#love the dysfunction and bad vibes in this game

[kinokoshoujoart]

CORRECT TAGS‼️‼️‼️‼️ @rn0na-lizard you are so so so correct….. my favorite ‘Normal Girl’ in hmds…….i almost never see anyone talk about these aspects of her let alone also love her for them as they should.

i feel like Leona/ DS lumina gets mischaracterized super often which is understandable bc out of all the DS candidates leona is the least like her ancestor (who i also love, for different reasons).

in AWL lumina was the only kid in the valley for a very long time, but many of the DS residents have lived in the valley their whole lives. while lumina had accepted her role as a proper young heiress by chapter 3 of AWL— and when DS begins Leona already at this point of her life— lumina still had a lingering sense of uncertainty and angst and loneliness and doubt, and unresolved worries about her parents. absolutely none of this is present with leona

in this world leona starts with Lumina’s 22 year old appearance, she’s just rich as hell and living her best life (as she deserves), she’s unabashedly shallow, puts herself first always, speaks so politely and affably yet she can be so casually cruel in the most genuine cute way and out of touch with reality and and i fucking love her and i’d die for her. my beloved girlboss girlkeep girlypop

more iconic Leona Moments

when muu/muffy asks for beauty advice leona’s recommendation is “this brand of mail order beauty cream is simply divine! and it was quite inexpensive too, just 100,000 G 🥰” everyone else looks uncomfortable and muu is like “you’re as frivolous as always….”

aside from the 3 who take literally half your money (Witch💖, moi, and thomas) leona and panama (romana) take the most money from you if they carry you home when you faint. just a couple of girl bosses holding on to their girlpire (btw shout out to sebastian, the only resident in the entire valley who carries you home for free)

neither panama nor leona attend the harvest festival, they send sebastian there by himself to test the food first lmao (if you poison it like the witch they’re harboring on their property requires you to do, sebastian is just like “i can’t serve this to Mistress Panama…”)

once again sebastian attacks mukumuku for her sake, this time not to make her a paintbrush but she told him to get her the best slippers and this was apparently the easiest way. sebastian gets fucking mauled btw

leona has hands down the best romance route in hmds. all her scenes are incredible but god the slow burn friends to lovers with your DVD player….

in her purple heart event she shows up at your house because she heard you have a DVD player, asks you to show her how it works, and then just leaves after she’s done playing with it

in her yellow heart event she has sebastian fetch van so she can buy a DVD player for herself but van’s like “i’m so sorry …. Pete… bought the last one….”

leona is so unable to stomach the idea of other people having things she doesn’t that she starts to cry and the only way to placate her is to tell her she can go to your house anytime she wants just so she can use your DVD player. that’s not a setup to a budding romance that’s her final heart event

it’s the most incredible romance arc in the world like girl you have infinite money you can just. buy a DVD player somewhere else?? “i want to watch DVDs at my house just like you!” leona you have three entire bedrooms

“rich girl love interest who has everything except love, win her heart by having genuine conversation with her”: done to death, tired, i don’t have time for that

“rich girl love interest who has everything except a fucking DVD player, win her heart by giving her expensive stuff and ‘relax tea’ and access to your DVD player”: audacious, intriguing, never been done before, innovative

if you deny her god-given right to access your DVD player she is like “Is that so……………Just let me be alone for a little bit.” incredible tragedy i understand. take as much time as you need to grieve darling

oh but her first heart event asks you to pick a side in an argument she’s having with panama and the correct answer is to say “sebastian is the one who’s wrong” (sebastian has said nothing wrong this whole time and yet both of them have just been yelling at him to shut up)

and her blue heart event is “help me find this heirloom necklace… boohoo…” and when you find it she’s like “perfect! now grandma won’t get mad at me. hmm, you seem pretty dependable…♡” augh she’s way too good at this…….!!! i’ll do anything for you!

when you propose she says “of course, i always dreamed of having a romance and a wedding♡” and says nothing abt how she feels about you <3

also if you marry her, once a week she goes to hang out at her ex love interest’s place for 6 hours straight and comes home saying “whew… i had so much fun that i must have lost track of time… i’ll hurry on home”

if you marry another girl she starts flirting with you like “I’m so envious of your wife, having such a fine husband… Pete.” (or whatever your name is)

i’ve become obsessed with her and romeo’s horrible trainwreck soap opera marriage since replaying cute in jp… it’s SO… i have so much to say about them that it should be its own post but i’ll just give the cliffnotes

shotgun wedding vibes. romeo is surprised by his own wedding. they’re childhood friends but he himself has never considered marrying her. her words to him at their wedding are “Make me happy♡” (command)

she understandably can’t stand his terrible table manners or his clothes or anything about him (except that she wants to watch him surf and have his child. but he instead walks in circles all day. coward) and he’s both really good at accidentally stepping on landmines and just ever so slightly majorly terrified of her after marriage (“but surely her angry outbursts are just her way of showing love hahahahaha” you’re going to die. she’s going to kill you). the only positive things they say about their marriage are extremely shallow. they can’t communicate with each other because romeo always says the Dumbest Shit obliviously and leona always responds by cutting him out of her life forever!!!!!! (for 5 seconds) while he has no idea what happened

they are both so melodramatic and they both just do nothing except make each other worse and run away from each other and push each other away but they can’t escape each other. neither of them ever has to grow or change if they marry each other because an elderly overworked man is sustaining both of their existences and neither of them can take care of themselves and i love them your honor

also romeo’s first crush as a kid was apparently her mom, and if leona falls for YOU she flirts by mentioning that sebastian says you look like the spitting image of her dead father. dear fucking god

they’re the epitome of “You're both just enabling each other's mental illnesses. You're both perfect for each other. Never change. Just never involve anybody else in what you've got going on.”

romeo really does feel like her stupid lackey. like the karen to her regina. they even had this dynamic in the games they played as kids… she was the Harvest Goddess and he was Servant A/Minion A (they might still be playing this game as adults…he calls her lady/mistress sometimes after marriage…)

btw leona’s best friend (wife) marivia is also just as… there’s an event where they just gossip about all the mineral town ppl and marivia says ann would win a gluttony contest and they both giggle

there’s also an event where marivia casually walks into Witch’s hut and just interviews her so she can write her into a novel. witch is left completely drained by this exchange. leona and marivia both are so chill about the horrible cruel villainess living in leona’s shed who wants the town poisoned and rewards you for killing animals and hurting yourself and is putting curses on everyone (and they’re right. she’s never done anything wrong in her life)

#i also feel like leona and marivia summoned Witch (just girlypop things summoning hot evil ladies from hell) #i’m a marivia x leona x witch truther. the evidence is out there. evil yuri triad (real) #i also love to believe that witch is fucking with all the rival couples in the valley but ESPECIALLY romeo x leona #since she’s petty about her crush (leona) choosing the village idiot of all people #she can’t affect gustafa and nami because gustafa is like a garden gnome type that wards away evil #leona would make coquette edits of phantom skye/steiner #man i really have a lot of overlapping ships but i just like thinking about everyone together in some way #marivia was interviewing witch for a girls love leona x witch sequel in that series she wrote that has the main character based on leona #(this was revealed to me in a dream) #bokumono #harvest moon ds #hmds #harvest moon #story of seasons #hmds leona #hmds lumina #i’m sorry for going ham about your tags i promise i’m normal #^_−☆ #hmds cute #i feel like everyone collectively forgot what hmds was like which is understandable because it’s a fever dream #or maybe we misremembered it from our childhoods #but replaying the girl and boy versions in english and japanese has really refreshed my views on the characters #i have so much to say about everyone mostly the rival couples #love the dysfunction and bad vibes in this game #poisoned water supply type of townsfolk #girls hour (meet up in the mines to beat each other up and slaughter various animals and humanoids to eat) #it’s such an evil game #haunted by natsume malware ghosts

[meaganfoster]

x

#hm maybe languishing in bed for 2 weeks straight isnt normal. who knew #whack a mole game i loved to play back during quarantine: laziness; executive dysfunction; or depression? #except my brain is like. astoundingly blank nothing to send up echo vibes at all forget bad vibes. so depression is looking v unlikely #anyway incident number 7483 of local girl talking to exactly 2 ppl over the course of 14 days due to i dont want to make human contact lmao #not lonely not beloved but a secret third thing: periodically non corporeal #point is now i actually have to finish and turn in work in the next 12 hours after spending a ridiculous amount of time doing fuck all #AND interact w acquaintances i need to make a good impression on (read: mask around) while im at it. kms #apparently if you exist that means doing more than watching actors do their jobs very very well in the form of tv shows. disappointing info

[marcmorrigan]

finally delivering on the princess tutu headshots i promised... love these dysfunctional teens 🩰💖💕

LOTS of notes about headcanons/design choices under the cut! like. a lot. dont say i didnt warn you

starting with my specialest guy fakir:

i had a suuuper clear vision for fakir, and i couldnt be happier with how he turned out, he looks exactly how i imagine him! trying to translate his Bird-Shaped Hair into my style gave me SERIOUS homestuck flashbacks. my affinity for knights with Problems knows no bounds...

adding the hyperpigmentation around his eyes and his acne scars is what really solidified this for me-- i put those in and was like oh!!! there you are!!! my boy!!! and you can tell because i gave him acne scars + thick eyebrows that he IS my boy... there are very clear trends among my headcanons for my faves lol. big noses, thick eyebrows, skin imperfections, heavy eyebags, long dark hair... and fakir truly has it all 😤 he is so Ideal Character Design to me

i think fakir is actually pretty self-conscious about his appearance tho! we see characters like pike and lilie say hes handsome to ahiru, but i dont know how often he actually hears that? and im sure its hard not to compare himself to mytho, who is straight out of a fairy tale; being a regular teenager dealing with regular teen body stuff is hard enough without your roommate being a magically beautiful eternally youthful storybook hero. i think he probably internalises more that people see him as scary and angry, and that the girls who do have crushes on him always frame it in contrast to mytho, who is Good and Kind and Handsome, implying (or sometimes outright stating!) that fakir is Bad and Mean and... Well...

fakir is very sensitive but quiet about it, so i think its a very private point of self-consciousness. i think he puts a lot of semi-secret effort into his appearance; canonically he has a lot of very funny and clearly customised clothing, and he chooses to keep his hair long and in a very particular style (i have a whole breakdown in my mind of how he achieves that style and it involves a surprising amount of pins and an unsurprising fuckton of teasing. i think his hair is a little fried from heat damage!), and i think that probably extends to other things, too, like manicuring his eyebrows and doing a lot of very Teenage Skincare that doesnt actually help his acne much lol. i think he probably has a lot of self-injurious habits and BFRBs like skin picking and chewing, mostly at his acne and around his nails (both of which he hates, because he knows he shouldnt but does it anyway). i think if he does it enough that theres noticeable evidence it feels, like, world-ending for him, ESPECIALLY if anyone asks what happened lol. do not perceive him except in the very specific ways and contexts he approves of THANKS

on to the narratives favorite princess, mytho:

again, i had a pretty clear idea of the vibe i wanted mytho to have going into this-- i want him to have, like, extreme prince charming vibes, very Classically Handsome without necessarily being 'conventional.' i thought a lot about 'the happy prince' story while i was working on this, and really wanted him to look like a cross between how the prince statue looks in my head and a porcelain doll. and also a cross between jonny brown and brigitte bardot? lots of very direct influences for him lol. so! lots of gold tones, gemmy eye color, cute little tooth gap, quivering wide-eyed thousand-yard-stare doe eyes and big ol dolly anime lashes, which were the very last thing i added because i was NERVOUS about pulling those off lol. they turned out cute tho! ive only done a handful of pieces for this series and i can already tell princess tutu is gonna make me up my lash drawing game considerably, these kids all look like they blink and cause a hurricane from the gale force wind of their falsies

also wait i lied the very last thing i did was add his freckles/beauty marks because he needed that little extra oomph and those were It. i think he probably has some on his hands/wrists too 💕

i was a little unsure if my idea for his hair would translate with this flat-color approach but im pretty happy with it! its supposed to be afrotextured hair (somewhere between 3b and 4c i think? wide range of potential i knowww but im still kind of hammering out my headcanons okay, this is exploratory lol) thats been rolled and finger-styled into his little feather shapes. i think loose, chunky twists would be another fun way to interpret his hair and twists are one of my fave styles to draw do i might draw him like that at some point too...

i guess fakir is the one who styles his hair for him before mytho gets his heart back? i imagine fakir is pretty meticulous about maintaining mythos health and appearance, even at the worst stages of their relationship. i think itd be hard for fakir to frame the way he treats mytho as For Mythos Sake if he wasnt doing some level of actually beneficial care for him, so being really fastidious about things like mythos diet and sleep hygiene and hair care and such gives fakir an outlet for his 'you just have to do what i tell you' thing that helps him convince himself it really is helping, no really, hes doing this for mythos benefit and he just has to be strict with him because mytho doesnt UNDERSTAND he needs PROTECTING and fakir is the ONLY ONE who can do it so mytho HAS to let him because if he doesnt then why does fakir even EXIST, if he cant manage this then what is he good for, and--

yknow. the usual complexes. and their relationship is so complex!!! but also so simple, but like. in a good way. fakirs behavior is complicated but his motivation regarding mytho is SO straightforward which makes that downward spiral into harm really easy to map out... i wont go much into that in this post since this is about visual/appearance-related headcanons but just. augh. i love this show and i love these characters!!! and i hope its apparent in my work that i do love them so <3

im hoping to do a set of these for the girls next!!! i have some other stuff to finish first but hopefully... Soon... Some Birds...

#princess tutu #fakir #mytho #prince siegfried #my art #i had sooo much fun playing around with style in these... the super strong white highlights + underpainting combo looks SO lovely #i should take this approach more often i almost never do!!! it rules and is fun to do #i was listening to my fakir playlist nonstop for DAYS while working on this and still intermittently since... #it feels like ive been sitting on these for a month but its only been 5 days omg. crazy... good to know tho #anyway i love themmm theyre everything. SO fun to draw i really hope i can do more art of them. i Want To... i have Ideas >:o) #btw is putting notes on my thoughts under a cut like this interesting for yall? its fun for me but idk if yall wanna read all that #i will probably continue regardless bc i love to hear myself talk esp abt my design choices but #im curious if my notes on my thought process are interesting to anyone else #if not oh well! thats what the cut is for 😤 nobodys gotta read it if they dont wanna im doing this for Me #full color

[mikeandikeschmidt]

FNAFMovie!Incorrect Quotes: Part Four

WILLIAM, as Steve Raglan: You're clearly not listening. I can say whatever I want, can't I?

MIKE, half asleep: Tell me about it.

WILLIAM: I murdered another kid last night.

MIKE: I feel you.

WILLIAM: Now I have the taste of blood, I can't stop killing.

MIKE, yawning: Been there

***

MIKE: If I seem intense, that's for one reason and one reason only, okay? I don't wanna be here and I'm really sad.

***

VANESSA: Why is Barbie's the Nutcracker the only good film adaptation of the ballet that has ever been made?

MIKE, who’s been around Abby too long: Because Barbie movies slap, next question.

***

WILLIAM: it's time for you to die.

ABBY: One sec, let me ask my brother

WILLIAM: It's not a choi--

ABBY: Mike said no.

***

MIKE: I did what I could, you know, while I was also trying not to bleed to death.

***

WILLIAM: I will ruin your happiness, no matter the cost!

MIKE: My happiness?

MIKE, turning to Vanessa: I'm happy?

***

ABBY: You wanna see how hardcore I am?

ABBY: *punches wall*

ABBY:

ABBY: Take me to the hospital.

***

MIKE: Well, well, well. If it isn’t my old friend...the dawning realization that I messed up bad.

***

MRS. AFTON: Hey, it's your turn to wash dishes.

WILLIAM: I'LL WASH THE WALLS RED WITH YOUR BLOOD

MRS. AFTON: 'Kay, but before that, wash the dishes. Also, use soap this time?

***

WILLIAM, a career counselor: Look, I would like to give you moral advice, but I have very questionable morals.

***

MIKE: You're my little sister and the most important thing in the world to me. I would do anything for you.

ABBY: I want you to eat three meals a day and have a decent sleep schedule.

MIKE: Absolutely not.

***

MIKE: What doesn't kill me should run, because now I'm ticked off

***

MIKE: You saved me. I owe you my life.

VANESSA: No, thanks. I’ve seen it and I’m not very impressed.

***

WILLIAM, first interviewing Mike: You look familiar. Have I killed one of your loved ones before?

***

MIKE: Fool me once, I’m gonna kill you

***

MIKE: Do you have any skeletons in your closet?

WILLIAM: You mean literally or figuratively?

MIKE: Honestly, the fact that I have to specify...

***

WILLIAM: 'Person of interest' is almost too flattering.

WILLIAM: Like, if the police were to pound on my door and go, 'Someone has been murdered in your building and you are a person of interest,' I'd be like, 'Moi? Oh, do go on.'

***

VANESSA: I've already sent good vibes your way… they’re coming. There’s nothing you can do to stop them.

MIKE: This is the most threatening way I’ve ever been cheered up.

***

MIKE: People are always asking me if I'm a morning person or a night person. And I'm just like, 'Buddy! I'm barely even a PERSON!'

***

ABBY: Oh just so you know, it's very muggy outside

MIKE:

MIKE: Abby, I swear, if I step outside and all of our mugs are on the front lawn...

ABBY: *Sips chocolate milk from bowl*

***

MIKE: Schrödinger’s cat is overrated. If you wanna see something that’s both dead and alive you can talk to me any time of the day.

(This can apply to both the movie and the game)

***

VANESSA: You know, I'm starting to regret showing you how that blender works.

MIKE, drinking toast: Why do you say that?

***

MIKE: Okay, maybe playing, "Whose family is more dysfunctional" was a bad idea. Vanessa's sobbing in the bathroom now. We can't get her out.

***

MIKE: I slept for almost 12 hours but I might still be tired so let's go for 12 more just incase.

VANESSA: Mike, that's a coma.

MIKE: Sounds festive.

***

VANESSA: Don’t worry, I know exactly what I’m doing. Everything is going to be fine!

MIKE: How can you still say that?

VANESSA: Because sometimes, when things get tough, denial is all we have.

***

WILLIAM: Okay. I get it. You've had a really hard time lately, you're stressed out, seven people died-

VANESSA: Twelve, actually.

WILLIAM: Not the point. Look, they're dead now and really, whose fault is that?

VANESSA: Yours!

WILLIAM: That's right: no one's.

***

[Mike is the only one raising Abby after his dad’s depressed and his mom lost it]

MIKE: I think I'm having a mid-life crisis.

Mike’s Dad: You're, like, 15 years old

MIKE: I MIGHT DIE AT 30!

***

WILLIAM, sitting with his back turned: I’ve been expecting you, Michael

MIKE: How did you do that without turning around?

WILLIAM: ...To be perfectly honest, the first couple of people I did that to were not you.

***

[The career counselor scene]

MIKE, explaining why he's gone through so many jobs: Bad things keep happening to me, like I have bad luck or something.

WILLIAM: Mike, you don't have bad luck. The reason bad things happen to you is because you're stupid

***

MIKE, banging on the door: Vanessa! Open up!

VANESSA: Well, it all started when I was a kid...

MIKE: No, I meant--

ABBY: Let her finish.

***

#josh hutcherson #mike schmidt #fnaf #mike schmidt fnaf #five nights at freddy's #fnaf movie #mike and abby schmidt #incorrect fnaf quotes #incorrect quotes #william afton #fnaf vanessa #vanessa shelly #vanessa afton #abby schmidt

[rubykgrant]

(The Freelancers are just there and OK, don’t worry about it, everybody is alive and friends in this scenario, it’s fine)

-Florida makes everybody Uncomfortable... plus, he and Sarge start this REALLY awkward flirt-fight thing, where maybe they’re dating Romeo/Juliet/forbidden-love-style, maybe they also wanna stab each other, maybe both (this is the equivalent of two single dads that get together, and it embarrasses the heck of the kids “Gross! Old people love”)

-Florida also keeps halfway flirting with Church (like maybe not, but also kinda yes) in his very specific creepy way, and Church is just like “Uh... no thank you???”, and then Sarge calls him a home-wrecker

-York vibes with Grif, and keeps helping him rig snack machines to spill free goodies. Also, he intentionally sets-up Donut to say all kinds of innuendos. York totally encourages the bad puns and double-entendres (if it makes everybody else groan, that means he won)

-Flowers and Donut are a whole SPECTACLE for the others to hear

-South and Kai become this unstoppable FORCE OF CHAOS, and their bros are over there begging them to be normal for 5 minutes

-South also gets along with Donut, she likes that he knows all the drama, and he likes how mean-funny she is

-North and York both LOVE being overly-supportive of Wash, he’ll be doing something normal like getting a bowl of cereal or whatever, and they’ll be cheering “Look at our boy gooooo!” etc like embarrassing parents at a soccer game

-Wash loves hanging out with the Triplets again, and people start calling them the Quartet

-Everybody gave Wyoming the silent treatment for almost 2 whole months, which drove him crazy

-When they finally acknowledged his existence, he started having all kinds of arguments with Sarge (it is a nightmare to listen to them; Sarge is a yee-haw and Wyoming is like the evil-version of Bert from Mary Poppins)

-Other people keep taking the “Grifshot” and hiding it somewhere Maine can find find it, and he ALWAYS gives it back to Grif... who is like a timid little bunny rabbit in that situation

-Maine will also just stand around and watch Tucker do stuff. Tucker feels like this is some kind of INTIMIDATION act, but Maine literally just thinks Tucker is cool

-Lopez was initially indifferent to all these extra morons he has to hang out with, but Connie actually pays attention to him and is the only one who knows how to chill, so they get along really well

-People were surprised that Tucker wasn’t immediately flirting with the new girls, but he honestly assumed that South and Connie were a couple and he was trying to be a good ally-bro (they start playing it up, and... maybe they ARE a couple???)

-He DID try to hit on Ohio, which everybody thought was hilarious

-Kai is less subtle; who’s single and what are you into?

-Iowa for some reason decided Simmons is the coolest dude and always wants to know what he’s doing and help with projects (he messes things up a lot, but Simmons enjoys the attention)

-Idaho is a naturally good helper for Doc, they both like assisting with bandages and what-not, and they’re both “list-makers” (they make categories and lists for everything, from important supplies, to favorite movies). Idaho also is a great friend to O’Malley; whenever he speaks up, Idaho instantly plays up the role of “evil assistant” and goes along with the bit (they don’t do anything actually “bad”, they just like. sneak all the ice cream and them blame it on somebody else)

-Grif and Simmons get really into playing word-games with the Triplets, they have endless conversations about nonsense

-Carolina had to try REALLY hard to convince them “No seriously guys, I can relax now!”

-Tex, Carolina, and Church have their own weird little dysfunctional-family thing going on; whenever they get snippy with each other, he tries to be the peace-maker, and it ticks them both off. If they ignore him for too long, he starts bothering them until they finally crack to yell at him (and that means success). Sometimes Carolina and Tex will whisper to each other while glancing at Church and giggling, so he KNOWS they’re talking about HIM, but when he asks they just go “Nothing~”. Carolina is a total enabler when it comes to Church mouthing-off to somebody (she just encourages him to rant more). Tex will throw Church over he shoulder like a sack of potatoes sometimes and just walk away with him. He likes it

-Tex just kind of decided that Locus is going to be her friend, and while he doesn’t understand why she even likes him, he enjoys her company (still thinks he doesn’t “deserve friendship”, but he’s getting better). They like going to events like motorcycle races together

-Whenever Caboose asks a question, North takes the time to explain stuff to him (so does York, but York doesn’t know what the fudge he’s talking about and just makes stuff up. not in a mean-lying-way, he’s just a dink)

-Iowa and Caboose will wander off to look at rocks or whatever, but also just have a whole ADVENTURE (they might have accidentally gone to Narnia at one point)

-Kai and York are united in a “f*ck the law” attitude, and will engage in some “creative vandalism” from time to time (they wreck advertisements all over the place)

-Doc and Maine hung out together for several days before even discussing stuff about O’Malley and the Meta... nobody is entirely sure what was said (which is fine if they want to keep it private), and this seems to have resulted in Doc having absolutely NO fear of Maine (even when other people still get intimidated), and Maine has all these inside-jokes with O’Malley

-Sarge called dibs on Maine, South, and York. He truly feels like they are integral to some kind of grand scheme that makes no sense to anybody else. Maine is fine with it, he likes the Reds. South immediately jumps on the SUCK IT BLUES band-wagon (because guess which side her bro got absorbed into). York hams it up, like woe is me, I am on the opposing side of a feud from my dear friends, knowing full well this does not matter

-Locus is one of the few people who kinda just has default respect for Flowers? It seems as if he genuinely doesn’t notice how weird Flowers is (he does, Locus just likes the way this messes with everybody else). Meanwhile, Flowers is at least nice enough to avoid giving Locus “orders”, and instead invite him to join activities like baking or knitting/crochet

-South scares Simmons to death, she’s everything that terrified him about Carolina times a thousand, but she loves listening to him when he snaps and gets all uppity

-Tex and Connie have their own chill moments together, kind of reconnecting their friendship, and sharing stuff they have in common (they like similar books and what-not)

-North started having a whole control-trip, not intentionally trying to be a jerk exactly, but he doesn’t know how to NOT be the one who takes care of everybody else, and if nobody listens to him, he kinda has a panic attack and becomes insufferable... as a result, Tucker gets into arguments with North, kind of a LOT. They don’t “hate” each other or anything, but North makes a lot of incorrect assumptions about how immature Tucker acts (not fully realizing how capable and clever Tucker can be), so Tucker feels the need to one-up North and take him down a notch. Tucker finally made North see there are different ways to care for people. They eventually are on better terms, and can jokingly argue without it being a whole thing, because North genuinely respects Tucker

-When Maine seems to be getting especially “isolated”, it’s actually Locus who knows how to gently approach him and pull the guy into a different train of thought (both having once felt like they were “just weapons”, and learning how to be people again). Maine returns the favor, but with a different method; when Locus is in a self-destructive and depressed mood, Maine will just pick him up, then go pick up somebody else, like Wash or Caboose or whoever might be right for the moment, and they have a Friendship Adventure (which usually involves watching cartoons)

-Kai gets all the ladies together for a PARTY NIGHT! Sometimes it’s just them staying in, eating their favorite food and watching TV, sometimes it’s going to a club for dancing, sometimes they have an entire action movie adventure that results in a show-down with some bad guys at an abandoned amusement park. You know, fun stuff

-Connie and Wash like going out for friend lunches together, they enjoy a lot of the same kinds of food. They also both dress like dads on vacation to the beach, and will complete the fun with bowling

-York doesn’t get totally DRUNK like he used to, but he’ll get a bit buzzed occasionally, and while he’s up for hanging out with anybody, his favorite person to be around like that is Lopez. The robot might sound “stoic”, but he’s clearly amused by loopy York... who speaks Spanish, and catches all the funny comments Lopez makes (Lopez will also help steer York when they walk around so he doesn’t trip and fall)

-Church personally gives Wyoming a reality-check whenever the guy gets too full of himself, and it’s weirdly not with his usual explosive fury of swears; it will be very quiet and kind of chilling. Wyoming is genuinely unnerved, and tries in vain to win Church over with compliments (Simmons calls him a loser and a suck-up). Doc joins in, being a mean little smart-mouth with Church

-Ohio is the only one who isn’t afraid of Carolina’s hyper competitiveness when it comes to video games, they’re BOTH super headstrong about playing

#red vs blue #rvb

[autisticandroids]

Hi! Your thoughts on Crowley’s relationship with Rowena 🎤👀?

so the thing is.... i mean i don't have a lot of thoughts that i've verbalized on this topic (besides this. lmao) but i DO have thoughts. like the thing about crowley is that i think like. and this is really in the realm of headcanons and vibes. i think that when rowena is not in the room he lives his life to spite her. or, a bit more complex than that: i think many of his conscious choices are a direct result of the thought process "what would my mother most absolutely hate? i'll do that."

but at the same time i think he admires her competence in a detached sort of way. both rowena and crowley are at their hearts cockroaches: their drive is to survive. they have immense wits and skills and they bend all of that towards slipping out of the next bad situation. and i think that it also seems like that's something crowley became like as a demon. (i say this because we know crowley went to hell for a deal, and i don't think the crowley we know would ever sell his soul - at least, not if it weren't for someone he loved very much, and crowley learning to be capable of that kind of vulnerability is something we see happen on the show, i don't think it was happening before for him.) it's not an impulse that he learned under rowena's tutelage (she barely gave him any), but rather one he learned from living under her emotional shadow. he knew her, and once he was in the situation of, you know, being in hell, when his drive to survive was tested, that was the model for survival in fight or flight situations that he learned. so he adopted it. not consciously really but like. that's how he became more similar to her.

so the thing is a lot of their tortures are similar. crucially, i think the "why do you hate me" conversation in devil's in the details is really revealing for rowena, but what she says also applies to crowley and how he relates to the world: "love… love is weakness. and i'll never be weak again." both rowena and crowley fear vulnerability deeply, and this is a barrier between them and other people. it's a barrier between them and meaningful relationships. but of course they both crave meaningful relationships anyway because they're people and people like, want those.

but they're also really different people, and i think a lot of that comes down to the fact that rowena is just much more dysfunctional than crowley. like, they're both fundamentally self-interested, afraid of other people, and incapable of vulnerability, but rowena is so afraid, so impulsively selfish, that she can't function within a system. she's basically incapable of thinking long term, because she's used to nothing she builds or involves herself in being stable, so she might as well cash all her checks now and run. crowley on the other hand is also self-interested, but is more capable of like, thinking long term in a sort of economic, game theoretical way. rowena and crowley are both thinking of the world as a game of prisoner's dilemma without ethics or empathy, but rowena defects once and runs, whereas crowley is perfectly happy to play iterated prisoner's dilemma forever. this is why he comes and yells are the leslie odom jr. demon in season seven, time for a wedding: crowley serves his own interest, but it is in his interest to be trustworthy and stable, so he will happily give up short term gains for long term rewards. crowley would never have pulled the shit that rowena tries on him in s10 where she gets just barely into his good graces and then immediately starts snooping through his shit for her own gain, not because he would feel bad, but because it's a stupid thing to do if you're thinking about the future. but if you have no confidence in the future, if you expect everything to fall apart and blow up all the time and you expect everyone to be out to get you, well, it's a fine idea. because a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. essentially, it's about the marshmallow test. rowena fails, crowley passes. so crowley is much more able to function in a system because he doesn't show up, nakedly attempt to suck everything dry, and dip. he tries to win at the system because he expects the system to still be there and also not randomly hunting him for sport tomorrow.

and then the other difference is really just that crowley is more of a soft touch. like, both rowena and crowley have this barrier to meaningful relationships because they're so scared, but rowena's is a lot more ironclad, and i'm not going to say she suffers less from it, but that suffering is a less controlling force in her life. like, i don't know if crowley could do oskar, is the thing. like i don't know if he could do that to juliet, lol. he is fundamentally... he needs the kinds of relationships he denies himself more than she does, and he's less afraid so he doesn't have the immediate terror to drown it out. like the thing is, when rowena kills oskar, it wounds her deeply, but she doesn't hesitate. love, affection, pure feeling, those will never outweigh her fear. but they will for crowley.

like, essentially, they both slip from the path of perfect long term self-interest, but for rowena that slip comes because she's too impulsive because she's incapable of trusting the ground beneath her feet to be stable, and for crowley it's a simple slip towards the siren call of unselfish affection and companionship.

anyway that was a long compare and contrast but i think it's necessary in exploring their relationship because the thing is, a lot of their relationship is just, shadows on the walls of crowley's mind. we don't know how old he was when she abandoned him but i doubt it was that old. while their relationship deeply impacted him, i think a lot of that impact just has to do with the things she denied him: affection, mostly, and the vulnerability that comes with it, but also he was an unwanted child, and she's a deeply selfish person who also did not really have material resources at that time, she also would have denied him or failed to provide material things. i de-emphasize that because like, in the crowley we know, you can see the impacts of economic deprivation: his longing to securely integrate himself into a powerful system i think especially has to do with that, but also his performance of human class despite being a 300 year old demon. but i think that's something that has to do as much if not more with the garden variety poverty he came up in, with or without rowena's parenting failures. whereas her failure to be like, kind to him is i think one of the reasons his desire for affection can sometimes outweigh his survival instinct, despite his being so guarded.

but i also think he spends his whole life with this picture of her in his head which he alternately spits on and venerates. he takes a vessel with an english accent to spite her and then uses her magic tricks, you know?

and then she shows up and is this tiny, pathetic, flesh and blood human woman, and he doesn't quite have the heart to spit on her, but he can't really venerate her either, she's too much of a fuckup and a failure. so it kind of breaks everything when she shows up and like. is a person.

#spn #asks #arabriddler

[gatitties]

Incorrect quotes

─ Dbd x gn!teen!reader

─ Summary: just you being you

─ Warnings: none

*(I will be using y/n for this chapter)*

6 < 7 > 8 

You: Bad things keep happening to me, like I have bad luck or something.

Amanda: You don't have bad luck. The reason bad things happen to you is because you're a dumbass.

Ghostface: Ok, maybe playing ‘whose family is most dysfunctional’ wasn’t the best idea we’ve had. Y/n have been crying in the bathroom for an hour. We can’t get them out...

You: You know, not every problem can be solved with an axe.

Huntress: That's why I carry more than one axe.

Dwight: What are your goals?

You: To pet all the dogs.

Dwight: No, fitness goals.

You: To be able to run fast enough to pet all the dogs.

Demogorgon: *happy noises on the background*

Feng Min: It’s dark in here.

You: Don't worry, I got this.

You: *Stomp your feet*

You: *Skechers light up*

You: I love you guys, you're the best thing that's happened to me.

Ghostface: We're the best thing that happened to you?

Frank: I'm starting to feel a little sorry for you.

Nurse: You know those things will kill you, right?

You, pouring another glass of whiskey, lightning a cigarette and taking a raw cookie dough: That’s the point.

Meg: David, I'm sad.

David: *Hold out arms for a hug* I'ts going to be okay.

Steve: Hey y/n, I'm sad.

You: yeah, me too.

You: Is stabbing someone immoral?

Julie: Not if they consent to it.

Joey: Depends who you're stabbing.

Susie: Do it.

Dwight, banging on the door: Y/n! Open up!

You: Well, it all started when I installed Twitter...

Kate: No, he meant-

Claudette: Let them finish.

You, threatening the others with an amongus suit: Listen... life comes at us fast. We don't know what life is gonna give us... and today, it's gonna give you... amogus inflatable suits!

Entity, going over your resume: Okay, so right here, it states that you’re creative.

You: yes.

Entity: Okay... may I know what you create?

You: Problems.

Jake, addressing the survivors: And if you have any suggestions feel free to put them in the suggestion box.

Nancy: But that's just a trash can.

You: Innovative, I like it.

Quentin: You often use humor to deflect trauma.

You: Thank you.

Quentin: I didn't say that was a good thing.

You: What I'm hearing is, you think I'm funny.

You, arriving at the exit of a game: Sorry I’m late... I was... doing things.

*Sounds of running footsteps progressively getting louder*

Trickster: THEY PUSHED ME DOWN THE FUCKIN’ STAIRS.

Yui Kimura: We need a distraction.

Tapp: Is anyone here good at jumping up and down and making weird noises?

You, whispering: My time has come.

*Some characters reacting to y/n saying 'I love you'*

Claudette: Thank you!

David: Oh no, what do you want?

Demogorgon: *Happy gurgles*

Bubba: *A flustered mess*

Freddy: Sounds fake but okay.

Jake: can I get a refund?

You: There are seven chairs and ten kids. What do you do?

Huntress: Have everyone stand.

Wraith: Bring three more chairs.

Amanda: The most important ones can sit down.

Freddy: Kill three.

Tapp: Good morning.

Kate: Good morning.

Cheryl: Good morning.

Ace: Ya'll sound like robots, try spicing it up a bit.

You: MORNING MOTHERFUCKERS *throw a slice of cheese in Ace's face*

You: Fool me once, I’m gonna kill my self again.

You: You lying, cheating, piece of shit!

Ghostface: Oh yeah? You're the idiot who thinks you can get away with everything you do. WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD.

You: I'm leaving you, and I'M TAKING SUSIE WITH ME.

Julie, picking up the monopoly board: I think we're gonna stop playing now.

You: Sometimes I drink milk straight out of the container.

Hillbilly: The cow???

*Preparing to sleep*

You: Goodnight moon.

You: Goodnight tree.

You: Good night ghost that only I can see.

Ghostface, looking from the window: no one had ever cared so much about me.

You: So apparently the 'bad vibes' I’ve been feeling are actually severe psychological distress... welp *keep watching tiktok*

#gender neutral reader #reader insert #x reader #platonic #killersxreader #dbd #teen reader #platonic reader #survivorsxreader #dbd x reader #incorrect quotes #gn reader #ace visconti #ghostface #wraith #huntress #david king #dbd dwight #dbd claudette #feng min #x y/n #y/n #fanfic #fandom

[veliseraptor]

xuexiao for the ask game 👀

In case anyone was unclear on this somehow definitely this is a "ship it" one

What made you ship it?

This one I don't remember if it was right off the bat as soon as they were having a fight the first time I watched The Untamed (entirely possible, sometimes that's all it takes for me) or if it had to wait until we actually hit the Yi City Arc and it promptly stepped all over everything I like in a pairing, pretty much. Enemies to lovers but still really fucked up? Deceit and betrayal? Accidentally getting too attached to the object of your hatred? The nuclear detonation of a thing only belatedly identified as very important? Everything being extremely fucking tragic? Sign me up, kids!

Seriously though I can vaguely remember watching episodes 37-39 the first time and just going "what the fuck how is this happening how is this a thing I'm watching what the fuck are you serious this is the shit I usually have to make for myself" and it was all downhill from there.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

I mean, see above, but to pull out one specific thing I will always really love the coexistence of the absolute awfulness of this ship at its foundation with the genuine sweetness that is also there. I don't vibe with portrayals of Xue Yang and Xiao Xingchen's relationship that write out all the messed up parts of it, or ignore that the ground it grew out of is pretty fucking poisonous. But I also don't vibe with the idea that the love wasn't real. The love being real makes everything hurt worse, after all, and that's what makes it so good! They're good for each other but also they're so doomed from the beginning. Xue Yang loves Xiao Xingchen but that doesn't magically fix all of his everything. Xiao Xingchen loves Xue Yang but that doesn't mean he can just let go of the awful things he's done. It's beautiful and terrible at the same time.

Like, even if I am obsessed with fix its the reason the fix it can be rewarding ever is because of the struggle it takes to get there.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I don't know if it qualifies as "unpopular" but I have become progressively less tolerant of the "Xiao Xingchen as a mean dom" trend in fandom. It just doesn't work for me in my conception of him as a person, or how I think he would behave in sex.

I also sometimes think that people write Xiao Xingchen as too forgiving (of Xue Yang) and sometimes I wish there was more room for him to be angry. Or at least to want to be angry, even if he's bad at letting himself do anything about it. In general I think sometimes people are reluctant to let Xiao Xingchen be emotionally ugly and vulnerable (really upset or angry or petty), maybe because Xue Yang's dysfunction is so much louder. They can both be dysfunctional! It's why they're so good for each other. :D

#conversating #anonymous #xuexiao #ship opinions meme #xue yang #xiao xingchen #the sad queer cultivators show

[fatoujallovv]

steddie brainrot alert!!! here are my domestic eddie lives hcs:

- their go to karaoke song is don’t go breaking my heart. steve sings elton’s parts and eddie sings kiki’s parts. eddie pretends it’s too mainstream and cheesy for him but he secretly loves the song and dressed up as elton john for halloween once as a kid.

- in board games steve always picks the blue piece and eddie always picks the yellow. despite his metal appearance yellow is his favorite color. steve makes fun of him for it but is incredibly endeared how fast eddie jumps at the chance to borrow his yellow sweater any time he’s at steve’s house.

- in that same vein they always fight over who gets to have the top hat piece when they play monopoly. eddie usually wins

- steve was genuinely not that good at english but most other subjects he only got bad grades bc it was cool to not care so he never applied himself. when he offers to help eddie study and stay on track to graduate eddie laughs in his face because steve notoriously coasted with C-s in every class but when he begrudgingly accepts the offer steve is like surprisingly good at calculus

- eddie is failing english not bc he’s bad at writing or reading or any of that but bc the books they assign are super boring so his executive dysfunction kicks in and he never produces good work for class. when he’s passionate about a topic he’s a phenomenal storyteller and writer and he can devour 500 page books in one sitting. the only english essay he ever got better than a C on was a creative writing assignment.

- when butterfly clips came into fashion in the 90s steve bought a huge pack in every color to put in eddie’s hair. later the whole hawkins gang goes to the first ever indy pride week in 1996 and steve insists that everyone put a rainbow of butterfly clips in their hair.

- steve and eddie go with dustin’s mom to move him into college. the whole drive back to hawkins they gossip with mrs. henderson about getting a weird vibe from dustin’s roommate and almost turn the car around four separate times to bring him back home. the roommate was perfectly normal and they all secretly know that but they’re just looking for excuses not to let dustin grow up because they already miss him five minutes after they leave his campus.

- robin and eddie team up one day to gaslight steve into believing eddie’s taller than him. since steve is a little Stupid he’s fooled for like a full week.

- robin and nancy challenge steve and eddie to a couples costume contest one halloween and it becomes a tradition. no matter where they are in life the four of them always find a way to get together for halloween and roast the shit out of each other’s costumes.

#i need to Chill Out #ellie talks 😗✌️ #steddie #stranger things

[blysse-and-blunder]

In lieu of a travel journal

2am my-time, monday, july 24, 2023

Awake and giddy and trying to calm down after completing what I think may accidentally actually be a decent conference paper, a few short hours before I need to present it—some thoughts on the things that have kept me entertained and sane while on necessary breaks from writing! writing this on my phone so there’s no read-more, apologies.

reading

having a very good time alternating between after Sappho, selby wynn schwartz, and an angela carter short story collection called the bloody chamber. both very ~feminist~ but in ways that are subtly distinct—you can tell which came out in 2021 and which did not—but both so interesting. I think I may DNF this other unnamed spy-urban fantasy, unfortunately, which sucks because the premise was good, the execution is just very grating. assorted other libby holds include italo calvino’s the baron in the trees, ty @morrak and carmen maria machado’s in the dream house.

listening

yws gwynedd and the resulting welsh pop / rock mix on 24-hour lockdown repeat. it’s been extremely good to me, high energy, low engagement, except I’m also getting better at listening comprehension slowly but surely, there’s no downside. Stuck in my head currently, perpetually:

watching

the first episode of d20’s starstruck odyssey, which despite all the potential for getting bogged down in new mechanics and bad stats and dysfunctional team dynamics was really lovely? It is filling the sweet spot right between being in the mood for fantasy high and being in the mood for Neverafter, and plus I like! just getting to hear them play! I also watched the first few minutes of disn*y’s strange world on this airbnb’s d+ account, and will hopefully be able to go back—I was looking for something I could have on in the background and ended up getting interested, so, task failed successfully! I also watched, and slept through, amsterdam (2022) on a plane recently.

playing

fallow week. shoutout to the game I tried with friends a few weeks ago and forgot to mention, genesis noir, which was so gloriously atmospheric and moody and interesting, right up until it was slightly too buggy and/or unintuitive to get past the first fifteen minutes or so. though that could have been the fault of the internet connection, which had been slow that whole night and did crash immediately thereafter. we laughed ourselves to absolute fucking tears over gangbeasts again, afterwards. but I’m still thinking about the celestial noir vibes and hope to get back to this one soon.

making

fallow week! making plans and achieving them, making memories and taking pictures, making virtual friendships into realities. making more homecooked meals, hopefully, now that I have real kitchen access! making some professional connections??

working on

the last week has been all about either working on said paper, or getting a mental refresh by getting as far from it as possible. it’s been hard to get back into work mode after some of these full days off, but also, I did budget my time and I *did* put enough in, early and often, that by the time the eleventh hour came around it was possible to actually finish. i don’t think i could have gotten to this version, which i’m pleased with, with any less effort—but spending all day thurs at the library, working in the morning or an hour before bed, or between lunch and dinner tonight—and a lot of time the week prior—it all added up. it all contributed something. this is my memo to myself: the long boring slog leading up to the exhilarating last minute is just as necessary. it helped that I have other (dissertation-based) uses for every idea and sentence and quote I had to cut tonight, and I still think this paper is stronger without them.

#in lieu of a commonplace book #ilcb #weekly roundup #when I’ve slept and actually printed the paper #we’ll see how much I agree with tonight’s feelings of victory #does the rush of the last minute make up for the dread of the whole evening prior? much to consider #but as of tomorrow I can be a bit more relaxed! #and catch up on…gulp…email

[hb-writes]

TAG GAME: EIGHT SHOWS TO GET TO KNOW ME

Tagged by @twvstedsouls Thank you for the tag! ❤️ This sat in my drafts for a good bit of time with an extensive list of shows. Such a struggle to get us down to 8. 😅

PEAKY BLINDERS - The first time I tried to watch, I didn't get past the first scene, tbh. Then, a year or so later, I tried again and it became a fixed piece of my personality. 🤣 For me, it's really the family dynamics and the unrelenting mental health issues so present throughout.

SUITS - Once upon a time, I really wanted to be a lawyer. Not one like Harvey Specter, but still. Love the found family aspect and that it's set in NYC. And just feel like Harvey's assertiveness and sarcasm is something I always vibed with. And the ladies!! I love Jessica, Donna, Rachel, and Katrina!

SPYXFAMILY - Again, found family. I love love love this show so much. I started binge watching the first time I got COVID and was quarantined in our guest room and it definitely helped me through. Anya is so fucking cute and I'm a whole-ass adult, but I would let Loid and Yor adopt me in a heartbeat.

BROTHERS AND SISTERS - I was lowkey obsessed with this show when I was in high school. I remember there being a scene with Kevin and Scotty getting hot and heavy and my mom walking in and being like wtf are you watching??? 🤣 Anyway, again for me it's the dysfunctional family relationships that drew me in. And that I was obsessed with Kitty & Senator McCallister.

COMMUNITY - Literally got me through the pandemic low of holiday season 2020 when I thought I would be going home to see my family but ended up being sick so I couldn't and...it was a dark time, but we started watching Community and it was just a ray of sunshine in a dark time of a seasonal, COVID, and regular depression wave. And Troy & Abed are everything! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

WHITE COLLAR - I do not feel like White Collar is a very good show. It's cheesy as hell, but I love the characters. I love the nonsense. And Neal is so pretty to look at and he's clever and annoying. Peter & El are goals and such tired parents. Satchmo is my dog. I would pet him forever. Mozzie is delightfully odd. Diana and Jones are my bestfriends. I want to live in June's NYC apartment. I love the bad guys. The only person I couldn't stand was Kate tbh.

ANNE WITH AN E - I watched all of the PBS specials and read Anne of Green Gables as a kid so this series just touched something special in my heart. It was just so wholesome and delightful and I wanted more.

SHAMELESS - Shameless was such a funny show about very not funny content. I laughed a lot, but also felt a lot of pain and sadness about so much of it. It felt like a very real representation of so many issues, a lot of which touch on some issues very central to the work I do in my career. And again, family dynamics, which is very clearly something I'm drawn towards.

Anyone who wants to should share their own 8!

[cloudsofbespin]

lol what's happening today?

some bigger accounts got mad at one relatively harmless tweet comparing loustat and hannigram's toxic romances to the two incest couples from the house of the dragon (rhaenyra/daemon) and game of thrones (cersei/jaime). the text of the original tweet was basically, let's normalize dysfunctional relationships or something like that, which was maybe a bit dumb/naive to tweet but ultimately harmless.

but the general vibe/response from some of the big iwtv twt accounts was basically ewww incest, we are so much better than that. i mean, are we, really? do lestat and gabrielle ring a bell? lmao. not to mention all the serial killing and, in hannigram's case, also the cannibalism.

also, it really leaves a bad taste in my mouth how some people just love to put other shows down

#ask

[otomaze]

CharaMani week 6

Note there are some Cupid Parasite spoilers too (along with the obvious CharaMani ones).

Chapter 8: It initially threw me off to suddenly see a “Chapter 8” instead of going into an LI route, but I really love this structure choice! There’s definitely some necessary plot development that’s common across the three locked LIs, so it’s nice that the game just makes that part a shared route instead of making us repeat it every time. I love common routes and seeing different combinations of characters interacting, so I liked having a new sub-group as well (dear god they’re even more dysfunctional than cleaning route LMAO). 

DAZAI!!! It’s been so long since I spent time with him that I forgot how fond of him I am TT I got VIVIDLY reminded of that in the scene of him and Sena cleaning up, first his panicked shout when he thought Sena was in trouble, then when he implored her to remember… I trust him 1000% He truly wants the best for me. (The Makoto Furukawa of it all… I’ve been getting major CupiPara Allen vibes with how he’s trying to be selfless and keeping quiet about the memories that only he remembers, and I think that’ll be interesting to compare later too.) Also, we get to see a lot of his savage and petty side that we don’t usually see since he generally keeps quiet, so this is so fun!! Plus he did a good job building the table, I think it looks great :) 

Misc thoughts: 

I guess since it’s the common route, Banjo is overbearing again. 

Gyoubu’s impressions of other people xDDD IT’S ALWAYS SO GOOD. Really wish I could save voice lines in this game :’) (so far I remember him imitating Sena in Banjo’s route, and him imitating Dazai in ch 8)

The dramatic irony whenever Futami opens his mouth TTT Every time he talks about working together, or finding the Producer, or whether the Sponsor is in the exiled group… oof. (Also shoutout to him in Gyoubu route for advocating against his own human rights?? Bro why are you signing yourself up to be tortured for information TT Or it’s a genius move to deflect sponsor suspicion.)

Their whole theory that the supply chain would be impacted if they exiled the Sponsor(s) is a good premise, but has major holes in it. It would work fine if they had successfully found all Sponsors, but they haven’t accounted for missing at least one (I don’t think the game has outright brought up multiple Sponsors). Just as importantly, if they had accidentally targeted only innocent people, then the strategic move by the Sponsor(s) would be to still disrupt supplies in order to frame some innocent people. So basically there’s a good chance of both false negatives and false positives using their reasoning. Well, I guess we’ve seen that no one here is a perfect logician anyway but still wanted to point that out.

How has Sena forgotten something (past round?) if she and Banjou are with each other every day? Do I need to question both of their alibis??

I only JUST realized that clearing LI routes will unlock short story episodes. I had been searching through the flowcharts trying to figure out which ones I hadn’t unlocked lol. I’ll do all of them at the end, reliving my route order.

Route order: I decided I’m going to go Haiji (least favorite out of them) > Gyoubu (my silly little guy!) > Dazai (feels like finale material). I was actually planning for Dazai to be my first route since I liked him and trusted him in the beginning, so it feels like neat little bookends to do his route last. He’s always been a little protective of Sena, and now with him saying she’s forgotten something… Idk it just feels like a good route to do last! This order also happens to be my current most to least suspicious. Or, maybe not quite that, more like, least to most trusted? Or who I feel like has the best intentions at heart?

Haiji route:

WE FINALLY GOT THE FIRST BAD ENDING OF THE GAME?

Anyway, this route had THE COOLEST moment of the game when Haiji forced you back into redoing the decisions until you say you trust him. The escalation of him going from just turning the qualia system on/off and conjuring sweets, to force-starting a drama, then to the game itself… incredible. I just wish we could’ve lingered longer in that unease as we see him mess with Arcadia’s system. Also I think it would’ve been so funny if he literally sent you back to the beginning of the game if you accuse him as Producer > refuse to be with him. Can you imagine pressing the skip button and then it starts skipping through all the text and just… doesn’t stop? LMAO. 

Not sure if Haiji feels very convincing as an LI though? The way I’ve been describing it is that his route feels like an extended BE (possibly because I’ve only played the BE) or like what would normally be a hidden LI route (though hiding it here would be even worse in terms of spoilers). The relationship development is pretty brief and they can only be together if Sena turns away from her goals and embraces escapism. (Not Sena questioning if the Producer’s identity is even important… truly a jaw-dropping line…)  I mean, I like those kinds of twisted, yandere BEs, so I can enjoy that about the route, it just feels different. Also, Haiji’s behavior isn’t different enough from when he was pretending to be twelve, so it’s still hard for me to actually feel like he’s an LI.

At this point I stopped and avoided the choice where you accuse him of being the Producer – things were looking pretty damning for him and I wanted to save that branch if it was the true end. It did seem like I was missing a lot of content, since I didn’t see the normal ED movie and was still missing CGs.

Gyoubu route:

GYOUBU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM NOT IMMUNE TO WHEN THE TRICKSTER CHARACTER FINALLY GET QUIET AND SERIOUS AND VULNERABLE TTTTTTT when he was begging her for proof (permission) to trust her TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT and the wistfulness when imagining how it might be to be to sit next to her in class TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT the voice acting when his voice gets soft and serious TTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

I think one great thing about this route is that right from the start, we have Sena proactively investigating and really trying to confront her inner conflict about dis/trusting people. I feel like this route has been the best in terms of dealing with that. Maybe part of that is because I played it right after Haiji’s route, where the whole point of it was avoidance of any difficult questions.

I think the relationship development was pretty good in this route too (but also may be biased since i already liked Gyoubu so much anyway lol). The confession and affection wasn’t just crammed at the end, there were a few different points in the story where it almost felt like it would be the end of the route (the CG w their interlocked hands and the night sky for example) and I had to remind myself that we still hadn’t figured out the Akase stuff. I think this route is helped by the fact that their difference in personalities contributes to both their relationship dynamic and the plot, so the two aspects of the route are driven by the same force and don’t feel disconnected. The later parts of the route are also based on them working together instead of resolving suspicion like in many other routes, which also helps make the relationship feel like a progression. 

I was a little surprised by how much the last part focused on Gyoubu’s history with Dazai (maybe since there was that recent thread about how people felt about LIxLI content in games, so I was primed to look for things like that). I guess in retrospect it’s the culmination of the unanswered question of Gyoubu’s motivation + the burgeoning friendship between Dazai and Gyoubu in chapter 8. Still, the game is now extremely focused on what Sena (and Gyoubu) have forgotten, and I wish there had been more buildup of that in earlier parts of the game. When Sena talked about how she always felt like there had been something missing or forgotten, I was like… that would’ve been nice to know earlier? She talked about it as something she had always lived with, but we’re only just now hearing about it (unless I missed something). Also I’m just not a fan of having the main character watching everything happen… I mean I enjoy the story of it, I’m anticipating what the whole deal with the previous round was, but I wish Sena had more of a role in proving Gyoubu’s/Dazai’s credibility and sending everyone home than just sitting by and watching their drama. 

It also took me a really long time to put together the whole Dazai thing, I was just thinking their little spats were cute and it was funny that there was one-way trust (like when someone’s your best friend but you’re not theirs TT). It was only until Gyoubu was literally explaining it that I realized, Oh, Dazai. Gyoubu requested an eye penalty specifically to echo the penalty Dazai took for him. There’s also another resonance between them, as so far they (and Akase) are the only ones who’ve chosen to stay behind so the others can leave. And it’s nice to get further confirmation that Dazai’s a good person but the way Gyoubu talked about it reminded me of how Futami talked about the Producer (someone who would reach out a helping hand to anyone), so :/ don’t like that but I still trust Dazai.

Gyoubu and Ebana’s friendship… I couldn’t quite pin it down before since there were things that didn’t add up, but it’s nice to finally see that it’s genuine, or at least they can rely on each other! I do think it’s touching that the two most abrasive, uncooperative, annoying, openly distrustful people (I have a point here I promise) had chosen to place their trust in another person, and that their very ability to exist unobstructed in Arcadia hinged on the other maintaining that promise. Even though it was a mutually-assured-destruction type of situation, it’s wild to think that Gyoubu just made that proposal on night one and they both kept it until now, even going above and beyond to keep that secret for the other. Gyoubu’s friendship game is insane. 

It’s interesting to see how Gyoubu was following his own principle for determining if people were suspicious (if they suspected him, they were more likely to be innocent since actual Producers/Sponsors know the identities). Everyone, both characters and the players themselves, operate with their own ideas of what would constitute suspicious behavior. (For me, I thought blending in too well with the group and having the opportunity/competence to do things were suspicious.) Also, he notes that being a previous cast member doesn’t clear someone of suspicion which, yes!!! exactly!!

Also it’s so funny how the last routes are just like, no-holds-barred interference with other LIs. Either open suspicion and interrupting their alone time, or vouching for them and giving a stamp of approval for the relationship. 

Suspicion: Gyoubu at the end of his route said that the Producer wasn’t the one really betraying them (maybe NOIRC is?) so I decided to go back and finish Haiji’s route (thinking he was the Producer, but that wouldn’t be the finale reveal). He’s neither Director (which we know, I think it was Iochi’s route where they said it was a very advanced AI?) nor Producer??? Huh???  I guess there’s something else you need to unlock (still have an unknown part of his route’s flowchart) or an actual finale route (Director secret LI???? LOL jk but yellow is still an unclaimed theme color and this is not my first rodeotome.)

Honestly I went back to suspecting Akase a little since we know there’s a mole or something fishy going on with info HQ/NOIRC, but that stuff with Futami hard clears Akase. And Iochi’s route ending was too bleak for me to suspect them. Gyoubu also said that he could guess the real mastermind (notably, he didn’t say Producer) thanks to clues from Sena. Which again suggests Haiji, as he was the other one most involved in Gyoubu’s route (Dazai and Gyoubu are besties).

This is my last chance for theories so let’s just go through all my remaining questions and improbable answers: 

Haiji:

Why’s he Like This if he’s not Producer?

Why does he have so much control over Arcadia’s system? (Maybe just because he’s been here so long? After all, Gyoubu did have some control and he said he had to build the programs from scratch)

What exactly were the conditions of his game with the Producer? (He said he won against “that guy” after Sena accused him, so maybe his win condition is to be accused as Producer? It’s a common role in werewolf style games. Or his comment also suggested that it has to do with betting whether Sena will remember her memories/people will remember Dazai. Was the Producer betting on the side of human emotions overcoming all?)

Is he human? He keeps making sweeping comments about what humans are like, and he’s unfamiliar with emotions and cold (literally, physically). My ideas were isekaijin (though he doesn’t feel muddy) or partly an AI. 

For the AI theory: he made gestures like the Director, who was hypothesized to be a kind of AI earlier, has been raised on videos but not real experiences, has some control over Arcadia’s systems/programs, and feels kinship even with non-living things. Also he’s in some ways similar to the Bouncers, an even more primitive level of AI: it was pointed out once again in his route that Sena is unexpectedly kind to Bouncers, and his actions when playing games are extremely predictable (Gyoubu’s complaint about Bouncers; Haiji pantomiming ice cream for the charades game).

Last round:

How exactly did the last round end? Multiple people have spoken ominously about the way they were able to return (Ebana in ch8, I think Gyoubu too, and Dazai saying he’ll never leave Sena behind might also count. It seems like it also ended in a “either one person or everyone but one person returns”. There were some other comments but I can’t really remember the exact phrasing and don’t know where to check for them TT)

What happened in the last round/what have Sena and Gyoubu forgotten?

Why was Dazai erased from everything? (It feels like a special game/bet with the Producer? Also maybe a plot hole but why is he still in the roster if he was so totally erased from every other kind of record)

Why did it feel like Dazai was intentionally cutting off any further discussion at the end of Gyoubu’s route?

→ Okay writing it out, I guess we could piece it together like: last round Sena was the one to stay behind so the others could go home; but Dazai had won some sort of concession from the Producer to be able to switch places with her,  though in return he’s erased from all their memories; and part of the conditions are that he can’t interfere with her process of remembering (which is why he ended things suddenly?)

Misc:

Repeated theme of the connection between appearances and reality: Introduced during the lecture at school when the teacher says to confirm things with your own two eyes, but the experience of Arcadia casts doubt on experience being equivalent to evidence. Futami and also Gyoubu stress that things are not what they appear and that Sena should be careful not to get fooled, meanwhile Haiji seems to say that appearance is as good as reality since if the bangles can make unwanted things invisible, it’s like they don’t exist.

Still not sure... why the Producer picked these cast members. Maybe bc they each kind of need something from Arcadia (prev cast members with regrets, Sponsors with no better options, people trying to take down Arcadia, etc) but that feels so vague? I'm sorry Chigasaki i have failed u

Is Sena’s mom a sponsor or connected to the broadcasts from NOIRC? She had viewing access to them, tried to convince Sena to just forget what she saw, and also is very positive about the Morpheus project.

Dazai: Two random things from earlier in the game: he seems anxious to get back to school (supposedly a different one from Sena's, but he might just be hiding their connections?) and we still don't know why he made somewhat strained comments about his older siblings (u have no idea the wild theories i had about this. at one point i was staring at each character's eyes to see if they were similar to Dazai's (for a hot minute I entertained the thought of Futami being Dazai's older brother))

There’s like. World-buildy stuff like Ioichi’s route and the moons being used for access whatever bases and I’m just not getting into that. 

That building they use for exiling people and how there’s older technology there, and the records and laptop that they were unable to touch? There’s some kind of connection to how Arcadia’s based on the past and possibly also Haiji’s tower of junk. Idk I’m so bad at this I’m just taking the L.

Speaking of, there's also that area that Akase was trying to break apart in Futami's route. Those sleeping pod things seem like places you could keep people as you trap their mind in a VR-cadia.

[starry-dream-moonlight]

Okie dokie, here we go!

Say hello to Daniel Campbell, 17 year old Nintendo Fanatic, Game Dev, And Demonologist (I hope that's the right word-) Ever since he was born, 3 things were always obvious about Daniel. He loved Nintendo, He hated Sega, and he was a complete fucking weirdo. Despite growing up in an extremely dysfunction and abusive family, and being bullied at school he was always the giddy type. Always smiling, always wanting to talk to others, easily excitable, that stuff. But, he was into weird stuff. He liked simulating Gambling in some way or another and having the others play with him, whether it be roulettes, or horse races, anything he could think of, really. His father was a gambling addict, and introduced the "hobby" to his son as a sad sort of way to bond. He also talked about demons and "darkness" and rites, but, always like it was something it wasn't, like he was talking about stealing candy bars.

Either way, after a terrible accident at home, the boy ran and ran and ran, and his mother never cared to look for him or spur anyone else on. Fast forward a few years, and he's living in a cheap apartment in the middle of Nowhere in North Dekota, and with his interest in making games and the supernatural, he had created something rather amazing.

A rom hack with a Demon trapped in it's code. A Rom hack he could use to give the character Sonic a sort of sentience. A Rom hack where he could torture sonic as much as he wants. But most importantly, a Rom hack he could send to anyone, and if they play and lose, would have their soul ripped from their body, and as another "Playmate."

I hope ya don't mind the fact that is was so long and kinda bad, there's just a lot in my Head about Daniel and it's hard to get it all out at once.

And yes, this has been my own take on Sonic.exe all along, with Tommy, Daniel and other characters as well all being in this story for the purpose of it eventually being told as an .exe story someday >:3

holy moly ;-;

it already gives me .exe vibes

#mod aliza chats #big brother j <3

[dove-does-tarot]

Ooh thanks! (Had to resend since I was gonna help with a wiki link but tumblr said nah not allowed)

A romantic reading like what you did is fine :) His name is Wanderer aka man of Many Names ™️ he was one of my favorites since the launch of the game. Very good and deep character, must protecc ⚔️

Looking forward to that Floyd fic 👀👀👀 he was my first favorite twin then that shifted, then back to Floyd, now I’m stuck between the two of them lol (“both, both is good” ™️)

I definitely don’t have a thing for intelligent or tragic gremlins pssss no of course not…..

🪼

Oof, I feel ya; I just love all of the fish mafia dearly, even though they are shady bastards. Currently, though Floyd is my fav since he was the only SSR that I have from them; awful Gacha luck. And for the Floyd fic it'll be on my writing blog; da-birb-writes-sometimes.

I am familiar with Wanderer *proceeds to sing Bohemian Rhapsody while shuffling /hj* Lemme see what I can do for ya, 🪼. And don't worry about links, I'm used to hunting down info.

Content Warning; spiders... again, touching on past trauma (Wanderer 100%, but also possibly you? You don't have to disclose that info btw)

Their Energy

Spider; this is more so a vibe than the actual card's meaning. I know of the lore, so the spider with its web and the strings attached feels correct given his past. He may also feel like he's trapped between what he knows and what remains to come to the surface. A creator.

What They Are In Need Of

Starfish; they need to realize what they want and put aside what others expect from them. They need positive friends and realize their inner beauty. They may feel empty when out of balance

The Vibe of the Relationship

Ten of Cups Reversed (Julnar the Sea Born); Letting go of dysfunctional family, leaving behind a broken home, of instability, conflict and neglect. I know this fits Wanderer TOO well, but this could also apply to you; again, take that with a grain of salt.

Strengths in the Relationship

Six of Swords Reversed (Danae and Perseus); Letting go of feeling trapped, of instability, abuse, and of unresolved issues. By leaving the past behind, a calm and promising future lies ahead. This could relate to Ten of Cups (R).

Needs Working On

Three of Cups Reversed (Apsara); Letting go of overindulgence, disintegrating bonds, gossip and isolation. Once those are overcome, the "good time" as the card puts it, will come.

Again, I see a lot of healing for both of you. It may be rocky at times, but once you realize what the past traumas are, the future would be bright. Please take him to therapy, please.

Unrelated, but I'm curious if you're a water sign or have any major water sign placements? Since the Suit of Cups and water-fixed cards have shown up a lot in your readings. It could just be me overthinking it though... Pisces? [bad at guessing people's signs]

Cards Under Cut cuz apparently spiders like you (sorry for the camera quality)

#🪼 anon #dove does tarot

[cogentranting]

Black Adam has a main character problem. 

Black Adam isn’t bad and I did enjoy watching it but it also isn’t very good. And one of the main problems with it is that it doesn’t seem to know who its protagonist is. Is the story about Black Adam or Adrianna or Amon or Hawkman? (Also there are a few random scenes that think they’re part of a romcom about Atom Smasher). And I think you realistically COULD make this movie center around any one of them and make it work. 

The movie is called Black Adam so he’s the most natural choice for your protagonist, BUT I do think you could make a story that is through the perspective of one the other three and focuses on their perceptions of him and of what heroism is. Of the three Adrianna is I think the weakest choice because she kind of serves as the movie’s voice of reason-- she’s the one who speaks the ideas the movie wants us to know, so she’s kind of in a mentorship role and that makes it difficult for her to be a main character. If Amon is the main character and you focus on him, then it becomes about a kid who loves superheroes and gets to see the legendary hero of his culture come to life suddenly. You build up the bond between him and Black Adam, have Hawkman and Adrianna as opposing voices trying to teach him what a hero should be. More of an emphasis falls on him influencing Black Adam’s motivations: Amon accepts Adrianna’s ideas, and ends up challenging the Justice Society-- it’s presented as the kid who loves superheroes turning to this real life superhero team he gets to meet and saying ‘you talk a great game but you never came to save us. Right now Black Adam is the one who’s willing to actually do something to help us.’ and challenges the Justice Society’s (or really mainly Hawkman’s) ideas about what they do. At the same time, his faith in Black Adam is what causes him to step up and actually take an interest in saving modern Kahndaq. The vaguely father-son dynamic is brought out more and developed. You use the reveal that Black Adam wasn’t the original champion as a moment of Amon being disillusioned with his hero, but ultimately giving him the means to connect emotionally with him and inspire him. (Some vaguely Terminator 2 vibes throughout the whole thing)  If Hawkman is the main character, you focus more on the rivalry and the fear of Black Adam. Black Adam’s motivations need to be stronger from the start (he always has the intention of protecting Khandaq) and his methods also need to be a little bit harsher. Hawkman shapes the perspective so Black Adam almost starts off as an antagonist and we see things more from Hawkman’s point of view so the tone early on is less “yay watch the Rock beat people up” and more “oh no this guy is really powerful who can stop him”. We then watch Carter through his struggles and failures, first trying to beat Black Adam and failing, and then trying to change Black Adam and failing, and then ultimately having to reassess his own views and his own role in all this. Then the reveal about Black Adam’s son comes-- and maybe even save most of the Black Adam backstory for HERE so that the oppression and slavery that he fought against is part of this new reveal-- and Carter is finally able to see who Black Adam is as a person and understand his point of view. And he’s able to get out of the way, swallow his pride and let Black Adam save the day (with Carter assisting him as he does in the actual movie). Also play with the weird slightly dysfunctional nature of the Justice Society and make this new humility from Carter be what they need to finally gel as a team. This version keeps the ideological divide at the forefront and also lets Black Adam be unstoppable with sacrificing tension. Essentially you’re playing out a Batman V Superman concept but where that movie struggled because Batman’s position was hard to sympathize with because the audience KNOWS Superman and knows that he’s good, here Carter’s position would be understandable because you’d be initially viewing Black Adam from an outside perspective. 

But most likely, you want Black Adam as the main character, as he hypothetically is in the movie as it really exists. The real problem with that is that the movie doesn’t give you any means of emotionally connecting with Black Adam or understanding his motivations or internal struggle, until nearly the end, when they reveal the story about his son. The son story is the key to understanding ANYTHING about who the character is as a person, what he wants or why he’s doing what he’s doing. You can’t hold that back because if you take that away all you get is Dwayne Johnson glaring at the camera and killing people. There’s no CHARACTER. So. To fix it, the opening narration needs to NOT be narration. We need to actually see that all happen as the first act of the movie. We need to see Teth-Adam as a slave trying to protect his family, see his son as a champion, see his son die, and then see Teth-Adam lose it and kill everyone in the palace. THEN bring us to the present. From there the movie can play out largely the same with just the existing act 2 trimmed down (and we’re probably looking at a slightly longer movie). You can even still have the reveal to the Justice Society and the others that he’s not the Champion they think he is, except that now the audience is informed of the tension that there’s this case of mistaken identity. But giving us those character scenes with Teth-Adam FIRST recontextualizes most of what goes down in the movie. We know that he’s mourning the death of his son (and you can draw out the relationship with Amon more) We know that he’s not stepping up to fight the way Adrianna and Amon want because he’s not the freedom fighter his son was and because he feels unworthy. And we can more explicitly draw those things out because the movie isn’t going out of its way to hide what Teth-Adam is feeling. Black Adam is essentially unbeatable in this movie and you can do that BUT you then have draw the tension from somewhere else-- his internal struggle (or in the other two versions, the question of whether or not he can be trusted/relied on by Amon and Carter). If the movie is unwilling to let him be physically in any danger, you can’t ALSO hide his internal struggle. We need something to attach to as an audience. Teth-Adam HAS a character arc and interesting internal struggles but the problem with the existing movie is that they intentionally withhold both those things until act 3, effectively removing the main character from his role as protagonist and leaving the movie without anyone to focus on. It’s just things happening without a driving perspective. 

#black adam