#it is just phasing us in and out between scenes between parts of the day between dreams and reality

[khathastrophe]

I really like how, just like Dan, the audience completely loses the grasp of reality when Dan doesn't have his lucid stone

[prickly-paprikash]

Castlevania Nocturne really stepped up its game in the second season.

I had two major complaints for the premiere season of CN:

The pacing was erratic. From episode 2 onwards, it seems as if the story is obsessed with giving us nonstop climactic battles, at the cost of letting the characters and pacing breathe. I understand that a central theme of the first season was loss—not just loss of loved ones and the grief that comes with it, but simply losing at every turn. They make the Vampire Messiah feel more like an inevitability, and it works to some extent. But one thing that the original Castlevania series did well was how it handled the flow of conversation and combat.

Seasons 1-3 were all mostly slow, deliberate episodes centered on talking. Characters would simply converse. The very first scene of Castlevania literally embodies this.

Lisa and Dracula, having an organic yet expertly crafted conversation that feels sharp, poignant, and immediately tells us everything we need to know about these two characters. We get one Lisa scene, and then she dies and yet it hits so hard because of how one conversation was written.

Nocturne's first season, many times, felt more like a quip-fest. Castlevania's humor was dry and morbid, to better fit the sarcastic and dark tone of the series. When characters like Trevor or Sypha or even Isaac cracked a joke, it never felt out of place. They had a cold, callous sense to them. Like their humor was a coping mechanism for the dreary and bleak reality they lived in.

Richter on the other hand felt like a Phase IV MCU lead, being unbearably sarcastic and "witty". Watching Nocturne again, I struggled to like Richter in the first half but he really came into his own after he meets Juste.

In the second season, however, the pacing really knuckles down. It becomes deliberate. And when a fight scene happens pre-episode 7, it feels more like OG Castlevania again. It isn't being treated with extreme weight, but it feels more like a part of every day life for Belmonts and their peers. Whenever Trevor, Sypha and Alucard get into a scrap with Night creatures, it actually had a sense of levity to them. This was a job. An occupational hazard. A logical result of living in Wallachia. In Nocturne season 1, fights were treated with more weight than they should have, while character work felt secondary, barring someone like Annette.

Here, it really allows me to fall for these characters more. Being an OG Drolta stan was so rewarding this season. I really also liked Maria and Tera more here, with Tera becoming a vampire creating a really interesting dynamic between the two and pushing their characters into directions that I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did.

Mizrak, Olrox, and Richter were sidelined a bit more here, but it makes sense. These three dominated the first season, so it made sense to shift the focus on others and let their characters grow and shine. But just because they didn't take up most of the spotlight doesn't mean their characters were ignored.

Mizrak and Olrox's romance was developed in more subtle ways this time, which I appreciated. The writers let the unspoken heat and budding romance speak for themselves here, and I really enjoyed Olrox's sadness and Mizrak's regret and grief here, though of course the best scene between them was at the end. The way the writers made that finale, weaving feelings of heartbreak, lust, love, and fear into that one sentence was so, so good. Mizrak's fear of death and torment. Olrox simply saying that the devil was easy to cheat.

Ugh. That's the good shit.

And Richter? They still let him be the dry, sarcastic quipster, but I appreciate the restraint here. He doesn't crack jokes as much. Instead, they really focus on his feelings with Annette, to the point that he feels more like the love interest rather than the MC for a good chunk of the season.

And I'm not complaining. I enjoyed the budding romance between them in the first season, but with the deliberate pacing here, the writers really sold me on this soft, chaste, tender love story. Richter and Annette feel like young adults falling for the first time and I really fucked with it.

I'll talk about Annette in a separate post, but sufficed to say, she was the best character of this season. Hands down.

My second complaint was Erzsebet Báthory. She felt so... she felt like she paled in comparison to the three other villains of the season.

Drolta was exquisite. She oozed charisma and charm, and she stole every single scene she was in. The animators loved her and I could tell. She had the most costume changes. She had the sharpest lines. She was gorgeous. And even her death felt euphoric because she got to introduce Alucard into the mix. Like, seriously, they used her perfectly in the first season and she was easily the best character by far.

Olrox? Sexy. Gay. Kill me. Him and Mizrak? Perfection. His voice was so smooth and seductive. His dialogue? Smartly written. Every scene he's in, he feels like he's always holding back something.

Rage. Pain. Lust. Desire. Grief. Hatred. Remorse. It is always there, an undercurrent of emotions so thick you could feel it in every scene they placed him in.

Abbott? Worthless. Pathetic. Hypocrite. I hated him every single time he was onscreen, and that was exactly what he needed to be. A counterrevolutionary bible thumper that would elicit powerful memories of unlikable relatives at a reunion. No notes. Perfectly utilized villain, and I fucking cheered when he got burnt to a crisp by his daughter.

But Báthory felt so underwhelming.

So either the writers knew this specific complaint from the fans, or more likely wrote her this way to purposefully hide the true final boss of the series.

Drolta.

See, Báthory doesn't hold a candle to any previous villains of the Castlevania story. Not as complex as Isaac. Not as iconic and important as Dracula. Not as enjoyable to both hate and love as Carmilla. Not as hilarious and memorable as Death. She was just there. I thought it was a waste, and that I wanted to see more of her shine in season 2.

So when the only bit of character work she got was her mourning Drolta and her small flashback, I was disappointed.

Make no mistake, she made a great physical threat. But that was it. She felt more like one of Death's elite guards from season 4 than her own true brand of evil.

Not as hate-worthy as the Abbott. Not as conflicted as Olrox. Not as charismatic as Drolta.

So imagine my surprise and subsequent glee as to when Drolta takes the power for herself. Killing her in the sky. That was perfect.

Drolta, who served Sekhmet. Who broke down at the loss of her goddess, her fellow priestesses, and the people she cared for. Who, blinded by grief, sought to resurrect her goddess by becoming a vampire herself and searching high and low for a worthy vessel.

Drolta became even more interesting. Thinking herself as only a follower, never seeking to gain the goddesses' power for herself. Becoming the first Vampire/Night Creature that gave Alucard, the son of Dracula himself who was leagues above Báthory before she became the goddess, quite a lot of trouble.

The way every villain was handled in this season was excellent. From Abbott's death, to Richter proclaiming his desire to avenge his mother to Olrox's face right after they worked together to beat Drolta, but still letting him go afterwards as thanks—I'm sorry, but that was some raw ass writing right there.

The only thing I have to complain about? Nothing from the writers or animators or directors. It's the production that I hate.

Streaming services fucked everything up. 8-10 episodes for every single show is such a dumb move, and making us wait 2-3 years for every single one of them is horrible.

On top of the fact that they will cancel something on a whim.

Nocturne would be unquestionably a masterpiece had it been allowed to have 24 fucking episodes each season. We could explore France more. See deeper into the revolutionary setting of the show. Really see the world of Castlevania, but no. And now there's still a threat of cancellation when animation has been carrying Netflix's worthless ass for years? Especially through the pandemic?

Watch Castlevania Nocturne. Support the studio. Show Netflix that this is where their energies and money should be going towards.

Their live actions, barring something like the big names of Stranger Things and Squid Game, have been flops. They fumbled the Witcher series. They killed Kaos. They ended Shadow and Bone. They fuck up every single time and it has been animation that has pulled through.

Arcane. Castlevania. Blue Eye Samurai. She-Ra.

Support this show, please. I would love to keep this series going, but it needs the attention it so rightfully deserves.

Please. I need to see Old Man Coyote. I need to see Tera go further into the darkness. I want to believe in the possible Maria x Alucard romance that was in the games that could be written really well here. I want to see more of these characters. I want to dive deeper into this world. But most importantly, I want every single person who worked on this show to keep having a job. To be able to do what they do best and get better at it.

This show is great. It deserves more seasons. More sequel series to explore other Belmonts. Other countries. More sexy vampires. More sexy hunters.

Support animation.

[kathlare]

The One Where We Hit Reset

Welcome to the masterlist for this phase of Amelie and Lando’s story, set in 2024—a year where they’ve finally found their way back to each other. After years of missed chances, misunderstandings, and unresolved feelings, they are now in a serious and committed relationship. This timeline explores their growth, both individually and together, as they navigate the challenges and joys of being in each other’s lives again.

previous year / next year

Their journey hasn’t been easy—far from it—but it’s exactly what makes this year so meaningful. It’s a story of second chances, healing, and the realization that sometimes, the right person comes back at just the right time.

Thank you so much for reading and being a part of this journey! Your support and love for these two means everything to me, and I hope you enjoy watching them figure it all out (with plenty of laughs, love, and maybe a bit of drama along the way). 💕

full masterlist // request over here!

electric nights

behind the scenes

northern scapes

caught in the silence

fractures in the glass

across the world, for us

between us

taking the leap

this love

fanboy - Eras Tour Melbourne

just us

the little prince

the sushi test - Bahrain Grand Prix

sneaking glances - Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

caught in th glow - Oscars

tease and temptation

behind the grin - Austalian Grand Prix

reckless realizations

through the storm - Japanese Grand Prix

when the lights fade - Coachella

shifting tides

before the goodbye

burning midnight - Chinese Grand Prix

orange chaos

the alchemy - Miami Grand Prix

golden hour - Met Gala

bed chem

out of the bag - Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

stages of success - Saturday Night Live

virtual connection

drunk words, sober hearts - Monaco Grand Prix

tension on the field

inked in love - Canadian Grand Prix

please please please

surprise in the spotlight - Governor's Ball

between the quite moments

rebuilding bridges

sweet distraction - Spanish Grand Prix

perfectly still

shattered moments - Austrian Grand Prix

balancing act

it's so romantic in paris - British Grand Prix

stage lights & stolen glances - Summertime Ball

echoes of sacrifice - Hungarian Grand Prix

drunk calls

shifting focus - Belgian Grand Prix

homecoming haven

sunsets & sparks

sun, fun and a whole lotta you

mullet madness - Outside Lands Festival

short n' sweet - Short n' Sweet Release Day

even miles apart - Dutch Grand Prix

surprise, baby

fuck papaya rules - Italian Grand Prix

unspoken tension

shattered sparks - Video Music Awards (VMAs)

unspoken words - Azerbaijan Grand Prix

electric feel - Singapore Grand Prix

showtime - Short n' Sweet Opening Night

call it what you want - Amelie's Birthday Special

center stage - Short n' Sweet New York City

quiet chaos

a call to connect

shit show - United States Grand Prix

a night to remember - Mexico City Grand Prix

you are enough - Sao Paulo Grand Prix

tears of triumph - Grammy nominations

juno - Lando's Birthday Special

everything as it should be - Short n' Sweet Los Angeles

under the neon lights - Las Vegas Grand Prix

thankful for you - Thanksgiving Special

quiet respite - Qatar Grand Prix

tangled in love

papaya on top - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

shining bright

feeling snowflakes

a symphony of lights

goodbye for now

just six more days

distant glow

through the screen

homecoming serenity

interrupted magic - Wicked World Premiere

buy me presents - Christmas Special

wake-up call

is it new year yet? - New Year's Special

[assassin-artist]

Just found your blog today and really enjoyed reading about your OC. I'm curious about how some of the early fights would go with them working together.

Would Mercy also freeze up during the first Flaxan invasion? Would Allen keep fighting or is 2v1 against the Coalition's evaluation rules? Battle Beast... well she's probably going to need a new jacket.

Ellie visiting the hospital after the Battle Beast fight:

maybe that was her last jacket. maybe she finally had to phase the jacket out of her hero suit bc she didn't have any more... anyway, some rambling under the cut (:

During the Flaxan fight: She was there, of course - it was her and Mark's first real fight against the bad guys, and both of their first experiences with seeing civilians get hurt and die. I think she was just as terrified and overwhelmed as Mark had been during the fight, but instead of freezing up because he didn't know where to begin, she would have just gone for the closest/the first problem she saw that needed fixing. So she wouldn't have frozen up like her brother, but she was definitely making mistakes and not being where she needed to be. Mercy would have been pretty disturbed by seeing the aliens die, though, something that we didn't really see much of from Invincible or the Teen Team... Maybe because it's easy to differentiate between human = protect, alien = destroy for them.

During the Allen fight: I don't think Ellie would have been there for that one. She wanted to be there - when they got the news that an old enemy of their dad was approaching Earth, Mark and Ellie both volunteered to go in his stead because he was still healing. But I think Nolan would have said that he's not tough enough to need both of them - so Mark went alone simply because he volunteered first. I think the first time Ellie meets Allen in person is when Mark brings him to the dorm room to sift through Nolan's books for information - she gets a call from a very freaked out William that there was an alien in the room with her brother, and she hurries over. And the first thing she does is scold her brother for not locking the door and closing the windows when he had a whole ass alien in the room with him, and then Allen would say something like 'oh! you must be mercy! invincible has told me about you (:' just trying to break the tension but oops! Now Ellie turns to Mark and goes "you told someone my identity?!" and scolds him for that, too. No it doesn't matter if he's an alien and he's not gonna tattle to anyone, you still shouldn't have told anyone, Mark! And then only after all of that is done and Mark is hanging his head in shame, she finally stops to say hi to Allen lol.

During the Battle Beast fight: I was a little torn on this one because I was struggling to find a reason for Mercy to have been with Invincible on this day to be part of this fight, but I realized that at this point in time, they were still 'marketing' themselves as the twin heroes. So they likely would be going on jobs together still, so there we go, that's the reason she was with him (: Also I mentioned before that if Mercy was there with Invincible during the conversation with Titan, she would have agreed to help him right away. If Invincible said something like 'this is beneath us' she'd get mad at him and say 'you're gonna see people suffering and just ignore it? because it's 'beneath you'? it's not beneath me.' and of course, Invincible would follow after his sister instead of letting her go alone. I want her to be there during the fight both because I want her to have a brush with organized super-crime early on(so she can get a glimpse of there being 'players behind the scene' for her to think about), but also I am just a personal fan of Battle Beast so if I can have Mercy get into a scrape with him I would like to do so lol. "A scrape" as if she's not gonna get her ass handed to her... yeah, you're definitely right on the idea that she's gonna need a new jacket after that. The fight against the smaller guys would go better with her there than it did in the show, of course - two viltrumites is a significantly different fight than one viltrumite for a handful of people, powers or otherwise. But, um, the fight with Battle Beast? Yeah, that's largely staying the same. We've seen BB handle multiple fully grown, possibly hundreds to thousands of years old Viltrumites without breaking much of a sweat at all. He's going to thrash these two teenagers who are way in over their heads, and then still frown down at them and go 'you guys are pathetic, there's nothing for me here' and peace out. Get humbled by a space cat, kids.

[dramas-vs-novels]

I just recently saw a girl doing a story line of twilight and it was crazy that everything happen in less than a year xd

So i was wondering... how long does the story of love in the air take? I mean, from the time they meet to the end of the story, how long does it take? Because according to my calculations it's all within a university semester and I don't know how to feel about that hahaha

Ooo, I like this, I brought some of it up during my watch through, but that was more Prapai/Sky focused.

I should do a full timeline post sometime... But for now!

You can roughly trace the timeline thanks to the races, and then roughly date it thanks to Sky's calendar he keeps in his dorm.

Rain meets Payu for the first time.

The faculty dinner where Payu breaks Rain's car to lure him to his house (1 week later, April 5th-ish).

Rain picks up his car from the garage (2 days later, a Tuesday specifically, April 12)

Payu gives Rain an erection in the bathroom (next day, Wednesday April 13).

The race Rain and Sky crash (9 days later, the next Friday-- you can be specific with this one because when Rain picks up his car, it's mentioned Payu has to get bikes ready for a race the next friday. Later context clues tell us this is roughly April 22).

So Phase 1 of LITA takes place over 19 days, which covers story-start up through Pakin's race.

Show Assist:: Rain consulting his schedule after announcing he will destroy Payu in 30 days tells us it is sometime in May. He taps May 21 while saying "30 days consists of 4 weeks, two days have passed".

So it seems likely that May 21 is 30 days away. This would mean LITA begins the night of April 22-23, 2022 (Rain breaking into Pakin's race, the story itself is sooner.).

The events of the following month aren't anchored like the first part, so it's harder to do direct day-to-day lines.

Saifah gets the date for the next race, Payu pushes Rain away.

Rain visits the track where Payu is testing bikes, mentions that they are preparing for next month's race.

Rain turns in his project, he and Payu have sex that night for the first time (2 days later, likely May 21).

Rain gets sick, Payu goes to his house and tells Rain his time is up, 30 days have passed (the next day, May 22).

Rain is largely stuck in bed all week- not because of the sex, the novel tells us Rain was already sick before standing in the rain.

Payu takes Rain out on a date, they run into Sky and then Stop (Likely May 28 or 29-ish, since Prapai tries to visit Payu at the garage and is surprised when he doesn't show up "because he's usually here on weekends").

Payu takes Rain to his first real race and he meets Chai (since the races are only the middle of the night Friday-Saturday, this must be the night of June 3-4).

Phase 3

More than the others, this one is the hardest to track, so it's where the timeline becomes really murky, and at some point breaks entirely.

It's around a week or two later that Payu races Stop and defeats him. The next day is when Rain is kidnapped and Payu beaten.

Prapai goes to Payu about 2 weeks later (in the novel) to finally corner Rain and get Sky's number. He also mentions in the scene that Rain is on Summer break between semesters, but nearing the end.

Phase 4

Sky and Prapai sleep together roundabout May 2.

Prapai gets Sky's number roughly late June.

As I said before, we do have actual dates for the Love Sky portion of the show, there are lots of shots that include calendars.

There is a time card that appears on the screen saying "Three Months Later", from the lineup of shots, this looks like it says 3 months after the race, but the only way the dates line up is if it actually means 3 months from the end of PayuRain's storyline.

Meaning four months after Prapai and Sky sleep together.

Sky's story begins in late September.

First night of Freshman Orientation, Prapai appears in front of Sky.

Prapai sends Sky sunflowers (1 day later, September 24).

Prapai visits Sky, takes him out to eat, sees Sky's first disassociative episode (1 day later, September 25 (thank you Praphan)).

Rain talks up Prapai, Prapai sends food for the first time (2 days later, September 27).

Sky wakes up from a nightmare to a text from Prapai saying he's elaving town. Sky walks out of his bedroom and we get a lovely shot of his desk:: It is Friday September 30. I used this shot to back-date the above items.

Phase 5

Prapai shows up outside of Sky's apartment, this is likely still September 30, as he says he wanted to see Sky one more time before leaving.

There is a montage of time passing, and we get another time check- It is now October 12,

HOWEVER- this scene is out of order. Shortly after it in the montage, when the boys are all asleep in Sky's apartment, we get ANOTHER date check. This one says October 3, which lines up with Prapai's trip more accurately, so I'm going with this one.

Phase 6

Sky wakes up from another nightmare at 1:40am (I'm not screenshotting that, there's a clock beside his bed)

Sky collapses at school later the same day. Prapai's secretary mentions he just returned from his week-long trip, so October 7.

Prapai takes care of Sky (1 day, October 8)

Prapai leaves Sky's apartment, Sky gives him a kiss (Next day, October 9)

Phase 7

** There is a glitch in the show timeline. The following events should take place October 14-22, but Sky's desk calendar travels backwards in time by the end of this Phase.

Prapai and Payu sulk because of a canceled race, Gun and Petch come to speak to them. Prapai and Payu join the wrist-binding ceremony (should be the night of October 14-15, but the timeline glitch makes this the night of October 8-9)

Prapai puts Sky to bed and just about goes insane because of a thigh sticking out from under a blanket (October 9)

Prapai takes Sky on a date to a nice restaurant, then goes back to Sky's dorm (October 11).

Phase 8

In a rare twist, Phase 8 BEGINS with a calendar shot

Prapai brings a very sleepy Sky dinner (November 8)

Prapai gets a call from Sky begging him to come over, frantic. Even though Prapai's clothes change, according to Sky's calendar it is STILL the night of November 8.

**Since it is the same night, I'm not doing a receipts calendar shot. You see it over Sky's shoulder.

The next morning you see Prapai's phone go off, hilariously it says it is now the 23 of June (according to GoogleLens), but I'm ignoring that and saying it's November 9.

Phase 9

Prapai drops Sky off at school and receives a kiss as thanks/apology for helping with his project (November 9).

Montage of Prapai being busy but always sending Sky food.

We time travel again, and it's back to November 6.

Sky and Prapai have sex for the first time in 7 months (November 6 I guess, time travel and all- guys I'm starting to suspect Sky's calendar is an unreliable narrator.).

Phase 10

Prapai helps Sky on his project and cuts his finger.

Prapai takes Sky out shopping (unknown time jump).

Prapai takes Sky to his condo and gives him a BJ before they head to the party where Sky thinks Prapai is cheating on him.

Sky distances himself from Prapai. The novel says this happens over a 2 week period.

Prapai breaks into Sky's condo, finds the notebook, and gets Sky to admit he loves him (The calendar in this shot says November 12, HOWEVER- Sky hasn't been home in days, so that's not the current date).

Sky and Prapai come out to Rain as a couple (payu already knew).

Prapai leaves the race early because Sky had a nightmare (PROBABLY around November 18-19 or 25-26, since, again, it's always a Friday-Saturday night).

Phase 11

Sudden time jump to the next race, which Rain brings Sky to. Which means... Sky's assault most likely takes place the night of December 23-24... Merry fucking Christmas.

** it's possible, since the races aren't a hard-fast once a month, and considering the holidays (if that matters to Pakin), that the race SKy was attacked during could have been in early January.

[sealofarchives]

Could you create a headcanon for ‘Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ about what kind of fathers Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey would be? I find this idea fun. :3

Headcanon: Rise!Turtles being dads and sweetest husband to the reader (Separate) (Requested prompt)

A/N: I'm still uncomfortable with the idea of aging up the guys towards "mature content."

However, this idea was really cute. It only made sense for this prompt where the guys are aged up with some reference to their bad end!future selves. I went with around early 30's when the turtle of your choice and the reader are in a committed relationship and currently raising a kid at the moment.

So please have common sense and think before typing some snarky response with 'oh aged up content is bad lol' (Because I will put those ideas on the 'do not write list' if people get too weird about it...)

Raph

You know how he has the habit of that one baby voice with Mayhem. (and a bit of the hey buddy tone towards Mikey or Donnie)

- His kid is never gonna escape from it. (even by the time the kid is a grown up)

He definitely panicked for a bit when his kid (during the energetic toddler phase) enjoyed climbing over a big guy like him.

- So he had to ask Donnie to make a battle shell specifically as a soft cushion. So the spiky shell doesn't accidentally scratch the kid.

Part of him is worried anytime he has to scold his kid. And only when you're around is when he feels okay to do so.

- He definitely does the "Did you ask (Y/N) if you could have another cookie?" sort of question. (Sometimes willing to go along with what his kid wants or following (Y/N) if he got caught spoiling the kid)

You're getting at least one peck on the cheek by the end of the day.

- Or earlier in the day if he accidentally woke you up.

Compared to his younger self who slightly whined about chores, he grew to enjoy it when both of you worked on it together.

- Laundry being one example where you're usually folding clothing fresh from the dryer. And he stacks a pile back into the clean basket/hamper.

His eyesight in the right eye has gotten a bit worse. (not as bad as his bad end counterpart where he needs an eyepatch) But, you often act as his extra set of eyes and call out to any surprise attacks.

- Which earned the title of you two with a tag team couple and he still blushes thinking about it.

Leo

Every few hours before a night patrol, he always checks in to see what his kid is up to and often gives a hug before leaving.

Often gives bedtime stories through retellings of Lou Jitsu's movies or Jupiter Jim's comics.

- Even acting out of some of the scenes before a yawn decides its time to sleep.

Gave one of his spare bandana scarves to his kid.

- Had the biggest grin on his face when the kid realized "Oh hey! We're matching!!!"

Almost similar to the night patrol part, but if you can't make it because of work or some other boring life detour.

- Its a portal away for a light hang out sesh. For both of you to take a breather away from the grown up life.

Late night conversations are just a regular thing between the two of you.

- Especially when he couldn't sleep. By the time he almost dozes off to sleep in your arms, he still playfully teases you that your voice is soothing to him.

When light conversations about the bad end future was brought up during a casual match of video games, he was never used to the idea that he had a prosthetic arm.

- You instantly hugged his right arm, jokingly reassuring him.

"As long as you can crack a joke in the most serious moment. I'll still know that its you Leo."

"Even in a timeline where, me and the guys were raised by Draxum?"

You gave the red slider turtle a 'really?' pout before he hugged you into his lap.

"Nah I'm just kidding, but for real though. Draxum's former henchmen are still goofballs that know their way around the city. I'm pretty sure that Leo could get a couple of one liners and maybe from you as well."

Donnie

Almost went into a frenzy trying to child-proof the lair. (Especially the month before the kid's arrival changed the atmosphere) But eventually settled down.

- Realizing it would have stressed his kid out by any sudden new changes (and a bit of his family and your help explaining the reasoning as well)

Leo's showboating energy transferred to him but, in a way that, the softshell turtle is very grateful. That he has you as a spouse and both of you raising a kid along side his sentient inventions. And will try to bring it up in any conversation.

- The whole wallet photo gag of him showing family pictures. You love this silly turtle but, usually lightly pinch his face if its the wrong time for that.

He lights up whenever his kid goes to him for any sort of question.

- He slightly restrains himself to avoid going overboard with the answer. But, his kid is smart enough to know that and sometimes tells you that he's not being himself again.

Cannot force himself to sleep unless you're beside him. (or if you have to drag him to bed yourself)

- The few times where he woke up while you were still sleeping. He always gives you a light hug and a kiss on the forehead before getting out of bed.

He subtly took interest in one of your hobbies. (Either an ongoing or a new one) Just so he can step away from a tedious project that was going nowhere and not bother you with the boring details about it.

- Sometimes mentioning a fun fact to impress you.

You gave into his idea of letting your kid have a similar weapon like Casey Jr's.

- Only when they reached their 13th birthday and learning the basics of: constructing it and fixing parts along side their dad. How to use it defensively, offensively, and etc.

Mikey

Considering how his future self had some hair on his head, he kept it long so he can do a few matching embarrassing baby photos to his kid.

- Like giving the kid a tiny ponytail and etc. He definitely cried a bit while having his signature grin when the kid pulled too hard on his hair, laughing at one of his jokes. And you had to step in to help him.

He knows how to work around some of his kid's picky eating habits. Usually making sure his kid is having fun or decorating the plate in an artistic manner.

- However, there are times when the kid can hide the veggie or fruit out of plain sight. Or his kid asks his uncles for help when Mikey's focused on some other thing.

Absolutely does that peek-a-boo trick with hiding his face or whole body into his shell.

- He was nervous at first, if the trick might have scared his kid but, no the kid was giggling. Curiously crawling towards him in awe of it.

Will sometimes make meals ahead of time. (often being, if you returned from work, too exhausted to greet him)

- Either leaving a note on a plastic container in the fridge of: [(Y/N)'s breakfast: DO NOT EAT unless you want an surprise session with Dr Delicate Touch </3] (this also applies to lunch as well)

On very rare occasions, he will temporary wear a cloaking brooch. If you're at an area isn't very friendly towards mutants and/or yokai.

- The one time that happened, is when you forgot to bring your lunch at a job that barely lasted a week. (Stuff that was out of your control but, he was relieved that you got out of that place before your coworkers decided to physically fight back at the manager)

Spends at least one day in the week with you to do some light meditative exercises.

- On the really bad days, he doesn't mind letting you hold his hand as a stress ball or just have a quiet moment to relax while his brothers babysit your kid.

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Intouchables and Last Twilight

So, when I was first watching the Last Twilight episode, something was bugging me about the choice of having Day in a wheelchair. Because it was a choice. And as I kept watching it, I kept feeling like I was missing something. My memory is terribly slow with these things, so it wasn't until I went back that I got it. Intouchables. So now, for some context. Intouchables is a french film from 2011 that tells the story of a french rich businessman that, after becoming quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, hires a young black man to be his carer. This is based on a true story. (Yes, there is an american version, but I haven't seen it so I can't speak to it.) If you've never watched this movie, go watch it, cause for sure Aof has watched it.

You can probably already see the parallels just from this small synopses. I'm gonna say too much about the movie, I'm just gonna talk about the similarities so far.

So we got our two main characters. Philippe and Driss. Philippe is our basic older rich white guy, with the palatial mansion and a hundred people servicing his every need. Also he's quadriplegic. Driss is the opposite side of all of this. He is poor, he lives off of unemployment benefits, his house is small and cramped, shared with family. So, Driss needs to look for a job to get the benefits, but he doesn't actually want the job. He just needs to show that he's looking for one. All he needs is a signature. Anyway... So he goes for an interview.

I think you can spot Driss.

While he's waiting for the interview, we see the other man being interviewed.

.

And at some point he's had enough.

.

And he simply bursts into the room.

.

I mean, one is a palatial living room, and the other is basically an office but you the picture. This next part in the film is slightly different in the show, because Driss is not even phased by the vision of the man in the wheelchair. He's much more interested in Magalie, the secretary, but we couldn't have that in our bl.

.

After this, the similarities continue. Because both Driss and Mork don't want the job, but both Philippe and Day are intrigued by this guy that just walked in and that doesn't seem to be interested in the actual job. Also because both Driss and Mork don't really act like what Philippe and Day are used to people acting around them.

[I beg of you. Even if you don't watch the film, just watch the interview bit. Because it's brilliant. Driss is brilliant] So Driss eventually leaves, to return another day for the signed paper. And Mork just leaves. And the next scenes are basically the same, we're shown the circumstances that will eventually lead them both to want the job. There are other parallels between Driss and Mork, and their circumstances and environment, the smoking and the drinking, the fighting... But for now this is it. I'll be re-watching the film this weekend so I might have some other thoughts but I wanted to get this out. I don't know if the show will continue to parallel the film, so I'm not going to say anymore about it. But I'm keeping this is mind for the next episode, because from the previews I have a feeling this is gonna continue. Also, I adore this film and everyone should watch it.

[blueberrypancakesworld]

The king's toy - Thranduil x fem!reader

warning : smutish, use of wine, possesive, some degradation, obsession

Summary : The Elven King Thranduil, ruler of Mirkwood and his pretty toy. A human woman, no more than a second of beauty in the king's infinite life. But with every second they spend together, he consumes her more and more. In the end, she had no choice but to obey her king.

Info : So Thranduil or the Hobbit mini phase you could say has taken hold of me after I saw some scenes with my mother this morning. So have this little slightly more dark thing for the elven king

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

°,,From this day forward, you are nin múl," said the king of the mirkwood. He looked down at her from the high throne made of deer antlers and wood. She was his beautiful human wife, actually a traveling singer in a group from different parts of the world. But with money, precious stones and the command of a king, her "companions" were worth more than her. Now she knelt before him, her gaze undecided and fearful, knowing that she belonged to him. But this fact, this absurdity, frightened her even more. His gaze let her know that he would bring her to so much more.

°He had not called her my slave for nothing. She quickly learned not to disobey his orders. His guards, his own son, had recaptured her from the forest within a few hours. No matter how many times she was carried away, the ropes closed around her body, precisely encircling and yet holding her tight. Her pleas were met with a pitying look from the prince. ,,Don't struggle...it makes it easier," he said to her as he brought her into the throne room. The rope on her hands was loosened slightly by Legolas, but she would not get out of the hall.

°,,Again and again! Understand at last that you belong to me," he demanded, gesturing to his son. She did not see the hesitant look as he knew what this would mean. But another look was not necessary as he gave his father his well-formed staff and disappeared with a dismissive look. The footsteps faded and it seemed dead silent between them. ,,Please, Your Majesty, let me-just let me go," she tried, wincing as the wood of the staff settled under her chin. He forced her to look at him and she flinched as his cold fingers laid on her cheeks.

°In the time she had been here, she had quickly learned that he was not purely interested in the physical. No, there was the night when he lost himself in her, wanted to hear the sounds she made, wanted to let everyone hear them. He took her body as he wanted, used her as he wanted and yet his eyes flashed in the mirror again and again when he took her. But just when their eyes met in the mirror, she saw his obsession as he pulled her close, his hands exploring her crown. He saw her beauty, the thought of holding her in his hands and having her for himself.

°Another thing besides the punishments from the blows with his staff, sword or hand was his emotionality. When he looked at her he was calm and almost happy, but when she used her talent to play the harp she was better than the elves. She was Thranduil's personal songbird, playing for him while the king looked at her, read a book or hummed along. It was the only time she blossomed and felt at ease when she played the harp. But it was then that she felt the pitying gaze of Legolas. But her father saw it too.

°He saw his son looking at the pretty creature. He imagined that he also wanted to give her something. Love and devotion. Something the king could not allow. Under other circumstances, he would have let his son have fun with it. But those would have been different circumstances. Now it was different and perhaps it was the rise of evil, the dwarves, the dragon and the ring. Maybe it was the loss of his wife, the emotions or it was all together that made him become so obsessive.

°She only became even more his perfect favorite, his pretty star in matching clothes. Initially white hip dresses with bright gemstones, robes and blouses that hid her body underneath. Only visible to the king in his bedroom when the wine flowed over her, wetting her skin and turning the white a dark red. It was a favorite of the king to kiss and lick the sweetly tart wine from her bed with the finest steel. Forged to leave her in place. Until at some point it went so far that her body was covered with the most necessary. Silver threads threaded with diamonds barely covered her nipples, a simple crown of wood with white roses on her head and a white, almost transparent fabric wrapped around her midriff. Her fingers were adorned with precious rings, gifts from her king.

°Whenever she saw him, she was nestled against his leg on the throne. Playing the harp, her gaze blank and evasive, resigning herself to her life was the harp that kept her alive. Before he pulled her onto his throne whether there were guests in the room or not. Who was to stop him for he was the king of mirkwood and his actions were right and proper. His son would not have the opportunity to mess with his diamond and everyone else would be honored to be in his presence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@tinfairies

[panerasbox]

Stop The World -

Pairing: Chessy x fem!reader (present time)

Genre: Angst with hope?

word count: 1,663.

Chapter One 🎭 Chapter Two 🎭 Chapter Three 🎭 Chapter Four 🎭 Chapter Five 🎭 Chapter Six

"It's okay," he said, his voice surprisingly calm. "You don't have to say anything. I know you have feelings for her, Chessy. And…" He paused, his gaze searching hers, his expression unreadable. "I have something to tell you too."

Chessy blinked. “You… do?”

Martin nodded slowly, then walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down, his hands clasped between his knees. For a moment, he simply stared at the floor, as if trying to shape words he’d held within him for too long.

“I think,” he began carefully, “we both found ourselves in something that made sense, until it didn’t.”

Chessy remained standing, her heart pounding in her ears. “Martin, I didn’t mean to—”

He looked up at her then. “I know,” he interrupted gently. “And you didn’t do anything wrong. Neither of us did, really.”

A beat of silence passed between them, then another. Chessy finally let herself sit in the chair across from him.

“I used to think,” Martin said after a while, “that if you did all the right things—if you were dependable and polite and didn’t ask for too much—that somehow life would just… click into place.”

Chessy gave a tired laugh. “Yeah. Same.”

Martin smiled faintly, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I didn’t want to admit it, not even to myself. But I wasn’t in love with you, Chessy. Not really. I think I just loved having someone who didn’t expect me to be anything other than who I pretended to be.”

Chessy frowned. “Pretended?”

He hesitated, then finally, the words came.

“There’s someone. His name’s Theo.”

The name landed softly between them, not like a bomb, but with the quiet inevitability of something that had always been there, unspoken.

Chessy blinked, the weight of his confession settling around them. “Theo?” she echoed quietly.

Martin chuckled, but it was a fragile sound. “We met about a year ago. In London. I told myself we were just friends. Then I told myself it was nothing. And then I told myself if I could just make things work with you, I’d forget him. That maybe he was just… a phase.”

Chessy shook her head, a slow smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “God, Martin. We really are each other’s beards.”

He let out a genuine laugh this time, relief and embarrassment mixing in his voice. “You always were the smarter one. I think part of me hoped you’d break things off first so I wouldn’t have to.”

Chessy gave him a look. “Wow. Rude.”

They both laughed, a soft, strange kind of laughter. Not happy, not sad—just… true.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be what you needed,” he said, his voice quieter now.

Chessy nodded. “I’m sorry too.”

Martin looked at her with an honesty that made her throat tighten. “But I think we both knew. Even before Y/n.”

Her heart jumped at the sound of her name. “You knew?”

“I knew the day you stopped looking at me like you were home,” he said simply.

Chessy looked down at her hands, blinking back a mixture of emotions she couldn’t quite decipher. “So… what do we do now?”

Martin exhaled. “We stop pretending.”

Chessy remained in the chair for a while after Martin left the room, the silence settling around her like a heavy blanket. The truth was out now, but the ache in her chest hadn’t disappeared. If anything, it had shifted—no longer the dull pressure of guilt, but a sharper sting of uncertainty.

Martin had left the door open on his way out. It felt right, a symbolic gesture of their newfound openness.

She stood slowly, smoothing down the front of her sweater with shaky hands. Her heart continued its rapid beat. She didn’t know what she was going to say; she just knew she had to say something.

Downstairs, the twins were bickering over the “display only” Christmas cookies, and the fire crackled softly, casting flickering light across the living room. But the familiar scene felt distant, almost unreal, until she spotted Y/n by the back door, slipping on a coat.

Leaving?

Chessy’s pulse quickened. Her feet moved before her thoughts fully formed.

“Y/n, wait—”

Y/n turned, one arm halfway through her sleeve. She looked startled, her expression guarded. “Hey,” she said, her voice careful.

Chessy stopped a few feet away, unsure of the appropriate distance. “You’re heading out?”

Y/n shrugged. “Just for some air. It’s too warm in here. Thought I’d take a walk down the vineyard path.”

Chessy nodded, a beat of silence passing between them. Then, without asking, she grabbed her own coat from the hook. “I’ll come with you.”

Y/n blinked, clearly surprised, but didn’t argue.

They walked in silence at first, the soft crunch of their boots on the gravel accompanying them as they passed the dormant vines. The vineyard was quiet in the late evening, possessing a peacefulness the house rarely offered. The moon hung low, its light diffused by thin clouds, casting a silvery glow across the rows.

Halfway down the path, Y/n finally broke the silence.

“So… did you need to tell me something?”

Chessy didn’t answer immediately, still processing the conversation. “I talked to Martin. He said he knows. About you. About us. About how I feel.”

Y/n continued walking. “And?”

“He said there’s someone else,” Chessy added softly. “A man.”

Y/n stopped mid-step. “Wait, really?”

“His name’s Theo.”

A slow breath escaped Y/n’s lips. “Wow.”

“Yeah.” Chessy let out a breathy laugh. “We were playing house and calling it a life.”

Y/n turned to face her. “So what happens now?”

Chessy looked up at her, truly looked at her. The soft moonlight caught on Y/n’s lashes, the gentle curve of her cheek, the slight furrow between her brows as she tried to temper her hope.

“I don’t know,” Chessy admitted. “But I’m done lying to him. And to myself.”

Y/n nodded, but her voice held a note of caution. “And to me?”

Chessy stepped closer, closing the physical distance until she could feel the subtle warmth radiating from Y/n. “Especially to you.”

Y/n searched her face for a long moment, her gaze intent. “I wanted to believe it wasn’t over. But when you didn’t say anything—when you let me leave…”

“I was scared,” Chessy said, her voice barely a whisper. “And stupid. And it hurt so much to want you, I thought maybe pretending I didn’t was safer.”

Y/n’s eyes glistened, but she didn’t look away. “And now?”

Chessy reached out tentatively, her fingers lightly brushing Y/n’s hand. “Now I’m scared, but I’m not pretending.”

For a second, nothing happened, the cool night air hanging between them.

Then, Y/n took her hand.

And the moment felt like the release of a breath held for months.

They didn’t kiss. Not yet. The weight of their unspoken feelings was too significant for a casual touch.

But they didn’t let go, either.

Not this time.

The Next Morning

Elizabeth was already in the kitchen when Chessy walked in.

The sun had barely crested over the rolling hills, casting a soft golden light across the countertops. The kettle whistled softly, and the comforting aroma of toast and marmalade filled the air. Elizabeth, impeccably dressed even in the early hours, looked up from her newspaper with a faint, knowing smile.

“Morning,” she said smoothly, switching off the kettle. “You’re up early.”

Chessy rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah. Couldn’t sleep.”

Elizabeth arched an eyebrow, offering no further comment. She simply poured two cups of tea and slid one across the counter. “Walk?”

Chessy accepted the cup with a grateful nod and joined her outside. The patio was quiet, the vineyard still enveloped in the hushed stillness before the day fully awakened.

They stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes, sipping their tea and watching the mist gently rise above the rows of vines.

Then Elizabeth spoke, her voice casual. “Y/n’s up early too. I saw her come in just after sunrise.”

Chessy offered no verbal response, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

Elizabeth gave her a subtle sideways glance. “She seemed… lighter.”

Chessy blinked, turning slightly. “Lighter?”

“Like she wasn’t carrying something heavy anymore.” Elizabeth paused, then added with a light tone, “Funny how spending time with the right person can do that.”

Chessy gave her a direct look. “Are you trying to say something?”

Elizabeth smiled into her teacup, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “Not at all. I just happen to be very observant.”

“Right.”

Elizabeth leaned on the railing, tilting her head towards Chessy, her eyes sharp yet kind. “I don’t need to know every detail. But I know when someone I care about is pretending to be okay when they’re not.”

Chessy sighed, setting her teacup down on the stone railing. “It’s complicated.”

“I’d be more surprised if it wasn’t.”

Chessy hesitated, then said quietly, “Martin and I ended things.”

Elizabeth didn’t flinch, her expression remaining calm. “That doesn’t surprise me either.”

Chessy’s eyes widened slightly. “Wait a minute-”

Elizabeth shrugged, the corners of her mouth curving into a knowing smile. “I suspected. The two of you always had the emotional chemistry of a pair of coworkers who carpool.”

Chessy couldn’t help but laugh. “God, that’s brutal.”

“Brutally accurate.”

They both sipped their tea again, the quiet moment settling between them like a shared understanding.

After a beat, Elizabeth added gently, “I think you already know what you want, Chessy. You’re just scared to let yourself have it.”

Chessy looked down at her hands, her thoughts swirling.

“I’m not judging,” Elizabeth continued, her voice soft but firm. “Just… don’t let fear be the thing that makes your decisions for you.”

Chessy nodded slowly, Elizabeth’s words resonating deeply.

“Thanks, Liz.”

Elizabeth smiled warmly. “Of course. Just do me a favor?”

“Anything.”

“Tell her. Properly. Soon.”

[ghoulfuckersincorporated]

Hey, hi, hello!

Sorry, not only did I get cocky and assume I wasn't gonna have to deal with PMS brain fog this month (and then got promptly slapped down when it came in full force, just a few days late), the last week or so was much busier than I was anticipating. I ended up having to host a family member for a couple of days, and as it turns out, it's hard to play hostess and write at the same time!

I'm very proud to say, though, that Shoot the Moon has finally, blessedly entered the wrap-up phase. I really love this piece, even though it's actually been somewhat difficult to write emotionally. It also won't stop growing, much like the recent Hancock piece. I put over 4,000 words into it just today, and it now sits at over 14,000, though I won't pretend that's a final length. It'll likely get a couple thousand more added between the little bit of "scene connector" that's still needed and general edits.

I can't say confidently that it'll be ready to go up tomorrow, especially since I'll be out of the house for at least part of the day, but late on the 2nd seems realistic. I'm quite literally working on a physical outline to iron out what I'll be working on after that. Thanks to y'all, I have what feels like an endless pot of inspiration and great ideas to use as jumping off points, but my AuDHD brain needs them laid out nicely or things start to fall through the cracks. I'm looking forward to working on it, actually.

I can't thank you guys enough for your patience while you wait for me to push smut at you. I hope everyone had a great, safe Halloween! Excited for what's coming! 💚🎃

[la-petite-lapin]

Double the Love | Part Four

Double the Love masterlist

Simon "Ghost" Riley x Johnny "Soap" MacTavish x female civilian!OC Word Count: 2.1k Series warnings (may change between chapters): 18+ Minors DNI, angst, mentions of death, mentions of violence, injury description, eventual explicit sexual content, polyamory, M/M/F, FMC is bad at feelings, Johnny and Ghost bicker like an old married couple

An argument and a conversation

After the game ends, Gaz and John don't immediately leave.

Instead, we start watching a comedy action series about an American SWAT team. Listening to them laugh and point out all of the inaccuracies brings a smile to my face and it stays there until my cheeks ache.

By the end of the third episode, darkness is settling outside the windows. Gaz hits the stop button before the fourth one can start, slowly rising up from his seat on the floor with a loud yawn.

"I should probably get going," he says, stooping down to collect his empty cans. "Need to stock up on my beauty sleep before the big day next week." There's a pause as he stretches, purposefully knocking into the side of John's head with his elbow. "Still coming with us, Ghost?"

I look up, brow furrowing as Ghost shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Johnny looks up too, equally confused.

"I dunno," he growls, eyes finding Johnny's. There's no small amount of guilt there. "Depends if you're happy with me going. Don't want to leave you here on your own when you're injured."

Wow okay. I cringe internally. He's gone from not being too keen on me to completely ignoring my existence in the space of a single day. And just when I though that - maybe - we were starting to make some headway. That has to be some sort of record.

Maybe it was stupid of me to think that we could be friends.

Johnny tilts his head. "What big day?"

"We're flying back to Russia to try and find some intel on the group that ambushed us," John supplies, shooting me a look. It's more than clear that this isn't information I should be privy to. It makes me wonder just how many rules and laws he's breaking by letting me be in the room for this conversation. "We won't be gone long. It should only take a few days."

"And, like I said," Ghost continues dryly, "I don't even know if I'm going yet."

"Well it's not like I'd be on my own. Tali is here." An edge creeps into Johnny's tone as he adds, "But it'd be nice to be told about things. I mean, it's not like I'm yer boyfriend or anything."

Now it's Ghost's turn to cringe. "It wasn't like that. I just forgot to mention it."

"Oh, ye forgot-" Johnny's voice is drenched in bitter sarcasm.

The previously light-hearted atmosphere in the room dies. All of the comfortable banter and humour that filled the apartment earlier is gone, giving way to awkward glances and stony silence. John rubs his hands along the lengths of his thighs, gaze flickering from me to Gaz - the aforementioned soldier not looking the least bit phased by the unfolding domestic. Instead, he takes a slow walk into the kitchen, depositing his empties into the recycling bin.

"I think you should go." Johnny's tone is full of certainty, and one look at his face shows me as much. His jaw is set; his usually happy eyes steely and full of something colder than I've seen from him before.

Ghost's mouth quivers before settling into a deep frown. "Johnny-"

"I think we should get going," John says softly, cutting off whatever else Ghost was about to say. He hooks a thumb in Gaz's direction. "Come on. I'll drive you home."

As Gaz walks back to the front door, putting his trainers on at a leisurely pace, Johnny excuses himself to the bathroom. Ghost remains on the sofa, his head in his hands as his back rises and falls with his quicker-than-usual breaths.

John surveys the unfolding scene with watchful eyes before turning to me, pulling me into another bearhug, and leaning into my ear to say, "Are you sure you're going to be okay with them? I don't want them causing you any hassle with their bickering."

I lean up onto my tiptoes to reciprocate the gesture. "I'll be fine, John. Send Marcella my love and stay safe, okay? When you come back, we're having that dinner you keep banging on about."

John chuckles as he pulls away, a broad smile on his face. "I will, and I will. You take care of yourself too, Tali. I'll message you whenever I can."

I exchange a brief goodbye with Gaz - him promising that I'll see him again very soon, and me giving him my phone number to arrange another movie night - before I'm alone in the apartment with the bickering lovers once again. Though, it doesn't stay that way for long. After about ten minutes, Ghost stands up. He whips around the apartment, grabbing his coat, his balaclava, and his shoes, then mumbling something about going for a walk. I'm still clearing up the bowls when I hear the front door open then slam shut.

"Has he gone out?" Johnny's voice rings out from the hallway just seconds later.

"Yeah."

"Okay." He walks out from the hallway leading to the bedrooms and the bathroom, coming to stand with me in the kitchen. "I'm sorry ye had to see that. Ghost and me... sometimes we argue. A lot."

I shrug. "Don't worry about it. As long as you don't start screaming at each other, it's all good."

Johnny nods, leaning back against the counters. "Do ye need a hand tidying up?"

Before I can tell him to leave it, Johnny's standing right next to me, drying the dishes that I'm just starting to wash. We're elbow-to-elbow in front of the sink. Every once and a while, his arm brushes against mine, sending tingles down my spine.

Even though I know I shouldn't, I catch myself sneaking glances at him while we do the dishes. I can see more details up close; a small pearlescent scar across the top of the bridge of his nose, a tiny fleck of scar tissue under one bright blue eye, a cluster of freckles along one side of his jaw. There's no denying that he's a beautiful man, even with the tiny imperfections scattered across his skin - which has regained it's colour since we first met.

And I know that I shouldn't keep looking, but I can't help it.

We work in comfortable silence until the dishes are done. It's been about half an hour since Ghost left but neither of us mention that as we take up our usual positions in the living room.

"Want to watch a movie?" Johnny asks, his voice soft and hopeful in that heart-melting way of his.

"Only if you pick something."

"Rom-com?"

I nod in confirmation. "Rom-com."

We're about twenty minutes into the movie when Johnny catches my attention. Silently, he motions to the stretch of sofa beside him, tilting his head to one side. The question is implied: come sit with me. I hop up from the armchair and sink down next to him, leaving a gap between us in case he isn't comfortable with physical contact.

"Mind if I lie down?" Johnny's words are a gentle hum over the montage happening on the screen.

There's a tightness in my chest at the way he looks at me, and I try my best to ignore it. "Sure. Go for it."

He lays down, placing his head in my lap. It instantly reminds me of the way he lies down with Ghost when they watch TV.

After a minute, I let my hand tangle in the longer hair of his mohawk, toying with the strands. He lets out a sound that's as close to a purr that I've ever heard a human make; a low rumbling sound that emanates from deep within his chest. I can feel the warmth of his skin as he nuzzles his cheek against my thigh, the prickle of his stubble biting at my skin through the fabric of my linen pants.

"This okay?" he asks in the same low, soft tone.

My breath catches in my throat. Even though I know he's in a relationship with Ghost - I know - a traitorous part of me still asks one damned question. What if?

"Tali?"

"Yeah." Even over that one, simple word, my voice quivers.

Johnny doesn't seem to notice. "If I fall asleep, wake me up. Okay?"

I don't reply. Not verbally. Instead, I just card my fingers through his hair, running my nails along his scalp as he melts even deeper into my lap.

I wake up when the front door opens. The TV is still playing; filling the apartment with a soft, constant ebb of noise. The remote is next to my free hand, the other still tangled in Johnny's hair. Consciousness returns to me in bits and pieces, but I don't fully remember the hour directly before I fell asleep until Ghost is standing right in front of me.

His face is covered by his hood and the black balaclava as he towers over me, eyes trained on Johnny, who is still sleeping peacefully with his head in my lap.

I half expect Ghost to shout at me; to accuse me of something or tell me to get away from his boyfriend. Instead, he drops down onto the couch cushion beside me - the side of the sofa not occupied by Johnny's legs - and drapes his arm along the back behind me.

When he finally speaks, it's to say, "Is he still mad at me?"

I shake my head. "I don't think so." My fingers continue to draw patterns on the shaved section of Johnny's head, twirling swirls and simple patterns in it. "We didn't really talk about what happened. We watched a movie then fell asleep."

Ghost grunts. "Johnny isn't like me. He's a good man; he trusts people with his whole heart. He's quick to let people in."

A moment passes and, just when I think he's done talking, he adds, "If I leave for Russia with John and Gaz, will you take care of him for me? Please." He taps me on the shoulder and my gaze lifts from Johnny's face to his. His expression is serious, readable even with the mask; his hazel eyes dark and full of emotion. "I won't be able to focus unless I know he's safe and being taken care of. And I... I think I can trust you, Tali."

I don't know Ghost; I don't know him at all. But he seems like a man who very rarely says those words.

"You're a friend of Price's and - quite frankly - Johnny could kill you if you tried shit," he elaborates, negating some of the sentiment from that previous statement.

I choke out a laugh so abruptly that I immediately check to see if I've woken Johnny up. He's still sound asleep. "I don't doubt it." My gaze returns to Ghost's face, and I make an effort to hold his gaze as I say, "But I would never try anything with Johnny. He's like the human equivalent of a Golden Retriever, and I actually like having him around. I like having both of you around."

Ghost's eyes soften at the edges. All of a sudden, there's a bashfulness to him that I haven't seen before. Hell, I don't think anyone other than Johnny has. "Really? Even though I'm a right prick to you sometimes?"

I let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah, I guess. You know, I see some of myself in you. Being scared to trust others; distancing yourself from people so you can't get left behind." Ghost's eyes darken even more and he shifts almost imperceptibly, moving closer to me until his side is pressed against mine. "I understand it more than you think. But I also do agree that you could be a little friendlier with me sometimes. Maybe even tell me your actual name instead of keeping me at arm's length with your callsign."

He nods slowly. "Not my name; not yet, anyway. I'll be nicer though." There's a beat of silence as Johnny stirs. Again, he doesn't wake up. "So, who hurt you? And am I allowed to hunt them down?"

He says it so deadpan that I whole-heartedly believe he would given the chance.

"No names necessary. My parents are dead. They were killed in a car accident when I was young. And then my brother died last year." It physically pains me to voice that last part aloud. It runs over a raised, sore part of me, rubbing against raw nerves.

"I... fuck, I'm so sorry, Tali. I had no idea." Ghost's voice is rough, the usual gravel tinged with regret.

I frown. "It's not like you could've. John knows, but we don't talk about it. I... I don't really like talking about it."

He hums. "Understandable." There's a long pause, filled by the low hum of the TV. "I'm the last one left from my family too."

I don't ask him to elaborate, and he doesn't. We just sit in the moment and let it pass.

With Johnny's head in my lap as he sleeps soundly, and the warmth of Ghost's body against my side, for once, I don't feel so alone.

a/n: hey guys! from here on out, I'm going to try and post once a week at the least unless something in my personal life means I can't university is starting up again next week so I'm going to try my best :) - hope to see you all next week for part five, lapetitelapin :)

[hotdaemondtargaryen]

TOM GLYNN-CARNEY TALKING ABOUT KING AEGON II TARGARYEN FOR MAGAZINE UPROXX.

AEGON IS EQUAL PARTS DANGEROUS AND PATHETIC THIS SEASON. WHICH TRAIT DID YOU LEAN INTO MORE?

"I really wanted to find every color possible to his palette."

"I wanted to make him as intricate and as complex as he deserves, I think."

"And yeah, we see lots of different flavors."

"We see a vulnerability to him this time."

"We see desperation."

"I think people can call him a villain as much as they want."

"I think he thinks he’s a tragedy — just a desperately sad story in a physical form."

THERE ARE SO MANY AEMOND APOLOGISTS, BUT WHO'S REPPING FOR AEGON?

"This has been the story his entire life."

"He’s seen as weak, he’s seen as pathetic."

"Just someone give him a hug for crying out loud!"

AEGON CERTAINTLY HAS A BIGGER ROLE TO PLAY THIS SEASON WHICH REQUIRES MORE FROM YOU THAN IN SEASON ONE. WERE THERE ANY SCENES/MOMENTS YOU WERE UNSURE ABOUT TRANSLATING FROM THE SCRIPT TO THE SCREEN?

"Every scene I did, I didn’t know how it was going to pan out, and that’s kind of the way I like to go about playing Aegon."

"There’s no part of me that wants to have a preconceived idea of how the scene’s going to play."

"It lends itself to the way he is personality wise."

"He’s very impulsive."

"He doesn’t think things through very much, and I always like to catch myself off guard and surprise myself in those scenes."

"For me, that’s how I find authenticity in a moment."

"And that just means it’s different every time, and they can just choose which one they like."

"I don’t deal with the cut."

THERE'S A TRANSFER OF POWER BETWEEN AEGON AND OTTO IN EPISODE TWO. HOW IMPORTANT WAS THAT CONFRONTATION IN TERMS OF THE REST OF THE SEASON?

"Massive."

"We start to see ’em pull back the reins."

"We start to see ’em take a bit of control and use his authority and put people in their place when they need to be put in their place."

"He finds it stimulating."

YOU FINALLY GET TO RIDE A DRAGON THIS SEASON. DID YOU GET ANY TIPS FROM YOUR CASTMATES WHO'VE DONE IT ALREADY?

"It was actually, surprisingly straightforward."

"If you’re doing a full day up there, then yeah, you’re going to be tired."

"We had a lot of sort of strengthening and conditioning work that we’d keep doing, just so we had a pretty healthy baseline in terms of our physical strength and capabilities."

IF YOU COULD PLAY AEGON'S THERAPIST FOR A DAY WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE HIM?

"Be patient with himself."

"Stop comparing."

"Stop being jealous."

"Give yourself a break and go on holiday."

SO MUCH HAPPENED OFF SCREEN BETWEEN SEASONS ONE ANE TWO. IT TOOK YEARS TO FILM. THERE WERE STRIKES. HOW DID THAT EFFECT THE CAST AND THE VIBES ON SET.

"Yeah, you’ve got tunnel vision while you’re making this show and that’s how we like it."

"I think you sort of buckle down and stay in the zone and stay focused."

"Try and get as much sleep as you can."

"It takes its toll, but we all welcome that with open arms."

"It’s one of those kinds of once in a lifetime opportunities to be a part of a show like this and to play characters like these."

"We’re all very aware of that, and we’re all very grateful to be in the position we’re in, getting to bring these characters to life and share this fucking cool story with so many lovely fans."

IS THERE A LESSON YOU'RE LEARNED FROM FILMING THIS SEASON THAT YOU'LL TAKE WITH YOU INTO THE NEX PHASE OF YOUR CAREER?

"That’s a good question."

"I’m kind of still working that out."

"I’ve only been doing this [acting] for, well, eight years, really, so I’ve not had a great deal of experience."

"I feel like the responsibility to play a pivotal part in a project like this takes its toll, stamina wise, and you just need to make sure that you can keep up with the rhythm of everything."

"But I think taking your breaks where you can get them, surrounding yourself with people you love and trust as you’re doing it, you can be quite delicate in the process."

"And yeah, stay away from social media."

[bekaterrier]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! My new job starts tomorrow so it's been deep cleaning time around my place. I've been re-listening to some favourites so this one's a little long!

@storiesfromylelmore Episode 210 - Check Up: More Keryth backstory! We're finally learning more about the vague references she's made to a hospital stay. That must have been a scary time for her family! I'm glad she didn't have a bad experience there, and she was so cute over the walkie-talkie. Fruit Snack Day is absolutely wild. Poor Rion. And Elas has learned more about themself! They have an aptitude for magic! That's so cool! 🏥

@forgedbondspod Chapters 1-4: This is one that I've been waiting for, and the first episode came out just before the holidays. It's a retelling of the story of Aphrodite and Hephaestus, and I am loving it so far. I absolutely adore the friendships between Ares and Aphrodite, and Hephaestus and Dionysus. And I also wanted to punch Zeus in the face, even though I love Alasdair Stuart (that man is everywhere!) I'm very excited to see where the story goes and how Aphrodite and Hephaestus' relationship develops. 💍

@monkeymanproductions MTO Phases - Story 1 - Roger: We're getting more Moonbase Theta, Out content!! As a Patreon supporter, I've had the privilege of reading these short stories over the past year, getting a little look at what some of our favourite characters have been doing following the conclusion of the series. Also, some characters that we never got to know so well. When I found out that Cass (voice of Michell L'Anglois) would be putting together an audio version of the stories, I flipped out! I'd already heard that he did character voices to fill in for missing actors during rehearsals and recording sessions, so I'm even more stoked to get to hear some of those impressions. 🌘

The first of these recording, which was released this week, started us off strong! Of course it had to be Roger, and I love how it was essentially a continuation of his scene from the epilogue. I love the baby ACs too, and Cass's accent choice for Gammie was spot on (inspired by the lovely Reception Bot). Their conversation was so sweet, and the image of Gammie and Uncle Roger discussing poetry (and perhaps writing their own poems) is now forever in my mind. 📖

@monkeymanproductions Waiting For October S1 Episode 3.5 - Auncle Lantern: This episode is so beautiful. I love the way we got to hear both Auncle Lantern's clacking sign-language as well as xir inner monologue. Xir description of how the denizens of October have grown and made their place in their world and ours is so moving. We should all be taking Auncle Lantern's advice to keep growing, keep revising the story. 🎃

@electromancypodcast S1&2: I loved Electromancy S1 but wasn't in the right brain space to listen to S2 when it was released at the end of 2023. I'm very glad to have listened now though! The world and the plot keep building, but there's still so much more the learn. Trust was a big theme of S2, how hard it is to build and how easy it is to break. Now just what did the Dean see inside Jenna's mind? ⚡

@woodenovercoats re-listen: Continuing my cleaning/re-listening, I returned to Piffling Vale and enjoyed it all over again! I love all of these characters so much, and I love hearing their journies over the 4 seasons. Remember, other people are all there is. Also, you are the most important person in the world, and so am I. ⚰️

@ameliapodcast S3 Part 1: There's so much going on this season and I love it! I've been enjoying having Amelia as part of the team, and getting even more Alvina. But where did our Italians go? What about Kozlowski? Also, how old is the Interviewer? Is he immortal? Thing are getting pretty wild, between Russia and Panaragua! And now they're going to have to work at cross purposes!? ☕

[lutawolf]

Hi Luta, if you don't mind answering, what do you think attracted Joe to Ming? And how much does their D/s vibe play into it? I'd love to hear your perspective.

Hey nonnie!!!

Let's go back to episode one and examine this together. I will be utilizing excerpts from the book to showcase inner thoughts, but I will refrain from divulging any spoilers from the book.

I will skip the entire part about awakening from a coma. Instead, let's start where Joe first encountered Ming's poster. I am beginning here in order to provide quotation from the book and provide a comprehension of Joe's inner thoughts.

I wanted to share this because I think it shows how Joe feels about Ming and also reminds us that for him, this is still fresh. Everyone else's world kept revolving, but for Joe, he was just on the phone with Ming. Those emotions have yet to be addressed, and we are currently adding additional complications to the situation.

Now to the elevator scene where Ming and Joe meet.

“The elevator door opened completely. The man standing in front of him is the man on the LED commercial that day. He is only 23 years old and is already well known to half of the world. He is the mighty movie star that no one dared to approach, YanMingXiu. YanMingXiu had gotten older. ZhouXiang's memory of him is still a person who is in the teenager phase, one who likes to wear sportswear and jeans. His entire person exuded youthfulness and a flamboyant aura. The YanMingXiu of today is wearing a casual suit, looking calm and restrained. His expression seems to have solidified on his face but looking icy.

ZhouXiang had been in the entertainment industry for nearly ten years. He had seen all kind of beauties, but no matter whether it was three years ago or now, he always felt that YanMingXiu's appearance is most perfect. He doesn't know how God crafted him out so finely and superbly that it's not a surprise that millions of spectators would be awed by him. Even he, who believes that he had encountered many beautiful people, is also fascinated by YanMingXiu.

In his mind, there was no way he could suppress the memories between him and YanMingXiu. From the time when he and YanMingXiu met to the last phone call they had, it was merely a years' time from beginning to end. However, to him, those memories were too recent. This feeling is very strange. It was like he only saw the person last week, and he was still a teenager, but this week, he had become a man. To him, the two years in between were completely blank. The two years had changed everyone and changed many things. Except for him, he not only lost two years of time, but he was forced to accept the changes that occurred in the past two years.”

For fun, I'll give you Ming's thoughts.

Both of their inner thoughts have now been seen. We are aware that both individuals are in love with each other. Now from when? From the show, we know that Ming fell in love with Joe's back right away. But what about Joe?

The show did an impressive job of capturing the book here, but the show changes from the book when Ming simply walks away.

I, personally, feel they still captured the fact that Joe was smitten, but in the book, we see Joe being unable to take his eyes off Ming. From the book, I know that he even wanted to go over and talk to him. So from the beginning, Ming captivated Joe. He is immediately drawn to his beauty. Which is fair considering we all know that Ming loves Joe's back. He is hostile initially to Joe for the reason that he can't understand why he is drawn to Joe when he is clearly in love with Tong.

I thoroughly enjoy the car scene. Joe is accustomed to being able to charm people, but this beautiful boy is not paying him any attention. Regardless of the efforts made by him. Yet, just when he is starting to get discouraged, Ming surprises him. Inviting himself to Joe's home.

“Zhou Xiang felt a bit bored seeing Yan Mingxiu's cold and detached attitude. Although he was itching to sound Yan Mingxiu out, he could tell Yan Mingxiu was completely uninterested in him. Even if Yan Mingxiu was gay, what did it matter? Being homosexual wasn't anything special. If two men liked the look of each other, both would have realized already. Who had the patience to unearth if the other person was beautiful inside? Even though Zhou Xiang felt that it was a pity, he wasn't a petty person. Being able to accompany such an unrivalled beauty on the way home in a traffic jam under the heavy rain was already very wonderful. He'll just make do with sexually fantasizing about him in his head. He should tightly zip his mouth, behave, and drive the car to avoid annoying him.”

Okay, so from everything I've shown you. You can clearly see that Joe has a submissive personality.

The sexual scene in the show effectively showcases their mutual sexual attraction. However, the scene itself doesn't match up with what is in the book. Having said that, I believe that the show aligns more closely with their individual traits, and I found that I liked it more than the book.

Okay, back to the show. Ming being aggressive is a turn on for Joe. It allows him the opportunity to not think. He has been making his own choices for a long time, so this is a chance for him to relax. That however doesn't extend to letting Ming top without first mentally preparing for it.

Joe immediately rejects Ming, going home. Why? Because he is tired of being alone. So Joe cooks and feeds Ming. As Joe begins to care and charm Ming, the attraction between the two builds. Both individuals experiencing a diminished sense of loneliness. Please keep in mind that Ming has lived abroad for years, with only the occasional visits from his family. He is just as lonely as Joe.

“After the meal, YanMingXiu continued to watch TV while ZhouXiang went to clean up the kitchen.

After cleaning up, ZhouXiang brought out the dessert and tea. He had not entertained anyone in his home for a long time. He rarely had people over. Even if he brought back anyone; they certainly wouldn't sit down to have tea and chat.

Although it is a pity that he and YanMingXiu couldn't achieve the goal (sex), sitting and chatting with him on this rainy night is quite romantic, so ZhouXiang's mood has been good.”

Moving on to the scene of the one on the floor and the other on the bed. Notice the threat that gets Joe on the bed with Ming. Joe had just pointed out that a man like him cannot sleep on the floor, so Ming told him to get up here, or he would get on the floor. Joe immediately gives in to the pressure.

The thought of being Joe's first means something to Ming, but he warns Joe. Ming isn't a nice person, but he can be unexpectedly kind, but Joe wants Ming. Take a look at his face after he has tucked Ming in. He is content because he is not sleeping alone. He has a beautiful boy beside him, that seems to need him as much as he needs to care for someone.

So why do they like each other? They are both physically attracted to each other, and one prefers to be commanded, while the other enjoys commanding. One needs to be able to take care of someone, and the other expects others to take care of him. Add in the fact that they're both lonely, and somehow Joe was able to sneak past Ming's intimidating walls of mistrust to ease his loneliness.

There you have it, this is what my opinion any ways. Sorry it got so long, nonnie. It just kind of happened. 💜💜💜

[berserker-syndrome]

Chapter 4 Teaser.

I wanna up my teaser game for upcoming chapters.

When I write I start with jot notes, then I add in the script for the dialogue and following that I start actually filling in the prose of the chapter.

The end result you've been getting so far is my first draft. My next step is to swing back around and flesh out the chapter with better environment and character descriptions, which ultimately is what I would prefer to be publishing in the case of a fanfiction.

You're getting the first draft because I'm so damn eager to encourage you to keep reading that I'm rushing through my work and publishing the incomplete first draft. I would like to stop doing that, but I would also like to continue giving you something to keep you hooked, so here's what's going to happen.

Along with the mood board I'm going to give you a glimpse of an intriguing scene that is still at the jot note/dialogue scripting phase to make you hungry for what's to come.

I also really enjoy sharing my creative process - kind of like when an artist shows off their early sketches of a piece of work. Hopefully this will also help stop me from giving you these subpar chapters in the future.

Sound fun?

Here's your Chapter 4 teaser.

---

It’s been a month since NeoBorg were seized by the NWO at gunpoint. This part will open with a description of what the NWO is to Borg, discuss the bio-weapon project briefly, and focus on the struggles the boys are having readjusting to the military environment.

Yuriy and Sergei are standing between Boris and another member of Borg, trying to keep them from ripping one another apart.

Yuriy: “Both of you, knock it off! This isn’t the abbey! Leave that dog-eat-dog bullshit in the past. We've gotta start trying to get along here...”

Boris: “Somebody needs to put that smug bastard in his place!”

Yuriy: “Someone will, when that attitude inevitably gets him killed on the battlefield. Walk away. Now!”

They successfully break the two up, just in time for a guard and an accompanying doctor to poke their heads in the room.

Guard: “All good?”

Yuriy: “Yes, sir.”

Guard: “Good. Borg weapons, line up.”

A shot of Neistovycaine is administered to the 10 Borg Weapons in the room. Ivan complains of how bad it stings and mutters:

Ivan: “Do they gotta keep us on this stuff? They know so long as Koscheyev is in the building none of us would be dumb enough to do anything.”

The guards leave and the teen causing problems with Boris from before speaks up

T: “When you think they’re bringing Hiwatari in?”

Yuriy: “Hopefully never.”

T: “You saying that for our sake, or his?”

Yuriy, annoyed: “I hate him just as much as the rest of you. You seem to forget, I had a front row seat for what happened that day.” Yuriy pulls up his sleeve to reveal severe burn scars running up the entirety of his right arm.

T: “Mmmhm. Whatever you say, but we saw you guys all buddy-buddy on TV last year.”

Yuriy is clearly irritated. Boris speaks up and teases. “Remember, no fighting.”

Yuriy: “I need to go for a walk, come on.”

Boris, Yuriy, Sergei, and Ivan leave to wander the corridors for a while, just to get a break from their roommates.

Ivan: “You think they’d really bring Kai in after what happened?”

Yuriy: “He wouldn’t be the only Berserker here. They can keep him under control with the Neistovycaine until they need to use him, just like the others.”

Boris: “Yeah but the others didn’t lose total control and kill 68 members of their own unit. It would be a bad idea, if you ask me.”

Yuriy: “It would be a brilliant idea, actually. If you put yourself in Koscheyev’s shoes… Fuck it, I know exactly what he’s going to do. He’ll have Kai come of his own free will by threatening the lives of his friends in the BBA. He’ll bring him in, keep him heavily doped up, and then unleash him on the opposing forces during any fight that might be a struggle for the NWO's forces to win. Koscheyev won’t want Kai as a soldier, he’ll just want him as a weapon, and so long as he’s got team BBA in his hands Kai’s dumb ass is going be desperate enough to fall for it. Thing is, they'll probably just use Kai to kill Takao and the others for their Sacred Spirits in the end anyway, and by then Kai won't have any control over whether he does it or not.”

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hi! I'm on a regency binge at the moment and while Good Society is on my list, do you have any more regency games/systems to recommend?

THEME: Regency Games

Hello friend, I think I have a nice little selection for you to take a look at!

One thing to note is that some of these games are very gendered, providing roles such as “Matron”, “Nobleman” or “Countess” that is rather unavoidable. Sometimes this is simply part and parcel of playing in a specific era of history, and sometimes it is done purposefully, as games can often be commentary about certain issues that were prevalent at the time.

While I think you could likely make a non-binary character in these games if you really want to, I think that one of the appeals of playing in the Regency era is the strict social structures that created such rigid gender boundaries, and so I’m not surprised to see those boundaries enforced in these games.

Vicious, by Budget Versailles.

Vicious is a game set during the Regency period about scandalous gossip told via letters between three or more players.

Players roll dice to generate scenarios and gossipy twists to pass on to the next player until everyone has been deceived with shocking slander and hearsay.

If you’re a fan of the epistolary phase of Good Society, Vicious is probably worth looking at. Watch a piece of news twist out of your control as your letters get flavoured with gossip. You can roll for inspiration for various scenarios, as well as for juicy gossip to make those scenarios even better - but the game ends with one player sends out an invitation to determine how many of the accusations that have been sent around are true.

I think Vicious is also an excellent add-on to pair with another game of your choice, especially since it could be played in between sessions, cooking up drama for the players to hash out in an in-person confrontation.

Hazelwood Abbey, by stevehatherly.

Downton Abbey meets Hillfolk. Players play an aristocratic family in a player-led dramatic game of emotional needs and wants for 4-5 players.

Hazelwood Abbey uses Pelgrane Press' DramaSystem rules engine to create a story of high-stakes interpersonal conflict. During the session, you will create family members with conflicting needs and goals. And then you will find out what happens.

To play this game you’ll need a good understanding of how the DramaSystem works. The author recommends referencing a copy of Hillfolk, although you can also check out the SRD for free to see how you feel about the system.

The DramaSystem is all about relationships, and give and take. Your characters all need something from each-other, something tied to an emotional reward. When interacting with each-other in a dramatic scene, tokens will be gained or spent by following prompts specific to your playbook. In Hazelwood Abbey, your characters are split between the upstairs and downstairs, just like in Downton Abbey. The upstairs playbooks will wrestle with ties to family, tradition, and duty, while the downstairs playbooks commonly struggle with ambition, social inequality, and precious secrets. If you deny another person what they seek, too many times, they may force an emotional concession from you by spending tokens.

I think this is a great example of dramatic tension, and while I suppose Hazelwood Abbey might be slightly later than regency era, it might give you some of what you’re looking for.

Sense and Sensibility, by Armanda.

YOU ARE A DEAD GUY’S SECOND FAMILY IN 18th CENTURY ENGLAND. Your mission is to get one of your sisters to marry well, since you’re all women and can’t live without the favor of a man. You have no rights other than the right to marry and be a mother. In this game, you’ll explore the terrible vicissitudes of British bucolic countryside life and deal with neighbours and city people coming to visit the various families in the area, where gossip and marriage (and love, in the best of cases) are the order of the day. 

Since this game is built off of Lasers and Feelings, I’d expect it to also be fairly easy to pick up if you’re familiar with other works in the same system. You have two stats and a number somewhere between 2 to 5 that tells you how good you are at one of those things, and how bad you are at the other.

I think this game is more focused on family relationships than some of the other games on this list, because your entire family’s well-being depends on the success of finding a wealthy match. Battle gossip, defend your honour, and possibly even sabotage your rivals in an attempt to find some security for yourself and your loved ones.

The Season, by Rue.

It's London season and you're in for a ball! 

The Season is a GM-less RPG about elevating your status and keeping up your reputation during the fabled Regency Era social season. 

This is a competitive RPG that takes place over the course of 10 rounds. Each characters’ goal is the same: to end the game with the highest Reputation. To chip away at your rivals’ reputation, you’ll have to demonstrate your own social graces, spread rumours, or meet gossip with the perfect amount of composure. You just need 2d6 to play, although you’ll probably want a few roll-tables for inspiration if you don’t consider yourself that good at improv.

This is another game that might benefit from being played alongside something bigger, or perhaps using some established lore from another setting.

Teacup Masquerade, by Sam Scribbler.

A one-page cozy social game about getting revenge on your enemies. Inspired by Regency-era romantic dramas such as Bridgerton with a vengeful twist. Create a character, discover your rival's secret, and become the darling of high society.

This is a simple game meant to fit on one page. You have three basic stats, and a gradient scale of success. You gain a random social advantage and a random personal shame, which you’ll want to try to hide as you go about discovering the secrets of your rivals.

There’s not a lot of guidance for this one, which is pretty common for one-page games. It might be a good fit if you have an idea of the kind of story you want to tell, or if you have your own set of home-brew rules that you want to add onto an existing premise.

The Social Season, by Scott Sexton.

In this single page role playing game inspired by the works of Jane Austen, you and your friends play as high society characters navigating the treacherous London social season.

To save your family from ruin, you must land an advantageous marriage proposal by the end of the season. Will you outwit scheming rivals and jealous suitors to make a fortuitous match, or will you become embroiled in scandal and depart London in disgrace?

This is a Honey Heist hack, pulling you between the two extremes of Composure and Scandal. Since it’s built off of a familiar system (to me), I can expect this game to be rather light-hearted, pushing your characters to vacillate between following social graces or deliberately doing something considered… untoward. This is certainly a chance to put on your stuffiest airs, flutter your fans dramatically, and describe your attempt to kiss your beau on the back of their hand.

The London Season, by Stéphanie Dusablon.

The London season of 1874, a perfect time for the aristocracy to advance the marriage prospects of their offsprings, entertain themselves through various social engagements and, naturally, gossip to their heart's content.

We were also taught that once we attained marital bliss, our husband would take ownership of our wealth, property and body. They probably would have passed a law to ensure our mind became theirs as well, had it occurred to them that we might actually have one.

Create your young lady, decide if you hope to secure or avoid an engagement this season and carefully navigate 8 fortnights of glamorous events, social engagements and secret messages. 

As a solo roleplaying game, The London Season is an examination of the social inequities present in the Regency era, as well as a love letter for a time of secret messages and glamorous events. You’ll mostly be drawing cards to answer questions, receive secret messages, and navigate both welcome and unwelcome engagements, journaling each step of the way. At the end of eight fortnights, your young lady will have either achieved or lost her goal. Whether that goal is marriage or something else is up to you.

Games I’ve Recommended In The Past

Le Bon Ton, by RobotFrancis.

Pride and Extreme Prejudice, by Grant Howitt.

Eyes on the Prize, by ira prince.