#it also at least gives a vague idea of what's going on with his markings since they're very off-model from in-game

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

this guy just made a mentor proud of him for the first time in his life and he is trying SO HARD to be normal about it

(guess who's been playing personal story on a tiny rat lately...)

[xjulixred45x]

I know I have to work on the requests, but I have to get this out of my head because now I have a rediscovered love for Invincible, bear with it.

(SOMETHING LIKE A CONTINUATION OF THIS)

SOME SITUATIONS WITH YANDERE AU MARK GRAYSON/INVINCIBLE

okay, I can definitely see that you two were a couple or at least liked each other before everything went to hell.

and although you were fine with Mark at that time, when he was being convinced to join the Viltrum empire, he was somewhat seeking your approval. although using very vague assumptions, such as "would you accept an alien race if it meant world peace?" "or if that would help with the development of medicine?" You know, like what Nolan wanted to do at the beginning with Mark. and obviously since you didn't have the context you said yes without hesitation, further fueling Mark's crazy ideas.

I may not have made it very clear in the first part, but you and Nolan definitely don't get along. I mean, he's nice to you in a way, but he treats you like a little kid who needs discipline, so he tries to push Mark into that. Not only that, but you also indirectly blame him for the sudden change in Mark's personality, you know that if Nolan hadn't gotten him into that shit, he wouldn't have so much blood on his hands. The Mark you knew wasn't like that. HE WASNT.

The main reason this Mark doesn't feel angry because of your traditional escape attempts or why he's so soft is because of something our Invincible doesn't usually have, and that's his ARROGANCE. This Mark does not believe that you are capable of running away from him, you are not capable of defending yourself from him, you are not capable of harming him and above all you are not capable of HATE HIM, because he sees you as a soft creature, who should be treated as such because you are confused.

He is delusional, SpongeBob and Squidward level of Delusional. You could perfectly tell him that you hate him, that he's the worst thing that happened to you in your life... and he thinks it's reverse psychology.

"fuck you"

"Is that an invitation?😚"

"I hate you"

"I love you too babe🥰"

"If we were trapped on a desert island I wouldn't hesitate for a second to make a raft with your limbs"

"Silly you, I would take you out flying😘"

Do you see what I'm saying? For the same reason, if you end up hurting him, he would be proud that now you can definitely defend yourself from the Revolutionaries who "kidnap you every now and then" (it's you on the run). dang it, if you hurt him probably even NOLAN would compliment you for doing it despite being "so weak" and would completely approve of you.

(I can already imagine you with a wedding dress and a bouquet of knives...you want to throw it at Mark...in the face)

I think the most Mark does to scare you into escape scenarios is to threaten to throw you and not catch you next time, that's the best he goes. He can't stand the idea of leaving you paralyzed because it would be very boring and sad to see only a shell of you.

He wouldn't kill Eve, but he would never hurt you...physically. Did you see that in the end in their universe they manage to imprison him and get rid of Omniman? you totally didn't let go of Fem! Cecil(Cecilia?) all the way to her base and thanking her with all your heart and tears. Cecilia comforted you awkwardly, but she understood that you must have definitely had a hard time with Mark.

Meanwhile, with Mark already locked up, even if the world is a bit messed up, you can breathe easy for the first time in years, you can leave the base without fear of what happens to the people around you, you can eat without a problem, you can CHAT with people! it's magic! It's like you don't even remember anything before Mark! out of pure fear!

Meanwhile, Mark in prison always asks about you AT LEAST once a day, even if they give him proof that you are WELL and HEALTHY, he just doesn't believe it and DEMANDS to see you to prove it, which they obviously deny him and only makes him think that even more. The guy thinks you must be dying of hunger and cold or being eaten by collotes while you live your best life🤣

"MY POOR BABE! She must be so confused and scared without me! How do I know they're not torturing her for information!? She must be so worried because we're not getting home!" and it goes on and on... meanwhile Darling: "happy~ happy~happy~" "OHHHOOOhhOO, I'M SO FUCKING HAPPY!"

For now that's all. I hope the Viltrum empire doesn't come to shit on Darling's happiness☠️

[twilightkitkat]

Ok so if technically there are 2 Logans alive in the timeline rn (which doesn't make sense thank you Marvel)

How do you think they would interact if they met each other

Assuming that Logan is still alive and just in Mexico or Canada hiding out, I think it'd be interesting as hell if he heard about a Wolverine dupe. Because he definitely didn't live in the city and judging from the rumors, they wore a yellow suit and had his signature tufted hair. ...Which he was very much not sporting right now.

Deadpool's Timeline is before the Westchester Incident so Charles isn't yet classified as a weapon of mass destruction, even if the government is definitely wary of him. Therefore, Logan could justify leaving for a bit to investigate these rumors (if just for old times' sake and for an excuse to check up on the X-men).

He expects them to be, like most things, incredibly fake.

Except when he does some digging... they don't seem to be entirely fabricated? One guy even showed him the scars from claw marks that looked identical to his own, but Logan knew damn well he wasn't in the area at the time. Much less infiltrating a drug ring.

He snoops around and hears rumors that this new Wolverine sticks close to Deadpool. That's... an interesting name. It's vaguely familiar, and something in him recognizes it, but he can't quite place where he heard it.

But the way people react to the name "Deadpool" is telling enough. Even people who are entrenched in the underground look around warily, as if afraid to give out too much information. People are hesitant to speak, fearful of the idea of him alone.

But Logan's nothing if not persistent. He settles down in a seedy bar where he knows shady business happens and listens. If this guy was as big of a deal as people act, he should pick something up.

Soon enough, the name pops up.

"I'm thinking of hiring Deadpool for this job, actually," some sleazy rich guy remarks as he leans back in his chair. Logan's senses lock onto the conversation immediately.

"Really? Isn't that a little excessive? You know how expensive he is these days," his companion replies.

"But there's a reason he's in demand. It's a two-for-one deal these days, you know," another person at the table adds.

"Exactly," the guy nods, "Deadpool is already a force to be reckoned with on his own, but with Wolverine? They're unstoppable."

"I once saw them fight," someone nearby pipes up, "it was terrifying."

"Deadpool alone is terrifying. Did you hear what happened to Francis?" someone murmurs.

By the end of the night, Logan has a rough idea of what he's working with. Deadpool seems to be a mercenary who's well-known for getting the job done for the right price, no matter how gruesome it is. He's also someone you'd hate to cross and who would stop at nothing to get revenge, which apparently became known after he killed some bigshot named Francis.

Deadpool was definitely... interesting, to say the least (it isn't often that a mercenary is feared more than major organization leaders) but it wasn't what he came for. No, the real piece of information was that his copycat seemed to hang around Deadpool. The two were inseparable, they'd said.

"The Wolverine" apparently showed up out of the blue one day and has been trailing after Deadpool ever since. The two seemed to be partners of sorts, and Wolverine never made any appearances in battles where Deadpool wasn't present. Rumors seem to be that Deadpool hired him or that he owed Deadpool a great debt, although some people who've encountered them whisper that they might be something much deeper. Lovers, almost.

Logan snorted. What was the point of someone dressing like him if all they were gonna do was run around with a mercenary helping on missions? No evil scheme, no grand imitation, and the guy didn't even make public appearances. Maybe he was just a fanboy or some shit.

Although he wasn't as wary anymore, something in him still felt the need to investigate further. And luckily, he knew who was going to hire Deadpool next and the job he was gonna give. All he had to do was intercept.

And so he did.

He turned into the alleyway to see some guy in a red suit and... himself?

It wasn't just a realistic copy. It was an honest-to-god clone. He smelled like him, looked like him, moved like him. He had adamantium claws like him and the exact same build. Except this guy actually fucking shaved from time to time and still kept his hair up.

"Ohhh, looks like we have a visitor, Wolvie," Deadpool chirped.

Wolverine shook his head, "Damn it, I told you he was gonna drop by to check on the rumors eventually. It's what I would've done."

"...Who are you?" Logan asked warily, tensing up.

"I'm Deadpool, as you probably already know, and this is you! Well, you from another universe. Say hi!" the man in red dramatically gestured to Wolverine, who grumbled in irritation.

"From another universe?" Logan crossed his arms.

"Yeah, bub. Believe it or not, I don't care. But we're not here to cause trouble, I'm just stuck with this lunatic here so there's two of us right now." Wolverine insulted him, but let Deadpool lean over to wrap an arm around his shoulder, whining about how he chose to stay here so he was stuck by choice.

It was... a lot to take in. Logan didn't really know how to feel about it. It was odd seeing another version of him so close to someone. He forgot what it felt like, to be like that with people. Hell, even when Scott and Jean were alive, he wasn't like that. He fucked off most of the time and they were happy to ignore him until something serious happened.

It was also odd to see another, apparently older, version of him look... so much younger. Well, younger wasn't the right word, but energized? Less depressed? He still had wrinkles on his forehead and a hardness in his eyes, but it was softer. Like he had something to live for and fight for. (Something Logan hadn't in a while.)

Somehow, the other version of him was both more and less jaded. He had a vaguely haunted look on his face when Logan mentioned the X-men, one even Logan himself didn't quite understand the depths of. He'd clearly been through some shit in his original world, maybe even more fucked up than his own trauma.

But it was like someone sanded down those jagged edges. Until they stopped cutting into him every time he sifted through his emotions.

(Logan never had anyone do that for him, not really. Jean cared, vaguely, but she prioritized Scott and was more focused on her own life than Logan's baggage. Charles cared too—he'd taken him in and made sure he had the necessities—but he had so many children that there was only so much attention he could give to a rugged stray. He didn't ever manage to file down his sharp ridges, he just kept cutting himself and hoping one day it'd get easier. That he'd get used to it.)

When he sees the soft look in Wolverine's eyes as he looks at Deadpool, Logan thinks he knows who's responsible.

[not-xpr-art]

Len and Tommy's life told through nine photos ~

A fanart based on the Inside no 9 episode 'Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room' because I loved it so much!

(09/2024)

See below for close ups and unnecessarily detailed explanations of each individual artwork lol

First wanna say that I spent wayy too long on these (like 25+ hours), especially trying to make them look like actual old photos lol... also trying to get their likeness right for the various ages was really bloody hard lol, but hopefully each photo has the essence of each character even if it might not look 100% right pfft...

Second thing is that the dates & locations are very much my own subjective thoughts on their life and not particularly rooted in the canon of the show lol

Also I did go really heavy with the colour symbolism lol...

Ravenhill School, 1965.

The year they met, both are around the age of 10 (give or take). Len is 3 from the left in the top row, Tommy 2 in from the left on the bottom row (also I tried to include references to the other 2 League Of Gentlemen guys... Though I think the only vaguely recognisable one is Jeremy pfft)

Also shout out to @lapis-lazuliie for the idea that they met at school!

(side note, this is the least detailed of all the paintings not just because I was too lazy to render all those children's faces pfft but ALSO because of the significance of them being less recognisable or prominent in each other's lives in this point...)

I was planning on making another childhood/early teen photo but couldn't really think of any good subject matter that could also fit thematically with the episode (also the fact both are coming from poor families who would have had limited access to cameras in this era means we can just pretend that there are just no photos that really exist of them at these ages pfft...)

Photo booth in Leeds, 1974.

Both in their late teens, they'd (well, mainly Tommy) gone to a photo booth in Leeds with the intention of getting some professional looking photos only for Len to immediately make Tommy laugh once they got in there lol

The middle photo is covered in lines as Tommy had planned on throwing it away, only to find he couldn't bring himself to do it in the end... Is it platonic? Romantic? Both? Who knows, you decide lol! I mainly wanted it to be a candid moment between two people that love each other lol

(final one is them play fighting because that's kinda just what 19 year olds are like pfft... also I think photo booths technically gave you 4 photos? so let's pretend there was another photo that they did throw away for whatever reason lol...)

Rehearsals, 1979.

Deep in the midst of practising their routine for some of their first performances!

I'll admit this photo was mainly me wanting to include something more episode specific lol and also to get in some much needed heavy handed symbolism (the crease in the photo separating them, the bottle in front of Len's face, etc)

Polaroids taken at Tommy's flat, 1985.

In-between shows the two often spent a lot of time at Tommy's place (featuring that god awful sofa the previous home owner had left). I did originally plan to have them in the sofa shot together, but was finding it hard to figure out who would have been taking that kind of photo so figured it made more sense to make it shots they took of each other.

Also marks the beginnings of Tommy's weariness (& Len's over drinking...)

Outside the Glasgow Pavilion, 1988.

The morning of that fateful performance...

Ok not much else I wanna say about this other than the reference I used for the pose had Reece sorta awkwardly clasping his hands in front of him which I really liked but unfortunately in my art it just looked like he was trying to cover his crotch so I had to change it pfft...

Tommy standing at Len's grave, 2024.

The sixth anniversary of Len's death, and the sixth time Tommy has travelled across from France to lay flowers at his grave. Photo taken by Leanne from the inside of a taxi (I'd like to have had more references to her in these photos but was unsure of dates/ages where it would have fitted...)

She couldn't get her phone to not focus on the raindrops on the window as she tried to take a picture of Tommy at her father's grave but then realised that she actually liked the pathetic fallacy and had it made into a print anyway lol (look I'll be the first to admit that this is the least 'realistic' in terms of a photo that people would take, but I couldn't resist the symbolism of it lol...)

There were a lot more ideas for photos I wanted to do but for obvious reasons had to keep it to just 9 lol

Also will be posting these on my ao3 with snippets of stories to go with each photo so keep an eye out for when I share that link!

[museenkuss]

i wanted to know how to get into perfumes, and more specifically (at least to begin with) how to distinguish notes, so that i can know what kind of scents i like

im embarrassed to go to high end stores and try perfumes without buying tho, and at the average commercial perfume store the place smells so strongly itself that i can't really appreciate the smell of the perfume. also a lot of the products they have are very sweet, which i don't like

anyway, any tips?

Hi Love!! Thank you for your patience 🌹

I'm so happy you're interested in getting into perfume, it's such a fun hobby! But I also know what you mean, it can feel a little overwhelming at first. In this, I tried my best to focus on the two parts [1] How to get started with distinguishing notes (& figure out what you like) and [2] How to test perfumes in store. These are tips based on what I did (and do), so there are no doubt other (maybe better?) ways, but this was my starting point ✨

[1] How to get started with distinguishing notes (& figure out what you like)

First, knowing the basics will make this journey a lot easier. A scent usually has top, heart and base notes that develop while wearing, scents are traditionally grouped into scent groups (fresh, fruity, woody, etc). [I’m keeping this super short here bc this is already rather long, but I can give a more detailed explanation/introduction if you’d like! ♥️]

Before you go into the store, where the selection and atmosphere might be overwhelming, I suggest doing some research at home. That way, you can go into the store with an idea of what you want to try. The tools that I can really recommend are fragrance database websites. My go tos are fragrantica and parfumo. On those websites, you can look up any perfume and you will find a breakdown of their notes. There are also categories that users vote on, such as season this fragrance is best worn in, gender or occasion it’s suited for, price, performance etc. You can also search by notes. Now what I did when I first got into fragrances:

If you already have a few scents you like, you can check those scents on a database and see what scent profiles they have. I didn’t do this by note, but by “main accords” — as in, what overall impression this scent gives (sweet, fresh, white flowers, woody, animalic, musky, powdery…). So I listed all perfumes I could think of that I liked (having smelled them before, gifts etc) and went through them one by one. I.e. Dior Addict is described as sweet, white flowers, etc, and the notes are jasmine, orange blossom, vanilla, etc. I listed the descriptions, then went to the next, checked if the descriptive adjectives were on my list, added another mark for those or added the new descriptions. It was a lengthy but fun process and in the end, I had a list that showed me that I liked fragrances that were in the white flowers category (for example). As you can see, I didn’t go into the notes themselves (orange blossom, jasmine, vanilla), BUT you could do that, too, for a more detailed understanding of what notes you already enjoy smelling. This process will give you an idea of what you already like, and then you can already get a vague idea whether a scent you’ve heard of or seen online might be something you enjoy, without even having smelled it.

Additionally, once you know this, you can pay attention to those notes in scents. As in, you now know you like scents that have mango (for example). Smelling the scents you own, you might now be able to detect that yes, they all have a mango note in common (or maybe you don’t know what orange blossoms smell like, but now you notice they all have something in common — that might very well be orange blossom!). This is a possible first step to “training” your nose. Perfumers (and hardcore enthusiasts) have scent libraries (boxes with little bottles, expensive) that have the pure scents, as in, pure musk, orange blossom, sandalwood, etc. I haven’t looked into getting one of these libraries (yet?), which of course would give you an exact answer as to what each note smells like. My amateur approach was basically rooted in trying to understand what I liked based on fragrances alone. It worked for me, however: I had a fragrance that I was completely in love with, for example, but I couldn’t have told you what it smelled like apart from “pure heaven”. I smelled it again years later and could detect that it has jasmine and orange blossoms, two notes I love. In this process, it also helps to now and then try scents that pride themselves as smelling like specific things. The names usually give it away: Jasmine et Cigarette, Tubereuse Noire, Bare Vanilla, etc.

If you don’t have scents you already know you like, I would suggest finding lists of scents that are grouped together. You could either check the “mango” note on fragrantica (to continue w this example), or you could look up “mango perfumes” on Pinterest, where you will find collages, lists etc as well. (Just be careful when it comes to subjective lists like “sexiest scents” — that can be inspirational, of course, but those aren’t notes or scent families). That way, you have a few scents in mind with a note (or scent accord) you’re interested in, and you’re ready for testing! (Both to see whether you like the scents, and to see whether you can pick out the notes you’re interested in)

This process is meant to help you find which notes you like, and maybe how to detect a first handful of notes in a scent. You also might have a list of scents you want to try, now.

[2.1]Trying scents in store — a few general tips

I know perfume stores especially can feel intimidating. But I promise, most shop assistants are genuinely nice. And with perfume especially you have to keep in mind that testing and re-testing is expected. Most people don't buy a perfume at first sniff (or shouldn't, at least). Going to a store to test fragrances is like going to a store to try on clothes. It's part of the process, you have every right to do that. So don't feel bad for wandering into a store to sniff two fragrances and then leave.

If the store is busy, you will most likely be left alone. If someone flutters by and asks if they can help you, you can usually fall back on “Not at the moments, thank you” (<- maybe you might want to strike up a conversation later? “Actually, I’m looking for a perfume that smells like clean laundry—“) and, ALWAYS: you’re looking for a gift for someone else. That way, they won’t be tempted to try and convince YOU the scent is perfect, because they don’t know the person it’s for (this works with anything btw, jewellery, bags…).

If the store is too boujee and the people working there are genuinely rude — fuck them. Not worth your time. You have every right to enjoy fragrances, they are not an authority on who gets to enjoy what based on the fact that they work in a store. Hello?! The nerve of some people. Don't let that get you down, it's them, not you.

If you’re uncomfortable going alone, you will most likely be left alone if you have a friend with you — and it might make you feel more comfortable.

[2.2]How to try a fragrance

Locate the tester strips, select one, and spray it once or twice. Shake the strip like you would flap a fan so the scent can settle (and you don’t get your nose wet when sniffing the paper). You can either sniff the strip of fan the tester in front of your nose so the scent wafts over. If there are no tester strips available or you’re in a hurry, you can also try sniffing the bottle cap (if available) — the scent has settled there and you’ll immediately get the full scent profile without waiting for it to settle and develop.

You want to try something but the store is overwhelmed with scent? Spray a tester strip and take it outside. You can spray multiple, too, and mark them (I usually rip off the end of one, fold the other, keep one as it was) — just be careful that you’re not folding them all up together in your pocket while they’re still wet, the scents might mingle too much.

Your nose will get overwhelmed if you try too many scents, even with the coffee beans they keep around, so really, you could walk in, locate three scents you’ve been meaning to try (or maybe you see a bottle that looks funky and you'd like to smell that one, too), and leave the store within 10 minutes. You don't have to spend ages in the store, is what I'm trying to say.

Outside, you can take a whiff from the papers.

[2.2]A last little add-on: Buying a fragrance

Always test a fragrance on skin before buying. It smells different than on paper. Also I advise you to always test a scent multiple times, on different days. A good salesperson will actually advise you to do that, too. “Walk around, come back later or another day” <- if they don’t suggest that, you can say it yourself. “Thank you for your help, I’ll see how it develops on skin :)”

This got very long and it still feels like there is so much left to say. I really hope it helped at least a little and somewhat answered your questions!! Please let me know if there is anything else, I'd love to help!! And I've been thinking - maybe a guide would be really helpful. The differences between fragrantica and parfumo for example, or what scent families there are, stuff like that was besides the point here but still important. I'm rambling, but this was over 1k of words and I was unsure whether it was enough haha 🌹 Either way, again: I hope it helped!!! Kiss kiss!!!!!!

[loopy777]

In the empire strikes back, do you also feel like there is some line missing between "if only you knew the power of the dark side" but before "Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father"?

It feels to me like there needed to be some retort from Luke about his father's defiance and awesomeness to make it sound natural.

As it is, it kinda just coasts on the follow up reveal to make up for a weak set up, where he just jumps to tell the big twist withouth some way to make the transition from the fight into the big reveal seem natural.

Maybe it's because the actors didnt really get to give their imput on the dialogue due to how Lucas wanted it to be 100% secret and not spoiled. And so we see the classic wooden lucas dialogue on full display.

Honestly, ESB is the least likely of all the movies to have any Lucas dialogue left. The classic trilogy all had actual scriptwriters work on them to make them sound vaguely human, but ESB was the only movie filmed without Lucas on the set all the time, so the crew was free to do as much rewriting as they could without getting caught.

I've read accounts from Harrison Ford that he rewrote all his ANH dialogue simply by asking the night before for script changes from the typist distributing the daily shooting scripts. And he claims Lucas never noticed the changes, so if that's true, I doubt he would have noticed the changes in the ESB script if Kershner, the actors, and anyone else hanging around (I don't recall if Kasdan was on set) didn't make a big deal out of it. And we know for a fact that they did make changes, because I've see actual photos of Carrie Fisher's rewrites for her own scenes, and it's rather famous how the scripted line for Han's reply to Leia's "I love you" in the carbon-freezing chamber was originally supposed to be either "I love you, too" or "Just remember that, ‘cause I’ll be back" rather than the semi-improvised "I know."

Granted, Lucas would be more likely to remember the most important dialogue in the movie, so I'm sure there's a limit to what could be rewritten. And we all know how dichotomous he can be about Star Wars history, claiming he figured out a 6-movie saga entirely beforehand while also publishing "Making Of" books that show pretty clearly he was improvising heavily as he went and had no idea how many movies he was making or what they would be about.

Anyway, no, it never struck me as particularly awkward, but I first saw ESB back when I seven or eight, so my first impression wasn't exactly sophisticated. Looking at it now, it seems to flow well enough. Luke is defiantly saying that he'll never join Vader, obviously seeing life in terms of black & white and good & evil. Vader's "If only you knew the power of the dark side," strikes me less of a temptation and more of a musing- if only Luke knew what was really going on here, what life was really like, and the true nature of the forces they're playing with, then he might not be so defiant and sure of himself. He then goes on to start the reveal of his true identity, thinking that Luke needs to understand that Vader is a real person who was once just like him and eventually chose what Luke himself is thinking to be an unconscionable choice.

Sure, there could be another line in there to make it explicit and connect the dots, and perhaps the original script had one. The only version of the ESB script I've seen has "Insert Dialog B" over the entire reveal scene. It might have even been recorded. (I hesitate to say 'shot and recorded' since the scene as shot had completely different dialogue about Obi-Wan murdering Luke's father that was over-dubbed later in order to avoid leaks, and I think even some of Mark Hamill's reaction shots were assembled later and perhaps re-dubbed.) And perhaps that extra line or two was removed later to pick up the pacing of the scene. If so, I think that was a good choice, as the pacing of a scene like that in a movie is really more important than the nuances of the dialogue, and the idea mostly carries through anyway.

If I had to blame anything for any awkwardness, I would probably credit the weirdness of how the scene was shot. Mark Hamill was only told what he was really reacting to just before filming, and he's said that he would have done it differently if he'd had time to process it. And David Prowse in the Vader suit wasn't told at all, although he later found out and spoiled it anyway at some public appearances. If everyone had been given the time to figure out the scene as it was supposed to be, perhaps we'd have something a bit smoother.

Good thing they had John Williams doing the music. That guy can make anything go down smooth.

[miyakuli]

Until Then

Until the end do us apart

Until Then is a narrative game set against the backdrop of student life… no wait, wasn't there a touch of fantasy in it too? or maybe I'm wrong… I can see myself crossing this city, taking the subway, going to class, seeing my group of friends and meeting this girl. And life went on. So why do I have this feeling of déjà vu? It's as if I already know this story… and yet it seems to escape me with every click of my mouse. But I persevere, because despite these loops, what if the experience was worth (re)living?

❤ Until Then is first and foremost an ode to adolescence, through its hopes and struggles. We follow Mark, a young man in search of a meaning, trapped in a reassuring routine, who over the course of the game emerges from his cocoon to face the harsh realities of life. And that's where the game shines: it manages to give substance to his inner conflicts through interactions between characters of rare accuracy. We swing between cynicism and indecision, tenderness and rage. Emotions clash like particles. And we end up finding ourselves in them, whether in these friendships we believe to be eternal, or in that innocent and clumsy love. There's a real care taken in the writing of the dialogues to make us feel this bridge between the end of childhood and the uncertainties facing their future responsibilities as adults. The game also features the best girl/boy friendship I've ever seen in any medium, full of sweetness and knowing teasing.

It offers memorable relationships because they resonate with what it means to be human. ❤ The pixel art is certainly pretty, but it’s more than just a visual style — it enhances every scene through clever direction: shifting camera angles, changes in scale, stylistic transitions… or even a simple static shot, giving space for an emotion to slowly surface on a character’s face. The setting also evolves with the story, subtly reflecting the main character's state of mind. ❤ At first glance, it seems to be a simple, poetic and touching slice of life, in which we follow the protagonist through his daily life until he achieves his life's goal. But suddenly the narrative falters, and just when you think you've reached the end of it, that's when it truly begins. Without giving too much away, the game is built on a certain storytelling mechanic that's sure to surprise — at least, it did for me. Like a teenager confronted with a vague future, we're swept away in a spiral of questions and confused memories. And all of a sudden, the tension rises, the stakes grow higher, and you find yourself struggling to reach that long-awaited ending, one that doesn't leave you untouched.

+/- While Until Then is full of good ideas, its pace is rather ambivalent. It's both its strength and its weakness. On the one hand, the game takes the time it needs to bring a scene to life; long glances, eloquent silences, text messages deleted before being rewritten… there's plenty of room for emotions, which serves the intimacy of the story wonderfully and immerses us completely in the characters' moods. But progressively, certain scenes become repetitive without further advancing the plot, dragging down the overall pace. What once felt like meaningful contemplation gradually turns into frustration, even weariness. +/- To balance out its narrative gameplay, the game includes a range of varied and often entertaining mini-games, from rhythm-based to dexterity-focused. But while they provide a welcome touch of diversity, they are often laborious to master, partly due to the lack of a clear tutorial or rather awkward controls. +/- Two musical themes really stand out and stick in the mind: a classical piece by Grieg recurring at several key moments, and a poignant original theme. But apart from these melodies, the rest of the soundtrack remains too discreet and sometimes fails to enhance the emotion of certain scenes. Added to this is a rather unbalanced soundscape, with sound effects that sometimes become intrusive for my taste.

✖ While I partially embraced the game's contemplative approach, I found the character's movement far too slow over time, with certain actions dragging on unnecessarily. This deliberate slowness eventually became more of a drawback for me. ✖ There's no real replayability here, given the very linear narrative. In fact, apart from a few dialogue choices with no impact on the storyline, the player is more of a spectator, with no real influence on how the story unfolds. I would have appreciated it, perhaps, if certain scenes depended on our decisions in the interactions, if only to make the experience a little more personal. ✖ Controller compatibility is clumsy. It lacks fluidity and often forced me to swap with the mouse to perform certain actions. A technical detail that makes it hard to enjoy the game from the comfort of your sofa x)

Until then, I lived it fully, again and again. And it moved me, again and again. But like life, it's imperfect. Sometimes unpredictable, sometimes annoying. Linear. We wish we could experience it all over again, just like Mark rehashing his memories and the fragments of his life. But at some point, you have to move on, and leave some things behind, the good and the bad. Because the world hasn't ended yet.

➡ My Steam page

[the-oracle-of-the-lost]

okok i finished Joy to the World here are my thoughts (spoilers under the cute)

i will admit to be being biased towards liking Moffat's style of writing, particularly his Christmas specials which are almost all dear episodes to me in one way or another so as much as i think dw desperately needs new writers, i was excited he was writing this vs RTD.

and i wasn't let down! it was a good episode and had all the great marks of a Christmas special being a little cheesy & over-sentimental while still maintaining a plot with the Time Hotel being a super cool setting that definitely should be used in the future

turning That Weird Hotel Door into an episode plot is the most Doctor Who plot we've had in a longgggg time.

something i've been a little critical of dw in recent years has been how it's dealt with one-off characters and how it either seems like one-off characters get ALL the focus of an episode (and almost none on the main characters) or one-off characters only exist to give some expository dialogue and then stand around like cardboard cut-outs and i'm so pleased that this episode had three new one-off characters (Joy, Trev, & Anita) who were all memorable (i mean seriously. i remembered their names without even trying which i almost never do) and had clear arcs while the Doctor also had some very strong & clear characterization regarding his loneliness carrying on from last season.

speaking of the Doctor – that scene with the two Doctors getting stuck in the loop and the young Doctor taking out their frustrations on their older self was so good in terms of writing and acting. plus seeing it from both the younger & older Doctor's perspective.... ouch. Ncuti Gatwa you deserve the world.

there was an excellent mix of comedy and drama. a few moments (jokes and drama) fell a little flat for me but there was plenty of good stuff to make up for it.

the whole scene with the Doctor trying to make Joy angry to break the briefcase's control was predictable but still a classic. her getting angry about her mom dying on Christmas during covid when she couldn't even visit and the hypocrisy of the government for partygate was great tbh. i've been quite passively interested with how recent media has or hasn't been incorporating the pandemic into the world and i thought this was quite a good way to do it for Doctor Who with someone expressing rightful grief and anger over something so many people prefer not to even talk about. (on a personal note – i was watching the episode with my mom who worked on covid units during 2020 and saw a lot of her patients die alone and have last conversations through ipads and the grief that caused and she at least was quite affected and touched by the episode including that. okay sorry for the downer, back to fun stuff.)

the Doctor buying TARDIS merch online to decorate his room was such a fun little way to add to the fourth wall arc of the last season. i'm still a little unsure of where it's going and if the ending will deliver but the gags do please me.

the running theme with Villengard has me kinda 50-50. on one hand i love to expressly make weapons manufacturers into clear villains! on the other, i feel like the episode never really got into how Villengard wasn't going to exploit the Joy-Star as was their original plan (and really what their original plan was about other than a vague "creating infinite energy"). but as this is the second time Villengard has popped up as the villain behind an episode, i feel hopeful that we'll explore more of their villainy in the future.

that said.... creating a new star for infinite energy.... you mean like Gallifrey.... you mean like the Eye of Harmony right. (i don't really have anything to talk about but just rotating the parallels to the EU idea of one of Gallifrey's suns being artificially constructed.)

i'm also kinda eh on the last stinger of the Joy-Star being at Jesus's birth. it wasn't explicit (just a location & time stamp at the end) so i think i'm good with it and it's kind of a funny bit, but i am always a bit wary of weaving in aspects of actual religions to Doctor Who & shows like it because it can often be handled poorly. that said i'm not religious in the slightest so i don't really think i can be the one to judge that.

the one thing i didn't love so much about the episode, and i think i noticed it more because i did a double feature watch with The Church on Ruby Road but... there's something in the way other characters interact with the Doctor that just feels a bit same-y. like with Trev, Joy, and Anita (and Ruby in The Church on Ruby Road) – they all never really questioned the Doctor (particularly Anita. and like. i do love characters who simply Roll With It but this was a little too much) and all had the "wow this is the most wonderful man i've ever met" expression on their face after 5 minutes of knowing this guy. and. i get it. that's part and parcel with most of new who and it's wonderful that Ncuti Gatwa, a Black man, can have those moments of being the cool amazing hero that everyone loves but... eh i personally prefer Doctors who can take awhile to warm up to and the constant "i've known this guy for 10 seconds and i'm going to risk my life for him" can be a bit grating for me. but again it's nothing that wasn't constantly done during Ten's era so it's not the worst thing, just not my personal tastes.

the ending was too cheesy for me i'm sorry. i like the bittersweetness of Joy dying to turn into a star but the over-emotional goodbye with her floating up into the sky without really having a solid plot reason for what's happening. i thought the Earth was going to explode and then 30 seconds later, Joy basically says "oh don't worry, i took care of it" like??? sorry i know this is extremely soft scifi but i need a little more explanation. her pointing out the Doctor's loneliness was welcome as was the montage of people looking at her star but. i need a little more.

um. i'm probably forgetting some other stuff but this is already so long at this point that i'm going to stop and watch Husbands of River Song and cry.

all in all – nice episode! definitely one of the better Fifteen episodes for me. a few moments i thought were a little too cheesy or annoying but plenty of great stuff in between. i'd give it an 8/10.

[hinamie]

Staring at the “call boy” Gojo piece cause I didn’t realize it was you at first (I associate you with blank/white backgrounds) and saw the graffiti translations.

Zooming in and looking around I notice the big chunk of hair hanging from the corner and jammed between it and the wall.

Realizing the type of mirror is the sort that has a medicine cabinet behind it.

I have seen some weirdly deep medicine cabinets in my life.

“My favorite flavor of stsg is when Geto exists solely as symbols that betray Gojo’s cracked sanity :>”

…. What’s in that medicine cabinet?

(But seriously, it’s grimy I’m worried about tetanus looking at it) (good thing!) (it looks like the air feels heavy and smells musty with a hit of bleach that didn’t leave an obvious mark) (everything’s sticky and the sinks have no water pressure but the water always comes out hot, not room temp, hot. The cold water tap doesn’t work and has a leak so constant it’s more of a trickle than a collection of drips.)

(can’t rlly articulate rn but something something, objectification via sexualization (“call boy” graffiti, Gojo putting on makeup) something something, juxtaposed to objectification of being seen only as a weapon (bloody) something something Geto existing only as vague references one of which is a direct moment where Gojo looked to him for “moral clarity”, something something big chunk of hair that may or may not be attached to a head behind that mirror, Gojo cares enough to try and hide only one thing but it’s still not entirely hidden, and in fact can easily be pulled at and out by any passerby) (but also I’m falling asleep as I type his so it all may be complete nonsense come daylight)

anon let me tell u when i woke up and read this i got so sosososo happy and excited u have no idea i love when people just !!!! GET the vibe i love reading interpretations and hearing about what parts of a piece stuck out to you it's truly one of the main reasons I love to share my art :'))

like i said u fucking Nailed the vibe i was going for dsghjg i think i described it to a friend as "angel meets aquarium meets specimen jar meets hospital meets club". i rly wanted to get away from the like... typical flavour of gojo art that has him sexy and pristine and untouchable, if that makes sense? i wanted the opposite of untouchable i wanted grit and grime i wanted sleaze i wanted mind break i want that twink debauched and BLOODY. the original insp song actually wasn't call boy it was night moves by former vandal and combined i think the two encapsulate exactly what i was trying 2 convey :D just like. th desperate spiral of self-objectification bordering on addiction, the need to feel something, the desire to b hurt.... THAT'S gojo to me.

ALSO RE: THE FUCKIN HAIR BEING CONNECTED TO A HEAD THEORY GHJDSGH I WONDERED IF PEOPLE MIGHT GET THT IMPRESSION WHEN I DREW IT ,, while i did debate making that the case fr a bit, in the end i honestly i did intend for it to be Just hair. i think with the angle that I skewed the mirror at, if i wanted to make it a medicine cabinet i would have had to show the edges of the cabinet walls, or at th very least deepen the shadows around it to convey enough depth to fit a whole fuckin head :'> i LOVE that it made u unsure though !!!!

i won't yap any more tho, thank u SO much fr sharing your thoughts on the piece i truly loved every part of it!!!! fucked up gojo art i love u so much it's so fun there's so much to play with and i get to offset all my favourite reds in enough cold fluorescence and neon to give me a headache <333

[cocoscurios]

The Hour, the Spot, the Look, the Words Chapter Commentary

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Meeting the Family

Upon the whole, Elizabeth found that she liked her husband’s Darcy relations. There was a streak of unconventionality in the Darcys, a glimpse of dry wit that suited her, and one that she had seen in Fitzwilliam, even in the midst of her early dislike for him. After she had met his aunt Darcy, shrewd and irreverent and wickedly sharp, she knew very well where Fitzwilliam had come by the part of him that had commented, rather boldly, that he enjoyed the opportunity to sit by the fire at Netherfield and admire Elizabeth’s figure. I have not explored my Headcanon Darcys enough, but I love them a lot. Also, that comment from Netherfield does not get enough appreciation. 

Her introduction to the Fitzwilliams began much less auspiciously. I've got a lot of unexplored headcanon about them, too. There was, of course, already the breach between her husband and Lady Catherine, and this led to a further rift: the earl was displeased by the quarrel and thought it best not to meet with Fitzwilliam’s new wife. 

This had provoked from Fitzwilliam the harshest and most heated words she had ever heard him speak; a shocking, though somehow endearing, discovery.

“At this rate, I will cut you off from this entire branch of your family,” she said.

“If they do not accept you, then good riddance to them,” he said firmly. With how quickly he wrote his letter to Lady Catherine (and what I wouldn't give for a peek at it), I just know Darcy is willing to cut off anyone who has a problem with Elizabeth. 

It was not a complete rupture. The earl’s children agreed to see her - Colonel Fitzwilliam because he liked her, and the rest out of what Elizabeth supposed to be morbid curiosity - and they were all to dine at the eldest daughter’s house.

Colonel Fitzwilliam greeted her warmly; surprised but delighted to hear that she was to be his cousin’s wife, he had been at their wedding and had spoken disdainfully about his family’s attitude towards her. He and Fitzwilliam were close (like brothers, Georgiana had told her) and he would never side against him, even if it meant upsetting the rest of the family. Canon basically tells us that these two are BFFs (sorry, Bingley). I feel like we all sleep on Colonel Fitzwilliam a little bit. 

She did not think she was going to be so well-liked by the colonel’s brother and sisters. They met her with manners that were polite but cold; she was comforted, at least, that they were not any warmer to Fitzwilliam. Headcanon that the Fitzwilliams are a cold people in general, but they're even frostier than usual here. 

It was abundantly clear, seeing these cousins, where her husband came by his imposing stateliness. The colonel was the marked exception; his sisters were as serious and lofty as Fitzwilliam at his haughtiest, and his elder brother was so pompous and superior that he made Fitzwilliam seem downright playful.

Her husband was younger than his cousins - the future earl was a full fourteen years his senior, and the three sisters (Lady Margaret, Lady Mary-Catherine, and Lady Annemarie Rhi and I spent way too long on those stupid names) were all beyond five-and-thirty  - and they felt their superior ages and ranks keenly. Their spouses were all quiet and forgettable, cowed in the face of the Fitzwilliam family hauteur, but everyone seemed to view Elizabeth as a vulgar interloper. She had rarely been the focus of so many scornful eyes.

Fitzwilliam was both defiant and vaguely hostile in the face of this, daring them to say anything that would make them go the way of Lady Catherine. It was evident that, by the Fitzwilliam family’s standards, her husband was considered rather impetuous, with his odd, modern ideas and his curiously inconsequential wife. She had never thought of it in these terms, but Fitzwilliam might just be the rebel of his family. Even the colonel, after all, would not have dreamt of marrying so imprudently. A favorite little mental image of mine.  

Elizabeth was not easily intimidated, despite the obvious disapprobation of her new cousins, and she was as lively and chatty as ever at dinner. Fitzwilliam kept smiling at her, warm and encouraging, so she knew she had the approval of the only person whose opinion mattered. One of the most fun parts of revisiting these early chapters is seeing how I used to write about Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship as wish fulfillment, only to find myself in a very similar relationship. I can only conclude that I manifested Jake. ;)

“This must all be very strange to you,” said Lady Margaret halfway through the meal, gesturing around as if to indicate the magnificence of both the room and its occupants. “One imagines that it is not what you are accustomed to.”

“Oh,” said Elizabeth, “one gets used to opulence, living at Pemberley. And I am a quick study.” Love her. 

The colonel grinned at her appreciatively; Fitzwilliam was looking down at his plate, his shoulders shaking slightly. He peeked up at her with sparkling eyes. Also love imagining this. 

After that, she was largely ignored.

The period after dinner was awkward, but it saw no decrease in her courage. Lady Mary-Catherine made very stilted conversation with her, but their silences lasted so long that Elizabeth was able to overhear what the other sisters were saying.

“I never thought he would marry Anne,” she heard Lady Margaret whisper, “but I did not imagine he would marry so… misguidedly.”

“It is the Darcy blood,” sniffed Lady Annemarie. “That is what makes him so reckless.” I see the Fitzwilliams - including Lady Anne - being a little snobby towards the Darcys (and I see the elder Darcys' marriage as being Very Complicated).

Elizabeth had not been able to hide her amusement at this picture of Fitzwilliam, and was forced to disguise her laugh with a loud and hasty coughing fit. Lady Mary-Catherine looked a little horrified and moved a few steps away. She does not want to catch germs from A Poor. 

When the gentlemen returned, there was a noticeable absence among them and Fitzwilliam looked peevish.

“Darcy had some words with my brother,” said the colonel to Elizabeth, his lips twitching, “so I am afraid that is another of the family he has alienated.” Darcy can and will fight. He is tall. He is strapping. He will punch his cousin right in the face (though there were no fisticuffs on this occasion).  

...That reminds me of when Rhi and I wrote the Austen Hunger Games back in the day. I should go dig that up. 

“Oh, dear,” she said, feeling less concerned than she probably should have.

They left soon thereafter; Fitzwilliam was in a temper and not concealing it - odd for him - and their early departure was for the best.

“You seem to be hacking away at the family tree, my love,” Elizabeth said, holding his arm and resting her head on his shoulder.

“Perhaps some pruning is necessary,” said Fitzwilliam darkly.

“I am sorry that I am such a disappointment,” said Elizabeth, smiling up at him.

“They are a disappointment. You are a triumph.” Sometimes some Poldark just slips out, okay. 

“I am glad that you think so, but it is unfortunate that we cannot all like each other better. I do not mean for you to have to choose.”

“It is no great struggle. I will choose you, Elizabeth, every time.” Fitzwilliam Darcy, everyone. *"Whatta Man" plays in the distance*

She already knew this but it was nice to hear, and she kissed him on the cheek as they rode away.

[befuddled-calico-whump]

The Library

cw: implied past trauma

T$$ Masterlist

~

After hours were his.

Shepard kept no clocks on the compound, nothing to keep time with but his own wristwatch, but every day Ander could count on a little time, maybe an hour or so between dinner and bed, where he could decide on his own what he wanted to do.

And it was hard at first; he clung to Shepard like they were chained together, unable to believe it when his mentor told him he had leave to keep himself busy, unable to tell if it was a test or a trap or real. Then, when he could finally bring himself to stop following Shepard like some kind of anxious shadow, Ander kept to their bedroom. Sitting on the floor with his back to the bed, or in the corner, staring at the wall, unable to make himself do anything but dread the night, dread the next morning, dread the rest of his life.

But that only ever seemed to make things worse. Slowly, Ander began to test his boundaries. Slowly, he began to trust that Shepard meant it when he'd said he was free, just for a little while. He made it halfway to the kitchen the first time he dared to leave the bedroom, but then he'd passed the open door to his former cell, the chair, the shelf, and had to turn back, collapsing into the corner furthest from the door with his eyes squeezed shut, fear boiling in his stomach.

But nothing bad happened. If Shepard had seen him in the halls, or even tracked his movement, he didn't seem to care.

So the next evening, Ander tried again.

Most of the doors were closed, and he didn't dare even test their handles to see if they were unlocked. But there were open doors too. The kitchen. The bedroom he'd spent the first two weeks in. And a little room with a computer and a single bookshelf in it.

Ander didn't touch the computer, it didn't seem worth whatever punishment Shepard might give him for trying, but he didn't have the same hesitation for the bookshelf. He'd never been much of a bookworm, but if this was one of a handful of safe activities, one of the only comforts he could get that didn't come directly at Shepard's hand, he'd take all he could from it.

The shelf was pretty sparse. Mostly just manuals and survival guides, with a biography wedged in here and there. But aside from those, there were also a few titles he sort of recognized. Books he'd been assigned to read in high school, or at least seen on display at the library.

The Great Gatsby, Brave New World, and Moby Dick, to name a few. He didn't remember particularly enjoying any of them, but what else did he have? At least a few of them were familiar.

That first night, Ander had settled down with a paperback copy of a George Orwell novel. It was one he'd definitely had to read in school, and he remembered hating it. Even now, he couldn't get past the first few chapters, but he didn't abandon the copy completely.

It was an older book, to be sure, but it didn't have any creases in the cover or pages; nothing to indicate it had been read recently, if at all. It was something Shepard didn't care about, something he didn't touch. Something inconspicuous, hidden in plain sight. Something that was only his.

Ander started marking the days in its pages. Tally marks, like he was in prison wasn't he?. He couldn't say why he bothered. It wasn't like he was counting down to a release date or anything. But Shepard never told him the day, or even the time. There were no calendars within the compound; one more little thing to sever him from the rest of the world. The most Ander got was that another week had passed, when Saturday (cleanup) and Sunday (rest) came and went. Counting days gave him some control. He'd at least have a vague idea of how long he'd been here, even if it was pointless to know that when he'd never leave.

On a more practical level, it helped him track Shepard's comings and goings. His mentor left now and then. For missions or groceries or whatever else he got up to when he wasn't training Ander.

He wouldn't tell him much about it, just stated I'll be back in a week, or I'll be back in eleven days, and then left, and Ander would count the days in the pages of his book so he couldn't be taken by surprise.

Ander did most of his reading while Shepard was away. He'd given up on exploring the facility. Most hallways ended in locked doors. He wasn't even sure which direction would lead him outside.

Not that he'd ever try. With the microchip, Shepard would always find him. But when he had the time for it, he could lose himself in a book and forget that.

At least for a little while.

•••

@theonewithallthefixations , @violets-whumperflies , @whump-me , @pirefyrelight , @soheavyaburden , @snakebites-and-ink , @whumpsday

[electricbluebutterflies]

bertha x george + making up the most random excuses to secretly meet up with the other [by which i mean yes they are married but also they are still sneaking around]

Vaguely nsfw and also on ao3.

Will this evening ever end?!

Bertha is not completely averse to such invitations, she reminds herself. Balls do provide her with a lot of things she wants – opportunity to be seen, opportunity to poke around other people’s houses, opportunity to overhear information she can put to use later, opportunity to frustrate her husband…

This last part of her agenda feels particularly interesting at the moment. They can’t leave now, not for another hour, but there is a difference between actual departure and merely slipping away to clear her head and she intends to get as close to that line as she can.

She would need some fresh air anyways. She’s been trapped in a conversation she doesn’t want for the last ten minutes and there’s only so much she can actually pay attention to about someone’s cousin’s unhappy marriage to a lawyer in Baltimore – there are, unfortunately, several details that make that particularly useless gossip – and-

She’s been able to feel a hairpin slowly slipping for almost as long, one of the flowers attached to her head not pinned quite right, and there is a vulgar comment she could make about that innocent concern but she is in no mood to cause more problems for herself and-

“I need to go… make sure my hair is still intact,” she murmurs, twirling away before she can get trapped in an even worse conversation about how good help is so hard to find. She will, if all goes well, need to do a few things to her hair within the next few minutes, but-

She makes sure to catch her husband’s eye as she moves towards the nearest exit, a follow-me look she knows he’ll understand. It is so damned easier for men to get out of things, she thinks, and she suspects he won’t have to make near as much of an excuse as she did and she also doesn’t care and-

She did mean to explore their hosts’ house a bit. She had heard something about a side parlor recently redecorated. If her interest in that space is more about how quiet it is…

Most people, Bertha thinks, would find a different space for a tryst. At the very least, somewhere less… pink. But the life she lives involves cultivated strategies, and a garishly colored wall doesn’t matter if she’s pinned to it, and-

“You are impossible.”

“And you adore me.”

Unspeakably impatient too, and this does not mean her mood will have passed by the time they can do things more properly in her bed, but-

They do have routines. Her hair, source of so much trouble already this evening, must stay intact. No touch above her shoulders except kisses and that has to be careful, nothing that might leave marks. Her dress is… she did at least think about layers and possibilities, it won’t be impossible to lift up or straighten down if that is where desire takes them, but-

She still gasps as her husband kisses her, the delight of it all, of knowing that she is wanted and understood and-

“How much time do you think we have?” he murmurs.

“You, I don’t have the slightest idea. Me… ten minutes before that cow I was talking to wonders how long it takes me to stab myself with a hairpin, fifteen before she starts looking.”

“So not quite enough…”

She can practically see the gears in his mind turning as he kisses her again, considering the most efficient way to use their time and give her what she needs and-

She is unsure whether she backs herself against a wall or she is guided there with his hands delicately on her hips, but she knows that look in his eyes when they break and-

“Can you lift your skirts without ruining-“

She nods. Impossible, this love of hers, and if he’s asking her to do that it will mean other uses for his hands, and-

She suspects they will not be the only couple to slip away during this impossibly long evening, but would any other man give his woman the kind of attention hers does? He looks right on his knees for her, breath warm on her thighs before-

There is no time to tease her and even less need. She is already swollen enough to take kisses, and he hums against her sensitive parts before taking her bud between his lips and oh if the amount of fabric in her hands right now did not obscure the sight of him and-

She bites the inside of her lips as she shatters, careful even now not to make the slightest sound, and she knows he knows her reactions, how she flutters and-

He leaves a few kisses on her inner thighs before leaving her be, before getting back to his feet and kissing her mouth again and she is still overwhelmed and-

“Perfectly in time,” he murmurs.

“You do know what I want.”

He slips away first, always easier; she lingers alone, still against the wall, for a few heartbeats before making sure everything looks alright. If her outer skirt looks just a little questionable, trying to sit down on that uncomfortable-looking sofa over there likely would’ve done similar damage, and if her face is flushed…

Well. Now she’s motivated herself. Another hour, perhaps, and then she will go home and finish what she started, and…

That hour will still feel like a lifetime, but she’ll survive.

[cha-melodius]

for WIP tag - tell me about whichever one has the least amount written, even if it's not a fandom I read 💜💜💜

Well, that's probably actually the noir AU—the plot outline on that is a lot less detailed than most of the others there. But I already talked about that one, so instead, I'm gonna give you the random one-sentence ideas I never even included in the WIP list in the first place. Some of these are actual fandom fest prompt fills, some of them are just vague ideas that may or may not get written.

RWRB: A canon divergent AU where Alex doesn’t let Henry’s brush-off in Rio go without a fight.

RWRB: Alex is FSOTUS, Henry is an artist who visits the Kennedy gardens to paint

RWRB: Alex is stuck in a time loop on the day of Philip's wedding

RWRB: Forced to share an overnight train car (that was supposed to be private), probably a "period piece" but I haven't decided what year yet

RWRB: Inception AU with Henry as the mark and Alex as the Dom-Cobb-esque leader of the team

TMFU: Sometime in the future, UNCLE dissolved, Illya has a mission where he needs a fake male relationship and reflects on a time where he pulled a similar op with Napoleon, calls him up.

TMFU: Astronauts who have to work together on the ISS, don’t really like each other at first, but also thirsting over each other secretly. Napoleon relentlessly flirts with Illya, until finally Illya calls his bluff. Sex in space.

TMFU: 5 times they say good night and one time they don’t

WIP Ask Game

[wrennnies]

HEY TUYS IM NOT DEAD

so in the last month ive been on holiday and then got sucked into inazuma eleven, since i was alresdy playing it ill give a short summary of what i thought (plus inaxuma eleven 2) and also the anime!!! (though shorter bc i watched it in a dub of a language i barely know) ill try and play all the inazuma eleven 3 games, i only watched the first season of inazuma eleven go tho.

inazuma eleven 1: it was great!!!! unfortunately ive been endeared to bobby shearers. also i thought the erik plotline went nowhere but i was supposed to get him before kirkwood.... the last battle i beat by mere happenstance, whoops!!! i lovedit tho. ALSO someone pls answer this: are zeus like.... genetically modified humans????? cuz it neverr gets answered, ray darks way of speaking was SO VAGUE. like is the research abt the boys or the steroids????

also nellys so cool i love her. the anime was super cool, but i was confused with its 127 eps since i only played the first game so i thought it mightve been like some anime only stuff??? turns out theres more than one inazuma eleven game.

i think the anime adapted the game pretty well, from what i could understand but i thought celia was way meaner abt jude in the game??? idk if its bc she has the “im gonna end ur life” face all the time in that game that made me think that though.... probably since shes like way more "innocent and cute" in the second game (todd ironside is so wrird i HATE HIMM in the first game)

anyway inazuma eleven 2!!!!!

great game, i called shawn shibuya since i didnt know his english name, or his Japanese one for that matter. the reason i chose shibuya was because i played twewy right before seeing him, and he looks like a shibuya.

speaking of which, i had some names for the people i didnt know the names of!! heres a list of the more interesting ones:

shawn: shibuya

victoria: peach (because her name sounded like peach in the localisation)

sue: girl inlove with erik

dvalin: hades (he looked like a hades)

hurley: dry sea (same reason as victoria)

darren: knockoff mark (look i didnt know anything abt this guy)

knockoff axel (i dont remember his name im sorry but his hairs kinda styled the same way????)

archer: giacomo????? giakomo???? i literally have no idea who or ehat a gyacomo is i just saw him and said "giackomo" SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHO GIACOMO IS, maybe i mixed gakupos name and komo os name together???? but WHY????

camilla: kori (i played time hollow before this and they looked kinda similar)

anyway back on task i really liked the girls, even if they got their ass kicked most of the time... like everyone else 😭😭 also jack was so sexist like WHATTT least mark was like yeah u come over here NOW.

the love stuff was cool, i savestated to ge everyones dialogue lol... i think my favs either toris or celias, its hilar that they dont even CONSIDER celia to be gf material 😭😭😭 but thats fine with me, love her. i liked how nathans mental breakdown was done in the anime betterr than the game since he left himself and bot bc he got the shit beat outta him. also SHAWN FROSTE. KIND????? HE CALLED CLOISTER DIVINITY "CLOTH EARED BEGGARS" AND TOLD SOMEONE THAT THEY HAD A FACE ONLY A MOTHER WOULD LOVE FUCK YOU MEAN KIND???? blunts more accurare i think. hes also scottish so i thought hurleyd be welsh since shawn was scottish and hes north uk so i thought west would be welsh... even if that makes no sense. AND SOUNDTOWN IS SO FUNNY like "hed kill the coach to get that key" lmao???? some of the character sprites are.... interestinf!!!! victoria definitely looks better in the anime 😭😭😭

nah but to learn that these orphans were just cosplaying their ocs while bombing schools is insane LIKE THET GET NO REPRECUSSIONS???? THEY DESTROYRD SCHOOLS ANDI KNOW THEYRE ALL LIKE 12 BUT STILL???? also dvalin is such theatre kid, they ALL ARE.

aliens destroying the world via football is honestly so level 5 i think they found their footing.

linas eng voice does NOT suit her LMAO itsl like a teenagers voice like thats a grown ass woman bro

caleb is cool tho love his insane sprite

like did jordan EVER apologise for destorying a bunch of schools??? i prolly shouldnt say bombing cuz they werent bombs...

also i thouggt for SURE this franchise would be more popular like ONLY 2,861 FICS ON AO3 FROM A SERIES THAT LARGE????? FUCK OFF... LIKE PROFRSSOR LAYTON HASLIKE TEN THOUDAND OR SMTH STUPID??? and i also need to know which game i can recruit professor layton to football fight with me

and jordan was done SO DIRTY in sesson 3 LIKE NOOO COME BACK :(((((

and i thought axel x mark would be WAYYY more popular than it is???? like i cant believe caleb x jude is the most popular thing on ao3 😭😭

also i cant believe jordan and xavier adopted kariya and its ONLY MENTIONED IN THE DISCONTINUED GACHA GAME???? like isnt that breaking SOME sort of workplace relationship rule?????

im glad to see nelly and mark together, tho it makes me a bit sad to think what silvia wouldve thought bc she def was there when it happened, i also read some of the fandom pages for them and he gets married to camilla in an au???? like GOD silvia cant catch a BREAK

also go was really good!!! hate that pikachu fucker though. /j they got people that arent british!!!! and i got spoilt via my sister. cant believe hurley whirley wasnt in season ine tho wtf. caleb also lookslike a middle aged mother when hes older lmao. i also hate that fuck ass dog for a moment i thoight he was gonna start talking like a certain other level five dog i could name, SHERLY.

and im guessing tenma isnt in orion bc hes dead since axel wasnt alienating himself to save him that time....

i got spoilers and i thought that shawns dead bro was actually alive 😭😭😭 in inazuma eleven

descole and stahnguns secret love child is also cool, love the new captain even if hes rich and plays piano

and i think thats it!!!! thanks for reading if uve read this far lol

[thessalian]

Thess vs TLOVM S3, Ep 7

Okay. I have a vague idea of what happens, if not when. (And honestly, I think a few of my guesses have been confirmed, judging by some of the ... opinions I may have tripped over.) And I'm not in as bad a state as I was last week - I'm tired and in a lot of pain, but at least less relentlessly depressed. So I think I can handle this. Not looking forward to it, though. Well, I am, but also I'm not. It'll come up in the liveblog.

Wait. Where is this? This isn't Emon or points surrounding...

BABY RIPLEY?!?

You are not about to make me feel bad for Ripley. Not after what I've been avoiding all week. You. Are. NOT.

The Assembly. As in the Cerberus Assembly? They're in Wildemount?

Aaaaaaaand they've always been dicks. Great.

Kimiko Glenn... Who she? Hazbin Hotel, Star Trek: Lower Decks ... Peni Parker, the D.Va of the Spiderverse?!? ...Okay, okay, I'm getting off IMDB.

Whaaaaaat the fuuuuuuuuck?

Wait - is that young Trent Ikithon?!? And voiced by ... yeah, that is Mark Strong. Well, when they put up the cast listings for the Mighty Nein animated series, I will be looking for his name beside Trent Ikithon, not just "Assembly Mage".

Well, that explains a lot about why she wants a bunch of people to have guns... Though clearly she's never got the idea of Heat Metal as a spell. ...Oooh. That gives me an evil idea for the one gun-using member of my current party. Because heat plus black powder equals... Yeah.

I ... guess we know where all the coin she stole from Umbrasyl's hoard went... What the fuck is that?

Man. Those hatchlings fucked Whitestone up.

Aaaaaaaah so we're looking at a whole bunch of meanings for cloak and dagger. Look at the cloak moving, don't see where the dagger lands. So I guess whatever Ripley built uses a lot of residuum. ...Maybe she's needing that as a power source, the way the Briarwoods were using it, since she doesn't have the Plate and never did?

Can we all say, "Trap", ladies and gentlemen? Can we also say that our hearts damn well hurt at the name Glintshore? (Though apparently it's going to end up worse this time...)

The things those two say without words...

Yeah, Scanlan, the thing about Dr Dranzel's travelling troupe is that they ... you know ... travel? Maybe ask the barman if they said anything about where they'd go next? Rather than ... like ... giving up?

THIS IS GOING TO BE EVEN MORE PAINFUL LATER.

They what?!? ...Yeah, Pike, you have been spending too much time with Scanlan.

Isn't it nice that Vax's wings don't have that one-hour limit? (I mean, speaking as someone who plays a character who kind of got gifted permanent wings, now I have the envy that Vax can put the fucking things away when necessary, but y'know. My girl's not endebted to a death-god.)

I am not going to consider the speed of flight or look up a map of how far Glintshore is from any nearby coast from Whitestone. I am not. I am not. I am not. WILLING SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF...

"I'll ancient ruin your--" Grog, what does that even mean?

Percy, I know you really want to have this out, but ... yeah. You're in the middle of a mission. How much do you actually expect to die? Or is this just the narrative trying to make sure we understand what's about to happen?

"Why don't you explode your own breakfast?!?"

Pike, let the man have his moment.

...Okay, that shot was fire. And so was that. They did some art in the animation.

YOU ARE GOING TO REGRET THAT, VEX.

Pike, please... We don't need another Scanlan.

Oooooh boy.

This is going to be made of flashback. I-- OH SHIT.

Okay, that gas has got to be some kind of hallucinogen.

Please blow this place up later. Please? I HATE IT.

Ah. Delirium gas-- THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO TELL HIM, RIPLEY.

Because he wanted to be a clockmaker, bitch.

Ripley, you really haven't learned not to trust that man, have you. So much 'insight' from Orthax and you haven't learned he's got something up his sleeve at all times? Or on his hand, which you are now shaking?!?

Oh gods, this is so much worse than Glintshore in the campaign...

Wait. Is she okay now?!? What the fuck? What is Pike, exactly, in this series?

Yeah, dude's a better shot than you, Random Guy.

What the fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck...?

Okay, what is up with Pike's blood?

...Oh, come oooooooon, Grog has more than that as a fear. Really?!?

"Did I hurt you again?" LIKE THAT, YEAH. That's got to be worth more as a delirium focus than a fucking library.

Okay, the new take on Orthax is like Venom and I am fucking here for it. Except where I'm not because Orthax is an asshole.

OOF. Please let that have at least destroyed the fucking guns. Even most of the fucking guns.

Oh. He prepped for that. Buuuut ... maybe you shouldn't have taken that out yet.

...I hate to say this, because I believe in mercy, but I preferred "I forgive you, but I cannot let you leave"...

Echoing her father is not going to help you here and she's using your own playbook...

...Fuck.

Okay, I need the soundtrack now because as awful as the circumstances are, the song is beautiful. And that last line is very poignant given that this is one of the really big deviations from the campaign.

Okay, who wrote this? Eugene Son, who's been on the team before, and ... Marisha?!? MARISHA writes too?!?

EDIT: The S3 OST is now on Spotify and I knew that voice was familiar, but a lot of times a singing voice is different. That's Matt Mercer. World-building, DMing, acting, and the man sings? This whole bunch is full of people who fall into the @seananmcguire category of "I would envy them for their many, many talents if they weren't such lovely people".

Yeah. Yeah, no, not dealing with a fucking funeral for my favourite character tonight. Because Percy is. While I loved them all, Percy resonated with me in a lot of ways. His arc was a thing I needed, I guess. In the end, it was about getting better. It was about healing. And I'd done a lot of healing myself by the time I started watching Critical Role, so watching it happen to someone who had it so much worse... Percy reminded me that however dark things get, you can find joy ... if you look for it. And if you don't have the strength to look for it ... let those who love you bring it to you. So ... yeah. I couldn't watch until I knew that the character who reminded me that going through so much doesn't mean you can never come back to happiness was going to get his happily-ever-after, somehow.

Great. Now I hurt, and can't sleep.

[moonspirit]

Hello, Moon!

For the director's cut game:

In Planetisimal Feelings, what's your input on the scars on Annie's lower back, how she was afraid of letting people see them, including Armin, but grew to be more comfortable with Armin seeing them (later chapters)

Falling into Neptune (my personal favorite of the series!), the scene where Annie describes Armin's shoulders and hands, how she thought he might grow and become

As for VBEOW, you know I want more about Annie's thought process buying the family name seal (and maybe even receiving it later on)

Best of luck!

-Clouds

Heya clouds! And thanks for asking xD This becomes a little hehe sexy toward the end xD

1. PF, Annie's Scars.

So it's my personal headcanon that pre-shifter scars and marks remain intact even during limb regeneration and Titan healing. Good old Ymir in the paths probably has an anatomy book for every shifter in history to make sure she doesn't mess them up when she rebuilds their legs and arms. Anyway, this is why Annie has scars at all, in this series. Wounds she sustained from her dad's training.

I think Pre-Armin Annie would've cared very little who saw what and what they made of it. Post Armin however and her realisation that he saw her as a nice person, she develops a whole avalanche of emotions that she doesn't really figure out. But anyway at this point, she wants to be a good person for him... But her scars are a memory of her ugly upbringing. Proof that she was trained "not to be good", in direct contrast with Armin who's the epitome of goodness. It doesn't really matter atp because he traps her, she crystallizes and any emotional advancements between the two is pretty much doomed before it even progressed.

Post Rumbling, she's alive, he's alive, they've talked their feelings out and it can't be ignored anymore. Armin who stopped the Rumbling because he's never been a person who's liked the idea of killing anybody ever, and Annie, who killed so many out of a selfish/desperate desire to go home. She feels ugly. Not good enough. Not "clean" enough. She doesn't want him to see it. She also doesn't want him to see proof of the shit she went through as a child because now, it all seems pathetic. Her life has been a pathetic existence. What would he think of her, wanting to go back to the very man who gave her those scars? At least, these are her fears.

But then, throughout the series, Armin wears his heart on his sleeve and doesn't seem to be fazed by anything belonging to her past. He pops a vague-ish "will you marry me" question in PF. Tells her how much he desired her, physically, in Falling into Neptune. In TFLM, he tells her it's okay to live and desire happiness despite everything and that he wants to live his life loving her. Most importantly, there's the letter he gives her in which he very clearly promises to "Love her in all the ways it is possible to love her and maybe someday, the pain that rests in the scars on her back will no longer be a bad memory." which is basically a moment of reveal for her that he already knows about them through Bertholdt's memories. And he still loves her just the same. He doesn't see her as a used war weapon, now useless; he sees her as a girl, a woman, his future.

Her fears begin to dissipate. In VBEOW, she goes through a lot of reckoning over her feelings and her needs and desires, trying to make sense of them beyond just the surface level sexual frustration, and she makes several reckless (and cute) decisions that only serve to tell her that he means so much to her, more than she can even begin to describe. She wants him in her life, for good, for long, forever. And he reinforces all these beliefs by constantly telling her how much he loves her (too). By the time chap 5 comes and she learns of Pieck's sparse time with Porco, she understands the miracle it is to still have Armin alive, and the miracle of being granted long, ordinary, human lives. The scars will remain but she's fine with showing them to him, because it's Armin, he wants her and her alone, exactly for who she is and nothing more or less, and he's never going to let her go.

(More on her scars in chapter 11, Armin's going to... make good on that promise. Literally.)

2. Falling into Neptune - physical changes.

A horny midnight hour idea that arose out of the frustration of being robbed of the moment when Annie really SEES the man Armin's become, in canon material. Anyway. Since none of the sequels were planned at this stage, this was just a fic that focused on the purely physical traits that people grow to desire and want.

There's something to be said of a teenage girl's fantasies over a boy she likes. Annie, despite all her pessimism and seeming disinterest in romance and sex, was no exception. These thoughts are intrusive. You just can't help having them. At 15, as military trainees, while Armin was puny and frail, he was still taller than her. After becoming aware of her special fondness for him, she would've started becoming aware of... other things too. Like the size of his hand when he handed her a loaf of bread - a little bigger than hers. The protrusion on his throat that bobbed with every hearty laugh and shout. The back of his neck when the wind blew his hair away and how it would feel to hold onto it. The curve of her hips in contrast to his - slim and narrow. The wider shoulders compared to hers, narrow and small. The heat and scent of his body when he came especially close to her in totally normal situations, but her heart races. She would've gone to bed after training replaying all the little sounds he made while talking to her, all a little deeper in tone. She liked him, and he was a boy, so... different from her, a girl. At this age, you're hyper aware of every single change that you go through and she would've imagined how much taller he'd grow, how the features would change and etc. At the end of the day, she was just a girl with fantasies like anyone else.

At 19, things are very, very different. She's been listening to his voice deepen in register over four years, but seeing him is... a shock. Suddenly he's way taller. His shoulders are now broad. Much stronger. For all the strength and muscles she packs in her arms, his are now much bigger, and longer. Her neck, thin and long, and his neck, thicker and wider. The back of his neck, exposed permanently by that stupid gorgeous undercut that makes him look so good. Longer legs, thighs slimmer than hers but very firm and strong, and when she sits on his lap, she can feel how easily they remain in place and don't buckle under her weight. Waist and hips still narrow. When he turns his neck and yells at someone, she can see a vein straining. Beautifully long fingers and attractive as fuck forearms. The clench of a sharp jawline. He's lost the baby fat from his cheeks, but while he still looks a little boyish, there's no doubt that this is a man. And far sexier than in all her fantasies put together.

3. VBEOW, Annie's hanko.

So an unplanned but very significant subplot now, the hanko is, undeniably very cute xD While she doesn't find out about the hanko's existence until she actually visits the stamp maker, this subplot begins the very moment she undertakes Armin's job of getting that official seal made. The way I see it, the common family stamp in Japan is affixed on all official documents as a signature, and everyone carries one around. In VBEOW however, I made it so that a married couple has just one, and they share it. When she agrees to visit the stamp maker, she's already begun to share his responsibilities. Seeing the hanko there is just a physical manifestation of what she wants in their relationship, both consciously and sub-consciously.

She's also impulsive. Had Armin seen that hanko, he wouldn't have bought it. (If I can say it without spoiling, I'd say Armin's... going about this in a different way xD and I'm so excited to write this scene later on!) Armin is methodical and he'd have done it by the book, and got their hanko after being married. But Annie had one look at all the family names embossed so cutely in little rubber circles, and she thought "Oh... Arlert... would look nice on one of these."

All it took was once glance. And it becomes a fixation. Better at expressing her emotions by actions (sometimes not even that) than words, she runs back to the store the next day with enough money in her pocket, little to no thought of how it would look like to get a seal typically ordered after getting MARRIED of all things, until after she actually reaches there, she blurts out his surname and scrams back home, mortified and embarrassed. Subconsciously, she wanted something of him to keep with her at all times, but how embarrassing would it be to ask him to give her something of that sort? But here's a thing she can buy, put his name on it, and keep close.

Once she receives it out of the stamp maker's kindness (for free! basically trying to say that the things you do for love, in love, are priceless), she becomes instantly attached to it. At this point, she's still battling with putting a proper name and description to her love for him, so to have this little stamp carrying his name in her pocket, in her hands, something of her own that makes her happy and warm and safe and most importantly, loved (in contrast to the ring, that reminds her of awful things) feels like magic.

The hanko will be important in future too, and there will be plenty of cute shenanigans around it :D (some moments i'm literally DYING to write T^T)

Oh god sorry this is so long T^T I hope you made it through ifhsoighsgg.