#each new game feels like the characters are so caught up with being unique and different

[enigma-the-anomaly]

we all know I’m ill about ishimondo but even ignoring that I think the first danganronpa might be my favorite? Honestly the first and second are really close, but the first one just has a certain feel to it. Like it’s the very first, it was the guinea pig, the testing of the waters, so it has a sort of wildness to it, like “throw things and see what sticks”

idk, I just like that fuck it we ball vibe it has, and without the burden of past games it doesn’t feel the need to be more shocking and more out there than what came before it. It isn’t trying so hard to have every character be wild and exaggerated. It has problems for sure, but it also has an energy that’s just fun, like “this is new and exciting and weird and we know it, just follow along and we’ll see where this goes”

idk, it just has a really special place in my heart

[toffeecoffeee]

An Analysis of Shelly

I know what you're thinking. "But Toffee, you only ever post Goob-related content! What's with this sudden Shelly craze?"

Now, my one and only favorite character is and always will be Goob, but I have started to take an interest in Shelly's character lately. And hoooo boy, it has been one HELL of a rabbit hole. Plus, I haven't seen anyone else actively point this out, so I'm doing it myself.

Are you ready?

Let's begin.

(analysis below cut)

The first thing about Shelly that struck me as odd in the new update was her design.

Now, there is absolutely nothing bad about her design-I find it very good, actually!-but when I saw that she was a MAIN CHARACTER TOON (I wasn't keeping up with update news), I was shocked. Everything about her design, from the clothing she wears to the colors made her look like a more...out of the way character. A character meant to have one singular purpose, and then be brushed aside and forgotten. The fact that she was one of the main toons was....strange.

I mean, look at her compared to Teagan!

If you knew about Dandy's World, but didn't know about the update, which one would you guess was the main toon?

I found this...interesting.

Then, I looked into her dialogue on the wiki.

Average stuff, for the most part. She didn't really have anything that jumped out at me. In fact, she didn't show too much unique personality at all. The only thing she was really doing was helping others, or occasionally asking for things from others. Nothing else, really.

Although, there was one strange piece of dialogue that caught my eye, that actually showed a hint of what kind of person Shelly is.

Odd, but ok...

And then, I read the description for her twisted form after finally getting 50%....

And it all made sense.

See it yet?

Let me highlight it for you.

"The blatant ignorance of her existence by everyone around her has enraged her."

At first I thought that this had to be an exaggeration. Surely this friendly and helpful toon couldn't just be ignored like tha-

Oh.

They're right.

Every single bit of dialogue she has is either her helping someone or her asking for something. It's sort of like that person at a job you like being around, but you never really get to know. That's Shelly with basically EVERYONE.

Seriously, name ONE genuine friend that she has currently IN THE GAME (not counting Sprout) that she has had an actual conversation with where they bond and get to know each other as people.

The only time she had some sort of conversation was with Teagan, when she mentioned she was doing ok..."sorta-ish". That line in itself is interesting as well, as it shows how she feels about all of this. But still, they don't really seem to be friends.

We're dipping into a bit of headcanon territory here, but I believe it's rooted enough into Canon to include.

Shelly is someone who craves human (or in this case, toon) connection. She wants to be dependable, to be the one people can fall back on when they're feeling down, to be the one people rely on, and she has that, in a sense. However, no matter how much she does for others, no matter how much she helps them and supports them...

People only see her as..someone to ask for help on occasion. Uh oh, I dropped something, better get that fossil girl to help, since she's always so useful. And that is a part of what Shelly wants!

But that's it.

Useful.

A tool to use and then toss aside for the next person until they need her again.

That's all there is to almost every relationship she has.

And part of it is her fault.

You see, Shelly is so focused on helping people that she forgets to take that next step to forge true friendships, and unfortunately, nobody seems to ever catch on that she wants to take that step to forge genuine bonds with others.

She's non-confrontational by nature, and she doesn't want to ruin her perception of being useful, because then people might forget about her entirely, so she waits and hopes that someone will hear something that she will never say herself.

A good example of this is the strange dialogue I mentioned earlier between Shelly and Vee.

Vee asks if she's busy after they're done with going down the elevator. Shelly initially doesn't believe that anyone would ever ask HER of all people to...possibly hang out...and talk..like friends...

So she gets excited. She asks what they're going to do together (although notably phrasing it in a way so it seems like she is offering to help), and...

It was...just moving some supplies. More work. More reasons to be useful. This isn't a bad thing! It means that people care about her! That they have need for her, so they'll never forget about her! It's not like she hoped that someone actually wanted to take time out of their day to hang out with her, nope! She'd never tell Vee any of that! And besides, she's totally fine with this!

So why does it hurt so badly?

Shelly's greatest fear has been happening to her for years, and she refuses to agknowledge it. To her, it could be so much worse if she stopped helping people. As long as she's useful, people will like her. They would never even think to toss her aside and forget about her, right?

Except they have been for a long time now.

When people talk to her, she either has to initiate by asking for something, or they initiate only because they need something from her. She wants to tell them so badly, to ask them why they never seen to pay any attention to her, or attempt to even have a real conversation with her, but she will never be that bold.

Even with the cardboard cutouts on one of the maps, she's hidden in the back-present, but barely noticed by those around her. (this is more obvious in game)

No matter how much she tries, no matter how friendly or helpful or dependable she is, people never seem to see her as a person. Why don't they see her?! She's right here! She's here and she's endlessly waiting for connections that will never come to pass! It's fine though, really!

Keep being friendly, and people will like you more.

Keep being helpful, and people will have a reason to talk to you.

Keep being dependable, and people will have a reason to come back. They won't ever leave you alone. Right..?

Keep being friendly.

Keep being helpful.

Keep being dependable.

(That's all you'll ever be.)

Ironic that a fossils greatest fear is being forgotten.

[i-smoke-chapstick]

Request: I'm already back for more. As l've already told you I love your interpretation of a reader with dwarfism and since you are okay with me requesting more, can I get multiple headcanons of Gotham!Rogues x Dwarf!reader with just either simply day to day headcanons or their first reaction to meeting/seeing them? Rogues including jervis(obv Imao), Jerome, Oswald, Victor fries, Zsasz, and ra's al ghul!

The plot can be the reader being similar to the Cheshire Cat or Nightcrawler when it comes to teleportation powers. They're friends with Barbara, Selina, and Tabitha. The rogues always see photos on them on the news, newspapers, and sometimes in person but if they even get caught staring, reader teleports themself and whoever they're with away, so they don't really get a chance to talk or know them.

Like last time, only write this if you're okay with it and I'll understand if you can't or just don't want too!

Thank you tons again! - anon

‘VOULEZ-VOUS,

-GOTHAM VILLIANS X READER-

⋆ Characters ↬ Jervis Tetch, Jerome Valeska, Oswald Cobblepot, Victor Fries, Victor Zsasz, Ra's Al Ghul

⋆ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 ; gotham villians with a cheshire cat!reader who has dwarfism!

⋆ tags/warnings. GOTHAM!villains x female reader. FLUFF! I love readers power SOSOSOSO much! Super creative <3 Also villians being whipped for reader just cuz they can. Protective Tabitha. REALLY protective Oswald. Jerome's a bit insensitive. Victor Zsasz is not immune to a pretty girls smile. Have never written for Victor Fries or Ra's, so fingers crossed their parts aren’t too bad! Ra’s and Fries parts got a little angsty

𝐽𝐸𝑅𝑉𝐼𝑆 𝑇𝐸𝑇𝐶𝐻

♫ “Across the room, your eyes are glowin' in the dark." Voulez-Vous by ABBA

Oh, the man is completely enthralled with you. How could he not be? You're the missing piece to his wonderland puzzle.

Similarly to Alice, he believes your powers go hand and hand with each other. He rules the mind, while you have complete control of your body. His first thought when he see's you in the newspaper is simple.

He must have you.

He will do anything it takes to track you down. He finds himself becoming more and more entranced with the prospect of you working with him, partners in crime, connected body and soul. Of course those feelings of admiration become obsession.

Before you know it, the man is going lengths to find you; just like how he was with Alice. Hiring Jim Gordon as a bounty hunter? Mayhaps...

When he finally finds you at the siren's club, he can't help but be in awe. You're so small, so fragile, so unique. He wants to kiss your flattened cheekbones that look like pure porcelain. Your his doll.

"My dear, Y/N!" He's calling when he finds you, his teeth spread into a wide grin. He finds your eyes quickly turning to meet his gaze, glowing underneath the club's light. His shadow towers over you.

"You look ravishing, I must admi-" He goes to speak, just before you disappear from thin air. His mouth is open for a few moments, eyebrows scrunched.

Where did his precious little Cheshire Cat go?

Oh yeah, he's pouting. He's never been a fan of the disappearing act. But he doesn't mind. He's determined. He's played this game with Alice for far too long, he will not take no for an answer.

You'll find notes, gifts, flowers, dresses tailored to your sizing. All perfectly crafted from Gotham's most professional hypnotized seamstresses or florists.

Barbara is smirking when she finds the gifts, cackling about how sweet small little Y/N has a loony admirer. Tabitha's less than pleased, throwing out any bouquet she finds before you see them. Selina agrees, the guy's a freak.

It's up to you if you want to give him a chance <3 He would be the most devoted lover and partner if you decided too...if not a bit overly infatuated.

𝐽𝐸𝑅𝛰𝑀𝐸 𝑉𝐴𝐿𝐸𝑆𝐾𝐴

♫ “Nothing promised, no regrets." Voulez-Vous by ABBA

Uh oh! Murderous clown on the loose, and he's also 100% fixated, just like a certain hatter.

Jerome brushes you off at first, don't get him wrong, he adores your work on the city. Nothing he loves more than seeing some horribles destroy Gotham! He's a fan, if you could call him that.

It takes him some time to warm up to the idea of being whipped. But once he is, you have him wrapped around your pretty little finger.

Similar to Jervis- he can't help himself. You're powerful. You're strange. You're a freak just like him and the rest of these bad boys in Gotham! You remind him of the circus, all different shapes and sizes of people around him. You belong with him. By his side. On his side. Maybe sitting in his lap... What?

Yeah, he's not sure where that came from either. But hey, he's not complaining! He likes to think he's a bachelor, a young beau waiting for his turn in the love game! Before he knows it, he's slicking his hair back, putting on his finest and most colorful suits, and making sure his face is stapled all the way. Then he's getting his cult to crash the Siren's club. Moment of silence for Tabitha who will have to clean it up after.

The place is a shit show, people in makeup dancing wildly and giggling manically. Tabitha, Barbra, Selina and you get tied up in the confusion. It's hard to fight back against a bunch of crazies when your expensive alcohol is being thrown at walls, and you four are simultaneously tied up together in one big rope. Barbra's throwing a bit of a hissy fit.

Everyone is quiet when Jerome enters, dressed to the nines, with a loud and boisterous,

"Hey gorgeous! I'm sure you've heard of me," He speaks, bending down to your level, invading your personal space. He goes to continue, until the four of you evaporate before him. Teleported away. He's left staring at the loose ropes, smile unchanged- but eyes widened in surprise.

Oh. Okay. So that's how it's gonna be. Alright.

Jerome loves a game of cat and mouse.

He craves attention. He loves the center stage, and he will not be ignored. No no no no.

He will not leave your club alone until you confront him. Yeah, sorry Babs and Tabs. Barbara will start urging you to just "sleep with the damn clown!" while Tabitha is trying desperately to not have you anywhere near that creep.

But the club isn't all he'll do, doll! No, he'll get his cult to do more and more mass murders and sprees across the city, each one broadcasted on live television. Each time, he looks into the camera, blood on his face, professing his undying love.

"This is for you, Y/N!" He's showcasing the violence around, "Call me!" He gestures, ending the broadcast abruptly.

Well, kind of hard to ignore a man when your club is in shambles, Barbara is going batshit insane, AND you have Jim Gordon trying to find you; just in order to stop these massacres around the city in your honor.

Once again, you should give the man a chance! He doesn't think he'd make a horrible boyfriend, y'know, if you're into gingers.

𝛰𝑆𝑊𝐴𝐿𝐷 𝐶𝛰𝐵𝐵𝐿𝐸𝑃𝛰𝑇

♫ “Take it now or leave it." Voulez-Vous by ABBA

Ozzie's a bit harder to gauge, because I don't think he'd become infatuated with someone unless he got to meet them first. So for arguments sake, we are just going to say you two have meet previously on many occasions! Specifically when he's had some bad blood with Barbara and Tabitha.

At first, he detests you. He thinks you're a nuisance, and a powerful tool for the Siren's. You can escape from ANYONES grasp, and take them with you. His nose is scrunching up every time he thinks of just how he can get rid of you.

Well, if he can't get rid of you, he's well versed in manipulation. Perhaps he can convince you to join his team.

You're going about your day at the club, tending bar on a step stool, the usual. Oswald comes in, Victor trailing behind him. Tabitha and Barbara are instantly on alert.

"Hello." Oswald fixes his suit jacket, rolling his cane in his fingertips. He wears a faux smile, and Tabitha huffs.

"What can we help you with, Ozzie?" Barbara is smiling, just as fake as his. It's a weird Gotham crime boss stand-off.

"I was wondering if you, my dear," He speaks, suddenly nodding down to you, "Would like to accompany me for lunch tomorrow."

Yeah, everyone's jaws drop, including Oswald's at the silence. Oswald didn't necessarily intend for it to sound like he was trying to ask you on a date. He's flushing red under everyone's gaze, suddenly fidgeting. If you look closely, Victor's giving a lazy amused smirk in the back.

"Like hell-" Tabitha's about to answer for you, before you squint at the man.

"Sure." You scan him up and down, hesitantly. Before anyone has a chance to speak, Oswald's turning on his heel.

"Wonderful! 2:00 sharp. Don't be late." He's smiling, knowing he's got a one-up on the Siren's.

...Well, leave it Oz to have things never work out quite his way. One lunch turns into two, and two turns into three. He's forcing himself to remember why he's doing this; you are just a tool. This is all a charade!

Hard to focus though, when you two seem to enjoy one another's company. Like when you show him what it feels like to teleport, (He's closing his eyes in fear, only for it to feel like nothing.) Or when you two have a strangely intimate discussion about what it was like growing up not very normal.

He's opening up about his schoolyard bullies, about his mother. About the feeling of being taunted, teased for his nose or height. You tell him, you know the feeling.

He stares at you, eyes focused solely on you. He's enamored.

He turns viciously protective over you. Any snide comment made towards you by a henchman of his, or a frequent at the Siren's club, they are brutally stabbed to death, a bit impulsively, with a bottle shard.

When he realizes he's falling in love with you, similar to Jervis, he likes doing grand gestures to get your attention. If there's anything you desire, you'll get it. Which is why when he finds out you're avoiding him, he becomes sour.

What? Why are you leaving him? He doesn't understand. The intimacies you two have shared, did they mean nothing to you? He's hurt, he's angry, he's aggressive. He's more irritable than usual; and judging from the fact he's irritable ALL the time, it's pretty bad. If you don't explain yourself, this sadness will probably turn into anger. He already believes you two have some weird pseudo-romantic relationship, so he's taking this like a break-up. He's a vengeful ex.

Whenever he stops by the Siren's club, and sees you teleport away at the sight of him, it stings. It all comes to a head when he's breaking down in his mansion. You will have to be the one to confront him, because he'll be too busy sulking. He loves you. He doesn't want to make you uncomfortable. If you don't want to talk to him, he won't force you, even if he's going crazy trying to figure out why.

When he sees you, he's standing up in a hurry, fumbling over his words, sniffling. His blue-green eyes are puffy, and you'll have to sigh and talk to him.

Please, tell him why your avoiding him. Explain if you're insecure, if you're scared of loving. He'll be thankful for the explanation. He'll be angry on your behalf for anyone who made you believe you were unloved, whether for your dwarfism or your powers. He's promising to kill for you, tear down the city to avenge you.

"Okay, Oz, I'm not dead yet."

"Yet?!"

Cuties <3

𝑉𝐼𝐶𝑇𝛰𝑅 𝐹𝑅𝐼𝐸𝑆

♫ “Now is all we get." Voulez-Vous by ABBA

Forgive him, he’s trying his hardest not to care, and failing miserably.

Similarly to Ozzie, I can’t see him becoming infatuated or obsessed like Jerome and Jervis so quickly, not since what happened with Nora. So, I’m imagining you’ve also met him once or twice; using your powers for the sirens, just like he and firefly have done some hitjobs for you four in the past.

He’s in love with the idea of having a family; of being accepted, of leaving this life behind. It’s made him bitter, cold; but the man will do anything for love. Anything.

And it’s hard not to notice the small woman running around on her toes in the club, parts of her body vanishing here and there. You’re gorgeous to him. Those small cheshire-like smiles you send him when he’s supposed to be working. They break his hard exterior. He doesn’t know if he loves or hates it. He loves it.

Even a small pit of jealousy fills him, whenever he sees you in the news. Or when he watches silently on the sidelines, while you talk with Barbara and Tabitha and Selina. You do it so effortlessly. How could anyone not be entranced by you?

He thinks that he’s a freak. Firefly’s a freak. Just like Jerome and Oz, he definitely finds solace in the idea you are just like him. You’re one of them; a freak. Pushed out by Gotham’s careless inhabitants, forced into this life. He remembers being driven out of town by Penguins army. He wonders if you’ve expirenced the same treatment at one point in your life. He wants to show you, he’s here for you. He loves you, every part of you. No matter how unconvential or mistreated. He just wants to take care of you.

Just like Oz, he’ll be ready to kill anyone for you. Freeze em’ to death in one single sweep. Just give him the go ahead.

Victor is terrified of hurting you, as well. Not only your tiny stature, but he’s sure he’d get ice burns from his fingertips. He imagines a life where it’s just the two of you, without the cold, back when he was just himself. He dreams of cooking for you. Owning an apartment. Even having a family. He swears, he’d be gentle. But he’s too uncertain. He isn’t good enough, and he certainly isn’t good for you.

You’ll have to be the first person to talk to him, warm up to him. He might not state it directly, other than a nonchalant nod here and there, but it makes him feel special. It’s the little interactions you two have that make him fall helmet over heels.

You two will spend hours, at the club, watching from the sidelines. Barbara and Tabitha out on business, Selina doing…Selina things. You’ll poke fun at the passerby’s to get a reaction out of him.

“Oh god, I just saw that guy kissing that girl- what’s he doing with that other chick?…Oh- they are making out. Oh, okay, he’s taking him to the back. I’ll give you $20 if Barbara kills this guy for doing it on her desk.” You’re snickering, gossiping. Every now and then you look over at him to see him already staring at you, the hint of a smile on his lips. It’s all you’ll get for now…until he responds.

“…Guess you’ll owe me $20 then.” He’s firing back, voice low. It’s the first time he’s spoken. The first time you’ve seen him do something other than brooding. It’s sweet.

These little things will become routine, and he’ll find solace in them. Eventually you’ll even play some tricks with your teleportation on the clubs costomers, scaring them, bumping into them. All the while you’re watching him in the corner, smiling, exhaling through his nose. He playfully scolds you sometimes, other times he chuckles. Either way, it’s a sight to see.

God, please don’t dissapear on this man. I don’t think he could take it. Gotham be damned, if you ever find yourself scared of him, he’d be broken. He’d think it was his fault, he’d think he lost his second chance at love. If you ran away from him, he might just up and leave Gotham.

But even if you did try to avoid him for awhile, I think he’d let you go without a fight. He’d just be more sulky than usual, more prone to picking petty fights with Firefly. You might find the room uncomfortably cold, even when he’s not occupying it. (He froze the AC to the club, he was upset. Sorry Barbara.)

I think he’s the only one on this list of characters that Barbara, Tabitha, and Selina might all actively approve of. Barbara wouldn’t mind having a henchman dating her bestie; soldifies his loyalty to them. Also, he’s good eye-candy. Tabitha doesn’t have any personal issue with the man, other than previously working with Penguin, of course. Selina will still make fun of him for being a walking freezer, but hey, what can you do. You have their blessing.

If you caught him before he decided to up and leave, explain to him why you run away, why you’ve been avoiding him. He won’t just understand, he’ll practically worship you. He’ll explain himself too, why he’s terrified of touching you. It’s not because of your dwarfism, or your powers. It’s just how he’s afraid of hurting or loosing you. Loving people is hard.

If he could cry, he would. But his tears will freeze when they touch his cheek. You’ll have to show him you aren’t fragile. He’ll believe you.

You guys can heal eachother.

𝑉𝐼𝐶𝑇𝛰𝑅 𝑍𝑆𝐴𝑆𝑍

♫ “The girl means business, so I'll offer her a drink." Voulez-Vous by ABBA

THIS Victor, on the other hand, is much more brash in his approaches to courting you.

He’s heard about you on the radio, from his boss, seen you in the newspapers, on the tv, watched you from the window in your apartment.

…What? Who said that?

He studies your every move. The man is calculated in his methods, what can he say? He’s not obsessed! (loud incorrect buzzer)

He just wants to size you up a little, see who the newest danger is in Gotham. He’ll convince himself he’s doing it for his boss, whether it be Falcone or Penguin. But it definitely goes deeper.

Unlike the other villians on this list that see your dwarfism as something to empathize with, Victor doesn’t really pay it any mind. He’s been around the block a few times- he’s been with women of all ages, heights, race, etc. The man really doesn’t have a type. What he’s attracted to is strength, independence, someone who will laugh at his dry humor with him. He’s stalked you at the club. He sees the way you banter with Tabitha and Selina, the way you make Barbara dissapear when she’s being too annoying with a flick of your wrist.

He’s incredibly attracted to a woman whose witty and good at what they do. Just like him.

Victor’s more subtle in his approach. He’ll make it casual.

So when you’re at the bar in the club, sitting around, watching the passerby’s, he’ll make his move.

“Now, what’s a girl like you doing here, alone?” He sneaks up behind you, giving you a start. You flush red at the man in front of you. Victor Zsasz. The words are spoken as he drums his fingers on the bar, cocking his head at your short frame. He towers over you, caging you in.

When you don’t speak, it doesn’t phase him. You’re about to teleport away in an instant, until he drawls your attention back to him with a lazy smile.

“So…” He whistles. “What’s your drink of choice? Wait- Let me guess.” The man doesn’t stop talking, listing off drinks that are most definitely not your drink of choice.

He watches you all the time. He knows exactly what your favorite drink is. But he wants you to stay.

It’s a bit awkward, a bit intimidating, and strangely charming. He speaks with an inflection that borders on sarcasm and curiosity. It’s intriguing, coming from Gotham’s most dangerous hitman.

“Can I ask-“ You squeak, now nursing a drink he ordered for you. It’s a Vodka Cran, and it could be worse. “…Is there a hit on me?”

He stares at you expressionless for uncomfortably long, before it forms into something quizzical.

“…Nah,” His voice is slow. He clicks his tongue. “Just an admirer.”

There’s an awkward scilence. He shrugs.

“Y’know. I’m a big fan of this place. Like the ambience.” He sips his own drink, you don’t know what it is. Just as his words sound out, you swear you can overhear a gunshot in the distance, probably from Barbara’s meeting with some other underground boss. Somehow, the sentiment makes you laugh.

He perks up at the sound.

You aren’t used to this. Someone being so casual about you, your powers, your small stature. He’s a bit flirty from time to time, but between the alcohol and his quips, you don’t seem to mind. He seems oddly genuine in his demeanor with every compliment or joke that slips.

You two keep the banter going for the rest of the night. Mostly chatting about how tiring your respective bosses can be. He does a poor drunken impression of Penguin, and you do one of Barbara. It’s a relaxing night in comparison to what you usually expirence living in Gotham.

You think you only see him every so often. Coming by the club whenever Penguin comes, or when a job is sent out, and his target is there. He’ll always send you a wink when he leaves, blood on his face.

But he sees you every day.

Yeah, the stalking only worsens. If you find your phone in different places throughout the day, or your window reopened, he’s the reason why.

He’s fine like this. In his head, the two of you are going steady. He’s pretty committed. You’re his girl, and that’s that.

Until you start avoiding him like the plague.

Zsasz WILL find a way to confront you. He doesn’t care if you teleport away each and everytime. He’ll find a way to get the message clear, through other means.

If you find a “talk to me.” with a smiley face, written with some poor saps blood, on your mirror, I apologize. He’s gotta get the message sent somehow.

Yeah, he won’t give up. He’ll go great lengths to get you two back together. He’s also listening to disco break-up ballads to cope. He’s getting the zsaszettes to stalk you when he can’t. If you still won’t budge, yeah, Tabitha might end up with a gun pointed at her head until you talk to him.

He’s not necessarily angry, but chasing after you is certainly taking a toll on him. Give the guy some credit.

Tabitha, still with a gun pointed at her, will be barking at you to not talk to him. He’s a creep, he’s an asshole, and you shouldn’t compromise your honor! (His eye will twitch at her words, trigger finger itching.)

Up to you what you decide to do! Explain the situation, talk to him, make things official, or…bye bye Tabitha. And that still won’t stop him. He doesn’t take rejection very seriously.

When you tell him exactly why you teleport yourself away, he’s the only one on this list who might think it’s stupid. He’ll understand, don’t get me wrong, but this is Gotham! Why would you be insecure? He garuntees you he’s met at least ten other people with far worse skeletons in their closet. You’ll have to teach him that’s not the issue.

Yeah, our little sociopath has a hard time with feelings. But I think you two would maybe be good for eachother! Teach him to listen more, whip him up into shape, and reap the benefits of having Gotham’s number one hitman as your personal bodyguard and lover. He’ll take you to stakeouts, make fun of Jim Gordon, crash your place. You two can watch Netflix under the blankets. He loves your size- cuddling into you like his own personal pillow.

Tabitha’s very dissapointed.

𝑅𝐴’𝑆 𝐴𝐿 𝐺𝐻𝑈𝐿

♫ “I'm really glad you came, you know the stars, you know the game.” Voulez-Vous by ABBA

May god have mercy on your soul, reader. Ra’s is a sight to behold when he’s in love.

He heard whispers of your name all around Gotham. He sees you on the news when he’s absentmindedly listening. A girl who can teleport herself and others, to any location? Even the power to control which body parts you maneuver. Extrodinary.

He’s immeadiatley infatuated with your power. He wants to covet you. Possess you. Have you close to him. He needs to see your power for himself.

He’s similarly calculated in his response to tracking you down. He will appear at the club, slinking into the shadows, whispering a quaint,

“Hello.”

It makes you jump, and as if on instinct, you teleport yourself away. He marvels at the way in which you do so right infront of his eyes. How rare it is, for him to be so easily confounded.

He must see you again.

You’ll feel his presence every now and then. Maybe even catch a glimpse of him watching you. You’ll turn back, eyes squinted, only to find he’s not there anymore. It confuses you just the same.

Though, you eventually get used to him watching. It turns into a little game between the two of you. If he can catch you, if you can catch him. It’s strangely endearing.

He’s also becoming increasingly more attentive to your daily habits. He memorizes your schedule. He sends members of the League of Shadows to observe you, to take notes on how you use your powers.

If any member insults you, or pokes fun at your dwarfism, Ra’s will spare them no mercy. Yeah…he’s making it a big deal. He’s ruthlessly insulting them for their ignorance, before killing them without a second thought. In a way, you belong to Ra’s already. He will not stand for disrespect among his order.

Ra’s is a gentleman. Just like Ozzie and Jervis, you’ll find gifts littered around your apartment. Little notes from him, written in the most exquisite cursive, expressing his admiration of you. Beautiful, rare, and expensive jewelry, tailored to the size of your wrists and neck.

You’ll see him exiting Barbara’s office sometimes, when he needs her for the demons head. He’ll send you a smile, half-way gentle, half-way playful. He’s unsure where the lines between love and facination blur; but he’s slowly realizing he loves you. He hasn’t felt such a way in decades. He’s been alive for very very long. No human woman has made him feel so helpless. He enjoys it thoroughly.

He’ll confess, the night before Gotham is meant to be blown to the ground. He’ll turn up, before the events are set in motion. You won’t have a clue in the world what he’s up to.

“My dear.” He’ll drawl, and you’ll go to teleport away, as you always do. It’s tradition for you two at this point.

Before you get a chance, he’ll click is tongue at you.

“Wait.” He speaks, voice sounding strangely desperate. It makes you freeze. “Come with me. Leave the city. Get somewhere else. I’d like to show you my home.”

Your choice, if you choose to leave with him. He’d make for a very attentive lover, and would protect you at any cost. But if you choose to do so, you’ll leave Tabitha and Barbara and Selina to their own fate <\3

Not that it matters if you decide to reject his offer. He’ll have you, one way or another.

[wavebiders]

what do you think about campaign 2? is there anything it does better than campaign 3, and vice versa is there anything campaign 3 does better than it?

Interesting question! Gonna put the answer under a readmore since it'll probably get long and also bc my feelings on cr2 aren't all that positive so superfans of that campaign have a heads up to keep scrolling

So, I'm just gonna be completely honest up front and say I never finished cr2 so my judgement is gonna be very flawed. At the time I was younger and very caught up with the toxic positivity aspect of this fandom, so I stamped down basically every issue I had until it all spilled over and I was left feeling so negative about it I had to go complete cr cold turkey until tlovm aired.

I know that's oversharing, but I just don't feel right commenting on cr2 without being upfront about how my personal feelings on it come from a weird place. I try to be more objective about it these days, but I'm afraid I'm not entirely objective.

Anyway cr2 and cr3 are really two entirely different kinds of stories. The former I consider to be most like an open-world video game, while the latter is more like an ongoing comic book. It's hard to tell which one does things better because they're not really doing the same thing at all

In terms of pacing they both struggle in opposite directions. Cr3 has had too much going on for a long time with very little breathing room while cr2 was 90% filler. We haven't had balanced pacing since cr1 so for these two it's more about what you personally prefer. For me the difference would be determined by my connection to the characters.

Which brings me to the characters. This is of course the most subjective thing of them all. I'm not going to pretend I don't prefer the Bells Hells by a mile, but there is also a reason the Mighty Nein are so popular on social media. It's the party of NPC's vs the Be Gay Do Crimes party. The latter may has well have been built in a lab for tumblr queers. Hell it's what drew me to the show in the first place.

I think cr2 was more experimental for most cast members, with them really going outside their comfort zone(Travis playing a more serious character, Liam going more morally questionable, Travis and Ashley dipping into romance) and the results really resonated with a lot of people. Personally I struggled with most of the party for a few reasons. What they were trying didn't suit me, Ashley being gone for most of the early days, a party member dying before they could really get started, etc.

With cr3, I think it's clear they took the lessons they learned from the past 2 campaigns and really played into their strenghts while still exploring new ground. The fact that the players have lived in Exandria for so long now also allows them to craft backstories more tailored to the world around them which gives them a very unique feel. I also personally just find myself resonating more with the themes they chose to explore.

Honestly I could do a whole breakdown of each character and which ones I think work best for their campaigns but this is getting long enough so I won't.

Cr2 did spend more time digging into characters backstories but for me that had the massive downside of the gap between which characters got focus being incredibly blatant. I know people like to complain about main character Imogen, but that's nothing compared to how badly cr2 sucked at balancing narrative focus amongst the party.

That's not say I'm not bothered by cr3 not taking more time to explore things specific to the pc's backstories, but with the way most of them are tied to the main plot it still works. I do think it does a much better job at balancing focus, even if Imogen obviously has the strongest plot connection.

And finally, I think cr2 is best at being a more typical found family fantasy experience(cr1 is too but a very different flavor) in that you have a bunch of assholes slowly learning how to trust each other and help each other face their demons. The bond between the Hells is just as believable and more compelling to me personally, but it is not gonna scratch the itch a lot of people are looking to scratch with an actual play show.

What cr3 excells at is deconstructing tropes, posing ethical dillemas, really making you think about the world the story takes place in and considering different point of views. This is why so many long-term fans struggle with it so much. It's also why I think, especially if all 3 campaigns get adapted, cr3 will be the most memorable one with the biggest impact.

[egg-emperor]

Maybe that question was somewhere already, but, how your selfinsert and eggman met? What was the first Impression on each other?

Btw i ship you two because i can name no one who would understand him better than you! :D and im always happy to see you on my dash.

Omg thank you so much, it really means a lot to me that you think so, that's a huge compliment with the effort I put into understanding his character and it makes me so happy that you ship us! I'm glad you enjoy my posts and I hope I can continue to deliver 😊💜

I have a lot of different first meeting scenarios that I like to daydream up and write, so I have multiple first encounter ideas of different times and ways it takes place (like depending around/during what game's events I imagine it taking place for example) so I don't set a single solid timeline or plot in stone overall. All the what ifs are endlessly fun to explore!

But there's always the same basis at least which I've talked about a bit throughout my blog but it's been a while and it could've been told better, so I'll happily share again. I like to make my s/i as accurate to me as possible, so I base it on how I came to love him in real life, biggest difference is I'm in the universe the beautiful man exists in for real!

So here we go:

I lived in a small place with a simple life that I found boring and eventful, I longed for adventure and to see more of the world but didn't have the means nor the confidence to get out there if I could. So instead I'd learn about the outside world, admire it from afar, dream of a more exciting life and just hope that it would somehow come one day.

When I was old enough to understand, I'd hear stories about Eggman and his past crimes and the latest news through my desire to learn about the world. But for as long as I'd been alive, he hadn't targeted the place I lived because it was small and insignificant, and it hadn't been caught in the crosshairs of him targeting anywhere nearby either.

But the things I heard from others with experiences before I was born and stuff he was still doing in the present and how common he was in the news caught my interest. I started keeping track and learning of his terrible crimes and atrocities in the past. I knew I should be horrified and disturbed but instead I was moreso curious and fascinated.

The way he'd seemed to have been everywhere and done everything and made such an impact on the world, as negative as it was, was impressive to me. He was the exact opposite of myself living in the middle of nowhere, never doing anything that interesting in my life, and nobody ever knowing who I was and being an outcast and it pulled me in.

I started collecting news coverage that existed and closely following all new stuff. My favorites were photos and footage, whether photos of him during his schemes or videos from when he'd broadcast himself onto devices while making threats or just to mess with people- which isn't something he'd done on a global scale since I'd been alive.

When exactly this took place and what it specifically entailed varies in my multiple concepts but at some point, I do finally get to see him on TV live when he hijacks it! I know I should be scared, it certainly is startling to see him suddenly pop up, make demands and threats, and talk about a world under his control. I know it's very bad and dangerous.

But I couldn't help but be excited to finally get to see him live and finally feel like a part of what's happening to the rest of the world too after years of just hearing about it! While I don't fully acknowledge and admit it to myself, my heart isn't just racing from fear, it's uncontrollable excitement too and I'm mesmerized watching him do his thing.

There are things I can't help but find fascinating and impressive, admirable even. Such as his theatrics, confidence, and crazy desires. Even though he was terrible, dangerous, egotistical, and greedy with it, he did it in such a unique and fun way. He was entertaining to watch and everything he was capable of was as impressive and exciting as scary.

His determination to keep trying and following his dreams and his enjoyment in his terrible crimes shows passionate devotion. The way he builds robots with awesome crazy designs and theme parks, carnivals, circuses, casinos, etc is so fun and cool despite how malicious it is. It's charming how he'll be himself and follow his dreams no matter what!

While I don't admit it to myself, I find him very handsome too. I subconsciously have a big crush on him and I'm admiring him more by the days. I know he's bad all along but he's so charming and entertaining about it, I can't help but be hooked and he makes me feel dizzy! He lives such a crazy, fun, eventful life and I wish I had that too.

Eventually after the broadcast hijacking, Eggman visits multiple locations and deploys his robots to scour areas for useful resources. I live in a place with lots of land and woodland in universe too and I go there a lot for walks and to just wander around and think and dream of traveling the world far beyond this, since I don't have much else to do.

When walking through the woods I hear the sound of a motor and mechanical noises. I peer through trees and bushes and see a Motobug driving along the grass! It's looking for animals and trying to round them up for Eggman to use because he needs a very big army for his new plan. I'm so delighted to finally see some of his tech in person!

Despite the danger, I get as close as I can for a better look and admire how well designed, creative, and fun it is, and how well made it is with such high quality. It's clear that he's very smart and imaginative and I see it for that instead of just "stupid silly toys" like others do. It's cute for a dangerous killing machine and that's part of the charm to me!

I enjoy it a lot for it being the closest I've ever gotten to him a sense, as it's something that he's created and I've finally been lucky enough to see it in person. And after getting to witness him on TV live too, dreams of mine are coming true. I'm finally a part of something he's doing and it's bringing so much more excitement to my life!

And knowing how unpredictable he is, one can never know what he might do next! And that's thrilling to me, though I should be afraid with the terrible things he's capable of, I'm instead always eager to find out because this is huge, finally being one of the locations on his radar for the first time since I've been alive. I finally get to experience it!

I'm very pleased with that encounter with a robot of his. I don't report it even though I should, I just let it go and do its thing. Nobody else finds out his robots were scouring the area to report on it and I like keeping the secret, knowing something about Eggman the rest of the public doesn't. And I didn't want them ruining it before it's truly began.

At a later date, news breaks that Eggman is attacking the city that I live just on the outskirts of and I'm in disbelief! Before I can even properly hear all the details of the report, for the first time I don't wait to hear every precious detail like I usually do and instead rush out because it could be a once in a lifetime thing and I can't miss this!

I don't even worry about the danger nor not having confidence to go out when there's probably a lot of people despite usually being uncomfortable, I just need to get there and see what's happening, that's all that matters to me. I manage to approach the scene as closely as possible while still keeping distance from the danger and heart of the chaos.

I climb a building and hide behind a tower on the roof and can see there's fire and shooting and explosions in the distance as robots are attacking, the action is gripping and gets my adrenaline up. But what makes my heart race faster is when I hear something in the sky and look up to see the man himself in his Egg Mobile watching it all!

I barely get to see much of his face as his back is to me watching it from a distance himself too, but closer than I am. But I can see enough of him to see that he has a big smile on his face, looking very smug and laughing. Just that and the fact that he's really here has my jaw drop in awe and then smile uncontrollably at his infectious joy!

After standing there watching, I don't expect him to look over his shoulder, he must've been looking for the best area of escape when he was done and he looked into my direction! He actually sees me and just as he notices and perks up in curiosity to why I'm there on my own, I run. He puts it down to me being scared and I didn't look to be enemy forces coming to stop him in my casual wear.

That moment was so small and brief but it stuck with me for weeks after. I keep replaying the sight of him admiring his robots wreaking havoc and the sound of his laughter. It was deeply precious to me to finally get to see him in person and be so close to him, albeit still many feet away but we were really there together in the same place!

I start to imagine how things could've gone differently if I'd stayed. Would he have questioned me? Would he have attacked thinking I was going to try to stop/report him or just for fun and to make sure nobody goes unscathed? I would've found all of those potential scenarios cool! But unfortunately I ran because I felt I had to. Still, I treasure it.

For a while I think that's the last of being lucky enough to get to catch. I mean getting witness a broadcast hijacking, then seeing a robot in person, then the man himself? That's way too much luck! I'm appreciative of what I got to see and will treasure it forever. Things seem quiet for a while after all the chaos and it looks like he's done with the place.

It's been a while since I last went to that certain woodland area for a walk and decide to go again and at night because it's been hot and because I'd like late night peace and privacy in my quiet place. Part of me hopes to see a robot or something even though it's unlikely they'd still be around when he's seemingly done with his work here.

I'm walking, listening to music, entertaining myself with my thoughts to avoid disappointing myself and- suddenly I bump into something and fall back. Never in million years would I ever expect to look up and see none other than Eggman! My glasses fell off when I fell and when I put them on and see him clearly, I still can't believe it!

We both didn't notice each other in the dark, with me looking down and Eggman's shaded glasses making it even harder to see in it. He squints and looks down at me through the darkness and teasingly says "What are you doing out here this late, little boy?" He has a playful approach and smirks because I look stunned and he's amused.

He thinks I might be scared but I'm actually just frozen in awe that he's really right there in the flesh in front of me. I finally pull myself up but still feel stuck in place, unsure of whether I should run or not. I also don't know how to answer his question and just manage to mumble that I was out walking and my breaths sound shaky.

He strokes his chin in wonder with a "hmm". Something about me is familiar. It quickly clicks with him as he connects the dots, not only did he catch me watching during his attack on the city, he also saw me in a Motobug camera when reviewing the footage to see if it saw good land to build on and that's how he knew this was a good place for it.

He points this out to me and says we finally meet at last, then asks if there's any reason he keeps seeing me around. I don't want him to get the wrong idea and think I was trying to spy on him and gather information to try to stop him so despite the shyness, blush in my cheeks, and small smile, I say I'm a big fan and have admired from afar for a while.

He's smart enough to still be wary in case it is a trick but at the same time he can't help but smile at that as he says "I'm pleased that you recognize my brilliance." His confidence and happiness from the ego boost he gets from that is precious to me. There's a funny warm feeling in my chest seeing the pleased grin that slightly tugs at his cheeks.

He's just as handsome in person as the videos and pictures. He has a gleaming white smile, cute big pink nose, and big magnificent fluffy mustache with soft round cheeks hidden behind it. He's so big and tall with his big round belly that looks soft and cuddly, big bear paw sized hands and feet, and long sleek legs. He looks like a big bear of these woods!

He looks stunning and I can't help but admire it. Eggman can certainly tell that my admiration is genuine by the way I look at him as I get lost in his beauty and don't realize how obviously I'm gawking. And there's no way I would've known of the hidden camera in the Motobug but I looked so happy and fascinated while trying to get close to it to admire it.

He can't let me roam around after all that I've seen in the past few encounters of him and his creations. Sure I didn't report it before but he'd rather assure the chances of it happening are zero. So he asks me to come back with him and says that if I enjoy his work so much then I should come serve him. I can't believe my ears and accept immediately!

He's surprised that it was that easy and is used to having to make demands and threats, so he's happy to see such enthusiasm. While I know I should be afraid to go away with such a dangerous infamous man, it would be a dream come true! I'm instantly ready to go away with him and don't need any prep. I get in his Egg Mobile and away we go.

The idea is that I stay with him while he works on the land by the woods that he took an interest in after seeing it in the Motobug footage. It's a good place to find animals for his robots and build a new base as it would be well hidden. I'm useful to keep around because I know when people are unlikely to be around to potentially stumble upon the site.

His first impression of me is that I'm a funny fan of his and that my admiration is pathetically cute and most importantly useful and ego stroking. He finds my eagerness to help him, keep him safe, and make sure he doesn't get caught very valuable for him, and how I become a servant in happily bringing him things he needs whenever he asks.

My feelings on him don't just remain the same as when when I first started to take an interest in him, they get stronger. Getting to know him for real and finding he really is as charming and admirable as I saw him is a delight. And it gets harder for me to escape the fact that I find him very attractive for his strong personality and beauty.

He still keeps a lot of secrets from me he can't have me knowing just in case but getting to learn anything and seeing around his base and his creations is a great joy. Especially when the man himself is proudly showing them off to me. He likes how I share multiple of his interests, love to listen to him talk, and gush over it and praise it all highly.

Eggman was ready to entertain any delusions that made me a fan but is pleased when he finds I know exactly who he is, what he wants, and how terrible he is but specifically admire and support it. I love him as he is, want him to succeed in his selfish goals, and get everything he wants. It feels good to be understood and loved for the real him.

My loyalty and enthusiasm making me useful to him and boosting his ego makes him consider keeping me around for longer, after he was initially planning on letting me go eventually. It would also be best to make sure I never have the chance to tell anyone else about him after going to know him on this level. And I don't want to leave anyway!

I have to keep proving my worth so he knows he made the right choice and that my admiration is real for sure and not just a really convincing agent, though there's no way it could be faked to this degree. Despite his caution we get along well and get closer and he's more certain and likes having me around to serve him and stroke his ego.

Things progress from there and I start faller for him harder and he enjoys having me as his assistant and servant more over time. It eventually leads to point where we first become intimate, when he takes the last step in assuring that I'm definitely not an agent and 100% real in my love for him- by asking for me to kiss him hehe 🥰💜

[styrmwb]

I beat Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail (for now)

Just in case my tags didn't work there's spoilers here don't read if that scares you!!!

Critically acclaimed MMO returns! I took a break from the game for a good while due to burnout, but I've been looking forward to this expansion release since I heard the first trailer theme. While I might not be super into the MMO gameplay right now, XIV has always captured my heart with the story and the "first-time" experience. Not to mention, being an FF fan who's played all the mainline games, XIV's theme park setting is really fun for me to point and be like "yoooo that's from this game!!!!" Dawntrail was no different in this regard.

Obviously, since this is an MMO expansion, I know more stuff is gonna be released later down the line. This is just me writing for the base experience available on release day. I'm also gonna format this a little different than I usually do.

The Good Parts

Characters

I really did love everyone this expansion. When it comes to people we already knew, I loved how Krile and Erenville got more of a spotlight. Krile I feel has always been a sort of... There scion, which makes me sad (I also never finished Eureka so that's on me!), so it made me happy to have here there the whole time. I thought her story arc was really cool, and I was astounded, being all like "holy shit she's from another reflection???? what???????". I was skeptical on Erenville being a main character at first, cause he didn't really grasp me in Endwalker, but that quickly went away here in Dawntrail. I liked his sane man bit, and his arc in the latter half of the story with his home and mother really hit me hard (and I mean HARD.)

New people!

Wuk Lamat is our main character this time, and I really did love her from the moment I saw her. It was really nice to see a more silly character in the beach episode expansion, and I'm a sucker for the person who's power is heart, rather than anything else.

Gulool Ja Ja is the second person who really caught me. This man is a friendly loving mexican grandpa, and the game continued to show that he was like, the best dude ever (which is really funny considering his name! (this joke will be clearer later)). I want him to be MY dad, I swear. Unfortunately, nobody that cool and awesome can stay around, which makes me really sad.

Koana was unexpectedly great, and I can always relate to a loving brother.

Bakool Ja Ja was SUCH an unexpected role; I loved his initial cartoon villainy, but then for him to turn around to be something greater, and knowing his struggle, was really entertaining.

I HATE Zoraal Ja (in a good way), and the entire second half I wanted nothing more than to destroy him.

Sphene was interesting. I couldn't ever place what she was at any point in her story, but I did overall think she was a really cool character for the story. I felt for her.

Gulool Ja is a precious child who has done no wrong and I want the lizard baby to smile forever. He didn't deserve ANY of this.

Those are all of the major characters I think deserve individual talking points, but everyone else was really great in some way. I loved the Hanuhanu a lot more than I thought, especially considering that I didn't care much for the Vanu; Wuk Evu's stupid bit of freaking out then Immediately being fine always tickled me; The Yok Tuy were super cool, I loved their culture and role in the lore; Ketenramm was such an unexpected surprise, and since my character is also a Sea Wolf I get excited whenever one becomes plot relevant. Otis is Steiner, and we love him for that. Finally, I loved the unique energy Cahciua brought to the table, and she CRUSHED me at the end.

Gameplay

God damn! They showed up this time for real! All of the big fights felt like they were really bringing their all for mechanics; they felt harder than usual, and I felt invested in each fight rather than feeling like I was running the motions again. I'm very very excited to see what the future raids are going to look like, if the base dungeons and trials are any sign.

Story

Getting brought to a new place, and having the core of the story being "learn about new cultures" I thought was really cool, and very befitting of a "cool down after saving the world" expansion. I really loved the contest (or Amazing Race as a friend of mine put it) style of the Succession. The second half was absolutely insane; once you finish cowboys it goes insane, and I was IN for the ride. It hit me with heavy emotions for characters I hadn't even met yet, I got angry with the ones who instigated all of the needless pain; I felt Invested. Really though, to kinda bring it back to my first point, the coolest part about the story was

The World

Ha, see what I did there? Maybe not a great transition, but whatever. I think Tural is one of the coolest places in the game in the sense of it really ties together the planet, and completes a picture of representing our real life world in fantasy. I LOVE when games veer away from the classic European or Japanese into more cultures, and Dawntrail did that PERFECTLY. Having the main city and areas be inspired off of Latin America was super cool, and then once you go north you hit the southern US with American accents and Native American theming!? Dude! Every single zone was a pleasure to see its real world counterpart, especially since this time everything was closer to home to me.

Music

It's Final Fantasy XIV. I could literally end the section there. I think I'll make a full on list way later when the whole soundtrack is out, but from the first trailer I was hooked. Other than the main theme, a couple standouts for me personally are the Yak T'el day theme, which had a wonderful vocal track and melody, and Zoraal Ja's trial theme, which got me pumped with Metal Gear Rising vibes. I think this expansion's motif game was VERY strong overall.

Graphics and Visuals

I'm not much of a graphics guy, and hell, I had to play my game on the lowest possible setting cause my computer sucks, but I could STILL tell this expansion looked great. The colors, the textures, the models, and the visual design of everything captivated me. The realism/lower tech fantasy of Tural, and the futuristic cyberpunk/apocalypse of Alexandria; it was all so cool to look at. I was also amazed by the cutscene technology this time around! I feel like the animators hyperpowered up with Hildibrand, and they really showed their skills! The action, the transitions, it was all so so impressive and I can't believe that it's only going to get better from here.

Another very important part of any XIV content, that really ties into all of the above, is

The Soul of Previous Final Fantasies

Does that title make sense? I dunno. I really do think I might make a separate post on this one, but Dawntrail feels like two previous mainline games: IX and XI (really unfortunate to read out but let's ignore the obvious jokes yeah?) put together. The expansion as a whole feels like XI, more specifically Treasures of Aht Urhgan, and having knowledge of that story was something I could use while playing this story, and I had a blast to see how many plotlines I could predict. The latter half is where all the IX comes in, and since that's one of my favorite FFs, I am not complaining. From the literal presence of straight up Alexandria (holy shit!!!) to the themes of death and souls, it was a joy to see IX finally get a whole spotlight in XIV. VI got a little love with Pictomancer and Valigarmanda being in there, but that was really about it (still awesome though!) I'm very excited to get more XI goodness in the raid series.

The Not so Good Parts

Bleh. I usually like to be really positive when I'm writing about a game, cause we have enough negativity when it comes to talking about games (there's whole youtube channels where their identity is just to talk shit), and like, it's exhausting to keep doing that. But unfortunately, I do think Dawntrail suffers in some key areas that soured my experience.

Gameplay

So, like I mentioned at the start, I took a break from XIV due to burnout. Something that XIV noticeably has, is a pattern. This is a very formulaic game, which like... isn't by itself bad? But I feel for an MMO, you gotta have some shakeups. But here we are again, with an MSQ that's mainly dialogue, and walking. I feel like I'm a person that like, usually doesn't mind this! But even I could see the fact that there were places they really could have turned into gameplay segments, and could have gotten more risky with their quest design (XVI also had this same issue, and this was my same struggle with that game). Let me cook the tacos myself. Let me shoot the enemies on the train. Final Fantasy has stupid one off minigames, bring that into this. I think giving the story more interactivity would have done it justice. I know they can kill it!

Story

You might notice that I went pretty short with what I liked about the characters up top. I really, truly enjoyed the cast! But there is a glaring problem, and that is the balance of screen time. Wuk Lamat is the central, strongest focus, for the entire expansion. I love her! But like... maybe instead of always pairing me with her, I could get paired with my other friends? Maybe I could get Erenville for more than a zone and a half? Maybe Krile, who desperately needs more screen time, could have gotten... more screen time? (this is the one that REALLY gets me the most) I didn't hate anyone, but even I could feel that the balance of who was on screen getting focus was really off, and it hurts the story as a whole I think. They advertise us rivaling Thancred and Urianger, and the worst thing they did was block off a path before going right back to being friends with us, and I think rearranging how things were balanced could have helped that. Also like... why were the twins there if they barely got to appear? I wish they stuck back to grow (literally), while maybe G'raha could continue to stick around. The main thing this caused was fatigue, and that's something I hate feeling in a game that I love.

Estinien was fine though lmao he's so funny when he barely appears, absolute chad he's the best character in the game

Audience and Simplicity

This one... might be a bit more subjective. XIV has definitely been simplifying itself in recent years, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But... I feel like in this expansion, simplicity is getting to the point where the story seems to be hitting you with callbacks and removing subtlety where I think I could have gotten the meaning of what they were saying myself? I don't think you need to keep repeating that the Milalla ran from snow. But... they did, and I feel as though this might be because the general audience of this game will complain when they do branch out, or will complain that they don't understand this, or that. It reminds me of how Pokemon Black and White were completely dunked on, and then look what we continued to get for years, and I think it's showing on XIV. I think the gameplay also suffers from this, as it almost feels like they're afraid to branch out because people won't like it. Sure, the fights are getting harder, but I can't help but wonder how many complaints I'll see on that, and how people are like "I only get 2 minutes a day to play I can't be thinking about where the sword will go".

I'm not great with being negative and critical I feel, so I'm sure my statements here are half-baked and lacking hard evidence, but these are posts about my feelings! Let me ramble. I really really do hope that the game can veer away from the path it's taking, because I think it'll be better in the long run, and it'll create a product that I KNOW can be amazing.

7.9/10. Amazing world, challenging fights, and incredibly impressive technology that shows how much the game has grown since the start, but also suffering from stale formulas, issues with balancing of characters, and writing struggles that make the great parts harder to appreciate.

[asleepinawell]

i'm in some sort of Mood about finishing the kh series (for a given value of finished) since I've been playing it since kh1 on ps2 a million years ago but instead of dealing with that i'm going to write my mini retrospective of the titles based on my replay

rest below the line

kh1

story - 7/10. it wasn't the most interesting but it was the first and laid the groundwork for the series. maleficent had a lot of screentime which is always a big plus. love her evil ass. it's also the start of the 'kairi never gets to do anything ever and gets kidnapped every time she tries' persisting problem in the whole series

gameplay - 6/10. feels a bit clunky now in comparison to some of the newer ones. it was harder than some later ones, but mostly because of wonky control issues and not great boss fights. but it's very playable and fun still. mushrooms do a little dance and shake their butt at you. i will never not feel nostalgic about traverse town music. THANK GOD YOU CAN SKIP THE PRE FIGHT CUTSCENES ON RETRIES NOW OH MY GOD YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ONE BEFORE THE DARK RIKU FIGHT WAS LIKE TEN MINUTES AND BACK IN THE DAY YOU HAD TO REWATCH IT EVERY TIME AAHHHHJHHH *i am tranquilized and removed from the room*

re: chain of memories

story - 8/10. i love the focus on the organization 13 internal drama. bitches are running around bad mouthing and killing each other. larxene is a constant joy. marluxia is pretty and goes swish swish and makes flowers. axel was an instant fave. zexion is a shitty twink and i do so love shitty twinks. there was some disney stuff too i guess

gameplay - 2/10. the first time i played it my brother was crashing at my apartment and watching me play and got very into making cool deck combos. so i had him do that for me and i did the combat and the fun sibling shenanigans got me through it. this time i quit after thirty minutes and watched the cutscenes on youtube. it's just so repetitive and meh

358/2 days

story - 7/10. that's too many soras! put some back! story was a bit slow at times but i did enjoy seeing the daily life of the organization and axel/saïx handling their divorce so so well. needed more demyx

gameplay - it's packaged as a movie now so i did not replay the game and can't fairly rate it. i remember it being not the best combat but not terrible for a ds game

kh2

story - 8/10. it would get higher but the fact the beginning is incomprehensible if you haven't played com and 358 loses it some points....i had not played com when i got kh2 and boy howdy. it made more sense on the replay of course and yeah it's a good story. obsessed with how maleficent remains one of the main recurring characters in this series and just Does Shit from time to time because why not. god forbid women do anything etc. also the gay divorce continues to go terribly. saïx is handling this so well i say as he goes into berserk mode again. needed more riku screentime tho

gameplay - 9/10. huge upgrade from previous titles. it was very fun and fluid. the form shifts were a great addition. there were a lot of options but it didn't feel overwhelming or like it disrupted combat. my only real complaint was it felt a bit too on rails at some parts... like cutscene, battle, walk three steps repeat. oh and i hated the gummi missions but i am a gummi hater in general. oh also antiform was amazing. sora can turn into a feral creature... as a treat

birth by sleep

story - 10/10. fuck i love birth by sleep. aqua my beloved daughter who is the most terrifying keyblade master ever. terra my troubled son who got fucked over by shitty adults on an hourly basis. ven the thousand year old little kid who has never caught a break once. also hey it's xehanort and he also has ex husband drama. only note is that aqua should get to say fuck

gameplay - 10/10. the command deck was right up my alley and command forms were the best form gameplay they've done. i loved how all three kids had a unique style and abilities. i loved melding cards and gems to make new cards. i enjoyed playing monopoly. i thought it was the best game in the series when i first played it and that remains true

re:coded

story - 6/10. it was okay? it was largely a rehash but did add a few things. my friend and i kept saying welcome back alvis whenever data riku used a computer so that was fun

gameplay - this was also presented as a movie in the bundle so i won't score it. i don't even remember how it was from way back when i played it

dream drop distance

story- 9/10. the games that switch between multiple perspectives seem to be my favorites and i think it's partly that it makes the story more interesting. the time traveling norts were a bit wtf but that's just an inescapable part of the series. inspired me to get twewy which i will be playing next. MEOW WOW!!!!!

gameplay - 9/10. flowmotion was really neat and fit the style well. i loved the pokemon aspect so much you have no idea. i was a little sad you couldn't meld command cards but it would have been Too Much with all the other stuff going on. a few fights near the end had some really dumb mechanics (the type where when you look up a guide it just says good luck) but there were also some excellent ones. i do think it lost a little something in the port because the stylus on 3ds was important. however there is nothing is quite as satisfying as seeing meow wow hit xehanort with giant bouncy orbs so I'm willing to forgive it a lot

union x/back cover/dark road

story - 9/10. i was shocked how much i enjoyed the story of these. i got very invested and i was only watching the cutscenes, not playing. really interesting world building and the master of masters was an instant fave. one of the only kh titles that passes (barely) the bechdel somehow. also could be retitled as kh: dead kids, because boy did a lot of kids die! extra points for maleficent managing to set major events in motion twice and being very eh whatever about it. love her for that. and the backstory of the xehanort/eraqus divorce, of course. i love a good divorce

gameplay - didn't play this one, just watched ELEVEN HOURS of cutscenes. no longer available which is hilarious considering how much important lore is in it that is referenced in kh3. hopefully they make it into a single player offline game someday with better gameplay

fragmentary passage

story - 8/10. very short but filled in some gaps. i love aqua so i was predisposed to love this one

gameplay - 8/10. it felt like a rough draft for kh3 and that meant it didn't have all the annoying extra crap kh3 added in and played pretty smoothly. i liked the little puzzles. it was a unique game and i enjoyed it more than i expected

kh3

story - 6/10. the fact i had to sit through entire disney movies worth of cutscenes brings the score way down. we did not need to see 3 musical numbers in frozen. if i wanted that I'd watch the movie. i just wanted to play the damn game. the majority of the game is sora got benched and has to get his groove back which was very disappointing for the climatic finale to the series. once i got into the end game though it was much better (i would rate the later game stuff way above a 6 which just makes my frustration with earlier stuff worse). re:mind added in the bits i felt were missing and i came away satisfied overall with the wrap up. axel/saïx had divorce arc three and then got back together finally 🏳️‍🌈🥂🎉. xehanort/eraqus also got back together as they fucked off to be gay in the afterlife. finally we are free of the norts (OR ARE WE???) and the master and the foretellers are slated to come back next from the looks of things. maleficent continues to hang out in the wings waiting for opportunities to #girlboss and I'm excited too see what cataclysmic events she sets off next

so that's it. i did watch the brief melody of a memory scenes but there wasn't too much new there. i may watch the cs from the missing link beta at some point. otherwise it's back to my life long journey of waiting for the next title to drop

gameplay - 5/10. ugh. i bought the game when it came out but between the full length disney movies and the over saturated gameplay gimmicks i didn't get far. this time i powered through and by the end i was enjoying it for the most part because I'd figured out what things to ignore and how to avoid them. attractions were the worst addition to gameplay ever. everything was too flashy. way too many instances of being locked in a "cool" transition animation instead of actually doing combat which broke up the flow of things. i missed the command deck and how much it let you customize your play style. i didn't like the keys being locked to command forms as much as the bbs forms since it meant if you had a keyblade with better stats but hated the special on it you were kinda fucked. this became less of a problem as the game went but was still annoying. overall felt like a step back from the others. they tried to do too much. oh also why were there ten thousand instances of having to learn new controls for some new mini game in every area??? just let me hit things i am begging you. it really felt like they went for cool spectacles over satisfying gameplay

general notes on all of them: i enjoyed the story much more this time due to being able to play them in order. the fact they all released on different platforms originally made the complicated story even more confusing since i couldn't afford to buy a new system every time a new one came out. i really hope they veer away from that practice in the future but i kinda doubt it especially since they've got another mobile game lined up already. while the disney stories were fun early on it felt like the story outgrew them (except for the characters who were in the main story as well like mickey and maleficent) and they were kinda a drag by 3. i doubt they can move away from those since they're the whole gimmick of the series but it would be better imo. deeply worried they'll start bringing in newer disney acquisitions.

one of my biggest complaints about the series has always been how few female characters there are and how little many of them are used. it got slightly better later in the series but overall was still not great, especially for kairi. i kept wondering if they added stuff for her in re:mind due to complaints about this.... the dlc felt like an apology for several things tbh. aqua was great but she shouldn't be the only one and even she got upstaged in kh3 when she's supposed to be the third most powerful keyblade master. weirdly enough maleficent was probably the best written female character. really wild how much she wove into the plot and affected events so much without even trying to (especially in union x). she should fire pete though (i think she should hire demyx)

I'd like to see them let you play as characters other than sora more often since that was always really neat (he's had a billion games to himself now). I'd love a kairi and aqua game but i can imagine square and disney both clutching their pearls over female protagonists

something i noticed was that playing them when i was older i liked sora much better. when i started the series as a teenager i found him annoying. as an adult i have more sympathy and tolerance for teenaged boys who are Going Through It. growth or something

[hareofhrair]

Hare's isekai Quest - The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

I recently reblogged a list of female led isekai manga and decided to make a list and dive into a bunch of them and report my findings! This is the second one I've read now. I caught up to the most recently translated chapter pretty quickly!

A quick summary- Princess Anisphia awoke to the memories of her previous life in a normal world many years ago and was inspired to throw herself into researching magic and specifically magical technology that can be used by anyone whether they have innate magical ability or not. Meanwhile on the other side of the palace her brother the crown prince is currently breaking off his engagement and denouncing his former fiance, Euphyilia, for allegedly tormenting the otome heroine Lainie whom he and a circle of other handsome influential young men have fallen in love with. It's not made clear whether Euphyillia actually did anything at the moment, but the prince's public condemnation in the middle of a party is very bad news for her. Luckily for her, Anisphia crashes through a window while testing her new flying broom and sees the situation and abruptly decides to kidnap Euphyllia. She takes Euphy to the king, tattles on her brother who made this whole scene and broke off an important political engagement without his father's approval, and convinces the king and Euphy's father to let Euphy live at her villa and become her research assistant to help rehabilitate her reputation. This all happens very rapidly (like two chapters) and then the story proceeds to the part it's more interested in, Euphy opening up to her savior Anisphia and the two of them quickly falling for each other. Then Anis fights a dragon and gets cursed and it turns out Lainie's a vampire!

I got the feeling that I was missing something from this one because I'm not that familiar with the specific subgenre of isekai that is villainess isekai. I wasn't totally at sea since I am a big fan of otome games, which is where the tropes originate, but I definitely felt like there were references I wasn't getting.

I'm of the feeling that it maybe shouldn't really count as an isekai, since that element of it is so perfunctory and inessential to the story being told. The fact that the princess has memories of a previous life in a normal world is covered in a one page flashback and very rarely brought up again and doesn't seem to influence her at all except in how much she loves magic.

In my opinion there's three main pillars to the isekai genre- The first being an element of portal fantasy, being transported to a new world in some way, either physically or through reincarnation, the second is the litrpg element, game mechanics as part of the world building. The third is the element of indulgent fantasy- the main character in some way is living out a fantasy for the author/readers, whether that is being extremely powerful, or being acknowledged as unique and important, or just attracting the attention of a lot of big titty elves. Without all three of these elements, I don't think something truly qualifies as isekai.

In the case of Magirevo, the portal fantasy element is vestigial, the video game mechanics are only there if you squint (Lainie's inexplicable charm is basically the mechanic of being the main character of an otome game, and it's explained as an actual magical effect later) but the indulgent fantasy element is undeniable. You can really feel the author's fix it fic longing to rescue and rehabilitate the villainess from their favorite game. In fact there's not much else going on at first at all. The early plot feels extremely perfunctory and is rushed through as quickly as possible until the point where Anis and Euphy are finally alone together to talk about their feelings. After that there's sort of a sense of it not being sure where to go from there.

That said, it is a good time. The action is fun and fast paced, the characters are compelling, and the art has some fun stylized flourishes. I particularly like that the female characters are allowed to make intense, unattractive expressions you usually only see on male characters.

The relationship between Euphy and Anis didn't do much for me, but I could see it being engaging for someone else, particularly someone with more experience in villainess manga.

That's the good and the bad, time for the ugly. It's time for... "How much did the author's fetish get in the way?" Good news this time, honestly! There's some standard cheesecake, an unnecessary undressing scene and one instance of some dubiously consensual groping. But overall, much less fan service than there could be and no niche fetishes cropping up to make things weird. That was a pleasant surprise!

Overall, I enjoyed this one. Even if the plot is a little handwaved, the execution is still compelling enough to keep me invested. I don't know if I'll try to keep up with it, but I don't regret reading it. I'll give it 6 out of 10 magic portals.

[punprincess321]

(reposting from a fandom post i made)

So I see some complaints about the games after Apollo justice, like you gave the spotlight to a new character but then put Phoenix right back in his original spot. I can see how a lot of people who grew attached to Apollo were upset by this and those that were a fan of Phoenix being a mentor were too. I think I have an idea on how a new game could fix this: Lawyer selection!

When a new case starts, you can choose which lawyer will take the case, Athena, Apollo, or Phoenix, each will have unique dialogue, and interpretations of the scene (for jokes, not the outcome), and you can also pick who will help you on the case too! Your partners can be Maya, Trucy, or either of the two Lawyers you didn't pick at the beginning. The prosecutors for the cases are locked in and don't change based on who you play as, this gives us the chance to see how Apollo or Athena would fair against Edgeworth, or Phoenix have a rematch with Klavier.

The person you pick as a partner can also lend you a hand in court, like if you picked Phoenix, he will offer you the Magatama, Athena will use Widget, and Apollo will tell you what he perceives. They all lead to the same conclusions. Maya however is special. Maya will do her usual thing but if you are really struggling during the trial (you go through the testimony a few times or get at least 3 penalties), then there will be a prompt when you talk to Maya that she can summon Mia to aid you, Mia will basically act like a hint system, she'll help you once and if you think you'll be fine for the rest of the trial without her, she will leave and Maya will be back.

I feel like this would be a great idea and you can experience each match-up on different playthroughs, of course, this is just a suggestion but I think it would be a good game and give people a chance to tell their own versions.

As for the story, due to how the characters would be interchanging, it would have to revolve around all involved, specifically everyone that works for the Wright Anything Agency. So I was thinking "Well there were quite a few psychos that got caught and thrown in prison thanks to these people, what if they teamed up for revenge?"

I made a list of the more psychotic killers that would be in this alliance:

---

Main trilogy:

Frank Sahwit- He seems scummy enough to join,

Redd White- I'm on the fence about him but I think he'd join.

Damon Gant- he'd still be alive and he's loopy enough to do it I think

Matt Engarde- No doubt would want revenge

Furio Tigre- He's hot-headed so I think he'd want to get some revenge.

Dahlia Hawthorne- she would need to be summoned but it's possible she'd be involved if contacted.

AJ:

Kristoph- obviously.

Alita Tiala- she's similar to Frank and Furio, not hesitant at all to get dirty.

DD:

Florent L'Belle- He legit threatened to kill Apollo, he's demented enough in my eyes.

Aristotle Means: believes his idea of the law is superior, he'd def wanna get rid of those against him.

Phantom- I'm on the fence with him.

SOJ:

Pierce Nichody- he's fueled by hatred and jealousy, and calling Miles and Phoenix tumors def puts him on the list.

---

I didn't include the Khura'in suspects because they're incarcerated in Khura'in and not Japanifornia. But this seems like a group full of bitter people that wanna see the Wright Anything Agency burn.

Anyway, what do you guys think? this is just an idea I came up with today so there's room for fixes, and if you know of other culprits that can go on the list, let me know and tell me why. I'm happy to hear feedback!

[tantive404]

Dear Author- May the 4th Exchange 2024

Hello Author! I'm so excited for this exchange, and to see what beautiful work you have in store for me. I just know it will be a delight. Here are some of my ideas, likes, and dislikes to get you inspired! And by the way, treats are very, VERY welcome and loved!

DNW: Explicit sexual content (I'm ok with stuff of that nature being tastefully implied, but no descriptions of genitalia or sex acts. In short, M-rated content is fine, but E is not.) Sequel trilogy content Major Character Death of the requested characters (I'm fine with threats of death and side characters dying, but I want my mains to live.) Mundane/modern AUs For Leia-centric or Tarkin-centric pieces, I'd prefer for the pairings of Han/Leia and Tarkin/TK-421 not to be present.

Likes: Leia whump Angst, hurt/comfort Vader being protective of Leia Arranged/forced marriage Enemies to lovers tropes, villain/heroine ships Kidnapping Political intrigue (lends itself particularly well to Tarkin/Leia) Creepy Tarkin Feisty Leia, with all her sassy banter Skywalker Family Drama (especially when it centers on Leia and Vader's dynamic) Character studies Fake dating trope Soulmate AUs Omegaverse Fantasy AUs Spying/espionage

Character: Leia Organa

Leia has been my absolute favorite character since childhood for so many, many reasons... I adore her bravery in the face of danger, her commitment to her cause, and the unique combination of strength and vulnerability which she portrays. There are so many, many things you can do with her through fic... I really could write and read about her forever!

Fic prompts/ideas: -I love pre-ANH Leia stories, where we see the young reckless senator standing up to the Empire and going on her first missions of espionage for the rebels. Maybe she almost gets caught-- how does she deal with that and manipulate her way out of capture or detection? There's a delicious potential for suspense and drama there! As well as great juicy interactions with Vader and Tarkin... -Leia's relationship to Alderaan-- fond childhood memories, cultural and familial traditions, her drive to protect them from the Empire, and even the tragedy when they are finally lost. This lends itself well to any bittersweet fluff with the Organas and Winter... as well as character studies or coming-of-age tales.

-Anything to do with her capture and torture aboard the Death Star-- I'd love some whump or hurt/comfort related to her interrogation scene, or confrontations with Tarkin and Vader... feel free to combine with the Leia ships listed below.

-Dark Leia AUs are also really fun, as are those where she is discovered by Vader and must deal with the fallout of her heritage. It's a great route for character study and angsty exploration; how does she get to this point and where does she go from there?

Leia Organa/Wilhuff Tarkin

Ah, my twisted little rarepair OTP. The things I would do for them! Leia is the perfect embodiment of the Rebellion's cause, just as Tarkin is the perfect embodiment of the Empire... where she is hope and light, he is tyranny and darkness. They have so much sass and resentment for one another, and I'm sure there were many opportunities for them to butt heads in the time before A New Hope. And then that moment in the Destruction of Alderaan scene where he touches her face. *shivers* Feel free to get dark and creepy with them and to emphasize the power dynamics and their hate for one another. There's a LOT of potential between these two!

Prompts:

-I like to imagine that, pre-ANH, Tarkin may have had a sort of obsession with outing Leia as a rebel. I want to see a game of cat and mouse between the daring spy princess and the wicked governor and how they work to thwart each other.

-Fake dating trope as a conduit for espionage and political intrigue: Leia pretends to be seeing the Grand Moff in order to get information on the Empire's plans... and perhaps deeper feelings begin to blossom. I think Leia could get something out of the push-and-pull dynamic and the challenge of a dangerous and hateful man as the enemy she's trying to take down.

-Tarkin tries to force Leia into a relationship with him so that he can use her as leverage/a hostage against the rebels and their sympathizers.

-Tarkin evacuates the Death Star in time and is determined to get revenge on Leia for the loss of his ultimate weapon... whump and tension ensue.

Honestly, I would be happy just to see these two locked in a room and arguing for hours; any interaction between them makes my heart happy!

Leia Organa & Darth Vader

Vader finding out Leia is his daughter is always a classic fic premise, and one which can be exploited in many ways. Both of these characters are so strong willed and a force to be reckoned with, and watching them play off one another is really entertaining. I love the parallels between them, the way that Leia is unafraid to stand up to this powerful figure, and the angst and drama which their shared bloodline causes.

Prompts:

-"You weren't on any mercy mission this time": something where Leia runs into Vader in the pre-ANH time and narrowly evades his capture.

-Vader kidnaps Leia to raise her as his daughter and Sith apprentice. She resists every step of the way.

-The two of them are forced to work together for a common goal-- perhaps the cause of overthrowing Palpatine. Maybe Vader is compelled to defect to the Rebellion and redeem herself, or maybe Leia finds herself seduced to the dark side of the Force.

Leia Organa/Darth Vader

If there weren't related, I do think that Vader and Leia would make a rather compelling couple, being almost compatible in a certain twisted manner. Both of them are deeply passionate and determined to protect the ones they love, with rather fiery spirits and a commanding presence. There's also the aesthetic of black vs white and the cute height difference, as well as the twisted take on the knight and the princess motif. I can see him getting really protective and possessive of her and being reminded painfully of his dear Padme.

Prompts:

-Through some strange pull of fate, the two are placed in a Force bond. Vader feels a connection to Leia but doesn't know the truth of why and draws entirely wrong conclusions as a result-- (romantic rather than paternal).

-Palpatine arranges that Leia be betrothed to Vader as a manner of subduing the rebels and spiting the Organas and his wayward apprentice in one fell swoop.

-Leia becomes the consort of newly crowned Emperor Vader, as well as his apprentice in the Force, and struggles to come to terms with her new position.

Leia Organa/Wilhuff Tarkin/Darth Vader

A mixture of the above ships... just Leia being caught between the attentions of two powerful Imperial enemies who have competing agendas to possess her, and her efforts to resist them in every way. They can be the worst most dysfunctional love triangle ever.

Leia Organa/Wilhuff Tarkin & Darth Vader

Same as above, but with Vader being aware of his fatherly role and taking a more platonic role in his protections of the Princess.

Prompts: -Leia is raised by Vader as the Imperial princess, and is given to Tarkin in marriage to secure the family bloodline. However she has other plans...

-Vader notices the Grand Moff creeping on the young Senator of Alderaan and, due to some unknown urging of the Force, is determined to protect her.

Jyn Erso/Orson Krennic

A forceful and obstinate rebel girl and an equally forceful and obstinate Imperial officer, both sharing a messy past and a connection to her father. They compel me and I think their sparring would be delicious to watch.

Prompts:

-Jyn and Krennic survive the Battle of Scarif and begin an enemies to lovers arc. Perhaps they are forced into close proximity in order to survive and must learn to rely upon one another.

-Galen takes his family with him back to the Empire, and Jyn grows close to the mysterious man in white.

-Forced marriage where the Ersos are desperate to protect themselves from the Empire and must offer up their daughter as a last resort.

Sabe/Darth Vader

Sabe is an intriguing side character-- the girl who grew up in Padme's shadow, devoting her life to the protection of her Queen. In the time of the Empire, she becomes a rebel spy, and meets Vader in the comics. I think they could make a very entertaining, tragic, and dysfunctional couple, with Vader looking for the shadow of the wife he had lost but eventually falling for someone new, and Sabe trying to come to an understanding of the man her Queen loved and see behind the mask.

Prompts:

-SPY x FAMILY-esque AU where, due to some strange political shenanigans they have to raise the twins together.

-Fake dating or forced marriage

-Sabe tries to assassinate Vader, but it doesn't go as planned.

Character: Winter Celchu

Winter has a lot of fascinating possibilities, being a child of Alderaan and so closely tied to House Organa, acting as the more subtle and gentle half of Leia's fiery spirit. She's also quite intellectual and a cunning rebel agent, which is really fun.

Prompts:

-Something to do with her spy missions for the Rebellion, her ability to slip so easily into different roles and maybe some angst about her true self disappearing because of that.

-Her relationship to Leia... it's said that when they were young the two would swap places and Winter would play as the princess so Leia could run away from her duties or play pranks. I think that could be a fun little story.

-Reunion with Leia after Alderaan's destruction.

Character: Rivoche Tarkin

Rivoche is an obscure character, but she intrigues me. She's the niece of the infamous Grand Moff Tarkin, but holds sympathies for the Rebellion-- even using her position as a socialite to spy for them. I think there are a lot of places she could be taken.

Prompts:

-Something dealing with her relationship to Uncle Wilhuff

-How she becomes involved with the rebels in the first place.

[heartlandians]

Nerd Alert News: Spencer Lord Is a Gamer at Heart

Spencer Lord fills us in on his return to The CW’s “Family Law” Originally from Kamloops, BC, the talented actor grew up on the baseball field without a thought about an acting career. Shortly after he earned his degree in mechanical engineering with the memory of a school production of “Kiss Me Kate” stored in the back of his mind. The acting bug finally caught him and he discovered the feeling of freedom and joy on the stage, quit his job, and pursued acting full-time. Known for roles in The CW’s “Riverdale,” ABC’s “The Good Doctor,” leads in several TV movies, and now he returns to his role as the firefighting love interest of Jewel Staite’s character in The CW’s “Family Law.”

A gamer at heart, Spencer loved his Starcraft, Counterstrike, and World of Warcraft. These days he doesn’t even have a game console in fear that he’d never leave the house! Get to know Spencer Lord and be sure to catch him in “Family Law.”

Colleen Bement: Thank you so much for taking time out for the interview. Let’s dive into your role in “Family Law.” What was the experience like on set? What was your audition like?

Spencer Lord: I auditioned for the show while I was in Victoria B.C. standing in on a movie that a friend was making. Lucky for me I had another friend in town who helped me tape, and we just had fun putting it together in her hotel room. That’s the beauty of self-taped auditions, which is what we almost exclusively see these days… we can work with our friends who help bring out what makes us the best actors: ourselves.

And once I got started on the show it was much more of the same. Jewel is a generous scene partner. She and the whole crew bring a level of relaxation to the set that brings out everyone’s best work.

CB: Tell us about your character, Aiden Walsh on “Family Law,” and, do you happen to have any qualities in common with Aiden?

SL: He’s a kind man, a firefighter whose job as a first responder means he helps others in a way most of us can’t imagine. In a lot of ways, he represents the kind of person I try to be, which was sort of my way into him as a character. I think, as actors, before we start to explore the people we play we need to find the thing that bridges us to them. With Aiden it was simply that he wants to help people, and Abby presents a pretty unique, driven, attractive person who needs a shoulder to lean on. To me, it seemed like Aiden meeting his kryptonite.

CB: I’m a sucker for rom-coms, so can you tell me about your movie “Mixed Baggage?”

SL: A couple of stress cases meet on an airplane, immediately click, and my character misses his chance to stay in touch. They mix up their identical luggage and they happen upon a  pretty sweet deal: gotta find each other to return their things so, whoopsie, we get to meet again.

The best part about working on a movie like that is always the people you spend those few weeks with. Everyone’s in the trenches together, working to accomplish a goal on tight timelines and with a limited budget. It’s always surprising and satisfying when you see the end result, knowing how hard everyone worked.

CB: I see that you grew up playing Starcraft, Counterstrike, and World of Warcraft. The fact that you don’t have a console because you’d never leave the house is hilarious and understandable. Do you ever get a chance to play anymore?

SL: Oh man… gaming is dangerous for me. Maybe it’s my ADHD. Maybe I was supposed to be a professional gamer. But once I start a new story I can’t stop. I actually just finished Tears of the Kingdom (because for some reason a Switch doesn’t really count as a console for me) and it was one of the best games I’ve played. Still got a soft spot for Final Fantasy VII and a good first-person shooter, though.

CB: Growing up, sports were a big part of your life and you never saw an acting career on your radar. Fill us in on how you ended up being an actor.

SL: I dunno, at some point you just go: Man, I’m not sure I’ll ever really be happy if I continue doing this thing I’m doing. For me, when I was around 23 or 24, that meant figuring out what lit me up inside. That was never really posed to me as a priority when I was growing up. Nobody asked, what do you love, how do you feel when you’re doing this or that… It was always, “What are you good at? Maybe do that.” So when I thought about it I remembered being on stage in high school and how exhilarating it was, so I quit my job and started taking acting classes. It’s a funny thing when you go from having a secure career with pretty solid earning potential to working in a restaurant and living paycheck to paycheck, but you’re happier. For me, that was a very eye-opening realization. Do what you love.

CB: I read that you have suffered at times with pretty heavy social anxiety. Do you have any advice for people who also struggle?

SL: This is a tough one. I’m sure it’s different for everyone because everyone’s anxieties are unique. A few years ago – because of the isolation of the pandemic among other things – I started to feel awkward, and horribly anxious in social situations. Particularly when meeting new people, but surprisingly when I was spending time with old friends and even family, I would feel intensely self-conscious to the point where I hardly felt like myself at all. What I felt like I had to do was force myself into those situations I found to be the most stressful. Slowly, gradually, the circumstances led to less anxiety and I felt more like myself. So as cliche as I feel saying face your fears, I think that’s a pretty powerful way to help yourself through something like this. That, and don’t feel bad or guilty about leaning on those close to you.

Speed Round: 

Favorite Gas Station Snack: chocolate milk

Latest TV Show you’ve binge-watched: The Fall of the House of Usher. Beautifully shot, such tight writing, flawlessly acted. *chef’s kiss*

Movie you watch over and over: Braveheart

Favorite book: The Goldfinch

Marvel or DC: MCU for sure, but I like the DC characters more

Favorite country you’ve visited: Not such a well-traveled guy, but I love me some New York

Dawn or Dusk? Dawn

Pie or cake? Cake

What’s your dream car? Late 60s Mustang fastback

Camping: Tent or camper: Tent! Waking up, unzipping the tent, and looking out over the mountains is my favorite

Who inspires you? Anyone who is kind to those who owe them nothing

Source

[sharonisthebettercarter]

comics inspired butchlander ideas<3

so.

guess who got inspired~<3 after readin' that loveable trainwreck known as the boys~<3<3<3

it's the original verse that started all the bullshit and definitely worth the read and messages being discussed and it's definitely not any worse or even as bad as the show is 'edge'wise (def got surpassed there!). plus it really does feel like its own secret playbook/au for the show with some unique insight on the characters and story lmao<3 may also do a bit of concept breakdown idk

heads up! long long post ahead butt~ i'll split this into segments with some bold and <3<3<3 highlighting each idea<3

butt~ full disclosure~<3...

they abso-fuckin'-lutely~ confirm billy butcher as the biggest fuckin' bottom of the entire series<3<3<3 the bratty bossy baby type (with a soft boi side~!) who even is THE GUY who confirms homelander's canonically huge dong~<3! and even just spiritually, I CANNOT<3<3<3 (if i don't fuckin' count the lovely show boi un-fuckin'-ironically calling himself an alpha male and how gotdamn CUTE that motherfucker who plays him is. FUCKING MAN PUPPY with them big ass wide pretty eyes and adorable nose and perfect second trimester belly when he gains just a little bit of chub<3<3<3)

i don't much imagine the actors/actresses *directly* anyhow when i write/read (kinda some features i may like do stay, but i do LOVE to play with them sometimes, some comic features generally tend to stick (namely muscle cause i need it), and moar often am picturing some kind of 3d/actor/comic amalgamation in wolf among us (game) style cause i'm weird i guess) who knows, maybe i might pick up a pen and actually draw what's in my head for once even tho its been goddamn years--

and boi oh fuckin' boi did these things gimme some fantastic au ideas, combined and separate cause why the fuck not~<3 we can always do BOTH (as i normally do anyway lol) ;))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

anywho~<3

visceral reactions to being bad for homie<3<3<3

listen.

so this shit was an INSTANT creative boner for me y'all that i CANNOT for the life of me figure out why people wouldn't wanna further explore this! like holy fuck, i know how much bad~<3 homie is dearly loved, but what about fix-its and GOOD~<3 homie (no i do not mean superman but we're gonna dive a bit into that lore), or. OR. get this... homie who is good but for the WRONG reasons~<3<3<3 ;)))))))))))))))))))

like~ wanting to genuinely be the best fucking hero out of 'vindictive personal glory and pettiness'~<3<3<3 or simply because he literally 'cannot be bad' without reacting!<3<3<3

for a breakdown, in the comics, homie is gaslit into oblivion into thinking he is and then being bad (sort of an 'i think, therefore i am' evolving into 'i can, therefore i must' complex) and there's pretty much a build up to reveal he was never actually the 'villain' he was painted as from the start. (spoiler alert, butcher is much fucking worse) part of that includes him having visceral reactions to doing truly evil things he full well knows are legit evil

whether a mental breakdown, some mirror~ talk, or even him actually throwing up, the boi legit had a bodily *rejection* to evil and i just...

i couldn't help thinkin', well what if he *knew* it wasn't him because of this reaction, and he couldn't be gaslit... opens up a new can o worms, don't it~<3

just imagine the chaos to be had with this poor boi having to lose his goddamn lunch everytime he either does a bad mission for vought or is just fuckin' mean or lies to someone<3 it'd be fucking GLORIOUS<3!

imagine~<3 butcher getting 'infected' with homelander's peculiar 'affliction' thinking he's caught that 'raging case a vagina' only for it to turn out to be a 'raging case a morning sickness' for poor billy boo~<3<3<3

but beyond that, there are a couple lines that play in my head for his interactions with butcher and how he could take being accused given his... well, alibi lmao! things like~

"why don't you like me? everyone likes me."

"no, i think i'll just... continue to do the right thing. i love how much it grates you when people have a legitimate reason to adore me and especially when they cheer for me."

and my personal favorite~<3

"i'm the real hero. die mad about it."

because who doesn't love a sassy fine boi~<3<3<3!!

anywho~, this actually leads into the next bit which was actually an idea i had learning about the comics even before reading them. i have seen it played with somewhat?? though not really quite like this or in this capacity. BUTT~<3

detective husbands<3<3<3

or not quite there but getting there lol. this one definitely requires a key plot point from the comic in which homie was framed for what happened to becky (and others), but can still be combined with show elements or relate back to the show. the difference being that he is fully aware that he didn't do it and wants to find out, even help butcher know, who done it...

clone games are of course an option there, but i'm actually surprised that no one's thought about using doppleganger as the rapist. we know he can morph into anyone and is already an undercover rapist for vought's blackmailing, it's really not all that far fetched to consider he might end up taking certain 'looks' for joy rides and doing awful things to scared people. i for one think doppleganger is actually a great character for exploration and story twists, butt i digress

basically, this idea hinges on homelander *not* being the true culprit and offering to help~<3 it can also absolutely be combined with the last one<3<3 and even moar~<3<3<3

but mostly, i do love me that delectable idea of these two motherfuckers working together to figure out the truth~<3 and homie being the BEST worst soldier that butcher could ever possibly ask for. technically, homie can still be a huge dumpster fire for this as long as he didn't commit *this* specific crime, even different levels of trash fire, or clean as a whistle~<3

maybe with a dropped quote from marcus aurelius~<3 to help things along--"punish only he who has committed the crime."

so long as butcher finds him useful (OH--), homie's pretty much a shoo-in for the group shenanigans, he could be another vas but stronger~<3<3<3

aaaaaand~ since i mentioned it

clone games and shadow homie<3<3<3

clones are an obvious oldie, but a goodie i think. i also think they give lots of different people mixed feelings. it can for sure feel corny and overplayed (especially in the comics genre which lmao, let's be honest is a fuckin' cornfest in general), but can also be pretty cool and interesting, even thought provoking when done well.

side note~ i do think it was done well in the comic, if you go in knowing what to expect (and i honestly expected worse), you see the signs and build up even from very early in the comics. (also billy wut the fuck you stupid stupid entrapping clone accomplice cunt, how the fuck could you not be the slightest bit suspicious when a mountain of clearly very STAGED photos falls into your lap?? oh that's right motherfucker, ya don't actually care whether people are guilty or not as long as they're supes--)

but the abruptness in the way it changes the dynamic and understanding in what's actually occurred can give whiplash. it makes you realize just how tragic homelander's situation really is and then fully robs you of any enjoyment of his death because it is just that fucked up. start to end, you realize he never had a life of his own... and that's... that fuckin' hits. HARD.

in addition to unveiling that the story has been following its biggest villain the whole time, the themes are flipped entirely on its head, suddenly the *people* who were villainized and getting taken down are the ones who need saving and ooooooh... it fuckin' hurts, but it is VERY well done. especially when you realize that the story LAID THIS OUT from the very beginning~!

ugh, enough of that concept breakdown lmao.

basically clones are gonna be hit or miss for lots a folks, tho i do think it stems more from misunderstanding/bad stories and post hoc association, granted it can be an easy concept to fuck up (but also make flourish)

butt~ what about fanfic~<3?

OH. i see the opportunity~<3 and i am once again so disappoint no one else is gettin' creative! obviously, this one does hinge a bit more on the comic, but it can connect~<3 (can't do both~?;)))))))

the clone is.... well, there's a small part of me (micro~) that i must admit does feel kinda bad for him. in the same way i feel bad for the joker. in which this motherfucker is literally, legitimately, completely fucking insane?? and it's well... it's *difficult* to plainly judge a very broken mind as you would a 'normie'. (stiiiiiiil fuckin' hate 'em)

and in a way, i get it. to be *made* for one fucking purpose and then denied fulfilling it puts a mind in a fucked up place. he actually sorta mirrored homelander. both created for purpose, but while one was expected to meet a standard he was *not* prepared for, the other *was* prepared for his standard, and then denied the chance to meet it.

and there's a lot that can be explored there just between homie and the clone. especially if the clone *tells* him early on. ;) twin bros is also technically an option which i'll get to with shadowlander~<3 (which is not *quite* a twin)

butt. when it comes to clones, something that does often get explored is rapid deterioration of them or them coming out 'wrong' from damaged DNA. there's a whole somethin' there to be explored with an OG homie and a deteriorating clone or possibly more than one clone, cause why not? in the comics, his clone was an 'upgrade', but what if he hadn't been? better yet, what if they failed multiple times? what if the mental breakdown and subsequent framing of homie was the result of the physical and mental deterioration?

the deterioration itself could have even been a contingency plan to their original contingency plan (which honestly, TOTAL amateur move not to have one... BATMAN would have thought of one!) and these themes could be explored to bittersweet effect or even just sweet if the clone *does* tell him, and they work things out/team up against vought<3

combine the two (deterioration/team up) for a super tragic bittersweet feel that could even revolve around homie saving/failing his clone/brother/only friend... </3

OUCH.

moving on~ multiple clones because they all deteriorate rapidly. now THIS is a fuckin' fire starter... especially if the REAL homie is the one to never see the light of day, specifically because they *can't* make the contingency plan.

and here's where it gets REAL fun~<3 in this case, OG homie never sees light of day. one of the clones does commit the crime since they're all crazy *almost*, but the clones themselves keep dying, and public sometimes trashfire homie is a new clone every time and has many many many many doomsday arcs that he seemingly *recovers* from every time (new clone, who dis?... LMAO PERFECT. title right there!), vought changes things up.

public homie is the clones, he is always the clones. og homie (johnny boi~<3) becomes their contingency (assassin~) when needed since he is the only perfect one and he is very *very* well trained (as a weapon). (this can also super play into homie's anxiety for why they kept him behind the scenes too, noir can be show noir~<3, bit of role reversal actually)

kicker being when billy either *sees* og homie killing one of the clones, or has one of the deteriorating clones *literally* die and deteriorate/dissolve on top/in front of him as it's trying to kill him. it could even be one of the saner/good clones (or one that discovers homie) who finds and sends the pictures (of another clone, comic) to try get the boys to freee the real homie and stop vought

because i LOVE the idea of big dumb animal completely unused to human interaction homie coming under billy's wing, and billy definitely DEFINITELY abusing his trust and planning to use him as a weapon before~<3 well... let's just say that homie's story, general innocence (here), and need for comfort could do *things* to billy's cold dead heart<3

that one can also be combined with visceral reactions. and this homie would likely have never been with another person~<3 (what a cutie~!)

the a/b/o wrench could def be thrown in there in a special way too (thrown in like normal every other time~<3 the world def needs more omega butcher<3<3<3) but for the clones, they're all made betas/ pseudo or normal alphas while homie...

is a very rare type of prime (mmmmhmmm~<3 lol) or true alpha deemed too dangerous for society (bullshit of course, but omegas would likely be very common in this world and run things, alphas like homie would be killed at birth ordinarily, and the clones deteriorating could be explained by the tampered dna to make them 'normal'.)

i do also adore the idea that only a prime/true alpha can get a male omega pregnant for this kinda world setting~<3 (or even that they can get other normal *alphas* pregnant/bitch them) and that of course is an idea that can be used for any canon/au, show or comic.

how crazy would it be for billy to discover homie is an actual alpha and then use it against him to destroy his rep/turn people against him? it would be very on point, and could also result in an arranged bonding situation to *tame the dangerous alpha* with a *calm and rational omega*, guess who i have in mind~<3<3<3 ;)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

of course, homie's super sperm is still always an option because i love mpreg and bitching~<3<3<3

back to the topic. shadowlander/twins. twins are pretty self explanitory and of course, ideas can be combined. basically there were two and one got treated way way different. one or both finding out could either cause hella resentment, or these bois teaming up~<3<3<3

shadow homie... is a bit more complicated? and sparked from wanting the 'clone' framing situation AND show noir~<3 in which homie has a power he has no clue about because he has a literal dark side that can separate from his body. likely a manifestation that protected him when he was young (i love those imaginary friend type powers<3) that grew to be something... moar (and terrifying)

this kinda goes similar to the concept of mirrorlander and homie having DID, but a little different and more accurate to what's actually going on (on the show based on interview, and a little more respectful i do hope. DID is commonly used in explorations of duality and 'evil dangerous dark side' but it doesn't quite... help with common misconceptions about the disorder. just my two cents, if i were gonna explore this, i'd wanna flip it with a good personality that legit cockblocks homie every time he tries to do bad and is fighting for control/is the one causing visceral reactions to evil~<3)

but back to shadowhomie. basically, when homie was little, his literal powers created this demon to protect him. BUTT, as homie grew to no longer need him, he was caged up. and locked away. and forgotten. never a good combo and bound to cause issue~<3

so what happens? well, he has a 'clone' as this thing... developed. but he doesn't know it. shadow lander would likely hold everything dark about homie, in essence a literal manifestation of what his trauma created in him being *expelled* from his body and if not protecting him... well...

this kinda thing could also fuck around with homie's powers and make them act up a bit weirdly, maybe split what power he does or doesn't have/make them inconsistent, shadowlander splitting from him and not being with him could also be an explanation for homie's visceral reactions~<3 (full circle~<3)

but with this scenario, homie's not the culprit, but also... he is the culprit. but also not. yesn't.

i've always loved exploration in duality, and i like the idea of that side being able to fully separate, because it makes for great complexities and creative freedom. including giving homie his own doomsday arc~! (if you are unfamiliar with superman lore, i basically mean homie will end up fighting his dark side and ''''''dying''''''<3)

and that battle could be spectacular on its own when you consider that as a 'part' of homie, shadowlander could end up 'linked' to him. one gets hurt, the other does too. which always makes for... interesting fights. or since homie is the OG, it only works one way in which shadow homie gets hurt, but he wont, but maybe shadow homie is stronger overall to counterbalance it.

end result would be a struggle to 'reabsorb'/'kill' shadow homie, and to tie it back into the doomsday arc, billy could end up super fucking sad and depressed post '''''death''''' battle after a whole ass journey realizing 'oh shit, homie's *not* the bad guy' and also 'oh shit, i think i fell in love with him when i tripped, fell, and landed on his dick'... perhaps unknowingly with a little one on the way~<3<3<3 ;)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

twin works in place of shadowlander like the original clone too.

last thing i'll say is that i'm actually surprised they haven't used the clone option in the show given they have antony starr as homelander (*coughs in outrageous fortune* lmao). he's a guy who coulda pulled it off with flying colors and it honestly has me wondering if they may have a plan for a clone being made/used for the finale but a bit differently

MOVING ON~<3!

assassin homie and the boi who LEARNS<3<3<3

assassin homie is a fun one~<3

let's start with the 'boi who LEARNS'<3 what does that even mean? well, basically it means homie discovers he was gaslit and framed before shit hits the fan, and that he has a clone as a contingency plan... so what does he do~?

welp, couple options there between straight up murder/assassination~, getting people fired or getting them to resign, he basically takes out every single last person who *can* give the order for the clone to destroy him--

so that there's no one left who *can* give the order...

the result?

well, in someone as fucking unstable as the clone, this could cause a self destruct, he would implode/explode/everything inbetween. but ultimately be likely to destroy himself faced with a situation where he can never meet the objective he was made to meet. it's almost cruel, but it's basically a checkmate from homelander where he personally dismantles vought and gets the clone to destroy itself with minimal effort.

oooh~<3 scary and exhilarating<3<3<3

couple paths from there, either homie fucks off to be alone, total supe anarchy chaos without vought and he's around, or he takes full control of what's left of vought and OOOOHHHH~<3 OPTIONS~<3!

butt~ the fact of the matter would definitely fuck billy's (comic) plans to oblivion since... well, the boys could just go to homelander to stop him<3<3<3 if billy is stupid enough to actually try to follow through that is<3 or leave billy in a... peculiar spot.

he'd probably be there expecting a big final fight with homelander, and instead he'd get the clone destroying itself, homie was actually not guilty the whole time, and he doesn't even lift a finger to get the job done that billy had been trying to do for over a fucking decade.

"that's gotta sting..."

it also deals with a moar dangerous~<3 homie that actually uses that big brain and high iq of his<3<3<3

but with the options it does leave, there are certainly windows for... futures<3 lmao, brighter or darker actually.

something like this could make billy totally lose his drive and obsession even if homelander goes full tyrant on vought scraps because not only was he wrong, he didn't even manage to get the revenge he wanted. everything he claimed was for becky/becca (while knowing she would hate it) was pretty much for nothing in the end.

homelander could either make himself a 'villain' for billy just to snap him out of it, or even (while tyranting) implement changes that are good/more strict for vought superheros and come to check on billy.

things could even be unbearably NORMAL and they fall in love like the world's most boring average couple ever since its all over<3<3<3 (love me some vanilla shit and marshmallow billy boo<3 his canon submissiveness for people he loves his adorable<3<3<3)

it works similarly in reverse too, where homie fucks off and tells the world to fuck off since he's lost hope after that bullshit, and billy (begrudgingly) has to finally, FINALLY fucking swallow his pride and convince homie to come help them clean up/chaos is happening/major threats on the horizon they need homie for~<3<3<3

and homie OF COURSE<3 being stubborn<3 as billy tries to make him see reason that the world is worth protecting... maybe inadvertently doing so when they start banging and homelander gets billy boo up the duff~<3<3<3

but going back to assassin~<3 homie. i kinda like the idea of him apprehending and intercepting the supes the boys go after, even doing the jobs more efficiently than they could depending on scenario of course. 'making the boys obsolete' homie is another creative boner of mine and he is gorgeous~<3<3<3

but of course. not the only method. there's also the one who goes after billy~<3

of course, he'd need to get stopped and put on some kind of truce with him for butchlander, but then it can absolutely go back to him making the boys 'obsolete' to get rid of them<3 love me some dangerous predator homie<3<3<3

fact is, the boys has the 'hunted' taking aim at the 'hunter', classic trope, but it makes for some magical cat and mouse games~<3 assassin homie dials up his danger and discretion up to 1100 for sure. and there is A LOT that can be done with that<3<3<3

hate fucking<3<3<3

pretty self explanitory~<3

mostly, i just wanna drop that billy loving hate fucking is canon BOTH ways~<3<3<3 (gotta LOVE maeve taking control and his lazy lover ways~, can only IMAGINE what *show* raynor did to him<3<3<3) as is his submissive sweet bean marshmallow fluffy boi bottom tendencies when he falls in love like literally admits to becky being the first woman on top in the comic HE'S JUST SO FUCKING ADORABLE I--<3<3<3

butt. the boi is also super self destructive by habit for sure. he purposely, consistently, deliberately, bites off WAY fucking moar than he can chew for the explicit purpose of getting his ass handed to him. (literally how he meets becky. is his obvious death wish fucking showing yet)

and with a guy like homie?? he'd definitely *want* it to hurt hella bad and would definitely~ push for fighting turned into fucking... and getting overpowered each time<3

can of course be combined with other ideas~<3

the mud people/supe dilemma and compound V<3<3<3

this is just another canon dropping for both continuities. while not impossible for supes to sleep with humans... it IS portrayed as... *difficult*.

in the comics, it's more specific, but both the show and comic actually give examples of strength disparity being an issue and normal humans getting hurt. mm mentions what happens to the sex workers at herogasm, and that poor writer guy gets his dick snapped off.

the comics take it another step and show us people can and often do use drugs cut with V in order to be able to keep up, so to speak. (the only real thing to mention about v is that it comes in many more different forms in the comic that def could be explored<3)

but going back to the supe/human thing, i would wager that it (obviously) varies for supes for how *difficult* it is to maintain control when with humans. homelander obviously would be the top of that list.

and listen. y'all. i could not be fucking paid to miss an opportunity for the super dick. with great fucking *power* comes great *fucking* power LEMME TELL YA<3<3<3

if i have a chance to write about super dick, i won't miss it BECAUSE~<3

no refractory period~<3

super fucking stamina~<3<3<3

fingers, tongue, and dick can be VIBRATED with superspeed~<3<3<3<3<3<3

this motherfucker is the PERFECT<3 service top.

combined with that diamond shatting flesh destroying clencher atrocity out the back and i--.

ice princess, but worse.

lmao. the superman archetype ALWAYS tops. he just does. he needs to for the sake of his partner. it is a fact of life or you're doin' it wrong cause you have just missed the greatest golden opportunity for one HELL~<3<3<3 of a GOTDAMN GOOD fuckin' time that CANNOT be beat.

legit.

what a terrible tragedy and great disservice to miss out on this, i just... i couldn't. i would literally die. literally.

anywho~<3

"i quit" and early retirement<3<3<3

kinda self explanatory<3 again comes back to comics with them pics but can just deal with billy accusing homie however, whenever. tho the premise once again does come back to he *didn't* do it.

basically, the second the accussation comes out? homie... quits.

for an actual good reason too, or at least an attempt at good. (can just be homie being petty and hurt, works best if his record is spotless otherwise i think but also good if he's being extra extra petulant) but the good reason is him thinking he's lost time and hurt people, and not wanting to hurt anyone else/get to the bottom of things on his own if he doesn't think it was him for whatever reason.

as always lmao, can be tied back to others such as the visceral reactions, or idk, maybe the motherfucker actually has a hobby this time. it goes back to billy having to convince him to help instead<3<3<3

definitely love the world ending option here, maybe yellowstone is about to erupt or something and only homelander can stop it. i have an idea there that i will go into another time just to not add anymore tangents here. same goes for secret identity~<3 since that's more general<3

butt~<3

the other part of this is a homie who quit a long long time ago as soon as the first accusations (from others, not billy) started rolling in and fucked off to live a quiet life. it does tie in back to the clone shenanigans, multiple bad ones or one is fine. but this OG homie is an overpowered beast and--gentle giant<3.

basically, he's calm cause he has his 'girls' (milking animals lmao), a small farm, cabin by a lake, and is living a solitary life in peace as a mountain man (also inspired by starr's obsession with being a mountain man lmao). and maybe he's got hobbies, idk

however... billy, while going after the clone gets badly injured. that's where this mofo steps in. he could handle it then and there or the conflict is saved for later and he just helps billy, but either way, he takes billy back to his cabin and nurses him back to health. existensial crisis ensues~<3

possible fighting with billy demanding he handle the fucking clone if he hasn't and homie just being a... passive neutral bug. do love me the doc manhattan approach<3<3<3

there's something about rebuilding a lost hope superman/super powerful character that just makes me so happy<3

the real homie can also do other things like run a goddamn candy store or somethin, and the secret identity aspect can also def be used, maybe they're neighbors<3

maybe billy's been secretly getting railed by the retired asshole the whole goddamn time~<3<3<3

billy's final evil plan works?? and the "crossed" option<3<3<3

kinda. this one hinges back to comics (obviously, all these prompts are comic inspired lmao) with billy's worst idea ever actually succeeding, sorta, whether he skips to the finish line out of desperation or any of the above reasons or other keep homie alive, he succeeds in changing the landscape of the world.

and it backfires~<3

(tho if ya wanna go real depressing, he could actually succeed and they die in each others arms, do have to throw that one out)

butt anywho~<3 backfiring.

it can either kill all the normal humans, leaving only supes, or change a bunch of humans, kill some, and leave only supes.

it can also cause a legit zombie apocalypse. cause knowing billy... let's just be honest, it would. it absolutely would. and the zombies would function exactly like those in 'crossed' (another work by ennis i am hella interested in but fuck me they are expensive), congrats billy, you fucked the world!

in the 'crossed' crossover (lmao), supes could be immune and billy inadvertently makes homie the last best hope for human survival... and he can be a remarkably shitty one or he can actually be great or gradually learn~<3 but personally, it does seem poetic that billy would inadvertently create billions of what he was allegedly trying to destroy. that is monstrous humans with no humanity.

in a regular dystopia where people just died a lot, classic tropes from a/b/o come into play (arranged mating/population boost/control for butchlander anyone~?) and maybe even homelander being the only one who knows what billy did/tried to do and hiding the now most wanted man on earth (or maybe they do know and billy being an omega is the only thing that saves his life)

as always ideas can be combined goddammit fuck me i am tired this thing took me DAYS and if there is anything i've forgotten or want to add?

i will just make a goddamn part two (do plan for some show inspired ones too~!) or combine it with another set a prompts cause

holy fuck--

[aragarna]

Zorro or Good Omens

For the ask game my dear!

Hello there, my dear old Valley! :)

Sorry it's taken me so long to answer. I *will* answer with a gifset as the "make me choose" game is supposed to be, but that might take even more time because aaaah life. Anyway. So here is why it took me so long:

I actually had to think about that one super hard. It's such a difficult choice to make LOL probably because both shows have characters that resonate quite deeply with me, but regarding different parts of me.

Zorro: I really like the character of Diego, who dedicates his life to help others, is always very considerate and caring and is passionate about trying to make the world a better place. The definition of a Good Guy. I *wish* I had a tenth of his courage and he reminds me to look after others, when it's so easy to get caught up in our own life. So he's someone I understand and look up to.

I guess there's also the struggle to live up to the society's expectations, to his family's expectations, the inability to tell people who he really is. Not that I have a secret identity, but we all, to some degree, wear a mask, hide our true nature and try to live up to people's expectations.

Also the fencing. ;-)

Good Omens: For neither of them you specified which version, but for GO I'll specifically pick the TV show, as I think it resonates a bit more with me. Mostly because it expands Aziraphale and Crowley's characters, and their relationship. As a romantic asexual, I don't often feel represented in fictions. I do get love, I do understand love stories, but I don't get the sex part. Attraction, to me, doesn't translate in wanting to sleep with someone. And given that almost 100% of romances in fiction end in sex, well, there's always a part of those stories that remain foreing. But Aziraphale and Crowley, it's not like that. And I know lots of people do like to add a sex component to the story, but that bit of canon that angels and demons don't have sexual organs (unless they make an effort) is actually important to me. The way I read and feel Aziraphale and Crowley's attraction, it's not physical. They just enjoy each other company. They enjoy that feeling of being together, discussing together, seeing the world different through the other's eyes. They like the world better with the other in it. But they don't sleep together. It's been clearly said that after S1 they carved their own bit of a existence for themselves. They have their phone calls and dates, and Crowley comes to the bookshop, etc... So they *are* in a relationship. It's just not sexual (and I really hope Neil will keep it that way, cause it's important to me)

Also, there's the whole Good vs. Evil, more theological discussion that the show handles really well. I love how it's making fun of all the contradictions of the Bible and the Christian religion. But also how being Good in a complicated world is *hard*. Being Good sometimes requests courage and questioning one's own believes. And standing up to your boss.

And it's hilarious, when it's not heartbreaking. It's silly, in a very absurd British way.

So, there, this is what went all through my head. because of the difference in popularity, I feel like Zorro is more personal. Everyone loves GO. It's all over the internet. There's like a new fic every 20 min or something (actual stats I've seen floating around). So for some reason, it makes me feel depossessed of it. While the Zorro fandom is me and 5 people, 3 of which prefer the 1990 show. But on the other hand, Zorro is an old thing (1919!), and it says a rather "classic" story (he's the spiritual father of all the superheroes, after all), while GO is much more unique and modern. It's an important piece of fiction.

[summer-fun-swim]

Eli had always been different. While most of his friends loved sports or video games after school, he found solace in bizarre rituals that set him apart from the ordinary. It was during one of those idle afternoons in summer when a thought struck him: why not bring the outside world into his otherwise mundane routine? He had always found himself drawn to the idea of being fully dressed in a shower, a quirk that took root in his childhood when he accidentally stumbled upon the unique experience one lazy Saturday afternoon.

That day, in his small, cluttered bathroom, sunlight streamed through the frosted glass, casting playful shadows on the walls. The air was thick with warmth and moisture, creating an inviting atmosphere. Eli had long been aware of the playful sensations that came along with wearing clothes in the shower, a fact that many of his peers did not understand or even consider.

He filled the tub with warm water, adjusted the pressure of the showerhead so that the water cascaded like nature’s own gentle waterfall, and undressed with a small grin decorating his lips. He loved the feeling of the water hitting his skin, but today, he felt particularly adventurous. Instead of shedding his layers, he decided to embrace his boldness and pursue his unconventional urge.

Eli slipped into a white T-shirt that clung to his skin like a second layer, its fabric soft against the heat of the water. With every drop that collided against him, the T-shirt began to exhibit a new character; it grew heavy and saturated, turning slightly translucent where the light caught it. The cotton fibers absorbed the moisture, molding themselves to his form. A sense of excitement coursed through him as he looked at himself in the mirror. It was a curious sight—a young man engulfed in glistening droplets, the fabric clinging to the contours of his body.

Next, he pulled on a pair of navy shorts. They were made of breathable polyester, known to him from accidentally getting them soaked before. They felt lighter when dry but heavy when drenched. The shorts quickly succumbed to the water, quickly transforming from a soft fabric into a second skin, contours highlighting his legs that were toned from years of cycling around town. He turned to admire how the water dripped off the fabric, creating wet trails which shimmered in the ambient light.

As he stood beneath the gentle spray, he felt liberated. Each drop was a gentle push, reminding him how enthralling the world could be when viewed through a different lens. The sensation was surreal—the soft sound of water, the coolness enveloping him, and the astonishing sight of wet clothes accentuating every muscle. Eli couldn’t help but run his fingers down the fabric of his t-shirt, feeling beads of water accumulate and cascade down like grains of sand through an hourglass.

He relished this experience, aware that it seemed peculiar but choosing to embrace it. To him, there was no shame in indulging in such a simple delight; it was his moment to let down his guard, to stop pretending to fit into a mold that never felt right.

Under the pulsating water, Eli grabbed a loofah and squirted out a blob of lavender-scented body wash. Bubbles formed immediately, rolling like tiny marbles against the fabric that now encapsulated him. The rich lather clung to his shirt and shorts, creating a shiny veneer over the absorbent material. As he worked the loofah up and down, he noticed the shirt clung to his body even more tightly, the edges of the hem soaked through and clinging to his hips, while the collar draped widely over one shoulder.

Eli’s imagination roamed free, recounting memories that brought joy to his heart. He daydreamed about undergoing a more grand adventure—like submerging himself in a swimming pool fully dressed or diving into the ocean without a second thought. The water’s rhythmic song calmed his restless spirit, providing a retreat from the outside world that often felt overwhelming.

He was free here, where judgment ceased to exist. The world could think whatever it wanted; he was lost in his own universe. For every drop of water cascading from the showerhead, he felt more childlike and free.

But every splendid escapade eventually needed a conclusion, and that day was no different. His fingertips wrinkled and pruned as the shower continued, and soon the dreamy atmosphere began to shift into practicality. Eli turned off the water, letting the last drops flicker down from the showerhead, creating a soft pitter-patter that was almost melancholic. A sense of serenity washed over him; he had embraced his true self, if only for an afternoon.

As the warm air enveloped him, he stepped cautiously out of the shower and reached for a towel. He glanced at himself in the mirror, marveling at the reflection: water dripped slowly from his clothes, with his t-shirt and shorts glistening like jewels in the soft light. The remnants of the shower adorned him with tiny beads of water that sparkled like stars.

Suddenly, a noise broke the stillness—the sound of footsteps approaching. Eli’s heart raced; he had lost track of time. He hurriedly dried himself off, but a grin danced on his lips as he realized that the exhilaration of his unconventional shower experience would linger long after he had stepped out of the bathroom.

A tap at the door interrupted his thoughts. "Eli! You in there? You’ve been in there for ages!" It was his younger sister, Tara, returning from her escapades in the neighborhood. Her voice was a mix of annoyance and concern.

Eli brushed a hand through his damp hair, letting out a contented sigh. “I’m coming!” he called back, secretly hoping she wouldn’t inquire about the peculiar sight awaiting her outside. As he opened the door, the wave of humid air met her; Tara’s eyes widened suddenly.

“Whoa! What happened to you?” she asked, laughter bubbling up in her tone.

“I just… uh… took a different kind of shower,” Eli replied with a chuckle, already envisioning their upcoming conversation transforming into a playful banter about the magical wonders of enjoying life's quirks.

[linuxgamenews]

Journey Beyond: Uncover the Mysteries Beyond the Edge of the World

Journey Beyond the Edge of the World this deep first-person puzzle adventure game is coming to Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Markus Koepke has crafted something truly unique with this project. Due to make its way onto Steam. Today, I'm diving into something really unique that's caught my eye: Journey Beyond the Edge of the World. This Linux title, crafted by the talented solo dev Markus Koepke, takes us on a gripping first-person puzzle adventure that's about mystery and exploration. Taking place on a fishing trawler in the middle of the ocean, with no clue how you got there or even who you are. Set in the year 1953, the story begins with a decommissioned fishing trawler departing from Hamburg, Northern Germany. This vessel also carries an eclectic mix of characters – fishermen, scientists, artists, and even small-time crooks. They're all led by this enigmatic figure whose motives are as murky as the waters they're sailing. This setting alone promises a story rich in character and suspense. What's interesting about Journey Beyond the Edge of the World is how it blends different elements to create a deep atmosphere. The visual style is a nostalgic nod to the retro era – think low-poly, pixelated aesthetics, but with a modern twist of atmospheric lighting and realistic water simulations. This unique blend gives it a look that's both familiar and fresh.

Journey Beyond the Edge of the World (Game Teaser)

The real standout, though, is the audio. This is a Spatial Audio sound design. Due to bring sounds to life in a three-dimensional space, making it feel like you're right there on the trawler. Even better, it works on any headphones. This attention to auditory detail is also integral to the Journey Beyond the Edge of the World progression. You'll use these sounds to find memories, solve puzzles, and unlock new parts of the story. Speaking of puzzles, each chapter of the story is hidden behind one. Solve the puzzle, unlock the music track, and watch as the ship and its surroundings evolve with the story. It's a clever way to intertwine gameplay with story progression. Markus Koepke, the brain behind this venture, is pretty excited about sharing this with the world. And honestly, so am I. It's not just a game; it's an experience that promises to be both visually and audibly immersive. For anyone who like a deep mystery and enjoys being part of an evolving story, this is something to keep an eye on. Definitely add Journey Beyond the Edge of the World to your wishlist on Steam. Also, don't forget to check out their Discord for updates and sneak peeks. This first-person puzzle adventure is shaping up to be something truly unique and I look forward to seeing more of it! Coming to Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. The release date is TBD.

[btelling]

Hi there! For the ask game - 1: What inspired you to write the fic (The Squib) this way?

Oh yay! Someone asked one!! Hello anon, and thank you! Excellent question, and I'll assume here by "this way" you mean POV, general story structure, and setting etc, but shout again if I don't answer your question. For POV, I wanted something drastically different than my original fiction project which is first person, very short sections, and multi POV. It's a lot of fun but it can be such a headache at times because I get very caught up in not liking to write set-dressing in first person. When I walk into a room I don't think to myself "I walked into the room, the green walls dappled with the weak morning sun, my coffee cup from yesterday forgotten just like the memory of my past lovers, John was the worst. I met him two weeks ago at a bar down the street...." and on and on. So I wanted to get out of that headache and free up the part of my brain that just wanted to GO. Third person close is so lovely for that. You have the freedom to really dive into a character's psyche, but also to comment on that as the author. And to set dress and to shift in time. You have a lot more narrative control. It's a lot easier to move about the space so to speak. And since this is an AU where I need to build a new world, I needed to move easily about the space. And then try as I might I can never move past multi POV truly. Harry to me is the main character in The Squib, he feels like the home base. But I love being able to jump around to other characters if the story wants to, and this one definitely needs to because each character has such a unique relationship with the muggle world that brings such wonderful opportunities for exploring this horrifying new landscape they all find themselves in. I also LOVE, in a story that jumps POVs, exploring who gets the narrative when. And who do we never hear from, and why. So more fun things to come with POV hopefully! It's all stuff I love exploring. For the prologue, that came all out in one draft. One fell swoop. I knew I wanted it to be from this collective POV in a way, of all the muggles watching this broadcast. A play on JK's muggle prime minister chapter if you will. Also another POV I love playing with is collective POVs. They're so fun and it felt really apt here. And a prologue felt like it was really needed, and I think it can work really well in dystopian fiction if used intelligently - I'm thinking about how Atwood has these just stunning almost prologue feeling short openers in Oryx & Crake and Handmaid's Tale or the opening scene in the first episode of The Last of Us -- you get a flavor of the world you're about to sink into and they're just... ugh delicious. But yes, hopefully it's used well here!

For structure/timeline, I love a time jump and then reflecting back on how quickly (or not) the world changed. We all know how JK left the wizarding world, so seeing the shock of that reveal for the reader is so fun, and then having the characters either incredibly used to this horrible new reality (which, that blasé attitude can be so rich and shocking and horrifying, discovering just what new realities characters have grown used to) or having them still continually discovering new horrors, either is so ripe. It's such a great tool for sprinkling in world building details and angsty longing for times past. I think we all got to experience that during the lockdowns. I know I got caught up a lot in the melancholy remembering of how things used to be vs. the stark contrast of where they now were. I live in quite a dense metro area and walking around the once-busy, then absolutely dead streets and seeing the closed shops and restaurants was profoundly shocking. Something Capital B Capital D "Big Deal" is happening. They are ripe for the opportunity to bring in memory, bring in character -- what preoccupies a character's mind, why they keep coming back to THOSE memories or those longings. One of the scenes I love in the first real chapter is when Harry longs/morosely daydreams about how he and Ginny, in another world, could have been building their life and living in their own flat, having their friends and family over for dinners and he dissolves into pulling in, not just characters who are recently missing or dead in The Squib, but who are dead in canon before the events of the story. We know Harry wants to start back the clock, so to speak, and can't accept this current reality (who could) but where would he even start it back from? It's really fun to play with. And setting, one of the spaces I always return to when writing is suburbia. I was raised in just a dreadful suburban town, that started out quite small when I was young and just ballooned into this awful ex-urban sprawl of strip malls and mini mansions and cookie cutter developments and neon and asphalt and unwalkable spaces. Suburbia is angst to me. It's so full of these weird liminal spaces and this frustrated longing and this ill-contented malaise. I always find a way back to it when writing. And the opportunity to force Harry back to Privet Drive? Sorry Harry, it just was too good to pass up. He rejected the muggle world and now the wizarding world or his wizard-ness, the thing that allowed him to escape in the first place, is forcing him back. And I can think of nothing worse than thinking you've escaped your original trauma and being forced back into it again. So yeah, sorry Harry.

Thanks for reading! xx