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steddiehyperfixation · 6 months

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don't you forget about me (part two)

(part one)

Steve doesn’t know how long they sit there in silence, waiting. It’s making him insane. The seconds pass too slow; the seconds pass too fast. His mind is a storm; his mind is empty. He’s feeling too much; he’s not feeling at all. He paces the room; he sits catatonically against a wall. He needs to get out of here; he needs to stay.

He’s been here before, just barely over a week ago, tense and anxious and despairing and waiting for news. But waiting to hear if Eddie will ever remember him again really should not feel this much worse than waiting to hear if Eddie will ever fucking breathe again. Steve thinks there must be something wrong with him. He’s being selfish and stupid. His pathological fucking need to be loved is not what’s important right now. Eddie is alive and awake and okay and that’s the only thing that really matters. That’s the only thing he should really care about.

Steve’s pacing again now, yanking his hands through his hair as he does laps around the room until Eddie finally appears in the doorway.

Eddie must’ve just cracked a joke or something because the nurse is laughing as she pushes his bed into the room and he’s got this adorable grin on his face. Steve’s heart twists in his chest and he nearly bursts into tears all over again because god does he want nothing more than to press a kiss to those dimpled cheeks.

“Good news, boys,” Eddie announces. “My brain is fully intact.”

“There’s no physical permanent damage to his brain,” the nurse elaborates. “His amnesia is likely a result of psychological trauma and the temporary disruption of brain function from blood loss and lack of oxygen that occurred at the time of his injury. But there is no obvious reason why he shouldn’t regain his full memory, given time.”

So there’s hope. Steve breathes a sigh of relief.

“That is good news,” Wayne agrees.

Steve asks, “How much time?”

The nurse gives an unhelpful shrug. “Impossible to say. It could be anywhere from days to months, or even years. I’m sorry, there’s no way for us to know.”

Years. “Okay.” Steve pinches the bridge of his nose. He can keep it together. He can. “Thanks,” he tells the nurse. “I, uh-” He makes the mistake of looking at Eddie who looks right through him, and Steve can’t keep it together anymore actually. “I gotta update the kids,” he mutters, backing his way towards the door. Wayne nods in acknowledgment; no protests this time at Steve’s excuse to leave.

“See ya, Harrington,” Eddie calls after him, casual, impersonal, like they're nothing more than acquaintances passing by each other in a high school hallway.

Steve can’t get out of that hospital fast enough.

He makes it to his car in record time, slamming the door shut and sinking heavily into the driver’s seat. A ragged sob tries to claw its way up his throat now that he’s finally alone, but he forces it back, staving off his breakdown for just a little bit longer. As much as it was an excuse, he really does have to update the kids.

Steve fishes his walkie out of the glove box. “Code - whatever, I don’t know. Code Eddie,” he says. He doesn’t remember the kids’ system of codes, nor would he be sure which one this news falls under even if he did.

“Is he okay? Is he awake?” comes an immediate, eager response from Dustin. “Over.”

“Yeah, he’s awake, and he’s fine, except he’s got pretty bad amnesia. The doctors say it should be temporary, but right now he doesn’t remember anything since May of ‘85,” Steve explains, trying his best to keep his voice even.

“Steve, come pick me up and take me to see him,” Dustin demands, “right now. Over.”

“Me too. Over,” Mike chimes in before Steve can respond.

“And us,” Erica adds as well.

Steve pauses for a second, both to steady his own breath and to make sure no one else wants to jump in on this too, before he reminds them, “He won’t know you, any of you.”

“I don’t care,” Dustin says, bossy as ever. “Just come get me. Over.”

“Jesus Christ, kid,” Steve mutters to himself. He sucks in another breath; it wobbles dangerously. He’s just about reached his limit on how long he can keep himself from falling apart. “I- I need a minute, alright?” he manages through the walkie. “Can you just give me, like, an hour? And then I’ll take you guys to visit Eddie.”

Steve doesn’t wait for a response before he slams the antenna closed, tosses the walkie aside, and finally, finally lets himself shatter. That sob rips free from his throat, followed by another and another and another. Tears flood from his eyes; his nose runs. It’s an ugly, gross, visceral cry that leaves him exhausted and raw and aching to be held by the time the last sob shudders out of him. Drained and hollow, he craves the embrace of someone who knows him, someone who loves him.

He sweeps up his broken pieces, wipes the mess of tears and snot off his face, and drives to Robin’s house.

“Steve, oh my god.” Robin pulls him into a hug the second she opens the door and sees the look on his face. Steve clings to her. “What happened?”

“Eddie’s awake,” he mutters dismally.

“Oh! Not the tone I’d expect you to deliver that news in, but okay.” Robin pulls back, looking at him with narrow-eyed concern and confusion as she analyzes his puffy eyes and red nose and swollen lips. “And you look like you’ve just been crying because…?”

“Because he doesn’t remember me, Rob,” Steve sighs. “He doesn’t remember anything from the past 11 months.”

Robin’s eyes go wide now. “Shit,” she says, so plainly it startles a short laugh out of Steve.

“Yeah,” he agrees. “Shit.”

She asks him more questions as she walks down the hallway so they can talk in her room. Steve once again reiterates what was said at the hospital.

“So you didn’t tell him you two were a thing?” Robin asks, closing her door behind them.

“Of course I didn’t.” Steve flops back onto her bed. “I didn’t want to spook him.”

She sits beside him. “You didn’t want to spook him,” she repeats, looking down at him with raised eyebrows, “but you told him about Vecna.”

“Well, yeah. I just-” He lifts his arms to gesture vaguely into the air as he tries to explain himself. “I mean, imagine how you would feel if you woke up in a hospital and some random guy you’ve spoken to maybe twice was by your bedside telling you you’ve been in a relationship with him for the past 9 months.”

“Uh, I don’t know, dingus, probably about the same as I’d feel if said guy told me I’d nearly died fighting some evil twisted creature from a hell dimension,” Robin retorts.

Steve drops his hands onto his chest with a huff, shaking his head. “No, trust me. He seemed far less surprised by that than he did to hear that we were even just friends,” he says, a bit bitterly. Tears are pricking at his eyes again as he looks up at his best friend. “You didn’t see the way he looked at me, Robin. All he saw was King Steve.”

Robin softens, snark replaced with sympathy. “That sucks, Steve. I’m so sorry.”

Steve sighs in agreement that yes this really fucking sucks. He sits up and scoots back so that he’s slumped against the wall, hitting the back of his head against it. “I think I’m a horrible person,” he admits, just venting now, “because of course I’m glad Eddie’s alive and all I really want is for him to be okay, and I know the nurse said he should remember eventually, but there’s still some sick part of me that thinks maybe it would’ve hurt less if he had just died.”

“I don’t think that makes you a horrible person,” Robin assures him as she settles next to him, shoulder to shoulder. “I think you’re just grieving, and grief is weird sometimes.”

“It was one of the worst things I’ve ever felt,” he mutters, “when he looked at me without recognition. To see it on his face, just the- the absence of everything that we’d built. I’ve never felt so- so- I don’t know, it was like I couldn’t breathe. He just- he doesn’t know that I love him. He…he doesn’t know that he loved me...”

Because that’s what it is, isn’t it? It’s not that he’s lost someone that he loves, it’s that he’s lost someone who loves him. Because Eddie’s not gone, just his love for Steve is, and that’s what’s tearing him apart. It’s the fact that there’s one less person in the world who loves him. It’s the fact that Steve’s got this big gaping hole inside of him that’s always made him so desperate to be loved, liked, wanted, needed; and his biggest fucking fear is becoming obsolete. He could probably trace it back to his parents, the first to forget him, the first to stop loving him, but the fact remains that now Eddie has fulfilled that fear too. Now Eddie has carved that pit a little deeper, a little darker, validating the voice that whispers within it and tells Steve that he is forgettable, unlovable, so easy to abandon and erase.

“Well, I love you,” Robin tells him, like she can read his mind (which, at this point, she probably can). She slides an arm around his shoulders, hugs him close. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

Fragile as he is right now, Steve falls apart again in her arms, and she holds him together. Because she knows him, because she loves him.

It’s a quieter cry this time, soft and sniffly. Whereas the last one wracked through his body and left him fatigued, this one flows from him almost gently, and when his tears finally subside and he lifts his head from where it had been buried in his friend’s shoulder, Steve actually feels a little bit better, a little bit stronger. Which is good, because he’s gonna have to face Eddie again soon.

“Thank you,” he says quietly as he pulls away from Robin, wiping at his eyes and glancing at the clock on her nightstand. It’s definitely been an hour by now, probably more. He stands. “I have to go, I promised the kids I’d take them to see Eddie.”

“Then I’m coming too.” Robin stands with him. “For moral support.”

Steve gives her a grateful smile. “I love you so fucking much, you know that?”

“Yeah.” She grins at him. “I know.”

The nurses have changed his bandages and upped his morphine, so Eddie’s considerably hazy now but at least he can raise his headrest and prop himself up a bit without nearly blacking out from pain. He’s boredly flicking through channels on the shitty TV in front of him, alone since Wayne had to leave for work, when Harrington returns followed by a very unexpected group consisting of Robin Buckley and four strange children.

“Sorry,” Harrington announces their presence with an apologetic shrug, “I know you don’t know them anymore, but they insisted.”

“Eddie!” a pudgy, curly-haired kid shouts before Eddie can even react, coming barrelling towards him and trying to hug him.

“Ow!” Eddie yelps, pain flaring even through the extra morphine. “Fucking Christ, kid! Be careful!”

The kid jumps back immediately, eyes wide. “Shit. Sorry.”

“S’fine,” Eddie grumbles.

The kid looks at him expectantly for a moment before seeming to realize, “Oh, right, you don’t remember me. I’m Dustin.”

“Ah, so you’re the guy I sacrificed myself for,” Eddie mutters, and Dustin looks a little sheepish. That means these must be ‘the kids’ Harrington had been talking about earlier. He surveys the group for a second. “Actually, I think we have met before,” he tells Dustin. “And you too.” He glances at a pale, dark-haired kid. The other two - a Black boy with a flat-top and a younger Black girl - look less familiar, though. “There was this, uh, open day thing at the high school for next year’s incoming freshmen; I talked to you about Hellfire.”

“Yeah!” Dustin’s whole face lights up, so bright and infectious it makes Eddie grin too. “Yeah, you did!”

“So you guys joined the club, then?”

This sparks a very animated conversation about D&D, the rest of the kids (Mike, Lucas, and Erica, as they soon reintroduce themselves) gathering around his bed now too to join in. It makes him feel a bit more like himself again, familiar, normal. Except, of course, for the fact that they’re not only talking about how they defeated Vecna in Eddie’s “totally epic” and “sadistic” campaign (adjectives courtesy of Dustin and Mike respectively), but also filling in more pieces of the story of how they defeated him in real life too. Still, it’s nice, fun. He totally understands how he could’ve gotten attached to these kids.

At some point, Eddie glances over to find Harrington hanging back and just watching them talk, fondly, wistfully. Robin whispers something to him and he sort of smiles, just a trace, and whispers something back. They seem close, intimate. Eddie wonders if they’re dating, and then he wonders why that thought makes him feel a bit sick. He waves them over. Harrington looks like he’s about to protest, but Robin gives him a Look and he allows her to grab his hand and drag him to join the crowd around Eddie’s bed.

“So, what’s your deal, Buckley?” Eddie asks her. He doesn’t know her very well, they’ve only crossed paths a few times in the bandroom, but right now that makes her the most familiar person in the room to him. “Are you and Harrington a thing now? Is that how you’re involved in all this?”

Robin wrinkles her nose and drops Harrington’s hand. “Ew, no. Definitely not.”

“She’s my best friend,” Harrington says.

Eddie snorts, doesn’t know why he finds that so comical. (He’s starting to get tired and it’s making him loopy. Or maybe it’s just the morphine.) “You've got a funny choice of friends nowadays, don’t you? Me and band geek Buckley and a bunch of nerdy freshmen.” He looks at Harrington with incredulous amusement. “Who would've thought, huh? Steve Harrington, collector of geeks and freaks.”

Harrington doesn’t seem to find it as funny. He shrugs. “Yeah, well, it’s better than King Steve, collector of asshole bullies and shallow one-night stands.”

“Yeah, ‘course it is,” Eddie agrees through another huff of laughter that breaks off into a yawn. “Didn’t mean it as a bad thing, Stevie. Was a compliment.”

“Alright.” The barest hint of a smile flickers across Harrington’s face now, but then he’s looking away and corralling the kids and saying, “We should head out, let you get some rest.”

And Eddie kind of wishes he’d stay.

(part three!)

taglist: @romanticdestruction @daydreamsandcrashingwaves @paintsplatteredandimperfect @hallucinatedjosten @mugloversonly @estrellami-1 @alongcomesaspider @thatonebadideapanda @tell-me-a-secret-a-nice-one @dragonmama76 @wxrmland @nuggies4life @sirsnacksalot @myguiltyartpleasure @marklee-blackmore @vinteraltus @sebastiansstanswhore @0happyeverafter0 @scarlet-malfoy (only tagged people who explicitly asked to be tagged; if you would like to be added or removed from this list please lmk!)

#still angsty sorry #we're getting there tho! this will have a happy ending eventually! i promise!#i finally get what ppl mean when they talk abt setting out to write a oneshot and ending up with a longfic bc it's happening to me rn #steddie #steddie angst #steddie fic #steddie fanfiction #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #fanfic #mine #1k #dyfamsteddiefic #<- specific tag for this fic

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the-white-void · 3 months

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Oh! You've Heard This Story?

Summary: Once again, your end has begun, and the story starts anew. Yet, she remembers this story; one told over and over again.

Warning: This contains mentions of violence and repetitive deaths which may be uncomfortable to some readers.

One || two || three

Taglist: @kthehoeforfictionalmen @pix-stuff @kthehoeforfictionalmen @time-shardz @scarletttcroww @mysteriaqueen @atsukawolfcat @junkoslette @mef0rg0r @altheq0 @obliviousariies2007

Blood of gold stained the podium as the blade of the Archon of Inazuma sliced your neck. Leaving the crowds that once cheered for your end turned to fear and shallow worries of regret.

You've seen this before. As your head descended from your body, your consciousness still lingered, even for only a moment. The screams of agony laced with regret and sorrow; the cries of the archons as they saw the precious blood that was wasted on the floor.

That is how it always ended.

Your mind now eases as your death finally comes, then onto the next show.

You open your eyes once more to the lush green grass tickled your ears, and the trees swayed its leaves on your rags; the warm rays that lay on your skin. A scene all too familiar.

You have given up on trying to survive on this game of cat and mouse; simply letting it all roll like a ball, because out of all the countless times you tried to escape before were all futile, even giving up showed the same ending.

There is no end to this scripted play.

Fate is like a chord. No matter how you pull to change it, it will always return to its original form.

You pick yourself up, dust off a few leaves stuck on your rags and walked up to a nearby tree bearing some apples. You reach out for one close yet ripe.

"Maybe Amber noticed me already and might shoot my arm." You blurted out as the apple twisted and fell on your face. "Ah! It's already loose." you mumbled with your brow raised before picking up the apple from the ground; you dusted off the dirt then took a bite. "Doesn't matter, you missed." You uttered as you look to the side where the brunette wearing red hid from afar; her bow lowered from when it first had you a target.

Her face painted with worry and confusion, she focuses her bow to you once more, ready for your retaliation. Yet, you walk back to the spot where you first woke up; legs crossed with your bum on the ground as you continued to eat the apple.

"What?" The brunette mumbles with her brows furrowed, confused why you just say down defenceless while chewing on your apple till you ate it all and the core was left. "Could it be a trick? Are they just luring me in?" Thoughts flooded her head thinking about what you could be planning if you already know where she was.

After laying the core of the apple you just ate on the ground, you look back at where the brunette was hiding. "Even if you are here to catch the imposter, there is still etiquette for how knights capture fiends." You spoke with a sigh and a small smile, waiting for her to shoot her bow, or throw Baron Bunny to your face.

An arrow of fire flew past you and hit the tree right behind you, barely grazing your hair. Amber then emerges from the bushes while her bow was still pointed at you "You have the right to remain silent. Your actions of impersonating the divine deity..." She continues to mouth out paragraphs you've heard countless times before, still smiling without a care in the world.

In a nation distant to the airy breezes of Mondstat, in the land hidden in the forests where rain comes and goes, the land where knowledge is weighed more than mora, Sumeru.

Lying inside the Sanctuary of Surasthana where the Archon resides, she sprung up with a cold sweat, as if she just had a nightmare. Her gasps were heavy and her hands shaking; her dream was as vivid as if it were real, like the times she would occasionally possess the receptionist of the Adventurers Guild, however, unlike those dreams, it was not coveted by the mind of a human nor god. The scene was too real to be revered as a dream.

"Oh... Very well,I'll see you all. Soon."

Were the last words of the imposter before their head departed from their body. "What did they mean? Will it happen again? I saw their memories; it happened to them over and over again. Like a samsara, after reaching an end it'll go back to the beginning. How long have they been doing this? Do they have a goal?" Questions drowned out all their senses before a loud arrogant voice broke her focus.

A short man wearing blue accents and a large hat was snapping his fingers in front of the archon's face with an annoyed look. "Hey! I've been calling you for ages; you said you wanted me to do something." His tone filled with salt and bitterness as he pulled his arms back together crossed.

Lesser Lord Kusanali, the dendro Archon, one who was calm and collected was in a cold sweat, unable to comprehend what reality she had just seen. If it were to happen in this world as well, would it too crumble and wither away.

"H- hat guy..." The dendro Archon's voice trembled when she muttered her words. Looking towards Hat Guy with her eyes widened and trembling "What happened these past few days? There was the imposter a- and..." Her voice trails off as she tries to word out what happened, but her tongue falters to convey what was on her mind.

"The imposter? That news just landed in the Akademia an hour ago. I guess that's what you can expect of a god who can read minds." He mumbles while the Archon gathers her thoughts.

"What? But the imposter was just about to be executed. Everyone was there and... the imposter was... calm... they- they said something then… then…” her eyes wonder off around the room remembering the words of the imposter.

“... Hat guy. Take me to Mondstat; I need to talk to the imposter.” Her eyes were then set on the short man; eyes painted with determination and fear, set on speaking with the one branded as an imposter, yet whose last is shrouded in a thick fog of uncertainty.

The man that looked at the Dendro god puzzled and perplexed. “What?! Are you- just when you hear about an imposter; you wanna go meet them?!! Don't you know how dangerous that thing could be?” His aloof and sour tone shifted to a raised and concerned voice after hearing the Archon's desire to met with the imposter.

Kusanali sighs with her eyes faltering, wondering if it just a ruse after all. She ponders for some time, recollecting and organising the memories she had of the imposter. “The execution just happened with the Electro Archon beheading the the imposter, but before that, the imposter allowed me to look through their memories, then…” her memory was then blank.

“Can they dream?” Hat Guy's voice cut her focus. “If you really wanna talk to them, you can go in their dream and just talk to them there.”

The idea lit up the Lesser Lord's face “Yes. Their dreams. They looked young, they probably still have dreams, like escaping… or… wait… can they dream?” Her voice questioned the mentality and consciousness of the imposter.

#astronetwrk #・ nouveau livre ˎˊ˗#genshin impact #sagau idea #sagau #genshin sagau #genshin fic ideas #genshin fanfic #sagau isekai #genshin nahida #nahida #scaramouche #genshin scaramouche #hat guy #amber genshin impact #genshin amber

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snapscube · 1 year

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Remember when people were calling you the "long lost McElroy sister"? Do you see the similarity at all, or do you think it's just because you share a similar creative niche (gaming/streaming/comedy) with the McElroy brothers?

Lol, "when" people were doing it.

I still get it to this day, friend, despite my constant protests.

I used to understand, and it was even expected initially if not personally encouraged! There was definitely a period of time where they were my biggest comedic/creative inspirations, and the truth of the matter is that I am a mannerisms sponge. I mimic people around me, and people that inspire me, and whether or not it's more than the average person I have no clue, but I will go through seasons of daily watching a particular personality or creator I'm fond of and/or inspired by and usually come out the other end having picked up certain tendencies VERY quickly, a large portion of those being speech patterns.

There's definitely a segment of my content around 2017/2018 or so where, yeah, you can very much tell I adopted a McElroy-esque speaking pattern directly (like what felt like 70% of other Tumblr users also did lol) and it was both because of how much of their content I was into at the time AND also because at the time I found their output inspiring as someone who was used to more... Loud Gamer forms of comedy, to put it bluntly. So at first I took the comparisons in stride and saw it as a signal of my own growth as an entertainer, and my ability to be funny in a way that wasn't just Loud = Funny.

But the thing you have to know about me, and my time as even a minor public figure, is that this comparison was not the first of its that was constantly levied at me, and it unfortunately was not the last one in the slightest. Some will remember the days in which I was a reasonably renowned "Bill Cipher" impersonator in the Gravity Falls fandom, and the pattern was very similar at the time. I dealt with people CONSTANTLY telling me that, despite all of my attempts to separate myself from the voice work I did as the character, I always sounded Just Like Bill even when I was just using my casual speaking voice. If this sounds familiar to those of you who have only been around since the dubs popped off, it's likely because I also go through the same thing ever since I became known for Sonic impressions.

And then outside of voice work I've had my style of content continue to be compared to the McElroy's body of work and even beyond to the likes of Jerma and other big-name-of-the-era content creators. And I have to once again stress: I am completely self-aware that it is not entirely unfounded. I mean, the most recent one I got was just the other day when on stream someone told me I had a speech pattern similar to Northernlion. And like, I even admitted right then and there.... yeah! That makes sense! I've had NL compilations going into my ears and brain for hours upon hours on end lately. So I don't mean to only complain and say "this makes no sense" with delusions that it's completely baseless. BUT, I guess if I do have to circle around to a point, it would be that, though I can occasionally understand comparisons, I would hope y'all in turn can understand why it might not be an easy thing for someone like me to hear, especially in the way it never really seems to go away? Even if one like Bill Cipher fades out, the whole "SnapCube is just a female version of [insert larger male peer in the content space]" thing is something that cycles along regardless. And I get it, it's human nature to compare and contrast. I do it too! But as someone who is always trying to stand out in what I do and make my own value as an individual known above the cacophony of content saturation, I do implore people to think twice about the language they use when making otherwise favorable comparisons. Recommending my content by saying something like "if you like Jerma/McElroys/NL/etc., then SnapCube gives off similar vibes" makes of a WORLD of a difference compared to "This stream is just something Jerma would do" or "Penny is just a female Griffin McElroy" (both things I have heard almost verbatim, constantly). They approach the same ideas, but one gives me so much more of a chance to like... start off a first impression as My Own Person and not just a derivative Girl Alternative, if that makes sense.

Whoops I talked about this way too much :) Can you tell I think about this a lot LMAO

Anyway here's the obligatory joke response that's been spread before

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so-many-ocs · 11 months

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30 plot prompts for the storyline-impaired

a request from instagram that i'm putting here as well!

your main character receives a mysterious invitation.

your main character is falling through the air. where are they? how did they get there?

your main character finds themself held at weapon-point, forced to make a difficult choice.

your main character is navigating a change in career path.

your main character uncovers a dark secret about the place where they grew up.

your main character must try and salvage their reputation after a recent event painted them as a dangerous person.

your main character hitches a ride. where are they going? why? who picks them up?

a key witness to a recent crime disappears, and evidence points to your main character.

your main character sets out to prove another person's innocence.

your main character has been driven from their home.

your main character is running from a dark secret, which is about to catch up to them.

a series of events begins to occur which match up with the storyline of your main character's favorite book.

your main character has just broken off a long-term relationship.

your main character is seeking a cure for a deadly illness that threatens to claim their loved one(s).

your main character discovers that an important public figure has been replaced by an impersonator.

take a classic story or fairytale and find a way to turn it on its head.

your main character dissects their own murder (either they faked their death or are uncovering it post-mortem).

your main character's long-lost relative turns up near their home.

your main character covets the life of another, and plans sabotage in order to get their way.

your main character has, reluctantly, been brought back to life.

a decades-old controversy is brought back up and re-inspected.

the consequences of an event that occurred over a century ago are now making themselves clear.

your main character is left at the altar.

your main character (erroneously) believes that they have killed someone.

your main character, in trying to learn more about their family, uncovers an old secret.

someone unexpected receives a family's inheritance.

someone close to your main character has been lying for a long time.

your main character goes on a blind date, only to discover that they know the other person already.

while trying to rob a house, your main character uncovers something much more valuable.

someone close to your main character decides, unexpectedly, to leave for good. but why?

#🌿 writing #writing prompts #writing prompt #wp #prompts #prompt #plot ideas #story prompt #story prompts

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unhingedpolycule · 8 months

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Dogs on an airplane

Townsfolk of Tumblr! Y'all have decided on my dialogue so this is what I made of it! I hope you guys enjoy it!

It's also on my AO3 :)

~Moss

His luggage had been lost, his connection flight severely delayed and the room in which he stayed had not just one couple fucking the whole night in the neighbouring rooms but two! So, it was just Johnny’s luck that he, upon getting onto the tightly packed plane, was seated right next to the creepy as shit looking guy who, for some reason, was allowed to wear a goddamned balaclava on the plane. Why not a stressed business woman. Or a couple of retired folks. Why did it have to be the guy that Johnny would constantly feel on guard about?

Thank fuck the flight only took a few hours.

He smiled politely when putting his luggage in the overhead compartment and then nodded toward where the man was sitting.

“Sorry mate. Ah think yer on my seat.”

A long, cold stare. Johnny didn’t avert his eyes, rising to the challenge and not letting the man stare him down. He wasn't going to let a man with a skull print mask for no apparent reason other than to scare people off.

“No I’m not.”

Johnny checked his ticket. He had booked the window seat, right? A look on the row and seat, a quick check on the overhead signs indicating which seat was which. Yes, he had been right.

“Well, my ticket says-”

The stranger just kept staring and behind him a woman got impatient with the idiot who just stood in the aisle so Johnny sighed and just took the seat at the aisle, sliding his backpack underneath it. The one between them was taken up by a book and a bottle of water. A few last passengers filtered in while Johnny put on his headphones and picked a playlist, closing his eyes. He loved takeoff, loved watching the world beneath them shrink and finally disappear under a blanket of clouds but he could live without it. He wasn't a child.

The plane began to move, maneuvering into position on the runway, stopping briefly before starting to move again, faster and faster, finally the wheels lost contact with the ground and Johnny was pushed back into his seat comfortably. He enjoyed the sensation for a long moment before the biggest rush was over. He opened his eyes again, a vacant smile on his lips that vanished the second he looked over to catch a glimpse out the window despite his seat.

“That's a dog!” Johnny’s voice was as quiet as a shriek of absolute terror would allow.

“Yes.” Came the answer matter-of-factly, “a puppy. Now keep quiet about this or I will get in trouble.”

The man didn't seem to think that simply telling Johnny to shut up could possibly backfire on him. Usually people were intimidated by his presence, he supposed, but with a couple years of military career, Johnny was not. That didn't mean that he wasn't positively floundering at the dog that had poked its head out of the three quarters unzipped hoodie jacket of the man beside him.

“How did you- this-” Soap opened and closed his mouth a few times in a quite passable carp impersonation, “How did ye get this thing through security!”

All that he got in reply was a shrug. And then, after a long pause, finally some words: “Same way I got my guns through security.”

Words that Johnny couldn’t believe got a single second. “Yer fucking what?”

“My guns, aren't you listening?”

“How are ye more casual about having weapons on you than a fucking--” The look the stranger gave him made Johnny lower his voice again, his whisper urgent, “A fucking dog! Nobody hijacked a plane with the help of a puppy!” the stranger looked quite unimpressed with his outburst, “Okay, right, how the fuck did ye get yer weapons through the security check?”

“Have you ever seen a guy with three knives and a micro uzi get through security?” Johnny shook his head and the stranger rolled his eyes at how simple the solution to this problem seemed to be to him, “Obviously, I wouldn't have, so I didn't.”

Now he was just fucking with Johnny. Straight up. There was no way this was actually true.

Over him staring at the man unbelievingly, he didn't notice the small, wet nose that came closer until it touched Johnny’s bare upper arm which made him yelp, pulling away as the stranger zipped his hoodie up further, giving Johnny a glare, “You’ll give us away!”

“Us? Ah am having no part in this!” Johnny snapped. If it was up to him there would be no dog existing in a ten foot radius of him!

“You know about her, you have part in this now.” The man would absolutely lie about this, wouldn't he? He would get Johnny in trouble alongside him if he got caught. Fine, he would try to be more subtle. Just having made peace with the thought of coexisting with the puppy quietly, the stranger spoke up again, “You almost act like you’re scared of her.”

“Ah’m not scared!” Johnny insisted, the man sitting in front of them had apparently heard him over his blasting music and turned to look at the two of them through the slit between seats. Johnny smiled apologetically. Inside voice, he reminded himself.

“Pet her then.” The man said when the man had turned back around and they had made sure that they hadn’t roused any other attention. The zipper was pulled down a little again and the happily little panting face pushed out of the confines of the shirt again, curiously pushing toward Johnny. Johnny reared back, the stranger pulled the little dog back and distracted her with head scratches way more careful than Johnny would have ever considered of a behemoth like that, “Knew you were scared.” he commented drily without any kind of smug satisfaction.

“Snakes are more up my alley. They dinnae bite, they dinnae pee all the time, they are quiet.” Well, the noise level wasn't exactly what drew Johnny to snakes but who had to know that? Nobody. He would never see the man again.

“She doesn't bite. Has been in my hoodie for hours now and she's been behaving just great.”

“Hours, huh?” How could a person have trust in a dog like that? Even just considering, what if she started whining? Or what if she needed to go? Oh god, that was an issue, wasn't it? Because the stranger couldn't just take his dog to the damn bathroom.

“Yes.” The man was utterly oblivious of the necessarily impending doom.

Johnny tipped his head to the side and gave the stranger a long look, “It’s only a matter of time before it pees on ye.”

“She peed before we came on here.” The man said and the flight attendant walking by gave them a weird look. Johnny smiled at her and gave her a one shouldered shrug. Both of them waited until the flight attendant was gone before looking back at each other, “Which means she’ll make it until we land again.”

There was a stretch of silence.

“You’re a sick fuck.”

He looked back down at the puppy whose movements were very clear if Johnny actually paid attention.

“Oh, Ah’m a sick fuck?” Johnny asked incredulously, “Ah am a sick fuck?”

The stranger gave him an appraising look before coming out with his answer that was just as short as it was easy.

“Yes.”

“Oh, humor me. What makes me the sick fuck between the both of us, Mr. ‘Ah wear a balaclava on a plane and also ah say ah have guns on me and also ah am hiding a god damned dog in me sweater and if ye tell anyone ah’ll get ye into trouble too’?”

Another pause. When the stranger answered it sounded 100 percent serious.

“It’s not a sweater.”

Johnny gaped at the man, speechless. That was the point he was trying to nitpick then? The sweater?

“Close your mouth before flies get in it.” the stranger’s eyes crinkled at the corners. A smile, finally. This motherfucker. “And it’s the snakes. Snakes are fucking nasty.”

“Ye’re fucking nasty.” Johnny muttered. The stranger turned back to look out of the small window but he audibly tried to hide his chuckle by clearing his throat loudly.

Johnny didn’t put his headphones back on, but he fell asleep in his seat with the conversation between them having run its course.

When he woke up, it was to a big hand on his shoulder and the printed smile of a skull mask.

“Touching down in 20.”

“Huh?” Johnny said intelligently and this time the huff sounded a little annoyed.

“We’re landing in twenty minutes. Wipe the drool off your face.”

Johnny scrambled to do just that, swiping his sleeve over his mouth and cheeks. This time he missed the way the stranger smiled, turning his masked face back to the window. He brushed his hands over his face roughly and yawned, trying to wake up properly.

“Th’nks fer wakin’ me.”

“You’re welcome.” The stranger said, petting the sleepy puppy who was curled up on his lap and half hidden by the hoodie.

Johnny watched him pet her.

“Yer not going to hide her a wee bit better? Woulnae surprise me if someone saw.”

“What are they going to do? Kick us out at 20.000 feet?” The stranger said with a noncommittal shrug.

“First of all, ye better mean yerself and that dog and not me.” Johnny said and the look that the man gave him told him that no, he was clearly seeing Johnny as his partner in crime. Great. “Second, ye were really insistent about me keeping it quiet earlier. Wha’ changed?” He yawned again and the stranger handed him a closed bottle of water.

“Don’t ask stupid questions.” Johnny was about to ask what exactly qualified as stupid questions but in the end decided to just roll his eyes and crack the bottle open, taking a few swigs.

They didn't speak much before the plane landed, Johnny dozing some more and the stranger quite preoccupied with the dog whenever Johnny did open his eyes to check the time and how much more time he had before having to get out and into his hotel.

One more night in a hotel bed before he was expected to report for duty with the 141. He smiled and the plane landed.

Somehow the stranger got off the plane before Johnny, throwing him a lazy salute when Johnny walked down the stairs and onto the tarmac. He was wearing a simple duffel bag over his shoulder that clearly had its best years behind it, and held his arm in a highly suspicious pose.

Before Johnny could catch up with him so they could walk out together, the man disappeared in the opposite direction to everyone else. Johnny grinned, shouldering his own duffel and followed the crowd. He had no reason not to go through the regular channels after all, fun as it might have been to watch a man and his puppy - and maybe guns, Johnny reminded himself - evade security.

The base was busy, soldiers buzzing all around him as the man who had introduced himself to Johnny as Kyle led him over the premises. He was nice, around Johnny’s age and easy to talk to, laughing at his ludacris story of the man on the airplane.

“Sounds like one hell of a trip, Soap. At least it wasn't boring, huh - oh! Hey, there’s someone you should meet!” Kyle shouted across the open area, waving his arm, “Lieutenant!'' The person he wanted to attract the attention of apparently wasn't showing the reaction that Kyle had wanted to because he shouted louder, “Oi! Ghost!”

Johnny froze.

“That’s the one.” was all he could whisper before the man in the skull balaclava came to stand in front of him, frowning under his mask. Gaz gave Johnny a confused look but didn’t ask any further questions.

“Sergeant.” The Ghost said. Johnny felt like his breath had been punched out of him. He had spent the entire flight watching his superior officer hide a dog in his hoodie and hadn't even known!

“That’s the new guy, John-”

“Sergeant MacTavish.” Ghost finished. His voice was neutral and his brown eyes were sparkling mischievously, “Hand picked by Price for the 141. Youngest person to ever make the tryouts for the SAS. Impressive.”

Johnny did his carp impression again, his eyes now flicking down Ghost’s body, only dressed in a shirt and jeans, arms crossed over his chest, a whole sleeve of tattoos sneaking down one of them. When he looked back up, the Lieutenant was grinning again, it bled into his voice, smug, “I am sure that you are capable of honoring confidentiality, Sergeant?”

Kyle was looking back and forth between them. The question was right on the tip of his tongue but he didn’t ask, instead watching the situation play out.

“Aye, sir.” Johnny said, “Can keep my yap closed.”

“Good man.” The Lieutenant clapped his hand on his shoulder and then walked away again, “Come to my room after Sergeant Garrick has finished showing you around!” he rounded the corner and was gone.

“Gaz, he is the one!” Johnny whispered urgently.

“The one you wanna marry? Yeah, saw you eyefuck each other, alright. As long as you two can keep it quiet it should be fine, our Captain doesn't take certain rules too seriously."

Johnny huffed, shaking his head, “From the plane, ye numpty! That was the guy from the plane, with the goddamned dog!”

There was a long moment of silence between them.

“Ah. Well. It does sound like something Ghost would do.” Kyle finally said, then adding "It's The Crow Incident all over again…"

#call of duty #ghost cod #ghostsoap #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #soapghost #soap cod #ghost soap #kyle gaz garrick #dog #Moss Writes #call of duty fanfiction #cod fanfiction #soapghost fanfiction #soapghost fanfic

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notebooks-and-laptops · 6 months

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I'm thinking about the Andraste cult "the disciples of Andraste" who believe that Andraste is now reborn as a dragon and I honestly have so many questions.

According to this codex they're all completely mad because of "inbreeding" by the time we reach them in DAO, but we actually know surprisingly little about them other than the fact that a) they at some point turned away from worshipping the ashes to worshipping the dragon which got them locked out of the inner sanctuary and the gauntlet, b) they looked after the dragons young and eggs and the dragon and her children never attacked them but instead let them drink dragons blood to become revers d) they distrust outsiders and c) their chantry officials are male much like Tevinter but unlike Orlais.

It's implied that the village possibly practices human sacrifice in DAO, although the exact reasons are unspecified (to feed the dragon? Are their mages blood mages? Why? I have questions!!!) And it's also possibly they were just sacrifing outsiders (the knights of Redcliffe) who managed to find their village? Other than that, there is little to learn by walking through the original haven.

Nothing much more is revealed by the series of quests you can do on the wartable about Haven in Inquisition either (much to my own disappointment). They point to the fact that the cave systems and the temple were built pre-andraste, but they kind of trail off in a very unsatisfactory manner regardless of which agent you pick to complete them.

We also have Tamar who was imprisoned by the inquisition and then began to fight for them to secure her freedom. She has some very interesting dialogue:

"Your Chantry goes belly up, the Inquisition steps in. Always something to keep the same people in power."

"The gilded Chantry says only one truth exists. And its servants lie, steal, kill to make it so."

This reads almost identical to what I would imagine the Dalish might say; and cast the cult in a very different light to "inbreeded mad men". From these quotes and other context we get the idea that she belonged to a group who secluded themselves and kept their own traditions away from regular society, and so her people were slaughtered to preserve the chantrys "truth" and deny her own. Even with the dragon gone (possibly dead) she still believes in her cults traditions and is faithful!!!! (Let me talk to her more PLEAEE.) But regardless, this is about as sympathetic as the games really get towards this cult.

So....what were they? I'm so facinated by these guys.

Because like. They clearly have different ideas about magic, ideas possibly handed down from Andraste herself? Or ideas that developed later? Regardless they have many mages in their group and there isn't any evidence those mages are restricted in any way. If anything their mages are sent to do important things like be the main religious leaders or to impersonate Wylen. Their ideas might honestly be closer to the Avvar which would make some sense geographically (did they have contact with the Avvar? Did they trade with them? Farming would have been hard in their snowy mountains as we know from needing supply routes to Skyhold/Haven in DAI so other than hunting, did they have contact with these groups or not?)

And I have MORE questions!!! Did they have similar religious holidays to regular Andrastism? How did they see Andrastes death most pre and post the arrival of her reborn dragon self? Did their belief in reincarnation spread beyond the dragon (to people as well) or was it something special that had only happened to Andraste? Did they have any religious texts that were important - maybe oral history was particularly favoured in this group like with the Dalish? If so, any oral history dating back to Andraste would have died out when the cult itself did.

I want to anthropologically study these people so bad and like learn everything there is to know but unfortunately they are fictional and in a game and bioware doesn't seem to have any plans to develop them so :/

#dao #dai #dragon age

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ketrindoll · 2 years

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How to recognize state-sponsored Russian propaganda

It's no secret that the Russian state, using troll farms and other means, has been spreading deliberate disinformation for years. They are known to be behind the 2016 Presidential election in the US, the Brexit referendum in the UK, and other smaller and bigger events. For example, the EU discovered financial ties between Kremlin and right-wing political figures in Europe, with Marine LePen being openly financially supported by the Russian bank. Their propaganda has been in full force ever since Russia invaded Ukraine and is part of the openly stated Russian war against the West, which Kremlin propagandists and state media describe as being amoral, degraded (referring to LGBTQ+ community rights in particular), and out to destroy the great and traditional Russian state. It's modern, hybrid warfare is set against us every day.

So how to recognize if something you are reading, whether repeated on the news or in social media comments/posts, is Russian propaganda?

It's going to be a long post, unfortunately, as it's directly linked with the DebunkEU.org investigation, but certainly worth reading.

Part 1: Narratives related to war

After Russia invaded Ukraine on the 24th of February, the trolls had a period of unusual silence. But soon enough they picked up where they left off, perhaps even more severely than before. There were a few key points that Russian trolls spread in the comments:

Refugees are all crooks, that are rude to volunteers, steal from their hosts, steal husbands (the latest British tabloid the Sun post seems to perpetuate this story without any credible evidence, other than a Facebook post), etc. Some impersonate registration center employees to spread fake stories about supposed bad characters among the Ukrainian refugees. Such posts are usually the same in every country and are meant to discourage people from helping those in need. Similar tactics were used in regards to Syrian refugees, who fled Russian-bombed Aleppo, but that time it actually worked. Any actual bad-apple cases would get blown out of proportion to paint all refugees as such. It shows the absolute despicable nature of the Russian government - not only do they destroy a country, but they also make sure its citizens are despised wherever they go. (began to spread late February-early March till now)

Questioning national identity + Whataboutism: "What about Liberia/Iraq/Palestine", "Why are you not putting up your own country's flag?" It's to minimize the open support for Ukraine and spread the classic Russian attitude of {if America did it, why can't we?} (began to spread on the 28th of February)

Ukraine is evil: Biolabs in Ukraine, Ukrainians killing Russians in Donbas, and other similar lies are all just poor attempts at justifying the war. (28th of February till now)

The West is to blame: from blaming NATO to saying that it's America, and not actually Ukraine, that is fighting Russia is all part of Russia's general attitude of "fight against the rotten West and Gayrope [gay Europe]". Even though NATO only expanded as a response to Russian aggression and there were no agreements for it not to expand. The reason it pisses the Russian gov off is that it makes it hard for them to restore the USSR borders by swallowing its neighbors. (began to spread early March till now)

Part 2: What Russia wants you to believe

There are three main conspiracy theories that Russia tries to spread to destabilize Western societies and "divide and conquer".

The concept of public safety. This theory questions the very basics of democracy, by trying to prove that a secret group is controlling everything behind the scenes, thus undermining your power as a voter and belief in a democratic system. This group is supposedly making us choose between few, suitable to them, options, and the only way to avoid being part of the system is by removing ourselves from it altogether and assembling into independent societies. The greatest evil is the West and US in particular, meanwhile, Russia is a state that's immune from this and protects traditional values and spirituality. In Europe, this group calls for the return of the USSR, and all around the world, they are recognized for their talks about globalists and praises of figures like Stalin. This propaganda was first spread by the Soviet secret service and has been officially approved by Putin himself.

New World Order. This theory is perhaps the most widespread and accepted. It states that the world is ruled by elites (again, democracy means nothing), who seek to eliminate individual countries and establish a New World Order. It tries to paint many cultural and intellectual figures as members of this organization, and they are behind every major event locally or internationally, from financial crises to unpopular political decisions. This theory began spreading in the 50s and 60s and gained particularly strong traction during the pandemic.

The great reset. This is a theory that exploded in 2020 and states that while the earth is overpopulated, vaccines and other methods can be used as population control to reset the global political system and economics. Klaus Schwab became a figurehead of this conspiracy. Again, Russia somehow is immune to all of this.

Just so you get an idea of how widespread is Russian state-sponsored propaganda, Lithuania, a country with a population of less than 3 million, has identified 105 pro-Russian or propaganda spreading Facebook groups alone, not to mention websites, "news" sites, and individual fake accounts. Most of those are managed by just 8 people. Think how much could be in large countries like America that Russia considers an enemy state. Also, be careful about what you spread regarding Ukrainian refugees, as an example of what happens when misinformation gets out of control can be seen in how Syrian refugees are treated to this day.

Part 3: Trolls

Regarding trolls, another example of a Lithuanian investigation into one of the pro-Russian Facebook groups shows this:

A post is created that spreads fake news, support for Russia, or some shocking new info about Ukrainians.

In two days, 227 comments are left under the post.

2571 comments are left right after the Bucha massacre.

484 users posted those comments.

400 reacted positively to "Bucha is fake" posts.

An unusually large amount of comments were either a direct/poor translation or in Russian.

Most of the comments were written by fake accounts. One of such accounts wrote 9 comments in just 21 seconds.

What does it tell us? Most of the traction in pro-Russian or misinformation groups is coming from Russia, troll farms in particular. Also, there is no point to argue with them. A bot that posts 9 comments under different posts in just 21 seconds is not going to read your replies or answer them. The best course of action is to report the comment. Facebook is notorious for not giving a shit, but if enough people will report both the comment and the profile, chances of those getting taken down will massively increase. Don't just scroll by, report both the comment and the user.

Also, follow the money. Facebook ads are not cheap, and if you see someone promoting their conspiracy ideas, think about how they got the cash. In a small country like Lithuania for a politician or supposedly freelance journalist to have 10'000-16'000 euros for ads is highly suspicious. It rings true everywhere - from QAnon to others, how can they afford to promote themselves, to buy domains, to support a large team, etc. Basically, follow the money.

And for goodness sake, stop watching those random YouTube videos as a source of truth.

#disinformation #fake news #misinformation #russia #ukraine #trolls #bots #conspiracy theories #beware of lies #war #hybrid warfare

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attorneys-against-court-violence · 8 months

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The phantom fills my brain with questions DD never seems interested in answering.

Why was he so devoted to his work that he abandoned his entire identity? How much of that leaked out over the course of the game? How much of the real phantom lines up with Bobby so well that he never tripped any of the 3 living lie-detectors at any point (besides when he was trying to hide his concern about the police and Simon's actions, which is very much NOT in-line with the phantom's motives)?

He can fake emotions just fine so Athena's not an issue, at least until he feels comfortable enough to drop the act. Apollo's is a bit trickier since it picks up on subconscious ticks when someone's trying to hide something. Does the phantom telling him his name is Bobby Fulbright count as a lie if even he doesn't know what his actual name is? Does his waxing lyrical about JUSTICE! not count because enforcing the law is literally his job as a detective (or even because it really is a driving force behind his actions, not just for "Bobby")?

Phoenix on the other hand... I don't think the Magatama has been presented as a flawed method for weeding out someone's lies before. It can even pick up on lies the person in question isn't even aware of (Black Psyche Locks). When the phantom says he's concerned for Simon's moral compass faltering and wants to do something about his execution... nothing. This is one of the greatest threats to his identity - his core motive for most of everything he does - so wanting him to be saved and being concerned for his welfare runs counter to his primary goal. But that contradiction isn't picked up. Having two contradictory thoughts isn't impossible... maybe there's a cognative dissonance involved somewhere. Maybe the phantom really DOES care about justice, that Simon's situation is thoroughly unjust, that the man he's charged with keeping an eye on is starting to give in to his biases. The latter can't be explained away by "oh no, he's just concerned about Starbuck going free and leading people to question who actually killed Clay, eventually leading to discovering his involvement"; if that's true and his schpeal about Simon was a lie to cover that up, the Magatama would have picked up on that. But again, two things can be true at once...

It sounds to me that the phantom - whoever he was before he was the phantom - was a man who cared deeply about JUSTICE! and allows it to drive his every action. That sense of right could be overriden by his desire to protect his identity, however; between being physically threatened by his employers/political enemies that would rather him dead & the existential threat of realising who he's become, that often takes precident over doing right by others. Note that his major murders - Metis Cykes and Clay Terran - were committed in response to a potential threat to revealing his identity. Metis had his psyche profile and Clay had the Hope Capsule with the moon rock he had hidden inside. The courtroom bombing was intended to destroy that rock... human casualties be damned. Even Starbuck nearly perished as a result of the phantoms plans to have the rock destroyed and abandoned in space.

Think about the other characters he impersonates in the retrial. Starbuck was likely a means to have greater access to the Space Centre, to allow more involved control over its missions and ease of maneuverability through it. Means' ideology is what the phantom runs on when it comes to his identity; murder, bomb attacks, fragrantly destroying evidence mid-trial... all unjust means justified by the ends of protecting his long-lost face. Phoenix is a little trickier, but being the master of on-the-spot improvisation and straight-up bluffing is very handy for his line of work.

So what about Bobby? Functionally, he's a means to stay close to Simon and ensure he's on-track to be executed. He stands in opposition to the defense - one of which having the tools to out his identity and the motivation to save Simon - and seemingly has Simon's trust to handle the majority of investigative duties (even if he fudges it like with the bloodstains in the art room). That last point is a big deal by the way, considering that he openly says that he can't trust Starbuck's case to anyone but him, yet doesn't openly question Bobby's endeavours and conclusions. The only problem he had with the lighter was that Bobby didn't reveal who's fingerprints were actually on there, not that it was someone seemingly unrelated to the murder in question (Athena). Symbolically, I think Bobby is a reflection of an idea so paramount to the phantom that not even a mystical soul reader questions it; his sense of justice. There's not much of an explaination as to why his grand statements about it despite being very much unjust himself didn't register as lies - it's a core part of his person that lines up so seamlessly with this goofy cop that no one is any the wiser to it. It's a part of himself that he has to actively go against when his identity is in jeopardy. A part of the old self he has to discard in order to carry out his orders in safety.

The phantom has likely done many a dreadful thing from under all the masks. Forgetting who he is and discarding a part of him so intrinsic that it shines brightly when he's allowed to show it through Bobby is likely the only way he can reconcile doing what he's done at all.

He has no self because that self would be HORRIFIED by what he has done.

Though at this point I'm just saying what I've always said about ol' Phanty; the fact the game goes out of its way to detach him from Bobby in many ways while going against the very logic it and the series at large established to do so renders him much worse than he could have been, because what Bobby could say about the phantom is very interesting to me. ...which might explain why I've made three long text posts about my thoughts on the matter. Whoops!

#long post #ace attorney spoilers #dual destinies spoilers #dual destinies analysis #moon's haunted #look out the AAP is having another ''the phantom could be so good if the game wasn't so bad'' moment #hit the bomb shelters and protect your kids lest they hear my insane ramblings

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yourlocalbimexican · 3 months

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I Expect You To Die 2 thoughts

context: I bought a Meta Quest 2 at Best Buy two weeks ago and I finally came in yesterday. One of the games I knew I wanted to play was the I Expect You To Die trilogy (I’m a huge sucker for escape rooms, puzzles, and spy movies) I finished the second game recently so here are my thoughts!

SPOILERS FOR IEYTD 2

This game is sooo gooood. Like, WOW I wasn’t expecting this. IMO the first one was pretty okay, nothing extraordinary but entertaining and it taught me what to expect in future titles. Going into the sequel was a whole different experience however.

The opening credits had me hooked from the get go. The va for John Juniper did a wonderful job. John made the game for me. Honestly. The soundtrack was phenomenal as well, which only helped the game. Anyways let’s get into the missions one by one.

(also I will be giving an overall score for each mission, with 10/10 meaning the mission’s puzzles felt complete and compelling, the mission fit what it was supposed to do, and my PERSONAL enjoyment of it. If you disagree, then tell me the comments as to why. I would love to hear your thoughts!)

-Stage Fright-

a simplistic but entertaining mission. Not the best out of the sequel but better than the first mission in the first game. The switch you need to do with the two cans was pretty smart and made good work of the pov depth that VR provides. It did take me a couple of tries when it came to the crossbow shooting but (mostly because I didn’t realize you could pick up the Zoraxis’ agents bolts)Overall: 6/10

-Jet Set-

okay, I’m gonna be honest here. Jet Set is the worst in the sequel. Now that doesn’t mean it’s a bad mission, but it’s the worst puzzle mission out of all the others in the sequel. Most of the puzzles in the mission didn’t feel connected at all. That is what bums me the most. It felt like this mission was a lot of cool ideas combined into a plane mission. The puzzles were fun, but they didn’t make sense when put into a mission. The next mission will better demonstrate what I mean. Overall: 5/10

-Eaves Drop-

This. Mission. Rocks. From the first laser puzzle, to the various desk puzzles. This mission feels so put together compared to Jet Set. It’s begins with you descending into The Fabricator’s workshop, in order to investigate John Juniper, Zoraxis, and any plans the three of them might have. The thing that really makes this mission feel so put together compared to Jet Set is that everything, and I do mean, everything, has a purpose. From the wheels on the board being used to crank open the Mimic Mask, to the manual that describes how to use the bear trap (which comes in handy when the guard shows up near the end). Everything in the puzzle has a purpose towards the mission or lore. I get that not every mission can expand the story of the game (otherwise the games would be over very quickly) but that doesn’t mean that missions have to be completely irrelevant.

Anyways, this part is getting long so I’ll wrap it up. In short, the mission makes full use of its environment to provide multiple fun and engaging puzzles that further the story of the game in a meaningful manner. Overall: 10/10

-Party Crashers-

Come off the trails of Eaves Drop, Party Crashers takes a turn in mission direction. We start off by impersonating Gibson (John’s wine guy) at the wine cellar. Sending John the right wine took more tries than I care to admit. Retrieving the Mimic Mask was clever. Looking into the hat for clues on the Keg puzzle was a nice touch. Eliminating the guards with the gas was neat and the callback to the tutorial mission was just the cherry on top for this mission. Party Crashers was the mission that took me the most time to figure out, but when I finally did figure it out, it was satisfying. Overall: 8/10

-Safe and Sound-

I think this is the shortest mission in the entire sequel. It definitely feels like it is. That isn’t a bad thing per se, but it just makes the mission feel…weird. The speed run timer is 1:30 which is incredibly fast. Considering the mission after this one is so monumental (and the final mission) and the previous mission being the head-scratcher it was, makes Safe and Sound seem small and easy. The most difficult part of the mission was the mirror puzzle even that was fairly easy to solve. I do understand why this mission is this way. It makes the finale seem so much bigger and gives the player a needed brain break from Party Crashers, but maybe Safe and Sound could’ve been a bit more difficult. Just a tiny bit. Overall: 6/10

-Rising Phoenix-

OKAY here we are. At the finale, and I gotta say. It doesn’t disappoint. Compared to the Death Machine mission from the first game, Rising Phoenix makes its goals simple and clear. The math to get there? Not so simple nor clear. My biggest fear for this mission was that it would be too convoluted or not long enough. However, neither fears game to fruition and this mission really shows what the devs can do. My personal favorite puzzles were the battery ones and the final briefcase puzzles.

also, John Juniper’s death was out of left field for me. I didn’t think he would die. I thought we would be able to arrest him or he would fly away on some jet but no. He dies. He died because his ego got in the way of his role and his use quickly left him. A interesting end to a interesting character.

Recently I re-watched Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (highly recommend the Knives Out movies if you love who-dunnits). Anyways, during the beginning of the movie, all the disruptors are mailed a box that has a series of puzzles in it that eventually reveal a card with an invitation to a private get-away on a Greek island. The briefcase puzzle in Rising Phoenix is basically the box from Glass Onion. Multiple different puzzles granting access to one thing. In the movie it’s a invite, in IEYTD 2, it’s the abort button to stop the rocket* from launching. Mind you, the entire briefcase puzzle is on a timer. So when you finally unlock the abort button, what happens? Well in a cruel twist of fate, Doc. Zoe turns off the power and the button no longer works. Worry not however! Remember the battery from early? Well we can use that to provide the briefcase the power and abort the rocket! Sadly the facility will blow either way, but the world will be saved.

this is the type of missions I love. When everything comes together, the reuse of old tools to progress through new puzzles, the clever solutions to sticky situations. This is what makes IEYTD 2 such a good sequel. From the get go there is a pressure to beat Zoraxis and defeat John Juniper and in turn, save the world. The final mission of the first game was lacking the build up, which made it seem very…sudden when it ended. Here? The finale is well expected. We now we are in the third act, and that this mission is do or die. Its just phenomenal. Overall: 10/10

-closing thoughts!-

I do believe that I Expect You To Die 2 is a wonderful sequel and is definitely worth the price. Jet Set (as much as I have said about it) isn’t a horrible level. Its has issues but maybe it’s just not my cup of tea. Eaves Drop’s atmosphere and classic spy elements makes it (IMO) the best level outside of the finale. Party Crashers is a fun, head-scratching follow up, and Rising Phoenix manages to deliver on everything the other missions were building towards. Overall: 9/10. I highly recommend you play it.

#i expect you to die #ieytd2 #john juniper #thoughts #review #agent phoenix #virtual reality #gaming #video games #spy game

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trashyreptilian · 2 years

Text

Revelation, September 16th 1992

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Author's Note: Before you read this, if you haven't read "Lurking Danger" this is going to be confusing as hell. So I'd recommend skipping this one if you haven't done that yet. This is a bit of a continuation of that story, an epilogue of sorts I guess.

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Trigger Warnings: Slight mentions of blood and gore.

Characters: "Cesar Torres" (he/him), "Mark Heathcliff" (he/him) and "Him" (he/it)

Summary: Awoken in Mark's apartment, Cesar is left confused as to what had happened that lead him there. To his shock, he sees a strangely familiar figure enter the room. Mark has no choice but to tell the truth about who they are and what escalated just hours ago. (Word count: ~4 000)

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A pulsating sensation overwhelmed Cesar's blank mind. His eyelids tightened and his teeth clenched in response. The pain only grew as he kept trashing and turning his body. Whatever he was laying on was at least soft but had little wiggle room to move his body around. Combined tightness and squeezing feelings coming from his head were terrible but gradually made him more awake. He repeatedly opened and closed his eyes. It took a couple of minutes before his vision adjusted. Once it was, his stare met with the ceiling. Cesar wanted to lift his head up but he couldn't bear to move away from the soft surface it laid on.

While he contemplated whether he should move or not, his other senses kicked in. His hearing seemed alright. However, there was nothing of note to listen to. A faint buzzing coming from what could be a refrigerator and noises from the outside world was all he got. The smell, oddly enough, was familiar. A particular funk he remembered all too well. An odor which was once horrid masked by some refreshing spray. These tiny clues, which in contrast wouldn't be enough for anyone else to make out where they were, are enough for Cesar to assume that he was at a friend's place. Once he finally moved his body to its side, he saw a coffee table and a bit further, a television with a SNES on top of it. He was more than sure that he was at Mark's apartment. Why was he there in the first place? He had not bothered to ask himself that just yet. Not while his mind was too scrambled to think. He felt a little safer though. But that wasn't going to help with the sharp pain still throbbing from his head. Cesar gently moved his hand to the aching source. Softly brushing along his hair, he then noticed he was bandaged up. His hand movements were frantic as he felt around all over his head.

Cesar's forehead and nearly his entire head were covered in bandages. His heart pounded faster, he could feel it in his chest. His eyes grew wider as he tried getting up. Sitting on a sofa, he stared at the wooden floor. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He was wounded, and badly at that. When he moved his hand away and looked at his fingers, they were smeared in a wet substance. His skin had a redder shade. It was very subtle, yet he could still make it out to be blood. The pain was overthrown by the sudden feeling of dizziness. He raised his head up to have a better look at his surroundings. No one was in sight. He was alone, with a sharp lingering pain, at his friend's home. Rubbing his eyes, Cesar tried to recall what had transpired before he ended up there. To say it was hard, was an understatement.

For what felt like forever, his mind couldn't pinpoint exactly what had caused his pain. He remembered the dreadful alternate encounter, his three day isolation, Mark fending for him and then blank. A long gap in his memory persisted. All of a sudden, it hit him. Didn't he just remember having an encounter with his impersonator? Cesar's heart dropped. Did he survive? Did both him and Mark escape from that alternate alive? Surely so, how could he end up at Mark's place if that wasn't the case? With the unexpected boost of adrenaline, he managed to pick himself up. His dizziness nearly threw him off as he got up a bit too fast. Just as soon he was ready to look for Mark, he stayed in place. Behind him, a door eerily let out an ear-piercing creak.

"Mark…?" Cesar's voice was weak, but what he said was loud enough for the other person. His instincts told him to stay put, he didn't understand why. However, he needed to see his friend now more than ever. He turned around. To his surprise, he didn't see Mark. Someone completely new and unfamiliar stood by the door. It jolted back a little as both of them made eye-contact. An uneasy sensation overtook Cesar's stomach.

As he walked backwards, he completely forgot about the coffee table. He tripped over it. The table flipped as he landed on his back. The thud echoed in the living room, the mysterious figure rushed forward behind the couch to look at Cesar. Thankfully, the fall didn't hurt as much but that was the least of his concern. After a loud groan from the trip, he focused his gaze back at the other person. Before, he couldn't see them clearly as it chose to hide itself behind the door. But then, the natural light coming from the window nearby made it more visible. The longer Cesar gawked, the more uncomfortable he became. Was this really the first time he saw this person…? His breathing turned to hyperventilating.

"Who… Who are you…?" Cesar hesitantly asked as he slouched away with his legs.

The figure remained silent, choosing to stare instead. In reality, Cesar didn't need an answer. His memory would soon give one. An answer which would have been better kept unknown for his sake. The black cloak, its pale face and the abnormal height. Those details clicked together. He saw the figure before. It was a quick glimpse but it stuck with him. When Mark was faced against his alternate, he dashed for the stairs. At that point, he had little to no control over his own actions. He pulled a stupid move on impulse and got caught for it. Cesar stood emotionless. Despite that, he unfortunately recalled just how closely face-to-face he was with the entity. To his surprise, another alternate had emerged from the dark. The exact same alternate, who viciously attacked its own kind and knocked him unconscious, was standing in the same room. The couch being the only divider between them.

Cesar gasped. Without even trying to stand up, he slouched backwards as fast as his legs could go until his back reached a wall. He had escaped one alternate, just to have the other one follow him. His entire body trembled profusely. Kneeling in a corner, Cesar hid his face with his hands.

If he could scream, he would. "Please… Please just-… Not like this, not again…" That was all his voice mustered out.

Cesar's eyes began to water. He escaped death once but it still followed him. It felt unreal, cruel even. All he had the strength to do was pray. Pray that the alternate would finish him off quickly and swiftly. Laying still, cowering in the corner, he waited. He couldn't bear to look whether that thing was standing near him or not. Waiting for what was to happen to him, the room fell silent. Uncomfortably silent. Before he knew it, he heard footsteps leaving the living room. Another door thud echoed, it came from the short hallway leading to Mark's bedroom. Confusion set in. He remained in place, alone and terrified. However, Cesar heard more footsteps approaching the living room. They halted for a second. He knew someone was there. Whether it was someone or something that he wasn’t waiting to find out. The footsteps got closer. The agonizingly slow creaking coming from the floor was unbearable. A hand was placed on Cesar's shoulder, he flinched.

"Hey there buddy…" Cesar immediately looked up after hearing his friend's voice. It was Mark, crouched down to his eye-level.

"Mark?!" He hugged Mark, holding onto him for dear life.

Mark fell back, surprised at the hug. He followed suit, hugging Cesar back. Gently patting him on the back. "Breathe man, breathe… You're fine, everything's fine." He lifted Cesar as they both stood up together. "Let's get you back on that couch, okay?"

"Okay…" Mark wrapped his arm around Cesar's shoulder and carefully dragged him towards the couch.

Cesar leaned his head back on the soft surface. Somewhat relieved not having to carry his own head weight. He tried to restore his breathing back to normal. Meanwhile, his friend was busy getting him some water. That's what he thought anyway, sounds of splashing water coming from the kitchen made it apparent. Soon Mark joined him, sitting close by.

"Here, you need this. You've been dehydrated for a while." He handed Cesar a glass of water.

Cesar grabbed the glass and took tiny sips at a time. "Thanks…"

"Don't mention it…" Mark let out a quiet cough. "Dude, your head looks so fucked with all the bandages… I've got some painkillers lying around somewhere if you want some later."

"I don't know if painkillers are going to cut it… I might need to go to a hospital or something…" Cesar's voice was emotionless. A far cry from his usual cheery tone he always carried.

"Why's that? You just got some nasty cuts on your head…" Mark asked hesitantly.

Cesar paused. Just as Mark was hesitant to ask, he hesitated answering. "I think I might be seeing things…" Looking at his friend, his eyebrows were furrowed. "I don't know… M-… Maybe it's just hysteria but-… I woke up and saw an alternate in here…"

"An alternate…? In here, huh…?" Mark shifted his eyes.

"Yeah, sounds weird I know… It didn't even do anything, it just…Left…? So, you know… Maybe painkillers aren't enough if I'm seeing shit." Cesar blankly stared at his half-filled glass.

"About that… Uuuh-…" Cesar looked back at Mark, his hands were slightly shaking. "Shit… I don't know where to start…"

Cesar raised an eyebrow. "What…? What's wrong?"

"Listen… I'll start by saying this… I know that, I haven't been the most frank with you all the time… But, I'm going to need you to trust me on what I'm about to say."

Cesar held onto his glass tighter, unsure what was about to unfold. "Ummmm… Okay? I'm listening…"

Mark took a deep breath. "Alright so… The alternate that you saw here. Was it the same one that attacked your impersonator? With the black cloak?" Cesar nodded, he continued. "Yeah, so you remember, that's good… Well then, you probably remember me telling you on the phone that I'd get help-"

"Wait, how is this related to anything right now…?"

"I'm getting there, Cesar… I didn't actually call anyone for help. I didn't call the police, 911 or any other number… I went to your house with that hooded alternate…"

Cesar's eyes widened up a bit. He quickly looked at his glass and then back at Mark. "You're joking… You're joking, right?"

Both fell silent for an uncomfortable minute until Mark answered. "Does it look like I'm joking…?"

Typically, Cesar could tell if Mark was messing with him or not. However, the look in his eyes said it all. Despite that, he wanted to brush off what he said with a laugh. He rubbed his eyes. "So you're meaning to tell me… That instead of calling someone, you just… WALKED into my house with a handgun and an alternate… Tch-'' Nearly letting out a mocking laugh, he slammed his glass on the coffee table. "Look, I know you love to joke around and shit when bad things happen but I-… Of all times to do this, after we barely made it out alive, NOW you choose to mess with me? You think that's okay?"

Mark stood up. "So… You don't believe me?"

"What, of course I do- NO SHIT, I don't believe you!" Cesar stayed in place. "Are you even listening to yourself!? You're not making any fucking sense…" The little burst of anger Cesar felt turned into frustration.

"Figured you'd say that… Guess I have no choice." Without elaborating further, Mark walked up to the hallway. He whistled with his fingers. A door opening could be heard down at the end. Gesturing with his hand for someone to come closer, he turned back to look at Cesar. "Don't freak out, please…"

Before Cesar had the time to ask, the hooded alternate Mark mentioned slowly stepped out and stood behind his friend. He sat speechless, staring up at the entity. The height difference was unlike anything he had seen before. His mind wasted no time kicking in his instincts. He wanted to run. Run far from there but he was trapped. Neither could he hide anywhere. Standing up, he backed away into the small kitchen. "No, no, no, no… NO, this isn't happening… This is not-…"

"Hey just- Calm down, would you for a sec?"

Cesar quickly glared back at Mark, who stopped as he tried getting near him. "Don't you dare tell me to calm down… What… In the actual FUCK is that thing doing in here? Are you insane bringing that into your home!? Let alone in my house too!?"

Mark sighed. "The way you put it makes it sound really bad BUT-… If that "thing" wasn't there when your alternate caught you, you would have been dead. It was trying to save you, WE were trying to get you out alive."

Cesar shook his head. "No… No! That doesn't make any sense! It threw me against the wall, you call that saving someone!? I've got cuts and bruises all over my head and you expect me to believe it wasn't trying to kill me!?"

"YES, okay!? I am expecting you to believe that!" Mark's tone got more aggressive as he slowly walked towards Cesar. "I saw what happened while I carried your unconscious ass to my car. I actually SAW what happened in that house, can't you just take my word for it!? If you don't believe me, those security cameras probably caught everything on footage!"

"Fine! Even if they did, are you going to tell me WHY an alternate would even save a human? They kill and replace us! And again, you should have called the police or fuck- Anyone else for that matter! We could have died!" In the midst of them arguing, Cesar didn't even bother looking at the alternate standing in the same room as them, listening to everything they were saying.

"CALLING THE POLICE WOULD HAVE DONE JACK SHIT, CESAR!" Mark shouted, regretting it right after. "I'm sorry but… You're shouting at me like I was some fucking idiot putting us in danger when that's not the case. I was worried for you and when I got that phone call… I couldn't sit and do nothing…"

Staring at one another, their breathing synced up. Cesar felt bewildered. "What are you trying to say?"

Mark let out a long sigh. "It's not just the police… No matter who you try to call or what sort of emergency operator you talk to, they don't do anything. They leave people to die if it's an alternate encounter…"

"How…How do you know that…?" Cesar asked, his voice soothing down.

"Come on, Cesar… Haven't you noticed the number of people getting smaller in this County ever since they announced the "alternate invasion"? Have you ever wondered why information on these creatures is so scarce to the public? It's because we can't fight back. We literally can't. We can't… Do anything to stop them…"

"That can't be true…"

"If it wasn't, I would have shot your alternate without a second thought. But I didn't. I was the distraction. The only thing that can kill an alternate, is another alternate." As Mark turned to look at the hooded creature, Cesar looked at it as well. It stood there. Quietly paying attention, with a concerned expression on its face. Maybe Mark wasn't lying. Either way, he had a bad feeling about it nonetheless.

"Okay… You just so happen to stumble upon a friendly alternate out of nowhere…?" Cesar crossed his arms.

"Well… Yes and no…" Mark scratched his head and walked up to the entity. "Him, over here, isn't like other alternates… I've known it since I was four years old. It's been… my only family… The only one I can call "family" anyway…"

Cesar rubbed his eyes again. So much had been unpacked and he was unsure how to feel about anything. Not to mention, the head pain he felt throughout the conversation had worn him out.

"I had no choice but to keep this a secret… I'm really sorry. I never planned on even telling you but shit changed when you called me…" Mark paused for a minute. "Are you okay…?"

"I want to go home, Mark…" Cesar didn't bother looking at them.

A moment passed until his friend answered. "Fine… I'll drive you there."

The duo took some time to prepare themselves. Cesar had nothing on him, he failed to notice that he was in his black pajamas through the entire ordeal. Mark gave him a puffy fur jacket and a pair of shoes to wear until they got back. They barely made eye-contact at one another. An uneasy silence followed them as they left the apartment, descending down the stairs. Finally outside, a freezing autumn breeze blew across Cesar's hair. He nuzzled his face deeper into the fur of his jacket. Following Mark to his car, he unlocked it. Cesar sat in the front passenger seat. The engine started and they were on their way, the worn-down apartment building faded out of sight as they drove further and further away. Cesar kept his head turned to the side, looking through the car window. However, his mind didn't focus on what they drove past. No, his thoughts were busy with something else. He thought about the alternate encounter, what Mark revealed to him and so on. He had so much to ask. Yet, he stayed quiet. Glancing at his friend from time to time, he had his eyes stuck on the road.

Eventually, Cesar's curiosity grew too much to handle. "So… You gave that thing a name…?"

"What…? Oh, oh yeah- I mean… That's what I called it when I was young. It stuck with it, I guess."

"Was it supposed to replace you?"

"Oh no, not me. Him was going to replace my dad." Mark paused as he did a turn to a different street. "Instead, it didn't. I mean, it replaced my dad in a different way…"

"What do you mean…?" Cesar re-positioned himself, sitting up straighter.

"My dad, my ACTUAL dad, left my family when I was five. So… Him took care of me all these years…"

"What about your mother and sister…? Do they know about this?"

Mark's eyebrows furrowed. "No, they don't know… And I rather not talk about them, at all…" His expression turned sour.

Cesar decided to put a halt to his questions. Guessing that was as much as he could get without upsetting him. It gave some context but he felt like there were a lot of missing pieces. What troubled him the most, was how Mark would rather talk about the alternate than his own family. Truth be told, for a long time he had a feeling that his friend's homelife wasn't good. Far from it. He was never sure however, all he had to go off of were tiny hints every so often. For the first time that day, Mark was actually trying to share something personal.

After a near hour long drive, they made it back to a familiar wealthy neighborhood. Cesar's house appeared as they drove past the many large houses. Mark parked in front of the large iron gates. Once the car completely stopped, they unfastened their seatbelts and got out. Last time they were there, the weather was rainy, chaotic. Gazing up at the sky, it remained gray with large darker clouds blocking the sun. Mark began walking towards the main porch, Cesar followed. As he waited behind Mark, he carefully opened the door which was left unlocked. Before they barged in, Cesar quickly grabbed Mark's shoulder.

"Wait, what if it came back…?"

Mark turned to look at Cesar. "I doubt it but if it is, we get the fuck out of here."

With one deep breath, they went inside. Cesar stayed close to Mark as they inspected the first floor. Surprisingly, nothing out of the ordinary stuck out. Nobody could probably tell that two alternates were in his house hours ago. He felt slight relief. Up until he saw the broken window in the kitchen, from where his alternate snuck in. It didn't even try to get in discreetly, it brute forced its way inside. Something about that seemed more terrifying to Cesar. After getting a good glimpse everywhere, the duo climbed upstairs. Cesar went up front that time. Suddenly, he halted at the last step. The sight was enough for him to let out a harsh gag.

"Joder… Qué es eso…" Cesar muffled under his breath as he tried stepping back.

Mark must have heard as he moved Cesar aside to see what freaked him out. There it laid, a severed arm with a pool of black liquid surrounding it. He crouched down to pick it up.

"Puta madre-…" Cesar helplessly watched as he gently swung the arm side to side. "What are you doing!? Put that away!"

"Put it where? In the trash? I don't think so…" Mark held the severed arm, it even had a bit of its suit partially attached. "I'm gonna have to dump this to some sort of landfill or somewhere remote."

"Whatever, just… Get it as far from here as possible, it's disgusting…"

Cesar walked up the last step and inspected the long hallway. To say it looked as clean as the first floor would be a gross lie. Broken glass was scattered on the floor to his left, broken furniture pieces, to his right. As he went to his bedroom, he noticed holes had been punched in all over the walls. There was a big one on the ceiling. Ignoring the mess, Cesar at the moment wanted to go to his room more than anywhere else. He entered, everything looked fine. To his surprise, nothing was out of place. Sheer luck must have struck him with that one. When he was done changing his attire, he went back out into the hallway. He saw Mark standing in the security room as he went past the stairs. He was watching through the single window in the room. To Cesar's dismay, that window was broken as well. His aching head pain eased up overtime but now that they were at his house, his anxiety rose as he saw all the damage the alternates caused. Although, he didn't care for the material possessions. How was he supposed to explain himself to his parents? There was no way that he was going to tell the actual truth. Nobody would believe him.

"What am I going to do…"

"Huh…?" Mark turned around from the window.

"What am I going to tell my parents when they get back…? There's no way we can clean all of the mess those things left behind and god forbid, I tell them what actually happened. Shit… I might need to get rid of the security footage first…Fuck, argh!-…" Cesar plopped down on the floor, his back facing the wall. He frustratingly sighed, sounding more like a groan.

Mark walked up next to Cesar and plopped himself down the same way as he did. "Hey, we'll come up with something. It'll be fine…"

"How can you say that… NOTHING is fine…"

"Yeah but we're still here… That's good, right?"

"I guess…" Cesar scoffed.

"Are you mad at me?"

Cesar placed his head on his knees as he held onto his legs. "Maybe… I-…I don't know… I don't know, Mark."

"… Well, that's okay. I'll help you through this either way. No one should deal with this alone…" Mark patted Cesar's back. "That's what friends are for, you know…"

He glanced at Mark, smiling a little at what he said. Sadly, it fainted back into a neutral expression. So much had occurred and he barely had the time to process any of it. Both of them silently sat in the security room, letting the outside wind blow across their faces. Their slow breathing noises filled the room. Cesar reflected on everything he was told that day. Unsure what to make of his friend anymore.

#best friend au #alternate universe #the mandela catalogue #mandela catalogue #cesar torres #mark heathcliff #him #fanfiction #my writing

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mrangeldevil · 2 years

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ive been thinking about this way too long and im forcing everybody to hear me out

The 2010s Cinnamon Roll vs The 2020s Blorbo

both words have extremely similar meanings and intentions, but entirely different effects

the term ‘precious cinnamon roll’ was mainly used in the 2010s in fandom to describe someones favorite character (and is still used to this day but with much less frequency esp since its seen as a “cringy” word or a millenial word even though it was used in the 2010s which many gen z were definitely there to witness but i digress)

then the term ‘blorbo’ is also a word with the same meaning, a fandom word to describe someones favorite character, but this time it is the word for the 2020s and much like ‘precious cinnamon roll’ it will likely be looked down upon as an outdated internet slang in a few years (or maybe even by next year considering how fast the internet goes compared to before)

but while both terms mean the same thing, they come across completely differently. for one, ‘precious cinnamon roll’ is not only a lot longer but is a word that drips with sweetness, like something your grandma would call you, and is generally reserved for characters who are sweet in themselves. and while you can technically call any character your precious cinnamon roll, it is undeniably weird/funny when you call a character like Wolverine your precious cinnamon roll. its longer phrasing also leans in well to the kind of internet culture before, as in the 2020s things run a lot faster so a word that is easy and quick to say like “blorbo” makes sense. i also find it interesting that the term is generally also said as “my precious cinnamon roll” adding a personal quality compared to “the blorbo” which can sound more impersonal due to its phrasing.

now before i go onto blorbo i do want to mention that another thing both terms share is the idea of “!!!!!XD sO RaNdOm!!!!!” just different flavors of it. the 2010s used randomness in a way that involved using familiar things in unconventional ways but not too unconventional. cinnamon roll being a perfect example as using a random food to describe a fictional character is, very random. the 2020s meanwhile, use randomness in a way that makes everything feel like an elaborate inside joke that is completely incomprehensible. someone who isnt familiar to the internet can probably put together why people call things “precious cinnamon roll” pretty fast but how in the world would you understand “blorbo”? theres no way to tie the term to anything in real life, blorbo is a purely internet joke that simply cannot exist outside the internet because its basically an inside joke that we’re all in on

and that brings me to blorbo (also associated with scrunkly, scrimblo and the works): blorbo originated from this hellsite, being a term originally to parody fandom spaces. its a bit hard to describe but the best way to put it is, you make a post and it blows up and fandoms immediately keep naming a shit ton of characters you have no idea who the fuck they are so you just pick a random word out of your ass and you say “guys i do not care about Blorvo Blingblong please for the love of fuck stop saying it”

annnd thats how you end up with the term Blorbo. it is the definition of a stupidly elaborate inside joke that only chronically online people will ever get. and that perfectly describes the type of humor of the 2020s.

and the term itself has a very different connotation to ‘precious cinnamon roll’ while that terms connotation of sweetness is extremely obvious, blorbo is extremely vague and very much left to personal interpretation and its absolute randomness, while adding a funny factor that cinnamon roll could only wish to achieve, is undeniably very inpersonal as it was designed that way. it is designed to fit literally ANY character, its a throwaway name, you could use it anytime on anyone, Walter White can be a fucking blorbo if you wanted him to be.

now this isnt trying to actually pick a fight between these two terms, thatd be fucking stupid and if you did try to you need to get offline more. i just wanted to analyze these two words and how people use them.

im personally a fan of neither while loving both, cinnamon roll comes across as very ‘grandma’ and can have a fan-girl attribute to it that, as a masculine dude dont personally like but still find myself appreciating its use as it was the word i grew up seeing used in fandom and was pretty commonplace till 2019. i also appreciate how much more personal the word is, it conveys an overwhelming feeling of sweetness and personal investment and that is probably why some people still prefer the term. meanwhile blorbo is pretty gender neutral (albeit mostly used by girls it still has no gendered connotation) its a lot quicker to say, its an extremely funny word to say, and its the word that is the most popular now, but it loses a lot of the personal feeling that cinnamon roll had and is very reflective of the time period its from, its funny and quick for a moment till it becomes bland and meaningless in a year or so

idk how to end this off, this is just some linguist hobbyist’s rant about two stupid words but which ones do you prefer if you read all this way?

#internet linguistics #? thats the only way i think i could call this #internet culture #fandom #linguistics #hobbyist

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the-one-where-casey-watches-tv · 1 year

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Better Call Saul episode 6.07 "Plan and Execution"

Before I watched this episode, I had been musing about which one I was going to write about and coming up short. I loved the show, but no one episode really stood out to me. And then I watched “Plan and Execution” and realized that everything from the very beginning had been slowly leading to this. I had no idea that the Better Call Saul train had been taking the scenic route for six and a half seasons towards the moment when a shadow passes behind a crazed Howard, leaving Saul and Kim gripping each other in blood-draining fear. I’ve really never seen a slow burn like this, a show so carefully crafted from the start around one episode that was still six years away.

Breaking Bad certainly took its time as well. It took me a minute to get into that show because I thought the first two seasons were sad and boring, but after seeing the whole thing I’m adamant that they were completely necessary. All the flashy, crazy moments hit so hard because of all the pent-up significance that had been building throughout its slower beats. But as it picked up the pace, Breaking Bad almost felt like it passed in waves. Huge, multi-episode sequences of thrilling heists and hand-wringing climaxes followed by a couple slower episodes of Walt picking up the pieces at home.

I wouldn’t describe Better Call Saul as flashy. I think that’s why I lost a lot of my viewing buddies that had gotten on the Breaking Bad train with me as I plowed through the seasons. And Saul didn’t have waves, so much as one massive tsunami slowly rolling in. But, like its characters, Saul is even more intense, meticulous, and just plain niche than its predecessor. I don’t even know how to describe these characters to people who don’t know them, they are so weird. And “Plan and Execution” is so masterful because we don’t even fully understand just how intense and weird they are until this episode plays out- and I’m not sure we would have followed them this long if we did.

Before “Plan and Execution”, I was convinced that Saul could do no wrong. I hated Chuck with a passion, he was so mean to Saul and anything questionable that Saul did was a direct result of Chuck’s mistreatment. Kim had some misgivings when he died but I was super sure that he and his terrible personality brought it all on himself. I still think that, but what they did to Howard wasn’t so cut and dry- and that’s why we never got the full scope of what exactly they were planning until it was already in motion.

We saw the planning board with the sticky notes and little bits along the way- the baggie of baking soda at the country club, the little performance with the hooker in Howard’s car. It was classic Saul and Kim schemes, and Howard wasn’t fooled for a second, so it seemed harmless enough. They’d justified it to themselves and to us by reassuring each other that Howard would be able to bounce back from whatever it was they were ultimately planning, and they would settle Sandpiper and get the old people their money back- the case that first made Saul so endearing in the early days.

The first half of this episode is thrilling in a good-naturedly exciting way. It’s ‘the day’ that their whole plan comes to fruition. D-Day, they’ve called it, but we don’t know what it entails. They’ve done a whole photoshoot with a guy that’s been made up to look like someone else- truly all we understand at that point- but in a pure coincidence Saul runs into whoever it is they’re trying to impersonate and sees that the man has a cast! Saul frantically calls Kim saying the whole thing is in jeopardy because they didn’t have their actor in a cast. Whenever the photographs come to light, whoever sees them will know they’re fake as the man in them doesn’t have a broken arm.

So Kim, on her way to a career-altering meeting, turns the car right around and helps Saul manically get his actor and his little community college film crew back together to re-shoot under the time crunch of all time crunches. “This is where I need to be,” Kim even declares. They snap the photos- the man, now in a cast, walks behind Saul sitting on a park bench and the two hand off a yellow envelope. Still don’t know what the photos are for, but now we know what they’re of. The gang rushes off to the dark room to develop them, and the second the pictures are ready, Saul and Kim carefully drip a substance over them with gloved hands. In the exhausting conclusion of this last-minute hail mary, Saul literally books it as fast as he can down the street and flings the envelope with the photos in the window of a waiting car.

Moments later, everything makes sense. They had given the photos to the PI Howard hired to follow Saul, who we now understand was in Saul’s pocket the entire time. The PI gives the photos to Howard, who pulls them out of the envelope with his bare hands. He doesn’t know yet who the man is that Saul is exchanging the folder with in the photo, but he heads into this Sandpiper meeting feeling like he has the upper hand.

Francesca had already called HHM a few days ago, acting as a relative of a Sandpiper resident, and got the dial-in number that was distributed to everyone involved in the case. Saul and Kim used it to listen in over the phone as the moment of truth arrives. Everyone files into the conference room, with dozens of other people listening in over the phone. Howard and Cliff on one side, Sandpiper’s spokespeople on the other, and finally, in the middle, the neutral, court-appointed mediator- who happens to have a broken arm.

Howard’s jaw drops and he stops the proceedings, declaring that the man is “in cahoots with Jimmy McGill”. The man obviously has no idea what he’s talking about, and the accusation makes no sense. Why would Saul do this? As everyone looks around with mounting befuddlement, Howard’s insistence grows to a crazed level. That’s when someone notices his eyes. They’re super dilated. Listening over the phone, Saul mimes reeling in a fishing line. Howard is adamant now that this is all a ploy enacted by Jimmy McGill and if someone will just go get the photos out of his desk drawer- GO GET THEM RIGHT NOW- everything will be explained.

Someone does, but the photos are different now. Completely irrelevant and innocuous, with the mediator nowhere to be seen. Saul and Kim have abandoned the phone for sex now, riding the high of their successful mission. Howard, meanwhile, is honestly ruined. They said he wouldn’t be, but the dude is wrecked. Disheveled, pleading with Cliff to believe in him, his sanity, and his sobriety. In maybe the saddest possible answer, Cliff suggests that the reality of the situation doesn’t even matter. Howard’s actions have ended the case, regardless of Saul’s involvement or lack thereof.

Meanwhile, in a situation that no longer seems to concern Saul at all, Lalo has survived the attempt on his life and is proving just how far he’s willing to go; I’m not sure there’s a limit. He’s been living in the sewers, camping out in the storm drain across from the laundry and watching it through a pair of binoculars. It’s as creepy as it sounds, right? But we don’t just see that chilling image, we see what a day in the life of this routine actually looks like. He drives to a truck stop, pays for a shower, and rests methodically in his car, using an egg timer to keep himself from sleeping too long. Then it’s back into the sewers to spy with a packed sandwich meal. This is all by choice. In fact, this terrifyingly intense commitment to get to the bottom of what Gus is up to is the only reason his life was ever in danger. Nutty guy.

He's vlogging into a camcorder to document “proof” that Gus is betraying Don Eladio. This lets us in on his plan to infiltrate the laundry that night- that is, until a nearby cockroach sparks a thought that changes his mind. He doesn’t say what he’s thinking, but it’s like watching someone play a game of chess and finally think ahead to the move where they realize the other player is going to win. He has a new plan now, but we’ll just have to wait and find out what it is.

Back in Saul and Kim’s world, Howard is knocking on their door. They let him in- they knew this was coming- and they gaslight him, not admitting to a single thing. Saul breaks a little by reassuring him that he’ll “land on his feet”, a slip we know Chuck would’ve pounced on, but this isn’t even about getting away with it anymore. Everyone in the room knows they did it, and whether they admit it or not, the weight of this bizarre thing they did hangs in the air. Why did they do this?

“I mean, what do you tell yourselves? What’s the justification that makes it all okay? I sided with Chuck too often? I took away your office and put you in doc review? All of the above? ‘Howie has so much and we have so little. Let’s take him down a peg or two.’ This isn’t just pranks. This goes beyond throwing bowling balls at my car. This took planning. Coordination. How many weeks? Or was it months? It couldn’t have been easy. So tell me why? Why go to this elaborate plan to burn me to the ground? … You are perfect for each other. I was sure you did it for the money, but now it’s so clear. Screw the money. You did it for fun.”

Howard’s tirade is about to be interrupted, so we won’t get to hear what Saul and Kim have to say to this, but he’s able to make enough of his point that we realize he’s right. This isn’t like what they did to Chuck. Saul’s license was on the line back then, and frankly, Chuck had it coming. Howard never did anything wrong. He even tried to make amends. I understand the seed of resentment that Saul had for him, the seed that was never going to let him accept his job offer, but it didn’t warrant anything like this. They had nothing at stake here- in fact, they sacrificed a kind of insane amount to pull it off.

But there’s no time to sit with this now. If you clocked it like Saul and Kim just did, the candle flickered, just like it did when they let Howard in. A shadow passes behind Howard and pure terror washes over Saul and Kim. They grip each other in wordless fear and Howard recognizes that they have seen something beyond him. It’s Lalo.

This has got to be one of the coolest moments on TV ever. Their reaction is some really standout acting, and the whole sequence gives me chills. If you were watching this show with a Saul and Lalo level critical mind, maybe you saw this coming. I did not, and I’m honestly glad I didn’t. It’s one of those moments that makes perfect sense once it happens but that I would never have guessed on my own. I remember having a thought somewhere around season 5 that it was interesting that Saul and Kim’s legal and scamming life had gone largely unaffected by the cartel activity that has been running parallel just a shoulder’s width away this entire time; but it was a fleeting thought that had escaped my mind by now, the moment where everything that had ever happened on this show collided in Saul and Kim’s living room.

Everything is turned upside down and sideways. First of all, Saul fully thought this guy was dead. And everything about Lalo and Howard in a room together just feels incongruous. World’s colliding. Howard and Saul are both at a complete and utter loss. Kim, who at least had the leg up of knowing that Lalo was still alive, tries to muster the courage to handle the situation, but what is there to even do? She tries to tell Howard to leave, but before anyone can really wrap their mind around what’s going on, Lalo shoots Howard in the head (like the episode of Breaking Bad that I covered, “Plan and Execution” has a fun little double meaning). Laid back as ever, Lalo looks up and says, “Let’s talk”. Roll credits.

The one thing I’ll say about this episode- I think they played this card too early or stayed in the game too long after showing their hand. I think the same thing about Gus’ death in Breaking Bad to a lesser extent, but sticking around and pushing his luck was so in character for Walt that it didn’t bother me as much. This felt pretty decisively like the end of the story, which I think is confirmed by the fact that the show transitioned almost entirely to it’s post-Breaking Bad timeline very shortly after. There definitely needed to be a beat of resolution on both fronts, and I did think we got the perfect amount of Jesse and Walter to scratch the Breaking Bad itch without going overboard, but there was just something flat about those last few episodes.

Better Call Saul has a distinctly different feel before and after this episode. Everything is different, and I don’t look at Saul and Kim the same way anymore. For so long I saw him as the anti-Walter, the ‘bad guy whose heart’s in the right place’, and now it all just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And that’s great storytelling to take me by surprise and change my mind about someone like that, but it just felt like this episode left it all out on the field and there wasn’t much more to say afterwards. Definitely nothing that warranted this season being longer than the rest, especially considering the present-day storyline ends with Saul just confessing to everything and going to jail for a really long time. It’s a pretty simple ending for a guy we’ve gone to such lengths to establish is anything but.

What say you? Did you see Lalo coming a mile away? Am I too hard on the way the show wraps up? Do you think it’s weird that I called him Saul instead of Jimmy?

#better call saul #lalo #saul goodman #jimmy mcgill #kim wexler #howard hamlin #bob odenkirk #tv #tv criticism #tv review

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remnantsfm · 9 months

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EVENT 002a. SHADOWS OVER ANSAN

CONTENT WARNINGS. murder, serial killers

TWO WEEKS SINCE THE STORM. day and night and day and night after, it seems that the city has decided to pick up after itself as best as it can, brush it off, and push onwards. time, it doesn't stop. the world turns on. although a strange, solemn silence has blanketed ansan's waterlogged landscape, this city has learned long ago to keep turning with the world, or else risk being forgotten in its gutters. this morning, you awaken to an uneasy headline: CITY-WIDE MURDER INVESTIGATION BEGINS. it unfolds into an article . . .

[ *CLICK HERE FOR PLAIN VIEW ]

❝ [09:00 KST]. the enforcer division has officially proclaimed an ONGOING MURDER INVESTIGATION. this morning, enforcers called for a press release, where it was revealed that a body had been found near the OLD ANSAN OBSERVATORY approximately two weeks ago, following the storm. more details have since been released: the publicized autopsy report reveals an inconclusive time of death, but it is suspected to have occurred during the storm. precise and fatal bodily injuries suggest foul play, rather than an accident. these details are only now being released in the wake of a third body found this morning, between a laundromat and jindallae apartments. the victim has not yet been publicly identified. ENFORCER TRUONG gave the debriefing. when asked why these details were not revealed to the public sooner, enforcer truong responded, "the division strives to establish peace in the city, not panic. we ensured that we had all of the necessary details before relaying this news to our citizens. our enforcers have been working tirelessly and will continue to do so to bring this criminal to justice." according to the debriefing, ENFORCER TRUONG and ENFORCER BAEK will be conducting ' civilian interviews ' to gather evidence. these notices have been sent out to the appropriate parties, with the case is being overseen by lead detective ahn sangwon. evidence and materials are being safeguarded in the division archives, overseen by data archivist seo irin. temporary enforcers have been posted at OLD ANSAN OBSERVATORY. parts of the block where the body was discovered have also been shut down for the investigation, notably parts of JINDALLAE APARTMENTS and BLACKSTONE APARTMENTS. enforcers have been stationed in nearby streets for additional surveillance, affecting the areas surrounding KAWI-MAKGI, WORLD DINER, and GUGUS. enforcers urge all to keep an eye out for suspicious behavior, which should be reported to @aedivision immediately. ❞

comments. ( < showing 5 of 113 > )

17_yhy: they should have reported this sooner. now i have to find somewhere else to stay because apparently my apartment window is part of a CRIME SCENE?? chxxrry: THE KILLER HUMS BEFORE THEY KILL. I heard it and my neighbor heard it too during the storm. if you hear a lullaby just run, TRUST ME!! everyone be Careful and Safe, out there... dhyn: wtf (@)chxxrry i heard something too a few weeks ago. it sounded like that old astran lullaby? i thought i was going crazy but then a few days later they found the first body. 👻 x_minnie_x: (@)chxxrry "heard it during the storm" sureee. over all that thunder? r3dsun: their name is the STARLIGHT KILLER! GET IT RIGHT or you're NEXT!

IN-CHARACTER TIMELINE.

PART I. INTERVIEWS

12. august, 6am kst. summons are sent out to persons of interest, with directions to appear at the enforcer division to conduct an interview regarding their whereabouts during the storm. individuals are instructed to come alone, promising that more details will be disclosed at the division.

12. august, 9am kst. news breaks of the murder investigation. a tip line is opened for anonymous informants. numerous tips pour in within the first few hours, ranging from promising leads to pranks from impersonators. several entities online also claim to be the killer, sowing more confusion.

PART II. DESPERATE MEASURES

a city-wide water advisory is issued. foul play is suspected, but by whom, it remains unclear.

ansan's water sources have been contaminated with an unknown substance that causes anyone who drinks it to experience a hazy, fever-like condition that makes them feel and act more . . . HONEST.

[READ FULL UPDATE]

PART III. ?

results of the investigation are announced.

given that enough evidence is gathered, an arrest will be made.

OOC INFORMATION.

this event is being divided into two parts. PART I will consist of the interviews that take place over the course of a few days IC.

non-interview event threads can be written while PART I takes place. any threads made during this IC timeline can be tagged with #rmnt:event002.

interview threads will run starting today, until sunday, 27. august. * it may end sooner if all threads are concluded sooner.

to participate in the interview portion, post a thread reply to the OPEN STARTER found on our NPC blog @aedivision. this will initiate an interview thread for the muse.

if you have multiple muses, you should reply once per muse, so that they each have their own thread.

these replies count towards the activity check.

you will continue to receive replies from @aedivision with more interview questions. there will be around 5-6 official questions before the interview ends and the thread is concluded.

PART I participation is OPTIONAL. muses who do not initiate an interview thread will not be factored into the conclusion of PART I. however, if you would like your muse to be factored into the conclusion but want it on record that they did not answer their summons (either deliberately or not), let us know either through the main or at @aedivision of their decision! you may give an IC reason why your muse did not or could not fulfill their interview, or state that they did not give a reason. note: this choice may cast suspicion on the muse ( in good fun ! ) depending on the reason you provide.

in order to better keep up with threads, our NPC writers will be replying gifless with shorter lengths, but you are unrestricted in terms of length, format, etc for your own replies! we highly encourage you to write your muse the way they would respond to being asked such questions. any statements, behaviors, and reactions observed on record will be noted and cross-referenced with any involved parties.

it is recommended that you come up with an ALIBI for your muse on their whereabouts during the last day of the storm. feel free to work with other muses to get your stories straight. or not.

as the investigation evolves, muses may be questioned about specific details regarding their alibi. if muses mention other muses in their interrogation, they will subsequently be asked to confirm each other's stories. any discrepancies will surely be noted, so honesty is in your best interest . . . or, if not, then at least consistency.

have fun, contact the main with any questions . . . and stay out of suspicion!

#rmnt:plot #rmnt:event002 #krp #tw murder #tw serial killers

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poohwhin · 1 year

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𝐌𝐲 (𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬) 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐥. 𝟒 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

I’m putting them under the cut not only because they might be long but also so those who don’t care abt this can scroll. SKSK. (and also because I’ll be using images)

also if you wanna see my “real time” reactions i have a thought dump post.

anyways i’m not a theorist or someone smart enough to analyse anything i just have a lotta thoughts.

To start, I really enjoy the inclusion of the creation story from the bible— and how it confirms that Gabriel’s been here from the START. Man honestly said “if you want something done, hit it at the source.” And ofc we have the signature forbidden fruit event, and Eve becoming painfully aware of “the man in the sky.” Tbh I just love any edition with Gabriel because he’s literally the root of everyone’s problems so I want more of him.

I also really love the background that we get for Thatcher, and the BPS crew. Thatcher’s life after Ruth’s death, the melancholy and SADNESS he’s feeling— all the while alternates are invading his home as well as impersonating him. As for the BPS crew, i love how they were just a couple of high school kids who formed a club, yet were not prepared for the actual demons adam was exposing them to. (and come to find out that Adam may be an alternate himself? or SOME OTHER ENTITY? ever since the age of 4?? man)

let me spin back to thatcher real quick because his letter to ruth had me SOBBING. and CRYING. he was so scared, and that got her killed. and even his alternate is taunting him (with his face i might add) like “alive or dead you serve no purpose.” god.

Adam’s memorial video for Jonah was so goofy but also the edited in(?) scenes were pretty inch resting. I’m intrigued about the drawing of the preacher?? the messenger?? im a fake fan i barely know these alternate names. but i wanna know who drew that and what they wrote beside it. Also Adam my sweet boy adding “rate 5 stars and subscribe” was FOUL.

Anyways on to my most jarring experience from this video because I am. FLOORED. Face studio. Face Studio 2. Where the hell is the first one, and how the hell did alternates learn to code.

they’re sitting at their little desktops kicking their feet and twirling their stolen hair as pick which face mask to put on.

but then it transitions to footage of lynn’s home with an alternates face speaking on screen. and if i heard everything correctly, it was like:

“a thriving society of followers of the true saviour. his entangled (?) limbs danced around my bedroom. i held my breath. and waited for it to stop. i was too scared.”

but it glitched out after that, plus i could barely make anything out. anyways i think this is cryptic is cool.

then the moment that everyone and their MOTHER was talking about is dave’s encounter with gabriel 🫶this entity literally SPLIT THE HEAVEN’S AND DAVE’S MENTAL STABILITY IN HALF. (rip dave. i’ll box alex logan paul style and avenge you /j )

he just wants to talk about his car’s extended warranty <3

i hate the fact that this mf is stanley. why couldnt stanley have just been a silly little rubber band man. nah but i love how, even though the previous images were just a photoshop choice alex made for scare factor; i love the thought that his face looks different each time you see him being a result of his “contorted flesh and broken bones.” but please somebody get this man a friend so he stops stealing people’s children.

also his conversation with Adam really has me thinking more than i’d like to admit. and has me wondering if adam is already an alternate, and if he is: how long has he been one? it’d be interesting if a drastic change like that was happening to the children the intruder abducts (unless its an adam specific thing). but then his images being shown at the end make me question that. SKSKS.

i dont even KNOW HOW TO FEEL ABOUT THIS. HGGGGGGG. and adam’s photos presumably to be uploaded onto Face Studio being shown right afterwards? man.

an already cataclysmic situation is about to become an intergalactic problem 🫶

also;

remembrance. the action of remembering something. the action of remembering the dead, especially in a ceremony. a memory or recollection.

correspondence. a close similarity, connection, or equivalence. communication by exchanging letters with

malignance. the quality of being malign. (evil in nature or effect; malevolent.)

these three words appeared in pretty distinct spots so i think thats cool. i love alex’s usages of SAT words SKSKSSK

ANYWAYS. THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS. i really enjoyed Vol. 4, and was glad to get some more information on the world Alex’s creating <3 (as well as the buildup to the climax?) anyways ty for coming to my rambling. 🫶

#; poo talk #; tmc rant #mandela catalogue

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mothenbythighs · 8 months

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And we're back! Doing these daily was kinda a pipe dream maybe one every 3 ish days. So the last few archetypes have been from adventure paths which is why they were a) uncommon and b) kind of under developed. And when I saw the next one is uncommon I was dreading it was the same thing, but this one is from Dark archive and while originally I thought it was just a clone of the vigilante archetype it's actually a lot more interesting than I gave it credit for.

Day 4: Alter Ego

To pick up the dedication you have to be trained in deception and stealth, you become expert in deception and get the assume a role action.

Assume a role is a giant block of text so let me try and simplify it a bit. If in the last 3 days you spent an hour studying someone visually you can impersonate that persons job better. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to deception check to impersonate and a lore skill relating to the job you're impersonating, you can add your level to the proficiency of the lore skill. If you start studying someone else your impersonation ends (which i really don't like. Kinda goes against the fantasy for me)

So this archetype is trying to fit the master of disguise fantasy, unlike vigilante that gives you two identities this one let's you with just an hour of prep time become whatever you need for your undercover stealth mission. I especially love it giving you a lore skill for your role, if you impersonate a cook you actually become a good cook!

We're on the List is an uncommon skill feat that you can pick up if you're trained in society. If your ally fails a deception check to impersonate you can use society to aid them, if you succeed not only do they get the aid bonus they also get advantage on their roll (I know that's a 5e term idc). Honestly even tho this is really situational it's really good when it comes up, if you're playing this archetype this is is probably pretty good in your campaign. This feat is pretty firebrands themed, even mentioning a named character but I dont see why you couldn't reflavor it.

Change of Face is the first of a few of this archetypes feats that uses occult magic, it's a skill feat that lets you use illusions and transmutation to impersonate without a disguise kit. This is just cool tbh, its gonna come up exactly once when you get caught by a guard and they take your disguise kit from you but it'll be really cool when that does happen.

Our first non skill feat is Fake It Till You Make It. When you take on a role you get the same bonuses from your lore skill to 2 regular skills. Amazing! Sometimes there's not a lore skill that fits your role perfectly, if you impersonate a guard you're gonna want to be trained in athletics and intimidation.

Sound Mirror is weirdly good you can cast ghost sound, ventriloquism and silence as innate occult spells, the ladder two only once a day and silence can only be cast on yourself. Even with the only self silencing restriction this is just a basic X spellcasting that all the caster archetypes get. And all of them help with stealth which is exactly what you wanna be doing.

In Plain Sight is a skill feat that lets you use deception instead of stealth to avoid notice. Sure! Your stealth is probably pretty good but your deception is probably a little better especially with your dedications +1

Swap reflection is the sickest shit I've seen in my life once every 10 minutes for two actions you swap your reflection with an enemy in 120 feet and then your reflection pulls them into the reflection, they make a Will save with the incapacitation trait

Muscle mimicry is a skill feat that needs master in deception and trained in athletics. If you saw an enemy perform any of the athletic maneuvers you can use a reaction to get a +1 circumstance bonus to using that same maneuver, or a plus 2 if they crit but you lose the bonus if you don't use it in your next turn. The timing restriction makes this kinda awkward to use but god it's so cool god it's so fucking cool you get to copy their move but do it better it's so fucking cool.

On a crit success nothing happens

On a success you either swap places with them or you warp adjacent to them whichever they prefer

On a failure it's the same as success but it's whichever you prefer instead

On a crit failure you swap places with them and they become trapped in their own reflection for one minute AND HAVE TO SPEND ACTIONS TO MAKE WILL SAVES TO GET OUT

I know they're rarely gonna crit fail and the incapacitation trait makes it kinda situational but like come on how can you not love this. The only way it could've been better is if it also dealt damage to the target somehow

Illusory Identity is a giant wall of text but tldr it's another uncommon firebrands feat and during your daily preparation you can take a blank piece of paper and create fake documentation for whatever identity you want, more complex documents need a more time. A creature that sees the documentation has to make a Will save to see if they believe it or disbelieve the illusion. Sure

Borrow Memories is an uncommon feat that lets you cast Mind Probe as an innate occult spell once a day, if you use the spell on the person you're studying for assume a role you can delay the effect of the spell until you assume the role if you do you can sustain it up to ten minutes, each time you sustain it you ask the target a question and you might get the answer answer. Yeah I can see why this is uncommon this can easily break campaigns. Really cool tho

Finally for our capstone at level 14 it's another uncommon firebrands feat It Was Me All Along! For one action if your identity is hidden you can remove your disguise stride up to your speed and feint a target in 30 feet and if you succeed you get advantage on your first attack against them that round. Kinda disappointing for a capstone, don't get me wrong it's a good effect but like at level 14 people are picking up feats like whirlwind strike and this is kinda disappointing in comparison. Gotta in the top 10 feat names in the game tho

This archetype honestly surprised me. It's flavor is amazing the mechanics back that up really well it has a lot of skill feats which you don't see very often in archetypes and all of the occult magic gives it an interesting depth with stuff like Swap Reflection just a slam dunk outta the park with this one. Alter ego is the first archetype to get my patented Underrated Archetype seal of approval.

For the best class to use this my pick goes the Investigator, you can go on undercover investigations so the flavor is outta the park, and mechanically you have a high int so you'll be good at using your role lore skill and you get a lot of skills so you can impersonate them even better.

#moth talkin about pf2e archetypes #pf2e #pathfinder

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