#anyway eveline deserves better

[highlifeboat]

Its ironic how people treat Eveline as the spawn of Satan when she literally exists in the same universe as Albert fucking Wesker

See, I dunno a lot about Wesker, but I do know a lot about Eveline, and I think what some people don't get is that Eveline is quite literally a product of her upbringing.

To save everyone from a long winded ramble, Eveline definitely put Mia and the Baker Family through some horrific things, but I don't think it was ever really out of malice.

She was brought up in isolation, constantly experimented on and poked and prodded, the only people who might have been nice to her would have been Mia and Alan out of obligation. She clearly knew what a family was (or at least the basics of one), of course she was going to crave that kind of thing. Yes everything happened because Eveline was unstable, but clearly she was craving this stuff before if it was enough for her to crash a fucking 71 000 ton ship.

And even in Shadows of Rose, she's just... sad. When she can't beat Rose she goes to just crying on the ground and basically calling herself a failure and like.... SHE'S TEN YEARS OLD. She's a BABY. She shouldn't feel that way about herself. (And don't get me started on the fact after all that time and getting a "family" she just winds up alone again. Like... assuming she never found the Bakers in the Megamycete she was just alone in there until Village and even then nobody wanted anything to do with her. Like give her a break.)

Also it's bold to call Evie the spawn of Satan in a world where a cult leader literally manipulated and then later committed genocide on an entire fucking village of innocent people on the OFF CHANCE a baby that she kidnapped would bring back her kid who's been dead for a century.

Like idk. I dunno about other games but Eveline's not really that bad of a villain.

[jewishevelinebaker]

People who CANNOT relate or sympathise to characters such as Cunoese and Eveline are worrying to me, a traumatised abused child will show anger and to be met with the same invalidating, disregarding sometimes even violent escalating behaviour from adults is cementing and adding the trauma. I truly don’t know what’s hard to understand about that.

The lack of comprehension on people who would simply disregard such archetypal cases of child abuse, signs something is most definitely wrong, as insane villains or “irredeemable” going so far as to liken them to serial killers is severely disturbing.

Anyway sorry for the rant, Its just baffling.

You are fucking right. They say the same things about Eveline or Cunoesse or Samara Morgan that people say about real life abused children: that they deserved it, that they're brats, that they can't be saved, that they're better off dead. Its so dangerous because they don't understand that while these children are fictional, the ideas are very real and very harmful.

hard pills to swallow: abused children who aren't meek victims and who act out still deserved to be loved and to heal.

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Dead West by Linda L. Richards

The Endings Series #3

I had trouble relating to the main character and it took a while to get into the story. I am not sure if coming into the series on the third book was the reason why I felt the disconnect or if the female assassin was so lacking in depth that it felt plodding, then again, perhaps she was plodding through life and that feeling is what was what the author was trying to achieve.

Katherine Eveline Ragsdill seems to have taken up killing for money after a traumatic event occurred in her life. The event was no doubt covered in previous books along with her decision to step into her new job description. I believe, from reading reviews and book synopses, that the previous two books might give more insight into Katherine and would have helped me know her better.

Anyway, this book has her sent out with a designated kill contracted for. Meeting the mark, finding out that he is a good person with high ideals, and feeling drawn to him are the first mistake she makes in being able to fulfill the contract. Then Walker is kidnapped, she feels the need to “save him”, and the plot thickens. Katherine has to contend with as the story progresses including truly evil men who use and abuse, a man she admires but can’t have, someone young that she feels connected to and helps in a big way, many she will not see again, and a new course to set at the end of the book. The final scene is of Katherine driving  down the road with her dog toward…well…I’m not sure where she will end up.

I never really got to know the woman who is the main character. I don’t know if she has a moral compass or not. She has killed before and perhaps some of those killed were not evil. Perhaps she is growing and evolving and coming out of the stupor of grieving to find herself capable of moving on to something positive and she will end up somewhere better in the future. I might give the next book in the series a chance to see what happens next with her and the dog she is now traveling with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanvies Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

BLURB

Rule #1 of being a hired never get to know your target . . . and definitely don' t fall in love with them Taking lives has taken its toll. Her moral justifications have faltered. Do any of the the people she has killed — some of them heinous, but all of them human — deserve to die? Her next target is Cameron Walker, a rancher in Arizona. When she arrives at his remote desert estate to carry out her orders, she discovers that he is a kind and beautiful man. After a lengthy tour of the ranch, not only has she not killed him, she's wondering who might want him dead.  She procrastinates long enough that a vibe grows between them. At the same time, she learns that he's passionate about wild horses and has been fighting a losing political battle to save the mustangs that live on protected land near his property. He's even received death threats from those who oppose him. She finds herself trying to protect the man she was sent to kill, following a trail that leads from the desert, to the Phoenix cognoscenti, to the highest offices in Washington, DC. Along the way she encounters kidnappers and killers, horse thieves and even human traffickers. Hopefully she can figure out who ordered the hit before they hire someone else to execute the assignment. Perfect for fans of Dean Koontz and Tana French While the novels in The Endings Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is as Endings Exit Strategy Dead West

[sinceyousawvienna]

The fandom deemed ‘girlies’

Evelin deserves so much better </3

Yes, Sarah is talking to Adam

Adam: responds “logically” to her criticisms

Amanda: *angrily types out kys in response*

Seriously, who is she anyway?

[river-of-wine]

You know. I’ve never properly been able to articulate how the Baker family makes me feel in my art, so I’m just gonna type it down here because my Madhouse playthrough has gotten me all emotional over them again and they deserve to be talked about just as much as the lords, because they are also Mother Miranda’s victims wether she knew of their existence or not, and wether she bothered to care if she did.

This is mostly about Jack and Marguerite with some Zoe in there for flavour.

We don’t get to see a lot of Jack and Marguerite before he infection (even infected, actually, they’re only in one scene together but that isn’t really them) but what we do tells us a lot. In the Daughters DLC, they’re in a far more stressful situation that you would guess by how they’re acting. Jack has found two unconscious people in a massive shipwreck, one of which is what he believes to be a little girl, and they have that to worry about on top of the storm that has already wrecked part of their property. But Jack and Marguerite manage to keep the mood light. They know how to make each other smile, they know what jokes to tell when the time is right, they had that whole bed and breakfast plan. They’re genuinely such a sweet couple for the small amount of time we do get to see if them, and it’s very intentional that their first REAL scene together as themselves in the Daughters DLC is just them being a sweet ,arrived couple. That’s who they were.

Marguerite was the first to go (and the first to later die, interestingly enough) and Zoe finds her first after the power outage. Marguerite attacks her daughter and Jack intervenes, but even still he’s not hurting her. He could, and he could have been entirely justified in doing so, but all he does is try to hold Marguerite back and tell Zoe to get rope to presumably tie Marguerite up. Jack is a strong guy as we all know, a single stomp from him would’ve ended the game then and there if the mould hadn’t picked up where Ethan left off. Marguerite isn’t as strong as he is even after being infected, her thing isn’t brute strength as much as it is Give Birth To Bug Baby Bodyguards, so he could’ve knocked Marguerite out or caused some kind of physical harm to her to keep her under control. He didn’t, though, and I’m guessing by his line after Zoe leaves the room (“don’t you make me do something I’ll regret”) that he didn’t even try to. The madwoman with the centipede flailing out of her mouth is still his wife. Jack never wanted to hurt his family.

This is the last we and Zoe ever see of Jack before the infection with the exception of the free my family scene with him and Ethan near the end of the main game, but we do hear him resisting. While Zoe is running from him in the Daughters DLC, he’s talking to Eveline with lines like “shut up, you ain’t real!” and laughter that eventually devolves into crying. I’d argue that there’s evidence of this in the main game too. Jack has some interesting voice lines to say the least, but one of them is him telling someone to shut up through grit teeth. Ethan stays impressively silent through the chase sequences with Jack aside from his breathing, so Jack isn’t talking to him. They are the only two people in the main house, so the only other conclusion I can personally draw is that he is talking to Eveline.

Marguerite doesn’t get to make an appearance alongside her husband when he asks Ethan to free his family because she is fully dead, unlike the rest of her family who are either saved (yay Zoe!) or killed off for good in the DLCs. This doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have her own heart wrenching cutscene though! In the Daughters DLC, Marguerite will stop Zoe to give her the key and apologise, saying that she doesn’t know what’s wrong with her and begging Zoe to go as she desperately fights for control. During this interaction, Marguerite strains to tell Eveline “don’t touch her, don’t hurt my family!”

Anyway, moving in from summaries, it’s made pretty clear from these interactions that Jack and Marguerite remember what they do under Eveline’s control. They are fully conscious but unable to do anything about it. Jack actually explains this in his cutscene with Ethan, and the idea of them being entirely aware of what they’re doing but unable to stop it is just so much worse.

Jack remembers drowning Marguerite, he remembers hunting down his daughter, he remembers cutting his son’s arm off, he remembers killing Ethan.

Marguerite remembers attacking Zoe and violently threatening her in the old house, she remembers infecting Jack, she remembers kidnapping Mia.

They both remember every victim, every moulded, every murder. They couldn’t do anything to stop it, but they remember every second.

The Lord’s were victims and they were prisoners, but they had some semblance of free will. Alcina in particular really revels in how violent she can be, going through maidens like the livestock she keeps them as and delighting in how much she knows she can hurt Ethan. Donna and Moreau are exceptions here (Donna especially, Moreau will kill to impress Mother Miranda and doesn’t seem too guilty about his own Cadou experiments though I doubt he fully understood what he was doing) but Heisenberg and Alcina are really just left to their own devices until the ceremony is brought into things.

The Bakers are different. They were never supposed to be a part of this. They were just a family trying to help a little girl. Their kindness is what killed them.

I’d also like to bring up how much pain they must have been in physically as well as emotionally. Jack sounds like he’s in agony during his mutated boss battle, struggling with all of his lines and crying out for his wife. I’ll re,mid you that by now Eveline has entirely abandoned him and Marguerite as her parental figures in exchange for Mia and Ethan, since Mia is her favourite anyway and now she has a father figure to go along with him. Jack is in this weird in between state where he’s not being controlled but he’s too far gone to the infection to ever regain who he was, so his sobbing for Marguerite and his family is very real emotion slipping through.

I know it’s funny to laugh at the bug pussy jokes, I make them too, but I want to take a moment to just think about that. Marguerite’s womb is tearing through her body. Insects are crawling out of her throat and through her raw flesh. Her limbs grow to unnatural lengths. Her womb is a big hive. It’s ripping through her body. The agony that poor woman must have been in, and sounds like she is in during her boss battle, is hard to consider when she’s taking bites out of you and laying bug hives left and right, but it’s heartbreaking when you do take time to consider it.

And Zoe, the unsung hero of Resident Evil 7, had to sit back and watch it all happen. She had to watch her family slip into madness without her being able to do anything and she coped by refusing to acknowledge them as still being her family at all. It’s Joe who has to remind her that they were still her family and that they did love her deep down in their true hearts in the End of Zoe DLC when she’s finally escaped the property. Zoe is stronger than I think most of us give her credit for, she shouldn’t just be looked at as the bad ending girl because she is honestly so much more than that.

I just love the Baker family, they really deserved better.

[berylliumliumite]

I am coming into your inbox requesting you talk about Rosemary

I think Rosemary is happy as a child bc she has nothing else to compare her normal to. Her mother loves her. Chris is there for her, even though she doesn't know why, exactly, but Mia and Chris must be friends if he's there (they're not) (they stick together for Rosemary, because Rosemary didn't deserve this, doesn't deserve this). And so Rosemary scares the kids at school (the one year she has school- normal school, anyway). Zoe comes over often and makes sure Rose is okay. Rose has someone in her life who uses he/him and loves women and is a woman, just doing it differently, and she adores him. She cuts her hair short when she's young and Mia, who lets her do almost anything (out of guilt, sure), lets her dye it black when she's in middle school.

I think as soon as she realizes that none of this is normal, then it goes downhill. The constant blood tests. The constant monitoring. She escapes into books because she cannot go online (the BSAA is constantly monitoring what she says, what she does). She idolizes Zoe and Mia, who escaped from the Baker house, away from a scary little girl her age. It dawns on her that she could be that scary little girl. She stops using her powers for a while, but they grow inside her, and it just... bursts out one day.

It's better to exercise control, she realizes.

When she does manage to escape online- Chris buys her a phone (for emergencies, he says)- she realizes that she's a boy. And then he realizes he isn't a boy. And then he finds the term non-binary and doesn't accept it for a while, but it fits. It fits.

Mia takes it in stride, but Emerson can tell that she's upset about him changing his name. The military does not take it in stride, but they have to, because Chris is the one shouting out orders and calling them Emerson and using their correct pronouns (he/they).

He can't do it forever. He's getting old. But Emerson appreciates the time he spends getting it right.

I think that Emerson idolizes Zoe and Mia so much that he willingly decides to go into the military to protect people like them. They love their father for what he's done- they get plenty of stories from both Zoe and Mia- and then one day Mia tells them about her involvement.

Emerson hates her for a little while. Refuses to speak to her. Is angry at Chris and Zoe, too, for not telling him. He hides in his room and refuses to go to training. His whole worldview has been shattered.

He hates her until he doesn't, but he doesn't forgive her. Not really. And he hates Ethan, too, for being perfect and loving her. He hates Ethan for putting him in this position. He hates Ethan because Emerson is just like Eveline. He's a monster, a kid who doesn't know anything. And he fell for it hook, link, and sinker. The BSAA doesn't let him go, now. He blows up in a park once and suddenly he's a public safety concern, so he needs to be monitored even more and stay with Chris- less and less often, though, as Chris is getting old- so he stays in the facility and Mia visits him as often as she can. And he's trained.

Mia gives him comfort, now, to remind him of the kid he once was. When she holds him, he can pretend that he's normal. She cuts his hair for him. Buys him a binder and sports bras. Tells him about her day and brings him food she cooked- though it's not often very good. Ethan was always the one cooking.

He sits and waits for an answer.

He dreams of trauma that isn't his.

And he is no longer angry at Ethan, if only because he's older. Because he wants to meet him, now. And doesn't know what to do without someone who was made like him.

Emerson has a short temper and is serious almost all the time. They were mature for their age. They call themselves butch and stitch a nonbinary flag on their personal jacket. They have these powers- they're a true bioweapon.

Wouldn't it be so fun if this final villain was Ethan, or Emerson himself? I don't think capcom will go for it because this is resident evil, and the villains have to have to be evil and not someone we root for so that you don't feel upset when you get the rocket launcher and blow them sky high. But Emerson doesn't need to be a villain. He's a teenager- he's still a kid- and he's in distress. He doesn't know how to control himself any more than the BSAA does. He can be redeemed.

But that's not capcoms Thing, nor is it resievils Thing. so while i wish for it, i don't think it'll come to fruition :(

[mayybirds]

The difference between how Mia and the real Jack Baker talk about Eveline is absolutely astounding to me. They've both suffered under Eveline's desire for a family, with Jack Bakers entire family getting caught in it too. And yet with how they react to Eveline you wouldn't think Mia was the one who has full context of Eveline's history, nor that she had partial responsibility for everything Eveline has done.

Jack doesn't call Eveline names or snarl or even seem to particularly hate Eveline. He just seems sort of... firm, but resigned when he asks Ethan to stop her. And even his phrasing and tone, he wants Ethan to stop her (not necessarily kill her) to free his family. I think he understands that Eveline might need to be killed in order to be stopped, but he it just... he doesn't tell Ethan killing her is The Thing to do, like it's just be incidental to stopping her. Even when he describes her motives, it's just so... like he gets that Eveline is just a sad broken girl with too much power and too little understanding and is appropriately solemn about it.

Mia on the other hand is just... she's partially responsible for this! And yeah she seems upset Ethan got wrapped up in all this, but Eveline? Zero self-reflection on how Eveline's actions are in many ways Mia's responsibility as well and a result of how she and the other scientists treated her. There's no regret beyond "I screwed up because she escaped" rather than regret about how she's twisted Eveline into this, or that it's come to this, or that Eveline is anything but a monster that killing is any sort of weighty decision, let alone that once again Mia should have at least some guilt not for just the Bakers and Ethan but for hurting Eveline and teaching her nothing but cruelty to the point she might have to be killed to stop her.

I'm not saying she even has to like Eveline or not be angry because y'know, what Eveline did was also bad. But Mia just doesn't seem to treat killing Eveline with the seriousness and solemnity it deserves, especially as someone who is partially responsible for the entire situation.

Ah anon you just...you understand my feelings about all this so well.

The thing is, like...as much as I'm against killing Eveline period, I feel like they could have made it at least work in the game if they'd better embraced the tragedy of the whole affair. Jack's scene with Ethan is a huge redemptive part of the last leg of RE7 for me for that very reason. Jack Baker recognizes this is a situation with no happy ending, with victims all around, and with a "villain" who isn't so much evil as a violently abused child who has no conception of normal human empathy or morality. "The girl just wants a family of her own," is one of the best lines from any RE game. If RE7 had leaned further into that (Ethan's "goodbye, Eveline" is almost there), its ending could have been heartbreaking in a great way. So Eveline has to be stopped. She's dying anyway. Does she have to die alone? In pain? I think a lot about that famous Batman Beyond episode where he's sent to kill a young girl with dangerous powers that threaten to destroy like...I don't remember the stakes, but a lot of shit. But she didn't ask for her powers--she's alone, and frightened, and dying. And he doesn't kill her, he just...stays with her until it's over. That. That is an ending.

But no, we have to have Mia never being held accountable for her actions, never reflecting, telling Ethan to "go kill that little bitch," and then getting her own happy ending while Eveline died in screaming pain. Like good lord Chris at least arrest the woman.

[highlifeboat]

Bruh RE8 was not kind to my girl Eveline's facial expression. Girl looks a little wack.

Anyway, once again here to say Eveline deserves so much better. Got me feeling sad for her all over again, let her have a family.

And therapy.

Girlbossing it up in the dlc though. Good for her.

[homoo-wan-kenobi]

Not the anon from earlier but I have seen anti-Mia discourse on The Tumblr as well, and it really boils down to three things: her involvement with the bio-terrorism group that made Eveline in Biohazard, her keeping said involvement a secret from Ethan along with his megamycete infection, and the fact that in the recent months of the marriage she'd gotten more aggressive about shutting down conversation about what happened to them in Biohazard. So, she'd made some bad life choices and also the marriage did have a lot of lies and some toxicity seeping in, I won't deny that.

HOWEVER, I'M GONNA SPEAK IN HER DEFENSE HERE: all evidence points to her having just found out about Ethan being a mold man in the past six months, and that's kind of a rough thing to tell your spouse, so we don't know if she WOULD'VE before she was kidnapped. Some of her aggressive defensiveness could 100% be her reacting badly to the trauma of what she'd been through, which doesn't excuse her shutting down Ethan but it's not like she was being deliberately cruel. And finally, while I can't defend her having a criminal past or lying about it, some of the same people who villainze her for that are fans of the Lords, who are objectively just as bad, so. That's a weird line to have IMHO.

TL;DR: yes there is canon reason to dislike or be uncomfortable with Mia but in a fandom that's constantly like "The Lords deserve better!!" it feels weird to have so much hate is centered on HER specifically. Sorry for the length of this ask I just have a lot of thoughts on the matter.

oh wow, I really don't look through much of the tags on here and just stay within the dimitrescu's and donna tags! so I had no idea that there was anti-mia discourse on here! yeah, it is a bit of a double standard to be one way toward the lords and another way toward mia, but to each their own. and I, honestly, cannot speak on anything mia related in re8 so I'm not trying to shit on anyone's opinion on her or anything. anyway, don't apologise for the length of this ask, it's completely fine! thank you for kind of looping me in with like a gist of the situation, I really appreciate it! and Imma have to look more into this cause I'm still kinda surprised by it!

[sorry-rosie]

lol i'm dumb. I didn't realize when you posts that otp ask, it meant that people can ask you about the pairings depending based on the numbers LOL. I'm really new to the tumblr trend. Now that's out of the way, let me pick some numbers. 8, 15, 21(this one especially) 28

Oh no worries! It takes some getting used to. With these things you can send however many numbers or prompts in as you want and I'll get cracking, by the way. 

I’ll do #28 in another post soon because I got another sent in for it and keeping the naughtier ones separate means this safer post can get discovered in tumblr searches easier. ^^’

➼ [8] What were their first impressions of each other?

Ethan was a complete nerd, that’s what Mia knew just from seeing him. Not that she has anything against nerds, but he was just adorable in how geeky he was with technology and a bit awkward, endearingly so. Plus it didn’t help that he was sporting his rather large glasses when she first laid eyes on him. And khakis. In addition, he had a cute face and voice that drew her to him. It wasn’t love at first sight or anything, just another potential relationship of many that Mia gave a fair shot in a few dates, but thankfully those dinner dates ended up selling her on the idea of being with him. 

Mia was a complete bundle of sunshine, that’s what Ethan took away from her. Something about her drew his gaze instinctively, impulsively. He had already seen her occasionally on campus of their college in cafes, but he doubted she noticed him. Not until he grew enough courage to take the first move at least. But from what he could tell, either observing her and her friends or talking to her for the first time, she was optimistic and hard-working. The type that filled a day with work and still ended up smelling like roses at the end of it all, somehow. Boundless energy. He felt a little intimidated simply talking to her since she outpaced him, so it took time on their dates for their energy to match and sync up better. 

➼ [15] What are traits they dislike in one another?

Mia thinks Ethan is lost in his head a lot; she'd be fair in thinking that. He's a quiet person, so sometimes it's hard for her to know exactly what he's thinking when he perhaps incorrectly assumes they're on the same page. They do that for each other often, actually, what with Mia’s secretive side. They’re prone to some miscommunications that could easily be avoided.

Mia also sort of dislikes Ethan's naiveté and rashness. It is more complicated since his idealistic views of the world at times are quite uplifting for someone who has seen the darker parts of that world first hand, and his impulsive nature was what ultimately saved her in the Baker estate (and later Rose). But he is so rash and naïve that it is his own downfall, with foolishly believing that there’s someone better in Mia and deciding to still forgive her countless times. Sometimes, she wants him to put himself first, just for once, because no one person can be that selfless. She just wants him to be safe, even if it means a life without her. But he’ll always put her and Rose first. If anything, it makes her wonder ruefully what she did to deserve him. Despite Mia’s somewhat dislike of his idealism, she’ll do anything to protect it, him, from the truth.

Ethan is rather over-protective and could be prone to being obsessive, which Mia grew rather annoyed with when she was still working for the Connections. It felt like nothing escaped his notice, as much as Mia tried to lie to him. He certainly didn’t make things easy, but at least he cared that much for her to go to such lengths. But he’s at least learned from then to slack off with it, but it kicked in a bit once again as he entered into parenthood. This is true for them both.

As much as Ethan dislikes Mia’s secretive side and feels hurt since he feels like they’re leading separate lives at times, he at least grew to understand her better. Why she does it. How to better get her to open up. But still, when she was working for the Connections, he couldn’t help but have an over-active mind. When she leaves him in the dark, it’s hard not to think the worst. It’s the not knowing part of it all that for him hurts him far more than the truth. At times, he feels like she doesn’t trust him enough to tell him.

Mia, even more so after the Baker incident and giving birth, never lets go of grudges. She’s often justified or true in feeling very conclusively about people, like her distrust of Chris and the BSAA particularly, what with the events in Europe. She’s seen corrupt organizations first hand and she could pinpoint one when it’s right in front of her face. However, Ethan is far too forgiving and kind to hold such grudges. They don’t butt heads on it often, since Ethan understands why she is this way. But still, he only wants her to be happy and holding onto these grudges, even ones she has against herself, only leads to more resentment.

Overall however Ethan just adores her too much to seriously dislike much about her, if anything. Unconditionally so. Or perhaps a love of all aspects of her, flaws and all.

➼ [21] How have they changed each other for the better/for the worse?

Mia often gets lost thinking about how better Ethan’s life would be if he never met her. Never left to go get her in Louisiana, at least. In those three years he could’ve already moved on like she told him to do in the video. There were widowers, she was sure, that were remarried in far less time. What use was it though? She knew he was different, he’d never want to move on without her. He’d never even consider leaving her. But a bigger part of her selfishly still wants to be by his side, even if she was, is, still a negative force in his life, as much as his nightmares are caused by her. He could never go back to his old life.

But Ethan saw the best in people. He loved her anyways, in spite of everything. Mia wants to be better, for him at least, the man who still looked at her with those unblinking, silently worshiping eyes. She hated to see her reflection in them, but his undoubtable adoration for her still prevailed. They both vowed, promised, to start over and that’s what they were going to do. As much as their new lives were interrupted occasionally by the BSAA poking and prodding them, dictating many parts of their day-to-day, they could confidently be assured still that they were together in the end, peaceful, to an extent. Life would never be easy now, they both agreed, but at least they would be safe in each others’ arms.

The ultimate proof of their love, the one that still survived despite everything, came in the form of Rose. Mia almost didn’t believe she could get pregnant, but the tests stared back at her, all positive. At first, she was terrified, that she’d ruin another life like she always did. But perhaps this was her chance at redemption, finally, and as she felt her move around she felt all the more terrified of herself. That she’d fail her, just as she did Eveline. That she was screwed up in the head to even be able to have a child with her husband, whose only life support was the mold. But those fears eventually subsided and the pregnancy brought them both joy as she obsessively eyed her ultrasounds, looking for defects only to find none. Finding happiness in talking over baby names and buying things for her.

Then, a psychotic woman she used to work with targeted them to get to Rose. Separating the child into crystalized little pieces. With every step they took towards normalcy, towards peace, they were dragged back into hell by Mia’s choices years ago. The past would follow them everywhere. And just like that, he was gone. A man who already defied death many times, invincible, dead. The life he couldn’t have, in his final moments, flashed before his eyes. Sure, he had regrets. But he was at least content in his wife and child’s safety. The years he did have with his family, with all their hitches... He didn’t regret it. He’d still do it all over again. Mia knew he was that foolish, as Chris later told her that Ethan apologized and said that he loved her in his last words. 

Only he would be sorry for dying on her. After everything she’s done, she could only feel sickened by everything that’s happened. It would take a long time for her to get past him, if it was even humanly possible. The answer is complicated. While they’ve both definitely changed each other for the worse through years of heartache and turmoil, they both also gave each other true happiness, satisfaction, if only for a little while. Shown each other that they could be changed, complicated people, but still want to crawl back to each other. And while Mia, newly widowed, looks down upon the freshly settled wasteland of the explosion weeks later out of curiosity, she thinks that Ethan teased things out of her no one else could. She was a better person now, wasn’t she? More mature. Less selfish. Maybe his good nature had snuck up on her over the years. He had that way about him of making even the most stubborn of people change.

[magtitude]

thinking about the soulmate au prompt you sent that's been sitting in my drafts for a while, the one where ethan and mia can talk to each other in their dreams, and like. i started working on it a while ago and i still need to work on finishing it. but anyway i was thinking. would they still communicate in dreams after they meet? maybe when they're not near each other, like holidays/training/whatever in different cities or states.

which got me thinking about mia leaving on her mission; trying to calm her nerves by reminding herself that she’d still be able to see / talk to ethan in her dreams if she needed. except she can’t find him no matter where she searches. she makes the video, mindful of the facade she’s meant to be keeping up around the potentially wary crew. something is very wrong, though. she’s never been cut off from him before, and she doesn’t understand why it’s happening now, and it’s not like she can ask.

she can’t help but worry that something has happened to him. she’s never met anyone else with the same type of bond they have, but soulmates are common and she’s heard about broken connections. and then alan’s gone and the ship is wrecked and the bakers find them and it’s three years of hell. when her mind is her own she tries to reach out to ethan. nothing. it hurts. it’s for the best though, she thinks, if he’s moved on. she hopes that’s all it is. he deserves to live and be happy.

and then he’s there with her and she’s sure this has to be a dream but why would he be here? this isn’t one of their spots. she wouldn’t bring him here. it’s too dangerous. which meant he’d found her somehow. and honestly, she’s pretty sure that’s worse. because while she couldn’t be entirely certain of his safety in dreams with eveline around, there are many more horrors waiting in the baker house that definitely will hurt him and she refuses to lose him. not when they’ve just found each other.

———

@endurcandsurvive pretty sure u just killed me

omg three weeks later--

anyway! ethan being able to sleep better while he’s away on a job either out-of-town or even out-of-state, and she’s “babysitting” elsewhere too, because he’s still able to see his wife & love-of-his-life in his dreams, mostly lucid ( and while it means he has a lack of nightmares, which he likes, he does like being near mia more, even if there’s bad dreams & nightmares -- a sap, i know, but he’s not ashamed of that ). and he knows there’s something Up about her job, and the feeling is even worse on the night she leaves, like he wants to ask about the truth, but he tells himself it’s fine, rest east tonight, no bad dreams, just him and mia in the clouds or on a rocketship or something. maybe a unicorn.

but the dreams don’t come, and mia’s nowhere to be found in the dreams, and mia’s nowhere to be found in the waking world. fear first, a fear of grief, and wanting and hoping and grief all at the same time with only normal dreams, good and neutral and bad ( & nightmares ), all without mia.

except he finally dreams of her again on the night he receives that email. it’s not quite the same as they normally have -- seems one-sided, like he’s watching through a screen ( or bars? like a cage? ) -- but it’s the first image of her that feels real. and when he is finally there, when she’s finally really in front of his eyes, that’s all he cares about at that moment. nothing would cut him away from her again.

[tenebris-melodiam]

Enigma: Chapter 7 (Finale)

Pairing : Lucas Baker x Reader/Female Protagonist (18+) Rating & Warnings : None for this chapter                                                            Notes : This story will have multiple head-canons within it. It is also based solely on the Resident Evil 7 timeline, and takes place prior to the events of “Daughters.”                                                                                              Author’s Notes : Will be included for further explanation on some subjects

=7=

“Game over.”

The last thing Lucas remembered seeing was the masked face of the man who had bested him, and the barrel of a gun pointed directly at his head—well, what remained of his head, anyway. The light that followed the split-second sound of the gun firing off was brighter than any he had ever known, and it lasted longer than anything else he had ever experienced.

After what felt like years, the brilliant light that blinded him began to recede. Blobs of green, blue, and brown began appearing like splotches of paint that had been thrown onto a blank canvas. Eventually, the blobs began to take shape, and he realized that he was staring from the ground up—up into the foliage of trees that towered above him. He blinked slowly, unsure of what exactly was going on, but he eventually brought himself up into a sitting position to look around him. The land surrounding him was incredibly familiar, but it wasn’t until he noticed the large mansion behind him that he knew exactly where he was. He was sitting outside the gate that led into the estate. He rose to his feet, the pebbles and dirt under his shoes crunching beneath his shifting weight—how was he back home?

He padded to the front gate, which was oddly missing the chain-lock that typically hung around the two middle bars. He cocked his eyebrow slightly as he put his hand out to touch the metal, but hesitated for a moment; after gathering himself, he wrapped his fingers around the cold metal, and tugged the right side of the gate open. When he did, instead of the typical ear-piercing screech the rusting joints usually gave, the gate opened in near silence as it slid into place. There was still the occasional squeak of metal, but it was a blatant improvement from how it was prior to now. Lucas ran his eyes over the mansion once more, contemplating whether or not he wished to go further—what if nothing had changed? He eventually decided that he would go further, but as he took his first few steps forward, something caught his eye; in his peripheral vision, he saw someone sitting underneath the large oak that was still standing strong upon the left side of the yard.

He turned his attention in that direction, and felt his breath catch within his throat. (Color) hair fluttered about in the gentle breeze, and beautiful (color) eyes stared directly at him—eyes that he hadn’t seen for years. He watched as a tender smile crossed your lips, and he immediately felt drawn in that direction; the closer he got to the tree, the weaker his legs felt. He had seen this countless times before in his dreams, and each time he managed to get to you, you would vanish from his sight. This time though, when he dropped to his knees beside you, you didn’t simply blow away with the breeze. You continued staring at him, that same smile upon your lips.

With a trembling, hesitant hand, Lucas reached out in front of him and placed your cheek within the palm of his hand. You released a soft sigh at the feel of his skin, and pressed your cheek just a tad harder against his hand—he laughed quietly, and you saw the tears that welled up in his eyes as both hands now gently caressed your cheeks.

“I-I… I can touch you this time… “

You nodded your head, but didn’t say anything in response to him. He didn’t care whether or not you spoke; all he cared about was the fact that you were real this time. He could touch you, and he could hold you against him again. For the first time in years, the first time since that horrible night that you were torn away from him, Lucas found himself in tears. The one person that he had cared about more than any other was with him again, by some act of God, and that was all that he had wanted. Finally, he watched as you parted your loving lips, allowing your sweet voice to reach his ears for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

“I’ve been waitin’ for you for a long time, Lucas. I didn’t expect you to be here so soon, but that’s okay.”

When Lucas realized what you had said, he felt his chest heave—you had been waiting for him? All these years, and you had been waiting for him right here? That would mean that you knew of what he had become after you had gone, and what he had done even outside of Eveline’s control. A sudden, powerful surge of guilt washed over his entire body, and large droplets rushed down his cheeks and fell upon the grass beneath him. He bowed his head, his hands still holding on to your cheeks as he sat there and sobbed in silence. Finally, he managed to find the words that he wished to speak.

“Ain’t nothin’ I can do to atone for what I did… I know you probably saw what I did after you died, and there ain’t no excuse for it. Those damn thoughts took over me, and I just didn’t care no more… I let my desires run my life, even though I knew damn well what I was doin’ was horrible. I don’t know what I did to see you again, because I shouldn’t even be here… but I-“

He was stopped only by a finger being placed against his lips, and he glanced up with puffy eyes in your direction. The smile upon your lips was gone, and replaced by a look of both sadness and concern. Now it was your turn to tenderly hold his cheeks within your hands, and you tugged his head onto your chest before you decided to speak again.

“I know, Lucas. I know about everythin’ that you did. You hurt a lot of people, and a lot of it wasn’t your fault. But, even after being freed from Eveline… you were lost. Like you said, there isn’t an excuse for what you did, but the fact that it was the very first thing you said when you saw me leads me to believe that you truly are sorry. You could have played it off like nothin’ happened, but you didn’t. You recognized what you did. Someone who wasn’t sorry wouldn’t even think about doin’ somethin’ like that… even if it was in front of someone they love.”

You could feel him shaking upon your chest, and you leaned down to place a soft kiss upon his head. You knew he was scared, but in all honesty, you weren’t thinking any less of him than you had when you were still alive. You had witnessed what he had done, but you couldn’t bring yourself to hate him. What Eveline did to him was something that would traumatize anyone, especially someone like him—he took out his hatred for what she did on those who didn’t deserve it, and those who did. But, as you told him, the fact that he immediately owned up to everything that he had done without any kind of hesitation showed you that he did care about what he had done.

“She’s right, son. After all… you ain’t the only one who did some messed up things.”

Lucas perked up a bit upon hearing the deeper voice, and he turned his head to see his father walking down the stairs that led from the inside of the house. He made his way over to the oak, and then glanced behind him to see that Marguerite wasn’t far behind him.

“Mama? Dad? You guys are here, too?”

“That’s right. We got here a while before you did, son. And before I say anythin’ else, I wanna say how sorry I am. That girl made us do things to each other that we would have never done. Your mama and I… we’ve both done things that were horrible. So you’re not the only one who’s done bad things here.”

Jack dropped down, taking a seat upon the grass beside you and his son. Marguerite stood beside her husband, her hand resting gently upon his head as she sighed softly.

“Exactly. Whatever that little girl did to us was something we had no control over at all. We may not have acted on our own like you did, but that don’t excuse what we did, either. Jack and I should have been able to resist her, especially when it came to our family. But… we couldn’t. And you, Lucas, you suffered the worst out of all of us. Takin’ what your father and I did to you, havin’ Eveline take (Name) from you in such a horrible way… and everythin’ before that, too. We can’t say we’re proud of your actions outside her control, but we can say that we’re proud of you for comin’ forward about it and admittin’ what you did. You’re still our son, and we still love you, just like (Name) does.”

Lucas’s eyes wandered from his mother, to his father, and finally to you. He felt like such a child—being held by you whilst he was bawling his eyes out about what he had done. But hearing reassurance from those around him made him feel much better, and eventually, he managed to calm himself down. For a long while, you all sat around the tree in the front yard in silence, simply listening to the wind rustling the leaves of the trees around the estate. After a while, however, Lucas spoke.

“So then, what is this place?”

“Well, son… your mama and I think this is what was waitin’ for us after we passed on. The more we thought about it, the more clear it became to us—this is our own lil’ patch of Heaven. We had all we needed right here, so that’s where we came after we died. Look at the house, too. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with it at all now. I’m sure you noticed the gate don’t squeak any more, either.”

Lucas looked over at the estate, and as his father had said, there was nothing wrong with it at all. No cracks or splinters in the wooden beams that lined the house, the stairs that led up to the front door were no longer bent in from years of being walked on, and the windows were almost as though they were brand new. He hummed softly to himself, then turned his head slightly to be able to look up at you.

“I don’t care where we are, honestly. As long as I’m with you again, that’s all that matters to me.”

You gave a small smile, then leaned down to place a soft kiss upon the top of his head. He was right—as long as you were together again, that’s all that mattered to you. You rose to your feet, your hand gripping Lucas’s own as you tugged him upright alongside you. You didn’t know what the future would bring, if there was any future at all within this place. But if everything was to be like this forever, you most certainly wouldn’t mind it. Now together again with the family who loved you, save Zoe, the four of you began to make your way back into the estate. You had to admit it would be different without Zoe around, but you knew she would be along when the time was right.

Three years ago, everything changed for the worse. Now, you were right back where you left off before that day. And you couldn’t be happier.

=Fin=

Author’s Note (1): This ending was highly debatable—I was tempted not to do it, but then I figured I had tortured poor Lucas enough. I wanted to give him some kind of closure. That being said, I’d appreciate it if no arguments or whatnot erupted from exactly how this ended.

Author’s Note (2): Finding a way to justify Lucas’s actions after taking the serum was incredibly hard—so it ended up ending on a neutral note. It wasn’t condemned, but it wasn’t fully forgiven either.

Author’s Note (3): Jack is in this place after his passing caused by Ethan. If you haven’t played the End of Zoe DLC, stop reading here or risk being spoiled. I know that Jack is around in the DLC, but quite honestly, his conscious self died a long time ago. It was more so his body that survived as long as the DLC, rather than his soul and conscious.

Author's Note (4): Some might be wondering why I chose to have Lucas stay sane throughout most of the story, and the answer it quite simple. Meeting you changed everything. In the words of the "Daughters" DLC: "sometimes even a small, wandering step can change your course altogether." In this case, having you in his life gave Lucas a reason to resist his urges and temptations.

Author’s Note (5): Writing this story has truly been an experience. To all of you who have made it this far, I thank you. You guys have made writing this all the more fun, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love each and every one of you.

[naomibaldini]

27 pieces of advice from a 27 year old grown up(ish) 

I’ve loved the Baz Luhrmann song Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen ever since I can remember. Just like this song I’d like to share some advice and just like Baz Luhrmann my advice is taken from my own meandering experiences. There isn’t any financial advice because I’m not a very good grown up, hence using the words ‘grown up(ish)’ in the title. I don’t even feel like a grown up and I have a feeling I never will.

I will dispense this advice now.

1)  Get a pet

If you’re not allergic and you’re allowed, get a pet. Their happiness becomes your happiness and you feel a kind of love you’ve never felt before.

2)  The first death in your life is the hardest

There’s no way it can’t be, it’s a feeling like no other and even if you think you’re prepared…you’re not. Don’t deny yourself the experience of feeling your grief. Funerals were designed so you can cry your eyes out, scream, swear or do whatever you have to do to grieve.

3) You are and always will be a better person than your bully

I’ve been bullied at every single school I’ve been to and once I left school I thought the bullying would be over but believe it or not I was bullied in my early twenties while at university. I’ve always felt that I should have stood up for myself and that I was too nice, I imagine every person who has been bullied feels this so I’d like to share with you what my friend told me: “You are a nice person. Always be proud of that”. He is right. You should be proud of yourself that you’ve managed to stay a nice person through everything.

4)  Don’t have people in your life who don’t care about you

It’s better to have only a few people in your life who truly know and care for you than loads of people who don’t. This includes family as well as friends. Ask yourself: Do they make me feel happy? Do they respect me? Do they make me feel good about myself? Are they there for advice? Can I open up and talk about anything with them? Do they go out or their way to help me like I do for them? If any of these are a no then they’re not a positive thing in your life and they don’t deserve to be a part of it.

5) Don’t be scared to ask or speak up for yourself

There really is no harm in asking and speaking up for yourself is very important, if you don’t people will walk all over you. Also, say what you mean, say what you think, say no if you want to and remember you don’t have to please everyone. It’s more important that you’re happy within yourself before pleasing others.

6) Make time for hobbies

It’s nice to have something you’re passionate about and if you don’t have a hobby try learning something new. You’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment once you’ve finished and will have something to teach others about or pass the time with.

7) Make time for ‘me time’

Make time to relax, wind down and do what makes you happy.

8) It’s ok to go to things by yourself

It really is. In fact sometimes it’s nicer, there’s no pressure and you can go at your own pace.

9) Compliment strangers

It makes you feel good and it brightens their day, a little bit of human connection goes a long way in this isolating world.

10) Don’t have regrets

Still working on this one…I like to think I’ll die without regrets, but that’s impossible?

11) If you have to ask “What does love feel like?” when you’re in a relationship then you’re not in love

Love is a feeling, you just know when you’re in love.

12) Love your body

It’s as simple as that. Your body supports you, regenerates itself, lets you taste incredible food, takes you on walks, listens to beautiful music, sees beautiful things and most of all keeps you alive. If you’re struggling to love your body buy a new piece of clothing that makes you feel amazing, get a haircut or paint your nails…Whatever it may be, just do something that will make you feel that little bit more confident.

13) Talk about how you feel

This one is so important, you can’t go through life hiding how you feel it’s just not healthy. You need to get things of your chest and talk about how you feel, whether it’s writing or talking to someone you need to talk.

14) If you’re in a relationship don’t hide things, be completely open with one another and talk about everything

If you can’t it’s not a good relationship. You’re going to spend the rest of your lives with one another so you need to be able to talk about literally everything.

15) Don’t let your past affect your present life

It’s in the past for a reason (I know, I know, very cliche)

16) Get a tattoo if you want one, get a piercing if you want one, eat loads of food if you want to, dye your hair or cut it all off if you want to, shave or don’t shave

It’s your body and yours alone, don’t let others influence it.

17) Single mums are amazing

18) Life really is short, don’t take the little moments for granted

19) Heels or no heels, it’s up to you

Just wear whatever you find comfortable.

19.5) If you’re tall don’t be scared to wear heels

I’m 5’9, trust me.

20) Get plenty of sleep

21) Smear tests are awful

It doesn’t take five minutes like the posters and the NHS website say. It’s awkward and cold and the doctor or nurse will tell you to relax, which let’s face it is kind of impossible given the situation. Having said this, you have to go because they’re important, just make sure you ask for the smallest ‘device’.

22) Your job does not define you

23) Don’t look for love, it will find you

24) Work hard at university

Make friends and party as well, but not too much.

25) Wear a helmet

26) Be nice to those working in customer service

They’re making a living just like everyone else and they’re also helping you with your daily chores or serving you a lovely meal. Imagine where we’d be without them. OH and be nice to people at call centres too and be especially kind to both at Christmas time.

27) Go to charity shops

You’ll find so many unique things at such good prices, you’re helping out whatever charity it may be and they’re fun to explore. Still not convinced? I’m about to blow your mind…when you buy clothes from a brand new shop they’re technically not brand new because people have tried them on, so you’re going to have to go home and wash them anyway just like you would when you buy from a charity shop. BOOM.

Wow, that really was advice based on my meandering experiences wasn’t it? Such a mixture of different aspects of life. As well as Baz Luhrmann this advice was also inspired by two wonderful ladies, Grace Latter and her piece 24 things, learned in 24 years and Beth Eveline’s 29 Things I Learned In 29 Years.

This blog post was supposed to go up on my birthday (22nd August) but 27.5) Life takes over sometimes despite whatever plans you may have.

[biohazardbliss]

Seriously, I'd marry Ethan too. What a serious keeper. Mia, you lucky gal you. Any fluffy postRE7 headcanons for EthanxMia? Thanks!

Right?!? He's just great husband material. Like I'd trust that guy with my life. Ultimate husband goals.Not sure what happened to them after RE7, but here's to a happy ending where they get to go home, cause damn do they deserve some peace. Headcanon time (sorry there might be a mix of angst and fluff cause I'm starting from when they first get back to when they're settled down again): -Mia's super suprised to see their place still looks relatively the same since she last saw it-Ethan honestly just couldn't bring himself to change anything. He clung to everything that reminded him of her, including all of her stuff (though people told him to move on and get rid of everything) -first thing they do once they get home: sleep -of course it's hard to sleep, Mia has a lot of nightmares, even Ethan does. -but they just hold each other and try anyways. -it takes a while for things to even get relatively normal for them. -Ethan hasn't even called anyone about this yet. He's not even sure how to go about explaining this to people. Let alone the commotion it would cause now that mia is suddenly back from being dead for 3 years. -that and he's not even sure if he's allowed to say anything. He didn't really ask Redfield about that.-he can tell Mia is still very nervous and jumpy about everything. -she's scared about a lot of things. Infection, the company coming for her. -speaking of the infection, it's still there. They didn't realize it at first. But one day Mia accidentally cuts herself in the kitchen while cooking. -Ethan was doing some cleaning at the time, but then he suddenly hears her scream, and he runs and sees her and she's crying like she's really scared. -so he has to hold her and reassure her that they're fine. He has to remind her that Eveline is gone and that she was safe now. Though honestly Ethan's scared too. -eventually they figure it's time to move. Maybe a change of scenery would be good for the both of them. -so they pack up and leave to a new city where no one knows them. -things get better after that. -everything they've been through has also brought them extremely closer. -they spend the majority of their time focused on each other-they go on cute little dates on the weekends-and during the week they cook together, make it a romantic dinner, or sometimes if they're too tired they order in take out, cuddling on the couch and watching TV-They do everything together too, shopping, late night walks, showering-still, every now and then it's a little hard to sleep.-some nights they'll just sit up and talk all night-other nights they'll go for midnight diner runs-nothing gets your mind off stuff better than waffles at 3 am. -one time while chatting with a neighbor they were asked if they thought about starting a family-they both just shared a look and laughed(awkwardly)-"yeah we'll pass on that thank you" -all they need and want right now is each other-there are a few perks to the infection, aside from healing, they also never get sick anymore (or at least they haven't yet), and they've also noticed an increase in things like strength, stamina, agility. -Mia's more cautious about hiding it, Ethan likes to exploit it. -Mia thinks he's cute but "seriously Ethan if you draw any negative attention at us you're gonna get it" -she just worries too much. She can't help it she's just been through too much. -Ethan gets worried too though he just hides it under sarcasm and humor. -she's known him long enough to be able to tell though. -mia always knows when Ethan just really needs a hug and a break-for now they just want a relaxing life together, no more stress. -even when they see things on the news. -"strange outbreak occurring in the southeast"-They just turn off the TV. -"do you think we should help?"-not yet. Maybe some day they'll go off and join the other action hero protags (and they'd be a badass power couple when they do) but they're not ready now. -for now they just want to heal a bit more-They got married in December (cause get it they're the Winters?) -Mia wanted a beautiful snowy wedding. -that and what better time to get married than around the holidays?-it's their favorite time of the year. -they spend their anniversary snuggled up together under a fluffy blanket sipping warm coffee-Ethan and Mia live happily ever after togetherSadly though in canon I'm not sure what's going to happen to them. Obviously they're pry not gonna get to settle down and be happy together. I feel like they're in for a whole world of stress. (Cause come on they flew off in an Umbrella Corporation helicopter. Does that sound like the beginning of a happy ending? I think I've played enough of these games to know where that ends)

[bogleech]

I have to wonder why Eveline infected the Bakers and made them go crazy in the first place. They were welcoming her into their family. Did she do it because she saw Mia as her mother figure and that she refused to accept her, or did she do it unintentionally and was unable to stop it due to being away from Umbrella? I just think Eveline deserved better.

With a sheltered existence, a mutated physiology and the personality of an abused and neglected kid, I think it’s implicit that Eveline couldn’t control these things completely, and her confusion and rage just leaked into everyone she infected. Presumably her mind would be VAST in scope across that massive network of fungi and absorbed bodies; it makes sense anyone connecting to it would be overwhelmed completely by that much negative emotion.

If she’d been a happy, well-treated monster-child she could have been an equally impressive force of good. I’d really like to see that one of these days in a survival horror. We already constantly overdo the “humans are the real villains” stuff anyway; when are we gonna get a Resident Evil style game where, at some point, the mutants and ghouls all flip around to being directly on your side?

[rorykillmore]

okay i was too tired to do anything other than snarky liveblogging so here are my more complete thoughts on re7

as a survival horror game it holds up very well, which is. an amazing return to form. this game knows how to create atmosphere and hold tension; it’s capable of executing jump scares well but it also has plenty of slow-building terror and psychologically unsettling moments. the execution of the plot was overall well-done in that it... really keeps you hooked and guessing until the end and that everything is so interconnected that it feels satisfying to piece it all together.

i have to make a weird point, though, and it’s that the bakers are kind of.... more interesting than eveline?? as antagonists?? and as characters in general?? don’t get me wrong, there was stuff i really enjoyed about eveline -- the grandma bait-and-switch in particular is a really cool idea and set up really well. although the official ~reveal~ happened only for like, two seconds, whereas i feel more emotional impact could have been gained from spending a bit more time with old!eveline at the end there.

like?? i noticed earlier in my liveblog that all of the mirrors in the house are broken and now i get why. i didn’t need the connection to that to be super on the nose, but we just... didn’t really get exploration at all for how eveline feels about being trapped in an aged, immobile body. the ending in general felt rushed to the point where i was like “that can’t be the final boss fight”

but anyways ovERALL, my real problem with eveline as a final antagonist is that while part of me really enjoys her, i’m not entirely sold on her just because... we’ve seen everything she has to offer before. bioweapons? check. creepy little kids? check. monster kids who imprint on people and emotionally hold them hostage? double check. it’s not that she fails as a character, just that they don’t quite... get there with bringing something new and interesting to the table (because like i just said, they save the most new and interesting about her ‘til the end and then don’t really explore it).

on the other hand, you could say “but a cannibal hillbilly family isn’t exactly what you’d call original either!” and no, it’s not, but the execution is a lot better. the bakers dominate the atmosphere of the game to the point where i’m fairly certain they are going to be the thing people remember most about it. i was much more afraid of the bits that were about sneaking around, trying to avoid them than i was with like... any of the boat stuff or what have you. and in addition,  they are kind of unique in that they’re these prominent, terrifying villains who  (speaking specifically to jack and marguerite’s case) had no control over their actions. who had their lives stolen from them.

it almost feels like they deserve closure more than ethan or mia do -- them and zoe, who must’ve had all kinds of bad feels about watching that happen to her family.

so basically i think a flaw with this game is that sometimes, it just tries to land its focus and emotional impact in the wrong places. but a lot of things about it still really work, sometimes even in spite of that -- for instance, i didn’t really like the boat sequence, but i love the idea of completely subverting the character mia’s been thus far and having her save ethan.  the ending felt kind of rushed to me, but i loved the punch the umbrella reveal packs.

it may sound like i have a lot of negative things to say about it, but nah i don’t, i’ve really only covered one or two points here -- it’s just easier for me to analyze critically than to talk about strictly positive points, in most cases. in any case this is a super memorable game that’s already had such an impressive impact and... i’m sure it’s going to do gr8 things for the genre. so i’m pretty excited about that.