#Literally my most occurring dream action

[leenfiend]

anyone else ever have nightmares about having to take endless amounts of chewing gum out of ur mouth

[shiny-kaibernyte]

Hihi,, another silly Drayton request,,,

Drayton x Reader who owns protective pokémon (mb a Silvally as their ace or main pkmn?)

You all never fail to impress me with these adorable ideas you all come up with! I'm so down for this one!!! I do hope you don't mind the fact I changed the Pokémon to be a Hisuin Arcanine. I am not the biggest Silvally or Type: Null fan (kinda dislike them lmao) Plus big fluffy doggy 💜💜

Pokémon Scarlett and Violet Indigo Disk DLC Spoilers ahead!

After a Pokémon somehow broke into the Academy and shut the power of to Drayton's dorm room. The pair of you bump into one another in the hall where your Arcanine is the least bit pleased about his sudden arrival.

SPOILER WARNING AHEAD (Indigo Disk)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(I got an alpha Arcanine stuck though it was perfect for this)

Inside and out | Drayton x Reader

It was all over the school blog ‘Mass power outage on the second floor dormitories! No update yet on when power will be back! Will keep posted and up to date! On other news… Kieran finally to be dethroned?’ How in Arceus did a massive power outage occur? It rang in the back of your mind throughout the afternoon, curiosity tackling you at every possible moment whenever you would be wandering the halls. Unfortunately, when you finally caved in to your kitten instincts, the hallway was taped off. That wasn’t normal, it's just a power outage right?

“No this can’t be right…?” You question looking down at your phone then up to the stairs again.

“You can say that again!” A familiar voice chimed from behind you, before you even had a chance to turn around, you felt a head on your shoulder and arms wrapping around your waist, one of your pokeballs slightly rocking inside your pocket. “Quite the predicament wouldn’t you say?”

“Hello Drayton.” Chuckling you slightly turn your head towards your new companion, his hair slightly brushing against your cheek. He simply humed in response, looking up towards the tapped off stairs when you caught his attention again. “Any idea what caused this? Strage for the stairs to be blocked when it's just a power outage…”

“Well that, my Starlight, is because it's not just a power outage! Somehow a wild pokemon managed to get into the school without literally anyone seeing it, and torched up the breaker connected to the second floor, fried the whole thing, so even a simple light switch could spark it up. I only know this because Carmine dragged me out of bed… literally. I was having a very nice dream too, until I got carpet burns and bruises from her grip. Girls got a grip, I'll say that much.” Drayton chimed, getting a little off topic as he spoke.

“As long as everyones alright… Though, where are you guys all sleeping?” The thought suddenly popped in your head. It's blocked off and most likely can’t be fixed for quite some time. Plus with the fire hazards and the pokemon most likely still roaming in someone's dorm room now, it's definitely not safe in the slightest. “Are they going to put bed rolls down in the cafeteria?”

He shrugs finally letting you go to stretch out his arms before resting them behind his head as he starts to walk down the hall, “Yeah pretty much. I may need my beauty rest, but there's no way I'm sleeping on the floor with everyone else on that floor like a bunch of rattata.”

“You of all people don’t need beauty rest Drayton.” You teased now walking by his side, the pokeball in your pocket shaking more than before.

“You are such a sweetheart you know?” Drayton chimed, a bright smile crossing his face as he put his arm around your shoulder. But before he could do anything else the pokeball of yours finally sprung into action all on its own and out pops you Hisuin Arcanine. Expression unphased, you stare at your pokemon completely unamused, Drayton on the other hand has been pushed away from you with his hands in the air and surrendered. “Ah if it isn’t my arch nemesis, wonderful to see you again Arcanine!”

A low pitched growl followed his comment as the Arcanine backed up towards you expecting pets for his deed. Gently stroking its back you sigh disapprovingly, “Arcanine, how many times do we have to go through this, you both have to share my attention.”

“I’m not gonna hog them all the time you know! As much as I really want to…” Mumbling the last part, Drayton made an attempt to approach the Arcanine only to be met by the Pokemon’s glare. Seems his mumbling didn’t go unheard. “Think i just upset it…?”

“You upset Arcanine just by breathing near me, love.” You laugh scratching the underside of Arcnin’s chin as a temporary distraction.

“True true…” Drayton nodded, placing his hands in his pockets as a light smirk crossed his face. “Though try as it may, your Arcanine can never keep me from seeing my treasure.”

The bright red blush that crossed your face immediately made Drayton laugh out loud, he adored getting reactions like this out of you. Especially if Arcanine happened to be out of his ball, as it drove the pokemon nuts. Since day one, Drayton and your Arcanine never got along, no matter how hard he tried to get on Arcanine’s good side, it just fell upon deaf ears. After all Arcanine is the most loyal pokemon a trainer can have, and Drayton is basically the exact same. You are Arcanine’s trainer, and Drayton’s beloved treasure. So the pair will never stop fighting for your full attention! Even if you tell them otherwise.

“Arcanine, leave him be, you know nothing you do will stop me from spending time with him.” You respond, the Arcanine’s unamused huff followed. 

Drayton’s next mistake came the moment he let his winners smile show on his face, thinking teh Arcanine had given into you. The moment he moved, Drayton found himself watching you get pushed down the fall by the Arcanine’s nose before he even got close enough to touch you. You’d accepted this finding it too funny not to allow, Drayton however took a moment to actually process what was happening, eventually having to run after you two before he'd actually have to use his brain and find you. “HEY HEY! YOU CAN’T JUST STEAL THEM! THAT WASN’T PART OF OUR DEAL YOU FLUFFY HORDER!”

[starcurtain]

Haikaveh Fanfics I Really Want to Read (Part 1)

Part 2. ->

1. A run-in with a cursed artifact on a research trip leaves Alhaitham intangible and invisible. He can't be seen, heard, or even open his precious books (which is the real tragedy here). Things go from bad to worse when it's discovered that the only person who can break the curse is someone who "knows Alhaitham by heart."

Problem is, nobody does. The only one who might even come close is Kaveh, and will he really be willing to go out of his way to research Alhaitham's deepest secrets just to bring his scathing roommate back?

Turns out the answer is yes, and Alhaitham is left invisibly watching over Kaveh's increasingly desperate attempts to learn more about the most private person in all of Sumeru.

Yeah... Alhaitham's probably doomed.

(Or: The Akademiya's erstwhile scribe has nothing better to do than stalk follow his roommate around unseen, gets a front row seat to Kaveh's tough life, undergoes the mortifying ordeal of being known, and realizes just how much his own cold nature has left him isolated from the world.)

Rest under the read more:

2. Another research trip gone wrong: While Kaveh's out of town on a job and without a shield this time, Alhaitham takes a nasty knock to the head during a fight. Although he wakes up all right, he doesn't have the faintest idea who or where he is. Quick-thinking nature intact, Alhaitham decides to fake his way through on context clues for a while. It's an interesting experiment, after all, to learn about his own life from an outsider's perspective.

Too bad a very silly series of coincidences occur (i.e. Kaveh took most of his work things with him for his trip, so his room is pretty bare; they wash their laundry together to save water; and everyone keeps asking Alhaitham why some mysterious "Kaveh" guy isn't with him), all of which lead Alhaitham to the absolutely incorrect assumption that this missing "Kaveh" person is his significant other. Imagine Kaveh's shock when he returns home to a very out-of-character greeting...

(But I mean, really, does Alhaitham need his memories back? This is kind of nice, you know...)

3. Requirements for a Desirable Life (According to Alhaitham):

1. Match your actions to your talents (read as: go with the flow) 2. Low stress, high paying job (read as: the balancing act between making oneself seem indispensable while underachieving as much as possible is a talent) 3. Nice home with a short commute (read as: at-home lunch hours every day) 4. Books (read as: soon as possible) 5. Kaveh (read as: the light of my life who I moved into my house through admittedly somewhat underhanded tactics just to keep him close to me, but what was I supposed to do--tell him I have actual feelings? Impossible, in the most literal of senses)

Or: Alhaitham pursues his plan for an ideal lifestyle in an utterly single-minded and undeterrable fashion... except when comes to his roommate, who--for someone so good at drawing up his own designs--also seems terribly good at ruining Alhaitham's.

Just fall in love with me already.

(Basically, I just want to see Alhaitham be the pining one for once. He is one checkmark away from his dream life, but he'd rather sell his soul to Lord Sangemah Bay than confess without knowing how Kaveh feels first.)

4. Alhaitham is preeminently capable. He's beyond a genius. His research could rewrite the laws of reality if he tried hard enough. But he's also... terrible with people. Actually, terrible is an understatement. If Alhaitham is murdered one day, it'll be because he finally committed one too many social faux pas and honestly the masses will probably say he had it coming. Thank the lesser lord that the Akademiya's scribe has someone as gregarious as Kaveh around to help him learn, right?

Or: Five times Kaveh tried to teach Alhaitham social skills, and the one time Alhaitham put all those lessons into practice... on Kaveh.

5. The very silly comedy one: If someone were to ask Kaveh what the very worst thing about living with Alhaitham is, he'd say--well, first he'd say "Who told you?!", but after that, he'd say something that might come as a surprise. The worst thing about living with Alhaitham isn't their constant snarking and diametrically-opposed mindsets. It isn't the tacky, asymmetrical furniture Alhaitham keeps bringing home because it was "practical and inexpensive." (Kaveh's skin is crawling.) It isn't even the fact that his so-called "landlord" reminds Kaveh all too often about his unpaid rent while never lifting a finger himself to do the dishes.

Nope. The worst thing about living with Alhaitham is the experiments.

"How many books can I leave on top of Kaveh's sketches before he yells at me?"

"How angry will Kaveh get if I drink the expensive wine he brought home last night?"

"How many days will it take Kaveh to notice I keep rearranging all the stuff on his shelves while he's out?"

"How many times can I suggest he add Aranara statues to his designs before he tries to strangle me?"

It's bullying, is what it is! There's no limits to Alhaitham's behavior when his curiosity is piqued--the only thing that matters to him is the answer to whatever outrageous new question he's thought up in that thick head of his. And of course, the louder Kaveh shouts, the more "experiments" Alhaitham seems to dream up...

Honestly, someone ought to give him a taste of his own medicine!

(Or: Alhaitham and Kaveh end up in an exponentially escalating social experiment competition, pushing as hard as they can to find the other's boundaries. One of them has to break and give up soon, right?! Too bad Alhaitham's the god of stubbornness, and Kaveh's eternal peace of mind is on the line--if he can just win this, Alhaitham will finally give it up and quit bothering him! He can't chicken out first!

Because they're both very Normal™, it turns out there's not a single boundary to be found.

Well, at least answering the question "How many times can I walk in on him in the shower before he kicks me out of the house?" might save them some money on the water bill?

By the way, Kaveh wins. It turns out the answer to "How many dog ears can I fold into the pages of Alhaitham's books before he tries to kill me?" is 0.)

[bigbutchtalks]

Big Butch Talks Movies: The Creator 2023

Movie first watched (at the theater!) 9/29/23

“The Creator” 2023 directed by Gareth Edwards.

General likes -> worldbuilding, the sheer idea of it, symbolism, shot framing, soundtrack, language usage, acting, tropes used relative to “western” vs “eastern” politics, propaganda etc!, anti war message, set design

General dislikes -> women are very very relative to being mothers/wives instead of personal independence/agency*, possibly orientalist based on the location (though I am a white american and not the most educated on the topic and believe that some of it is plot relative which doesn’t make it ok, but gives a reason)

Personal thoughts -> absolutely blown away by the worldbuilding relative to the use of technology as shown by the Americans and the RoA/rebels. Acting was fantastic, especially young Alfie (or Alphie?) (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) and how her and Joshua’s (John David Washington) relationship evolved through the movie. The design of the robots, simulants, weapons and transportation was stunning, eye-catching and in my opinion, believable. The concept designers/those involved in design ideas should be cheered for!!!

Ramble -> I wish the character played by Gemma Chan was featured more prominently instead of being more of a simulant + Joshua saint/obsession. However this is a frequently occurring trope in thriller/action movies, woman who is obsessed over and ultimately, not what mc was lead to believe and tragically only important for what she represents rather than who she is and choices she makes. Interestingly enough there are three main women characters; the vengeful mother, hellbent on her delivery of fatal justice for revenge for the children she lost, wife and mother who is a non entity, chiefly a memory and a force used as a Reason To Endure, ultimately a peace maker, the child created as a peace-causing weapon, naïve but gains seemingly language, direction and purpose other than she was programmed with. She is the key to the rebel’s dream so it’s interesting they don’t really use her? That could be explained to be as a result of her tender age or the difference in ideology, if the Americans had a sentient, child weapon, no doubt they’d use her and not lose any sleep bc she’s not “real.” I loved the questions this movie asked: what does it mean to be human or “real”? ethics of robot usage once sentience is gained? how does one justify the use of such weapons? ethics of copying one’s likeness(-could be stretched to be work and other such personal matters)?

The juxtaposition of “eastern” (in this case I’m referring to Buddhism) and “western” (in this case i only mean Christianity) religion was very fun, the integration of the robots/simulants in the republic’s society was such that they were even represented in religious rituals and art/temples! On the other hand, from the Americans we as the viewer gets to observe, only the more shallow sense of Christianity is reflected, the belief (even in the weakest sense of the word) in heaven, sin (to be inferred from the belief that bc Joshua is not “good” and thus “not going to heaven” sin is relevant) forgiveness achieved through actions and absolution through sacrifice.

On IMDB the featured review says this movie is full of plot holes. I fundamentally disagree and believe that through bare bones imagination and analysis one can make plot based assumptions that are relevant to the story and general Vibe the director gives in other relevant works (Rogue One). The only “plot hole” is one that is Consistently used in space based/sci fi movies: the “my arm is stronger than the vacuum of space.” Thats literally the only real plot problem that stood out to me. Some articles are focusing on the AI thing and relating it to the current AI situation with its pollution of art and writing and it’s (in my, a random person’s opinion) such a dumb fucking stance. The problem I have with AI in the arts isn’t bc I hate robots. It’s bc I hate Actual People’s creations being bastardized and glued together in a ramshackle collage of bullshittery.

Detailed Synopsis (INCLUDES SPOILERS) -> the setting is a post-tragedy world where sentient robots and more human looking robots, simulants, have been used for years in harmony with humanity, suddenly a nuke goes off in downtown LA, killing millions and inspiring America (much like post 9/11 America) to launch a nationalistic war on robots/AI. Comparatively, the Republic of Asia is still comfortable with the usage and fully integrates these technologies into society, the home, culture and interpersonal/domestic relationships. This causes America to use the RoA as a scapegoat because the leaders/military believe “Nirmata”, the pseudo-mythical figure said to have ushered in the past/current era of AI-enabled robots/simulants is hiding in the RoA, caused (or at least did nothing to prevent) the attack and is developing a weapon that will end the “West.” This “fact” is used to create and launch attacks from a floating, in-orbit space station that launches bombs, called NOMAD* (*this is visually stunning, incredibly interesting conceptually and HORRIFIC to watch. So much collateral damage and civilian death.) which targets rebel bases and places Nirmata is thought to be hiding. 5 years ago, the main character, Joshua experienced a life altering event and is working a hard manual labor job (that gives the viewer great insight into the worldbuilding), and is contacted by the military saying “hey dude lol let’s go get Nirmata and destroy the weapon it’ll be totes chill and you’ll be a hero and don’t you want to be a hero? Plusbtwyourwifeisalivebro” and so he goes, chaos ensues bc these military ppl suck bananas at following orders, maintaining comms and not killing civilians for no fucking reason. Joshua finds the weapon only, fuck, it’s a simulant in the appearance of an adorable little child (never created before) and appears to know nothing of her purpose. Joshua grabs the kid, hightails it on out of there and goes on a wild goose chase trying to find his wife, in the process learning more about the young weapon, growing to care for her and being hunted by both the local police and the American military.

Ending Thoughts -> would I recommend this movie? Yes! Would I watch it again? Yes! Did it inspire my creativity and imagination? Yes! I found it incredibly entertaining, the action was beautiful, the locations were gorgeous, the devastation of the weaponry was heart-wrenching, the acting was overall quite good and I enjoyed the bittersweet ending and the message. I cried during the ending :)

[awkwardtickleetoo]

The Very Squirmy Superstar

2 fics back to back holy shit that's pretty awesome isn't it

this is a sequel to this fic with ler!freddy and lee!dream, only this time it's george's turn instead!!

and, in case anyone was curious, I have a couple (2 or 3, most likely) more dnf + fnaf fics planned for the (hopefully near) future, so if anyone likes this one and is interested in that kinda thing keep an eye out for it!! and if anyone has any ideas that I maybe haven't figured out my inbox is always open to talk about/suggest that stuff :)

but either way, let's get on with the fic

lee!george, ler!freddy (he's back!!), 4k words exactly :o

enjoy!

--

"Wait, what?!" George shouted after Freddy as he ran away, not turning around to pay him any mind. George leaned forward to let his eyes follow the bear, pushing his legs out straight in front of him, careful not to disturb Dream's head where he was still laying on his lap. "That's not fair, you can't do that! Freddy?! Come back and say you were joking! FREDDY!" George continued to yell until he no longer heard the metallic clanging of footsteps in his ear, meaning Freddy was almost certainly too far away to hear him anymore. George sighed and let his shoulders fall back until they hit the wall behind him again, looking down at Dream. "This is ridiculous, there's no way, right?"

The younger boy slowly sat up, running his fingers through his hair and looking at George as well.

"Hm?" He hummed, requesting confirmation, as he gently rested his temple on George's shoulder and pulled George's hand back into his grip. He fidgeted with George's fingers, pulling one knee up to his chest and leaving his other leg that was closer to George laying straight out next to his as well. He chuckled at the difference in where his leg ended compared to George's, then chuckled again when he looked down at their fingers and did the same thing, before curling George's fingers into a fist and cupping both his hands around it. "There's no way what?"

"Like…" George started, biting his bottom lip when he felt butterflies in his stomach, suddenly very aware of what exactly Freddy had threatened. "Like there's– like, he's not serious, right? He's not… he's not gonna actually… do it, is he?" He explained, looking over at Dream, pushing through the nerves in his chest. He mirrored Dream's position, pulling his outer leg up to his chest and tossing his inner leg's ankle over Dream's shin, watching him smile at the action. George tapped his foot on the ground as he waited for Dream's response.

"I mean… why wouldn't he?" Dream said with a chuckle, the residual flush on his cheeks still present around where his smile created lines on his soft face. "If he did it to me, I don't see why he wouldn't do it to you too?"

"Okay, well, he had a reason to do it to you!"

"He has a reason to do it to you too, George," Dream explained softly, pressing his palms tighter to George's fist to try to crack his knuckles.

"No he does not! What the hell do you mean?!"

"You were being a dick, to be fair." Dream took George's other hand, curling his fingers into a fist and pressing on his knuckles to crack them again.

"I was NOT being a dick, you were being a dick!"

"WH- literally how!?"

"You were so scared of Freddy even though he's been nothing but nice–"

"I am sorry to interrupt," a sudden, reverberating voice broke both of the boys from their argument, making them both stop short and look up at the large, animated bear standing in front of them again. He was holding two bottles of water, reaching down to hand one to Dream, who gladly took it from him. He took a few steps to the left of all of them, placing the second one on top of a charging station to be brought back around later. "They are fresh from the cases in Customer Service, so they should be clean and refreshing. Good for little kids– or big kids!– after a round of fun like that, right, Dream?"

Dream smiled bashfully at the mention of the activities that had occurred barely six minutes prior, pulling the water bottle close to his body as he hunched over to turn and hide his face in George's shoulder. George chuckled at his reaction, reaching over to pat Dream's head as he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Speaking of that round of fun, however…" Freddy began, kneeling in front of George and resting one hand on his knee that was still flat out. "I think it's your turn, isn't it, superstar?"

George's eyes widened as he looked over at Freddy, his round, unblinking eyes staring back into his for so long that he started to understand why Dream must've been so terrified to look at him at the start. He felt his heart practically skip a beat, and felt the blood rush to his face and make his cheeks start turning pink. If he was going to get out of this, he needed to do it now.

"Oh…" George said dumbly, mentally kicking himself for not coming up with a plan sooner. "Is, uh– is that really necessary? I-I feel like we have a lot left to explore, I don't know if–"

"Do not worry, George, we have all the time in the world to explore the wonders of Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex! And you two are lucky, because you just so happen to have Freddy Fazbear as your guide for your adventure," Freddy explained, a hint of pride in his robotic voice. George smiled, thinking his plan was working.

"That's perfect! Why don't we continue on the adventure, th–" George attempted to stand up, but was stopped when Freddy's hand moved up from his knee to hold down on his thigh, and his other hand moved to press George's shoulder back against the wall. There was no force behind the push, as Freddy openly didn't intend to hurt either of the other two, but there was enough strength in Freddy's metal fingers for George to know he wasn't going anywhere, any time soon, if Freddy didn't want him to.

This realization alone was almost enough to make the nervous giggles fizzle out of his mouth.

Somehow, he held strong.

"Right after… we resolve this situation. Does that sound okay?" Freddy explained, tilting his head slightly as he finished with a reassuring tone, wanting to make sure George was aware he wasn't being forced to do something he didn't want to do.

"There's-! There's no situation to resolve!" George fought back, attempting to pull his arms in to cross them in front of his chest but realizing Dream had reached for his hand again.

"There is. The situation is finding whether or not you are ticklish as well."

"I am not!" George responded immediately, without thinking about what he was saying.

"George… do not forget what you said earlier. You told me you would never lie about this, didn't you?" George's eyes widened, the memory of saying exactly that coming back to him like a boomerang. He nodded slowly, and Freddy continued. "You did. And you have already seen what would happen if someone were to lie about that, right? Dream is your example."

"You don't have to keep saying it!" Dream whined, closing his eyes and tilting his head back against the wall behind him. George couldn't help but chuckle at his whine, however he was instantly brought back to reality when Freddy moved his hand off his leg.

"So. Are you ticklish, George?"

George's brain nearly flipped upside down at the question, his body instinctively squirming as he looked away and whined quietly at the question.

"Thahat's not– that's not fair, you can't just ask that!"

"Dream," Freddy said instead, turning his attention to the man beside George just as Dream looked back at him too. "Is George ticklish?"

"Dream, don't!" George cut in immediately, making Dream's eyes flickered over to his as they widened, unsure of what to do.

"Do not lie, Dream," Freddy cut back in as well, and Dream's eyes, once again, jumped to Freddy's, even wider this time. He paused, debating his options, before a small smile graced his features.

"Yes, he is. Ridiculously so."

"DREAM?!"

"Excellent! Way to go, superstar!" Freddy praised, making Dream bite back a smile as he looked down at his hand in George's, bashful once again. "Now, George…" Freddy's voice stayed firm, repeating his earlier question. "Are you ticklish?"

George stuttered for a few seconds, before soon accepting that there was no point in denying anymore. He knew this would only end one way, and at this point the butterflies in his tummy were too strong and wild for him to want anything else. All he could do now was make it easier on himself.

"I-I… fine, yes…" He mumbled, squeezing Dream's fingers so he'd stop fidgeting for the time being.

"Good. And is it okay if I tickle you?"

"Oh my god…" George just about whimpered out, followed by a long whine as he pulled both his legs up to his chest, dropped his head in his knees, and wrapped his free arm around them. "Y-yeah, that… that would be alright," he mumbled, squeezing Dream's hand a little tighter.

"Wonderful news, superstar! I promise to go easy on you."

"Kill me now," George whined again, voice muffled by the arm he'd pulled up closer to his face to block his blush more. Dream giggled at that, making George whine louder, and he brought George's knuckles up to his lips to place a gentle kiss to the back of them.

"You'll be okay, Georgie. It wasn't anything you couldn't handle," Dream explained, dropping George's hand to worm his arm in between George's torso and his knees, pulling on one of his legs to get him to uncurl himself and come out of hiding.

"That is true, I can promise there is no way I'll go over your limit. There are ways I can sense certain things about you, such as your heart rate and the temperature of your skin, to ensure that nothing will be unsafe for you. You'll be in good hands, you have my word," Freddy explained, placing his hand on George's knee once more and rubbing his cool thumb across it soothingly.

"Really?" George asked, looking up at Freddy as he did, in fact, uncurl himself slightly. Freddy made a noise of confirmation, smiling as George nodded in response. "Okay. That's pretty cool, to be honest. Knowing that helps a lot."

"I am glad. I think we can begin now! Dream, why don't you hold George for his turn, it might be helpful for both of you."

"What?! No! That's not fair! Dream, do not– DREAM-!" George's protests were cut off when he felt an arm behind his back and one under his knees, lifting him quite unceremoniously. Both belonged to Dream, who was ready in almost an instant to pull George perpendicular onto his lap and grab both his wrists with one hand, holding them in front of his chest. The other hand stayed on George's back, keeping him steady even as he began squirming, despite him quickly realizing it was no use. "Dream, stop it! Let go– NO!" George yelped, his back stiffening as he felt two large, metal hands holding either side of his ribcage. He pulled at his wrists, hoping they would budge even a little bit, but his attempts were cut off by sudden tensing and squirming when the thumbs and forefingers of said metal hands suddenly started drilling circles into the bottom and sides of his ribs.

"NOHO-!" George's back arched immediately, his knees drawing up again slightly, but this time he simply stomped his feet on the patterned carpet and slid the heels of his sneakers against it as he shook his head and twisted his body as much as he could manage. "Plehehehease!" He begged, pushing forward and back and to either side to no avail in an attempt to somehow dislodge the fingers digging into the most sensitive parts of his ribs.

"My goodness, George, you are very squirmy!" Freddy pointed out, making George scrunch up his nose in discontent and shake his head wildly.

"Shuhuhut uhuhup!" Any attempt George could've made to keep his laughter at bay was completely useless, his giggles spilling out in new waves with every single circle and movement of Freddy's hands. His continuous giggles then turned into squeals, genuine laughter, and full body squirming when Freddy's fingers pushed back just enough to press all his fingers into the backs of George's ribs and vibrate them against the bones. "NOHOHO, oh my GOHOHOD– PLEHEASE NOT THIHIHIS, PLEHEHEASE!"

"Uh, yeah, that's a bit of a bad spot for him," Dream explained softly to Freddy, leaning in slightly so he could be heard over George's frantic laughter. "I'm not really sure how long you should stay there."

"Hm, yes, I can tell. His heart rate skyrocketed as soon as I pressed in," Freddy explained, pulling his fingers off the back of George's ribcage and gently holding his sides to keep him balanced. George took in as many gulps of air as he could manage, his eyes slipping closed as he let his head roll back in exhaustion.

"Thahahat– thahat was nohot… goihing easy on mehehehe…" George complained, tugging at his wrists in Dream's hand and tapping his feet against the floor even more.

"I apologize, George. You handled that part very well. However, my sensors tell me you can endure a bit more," Freddy explained, not giving George any time to react before scratching his fingers at George's stomach. George's back arched at the sensation, and he sucked in his tummy and held in his laughter for barely a second to try to deter the animatronic from that spot, but all hope was lost when Freddy brought his other hand into the mix, skittering his metallic fingers all over his tummy and sides in random bursts.

"Oh myhy Gohohohod! S-stohohop! I caha– stohop ihihihit, plehehease!" George's pleads were ignored, and his squirming and whining only increased when he gets Dream's palm gently rubbing circles on the middle of his back, in an attempt– that was, unfortunately, working– to soothe George's nerves as much as he could. "Dreheheam, stohop– Freheddyhyhy! Stohohop!" George took in a sharp breath right as Freddy's thumb swiped underneath his belly button, the action catching the edge of his t-shirt and letting the cold metal slide along his bare skin. George squealed, jumping away from the touch, but Freddy simply swiped his thumb a few more times, chuckling when George squealed once again when he caught the bottom edge of his belly button. "NOHO, okahahay!"

"Okay?" Dream questioned, furrowing his eyebrows at George as he waited for further explanation.

"Okahay! Mohohove somewhere ehe–ELSE, N-AHA!" George yelped, his entire torso arching and flinching as Freddy delivered a single quick pinch to the space right above his hipbones before pulling his hands away to give George a breather.

"You're doing extremely well, superstar. You're lasting longer than I expected."

George whined, crossing his arms over his chest and holding onto his own biceps the second Dream let go of his wrists. Dream, instead, wrapped his arms around George's waist and pulled him closer, cuddling into his side where he still remained sideways on his lap.

George would never admit how much he melted into it.

"Now… why don't we out how you react down here, okay, Mr. Twinkle Toes?" Freddy teased with another echoey chuckle, gently poking fun at George for the way he'd been tapping his feet against the floor, in comparison to Dream's kicking from earlier. He shifted backwards a few inches, grabbing the underside of George's right leg and gently guiding him to let it be held up, outstretched, leaving enough spots exposed and vulnerable that George began squirming again almost instantly.

"No, nonono, whahat are you doihihing?" George protested, curling his toes inside his shoes and attempting to wiggle his leg out from Freddy's hold. It was useless, however, as Freddy's large, metal hands were almost bulky enough to wrap entirely around the middle of his calf, and the grip was so strong that his arm barely moved a few centimeters even with George's wild squirming. George knew, without a doubt, that he was screwed.

"It seems like someone is getting nervous. Dream, are there bad spots on George's legs that I should know about?" Freddy asked, glancing between the two boys as Dream smiled and George's eyes widened.

"No! No, Dream, please, I'm serious, please don't say anything, please!" George begged, reaching one hand over to rest on Dream's shoulder and the other to hold onto one of his arms around his waist.

"Uh…" Dream paused, conflicted on who to listen to again, but Freddy placed a hand on his other shoulder and spoke again.

"Dream, you don't have to worry. He knows I can tell when he's taken too much, and you know firsthand that I will stop accordingly the second I sense he's reached that point. He will be fine."

"But I– that doesn't–" George stuttered, his face heating up and turning even more red than he thought it could ever get. "Ugh, Dreeeeammm…" George let out a long whine of Dream's name, tilting his head and partially hiding his face against Dream's shoulder, the position too awkward and strained to do much more.

"Behind his knees are pretty bad, and above the knees are even worse than he said I was. Oh, and his thighs are an absolute death spot, you can't stay there too long either. That might have to be your finale, if you've already gotten his ribs."

"Dream, when we get out of here, I'm gonna get you back and wreck you so ha–"

"Perfect! Thank you, Dream, you're so helpful!" Freddy cut off George's empty threat with a compliment to Dream, then suddenly squeezed right above George's knees with the hand that wasn't holding his leg in place.

"NOHO– ohoh gohohod!" George squealed, jolting up from Dream's shoulder and hunching forward. He curled his hands into fists, pinning his elbows to his sides and shaking his fists slightly in the air– something he often did when he wasn't sure how else to expel the ticklish energy coursing through his veins. His leg flinched against Freddy's hold with every touch, giggles and squeaks falling from his lips no matter how hard he tried to bite them back or protest through them.

"Hm, it does seem that this might be more of a sensitive spot on you than on Dream… but I wonder if back here will get you to giggle as much as he did?" Freddy said as he slid his hand around to flutter over the back of George's knee instead.

George squealed, loud and unfiltered, and he was pretty sure it could have transformed into a scream if he hadn't broken off into high pitched, equally loud, doubly embarrassing laughter immediately after, tossing his head back and letting his jaw go completely slack as he smiled so wide his cheeks began to hurt. He flinched and kicked his leg out straight, then tried to bend his knee to hide the spot as best as he could, but it was useless.

"Nahahaha!" He protested through his sunny laughter, scrunching his nose up at the humiliating pitch it was at and covering his mouth with one hand. He tried to keep in as much as he could, letting out muffled giggles now as he scrunched his entire body and squirmed like his life depended on it.

"Oh, c'mon, George. Don't do that," Dream complained, curling up closer to George and gently guiding his hand away from his mouth. George shook his head, looking away from both of them, but Dream straightened his back to lean up and place a soft kiss on George's temple. George nearly melted again, whining between laughs, letting his hands be guided away until they were in shaky fists by his chest again.

"THIHIHIS– thihis ihisn't fahahahair!"

"Hm… you're right, we have been going for a minute or so longer than we went with Dream, perhaps that's not fair. I can sense you're getting tired."

"Yehehehes! It's nohohot! So stohop ihihit!" George complained, wincing at how whiny he sounded, but he didn't have much time to think about his tone when Freddy quickly switched to squeezing and scratching at his inner thighs. "NOHOHO! OH GOHOHOD– NAHAHA, PLEHEHEASE!" George practically screamed out his protests, his voice starting to become raspy from the force of his laughter.

"Oh, my… I see what you were saying about this being a… 'death spot', I believe you called it? This is quite a find."

"SHUHUHUT UHUHUP!?" George yelled, face flushing even more red than it was and only getting worse as his breathing became even more labored through his torture. He pulled in a sharp breath, immediately pushing it back out in the form of a new wave of frantic laughter ripping from his throat, and he jumped forward to grab onto Freddy's arm, one hand pulling at his wrists and the other wrapped around his wide, blocky, metal fingers to try and pry them away from his thigh. He begged and pleaded, each word being cut off by a new laugh as he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "PLEHE– FREHEHE– COME ON, PLEHEHEASE– I CAHAHAHA–!"

"Okay, I believe this is a sufficient ending. I can see you're nearly beyond your limit, so we're done," Freddy explained, gently patting George's leg a few times before placing it down next to his other one and letting him go entirely. George immediately curled his knees up towards his body with a whimper, then curled his arms around his torso, and turned slightly to hide his face in Dream's shoulder once again. Freddy and Dream both chuckled at his overdramatic recovery, but they both found ways to comfort him nonetheless– Dream's fingers scratching the back of his head and holding one of his hands, and Freddy rubbing his back and patting his knee to help his breathing return to normal. "You did such a good job. You're a real superstar, George, I mean that."

"Shuhuhut… shut up…" George mumbled against Dream's shoulder, squeezing his fingers where their hands were linked in response to Dream chuckling at him. "You too, idiot. Don't think I'm, like… ever, ever gonna forget this. Okay? I'm gonna destroy you when we find a way home."

"I'm looking forward to it, Georgie," Dream responded, his tone more fond than ever, and both men giggled at the idea for a few seconds.

Freddy stood up and walked over to the charging station on the wall near them, grabbing the second water bottle he had brought back with him. He cracked the lid open delicately with two fingers as he walked back over and handed it to George. Then, all three of them noticed a blinking red light on the screen of the charging pod.

"Oh… I apologize, but it appears I'm about to enter power saving mode, so it's time for me to rest in one of these charging pods for quite a while. Will you two be okay without me for the time being? I will come find you as soon as my battery level is full again."

"We'll be okay," George reassured with a nod. "Well…. I will be. Not sure about Dream, he's still a big baby scaredy cat, aren't you, Dream?"

"Normally I'd call you an idiot, but you're not even wrong about this one. But we'll be okay, we promise," Dream agreed, both of them looking over at Freddy with honest smiles.

"Wonderful. Once you're both ready, the best place to go next would probably be the daycare center on the ground floor. I will meet you outside the door when my battery is charged." And with that explanation, Freddy turned away from them and entered the charging pod, and Dream and George watched as the lights flickered to life and the whirring sound of a power surge rang through the machine.

In all honesty… Dream was immediately terrified again.

But, alas, he pushed through, and the two finished their waters and headed towards the long staircase down to the ground floor where the daycare was located, unsure of what adventures and explorations the area may hold for them.

[sleepyhead-poll]

ROUND 1D, MATCH 16 OUT OF 16!

Propaganda Under the Cut:

Linhardt von Hevring:

linhardt has like 1 goal in life and its to be able to sleep as much as he wants and research whatever he wants without any pressure from anyone or anything <3 quote from his wiki page: "he often flutters from interests and is only able to focus on whatever fancies him in the moment. Additionally, his extreme disinterest in anything off-topic will cause him to become drowsy and/or fall asleep." he's neurodivergent as hell

Bro just wants to sleep instead of going to war. He took a nap in the cafeteria with a fucking pillow. Bro is so sleepy and wanting to nap all day that he can’t even be bothered to introduce himself properly “Linhardt. Goodbye.” Anyway he is the best sleepy boy :)

Besides being the Goddess' sleepiest soldier, Linhardt is literally introduced in a cutscene falling asleep mid-lecture and his personal ability is called Catnap ('Snooze' in Japanese). Catnap allows Linhardt to recover HP if he doesn't take any actions during a turn. 🙏 Bro is sleeping on the battlefield

He's just a sleepy boy who brings a pillow around to sleep and doesn't give a fuck. His conversation during the great tree moon(april)? About how it's the best time to sleep? He's damn right.

Not really currently but they're really cool and sleepy and also bi

Just a sleepy guy who wants to nap over studying and battling.

Eepy eepy boy:) also most likely autistic

he’s so eepy!!!!!! the eepiest!!!!!!!! it’s one of his defining traits also he’s one of the only characters you can gay marry in the game

Chill and sleepy.

He is such a sleepyhead. He tends to come across as ditzy or spacey to others, when often he is just so so so sleepy. He caries around a pillow sometimes because he'll sleep wherever and whenever. He doesn't seem to care that others find it distasteful, because he's happy getting lots of sleep. He may have narcolepsy; but it doesn't seem to be an established word in canon so most people things he's lazy or avoidant of things, when he really just can't help it. As the teacher you can acknowledge him though and validate that being sleepy doesnt mean hes wrong, as long as he works hard when he's awake. Despite his sleepy though he's there for his friends in battle (usually as a healer in my games since he's not a fan of violence) and just lives a long nap afterwards.

Sothis:

She is THE sleepy. The first cutscene of this game occurs in the protagonist's (Byleth) dream where they watch Sothis awake for the first time, complete with a ton of yawning and nagging. Throughout the game Sothis exists as a voice in Byleth's head who frequently succumbs to tiredness when she and/or Byleth runs into confusion. (Spoilers ahead!) The reason for this is that Sothis existed in the ancient era as a god-like individual who was murdered while stuck in a deep slumber, recovering from exerting her powers. After hundreds of years Sothis' remains became separated as a sword and a magical stone that powers it. The stone was implanted into Byleth when they were born, creating a connection between them and Sothis due to the circumstances surrounding their birth. At the start of the game Byleth manages to reawaken Sothis and she appears to them as a sleepy, amnesiac child to them because of her fractured state. Later on, Sothis fuses herself with the protagonist's soul to save them from certain doom and she stops appearing to them until much later when Byleth falls into a deep ravine. In the darkness, Sothis urges Byleth to wake up, having undergone a similar slumber as she had centuries before to heal. Sothis' story is very deeply tied to sleeping and I could ramble even more but this is long enough as it is

[tales-from-the-aether-ttrpg]

Tales from the Aether Magic pt 1

Magic is incredibly important to this game and the setting. Not every character will have magic but any who wishes to, can. All characters are given the option to learn 1 novice spell at level one regardless of their investment in the magic skills. This spell can be exchanged, however, for an additional Feat if the player has no interest in magic or it doesn't suit the character.

All magic stems from the Aether, the world between worlds and source of pure creation and change. It is the glue that binds the great Tome of Life and the home of Angels, Demons, and Devils. The act of using Arcana or magic in all its forms involves forming a bridge between oneself and the Aether that allows the world altering energy of the Aether to be channeled in the material. This bridge is natural in some creatures such as Mythical beings but in most others, must be created through the Awakening. 

There are many words used to describe those who practice magic - and many arguments over who has a right to use those words when - but the most important one is an Awakened. An Awakened is a being that has successfully experienced the Awakening, and unlocked their ability to use Arcana.

The Awakening occurs when a being successfully forms a bridge between their mind and body and the Aether. This moment is transformative and the being is never the same again but every creature’s Awakening looks and feels different. For some, it could be a moment of pure bliss as their faith overcomes literal barriers of creation while others could be a painful assault as a foreign entity carves its spells into them without their consent or it could be a surge of unfiltered euphoria as all one’s hard work and study finally pays off. Even a being born with magic (Innate) experiences the Awakening when they cast a spell for the first time. If the being is a baby when they experience the Awakening, they vaguely remember it even if all memories of the time have faded. The Awakening is so thoroughly ingrained in one’s mind and body that even if they lose all memories, a being remembers what their Awakening felt like.

Connecting to the Aether permanently changes you. Every time you draw on the Aether through Arcana, you create a minuscule bridge between yourself and the inbetween. This draws the attention of Aether Spirits, Angels, Demons, and Devils. Most of the time, this is harmless as you never draw enough of the Aether into yourself to create a large enough bridge for an Angle, Demon, or Devil to pass through. However, even an inexperienced Novice can draw the curiosity of an Aether Spirit which can pass over through the smallest of windows. 

Aether Spirits are mostly harmless and a being possessed by one may not notice more than a faint tickle in the back of their mind. The Aether Spirit will subtly influence its host by flooding it with specific emotions or urges but it cannot force its host to take any specific action. If the spirit wishes, it can speak telepathically with its host, through images or even dreams. I will go into more depth about how this possession works - and when it is possible for Angels, Demons, and Devils to possess you - when I discuss the mechanics of Magic and Arcana in a future post.

This is a peak at some design elements of my TTRGP Tales from the Aether. This is not dnd. If you think some of these ideas are interesting, check out my Masterpost linked here and follow for more updates :D

[archivalofsins]

@seariii I want you to know this is the most wholesome thing I've read regarding someone liking Kotoko in a while.

Also, you were right, the points we're seeing being made are from different places. Most of the defenses for Amane's mother's actions I saw were on twitter directly after the release of Purge March. The misogyny point has come up on multiple platforms though. I do know that people can be very insistent/aggressive when it comes to Amane being Innocent, but I've only heard of that happening. I haven't seen it myself because I'm not in the tag often on here due to reasons.

Although I must admit some of the times that I personally have discussed Amane I've been pushy about it and discussed her case in a way that can come off as self-righteous while comparing it to other prisoners' cases. However, that was directly after seeing people defending her mother's behavior while voting her guilty. Something that is ultimately not a thing I feel should be supported.

Her mother was wrong and it's really unfair to me that the depiction of an abuser is being sympathized with and given more leniency than the person they are portrayed abusing. So, I ended up being more aggressive than I should have been at times as well.

It is stressful to hear things like Kotoko may be beaten up during the intermission. It's a very valid concern for people who care about her character to have but it's a worry that everyone in the fandom shares when it comes to the safety of the prisoners that they care about. Ultimately, we can't really control what the prisoners do after the trial which can be very anxiety inducing for everyone involved. Especially since no one wants any of the characters to be lost before trial three. It's really complicated.

I haven't seen much about Kotoko being attacked outside of the context of Shidou with his "extract that fang" line. Which to be fair given how some within the fandom have discussed Amane's during her second trial he'd probably cease to be a threat to Kotoko's safety if she were voted Innocent. So, in that since Kotoko enjoyers and Amane enjoyers should probably just form an alliance. Logistically it'd be a reasonable course of action even if a bit unfair.

It would also be a better outcome than what occurred with Haruka and Mu this trial. Plus, could have fun narrative implications if brought to the writer's attention I mean this was said in the trial two commencement notice after all-

As they literally made visual allusions to trading and bargaining. Literally this is what comes up when you search bargaining in google.

Milgram isn't really being subtle or slick about it. They're just waiting to see which prisoners' fans are most successful at it at this point. Milgram has sort of been tempting guards to make deals with each other since the start of trial two. Well at least to me that's what it seems like.

The prisoners have even formed some alliances of their own or attempted to do so since the beginning. Milgram has implied we have more of an impact than we know and that some prisoners will change their behavior if they know it will benefit them.

Like this answer of Kotoko's for example,

How would that impact prisoner relationships? The prisoners can hear us after all if they know that we're in support of certain relationships and not others. I wonder how that would go especially attached to positive reinforcement. It could be wild and interesting.

What's a bit of harmless discussion between guards after all? Things like this are much better than going back and forth for each other's throat's tit for tat. Outside of that bit of deluded talk- Because coordination like that in this sort of situation is a pipe dream at this point.

Please keep talking about Kotoko because it's literally restoring my faith in humanity it may be difficult to fully understand but- I thought I was losing it there for a minute.

[igotanidea]

Counterparts: Morpheus x OC Chapter 5

Summary: Kayleen was born to be the embodiment of Reality. Protector of the Waking World and Keeper of the Order. Naturally, that makes her a counterpart of the Dream of The Endless. Despite their differences in both approach to life and characters they are forced to work together to keep balance between Dreaming and Waking. Thank God, they are both professionals who DO NOT fight or engage emotionally….. Or do they?

World count: 2.669

Prologue

Chapter 1: sometimes reality sucks

Chapter 2 : Welcome back to reality

Chapter 3 : A rough nightmare

Chapter 4: Crumbling

Chapter 5

Falling to pieces.

10 years later.

It’s been a decade since Dream’s disappearance. For the couple of years I tried to find him, to make some contact with him, but all of it was futile. So I stopped trying, my pride screaming at me not to make a fool out of myself. I hate to say I gave up, but I know exactly when someone wants nothing to do with you. It’s like Destruction leaving all over again. And that memory still hurts. Feeling left out, like you mean nothing to the other one.

For the last decade I’ve been jumping back and forth between Dreaming and Waking only trying my best to uplift both of the Realms. After all, I have friends on the other side, and since I have some power in me I could try to help them at least a bit. Besides, Dreaming falling to pieces have more impact on Reality than I would like to admit. It’s exhausting. I mean, my powers only work so far. It feels weird and not right to step in the domain which was not meant for me and it definitely affect my health and well - being. It’s only been 10 years. Who knows how much long I can keep it all afloat and how longer I will be forced to…..

At the same time, I try to keep up my job, being a mentor to my students and coming up with creative ideas to get their attention to writing. I mean, there are so many creative prompts considering the circumstances of people not able to sleep hence no one to watch over this part of their existence.

20 years later

Some of the residents of the Dreaming left the Realm. It pains me, watching it all crumble, but I can do nothing to stop them. It’s like they are starting to believe that Morpheus really did abandon them. I mean, I don’t blame them. Dreams are fading and Nightmares are becoming more predatory. I’m so tired of it. Tending to Waking during the day and Dreaming at night, trying my best to keep the most cruel of Morpheus’s creations at bay. Meanwhile Corinthian freed himself and broke a literal hell on Earth. It seems like he started some cult of him, people all over the World copycatting his actions. This is really bad. For the past 5 years I was able to limit the members of this sect, showing them how much pain and despair they bring, but that’s still not enough. Despair is having the best time ever, I can tell. Death though, wasn’t delighted with the amount of work that was piled up upon her.

Flashback

- I’m sorry Death - I said with so much remorse in my voice. Despite all of the work we both have now, we were able to get together. If you can call it like that. It was more of a running around collecting souls which died of exhaustion and sleep deprivation (Death) and trying to manipulate the Reality to minimize the impact (me). We’re like a damage control team.

- What on Earth are you talking about?

- All of those people dying, being hurt.... This havoc that has been caused since.....

- Stop it. You stop it now, you hear me - she haltered her walk, took my hands, and looked me straight in the eyes - none of this – she waved her hand around - NONE of this, is your fault.

- Then whose? - I say silently.

- You know, you truly are a peculiar human being. Even after all this time you don’t blame Dream for what happened?

- Death.... you were the one who told me what truly occurred to him.

- You mean that he was captured?

- More or less. – I shrugged but even with my sarcastic attitude I can’t quite hide how stressed I am because of it all.

Some time ago Death reached out to me and revealed that Dream was captured by some crazy-shit-ass amateur magus Roderick Burgess. Location? London. She explained she owed me that much as my friend. She was worried of me getting drained of the amount of work I was dealing with. Obviously, the first thought that came to my mind was to rescue him immediately. If not for his or mine sake than for the benefit of Dreaming and Reality. I started masterminding the plan of getting into the Burgess mansion and it was perfect. Until it came to its execution. I suppose it is enough to say that Roderick’s home was not exactly immortals-friendly. The moment I stepped foot inside I started to wince in pain. Apparently the magus used some crazy spells to protect himself from unwanted visitors. What chances does Reality have against magic? I mean, I have some skills, but I’m no witch. I felt utterly defeated, my head spinning and my whole body aching. Brain on fire since I could easily feel Morpheus’s presence somewhere in the house. “I’m sorry, Dream” – I sent him a silent message. “I’m so, so sorry”.  I knew he felt me too and get that. It’s terrible to feel so helpless. Ever since then I put twice as much effort into all my work. Shame it didn’t give twice as much of a good result.  I just wondered why none of his siblings came to his aid, but when I reached Destiny, he just shook it off and said that the Endless do not mess with each other’ s domain.  Wonderful family, truly. So…. supportive.

- Even though, you could claim that you told him to be careful when he went to catch that Nightmare. Corinthian, was that his name? Hell, you even offered to go and help him but he was just too proud to accept that.

I looked down at the ground without a single word. She’s right obviously and he was a stubborn ass,  but on the other hand there is a bit of guilt inside me. I was also the one who forced him to go out to get Corinthian. I was the one who was not able to free him from his cage. I couldn’t deal with some amateur magus using circus tricks on one of the Endless. Shit, I was the one not able to stand up to Destiny when he held me back from taking any further action against Roderick Burgess. I was the one not capable of keeping Dreaming intact.

-Stop spinning Kayleen. You did more than you could have. And for that my brother should be eternally grateful.

-Oh, right. Grateful is just a natural state for him. Can you imagine his reaction knowing that I meddled with the Dreaming affairs? Highway to hell for me, for sure.

-What is it with you, Dream and Hell? Is that some inside joke? Besides, don’t worry about that. I’m going to take you for myself before Lucifer lay a hand on you. No hellfire for you, my dear - she hugged me. - I got to go now, but I hope to see you again, soon. And please, take care of yourself, ok?

-I was always a bit of a workaholic you know? This situation just take it to the extreme – I sighed knowing well enough I won’t keep that promise.

30 years later

Most of the nightmares are gone from the Dreaming. The only dreams left are those who are the most loyal, like Fiddler’s Green. The only place that gives me a little bit of breath and perspective when I visit. A brief moment to catch a breath before mending to another fire. I befriended Cain and Abel who, besides Lucienne still believe that Morpheus is going to come back. Their hope is really admirable, but I have no time nor energy to focus on that. Seems like I’m in some robot mode when I just keep doing without thinking.

Meanwhile, in the Waking World, people has been suffering from coma, not able to wake up. Oh, irony. First, they couldn’t sleep now they cannot get back from dreams. The newspapers even came up with some catchy title for that…..

60 years later.

I’m so tired......

The nightmares now started to invade my sleep. Some crazy kind of retaliation on me, deriving from the times when I tried to keep them in check. So for quite some time I haven’t really been sleeping. The worst part? They pray on my real fears and terrors so I can’t even convince myself that this is not the truth. If nothing else, I know how to spot reality

Thankfully, though I don’t know how, I’m still capable of working as lecturer. My students and classes are probably the only thing that keeps me sane. Recently, we got a visit from this popular author – Richard Madock. My students seemed to be captured by his works, so I decided it would be nice to organize a meeting. It’s surprising how this guy sort of came out of nowhere. Even though he acts professionally, when I first saw him I just get this kind of vibes that made me cautious. There’s something about his creativity and versatility of his works. He’s hiding something, I know it. His words about “strong female characters in fiction” and how much of a supporter of women rights he is just does not match his eyes, his posture, his …. everything. I can sense something fake in his entire vibe. Wish I had enough power to get to the bottom of it.

96 years later

Physically I haven’t aged a day but my general condition really indicates the passing of past 96 years. I hide it under some simple illusion, but it gives me a lot of self-consciousness and anxiety. I guess I might be developing some body issues. Besides, some people (?) can see right through me. Like some fellow librarian.

- You can’t keep doing that - I heard Lucienne’s footsteps as she approached the table I laid my head on for a couple minutes. It was my “Dreaming duty” time and I was trying to find some peace in the Library. We only had a couple books left since at some point the stories started to disappear.

- I’m sorry Lucienne, I just need a second to reposition myself. What part of the castle shall I try to uplift now? – I can’t stop the  yawn and find it hard to keep my eyes open. - Has some dream been unusually terrible? Or another nightmare running loose? Is it about Cain or Abel or Gregory? I can tend to that - I stand up, but get dizzy and fall back down, not hitting the floor only thanks to Lucienne catching me.

- That is not what I meant, at all, Kayleen - she make me sit down on the chair as she shakes her head in disapproval. – you can’t keep trying to tend to both Realms. It’s killing you, All those spacial jumping, stress, lack of sleep. It was never your duty. You are still human, remember?

- Immortal human – I point out - I can’t get killed, even by myself, you know. But I suppose I forgot about that part of myself  after a couple of decades of work. Full workaholic at my best. There’s really no time to think about that.

- Kay… - Lucienne said gently - you need to get back to Waking. You need to stay there for good. There’s nothing more you can do here. Trust me.

- I can’t do that. – I shake my head. - I can’t watch Reality crumble and knowing that the same is happening to the Dreaming. I can’t leave you and the guys alone.

- You just won’t take no for an answer, would you?

- No…. - I smile weakly, still a bit lightheaded.

- You are way too stubborn for your own good. If you won’t let it go I will have to resort to some more drastic measures.

- You wouldn’t do that. - I looked at her with - hate to admit it - fear and disbelief in my eyes .

- It’s for your own good. You still be able to communicate with me through the Ravens. I can assign one specifically to you if you wish. Mathew is the new one and has been very eager to meet you.

- Ok - I say. I hate to surrender, but deep down I know she’s right. Besides, it’s better to leave on my own and keeping this little connection than being banished by Lucienne and losing it all. - but please, contact me as often as you can. I don’t.... I don’t want to be left alone. – with all my mortal friends and acquaintances in the waking gone it won’t be easy to keep going.

- Of course Kay. I could never forget about you - she looks at me with sadness in her eyes.

105 years later

Leaving Dreaming wasn’t much of a help. But – one good thing came out of it. I meet someone who might be special to me in upcoming future. At this point I didn’t even care that he was mortal. I was just in desperate need of company so….

Tom joined the faculty a year ago as a  law teacher. He may seems serious and intense but deep down he’s a joking nerd. Just open up to the limited amount of people who know how to …. make him show his true colors.  And yes, that’s me. I really like this side of his. He tells the best jokes and is always optimistic. Such a reverse to my last male companion. I really like him and who knows what might happen if this keeps on….

So, in general, I let go a bit and a lot of things fell back into their places. Obviously, I still get pain and headaches when Corinthian or some other nightmares mess with Reality but at this point I can handle that. Just doing what I can without pushing too hard. Matthew, the raven, has been the best company I could ask for. Always ready for a pep talk, to help me ground myself and stop me from doing something reckless. He also loves talking but I don’t really mind.

106 years later

I was in the middle of my afternoon class when I fainted. Ok, maybe not exactly fainted. It was more like this feeling of losing consciousness for a couple minutes but when I blinked nothing has really changed. So is it official? Did my sanity finally snap? Wouldn’t be surprising after more than a century. Or maybe…. Maybe things are getting back to normal? As fast as I can I finish the class, getting some disappointing looks from attendants ( it’s still uplifting that I can keep their interests to the extend where they want to go to class instead of skipping them). I need to check what’s happening.

-Matthew. – I say turning around looking for my favorite raven.  – Where are you?

-I’m here, Kay – the bird flies from the sky and land on the nearest tree branch.

-Not here – I whisper – someone may hear us – can’t risk my reputation as a stable person by being seen talking to a bird – I grin – no offence, Matthew.

-None taken.

-Did you feel something strange, too? In the dreaming? Or maybe you were there? I need some information, can you check on Lucienne and let me know?

-Sure thing, Brainy – he gave me that nickname after a couple of lectures he “attended” watching over me. - I’ll be there and back in a minute.

-Just be careful, ok? – I say and I shake at the memory of what happened last time I used those words towards someone else.

-I always am. – with that word he flies away leaving me hanging and thirsty for some answers.

next: chapter 6

tag list is open : @asianfrustration13 @musicconversedance @hyper-half-blood

[xxtha-blog]

Fanon Dreamtale Tropes: Dream Tries a Negative Apple

One of my least favourite Dreamtale storylines that the fandom likes to drop randomly into their stories is having Dream try to eat a negative apple after Nightmare corrupts.

I don't really care that it's not canon or couldn't happen canonly, forget that for now, what I care about is how horrifically detrimental to a story it is. Like we do know what that implies, right? We can understand the gravity of that decision? How absolutely asinine it is for basically any character ever?

If it occurs after Nightmare corrupts, most stories, even super fanon ones, have already set up three things:

1. Dream knows about the corruption

2. Dream has a single positive apple

3. Dream is protecting that positive apple because it's the last one

If these are true, and you either make your Dream try or imply your Dream tried to eat a negative apple (regardless of it succeeds) you have just told the audience the following things about the character:

1. Dream is so self absorbed and selfish he'd rather the ENTIRE MULTIVERSE suffer and die than literally ANY other option

2. Despite suicide being an alternative better option because at least then there is no risk of him also being alive to cause suffering or suffer alongside everyone, (even if the result is the same positivity dies), he STILL didn't choose that first.

3. His goal is not to help anyone, not to understand anyone, not help anything, but rather, it is to watch the entire multiverse crumble by giving Nightmare exactly what he wants as there is no other genuine explanation for what he could think would happen should he actually be able to eat that apple.

I don't think I can properly describe to you the magnitude of that decision. It's so unhelpful to anyone, including Dream, that only the most evil, sadistic, piece of shit character would ever even, for a second, consider it. Even villains, even the most disgustingly repulsive characters, who would murder someone without a second though, at least have the self interest to not want THEMSELVES to suffer too. They want to at least be able to enjoy the suffering they cause. This, on the other hand, not only comes with the ultimate eternal suffering for literally every other person in the multiverse, but also comes with the suffering of the person who ate the apple themselves. At that point you might as well hope you die, in which case, what was the point?

It's so mind bogglingly evil, so incomprehensibly self destructive, that I can't even give you a proper 'evil' comparison. It's like suicide murdering an entire multiverse into a slow and painful death, only you suffer the slow and painful death with them.

And stories in this fandom will just casually suggest this! "Oh, Dream was feeling bad and he said why not?" HUH? And often times they move on without another thought. Others will set their entire story up on this premise and still write Dream as some sympathetic maybe a little evil but mostly sad character, it just doesn't line up in the slightest.

Dream knows exactly what will happen if a story already established Nightmare corrupted. Dream has the last apple if he's currently a guardian and you've set up no alternative story to contradict that. I don't know why this fandom enjoys this trope so much, but I strongly implore people not to drop the suggestion Dream decided to turn off all brain cells and attempt to plunge the entire multiverse into a positivity-less hell where the only emotions anyone will ever experience ever again are those of negativity because he was feeling depressed. I also cannot stress enough that depression, anxiety, ptsd, you name the bad emotion, doesn't suddenly make someone the biggest piece of shit in the multiverse right next to Nightmare and it is not a motivation nor an excuse for this action.

You've immediately destroyed whatever semblance of a good character you were trying to write in the first place and turned him into Corrupted Nightmare 2.0 only this time, he did it on purpose. There's no amount of 'oh he was sad, oh he just really wanted to know, oh he was curious' that can explain the magnitude of sadomasochistic pure evil that would have to go behind it. It's character assassination to the highest degree, and I'm not talking about canon, it's character assassination for almost any Dream you were trying to write in the first place.

All this to say, it's definitely my least favourite Dreamtale Fanon trope people use in this fandom.

[stainedglassthreads]

I’ve already compared and contrasted Toriel and Asgore’s loneliness, and talked at length about Asgore’s tendencies to cling to the past, especially in Deltarune. But it’s just occurred to me that every single Dreemurr clings to the past, to varying degrees.

Asriel does so most literally and visibly. He had a number of terrifying and traumatic changes thrust upon him, and was then gifted the power to reset time... but never far enough to undo all that was done to him and get his ‘normal life’ back. He refuses to let go of the past, to let go of his best friend, to let the game end... but he finds it just as impossible to return to who he once was before dying and getting traumatized. 

Asgore and Toriel are interesting in that, while they both obsess over the past, they seem to do so in opposite ways. 

Asgore just wants the past back, exactly how it was. In Undertale, he dreams of seeing his wife and child again. When he’s presented the chance of adopting Frisk, however, he swiftly realizes that, due to his own actions and the present attitudes of monsterkind, this is impossible. In Deltarune, too, he asks Sans how to make Toriel feel the same way towards him that he once did. He seeks to forget all the horrible things that happened to return to the past, and upon being forced to confront reality, starts believing there’s only one way to atone for his mistakes. (Well, in Undertale. We’ve yet to see how DR!Asgore reacts yet.) 

Toriel, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to want her ex-husband back in her life, nor does she have the same drawbacks about what monsters will think if their ex-queen adopts a human. She fully acknowledges how monsters may wish to harm Frisk, while adopting them and pledging to protect them, and making plans for their future. Compared to Asgore, she’s ready to move on and forget the past. Perhaps too ready, as some of Flowey’s dialogue implies he feels she’s replaced him. 

Despite that, Toriel may not quite have moved onto the past. I forget where I read it, but I saw a delightful observation that Toriel may be trapped in a cycle of her own, desperately trying to prevent Chara and Asriel from leaving and dying, and failing again and again and again. A new human falls, a new human leaves, a new soul gets put in a jar by the Barrier. Perhaps, metaphorically, this shows that unlike Asgore, who is resigned to the promise he made, she’s still struggling to break the cycle, she hasn’t totally given up hope. If that’s the case, then it’s poignant that she’s the one to interrupt Frisk and Asgore’s fight. She may not be willing to forgive and forget quite yet, but she doesn’t want him to die or stew perpetually in misery, either. 

And finally, Chara. How much the past ways on Chara is left extremely ambiguous. To some extent, they continue to haunt the Underground through Frisk. We know that their own past on the Surface never left them, even Underground with a new, loving family. Most of Chara’s relationship with the tragedy and their past can be extrapolated from Flowey’s Post-Pacifist speech, I think. 

First, while the speech is directed at the Player, Flowey seems to believe he’s speaking with Chara. His behavior implies he thinks Chara would continue sticking around, because they’re worried about the friends Frisk made throughout their journey. His dialogue also implies that Chara may have had reset... but rather than abusing it, they wanted to destroy it. Which, in my opinion, matches up extremely well with the attitudes they have about consequences in their own No Mercy speech. 

Maybe Chara was haunted by their past on the surface, to the point it poisoned their chance at a fresh start and happy life. Maybe by the time the Barrier breaks, Chara is the most well-adjusted of the Dreemurrs, the most willing to actively fix the problems created by their plan and pass on without regrets. Maybe, like Flowey, they’re a lonely, traumatized kid who doesn’t want to let it end, who doesn’t want to say goodbye to their best friend again. Maybe a bit of all of them, or none of these things. 

It is interesting, though, to see how each Dreemurr is haunted by the past, and how they react. 

[simplepotatofarmer]

Sorry for the wall of text but during math class I started thinking and writing after reading an article of the ONU, so have this if you would like it:

Most of the crimes committed by dsmp members do not fullfill the requirements to be trialed as war crimes and instead would be just crimes or crimes against humanity considered that most of the crimes did not in fact occur in an armed conflict as defined by the ONU, conflicts that can qualify as an armed conflict include l'manberg war for independence, the re-taking of manberg and if you maybe squint just right the doomsday war, many of the other conflicts thouigh defined as wars by the fandom were not in fact armed conflict in the capacity provided by the ONU given that those that fought in them did so as individuals and not part of a militia or in representation of their countries; that's why you have to squint for the doomsday war to count as so, Were doomsday trio acting as an armed force given that techno and phil do not belong to a country and dream was not acting in representation of 'The Greater Dream SMP'? Or were they acting on an individual capacity and thus doomsday war would count as a terrorist attack? They were after all just three people but, given that there were fights between the trio and the remains of new l'manberg & affiliated individuals during the execution of the attack, does it then count as an armed conflict? These questions keep me up at night.

yeah this is always always such a fascinating topic to me!

not just the 'what is a war crime' question, but the weight of crimes on the dsmp in general.

if hitting another player is very standard minecraft body language, when does it become an actual attack, yeah? then there's the issue of tone and how these actions are perceived.

i mean, you have people that are very generally considered 'good' people but have technically committed really terrible crimes! c!ranboo and all his actual, literal treason and other various crimes or c!tommy and the torture he committed.

so already crime on the dsmp is like.... wild because if you tried to apply a one-to-one from the real world, you'd be stuck with the worst of the worst. but obviously it's minecraft so that's not how it works, yeah? those things are all still awful but it's this weird scale.

anyway, i agree that most things aren't war crimes.

i would say, in my opinion, doomsday counts a little more as a war crime than most because it was a coalition against a country and there were rules agreed to in advance. now, they weren't necessarily concrete or written down but they were given and agreed to so i'll say that c!doomsday trio showing up early could be counted as a war crime.

to me, that's really the only 'war crime' that stands out. mostly i'd consider it as terrorism but there's arguments to be made that certain aspects do meet the requirements for an actual war.

[pianocat939]

Can you do Yan!Yuki-onna headcannons please?

Yandere Yuki-Onna (雪女) Hcs

Since I'm struggling to write the Lotus Fae request I'm gonna do this one since it's easier.

(Wikipedia isn't helping me explain today so I'll just go from memory)

Tw: Implied/mention of murder, blood stain, hypothermia, implied stalking, breaking in someone's home

• There is one thing about this myth that can really change the interpretation. For each region they have their own Yuki-Onna. Now, for the most part the basic stuff is the same but the methods of killing however can differ drastically.

• I'm from the Kantō region (Central-Eastern Region) so my interpretation will be the usual stuff. It's where most Japanese live so many will agree with me.

• Moving on, the Yuki-Onna is primarily a spirit or ghostly that murders during times of winter and coldness. It is most often a woman, but on some occasions it can be a man as well (if it is a man it is called Yuki-Otoko 雪男)

• Their physical appearance is pure white skin (like actually white) with long black straight hair. In some versions it has blood-stained lips, or just slightly blue ones.

• Their clothing is usually of Kimono for Women and a Hakama for men. Their clothing is white along with some bloodstains from past kills.

• Alright here comes the hard part: method of killing. Apparently in some regions it takes your liver or something, but where I'm from they literally cause you to get hypothermia or freeze you. Typically it's from outside exposure or from her own powers but in some versions it's because of kissing and other lovey-dovey actions.

• The primary reason of its death is because they got exposed to the cold while traveling. In some interpretations it's because they were searching for their lost lover in the cold.

• Either way, the main reason it kills is because of yearning/jealousy. It's known to spare kind and good-looking people but can still snap. When it is angered it slaughters, sometimes raiding villages in envy. They hate the thought of others experiencing love and companionship, thus wanting to eradicate couples.

• Now that I've explained the lore of the Yuki-Onna let's go on to actual hcs

• For the sake of scenario, you live on the outskirts of a village high up in the mountains. It's a frosty winter, unfortunately your fireplace running out of wood. Since it's mid-day you go out, scavenging some thick branches and logs.

• While gathering up the materials you notice movement in the corner of your eye. At first you think nothing of it, but after multiple times you start wonder to if someone's watching you.

• Freaked out, you race home, shutting the door. For the rest of the day you glance behind yourself often as you walk around.

• When night falls you dive under your covers, loving the toasty warmth that slowly begins to build up. You quietly fall into a blissful sleep, exhausted from the dilemma that occurred earlier that day.

• Unknown to you the sliding screen slowly creaks open, a figure stepping onto the bamboo floor. It crouched down, observing your face in admiration.

• You were just so cute! Scurrying away like a little mouse. You must be so afraid having no one to protect you. Don't worry, now that they're here you can rest easy.

• It crawls beside you, wrapping their freezing arms around you. Its icy lips nuzzle into your hair, affectionately whispering random phrases.

• Now you two can sleep forever in the never-ending cold. In your dreams, letting time stop and eternity rage on.

• (In reality they've already killed you and transformed you into a spirit as well.)

(I do not own this ancient artwork)

——————————

Ah I love writing about Japanese folklore and mythology. Reminds of the cartoons and books I read as a kid. You guys can totally request more if you'd like! If you don't any, you can ask for a random one.

- Celina

[crystalelemental]

Zinfogel just recently posted a showcase of Variety Lance (he said Variety Lance is extremely good for Clair) and Variety Agatha, including his thoughts about Masters nowadays and Variety Scouts. I wanna know what you think about it.

Goddammit Zinfogel, this couldn't wait until tomorrow? I'm trying to save gems over here.

Oh wow, nevermind, that's depressing. The video itself is short, and having run Clair constantly, I'm content with her ability to off-type with just SS Kris/Lucas, Lance isn't necessary. Moreover, his discussing is exactly correct. Variety scouts are a known scam, they're far lower effort, and it seems wholly unnecessary in the era of 5/5. I actually agree with the 5/5, there's something to that. Not always, but it's a nice boost for older pairs, and brings in incentive for long-time players to try again for old favorites. The Variety thing is...odd. The Eevees all being copies of one another, Bruno and Lorelei being virtually identical pairs, they're just not doing much that's interesting. And we're in this odd space of a lot doing the same jobs as always, unless they're Master Fair, which the rats set the tempo at "unspeakably broken for the game we're in, to the point they're not fun to use."

I agree with him that the game is flatlining. I think the problem is an over-emphasis on too much at once. There are just too many sync pairs being thrown in each month, with like a whopping six in most situations. It's a lot of focus on developing the kit and the grid and doing something new without being broken, and it comes at the cost of everything else.

That said, one thing I will argue is the irrelevance of sync move animation. Bro, I'm sorry, but you watch those one (1) time and then skip forever to get back to the action. Even in showcases, that's how it's done. From a design perspective, why would you shell out the money for those animations that literally no one watches? That's not the problem. The problem is really more in the lack of unique designs, the unnecessary "limited" gimmick, and that the game hasn't done anything too novel in a while. I think it's at least trying with the rebuffs, but it's just not enough to be interesting when Zones are better.

And to argue with myself, I realize six sync pairs is a lot in a month, but also that if we didn't get that, a lot of characters just wouldn't get anything. The Variety scouts are a lame cash grab, but in the case of Lorelei, it was a lame cash grab for a sync pair I kinda like, that definitely wouldn't exist otherwise. So it's this awful space of recognizing yeah, this sucks, the game shouldn't be this way, but also if it wasn't it's not like all our dreams would come true either. There's a healthy middle ground between the two somewhere, but I don't think DeNA has a reason to pursue it.

The last thing I'll say, and I hate saying it but it's what happens to me...I wonder if Zinfogel isn't just burning out of the game. Doing the same things for so long wears on you regardless of enjoyment, and maybe he's just hitting that wall. There are times I feel like I'm hitting it. And to be frank, the explanation of "I gave in to my impulses" occurring multiple times in the last two months between variety and SC and tapu? From experience, that's the feeling of chasing a feeling no longer there. That's when you step back and make sure addiction isn't creeping in, because now you're pulling stuff you weren't that excited about to hope it's more fun than you thought. The insidious thing is sometimes it works. Sometimes you get SC Zinnia. Other times, you get Palentine's Mallow. It's unreliable and a bad habit to form. So I dunno. I'm kinda worried about him, honestly.

[plothooksinc]

11, 29, and 30 for the ask meme? :3

11. Do you write scenes in order, or do you jump around?

All fanfic has been written beginning to end in order! The closest I get to jumping around is when the narrative jumps around as well-- like Snowblind starts in media res and then is interspersed with flashbacks to explain why a soggy samurai is pulling himself out of a river in the middle of nowhere. I keep thinking maybe it would be easier to start with the scenes I'm really looking forward to, but I also think if I do that I won't put the work in to get to those scenes |D

Original fic is different - I have definitely jumped ahead to the more magical-world portions to write out scenes and events because they also help me world build, and once I woke up after dreaming something and went "oh that'd be great" and wrote that despite it being a scene that probably wouldn't occur until like. 800 pages in. lmao.

29. What’s something about your writing that you’re proud of?

I have a good sense of action pacing and clear visuals! Despite whining about action scenes being hard, it turns out I'm pretty decent at them |D Stick with my strengths I guess...

30. How much do you edit your fics?  Do you edit as you write or wait until you finish the first draft?

I do minor edits as I go-- I fling my work a page at a time at my beta, who then points out all the times I overused the word "still" or any double ups or clumsiness, and I fix those. Then every time I open up what I have I reread it and make more minor changes, literally just a word or two, or go "actually that would be better in two paragraphs" etc etc. So there's constant tweaking going on, but I only ever have the one draft that goes up. The most dramatic editing I do is when I build a scene in stages. There are some scenes that I need to preserve flow or pacing or urgency during a conversation, and so I'll script out the entire conversation first because that way it flows better. And then I'll go back over it and add all the fleshing out once I'm satisfied the script is tight. (I've done this once in NRFTW so far, the scene in which Donnie tranqs Raph and bolts, lmao)

But yeah, for the most part--constant minor edits to one draft is how we do it here /o/

Thank you! ♥

Questions are here.

[weakforarwen]

I'm convinced that The Once and Future Queen is the single greatest episode of television ever. I don't know what they laced it with, but that shit hits hard. Every time I rewatch it, I feel giddy and happy and amused like it's the first time. Arthur is so endearing in the episode; he's a brat, but he's also so young and innocent and wears his heart on his sleeve. It's amazing how fast he falls for Gwen. After the most perfect first kiss, his face screams "Oh shit.". Every time he looks at Gwen you can read what he's thinking and feeling on his face, he's so wonderfully transparent; he's enamored by Gwen, yet overwhelmed by the intensity and novelty of his feelings. Just in this one episode, she changed him so much. His whole world literally shifted. It used to revolve around Camelot and his father but she tilted his axis, and it now wanted to revolve around her; she had the power to make him do anything. Because of her, he served instead of being served and gave up on his grand moment of glory. The final scene between them is one of my favorites, almost as good as the first kiss. Arthur glances back at Gwen who stands in the corridor; he's walking away, but you know she has his heart now. His expression is so pure and sweet, full of longing, like already he would do anything for her, like he had just tasted freedom and wanted more; he'd never before desired anything only for himself and not for the good of Camelot as well.

I like Gwen a lot in this episode, like when she's going off on Arthur, but this episode is one of the reasons why I think fans misunderstand her character. Because she stood up to Arthur, fans expected her to always stand up for what was right and to always call Arthur out on his crap; but Gwen didn't always stand up for what was right, or do the right thing - or even know what the right thing was. She knew Morgana was doing magic in season 3 and was dangerous, yet said nothing to Arthur; she was also prejudiced against magic, like Arthur.

This episode, plus The Moment of Truth, are the episodes in which Gwen elevated herself in Arthur's eyes. She did so by standing up to him and holding him accountable; her actions showed she was brave and noble and saw him as her equal. But there's a reason why Gwen only confronted Arthur in this way in these two episodes, as well as in The Witchfinder: she was proving herself to be a worthy love interest, for obvious reasons in the first two episodes, and because she and Arthur had cooled off in the third (after the Lancelot thing, Arthur had even less reasons to pursue Gwen and she was the one to go to him in Beauty and the Beast; thus, her intervention in The Witchfinder served to 'rekindle' their romance to the audience, by recreating the most iconic bit of The Once and Future Queen; their next episode together was Sweet Dreams...).

These three instances which occurred early in the series established a precedent for Gwen, but she was not the character who was always just and right and told Arthur what to do. She was the character who encouraged Arthur to do what he wanted first and foremost, and who didn't always know what the right thing was (ie. The Disir, The Wicked Day deleted scene, her blind support of Arthur in The Tears of Uther Pendragon without even knowing if Arthur had been right). Gwen was not a perfect character and I feel like the fandom ignores her characterization in seasons 3 to 5 for the sake of preserving this false perfect image of her. If anything, those three episodes were the exception, not the rule. It's true that Gwen was sidelined and a bit reduced to her relationship with Arthur in the latter seasons, but, for the most part, her characterization was pretty solid. Gwen wasn't the moral compass of the series; the series had none.

The Once and Future Queen exaggerates and almost 'fetishizes' Gwen's modesty and virtue: when she's dramatically watching Arthur in his match with Myror for one, or when she tells Arthur he doesn't have anything to prove to her, as if Arthur hadn't been competing for himself, for another. I personally dislike her characterization in the latter half of the episode. Gwen also tells Arthur that he can change things when he's King, which goes against her characterization for the rest of seasons 2 and 3.

Gwen was not always right; she was not the 'honest' character. She was the character who encouraged Arthur to follow his heart and to stay true to himself, which usually meant doing the right thing but not always, and she was the character who would do anything to protect Arthur, including telling him to give up on Merlin or asking Lancelot to protect him with his life. She was also the character who often suspected other characters of having wrong intentions but did nothing to stop them (eg. Edwin in A Remedy to Cure All Ills, season 3 Morgana, Agravaine). So yeah, imo, this episode mischaracterizes Gwen in some ways, and is the reason why she's seen as some sort of perfect, just, wise, ideal woman that she wasn't.

Moving on, I think Arthur and Bradley are the real stand outs in the episode. Bradley did an amazing job playing Arthur and showing how vulnerable he felt around Gwen, how far out of his comfort zone he was, how helpless he was against his feelings. He played Arthur with this boyish innocence that was so endearing and contrasted so well with Arthur's immature behavior throughout the episode. Arthur was defenseless against Gwen; the more time he spent with her the more his guard came down, and after that first kiss he just couldn't put it back up. You can tell he couldn't stop himself from looking at her, and felt at a loss as to what to do; she was his first love and the first time he desired something for himself as Arthur the man, not the Prince.

It's so humanizing. Arthur is noble and honest and earnest, but he's 100 times more so around Gwen. He chose to be humble for perhaps the first time ever in this episode. I've said it a million times but Gwen changed Arthur's entire characterization - from Prince Arthur, future King, filial son, immature prat, to Prince Arthur, future King, filial son, slightly less immature prat, would let Camelot fall for Gwen. It blows me away how much he loved her. He would wage a war for her, kill his own father for her, I'm certain. There's nothing he wouldn't do for her. And it's just absolutely beautiful watching him fall in love with Gwen in this episode. I'm trying to describe what I felt but I can't.

But enough of that, here are the plotholes I just can't get over:

I'm sorry for always saying this, but how did Gwen not immediately figure out Arthur hadn't cooked? Her kitchen was spotless, exactly as she had left it, the only thing missing was a chicken, their food had probably been prepared with fancy ingredients she couldn't afford, and dinner was delicious. Why would Arthur have learned to cook? And well at that? And she didn't even straight away notice the plates weren't hers? Do commoners own expensive china? Did she have plates in that exact color and size? I just don't get it.

And where did Myror find that special lance? He wasn't carrying anything on him and I doubt he stole it from someone. Did he find it at the armory? And how did no one notice he was cheating??

Also, Arthur was literally the only person to get five minutes to regroup during the match. It was just like in Sweet Dreams where, for the first and only time, a match was done in three rounds and competitors got a break in between rounds.

Lastly, how did Merlin's clothes fit Arthur? I'd never seen him wear that shirt and it was at least two sizes too big for Merlin lmao.