#for the record I am mercy maining this

[withleeknow]

note: i am back again with my boring smut, courtesy of the Lip Ring Devastation that occurred yesterday (do not look at me).

smut right under the cut. minors dni.

main masterlist / blurb masterlist / ko-fi

minho, who looks like a god, absolutely delectable with a lip ring clasped around his full bottom lip. you don't know whose idea it was to have him adorn that sinful piece of jewelry, but you'd like to thank your lucky stars that they put it on him.

minho, who's running purely on adrenaline and always reaches for you in times like these to help him release his excessive energy, and you're always eager to help (especially when he looks like sex on legs).

minho, who grabs your waist the second he enters your shared hotel room and kisses you breathlessly with the lip ring still on. in his haste, he doesn't seem to remember that it's still there, but you'd gasp at the unfamiliar sensation, a little weird at first but you'd quickly find yourself with your thighs pressed together desperately, holding him closer by the nape of his neck so you could suck on his bottom lip, tracing the dainty jewelry with your tongue.

minho, who's got your clothes - and his - off in record time and crawls between your open legs until his face is level with your core, licking his lip in anticipation only to be reminded that the ring is still cuffed on his mouth. when he goes to remove it, you'd stop him with a hand on his shoulder, clenching around nothing when the metal catches the dim light emanating from the lamp on the bedside table. "keep it on," you'd say, and he'd be a little surprised at first, but then a cocky look would find its way onto his face. he certainly has no qualms about it as long as you want it.

minho, who eats you like a man starved, licking into you just the way you like, teasing your slippery clit with the tip of his tongue while his fingers scissor in and out of you. you'd pull on his hair and grind against his face, but it's not until he languidly kisses your bundle of nerves that you keen out a particular noise that he seldom hears. the coolness of the jewelry on his lip feels heavenly in contrast with his hot mouth, makes the pleasure skyrocket throughout your entire body.

minho, who does it again just to test your reaction, and is delighted when the same sound involuntarily drawls from your lips. it turns him on so much that it's almost painful, that it makes him rut into the sheets to alleviate some of the throbbing pressure.

minho, whose smirk you can feel against you where he makes a show of pressing his lips to your cunt, sliding the ring through your folds and to your clit repeatedly, dead set on making you come as hard as he can.

minho, who wears the proudest look on his face after you've squirted all over him, and kisses you deeply afterward so you could suck on his bottom lip and taste yourself on the lip ring where it's coated in your essence.

minho, who pounds you into the mattress without mercy for hours that night, and every time he kisses you, you would clench around his length impossibly hard as you outline the ring with your tongue; who makes a mental note to take the jewelry with him before the two of you go back home.

[awakeskydoesntdraw]

Posting in this blog after an eternity because I feel like I'm going insane here and my friends are asleep so I need to dump my brainstorm SOMEWHERE (SPOILERS FOR ARLECCHINO'S BACKSTORY/SHORT ANIMATION!!)

The TLDR is basically I think that the whole story with Arlecchino and Clervie is foreshadowing for whatever is about to happen with Lyney and Lynette

I think the parallels between Lyney and Arle don't need to be too explained for the most part. Pyro Visions, Arle wants him to be the next "king" while he doesn't seem to be too into that idea just like her younger self didn't want it, both are associated with Rainbow Roses (they both use them as ascension materials)

Plus, I'd argue they look kinda similar here. I'm not sure exactly what is that makes the resemblance, maybe a bit of the hair, bowtie and shorts and you could say it's something she has with the others too (her kid design resembles Freminet, current one Lynette) but I thought it was good to mention anyways

Meanwhile, Lynette and Clervie are the two closest companions to their respective pair

Lynette's has Lumidouce Bells as an ascension material. Clervie is very clearly represented with the same flower (if her necklace wasn't enough, there's this)

Plus, a bit of a smaller connection, but they both have clear sweet tooths

(Lyney saying "we talked about this" implies this is a frequent event. The animation showing Clervie with cake twice while it only had 7 minutes to tell the whole story has a similar effect)

So, if Lyney is a parallel to Arle while Lynette is a parallel to Clervie, where does this leave us?

Well... Not exactly in a good spot-

To be fair, I don't think Genshin would actually kill a playable character (or at least, so I hope), but it's very possible Lynette gets really hurt, either directly by Lyney or by being close to him

Arlecchino swore to be nothing like her mother, but in the end, the way she's acting towards Lyney by wanting to make him the next king may be very similar to it

Once upon a story quest, Lyney said similar words to a woman who claimed he'd end up all alone. I can only pray that the writers will have mercy at my soul and that they wouldn't go that low with a playable character

If I were to make a mildly self indulgent guess, as the Freminet main I am, I'd say that he may be the key that's going to make things turn out different for the twins. His presence is the biggest difference between the twins vs Arle and Clervie, who seemed to have no one else that was even mildly close to them. From the 4.6 trailer we know that he's the one that has been hiding stuff and we do see him blocking out Arle's attack, so I don't think it's a stretch to say he'll have a really important role in this whole thing

So yeah! If you read all my rambling, thanks I guess, hope you enjoyed it. In the end, all I can hope is that the Fontaine siblings all turn out fine for the sake of my own mental wellness because God knows these 3 stay all day spinning in my head as if it was a microwave

Also, for the record: No, I don't have a clue about what the hell is going on with Freminet apparently finding "Clervie" (ghost?? Illusion??) and hiding her from Arle. Until this short my best shot was that she was some sort of mermaid creature, but that idea is out the window so it could be anything really

[powerbottomblake]

listen I know we're all in BEE'S KISS LOCKDOWN right now but I am also going slightly insane about how jaune is the rusted knight, jaune who's joined Beacon to be a hero and a legend, who's undergone so much growth to then fully realize in v5 how he's not meant to be the "main character" or lead with power, but leading through being the best support, achieving that leadership role and the crowning of it is that he spends twenty years in an alternate dimension and literally becomes one of the origin points of the mythos of knighthood in remnant, becoming a fairytale's ideal knight and the very kind of legend he sought out to become when he first falsified his records to get into Beacon, and he gets it after the most harrowing sequence of events, two kingdoms falling and losing a lover then mercy killing a friend and stewing in rage and guilt for 20 yrs in an alternate dimension. he did it! he became the Knight but god at what cost

[illvmiimoved]

Just Helping You Sleep.

Miguel O’Hara x AFAB reader (GN pronouns)

TAGS/INCLUDED: Lactation (not really nsfw though) * Dad!Miguel * Miguel is super smitten * if he’s Spider-Man is up to you * fluff * au where he had Gabriella normally so she isn’t literally dead

A/N: this is my first ever tumblr post so please have mercy LOL. What a first post am I right gang? Anyways happy reading ❤️

New account cause I screwed up 😭

Miguel has had one thing on his mind lately.

Your tits.

It was weird as hell, considering the situation, but it was true. He couldn’t get those damn things out of his head no matter how hard he tried.

He’d be busy at work, then boom. Titty thoughts.

You’d had his baby recently, which didn’t help (and was also the cause of the recent boob thought influxes). The baby was a beautiful girl and light of Miguel’s life, Gabriella.

You were breastfeeding Gabri, which was the main cause. You not only exposed them more often, but it also made your boobs larger than they were originally.

Miguel was honestly pretty ashamed of getting horny of you merely feeding your child, but here he was.

One day, Miguel was sitting on the couch, watching the news with a beer in one hand and Gabriella in the other. She was snug against him and content, ‘till she began crying.

You had raced over to get her, cooing things like “Oh no, what’s wrong, baby?” And “Are Papa’s stupid news stories boring you to tears, my poor thing?”

You swooped the little girl from his arms, and popped your shirt open in record time to feed her. Miguel nearly dropped his beer.

You noticed his staring and asked if he was alright, and he just said something akin to “Yeah, Gabi’s just so cute when she eats.” Which was true, just not the reason he was staring so intently.

The second a drop of milk dribbled down your boob and down towards your torso, Miguel began to sweat in his wife-beater and had to literally leave the room.

Miguel has caught himself having extremely weird thoughts as of late. A lot of the time, he realizes he’s actually envious of his 3 month old daughter for being able to be that up close and personal with your chest.

Another one is when that drip of milk dribbled down your chest, he had to actually stop himself from swiping a finger under it to catch it on the pad of his finger, and taste it.

He had absolutely no idea what was happening.

He currently was sat on yours and his shared bed, doing some work on his iPad. His glasses were sliding down the bridge of his nose, so he pushes them up. You walk in from just finally getting your daughter down, palming your boobs uncomfortably and looking around the room.

He looks up from his tablet, “What’s wrong, querido?”

“I can’t find that stupid breast pump, and Gabriella didn’t empty me before she fell asleep. It fuckin’ hurts.”

He saves his work before shutting his tablet off, getting up from his spot to help you look around for the pump to alleviate your pain.

You sigh exhaustedly, “I swear to god if it’s in her room and I have to go in there and risk waking her up-“

Miguel sits back on the bed when he can’t find it and for some reason, his mind decided that yeah, this was a great thing to blurt out;

“Do you want me to help?”

You stop what you’re doing and turn to look at him comically slowly. You stare at him, “Eh?”

Miguel pales in the face when he realizes what he actually just fucking said, what he suggested.

“I just meant- uhm- Amor I didn’t mean-“

He shut up before he could make things worse than he already had.

You walk over and sit on the edge of the bed, staring at him, “Did you… are you suggesting you drink me dry?”

Miguel lets out a loud groan, “Don’t say it like that, cariño!” He covers his face with his hands.

You just snicker and crawl up to your spot on the bed. You shrug, “We can give it a shot. I don’t see why not. I won’t be able to sleep like this.”

“Are you serious?” He whips his head up to stare at you. His gaze only grows more shocked when you slip your shirt off, over your head.

You lean back and rest your head on the pillow. Miguel could see you really were tired, so he decided to just dive right in, crude as that sounds.

He leant down and latched on, and hoooolllllyyy shit man. It felt so good. It was unbelievable. He’d fantasized about this for weeks on end, and it was finally happening.

Hell, the milk was perfect too. It was in his top 5 beverages for sure. Not because it was from his beautiful and lovely spouse who he loves more than anything, his beautiful and lovely spouse who could breathe and he would propose to you all over again.

You let out a long breath from the relief and tangle your fingers in his hair. He lets out a low groan at the action.

He reaches one of his hands up to squeeze at the breast he wasn’t sucking, and it fucking dribbled out milk. He could have came on the spot. He immediately unlatched from you to catch it on his tongue.

He switches to the other breast, pretty confident he had emptied your other one. He lets out a loud groan against you when you tug his hair slightly. You let out a sigh yourself. It was super pleasant, having a big hunky man sucking you dry.

Miguel kept on working, focused on mostly helping you get to sleep. Sure he was getting unbelievably horny, but he knew you really just wanted your rest. Having a tiny baby who clung to you like Gabriella did was exhausting.

He pulls back and uses his big hands to feel your breasts, making sure they’re empty enough to let you get some comfortable sleep. Once he’s sure they are, he looks up at you with a lovey dovey smile. You hold back a snicker as you raise a thumb to wipe away the remaining milk around his mouth.

“All better?” He asks. You could feel his excitement pressed up against you under the covers and he noticed. He shook his head and pressed a kiss to your forehead, “Don’t worry about it, Hermosa. It’ll go away. Just get your sleep, Mhm?”

You nod sleepily and cuddle against his side. He lets your head rest on his shoulder as he pulls the cover over both of you.

He looks at you with the sweetest gaze, “You’re so beautiful.”

You smile tiredly at him and press a kiss to his cheek, then lay your head back on his shoulder. You felt yourself drifting off to sleep, not as uncomfortable as before.

He mumbles,

“You will let me do that during sex though, right?”

You burst out in giggles, nodding and kissing him.

A/N: this was my first tumblr post ever so please give feedback if you want!! Thanks so much for reading ❤️

+ I did use spanishdict for the Spanish nicknames Miguel used, please lmk if I used them wrong or anything so I can fix them !

(the normal shit, don’t copy or redistribute this pretty please)

[cosmicseafoam]

Randy Moore on the Sunken Teeth Co live part2

part 1 about the drop here

These wont be super in order as I'm gonna try to group them

Dividers by @wrathofrats

He's in the middle of making a record so new music soon-ish

It's not a new band, he says this is a "Randy record"

It's being produced by his friend Henry Chadwick

They'll be in the studio this weekend to record more stuff

.

Someone said "I hope you're taking care of the Mothman enamel pin I gave you" and he said he transferred it from his jacket to a pin board in his room to keep it safe so he doesn't lose it

"Do you still have the Sunken Teeth Bracelet I gave you at the SLC show?" he said "Yes I do! Anything that anybody has ever given me, I still have and I cherish cherish cherish everything that people take the time to hand me and make. 🙏🏻 I'm very appreciative. You guys are awesome"

He was fucking around a bit with a delay to make voice effects and said "I'm just trying to add some production value, y'know, just a little something, know what I'm saying?"

At one point he did something with the delay pedal and then said "never mind that was dumb and I've embarrassed myself"

He's excited to see the new Nosferatu

He doesn't have a dog but wishes he did

He's from the Bay Area

He drinks sparkling water

He's been watching The Sopranos for the first time (he's on s6)

He hasn't seen Twin Peaks

He hasn't gone to Spirit Halloween yet because he thinks he should wait for Lucy to get back from tour so they can go together

He hasn't watched Longlegs because he's "been busy doing stuff"

He's playing with Sweet Gloom in Santa Ana and San Diego on the 9th and 10th of August

He hasn't watched Over The Garden Wall

He really liked the Danzig dance scene in Abigail

If he was to get a Nightmare Before Christmas tattoo it would be of the masks that the three kids wear to represent him and his siblings

Someone said bring the 'stash back, he said "I don't think so"

He hasn't been to a Rocky Horror shadow cast and the thought scares him cause he doesn't want people to touch him while he's watching the movie

Someone asked which chipmunk he is, he said his sister Alyssa dubbed him Simon, herself Alvin, and their brother as Theodore.

He's not doing any overseas gigs any time soon

He said he's trying to recharge creatively and physically

He's an Aries

He uses the Ernie Ball regular slinky 10-46 guitar strings in the green pack

Someone asked if he plays mermaids he said "of course"

If he was a muppet he'd be "The Count. Obviously"

He has not listened to BRAT

He mains Dry Bones on Mario Cart

He likes Halloween because he thinks the weather is nicer, he likes sweater weather

He's never watched Baywatch

He gets scared of walk-through haunted houses

He is not going on the next Alkaline Trio tour

He likes Sisters Of Mercy

He has 10 or 11 guitars

He's been playing guitar since he was 11 or 12.

He takes his coffee with lots of sugar but Lucy drinks hers black which he "could never"

He doesn't know what he's gonna be for Halloween

He's not watching IWTV

He wants to visit Salem and the cemeteries in New Orleans

He has paper bats strung up on his shelf and he said "The bats keep my record collection safe. From... the sun! Idk."

He hasn't watched the new Deadpool movie

He likes The Shining

.

"I'm a real vampire, it's confirmed"

"I can fit in your pocket. I can get in there, for sure. IIIIIII can get in that pocket"

Someone asked how tall he is and between questions he said "I'm 6 feet tall", "I'm LIKE 6 feet. I don't know what I am, I haven't measured myself since I was 12 so who cares", "I'm like 6ft on a good day. People shrink, fluctuate. Who cares. Who cares about anything", "Yeah I'm like 6 feet on a good day, it's not that big of a deal. 6 feet is like NOT that tall. Maybe? I don't know", "I'm ACTUALLY 7 feet tall. Let that be the takeaway from this." and finally "I'm two bats tall."

Someone in the chat said "Basically 6ft is not 6ft, why do men lie?" and he responded "I'm sorry. I'm just- I'm just a boy"

Favourites:

Vampire movie: The Lost Boys, he later mentions it was filmed in Santa Cruz which is close to where he lives and he hangs out at the bridge sometimes

Beatles song right now is "I'm looking through you"

Chappell Roan song: Red Wine Supernova

BoyGenius song: "probably Satanist" but he really likes the first EP a lot

The Strokes song: either The Adults Are Talking or Last Nite

Cryptid: Mothman

Newer horror movie: Nope by Jordan Peele

Tattoo of his: ballerina on a tightrope or the crocodile underneath her

He owns a first pressing of Goddammit by Alkaline Trio and it's his favourite record of all time

Someone asked him to rate the 1990s ninja turtle movie out of 100 and he said "It's probably 100, it's maybe my favourite movie"

He can't pick between Creature Of The Black Lagoon and Dracula, they're his two favourites from the Universal monsters

Dogs or cats? "Dogs"

Metallica album: Master Of Puppets

Misfits song: Night Of The Living Dead or "Astro Zombies is always a favourite" and he did specify Danzig Misfits

Spirit World song: ULCER

Dracula: Bela Lugosi

System Of A Down song: Toxicity

Guitar model: Fender Jaguar

Dead Kennedys song: Kill The Poor. He said Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables is his favourite DK record.

He likes MCR, his fav album is Three Cheers and fav song is I'm Not Okay

Fall Out Boy song: Dance Dance

Fav song EVER: Sleepwalk by Santo & Johnny

Animal: Bats. No specifics, he said "I like 'em all!"

Alkaline Trio song from the new album: Shake With Me

Halloween candy: the pumpkin reeses cups

Concert: He saw Green Day do a secret show at Gilman Street which is a really small DIY venue

Thing about touring: he likes to see the friends he's made over the years cause he doesn't get to see them often

White Claw: Raspberry. He doesn't like Black Cherry so he gives those to Lucy

Cemetery he's visited: Hollywood Forever

AFI song: Fall Children

Zombie Film: Night Of The Living Dead

Horror movie actor: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee

Pokemon: he's a Charmander guy

Place to travel: "My bed. I love sleeping"

Food: Pizza. He said he's a pineapple on pizza guy.

Liv was in the chat and ask for a toy shelf tour

Pee-wee Dracula painted by Matt Skiba, given to Randy as a gift

He has a Green Day tour poster from when Dog Party (his gf Lucy’s band) opened for them and he said “super proud of Lucy, she’s the best”

Funkos: Rivers Cuomo, Dracula (which the lady at walgreens didn't charge him for), and Twenty One pilots but he's trying to get rid of his funko pops

He’s trying not to collect things anymore

Kiss Alive figures

Ozzy bark at the moon werewolf eating a mini brand ball taco

Ninja turtles 1990 movie figures

Fake ninja turtles ice cream

Alkaline trio Campbell soup cans from the my shame is true record

Metallica figurine setup

He thinks he has about 500 records on his shelf

Someone asked for a tattoo tour and he said "that would take too long" but he did show off his arm and speed run through some of them.

tooth

flower

moth

birds

crystal ball

rose through a heart

ballerina + crocodile

bats

skeleton

panther

scorpion

His first tattoo was a mermaid on an anchor on his upper arm. Her tail is "seafoam green" which he said is his favourite colour.

Most of his tattoos are in a traditional style, but he said he's "got some crazier ones" on his leg.

Ones he didn't specifically mention but that I've seen from photos:

a broken arrow

an astronaut lady

bats on his collarbones

portrait of a lady on the back of his arm

a few random roses scattered around

a large flower on his elbow

(what looks like) a rose inside a diamond with a straight razor underneath

(what looks like) a mummy/wrapped sarcophogus

Legs:

dagger and rose

Elvis TCB lightning bolt

a small flower with a smiley face in the center

creature from the black lagoon

[scotianostra]

The Construction of Rosslyn chapel began on 20th September 1456.

Properly known as the Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew in the village of Roslin, Midlothian, this is just a couple of miles from where I grew up.

The building of the chapel is sometimes incorrectly given as ten years before, but that date comes from the chapel’s receiving its founding charter from Rome.

We are very lucky that Rosslyn Chapel remains intact, as we see it today, you only have to look around Scotland at the ruins of our Abbeys destroyed during the Reformation, Rosslyn was closed from around 1560,The chapel’s altars were destroyed in 1592 but the main structure is thought to have survived and any real damage was avoided.

The chapel was built by The Sinclair family and has been linked with the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, that’s the Knights Templar to you and I, the order was disbanded around 150 years before construction but symbols, such as the “Two riders on a single horse” that appear on the Seal of the Knights Templar, can be found on the building.

Rosslyn Chapel was constructed almost entirely in stone, with no structural timber except within the much later Victorian baptistery added to the west end of the chapel. The chapel is thought to be only part of what was intended to be a much larger church, and it exhibits immense historic, architectural and cultural value. The extent of carved stonework both internally and externally makes this little chapel truly unique. Though incomplete, it took around 40 years to build, and has the largest number of Green Man carvings of any medieval chapel in Europe.

The carvings of the chapel have been the subject of much speculation and conjecture, as Christian symbolism and other references are interspersed throughout the building. In 1630, Sir William Sinclair of Rosslyn was granted the charters from the Masons of Scotland, which confirms that the St Clairs were traditional Grand Masters of the Masons of Scotland. Accordingly, Rosslyn Chapel is of considerable interest to Masonic groups. Other carvings at Rosslyn Chapel are of religious, natural, or decorative nature, such as the Apprentice Pillar and the Seven Acts of Mercy panel.

Following the Reformation, services stopped being held in 1592 and did not begin again until the Chapel was re-dedicated in Victorian times.

Oliver Cromwell had his men stable their horses in the chapel in 1650 when he and General George Monck conquered nearby Roslin Castle.

Queen Victoria visited the site during her reign and was instrumental in restoring the Chapel to it’s original state for worship according to Protestant rites of the Scottish Episcopal Church and was re-dedicated as a place of worship on 22nd April 1862

I remember my mum talking about the Apprentice Pillar and how there was speculation that The Holy Grail is possibly encased within it, she talked about this in the 1970′s, about 30 years before the Chapel became more famous due to Dan Brown’s novel and film The Da Vinci Code.

I got the majority of the pics from the Alamy website, they date from the mid 19the century, some are from around 1852 while the one with the two figures walking through the church is from a book printed in 1859. Note most of these are before Queen Victoria's visit, so it shows the building was still in a good state of repair then. The top pic is from John Slezer's 'Theatrum Scotiae' is an important record of Scottish towns, castles and palaces in the 17th century. For most of these places, it contains some of the earliest views that survive. The first edition was 1693 so I think I am safe in saying it is the oldest depiction of Rosslyn Chapel.

Theatrum Scotiae also included written information on the drawings featured, the noted Scottish physician and antiquarian Robert Sibbald wrote;

Rosslyn Chapel

To the Right Honourable GEORGE Earl of Caithness, Lord Biridall, &c.

Roslin Chapel

This Chapel lies in Mid-Lothian, Four Miles from Edinburgh, and is one of the most curious Pieces of Workman-ship in Europe. The Foundation of this rare Building was laid Anno 1440 by William St Clair, Prince of Orkney, Duke of Holdenburgh, &c. A Man as considerable for the publick Works which he erected, as for the Lands which he possess'd, and the Honours which were conferred upon him by several of the greatest Princes of Europe. It is remarkable that in all this Work there are not two Cuts of one fort. The most curious Part of the Building is the Vault of the Quire, and that which is called the Prince's Pillar so much talk'd of. This Chapel was possess'd by a Provost, and Seven Cannons Regular, who were endued with several considerable Revenues through the Liberality of the Lairds of Roslin.

Here lies buried George Earl of Caithness, who lived about the Beginning of the Reformation, Alexander Earl of Sutherland, great Grand-Child to King Robert de Bruce, Three Earls of Orkney, and Nine Barons of Roslin.

The last lay in a Vault, so dry that their Bodies have been found intire after Fourscore Years, and as fresh as when they were first buried. There goes a Tradition, That before the Death of any of the Family of Roslin, this Chapel appears all in Fire.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

June 2023 Wk 2

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Step By Step (Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - I really adore the family/household dynamics in this show. All the relationships between siblings are so well executed. All the tension and sub text and covert glances in the first “modeling” sequence was so good. I really want to watch the BL within this BL. Bruce is THE BEST. Jeng shutting down everyone with a cool few words is genius (especially given the curt sharp flat way he speaks Thai). Why does nobody have parasols or sun hats or sunshades or sunglasses or anything? I’m actually not mad about seeing an attempted reunion with the ex, bc we are getting to see both that (and how) they once were good together, and also the cracks that drove them apart (and will not allow them to ultimately be together a 2nd time around). I do feel sorry for Jeng, he moved too slowly and lost the 1st round. The captions were not good in the trunk seen, but trust me it was totally hilarious. 

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 7 of 10 - I finally figured out why I am so tense around this show. In openly taking to task and challenging the soulmates trope, this narrative is telling viewers not to trust it’s core trope - which means we cannot trust the main couple to end happily, nor can we trust those characters who believe most strongly in fated mates (Pat & Mai). This means I, personally, not only can’t rely on an HEA but (as someone who also does not believe in soulmates) I am not entirely sure I even WANT an HEA. This has NEVER happened to me before. It makes me uncomfortable because that’s a core part of my identify with these shows. I mean, good job La Pluie, but also.... huh. Back to this ep: Uh oh. The crush is obvious and the soulmate knows what’s up now. The sex scene twist was v interesting, v gay, and v unusual in a BL. Unfortunately it’s still a BL so the faen fatal just HAD to appear. Will there ever be one out of Thailand where this trope doesn’t show up? Next week is the tried & true uke damsels off into the woods alone. Sigh. 

Our Skyy 2 (Bad Buddy & 1k*) eps 12-16fin - Jimmy, baby, why so hot in an engineering smock? Please have mercy. Aw, Marc is back in yet ANOTHER BL. Definitely the current record holder for most BLs at any one time. (His filming schedule must’ve been insane at the beginning of this year!) PatPran are still great, and their eps this had me hooting with laughter (startling the cat). I forgot how much I enjoyed this show and cast. (Ohm looks great with longer hair, but also he’s lost a lot of weight. I hope he’s OK.) OhmNanon give pitch perfect LTR energy. Throwing EarthMix into the, erm, mix is fun if awkward. NO SINGING. 2 damsels in the forest! Also PatPran = geniuses at mock fighting. So much flirting. It was all quite adorbs. But me-thinks Chief & Tian have been eating moonlight chicken. Full review below. 

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 3 of 10? - was enjoying it up until the last bit, why so digusted by smooches? Bad GMMTV no green tea for you. Trash watch here! Rollercoaster about to go DOWWNNNN. 

Luminous Solution (Sat Gaga) ep 3 of 6 - I still only like the high school characters + Dome (WHY so gorgeous?). Is he a magical spirit too? Also, the subs were well off kilter. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 10 fin - God they’re so cute. This show used the manga as a storyboard, so I knew the “crisis of faith over possibility of loss” would happen. Still in live action this felt tonally off. While understandable given Yutaka’s character, and ultimately particularly important for the dad and a relationship with the family, I don’t know we needed it in this BL. The book does have a better ending second scene, but it wouldn’t be possible to do it on screen easily. Ultimately, this show had a simple, touching, quiet end to it. That’s very like the show as a whole. I did love it - it’s been top of my list all along. Full review after the special airs. 

Love Tractor (Korea Weds iQIYI) eps 1-2 of 8 - I LOVE IT SO MUCH. IT IS EVERYTHING. SHUT UP I AM FERRIL FOR THE BEAUTIFUL CITY BOY AND THE YOUNG FARMER. Come on. Korea. SRS? Plus some language play? I just go die now. 

Star Struck (Korea iQIYI & Gaga) ep 7-8 fin - Man this was a difficult show for me. I know we’re supposed to identify with HanJoon but I really felt for YooJae. I’ve been in his position more often than I care to count, and it’s terrible to lose a friend because they caught feelings and you did not. It’s an awful thing to hold a friendship hostage on condition of a romantic relationship. Especially if the other person is not sexually interested in you! All that said, the boyfriend ep was okay. Not sure I believed in this relationship, but it was cute enough. The final ep was (how do I put this?) a loser. We spent a lot of time with terrible home lives and then a semi happy for now final scene? Whatever. Full review below. 

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) ep 6 of 12 - somehow I keep missing this one, I’ll catch it next week. 

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 9 of 12 - I think the Taiwanese boss is my favorite character. Japan rarely (if ever ) trots out the faen fatal trope. I mean I named it with a Thai word for a reason, it’s not from origin yaoi at all. Yet still there she is. Sigh. This show. 

Stupid Genius (Vietnam Fri YouTube) ep 1 of 6 - RL Studio (Stupid Boys Stupid Love) bringing us yet another high school set VBL. It’s actually not bad. I see a lot of common faces whom I’ve enjoyed in past VBLs. 

It’s Airing But ...

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

Stay (Pinoy YouTube) 7 eps - It’s mostly in English and set in LA so I’m not bothering but the first one did drop.

Ever After (Pinoy ????) - I got nothing. 

Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (Japan Sun ????) 10 eps - NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS and no, I have no idea where to get it, why would I? (Say it with me everyone: Oh Japan, must you?*)

Boys Love Omegaverse (Japan ????) - honestly tho? Who tf cares? You’ll still tell me if you find it, because inquiring minds... Irony of this airing at the same time as Takumi-kun. Full circle much, Japan? 

Tin Tem Jai Special (Thai ????) - honestly I checked Gaga & iQiyi in my territory (craptastic hotel) and neither had it listed so I quickly gave up. I mean OF COURSE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE Lee Long Shi in a bathtub, who wouldn’t? But... 

Just because I didn’t watch the special doesn’t mean I can’t gank Lee Long Shi wearing nothing but soap bubbles for you. 

I’m not a monster. 

Ended This Week 

Our Skyy 2 final 4 eps thoughts: This was an interesting combination, and don’t get me wrong I very much enjoyed it, but it felt like the story was carried by PatPran’s characters while the setting and narrative followed an ATOTS arc - ultimately disjointed. OhmNanon are so bold and vibrant they’re too stark a tonal contrast to EarthMix’s more refined and elegant approach, so for me the screen presences and the style of story clashed. It was like a bouquet made up of tulips & roses: they are both flowers and they’re both pretty, but I feel like they actually belong in different vases. Still, enjoyable. And I got a crying kiss. Always makes me happy. Definitely the best of this bunch, and probably the best Our Skyy (and I genuinely loved both the NLMG historical installment and SOTUS.) 8/10 

Star Struck. A friends to lovers story that felt more friends to tolerant yet disinterested partner. It was more about challenges with parents and class strife. I would’ve been disappointed if the show hadn’t come out of nowhere so I had no expectations. But as KBLs go, don’t bother. 6/10 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting:

6/15 Tokyo in April AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Gaga) 8 eps - Based on a yaoi, this is a reunion romance that takes place in an office. Japan does Our Dating Sim? Yes please.

Still Coming - June 2023

6/22 About Us but Not About Us (Pinoy movie from 2022 on Prime) - A professor grieving the loss of his partner meets an ambitious literature student.

6/24 Why You (Khmer BL ????) - Billed as a horror romance, not sure if this is a movie or a series where it will air... nothing except that it exists.

6/24 Tie The Knot AKA Under the Same Sky (Pinoy movie on Prime) Trailer - I guess Prime is coming for our Pinoy BL? From OXIN Films (Rainbow Prince), announced for 2022 based on a true story, Briggs's family runs a bridal business but he has never had a chance to fall in love until he meets Shao, a groom to be.

6/25 Dinosaur Love (Thai iQIYI) Trailer 5 eps - from Ultimate Troop about a uni student, Rak, whose partner cheats on him with Rak's best friend. This gives bad boy hazer Dino an opportunity to hit on Rak at last. From The Yearbook people so I will not watch this as it airs. After Remember Me? Never again with them.

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Bruce is so damn fantastic in this show.

Consent comes in all different forms. (both Step by Step) 

Fight fight fight!

Sex sex sex blow job! (both La Pluie) 

Smartest boy in the show. 

Not enough InkPa... never enough. Never never never! 

Love the suit.

All from the Our Skyy 2 BB + ATOTS cross over. 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? IVE’s I Am

[the-pen-pot]

Fangirling on chapter 40

'Mercy?' Lord Berhart managed, sounding strained. 'Your Highness, you have left him with nothing.'

'I have left him with his life. It is more than my father would have offered in my place, considering the nature of Vernell's crimes.' 

I can totally get that, even without seeing the whole show (I did see some snippets of Uther and recognised Giles from Buffy, the vampire slayer, that was a nice surprise.)

'Tom's still alive?'

Arthur inclined his head, aware that more than one councillor had taken notice of their conversation. He smoothed his face into an impassive mask and noticed that Merlin had done the same, erasing his shock. It itched at him, all the little differences they kept stumbling across. He wanted to find out what had happened to Tom in Merlin's world, just like he longed to hear about the scars that no longer stained Merlin's skin and the stories behind them.

It was not an idle curiosity, but a burning desire to understand more about this version of Merlin. The intensity of Arthur's own longing almost took his breath away. He wished to know him – everything that made him different and all the little ways in which he was still the same – but once again he told himself that now was not the time.

You know, it must be super fun for fans of the show to notice all the little (or/and big) changes in this story and this version of Camelot. It probably gives it an extra layer of meaning and in some instances delight or agony.... I am coming in rather blind (apart from the 'how long have you being training to be prat, my Lord', I haven't seen a lot more beyond that. I do know what the main characters look like and I also know that Morgana turned evil in the series. (She's that stunning actress Katie McGrath! 😍) But for me it's a whole new world and a whole new story and I'm really enjoying it!

'Would you then like to explain how you made a large sum of money selling grain across the border to Mercia?' Morgana arched an eyebrow as he spluttered. 'No? Then maybe you can tell the council why there is no evidence of a fire, nor any recorded births whatsoever among your working populace in the past five years?'

Arthur settled back in his seat as the Lord rambled through long-winded, meaningless excuses. Morgana's expression did not falter, but she emanated an air of icy disdain until Fennis' voice dried up like a stream in summer.

'Yours is not the only estate with inconsistencies,' she added at last, picking up the sheaf of papers and placing them in front of Arthur. 'Obviously, this is a matter requiring urgent investigation. For the sake of Camelot.'

OH! Morgana is so damn good! She is not taking any prisoners for sure! Those Lord's their lives will totally change for sure and they can all feel it now! I bet some of them won't sleep well from now on... Oh, being called out on their greed! I love it!

That's what I like about your stories, they are 'fully filled' stories. As in, it's not just about the main pair, it's not just about the romance or the leading up to the first kiss... It's about Everything in that world and with the people inside it.

'Neither your mother nor I truly knew the price, but it was not I alone who approached Nimueh for help. Your mother... She wanted to do her duty – to provide Camelot with an heir. It drove her every waking moment, and I could not deny her. When you finally flourished inside her, she was the happiest I had ever seen.'

As if, I don't believe him for one moment. From what I've read in the story so far he is the kind of man who totally knew what would happen and decided to do it anyway. 😡

He sucked in a deep breath, leaning forward to brace his hand on the back of Uther's chair. His position was awkward, but he did not care. He needed to look into those eyes and see realisation's dawn. 'Besides, if you knew you would lose your beloved queen to your quest for an heir, would you have stayed your hand, or would your ambition have outweighed your love for her?'

'How dare you!'

'Was I worth it, or not?'

Oh no, that must be one of the worst pains out there... knowing your parents don't think you are worthy, knowing they don't love you unconditionally, knowing you dissapoint them on an almost daily basis. Thank god Arthur as a close group of friends to counter all that poison.

'All right.' He glanced around the forge, taking in the frightened faces. 'Everyone out. We don't know what will happen. It could still go wrong, and if it does...' He didn't finish. They understood, but that didn't mean anyone was happy about it.

I love how they all would jump into the fire for each other and how they all worry so deeply for one another. Even over the smallest cut or bruise. Sometimes it's a bit funny, how they can 'overreact', specially Arthur and Merlin about each other. But at the same time it's precious and amazing and just warms my heart.

Oh wow, the ending of this chapter. I don't want to include the line because I don't want to spoiler it for future readers (alhought maybe I already did for some parts of the story?!) but I had no idea that was even possible?!

🤣 Knowing the same actor was Giles and Uther was a real experience. I adore Giles. uther? Not so much. And Katie McGrath is stunning!

I liek to think it's one of those fics where if you now the show, there's little easter eggs and things, but if you don't it's still enjoyable. You certainly seem to be loving it, which is brilliant 🥰

Thanks so much, as always, lovely!

(For those who want to try it out, Hiraeth is here)

[feraliminal]

Actual episode 70 discussion before I vanish back into the aether to do coursework:

Obligatory meta bit: I’m in the process of reading Interaction Ritual Chains for a draft thesis chapter (which I need to be writing now) and just happened to be halfway through reading the section on remote/virtual rituals when the episode dropped. The book includes stuff like sports events and concerts as rituals, defined as community-building events where people share an experience and get meaningful symbols and stories out of it. But it has a whole section on why this needs to be in-person. I’ve never really done live premieres before because my fandoms tended to be old, but I’ve now got participation observation data to disprove that - it’s definitely a shared experience for the fan community, and we have plenty of stories. Fandom is folk culture!

The appearance of cam-ghosts and Plunger’s interaction with the secret agent was very cool as I love the “sufficiently advanced tech is indistinguishable from the supernatural” trope. The camghosts could have been hallucinations, but there was one peeking around a corner much earlier in the episode. I suspect that there’s some kind of remote connection/Alliance network going on (they’re able to share and broadcast footage, after all, even if they need to use tablets for long range comms), so these could be virtual encounters through the secret agent hacking or otherwise accessing Plunger’s brain - like he’s able to get into the skibidi computer to taunt the scientist. But why (other than exposition and dramatic effect)? Is he trolling because their death is part of his scheme (likely imho), or is he just an incorrigible dick who can’t say “good job” without being sinister?

Transmission error/recording error: is the secret agent signal jamming? And what was that stealth mode? Is it related to the secret agent and the camghosts? Probably.

Unless our two ex-main characters are fixed or downloaded (which I doubt but I did notice that the the tagline was “someone”, which is usually singular), ST is doing Anyone Can Die. If this was being approached as a lolrandom meme thing, that wouldn’t be surprising, and that has been the tone of much of the series so far. However, it’s ascended to the point that there’s an actual Skibidi Toilet store. The longevity of comparable meme horror/sci-fi series has seemed to rely on people getting attached to iconic characters, so I wonder if there’s a plan for avoiding Too Bleak, Stopped Caring? My guess is having the elites and titans consistent throughout the plot, but DFB may also be an incorrigible dick and kill everyone. I am a sucker for dramatic deaths though, so I can probably put up with it (just about, did that speaker squeak as they were dying? Oh no ;_;).

On the subject of trolls, one way of interpreting Titan Speaker putting out the fire before completely flattening the scientist was that they wanted to kill them themself, another interpretation was that they were fucking with the scientist by pretending they’d show mercy. Either way, A+++ revenge!

Polycephaly is also super interesting as they don’t really seem to be the TV equivalent of the others factions’ big combat units. There’s only one of them, they can fuck around with teleportation-stuff (nanites? weird science particles?) and swap out their extra bits. They might have a role that’s unique to the TV faction, I already wondered if it’s something like managing TV communications or information flows, and now I think that could include something to do with teleportation too. Maybe running the teleportation-navigation software? In the Dune series, there’s heavily mutated Guild Navigators who guide faster-than-light spaceships and to make sure no one crashes into a planet, and Warhammer 40k has a similar Navigator role to guide space traffic through the Warp using psychic beacons.

[tired-reader-writer]

G-witch AU Infodump

Enabled by @werewolfcoochie @marchdancer @sharpdistances @germanpillow @kallista-dragonsoul and @iwantthatdickgrayson here is me infodumping about random shit in my G-witch AU:

After being rescued by Ellyus, El4n takes on a new name and identity— one he would choose for himself— though Shin Sei doesn't quite have the means necessary to turn his face into something else, nor does he remember what his original face is supposed to look like anyways.

Anyways, his new name is Nary, bc “nary” means “nothing, none” and he's basically someone who has nothing, starting from scratch with a clean slate and even before that he had nothing. Also it's a reference to @stil-lindigo 's fantastic poem-comic here and @telamont 's fic may the little garden where you smile, last forever since I read both of them at roughly within the same timeframe and they double-teamed up on me in terms of brainrot. I am not sorry for this.

I'm still struggling over his new surname however, though Frey is a temporary placeholder— as a reference to the goddess Frigg whose divine domains included clairvoyance and prophecy, and though Nary himself is no prophet his love interest is so hmmm. Does Ellyus count as an Odin figure? I'm not well-versed with Norse mythology. (what El definitely is is a trickster/prophet/fey type character)

Shin Sei in this AU is comprised of the friends and families of the slaughtered Vanadis researchers who want justice/vengeance for their fallen loved ones— and so support Prospera in her schemes. There's also mercurian folk in there but yeah.

Ellyus gets his mother and Shin Sei to fake/develop a new identity and backstory for Nary/El4n. It's up to him whether he comes back to Asticassia but I like to think he does.

He dyes his hair the same colour as the woman who's presumably his mother, the lady with the birthday cake? Yeah? The same brown.

He still wears soft earrings bc this analysis of El4n's gender thing lives in my head rent-free. He also wears a lot more feminine clothing because he can. (EDIT: added the link that I forgot to add bc fucking hell I knew I was forgetting smth)

He has a new hairstyle. I actually have a design in mind but since I can't draw right now... lemme dig up my gallery in hopes that there's something that looks like it—

(I'm not sure if I could share these, as far as I could track these were drawn by the original artist of the comic this character is from, I eventually seek to replace these w my own drawings when I can.)

He probably ends up taking the surname of some Shin Sei employee, though argh, it fucking pains me that we know practically nothing about Shin Sei!! Who's Godoy and what does he even do?!

The Plant Quetta attack does not happen. There will be another attack to replace it, alright, but it's been moved down the timeline. I don't know when it'll be or by whom, but it happens on Earth, while Ellyus is there. Why is he there? Dunno, probably some GUND-ARM related reason. He's one of the main mechanics of Aerial after all, and someone who's heavily involved in the production of GUND-prosthetics.

Speaking of Ellyus' engineering work, Shin Sei did develop the drone technology Prospera mentions in the witch trial— it's just that Ellyus is the one who created it. Maybe he could also be present in the trial room? His presence wouldn't really help against Delling but hey, it's the thought that counts. Besides, he (and we the audience) already knows Miorine will come to save the day.

Delling is fucking dead. No mercy for the fucker, he probably dies in the same attack that lethally wounded Ellyus? Or perhaps after that, in another incident. Vim Jeturk is accused of the murder, and subsequently silenced by Prospera and/or Shaddiq.

Shaddiq takes the presidency. Ellyus left behind pre-recorded video messages tailored to each recipient, he sat down and recorded them before he died, set to automatically be sent to the ppl he wants in the Know after his funeral, and Shaddiq and El4n's messages include the entire backstory, basically, and so Shaddiq knows about Quiet Zero and who it's for. He seeks out Prospera and basically proposes an alliance— much of their goals align, he can use QZ's might to strong-arm favorable negotiations for Earth, he knows who QZ's for and realizes that Ellyus can be “alive/free” again like Ericht since he's deduced that the night Ellyus went missing from his hospital room and came back dead was actually him being uploaded into a GUND-bit.

(It's part of Ellyus' machinations, to protect Miorine from Prospera, to bridge Shaddiq to a strong ally who shares a lot of his goals, and... yeah. Fuck Spacians, this alliance is gon be a bulldozer.)

Shaddiq does not ally with Peil.

Peil will meet a karmic end. I don't know how yet, but El4n and El5n are involved. Anyways, that'll probably happen during or after the struggle for the Benerit Group presidency.

Guel actually learns something beyond “daddy good”, dammit.

Miorine and Prospera have a... complex, shall we say, relationship. Prospera holds back from roping her into revenge unlike in canon— mostly because of Ellyus' pleas to not let GUND-ARM be ruined/soaked in blood, partly because Miorine is the one who resurrected and kept true to GUND's ideals of medical research and stuff. Prospera hates her bc well, Delling's daughter, but on the other hand... a successor of sorts to carrying the GUND research torch. Miorine doesn't trust her, no, buuuut she still can't deny that together w Shaddiq they're... actually doing decent work. (Again, unlike in canon LOL)

Suletta's off to the side having her own Identity Journey. The video message to her also explains her origins and everything, so she now knows she's a repli-child. I don't know what I'll do with the journey proper but I want the eventual outcome to be: “I am not Ericht, I was never a Samaya and that's just fine. I'm Suletta, and the name Mercury is mine in a way it isn't for mom. I still love you, mom, Aerial/Eri too, but I am a Mercury and I'm proud of that. I still love you but I'm me and you're not my entire world.” kinda deal. Basically, independence, loving her family on her own terms.

No Plant Quetta means no tomato paste and no divorce! Huzzah! (I mean, another attack still happens but due to Ellyus' and Miorine + Earth House's influence Suletta focuses more on disaster relief and evacuation and stuff.)

Adding a new layer to Ellyus' non-linear time thing (I've posted about it, I've linked to it before in another post, it can be found in his character tag), he's allowed to make phone calls to One (1) person in the past. That person happens to be Jeru Ogul, aka Shaddiq's child self, way before he's learnt to put up barriers around his heart.

(Ellyus was never meant to be human. If the G-witch cast proper is comprised of 3D beings and us the audience 4D, he'd be like, 3.5D. That's why he's allowed time shenanigans by me. Only as far as I allow it, though. He's a plot device, a robot w its guts exposed. I have also posted about this before. I won't link to it here bc well, I already have before and ppl didn't seem all too interested in the makings and structure of his character. Meta-narrative fuckery ftw.)

The calls are sporadic, but kid Jeru comes to hold this mysterious friend person in the phone very dear to his heart. Their non-judegmental and gentle encouragement was one of the things that kept him going in those days.

He's buried the memory now, in the deepest layers of his heart, under twenty vaults, along with the tender hurt and angry child self that was Jeru Ogul and everything that it represents. It fuels him, it's his impetus, but it's hidden, carefully so.

It's a surprise to the both of them when they find out.

(basically, Doylist reason was that I needed a narrative tool strong enough to break through his walls and allow him to be changed for the better, to stop having tunnel-vision, and Ellyus became the narrative device responsible for that task)

This development allowed for Shaddiq to be more proactive and open. To the point he might actually ask for Miorine's support/help during the competition for the presidency. I'm still contemplating it.

I don't know what I'll do with Dawn of Fold yet.

Not the Space Assembly League, really.

Somebody help.

Well, that's it for this episode of info-dumping! Thank you for enabling me, I was afraid to do it bc it's disheartening to scream your heart out into the void and have no response.

[werezmastarbucks]

she has the bluest eyes

pic credit

author's note: obv i do not own any of these people and feel kinda weird writing about actual humans. but i am inspired, so what can i do. they'll never see this anyway, and this lore has been with me for some time.

warnings: a lil bit of incest, mercy killing

word count: 2679

masterlist

On Friday aunt Anne-J and her husband visited. The relatives were concerned about the parents’ absence. But there was also a special kind of unease in their presence in the house; the aunt, this awesome girl, their mom’s younger sister, she had the bluest eyes the world has ever seen. Her eyes were like two deep aquariums, and when the light shone upon them from the side, they exploded in color. It was hard to bear. With these eyes, Anne-J saw the boys through and did not trust them very much. Kai was the main reason she moved out at the age of twenty-two, three years ago. Sam was still an awkward schooler back then, but Kai was already of age, and he creeped her out. Little square mind she had, aunt Anne-J. She felt something bad about him, like an animal, and did not look further. Although she felt worried about Sam who was growing up to be a fucking weirdo, and Tyler, who was always obsessed with her, she abandoned the two younger nephews. And Kai took over them completely. It’s not like they could have a different fate.

When she found this cool, mature guy with an earring in his nose and an exceptionally stoic demeanor, she got a little bold and started visiting. And now, it felt more like a doctor house visit than anything else. She was trying to sniff out what was going on. She hasn’t heard from her sister in a month and a half. And she started getting agitated.

They (Kai) baked a cool apple pie and made lots of food. In spite of all one might think about the three Parkers, they enjoyed a good family evening. Be it boardgames, or a little concert, a roll down the hill or a dinner. Tyler was helping in the beginning, but then he couldn’t stand anymore; the black oily substance was crawling up his chin, and his head was throbbing with so much pain he had to take a record-breaking amount of painkillers. It was a miracle he was still in his right mind or never got poisoned from so much medication. He laid on the couch with his eyes half-opened and watched Kai performing his usual wonders in the kitchen: rotisserie chicken, cheesecake, a Greek salad and tuna salad, and a pie, and lots of home-made chili sauce. Samson went around the house cleaning and moving things around, as if trying to cover up a crime scene, although there was none.

“Ask the creature to give you a break for an evening”, Kai said, passing by the couch towards Sam, who stood at the far window and was trying to adjust the curtain according to a standard, known only to him. Tyler moved his head, looking through teary eyes, as his older brother started wrestling with his younger. Blurry. He lifted himself up on the couch with one hand and had the urge to sing again. But for now, all he could do was sit up and keep looking at them.

Yes, actually, he could do that. He should do that. Have a conversation with this whoever that was trying to peck his way out through his skull. If only he knew the language, he could have a row with him and discuss conditions. The roar in his head told him the language would sound like the raging ocean, or like the whisper of blood.

At five-thirty, Anne-J and her husband, Adam, arrived. They brought lemonade and wine, and some flowers. Anne-J really liked flowers, and she left them everywhere she went. They were the impressions of her footsteps. Seven yellow marigolds, she put them into the vase that she took out of the higher cupboard, to Kai’s displeasure. He knew that Anne-J knew. And it angered him.

Now the yellow flowers stood in the middle of the table, irritating Sam’s sensitive eyes and mood. He kept tilting his head in order to see everyone at the table. Anne-J sat with her back to the window, her pearl-white hair and her ocean-blue eyes, and was scanning them tirelessly.

“Well, not even a text message?”

“Nah”. Kai shook his head. Tyler’s sight was amazingly clear after another portion of painkillers finally kicked in. Oh, his blood would reek of pills if someone wanted to drink it. He was watching his aunt, eating quietly, but was on the lookout for his older’s moods.

“They did say that they want a thorough rest from our bullshit”, Kai continued. He was being uncharacteristically peaceful; no babbling, no witty hints, no special looks.

“Incorrect”, Sam chimed in, “the note said, we want to stay away from the calamity of this house for a while”.

“Not very parenty of them”, Kai grinned. Tyler scratched his temple, chewing the salad. He and Adam had the understanding that the two men usually have, who love one woman. The resentful, but very deep understanding. They exchanged silent looks and returned back to eating.

“Well, you’re not the easiest children to have”.

“Anne-J, it’s been a while since we’ve been children”, Tyler said suddenly, straightening his back. She sighed, as if saying that he knew what she meant.

“That’s right. We can take care of ourselves. Don’t our poor parents deserve a long cruise around the world? I think that’s what they’re doing. They did mention something about… water…” Kai lifted his face, thinking, “no, not the water. Ice. Maybe they’re…”

“Not right again”, robotically corrected Sam. One could think, by the way he moved his head to face the table, and by his tense shoulders, that this irritated him. But correcting others was a happy activity for him. “I don’t remember anything about ice”.

“Well, Samson, that’s because…”

“Stop egging him”, Tyler pleaded.

“You always do that”, Anne-J agreed, “you make him make a scene”.

“You don’t know me”, in Kai’s smiling voice was now just a pinch of warning. She withstood his stare. Then he went on cheerfully. “But I do though. So, how’s everybody liking the main course?”

“Amazing”, Adam said sincerely. “Do you order it from places?”

“No, I cook everything myself”.

“You gotta give it to him”.

“Tyler really wanted to help”, Sam joined, “but he got so excited that you were coming that he got a headache again and laid on the couch the whole day”.

“Excited?” Anne-J smiled. Kai gave the youngest a warning look, but unfortunately Samson didn’t notice. He was deep in conversation.

“Oh yes, he loves when you come by. He loves you so much that he even started dating our neighbor who looks like you”.

Adam’s food got into his throat and got stuck there, so he started coughing furiously. He dropped his fork and covered his face with his hands. Anne-J’s cheeks went rosy-pink. Kai has failed to avert this, so now, naturally, he just accepted the fun. Tyler’s nostrils flared.

“Incorrect”, he mimicked his brother, not very successfully.

“I am not dating her, and she doesn’t look like Anne-J”.

Her bluest eyes darted towards Tyler finally. Her hand was still lying on her husband’s back.

A loud noise came from the street. It was unusual for the neighborhood. Someone’s car was drifting and swerving, and then there was a crash.

They all jumped, except for Kai, who first finished his chicken leg and then wiped his mouth with a napkin. Sam ran outside and Anne-J let him out like a dog that’s too excited. Adam, still a bit reddish, already had his phone in his hand.

In the end of the street, a white Honda was lying on its side, smoke coming out like stage effects. They grouped on the road at first, looking, questions and thoughts swirling in their minds. Kai walked towards the accident spot confidently, waving his hand at the neighbors who started peeking out or exiting their houses.

“Call the ambulance”, he recommended, “or don’t. I don’t care”.

That was the thing, he liked to kill. He would use any opportunity to kill someone, and mercy killings of crash victims was some of his favorites.

A girl, Anne-J’s age, and a guy who was at the wheel, were lying on the road next to a car. A picture that has been in his mind for some time. What is up with these blonde dreamy girls, and why are they following him? When she was like that, her legs spread out on the ground, face angelic, covered in blood, she really reminded him of his aunt. He really wanted to kill her, for the longest time. This was perfect to soothe that urge for a while. Anne-J was a nuisance, he thought, as he squatted next to her, feeling for the pulse. Behind him, Tyler was trying to distract Sam from saying out loud what Kai was about to do.

She had a little bit of a heartbeat. Wounds on her elbows and her shoulders told him she had been thrown out of the car and slid on the road a foot or two. Kai put his palm on her little face, and she opened her eyes. Disappointingly brown, coffee-brown, like Sam’s. He got angry with this bitch, for not meeting his expectations. The guy next to her was already dead. Neither wore seatbelts, naturally.

They had a pact, Tyler and him. Road-nearly-kills are his. After those, he could go on without murders for almost a month.

“Is she breathing?”

The steps behind him were approaching. Adam was already talking on the phone, the chatter around indicated neighbors’ desire to be in the thick of things. He was covered by the shade of a tall linden tree and the carcass of the smoking car.

“What are you doing?”

Anne-J fell on her knees next to him as he removed the hand from her face. He sighed deeply, feeling the calm shooting down his arms and legs, his head a little light. Only his heart raced.

“She was dying anyway”, he said simply.

“What?!” Anne-J’s voice was shrill as she fell on her ass, looking at him with horror. Kai caught Tyler’s glance and motioned for him to approach. Brother looked like he was a prisoner on his way to his lethal injection. They all acted like he made their lives so awful.

“Look at her injuries. Both legs broken, and you’re literally sitting in the pool of her blood. Her spine is broken. This is no quality of life”.

Adam looked concerned as Tyler tried to pick Anne-J up. His black fingers stained her white cardigan. She was still looking at Malachai.

“You really are out of your fucking mind. I’m reporting you to the police”.

“To say what?”

She was fighting Tyler feebly as he was trying to balance her and make her stand on her own. Her eyes were pulsars, and Kai kind of understood why she was constantly on Tyler’s mind. But she was honestly such a normie.

“That I was feeling the pulse of a dying woman? It’s a tragedy, Jenna. I mean, Anne-J”.

He smiled. He liked getting people’s names wrong on purpose. Made them inflate like balloons.

Neighbors were chattering in horror, clutching their necklaces and collars. Adam was in his own kind of zoo, as it turned out: as soon as he finished his call to the police, Samson started lecturing him on the reasons and processes of accidents like this.

“Seatbelts, seatbelts were not invented for no reason”, he was saying, mindlessly, ignoring Adam’s white lips, “some people refuse to wear seatbelts because, upon the impact, a seatbelt may cut off a breast off a woman. But what they fail to see is that, had it not been for the seatbelt, a lot more would have been chopped off. If the seatbelt impact strikes you with such a force, it means that you would surely be dead without it”.

Adam put out his hands and hugged Anne-J, looking at the black and red stains on her shoulders, her jeans and sleeves.

“Cluster. We haven’t had the dessert”, Kai said joyfully. And went back into the house.

Anne-J was furiously rubbing the sleeve of her cardigan under the cold water when Tyler squeezed himself into the bathroom. She turned with a swing, and calmed down immediately as she saw who entered.

“Are you sure you’re leaving now?”

“Yes, Tyler, we’re leaving”.

Her voice was shaking.

His head was hurting again. Now, this time it’s been less than four hours. It was getting alarming. The amount of painkillers he had taken in order to get through this evening was astonishing. Tyler supported himself on the sink, and Anne-J instinctively moved away a little.

“Whatever you think you saw, Kai would’ve used it to fuck with you”.

“Oh, so you’re telling me he knew immediately what I thought he was doing, read my mind, right? And played into it? He was sitting there with his palm on her fucking face, covering her nose, Tyler”.

“I think you were seeing things because of shock”.

She splashed the water angrily, and Tyler’s blackness raised its head.

“Don’t gaslight me”, she said, looking at him in the mirror. “This house is fucking nuts. What’s going on with you, Tyler?”

“Don’t ask”.

“Is it your headaches?”

It came like a syncope. Suddenly Tyler had no time to run away or even move. It shot through his arm that was resting on the edge of the sink, right into his brain, at raging speed. The black filled his eyes for a second. He knew that this was the night that the creature would finally show itself. Anne-J’s face was distorted, but she still did not look too concerned. She was trying to get to him, bowing slightly. Tyler saw himself in the mirror: black neck, blurry features. He couldn’t see clear anymore. The voice said,

“I had to break through”.

And then he jumped.

Kai threw the door open, simultaneously pushing Adam away. Sam was useless. He was just an information machine and could not help effectively. Adam was trying to get to his screaming wife, and Kai couldn’t let him. Not human life, not his relatives, nothing was more important than his brothers, pieces of himself.

He jumped inside and pulled on Tyler’s shoulders. He couldn’t even see what Tyler was doing; maybe he was kissing Anne-J, or maybe choking her; maybe he was trying to eat her face. As he spun his brother around to slap him out of the episode, the face that stared back at him made him think of wormholes. It was a good thing Kai did not fear a single thing in this world, otherwise he would scream. Now, he just frowned, thinking. Adam pushed him into the wall and ran into the bathroom where Anne-J collapsed on the floor, crying.

“The fuck are you?” he asked, pulling Tyler into the corridor. It was like he was moving his head so quickly that a human eye couldn’t catch it.

“I am”, the hollow voice said.

“You got a name?”

“swallowing.”

He pushed Tyler further, and his body moved aimlessly. Adam was dragging Anne-J from the bathroom silently, helping her, and she looked unharmed, but very stressed out.

“What’s going on? Oh”, Sam moved away to let them pass, unaffected, “he has a blurryface?”

“Stop swallowing and get my incest-loving stupid brother back”, Kai suggested.

“I think I saw it before”, Sam approached them, so carefree that Kai got concerned for a second. What if he remembers now?

“You’re the blurryface, the alter-ego of Tyler”, he said. Tyler moved his head as if looking at Samson.

“swallowing things”, the voice was coming from the depths of this being, otherworldly and metallic.

“never easy. He fights me”.

Kai gave him a slap on the back of the head with his ringed palm.

“Last warning, dude. Get Tyler back online”.

His body started shaking, and the boy collapsed, like a pile of clothes, on the floor. Sam looked at Kai with big surprised eyes.

“So, there’s four of us now?”

[angelthefirst1]

Silver Lake Swimteam. 🪞 🧚‍♀️

I AM WHO I AM - The name of God.

Emily calls herself the name of God - I am who I am 💫🛸

While focusing this photo on the heavens above...

She's referencing Beth's return and connecting it to a cure.

I AM ♾️ I AM - Beginning and end

WHO - World health organisation. 🌎 which speaks to God's cure.

When Emily first released Swimteam 🏊‍♀️ I struggled to connect the dots on what she was referring to, but I think I have figured it out.

Let's dive into the meaning behind the title of her album Swimteam, the meaning of the silver lake, the meaning of the song B or C for effort, and some other links I've come across...

Firstly, the 💫 returning star from space 🛸 symbolism has a mirrored/inverted meaning.

The star can refer to Sirius the dog star. Dog backwards is god with a little g. This is why i consider the dog star to represent the antichrist (little backward god) and a false light/cure, it's symbolism extends to having a darkened eye. Which is connected to spiritual blindness.

But that same star is also referred to as the bright morning star, which is Christ.

Revelation 22.16

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

So, it also points to Christ and the real cure/light.

Emily posted a series of photos with the "I am who I am" comment and the returning star from space symbolism.

One of the other photos she linked with the name of God, was this photo from the song B or C for effort from her new album, Swimteam.

B.C = Before Christ.

The song B or C for effort starts at night time (B.C), with Emily acting like she's just been shot, like Beth was in Coda. This time without a visible bullet.

Lights out, head thrown back and eyes closed in the dark, on her bed.

We then see a hint of an eclipsed sun (eclipse)

And straight after the eclipse, we see her wake up in the daylight (open her eyes/sight) in A.D Anno Domini or the year of our Lord.

The music video shows symbolism of Beth waking (eyes opened) after being shot, but laying down (lame), and also imagery of looking at an eclipsed sun. Something we saw a hint at in the episode 509.

We then hear music and see a band playing (music box)

She gets up from the mat/bed she's laying on, joins them, and starts singing about flowers (funerals/new life) and soothing (healing) wounds in another state.

After connecting the dots, i realised the album Swimteam is about the silver lake of the pool of BETHesda in Israel, in Jerusalem where Jesus was Crucified.

The Apostle John recorded the healing of a lame man and the healing of the blind man at the pool of Bethesda. The pool is known as the pool of healing and mercy.

The lame man was told by Jesus to get up, take his mat/bed, and walk.

So Emily is depicting the lame and blind (Beth would have been both after being shot) next to the pool of Bethesda being healed.

I've already written about how Mont Saint Michel in France is a depiction of Israel and Jerusalem. You can read more on that here.

The archangel Michael has many duties but one of his main duties is the protector of Israel.

Jesus saying that "I am the root and descendant of David, and the bright morning star" connects this passage to the star 🌟 of David.

That's why Emily wore the blue and white swim 🏊‍♀️ suit while next to the pool of "Bethesda" in Jerusalem. While promoting Swimteam. 🇮🇱

TWD often makes you think you are in one location when in fact they are hinting at an entirely different location when telling the story. Sometimes, it's biblical history, and sometimes it's biblical prophecy (future)

Israel and Jerusalem are called the apple of God's eye, and they are front and center in biblical history and biblical end times prophecy.

I am who i am 🍎 tree

So, while you think you're watching a story in America and France, you are not.

The pool of Bethesda was associated with healing because an angel was said to stir the water, giving it healing properties.

The silver lake of Emily's Swimteam is the mirror on the music box that the angel with wings "stirs" or "twirls" when the music plays.

The reason the silver lake is depicted as a mirror is because before the pool of Bethesda was built, that location was just dessert sand. The book of Isaiah 35.7 predicted that the parched land or "glowing sand" of that place would become a real pool, which was later built.

In the desert, this glowing sand can be called a mock-lake or mirage. Heated sand also becomes glass...hence the mirror.

Isaiah said that the mock-lake of the burning desert sand would become a real lake of refreshment and Joy.

Emily's outfit in B or C for effort is a perfect combination of all the colours seen in the music box shot with Maggie and Sasha. When the "Good news" plays.

The music box has hints of gold, like the gold frame of the "silver lake" mirror used in the music video.

And Emily posted about rainbows 🌈 in relation to Swimteam.

The blind man being healed at Bethesda represents spiritual blindness and a darkened mind, seeing a mirage if you will. Christ healed him, opening his eyes.

I would say Leah and even Isabelle are a version on this blindness on Daryl's behalf.

The healing of the blind man is used to show how great the spiritual blindness of man is, which only by degrees, and by successive stages, can come to the light.

Emily's song B or C for effort talks about God and the theme of spiritual growth.

Go listen to the full song here if you like.

Jesus did many other miracles and also walked on water in the region of Bethesda.

If you remember the episode that Jesus (Paul, aka the apostle Paul) was introduced in...

We saw much of the same symbolism that B or C for effort shows, and symbolism that's around Beth.

First, we see the Silver 🪞 wings 🧚‍♀️ cigarettes... when Daryl comes across the vending machine that's labelled cold drinks.

The pool of Bethesda is a fresh water 💧 spring and was the main source of water for Jerusalem.

What are cigarettes 🚬

Smokes...smoke and mirrors = mirage of a cold drink or pool. Mock-lake.

The scene where Jesus is introduced also shows a sign for pizza 🍕next to the silver wings sign, the symbolism for which I've shown a lot of lately in relation to Beth.

Later on in episode 610, we see the "silver lake" or pool of Bethesda as Jesus is passed out on the ground next to the lake.

Daryl says they should put him up a tree, which is just another way of saying crucifixion ✝️

Lastly, the truck that ends up going into the Silver-lake of Bethesda references Luke 8.41

Which is a reference to a dying girl restored and a bleeding woman healed.

You can go read that yourself, but the truck 🚚 that references a dying girl and bleeding woman sank into the healing pool (silver lake) of BETHesda.

That the angel of God stirs with healing power. 🪞 🧚‍♀️

I AM WHO I AM

🧚‍♀️🪞✝️💫♾️💫✝️🪞🧚‍♀️

[white-collar-cannibal]

free will in ep 3 actually. ohhh my god. glranboo is making decisions that affect the narrative but they're being manipulated by hetch and maybe actually controlled via mask in the pre-recorded segments (i am not entirely sure of this one but i think it's interesting). plusss like. there's no way showfall doesn't know beforehand that they're not going to listen to the chat for the codes or that they're gonna try to save charlie. why have charlie as the only re-occuring character of the streamers there if it wasn't a decision by showfall. glcharlie probably has the most free will but also literally does not make a single decision he follows ranboo like a lost dog. the audience is given two decisions but the first one is literally nothing and the second is a carefully crafted dilemma between mercy killing and leaving to live in hell. just like hetch condemns ranboo because they were given just enough freedom to be complicit so too is the audience given just enough choice to make it their fault ranboo dies. like we were given two choices but showfall made the choices and they made it a no-win scenario. ep three is soooo concerned with free will and choices but literally all of the choices have already been made beforehand by none of the main characters.

[merv606]

Okay…but what about a scene in Mercy where Daniel has to stand up on his tip toes to reach for something, and Terry can’t help but comment on how cute he finds that. Or even, “You’re still so small after all these years,” in a fond tone. Maybe Terry even gets whatever Daniel was struggling with for him…while standing behind and reaching around him. Maybe it’s a book and they’re in Terry’s library!

I sound like a broken Record but honestly, who had my notes 😆

From the actual WIP and should appear in the story.

Daniel stands now, the door still open enough for him to see Terry and a guard, the one he sees more than any other, speaking and discussing, from what Daniel can tell, the events of the other day.

Careful that they don’t notice him, from what he can make out, it’s something about an old service road that had been out of service, due to it being blocked.

“Make sure it’s made completely impassable, Tom. I want the only road to be the main one that comes up through the forest, and I want men stationed along it. We cannot have another repeat.”

The guard nods, conveying something through the small com on his shoulder before saying to Terry.

“They never made it past the gates anyway.”

The gates, Daniel thinks. Shit, is the house surrounded by gates?

This will make it that much more complicated.

Although he tries not to think about that day, he also knows he needs a plan in place to ensure success if such an opportunity like that arises presents itself.

How to get out.

He’s not so sure he can do this now - seduce Terry or whatever the hell he was thinking.

Besides, although Terry has made no physical move or advance, he must want Daniel that way too?

A question that, although Daniel has devoted thought to, he’s not sure of the answer.

“They wouldn’t be able to,” Tom’s words bring him back to the task at hand.

“No, they wouldn’t,” Terry agrees, “but I am glad, nonetheless, that you insisted on having a watch there. That extra protection is worth it, for my peace of mind alone.”

“It’s my job, sir. To keep you both safe.”

Terry nods in agreement. “Never forget though that …”

“He is the priority, always, and is to be kept safe at any and all costs,” Tom finishes, reciting the command with the conviction of a preacher citing a Sunday sermon. “That never needs reminding, Terry.” The only guard, that Daniel knows of, to call Terry by his first name.

They stop, sensing Daniel listening.

“Sorry,” he apologizes automatically as both men turn to him. “I just …. there’s a book I wanted but it’s too high,” he gestures into the room.

“Of course,” Terry says, his attention no longer on the conversation he was just having. “We’ll talk later,” he says, dismissing Tom, who doesn’t seem surprised to be so suddenly dismissed, as Terry walks towards Daniel.

“Which one was it?” He asks, hand splayed out on Daniel’s back, walking him back in.

[mushroom32x]

Physical PS4/PS5 copies of Re-Sparked are being sent out because they finished manufacturing first; Switch copies come early July apparently. I am at the mercy of LRG expecting the cassette soundtrack, plush, and Switch game together so hopefully I won't be waiting too long in July.... (Knocking on wood as I type). Anyways, ahead of the digital version some footage has appeared here. The uploader said the colors are a bit off because of the PS5's recording.

More impressions under the cut:

Lovely little animated intro that sums up the collection nicely: fast, colorful, and full of action. Thankfully from what I saw all the games appear to look and sound just as they did, no off-sounding instruments or graphical oddities that didn't previously exist. Edit: Some say the sound is a bit muffled? It reminds me a bit of how it would sound playing it on my actual console… or enabling the low pass filter in an emulator. Maybe it was unintentional?

However, the games are slightly edited to remove stuff like "Licensed by Nintendo" from the SNES game title screen, skip past copyright/Konami logo when starting up (although it shows up for the SNES game so maybe the player just skipped past it in the other two games?), and the options appear to only let you modify the difficulty. You used to be able to change the controls and hear the sound test too. Not exactly sure why you cannot remap the controls anymore but the collection relegated all the game's music into a single area to listen, so the sound test options were omitted for redundancy. (The options screen sure looks a lot lonelier without all the other stuff present lol.) There is credits for everyone involved in this collection and it even includes those who worked on the intro animation!

As for the menus, for each game is a boss rush mode, rewinding, and overlay with several configurations for the visuals and load/saving your game. Sparkster on the SNES has a "boost mode" which appears to reduce/eliminate the game's slowdown which is very present if played on an actual console. Screen size options include Full, Native (320×224 Sega, 256 x 224 Nintendo), Native 2X, Stretch, and 4:3. You can use a variety of borders (or leave it all black) and enable a CRT scanline filter. You can change the game's region and language for main menus (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Japanese.) Though, I haven't seen word of a Japanese release for this collection... would be silly to have to make Japan users have to go through extra hoops to play this game.

The boss rush simply has you face every boss in order for each of the respective games. It tracks the total time and bosses defeated then gives you an overall rank. Though, I didn't see any difficulty options for this, like playing it on Crazy Hard or something. It loads a state just as each boss begins with a score of 0 and 0 lives, so dying ends the rush.

The museum is filled with lovely artwork, some which I haven't seen before. There are magazine adverts, box art, design documents/artwork, and art/videos regarding the animated intro. I thought the video section was going to include the game's commercials too but that was wishful thinking on my part. Their scan of the SNES box art is leagues better than mine ha ha. The sound test has all the soundtracks and main menu music accounted for in one tidy area.

I am glad this collection exists and I can't wait to play these games another 1000 times. 😛

[armed-ruebarb]

Assorted Octopath II Thoughts

Just random things I noticed throughout my playthrough that I think about excessively Spoilers for both games in their entirety (endgame spoilers are vague but they’re there).

Ochette

Ochette, much like H’aanit, is the only traveler in the game to lack a human boss. Interestingly enough, however, humankind is portrayed as the overarching antagonist in Ochette’s story.

Ochette is the only traveler to directly interact with any of the gods outside of boss fights or shrines.

Ochette is the only traveler to never actually meet the main antagonist of her story.

Castti

Castti holds the record for the highest named NPC deaths (not counting bosses) by an absolute landslide. She pulls most of it off in the span of one chapter too.

Castti’s story is the only one to directly kill off children. I’m not 100% sure on that one so if I’m wrong let me know.

Throné

Throné is the only traveler in the mainline games to have more than four boss fights—excluding mandatory duels or battles from the same chapter—with a total of five.

Furthermore, Throné is the only character in the game whose boss battles always end in the enemy’s death—a characteristic shared only with Primrose from the first game. So yea, Throné meant it when she said her freedom reeks of blood.

Throné is the only traveler to fight a member of her own family (I don’t count Osvald fighting Rita as it was merely a creature made with her blood). She doesn’t stop there though. She does it four times and kills all of them (she doesn’t know the first three times but still).

Osvald

Osvald is the only traveler who fails to accomplish their initial goal. Harvey’s fate is left ambiguous with no confirmation of whether he truly died.

Osvald is the only character whose sprite undergoes major changes between the game and the epilogue (I say major because of Agnea’s hair). You literally see him getting his life back together and it’s very sweet.

Partitio

Partitio is the only traveler in the game who does not kill his final boss after beating them in combat (I say that last bit because there’s no way in hell Agnea and Dolcinea actually threw hands in that stadium). He’s the only character to grant mercy on his final boss, but he’s also the only one who had much of a choice.

Every last one of Partitio’s boss enemies end up working for him. Even the fucking dog. On that same note, he’s the only character where all of their bosses show up in the epilogue.

Agnea

Agnea has more unique tracks than any other traveler in the game. It makes sense considering she’s the dancer, but literally all of her music is a fucking banger. I believe she also has more unique animations than anyone else either.

She’s the only traveler to have a boss fight that is not an actual battle in the context of the actual story.

Temenos

Temenos has the fewest number of people present in the epilogue. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Ort is the only person from his story there because he’s the only one who survived.

Temenos is the one of the only travelers whose story progression results in permanent overworld changes (the other two being Olberic and Hikari and I could be missing a few)… yes I am referring to Crick’s grave.

Hikari

Hikari is the only traveler to fight the same boss (Ritsu) twice over the course of two different chapters. This excludes Claude’s boss gimmick and the Gates of Finis fights.

Hikari’s chapter one boss fight is the only fight in either game that has no summoning path action and no traveling companion available. It is the only boss fight in the series where you are completely and utterly alone.