#i also have mixed feelings on Annette

[highlifeboat]

I love them

I love Claire giving the protective big sister vibe.

[creatingblackcharacters]

Regarding my Black grandmother to white main character: I wasn't hoping Audrey (main character) would think she's not be racist. I was hoping her grandmother would teach her she and all white people are and need to work on it. I wanted to give Audrey some experience/knowledge about Black people prior to meeting Darryl and wasn't sure where she learned it. I don’t have any childhood friends for Audrey yet and I'm not sure she even has any long time friends. She's always been super close to her extended family as she was bullied a lot by her peers growing up.

I also wanted to give Darryl a bit of a respite in this primarily white family. I didn't want to feel like the odd one out when meeting Audrey's family. In addition to her Black grandmother, she has a not white uncle from Puerto Rico who has two white sons and a not white daughter. (Mixed race parents.)

What's more, Audrey is only the "main" character as she was created first and has had the most time to be fleshed out. My stories, if they can be called that, are more character driven than anything else. I try to give each of my characters a real personality and detailed history.

All my characters are people in my mind, not tools for the story/main character. Even the main antagonist(white) has a story.

If I go forward with Annette being Black, she will be a person, not a tool. She will be well researched and thought out, just like all my other characters.

I hear you, and I say this respectfully: I don't agree with your assessment. It still sounds like Annette being Black is meant to serve as a tool to ease the existence of Audrey's relationship with her Black partner.

You said you wanted Audrey to have experience with Black people before meeting Darryl, but you don't know how to go about it. Your solution- however good your intention may have been!- sounds like "now she's got Black blood in her family, so certainly it would have come with awareness and education".

Especially when in your explanation, you say that you want to have a Black character so that Darryl doesn't "feel like the odd one out". If Audrey and her family were decent people who'd worked on their racism and biases beforehand, then he would feel safer and welcomed regardless of if they were all white people. That's kind of the choice you make when you decide to have a healthy interracial relationship. If he wants respite from her white family, he has his community for that.

And if the Uncle isn't white, his sons aren't white. They're biracial lol.

My advice from before still stands, but in summary: I think that if these are the reasons you want Annette to be Black, I don't think she should be Black. But that's just me. I wish you luck in creating your story!

[cburambles]

Some speculations about Rufus' mother & who it could have influenced his insecurity & his choices concerning his father.

I was re-reading translations of the interview that the devs recently made about Shinra's story and something that intrigued me is that we get an idea of how Shinra sr became who he is in OG/Remake. We learn how Heidegger became so loyal to him, that Palmer was his friend whom he kept around to liven up the room & we also get a quick mention about President Shinra's mistresses. However, there's no mention of a legal wife.

I then thought about the museum of Shinra HQ. As the museum is dedicated to Shinra sr's life, you would at least expect something addressing his family. After all, Why not pushing that image of the ideal capitalist entrepreneur who became rich due to his hard work, with his perfect nuclear family to support him in the propaganda?

It got me intrigued and I ended up checking parts of the novels mentionning Rufus' mother. And she is never addressed as a wife. Just his "mother".

The only seemingly romantic relationship that Shinra sr openly had was Lazard's mother, a waitress from the slums, as the npcs around the church in CCR implies.

It makes me wonder if it turns out that Rufus' mother is also another mistress.

It kinda work in the story , as it would explain a lot some of Rufus' fear & thoughts about Evan.

We know Shinra sr always provide severance money to his mistresses who often happened to be secretaries.

Rufus also explain that his other siblings could show up & they would get money after they got to listen their sob stories. And we know that Evan's mother went to beg Shinra sr to get more money for baby Evan's chirurgy. And Shinra sr gave it to her.

It makes me wonder if Shinra sr could have taken in Rufus because his mother died when he was really young & he had no one else to raise him.

During Rufus' childhood memory in CoS, his mother is not mentionned. He is waiting for his father, seemingly wandering around the house late at night. As if he's not worried to be scolded by her, as if she wasn't there in the first place. When Rufus see his whole life stream in front of his eyes, he mostly only sees his father.

Rufus refers to her birthday & day of passing in CoS and her look in TKAA, almost put his own mother on the same level as Annette. Rufus doesn't even show anger at the idea of his father "cheating" on his mother & seems more annoyed & scared by the idea they can provide "replacements for him".

And that's it. We have no glimpse about her personnality, no memories of her etc... just some sparse info. It makes you wonder if Rufus even knew her or misses her.

Something that I've also noticed in the continuity is that Rufus is born a year after Shinra HQ in Midgar is finished. Shinra sr is 37 years old & by that point in time, is becoming a huge political player of the world, which means he has a target on his back.

So he probably had to pick an heir just in case, to raise someone who can be an extension of himself so his legacy & the company can go on after his death

Thus it's another expression of generosity toward his mistress and children in his mind but also provide him an heir that he can mold however he wants, without worrying about his mother's meddling or influence if she's already dead. Killing two birds with one stone.

It adds a lot more weight to Shinra sr threats of potentially replacing him as a child, Rufus would probably that his value & worth as a son is tied to the idea of him being a successful heir. And that threat might feels real when your father has other hidden children laying around.

Now imagine if you add Lazard in the mix. From Rufus' POV, your father suddendly hire your older brother & said older brother not only get control of the most powerful branch of the army but also gets more achievements & acclaimed by the public for it.

And he's charismatic as the employees around like him as well, including the manufactured hero Sephiroth. Meanwhile, not only you have no real achievements to boast about but you are the VP but have no executive power. How would you feel?

[fireemblems24]

Scarlet Blaze Ch 12

Spoilers below for all Hopes routes up to Ch 12.

MAIN STORY

More backtracking.

I had Shez say we shouldn't return because I'm sick of backtracking. Hubert got mad at me. Ugh.

I also don't get why TWSITD wouldn't want Edelgard do take over. Isn't that like their plan? She does all the hard work then they kill her? Isn't Rhea's death #1 on TWSITD's Christmas list??

SIDE MAPS/CAMP

Ashe is still miserable, but no special words for Annette. I hope Mercedes does.

Marianne is actually motivated to fight this time. She actively dislikes fighting the Kingdom though. (Dimimari still alive)

Lamo, Linhardt doesn't give two shits about Edelgard's war, he just wants to go back to Enbarr and take a nap.

Petra also seems relieved she's fighting rioters and not Kingdom soldiers.

Everyone else - there riots, hung. This one random dude - so there's this dance competition

Mercedes wants to be left alone and pray for Annette. She should've known though that the Empire's actions are sentencing a sizable portion of Faerghus to death, right? I have less sympathy for her than Ashe, who was just following Dimitri's direct orders.

Hubert looks like such a try-hard with this new design. Sometimes I forget.

Hubert doesn't trust Shez. This is such a stark contract to AG, because Hubert thinks Shez will lose control and kill Edelgard and is threatening to kill Shez.

So there's another cut scene where they say TWSITD doesn't want Fodlan unified, but don't they in 3 Houses? Isn't the whole point of the experiments on Edelgard so she's strong enough to kill Rhea and take over Fodlan? Like, I get why they'd be mad that Edelgard kicked them out, but if they were smart they'd let her do all the dirty work and then just take her out and then profit without losing anyone. This whole, "TWSITD doesn't want us to unify!" really smells like bullshit bc of the backlash Edelgard got for siding with them in Houses. Now they're retconning it into "oh, no no, they don't want her to succeed!" Uh, yes, they do, that's what they spent years planning on. Makes no sense.

SHEZ & CASPAR B SUPPORT

They talk about training and how Caspar wants to surpass Shez in fighting ability.

Really the only thing of note is Caspar's persistence.

SHEZ & LINHARDT B SUPPORT

Linhardt is still investigating Shez's power, who has mixed feelings about it.

The problem is the power woke up when Shez was facing death, making it hard to recreate. So Linhardt just commits to studying Shez on the battlefield.

Linhardt is stone cold. After realizing he may not be able to study Shez's power he says he'll need to revaluate the value of their relationship.

SHEZ & BERNADETTA A SUPPORT

Their plans to help Bernadetta is not going well. Everything ends in chaos.

There's moments Bernie's anxiety is treated seriously in this support at the very least.

It ends with Bernie realizing Shez doesn't scare her anymore and that the way not to be nervous around people is spending time with them.

SHEZ & PETRA A SUPPORT

Petra tells Shez he can come to Brigid once it's over.

She hopes to increase trade once the war is over and thinks having Shez around will help.

It's pretty fucked up that Petra thinks the best way for Brigid to stand out is to comply with their oppressors until they "earn" their power or whatever. Recruited Petra is always better.

Shez tells Petra she's "every bit the leader the Fodlan ones are" like fuck off, we know that. Petra just owns it though. She's like, "no, I'm Brigid's queen." We love that for her.

I'm having Shez be as much of a dick as I can though right now (fuck this route for making me kill Annette, Gustave, Rodrigue, and Ingrid - the Black Eagles deserve worse), and this was the first time I felt bad.

HUBERT & MONICA A SUPPORT

The battle of the simps.

I really wonder what the writers were thinking. Oh, I know what the Black Eagles needs, another mage and another character who wants to suck Edelgard's toes! We don't have enough of either yet.

Monica insulted Edelgard's painting without knowing it was Edelgard's. This is probably the hardest trial she's ever faced (yes, it's probably worse than kidnapping and imprisonment for her)

Edelgard got offended. That girl can't take any criticism.

Monica aspires to be Edelgard's servant and is happy that the war she's causing may make that possible. Question is, does Edelgard want to put up with a stalker?

FERDINAND & DOROTHEA A SUPPORT

Dorothea has realized that she owes Ferdinand an apology. Finally.

Ferdinand really rides that line between cringe and endearing and right now I don't know what side of the fence he's on right now. He's shouting at Dorothea so he can keep a distance and giving her the chance to laugh at him if she wants.

Dorothea's embarrassed because everyone is overhearing this lamo. And people are assuming they're dating.

Poor Ferdinand is like Dorothea's still annoyed with me. Then Dorothea tells him he doesn't need to apologize, which makes him think she'll never forgive him, but it's actually because she has too.

They both get embarrassed when she tells him what's going on.

Honestly this is a WAY cuter version of the same story and a lesson in how much execution matters. I was all team Petra/Dorothea (and Ferdinand I didn't really ship with anyone), but now I like Ferdie/Doro too.

While I'm kind of bummed we basically got the same conversation, a rewrite really helped in this case so I get why they went that route.

MONICA & DOROTHEA C SUPPORT

Why did they have to do my girl Dorothea like this? Wasting one of her supports on Monica.

Monica is upset she didn't realize Dorothea was the songstress sooner.

So, Monica is a fan of Dorothea too.

Also Dorothea finds Monica unsettling. Same.

But hey at least Monica got through a conversation without saying Edelgard.

LINHARDT & CONSTANCE C

So is this about Constance being mad that Linhardt doesn't care about his noble status or about him investigating her condition?

Linhardt calls her for siding with the church over the Empire for a bit, but it was only for survival.

Man, Constance just makes no sense fighting for Edelgard. She wants to glory of nobility so awkward.

These two aren't having the same conversation. Linhardt is curious about her crest situation and Constance is going off about wanting to revive her house.

He just walks off after getting annoyed by her lol.

JERITZA & EDELGARD A SUPPORT

Jetiza likes the war because without it he'd be killing someone "less deserving" because Fuck You random Faerghus citizen. I guess they "deserve it"

Also, holy shit, dude acts like it's just inevitable that he murders

At least he wants to get arrested. Edelgard doesn't want him to get arrested.

My question is, did Jeritza go around killing willy nilly or just House Bartels? Because he makes it sound like he can't resist killing and just went and ganked whoever was unlucky.

Or was it that Edelgard recruited him right away and made him her personal guard dog?

MAIN BATTLE

Hanneman and Leonie, not who I expected.

I love how we only see mothers crying over their dead kids when it's TWSITD's attack that does it and not Edelgard's.

Edelgard says no more innocent lives lost today, which may actually be true since we're attacking TWSITD and not commoners from Faerghus.

Is there anything you can do about Leonie? She died of poison, but since it's related to Jeralt stuff, I'm guessing it's because I didn't recruit him? If I did, would she have gotten recruited?

Solon retreated. Annoying.

Hubert, who was a dark knight the whole battle, claims he doesn't know the magic TWSITD uses.

I forget how anime magic girl Edelgard's design is in this game. It's kind of weird.

I keep earning reknown, but I don't know what it does.

Duke Aegir and co seized a fortress. Time for Ferdinand to do something cool?

Caspar's brother is a prisoner.

Does this mean I get to put off fighting innocent citizens of Faerghus for another level? Because I prefer SB bored out of my mind than upset that I had to kill Ingrid, Rodrigue, Gustave, and Annette.

Leonie's dead too now. Geeze, SB is a bloodbath.

xxx

[catsvrsdogscatswin]

Binged Nocturne yesterday, so here are my spoilery thoughts on the matter, in no particular order:

Watching this season was certainly an experience. Neither I nor my sibling have any knowledge of the Castlevania games beyond "there's a guy named Alucard who kills his dad multiple(?) times and also Belmonts are the player characters probably," so it's not like we were expecting anything, but there were a lot of "oh wouldn't it be funny if" or "I bet they'll do X" moments BUT THEN THEY ACTUALLY DID. "Why don't we continue this conversation somewhere more comfortable?" (Oh lol he's gonna fuck that priest.) *smashcut to Orlox and Mizrak naked in a bed together* (OH WAIT WHAT?!!?!)

"There's an underground secret passage to the abbey." (Uh yeah and how do YOU know that? 'I bet she fucked that old man.' Pfff I bet she did. 'I bet he's Maria's dad.' Ehhhh I mean maybe? Bit far-fetched.) "But then we wouldn't have had Maria!" (*unified unholy gibbon screeching*)

(I'm not saying this series is bad, I'm just going to be a little disappointed if absolutely nobody from the original series gets even mentioned.) *Alucard shows up at the very last second* (Oh we are winning this season! 'We are WINNING!')

Orlox served astronomical levels of cunt and I hope he continues to hang around being a nebulous problem for everybody else for the rest of the series. And then go be evil and gay somewhere else at the end, like Striga and Morana.

While I respect the power move of Drolta's heel-less platforms and the environmental storytelling of "ooh wow look how vampires can balance effortlessly on floating heels like it's nothing" personally speaking it did look a bit. weird. Like just give her stilettos, man.

Drolta was otherwise an absolute delight to watch for every moment of her time onscreen and her character design was absolute peak. Every outfit and hairstyle was immaculate.

Maybe this is just me having read up on her a lot, but having Erzebet Bathory be mixed with the Egyptian goddess Sekmet was... jarring. She was a Hungarian noble and had absolutely fuck-all to do with anything further south than the European frontier of the Ottoman Empire, so even the "drank a goddess's blood and got possessed a little bit" still feels cobbled-together and forced.

Personally speaking, I think it would've served the writer's "dread vampire Messiah come to swallow the sun and usher in a new age of blood and doom" purpose if they had EITHER the vampire Erzebet Bathory who committed all of her (mostly mythical/exaggerated) serial killing crimes and then some, OR an ancient vampiress infected by drinking a goddess's blood. You either pull the cachet of an infamous vampire-tangential historical figure or make up a story about a vampire being consumed by and becoming a channel for something more powerful than even them out of whole cloth, but please don't do both. Especially when both versions originally had nothing to do with each other.

We all none of us deserve Eduoard. I hope he gets to transform into something more human-looking by the end of the series (so he doesn't get mobbed) and then go home to his nameless boyfriend and live happily ever after. Maybe after kicking the Abbot's teeth in, since he deserves it.

Speaking of which, this was Annette's season. Richter may have had his name on the tin but this season was for her and she killed it. Absolutely stole the show, man.

I love the way her summoning was animated and find her realistic for both her age and her time period in terms of enthusiasm for revolution and a tendency to act with emotion rather than thought, but Maria was just kinda... also here. Presumably she'll have more to do next season.

[fundielicious-simblr]

🌲🍁🥧 Harvestfest 🌲🍁🥧

(Adalynn's POV)

Happy Harvestfest! We all made out way to my parents house in Newcrest for a weekend full of family, food, and fellowship. One thing we tried to arrange beforehand was the grandkids picture since we didn't manage to get one last year, and now that the babies that were in utero last year have been born (and no one that we know of is pregnant) we decided now was the perfect time. We mixed up the kids so that there was a big kid-little kid plan, mostly for crowd control purposes so that they would be able to handle the toddlers. The oldest four (Noah, Luke, Chloe, and AJ) were holding the youngest four (Grace, Everett, Jackson, and Bethany). As the years go by and the children grow (and with more being born, Lord willing) we'll have to keep finding new ways to arrange all the children.

Annette (21), Macie (33), Casandra (53), Allan (56), Ashton (17)

My parents and the girls at home are all doing great! Now that there's no longer anyone in school, my parents have more time for their other things, though it seems with the more the family grows the busier they'll get! My dad continues to shepherd the flock of Newcrest Baptist, there's a blossoming pastoral staff that also help to keep the place running for the Lord's glory. It also gives him time to travel to speaking engagements at other churches as well as different revivals, jubilee's, hymn sings, and festivals. My mother is also busy with her role as mother, grandmother, and pastor's wife. She somehow finds the time to show all of us that we're definitely loved and valued. She helps to homeschool Barrett and Kyleigh's kids whenever needed, as well as the kids coming to their house for music lessons. When they're not home or travelling to commitments, they're usually visiting with one of us that live out of town, they try and schedule their visits to us to coincide with their travelling for their commitments. My sisters are all busy busy bees! Macie splits her time between being at home or in ministry, and when she's not doing that she's visiting with one of us. Annette works as a babysitter helping families at church that need that extra support, she just loves children and is grateful she gets to spend time with children all day. Both girls remain in a season of singleness, and they're using it to the full, with our cousin Celeste getting married this winter they've been recruited to help with the planning and execution of the wedding. Ashton also babysits children in the congregation, she's in the church choir and spends her days helping out wherever she can. Since she has less responsibilities she spends the most time travelling, so she gets to spend longer amounts of time with the siblings.

Mason (35) & Adalynn Leonard (34) with Titus (2) and Bethany (3m), Luke (10), Paul (8), Caleb (4), Joshua (6), Jonah (4), Noah (12), Aaron (9)

We are so thankful for the Lord's grace! Little Bethany joined our family this summer and we are over the moon that the Lord chose for this little girl to join us - her 8 older brothers and her parents are over the moon! We've had two kids get saved this year (Paul & Joshua) and it's such a blessing that we've been able to lead our kids to the Lord for his glory! Since the arrival of little miss, Mason and I have been feeling like the Lord is leading us in the direction of a new house. Since she's so young and has about a year in our room with us, we have time to see whether we're going to extend the house by adding a level or whether we'll move to a whole new house altogether. We've got a bunch of prayer warriors on our side so I'm sure we'll get an answer soon.

(AN: Ignore the height differences, planning poses with so many sims means you gotta sacrifice a few things here and there)

Barrett (33) and Kyleigh Collins (31) with Preston (2) and Jackson (6m), Marigold (6), Daisy (7), Benjamin (9), Rose (8), Olivia (4), Violet (8), Jefferson (1), Allan Jr (9), and Chloe (9)

Barrett and Kyleigh are also thankful for a new blessing from the Lord, little Jackson made his appearance soon after Parker and Lana's wedding, so we got a 2-for-1 deal really! They're also prayerfully considering their house, so our prayer circles are really working hard in this season our two families are in. They also had two kids get saved this year, it brought so much joy to my heart when Kyleigh shared in our group chat that the girls had gotten saved and baptised at church! My parents started the tradition of gifting the 'savee' a bible and a family lunch, and it's such a precious tradition that they're able to now carry out with their grandchildren. They only have 12 grandkids that are in the average age range for getting saved (of course it can happen before or after that time period - all in the Lord's timing!), but as the grandchildren grow and continue to multiply they're going to need the Lord's help to get them everywhere that they're needed!

Francisco (34) and Zoe Moreno (30) with Javier Jr (3) and Cassie (1)

Zoe and her family are happy and thriving in Windenburg, Francisco's job gives him weekends off so the family gets to attend church on the weekends. Zoe has amassed a solid amount of students that she teaches piano and violin, as well as some students that she video conferences for their lessons. With two young children to care for and a house to maintain, she's an expert at managing her time. They're slowly approaching the time when Francisco gets his orders and they've got to move, but they've not put their choices in yet so we have no idea where they'll be right now. Little Cassie turns two years old in a few months, so the plan is to have a birthday party for her when we're all back in town for Celeste's wedding. Ashton is heading back to Windenburg to spend some time with them as well as with Amira and her family, she'll ride back with them for the wedding.

Shane (28) and Maggie Wright (27) with Iris (2) and Arlo Wright (2)

Maggie and her family are doing wonderful! They were in Sulani earlier this summer with Reece and Amira's families, it's wonderful getting to see my younger siblings bonding as adults with families of their own. Little Arlo and Iris seem to have grown leaps and bounds since I last saw them, the kids love getting to video chat with them and love whenever they get to visit with each other. Usually Maggie and her family will try and pass through to see us during their travels, so that's when the kids get to see each other.

Reece (26) and Stacie Collins (26) with Liam (5) and Hazel (2)

Reece and Stacie have also been doing great, Liam has breezed through kindergarten and is getting ready to start grade 1. Stacie will be homeschooling Liam through a homeschool co-op, they said that they felt that was the best option for getting the kids socialised with like minded children.

Beckett (24) and Mandy Collins (22)

Beckett and mandy are back for their yearly vacation from the mission field. It's so great to see them in person and hear the wonderful stories they have to tell about the great work that they're doing out there in Selvadorada. Whilst they haven't been blessed with a child as of yet, the Lord has kept them content with their current life and has showered them in blessings of many kinds. They'll be focusing on fundraising efforts for the mission field, as well as trying to see as much family as they can.

Thomas (24) and Amira Eichelburg (23) with Maya (1)

Amira and her family are wonderful and thriving! Little Maya is such a sweet girl, a total reflection of her wonderful mother! Amira was such a wonderful baby and child, and Maya is exactly like her mother. Their little family are wonderful and are so blessed by the Lord, and they've been doing more travelling this year when their schedule allows. They'll be sharing Ashton with Zoe this winter as they get to have some quality sister time before we meet again for Celeste's wedding.

Felix (26) and Priscilla Robert (21) with Andrew (2) and Grace (9m)

Little Grace has joined the family since we were last all together, and her name is so precious! Little Andrew is such a wonderful big brother and these two babies are the light of their parents lives! Priscilla always says that life in Oasis Springs spoils them with the heat, but she does miss having the traditional autumn and winter weather and is glad to be with family - as we all are!

Charles (20) and Lorilee Collins (19) with Everett (9m)

Charles and Lorilee welcomed little Everett into the family around the new year, and have been thanking the Lord for that blessing. Lorilee has been sharing that she's been doing better than expected at the postpartum period, especially for a first-timer. They're talking about moving out of their apartment and finding a house for their little family (that they're hoping to expand!)

Parker (19) and Lana (19) Collins

Lana was also a new joiner to the family this year! She's such a sweet girl and is a wonderful wife to Parker. Their wedding was beautiful and wonderfully glorified the Lord, which is a testament to the minds and hearts of Parker and Lana. As an older sibling, it's been my prayer that my siblings find spouses that challenge them and push them to the Lord, and I'm thankful to say that Lana does exactly that!

We also managed to take a group picture! There's 55 people in our 'immediate' family - imagine that! There's my parents, then the 13 kids, the 10 spouses, and 30 grandkids! The lord has blessed us greatly and beyond our wildest imagination.

For comparison, this is a picture from way before any of us got married, and then a picture with Mason, Noah, and Kyleigh in the family. Who would've thought that in less than 15 years we'd go from a family of 15 to a family of 55! This is probably the biggest example of God's goodness in our lives!

[ladyniniane]

FE OC WEEK DAY 2: Relationships

Let's discuss Maeve's relationship with Dedue and her bonds with her sister Enid and her friends Gladys, Vigdis and Amalia (yeah, more OCs)! If you've missed her introduction, you can read it here.

English isn't my first language, I hope there aren't too many errors!

@fe-oc-week

❧Dedue Molinaro - Blossoming love

Maeve first meets Dedue at Garreg Mach’s greenhouse after the battle of Gronder. She’s immediately intrigued by the beautiful flowers and decides to approach him. Maeve congratulates him. Dedue is guarded at first, especially since Maeve has the manners of a noblewoman and her lack of hostility surprises him. They nonetheless have a civil discussion.

Read their first meeting here and some scenes with them.

Maeve later sings for him and Annette around tea and some cakes that Dedue had baked. She meets him again in the greenhouse before the departure for Fhirdiad. As Maeve is nervous, Dedue offers her to tend to the flowers with him. She accepts and he gives her some petals that she promises to keep preciously.

On the road, Dedue gets wounded and Maeve visits him, soothing him after a nightmare of the Tragedy. He then asks her why she isn’t hostile towards him and warns her that being seen with him could have unpleasant consequences. Maeve answers that it is because she knows what is right and what is wrong and that she would like to keep spending time with him if he allows it.

After the capital is retaken, he takes the time to bring her some food and comfort her. They hug, relieved to be both alive. Dedue then tells Maeve how he saved Dimitri’s life and about his life after the Tragedy. The pair finds solace in eachother’s company.

During their stay in the capital, they garden together and exchange intimate secrets. Dedue tells her about the death of his family, especially of his little sister Nérine, and Maeve reveals that she is the daughter of an imperial noble.

On the way to Derdriu, they spend some time together. Dedue realizes that meeting Maeve made him desire new things. Just as when he understood that he was happy to be alive and to see the flowers in the greenhouse. He no longer wants to be just a sword and shield. As he voices his doubts, Maeve gives him words of encouragement and encourages him to seek balance. To thank her, he puts flowers in her hair and she does the same for him.

Once in Derdriu, Claude throws a party to celebrate the victory. Maeve attends with her friend and manages to steal some time alone with Dedue. A rude man insults Maeve for associating with a man of Duscur. They both drive him, but once they are alone in the garden, Dedue is upset that Maeve had to go through this. She then confesses her feelings for him. Taken aback at first, he then tells her that he loves her and promises to always take good care of her.

❧ Enid Fresnay - The lost sister 

Enid is Maeve’s adoptive sister. She’s 31 during the story. A member of a rebel group in the Empire, she’s investigating Those Who Slither in the Dark and is determined to bring them down. On the surface, Enid a is proud, cynical and merciless warrior. Deep down, he’s a very vulnerable and damaged woman, battling with trauma, guilt and suicidal thoughts. Enid is also generous and caring and protects others with a chivalrous determination. 

She's an orphan that Maeve’s aunt, Nemain, found in Enbarr. Enid taught Maeve how to use a knife and defend herself and Maeve taught her to sing. A shadow was looming over Enid and Maeve didn’t know what it was until her sister disappeared without a warning.

Maeve had never been able to mourn Enid properly and always wondered where she was, feeling a mix of anger, sadness and a desire to know the truth. The two sisters are ultimately reunited in Fhirdiad. Seeing Maeve during an official ceremony, Enid decides to take responsibility for her actions.

The two sisters meet and Enid reveals her secret: she was subjected to Agarthan experiments as a child and now bears a crest. She has furthermore stopped aging and now looks barely older than Maeve. She thus can't bear the thought of seeing everyone grow old and die while saying the same.

She explains that she left because she needed answers regarding what happened to her and wanted to hunt down TWSITD. She also explains that she thought that Maeve had died when their house was attacked by Cornelia’s troops and felt tremendous guilt for not being there.

Understanding what happened, Maeve forgives her sister. Enid admires the person that her sister has become and promises to not let her down again. 

Read the reunion between the two sisters here!

❧ Vigdis Auber - artist and swordswoman

A swordswoman serving house Eilyn, Vigdis is one of Maeve’s close friends. Vigdis is 23 and has a regal and icy exterior. She was a dancer before the war but became a soldier, feeling that this was her true path. A sensitive woman deep down, she likes to sew and embroider and is in awe of the beauty of nature. She’s caring and loyal towards those she loves and likes teasing them.

Vigdis’ way to show her affection is to embroider things for people. She thus made Maeve's pouch. Since Vigdis traveled extensively in Fodlan and the Alliance, she likes telling Maeve about her adventures. Vigdis once danced while Maeve sang and gave her dancing lessons. She also recommends books to her friends.

Vigdis saved Maeve’s life at the beginning when she still wasn’t used to military life. Maeve admires the fact that Vigdis is always calm and composed. She doesn’t understand that Vigdis bottles everything up and suffers from this. After saving Vigdis’ life during the battle of Fhirdiad, Maeve realizes that her friend’s way of dealing with her emotions isn’t exactly better and that they are both strong in their own way.

❧ Gladys Rusla Eilyn - the ambitious lady

At 23 years old, Gladys is the current head of house Eilyn. Warm, cheerful and friendly, Gladys knows how to put people at ease. Bold, ambitious and cunning, she has many reform ideas and is determined to improve her people’s well-being. A skilled horsewoman and archer, she likes to spend time outside. She was the illegitimate daughter of the previous lord but managed to get herself legitimized. 

Gladys took Maeve in while she was a refugee. Maeve was surprised because Gladys didn’t fit the idea she had of a noblewoman. Having spent fifteen years of her life among the commoners, Gladys’ manners were closer to that of a soldier. She thus observed Maeve and learned from her. 

Gladys likes to listen to Maeve’s music and often plays board games with her. Though Gladys is a better tactician, Maeve managed to learn and improve. Maeve also helps Gladys prepare for important occasions, styling her hair and advising her on her choice of clothing. Overall, Gladys feels extremely protective of Maeve and cares for her.

❧ Amalia Sváfa Eilyn - the warrior mother

Amalia is Gladys’ mother. A commoner, she had an affair in her youth with Gladys’ father. She left, thinking she wasn’t good enough for him. Amalia then worked as a military cook. When Gladys went to her father’s home, she followed her. 

An unassuming woman in her youth, Amalia has turned into a fierce protector and warrior. She’s always by Gladys’ side on the battlefield. She’s a mentor and a confidant for all the young women of the group and Maeve is no exception. She likes spending time with Amalia as she makes her feel safe. Amalia recognizes Maeve’s qualities and sees herself in her. 

When Amalia cooks for the group, Maeve is always there to eat her honey cakes. 

[o0par0o]

Seven Days (5)

AO3

5. Mirage

To thoroughly clean the house that had been idle for years, Annette spent all her spare time outside of school working on it. But her progress was minimal; after several days, she had only managed to clean part of the kitchen. Desperately, she asked Seth for help, and to her surprise, he agreed without hesitation.

With Seth's help, things went much faster. He was efficient and much stronger than Annette. Cleaning such a large house required more physical effort than she had anticipated. Carrying buckets of water up and down the stairs was exhausting for her. Fortunately, Seth took care of the upstairs, allowing Annette to focus on the ground floor. In just one weekend, they managed to clean the floors and furniture, which marked a significant victory. To thank him, Annette handled all the meals during the cleanup and of course, drove Seth to and from the city.

The most challenging part to clean was the outdoor area. They initially tried to remove the ivy growing wild against the exterior walls, but the roots had become woody and difficult to remove without tools. Forcibly removing it risked damaging the walls. Annette decided to postpone this task and seek help from professionals later. So, they turned their attention to the long and narrow swimming pool. The water had long been drained, and the bottom was covered with dried, rotting leaves. Among them, she spotted a small, deflated inflatable flamingo, a favorite from her childhood. Looking closer, she saw remnants of other toys that once floated in the pool, now partially buried in the debris.

This was an enormous task, unsurprisingly. Seth spent nearly all his spare time that week to helping her clean the pool. Clearing the debris from the bottom was labor-intensive, and scrubbing the tiles to remove algae and moss, unclogging the circulation vents that were blocked for years, replacing the batteries for the pool lights, and other tasks were no small feat. Annette couldn’t understand why Seth was willing to spend so much of his free time helping her with such a massive cleanup. She was extremely grateful and could hardly imagine facing this house that needed so much cleaning alone; she knew she couldn’t have done it without him. Seth's presence provided not just physical help but also mental comfort, easing her often tense and low spirits lately. It seemed that spending time with a friend now and then could indeed be relaxing.

They connected a hose and chatted about school trivialities while rinsing the pool walls. Someone started it, and soon they were playfully splashing water at each other, laughing and escalating their prank, and whoever had the hose had the upper hand. By the time they tired themselves out with their playful splashing, the pool was almost clean. Thanks to Los Angeles' consistently warm weather, being soaked felt perfectly comfortable.

After an entire afternoon of waiting, the pool was finally refilled, the water reflecting the warm light from the setting sun. The major cleanup was finally over. The childhood home was nearly restored to its original state, with everything looking so familiar, as if time had stood still. Watching the sparkling water surface, Annette felt a strong sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, mixed with a trace of unease that suddenly invaded from somewhere. Standing by the pool, she realized this was the very spot with the most direct view of her bedroom window. She sat on a nearby chair, attempting to quell her sudden surge of negative emotions.

"Are you feeling okay? You seem pretty tired," Seth asked, returning from the bathroom and seeing Annette staring blankly at the water.

"You exerted yourself more than I did," she replied.

"It's not a competition, no big deal," Seth said with a smile, his gaze shifting to the book on the small table beside them. It was the romance novel Annette had taken from her old room’s bookshelf. She spent the afternoon reading it while waiting for the pool to fill, which piqued Seth's curiosity.

They talked casually as night fell. The pool lights embedded in the walls glowed green once again. They enjoyed the evening breeze, discussing the novel and then moving on to all novels, literature, music, the house’s history, and their respective families and experiences. However, she never mentioned the person who had deeply affected her. It had been a long time since she brought him up to anyone.

Seth was walking along the pool’s edge, counting the stone tiles. In the dim light, the pool lights outlined him with a green glow. Suddenly, he slipped and almost fell into the pool. Annette's chest pounded violently, panic and fear hitting her simultaneously. She instinctively rushed forward to grab Seth, resulting in both of them tumbling into the pool.

The scenery in her eyes turned green, surging and expanding with vitality. As the world inverted, she felt like she was holding someone else. She desperately pulled him to the edge, her strength erupted at this moment. She almost threw Seth by his collar out of the water, which was incredible even to herself.

Soaked to the bone, they sat by the pool. Seth was fine; in fact he could swim, it was Annette's action that surprised him. Annette still seemed very shaken, trembling as if something dangerous in the water had threatened their lives.

The timing, place, and lighting reminded her of the night fifteen years ago, the scene she had witnessed through the window. In that time, she couldn't do anything but watch, but this time, she was close enough to save someone.

Seth was touched and surprised by Annette’s reaction. In all their time together, he had never seen her so unguarded. He thought maybe she really cared for him. He couldn’t help but quietly observe her face, patiently waiting for her to catch her breath, and then he subtly moved closer. Her wet hair clung to her face, and he gently tucked it behind her ear. Annette noticed his movement and looked at him, his face now very close. Seeing a friend's face, she felt calmer, as if she had returned to real life.

On the humid summer night, as water evaporated from their skin, their close distance allowed them to see their reflections in each other’s irises. The atmosphere was just right, at least for Seth.

Annette saw Seth’s body lean slightly towards her, his eyes closed, waiting for her to reciprocate. In that moment, her mind was flooded with emotions and images, partly from their pleasant time together, but mostly about someone else. That part quickly overwhelmed her thoughts until she saw no one else but that person. She pushed Seth away, turned her head, silently rejecting him.

She could see the disappointment in Seth’s eyes when he opened them again with her peripheral vision. Seth didn’t understand why she was so concerned about him earlier but now so distant, like a different person. He quickly suppressed his confusion and disappointment, sighing quietly.

“You’re like a closed book, Annette.”

The drive back to the city was silent. Annette appreciated Seth's quietness because she didn't know what to say. She knew she owed him an explanation, that she should at least express her thoughts, but she couldn't right now. The accidental fall had shaken her more than expected, leaving a lingering ache in her chest. She was too exhausted.

By the time she returned to her apartment, it was late. Her body sore from the day's exertion. After a quick shower, she collapsed onto her bed, embraced by the dreams of the night in her weariness.

She found herself back in her old bedroom, lying on her childhood bed, staring at the string of globe lights on the opposite wall. The round bulbs resembled the dreamy fruits depicted in storybooks, glowing softly.

What should have been a warm and comforting sight instead filled her with intense unease. It felt like the room's current scene was deeply tied to her inner fears, though she couldn't pinpoint why. Until the sound of an argument outside made her heart skip a beat.

She was back to the night he was killed.

Luckily, the bed’s guardrails had already been removed. Desperate to reach the window, her short stature made her movements clumsy. She climbed up onto the armchair by the bed, then onto the windowsill, like scaling two mountains. Finally, her hands and forehead pressed against the glass, giving her a clear view of the situation outside. She saw their argument quickly turn into a one-sided physical confrontation, with Henry forcefully shoving the slender figure beyond what he could bear. Frantically, she pounded on the window and screamed for Henry to stop, but her small voice went unheard amidst the chaos, with the window and the distance muffling her cries.

She saw her father mercilessly push the person she cared about most into the water. He struggled beneath the surface, bubbles rising and popping, the green pool devouring him like a monstrous beast. Nightmare recurred. Her ears rang with the sound of her heart pounding as if it would explode. She couldn’t watch him die helplessly again; she had to do something. But soon, his body stopped struggling, and Henry dragged him poolside, carrying him into the dark woods. The darkness seemed to come alive, swallowing them, then the scene froze there.

Annette stared blankly out the window, the green water that had swallowed him now calm, as if nothing had happened. In the next moment, she was back on her bed, staring at the string of lights, the argument outside repeating.

She didn’t know what was happening, where she was, or why these things were occurring, people often lose their ability to think clearly in dreams. But she knew this was her chance to save him, so she didn’t hesitate. She got up and ran out of the room. She almost tumbled down the stairs, slipping on the floor, a force seeming to pull her back as she tried to move forward. But she ignored it, heading straight for the door.

Henry no longer looked like Henry; he was a tall, humanoid figure made of countless black particles, his form shifting between clear and blurry, like fluctuating between human and monster. She shouted, and Henry paused, looking down at her small figure. Annette was ready to confront him, even if it meant fighting with him. But then the black mist suddenly dissipated into the air.

She rushed to the pool and grabbed the person who had already lost consciousness. In the water, their skin was too slick for her to hold on. She managed to grasp his sleeve and tried to pull him up, but with her barely five-year-old body, she was no match for the weight of the man and his soaked clothes. But she refused to give up, holding onto his sleeve until the downward pull dragged her down into the water as well.

She heard a loud splash, water roaring against her ears chaotically, the spotlight tinting the underwater world a bright green. The scene above gradually separated, the bushes, treetops, stars, and moon receded, leaving only the pool’s shape, as if the night was framed in a rectangle. She kept sinking, feeling as though the pool were as deep as the sea. But when she looked down, seeing him held tightly in her arms, she felt that everything would be alright.

Then she woke up in her bed again, seeing the colorful lights and hearing the argument outside.

This time, she realized she was trapped in a loop, reliving his death over and over. Or maybe this was her chance to prevent it. But she failed again and again. Throughout the night, she tried every method to save him. Her body changed each time the loop reset, eventually growing into her adult form, but it didn’t make things any easier. Whenever she got close to saving him, the particle-formed Henry would appear, disrupting her plans and chasing her through every corner of the house. Repeatedly, like a never-ending horror movie.

Initially, Henry didn’t attack her. If she stopped running and faced him, he would remain still and eventually dissipate. But as her body changed, Henry grew more aggressive, forcing her to hide and costing her many chances to save him.

She kept waking up, running down the stairs countless times, the staircase loomed like it was fifteen years long, a barrier that stood between her persistence and his life. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally, felt like an overworked machine about to break from metal fatigue, but she couldn’t stop.

She decided to take a gamble, betting that he was still alive when Henry buried him in the ground. She quietly followed Henry into the dark woods. Despite her caution, the crunching leaves and snapping branches underfoot made her break out in a cold sweat. Henry was busy filling the grave. Her heart pounded as she watched his dark figure, hoping he would finish quickly and leave. Once he was buried, every moment counted.

Finally, Henry left the woods. She checked his direction, then ran to the burial site. Without any tools, she started digging with her bare hands. She felt his life is like a handful of sand slipping away through her fingers. She wouldn't let this be his grave; she couldn't let it happen again. She dug with all her strength, her nails breaking, mixing blood with dirt, but she paid no heed to the pain, either the soreness of the muscles or the sharp pain at the nail. All she could felt was her determination to save him from death this time.

As dawn broke, she finally saw his face, as the dark night gradually revealed a glimmer of light.

Her eyes pricked with sudden tears, but she held them back. She carefully brushed the dirt off his face, her bleeding nails staining his skin. She didn't care about her bloody fingers; what mattered was that she had found him. She exerted more strength to dig out his whole body, laying him on the ground, frantically checking for his breath and heartbeat, praying for a miracle. But then her heart sank. His chest was as calm as a pool of stagnant water, with no signs of life.

The world fell silent, every sound swallowed by the night, and she was the only one still breathing in this world at this moment. She felt alone, like in a vacuum, lost in the center of the universe, with the universe collapsing towards her, about to crush her into a point.

But she rallied. It wasn't time to give up. She checked his airway, tilted his head back, and started CPR. She felt grateful for having paid attention in her first aid class; it was her lifeline now. Though she felt barely any strength left in her body, she kept going, mechanically pressing on his chest, feeling like she would die with him if she stopped.

"Please… please, don't leave me." she heard her own voice, nearly desperate, like an old, weathered building that would collapse with just a slight touch.

She didn’t know how long she kept going, but eventually, she felt a difference. She pressed her ear to his chest, straining to catch the faintest sound. At first, the sound was as faint as water drops echoing in a cave, one by one. Then the rhythm slowly steadied. Weak but there, his heart started beating on its own. Overjoyed, she helped him breathe until he coughed up water, and his chest began to rise and fall.

Relief filled her as her trembling breaths blended with the crisp morning air. She hugged him tightly, his body’s warmth driving away all her fears and exhaustion, like a light illuminating the darkness.

She couldn’t believe she had the chance to rewrite history, to have him back. It was the best gift she could ever receive, and she would never let go.

There was nothing to worry about anymore. She was grown up, no longer the child who could only protest by smashing the exquisite lamp her father had bought. Now, she had the strength to protect whom she loved. If anyone tried to hurt him again, she would fight back without hesitation, even at the heaviest cost; she didn't care. She had no mother, no father, nothing else to lose. Life meant nothing without him. She feared living without him more than death.

She held his hand, once so much larger than hers, able to span eleven keys on a piano, something she had envied as a child. Now it seemed smaller than hers, resting in her palm. She gently unfolded his fingers, placing his hand on her cheek, warming his fingertips. Even though he was unconscious, it didn’t matter. He would wake up eventually.

The night felt endless, as if time had paused. But dawn was breaking, the sun slowly rose over the trees. A giant, blazing orb that climbed to the highest branches, distorting the air with its heat, soon setting the sky ablaze.

-

tbc

[newsafeconfinement]

RESIDENT EVIL HEADCANNONS BECAUSE AUUGGHHHHHHHH

request more people, its abt 1am and im about to conk

chris:

- filipino, but his and claire's adoptive family are white

- contrary to popular belief, hes never used steroids. he just loves his partners. ( @kernelpanicart and i's funny headcannon)

- nd: obvi ptsd and amnesia, but he also strikes me as the autistic type: my autistim sense is tingling when i look at him

- in a "everyone lives" scenario, he defo dates jill, piers, maybe wesker, and leon, and theyre all in a poly relationship

- trans but transitioned pretty early in life

- bisexual asf

jill:

- keeping the canon french/japanese bc yes

- hates all forms of makeup. not even for formal events. over her dead body would she wear makeup. youd have to hold her down to put it on.

- dating chris, leon, and carlos because 💞

- she marries them and doesnt cry while the boys are openly weeping

- trans!!! transwoman!!!!

- absolutely completely bisexual as hell

piers:

- whiteboy (terminal)

- has the hardest time focusing because of chris. he cant help it. chris sexy :(

- just dating chris

- demisexual and bi

- trans too because he got the tboy swag

leon:

- also a whiteboy (terminal)

- in my stars!leon au hes been caught making out with every single stars member. even wesker.

- the members affectionately called him "leon slutboy kennedy"

- dating chris like a little BITCH (but also makesout with helena when he can) and also ashley and luis

- trans

- bisexual

brad vickers (sorry im a brad stan):

- columbian

- GOD i could talk abt my brad hcs all day

- i might make a post abt him alone. hes so silly

- trans and doesnt really want to completely transition

- bi and proud

- annoys wesker

- also wesker's boyfriend because hehehehehehehehe

- and jill's

- and all of stars

- he loves his partners and snuggles them all the time

wesker:

- cunt (whiteboy, more specifically FRENCH)

- dating: chris, jill, brad, william birkin, and rebecca

- before you say it

- him and rebecca thoroughly talked it through, and do not have sex or any sort of major flirtation WITHOUT rebecca first engaging

- im mixed on the trans idea tbh

- pansexual

william birkin:

- dont get me started on the whiteboy.

- him and annette are in a open relationship and hes with wesker too

- loves his daughter so much

- honestly i feel like if he saw sherry in re6, he would be so proud of her

- bisexual? more like. more li. i dont have anything clever to say

sherry birkin:

- japanese/american (i like referencing the re2 concepts of annette bc i like variety in my women, so i feel shes japanese)

- also i feel like shes not like. completely thin like in re6. "oh but guuiiiii shes training with the government! she should be small!!!" no shut up. she deserves a little bit of plus sized body as a treat.

- JAKE WIFE'D HER.

- adores jake, even if work makes them not see eachother as much

- whenever theyre both home, they just hold eachother

- loves halloween and makes her own costumes

- cis

- defo bisexual

jake:

- white (french/eastern european, ukranian most likely)

- loves his wife

- sherry makes sure on his missions thathe eats properly

- doesnt really understand halloween but loves that sherry makes them both costumes

- sherry's definately helped him experience more western things

- cis

- bisexual

ashley:

- whitegirl

- dating leon and luis

- shes their self control bimbo

- has cried to the stupidest things

- she defo smokes ouid with luis and leon for fun

- we know what that always leads to, dont we?

- cis

-pansexual

finn:

- chinese/native-american

- has feelings for piers and chris but never will talk about it

- piers and chris do notice his heart eyes tho

- trans

- gay gay homosexual gay

ada:

- chinese

- full fledged lesbian that makesout with claire to piss off chris

- cis

claire:

- filipino, but also raised by white people so she doesnt really know that

- bi

- transwoman but doesnt get bottom surgery bc she doesnt wanna

barry:

- all american dad

- trys to stay up to date with everything so he can stay close to his daughters, but unironically says "yeet" instead of "yes"

- hes just my dad basically

rebecca:

- japanese/american

- literally adores wesker

- she patches him up after rough missions and talks about what shes been working on to keep him calm

- cis

- probablt bi? shes questioning mostly

[eviltothecore13]

Mixed feelings

So...I'm about to post the 100th Willsker fic to AO3.

When I first joined this fandom there were less than half that. It feels like there's been a real resurgence in popularity of this ship and it's a lot of fun to see. There's some good fics up there and I've also seen some great art. And it certainly encourages me to write more of my own fics.

But...

Why all the Annette-bashing?

People can have a genuine relationship with one person and then later with another. Or even two at once in a poly situation. Annette is not necessarily just an obstacle to Willsker fics. Yet so many fics either go for "Will and Annette never had any genuine feelings for each other at all" or even "Annette is an abusive bitch who goes out of her way to make Will miserable, in contrast to Wesker"... it's unnecessary and imo not really supported by canon. (On that note, I've seen people acting as if it's canon or heavily implied in canon that Will and Annette only got married because she was pregnant... this really is completely a fanon idea, there is no mention of such an idea in canon at all.)

It just...gets a little bit tiring, you know? And feels like part of a wider fandom problem of people not realising that...there are ways to make a ship convincing that DON'T involve "he'd never loved anyone else nearly as much as he loved them" or "no-one else had ever treated him well/cared about him before" or similar. Sometimes someone really can love two people equal amounts.

[watching-pictures-move]

Put On Your Raincoats | Soft Places (Lease, 1978)

This is the fourth Maria Lease directed film I’ve seen so far, and it has some of the better qualities I’ve come to expect from her work. As a porno it’s creatively realized and often stylish, peaking with a scene where the heroine awakes to a roomful of fog and a disembodied penis (achieved with a black bodysuit worn by the male performer; eerie synths and wind noises add to the illusion). And it takes what could be male fantasies and filters them through the perspective of her female protagonist. Here, the protagonist is a recently widowed actress whose cruel husband left his estate to her on the condition she goes through a specific sequence of sexual scenarios. On one hand, this is an obvious excuse to go through an escalating series of sex scenes, and the movie certainly does that. But the whole time the movie challenges our enjoyment of these scenes with the complex feelings of the heroine, whose apprehension about sex and mixed feelings about her husband’s cruelty conflict with her growing desire for sexual agency. The heroine is played by Annette Haven, whose high class veneer is effective in evoking this internal struggle. We hear her husband calling her “frigid”, and maybe that’s an unfair characterization, but Haven nails that sense of apprehension while granting her character a certain dignity.

All that being said, because I’ve become so used to the tenderness and compassion that Lease has brought so reliably to her films, that I was let down by this one in one respect. In one scene, Haven masturbates the changeroom of a clothing store in view of another customer, who proceeds to masturbate as well and gets jumped by an excited plus sized woman. This is played as a punchline. In a later scene, Haven visits a working class bar (the kind where they have two kinds of wine, the red and the white) and captures the attention of most of the man in the establishment, but also draws the scorn of a pair of older prostitutes unhappy that they’re losing customers. These characters are also presented as the butt of a joke. One of the prostitutes is given a scene, but this plays less like something you’re supposed to get off on than something you’re supposed to gawk at. I’m not going to pretend I’ve never laughed at this kind of humour elsewhere, but it feels uncharacteristically glib and dismissive in Lease’s filmography. In another scene, Haven visits a “women’s club” that’s essentially a brothel, and a hostess explains to her the variety of services they provide before being revealed to be a transwoman. Unlike the aforementioned two scenes, this character is at least presented to be desirable, but the movie strangely never follows through on including her in a sex scene. There are narrow standards of beauty at play that the movie is not divorced from, but I think it would have been bolder to have presented all of these auxiliary characters as desirable and included them more equitably in Haven’s sexual journey.

As it is, I did like the movie, but the sour taste left in my mouth by the handling of those characters means that this is probably my least favourite film from Lease I’ve seen yet.

[highlifeboat]

I would say Annette's death even more tragic in original. Because it had 4th scenarios (timelines) you could play through. And Annette dies in each one (differently), she's like "doomed in every timeline" kind of thing(

I guess.

But I like my 2019 unethical scientist wifey. Plus watching her be thrown around and absolutely breaking ribs if not her spine and then still manage to save her kid just to fucking die of internal injuries inflicted by her infected husband get me.

She got fucking OBLITERATED by her husband and still limped her shitty body to her lab to save her kid. And I think that's what makes it really tragic.

I just also have mixed feelings because she did also leave Sherry in like... a trash compactor and was going to just let this kid die. But y'know. Nobody's perfect and at least it wasn't like she was doing it out of want.

[simplyvladimir]

My ass is absolutely not on fire about "Castlevania: Nocturne".

Well, if you remove the word "Castlevania" from "Castlevania: Nocturne", you'll get a pretty good animated series. It needs to be said that I watched first Castlevania just with common facts of this universe and game experience of Lords of the Shadows. I liked the show (tho it had it's own disadvantages). And I really waited for the continuation of it. Even when I saw the first trailer of Nocturne my expectation were at the veeeeeeery low level. The idea of taking course to the historical events seemed not very good to me, because if to mix them with Castlevania's world it will surely turned into goo-mix of something strange and unlogical. Designs were +\- okayish, despite piano in the bushes - Drolta. Like, wtf is this mix of Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga doing here? By the trailer it was already a fact that happened classic Netflixifiction, but I forced myself to think that it's not that bad. So I watched this new season. Aaaaaand if to be short - it's bleh. Thank you for your attention, have good day, bye. If not to be short - hmmm, where should I start? Promotion said the events will take their place at French Revolution, but we see like 0 things about except few very short scenes and the main idea of the Crew of Fighting Kids. Maybe it will be shown in the future seasons, but not now. The biggest dissapointment to me - characters. Richter Belmont, the most powerful of the all generations of Belmont clan is... weak crybaby. He can do shit. This is all. Annette is absolute OC. She changed her race, story and I bet she could kick both Drolta's and Erzsebet's asses with her left finger, but Netflix decided that it will be too much. Drolta went through bimbofication and now she is a vampire? a demon? a latex inventor? I think that the creators of the show themselves do not fully understand this. Erzsebet now is the egyptian goddess avatar and even older than Dracula. Typical white-skinned egyptian (I swear I almost heard her saying "Eat shit old dick"). You know, these new extra-powerful sequel's characters whom anyone never heard anything about. Olrox, aztec gay vampire. Aka Quetzalcoatl. Powerful bottom. Mizrak, mestizo\mulatto gay Malta knight. He is such a himbo that chainmail fits tight on him and his barber secretly make his job every fucking day. The plot, motivation of the characters, logic - this all were thrown into the toilet. Yep, in one scene we see that vampires kills a lot of people just in one town, people terrified, and in another - how they are partying with humans on the streets. In this season vampires can beat the sun with umbrellas, levitate, turn into half-demons and hell knows anything else, but can't fly away from the wide cage in their bat-shape. Annette don't give a shit about Richter and even get really mad about him, then BOOM. She is suddenly have romantic feelings to him. And he have feelings to her too (but this is lie, we are all know that he likes milfs). This all looks like the situation with Resident evil Netflix tv series, when the absolutely side story used the brand name to get views. It's also very obviously that the budget was terribly cut, because some animations looks like they were at least halfly AI-animated. No offence to the real animators of the show, you did good work, guys. As I said before - it could be a good show if it was just "Nocturne". Thank you for your attention.

[emmettkane]

I watched Castlevania: Nocturne, long post time. First, context: I have lots of Opinions when it comes to storytelling media, especially in the departments of writing and world building. Regardless. I try to appreciate pieces of art for what they are doing, not for what I want them to do. I had very mixed feelings on the original Castelvania animated series, especially about the later seasons and episodes, but I still enjoyed it. Oh, also, beware all ye who enter here, for there are spoilers below. Don't read if you still plan on watching.

Anyway, Nocturne is great. Not perfect (I'll get into that) but still great. I love the characters, I love the choice of setting, I love all of the cultural work that went into it, and I think the sound design team deserves the novel peace prize. I also don't have any issues with, for example, the fact that Annette is justifiably angry when Richter bails, unlike some sections of the fandom surrounding Nocturne (i.e. weirdos, racists, etc...) There's other things I could gush about, design stuff, the insane action scenes, Edouard singing in Italian, Olrox turning a guy into a raisin...but then I'd be here all day. No, I've got some other notes to cover.

First: voice acting.

None of the VAs are bad, some of them are actually stellar! However, the director appears to have pushed their delivery towards being more realistic, more grounded, and I find that it clashes with both the tone of the story and the animated expressions more often than not, even if only subtly. They sound like normal, real-ass people, even when delivering epic speeches, pouring their hearts out, and facing off against the undead. Even the flashy villains, like Drolta and Erszebet, have their cadences muted. It's one of the only things that I find to be a step-down from the original series. Compare to Dracula, Trevor, and Carmilla.

Second: moment-to-moment writing.

The raw dialogue, even if you ignore the oft-stilted delivery, was itself a little cockeyed. In the same way as the voice acting, it seemed that the directors were pushing for/willing to accept more "realistic" dialogue. That is to say, rather than having the dialogue be sharp, clever, and efficient, it was often jagged, a little improvised, and reactive. It was informed not by its use to the overarching narrative, but by the reactions normal people might have to a given occurrence.

That's not to say that characters only exist to serve the story. They do need to be their own people in order to feel real and live, to be characterized well. In this case, however, this roughness doesn't seem to do that. Even when characters are supposed to be confident, well informed, or madly driven, this quality doesn't go away. It is pervasive, and becomes an unpleasant part of the narrative style.

The Point

Neither of these issues are actually crippling, I still enjoyed this thoroughly and am looking forward to the next season with bated breath, but it's a little disappointing to see no improvement in these areas since the original series aired. Oh, also, I know that it's 'Castlevania', but they could have foreshadowed Alucard a little bit.

[maximkischin-e]

nocturne

(netflix fans i'm sincerely sorry if this shows up in your tags; please feel free to ignore, this is for my followers mainly)

overall, as an "original" tv show? pretty good! as a castlevania tv show... well they have that REALLY good mix of divine bloodlines, and that's all they have. we all know it at this point, but definitely do not go in expecting anything even remotely castlevania

did not like juste. he's my favourite belmont so i'm obviously biased, but i think even if i'd never played a castlevania game i'd have hated him. i think my favouritism towards juste is what stops me from just outright hating him lol

^ probably the only thing i outright disliked, thankfully

animation was REALLY cool. some really awesome-looking designs(just drolta in particular lol) and the animation is definitely worth watching on its own

NOT the richter belmont show, actually. not yet anyway, i'm imagining they'll get to it later

^ not exactly a bad thing. i liked annette and edouard, + maria was pretty alright too. olrox also starts to get interesting(but he's kind of in and out)

^ that said i also didn't really care for richter even though he's the poster boy. but i couldn't outright hate him either because he was barely there lol

^ most egregious dialogue was undoubtedly from richter though. not sure if it was the writing or the voice actor(sorry man), or both.

plot is completely unrelated to anything castlevania but was intriguing enough on its own

again the divine bloodlines mix is really good. i was just listening to that on repeat when the trailer released lol. there's other music in the show that's good too, edouard's singer in particular is great

lore is ALSO completely, totally unrelated to castlevania. i was very out of my depth. certain things i thought i knew about belmonts, witches, vampires and even forgemasters were absolutely useless here

^ gods?? there are gods in this one? i could NOT tell you how a forgemaster is supposed to work in this one

^ the lore difference is most jarring thing honestly i am still dazed

lack of robbie belgrade surprisingly jarring which is my own fault lol

no toilet humour which is a plus for me. all of the humour (if any, there really wasn't much) was pretty inoffensive

i have never watched the first 4 seasons. will watch nocturne s2 with my friend

byebye

[noones-untruly]

I just watched the 2nd episode of Castlevania: Nocturne and ran to write this post, cuz I really wanna share some thoughts and see if I can predict what's happening. And also I'd like to share my opinion on the characters, ofc.

So, beware of the spoilers ahead!

We'll start with the characters:

First up, the main hero, Richter Belmont: I don't like him. In a way he's annoying and too... pompous I'd say. Like there's too much pathos for 2 episodes and I feel like it's just his bare minimum. But he still got this tiny bit of Trevor's rizz, which makes him bearable. So I'd say 5/10. We'll see how he'll turn out, cuz I didn't really like Trevor Belmont either.

The second, Maria Renard. I love her. I didn't like her appearance much, but absolutely adore her personality. And I love that she calls Richter "a wanker". Also I like that she looks very innocent, but behaves like the last bitch to survive. Gods please let her be Richter's cousin, I will not survive that romance.

Then, Annette. I don't know if I like her yet. She she has a nice appearance, which I like, but she's very impulsive and a bit too pompous. I think she'll go great with Belmont boy, two idiots for the life.

Edouard and Jacque. Why both? BECAUSE I LIKE THEM BOTH VERY MUCH BUT SOMEONE DECIDED TO KILL THEM OFF. WHY DO THE CHARACTERS I LIKE THE MOST ALWAYS HAVE TO DIE THE FIRST??? I mean Edouard will most definitely exist for the majority of the series in his new appearance, cuz it was a very good monster design to just toss away... But still!!! My Jacques!! Why have a bbg appearance and then die?? Can he at least have some kind of role like Edouard?? Please??? Ugh, I know it won't happen. Fuck that. But 9/10 for them both. Jacques, you will be missed.

Tera Renard. I kinda like her, but she seems a bit too much of a saint. A bit boring to my taste tbh. I think she'll be Maria's trauma or smth like that. Either she's gonna be turned into a vampire just like her sister and Maria will have to kill her, or she'll be brutally murdered in front of her daughter. Also, Maria is weirdly similar to Tera's sister in appearance, so bonus points for the plot twist if she's actually not Tera's daughter, but a niece. Overall 7/10, for potential.

Abbot. The second I saw this man, I was like "hm, something is off about him" and the moment he opened his mouth I was "ah, so you are working with vampires" and at the end of the 2nd episode I just went "yep, told ya." I do like his design tho. Very dilf. Tho I don't like religion and being an Abbot makes him less attractive. He also seems like an arsehole, so 6/10.

On the vampire list I'll be talking only about one vampire, cuz all the others haven't had enough of screen time, so they'll have to wait.

So. Olrox. He looks hot. Like really really really hot. I maybe have a thing for murderous twinky vampires. Maybe. Also he's... ominous. He kinda gives off Alucard's vibes of a misunderstood guy who lost something/someone he loved, but not in a babygirl style. It's more maniacal style. Like he can have a redemption arc, but I doubt it. He's a bastard and I love it. Not a babygirl tho. But hot. Very hot. Bet he tastes like a handful of black pepper mixed with chilli flakes. 9/10 for being too mysterious and doing weird shit like leaving Richter alive saying "I'll kill you too. But not today". Why not?? That's illogical, my guy. The kid is dangerous! He is traumatized thanks to you and he's a descendant of a famous vampire hunting family, are you nuts?? Just kill the kid, you dork! It's save you a lot of trouble later, I promise. But whatever, ig...

And that's it for now. I'll update my thoughts later on, cuz for sure I'll have something to say

UPD, after ep 3: so Olrox is now 10/10. No I will not elaborate. Also I ship him with Mizrak. On that I also will not elaborate. The 3rd episode speaks for itself.

And also Edouard. I like him even more.

UPD, after ep 4: I'll just paste here the thoughts I had during the episode.

- Tera, girl, face it, the Abbot is a creep, he is helping vampire.

- I'm very fucking surprised that Richard is the reasonable one in the trio. Did not expect it from him. He gains an extra point for that. Still a pompous jerk tho.

- LMAO, GO GET SOME, OLROX!

- Mizrak, I'm so sorry to inform you, but there are many gods and you probably just got fucked by one of them.

- Orlox, your booty is very nice and delicious but it distracts me from the plot, please wear some pants.

- Bruh, some of the monsters are unnecessary sexy.

- What is going on between the Abbot and Tera?? Why'd he defend Maria?? Is he her...??

- You know what, I'd like to have the same amount of self-confidence and luck to think I can take a few higher vampires and then actually take 'em. In fight, ofc.

- Yeah, I definitely like that Aztec ancient relic called Olrox, the fucker is smooth

UPD, after ep 5: once again, these are my thoughts during watching.

- There's something wrong about Olrox, I can smell it. Can he walk in the sunlight?? Why is he playing a double game???

- Damn, Drolta, you're also a relic?? Wow.

- Bruh, I was right, that fuckshit of a priest is Maria's father. How unfortunate. Poor girl.

- Richter, dear, you eat the food that was bought for you by some rando in a tavern. It's a way to get kidnapped.

- Random old man in the tavern that bought Richter a dinner, do I know you from somewhere?? I think, you're supposed to be dead by now... But it could be that I'm mistaken.

- OH WAIT, IT'S NOT YOU, BUT YOUR DESCENDANT

UPD, after ep 6: my thoughts are

- Is it me or is this bbeg (big bad evil girl) is... bland? Like everything about her is bland. Oh you hate sun and shit, you want terror and be a tyrant, for everyone to kneel before you- blah-blab-blah. I'm unpressed. Your sidekick is cooler. She even looks bland. Why would an ancient vampire, who lived in Egypt be a fucking generic white bitch? Red hear? Why do you style it like Syndrome from the Incredibles?? Bruh, girl, 2/10. Carmilla was so much better.

- SOMEONE GIVE THAT BELMONT BOY A THERAPY VOUCHER, PLEASE

-AYO, MY ANCIENT BITCH IS GAY AF CONFIRMED??

- JACQUES!!! MY BABYGIRL, HE IS STILL THERE!!

- lmao, the Belmont grandpa is such a Belmont. Exactly like Trevor.

- Boy, what the fuck?? HUH?! DO I ACTUALLY LIKE HIM NOW??! Bruh, Richter Belmont 8/10 now, wow

UPD, after ep 7:

- I have a feeling that Olryx will kill that fake goddess.

- This vampiric Messiah starts to annoy me a bit too much. She's maniac.

- Maria, you stupid or what?? WHY'D YOU GO IN THERE?!

- Why in the fuck would Maria care about her father?? I don't believe it. She didn't know him, she resented him for hating the revolution, she cannot suddenly start to care for him. That's a plot hole.

UPD, after the last episode. Finally.

- you sure that Drolta is a vampire? She seems more like a demon to me.

- HEAD EMPTY, BRAIN NO THOUGHT, ALUCARD IS HERE