#look at my gamer fuel cans instead

[felt-texture]

gamer bull terrier

[sidthedollface2]

Third Love

Ch: 5 La Rosa

Pairing: Eddie x Mexican Female Reader

Word Count: 9.1k (snack time)

Summary: Eddie finally takes you on that date, but the question remains, Will he get a second?

CW: MDNI 18+ SMUT (p in v, oral, all that fun stuff ) Jealous and possessive Eddie, Modern au Eddie, fuckboy Eddie. Reader with another man (not cheating). I gave you a cute lil nickname cuz you're a sweetie. 🍑

His body collapses over yours breathless and sticky from sweat. His hold on you is tight as he rests his head over your bare chest. Your mind is racing a mile a minute. Your name is tattooed on his body. You should feel honored at the sweet gesture, but instead you're confused. He pulls away tieing off the condom and throwing it into the trash.

This is what you've always wanted, so why wasn't it like the movies, where there's a clear sign that you love him too. You listen for angels singing, or butterflies in your stomach, heat in your cheeks or the hammering of your heart. The sound of a running shower disrupts your thoughts and you quickly get dressed. You only have a few minutes before Sebastian gets out of the shower and you need to leave right now.

The rooms empty when he enters, the scent of your perfume lingers in his sheets. He knows about your date with Eddie, you told him yourself. Afraid tonight would be his last night with you he had to do something, anything to keep you. He knows the rules you set, boundaries to never be crossed, but rules are meant to be broken. In the heat of passion between kitten licks and mouthing at your neck and body he marked you, lavender bites below your ear, deep purple ones litter your breasts and inner thighs. There's no way you'd see Eddie with love bites all over your skin.

You're not sure if the steam is from your hot shower or the heat leaving your body from anger as you glance over your hickey covered body. Disappointment written all over your face. Instead of feeling loved and on cloud nine from being intimate with someone who loves you, you feel used. The marks on your body act like a trophy had been claimed. If this was supposed to stop you it only fueled your fire. You were going on that date whether Sebastian liked it or not.

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

"I have a date coming up but I'm not sure where exactly to take her so I need ideas."

Cereal dribbles out of the corners of Max's mouth as she suppresses a laugh. Eddie Munson on a date? She' thought she'd never hear the words.

He's in your apartment again, he's been coming weekly, sometimes twice a week, when he knows you're not home, Max unknowingly tells him when you're out.

He's written down little notes about things he's seen in your apartment. Likes plants, doesn't know what kind. Likes movies, doesn't know which genre is your favorite, reads books, doesn't know your favorite trope or who your book boyfriend would be. It's all very vague knowledge of your likes and dislikes.

Max gives him a few ideas of what would impress her, a trip to a nice arcade, a bmx event where riders compete on who can land the most outrageous jumps and kicks. She mentions things you might like since you're her friend after all and a girl. "My roommate doesn't like going to the movies on a first date, says that's not how you get to know someone by being silent for 2.5 hrs." She shrugs, as she sets her dirty bowl in the sink. Well there goes the movie he planned.

Max makes herself comfy on the couch, knees tucked to her side as she powers on the ps5 and places her headset on. Eddie excuses himself to use the restroom but on his way he notices your door isn't closed all the way. He looks towards Max, who's already immersed in the game and talking back to gamers who think she can't play.

This is his chance. He cautiously pushes the door open but doesn't step inside. He scans your bedroom left to right taking it all in. Immediately to the left is your cherry wood desk, laptop and paperwork with Twisted Records in the header. A calendar hangs from the wall above it showcasing days and times that you'll be in office as well as studio days, festivals and your days off.

Against his better judgment he takes out his phone and flips through the calendar taking pictures of each month as well as photos of your room. It was just enough information he needed to coincidentally meet you at the same location.

A frown settles between his brows as he studies your calendar, noticing the many therapy and drs appointments you had scheduled. Leaving your bedroom exactly how he found it he goes to the restroom and once he's done he says his goodbyes to Max.

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

Eddie drove through hills where lush greens and palm trees lined the street. Homes where driveways were miles long and fences with intricate curves and designs welded into the frame, so tall and large they seemed like heaven's gate. Stone pillars and statues were surrounded by fountains and wildflowers. The street to your dads house was never ending, at the very top of a steep hill overlooking the city.

He stopped outside your gate as a voice from the intercom addressed him, buzzing him inside. Eyes wide in awe as he looked over your dads property, you were rich rich. A sense of insecurity washed over him. You were born into this lifestyle and he was scraping by.

He didn't have all this money to shower you with gifts or fancy expensive cars. Could he even afford the dinner of your favorite restaurant? Maybe he was in over his head. What would a rich girl want with him? From what he saw you didn't act rich and snobby.

He rounded your circular driveway, paved in decorated stone and brick. Wiping his sweaty palms on his black slacks, re-adjusted the sleeves he had folded up to his forearms. A dash of cologne spritzed through the air as he walked through the spray, rounding the car towards your door.

Concealer covered the love bites behind your ear, now barely noticeable and faded. A skin tight bodycon dress with a high neckline and sleeves covered the rest. A dress this tight didn't need undergarments. The seams of a bra wouldn't do it justice so you wore panties and Chanel no 5 underneath. A pair of black heels completed the look. A last glance in the mirror made you self conscious. You remembered the girls Eddie was with that night. Tall, taller than you, very Paris Hilton modelesque type girls. The kind that gets seen with rockstars Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee types. Groupies, that wasn't you.

The sound of the doorbell rings throughout the house causing you to jump, nervousness consumes you as you slowly walk down the stairs, making sure you dont trip and embarrass yourself. You take a deep breath to calm yourself and open the front door.

Eddie stands in your doorway, a beautiful bouquet of flowers clutched in his hand. You both seem to be in a daze as you noticeably check eachother out. Eddie looks unbelievably handsome, dressed in black slacks, a collared shirt that has the top buttons open down his toned chest with his sleeves rolled up his forearms.

A flight of butterflies took off in his stomach at the sight of you. He could stare at you all day with how stunning you look, his eyes trail over your frame, the fat of your hips and thighs call to him. The things he would do to get between those smooth legs. "Wow Peach, you look amazing."

Your cheeks redden at the compliment, smoothing down your dress, you smile shyly under his stare. "That's really sweet of you, thank you."

"These are for you." Eddie hands you a beautiful bouquet of coral and lavender roses mixed with baby's breath and greenery, wrapped beautifully in colored cloth and ribbon.

You reach for the stems and an electric charge buzzes between you as your fingers gently graze Eddie's. His eyes widen at your soft touch, the buzz is loud in his ears just like the first time he met you, the buzz from the neon tattoo sign when you showed up at the shop. It's been charging, hours of friendly conversation through a telephone. Buzzing at his fingertips when they text you every morning and night. The pull is undeniable, perhaps Eddie knows that too because the flowers he chose have a meaning that's not lost on you. "They're beautiful Eddie. Thank you." You bring the bouquet to your nose gently inhaling the floral scent, your eyes close enjoying the tender moment. "Come in, let me put these in a vase."

You step aside letting Eddie into the foyer, turning on your heel towards the kitchen. Eddie gasps silently at the plunging neckline on the back of your dress, sharp shoulder blades moving with each step. His eyes follow the soft curve of your spine and his tongue peeks out licking his lips as the bounce of your backside has his mouth watering. His head is on a swivel as he admires the enormous space that is your dads house. Tall ceilings with windows from floor to ceiling brighten up the kitchen. Natural light beams through creating a peaceful serene kitchen.

You set the flowers down near the sink and Eddie takes a seat at the kitchen island, forearms leaning on the edge. You can feel his stare behind you as you reach for a vase down below. You bend at the knees, not really fond of flashing him your panties yet and Eddie tilts his head, eyes fixed closely on your body before he averts his eyes, momentarily forgetting his manners. "This is the biggest house I've ever seen, It's huge. Is it only you and your parents that live here?

You chuckle at his amusement, arranging the flowers so they sit perfectly in the middle of the island. "It's mostly me and my Dad, but he works a lot and I also work a lot, so It can be rare when we're both here at the same time."

You peer over the flowers straight into his warm eyes, your seductive gaze dances between his lips and eyes. From behind the flowers you look like a sultry fox stalking her prey, waiting for the perfect time to pounce and sink your perfect teeth into him. He'd let you too, beg for your bite to wound him helpless, drop to his knees in mercy if it meant he'd be carried to your love nest only to be devoured.

"Do you know the meaning of coral roses?" You question, tracing the soft petals of the flower with your fingertips, the tickle on your fingers giving way to your sweet smile.

"No."

Yes.

His adam's apple bobs in his throat as he swallows.

"Do you know the significance of lavender roses?" You pluck a coral and lavender rose, rounding the kitchen island to stand directly in front of Eddie's spread legs. He's never been in this position before, desire dancing like a flame within your eyes. Groupies were after the fame that came along with being a rockstar, to you Eddie was just some guy. A really handsome guy that stirred all the ingredients needed for the perfect meal.

Him.

A delicacy that not even your wealth can buy, yet he landed at your doorstep, well, Sebastian's door step like a door dash hand delivered for your consumption.

You twist the stem of the coral rose between your thumb and index finger, gently placing the rose to his chest. "Desire, a deep and longing wish for something or someone."

He places his palm above your hand, holding the rose and your hand against his chest. His eyes flick down to your lips and he hopes you don't feel the thundering of his heart beneath your palm.

With his other hand he pulls the lavender rose from your grasp, twirling it between his fingers just as you did.

"Love at first sight, the experience of starting to be in love with someone as soon as you see them for the first time."

So he does know the meaning.

He tenderly brings the rose to your temple, slowly caressing the velvet petal down the curve of your cheek, to the soft angle of your jaw. His eyes never leave yours, enchanted by your beauty, a beauty that he's only read in fairy tales and mythology. He travels the rose across your full lips, and his eyes flick down to the suppleness of your bottom lip.

The tickle of the petal against your mouth causes you to bite your lip through a smile. His eyes widen and he licks his lips on instinct, your sweet smile draws him closer, the taste of you a breath away.

His hand lifts from yours gently tucking a soft strand of your hair behind your ear, his thumb caresses the shell of your ear making your body shiver under his gentle touch, fingers fan to the nape of your neck pushing into your hair, cradling the back of your head in his palm. He closes the gap as his plush lips collide with yours, slow soft pecks testing the waters afraid of feeling too desperate to dive right in like he wanted to.

Still between his spread legs you pull him closer by the nape of his neck, his hand finds the curve of your hip bringing you closer bracing you between his thighs, palm firmly cradling your head deepening the kiss with the hunger of a starved man. His tongue swipes over the seam of your lips, eager to explore the movement of your tongue against his. You part your lips granting him entry, he moans at the taste of you, tongues swirling fighting for dominance. You cradle his face, thumb pulling at his bottom lip, nibbling on the fullness, needing to be closer, deeper.

The hand on your hip snakes its way around your waist, finding the smooth skin of your exposed back. A gasp leaves your mouth as his knuckles trace down your spine, creating tiny sparks in its wake. He tilts his head, nose brushing against your jaw, lips finding the crook of your neck. You expose your neck to him in raw desire for him to continue down this path. Granting him permission he nibbles and bites at the skin, scented by your alluring perfume.

He's intoxicated by the feel of your flesh under his hands, wanting to feel more of you, he boldly palms the round globes of your ass, a grip so deep his fingertips tickle your clothed cunt causing you to squeal and jump, breaking the heated kiss. "I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry, It's really hard to resist you." He abruptly stands, retreating both hands in a show of surrender and respect.

Unable to meet your eyes, he paces your kitchen clearly frustrated in his lapse of judgment. "Hey, It's ok…I.. I liked it" Your soft voice breaks his pacing and he finally looks at you searching for any sign of uncomfortableness, finding none he relaxes hes shoulders, relieved he didn't just blow it. "Can I hug you? Promise just a hug." You nod and he reaches for your arms, pulling you close to his firm body.

He understands now how men fall to their knees in the presence of goddesses and sirens of the deep. Eddie's not spiritual in the slightest but the way your hot skin makes him feel and the lustful way you look at him he knows if he doesnt get you out of this house he'll bow down to you with pleading eyes begging to worship you. "Lets, get out of here yeah?"

With his hand at the small of your back he leads you out to his car, opening the passenger side and averting his eyes when your dress rides up the meat of your thighs as you sit down. You smooth down ur dress, pulling the hem down to cover up afraid you've over dressed for the occasion. He enters the drivers side, wide smile as he stares at you, his passenger princess and arm candy for the night.

The drive is filled with music and laughter. No awkward silence between you, Eddie's thoughtful questions are deeper than strangers asking about the weather. Yours not so much. "So uh, what's the worst nickname someone has ever called you?"

Eddie chuckles, remembering his highschool days are long gone but never forgotten. "In highschool people called me freak." He glances over to gauge your reaction, hoping the title that he wore proudly doesn't put you off. He catches a slight frown when you look away from him and he wonders if he said the wrong thing. "Freak because….of all the girls you–"

"No. That's not. Actually far from that." He laughs. "Freak as in strange and unusual. I was the town piriah, Eddie The Freak Munson."

Its hard to believe his words when he turns his body towards you, one hand on the wheel and the other bracing the back of your headrest looking over his shoulder, eyes focused and concentrated in reversing. You focus on his thick corded neck, protruding adams apple so delicious Eve couldnt resist. The scar along his strong angular jaw acting like an X on a treasure map, you'd dig with your bare hands just to touch him.

His shirt is pulled tight around his bicep showcasing his lean muscle, defined forearms from years of playing guitar. Hes unaware of how attractive he is, relying solely on his charisma and charm. It works for him, because he's got you in the palm of his hand.

You're not sure if it's just Eddie, an unexpected turn on or both that has you squeezing your thighs together, craving a friction only he can provide.

"I can feel you staring at me."

He's looking at you now, arm still braced behind your seat, incredibly close you can feel his breath on your lips.

"You're pretty to look at." You reply, studying the map of freckles that decorate his face. He grins, cheeks flushed pink by your compliment. "If you ask me, between the both of us, you're the pretty one." He puts the car in park and grasps your hand in his, placing a sweet kiss to your knuckles. His hands feel rough against your skin but his kiss is soft and caring.

"Let me get the door, yeah?" He walks to your side of the car, opening the door like a gentleman that he's learning to be. Your dress is sitting mid thigh, too short and tight to stand up without flashing someone. He sees your hesitancy and instead of standing on the side of the door, allowing you space to get out, he comes close next to you, shielding your body from anyones wandering eyes. The heel of your shoe hits the pavement as your leg extends out of the car. He swallows.

He's seen this a million times in movies, a beautiful leggy woman exits the car with poise and grace. Men stop what they're doing to pick up their jaw from the floor, but Eddie never thought that he'd witness such a thing in real life. He looks to his sides making sure no one is expecting a peep show, already feeling very protective of you. When it's clear he offers you his hand and you accept, while the other pulls the hem of your dress down, keeping your knees together like a lady, you gracefully exit the car.

"Come, It's this way." He says, fingers intertwined with yours as he walks next to you. His hands are much bigger than yours, rough and calloused from playing instruments. You don't miss the way his thumb circles your knuckles, It's soothing and warm against your skin. He's soothing to you.

On the outside he's a bouncing ball of chaos and electricity but when you're with him he soothes your racing mind, calmness washes over you and while there's a storm raging in your mind he offers the hot coffee and warm blanket. You grip his hand a little tighter, grounding him to you for as long as you can.

A gasp leaves your lips when you finally see where he brought you. Gravel crunches beneath your shoes as you pass under an archway that's decorated in ivy. The sky is painted in light shades of orange and pink, fluffy cloud trails as far as you can see. To the right, a small natural pond is home to white and orange koi fish. Large green lily pads float on top of the rippled water, caused by perched stones creating a tiny waterfall. Shades of deep green moss cover many of the large rocks that surround the pond. A few red eared turtles are catching the last few rays of the sun before they retreat to their home.

Rows and rows of fresh greenery cloud your vision as you remember a time when you'd walk hand in hand with your mother at a similar place. "Eddie, you brought me to a greenhouse!?" Excitement is written all over your face and Eddie internally high fives himself for a job well done. The fact that he knew you liked plants from being in your apartment beforehand is never to be spoken of.

"Yeah, I hope that's ok?"

"More than ok, I love it. All these plants look so beautiful." If you weren't wearing a dress and heels you'd jump for joy. It suddenly dawns on you that from an outsider your way overdressed for the occasion and Eddie catches you looking down judging your own clothing choices. "Hey, don't worry. Just need to stand by the flowers and you'll blend right in." He smiles, leading you down the path of hanging pothos.

"If you see anything you like, it's yours."

"Oh no, don't tell me that. I'll buy everything. Besides, my apartment's already full of different plants." You laugh, walking straight to a golden pothos with thick heart shaped leaves. He knows your apartment has more than enough greenery so he offers you an opportunity usually reserved for a girlfriend. It doesn't occur to him till after he says it.

"My place is pretty bare, there's a few lonely windows that could use some color."

You stop what you're doing to look at him and take in what he just offered. Decorating his place with hand picked plants of your choice, most men freak out at the mention of a girl invading their space, yet he suggests living plants that need tending. You assume you'll be watering and changing the soil to each individual plant so it thrives in its new environment.

Does he already picture you becoming a regular in his home?

Does he want you in his home? You wouldn't mind. It's too soon to think about the future, so you shake away the thought.

Nevertheless, no one ever made such a sweet gesture and if he was this caring on your first date how would the 10th date go or even the 100th. He's a little rough around the edges on the outside but the way his dimpled smile is brighter than the sun and how he's currently swatting at a string of leaves that have tangled in his hair, you know deep down he's a silly boy with his heart on his sleeve.

You giggle at his antics and walk over to help him.

"This thing just started attacking me." He jokes, pulling a tiny leaf out of his hair.

"I think it chose you." You reply through a smile, pulling the plant down and placing it in his hands.

"Ceropegia or string of hearts. You see, its leaves are shaped like tiny hearts." You gently trace the leaves with your fingertips, admiring the purplish vines hanging from the pot. Eddie admires you more than the plant he's holding. The sunset creates a beautiful glow against your skin, beaming bright like a spotlight in the dark, showing him the way home, the way to you. He wonders if you'd let him in, with your arms wide waiting for his embrace or would he need to climb through broken windows to reach you.

He doesn't know it yet but someone else is already knocking on the door, patiently waiting for you to answer. In this moment though the thought of Sebastian doesn't even enter your mind, too focused on this new fluttering feeling in your heart, just waiting for those angelic chimes to let you know he's the one.

"How do you know about all these plants and flowers?"

"When I was a kid my Mom would come to different nurseries and botanical gardens, she'd let me run around to release all my energy while she shopped for different flowers to give to my dad. She said that most men don't receive flowers till their funeral so she made it a regular thing for him. The first plant that caught my attention was a fuzzy succulent. Fuzzy like a peach my mom said. So from there the nickname stuck and my love for plants and flowers."

You relived the memory with a smile on your face, no tears or sadness at the mention of your late mother. A small step to healing the hurt that still lingered.

"Your Mom sounds wonderful. I'd love to meet her."

You stop in your tracks, dark clouds suddenly covering the bright sun in your heart. Eddies concerned eyes come into focus, gold rays piercing through the clouds to warm you, gentle hands cupping your face, bringing you comfort.

"Hey, you ok?" His thumbs are soft as they circle the apples of your cheeks.

"She..she passed away……last year." You choke, throat tight with emotion, yet a sense of relief washes over you at finally being vulnerable to say the words out loud.

"I'm so fucking sorry Peach. I…I know how it feels to lose a mother, mine passed away when I was just a kid. It's not supposed to happen this way ya know. We aren't supposed to bury our parents."

He pulls you close in a tight hug, cheek resting on top of your head. It saddens you to know that Eddie lost his mother as a young child, you can't imagine the impact it had on him growing up. You felt a connection with him before but knowing that he also understands the pain of losing a parent, you feel bonded to him in a way you've never felt with anyone else. The scent of his cologne and the way he's holding you with such care and compassion makes your heart soar, you could be in his arms for hours and it still wouldn't be enough.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring the mood down." You pull back, dropping your arms from around his waist but he doesn't let you go far. His hands are on your shoulders, soothing your arms in an up and down motion.

" Nope. None of that. Not with me ok."

He tilts your chin up with his pointer finger and thumb, chocolate eyes searching yours, his gaze travels to your mouth and he leans in, placing a sweet kiss to your lips, erasing all your worries.

You continue down the row like a kid in a candy store, darting from plant to plant, low growing ferns with fuzzy leaves to tall monstera plants with leaves as big as your head. You choose three more plants for Eddies home and not once does he object at your selection. He's all smiles and rosy cheeks seeing the joy and excitement in your eyes as you tell him about the different plants you know about and how to care for them. He could listen to you talk about your interests all day if it meant spending more time with you.

As the sun sets below the horizon, stars illuminate the dark sky and day turns into night. You find yourself sitting across from Eddie, a whiskey glass held towards you in a toast.

"To honor. If you can't cum in her cum on her." You speak through a giggle, clinking your glass to his throwing your head back, wincing as the burn of tequila travels down your throat. You don't usually drink, due to all your medications but its a special occassion where one drink wont hurt. Eddie's eyes are wide, stunned by your vulgar toast as he brings the glass to his lips. "Shit, I'll drink to that." He comments, through a wide grin above the rim of the glass before he downs the amber liquid.

A man around your age stands at your side, notepad and pen in hand ready to take down your order, he smiles brightly at you and you return the gesture in politeness. "Good evening, My name is Leo, I'll be your server tonight." He starts, full attention directed towards you, not once breaking eye contact to acknowledge the other guest at the table. "What are we celebrating tonight, a wedding anniversary, perhaps?"

Eddie's scanning the menu one last time, finalizing his selection when the sound of your giggle pulls his attention towards the server. He narrows his eyes at him, familiar with this tactic, a not so clever way of asking if you're available.

He watches as Leo shamelessly flirts with you, veiled under the pretense of being a likable server. When you answer his question with a 'Not married' he turns to Eddie eyeing him up and down. "Don't take too long man, or someone else will take her off your hands." He chuckles, not quite landing his attempt at a joke. Eddie doesn't want to make a scene and ruin your date, smart enough to know you don't mess with people who handle your food, so he ignores the comment and signals for you to order.

"I'll get those started right away, If there's anything else I can get for you don't hesitate in flagging me down." He throws you a wink and retreats to the kitchen behind you. Eddie scoffs in disbelief, shaking his head at the server's audacity. He catches sight of Leo behind you seemingly talking about you to the chef because he snaps his head in your direction. It suddenly occurs to him that your dress is backless, hence the reason for the peering eyes behind you. His gaze travels from your pretty face, to your delicate neck, down the swell of your perky breasts. His lips part in a silent gasp as he takes note of your pebbled nipples visible under your dress. Eddie was never the jealous type but with you It's different and knowing the server's been eye fucking your tits has him seeing red.

Before he has a chance to offer you his jacket you catch him off guard by your bold question. "I'm sorry?" He asks, not sure if he heard you correctly.

"Are you married?"

Yep. He heard you correctly.

"Nope, never been married." He answers, brows pinched in confusion. "Where's this coming from?" He questions, taking a sip from his drink, needing a distraction from the odd inquiry.

"It's silly but my friends have this red flag list and well you have a job, so you're not broke. You have a car, your own place, and now I know you're not married."

Amused by the list he wonders what else is considered a red flag. "What else is on the list? I'm really curious now."

"You sure?"

"Mmhmm, go ahead, ask away."

He leans back in the chair, ready for the spitfire of random questions.

"Girlfriend?"

"Not yet." He smiles.

"Baby mama?"

"Nope."

"Crazy ex?"

"Hmmm." He looks in the distance, carefully thinking of his response as his mind briefly flashes to Becky.

"No."

"Girl best friend?"

"Nope, guy."

"Ever been arrested?"

"Yes."

Before you could prod for more details Leo's standing at your table, arms balancing oval plates with your evening dinner.

"A5 japanese wagyu for the gentleman." He places the plate in front of Eddie, unaware of the glare he's receiving from the metalhead.

"Filet mignon, for the very beautiful lady."

Eddie rolls his eyes as the plate is placed in front of you, jaw clenched in anger.

"Thank you." You reply, returning the kindness to the server with a friendly smile.

It happens quickly but Eddie sees it in slow motion. Leo inches closer, placing his hand high up on your shoulder, hot skin against your hot skin. Hunger in his stare as he peers down at your gorgeous doe eyes, dazzling under the soft glow of the lights, full kissable lips, wet from your beverage.

"You're very welcome."

Eddie doesn't hear a thing too focused on the subtle caress of his thumb on your flesh. His four other fingers imprint just below your neck, between your shoulders. You're too kind and sweet to pick up that this is more than a friendly server, more than cheeky banter, more than upbeat charade to garner better tips.

The chefs in the kitchen observe their friend closely, smiles and elbows to the ribs in jest as they admire Leo's hand touching you. It becomes too much when his hand pulls away, fingertips slowly dragging across the bare skin of your shoulder. The sleeve to your dress delicately slips off, exposing the smooth curve of your shoulder and collarbones.

Eddies up in a flash, chair scraping the tile floor as its shoved behind him. His face is angry as he towers over the smaller man, never backing down in a fight to defend a woman, his woman. Fist clenched and ready for impact, jaw so tight his molars grind against each other.

Rage swirls in his eyes as he shoots daggers toward Leo daring him to make a move. Daring him to touch you again with his greasy fingers, and see what happens when he breaks them one by one. Look at you with those lustful eyes one more time and he'll rip them from his pathetic skull, just like hes witnessed before. This time it wont be by Vecna's hand but his own.

"Murder." He speaks, not once breaking eye contact with the frightened man cowering in front of him.

"I was arrested for murder."

He leans over whispering something in the mans ear.

'Touch her again and i'll fucking kill you.'

Without another word or look in your direction Leo scurries back to the kitchen, where his friends busy themselves, avoiding Eddie's homicidal glare.

You're shocked beyond belief at what you just witnessed and Eddie's revelation, but his show of dominance and possessiveness has your panties drenched in arousal. If it wasn't for all the guests enjoying their meal, you'd fall to your knees, take his full length into your awaiting mouth, choke on his fat cock till drool dribbles down your chin and your eyes water. And once you swallow his seed with a smile on your face you'd beg for more.

Eddie thinks he's officially blown it, causing a disturbance on your first date and admitting he got arrested for murder. It's not till you're licking your lips and shifting in your seat that he realizes it's the exact opposite. You're not afraid that he took someone's life or that seeing another guy touch you lit a fire in him so bright it threatened to burn the place down. It turned you on. HE turns you on, more than anyone ever has, and in this moment you want him, need him so badly it burns.

His hands are gentle against your hot skin as he hooks his finger under the sleeve of your dress, bringing the sparkling fabric back over your shoulder. His eyes are warm, no longer filled with anger as they marvel at you. His brown eyes are suddenly your favorite shade. His touch, the best feeling against your skin. His kiss, your favorite flavor. The scent of his cologne becomes your favorite scent, as he drapes his leather jacket over your shoulders, shielding you from prying eyes and unwanted touches.

He finds his seat again, knife and fork in hand as he cuts into his food.

"Wrongfully arrested." He clarifies, fork sliding between his lips. His eyes close, savoring the marbled steak "mmm so good. You want some?" You nod and he cuts into another piece, holding the fork out for you. His eyes watch as you wrap your lips around his fork, deliberately pulling off with a slow drag of your mouth, pouty lips glistening from the grease of the juicy steak. Eddie's cock twitches at the pornographic sound that leaves your lips when the bursts of flavor coat your tongue.

"Mmmmm Delicious." You coo, swiping at the edge of your mouth with your thumb.

"How did it feel– Being handcuffed, and thrown around?

Eddie's eyebrows disappear under his bangs in surprise, a sly grin plastered on his handsome face. He truly hopes he's not reading you wrong, or he'll regret his next words if he is.

"I…I could show you. My place Isn't far from here."

He downs the rest of his drink, bracing himself for your rejection. Self deprecating thoughts mock him, until your angelic voice brings him out of it.

"Yea, I want you to show me."

I want you.

I want you.

I want you.

Show me.

Show me.

Show me.

"Check please!"

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

The drive to Eddie's place is filled with bashful glances and flirty touches. He can't get enough of you. His body screams to be close to you, touching you in any capacity you'll allow, holding hands between the console, gentle hands cupping your neck, bringing you close for heated kisses at stop lights. If at any moment you were to tell him to stop, if going to his place is all of a sudden a bad idea or he senses any discomfort, he's man enough to respect your boundaries and end the night with just as much enthusiasm as it started.

The car comes jostling up as he hits a speed bump a little too quickly, causing your tits to bounce deliciously and the hem of your dress to ride up. His eyes linger on the meat of your plush thigh, glancing towards your lap every few seconds, blood rushing to his dick as he envisions what's between your legs.

You don't miss the way he's gripping the steering wheel and shifting in his seat, chest heaving with every breath. You catch him licking his lips as eyes dart to your thighs and it makes a fire burn within you. Being wanted and lusted after fueling your boldness, you grab his hand and place it on your inner thigh.

His wide eyes snap to yours, pupils dark with hunger, craving to devour you whole. "Shit, you're amazing." He praises, kneading your flesh between his fingers, denting your skin with his grip. You bring his hand between your legs, pulling your dress up around your waist exposing your black panties.

"Oh fuck fuck. That's so hot." He breathes, cupping your cunt over your panties. His middle and ring fingers massage your slit, eyes glancing between the road ahead and his hand between your legs. A hiss is pulled from his lips as you reach over and palm his hard cock through his pants. "Fuck baby, feels so good." He groans, angling his hips up, chasing your palm.

"Need more Eddie." You coo, spreading your legs wider, giving him better access to your cunt.

"Shit. Ok yeah. Anything you want." He gulped, Carefully pulling your panties to the side, sliding his middle finger into your entrance, groaning as he pumped into you.

"Fuck, youre so wet princess."

His second finger breaches your entrance, easily sliding in, fingering you with one hand while the other holds the wheel, racing towards his house. You leaned your seat back causing Eddies fingers to fuck you deeper, hitting that soft spongy spot you could never reach. Pleasure building at the way his rings cool your hot core.

The car comes to a complete stop in the driveway, fingers pulling out of you as Eddie throws his seat back.

"Come here" he demands, hauling you onto his lap, fingers digging into your hips as he rocks you back and forth on his dick.

His mouth crashes into yours, all teeth and swirling tongues. You groan into him, enjoying the flavor of his tongue like an ice cream on the fourth of july.

His kisses trail down attacking your neck, sucking a bruise to your hot skin, marking his territory like he owns you. Hands grab your ass, kneading the fat and pushing you deeper into him.

Your fingers pull at his belt, looping it through the buckle, frantically undoing the button. Your eyes search his, waiting for approval to continue. He nods eagerly, watching your hands slowly undo him as you pull the zipper down, he lifts his hips, shuffling his pants and boxers down just enough to free his aching cock.

His length springs free, slapping his stomach and the dark curls that make up his happy trail. You gasp at his size, long and thick with a slight curve, mouth watering at the pearl of pre cum coating his tip. You bite your lip, gripping his cock at its base making Eddie moan at the feeling of your soft hands stroking him.

"Fuck angel, that feels incredible." He groans, finally being able to feel your hands around his cock.

You lean forward coating his dick with a line of spit, massaging it on his shaft with slow strokes. "Put me inside baby, I need to feel you." He grips your hips, lifting you above his cock as you pull your panties aside and line him up with your entrance. Slowly, you sink down on his shaft, inch by inch. Eddie whines as you slide down his shaft, body shuddering at the stretching of your tight hole. "Oh fuck fuck fuck, baby youre so fucking tight."

He moans into your mouth as he fills you completely, fully seated on his hard cock you begin to bounce dragging his length along your velvet walls. Ass slapping his thighs when you pounce on him over and over.

"Wait wait." He breathes, "Can we take this inside?" You nod, as Eddie exits the car, still buried deep inside you, legs wrapped around his waist as he holds his pants with one hand and the other wrapped around your waist.

Your laugh vibrates against him at the thought of a neighbor seeing you two shuffle to the door, like two teenagers that are pressed for time. As soon as the door closes behind you he's fucking you against the wall, moans filling the room in needy passion.

"I'm sorry Peach." Before you can respond he forcefully rips your dress, fabric bunched at your midsection, bare tits bouncing in his face. "So beautiful" he mouths, squeezing your breast between his hands, taking your pebbled nipple between his lips, sucking and laving at the perky bud.

He walks you to his bedroom, flicking on the light as he throws you down against his mattress, He toes off his shoes, pulling his pants down to his ankles, stepping out and chucking them aside. Boxers still loosely hanging on, exposing the delicious V you can't wait to pepper with your wet mouth.

His hands reach to pull your dress down your body, and you flinch away, holding your dress tighter to your body, remembering your scars that mark the sides of your ribs. Scars that no one has seen, scars that make you insecure.

He worries he's done something wrong and this is where the night ends. "Hey hey, uh we could stop here sweetheart. If that's what you want."

You shake your head. "Eddie, it's just, I have these ugly scars." You can't meet his eyes, too shy and self conscious, but Eddie understands more than you think. He can't imagine any part of you is ugly and it breaks his heart knowing you thought a scar would scare him away.

"Can I show you something?" He asks, fingers unbuttoning his shirt. You nod, gaze fixed on his hands, curious as to what he wants to show you.

Belly full of nerves at what he's about to expose, he undoes each button one by one. Skin sticky with sweat from your car session and anxiety climbing up his body, he's had years to heal but this moment when he's vulnerable panic sets in.

"There's absolutely nothing ugly about you, not inside. Not out. Not now. Not ever. Do you understand?"

He's perfect. Every part of him, hand crafted with precision and detail. Carved out of precious stone and gold, polished to a shiny finish only to be held with gloved hands.

He pulls his shirt open, revealing his toned chest covered in a light spread of hair, lean stomach, itching to be touched. His skin is severely scarred, large patches of missing flesh primarily on the left side. Pink thick tissue, twisted and grooved, angry looking, although it's been healed over.

You feel stupid so incredibly stupid. It's not a competition of who has more trauma you know that; but his scars are so much larger than yours and you called them ugly when he's further from the word. You don't dismiss the pain and torture he endured at the hands of…. Whatever did that to him. You don't ask, afraid you'd sob uncontrollably at the gruesome story. If he wants to share he'll do it on his own, no need to pry.

"I'm so sorry Eddie, I didn't mean–"

"I know baby, I know."

He inches closer to where you're sitting on the bed, stalking his prey ready to pounce. Your hands reach out, roaming his toned chest, delicatley caressing the scars that cover his body. He chuckles when your fingertips tickle his abdomen as you trail down to the pattern of dark curls that lead under the waistband of his boxers. His strong hands grip your wrists, stopping you from going further.

"Show me ....please," he whispers.

Your shaky hands grip the hem of your dress, pushed up around your hips. Bringing it over your head, you toss the material to the pile on the floor. Your arms instinctively cover over your midsection, focused mostly on your sides.

Eddie studies all your curves, a fine exquisite work of art, uniquely rare, not made for the public eye, only seen in his private collection. A collection of you, and all the different angles of your body.

"You're fucking gorgeous Peach, let me show you what you do to me."

He lowers himself to his knees, strong fingers wrap around your delicate ankle, unclasping the silver buckle of your heel, removing your left shoe, then the right. His hands travel up behind your calf, over your knees, kneading the fat of your outer thighs.

He looks beautiful like this, on his knees for you, ready to worship you like the goddess he knows you are.

Wetness pools in your panties in anticipation, hands heated on your soft skin. "Lay down for me angel, I wanna see you."

You lean back, propped on your forearms, lusting over the man in front of you. Placing his hands between your knees he parts your legs, hands on each knee pressing them close to the mattress to open you. Seeing your perfect mound covered by your lacy panties, has him light headed, eyes follow down the fabric as it disappears between your ass cheeks, into a thong.

"Fuck, youre perfect." He whispers, kissing your inner thigh. It's soft at first, but the more he tastes and licks at your skin the more desperate he becomes. He inches closer to your center, pressing his nose into your clothed cunt as he inhales your scent so deeply it fills his nostrils and expands his lungs. The smell of your arousal has his eyes rolling back pulling a deep groan from his chest.

"Fuck, You smell divine baby, can I taste you?"

"Oh my god, yes." You whimper.

He licks a fat stripe up your clothed pussy, tongue prodding your hole in a tease.

"Eddieee!" You squirm, anxious to feel his mouth on you. "Don't be mean." you plead, hips bucking towards him in need.

"Shhh, just savoring you is all."

He chuckles at your squirming, hooking your thong under his finger tips, sliding them down as you lift your hips off the bed.

"Fucking hell babe, look at you." He praises, watching as the center of your panties cling to your wetness. He brings your thong to his nose inhaling your scent again. "I'm Keeping these." He smiles, shoving them in his pocket, while his eyes are fixed on your glistening cunt.

Thick fingers glide between your folds coating them with your slick, as his thumbs spread your lips wide, exposing your pink pussy to him. Head between your thighs he licks a wide stripe from your asshole to your cunt, tongue swirling around your puckered hole before he tounge fucks it, his fingers are spreading your ass cheeks apart getting him deeper into you.

"Ohhh Fuuuck Eddie." You moan, breathless and tugging at the sheets below you. Spurred by your erotic moans he begins rutting into the mattress, searching for relief.

He growls into your core as he dines on your cunt, like he's been famished for years. His expert mouth sucks on your clit, while his fingers fuck into you at an angle that hits your g spot just right.

"Ohmygod Eddieee I'm gonna cum." You cry out, back arching off the bed in pleasure as flashes of white burst behind your eyes. "Good girl." He praises, as he continues licking into you, slurping up all your essence until you're shoving his head away in overstimulation.

He's chuckling at you as you Scramble away from him, chest heaving and wiping your juices on the back of his hand.

The sight of his statuesque body fires you back up and you beckon him toward you. Drool forms in your mouth at the sight of his hard cock ready and willing to pleasure you again.

He searches for something in the closet, eyes gawking at his firm ass. It's over too soon because in a flash he's crawling over you.

You hear the unmistakable sound of metal clinking and before you know it, you're handcuffed to his bed.

"So, how does it feel?" He smirks, pressing his weight on top of your body, hands roaming over every curve.

"Like I'm about to be railed into oblivion."

A loud thunderous laugh emerges from him, chest rumbling above you. His deep dimples and crinkled eyes light up your life, paving the way to happily ever after.

"Pretty and smart. What else can I ask for?" He grins, brushing your nose with his, a gentle and sweet gesture pulling at your heart strings.

He traces the delicate lines of your body, lighting a fire where his hands have touched. You startle as he kisses your reddened scars, a permanent visual reminding you that you survived what tried to kill you.

Unable to wait any longer he grips the base of his cock, lining it up to your entrance. Pushing in inch by inch until he fills you completely.

"Fuuck I love this pussy." He raves, thrusting into you, hypnotized as his cock disappears inside you over and over.

He lifts your leg over his shoulder to get a better angle, fucking you so hard the headboard hits the wall in a rhythm thats music to your ears. You swallow his grunts and moans in breathless kisses, licking and biting at his reddened lips. Arms still restrained above your head you writhe and squirm as his thumb makes circles on your clit, lighting a fire in your belly. Flames building and building as he applies the perfect amount of pressure to your swollen bud. Your legs begin to shake and twitch as he brings you closer and closer to euphoria.

"Fuck Eddie, I'm gonna–

"Me too baby me too."

A deep guttural moan rips from his chest as white hot cum paints your walls, hips jerking forward as he empties his seed into you. Your toes uncurl from the intense orgasm that washed over you. Chest heaving and Breathless, he releases you from the cuffs, covering your face with your hands you giggle into your palms in blissful happiness.

Eddie peppers you with lazy kisses, mumbling sweet nothings.

'Amazing.'

Kiss.

'So fucking beautiful.'

Kiss.

'Like you so much'

Kiss.

When you both come down from the passionate high, he rolls off to the side, pulling out of you with a groan; already missing your warmth. Instinctivley you nestle your head on his chest, leg draped over his, as his arm wraps around your shoulders, smoothing down your hair, he brings your wrists to his mouth for delicate kisses.

"That was… mind-blowing."

"Incredible."

You both speak in unison.

The loud ring of Eddie's phone breaks the silence. He scrambles over, smiling at the screen as he checks the message. Subtly averting the screen from your peering eyes, he texts back and places his phone face down.

"Let's wash up, yeah?"

You follow Eddie to the shower where he washes every part of your body with soft strokes and sensual kisses. He invites you to see his band perform, a promise of a 2nd date with live music and drinks. To show you how electrifying his performance is he takes you against the shower walls, making you sing the song of fulfilled ecstasy.

Tangled under the covers, warm in his embrace, a deep sleep comes over the both of you. In his arms your mind's at peace, no signs of a thundering storm looming near.

Deep in the realms of dreamland you don't hear the ring of Eddie's phone, the way he quietly untangles from your body. Or the sound of his voice when he's whispering into his phone '...can't wait to see you.' You don't hear the shuffle of him dressing, or the scratching of pen on paper. You don't even feel the adoring kiss he places on your cheek. Or the sound of the door closing as he exits the room.

What you do feel, is the rays of the morning sun as it filters through the room. Cold sheets tangled between your bare legs as you stir. A once warm bed now cold and empty, lacking in the heat that brought you to your knees.

Hopeful arms search the bed, reaching the end with no one else beside you. It was a perfect night and for that you're grateful. But the clock strikes midnight, and Cinderella's dress turns to rags, magic and fairytale long gone.

A sense of loneliness engulfs you, as you sit up in his empty bed. Eddie's nowhere to be found, no shower running, no coffee brewing in the kitchen. A rouge tear rolls down your cheek and you furiously wipe it away.

You pull your dress back on with the ripped silver straps, no bra and your panties missing; a souvenir to add to his collection you're sure. With your heels in hand you do the walk of shame, out his room, down the hall.

You freeze in place as three sets of eyes stare at you in disbelief. Their smirks and wide eyes tell you they know what activities took place last night.

"Hi. Um, I'm just gonna head out." You mumble, heat rising to your cheeks in embarrassment.

You sigh at the fresh breeze that hits your skin as you exit the home, closing the door behind you. Loud laughs erupt behind the door, pausing you in your step to listen closely.

"Where is Eddie By the way?"

"Eh, you know him, fuck em and leave em, onto the next."

"She must not have been that easy. Took longer than he said it would."

"Still fucked him on the first date."

"Just like the rest."

Taglist: @amira0303 @hideoutside@edsforehead @skank-sinatra13@kissmejoey @ms1oftheboys@tlclick73 @lady-munson

Not sure if the tags are working pls let me know.

[hopjam]

alright gamers usually i would make a proper drawing to go along with this post but i've already drawn a lot lately already so i guess i'm not doing that today. ANYWAY so as you may or may not know i have an nms traveler anomaly oc

this thing. yes. this thing

their name is iteration: pandora and i literally just wanted an excuse to talk about why i named them that (or why i think the nms player character would be named that) because i have found out as of late that there is very much an nms lore community on tumblr and that fact has been fueling me to nmspost nonstop. also can you tell i don't actually have anyone else who is in-the-know about the lore of this game to infodump to lmao

i'm putting this under a read more. massive nms spoilers follow

SO. let me make one thing clear. i have no goddamned clue whether or not the traveler anomaly counts under the "traveler" race or if they're like a secret, wholly separate fifth thing BUT i think the general consensus seems to be the former so i think i'm going with that?

right. and if the traveler anomaly is a traveler who has stepped foot onto the anomaly (the location), then they must've surely heard of the other iterations who were given names because nada and polo didn't want to call them by numbers

and—isn't the thought of that nice, in a way? the traveler anomaly woke up without a "before" with no memories nor self to call their own, and presumably up to this point they've done less of "exploring" and more of "surviving".

wouldn't it be lovely to have a name one can be addressed by, a string of letters and sounds to anchor oneself to even in the deepest depths of the dark?

ahem. anyway. here's why i picked "pandora" for them specifically

i understand that the named traveler iterations (with the exception of -null-) are named after greek gods, and that the mythological pandora is the name of the first ever human in greek mythology instead (except in accounts that depict epimetheus as the first man instead of prometheus' brother).

however, my idea is that. like. you know how the iterations are all various kinds of nonhuman-looking humanoids, except for the traveler anomaly who simply just looks like a person in a spacesuit?

if the traveler anomaly is the last iteration, then i feel like it makes sense to consider them the closest the atlas has ever gotten to replicating a "real" human (and possibly its own creator) since real astronauts do actually wear spacesuits and helmets, thus also making them—in a way—the first """human""" of the no man's sky universe.

and if the traveler anomaly is a replica of the atlas' creator and possibly the closest one to ever make the cut, then aren't they technically responsible for the simulation, in a way?

pandora opened the jar which contained all of the evils of humanity. the creator of the atlas gave birth to a world that'll soon fold in upon itself within sixteen minutes.

however, what pandora found at the bottom of the jar she opened was hope. as the end of days approaches, the lines between universes and realities blend together to give two people who would've never met each other otherwise the opportunity to explore together until the very fabric of reality all comes crumbling down.

but it was still worth it, isn't it? at the very least, you had someone to call company in those last sixteen minutes.

‎‎ㅤ

anyway i decided to just name my oc "iteration: pandora" because i don't think anyone else is already doing that so

[youngster-monster]

everytime i look back at my own anon asks they get longer and i feel like im writing an essay except the essay is hyperfixation fueled rambling . does that mean anything i WILL get my wow lore from you i HAVE been getting my wow lore from you and there is nothing that any gamer alive can do to stop me because i have more free time than i should be allowed to have and an obsession for two dead gay elves. i think about them every single day and i think that this can be accredited to you, ELVES???? IN MY MULTI-MASSIVELY ONLINE ROLEPLAYING GAME???????? MANY OF THEM??? AND THEYRE COMPETENT TOO?????? oh man oh god i (i am shoveling everything on my desk into a suitcase) i dunno if i (i am hauling my computer and monitors into a comically enormous suitcase that is far larger than the contents would require) dunno if i can (searching "FINAL FANTASY XIV DOWNLOAD") i dont know if i can play that g- okay for real though i May In Fact Download FFXIV . i am scared of games i know nothing about because Uh brain sucks but youve convinced me by setting up one of those stick and box animal traps with promise of elves as the bait. i now get to message my sister who has also been hitting me with ffxiv copypasta and tell her i am interested PLEASE please please i would literally do anything to see subs tank so that they have no choice but to kick illidan out of space hell and by extension kael and vashj too so they can be mean to eachother and have the banter i so crave. to me their banter is what mana addiction is to the high elves. i miss them every single day my brother actually found out about the gay elves when i left wow open on my computer ("what relevance does that have?" you know how you can name your wow character almost anything? yeah so i have this thing where i physically cannot stop myself from testing if ship names are available for use on any game i play and uhm. youll never guess what i was testing on wow right then and there) which is tragically positioned in such a way that it is visible to the entire room and when he saw it he looked so disappointed but in no way surprised whatsoever

the time that i have to message you approaches very quickly because the ask length is getting Worse. it is getting So Bad. my deepest condolences that you have to sift through this whole thing i just have so many things to say at any given time

frankly this reminds me of my old forums days. did y'all ever do that thing where you made a friend on a forum and instead of exchanging numbers (no mobile phone) or skype contacts you'd just exchange novel-length private messages? emails with extra steps.

i am so sorry for the dead elves brainrot. it will get worse.

me 🤝 your sister Come Play FFXIV. They Are Extending The Free Trial In October. You Cannot Escape The Elves

it's actually a good game too especially once you make it past base game! as a wow player i found it pretty easy to get into after a quick period of adaptation ( < forged in the crucible of wotlk-era wow)

i just KNOW the outland trio has some incredibly comedic AND tragic potential with their banter and blizzard is KEEPING IT FROM US.

everyday hapless brothers are subjected to their sibling's dead gay elves obsession.... and it will happen again. when we're in the same room i often ask my brother random wow lore questions and he answers me immediately before going (extremely suspicious) "why. is this for a fanfic." yes it is now tell me more about coastal cities in the eastern kingdom for this throwaway line im trying to write

i also cannot shut the fuck up and i love attention and friendship so i'm having a blast personally 😌 everyday i log on and go "ah :) got a new message from my Secret Connection" like we're two spies in the 17th century corresponding through letters folded under a rock

[ramrage]

now tht the dust has settled..... thoughts on mwiii campaign ?

oh god this has probably been sitting here for 27 years, hasn’t it?, my apologies—tumblr mobile is super ass and butt with highlighting inbox notifications, even tho (to me!) theyre the most urgent but WHATEVER!, anyways thank you so much for the ask, the fact that people care about my opinions on anything is so flattering, so i smooch and kiss your head, basically

full, rambling essay (which tbh is way longer than it needs to be) below the cut

id be lying if i said i was pleased, and this is coming from a fannish perspective /as well as/ a plain ol’ gamer perspective.

starting with the fandom bit, specifically The Culling of Soap, because i assume that’s what youre here for:

so, im a complete and utter fool and actively sought out spoilers despite not wanting to see them, so i already knew soap was going to kark it. it is what it is. my hope—tho tbh, it was more of an assumption—was that it was at the very least going to come with nice, high-quality emotional moments to fuel the ghostsoap fire.

which would make sense, no? this was only the 2nd campaign ive ever played, but going off the writing in mw2 and the few scenes ive seen from the 09 campaign, i assumed they’d give a main character’s death a bit of care. like a whole ass heart-wrenching cutscene right after soap got shot. and they really could’ve.

how it went:

- little cutscene with soap (kinda anticlimactically) playing the hero and then getting shot

- return to regular gameplay in which you have to literally just. press a button or two.

but why couldn’t all of the above been a cinematic? like, the gameplay task wasn’t remotely challenging or engaging—it didn’t add to the experience. i can say that it reminded us that we were, in fact, playing a video game and not watching a movie, but?? who the fuck cares? the campaigns shine because they marry visual narrative storytelling with gameplay. ideally, you take the best bits of both to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts, but imo, that was very much not the case.

instead, they used the ash spreading scene as the emotional suckerpunch but omg I am so sorry, that nonsense was BEYOND corny. I was genuinely waiting for the soulful bagpipe rendition of Amazing Grace to start up (as is the tradition for at least irish catholics. i reckon the same goes for their scottish counterparts).

I must recognize the scene’s silver lining, though. That’s right. Three cheers for Ghost looking like the saddest wettest cat to have ever worn BOOHOO MAN joggers. Great choice, by the way, to put the boohooing man in boohoo man. Gotta give it up for that.

But overall, I was rather disappointed by the lack of banter in this campaign. Evidently, there was more banter that I missed, presumably because my style of play is running in guns blazing, screaming “LEEEROY JENKINS”

Which brings me to the Gameplay Section

It was a lot like DMZ! I like DMZ! Which is really fucking lucky because here’s a comprehensive list of mwii and mwiii game modes that are a lot like DMZ

- the campaign

- resurgence

- battle royale

- zombies

- co-op missions

- raids

and now for the game modes that /aren’t/ like DMZ

- multiplayer

I understand the Paper Pusher Powers That Be rushed development severely, hence the massive amount of reused/repurposed content, but like. I don’t care? Fuck that. At the end of the day, we were offered an expensive-ass bowl full of leftovers mixed with heat-and-serve frozen dinners. Not cool, man.

It makes me extra-pissed hearing that the developers got worked to the bone for this, and it pisses me off that they’re receiving a great deal of the heat re: the game sucking. It’s /so/ not their fault that corporate did as corporate does, that being focusing on the money instead of the quality of the product. y’know, the thing that actually compels people to spend money in the first place.

I have no idea how or if they plan on salvaging this, but I hope they do. It’s pretty damn embarrassing if they don’t.

[issafterglow]

a letter to my first.

hi, my. hehe. i know. i wasn't expecting to see posts about you in this account to be honest. pero when i did i kinda find it funny how i'm back here again without you.

madami akong salitang hindi nabitawan nung kausap pa kita. i hid parts of myself just so i won't scare u off. i admit, nung magkausap tayo i wasn't being true to myself. i really liked you, and i wanted so hard for you to like me too na i tried concealing what i truly feel for quiet some time. i don't know how you perceive me right now. i don't know what you tell people when you talk about me. or, do you even talk about me at all?

was it also hard to hear my name as much as yours did to me?

i'll probably never know. but, here's the truth: i'm insecure, i'm not smart, i'm untalented, and i probably have the biggest inferiority complex in the history of mankind which is why i never believed in the assurances and affirmations you kept sending my way kasi i wasn't every sure of myself. i was just... lost. and i wonder always, what could've been if only i met you when i was healed. but instead, i met you when i was a mess, when i wasn't in the right situation to take risks, and when i didn't have it in me to confide to people.

truth be told, you fueled something in me i didn't know i was capable of feeling, my. i loved being someone's someone, i was fond of our conversations even when it was making no sense at all, but despite that i wasn't able to let you in fully. because i had massive issues. i was scared that if i showed you this ugly part of me, this insecure and jealous side of me, you would get tired of me and see me exactly for how i see myself which is this: a loser.

and i wanted so bad to be better for you, but also i wanted to be better for myself too. i guess that's what really held me back. tama siguro talaga sila, you should never enter a relationship or something of some sort kapag hindi mo pa mahal yung sarili mo.

all i did tuloy was mess us up, especially when your ex came up that one time. hina ko lods, i'm very much aware. i'm sorry, for overanalyzing stuff. for overcomplicating stuff. akala ko kasi, when you told me you wanted an iska, nung akala mong sumasayaw ako, nung sinabi mong gusto mo ng kinakakantahan ka, akala ko hinahanap mo lang 'yung nakaraan mo sa iba. and in my head it made so much sense kasi your ex can dance, your ex is an iska, she can also sing, former candidate din ata ng MNL 48, and she's a gamer. so, i thought you were looking for parts of her in me so you could project the love you had for her to someone new.

but even if you did or not, i still probably won't ever know.

gusto ko rin itanong, when you got mad at me the 1st time i got drunk, was it because of the photo i sent beforehand? were you disappointed na i didn't look exactly like how you thought i would be kaya you had to reconsider for the night?

i'm sorry. i just had to put it out there. there goes my insecurities about us. hahahaha. pasensya, kung wala akong tiwala. i really am sorry my. i'm sorry for tossing you aside when things get rough on my side. i'm sorry i wasn't capable of staying. and i'm sorry i told you i loved you just to raise my chances of taking you back.

yes, i was falling for you, however i haven't fallen yet. because if i was i'm pretty sure i never would've let you go.

up until our last conversation, i wasn't true to you.

i'm sorry.

but i really did like you, trust me.

you're probably the first girl who made me feel this way. and the first girl to reciprocate the admiration i had. or did you? charot sobra na talaga sa trust issues HAHAHAHA

i guess i didn't really trust you enough and i probably never will.

so, i'm glad that i lost you. because despite that, i found new parts of myself. thank you, sa lahat.

hindi ko alam kung dati mo nang kilala yung any name's okay, pero putting them in your playlist really gave me so much hope. but i realized, maybe i really wasn't that special as i thought i was.

madali lang siguro talaga akong kalimutan.

maybe it's really that easy to detach from me.

di ko na alam, basta ako, nahirapan akong limutin lahat ng pinaramdam mo sakin.

please live a good life. sana, balang araw, matupad mo yung pangarap mo na maging doktor. i hope you find someone who can give back the energy you have. i hope you find someone who's mentally and emotionally stable.

hanggang dito nalang ako my. i will stop keeping tabs on you na. ganoon talaga eh, it wasn't meant to be. and besides, you probably talk bad about me to your friends na din just like how you did with your ex? to tell you, i really didn't like that as well. ironic noh? selos ako sa ex mo pero ayaw kong binabad mouth mo siya. idk i guess for me lang, since you're still mad about her actions, it made me believe na you still had feelings for her somehow. na you still cared. maybe i'm wrong. di naman ako psych major after all, unlike you hehe

and about what i said, na yayayain kita mag valo kapag okay na ako, hindi ko na rin yon matutupad pa. kasi wala na akong makitang rason para panatilihin ka pa sa buhay ko.

be happy, myla.

these are my last words to you.

let's not see each other again someday :)

farewell, my first.

[yanderememes]

I absolutely love innocent Darling, they really portray me almost every time it's so much fun to read.

But have you ever imagined a Darling with an unbreakable fighting spirit along with the villains? I find it very interesting, they don't need to have a Stand, but their personality is really determined and even if they are physically incapacitated they NEVER give up on escaping from them...

How did they act? They feel Pleasure or Annoyance?

*Yandere Villain Jojo look at you with obsession and lust, it fills you with determination*

Ah, a fellow gamer I see~

In my mind, I don't think the darling in villain house is aware of their situation to even try and escape. They genuinely think they're all friends hanging out. But that being said, darling is actually a very strong willed person who don't take shit from nobody.

I like to imagine that despite innocent!darling's sweet and naive demeanour, they can also be very scary which catches the villains off-guard lol

Like imagine: darling is always so sweet and cute. But one day while darling was out with the villains at a restaurant, darling takes a quick washroom break. When darling returns, they see everyone bullying Doppio. Angered that they would bully a dear friend, darling storms back to their table and gives the deadliest glare to villain house. That's when they knew, they fucked up. For the rest of the week darling gives them the silent treatment and doesn't do the usual routine. No washing dishes, no laundry, no breakfast, lunch or dinner prepared. And to top it all off, darling sleeps in their own room instead of rotating between the villains' rooms every night.

You don't know how good you have it until its gone. Well ain't that the truth for villain house. Despite darling's sweet and oblivious nature, they have an unbreakable determination. Although the villains are being treated like shit right now, for some reason this new side of darling gets them... Excited~

In conclusion, villain house finds darling even hotter and it fuels their lust and yandereness for them even more 😈

[notnctu]

haechan: the cocky | vol 1

━ welcome home to housemating smut series :) 

☆ click the link above to read background info about this housemate!

☆ GENRE: smut, pwp ☆ DETAILS: fem!reader, college!au, housemate!au ☆ WARNINGS: oral, voyeurism, explicit language ☆ WC: 2,659 ☆ SYNOPSIS: on this sunny afternoon, you’re home alone while everyone else is in class... or so you thought. as haechan’s name spills from your lustful mouth, he mindlessly comes in thinking that you’re calling for him. instead, he walks in to see you fingers deep and in need of some assistance, again.

☆ AUTHORS NOTE: happy halloween everyone!! pls read the background info before proceeding with the fic!! absolutely pwp, there is no real plot here besides smut LOL and yes there will be a part two ! maybe multiple parts idk yet lol depends on my story building 

Tossing your backpack into the corner of your room, you pounce on your bed as quickly as possible. There was something about Haechan’s outfit choice today: baggy relaxed pants and an oversized plain white tshirt that only he could pull off. Something about his cool, carefree attitude riles up an inexplicable part of you. And though you didn’t have much time to drool over his incredibly impressive outfit before dashing for your 10 AM, it is all that’s been running through your head.

And truthfully if you had been caught staring for even a millisecond, you wouldn’t hear the end of it from him. You’ve seen this guy go two days straight sitting in his boxers and wrinkled old tee as he yells profanities at his computer monitor. Yet, in some egotistical world, Haechan still manages to be the cockiest person in the whole house.

Haechan has pulled quite a fair share of girls, but nothing in comparison to Jaehyun or Johnny. The reason behind his sly smirks and obvious traveling eyes could possibly be that he’s pulled you, quite a number of times.

Haechan never really peaked your interest until he became the one you spent the most time alone with. He is not the type to boast about his sexual encounters, so you really had to squeeze it out of him. Long talks of his cunnilingus tactics had you wet by the end of it all, not expecting that this gamer boy had such an eager passion for seeing girls squirm from his tongue.

Eager and strong enough passion to ask if he could get a taste of you, then proceeded to bring up all the moments that he has passed by your room to see you sprawled across your bed naked and rubbing one out. You had a poor habit of not closing your door all the way.

However strangely enough, you didn’t feel embarrassed that Haechan was the one who saw you. In fact, if anyone in the house did catch you masturbating, you’d hope it was him. Your relationship is comfortable to the point of seeing the worst sides of each other, you could be your true self around him because he wasn’t some playboy to impress. He is and always will be, Lee Haechan, the boy that sucks at arm wrestling.

So as you check your housemates’ locations and thinking that the coast is clear, you begin to peel off your bottoms and panties. Every naughty thought of Haechan rolls into your lustful mind. Tugging at his fluffy hair. His plushy tongue against your clit. His light spanks against your ass. His needy hands gripping your thighs. His low throaty moans.

You get into your favorite position --- ass up, on your knees and legs spread open, with your face buried in a pillow. Your hand tries to mimic his touch: gently teasing your nipples, trailing down your stomach until you reach your sensitive bud. Your fingers gather your slick and automatically, Haechan’s name escapes your lips. Closing your eyes, you recall all the times he’s eaten you out until you’ve seen stars.

Now if Haechan wasn’t so forgetful, he wouldn’t have to drive all the way back home to grab his notebook for lecture. When the boy enters the house, he takes note of your scattered shoes at the door and the faint sound of your voice. Curiously, he walks up the stairs to the rooms and hears you calling for him and concludes that you probably heard him come home.

When he approaches your slightly opened door, he sees an image that immediately halts him in his tracks. Through the rather large slit, he has the clearest view of your dripping pussy and quick fingers rubbing at your clit. And he registers your calls for moans. You were moaning his name, not calling for him.

He glances around at the other open rooms to check if anyone else is home, but that is probably why you thought it would be completely fine to not close your door, again. When he returns to the incredibly sexy scene of you masturbating to the thought of him, you’re so lost in your own pleasure that you don’t even hear his heavy breathing.

A tent forms in his pants as he feels all his blood rushing to his shaft. He’s beyond turned on, like come on, it’s him you’re thinking about. This does nothing, but fuel his already large ego. Haechan enters your room and clears his throat, “you should really learn to close your door, baby.” 

Your momentum breaks at the sheer fear of someone else’s voice. Panic settles and the first thing you see when you look up is Haechan’s small smirk. He leans against the frame of your door, arms crossed and eyes never leaving your figure.

“Why are you home?!” You throw a pillow at him, very well annoyed at his presence and for ruining your private time. Sitting up on your knees, you try covering your lower half with your blanket. Haechan is quick to stop you, while simultaneously shutting your bedroom door.

“I forgot my notebook.” He leans in, lips inches away from yours and his hand pulling the sheets off your body. “I have twenty minutes to spare, so let’s make this quick, mmh? Seems like you’re in need of my assistance... again.” His eyes are dark, and the sunlight that seeps through your shades shines so beautifully against his melanin. The faint smell of his cologne messes with your mind and god, you want him so bad and you hate that he can tell.

“Get back into your previous position and show me how you touch yourself.” He leaves a quick peck on the corners of your lips before standing at the end of your bed. 

“What if I don’t want to?” You’re not usually bratty with other partners, but Haechan’s assertiveness and overall aura draws it out of you so naturally. 

He pokes his tongue at the inside of his mouth, protruding his cheek and tilts his head at your bratty attitude. Staring you down with hungry eyes and a raised eyebrow, he says in a serious tone, “no time for games right now. You want me or not?” 

“Yes, please.” You nod with urgency once you realize that Haechan still had class to get to. Turning back around, you rest comfortably on your elbows with your knees firm on the mattress. Your hand travels down to circle your clit again, resuming your previous lustful actions before Haechan interrupted you.

Every jolt runs down your legs as a pumping surge of electricity, all the way down to your toes. Haechan palms himself watching you get back into the mood, biting his bottom lip at the delicious sight of your glistening, pretty pussy on display for him. It doesn’t take much before he hurries to get under you and in between your legs.

He lays back flat on the bed as you hover over him, your hand still rubbing intensively at your bud and your juices collecting in your palm. Taking your wrist, he guides your wet fingers into his mouth. You moan knowing your fingers are being cleaned by Haechan, him sucking your taste off of you. 

“Fuck, you taste so good.” He groans, bringing your hips closer to his face. Without another second of hesitation, he licks a long strip across your clit. 

“Hyuck..” It has been established between the two of you that you have special rights to use his government name. He loves how hot it sounds coming from you, like it is meant to be spoken only by you. “..I’m.. already.. going to burst.”

He kisses your inner thighs, then encapsulates your bud in his mouth. Your legs give out at the mind blowing pleasure that comes with Haechan’s plushy licks. His tongue doesn’t leave your clit for more than a second, suckling and rubbing it like his life depended on it. 

When you peer down at him, his face is entirely pressed up against your body: nose digging into your skin and mouth latching on for a taste. He gives your ass a little spank, then grabbing a handful to squeeze. The tinge of pain turns into pleasure as the feeling of static runs throughout your lower half. 

Haechan tries to free himself from his pants, growing painfully hard that it began to feel strained. One hand unzips and tugs down hastily at his bottoms, his cock springing up and slapping against his stomach. He lifts his shirt up as far as it can go, not once breaking his attention on making you feel good.

You yelp when his two fingers enter your hole abruptly, gathering enough of your slick to cover his own dick. With your wetness, he strokes his tip with his thumb and the vibrations from his moans sends shivers down your spine. But Haechan is more than skilled at multitasking, jerking himself off while he eats you out.

“Fuck, are you touching yourself?” Your head turns enough to see movement in your peripheral vision. You can infer two things: Haechan is half naked and fucking his hand so fast that it shakes the bed a bit.

“Of course I am. You’re fucking hot, baby.” He only pulls away briefly to speak, his soft tongue flicking rapidly harder against you now. Haechan knows you’re close, without you needing to say much. Your toes curl at the intensity, your moans become louder, and you’re gripping onto his hair as tightly as possible.

The peak of your mountain is at the tip of your lips, your legs are about to give out at any moment, but Haechan is showing no mercy to slow down. “Just like that, shit.” Your hips mindlessly grind with his fast-paced rhythm.

Haechan can feel his own release coming just as quick, his own grip growing tighter around his shaft as his hips have no caution to stop. “Give it to me, (Y/N).” His low grunts solely push you to your edge, as you announce your orgasm. 

Your shaking legs uncontrollably twitch around his head as the euphoric feeling fills your blood stream. Like a knot coming undone, it’s the most rewarding feeling you’ve ever felt. You try to catch your breath as Haechan unlatches from your swollen clit, and his moans replace yours. 

“(Y/N),” He barely manages to speak and you look down in between your legs to see him biting his bottom lip hard and eyes closed. “--I’m going to fuck you until you can’t walk... when I get back..” and with that, he cums all over his lower stomach, short strings of white landing across his body.

You roll off of him, grabbing tissues from your nightstand to clean him up. “Are you still going to make it?” A hoarse laugh rumbles your chest as Haechan remembers the lecture he has to attend.

“I’ll just show up late.” Wiping the last bit off of him, he gets up to hurriedly zip himself up. “Why are you suddenly so needy?” He jokes, partially. A smug grin appears reminding you of his haughty personality. 

You scoff at his remark, “I am more than capable of taking care of myself.” 

“Yeah, but why do that when I clearly give you the best orgasms of your life.” He shrugs, his tone being quite matter of fact. He chuckles mischievously at your displeased expression, running out your room before you can chase him out.

“Okay, I’m leaving!” He yells from the hall, hurrying down the stairs to catch the last half of his lecture. 

“Bye, thank you... I guess..” You pull your panties up, your voice trailing off when you step out of your room to the top of the stairs to watch him leave.

He stops to peer up at your obvious fucked out appearance, admiring you all in your glory. “Any time, baby. What are housemates for?” Haechan winks flirtatiously before he shuts the front door.

The rhetorical question repeats in your head, what are housemates for? 

As everyone floods back home later in the day, you and Haechan act as if nothing happened. That’s the thing about you two, Haechan never really feels the need to brag to the others, only if provoked. 

You two can live in this house with the other three not expecting a single thing, not knowing that there is courage behind Haechan’s bold statements. Not even the way Haechan stares at you sometimes can give anything away. This man is too slick, too quick on his feet to ever be caught.

“You make it to all your classes today, Haechan?” Johnny asks as the three of you devour the dinner Doyoung made, Jaemin once again not being home. 

“Yes, dad.” Haechan answers sarcastically and stuffs his mouth full of dinner rolls. “I had a midterm that I totally aced.” He smiles proudly, but your ears catch onto the first half of his sentence and immediate guilt settles.

“You had a midterm?” The tone of your question raises a few eyebrows at the table, the rest of the boys wondering why you sounded so worried.

Nevertheless, Haechan doesn’t lose his cool. He simply bids you his sugary sweet smile and says, “not for that one.” 

“No flirty eyes at the table.” Doyoung scowls as Haechan’s corner lip twitches into another infamous smirk. He somewhat enjoys the thrill of almost getting caught, you make it all too easy for the others to find out.

You gulp your food harshly and shy away from Haechan’s dark gaze, not knowing the right words to recover your slip up. Jaehyun acknowledges the confusion in the room, laughing nervously at your sudden bashfulness, “why did (Y/N) sound so worried?” 

Your food gets stuck in your throat, waiting to hear what Haechan has to say to your nosy housemates. “I had to come home to grab my notebook and missed the beginning of class. She’s just looking out for me, it’s cute.” 

And your eyes make the most dramatic roll, “I should’ve just let you to suffer the consequences.” 

“But you’re a good girl.” Haechan barely lets you finish, his sharp-witted tongue almost cutting you off.

“(Y/N) is the best girl.” Johnny ruffles your hair and picks up your chin, being oblivious to the sexual tension between you and Haechan. “Now, did my best girl go to all her classes today?” 

You push his large hand off of you, grumbling lowly, “yes, Johnny.” Mindful to not say dad as it would steer him with too much satisfaction, “unlike you delinquents, I actually go to class and stay for the whole thing.”

“I do too.” Doyoung bickers.

In response, you pinch his cheek harshly. “I know and I’m always proud of you, my bunny.” 

Haechan clears his throat obnoxiously, “I’m going to play games, hop on when you all are done.” He takes a few more dinner rolls as he starts heading up the stairs with his plate of food.

“Can’t, I have someone coming over in a few.” Jaehyun stuffs his cheeks full of deliciousness.

“Me too.” Johnny chimes and you’re repulsed that more than half of the house is going to be having sex at the same time. 

“In that case, that is my cue to leave and put on noise canceling headphones.” Doyoung gathers his plate to rush out of the scene. 

Jaehyun and Johnny finish their dinners at an impressive speed, “don’t be too loud, Haechan!” Johnny loudly proclaims and though you can’t see Haechan’s face, you can imagine his devilish smile through the cadence of his voice.

“Oh, trust me. I won’t be the loud one tonight.” Your phone lights up from incoming texts. As your eyes register the messages, you almost choke on your food at the implications. 

housemate haechan: come to my room when you’re done

housemate haechan: and don’t expect to walk tomorrow:) 

And you’re finishing your dinner as fast as everyone else is, shamefully excited to make your way upstairs. 

What are housemates for?

[codenamesazanka]

I feel like I can’t stress enough how important Spinner is to the ‘My Villain Academia’ arc, and how badly I need BONES to give him the attention and care in portraying him that he deserves. BONES have been pretty faithful to the manga, they’ve followed the story and brought each scene on the page to the screen... Except for some reason not when it comes to the Villains. Maybe it’s because arguably the Villains wasn’t the focal point of the show and they weren’t what most viewers watched the show to see; fine, but that was the case in the beginning and no longer.

Shigaraki Tomura, his exploits, his character, his story *is* the manga: the Heroes and protag react mainly to him and his actions, his past and motivations is one of the main factors that caused the current central conflict, and resolving his character arc is what will probably bring the whole series - to its end or near end. Yeah, imo I argue that everything about him moves the plot along.

Unfortunately(?), I think Horikoshi-sensei realized/decided/planned this a bit too late in his pacing. He said himself during the Stain arc or so that at first, he wasn’t planning on doing villain profiles - he wanted the villains to be scary.

But for the time being, I have no intention of writing about [the villains]. I do the introductions because l personally like those sorts of behind-the-scenes things, and also because I want my readers to feel a connection to the characters. But with villains, I decided I can't have them too likable. They're supposed to be terrifying.

Often it’s what we don’t know/understand/predict/expect (and therefore can’t get a grasp on) that makes things scary/uncomfortable/dislikable. The Villains were strange, seemingly erratic and incomprehensible in their behavior and motivations, malicious without rhyme or reason. Even now, I think a lot of people still think they’re just ‘completely evil crazy psychopaths’.

Anyways, the quote from him is from Volume 7. A whole bunch of volumes later in Vol. 23, he decided nvm: “The story has evolved beyond that point, so I'm ready to start doing villain profiles.” As he said himself, the profiles are to help the readers connect with the characters, make them relatable and likable. That’s what My Villain Academia is all about in the meta sense - to demystify Shigaraki Tomura and his ragtag chaos friends, to give them depth, and to induce interest in their stories, if not sympathy. Hype them up for the rather major roles they play in this ‘final arc’ of the series.

Enter Spinner, the lizard ninja guy.

Besides his unusual looks, Spinner is really, truly nothing special. He’s got a weak quirk, he holds no title of being the strongest or smartest or whatever member of the League, he’s not related by blood or thematically to any major players in the main conflicts, and his ‘tragic’ backstory is completely mundane compared to his allies - he was bullied as a child, and so is fueled by resentment. In the events leading up to the start of the arc, Spinner is the most moral and understandable of the Villains - has a ‘good’ reason for his crimes (eradicate corrupted Heroes), has standards on who he’s willing to fight (questions attacking the police and anyone with a ‘true heroic spirit’), and wants a concrete game plan instead of aimless discord the rest of the League seems alright with.

Once the arc starts, we immediately learn the basics of his character - he’s got a heteromorph quirk that makes his appearance a humanoid gecko and it’s something he was born with that he can’t control, and yet he faces discrimination from literal KKK-type cultists who refuse to see him as human. This was more or less his life in his small, rural hometown, harsh enough that his heart had become ‘completely empty’. It’s simple, it’s relatable and an realistic analogy anyone who has faced prejudice and harassment and been hurt by it can understand.

All this is so Spinner ends up being the most normal and typical sympathetic of the League of Villains, which sets him up to be a sort of ‘gateway Villain’. It’s why he’s narrator. He doesn’t understand at all the crazy All For One shenanigans, he’s thinks Shigaraki is an incompetent weirdo, and he asks what we were all thinking: “Shigaraki Tomura, what the fuck are you doing.” Quite obviously, Spinner’s meant the audience surrogate and so he is. That being a core of the way the story of My Villain Academia is told means it needs be followed by the anime adaption.

This core sets up the rest of the arc - sets up how we will come to view Shigaraki Tomura and his backstory, alongside the rest of the League Villains, their relationships and dynamics with each other, and who they are at heart. Shigaraki’s telling of his distorted origins in Chapter 222 is horrifying as it is already; but it’s Spinner’s worried-facial-expressions reactions littered throughout the chapter that adds to it by telling us one major thing: Spinner’s an empathetic guy, because he immediately feels a kindred spirit with Shigaraki when the latter talks about the hollowness he feels. So begins the audience surrogate’s change of opinion and us readers going along with it, and also: that Shigaraki Tomura now has Spinner’s concern and attention - and is deserving of it.

Pardon the sudden heavily edited quote, but CS Lewis says,

Friendship arises...when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common...which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique [burden]. The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, "What? You too? I thought I was the only one." ...And instantly they stand together in an immense solitude.

That’s almost word for word Spinner in that moment, suddenly realizing he’s no longer as alone as he thought. He’s no longer as alone, and this means perhaps neither should Shigaraki. Because established in that very chapter, too, is the hate in Shigaraki’s heart fueled by his grief and despair, the loss of his family, past, and faith in others, his misery of thinking he’ll never feel good again. Yet - there’s Spinner, willing to extend some empathy and care, the very antidote to all that Shigaraki had revealed. Because the desire for companionship (or at least the lessening of the pain of loneliness) is universal, even among villains - maybe especially among these villains - we probably love to see it. Want to see it.

On that basis - friendship borne out of empathy - Spinner puts his faith his leader, puts his trust and support, and the rest of the arc is us following the tension of whether he was right to do so. Whether Shigaraki would live up to what Spinner expects of him, whether Spinner will side with Shigaraki despite their earlier conflict. Whether they could become friends, or something like that. And once they do, the consequences of this as things spiral more and more out of control, beyond this arc - that Spinner would know Shigaraki well enough to do something crucial at the turn of a battle later, that Spinner would stick by Shigaraki’s side when he’s in danger, that Spinner is loyal enough to Shigaraki to help him as a friend should.

Through Spinner, we come to see Shigaraki, originally incomprehensible and terrifying, as someone beyond a Villain or a leader, but rather someone valued as a person, a friend, a fellow silly gamer nerd. He’s still scary, of course - just less so, with a seed of doubt of his doom that Spinner - and only Spinner, by virtue of his specific narrative and emotional role in this arc - planted in their characters and the story.

It’s because of Spinner that MVA works, by itself, and as a stepping stone towards the rest of the series. So he really needs to be everything he is, was, and more in the anime adaption please BONES oh my god please

[softyoongiionly]

Moonlight

Just a night at the studio with Yoongi

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader

Genre: fluff, smut (18+ only plz) I love yoongi so much omg

Word Count: 4.5k

A/N: This can be read as a stand alone or as an extension of the FnD series. I am so in love with yoongi it’s insane and, I’ve missed him so much my goodness. I wrote this in like two hours so I really hope you like it ok bye :D

Warnings: explicit smut

“You look good.” You note simply from the pull-out couch in Yoongi’s studio, growing disinterested with the pile of work sitting on the table in front of you

Yoongi looks as though you’ve just shook his hand with a prank buzzer, his body subtly jolting in his desk chair.  

“Me? Why?”

His response makes you laugh as you prop your elbow on the arm of the couch, “You just do. I like watching you work, you look cool.”  

Yoongi is unable to help the new color present on his cheeks nor is able to help the flutter of desire in his gut.  

But all he does his smirk, glancing towards you and then back at his computer screen whilst his long fingers card through his black hair.

“Thanks.” He mutters but there is a renewed sense of light in his eyes as he hits enter on the keyboard.

The sound pulls you towards his fingers, which you have an unnatural obsession with.  

They look graceful settled on the black keys and yet agitated all at the same time.  

They are unsure of exactly where to go, unflexing and flexing against the plastic before Yoongi drags them slowly back to the surface of the desk.  

You’ve been here for hours.

He asked you to accompany him this morning and you eagerly obliged, wanting nothing more than to spend the day with him, even if you weren’t interacting.  

The blue light emanating from your phone lets you know what time it is and you have to admit, you’re a little shocked.

12:07am.

You hadn’t even remembered seeing 9 o’clock, how did time pass so quickly?

As if on cue, you yawn, quickly covering your mouth with your hand to avoid alerting Yoongi.

You’re too late.  

He sees you out of the corner of his eye and immediately takes out one of his headphones, his eyes holding a bit of regret.

“Yah, I’ve kept you here for so long haven’t I?” His voice is tender and warm, seeping in through the fabric of your hoodie and down into your skin, “I should take you home...I’m sorry jagi. I didn’t even realize how late it was.”

“No no-” You cut in, shaking your head, “You don’t have to be sorry at all- you've been working your ass off. I’m just happy you ask me to come, I’ve never gotten to see you work before.”

Yoongi’s heart skips a bit a little at how genuine you sound. He can’t understand why you’d want to just sit here with while he produces but, he’s touched regardless.

“You’ve been working hard too though.” He points out, nodding his head to the mountain of paper on the table, “I don’t want to keep you up all night.”

“I like staying up late.” You insist, crossing your legs and tucking them up on the futon, “Besides,” The tone of your voice lowers a bit as you feel quite shy about what you’re going to say next, “I don’t like sleeping without you...”

Yoongi is almost certain he made out what you said because the grin on his lips is involuntary. However, he decides to mess with you anyway.

“What was that last part?” He asks, brows raised playfully.

He spins slightly in his desk chair with his legs spread out in a way that shouldn’t be attractive.

But it absolutely is.

With a roll of your eyes, you slump against the futon, shoving your hands into your lap, “I said I don’t like sleeping without you.”  

His grin widens, his pretty teeth practically blinding you as he does.

“That shit is cute...” He chuckles more to himself than to you, his teeth securing themselves to his bottom lip, “You wanna stay with me then?”

Yoongi calling you cute makes you want to squeal like a schoolgirl but thankfully, you’re able to refrain.  

With an assured nod, you return his grin, “Yes please.” Your reply is delivered musically which causes him to chuckle again.

He shakes his head, practically exploding with fondness before using his fingers to gesture to the screen in front of him.

“I shouldn’t be too much longer, maybe like an hour or so, then we can go to bed.”

With that, your plans for the remainder of the evening are set in place and you decide that you’re going to put away your work for the night and scroll on your phone.  

You can only work on something for so long before your brain is fried.

Another hour or so passes and you find yourself growing sleepier and sleepier.  

However, your brain quickly finds itself attaching to the only thing in this room that could distract you from the heaviness in your lids:

Yoongi.

He’s dressed head to toe in black: black hair, black sweats, black hoodie and black vans.  

The only thing that stands out in terms of color are the many silver earrings adorning his ears.

The way he hunches over the desk, transfixed on the screen shouldn’t be sexy.

The way he manspreads in the chair shouldn’t be sexy.

The way he chews on the tip of his thumb shouldn’t be sexy.

But it is.  

Because he is.  

You find yourself growing uneasy with the lack of attention.

Not in an emotional way but, in another way entirely.

You can’t help but stare at him and wonder how the hell you got so lucky.  

It would be incredibly easy to stare at him all night, marveling at all of the little things that make him beautiful.

However, he doesn’t allow you to because his heighten sense of awareness has finally caught onto the fact that you’re staring at him.  

Turning towards you, he smirks and shakes his head playfully, “Yah- “ He jerks his chin at you, “What are you looking at?”

Shamelessly, you giggle and prop your chin up on the palm of your hand, “My insanely hot boyfriend...”

He waves you off, wrinkling his face in mock disgust, “Aish, stop all of that.”

“Why don’t you ever let me compliment you?” You protest, your voice heightening slightly, “If I want to say you’re hot, I’m going to say it- whether you like it or not.”

The apples of his cheeks turn a dusty rose color, his teeth finding purchase on his bottom lip as he forces his eyes to stay put on the screen, “I never said I didn’t like it...”

He smirks at the end of his confession, tapping his index finger against the space bar, letting the beat fill the room for the 1000th time.  

It sounds good so you honestly didn’t mind.

Getting to hear Yoongi’s music as it was being made was a privilege you did not take for granted so, you certainly didn’t mind if you had to hear it 1000 more times.  

A few more moments pass as the two of you settle back comfortable silence. You don’t refrain from stealing more glances of your boyfriend but, you decide to stop pestering him until his ready to call it a night.

Then it’s fair game.

During a stolen glance however, you notice him wincing a bit as he adjusts himself in his chair. Yoongi has a bad back that he frequently sees a chiropractor for but, it doesn’t stop him from hunching over for hours on end anyway.

“Is your back hurting?” You murmur, trying to keep the concern in your voice at a minimum.

He hates when you worry about him and, you expect him to tell you no but instead he brings a hand around his shoulder to rub at the likely tense muscles.  

“Yeah- it’s really sore. I need to get with a posture coach or something because, I’m sure sitting in this chair for hours on end only makes it worse.” He winces again, trying to straighten up in the rickety old desk chair.

You make a mental note of looking into buying him a new chair for Christmas; maybe one of those fancy gamer chairs with all the padding.

“Do you want me to rub it for you?”

Keeping your tone casual is easy enough but it doesn’t stop the excitement from brewing in the pit of your stomach. You and Yoongi often indulge in physical affection (and by often, you mean OFTEN) but it’s been a busy few weeks which has unfortunately lessened the amount of time you were able to spend wrapped up in one another. This has been starting to get to you of course but, the reasonable side of your brain tells you that it’s perfectly normal/healthy to go without sex for a few weeks. However, the less-logical (ie the ridiculously in love) part of your brain tends a signal to the entirety of your nervous system that makes you literally ache for your boyfriend.  

The way he’s been acting this evening is only worsening that ache.  

Besides, you don’t like the fact that he’s hurting so really massaging him would be a win/win scenario.  

A small smirk forms on his lips, as he putters around on his keyboard. He still doesn’t look at you but, the glint in his eyes tells you he likes the idea.

“I wouldn’t mind that - I just need like 15 more minutes.” He murmurs, straightening his back once more, his eyes showing a bit of discomfort.

“You don’t have to stop...” You offer, keeping your voice nice and sweet, “I can just sit behind you while you work.”

He licks his lips, shifting in his chair before finally glancing over at you, the smirk still lingering on his lips, “Is it my birthday or something? Why are you trying to spoil me?”

This makes you roll your eyes, “Because I’m in love with you and I want to make sure you feel good, is that alright? Why are you being so difficult?” You gripe, quite matter of factly.

Yoongi breaks out in a fit of rickety laughter, amused by your annoyance.  

The softie in him wants to love on you 24 hours a day but, the brat in him secretly gets a kick out of riling you up.

Plus, annoying you sometimes comes with an added bonus that fuels the less orthodox side of Yoongi’s desires.

“Come here then-” He says in the midst of his laughter, “My aching back needs you...”

You push yourself off of the futon, grumbling to yourself, “This is why I always say you’re like a cat because, I’m trying to love you and you’re asking me if I permit or something...”

Yoongi laughs again, shaking his head and before you can sit down, he’s turning in his chair and grabbing your hand. Despite you pretending to wiggle your hand out of his grip, he interlocks his fingers with yours and places a kiss to the back of your hand.

“I love you.”

These words have been spoken a thousand times but it doesn’t stop your soul from ascending to the tippy top of heaven anyway.

You don’t think you’ll ever tire of him being soft for you.

“Whatever.” You pout, pretending to jerk your hand away once more which causes him to flash that brilliant gummy smile of his. “Just make your stupid, beautiful music, pretend I’m not even here...”

He kisses his teeth and shakes his head, “That’s literally impossible but I’ll try.”

His words may be sarcastic and subtle but you know very well that they have 100 different meanings.

That’s kind of your favorite thing about him.

It’s the fact that he can say so much whilst using his words sparingly. Yoongi has a way of letting you know how he feels without pouring his heart out. Although, there are plenty of times when he does that too and, you love it all the same. But, he’s the type of person to love in secret and, it’s not because he’s ashamed or emotionally unavailable; it’s because he understands how precious love really is and you’re the only one he wants to be vulnerable with.  

You bite your lip to avoid smiling and as you try to move away, Yoongi jerks your hand towards his body gently, his pretty chestnut eyes widening a bit.

“Say it back.” He insists, his voice softening to a specific tone that seems to rot your resolve from the inside out.  

You can’t tell if he knows what he’s doing or if he is unaware he’s using the same voice he uses when he begs for you but either way: you give him what he wants.

“I love you too.”

This satisfies him beyond belief, his grin returning whilst he tugs you down to his level, his sweet lips awaiting yours.

Despite what he wants to do, Yoongi just pecks at your mouth a few times before releasing your hand.

He knows if he kisses you the way he wants to, it will be game over so, thankfully he manages to control himself.  

“This track is called Moonlight right?” You inquire gently, as you take your seat behind him, doing your best to find the right position that won’t limit his movement.  

He grins to himself, delighting in the fact that you remembered something he’s only told you once.

“Yeah.” He clicks over his keyboard, trying to prepare himself for your touch. He takes a deep breath, his eyes fluttering a bit when he feels your palms smooth over his aching back.

He knows it might sound excessive but it really isn’t his fault.

The way you touch him has devasting effects on his ability to think clearly. He knows being in love intensifies things yes but, it’s the way you seem to know his body, the way you seem to treasure him and the way you seem to seek out the areas of his skin that are the most sensitive that drives him up the wall.  

Yoongi has a feeling that you’d be able to touch anyone this way but, he counts every single lucky star in the sky that he’s the one you want to touch.  

“Do you like it so far?” You lower your voice to the precipice of a whisper, not wanting to disturb him too much.

As he readies his reply, you begin gently massaging the parts of his back that you know bother him the most: his shoulder blade, the center of his spine and base of his neck. The close proximity allows you to take in the way your boyfriend smells: like clean laundry and the summer berries. You resist the urge to take a bite out of him as he replies.

“I do but it needs a lot of work still.” He realizes how quick he is to downplay his progress and he amends his response in order to give himself some credit, “I got a lot done today though and I’m excited to see where this track goes.”

His answer makes you happy as it’s not often Yoongi outwardly expresses excitement towards his current projects.  

“Do you like it?” He asks you, keeping his tone casual as he turns down the volume slightly, wanting to hear you clearly.

With a kiss to the back of his neck, you smile, “Honestly? I’m already in love with it. It has such a cool vibe. It’s very old school but also very modern at the same time, the lo-fi elements are sending me. I can’t wait to hear the vocals when you’re done with the lyrics.”

Yoongi grins, his features swimming with pride at your compliments. He is addicted to your praise in normal situations but hearing you compliment what he is most passionate about sends him into another world.

“Thank you.” He mumbles warmly, relaxing further into your touch, “I should be starting on vocals tomorrow I think. I don’t have the second verse done yet, but I think once I have everything recorded, it will give me more inspiration.”

You’re working at the tenderness surrounding his shoulder, not pressing too hard but insuring that your fingers are gently working all of the knots that have formed within his muscles. You wonder if it’s helping him at all but the way he sighs and presses against your hands tells you all you need to know. Before you’re able to continue the conversation, your boyfriend chuckles in front of you, almost in disbelief.

“What?” You prod, smiling at the sound of his laughter.

“Nothing it’s just-” He leans back against his chair fully causing you to remove your hands from him for moment, “if you had told 15 year old me that one day I would be working on my music, in a real studio, while the most beautiful girl in the world rubs my back for me, I would have told you to fuck off and stop messing with me.”

Your smile broadens as you lean forward, draping your arms around the back of the chair and resting them on your boyfriend’s chest. You place a kiss on his temple which makes him smile, his hands coming up to rest on top of yours.

“I wish 15 year old you didn’t have to endure so much but,” You kiss his cheek now, your heart filling with joy as his gums once again make an appearance, “I’m glad you’ve let me prove him wrong.”

He turns slightly, his lips brushing against your whilst he does and rather than say anything, he just places a soft kiss onto your mouth.

Despite the awkward angle, you reciprocate, allowing your lips to melt against his, kissing him slowly but deliberately. He tucks his lips between yours, nibbling gently at your bottom lip, a shaky breath escaping his nose. The hands he placed over yours intertwining messily with your fingers, squeezing softly whilst he cranes his neck to continue kissing you. Freeing one of your hands, you trail your fingers up the side of his throat, eliciting a shiver from your boyfriend as you cup his cheek.

It’s not an ideal angle to start making out but something about his throat and chest being exposed to you, makes it 10 times hotter. The beat of his song is still playing softly in the background until his hand suddenly moves from yours to hit the space bar. He doesn’t stop kissing you all the while, only seeking to deepen the motions between your lips. You allow your fingers to run up the side of his neck again as they tuck themselves into his hair, scratching tenderly at his scalp. Yoongi seems to sigh hopelessly into your mouth, unable to resist how weak you make him.  

You want to feel his tongue but just as you trace yours against the inside of his lips, he pulls away, a bit of shared saliva still connecting the two of you.

“Let’s go to bed...” He whispers shakily and you know very well what he means by that.

Seconds later, your back is pressed against the sheets covering the futon, your boyfriend quickly descending over you, his lips eagerly seeking yours again.  

He resumes his earlier motions with slightly more enthusiasm, sucking and licking into your mouth, his hips pressing down against yours. You can feel how hard he’s gotten, his erection straining painfully against the denim of his jeans. He doesn’t seem to mind though, his focus is on kissing you right now.  

You allow your hands to travel to the hem of his t-shirt, slipping your fingers beneath the material to explore the velvety texture of his skin. Yoongi’s hips and stomach are extremely sensitive, he’s told you before that touching him there is almost immediately going to get him hard. Given the fact that he’s already hard, he has no choice but to twitch around in his jeans while you touch him.  

In order to distract himself from the possibility of cumming in his pants, he pulls away from your lips momentarily to sit back on his knees. He stares down at you with an intensity he only reserves for performing and fucking, which to Yoongi, they are often one in the same. He pulls his t-shirt off hastily, throwing it behind him and revealing the beautiful expanse of his body to you. The sight of him makes you reach up with grabby hands, wanting nothing more than to feel his weight on you again. Instead of coming back down however, he merely smirks and shakes his head.

“Uh uh, it’s your turn...” He murmurs, his voice deep with the heavy arousal weighing on his tongue.  

You pout but otherwise oblige, pulling off the hoodie you’re wearing to reveal the black sports bra you had thrown on before coming to meet him here.  

Its nothing fancy or intentionally erotic but it gets Yoongi going anyway, merely because it’s your body.

He makes a small grunt in the back of his throat as he rushes back with his lips. He begins kissing over the swell of your breasts, biting and sucking as he does, his eyes shutting.

“How are you so fucking beautiful hm? Did they make you in a lab or something?” He accuses in his raspy voice, grinning when he hears you giggle.

“Yes actually they did- I've been meaning to tell you for awhile now but, I wasn’t sure how you’d react...”

He bites down harder on you playfully, sucking the skin between his teeth. The delicious sting causes a sharp intake of breath on your part and the sound makes Yoongi even harder. Licking over the purple mark he made, he pulls back to admire his work. With wet lips and dark eyes he looks up at you, a smirk on his mouth,

“I can see why you like giving me these so much...” He raps, his tongue poking out to lick at his bottom lip, “I want you covered in me now.”

His proclamation makes you sick with lust and you’re quick to pull him back over your completely, capturing his lips in a kiss once more.  

Yoongi is eager to reciprocate, his technique a lot sloppier now as the need to be inside of you slowly over takes him.

With one hand, he finds the button of his jeans and pops it open, sighing in relief as his dick is allowed the room it needs. Your hand is quick to cover his, searching for his swollen length mindlessly, desperate to touch him.

“Can I fuck you?” He whispers, nudging his nose on the tip of yours, “Please?”

You nod, kissing at his lips still, your breath uneven, “Yes please.”

The giggle that leaves your mouth shouldn’t spur him on but it does and after finally riding. both you and him of the rest of your clothes, Yoongi is lining himself at your entrance.  

He pushes inside of you, letting another shaky sigh out of his mouth before covering your body with his once more.  

It’s a slow but powerful fuck, leaving no room for the outside world.  

He kisses your face, your neck, your chest, your breasts and tells you how much he loves you.  

He rubs on your clit when you tell him how close you are, encouraging you to let go.

“Ah there it is- is that good jagi? Is it good? Are you gonna cum for me?” He whispers, his face tensing up with pleasure as you contract around him, “You’re squeezing me so tight, you’re doing so good. Just cum baby, I’ll cum too...I just wanna watch you.”

With choppy breath, you arch your back, your hands clawing at his free arm desperately, clining onto him as your orgasm begins crashing over you.

“Yoongi, I’m gonna cum- fu-fuck, fuck I’m gonna cum...I’m gonna cum, oh god...please don’t stop.” You moan softly and the sweetness in your voice drives Yoongi crazy, his pace against your clit increasing. He stares at you, a small but fucked out smile on his lips,

“Oh I’ll never stop sweetheart, not until you cum those pretty brains out...”

His words send you over the edge, your toes curling against the mattress as you whisper his name once again.  

The sight of you cumming is too much for him and although he normally cums inside of you, your post-orgasm haze has a different plan.

“Cum in my mouth.” You plead, tugging at his hips.

Yoongi swallows thickly, nearly blowing his load right then and there, “Really?”

“Yes.” You urge, tugging his hips again, “Please? I want to taste you. Remember you said you wanted me covered in you- cover me. Cover my face please.”

Yoongi’s brain literally short-circuits as he tries his best to process how fucking hot you’re being, his dick twitching inside of you.

“Anything you want remember baby? I’ll give you anything you want...” He grunts, his black hair sticking to his forehead with sweat as he pulls out of you, both of you pained by the loss of contact. He is quick to scoot up the bed until his soaking dick is positioned near your mouth, “I’m going to cum so fucking hard for you- are you gonna swallow it all?”

You nod, wrapping your hand around the length of him, licking at the slit, tasting the mixture of you and him together.  

“Until my stomach is full of you.” You promise before sucking him into your mouth

Yoongi finally breaks, whimpering for you as he usually does, his body jerking as the pleasure overtakes him,

“Holy fucking shit-” He whimpers again, his eyes rolling back as he gives you rope after rope of his release.

It’s a lot but you don’t care, you want every last drop of him. Your hand coaxes out the rest of his cum, your mind high off the taste of your boyfriend; there really is nothing better than this.

Yoongi tucks his fingers into your hair tenderly, grounding himself but also because he wants to touch you.

“Oh my god look at you ah- that's my fucking girl isn't it? You’re so pretty down there you know that? Made me cum so good.”

His voice is pitchy and fucked out and his praise makes you wet all over again, despite your need for a break.  

Immediately Yoongi leans down, kissing you with everything he has, licking at your mouth as if he wants a taste of himself.  

The kissing lasts for another minute or so before Yoongi lays down beside you, pulling you onto his chest.  

You burrow into him, soothing yourself with his unsteady heartbeat as he holds you.

Yoongi smiles down at you, despite the fact that you aren’t looking at him, taking a moment to thank all of his lucky stars once again.

You place a kiss to his chest before turning to look at him, rubbing a thumb over his reddened cheek, “I love you.”

He kisses your thumb, “I love you too.”  

[fanficmaniatic]

The "Anti-Chat" Theory.

(Which is also why Chat Blanc 2.0 wont work and why Ladybug needs to be akumatized).

This is a turducken on my thoughts for S4 and the future of the show so just roll with it.

So, Season 4 has been wild so far, and if clues given by the writers and people involved in show are any indication, this is only the beginning, we are in for a bumpy ride and things are just going to keep getting worse.

In all the discourse revolving season 4 something that we are all mentioning is how “Chat Blanc” is still a thing and there is no guarantee it won’t happen again. If anything it now seems more likely Chat Noir will get akumatized considering the imminent Ladynoir fallout, and how Adrien is still living with his Father, as his isolation keeps getting worse. And though I am always In for some good Character angst, and I feel like it is necessary for Adrien to know about Chat Blanc, and/or for Chat Blanc to reappear, I don’t think Chat Blanc 2.0 is something Adrien nor the show needs right know.

This theory has many parts, I promise it all ties neatly at the end.

First things first, I may be a little biased, Chat Blanc is an episode I really enjoy. I love Time Travel shenanigans, and I was dying to see Adrien finally find out about his father. The heavy consequences of the episode were obviously erased, but the impact of it all still remains trough Marinette, whom we see in the episode ‘Sentibbubler’ is having nightmares about the whole thing. But still, I love the episode, and I really don’t want an “Stormy Weather 2”… which is an episode I heavily dislike, compared to THE BEST formulaic episode of the Whole show, a.k.a “Stormy Weather” a.k.a My favorite episode. So yeah, this whole first point is just me REALLY not wanting an episode called “Chat Blanc 2.0” But there is more to it, and is the fact that I don’t see how it could work out.

“Chat Blanc 2.0” is unnecessary, and the reason why is that bringing him back wouldn’t actually do anything besides perhaps bringing Ladynoir further apart. Ladybug still CAN’T know Chat noir’s identity, (Let’s be honest and admit that’s prolly s4 finale OR happening during s5) so the show would go out of its way to make his dialogue as plain as possible without mentioning his father being hawkmoth. And yes, I do realize that Chat has been bottling his emotions and it all is likely to come out during THE ladynoir fall out… But people are ignoring the elephant in the room which is that Chat Noir DOES NOT fight Ladybug.

I promise this is relevant.

Chat Noir, unless mind controlled, would never attack Ladybug. The most clear example of this is in “Gamer 2.0” when he straight up says “I could never bring myself to fight you” as he sacrifices himself for her, that added to their classic “Is us against the world, My Lady” every season finale, and Marinette’s “In case something happens to me” In ‘Optygami’, it all could pretty well be a foreshadowing of a Ladynoir fight, where Ladybug is akumatized, and Chat has to willingly fight her. Yes, one could argue that he did fight her during ‘Chat Blanc’, but it could also be read as more of him trying to make her listen.

Where am I going with this? Chat Blanc 2.0 would be unable to bring the nuance the story needs right now. Chat Blanc still wouldn’t fight his father, because I doubt they won’t leave that for season 5. Chat Blanc still doesn’t have a motive to actually fight Ladybug. But the most important part is… What would happen at the end? What would be the change? What conversation are we having? What would be different than what we got in the original Chat Blanc?

To be fair, maybe I am wrong, maybe it can work out, this is just a theory. Maybe all the things I crossed out as impossible will actually happen, but I have been watching the show for 6 years, and If I have learned something about it, is that it is a slow burn, in ALL the aspects.

So yes, I believe Ladybug/Marinette needs to be akumatized, but I also think that Adrien has to learn about Chat Blanc, and that Chat Blanc needs to reappear, having a bigger Role than just a nightmare. So… how does that tie with everything I just said? Easy, the “Anti- Chat” Theory’

So you probably remember “Anti-Bug”, one of the best episodes from season 1, where Chole tries to help Ladybug, she doesn’t listen, and Chloe ends up being akumatized into “Ladybug but evil” … In theory, that is the deal, and is no wonder I am picking Felix Graham De Vanily to fill this role.

From an animation perspective, Felix is the obvious choice, he is identical to Adrien, and if following Anti-bug’s logic in costume desing, that would mean they can reuse Chat Blanc model with no alteration needed.

Now, How would this work? By giving Ladybug a jump scare. She thinks she has to live one of her worst nightmares again, to then find out “Oh… This is not Chat Noir” while still creating enough tension, by looking scared and distraught, that she HAS to tell him that she is scared of him being akumatized WITHOUT actually needing to mention the alternative timeline. This gives Chat noir the chance to lash out, once he realizes this is part of why ladybug is keeping him away, which can lead to Ladybug’s future akumatization.

Why this way? And please hear me out. Chat Noir NEEDS to let his emotions out, and I don’t think lashing out at ladybug is the best way but I see it as necessary. Adrien needs to take on more responsibility while being Chat, but he also needs to learn how to healthy express his emotions, because he is not allowed to do that in his current situation. Ladybug being akumatized because she feels guilty about Chat Noir allows Adrien to do BOTH. Because to save Ladybug he would have to realize “My emotions are valid, and is okey to let them out, but the way I did it was not the right one”, and both Ladybug and Chat Noir would have to apologize because this whole thing is not miscommunication… is a misunderstanding of their partners character. Ladybug needs to relay more on Chat and Chat needs to take on more responsibility… it won’t happen if Ladybug is the one that needs to save Chat Noir.

Adrien needs to realize that he needs to save himself, and that there’s people outside of his father that care for him. Ladybug is this figure that he looks up to and Admires, and is from a side of his life that his father has no control over, (At least from his perspective). So if she forgives him, if they are able to fix their relationship he will realize that things can get better.

Now, going back to Anti-Chat… his deal is way bigger than just bringing The Ladynoir fight… Is about setting up seasons 6 and 7.

What do we know so far? The Love Square and Gabriel’s Hawkmoth is going to come to an end by season 5. Which has left many fans wondering “Then what is happening on seasons 6 and 7?” And the best answer we have so far is in the episode “Timetagger” where Bunnix reveals that there is a whole team of miraculous holders fighting the Hawkmoth of the future, which is by the same episode confirmed to not be Gabriel Agreste. Besides this, I think it is safe to assume that the specials are quietly setting up themes that could come back In seasons 6 and 7.

Now, when speaking about characters that could be future villains the fandom seems to have its collective mind set on two individuals: Lila Rossi, and Felix Graham De Vanily.

Besides ‘Rocketear’, (E17), ‘Wishmaker’ (E18), and the special ’Shadow Moth’s last attack’ (Eps 25&26) we don’t know the names of the episodes of the second half of the season, which is really uncommon for miraculous ladybug, and the reason they gave us as to why is “You would know who is akumatized based on the names”… Which AGAIN, is really uncommon for ML. If you have been in this fandom for a long time you’ll realize that most people working in the show don’t really seem to care about spoilers. Now, this is kinda a conspiracy theory, but If you saw that there was an episode called “Anti-Chat” would you have assume it was any one other than Felix?…. No, right? That’s what I though. Miraculous has proven that it is good at subverting expectations, so when they are pointing at something (like a Chat Blanc 2.0 episode) it may not be as we want or suspected it to be. So I think an Anti-Chat episode makes a lot of sense.

Now, Why am I saying that this can set up future season? Buckle up, pals, here we go. What do we know about Felix?

He is evil, or at the very least seems to be ill-intentioned, if his attitude and look at the end of his episode is anything to go by.

He is after jewelry. Which, yeah, was only shown in that one episode he appeared, but this could pretty much be a foreshadowing of him later on going after the miraculous.

We know that he is bound to appear 3 more times

For this theory to work, I need it to happen in episode 22… Yes, the feared 100th episode of the show. It is not as important why Felix is akumatized, but what is happening WHILE he is akumatized.

Besides what has already been discussed, with Ladybug being scared, Ladynoir should not be able to work together. They are tumbling on each other because Chat Noir feels like she doesn’t trust him, but Ladybug NEEDS his reassurance right now, which he wont give.

This, is directly parallel with what is happening between Anti-Chat and Shadow Moth. Because Felix, even though he wants the miraculous, he won’t let himself be bossed around. He is demanding things from SM, and like in Robustus, Anti-Chat tries to, not just take Ladybug’s and Chat noir’s Miraculous, he wants to destroy Hawkmoth too. Which will lead to Shadow Moth being the reason he gets de-akumatized, instead Ladybug and Chat Noir saving him... bringing more fuel to the Ladynoir fire.

Now, Why should Felix have an attitude with Shadow Moth? Well, my friends… Do you remember, years ago, when the producers of the show said “The peacock miraculous holder will make Hawkmoth look like a baby”…. That’s not Mayura. Nathalie is a great miraculous holder, and she is really clever. But instead of making Gabriel look like a baby, she makes him look smart because he has someone like her on his team. What I am saying with this is that Felix, will suspect/ figure out Gabriel is Hawkmoth at the en of Anti-Chat, and that he will get the peacock miraculous during “The Last attack of Shadow Moth.” Thus, setting up a villain for future seasons.

This makes Felix 3 appearances be: In episode 22 (Anti-Chat), In episode 26 (SM last attack, part 2), and during S5’s finale. Felix situation will be much like Lila’s during s1 and s2 where she was introduced at the end of the first but not used until the end of the second.

Conclusion:

Felix Graham de Vanily has the potential to be a future villain and bring the Ladynoir conflict to finally surface.

And to clarify, The Ladynoir conflict, just like this Felix theory, is not something that will, nor can get resolved in one episode. If anything the fight will be around the end of season 4, and it will get resolved during season 5.

But again, this is just a theory, and I will probably be death wrong, but who knows?

[tivytail]

for my ridonculous race season!! doing it with some discord friends so I decided to draw one of the teams since their so different! also these guys make it extremely far in the race! that’s what we have planned for them! who knows they might win!

so without further ado let me explain!

alejandro (17):

- never went on total drama

- is wheelchair bound ( does have its advantages and disadvantages ) lost his mobility in a different way )

- would only have wyatt williams (6teen) as a friend.

- he lost his mobility due to their father ignacio , in efforts for carlos to stay home to take care of the family. ( alejandro was around 10 - 11 when he lost his mobility. ) it’s never specified how or why though, nobody really knows how he lost his mobility except for Ignacio.

- he’s still a prodigy. just took online classes.

- often stayed inside when he was wheelbound and watched the other kids play.

- has a healthy relationship with josé

- he really hopes he can make some friends.

- he has a whole personality shift, if it wasn’t obvious. very friendly and caring.

carlos (27) :

- Never left home, ended up staying home to help take care of his brothers and mother.

- No baby :( ( discord thingz )

- He's protective of his little brother but still has that Burromuerto charm. You can gain his trust by befriending Alejandro

- has a healthy relationship with josé.

[side note] since alejandro wasn’t in world tour or allstars we have fixed an elimination order and have replaced a couple of contestants so here’s the elimination order for both seasons. written by my friend Cody and worked on by me and them!

world tour.

1: Duncan (bc yknow)

2: Bridgette (Harold pushed into a pole. Got stuck.)

3: DJ (Self Sacrifice)

4: Cody (God he sucks at DDR, he looked horrid in the Hosen. Confessional door already broken.)

5: Sierra (Sobbing over Cody)

6: Owen (Slowed down time, significantly)

7: Izzy (Didn't catch Ezekiel, and instead Izadora was fronting and caught Noah)

8: Harold (Wings melted & he died/j)

9: Heather (Got abducted. Went bald again)

10: Eva (way 2 angry bro)

11: Leshawna (bad captain, power went 2 her head)

MERGE

12: Brought in Harold and Justin back, Gwen (Being pissy about the wedding dress)

Newly Weds lmao:

Noah & Tyler

Gwen & Courtney

Lindsay & Harold

Brody & Justin

13: Courtney (Double Elimination)

14: Harold (Double Elimination

15: Lindsay (Really really bad aim, manages 2 hit every1 but the animal)

16: Justin (Mirror reflects light right onto the plane's fuel tank. He lost some hair that day)

17: Brody (Lost the tiebreaker against Tyler)

18/19: Noah & Tyler.

Doesn't matter who won, they split the moneyz w/ each other.

allstars:

1: Staci (keeps singing stacy's mom has got it going on)

2: Zoey (She keeps droppin' shit)

3: Justin (Bro didn't want 2 get his body ruined)

4: Noah (Can't force himself 2 eat the pancakes. Sensory issues. Emetophobia Also really baked)

5: Lindsay (dropped eggs. so many eggs)

6: Dawn (Wouldn't fight)

MERGE

7: Owen (oh god he can't swim oh god oh fu)

8: Brick (scared of the dark </3)

9: Gwen (Due 2 injury)

10: Mal (he made a real shitty sundae)

11: Tyler (...same reason as Gwen in All Stars)

12: Lightning (Too much shas)

13/14: Courtney & Scott

Scott winz like a swag gamer.

The 2 broke up on swag terms.

Scott used the money 2 buy more dirt

- thank you guys for listening!!

[skullvins]

S4 dynamic ratings from my fave/best to my least fave/worst let's go

these are NOT necessarily as SHIPS, just their dynamic as characters. I talk a bit about ships but I'd only go for some of these in a ship sense

WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY:

aloha + skull - absolute comedic duo. they're both kinda chill/carefree and Skull's enough of a bitch that he could defo subtly get aloha to do stupid shit and laugh at it internally the whole time. they're the more obviously practically inclined of the S4 so the idea of them just going out and doing stupid shit together isn't unrealistic. I can see aloha being like 'u wanna do X?' and skulls just like sure. Let's kill some time together. I can also see them both being super irresponsible sometimes and they just enable each other. Aloha comes up with the dumb ideas and skull is the muscle that lets them happen. He's on full autopilot with aloha whilst thinking he isn't and it's great. Catch aloha pestering the staff while they're out shopping like there's no tomorrow while skull wanders about buying whatever he likes in the bg. Most underrated S4 dynamic change my mind

army + mask - they're both huge nerds and yet no one is interested in the nerd and nerd dynamic? they've both kinda gone from being super up themselves to being more chill/humble, and also they're both the more 'responsible' ones but not really. army's responsible until you compare him to mask, and then he's actually really excentric. Having the more excentric one be the more traditionally nerdy one while the more levelheaded one is the sarcastic gamer nerd makes for an amazing dynamic. army can also strike me as the slightly out of touch rich boy and altho mask is definitely not mainstream 'normal' he could defo be like army. Get with reality.

army + skull - the 'should we be concerned' / *eats popcorn* 'nope' combo. Oh my god. Look. This will make more sense with the next point but aloha and mask are a fire waiting to happen in a good way and these two are the mutual witnesses to it, except skull is SO much more easygoing/does not care with it (and probably older/more experienced with this kinda thing) while army is like uh. Guys? Is this? Is this normal? they're also probably the two more battle minded ones and I could see them sharing notes/strats, and if you go with the idea of skull being older/more experienced then there's a bit of a 'skull helps army with his turf war homework' dynamic. not saying army can't hold his own (he's part of the S4 ffs) but I think he would be somewhat open to Skull's advice. these two are pretty agreeable compared to the other two, so I could see them casually getting along. Also, food.

aloha + mask - best contender for rivals to lovers/besties. aloha's an asshole and mask initially doesn't like him, PLUS they're both the middle S4. makes for an interesting game of one-upmanship. they seem to argue the most out of the S4 too, so a long run of them slowly getting along better or finding things they have in common could be really interesting. I also think seeing them in the arguing phase is entertaining, even if I don't think initially they'd like each other very much. also, this fuels my previous point further, so there's that

mask + skull - only S4 dynamic I'm neutral on? I could see these two getting along, if only because skull can be so passive. they're more just sit in the same room and vibe characters, so tho I think they'd get along well, I don't think their dynamic is as interesting as the last four. that being said, I can see mask commenting on skull's antics being funny. honestly this is a better combo if you make mask the chatty one, which is. Weird. Could work tho

army + aloha - ohmygod this is SO OVERRATED. Someone tell me WHY this ship is so popular???? aloha has more interesting or shippy dynamics with rider, mask, hell even scuba or skull. WHAT is this???? army also has more interesting or believable dynamics with say specs, mask, rider, WHERE does this ship get all its popularity???? I do like their dynamic as friends, but more in an 'aloha shows army how to loosen up a bit in a way that is 100% to army's detriment'. if more people played them up as friends, or army's naïvety as easy fodder for aloha to be funny and/or an asshole, then maybe I could get into it more? army probably finds aloha annoying while aloha finds army out of touch and that COULD be capitalised on for humour but I don't think taking it in a shippy way is as good for it. That being said, this isn't a review of them as ships, but a ranking of their dynamic as a whole. I still think it's the blandest of the six

bonus round: combos of three but we leave someone out, GO

leave out army - comedy gold in the sense that aloha overrides masks common sense and skull doesn't give enough of a shit/finds it entertaining. you know when army gets back he's gonna have to nag at everyone and yet you know aloha is just gonna keep provoking and the other two are gonna fall for it

leave out skull - the interpretation of the other three being somewhat intimidated by skull is REALLY interesting, although I don't think it offers as many hijinks. I honestly think it's more interesting from Skull's perspective, but also the image of them all discussing skull with each other while skull is actually just off stuffing his face with ice cream is very funny

leave out mask - leaving out the ACTUAL common sense and these three are gonna get real stupid real quickly, maybe. I like skulls dynamic with em both but not really their dynamic with each other as I feel they'd both bounce so well off mask instead. army having to deal with the force of skull n aloha and aloha having to deal with the force of skull and army is funny tho. I don't think skull would end up the victim of their mutual bullshit, however, unless they could both find something obscure to agree on

leave out aloha - aloha's the confrontation that fuels most of this, otherwise it turns into the more passive three who probably wouldn't engage with each other much unless they had a central focus. more just becomes mask + army with skull as a third wheel. COULD be fun if they all had to work together on something as I feel it would bring out both the best and worst of them without aloha as one big loud pink distraction

[avoutput]

Mario Mario & Luigi Mario || Super Mario Bros.

The beginning of any quest has its starting pains. In the early 90’s, Hollywood set out to begin getting a cut of that sweet video game money. At the time, video games were mostly considered toys, and they were advertised as such. As the medium grew more adult, so did its films. Still, they had to begin somewhere, and why not with the biggest gaming property on the planet past and present: Super Mario Bros. This provided an unknowingly impossible challenge for creatives, one that is still a topic of intense discussion to this day. How does one balance the adaptation of a property from a completely different format into film? At the time, other films that looked similar to what Super Mario Bros would become had succeeded despite the challenges of adapting comics for film. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the first re-imagination of Batman since the 60’s went on to invigorate their respective properties. Today, comic book movie adaptations are the tent pole of every major movie studio. In the case of Super Mario Bros, despite its critical failure at the time, I honestly feel like the creatives succeeded. The ire this film would glean over time from both fans and the people behind the camera fuel its bad reception to this day. In my opinion, it is actually a success story in the world of video game adaptations, and a great place to start if you plan on watching every Hollywood attempt. I promise you this: it could be so much worse. And for later attempts, it was! But, does Super Mario Bros thwomp?

In my initial argument, I raised that these films should be broken down into categories including: Originality, Preservation, Construction, Delivery, and Fanservice. Originality and Preservation can be at complete odds with one another. In the case of Super Mario Bros, it turns out to be a good combination of both. They offset each other just enough to find a balance between the reality of our world and the fantasy of the mushroom kingdom. Sit back in your chair and imagine the real world of 1993, what films looked like back then, the landscape of video game culture. I think the creators had this very much in mind when they penned this movie. The very first thing that happens in the Super Mario Bros movie is the NES theme song with all the depth a stereo sound system can provide. It really sets your little gamer heart aflutter. It conjures up images of the brightly colored games. Using narration, they make promises of dinosaurs, meteors, and other dimensions. If you don’t think too hard, it kind of sounds like a version of Super Mario Bros that was advertised via the game manuals and cartoon show. If you are familiar with either, a pair of New York plumbers essentially get sucked down a drain pipe. This process is a little more drawn out in the film, but It turns out more or less exactly as good as could have been expected in 1993. In fact, the film really isn’t above sucking them down a drain pipe, they do crazier things, but I suspect that they wanted the plumbers to have a more direct conflict that would lead them to try and save princess Daisy.

The plot of the film is par for the course in a children's film and a direct consequence of the game itself, especially if you consider the 3rd entry. A good king and an evil military general, betrayals and coups, princesses sent to live in another realm only to return home with a pair of knights to dethrone the evil king. A tale as old as time, one that continues to be retold because it resonates with us. The filmmakers were really focused on this being a performance of realism meets fantasy This would come to be the major struggle that other video game movies would continue to have problems balancing. They took concepts from the game and gave them an original spin and most within the framework of the original work. Their creative license is often challenged for these choices, but in the context of making a live action Super Mario Bros movie in 1993, those challengers should check themselves. The real question you should ask yourself is, in this context, what would you have done differently? And would it really have been better? I struggled to find a way to truly make the concepts of this movie any MORE appealing, but it was surprisingly easy to make it worse. In one way, this film was a by the numbers kids adventure story, but it's being held to task mostly for failing to be a good adaptation of the game, a bar which didn’t exist when they made it, but one they set and cleared simply by attempting to do so much. All the Mario concepts are easily recognizable, which should be applauded, even in the face of them being a little wacky.

Despite its failings in authenticity, it actually packs quite a lot of fanservice into almost every frame. If you pay attention once they enter Bowser’s domain, the walls are littered with little ads and jokes all based on Mario properties. This is all in an effort to please fans, but the film does tend to leave these little things in the background, the camera more focused on the characters and plot, so blink and you miss them. If anything, this duty to fanservice seems somewhat creatively arresting. Had this film not been an adaptation of another work, they may have opted to skip a few things, like how Mario and Luigi employ the use of mushrooms. In the game, these would make the bros bigger, but this would have been a bit at odds with the backdrop of the grimmy New York City analogy they chose, not to mention technically difficult. People have been squashing miniatures for years, but I just don’t see this being a good use of the film’s time given every other decision. The film's overwhelming attempt to create entirely new flesh on the skeleton of an animated game is really only hampered by the audience's willingness to enjoy it for what it is, by questioning every creative decision. A lot of effort was taken to make the world feel cohesive, especially in its attempt to be parallel to existing New York City. They even take time on some more clever jokes that go somewhat unspoken. Everything in Bowser City runs on electricity, including the cars. The idea here is that fossil fuels do not exist because the dinosaurs of this world haven’t ever fossilized. Or maybe the dinosaurs knew it was bad for their planet? The film is constructed and delivered in such a way as to not take itself too seriously, but to appear parallel to something familiar to our own world in conjunction with the Super Mario world.

After having sat through the film with an earnest critical eye, I am not going to tell you the film is greater than the sum of its parts or that it's fantastic because it set out on an uncharted path. Instead, what I will attest to is that it was truly competent. It made every attempt to give you what you wanted and also took a few of their own twists on the formula. Bullet Bills turned into fuel for jumping, Bomb-oms wear Reeboks, shoes facilitate their ability to jump but also satisfy the boot you wear in Super Mario Bros 3. They even use the lightgun from the NES to navigate screens much like a mouse and the SNES super gun as a weapon! All this and still they found a way to make it all fit within the italian brothers from Brooklyn framing. Unfortunately, it would seem no one really learned anything from the success or the failures of this film. If the 90’s game films are any indication, the only thing they learned is that the box office is fickle and to double down on fan service even when it doesn't make sense, and in some cases, abandon everything about the game entirely and simply slap the name on a completely original film. And yet, despite all the bad press and internal struggles the Super Mario Bros production had, they came out the other end with an inoffensive, enjoyable film that both kids and adults can enjoy. Especially if they forgive the film any perceived sins, a gift that all film adaptations deserve, and just try to recognize what they really accomplished. Bringing to life a world that only existed in your Nintendo. It may not have been pretty, but damn if it wasn’t entertaining.

[elbiotipo]

Tell us your thoughts regarding car culture 🏁Its rant timeeeeee🏁

OK so my opinion comes from the perspective of someone who is... lower-middle class? I don’t know where my family would fit, we do own our house and nice things like (cheap) computers, but a car is beyond us. What I mean is that every time we attempted to own a car it always came with shitty stuff. It comes with predatory financial practices (NEVER trust any “car plan”, they are basically scams, you will be paying increasing amounts of money for YEARS without even seeing your fucking car AND they will ask you more money to get it on the first place) that can send you straight up broke, and a piling list of stupid bureaucracy, maintaince, checkups, fuel, repairs, and other bullshit expenses just for the price of saying “I own a car”.

To me personally, all those shitty things outweigh any benefit about cars. I’ve always walked around, took buses (and yes, I hate buses, especially here, but they do their job) and basically all my adult life has been spent on foot and public transportation. So I don’t see a car as a real necessity, just as a very expensive piece of metal that can drive you around, sometimes. But people (my family and others) get into the most ridiculous stuff JUST to say "I own A Car, like the neighbors" even if in practice, it doesn't get put to do anything useful. Like owning a pretty pretty horse.

That’s why I dislike car culture, and by that I mean The Car as a status symbol. Ohhh, you can’t be Middle Class if you don’t own A Car... ohh do you REALLY want to take the shitty bus all your life instead of having A Nice Car... ohhh you won’t get any women if you don’t have A Car (my dad actually, non-ironically, believes this)... ohhh but A Car is more practical, it’s really a Useful Tool (when you take into account all the fucking expenses, especially if you are low-class, it’s really, really not more practical)... oohh you really should get a drivers license Just In Case...ooohhhh my Car must be cleaner better and cooler than my neighbors or else they will think I’m not good enough to have A Nice Car... and that’s just my experience here, let’s not even get into their status on the USA as a Symbol of Freedom and their entire city planning based on them.

Cars, to me, are a tool and should be treated as a tool, but they’re treated as a status symbol. And it’s not like I dislike luxury, I want to get myself a Gamer PC and a Nice House like anyone else. But everything in my life experience has shown me that owning a car is more of a pain in your pocket for a bragging symbol than anything else. For what? Just to say “I got to the same place you did, but I didn’t have to take the bus like some kind of peasant”? There are many things cars are useful for, but it’s never about that. It’s always about Owning A Car, about saying “now I can take you on a date in My Car, because I’m Middle Class and I have one, no matter if I’m like 100k in debt”, rather of what you can actually do with them.

Which is in most cases, the same things you can do by taking the bus or the train.

In rural contexts, obviously cars are useful, in fact vital, a farmer of course needs good transportation. But in an urban context, they’re worse than useless. Everything a car could do in a city (besides noise and hitting people, oh, I haven’t even gotten into that yet!) can and should be done better by more walkable cities and good, robust public transportation.

Public transportation, here and elsewhere, is shit of course, but it’s incidentally because the culture of car ownership creates cities around them, instead of walkable cities and good public transportation. Why should you care about how the proles get around? Important people drive cars. You might say, “well, but paying for a car isn’t as bad as paying for public transportation” but it is. For a lower income family a car is a money black hole that demands constant attention for little reward except some supposed freedom of movement (cutting through maybe, an hour of two of walking?) and distance (OH SURE YOU CAN HAVE YOUR MAGICAL ROAD TRIP. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT HOW TO PAY FOR ALL THE GAS AND TOLLS YET?)

Have we talked about oil prices yet? have we talked about how oil prices fuck up everything that depends on on-road transportation? how the dependence of on-road transportation has murdered railways across the world? the fucking wars for fucking oil?

I don’t even need to talk about the enviromental impact of cars, do I? The fact that car crashes are the leading cause of injuries worldwide?

Argentina, of course, is a particular case, because the bulk of what I’ve said here (that cars are unaffordable for a lower-class family) is mostly because of Our Economical Problems. But look at the rest of the world, and they are even MORE obssesed about cars if it’s even possible. Cars, highways, entire cities, a fucking civilization built around them, to the point that you need to buy one just to get around, and if you can't, sucks to be you. Public transportation around THE WORLD (not only here) has been declining and becoming more shitty because of the dominance of cars.

For what? Oh, because if you have a car, you’re Middle Class, dontcha know. Everybody needs cars!

anyways, most of this is addmitedly projecting my own problems, but I hate cars, they are at the very bottom of my priorities, and I hate the entire culture behind them. If I ever own a car, it will be when I’m financially stable (so probably never) if I ever need to move stuff or go somewhere particulary far. Things I could do cheaper by bus or renting a truck, anyways. So fuck cars.

[tangent101]

Perceptions of Wealth with Max Caulfield in Life is Strange

One thing I’ve noticed repeatedly in Life is Strange fanfics (and in occasional commentaries elsewhere) is how people assume Max Caulfield comes from a wealthy family. And while I’ve talked about this in the past, it’s probably about time to mention yet again that Max is in fact from a poor family, and that her parents either live in an apartment complex or in her grandfather’s house.

It’s easy to claim otherwise, especially when you compare Max to Chloe, but when you look a little deeper, the signs are clear that not only is Max poor, but she may in fact be as poor as Chloe. We can start by looking at Max’s clothes. Let’s start by looking at Max’s journal entries on clothes:

My mom cried, and my dad laughed. They're so weird. But they're happy and this means extra financial support because they don't have to pay anything to Blackwell. This means new clothes and if I can work it, a new laptop.

Max’s journal entry for July 10th already lays the groundwork here. She believes that seeing her family doesn’t have to pay for tuition, she can get new clothes and maybe even a new laptop. And to be honest, I actually bought into this... until just now when I saw this August 25th entry as well:

That made me want to cry like a little girl. And never leave Seattle. So instead of packing, I feel like burning all my clothes, then just raiding a thrift store to build up a new Max wardrobe over my junior year. Not that I even have an old Max wardrobe.

First, do note that Max talked about “raiding a thrift store” to build up a wardrobe. Her comment here is so matter-of-fact that the point Max was thinking of going to a thrift store for her clothes slipped past my radar... but as a middle-class woman, I do have to admit that it wasn’t until finances got rather tight that I started buying at thrift stores myself. Given that clothes aren’t tremendously expensive at Walmart and the like (especially if you hit sales) that’s perhaps not surprising. But there are no back-to-school sales for Max mentioned or the like.

In fact, we see no signs that Max got a new wardrobe (and admittedly she doesn’t have a lot of outfits, even accounting for keeping jeans in the bureau). Her laptop also is a fairly small one and may in fact be her old laptop. I cannot recall anything Max says or does that genuinely states that anything Max brings with her is new. (This also is true for alt-Max, seeing alt-Max’s journal states on September 14th “Yes, I'm older and thanks to Vic and Nathan I'm now a bit more fashionable too.” In other words, the nice clothing alt-Max wore were gifts from Victoria and Nathan.)

Max even comments on this when perusing Victoria’s clothes. She comes across some socks that “cost more than my entire wardrobe” and given a nice pair of thigh-high silk stockings can cost $75 or more, this might not have been hyperbole. Given that if you’re very lucky on sales you could probably snag skinny jeans for $8 new, and designer t-shirts for close to that (and let’s not go into the hoodies)... and it becomes most likely Max’s wardrobe, with (as Chloe puts it) “chlorine brand [T-shirts] and generic jeans” is cheap used clothing.

Hell, even Chloe’s clothing is in better shape. Despite the fact Chloe’s “poorer” than Max, her clothes look much less shabby and worn. Her ripped jeans look designer. Her shirts are likewise in good shape, with any “damage” being strategic and done for looks. Admittedly, Chloe may prefer certain outfits over others, and thus the lack of wear is Chloe not wearing most of her outfits all the time... but if you put Max and Chloe side-by-side (without Max’s camera evident) and ask which girl is from a wealthier family... and people would probably think Chloe is.

This also helps explain why Max never visited her best friend even in the summer despite living six hours away. If Max’s parents lived paycheck to paycheck then the cost of fueling up a car to drive Max to Arcadia Bay would be painful. (I say this as someone who once had to put her last two dollars in her car so to have just enough gas to last a week, back when that would buy two gallons of gas.) Max didn’t fall out of touch because of stressing out over William or being a bad friend. Max probably didn’t have a cell phone for the first year she lived in Seattle. 

Again. Max and her parents moved to Seattle in the middle of the Great Recession. Yes, that was 11 years back but a lot of people lost their homes. Some of those who become financially destitute never recovered, even today. Others were forced to move in with parents. So if Max is living in a house, it belongs to her grandfather. She probably lives in a two-bedroom apartment and one that’s not even in a good part of Seattle. (She most definitely never rubbed elbows with Victoria in Seattle and never met Victoria prior to Blackwell.)

Speaking of Victoria, this gives another reason for Victoria’s harassment of Max and that is classism. Victoria acts like the typical snobby rich girl who sneers at those who struggle financially. Add in that Max has actual talent despite her lack of wealth, and she becomes a prime target for Victoria (along with Kate for her religious upbringing and lack of “shame” over her religiosity). 

There’s another aspect of this “economic value” with Max that you might not expect, and that’s behavior. When you’re poor, you tend to become invisible to people wealthier than you. In return, some poor people will try and avoid standing out and drawing attention to them. Max has this in spades. She is a “shy cliched geek” who hides behind a lens rather than interact with a world that judges based on appearances. Well, Max appears as shabby and without value. 

She is treated as such by various people as well. And trust me, if Max dressed like Victoria or Juliet, she would not be treated as dismissively. Appearance and behavior are reflections of each other, and we again see this with alt-Max with her nice clothes and more assertive personality, compared to the original Max who feels out of place.

Amusingly enough, as she starts wearing Rachel and Chloe’s clothing she increasingly becomes assertive and willing to take a stand. A good part of this lies with Chloe’s confidence with her, but we the players get to see this as well with Max’s clothes changing and becoming more vibrant. 

So, why do people think Max is financially comfortable? I suspect it’s primarily because Max uses an instant camera. I once calculated out the financial value of the Caulfield Photo Wall, and came to over $100. Admittedly, that may have been all of Max’s photos (outside of ones that Chloe or other people had claimed over the years)... but when you also account for however many photos get rejected for not being good enough (and Max rips up several photographs in Life is Strange) and you’re left with the possibility Max has taken probably a thousand dollars’ worth of pictures.

That said? This doesn’t mean Max has spent a thousand dollars on film. Don’t forget, Max starts out with a battered camera that despite the design being extremely sturdy falls apart when it is knocked off a desk. Polaroid Instant Cameras are much sturdier than that, so the only way that camera fell apart that easily is if it had been broken in the past (which would explain why Max knows how to repair the camera). And with Max’s own journal, we know that Max is perfectly willing to buy and utilize previously-owned items.

In all likelihood, Max lucked across an estate sale or yard sale where someone was getting rid of an old camera they didn’t know the value of and all the film with it and Max walked away with $500+ of film and camera for $10 or so. If she bought more film via eBay and was lucky? She could very well be getting more film for only a couple dollars per cartridge of eight shots. It is also noteworthy to state Max doesn’t have a backup camera. She doesn’t have a digital camera on the side for most of her shots. She uses her phone for some pictures but mostly it’s that old beast of a camera that barely is holding together. 

There’s another reason why a lot of people just assume Max is from a nice middle-class family and that’s because many gamers are from that setting. Who wants to think of Max as a poor girl who is only attending Blackwell because of a art grant? Especially when you add in shabby clothes that highlight Max’s shy and withdrawn personality... you end up with someone that people can have difficulty connecting with. So it’s understandable people just assume the best for Max. After all, they are Max in the game, and who wants to be poor?