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#...to see so many INSANE builds and aspects of builds i got to watch people work on and help them with get mere crumbs of recognition.
sharb · 7 months
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Sharb's SAGE 2023 recommendation list
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SAGE is over and I've taken a look through some really good games this week. Wanted to shout out some of the ones I thought were really cute in no particular order.
With over 200 games I can't play through and recomend all of them so please if you're interested in any of these I recomend going to https://sagexpo.org/games.html andlooking at some of the other games available.
These are just the games I've played, if you don't see your game here that's not a comment on the game's quality, just what I had time to check out.
Remember to click the thumbnails to get access to the game's pages
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I was immediately interested in B.U.D.D. for it's art and references to games like wonder boy, what really surprised me about it was the humor as it's actually funny in a cute way.
If you like wonder boy or classic sega adventure games I can't recommenced B.U.D.D. enough.
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@cyanroxanne pitched this to me as a SHMUP for people that have trouble getting into SHMUP games, after playing the demo and taking a minute to figure out how the game works I actually had a lot of fun with it. I could definitely recommend this to people who wanna get started with the genre, really amazing art too feels like it's a treat just seeing what the next area looks like.
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RPG games can be really hard to push on SAGE because of how many games there are to go through and how long they can take to complete, a lot of streamers tend to pass over them for the sake of time so they can cover more games.
So here's my RPG recomendation, Cubenen Gardens is a game being made by @thegamedawg who actually got me to play test his game months ago, the game's still in development but what I've got to mess with so far the game's strongest aspect is it's characters and world building as you help Micheal (the saddest sopping wet creature on the planet) navigate a mall trying to find a rare monster but gets wrapped in more and more conflict.
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David gets keen is really short but it has a really strong gameflow to it, my only gripes with it is that the ability HUD could be given more clear graphics as your moves are represented by circles which can make it hard to figure out what they belong to without pressing their corresponding buttons.
Beyond that the grass stage is amazing, playing the level normally gives you a pretty average platformign game but when you start building up speed using your spin move on slopes you can get to insane speeds and just fly through the level skipping puzzles and enemies and clearing the level in seconds, it's really fun when you get the hang of it.
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@wootinaboot
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Meander land is a really small game by @whiskerfjords game's really fun to play casually, I thought the story and characters were really cute and I'm actually really excited to see what Whisker makes next.
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Out-class Hunter from @7hrone returns again with a brand new level to check out, it's a return to Doom style third persons games, specifically SRB2, it's been fun following the development of this game and watching it improve each demo.
Lemme know if you can find the cool cactus, you'll know which one I'm talking about if you follow my games ;)
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Prototype N is just a really really solid action platformer game from @arriettylunaris each level has a lot of thought put into it's design and the weapon combinations can be a lot of fun to mess with, I really can't recomend Prototype N enough.
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I can't get over how much character personality this game oozes, feels like around every door I'm going to run into something new I like either being a character or a game mechanic that's just fun to mess with, each character brings their own moves and their levels take advantage of a lot of their movements.
I'd compare this to those old 90's Disney game adaptations but this game easily out does them in terms of design as the designs look like they were ripped right out of an old 1940's cartoon shorts.
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Peak meme aside, I actually had a lot of fun playing this, Super Freaks is a fun lil platformer game with references to a tonne of other works, you probably saw this game referenced countless times this Sage but it is just really goofy fun, tho I would really recommend playing this with friends if you can, game feels like it was designed around the kind of multiplayer chaos, if you saw the stream I was part of you can see why.
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Sorry to all my friends who have heard me talking about this game all week non stop and seeing me reverse engineer SMBX 2 to [redacted] but this was easily my favorite game this SAGE if not the most replay-able, I keep booting this up just to try and make it thought the level as quick as I can.
So if you're like me you've probably been seeing @punkitt-is-here s pony comics or more specifically, the Susan Tax payer comic and the charm, humor and personalities of all of them absolutely coats this game.
It requires a bit of set up, you have to download SMBX2.0 separately in order to play this and SMBX has it's own set of issues that kinda bleed over into some of the issues in the game that need to be ironed out but beyond that this is a really fun demo to play and I absolutely can't wait to see where this goes.
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Techpack currently is one Namco inspired arcade game, Tech has put a tonne of time and research into how to nail the old arcade style. The only thing holding it back right now is that the only game available is really simple and short, but man I'd be kicking myself if I didn't mention the presentation on it alone is enough for me to recommend checking this out, really reminds me of the old Namco collection games on playstation.
Now put my rabbit in as one of the cameos :gun_emoji:
Ok that's all the indies I could cover, some honerable mentions that I've been wanting to check out include
kid bubblegame JLFJ 2 Veggocalypse Mekanikko
As for the fangames I've played
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Here's a game I wasn't expecting I'd be recommending, Mushroom Kingdom Fusion has been in development for over 15 years and always felt to me about quantity over quality but this new demo really impressed me.
The game is starting to take shape and there's actual structure to everything where as before it was just an open sand pit for them to figure out what to do with.
There's still a lot to be done but what's here is just a blast to mess around with. something really satisfying about struggling with a level, switching over to Samus and just blasting all the enemies and bosses away, tho I assume these characters will be unlocked in the final game as most of them are completely over powered.
This does bring me to one complaint though, Mario needs a buff. Mario is by far the hardest as he has few defense options and a lack of a health bar that almost everyone else have a huge advantage over him, and Mario having a health bar isn't too far removed from games like SMB2 and the modern 3D games.
But regardless I never thought I'd play this game and actually try to beat levels so I could see more, secret hunting is finally rewarding and expanding and finding more of the world is really fun. The game's length is absolutely HUGE, one world is about the size of an average Mario game which is insane.
And I'm really happy to see that loading has been optimized tho I don't know if that's because I'm running a machine that's not made 15 years ago.
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@velacosmos has been working hard on creating a new Demo for SAGE and this one actually surprised me.
Taking influence from mario maker 2, Shang Mu Architect is a Freedom planet challenge level maker. which is quite impressive on it's own but has a tonne of extras.
Namely now there's actually a story mode to go along with the game, truth be told I'm not too big into freedom planet's cast to really know how well this game captures their personality but I still think it's really cool to actually have something that doubles as a proper freedom planet fangame since as far as I'm aware we're yet to see an actual game that actually follows the original games style.
Your mileage is definitely going to depend on how much you enjoyed the original freedom planet but I definitely think this is worth checking out.
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Of the top of my head way back when stealth was pitching a mobile port of sonic 3, I swear I remember one of the ideas was expanding the match stages into full fledged level.
Sonic 3 Chronicles is an interesting "what if" scenerio where after angel island instead of falling into Hydrocity Sonic and co continue past the cutscene area and into the endless mine from match making.
I never really thought of those match stages as being connected to the main stages but this does a rpetty decent job of introducing new gimmicks and mechanics to go along with those stages.
The game is definitely rough around the edges and needs a lot of tightening up but what's here is a cute game that does it's best to follow sonic 3.
Also Mighty is here... I don't know why but thank you.
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Gatoslip is a hack of Sonic the hedgehog created by @vadapega a very small demo with a tonne of personality put into it.
Yes, this is a hack, you're going to need an emulator in order to play it. Now which emulator do I recommend?
Probably the steam workshop if you still have your copy of sonic 1 before SEGA took it off the store page.
Vada's always been an inspiration for my art and it's great to see him finally go for something that really expresses his personality. The writing's great, the battles are really cute and I love the strategies for defeating enemies. Game's filled to the brim with visual gags with one gag in particular giving a lot of "replay value" (you'll know what I mean when you beat it)
can't wait to see where this ends up.
Again check out
https://sagexpo.org/games.html if you haven't yet, this just scratches the surface of what's available and there's a tonne of great games I looked over in this list.
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usgsnajs · 4 months
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God I can’t wait until tomorrow’s episode of secret life… it’s obviously gonna be the finale, and unlike previous seasons I watched live, I have wishes for every server member except for the previous winners to win lol
I want Cleo to win because she deserves this story arc, surviving the zombie apocalypse and turning human as a result, being the last green name, and also getting back with her ex husband lolol (just so you know, I have essays of thoughts about Cleo and Ethos character arcs this season that I cannot put it into words. Just trust me that this and Ethos sections should be a lot longer)
I want Etho to win because oh my god??? What has he been on this season??? First off, he has somehow reached higher set cat status than he did in Limited life, which I thought was impossible, but he just struggles so. hard. in the earlier sessions especially. Secondly, he plays the secret aspect of the game really well, where he almost always comes up with a fake task for him to do in addition to his actual task, and sticks with it completely. He’s just really good at the secret part of it while also hiding what he’s doing really badly, which is the best thing to watch ever. But thirdly and most importantly, the fucking…zombie apocalypse session…He failed his task, and made the ENTIRE SERVER also fail their task just because he didn’t want to give up Cleo and Grian… He jumped in front of Bdub’s arrow to protect Cleo… ‘I’m a survivor’ this ‘I’d probably run’ that, you are a liar Mr Etho Slab!! Face it, you’ve had character development since Last Life!!! Stop thinking the worst of yourself!! Also, in addition to all that, he also fits the fact that all the previous winners played the game differently than how it was intended, with the previously mentioned failing of the task, so he also deserves to win because of that.
I want Scar to win because this entire season has been him fighting against what the secret keeper pushes onto him, with him not wanting to be the villain but repeatedly getting villain related tasks, so him winning in spite of that would be so satisfying. Also the idea of Scar, who has spent previous seasons constantly fighting to make friendships, winning the season where everyone on the server hates him does something to me the vibes are just immaculate. Also also! Please let him win he’s come so close so many times 😭
I want Gem to win because Geminislay next question. lol but actually I think it would be really funny if she joined the server for the first time, killed all her friends, won, and then left. Also something something her bringing the boogeyman curse to a season that was never supposed to be cursed in that way, and then fighting her way to victory is really cool. Also also Gem is just cool so I want to see that victory
I want Impulse to win because he’s gotten so close in like almost every season before this!!! He got second last time please just let him win and go apeshit, he deserves it I think. Also last yellow??? He deserves to pop off in the final session and take the win
I want Bdubs to win because this season has been peak Bdubs allying with half the people on the server, and he deserves to win at his worst /j But seriously his perspective so far has been one of my favorites this season because of how funny he is. He spent over an episode building the world when he didn’t even need to. He was murdered by Scar when both of them were green. He has a room in the Roomies base when he’s not even part of their group. He’s so silly he deserves to murder Scar in revenge for his first death and then gloat as he wins.
I want Joel to win because he deserves to go apeshit and then not die from recklessness. I think he should be insane and murder a bunch of people while still staying alive, like Last Life but without the ending part. His base is filled with joy but he is not, and that’s hilarious to me. Please let Joel win one of these he’s come so close
I want BigB to win because out of everyone in secret life he was the one to truly take the ‘secret’ part of the title to its very max. BigB gaslighting everyone he comes into contact with for literally no reason is my favorite part of secret life lol. He should win just for that as well as having the funniest life series base ever. Also his storylines tend to get ignored by a bunch of the fandom, and while it’s definitely improved a lot this season, it still could be better, so I’m hoping he wins just so more people will watch his perspective 😭
I want Skizz to win because like BigB, he is seriously underrated. He still doesn’t have 100k!! Subscribe to him right now!! But other than that, he also deserves to win just because it’d be funny if, now that he’s lived past the third death, he promptly switched his curse as far around as possible and just won lolol. Also also the Heart Foundation has been one of the silliest groups ever, and their base was really cute while it lasted, so any of the members of that group deserve to make it far if just for that. Plus him immediately going after Tango once he got infected with boogeyman was very funny. You go king! Drag your friends down with you! In conclusion Skizz is very funny and deserves to win purely because of that as well as the underdogness of it all.
I want Tango to win because of the Heart foundation stuff I mentioned with Skizz, but also he deserves to win just so he can break his curse of always having a kinda stupid final death 😔 I think it would be really funny if he broke that curse in the coolest way possible, and then in every season after this one he immediately goes right back to silly final deaths.
(Also if a previous winner won this season again I would not be upset as all of them have storylines this season that are really good for it, I just want them to win a little less than the others)
This season has been incredible so far, and it might even end up being my favorite season yet!
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kakiastro · 4 months
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Astrology of Tyler Perry
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His chart
Disclaimer: I want to remind you that if you have a similar chart or placements , this DOESNT mean this is how it will play out in your life, your kids or other loved ones. astrology is complexed and placements have many meanings and theme to them!
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So I just got done watching his documentary on Prime called “Maxine’s Baby” Maxine was his mother’s name and it’s pretty much the story of his come up. It’s a classic rags to riches story, it’s also a story about believing in yourself. I wanted to breakdown his chart and the documentary really shows on his chart
Whether you’re a fan or not, this a good way to see astrology in real life!
Throughout this whole documentary, he talked about how close he was to his mother until her passing.
1. Moon Libra 1h. I’m starting to realize that men who has their moon in the 1h are mommas boys. They are the ones who would do anything for their moms even if the relationship is toxic. Now Tyler relationship with his mother was healthy. Libra is the sign of business and his brand started out as representing mothers and women. Libra rules over grandmother and Madea is literally everyone fav grandma lol
Another big thing he talked a lot about in his documentary was the physical and verbal abuse from his father growing up. There’s a few planets that has the “father” archetype (Sun, Saturn and Jupiter). I’m going look at his Sun because that’s the planet I personally look at for fathers, Saturn for father /authority figures and Jupiter grandfathers.
2. Sun Virgo 11h, close to 12h. Virgo is the sign of criticism and harsh judgements. Virgo Suns may be extremely critical and push themselves to the point it affects their health. That’s because at a young age they are told they’re not enough, or you’re not doing this correctly, “that’s good but you can do better.” They develop this perfectionism attitude about themselves and can project that on others if they’re not self aware of this. The 11h rules over feeling outcasted or not knowing how to fit in. He talked lot about how he never felt loved or wanted by his father and been very public about that. 11h rules over the public.
Speaking of Sun 11h. This indicated having well known friends and collaborators. Having a well known networking friend. He’s good friends with Oprah who’s an Aquarius which rules. The 11h by the way.
His Sun conj Pluto. Pluto rules over abuse and Virgo rules the physical health of the body. Yeah he had it rough in his childhood. The thing is, his father was just projecting his own insecurities and hurt onto him with his Pluto in the 12h.
He has a Capricorn 4h. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn. Saturn rules over restriction, career, work ethic and authority figure. He has a huge work ethic and his career is tied into his private life. I remember him saying he wrote 20 scripts in two weeks and had submitted them to get them made. That’s actually insane, if you’re a writer then you’ll know how crazy that is! That’s Capricorn energy for you though. Remember Capricorn is exalted in Mars. The grind is real here. He also have Saturn 6h which indicates being a workaholic.
It’s paid off because he has Saturn Taurus 6h. Saturn Taurus can indicate building wealth or living comfortably later on in life (post Saturn return).
His MC is in Cancer. What did I say about his private life being intertwined with his work life. His work life is a reflection of his childhood and. The people he grew up with, his Moon in the 1h. The 1h is your point of view of things so he’s writing about the women in his world.
He also said he originally wanted to be a pastor before becoming a writer and filmmaker. He also said m, he comes from a long line of pastors that goes back generations.
3. Moon Conj Jupiter. The moon rules over our lineage and where we come from and Jupiter rules over religion and our philosophical ideals. The fact Jupiter is so close to his rising and close aspected to his Mercury, his ideals and message comes through his writing. This makes sense on why there’s always spiritual element to his movie such as gospel music and Madea giving life lessons.
Y’all we are truly our charts!
What is his destiny and where is he going this lifetime?
4. North Node Pisces 5h. Transcendence through fame and creativity. Pisces is that spiritual sign so he may dive deep into that. This is probably me just grasping at straws but he may step away from the industry and let his son take over when he gets older. Pisces rules over isolation and living life like a Monk basically lol. Pisces also rules the ocean, will he start his own cruise? (Just a joke but who knows, he’s rich😅) the 5h rules over fame and children. I believe his son and any other future kids he may have will carry his legacy. More so his eldest because 5h rules children
There’s so much I can probably breakdown but that would take me a week and I have readings to do finish😅
Feel free to comment what you notice, keep it astrology based please
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justa-moth · 5 months
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THE FUCKING FNAF MOVIE !!!!!
ALRIGHT SO HUGE MASSIVE FNAF MOVIE SPOILERS, I JUST WANNA RANT ABT THE MOVIE BECAUSE I LITERALLY JUST GOT HOME FROM WATCHING IT, ALR YOUVE BEEN WARNED, ENJOY <3
general funny theatre moments:
OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD /POS
alright so first thing i wanna say is that there were several moments where the theatre LOST THEIR SHIT
the first moment was when matpat. basically you here his voice before you see him, and the SECOND his face was showed everyone was just yelling "OH MY GOD HOLY SHIT OH MY GOD" and then he said the "its just a theory" line is everyone lost it again JHKFSD
and then the second moment was when they played the FUCKING LIVING TOMBSTONE FNAF SONG. LIKE THE SONG
THE WHOLE THEATRE LITERALLY CHEERED AND CLAPPED AND FUCKING LOST IT THAT WAS SO FUCKING GOOD
LITERALLY I HEARD AND FUCKING INTRO FREDDY LAUGH AND ME AND MY BROTHER WENT APESHIT
also during the scene where the babysitter gets bit
when she was investigating freddys teeth
my brother joking leaned over and was like "was that the bite of 87 :OOOOOO"
AND THEN HER ASS GOT CHOMPED
AND WE BOTH JUST STARTED LAUGHING OUR ASSES OFF CAUSE HE WAS LIKE "OH SHIT I WAS JOKING JKFHSDJKH"
Positives !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OKAY MY LIKE MY FAVORITE THING EVER
WAS THE FACT THAT THEY LEANED INTO THE CHILDISH GHOST ASPECT
like this is the first time in canon material we really see them delving more into the fact that they really are just lost and scared Dead Children
like the fact that they showed how they truly were just robo children, like building a huge blanket fort, tickling abby, the fact that they brought up how the ghosts understand pictures more, like the end scene where mike is like "show them what really happened" and abby draws a little crayon scene of afton killing the kids
like in alot of fanon stuff people love going into that
but this is the first time in canon shit that we see them just. being kids
and i thought that was genuinely so fucking cool
like the blanket fort scene was honestly adorable, if a little out of place
THE FUCKING ANIMATRONICS WERE GORGEOUS
LIKE HOLY FUCKING THEY WERE AMAZING
THEY WERE SO FUCKING SMOOTH
WE GET SO MANY CLOSEUPS ON THEM YET THEY LOOK NOTHING BUT PERFECT
THEIR MOVEMENTS WERE VERY SMOOTH AND FLOWY
AND THEY JUST LOOKED FUCKING MAGNIFICIENT
LITERALLY ANYTIME THEY WERE IN DEPTH ON SCREEN I WAS JUST BOGGLED BY HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY WERE
ALSO EVERYONES ACTING WAS SO GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!!
ik some people were a little on edge with fucking PEETA MELLARK being mike
but MAN did he pop his pussy during this movie omfg
AND THE KIDS WERE ALL AMAZING AS WELL
abby and the freddy ghost kid were WONDERFUL
plus matthew lillard obviously played insane Very Well
I HONESTLY LOVED THE REOCCURING BB TOY BIT FHJKSDJHK
where like it kept showing up in places and then mike would just like turn it around and put it in timeout
AND THEN THE END CREDIT SCENE WHERE IT SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF CORY KENSHINS CHARACTER SDFJKHJHKFLS
THE SCENE WHEN THE ASSHOLES BREAK IN WAS D O P E DUDE
LIKE THE DUDE GETTIN KILLED BY CUPCAKE IN THE FRIDGE
AND THEN THE OTHER DUDE RUNNING AND DYING BY BONNIE IN THE CLOSET
AND ALSO JFHSDKHJKFSD
the part where the main guy watches them on the cams and sees bonnie and chica just chillin by the vent
and then chica just leeaaaannsssssss down and puts cupcake in the vent
and then just both just >:( at the camera
AND THE RED EYES !!!!!!!!!!!
IDK IF THEY JUST. FIXED THEM AFTER THE TRAILER, OR IF SMTH ABT THE TRAILER JUST MADE THEM LOOK WORSE
BUT ACTUALLY IN PRACTICE THEY WERE GREAT
VERY mild negatives
i only really have two Actual gripes with certain choices
the anti-climatic springlock scene, and the choice to make vanessa the afton and not mike
like for the springlock failure scene, in all iterations of it, its always an instant thing
like in that one minigame scene, you hear them creak for a sec, and then they ALL chomp at once and he screams
but in the movie it was just kinda gradual which ig they had to do??
like how all the major death scenes were either off screen or like,,,,, shadows
which ig i understand bc they didnt wanna make it too exclusive by going all the way to r rated
but yeah in like all iterations of the springlock failure scene its always smth wet triggers in, and then bam they all go off, like theres springlocks EVERYWHERE like those fuckers puncture EVERYTHING
i mean we get like some close ups of them cutting into his stomach but like
still wouldve liked a more Instantaneous springlock scene
my only other real gripe with it was the choice to make vanessa the afton and not mike
really the choice to include her at All was odd to me like ever since the cast list came out
like just,,,,,,, chronologically why is she here (but hey when has fnaf ever liked its timelines
ANYWAY
the choice to COMPLETELY change mikes story by giving him the like dead little brother and alive little sister and like
someone actually pointed out a really good point where it was like
why did afton kidnap a kid from some random ass family at a campsite????
like the whole point was that stealing kids from the pizzeria was convenient, so why go all the way out to some forest in nebraska to kill a kid
but back to vanessa, like i understand how in the books there was the vanessa a., so obviously everyone thought that stood for afton, and even when she was in security breach people thought she was an afton
i just think the choice to make Her aftons kid, and make MIKE FUCKIGN SCHMIDT have zero relation to him was just Very Odd
---------
BUT ANYWAY. STRANGE STORY DECISIONS ASIDE THIS WAS SUCH A GREAT FUCKING MOVIE. THIS WAS MY FIRST EVER THEATRE HORROR EXPERIENCE, AND GODDAMN WAS IT WORTH IT. FNAF HAS BEEN SUCH A GENUINELY HUGE PART OF MY LIFE SINCE PROBABLY WAY YOUNGER THAN IT SHOULDVE BEEN, BUT SO MUCH OF IT HAS BROUGHT ME TO BE WHO I AM TODAY AND JUST. HGRHGHRGHGRHGHGRHGRGHHGRGHRGH
ANYWAY THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK :D
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alonetogether · 8 months
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I deeply apologize, because you didn't make that post and now I'm dumping all my thoughts about it on you, but I saw it on your blog and I love you, so that's why.
anyway, I think about that a lot. like, sometimes I really doubt pete and patrick are as close as we think they are. pete is so aware of how people perceive him, especially in the early days, and I think a big aspect of his interactions with patrick back then were performative, bc he knew how much fans love it.
but then I think there's something else there. in the pandemic, patrick was composing. he was happy. he loves composing. pete talked about how he wasn't sure he wanted to make another album, that he became insulated. but patrick pulled him out, made him excited. when patrick wrote that letter saying he was giving up on music during the hiatus, pete reached out. pete writes so many songs that reflect themes of twin souls, twin skeletons, soul mates, pieces of ourselves in others. and you can argue its about lovers (and I'm sure it is sometimes). but p2 also talk about swimming together, making up one member of the band, being each other's other half. there's something there that I think that's deeper than music, that's deeper than any of us know.
(I am so sorry for all this!!)
oh definitely, there was a chunk of pre-h that A LOT of p2 stuff was fluffed up cause... thats just how media reacted in that time i feel like van days/tttyg/cork tree and early ioh was authentic as possible when theres cameras watching you but then late ioh and folie a lot was what was expected of them as their roles in the band, which included this Best Friend quota but i think thats what makes seeing and hearing about the hiatus and then srar to now so fucking insane because... slowly but surely we have seen them start to act like they did back in their roots, nothing flashy, but always joking around and knowing what the others going to say, even amounts of physical affection from both sides, having the others back, pulling each other out of dark holes and having the weirdest inside jokes ever. like i always say that stardust era especially (but id honestly include abap/mania era in this too) that stardust is like early days peteandpatrick but... healthy and i think they only could have got here by enduring this played up best friend thing in esp folie era, and then losing literally All of it and then having to build it back up again but this time knowing what is fake, knowing what is real, what they appreciated from each other and what they didnt (we can kinda see the remnants of folie in srar era when pete especially is trying to feel out what they should be doing in the public eye, but then it all but evaporates by abap era where theyre just. so much more mellow but a new type of insane cause theyre more comfortable with each other and at ease yknow?) and they may not be best friends in the Usual sense but, honestly the guy from good charlotte who had that podcast with pete a few months back put it perfectly where the Best best friends are the type where you can go weeks without talking but still know they would put it all on the line for you, and when you talk again after some time, its as easy as breathing to be around them and i think thats Exactly what peteandpatrick is. they arent the Doing everything together best friends they once were in the early days, but they know each other better than anyone in the world. they are good buddies, and theyre kinda the other's other half, too
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cubedmango · 5 months
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so this spiraled out of control, and this is me warning that my messages ahead are gonna get pretty long, so my apologies for clogging up your inbox with my ramblings as i do my best to answer your questions and stuff 😅 so basically: most toku are elaborate children's toy commercials, superhero shows, and shounen manga/anime but live-action (complete with the homoeroticism) rolled into one, although a good portion of its protagonists (especially in kamen rider, the franchise i'm most familiar with atm) are actually adults this time, albeit usually 20-something prettyboys (as to why, look up the odagiri effect if you haven't heard of it yet). and officially, toku isn't really a genre (stuff like godzilla are also considered toku), but many people outside of the jpn fandom basically treat it as such in the way they treat shounen, shoujo, seinen, josei, etc. so i guess it doesn't really matter anymore atp? (1/?)
(rest of ur asks under the cut!)
some toku are more adult-oriented, though those tend to be relegated to webseries and movies that aren't aired on tv, but again i'm not as familiar with that stuff rn. and you're right about the number of episodes - among the toku big 3 (kr, super sentai - aka the basis for power rangers, ultraman), kr and sentai seasons tend to be ~50 episodes while ultraman seasons are often around 25 instead. also all 3 of these air shows annually, but each is generally stand-alone albeit taking place in the same wider universe (mcu vibes except i think it's somewhat less annoying and with a less strict sense of having to make everything 'canon') and which can be loosely connected enough for them to have crossover movies every so often (though yeah, those tend to be not officially canon) (2/?)
among those big 3 as well, kr is definitely the go-to if you're interested in m/m subtext, whereas it's apparently less frequent (but definitely still present occasionally) in sentai and ultraman, especially as sentai in particular seems to be more big on the power of platonic friendship and family (not so sure on ultraman as that's the most unfamiliar series to me for now, though fwiw i think the template of the steel samurai in aa is relatively closer to ultraman than to the other big 2 franchises) (3/?)
as for what i'd recommend - i've actually only gotten into toku recently, but i'd say kr build (the season where inukai and akaso play the leads) is a pretty good place to start tbh! i haven't actually finished it myself, but i'm really enjoying it so far, and while i've heard it kinda stumbles in the latter third, it's generally agreed upon to be a solid season with a fairly cohesive plot and compelling characters (and the ending is kinda insane from what i know, but like mostly in a good way), and i agree so far as well. it's also one of the seasons specifically conceived as a callback to the very first kr shows in the showa era, so this way, you can get a pretty good sense of the original themes of kr even without watching said showa-era shows right away. and each kr season has its own themes too, with build's being focused on science and scientific principles, hence the protagonist here being a physicist (4/?)
build is also known for having a suspenseful thriller-like plot with a lot of twists and turns, so it's best to go in as blind as possible aside from like a cursory glance at its synopsis - basically don't follow my example, as i got spoiled for all the major plot twists and while i'm still liking the show and now focusing more on seeing how well-foreshadowed and built-up (ha) said twists have been so far, i definitely sometimes catch myself wishing i'd been a more unaware viewer from the start lol. and it's 49 episodes long (with some spin-off movies and a stageplay that, while not strictly necessary to watch due to either being not officially canon or not really relevant to the main plot, apparently do enhance the viewing experience and still tie in nicely to aspects of the main series and its character development), but due to the nature of its thriller-like story meant to hook viewers in, it might not actually take too long for you to finish (though i personally am taking it more slow and steady) (5/?)
as for the gay stuff, build is definitely worth checking out as the very originator of the life-changing phrase 'heated drama between men' (from this official promotional article www . toei . co . jp/tv/build/story/1210272_2766.html) and is also generally agreed to be one of the top kr shows (and the most recent one in years) to lay on extreme gay subtext (and again, that's saying something considering kr homoeroticism as a whole, and it's so palpable they've gotten many straight people and dudebro fans on reddit and twitter to also agree they're gay; other seasons with very heavy subtext between its 2 male leads that i can think of off the top of my head rn are ooo, blade, and ofc kuuga, the grandpa of all heisei kr shows) (6/?)
sento (the protagonist, played by inukai) and banjou (the deuteragonist, played by akaso) are considered iconic nowadays in helping elevate the primary x secondary rider partnership (bc going by those other mentioned extremely gay-coded relationships from previous seasons, none of them count as primary x secondary), and banjou by himself is often seen as redefining the secondary rider role (and also sento/banjou, or ryusen, is like peak m/m nerd x jock romance to me in general, and a fun bonus for me is even if it's yaoi, they both dress a lot like butch lesbians so in my mind they're kinda lesbian-adjacent to me, an actual lesbian). they're also really popular that they've gotten official couple's rings merch (based on their animal motifs of rabbit for sento and dragon for banjou), in the vein of narumitsu (and klapollo too if i'm not misremembering?), kawoshin, those guys from promare and code geass, etc (7/?)
speaking of aa again, i do think edgeworth would generally enjoy kr, gay subtext and all (the steel samurai probably contains heated drama between men too), and even though idk yet if kr and/or build would be his favorite toku shows as a whole, i definitely think he'd find himself relating to sento in many ways (they're both gay-coded identity crisis-having autistic guys with red in their color schemes, among some other similarities you'll discover along the way), but i think sento's relationship with misora (the main female character and his younger sister-ish figure) is overall more akin to phoenix and maya's than to edgeworth and franziska's. i don't think banjou and phoenix are that similar though, aside from being bi-coded blue-themed men associated with dragons, but edgeworth might still find a way to draw some parallels between his relationship with phoenix to the ryusen dynamic (8/?)
and while i can't guarantee build will make you feel as crazy (positive) as it's making me rn, i think you'll still like sento/banjou and the show itself... also, sento and banjou are pretty much the opposites personality-wise of inukai and akaso's characters in odt and cm (i also watched and enjoyed both shows prior to watching build, and yeah it's definitely a bit of a whiplash to see how different their respective characters are, though it does tickle me to imagine the possibility that the drama got so heated in build it inspired them to act in full-blown bls a few years later). like sento is an 'egotistical genius superhero' with a heart of gold whose arrogance is partly a facade and coping mechanism for his identity issues, and banjou is basically an adhd icon and ex-pro boxer (although lbr akaso doesn't really have a convincing enough physique for it, but well i can forgive it in the end because he's a great actor otherwise) who's very much an 'act/punch first, think later' type of dumbass but who's also a kind person at heart, albeit starting out as a bit of a selfish jerk whose (kinda understandably, in hindsight) distrustful nature makes him look out only mainly for himself and his small circle of loved ones, so i think it's nice to see both men's acting range (9/?)
anyway i'd say the love story (platonic or romantic, but well. it's really hard to read it as purely the former) between sento and banjou is truly at the heart of the show (like it's literally a story about building relationships) - in short, build is that "stop war start gay" graffitti meme. but for a better summary of what i do like overall about build that's also not very spoilery: www . tumblr . com/timetoddddavis/711997352927510528?source=share also i'm obsessed with this fmv so i must inflict it (positively) on every person i can (it's a bit spoilery but it's all out of context so it's not that big of a deal): youtu . be/-Gjzr5HmmfY?si=HUr8oZezqV_lIusZ (10/?)
(also even if you end up concluding that toku really isn't your cup of tea, you can at least maybe think of your experiences as a way to improve future aa headcanons and fics wrt its depiction of the steel samurai and company i guess?) this has gotten long enough that i'll stop here, but i did have some additional thoughts on build's female characters (sadly there's only a few of them, but they're treated well enough considered how men-centric kr generally is), how kr has actually and refreshingly also been dipping its toes into yuri(bait) recently, and the kinda morbidly funny anecdote about akaso thinking he might have gotten a crush on inukai on their first day of filming but it was actually heat stress affecting him, but i'll save those for another time if you're curious enough or are okay with me continuing to ramble. i really appreciate your time and attention, and thank you so much for entertaining me and my toku fixation :-) (11/11)
also toku fans have all made our jokes about the energy emanated by that classic 'heated drama between men' photobook image of inukai and akaso as sento and banjou but i'm also not kidding when i unironically think their posing in that picture perfectly encapsulates the characters' relationship by the end of the show... their relationship development from reluctant and kinda antagonistic allies to friends to beloved (and kinda codependent ngl but that just gives it more flavor to me, and also understandable given the circumstances of everything) partners really is a sight to behold <3
oh my god anon . thank u so much for the detailed explanation but also how long did these take u to type theres So Much Info Here ??? respect to ur fixation tho i dont think i would ever be so clear and coherent talking abt my blorbos afjdskfjkd
ANYWAY !!! u have def caught my interest w build (esp w the aa parallels and the rings mention i had no idea other franchises do it too) (also in the post u linked this line "it stars a silly little rabbit, the silly little rabbit has a death wish" i Need to understand the context behind that) so i might actually watch the first few eps and see if i enjoy it?? the chara dynamics sound rlly interesting already from ur descriptions so im curious abt how theyre in the show 👀 if theres any specific place/site ud recommend i watch id appreciate that too bc i have no idea where to look kfjdks
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So today I came across people talking about the new Harry Potter game "Hogwarts Legacy" here on Tumblr. I was curious, so I watched a trailer on YouTube. And I have to say, wow, this is really beautiful, it is so incredibly well done! I was really impressed by the graphics and the storytelling, the decision for the time that it was set in and the whole magical world that they've created, that is so talented and amazing! My teenage self would've lost her mind about it in disbelief over what is now possible in computer- and video-games! When I remember the Harry Potter computer game that I played when I was about 13! I really love that old game though, I believe it was the game for the "Chamber of Secrets". :)
Anyways, I won't completely rule out that I'll try playing it once but I'm pretty sure that a lot of dark stuff has found it's way in there too, especially seeing that it was created in our current time of so many levels of insanity. I definitely didn't like the part where a large part of this game apparently is that you have to constantly find out how to battle people and whatnot and set them on fire in mid air and sh** like this. It's just not 2002 anymore and we have to keep that in mind.
But mainly I just know that I left the mainstream Harry Potter train long ago because the commercialization got way too crazy and out of hand. I actually turned away from it when they said they were going to build a theme park. Back in our days the mere thought of it would've been outrageous. J.K. Rowling restricted so much what could and could not be done with the books and the characters, it was common sense that it wouldn't be made a hollow commercial spectacle. And I respected that and most people did. Well, things just moved in that direction and I just didn't interact with this stuff much. After all, the theme park is basically a theme park of the movies, not the magical world of the books. I'm sure that it is beautifully done though.
So concerning this new game, I think it's absolutely impressive and it has a lot of appealing aspects. After I had watched the trailer though, I thought how glad I am that I was able to experience the Harry Potter stories from back when there were only just books being published for the first time. And people went crazy to go read them right in the book shops in the night they were published. And they would dress up and have genuine, light-hearted fun with nothing on their hands but the magical things they talked about and read about. I don't want to see and experience Hogwarts through this game, as beautiful as it might have been made. I saw Hogwarts for the first time through the pages of a book that smelled a certain way and I saw it with my own 12-year-old eyes. There is nothing that will ever come close to this and there is no game, no movie, no theme park, no nothing that I would ever want to exchange for that. Ever. That is not even a possible comparison, these things are not the same.
So while I'm amazed at how this game has been made, I want my own world. I have noticed how all the cool products that we can buy nowadays are really amazing but it doesn't come close to the first time reading the books alone in my room for days without barely eating and going outside at all. And it doesn't even touch the feet of me wearing a big kerchief over my back as a cloak and wandering through the garden with the stick in my hand that was my magical wand. If I really want to feel more in the magical world that I knew, I don't have to get closer to the graphics of a computer game, I have to get closer to who I was when I was 12 years old. And create it myself.
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thelemmallama · 3 months
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An exchange in the comment section of this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d9EuKdpA1U) video that got swallowed by youtube. I hate putting all that effort into a conversation only for it to all vanish into the void, so I'm logging it here:
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A 1 year ago (edited) To be honest this game has really interesting mechanics and art but I can't stand the yandere trope & I feel like this is building up to it. I think this game is just going to end up being demonizing or romanticizing of mental illness and neither of those are really good -_-
Edit: Reply on this comment gave me some more details and I am still a bit cautious, but open to seeing more of this game!
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B 1 year ago That's fair in my opinion, it also puts me off a bit, but at the same time I feel like properly handling those topics might be asking a but much from a game of this format.
Like, again, I completely understand where you are coming from, but from my perspective the devs where just trying to represent how things aren't all positive in that kind of scenario. I try to watch it under the assumption that people won't use it as a reference on how to handle that kind of struggle in real life, but it's also perfectly reasonable to not stand for that kind of oversimplification.
A 1 year ago If you can't properly handle sensitive issues like mental health in your game, then don't put it in there. They could've made a normal game about a girl living a double life as a streamer, or an emotionally complex game with serious ups and downs. But the in-between is extremely dangerous because kids see stuff like this and grow to romanticize it. Regardless of the dev's intentions, it's irresponsible at the least.
B 1 year ago fair
B 1 year ago Hey I don't know if you still care about this conversation but I looked a bit more into this game and there's some things I want to talk about but they involve spoilers so read it if you wish to.
Spoilers below: . . .
After watching all of the endings I don't feel like this game romanticized or demonizes mental illnesses. It's a cautionary tale about just how unhealthy the "streamer" mindset can be where what at first glance seemed like an "in between" is actually the game luring in people that are interested in that kind of thing and show them just how bad it can be.
Sure, the game never really teaches how to actually deal with her mental health issues, but what it does show is that using a search for popularity and higher numbers as a coping mechanism really isn't the solution.
As for the endings themselves, they vary a lot, from her overworking herself, getting addicted and even committing suicide to more basic/joke ones like her living a normal life in a job she hates or her simply dumping you for a streamer with a horse head, the consistent theme is that she is either very unhappy or pretty much went insane. None of the endings act like she doesn't have mental issues, and none of the endings present anything she does as a solution, as again, even in the ones where she is supposedly happy it is clear that she is far from okay. The "true ending" doesn't really focus much on her mental health as she simply decides to try to make her own decisions and once she realizes she doesn't need to depend on you she removes all options in the game except turning it off and you can't play again, similar to how Doki Doki Literature Club corrupts itself at completion.
So yeah, it's a cautionary tale, doesn't teach how to deal with psychological issues, just that the "streamer mindset" can cause and intensify many of them. Probably could have executed some aspects better, then again it is kind of trying to appear simple at the start.
A 1 year ago Oh ok, thank you for this info! This does sound a lot better than I was expecting, if CMC decides to continue this playthrough I might give it more of a chance :]
@crapshoot 17 hours ago Ehhhh … I mean, a lot of people have mental health issues and want to write/make stuff about it, but have impostor syndrome ("am I actually struggling or am I just romanticizing it/using it as an aesthetic?"), exp. with all the accusations floating around about ppl faking mental illness for attention.
Plus it's hard to be vulnerable and take yourself seriously; people do this kind of in-between stuff as a coping mechanism, kind of like how people make "jokes" about serious stuff that aren't really jokes.
That's not to say media is beyond criticism and we can totally point out demonizing/romanticizing narratives and explain why a particular work handles a sensitive issue poorly, but "if you can't, then don't" is harmful imo. Even if you don't see it as problematic censorship, it often ends up silencing all the wrong people.
A 17 hours ago @crapshoot @crapshoot Hi! This comment is a bit old & I do agree with a lot of the things you mentioned. I also struggle w/mental health & seeing it poorly portrayed frustrates me, which was ultimately what led me to making this comment. I see how my phrasing was harsh, I am personally of the belief that writing from experience can pretty much never be "incorrect", and I do not know if this game was created based out of personal experience. I dislike this game for personal reasons at this point, some of which relate to the portrayal of mental health, and some do not.
A 16 hours ago @crapshoot Like my problem with this game isn't that it shows the "gritty reality" of mental health issues or is like a unique perspective on a girl's declining mental state that's unsavory to the general public. It's a tropey yandere game w/semi-unique mechanics that's draped in a cutesy style. Yandere as a genre is based on stigmatized depictions of personality disorders. To me, that sort of thing is much different than someone creating a piece of media from lived experience.
@crapshoot 16 hours ago I guess my point was not every actually knows they're writing from personal experience. Like people legitimately think "do I actually want to die or do I just want to be edgy?"/"am I actually struggling to do things because I lack energy or have executive dysfunction, or am I just lazy?". Even very basic seeming things like "I'm feeling happy/sad/angry right now", are things some people question.
And again, some people lean into tropes because they're afraid of being vulnerable, because it makes them open to accusations of "taking themselves too seriously". Being a tropey yandere game is not in itself proof that something is not written from lived experience.
(Of course, tropey yandere games do often portray things in a harmful way; I'm not disputing that. And I haven't gotten very far into the LP yet, so I'm certainly not defending this particular game that I don't know much about. I'm just criticizing the reasoning of your comment; you can be right about this game for the wrong reasons. I never thought your problem with this game is that it shows the "gritty reality" of mental health issues or is like a unique perspective on a girl's declining mental state that's unsavory to the general public.)
I hope I'm not coming across as invalidating your frustration with your experiences of mental health struggles being portrayed poorly; again, I'm in favour of criticizing media depictions. I just think certain styles of reasoning are harmful to other people with other mental health struggles that are perhaps different from your own. (But yeah, not everyone can confidently say "I struggle with mental health". I'm not sure if you're picking up on the vagueing here; I feel like I'm being pretty heavy-handed but idk -- it's not about you anyway so maybe it's better if you didn't pick up on it :'D)
A 9 hours ago @crapshoot Okay well I get a lot about what you're saying but the fact that you had to end that w/invalidating my mental health issues is.. shitty & doesn't rlly make me wanna engage with this conversation anymore. You do not know anything about me nor my lived experiences, don't speak like you do. Just because I can confidently say in this moment that I have struggles doesn't mean I always do.
@crapshoot 8 minutes ago (edited) I didn't mean to imply I knew anything about you or your lived experiences, and I'm sorry I came across that way:
When I said "other people with other mental health struggles that are perhaps different from your own", I did actually mean perhaps different, not definitely different; it was not meant to preclude you having the same issues.
Even if you can always confidently say you have struggles, that doesn't invalidate the struggles themselves.
And I did say I wasn't vaguing about you.
Your mental health issues are valid.
You don't have to continue this conversation further ofc; in case you're still reading though, if you sometimes struggle to say you have struggles, then you can understand why some people may feel the need to portray mental health issues in "jokey"/"tropey"/less straightforwardly serious ways, right?
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Why we love Five Nights at Freddy’s a tribute to an unexpected fandom
So, Five Evenings at Frederick von Ferdinand’s…
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 Ok stay with me here guys I swear it will be ok. No convoluted lore timeline analysis here… Though I can’t promise that one day I won’t throw my hat in the ring and complete my insanity completionist speed run. But until that point inevitably comes, I wanted to take a step back from all the games, comics, and hot topic merch to ask that all important question. Y?
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           No seriously how is this franchise so popular? It’s not just with the older audience either but with its apparent core demographic of kids. Which to be fully honest with its release being almost 10 years ago now all us technically started this journey as little ones, so I guess that’s not as surprising. Hm somewhere between Fazbear and today we all grew up… But I digress.
           Let me answer this question by asking another, Why is Harry Potter so popular? Some of you may say “oh it’s the world building or the characters or this that and the other thing lengardium LEveOsA!” No that’s not good enough, 10 vbucks away from Snuffleclaw house!
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These are not unique to Harry Potter, these are qualities that almost any franchise needs to become popular. But what was key to harry potters success?
It’s not a fantasy novel, it’s a mystery novel.
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Seriously it may not seem like it but almost everyone likes mystery stories. Look at Sherlock the brilliant Brit is one of the most famous characters in all of western media even though most people haven’t even read the originals. Crime tv is the only thing keeping cable tv alive, and the funny kiwi man tells me this mystery box is all he needs to make a good star wars movie! Ok maybe not all of those are the best example but that’s where the magic (heh) comes in. JK “rolling on the floor” hid the mystery series under a fantasy story about wizards, dragons, and all that actual fun stuff. But what made us stay there and not head over to re watch Lord of the rings for the 20th time to tell our friends that Viggo broke his toe, was that human trait so deadly to cats; curiosity.
           We just love what we can’t understand. We need to know it and that’s what keeps drawing us back, not only to the escapades of the least dangerous school in England. But with the recent happenings at old Freddy Foozler’s Italian Cuisine. You know a mystery is good when not even the sharpest minds of Reddit can figure it out… Ok, another bad example, but still this shit is cray just look at these timelines.
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 I can’t even tell how many kids are dead anymore! Just like Nancy Drew gets the kids’ reading, so does Harry potter, but more importantly Freddy FazeClanBear get those nerds out of them books and into gaming like God intended.
           Oh, and an aside to this is the pure fact that kids, despite all signs saying no, the little munchkins love to be scared. You know how it felt right? When you watched that episode of goosebumps with the pig head kid with all the lights off? You felt a little braver when it was all over. And it’s the same reason why we all loved to play those violent games or raunchy episodes of family guy when we were kids. When a youngin sees the ratings anything over their given age that’s a challenge. Adult stuff has been and always will be seen as cool and edgy; and gosh dang it if there’s one truth in this world besides the indisputable fact that blue is a flavor and can be only distilled in the 7 eleven slushie machine. It’s that kids want to be cool, and the Possessed Chuck e Cheese Copyright Infringement Brigade got the keys to that all so coveted cool kids club.
    ��      Another aspect that’s gonna get a bit strange is the idea of Character…
Now logically you will ask “how can a bunch of possessed animatronics with a vocal range of distorted child scream to guttural groan from the depths of hell, have any actual character?” Well, My good friend take a trip with me to the forbidden forest of the human subconscious: The internet!!!
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Well mainly one aspect I’ve noticed through my many hours spent trudging the coded catacombs in search of the dankest and rankest of memes. That is, when faced with fear we usually try to make it funny. The following are in cannon possessed by a dead kids.
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This comedic-fication of Freddy and the Gang came form two sources. First of course was wanting a sense of relief. You can’t be afraid of something when it’s got a mouth full of blunts dancing to snoop doggy dog’s Cremate Cannabis Customarily. And also it was just a natural consequence of the game itself for example. You in the back what is the equation for comedy?
(Pause for your stuttering response)
         That’s right!
          Misery + Time= Funny
          Exactly! Good job gold star for you champ see me after class and maybe you’ll get a little treat~ Wait sorry wrong script hold on (shuffles papers).
          Ahem here we are... These games while also being scary were at times insanely difficult to the point where even the man behind the game itself was unsure if its higher difficulties could even be completed. But from the misery of fear and rage, came the memes of dank and WANK… No no stop no nsfw here! Gosh these scripts are all over the place hold on.
           Ahemx2. Now these comedic bits also happened to mix with some of the core gameplay behaviors of the animatronic animals which lead to some odd things starting to rise to the surface. A Character.
           Take Foxy for example. An aggressive gameplay loop, mixed with his implied solitary nature in Pirates Cove made him generally a grumpy kind of guy who hates the night guard. Maybe he’s even more aware of the situation than the others. Then the big Faz himself with a more strategic code and being the main cheese himself, maybe he’s like the begrudging ring leader of the group and just too tired for this shit. And Bota Bing Bota boom in the primordial soup of Tumblr and deviantart… and hint of furry. You have characters! and characters need stories, and drama, dynamics, backstories, and ships! Oh the ships, the ships like FEDEX!!! And since these primordial soup characters are 50% meme by volume, there is no cannon! But then also, everything is cannon!
        So just like that weird doujin writer taking a bunch of legendary characters and making some weird dating sim and taking up whatever lore he wanted because that’s what everyone did before him (ie Fate Stay Night). So too did Xxgoldenshadowfreddy1987xX using MS paint make his series of comics detailing the break room shenanigans of Freddy and Co. And also inspired the likes of Thisaccountismine23 to write the most poetic story about the end of life, the eternal essence of the soul, and how it can be seen in the eyes of a child. Which just so happened to be set in the Fnaf 2 location with Mike Schmidt and his oddly attractive robot furry friends.
           You see what I’m getting at here? This is why it’s so damn popular. It’s this weird combination of memes, murder, and mystery; it creates a beautiful canvas that’s both as blank and as filled as any creative person wants it to be. And its self-feeding loop too. Fanon affects how one sees the cannon, and with a canon in constant flux and a fanon that shouldn’t even exist, you got yourself a recipe for a once in a lifetime Super Fandom.
           And to wrap this up in a nice little bow you could show your therapist this Friday, I wanted to take a moment and say a few words. 434 to be exact. If there’s one thing I learned growing up and working with kids allot, especially as I got older myself, is that there’s nothing worse than seeing yourself become that adult whose not just out of touch but who mocks a kids hobbies and interests and makes them feel bad for what they’re into. I knew what that was like and I’m sure anyone watching young or old knows what that’s like too. It hurts and it can make that thing that you liked, that gave you a bit of joy or comfort, have a sour taste in your mouth. And that can hurt all the worse. So when I caught myself being like that to these little ones, I didn’t like it. So I swore to be better than that. Now I joke about ‘fuck them kids all the time’. But it’s only a joke pure and simple. I don’t call any of these things cringe anymore even if it doesn’t jive with me, even if I feel cringed by it, I try not to be that way anymore. I don’t like shitting on what could be a kids first forefronts into art, music, or writing. I sure as hell don’t want them looking back on their old work and feel ashamed. If they moved on or not it doesn’t matter, they should be proud of their work, any work, if they gave their all. Hell, you can take a good look at my YouTube channel (@lazyboywiseguy) (#shamelessplug). I know damned well some of that stuff could be called cringe today but I’ll tell you what. Some those vids did some numbers and that means that someone somewhere enjoyed them. To that someone and to me they are not cringe. I like those things and the things I made with them. I like FNAF and the weird ass community it made for itself. And I just want to say to you at home, don’t worry about cringe or based, just be, for that is based-est thing of all. And kids don’t let some old bat say the stuff your into is wack yo. And to any older readers don’t be ashamed of anything that gives you joy. In reality that’s a lesson for young and old. Life’s too short for that, be happy and be good, that’s all you need.
           Sorry to end this on a less than memey note but I think that’s enough out of me. This FNAF lore script won’t put me in the insane asylum itself. So back to my mad ramblings I go, until next time. Smell ya latter.
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demon-bfoty · 1 year
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watched a tonne more movies since my last post, so here are some of my quick notes! note that this will have some spoilers for all the movies below so yknow
Nightmare on Elm Street
good story, good writing. much more of a story it felt than the others I watched. Or maybe i mean more content that is plot than just running and dying. cool kinda sins of the father thing. nancy was p cool in that last part. great visuals and effects. freddy got clowned on
Mandy
extrmely good stuff. throughout there were such amazing visuals and shots. the use of colour and lighting was phenominal. the build up to the instigating event was so well paced, and then the secquence of nic cage essentially becoming the slasher and all the action was unreal. great job from all and great acting. nic plays an entirely broken man extremely well. the mild otherworldly aspect was great esp when it turns out to all just be drugs. and how they used the sound!!! all the effects and distortions and reverbs and god knows what else theyre all called but they were fantastic
Scream
fun movie! liked how self aware it was of the slasher genre, makes sense being Wes Craven. the slasher himself was real entertaining and the characters were well written. all the teen like issues and emotional stress. good effects on the kills, still practical which i like. amazing how simple yet iconic the killer outfit is. deffo felt like a good evolution of the slashers that came before it, fun and a bit campy but still serious about it being a horror while having fun with it. while the killer identity wasnt too surprising, and the fact there were 2, i wasnt expecting lillard to be the other! was real good surprise
The Ring
like the amount of focus on the chars and the like history/mystery of it all. the horror elements were cool and well done, lot less of it than the previous ones i have here but strong when used. lot more time given to tension and fear the chars are facing. very green movie.
Mad God
i loved that but idk if i got it lmao. but what a visual masterpiece. an absolute grotesque nightmare with so many questions never to be answered. aesthetic and auditory thrill ride. I do not even know what I can write about this one, I think it just has to be experienced. The way it made me feel, the things I got to experience - I wont be forgetting this for a long time. (ty @zenshousewife for the rec!)
The Omen
yea that p good! well done story and well acted. i can see why at the time this would be freaky to people. the premise for how they came to adopt damien was a bit fricked but sure, american politician. deffo liked the insidious evil vibes. good musicThe Babadook
that was extremely good. EXTREMELY GOOD. taking the time to really build the stress and have us relate to her, while slowly creeping in the horror bits, building to that final act, and that final learning to live with and control your monsters. both the literal and metaphorical stories going on were so good. the design of the babadook itself was simple but effective. the sound design was sick, as was the cinematograhpy. the use of the glitchy visual and frame skipping or lagging almost really worked for me for heightening her stress levels and the fear
The Terminator
very good! deffo see why it was considered horror, even if it was not too horrory. arnie played the robot killer well, though still a bit goofy. when it turns into an actual robot skeleton i think it is way more effective as a scary thing, especially that last part in the factory when it is chasing them, and then chasing her after being blown up. being constantly stalked by this undying killing machine, and sarah's fear feels very real. the fake arnie head was a bit goofy, but the robot skeleton effects were so good. extremely sick. ALSO THE SYNTHS!!!!!
Annihilation
like fuckin hell. if ever i wished i had an insane audio setup it's right now. that was a fucking lesson in audio and visuals. every sound, every noise was just perfect. and every shot was freaking beautiful. the COLOURS! the LIGHTING! it perfectly portrayed what the story was doing. amazing movie. the exhale i had at the end
The Medium
what a movie. absolutely loved the presentation style, it worked so well for this story and heightened it. the acting was suburb, cold feel every emotion. everyone did so damn well. such a tense movie, and so much to stress. extreme recommendation. mink's performance was amazing. the thai culture being presented here, while foreign to me, was shown so well that i could see the importance and the history of it. truly an amazing experience
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hippienerrd · 2 years
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Picture perfect: Sky × OC
Chapter 1
As of this moment the an is to have the majority of chapters follow Alex however in some chapters such as this one it wont but what makes this chapter so different is i wont tell you who its following, you'll figure it out in time by the end of the chapter :) -💜
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The midnight blue velvet curtains came to a close, the show was now over. I stayed seated as I thought about the many aspects of the show that I liked, the detailed set that showed every imperfection in the buildings in the most perfect way, the glittery disco-esk costumes, the beautifully executed light design, and of course the actors and actresses.
As the lights came on in the house I rose from my seat and made swift sweeps of the room with my eyes, skimming for specific people, watching as many families made their way out some with their stars that we all came to see tonight, some without. Eventually I spotted my good friend and the reason i am here, Kristin. Kristen teaches high school theater and she invited me to come watch their final musical of the year, 'Mamma Mia!'. I've come to many shows here but this is the first one that I have really served a purpose at, other than watching obviously.
When I reach Kristen I am greeted with a hug and a very bright smile followed up with "thank you so much for coming" "it was my plea-" I begin to reply before she cuts me off with her statement of excitement "seriously, it means the world to me and even more to the kids. Anything stick out at ya?" She asks seeming like she may combust with pure joy. She's always been a very bubbly person, since we met in the 10th grade but i don't think I've ever seen her this ecstatic about something.
"Your Donna was stunning all around and well casted on your part" she took my brief pause as an opportunity to slip in a "thank you" but immediately after I continued. "Your Rosie was quite good too, I could tell she really felt like the character up there, and whoever designed set has an amazing eye for detail, I mean the set is just- wow! Although that's not really my department" we both let out a small laugh at the last comment made.
"Closing night we always meet back in the classroom before leaving to give some applause for each other and play a few games would you care to join?" Kristen asked, i simply nodded my head as she lead me to her classroom.
Entering the room my initial thought was to try and match faces with who i saw on stage and the teens before me. Kristen and i took the center if the floor and she yelled out "circle up", all if the teens in the room quickly formed a circle around us and Kristen began a little speech.
"Id like to start tonight's discussions with a few announcements, as always my first is you all did amazing and I'm so proud if the progress you all have made since the beginning of the year so everyone give yourselves a round of applause!" She paused waiting for the claps to die down then she continued. "Second matter that needs some attention are our seniors, if I could ask all if my seniors to come join us in the middle of the circle" approximately 7 students stepped forward and came to stand with Kristen and I as everyone clapped again.
"To all of my seniors it has been a true blessing to have you in my class these past 4 years and similarly to what I said to everyone else I am so insanely proud of the progress you have all made in your time with me, I hope you never stop growing and never stop pursuing your dreams weather it be Broadway, movies, or something completely out if the realm of acting. One last round of applause for my lovely lovely seniors" everyone began cheering again, but this time it went on longer than before and the kids got more rowdy. Kristen quieted them all eventually and continued yet again.
"Lastly I'm sure you have all noticed but I have a friend here with me, he has been to quite a few of our shows and probably recognizes a few familiar faces, however this time not only is he here as my friend but also as a talent agent for Disney, more specifically their live musicals. Now! I'm going to ask my seniors to take over this lovely crowd and lead some games"
Kristen lead me out of the circle and over to her desk where we chatted about life mostly, but i couldn't help but notice the awards shelved behind her desk, many different names being presented awards for many different things, however one name appeared more than others, 'Alex', I tried to think back to the past shows and remember an Alex but Kristen caught me staring at an award for a monologue that was presented to Alex and spoke up.
"Alex is one of our best performers here, she played Donna tonight so based off of your comment earlier I'm sure you think so too." She said with a soft smile "picking a best out of my students is like picking a favorite child, i can't, however I can pick a most passionate and devoted of my students. I have had her for 10 classes in her 4 years here and when i tell you that girl is the most devoted person ever, I mean it. She's been in my acting class all 4 years as well as dance class, she also joined my technical theater class for 2 years, not to mention her being an active member of our thespians troop and dance team" Kristen finished with a smile knowing she helped teach and mentor this future star and i cant say I'm not impressed, she's right I don't think I've ever seen someone so passionate about their art.
Kristen saw the gears in my brain turning and decided to leave me alone, I sat and watched the students play zip zap zop while I thought about anyone who I might need to pull aside at the end of tonight. This Alex girl was definitely top of my list but there were some other notable people as well.
The thing with finding people for Disney next project is most of them have to be pretty young and parents aren't typically fond of their children dropping out of school to be an actor no matter what the offer is so I tried to keep focus on everyone, but especially the seniors.
As the nights end came closer and closer I decided it was time i pulled some students aside, trying to be as discreet as possible so other kids don't feel bad the performers I'm interested in took turns meeting me in the dressing room to talk.
The final person on my list for tonight was Alex, i went and stood next to her and quietly asked her to talk away from the noise. she seemed almost shocked, but followed, although i don't know how she could be shocked with a history like hers and her talent.
We took our seats at the makeup tables "you have quite the impressive portfolio set up for yourself here Ms. Alex" I stated to get the ball rolling. "thank you, I've been working hard ever since I knew I enjoyed preforming arts to get where I am" she replied. "I can tell" I chuckled. "So, lets cut to the chase" I began "I'm currently looking for people I think would wow our team at auditions here in a few days. If you can get yourself out to New York there will be auditions for the national tour of Newsies this Sunday, do you think you'd be up for that?" "Absolutely" she nearly shouted with no hesitation. Another chuckle rumbled from my chest at Alex's antics "ok well if you'll write your e mail down for me ill send you all the information and ill hopefully see you there"
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, i know this is an odd start but i thought maybe a bit of mystery at the beginning could be fun. All of the other chapters will be pretty straight forward, this is the ONLY chapter with this format, so if this chapter happened to be confusing don't worry all you need to get from it is Alex was just scouted for Newsies after Playing Donna in Mamma Mia in her final high school show and the other chapters will be easier to grasp.-💜
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thetoadghoul · 3 years
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Volunteering: (Ohtani x Reader) <333 (Part - 2)
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part 1!
plot: Wednesday’s game arrives which Ohtani invited you to, some bonding time before the first pitch <3 slowwwburn, long cause idk details are fun lol
Wednesday quickly arrived, made much faster by the crazy amount of work you were required to do for your ‘actual’ job. The last three days had been spent with you running around the LA area, as well as cyberspace, to serve your role as interpreter. It was hell, for more reasons than one. The biggest of all being that even though you were not in Japan at the moment, you were still required to wear a proper suit. That meant a tight navy skirt, stockings, and some blasted heels. Sexist men, long meetings, and endless paperwork aside, you enjoyed your job for the most part - but this aspect really wore on you. However, the pain in your feet wouldn't damper your excitement for tonight’s game. Today you were not actually volunteering at the Angels stadium.
The day before yesterday, when you were actually volunteering, a bashful Ohtani had tapped you on the back while you were picking up baseballs from the batting cages. When you turned around the giant man was holding out a lanyard with an attached document, marked ‘VIP Guest of Player’. It took all you had not to let your hands shake with nerves as you reached out and grabbed it gingerly.
“Uh, see you on Wednesday.” The man looked to the side awkwardly, running a hand through his hair.
“...Yeah.” You responded with a small smile, feeling stupid, but it was all you could think of.
“Well, uh, I better go...” He motioned behind his back with a lazy thumb, staring to jog backward.
You nodded quickly, rushing to go back to picking up balls before you said something super lame, or weird.
It wasn’t till you were on the way home did you take a look at the back of the stadium pass. It read ‘Guest of Shohei Ohtani’. So he had put in the request for you, that was just like him, so kind. It would be an understatement to say you weren’t excited for tomorrow.
-----
Currently, your heart was still racing, but for another reason other than a certain super cute and insanely talented baseball player. It was because it was almost three-thirty in the afternoon and you were running around your company-provided apartment, trying to get ready as fast as you could. Ippei let you know you should get there around four-thirty, by then the team would have been done warming up and starting to enjoy a pregame meal while the away team got the field to themselves. From that point onwards, pretty much everyone was free to relax in the clubhouse till just before the first pitch.
With little time to consider, not even enough time to take a shower after having just got off work, you went with an oversized red T-shirt, baggy jeans, and some cool Jordan’s. This was your go-to, and it was comfortable. You don’t have many clothes anyway, living out of a suitcase.
Right as you were about to run out of the door you remembered to grab your standard Angels cap, it had been provided to you as part of your volunteer uniform a while back, slipping it on over your tight work bun. You would let your hair down later.
All right, everything was in order, Uber scheduled, lanyard secured.
It took about half an hour to arrive at the stadium, and once it came into view, you instructed the driver to let you out in front of the ballpark entrance. It had been a long time since you got to go through the gates as a member of the audience, it actually gave you a wave of nostalgia seeing everyone in their gear, so hyped up for the game, tailing gating outside for what was probably hours.
Once you were through, you started walking through the concession stands and various other stalls, dodging around the fans that were already inside watching the warm-ups, as well as hanging out drinking and eating. There were pictures of Ohtani everywhere, people taking turns snapping pictures of each other in front of the various cutouts of him. The air was buzzing with energy, and it seemed like all for that guy. Honestly, you had worked for a couple different teams over the years, but you had never seen hype like this. It was surreal, seeing a legend in the making.
You smiled, gripping the lanyard around your neck, making your way through the stadium. Shohei was super nice to do this for you, really, you should show him your support. Maybe a quick peek in the team store would do? Plus, you deserved to spend some money on yourself. After all, this was the first time you had really been ‘out’ in the almost three months you had been in California. Your free time was either working, volunteering, video games, or sleep.
You took a couple moments in the Angel's merch shop, quietly perusing the aisles, keeping an eye out for any Ohtani-themed items. Unfortunately, there weren’t really that many, probably sold out by the fans. What was there, was way too small for you.
“Y/n, you here to watch the game?” A young voice sounded.
When you turned to see who addressed you, a familiar girl was standing there grinning.
“Hey Jordan! I didn’t know you were working tonight.” You grinned back.
Jordan worked at the store as a stock manager, she was close in age to you so the two of you often hung out. You had invited her over a couple times, both bonding over your love for crappy reality TV, beer, and of course, baseball.
“Yeah it was last minute, a girl was feeling sick and there wasn’t anyone else cept’ me.” She sighed.
“Bummer, text me if you need help?” You offered, to which she waved you off.
“Nah, you enjoy being here and NOT working.” She chuckled, walking over to organize a messy shelf.
“So, you looking for something in particular?” The girl glanced over her shoulder.
“Uh yeah, you recommend any cool Ohtani stuff? Or is there any at all... seems wiped clean in here.” You said while looking around.
“Ohtani? You here to cheer him on too then. Wanna catch his eye.” She teased.
“Don’t say it like I’m just here for my like, prince charming.” You snapped back playfully, but, maybe a little too fast.
“Aren’t you?” She pressed with an eyebrow.
“Okay, I’m leaving.” You pouted, fake walking away.
“I’m just kidding, actually, stay here for a second I might have something you’ll like.” Jordan yelled as she jogged off to the back room behind the counters.
You did as you were told and when she came back there was a large white Angels jersey in her hands.
“Ta-da!” She grinned, twisting it around to show the player’s name on the back.
“Oh, it’s in Kanji? That’s cool, I didn’t know these existed?” You questioned, running your finger over the ‘tani’ character of Ohtani.
“It’s the last one on the floor, had to grab it off the mannequin. Hope it’s not too big? It’s XL?” She questioned, passing it to you to hold.
“Nah it’s perfect, can’t you tell.” You joked holding the jersey next to you, while you showed off your oversized clothes.
“Figured it'd be fine, wanna get rung up? I’ll give you that ‘good good’ employee discount. But, don’t tell anyone.” She smiled, heading to the register, to which you nodded and jogged after her.
After you finished your purchase and waved bye to Jordan, it was time to head to the clubhouse. It was around five, so you were later than you planned but Shohei usually practiced batting in the cages a little while longer while everyone headed in. Slipping the plastic shopping bag into your purse, and ripping the tags off your new jersey, you slipped it on over your T-shirt, smoothing out the material as best you could. It felt great to finally have some real merch from the team, and part of you sort of wondered what Ohtani would think when he saw you. Hopefully, it wasn’t too much to just show up in his gear after he pretty much randomly invited you, let alone in the stadium-specific one, as you just learned from your colleague.
After you got to an employee-only doorway, you pushed on it hoping it was actually open. Ippei had also let you know via text that it would be unlocked for you. Another kindness of Shohei, not just inviting you, but making sure you had access to all the catering and AC inside the resisted area of the building. You slipped in and locked the door behind you, not wanting to encourage some intoxicated fans to follow. The hallway was empty and cool as you started making your way to the clubhouse.
You were admittedly a bit nervous by the time you got to the doors, feeling a bit awkward about strutting in as anyone other than a volunteer for the first time. Carefully you pushed open the door, making sure not to hit anybody. The room was full of chatter, some players eating, some playing cards, others watching TV on the room's monitors. You looked around for Ohtani, but he wasn’t there yet apparently. No matter, you strolled in and went for the snack area. Truthfully you hadn’t eaten since that morning, and that was just a toasted bagel. Turning your back to the rest of the room, you began filling up your plate with cocktail shrimp and grapes.
“Nice jersey.” Ippei said, coming up next to you, grabbing small sandwiches for his plate.
“Is that sarcastic?” You questioned with a smile, finishing your plate.
“Nah, I’m sure he likes it.” Ippei jerked his head to the left.
He? You leaned back to see around the man, meeting Shohei’s surprised face almost immediately. Had he been standing there the whole time? He had obviously been staring at your back, at his name, bashfully looking up to your face when you moved, blinking a couple times to clear his eyes.
“I uh, got it ten minutes ago.” You grinned awkwardly, pointing your thumb proudly at the jersey, hoping he wouldn’t think you were a weirdo.
The large player didn’t say anything, blinking more slowly this time before opting to just nod gently, with a quick “thanks for your support”, hurriedly leaning forward to start filling his plate with all kinds of foods.
—-
Once everyone had their food the three of you found a place to sit while you ate, it was at the back of the room away from the noise, and where the two usually sat before a game anyways. A small conversation started while the three of you ate calmly.
“Why... do you only have grapes, and shrimp?” Ohtani questioned suddenly, looking at your plate baffled. You looked down at it as well, pausing for a moment trying to find out what was so weird about that.
“Uh, well, it’s because... these things are... super expensive in Tokyo. It’s like a rich person food to me.” You smiled, eating a couple shrimps happily.
“Wow. That’s so sad.” Ippei chuckled before taking a bite of his sandwich.
Shohei on the other hand burst out laughing at your response, making you laugh a bit too at your pitiful confession.
“Seriously, I feel like a mega-rich, and very posh, Ginza lady right now - eating nothing but shrimp and fruit. So fancy right? ” You exclaimed, popping a grape in your mouth.
The Japanese player laughed even harder, tears building up as he wiped his eyes.
“Those people wouldn’t touch that stuff with a three-meter stick.” Ippei stated, letting out a small laugh.
“Just let me have my moment.” You pouted through a smile, shoving more shrimp in your mouth.
The other man calmed down finally and was now sitting there smiling while he ate.
“So, fancy y/n, are you okay to sit in the dugout tonight. Not too unrefined for you?” Ippei questioned with a smirk.
“That’s, allowed?” You asked, surprised.
“Yeah, if you want to. Can’t stay there the whole time, but.” The man responded nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.
“It’s the best place to hear, ‘the surprise’.” Shohei added, food in the process of being shoved in his mouth.
“Well, doesn’t seem like there’s any other option.” You smiled at the player, who nodded in acknowledgment.
“He’s batting first tonight, you won’t have to wait long.” Ippei spoke, starting on the next sandwich.
“Hope me being in there won’t be bad luck.” You joked.
“You believe in that?” Ippei smirked.
“My family ingrained it into me, wasn’t allowed to watch a single super bowl game in the living room till I literally moved out.” You frowned, stabbing a grape.
“Harsh.” The man smirked with a small laugh under his breath.
“You will be good luck, for sure.” Shohei leaned forward in a hunch to take another bite of food, smiling sincerely at you as he looked up from his food.
“Then, I will see to it that will become a very good omen. Please believe in me.” You responded in the highest form of keigo you knew, bowing rigidly from your seat for comedic effect. Since you never studied that level of grammar, it was really freaking bad, causing the two men to laugh again.
“You’re funny.” Ippei chuckled.
“Yeah, and your Japanese is so good though?” Shohei exclaimed, eyebrows raised, eyes wide.
“Nah it’s pretty bad, I fell off the study wagon a long time ago.” You laughed awkwardly, waving a hand in front of your face.
“You’d be there forever if you stayed on.” Ippei chuckled again, while Shohei nodded in sullen agreement.
“Writing would be nice though, having to look up every other kanji at the doctor's office, or like city hall makes me literally sweat, like, a lot. Buckets. But when I look around, I'm the only one.” You giggled.
“You’re so honest.” Shohei chuckled, wiping his mouth with a napkin, still leaning forward in his chair, you grinned back at him. Your eyes locked for a while, you had never noticed, but his eyelashes were sort of long.
At that moment Ippei had to take a call, letting the two of you know he’d be back in a bit, walking off. The two of you looked away and finished eating in silence.
When you looked up from your empty plate, the large player was now staring at you with a soft expression. The warmth in his eyes made you blush, he didn’t even break his gaze once he was caught like he usually did. You responded back to him simply with a shy smile, before being the one to avert your own eyes to the floor again.
Thankfully at that moment, a group of Angels came over, slapping the Japanese man on the back, starting up a conversion. They were going over strategies for the game and overall just getting hyped up. You didn’t have much to input, so you just kind of sat there enjoying the excited chatter. Shohei smiled merrily the whole time, inserting little jokes, completely affected by their excitement. The way he carried himself really reminded you that the essence of baseball was really just about having fun with your teammates and giving it your all. He looked simply happy to be there, and it made you smile too, just watching him goof off. It was charming to see his duality of being a just big kid with endless laugher, versus the super-serious, and seasoned player he was on the mound.
You were really trying hard not to but, you were rapidly developing feelings for Shohei. The last three months of volunteering here, you of course thought he was really cute and kind, classic boyfriend material. A simple crush, like many of the girls working around him, surely had as well. However the possibility of you two actually dating had always been a foreign concept, one which stopped you from even considering it, at all, you just didn’t know if you even could. With you both traveling for work, how would there be time? Plus, what about the media? His family? Yours? All those things seemed unscalable walls, that is, until this moment, when you could feel his gentle eyes on you once again.
Maybe, there was something? Or maybe, he was just a super nice guy, and you were treated no different than anyone else.
When you snapped out of your thoughts, Shohei was starting to stand up, grabbing everyone’s empties plates. He reached his hand towards you, asking for the one in your hand with a tiny nod of his head, to which you thanked him, stood up, and handed it over.
Well.
Either way, you were so screwed.
-------
Hope you enjoyed! <3
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So... I have a lot of thoughts on the finale. I've deliberately kept my mouth shut, more or less, on the campaign overall because I'm a firm believer that you can't pass judgement -- at least not complete judgement -- on stories until they're over and done with.
Well, it's done! Kind of crazy. I've been watching Critical Role with almost insane consistency, viewing almost every single episode live, with maybe five-ish exceptions, since episode 19, and I've been blogging it for, what, two and a half years?
It's a weird feeling. It's been such a constant thing for me that I'm always gonna have love for it and remember with a lot of fondness.
...Which is in spite of the fact that I can now comfortably say I'm pretty eh on the ending. I know not being positive about something most of us have loved a lot for a very long time can sting a bit, but I personally think it also stings when people relentlessly crow over how good they think it is or want it to be, to the point where you feel you can't voice your absolutely valid upsets or dissatisfactions. So, here goes, if anyone's interested! I'd be curious to see other opinions, too!
I actually drafted a post talking about my overall frustrations with the campaign a whole two weeks ago, and then scrapped most of it when 140 blew me out of the water. I was really touched, and really happy. I hadn't expected it, but it shockingly felt right, you know?
Unfortunately 141 robbed me of most of that satisfaction and brought me right back to neutral.
The blanket statement you have to make, of course, is that you can’t criticise this as a DnD game, and you can’t be mad at the cast for playing it in a way they think is best for them. They’re the players, Matt’s the DM, and in the end it makes no sense for them to try to make themselves act how they think the audience wants them to, and I’m sure most of the audience wouldn’t like the result anyway.
That said, there is an audience. And that’s where I see this clash coming in. As a DnD game, as long as the players and DM have all enjoyed it and been satisfied, it’s a successful game! But for us, it’s not a DnD game. For us, we’re watching a story be written in real time through the medium of an RPG. And while as a DnD game you can’t fault it, as a piece of media, I completely get why the way things have gone has sat weirdly for a lot of people.
It's not satisfying to see so many character hooks dealt with so quickly or left as an offscreen "and then you do it." If they don't want to keep playing to dive into it, absolutely, but for us who have been watching this as a story with all these character elements get so built up, it's a huge anti-climax.
Which is a lot of what this campaign has been, really.
Oh, Nott’s cursed! But through a really cool character moment that problem is completely taken care of with no consequences we see. Yay, I want her to be Veth and that was an iconic move from Jester! Still, it kind of feels like this was built up to be a big problem and at the first success it was let go... Caleb's got a really intense frightening past he tries to hide, I wonder how the Mighty Nein will respond? Oh, they found out, but it's not a difficult revelation for anyone. Looks like it's easy for them to move past it and forgive. Yeah, that's healthiest for the characters, but huh, kinda undercuts it as a storyline or point of interest. Oooh, Avantika’s back! Ah, they’ve killed her and grabbed the eye again. I mean I don’t want them to die or for Uk’otoa to be free, but I’m starting to feel like that’s not much of a threat anyway. The Traveler’s been kidnapped! Nah he hasn’t, he tried to save Jester so he was let go with no further issue, and also he wasn’t actually in any danger anyway. Oh... Cool. So... Why should I care or be worried?
And these are just the biggest ones I remember being kind of let down by. I wanted to see them STRUGGLE for the successes to have meaning. To my view, threats of failure -- real failure -- really decreased the more the campaign went on, with a few exceptions.
Because don't get me wrong, we've definitely had struggles, and those have made for some of the best moments! Molly’s death, Yasha’s kidnapping, Yeza’s imprisonment. When failures that were threatened are allowed to occur, it’s far more gratifying when it’s followed by success, because you understand that that success was actually necessary. It shows us that what they do really means something.
Honestly, that's why the final battle really shut me up, because nothing makes you quite feel stakes and failure like having two PCs die, and having a resurrection ritual fail -- AND knowing that failure would be delivered on, had it not been for a seemingly miraculous roll of the dice to turn it around. One of the greatest failure's -- Molly's death -- made the success of his resurrection put a lot of my other issues to rest immediately, because to be honest? Molly's resurrection was the biggest success of the campaign, exactly because it was originally the biggest failure.
But this episode, we got to see the other side of making threats and successes feel disappointing -- when you get the impression that success was robbed from you. Again, their characters, their choices, but to have them roll an intervention to get Molly's soul, to convince Molly to come back with his own possessions they've so loved, after so long and so many struggles... only to apparently not get Molly at all?
Changed, of course. Memories, maybe he'd never get them back, though that seems inconsistent to how the initial resurrection was played and Matt's hints. It even makes sense that not having his memories and being a bit different, he might forge a new identity, but insisting Molly was a different person entirely after such a supposed hard won success to get Molly back, especially after what his death meant to the audience and potentially healing that old wound? It robs the narrative of a LOT of catharsis, at least for me and I know many others.
Trent, too, I'm very up and down on. He was so built up -- and what fun that build up had -- and I very much disagreed with the idea that the best story would be dealing with him offscreen.
It's true that you don’t need to explicitly address, confront, or explore every big aspect of character's story hooks and background ties for PCs to move past them and grow healthily. But that does not make it a satisfying viewing experience. People quietly healing in real life is healthy. People quietly healing in an explosive fantasy setting is frustrating for the audience.
What on earth is the point of a story if you don’t get to SEE THE ESTABLISHED CONFLICTS go anywhere? A lot of the characters got distant, quiet resolutions, if that, to everything we wanted to see.
Except, we did get to see Trent. It was a really fun, inventive battle, from opening to conclusion, but much like Travelercon, much like Nott's/Veth's problem with the hag, these were things that the audience in general wanted to see be really dug into and explored, and every single one of them got, in my opinion, quickly tidied up instead. Trent got beaten in the first and only proper battle they had with him, which, after all his build up, is pretty disappointing for a villain many of us wanted to see be a big deal. It really just felt like they were trying to tidy up to get on with the epilogue, which is not what a lot of us were looking for with Trent especially.
And that's how most of their endings felt to me. It didn't feel like any of them had reached a comfortable conclusion. Literally all of them, bar Veth and Caduceus, continued on their character journey threads, without each other and very quickly. Meeting Yasha's tribe and Vandran, Caleb finally openly debating changing time for his parents, Trent and Zeenoth's trials and the changing of the guard at the Assembly... All were things it would have been so fun to have all the PCs react to and explore together, and instead they were fleeting encounters in the latter half of a seven hour finale.
Is all this, from Molly not really coming back to Trent being a finale side plot to the Nein continuing on their individual journeys, potentially realistic to how these fantastical things might go down in real life? Sure! But that's not necessarily a good thing.
Stories THRIVE on conflict and resolution. That’s what makes them FUN! Conflict isn’t nearly so fun in real life and resolutions are often frustrating question marks, so no, past a certain point I don’t WANT stories to be realistic. I want stories to be SATISFYING.
And campaign 2 has fallen far short of the mark.
I haven’t spoken... Basically a word of this for most of the campaign, because as I said I’m a firm believer that you can’t necessarily judge something until it’s over, and because I ALSO firmly believe that being negative WHILE trying to enjoy something is counterproductive. I have had no interest in spoiling or naysaying the fun of the campaign for anyone, least of all myself.
But it's done now, and all I can say is... I really have had fun. I love the characters. I love their relationships. I’m pretty okay with where they’ve ended up. I’m not mad, really, and I’m still going to think of this campaign with a lot of affection. But it hasn’t been a satisfying story, even though for a week following episode 140 I thought, despite all the brushed over story threads, it might be.
So... to try and reclaim some of that satisfaction for myself, I might ignore some aspects of the finale proper. Namely Kingsley specifically. Taliesin's choice -- but to me, it's pretty clear that who we saw at the end of 140 was Molly, and the tags on my posts will reflect that, just as my 141 tags will be for both Kingsley and Molly, for clarity's sake. I personally want to believe Molly did come back, however others might want to interpret it. The victory in 140 that meant so much to me is hollow otherwise, and it just kind of hurts that we would lose Molly after everything. I was okay with him being dead -- I'm not so okay with his resurrection being stolen.
Kingsley will always be canon, but Molly is what I choose to acknowledge. I get if you don't like that take, and that's okay! I didn't care for canon's in the end. That's the good thing about storytelling, is that no one can stop you from making your own versions.
For the people who are hopefully hyped for campaign 3, heck yeah have fun! I’m on the fence. My investment, which... I think I can objectively say was pretty substantive as this blog will attest, doesn't feel rewarded, so I’m not convinced I can faithfully keep up for over three years all over again with a strong possibility that I will once again be left disappointed. It's been a huge chunk of my life, and... yeah!
I’ll take a break, probably, view (and liveblog, if people want!) campaign 1 when I’ve had a mental stretch and vacation, and then... I might start campaign 3. I definitely won’t be able to put the same time in it I did campaign 2 (my first love no matter what), knowing that it’s likely to not be so vindicated, in the end.
I swear I’m actually writing this in fairly good humour, but I totally get its always disappointing when the people you come to for fandom enjoyment just aren't sharing your fun. Honestly I’m half tempted to write all those frigging AUs I have sitting around! But I wanted to say my piece, and try and logically outline why this ending has been lacklustre for so many people, ultimately myself included.
Episode 140 felt right because it felt like a natural conclusion -- these disparate people coming together and finally being whole, finally soothing the hurt that MADE them so long ago. Episode 141 spat on that sentiment -- they all scattered to the winds, not as happy people to live out their dreams, but as confused people chasing up loose threads towards an unknown future, with the friend they thought returned still lost to them, ultimately.
It doesn't feel like the ending we should have gotten for the Mighty Nine, who were finally, finally all together. Until they weren't. So to me? I choose to acknowledge that they were, even if I have to force it to happen post-epilogue in my head.
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golden-pickaxe · 3 years
Text
Coffee (Part 5)
Fandom: Vikings
Paring: Ivar x Reader
Type: Modern AU, Office AU
Wordcount: 3619
Warnings: reader drinks wine casually
[Coffee - All Parts Here]
A/N: Here is part 5!
Tagged: @youbloodymadgenius​ @punkrocknpearls @mootiemoose​ @istorkyou @dini73​ @heavenly1927​ @hashimily​ @peakywitch​
Summary: You are a graduate student at the University of Oslo, and have applied for a job as a personal assistant at the Lothbrok Corporation, without really knowing much of the position advertised. When it turns out you are going to work for the (in)famous Ivar Lothbrok, your whole life is turned up-side-down.
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With Ivar just wearing a t-shirt, instead of his usual well-cut suits, you could very clearly see the strong muscles in his arms, as you watched him pushing his wheelchair out of the pedestrian zone, towards the street. You had to swallow at the sight, hating yourself for the effect this man had on you.
 You walked along side him, finally realising what you had done. Just like a year ago, when the coin had dropped that you had really applied at the Lothbrok Corporation, it now dropped that you had just accepted his invitation to come to his home and let him cook for you. Him, one of the most influential businessmen of Norway. With his own fucking Wikipedia site.
Your heart was pounding rapidly in your chest at the thought, and you bit your lower lip, not quite knowing what this whole thing would mean now. And if it would change anything between you. You hoped not, but in the same way, you did hope.
 Getting your private life mixed up with your job probably was not a good idea. On the other hand, this whole situation kind of freaked you out, but in a good way. It was exciting.
 You and Ivar had reached the street, next to the national gallery, where a few minutes later the taxi arrived. Personally, you would never get a taxi in Oslo, as it was just insanely expensive, but with a lot of public transport, such as the tram you had taken to get here, not entirely being accessible to someone in a wheelchair, you could understand why Ivar had called it.
 Ivar maneuverered himself into one of the back seats, while the driver put his chair into the trunk of the car. You felt Ivar’s blue eyes watching you, as you rounded the vehicle to get into at the other side.
Even though he always successfully overplayed it, you saw that he was a bit self-conscious about his legs, often cursing them underneath his breath when they once again got into his way. He could move them a little bit, and also seemed to have some feeling in them, was even able to stand up for a few moments, if he could support himself with his arms. But in general, they did not really seem to be working.
In the office, Ivar hated to use his wheelchair, often just dragging himself from his desk to his sofa, his immense upper body strength enabling him to pull himself up with not much of an issue.
 Now, sitting next to you in the taxi on the way to his apartment, he readjusted his legs a bit with tight lips, appearing a bit nervous once more. You still could not quite wrap your head around what was happening right now, it all felt a bit like a dream to you. Just so, you managed to resist the urge to pinch yourself.
 Your boss, your grumpy boss, the infamous Ivar Lothbrok had just casually invited you to go out for coffee with him, had questioned you about almost every aspect of your life, paid for your drink, and now took you to his home to cook for you. It almost sounded like a very bad rom-com, like a romance story some bored, lonely woman would think up. Not that you expected it to end that way, of course. Even if you honestly wished it would.
 Until now, even if you sometimes chatted on business trips, your relationship had been purely professional, and you had only been over to his flat once, when you had brought him a set of suits to his home, when there had been issues with his dry cleaner. It had not really surprised you, finding out that he also lived in Majorstuen, actually not very far from you, although it had been a stress factor for you. Of course, he did not live in one of the old buildings, like you did, with paper thin walls, no elevator and wonky doors, no. He lived on the top floor of one of those new, fancy apartment buildings, costing a few ten-million krona, overlooking Frognerparken.
 When you had brought the suits up to his apartment, you had also met a famous Norwegian actor in the lift, so it was clear what kind of people occupied the other flats of the building. You had never been inside his home, had only delivered his suits to his door, but even the entrance and the lift had been very fancy and expensive looking. Admittedly, you had taken a stupid selfie in the mirror of the lift and posted it to Instagram.
 As Aker Brygge was, as stated, not far from Majorstuen, the drive was quite short, and the few minutes of silence were only broken by far too relaxing music coming out of the car radio. The taxi stopped in front of the apartment building Ivar lived in, and he paid the driver, while you got out, retrieving Ivar’s wheelchair from the trunk. You set it up and positioned it next to the car, for him to climb into.
 Ivar clenched his jaw a bit, obviously annoyed at something, even though you were not quite sure what exactly it was that he was annoyed by now, only hoping that it was not you. Well, at least you would have not far home now.
Ivar climbed out of the car, moving himself over to sit in his chair, before unlocking the breaks and rolling towards the door of the building, while the taxi behind you departed.
 Just as you remembered, the entry hall of the apartment complex was very posh, and you were reminded that this was a completely different world from yours. A different world from your shitty apartment, where you could hear almost every conversation your neighbours were having, and where you had push your full body against the bathroom door to get it to close properly.
 Following Ivar to the lift, the two of you got in, and Ivar pressed the button of the top floor. As soon as the doors had closed, Ivar’s eyes were on you, mustering you intently. His gaze was a tad intimidating, you had to admit, once again looking like a predator looking at his prey. Still, you managed to look back with a smile.
 “Are there any things you don’t eat, before I work my magic?” he asked, a smirk on his handsome face. You had to laugh at his choice of words, but told him about any dietary restrictions or things you didn’t like, and Ivar nodded.
 “Alright. I think I know what to make, then.” He leaned back in his chair a bit, biting how lower lip, a move that made your knees feel very weak.
 “Thank you.” It came out of your mouth, earning a very surprised expression from Ivar.
 “What for?” he asked honestly a bit confused, tilting his head at you.
 “For the coffee. And for inviting me over, and for cooking.” You studied his face, hoping to find something there, something that would give up his intentions, something revealing why he was doing this. You just needed to know, needed to know if you could get your hopes up or not. Was this really just a social call because you had been working for him for a year now, or was it something else?
 “Thank me after you’ve tasted my glorious food! Then I will gladly accept your thanks.” Ivar winked, and the elevator doors opened. Ivar left the lift, pulling his keys out of his pocket as he stopped at his front door.
 His flat was the only flat up here, and you guessed it had to be gigantic, covering the whole top floor. You were sure, his flat probably also had a roof terrace.
 You had to admit, this was another thing you found kind of intimidating about this man. The sheer amount of wealth he had, the wealth his family had. While you lived in a flat share with an old kitchen and horrible, tiny bathroom, with just a wet room and not even a proper shower, he lived in this extremely modern, borderline futuristic building, overlooking Oslo.
 Ivar opened the door, and pushed himself into the flat, with you following close behind, walking past him before he closed the door again behind you.
 Obviously you had imagined this place to be huge and expensive, but what you were seeing in front of your eyes was just.. something else.
It was less of a normal flat, and more of a large loft, most of the rooms merged into one big space. There was, similar to his office, a gigantic glass front overlooking the famous park, and West Oslo. The sun was still in the sky, the sunset not being for another one and a half hours or so.
 In the centre of the room was a big, beautiful white sofa, the kind where one could just stretch out like a starfish and not fall down. In front of it was a coffee table made out of driftwood and glass, the dark wood in stark contrast with the sofa. On the right of it were large, metal, urban looking bookshelves, filled with many thick books, some leather bound and old looking, dividing the living area from the ‘bedroom’, and there were a few doors opposite of the windows, that seemed to lead into extra rooms, probably the bathroom and other rooms.
 Behind the bookshelf you could see a large bed at the wall, so large in fact that you were sure that it could comfortably fit three to four fully grown people. It was covered and surrounded in white and grey furs, sheep and reindeer as far as you could tell from the distance. Furs also covered parts of the marble floor of the flat.
 There were many more furs on and in front of the sofa, and in general it seemed that grey, white and black, together with different shades of brown were the only colours in the whole apartment, making it look very sophisticated.
 On the left-hand side was a giant, very modern kitchen, seemingly equipped with everything a cook could wish for, with a large kitchen isle and a big table in front of it, a rustic looking piece of furniture, made of wood and carved with beautiful knot patterns, probably hand made by a very skilled Scandinavian carpenter knowing a lot about medieval woodcarving.
 The kitchen itself, you noticed, was lower than what you were used to, and while it confused you for a moment, you quickly realised that it was built so that Ivar could easily reach everything from his wheelchair, without having to get any help.
 “Welcome to my humble home.” You heard Ivar’s voice behind you, pulling you out of your thoughts. You swallowed and turned to him, looking at him as he watched you with a knowing smile on his lips.
 You could not hold back a laugh.
“Humble?” you simply asked, slipping out of your shoes and walking further into the big room, looking around.
 The whole flat was modern and elegant, yet had such a rustic and clearly Scandinavian aesthetic, it was truly impressive. Whoever was the interior designer, was truly a genius, and showed an amazing appreciation for medieval Scandinavian design. Similar works you had only seen in the Folksmuseet in Bygdøy.
 The walls that were not made out of glass were covered in picture frames, displaying either old Viking artwork or photographs of Norway and Iceland, of runestones and old temples. Somehow, it fitted in perfectly with the rest of the decoration.
 There was a door in the glass front of the flat, leading out, just as you had assumed, onto a large roof top terrace, furnished with even more rustic, wooden, and probably handmade tables and chairs, and, as cliché as it sounded, a beautiful hot tub. It was built into a frame, reminding you of a Viking ship, with a set of carved stairs leading up to it, probably so that Ivar had an easier time to get in and out of it, without requiring any help.
 “Alright, I admit, not so humble.” Ivar chuckled. “It was a present from my father when I started to officially work in the company. He had his friend Floki and his wife Helga design and build this whole thing.”
 That made you turn around to him once more. You knew these names.
“The Floki and Helga?” you swallowed.
 Floki and Helga were very, very famous, highly awarded architects and designers, often hired to design important landmarks and museums. Houses planned by them costing up to a hundred million kronas. They were famous for being able to combine the traditional aesthetics of their ancestors with the modern designs of this century, creating masterpieces that were rewarded all over the world. Now, looking around Ivar’s loft once more, it seemed obvious that this was their handy work.
 “Yes, The Floki and Helga.” Ivar chuckled. “The two of them almost raised me when I was a kid. With my parents busy all the time and me being bound to.. this.” He gestured at is chair. “Floki made all the wooden furniture himself. I am very lucky.”
 “Indeed you are.” You shook your head, unable to believe what you had just heard.
 Obviously, he had been raised by the two of them. Obviously, they had made his home for him, being like family to him, and being friends of his father, the most powerful businessman in Norway, and probably even all of Europe.
By now, you wouldn’t even question, if Ivar casually told you that he was descended from Odin.
 Ivar just shrugged at your words, although the expression on his face was a mixture of amused and pride. He bent down to slip out of his shoes, before moving his wheelchair over to a spot next to the door, where another wheelchair was waiting for him, this one looking a bit different, similar to the ones used by disabled athletes. Easier to navigate and probably a bit more comfortable. Ivar heaved himself up from his chair, navigating himself into the other one, a sigh leaving his lips.
 “I don’t fancy the dirt from the streets in my home.” He explained at your confused face, before he pushed himself towards you.
Oh yes, that made sense. Just as both of you had taken off your shoes, it would only be logical for him to also ‘change wheels’.
 A faint smile was on his lips, as he looked up and into your face, his expression soft and open, something you were not quite used to from him. His body language was relaxed too, his arms simply resting in his lap, as his head was once again tilted slightly.
He was truly a beautiful man, you had to admit. It was difficult to ignore, and sometimes you caught yourself staring in meetings, hoping that no one had noticed how your eyes had been practically glued to your boss. Solveig had made fun of you even more, when you had told her about it.
 “I think I’m going to start to cook now, before we starve to death. So, sit down, get comfortable.” He winked at you, before moving his chair towards the kitchen, in the process letting the wheelchair roll a bit, while he pulled his long hair into a tight bun at the back of his head. “Or would you like to help?” he looked back at you with a raised eyebrow, looking at you from underneath his long eyelashes. You had to swallow.
 “Well, I am still your personal assistant. So, I will assist you.” You smiled, following him into the kitchen. You hoped that reminding yourself that you were still his employee would calm your nerves.
 “I had hoped you’d say that, dove.” There it was again, that nickname. Your nerves were certainly not calm now.
 Ivar started to pull out pans and a cutting board, gesturing at the fridge for you to take out certain ingredients and washing them in the sink.
 You were not entirely sure what he was going to make, but you were positively surprised that his fridge and his whole pantry was stocked very well. You had to admit, you had taken him for one of those bachelors who had never touched their kitchen in their lives, and with all the money they had always ate out.
 But, as Ivar casually explained while you were preparing food, he enjoyed cooking for himself, and did so almost every evening.
While you were washing some vegetables, and he was skilfully cutting up an onion, he casually told you about the cooking schools he had visited when he was younger, and about the occasional dinner parties he threw for his close friends and family, where he cooked up five course meals for them all by himself. He moved around his kitchen as if he knew every millimetre of it, knowing the layout like the back of his hand.
 You enjoyed this far too much. You rarely saw Ivar this casual, only on business trips when he was not in the mood to talk about work anymore. And though you did not like to admit it, you were keen to know more about his personal life, to know more about the man behind the name Lothbrok.
 It was nice to see him here, in his home. He seemed so at ease, so open, the usual anger and annoyance he often seemed to carry around with himself in day-to-day life completely absent in this moment. This was his space, where he did not have to worry, to think about what upset him.
 This flat truly seemed to be his place, and his place alone. His kingdom far from the influence of other people. Here he was himself, independent of everyone else, everything built in a way that he did not need help from other people.
 Whatever else would come of tonight, you were just happy that you could witness this. You would see Ivar differently now, you knew. And would probably fall even more for him.
 You noticed it getting a bit darker out, and a quick look at your phone told you that it was already half past nine PM. It had not seemed that long, getting to Ivar’s home and starting to cook, as you had not even finished the preparation for cooking yet, but frankly, you didn’t even mind. The setting sun tinted the whole apartment in a magical, golden light, making it look even more beautiful and magical. Ivar’s face turned away from his work for a moment, his blue eyes wandering over the horizon, where the sky was slowly tinted in orange, pink and purple. A faint smile appeared on his face, before he returned his attention to the food.
 Absently minded you put your phone on the kitchen isle, before you grabbed a jar of mixed spices, which Ivar had instructed you to get for him while he was still cutting up vegetables. You read the label, not surprised that he had not purchased them in Norway, but in Spain, turning around, eyes still on the jar. Thus, you only noticed too late that Ivar was right behind you, his chair almost inaudible on the marble floor.
 With a slightly embarrassing yelp escaping your throat, you lost balance, tripping over Ivar’s wheelchair, falling over and landing straight in his lap. His strong arms were suddenly around you to keep you from completely falling to the floor, and your face probably had taken on a crimson shade.
 “Careful there, dove. I’m usually not that hard to miss.” He smirked, to your surprise not even remotely angry with you.
 You had once, in your third month at the Lothbrok Corporation, seen a small clerk run into him in the office, who had been a bit late and had not really paid attention. After Ivar had yelled at him for good twenty minutes, he had never been heard of again.
 “Gods, I’m so sorry, I..” but you stopped, swallowing, not knowing what to say. You tried to get up, the jar of spices still in your hand, but Ivar’s strong grip around you firmly held you in place.
 The man tilted his head, eye flickering to the glass container you were holding. He let go of you with one of his arms, while the other one was still around you, taking the jar from your hands and placing it on the counter next to him. His blue eyes mustered you once more. Your heart was pounding. In the light of the setting sun he looked even more handsome than he had already.
 “I have told you, that you look good today, right?” he asked, his voice low. His hand had returned to hold you again, and you noticed his fingers carefully caressing your back, which sent a shiver up your spine.
 Your mind was racing, as was your heart.
You could not but stare into his piercing blue eyes, not sure what to say, how to respond to him right now, or if you should say anything at all. You were unable to think even one coherent thought, as you felt his strong arms around you, his firm body below you, and his hot breath against you skin.. wait. When had he gotten this close to you?
 Before you could really comprehend what was happening, you suddenly felt Ivar’s lips against yours, not firm, but soft, almost shily moving against yours. In that moment, it was as if your mind just gave up, and turned itself off.
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mackeydoodledoo · 3 years
Text
I Only Swim Free: Chapter 1
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Pairing: Bela Dimitrescu x (Fem!)Reader
Summary: You’ve done swimming all your life. You’ve gotten to your dream college on a scholarship for your outstanding freestyle technique back in high school. Relationships never crossed your mind however, that was before you met your swim team captain: Bela Dimitrescu.
Warning: Awkwardness, fluff; not really warnings but might as well leave them here
A/N: Another original idea from @su-lilly-reblogs because I’m running out of ideas to make stories for our lovely women. Also, this is a series! Originally this was going to be a one-story thing however, I was moving for this to be a series! So, Enjoy!
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You step out into the floor, all eyes become glued onto you. Although you’ve felt confident in the beginning when you got your acceptance letter and scholarship to attend your dream college and get accepted into the 5-time state champion swim team. What you didn’t expect was your captain. 
“Y/n Y/l/n,” she smiles, “Bela Dimitrescu, captain of the Dimitrescu University Swim Team. They told me that we’re getting a rookie. I’m impressed you got a scholarship too.”
“Well, great to be here,” You lightly chuckle, trying to not gawk too much
“Bela you should have her do initiation,” one of the team members says
All of the other current members began agreeing to the idea as well.
Your heart dropped. 
Initiation? Why haven’t I heard about this one? Is it one of those kinds where it’ll just catch you off guard? 
“Oh don’t worry little dolphin,” Bela smiles, taking notice of your change in expression
“It’s just where you show off your swimming skills,” another one of the members call out, “Nothing to worry about! If you got a scholarship for this, then you must be one of the best swimmers back in high school!”
Oh, well that helps a lot.. But in front of all of these really experienced college-level swimmers? Especially in front of the captain? Gah... Guess I have no choice... Plus, I wasn’t one of the best swimmers in high school.
You place your swim bag onto the bench closest to you, however, reaching into it to grab your swim cap and goggles. You put your swim cap on and begin walking toward one of the stands to leap off of to initiate your swimming style.
“So, what’s your swimming style?” another member asks you
“I only swim free,” You say, monotonous, getting up onto the stand.
I’ve never heard of one of my girls saying she only swims free... She’s already  impressive.
Bela smiles slightly. 
“Just do three laps y/n, ready,” Bela announces
Bela watches you lift your butt toward her. Bela begins blushing. 
Girl’s ripped... God what am I thinking?!
A beep sound goes off and you launch yourself into the water. With ease, your form dives into the water with no resistance. One stroke after the other, Bela watches in awe as your muscles flex each time you lift them above the water. The girls watched you in amazement as to how fast you were able to move in the water, despite how the water would often move against your body whilst swimming.
Impress them y/n. You’re almost there...
You could feel your lungs beginning to burn as you were halfway back around the third lap.
Go beyond your limit y/n....
Your palm plants itself along the wall of where you launched yourself. You take in a deep breath as you almost ran out on the last stretch. You remove your goggles from your eyes and look up; Bela holding out her hand towards you. You grab onto it as she helps you out of the pool.
“That was insane y/n, how’d you do it?” One of the team members asks
“I’ve swam all my life,” You say, chuckling, “Also, my family helped me build muscle for it.”
You look around and your eyes land on Bela, coincidentally hers land on you as well. She gives you a wink before she begins walking away, approaching whom you believed was the coach. You think nothing of it before you’re dragged back further into the pool area by everyone else. You just answer as many questions as you can.
“I also swim freestyle but I don’t think I’d ever be able to swim that fast,” One member states
“Well, I’m not sure how much I can tell you, because it’s also in your willpower to tell yourself to keep going,” You add
“Okay okay give our rookie some air,” the coach comes along, “I’m coach Donna Beneviento. I welcome you to the Dimitrescu University Swim Team. Practice begins tomorrow at 6pm sharp. We practice every Monday and Thursday, same time.”
After practice, your new teammates had made their leave to deal with the academic aspect of college. You step out of the changing room in front of the shower in some shorts and a sports bra. However, right from across you Bela steps out of the shower as well; only wrapped in a towel. You feel your cheeks heat up before the both of you had to forcefully look away from each other. However, you couldn’t help but catch one more glance. You didn’t want to help it at all though. 
“S-sorry Captain,” You say, walking yourself over to the mirrors
"Bela,” she says, “It’s after practice. You may call me Bela after practice.”
“You sure?” you ask, scuffing your hair to look slightly messy
From the mirror’s reflection, you, again couldn’t help but look up to admire Bela’s figure however, you didn’t realize that she had let her towel fall to her ankles. So you were basically seeing her bare naked.
“Oh my god!” You yell, startling Bela
“What?!” She asks, turning to look at you through the mirror
“I’m sorry,” You clear your throat, trying to not make eye contact with her, “I thought I saw something on the mirror.”
You try your best to hide your deep red cheeks from Bela’s view.
“Have you never seen a naked woman?” She asks, finally slipping on some of her clothing
“Not-not really,” You stutter
“Hope that was a good show for you,” Bela teases
Oh shit... She knew I looked at her naked arse didn’t she?...
“Shit,” Bela growls
“What’s the matter?” You ask her, turning to her, finally getting the oxygen you needed to breathe when you noticed her having clothing on
“I thought I packed a hoodie,” She sighs
Your hand immediately dives into your duffle bag and you managed to pull out a hoodie from it.
“See if this’ll fit,” You say, “If it fits, it’s yours.”
You watch her take your band hoodie and put it over her. It was slightly bigger on her however you couldn’t help but crack a smile. 
“What?” Bela smiles, hoisting her backpack over her shoulder
“N-nothing,” You clear your throat once more, “You look good in it is all.”
“You think so?” Bela asks, blushing
“For sure,” You smile
The both of you exit the locker room and begin making your way out to the parking lot. 
“Hey, can I ask you a weird question?” Bela asks
“Sure,” You say
“How did you get so ripped?” She asks
“Oh- I- uhhh...” You begin
Bela giggles at your response to her compliment.
“I- perks of having your family own a gym,” You say, “They practically trained me since wanting to do swimming. If you want to work out with me sometime, I could pull some strings and get you to be a guest with my membership. If that’s something you’d be interested in.”
“I’d like that sometime y/n,” Bela smiles
“By the way, would you wat to- I don’t know- maybe-”
Before you could finish your question, a car pulls up in front of the both of you. You watch the window roll down and see a male in the driver’s seat. 
“Hey babe,” He says, smiling, “Who’s the kid?”
“She’s the newest member to our swim team,” She says, getting into the passenger seat, “Hey, I’ll see you tomorrow after classes y/n.”
Your heart sank as you watched the car drive off... After all of that flirting with her in the locker room... 
If she has a boyfriend.... Then what the absolute hell was that in the locker room? 
However, you don’t linger on it as you get into your own vehicle. Although you had just gotten out of a long practice day, you hook up your music to your car’s radio and input directions to where your family runs the gym you had mentioned to Bela. Surprisingly, the gym your family runs is 10 minutes out of the campus.
“Hey kiddo,” Your dad says as he watches you enter the gym, “How was your first day of practice?” 
“Oh, it was great,” You exaggerate, “Everyone was kind of impressed with my swimming technique. I guess those training sessions with you are beginning to pay off pops.”
“See,” He says, smiling, “Are you going to be home for dinner tonight?” 
“No, I gotta head back to my apartment after this one,” You reply, “I want to get ready for my first day of classes tomorrow.”
You had managed to find an apartment close to campus that was affordable. you weren’t about to find a roommate and live in a building with shitty water supply.
“Fair enough,” He says, “Well, help yourself kiddo. Gym’s nearly empty today.”
He was right; at most there was five people in the entirety of the gym. Normally, it would nearly be packed. You just assumed people had lives outside of the gym. You did too, but you felt something in you that you did not enjoy feeling. You began punching the life out of a punching bag, hoping it would get your frustrations out.
Are we jealous? Why? She has a boyfriend, you shouldn’t be complaining.
You were also confused, why Bela had given you “a show” in the locker room, talking to you nearly all of practice.... You were a rookie and she was the Captain... 
When you had finished your workout, you went back to your apartment. You decided to make a late night snack as you felt famished after workout. You put in your earbuds to try and get your thoughts away from your encounter with Bela’s boyfriend earlier.
“Shower” - Crimson Apple
It gave you a nice chill evening vibe. However, although it helped very little, you still couldn’t help but be confused on what happened to you earlier today. However, once you looked at the time, you finish up your small meal and head off to bed, hoping the day’s classes are able to get your mind off of your confused self. 
Throughout the day, you could only think about what happened yesterday between you and Bela in the locker room through your music. You also couldn’t wait to get in the water after your classes, as the song you were listening to was used in a Swimming sport-themed anime.
“Splash Free” - Style5
You cross the street and come across a castle-like building.
“Is this- the art building?” You ask yourself, “My lord this place is gigantic.”
As you enter the building, you were in awe, even the interior was regal. However, with some modern modifications. Like the elevator, you press the upward arrow button and the elevator doors open. You step in and press the number ‘4′, hence you were going to the fourth floor. Your major is Photography with a minor in Asian studies, concentration in Japanese. As you get out of the elevator, you begin heading to your last class of the day. You were more of a morning person. Thus, you had all of your classes before 6pm. 
Chapter 2
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olivyh · 3 years
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TWST FAMILY HCS PT 3) Scarabia and Pomefiore
Scarabia:
Jamil:
-Mama Viper: She’s on the quieter side, similar to Jamil. She’s a very hardworking woman and incredibly loyal to whoever she gets close to, which extends to Kalim as well. Seeing the two boys grow up together, and considering how I think Kalim didn’t get the most attention growing up (with thirty siblings and counting, plus having his father working all the time) she felt sorry for him and took him in as her own as well. She sometimes feels Jamil’s pain at being stuck in the life of servitude, but is incredibly proud of him for sticking up for himself and doing what she never got to do, even if she scolded him after word got to the household. She can’t put much focus on either of her children, which deeply saddens her, but she looks forward to watching them grow up to be strong, intelligent, and independent. I think she’s a little shorter than Jamil, with the same long black hair that she braids down her back. She has dark brown eyes that almost look black.
-Papa Viper: He’s on the more reserved side as well, but not by choice. He’s very talkative when talking about his experiences, often going into rants where he has to remind himself to not overstep his boundaries. I think Papa Viper and Papa Al-Asim have a similar relationship to Kalim and Jamil pre-overblot, where it’s very one sided and there’s a lot of bitterness. Despite this, Papa Viper remains loyal to the Al-Asim family. Deep down he wishes he could spend more tike with his children and deeply regrets telling them to lessen themselves to make the Al-Asims higher than them yet again. And, like Mama Viper, he is incredibly proud of his son for being so intelligent and independent, sticking up for himself and trying to break the chains that kept their family held down foe generations. I think he stands at the same height as Jamil, with shorter cropped hair with grey streaks going across the sides.
-Little sister Viper: A spitfire who’s not afraid to speak her mind, often getting scolded by other servants and the rest of her family. Very close with Kalim’s younger sister who she has to watch over- they have movie nights and makeover nights as often as possible. She often scolds her older brother, telling him little things he needs to change (“haven’t you been wearing your hair like that since forever?”), which often gets them in little passive-aggressive arguments. She and Kalim’s younger sister aspire to be as magicam-popular as the Vil Schoenheit- they even have their friend from the land of Pyroxene to help them boost their account and make their pictures look better (Yes, they call and chat with Cater’s second oldest sister all the time)! I think she has long hair tied in a way similar to their mother’s, with Jamil’s dark grey eyes. I think she stands shorter than the rest of the family, at around 5’2.
Kalim:
-Papa Al-Asim: A cheery, joyful man much like his oldest son! He’s a little dense sometimes, but is actually a very smart man (it’s not easy to own a company after all!). He tries his best to bond with all of his children and wives, but often struggles to juggle everything at once (which leads to him being very teary eyed at every little interaction with any one of his children). Will also spoil his children and wives as often as he can! He likes to see all their different interests, and is overjoyed when he can watch some of them perform during dinners or hang up their paintings or drawings or, if he’s lucky and has the time, he can attend one of their sport games! I think he’d be a little taller than Kalim, with white hair similar to his, with dark brown eyes.
-Mama Al-Asim: A princess at heart. A very quiet and patient woman, who adores her children with every ounce of her being. I think Papa Al-Asim might have four-five wives? Bc these poor woman cannot be having six plus children in the span of seventeen years. I think she gets along well with the others, but would rather it be her and her children getting closer. I think she’s enamored with everything each one of them does, whether it be something as small as a craft they made or a little magic trick they learned, and will keep pictures of every little thing they do. She tries to include every one of them when she does something, whether it be reading aloud to them and the other children, or teaching them how to knit and sew, or helping them learn new dances and wearing new things. She teaches them to be kind to others, often retelling the story about the Thief and the Princess to point out how kind each of the protagonists were. She teaches them as much as possible, from how to help their Papa to how to fix your mistakes and catch them before they happen. She will listen to whatever problems they have, and will offer her shoulder to cry on for each and every one of them. She is also very affectionate to them, still offering cuddles and forehead kisses whenever they look upset (no matter how old they may get). I think she’d have very long brown hair that she tries to add as many intricate little designs to as possible, with Kalim’s bright red eyes. I think she’d be around 5’1-5’2?
-I AM NOT DOING ALL THIRTY YOUNGER SIBLINGS SO HERES A FEW HONORABLE MENTIONS: Twins who get into as much trouble as they possibly can, driving the servants insane. One of them often sneaks out of the palace and comes back after everyone spent hours searching for them with souvenirs. Nobody knows where they went or how they got there, and they won’t tell anyone. His little sisters often dressing up as princesses and performing whole musical numbers during dinner, with the dances down and everything. Hide and seek. With all thirty plus of his little siblings. It’s insanity for anyone wandering the palace. Their drawings are all over the palace. Animals. So. Many. Animals. They have anything from birds, to reptiles, to insects, heck, one of Kalim’s little sisters even has a domesticated tiger! All of them plan as many movie nights and pillow fort building days as often as they can- seeing each other not only as siblings but as close friends! Of course, when their oldest brother comes home from school, they all sit around his room as he tells them stories about things he’d seen and learned, as animated as possible. Of course, he tells them classic fairytales as well, acting them out and jumping around his room, trying to get as many reactions to them as possible. Of course, many of the quieter ones prefer to stick away from the action and near Jamil, who will quietly talk with them in the corner of the room.
Pomefiore:
Vil:
-Papa Schoapjfaojfpak: As already stated, a popular actor and stage director. With this comes the same publicity that Vil has to deal with, making him look nearly flawless and act as such when out in public. He keeps his son’s attitude when it comes to fans, keeping most interactions short and simple, putting on a show offstage nearly as much as he does onstage. Behind closed doors, however, he’s a very kind yet strict father, making sure that Vil takes proper care of himself and is happy at the same time. He struggled with the aspect of having to leave Vil alone for much of the time when he was a child since he had to work often. When these times were especially bad, he’d often bring Vil into the sets to help him get ready for filming or to watch his Papa from a little seat next to the directors. He would always chuckle and pat Vil’s hair whenever he told him something he could’ve done better after the filming process, glad that his son has an eye for these sorts of things. He’d even let him experiment with the expensive costumes and makeup, helping him fix his own small mistakes. He tries to make it to every show and movie that Vil does, often going undercover to ensure that fans don’t take his attention off his son. He has a box full of their own home movies that the two of them made, including action, comedy, even a few thrillers thrown in (of course, Vil was the strong hero who defeated the bad guy)(The bad guy being his poor father with fake blood smeared on his face). He watches them sometimes when he misses his son (and he cries about how far he’s come, not that he’d ever tell Vil). I think he’d be the same height as Vil, and a little muscular due to having to keep up appearances. He has Vil’s hair and eye color.
Rook:
-Mama Hunt: Okay back to my headcannon page about species, I saw something that said that Rook was half beastman. So, I like to think that Rook’s mother is the beastwoman in the relationship. She’s a strong, loving caracal beastwoman. She’s kind and often spoils her son as much as possible, coddling him whenever he’s around, no matter the age. He get’s his poetic nature from her, an artist, poet, author, whatever she could get her hands on! Despite this, she’s still a woman from the Savanah, so she gets very protective over her husband and son, and is a lot stronger than she looks! She would be the kind of woman who’d tell you the most vague, unsettling threats with a smile on her face, and she’s had some pretty close scrapes with people who thought that they could try to hurt her son because he was half human (and also, due to Rook’s nature, likely trespassing on their property). She tries to show her son the beauty in the world, complimenting him on every little thing he did and poetically pointing out everything beautiful around her during their walks (even if it wasn’t)(Mrs.Hunt please don’t show your son that roadkill)(please don’t compliment the roadkill)(let it rest in peace im begging you). She and her husband are incredibly proud of everything Rook does. I think she has short blonde hair that goes black at the ends, yellow eyes, and is only an inch shorter than Rook.
-Papa Hunt: Where do you think Rook got his hunting instinct from? Not from his beastwoman mother, surprisingly. The infamous Mr.Hunt was but a hunter who had wandered too far away from where his friends had decided to go camping in the Savana. He, like his son, was enamored with any non-human species, his curiosity leading him to a beastwoman quietly painting not too far from her home. With her enhanced hearing, she quickly whipped around and glared at him, shocking the man to the point of falling down. And from that point forward, he was in love. He’s incredibly supportive of his wife’s artistry, complimenting her at every moment about how perfect she did and how amazing she is as what she does. He’s a romantic, like his son, so you can expect many, many mushy moments between the two of them (que baby Rook making a face at the display). He wanted to teach his son as much as possible about the world, to make him as curious as possible. Of course, he wanted to bond with his son for as long as possible. How would they do that? Father-son camping trips, in which Papa Hunt would teach the boy how to shoot a bow (it took him a minute to realize that his son’s laser-point accuracy could be because his beastman instincts tell him how to get the kill as fast as possible, and he was the proudest Papa in the Savana when he went to tell his wife). He also often took him to larger towns, letting his boy get acquainted with his beastman culture so he didn’t feel too left out around others. He is the same height as Rook, but with shoulder-length black hair and bright green eyes.
Epel:
-Great-Meemaw Felmier: A very old and wise woman, shockingly stubborn and independent for her old age. She adores her great grandson and was the one who taught him how to carve apples in the first places. She’d tell him stories about when her father first bought the farm they lived on, and what things were like then, how they changed. Of course, she gets tired very quickly so these stories are often left with open endings, much to Epel’s dismay. She always knows what advice to give for any situation, and won’t be afraid to tell you the truth. She’s likely around her late nineties, and often carries around a walker that she smacks people’s ankles with. I think she’d have very, very long hair (“To preserve my youth”, she says) that she lets hang as much as possible.
-Meemaw & Peepaw Felmier: Two very sweet people. Both hailing from families of farmers who had lived in and around the village of harvest their whole lives, they grew up around each other and are practically inseparable. They care very much for their children and grandchildren, and often act as their grandchildren’s partners in crime whenever they get into trouble, patching them up when they get hurt and helping to clean the mess they might have made in the kitchen. would have shoulder-length light purple hair (almost white) that she ties back. They look like Mr. and Mrs. Claus that you see on those old Christmas animations that you can never remember the name of but see every year.
-Uncle & Aunt Felmier: A stern, but kind couple. Uncle Felmier is a gruff man, often being too blunt and too focused on work to take a break every now and again, and Aunt Felmier is strict with her child’s rules and schedule. Luckily, they have Epel’s parents to balance them out when they get too far. Uncle Felmier enjoys working out in the farm with his younger brother, and Aunt Felmier is Mrs.Felmier’s best friend, which made both the men very happy when Papa Felmier was getting ready to marry Mama Felmier. Whether it be cooking, baking, attending festivals in town, or even sitting near the fire and drinking tea/coffee, the four of them greatly enjoys each other’s company. Uncle Felmier is a taller man with light purple hair, with grey streaks going up the front, he’s more built due to working on the farm. Auntie Felmier is a stout woman, with light brown hair that’s often tied up in a low ponytail.
-Papa Felmier: A very kind and hardworking man, who lives for his family. He gets up at the earliest hours in the morning and goes to bed at the latest at night to keep the farm going and to help out their elderly neighbors. He’s a little strict with Epel, but that changed as Epel grew up and became less rowdy (not by a lot). He tries his best to understand his son and let him grow as his own person, hearing him out when he gets upset about others calling him feminine. He even tries to put a stop to his brother making comments about the boy, at least around him. He is a little scrawnier than his brother, but still fairly muscular due to constantly lifting things and operating machinery to keep things running. He has Epel’s purple hair and light green eyes.
-Mama Felmier: Another one where, if you hadn’t known she was a farmer, you’d think she was a lost princess. She’s a kind, generous, quiet woman who does her best to keep her chaotic household from falling apart. Similar to the Tweel’s father, she tries to protect Epel as much as possible, and him going so far away for school made her panic internally, as proud as she was of him. She does her best to calm her son down when he gets rowdy or frustrated at something, and often approaches him with hot cocoa or an apple tart to make him feel a little better. She solves everything with food, which mostly incorporates apples, and believes that by baking for him and by extension, his friends at school, she makes their days a little better, no matter how horrible they may be. She is welcoming to any of the boys from school who may have a hard time at home or who need a place to stay, and was happy to the point of tears when he told her that he made friends at school. Is another one who will proudly display pictures of their child, often having long conversations with their neighbors about how he is, what he’s doing in school, etc etc. She is incredibly beautiful (where else would he get that face?) and has long ginger hair with Epel’s blue eyes.
-Little cousin Felmier: Epel’s baby cousin is only around six or seven, and follows his older cousin as much as he can. He defends Epel as much as possible whenever people call him delicate and girly, and will go on long rants about all the cool things he’d seen him do over the years (“He jumped out o’ th’ tree! Without thinkin’!” “We were sleepin’ outside n’ he heard an animal outside o’ our tent n’ he scared it off!”). Is quick to help around the house, despite being stubborn and upset about not being strong enough to help his father and uncle work outside yet. He’s always quick to ask Epel about school, and has begged him on multiple occasions to let him go with him (“We already sleep in the same room! What’s the difference if it’s here or at your dorm?”). I think he’d have Epel’s hair color but with light green eyes.
Im just imagining Epel’s giant family living in the same farmhouse and it being this small, warm, friendly place out in the country with plaid red curtains and little apple accessories everywhere and quilts and a big fireplace they all talk by ��🥺
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