#that game that rex keeps developing

[mattsmedusa]

✎ 𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✯ 𝐦.𝐬

ⓘ best friends ᚐ sexual tension ᚐ pet names ᚐ fingering your mouth ᚐ raw raw ah ah ah or whatever lady gaga said ᚐ sough rex ᚐ size kink ᚐ big dick!matt ᚐ praise kink ᚐ creampie ᚐ tiny plot twist ᚐ etc. + intended lowercase. 𝐰𝐜. 𝟏.𝟔𝐤

[𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞!]

from gum to the back of your pencil, you had to have something in your mouth when you weren’t eating or talking. it wasn’t as bad when you were a kid but as you grew older it kept getting worse. you had developed a bad case of oral fixation and your best friend, matt, was the first one to notice it.

you never realised how bad it had become until matt pointed it out one day, joking about how you always had something in your mouth.

"you hungry? you’re chewing on your hoodie string." he’d say with a teasing grin, earning an eye roll from you.

"bruh, if you keep nibbling on your pen, you’ll have to buy a new one ‘cause ain’t no way that thing’s ever gonna work again." he’d say as he hands you a piece of gum.

"kid, you’ve had that popsicle stick in your mouth since this afternoon." he’d comment and chuckle.

matt didn’t think too much about it at first—it was more amusing than anything, but it wasn’t long before his thoughts started to become inappropriate. he’d imagine other scenarios where you’d have something in your mouth—something big enough to make you gag and choke.

he always tried to will his mind to stop thinking about shit like that, but it never worked.

today wasn’t any different. matt was already having difficulty keeping his thoughts family-friendly but the way you were sucking that lollipop drove him absolutely insane. you probably weren’t even aware how sexy you looked right now in your loose pajama pants and white tank top combo, sucking on your candy like it was something else.

you had suggested a sleepover and matt couldn’t refuse, plus it’s not like he’d ever say no to you. but now that he was sitting cross-legged beside you in his own pj’s as you picked a movie to watch, it was starting to become more and more difficult to keep himself from acting like a horny teenager.

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

it had been a few minutes since the movie began playing on your laptop and matt’s eyes kept drifting to your lips; he wasn’t even paying attention to the movie anymore. all he could think about was how good your mouth would feel around his-

"you want some chocolate?" your offer snapped him out of his thoughts and he cleared his throat before mumbling a hoarse "yeah, thanks" and popped a small piece of chocolate in his mouth, chewing slowly as his eyes stayed trained on the laptop screen to not blatantly stare at your lips again.

you shrugged off his odd behaviour, chalking it up to something your mind made up at the moment and focused back on the movie. matt, on the other hand, kept sneaking sideways glances at you, watching as you sucked on your lollipop.

fuck, he was already growing hard.

matt shifted subtly, anxiously pulling the blanket up more but the bulge ftom his raging hard-on was still there. he scanned the room for something to cover his lap and seeing a pillow discarded on the floor beside the bed, he almost whooped out in triumph.

he quickly took it and put it on his lap in a pathetic way to hide his boner from his oblivious best friend. sneaking a glance at you, a shaky sigh left his lips, thankful that you were still focused on the movie ahead.

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

it was starting to become boring after one too many movies and you two decided to just sit and talk about random things. you laid on your stomach as you opened a game on your phone, the lollipop stick still in your mouth as you absentmindedly nibbled on it.

matt couldn’t help but stare, watching as your plump lips wrapped around the thin stick, wishing it was his dick instead. he shook his head subtly as if that’d make his explicit thoughts disappear.

"so uh… what’re you playing?" he suddenly seemed so interested in what you were doing on your phone, making you look up at him with a confused expression. "wh-what?" he said before you could even utter a word.

you gave him a look and chuckled, mumbling a quiet "nothing" as you went back to playing your game. "it’s just some puzzle game, been really into it these days." you answered his question after a few seconds, your eyes still trained on your phone screen.

he nodded even though you couldn’t see it. "i see…" he said as he laid beside you. "you know... you should, uh, maybe discard that thing already?" he referred to the lollipop stick in between your teeth, his eyes darting down to your lips before quickly snapping back up to your eyes.

"nah, i’m good." you replied, not looking up from your phone. your feet lifted up, ankles crossing as you swung them subtly back and forth, still laying on your stomach. "what, is it bothering you matty boo?" you joked, giggling at your own lame joke.

"i’m hard." he blurted out, a little too breathless. "and your fucking oral fixation is not helping, sweetheart." his chest heaved slowly, breath getting shallower as he tried to control them. the way you were looking at him nearly made him groan in frustration—those doe fucking eyes, looking at him so surprised like a deer in headlights.

"and? you’re saying it’s my fault your body decided to act like a horny teenager-" "yeah, it’s your fault." he cut you off, his eyebrows rising slightly as if he was daring you to say anything more.

you stared at him for a moment before sitting upright, a slow grin creeping onto your lips, causing matt’s breath to hitch in his throat. you slowly removed the thin lollipop stick from your mouth, tossing it in the trashcan beside your bedside table before leaning forward, eyes glinting with mischief. "you want my help then?"

oops, not the smartest thing to say.

── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──

two long digits were shoved inside your mouth, your lips sealed around them, muffling your moans. matt’s hips were unrelenting, slapping against yours with lewd wet smacks, each one harder than the last. his fingers tightened on your hip, your legs thrown over his shoulders, allowing him to go deeper.

"is this what you meant when you said you wanted to help me?" matt drawled, his voice all gruff and hoarse from exertion and desire. "such a good girl, huh? helping her best friend get off." he laughed breathlessly, amusement oozing out of every word.

matt watched with hooded eyes as you nodded frantically, eyes threatening to roll back as his thick cock hit every right spot. a slow, lazy grin spread across his lips. "c’mon, pretty, suck on my fingers—what happened to your oral fixation? my dick’s so good you can’t even do what you can do best?"

his words caused you to momentarily snap out of your cock-drunk daze, making you suck on his fingers, nibbling softly, moans vibrating on them. he groaned low in his throat, finding the way you were sucking on his fingers to be too fucking sexy—enough to make his stomach tighten with his impending release.

but he wanted you to come first.

and so, he fastened his pace, angling his hips to hit that sweet spot that drove you crazy. the sound of sex, raw and wet, filled the room, along with your muffled moans and his groans and grunts. the bed creaked rhythmically underneath you, no doubt making enough noise for his neighbors to understand what he was doing.

matt’s eyes fluttered closed when he felt your velvet walls flutter around his pistoning cock, his brows knitting together due to how good your pussy squeezed around him. he couldn’t help but let out a low, deep moan, hips blurring as he fucked you into oblivion.

"c’mon, baby, i know you’re right there... don’t fucking hold back—oh, fuuckk... just like that, squeeze me like you wanna suffocate my dick." he groaned shamelessly, the dirty talk flowing out naturally. he began to move his fingers in your mouth, mimicking the way his length was destroying your sopping cunt.

it wasn’t long before you felt your orgasm crash over you.

"theere you go, you’re such a good girl." matt breathed out, feeling your insides pulse rhythmically around his shaft, his eyes closing briefly and hips stuttering at the feeling. "such a good girl—cumming on my cock so prettily."

matt picked up the pace again, his fingers slipping out of your mouth to hold your hips with both hands so he could really fuck you like he meant it. his hips smacked against yours loudly, and your moans and mewls filled the room—nothing in the way to muffle it.

"thaaat’s right, pretty, moan for me—show me how much you love my big fucking cock." he groaned, chasing his own orgasm.

a few more slams and his breath hitched, before a drawn-out moan slipped past his parted lips, his length twitching inside you as it painted your walls white with cum. "best fucking pussy—soo fucking good." he groaned softly, gently taking your legs off his shoulders and setting them down.

matt collapsed onto you, catching himself on his elbows as to not crush you under his weight. his forehead rested against yours, eyes still closed and breath hot and heavy. "so good." he whispered, breathless but sated.

"next time... you should let me suck you off, i’ve an oral fixation after all." his eyes fluttered open at your words, his expression turning slightly puzzled when he saw the small smirk on your lips.

then he remembered all those small smirks, the deliberate way you sucked on your lollipops and ice pops, and a look of realization slowly replaced his confused one, an amused smile creeping up his face. "you little fucking tease." he chuckled softly, giving your hip a small squeeze.

your oral fixation was over exaggerated on purpose huh?

୨୧

𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧

[gatorbites-imagines]

rex x mark x petvincibles perhaps

Rex would NOT know how to handle all that. He speaks a big game but there's no way he'd be able to keep up with all those versions of Mark, and some versions who are crueler and needier than the normal Mark.

I feel like this would happen in a setting where mark and Rex were already dating, so he'd assume that the mark that pulls up to fight him is his mark, for like a second or two, enough to call him babe and kiss his cheek or smth.

Then he'd realize it wasn't his mark from the way he reacts to the kiss and immediately be ready to square up. It doesn't happen like in canon obviously, but I can't decide how he'd end up bagging all of them.

Maybe one of those situations where it's like Jessica rabbit going "he makes me laugh"

I can't imagine rex is happy about it tbh, at least for the good first while, cuz these guys are evil and tried to hurt people he cares about, plus, he's already got his Mark, he doesn't need more.

Idk how or if it would develop into something more than the petvincibles just being a nuisance, maybe a whole lot of exposure therapy cuz they're always there and they grow with time. Idk. But it's a funny scenario, especially cuz normal Mark would be jealous and possessive.

[mirror-to-the-past]

People weren't kidding, that really was one of the most Xingyun moments ever, lol.

Aside from Xingqiu stammering and blushing at Chongyun's compliments and the absolute anime romcom trope-iness that is Chongyun obliviously asking why Xingqiu's face is red (we win! we win!!), can we also talk about how damning Traveler's teasing was?

"His yang energy seems to be surging, too."

Traveler is clearly very tongue-in-cheek about this, knowing full well Xingqiu doesn't have the same pure-yang disposition as Chongyun, and therefore won't blush because of it. However, given the multiple occasions Hoyo has gone out of their way to utilize Chongyun's condition in the past as a medium for tropey, anime-like responses of embarassment (i.e. Chongyun's pure-yang energy giving him a nosebleed when Xingqiu tried to sing to him in the "If You Were Rex Lapis" stream), it does come across as pointed observation from the Traveler to subtly mess with Xingqiu and Chongyun alike about the ways they willingly and unwillingly fluster each other.

So yeah, very cute. ^_^

Aside from that, can I just say I absolutely love this event and want it to be a cemented feature for the rest of the game's runtime? I'm not seeing enough people talking about it! It's really the perfect solution for the gacha game dilemma of chatacter oversaturation.

I, as much as the next person, wish for all our faves to have the most perfect epic event quest tailor-made for them, with character depth, development and all. However, since:

1. Hoyo is allergic to sustained character development, even in the event of characters getting a really cool, awesome 10/10 event or story quest, and...

2. Characters will likely not get attention unless it is for a promotional thing such as an outfit, banner rerun, or character debut, which exponentially decreases the likelihood of non-new 4 stars getting any attention. (The summer events are pretty much all we can rely on for a random scramble of characters coming into the spotlight after being shelved without it being sales related, haha!)

...I think this is the next best thing!

Giving us little canned, slice-of-life looks into the character's day-to-day, without a grandiose story or threat, is such a wonderful way to see the characters act in low-stake situations that aren't centered around having a hangout that's focused on them acting as a host to the Traveler. Instead, we're checking in on *their* affairs and goals, and even having little snippets into their interactions with other characters outside of just what we may read about their relationships in the Character Story!

I absolutely LOVED the cutscene with Yao Yao and Qiqi where Qiqi mourns the fact that her memory issues will cause her to forget the episodic experience of every lovely memory she has with the people she cherishes, and that she'll be forced to only relive them through her impersonal journal records. When she was talking about forgetting the green of the leaves, the breeze, and the feel of Yao Yao's hand, I felt my heart break a little bit. It's some of the most compelling on-screen discussion of Qiqi's condition since, well, as far back as I can remember!

And they didn't need a big Qiqi-centered SQ or event for it- they pulled it off with nothing more than a handful of small cutscenes that clued us in to the more intimate parts of Qiqi's life.

If we keep this kind of event present in the game, and switch it up between prior regions, I think it'll help so much with keeping the world feel alive, and keeping the players still compelled by their favorites from previous regions without necessarily stealing the spotlight from whatever focal point region is active at the time. I love reminders that our old friends are still up to their own affairs, struggling with new day-to-day problems, and missing us while we're away- but still entrenched in their own goals and relationships (and not like. ceasing to exist when the Traveler is gone, lol).

So anyway, I hope to see the playerbase giving this event some love so it may come back due to popular demand, this time having more Inazuma and Sumeru characters!

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.

Shadowhunters

Enthrallment by smilebackwards

It does look a little bad, Parmela thinks, looking at it from outside. As more specialists had been called in for consultation, they’d decamped to one of the larger conference rooms—eschewing attendance at A, B, AB, & O: The Impact of Blood Type on Non Subject Specific Blood Magic, because this was vastly more interesting and potentially important—and there are a round dozen high-level warlocks clustered around Alec, poking at him with magic.

Or: Alec attends the Magical Inventions and Advances convention in hopes of recruiting warlocks for another Downworld Cabinet. The warlocks, however, are more interested—and concerned—by the blue magical aura following Alec around.

DC

temporal fraternity by envysparkler

Damian clears his throat. “I require your assistance.”

The words come out easier with the benefit of practice and the knowledge that no one will remember them tomorrow. Today. Tomorrow-today.

The Umbrella Academy

cut me open and i still bleed red by aletterinthenameofsanity

Part 1 of the odds were never in our favor

Ben knows his fellow mentors pretty well, for how long he's spent here, behind the screens of the Games, watching as his tributes die.

Allison, from District One, has a way with the sponsors. Just a word placed here or there, stealthily dropped into conversation, and she can get her tributes the shit they need.

In his time as a Mentor, Klaus has developed a habit of drinking to get through the Games, and through the rest of his life, really- anything to avoid the truth of what's happening, the ghosts of the children he and Ben have sent to their deaths.

Very few people remember what Five’s name was before the Games. Caesar Flickerman and the Gamemakers nicknamed him that when he took out the entire Career Pack on his second day in the Arena.

Vanya’s the newest Mentor, the victor of the Seventy-Third Hunger Games.

Diego’s one of Ben’s oldest not-quite friends. A Victor from District Ten, he’d gone into the Games knowing how to kill an animal.

All the other Mentors Ben knows try never to get attached. Luther, on the other hand, doesn't forget a single name.

(A story of seven victors of the Hunger Games and the lives they live as Mentors.)

Danny Phantom

The Promised Land by redrobin1989

Danny Fenton has been running for years, from his abusive parents, from Vlad's experiments, from his freakish powers. He expected to be running his whole life until he found his way to a small town that felt like the home he'd never had.

M!ik

Study Dates Are Not Real Dates by StormySteady

A very important exam is coming up, and Asmodeus is trying his hardest to get Iruma and Clara to study for it. But his soulmates have other ideas.

Star Wars

Starlight, In All Its Forms by Soap_And_Lye

When Luke was eight, he was taken from his home on Tatooine and delivered into the hands of the emperor and his right hand.

When Luke was sixteen, he overheard the emperor's plans to steal a tiny Force sensitive child and saves him first, before being caught and dragged back to his masters' keeping.

When Luke was eighteen, he finds that same child on Gideon's cruiser, and spares both him and his family, including a silver clad Mandalorian.

And when Luke was twenty-four, he is captured by the Rebellion (captured or did he just let it happen? Really up for debate) and secretly sent as a prisoner to Mandalore, where Mand'alor Din Djarin rebuilds his planet and raises his son.

And the rest was history. Or the beginning.

Clone Wars

will you be an anarchist with me? by a_alene

Once the Kenobi floodgates are opened, they cannot be closed. Cody has apparently been keeping an itemized list of disagreements, and he is determined to tell Rex each and every one of them.

Kenobi refuses to listen to Cody’s input. Kenobi throws himself into battle with no regard for previously established battle plans. Kenobi uses the Force so recklessly and obviously that every undercover assignment is blown within the first few minutes. Kenobi is a hypocrite who berates Cody for sidestepping protocol, but flouts it himself at every opportunity.

CT-7567: bet you wish you had skywalker now

CC-2224: I wish for nothing but the cold embrace of space

Right. And he says Kenobi’s dramatic.

(Marshal Commander Cody and High General Obi-Wan Kenobi of the 212th cannot stand each other. Rex doesn't know why this is his problem.)

poetry is what you find (in the dirt in the corner) by fivecenturiesverse

(In which Cody becomes an anonymous poet after the war and his brothers find out.)

Rex launches forwards immediately and so does Bly, because he can admit to himself that he likes gifts. He likes gifts a whole lot more than Cody and Wolffe, anyway, who both act like martyrs who don’t need any material love. “Poetry, vod?” Bly asks, incredulous. “Cody’s right, you are going soft.”

“It’s by a clone,” Fox says, defensively, “it’s quite good, actually. For poetry. It made Sergeant Hound cry at the service.

[nozomisumino]

Happy 7th Anniversary to Xenoblade Chronicles 2! It's one of my favourite games of all time, despite its flaws, and it's so personal to me. It's helped me a lot with my identity and sense of self over time and it's a big reason Xenoblade 3 and Mio are so personal to my own identity.

I first played Xenoblade 2 after Xenoblade 1 first came out. It took a little to adjust to the tonal change from 1's more serious and emotional tone to what seemed like 2 being a sillier and goofier game on the surface. Despite that, I loved Rex's personality straight away, same with Nia.

The game starts off with a sense of whimsy and humour that really appealed to me at the time, and I still am really in love with the way the humour in the game works. It's silly but in a way that's nostalgic for me given the kind of shows and games I grew up with, like Pokemon for example.

I also loved the way the music brings you into the vibe straight away. Argentum Guild for example, has a very fun, happy, "we're on a new adventure, here we go!" kind of vibe. It drags you into Rex's journey straight away and also establishing reasons he's working so young, to repay his family.

Then the events with Torna, Malos and Jin in which Rex is killed and the tone shifts. Rex dies due to simple curiosity. He was just in the way due to trying to bond with the Aegis. I love how it shows the world's brutal nature so early after a typical happy RPG vibe the game starts with.

Pyra's first meeting with Rex has such a hopeful but emotional feeling, Pyra is just confused but also pitying Rex for his fate. However, Rex's hopeful nature surprises her, so she decides to save him by becoming one with him.

I love the next sequences where we see firsthand on how Rex changes others such as Pyra but also Nia who realised Torna were going too far for her own liking and it helped her realise she needed to leave to go on her own path and find what she wants to do.

This is when the game opens up, and Gormott especially, is just nostalgic for me. The music, the exploration, it's all perfect to me. The game carries on in a similar fashion and I fell in love with it more and more. Then we start meeting the other cast members as the game progresses.

I love Zeke and Morag so much and how they balance the party out with a more serious mentor figure and the more playful but supportive one. They both play a big part in Rex's development and the party is like a big family, which is so comforting to me.

Nia's character is why the game is so personal to me though. I relate to so much to her situation, the way she feels she doesn't belong anywhere and has to alter herself and fake herself to be accepted around others. Despite growing attached to Rex and the party, she's still scared.

'What if they hate me?' 'I can't handle someone else I love betraying me.' She keeps her body and past to herself as long as she can due to this. She however, decides to finally be honest when she realises she can save others due to who she is and to her surprise they accept her.

Nia was one of the characters who helped me accept myself and gain confidence over time despite my unique circumstances and issues in real life and it's due to this that Mio felt representative of my real self more outright. She's Nia's daughter and has a lot of her similar traits.

However, she's more closed off and self deprecative due to her circumstances and struggle to trust others. She feels no one can understand her, so she doesn't even try. The others help her come to terms with herself by the end of the game though and the ways how represent my experiences.

Overall, I love Xenoblade 2 as it's a vital experience to me and my identity and without it I might not have progressed to become the person I am now and I'm thankful for it due to this. I love this game so much and I can't believe it's been out for 7 years now.

[nukacourier]

im kinda scared to ask this so.. anon!! sorry if you've already been asked this before, but i was wondering what headcannons do you have of arcade :33??

I don't mind asks at all, but I'll respect your choice to ask on anon bc I get it

Continuing on with the headcanons.....

- has a bad habit of chewing on his fingernails or his lips when stressed

- unfortunately a smoker, although he constantly tries to quit but ends up relapsing bc he gets too stressed and ends up falling back on it

- drinks quite often too. Tbh I hc it's the reason why people at the Atomic Wrangler like James and Francine Garret tend to greet him in-game bc he'll stop in there often

- used to be really desperate about finding "the one" and getting married when he was in his 20s, which led to him having a series of shitty boyfriends and messy breakups. Still remains a bit of a hopeless romantic but mostly keeps that to himself

- very good at drawing. He largely does still life and uses it to keep track of identifying medicinal plants in his everyday life, but probably does have a "secret" sketchbook of drawings he's done for fun

- tends to develop close friendships with women over men, as he often worries about men only having interest in him sexually and not caring about him as a person

- tying in with the previous one, doesn't actually have many friends in general. Julie probably counts as a friend to him and he probably enjoyed talking to Beatrix occasionally. Ends up befriending Veronica too

- one of his biggest tells when lying is looking off towards the side. But tells aren't needed because he's genuinely awful with lying and would rather be honest

- addicted to caffeine and often drinks anything that has a high caffeine content like Nuka-Cola or coffee

- was very fascinated by space as a kid. Has most of the constellations memorized and still stargazes from time to time. Gets a little depressed in the Old Mormon Fort because the light pollution from the strip tends to wash out any visible stars

- also fascinated by bugs and insects. Probably was that kid that would lay in the dirt watching ants

- both those things sort of intrigued him because he's always felt a sense of not belonging no matter where he goes or who he's with. All in all feels a constant loneliness over it but keeps it to himself

- since he burns easily he also tends to tan quickly. Has vague sunspots (freckles) and also probably has tan lines

- though the skin around his fingers are flaky and his nails are short and chipped, he keeps them super clean and hardly ever has dirt between his fingers or under his nails

- tends to get rashes from anxiety, usually on his chest and back. Ends up scratching at his chest a lot when he's anxious because of it

- abysmal posture 🦐 HOWEVER it's largely to make himself look smaller since he's very tall

- back problems both from his height and bad posture. Also has joint issues from being so tall as well. Dude crunches and pops if he moves too quickly

- is probably 6'5" or taller but humbly says he's "around 6ft" whenever asked how tall he is

- used to want a dog so bad through most of his childhood but never had one (Is very fond of Rex because of it)

- that being said, likes to play with Rex and probably can be found giving scraps of food to the strays in Freeside often as well

- had a musclebro/jock phase in his late teens/early 20s

- has awful insomnia. He ends up trying remedies for it on occasion but none of them seem to work

- always smells vaguely of sweat, cigarette smoke, and rubbing alcohol

I hope this didn't drag on too long because I get carried away thinking about Arcade because I love him 🫶 anyways I hope you like my little glimpse into my version of him regardless

[kaythefloppa]

Now that the psychic damage over Paisley's redemption has worn off, here are some hopes/episode ideas I have in regards to the future of her character arc on the show. Assuming that she isn't written off the series (which would be nothing short of a giant middle finger to her voice actress and the fans who waited 3 years for the character to return).

An episode that gives us closure for Rex. Whether or not he'll redeem himself alongside Paisley. I frankly do hope he does because like Paisley, he has had so few appearances in the show. Paisley getting redeemed after only 6 episodes of being a villain is one thing, but it'd be VERY hard to accept Rex becoming a main antagonist after serving as an underling [maybe they could make it work but that feels like a stretch] Plus they have the healthiest relationship among all of the villains on the show, so I don't like the idea that these two would wind up fighting each other in the future.

An episode akin to "Adapto the Coyote" where Paisley has her own subplot learning about the animals around her through misadventures. Maybe she's trying to build an eco-friendly environment but the animals keep getting in her way, so she tries to find an ethical loophole only to find out that the animals are the key.

On that note, I think Pave Nature Incorporated being kept in business but having their goals change would be an easy loophole. Construction, but in ways that leave animals and their habitats out of harm's way, or better yet, put them under protection. It would be a natural change for the character without doing a complete 180 of everything established with them [which can ruin a good redemption/development story]

Post-redemption Paisley meeting and facing off against the other villains. Again, this is something that the special kinda left on a thread that I think would be interesting to follow up on. Despite having minimal appearances in the show, Paisley and Rex have established themselves to be allies to Zach, Donita, and Gourmand. So this would be a game-changer to hear that she's with the Wild Kratts. Would the villains attempt to go after her? Would they try to use her to get to the Kratts? Zach's a specialized hacker, maybe he could intercept Paisley's tech to use it against her and make her look bad in front of the crew. Really interesting shit there!

And while we're still on that, a 1v1 interaction between Paisley and Donita. Paisley's been on the show for 8 years and a member of the villain team for 6 years and the 2 female villains on said team [as far as I recall] rarely exchange that much dialogue. It's already enough that we didn't have them team-up, but them being on opposing sides opens other opportunities. They could face off or be mirrors to each other, one could try and convince the other to join their side with no avail.

Her interacting with the other Wild Kratts Kids. As far as I'm aware, she's the only villain not to, which, whilst a testament to how badly unterutilized she is, could be interesting. Do the WK kids know about her if they've never reported her? Are they as easily willing to buy her overhaul as the rest of the crew is? Are the kids and Paisley willing to learn from each other voer their stance about nature? Interesting stuff!

I'm probably aiming too high when it comes to expectations but they backed themselves into a corner here with no way out, I'd really love to see how they handle this.

[tobiasdrake]

It's still amazing to me that Dominion finally noticed that they forgot about Dodgson twenty years ago.

Nedry: DODGSON!!! WE GOT DODGSON HERE!!! See? Nobody cares.

And for twenty years, nobody did. He fucked right off out of the franchise after the first movie.

Dodgson was the guy paying off Nedry to steal dinosaur embryos. That was their whole scheme. Nedry was just supposed to grab up some embryos in the Barbasol can, get them to Dodgson's guy at the dock, and then get back and keep going like nothing happened.

Just a little bit of corporate espionage between rivals so that Biosyn could get in on the dino-engineering game.

Crichton then brought him back as an antagonist for The Lost World. Still trying to get his hands on something he can reverse-engineer, Dodgson makes an expedition to Isla Sorna in person so he can steal T-Rex eggs.

This is how the baby T-Rex and parent Rexes were originally involved in the story. The film of The Lost World takes even more tremendous departures from the novel than Jurassic Park did.

Dodgson is a shameless patent thief. That's his entire deal. He has a philosophy for how he conducts his business that he explains as:

"I have my I own version of the scientific method. I call it focused research development. If only a few ideas are going to be good, why try to find them yourself? It's too hard. Let other people find them - let them take the risk - let them go for the so-called glory. I'd rather wait, and develop ideas that already show promise. Take what's good, and make it better. Or at least, make it different enough so that I can patent it. And then I own it. Then, it's mine."

He just finds things that work and takes them for his own, so he can put his name on them and sell them. A capitalist in the truest sense. Elon Musk would be proud.

In Dominion he's, hahahahahaha, he's trying to destroy the world economy with an army of super-locusts so he can monopolize grain production. Hahahahahahahaha. They made him Jurassic Lex Luthor to justify the Paleo-Avengers coming together to save the world. Completely out of ideas.

Whereas in Lost World, he's just. He's trying again. He goes to Isla Sorna to steal dinosaur eggs, filling the role that the movie uses Hammond's nephew and the InGen site in California for. Dodgson and his men are the ones causing problems on Isla Sorna, up until Sarah Harding fucking murders him by feeding him to a motherfucking T-Rex on purpose. Because she is a badass. Do not fuck with Sarah Harding.

[pluckyredhead]

I've been meaning to ask for a while, since you've read so much more Supers books than me, but what are your thoughts on Kon being retconned as Clark and Lex's lab grown love child? Asides from that one mind-controlled-into-shaving-his-head incident, did that ever factor into anything again? Is it even still canon? If it were up to you would you keep it and try to do something interesting with it or just sweep it under the rug and pretend it was never true?

I think it would be a great retcon if they ever did anything with it aside from one (1) incredibly stupid story.

Because the thing is, originally Kon's human donor was Paul Westfield, and genuinely, who the fuck cares about Paul Westfield? He was only relevant for, like, a year. He's a footnote at best.

But Lex? There's so much potential there:

How does Clark feel about it? Does he trust Kon less? Does he feel guilty about that? Does he defend him to people (Batman) who would question him?

What are Lex's plans? You can't tell me he would sic Kon on other heroes once and give up. Lex always plays the long game. He has to have other Machiavellian schemes. What if Kon gets the clone plague again and Lex has the cure? What if he built in a vulnerability other than kryptonite? Most interestingly, what if Lex cares?

And of course, most importantly, how does Kon feel about it? We've seen him ignoring it and then moping about it. And I think it was his Adventure Comics run where we saw him tracking his own behavior to see if he was more like Superman or Lex. But what if a story really interrogated the fact that Kon is a very different person than Clark? (Especially in light of Jon, Clark's mini-me.) Kon likes money; Lex is a billionaire. Kon loves attention; Lex is functionally a supervillain because he's jealous that people like Superman more. Kon is a sweet boy but he's not a shining paragon of virtue. Is that because of Lex's genes? Is everything good about Kon simply Superman's genes? Is Kon is own person with free will that exists beyond picking a donor to emulate? Is a clone a person at all? Let's get into it, DC!

If it was up to me, I would write two stories about it:

First is the story where Kon and Lex actually develop a relationship. Kon and Clark has never been close, and Kon has rarely had a stable home or consistent parental figures (Rex was untrustworthy, Dubbilex got written out a lot, Guardian died and came back as a child, Pa died, Ma lived but Kon died and then got retconned into another dimension...). Kon is primed to fall for lovebombing, especially if Lex is doing one of his regular "no, really, I'm Redemption Arc-ing for real this time!" routines. Especially right now with a trillion Supers Clark likes better hanging around Metropolis, and Lex swearing he's going to be Good...what if he stopped trying to convince Clark, and started trying to convince Kon? What if he spent time with him, and listened to him, and took his side against Clark, and let's be real, probably spent money like water on him? And what if Lex, despite himself, discovered that...he actually cared about his clone son?

Of course, Lex's self-interest would eventually win out. We see this over and over again, where he sacrifices his relationships on the altar of his ambition, where he just can't quite love anyone else as much as he loves being evil. And yes, Kon ends the story hurt, but also with another reminder that validation needs to come from within and not from a billionaire who wants something from you, even if he is your other dad.

(And maybe Clark is reminded that he has failed Kon. Again. Ahem.)

The second story I would write is the one where Lex goes to jail and Kon somehow inherits Lexcorp and many billions of dollars and is cartoonishly irresponsible with all of it. Lex gets out of jail and there's a giraffe in his office and all of his doomsday devices are full of Zesti Cola.

But yeah, instead DC does nothing with it. Literally a few months ago they had Clark and Kon and Lex all having a conversation about a villain Lex created and gave TTK to - so like, talking explicitly about how Lex created Kon, too - and aside from Kon being mildly snide, that was it. That was it! DC WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS. WHAT IS THE POINT OF SETTING UP SOMETHING SO JUICY AND THEN LEAVING THAT JUICE UNSQUOZE.

[illuminatedquill]

All Mine

A Sabine Wren & Ezra Bridger Story

Story Summary: A mission for the Ghost crew takes an unexpected turn when Ezra Bridger reunites with a childhood crush, Shana Tavorri. Sabine Wren, his close friend and partner, must deal with newfound feelings of jealousy - and possibly more - over their relationship.

For Sabezra Day 2024, @sabezraweek

Prompt: Confessing

Bright Jewel System, Mid-Rim Territories

"Look lively," called Hera from the Ghost's cockpit. "Just picked up the Phantom II signal."

Sabine was sitting with Ezra in the Ghost's communal area, playing a game of dejarik. At Hera's call, Ezra sighed and turned the game off. "Well," he said regretfully, "looks like duty calls, Sabine."

She smirked at him and replied, "Lucky for you that it's calling. I was about to bulldoze all over your pathetic defense there at the end." Sabine knew that she had him on the ropes at the game's end. Much as she respected her friend's prowess in battle, Ezra never was much of a tactician.

But, then again, his powers as Jedi certainly did give him options that weren't available to an average combatant. His strategies tended to fall outside the usual box of combat thinking, as Captain Rex - a veteran of the Clone Wars and no stranger to Jedi tactics - put it mildly one time.

It's probably why we work so well together as a team, Sabine reflected. She was one of the only people who could keep up with whatever crazy plan Ezra developed on the fly.

Ezra scowled at her. "My defense was solid, thank you. I was actually about to achieve victory. You're the one who is lucky."

That elicited a laugh from her. "Whatever makes you feel better, goober."

He opened his mouth to further argue the point but was interrupted as Hera emerged from the cockpit followed closely by Chopper. Sighing at the sight of them bickering, she planted both hands on her hips, her expression exasperated.

"Come on, you two," she said. "Let's be good hosts and greet the guest."

Ezra threw Sabine a 'we'll settle this later' look and followed Hera towards the Ghost's stern where the Phantom II had docked. Sabine replied by cheerfully sticking her tongue out at him, as she fell in step behind.

This 'guest', as Hera put it, was a Rebel spy part of the Fulcrum agent network. Three days ago, the Ghost crew had received a transmission from an unexpected source: Princess Leia Organa, the daughter to Senator Bail Organa. She had asked them to rendezvous in the Bright Jewel System where this spy had requested backup to make a trade with an Imperial informant for a data disk containing crucial information to the Rebellion on the nearby planet of Ord Mantell.

Being familiar with the Ghost crew and their capabilities, Princess Leia had requested them specifically for this mission. Once they arrived in system, Kanan and Zeb had then piloted the Phantom II to secret coordinates in deep space to transport the Rebel spy onto the Ghost from an undisclosed location.

As they approached the Phantom II docking bay, Zeb was the first one to disembark, the hatch hissing open to make way for the Ghost crew member. The big Lasat stretched as he emerged, wincing at the crackling noise his joints made. He greeted everyone and, upon seeing Sabine and Ezra, asked with a big grin, "Who won the dejarik game?"

"Me," said Sabine at the same time as Ezra. They turned to each other with bemused looks as Zeb guffawed at their expressions.

"I'll take that to mean that Sabine was about to win it then," Zeb chuckled.

Ezra pouted. Sabine grinned but gave her partner an affectionate pat on the back.

Hera sighed again. "Kids, please behave," she said.

Kanan's voice drifted out from the open hatch, speaking softly to someone. "Watch your step here," he advised, his hand outstretched to the guest.

The Rebel spy stepped through. She was young, around Sabine's age. Lustrous black hair that fell slightly past her shoulders and a beautiful, statuesque face that belonged in holo-dramas. Her eyes were a light gray that shone with a cool intelligence, taking in the Ghost crew with a swift look. The white combat suit she wore was Rebellion standard uniform but, somehow, looked perfectly tailored to her slender body. The holster on her belt had a mean looking blaster tucked inside and judging from the marks on the weapon, it had seen use plenty of times.

Beside her, Sabine heard Ezra take a deep breath in surprise. Frowning, she looked to him - and noted the look of dumbstruck recognition flashing in his piercing blue eyes.

Before she could ask him what was up, Kanan introduced the spy to the crew. "Everyone, this is the Fulcrum agent we've been assigned to escort. Her name is Shana Tavorri."

She nodded in greeting. "Hello, everyone. Pleased to meet you all. I'm grateful for the assistance in this mission. Princess Leia has given you the highest of recommendations."

Shana smiled as her gaze fell upon Ezra. "Especially you, Ezra Bridger."

Sabine narrowed her eyes at Shana. There was an intimate familiarity with how she said Ezra's name . . . and, for some reason, it bothered her.

Ezra took a cautious step forward. "It really is you," he said in amazement. "I can't believe it."

Sabine crossed her arms and leaned against the bulkhead. There was an odd, pinched feeling emanating somewhere inside her chest. Grimacing, she watched her friend practically float towards the new arrival.

Shana's smile widened into an easy-going grin. "Been a while, Ezra. You've certainly grown up from the little street thief I remember back on Lothal."

"You know Ezra?" asked Kanan in surprise.

Shana nodded. "We go way back. Our families were close, and we were childhood friends . . ." Her expression turned sad. "That was before the Empire took over. Ezra - did you ever find out about your parents?"

Ezra went still, a pained expression briefly passing over his face before smoothing into a neutral look. "They died some time ago," he said.

Shana's face fell; she reached out and gripped his hand in sympathy. "Oh, Ezra. I'm so sorry. I was always hoping that they met a better fate than my own family."

Ezra looked down at his feet. "No such luck, I'm afraid," he said. "It's okay. They died helping people."

"It's not okay, Ezra. It'll never be okay. Look - come here," she said and suddenly pulled him into a deep hug. Ezra's face went red in surprise, and he glanced at Sabine with an odd look - like he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to.

She just frowned at him and felt another uncomfortable twinge in her chest. Sabine rubbed at the spot, wondering why she felt this way looking at Ezra and his old friend embracing - and became aware of Hera, looking directly at her, with an amused look on her face.

I don't like this, Sabine thought. I've got a bad feeling about this.

She coughed loudly, interrupting the tender moment between Ezra and Shana. Stepping forward, she stuck out a hand at the Rebel spy. "I'm Sabine, by the way," she said. "Sabine Wren. Ezra's partner."

Shana released a flustered Ezra from the hug and turned towards Sabine. The Fulcrum agent's gray eyes glinted with amusement as she took in Sabine's blunt manner and colorful appearance.

Shana replied coolly, "I've heard all about you, Sabine Wren. You have quite the reputation." The spy took Sabine's hand and gave it a tight, yet amiable squeeze in acknowledgement. Her grip was firm and steady, Sabine noted; her hands, while looking delicate, were calloused. It meant that Shana was not unaccustomed to hard work, despite her model appearance and elegant demeanor.

Normally, that would have impressed Sabine. But, for some unknown reason, it made her dislike the spy even more.

"Good or bad?" asked Sabine as they shook hands.

Shana gave a polite smile as she responded. "Depends on who you ask."

Hera clapped her hands together. "Right. Well, seems like our guest and Ezra have some catching up to do. Ezra, you'll have the honor of giving Shana the tour. Kanan and Zeb, you can go rest. I'll punch in the coordinates to Ord Mantell and get us on the way. And Sabine . . ."

"Yes, Hera?" She was staring at Shana who had already sidled away to speak with Ezra.

"Go freshen up your room. Shana will bunk with you for the night."

Sabine felt her stomach drop out from her abdomen. "Seriously?" she asked. "She's in my room?"

Hera arched an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

Sabine gritted her teeth. "No," she replied. Shana had slipped her arm through Ezra's and was walking with him towards the Ghost's communal area. Ezra said something to her, and the young woman let out a peal of laughter that rang through the corridor.

Sabine felt her heart twist viciously as she watched Ezra give a shy smile at Shana.

"No problem at all," she said and went to clean her room, doing her best to ignore the turbulent feelings buzzing inside that were saying something else entirely.

Hyperspace, Mid-Rim Territories

It had been a long day, despite the relative lack of activities, and Sabine was ready for bed. Ezra had given Shana an in-depth tour of the Ghost at her insistence; at the end of it, Sabine had the amusing thought that their guest now possibly knew the Ghost's interior better than any of them. Once finished, Ezra and Shana had lounged in the Ghost's communal area, chatting about various things that had happened in their lives while they had been apart.

Sabine had spent that time lurking nearby, working at a nearby computer station - or, at least, pretending to be working. She was trying to get a better read on this mysterious Shana Tavorri; a Fulcrum agent, after all, was a notable position within the Rebellion, especially for someone so young. There were many of them, she knew, scattered throughout the galaxy performing various missions of critical importance to the Rebellion. The only other one she knew personally was a Jedi Knight, much like Kanan and Ezra, named Ahsoka Tano.

Shana was clearly no Jedi, but she definitely had exhibited skills that the Rebellion deemed worthy enough to put her in the same position that a Jedi had previously held. That made her dangerous.

But Shana's conversation with Ezra failed to disclose any of those potential skills, despite Sabine's best efforts to listen in. She was, however, embarrassed by her response whenever she did hear her name mentioned by Ezra, which came up more than a handful of times in their discussion; a warm, fuzzy feeling that left her feeling pleased.

After a while, both Ezra and Shana wrapped up their chat with a hug (Sabine felt her jaw clench so hard that she could hear something creaking) and retired to their respective bedrooms for the night. Sabine finished her work at the computer station half an hour later and followed suit.

Checking a nearby chronometer, she registered the lateness of the hour and stepped inside her room, deciding to spend some time maintaining her weapons before sleeping -

Only to find Shana laying in the top bunk, reading something on a data pad. Sabine winced, having forgotten that she wouldn't be alone for the night.

"Don't mind me," said Shana amiably, almost as if reading Sabine's thoughts. "Just pretend I'm not here."

Gladly, Sabine thought. But she said, "Hope I didn't disturb your reading."

Shana chuckled. "You didn't. I was just finishing up, actually." She rolled over in the bed to get a better look at Sabine. Her gray eyes took in Sabine's casual appearance, glittering with an almost feline interest.

Sabine, uncomfortable with her gaze, settled down at her desk and reached for her blasters and maintenance tools. "Anything interesting?"

"Oh, plenty," replied Shana. "I was reading about this superweapon developed by the Empire called 'The Duchess'."

Sabine froze, her hands twitching on the grip of her blaster. Her heart began to hammer away, a thousand beats per second. Slowly, she turned towards Shana, finding her sitting at the bed's edge, her feet dangling. There was a slight, polite smile on her face, but her gray eyes flashed again with that cool intelligence.

"You have led quite the life, Sabine Wren," remarked Shana. "Tragedy after tragedy. Does anyone in this crew know about any of that?" She cocked her head at Sabine. "Does Ezra? What would the gallant Jedi think of his friend if he really knew her?"

It was a thought that had kept Sabine up through the night on several occasions.

She crossed her arms and stared at Shana. "You've been reading up on me."

Shana shrugged. "On everyone, really. Princess Leia recommended you all so highly, so I couldn't help but take a peek at your files and histories. Quite the achievements you've pulled off for a crew so small."

"I've been reading up on you, too," replied Sabine coolly. Shana arched an eyebrow in surprise, eliciting a rush of satisfaction - clearly the spy had not been expecting that. "You ran with Saw Gerrera's crew for five years before working directly under Princess Leia. Did he kick you out, I wonder? What does it mean if you're too extreme even for someone like him?"

Shana dropped down from the top bunk and leaned against the bulkhead; her arms crossed in a similar fashion to Sabine. She wondered briefly if it was intentional, to mimic her. "Those files are available only to the top brass of Rebel Command," she murmured. "You hacked into the Rebellion's encrypted database at that old computer station? I assumed you were just skulking about, trying to listen to mine and Ezra's conversation."

Sabine shrugged, hiding her humiliation at having been clocked so easily by the other girl. And here I was thinking that was discreet, she thought. "I'm clever like that," Sabine retorted.

Shana grinned. "Your reputation precedes you, Sabine. Gifted prowess in combat, especially for a Mandalorian, and notable demolitions expert - but everyone seems to overlook that you are a child prodigy. I suspect your rough, blunt demeanor disguises that fact well. But you are, without a doubt, an enormous threat against anyone that chooses to go against you."

Sabine rocked back mentally at Shana's high praise of her talents. But all she said was, "Thanks, I guess."

Shana nodded in acknowledgment. "I can't say the same for Ezra, however." Shaking her head, she added, "I'm surprised he's survived this long."

"What do you mean?" asked Sabine.

"He's hopeless," said Shana in an exasperated tone. "I mean, yes, he's a Jedi now - or so he claims. I understand they're in short supply of capable students but to recruit him into the fabled Jedi Order? Desperate times, I suppose. He could barely tie his shoelaces together when I left him last."

"Ezra Bridger," said Sabine hotly, "is more than capable in any situation. Not because of his Jedi training, but because of who he is. He's saved all our lives - and many others - countless times over."

Shana eyed her skeptically. "You don't have to pretend to me, Sabine. I was just like you before. He's a loyal pup to be sure and good for a distraction I admit, but it's a stretch to say that he's capable on his own." She sighed. "I understand that this crew needed a mascot, perhaps, to cheer them up during these dark times but I think it's irresponsible to take someone like him - "

Sabine struck her with an open hand so hard that the other girl's head bounced off the bulkhead. Before Shana could recover, she shoved her against the wall, pinning her with a well-placed forearm. Sabine, through the red haze that obscured her vision, dimly noted the cut lip on the girl's face but found that she didn't care.

"Do not insult Ezra Bridger in front of me ever again," she said in a voice that was barely recognizable. It was a harsh rasp that Sabine didn't know she was capable of. "Do you understand?"

Shana tapped on Sabine's arm, gasping for air. It took a few moments for her to realize that the other girl couldn't reply due to the lack of air. Sabine relented, feeling her heartbeat pulsing rhythmically inside her skull; she looked down at her hands and found them shaking from the rush of adrenaline, now subsiding.

Yet on the inside she felt calm, as though a stream of ice water were flowing through her veins. Many things from Shana had unnerved her tonight, but it was her insults toward Ezra that had pushed Sabine past the edge.

Doubled over, wheezing, Shana gave her an amused look to Sabine's surprise. "So, you do care," she said.

"You didn't answer my question," Sabine said quietly.

Shana nodded. "I understand. You've got this emotional wall up, you know that? Hard to see through - except when it comes to Ezra Bridger." She wiped at her lip, noting the blood. "Nice hit," she observed.

Sabine reached into her desk and took out a first-aid kit. "Patch yourself up," she said, offering it to her.

Shana accepted it with a nod of gratitude. "I hope you don't take what I said about Ezra seriously. I just needed to know where you stand with him."

Sabine sat back down at her desk. "You don't actually think that way about him?"

Shana shook her head and leaned back against the wall, opening the kit. "Not at all. I know Ezra. We used to scavenge together back in the old days on Lothal. Hit up Imperial patrols for food and water. He stuck his neck out for me plenty of times, at risk to his life. I know what he can do. And that was before he became a Jedi."

Sabine watched her apply medicinal gel to her lip, thinking over what she said. "You care about him."

Shana blew out a breath. "Deeply. He was the only bright spot in my life during that time. I think I loved him."

Sabine felt her heart stop at Shana's words, hearing the depth and sincerity of emotion within them. Feeling her stare, Shana looked over at her with a knowing gaze. "You know what I mean, don't you?"

Deflecting the question, Sabine asked, "So why did you leave him? How did you two get separated?"

Shana sighed. "One of our little scavenging operations went sideways. An uppity Imperial lieutenant wanted to make an example of us for humiliating him in front of his troops. The chase was exhausting; Ezra led most of them away but the lieutenant caught up to me. I thought I was dead."

She closed her eyes, reliving the memory. "Saw Gerrera was there. Don't ask me why or how; he never explained. He killed the lieutenant and offered me a choice. He was impressed with my skills, you see. So he said that I could come with him and pay back the Empire for what they had done to me."

"And if you didn't?"

The girl smiled grimly at Sabine. "He would kill me. No witnesses. Apparently, he didn't want the Empire knowing about his whereabouts, should they find and interrogate me afterwards."

Sabine snorted. "Not much of a choice."

"Indeed," Shana agreed. "So, I went with him."

"And left Ezra? You never went back for him?" Sabine didn't mean to, but there was an accusatory tone to her questions.

Shana eyes glazed over with sadness. "I couldn't. He was just a kid. I didn't want to pull him into danger. I could tell Saw was dangerous, even if he was fighting for the Rebellion. The moment I had an opportunity to do so, I jumped ship. Princess Leia found me and offered a new path. I took it."

Sabine was silent for a moment, thinking about Shana's story. Finally, she said quietly, "Ezra would have followed, if you had asked. He would have gone with you anywhere."

"I know. He's silly like that."

"Loyal," she corrected. Shana cocked her head and smiled a little sadly at Sabine.

"Just like you are to him. Is it typical Mandalorian stubbornness? Or something more?"

Sabine did not want to have that conversation with Shana. Or with anyone else, for that matter. She stood up abruptly and said, "Good night, Shana."

Shana's smile became, somehow, even more sad. "A word of advice, Sabine?"

Sabine was already standing at the door, about to step out. But something in Shana's tone made her pause.

"Don't wait to tell him how you feel. You won't get a second chance. Especially in this galaxy."

She considered Shana's words for a long moment before replying, "Whatever you think our relationship is . . . it's none of your business. That stays between us."

Sabine left before the other girl could respond. Her mind still buzzing with what happened, she wandered aimlessly through the corridors of the Ghost before running smack dab into someone.

"Sabine? What are you doing?" Sabine blinked at the person speaking - and almost groaned out loud.

It was Ezra. Dressed in his sleep wear, holding a mug of his favorite beverage, hot chocolate. His eyebrows were raised in an expression of concern. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Sabine very desperately wanted to be anywhere else right now. Her face was flushed in embarrassment; her heart was thudding a steady tattoo into her ribs at Ezra's proximity. She felt exposed, like a raw nerve, her inner turmoil and feelings threatening to spill out the longer she stayed in front of him.

Racking her brain to find some last second excuse to get out of there, something caught her attention: Ezra's fingers were bandaged. Her fears momentarily vanished as she asked, "What happened to your hands?"

Ezra fumbled his mug, trying to hide the evidence but it was too late. Sighing, he said, "I was working on something."

Sabine arched an inquisitive eyebrow at him. "Working on what?"

Blushing, Ezra said, "Promise not to laugh?"

A small smile curled on her lips. "Nope."

Ezra groaned but led her to the communal table where his "project" laid. She noted immediately the disarray of colored paper strewn about on the table, half folded in various attempts into a familiar shape -

It clicked. "You're trying to make a flower out of these?" she asked. Ezra sat down and nodded glumly.

"Ezra Bridger," she said, placing a hand on her hip. "You've been holding out on me in terms of artistic abilities? That come with your Jedi training?"

He gave her a despairing glance. "I wish. Been up most of the night trying to figure this out."

Stifling a laugh out of pity, she surveyed his work. "It's not half-bad. What kind of flower are you trying to make?"

Ezra rubbed the back of his head, not looking at her. "It's supposed to be a - well, a Lenora flower."

Sabine's eyes widened in surprise. "A Lenora flower? From the fairytale?" Princess Lenora and the Starboy was an old fairytale that she was familiar with - in fact, it was one of her most treasured stories. Memories of her father reading it to her when she was younger, were still vivid in her mind. The flowers from that fairytale held deep symbolic meaning that marked them as her favorite.

"Yeah."

"I see." Sabine studied Ezra's work some more, looking to see where he went wrong - and then felt her stomach sink, as a horrid thought came to her.

"It's for Shana, isn't it." The words tasted rancid in her mouth.

Ezra looked at her, surprised. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, then - oddly enough - a small, relieved smile appeared on his face. He answered in an innocent tone, "Sure. It's for Shana."

There was a part of Sabine, operating from a recent frame of memory, that wanted to sweep the contents of the table onto the floor and stomp on them. She struggled to control her wayward feelings, however, and took a deep breath.

"You want some help?"

Ezra's expression turned amused. "You sure?"

Sabine sighed. "Yeah. I'm sure." He needed her help. Like always.

And she could never turn him down.

He patted the seat next to him. "Thanks, Sabine."

Despite the situation, Sabine managed a smile at her friend. "Anytime, goober."

Ord Mantell City, Ord Mantell

Ord Mantell City was a bustling acropolis, teeming with all manner of people far flung from the distant corners of the galaxy. Tall spires loomed over the city center; a sprawling mass of mis-matched architecture that spread far as the eye could see. Rumor had it that the infamous criminal organization, the Black Sun, operated out of here - a rumor that the Empire was desperate to quash, as it clashed with their image of retaining control over the entire known galaxy. Despite being a haven for ill-gotten gains and profit, it was certainly a far cry from the pits of villainy and scum that other planets were, and the citizens enjoyed a relatively peaceful life despite the tense cold war between the Empire and the criminal organizations that inhabited their city.

The Ghost had arrived mid-morning with time to spare before Shana had to make contact with her Imperial informant. After taking the time to do a quick survey of the locals to ensure that they weren't being watched, Shana revealed her plan to the crew: a simple trade made in the market square and then she would be shuttled off in a separate transport nearby with another Fulcrum agent who was waiting on stand-by. The Ghost crew would act as her escort, in case things got hairy.

It was a reasonable enough plan - except for one, glaring flaw that Sabine immediately noticed.

"Why is Ezra the only one going with you for back-up?" she asked, trying to keep the heat out of her voice. "I thought we were all going with you."

Shana shook her head. "My informant would scamper at the sight of a group approaching. Two is more than sufficient to handle him, I assure you. The rest of you will wait back here, in the Ghost, ready to assist should we need it. The market square isn't far from the landing pad."

Sabine looked to Kanan and Hera. "Please tell me you disagree with this," she said.

Kanan stroked his beard, thinking. "Hera?" he asked. "What's your opinion?"

Hera answered, "She knows the area better than we do. And I know Shana and Ezra can handle themselves in a fight." She glanced at Sabine. "It's her plan, Sabine. And we'll be nearby in case something goes wrong."

"Which it won't," Shana said reassuringly. "I know this informant. He won't be a problem."

Sabine glared at her, then turned towards Kanan. "Kanan?"

Kanan let out a deep breath. "I'm with Hera on this one. We'll leave it to those two. This information is important. We don't want to risk spooking her informant."

Zeb grunted in assent. Chopper whomped his agreement, as well.

Sabine gritted her teeth, preparing to launch an argument -

Ezra interjected before she could open her mouth. "Sabine."

She looked at him. He gave her a serious look and said, "It'll be fine. Trust me."

Sabine blew out a frustrated breath. "Fine. Leave your com-links on, though. I want to hear everything being said. The moment something goes wrong, we'll know."

Shana nodded. "Agreed." Turning to Ezra, she said, "Let's be off, Master Jedi."

Ezra bowed gallantly at her and said, "Lead the way, my lady." They began to make their way down the boarding ramp.

Sabine rolled her eyes. Shana paused at the entrance and turned around to face Sabine.

"What?" asked Sabine.

"He'll be safe with me," said Shana. "I promise."

And she left without another word. Sabine watched her catch up to Ezra, turn a corner on the street ahead, and then vanish into the crowd.

An hour later, they returned triumphant with the data disc in hand. Sabine bounded down the ramp, almost colliding into Ezra. She had been pacing inside the Ghost, listening to the tense conversation exchanged between Shana and her Imperial informant, expecting it to go sideways at any given moment - but it never did.

Shana did her job as expected. Ezra checked in a few minutes later to let them know they were on the way back, and that he hadn't spotted - or sensed - anyone following them.

"Huh," said Kanan. "That's a first for us. A job that didn't have any complications."

Hera glanced at Sabine knowingly. "Well, for most of us, anyway," she remarked.

She bit her lip and double-checked her friend for trackers, despite knowing there were none.

Shana said, "I'm fine, too, in case you were wondering."

Sabine threw her a glare and finished her inspection. "No trackers on you, far as I can tell. All clear."

Ezra raised an eyebrow at her. "That was a very . . . thorough inspection on your part, Sabine."

She punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Shut up, goober."

He grinned briefly at her and then turned to Shana. "I guess this is farewell," he said quietly.

The other girl shook her head. "Don't say it like that, Ezra. I'm sure we'll meet again - "

Ezra interrupted her. "Just say it this once. Please. For me."

Shana looked taken aback for a moment and then smiled sadly. "Good-bye, Ezra Bridger."

And then she leaned forward, giving a soft kiss on his cheek. Sabine looked away.

"Good-bye, Shana," he said softly. He turned back towards the Ghost and walked up the ramp without another word. Which left Sabine alone with Shana.

Sabine gazed at her, not sure what to say. Shana, however, merely smiled and offered her hand. Incredulous, Sabine gripped it and gave a firm shake.

"This has been an . . . experience," she said. "I'm still not sure what to make of it."

"Can I tell you something, Sabine? I'm rather jealous of you. Ezra clearly cares for you deeply."

"And what makes you think that?"

"He didn't say good-bye to you when he left with me. He just asked you to trust him; trust that he would come back." Her smile turned melancholy. "I don't think he'll ever say good-bye to you, Sabine Wren."

Shana's com-link sent out a chirping noise. She checked it and said, "That's my ride. I should be going shortly."

"Well, safe travels. And good hunting," replied Sabine. The Fulcrum agent nodded and turned to go - but paused for a split second and turned back towards her.

"Yes?" asked Sabine, cautiously.

"Remember what I said. About not waiting." She looked thoughtful for a moment and then added with a sincere smile, "And take care of him, will you? He's all yours now."

And then she took a few hurried steps and disappeared into the crowded streets of Ord Mantell City.

Hyperspace, The Way Home

Later that night, getting ready for bed, Sabine came across Ezra sitting alone in the Ghost's communal area. He was studying something gripped in his hand, his expression lost in thought.

Sabine took a step closer and felt her eyes widen in recognition: it was the paper Lenora flower that he had made the night prior.

"You still have that?" she asked.

Ezra jolted slightly in his seat. "Oh, hey. Didn't see you there."

"Shana didn't want it?" Sabine asked. She couldn't imagine the girl refusing Ezra's present. Just the thought of it alone made Sabine wish she had hit Shana harder when she had the chance.

Ezra smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it wasn't for Shana in the first place."

He abruptly offered it to her. Sabine felt her jaw drop in surprise.

"It's for me?"

He nodded. "Hera told me that you were feeling a little neglected since I was focused on spending time with Shana, so I decided to make this as thanks. I appreciate you giving us the time and space to catch up."

Sabine took the flower gently from Ezra's hand. "How did you know to make this one? It's my favorite."

Ezra smiled at her. "You might have mentioned it a time or two during a conversation. It's from your favorite fairytale."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Try that again."

He winced. "Okay, I snuck into your room one time and saw the book laying on your bed. It wasn't for weird reasons, I promise! Zeb ate all my snacks, and I knew you had some stashed away, so I went looking while you were out."

Sabine snorted. "I believe you now." She rolled the flower between her fingertips, admiring the work Ezra had put into it.

All for her.

"You know what this flower symbolizes, Ezra?" she asked suddenly.

He thought about it. "Unwavering loyalty and dedication, right? I can't quite remember the whole story."

And love, she thought.

"Anyway," Ezra said quietly, "I just wanted you to know that . . . well, you're the only one for me, Sabine. No one will ever replace you."

Sabine's eyes snapped to Ezra; she could hear her heartbeat, pulsing loudly in her ears.

"As a partner," he added hastily. "I mean - well, you know - "

She smiled. "I know what you mean, goober."

Don't wait to tell him how you feel. You won't get a second chance. Especially in this galaxy.

He's all mine now, she thought. All mine.

"We should probably head to bed now. Separately. But you knew that." Ezra's expression became increasingly mortified at what was coming out of his mouth. He looked like he wanted to very badly disappear in that second.

Sabine just laughed. "True. It's been a long day."

He shook his head, his expression flustered. "Good night, Sabine. See you in the morning." He began to walk down the hallway towards his room.

Don't wait.

"Hey, Ezra," she called. He turned around.

"Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum," she said softly.

Ezra cocked his head in an inquisitive manner. "Is that a Mandalorian saying?"

Sabine nodded.

"What does it mean?"

"A literal translation is 'I will know you forever.'"

Ezra mulled over the significance of what she said. "Nothing's certain in this galaxy, Sabine," he said. "But I hope that's true for us."

"Me, too," Sabine replied. She followed him down the hallway to their rooms.

"Does that phrase have another meaning?" asked Ezra. "I get the feeling it translates to something else."

I love you.

Sabine smiled at him. "It does have another, more famous meaning. I'll tell you about it someday. When this war is over."

"Ah," said Ezra dryly. "Well, that won't be too much of a wait, then. Between you and me, we've got the Empire on the ropes already."

Sabine laughed.

"Promise me you'll really tell me what the other meaning is?" asked Ezra. "You won't leave me hanging, right?"

Sabine looked at him, gazing deeply into his eyes. How blue they looked, she thought. How they shined like sapphire gems under the right lighting.

"I promise, Ezra Bridger," she said. "No matter what. If the galaxy tries to separate us, I'll find you and tell you."

[radnewworld]

2024 was an interesting year. Certainly a mixed bag for the hobby stuff I post here.

Putting the 3d printer to work was a fun experience with all the ups and downs one would expect from learning what was needed on the fly. Met cool folks, printed some cool minis for 'em. Like to think I developed as a painter... And saw firsthand how much the USPS has backslid. Or maybe I just had rotten luck! Who knows. Think my best work was either the Stalker Rex for Kasperl or the Flea for a dude that ended up not paying. No sleep lost there; just means I get to keep the whole FWL force!

Game development for RAD New World took a backseat to painting. Not a good thing, certainly, but I still don't regret it. This game has been the summer car project I've had since I was fresh out of highschool, so it's had its fits and starts aplenty. Now that the idea for how to prevent combat from being its own game, I feel somewhat more revitalized and looking forward to the work. I'm finishing up a level 2 of Comstar minis, then packing away the paints and printer for a while to focus on RNW.

Here's to hoping yinz have a good 2025 an'at. I plan to be productive!

And when the new version is ready for testing, I'll put feelers out to see who wants to be a beta tester!

[seandwalsh]

How do wild creatures like Bulrush, Cooligans (stated as such in Sticker Star), Blurps/Sand Cheeps, frogs, T-Rexes, Uproots, Trapeetles, and possibly Block Monolifts (which work for a wild animal) get ahold of accessories like tracksuits, glasses, gloves, hats, or helmets? As far as I can tell they don't have access to stores and even if they somehow did, there'd likely be a language barrier between them and cashiers.

If they aren’t delivered by Storks wearing these items, as Mario and Luigi were delivered wearing their hats and diapers, they can simply buy them from stores as anyone else would.

Despite appearances indicating they would be wild animals by real world’s standards, most Mario “animals” are sapient and have complex language they can use to communicate with each other - with many even learning English.

Let’s take another such example of a “wild animal” with accessories - the Dolphins that appear in several games. These Dolphins have the same goggles worn by Blurps and, despite appearances, can speak English and one even joins Mario & Co. as a doctor in Dr. Mario World.

The line between person and animal is incredibly blurry in the Mario World. Fronk is considered 9-Volt’s pet despite being an expert hacker, baker, mechanic and having a wife and child off-screen. Joe’s siblings are pets, as was a Koopa Paratroopa in Paper Mario: Color Splash and Cranky Kong back in the Donkey Kong arcade games. Even the barks of dogs or Chain Chomps are treated as language that can be understood in several games.

A similar thing is true of the world of Splatoon - the Salmonids are a fully developed, sapient race with their own distinct culture, but this doesn’t stop the Inklings from stealing their eggs, casually selling and eating their meat and even seemingly keeping some as pets.

[asciidot]

For the ask game! (the character development: hard mode one) I don't know the names of all characters so I'll ask for the ones I know, but if you'd rather talk about someone else please do!

11. In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been? - for Lazureus

31. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable. - for Amael, Protham, Aurum

34. Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method? - for Novus

38. Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat? - for whoever you choose (maybe the gods who created the players?? here my knowledge of your AU fails me)

44. How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it? - for Laz again

11- answered!

31-

Amael is most comfortable with xer own company, tinkering with technology and gizmos. Maybe with some background noise or music, a cozy place to sit and pace, and the freedom to work on whatever she wants.

Protham is most comfortable in the club scene! She usually frequents higher-end ones for public image reasons, as well as safety, but she adores being in a crowd with strangers, and just letting any responsibility go for a night!

Aurum is more homely; they would be the most comfortable either baking for others or just cozying up and watching documentaries with those they care about; and depending which part of their life we're talking about, with their partner, Birch

34.

38. Fun fact! Its done both! But I'd say it's more likely to remove itself, and then pull strings to remove the problem "coincidentally". Vie likes to think of itself as an outside observer rather than an active force. (It's not. But it likes to pretend it's above it all.)

Removing themselves from a problem caused them to make Novus Rex. Then trying to remove the new problem ( Novus ) while trying to be a non-active party caused it to create the Archangels to remove the problem for it.

44. I don't believe he's said it even once in his two millennia in paradise. Partially because he's pretty romance repulsed and partially because he just doesn't get it as a concept even in the platonic or familial sense. The thought of "love" leaves a funny taste in his mouth and Laz might be many things, but he doesn't like being a liar

[deusexlachina]

Cheeseaged Exocolonist Age 15: Use my transcendence of time to cheat at cards

In which I befriend a furry by financially ruining him, in order to reach my full potential and ascend as an autistic god.

Year 15 starts with your home in ruins. There's no special dialogues, and only two ways to pass the first three months: help rebuild or mourn. I choose to mourn, because this is Sol's first time experiencing death (in this lifetime), and because, having maxed out Organizing, rebuilding is highly suboptimal, whereas mourning lets me avoid stress and trim my deck of useless non-blue filth.

Because I chose the sportsball, I find it when sifting through the rubble of my room and get this rather sad dialogue.

Mourning gives you many opportunities to level your Empathy. However, because I have the In Mourning status, all my stat increases are reduced by 1, rendering every single one of these +1 boosts completely worthless.

This always happens, because Kom always dies. I'm not sure if this was an attempt to really underscore how hurt Sol is, an oversight, or a straight-up troll.

After three months of developing my Empathy in nonexistent amounts, the Heliopause arrives, and Sol's home is gradually taken over by fascists who enthusiastically spread disease, worship the military and hate transgender people. I enjoy visual novels because it's a fun escape from the problems of the real world.

Fortunately, there are exactly two nice Helio kids, Nomi and Rex. Nomi is an nonbinary AuDHD techie and Rex is a furry engineer. Rex often reminds you that he is part dog, in case you had missed the ears. His dog traits include a reduced lifespan. This is not, to be clear, a setting where people just have mutations. This was a deliberate genetic augmentation. Someone purposefully made their kid part-dog. Incidentally, Nomi likes anime, so here's a panel from one of my old favourites, Fullmetal Alchemist. They've never seen that one, so really this picture wasn't relevant. Sorry.

I improve my friendship level with Rex by giving him sticks, his favourite item because he is part dog. Rex is easier than most to befriend because he enjoys physical affection, because he is part dog. I love Exocolonist, so rather than saying anything bad about the game here, I will reiterate that my favourite character is Tangent, because she's a complex person with a well-integrated character arc in dialogue with the central themes. The writers really took their time to make a fleshed-out character with deep relationships with the others and multiple character traits.

Once I have high enough friendship with Rex, he wants to play cards with me. I wait to play cards with him until after Vertumnalia, where I beat both Tangent and Nomi at the trivia game. The card you get from doing Trivia is worth 8, making it as powerful as the card you get for defeating a giant in a fight to the death. Better yet, it's blue. Why do I keep picking blue cards? You're about to see.

After Vertumnalia, I am Popular because of my detailed knowledge of pop culture trivia. I would fit right in on Vertumna, except it is currently ruled by fascists. We'll take care of that, but first we need to arm ourselves. Popularity doubles the amount of kudos you get for three months. From all sources. Now's the time to take Rex up on his offer to play cards. Rex is good at cards, but he has one critical weakness: he's playing against someone who has played this particular game countless times. I use my past-life knowledge to win the game, betting 100 kudos that I have a better card.

Sorry, make that 200. Sucker.

I now have a vast wealth of kudos, most of which I gained from cheating at cards by consulting my past lives. With this ill-gotten fortune, I buy the ultimate weapon in the game, which is surprisingly not the Drone Rifle, an actual gun. It is a "vintage focus device," a fidget spinner. Because Sol is very autistic indeed, a fidget spinner allows her to reach her full potential by letting her stim. Accessibility tools being a luxury you have to buy - in fact, the most expensive luxury in the game - paints a very bleak picture of the colony's ability to handle disability.

That would be just a joke, but Nougat's learning disability, Tangent's drug abuse and burnout, Dys' (potentially literal) alienation and Tammy's phobia of nearly everything all go pretty much neglected unless you step in. It's interesting how much Vertumna recreates the same oppressive structures that it is an attempt to flee from.

Fortunately, we can get rid of ableism through autistic world domination, to which we are one step closer.

[darkadelic]

META POST MUSE LIST

here is a list of muses on this page, this list maybe subject to change due to various reasons. lost of interest or simply cleaning out the list. Some muse may have hiatus because I might not have consumed newer media my muse in, but one I will remove it from their name once i do so.

some muses maybe listed as primary, secondary, and request only. keep in mind that I may change muses activity depending on how much muse I have for them or if I feel like they either have more traction or less (ex: how much people request them in either asks or threads + how much I push said muse). primary muses are the ones I’ll use the most in sending memes, use in threads, making meta post about, detailed headcanons, and edits. secondary muses will be used in some threads, some meme post, headcanon will be posted at times, may make meta post, and I may make edits for them. request only muses are only used if the user wants to do threads with them or send ask memes for them to my ask box, I’ll occasionally develop them via meta post or headcanon, if I feel like it I will send memes to them, I’ll rarely make edits for them.

another point to note is if my muses’ bios or verse are not up please feel free to message me if you have any questions or concerns if I do write their bios and verse. I’ll be linking their bios and verse page as well. it’ll be next to their active status.

down below is my muse list, I’ll keep it under read more to avoid long post. enjoy your time here and I can’t wait to start threads and friendship with you! thank you so much! 💜

COMICS (with hints of other medias sprinkled in)

MARVEL

talia wagner (nocturne) primary / bio & verse page

callisto primary / bio & verse page

illyana rasputin primary / bio & verse page

jubilation lee (jubilee) primary / bio & verse page

luna maximoff request only / bio & verse page

vivian vision request only / bio & verse page

jimmy hudson (wolverine) secondary / bio & verse page

shiro yoshida (sunfire) primary / bio & verse page

aimi yoshida primary / bio & verse page

lorna dane (polaris) primary / bio & verse page

frances barrison (shriek) secondary / bio & verse page

crystalia amaquelin secondary / bio & verse page

DETECTIVE COMICS (DC)

grace choi secondary / bio & verse page

manchester black secondary / bio & verse page

jason blood + etrigan the demon primary / bio & verse page

louise lincoln (killer frost ii) primary / bio & verse page

june moone (enchantress) secondary / bio & verse page

harper row (bluebird) primary / bio & verse page

leslie willis (livewire) primary / bio & verse page

tatus yamashiro (katana) primary / bio & verse page

rex mason (metamorpho) secondary / bio & verse page

siobhan smythe (silver banshee) secondary / bio & verse page

lian harper request only / bio & verse page

renee montoya (the question) secondary / bio & verse page

IDW COMICS

oroku karai (karai) secondary / bio & verse page

IMAGE COMICS

cassie hack primary / bio & verse page

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

red sonja primary / bio & verse page

vampirella primary / bio & verse page

VIDEO GAMES

METAL GEAR SOLID (MGS)

eli (liquid snake) primary / bio & verse page

emma emmerich (ee) secondary / bio & verse page

MORTAL KOMBAT

sindel primary / bio & verse page (on hiatus)

RESIDENT EVIL

rebecca chambers primary / bio & verse page

SILENT HILL (SH)

heather mason secondary / bio & verse page

PERSONA

eikichi mishina secondary / bio & verse page

STREET FIGHTER

vega primary / bio & verse page (on hiatus)

poison primary / bio & verse page (on hiatus)

cammy white request only / bio & verse page (on hiatus)

ken masters secondary / bio & verse page (on hiatus)

TEKKEN

lei wulong (super cop) primary / bio & verse page (on hiatus)

julia chang primary / bio & verse page (on hiatus)

eliza request only / bio & verse page (on hiatus)

POKEMON

guzma primary / bio & verse page

FILM

LABYRINTH

jareth the goblin king primary / bio & verse page

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

nancy thompson secondary / bio & verse page

UNIVERSAL MONSTERS

lawrence talbot (the wolfman) secondary / bio & verse page

gill-man (creature from the black lagoon) secondary / bio & verse page

TV SHOWS

EXTREME GHOSTBUSTERS

kylie griffin secondary / bio & verse page

X-MEN EVOLUTION

rogue primary / bio & verse page

OTHER MEDIA

MONSTER HIGH

frankie stein secondary / bio & verse page

toralei stripe secondary / bio & verse page

twyla boogeyman secondary / bio & verse page

MIX MEDIA

the bride of frankenstein primary / bio & verse page

STAR WARS

asajj ventress secondary / bio & verse page

[honestlyvan]

Hey! I heard you said that you disappointed in Xenoblade 3 and Future Redeemed So what all scenes do you want to rewrite if you had one?

Haah.... I'm sorry to say that it's not just a matter of rewriting a few scenes to make the story work. I would have to straight up change the ending to Xenoblade 3 to make it satisfying for myself, and I simply don't think anything that happens in Future Redeemed is redeemable in the light of the story I would like to tell instead of the one that we got.

Fundamentally, my problem with Xenoblade 3 is that it's a story at odds with itself. Our main team, the six Ouroboros, literally embody the transformative potential of new connections and the inherent value of moving forward and letting yourself be changed, and the villains literally embody a destructive fear of moving on and the seductive potential of retelling the same stories over and over again. However, the conclusion of the story is about how our heroes need to press a big "revert all changes" button, and that everything that had happened up to that point, including the birth and development of the culture of the City, had no inherent significance except for their ability to facilitate things going Back To Normal.

Future Redeemed, then, was about convincing us as the audience that the past the City and everyone on Aionios sacrificed themselves for at the end of the game was all that was promised, up to the point of putting the people happy and content with Aionios itself in the roles of the villains, cosmically wrong about their pursuit of something new over the maintenance of something old.

The way FR did this was largely through putting a lot of references to the first two games on screen and gesturing at them like "don't you remember all this stuff? Wasn't it great????" Series staple iconography, the presence of legacy characters, all of these things were meant to appeal to us, the audience, to remind us about how much we already like Xenoblade and would like Xenoblade to keep existing. The plight of the Liberators and their urge to get back to their own universes is only really touching if you care more about Xenoblade 1 and 2 than you did about Xenoblade 3. Only if you buy into the idea that the six Ouroboros we played as and all their companions are more disposable and are less interested in them than you are in the collective casts of the previous two games, does siding with the Liberators feel compelling.

And even with the focus on the legacy characters, the writing was sorely lacking. We outright did not even get more than four total, and Melia and Nia had such thin on the ground parts that it wasn't actually clear if they wanted to push the big revert button, or if they would have been totally comfortable rebuilding their kingdoms in a stable Aionios. All of the new Liberator characters really only existed to gas up Rex and Shulk, to convince us that these characters had some well-developed offscreen lives that the perpetuation of Aionios was damaging, but never actually giving us a reason to give shit about them except for the fact that they were implied to be the children of characters we cared about -- just like we were implied to only be invested in the lives of Nikol and Glimmer because they were the children of Shulk and Rex, rather than being invested in them for the same reason we were invested in Noah's and Mio's gang in the main game.

And speaking of Rex and Shulk, they too had been in stories that were all about moving forward, so in order to make the fundamentally regressive plan they had to make sense, they could only bear surface level resemblance to their past selves. The boy who defied destiny and the young king who toppled his own throne were now acting the part of legacy-defined power figures, and everything they did in the story had to paint them in the most beneficial light possible and make everyone repeat it to them that they were in the right.

I singled out Glimmer, because the way they treated this powerful mage who had been fighting her whole and was good at it, acting like her preferring the life she had always known instead of unquestioningly following the commands of Just Some Guy was somehow petty and childish of her really demonstrated that the story simply did not think anything that happened on Aionios mattered or was that serious -- essentially going "if you were emotionally invested in the forever war because the emotional stakes for the people fighting that fake war were real, you're failing to see the big picture." Even if you took out every scene of Rex belittling or acting controlling towards Glimmer, that would not help, because Glimmer still wasn't a "real person", as far as the story was concerned, and even once she became a real person, the City's existence still only mattered as long as they kept working towards the annihilation of their own civilisation.

The problem with Xenoblade 3 was that nothing that we did during Xenoblade 3 mattered even a little bit, because the ending told us that everything that happened in the story was just so that we could rewind the tape to the point before everything went wrong. Future Redeemed then doubled down on that, and painted anyone questioning if rejecting everything everyone who had lived up to that point was moral as the villains, as the unreasonable ones for not wanting to discard their present.

Future Redeemed simply is not compatible with the ending Xenoblade 3, in my opinion, should have had, because there's just no way to twist the set-up of the story to support an ending where Bionis and Alrest are sacrificed so that Aionios and everyone already living on Aionios with all the baggage, history and emotional scars their situation has caused, could go on so everyone could find a new path forward. Shulk and Rex wanting to split the worlds back apart makes sense for their characters, but the story would have to be about the two of them discovering that that is the wrong attitude to have, and that they have to be willing to let go of their pasts and everyone in them to let the future move forwards as it should.

And Monolithsoft does not think that Xenoblade 3 is worth sacrificing anything for.