#but other than that i love how true to the og this version is. even down to the silly echo in the verses. i love that they kept it

[signanothername]

May I ask if you think mtt would change their names at all if they left Nightmare? Whether they want to start over, whether the names were from Nightmare and they want nothing to do with him, or solely because after that they could realize they aren't the same, any reason.

For me personally, I always love to think MTT are homesick 24/7, and so for Horror and Murder specifically, they never even signed up to be called anything other than “Sans” cause to them, that’s who they are, and that’s the name they associate with their homes

They had those nicknames forced upon them to “avoid confusion”, but to them that’s just an excuse to strip them of the only thing that is still truly theirs (and that’s true to an extent), they were always “Sans” and now even that is being taken away from them

And cause Murder is in this state of “seeing how much you changed yet still are the same regardless” (the horrifying version™) it’s even more painful to him to be called anything other than his og name

Horror tolerates it, but would definitely perfer to be called “Sans”, he doesn’t appreciate being stripped of the name that associates him with his family and home

Killer is a complicated case, cause not only do I believe he got the name “Killer” before even meeting Nightmare, but depending on the stage he has different reactions to it, with guilt ridden Stage 1 seeing it as the name he deserves after everything he’s done all while holding so much distaste for it, stage 2 not caring about his name and simply treating it with a “that makes sense” attitude and stage 3 having mixed feelings about it, and stage 4 not truly being fully there to comprehend the name other than seeing it as it is, a name and that’s it

With that being said, Murder and Horror would immediately switch back to their og names, making it a point that no one is allowed to call them anything other than “Sans”, too confusing?? Tough luck, everyone gotta deal with it, it’s not their problem, with Murder being aggressive about it, while Horror is more passive aggressive

I like to think Murder and Horror developed a twisted form of friendship between them tho, and so when it comes to each other, it’s a sort of “special pass privileges” sorta thing, so Murder allows Horror to call him “Murder” or “Dust” (Dust being a nickname given to Murder by Horror in the first place) and Horror allows Murder to call him “Horror”

It’s not that big of a deal tho cause both of them will find the first train home and take it, going their separate ways

When it comes to Killer, assuming he now lives with Color, wouldn’t ask Color to call him anything other than “Killer” cause as I mentioned before, one half of Killer thinks it’s the name he deserves, and the other half not having the capacity to care or is undecisive

I like to believe that stage 1 would absolutely love to be called “Sans” again, it’s some sorta far away wish for him, a guilty pleasure, he just doesn’t see himself as worthy of it, and I think as time goes on, Killer would realize how much he truly changed, that no matter how much he resembles “Sans” in looks or how some of his Sans-like attitude is still intact in stage 1, Killer changed too much to truly see “Sans” as a fitting name for himself

So i feel like he’ll keep “Killer” as his name, but i also love to think Color would call him different nicknames too that isn’t negatively associated with him, Color never says it outright, but he sometimes does that as a way to show Killer that he isn’t just his name’s sake, Killer understands that, and appreciates it

[blueofthesun]

i already know the new akuro no oka is going to be my top song of this year

[directdogman]

(Sorry if I have bad English, I'm from Spain.)

I'm super hyperfixated on the original managers, so I have 2 questions.

1. In Dialtown, Tango/Terrence says no one called him Tango before. Assuming that in the DSaF universe he also liked that nickname, did any of the other original managers call him Tango or not?

2. A headcanon I've seen in the DSaF fandom is that Abel hated everyone BUT the real Scott Cawthon, and that Scott was the only one that tolerated Abel (some ppl even ship them). Is that close to canon? Or the og Scott Cawthon also hated Abel? I really want to know what they thought about each other.

Btw, I really love your games, I've played the DSaF trilogy many times, and the Dialtown demo (I haven't played the full version of Dialtown yet, but I've seen gameplays and I'll buy it for my birthday), thank you for making 4 incredible games <3

I don't answer many DSaF questions these days, but this one's interesting so here goes:

1)Tango's nickname is a DT invention as far as I remember. If he preferred the name in DSaF's universe, Harry would've used it for sure, given how much he liked Terrence and since he's literally using a name he doesn't believe is really 'his' because it makes him feel better. He of all people would understand.

2)Yeah, that's a pretty good way of stating it, but there's a little more nuance to it that explains a little bit more about Abel/Joe's rift.

Basically, the original Scott Cawthon was a unifying figure. He got on with every single one of the original managers and they all thought the world of him. The Phone Guy process was started in an attempt to recreate him by Abel (and the other managers at first) and you gotta consider why they'd all want to do that. He was the glue that held the group together, the only manager liked by everyone else there without exception, someone who could defuse tension and resolve conflicts amicably.

It's true that he had the most patience for Abel and never badmouthed Abel to the other managers and even defended him earnestly, knowing Abel the best of the other managers and knowing some of Abel's early life and where he came from, while the others were more willing to honestly discuss Abel's short fuse and occasionally mean nature (even Terrence to some extent!) This led Abel to develop more of a bond with him than the other managers and somewhat distrust the others.

While Abel was essentially Scott's number 2, as time went on, Joe became more and more integral to the running of their budding company, since he was a skilled accountant and managed to balance the books despite Scott's somewhat reckless spending at times (he was overgenerous to the point where it sometimes led to financial trouble for the company, a stark contrast to what Freddy's became later.) Since Joe was so blunt (and Abel's biggest critic), Abel was incredibly jealous and insecure that if the trend continued, Joe would supplant him.

This also explains why Abel was so willing to toss his other managers into the 'machine' when each of them suffered accidents. Ultimately, it wasn't just sheer cowardice, it was him trying to recreate the past - to recreate the one person who seemingly saw him as anything other than a vampire. Someone who actually wanted him around. Of course, no two snowflakes are ever exactly the same. Abel was a poor replacement as the owner of the company, Joe was barely able to keep things afloat amidst a messy and chaotic expansion and Harry wound up presiding over the company's demise.

There's a pretty widespread narrative theme in DSaF of damaged people trying to recreate something they've lost - Dave trying to turn Jack into the new Henry, Jake and his family, Harry and his former identity, the Kennedy family reuniting.

“Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course you can!”

But, the fact is, you can't recreate the past. The only way forward is to pick up the pieces and build something new.

[altocat]

I feel like Rufus doesn’t get enough credit. I mean everyone views Sephiroth as the master manipulator in FF7 but let’s be honest… without his powers he wouldn’t be able to manipulate a rabbit. This man was horribly socially awkward and the only way he can get to Cloud is by using Jenova’s influence to make Cloud hallucinate.

Rufus on the other hand- being a completely normal yet wealthy person- managed to control basically every player on the board by the time his father died. It’s strongly implied he controls the main AVALANCHE sector and is now confirmed to be the head of the Wutai resistance. Not to mention that whole stunt he pulled with the Turks to secure their loyalty, the Turks who are basically the CIA of the FF7 verse.

I think this man should get a smidgen more credit for his manipulation. He is the true queen of girlboss, gaslight, gatekeep.

I really love how he was portrayed in Rebirth...honestly one of the MVPs for me. He's not an idiot. He's VERY competent and figures things out faster than most. He even saw through Sephiroth's bullshit while he was pretending to be Glenn. He's very clever and knows what he wants. Honestly, I love this Rufus a lot more than how he was in OG, where he's comically evil only to have a change at heart at the very end. This version feels more in line with how he was portrayed in Advent Children. He's crafty. He's got his hands in a LOT of things. And it doesn't always work out in his favor but he's always got another ace in the hole somewhere else.

Honestly, good for him.

[thewillofdeez]

Talking to my husband about One Piece theories (as you do in a Healthy Adult Relationship ©). He said Mihawk vs Sengoku would be an interesting showdown. We've only seen the extent of Sengoku's powers once at Marineford, and that may or may not be the full picture. But that got me thinking.

Mihawk currently has no named attacks, whereas even the most powerful pirates we've seen have named attacks. The implications here are either 1) Mihawk simply DGAF about doing things the way others do (which tracks and I love that for him), or 2) all the Mihawk attacks we've seen thus far are such a teeny tiny fraction of his power that they're not even worth naming.

So let's say the second one is accurate. What level of power does Mihawk have to display in order for it to warrant a named attack? We've seen this bad bitch cut a damn ship in half but also scale his power low enough to cut Zoro without literally slicing him in two. The control he has over his power is insane.

We've seen what Zoro can do. We've watched him level up so far from when we met him. But we don't really see Mihawk in action very much. What displays of power we've seen are just a tiny fraction of what he's capable of because we simply haven't seen him have a real need to fully display his power. This is a guy who does just what he wants to do as much as possible, and only does anything else begrudgingly. We saw him at Baratie facing off against this 19 year old moron who thought he was ready to take on the World's Strongest Swordsman, and wasn't. We saw him at Marineford, but let's be honest, he had no reason to do more than the bare minimum. He doesn't care about the World Government, he probably doesn't care about the conflict between them and Whitebeard. He shows up, puts on a show, and peaces out so he can keep living his relatively quiet life. The World Government can say "you could have done more!" all they want, but at the end of the day, he did what he was required to do, and no more.

It's vital to Zoro's character not just that we see him defeat Mihawk, but that we fully understand how strong Mihawk is so that we can understand just how strong Zoro has to be to defeat him.

So, how can Oda do this? How can he possibly show how very strong this untouchable character is in a way where we can appreciate it before his inevitable downfall? Because I feel like if we see him give his first real attack in the middle of his final duel with Zoro, it's not gonna hit as hard. It'll be like "Oh, that was cool, aaaaaaaand he's dead now."

Mihawk not only needs but deserves a scene independent of his final fight with Zoro where he can truly show off what he can do. I want to see this man EXHAUSTED. I want to see something that completely takes it out of him, that shows us he's not untouchable, that it's possible to wear him down, that beneath his strength he's just a guy who gets tired and winded with the right amount of exertion just like the rest of us. Mihawk was one of the OG antagonists of One Piece, he deserves his own version of Galaxy Impact or Divine Departure.

Okay, so hear me out. Outside of his fight with Zoro, what could Mihawk possibly do to display the true extent of his power? What is a feat so massive that it would be exceptional for even a man of his power?

Perhaps it would be something that avenges a man who was (per SBS) betrayed by a Marine, an agent of the World Government. Something so impossible and insane it was only alluded to in a relatively minor character.

So....what if Oars the Continent-Puller created the Red Line 800-900 years ago, and Mihawk will become the Continent Destroyer by taking it down, destroying Marie Geoise and at least symbolically everything the World Government represents? And furthermore, what if he and Zoro do this together? We've seen them both cut enormous things..... combined, at their full power, what if they just slice a 10k meter wall that encircles the globe to bits? What if they create the All Blue?

This is a mishmash of various theories, but tbh..... I'm happy to give Oda an enormous amount of leeway. He's the artist here and I have my wants and hopes and ideas, but there is very little in One Piece that I think could truly and deeply disappoint me because things not going the way I want /= things are bad. I'm just along for the ride, ya know?

But this is a must-have. Oda has been setting this up for more than 20 years now. This rivalry between Mihawk and Zoro needs to be concluded in a way that does both characters justice. And this would be a pretty cool one.

[tzilatza]

NATLA Review - spoilers

Woke up today still feeling annoyed after finished the Netflix ATLA remake last night, and I think I've figured out the core reason.

It's the fact that: If they had held truer to the original source material, we could have had a truly great show. I disagree with those calling it a complete disaster. The acting was good, great in some cases. The effects were very well done, the bending looked about as good as it can in a live action media. The scenery was lovely.

But what happened in the writer's room?! The way they just reveal all the back stories up front EVERY TIME is honestly insulting to the audience. It's like they're so terrified that smartphone culture has made the public so accustomed to instant gratification that they have no faith we will stick around and keep watching if they make us wait for anything.

They're also clearly terrified of complexity. One of my biggest gripes with this remake is Jet's story. They completely took out his plans to murder a whole town of innocents in order to get a few enemy soldiers. Now, Jet isn't my favorite character, but his story is so important. Because it is real. The world is full of people who have been so brought down by injustice that they lose their sense of right and wrong, and we need to see that on screen. If Jet is too complex for them, how will they handle Ba Sing Se in the second season.

This goes along the same lines as removing Sokka's sexist moments. They felt they had to do it to make him more 'likable.' Yet the writers themselves went full sexist on Katara's character. They've taken out so much of her spark, her righteous and justified anger, and they've done it because even in 2024, people expect women to be more passive to be palatable. Enough people have already commented on them removing Aang's choice to run away. Heaven forbid the main character not be an absolute paragon. Did y'all notice that they even made Hahn likable? Hahn?! What reason do you have for making Hahn likable Netflix?! His role in the narrative is to be an example of toxic masculinity that is clearly the bad choice compared to Sokka who has learned and grown out of his own.

Don't even get me started with what they're doing with the fire nation family, I'm not ready to tackle that. In general, I have no problem with Azula getting a little more backstory and humanizing, but why season 1? Throwing in all these extra scenes just sacrifices screen-time where they could've actually fleshed out the real season one plots instead of rushing through things at breakneck pace. (ex: Aang escaping Zuko's ship in about 2 minutes flat)

At the end of the day, the scenes I most enjoyed were those that held true to the original like the Blue Spirit sequences. They could've easily done more of this, held onto the important plot points and even more important character complexity, while maturing it for an adult audience. I'm not disagreeing with every change they made. Go ahead and take out the silly Nickelodeon gags, add cussing and more realistic violence to get your mainstream viewers. Go ahead. They could've easily made a darker more mature version of the show and still held onto all the old fans in my opinion. But claiming that you're making a 'more mature' version and then removing the complexity and subtlety because they didn't think viewers could handle it...

What makes me most sad is that there are a lot of people who will experience ATLA for the first time through this show. There are a lot of adults who are not willing to watch original ATLA because they refuse to acknowledge an animated series can be anything other than a kid's show. Those people will watch this and think it's the real deal, and that just makes me sad.

If you've read this far, a very sincere thank you for listening to my rant. If you're an OG fan who enjoyed it, I have no problem with you. It was a fun watch, I was just hoping for more. If you are a new viewer who has never seen ATLA before, I sincerely want to hear your opinions. Is it a great show to someone who isn't holding it against the context of the original? And do you plan to watch the original now?

[rocketbirdie]

clenching my fist. zakkura is very good. saving you saved me. you are the proof that i existed. you are my living legacy.

sometimes i think about crisis core and ff7 og, that scene at the cliff. and crisis core is everything zack wanted his death to be. while the og is what cloud remembers, what he could stand to remember. it's like, the only good thing zack ever did was save cloud. the only good parts of zack are what kept cloud alive.

cloud wakes up with a whole new life in his head that is everything a hero should be, except it's not, because heroes are supposed to be kind and that kindness is what got zack killed. you are the proof that i existed. you are the proof that a hero like me existed. and cloud cannot comprehend it. and cloud's imperfect comporehension protects him. cloud is haunted by a version of zack that never existed,,,and the reverse is true as well!!! zack died to protect a version of cloud that never existed!! cloud the 'plucky infantry trooper' the only friend not a monster made by SOLDIER, someone who was kind and offered him a hot meal with his ma!

do you think the ghost of zack was the only dream cloud had? do you think cloud and zack shared more than just dead time in those 4 years with hojo? zack dreams of snowy mountains and hot stew and a mother that's not his and it's the only warmth he's got when he wakes up to the green mako and pain that he's blessed to forget, because when he sleeps there is something that looks like cloud and talks like cloud that pours him stew and tells him that he will be okay. cloud is not aerith, is not a cetra, cannot channel the lifestream and wipe away everything, so this loop is the only thing he can offer...if it's even cloud offering it at all and not just zack going insane. maybe the moment zack realizes he doesnt know (the moment he wondrers if he cares) is the moment he breaks out.

cloud is not the only one who hides behind a delusion!! zack would rather have a perfect martyrdom than an imperfect life! 'you are my living legacy' is not a promise it's a plea!! zack is the dead husband cloud is the dead wife!! they warp eachother to stay sane! who the fuck do you actually love! can you stand to find out! YOU ARE THE PROOF THAT I EXISTED. SAVING YOU SAVED ME. GOD.

HNNNNGGGG *EXPLODES*

i love these two and the way they distort each other's identities. i love how they don't know where one of them ends and the other begins. i love that they can never escape one another's influence, like two black holes in orbit, destined to die in a way that melds them together inseparably. i love you zakkura forever and ever

[witchofthesouls]

Imagine if June was like a Hellsing though, specifically the OG/Ultimate anime iterations. A lost relative whose father changed their family name as a way to protect them from the horrors that tend to follow their bloodline. June honestly thought her past wouldn't catch up to her so soon.

Too bad an 5 year old Jack decided to open the door to Alucard and Sera one night. June's family being the last Hellsings means that the two vampires get passed down to her. Moving constantly definitely would be a thing during Jack's early childhood with Jasper being the latest and surprisingly longest current location.

Also I can't resist the image of Alucard being a menace to both factions. Miko would terrorize him in return. Lol

I haven't given a thought as a Hellsing since the ending was too good to mess with it.

But I do have thoughts of a Castlevania crossover where June (and Jack) being the last remaining Belmonts, and currently being hunted down by an old friend/battle companion after a massive breakdown that lead to June completely retreating from the modern world.

A lot of divergence here:

Team Prime is aware of the stranger things that go bump in the night as in Agent Fowler, but that was once handled by a different division that went rogue. A TFP version of Sector Seven.

Raf notices something (or too many somethings) with a substitute teacher, and starts down the rabbit hole that leads him (and Miko) to the Autobots.

The substitute teacher is a dhamphir who's attempting to find another way to contact June. Which leads him to the Autobots and manages to convince them of an alliance because who better to fight the undead than the undead... and a Belmont Hunter.

Definitely an Other!AU has well. I'm dragging the "humans into Cybertronians" trope because 1) I love it, 2) you can pry fantasy and supernatural settings out of cold, dead heads, and 3) that was the entire meltdown between June and her old friend. June got granted immortality via alien, magic doohickey, and been refining her magical training with an anchored apparition of Quintus Prime.

(Quintus willingly bonded himself to Earth because of Megatronus' descendants and as reparations since the Quintessons attempted to invade a far more active Earth. It failed.)

Details are still iffy as I'm torn on a lot of things:

When was June born. Because I could do a culture shock between the Victorian girl and an ancient Prime hermit with both dealing modern-day outside their time bubble.

Did June do a full retreat or still ventures occasionally into the world?

The extent of June's training and what happened to drive her into Quintus' hidden space.

Teenager or adult June?

How the hell sparkling!Jack come to be. I could do a fae!father or wrangle Soundwave into the vicinity with the classic "alien differences includes reproductive habits" concept.

The terms of Quintus' imprisonment. Is it something like a shop proprietor dealing with knowledge and wishes? Is he stuck in a sealed and self-contained dimension and acts a neutral party for various Others? Is he attempting to dig after Megatronus or acts upon his brother's last actions: Unicron's perpetual imprisonment?

M.E.C.H.'s involvement with the supernatural. Just how much awareness does Silas has on the undead, or is a department handled by other agents?

If the second is true, then does Agent Fowler have ties, or will Team Prime get another liason/diplomat as well?

Potential tension, especially if the department is highly secretive. Not just Agent Fowler and the liason but even with the Autobots. They can advise, but should the 'bots ignore them, then they're on their own.

But I definitely want the Belmont whip to a Primal Artifact (Megatronus'), and for Quintus and June to have grandpa-granddaughter vibes.

[beloved-cat-gremlin]

To all of us hoping that Gregory will be the protag of HW2, I have found a bit of info that might help fasten that theory.

I'm not sure if anyone else has pointed these things out before. So keep that in mind when reading.

Theory rambling incoming from here on out.

So a few weeks ago I got myself this lovely book here.

And while it is just a general cookbook with some fancy recipes in it, we all know that in true FNaF fashion there is more going on here than it seems.

And boy there sure is, even if some of these are rather obvious. Because throughout the entire book there are added pieces of paper with small notes that contain info on them.

And these little straps of notes are written by none other than Gregory himself. With the notes themselves indicating that these are post Security Breach as evident by these specific notes right here:

These are very clearly written by Gregory and all tie into the events of Security Breach.

(There are a few more notes mentioning how you should always keep your eyes on the Endos, grab an Ultimate Pass from Bonnie Bowl, Chica eating from the garbage, that you should grab a Party Pass for Fazerblast and use the blaster to stun animatronics, how Moon is and I quote "a nightmare animatronic" and to keep away from the Staffbot flashlights)

But there are even more notes in the book that do not follow the events of the game but rather talk about older versions of all the characters we all know and love. And not just that but Gregory is flat out describing mechanisms from previous games. Like this note:

Not to mention the note itself is attached to an image with the FNaF 1 office.

There is also notes on how you should watch Bonnie's every move, to never take your eyes off from Foxy's hook and how Foxy's eyepatch doesn't seem to stop him from hunting intruders.

But the most fascinating, and most random note to me, has to be this one:

A note from Gregory describing Ballora. I could kinda understand that Gregory might have gotten info on the classic four animatronics via searching stuff up, but the fact that Ballora is mentioned here, and only her from SL, makes me think that this is way more important than a random little easter egg.

Because let's take a look at the HW2 trailers again? We know for a fact that the three main games featured in this new one will be Security Breach, Pizza Sim and Sister Location.

And that is the important part, because Ballora was only and only in SL and nowhere else. Heck she was even the first animatronic teased in the first HW2 trailer.

Some people theorize that Cassie could be the one we play as in HW2 because of the Foxy ride shown in the second trailer, and with Cassie mentioning that she had been on this ride before, but here we have a game that includes Ballora and could be a potential GGY prequel where we play as Gregory.

Now we have a book with notes written by Gregory, mentioning Ballora. And not just that but HW2 could be where Gregory got all the info for the older animatronics from.

We do see that the new Foxy ride attraction includes the FNaF 1 office, which could be how Gregory knows Chica's specific attack pattern and also knows more about Bonnie and especially Foxy. Because outside of cutouts and references and images in SB and RUIN there is no way that any of these kids should really know much about Foxy.

Sure Cassie might know stuff from her dad but Gregory? There is no way he could have known most of this stuff. Unless he played a game prior to SB where he did get to know about the old animatronics.

And all of this isn't even me mentioning how Gregory, somehow, managed to dig up the old news paper articles from FNaF 1, 2 and 3 and put them into the cookbook.

Heck the first note you see from him is of the first location threatened to be shutdown because of the weird odor and mucus from the OG animatronics after the first MCI! Followed by the MCI report itself:

Other articles that were included are of the original help wanted ad in the paper where they are looking for a night guard. The article about the OG pizzaria closing down. The second help wanted poster from FNaF 2 which talks about the grand reopening in 1987. And the two news articles about Fazbear's Fright opening and then eventually burning to the ground.

Not sure how or why Gregory managed to get a hold on all of these and why he decided to include them in the cookbook. But they are there.

And that's kinda all the info I found myself. I'm not the best at doing these theory things but I'm trying.

Am I maybe digging for hints where there might not be any? Possibly.

Do I however feel that this could be important clues to figuring out more about Gregory? Oh absolutely.

[namwool]

Imma rant~ Apologies ignore and delete this if you want. I just want to get this off my chest.

I'm actually relieved you're not a fan of Yue Qingyuan either! It's quite rare to find someone who shares that sentiment. Shen Jiu is the only character I'd go to bat for as well, despite his limited presence in the story. I'm not particularly fond of Liu Qingge either, especially since many fanfics paint him as this overly righteous figure, which doesn't seem to align with his character's complexity. He's a PIDIW character of course he's head has a screw loose up in there.

If imma be honest Bingge was gonna be hated if he was in any man's peak including YQ and be loved in close proximity to females because of his system halo. The OG Luo Binghe greek tragedy truly wasn't the abuse that set him off it was his greediness he really wants to covet his cruel Shizun so bad he'd go to the Walmart version to pick it up. His longing for his cruel Shizun is so intense that he'd settle for a lesser version of him, which is quite telling. If his feelings toward Shen Jiu were purely hatred, he wouldn't have subjected him to such prolonged torture unlike palace master. It's evident that his emotions toward his Shizun are more complicated than simple animosity; there's something deeper there that he craves. It's almost a relief that the story didn't take a turn toward a "2HA" scenario, if OG Binghe decided a different kind of torture .

The number of fanfics that portray Shen Yuan as the sole reason for Luo Binghe's victory and love triumph over the protagonist is astounding. They often depict Shen Yuan's kindness as the catalyst for winning over Little Binghe's heart, when in reality, he wears a mask of a precious teacher. Thats it! He has his face. That what makes him special. If true kindess and loves from his wives didn't get him going what makes Shen Yuan different? I know most are MC bias but like... knowing MXTX works and identites and the fact this wasn't revealed made me go whaat ?

If that were true, the reveal would have happened already. Bingmei and Bingge are both undeniably deranged in both worlds, and he was a white lotus; I can't comprehend why so many reveal fics portray him as calm. He would have gone crazy and lose his shit, not calm, in all these circumstances, as depicted in these fics.

I dislike the other Peak Lords, but Yue Qingyuan frustrates me the most because of his ineffectiveness as a leader. His relationship is one I feel would have been better left unresolved with loose ends, much like with Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng because some relationships are better left to be departed and let go . As a reader, I wonder how many times he can just fail before giving up and throwing in the towel. What angered me the most was Shen Jiu being tortured inhumanely for who knows how long, until his severed legs were sent to him, which finally spurred Yue Qingyuan into action. That is truly sickening! I can't help but imagine himself in that situation needing help and, and as a reader would resent YQ for it. Does his tragic death make up for it when his childhood friend was suffering? As a reader, I care less about Yue Qingyuan's personal struggles. I know he has trauma, but in such dire circumstances, how can he not push himself for Shen Jiu? He has all the power but limits himself, unable to move forward and often fumbling.

If SJ can drop and go 100% and he can't then it's relationship is unequal. I once came across a damn Tiktok talking about shit like if " YQ was a different person one day or acted strange Shen jiu would do his damnest to find out who it is he wouldn't just stop he'd keep going because of his heart and would be the same for the rest of the Peak Lords".

What infuriates me the most is that he owes him a life debt—one that he was deeply involved in, and yet Shen Jiu saved him. Despite everything, all Shen Jiu needed was for someone to believe in his good heart and see him as a good person, even if it was just one person. It would have meant the world to know that his big brother truly understood his nature, especially considering his deep self-loathing. If just one person believed in him, it could have greatly improved his mental health. Yue Qingyuan was saved by Shen Jiu and could have taken significant actions, such as clarifying the rumors and not appearing so guilt-ridden, which led others to misinterpret his relationship with his shidi. At the very least, even if he couldn't explain "why," he could have shown through his actions how much Shen Jiu meant to him. Shen Jiu saved him twice—how could he not find it in his heart to believe in him?

That was makes me so pissed off. YQ didn't so I see him as a disgrace. Like YQ passiveness is like seeing the stupid trainwreck of Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu.

LQG for all his bullshit is weirdly the one I felt would work simply because of his personality and character dynamic with Shen jiu lol.

I have no idea how long this ask has been in my inbox. Sorry for the late answer!

Anyways, I agree with almost everything you said, except the torture part.

While I do agree that ripping apart someone's body is inhuman, it does align with the "historical" context of the novel. I did prepare a post some time ago about historical abuse in Svsss, but I didn't post it because I didn't want to fuel the fandom or create anymore beef.

I too don't think LBG loves SY. Or anyone really except maybe Zhuzhi-Lang? But as far as I personally saw in the book, everyone who took an interest in him was because he was in SQQ's body. That's my personal interpretation, I might be wrong, I might be right. Even LQG's interest, to me at least, seems to mostly be because he believed SY!SQQ to be SJ!SQQ. (I love Liujiu, I might be extra biased here. Not sorry.)

YQY had plenty of chances to come clean, like... you can't tell me he didn't know how possessive SJ was over him. Sj literally killed his demonic shizun to save him, and chose to follow him to Cang Qiong. I don't believe anyone who says "YQY didn't know". Let's not forget SJ almost fought a bunch of other kids for calling him their Qi-ge.

There's also this other thing that bothered me: YQY assuming the same thing as everyone else.

Like, he had the power, the position, the respect of everyone. If he went to the RWP to investigate the truth, with how highly respected he is, no one would say a thing.

Their relationship is so one-sided it hurts. I physically can't stomach canon YQY. I'm sorry. I prefer the fanon one.

The thing that bothers me, is that I can't even fully blame him. It's Airplane the problem. He wrote the characters that way. Had SY never transmigrated, disrupting the novel, YQY would have never revealed why he failed to save SJ.

I hate Airplane more than I dislike YQY 😤

Also, 2ha kina creeps me out. I wish someone told me what the books were about before I bought the first three volumes together. I regret investing my money in those books 🥲

[rukakaru-u]

DGM 252 thoughts/questions

Finally, we met briefly Past Lavi and Allen. I suspected that the Jr was named Lavi since Hoshino said that Lavi will be back just not in a way that we might expect lol So, yay, I'm happy~

So abaut P!Lavi/past Jr:

We still don't know much about him, but P!Lavi has a casual demeanor (and appearance) that is reminiscent of current Lavi. Since "Lavi" is a role and the name of a record, they might act similarly because that's what the persona calls for. "Lavi" has to be a certain way when recording the holy war. But it also seems like that P!Lavi is the way he is, because it is closer to his true nature, or being/playing Lavi is the easiest for him out of all aliases.

Staying on the topic of Bookmen clan customs: If a Jr is chosen/destined to have this role, why choose people who have the potential to get attached? Is this part of their journey? Their final challenge? It is funny that both Lavis got attached to specifically "Allen" (even if for P!Lavi it was Nea first). What is the connection between the two Lavis and how much Bookman knew about the truth/manipulated the outcome?

About Pasta:

So he used to be a soldier... While dying, it looks like he is wearing a typical 19th-century military uniform. Was he fighting against other people? How long was he in the military? (Was it his choice?) Did he kill people? Did he regret it? Allen is against killing, but Red isn't necessary if he is cornered (tormented enough). Pasta is closer to (a healthier) Red personality-wise, but it is hard to tell right now.

Nea's deal:

So Pasta was dying and a supernatural entity appeared out of nowhere, and he made a deal with him. This means that it doesn't matter which body or timeline he is in, if, in a desperate situation, Allen will make a promise or a contract with any version of the Earl (devil). Maybe it is important that it happened 3 times, and it birthed 3 different Allens. (The twist may be that Allen even knew the OG Earl in one of his past lives lol). Why Allen though? Nea doesn't trust easy, he can't allow himself. Did one of their other versions *actually* meet even before that? Did he sense something else in Pasta? Did he want to make a deal with him for a long time and wait until he could corner Pasta? Did Pasta's pain signal him somehow, like the Earl knows who is grieving? Did Nea approach many other people until he found the one? It might be that Pasta's wish was the dealmaker. Probably it was a selfless one, that would be very on-brand for Allen.

Nea considers Pasta his dear friend, despite their (so far) brief history... I like the idea that Nea just gets attached easily to people that he finds sympathetic, or Allen going along impacted him greatly. But I might love it more if it was only a onesided friendship this whole time and he is that delusional about what it meant to Pasta lmao It was a love at first sight for him, but for Pasta it was more transactional. (Probably not though)

Anyway, is Nea making Pasta his host similar to the way the Earl creates Akuma? Souls have names, and something is alive after you name it. It is possible that Pasta's name wasn't Allen, and it is something Nea gave him after the contract.

About Apo

Apo is at it again. Hoshino just uses him to be blamed for every misfortune in Allen's life. It is fun that CC meant to eat Pasta, but now Allen is such a peculiar accomodator. What makes Allen so special, that Apo had a change of heart? Is it because he has 2 entities inside him that are trying to kill him, and he is still standing? It is him having strong emotions that the innocence can feed on?

As usual more questions than answers ❤️

[marine-indie-gal]

Been awhile since I haven't drawn any Tabaluga lately, not since that I've finally got a chance to watch the Kristin Fairlie version online since I first found the Mackenzie Ziegler version from it's Alternate Stupid Title, "Ice Princess Lilly" only to fool a lot of people into thinking it was a Frozen knock-off from a Regular Old Dollar Store. Though it's still not a big surprise from Me for the US to give out some CGI Movie Adaptations of Kids Shows from an Old Decade under their own Cheap Titles like "Here Comes The Grump" to "A Wizard's Tale" and even "The Magic Roundabout" to "Doogal" (seriously, the last one sucked ass. Even though I haven't had a chance to watch the British version, I heard a lot of good things about the OG version of that Other Adaptation much better than how Weinstein butchered it with their own Pop Culture references).

So I had a small talk with my Friend, @djinarocks of how we loved Tabaluga and how that Arktos is one of our Favorite Villains of Musical Theatres (compare to Von Rothbart from "Swan Lake" and even The Mouse King from "The Nutcracker") after I introduced her to this German Franchise.

While that both Me and My Friend love Obscure Media a whole lot, we both ship Tabaluga/Lilli together as a Romeo and Juliet like pairing (since these Two Elemental Kids did reminded Me a lot of that Other Elemental Romeo and Juliet Movie made by Sanrio (not to be confused with the Pixar one that is)). During in one of our conversations, we talked about on how we wondered if Lilli didn't leave Iceland and started her own New Life up in Space if Arktos did raised her and treated her as his own Actual Heir (something as if his own Mother would've liked to have Grandchildren if the Son were to pass the Whole "Dictator" thing to his own Children like a Family Thing).

If you're one of the Fans who both love the Musical and the Show other than the Movie, you'd probably would know that Arktos created Her, only to lure Tabaluga in for exchange of his Fire (in which the 2018 Adaptation did by its own self, but without the Whole "Give Your Own Fire to Me" thing and replace it into having "One Last Hero to be Killed" scenario that made Arktos into a much more Sinister Creepy Dragon Genocidal Monster as an Akin Contrast to the OG Arktos). But since Me and My Friend had this "Thought" if Lilli didn't leave Iceland, what if Arktos had a different way with her? Something like raising a Heir and make them a Future Dictator for your own Country. If anything, that could've had make Lilli give her so much more character other than just a "Love Interest" (akin to the Movie's Lilli as well).

Basically, Arktos creates Lilli through Sculpture (but it goes different than the last one than in the show through a twist), instead of creating a Trap for Dragon Bait, he actually creates Lilli as a single heir of his own so that way she'd beat Tabaluga to rule all over the lands one day. After trying to wind her up with a Wind-Up Key, Arktos thought of a better solution by breathing her into Life to make her Real. He names his own Daughter, "Lilli" because after researching through a Book about Humans, he mispronounced the name "Lilith" (The First Wife of Adam) into "Lilli" and mistaken Her as Eve (Adam's True Wife) (because that's clearly how he created her according to some of the Musical's lore from what I can remember). Although while Tabaluga was deeply in love with Arktos' Humanoid Daughter, Arktos forbid their own love and didn't want to be a Father-In-Law to his own Arch-Nemesis (whose the Son of his First Enemy).

Teaching his own Child everything about Iceland Life, Lilli was somehow fascinated by the World of Greenland and wanted to explore around Other Countries instead invading to in which, She and Her Father have a Huge Conflict about. Unlike the Movie's Lilli, this AU Lilli has more personality than the one in the show of her single appearance; She is more Meek and Shy with a Quiet Personality but is still Curious about the Entire World that she demands to ask a Whole Lot of Questions (even if her Father dares to answer one of them). Despite their own disagreements, Arktos loved his own Daughter deeply similar to how his own Mother passed on her Son's Spoiled Love to Another (even James would still have to be Lilli's own Manny whenever his Penguin Butler would have to keep an eye on her whenever the Father's not around).

When Tabaluga got over his own crush for her after their first meeting, he basically decided on how to teach Lilli to be more "Independent" whenever she'd come and visit Greenland (either with or without her own Father), even with the help of her own Friends. Although that while most of the Greenlanders didn't like Lilli at first, the Ice Princess then expand more of her Kindness to her Surroundings as throughout her own Arc between Seasons 2-3, She and Tabaluga develop more of their Romance (instead of having a Rushed One). After the Frozen Defeat of Arktos, Lilli then decides for her own life that it is best to join her own Boyfriend and become the Rulers of both their own Lands after a Long Journey ahead of having Each of The Four Seasons be released every year as they start their own New Life together, thus, ending their own Families' hate feud.

I've probably should've had put this in my version of Tabaluga but oh well, at least this is probably from a Simple AU where if Lilli did had more Character than just being the Main Character's Love Interest. 🤷‍♀️

BTW, when I finally got a chance to watch the First English Dub Movie online, I was so Happy that I got a chance to seeing the Scene where Tabaluga and Lilli sing their own Love for Each Other from one of the Musicals and let me tell you it was sooooooo Adorable to see Tabaluga and Lilli's love for each other, which makes my Love for the Both of Them even more 🥰

And while that I still haven't checked out the Rest of the Musicals and their Songs (since I still can't understand German as Someone who wishes to learn more about Any Foreign Language for the Same Person who watches Foreign Cartoons all the time), I did try out the Original versions for "Devil In White" and "I'm Feeling You" as I still need to practice more of my own Tabaluga homework. XP

I was also afraid on how I would deal with my own first time drawing with Canon Arktos after doing my own version of Him (since his Left Arm was a bit hard for Me), but I think I nailed it after trying to draw out their own Canon Designs from the Franchise.

Arktos and Lilli (c) Peter Maffay, Rolf Zuckowski, and Gregor Rottschalk.

[artist-issues]

Hello! It's been a while since I was last on your ask inbox. I hope you are doing very well. This is perhaps going to be more of a rant than a regular ask, but I need to say this. I know people are very understandably quite over the topic of TLM 1989 vs TLM 2023 and most would probably prefer to sweep it under a rug. I really can't blame them for letting it go, but given that it's been almost a year since it came out, we could look at it in "retrospect" (I don't think that's quite the right word hehe) and I have to say, the way a lot of its stans continue to talk about this movie like it surpassed the original and even have this slightly disrespectful tone towards it is already very irritating, but one of the things that definitely irritated and even straight-up angered me the most about its reaction was the way they, as a collective, threw OG Eric under the bus in order to prop up the LA version. They literally said that the LA version had deeper feelings and cared far more about Ariel than his original counterpart and the "solid proof" they use to prove this was the Kiss The Girl where in the animated he refused to kiss her whereas in the LA version he was very willing to kiss her and the other scene was where he let Ariel slip down to the ground in the animated whereas in the LA he held her all "protective". They used this as proof that the original was practically a "careless douchebag" compared to the LA one who is the true "romantic and sensitive guy" and that really, really pissed me off, and I know I shouldn't let things like that upset me so much, but it goes to show that none of them ever paid any amount of attention to the original movie. They were practically dragging the original Eric all across the internet for that to prop up the LA version, not taking into account the context of absolutely anything at all. Literally almost nobody viewed him as a douchebag for that and the moment this movie comes along, all of a sudden, he doesn't really care for her and is trash??? They clearly forgot about the "I lost her once. I'm not gonna lose her again" scene, which was excluded in the LA version because he DID give up on looking for her after his mom told him to forget about her because "They can't be together". So much for being such an amazingly caring and romantic guy 🙄 I know you also see through the insane nonsense that is that argument, specially as someone who analyzes classic Disney movies so thoroughly and sees things about them that the average viewer can't see. This seems kind of like a rant, but I saw something related to that and I got so mad. People (outside of the TLM fandom) have always dismissed him as "bland", but this movie seems to have provoked a level of hatred to be thrown at him because they don't find some of his reactions to be "good" and "romantic" enough, but all it shows is how little they actually appreciate and understand the original material. Forgive me for my somewhat long and heavy rant, but I wanted to get it off my chest, and I believe you will understand why this made me so mad even a year later. I'd really like to see your thoughts and feeling on this topic. I certainly let mine be known! 🤣

No, I agree! I have a very dear friend who is also fond of analyzing movies and she, too, loves the Live Action Eric more than the original. And I think people are falling prey to one really subliminal, psychological thing here—we're adults now. And Live Action Eric is handsome, and feels more adult, because he's live-action. So there's this aspect of it that we really weren't feeling or paying attention to on the same level in the animated version: it's basically just his sex appeal. I hate saying it. I hate saying it like that.

But I have to because when you realize that what you're saying is correct—there is NO sense in which Eric in the LA is more caring than the real Eric—then you have to go, "okay, if it's not that, then what is it?"

It's that he has scruff. And a British accent. And a wet-fabric low-cut white shirt on. And then suddenly a movie that was about simple, innocent, young love that you could read about in a fairy tale starts to feel a little more angsty, a little more about passion, a little more like The Vampire Diaries, etc.

I'm not saying they're just preferring the LA Eric carnally. (Sorry.) I'm saying, I think there's a difference between the maturity levels of the romance. Live Action wants you thinking about Eric in terms of adult longing. Animated wants you thinking about Eric in terms of childhood dreams. The problem isn't even that one is more noble than the other (although. yeah.) The problem is that the original movie used the relationship to symbolize an important theme, while the Live Action tries to make the relationship the theme, itself...and then like you said, it backs off on that, because the movie "can't be about a girl giving up her life for a boy," so all that's left is "wanting to date hot seaswept Eric vicariously through Ariel."

When you put something that was animated into Live-Action, it carries this stigma that the Live action will be more relatable and "deep" than the animated version, specifically for adults. So then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy; the adults just choose to respond to material (like a romance between a prince and a mermaid) that is no deeper than the original as if it is deeper, simply because they went in there believing more in the depth.

That's about as plain as I can make that, I think.

You already covered why Eric is definitely caring in the original perfectly, so I won't go into that. But I do think that what people are missing is how good Disney used to be at making sure a character did what he was supposed to do for the story. Animated Eric's whole thing was that he wasn't going to give up on his Fated Dream Girl. He didn't know it was Ariel, but he wasn't willing to give up on her and jump in this girl he found on the beach's arms until he was sure his dream was all wrong. I think people miss that. I think people see his actions as "he wasn't that into Ariel" instead of "he's a good guy who's 1) nervous about kissing a girl and 2) still thinking about Another Girl he believes rescued him from drowning."

And that's punctuated, like you said, at the end when he realizes his Dream Girl was Ariel all along. And then of course he's sacrificing himself to go after her. He was always willing to. He just didn't know what he didn't know. Remember, Eric isn't Boy Ariel. But he does have this in common with her: he really has faith in something other people don't understand. For him, it's an ideal of true love. For Ariel, it's an ideal of a good world outside the one she lives in. But for both it boils down to love. So you're just seeing Eric act accordingly, until he knows that all along Ariel has been the fulfillment of his ideal.

Anyway. You're super kind, but I don't think I'm able to see things other people can't or even won't in Disney movies. I really think everyone sees them, but not everyone feels the need to verbalize them 😅 I also think what the Live Actions do is basically large-scale gaslighting. By "fixing" things that were not mistakes, and changing major aspects of the story while standing on the shoulders of nostalgia and the original's success, the Live Actions make a meta-commentary on the old movies. So people who loved the original Ariel are like, "oh yeah, good point, that always bothered me," when, no it didn't. Not enough to ruin the story.

Anywho. I missed your asks!

[mrstsung]

I want this shang but only the version in my head. Only the version i handcrafted away from the narrative and the hype schlock that was mk12/mk1. The version that is his humble beginnings,freshly cursed by the gods,former warrior of earthrealm,having a falling out with his former friend and mentor lord raiden and cohersd by shao kahn to serve under him thus betraying earthrealm. The version i handcrafted and carefully made with love. Tho it can apply to any and many of the various iterations of shang tsung over the years. I feel a young shang's misadventures is long overdue or at least a proper backstory that isn't overtaken and overshadowed by corporate meddling. (I would absolutely love to have mr.tagawa's input more on this personally,and his opinions and thoughts on my backstory for shang. But alas maybe some day)

But anywho. A young shang tsung would be nice but better written or given at least a better script.

Because mr. Alan lee is such an amazing talent. And i feel he deserves so much better as shang tsung,one of THE if not THE MOST iconic antagonist of the mortal kombat series. (As with many other actors and VA for said character.)

Like this shang's aesthetics(minus the claws gauntlets tho they are growing on me but they could look better. Maybe more snake or dragon motifs?),the charm is there,the feeling,the attitude,the actor does an amazing job,but the problem is....legitimately....everything else. When your "antag" is better than everyone else,and i mean that genuinely. Better than the script and plot,better than the protags,better than the other antagonists,etc. Then....it's not good. Of course i love shang and want a win for him once. Especially now he has legitimate reasons why he does what he does,why he is how he is,and you genuinely feel sorry for him,and want to hug him,give him a friend,ffs you just go "ah fuck man, you good?" Yeah. He actually has something shown at least. Not my personal flavor. However for canon to be bold enough to do so is shocking. But what pisses me off as a fan of both mk and shang tsung. Is that...

1. It took them waaaaay too long to make that happen.

2. It doesn't feel sincere even when they did.

3. It feels rushed and plot convenient. And centering shang's whole backstory around liu kang instead of well....shang tsung. At least it feels that way. It doesn't feel like the character has agency. So it feels like a half assed apology for doing shang dirty.

So that's why i don't like the story that shang is centered around. Now if we take the character,the concept of a shang tsung down on his luck,barely surviving off of scraps,even tho he serves a powerful kingdom and emperor with a cushy job as a court mage. That i would love to see. That's exactly how i always saw his og backstory, if you want him to rectify mistakes ACTUALLY FUCKING DO IT AND NOT BACKTRACK FOR STATUS QUO FOR YOUR "PROTAGS OR HEROES" TO WIN!!!! Like holy shit dude. Like crap,the Fanfics are better than canon writing and nrs knows it! They seem to even try to copy what we as fans to but fail so hard. But it's sad it feels so half assed when a "professional gaming company" is supposed to make this. But i feel its corporate meddling,and Hollywood greed that prevents this series,at least storywise and narratively from reaching its true potential.

Sorry for this vent. But this character I'm very very passionate about. But mostly this game series. I love this game. I love playing it. Almost all the games. It's my childhood as many others. And I'm not gonna stand for mediocrity and slander to one of my faves.

But anyways. Enough rambling. Back to shang.

Like mk12/mk1 shang tsung isn't bad at least looks wise. No more different than anyone else. But it still bothers me they all look "samey" and not in a memey,jokey,fun way. It looks sloppy next to him. Ignoring everyone else around him,looking at shang individually. Omfg he's a cutie. He's smug,he's the shang i know n love but just....younger. like in His 30s or so. Around my age. Which is cool. But....i still kinda wish his old man shang wasn't a ruse. I ignore it was a ruse tho so it doesn't count. In fact like i said. I'm rewriting the whole thing period.

Will it be kinda self indulgent? Maybe a bit self inserty,Yes. But i don't care. Because he deserves better than that.

We owe it to mr.tagawa. to shang's character. To all the voice actors and actors and amazing talent over the 30+yrs mk has been around. We deserve a good story,a better story,and even more so,a better fucking game. To play. To learn. To have fun with. Without paying and arm and a leg to even access it. Period.

Shang tsung baby you deserve better. So so so much better.

[bluedillylee]

Hexer episode 5: A Shard of Ice

expanded scene from the very first episode of Geralt fighting the stink monster in the sewer. Have I mentioned that the fight scenes are very funny? I love them

he looks so wet and pathetic 😂 classic stinky boy

Geralt is the OG tummy ache survivor

and we have the title drop

Geralt really does just go through life getting told he smells like shit.

If this episode goes like it does in the short stories I really feel that bringing up that Yennefer willingly kissed and slept with him even tho he stinks proves her love is true

uh oh some idiots want to pick a fight with him

ayyy we got bathhouses! And Geralt looking hilarious sitting in his bath with linen over his head. Guess the jabs about smelling bad got to him

oh my god this is the third time now that Geralt has just happened to be in the same place secret conversations are happening. Every time it has something to do with Gwidon/Falwick. If anyone’s fates are intertwined it’s these two

“I’d like to see you take my sword one day” my dudes that’s some of the gayest shit I’ve ever heard. This ex witcher got Geralt heated

I love watching Geralt negotiate. He is so tired and just exasperated with this mayor guy I’m loving it

“give me the sword or you’ll feel it” ok Geralt 😏

Geralt/Durbot hate sex when?

What do tv shows have against Yennefer dressing in black and white? I don’t dislike her red dress but it puzzles me

Jaskier!? I don’t remember him showing up in the short story interesting change from the books.

god I love Yennefer 💜 what is she scheming 😍

Aaaaahhhh yennskier are going for the throat. What an argument both thinking the other one is hurting Geralt and not treating him right it’s amazing 🥲 this is delicious especially if I mix in jealousy and resentment of what the other has with Geralt 🤩

look I know yen just kicked Jaskier out onto the streets where riots are about to break out but she just crumbled up and cried so jail for Jaskier for a thousand years ok

Geralts out looking for his man the throuple is in shambles

the snail conversation 🐌😢💔and then he hugs Jaskier awwww

“I haven’t met a better man than you” oh my god

Istredd hmmmm def not as pretty as Netflix Istredd but he could grow on me. The corpse in the middle of the room however… ew

so Istredd wants to help Yennefer cure her infertility?

yen and Geralts convo is breaking my heart 💔💔💔 my blorbos!

it’s an interesting change from the books to have Geralt decide to break up but I’m not sure I like it over the book version. In this one there’s this sense of ‘silly woman and her silly feelings not like us men’ while the book version shows how stupid Istredd and Geralt are acting for thinking they could fight it out and make the choice for Yennefer.

this Geralt has a sense of humor messing with that guy who was following him

aw they have a date for the hate sex lol Geralt/Durbot 4ever!

well they got to embrace? Hahaha Geralt/Durbot I’ll never 4get u

well Geralt I think Istredd is a little in love with you now so a silver lining maybe?

where I’m watching this episode

[teteminne]

So sorry to ask this, hope i'm not being annoying: I can't remember what originally happened at the end of the last chapter even though i definitely read it.

I think?? that they kissed again?

you don't even have to post the og chapter here but could you (or one of your followers who remembers what happened) give a summary?

Xx

Hello! Please, don't ever apologize for interacting! I absolutely love receiving asks, comments, kudos, anything! It truly makes me very happy, it's not annoying at all!

And yes, they did kiss again in the original version! I'll post it here already!

They throw a feast to receive him.

He’s somewhat embarrassed; it’s not nearly akin to his crowning, but it's still strange, to have so many people celebrating him. Especially now that he’s nothing. Their small Court, comprised of Lords Guagg, Flint, Hornwood and Redbeard along with Sansa’s ladies, Manderly and Poole, sit near their high table; they’d stood up in respect along with the rest of the household as he’d walked into the Great Hall, Sansa on his arm, Arya and Meera Reed close behind. They’d even clapped, some cheered. It’s astonishing. He’s nearly suspicious; briefly, he considers asking Sansa if she had them do it. It’s not like he thinks it’d be hard for her; though she’d never been fully out of control, these last few moons seem to have served to set her grasp on the castle fully. It’s entirely under her thrall now, entirely hers. It seems to move in synchrony to her heartbeats. It makes him fall in love with Winterfell in an entirely different way; it's more than just his home now, it’s also Sansa, her spirit expanded into a place. It’s beautiful.

She’d refused to so much as look at the Lord’s chair when he’d drawn it out for her. Instead, she took her mother’s seat, ignoring Jon’s sheepishness at taking father’s again. With Arya by his other side, he’d been served to a full, personally tailored meal. Every dish his favourite, done exactly as he liked. It’s bizarre; the strength of his gratitude renders him mute. It swells in his throat, and blooms every time he looks at her. The emotion is such he is forced to avoid the sight of her lovely face, flushed primly in the fire-warmed room, framed by rows of pearl-clipped braids, pinned around her head gracefully.

(He cannot think about how he’d kissed her. Cannot think of it - the thought’s ghost has haunted him all day -.)

He and Arya talk extensively throughout the meal. She has so much to tell him; Jon is happy to hear her, see her talk. She speaks and then looks for his answer; always seems so happy to receive it. For the first time in moons, Jon feels glad of his existence, much for how happy it seems to make them -his sisters; the thought threatens to make him sick for a mad second, and he pushes it down with a full swallow of his steak -.

Sansa remains mostly silent. In one of the few times he allows himself to look at her, Jon searches her eyes to see if everything is well; though there’s a timidity there he cannot quite understand, there’s also contentment. His hand itches to search for her, grab hers, grab her tight… If he thought himself tempted before - before he left, before he was tormented by those moons and moons of mad solitude that his mind eagerly seeks to discard further by the second now - it is nothing compared to how he feels right then. At this point, knowing what he knows - the true nature of his feelings, and the true nature of hers; the unbearable devastation of separation and the full spring of her touch, her mouth - he desires in a whole different way now. His mind dares to take him places he’d never ventured before, never even considered, conceived of…

She retires early, hand coming to rest upon his shoulder as she rises from her seat, lips gently arranged into a small smile.

“I’m tired; it’s best I return to my apartments.” she excuses herself genially. Jon looks into her eyes to see if she wants him to come to her rooms after dinner; she squeezes his shoulder once before she slides her hand away, and he knows she does. The entire hall salutes her, having risen from their seats in tandem with her, and she recognizes their efforts with small smiles and waves of her head, entirely at ease, graceful in step and posture, hands held before her womb. His gaze lingers as she goes, until he tracks the final swoop of the midnight blue fabric of her evening gown turning the corner out of the hall, her shadow disappearing down the hallway, Brienne on her tail.

“You really are close.” Arya states beside him, startling. He looks back at his little sister, holding his face unchanged, but the sight of her face cannot help but disarm him. His lips twitch as his gaze softens:

“What do you mean?”

“I had wondered, upon arriving, if you really were as close as she seemed to imply. But you are. You really are. You love her.”

Jon smiles faintly.

“Who wouldn’t?”

Arya doesn’t smile in response. She keeps looking at him, investigative. It’s her usual look; has been since she was a child, frowning at the world, haughtily demanding its answers to her every doubt. But now, a new kind of seriousness mars the image; she’s grown into a dark presence. Jon knows doubtlessly no toothy grin is to emerge from this stern facade. It makes him frown himself; they stare at one another, mirrored images.

“Are you jealous?” Jon breaks the stare-off, turning back to his plate to shove another huge piece of steak into his mouth. As he chews, he can hear Arya sputter.

“What?” she questions, seemingly indignant. Jon narrows his eyes at her, looking at her through the corner of his eye.

“Don’t play games with me. You’ve always been like this, especially when it came to Sansa. A possessive little gremlin from birth. But you’re grown now;” he talks through her wrothful complaints and his full mouth: “You should know there’s no need for this kind of bullshit.”

“I’m not jealous.” Arya spits the words out, deeply affronted. Jon smiles, swallowing his food.

“Alright, then.” he mocks, nearly laughing at the indignation wafting off her beside him; if she were eight, she’d have slapped his arm for the offense. “What have you been doing here, then, since you arrived?” he changes the subject, good humoured - and also slightly drunk; it's been a good while since he’s allowed himself to drink, and the ale is always best in Winterfell, always -.

Disgruntled still by his careless accusation, Arya’s mouth is still pursed sourly when she answers: “What do you think?”

“Knitting?” she gives him a look; Jon laughs, inwardly, taking a huge piece of kidney pie onto his plate. “Speak already. You won’t tell me anything about what came before; so what have you been doing here?”

“Hunting.” Arya supplies after a while, playing with her dinner knife. Jon frowns, evaluating her with a sharp look.

“Whom?” raising his fork to his mouth.

“You know whom.”

Jon stills; he takes his time chewing, then swallows. When he speaks again, his voice is lower, and he scans the room from underneath his brow while shoving his food around - his version of discretion -.

“I was wondering why he wasn’t here.” he states dryly. Arya hides her smirk beneath a sip of her drink. “Where did the vermin run off to? Back to the Vale?”

It’s Arya’s prolonged silence that makes him stop and look at her, questioning, but looking into her eyes, he knows at once. His surprise is such he cannot control his expression: his brows raise, mouth slacking open.

He gathers himself in a second’s time, but knows Arya saw it. Dragging a hand over his beard, overgrown, Jon processes the information.

“How…” his voice, though already low, dies at once the second it reaches his ears. Taking his act of dining back up, he tries to formulate his question, wary of hidden ears: “Can we speak of this here?” barely more than a mumble. Arya’s grin is small, but sharp:

“Why, of course! It was all strictly legal; you know we’d never act otherwise.”

“Of course.” obliquely; “By ‘we’ you mean…”

“Myself, Sansa and Bran.” she clarifies. “It was a joint effort.”

“I see.”

At the long silence that follows, Arya eventually frowns, leaning forward over the table to look at his face, worry lining that tense spot between her eyes: “Jon?” she questions, preoccupied.

Jon doesn’t let her know he saw her apprehensiveness; instead, he meets her eyes:

“Can I know what was his crime?”

“Yes.” relieved, she leans back against her seat, but waits until Jon has turned to her himself inquisitively before answering, without jest: “He tried to murder me.”

SANSA

Jon’s knock on her door has her flying off her chair to answer, terribly jittery, anxious. She pulls the door open in a single great pull, and there he is, greeting Podrick amicably. She hides her body behind the thick wooden door, only her face and hands peeking out. She’s smiling, and Jon smiles too when he sees her - his eyes never leave her after that, not even to bid the young boy farewell. Sansa can only manage a distant acknowledgement before she is banging the door shut -. She somewhat leans against it when it's closed, a strange feeling in her chest, lighting up her veins. It’s like anxiety, nervousness, only not really, because it feels <i>good</i>. Like the fresh burn of crystal water coming up her throat. It fills her with a boundless, fiery excitement. Her cheeks burn, but she cannot bear to lower her eyes, incapable of breaking their shared gaze even as a shyness she nearly doesn’t recognize makes the tips of her fingers tingle.

Slowly, Jon offers her a hand; demure, she takes it. He smiles as she comes into his arms, and she fits herself into his eager embrace tenderly, grateful for every press of flesh. Cheek against his chest, she looks down to watch him take her nightgown’s fabric in his hold, feeling the soft lightness of the deep purple material in between his index and thumb.

“It was a gift from Braavos.” she tells him, mellow.

Jon frowns.

“They gave you a nightgown?” he asks, the corners of his mouth tilting down into the beginnings of a scowl. “How very forward…”

“No, not the nightgown. The fabric.” Sansa corrects, bell-voiced, leaning further against him. She’s in the lightest of spirits now that he’s here. “The gown I made myself. Do you like it?”

Jon is silent as he takes it in further, taking her wrist gently in hand to pull it outward, so he can see the fit of the gown fully. Sansa’s heartbeat thrills perilously as her body falls under the shadow of his gaze. He squeezes her wrist, averting his eyes sharply to a random point over her head, lips touching her forehead in a casual kiss.

“It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.” he tells her, thumb caressing the thin, sensitive skin of the inner side of her wrist, so gently as to feel the soft ridges of her veins. Sansa presses herself against him further, her other hand also finding the cotton of his vest at his back; he’d removed his leather doublet before coming here. The fabric smells of him thoroughly; the scent and the vividness of his warmth, the solidity of his flesh, everything that physically marks his presence, makes it real, feels like grace falling over her heart; a delight. Yet, even so, it doesn’t sate her hunger. In her innermost self, she’s still desperate. She still misses him.

“There are gifts for you as well.” she tells him, voice low. It feels wonderful to speak so and have him close enough to hear her.

“Yes?” he questions, playing with her hand. They watch him slowly take it fully in his hold, encase it in his. Sansa’s heart starts beating faster. Her breath nearly hitches; Will he…

Jon sighs, and Sansa knows before he does it that he will step away. The foreknowledge is good; she can prepare herself better. With some distance between them, Jon looks down at her mournfully, nearly apologetic. Sansa chooses to ignore it: “Come.” she calls him, and leads him towards the lit fireplace, blazing warmth and soft orange light into the room.

Before the fire, two upholstered armchairs sit lushly by each other, a small, circular little table between them, made of wood engraved carefully with the most delicate string of running wolves chasing each other’s tails around its edge. Amazed, Jon feels the embossed creatures with his thumb. Sansa smiles, pointing to the mosaic making up the table’s surface, happy with his enchantment: “I ordered it from a specialist in Wintertown. Described what I wanted, and he made it.” They look at the artful weirwood, crafted in white and scarlet red.

“Did it match your expectations?”

“Looks like it came straight out of my head, really.”

Jon smiles:

“You’re bringing Winterfell back to life.” he tells her, looking up at her with such pride she blushes fiercely, looking away.

“I’ve always liked pretty things.” she tries to skirt the praise, walking to the bureau upon which the boxes of presents lie. She takes them into her arms, bringing them to the little table. Jon is still standing between the armchairs: “That one is yours.” she tells him, pointing to the bigger chair, stately in brown leather. Jon looks at it; he seems to be taking everything in very slowly. Sansa lets him.

“Mine?”

“Yes.” Sansa confirms, busying herself with opening the first box so she doesn’t have to look at him, inexplicably embarrassed. “It's the most comfortable model I could think of to fit your way of sitting.”

“My way of sitting?!” He is stunned. Sansa blushes, fussing with the presents. She feels impossibly shy, and young. Silly. She is startled into looking at him when Jon gently takes her hand again; her heart thrills, and she swallows instinctively.

“Sansa, I cannot… everything you’ve done for me: the boat, the escort, the reception…”

“I had the guards make a wall for you to pass. I was nervous you might gather attention, and a crowd might unexpectedly form, I don’t know…”

“The feast, and now this.” Jon speaks through her nervous interruption. His eyes are full of emotion; he seems genuinely overcome. Sansa nearly expires just being near him; “What have I ever done to deserve you?” he takes her face in hand. Sansa raises hers to lie over his immediately:

“Don’t ever say such things. You deserve…” her voice trails off. They regard one another so intensely; there’s a gravitational pull that swirls around them. Without even noticing, they’ve come flush against one another; her nightgown isn’t really anything remotely close to thin, nor are his sturdy winter clothes - yet, even still, it feels like their skin is touching, like they’re coming together… - “I’ve thought of nothing but you, for moons. Your steadfastness, your trust… You believed in me, even when I was too scared to fully believe in you. You gave yourself to me, and now… now I’m yours…”

He snuffs out her words with a kiss. His lips press against hers, and Sansa feels a sigh escape her in true relief, arms flying to wrap themselves around his shoulders. For a long, hallucinating moment, they remain still in pure bliss, locked in the act, the feeling. Lingering. It is a few seconds before, slowly, Jon’s hands descend to her side, to pull her up against him; they take hold of her waist, miles of her back. Her spine arches, lungs filling with air so her ribcage expands into him: she wants to feel him to her bones. Their lips move smoothly, of their own accord, as they entwine themselves in the tenderest of embraces. Jon engulfs her with his arms and lifts her onto her tiptoes, taking her lower lip into his mouth. They stumble forward and knock against Sansa’s armchair, the flowery thing; it sustains them, pressing against Sansa’s lower back, and with the impact they’re startled into stillness. This kiss, it ends gently: slowly, painfully so, they let themselves come apart by the half of an inch. Their mouths still hover near one another, open. Their arms still hold the extent of each other. Sansa sighs again, mournfully now. Jon closes his eyes in helpless grief.

“What are we to do now?” he whispers, torn. His brow rests against the noble arch of Sansa’s eyebrow; she leans back against him feebly.

“I don’t know.” she answers truly, palms curved over the broad slope of his shoulders.

“We cannot go on with this. They will know.”

“Yes.” Sansa agrees bitterly, throat tight, voice sour. Neither of them are strangers to this world, they know the rules: this can only end in tragedy. Sansa feels it, knows it to be true; she can feel their death in her gut. This, this would be what ends them. Her eyes fill with tears, and she holds Jon tighter, lips trembling.

"I’m sorry.” she breathes out, a frail whisper. She can feel the tightness of Jon’s throat as though it were her own. He turns his head to kiss her hair, over her ear, loving.

“So am I.” he says it like he’s swallowed his grief whole, pushing it down by force. He draws back, their eyes meet: it’s like they speak silently. Mutually, they understand one another. They release each other, Jon taking another step back. The distance feels more striking; a rift, a fissure. Sansa takes his hand in both of hers over it: this touch feels different. The love is still there, but they’re both resigned. Where there once was fire, now there’s a cold agony: it pinches their heart, lascinating. This is how they yield: solemn as a grave, Jon takes his hand back, and makes way to his seat. Silent, Sansa also takes hers. They clear their throats, shuffle around, features strained into complete bleakness. Sansa takes a breath:

“Here; the first gift is this dagger…”

The fire crackling into the early morning, they pretend.

---------

So, here it is, the original ending of chapter 29. I really really don't like this at all now (to say the very very least), but what you guys want, you guys get!

Once again thank you for the ask, I truly love these interactions. It rlly makes me unspeakably happy to talk about flatlands with you and to know you guys like this story!

Much love!