#idk if mike actually took this i doubt it

[i-dont-want-your-hysteria]

Joe filming BOTHB version 2 (Feb. 1984)

[earfqwake]

Not sure if you only write for the Adult trio but if not, do you think you could make a version of big brother illumi x sister reader but instead of illumi it's Killua? Like, in the fic Y/n was originally supposed to be Killua's (But it was Illumi who mated with her instead) So could it stay like that? Again idk if you even write for him so it's fine if you can't do it! Thanks <33

Alpha Killua/Brother X Omega/Sister Reader Part 1

okay so like kind of the same basis as the illumi story just different as in reader actually is mated to killua this time, he is aged up and so is reader okay ? okay 🫰

tw: slight obsession from killua and yes incest !!! don’t read if you don’t want to. brother sister relationship though this part doesn’t contain anything explicit as it’s depicting their relationship growing up. will be multiple parts because i have a lot to say.

Light can’t exist without Dark.

When Kikyo Zoldyck found out she would be having twins she crossed her fingers and prayed to a god she didn’t even believe in that this would be the one, the heir of heiress of the family. Imagine the families surprise when two white haired babies were birthed on July 7th. Even Silva who rarely showed emotions other than stoicism was pleased at this moment in time.

Well Y/n, their new baby girl had half white hair and half (Y/H) colored hair but still this was the first time in the lineage Zoldyck history something like this happened. Though all that mattered is that Killua was born, both a male and with a full head of white hair. Since birth the two were inseparable, only fully calming their cries when they were near eachother.

At dinner they sat next to eachother always and if they didn’t the other would be visibly more upset. They napped together in random spots around the mansion always being found in the most peculiar places. Under Silvas Desk, Inside the kitchens cabinet, Underneath the staircase. And they shared a room by choice, until Silva forced them to have separate rooms at the age of 8. He needed to end their codependency as soon as possible. That didn’t stop them from sneaking into each others beds most nights.

Must have been fate, that such a blessing had occurred. Or so they’ve been told time and time again, but no one could break their bond that’s for sure. The pairs parents decided that they were more than likely going to end up as soul mates, promising strong pups no doubt.

Even though they were too young to have understood, Killua was relieved to hear this. No one would be good enough for his little sister, even tho he was only minutes older than you he never failed to remind you. He didn’t care much for other girls anyways none of them were as special as you.

They were polar opposites, Yin and Yang, but they fit together perfectly. Y/n was the sweetest most sensitive person, even though she was strong she had such a big heart. Too big of a heart for an assassin to have. A heart that Killua vowed to protect, he was his sisters keeper. The latter was more assertive and dominate than his sister, always leading them into trouble and taking the fall should they ever get caught.

“Where are they off to now?” Mumbled Kikyo as she frantically searched the forrest around the mansion for the twins. Only to find them running circles around Mike the enormous guard dog who didn’t seem to mind their company. Kikyo almost fainted when she saw your pretty blue gown now dirty from playing outside with your brother. You were her only girl so she was terribly overprotective of you.

Killua, like always hid you behind him as his mother threw a fit, because god forbid kids try be kids. “It was my fault mother, Y/n didn’t want to leave the garden but I took her out with me.” Which truthfully wasn’t a lie, you tried to warn Killua that Mama wouldn’t be happy but he said he’d leave you behind so you ran after him with teary eyes. But you had fun so a little punishment was worth seeing you smile.

Though he couldn’t always evade you from being punished he always tried. It meant the world to you that he would be willing to protect you no matter what. You wanted to be brave like him and you tried to, but your heart was just too soft. Hiding your tears and frowns didn’t work with Killua, he couldn’t just ignore it like the rest of his family.

When he would sneak into your room routinely sometimes he would catch you sobbing. Either because your punishment was too harsh, or you felt bad for having to kill your target. Your body sore from being attacked during a day of training, tears fell from your eyes as you sensed him enters your room. “I don’t want to do this Killua.. I’m trying to be strong for Mama and Papa but it hurts.” And he’d hold you and soothe you until you slept peacefully. Only then could he shed tears for you.

And he knows he shouldn’t like it, but you always cried the hardest for him and him alone.

“Onii!” She’d cry out and hug him after seeing the cuts and bruises he would have on his body after hours of pain resistance training. He didn’t cry much anymore, but it sure did hurt, though he’d never admit it to you. Hugging her closer, he couldn’t help but give you a tired smile. “I’m fine Y/n, see.” But she only whimpered and stayed in his embrace she knew he was lying. “Such a crybaby..” He sighed as if it troubled him, yet nuzzled his head into her soft hair.

Killua didn’t like seeing his sweet little sister cry, training was hard on her. At age 12 he begged his parents to opt her out of training, if he were to inherit the family business he didn’t want his sister to have to kill and possibly be killed that wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. Silva and Kikyo denied him this request, so he and Y/n ran away together to take the hunter exam.

————————————————————————

It sent us on such a journey, meeting many different people and making friends ! Real friends, we were never allowed to make any friends back on Kukuroo Mountain so imagine their surprise to see a boy their age also taking the exam. Y/n was infatuated with Gon, calling him her friend, staring at him, laughing at his jokes and it made Killua feel a bit jealous. Before Gon he never had to share Y/n’s attention before other than with his younger siblings.

“What’s the matter Onii?” Y/n questioned during the second phase of the hunter exam, they broke off from walking with Gon and the others because Kil grabbed her and rushed off into the fog without saying. He said nothing and just focused on navigating through the fog with a firm hold on her hand. Even if he was upset he wasn’t going to let anything bad happen to you.

“Are you mad at me…? What did I do wrong?” Tears starting to form in her eyes. Chest tightening at the idea of upsetting her brother. Sighing he glances at her before staring ahead again. “It’s stupid… I just don’t want you to replace me with Gon.” Voice barely a whisper he confessed his feelings to you, only you could make him vulnerable.

You hug his arm and smile up at him noticing the slight blush on his serious face. “Don’t worry Killu-nii, he’s our friend, but you’ll always be my best friend okay? It’s always going to be me and you, we came here together and we’re going to leave here together!” How could he be so naive, she’s just so sweet and she always put Kil first. Smiling Killua nodded and when they met up with the group there were no more issues with jealousy. Y/n would never leave her brother.

And eventually they both arrived back to Kukuroo Mountain after parting ways with Gon, both holding Allukas hands. During their trip the pair having learned nen and being capable users were certainly much stronger than when they left.

Ironically Y/n developed a nen ability that made her able to use her tears to heal others, mainly for the sake of Killua who she couldn’t stand seeing injured. His heart was floating when she explained the reason why she developed this secondary ability. And selfishly enough he didn’t just let her heal just anyone with her gift, if he didn’t feel they were worthy of your time or tears they could rot in hell for all he cared. Y/n trusted Killuas judgement though and didn’t question how he assessed who she should or shouldn’t heal.

The twins were great fighters naturally but with the added ability of nen they were a unstoppable duo, just as Silva had predicted. Yet Killua saw the dangers of nen with his own eyes witnessing what it did to Gon.

————————————————————————

Again he came to his Father directly with the same request that fell upon deaf ears last time. This time around however, Silva agreed only if Killua were to become an assassin and continue the family business. A steep price for your safety but he needed to know you would be safe.

It hurt him more than any method of torture to see her sad but deep down a small part of him loved that she cried for him. She was someone who cared and always showed it, making sure to kiss each of his visible cuts. “There all better, right Kil?” She’d smile at him and he went weak for it every single time.

At puberty is when you find out your sub race, whether you’re a alpha, omega, or a beta. Killua obviously was an Alpha. Stubborn and a born leader, if he wanted something he was going to have it. And you? No doubt your an Omega, naturally submissive in nature listening to your parents and following after your brothers every word. Always nurturing and caring for him and your younger siblings. So it went without question when you both presented as your said roles.

The two of you were walking side by side in the forest surrounding the mansion straying very far from your home. “See I told you didn’t I, Y/n.” He said with a toothy grin his canines nice and sharp. I nod and smile sweetly at my brother, “I didn’t doubt you Killu-nii !” He called long before we could confirm what we were.

Recalling all the times he would tease you, “You have to be be an omega! Why else are you such a big baby!” Only eliciting a pout from me and he laughed poking my cheek with his finger. “I think it’s cute, don’t worry when we’re older I promise to take care of you and your moody feelings, I’ll be a good Alpha.” His voice sounded serious like he was trying to convince me and he only laughed again as I hid my smile and blush.

“Wait up, Kil!” I ran briskly after him as I shake myself out of that memory. He was much taller than me now, and stronger. And he grew his hair out into a long messy mullet, looking more and more like Papa as we got older. (He only grew his hair out because he got jealous when you would braid and play with Illumis long hair, but he’ll never admit that. Ever.) You changed too, your curves becoming more prominent especially with the training you did. Your beauty only increased as time passed your mother making sure to always keep you dolled up.

And boy did Killua enjoy it, always telling you how pretty you are and being sure to do small things for you like brush your hair or pick outfits out for you.

Grinning mischievously Killua only goes faster, disappearing into the greenery surrounding you.

I huff and puff as I search everywhere for him in the area we’re in. “Come on Kil! I’m not going to play with you right now.” But he doesn’t budge from his hiding spot probably thinking it’s funny. Fine two can play at this game! I pretend to be upset and sigh turnin around to head back home alone. “Fine I give up. I’m going home now Kil.” I barely get three steps back in the direction we came from when I feel his arms wrap around me from behind.

I jump slightly and weakly attempt to escape his arms feigning as upset but he won’t budge. “Where do you think your going hmm? I was only joking Y/n don’t be such a crybaby about it.” He snickers when I go lax in his arms holding me there for a moment before spinning me around so he can see my pouty face. “Y/nnnn? Don’t be like that, you do this to me all the time.” He drawls out my name as he looks me over.

Leaning closer to him I give him my sad eyes and he squishes my cheeks. “Such a baby.” He mumbles looking at my lips before looking back into my eyes. He drawls forward so our noses are touching gives me a bunch of small pecks on the lips. Furrowing his brows when I don’t reciprocate his affections he mumbles on my lips “ I‘m sorry Y/n.” Sweet moments like this are regular between you especially when you’re far from home like this.

I smile and feel my cheeks heat up under his hold on me. And he knows he has me right where he wants me. My arms extend as I place them over his shoulder loosely. Instantly he accepts this by pulling me in closer, his hand on the small of my back. Placing kisses all over my cheek he still speaks in a low tone, “You forgive me?” I nod my head basking in his affections but still not reciprocating his touches. His voice sounds desperate as he pulls me back far enough to get a good look at me again. “Why aren’t you kissing back then?”

i smile sheepishly and pretend I’m going in to kiss him but flick him on the forehead. Now it’s his turn to pout as I laugh and slip from his grip running through the forrest. Smiling himself he chases after me, “Hey! I knew you were faking it you big baby.” Secretly though he’s relieved that your back to your normal cheerful self, and you’ll be sure to make up for it when he catches you.

Your laughter rings throughout the forest as Kil catches up to you giving you a wolffish grin and pulling you in closely waiting for you to finally give him a kiss. 🦋

————————————————————————

Zeno watched the two leave the mansion, shaking his head before facing his son Silva. “It’s only a matter of time now before they give into their instincts. You shouldn’t let that boy run around with her without supervision or we will be expecting pups sooner than later.” Silva only sighed watching as they disappeared into the forest line, his father was right. Regardless of how stern he was Zeno had a soft spot for the little girl and so did Silva.

Not that it wasn’t anticipated by the family that the two were doting on each other already. But it was too soon for you two to fully mate you had to wait until you were 18. Only then would you know if the two of you were truly meant to be together. He would have to get you on heat suppressants in the mean time and have Killua sent away during ruts. Taking necessary precautions, you two weren’t little kids anymore.

𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓮𝓭

-𝓴

[steddieas-shegoes]

hiiii could i possibly request something with the good ol' "steve is insecure with his place in the group/his intelligence/his worth compared to the rest of the party" cliche with reassurances in the form of copious amounts of cuddles and kisses and pet names from eddie? you're so great for doing these and i'm eagerly waiting for the next chapter of call me sunshine <3

Not Steve "self-doubt" Harrington convincing himself he can't be loved because he doesn't fit in or provide "useful" things to the group!!! I am lowkey hoping someone maybe adds to make this explicit because something about them having to be quiet in a tent just sounds like it has potential idk. Eddie is so in love in this it makes me SICK. - Mickala ❤️ (@scoops-stevie)

----------------------------------------------------

When Steve suggested that they do something fun together for the weekend, he meant maybe going into the city or renting a lake house maybe.

He definitely didn’t mean camping.

Outdoor camping was Dustin’s idea, and all the kids had agreed quickly. Robin bowed out the moment she could come up with a decent excuse and he could tell that Eddie wanted to do the same but wouldn’t abandon him.

Hopefully.

Eddie had quietly offered to steal another RV, but Steve turned it down.

“You just started getting back in the good graces of most of the town, let’s not give them a reason to hate you again.”

So they packed up the van with all the camping supplies they collectively had: three tents (one for the girls, one for the boys, one for Steve and Eddie), a couple coolers full of drinks and food, a few chairs, flashlights, sleeping bags, and clothes.

Steve wasn’t great at reading maps, so he let Dustin ride passenger to help Eddie find where they were going.

He sat with the girls, mostly because he liked the way they just ignored everyone and everything and talked amongst each other about mundane things.

He may not always understand what they’re talking about, but he liked being a part of it.

He almost never understood what they were talking about actually.

But it was better than having everything the boys were talking about go right over his head.

Especially when they started arguing about stuff and talked so fast that Steve had no chance of keeping up.

Steve just kind of watched as everyone around him had conversations.

He tried not to think about how everyone was existing without him in a way.

He was here, but he wasn’t needed.

—-----------------------

When they arrived at the campsite, it was even more secluded than they thought it would be.

It was also only a couple hours until sunset and they all had to make sure the tents were set up properly before it was too dark to see.

Steve got started with his tent while Eddie helped the girls. Max still had limited movement in her wrists so she was given the task of setting the chairs around the fire pit that Lucas and Mike had formed.

Steve was struggling.

He’d only put up one tent before, and it was at summer camp where the counselor and four other boys had been helping. In all honesty, he’d pretty much managed to watch the whole time instead of help.

He would manage to get part of it up, but it would fall apart when he tried to do the other side. He kept losing the pieces to keep it tied down to the ground.

He was losing against an inanimate object.

Everyone else was doing fine; Joking and laughing and finishing up their tasks like they didn’t have to put all their focus into one thing at a time.

El wordlessly started helping him, and he knew she wasn’t judging him, but he couldn’t help the small part of his brain that was telling him that she thought he was stupid.

He was quiet for the rest of the evening.

They cooked hot dogs over the fire that Will started, then made s’mores since El had never had them before.

He watched and listened, smiled when everyone else was.

But he felt overcome with sadness that he just didn’t belong here.

He was the babysitter, he took care of them, and drove them around, and helped them survive alternate dimension monsters.

He didn’t know how to talk to them about the stuff they liked, or play their stupid dragon game. He could barely keep up with half the things they said.

“Hey guys, I’m gonna turn in for the night,” he said suddenly, interrupting something Mike had been saying to everyone.

Everyone looked at him with sad looks, but Eddie looked concerned.

“You okay? Is it a headache?” He asked.

Damn, he hadn’t even thought of a good excuse. At least Eddie was providing him one for free.

“Yeah, just a little one. I think if I sleep now it’ll be fine by morning.”

The taste of the lie in his mouth made his lip curl slightly. The words “friends don’t lie” replayed in his brain as he stood up and made his way to his tent at the far end of their setup.

No one tried to stop him, but he could feel their eyes on him as he unzipped his tent and then zipped it back up behind him.

They’d set up lamps inside each tent so that they could reserve flashlights for bathroom trips or emergencies. His was the kind you can dim, so he did. He took off his shoes and jeans, changing into the t-shirt he brought from home that was probably Eddie’s now that he was looking closer at it.

He’d brought his pillow from home because he couldn’t possibly sleep flat on the ground, and Eddie had brought one of his own because he still had some back pains when he slept wrong.

He curled up in his sleeping bag, holding Eddie’s pillow against his chest.

He felt a tear start to run down his face without his permission, not even sure why he was crying right now.

He heard the zipper and tried to shut his eyes quickly, hide his face in the pillow in hopes that Eddie would think he was really asleep.

“Hey darlin’. Mind if I join?” Eddie whispered.

Steve couldn’t ignore him, so he nodded and started to move the pillow from his chest and face.

“Oh, sweetheart. Why are you crying?”

Steve shook his head. He couldn’t even begin to explain.

“Can I hold you?”

Steve let out a sob, and Eddie didn’t wait for him to answer.

He was laying down next to Steve, pulling him against his chest and running his hands up and down his back.

“Is it a migraine? Do you need me to get some ice from the cooler? Or medicine from the van?”

“No, not a migraine.”

“Okay. Is it just a bad night?”

Steve couldn’t help the fondness he felt at that.

Eddie was so understanding, and incredible, and perfect. Steve didn’t deserve him just like he didn’t deserve the rest of these people.

“Stevie, it’s okay to have a bad night. Sometimes they just happen, right? That’s what you always tell me.”

Eddie’s hand had found its way to Steve’s hair, slowly running through the strands, occasionally looping the ends around a finger.

It sent chills down Steve’s spine when his fingers brushed against his neck so gently.

“I just don’t belong here.”

“I’ll admit the outdoors is not really my favorite place either, but-”

“No, not. Not the outdoors. Here. With everyone.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Eddie’s hand had frozen in his hair and on his back.

“I’m not smart. I’m not good at putting things together or fixing things. I can’t even be in most of their conversations. They keep me around because they don’t know how to get rid of me. I mean, they don’t even need a babysitter anymore!”

Steve’s tears were dripping onto Eddie’s shirt, making a mess.

Another reason he shouldn’t be around.

Eddie tilted his face up, nothing but love in his eyes.

“I want you to listen to me. You are needed in this group. You are wanted in this group. You are loved in this group. Do you really think a bunch of teenagers would be wasting a weekend camping with you when they could be going to the movies or the arcade or getting into trouble?”

Steve didn’t answer, but he sniffled as he watched Eddie get more passionate.

“And it is absolute bullshit that you’re not smart. How many times have you been the one to figure out something, whether it was during Upside Down shit or not? How many times have you been the one with common sense? You’re more than a babysitter, my love. You’ve always been more than that to all of them.”

They laid there in silence for a few minutes, Steve soaking in Eddie’s words as Eddie continued to comfort him in the way he needed.

“I just feel like I need to be more useful. I don’t want them to get bored or annoyed because I can’t be part of their world,” he finally said, his voice shaking.

“Angel, they love you for who you are. Just like I love you for who you are. You fit where you fit because that’s what the group needs. They don’t need another Dustin to always make connections because of one obscure fact relating to something he read once when he was nine. They don’t need another El to fight their battles.They need the Steve who is going to go along with whatever they want to do so he can protect them if and when things go wrong. They need the Steve who is always there to support them even with the most mundane things.”

“I couldn’t even set up the tent by myself.”

“None of us could. I had help. That’s why I told El to help you. None of us can do stuff alone, love. You’re putting expectations on yourself that no one else is putting on you.”

Steve shuddered.

He’d been pretty famous for doing that for years.

Once his parents stopped caring at all, he started caring too much.

And now he expected more of himself than anyone else ever would.

He’d set himself up to fail. At least in his own eyes.

“Did that finally get into that concussed brain of yours?” Eddie said, smirk evident in his tone.

Steve playfully slapped his chest and hid his face against his tear-soaked shirt.

“I guess maybe it did. A little,” he said.

“Good. You know I love you more than the stars, right?”

“And the moon?”

“And the galaxies in space.”

Steve settled further against Eddie’s side.

“I love you, too,” he sighed out, feeling content for probably the first time this entire trip.

In the morning, he’d start over, let his brain rest. He’d make everyone breakfast and then help them all make sure they were prepared for their short hike. He’d pack them sandwiches and extra water bottles in case they ended up walking further than they planned. And when they all got back to the campsite the next night, he’d make s’mores with them.

He’d ignore the voice telling him that he wasn’t enough for any of them, and he’d be enough for himself.

[dr-spectre]

Sonic x Shadow Gens Review.

(MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!)

So, gamers, i have played and finished Sonic x Shadow Generations, both campaigns, and i just wanna say.... GOD. DAMN.

I cannot believe that Sega released a Sonic "remaster" and it actually TURNED OUT GOOD!?!? WITHOUT ANY BUGS!!? NO GRAPHICAL GLITCHES FROM MY KNOWLEDGE!!?!? WHAT HAPPENED!??!

I will quickly go over Sonic Generations before we talk about... the big boy.

So, how is Sonic Generations? Welp. It's.... it's the same game!! And as someone who played it on PC for years, it looks identical to the original release! Maybe the colours are tweaked? The UI looks way nicer with the resolution boost and the chao rescue stuff is really cute.

Uh, i will say though. i do like MOST of the rewriting that they did. But here's the thing, Sonic Generations' story is like eating a McDonalds cheeseburger, but it's only the patty and buns. The rewrite just adds some cheese and a dab of tomato sauce. It's better, but you're still eating a damn McDonalds cheeseburger. And to add on to this, the VAs didn't sound... good, this time around... Idk, something seems very off about their performances? Mike Pollock especially, bro lost ALL OF HIS ENERGY in his Eggman performance. Tails' VA sounds kinda... bleh too, i dont know what happened here. Roger Craig Smith sounds bored playing Sonic, and i feel bad for him because Ian Flynn's writing can be pretty damn wordy. He's a skilled voice actor FOR SURE, but i never clicked with his Sonic, ever. (Jason Griffith, i miss you every day, my sweet prince... They took you away too soon... At least i still have the definitive Sonic voice in the Japanese version...)

The story also continues the trend of turning Amy into a boring side character with zero personality or spice because GOD FORBID A CARTOON CHARACTER ACTS CARTOONY AND A LITTLE CRAZY! SHE IS NOT AN ABUSIVE STALKER WHO WANTS TO FORCE SONIC INTO THINGS HE ISN'T COMFORTABLE WITH! SHE IS A FUCKING FANGIRL OF SONIC WHO WANTS TO HANG OUT WITH HIM AND SHE LOVES HIM AS A PERSON!!!! IF YOU PLAY THE OLD 3D GAMES WITH RETRANSLATED MODS YOU WILL SEE!!!!!!!! GOD!!!

But i could make a whole post about Amy man... I really could...

Okay enough about Sonic Generations, it's time to talk about Shadow Generations and what do I think of it?

First, I'll brush over the story, NO SPOILERS DON'T WORRY!! I will say this, there were plenty of moments that easily got tears out of me and the stuff involving Maria and Shadow? Oh.... oh baby... PEAK!!!! Black Doom is really dope too, Shadow was pretty well written in this, too, and his VA knocked it out of the park!!! Kirk Thornton, I'm sorry that i doubted you... And Maria's VA too? Love the performance!!

However... This story feels... underdeveloped? Undercooked? it feels like there needed to be MORE! I think that the pacing felt a litttleeeee too fast and i kinda wished there was just more to chew on! It's like eating some damn good chocolate ice cream, but the ice cream is just one scoop. LIKE I WANT MORE!!! I WANT TWO SCOOPS!! I WANT SOME CHOCOLATE CHIPS IN THE ICE CREAM!!! UGH!! It's good, BUT I WANT MORE!!!! There needed to be more on it's bones, more screentime with Maria and Gerald, more time fleshing out stuff and properly explaining Black Doom's return instead of it being optional dialogue in the white world or prologue animaton on YouTube that you could skip. There's all this cool optional shit that is well... OPTIONAL!!!! And it actually enhances the characters, BUT I DIDN'T SEE IT UNTIL I LITERALLY BEAT THE GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I DIDN'T READ GERALD'S DIARY UNTIL AFTER I BEAT THE STORY!!! THE LAST TWO PAGES ARE LITERALLY AT THE FINAL SECTION OF THE GAME!!!!

There is this one moment with Maria and Shadow and like.... it gave me the biggest damn smile on my face. And the ending too man, my god.

ALSO THE CUTSCENES ARE FILMED REALLY WELL?!? HOLY SHIT THEY ARE ACTUALLY GOOD?!?!? It makes Frontiers look like a PS1 game in terms of quality like holy mother of god, the cutscenes and animations have improved so MUCH in the span of one game... It makes me so so excited for what's to come....

NOW! GAMEPLAY TIME! How does Shadow control? How does this black and red alien hedgehog play?

I'll put it like this... Imagine Sonic Forces, BUT!!! The air control is better, platforming feels smoother, the homing attack is better and more satisfying and 2D control feels actually good. it's just like Forces but everything feels a lot better, it's WAYYY BETTER THAN VANILLA CYBERSPACE FROM FRONTIERS!

Good controls don't mean much if the levels aren't good, BUT THANKFULLY Shadow Generations level design is actually pretty damn solid, and each level made me feel satisfied and wanting to go again!! There's plenty of optional pathways but the pathways don't really go to brand new exclusive areas. It's not on the same tier as Sonic Generations, BUT! It's close.

My favourite level is either Sunset Heights or Radical Highway. YES! THE SONIC FORCES LEVEL IS MY FAVOURITE! HOW CRAZY IS THAT?!!? THEY TURNED MID TO GOOD!!!

I also love how the collectables are placed on the harder pathways and reward you for skillful play, unlike in Sonic Generations where most of the red rings ARE ON THE BOTTOM PATHWAYS!!!!! WHY?!!? THAT'S THE PLACE MOST PLAYERS WON'T GO TO!!!! Ugh. I hate collecting red rings in Sonic Generations but thank god the collectables are actually fun to grab in Shadow Generations.

Now i wanna brush on the white space because i have some words to say on that too.

White space was really fun to explore and unlike Frontiers, you could see things in the distance and platforms don't just pop in!!!!!!!!!! I loved doom surfing around, finding chests, bolts and just running around. It's really fun. It's not as in-depth as Frontiers, but i want the next Open Zone game to take a lot of inspiration from this white space. Also, seeing Omega and other characters in the hub and talking to them is really cute stuff.

Finding ALL the chests and bolts tho makes me wanna wish a thousand year torment onto someone.

And speaking of Doom Surf... The Doom powers and Chaos Control, i.... LOVE THEM! They are the perfect way to make Shadow more unique from Sonic and give the levels that extra level of flavour. Doom Spears add some spice to the standard homing attack chains you do in 3D Sonic levels, Doom Blast is really fun to use and opens up new pathways, Chaos Control is AWESOME!!! I LOVE HOW IF YOU USE IT AT THE RIGHT TIME IT OPENS UP COOL PATHS!! MY JAW DROPPED MULTIPLE TIMES SEEING THE PATHWAYS THAT I FOUND FOR MYSELF WITH CHAOS CONTROL!!! Doom Surf is fun to use and it spices up Kingdom Valley a lot, but... Doom Morph? The squid? THAT ONE SUCKKKSSSS!!! Awful turning, awful speed control, awful jump arc that makes Super Mario Bros. from the NES look like a top tier platformer, they don't properly explain the grappling mechanic which left me feeling so frustrated at certain points.

And... of course... The Doom Wings...

THE DOOM WINGS.... THE STUFF YOU COULD BREAK WITH THEM AND THE LEVEL DESIGN ACCOMINDATES FOR THEM TOO?!?!? SO IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE YOUR GLITCHING THE GAME?!?!? SONIC TEAM DID SUCH A GOOD JOB OH MY GOD!!!!

Now, let's talk about the bosses...

Bosses are pretty fun!! They feel very satisfying to beat down and have some awesome dialogue. Although they are kind of one note, like the strategy to beat them doesn't REALLYYY change but hey, It's Sonic bosses, they've never been that amazing since the beginning of the franchise. But i would rather take this kind of boss design OVER SONIC SUPERSTARS!! BLEHHH!!!

Also I'm not gonna go too much into it but what they did with Mephiles, story wise for his boss fight? Oh man, I LOVE IT!! THEY DID SUCH A GOOD JOB! (the new VA for him, Robbie Daymond was kinda.... okayyy. Needed to sound deeper and it would been damn great. I know he played Akechi from Persona 5, he just needed better direction.)

Alright.. Let's discuss arguably the most important part of any Sonic game, the music, and um, I'm gonna be for real, it's kind of a mixed bag? DON'T GET ME WRONG!! There are some bangers, some top tier tracks that will get that blood pumping! But for every banger, there's a Space Colony Ark Act 2 and a Chaos Island Act 1....

The music can be summed up with this handy chart!

I wanna quickly brush upon the challenge acts too, i liked most of them but having to complete 4 OF THEM FOR EACH ZONE TO ADVANCE THE STORY IS SOME MASSIVE PADDING!!!

And.. I think that is it!! Overall, Shadow Generations is great!! The story has some cool moments but it felt VERY underbaked, the level design has improved a lot from previous games, i like the white space and the simple enjoyment of going around and collecting things.

It is a good to great game but it definitely has some flaws and i wouldn't give it a 9/10 and say it's PEAK overall like what some are saying online. Yeah it's good, but, it has flaws. It isn't perfect, however it is VERYYY fun!

Shadow Generations really does give me hope, this isn't yet another "step in the right direction" no. This is a LEAP!

[castlebyersafterdark]

ok random thought. does anyone worry that we might get byler and a byler kiss or two and it might end up being… weird? weird in that we’ve watched these two actors grow up since being kids and yea we have shipped their characters but like actually seeing these grown now actors kissing after all these years after literally watching them growing up together might be different??? like awk or strange for some of us since most actors on shows we don’t grow up with them? idk if I am explaining it right lol. And like realistically I know finn and noah are good actors who have good chemistry and the show won’t let us down with the direction etc, but sometimes I am like… yea f/n have great chemistry and have been super cute over the years but it’s like there’s a block in my brain about how I might process them actually kissing as mike/will in the show? like i’m worried i might wait and be excited for byler to happen and then it happens and they kiss and I should be happy but instead im like….. oh. cause it feels weird to me or like what if god forbid the chemistry doesn’t lend itself to a good romantic kiss onscreen!!! I feel like I am overthinking lol but … does this make any sense lol

Have to be honest, I don’t really have this doubt! I fully believe Finn and Noah will deliver. I think the chemistry is so there, I think they want to do this, do this right. Here's one vision: imagine they're filming it, they've only blocked it so far in rehearsal, the first kiss is to really be the first kiss just to keep big moments for authentic filming. The first attempt is odd, they're kind of laughing a little as they go for it, angle was weird. Both end up just kinda laughing against each other's mouth before one pulls back fast. Tries to reset. Be serious. Then it happens again. After a few failed takes one of them asks to pause for a moment and they step away, a chat between the two actors. The closeness these two have from all these years, imagine one of them just talking soft like "Hey, hey. Slow down with me. We can do this." Finn really becomes Mike, with his gentle reassurances. Noah going serious, calm, looking up at him while he nods his head. They do another take. This is the one, or at least the first of the round of really good, authentic takes of the kiss. They flip a switch and they embody the characters. That initial take is the one the filmmakers go with, but they still do a few more. Just in case. Just one more. And one more. 😉

I don't see either of them complaining and saying "this is too weird" like the HP actors who probably took one awkward take and then said please just use it so we don't have to do that again haha. Maybe we do project other reasons onto F/N but it's not all that. They have actual chemistry on the show. We've seen it. So we'll be able to witness a kiss with actual chemistry as well. I very much trust them.

And I'm very firmly in the camp that I don't really put much personal stock in the "we watched them grow up" mindset as a detractors to make it weird. Because that's just it, they grew up. We're at a different place now. I don't look at every adult and think of them immediately as a kid, even if I'm familiar with them also younger. Irl and celebs. Just not how I view things because it's all a journey but watching the journey, here we are. I just don't think its fair to not afford the actors and the characters the full extend of the journey and life to say they'll always be those little kids we met in season one. Negates the story, the growth, the beauty of observing a fulfilled life, what they've worked towards. Its really nice we've gotten to observe and experience this with them.

[two-sides-samecoin]

I also love Hopper and El. He obviously cares for her, but the way he treats her sometimes is just questionable. I understand it's part of his learning to be more open, but god, that s2 fight was something. He also didn't even apologize after. He waited till the end, and thus, El ran away. In s3, he threatened a 13 year old child with violence, even though he had this talk with Joyce scenes prior to that. It's just too much. I see that he loves El, but he's in no way best dad of the entire show. El is a traumatised child, she needs someone who can regulate their temper better so they don't constantly trigger her ptsd. Like her whole life she was surrounded by violence, she needs someone who understands that. And if he gets to be the father figure for the Byers siblings? Both of those boys are sensitive as well, their dad is violent. Hoppers angry outbursts could potentially be triggering for them as well. (Not to mention Joyce.) Obviously I still love them it's an interesting dynamic but Hopper isn't the amazing dad the fandom makes him out to be. I still hope he grows so he can be emotionally there for the people around him

Ted, on the other hand, seems to not care, but I truly think that's false. Just because he isn't involved with the UD, he still shows up. He's there at the end in s1 talking to the medics to make sure Mike is okay. He wanted to talk to him earlier when Will was found dead, but Karen stopped him. Yes, he makes comments that indicate ignorance, but I don't doubt he doesn't love his kids or that he doesn't care what they are up to. The other parents also have no clue where their kids are for the majority of time, nor seem they to be worried that much. I think his treatment of Holly in s3 shows he loves his kids, like him cuddling her is the reason why Karen stops sleeping with a teenager. So yeah, both Ted and Hopper care in their ways but can't show it properly. I know their behavior is greatly attributed to the 80s idea of what a family man should be, meaning the breadwinner and not seen as weak and emotional. I think neither El or the Wheeler siblings feel comfortable going to their dad for (relationship) advice. Hopper would yell and Ted would redirect it to Karen.

But then we have the Sinclairs, Lucas's father is goals you can clearly tell by the way Lucas handles conflict his dad is amazing. Or Bob, who was patient and kind towards Will and Jonathan. Who made sure that both kids were comfortable. But he was "too boring" I guess, I still stand by the fact that he should have been with Joyce over Hopper.

YES!! okay i agree with you a lot on this so honestly gonna make this as sweet as possible lol cuz i don’t want to keep just repeating what you said. that fight in season 2 is absolutely awful to witness especially because of what he says like you said he didn’t even say sorry to her which i know the UD stuff was happening but also like he should have said sorry and tried more even before all this stuff happened! like el legit had to leave in order for hopper to say even remotely much of anything (also it took him to the point of dying honestly for him to actually apologize). and yes like you said he is in no way the best dad ever! honestly i think el and hopper’s bond is so interesting when you admit this and how hopper does have anger issues which unfortunately strains the dynamic. okay yes yes yes yes!! el has been surrounded by anger all her life and she needs someone who isn’t angry! honestly i know it’s cute to have hopper as this father figure for the boys but like idk i’ve never truly saw that as hopper and the byers kid’s dynamic. and okay but yes exactly what you said about joyce! the byers would get triggered about this all and idk a lot of people kind of just forget about this

honestly ted gets a lot of hate for no reason. especially with what you brought up like he does love his kids and he does try to be there for them. also like he does what he also thinks is best for the kids which unfortunately is to just let them have time and space to feel what they need to. this comes out a lot more worse to people in the fandom and sure it’s flawed but he is no where near this horrible dad that everyone claims he is. YES ABOUT THOSE LAST FEW SENTENCES IN THAT SECOND PARAGRAPH!

yes yes yes this! honestly i’ve always loved joyce and bob way more than hopper and joyce. also good with i loved bob’s dynamics with the boys far more than hopper and the boys. also this is soo funny cuz i swore that this was gonna be short yet it’s not ooooff

[hawkinsschoolcounselor]

do you think it’s possible that the picture noah posted wearing the harness is a misdirect? idk, i just find it odd that noah would be allowed to leak such an image if will is indeed going to get vecna’d. maybe it’s not will but instead it’s mike who does? but maybe the harness is for something else that’s still important for will?

I get the doubt. God knows any of us that support Will playing a role in things are used to disappointment by now.

Keep in mind, though, that it was also revealed in an interview recently that harnesses are used for those scenes. This was revealed by Joseph Quinn, whose answers suggest that Eddie will be tranced, as well. They're showing a lot of their cards this season for some reason.

There's also the photo of Noah and Millie at the skating rink. While Millie is wearing her skating rink outfit, Noah is wearing the outfit he's had on since the shootout at the Byers house. One could argue that he just took advantage of the skating rink to goof around while they had access to it. In theory, Millie could have been filming scenes that Noah wasn't needed for, but why would Noah be on location in a costume used for other scenes? That's a location shoot, so he shouldn't really be nearby.

Honestly, I wouldn't really understand why Noah himself would tease Will having a more plot-relevant role if he doesn't. I would expect an actor to be upset if his role repeatedly got made less important. Noah being harnessed tells us that Will has to deal with someone with powers, at least. I'm not sure who it could be other than Vecna.

And, come on, Will should be an absolute feast for Vecna, and it would be a fantastic way to show what he's been going through since he always holds in his own feelings. God knows that a depressing number of fans need to be spoon fed proof that Will is gay...

My main concern is whether or not Mike would actually be involved with saving him. It also seems too good to be true.

[ilikebylerblahaahakheine]

I made this video a while ago talking about the possible meaning of the pink roses on El’s shirt in the end.

I wasn’t sure of the actual meaning of the roses on her shirt, but now I am. The photo Im about to show is from the card that was on the yellow and blue flowers that Mike gave El, where it said “from Mike.”

Ignore the icon, I took this screenshot from a video (not related to the theory, the show of the card made me realize this).

Pink flowers are said to symbolize appreciation gratitude, and recognition, but not love. I don’t know if this had relevance to the meaning, but it’s fun to think about.

That letter was quite literally Mike and El’s downfall. The blue and Yellow flowers were supposed to be a romantic gift her his girlfriend. El was happy with the gift until she saw the card that read “From, Mike” rather than “Love, Mike.” She started to doubt that he likes her romantically, as proven by the argument they had in El’s bedroom, where Mike said that he cared about her and she said “but you don’t love me?” She thought he didn’t like her romantically anymore, all because of this card (with the pink roses) and the past letters also reading “from.” Now it’s been established that the pink roses are platonic and the blue and yellow are romantic, let’s talk about how she took off all her layers of blue in the tub before Mike’s confession. Keep in mind the parallel with the fruity pizza scene to the scene where El was jealous of Mike and Max because she thought they were flirting. Both were from another persons perspective, and their perspective was ultimately wrong. I don’t think they were actually flirting in this scene tbh. I think that by the time she was getting in the bath to go get Max, she had already moved decided they were better platonically. The flowers on her shirt that were the downfall of their relationship (not the flowers but what they were on. Minor details, yk) were there during his speech, contributing to the idea that the only parts of his speech that had helped were the platonic ones (I’m not explaining that theory again, go watch other vids for an explanation if u don’t get it). Her taking off the socks with the flowers on them could symbolize her letting go of their romantic relationship.

Idk if I explained that well so basically her wearing the pink flowers is foreshadowing a platonic relationship between the two.

This is going to play into the part 2 I make where I talk about a prediction I have for how the Mileven break up is going to go down.

[stranger-nightmare]

*curls up with baby blanket and studied moose I’ve had since I was a baby*

it’s not been a good day. I….I think I got so attached to Eddie because when I was in high school, I didn’t have an Eddie, I didn’t have that person to help me see that it wasn’t bad being weird, and it was okay to not be like everyone else. And seeing him take Dustin and mike under his wing because they were alone and bullied like he was. It just what I wouldn’t do to have an Eddie back when I was in school.

And just. It hurt when billy died, because it was just I liked billy he was my type and he was ya know billy.

But Eddie was. Eddie was so much more in that short time we saw him. He….just.

I’m so sad hope. I’ve never been this hurt by a character dying before in any show I watched and loved. I just want Eddie to be okay.

All he wanted to do was graduate, all he wanted was a normal year, all he wanted was to ducking graduate.

“I didn’t run this time right?”

No Eddie you didn’t. You were a hero.

And uncle Wayne, just

“I’ll put as many flyers up as it takes”

His uncle never doubted that Eddie was good and would never do what they accused him of. He knew Eddie was a good boy.

I’m so sad….I’m just….not okay Eddie was my comfort character and I just.

-🎸😈

no I feel this completely

like it hurt when Billy died but also his death felt desired and it felt poignant

to me Eddie’s death felt unnecessary and just like idk, disrespectful?? in terms of how they handled it? like Billy was actually an asshole but still everyone was kinda broken up about it in their own ways and we’re still seeing the effects of his death even now

but Eddie so quickly dismissed??? like he really took those kids under wing and none of them, bar Dustin, really seems to give a shit?

idk like I’m just he died but I think I’m more hurt about what happened afterwards, about them just letting him be the scapegoat and live on as the town pariah regardless, it’s just not fair, he deserved way way way better than that

but yeah darling I feel you, I don’t think I’ve actually lost a character that I’ve cared this much for before, it hurts real bad, but at least we have each other to lean on <33

- hope

[chestharrington]

okay, here’s some hot takes for your wednesday evening:

- honestly, fuck nancy wheeler. i cannot stand her and her holier-than-thou bullshit

- i can’t understand why ppl ship robin/nancy when nancy is only nice to her maybe 10% of the time

- actually, i dislike the entire wheeler family (except holly, bless her)

- mike is so whiny and annoying past s1 and it’s become intolerable. his internalized homophobia mixed with excessive angst is just a no for me. (though, i suppose that’s actually fairly accurate for a 14 y/o boy so rock on, duffers)

- karen wheeler is doing better this season, i guess, but i can’t forgive her for actually considering sleeping with someone the same age as her oldest child. she would have known this, as billy introduces himself as a “friend” of nancy’s in s2. (whether she went thru with it or not, it’s concerning to say the least). i do think she cares about her children ultimately but is deeply unhappy with her life. and given ted wheeler being… ted wheeler, that is understandable. but idk maybe buy a vibrator instead of sleeping with a barely-legal teenager

- steve actually wasn’t an asshole in s1, with the exception of terrible choice in friends and a few out-of-line comments. if someone took a picture of me in a compromising position without my consent, i’d smash their fucking camera myself. steve’s an better person than me for not only buying him a new camera but for letting him think it was nancy. sure, the comments about jonathan’s father and homophobic remarks weren’t okay, but like ?? he did not owe jonathan a new camera or anything rlly and i stand by that

- steve did not spray paint the hawk in s1: it was tommy. we are even shown him doing further vandalism when nancy and jonathan arrive. he was complicit, sure, but he did immediately help to clean it up, split lip and all.

- i’m sorry, but i can’t get past jonathan being a total creep (and not in the good way like our beloved perv!steve hc’s) i can buy the excuse he was looking for will, though why on earth would he have been in steve harrington’s house? more importantly, even if we give him the benefit of the doubt for that, he still should not have developed and kept that picture of nancy. simple as

- that said, natalia and charlie have my heart. this is not a hot take, they’re just adorable <3

I agree with everything u said except Nancy slander 😔 she is my baby girl and I will defend her with my entire chest. I am sorry to break it to u like this but I love her 💕

But yeah the wheeler family is just?? So toxic?? Karen lusting after a minor was weird, Ted is a weirdo, and mike is either homophobic or just a bad friend. Holly needs to get OUT!!! And Nancy enjoy Boston girl queen 💕💕

Also yeah fuck Jonathan I don’t like him I don’t care for him he’s given this show dust while everyone else is giving their all. He could die and the show wouldn’t be affected at all. And I personally would be happy as a viewer

Thank u for the hot takes beloved 💕

[demadogs]

what’s funny is that i just recently watched what i think is the Exact same ship-ranking video, and had the exact same reaction. (like i should’ve known something was desperately wrong when she put b*lly/steve in the middle instead of slamming it directly to the bottom tier—don’t get me wrong i still scowled and took a moment to recuperate—but i decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and continued watching anyway 😭). but from there on out, it only got worse and worse, with st/ancy of all ships being the only one in the top tier (????).

anyway, the only saving grace is that she has a later video where she recounts all of the st events frm will’s pov (tht i actually think is quite funny ngl), and she ends it by implying tht byler is endgame bc of the way all the couples are standing in the end scene. maybe she had a change of heart between the making of those 2 videos???? or maybe she was just playing into will’s character and his biased pov, BUT i think it’s good news tht even the (previously misguided) GA is picking up on that very heavy-handed imagery. so idk sorry for the long ask, i just wanted to rant a bit and say that At Least we have a small win there !

yes that video from wills pov is what lead me to her channel! i enjoyed that it was hilarious. then i watched the ships video and its dumb to trash other peoples ships but steve and billy in the middle but steve eddie wasnt even good enough to be rated??? jail.

i agree tho based on the wills pov vid i think she mightve looked more into byler and changed her opinion on mike being straight. it could have been easy since in her rating video she didnt seem to love mlvn that much.

[aeinstong]

Okay. Byler discussion ahead.

I’m going to give the Duffer brothers the benefit of the doubt (even though they’ve done nothing to deserve it. They quite literally made the only canon lesbian in love with a very unimpressive side character with no personality other than what robins personality is, killed an incredibly queer coded man -even though it made no sense- for shits and gigs, and took the other queer man and made him only suffer for four seasons because queer people cant be happy). So I will be playing devils advocate a tiny bit. The build up for Byler in the entirety of the show, especially in season 4, was just kind of thrown away in vol 2. The only way they could salvage it is by making Byler explicitly canon in season 5.

For a minute lets talk about the build up I’m referring to. Will Byers and Mike Wheeler met in Kindergarten on a swing set and became instant friends. A detail they pay specific attention to. A detail they deemed so important that its the memory Mike used to try and reach Will when he was possessed by the Mind Flayer. Mike even claimed it was the best decision he ever made. Again when Will lost his memory he could still easily say “thats my friend Mike”. Also not to mention the whole lets go crazy together vow in Mike’s basement (i think thats where it was?? Idk I’m going off of memory here). Mike and Will are the only ones out of the original Party to have these moments. Then in season 3 Mike starts becoming a complete ass towards Will??? Which did not make sense based on Mike’s previous actions. Then Will and Mike get into an argument where Mike says and I quote “its not my fault you don’t like girls”. Now what the hell boy. Where did that come from? It would’ve made more sense for him to say “I’m sorry you don’t have a girlfriend!” or “its not my fault you don’t have a girlfriend”. That alone implies so many things. Then in season 4 we have Mike acting strange and overall just kinda avoiding Will. Which is unusual because visiting your best friend should cause more enthusiasm. Unless you have repressed feelings toward said best friend and you also have to be around your girlfriend while dealing with those feelings. He probably feels guilty for his feelings and is avoiding Will in favor of giving El attention because it makes him feel more “normal” (not gay). But Mike is aware he doesn’t love El because he can’t even bring himself to write it let alone say it. Why do you have such a hard time saying you love your girlfriend of multiple years when you’ve already told her? Then we have the longing stares and the tender emotional music. And the talk about opening up and feeling afraid between Mike and Will. Then in volume two we have Will telling Mike how wanted and loved he is by “El” (actually just him. It was so obviously not about El even my catholic father noted that Will is in love with Mike).

But nope! The Duffer brothers decided that the reason Mike can’t say I love you is because he’s afraid of losing her (how does that make sense in any way shape or form). Oh and the reason he’s being an asshole to Will is because Mike decided to be an asshole one day.

Buuuut, if they have a confession scene this could all come together. Mike and someone arguing and he just lets it all spill including his feelings towards Will. Mike breaks up with El probably with the encouragement of Nancy or whoever he spilled to. We have a confession between Will and Mike both and they get together. Im really hoping this is what they had in mind all along. All fixed.

[wallofweird]

To add to ur last post I also think a lot of ppl would rather him be gay bc they think it’s easier that way to explain byler but not everything is about byler. He probably was attracted to El at some point it’s just super weird idk. Also the beard thing and the buff guys thing I 100% blame Kendra for that cause ppl swear shes amazing but she literally called el a tool on twitter and some of her takes are ridiculous not to mention she also started shipping lumax out of nowhere and I’ve noticed many bylers doing that to get el “out of the way” it’s genuinely starting to piss me off too.

Yeah, I really don't agree with her takes at all. Also the way some people compare Mike to BRENNER and talk as if he doesn't even see El as a friend... Fortunately it is, like, 10% of the fandom only and most of us love El and Elmike, but it bothers me.

The gay Mike headcanon is totally valid and possible, but right now gay, bi, pan, asexual etc is just one of the very possible explanations because nothing it's confirmed. For me, as long as it makes sense with the narrative, I'm okay with anything. The only thing is I'm 100% is that his only true, intense love is Will. But the rebel in me wants to say he's pan because I keep seeing most people say he's gay, bisexual at best and not even acknowledge pan or asexual as a possibility. And a lot of the takes are like "there are boys and girls and Mike only likes one/both so he's gay/bi". 🙄😒 Also more pansexual representation would be nice, because I've only seen it once and the way the character "found out" felt like a disservice for me... But I also doubt Stranger Things will actually say a term out loud, maybe just have Mike talking about he feels about people, but not actually saying any label.

Which is kind of fine by me too. He's still a kid, if it took me 24/25 years of my life to figure it out when I have more safety and tools than him, imagine this BOY WHO IS A TEENAGER, IN THE 80s, LIVING IN A SMALL, PREJUDICED TOWN, NO INTERNET, NO SAFE SPACE TO OPENLY TALK AND EXPLORE? I get that on TV time works differently and the characters usually figure out at lightspeed and find the right label in a month, but for many it isn't like that and imo it's okay if they leave it open... Specially since it's a coming of age.

[goldengoddess]

hey there! idk if you write for stranger things, but can i get hc for being steve harrington's girlfriend that's eleven's older sister? like you escaped the lab together and you are very shy and speak like eleven? your power is empathy? ty!

pairing: steve harrington x empath!fem!reader

a/n: LOOK i have not watched any stranger things since summer 2019 so i am so sorry and i am so sorry this took so long, i truly love steve i have such a crush on him tbh so i hope u sorta like this <3

warnings: mention or monsters? one mention alcohol and one mention of food, pet name princess

okay so

i feel like the two of you would finally get together in a very cute and silly teenager way

you’d probably be crushing on each other hard

like steve is so so in love with you

but he just feels like he might say the wrong thing and you are sort of sensitive after everything

and getting used to an actual normal life

but your whole thing is picking up other people’s emotions

so obviously you pick up that something wrong

and you just automatically assume it’s that he’s tired of you or something

so he takes you out to a party, attempting to show you what it’s like to leave a really normal teenager life

and said party obviously ends up with you steve and dustin being chased by some other monster

or russian spies who knows at this point

and you and steve end up in a restroom at your house, cleaning up each other’s cuts

steve would be sitting on the counter and wincing like a baby every time you tried to disinfect a cut above his eyebrow

and you would be so close

you could smell the mix of orange and vodka on his breath even though the party was hours ago and he was very much sober and coming off an adrenaline run

you could count his eyelashes at your closeness

and you would be so enamored with memorizing his face

you wouldn’t notice that steve was watching you with the softest expression

you’d only snap out of your daze when you felt steve’s anxiety spike

“what is wrong?” you’d ask, pulling away your hand because you’re scared you hurt him somehow

but he would only give you this very lopsided grin

a grin you’d learned to love but didn’t quite understand the meaning of yet

“i really want to kiss you right now” he would say so softly you were sure you’d heard him wrong

“kiss me?”

“yeah kiss you,” you’d feel the nervousness buzzing but you weren’t sure if it was his or yours, “can i?”

you would nod your head slowly, scared but anticipating

and when his lips touched yours

wow

you’d always been able to feel everyone’s emotions times 100 but this?

this was something different

everything steve felt, you felt too

like the world would explode

and from then on, you were harrington’s girl

and every kiss was just as heart stopping as the first

steve, in his attempt at gentlemanly fashion, would ask eleven for approval of dating you

she’d be very confused because she “doesn’t control you”

but steve would grin and take it as a sign off approval

so so many sleepovers ???

idk i just feel like steve’s a sleepover man

but in a very cute platonic way as well

he’d bring all of his blankets and pillows to your house

and invite el and mike to hang out with the two of you

build pillow forts

eat way too much food

watch a couple of movies

you and steve would watch el fall asleep on mikes shoulder

and then eventually after a couple of attempts of steve tickling you

you’d fall asleep with your head on steve’s lap

his hands in your hair

and once again, you didn’t know if the bliss you were feeling was steve’s or yours

he would call you princess

no doubt in my mind

always “good morning princess” or “hey princess did you sleep well”

you were his princess

he’d swear to protect you always

and you’d get all shy

because a beautiful boy was saying such beautiful things to you

and all you could do was mumble thank you back

drives in his car!!!!

so new to you

you just couldn’t understand driving for no reason at first

but you’d grow to like it because it meant steve’s hand on your thigh for a couple of hours

a soft squeeze every now and then

and you’d go come and tell eleven all about it

steve would call you every night on the phone

and you could practically feel his smile every time you spoke a little longer or a little louder

always “sweet dreams my princes” before hanging up

yeah steve, your princess

[felassan]

Some DA trivia and dev commentary from Twitter

There’s a lot of different tweets, so I’m just pasting and linking to the source rather than screencapping them all or making several different posts or something. Post under cut for length.

User: Was dragon age 2 your favourite in the franchise?

David Gaider: DA2 was the project where my writing team was firing on all cylinders, and they wrote like the wind- because they had to! Second draft? Pfft. Plot reviews? Pfft. I was so proud of what we all accomplished in such a brief time. I didn't think it was possible. [source] DA2 is, however, also where the goal posts kept moving. Things kept getting cut, even while we worked. I had to write that dialogue where Orsino turned even if you sided with him, because his boss battle had been cut and there was no time to fix the plot. A real WTF moment. >:( [source]

Mike Rousseau: I remember bugging that! And then being told it wasn't a bug, and being so confused. Doing QA for DA2 was an experience. Trial by fire. [source]

DG: So I think it's safe to say DA2 is my favorite entry in the DA franchise and also the sort of thing I never want to live through ever again. Mixed feelings galore. [source]

User: (I personally blame whoever it was for ruining most romance arcs in other games for me; they don't live up to Fenris's romance storyline)

DG: I wrote Fenris, so uh - me, I guess? Or maybe his cinematic designer, who put in the puppy dog eyes. [source]

User: If DA2 had just been an expansion, do you think it would have been better received? There was a lot of great stuff in there, and I think my initial dislike of it was because of the zone reuse. If it hadn't needed to be a full game, would that issue not have arisen?

DG: Hard to say. It was either going to be an over-scoped expansion or an under-scoped sequel. If it had stayed an expansion, it might never have received the resources/push it DID get. [source]

User: I'd love to visit the universe where you had an extra year or so to work on it. You did a very good job as it stands, but it definitely had rough edges. Not just the writing team either. The whole game had hit and miss moments, that just a little more dev time could have fixed.

DG: On one hand, DA2 existed to fill a hole in the release schedule. More time was never in the cards. DA2 was originally planned as an expansion! On the other, if we had more time, would we have started doing that thing where we second guess/iterate ourselves into mediocrity? [shrug emoji] [source] 

Jennifer Hepler: This is what I love about DA2. Personally, I greatly prefer something that's rough and raw and sincere to something that's had all the soul polished out of it. Extra time would have helped for art and levels, but it would have lost something too. [source]

DG: Right? I think we could have used some time for peer reviews (and fewer cuts), but I think the rawness of the writing lent a certain spark that we usually polished out. [source]

JH: Definitely. I think the structure (more character-driven) and the tightness of the timeframe let each individual writer's voice really come through. Polish can be very homogenizing. [source]

DG: I should add I'm not, by any means, against iteration. Some iteration is good and necessary. The problem that BioWare often had is that we never knew when to stop. Like a goldfish, we would fill the space given to us by constantly re-iterating on things that were "good enough". [source]

Patrick Weekes: I appreciate your incredibly diplomatic use of the past tense on "had". :D [source]

User: DA2 was my gateway into the series and I’m so happy it is. I love the game the way that it is. It’s one of my favorites of all time. But I am also aware of everything that was said here. If it were remastered, do you think it would change?

DG: I'd be surprised if it was ever remastered. If it was, do you really think they'd change things? Do remasters do that? No idea. [source]

User: Both sides got undercut as I recall. Didn't that whole sequence also end with the mage leader embracing blood magic? It was very much "a plague on both your houses" moment, at least for me.

DG: Yep. Orsino was supposed to have his own version of Meredith's end battle, which only happened if you sided with the templars. That got cut, but the team still wanted to use the model we'd made for him. So... that happened. [source]

DG: I would personally say that DA2 is a fantastic game hidden under a mountain of compromises, cut corners, and tight deadlines. If you can see past all that, you'll see a fantastic game. I don't doubt, however, that it's very difficult for most to do that. [source]

PW: I love DAI with all my selfish "I worked on this" heart, but DA2's follower arcs and relationships are probably my favorite in the series. [source]

User: As I've expressed many times, I love the game, especially it's writing and characters but, for me, the most impressive aspect of it, in consideration of it's lack of time for drafts and revisions, is the 2nd act with Arishok.  What amazingly complex character and fantastic duel

User: Just played it again and I have to agree. Though he is bound by the harsher tenants of the Qun, he makes valid points about free marcher society. Though it is obvious that he and Hawke will come to blows eventually, the tension builds gradually and understandably

DG: Luke did such a fantastic job with the Arishok I found myself sometimes wishing the Qunari plot had just been THE plot. [source]

User: What do you think would have changed, story wise, if you had more time for DA2?

DG: I would have taken out that thing where Meredith gets the idol. It was forced on me because she needed to be "super-powered" with red lyrium for her final battle. Being "crazy", however, robbed her side of the mage/templar argument of any legitimacy. I hated hated hated that. [source]

User: I deeply lament that there wasn't/couldn't be some sort of DA2 equivalent of Throne of Bhaal's Ascension mod.

DG: I'd have done it, if DA2 had allowed for anything but the most rudimentary of modding. ;) [source]

User: I mean, and I think I understand where you were trying, but how much legitimacy did the Templars and her as top Templar have after they're keeping the mages locked up against their will in the old slave quarters? Feel free to not reply.

DG: I think it's the kind of discussion which requires nuance, and which discussions on the Internet are not prone to. [source]

User: Was a compromise that the quest lines don’t branch? It felt like it was supposed to be that way but then you end up in the same place later regardless of what you pick. Like I hoodwinked the templars so good to help the apostates escape but in Act II they were caught anyway.

DG: I remember us having a lot more branching in the initial planning yes. Most of this got trimmed out in the first or second wave of cuts, in an effort to not cut the plots altogether. [source]

DG: "If you could Zack Snyder DA2, what would you change?" Wow. I'm willing to bet Mark or Mike (or anyone else on the team) would give very different answers than me, but it's enough to give a sober man pause, because that was THE Project of Multiple Regrets. [source] I mean, it's the most hypothetical of hypotheticals. It's never gonna happen. I wouldn't be surprised if EA considered DA2 its embarrassing red-headed stepchild. We'd also need to ignore that in many ways DA2 was as good as it was bad BECAUSE of how it was made. But that aside? [source] First, either restore the progressive changes to Kirkwall we'd planned over the passing of in-game years or reduce the time between acts to months instead of years... which, in hindsight, probably should have been done as soon as the progressive stuff was cut. [source] I'm sure you're like "get rid of repeated levels!" ...but I don't care about that. All I wanted was for Kirkwall to feel like a bigger city. Way more crowded. More alive! Fewer blood mages. [source] I'd want to restore the plot where a mage Hawke came THIS close to becoming an abomination. An entire story spent trapped in one's own head while trapped on the edge of possession. Why? Because Hawke is the only mage who apparently never struggles with this. It was a hard cut. [source]

User: I would LOVE to hear more details about this! I don’t suppose there’s any chance of a short story?

DG: I don't even remember the details of the story, sorry. There was a fight, and you caught the bad guy and then realized none of it was real and woke up idk [source]

DG: I'd want to restore all those alternate lines we cut, meaning people forget they'd met you. Or that they knew you were a mage. Or, oh god, that maybe they'd romanced you in DAO. So much carnage. [source] I'd want to restore the Act 3 plots we cut only because they were worked on too late, but which would have made the buildup to the mage/templar clash less sudden. Though I don't remember what they were, now. Some never got beyond being index cards posted on the wall. [grimace emoji] [source] As I mentioned elsewhere, I'd want to restore Orsino's end battle so he wouldn't need to turn on you even if you sided with him. And I'd want an end fight with the templars that didn't require Meredith to have red lyrium and go full Tetsuo. [source] Heck, maybe an end decision where you sided with neither the mages nor the templars. Because it certainly ended up feeling like you could brand both sides as batshit pretty legitimately, no? That was never planned, tho. No idea how to make that feel like an actual path atm. [source] Maybe an option to go "umm, Anders... what are you DOING?" 👀 [source] And, of course, a Varric romance, because Mary took that "slimy car salesman" character we'd planned and did the impossible with him. I can feel Mary glaring at me for even suggesting this, tho. [source] Lastly, the original expanded opening to the game which allowed you to spend time with Bethany and Carver BEFORE the darkspawn attacked. And, um, that's about it off the top of my head. Zack Snyder, WHAT PANDORA'S BOX HAVE YOU OPENED. [source] Shit, I remembered two more things: 1) Restore the "Varric exaggerates the heck out of the story" at the beginning of every Act, until Cassandra calls him on it. Yes, that was a thing. 2) Make DA: Exodus. Yes, I am still bitter. [source] God damn it, I meant "Make DA: Exalted March". The DA2 expansion, NOT Exodus since that was DA2's original name and makes no sense. Because the expansion ended with Varric dying, and that will always be on my "things left undone" list. [source]

User: Whaaaat?

DG: Well, you know that scene in Wrath of Khan where Spock goes into the dilithium chamber because he's a Vulcan? Well, imagine that but with Varric and red lyrium and because he's a dwarf. ;) [source]

John Epler: I distinctly remember referencing the bit from MGS4 where you crawl through the microwave corridor in the split screen, while cinematic battle rages on the other half. [source]

DG: It would have been glorious, John. Glorious. [source]

JE: I don't think I've ever been so certain what a shot should look like as I did Hawke coming in and finding Varric in the broken throne, just like when he was telling Cassandra his story. [source]

DG: It would have come full circle! Auggghh, it still kills me. [source]

User: Lord, you folks are a little too good at this.

JE: The true secret behind videogame narrative is knowing how to make yourself seem a lot more clever than you actually are. [source] 'Oh, we TOTALLY planned that.' [source]

User: Ok, this thread [the DA2 regrets thread, which is the big chunks above] but Inquisition.

DG: My regrets about Inquisition are, more or less, the normal kind. Nothing so dramatic, I'm afraid. [source]

User: You can keep your Varric romance, I want a Flemeth romance goddamnit!

DG: I would allow for one flirt option, and then a recording of Kate Mulgrew laughing for three minutes straight. [source]

User: I had a hypothesis about the repetitive caves in DA2. They're repetitive because it's Varric telling the story and he didn't consider them important.  They're like sets in a play.  (Okay, I really suspect it was a time/money/resources thing but I like my fake explanation better.)

DG: Hang a lampshade on it, maybe? Cassandra: "But that's the exact cave you were in last time?" Varric: "Whatever. They all look the same, I'm not THAT kind of dwarf. Can we move on?" [source]

User: that makes sense, hypothetically to make Varric romanceable and keep his arc—that had to happen for the main plot—I imagine you would have to make double the content (or more)? which would've been a tall order given the time/budget constraints the game was under

DG: Right. When it comes to "romance arc" vs. "follower story arc", we generally only had time to do one or the other. Never both. Romancing Varric would have meant not getting the story of his that you did. [source]

Mary Kirby: The one exaggeration I really, REALLY wanted, that we never got to do was Varric narrating his own death scene with Hawke weeping over him, then cutting to Cassandra's pissed off glaring at him. [source]

DG: Haha! The one I wanted was Varric's plot where he takes on the baddies single-handedly, sliding across the floor like Jet Lee, action movie-style, until finally Cassandra gets irritated and he has to admit Hawke & the rest of the party showed up to help. [source]

MK: We did that one! (He didn't do any Jet Lee moves, though.) Jepler gave him letterboxing to get The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly showdown vibes while he shot a ton of mooks single-handed. [source]

DG: Wow. Shows how much I remember. [source]

JE: I found it! I remember seeing this sequence as my treat for doing a bunch of much more challenging work. It was fun to see how far I could push our limited library of animations. [link] [source]

DG: Heh awesome. I could have sworn it was cut, honestly. I think I was even in that meeting. [source]

User: no disrespect but that’s surprising and rich of Mary “Hard in Hightown” Kirby to think DA2 shouldn’t have had a Varric romance when she wrote an entire book of Varric’s self-insert character pining over his Hawke insert character… HIH is the reason we had VHawke Summer 2018

DG: I can't *really* speak for Mary, or how she feels about it now compared to back then. I only know how she felt about it back then, and I'm not sure it was as much the concept of the romance but that Varric's entire story would be bent to "romance arc" ...a very different thing. [source]

JH: I remember pushing to have the first DLC start with Hawke having an option to ask Varric, "Did you tell Cassandra about us?" and if you picked it, Varric would answer, "Of course not, baby. I told her you were sleeping with X..." and then proceed as if you had had a full romance. [source]

DG: I still wonder how that would have gone over. x) [source]

JE: Okay, one more DA2 thing. Putting together the cinematics for this scene was a blast. [link] [source]

MK: These lines are my greatest legacy. I want "Make sure the world knows I died... at Chateau Haine!" inscribed on my tombstone. [source]

JE: I was so glad no one said 'no' to the crane shot. [source]

MK: It needs that crane shot. It's the perfect icing on that cake made from solid cheese. [source]

DG: The designers were all "we need more combat" and I think we were all "I think you underestimate just HOW interesting we can make this dinner party". [source]

JE: And finally. I think @SherylChee wrote the one-liner. I think we had a collection of like, 20. [link] [source]

Sheryl Chee: Yeah! Something like that! I remember submitted a whole bunch and Frank said you only needed one. Wish I'd kept the other fifteen. [source]

JE: A random chooser where, each time through the scene, you get a different one-liner. [source]

JE: DA2 is the project I'm the proudest of. I also absolutely get that it didn't land for a lot of people. But I don't think it's inaccurate to say that, in a lot of ways, DA2 defined my career. [source]  Everyone spent a year working at their maximum ability. I was a fresh cinematic designer and was given all of Varric's content, as well as the Act 1 Finale mission. It was a lot for someone who had been doing the Cinematics thing for literally 6 months. [source]  There's some stuff in there I can't look at without wincing. And there's some stuff I'm genuinely proud of. Not to mention, it was my introduction to most of the writing team. Several of whom I'm still working with today! Albeit in a different capacity [source] Also, weirdly, one of my most enduring memories of Dragon Age 2 is how much Bad Company 2 we'd play at lunch. It was a LOT. [source] Every game I've worked on has a game I played attached to it. ME2 is Borderlands. DA2 is Bad Company 2. DAI is DayZ. I, hmm. There's a progression there. I don't know how I feel about it. [source]

User: Is DA4 going to be tarkov then?

JE: I've kind of churned out of Tarkov for now. Probably Hunt Showdown, at least right now. [source]

User: I think people also don't take nuance into consideration -- like I FULLY acknowledge the flaws in my favorite games and will openly criticize them, but that doesn't mean they're not my favorite games anymore??? You can like and thing and still be critical of it.

JE: A lot of my favourite shit is deeply flawed! I acknowledge it and I think it's interesting to dissect the flaws. [source]

User: I still wish Justice was an actual character in DA2 rather than a plot point.

DG: There was a moment during DAI where we *almost* put in you running into Justice with the Grey Wardens, and he's all "Kirkwall? I never went to Kirkwall" [source]

User: Does that imply that Justice was shoehorned in to DA2?

DG: Nah, it was an in-joke where we thought it'd be fun to suggest that "Justice" was simply some demon that tricked Anders in DA2. Wooo those tricky demons! We didn't do it, though. [source]

User: [about templars]  except, I don't think it had very much legitimacy to begin with. keep in mind, we interact with other characters with the same argument. The one that comes to mind is Cullen, a sane templar in power. The templar's side of the argument is inherently flawed.

DG: I don't doubt that many people agree with you, and yet people can and do argue on behalf of the templars as well. My place isn't to pick a side, but to provide evidence that players can interpret for themselves [source]

User: Can you shed some light for us on how DA was able to do multiple same-sex romance options for different genders but the Mass Effect team treated them like the plague? What process existed for your team that just wasn't their for the other tentpole franchise?

DG: Different people making the decisions, almost different cultures. I don't know what it's like now, but for many years the Mass Effect team and the Dragon Age team were almost like two different studios working within the same building. [source]

User: It truly boggles the mind. Kudos for doing demonstrably better on consistent queer representation than the ME teams. Y'all never needed us to make petitions to try to get the studio's attention and ask them to do better by us. That's the fight we're once again embroiled in now.

DG: Honestly, I don't feel like tut-tutting the Mass Effect team. They did their part, and if they were a bit later to the show than the DA team they certainly did more than almost every other game out there -- and willingly. [source]

Updates begin here

User: So what was the reason for naming Dragon age 2 "Dragon age II" and not using a subtitle?

DG: As I recall, that was purely a publisher decision. I think they wanted to avoid the impression it was an expansion. [source]

User: Is there no chance of ever remaking DA2 under better circumstances? -Somehow remove the repetitiveness of gameplay by making changes and updating the tech and adding much more to the storyline. It could almost be a new very exciting game.

DG: I'd say there's zero chance of that. Let's keep our hopes up for the next DA title instead. [source]

User: I am a little confused here, help me out here please! How exactly was the cut boss battle with Orsino supposed to work out? How it would've kept him from turning against the player?

DG: It means that, if you sided with the templars, the entire boss bottle at the end would have been against Orsino and the mages. No fight against Meredith. The end decision would have been more divergent. [source]

User: I do remember that one of the reasons going around for that, was that resources were going to the transition to Frostbite. I'm still not fully sold on that having been a good choice. I felt that more time should have been given for that transition considering it was made for FPSs

DG: We didn't transition to Frostbite until DAI. Given our time frame for DA2, I don't think we *could* have transitioned to a new engine. [source]

User: Since your talking about the what could have been for DA2. Could you say what your script was for Anthem? Cause I remember reading that you wrote the plot on that game.

DG: I created a setting for Anthem and scripted out a plot - but, as I understand it, almost none of that ended up being used. So it's a bit pointless to talk about what I'd planned, as that'd be for some completely different type of game. [source]

User: [in reference to the exchange above where DG said “Being "crazy", however, robbed her side of the mage/templar argument of any legitimacy. I hated hated hated that.” re: Meredith] except, I don't think it had very much legitimacy to begin with. keep in mind, we interact with other characters with the same argument. The one that comes to mind is Cullen, a sane templar in power. The templar's side of the argument is inherently flawed.

DG: I don't doubt that many people agree with you, and yet people can and do argue on behalf of the templars as well. My place isn't to pick a side, but to provide evidence that players can interpret for themselves. [source]

If I missed a tweet, got the wrong source link or included a tweet twice, feel free to let me know and I’ll correct.

Edit / Update: Post update 22nd April

[theydoctor]

heyyy idk if you've already done it but i just saw your post about thomas maybe being aro/ace and i wanted to hear your elaboration?? (obviously provided you wanted to - i'm just curious)

Hi, @elenasbooknook :)

Okay so I want to start this off with saying that originally I just kinda projected onto him and the whole headcanon was based on that and vibes, but the more I thought about it the more I loved it. So apologies if this isn’t what you wanted, my ace headcanon for him is still just based off of vibes lol

Regarding the aro headcanon, though:

You know how Thomas has a lot of crushes, right? Well, they don’t really seem to be serious. Like I said, it was based on me projecting, because I kinda see myself in that. You think you have to have a crush, because that’s what’s expected, and maybe you even think of someone as pretty or cute or whatever, so you pick that person and just pretend you have a crush. Maybe you even convince yourself you do actually have a crush and don’t realise that it’s just not the case. I think that’s what’s happening to Thomas.

Especially as a poet, and one with a rather romantic and dramatic nature, he wants to meet the expectation of having to love somebody. Additionally with the circumstances of the society during his time. Now, I’m no expert regarding english history, most of it I learned through horrible histories, so excuse me if I’m wrong, but I think one can say quite accurately that it was custom to have a partner and eventually marry. He probably liked Isabelle, but confused wanting her as a friend with being in love. So he played that whole game with the letters and all and got betrayed and died for someone he liked but didn’t love.

He died and time went on. Then Alison and Mike come along and once again the whole thing starts anew. He maybe thinks of her as somewhat pretty, but I genuinely think he just wants to be besties. Similar thing happens with Lucie (more or less). I can’t blame him for that at all, because I was actually convinced I was allo until I got more exposed to ace and aro people and even then it took me a very long time to make the jump from “oh, i wish that were me.” to “oops. that is me.” I doubt he got that exposure yet and even then it would take him a long time to realise it. I love his romantic nature and I don’t want that gone or anything, I just think that he pretends to have crushes because he confuses his emotions and is just as shaped by his time like other ghosts. His “love” for Alison seems rather hollow and he seems to repeat stuff he thinks one should say or do for the person one loves.

Alright, sorry if this is longer than you wanted, I just kinda wrote down my thoughts. It’s obviously just a headcanon and I don’t think it’s the only way he can possibly be. And yes, I am aware how much of this is projecting, but I did warn you that it started out that way haha.

Thanks for asking and I hope you have a great day! :D