#reaction done by morgana

[kessilover]

[morgana-ren]

You guys want to see one of the comments of all time about Baldur's Gate?

Guess where it's from.

It's on Gribbo's page. You know. Gribbo. That little nymph Gribbo. GRIBBO.

[red-hot-kick]

Theory: Ryuji was popular, before.

I'm not entirely sure if anyone has really talked about this but I maintain my interpretation that, in the canon of Persona 5, Ryuji used to be very (or at least moderately) popular prior to the events of the story.

This is something I've gotten into before when talking to friends who like the game and the character, but I haven't really considered writing it down until now. The main argument I have is based on three things:

Things Ryuji alluded to in canon (but no one believed him on)

The deliberate choice of making him a track athlete

Typecasting for voice actors

1: "There were girls all over me!"

I don't really have the time to go on a deep dive through all the instances in which he hints at his reputation before the Kamoshida incident, but I think the most clear-cut representation of this was during the scene where he and Ann spend the day with Futaba during her post-palace social rehabilitation:

So here's the thing...I don't think he's lying about this. Nobody in the room would be that impressed to find out whether Ryuji was popular since they are already friends (or in Mona's case, he really just doesn't care), so it wouldn't make sense for him to lie.

Regarding everyone's reactions though, here's my impression: Ann was simply not aware of what was going on with the track team, being predominantly focused on dealing with rumors, her friendship with Shiho, and her modeling career (and eventually Kamoshida's advances once he started doing that shit) and she mentions a few times that she and Ryuji weren't actually close before joining the PT; they were just in the same class in middle school. Futaba hasn't interacted with anyone her age in years and isn't the most reliable source when it comes to what people generally find attractive; just because she doesn't have any interest in Ryuji doesn't mean that nobody her age would. And Morgana is a cat that brags constantly about how cool he is, so he shouldn't be throwing rocks.

There are many other times in the game when you get little glimpses of his social savvy, and from my understanding of Royal (I'm an OG vanilla P5 player and haven't done 3rd-semester yet, so don't kill me) when the track team returns to "how it was", he is getting along extremely well with everyone. Not only was he the team's ace: this kid was also expected to become the captain by his senior year (as briefly mentioned when he bumps into his former senpai at the gym, iirc). That's huge! If his team held him in such high regard, then the general student body of Shujin surely had a similar opinion. This brings me to my next point:

2: Girls like boys that run fast(???)

This is honestly something that baffles me. It's also really difficult for me to substantiate; any source material on this is obviously in Japanese and if I could find any of it, I sure as hell can't read it. The only English-language source I know of I cannot find anymore; I think it was an old Tofugu article? However. If you've watched any romance anime set in a high school during the last 20 years, you might have seen this trope at some point: the school sports festival is happening, and the relay race is kind of a huge deal (it's the final event! a make-or-break moment for the class!). The boy thinks to himself "If I win this race, I'll be able to win her heart/ask her out/etc." Low-stakes drama ensues. Maybe a confession happens.

This is (from what I've been told) based on a long-standing trend of girls and women self-reporting in surveys about how, oftentimes, their crushes in junior or senior high school were simply "the boy who ran the fastest in the races". I have no idea what this means in a broader cultural context. It makes no goddamn sense to me at all. Do not cite me on this. But I think it's worth keeping in mind, even if it's almost entirely speculative (and possibly outdated) information. And even if it's just based on rumors, don't you think it's pretty in-character for Ryuji to go for a track scholarship—despite being adept at other sports like baseball and football/soccer, as mentioned in P5 and P5D—because he was aware of the potential of being more popular with girls? Of course, his priority would be getting the scholarship and paying his way through school to lighten his mother's burden, but hey, getting a girlfriend on the way up wouldn't be half bad!

I think this could also inform us as to why Kamoshida (as a predator who wanted attention from high school girls) felt so threatened by the track team in particular, and why he felt a need to specifically knock Ryuji down a peg and sought out a weakness to do so (as opposed to targeting any of the probably just-as-popular boys on the many other athletic teams and clubs in the school). Just some food for thought on this one! Also, if anyone can find a source or has any insight on the relay race thing, please share. I am so confused about it.

3: Typecasting

So this is something that you really only notice if you are very into keeping up with seiyuu in Japan. I am not one of those people. But I do have some favorite voice actors! One of these being Mamoru Miyano.

So I freakin' love this dude. He's voiced a lot of my favorite characters, sings incredibly well, and has an unreal sense of comedy. He's stated in interviews that his acting inspiration is Jim Carrey, and let me tell you: it shows. He is also quite consistently typecast into certain roles, predominantly as princely pretty-boy types, Coolguys, or complete fucking nutcases. Sometimes all three at the same time (shoutout to my boy Ling FMA!)

ATLUS definitely cast him for P5 because of his comedic chops. But I think they also cast him because having him voice someone like Ryuji is a great way to subvert expectations for the player. I think it's supposed to give you whiplash—"what do you mean the voice of LIGHT FUCKING YAGAMI is coming out of this guy's mouth?" "why does the delinquent character sound like king of the host club Tamaki Suou?" "isn't that Rin Matsuoka's voice?" etc. etc. etc.

(here's a quick list, just to really get the idea across. maybe you recognize a few.)

This is obviously a non-comprehensive list, but something that a lot of the characters he's voiced over the years have in common is that they were considered cool, handsome, or popular. Not just for fans, but within the canon of their stories! So...what does that mean? What does that say about how we should see Ryuji?

I think players are supposed to expect that he will fall into one of those categories too, and then be surprised to find that it's not the case—that he's been isolated and made bitter and resigned by what happened to him the year before.

Speaking of his tone, I think it's very telling that Ryuji actually forgets to keep up the delinquent act a lot in the original JP audio, which unfortunately doesn't really carry over in the ENG translation. The delivery of his JP lines sounds a bit more subdued in comparison too—yeah he's got a lot of energy and is very hotheaded, but when he gets to talking about serious shit, he sounds a lot more regretful and melancholy as opposed to the EN delivery which depicts him as more resentful and outwardly angry. I think before Shit Went Down, he probably had the Coolguy vibe. Still a bit of a rowdy idiot and a showoff, but I think he probably came across to most people as a very friendly, sincere, and popular guy.

So yeah, the girls probably were all over him, at least for a short while.

[merlinspointyhat]

I really wanna talk about this scene because I find Uther’s reaction really interesting.

Uther has rarely, if at all, shown any compassion towards sorcerers, or anyone suspected of sorcery. He was a tyrant. Uther was known to compulsively arrest and sentence people without trial or listening to any reason or explanation, which has led him to executing innocent people, such as Gwen’s father. Even when Arthur or Morgana have tried to change his mind, he usually didn’t. His hatred for magic made him compulsive and ruthless.

But this scene interests me because Uther hesitated to arrest Merlin when Aredian accused him of being a sorcerer. All the times before and after this episode, we see Uther not even think twice about arresting or sentencing someone without listening to any reason. But he trusted Aredian. Aredian concluded that Merlin was the sorcerer but for whatever reason, instead of arresting him, Uther gave Merlin a chance to speak up and defend himself. I find that really interesting because we know that Uther had little regard for Merlin’s life, or the life of anyone that wasn’t a noble. He wouldn’t have lost sleep over arresting or executing Merlin. He also didn’t like Merlin. And of all the times Merlin made a fool of himself and Arthur in front of the king, Uther really had no reason to trust anything Merlin said either. But he did trust Aredian and his methods and you’d think that Uther would have trusted his findings and not given any second thought to arresting Merlin. Especially since he often arrested and sentenced people for less.

My only theory for why he didn’t immediately arrest Merlin is that he knew Arthur would have raised hell, but I don’t really think that’s the reason. When it came to executing people suspected of sorcery, Uther was ruthless and I don’t think Arthur pleading with him would have done anything. Ultimately, I think if Uther had stuck to his reputation, Merlin would have immediately been arrested. I think this was a microscopic act of nobility from Uther. I’d love to know what was going through his mind though.

[helloalycia]

the king’s ward [two] // morgana pendragon

summary: as you continue to hide the truth about your identity, your final round is against the Prince of Camelot himself.

warning/s: mentions of violence, injury and kidnapping.

author's note: so glad you’re all enjoying this one! here’s the second part 🥰

one / three / four / masterlist / wattpad

The next few fights went about as smoothly as the last one did, but without a doubt I pulled through and eventually made it to the finals. Morgana didn't tell anybody about who I really was, which I was very surprised at, and I toned down my flirting with her massively. Partially for the fact that she now knew it was me, and also because it certainly wasn't impressing Uther. I couldn't risk it, especially if he found out the truth about me.

When I found myself facing off Arthur in the final match of the competition, I was nervous to say the least. Everybody wanted their future king to win, of course, but I only wanted to see if I could beat him. He was the best of the best, but I could be, too. Couldn't I?

After the King made a short speech that essentially hinted at Prince Arthur kicking my butt, the fight began and I was thrown into the deep end. He only fought with a sword, as did I, and we both had many close calls, pinning each other down with ease. This fight was the longest I'd had with anybody, the blonde proving to be quite the challenge. But unlike his other opponents, I was keeping up with his every move.

He was bigger, physically, which made it easier for me to sneak around him, avoiding his sword. When his did clash with mine, he had the upper hand with strength. But it didn't take long for me to use his own strength against him and flip him over me. Before I could make the winning strike, he rolled off the ground and pulled his helmet off, throwing it to the side like it was a mere inconvenience. I swallowed hard, keeping mine on and trying not to let his focused expression deter me.

He stalked toward me, swinging his sword with might and keeping me on my toes. I didn't falter under his constant strikes, but my arms were growing tired with his considerable speed. My only option was to disarm him, and when he least expected it, I managed to flip his sword out of his hand and land it my left one, immediately holding him at the end of my sword. He froze, jaw clenching when he realised I'd got him stuck, and everybody waited for me to make the final strike. After all, there were no rules.

But I was no villain, and I gave him a curt nod before dropping both of my arms, lowering both swords. He pressed his lips together but nodded respectfully, accepting his defeat. The crowd erupted into cheers as I tossed him his sword back, and then I began to smile to myself because I'd done the impossible. I'd beat Arthur Pendragon.

When I turned to see the King's reaction, he did not look impressed in the slightest, still seated and staring at us both with shock. Morgana, on the other hand, was stood up and clapping with amazement, grinning down at me. I waved at her, grateful, and then glanced at Prince Arthur who was now smiling graciously.

"You did good," he said over the noise of the crowd, and then smacked my back with pride, but it was a lot harder than I expected and I tipped forward at the force, my helmet flying off before I could catch it.

I froze, my eyes widened with panic, and the crowd went quiet in unified shock. I feared looking up, but when I did, Arthur was staring at me with a slack jaw.

"You're a girl?!"

I looked up at the King, only to see the pure anger and shock written across his face. I facepalmed mentally, knowing I was screwed.

Y/B/N and I were kneeling before the King as he yelled at us about how we had made a fool of him, Camelot's traditions and everybody who took part in the completion. I tried to pay attention, but all I could think about was how close I'd gotten to winning. So close, yet so far.

"...and I could have you banished from Camelot forever!" he was saying, pacing back and forth before us.

Arthur was stood behind him, still in disbelief that I'd beaten him, and Morgana was there too, listening to his verdict. Once he'd finished, she suddenly stepped forward.

"My lord, was it really that bad? Maybe Y/N just wanted to compete," she tried to reason with him, but he wasn't hearing it.

"Women can't fight!" he snapped at her, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"This one can," Arthur mumbled.

I fought a smile from my lips, which Y/B/N detected and nudged me with warning. Uther was glaring down at us both, irrationally angry.

"You," Arthur suddenly said, looking down at me, and I met his gaze. He seemed conflicted. "You're extremely talented. Nobody has ever bested me."

I wasn't sure what to say, so I stayed quiet.

"It's not right what you did," he said thoughtfully, "but it wasn't fair that you couldn't compete in the first place."

"Arthur!" Uther scolded him.

"Father, a win is a win," Arthur said in a pleading tone. "She deserves the prize and the praise!"

"The whole of Camelot cannot see their future king be beat by some– some woman!" Uther said with disgust.

"But I was!" Arthur argued right back, certainly surprising me. "And that's okay!"

"No," Uther muttered, before pacing again. A silence fell upon us as he decided what to do with us. And then he stopped suddenly, beginning to relax. "We will tell everyone you saw her hair before she disarmed you. That you faltered at the deception and couldn't beat a girl. That you let her win."

At this blatant lie and disrespect, I looked up. "But that's not–"

"You can keep the prize money if you keep quiet," he said to me with a scowl. "Fair?"

I blinked, swallowing hard.

"Father, that's an outright lie!" Arthur disagreed before I could answer. "What's the harm if they know the truth?"

Uther glared at him. "I don't expect you to understand." His gaze fell back to me. "So. Do we have a deal?"

I frowned, glancing at Y/B/N. He mirrored my frown, but nodded. I sighed then nodded to Uther.

"Deal," I agreed reluctantly.

Relived that the discussion was over, Uther nodded. "Finally. Good. I tire of this."

Not sparing us another glance, he walked past us and out of the throne room. Arthur sighed and nodded to my brother and I.

"Please, stand," he said. We did, and he continued, "I'm sorry. Y/N, you should've been able to fight as is. It's a shame no one will know the truth of your abilities and talent."

"Maybe you can change that when you become king," I said disappointedly. "For now, this will have to do."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose with discomfort. "You'll both still be attending the banquet this evening. At my invite. It's the least you deserve after winning."

"We'd be honoured, my lord," I said with a nod.

"Great," Arthur said, relieved. "I shall see you tonight then."

We both bowed respectfully before leaving the throne room, following the knights out of the castle. Once we were finally alone, Y/B/N and I embraced with relief.

"I can't believe you beat the bloody prince," he said with a pride-filled smile.

I laughed, the overwhelming joy of it all – winning and somehow getting away with it – getting to me. "I did."

He pulled me into his side as we began to walk through the city. "So, what are you gonna do with the prize money?"

"What are we gonna do with it," I corrected him. "I couldn't have done any of this without you."

"But we were caught," he reminded me.

I shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

He smiled. "Maybe we can buy some clothes for the party tonight. Got to look our best after all, don't we?"

"Not a bad idea, brother, not a bad idea at all."

Despite Arthur having invited my brother and I to the party this evening, Y/B/N and I still felt a little unwelcome. Word had spread about my deception, including how Arthur had let me win – a story I really hated but knew I couldn't argue – so many eyes were on us when we entered.

"You sure you don't want to leave now?" Y/B/N asked, half joking.

"If I can't get the credit, I can at least enjoy some free food," I retorted, making him smile.

Before we could even think about where to start first, a servant boy approached us with a friendly smile. I recognised him, certain I'd seen him waiting after Arthur throughout the week.

"Y/N, congratulations on your win!" he exclaimed. "Your fighting was just incredible. Not many people can beat Arthur, but you just..." He made a punching gesture with hand, amazed.

"Thank you, but as I'm sure you know, Arthur let me win," I told him, managing not to grimace at the lie.

He snorted as if he didn't believe it. "Right. Well, either way, you're a very talented swordswoman."

I smiled for real, appreciative of his compliment and also the fact that he seemed to believe I'd won by myself and not by Arthur's right.

"Merlin, stop bothering my guests please," Arthur suddenly came out of nowhere, patting the servant boy on the back.

The servant, who I now knew was called Merlin, rolled his eyes playfully before shooting me a final smile and leaving us be

"Y/N, Y/B/N," Arthur said, eyes falling to us. "You both look great. Do enjoy tonight. I've already told my father not to bother you. It's your night as much as anyone else's. Especially mine."

"Thank you, my lord," Y/B/N said, nodding his head, and I nodded, too.

"We appreciate it," I added.

Arthur pursed his lips, staring at me for a moment longer than usual, before mumbling to himself as he walked away, "Beaten by a woman."

My smile grew as I sensed he still wasn't over the defeat. Even if nobody else knew, it was still enough to know I could actually do it.

"C'mon, let's go get a drink," Y/B/N said, already heading towards the table full of drinks.

We both grabbed a goblet each, cheering to my win subtly, before taking a sip. Talking about what we might do next, we almost didn't notice Morgana approaching us.

"Y/B/N, Y/N," she greeted with a warm smile.

"My lady," Y/B/N returned, bowing respectfully, and I followed suit.

"Please, it's really not necessary," Morgana said in jest.

Y/B/N and I exchanged smiles, knowing it was, but we didn't want to offend Morgana and say otherwise.

"I'm going to track down some food," Y/B/N suddenly said, and he shot me a look before leaving Morgana and I alone. I supposed I was grateful he did.

"I never got the chance to say it before," I started, meeting Morgana's gaze, "but thank you for sticking up for me earlier. With the King. You didn't have to."

At the reminder, her smile faded slightly. "I did. I'm just sorry you were caught. You almost had everyone fooled."

I smiled disappointedly. "Yeah, well... Arthur has been too kind, letting me off so easily."

Morgana glanced out at the prince as she spoke, "He has a good heart. Better than his father's." After a moment, she looked back to me with a sad smile. "I'm sorry nobody will know good you really are. It's not fair."

I shrugged, downing the rest of my drink before putting the goblet to the side. "I'll know. That's enough for now. It's all people like me will ever get so... I'll take it."

Her eyes softened. "You deserve more, Y/N."

I didn't know what to say, and stupidly enough, her attention was making me more nervous than usual. I avoided her gaze, hoping my face wasn't turning pink.

"So, what will you and your brother do now?" she asked curiously. "Stay in Camelot perhaps?"

"I would have loved that," I admitted, "but it's probably not for the best. What with the King wanting to kill me and everything."

She rolled her eyes, suppressing the urge to laugh. "A bit dramatic, Y/N."

I tilted my head, quirking an eyebrow. "Is it?"

This time, a laugh escaped her and, gosh, it was quite literally music to my ears.

"You have a pretty laugh," I told her, and this only served to make her hide a shy smile as she looked away. I admired her for one of the last times, before answering her previous question. "Y/B/N and I will figure something out, I'm sure."

"Involving a sword?" she asked playfully.

"No doubt," I agreed. "I love it too much."

She nodded. "Good. A talent like yours deserves to be used."

I exhaled quietly, insides warming at her words. "Thank you, Morgana."

"Where did you learn to fight like you do, may I ask?"

"My father taught Y/B/N and I when we were young," I shared, surprised she'd asked. "We were farmers in our village, but it was raided one day. We had to leave and fighting was all we had afterwards. I took to it better than Y/B/N, but he is plenty good with a sword, too."

"Where are your parents now?" she asked.

"They died in the raid," I said awkwardly, unsure how to say it without sounding like I needed her pity.

Frowning, she shook her head. "I'm sorry to hear that."

I shrugged. "Don't be. It doesn't make me sad to talk about it. Honest."

She looked between my eyes, smiling sympathetically. "I'm sure they'd be very proud of you and how good you are a fighter. Or at least, to know you beat the Prince of Camelot."

I smiled, which soon turned into a laugh when I realised she was trying to lighten the situation. "I hope so."

"It's unfortunate you'll be leaving after tonight," she said with a disappointed sigh, "but I do hope our paths will cross again soon. I was beginning to take a liking to you, Y/N."

My own smile widened, my heart fluttering a little at her words. I bowed once more, saying, "My lady." And when I put out my hand, she gave me hers and I kissed the top of it gently. I looked up and saw she was smiling down at me, green eyes bright and dazzling and making me second guess leaving Camelot.

Suddenly, somebody moved into the side of me, forcing me to drop Morgana's hand and straighten up. I realised it was Y/B/N, looking unimpressed.

"Seriously? In front of everyone?" he muttered, referring to my overtly flirtatious behaviour.

I couldn't help but laugh, too overjoyed to care. "Everybody is distracted by the party."

He grumbled to himself before the two of us faced Morgana. She was tempted to laugh at our encounter, but hid it behind a smile.

"I'll miss the both of you," she admitted, looking between us. "Good luck with what's next. And enjoy tonight."

Y/B/N nodded, smiling appreciatively, and I let my eyes linger on hers for as long as she'd let me. As she turned and walked away, I watched after her dreamily, wanting so badly to grab her hand and whisk her away.

"I wish I could ask her to dance," I said with a sigh.

"You're so stupid," Y/B/N said, used to my behaviour when I was like this.

I grinned, looking at Morgana once more before letting Y/B/N drag me away to find some food. I was certain I'd never forget her, no matter where I ended up.

6 months later...

"We seriously need to invest in a good horse," I complained to Y/B/N as we trekked through the forest. "My feet are giving out on me."

"All you do is complain," he said disapprovingly. "The exercise is good for us!"

I rolled my eyes, adjusting the cotton mask tied around my head and covering my nose and mouth. "Tell that to my swollen feet, mate."

He chuckled beside me, his eyes creasing over his mask, the only indication in addition to his obnoxious laugh that he was amused. "I promise that I'll pay extra for a nice hot bath at the next town so you can soak your feet. Sound good?"

I grumbled to myself as I used my sword to cut away at an annoying branch. "You better bloody do. I'm too young to be limping like I–"

"Shut up!" he whispered suddenly, cutting me off.

I fell quiet, detecting the seriousness in his voice, and my ears perked up to hear what he had. There were male voices in the distance, too far for us to make out specifics. I kept my sword in hand as Y/B/N unsheathed his quietly, exchanging looks.

"Could be bandits," he muttered with caution.

"We'll avoid that way then," I told him, sticking to our usual plan.

He nodded in agreement. "There's a way that leads around the stream and will–"

But he was cut off by a short girlish scream, followed by grunting and laughter. My expression hardened when I realised the bandits must have taken someone, an innocent woman no doubt. We couldn't leave her to fend for herself, and as soon as my gaze met Y/B/N's, he was already nodding in agreement.

"You got your knives?" he asked, looking as peeved as I did.

"Uh-huh. Let's go teach these arseholes a lesson."

The two of us moved quickly and quietly, having moved around in these woods for long enough to know how to keep silent and blend in with our surroundings. The bandits' voices grew louder as we approached and we realised it was a small camp. There were a few tents set up, a campfire in the middle and half a dozen or so men hanging about, either sharpening their swords or having a quick drink.

Y/B/N and I waited, eyes taking in the scene to see what we were dealing with. Seven men were present, with three standing on the outskirts and keeping guard and the rest milling around the camp. I scoured the campsite for any sign of a woman, certain I'd heard one, and that's when my eyes widened at a familiar sight.

Y/B/N grabbed my arm, signalling that he could see her too. It was the Lady Morgana and her handmaiden, the two of them bound with rope and sat back to back on the ground. Their clothes were dirty and raggedy, like they'd put up a fight, and there was a single bandit circling them like a predator does with its prey. His sickening smile put them at unease and I so desperately wanted to slice him to pieces there and then, but we had to be tactical.

Tugging me back, Y/B/N motioned for me to follow him. We backtracked, a fair distance away so that we could coordinate quickly.

"How did they get here?" he asked what I was thinking, before shaking his head. "Never mind. We need to get them out of here. If they've managed to kidnap the King's ward and have set up camp, that means they're making a trade."

"I know," I said with discomfort. "We can make this quick and there'll be nobody left. No trade."

He nodded in agreement. "Okay, so this is what we're gonna do..."

After discussing a quick plan, Y/B/N and I split up to circle the camp on different sides. He was dealing with the bandit guarding one side, whilst I dealt with the other two. Thankfully, we didn't have to get close just yet as we had throwing knives. All I had to do was line up my shot and...

His body hit the ground like a sack of potatoes and I immediately moved onto the next guard. This one was trickier considering he wouldn't stand still, constantly pacing. I almost had my throw perfected when there was a shout on the other side and both the bandit and I turned to see what it was.

"We're under attack, you idiot, help!" one of the bandits called to my target, and I groaned inwardly, knowing Y/B/N had been unfortunately noticed.

Running forward, I was able to take one bandit by surprise as the six others tried to circle Y/B/N. I stabbed one with ease before they began to realise there was two of us, and then I was suddenly fighting three bandits at once. The past six months of taking up odd jobs, plus years of training with a sword, put me at an advantage and I was able to move around without faltering once. In under a minute, all three of them were either dead or bleeding out. Y/B/N had managed the same and we both let out a deep breath, lowering our swords.

The muffled screaming from my left made me turn to see Morgana and her handmaiden, Gwen, staring at us with wide, terrified eyes. They were scrambling backwards on the ground, still sat down and tied back to back, and I tried to step forward to untie them, but they weren't having it.

"It's okay, we're not going to hurt you," Y/B/N said calmly, bending down to pull the pieces of cloth from their mouths. "Just let us–"

"Stay away from us!" Morgana yelled, teary eyed and protective of her handmaiden. "Don't touch us!"

I wondered why she was so scared, and then realised she'd just watched Y/B/N and I murder a bunch of bandits and couldn't see who it was.

"Y/B/N, our masks!" I said to him sharply, and his eyebrows raised with realisation before we both pulled them down to our necks. I looked back to Morgana and Gwen, saying, "It's okay, it's just us! It's Y/N!"

Their fear faded instantly, replaced by shock, and thankfully they let me lean down to cut their ropes from their hands. Y/B/N and I helped them to stand, before I looked over them both with concern.

"Are you hurt?" I asked worriedly. "They didn't touch you, did they? We heard a scream."

"They were teasing us, but no, they didn't touch us, thankfully," Gwen answered, wiping at her eyes. "Thank you. Both of you."

"Are you?" Morgana asked, eyes looking me up and down.

"Am I what?"

"Hurt, you idiot," Y/B/N mumbled, and then I widened my eyes.

"Oh, right! No, no I'm fine, don't worry," I assured her, a little embarrassed and flustered from her tense stare, before looking to Gwen. "I don't believe we've officially met. I'm Y/N."

"The one who beat Prince Arthur in the tournament, right?" she asked, recognition flashing across her expression.

I began to grin. "Why yes, that is–"

"Y/N, not the time or place," Y/B/N cut me off with a knowing look.

I sighed, unfortunately knowing he was right, and changed the subject. "Right. We need to get you both out of here. There could be more of them and we don't know who's going to meet them here. It's not safe."

They nodded in agreement, but before I could even think to lead them out of there, Y/B/N suddenly let out a groan and hit the ground. My eyes widened when I saw an arrow sticking out of his shoulder, and both Morgana and Gwen let out a scream, eyes staring ahead. I didn't waste a second as I grabbed my throwing knife and turned around, throwing it in the direction of the arrow. One of the bandits, heavily injured but not quite dead, had retrieved his bow and arrow. Now he was bleeding out from his neck thanks to my great aim.

"Y/B/N," I rushed out, leaning down to see if he was okay, but his injury didn't look great and my heart was beating way too quickly. "Y/B/N, talk to me!"

"I'm okay," he mumbled, voice strained with pain. In an attempt to push himself up, he hit the ground again and let out a sigh.

"Don't move– just– just wait," I told him, needing him to stay still so I could think.

The arrow was only stuck halfway, not too deep, but if I removed it he would bleed out. We had some time, maybe enough to get him back to Camelot with the others. But not long.

"Can you walk?" I asked him, before attempting to help him stand.

Morgana and Gwen helped on his other side, standing him up before he leaned against me for a moment. His face was scrunched with discomfort, but he looked well enough for now.

"If we're gonna go, we need to go now," he said with a nod. "I'm good. Let's go."

I worried, glancing over him, hesitant to get moving like this. He couldn't hold a weapon in this state, and I couldn't protect him and the others.

"Here, lean on me for support," Gwen encouraged, already moving to his uninjured side. Shooting me a look, she said, "I'll help him walk. Let's get out of this horrid place, please."

I nodded in agreement, pulling my mask back over my face. Unsheathing my sword, I motioned for them to stay behind me before leading the way, on high alert as we carefully walked through the forest.

When I was certain we had cleared enough distance between the bandit camp and us, I stopped fretting and began to ease up a little.

"You okay back there, Y/B/N?" I called, glancing over my shoulder.

"Just peachy," he quipped with half a smile.

I returned it, though his clammy, paling skin was worrying me. Trying to distract myself, I faced forward again, though felt Morgan's presence at my side.

"I'm glad to see you again after so long," I said to her with a quiet voice, so the others couldn't hear. "I do wish it were under better circumstances however."

She glanced at me, a small smile on her lips. "Me too. Gwen and I... we're lucky you and your brother were here. We were out riding when the knights watching us were ambushed. Then we were taken and that's when you found us. That was a day ago."

I frowned. "That's horrible. But don't worry, it'll all be okay now. We're gonna make it back to Camelot and you'll be safe again in no time."

"Thank you," she murmured.

"I'm only sorry I don't have a horse and carriage to help ease the journey," I joked, wanting to lighten the mood.

Her smile grew, a genuine, beautiful one that warmed my heart, and gosh, had I missed seeing it all this time.

[joethehoeee]

I know I talk too much but I am a bit more confidend so I'm just gonna share this.

I LOVE the enchantment scene.

(Ofc i still hate what he did and it's not justifiable)

There’re so many details and reactions in Strickler expression it's insane-

I am just gonna talk about my thoughts and Interpretations about how he acts.

This is gonna be very long.

Lets start:

1. From the very beginning of the conversation Walter is not focused at all. He looks at Barbara when she starts to talk but then he drifted away with his eyes and his thoughts. He is hesitant. Questioning if he really wants to go on with this plan. He feels the guilt already even tho he didn’t even did anything with enchantment stones. Because he is unsure. He dosen't even know if he wants to do it yet.

2. Barbara looks away due the course of the conversation and he opened his hands to look at the stones. Then Barbara looks at him again he closed his fingers around the enchantments as if he wanted to hide them from her sight.

However,

I believe that he wanted to hide them from his own sight. He closed them for her. Holding her fate in his hands. His fate. To hide his doubts from himself. As if every time that he looks at those enchantments they could change his mind about this plan. And maybe they coud. Maybe they already did...

3. And again. Barbara takes his hands but he only looks at those stones in his closed hand. Barbaras hands hold his. She indirectly holds the enchantments and their fait. When she takes her hands away because of the hospital call Strickler only opens his hands to look at them again.

Unsure.

Will he really do this? Wants he really do this?

4. He tried it. Started it. Hesitated.

He dosen't ended his plan yet. His hand hovers over the Tea. Unable to go further as his eyes fall on Barbara. Questioning what he will do.

This isn’t a question if he should do this but rather if he wants to do this.

5. He looks at the enchantment stones, looks at her and made his choice.

Why?

He cares not only for Barbara but also for himself. But he dosen't cares enough.

This choice. THIS DECISION. It isn’t made by Walter, it's made by Stricklander. The changeling. The Impure. The slave. This time he dosen't chose his own best, his own happiness. He chose the Janus Order, the other changelings. Morgana. Because that's what he was made for. That's his only purpose in his life. Because that's all he ever knew. He puts them over the happiness that he could have with Barbara. He puts his relationship with Barbara and his probably first real happiness on second place for his kind, the changelings. For the better world that they want to have.

But.

Does he still wants that better world?

He wants respect, equality, love. And with Barbara he gets this. She gives him what he wants and needs. He already has it thanks to her.

But still, then why should he do this?

In his eyes this is the only way to go now. What should he do instead? The Janus Order would try to kill him after what he would betray them and so would Angor after what Strickler did to him (if he even gets his freedom). He believes that Jim hates him and wouldn’t forgive him. He also thinks that Barbara will hate him either way if she knew his real face no matter if he uses the enchantments or not. Because no one could ever love a Monster.

6. It's done.

He looks sad, filled with guilt, scared even.

He hesitates and dosen't completed the enchantment yet.

He is questioning. Why? How?

'Why would I do this? Why did I hesitate? Why did I hurt her like this?'

'How could I do this? How could I hesitate? How could I hurt her like this?'

'Should I have done this?'

He knows it's wrong. He knows that this will be their downfall. He knows how this will end. The guilt and fear of the future is already placed in his mind.

'Was this really nessecary....?'

It wasn’t. And he knows this.

One more thing.

7. I do believe with all my heart that if Barbara didn't get the call from the hospital then Strickler wouldn't have used the enchantment stones. Not on this date and not in general. (and i don’t mean the fact that Jim probably would've killed him the the car that night because we don’t really know if Jim really would do it.)

This Date. This ONE moment was the only time that he was capable of actually using the enchantment (and not only because he probably wouldn’t find a good timing again) because look at the way of how they look at each other. Stricklers heart wouldn’t allow him to do this after he would've failed this one particular moment at this Date.

(And I know many people say that they had their first kiss of screen beforethis scene and as much as i love this hc i still can't believethat they would've done it earlier already. Maybe they did something more spicy for the first time 👀...okay i will never do this again...maybe...)

(Fun) fact: I had to write all this a second time because my first post literally disappeared after i posted it, for no reason at all. (Sometimes life hates me as much as I hate it)

Anyways... :,(

(I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this. You can ofc correct me if i made mistakes and yeah i hope this whole post makes sense to you all.)

(My apologies If i made spelling or grammar mistakes, like i said onece before, english isn’t my native language)

[iveer-y]

ryuji sakamoto/reader headcanons !!

— ## you/your pronouns

fem!reader (1), masc!reader (1), & gn!reader (5)

anon asks: ryuji sakamoto x reader headcanons 🫶🏻

A/N: this has been sitting in my inbox for around three months,,,um. whoops (*°▽°*) thanks for being so patient and happy (early) ides of march anon !! hope you like them ❀(*´◡`*)❀

FEM

WHEN RYUJI FIGURES OUT HE LIKES YOU, he makes it very obvious; suddenly Ryuji is almost always complimenting you, gushing about you— just generally making it very obvious that you are special to him. Probably confesses almost immediately. He’s not very good at subtlety.

MASC

WHEN RYUJI FIGURES OUT HE LIKES YOU, he panics a little bit; he’s never liked a boy before! He isn’t quite sure how to compliment you: is it the same as it is with girls? Would it be weird to call you “hot”? If you’re out, then Ryuji has a much easier time figuring his feelings out, especially since he can ask you for advice! Unfortunately, he’s not really good at subtlety; he makes it kind of obvious that the potential guy he likes is you. Equal chances of confession from both sides; if you’re more anxious, though, Ryuji will probably confess first.

GENDER NEUTRAL

IF YOU’RE A NIGHT OWL, late night phone calls become commonplace. Just being in your presence, even just through a phone, is enough to make his day. He probably tries to find games to play with you, regardless of if you’re a gamer or not; the most research he’s ever done is to find a game that the two of you might like and can play into the early hours of the morning — or, rather, to both of you — the late hours of the night.

RYUJI IS EAGER — sometimes overeager — to spend time with you. Whether you’re already dating, not-so-carefully toeing the line between platonic and romantic, or still in that stage of pining, fleeting touches, and shared looks, he pretty much asks you to spend time with him whenever, wherever. Come train with him! Oh, you’re not really a gym person? That’s no problem, you can just watch — he’d love a cheerleader! Wanna go get ramen? Oh, you already ate? Is there a store you’ve been dying to visit? A bakery you’ve been eyeing? Let Ryuji escort you!

IF YOU’RE A PHANTOM THIEF, Ryuji hates to see you hurt. He knows that you’re capable of defending yourself, and that every member they have is someone not just willing, but wanting to fight for their cause — but seeing you get hurt doesn’t sit right with him. It settles heavy and solemnly in his gut until he can personally check up on you. (Not that he doesn’t trust Morgana, or Ann, or Makoto, or, hell, even Joker — he trusts them all with his life — just maybe not yours.)

IF YOU’RE NOT A PHANTOM THIEF, Ryuji wishes you were. To be honest, he thinks you totally could be! But, for all it’s worth, he knows that being a Phantom Thief is dangerous, and he hates not being able to tell you. It eats away at him. He hates keeping secrets from you — not to mention he’s horrible at keeping secrets, especially one as big as the Phantom Thieves — but after Makoto he learns his lesson. (Because, sure, they earned a cool new teammate but what if Makoto had been someone else? What then?) He considers outright avoiding you just to not have to experience the heartbreak of not telling you something. In the end, he can’t — he’ll endure it all just to be with you. (And, of course, in the end, you’ll figure it out. Whether it be through intellect and deduction or Ryuji outright telling you, you learn his secret. He’s relieved, honestly — because after the Phantom Thieves there’s only one secret he could have left: his feelings for you.)

THIS BOY BICKERS. He argues. He likes you — loves you, even! — but sometimes you’re wrong, and sometimes he wants to experience the electrifying thrill of seeing you all riled up. He loves to tease you, start playful arguments, say stupid things just to get a reaction from you — there’s something about the way you get flustered trying to argue with him. His stupidity is only (mostly) a façade: he knows when he’s gone too far, when to stop. He would never try to make you intentionally uncomfortable. In the case that he does make you uncomfortable, it’s always unintentional — and he always strives to be better — to communicate — so that it doesn’t happen again

[aaaarsonist]

Hi What were the Most Heartbreaking moments for you not counting Rot ofc

Hi! Let's see (btw I'm also not counting 3Below, I didn't connect with it at all and didn't feel a thing lol)

Of course, SPOILERS AHEAD!!

Draal's death, definitely. Draal's one of my favorite characters, I fell totally in love with him and I was crushed by this. The whole scene of Jim going to touch his face when he finds him, and then Angor asking why's protecting a human and I just– UGHHH I JUST WATCHED THAT EPISODE AGAIN AND I'M SENSITIVE.

"What am I, Blinky?" "When I gaze upon you, do you know what I see? I see a champion. A friend. A son. A magnificent son" I don't know if it counts as "heartbreaking " bUT IT MAKES ME CRY SO MUCH I CAN'T, I'M EVEN CRYING JUST FOR WRITING IT. This episode and the one before are heartbreaking for me. Jim sacrificing his humanity to destroy Morgana and Gunmar, changing not just his appearance, but everything he does in his day to day. We saw how excited he was when he came back from the Darklands, going to school, even seeing Steve and doing homework, and now not only can he no longer do all that, but he can't go out in the sun, can't eat human food, has to get used to a new body, with new strength and needs, can't experience life as he used to. It's a fucking lot for a sixteen year old. Also the scene in the bathroom itself, as I saw someone mention here, seems to imply so much a suicide, with his family trying to knock down the door to stop him from making a mistake, I just- I just can't. (Also this edit destroys me).

The first time I watched Aaarrrgghh!!! turn into stone I couldn't believe it, and then when Jim decides to go into the Darklands alone and everyone is calling for him and he says "I can't lose anymore of you". Pain.

The whole situation with Barbara when she distances from Jim because she knows he's lying breaks my heart, because even though Toby's a big support for Jim,and now he has more people with him, his mom is the number one person in his life. And I can feel him hurt for being so far away from him.

Troll Jim going berserk and becoming human again. Okay, this is more angry heartbreak than sad heartbreak because I love Troll Jim (I love his design so much omfg). I hate it because of the same reason S3E11 pains me. He relearned how to live for what, a few months, and the he had to change back against his will? I fucking hate it. Also, yeah, it's painful because of Claire's reaction (well, Jim's almost death at the end od Trollhunters It's also heartbreaking, but I miraculously didn't cry).

Merlin's death. Not for him (actually, fuck him) but because of Douxie's reaction. We see throughout the series how Douxie's done everything to help him, please him, make him proud. We know he's his savior, and probably the most important person in his life.

I'm sure I'm forgetting several, but these are the scenes that come to mind the most. Also, I wanted to talk a little more about the last one, but I need to refresh Wizards first lol

[thebarontheabyss]

okay damn it I have one small wholesome prompt that I need to spare. I'm sorry but it must be done.

lets say that the MC is a polyglot! One who could speak in multiple languages! And occasionally MC would slip up using other languages like cursing one of the nagging patrons in complete Italian and French out of anger but here's a thing.. The MC also liked to used it to express their love in a whole different languages. Like "I love you" Or "I appreciate it, love" In a whole different languages so I wonder what would the ROs reaction at how the MC express their love in a somewhat unique way? Like would they be confused, would they actually understand it but pretends to not too? :D

So! In the ethereal realms, everyone understands each other - in the afterlife, there are no language barriers. But for the fun of it, let's imagine the MC, a linguistic maestro, slipping in a compliment in a language so ancient that it's not commonly understood in these realms.

Death would be momentarily puzzled. They are used to understanding every spoken word in the ethereal realm, but this catches them off guard. The confusion quickly turns to a tender smile, though. "I may not get the language, but the sentiment? I think I get it," they say, a touch of red gracing their cheeks.

The Devil Prince thrives on intrigue and mystery. When the MC speaks words of love in a foreign tongue, Lilith/Damian's eyes light up with delight and mischief. "Ah, a secret language? Do tell me more," they respond, eager to engage in this new game.

Morgan/Morgana, always keen on learning, will be instantly curious. "Did you just flirt in another tongue?" they ask, their eyes sparkling with amusement and interest. "Teach me. I want to say it back to you," they add with a playful grin.

The MC's multilingual skills will enchant Peisinoe. "Was that an ancient language you just spoke? Marvelous!" they exclaim. Even though they might not understand the words, they appreciate the romantic gesture and respond with an equally dramatic, affectionate reply.

Hastur is taken aback but pleasantly surprised by the unfamiliar words of affection. "I didn't catch that, but it sounded… profound," he says with a soft, appreciative smile suggesting he understand the emotion behind the words.

He Without Name’s reaction is subtle, a slight nod or a brief, contemplative pause, but it's clear he’s touched by the gesture, even if the words are unfamiliar.

[greenplumbboblover]

Writing rambles.

So I've been looking around for some writing resources, since I felt that I had been just blindly been writing some characters and introductions of certain sims, and came across this:

Now, as a fellow commenter had written out was:

The 6 essential questions: Who is it about? What did they want? Why can't they get it? What did they do about it? Why doesn't that work? How does it end?

I got that easily all answered for: Morgana, Christopher, Leighton, Nancy, Zelda and to some degree Dustin/Illiana.

But I think the self-doubt I have been experiencing lately of "the story is turning boring" is probably because with the other characters, i've just dove nose first into a black void, not really thinking about it too much. And it actually makes it really difficult to write them properly. With their opinions and thoughts and reactions. Rather than, what I would say in those situations. That's... not really a character.

And while that can be fun... it's not really great?

Now I write each chapter after the other chapter is done. So while I have an outline, I can't go back and change that other chapter and the introduction of said characters.

So I was thinking after chapter 7, I will outline the character's I've introduced for myself, see who may be redundant and may only see as background characters, or see what character can I work with.

With that said, if you notice the lack of certain characters in the next chapters, it's probably due to that :)

[tiaamorosa]

Sunset Died - Pauline

Pauline found it difficult to pack her backpack. But she knows that she is the one who got herself into this situation. Even if unintentionally. Pregnant, alone and with only a handful of luggage. "Morgana said if I had problems, I could come to her...but I don't think there would be room for me there. Hh, where else can I go?".

It felt like there was no end to the day. She visited Morgana and told her everything. But unfortunately she couldn't give her shelter, it would have been too cramped with one more person. So she would have to continue her search… She was tired and hungry… And surprised. "Zelda, is that you?".

"Pauline? Hey, long time no see...". Pauline was very surprised. "What's happened, are you living here now?"/ "Oh, don't ask. Yes, hn, and tomorrow I'm sure I'll have the sore muscles of my life. You wouldn't believe how much I've done here in the last two days. And all the things I've found... Wait... Oh man, finally finished, another secure line, great".

Pauline put down her backsack. "Actually, there's a simple explanation for this. It could have been so nice with Gobias, but I didn't get on with Susan at all. And you're not just walking around with a backsack and a depressed look on your face for no reason, are you?"/ "Oh Zelda, I…"/ "ooh, someone's hungry… come in, I'll make us something to eat and then you can tell me what's going on"

"You really did all that on your own? There was almost nothing here but a ruin"/ "Yes, but only almost… Hey, but don't expect a luxury apartment inside, okay?"/ "I don't care what it looks like inside, the main thing is that I can sit down first, my legs hurt…"/ "hey, you're not 60 yet…"/ "No… Not that".

Pauline quickly noticed that it was pleasantly warm inside the house. There was an old rusty fireplace in the room, but it wasn't broken and it smelled pleasantly of the wood that was slowly burning. "So, be honest"/ "a bit shabby, but clean..."/ "I like shabby, but still chic, shabby chic, hnhn. Is salad okay for now?"/ "h-hh, mhm".

Pauline would have preferred to eat something really good again, but at the moment she didn't really care what was on her plate, she was really hungry. "Where did you get these pretty figures?"/ "Found them... As I said, I've found a few things recently. ".

While Zelda prepared the food, Pauline looked at the little figures in silence. She knew that Zelda loved kitschy things, playful things. And she had to smile... "So, what happened, sweetie? Stress with Xander? You're together, I heard?"/ "Yeah, n-no... I was... With him and... With Hank..."/ "With both?? Oh, wow, Pauline, hnhn".

"it's actually not funny at all, you know? I…I thought it might work, but instead I lied to myself and hurt them both"/ "hmm, well, they're men, they'll get over it"/ "surely not so fast, because…one of them is going to be a dad"/ "oh, congratulations, then…ouch! Wait… Are YOU pregnant??"…

"mhm… Yes, I am… And…". Zelda dropped the knife on the chopping board. Then she turned to her and squealed with delight. "I can't believe it, Pauline, you're really having a baby?". Pauline had to smile a little at her reaction. "Yes, but please don't make a big deal out of it, okay? I…"/ "h-h, oh man, oh man, that's really unbelievable sorry, but I… I'm just happy for you… Aren't you happy?". Pauline shrugged her shoulders a little.

Zelda only had to look at her face to realize that something more must have happened. Pauline's eyes filled with tears. "oh… Come here, hm. You don't know which of them is the father of your baby"/ "I have a suspicions, but I don't really know, no. And Xander, he… He kicked me out"/ "What? Oh man."

Pauline slowly pulled away from the hug "He was really mad, Zelda. I betrayed him and now this… I'm really bad, aren't I?"/ "Oh, no, you're not bad, just… Just always very quickly very much in love. But I know how you feel, o.k.? Hey, if you want, you can stay here for a while, all right? And… for your current state, I'll even offer you my bed, I've still got a sleeping bag"/"h-hh, Oh you… Thanks"/"not for that… Oh man, a bahaaby!".

After the salad was ready, they both took a plate and sat down at the table. Zelda could tell that it really wasn't easy for her at the moment. "But you… You want to keep the baby, don't you?". Pauline looked at her and smiled. "Sure… it's not it's fault. I didn't want children before… But now that I know it already exists… I like the thought. But… I'll be alone with him…or her"/ "oh no, you've got me, I'm the cool Auntie Zelda".

Pauline had to smile a little again. Zelda is indeed a good aunt, at least to her nephew and niece. She is very sorry that she no longer lives under the same roof as them. But luckily they can still visit each other. "the salad is really good, thank you"/ "there'll be meat soon, I've been practicing hunting with VJ"/ "Oh, really?".

"Mhm. there are some wild animals that have come back… We've already made a plan, nobody shoots more than one animal a week and we have to watch out for the season, when they have their young etc…."/ "I know my 'young' certainly won't be hunted. Don't you have a sink?"/ "I have to plug it in first, sorry, but there's a pump with a bucket outside".

Pauline went outside to wash the dishes. "oh man, that's really primitive... But also kind of funny. She did everything by herself... and what can I do? Drive men crazy, drive myself crazy... I hope I don't have a crazy baby".

"and I can really sleep in your bed? I don't want to be a burden on you, Zelda"/ "you have the more difficult circumstances, and I have enough space. don't worry about it, okay?"/ "mhm. Let's go to sleep then, baby... I'm so tired".

The first night alone, well, not quite. After all, Pauline now has a baby under her heart and she can stay with her friend for a while. They've known each other for a while, and they also have something in common. Both are half-Asian. And they certainly have common interests. We'll see how things go from here.

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

@greenplumbboblover 😊

[heavy-is-the-crown-if]

ROs have had a long day, so MC who cooks really well surprises them with their favorite food! Reactions?

Merlin : "Tell me, Mc. You haven't done anything to get us into trouble have you?" They ask, spoon raised halfway.

"What? No! Why would I get us in trouble!

"Because you're trouble! At least to my heart," they stammer, necks burning as they shove the spoon into their mouth.

Arthur : A moan escaped Arthur's half-closed lips and his eyes closed in delight as he removed the fork from his mouth.

You smile, "Is it good?"

"What do you think?" He exclaims happily and you laugh.

"Save room for dessert," you smirk.

"Oh, what do you have planned?" He asks candidly.

You approach him gently and brush your lips over his, retrieving a bit of sauce that had been left there.

"Something sweet," you murmur as he ignites.

Guinevere : "You know, they say gluttony is an ugly flaw," you tease as the carmelid amazon stuffs her face.

She wags her knife in your direction. "You're just envious!"

"Envious of what? I'm the one who cooked the meal!"

"You're getting angry now?" She laughs.

"You're not even taking the time to savor the dish," you pout as she shoves her fork into your mouth.

"Gluttony, envy, anger, I bet by dessert we'll be talking lust." She snort, a dangerous gleam in her eye.

Morgana : There's nothing better than watching Morgana eat what you've prepared. Not because she holds her spoon gracefully and elegantly, not even because of the sounds of satisfaction, just because she's eating what you've prepared.

"Do you like it?"

She smiles, free, confident. "It's delicious."

"I'll make you some more."

"You don't have to, I know you're busy."

"You're busy too and it makes me happy to see you eat."

Her cheeks flush pink. "This is embarrassing."

You rest your chin in your palms. "No, it's nice."

Pushed by an impulse she kisses your cheek and continues her meal. You smile wider. There was a time when fear of poisoning kept her from eating her fill, but not anymore, not with you by her side.

Lucan/Lucia : "Did you use spices?" They ask as they finish a bite.

"Is it too spicy? I thought you loved it?" You question mischievously.

They raise an eyebrow. "Why do I get the feeling you don't talk about cooking?"

You step back palm up, "You're the one going off on this kind of thinking, I was just asking an innocent question."

"Please, there's nothing innocent about you."

"I'm outraged."

"And I'm in love."

"You...what."

Your mind goes blank and your eyes fix on them. Whose smile has turned teasing. "And you question my innocence!" You laugh out loud.

[momo-wants-siesta]

THE BASTARD OF CAMELOT [REVIEW]

-PART 1-

I been told to start with this one. "The bastard of Camelot" by "Llamagirl" in itch.io, using twine.

So another Arthurian IF, nothing new, nothing original, but with the diference that we get to play as Mordred, it seems.

I must admit that I am curious to see how this story unfolds.

If done well, it can always be an interesting perspective, living the story through the eyes of the supposed villain or outcast.

Without further ado, let's get down to business (Spoilers included)

PROLOGUE

Well flowery prose is going to be a thing, but I don't see as something necesarily bad.

We start with the scene of a Morgana, girlbossing the whole court of Camelot, because she can. Let's assume that the baby she's carrying is Morded, who will be the MC, but the scene serves quite well as a prologue. It's fun to see Arthur's reactions, possibly questioning his life, and the fact that a hottie made him go full Alabama, without realizing it.

Let me tell you that I must break a lance in favor of King Arthur here. Okay, the guy was hot as balls, but that doesn't justify that Morgana knew very well what she was doing. I hope the game doesn't try to justify this. So the one who screwed up was Uther, not Arthur. But well, I'm seeing that she'll be a great mother by now.

So basically, the kid will not be reconigzed, yadda yadda. It's me or we gonna have a Evil Merlin this time? Well, I look forward to it, once again. It may be interesting.

I don't know what are the author intentions, but Arthur looks like a good chap to me. I mean it seems the game is gonna take an actual quite realistic approach to the whole political thing, which I'm already grateful for already. Too many if go into weird cartoonish systems, or the typical "peasants are dumb" by default. So I can understand the whole "let's hide the kid identity"

Morgana is not exactly winning many points with me, she is almost hysterical. Like, lady pls calm down, and think of your child.

But we need the drama. Give to us.

I mean, okay I can understand she is angry, Uther was a complete asshole, but hell how is this Arthur's fault? The man wasn't even there. Like seriously my woman.

Tbh I never been a fan of the Sins of the father, unless the child are like 100% okay with what the parent did, and doesn't seem to be the case. And now we even get prophecy time. MC is totally gonna fuck over Camelot they say.

Chapter 1 & 2

Okay so get start at 6 years old. Tender age with mommy dearest explaining stuff to us.

Well I gotta say that what this IF is doing right, is basically writing a child properly. And in the IF world that's not a easy feat. The smol Mordred is annoying, so this means the author is doing a great job.

I knew Morgana would give me my vibes. Woman is hellbend on this useless revenge of his, to the point of ignoring her own child wishes. I should have expected that. Let's have a child to use them as a tool, what can go wrong.

Well it good to see that Junia's doesn't seem to agree with Morgana's bullshit. Well I'm Junia right now, I don't dislike Morgana at all, but woman what the heck are you doing.

Oh heck yeah, I'm not letting see your father, but I'm gonna abandon you at 6 for a fucking month, because my delusions are more important. Talk about motherly priorities here.

Good to know she is fucking the knight.

I feel bad for Mordred tbh. Lesons at 6. Man that's rough. Let the smol child go outside and play. They have rights.

Oh but of course "mind controlling" is seen as something positive by Morgana. This woman is far gone, I tell you.

You know you may be fucking up, when even your friend questions your bullshit.

Too much skin options for my taste, but hey, hurray for customization.

Once again, it's good to know Morgana has been shit talking Arthur to their own child. WOMAN PLEASE STOP. Ofc Junia is here to save the day. Like I'm sure the man ain't perfect, but hell. That's an ass move.

You can't never have a fantasy history, without the local "church" being assholes.

I like the Merlin child. She is cool. Looks quite mature.

So now we are finally going to the continent, and of course all mother dearest can think about is, CONQUERING THE PLACE.

It's good to know that we got another father, that we don't know about EITHER.

Well a bit of bullying and a bit of roughing. Just another afternoon. It's time for some fireworks I guess.

I love Morgana enabling the violence.

OKAY NANA IS THE MOST BASED CHARACTER, SHE GETS IT.

So there was another child. This woman is literally trying to take children to Avalon ignoring the parents. Someone call Arthurian social services. We got a grave case here.

So, you isolated your child, and now you want them to be friends with the other child. Oh yes, nothing wrong here.

We gotta meet our dragon, wowie time.

FINAL TOUGHTS

Okay I gotta admit this have been a good read. I didn't notice I was finishing chapter 2 already.

The prose is flowery but it's easy to read too, and I'm must admit that I like how the character are getting fleshed out (The main ones at least) it's good to see everybody has a different valid perspective. The customization options were entertaining, but they don't seem to affect the narrative, or at least not yet.

It's good that I didn't get a lore dump, the author seem to be taking the "show don't tell" at heart, which is something positive, specially on a fantasy setting.

So In general, I look forward to see how it gonna go from there. I hope there's a timeskip, no matter hoe well written, being a kid can get boring.

I can't wait to be able to interact with the Camelot knights and Arthur himself, and see which options are avaible.

And with this, I finish the first part of the review.

[marikn]

A little snippet from my merthur boarding school au (wip-- fic to be posted soon!)

I mentioned this idea forever ago, and I've been thinking about it nonstop for like a year. Finally, I have enough to start sharing it!

I currently only have one and a half chapters but the plan is to post it to ao3 once I have at least three done. Stay tuned! But for now here's this :)

It had all started over the summer. The Penn family had been seated around the breakfast table, the father at the head, the daughter to his left and the son to his right. Their housemaid had shuffled in at the usual time to deliver the morning paper. As he always did, Uther Penn acknowledged her with only a nod, finished his breakfast first, and then opened the paper to the second page. Anything actually worth reading could be found there, he always said. No use in reading the gossip on the front page. His children often questioned this philosophy, but they had long since discovered that he wouldn’t be swayed from it. They’d developed their own system, anyway. While their father skimmed the inside pages, Morgana’s job was to discreetly read the front page, and Arthur’s was to redirect Uther’s attention when needed by asking about another section. This morning, he’d inquired about sports articles.

In predictable Uther fashion, he grumbled at the question and quipped something about patience, before flipping through to find the newest football passage. It was all very routine. Everything from Uther’s subtle smile as he read the passage aloud for Arthur to hear, to the mid-August breeze drifting through the open patio doors fit into the easy peace of a Sunday morning at the Penn household. The whole thing was so relaxed, in fact, that Arthur began to fall into a daze. The drone of his father’s voice mingled with the birdsong outside to create a lullaby that covered his brain in a fine fuzz. His stomach was filled after his meal and the sweet scent of the garden graced his senses with every gentle draft. His eyelids grew heavy.

It was all shattered in an instant, however, when Morgana dropped her fork. The cutlery made a loud clanging as it struck the plate beneath it, and sent a jolt of electric shock through Arthur’s entire body. All eyes turned to her. Without saying a word, she lunged for the paper and frantically smoothed it out on the table. All was silent for a moment. Then–

“Father,” she whispered, voice tense and eyes wide as they found Uther’s. She turned the paper so both her brother and father could see what she was pointing to.

There on the page, beneath Morgana’s elegantly manicured fingernail:

“—body found in Albion Woods, identified to be thirty-four year old Helen Mora. Police are opening an active investigation to gather information about the deceased and any potential leads as to her cause of death. According to the detectives assigned to the case, authorities cannot dismiss suspicions of foul play at this time…”

Arthur felt his blood go cold.

 Albion Woods…

“How close to the school was she found?” Uther took a drink from his coffee, still surveying the article from across the table. There was a pause as Morgana read the passage again. 

“They didn’t mention the school.”

“They’ll want to question you, Father,” Arthur said carefully. He, too, reached for his coffee and took a sip. It was cold. 

“Yes, I suppose they will,” He reached to retrieve the paper from Morgana. “I’ll have to contact Geoffrey. See if we can mitigate the intrusion.”

“You’re just going to– what– pay them off?” She asked, incredulous. “This could be serious! And you’re trying  to hush it up?” Uther didn’t appear to have heard her. He was busy scanning the page again. Arthur swallowed. 

“She’s right, Father,” he watched Uther’s reaction closely. “It could look suspicious if one of our teachers turns up dead and we resist investigation.”

“Her death in itself reflects poorly for Pendragon. The last thing we need is an investigation.” His father took a huffing breath and tossed the paper down. He continued to stare at it for a moment, his eyes far away. There was a beat, and then Morgana scoffed and shoved herself away from the table. Arthur watched her stalk out of the room, leaving an uncomfortable silence behind her that engulfed the two still at the table. Uther had reached for his coffee again, and as he took a drink Arthur stared down at his own mug. 

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know you were close.” He indicated the paper with a twitch of his index finger. Uther smiled tightly and dipped his head. Then he called for the maid to clear the table and Arthur excused himself.

[bobbinoknows]

You know how some in some stories or analysis people mention Joker having multiple jobs and how busy it would make him. Or how it would contribute to him being tired when combined with all his other responsibilities and such. I don’t get it. Every playthrough I’ve done Joker goes to a specific job like 4 times then never shows up again. I’m surprised he doesn’t get fired. It would have been somewhat funny if that was a mechanic actually.

Honestly its the same with P4, Yu showed up to day care like 2 times then I forgot about it. Never have maxed out the temperance link.

Anyway there’s this little story thing I think of when thinking about how Joker manages money and stuff. It basically goes

- Joker just having finished the convenience store job and looking at the meager amount of money he earned

- Thinks about how it can be converted to like 3 shadow battles

- Why the fuck is he doing this realization sets in

- Fuck work

- Just make money from Mementos

Its pretty much my and I imagine most players reaction to the jobs and such compared to mementos.

Only reason to actually go is for finding information on mementos targets and I think its cool. I can imagine Joker feeling like a cool spy or well Arsene the master of disguise being everywhere to learn about his targets and such.

I also think a story where the phantom thieves try to launder the metaverse money would be funny. They first think of promoting LeBlanc or something but that would mean getting Sojiro involved and they don’t think its a good idea. When Haru shows up they briefly think of just passing it off as money they got from Haru but don’t because they don’t want to have a reputation of being gold diggers, and also they think it would be a horrible thing to do to Haru. Don’t know a third thing for it. They try to start a business lol. Oh they save the metaverse money and post game use launder it through… Haru’s coffee shop. Don’t know where to go with it lmao.

Oh yeah there’s also this story I thought of that I nicknamed the “Joker buys an actual bed” story. The beats of it are pretty much

- Joker in April really annoyed at his sleeping arrangements

- Shortly after they secure the infiltration route he thinks about the metaverse money and how it can be used

- thinks of buying a bed frame or an actual bed

- he’s only staying there for the year he shouldn’t waste money

- Sojiro would get suspicious where the money is from

- He gets annoyed at his sleeping arrangements

- Starts thinking about how much money he makes from a job

- Calculates how many days he would have to work to afford it

- Doesn’t even consider actually working for it but just thinking of how many days have to pass until he can buy it and pretend to have worked for the amount of money it would need

- the day has come

- he’s nervous and wonders if Sojiro will suspect something

- Sojiro is a bit confused and asks him why he bought a bed even though he’s only staying for the year

- Sojiro thinks its a waste of money

- Sojiro feels bad that it was a big enough problem for Joker that he bought it anyway

- He’s also a bit proud of Joker in a way for making a decision to improve his own situation (I don’t know exactly how to word this but he’s proud of Joker’s agency basically)

- Sojiro wonders about what else Joker may be having trouble with and tries to subtly get information out of him to see if there’s anything he could help with

- They end up buying Morgana a cat bed

- He still sleeps on top of Joker anyway

Don’t know where else to go with it. Thought of bringing in the other phantom thieves but Joker wouldn’t even think of asking for help let alone bring it up with them. Morgana would probably stay quiet, or not even think its a problem. I’m thinking that Joker probably kept his decision a secret from him and from Morgana’s perspective Joker just surprise purchases an entire bed.

[kaiwrites-if]

12 and 40?

12. What would the ROs reactions be to MC saying, in a very serious tone: “eat the rich”?

Arthur would tell you that you have strange tastes in food.

Morgana would raise her eyebrow and dare you.

Lance would look really confused, he doubts that they would taste very good?

Gwen would cheer and agree, but honestly, she doesn’t have a clue what you’re talking about.

40. ROs vs MC texting them in the middle of the night “I need you to meet me outside, bring a shovel.”

Arthur would respond with “you can’t order me around” and then turn up with a shovel anyway.

Morgana would respond with “get Arthur to help you” and not turn up.

Lance would respond with “what have you done now?” Would turn up though, bit iffy on the shovel though.

Gwen would respond with “excuse me????” She would show up flustered and freaked out and without a shovel.