#[i'm still not feeling all too great (still getting nosebleeds every now and then + the weather being absolute ass)]

[coollyinterferes]

Lights a cigarette and stares into the distance

Donna Burke's Sins Of The Father starts playing in the background

[propertyofkylar]

rescue - whitney x gn!pc

"Fuuuck."

Being attacked was nothing new in this town, obviously, but that didn't mean it didn't suck every time. You sucked in a raggedy breath as you leaned your head against the wall, trying to remember if you were supposed to tilt your head up or down when you had a nosebleed.

You'd manage to kick your attackers off and send them scrambling away, but you didn't leave without injuries of your own. Your ankle hurt too much for you to move right now, so you sat in the alley and hoped it would feel better soon so you could hobble home before someone else came after you. At least you still had another pepper spray canister - Kylar was good for some things. You almost wished that he would find you here. He had that knife, and he was sort of caring in an insane way...

It was then that you heard more footsteps coming down the alleyway. You tensed up and held out the pepper spray. "Don't fucking come another step closer," you called out, hoping your voice wasn't shaking as badly as you thought it was.

"That's so cute that you think that could stop me," a familiar voice came. You almost jumped up in surprise, but your ankle gave out and you crashed back down to the pavement.

"You could just say hi for once, Whitney," you groaned, turning your head so he wouldn't notice the nosebleed. It always felt humiliating for him to see you like that, especially because he enjoyed seeing you so weak.

"Wouldn't be as fun," you could hear the smirk in his voice. "You look like shit, slut."

You groaned again and turned to face him, feeling blood drip from your nose. "Thanks. I had no idea."

A brief look of what seemed like panic flashed on his face before his expression settled into his normal smug look, making you wonder if you were just seeing things. "The fuck happened to you?"

You didn't answer. You thought it was pretty obvious.

"Who did it? Where'd they go?" He looked around, as if the attackers were still right there. "Messing with my fucking property..."

"I don't fucking know. It doesn't matter," you sighed. You really weren't in the mood to deal with him at the moment for obvious reasons.

He paused for a moment. "Stay right there, slut."

"Whitney -" you started, but he was already gone. Fucking great. And not like you were going anywhere in this state anyway.

It wasn't too long before he came back, gripping a bunch of crumpled-up napkins in one hand and a cup in another. Whitney squatted down next to you and set the cup on the ground. It was a milkshake.

You tilted your head, silently asking him why. He rolled his eyes.

"You've got blood all over your face. Grabbed napkins from the cafe, and thought I might as well get something out of this," he moved the cup so it was pressed against your ankle, providing sweet relief. At the same time, he leaned in and took a hold of your chin, gently wiping your face.

"Be a good slut and hold still," he murmured. The intensity of his stare made you feel frozen in place, anyway.

The tender way he touched you reminded of you of when you were little and Robin would fall and skin his knee. You would sit next to him with a damp towel and gently wipe at the injury, soothing his tears. It was a nurturing sort of action - not at all what you would expect from Whitney.

Once Whitney was finished, he grabbed the milkshake and leaned against the wall, taking a sip. He wrapped one arm around your shoulder and with the other, offered you the cup, which you took with a small smile.

"Where are your friends?" You asked. It was rare to see him without a gang following him.

Whitney shrugged. "Ditched 'em. Looked like it might rain." That seemed to be all you would get out of him on that topic.

You sat and idly chatted as you shared the milkshake. When it had been drained, Whitney stood up.

"Alright. C'mere. Let's get you home," he said, reaching out a hand.

"Huh?" You blinked in surprise. Whitney rolled his eyes again.

"I'm not gonna leave my best slut alone and injured in an alley. The fuck would that do for me?" He hoisted you up and wrapped his arm around your waist. "Put your arm around my shoulder. And don't put weight on your ankle."

You did as he asked, considering there wasn't much else you could do. Besides, his arm felt nice around you.

Luckily, you weren't too far from the orphanage, so the walk wasn't awful. Resting had helped a lot, and your ankle honestly was barely hurting anymore. But Whitney still held you up, and you let him.

He paused out front and gave you an odd look. Suddenly, he sighed and looked away. "Just...be more careful next time. I can't be your knight in shining armor all the time."

You frowned. "I mean, it's not like I asked you. You kinda just showed up."

He shrugged. "You were in my alley." He paused again before leaning in to kiss you. His lips tasted like vanilla and stale cigarettes.

Then he pulled away and slapped your ass. "See ya tomorrow, slut," Whitney smirked as he walked away. "I'm expecting an extra good thanks for saving your life and shit."

You couldn't help but smile as you watched him leave.

[starsarefire824]

Fic Recs

In honor of things being shitty in the tag right now and everyone in their depression era, I'm offering a few fic recs in these trying times. Hope you discover something new, friends. 🖤

the comforts that make us feel numb by passerine_in_jade.

“No, but really. If I were a girl,” Mike presses on, looking up at Will with red-rimmed eyes through dark lashes. Leaning in. Somehow, fully unaware that this line of questioning has Will's heart climbing up to his throat. “Would you want to kiss me?”

or, Will and Mike get high in the desert.

Well written, almost dreamy quality to it. Author to watch for me! Can't believe I only just discovered their writing.

A Wish For Something More by @waroftheposes

Seven year old Will didn't have a problem with kissing his best friend on a dare. Seventeen year old Will, however, would not do it if someone held his hand over a fire.

Or: Truth or dare at seven and truth or dare at seventeen.

They're silly and sweet and oh so confused. The writing is lovely as well. Great if you're in the mood for fluff.

On the Same Frequency by @oldfashionedmorphine

Ever since his best friend Will Byers was murdered back in 1985, Mike Wheeler wanted nothing more than to leave his hometown of Hawkins, Indiana and never look back—only each and every year he’s forced to make an exception when it comes to the holidays. And when Mike visits for Christmas in 1995, his mom asks him to help clear out some junk in his room and down in the basement before he returns home to Indianapolis. But when he comes across an old trunk containing his Supercom walkie-talkie and ham radio, he discovers something strange that has the potential to change everything…

(or an AU inspired by the movie “Frequency” from 2000)

I'm only just starting this, but Frequency au?? Hell yes.

Fleeting by olliecoddle. @souverian-are-we

Mike liked Will’s art shows, albeit slightly less the higher class they had gotten. Little paintings in the corner of a cafe morphed into white walls and rich spectators poised with champagne and well-mannered criticism. Still, he had been looking forward to it. He wanted to go. But now, walking up to the glass doors, he had to admit he felt jittery.

or, Will's new paintings are a little too personal

This is one of my absolute favorites ever. The writing of course, it's ollie. But the descriptions, the entire buildup of Mike's reaction in the art gallery, the content of the painting? The entire concept is beautiful. And be sure to look up the painting Will's was inspired by. It will tell you everything.

any semblance of touch by anonymous.

“Nothing,” Will says, right into Mike’s ear. “Still feeling good?”

So good. Mike makes sure to not say it aloud this time. “I think,” Mike says slowly, heart pounding, “I need” — Will pulls back just a little, just enough for their noses to bump against each other, clumsy, and Mike bites the bullet — “one more.”

Will is still in Mike’s lap, which is maybe not very platonic of him, and the joint has smoldered its way down to the end, nearly over, all eaten up by the fire. Will swallows thickly, then leans closer, a perfect imitation of their positions from earlier. Mike isn’t sure how long it’s been, but fire has been eating away at him too, this whole time, leaving him on the brink of going up in smoke, slow and burning and so good.“Yeah?” Will murmurs, realization dawning on him, eyes wide. “One more?”

or: Mike’s still new to this whole smoking thing. Will has a few ideas.

Utterly depressing this is anonymous because the writing is phenomenal. So alive and vivid. Not sure where this fic was hiding, but I'm glad I found it. Highlights: Mike’s inner dialogue, the playfulness between them, the lowered inhibitions finally letting them relax into the moment.

nosebleeds from epiphanies (i took full in the face) by wheelersboy @karenchildress.

Hawkins, Montana, June 1988. When Lonnie Byers catches his youngest son in the arms of another boy, he calls in that favor owed to him by rancher Jim Hopper in Lenora: Will must work as an unpaid ranch hand and learn to "man up." Mike Wheeler follows him to the creepy ranch with electrical problems, like any best friend would.

jo's writing is always fantastic. he has such a unique voice and mike's struggle in this just does things for me.

When The Sun Runs Out by olliecoddle @souverian-are-we

On a dreary day in March, 1989 the population of Hawkins, Indiana dropped to four. Will Byers watched as the final family left, the bed of their truck packed to the brim and tied down with a tarp. Furniture stuck out at odd angles, and the corner flap flailed in the breeze as they turned onto the highway. Will followed the vehicle with his eyes until it disappeared as a dot on the long stretch of pavement. Then, he got in his car and went home.

Or, Will is burning out, and Mike is mesmerized by the flame.

This was sexy as hell and all I'm gonna say is tattoos. I really enjoyed this little rougher around the edges, let down by life, closed off Will after being left in Hawkins alone with El, Hopper, and Joyce to wait for the end of the world that never seems to come.

dirty rain by henrycreel

mike wheeler is an average alpha teenage boy working on keeping tight control of his raging hormones in the wake of being seventeen years old, unmated, and a virgin who's never spent his rut with anyone before. when one of his teachers makes an innocent request of him, he finds himself spiraling almost right away. the omega sitting next to him in class is going to be his omega one way or another even if it means employing some traditional and unconventional means to show him who he belongs to.

will byers is an omega with a tendency toward anxiety and outright fear, marked by years of abuse at the hands of his father. high school should be a chance to open a new chapter for himself, but he only truly finds comfort sitting next to mike, an alpha whose presence seems to keep the usual mocking and bullying at bay. but when mike starts to cross the line from friendly classmate into so much more, will has no time to decide if he's ready to move on to a relationship of his own, to finding a mate to settle down with like his big brother already has.

mike is making the decision for both of them.

A solid Omegaverse fic! <3

[anonymoushouseplantfan]

The world moves too fast now for anyone to get to the levels of Julia and George in the 90s/early 2000s....now you can literally be hot on Monday and not on Tuesday. The markets are oversaturated and social media has literally changed the world now people literally know every single thing there is to know about you within 30 minutes of you appearing in public and before people had years to get to know and love someone now everyone moves too fast to Carr and if they don't like you now then it's OK cos their is 30 other people exactly like you for them to choose from.

I also think Meghan has overplayed her hand too many times and she the fact she doesn't have a specific demographic to cater to either hurts her and any brand she's trying to build she's too old for the TikTok crowd she's too young and common for the NYC old money society crowds she's not talented or famous enough for Hollywood she literally doesn't have a single space she can occupy even the oh I'm famous cos I married someone famous club is ram packed and the only difference she had was she married royalty but now he's not even royalty he's 3rd row Harry on a commercial flight home and hour later.

She really put a lot into her "The Duchess/Duchess Meghan brand in the 2 or so years she was a royal and then spent the next 3 years completely smashing it to shreds....like why should we care that she's royal if being royal is as awful as she says it is?

Even the mom and baby club is full and it's full of people who actually show their kids 🙈 celebrity lifestyle and wellness?? Full and with people whi project an aspirational lifestyle....do you want to be like the 40 year old ex actress who spends her whole life fighting with her family and suing the press? Nope...me neither.

If she had spent the last 3 years building her own brand instead of trying to tear down the RFs she might be in better shape.

Even the divorce is gonna go against her IMO cos people genuinely just don't like her, she's not authentic and people can spot she's a fake a mile off, that's why the sugars and her PR attack Kate so much Kate is the real deal, anyone with half a brain cell can tell she was born to do this in fact she does it better than most of the people who were born to do this but Kate also knows this takes work she has honed her skills for over 2 decades..... Meghan is too petty, juvenile and lazy to do that or anything close to it.

I don't see WME being a game changer for her either, she loves attaching herself to big brands and names cos it makes her feel important but she doesn't have any follow through and nothing comes of it, have you ever heard of the sadim touch? It's the opposite to the midas touch and that's what she has. I know we all like to joke but she literally turned a prince into a pauper, he was the most popular royal (even more popular than the monarch) and now he's known as the frozen todger guy sitting in the nosebleeds at his fathers coronation 🙈

Sorry for the essay, if you made it this far congrats 🤣🤣

Great essay!!

I agree with you generally, but I think she a window. The royal connection (tenuous as it is right now) is valuable and it differentiates her. Also, the “feminist princess” brand the palace built for her is still compelling. They did a great job for her there. The “royal Rachel Zane” persona would still sell.

WME can’t do miracles, but they can get her a guest spot in The View. They can’t get her a job, but they can get her a guest spot, particularly if she delivers a second season of Archetypes that is not seven episodes of narcissism. She can go on Drew’s show. She can get the ghostwriter to write her a bestselling memoir that is not just cringe bitching about her family. She can get someone talented to write her a few good essays for Time. If she’s smart and she works hard she can do it. If she’s super smart and she divorces him, she has an even better chance of sound it.

But that’s the problem. She’s not smart and she doesn’t work hard. She’s going to buy herself some awards, do some random passive aggressive bitching, pose for a few paps, and call it a day. So, in the end, it’s not going to work out for her.

[onepiece-oc-archives]

How to write Luffy in general without him coming across as stupid? I feel like in the animanga when you can see him, it's different from a story, where a reader (like a friend who wants to read your story) who is not a op fan might be confused about why Luffy is acting this way. I feel I write him too childish sometimes... or Zoro being too dumb... but then again I've been accused once of writing Sanji "too normal" because I had him not fall high over heels for every woman he sees and I left out the nosebleed too. How to find the right way to write the characters?

Hiya, thanks for your question!

To say it in one sentence: There isn't one correct way to write a character. You might not want to write things that directly contradict canon but, at that point, are you even writing the same character anymore?

You're definitely right on the fact that a visual format like anime or manga is different from a story though. For example, I would never write Sanji going 100% heart eyes and spinning around the room like a hurricane without human form because that just doesn't sound believable in a story - at least not in my writing style. If you write a crackfic, you can definitely still do that. I'd say: Write characters the way it feels right for you.

How do you find what's write for you? Well, by engaging with the characters. Preferably the main source material, so the animanga or live action, depending on what universe your story is set in. But it can also be helpful to read some fanfic and think: "Hm, do I agree with this? Does this feel right for me? Or does this just not fit the character in my eyes?" In the end, everyone will have their own interpretation of a character and that's okay - and even appreciated! I mean, it would be boring if we all wrote the exact same things, right?

Now, for some character-specific tips. I'm gonna just give a few of my thoughts on Luffy, Zoro and Sanji, since those are the three you mentioned.

Sanji is a great case of what I mean when I say that some things just don't work out in writing, like I already said. What I like to do for animanga!Sanji is to write him like a lovesick fool but without the physical comedy. Because he is a lovesick fool. Or at least he comes across as one. I can't really go into too much character analysis here without derailing the post and diving into spoilers, but he has his reasons for treating practically every woman like a goddess. So, don't be afraid to show that! It's a vital part of his character, so you can't just leave it out. I mean, imagine someone writes Sanji kicking a woman! He would never do that and has repeatedly said so in canon. Well, not yet in OPLA, but I don't see that as a spoiler. Literally look at him and how he behaves towards Nami and Nojiko. Generally, OPLA is a great example of how to make Sanji work without the physical comedy. He's still an absolute fool for every woman but he's not inhumanly weird. I love OPLA Sanji and I will never stop gushing about that - sorry not sorry <3

Zoro! Like with Sanji, you should keep his main characteristics, which is a lot easier for him that for curly-brows, I'd say. Zoro is blunt about his opinions, he has literally no sense of direction and he likes to sleep a lot. So far so simple. I also wouldn't say he's dumb, though he can come across that way. He just... doesn't care. He cares about getting to slice people and has a very pragmatic approach to a lot of problems. But you've gotta remember that he's also very knowledgeable about some things, mainly about swords and fighting technique. As much as it looks like he just rushes into battle without thinking, his attacks are actually thought-out and precise. Put him in the right situation and he might as well be a genius. Unfortunately, that situation doesn't apply a lot of times, so you're left mainly with his pragmatic side. But that pragmatic side actually does a lot of good for the Straw Hats, especially further down in the story.

And now, Luffy... Luffy is actually stupid. Yeah, I mean it, he's not the most intelligent guy. Not a calculated thought in that boy's brain. If he ever comes up with something like a plan, he comes up with it on the fly - and that's not a bad thing! It creates a contrast between him and the more calculated members of the crew. So, yeah, you don't really have to worry about Luffy coming off as too dumb, but you might not want to make it the main point of the scene too often or make it come off as forced. Think about it, how stupid could a human you meet on the street possibly be? Most people don't say nonsensical things all the time. There is definitely rhyme and reason behind the things that Luffy says and does, but he has his own perception of what "rhyme and reason" is. Also, he might not be smart, but he's emotionally intelligent.

I suppose the only way to really "get good" at writing characters is to get really familiar with them and try to understand how they think. Also, to just do it. There have been so many times where I never even got started on writing stuff because I was scared I wasn't going to do the characters justice - but I figured it out on the way, doing what felt right for me, and those fics have become my most popular yet. So, don't be afraid to experiment a little!

There you go, I hope that helped! Have a lovely day <3

[everygame]

Atari Baseball (Arcade)

Developed/Published by: Atari Released: 6/1979 Completed: 04/06/2024 Completion: Well, I definitely played it!

Baseball is, absolutely, not my forte. Since writing about Baseball on NES I’ve become a little more au fait with it, having now been to see the Blue Jays (twice!) and the Dodgers (once) in their home stadiums, and largely what I’ve learned is that baseball, the game, is an excuse to eat nachos out of a tiny baseball helmet and remortgage your house to drink one (1) beer (as a millennial, this is impossible to me. Though both stadiums had decent veggie dogs, so that’s nice.) Essentially, it’s nice to sit outside, snack, and sort of half-watch something where something interesting might happen, but if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.

You may love baseball and consider that I’m being terrifically unfair–but there’s honestly something to appreciate about the game’s low demand on your attention.

The same, of course, can’t be said about trying to play a baseball video game, where you unfortunately or not, have to actually learn and understand all the rules of the game to play it “properly,” even here, in Atari’s 1979 crack at the format.

They’ve previously had a couple of goes at this: 1976’s Flyball, which featured batters and pitchers only, and 1978’s Home Run for Atari 2600, which is a mess outlined in exp. 2601 (buy now!) but this is their first proper attempt at a “real” baseball game, and it weirdly succeeds. Well, in some ways.

A cocktail cabinet designed with two-players in mind, it is again in black and white, but unlike basketball, where it doesn’t feel right at all, baseball still feels like an old-timey sport so it’s fine. Cleverly, as you switch between batting and pitching the direction of the screen changes so you’re always viewing the action from the right angle, which is good, but what’s not so great is the graphics are absolutely tiny.

Now, it’s obviously hard to fit the batters, umpire, pitcher and outfielders all on the screen at this time (and have them move–though the outfielders don’t actually move independently) so I probably shouldn’t complain, but it’s not so much watching baseball from the nosebleeds as from a position in space where you’d have trouble breathing, and I assume in 1979 each player basically had their nose pressed against the glass to even just read the scores.

It makes the experience a bit underwhelming, but Atari Baseball plays, from my somewhat uneducated position, almost as good a game of baseball as the NES would over four years later, with the same level of control over pitching and batting requiring timing and thought, proper scoring, and a brutal CPU opponent, though you can’t steal bases in this one.

The issue, of course, as it always is with these sorts of things, is that as an ancient sports game that’s just trying to recreate the sport there is absolutely no good reason to play this over literally anything else. There’s no twist, no spark, no nachos in a tiny helmet.

Will I ever play it again? No. I guess unless I'm at an arcade with someone who loves baseball and we need somewhere to rest our beers (I can afford a beer at a barcade).

Final Thought: There actually was originally intended to be a wee twist to this, admittedly (not that it would be too exciting these days). This was supposed to be Atari’s first game with digitised speech with digitised umpire calls, but the inclusion of a speech board was nixed for (I assume) cost reasons.

Support Every Game I’ve Finished on ko-fi! You can pick up digital copies of exp., a zine featuring all-exclusive writing at my shop, or join as a supporter at just $1 a month and get articles like this a week early.

[routeunlocked]

Taisho x Alice Heads & Tails Review

Time Played: 20.5 hours

Taisho x Alice is one of my favorite otome games, so the fan disc getting localized made me extremely happy. It didn't disappoint either. I thoroughly enjoyed getting after stories with these lovely characters, spending more time with Woolfe and Ryoushi in their stories, and laughing over the Arisu Academy AU.

(This review is spoiler free, but some cgs will be included.)

RYOUSHI ROUTE VA: Tomohisa Hashizume

I've always loved Ryoushi since his first introduction. I'm glad we got a platonic route to spend more time with him. His relationship with Yurika is funny as they bicker like most siblings, but they still obviously care about each other.

I wouldn't mind a spin-off with a different protagonist to romance Ryoushi. Who doesn't love a sassy doctor?

WOOLFE ROUTE VA: Natsuki Hanae

Forever crying over the fact Woolfe never really gets his romance arc. He is charming in an honest, persistent kind of way. Can't deny he's loyal.

I thought it was nice to see the story through his POV. He's more of an outsider to the situation we've seen go down, giving it a unique twist. Plus his developing friendship with Alistair was so wholesome. I was happy to see more of Alistair and their interactions.

I was pleasantly surprised it was a lot longer than I expected too.

CINDERELLA AFTER STORY & AU VA: Daisuke Hirakawa

There's something so endearing about Cinderella to me. He's such a mess, but he manages to be surprisingly respectful where it matters. And the way he values marriage and family makes my heart melt.

Please stop him and his leg fetish though. (Not really. I find it funny how open he is about it.) Stop his spending habits too. The amount he spends on simple things like shampoo is astounding.

RED AFTER STORY & AU VA: Tomoaki Maeno

Look at him showing off his ears now! Proud of him for the confidence he's building up. On the other hand, Yurika yelling at him for being a perv was so deserved. How does he manage to function with all of these nosebleeds?

He feels like a real superhero with his determination to uphold justice and protect others. And what superhero doesn't love flowers? They deserve to be protected too

KAGUYA AFTER STORY & AU VA: Toshiki Masuda

Are we avoiding the moon talk this time? I prefer Kaguya staying right here. It's great to see these two develop their relationship without any extremes. I eat up the drama, but a period of peace after the drama is so satisfying.

His love of rabbits is precious. And I like seeing he and Yurika still exchange letters! There's something about Kaguya that pulls at my heartstrings.

GRETEL AFTER STORY & AU VA: Takuya Eguchi

Gretel, you really need a balanced diet. All that sugar cannot be healthy. Although, I certainly want to try some of those desserts. I guess Yurika feels the same since she has a tendency to spoil him.

I somehow got stuck in a loop of constantly getting on Gretel's route in the Arisu Academy AU. Can't escape Gretel, can you? But his deadpan humor and dedication to Yurika still earn him extra points in my book. Please keep calling her "Yurika" instead of "Sister" though, thanks.

SNOW WHITE AFTER STORY & AU VA: Shouta Aoi

There's something about the way these two kind of have their own little world that feels wholesome. I like that they share their interests with each other. I also like how Ryoushi constantly shows up since he's a big part of both their lives. Snow's easily integrating into this family, huh?

His sarcastic and violent tendencies get me every time. Warning: Don't call him cute or books will be thrown.

I'm a sucker for bookworms since I relate.

WIZARD AFTER STORY & AU VA: Wataru Hatano

I never feel like Wizard is getting his happy ending. Sure, it's an improvement from before, but it still feels like something is missing to me. He deserves to be loved as strongly as everyone else.

Seeing him walk around with Kuro is adorable. What would a wizard be without a loyal companion?

Now if only he'd stop putting everyone else's happiness above his own...

ALICE AFTER STORY & AU 💙 VA: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

Alice really makes this whole story. He can't ever be honest, can he? Everyone sees through him anyway. I felt the after story was a little strange in some aspects, but it did resolve some problems between the two.

Arisu Academy was a little more fulfilling for me. I felt their antics and confessions hit just right.

I'm guilty of being a tsundere fan, so Alice ultimately gets my stamp of favoritism. He lives up to the classic tsundere trope so well.

PROTAGONIST PRAISE

I am a strong defender of otome protagonists. Yurika is one of my absolute favorites for her outspoken nature. I adore that she acknowledges she's selfish and she'd do anything for the person she loves. She deserves happy endings with every LI.

She plays off their personalities perfectly. And the way she's bold enough to tease them? I'd like to see that more often from protagonists.

I do appreciate she's not always bold either though. She has her moments where she gets flustered or backs down. She voices her concerns too. There's a healthy balance between her teasing and care.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

I thoroughly enjoyed this fan disc. It's exactly what I wanted- more time with the characters, cute scenarios, and a decent amount of playtime. The situations and dialogue had me laughing so often throughout the game. The voice acting was phenomenal as always; I'm so pleased with the cast they have and the effort they put into their roles.

I do wish we had seen more of Alistair outside of Woolfe's route, but I still liked the content we got with him.

If you were a fan of the Taisho x Alice games, I would highly recommend picking the fan disc up. If you wish Ryoushi and Woolfe had more of a spotlight, you won't be disappointed.

RATING: 9/10 RECOMMENDED: Yes!

[fireflykaizoku]

I noticed your request are open and if they arent I'm so sorry pls just ignore me 😔 but if they are open could I request some Sanji headcanons with a female crush? I would love to see how he would be around her in the kitchen and pleasantly suprised she's a good cook just cooks different dishes and teasingly ask for his help every now and then playful flirting between the two. I'm sorry if it's rambly thank you have a nice day!

helloo, anon my love! yess, they're open, don't worry ❤ i hope you like it! have a nice day and drink water as well! ❤

At first, Sanji would treat you like he treats every other woman. His nose would bleed while he had heart eyes. But after he actually developed feelings for you, the cook would act differently. He would be more “affectionate”, if so to say. His actions towards you wouldn’t be as “generic” as they used to be. He would actually want to get to know you better, and maybe, as he got closer to you, the blonde wouldn’t be as flirty with his other female crewmates. Because of course, he wouldn’t see you only as a crewmate.

He would still make your favorite desserts, and spoil you with cold drinks whenever the weather was too hot. If the sun was bothering you, he’d hold an umbrella or something so you feel more comfortable; craving something specific? he’d cook for you; can’t sleep? Sanji will make some tea. But somehow, he’d try to make sure you noticed his actions are more meaningful than with the other girls.

When he heard noises from the kitchen at night, Sanji thought it was Luffy trying to open the fridge. But to his surprise, he saw you cooking something he didn’t know what it was just yet.

Noticing his presence, you smiled and asked if he didn’t mind if you used his kitchen for a while to cook your favorite dishes. Still speechless, he shook his head as a “no”.

The blonde’s heart almost stopped when you asked him for help. You didn’t have to ask him twice, because Sanji was already next to you waiting for your orders.

It became a habit, you both started cooking together, standing close to each other or brushing your hands on his (and at first he’d get a nosebleed every time, having to excuse himself).

He’d love to be the first person to try whatever you were cooking, it’d make him feel special and important somehow. The woman he has a crush on caring about his opinion? Sanji would feel like he was in heaven! He’d give his honest opinion, but they’d always be compliments because you’re such a great cook!

The blonde could just sit there, with a smile on his face seeing you so concentrated, cooking something.

Also, whenever you started to playfully flirt with him, he’d feel like he was in heaven. And again, at first he’d get a nosebleed every time. It’d take him some time to get used to it.

He’d be very protective, not only during fights, but also whenever someone flirted with you. You weren’t his yet, but this doesn’t mean he’d let nasty men approach you.

So overall, Sanji would still spoil you like he used to do when you first met. He’d cook your favorite food, call you nicknames and be all over you. But with time, he’d spend more time with you cooking together, his flirting would be more serious (and only with you), and he’d try to show his feelings until one of you confessed (or until you showed you felt the same for him).

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

Go Go Let's Go! Let's Go! Dateko! (Pt.1)

⚠️THIS FIC IS 18+ NSFW, MINORS DNI ⚠️

Warnings: Swearing

Word count: 7000+

"You're looking at the face of the new captain of Date Techs iron wall" your son Futakuchi Kenji shouted as he burst through the front door of your humble abode.

"So they really went with you huh" you snicker "good maybe now you'll finally learn some respect for Moniwa and those other nice third years"

Kenji huffed as he set his bag down taking off his school tie and jacket.

 "You know mom, most parents would be like 'oh my god Kenji I'm so proud of you we can order your favorite tonight I love you so much you sweet sweet child'" he mocks as you stare at him trying not to laugh.

"Since when has that been our relationship Kenji" you smile as you proceed over to your son.

You grab him forcing him into a tight squeeze "Oh I love my boy so much you are so precious I can't wait to go cheer for Date Tech every single game now" you gush as he tries to force his way from your grasp.

"Eww mom please stop" he says as he gags "I didn't mean that supportive. Please don't show up at our games."

"I don’t know Kenji those team mates of yours really do like me" you snicker as you turn around "I wouldn't ever want anyone to think I don't support my precious baby boy."

Kenji rolled his eyes as you laughed. You had always had a really good relationship with your son. You had him at the age of 20 while you were in a relationship with his father. Unfortunately the relationship didn't work out and his father left the area. You didn't see him much and neither did Kenji. You struggled as a single mom, finding your main support in your parents. You had a great relationship with them and the 4 of you together made up a tiny happy family.

Your parents helped you finish school while your mother watched Kenji. You graduated and getting the job you had worked years for. Now that you were established, things were going well. Kenji was doing well in school, playing volleyball for one of the top schools in the Miyagi prefecture and you were working long hours at a job you loved. No matter what you always made time for your son. He didn't really want you to attend his games so you would occasionally sneak into one watching from the nosebleeds. You loved seeing your son doing what he loved and you always encouraged him.

"So what does a team captain do" you ask as you place the order for your son's favorite take out.

"I mean I run pratices, lead drills and encourage the team" he says nonchalantly as he looks over his school work.

"Not a strong suit of yours Kenj" you smile as he shots a death glare at you.

"Well it's alot easier now that we have a manager to help too" he says.

"Oh you found one then?" You smile

"Yeah Nametsu Mai, she's a second year. She will be doing a lot of the note taking and helping with set ups. Also it's nice to have someone making bentos for the team" he says.

You look up from the bills on your counter "wait she's doing all that alone? That poor girl why does she have to do all that?"

"It's her job mom chill" Kenji says as he laughs at your outburst.

"And your job Kenji is to make sure your team runs efficiently so I expect you to be helping you" you turn as you raise your eyebrows at him.

"Mom ser-" Kenji starts as he sees the glare in your eyes.

"I'm 100% serious Kenji. If you don't help that girl I swear to God that I will be front and center at every single match. Every single tournament with a giant sign in the shape of your face and a shirt that says 'I'm Futakuchi Kenji's number one fan'" you glare as his eyes widen.

"Ok mom ok ill invite her over to help her my god you're mean" he says as you smile.

"I'm off Friday so I can help you make bentos too. You really suck Kenji at doing anything domestic" you smile as you walk to the door to get the takeout you ordered.

Kenji shakes his head as he groans.

Thank God I'm only captain for 1 year he thinks as he signs going to help you get the food.

Friday approaches quickly as the team gears up for their first round of tournaments

"Mai" Kenji calls as he motions for her to come over

"Yes Kenji?" Mai says with a bright smile

"So I want to help you prepare meals for the team for the tournament" he says.

The team stops. Mai looks at him in shock. Middle blocker Aone Takanobu just stares. Fellow outside hitter Obara Yutaka smiles as Libero Sakunami Kōsuke looks on in complete shock.

"Stop looking at me like that! I'm a helpful person!" He screams as they all go back to their activities.

"Ahh it's ok Kenji I really don't need he-" Mai waves shaking her hands.

"Just come to my place tonight ok" Kenji says as the gym doors suddenly burst open.

Coach Oiwake Takurō just shakes his head as he witnesses to former 3rd year volleyball players parade into the gym.

"Well hello our precious underclassmen" Former Middle blocker Kamasaki Yasushi shouts as he walks over to the team.

Kenji just shakes his head "you guys really must lead boring lives if you always have to come bother us during practice. Haven't you found a job yet Kamasaki?" Kenji smirks as he sees the third year began to get heated.

"And here I thought you changed Futakuchi" he says as he goes to grab the captain by the collar. 

 Suddenly someone yells "Aone" and Aone goes to break up the fighting duo.

"Still no respect for your upperclassmen I see" Former captain Moniwa Kaname says with a laugh.

"Well since you're here you might as well make yourselves useful" Kenji says as he stares at Kamasaki "go block for me."

Kamasaki loosens his tie as former wing spiker Sasaya Takehito says as he shakes his head "not again."

Practice ends as the team clears the gym. Mai and Kenji walk to the Futakuchi residence. 

 As they approach, Mai looks at Kenji.

"You really don't need to help me" Mai says "it's my job as manager."

"I know Mai but you see- umm well my mom kinda insisted I help you" Kenji says "she's a bit- much."

They walk to the front door as Kenji opens it. Y/N comes running from the kitchen to greet her son and hopefully their team manager.

"KENJI I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DIDNT BRING-" you stop as Kenji just stares at you.

"Oh hello! You must be Mai!" You say extending your hand to the young girl.

"Hello Ms. Futakuchi! It's so nice to meet you" Mai says as she bows, saying Y/Ns hand.

"You as well! Kenji you didn't tell me how cute she was! You must get attention for all the boys" you smile as Mai blushes.

"Mom seriously" Kenji says as his face turns read and he walks away putting his and Mai's bags on the floor.

"What? It's true! But take it from me honey, boys are nothing but trouble! Look at Kenji" you say as you smirk to your son, Mai trying to hide her giggling.

"Ok mom did you just invite her over to ridicule me?" Kenji says to you completely unimpressed

"Nope I can do that without inviting her over! Now let's go to the kitchen Mai" you say as you lead the young girl to the kitchen.

You and Mai work to prepare bentos as you put Kenji to work where you need him.

"Honestly Kenji just stay out of the way" you shout.

"Mom why did you even ask me to invite her over?! I'm literally doing nothing" he says as he sits at the table

"Yes and you're terrible at it" you roll your eyes.

Mai finds your relationship with Kenji amusing and lighthearted. She can tell you have a great relationship with your son and you both feel comfortable picking on each other.

"Ok that's the last of it Mai. You did such a great job! The boys are so lucky to have you. And if they ever say anything rude to you, you let me know and I'll take care of it" you nudge Mai as she giggles.

"Oh don't worry Ms Futakuchi, Coach Oiwake makes sure they appreciate me" she smiles.

"Coach Oiwaka? I don't think I've met him" you turn slowly looking at Kenji

"Why would you need to mom? You always tell me you're happy to get rid of me to whomever will take me off your hands" he says to you in a mocking tone.

"Still! Is he cute?" You say as Mai laughs out loud

"Mom we are not having this discussion " Kenji says as he places his hands over his ears and walks out of the kitchen.

"Well is he?" you say smiling at Mai.

"For an older man, yes" she says giggling "he's been divorced for a few years now. No kids to speak of. He's pretty dedicated to being the coach"

You smile. It's been forever since you've been out with a man. After Kenji's father left, you were top focused on your career and school to even consider dating, let alone be intimate. It had been at least 5 years since you last had sex. Honestly you weren't even sure that was accurate.

"Ms. Futakuchi" Mai says to you as you stare off into space "umm Ms. Futakuchi?"

"Oh gosh I'm sorry Mai! Just thinking. How about we keep the bentos here and I'll bring them tomorrow morning before you leave?" You smile as Mai nods.

"Heck maybe I'll even get to chance to see this gorgeous coach of yours" she winks

"LA LA LA MOM I CANT HEAR YOU" Futakuchi sings from the other room as you both laugh.

Saturday morning approaches as Kenji leaves early to help load the bus. You leave the house at 7:30 in your leggings and old date tech t shirt, figuring it would just be a quick stop to drop off the bentos and back home to enjoy a day free from Kenji and responsibilities as an adult.

You arrive at the school and see the bus outside. It seems like the team is in the gym so you quickly grab the box making your way to the gym. You start to press the door open as you enter slowly.

Coach Oiwake looks up from his notes to see a beautiful young women standing holding an entire box of bentos.

Who are you? And how in the world are you so attractive?

"Kenji you jerk get over here and help your poor mother" you say sarcastically as the team snickers.

"More like 'poor me having to deal with my MOM showing up to my volleyball gym’" kenji rolls his eyes as he quickly walks away from you.

"Love you too sweetheart" you blurt out as every laughs and Coach Oiwake smiles.

"Futakuchi is this really your mother?" Coach says as he watches Kenji out the bentos on the floor.

"Unfortunately yes" Kenji says as he rolls his eyes rejoining his team.

You turn to walk out as Coach Oiwake stops you.

"Mrs. Futakuchi, hello I'm Coach Oiwake Takurō" he says as he extends his hand to yours.

"Oh no 'Mrs' please. Just Y/N" you say as you blush.

The team is observing your interactions.

"Awe that's so cute" Mai gushes as Obara places a hand on Kenji's shoulder.

"Man I don't blame coach at all. Your mom is hot" Obara laughed as Futakuchi glared at him.

"Can we please load the bus and stop talking about my mother? Kenji says.

"Well Y/N we very much appreciate you helping Mai with the Bentos" Coach Oiwake says to you as you smile.

"Don’t mention it Coach Oiwake! Kenji should be doing it anyways AS THE CAPTAIN" you sarcastically shout to him as he walks by you.

Coach Oiwake laughs "I can see where Futakuchi gets his whit Y/N and please call me Takurō."

You smile.

"I hope you'll be able to make it out to the tournament this weekend. I know the boys would appreciate the support" Takurō says as Kenji snaps his neck around.

"Oh no coach my mom is busy this weekend right MOM" Kenji says as he bores holes into your face.

"Actually I don't work this weekend Kenj! Hey that's a great idea! I'll come to support our boys" you shout as you go to hug your son.

Takurō laughs as he watches how cute you interact with your son.

"I look forward to seeing you there Y/N" Takuro says as he turns around winking at you.

Is the coach really flirting with me? you think as you giggle to yourself.

"Oh my god" Kenji shouts as he walks away "Oh don't worry sweetie I promise I won't cheer too loud for my precious angel" you tease as you bid the team and Kenji a farewell.

Damn I need to get to know her Takurō thinks as he smiles as you walk away.

taglist: @axoxtxhxh​

[bubblegumlefty]

Okay. So now that I finally was able to see my first live payperview, here are some highlights I listed.

1) I finally learned what "TV Magic" is. They had one entire side of the stadium blocked off, and it was either that they always did this without me ever noticing, or that they didn't get enough ticket sales. Or maybe it's both.

2) Bayley finally came back after several months (which made my fan sign useless! 😂). Two other stars returned too, but I can't remember their names at the moment. I was secretly hoping for Ezekiel or Elias to come out later during the show to complete the experience, but alas, I only got half. Still better than nothing.

3) Miz VS Logan Paul actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Was actually kinda funny at points (like the Miz with his own pokemon card? C'mon. 😂) Also, for some reason, seeing Tomasso Ciampa wear bright green ring gear was strangely hilarious to me. Probably because it just looked so jarring. Logan actually suprised me, ngl. Say what you want about his intolerable behavior as a person, but if there's one thing that he's good at, it's how to generate good heat. His wrestling ain't too shabby either.

4) Usos VS street profits was nice. Entrances were sick, their wrestling was exciting to see, and the way they were teasing the street profits' seperation just hurt in all the right ways.

5) Seeing Judgement Day's entrance was epic as hell. Too bad I was too far away to get good pictures of Finn, Damian, and Rhea in all their sexy glory. Seeing Rey and Dominick wrestle live was pretty cool too.

6) Edge returned to an awesome ovation. To say that the section I was in was made near deafening noise would be an understatment. Me and my Dad literally jumped out of our seats and cheered once we heard the unfamiliar music. Don't even get me started on his Brood like entrance with the fire and shit. I really hope that'll be his new permanent entrance for now, cause it's absolutely badass.

7) As the sun set, the stage turned on a giant bright light that was for the entrance way on the side of the roof that shone directly in front of the nosebleed section. The entire section began to chant "we can't see" and "turn the light off". Obviously it didn't work, but it was still funny regardless.

8) Austin Theory VS Bobby Lashley was decent. It wasn't until Bobby's entrance did some Pyro finally go off. It was super close to our seats and nearly scared the living daylights out of me and my family, lol.

9) Don't have much to say about Ronda Rousy VS Liv Morgan except that their entrances were pretty cool to watch (then again, I guess that applies to every entrance). Don't get me wrong, the match was fine enough, but it just felt too short to me. At least Liv retained the championship.

10) Pat McAfee's entrance was great with the choir and everything. I know his wrestling reign won't last very long, sadly, so I'm just gonna appreciate it while it lasts. Corbin is just meh. Not terrible, not fantastic, just... Meh. Neutral feeling I guess.

11) Glenn Jacobs made a cameo. Not gonna get into the political stuff, thank you. But seeing him raise his arms up for the fire and pyro after his little speech was neat to see.

12) Seth Rollins made an appearance. Not for a match sadly, but still there regardless. Entrance was cool with everybody singing his theme and everything. Riddle was just being riddle, talking about Randy Orton and how he got injured and stuff. After Seth had curbstomped him and was walking back up the ramp, one of the fans commented to his friends that he was gonna go back for a second one. Didn't happen.

13) The Main Event was fantastic. Definitely the best match Roman and Brock have had during their feud. Roman's entrance was amazing to watch. I even did the pointing thing. Pyro was awesome, music was awesome, kinda repeating myself at this point. Brock's was cool too. He brought a freaking tractor to the ring and pulled a cool and funny sounding introduction. Props to him that he can finally manage to do his own promo work after so long. As for the match itself, it was *chef's kiss*. The several near count-outs, the way brock dumped Roman's body on the canvas with the tractor (lol) and literally lifting AN ENTIRE QUARTER OF THE FUCKING RING. (btw Roman falling the way he did when it happened is just pure meme potential. Loved it. Paul Heyman also took an incredible table spot, which is amazing for his age ngl) Theory tried to cash in his briefcase, but failed (my Dad was literally saying "bullshit" as soon as his music hit. I had already theorized that it would potentially happen. Good thing he failed to cash in, that would've been one of the quickest ways to get X-pac heat since Roman defeated the Undertaker. Ending was satisfying. Honestly, I think the Usos interfering and covering Brock with the debris of their work for the win was one of the more believable approach to having him lose in my personal opinion. Sadly, I was forced to leave before the fireworks went off, so I basically missed the grand finale of the show (thanks dad 🙄), had an anxiety spike when I was trying to leave the stadium, and ended up tripping on the crack in a road when we got to the car and ended up scraping my knee terribly. So not a pleasant way to end the experience, but hey, it is what it is.

So my overall experience for my first live payperview ever? 8/10. Had some downsides here and there (unable to hear the commentary, too far away to actually see the wrestlers clearly due to poor eyesight, as well as the other stuff I just mentioned) but overall, it was generally a fantastic experience that I would love to participate in again sometime in the future once I get the money and transportation required for such a thing. Oh, and lesson learned? Get the more expensive tickets/closer seats as your first choice in ADVANCE!!!

[who-am-i-no-one]

Emma. (2020)

I watched this movie in late January. After multiple viewings and re-reading the book, I have a lot of thoughts about this adaptation.

It seems rather strange, given that Emma is part of my holy trinity of Austen novels, that I didn't watched the most recent adaptation earlier. I think it was mostly due to my initial impression that Anya Taylor-Joy's otherworldly looks didn't quite match what I had in mind for the titular character. I decided to give this version a try after watching Queen's Gambit. Not sure that Anya's looks will ever grow on me, but she did impress me as a young actress who seemed to have a maturity beyond her years.

Long story short: really wished I had seen this movie earlier! It is absurd and heartfelt at the same time, imo, the version that best imbues Austen's humor. It is now my favorite adaption, with the possible exception of Clueless, and I'm not quite sure how much of that is just nostalgia.

From the casting to the direction to the script to the costumes to the set to the soundtrack, I could tell the creative team really put a lot of love into this project. It's always a joy to watch something that's made with love and made well.

Direction

Autumn de Wilde's directing is quite good. I would never have thought this was her first feature. She certainly has a unique and colorful style, which is probably to be expected for such a famous photographer.

Funnily, while watching the movie I kept thinking it reminded me of early Hollywood romantic comedies like Bringing Up Baby (incidentally one of my favorites) or The Philadelphia Story, and then reading interviews and seeing that she had tried to bring in some of that style of humor made me feel rather validated. Also the servants' reactions were awesome!

Absolutely loved the fact that they decided to show that Knightley and Emma were in love with each other very early on in the story, with Knightley more aware of it. I've read some people complaining about the surprise of Emma's being in love being ruined. But come on, did anyone reading two chapters into the book think it wasn't going to be the two of them together in the end?

Loved how much of Knightley's point of view we got in this movie. This is one repressed pinning man. I can totally see this Knightley riding ventre a terre from London in the rain because he thought Emma was heartbroken.

The only gripe I had was the lack of Frank and Jane's subplot. As it seems they shot some scenes for that, I assume it was the director's discretion to take them out. I remember thinking while watching the movie that they must have expected the audience to be familiar with the story because some things just didn't really get explained or extrapolated on a lot. If you hadn't read the book it'd be 30 minutes or more into the movie before you put two and two together and figured out why Mr. Knightley is always at Hartfield.

Script

The script takes most of the dialogue directly from the book, which is awesome. I love Austen's writing because there is a certain musicality to it and retaining that in large part for the movie really made it better for me. The deftness with which Eleanor Catton moved dialogue from one scene in the book to a totally different one in the movie was quite brilliant. Everything flowed so well.

The scenes that differed from the book were also excellent - namely, I really loved the Jane/Knightley duet, the infamous nosebleed and first kiss scenes. 💖 I thought the screenwriter used those changes to quickly establish plot points and character arcs well.

Costume/Hair

Not a Recency expert so can't say much about the costumes and hair as far as period correctness but from reading other reviews it seemed like they were very true to the period. Obviously appreciated them taking the time to show the audience how men got dressed in that time (purely for research purposes obviously 😜).

Emma's dresses were all quite beautiful. I especially loved the black evening dress, the pink one with the roses and the proposal dress. Also loved the little pop of red shoes that went with the proposal dress. As someone who wore red shoes with her wedding gown I heartily approve.

Absolutely loved how Emma's curls unwound as her life unravels. Similarly think they must have done the same for Knightley to a lesser extent. His hair during the card playing scene at the Westons was quite terrible.

Set

I! Loved! Hartfield! It looked just like a doll house. Really most of the sets looked good enough to eat. So much pastel. Reminded me of French macarons.

I liked how everything in Donwell Abbey was shrouded in Holland covers. Makes a good point that Knightley barely lives there at all, that his home has been with the Woodhouses for quite a while now. Which, of course, makes his sacrifice at the end just a little bit less of a sacrifice?

Soundtrack

Isabella Waller-Bridge's music really meshed well with the tone of the entire film. The male and female opera singers, sometimes sounding as if they are bickering with each other and other times seeming to be in duet, was a brilliant touch. The folk music was a little jarring at first but really grew on me.

Johnny Flynn's end credits song "Queen Bee" is amazing. I love that we get Knightley's perspective at the end with a song written and sung by Knightley. It's a lovely coda to the movie. And now, if the next Austen hero doesn't write one for his SO I'm going to think him a very poor sort of lover.

Cast

Anya's Emma was really great. I'm glad they allowed Emma to be her bitchy self. Lol. I haven't watched the 1996 and 2009 versions in a while but I distinctly remember them making Emma too nice. I recall writing after watching the Garai version that Emma was actually mean and they should have let her be mean! If she's not a brat in the beginning, how will we see her change for the better later on? I love what a snob and how manipulative this Emma was and so assured of her place in her little society but still had the vulnerability of almost an imposter's syndrome which I feel most people can relate to.

Her chemistry with Johnny Flynn's Knightley was off the charts. Pretty much every scene they had together I half expected them to reenact the library scene from Atonement lol.

Mia Goth was a wonderful Harriet. She really captured Harriet's inexperience, naivete and diffidence. The orgasmic sounds she was making during the gypsies attack scene were awesome. Although, I could probably have forgone a few of Harriet's scenes for more Frank and Jane.

Not sure why they made Mia go brunette since the book specifically mentioned Harriet was fair? Perhaps having all three leads as blondes was just a bit too much. I'm also not sure if I liked Harriet's ending as I really don't think Emma, even in her most contrite mood, would invite further friendship from a tradesman's daughter and soon-to-be her husband's tenant farmer's wife. This seems a piece of modern day wishful thinking on the part of the creative team.

Bill Nighy was so good as Mr. Woodhouse. He made it so believable why everyone would do everything in their power to accommodate his whims. The gag with the screens was too funny. He was able to sketch out a lonely quirky old man who is afraid to lose those close to him in very limited screen time. Absolutely loved the scene where Emma was heaping blame on herself and he just sat with her in sympathetic silence.

Miranda Hart's Miss Bates was excellent as well. She has long been one of my favorite British comedic actresses but she can also do drama well. Her reaction to Emma's teasing on Box Hill and her forgiveness of Emma later brought me to tears.

Josh O'Connor's Mr. Elton was deliciously creepy. The carriage proposal scene was at once a little scary and hilarious. I actually liked the portrait scenes a little less because I found the acting there slightly affected and veering into 1995 Mr. Collins territory. But as Austen described Elton as having "a sort of parade in his speeches", this was much more forgivable. Really loved Mr. Elton's determination to eat cake during the Eltons' visit to Hartfield.

Tanya Reynolds was an excellent Mrs. Elton and in very little screen time was able to bring to life this meddlesome nouveau riche. Adored her little shimmy during the ball.

Amber Anderson's Jane really looked as if she were in a decline. Callum Turner did a good job as a slightly restless, mischievous and immature Frank Churchill. I did feel his looks were a bit too modern but that's just my personal view.

Given how many scenes they had I thought they used the time they had pretty well with furtive glances and sly smiles at each other to establish the relationship.

Connor Swindells was such a love sick puppy as Robert Martin. Did this role ever get cast in other adaptations? I don't seem to recall at all.

Special shoutout to Oliver Chris's John Knightley. Absolutely had me in stitches.

And last but never the least, Johnny Flynn's Mr. Knightley:

To preface, I will never not fall for Mr. Knightley in any version that I watch. And really, get yourself a good looking enough actor with good enough chemistry with Emma and good enough acting chops and you should have a fairly successful Knightley.

I judge all my Knightleys by the Box Hill scene. And up to that point in the movie, I really liked Johnny Flynn's Knightley. He was playful and sexy and jealous and slightly bitchy as well. The duet scene was lovely because I always appreciate a man who can play instruments and sing well. The sexiness and chemistry of the dance scene was off the charts. That's all well and good. And like I said before, given any well cast actor, I probably would have liked them in those scenes as well, just as I've liked Northam's and Miller's Knightleys.

But, the Box Hill scene absolutely blew me away. To make sure I was not just biased towards the last Knightley I saw on screen, I did go back and compare each version's Box Hill scene and I am, actually, even more blown away. Some of it is a credit to the directing and script, but a large part of it is Johnny Flynn's acting in that scene.

As far a script and directing, the set up to the fight scene was fantastic. Loved Anya's expression changes after she makes the joke. Loved Miranda Hart's Miss Bates as she realizes what Emma meant. The silence that followed. Knightley's shocked face and how sympathetic he was to Miss Bates. Can probably write a whole thing just about this scene alone.

I loved the fact that Knightley had an internal struggle as to whether or not to approach Emma and reproach her for her behavior. I know the book has him tell Emma about his struggle but that just doesn't work as well for me on screen.

During the scene you can just tell how frustrated and disappointed in her he is even though he tries to keep his voice low. But the way he reprimands her does not at all feel lecture-y and I feel like part of it is because it seems like he starts to lose control a little bit as well. His voice starts to crescendo as she stubbornly refuses to admit she was in the wrong and culminates in "badly done, indeed!" with actual fingerpointing. Yikes.

Then he losses steam and looked regretful, almost devastatingly so, at his own outburst and perhaps felt that he was losing her by giving this speech and looked as if he would have said something more - an apology or some words of comfort to soften the blow? - but didn't.

This remorse and the struggle at the beginning really bookended the scene for me.

Absolutely loved his Knightley, and, really, him as an actor after that.

The proposal scene as well was very good. His delivery was just really good. The way he said "If I loved you less then I might be able to talk about it more." with some regret and then closing his eyes as if he can't believe what he just said. Soooo good. Also, he cries very pretty, lol.

The delivery of the three "yes" during the kiss scene as Emma asked for confirmation that he really was ok with giving up his house to come live with them was also brilliant. It just kept getting softer and softer but he never breaks eye contact. Absolute chef's kiss. His closed eyed little smile of content after Emma kisses him just made me melt into a puddle.

Yup, overall I'd say I rather liked his interpretation of Mr. George Knightley. 😜

I did wish they hadn't giving him such sideburns but after watching some Emma interviews I can totally understand. If he didn't have the sideburns there'd be more complaints about how young this Knightley was. He's got such a baby face.

...I seemed to have written an entire essay on this movie...yeah, I just have a lot of feelings and thoughts about this version...

[zinsbundles]

[ 7:34 p.m. ]

jeongin opened the front door to a waiting you. he stared at you with a slight frown. how long was it when you two last talked? 1 week? 2 weeks? a month? wrong, just 4 days, but to him it felt like an eternity. he spent all his free time staring at his phone for a text or a phone call from no one but you. he spent all his classes thinking about no one but you.

he was overjoyed to see you outside but of course, some things are always in the way.

"well, what are you doing here? how's that project of yours? hope you had a good grade." , he said sarcastically

of course, his ego and pride

you gave a small sigh and looked at him straight in the eye. a silly misunderstanding led you two to this.

"i'm just here to tell you something."

"then make it quick."

"i'm leaving seoul. i'm going back to yongin for-"

and before you could finish he gave you a tight hug. you were confused and froze.

"don't leave me." , his voice was barely above a whisper, "i'm sorry for that. i'm sorry for being jealous, i'm sorry for not hearing you out. i'm sorry, i'll change, just don't leave me."

now you are more than confused.

"you know, if you want to go to yongin with me you could've just asked. but i might've thought you're going to busan to your family."

and now he's confused. he pulled back to look at you with questioning eyes.

"what? what are you saying?"

"what am i saying? what are you saying?

he paused, "i thought... are you breaking up with me?" , he said, voice laced with uncertainty

your face morphed to a shocked expression, eyes wide and mouth open. "no! i'm not! i was just informing you that i am going to yongin for a week once our semestral break starts."

jeongin made a small, "oh." , before screaming and crouching down to the ground, his hands covering his face. "that was so embarrassing." , he groaned

you crouched down beside him, laughing a bit.

"look, i can never break up with you over some petty misunderstanding with your jealousy issues. come on, you know i'm not like that." , you gave a small smile, prying his hands off his face

"still, it's embarrassing. my face is burning up, i feel like having a nosebleed."

"and this is why you should let me finish. remember the last time you didn't? we ended up like this, ignoring each other." , you pulled him up, "come on, stand up."

he gave a weak sigh and stood up, "okay, i'm genuinely sorry about that. you know, if you should've just told me that you have a project and chenle is your partner then i would've-"

"come with us and watch our every move as you initiate skinship with me. imagine yourself as chenle, it would be awkward as hell."

"but i'm not him." , he mumbled

"i said imagine, jeongin."

he gave a small pout as he gives an eye roll. you gave him a small peck in the cheek and a tight hug. he hugged back.

"so, we're good?" , he asked, warm breath coming in contact with your neck. you hummed, burying your face deeper in his chest. "great. so how about dinner? let's get take outs."

he pulled back and intertwined his hand with you. he closed the door and you two made your way to your favorite food place. you smiled and swung your hands lightly.

"so, did you pass your project? how was it?"

"not yet, we still have to proofread it. just that and we're done."

"uhhh, can't he proofread it himself?"

"no, it's a partner work, innie."

he huffed, "okay. hey, i love you." , you looked at him to see his wide smile, the smile that makes your day

you wrapped your hands around his arm, "yeah, i love you too."

• zin's drabbles

[todokori-kun]

WELCOME BACK, QUEEN!

(Awww I hope you’re feeling ok *hugs* I get how you feel, stuff like that used to happen to me all the time ;-;)

I WISH I HAD MORE FRIENDS TO DRAG INTO HAMILTRASH HELL. (omg how did they react, though????)

LAURENS LEADS A SOLDIER’S CHORUS ON THE OTHER SIDE

MY SON IS ON THE OTHER SIDE

HE’S WITH MY MOTHER ON THE OTHER SIDE

WASHINGTON IS WATCHING FROM THE OTHER SIDE

TEACH ME HOW TO SAY GOODBYE

…Baby Luna still sounds cute to me XD

(True stories about Tiny Evans:

Once, when I was about four years old, mom let me play in the bathroom. She later came in to find the entire bathroom flooded…I hadn’t bothered to turn the water off and just kept playing calmly in the middle of the mess XD she says that when she asked me what happened, I was just like “Mommy, the rain came down from the sky…”

And once mom bought me a tiny Beauty and the Beast doll, with super tiny accessories (I was probably around five years old). I was playing with the doll on the bed. Then I decided to lie down, holding one of the doll’s tiny shoes in my hand….I dropped the shoe and it went straight into my nose 0.0 When we went to the hospital they couldn’t get it out (they gave me a nosebleed trying) and then they said I should have surgery.

Then we went to a different hospital. The doctor took a look, told me to lie down, and then got it out in a few seconds (…)

And I was also super attached to my toys when I was little. I’d refuse to let mom wash my favorite teddy bear because I thought the washing machine would hurt him, and I hated it when people shoved my toys away into a toy box because NO the dollies can’t BREATHE if you do that)

Yeah, I think that most kids have a bratty side to them XD some kids are worse, though. One of my little sister’s friends once kicked another boy because he kept playing with my sister instead of her…like, literally kicked him in the face. The poor kid was just coming down the slide, she was waiting at the bottom and kicked him 0.0

I wouldn’t give you time to cry. If I must suffer, Queen Luna must help me…maybe you could distract them with snacks?

Oh, that’s great! Your mom sounds cool :D

Hmm, I’ll try to find it :)

ok, yeah, I did hear that Fairy Tail’s plot sucks XD (and of course there’s the fanservice ugh.) I was thinking about checking it out just because so many people seem to watch/read it (and hate it) but maybe not lol

Queen. QUEEN. I know I recommended HxH to you but…well. Please google the Legendary HxH Hiatuses before you make a choice you might regret (if you’re brave, you can still dive into the fandom anyway and suffer with me).

BUT ALSO. Levi has an HxH twin. His name is Feitan, and HE’S SHORTER THAN LEVI

(And YES fellow OPM fan!

btw, I just saw a comic with Hisoka meeting Saitama. *Schwing intensifies*)

Can you imagine what would happen if Evans and Kimblee got in a fight, though? (assuming that Kimblee does ‘like’ Evans enough not to kill her.) Because I just realized that if Kimblee got blood on the carpet I’d definitely be mad- I’m an almost Levi Level clean freak in some ways. If the carpet was white not even a Philosopher’s Stone could save him. And if he brought the dust, dirt and ashes from his explosions into the house with him I’d probably feed him to Pride.

(idk what this is but I just made myself kinda angry thinking about Kimblee dripping blood on a white carpet lol)

That would be adorable until Pokemon Pride decided he was hungry.

I’m not sure what that is, sorry ^^;; are you talking about Bertl’s death scene???

Yes. The clean freak in me rejoices every time I look at his new hair. (seriously though it was REALLY greasy in Avengers and The Dark World.)

Idk how I never thought Roma might be the Clown Boss omg. She’s horrible but she’s also amazing.

Nah, I worry for Urie’s health (physical and emotional) but he’s not going to die. I don’t think his character arc is finished yet, and besides, there’s so much he hasn’t done yet, so many promises he has yet to keep (like, oh, I don’t know, the whole thing with Shirazu’s body). Also have you heard the theories about how Shirazu’s probably going to be on the next volume cover?

If Mutsuki kills Yomo I’m really going to start hating TG. (though tbh it feels like he might die here ;-;)

Touka…I don’t like her and I really don’t like all this Touken stuff but I don’t want her to die, because I think that if she did, Kaneki would just go right back into his angsty “I want to die in style and sacrifice myself” mode…and that would be bad.

(Speaking of Touka though:

I read a theory on tumblr that Juuzou might be the one to kill her if she does end up dying. Like, a while back Ishida wrote a poem for Juuzou where he's trying to decide whether to kill a cat or a dog- when he chooses, there’s a line about a ‘rotten womb’, suggesting that the animal he killed was pregnant. The poem ends with Juuzou thinking that it really didn’t matter in the end, because he himself was going to die anyway.

Mutsuki called Touka a cat several times back in the chapter where they fought, so Touka=Cat, the pregnant animal Juuzou killed, and Kaneki=Dog? So Juuzou might have chosen to kill Touka and spare Kaneki, who was once his friend? And Kaneki kills Juuzou to avenge his wife?

I don’t think this is going to be canon and I don’t WANT it to be canon (it would be too much for my feels), but it’s interesting)

And I'm still waiting for the moment Shuu finally decides to confront Kaneki about that night on the L.E building

Yep, I’m going to try to play Waltz’s route soon! I’ll let you know when I do :D (But I refuse to play the Bad Ending because I now know what happens in it and wow. Just wow.)

I’ll try to listen to the music too!

Yeah, it’s pretty easy to tell that Lady Karma and Prince Karma are the same person. For me it’s the eyes…

Wonder what Llama’s like? (Probably Burr-levels of salty and bitter because of his dad’s fondness for weird nicknames)

Maybe I’ll play the bad ending just to torture myself with whatever happens to Varg lol

I seriously wish we could date Delora, Jurien, Parfait and Emelaigne, though. We could trade Rod’s route for one of them? (again, not that I don’t like Rod but I feel like a Delora or Jurien route would probably be WAY more interesting than his)

I can’t even use ‘Evans' in Otome games, that would be really embarrassing…I mean, even with Reader x Character fics, I can’t bring myself to use my own name so I always read the Reader’s name as literally 'YN’ in my head XD

TY Queen Luna. I might be blushing a bit right now. (Please don’t write any more Fritz HCs they’re too amazingly fluffy I’ll die.)

Queen Luna/Karma would be the best though. Karma probably thinks you’re the most beautiful, amazing person in the history of the entire universe.

-He often asks you for book recs, will always give you his honest opinion of them once he’s done reading

-likes reading with you better than that, though. Just cuddling together while he reads over your shoulder or something (idk I feel like Karma would like books)

-does your makeup for you. Not if you don’t want him to, but if you ever have to go to a party or some big event…he’ll insist (and do a great job of it too).

-of course he goes shopping with you and helps you pick out clothes. Then he insists on buying all the outfits that look good on you (though of course, in his opinion, that’s everything you try on)

-he’ll try to help you remember things and keep track of your stuff better, but even if you still forget he usually remembers. Will find whatever it is you lost and hand it to you with a playful smile, teasing you a little bit (he honestly thinks it’s cute)

-he’s immediately interested when he hears you used to learn archery and will ask you to teach him if you can still do it. In exchange he’ll teach you how to use a sword if you want him to (if you say yes he won’t go easy on you, but will always be impressed with your efforts and will be sure to compliment you and tell you how well you’re doing)

-if you two ever have to go to some social event, he’ll quickly notice if you’re feeling overwhelmed and will lead you away into a quiet corner, where you can just have some calm, private(ish) time together, talking about your day and watching the people around you.

-I think Karma likes sweets too (there was that thing with the Chamaeleon cupcake and I think I read another line about him eating cake in the game? not sure about it though) so he’d probably buy a bunch to try with you and would think your obsession with them is adorable

-he teases and flirts with you a bit, and doesn’t mind if you tease him back. However, if you ever flirt back at him, it doesn’t matter if it’s bad or cheesy- he WILL end up blushing. He’ll try to play it cool but the blush is just too obvious

(hope these are ok ^^;;)

Well, the friends weren’t exactly impressed. But hey if I was able to bear them for a week, they can bear 2 hours of good music XD They did find Guns and Ships interesting though, because of the speed of rapping XD

RISE UP, RISE UP, RISE UP

ELIZA

MY LOVE, TAKE YOUR TIME

I’LL SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE

RAISE A GLASS TO FREEDOM…

Wow. Just. Wow. I never managed to flood the bathroom, though I did blame my sister for stuff she couldn’t have done anyway XD And the thing about the shoe… couldn’t they’d just taken those thingies you pluck your eyebrows with (but bigger) and gotten it out with them? I mean, i’m no expert, but how did they manage to give you a nosebleed XD

I’m 17 years old. I still value all my toys, especially the plush ones and wouldn’t part with them no matter what you offered to me. Hell, I still can’t sleep without a plush toy XD So I don’t think that was weird at all :P

That’s… a bit aggressive… should the kid get it checked out XD

I’ll distract them, you run :P

Nope, don’t even try with Fairy Tail, unless you’re really into magic and guilds. The tasteless Fanservice and lack of plot make it infuriating. The only reason why I stuck with it was because I wanted to see my OTPs get together (THEY DID  N O T) 

Ah, I’ve heard of those... a bunch of manga I read go on hiatuses all the time as well, so I don’t think I’ll mind ^^ I’m still not sure, tho, since it has 387 chapters and that might take time to catch up (hah, i once read 130 chaps in one day, but that was a special occasion XD)

WHOAH SOMEONE SHORTER THAN LEVI WHAT Tell me everything XD

Hi, yes, I love Genos and Sonic (Saitama as well lol). Metal Bat is fucking awesome, because he is so dedicated to his little sis. Old man Bang (almost called him Old Man Fu XD) is freaking awesome!!! And let’s not forget out  favorite loli, Tatsumaki, aka Terrible Tornado.

I’m not sure I want to imagine that fight... anyway it ends, it’s catastrophic XD

YEP, Bertl’s death (still crying). So the (I think) comic went like this: Armin has eaten Bert, and Reiner was captured and he looks at Armin, obviously realizing what happened to Bert and breaks down crying. Then, in one final act of defiance, Bert’s conscious manages to suppress Armin’s for a second and tells Reiner that he has nothing to apologize for. I cry.

I can’t wait for Ragnarok *^* More Loki, more Thor, more Marvel!!

Just. I honestly have no idea what to think about TG anymore... The things that happened lately have been pretty hard to stomach and so many things have been left unresolved. And all the death flags and the fact that Yomo might lose to Mutsuki, despite being canonically stronger than them. Tbh, I think I might just drop it (again XD)

I seriously can’t wait for you to play Waltz’s route :3c Lol, Waltz’s bad end is the anomaly! ((SPOILER)) The only bad end where the boy character doesn’t die, yet is the worst story-wise ((END SPOILER))

I really want to meet Llama XD I mean, if he’s Karma’s brother, he must be fabulous σ(≧ε≦ｏ)

Technically, Fritz’s bad end isn’t too different from the others, I just like Varg too much XD 

Y’know... we could always write our own routes ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

That’s one of the reasons why I’ve adopted the name Luna XD No embarrassment. But I once watched an anime where a character had the same name as me. Not only that, she also looked a LOT like me and we shared a few personality points. It actually made me pretty happy.  And then, later, I found out that a part of the fandom shipped her with my, at the time, favorite character. I could never read fanfiction of the two without getting embarrassed XD A significant portion of the fandom hates her, though, even though she didn’t do anything wrong other than, surprise, ‘interfering’ (???) with a popular yaoi ship. (Since her x the character was implied canon). Long story short: Luna gets embarrassed watching anime. 

Are you suuuure~ I might just write some to embarrass you huehuehue I’ll wait till you finish Waltz, cause I want to see your list of faves ^^

Y’know at this moment I’m incredibly glad I physically don’t blush. Cause I’d be a fucking tomato if I could. φ(ﾟ ωﾟ//）♡ I think that, no matter how much of a shy potato I am, I’d flirt back with Karma just to see him blush huehuehuheuehue And I’d always, always accept sword-fighting lessons from him *^*