#super stoked to have finally had a good fight

[everyonesidolgoro]

He's just sitting there going

[adanima]

KP ships in the Big Brother house

KinnPorsche

Kinn enters the house as a fan, super stoked to be playing. His older brother, Khun, is the one who got him and his cousins interested in Big Brother. (Y’know, back when they were all on good terms)

He enters the house with this absolute Adonis of a man whose name he learns is Porsche. Kinn makes sure to claim a bed right next to Porsche because he will not be giving up the chance to ogle the man as he dresses

Eventually all the houseguests greet each other and Kinn is thinking his time in the house is off to a great start. Until the producers announce that season's first twist: the next set of houseguests to be introduced may not be strangers to everyone and Kinn just knows. He knows one of his family is going to be in the BB house with him this summer

Sure enough, who walks through the doors but Vegas with his infuriatingly smug grin

The house quickly devolves into "Kinn's side" and "Vegas's side"

Vegas plots like hell and can sway many of the houseguests his way but Kinn and most of his allies are comp beasts and manage to dominate most of the HoH and (less) PoV wins

There is an unlucky week where Kinn gets chosen as a Have-Not. His only consolation so far is that Porsche is also a Have-Not this week and their suffering together has brought them closer

Kinn learns a lot about Porsche as they groan about eating slop. Porsche is a recruit - he's only ever seen one season of Big Brother before, recommended to him by producers, and he fell asleep halfway through. He has only the barest of game strategies in mind and he's mostly here for the chance to win some money for his brother's college fund. Kinn is so enamored

On a particularly bad day in the house, three separate fights blowing up that day, the slop just makes the bad day worse. Porsche looks so defeated and Kinn can't stand it. They're cuddling in the Have-Not room and hoping he can make Porsche feel better, Kinn goes in for a kiss. Luckily, Porsche is very happy to engage in a makeout session and from there, they're officially in a showmance

Tawan is a houseguest who had a fledgling crush on Kinn and got super jealous of Porsche for getting with Kinn. Because of his jealousy, he decided to work with Vegas to get Porsche evicted but it ends with Tawan getting evicted in week 3

Big volunteers to be a pawn during one of Kinn's HoH weeks, and ends up being the one evicted that week

Immediately after Big's eviction, Kinn's side finds out that Ken, who they thought was part of their group, had switched to Vegas's side and cast the tie-breaking vote that sent Big home. Ken gets evicted the next week

Vegas keeps getting nominated for eviction, but he either manages to grab PoV or wrangle enough votes from the other houseguests to stay

Porsche gets evicted when there are 5 houseguests left. That week's HoH put both Kinn and Porsche up for eviction. On eviction night, Vegas voted to evict Kinn, the last houseguest voted to evict Porsche, and the HoH cast the tie-breaking vote to evict Porsche.

The houseguest who evicted Porsche as HoH reaches top 3 with Kinn and Vegas. In the top 3, Kinn wins final HoH and surprisingly chooses to bring Vegas with him to Final 2. Call him petty, but he still has a grudge against the other remaining houseguest for getting Porsche evicted. Plus, it's not like he thinks Vegas actually has a chance of winning against him

Kinn wins with a jury vote of 5-2. Porsche wins Favorite House Guest, so they both get to walk away from the BB house with money in their pockets

The very next day, both of them enthusiastically announce on IG and twitter that they’re officially dating

KimChay

The very next season, both Kim and Chay compete. They were both approached by Big Brother production to be one of the twists of the season: three of the houseguests will be related to previous BB players. Out of the three of them, whoever lasts in the competition the longest compared to their relative will win $10k.

In his intro package, Kim drawls, "Unlike my brother last season, I won't risk my game for some guy, no matter how attractive they might be." (the comments on the yt clip of this are so heated once the season ends)

So into the house they go. Since Kinn won his season, Kim knows the only way for him to get the $10k is if he wins and the other two houseguests get evicted from the house sooner than their relatives were. Kim would really like that $10k to help fund his fledgling music career

Chay is mostly doing this for the Experience and the chance at some money. He saw how Porsche did and figured why not. Then who does he see in the house but Wik - the super hot guy he's seen on tiktok who has an amazing voice. Oh. Oh no.

The twist about the three related houseguests is dropped and all the houseguests are in a frenzy. They're determined to figure out who could be one of the three in hopes of getting them out asap. Kim is grateful is he dyed his hair recently for a music video because it makes it that much harder for people to see the resemblance between him and Kinn

Chay's starstruck-ness about Wik helps him out here. His face was so *pikachu face* even before the twist was announced, the other houseguests figure that's just how he is. Even as he is mildly freaking out about how he looks way too much like Porsche. He's just thanking everything out there that he introduced himself as Chay instead of Porchay

And then the competitions are on. Kim makes sure to not perform too well in comps but still places decently. Chay is absolutely the social butterfly of the house

When Chay shyly expresses his admiration of Wik to Kim, Kim immediately knows he can take advantage of that and agrees to ally with Chay. Similar to canon, Kim dips his toe into flirting with Chay and then Chay runs with it. KimChay are officially a showmance before the first week is over

They make it through most of the game without any major hiccups. Chay is over the moon with how his summer is going. And then the sword drops. When there's 6 houseguests left, Chay gets nominated for eviction. Luckily, Kim does not.

Then, Kim wins PoV! Everyone goes into the veto meeting expecting a new nominee to be announced, because of course Kim is going to use the veto on Chay, his showmance

Except...Kim doesn't use the veto. Everyone's staring at him with their mouth open. Kim explains how he figured out Chay is Porsche's brother and one of the three houseguests eligible for the $10k prize. And since Porsche was evicted with 5 houseguests left, this is the last chance for Chay to get evicted before possibly winning the prize

With an indecent amount of sly talk, Kim manages to reveal this while not revealing that he himself is also one of the three houseguests eligible for the $10k

Chay gets evicted that week and hugs everyone but Kim on his way out of the house

From there, people side eye Kim a lot in the house but he manages to maneuver his way to Final 2

In an uncanny reflection of the previous season, Kim wins with a jury vote of 5-2 and Chay wins Favorite House Guest

People online went crazy during the live finale when Chay pointedly did not vote for Kim to win and would turn away anytime they were close to making eye contact

In all the post-finale interviews, every interviewer asks KimChay about each other and it is Awkward for everyone every time

The internet is strongly divided between people who want KimChay to get back together and people who think they should never talk to each other again

KimChay themselves only state they'll talk things out privately and then they never mention each other again on their respective social medias. People take this to mean they went their separate ways

Which is why the internet freaks out yet again when four months later, Chay posts a photo of him and Kim on a double date with Kinn and Porsche

VegasPete

Vegas comes back to Big Brother to play in a later season as one of four "vets" or returning BB players.

Just like in his first season, the house quickly gets split between two factions. On one side is Vegas and his allies. On the other side is a group that's headed by one of the other vets: Arm. With Arm are superfan Pol and recruit Pete.

Vegas plays pretty similarly to his first season, scheming his way through the house. He initially tried swaying Pete to betray his alliance but got annoyed when Pete just smiled at him and refused to play along. After that, he mostly forgets about Pete and targets other members of that alliance.

One week when Arm's side of the house has HoH, Pete volunteers to be a pawn to be nominated for eviction against one of Vegas's allies. However, Vegas campaigns hard against him and the week ends with Pete getting evicted. He becomes the first member of that season's jury

After Pete is evicted, Pol becomes HoH. He and Arm backdoor Vegas in return for Vegas getting Pete evicted. Vegas ends up getting evicted and sent to the jury house

At the jury house, it's just Pete and Vegas. And without anyone else, without any cameras, they find it surprisingly easy to talk to each other.

Vegas opens up about always being compared to his cousin, even before Kinn beat him at the BB game on national television. And how he can only imagine the ridicule he'll face once this season of BB is over. Pete opens up about never being seen in general. Talking leads to...other things and that week where it's just them in the jury house is one of the most liberating weeks either of them has ever experienced.

When Big Brother broadcasts segments from the jury house, some people raise their eyebrows at how friendly Vegas and Pete seem with each other. But the moments in the jury house don't last long because it's revealed there will be a Battle Back and one of the first five jurors will get to return to the Big Brother house

Vegas wins the Battle Back and reenters the house. The rest of the houseguests are so wary of him at first but quickly get mystified because he seems somewhat calmer now? Like he's not as erratic? But they quickly remember that Vegas is still a strong player when he immediately wins HoH and PoV in the same week, sending his most prominent opponent Arm out of the house

Vegas makes it all the way to Final 2 and once again loses the jury vote. Predictably, he's bitter about it in the post-show interviews but after the immediate aftermath, he's pretty silent on social media

Vegas contacts Pete almost immediately after the show is over and they get into a relationship. Somehow, they manage to fly under the radar and no one notices. Probably because the public's attention is quickly caught on the news that Kinn and Porsche are engaged

VegasPete never officially state they're dating. The public only finds out when KinnPorsche share photos from their wedding and people spot Pete there with Vegas's arm around his waist in every. single. photo.

Misc

BB fans have coined the name TK group when referring to KinnPorsche and KimChay - two Theerapanyakul-Kittisawasd pairings dominating both the BB game and the fans

Depending on which group of fans you talk to, Vegas may or may not be included in the TK group, because of his last name and the fact that he did win money from BB. Vegas himself isn't sure whether he wants to be included in the group

The matter of whether TK group should also refer to Vegas is settled a couple of years later when another Theerapanyakul enters the Big Brother house and wins - Macau. With the inclusion of both Vegas and Macau, TK group is talked about a lot as the family with the most money won from Big Brother

Speaking of Macau's win - for three whole days after Macau wins, Vegas's twitter account is just quote retweet after quote retweet of any mention of Macau, with Vegas captioning "That's my brother!"

Macau does not end up in a relationship with someone from his BB season, or any other season, much to the relief of his family and the disappointment of fans

Upon finding out that Khun exists, the public quickly starts a fan petition to get him to compete on Big Brother as well. Knowing that he'd immediately be targeted because of his family, Khun waits until there's a season of Celebrity Big Brother, then competes in that and absolutely smokes the competition

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: April 2023

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | ContraPointsOkay big movie month! And excited to keep going in May. Are movies back? Did they ever leave? Here’s all the stuff I watched, read, heard, and played this month!

……….FILM……….

Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023) Yes my brain lit up every time I recognized something. I can’t come into this without bias but maybe that’s okay. As a fan of D&D, this worked! Does it work if you’re not a fan? I have no idea. But the story was compelling with some clever callbacks and something I always appreciate: a platonic friendship between a man and a woman! Love to see it. My only hope is that the inevitable sequel has the same actors playing different characters in a different setting. Strahd spooky vampire movie COME ON IT'S RIGHT THERE.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Incredibly beautiful both in fight choreography and cinematography. I really want more movies to be...heightened again, you know? I’d need to go back and watch the previous ones but this was the first time I felt like the fights (and nearly every one) went on for like...30 seconds too long. With that said I really can’t complain about a good movie having too much in it.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) It looked great and moved along at a good clip. I was really stoked by the “commercial” at the beginning and thought “oh wow they sound great!” and then that turned out to be a misdirect. What else could this movie have been?

Renfield (2023) Everything I loved about this and everything I didn’t love can boil down to this: the movie felt like a student film with a bigger budget. It was fun and seemed to really enjoy the stunts and gore, but ho boy was the plot and script secondary to all of that. Really enjoyed it.

The Last Waltz (1978) Knowing very little about the Band going into this, they seemed like cool cats. Joni Mitchell really stood out as a bright, weird light and you can really feel Robbie Robertson’s sadness/melancholy in the interviews. 

Taylor Tomlinson: Quarter-Life Crisis (2020) and Taylor Tomlinson: Look At You (2022) Hey both very good. Watching these specials after knowing my parents had already seen (and enjoyed) them gave me a new perspective. Did I laugh? Sure. Did I think “Oh I’m glad she’s talking about this and I hope my parents took note”? Absolutely. She has a bit where she talks about how she does well with moms so why not use that skill to talk about mental health, therapy, and why “sex worker” is the preferred term? 

……….TELEVISION……….

Ted Lasso (Episode 3.04 to 3.07) These last few episodes have really given me comedic whiplash. The bike-training stuff was great, but then the next episode the team has their junk tied together? What is happening? The saving grace, for me, is the consistent character growth that the show pushes. Really great actors in really great roles that rise above some questionable premises.

BEEF (Episode 1.01 to 1.10) Stressful to watch but after the first couple of episodes, I found the stress was overshadowed by the joy of watching these complex characters further tighten their tangle of knots. Incredible writing and acting and it all really left a lasting impression. 

Severance (Episode 1.01 to 1.09) Started strong, had a brief dip in pacing, and then really ended strong. Though I won’t go into details, I found the nature of the finale to be deeply unsatisfying. Too much cliffhanger not enough resolution. Sure the series builds great tension and I loved the stress throughout, but you gotta give us something at the end, you know? Some sort of reward for making it through. Still highly recommend.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Music Supervision by Karsten Runquist A light introduction into why some licensed music just doesn’t click in movies. VIDEO

How This Woman Creates God of War’s Sound Effects | Obsessed | WIRED by WIRED I love foley and seeing it all come together at the end of the video was very satisfying. VIDEO

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling | ContraPoints by ContraPoints I understand not everyone is online, but it seems like even the most luddite of millennials can’t ignore Rowling’s politics. Great framing and full of undeniable evidence that confirms just how much harm the author is actively doing. Hey I loved the books as a kid but when supporting something is directly benefiting a bigot, you gotta let thing go. Go pick up a Discworld novel.  VIDEO

……….READING……….

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (Page 366 of 445) Pratchett’s writing is so good that reading a “Christmas” story in April doesn’t feel out of place at all. There’s a genuinely terrifying assassin named Teatime that gives me real chaotic and evil vibes and I always enjoy reading Death-related stories. Such a fantastic world.

Ultimate Spider-Man - Volume 7 Hardcover by Brian Michael Bendis & Mark Bagley (Complete) You know I never liked the designs for the Ultimate version of Green Goblin and Hobgoblin. I’m fine with bulky but I like the pointed hats. Into The Spider-Verse really nailed the balance of the two. Anyway the two collected stories in Volume 7 never really worked for me but that’s the beauty of ongoing serieses...something good might just be around the corner!

Cosmic Ghost Rider: Baby Thanos Must Die by Donny Cates, Dylan Burnett, & Antonio Fabela (Complete) Another reread and I really love how much this just goes for it. I didn’t realize there was more story before and after this so I think I’m going to pick up the omnibus! I don’t assume it’ll maintain this level of momentum but if it hits the same highs at least once more during the run, it’ll be worth it.

Doctor Strange: The Oath by Brian K. Vaughn and Marcos Martin (Complete) I remember not loving this the first time I read it and I have no idea why. It’s tightly-paced and does something I rarely see Doctor Strange comics do: lean into his life as a surgeon. Really great story and just enough mystical stuff to satisfy. Really glad I reread it.

……….AUDIO……….

10,000 Gecs by 100 Gecs (2023) This feels like music I’m not supposed to be listening to but I sure do love it. I liked maybe...half the songs on my first listen but each one is growing on me to the point where I think Billy Knows Jamie is the only track I don’t mind skipping.

60 Songs that Explain the 90s (Podcast) I’ve only listened to a handful of episodes but they’ve all been great! The beginning always feels a little padded and I prefer the episodes with interviews, but I recommend just finding eps about songs you like and going from there. 

……….GAMING……….

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) Both of my groups are back in Oz! My Tuesday group is busy exploring tunnels and fighting rock creatures to save a castle (campaign diary is here), and the Mof1 crew is actively escaping the crew that was about to bury them alive. We have fun.

Anyway that’s it. See you in May!

[buttdawg]

Kevin Kelley

I've read the tweets that reportedly got Kevin Kelley fired from AEW, and while I agree that he was out of line, it feels like a disproportionate response. This feels like something you'd get fined or suspended over. I would expect a dirtsheet to report "backstage heat" on Kevin Kelley, and not much beyond that.

I mean, Andrade and Sammy Guevara got in a fight a while back, and they got sent home for a while, and that was it. CM Punk "lunged" at Tony Khan, and he did get fired, but it took Tony a week to decide. So I'm kind of thinking Kelley's tweets were just the tip of the iceberg, and he's been getting on AEW's nerves for a while now until they finally decided they'd had enough.

Everyone points to his NJPW work as a career highlight for him, but I'm starting to think that was just a low bar that he managed to clear. New Japan wants an English commentary track on their shows, but they're not exactly making it a priority. I've watched NJPW shows where the English commentary just wasn't available, or it was just Chris Charleton doing it solo, or with an English-speaking wrestler sitting in, or Kevin Kelley doing a remote thing from the U.S. Have they even replaced him yet?

I found his work in NJPW serviceable, but mostly because it was handy that I could understand what he was saying. Still, the Japanese commentary team had way, way more energy. There were times I could get into the Japanese commentary just because of their excitement. Most of the time, Kevin Kelley just seemed happy to be there. And that isn't enough to cut it in AEW.

A lot of people have complained about his low-effort work. I can't say I really noticed, but I guess that's part of the problem. Nigel McGuinness is an obnoxious heel, Tony Shiovane's constantly marking out like a small child who just got into wrestling, and Excalibur's a super nerd who memorized all the move names and stats. What's Kevin Kelley got? That Bobby Hill battle cry from... 2001? Holy shit, I knew it was old, but damn. Kelley bragged on Twitter that he's the best play-by-play guy in the business, but he can't even articulate why he thinks that. If he can't sell himself to the audience, how can he put over anyone else?

I've heard rumors that he's a fascist, or he's involved with Qanon. That might be an exaggeration, but the drama he started on Twitter had to do with his support for that "Sound of Freedom" movie, which has been criticized for stoking Qanon conspiracy theories. A smarter performer might realize that it's not a good idea to link himself to a controversial topic like this, but Kevin Kelley seems to be a true believer in the movie's message, so when his Ian Riccaboni calls him out on it he doubles down.

And maybe that's enough to get him fired, but if this is his attitude, then I have a feeling he's been pushing "Sound of Freedom" or some other nonsense to anyone who'll listen, and probably making a nusiance of himself backstage, and this Twitter thing has been the last straw. If he had enough talent, maybe Tony could let it slide, but he's whipping out "That's my purse!" when a wrestler gets hit in the balls, so I'm pretty sure they could find someone less disruptive to make those kinds of insightful calls.

Anyway, I'm watching Collision right now, and I can't say that I miss the guy. If he's really drinking the Qanon Kool-Aid, then fuck him, but otherwise he was just sort of there, utterly dispensable and barely noticeable.

[paramorearchived]

October 2, 2009

Transcript:

Tour dates postponed.

Hey everyone, I've kept quiet (literally) for the past few days waiting to figure out how we were going to deal with my vocal cords breaking (not literally). Now's a good time to fill everyone in, I suppose.

First of all, the show on Tuesday was absolute insanity. Such an amazing mix of emotions. We were so excited to see all of you who came out in Pomona. It was weird, because it felt like one of those shows that we did in the fall of 2006. When things seemed to be exploding but it was still really intimate. I've never had such a good time on stage. Then there was the other side of me that was just in pain. After a 15 hour "work" day, 1 other show and 3 meet and greets later, my voice finally gave out on me. A few days before, I had already gotten sick, so it was probably bound to happen at some point. I made it through 7 or 8 songs alright and then, that was it. I was trying to be super positive about it, too! Haha... in the end, it was best that I let it go. Man, I was so disappointed I couldn't be a part of the encore. When the guys walked back onstage, I was sitting backstage in a corner... trying to hide my embarrassment from the crew members and other bands. You guys can't even imagine how good it felt to hear you singing along to "Misery Business" and even the "Miracle: Outro". It was SO LOUD! Definitely, one of the most incredible moments, for me, thus far. So, before I go on and try to explain all the boring details... I wanted to say THANK YOU!

So, this week I saw one of the best doctors in the country to check on my vocal cords. I knew it wasn't going to be good but knowing that we were just starting our tour, I was trying to remain positive about it. In short, I've got laryngitis and need several days of vox rest. Luckily, we caught it early on. It's not like I've got some impending doom hanging over my head in which every time I play a show I'm going to wonder if it's the last one... I just have to be smart about this whole thing. So - we may have to rework the way I do stuff on the road.. like not only do I need to watch what I eat - but how much I talk at meet and greets and signings and press. I might have to go back to wearing that "I'm on voicerest" button that I used to wear all the time. Ha. Ha. IT SUCKS!!! But I'm doing every thing I can, taking every precaution, to get it right. I wanna beon tour, man! All in all, this is the reason for the postponement of the upcoming shows. Just know that we WILL be coming back for you guys! The entire tour is going to happen... and I'm psyched.

Thank you again for the incredible support that you've shown me and the guys. We always say it but seriously... Paramore fans are the best fans. Wanna fight about it?

Oh and PS. To everyone who's picked up 'brand new eyes'. Holy cow. I'm hearing all kinda numbers and reports about having one of the top two records of the week. Regardless of whether it happens or not... this is madness! I LOVE IT! We're so proud of the new album and so stoked that so many people have already heard it. Keep telling all your friends! We wanna see you at the shows singing along!

Love, Hayley

[softsapphicvibes]

okay I now have time to go through some (mostly positive!) thoughts and feelings about chapter 34! this is a bit of a long post, and spoilers ahead obviously. this covers part 1, and as each part is released i’ll reblog this post with more thoughts.

so of course I am so happy about the return of stages instead of open world. I love that it’s easier to take a break in between moments (although I wish they would bring back the quit/continue at the end of each stage instead of just throwing you into the next one. I like reading the flavour text for each stage).

i’m really happy about the text returning to a character-driven focus. it’s what i’ve stuck around for, and it was nice to finally get some thoughts from people about things, and I liked being able to understand what was going on.

I loved seeing the deep again. I don’t even care if it was just an excuse to reuse stage elements, I don’t care if they just needed an excuse to shoehorn in the cosmic juggernaut, I liked it. 

the first thing that really grabbed my attention was tesla explaining the reversal of project stigma. the moment where she said they would need the power of finality, or at least would need to take it from kevin, I immediately thought that that was a much better way of bringing up the power of finality than the way that hare just said “kiana could become the hofin in order to destroy the cocoon”. tesla’s dialogue makes for much better motivation on behalf of the characters and also opens up a conversation about who should be taking on the power of finality, if anyone at all! because tesla doesn’t indicate a certain someone would be more suited to it, and why should we (as readers) or the main cast trust hare in this scenario? her plan may be to have kiana take on the power of finality and have it consume her for all anyone knows. (this presents the other issue of hare being an undeveloped/shoehorned character in terms of intent and purpose that I won’t go into here.)

second of all, I ADORED the look of the planet directory (? that’s what ai-chan called it I think) in theresa’s stage. it looked really interesting and new and cool! it’s the kind of thing people brought up when they complained about open world - the individual stages always seemed to have more interesting and complex environments and this new area seems super fun. I can only hope we’re revisiting it later on!

super stoked to see siegfried, actually! he’s one of the only men who deserve rights in honkai and I really liked his little banter with theresa. his entrance was a little underwhelming but I think that was more “realistic” considering his lack of genuine power in the realm. pretty short-lived section and I don’t really know what ai-chan added to the whole thing but it’s whatever.

back in st. freya I really liked the small glimpse of the trio’s original dynamics at the very beginning. it did kinda feel like coming home, and even though there should be some urgency, I appreciated the laid-back but productive energy.

onto the big moment, I guess. I am really happy that they didn’t fade to black and have dudu explain her life story to kiana off-camera before they went to save their dad. I also think that learning that kevin had siegfried trapped in the stigma space and then stole his power adds a lovely personal stake into kiana’s motivations for kicking kevin’s ass. I don’t think she’s exactly one for super cold-blooded revenge, but I think if she gets to lay into him while also saving the world, she would feel good about that. 

now, I really liked the kaslana sisters fighting together, and I loved the cutscene. I would have appreciated some greater conflict in getting siegfried out of his little cage, but I didn’t find it anticlimatic at all. the family reunion was emotional and sweet and i’m not even mad that there was no huge gut-wrenching reveal between bianka and siegfried honestly. of course, he knew there were two daughters out there and it wasn’t like he had been present all of one’s life but not the other. I think they had fairly equal time with their dad, it’s only bianka who doesn’t remember that time, so I was happy with the equal treatment between them.

also, bianka calling on her (mother’s) power to wield the abyss flower made me think that I like the distinction between bianka and kiana as though one of them is more schariac and one of them is more kaslana. I suppose that’s not really a huge revelation but I like the implications and I hope they get to fight together as sisters going forward.

truthfully, I wondered if bianka was going to keep her identity a secret from both of them until after the big fight because she could see how kiana had that connection with siegfried that she was lacking, but i’m glad she didn’t. i’m glad that we’re addressing her place in the world, even slightly, because that’s an internal conflict she’s had her whole life.

finally, I also really liked the little dialogue at the end between bianka and kiana. I liked that bianka stood behind her chosen name, even though kiana wanted to share. it gave bianka the space to affirm that she is her own person who she has built through hard work and turmoil. I also liked that kiana had such respect for bianka in that moment! it feels like a great foundation for them to build on. and that is the type of writing that I have been sorely missing throughout the moon arc.

thank you mhy! i’m much happier after the start of this chapter and I hope it keeps up throughout.

[discet]

Hmm, how do you suppose a crossover with Adventure Time would work? I'm imagining, like, the trio somehow winding up on the Land of Ooo with Marcy being super stoked about being in a wacky cool fantasy world, but only for her to slowly realize in horror that Ooo is a post-apocalyptic Earth.

Ooo would be another really good setting for the Amphibia girls in my opinion. Granted I've only fully seen the show up through season... 5? So I'm probably missing a great deal of context.

I think the premise is largely the same, Marcy is moving away finds some artifact to try to keep her and her friends together. Dropped in Ooo. What that would be in this case I'm not sure. Maybe the Enchiridion?

What's neat about early adventure time is that, outside of the finales there is a lot less of a time pressure than say, Owl House or Amphibia. So the girls could each have a lot more solo adventures bouncing off the wide spectrum of characters in Ooo.

I think I would actually have a 'season' of the three of them all together in this world, really getting a chance to see both how their friendship grows and how it is very toxic. With tension slowly ratcheting up between Sasha and Anne. With the season ends with the reveal of Marcy having brought them to Ooo on purpose and the three of them separating for a time which coincides with the lich getting out.

There's a big fight Anne is more hurt than angry. Sasha is way more angry than hurt. Marcy ends up with a pretty big helping of both

Marcy would end up with PB for the time being, going on science adventures and learning candy magic. Which is a fun parallel with Andrias since while PB doesn't have any ulterior motives, she is still super immoral

Sasha would end up over with Marceline who they had met in an earlier episode and they end up jamming out for some time. Marceline being a much more chill source of character development than Grime.

Anne I guess would end up with Finn and Jake for a while? I don't know there's a lot of good interactions between them, but again I don't feel as prepared to tackle this whole AU

I think over the season, the three end up running into each other awkwardly over the course of other adventures.

Anne and Marcy both end up in the candy kingdom for some mission for the princess to help people, ending with Marcy promising Anne to find a way home for them and their relationship slightly patched up.

Sasha gets captured by the Ice King during a round of capture princesses and Anne and Finn are out to rescue everyone. Sasha is resistant to being saved since it means being in debt to Anne but changes her mind when Anne seems liable to actually leave her there if thats what Sasha chooses. It's a lot messier than Marcy and Anne's first touch point after the reveal but the bridge is mending even if its no where close to fixed.

Sasha and Marcy end up dragged into the whirlpool of their mutual immortal guardians whole... *Gestures vaguely to early season Bubbaline episodes* thing. Maybe the episode is about vampires or witches or something. The main emotional thrust is that Sasha has grown a bit and is the one that actually reaches out to Marcy who spends much of the episode assuming that Sasha is going to hate her forever. This shows both Sasha's growth as a character at this point and the possibility of reconciliation.

Finally in S3 of this vague idea of a fic the three are back together and actively seeking a way home Which I think is when we finally get some of the big wham moments of the series. When the trio come to realize that they aren't in a wacky other dimension. Whatever artifact dropped them here actually flung them into the future days before Armageddon. So we get this moment of Marcy realizing that she can never fix her mistake. And of Anne and Sasha grappling with the fact that if Marcy hadn't made that mistake they would probably all be dead by now.

I think its a moment and a scenario that really brings Adventure Time's tone and theme in really well. Where sometimes messed up junk happens and the characters have to learn how to cope with it. Where there isn't a nice little bow to wrap up an episode and things are just kind of complicated.

Following seasons would probably show the arc of the three of them dealing with the trauma of being permanently displaced in Ooo and making the best of it. Figuring out what they want to do with their lives now that this is their lives and not some wacky off year until they return to Earth.

I think the three of them pool the favors, skills, etc they have acquired from their time in Ooo and build a cool place for them to live more permanently.

[jsewilsns]

✦ ᴅᴀᴄʀᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴛɢᴏᴍᴇʀʏ, ᴄɪs ᴍᴀʟᴇ, ʜᴇ/ʜɪᴍ ✦ 𝐉𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐒𝐎𝐍 the 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 year old has been in Hidehill for 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 and was a 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 to Jade Parker, the missing person . Whispers on the streets are that the 𝐅𝐈𝐆 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐃 & 𝐂𝐎𝐁𝐑𝐀’𝐒 𝐓𝐀𝐗𝐈 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑 who lives in 𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊. He is said to be 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 and 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐁𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 but I guess we’ll find out for ourselves. { ɴᴏᴠᴀ, ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ, ᴀsᴛ, sʜᴇ/ʜᴇʀ. }

hey demons it’s ya gorl nova, coming in hot with this rootin tootin doozy of a dude!!  jesse’s a long time muse of mine that i’ve neglected for far too long, so i’m super stoked to get behind the wheel again and begin writing with all of you!  feel free to hmu if you’d like to plot, or give this post a like and i’ll hop into your ims xo

———— ◽️ 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒

full name.    jesse eugene wilson

nickname.    jess

birthdate.    october 22nd  ( scorpio )

gender.    cis male  ( he / him )

sexuality.    straight

relationship.    complicated

familia.    wayne wilson  ( dad, deceased ) ,  rachel wilson nee baker ( mom, in jail ) ,  judith baker ( g-ma, bingo hustler ) ,  wanye jr. ( older brother, estranged ) ,  jocelyn ( older sister, manager of the playpen ) ,  maisie ( younger sister, college out of state ) ,  blake ( younger brother, high school student )

occupation.    driver for cobra’s taxi & lifeguard at fig beach

traits.    boisterous, combative, dauntless, eccentric, evasive, loyal, protective, reckless, stubborn, volatile

inspiration.    jason stackhouse ( true blood ) ,  jj maybank ( outer banks ) ,  lip gallagher ( shameless )

———— ◽️ 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐏

the wilsons have a reputation of being a wild bunch, very loosely based on the family dynamics of the gallaghers (shameless) and fez's fam (euphoria). raised in hadley park, they definitely weren’t financially well off and were notorious for having the cops show up at their trailer.

their dad, wayne, was an obnoxious and sometimes violent drunk, so he was in and out of custody a lot, while their poor mom worked tooth and nail to keep their family afloat but was understandably spread incredibly thin, so .... she had a pretty short fuse when it came to being patient with the kids. 

TW: death, murder.  long story short, their mom finally cracked after enduring all she could and shot their good for nothing, abusive dad point blank. this resulted in rachel serving life behind bars for the last ten years, which left the kids to be raised by their maternal grandma, judith.

in total, there are five siblings; three brothers, and two sisters. the first (wayne jr.) married into a rich family abroad, took his wife's last name and skipped out on them, embarrassed to even be associated with his own blood. the fourth (maisie) has been attending college out of state, which is a huge deal in their family, but she periodically visits during holidays and breaks. the fifth (blake) is in high school and he still lives with their grandma.

jesse was a troublemaker growing up and lowkey still is pretty rowdy. as a kid, he got into all kinds of shit and pressed every button he knew to set off a reaction in his parents, most likely just looking for attention. as a teen, it only got worse, especially when he tried to intervene whenever his parents got into physical altercations. multiple suspensions from school for getting into fights, abusing whatever he could get into his body at parties (which usually also ended up in a fight), and disregarding any sort of curfew or rules set at home. he simply did not give a fuck.

his mom’s breakdown and dad’s death shook him up a bit. he was used to the chaos in the wilson household, figured it was normal; that every home was toxic in one way or another. but he never imagined something so tragic would be a result of it. he visits his mom when he can get the time off work and make the trip to the state prison, more so out of obligation and guilt than him actually wanting to see her.

while packing up and leaving hidehill in the dust is a tempting ideal, jesse feels his legacy is in his hometown. his family, the trailer park, the community of hidehill in general is important to him. if you asked him, though, he’d never admit to it. in fact, he’d call it a shithole, like the rest of them. 

———— ◽️ 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒

played football in high school just to be able to tackle and get into fights with rival teams. also played guitar in a garage band. they disbanded soon after graduating though, barely having time to practice once they started working or studying in college, etc. but jesse still occasionally shreds some wicked solos on his old electric guitar when the mood hits.

pretty big fan of motorized toys. drives a red 1984 ford bronco, which he regularly hotboxes when he’s not working. also has his dad’s old dirt bike in his possession, which he rips around on the outskirts of town. 

one of the best drivers employed with cobra’s taxi because of the small amount of time it takes him to whip around hidehill’s streets. however, he’s known to be a little unhinged behind the wheel, so he gets mixed reviews.

the main reason he signed up to be a lifeguard was to get paid to chill at the beach lmao. but he’s like a fish out of water and quick to pull a baywatch run when needed.

because of the past abuse / trauma within the family, he has reoccurring night terrors, cold sweats, the whole shebang. potentially suffering from undiagnosed ptsd, and he thinks he does well to keep it under wraps with his boyish charm, but boy’s got some ugly anger issues.

frequents big guns, fast gas, dave’s liquor store, late night slice, and the playpen. definitely favors the nightlife hidehill has to offer.

smokes like a chimney, if that wasn’t already obvious lmao. tobacco or weed, he doesn’t discriminate.

wanted connections: a best frenemy, childhood friends / enemies, former bandmates, workout buddies, party buddies, cousins / aunts / uncles, ride or die, partner in crime, former flings / hook ups, good influences, bad influences, regular taxi customers, open to anything!

[retphienix]

I think we're done? I mean, I've got dialogue to go through and some more posts including what will be my finale post and what not, but I think this marks the end of gameplay, and I'm pretty stoked to say that because this game's been sick :)

Anyways~

(I got so hyped at the music entering the palace again, but the game's done that to me so many times at this point lol)

Maruki's fights really did range from "This rules!" to "Hm. Kinda pointless." to "Yes, I'm very much aware of Metal Gear Solid, thanks for the two worthless fighters swinging on each other scene"

The first phase with the rejuvenating support arms felt great!

It had a nice balance of challenge even for this level 99 crew all while being a fight I could SUPER improve on if I had known it was structured like this from the start (be that team adjustments, items, or long form jazz club training in prep for this).

Honestly just a boss fight I thoroughly enjoyed.

Although.

I did not like the music during it.

It wasn't somehow garbage, and the slower segments had a tinge of nostalgia appropriate for fighting a foe we admire, it's just that P5 has had tracks that FUCKING SLAP and inject hype directly into my veins, as well as tracks that hit deep, and this failed to be either.

Kinda disappointing.

Segment 2 adding lyrics was a vast improvement, but the fight ended up being a let down since it's either an interactive cutscene, or it really was just a dps race with low thresholds, either way it just kinda ended.

And sadly.... this pattern continued, as the giant Adam Kadmon fight got me excited for another difficult multi phase encounter... only to be "survive like 3 cycles, you win". That sucked. Having 2 sections of this ongoing fight be fake made me sad.

And then you do the MGS slap fight which gets a pass because it, just like in MGS funnily enough, does well to include appropriate narrative ties to the fight seeing as throughout the game the PT have been offering a form of therapy to individuals to help them through their troubles, and in this fight you and Maruki quite literally form up under this guise and then he lets loose with his doubts and fears as you do a good old "Burn through every ounce of energy you have" bout.

That was alright, I wish the other 2 segments were as good as the first though.

All said, and not to drag on it, Kadmon let me down compared to what I was looking for. When the base game's end included killing a god with a kaiju size persona blowing a hole clean through them- this offered much less. I did get hyped at my friends blocking the blow, and at Joker landing the final shot on Kadmon, but considering this is the followup to a GOD it felt off, like it should have been content done before rather than after that.

Ah well, I'm being a stickler despite having thoroughly enjoyed what I got here.

~Appending some events that happen after due to technical difficulties~

With that we have returned reality to how it ought to be.

Akechi is dead, his sacrifice regaining it's meaning.

Our friends have returned to their lives as they were instead of their idealized versions.

Following this we had a few interesting moments:

Akechi, Joker, and Morgana were missing once they returned- obviously Akechi is dead, Joker- we quickly find out- is in juvie as Akechi wasn't there to take the fall. And Morgana made my eyebrow rise because I was struggling to recall if he reappeared before or after Maruki's influence- but don't get hung up on that- he's fine.

They do the same bit with him walking through the cafe door and everyone makes a sly comment about it being a repeat.

We get a short montage of all our confidants working towards getting us out of jail- it was genuinely super sweet and left me feeling touched- though I did spend the entire montage going "Oh no, literally everyone is going to work together except Haru and Yusuke, I'm gonna rot in jail because I didn't finish Haru and Yusuke, oh my god" but it was fine.

As far as giving a sense of growth to our cast this whole section was pretty sick!

More on that later, but this was a nice showing of our crew learning that they can change the world Right Now without needing super powers to do so, and getting results for their efforts, I really liked that! :D

Sojiro got so many good scenes of defending Joker's honor and being just a great dude overall.

Mishima called me his best friend :)

Joker was handed Za Warudo, I mean the world, and the velvet room disappeared.

Joker is going home soon- likely the end of the game.

Joker was given chocolate by everyone except Haru and I cried about not finishing confidants.

Makoto showed up and we had a romantic time together, she said there was someone extra special in her life and I answered "Who?"

I love my friends so much; Between Ryuji and Morgana ranting at each other, to Yusuke and Futaba doing the same- love them.

Along with Joker moving back home soon, everyone else is also vanishing it seems.

Haru is moving for college, Makoto is as well, Ryuji is moving to be closer to a physical rehab facility- he's trying to get back into track, Futaba has school upcoming, all told it seems only Yusuke is staying put and it's to work on his painting.

This whole scene of our crew admitting to each other that they aren't going to be sticking around was pretty sweet, all things considered. It was a show that all of them have grown and are redoubling their efforts in their personal lives, and it's just really nice, man :)

I do not know if this is because I screwed up his confidant too much, or if he generally stays for painting. The point being we're all splitting up :(

Sojiro offered me advice on taking a girl out on a date, I made the executive decision to have Joker say "The Bill?" when asked what he hands the girl at the end of the date- I think he's going to do just fine.

And with that we're caught up because as my game sits right now I am buying flowers for said date and saved to handle all this nonsense.

I dislike how I handled this post- going back to explaining what happened instead of sharing my thoughts, I don't find much enjoyment in doing that or find the result particularly interesting to view (which is another reason I do it, I mean I enjoy sharin' my thoughts and hearing others thoughts on the same stuff- just saying "Mario jumped" doesn't really entice much of anything) but I kinda had to with the corrupted video lol.

Glancing back at all that happened in the lost segment, I can mostly just say things have slowed way down and sped way up all at once. Nothing damning is happening anymore, but our lives seem to be rushing forward at a breakneck pace.

While every scene feels like a celebration and leaves me gushing about the friends we've made over the course of this adventure, every scene also builds on the message that "Now it's done. Now you leave" and there's certainly value to that but it leaves me little to say until we actually get to say our good byes- which should be upcoming :)

[pesterloglog]

Harry Anderson Egbert, John Egbert

Page 328

HARRY: oh my god, i'm wiped.

HARRY: haven't felt this happy to be plastered to the couch in forever.

JOHN: are you?

JOHN: wow, i feel like i'm barely keeping myself sitting.

JOHN: if it weren't for keeping you kids safe i'd be out there right now!

HARRY: well we did just do a whole lot of running around for no good reason.

HARRY: and some of us aren't gods and shit.

JOHN: i'm detecting a hint of judgement in your voice, there, harry anderson

JOHN: don't you enjoy being a part of all this? finally getting to be in the thick of it all?

HARRY: i mean i was having a fine time at school, if i'm being honest.

HARRY: all this tear-assing back and forth between my home and various points of interest over the past few days has me pretty beat.

HARRY: also i wouldn't call this "the thick of it all"

JOHN: oof, getting air quotes'd by my own son.

JOHN: we had to hide in a forsythia bush on the way back here when that drone flew by!

JOHN: that's the thick of father-son hijinks if i ever saw it!

JOHN: well, modern day war hijinks, but i'll take what i can get, you know??

HARRY: yeah, i guess.

HARRY: i'm not knocking the old adrenaline thrill, or helping out Vrissy's moms or anything.

HARRY: i'm just saying i was literally just here and you told me to leave, so i hope this is where we're gonna park it for a minute.

HARRY: a boy's gotta breathe.

JOHN: yeah, well, this wasn't my plan, either.

JOHN: but rose sent out some false intel about us heading toward my house, so technically this is the safest place we can be right now, since they cleared the area and everything.

JOHN: i guess.

HARRY: hmm.

JOHN: what?

HARRY: now YOU look like you're hiding some extra commentary.

JOHN: oh, i don't need to burden you with all the bureaucratic stuff, it's boring.

HARRY: well now hold up, dad.

HARRY: a minute ago you were all "we're in the fight together," and now you're backing out of sharing the details?

JOHN: it's not really-

HARRY: am i a part of this or not?

JOHN: well i'd sure say you were!

JOHN: but i guess maybe my thoughts on what is or isn't right for the operation aren't up to snuff.

JOHN: because here i am, sitting in the dugout, same as you.

HARRY: in the dugout?

JOHN: oh, or, uh...

JOHN: what's a metaphor you might like better...

HARRY: no,

JOHN: i'm like the uhh...understudy.

HARRY: dad. no, jesus, you don't have to do this.

JOHN: or i got cast in as babysitter number 2 when i had auditioned for, i dunno,

HARRY: yeah, please, i got the baseball metaphor.

HARRY: i'm not a complete fucking nerd.

JOHN: oh i see.

HARRY: i was just like acknowledging that we've been sidelined, here.

HARRY: not that i mind, personally, since like i said i am super stoked to be relaxin on the couch and not fighting a war.

HARRY: plus i wouldn’t have been able to get your measurements for some clothes that actually fit you if we hadn’t come back here where all my sewing stuff is.

HARRY: but it seemed like you, uh.

HARRY: you were getting pretty into everything back there with rose and them? getting to be with the old crew and everything, like the stories you told me about the game?

JOHN: yeah.

HARRY: that sucks.

JOHN: i had a good plan, too!

JOHN: it just wasn't good enough for karkat, i guess.

JOHN: i'm just not "experienced enough in combat strategy"

HARRY: oh now you're throwing the air quotes back at me?

JOHN: no, those are for karkat!

HARRY: oh ok then, fair game.

JOHN: look at us, bantering away.

JOHN: that is a plus of being here, at least.

JOHN: it's been really nice to get to spend so much time with you.

HARRY: um. yeah, it's not so bad.

HARRY: anyway, before you ruffle my hair or anything, it looks like things are getting a bit heated between the vriskas over there.

HARRY: maybe we should offer them a snack to bring the mood back down?

JOHN: me, mess up your hair when you’ve worked so hard on that look? i do know you at least that well, harry anderson

HARRY: thank god.

[packernet]

New Post has been published on https://www.packernet.com/blog/2023/08/10/what-really-matter-is/

What really matter is...

There’s an awful lot of chatter this time of year about things that, ultimately, don’t matter. The third QB, the 6th or 7th WR, the 4th tight end. Yes, these are real position and roster battles, but do they matter? Your 6th or 7th wide receiver won’t be active most weeks and if they are, they’ll only see playing time on special teams. Plus, let’s be real, if our third QB gets any game action, that means things have gone off the rails.

Invest in rookies

It’s possible the Packers will opt to carry only 3 tight-ends. At this point, rookies Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave are roster locks based on their draft status. That means veterans Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis may be fighting for one job, depending on if they call Deguara a TE or a FB. What really matters: is getting Musgrave and Kraft as much playing time as possible. Tight end is one of the toughest positions to step into in the NFL. We already know the potential upside of Deguara and Davis is fairly limited.

RB Tyler Goodson continues to make plays in camp. Rookie Lew Nichols is a 7th round draft pick, and Brian Gutekunst is known for keeping his draft picks. What really matters is: a healthy Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon so Goodson and Nichols don’t become primary players this year.

We still don’t know a realistic return date for Eric Stokes due to his foot and knee injury. What really matters is 7th round draft pick Carrington Valentine reminds some of us of a rookie free agent who once started a Super Bowl for the Packers. How happy would the Packers be if Valentine is even close to as good as Sam Shields?

Elgetron & Bak

The Packers have enviable depth on the offensive line. Yosh Nijman, Josh Myers and Zach Tom are battling for two starting jobs. Caleb Jones, Rasheed Walker and Luke Tenuta are solid tackle prospects who could make many NFL rosters. Even Sean Rhyan, who, like me, many had written off, should make the final roster. What really matters is: good health from left guard Elgton Jenkins and maximizing the playing time of David Bakhtiari, clearly the teams’ best lineman.

Brian Gutekunst got some lousy reviews for taking QB Sean Clifford in the 5th round. Alex McGough has done little in the NFL but was named MVP of the USFL. Both have looked competent in camp. What really matters is: Jordan Love, Jordan Love and Jordan Love. Like most NFL teams, the Packers odds of success drop through the floor if they lose their starter for more than a game or two.

Let the man kick

Rookie kicker Anders Carlson has had some rough days. He’s also shown a strong leg, with some reporters saying the ball “explodes off his foot.” What really matters is: do the Packers have the patience and the stomach to deal with rough days from Carlson? As with Jordan Love, Carlson needs a long leash. Don’t repeat the Vikings mistake by panicking and cutting a legit talent like they did with his brother Daniel. Worst case scenario, there are free agent kickers out there.

Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, Preston Smith and Rashan Gary fresh off the PUP list can give the Packers a formidable pass rush. What really matters is caution with Rashan Gary. Players rarely perform at their peak ability until 18 months past an ACL surgery. I’ll be just fine if Gary isn’t active for the first few games.

Like 1967-the Summer of Love

Jordan Love has had an up and down camp. Sometimes he’s wowed with great passes. Other times he’s misses a big throw or hits defenders in the numbers with interceptions. What really matters is patience and progress. By the time the Packers visit Detroit on Thanksgiving, we should have a pretty good idea of what’s possible for the first-time starter.

[percontaion-points]

Covet chapters 76-79

Click to see the rest of the snark & image descriptions

Chapter 76

“He used that trust to take out the biggest threat to his domination—the gargoyles—and then, once they were gone, he set his sights on destroying us as well.”

How does that go again? About not standing quietly by as they take other people out, or else you’ll be next, and have one less ally?

Yeah. That. 

“Cyrus has finally hit the tipping point—he’s taken so much from so many people that the thirst for justice is completely overwhelming the fear. All we have to do is harness that thirst, stoke it, and —when it’s time—let it loose. He won’t stand a chance.”

Chapter 76 summary: Nuri holds up the key after staring down Grace for a moment. Grace gets angry when she realises that Nuri hadn’t actually meant to detain Hudson for long, only to use him as a bargaining chip against Grace. She tells Nuri off, and tells her not to use any of her loved ones again. 

Nuri says that the dragons helped to eliminate the gargoyles, but goes on to say that it was before she was born. And that although history won’t exactly look back at that period fondly, history is often more complex than the narrative of “history is written by the winners” that Grace knows from school. 

She also has a random aside about how Flint hadn’t actually known what his mom was doing. But Grace shouldn’t be so quick to forgive Flint, simply because he had almost killed her earlier. And he almost ruined everything simply because he was too stubborn to ask for help with Lia. 

Chapter 77

[Nuri] may think we’re on the same side, but I don’t doubt for a second that she’d exploit my weakness if she thought it would help keep Flint—or her precious Court—alive.

Oh good, Grace isn’t stupid enough to fall for the fake olive branch Nuri is offering. This series might be an overly-long chore to read through, but at least we’re not going to have a court betrayal because Grace was too trusting and naive. 

“Better get to it, then. The banquet starts at eight, and I can’t stand it when people are late.”

Chapter 77 summary: Grace asks Nuri what the plan here is. She says to send Hudson to prison to curry favor with Cyrus. Then they’ll come up with some kind of a plan to strike back at Cyrus. She responds to Grace’s questions about the mating bond and the separation, by stating that it’ll only make Grace stronger when she comes through it in one piece. 

Grace thinks about their plan to break the blacksmith out from prison, and finally asks Nuri about how the other dragon escaped. She says that the dragon went to go talk to the crone who helped to build the prison. But that the price for her help was steep. The dragon gave up his dragonheart, which is needed in order to shapeshift. Grace knows that the price the crone would ask for would be much too steep, but she’s not going to give up without at least talking to the lady. 

Nuri tells Grace to get going, that she can only hold Cyrus off for so long. 

Chapter 78

Dungeons and Dragons: The Grace-LosesHer-Shit Edition

Are we seriously doing this?

“What?” he asks as we head up to my room. “Too soon?” 

“Waaaaaay too soon.”

Chapter 78 summary: Grace goes down to the basement, thinking about all of the horrible things the guards could have been doing to Hudson while she was chatting with Nuri. 

Instead, she finds two guards playing with a ball like they’re little children. She calls for Hudson, and finds his cell kind of destroyed. The two of them get into a fight, but it kind of boils down to that Grace was super worried about him, and this is how she’s expressing her frustration over the situation. 

She briefly explains the situation and the sub-sub-sub quest that they have to go on now. And then she asks how it was that he was able to remove the anti-power cuff before he was arrested. He says that his dad used to put them on him, and he’s in such a habit of removing one of the locking runes on them, he did it without thinking when Finn put one on him. And that people seemed to like Hudson better when they thought he was more or less harmless, so he kept it on. 

Chapter 79

Well, not on my watch, Hudson Vega. Not on my watch. Two can play this game…

Chapter 79 summary: Before Hudson and Grace can go talk to the crone (because when has anything in this book simply happened and it wasn’t bogged down with 7081098 subplots?), they all have to go to the dragon court ball. 

Grace hadn’t known that it was a ballgown kind of ball, and the only dress she has is more appropriate for hitting up a nightclub. 

But thankfully, Hudson has her and Macy covered, and sends over a rack of ballgowns. Grace feels like she’s falling harder and faster for him with everything that he does. 

[bahamutgames]

RPG TIME: LEGEND OF AFTERTHOUGHTS

Game: RPG TIME: The Legend of Wright (March 10, 2022)

Console: Xbox One

Look at that! My first RPG of 2023! RPGs are always the biggest part of every year to me, naturally since it’s my favorite genre. So of course it doesn’t take long for me to sink my teeth into one at the start of the new year. And the one we have here is VERY interesting.

I actually bought this game when it launched but it just took me a really long time to finally sink my teeth into it. But I’m very happy to say I did FINALLY play it and now you can read all my thoughts on the experience! How exciting!

As always, this is not a review. This is just me throwing up my thoughts on the game now that it’s done. If you’re interested in playing the game at all, PLEASE check it out and support the devs! Please don’t expect my thoughts to be super well written and don’t expect any serious critique.

SPOILER WARNING FOR RPG TIME: THE LEGEND OF WRIGHT! DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS!!

Opening

SO! This is a little game I’ve had my eyes on since it was revealed a good long while back. It was shown off during E3 I think at one of the Microsoft conferences? Regardless, it was a game I was SUPER excited for, an RPG with a super cute notebook aesthetic? I used to draw my own RPGs all the time as a kid!! I was stoked... And then it just completely fell off my radar.

Until it launched! Then I remembered it existed and had to pick it up asap! But like I said, it took me a good while to play it. But at the start of this year I was out in the living room and decided to finally play it since it had been sitting there for so long. And I’m glad I did cause this was actually a very interesting game.

Stuff I liked

There’s a LOT to love about this silly little game. I think right out of the gate I need to talk about the art style and whole theme around this game’s graphics and aesthetics. I ADORE how this game looks. It’s all played from a first person perspective of you playing an RPG a friend made in their notebook. And because of that the main gameplay is all cute handdrawn pencil sketches, occasionally interrupted by real life items and other fun stuff in the classroom it takes place. I LOVE how this game looks. In addition to being very charming the actual pencil sketches all look great, are cute to look at, and even the real world elements look very good and cute. Thankfully they made a good call by not showing any of the real world humans so I really think the graphics in this are basically never gonna date themselves.

As for other not gameplay things. I think it has a SUPER cute ost (again the theming around the music is ADORABLE as your friend is playing it through an MP3 player and you like, actually see the track names and they come from other made up in-universe games and sources). The writing is also very funny and charming, it’s got a lot of scenes that gave me a good chuckle. Lots of goofy as fuck and random stuff happen so if you want a game where there’s never a dull moment you really cannot go wrong here. The story is also pretty basic BUT it’s standard RPG fare which I always love. Similar to Dragon Quest where the stories are pretty standard high fantasy stuff but it’s always unique enough or something you really haven’t seen before regardless.

I think the part that stuck out to me the most and was probably the most surprising with how much I enjoyed it was the gameplay. Particularly the battles. I LOVED the combat! Like, a LOT. Basically the way it works is you have a pencil sword (the you in the game, not Wright, the guy you play as.) and you have to pick where, when, and what direction to slash across the enemies on the page with that pencil sword. It’s probably not super easy to understand if you don’t see it, but it’s a REALLY clever idea that I LOVED. You’ll have to use it to slash things with timing, hit between bars, ect ect. It’s super cool and I genuinely had a blast with the fights! I do have only 1 problem with them but we’ll get to that later.

Even outside of combat is pretty cute. Not amazing but it’s fun to wander around and see all the little details in each map (there’s TONS). The whole game is just full of loving little details sprinkled across every single page of the notebook. One of my favorite details is how the center fold in the notebook is actually something Wright will walk behind. It’s cute. This game is just so damn cute!

The ending in particular really got me, the final boss is fine but I was pretty surprised that the ending almost made me cry. It’s so good and really emotional. The kid in universe who made this game is a pro. Overall the whole experience was fantastic, there’s great visuals, great character designs, interesting gameplay, and LOTS of crap to see and do. I didn’t even do everything and I already saw stuff I missed out on. There’s special move slot machines, mini ninjas hidden on every page, a drawing minigame. There’s TONS of shit to see and do in this game.

Stuff I didn’t like

Truth be told, with a smaller and more experimental game like this, there’s not a whole lot I can really take away from it as being bad. But there are 2 points I have here that bugged me a little bit through the game.

Number one is just that the game gets a little boring part way through. I would say the airship, town sections, and dice adventure chapters are kind of a drag. Thankfully they’re very short. The game never gets so boring that I don’t want to play but it has some sections where I’m kinda like... Eh? The tank game really stands out to me as being kinda dull. But again thankfully it’s short.

No my main issue with this game is that there’s not enough combat!! I LOVE the battle system in this game! Like SO much! But every fight is a very scripted affair so there’s only a handful you really do through the whole game and you don’t really refight any enemies. This is fine, it worked perfectly fine. But I can’t stop thinking about how much I would LOVE if this game had like, random encounters and stuff and each enemy was a puzzle to figure out. I’m sure that could drag the game’s flow down pretty hard but I think it can be done right, Undertale is a great example of enemies who are puzzles to solve but it works pretty well. And you could have random encounters be done on flash cards so it explains how the pencil markings go away every time.

I think this whole game could benefit from being a more traditional RPG. I know that’s really not the point. But I do think having more battles, a more standard gear system, and junk like that, could be pretty cool! Regardless, if you like RPGs that are lacking in a lot of RPG staples but are still VERY good, I think you cannot go wrong here. I swear this is not an insult but this really reminds me of the secondary Paper Mario trilogy. Both in its art style but how it also tries to make an RPG without doing a lot of the stuff that makes RPG games what they are. However... And I hate to say it, RPG TIME does this a lot better in my opinion, particularly by having REALLY fun combat. I think this new Paper Mario style could honestly learn some stuff from this game.

Final Thoughts

And that’s that on that! My first RPG of 2023! It wasn’t a very traditional one, but it really is a love letter to the genre and now it’s got me REALLY fired up to play a straight up traditional turnbased RPG.

But yeah, I had a great time with this game! It’s a fantastic little game that I haven’t really seen ANYONE play and that is SUCH a shame. I think a lot of people I follow would be REALLY into this. Like seriously if you like RPGs or goofy and cute games or ESPECIALLY Mario RPGs I think you really should check this game out. It’s now out on everything including Steam and Switch, so if you’re interesting I REALLY recommend giving it a chance! This game deserves a lot more attention than it got!

===

Thank you for reading! For some reason I had a hard time forming my thoughts on this game so it was a little difficult to write up what I wanted to say about the game. That’s why I liked doing these as twitter threads, it helped me keep my thoughts concise. But sadly I am stuck here... doomed to share my thoughts where no one can see them for eternity. Oh well.

I’ve got a lot of games I want to play this year, so I really need to get a move on. Sad to say I’ve been a little distracted from gaming this month due to being depressed, work, or just getting sidetracked with other games like Fraymakers (which is SO MUCH FUN HOLY SHIT. I hope Wright can show up in it!) and... Embarrassingly, Fornite. Which me and 2 of my siblings who are both very into Battle Royales have gotten very into recently. But I’m FINALLY making some progress into my next major game! So that’s nice. There’s some releases coming out this year I want to check out, lots of stuff on Game Pass I’ve had my eyes on for a while (which I guess I should take advantage of ASAP if it’s gonna go up in price. ugh.) And just TONS of old games I gotta play. My to-play list for 2023 is really stacked! Hopefully I can make time for everything, but if I get distracted by other games not on my list, so be it.

As always follow me on twitter for... uh, twitter stuff... And follow me here for more.... uh, gaming stuff? The year is still young, so let’s make the rest of 2023 great!

That’s all I got, thanks for taking some time out to look at my thoughts! Go out and play a game that makes you feel super creative!

[wilamoo]

Positive life update 31.10.22

Hey!! I can’t believe im doing this right now, but I’m actually doing so good right now. So, to keep a long story short; me and my girlfriend broke up at the beginning of the year, it was very hard and I probably cried more than I slept for the time being. I had to move back to my parents & I picked myself up and built myself back together. A few months passed and I meet the sweetest guy I have ever laid my eyes on. We come from very different backgrounds, but we go together so well! We’ve soon been together for 8 months, which is absolutely insane, but to be honest I’d not like it any other way, he has been such a massive support for me and always stays strong with and for me. In May i started working as a cashier at a grocery store, but sadly enough in July I started getting severe panic attacks at work and I’ve been laid off ever since, on sick leave. My boyfriend also left for the military in July, and it’s been tough doing long distance but I’m super lucky to get to see him pretty frequently still. He’ll be done before christmas and I’m stoked!! We’re probably moving in together once we get some financial stability. I’ve been going to a psychiatric nurse every 2 weeks to figure out what’s happening in my head. They prescribed me with Diazepam for my panic attacks and also swapped my depression meds from Escitalopram to Sertraline, so far I can tell the Sertraline is working way better for me, but I probably need a higher dosage. I also have had struggles with sleeping so I got some sleeping meds to get some kind of rest at least. My head does run nonstop to be honest, but I’m getting it sorted. They’re suspecting I might have ADD, but further tests haven’t been done yet as anxiety and ADHD symptoms do overlap a lot. I’m still living with my parents and trying to get by day by day, I do plan on studying something once I get my mental sorted. My depression took away my joy for gaming and I was so tired of fighting with my 6 year old gaming laptop, I would have a breakdown everytime I tried to game. My boyfriend who is the kindest soul on earth let me borrow his awesome gamer set up for the time he’s in the military and I finally see and feel myself get myself together. My parents are getting me an early birthday gift and buying me an actual PC! I can’t wait to get back into WoW and really customize the heck out of my stuff<33 I’ve made a lot of new friends through my boyfriend, and also through gaming and just being a social butterfly online. I’m so glad I’ve been able to turn over a new leaf and actually feel like I’m living to my fullest at the moment. Cya soon, - Wil♥

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

SES 3 EP 3

AIGHT EVERYONE, WELCOME BACK. WE’VE GOT EPISODE 3 IN DA HOUSE I’M EXCITED, I’M STOKED ACTUALLY, AS ALWAYS, I’M ALSO SICK RN SO MY COHERENCY MAY VARY AIGHT HERE WE GO 

[Monkie Kid Season 3 episode 3 spoilers beneath cut] 

INTRO TIME 

COMPRESSED JOY THANK U VERY MUCH 

this is probably gonna be a shorter reaction one cause i do have something i need to do in about an hour so i’m trying to compress time a bit bGKM;AWEFO 

OKAY

Sandy fighting a whole freaking mech himself in the intro is whack actually good for him 

oh WOW THE QUAILITY OF THESE EPS IS SO HIGH

WHOAH

HOT DANG

PICITURE QUALITY I’M BITING THESE 

gosh i love the art in this show sm 

had the sound turned down too much hol up going back

I’M ACTUALLY SITTING HERE WITH A HEADPHOEN FROM MY PHONE ON AND AN EARBUD FROM MY COMPUTER IN AT THE SAME TIME SO LET TAHT IMAGE SINK IN FOR YA BGSDKLFMAOWE 

MULTITASKING

Well, Sandy, any direction the is “away from LBD” is probably the right one at this point bGKAMOWFE

OKAY NO BUT FOR REAL I REMEMBER USING MAPS WITH MY FAM AND IT FILLED UP THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE CAR, WAS SUPER CONFUSING AND MAPS ARE BOTH THE BEST AND WORST GB;KLSFM;AWOE PATS GENTLY 

ANYWAY I LOVE MEI SO MUCH BGKDFMAWE 

Y

YO BLUE THINGBDSMN;AOGHOWE

YO BLUE THINGBGSDA;FNOAWE

YO

BLUE

THINGBDF;ABGOIUNGOWOE

HELPGN;JAB;OGWEFM

YO BLUE THING, WANNA CRANK UP DAT OC BROTHA 

I’M ON THE FLOORBGLK;SDMF;OAHG;AOIFMAWE

TH

THE

BGBDFAMLWE HELPGSABFOWEM

I’M WHEEZINGSDFBH;ALMGOAWE

MEI UTTERLY DONE WITH HIM AND HE’S BEEN IN THE CAR WITH THEM FOR TEN MINUTES

“I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME” 

“no i can’t” 

PRETNEDING TO BE ASLEEPGB;SDFMA;WE

HE’S SO STUPID HELPGDFNA;WEM

MEI IS THE ONLY ONE WITH A BRAINCELL IN THIS SEASON I SEE

MORE OF A RESAON TO SUSPECT SHE WILL BE NERFED SOMEHOW I AM CONCERN 

W

WHAT

MK NO

BUDDY

HANG ONGBSD;F;AOWIEFMAWE

MK NO THATS NOT BGS;FMAWE

YEAH PIGSY I’M ALSO CONCERNED HELLO?? 

THE FALLING BACK INTO THE PUDDLE OF SWEATBGASLFMWE

HONEST RELATIONSHIP MY BGASKL;FAW;OE

SON

BRUH

BUDDY BGDKFMAWOE

I AM

CONCERN

You might be honest now but boy do you guys not communicate well BG;ALKEMFOWEF 

I mean makes sense for Monkey King to be “Hey, lets get me recharged because that is gonna be the priority right now because you don’t have your powers and we need more power on our side so we don’t get KO’d into the sun during the next boss fight, gimme a bit to get back up to full so I can keep us all safe” RATHER THAN “Ayo i don’t got time to waste on ya mortals specially cause y’ain’t got powers anymore don’t bother me” 

SHAKES THEM

COMUNICATE BETTER YOU STUPID MONKEYGAS;JDLNA;WOE

VB;DFAMWOE

THE WINDOW

NO

NO BUT FOR REAL

MOOD THO

FELT

ME TOO

DURING THE SUMMER

WHILE CAMPNG

YEAH

YEAH

I AM SANDY :HANDSHAKE_EMOJI: 

THANK GOODNESS FOR MO, PUTTING OUT FIRES BGSKAFMAOWE 

Pigsy has my entire soul. 

Man is a father

going right to reassuring Mk, making sure he knows his worth

AND MK IMMEDEATELY VEARING LEFT TO TRY AND FORCE HIMSELF INTO ANOTHER CATEGORYGBDKFM;AWE

MK YOU DON’T NEED TO BE THE ONE ANYTHING JUST BE YOU MY GUY PLEASE CEASE

 also GRABS MY POST TALKIGN ABOUT HOW MK USED TO BE THE HERO/STRONG ONE AND NOW THAT HE’S NOT MEI’S FALLEN INTO THE ROLE OF PROTECTOR AGAIN— 

MEI LOOKING SO EXCITED WHEN HE STARTS TALKING THO, PIGSY CONCENRED BGFAMO;IEFEW

GHSDLKAJSD HELP IS 

IS THIS WHERE THIS FRAME IS FROM

I’VE HAD THIS FRAME OF HIM STANDING THERE AS A LI’LL GUY SAVED ON MY PHONE FOR MONTHS

THE MOMENT IS FINALLY HERE

I LOVE THEM SM BGDSK;FMAWOE

MEI JUST

DISSAPOINTED BUT NOT SURPRISEB;FGFMAWFIM

PIGSY GENUINELY CONCERN PANICKED

TANG GBA;SMFAOWFEW

MK PLEASEB;AFMAOWIGAWE 

Y’all don’t understand I love him so much Mk means everything to me 

Okay okay but the picture quality, the animation, the art style, this is everything everything everything 

Mk you absolute beloved guy I love him so much he’s such a disaster and I’m kinning so hard rn BNGAKWMEF 

HE’S DOING HIS BEST 

HE’S DOING HIS ABSOLUTE BEST

I LOVE HIM 

NOOOOO

NOOOOOOOOOO

RAN OUT OF GAS NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

or too hot

OH ENGINE OVERHEAT 

TANK TOP PIGSY

MEI’S SLEEVES AND PANTS ROLLED UP HELLO

TANGGBDLSKMFA;OGIAWEF

GRABS AND SHAKES THEM 

Me :handshake_emoji: Mei 

Rolling up shirt sleeves and pant legs in heat bG;KLMAWEFOW

MK CARRYING MONKEY KING OUT OF THE BFNKAOWEM

HOL UP IS HE JUST THAT LIGHT???? 

HOW SMOL IS THIS GUY HE’S A ROCK MONKEY PLEASE???? 

MK ARE U BUFFED???

BUFF MK REAL 

H

MONKEY KING

MONKEY KING

MY GUY

No but this I think explains the Amnesia episode that’s coming up, they probably wake him up too early while he’s in mid-mediation 

Mans going back to recenter and relearn all his skills in his memories ig

dang

I’M ANALYZING THIS EP MROE THAN I’M REACTING SORRY MOVING ON GBSD;JLFKAM;OEW F

MK’S TRAINING OUTFIT THO HELLO 

Not over how everyone has a “k byeeeeeeee” moment bG;AKWMEFOW

They’re hallucinating aren’t they

GH;DSALKFMAWOE THE SPARKLY EYES AND EYELASHES GNBASDFMN;AGB;OIFMAEW

MONKEY KING FALLING OVERBGLK;FM;OGHWIOAFMAWE

tang tang nonGAWELK;FAWME

PIGSY BEING ON SANDY’S SHOULDERS THO

GBSAKFMAWE;OFAOIWEM

PUDDLE

MK WHERE’D U GET THE STAW BGKSADFMOAW

H

SPITS IT BACK OUTBGDSA;FM;AOWE

HELP

HELP

KILLS FISH MAN

DESTROY MAN 

I can’t tell if that’s a piggy gummy lego figure or something else BG;ASEFMA;WOEF 

NICE PAPER CLIPS 

MEI

I LOVE HER

SO MUCH

A BAJILLION MONIES

NO 

NO WIN

RUN AWAY

LEAVE

SCAM

SUS

RUN AWAY

KILL HIM

GOLDFISH DEMON??? 

AIN’T U  THE GODDESSS’S???

Y’ALL PLEASE

NO DON’T DO THIS

SMART BOI BRAIN

PLS

I AM SUCH CONCERN

WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO LOSE

NO

NOT A CHANCE

YEAH AIGHT

MAN

NOT 

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

YEAH NO 

NO

HECK NAH

MK YOU CAN’T BET MEI’S SWORD

BITE BITE KILL

MK WHY

IF THEY LOSE MEI’S SWORD I’M GOING TO PERISH

BIG BOY SMART BRAIN

NOOOOOOO

BGASDFMAOWE

MEI

MEI ;A; 

HOLDING HER GENTLY

MK STOP TRYING TMATHGBDSL;KFMAWE

UR BEING SCAMMED MY GUY 

SOBBING

PLS

NO

Y’ALL GONNA LOSE EVERYTHING 

W

MK

MK THAT’S

HIS 

NOODLE SHOP

NO MK 

H

I AM

NO

;-; 

THIS EP IS STRESSING ME OUTBGASD;FMOAGAWE

TANG’S JOURNAL??

GLASHES??

DID U FREAKING BET MONKEY KINGBDF;LJKAMNOAGOWE

SON HE’S WORTH MORE THAN ANY OF THIS

ohhhh buddy

li’ll dude bro pls

my guy 

SON

ARE U

W

WHAT

MK?????????????

MK ??????????

MK THAT’S NOT HOW IT WORKS 

MK SON THAT’S

YO

YO WHAT

HEYO

SON

KAY SO U SAW IT BUT

AYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

SOMEWHAT EQUAL TO HEAVEN 

YES FINALLY

GET RID OF HIM

MEI

MEI

OH MY GOODNESSBGLDSKMF;AOWE

So

Huh

HM

So

Monkey King, is going back into his own memories to do that basically, where as Mk is gonna stay in the present and re-learn things one by one

HM

KAY BUT THAT’S NEAT THO

YEAH MK 

GBSDJFAMNW;E

AYO HE’S AWAKE

IS HE DONE>???? 

Okay not amnesia causer than cool cool cool not concerned not worried HAHAHHAHAHA 

AH???

AH??????

CRYING?????????

CRYIGNBA;LMNF;OGHAWIPEFMAWEOFHAWOE4

THE STAFFS JUST A BIG OL STICK

TAKES SOMEONE SPECIAL TO LIFT ITBGKFAMWOE ;A; 

YEAH OKAY SO U SAY THAT BUT HOW’D HE GET ALL UR POWERS MAN LEGIT HE ALREAEDY HAVE THEM ALL ALONG OR WHATS THE DEAL THERE SUS I’M LOOKING 

OHHHHHHHHHHHHH

SO 

blinks

Mk’s working to get his back, and then Monkey King is suddenly out of meditation

HM 

HM

THINKING

AIGHT OVER

That was kinda a fun but also stressful ep BGA;KWEMFOAWEF 

The fact that they kinda stood by and let him bet things that were most valuable to them is uh

;-; 

GUYS

GBSA;DKLMFAOWEF 

I MEAN NOT TOTALLY LET, BUT LIKE

MAN

THEY REALLY LOVE THIS KID 

DANG

WHICH I KNEW BUT GOSH DANG MY GUY I WOULD NOT HAVE LET ANYONE BET MY STUFF NO MATTER WHO THEY WEREBG;SDMF;OAWEFH

WHAT AN EP THO

I HAVE SCATTERED THOUGHTS BUT THEORIES ABOUT HOW MONKEY KING AND MK’S POWERS ARE LINKED ARE RUNNING RAMPANT IN MY BRAIN

UNTIL NEXT REACTION WHICH MIGHT BE IN A FEW DAYS BECAUSE I HAVE STUFF I NEEED TO DO BUT WE’LL SEE, FAREWELL UNTIL WHENEVER IT HAPPENS o7 

[alj4890]

All Through The Night

A Choices: The Royal Romance Dark AU fanfiction. 

A/N Other than my few Bloodbound shorts, I’ve never written anything with supernatural overtones before. After receiving requests to see Liam and Riley’s story if he was a vampire, this storyline was born. Since it is set in one of my favorite books from Pixelberry, I had to include as many of the main and supporting characters as I could. The following chapters will explain more where they and what our main characters are. Not going to lie, I am very anxious to step out of my comfort zone for this, but I’m also super excited to see how it goes. Along with The Royal Romance, I will be referencing and altering both The Crown and The Flame and The Royal Masquerade.

@gkittylove99​​ @krsnlove​ @kingliam2019​ @texaskitten30​ @yourmajesty09​ @mom2000aggie​ @ofpixelsandscribbles​ @twinkleallnight​ @lodberg​ @twinkleallnight​ @amandablink​ @neotericthemis​  @mm2305​ @sfb123​ @iufilms​​ ​ ​

Masterlist

Prologue

Once upon a time...

"Father!" Zenobia rushed down the stairwell. "Kenna is at the gates!"

King Luthor's frown deepened as he studied the places his troops had been destroyed. His hope to unite the five kingdoms and wipe off the abomination was for naught.

Kenna would not stop until he and his surviving offspring's heads were on pikes.

...until their blood filled the crystal goblets of the Dark Queen.

"What do we do?" His son, Diavolos, asked.

Luthor knew it was only himself Kenna wanted. After he had killed her mother, hoping to stop the monsters once and for all, Kenna would have her revenge.

If only he had known that she was a vampire...just like her mother.

"Listen carefully." His voice trembled at this possibly being the last time he was able to speak to his son and daughter. "A Nevarkis must always be ready to fight the creatures that prey on the weak and vulnerable."

"But..." Zenobia sniffed. "How? How can we possibly kill the unkillable?"

"She can be killed just like her mother before her." Luthor snapped. "Sunlight. A dagger to the heart. Cutting the head off." His features hardened with resolve. "Know that those are our true allies. Continue your training with daggers. Never stop being vigilant. Educate your children. And remember: where there's one vampire, many more lie in wait in the shadows."

Diavolos stepped forward and gripped his father's shoulder. "We will fight for you."

"No." Luthor corrected. "Fight for our people. The innocent. Fight for a chance to live without fear of monsters."

He cleared his throat. "If I should die--"

"Don't say that!" Zenobia screeched. "We'll be--"

"Kenna is coming for me." Luthor interrupted. "I know I must face the consequences of my actions."

"But--" Divalos lowered his head. "What are we to do?"

"Kill her." Luthor ordered. "Let your emotion be your strength." He took their hands. "And remember that a vampire is nature's evil incarnate. They will do whatever they want and kill anyone who they think is in their way." His voice turned to pleading. "Kill Kenna before she has a chance to kill you."

Zenobia nodded in a jerky manner. Diavolos swallowed with tears in his eyes.

"Good. Now prepare yourselves." Luthor pulled his sword from its sheath. "The devil herself is here."

*****************

Two years later...

Kenna cuddled her infant son, humming a lullaby.

Dom came in, a soft smile gracing his lips at the sight of his family.

"How are we this evening?" He asked, placing a kiss first on her lips then one on his son's forehead.

"A little fussy." Kenna explained. "But otherwise perfect."

"Good." Dom stretched then went to stoke the fire. "I will be going out later tonight."

Kenna's head jerked up. "Why? Are there more rumors?"

He nodded, a determined frown formed on his lips. "The Nevarkis brats refuse to let us live in peace." He moved to stand before the window that looked out toward the kingdom he had once lived in.

High in the mountains, the couple and those like them had found sanctuary. They built a kingdom, one of darkness and shadow that allowed them to live freely. He and Kenna were crowned the rulers, chosen by their people...those that were cursed as monsters.

"Si and I will be standing guard." He explained. "I will not risk you or our child."

"Dom..." Kenna pulled him close, capturing his lips in a long tender kiss. "This must end. I was foolish to let my need for revenge take over." Tears sparkled in her eyes. "Luthor might have left us alone if I had given him a chance."

Dom's face contorted into furious hatred. "A Nevarkis can never be trusted!" He gripped her waist, hands heating as he lost his temper. "He would have plunged a dagger into your heart the first chance he had."

"Dom." She said softly when he singed her clothes.

He wrenched his hands from her with a grimace. "I didn't burn you, did I?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine." She tried to lighten the mood. "Just a little overheated."

He took deep breaths to get himself under control. "Stay here where it is safe." His eyes searched hers. "Have you fed recently?"

"No, but I should be fine until you return." Kenna lifted a bottle with blood for their son. "I can call on one of the servants to help me if I need to."

"Promise me you won't go outside." He pleaded.

"Only if you promise to come back to me." She responded.

His lips quirked in that cocky smile she has always adored.

"Always, my queen." He kissed her once more, then slipped out the door to search out their enemies.

******************

Present Day New York...

"Cordonia...land of both beauty and mystery." Riley wrinkled her nose. "Boring."

"No, it isn't." Hana argued. "I think that is the perfect beginning."

"Look at the comments from our last video." Riley swiveled her laptop so her friend could see. "People love our walkthroughs and all but hate my narration."

"Well..." Hana's brow furrowed. "Maybe we should try to add more to it than just narration." She pulled out some sketches. "We could add some animation of the history before showing our footage of the country."

"That might work." Riley mumbled, tapping her pen against her notebook.

The two set to work planning their next project.

After years of trying, they had finally achieved their dream of traveling for a living. The two college friends had taken every class they could on how to make their hopes into a reality. With Riley's love of history and business and Hana's talent with art and fashion, the pair had created a successful travel channel that showcased rarely visited countries and cities around the world.

Hana took care of all the shopping and dining found at their chosen destinations. Her "day trips" were hailed as must see for anyone planning a vacation. Riley took over for what could be found at night. Myths and legends blended in with what could be discovered once the sun set. A place's nightlife was thoroughly researched and reached a wide variety of their audience, causing many to plan a vacation just on her recommendations alone.

"Did your mom suggest where we should go first?" Riley asked, after skimming the same few articles about the elusive country.

"Not really." Hana hedged.

Riley glanced up. "Is she giving you a hard time again?"

"Yes." Hana slumped in her chair. "She told me to call when I was done playing tour guide."

"Geez." Riley grumbled. "Does she not realize that we have created a legit business?"

"Ladies shouldn't be involved in anything that does not pertain to their husband and family." Hana quoted. "I was supposed to have my debut to Cordonian society last year." Angry tears filled her eyes. "She still hasn't forgiven me for missing out on the Masquerade Ball."

Riley wrapped her in a comforting hug. "I'm sorry."

Hana patted her back. "Don't be. I finally feel like I can accomplish anything."

"That's because you can." Riley sat back with a grin. "Especially with planning out what we should focus on first."

Hana giggled as she went to search out some of her old books she had inherited from her grandparents. "These might help you with your part."

Riley's eyebrows lifted over the titles. "The Crown, the Flame, and The Night Queen."

"That is the earliest recorded story of vampires and monsters in Cordonia." Hana explained. "Queen Kenna Rhys and King Luthor Nevarkis both fought over uniting the kingdoms that make up Cordonia." She shook her head in disbelief. "There is a legend that Queen Kenna was a vampire that married a man who could transform into a dragon."

"For real?" Riley eagerly opened the book. "What happened?"

"Luthor died." Hana reached for another history book. "Some say it was a sword fight while others say she ripped his throat out with her fangs."

"Whoa. Either way, she sounds pretty epic."

"His son got revenge though." Hana flipped to another chapter. "He sneaked in one day and supposedly dragged Kenna into the sunlight. Before her husband could save her, she burned to ash."

"Brutal." Riley shivered. "What did the dragon do?"

Hana shrugged. "Supposedly he left with their child to protect him." She pointed at some drawings rendered from the Dark Ages. "Kenna's son came back to extract revenge. He eliminated one entire side of the Nevarkis family tree."

"And let me guess," Riley picked up another book. "The remaining Nevarkis's struck back?"

"It's supposedly been a feud for centuries between the Nevarkis and the Rhys' families." Hana pulled up an image on her phone. "Though one is currently ruling Cordonia."

Riley studied the image. "Queen Olivia Nevarkis. Looks like the Rhys lost the throne."

Hana shrugged. "There's a myth that they still rule Cordonia from the shadows."

"Mythical royal vampires, huh?" Riley laughed at the thought. "I hope I bump into one just so I can figure out who's really in charge."

Hana giggled at the thought. "You would be the only person to ask a logical, government question instead of the usual, whoa you're a real live vampire!"

Riley threw a pillow at her. "Hey! I can be calm and collected when faced with the unknown."

Hana threw the pillow back. "Tell that to the supposed haunted house we visited on our last trip." She broke out into laughter with Riley's defense that squeaking doors were the true villains. "On that note, I'm going to start packing. Our flight leaves first thing in the morning."

"I'll be ready." Riley promised.

Once alone, she flipped to a more current timeline of the supposed Dark Kingdom.

King Constantine Rhys the Third rules over what is his rightful kingdom. Rumors swirl that he is simply biding his time until he can eliminate the usurper, Queen Olivia Nevarkis, First of Her Name. The people know that one day, a Rhys will sit upon the throne, uniting the Dark Kingdom and Cordonia once and for all.

****************

Cordonia's Royal Palace, 2 a.m.

"Heeeerah! Olivia threw her daggers as hard as she could while doing a roundhouse kick.

The blades struck into the chest, head, and groin of the makeshift dummy.

She brushed the few strands of red hair that had escaped her hair clip out of her eyes. With a great deal of scrutiny, she studied her dagger placement.

"The one to the head needs to go deeper."

She spun around with a start at that all too familiar voice.

"You're late." She folded her arms and tapped her foot.

Liam rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. Had to stop off for a quick bite."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "That's not funny."

"Not that kind of bite." He teased, holding up a styrofoam box.

"Oh." She blinked in surprise. "I forget that you enjoy normal food too."

He chuckled at that. "There are certain foods that I don't think any man could ever give up."

Olivia decided to ignore that as she wiped the sweat from her face and neck. "Now that you're here, let's get the formalities over with."

"Very well." Liam gestured toward her. "You may go first."

She sat down on a bench lining one side of the palace gym. She motioned for him to join her.

"Not you!" She hissed when she saw his all too familiar guard.

Drake Walker bristled at her tone. His brown eyes clashed with her green.

"Give us a moment, please." Liam asked him.

"Don't let your guard down." Drake warned. "Remember, she's a Nevarkis."

Olivia tensed. "Perhaps you should remember what happened the last time you said something like that."

She quirked one eyebrow at the man and felt a sense of glee when he winced in memory.

His hand automatically drifted to his side where one of her daggers had once struck true.

With a quick bow to Liam, Drake stepped back out into the hallway.

Liam shook his head. "Are you two ever going to get along?"

"Stop talking stupid." Olivia snapped. "Now then, as you know...I must have my revenge."

"I know." Liam folded his arms and leaned casually against a column.

She eyed him for any sign of hatred.

It drove her crazy how unvampiric he could be.

He seemed almost human.

He seemed...kind.

A vampire is nature's evil incarnate. You can never trust a Rhys.

Those words had been drummed into her skull by her parents and then her aunt after their deaths by Constantine's hand.

And yet...Liam had done the unthinkable.

He had actually been a friend to Olivia.

*************

The night after her parents' funeral, five year old Olivia had been sitting alone before the fireplace, weeping over them.

Her aunt had left her to deal with her own grief and to plan the next attack upon Constantine.

As she searched for a tissue, Olivia jumped back with a shriek at the little blonde haired boy that held the Kleenex box.

His eyes were filled with unshed tears as he handed her a tissue.

"Who are you?" She asked, remembering that a Nevarkis must always be brave.

"I'm Liam." He explained. "I wanted to...I wanted to tell you I'm sorry about your parents." He sniffed and took a tissue for himself. "My mom died too."

Olivia blinked and took a cautious step forward. "Are you...are you a vampire?!"

He nodded.

She whipped out the dagger her mother had given her and rushed at him.

Liam moved faster than she could comprehend, gently keeping her hand above her head.

"Let go of me, monster!" She ordered. "You're why I'm all alone!"

"I didn't do anything." He told her, anguish taking over his handsome features. "I don't want to hurt you or anyone."

"Liar!" She snapped. "That's what you do. Lie and kill." Her tears ran faster down her cheeks. "And now you'll kill me."

"I won't." He promised. "I swear I won't hurt you." He ignored his own tears trickling down his cheeks. His blue eyes burned with resolve. "My mother made me promise never to hurt a human."

Olivia shook her head. It had to be lies. Isn't that what vampires and monsters do? Lull you into letting your guard down so that they could have an easy kill.

"Your father will pay for what he did." She said, hoping to see his true, evil nature. "He must die!"

"I know." Liam slowly released her and took a step back.

Olivia watched in surprise as he sat down before her fireplace and pulled out a silk blue ribbon from his pocket.

He motioned for her to join him.

She slowly lowered herself down, dagger poised in her little fist in case he made a move.

"May I have your hand, please?" He asked.

He patiently waited on her to decide whether or not to give it to him.

She tentatively placed her hand in his.

His lips turned up into a relieved smile as he wrapped the ribbon over their joined hands.

"What are you doing?" She asked, lowering her dagger.

"Making a bond." He explained. "I, Liam Rhys, Crown Prince of the Dark Kingdom, promise to never seek out revenge and to end all vendettas against the Nevarkis family." His blue eyes held her green. "Just as my mother, Queen Eleanor wanted me to."

Oliva's lips parted. "You mean it?"

"I do." Liam's voice held a great deal of sincerity. "I would rather walk into the sun than not do as she asked."

"Oh." Olivia sniffed. She could understand that kind of devotion.

"Do you," Liam's cheeks colored. "Do you think we can be allies?"

"A Nevarkis will never be friends with a monster." She repeated the rhetoric that she knew by heart.

"But," Liam's shoulders slumped. "We're not all bad."

"All monsters are bad at heart."

"I'm not." He pouted. "I don't want to be."

"You're so weird." She muttered.

"Am not." Liam grumbled. "I hope I'm not."

Olivia looked down at their hands still bound together. "I guess since you promised something, I should too."

He didn't bother to hide his surprise.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I, Olivia Nevarkis, The Crown Princess of Cordonia, swear that after I kill Constantine Rhys, I will lay down my weapons." Her brow furrowed. "I'll pick them back up though if you or any other monster tries anything."

Liam's smile grew. Before she could react, he tugged her into a quick hug.

"Now we can be friends!" He cheered.

"Friends?" She shook her head. "I'm a Nevarkis and you're a Rhys. We can't be friends."

"We will be." He vowed, jumping to his feet. "I have to go before Father finds out I've sneaked out. I'll try to come back in a few nights."

Olivia didn't have a chance to tell him whether or not she wanted him to. In the blink of an eye, he had jumped from her balcony and was already out the palace gates.

*****************

That had been the beginning of Liam's visits. Through the years, he had remained true to his promise. He did all he could to befriend her and never tried to sway her from seeking vengeance.

Olivia had once asked him how he could take her threat against his father so easily.

He had merely shrugged, explaining that he knew it was the way of things. His father had killed both her parents, while he had only lost one. He hoped she didn't since he did not wish to see his father or her dead.

Olivia had then told him again how weird he was, bringing another smile to his lips.

And now here he was again, calmly taking her promised vengeance well.

"So what business brings you here tonight?" She asked.

"Father thinks it is time I chose a wife." Liam responded. "I thought you should know that I will be spending more time in your kingdom to find one."

Olivia shot up off the bench. "What? But you promised to never hurt a human!"

"And I will keep true to that." He explained.

"But..." Olivia's brow furrowed. "You'll turn her into a vampire."

"Only if she wishes it." Liam explained. "I won't force her to make such a decision."

"I see." She began to pace while thinking. "You'll have vampire children."

"Only if she's a vampire." He reminded her. "Remember my brother."

Olivia paused. She had forgotten about Leo Rhys, The Great Disappointment of the Dark Kingdom. His mother had begged Constantine not to turn her. It had never been asked before, and in his mercy he had agreed. That was when they all discovered that a monster and a human could only produce a human child. In order for the heir to the Dark Kingdom to be a vampire, both parents had to be the same being.

"And you'll be fine having human children?" She asked. "If you're chosen bride refuses the Vampire's Kiss?"

"Of course." He responded.

"Lord, you're so weird." She muttered.

His smirk flashed. "Let's hope the woman I choose doesn't think so."

"Are there no women in your kingdom you can choose from?" She asked.

"I've looked." He shook his head. "It's hard to explain, but if one doesn't have an arranged marriage, then we must search until we see the one meant for us."

"And you somehow got weirder." She brushed her hands down her pants and held one out to him. "Good luck, I suppose."

"Thank you." He grasped her hand and lifted it to his lips. "I'll keep you updated on my progress."

"There's no need."

"Of course there is." He winked at her on his way out. "We're friends."

Her lips parted to once again remind him that they couldn't be. For some reason, she decided not to say it.

Liam had somehow wormed his way into her life and had become the closest friend she had ever had.

********************

The Lee Residence, Shanghai, China...

Lorelei paled as she reread the report. 

It can’t be. Not Now!

Of all the times for this to happen, it would be when her stubborn, foolish daughter decided to visit. 

Given the nature of her relationship with Hana, she knew that there was no way she could convince her to postpone her trip to Cordonia. 

There was only one course of action left to take. She would have to call the one man who was capable of protecting her daughter. She would promise hiim anything as long as he kept Hana out of Liam’s clutches. As much as wanted her to give up this ridiculous hobby she called a job and settled down with the right sort of man, she would never put her in the path of becoming the next vampire queen. 

Setting down the packet of information from one of her informants, she checked to make certain no servant was out in the hallway and then searched for the needed phone number.

Taking a deep breath, she placed the call.

Her trepidation grew when he didn’t immediately answer.

"Hello."

"Lord Beaumont?" 

"Yes." She could hear a door closing in the background. "Who is this?"

"Lorelei Lee." She replied.

"Lady Lorelei." He responded with a recognition. "How can I help you?"

"My daughter and her friend have got it in their heads to come visit Cordonia." She began. "I'm not certain how long they intend to stay, but I was hoping that I could retain your services."

"For what exactly?" Lord Beaumont asked.

"Protection." She replied. "I have heard through certain channels that the dark prince is beginning to search for a bride." She took a deep breath. "We do NOT want our daughter anywhere near that vile creature."

"I understand." He replied. "I usually don't do personal security. With my brother, Bertrand, retired," he hesitated, "it is left up to me to help protect Cordonia's borders."

"My husband and I would be in your debt if you could watch over her in the evenings." Lorelei cajoled. "I've heard that your brother is planning on extending his vineyards. We would be more than happy to invest in the production and distribution of his sparkling wine. Perhaps even let it be the only sparkling wine we serve in our hotels."

"Send me her information and picture. Call her and tell her that since our family is an old friend of yours, that I've volunteered to show them around. Find out where she's staying and when she plans on arriving."

"Oh thank you, my lord. We--"

"I'll also need a contract prepared and signed for all that you offered." He added.

"Yes of course. I'll get everything to you at once." She promised.

Once he ended the call, she sank back down onto her chair. 

She bowed her head and began to pray that her daughter came to no harm these next few weeks. To lose Hana to one of the many creatures that roamed the night in Cordonia was too horrible to even contemplate.

If anyone could keep her daughter safe then it was none other than Lord Maxwell Beaumont.