#and they both have a special relationship with the character...

[wandasgirl69]

Make a wish, Wanda —

Paring(s): Wanda X female!reader

Word count: 984

Summary: it’s Wanda’s birthday and you make her special day even more special

Tags | content: it’s all just fluff, established relationship, trip to Disney!!

A/N: I know it’s not Wanda’s birthday today but I just had to write this. Enjoy<3

You woke up early, the sky just barely beginning to glow with morning light, and you could already feel the soft heat of summer brushing across your skin. It settled into your bones slowly, like warmth blooming from the inside out. The sheets were tangled around your legs, one arm outstretched toward Wanda’s side of the bed. She was still there, curled into the pillow, her breath steady and soft.

Your heart thudded a little faster than usual. Full of quiet excitement, yes, but also this overwhelming need to get everything right.

Today was Wanda’s birthday.

You’d thought about this day for weeks. Rerun it in your head a hundred times, rewriting each little detail to make sure it felt like her, meaningful, not flashy, but full of love. She didn’t like big crowds or attention. She liked soft mornings and handwritten notes. She liked being known, not just celebrated.

And God, you wanted her to feel known today. Down to her bones.

You turned to face her in bed, her long lashes still resting softly on her cheeks, lips slightly parted, one arm tangled loosely around your waist. She looked so peaceful, you took a moment just soaking her in.

You leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

She stirred slightly.

Another kiss, this time on her cheek.

“Mmm,” she hummed, eyes still closed.

You grinned. “Wake up, birthday girl.”

Then you kissed the tip of her nose. Her jaw. Her eyelids. You trailed kisses all over her face, slow and sweet and a little relentless until finally

“Okay, okay, I’m awake!” she laughed, blinking up at you with that crinkly-eyed smile that always made you fall in love all over again. “Are you trying to smother me or seduce me?”

You grinned, cupping her face. “Both.”

She raised an eyebrow, playfully suspicious. “What’s going on?”

“I have one word for you,” you said, climbing out of bed and motioning for her to stay put. “Breakfast.”

Wanda sat up against the headboard, tousled yet completely gorgeous, and waited while you returned with a tray. Freshly made pancakes –with strawberries, of course– scrambled eggs, orange juice, and a tiny vase with a single red rose.

“You did all this?” she asked, delighted.

You set the tray on her lap and kissed her cheek. “Only the best for my girl.”

She took a bite and groaned in satisfaction. “Marry me.”

You laughed. “Eat your pancakes first.”

She rolled her eyes playfully but took another bite, clearly enjoying the attention.

When she was about halfway through breakfast, you shifted slightly, reached down beside the bed, and pulled out two folded pieces of paper, holding them up with a small smile.

“Tickets,” you announced, “to Disneyland. For today.”

Her eyes went wide. “No way.”

You nodded. “We’re gonna nerd out so hard. Star Wars rides, churros, matching Minnie ears, you name it.”

Wanda threw her arms around you, this time with more force, and kissed you. “This is already the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

You whispered against her lips, “We haven’t even gotten to dinner yet.”

—

Disneyland was everything you'd hoped: warm sun, shared popcorn, your girlfriend’s wide-eyed wonder as you both rode Rise of the Resistance twice in a row. Wanda practically skipped around the park, hand-in-hand with you, taking selfies, pointing out characters, and getting chocolate on her nose from too many snacks. You wore matching star wars shirts (even though you hadn’t a clue what being a ‘jedi’ meant). By sunset, you were both exhausted in the best way, sun-drenched and smiling.

“Dinner next,” you said, glancing at your phone. “You ready?”

“I’m always ready when you’re in charge,” she teased.

—

The restaurant you chose was quiet and elegant, lit by soft golden light and tucked away from the city’s noise. You sat across from Wanda at a small round table near the window, the hue of the lights catching in her hair and casting a soft glow on her cheekbones. She looked stunning, undeniably so. Not in a loud, glamorous way, but in the kind of way that made your chest ache, her eyes shining across the table as you sipped wine and shared a plate of truffle ravioli.

But the best part hadn’t come yet.

When the waiter cleared your plates, you subtly nodded. The lights dimmed just slightly, and soft birthday music began to play as a small cake was brought out, topped with fresh strawberries and delicate swirls of whipped cream. A single candle flickered at the center, casting a warm glow across Wanda’s surprised smile.

Wanda covered her mouth, blinking rapidly. “You didn’t.”

“I did.”

The candle on top flickered.

You leaned across the table, taking her hands in yours. “Make a wish, Wanda.”

She stared at you for a long second. Her eyes softened.

“I already have everything I want,” she whispered.

Your voice dropped too, just for her. “Wish anyway. I’ll do anything to make it come true.”

A long pause. She looked down, then back at you, as if trying to choose the right thing and whispered, “Okay.”

She closed her eyes, made her wish, and blew out the candle. You watched her the whole time, your heart so full it almost hurt.

“Can I ask what you wished for?” you said gently.

She smirked. “Then it won’t come true.”

“Fair,” you said, but you were already making your own vow in silence. Whatever it was, whatever she wanted, you were going to make it happen.

Because loving her was easy. Loving her was the one thing you’d always wish for, too. She reached across the table and laced her fingers with yours, her thumb brushing lightly over your skin.

“Thank you for everything,” she said quietly, eyes soft.

You gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then lifted it to your lips and kissed her knuckles.

“Happy birthday, my love” you murmured

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Wild Times (But Not For Sorn)

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

June 2025 Week 3

Ongoing Series - Thai

Knock Out (Fri WeTV ) ep 6 of 12 - I continue to very much enjoy this show, all of the couples have great chemistry, the plot is entertaining, It’s a solid sports romance and I adore a sports romance. Nothing not to love.

My Stubborn (Sun iQIYI) ep 6 of 10 - No no no. Sorn is supposed to suffer. This is not acceptable. Do not just give in like that! Oh thank goodness, yay! Confrontation, make him suffer, Junbaby! You go sweetie! Good. Good, suffering. More suffering is needed! Tai make him suffer too!

Reset (Mon iQIYI) ep 3 of 10 - Did Thada just buy his man a plastic bowl so he could eat his ramen as they walk down a street? Interesting choice. Also “workcation” = v modern word… so Thada must also be on a Reset? I do love that Thada is putting all of his cards on the table so quickly, definitely one who feels like time might run out and he has to get it right this time around. Thada is treating a relationship with Armin exactly the same way that Armin is treating his acting career. As I think you could probably tell, I am enjoying this very much. What a good show.

Memoir of Rati (Fri Netflix or YT) ep 1 of 12 - I was resistant to picking this one up, despite my love of both pairs. The title, intro music, and setting make me nervous that we won’t get a happy ending. That said, I am particularly interested in this time of Thailand‘s history and the complicated diplomacy that went on. And holy heck can GreatInn serve up some stellar chemistry.

My Sweetheart Jom (Fri YT) ep 6 of 12 - I continue to enjoy this more as it gets more plot heavy and convoluted. To be clear, that’s not normally what I like in my BL and certainly not what I expect from Thailand, or that Thailand does well. But there’s something about the way this show is paced that I'm enjoying more now than at the start. And we should be in the soggy middle. So, I guess... well done little show?

Pit Babe 2 (Fri iQIYI) ep 8 of 13 - Kenta Kim kiss! Yay!!! Chris’s epic eye rolls make me happy. However, this plot is Very Silly Indeed and I am very entertained. What a vroom vroom full of nonsense this is.

I Promise I Will Come Back (Mon WeTV) ep 5 of 10 - Oh what a lovely first kiss… touch… and so forth. I love this! It’s actually kind of special. How unexpected. (Ep 5A if you just wanna watch the moment.) I’ve said it before, there’s nothing wrong with the acting in this show. It’s the general story and script that’s troubling me. But my goodness all 3 leads are great.

The Next Prince (Sat iQIYI) ep 8 of 14 - It has been a bumper of a week and I’m grumpy, and unfortunately this particular show is bearing the brunt of it. I’m sorry, but the main couple are just so one note and it’s becoming quite trying. Something has to actually evolve with their characters, ya know? Now the sides …. very nicely done, give us more of them. 

The Bangkok Boy (Sat Gaga) ep 9 of 12 - It was a decent episode. But I’m really not sure about this show as a BL. It’s making me increasingly nervous.

Boys in Love (Sun iQIYI ) ep 7 of 12 - Just as I suspected, lots of nothing happening. Sports day. Whatever. (Always been Blue Team myself… just FYI.) 

SunTiny (Tues iQIYI) ep 1-2 of 10 - Look here, there’s a lot to like about this show. I like the idea of messing with standard misconceptions of top/bottom, and I LOVE it when the fandom hets and their dumb ideas of sex get the vapors. Blow their tiny minds, boys. Please. 

However, I am a little crushed that it takes a bodyswap for us to have a femme top. I hate bodyswap narratives. It’s one of my least favorite tropes. And I’m not sure this particular pair has the acting chops to carry this off. No skin off of MaxNat - good chemistry and decent actors, but to act like another person in your own body genuinely requires a level of physicality and verbal execution, a new way of holding the jaw and face to make believable. It’s not something that’s easy to do. Max is doing a slightly better job at it. He is certainly better at facial nuance and tone shift, but his physicality remains the same.

I love that this show is absolutely gonna mess with the worst of the fandom. That makes me really damn happy. Although it is dangerous territory for this pair to enter into and not a subject matter I expect Thailand to handle with delicacy. I do love all of the jockeying with linguistics and verbal pronouns and such. That is fun.

As of now though, I remain torn. It's gonns have to prove itself.

Eye Contact (Weds WeTV) ep 6 end? - I don’t like anything that happened at the back end of this show. And I’m not going to forgive it. I don’t like where the characters went. I don’t like where the relationships went. I don’t like what was done with the story arc. I don’t like the choices that were made by anyone. I am, to put it simply, cheesed off. The GL couple is the only good thing about this and they got practically no screen time. I’m tempted to say that this was originally slated to be a 12 episode and it stopped halfway through.

Summary

A promising start for a craptastic but delightfully edgy pulp derailed abruptly in the second act by miserable disconnected story arcs full of dysfunctional relationships, poor life choices, and every trigger in the book with no payout or attempt to resolve or address the resulting trauma. Including mine. I am seriously displeased. 3/10 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Ball Boy Tactics (Korea Thurs iQIYI) ep 3 of 8 - They. Are. So. Cute. I love them so much. No notes, absolutely my favorite thing airing right now.

Sweetheart Service (Korea Fri YT) ep 7 of 12 - How delightful that the sides got some love. That was charming. They went on a date. They are so damn adorable. Meanwhile our leads are the bestest boys. 

Moon and Dust (China YT) ep 5 of 6 - Yay biting! Oh this show is so ffed up and I love that. It’s so good. It’s so warped. It’s so good because it’s so warped. I am scared (for me and the show) but so pleased.

He is my rabid dog child and I LOVE HIM. Let him fuck bite his brother if he wants.

Revenged Love (China Mon Gaga) ep 1-4 of 24? - A remake of 2015's Falling in Love with a Rival. From China ON GAGA? What alt-reality IS THIS? No idea on the length, MDL says 24 but at 45 a pop, I'm wondering if that's correct, because that would make this the first full length CBL we have had since... well, Advance Bravely. But also, see the next section, this could be shut down at any moment.

And now, some thoughts:

It is so like its source, absolutely unhinged CBL. Snake fighting. So much smoking. Money throwing. Gifting boys. Gang rp. UNHINGED. What the actual?

At least this time the seme is established queer out the gate closet? Our baby boy is a bit of a loser. And the meat cute was way more modern BL. Of course seme is also truly evil, he’s openly queer and this is CBL so he must be corrupt in all ways. (I don’t make the rules the CCP does.) 

Of course I LOVE the doctor. (Also the psycho baby brother from Moon & Dust, did you clock?) I don’t think I’ve ever loved a character this much this quickly since Film was last on my screen. He is glorious.  

Anyway, I have no faith in this ending in a satisfying manner, or indeed ending at all, but boy am I enjoying this WILD ride.

Depth of Field AKA Hishakai Shindo (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 1-2 of 6 - The actor playing Hayakawa was in one of the Kiss shorts! Neat. Well we know he can certainly kiss a boy. Meanwhile, this is warped, a little creepy, and sort of messed up. And exactly what I expected from this IP. I like it, as I usually do with stuff from Japan. I’m making no guarantees on where this is going tho. Remember, never try to predict Japanese BL. Safer on the psyche.

The Sparkle In Your Eye (Singapore Sun Gaga & Viki) eps 9-10 of 12 - characters aren’t talking to each other or telling the truth. It's very sappy and heart wrenching and tiring. 

Important word on the CBL we are enjoying right now.

WRITERS ARRESTED! China’s Danmei Crackdown (also stuff on SmartBoom breakup, and the unprecedented popularity of GL pair LingOrm's Photo Shoot)

This has happened before. I said a little while ago that the CBL industry & online behavior keeps giving me 2016 vibes and that time period seems to be repeating itself. (Maybe all these do-over time travel BLs lateIy have been trying to tell us something?) I know this new spate of uncensored CBLs are only being distributed internationally but I still don't see how we can expect this to end well, especially Revenged Love. We are in Heroin Addicted territory and the dejavu is strong with this one. I am going to keep watching on the "get it while you can" theory, but I now wish I'd been bootlegging Moon & Dust. Revenged too. I may set aside some time to do so for... reasons... I recommend you do the same.

That's not what he said. So petty Tencent CCP WeTV.

It's airing but......

I Became the Lead in a BL Drama 2 AKA Zoku BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita (Japan Gaga) 6 eps - While I am intrigued by the manager side couple, I can't be arsed to add this to the weekly rotation. I may binge once it's done.

The Ex-Morning (Thailand YT) 10 eps - dropped half way through ep 3. I was just angry at it, at GMMTV, at the script, at the characters. That's not healthy for any of us. If rumors are to be believed, I'm feeling great about this life choice.

Season of Love in Shimane AKA Ai no Kisetsu: The Season of Love (Thai) 8 eps - Sequel to Kiseki Chapter 2 which I intensely disliked. I won't watch this.

Mission to the Moon (YT) 12 eps- Watching but I can't keep track. Too short, too many, too YT. I will report at end.

Loy Kaew First Love (Fri YT) 6 eps - Dropped at ep 4. Ended this week, trigger warning on that ending. Not recommended.

Next Week Looks Like This:

2025 Line Up

6/27 The Promise of The Soul (Taiwan Gaga) 12 eps - Have I mentioned recently how much I hate bodyswap?

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 1

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 2

20 BLs Announced for 2025 That I'm Really Excited About

GMMTV 2025 Line Up - My Totally Biased and Wildly Flawed Feels

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

This is from a KBL short called Wrong Number, has the actor playing the older brother bartender in Sweetheart Service. So far v cute. But one can't trust Sukfilm to end well.

I am pretty sure this is not an accurate translation. But I kinda LOVED it. (Sweetheart Service)

It's all about the doctor character. He is giving me LIFE. (Other people too, presumably, being a doctor and all.)

Revenged Love.

Yeah yeah. I like to see it. I'll take my cute femme top anyway I can. (SunTiny)

No but seriously, that kiss (I Promise I Will Come Back).

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs @waitmyturtles

[meanbossart]

Ask compilation: Overnight honkers, Vampire flu, and non-canonical threesomes.

A quick ask compilation I put together. Thank you all so much for your well wishes to both me and my partner during the recovery/break so far!

Hello!

Well, kind of. If he happened upon any other Bhaalspawn he would immediately attempt to kill them regardless of race, unless explicitly instructed to do otherwise by Sarevok or Bhaal himself.

As a Bhaalist (both prior to the campaign and in the case of a bad end) he wouldn't want any competition - especially after Orin's betrayal. In his "canon" state where he denies Bhaal, he would antagonize them for the obvious reasons - and not really believe that they are able to control themselves like he did - but perhaps he wouldn't not be AS gung-ho about murdering them on-site, though he would believe that to be the right thing to do.

Special circumstances could definitely arise! But that's the most straight-forward answer.

To be clear, DU drow just isn't into very "butch" people and generally prefers aesthetics and behavior most commonly associated with femininity and high society; being poise, dressing elegantly, practicing grooming, softer features, less body hair, etc - that just so happens to more often be the women of the races that he is exposed to the most, but he also comes across plenty of high elves, where there is less of a distinction between genders. In those cases his preference is pretty much totally neutral.

Which is to say, he does not care more for Lady Astarion more than Dude Astarion beyond the initial excitement you that would expect with something as novel as your partner growing bangin' honkers overnight.

Yes, but it's kind of impossible to ignore the personality and the fact that Izzantar is a drow - which DU drow isn't very much into at all.

I think there are things that are of detriment to his health; running bodies of water, holy places, entering homes uninvited - these are things that would weaken him and result in something that would appear similar to a bad fever or the flu, save for the high internal temperatures. Rather, being "sick" in his case means becoming more and more corpse-like.

I also don't believe that Astarion is affected by the cold in the same way a humanoid would. He can feel temperature, but unless it reaches a destructive extreme (severe burns, frostbite) it doesn't result in any discomfort for him.

DU drow has no issue buying into Astarion's narrative of "all vampires are conniving backstabbers" and doesn't care if harm comes upon any of them - ESPECIALLY not Petras, who proves himself annoying in record time.

Alas! ANE has already been outlined to the end and I can say with full confidence that Grodderick's and Izzantar's relationship will never be explicitly displayed, since it has no relevance to the ongoing plot.

Definitely the cleavage. He can't properly inspect the feet from that high up.

Because I thought they looked cool, as simple as that, LOL.

They are not infernal eyes, just plain off-white like I depict them in my art (sometimes I lean more yellow depending on my mood). I think in the character creator they're called "demonic white" and I picked those because they were the evilest option.

At this point, I justify DU drow's odd appearance on behalf of him being a bhaalspawn before being a drow - in a way, he isn't a drow at all, rather he only vaguely resembles one in color scheme.

And thank YOU so much for supporting me on patreon!

I have! you can find a couple of pieces like that on my patreon, though obviously there's far less of them in comparison to the gay content.

Glad to hear that you like that art! However, I was just having a bit of fun, as I like to do. The boys are ultimately very monogamous and their friendship with Shadowheart, while very intimate, never breaches into sexual or romantic.

Unfortunately, Shadowheart is very likely dead in that AU 😬 if not dead, she has definitely split ways from them at the end of the game and wasn't particularly close to either, to begin with. Shadowheart is kind of a key part of DU drow's "redemption" - so I doubt that they would have had much of a friendship at any point in the story of that particular iteration of him.

Just "the drow", or nothing at all if they are referring to him directly. If he isn't the only nameless "drow" in the room, they might call him "the big drow" or "our drow" instead.

Astarion uses his usual nicknames on him, and Shadowheart isn't much for them - I guess characters like Karlach would have come up with something appropriate to call him, like "greysteak" or "goldilocks".

No, that wouldn't really work or be very interesting (to me!) because it would just result in them either killing each other or going their separate ways, since DU drow would never accept to be turned into a spawn or want remain in a relationship with that Astarion.

However, there is an alternate universe where Astarion Ascends and DU drow fails Bhaal 😇

[kirietown]

Star Burster | Part VI

Pairing: clark kent x f!reader

Summary: you are your mother’s daughter, unfortunately for clark.

Content: angst, girl bossery!!!

18+

[chapter five]

Word Count: 2.1K

a/n: Clark is such a dumb dumb

You were sat at the dinner table, a spread of food prepared by your mother miraculously in the short time between her confrontation and the arrival of the Kents. Nothing was amiss, except for the fact your mother was sat across from you rather than next to you as she usually was. Instead now, Clark was sat next to you and you kept your eyes on your plate. Every time you looked up, you met your mother’s watchful eye, her expression was eerie because to everyone else she likely seemed in character. Yet to you, there was something terrifying about her nonchalance after the argument you had had.

You were grateful though that it had been your mother to have discovered it rather than your father. The more you thought about it, the more you came to realize that in a twisted way, her decision to force you into a larger lie was to protect you. A part of you, a smaller part of you, was unsure if was actually to save face. Did it matter? You couldn’t answer nor could you decide if you were nothing more than a social asset to her.

Your relationship with your mother would change entirely— in fact it already had changed, and you were given no time to mourn.

“Oh how lovely,” Martha Kent said. “This stew, I assume it’s your mother’s? I haven’t seen her in so long, I should pay her a visit.”

“It is,” your mother replied with a smile. “She’s been such a shut in these days, I would’ve thought she ran off somewhere if not for my girl’s visits.” She turned to you then, and spoke your name. “In fact, how was she doing today? I didn’t get the chance to ask you on your way back. She still think that neighbour of hers is taking her letters?” She laughed along with the rest of the table as they were familiar with your granny’s paranoia and antics. You only sat there and took in the sound of laughter with a pit of dread filling your stomach. You turned to look at Clark who was smiling through it all, and once the laughter died down, you spoke.

”She’s doing good,” you said honestly. You gripped your fork tightly as you braced yourself for the lie. “Actually,” you bit your lip before you continued. “She was asking ‘bout the wedding, if maybe we could speed things up. She said she ain’t got all the time in the world anymore… And I agree,” you said finally. The room was tense for a moment before a chorus of excited chatter began. It had been unexpected as previously the only reason the wedding kept getting delayed was because of you. You always came up with some type of excuse despite the fact that the Kents had already built you a home to settle in between your farms and you’d both completed your education. The wedding itself wasn’t gonna be anything grand either, it would be a backyard wedding at the Kents estate with friends and family. If anything it was quite surprising how much they’d let you delay the inevitable.

“Why,” Jonathan Kent stated. “That’s great news! How soon we talking?” His smile was bright and despite the fact that this was something for you and Clark to decide, his eyes were on your father’s.

”Two days,” replied your pa. “I think that’s enough time.”

“Two days?” You asked nervously. “You sure about that? What if that’s too short notice for the guests.” Your father only chuckled in response, assuming your nerves were just butterflies rather than fear.

”Oh trust me,” he said. “I only gave one day’s notice for my own wedding with your ma, and I doubt anyone’s got plans since it’ll be Sunday anyway.”

“This is so exciting,” your mother said, and it unsettled you even more. “It looks like we’re all about done dinner, Martha why don’t you and I start writing the invitations? I have had a pile of envelopes in the drawers just collecting dust! I bought special pens for this.”

Martha cheered in response and quickly followed your mother to the living room, though not before your mother turned around with a bright smile.

“Hon, why don’t you and Clark go take a little walk? Talk about the wedding, your future together,” she said and gave you no room to reply as she walked out.

…

You weren’t sure how to describe the silence between yourself and Clark as you headed in the direction of the barn. You had no idea what to say to him, nor did you know what you were doing. Thankfully, by the time you reached the barn doors, he spoke up.

“I— I almost feel relieved,” he said. “Part of me i-is a bit scared, b-but I just wanna call you mine.” You turned around to face him, you noted the way his glasses obscured his eyes and the faint blush on his cheeks.

It angered you.

“So much for a clean slate, huh,” you said. You turned around, ignoring the various equipment scattered around and dropped down onto a pile of hay. The sudden noise alerted some of the pigs nearby and they squealed in excitement assuming it was feeding time.

Clark gingerly took a few steps forward, his frame towering over you. The blush on his cheeks only growing brighter and you realized your skirt had rod up to reveal your ankles.

“Is- isn’t a wedding, the cl-cleanest slate of all?” He asked hesitantly.

“I suppose,” you said. “How about you come sit next to me?” Your tone was soft, inviting.

”Wh—?”

“Come lay down next to me on this hay, Clark,” you ordered. The man gingerly moved to sit, his posture stiff and his head hung low. You moved to caress his arm, his body somehow even growing more stiff at your actions. You weren’t surprised to note the feeling of well defined muscles under the layers of clothes. You sat up and ignored the way your knees scratched against the hay, and faced your groom to be.

”I’ve never been this close to a man,” you said. Carefully you watched his expression as you spoke, hoping to gauge any sort of reaction to your words. You trailed your hands over his chest, as if curious of the muscles you found. You noted the clench in Clark’s jaw, and the fact that he’d shut his eyes tightly. “Have you ever thought of me, Clark?”

“I- I think of you often,” he said with a shiver as your mouth moved to breathe against the shell of his ear.

“Do you?”

“Y-yes,” he said. “Recently I-ive been thinking of more date ide-“ you bit his neck softly, licking a trail up to his ear. “W-what a-are you doing?” He asked, he moved back and practically laid his back on the hay. You took the opportunity to straddle his lap and noted the feeling of hardness in his pants.

”How about we consummate our union?” His face turned impossibly more red, as he stuttered for a response before he shut his eyes as if to collect himself.

”T-the w-wedding is only two days away,” he said.

”So?” You replied.

“S-so we should wait,” he said. “It’s the r-right thing to do.” You laughed bitterly, a bitter angry laugh, and you imagined you looked just like your mother did earlier. You think you assumed correctly based on the look of shock on Clark’s face.

“Does it really matter all that much to you?” You said, holding back from a sneer. Your eyes were trained onto his face, memorizing every detail. Clark had always been handsome, how come you never really thought about it?

“Your h-honour and dignity,” he said. “I-it matters a lot to me.” You scoffed at his words. What honour? What honour was there in you? You were pressed against him tightly, your hand sprawled along his chest, feeling his heartbeat skip with every brush of your core against his clothed member.

“Does it?” You asked with faux care, his expression appeared all the more unsettled.

”Yes,” he said softly.

“What if I told you I already laid with another man?” You said softly. The barn was silent now if not for the cries of the various animals it housed, disturbed by your previous temperament.

“You wouldn’t,” he said, it sounded so sure. It was as though he had complete faith in you, and it disturbed you all the more that he could lie so blatantly.

”I have,” you said calmly. “What will you do? Ya still gonna marry me? What if I have his baby?”

He paused for a moment. His heart was still pounding in his chest as if begging to be let out and to make contact with your palm. “I’ll still marry you,” he said. “W-we s-said a clean slate, didn’t we?” He looked at you earnestly, and you considered for a moment your grandma’s words that no good man truly existed.

You smiled, a real smile, perhaps one that seemed a bit too manic. Clark’s face held a look of shock and you wondered if your grandfather ever looked at your granny that way, or your father to your mother. It was such a raw shock, there was a nakedness to it as well. Especially when you moved your hands up his chest, delicately over his face until you met his glasses and pulled them off. You tossed them to the side, satisfied by the sound of its fragile glass shattering against the wood and hay.

Instantly he covered his face with his hands to shield what you had long already figured out. He was heaving now, panicked and perhaps even startled by your sudden shift. Guilt, familiar and now an accepted part of you burrowed its way into your head at the sight of his fragility. Regardless, you spoke.

”I would say now we can call it a clean slate,” your words were hollow. “No masks, no lies; it’s just me and you now, the real you.”

“H-how—“

”Quit your stuttering,” you snapped.

”I- I do… don’t think I can,” he said. His hands still covered his face, and you didn’t know if it was out of shame or fear. To be frank, you were doubting if you were ever able to read him at all. “H-how did you f-find out? W-when?”

“I think I always knew,” you said. You weren’t sure how true that was, but as far as you knew it was the honest truth. Part of you always knew. It wasn’t that easy to start to love a man, not unless you’d already loved him. “But today it really started to all come together.”

”W-why t-the mind games?”

”That’s funny coming from you,” you scoffed. “I was tryna see just how far you’d go with this. Were you gonna let me think I was tricking you into thinking you were my baby’s daddy? Then I took it a step further to see if you’d pretend you could play step-daddy to your own child. What was the plan, you were gonna keep up the charade our whole lives knowing your wife thought she was deceiving you?” You words were rushed and despite the emotions you held back from crying. You’d cried so much already, for your dignity and for the child that was either all in your head or cooking up in your belly.

”I…” He moved his hands from his face. He took a deep breath before meeting your gaze, and you found it so jarring to see those mystical blue eyes with Clark’s disposition. “I was hoping… Hoping you’d put the pieces to-together.”

“And I did,” you said. “Made a mess of things, didn’t we? My ma thinks I’m some sorta harlot now, and maybe I am.”

“No, never. I-I can talk to her,” he said. He breathed a deep sigh before he continued to speak. ”I- I want to s-say sorry,” he said carefully. “But I d-don’t even know w-where to b-begin.”

“Well,” you laughed bitterly. “Lucky for you, you have a lifetime now to apologize to me for this.” In another context, maybe even in another world, these words would have been romantic. But here, in this moment, they were cold and unforgiving. You weren’t sure you could understand Clark, or Kal-El.

In fact, you didn’t know where one ended and the other began. Who was speaking to you right now? You were listening to Clark’s stutter but his voice was deeper, more firm like Kal-El’s. Who were you marrying?

Clark didn’t reply but instead hung his head in shame. You sighed and slumped forward, your whole body managing to fit snuggly in his chest as he wrapped his arms around you.

“I think I hate you,” you mumbled against his suit, his tie rubbing against your nose. Clark didn’t reply but instead held you tighter as though it was now his turn to be scared that you’d disappear.

You chuckled at the thought, at the mess, and wondered how you could both hate a man and love him, and if a man could be two at the same time.

[parasolemn]

X7 Narrative Overview Transcripts and Notes: Acts I-III

Hi there. Nothing revolutionary contained in this one, I was just bored so I decided to start writing everything I could see on the other slides I didn't end up doing when this stuff first came out.

This doesn't include the first slides of each Act, which are summaries of everything that happens in them. What's contained in *here* is just production notes and whatnot. Here's some links if you'd like to read something shorter that actually tells you what you're looking at.

Acts 1-3 Summaries Acts 4-5 Summaries

I need to stress by the way, I'm trying to not squint as much at these since it really hurt my eyes last time lol, so this probably won't have as much hard-to-see stuff as the other ones did. Also, length warning, there's more content in these so the post is way longer.

Including screenshots in case anyone else sees things better. Alrighty, have at it

act 1 da murda

They want me to die so this one's a nothingburger and the stuff that could have been a somethingburger just straight up never becomes visibleburger

Location

The timestamp seems to read "Season: Autumn (<5 min. post-Dream)"

This section of the game takes place at the Capeside Apartments, but rather than simply reusing the location from Disco Elysium, it appears they were remodeling and retexturing the maps. There are four images here: "Interior (Old)", "Interior (WIP)", "Exterior Dock (Old)", and "Exterior Dock (WIP)". Probably just so these parts can be visible from a different angle than the game.

This bit is never zoomed in enough for the other text to even become blurry pixels, sadly.

Characters

Five characters appear in this segment of the game: Beast de Ruyter, Cuno's father as seen through his eyes (crucial); Cuno and Cunoesse (crucial); Call Me Mañana (on the cusp between "necessary" and "supporting"); and The Swarm, Cuno's box of locusts (necessary).

The video never zooms in close enough to see the other text clearly, but some of the concept art on these slides appears at full size later on in the video.

Plot Details

They don't even want to give me a chance. The text never even becomes a visible blur, it just stays as lines. There is this odd little "FELD" thing in the top right corner though, I guess?

Tasks

Critical tasks:

First, survive

Return to Cuno's Apartment - [...] Completed when both Cuno & Cunoesse have [...]

Find what's left of Cuno's people [A/N: probably The Swarm]

Subtask: Find something to carry the survivors [A/N: probably the box he carries The Swarm in for the rest of the game] - Complete when Cuno [...] the remaining locusts in the box. [...]

Leave Martinaise forever

Reactivity/Outcomes: Three sticky notes. Too blurry to read.

Items

Definitely: [Interactable item sticky with no text], [Family?] photograph (Interactable)

This section contains a screenshot of a mock-up of the in-game clothing system, with the items that both children are already wearing highlighted. I assume it to be such: For Cunoesse, hat, shirt(?), pants. For Cuno, shirt(?), pants, shoes. There's two sections that have nothing in them, one between Hat and Shirt and one between Pants and Shoes, but I'm not sure what they would be.

There is other text, but it never zooms in enough for it to be visible.

Maybe: [Two interactables, too blurry to read]

To Be Decided: x2 Healing Item (Consumable); x2 Hype Item (Consumable)

Section also contains one other consumable, two clothing items, and one interactible. One of the clothing items has a screenshot which looks to me like some kind of beanie and scarf set? Not sure. Can't read anything else.

Thoughts

Cunoesse has one Thought, and Cuno has two, but I can't read them. I'm not a magician. Sorry guys...

Special Assets

Systems: (unreadable) Art: Title screen at end, Opening dream sequence, Locust Swarm Audio: (unreadable)

Relationship Beats

Cuno vs. His Dad; Cunoesse vs. The Strong

Act II: The Escape

everyone say Thank You Dora for Zooming Riiiiiiight In on This One

Location

Top text:

"On the splash screen at the opening of each Act (Location), the Player should immediately be given the ability to place themselves in time and space to understand how much time has passed since the last Act and how much distance remains to their destination. Each Act (Location) should be introduced alongside the distance to Hämärä Maa (in kilometres.) Therefore, the distance to Hämärä Maa will serve as a reference point for the gameworld and as a tension-building countdown towards the game's climax."

"1,347 km to Hämärä Maa (Tweak the numbers)"

[A/N: Hämärä Maa is likely named after a Finnish song by the same name written by Matti Esko. You can view translated lyrics in the reply section of my Acts 1/2/3 Summaries Transcript post.]

Note on Geography:

"Consulting the huge wall map of Le Petit Continent on the Jamrock Central station wall the kids learn there's a 14:44 train to June Cite, -- Revachol Express' Azure Sans-Détour -- that completes the 1300 km journey south in three days. Before reaching June Cite -- the third largest city on La Petite Continent -- the train drives past Rhône Tréville (formally Royal) Penal Colony. That's right across the bay -- few kilometers -- from Cunoesse's ancestral home -- Hämärä Maa archipelago -- marked as Breach Atol on the station map. If the kids could only find a way to stop the train there, they'd be almost home."

[A/N: chat, is it Le Petit Continent or La Petite Continent, why is it spelt both ways]

Jamrock Central

"Refer to Jamrock Central Map (hyperlinked) for more references." [A/N i would give anything to have this]

Sticky notes: [unreadable] Groningen station Green marble Peacock, cockatoo [unreadable]

[A/N: Groningen Station is the main railway station in Groningen, in the Province of Groningen, in the Netherlands. It's quite lavish. Many of the reference images on the left side of this slide are actually of this train station.]

Middle block of text:

"Jamrock Central is one of the three major transportation hubs in Revachol. The other two being railway hub in Ville de Charbon and the aerodrome on La Délta.

Jamrock station was erected about 150 years ago by the edict of King Philippe III the Squanderer. It was the height of opulance for the Philippian kings and and[sic] not a cent was spared building the station. The ceilings are high, the windows are huge, the floors are all marble and there are columns everywhere. It's the lavishness of the catholic church + of Sheiks of Dubai but with the taste and sensibilities of Louis XIV the Sun King. Or "was", because after the communards dethroned the Suzerains in the Antecentennial Revolution (Turn-of-the-century Revolution) and the Great Spending came to an end no one wanted to carry the insane upkeep costs. Nowadays the marble is cracked, the colors faded and no one is even thinking about renovation. The station is still very busy and multiple trains both regional and continental arrive and depart every hour.

Near the entrance is a fish pond turned wishing well. Beastmaster Raccoono can talk to the fish, Cunoesse can talk to the water and every 30 minutes the pond produced 0.50 cents from people wishing for stuff.

The station should be populated by lots of npc's barking as crowd in a way the Scabs bark in DE. Ideally there's lots of motion and commotion. The busier we can make the place look the better.

Notable areas might be: - The Fish Pond - Source of income, Cuno beastmaster reactivity, Cunoesse surface tension reactivity, foreshadowing the blind cave fish of Hämärä Maa) - The Ticket Offices - Might be just a dinow in the wall. Ask information, buy tickets, pull a schenanigan) - The Little Gentleman's Room (Piss Lounge for Noblemen? Salle de pisse pour Nobles?) - Rob Herculé, set fire to create a distraction to sneak aboard the train. - The Platform (maybe two sets of track visible?) - The one further back would be purely cosmetic -- inaccessible for PC -- and could show cool trains flashing by"

[A/N: Louis XIV, King of France in the 1600's, commissioned the Palace of Versailles and had a huge influence on French Baroque fine art and architecture. Also was notable for a bunch of other things, but that's what's relevant here.]

Middle image references: Estimated size of this map is compared to the whole road area of the Martinaise map, from the scab area down to where the lorries end near the open water lock. There are also some more reference images in black and white, as well as some more images labelled "Early platform concepts".

Right side: Title text "Arrive at dawn, leave at mid-day" A box titled "Visual references: Train, Exterior". Contains many older style train carriages and artworks. There's a draft logo with small top text "REVACHOL EXPRESS", large text below "AZURE SANS-DÉTOUR". There's two sticky notes, one reads "MARX!!!! HELP PLEASE!!!!!!". Middle text: "The Train from the next Act needs to be visible on the platform (exterior only.) Rough level map below; needs to go through several iterations with level & environment design." The rough level map is divided into the Pavillion and the Platform.

Characters

"updated 02/03/2023"

Character Map Crucial: Cuno, Cunoesse, Trip the Train Conductor (Ticket Control) Necessary: Petite Hercule, Beggar King, Dog Courier, Rémy the Ticket Seller Supporting: The Academic, The Wandering Widow Marginal: Man from Jamrock Station, First Class Lounge Door (No portrait, but might need some funny VO (TBD, small)

Character Relationships Beggar King: Observing The Academic, Has dirt on Trip the Train Conductor, Observing Petite Hercule Petite Hercule: Following Cuno, Following Cunoesse, Helps steal from Dog Courier Cunoesse: Wants to mug Petite Hercule Rémy the Ticket Seller: Creeping on Dog Courier

Major Area NPC: Hercule Louveau, the Younger Kid Flow map: C&C enter the Train Station -> (no text visible on other sticky notes)

Biography:

8 years old

Travelling [...] to see his grandparents in June Cite, [...]

sheltered, [...]

total [...]

[...]

[...]

[...]

fascinated with C&C, because they're the only other unsupervised kids

slowly manipulated [...]

Narrative function:

can be manipulated to help you steal from the Ticket Office

can be mugged for his ticket by [...]

[...]

[crossed off list item] (TBD)

Also a section labelled "Appearance" with no text visible, and some TINY screenshots of text in the bottom left corner

Beggar King No text visible

Man from Jamrock Station No text visible

Dog Courier There is a name here, almost certainly readable with the right eye, but I cannot read it. Most likely her real name.

Some quotes read:

"No petting the dogs!"

"[Name] doesn't like you."

"These aren't dogs for petting."

The dogs in the references appear to be borzois. There's other text, but it's unreadable.

The Academic Split into two. The two sections are titled "Convergent Field of Disaster" and "Dr. Agathe Maier-Sachs" respectively. Also a small text box at the bottom labelled "Financial [Autonomy? Astronomy?]". Other text is unreadable.

Rémy Caprice Subtitle "Employee of the month". Other text unreadable.

Estelle Edelbrock Subtitle "The Wandering Widow". Other text unreadable.

Barkers Cops; Public [...]; Barking passengers; [...]; Janitor Bonus: [...]

Trip the Train Conductor

Present here only as gatekeeper to the Train level

Major character in the next Act

Might even have a different entity name, since he has not introduced himself yet

Needs to be presented with two tickets, or a ticket and a pet carrier to let you aboard

Him letting you aboard ends the Act (otherwise chasing the train as it's pulling out of the station ends the Act)

(Unreadable text box)

This box connects to a box immediately below it in the Act III Characters section.

Plot Details

There is a note on this slide that reads: "Information might be outdated, See the latest Progression Path in the Act II Miro board:"

Location Objective: "Get on the 14:44 train to June Cite. If possible, secure two train tickets. If not, get creative. You arrive at the Station at 07:30. Your time at the Station is limited."

Ways to board the train: "Ideal: You have two tickets. Show your tickets to the conductor and board. Sub-optimal: You have one ticket. Obtain a pet carrier from a Station NPC. Smuggle one of you in it. Inadvisable: You have no tickets. Create a diversion and board in the chaos. (?) Disastrous: Train is departing. Last calls, dramatic encounter where you [...] RC's to mitigate losses. [...] on the train, but you likely lose inventory, health... [has been cut]

The amount of tickets you are holding will have reactivity in the next chapter, as Trip the Train conductor will be able to casually blackmail you."

Ways to obtain tickets: "1. ONE can be stolen from the Ticket Office, if you manipulate the Young Kid to help. 2. ONE can be taken by force from the Young Kid, if the previous has happened. 3. ONE can be bought with fish pond money, but it takes a whole day of fishing for coins.

The dog carrier can be stolen from the Dog-Walker if you can trick the dog to get out.

The diversion involves setting fire to the men's room...?"

Plot:

Cuno and Cunoesse arrive in Jamrock Station at 07:30.

At a first glance it seems cops have beat them to it. Several groups of RCM patrolmen are moving around the crowd. You don't know this yet, but the cops aren't there looking for you, they're looking for someone else.

This "Criminal at Jamrock Station" side-plot will unfold in parallel to Cuno & Cunoesse's story, as their fugitive paths cross during Act 3 and possibly 4.

First they need to know how to get to where they are going. Consulting the huge wall-map of the entire Le Petit Continent the kids learn there's a 14:44 train to June Cite, -- Revachol Express' Azure Sans-Détour -- that completes the 1300km journey south in three days.

Before reaching June Cite -- the third largest city on La Petit Continent -- the train drives past Rhône Tréville (formally Royal) Penal Colony. That's right across the bay from Cunoesse's ancestral home -- Hämärä Maa archipelago. If they could find a way to stop the train they'd be almost home.

Originally, Cunoesse made her way to Revachol as a stowaway on a train along the same line, so she is trying to retrace her steps back home. (Being illiterate, she barely understands maps, and needs Cuno to connect the dots between her recollections and geographical locations.)

The task now is to find a way aboard the train. There's a number of ways to do it. Should they be able to acquire the means they can straightforwardly buy the tickets aboard AZURE SANS-DÉTOUR. Alternatives include, sneaking aboard, stealing a ticket from a young(er) boy or perhaps outright forging it.

The main goal in the Station should be getting aboard that train and one of the more obvious ways to accomplish that is to just buy two tickets. Tickets cost money. There are three ways to get money in the train station.

Fish coins out from the Fish Pond (0.50p/30min)

Beg for money. -- After talking to the character "beggar king" about begging and it's finer nuances and option to tell your own little sob story (Series of RC's on different character in station) to people owns up. Tell it convincingly and they'll give you their change.

Steal a number of items from NPC's in train station and sell them to Beggarking.

Criminal from Jamrock Station notices that and has reactivity to the fact in ACT III.

Once you've found a way to get past Trip and board the Train, the Act ends.

Tasks

Note at top says: "This is a rough overview. The latest Task Chain can be seen in the Progression Path in the Act II miro board:"

Critical tasks: "Find out how to get to Hämärä Maa: Activates upon arrival at the Train Station. Completes upon FELD interaction with the Continental Map. Subtasks: Consult the (huge) railway map on the wall. Ask for directions. Find a way aboard the 14:44 train: There are multiple ways to go about this objective. Let the PLayer know that their time at the Station is limited. This task can fail if the time runs out and the train begins to depart, triggering a failsafe "jumping on board" sequence with critical penalties. (It might also mean a different starting point for Cuno & Cunoesse in Act 3, with them waking up in the Cattle Car instead of the Passenger Car.) Solutions: Buy a ticket; Smuggle one of you on board; Steal a ticket; Forging? Distraction?; Each one of these can be a task with its own subtasks."

Side tasks: "Make the kid stop following you Figure out Beggar King's luggage stealing ring Evade the RCM officers Deal with your injuries? Find new clothes?"

Reactivity/Outcomes: "How many tickets you have = the ease of Trip blackmailing you; Lost items, money, if boarded via failsafe; Criminal from Jamrock Station knows all you did at the Station, and he boarded the same train; Hercule either left behind safely, or mugged, stranded and possibly even stabbed"

Items

At the top is a concept map of the station showing where items or perhaps people can be found. Note reads: "Please refer to the location map (hyperlinked) in Act II Miro for the latest number and distribution of items, NPC's and containers."

Definitely: None in this section

Maybe: Interactable: Can of dog food; Railway map of La Petit Continent; Book: interesting Zoology: Animal colonialism. Consumable: Candy stolen from a baby Other: Locust home upgrade item; an umbrella; Ring from the fish pond

To be decided: Clothing: a hat; Winter-barka; What are those? [A/N: ugly ass shoes]; Meque[sic] sailor shirt; pair of pants / a skirt?; Tioumoutiri T-shirt Consumables: x3 Substances, x4 Hype Healing item; x3 Hype Healing item Other: TBD ITEM from FISH POND

Thoughts

Cunoesse:

Cuno's dead dad.

Reflecting on Hercule

Trains

Predators & prey

Blood debt

Hämärä Maa 1

[Four blank "THC" diamonds]

Cuno:

The Man from Jamrock Station

Dead Dad

Thoughts from Beggar King

Leaving home

Beast-master

Swarm 1

Thought about money?

Hooked to the Book

Blood debt

[One blank "THC" diamond]

Special Assets

Systems: In-game economy: The buying-selling mechanic and the use of money start to play a role from this Act forward. Some preliminary design brainstorming needs to be done on the game economy, including what kind of merchants and money sources should each location require. Mechanic for a fishpond that generates 0.50 centimes every 30 minutes Special movement: Hercule pathfinding: See the Hercule character brief for the idea on the kid following Cuno & Cunoesse at a distance around the Train Station. He should initially be evasive and retreat if you try to approach him, only after some time you can catch up to him. Explore technical possibilities for implementing this kind of special pathfinding for Hercule. A large clock on the station wall which is in sync with the game one? Kid in a pet carrier: There's a sequence where the kids steal a dog carrier, and one of them crawls into it to be smuggled onto the train. There can be strategic screen fade to black to avoid some of the unnecessary animation work, but at the very least the player should be able to have a conversation with Trip where one of the kids' character model is replaced with a dog carrier model. Jumping on a train failsafe [has been cut]: Specifics are largely TBD, but there should be a scripted and [...] sequence where [...] in-game clock reaches 14:44, triggering a FELD-[...] where the [...] some Red Checks and jump on the departing train with minimum [...] losses. Introducing the Cooperative Red Check ?

Art: Map of La Petit Continent: Use the map from the Location Brief as reference. Half-screen sized, like Harry's *expression* painting. Afterwards, it should get added to the map roster in the journal screen. Should there be a marker on it that shows your location in each Act? Train Station map: Standard location map that automatically gets added to the Journal. Shows the layout of the station and platform. Should be done in the style of retro railway pamphlets / subway station maps. Location splash screen: This Act, and each consecutive Act, opens with a title screen overlaid on the environment (in the style of Control or Fringe.) containing the words "ACT II -- JAMROCK CENTRAL -- 1,347km to Hämärä Maa" [A/N - not sure what they mean by Control or Fringe] Kid in a pet carrier Dog model, running away Cuno and Cunoesse idles: Both in the free exploration of ACT I and in Act II, Cuno and Cunoesse's body language should be uncomfortable, suspicious - a lot of looking around and [...] kind of hunching into themselves, generally uncomfortable and [...] by possible witnesses. Jumping on board failsafe (animation) [has been cut] Hercule mugging animation Potentially animations for [...] other [...] the [...] dog [...] carrier [...]

Audio: Train Station foley: Voice calling out names of cities, murmur of crowds echoing in the waiting room space, sound of idling train engine on the platform, and more Action music for failsafe sequence?: The very short but intense failsafe sequence will require some action music. Since this is not necessarily the path the majority of players will see, the music doesn't need to be unique, it can be a piece of generic action music we will reuse in other tense chase/combat scenes as well. Dog/animal noises: voices for the dog in the dog carrier and/or other animals which might be present on the location. (Pigeons?) Subtle, occasional background music: The Train station is far less [...] than the Murder Scene, but still not as lighthearted or [...] as the Train. Most of the time, the Player's focus should be on the [...] sounds of the Train Station, and in the [...] of when a musical track is present, it should come with a sense of [...], feeling of tension, of looking over your shoulder, of being a fugitive on the run. Nothing [...], but rather a [...] reminder that this is not a place where you can relax. It is a place you are eager to leave, but you can't allow yourself to be too visibly agitated. Some musical references TBD?

Relationship Beats

Cunoesse vs. The Weak; Cuno vs. His Conscience

Act III: The Journey

this ones also evil strap in boys

Location

Top box: "Day 1: [1,004] km to Hämärä Maa Day 2: [489] km to Hämärä Maa Day 3: [76] km to Hämärä Maa [Tweak the numbers] [Unreadable sticky note]"

Revachol Express Azure Sans-Détour: Sticky note sequence: Locust Dream 2 -> After the first day on the Train, [...] will [...] -> [...] -> [...] Ghost station -> Second night -> [...] Left notes: "Inspired by mid-century European trains. The [...] and first class luxuries [...]"

Characters

Fuck if I know

The Trip box from Act II's characters links to the box here titled "Major Area NPC: Trip Leroy Fruiscante aka Trip the Train Conductor" actually

Plot Details, Tasks

le shrug

Items

surely im gonna run out of images here soon right

"From top to bottom: items for which we hae a solid narrative idea, vs. items for which the specifics are still unknown. Objects in the definitely pile can already be passed to an artist to paint, whereas the TBD pile will need some concepting first."

Definitely Clothing: Trip's coat?

Maybe Other: Skippy's leash Interactable: [...]; Adult flip-book; [...]; Interactable; Interactable

To Be Decided Clothing: like 50 of them idk theres no writing... Consumables: [...]; x3 Healing items; x5 Hype items

Thoughts

i swear this is actually harder than the summaries were

Cunoesse: There's four thoughts there idk Cuno: Road Living; Swarm 2; yeah that's it sorry, there's 7 more thoughts there

Special Assets

Systems: [...]; Daily map changes; [...]; Jumping off the train Art: Train map; [...] sequence; Locust dream; Two kids in a trench coat model / animation; Jumping off the train animation; Animated character model; Location splash screen Audio: Locust dream; [...]; [...]

Relationship Beats

Cuno vs. His Influences; Cunoesse vs. The Ordinary World

[guardian-of-time-if]

Romance System Overview

I've been getting a few questions about how various romance routes will work, recently, so I figured I would go ahead and make an overview of all the different romance plotlines, to have a consolidated location for all the information.

General Romance System

Starting in chapter 4, you can start acculating romance points with the various ROs. You can flirt with as many people as you want, but the characters will notice if you're flirting with multiple people. The romance lock is currently outlined for chapter 8.

You won't need a high number of romance points to lock in on a romance path, so don't feel the need to aqquire as many romance points as possible. The game will mark romantic choices with a 🩶. Once you have locked in a romance route all choices will progress the romance so there will be no more need for 🩶choices.

Now for the more complicated stuff, which I suspect is where I'm confusing people.

Special Routes

Some characters have a straightforward route, as well as a secondary route specific to their character. Some of these I've publicly talked about and some of them, I'm waiting for plot twist before I reveal.

A lot of these revolve around Luk due to the nature of his relationship with MC and his role in the story.

The ones that are public are

Lukyan's Unrequitted Love Route

In this route, Luk is in love with MC, but MC is either romancing another character or no one at all. Either way, it's mostly just there to add some drama and angst for players who enjoy that.

2. Childhood Crushes

If you flirt with Luk or Tzesar in chapter 3 (by picking a choice with a 🩶), rather than acculating romance points, you set a childhood crush variable. Rather than being a specific route, having a childhood crush on either Luk or Tzesar simply adds flavor text to the later romance. Both on their paths or on anyone else's. Currently, he code is set up so you can only have a childhood crush on one of them, and I belive at the moment Luk's overrides Tzesar's, so if you want to have a childhood crush on Tzesar, don't pick any of the 🩶options with Luk in chapter 3.

3. Oblivious Romance Routes

Both Luk and Tzesar have oblivious romance routes where MC doesn't realize that her feelings are romantic. This route cannot be triggered if you pick flirt options with the one you want an oblivious romance route with in chapter 3. As stated above, flirting in chapter 3 will set MC as having a childhood crush, and that will lock you out of an oblivious romance path.

Arranged Marriage

For most romance routes, MC will have the option to marry Lukyan and romance someone else or break off the engagement and stay with her RO. The progression of the romances will look vastly different whether ot not MC is married to Luk.

Two characters who can't be romanced if you marry Luk are Sentinel and Albien. Currently the choice to marry Luk or not is outlined for after the romance lock, so I am undecided if I will allow MC the choice to marry Luk (and get dumped) or just lock her into refusing if you are on these routes.

If you chose not to romance anyone, you can still have a platonic marriage to Lukyan and just be good friends.

[ezlo-x]

Hoohhhhhg hang on let me be ill for a moment

I wanna talk abt them more SO bad 😭😭😭 but it is difficult for no reason idk why 😔 Sooraj and Yue my beloveds

Its so difficult cause like in one hand its still mystic flour and burning spice but ofher hand you love these characters sm you want to take them as ur own so it becomes this au/oc thing so just know for new comers that Sooraj is burning spice and Yue is mysic flour lol ANYWAYZ.

They make feel fuzzy i feel like a cat grabbing their toy and start kicking it with their hind legs when i think of em but at the same time its hard to come up with a character of them? If that makes sense? Same goes to their tloz oc counterparts (tho I believe i am actually cooking smth with Yueru i just need more time to brainstorm)

Anyways im tired and sleepy but im thinking of them and I have a few things of them

They both play instruments Yue a Guzheng and Sooraj a Pakhawaj and they both at time do play sessions

Yue is an expert player when it comes to board games she loves playing em, Sooraj is not as great and likes to cheat to tease her

They for sure both have tea time together they probably share each other herbs to test em out and just have a peaceful conversation

This falls on the suggestive end of it but they bathe together. Yue takes the time to wash Sooraj’s mane which Sooraj finds incredibly relaxing. Yue probably misses her extra pair of arms to help her but she also finds it meditative bathing Sooraj’s mane. Sooraj pays her back by giving her a back massage

Yue is the big spoon of the relationship funnily enough. Yue’s body is stone cold making her into a nice cool pillow for Sooraj. While Sooraj is like a warm weighted blanket for Yue.

SOORAJ DEF PURRS she’s a little kittie tiger after all,, he only does it when cuddling with Yue.

Both of them have an expansive wardrobe though Sooraj just likes to stick with his dhoti pants. But does wear his fancier gowns whenever its a special occasion (to him tho he dgaf lol). Yue does love go through his wardrobe and make her wear her gown like a little fashion doll

[sanjarka]

exactly. it's why this moment means so much to me:

his face takes on a special look when he concentrates. his usual easy expression is replaced by something more intense and removed that suggests an entire world locked away inside him. i've seen flashes of this before: in the arena, or when he speaks to a crowd, or that time he shoved the peacekeepers' guns away from me in district 11. i don't know quite what to make of it.

her obsession with his eyelashes is wonderful too but its what comes immediately before it that makes me crazy. suzanne is able to develop their relationship so quickly and so purposefully with this paragraph.

it's katniss starting to understand peeta in such an intentional way, not because she only sees him now, but because seeing someone is a process without a definitive finish line. and it's why you're a painter, you're a baker is the romantic moment that it is. it's both of them having this quiet, peaceful and intimate time together proving that their love exists outside of the public pressure for it. the proof that these kids naturally gravitate towards one another. and sorry but if you're not willing to go further than it's all just symbolic in your analysis of these characters then you're not analyzing anything.

i'm gonna go yell her so ignore me but i really wouldn't even describe peeta as soft or overtly emotional, especially not more emotional than katniss. this guy cries twice in the whole trilogy (please correct if im wrong but it's after the reaping and during the if it weren't for the baby speach), he can tell katniss sweet loving lines but he isn't calling her to hold him after a nightmare. he actually has a tendency to close of emotionally (on the train, before the quell). his mother gives him a bruise and he doesn't cry. is he more self aware than katniss? is he more aware of his feelings than she is? yes but that isn't the same thing as emotionally open and vulnerable. he isn't open he just understans what needs to get done in order to appear like that. easy going and mild.

[gothmikewheeler]

girl i have fanfics in my head u wouldnt even dream

[wyvernspirit]

I know most people want gentleman Husk to Angel

But I would like to argue back that gentleman Angel?? Kissing Husks knuckle after he gives him a drink? Making him a fully homemade (Italian) dinner with drinks? So many ideas I have

(the superior answer is that it's both of them in different ways at different times and everyone around them is honestly jealous) ((and wants them to finally kiss god dammit))

[extrahorribledynne]

Theres a lot of layers of general tragedy to bill amd fords relationship. Theres the obvious one a lof of people have remarked upon in aus and fix it fics- you know ford would have helped bill if bill had just told the truth. Ford clearly thought a lot of him and definitely would have done anything that was asked of him but admitting any amount of non-omnipotence and weakness was not something bill was willing or even capable of doing. He doesnt even tell ford the truth abouy euclydia, he is like. Dancing somewhere in the vicinity of the truth and THAT immediately triggers a meltdown even daring to imply a level of personal culpability through a lie of omission (that conversation happens not very long before the portal experiment, ford remarks bill has been gone foe an unusually long time following, and when bill does come back he is just on the warpath and everything goes to shit as we all know)

The other that i havent seen touched on is the way in which bill cipher was a character who, formerly at least, desired to be understood. He felt ostracized and alone and in a desperate bid to make others understand him he destroyed his entire universe, leaving him entirely alone and as far as im concerned pretty much ruined his life though the character would definitely not view it in that light. Then he meets this guy who feels the same way. Ford is isolated through a mixture of his own pride and a lack of social skills, hes brilliant and places a great deal of importance on that isolation, but in spite of that he hungers for companionship and, of course, for people to finally understand him. and clearly bill becomes quite taken with him. And yet he is still leading ford along like a lamb to slaughter to do the exact same thing he did that ruined literally everything- the portal would absolutely shatter earths reality in a way similar to euclydia. Yeah he clearly has a lot of very intense feelings about ford but those feelings did NOT stop him from wanting ford to accidentally commit omnicide.

[gghoulish]

the implications of mr compress drive me insane because i can easily read it as in some way or another, he probably felt he failed his bloodline, or that he couldn't shoulder that responsibility--- but instead, he chose to believe in someone who COULD, aka tomura. he saw revolution in a person and it was him. he could've tried to be the star of that show, but he instead raised up someone he saw great potential in, only showing the hand he was dealt when it was the end for him. i have seen a few things that imply he chose to work with tomura because of afo, but i don't think that's true, i think if anything someone of his lineage would be hesitant to do that--- afo and harima don't exactly have matching ideals, they may be radical to a degree but there's a difference between genocide and justice, and the league tomura creates has an entirely different energy to the way afo himself runs things. also if it's any level of literal that atsuhiro is inherently drawn to justice and what is right, then that implies he instinctually knew tomura had the potential to take on the legacy he felt he failed to uphold, enough so that he'd risk his life for him numerous times--- first costing him an arm, and then costing him his freedom.

judging by his words on people choosing their own fates, be they heroes or villains, as well as speaking of people's agency/personhood, it makes you wonder if he felt trapped in his own destiny too. he seems like he probably rebelled a bit when he was younger given his failed days as a magician, which doesn't feel all that prestigious for someone with his history. i can imagine he also sees himself in tomura, since they are both the heirs to some of the most prolific villains of all time--- if anyone understands the pressure he is under, it's atsuhiro. not to mention, mha has an obsession with using hands as a metaphor for things (particularly, oppression or freedom/affection), and though it's only in the anime, one of the few shots we get of kid atsuhiro is with his father's hands on his shoulders, guiding him to fulfill his legacy as harima's descendant, a thing he doesn't necessarily have a say in. it feels like it mirrors similar shots with afo and tomura, granted i'm not saying atsuhiro's father was some kind of tyrant, just that the insinuation of that pressure is there. while other villains were made by their circumstances or decisions, it was in atsuhiro's blood to rebel against the suffocating system they were born into.

him and tomura both having hand quirks also makes me think of another way they're similar. compression is a quirk that can be as dangerous as it is useful. we see that it can effortlessly maim others, which begs the question, what was it like learning that quirk? surely not easy or without consequence. that takes a lot of skill and precision. i think because of that, atsuhiro also makes for someone who probably wouldn't be afraid of or disgusted by tomura's quirk, which adds a further level of intimacy to them. he doesn't just see someone who destroys everything around him--- he sees new beginnings, and has the knowledge that from death, comes life itself. considering, despite his obvious skills in such, he isn't very keen on being a thief or violent for that matter, i feel like he's one of the few people to see and understand that tomura is not just the aggression and expectations that were made by afo--- he is his own person.

it also strikes me as suspicious that even though they needed as many allies as possible, he was never broken out of prison while other much more difficult people were pursued--- in the past he spoke out against the mistreatment of tomura and i feel like afo likely knew he was a risk to keep around, in the event he could not fully control tomura. so for as useful as he was, and could be, he was a liability, a part of tomura's humanity that couldn't be risked, especially when spinner was still around.

to close out, i don't think this was a last ditch effort, i think this is what he always knew to be his final act, he knew the curtain would fall with tomura, not him. tragically, he also probably knew none of them would realistically survive, but i think it was that fire that he saw in tomura--- a fire that could rival his great-great-grandfather--- that made him want to believe in him and drove him to do as much as he could. for all his theatrics and at times ridiculousness, his final act makes him feel like such a classically romantic character, someone willing to give everything up for the person he trusts and respects the most. i'll just never get over how utterly heart-wrenching it is to see atsuhiro's final panel be that wistful smile, still stuck in the same society that worships heroes.

[all-pacas]

I do agree that chase wasn’t house’s special smart child from the first, but I’ve always felt he indeed is the most similar to him, even when it wasn’t very obvious. He does kiss ass but also seem to genuinely go along with his method on lot of occasions. So sometimes I entertain the idea that house too sensed those similarities when (or after) he first hired chase, and it was part of the reason he let chase stick.

i kind of disagree tbh. chase isn't all that much like house.

i mean. in terms of life story, they're absolutely running on parallel tracks: abusive families, lost loves, all that. but in terms of personality and core personhood, house and chase really aren't similar.

house cares a lot about everything. not in terms of liking them, but in terms of emotional investment: he has opinions and states them and fights about them. he studies religious texts to better argue about it; he has strong feelings and a strong moral code (even if those morals aren't necessarily in line with society). chase is the opposite: he never gets involves with moral or philosophical debates — cameron and foreman have multiple, and solicit his opinions, and he never participates. he tries not to care about things, and is notoriously apathetic and without morals or convictions: it isn't that he has no ethics, but he does whatever he needs to do in the moment to get by generally. his killing of dibala wasn't a moral moment or for the greater good — chase actually kind of liked the dude — it was a moment of anger and emotion and betrayal.

house is in his own way extremely loyal (slash clingy): he's often unpleasant and a bad friend, but once you're in his circle he will do everything to keep you there. it's most obvious with wilson, but look also how he goes into s8 assuming taub and chase have been waiting for his call, or how hard he works to get his team back in s6: he wants His People around them, and is intensely loyal (if not nice) to those people. chase is an opportunist, without many close friendships, even among his colleagues. he spends 2+ years not forming any relationships with the new team, he similarly avoids/ignores masters, park, and adams, he's superficially quite outgoing and social but on the other hand goes 8 years without ever making friends with foreman, a person he sees and works with daily.

which isn't to say chase is entirely heartless: he is similar to house in that once he does open up to someone he cares intensely, but that threshold is much higher. house in s1 has a best friend. chase never does.) chase is also willing to -- and has -- thrown others under the bus for his own gain/survival. he sells out house to vogler. he puts all the onus on covering up dibala's death on foreman. he is self-serving. so is house, but not nearly to that extent. while you could argue house chose himself over wilson/the world in the tritter arc, house felt cornered and threatened and was reactive; chase is proactive in putting himself first.

house is confident to the point of arrogance, and doesn't doubt himself: he has a very strong sense of self and will. i think that kind of goes without saying. he struggles to change, even when he wants to: in s2, he reluctantly concedes he and stacy are doomed to fail because he won't change for her, and much of the series focuses on house's refusals/inability to change or compromise himself, even in his own best interests. chase by contrast is extremely lacking in will: while i wouldn't call him insecure exactly (he seems generally secure in himself and who he is), he lacks backbone, is often called spineless. he does what he's told, he folds his convictions, he doesn't argue. (house could never.) he copies house and tries to be like him; he changes himself repeatedly. he becomes a doctor when he never wanted to, he gives up on seminary when it doesn't work out, he becomes a giant slut when that path seems open to him. he changes drastically over the series, never holding onto convictions or even opinions when challenged: it's an actual running joke that chase always defers to the strongest personality in the room, whether that be house, cuddy, cameron, or foreman. nor does he ever really fight for anything, or have anything to fight for: house is constantly fighting for his beliefs (that patients are dumb, that something matters or doesn't, that he's right, whatever): house cares enough to put himself out there, is strong-willed enough to want to fight. chase simply doesn't, and isn't. (i don't mean that chase doesn't fight, because we see he gets angry and a bit punchy at times: that's something different. but he doesn't really have a strong enough will to fight for things.)

put another way: house does things because he truly believes it's the right thing to do, probably not morally but for the patient, for the answer, etc. chase does what house says not because he has that same conviction or feeling, but because house seems to be right, and house is smart, and house is the boss.

i could go on.

it's absolutely true that the two of them have some deep similarities in background, and i can absolutely imagine house pinged onto chase's daddy issues and trauma in the same way we see him hone in on cameron, thirteen, adams, etc. we see him try in cursed, although chase pushes him off. and it's not like the two have nothing in common -- they're sarcastic, they deflect rather than talk about their feelings, they prefer to pretend things are okay than admit weakness, etc etc. but they really are not that much alike.

[ahalliance]

an important thing to understand with qetoiles is that he made every one of his relationships feel special without ever placing the importance of a person over another . he was naturally closer to some people than others but he never had A special person, if you get me

[42strange]

Regarding the difference between tenth doctor and fourteenth doctor, I never read the line that fourteen is more loving than ten as ten being unable to love. It’s quite clear that ten loves his friends and companions, like, a lot. The only difference is that fourteen is better at vocalizing his love than ten due to their personality differences.

Ten is hold back by his trauma and regrets from the time war, so much so that the idea of being the last of his kind is so ingrained in his psyche, that he cannot process the thought that it is entirely possible to have a happy life just as the humans. You could say that ten, whose biggest enemy is none other than he himself, is doomed to end his life in a tragedy from the very beginning. In contrast, fourteen has three regeneration to heal and grow from his own trauma, thus gradually loses the “lonely god” aspect of ten and becomes much more affectionate.

It is not that fourteen loves others more than ten; it is that fourteen is finally capable of saying those lovingly confession that ten never had the chance to say in his life time. In other words, fourteen is actually “helping” ten to say what he would actually think, rather than bottling them up and suffering from the consequences afterwards.

[widevibratobitch]

Ok, drop your favourite characters and ships from the Three Musketeers, queen. <3

the answer is pretty simple actually <3

Aramis is my babygirl, my murder kitten, my favourite little princess, my rotten soldier, my sweet cheese... truly one of the characters of all time. to me. and he ages like fine wine - the older, the more cruel and ruthless and cunning and evil he gets, the better.

im a die-hard Athos/Aramis truther 🙏 i also adore the whole thing Aramis and Madame de Chevreuse have going on, especially their fucked up little divorce in the last book, it's insane and i'm obsessed with it. I do also think Aramis and d'Artagnan are long overdue for some quality hatesex sesh! and none of these are mutually exclusive, the opposite actually. basically i live for and breathe the entire d'Artagnan/Athos/Aramis/Marie drama. it's everything to me <333