clearly projecting as he starts to cry. Until now. It's the guilt that he didn't keep his promise. The promise he had made back when El had almost died, back when El had clearly thought promises could never be broken. EVER. Even when feelings change.

Of course he'd felt pissed at Hopper. Hopper was the one to keep El safe, not Mike, which is not the thing he had promised.

When El returns, Mike says:

"I never stopped looking for you."

Woops, Michael, that's a bald-faced lie, and you know it. But he also knows what a promise is, something that can't ever be broken.

Mike is now committed into this relationship. He's ready to keep El as his girlfriend for many reasons, but the next commitments he makes (i.e. saying 'I love you') are not intentional.

In season 3:

Saying 'I love her' happens on accident, she's never meant to hear. The next time he's asked about it, he fumbles and wants to deny ever saying it. But when El says it back, he realises... oh shit. I really am in this now. I can't escape, even though I know my feelings are different.

In the famous words of Hopper. "I don't want things to change." "[I want] to go back to how [we] were."

Throughout summer, before the Mindflayer, his relationship with El was easy, it was fine. He could deal with this because he can still go to movie theatres with Will and his friends and El can't go out in public. His relationship isn't real, and the fights they have are just 'silly, stupid fights'.

But then she says she loves him too and now what? He realises this is real, he can't go back on what he's said again. Because no matter what, a promise can't be broken.

Now:

He has to reject childish things and pretend to be 'normal' (but only around El).

He has to keep away from Will, who has the potential to break his promise to El forever.

He still can't say 'I love you' because of this great big commitment, this potential for change, and El clocks him, despite his best efforts to keep up the same relationship he was trying to have in season 3.

When he no longer has the threat of this great big PROMISE looming over him, when he feels that El has no broken up with him through that note signed 'From, El', he now suddenly has the ability to act close to Will. When he's confident that El's safe and that they just need to get back to Hawkins, he's able to express how he really feels.

He can finally, finally work with Will without feeling guilty.

That is, until El's in danger again. Until Argyle reminds him of the ramifications of his girlfriend being missing, reminding him of the promise that he's always made.

That's when this intimacy with Will suddenly feels taboo again:

The next time he needs to make a commitment towards her, it's through pressure. The bottom line is, Mike likes being a hero, he wants to be a saviour, but he was never ready for it to feel like this.

When Will reminds him that he's the heart of the Party in Surfer Boy Pizza, he believes that it could never be Will that needs him, but that Will's telling him that it really is El that still needs him. And that she always will.

So he holds her hand, exactly like he did back in season one, and makes his Promise again, this time, knowing that he's trapping himself.

Now, instead of a naive kid, he's a teenager, he's changed, despite not wanting to. He's resigning himself to a life without truly being able to express his feelings. He's not just some kid going to the Snow Ball with a girl that he cares about, he's promising to love her, knowing he's trapped himself in this promise again.

After all, he's already promised to save her, and if he thinks saying 'I love you' will save her, he's gotta do it no matter his true feelings right?

In season 5, someone, someone needs to tell this poor boy that he does not need to keep his promise. El needs to tell him about her growth, what she has learned from her time at the lab---that is, that she does not need Mike to love her, which she seems to have understood. She has already accepted that her lover won't arrive at the train station.

And Mike should realise that saying 'I love you' did not in fact save El. It was the reminder to fight, that Max is in trouble, that there are more important things, bigger than their relationship, that allowed her to escape the vines.

So when Mike hears that he no needs to keep up this promise, that he no longer has to hate himself for being a 'liar' to someone he cares so much about, that he can open himself up to happiness and understanding again, he'll probably feel pretty complete.

What do you think?

#byler #byler endgame #byler nation #mike wheeler #will byers #stranger things #stranger things 5 #byler evidence #byler proof #byler analysis #mileven is bones #anti mileven

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croquettish · 2 months ago

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A Hans Capon Character Analysis

Part 1: Hans' Disillusionment with the Nobility

I went into this wanting to write one thing and then instead ended up writing something different entirely which, after watching it get stupidly long, I decided to split in two. So you can consider this an analysis triptych (they other two are already drafted and ready to go). It's still stupidly long, so I apologize for that.

We know that Hans learned what the platonic ideal of a noble looked like and from that point on did his very best to live up to that ideal. He saw what he was supposed to be even while realizing that he could never live up to that ideal. Hans spends all his time trying to reach for perfection only to find his best only ever being at best shy of where he wants to be. More often, his best is far removed from where he thinks he's meant to be / supposed to be.

This is a theme that comes up several times throughout the game. First, when they're at the inn in Troskowitz where Hans pulls the "excuse" about why he can't do work:

I say "excuse" in quotes because the more time you spend talking to Hans the more it becomes obvious that he actually believes what he's saying. All that stuff about the three states of man is 100% something that he was either taught directly or overheard. It's entirely possible that he once tried to help out the castle staff and was told he wasn't allowed to do that because it went against the will of God. Like I fucking love AUs where Hans and Henry met as kids, but there's a non-zero chance that any attempt to do so, if not simply preempted, would have been shut down by Hanush and the others around him. This is what it means to be a noble, Hans. You're not allowed to do any of these fun things. You have a job to do. You're going to rule Rattay someday and that comes with certain responsibilities.

Here are some choice excerpts from that conversation:

I want to draw special attention here to the role that Hans places himself in, the role of the Bellator, a protector of others. This is what he's allowed to do. Remember that for later.

The other thing I want to draw attention to is this bit:

This isn't just about losing face. This is about the fact that he grew up hearing how wrong it would be for him to do peasant work. This is about the fact that he was told that if he did this, he'd be going against God, and everyone would think less of him for not acting as he's supposed to / required to. Not just in the eyes of God, but in the eyes of society.

Remember how I said that Hans has an idealized notion of nobility? That applies here as well. As the codex entry on the Three States of Man tells us, this is the ideal medieval society, one that is meant to be conducive to peace. That lack of social mobility and freedom that Hans has been chained by his whole life has a purpose: to ensure harmony.

But the script he's so used to, that he clings to so desperately, fails him. Harmony could not be further from his reality. Case in point, at the beginning he tells Henry that he can protect him with his name and therefore his own noble status:

But then, that doesn't turn out to be true. He does everything in his power to declare his noble status, to invoke his name, even places his arm behind his back and attempts to bow in order to properly present himself as nobility to the guards at the Trosky Castle gates—all for naught. No one cares. Hans tries so fucking hard to stick to the script he's been taught his whole life, and no one gives a shit. Svatya makes fun of him, refuses to apologize, and then physically assaults him. Instead of seeing Svatya getting clapped in the pillory, he is.

During the divorce era, he once again tries to grasp for any amount of familiarity from his old life by turning to hunting. It's a noble sport and something he's good at. Camping and going out to hunt, being out in nature over an extended period of time, these are all things he's done before. Things he can comfortably fall back on. If he forgets about the fact that he's alone—no Henry, no horse, no hunting dogs—he can almost pretend he's back in his old life.

Even his attempt at romancing Enneleyn at the wedding fits into this desperate attempt to cleave to his understanding of his noble title. (This is a point that also crops up in this fantastic analysis of Hans' character by @codeword-art, that Hans knows what people think nobles should be like, this including a love for women. This post and the one that preceded it are analyzed in greater depth in part two of this analysis.)

And then even that is torn from him when he's told he'll hang for poaching. Nobility was the one thing that was supposed to act as a get-out-of-jail-free card for him, his guaranteed fallback. Nobility was meant to remove the noose from around his neck... and then failed to do so. What's the point of being a noble if no one believes that you are one? What's the point of being a noble if it only comes with a lack of social skills, a lack of relationships, and a lack of freedom? What's the point of sticking to a script if everyone refuses to play their parts? Growing up, nobility always acted as a panopticon for him, surrounded by people's judgments of him. His character, his aptitude, was always everybody's business. But that pain, that judgment, always came with benefits before.

This illustrates for Hans, quite clearly, how quickly those benefits can be stripped for him and made meaningless. Nobility can't save him. Nobility has only ever taken from him, and then, when he needed it most, it wasn't there for him as a parachute.

At the end of Next to Godliness we can talk to Hans about what he's going to do with Arse-n-balls. And if Henry advises Hans to punish him, first Hans tries to defend him.

At which point Henry invokes his noble status and suggests that letting this transgression go unpunished would lead to people questioning him in his position:

At which point Hans folds quite quickly:

How much do you reckon Hans' worldview was shaken in hindsight, upon realizing the reality of the punishments he might have subjected people to. A day in the stocks or pillory? Being hanged for poaching? Suddenly he's seeing these things from the perspective of a peasant and what that might feel like.

Nobles are meant to protect people and dole out punishments only when necessary. But this whole system is so easily upended the second corruption gets involved.

He's next confronted with this issue in a big way if you decide to sell out Olda and go to Semine with Hashek. Despite von Bergow's wishes, Hashek wants to burn the place down to the ground along with all the people in it. Everyone is to die. This isn't what von Bergow wanted (and if you do agree to Hashek's plan, he is appropriately outraged after) and while Hans questions if the two of you did the right thing if you decide to go against Hashek's wishes, he's quite distressed if you don't go against his wishes and kill everyone. It puts him into a funk for quite a while after and leaves him viewing himself as inherently tainted by the experience.

Horrified as he is that Olda, as a nobleman, would side with Zizka and co (and expresses this right after the possible torturing if the truth is discovered), he's just as horrified that Hashek, a nobleman, would order the slaughter of innocents. He objects on several occasions but mostly goes along with what Henry says, only questioning what the right decision was after.

Nobles are supposed to be better than this. If he was expected to do better, to be better, to live up to all these unachievable ideals, why does no one else give a shit?

The next time this crops up in a big way is after the Maleshov rescue when Hans become quite upset at the sight of a destroyed village. A conversation with Brabant follows that showcase a number of Hans' feelings on the matter:

This is unjust, he says. Because in his eyes, the nobility should be above such dirty, underhanded tricks to get what they want. Brabant insists that the village will be resettled before long ("people die, it's what they do" etc etc) and that this is just how war is.

Hans, however, is unsatisfied:

Here too we see his idea of the Bellator and what that means for him as a noble. In Hans' eyes, their job is to protect the common people. To do everything in his power to make sure that these atrocities don't happen.

If Henry then agrees with him, Hans says something else telling (regardless of what happens with Semine):

These things happen because of his failure. He's a Bellator, a noble who should be capable of protecting people. Instead they failed at Nebakov and he was captured. The death of these people, to Hans, is on his own head.

We know that our boy Luke lost rizz points with pretty much everyone because he decided to burn down the village near Maleshov during the siege, but this too is a moment that's worth remarking on. In the moment, Hans defers to Henry and insists that well, they're in a war, aren't they? But after von Bergow's interrogation, he has quite a few things to say to Henry:

On the flipside, if Henry goes against Dry Devil, Hans praises his actions while simultaneously acknowledging that he wouldn't have been strong enough to do the same:

It's interesting that at this point in the story he trusts Henry (not a noble) with ethical judgments far more than either himself or other noblemen. Deferring to Henry isn't entirely new for him, but that's another post entirely. What matters here is that we're witnessing the wool being pulled from Hans' eyes in real time here: the inherent superiority of nobles is rapidly evaporating.

In addition to that, the fact that he's constantly put into the position of damsel in distress means that he's frequently saved or protected by Henry. He's not the Bellator of his own life. Henry is. Henry is more noble in Hans' eyes than any noble he's ever met. This even comes up at one point early in the game, following their first romance option:

I'm sure I don't need to point out how this means that Henry effectively dismantles Hans' sense of self only to build it up again. All his self-esteem was rooted in the fact that he's a capable Bellator, a defender of the people and worthy of his position as a noble. Then Henry comes in, does it all better despite his peasant upbringing, and then shows Hans that he has value in spite of what he perceived all his faults to be.

Even before the siege on Maleshov, Hans is slowly starting to build up an increasingly robust view of himself as a Laborator. I talked about this in more detail here, where we see Hans volunteer himself for manual labor that we see no one else in the game do other than Henry. In fact, it's something that is often (and jokingly at that) offloaded onto Henry. But here, Hans presents the far more noble position (in this case, dealing with the hunted game) to Henry while taking the manual labor task for himself.

With what noblesse oblige is Hans left with then? Stripped of all the artifice, what remains?

Just his word. The word of a nobleman.

Hans and Henry both get into an argument with Hanush at the end of KCD1 when he gives Toth his word that his safety will be ensured if he lets Radzig and Lady Stephanie go. Henry is (understandably) upset that Hanush will just let Toth go, but Hanush insists that his word as a nobleman is his bond. At which point Hans steps in to argue that they may as well not honor that bond:

Henry also argues, but Hanush ultimately comes back with this:

It's a point that sticks with Hans, and we see it invoked fairly early on in the game:

It's also challenged right toward the beginning as well. Henry responds to what Hans says with something that makes no sense, invoking the idea of one's word but here in the name of him being a blacksmith:

@antivanwine14 recently made a spectacular post about precisely this. There's no such thing as the word of a blacksmith. It doesn't carry the same weight whatsoever. But Hans decides to take it that way regardless:

No pretension, no posturing about the importance of a noble's words over those of a peasant. Either Henry has been elevated in Hans' mind (no doubt) or nobility is losing the special, unique lustre that it might have once held for him (almost certainly true as well).

We fast-forward a bit. His next encounter with the word of a nobleman is at Raborsch, where his word is given... for him, when he's engaged against his will. If you ask me, this changes things. In a big way. Hans has very little, but the one thing that he thought he had was his word to give. Every thing he swears by from that point forward serves as a reclamation.

And the first thing he does with that reclamation is swear that he'll be there for Henry just as Henry was there for him:

(and then he did, etc etc)

I do find it curious here that he doesn't invoke the word of a nobleman here in this promise to Henry. Instead, he swears by God, their mutual belief system. Giving Henry his word isn't enough anymore. As if Henry has outranked it in his eyes. I wonder if he thought back to the moment when Henry responded to Hans' word as a noble with the word of a blacksmith here. Unlike social stratification, this is a place where they are on equal footing.

The next time that Hans does give his word is at Maleshov during the siege: von Bergow's safety in exchange for both Rosa's safety and von Bergow's agreement to switch sides.

This makes sense. He's speaking to another nobleman here, someone who would understand what it means if the word of a noble is given.

And it is, of course, then immediately put in danger by Sam:

If Sam kills von Bergow here, he takes the last remaining vestiges of any sort of sense of self or identity from Hans. Nobility is losing its lustre, he's not a worthy Bellator and instead always has to have Henry saving his ass, and this is all that remains. What is a noble without his word? As Hanush told him very clearly at the end of the first game, his word is his honor. And without honor, he's nothing.

What's left if the artifice is stripped away? If all he has left to him is his word, if that too is rendered meaningless, Hans, in his mind, will be left as nothing.

It should also be noted here that Sam is not held back by the rules of this society that Hans is so solidly part of. Much like queerness, he exists well outside of it, as both Jews and sodomites were considered heretics. Sam has that freedom that Hans so badly longs for, but it comes at a considerable cost, that of oppression. It's risky to exist at the fringes of society.

As @hallowedlore perfectly put it (in private conversation), when Sam attacks von Bergow, a statement throwing into question why he should care about the rules of their fancy nobility, the only thing that stop him is the threat of violence from Zizka. Death, not social decorum.

Hans is clinging on to this bit of identity with all his might here as though it's a life-raft. And Godwin immediately backs him up, reminding him that what he did there mattered.

But it doesn't get him very far. And certainly not with Sam, who couldn't care less about pleasing a Christian god. It strikes me as curious (and topical) here that he comes away from the big roundtable discussion with von Bergow and the other nobles feeling like insignificant shit while their talk at the Devil's Den did not leave him feeling that way.

Being a nobleman was meaningless here too. His nobility didn't matter one bit, all that mattered was being the strongest personality in the room. And Hans is anything but that. That boy is made of insecurities, his outward facing personality all a mask behind which is only hot air.

Only his jealousy regarding Sam's inbuilt relationship with Henry makes him turn back to old patterns:

See, Henry? He's different from us. But the argument doesn't work on Henry and barely even works on himself.

Increasingly, Hans realizes that the nobility isn't where he feels like he belongs the most. This worldview of his is fucked and all wrong. Who went and decided that he should be a Bellator while someone like Henry isn't?

Because he does associate Henry with nobility in a big way. When Henry goes to ask Hans what he should do about Erik's offer of a duel, Hans thinks it over and then comes back with this:

These are different times. Are they? Or is it just Hans' heart that has changed here? Because right after this, he asks Henry to stay. To forgo honor and nobility and not put himself in unnecessary danger.

The aftermath of the silver heist likewise serves as a painful reminder of what is waiting for him on the other side of all this: a marriage that he doesn't want to a woman he doesn't know. What benefits remain of nobility? All he'd see by this point is obligations. No one listens to him, no one cares what he has to say except for Henry. All the bluster is ultimately meaningless. He doesn't belong with the other nobles, and all his best attempts at fitting into the mold fail him. All his life he's spent his time trying to be like those around him, trying to be someone he isn't, and it's never good enough.

The people he feels most comfortable around, Henry and Godwin, are both people with ties to nobility while wanting as little to do with titles and related obligations as possible. They both have social mobility to a certain extent. The opposite of nobility, to Hans, is freedom.

Shorty after the attack by the Praguers, Hans goes to wait for Henry in front of his room. When Henry asks him how he's doing, because he's clearly got experience leading troops, Hans laughs it off:

If there was any doubt left that he views himself as an incapable Bellator, this is excellent proof, backed up even more later on following the suicide mission:

This is what being a noble has gotten him. People's judgments and expectations, obligation to marry and carry on a family line, and the ability to play God and decide who gets to live and who dies. All he wanted was to protect people. Instead he gets to send them to their deaths.

This will come up again in part two, but it bears mentioning here as well. After getting laid, Hans vents to Godwin about how much he hates that no one ever treats him like an adult. He's a noble and an adult, and none of it ever seems to matter:

Who's "they"? Because the rest of what he says mentions that he thought the Trosky delivery would make "them" take him seriously. This isn't just about Hanush. This is about all nobles. That he'd finally fit in.

But he doesn't, and he won't.

When Hanush arrives at Suchdol, he highlights that everyone there is a hero for their deeds there, but it doesn't matter. Hans once more has his noble obligations shoved down his throat, which effectively feels like the last straw in this disillusionment. Nobility has granted him nothing but pain and any child of his would suffer the same fate. There's even some easily missed idle dialogue you can walk in on where they're arguing about precisely that. It doesn't matter what he does, how heroic he is, how many good deeds he performs, at the end of the day none of it ever mattered (read left to right):

It always strikes me in that conversation how unbelievably bitchy Hans sounds here. The "I'm glad you noticed" could not be cuntier. He is not happy. And even then, Hanush barely offers him any guarantees.

Effectively, this leaves Hans open to questioning the harmony of society as it was taught to him and, in questioning it, realizing that that harmony never existed to begin with. He spends the whole game realizing that the social order he's been subjected to and thought he fit into perfectly is not only illogical but also something he has despised his whole life. This is discovered not only because he was shown an alternative in his own shift into more of a Laborator beside Henry (who to him embodies the qualities of a Bellator far better than he), but also in his own queerness.

It doesn't escape me that there's something to be said about Suchdol here. During the siege, Henry and Hans effectively live outside of the bounds of nobility or social stratification. Everyone is equal in the face of Hunger and Despair. And it's only in this space, this place outside of what is and isn't deemed acceptable by society, that Hans finds it in himself to kiss Henry. To breach every code of conduct he's ever known. Because they're already in the space outside of social acceptability. Hell, the entire Devil's Band is situated in precisely this space just by going against Sigismund. You couldn't ask for a more perfect environment for Hans to step outside of the bounds that have held him since birth.

This is even shown even more starkly with this anon's point in mind about how it goes if you don't romance Hans:

This is unjust. Henry is only in danger because he's not a noble. There's something to be said about agency here, but that discussion has to wait for part three of this analysis triptych. Nothing about this social stratification serves him any longer, all the more so when he romances Henry. It's also why he seems so uncertain about the two of them when Henry returns, and they are meant to return to reality and the expected social order.

This social order that was meant to bring with it harmony for all is the same social order that would demand that he marry and beget an heir. Why should he try to fit himself into this cookie cutter mold if he never fit to begin with? As we see with Barnaby especially, being discovered as queer spells an existence at the fringes of society if not outside of it entirely. Queerness is inherently and by definition at odds with social order, thus returning us to the nobility vs. freedom dialectic. And regardless of which of the two Hans ultimately chooses, obligation or what his heart wants, that disillusionment can never be undone.

Part 2, Part 3

#hans capon #hansry #kcd #kcd2 spoilers #kingdom come deliverance #kcd meta #it's possible this will change from being a triptych to a quadriptych #or maybe... a polyptych #because there's still more I could say here 🤡🤡🤡#even after writing three posts like this #anyway again I APOLOGIZE this is like... thesis length #I am so sorry #how does this KEEP HAPPENING

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junkissed · 2 years ago

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bedroom exclusive

member — actor bf!jun x f reader genre — smut, (playful) angst, fluff word count — 3.9k synopsis — seeing your boyfriend on tv kissing another girl definitely doesn't feel good, but he's got plenty of time to make it up to you. and he plans on letting you know that you're the only one on his mind. smut warnings — descriptions of female anatomy, kissing, fingering, jun likes to be a tease, reader likes to be a brat, some jealousy but it's (mostly) pretend, all my fics have disgustingly happy endings i can't help it sorry notes — requested by @miwayu v this idea has been sitting in my inbox for 783 years but i have finally finished it !! big thanks to @onlymingyus for proofreading. i hope you enjoy!

"well, how come you never kiss me on the couch like that?"

jun crosses his arms with a huff. "first of all, yes i do, and second of all, it's not like the scene was my idea! i didn't write the script!"

he's right about everything, but you still can't help but feel upset. no, not upset: you have to admit to yourself that you're a little... jealous. jealous that everybody gets to see how your jun kisses someone, how he holds someone, how he closes his eyes and wraps his hands around and how he touches someone. it's exactly what he looks like when he's doing all of that with you, so watching your boyfriend do all of those things with someone who isn't you is jarring, to say the least. but at the end of the day you know it's acting, and that after the cameras are turned off and the staff goes home for the night, he's doing all of that for real with you and only you. but even though you're not really angry with him, you still feel like pouting.

you stay quiet, trying to think of something to say, but jun speaks. "baby, if it really has you so worked up, then why don't i just show you?"

his question catches you off guard, and you look over at him in suspicion. "show me what?"

but as soon as the question leaves your lips, jun is putting his arms around you and flipping you down onto the couch. everything happens so fast that you barely comprehend what's happening until your back is flat against the cushions and he's positioning himself on top of you, caging you in with his arms and his legs straddling either side of your hips. your heart races when you look up and see the familiar look in his eyes as he holds himself above you.

you don't try to hide the whine that escapes you, and jun grins in satisfaction as he leans down, his face hovering just centimeters above yours. "show you what it's like to be under me, darling. no cameras, just you and me."

your eyebrows knit into a frown and you turn your cheek to the side, away from him.

he sighs, but your refusal just makes him even more determined to convince you otherwise. "come on, baby, don't act like that. it isn't real. this is real, and i know you know the difference."

he presses his lips against your neck, feeling the way your pulse jumps beneath your skin as he gently leaves a trail of kisses down your throat. your curiosity gets the better of you and you turn your head back to look at him, only to find him staring into your eyes, his fixed gaze never leaving you as he works his way across your neck.

the familiar feeling of his large hands roaming your body makes your skin warm, and you do your best to ignore the traitorous rush of slick between your legs. you can only pretend to be mad for so long before you give in, and it's beginning to seem easier and easier with every move he makes, working you up in ways only he knows how. he knows your body like the back of his hand, knows exactly which buttons to press, knows exactly what to do to get you begging and pleading for more.

but still you have the urge to fight him, not wanting to let him have the satisfaction of your pleasure just yet. "i don't know. it looked pretty real to me," you tease him.

he kisses a sensitive spot on your neck and sucks on it a little, gentle enough not to leave any marks but still more than enough to make you stifle a gasp.

"are you being a brat on purpose, or are you really mad?" he asks, his voice a touch softer than before. he hopes you're not seriously upset, and he knows you like to make jokes, but if you're really hurt then maybe he needs to switch gears.

"both," you reply with a pout, but you lift one hand to run your fingers through his hair, a quiet reassurance that you're alright. "i'm really mad that you're not inside me yet."

his eyes light up, and he begins to suck at the spot on your neck harder, this time enough to bruise. "well, brats don't always get what they want right away," he says, and you shiver as his teeth graze over your skin. "right now i wanna take my time with you. so are you going to behave and let me do that, or are you going to keep acting like a brat and make me leave you with nothing?"

"i think you'll fuck me no matter what i act like," you say, and your hand trails down his stomach to feel where his cock strains against his pants, just as you suspected. he may know all your body's secrets, but you know just as much, if not more, about his. "because you love me too much. and you like this too much."

"but this isn't about me, baby," he hums, and the vibrations against your skin almost make you moan. "what i like doesn't matter right now. what matters is you deciding whether you're gonna keep playing these games, or if you're gonna let me fuck all those doubts out of your pretty head once and for all. it's your choice, sweetheart."

his trail of kisses moves back up your neck, but his lips stop short at your chin, clearly waiting for you to answer.

you pretend to think it over, narrowing your eyes in pretend thought, still refusing to give him the response he wants.

"why are you making this harder for yourself, baby? you know i love you," he whispers, his eyes darting back and forth between yours. "you have nothing to be mad about, because look where i am right now. i'm not with anybody else but you, and i don't want to be with anybody else but you. so drop the act, honey. i dropped mine."

you sigh out, both your hands finally coming to rest on the back of his neck. your fingers weave into his hair, twirling his locks between your fingertips until you can't take it anymore, breaking out into a smile that gives him the cue he was waiting for.

he leans down and finally pushes his mouth against yours, and your eyes flutter shut, your entire body relaxing at the familiar feeling. his nose presses against your cheek, his lips parted slightly as his hands hold the back of your neck, tangling in your hair splayed out across the couch. you let out a shaky breath and he swallows it, pushing his lips deeper into yours.

his mouth moves slowly but his kisses are anything but gentle. his tongue prods at your upper lip and you welcome him, matching his pace and pulling him down towards you so you can wrap your arms around him to hold him tighter against your chest.

he shifts above you, his knees straddling either side of you, and you can feel how hard he is. the image of him doing exactly this for millions of viewers flashes in your head, but any doubt is pushed out of your mind when he starts grinding his hips against your leg, groaning into your kiss. he might even be needier than you are right now, but you can't help teasing him just once more.

"is this bringing back fond memories?" you break away from his mouth to say, breathing heavily.

"shut up," he bites back, then exhales sharply. his voice is low when he speaks again. "the day we filmed that scene, all i could think about was you. it was the day we were supposed to have dinner at your parents' house, but i made you lie about being sick so we could stay home and i could fuck you in every room in the house instead. i didn't mention it at the time because i thought it'd kill the mood, but trust me when i say the only memories i have of that day are about you."

air catches in your throat and you glance up at him, but the look in his eyes is serious. he didn't tell you much about his schedules and exactly which scenes he was filming on which day, so there was no way to tell what was happening on set unless you were there personally. you remember this particular day well— more accurately, you remember the days afterward that you'd walked with a limp.

"i thought you did it because you didn't want to have to eat my mom's overcooked chicken again," you respond, trying to cover your surprise with a breathless laugh.

"i did it because i wouldn't have been able to sit at that table and not think about fucking you on top of it," he says, and you can feel the heat creeping into your cheeks at the thought. "now, stop bringing it up, or i'll have to fuck that bratty attitude out of you."

"what if i want you to, though?" you retort. "maybe i need more convincing."

his nostrils flare, and he pushes his mouth against yours once more, drinking in the desperate sounds that leave your lips. "we both know you're a liar, but i'd still be happy to change your mind."

one of his hands trails down your chest, then your stomach, before finally stopping just below your belly button. you're sure he must be able to feel the heat radiating from between your legs, but he doesn't move, just rests his hand on top of your pants.

he stays still for a moment, and the way his hand hovers unpredictably makes your heart race, waiting for him to do something. suddenly he cups your clothed pussy without warning, and you moan out his name, the sound muffled by his lips as he kisses you harder. he relishes in the way your hips buck up against his hand.

he's in love with how you're already so desperate after just a few kisses, but he isn't faring any better himself; the weight of his cock aches, straining against his pants and against the side of your leg. it's almost embarrassing how you're both so needy for each other, yet he couldn't even begin to imagine anything hotter than this moment here with you.

maybe the directors had been onto something with those scenes. if anything, it just gives him more material to do with you. his mind wanders, running through each scene in his head and picturing it differently. kissing you on the kitchen counter, kissing you on the table, kissing you against the wall, kissing you on the bed, kissing you in the park, kissing you in the rain… so many possibilities, and he can't wait to try every single one with you.

it's not until you break apart from him, whimpered words tumbling out of your mouth as you plead with him to touch you, that he comes back to reality. those kisses can wait for another time.

he plants a quick kiss on your upper lip before slipping his hand underneath the waistband of your pants. you exhale a sigh of relief at the feeling of his fingers on you, pushing your pants down your hips and kicking them away to give him better access.

"you're so wet already, baby," jun hums, swiping his finger over your dripping entrance and grinning when you shiver. "you like kissing me this much, huh?"

you manage to shake your head. "i like knowing you think about me when you're supposed to be kissing someone else," you breathe.

"i'm always thinking about you, sweetheart."

just like his mouth, his fingers start out gentle, running up and down through your folds and rubbing tiny circles around your clit. the warmth of his hand mixes with the warmth between your legs, and a shiver runs down your spine, already feeling the tension building in your stomach.

but soon it becomes not enough and you're just about to start begging him for more, but without you even having to ask he pushes the tip of his index finger into your pussy.

"fuck…" you moan against his lips, struggling to catch your breath. "i could cum just from that, jun, please—"

"mm, should i let you? or should i make you wait, from all this attitude you've been giving me?" he asks, pushing his finger deeper into you.

you can't even give him an answer, but he must decide to let you off easy this time, because he slides another finger into you. you moan, pulling his head closer to kiss him as his fingers start to move faster.

your eyes are squeezed so tightly shut it makes you dizzy, and you can feel your teeth knocking against jun's, but you're so lost you barely notice it.

he adds a third finger and instantly you feel yourself falling into the pleasure, clenching around him.

you frantically tear your lips from his, moaning and panting and gasping for breath as your high overtakes every part of your body. a rush of wetness pours from you, gushing out over his fingers as he continues to thrust them in and out of you, the added pressure of his thumb on your clit prolonging your orgasm.

it takes a few moments but finally you come back down to earth, the feeling of the couch cushions under your back reminding you where you are and what you're doing. jun lays on top of you, his fingers still buried in your cunt and his mouth leaving kisses all over your face as you wait for your breath to return to you.

with a content sigh you push on his shoulder to make him sit up, and he kisses you once more before he leans away.

"are you comfortable?" he asks, and you look up at him in confusion at the question.

"very comfortable after that," you tell him with a giggle, propping yourself up on your elbows. "but otherwise yes. why?"

he smiles. "just wondering if you wanted to move to the bed. or the floor, if you feel like."

you purse your lips, giving him a pout. "i thought you said you were gonna fuck me on the couch?"

"clearly you still have the energy to be a brat, so my work here isn't done yet," he grins. "couch it is, then."

he pulls his shirt off in one quick motion before reaching down for your clothes, but you barely even notice him lifting your arms to slide you out of your shirt.

you've seen him shirtless hundreds of times by now, but he never fails to take your breath away. it's been too long since you've had a moment to stare like this anyway so you take full advantage of the opportunity, your gaze fixated on the sight of his bare chest and the way his muscles flex with movement. have his arms gotten bigger? they've definitely gotten bigger.

"like what you see?" he laughs when he notices you watching him, and you smack his arm playfully. he's corny, but you couldn't love him more.

"i do. and i'm not afraid to admit it."

"still mad you're not the only one who gets to see it?" he teases.

"mm, a little," you exhale. "but i'm the only one who can see it every day, in person, whenever i want. so at the end of the day it doesn't really matter what they see, does it?"

he stands up and pushes his pants down, a smile playing on his lips. "that's my good girl."

you can't help but continue to ogle him as he strips, the outline of his cock against his briefs so defined you can practically taste it.

"do you want to be on top, or me?" he asks, and your eyes belatedly move back up to his face.

"i thought you were gonna fuck the brat out of me, junnie," you tease him playfully. "how can you do that if i'm on top?"

he scoffs. "last time i ever offer you a choice, then. maybe i should just fuck your mouth instead, since you seem to think you're getting your way here."

"you say that like it's a bad thing," you laugh. "like i don't beg you to let me suck you off, like, twice a day."

"well, unlucky for you, that's not happening today," he says, and finally pushes his underwear down. his cock springs free and you groan, any argument you had instantly dying on your lips at the sight.

you know the look of lust on your face is blatantly obvious, but you couldn't care less. not when your boyfriend's gorgeous cock is mere inches away, yours and yours alone to see. it finally sinks in that all the scenes from his drama were just pretend sex, while you're having real sex. and boy, does it make your stomach flutter.

jun knows you all too well, knows how you get when you're around him and how you lose all control at just the sight of him naked. and he adores it. being naked in front of cameras and crew members made him shy, but being naked in front of you made him the proudest man in the world. the way you look at him as if he's the only person you've ever seen; he can practically see the stars in your eyes, and that alone is worth more than billions of strangers seeing him on a screen.

he drinks in every second of your reactions. the way your breath stutters when he leans over to wrap one of your legs around his waist, the way you shiver when he runs his hand along your thigh and the way your hands immediately find their way to his head as you try to pull him down towards you.

he can tell in the way your attitude has changed that you aren't mad (or even pretend-mad) at him anymore, and he takes this as his sign to bend down and kiss you again.

"do you believe me now?" he whispers, his warm cheek pressed against yours. you close your eyes and feel the vibrations from his voice against your face, your grip on his hair tightening as you hold him as close as you possibly can.

"believe what?" you ask softly, though you already know what he's referring to.

jun hums. "that you're the only one i love."

"i never doubted that for a second."

he pushes his lips against yours and you swallow him, the both of you growing more desperate and more restless as he grinds his hips against yours.

you kiss him until you can't anymore, leaning your neck back against the couch seat with a breathless moan.

he moves his lips downwards, momentarily stopping between your breasts before he quickly sits back on his heels, angling his cock between your legs with practiced ease.

it takes seconds for him to slide into you, a whine stuck in your throat at the pulsing feeling inside you. he pulls his hips back slowly, nearly slipping out before he pounds back into you.

your hands yank him down again and he falls flat against your chest, quickly finding the best position to hold you as he continues to thrust into you.

his hands sit beside your head, cupping your cheeks as he pants and gasps and groans your name.

sweat-drenched pieces of jun's hair dangle above your face, but the only thing you see is the way he looks at you, his intense gaze communicating things far beyond words.

"jun…" you manage, everything else failing you as you melt into his touch. your body is on fire, there's so much you want to say and do but your head is spinning.

jun pulls you into another deep kiss and you let your eyes fall shut, letting him take over, mouths moving together so you can't tell where he ends and you begin.

"fuck, you're so perfect," he curses, his thrusts growing faster. "so beautiful."

"all mine, junnie," you moan, the only words you can remember. you're barely thinking about what leaves your mouth but you know exactly what you want to say,

"i know, baby. i'm all yours," he pants, desperately kissing you anywhere his lips will reach. "nobody else's. yours."

it doesn't take much longer for the knot in your stomach to tighten until you can't hold back anymore. "so close, jun, please, 'm gonna cum," you choke out.

"just wait for me baby, just hold on," he pleads, and he shifts his hips just slightly to fuck into you at a different angle.

all it takes is just the way you say his name, the way you look up at him with lips swollen from his kisses, the way your brows knit together in concentration as you try your best to hold back your orgasm for him. the way he's so fervently yours, and he doesn't have to act or pretend or be anything less than a hundred percent genuine about the way he loves you and you love him.

your whole body shudders as you cum, spasming around him until it triggers his own orgasm and he lets go with a groan. his hips jerk as warmth floods your abdomen, and it seems like it goes on forever as he shivers in sensitivity.

he exhales, and you kiss his cheek gently as you feel him breathe against your chest.

after a minute he shifts his arms around you, still holding you as he sits upright and pulls you onto his lap, his cock still inside of you.

your head falls into the crook of his neck with a sigh, thoroughly spent. there's plenty of things you probably should be doing now, but it feels so nice to just sit and rest, feeling full and satisfied.

"i would say that was much more fun than filming for the show," jun says finally with a little giggle.

you hum, cheek still resting against his shoulder. "enough about the show. i have the real thing right here."

he grins. "so you admit you're not mad at me."

"how could i ever be mad at you, when you fuck me like that?"

"i know," he says proudly. "i just wanted to hear you say it. i'm a really good actor, aren't i?"

collecting the last of your strength, you sit back and pretend to glare at him, to which he responds with another giggle and a kiss to your nose.

"whatever," you tell him as he tucks a piece of your hair out of your face. "take me to shower and show me more of those scenes, and then i'll believe you."

but he's already standing up, keeping hold of your legs wrapped around his waist as he carries you down the hall. "oh, with pleasure."

i hope you enjoyed this!! if you did, consider reblogging or leaving a comment or an ask :) it shows me this is something people want to see more of, and knowing people like this makes me want to write more of it! thanks for reading!!

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#1k #[📌] — june.writes #svthub #kvanity #kflixnet #k-labels #jun smut #junhui smut #svt smut #seventeen smut #junhui fic #junhui fanfic #junhui scenarios #junhui x reader #seventeen imagines #seventeen fanfic #svt fanfic #svt scenarios

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oceaneyesinla · 9 months ago

Text

This idea appeared in my brain in the shower and I think it's ADORABLE. Shoto just brings out the cuteness aggression in me

Shoto x gn!Reader

A knock at your dorm room door distracts you from your book, but when you open it, you're met with beige walls and blue carpet, neither of which are known for their ability to knock on wood. This has happened a fair few times in the last month , and that knowledge prompts you to look down.

You can't help your pleased little smile when your hunch is proven correct. Sitting neatly in the doorway is a bunch of pretty flowers wrapped up in blue plastic. They're your favourite, just like always, and they've arrived just in time - like clockwork, just as the old ones are beginning to wilt, a new bouquet appears. There's differences every time, but whatever extras have been added, your favourite flower is always there.

There's a distinctive amateur feel to the way the bouquet is wrapped up, and it endears you to your secret gifter even more. It's clear how much time and effort is going into this gesture, in more ways than one. Someone listened to you, when you rambled about the flower patch in your childhood garden, the one you tended alone while your brother trained with your parents to become a hero. Someone remembered you fondly reminisce about pretty leaves and bright petals, and decided to make you smile.

You crouch down to pick up the flowers, and there's a note tucked amongst the blooms, just like every other time. It's never signed, and it's always so blunt and honest that it circles right back round to being charming. Whether it's complementing your sunshine smile or praising you for your latest training success, it never fails to make your cheeks heat up. You keep them all, tucked away in the drawer underneath where you display your flowers.

Your admirer is making a valiant effort to keep their identity hidden, and you find it adorable - mostly because you figured it out as soon as you saw that first note. He forgot that you know him as well as he knows you. The way he writes his characters is ever so slightly clumsy; he spent a lot of time teaching himself to write - Endeavour more interested in teaching him to fight than to live - and there's a couple of little details that make his handwriting distinctive. Plus, you're shared a class with him for three years; you've seen his writing more times than you can count.

There's a flash of red out of the corner of your eye, and you press your lips together to hold back a giggle. He may be a nearly graduated Hero course student, but he's not very sneaky. He doesn't usually stick around to see your reaction to his creation, instead listening intently from his desk as you gush about them to Momo.

Your eyes widen as your eyes scan over familiar script, and now you know why he's loitering - Todoroki Shoto is asking you on a date. You read the words three times, and pinch yourself for good measure. Part of you is surprised - he knows all your darkest moments and he's choosing you anyway? - but a bigger part of you knows this was inevitable. You've been gravitating towards each other since first year, and honestly, you've been driving your classmates mad.

An almost painful grin stretches across your face as you straighten up, "Sho? Come here."

He obeys almost immediately, emerging from around the corner to stand in front of you. The cautious hope glittering in his eyes makes you want to squish his cheeks and boop his nose and you feel giddy when you remember that yes, you'll be able to do just that. No more hiding the urge to hold his hand or kiss his cheek when he remembers your favourite snack or brings an extra hoodie to movie night just in case you get cold.

Maybe you're getting ahead of yourself. You still haven't actually given him an answer, and he's starting to worry, his bottom lip pushing out into a little pout. You can't take his sad face any longer - you reach out and grab his hand, infinitely entertained by the immediate red flush that spreads across his cheeks.

"Of course I'll go on a date with you. How about this weekend?"

"Okay." His smile is reflecting yours like the moon reflects the sun, and oh, he might be the prettiest person you've ever met.

He lifts your hand and shyly drops a kiss to your knuckles, looking up at you through unfairly long lashes. Now you're blushing as well, heat pooling in your cheeks as he lets your hands fall back between you. Neither of you let go, and you make an impulsive decision - after all, Shoto was brave enough to take the first step; the least you can do is meet him where he is.

"Actually, I'm free right now. We could go and get dinner?"

Your bravery is instantly rewarded with another devastatingly beautiful smile, "Yeah, I'd like that."

#rox writes #todoroki shoto x reader #todoroki shouto x reader #todoroki x reader #shoto todoroki x reader #shouto todoroki x reader #shoto x reader #shouto x reader

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cloudyynebulas · 5 months ago

Note

Hi there!

May I request a part 2 for "We'll meet again, Y/N Cookie!"?

Your writing style is so lovely and I'm very excited to see how this story could play out!!

…ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ

❝ DON'T KNOW WHERE, DON'T KNOW WHEN - BUT I KNOW WE'LL MEET AGAIN SOME SUNNY DAY ! ❞

shadow milk cookie x reader.

reader is gender neutral.

cw: slight yandere themes (?) , implied mind control, manipulation, obsession, possessive behavior, generally unhealthy relationships

this is a part two! if you'd like to read the first part, you can find that here.

⋆° .☾ ⋆ .ೃ ࿔* : ⋆

"C'mon, there's no way you've read this book!" You laugh, holding up yet another one of the library's books. A soft gold color decorated with elegant drawings of blooming flowers decorating the book's cover, with the title script titled, 'Earthbread Gardens'.

Shadow Milk Cookie chuckles, a hand covering his mouth at your antics. "I've.. also read that book, Y/N Cookie."

"This is the tenth book I've shown you! You can't possibly have read alllll these books in this library!" You huffed, placing the book onto the table in front of you, next to your half-empty cup of tea, its comforting aroma of blueberries wisping out from the top.

Shadow Milk Cookie shrugs, hands moving towards his own teacup, softly grabbing at it's glass handle with delicate movements. "I'm only being completely honest with you - I've read practically every book in this library."

He took a small sip of his tea, raising the cup to his lips with satisfaction.

"I've been around on Earthbread for quite some time," he added on further, lowering the cup away from his lips. "Truthfully, I've read so many scripts and texts ... I fear there may not be many things left I've yet to actually put my eyes on."

You take note on how his voice seems to falter near the end - as if, hinted with a slight undertone of disappointment. Your once playful expression morphed into one of concern for your friend, as he placed his cup back on the table, looking .. almost forlorn.

Shadow Milk Cookie's eyes trailed towards the book on the table.

"I was baked to be a herald of Knowledge," he spoke, and you stayed quiet, allowing him to speak his conflicting thoughts that begged to be heard. For someone to listen. "I was never given the chance to .. be like other Cookies."

His hands, resting on his lap, began to clench tightly on his robes. Even with his head tilted downwards, eyes glued to anything but you, you could feel his expression shifting into one of almost.. frustration and shame.

He was too ashamed to look you in the eyes as he admitted his own inner turmoil.

"It's not something I should be complaining about though, right?" he chuckled. "Being gifted this power.. to carry such responsibility .. I should be thankful. Thankful to even be considered with such power for the good of all Cookies."

You frown.

"Everyone relies on me - and my friends." he sighs, hands beginning to release from his robes, letting the soft cloth relax. "Yet .. is it too much to ask that sometimes.. I wish I was just like everyone else?"

Nothing but silence filled the Library for a moment.

Shadow Milk Cookie's head quickly moved back up to face you - his expression full of shame as he so easily allowed himself to express such selfish desires -

"Shadow Milk Cookie," you speak, before he can even mutter out a word.

Slowly, you scoot yourself forward, carefully reaching your hands out. His eyes follow your movements as your hands gently reach over to his - and, with only a brief moment of hesitation, do your hands interlock with each other.

"I cannot possibly begin to understand the burden you carry, the responsibilities and challenges you face every single day." you speak softly, your hands gently rubbing against his as a way of silently comforting him. "Like you said - I am not like you."

You hum.

"Just imagining what you have to do for thousands of Cookies each and every day just makes me stress. How you've been able to manage that for years makes me look at you in awe."

Shadow Milk Cookie's gaze widens.

"You are strong - beyond any strength I've ever seen." you smile, your hands raising - the two of you holding your hands up together, your forms much closer than before. "You have no reason to be ashamed for wanting to imagine a life where you're like everyone else."

You pause for a moment.

"..but.. you don't have to flawless. You don't have to be perfect."

"Everything you've done for Earthbread, for Cookies, for me, has always been enough."

"You don't have to meet these high expectations you've set for yourself. What you do now is already enough."

You smile.

"You may not believe it yourself - but I believe it."

Slowly, your hands and his begin to separate, gently and carefully.

Your hands move towards the book you'd left on the table, a soft chuckle emitting from you.

"You mean everything to me, Shadow Milk Cookie. Virtue of Knowledge or not - you're just.. Shadow Milk Cookie to me."

"You're my friend. Nothing has ever made me think otherwise."

Shadow Milk Cookie stares at you; his expression soft - gaze speechless as he finds himself struggling on what to say.

In all of his time on Earthbread - he's continuously faced a constant battle of Cookies unable to truly see him for what he actually was - the Cookie he was underneath all his glorious titles and fame.

It created a wall that prevented anyone from truly understanding him. Leaving a gaping hole in his heart that could never be filled; and that's what he thought for countless years.

And then you showed up, breaking that endless cycle of inner torment. You saw him for who he was - outside of the Virtue of Knowledge.

You saw Shadow Milk Cookie, and Shadow Milk Cookie saw you.

"Y/N Cookie.."

You hum.

He chuckles, reaching back down for his tea once more.

"Thank you."

⋆° .☾ ⋆ .ೃ ࿔* : ⋆

You felt yourself choking back on a sob as you listened to the guttural screams of Cookies below, begging for mercy as they'd be slaughtered and crumbled to bits through twisted games of cards and chess.

They'd look up at you - pleading for help, yet all you could do was watch idly by as their jam stained the floor.

You wanted to do something. The guilt filled your dough like the plague - kicking and screaming to help the countless Cookies that suffered through the fiery chaos that filled all of Earthbread.

But you could not. You were forced to play your part - to be a spectator, witnessing thousands crumble and wither away. That was your role in his twisted play.

You felt a tug on the near-transparent puppet strings that pulled you aside, and you were quickly wrapped in a warm embrace of poisonous venom.

Shadow Milk Cookie ran a hand through your hair - his other hand moving back behind your head, pushing it into the crook of his neck.

"Just let it alllll out, love." you hear him speak, softly and soothingly, comforting you from the horrors as if it was not him who had caused it all.

Just like the typical routine.

The waterworks spilled and tears flew down, your cries muffled as Shadow Milk Cookie rubbed his hand through your hair, the other wrapped around your waist holding you closer.

"..why .. why.." you mumbled out between sobs, pathetically trying to push yourself away from his tight grip - your feeble attempts at escape not budging his embrace in the slightest.

"It's all just a game, dollface." you can't see his face - but you know he's smiling. "I thought you loved games!"

You only cried more. Shadow Milk Cookie whispers sweet nothings of blissful comfort. The hand on the back of your head seems to pulse for a moment, a brush of his magic sweeping into your mind - pushing your worries down and clouding your head.

"There, there.." he chuckles, moving himself backward - his embrace still tight, but now the two of you were able to properly look at one another. Shadow Milk Cookie brushes a strand of your hair out of your face, softly caressing your cheek, brushing away globs of tears.

"You're as beautiful as ever." he hums, analyzing every part of your face like a delicate painting, making sure not even a single scratch or microscopic bit of dust stained your perfect form. "I'm so, so terribly sorry to have kept you waiting for so long!"

A small glimmer of light in the farthest corners of your mind begged for you to run, to scream, to resist - but such attempts were beyond useless. Maybe it was the spell that clouded your thoughts, but even without the influence of magic - was there truly any point to escaping?

You'd tried countless times before. Back when the terror upon Earthbread had only just begun in it's infancy, you recall many days of running and hiding, thinking you were finally safe, only to instantly be dragged right back into his clutches.

You wanted to hate him. To tear apart his dough and scatter his remains across the desolate ruins of the old Academy, and yet - you couldn't. You could never dare test such dangerous waters, and even then, his face- dark and twisted with lies and deceit, still resembled the same face of the Cookie you once knew and cherished with every fiber of your dough.

You tried to speak - but your words came out as incoherent mumbles, muddled by the pressure weighing down on your mind.

Shadow Milk Cookie lets out a playful hum, his head tilting to the side ever so slightly. "What was that, Y/N? I couldn't quite catch thaaaaaaaat!"

His voice was playful, almost like it was mocking you. He knew damn well his own spell and his magic muddled your mind into exhaustion and compliance, and that small light within you that wanted to fight back so desperately pulled and fought against the bars of its enclosure, but its fight was snuffed out like a candlelight on its last breath.

You felt your eyelids droop - and Shadow Milk Cookie allowed your form to fall limp, his embrace supporting you and keeping you close.

With your consciousness fading as exhaustion had begun to finally take over - you could feel yourself being lifted into the air as the world around you grew dark - nothing but Shadow Milk Cookie's chuckles filling your mind as everything disappeared.

⋆° .☾ ⋆ .ೃ ࿔* : ⋆

You find yourself standing in front of that same Silver Tree.

How long had it been? You'd lost track of the years that had gone by since you saw the Witches themselves, looking down upon the ruins of Earthbread with nothing but disappointment.

The holy forks of punishment that rained down from the skies, imprisoning each Beast within mere moments - their reign of terror coming to a halt. Your eyes watched as each Beast Cookie tried to flee - to escape divine punishment that was long overdue, but the powers of the Witches themselves were not ones to be meddled with.

The Silver Tree was born - and Elder Faerie Cookie soon came along with it as the Guardian, swearing a sacred oath to protect the tree with his life, to keep the Beast Cookies imprisoned till the end of time, and with time, Earthbread began to recover.

You recall seeing Shadow Milk Cookie's last look toward you before he was imprisoned.

He was gone - but his clutches on you were still there. You could feel his presence still holding onto your soul, refusing to let go.

No punishment would ever free him from you.

Your mind was always filled with whispers - promises of his return. How one day, he'd return, embracing you with open arms, never to let go of you again.

You feel a soft tap on your shoulder. Your train of thought is shattered, and you turn your head to face the Cookie who was trying to get your attention.

"Doughbrain!" Apple Faerie Cookie huffs, playfully, hands on her hips. "I've been trying to get your attention for a while now!"

You hum. "Sorry, I was.. thinking."

"Thinking about him?" she smiles. You know exactly who she's talking about.

There's a mischievous glint in her eye. You stare back.

"..yeah."

"Don't worry so much!" Candy Apple Cookie reassures, hands moving behind her back. "He'll be free soon. I just know it!"

The light that once shined within you - your spark of fight, your resistance - it had long since been snuffed out. Contorted and twisted into Shadow Milk Cookie's desire, what he wanted you to become.

You were supposed to fear him. You should've been afraid. But that Cookie was long gone - and the Cookie you were now was the Cookie that Shadow Milk Cookie had so delicately crafted.

Whispers of deceit fill your mind again. His voice.

Candy Apple Cookie .. or, Apple Faerie Cookie, giggles. "C'mon, Y/N Cookie! We've got a job to do, remember?"

She's already begun leading the way, her energetic footsteps skipping along the path.

You nod, following after, toward the direction of the Faerie Kingdom's Library.

Behind you - the Silver Tree shakes - and deep inside it's pale bark, a jester laughs as his shackles begin to shake and tremble.

⋆° .☾ ⋆ .ೃ ࿔* : ⋆

#cookie run x reader #crk x reader #shadow milk cookie x reader #shadow milk cookie #cookie run kingdom x reader #cookie run kingdom

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msmk11 · 1 month ago

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Happy Birthday Love🥳🥳🥳🥳

Here is a little something I made for you:🧁

But back to the party.

🍾 Can I ask for a fluff piece with Regulus sending the reader anonymous love letters?

Maybe they are best friends or even the complete opposite and don't even speak.

If you can't get to it, absolutely understandable.

But Happy Birthday!!!

Thank you for the cupcake and coming to the party!!! This was such a cute request!! I'm sorry for getting to it so late, but I had lots of fun writing it! Hope you enjoy :)

The Boy Who Charmed His Way Into Your Heart

Regulus Black x fem!reader

WC: 2.1k

CW: fluff, that's it

Summary: A series of bracelet charms and letters left by your secret admirer help you to figure out whose heart it is you're holding.

You don't notice the envelope on your bed until you're crawling beneath the comfortable dark green sheets for the evening. The small, ivory parchment is smooth beneath your hand and is unassuming besides your name written in beautiful script across the back. It's not handwriting you think you recognize, but you open it anyways, curiosity outweighing any potential wariness.

A letter of sorts is neatly folded into three and you pull it out carefully, eyes eagerly scanning the page. You can't believe what it says:

Amour,

I know this letter may come as a surprise to you, but I must confess the deep feelings I carry for you before I go absolutely mad. I am deeply and irrevocably taken with you, and you have totally claimed my heart unknowingly. These sentiments I carry for you are not new, but rather months of building devotion developed from the small interactions you have blessed me with since the beginning of this school year.

I am too afraid to reveal myself to you just yet, so you may automatically suppose I am not from the mighty house of the Lion. It is true, I do not bear the colors of red and gold but of green and silver, just the same as you. I am unwilling to share more of my identity with you just yet, but I hope you know my secret affections do not lie in shame, but in fear of your rejection and the fact that I am no near as good as you.

If these advances are not too unwanted by you, may I request your lovely wrist wear this bracelet as a sign of your interest, so that I will see it from afar and know I do not burden you so with more letters?

I think of you constantly.

Yours,

Your Secret Admirer

A secret admirer! You can't quite believe your eyes and your heart flutters of its own accord. The kind words of this mystery lover have set your stomach into butterflies and your mind racing. You're intrigued, to say the least, and you decide you'll wear the bracelet tomorrow, as requested. It's a simple silver chain, fairly plain, yet still so beautiful. It is certainly nicer than anything you've ever owned and your hands tremble as you clasp it around your wrist. It's a perfect fit.

The next letter arrives at dinner the following day, a stray owl swooping down and dropping the same-colored envelope into your lap. Despite the stares and giggles of your friends, you hastily open the letter, eager to try and learn more about your secret admirer. The same beautiful calligraphy scrawls across the parchment and it feels more familiar than the day before. You're not sure if it's because you saw it just yesterday, or if because your continuous exposure to the handwriting is jarring something locked far away in your memory. The paper unfurls and a small charm falls into your lap- that of a little green snake. You clip it to the bracelet as you begin to read:

Mon ange,

I must confess that my heart skipped a beat when I saw your wrist so prettily adorned with my bracelet this morning. Just as I suspected, it looks absolutely beautiful on you, somehow making you even more perfect than you already are.

Now that I know my advances are welcome, I've decided to reveal myself to you slowly through the use of charms you can attach to the bracelet I have gifted you. This first one is the most obvious- a snake, because, as aforementioned, I too am a Slytherin. May you wear the charm both with pride for your own house and also the knowledge that it is a symbol of my affection and ambition to capture your heart.

I must confess, I cannot wait to sit here at this same dinner table as you and watch you read this letter while I blend in with the other serpents. It is my greatest hope to see that beautiful smile of yours grace your lips because of me.

Yours,

Your Secret Admirer

As you finish the letter your head snaps up, eyes scanning up and down the Slytherin table curiously, hoping somehow one glance will reveal all that you want to know. There is no immediate feeling of knowing that falls over you as you look around at your housemates, and you can't help but feel disappointed. Hopefully, all will be revealed soon enough.

The next letter doesn’t come in the form of an owl or bedside delivery, but pressed within the pages of your potions textbook. You're confused on how it got there, because you'd just used it earlier today in class. Still, you open it, your stomach fluttering with nerves.

La belle fille,

Today is day three and my heart beats for you stronger than ever. Your next charm- this little cauldron- is a representation of how you became the object of my infatuation. You see, my love, we are in the same potions class. I've always noticed you, but when Slughorn partnered us together for an assignment, that's when I really fell. You were so sweet to me that day and it warmed my insides. I was in awe of the cute furrow of your brows when you focused and the softness of your voice when you read me the ingredients list.

I look forward to potions the most now because of you, and it is my distinct pleasure to watch you take notes in class. You are so intent and so smart, always answering Slughorn's questions correctly. I feel lucky just to exist within the same room as you.

All my love,

Your secret admirer

You examine the cauldron charm thoughtfully as you clip it to your bracelet. It sparkles in the setting sun and your heart warms with affection for this secret admirer. They seem to notice so much about you and you almost feel bad for not noticing them, whoever they are, sooner. Though you do not know who they are, you are falling for them hard and fast, and if they keep this up, soon enough they'll have your whole heart.

The next letter that you receive contains a broom charm, and your admirer shares that they are on the Slytherin quidditch team. It's the best clue you've been given yet, and it narrows down your options significantly. You decide to go to the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin quidditch game on Saturday, hoping to recognize your secret admirer amongst the flashes of green, red, gold, and silver. Admittedly, you're not the biggest quidditch fan, but you at least have some sort of idea of who is on the team. You sit with your friends in the Slytherin section, bundled up in your green scarf and warm robes.

The crowd is loud and the stands are full, but your attention is entirely focused on your house team. Luckily, you are able to quickly narrow down the options from the ten Slytherin players to seven- one of the team members being a third year, one a fifth year, and the last Evan Rosier, who is not in your potions class. This still leaves you with many options, but a much more manageable group- Lucius Malfoy, Barty Crouch Jr., Dorcas Meadowes, Mulciber, Pandora Rosier, Goyle, and Regulus Black...

Regulus Black...

You examine the boy as he hovers in the air, silver eyes watching for the snitch intently, and you can't look away. There's just something about him that feels...right. Maybe you're just swayed by his handsome face, sharp jawline, and academic prowess, but you want to believe that he is your secret admirer.

Though you haven't spoken to him often, you've always enjoyed every interaction the two of you have shared. He's clever and witty in a dry, sarcastic sort of way and mature beyond his ears. To be frank, you think you've always harbored a minor crush on the Black boy, but never enough to pursue anything. But if it turns out this boy is the one, you'll be absolutely ecstatic.

The final letter almost confirms your suspicions:

Ma étoile,

It is time I reveal myself to you. Though with this charm, in some ways I already have.

You look down at the sparkly, silver star charm in your palm and you know. It must be Regulus.

I give you this charm for two reasons. For one, I share an affinity with the stars, and so I hope you carry this piece of myself with you. Under the stars is also where I'd like to reveal myself to you. If you are open and willing, please join me at the Astronomy Tower at midnight tonight, where you will finally learn who I am- if you haven't figured it out already, clever girl.

I cannot wait to see you, my love.

Eternally yours...

This time, your secret admirer has not signed off his letter, instead only drawing a star in place of a name. Your stomach is alight with nerves and anticipation, and it feels as though midnight cannot come soon enough.

The hours tick by slowly and you try to distract yourself with your homework. Instead, you find yourself fiddling with the charm bracelet nonstop, your thoughts wondering to what tonight will reveal... would you be right? Will everything be just as you hope?

You put on your best front, appearance as perfect as possible as you sneak through the dungeons and across the moving staircases all the way up to the Astronomy Tower. The clock strikes midnight, and you hear the bell ringing from afar as you stand outside the wooden door of the tower. You take a deep breath, exhaling shakily, and grab the brass handle, turning the door open.

Your breath catches in your throat as you spot a slender figure shrouded in darkness, except for the light the stars and moon provide. From his back alone you know that your suspicions were correct. Here before you stands you secret admirer- Regulus Black.

"Regulus?" you murmur softly.

His posture stiffens and then he turns, his pale skin glowing in the moonlight. The Black boy's silver eyes soften at the sight of you and the words slip out before he can stop them- "mon ange."

It was one thing to read it, but to hear the French endearment slip past his tongue, his low timbre pleasing to the ear, is like no other. Your stomach does a flip, "it's you."

Regulus takes another step towards you, and you swear he's trembling a little, "are you disappointed?"

A soft scoff escapes your lips and you step closer to him too, "disappointed? How could I ever be disappointed by you Regulus Black?"

Something like relief and fondness passes over his face and he closes the gap even more, so that you're only inches apart, "I have something for you."

With trembling hands he pulls out a small, navy-blue box, the soft velvet looking extra pretty in the moonlight.

"Each charm I've given you has represented some part of me. They were both clues to you and also ways to carry parts of me close to yourself if you chose to. But I have one last part of myself to offer up to you. I only hope that you'll accept it, because I've been waiting to give it for a long time. It's practically been yours since that first day in potions months ago."

Regulus opens the box and you gasp. It's a beautiful red heart charm, the perfect finishing touch on your bracelet.

"My heart is yours, mon ange, if only you'll have me," he says quietly, incredibly earnest.

"Regulus," you murmur, enraptured. Your finger traces gently over the delicate charm, "yes. Please. I'll have you. You- you've had mine too, longer than I've realized."

Your not-so-secret admirer blushes faintly and it might be even prettier than the bracelet he has gifted to you. He picks up the charm delicately, "may I?"

You nod and his fingers gently dust over your wrist to clip the charm in place. It's the perfect finishing touch and he raises your hand to his lips, kissing your knuckles reverently.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," he confesses, "I can't believe it's finally come."

You close the distance entirely, noses brushing as you look into his beautiful eyes and inhale the rich scent of his wonderful cologne, and you don't say anything. You don't need to- not to the boy who knows your heart more intimately than you know it yourself, and you kiss him.

#regulus black fic #regulus black fanfiction #regulus black hc #regulus black #regulus black x reader #regulus black x you #regulus black x y/n #regulus black x fem!reader #regulus black imagines #regulus black fluff #mk's 21st

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ask-the-pioneer · 1 year ago

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"I sure do! Watch this..."

"I can make explosive spears and throwables, just like my mom did. I can also propel myself in the air by whipping my tail very fast, which sets off the same flammable compound in my tail surface for an explosive boost. Very handy for movement, but also very loud… not great if you're trying to be stealthy. And yeah, my sibling could do that too, but he was always more interested in doing other things. An energetic but very scatterbrained kid that he was."

[She takes aim and throws the spear somewhere far away. It ignites and explodes with a loud dull bang that shakes the ground slightly]

"I can't do that too often, though. Maybe a handful of times in quick succession before my muscles tense up and burn as if scorched by flames. One time it got so bad that I lost consciousness and couldn't move for a couple of minutes after waking up. That was scary, and hurt like hell... since then I've been more careful. That said, I wonder if there are more slugcats with similar abilities to mine out there? I have not met that many scugs in my life to begin with, if I'm honest..."

"Of course I remember my family, how could I not! My sibling's name is… hmmm, right, let me explain this first. Slugcats have very good sense of smell. Usually, we know one another by our unique scents. They are incredibly complex, but can be written down as series of letters, if you map those symbols to the corresponding scent proteins and other chemical compounds. For example, my scent name would be:"

"Addmitely, this notation method is very over-engineered – a slugcat just knows you are you if they smell you. From what I learned, scugs don't really use a coherent writing system.. of any kind. I think the colonies may use pictograms? I uh, I've never been a part of a colony, so I'm missing a lot of info here. Still, what I wrote on the wall – I have used an Ancient script, which I roughly mapped to key compounds that make a scent. As you can see, it's incredibly long, it can also change over time, parts of it can be masked with non-organic aromas to hide your identity, so on and so forth. To simplify even further, these long strings of letters can be shortened to just the last three or two characters, and this is what scugs may choose to use to refer to one another. Here, my scent name is MGV."

"Then, there are names that resemble the form that the Ancients would use. It's considered more refined, and more common in big colonies where people adopt their preferable roles. Those names are viewed as a kind of «gift», because you receive it from your community. It's a symbol of how they see you, what you mean to them. Of course, my closest family was never a part of a colony… but my mom would still give me and my sibling those special names. I was named «Blue», which is the color of the sky above when it's not raining, and the color of clear water. My brother's name is «Bryn» after a very fragrant medicinal plant that relaxes your muscles when consumed. I always found it funny, as my brother was often the one getting in trouble and giving our mom heartaches."

[She pauses for a moment, thinking intensively]

"Hmm, I never thought of asking my mother about her name. I wonder if she had one? To me and it was always just «mom»…"

"My other parent? I never knew him. Must have left just before or right after my mom had me, because there is literally nothing I remember of him… or them… whoever they were."

[She takes some pearls out from her bag, and inspects them one by one just to keep her hands busy]

"Mom would never talk about him, as if he never existed. And I never questioned her, I was too young to understand and simply accepted everything at face value. It was just the way things were. Would I want to meet my other parent? Maybe, but I doubt it'd make a difference. What would I even say to them? «Thanks for abandoning mom and leaving her to fend for herself»? "

"I don't know. Maybe I'm too harsh. Maybe he was a hero who sacrificed themself to save my mother. That could explain why he was never seen or heard of again. But… I have no way of knowing for sure. It's the life I won't be getting back anyway."

// In the second drawing, I've used logographs from @ikayblythe's Standard Hegemonic Dialect

#rain world #rain world au #rain world oc #rw pioneer #rw artificer #slugcat #slugpup #artificer's pups #rain world spoilers #ask blog #au lore #MORE LORE

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directdogman · 8 months ago

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Hi, I hope this isn't a bother. I'm trying to make a dating sim and want to have a section where the player inputs their pronouns (like you gave the option to in Dial Town). Despite my hours of effort though, I can't figure out how to do it. I'm using Visual Novel Machinery for Unreal Engine (because Unreal is required for the class I'm making this for). Even if you aren't familiar with it though, just the basic 'pull code from here and input there' would be so helpful. I'm sure I can piece it together in a way Unreal will understand with a bit of help. Legit though, I made unreal crash twice when I tried to run the initial code for it, so I'm at a loss. Side note: Your games are so awesome and a big part of why I want to make a dating sim to begin with. I wish you all the peace and love on planet earth!

Hello hello:

The trick is using a string for every instance of a pronoun in player dialogue (which is just a variable set of letters.) They, them, their, theirs, etc. Be careful when you set the system up as some pronouns don't conjugate for all cases. For instance, their and theirs are separate words, as are her/hers, but his uses the same word for both pronouns.

You also have to account for case too. This is how I set it up (this is all done right when the pronoun is first entered btw):

1)let the user input a pronoun for each option. each pronoun is a different string, one for each pronoun type (you'll see my list below)

2)i then use a script command right after that to turn all of the pronoun strings entered to lower case. This is account for players possibly capitalizing the first letter in the pronoun instinctively. IE: characters won't say: "Hey, where's He going?" instead of "he going?", which is correct.

How you convert to lowercase is different for each programming language, but I bet there's an equivalent command in UE.

3)Then I copy each pronoun twice, essentially creating two duplicates for each lower case pronoun (so there's now 3 identical pronouns for her, three for hers, etc.)

4)For the second set, I run a command that capitalizes the first and only first letter of each separately (this is useful for if a sentence starts with a pronoun, meaning the first letter would be upper case in that sentence. EG: His cowboy hat looks RIDICULOUS.)

5)for the third set, i then turn the whole string upper case. this is useful for if a character speaks in all caps or if the character is shouting/emphasizing. (EG: "Where's HE going?!")

At the end, this is what my list of strings looks like, hopefully helping you visualize what I've done:

Then, when a pronoun is referenced in dialogue, I use the string that matches the correct version of the pronoun I need. So for he, i use #6 normally, #12 if it's the start of a sentence and #18 if the character is shouting. it's good to keep a list like this handy so you don't have to go looking every time you write dialogue.

The big other thing to watch out for is how plural pronouns affect verbs. He and she IS, but they ARE. I have the player tell the game whether or not their pronoun of choice is plural after they're entered it in and then simply load two separate versions of each sentence with one set for ises and one for ares.

You can also make some more blank name variables to use for verbs and have the game check if the pronoun's plural and then reference a string like with the pronouns (ie, having a string for is that changes to are if plural and using that in dialogue.) Both solutions generally work and I use both for different situations in dialogue.

Beyond that, I can't really give any engine specific advice, but this is how I do it. Best of luck with your game! :)

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doctorbunny · 1 year ago

Text

MILGRAM Hallucination Booklet Translation pt.1 (Yamanaka and DECO*27 Interview)

Context: This interview was from a booklet handed out at the MILGRAM Hallucination live show on the 21st January 2024 (if you want a copy you can buy it here) This translation was made possible by the generosity of @maxpawb sharing images of his booklet with me This translation is mostly my own, but @maristelina helped me with some sections. Now without further ado:

Q.01 Introduce Yourself. I'm Takuya Yamanaka. I'm the creator/planner/screenwriter for MILGRAM. I'm DECO*27. I work as the music producer for MILGRAM. I like Hatsune Miku.

Q.02 What reactions from the guards have been the most surprising so far? Yamanaka: There are a lot of guards that were born overseas, aren't there? Even though it's created with rather Japanese sensibilities, overseas audiences didn't seem to mind at all. Though the countries and sensibilities are different than what I anticipated, votes have become more multifaceted, it's very interesting, isn't it? DECO: To forgive or not forgive the prisoners what do you do, whether it goes as you expected or the result turns out to be quite the opposite, its fascinating. Maybe your nationality affects the kind of criteria you use to make judgements? I've been thinking about something like that.

Q.03 Is there anything you didn't imagine would happen at the start of the trial? Yamanaka: I didn't write it with a large overseas audience in mind, because from the start I wasn't worrying about popularity at all, I simply didn't think I'd be watching over so many guards. Milgram was developed as a more underground project, but it's popularity is a good surprise, isn't it. DECO: There were more people who got into MILGRAM without already caring about my music than I imagined, it was surprising. I feel like MILGRAM has spread further beyond than what I thought it would. I'm very grateful!

Q.04 So far, what's made you the happiest? Yamanaka: Everything. As a creator it brings me great joy to see a work that existed in my mind, take shape and be enjoyed by so many people. Other than that, because I also love the characters I've birthed, seeing all the guards talking about them and sharing their thoughts, both positive and negative, has to be the best feeling. DECO: It makes me happy to see lots of people analysing the meanings I put in my songs! The theories get pretty close to the truth too, I think... the power of all the guards is really cool.

Q.05 So far, what has been the most challenging? Yamanaka: Because I have to change the script in accordance with the audience's decisions, I can't create the entire story in advance. Furthermore, as of the second trial, there aren't only individual character storylines, the prisoner's verdicts begin to emerge and they influence each other. That is to say, I can't start writing until after everyone's results are out. Willingly subjecting myself to doing something this unreasonable, is what I feel is difficult for me. But because DECO*27 is also going through the same hell, we're holding on to some semblance of sanity. DECO: The story changes in accordance to all the guards' choices, and the music has to be written to match. I think this is harder for Yamanaka-P, who writes the script, than it is for me... But though its tough, I feel its really worthwhile, It makes me really happy to be able to communicate with everyone through my songs!

Q.06 Do you have any regrets like "I wish I had done it differently back then!"? Yamanaka: I've thought it over quite carefully, but there's nothing in particular. I think everyone involved in the project is giving it their all and its a really passionate environment. DECO: Nope! I've been able to put all the things I've thought of into my songs.

Q.07 Which prisoners are the easiest to write dialogue/music for? Yamanaka: If I had to pick one, it'd be Fuuta. He's the type of person that's pretty easy to write because his brain never shuts up. Other than him, Yuno and Shidou are relatively academic kids in theory, so they're easy to write because they're very clear when it comes to what they want to convey. [TL note just because its funny, the idiom Yamanaka uses is lit. "There is barking in the inside [of Fuuta's] head] DECO: It went smoothly for all of them!

Q.08 Which prisoners are the most fun to write dialogue/music for? Yamanaka: Muu's lines were the very fun to write~. I'm fascinated by her approach to life and can't help but envy how fun it must be to behave like that. Yuno and Amane are my runners up. I enjoy writing the kinds of characters who plainly state their ideas and speak eloquently. DECO: Mahiru! From the start writing about the relationships between men and women has been what you might call my forte, its enjoyable to make. I feel like this is also why I find Yuno easy to write for.

Q.09 Which prisoners are the hardest to write dialogue/music for? Yamanaka: Overwhelmingly, Haruka's dialogue takes me the longest to write. I have to use the parts of my brain that I wouldn't normally use to figure out how to not just directly convey what he wants to say. DECO: None of them!

Q.10 What's your favourite combination of characters? Yamanaka: Amane and Shidou. They're on completely different wavelengths about everything, and the best part is that there's no getting around it. My second pick might go to Yuno and Muu. They don't get along at all so their fights are never just superficial squabbling. DECO: I always like the interactions between Es and the prisoners. I'm liking how over the course of the voice drama interrogations, Es seems to be gradually coming to understand the prisoner's humanity. Especially Es + Mahiru!

Q.11 Do you want to be friends with any of the prisoners? Yamanaka: Shidou and Kazui. I like the idea of being friends with professional people. I think that people who choose to go into something specialized, its clear they have a kind of resolve and that's charming, isn't it? DECO: Yuno! I feel like she'd be easy to talk to. She seems like she's used to friends who maintain a good distance from each other. [note: while 'good' here can mean a fair amount of distance, in Japanese relationships the concept of boundaries is also built into the idea of distance, so in English you might talk about someone who is a close friend but still has good boundaries, but in Japanese this is someone who has the 'right amount'/ちょうどいい of distance from you, so this could mean Yuno doesn't have any close friends or that Yuno is just a good friend because she isn't going to turn up to your house unexpectedly and eat all the food in your fridge]

Q.12 Do you want to date any of the prisoners? Yamanaka: I love all of my characters a lot, but, well... how should I say it... I don't think I would date any of them. [TL note: I had to shift the wording to be more natural in English but the Japanese Q is more like 'which prisoner would you want to be your boy/girlfriend?' curse english for not having an exact equivalent to koibito, so Yamanaka's answer is more like 'I think would break up with all of them' its a nominal difference but my friend said to mention it bc its funny] DECO: I'm sorry.

Q.13 What's your favourite line/phrase? Yamanaka:

[Scene from Muu's first voice drama Crying B, TL taken from MILGRAMMER]

Es: Judging from your facial features, are you what they call “half-Japanese”? [lit. haafu/Half] Muu: Yeah… I’m biracial. [lit. daburu/Double]

It would have to be that wouldn't it? I got goosebumps when I wrote it it. DECO:

"It's not my fault"

I think that single phrase was able to represent Muu's character really well, if I do say so myself.

Q.14 Are there any prisoners that you think its good they're in MILGRAM? Yamanaka: All of them. Without these 10 people, this Milgram would be a complete failure. DECO: Without these 10 people, MILGRAM wouldn't exist!

Q.15 Is there anything the guards aren't aware of yet? Yamanaka: Of course, there may be some minor details, but I don't think there are any major points missing. The mysteries have already disseminated, I feel the full picture will be clearly revealed if the theories and wild speculations, which have been shared around the world, come together. As expected. DECO: There are! I hope you look forward to the gimmicks I wanted to put in my songs that will come out in the third trial!

Q.16 Is there anything you haven't been able to do up to now, but you want to try doing after this? Yamanaka: I want to do a stageplay. Every performance would be a different story set in Milgram. If anyone reading this is involved with stage productions, please contact me. [I can't find it now but I swear a while ago Yamanaka tweeted something similar like "I'm interested in doing stage adaptations of Caligula Effect or MILGRAM, if anyone is involved with stage production please contact me" I hope he does it, a MILGRAM stage play would be awesome] DECO: Fortunately, I'm already doing everything I want to do! Writing the trial 3 songs couldn't be more fun.

Q.17 Represent "MILGRAM" in one word. Yamanaka: 『人』 "People" DECO: 『噓』 "Lies" [This one is both simple and interesting so as a preview I'll share how akka and DMYM answered] akka: 『幻』 "Illusions" DMYM: 『信』 "Faith"

Q.18 Give a brief comment about the future of "MILGRAM". Yamanaka: There have already been plot developments that I personally wish I didn't have to write. The guards have all chosen a very intense path. It's frightening. I've also been ready to obey these choices since the start of MILGRAM, so I think we all should enjoy this story that can only be told once together. DECO: I've already started writing the prisoner's songs. It's hell. Please prepare yourselves. Q.19 A message for the guards. Yamanaka: Thank you for always looking after the prisoners. Milgram is a work that involves the participation of everyone, including yourself. The thoughts you had, the actions you took, the joy, and resentment you felt towards this prison, all this became a part of Milgram too. I would like you all to please live healthily in your realities alongside Milgram. DECO: Thank you for your hard work as guards. Although MILGRAM is full of troublemakers, we would be grateful if you could continue to watch over us for a long time to come. We will do our best to meet your expectations.

[A link to part 2 will be posted here when its ready]

(Japanese transcript under the cut)

Q.01 自己紹介を。山中拓也です。ミルグラムでは企画・原作・脚本をしています。 DECO*27です。 MILGRAMのサウンドプロデューサーを務めています。初音ミクが好きです。

Q.02 これまでの看守たちからの反応で驚いたことは？ Yamanaka: 海外にもたくさんの看守が生まれるていったことですね。とっても日本的な感性で創っているので、海外ウケとかきにしていませんでした。やはり国が違うと感性も違うものだと思うので、より多面的な投票がされて、とても面白いですね。 DECO: 囚人が赦すor 赦さないのどっちになるか、と自分で予想していたりもしたのですが、結構それが逆の結果になっていることがあって興味深ったです。もしかして国民性で判断基準が違ってくるのかな？とか考えたりしました。

Q.03 審判開始時点では思い描いていなかったことはあるか？ Yamanaka: 海外ウケ気にしたことないと書きましたが、そもそもウケ自体あまり気にしていなかったので、シンプルにこんなにたくさんの看守の方に見守っていただけるコンテンツになるとは思っていませんでした。もっと、アンダーグラウンドで展開するつもりだったんですが、嬉しい悲鳴ですね。 DECO: 想像以上にDECO*27を知らない方にもMILGRAMを観てもらえたことに驚きました。自分の思っていた以上にMILGRAMが広がったなと感じています。ありがとうございます！

Q.04 これまでで一番嬉しかったことは？ Yamanaka: 全部です。自分の脳内にしかなかった作品が、形になり、たくさんの人に楽しんでもらえること自体がクリエイターとしては大きな喜ぶです。あとはやはり僕は自分が産んだ登場人物のことが大好きなので、プラスでもマイナスでも看守の皆様が彼らについて語って、想いをぶつけてくれいることが最高に嬉しいです。 DECO: たくさんの方に自分が音楽に込めた意味考察してもらえた嬉しいです！かなり正解に近い考察もあって、看守の皆さんのパワーすごいな…と思っています。

Q.05 これまでで一番大変だったことは？ Yamanaka: ユーザーの選択によって、シナリオを変更をするので、あらかじめ制作することができないということです。しかも二審からは個人のストーリーラインだけでなく、他の囚人の結果による影響も出てくる。ということは全員の結果出てからじゃないと制作できないということです。そんな無茶を勝手に自分でやりはじめて、勝手に自分で大変な思いをしています。同じ地獄をDECO27も味わっているので、なんとか正気を保っています。 DECO: 看守の皆さんの選択に応じてストーリー変化し、それに合うように音楽を書くことです。これは僕よりもシナリオを書く山中Pのほうが大変だろうな…と思いますが…大変ではありますがとてもやりがいをかんじていますし、曲を通じて皆さんとコミュニケーションが取れていることが嬉しいです！

Q.06　「今思えばやっておけばよかった！」のような後悔はあるか？ Yamanaka: よくよく考えてみたんですが、特に無いです。制作に関わる全員がベストを尽くしてくれているとてもアツい現場だと思います。 DECO: ないです！思いついたことはすべて楽曲で出力できています。

Q.07 シナリオや音楽の制作がスムーズな囚人は？ Yamanaka: 一人あげるとすればフータでしょうか。頭の中でわんわん言ってるので、かなり書きやすいタイプです。あとはユノや、シドウあたりの比較的理論的で偏差値高めな子たちは何が伝えたいかが明確なので書きやすいです。 DECO: みんなすんなりでした！

Q.08 シナリオや音楽の制作が一番楽しい囚人は？ Yamanaka: セリフを書いていて一番楽しいのはムウですかねぇ~。こんなふうにふるまえたち人生楽しいだろうという憧れすあります。次点でユノやアマネでしょうか。思想がはっきりしてて、弁の立つタイプは書くのが楽しいです。 DECO: マヒルです！自分が元々男女間の関係性を描くのが得意ということもあって、楽しく制作しています。そういった意味ではユノも書きやすいなと感じます。

Q.09 シナリオや音楽の制作に苦労する囚人は？ Yamanaka: 圧倒的にセリフを書くのに時間がかかるのはハルカです。彼が伝えたいことを、伝わらないようにする調整に普段は使わない脳を使います。 DECO: いないです！

Q.10 お気に入りの組み合わせはあるか？ Yamanaka: アマネとシドウ。すべての要素が噛み合わなさすぎて、どうしようもないところが良いです。次点でユノとムウかもです。表面的なケンカにならないだけでかなり気が合わないので。 DECO: エス対囚人の絡みは須く好きです。ボイスドラマの尋問によって段々とエスが囚人の人間性を掴んでいく様が気に入っています。特にエス＋マヒル！

Q.11 囚人を友達にするなら誰か？ Yamanaka: シドウとカズイ。友達にいてほしい職業の人たちです。なにかのスペシャリストを選択する人たちというのは、何かしらの覚悟が決まっている人だと思うのでそれだけで魅力的ですね。 DECO: ユノです！話していて気楽そうだなと感じます。お互い良い距離感を保てる友達になれそう。

Q.12 囚人を恋人にするなら誰か？ Yamanaka: 僕は登場人物のことを全員最高に愛してますが、まぁ、なんというか、全員やめとこうと思います。 DECO: ごめんなさい。

Q.13 お気に入りのセルフやフレーズは？ Yamanaka: 「その顔立ち、ハーフというやつか？」「うん...…ダブル」ですね。書いてて鳥肌でした。 DECO: 「悪くないもん」 1フレーズでムウのキャラクターを上手に表現できたなと我ながら思っています。

Q.14 ミルグラムにいてくれてよかった、と思う囚人は？ Yamanaka: 全員です。この10人でなければ、このミルグラムになっていないので。 DECO: MILGRAMはこの10人がいなければ成立しません！

Q.15 看守たちにまだ感づかれていないことはあるか？ Yamanaka: もちろん、些末な部分はあるかと思いますが、大きいところだとないんじゃないですかねぇ。既に問題はバラまいたし、世界中に発信された考察や妄想を組み合わせたらきっちり全貌が明らかになる気がします。さすがです。 DECO: あります！第三審で僕が楽曲を通じてやりたかったギミックが出てくるので楽しみにしていてください！

Q.16 今できていないが、今後やってみたいことはあるか？ Yamanaka: 舞台がやりたいです。毎公演、コンセプトの異なるミルグラムで行われる舞台。舞台制作に関わる方が、読んでおられましたら是非山中まで。 DECO: 有り難いことに、やりたいことは全部やれています！第三審の曲を書くのが楽しくてしょうがないです。

Q.17 「ミルグラム」を一文字で表せ。 Yamanaka: 『人』 DECO: 『噓』

Q.18 今後の「ミルグラム」について一言。 Yamanaka: 既に僕が個人的には書かないでいたかった展開が確定しています。看守の皆さんなかなか強烈な道筋を選びました。恐ろしい。自分もその選択に従う覚悟をしてミルグラムをスタートしているので、一度きりの物語を皆さんと一緒に楽しもうと思います。 DECO: 既に楽曲を書き始めている囚人もいます。地獄です。覚悟しててください。

Q.19 看守たちへメッセージを。 Yamanaka: いつも囚人たちのことを世話してくださってありがとうございます。ミルグラムとは、参加する皆さん自身を含めてミルグラムという作品です。この監獄に対して感じた思い、起こした行動、喜び、憤り、それらすべてが作品の一部になります。是非ミルグラムと共にある皆さんの現実を健やかに生きてくださいませ。 DECO: いつも看守としてのお勤めご苦労さまです。曲者ばかりのMILGRAMですが、これからも末永く見守っていただけると幸いです。期待に応えられるよう、尽力してまいります。

#milgram #ミルグラム #milgram translation #deco*27 #takuya yamanaka #long post

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rebelliousneferut · 1 year ago

Text

finding you | lando norris x model!reader

summary; in the midst of social media pressure you find your soul mate

genre; smau, fluff? i'm not really sure

face claim; angelina michelle

note; english is not my first language

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

f1wags

liked by f1gossip, y/nfans, norris.updates and others

f1wags rumors have been circulating since the beginning of this year about formula 1 driver lando norris and model y/n l/n being in a relationship.

there had been some photos of them being together with friends and they were also captured by some paparazzi but neither of them had confirmed these rumors until today.

this is the photo that lando shared through his Instagram stories.

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username oh... this is weird

username how weird?

username do not misunderstand. i love her and i think she is a very good model, but she looks a little... cold? to be with him

username this is how you perceive her on the internet, but you don't know her and you don't know her true personality. so don't assume those things.

username am i the only one thinking that this is like marketing or smt?

y/nxlando i actually think they are a very good couple ❤️

username how the hell you might already have an account dedicated to them

y/nsource as long as my girl is happy i will be happy too

y/nl/nuser

liked by landonorris, f1gossip, y/nsource and others

y/nl/nuser ✨

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f1gossip lando doesn't miss any post of her

username just like all of us

y/nsource you are always so stunning 😍

❤️ liked by the author

y/nsource she liked my comment!!!!!

y/nxlando mommy slayyyy!!!

username i can't imagine lando dating her, he's so outgoing and she looks so cold

username you assume that just because of a photo. you do not know her so leave her alone

username yes but still

landonorris cute

❤️ liked by the author

username cute??? seriously??? there's no way you could have gotten his attention like that.

f1gossip 🤭🤭🤭

f1wags we need you in the paddock!

username i think she and lando are dating for pr, they don't seem in love

username i agree, they are trying to give her a lovely image

username i genuinely think she is too much for him.

username can you fight lando?

the camera flash is my constant companion, a blinding beacon in the manufactured world i inhabit. every smile, every pose, is a carefully constructed facade. i am a mannequin, a living, breathing doll, expected to embody perfection. the weight of this expectation is crushing my spirit.

behind the scenes, the laughter is forced, the conversations shallow. i am a ghost in my own life, a character trapped in a script I didn't write. the world sees me as a flawless goddess, but the truth is a stark contrast. i am lonely, insecure, and desperately yearning for authenticity.

then, there's lando. amidst the chaos of the fashion world, he is a breath of fresh air. a world away from the superficiality, he is grounded, genuine, and possesses an infectious laughter that makes my heart skip a beat. our paths crossed at a normal day, a chance encounter that ignited a spark.

in his company, i feel seen, truly seen. his eyes hold a depth that mirrors my own longing for something real. there is an understanding between us, a silent acknowledgment of the masks we both wear. in his arms, i find a sanctuary, a place where i can be myself without fear of judgment. lando is my escape, my reality check in a world of illusion.

"what are you thinking about?" lando asked, noticing my distant gaze.

i sighed, my phone still clutched in my hand. "people are saying we're incompatible. that i'm only with you for the image." disappointment laced my voice.

he squeezed my hand reassuringly. "don't let the online noise get to you, love. they don't know us. i love you for who you are, even the cold parts."

i couldn't help but chuckle. "i'm not always cold."

"i know," he replied with a tender smile. "and i love you for that too."

we shared a long, comfortable silence, filled with unspoken understanding.

the following weekend, we walked into the miami gp paddock, hand in hand, ready to face the world together.

f1wags

liked by norrislando.fans, y/nsource, username and others

f1wags lando and his girlfriend y/n arriving at the paddock together today. it is their first public appearance as a couple and also the first time y/n attends a race.

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y/nxlando i love them sm

username of course she was going to be there

y/nsource my girl is so beautiful ofc

username he seems tired of being with her 😂

username for god's sake, get a life

f1 and mclaren

liked by y/nl/nuser, username, norrislandofans and others

f1 LANDO NORRIS WINS HIS FIRST GRAND PRIX 🤩

#f1 #formula1 #miamigp

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y/nsource that was y/n's influence

norrislandofans he won his first race with his girlfriend being there for the first time 🥺🥺

y/nxlando she is his lucky charm for sure

lando.fans my boy did it!!!

username our*

landonorris posted a story;

[caption; my lucky charm ❤️]

y/nl/nuser

liked by landonorris, y/nxlando, franciscacgomes and others

y/nl/nuser miami you will always be so special ❤️

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landonorris i love you

❤️ liked by the author

norrislandofans please don't miss you any race 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

y/nxlando what a beauty moment you two shared after the podium

username fr! for everyone that was saying that they weren't in love

y/nsource i love you!!

we emerged from the storm stronger than before, choosing authenticity over the perfect facade. the world saw us as a couple, but we knew we were soulmates.

standing on the balcony of our secluded retreat, hand in hand, we watched the sunrise. the outside world faded into a distant hum. all that mattered was this moment, us, and the promise of a future filled with love, laughter, and unwavering support.

it was a world away from the superficial life I once knew. now, i was living my truth, a story written by my heart, not by the demands of the industry. and by my side was lando, the man who showed me the beauty of being real.

together, we were a masterpiece, an unfiltered portrait of love.

#formula 1 fanfic #formula 1 #formula one #formula 1 driver x reader #lando norris #lando x reader #lando x you #lando x y/n #lando norris x reader #lando norris x you #lando norris x y/n #formula 1 smau #smau #social media au #lando norris smau #lando smau

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dual-cetacean · 6 months ago

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Potential art for the second season of No Place Like Home, first chapter (9).

Btw about the art: I always forgot how bald Nine looks like without the hair spikes. Big ass forehead. XD

"Back on the road in their lonesome, Nine ventures into the big and wide green world of Mobius."

It's officially a year since I started this project. It is the ninth of February (the second month of the year, ->Tails), and this fic is about a character named Nine. So, it is the perfect opportunity to post the first chapter of the second season of NPLH!

First and foremost, thank you to everyone who checked out my fic and read the entirety of season 1. I never expected that this little obsession of mine of writing a better ending for Nine (and, to a lesser extent, the rest of the cast of Sonic Prime) would get so popular. No kidding, this is my most successful fic to date, and the joy I get from working on it is immeasurable. I love all the comments I receive on it, and even if I have not had the chance to reply to them, I read them, and they fill me with so much warmth and fondness.

Thank you so much for sharing your guys' excitement and love with me. Writing Nine's journey is a pleasure; uncovering the plot and putting it on paper (screen) is an incredible adventure. This is one of the few projects I have worked on that I`ve been able to concentrate on for longer than a year, and it wouldn't be possible without all of my readers, who keep reading all the updates and leave me heartfelt comments. Especially a very big thank you to my very good friend @morp, who encouraged this story from its inception. Without it, it wouldn't have been as creative, or, who knows, it would still be sitting in my drafts collecting dust.

I usually do not start posting my multiple-chapter fics unless all of my rough scripts are finished. However, I expected these last few months to be able to write season 2 of NPLH so I could post them in the first half year of 2025. I overestimated myself as the previous semester was very heavy. For a whole semester, every day of the week with multiple exams and assignments kinda heavy. I had little time to write, and when I did, they were done in short spurts. (Everything I posted from September until the beginning of January was works I pre-made but still had to edit)

So, unfortunately, I haven't finished writing season 2 yet. However, it surprised me when I totalled how much I had already written: Chapters 1, 2, 4 and 5 were already done??? I hadn't expected that. So, I have written more than 50% already, and with a strong outline for the rest, I feel confident posting this chapter now. It will be a bit longer before I can regularly post the following chapters and make art for them, and honestly, with school, I really can't put a date on when this fic will continue. But everything is going much more smoothly than I expected when I realised last semester was so brutal.

So, yayヾ(≧ ▽ ≦)ゝ!

Also, good news: I passed all my classes for semester 1! So, there will be no redo exams for the summer for the last four months! So I can go into the second semester tomorrow without too much stress. I'm also doing only half of my classes so it should be more relaxing than the full program. Funnily enough, I am actually looking forward to my first class tomorrow ( •̀ ω •́ ).

So, please enjoy the beta chapter of chapter Nine~!

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deerspherestudios · 1 year ago

Note

Idk if anyone asked you this or not but how long did it take you to come up with the writing for mushroom oasis?

Sorry if you've already been asked this 😅

I think I have? Do you mean for the whole game or per update? Truth be told, I'm still writing for the full game hahaha! The storyline has changed so much over the course of development (trust me, for the better) that I can't say I regret taking my time with it.

I'd say one script would take me 2-3 months until I'm satisfied with it, and even then I'll still re-write interactions as I work on the assets and coding them into the game.

Extra rambles below:

It's only during working on MO does it open my eyes that ideas just come when you least expect it, and they just keep evolving until it gets better! You know how sometimes a movie feels badly written, like it was rushed? Yeah, early versions of MO felt like it was cobbled together by a five-year old staging a play. I cringe just thinking of an earlier version of Day 2 and Day 3, good grief.

Days 2 and 3 started out incredibly different, but now the writing's fully finalized for both and I'm happy with the direction I took with them! Now all I need are Day 3's assets, of which I'm actively working on any free time I get.

I have Days 4 and 5 as WIPs from the beginning, but they continue to change and get drafted multiple times already simply because the game evolved differently than I intended. The only thing I can promise is I'll do my best to make it a slow burn (or a fast burn depending on what you do for some endings but it might not end well 😳) I just hope players like what I have in store!

#mushroom oasis vn #bts #cheea chatter #i have a solid idea on where i wanna take the story!!#unlike when i released the first half of Day 1 demo in Feb 2023 #its baffling how different its changed lemme tell you #but you guys only get the good parts and not the BAD parts #at least i hope so maybe yall think day 3 is bad dfhjf (fear)#anw ty for the question!

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onlyforosblaine · 2 months ago

Text

THT Season 6 Episode 9

Spoilers ahead......At this point spoil yourself. There's nothing left to look forward to.

I don't even know where to begin. I'm writing this to vent. I'm writing because this was a devastating episode for long time fans of this show and i just need to talk about it.

As i saw this episode i kept thinking about how Elisabeth Moss really said record yourself as you watch the last scene with so much glee. Is she really that clueless or just sadistic?

It feels like every interview she has ever given where she spoke about Nick was to gaslight us into thinking she feels the way we do about these two characters but really she was just playing with our feelings. I WISH i had recorded my reaction to the finale because it was mainly just me saying Fuck you to her.

She said during the episode that her god is the god of love. She lied. Tried to lure us into thinking that means something. She said I love you to the handmaids, trying to throw us off into thinking this epsiode is the one where she will choose love. This was all done on purpose. To set us up. Which is just cruel. Her god is the god of wrath.

To say that Serena is one of them now because she gave up one measly piece of intelligence six seasons in when Nick has given her significantly more throughout this journey is undoing the work of all these seasons. Can't they see this? She says at one point that she thought Serena has changed. When did she see this? When she kept going back to Gilead to rise up in power time and again. Giving up amnesty, everything Tuello offered. And the minute the conversation between Serena and June turned to what she has done to bring up Gilead June gladly says let's not talk about it. Why? Why not talk about her wrongs? Because it doesn't have the shock value for the social media pages to see a villain confront her wrongdoings. It's more jarring to see the good guy go bad.

To say bravery looks good on Lawrence while knowing what was about to happen. They chose to write this dialogue on the back of every brave thing Nick has ever done- disregarding him and all those instances that made us love this character. Again because Lawrence made one good decision in three seasons.

Now to talk about the most painful scene of this episode. It was cruel and i guess what Moss wanted most of all- Shocking. Maybe she knew the script this season was so bad that this is what would get us to watch. I wish she knew we would have watched anyway. For Nick. For the rebellion (that falls flat on the face by the way because it's so poorly written).

The slow motion to show Nick, the fake tears on her part. Making him stop on the steps and doing nothing. She knew she was killing us along with Nick and reveled in it as a director. Completely foregoing everything we loved about June.

How could she not stand up? How could she not at the very least give him the choice to get on that plane? Just a nod, a signal, anything...Didn't he deserve that much after everything? Even if he did choose to get on the plane, he would never tell on her to those on board. He would die even as he made the wrong choice. I know this. Because that's the Nick you showed us for all these years.

I would take a Nick who gives up a half assed plan to save June than a June who doesn't even blink as she watches Nick go up on that plane. They really want us to think that SHE has the moral high ground here?!

Adding that line for Nick, saying that she told him to leave time and again...when? I'll tell you when- it never happened. This is your last ditch attempt to make us believe he's a whole different person. Because you spent the last few seasons convincing us he was forced to stay in Gilead and now you changed your mind. And if he is to be the biggest villain on the show then why torture us by having him ask Lawrence if she was okay at the end? Just to devastate us and play with our feelings. To make us watch for that tiny morsel. Forget making something authentic for the audience that has been loyal to you for so long. Just horrific- the way this was handled!

Forget that people invested in the story you told. I guess it really is just show business. Joke's on me for believing in this story all this time. Thanks to you I'm not going to be watching The Testaments or anything made by these writers ever again. Thanks for the trauma.

#tht season 6 #sheer stupidity #tht spoilers #nickandjunesource #nick x june

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axolator · 4 months ago

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Clocktower Character Analysis: The Ojo is a Super Fun Demon, Actually, and Here's Why

Ojo (Demon): Each night*, choose a character: they die. If they are not in play, the Storyteller chooses who dies.

Since its release, the Ojo has been mistreated by custom script builders and Storytellers alike. Often put on scripts as a nothing-Demon or otherwise as something to fill a 25th character slot, the unique qualities it does have are often overlooked by scriptwriters and STs. In this post, I hope to shine some light on those unique qualities and leave STs with a better idea of how to run the character in the most fun, fair, and balanced way, and to give scriptbuilders some ideas on how to write a script that makes Ojo shine.

Ojo as an informed sniper, and why that's less good than you might think

The most obvious usecase for why a scriptbuilder might put Ojo on a script is to serve the role a Spy or Widow might have on an evil team: to help the evil team kill powerful good characters, so they don't waste time killing Librarians or Butlers and get straight to killing Empaths and Fortune Tellers. In theory, the Ojo should be more powerful than a typical Demon because they can kill all the info-roles more quickly than most other Demons, preventing them from being framed, because they can "kill-by-character".

Those of you that have played Trouble Brewing more than once might notice the immediate flaw in this reasoning. If you've ever played a Spy game where it was immediately obvious it was Spy when the Monk and Fortune Teller died instantly, you'd know what town tends to do after: out all their info and negate the advantage knowing the Grimoire brought.

(usually, this kind of Spy counterplay can hurt the good team if they get things wrong, due to characters like the Poisoner now knowing who to target... but in a meta where the good team hides more info than is typically helpful, a mis-solved Spy can end up helping the good team! but that's a topic for another time.)

An Ojo outing their presence by killing the inforoles first is doing something similar: encouraging town to be more forthcoming with their info and undoing the Ojo's own advantage. On some scripts, an Ojo making it abundantly clear it's an Ojo game can hurt even more than a Spy making themselves clear, because good solving the Demon type can often be disastrous for evil depending on the script. Confirming that, for example, there's neither No Dashii poison nor a Vortox warping info via kill pattern can end up sinking an evil team suddenly left with no potential misinformation to exploit.

Oh confirming the Demon type is only half the problem btw

The main downside of "kill-by-character", though, outside of outing the characters which let the evil team do that to begin with, is that an evil team killing into information isn't killing into socials, and can end up cornering themselves after killing all the players they could frame. Information can always be framed: that scary Fortune Teller's info doesn't have to mean anything if they're getting framed as the Demon by the evil team, so they can leave the info-roles alive. The more important threat is the Empath-confirmed Librarian and their Butler friend whose abilities are spent, and so often slip through the cracks when evil kills by character. They can't be framed, and even if they don't have as much information, the process of elimination can be more powerful than any one character's info, leading the good team directly to the Demon. An evil team that can kill the most trusted players and leave alive the most suspicious ones is an evil team that has a high chance of winning, because even if they left powerful info-roles alive, that doesn't matter when information can always be framed.

Guess which Demon can't innately kill by socials? That's right!

The Ojo in particular often struggles with killing their frames and being stuck leaving confirmed players alive because of the way they kill by character. The fact the Ojo can't kill a specific player just by pointing at them makes them vulnerable, and can result in them accidentally killing suspicious players while being unable to kill socially trusted players with unknown characters. Their inability to kill by socials can often leave them feeling weaker than a Demon with no special ability (that is, "Each night*, choose a player: they die"), since if they don't have a strong read on which players are which characters, they can end up cornering themselves with suboptimal kills in a quest to kill powerful info roles. So that informs...

Ojo as an intuitive cleric, and why intentionally missing isn't asinine

The Ojo, being a Demon, starts knowing several characters which are out-of-play (both their bluffs and other Demons on the script that they know aren't in play). However, knowing characters which are out of play means that the Ojo can intentionally miss, and let the Storyteller decide who dies. This is where I'll posit my first recommendation for Storytellers:

If the Ojo intentionally misses with the intent to kill a specific player they don't know the character of, strongly consider killing the player they want dead.

As mentioned in the previous section, the Ojo is fighting an uphill battle when it comes to killing by socials, since killing by character can often be a downside if they try and kill the powerful characters first. Allowing the Ojo to kill socially trusted players without knowing their character, especially early in the game when their deaths matter most, can help level the playing field and keep the Ojo in the game instead of getting steamrolled.

This may seem like a reversal of what ought to be done. Shouldn't Ojos try and engage with their unique mechanic and try to find out the character of that player? Why just... let them have what other Demons do? But that's just it: their unique mechanic often manifests itself as a downside, so letting the Ojo kill a player or two without knowing their character can help tip the scales toward evil when they would otherwise be cornered and losing, due to their inability to kill socially trusted players. That's not to say the Ojo should be able to give up their ability to just kill like a normal Demon. Far from it: the Ojo should primarily be killing by character, and an intentional miss to kill a specific player should be honored once, maybe twice a game depending on how it's going.

The Ojo is trusting you as the Storyteller to use part of their special ability (the miss) to get them out of a tight spot. Help them out.

However, there's another way to think about intentionally utilizing the Ojo's miss mechanic:

Ojo as an explosive multikiller, and why your Ojos should sometimes get double deaths

When the Ojo ability says "the Storyteller chooses who dies", they aren't limited to killing 1 player to die. Heck, the almanac even recommends occasionally killing multiple players if the Ojo is on a script with a multi-kill Demon like the Shabaloth to hide the Demon type. However, this can go further than just obscuring the Demon type, and herein lies my next recommendation for Storytellers:

If the Ojo intentionally misses with the intent to kill multiple players to sell a bluff (e.g. Gambler, Gossip) or fake another evil character as being in play (e.g. Godfather when an evil bluffing Outsider just died, Shabaloth), strongly consider giving them 2 kills to help them sell their world (though make them two suboptimal kills, to balance out the tempo increase).

The Ojo being, in essence, a 1.25 kill-per-night Demon via its miss is one of the most interesting parts of its ability and one that gets woefully overlooked by scriptbuilders. The fact that the ST can kill multiple players on a miss is something that most STs don't even realize until pointed to the relevant section of the almanac. But this interaction opens up the Ojo to being on so many more kinds of scripts, like BMR-likes or serving as cover on scripts with lower amounts of multideath.

If the Ojo is killing a fellow evil to sell a bluff (e.g. helping a Minion bluff Gambler), then give them a second kill that's all right. Don't kill a Ravenkeeper or Sage with the second death if you can help it — they're already sacrificing an evil life to sell a bluff. However, if the Ojo is killing 2 good players (when bluffing a Godfather in play, for example), consider making those 2 good players less useful kills: you-start-knowing characters and Outsiders are obvious go-tos, but depending on the state of the game, killing a bait role or even an evil player might be the right move to keep the game fun and balanced.

Okay, but how the hell do I run an unintentional Ojo miss?

tl;dr — be nice to them.

Too many Storytellers seem to have an axe to grind for the Ojo, and I used to be one of them. I used to bounce my Ojo misses into Farmers and Sages on N2 and N3 and then be surprised when they ended up getting overwhelmed by the torrent of information coming their way. To figure out what to do on a real Ojo miss, though, returning to the philosophy of the Ojo miss might be an activity worth pursuing.

The Ojo miss exists to balance the times when the Ojo selects a dead character and misses a kill. It's a kill that's literally "better than nothing", at its core, and helps keep the game moving along if the Ojo doesn't hit an in-play character. It's a part of the ability used to help the Ojo, not to punish them.

With that in mind: the miss shouldn't be worse than sinking a kill. This means that killing a Sage early in the game or a Ravenkeeper on final 5 should be off the cards, and it definitely shouldn't be killing an evil player. Remember, this is not a punishment! It's a part of the ability that should be helping the Ojo and its team. It should be middling, or maybe even good, not a downside for missing the Washerwoman bluffing to the nines and convincing everyone they're the Ravenkeeper. Or, in other words:

If the Ojo unintentionally misses, give them the Lil' Monsta kill — something which moves the game along and doesn't swing the game too hard for either team.

Wait why are we talking abo—

Let's take a tangent into Lil' Monsta for a bit

So, I did just drop a random bit of terminology only I use with "the Lil' Monsta kill", so I might as well talk about it. Experienced Storytellers who have run LM or Yaggababble games before will likely have an intuition for what I mean already, but for clarity, I'll explain all.

Lil' Monsta is a Demon whose ability reads "Each night, Minions choose who babysits Lil' Monsta & "is the Demon". Each night*, a player might die. [+1 Minion]". It's incredibly powerful for introducing an extra Minion ability to the game and trivially allowing the evil team to move the Demon around to hoodwink Fortune Tellers and Flowergirls, as well as keep the Demon on the most trusted member of the evil team without to much trouble. The downsides though, are that a Lil' Monsta team doesn't get Demon bluffs by virtue of skipping Demon info, and does not have agency over who dies at night.

Okay, so I fibbed a bit with how I described Lil' Monsta's lack of kill agency. In reality, while the kills a LM team are getting are suboptimal (mainly because the baby should be killing evil players at night such that only one can be alive to hold the baby on the final day), they shouldn't be used to kick an evil team while they're down. Lil' Monsta's kills should be run such that they keep the game fair, fun, and balanced for both teams: this means sometimes having it snipe once-per-game abilities that haven't used it yet or strong powerful info Townsfolk, but mainly making neutral kills that keep the game game going to an exciting final day for both teams. This usually means killing socially trusted players: killing the evil team's frames is worse than sinking, and should be avoided (unless you really, really, really know what you're doing).

In short, the LM kill should be something which keeps the game chugging along: a decent, but not optimal kill that ensures that the game doesn't suddenly tilt toward good winning or evil winning. This can be a middling kill, like a you-start-knowing character or a spent power role, but can sometimes be an ongoing information character or unspent power role, depending on if good is winning. Rarely, if evil is stomping, it can kill a bait role or sink, and in a Lil' Monsta game, evils should be dying regularly to ensure only 1 evil lives in final 3.

And that's what I meant when I talked about the LM kill. Let's wrap this up.

Odds and Ends

Okay, sorry for lying, but while I was busy not writing this post a couple more ideas about how Ojo ought to be run have sprung up, and I thought I'd talk about them before wrapping up:

Ojo gambling on bait roles and getting rewarded with the best kills if they're not in play: I mean, if an Ojo selected Ravenkeeper, I probably would give them a stronger kill (probably not a YSK, maybe something like the Town Crier), but I'm not killing the Savant if it would severely unbalance the game.

Ojo missing onto a similarly-powered character as the one they missed targeting: Encourages the Ojo to just target Savant 5 times in a row to kill all the in-play power roles and sidestep their dynamic. If the Ojo misses, the kill shouldn't sink them, but it should be middling.

Ojo misses being fooled by Townsfolk bluffs: If the Sage is bluffing Savant and the Ojo chooses Savant, I'm probably not bouncing into that Sage, because the miss should help the Ojo's team (it's a part of their ability, as described above).

Ojo’s role on custom scripts

So, a couple scripts that I think showcase the Ojo well after saying all of this:

Bitter End by Moll: Captures the essence of a "traditional" Ojo script that doesn't lean into multideath pretty well. Some notes:

Has a Spy on it! While the popular opinion seems to be that the two roles don't mesh together, having a Spy basically upgrades the Ojo to "regular Demon" status, which does help its ability by giving it a perfect grim read.

Has a Damsel on it! This (a) makes the Spy an interesting tradeoff to consider when bagbuilding, since it disables the Damsel wincon, (b) makes an "outed-Spy" game a bit more difficult to handle, since it could be Ojo with the Damsel ability still around or Spy and the Damsel ability is poisoned, and (c) highlights the Ojo's ability to kill-by-character in a more social light, since if the Ojo misses on what the Damsel's bluffing, and the Damsel doesn't die... that's a pretty good indication they're the Damsel. Or, like, the Mutant. Or just a Townsfolk bluffing.

Hide and Seek by Narninian & Zaba: Features the Ojo alongside the Godfather as the only source of multideath on the script. It's a really good example of using Ojo as multideath cover, since the Ojo can uniquely help its Minions bluff a Godfather game by missing and killing 2 players when they die.

Okay, now that I've talked about actual good scripts, time to talk about scripts I made instead of ones I didn't, because I'm like that:

Confirmation Unchained is a script I wrote to highlight evil nightkills, and particularly Ojo being able to bluff multikills like Gambler and Godfather to help their team bluff. Vigor and Legion tie in quite well, promoting evil players dying at night in different ways (and, as a bonus, Legion can bluff a Godfather being in play like the Ojo and have two nightkills after an evil bluffing Outsider dies, since each Legion can kill once!)

And to close, Cannons Rip the Sky is a BMR-like I made with Hannah which highlights Ojo's multikill ability on a script where those are more common. Its ability to kill by character is genuinely useful here — it snipes the Poppy Grower, and can dispose of protective characters like the Lycanthrope and Innkeeper more easily than other characters — but still benefits from missing intentionally to create multikills to help their team bluff or help sell another world.

And that's my lot! Wow, I've been talking about this Demon for almost 3,000 words. Thanks for sticking through all of this, and stay tuned for when I do another one of these at some point.

#blood on the clocktower #axowall of text #scriptbuilding #storytelling

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