#Not a super satisfying ending I know

[introspectivememories]

tim and bernard who break up and it's nothing big, no one cheated or anything. it's just their lifestyles didn't work out well together. tim cannot give up vigilantism currently and bear cannot handle the level of danger tim puts himself in. and on the other hand, tim cannot handle the fact that bear chooses to run into danger as an emt bc he already worries about everything but now he has to worry if he'll find his boyfriend convulsing from fear gas in a random alley but also bear who felt the life drain out of darla cannot stand the thought of not helping people and runs headfirst into dangerous situation after dangerous situation hoping that every person he saves can somehow make up for the fact that he could not save darla.

(he very pointedly does not think about the fact that there was nothing he could do because if he thinks about that, he'll spiral until they have to lock him in arkham too)

and so they break up but they were tim & bernard in high school and when they started dating they balanced out the worst of each other and they became tim&bernard. and everyone who knows them, knows that they're better together but they cant be together, they refuse actually because they cannot lose another person to the violence of gotham and by the time they figure out that they cant work together as long as the other is an emt or vigilante, it's too late for both them. they've already left too many pieces of themselves in each other.

tim still knows what bear means when he says "tim" in that exasperated voice. tim still goes boneless when he hears bear say "baby" in that firm tone. bear can still read tim like a book. he still knows the right way to massage tim's neck so that tim can go to sleep. everyone at the first responders gala knows not to bother ceo drake-wayne and senior emt dowd when they're talking.

(and if they're standing a little too close to each other than what is normal, who are they to judge? everyone knows that dowd and drake-wayne have history)

and if everyone on the night shift has caught red robin with his head tucked into the crook of emt dowd's neck as emt dowd runs a soothing hand up and down the vigilante's back, well then, they just quietly back away.

(after all, dowd's one of like, five, emts that can get the bats to receive medical treatment so if turning a blind eye to whatever the fuck they have going on is what allows them to give back to their heroes, then the night shift will do it every time)

and of course, tim and bear are practical people. they loved (love) each other sure, but when your lives are fundamentally incompatible, well, you cant get too stuck on the what-ifs, that's for sure. and so they do find love with other people and yeah, maybe it's not what they expected love to be when they first fell in love with each other. it's not the bubbly, stomach-swoopy, cant stop grinning, feeling that permeated tim&bernard's early days or the i Know you/you Know me that was their middle or the quiet despair that was their end but it is contentment. and in a life with as many losses as theirs, contentment is something they hold dearly

and they're happy! truly! but sometimes, at galas when they're making each other snort champagne out their noses or in darkened alleyways when their clothes are both stained with blood or at rallies for stricter gun regulations in gotham where they both sit too close to each other, fingers enclosed around each other in a death grip, when the presenters inevitably bring up grieves

(worst school shooting in gotham in decades, there's blood on their hands and blood in their mouths and darla is dead in between both of them and there is a chasm so wide that they are screaming to get their voices across and she will always be dead and maybe this had always been the problem that she is dead and there is no coming back from that and that there is blood on their hands and blood in their mouth and blood on their han-)

but sometimes, most especially on opposite sides of the street, as life pulls them in different directions, just sometimes, they see each other and just for a second, nothing too long, the flap of a hummingbird's wings, the time it takes to blink, an electron's orbital, they look at each other and for the briefest moment, blue on brown, a barely noticeable stutter in their steps, the space between heartbeats, because this is all they will give themselves because they do not dwell on what-ifs or what-could-have-beens, or what-should-have-beens, or delusions of a softer world, their eyes meet and they think to themselves, god, in another life, i would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with him.

#what the fuck is this #the theme was wistfulness. hopefully that came across right. and like i wanted this to be all 1 text block so you feel how it all collapses #into that 1 thought they have at they end but fuckass tumblr has a 4096??? text limit for a single paragraph???? so here's multiple paragra #anyway here is my middle of the road sad timbern hc. do i think this will happen? no? is this still a fun world to play in? yeah absolutely #also super huge fan of darla haunting the narrative. darla as this chasm they cannot cross. darla as smth they shelter each other from #but also smth like a 2 way blade. it cuts them both. it will never stop cutting them. smth smth the wound will always bleed #also i cannot stress how important it is that they are happy with other people!!! they are both satisfied with other people. it's just that #they have a very specific history and they are the only two people who really know and understand that history #and also it's not that theyre unhappy with their partners but just that smtimes they look at each other and... wonder. in a softer world #maybe i could've been a chef and you could've still been a superhero and we could've still worked out. maybe we would've gotten a boat #together and maybe we could've come home to each other. maybe i could've trusted you to come home to me. maybe you could've #understood my need to help people. maybe we could've held our love as something precious. #maybe in a softer world our love wasn't something that hurt us both. #i need to lay down. im going crazy #as always i do love reading yalls thoughts in the reblogs and replies!!! #bernard dowd #dc #tim drake #timbern #timber

[pharawee]

Guys, I'm going to be honest. Maybe I'm still in shock because it's been like 2 minutes since I finished the DFF finale but

lmao that was so cheesy (affectionately)!

Come to think of it, with 50% of us screaming for blood and 50% of us (aka me) crying because why can't we all just get along, this is actually the perfect way to end things: make all of it become true and untrue at the same time.

The ending is so absurd and over the top and so predictable in being unpredictable that I actually feel well entertained. Just pure chaos. I don't know how else they could have let it end in only 30 minutes - except to not let it end.

Also, did I detect some Silent Hill 2 soundtrack vibes in those piano tunes when New was hallucinating? Because I appreciated that.

On a more serious note, the nightmare revelations were truly messed up and I appreciate that too. Psychological horror my beloved.

I guess in the end it's not about revenge or forgiveness or remorse at all but more about guilt and grief and punishment (and I guess that too is a lot like Silent Hill 2). A group of boys bully their classmate and in the process destroy the lives of a whole family. New gets his revenge on them, and more innocents die, and on and on it goes because no one ever truly deals with their guilt (and/or grief). Even in their drug-induced psychosis/happy ending Phee and Jin (whose nightmare is it anyway?) only wish they could help Tee... and then they do nothing. The whole thing literally becomes this beginning-less, never-ending miasma - a monster bearing Non's face (and now I'm just stuck on my Silent Hill 2 parallels and I should probably stop and listen to some Akira Yamaoka to get it out of my system).

*but also that Jin potentially hallucinated two whole years of uni is probably the worst punishment of all.

#dff #dead friend forever #spoilers #dff spoilers #jane watches stuff #oh i can't wait to read everyone's reviews #i was super apprehensive about it last week #but now i'm actually super satisfied with it #not because i had any kind of catharsis #and i still feel sorry for everyone #but the whole thing ended on such an abstract note #that in a way it doesn't touch me emotionally at all #but not in a bad way #if i randomly break into tears tonight then i know what's up

[anxiously-sidequesting]

So I don't know if it was ever revealed how Duncan felt when we killed Malistaire all three times but I'm wondering if maybe some part of him could hate us for that too. Like you hear that and you go "but why. Malistaire was terrible and even Duncan knew that(?). Why would he hate you for getting rid of him."

But like I think it's so....... interesting in a very, very, very sad way how Duncan so easily latches onto anyone who directly feeds into his delusions of grandeur. And that's no fault of his own that he was manipulated by the nasty Schism but when you think about how desperately clung to the idea that Malistaire, easily one of the greatest necromancers any of us had ever heard of (at that time), somehow actually recognized Duncan's talents (even when canon supports that Duncan wasn't all that talented, at least no more than the next necromancer) and then praised him for it so often that Duncan believed that he would be the next Death Professor is. I mean ☹️

So like with that mindset I unfortunately feel like it would be quite easy to twist even Malistaire's death as something that's horrible and awful and all our fault. ESPECIALLY if the Schism was feeding into Duncan's already broken mind and shattered ego and was constantly telling him that everything bad that ever happened to him ever in his life was Our Fault. That's like a realistic conclusion that someone like Duncan could come to

And like, at this point in time, are Malistaire's crimes even a factor in how he thinks????? Was Duncan ever able to separate Malistaire's talent and skills and prowess from the terrible and awful things he did? If Duncan wasn't able to consciously tell that distinction in the first place I can't imagine it would be any better during the years he was being manipulated and isolated and lied to

Like in Duncan's mind it probably isn't, "maybe I shouldn't idolize a national criminal, or idolize anyone at all for that matter, and aspire to be like someone so harmful when I can recognize my own talent and build from there" it's probably more like, "you (the wizard) permanently got rid of a brilliant mind, an innocent person who just made a few mistakes, and someone who believed in me no matter what just so that you could be the better than me and loved by everyone else" and that's! very sad actually!

#this is all speculation btw idk if any of this is canon. how duncan feels about all this #i know i keep saying the exact same shit over and over but.... really not a fan of how the game handled duncan! sorry! #i know wizard101 isnt supposed to be about every single character gets a satisfying ending to their arc- #-meaning not everyone in the story will face consequences and/or find a happy ending and like thats fine they dont need to #but idkkkk its just imo really sad how essentially a kid suffers frrom something he cant control by himself (his ego)- #and then instead of getting help he is instead ignored (ambrose) and then manipulated and brought up by a cult #and then when it becomes super apparent how... TERRIBLE his life really is and we defeat him he just... goes back?????? #we.... we LET him go back???? i mean we're not responsible for other people's bad decisions or mental health but bro.... #and then when we tell ambrose he's just like “oh. too bad. well anyways-” AND IM LIKE WELL THATS THE REASON!!!!! NO WONDER HE'S FUCKED UP #NONE OF THIS IS ADDRESSED. NONE OF IT. WE KICK DUNCAN'S ASS AND THEN HE.... GOES BACK TO THE CABAL #i literally just got so desolate when (wallaru spoilers) because. okay. all that for nothing i guess #this isnt me being mad btw LMAO i know the tone probably reads as angry but im not im just disappointed #and tired. what is it with wizard101 in particular and just people suffering with no end. (me as i make my main suffer with no end) #but anyways yeah duncan has been in my head for a while. he's one of the guys that i love a lot BDKSNSKAJ #he's like a son to me and HE NEEDS A HEALTHY PARENT. HE NEEDS IT #not excusing his actions btw. he still committed crimes JRKDJSIEJ #i just have a soft spot for those villains in media who are doomed from the start yknow. (stares tearfully at morganthe and gf spider) #wizard101 #wiz101 #w101 #text posts #duncan grimwater #im not normal about duncan at all he's probably the wozard oc i feel for the most other than malorn and us

[brookheimer]

okay. i need to rewatch the episode probably but i think my current feeling is that i like most of it a lot (rome, ken, the siblings not getting ceo, etc), think the tom ceo makes sense from a logical/character perspective but not sure how i feel about it from a broader more thematic lens (altho i'm leaning towards fine with it), and am very mixed on shiv's ending because i think it's well-conceived and meaningful from a broader thematic lens (shiv becomes her mother, the cycle always repeats, etc) but doesn't quite make sense to me from a logical/character one -- it could've worked, it could've worked brilliantly, but it was far too rushed and forced. it makes sense as an ending for shiv, but not her next step. i'm largely talking about her decision to return to tom, not her decision to vote against kendall (which i think should've been executed better and given more space but can understand given her character, mostly). i'm fine with it as an ending for shiv, but what i'm struggling to stomach is the way it played out -- it didn't feel like a choice the shiv we know would've made. it's an ending that makes sense thematically and for her character arc, but not a decision that makes sense for her character at present. that's kinda where i'm at right now

#long shiv post talking ab this upcoming lol #bc so far i haven't seen like any shiv takes i've actually agreed with #it's either entirely anti ending or pro ending #whereas like. to me the ending works as an ending for the character. it's tragic dark devastating but it works and works well #but shiv making that choice does not make sense for where she is right now. it was rushed writing that forced an ending on her #that would be a satisfying ending but not a satisfying character choice and thus NOT a super satisfying ending #could've been EXTREMELY satisfying. but shiv wasn't there yet. her fatal flaw is blowing up good situations when she feels she's being #disrespected -- she's respect > power when it comes down to it #even tho she thinks she wants power more she NEEDS respect and is unable to stay quiet or make the smart choice in the face of disrespect #or men thinking they're superior etcetcetc. so her making a choice that allots her power (wife of CEO) but is the singular least respecting #outcome imaginable (meekly returning to your husband who betrayed you and stole the job you've been fighting for your entire life right out #of your grasp alongside your closest ally/flirt guyfriend who tapped him to do it explicitly to fuck you over because you're a pregnant #woman and thus inferior to the man who inseminated you -- and EVERYONE KNOWS ALL OF THIS! everyone knows you're the daughter of #the previous CEO and on two separate instances were meant to be CEO and now the weak man you married publicly betrayed you TWICE #but you still meekly return to him and place your hand in his and have his baby like the good pawn you are...) #that does not make sense for shiv. if we saw some development on the power > respect front or had a few more scenes or episodes developing #shiv as someone who would choose to become her mother (powerful and rich yet a disrespected pawn) over literally anything else #given her fundamental fear of being disrespected than maybe this would've made sense. it could be a great meaningful devastating ending #but it's one that just does not track for shiv as we know her right now. #ok tags got long as always sorry LOL i'm gonna write a longer thing explaining my hashtag thoughts bc i haven't seen much i agreed w on thi #front yet oops. ok bye 4 now tee hee #succession #succession spoilers #casey shut the fuck up about shiv roy

[giddlygoat]

eight hours | the stanley parable fic 

[ 2527 words • fluff, could be seen as ship or platonic • oneshot; may be continued ] 

stanley’s tired. he just wants to get a good night’s sleep. the narrator eventually obliges, even if he doesn’t fully understand stanley’s desire to lay unconscious for eight hours. 

…

“stanley, what in the world are you doing?” 

usually, the narrator could wait patiently for stanley to leave his office before beginning their new run. he would use this short period as a sort of mental refresher, preparing himself for the adventure ahead and taking a moment of quiet to himself. stanley always left eventually, often in moments, but something was holding them up. he had seemingly crawled under his desk with his back to the corner in a curled up position that could only be so comfortable. 

“are you feeling unwell? you’ve been laying there for nearly half an hour now.” the narrator recognized the similarities between stanley’s display and general human tendencies regarding sleep, although he had not seen him asleep very often at all. he knew for a fact that stanley didn’t even require sleep. 

stanley only shifted slightly, adjusting the arm folded under his head. he made no effort to explain himself, or address the narrator at all, for that matter. 

“well, as long as you’ve not contracted some sort of deadly virus or something, i suppose i can’t stop you from sleeping my precious time away.” 

stanley’s face crinkled up just slightly, just for a second. the narrator felt a small zip of amusement through him. “yes, i suppose i should leave you to it. not like we have anything better to be doing right now… like exploring the surprise i made for you.” 

stanley did not perk up as the narrator had expected. that was strange; he was certain telling people that there’s a surprise to look forward to was supposed to be a sure way of getting their attention. 

“i said,” the narrator cleared his throat for emphasis. “you’ll miss your special surprise.” 

stanley burrowed his head deeper in his arms, as if that could block out the disembodied voice. 

the narrator sighed in exasperation. “come on, stanley, work with me here. is the mystery not enticing enough for you? what about i drop hints, or we play a game of hot and cold?” 

stanley did not move. at this point, the narrator knew very well that stanley would not be able to ignore him enough to fall asleep, and he deduced that his protagonist was simply ‘playing dead’ in the hopes that the narrator would get bored and flit off as if he had better things to be doing. 

the narrator almost chuckled at the notion. he would not break that easily. 

“look, stanley - i will be straight with you. i’m not going to stop pestering you until you leave that office. i really do have a surprise for you, something new - i really think you’ll love it! but you’re going to have to move in order to actually enjoy it.” a small prick of anxiety made itself known within the narrator. even when stanley didn’t cooperate, he would always move eventually. there had never been a time that the narrator was unable to motivate stanley to move eventually, either by persuasion, reverse psychology, or brute force annoyance. 

yes, he was sure of it. stanley had never stopped moving for more than an hour or so, and even on this rare occasion, it was with some purpose or goal in mind. something in the narrator’s subconscious urged him to reassure this thought thoroughly. 

stanley sighed, sluggishly rolling his head so that an eye emerged from his pillow of arms. he blinked slowly at nothing. 

“erm… please?” it felt awfully silly to say, and the narrator decided right then that he didn’t particularly enjoy it. 

however, it seemed to convince stanley. he sighed, crawled out from under his desk and stretched out, using his chair for balance. 

“yes! i promise you will not-“ 

[i want to sleep.] stanley signed. he had an air of determination about him. though, the narrator wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen him without that hard-headed aura. 

“sleep? why on earth would you desire to exercise the most boring of human functions?” 

stanley paused for a moment to consider whether or not this even counted as ‘earth’ before deciding that topic was a can of worms he wasn’t ready to open. he also decided that pointing out that sleep could actually be fun and fascinating among a dozen other pleasant side effects probably wouldn’t be useful, considering who he was talking to. 

so instead, he signed [i’m tired.]

the narrator scoffed. “no, you’re not. that’s physically impossible; i didn’t even code natural fatigue into you to begin with.” 

stanley grimaced. he wasn’t sure how to respond to that, especially not with the newfound bitter taste in his mouth. 

“if you’re just bored of the content so far, then i just offered you a solution. the surprise, remember?” 

stanley ground his teeth slowly, weighing his options. the narrator was not understanding him. this was a kind of bone deep, all-consuming exhaustion that had been due for a long, long time. his body didn’t have to ache for his mind to feel like a wet paper bag stuck to a parking lot. he was simply at his limit. 

but, he also didn’t have a lot of options. 

[if i come with you, will you let me sleep afterwards?] stanley was unsure of how to explain himself. despite the justification for anger in his situation, he felt nervous more than anything. he was desperate - he’d take what he could get. 

“sure, you can take a nap after you see the surprise.” 

stanley pinched the bridge of his nose. [no. i mean a deep sleep.] 

there was a very loud, very brief moment of silence. “…for how long?” 

stanley almost laughed. if he hadn’t already been dealing with this crap for so long, he might not have believed that he was bargaining the number of hours he got to sleep with some ignorant prick in the ceiling. 

[a night’s sleep. like eight hours.]

the narrator whistled, and stanley swore he heard the gentle shift of a rolling chair on the floor. “eight hours? that’s quite a lot, stanley. i’m not sure if i can swing that.” 

stanley made no effort to hide the obvious irritation on his face. [yes you can. you’ve swung harder for much less.] 

“well, what am i supposed to do for eight hours? i don’t exactly have a surplus of protagonists laying around at my disposable. i assure you, if i did, i would have given up on you ages ago.” 

[thanks.] stanley rolled his eyes. 

“gratitude is not the appropriate response here, stanley. that was a dig at your insufferable nature and reckless attitude.” 

stanley might have signed something in response if his hands weren’t busy holding his head. he drug them down his face, groaning in frustration. [please, let’s just get this over with.] 

“wonderful!” the narrator clapped. “right this way, stanley.” a familiar yellow arrow appeared on the floor before stanley, snaking through a newly opened door. the smile in his voice was back. stanley wished he had something to smile about too. 

“you won’t regret this. i made this just for you, you know.” the narrator continued to hype up the surprise stanley tried not to get his hopes up about. knowing the narrator, it was probably something underwhelming and useless, like another mostly infinite hole or a new closet. 

stanley followed the adventure line in no hurry. he allowed himself to fantasize about something beautiful and gratifying. the narrator occasionally rattled on about all the effort that went into this spectacular mystery gift, and how brilliant it was, and how ecstatic stanley would be upon seeing it. 

stanley imagined a stretching, open field surrounded by a horizon of trees and distant green hills. wind tickled his ears and sunshine kissed his face as he walked in the direction of his choice. no limits, no rules, no voice. 

the sluggish pace he progressed at did not escape the narrator’s notice. it either meant he was simply savoring every delicious moment of suspense or he wasn’t excited about his surprise, and something inclined the narrator to believe it was the latter. 

yes, upon closer inspection, stanley didn’t look happy at all. it then struck the narrator quite suddenly that stanley’s claims of tiredness from earlier were starkly evident on his features. he really did look exhausted. 

the narrator contemplated his surprise. perhaps the new closet he had cooked up would not please stanley as he had previously hoped. he knew stanley loved closets - there was no doubt about it, but he just didn’t seem to be in a closet exploring kind of mood. 

well, they were only paces from their destination now. the narrator had to act fast. 

“erm, hold on, stanley.” 

before stanley rose a brick wall, haphazardly slapped in last second. stanley took a step back, scratching his head. 

“let’s see… hold on, i just have to make a few minor adjustments. i realized my design wasn’t quite perfect and i really should present you with only the best.” the narrator hummed absentmindedly as he hastily constructed a new room in the closet’s place, digging through assets and arranging everything just so. 

stanley yawned slowly, unaffected. 

“right… there we go! sorry about that, right this way.” the narrator lowered the brick wall once more, and stanley followed the adventure line down to the end of a forgettable hallway. the door at the end was a deep green. stanley had to admit, the new splash of color was easy on the eyes. 

“well, what are you waiting for? go on,” the narrator urged stanley inside, anxious to see his reaction. stanley sighed, mentally preparing himself for disappointment. he twisted the knob and stepped inside. 

“oh, isn’t it just beautiful?” the narrator said dreamily. 

stanley had to pick his jaw off the floor. it… really was beautiful. he found himself in an expansive greenhouse surrounded by big leafy plants and frosted glass panes on every side. the floor was laid with swirling patterns in red brick and white stones. 

what caught stanley’s eye the most, however, was the enormous bed in the center of the greenhouse. a circular sheer curtain shrouded the bed in a hazy green. stanley was moving towards it before he could think.

“look, i’ve thought about what you said, and i think perhaps… i haven’t been the most accommodating. let me make it up to you.” the sheer curtain rolled back before stanley’s eyes, and he realized the comforter was fashioned to look like a lush moss carpet. he reached out and pet the fluffy surface, unable to believe what he was seeing. it felt marvelous. 

“you can have eight hours in here. oh, and i almost forgot-“ stanley only realized it had been silent when suddenly the sound of rain on the roof swelled around him. he looked at the foggy windows to see the color of the sky had darkened to a pleasant dusty purple. 

“there we go! perfect sleeping conditions. now, wasn’t that surprise worth it?” the narrator waited for stanley to move. he just stayed there frozen, his hand in the shaggy fluff of the comforter. 

“…stanley?” this was unusual. something about the situation inspired a prick of anxiety within the narrator. 

but sure enough, stanley’s taut shoulders softened, his hand retracting from the blanket. he looked around the greenhouse slowly, letting his eyes snag on every little detail among the abundant plant life.

had the narrator really created all of this just for him? just for this occasion? stanley gulped, inhaling deeply. the air felt richer and damper. his eyes stung. 

he didn’t bother signing. he unbuckled his belt, pushing off his slacks, and unbuttoned his shirt enough to pull it over his head and throw it unceremoniously to the floor. then he dove under the covers, eagerly wrapping himself up in the heavenly softness of the comforter. 

the narrator sputtered quietly at the sudden display, clearing his throat. he supposed that was a yes. “well, i suppose i should leave you to it, now.” he said rather awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed. 

stanley’s eyes washed over the ceiling, watching the rain patter and roll on the glass above him. he finally worked up the determination to pull his arms out from under the covers once more in order to sign. [what are you going to do?] he asked out of curiosity more than anything. 

the narrator hadn’t expected stanley to say anything after all. to be perfectly honest, he didn’t have a clue. and in the vein of honestly, he didn’t particularly want to leave. he had just put this place together; it would only make sense to stay and admire it. just a bit longer. 

[are you there?] stanley signed after a moment. the narrator realized he had not responded. “ah, yes, of course. uhm… i was actually just contemplating that. i think i rather like this place, and i’m not particularly anxious to leave yet - if that’s quite alright with you.” 

a small smile grew on stanley’s face. the narrator studied it closely. [it’s very nice. thank you.] as if to prove his point, stanley gathered up the bunched up comforter in his arms and snuggled beneath it. the narrator studied this closely as well. stanley looked so… content. he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel about that. 

“you’re very welcome, stanley.” he smiled despite himself. maybe stanley would finally understand that the narrator had his best interest in mind after this. yes, surely he would take a lesson from this.

somehow, watching stanley burrow into the cozy cocoon of his blanket made the narrator feel inclined to keep those sentiments to himself for now. 

several moments passed by, and stanley’s eyes had closed, the rise and fall of his chest slowing. the narrator had to admit, the sound of the rain was quite relaxing. he knew if stanley wasn’t asleep by now it was only a matter of time, and then it would be eight hours of nothing. 

perhaps the narrator would leave at some point to work on new areas or flesh out his story. but until then, he found that he wasn’t bored. quite the opposite, really. watching stanley sleep was fascinating. seeing him at peace was a rare thing. 

maybe the narrator had been too harsh on him. what good is a protagonist who’s sick of his own story? the narrator toyed with the idea of allowing stanley to visit this place regularly. it could be good for morale, and give the narrator ample time to perfect his new ideas. yes, he would certainly consider it. 

until then, stanley was fast asleep, and the narrator suddenly had no one to talk to. he’d never understood the appeal of sleep, as it just eats up valuable time, but seeing stanley in this state inspired curiosity in the narrator. it looked cozy. he found himself wondering what that might feel like. 

these thoughts would zip through the narrator’s mind as he flitted around his maps, making improvements to his plots here and there. eight hours would pass slowly and quietly, and the narrator found that his pondering kept the inherit bore of it all at bay. 

#my fics #the stanley parable #tsp #stanley tsp #the narrator tsp #stannarrator #tsp fic #uhhh i don’t share fics often and i’m nervous lol. hi. i don’t have a beta reader i just try to spellcheck and perfect all my own stuff #which is why i hardly ever finish fics rip shsjdndnn #i know this one doesn’t have a super satisfying ending. i meant to like. make more. but i know if i wait to post it it’ll never happen #so here! enjoy whatever this is lol #oh and i know stanley technically has apartments with beds in the game but. #this is actually inspired by my mom’s greenhouse which is enormous and has a full size bed in it! #and it’s actually the deepest most peaceful sleep of your life believe me. it’s so rad. so i wanted stanley to have that #he deserves it <3

[miyakuli]

Buried Stars

As a fan of psychological thrillers such as the Nonary games saga or Danganronpa, I was quite easily attracted to Buried Stars after watching its trailer, which really seemed to be in the same vein (murders, investigations, paranoia, etc.).

I don't know if I'd set too many expectations on it, but I found myself rather disappointed with my experience, despite the interesting premise.

❤ Overall, the game design is rather beautiful and polished, juggling still images and high-quality animations. ❤ Mature, realistic themes: harassment on social networks, psychological control in the workplace, the media's untimely intrusion into the private sphere, etc… ❤ The music is decent, and the dubbing is good (Korean or Japanese).

+/- The characters are quite endearing, and you shouldn't trust your first impressions, because as the revelations about their past unfold, they appear much more complex and mature…..but dammit, they make the worst decisions all the time, I felt like I was in a bad horror movie! +/- The game features a mental health gauge and a level of affinity with each character, which can influence the story's outcome, depending on the dialogues chosen….the problem is that there's no way of knowing which dialogues will increase these stats, so it's often pure chance (except in the case of new game plus).

✖ The investigation system is repetitive and boring. It mostly boils down to consulting the game's "sort of twitter" feed to obtain information, discussing these topics with each character one after the other and then cross-checking the information with each other. Over and over again. With a few variations at times, of course, but after several hours, it's just tiresome. In addition, I find that the staging lacks punch during the conclusion of investigations and big revelations. ✖ The English adaptation is not very good. There are a lot of confusing moments in the way sentences are phrased, making us misinterpret certain dialogue choices. ✖ TOO MUCH predictable (even if the game wants to blur the lines, but frankly it's too blatant). ✖ There's no skip function for text that's already been read, so you either skip and risk missing unread text, or reread the whole thing. For a game that has to be played several times, this is not convenient at all! ✖ You can't save at any point you want, which is really stupid, because if you want to unlock new routes, you have to go over the same scenes again and again, instead of being able to save at a specific turning point…

In conclusion, the game suffers from a flagrant lack of pacing in its investigative part, as well as from the essential options for a multi-routes visual novel. It's a pity, because in terms of story, Buried Stars remains intriguing, with some rather well-written characters, but it never really takes off due to its overly repetitive nature. Sorry for the surviving candidates, but you're not getting my vote on this one ;)

➡ My personal VN ranking (in french) ➡ My Steam page

#buried stars #I played the first bad end that is automatic and a sort of true end #but I really don't feel the need to unlock more routes...I'm just satisfied to know who the guilty is lol (guessed it super quickly though) #really didn't enjoy it that much ;v;)" #Lola plays games #personal #Youtube

[alchemiclee]

I hope someone writes a good fic about the high cloud quintet with all the messy pieces of lore we have because i'm very unsatisfied with what we got and I want MORE OF THEM. don't know why i'm so obsessed with this tragic group of friends but 😭 IM SO FEELINGS ABOUT THEM but also empty because they didn't satisfy me with what they gave us lmao I require more. but that was the end and i'll never get more....unless someone writes a great fic about them.....!

#hsr #lee text #one of the things that bothered me most was not seeing dan heng react to learning about blade/yingxing? hrm #everything in star rail seems super disconnected and rushed and i wish they could do the stories better #so i need someone to write a thing and fill in the gaps and add more and satisfy my need for a good story about these tragic losers #i want more baiheng because she seemed like the most adorable lovable thing 😭 #i want more yingxing because i love him a lot for some reason i cant even figure out #i want jing yuan before he became a very sad and distant and lonely old man whose constant smile seems painfully fake..... #i want to see more of jing liu before she went crazy with mara #i want the gay and the lesbian hoyo cant give for legal reasons (xingyue/bailiu) #i want a story maybe starting with them meeting. becoming close and very good friends #maybe leading to their end dbdndnksksks it would hurt but im sure fandom writers can write it better than the game writers😅 #im just rambling and reading makes me fall asleep and idk if anyone would ever write this but 😭 #idk why my brain even clung onto them so much. theres other tragic friend stories this didnt happen with. why this one #i'd love a comic/manga about this group too but that even less likely than a fic. im sure other people like this group too #and maybe one is a fic writer. but an entire manga piece about them is unlikely 😅 #its just easier for me to read when i can SEE it. thats just a preference tho #i feel like lore accurate fics arent as common tho? like taking all the lore you know and piecing it together into a whole story? #not that i read fics much so idk what im talking about but 99.9% if ones ive see are just ship fics only #what am i talking about i lost my train of thought lmao #anyway jingliu better come home. im at like 60 pity. where is she!!!!!!

[carlatsukinamistolemyhamsandwich]

Because I’m curious, DL fans who also play Genshin, reblog with who your favourite DL is character along with your favourite weapon type and element in Genshin, plus who your current main is.

#I think you guys should know who my favourite DL character is by now #but in case you don't it's Shin lol #My favourite weapons in genshin are claymores because even if the attack speed is slow they're super satisfying to use #My favourite element is currently ameno but I may end up switching to dendro once we get a couple more dendro characters #and in spite of both of those things my current main is Childe X'D #although admittedly it was Kaeya up until very recently #anyway I'd be very interested to see if there are any correlations #although I'm not necessarily expecting there to be

[bluehairperson]

Cursed thought but The Arcana getting new tales with Dorian is pretty much what happened to Homestuck with its sequels.

#for those who don't know: hom3stuck's creator started to work with a new company #and after the main comic ended he decided to entrust few quote unquote fans with the creation of sequels to expand on the fate of the charac #ters to satisfy people who wanted more content or those who weren't happy with the canon ending of the comic #these entrusted fans proceed to create the most embarassing and out of character pieces of literature I have ever had the displeasure to #gaze my eyes upon and waste my time with #literally no one liked them #and after a while all projects related to other sequels had to stop because the fans of the original series hated the new content so much #that they decided to boycott it in every way possible from review bombing to memes to harrassing the creators (which is obviously bad) #no one hates new hom3stuck content more than hom3stuck fans and no one hates new arcana content more than arcana fans #I can't take this anymore scoob not another time #sarah z's a brief history of hom3stuck video is pretty good on the matter even if it's super long #but yeah I guess we're having this again #not art #the arcana

[thelaststarfalling]

just once i'd like to complete one (1) bigger project that i can actually be proud of

#hrrrrg met with my advisor for my thesis and it's Not Great!! #idk how i always manage to set myself up for failure #struggled so much with thinking of a specific thing to write about so now i have this super broad paper about everything which essentially #amounts to writing about nothing #cuz that's not how history works you can't just make a huge argument like that (at least not without much more extensive research than ive #done) #and im not saying anything novel or interesting anyway #but i already have a whole semester of work dumped into this thing so neither my advisor nor myself wants me to tear it apart and start fro #scratch #there definitely wouldn't be time to do that anyway #so now it's just gonna be yet another thing where i have no confidence in it while working on it and just eke out an end product thats #decent enough to satisfy others while i know inwardly that its really not good #the professor for the capstone class last semester said the paper was good and i was in a good spot to finish it this semester #but this is the first time my actual advisor has really looked at it and hes confirming all of the doubts i had about it :(((( #agh itll ultimately be fine i just wish i could do something to justify the 'oh youre such a good student!' im really not!!!!!!!! #i have no idea what i'm doing!!!!!! #p

[trollrider1111]

Making ocs is an art that i think was lost on me, to do that i think you need to be able to figure out a life and in order to do THAT i need experience in making ocs. Dammit i gotta do this badly, scared and for the first time

#hex is a black cat with purple accents. hes a stocky but fluffy cat with medium length fur #i cant decide if he has purple eyes or brown #i want to draw him as a bartender #he should be able to wear hats. i think he would be good at wearing a hat #god im a boring person #hex has a sibling. i dont really have him fleshed out but hes called decimal #i think hes a brown tabby cat whos much fatter #hex is super bad at sports but he knows how to box bc he used to fight with dex #he used to be really into orange things and has a bunch of orange stuff left over from it but now hes more into black+bright/glowing pink #maybe ill draw him in a pink jacket one day #thats a lot already oh wow #hes good at playing cards and can deal like a showoff (i know nothing about cards) #hes good at caligraphy but his handwriting is like chickenscratch #hex #he signs all his cards with a giant flourish that takes up half the card but its pretty so they dont mind #he really loves fire lilies bc of his orange phase but couldnt bear to repot them for dragon lilies. like what is he gonna just evict them? #so hes has the extra thing of seeds next to the planter but no plans on planting them any time soon #hes a soft type of dude but once you know him he'll bite #he tries to be refined but it just ends up camp meanwhile dex would ride an atv through mud all day if he could afford to #he paints but hes never satisfied with it so he ends up just painting over it and making it an abstract portrait if he fucks up #when hes painting he always starts by painting his claws a matching color

[joyridingmp3]

sleep: learnt ✅

#this song is so fucking fun to play #I know it's an easier song to learn but I lvoe it so much #it also taught me a lot about new chords and strumming rhythms and changing between chords super fast #and some fun palm muting #omg i love this sooo much #mine #and that little lullaby sounding bit at the end is so easy to play and sounds so cool and it's rly satisfying #kissing ray toro so passionately on the mouth

[its-chelisey-stuff]

Extraordinary Attorney Woo's final thoughts

Since I didn't post that much about it, you probably wouldn't be able to know this has become my favorite kdrama of the year and it's among my all-time faves now. But I truly loved everything about this drama, even the uncertain, angsty and messy parts.

At first, I was just gonna check it out for Kang Tae Oh (about time he got to be the male lead!) and Park Eun Bin without expecting much and well, the rest is history. Now we're getting part 2! And despite my reservations about second seasons in dramas, I know I'm gonna be there to watch as long as there's Park Eun Bin playing YoungWoo and Kang TaeOh playing her Junho. Drama Gods, don't fail me! Stars, align and make it happen!! Cause it must!

I loved that the most powerful people in the show were two intelligent, classy and educated women. I loved that YoungWoo's strongest gift was her brain but also, her will to want to become better and her strong desire to protect the weak and innocent. I loved the side characters: YoungWoo's loyal friends, Spring Sunshine (who defied stereotypes and lived up to her nickname), Attorney Jung (everyone should have a first job mentor like him) and even sketchy MinWoo who kinda redeemed himself (if he returns for S2 I'm not gonna let him go easily though, the writer needs to work more on him so that he fully deserves Spring Sunshine!).

And of course, I loved our male lead, Lee Junho, brought to life by Kang TaeOh. He wasn't perfect, but quite honestly didn't need to be to steal our hearts away. The man won us (and YoungWoo) just by being kind and honest and hot.

Now, because there was lots of talk about Jane Austen men and how she would've loved Junho and also, because it fits my situation, I gotta say, if I loved this drama less, I might'd been able to talk about it more.

Goodbye, Extraordinary Attorney Woo! Thank you for being wholesome and beautiful. We shall see you again in two years!

#extraordinary attorney woo #kdrama #kang tae oh #park eun bin #unless something happens and we don't get that season 2 #or you know someone from the main cast doesn't return #aka someone who's going to enlist #then i say farewell #and it would change nothing since the story got a decent ending #better than that it was a proper happy ending and we couldn't have asked for more #and i do love love love happy endings! #super happy and satisfied with this final hour and a half lol

[todayisafridaynight]

I kinda want the show to include Majima Everywhere with no explanation. Episode 1 jumping out of a sewer manhole encounter. Episode 2 jumping out of a giant traffic cone. Episode 3 Officer Majima. Episode 4 Kiryu takes a break to go to a hostess club and guess who the hostess is? That's right, Goromi! Episode 5 Kiryu jumps into a taxi, taxi driver Majima. Episode 6 zombie apocalypse. Etc, etc.

would be a funny lil thing tbh.. i can see that being like a 'before the intro' kind of gag that doesn't disrupt the actual plot

#snap chats #yk what i mean #sorry im finally watching the last few episoes of super salaryman today (im very slow this time around i know leave me ALONE) #and they always have those kinds of things before every episode: scenarios that arent really related to the main plot #like you know in manga how at the end (or middle) of it there'll be a quick comic strip of just a one-off gag #yeah that's what im imagining #itd be cute #i know there are some majima fans who dont like majima everywhere since it's not really in-tune with his character #Allegedly. idk im not a majima scholar alright that's not my field of study #so having it be something independent of the actual show and where it could be easier brushed off as a small gag would be nice #it'd satisfy both audiences i think. cause i know thered be people who'd see it as canon anyway ☠️ #not that i dont love majima everywhere of course that's what made YK1 really fun for me but just approaching it from a story-telling #and character perspective

[incendiorum-arch]

this goes hand in hand with 'the only way to make io blush is to say romantic shit to them not lewd shit' but their confidence is nearly unshakeable, tbh? they don't bat at an eye about being half nude/nude in front of people. they like to take the lead anyway. and anyone focusing on them is usually met with someone who enjoys making sure their partner knows they appreciate the attention, and isn't shy about saying what does and doesn't work for them. a partner kind of has to work for it to make io start to melt. focusing on their weak spots, overwhelming them, denying them - all of those things will make io start to slip into more of a hazy, lust-driven focus rather than the straight-up confidence they use to lead a sexual encounter.

#◜❝ 𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃. ⟩⟩ i’m losing myself to rage. ❞◞ #n.sfw / #you know.... #making io go from a 'i want to make my partner feel good bc i think it's super satisfying knowing /I/ did that' #to an io that's suddenly very active and focused on trying to get to their end #knocks them off their feet fast if someone knows how to get them to that point #fastest way to get there -> gag em. #i will forever be on my io needs silenced to be able to dom them soapbox

[ndostairlyrium]

Fighting Style Meme

tagged by @demandthedoodles​​ eons ago, sorry! Thanks for tagging me, I love these things ;; I’m tagging whoever replies with a “<3″

Putting everything under a read more to prevent your eyes from bleeding since it’s long 

Elanor Cousland

Her philosophy is strike first, ask questions later. She has been training since she was a kid, practicing her craft daily because she really loves the art of fighting. She gives her all and never wants to stop. Preferred weapon is a battleaxe (Faith’s Edge).

fight honorably / fight dirty / prefer close-quarters / prefer range / chat during / go silent (snarling and growling though) / low pain tolerance / high pain tolerance / attack in bursts / attack steadily / go for the kill / aim to disarm / fight defensively / strike first / provoked easily / provoke their opponent / tease / get visibly frustrated / shout while attacking / use strategy / focus on their battle / experience conflicting thoughts during battle / rush in recklessly / try to read their opponent before fighting / fight wildly / fight calmly and, or apathetically / fight with anger / fight with excitement / fight because they have to / fight because they want to / fight without regard to wounds / run away when wounded / hide wounds / take a blow to protect another / prefer a blade / prefer to use their abilities / prefer a bow / prefer a shield / prefer a pole arm / prefer a personalized weapon / prefer magic or spells / prefer brawling / their greatest weakness is physical / their greatest weakness is mental / their greatest weakness is emotional / transform for battle / fight as they appear / rely on strength / rely on speed / use everything they have / hide their full potential / exhaust quickly / high stamina / doubt their strength / proceed with caution / behave arrogantly / brag after landing a hit / belittle their abilities / use psychological tactics / use brute strength / avoid civilians / strike down civilians / (it's civilians' own fault if they get in the way) / damage surroundings / avoid damaging surroundings / signature fighting style / making it up as they go / mastered skillset (berserker) / learning their skillset / fancy footwork / sloppy footwork / messy fighter / elegant fighter / accept defeat / refuse defeat / beg for mercy / compliment their opponent / insult their opponent  / use unnecessary movements / move efficiently / barely move / prefer to dodge / prefer to parry / defend their blindside / has no blindside / use all available advantages / strictly use one main method / play around / hold back / fight ruthlessly / show mercy if possible / wait for opponent to be ready / strike when opponent isn’t ready / fear death / fear pain / fear killing / has PTSD / avoid fighting / has lost a fight / has won a fight / has killed / refuses to kill / wants to die standing / would succumb slowly

Hawke

He’s one that prefers talking rather than swinging a weapon, unless the other part is eager to fight. In that case, he becomes the bearer of chaos and, damn, he enjoys it! Before reaching Kirkwall, his studies were focused on Entropy and he really was talented at it, but after Bethany died his attention shifted towards Elemental Magic - and Force Magic later. It was his way to cope with the loss while honoring her favorite family member. Preferred weapons are his fists (putting some rings on them because a broken nose is a happy nose <3) and a magical staff (Hawke’s Key).

fight honorably / fight dirty / prefer close-quarters / prefer range / chat during / go silent (snarling and growling though) / low pain tolerance / high pain tolerance / attack in bursts (when has to intimidate opponent) / attack steadily / go for the kill / aim to disarm / fight defensively / strike first / provoked easily / provoke their opponent / tease / get visibly frustrated / shout while attacking / use strategy / focus on their battle / experience conflicting thoughts during battle / rush in recklessly / try to read their opponent before fighting / fight wildly / fight calmly and, or apathetically / fight with anger / fight with excitement / fight because they have to / fight because they want to (rarely) / fight without regard to wounds / run away when wounded / hide wounds / take a blow to protect another / prefer a blade / prefer to use their abilities / prefer a bow / prefer a shield / prefer a pole arm / prefer a personalized weapon / prefer magic or spells / prefer brawling / their greatest weakness is physical / their greatest weakness is mental / their greatest weakness is emotional / transform for battle / fight as they appear / rely on strength (...magical power, not physical strength) / rely on speed / use everything they have / hide their full potential / exhaust quickly / high stamina / doubt their strength / proceed with caution / behave arrogantly / brag after landing a hit / belittle their abilities / use psychological tactics / use brute strength / avoid civilians / strike down civilians / (it's civilians' own fault if they get in the way) / damage surroundings / avoid damaging surroundings / signature fighting style / making it up as they go / mastered skillset / learning their skillset (elemental and force magic) / fancy footwork / sloppy footwork / messy fighter / elegant fighter / accept defeat / refuse defeat / beg contracts for mercy / compliment their opponent / insult their opponent  / use unnecessary movements / move efficiently / barely move / prefer to dodge / prefer to block (with magic) / defend their blindside / has no blindside / use all available advantages / strictly use one main method / play around / hold back / fight ruthlessly / show mercy if possible / wait for opponent to be ready / strike when opponent isn’t ready / fear death / fear pain / fear killing / has PTSD / avoid fighting / has lost a fight / has won a fight / has killed / refuses to kill / wants to die standing / would succumb slowly

Ankh Lavellan

Master strategist. Analyzing, visualizing, gaslighting, girlbossing her way through a fight. Wherever she can’t go, wait for traps and bombs to appear in her place. She strongly believes in second chances and hates the concept of punishment with her whole heart, consequently she’s prone to listening before opening fire (unless you attack first, you’re a menace for her clan/unarmed civilians, or a wild beast endangering villages). Preferred weapons are whatever she can place on the battlefield to slow down opponents, bow (she shifts through many, depending on her needs, but one of her favorites is Grunsmann’s Bow) and arrows.

fight honorably / fight dirty / prefer close-quarters / prefer range / chat during / go silent (snarling and growling though) / low pain tolerance / high pain tolerance / attack in bursts / attack steadily / go for the kill / aim to disarm / fight defensively / strike first / provoked easily / provoke their opponent / tease / get visibly frustrated / shout while attacking / use strategy / focus on their battle / experience conflicting thoughts during battle / rush in recklessly / try to read their opponent before fighting / fight wildly / fight calmly and, or apathetically / fight with anger / fight with excitement / fight because they have to / fight because they want to / fight without regard to wounds / run away when wounded / hide wounds / take a blow to protect another / prefer a blade / prefer to use their abilities / prefer a bow / prefer a shield / prefer a pole arm / prefer a personalized weapon / prefer magic or spells / prefer traps / prefer brawling / their greatest weakness is physical / their greatest weakness is mental / their greatest weakness is emotional / transform for battle / fight as they appear / rely on strength (...magical power, not physical strength) / rely on speed / use everything they have / hide their full potential / exhaust quickly / high stamina / doubt their strength / proceed with caution / behave arrogantly / brag after landing a hit / belittle their abilities / use psychological tactics / use brute strength / avoid civilians / strike down civilians / (it's civilians' own fault if they get in the way) / damage surroundings / avoid damaging surroundings / signature fighting style / making it up as they go / mastered skillset (archery, hunting) / learning their skillset (artificer) / fancy footwork / sloppy footwork / messy fighter / elegant fighter / accept defeat / refuse defeat / beg for mercy / compliment their opponent / insult their opponent  / use unnecessary movements / move efficiently / barely move / prefer to dodge / prefer to block (with magic)/ defend their blindside / has no blindside / use all available advantages / strictly use one main method / play around / hold back / fight ruthlessly / show mercy if possible / wait for opponent to be ready / strike when opponent isn’t ready / fear death / fear pain / fear killing / has PTSD / avoid fighting / has lost a fight / has won a fight / has killed / refuses to kill (if possible) / wants to die standing

#memes #fighting meme #ankh #kerry #hawke #elanor cousland #there are things I'm torn between #but I tried to be as coherent as possible #ela is super fun to approach #she just goes mad naturally but her fancy upbringing makes her the most elegant berserker ever lol #un deux trois *hits* un deux trois *mutilates* un deux tro-- he ded #that *one* fight hawke wanted was against orsino #he realized quickly he was the 'o' in those letters after he investigated the whole thing #couldn't prove it but at the end he was there to see life abandon his eyes and that was incredibly satisfying #when you get to see hawke mad you know you fucked up at a god tier level #fear the wrath of a gentle man kinda deal #please tumblr don't mess up the editing