#i fucking love persona 5 so much holy shit

[ajdrawshq]

WHAT. THE FUCK J7ST HAPPENED. WHAT IS HAPPENING .?

#PERSONA 5 ENDGAME IS UH. NOT QUITE WHAT I EXPECTED ILL TELL U THAT MUCH #this plotline is............. hilariously and horrifyingly familiar #ive seen like. literally none of this. i knew vaguely that the twins were one but the rest of this ?????????????????. #p5 #....................... lots of things just happened #wasnt expecting this direction but they made joker look cool as fuck for it tho #WAIT BITTERSWEET ENDING CANCELLED I JUST HEARD JUNPEI ZEROESCAPES VOICE ????? HEY BUDDY WHATS UP #oh shit its christmas when they do this . i wasnt even looking at the date #what is akira so funny for. love this guy #him n Futaba teaming up on Sojiro is so good i love this family .......... #oh shit we skipped some days now. somethin bigs coming aint it #aww mishima :') #holy shit we skipped a LOT of days now #ok valentines day just shoots right at u huh. hi ryuji #ty for the cheap chocolate king 👍 #woahhh even more days going by. fuck that whole month i guess goddamn #YUSUKE GAVE ME HIS PAINTING?? #bro........... :') #'keep that smile of yours. i'll capture it in my artwork someday' bro .............................. 0(-( #god these kids. yall are just gonna drive him out there huh #ohmuyvdkdjbsjxhs couldnt leave without one last solid fuck u to the cops. sobbing i love them #ouhgh. #akira u silly that is Not how u sit safely in a moving vehicle. #so um. how do i do the third semester or whatever that is ? #new game + time i guess!!!!! #lmao ok yea the requirements are exactly what i thought theyd be . rip i kinda forgot maruki existed half the time so he was like rank 3 #shouldnt be too hard to get all that now that i dont need to worry abt social stats. OH AND I GET TO TALK BACK BC OF THAT TOO #oh this rules i love when ng+ keeps almost literally everything

[wazzappp]

Im not fucking alright brother I'm too far gone for this. You're getting magical girl transformations with my attempt at character shit going on buckle up chucklefucks were going to flavortown (<- what).

Alright so I tried to make Robbies transformation subtly different by not having his face tilted down in the initial 'I am a being composed of pure magic holy SHIT' (<- need you to imagine that being said with a slight hillbilly accent idk why but this is necessary in my brain please please) phase. He's actively looking away from his Connection Gem because HES NOT DOWN FOR THIS. He hasn't given up on finding a way out of his contract (details are being discussed, trying to figure out what will deliver the most EMOTIONAL DAMAGE). He's not even wanting to fucking look at it because FUCK Sneli, FUCK the Connection Gem AND FUCK THESE GODAMN HEELED BOOTS (he has rolled his ankle 5 times. his healing factor has been used more for these horrible contraptions than fighting ghosts). His tried and true tradition of 'If I don't look at it, if I just ignore it then it might just go away'.

@cicada-candy bro your fucking johnny design. It fucks SO HARD.

So Johnny is FANTASTIC and like. Slay and everything but theres also some sadness behind that. Johnny hasn't been in control of anything for basically his whole life. He couldn't control his fathers death, couldn't manage (at least at first) his love with Roxanne so FUCK IT. If he cant control his own Fate or appearance anymore either then he is going to own it as much as possible. If he is assigned thigh highs and skirts for the rest of his existence then godamnit he's going to make it look fucking GOOD.

@rokhal YOU. YOU FUCKING DID THIS TO ME. YOU WERE THE ONE WHO MENTIONED DANNY USING HIS MAGICAL GIRL PERSONA TO ESCAPE FROM LIFE. YOUUUUUUUUU. Alright so Dannys whole thing is him shifting and gaining confidence as he does. He starts off facing the left and shifts to the right as he completes his magical girl transformation. He also starts off very curled into himself, like he's protecting his connection gem from something, then slowly starts to take up more space and becomes more confident as he progresses.

FRANK. YOU. WHY WERE YOU SO DIFFICULT. Frank is direct and over this shit. His poses are the simplest and he is ALWAYS facing the "camera". His magical girl transformation isn't something that he enjoys, it's more something that he ENDURES. He would really prefer to just get to the point (fighting ghosts).

Anyway, I hope this is mildly comprehensible. My brain is fuckging. Idk man something is going on and it IS enjoyable but I am afraid that the opening of my skull to the universe is having some negative effects on my ability to communicate. I'm gonna go. Drink some water.

#ghost rider magical girl au #my art #sketch #robbie reyes #danny ketch #frank castle #johnny blaze #this is. well its certainly something. #fuckinggggggggg flavortownnnnnnnnn #god shit fucking damnit I forgot to give johnny his stubble.... ughhHHHHHHH

[msperfectsheep-posts]

Okay Note here. CHARACTER ASK. i7 Torao, Haruka, and Nagi. Ouran High School Haruhi. Batman Jason. Anyone in persona you must talk about (I don't know anyone there). Did I miss someone? (You don't have to do all. I am mereky curious)

THANK YOU NOTE!!! I'm gonna put all of these beneath a cut just so I don't clog up people's dashes <3

Torao Mido: (IDOLiSH7)

Torao is the kind of character where you're like "literally why is he in the main cast when everyone else is a banger" and then you realize that his arc is just 4-5/6ths of the way into the story and you go Oh. Oh. I get it now. That's him. That said, I want to blast him with a fire hose.

Haruka Isumi: (IDOLiSH7)

Haruka was my discord pfp for several months and I think that says a lot already. I love him so much, he's like. so bulliable and he should be bullied. Dramatic ass teenager baby that dresses like an e-boy. I love him so much and every time he bleps (:P) in official art I want to Die. Prime blorbo material.

Nagi Rokuya: (IDOLiSH7)

I'll admit outright that, as someone who had Ouran High School Host Club change my brain chemistry forever when I was a child, and with i7 having a main character named Tamaki, I CONSTANTLY called Nagi "Tamaki" during the first season just because he was the silly blond weeb guy!! I was like holy shit there's two of them. And then I got to parts 3 and 4 and I was like Oh Holy Shit they're even more similar than I thought :'). Nagi is a BELOVED character of mine but it took a moment for me to grow into loving his character. I wish I saw more fan content of him because he fucking rocks, but he's also just on a different plane from a lot of the more popular characters and I get it. I love how everyone respects him as they should though. My king forever and ever.

Haruhi Fujioka: (Ouran High School Host Club)

SPEAKING OF OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB. Haruhi's arc in the anime and manga is a little different, and obviously the anime wasn't supposed to end where it did, but with the changes the director and writers made, I truly believe that it would be impossible for the animeverse to end the same way the mangaverse did. Anyways Haruhi is a really funny character because she's supposed to be the straightman in a lot of the jokes, but she's just as dramatic and silly as everyone else. And it's great. 10/10 protagonist, every time I think of her I think of that tumblr post about her with the big brown eyes and I go Yeah. yeah.

Jason Todd: (DC Comics; Batman)

(If you can't read that square, it says "SCOTT LOBDELL")

Jason was NOT my favorite DC character or even Robin for a long, long time. I only really got into his character when I started working on my fic, Beyond Imagination, and had to start analyzing what a younger Jason was like and how he would interact with the world in a modern day and age. All of the Batman characters get flanderized and mischaracterized by fanon and canon a lot, so it's hard to figure out what was generally agreed upon as canon unless you read yourself, but Jason's got a strong story and personality that really shined with his resurrection. I'd say it's one of the best uses of reviving a character thought to be dead, and every time I think about his death and like. both the in-universe and real life events that lead up to it, I get emotional. Great character that makes me deeply ill to think of from a meta-perspective.

Maya Amano: (Persona 2 Innocent Sin & Persona 2 Eternal Punishment)

Okay so. You may have noticed I tagged two Persona games for her and that's because, spoilers for Persona 2, the first Persona 2 (Innocent Sin) is a timeline that fails. The game with you resetting the timeline because you fucked up that badly, and the second Persona 2 (Eternal Punishment) is your second shot and doing things over. HOWEVER. Maya changes with the timelines because she was doomed to die with how things were set up in Innocent Sin, and fixing that to give the timeline a shot in Eternal Punishment changes her as a character. This bingo is more about Innocent Sin Maya, who is a 23 year old girlfailure reporter that makes me Deeply Deeply Ill. If you're ever curious, you can send me an ask and I'll talk about her more in depth because Persona 2 isn't the easiest game to play

Thank you for the ask!!!

#ask game #idolish7 #dc #ohshc #persona

[arcplaysgames]

lmao just a heads up this shit is HORRENDOUS i LOVE it, i love it as much as the fucking Protect Adachi ending, it's so terrible

Reverie wakes up like a fucking month later and everything is wonderful. People are hanging out in the cafe, Kasumi has joined the gang, and everything is jovial and bright.

oh my god. /gasps a bit at Akechi

It fully feels like there should be a sitcom ending theme playing here, it's so false.

SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI

PERSONA 5

THE ROYAL

This game just took a hammer to my fucking kneecap, holy shit. The intentional echo, the way it takes your sentimentality and fashions it into a knife to shove in your fucking ribs, that's incredible. I wanna fucking applaud.

The world jumps ahead again to graduation day, when Haru and Makoto are done with school at last. Everyone is sad for a bit and is like "oh but what will this mean for the group?"

YUSUKE CONSIDERING TRANSFERRING TO SHUJIN

the knife fucking twists and twists and twists. I followed Yusuke as he struggled to settle into the dorms and his own school, as he fought to keep his prestigious art scholarship, as he turned down other options he felt would compromise his work

and here he's just like "nah i'll transfer to shujin"

How do you solve a problem like Goro Akechi?

Apparently you take his princely mask and you bolt it onto his face and leave it there until the person underneath suffocates.

There is nothing in him, he's a doll with fresh paint.

Oh, aren't they just. They're all friends. That's the happy ending you designed, isn't it?

The fucking audacity of this self-made god walking among his most problematic wards to enjoy his victory over them. I respect it. It's an absolute horror.

are you ready for the fucking worst of it lmao

I can't even handle it, it's horrendous, it's terrible. It's white gloved hands reaching into each of them and ripping out chunks and calling it medicine.

The fucking shot of Reverie and Akechi in particular is brutal, as the one time Akechi sounded scared was the moment when Reverie took the fucking deal.

What Goro Akechi wants, the desire he has, is to be completely unfettered. It is completely incompatible with Maruki's reality. So, nothing but a doll remains.

THAT WAS TERRIBLE! TEN OUT OF TEN! NO I DON'T WANT TO SAVE MY CLEAR DATA, PERSONA 5, BUT THANKS FOR ASKING.

goddamn.

#p5 #persona liveblog

[melancholysway]

Rating all Raph's because I can

can we do it?

YES WE CAN.

Going off personality, character development, design etc

80s Raphael

No because this Raph took the cake for being the sass king- straight away from Donnie

It may be because Rob Paulsen voiced this mf, but holy shit is he fun to listen to.

No complaints, this Raph was funny and I love it. Made mfs SCARED of his sarcasm- he’s great. He’s not a personality type we’re used to for Raph though, he may fit Donnie’s- but either way, I love it.

This Raph was more sarcastic than anything, he wasn’t really mad.

Not much on the character development, and there’s nothing really memorable about his design since him and his brothers look similar!

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

2003 Raphael

Okay, THIS ONE.

This is it.

This the one yall, still sarcastic as FUCK, and his comedic timing is everything. He probably doesn't even mean to be funny and just says whatever mean shit he's thinking up in his head

He’s by far the most witty cunt in this whole 2003 series. I also love him x Casey Jones broship I’m here for it guys.

I loved his development and evolution up until the last ep, it wasn’t like Leo’s character development, but I still enjoyed Raph’s all the same.

Nothing strikingly different on his design, but his accent is the most notable!

4.5/5! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

2007 Raphael

TOTALLY NOT BIASED AT ALL GUYS 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

THIS RAPH. I love this Raph

It may be bc he’s the best looking in this one but idc He is so FINE.

Ahem this is about personality not looks so

As for his personality in the 2007 movie, he has his lil corny sarcastic jokes here and there

Knows how to “show a lady a good time” according to Casey mf Jones

He went viral in NYC. HE WENT VIRAL IN NYC. AS A VIGILANTE. HE MADE HEADLINES. HES THE GOAT.

I also have mad respect for 2007 Raph bc Leo straight up said he was better than Raph and the only thing Raph did was laugh at him he has more restraint than me fr fr

Bc me personally

I wouldn’t take that level of disrespect

Idk what restraint Raph had not to BITCH SLAP his brother, but I would’ve in a heartbeat for sayin that LMAO

His design is great, he’s the only brother with the amber eyes, while Leo & Donnie have light/dark brown, and Mikey has baby blue! He has his alt persona as the Nightwatcher, and his character development is rushed given its a movie, but you clearly see his transition from resenting Leo into accepting the fact that Leonardo took that absence to work on himself for his brothers.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2012 Raphael

Hear me out rq

I enjoyed this Raph-

I really loved 2012 Raph because they always showed him caring for his brothers and pets! This was kind of the first time we got softie Raph and I’m so happy they added moments of him being soft- I would’ve rated him lower if he was strictly just mean and showed no vulnerability.

he’s getting a higher rank than intended because when he’s mean, it’s literally justified, ESPECIALLY with Spider Bitez omfg that man pissed me AWFF. He’s a good balance of sarcastic and mean honestly!

He had great development and evolution as a character, he took what Splinter said and applied it everytime, & he also didn’t just have unjustifiable anger bursts.

His design is the most unique Raph we’ve seen by FAR. He’s the only brother with bright electric green eyes, and a crack in his shell in the shape of a lightning bolt.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bayverse Raphael

He calls Leo on his b.s. I love it. He called him out on keeping shit from him and I loved it. Mikey was begging this man not to, and he didn’t give a fuck. He did it anyway. Raph doesn’t take shit from anyone, INCLUDING LEO.

I also loved this version of him, in the second movie, he really comes to terms with being a mutant and having to hide from the world. That being said, I enjoyed his development in the second movie, though it isn’t as evident. It’s a movie, and unlike the 2007 movie where it’s mainly focused on Raph (it was supposed to be a trilogy, where the movies focused on one of the turtles! Luckily they picked Raph & his relationship w/ Leo for the first movie before they went bankrupt LMAO) it’s focused on the bigger picture. This was definitely a fan movie for those who already know why each character acts the way they do.

His design is…interesting? I couldn’t actually see them, but I’ve read somewhere he has tattoos? Leonardo has the most, but I couldn’t even see them? I only saw the symbols on his shell & bandana- I’m not sure if they were talking about that as being tattoos. Bayverse Raph brings back those amber eyes from 2007 Raph! I love me some golden eyed Raphael guys

Anyway, his personality was nice! They showed that he has fears despite his size. He has morals, and recognized the benefit of being human all the while realizing normal will change nothing internally but everything externally.

3.5/5! ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Rise! Raphael

This is the first ever Raph as the unofficial leader! He’s taken Leo’s role and made it his own in this series!

That being said, I see why they had to change his personality up. He’s more upbeat, way less mean. He’s more soft. Not that I’m complaining, but I see why lowkey sometimes Leo don’t be listening to him / the other turtles don’t really take him serious? He LIGHTLY puts his foot down, he’s like the cool substitute who’ll let you use the bathroom the whole period, or the old rich auntie that gives you a wad of cash every time you and the family get together at the BBQ.

I also see a slight trend now, Raph’s becoming the largest character. I don’t know, it makes him distinctively different, but I enjoyed when he was the shortest in the 2012 version, he’s a small dog with a big bite.

Anyway, he’s a cutie in this series! His design is very unique, & his lil tooth makes him look less intimidating. I wish we could get some more on the development side for Rise!Raph, but the series isn’t done! So there’ll probably be more!

3.5/5!⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Masterlist

#teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #raphael #tmnt 2012 #bayverse tmnt #tmnt 2007 #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise!tmnt #tmnt raphael

[bengiyo]

GAP the Series Ep 5 Stray Thoughts

Last week Mon was accepted into the confidences of Sam's friends, and was given guidance on how to read Sam's moods and responses. We learned that Sam's public persona is artificial and managed by the friends, and we also confirmed that Sam very much likes Mon. Bestie and I gushed over how good everyone looked all episode, and really liked the long pink coat Mon wore.

I still can't believe Tee didn't hit on Mon's friend, Yuki.

I get Sam reflexively choosing to cut off Mon. Her friends may want to tease her, but she already lost both of her sisters because of her grandmother's homophobia and is definitely going to be reactive about losing control of a situation.

I love how we can tell how Mon feels by the intensity and detail of the pinks she's wearing.

Sam may be pissed, but she still came to slay.

I agree, Chin's shirt is too much.

Gosh, Sam is so pathetic. I love her so much. She's so scared of how much she likes Mon, and is so bad at expressing it.

It's kind of interesting how Becky speaks English words with a Thai accent when she's speaking Thai.

Poor Sam. First she's jealous of the food, and now she's jealous of Chin.

Baby is a Messy Eater: GL Edition

I am fighting for my life. The "can we trade and I bite your lips" exchange was so charged. I am fanning myself.

The tension is palpable. So proud of Sam for making her desire clear.

Nop has to go. He ruined a potential first kiss.

Freen is so good at this. She played Sam's frustration and irritation perfectly.

Oh my goodness this confrontation took a deeply uncomfortable turn when Sam asserted her class position. Like, I don't like Nop either, but GODDAMN.

Whoever is in charge of lighting on this show is almost as good as the folks who light Hallmark films.

Oh, the Dutch angles are finally relevant.

The DP was very clever to use the bench and the columns as lines. Also whoever chose to use the sprinkler system like this needs a bonus.

Mon is almost wearing purple today; she must be feeling especially down.

Oh no, now Sam feels she must punish Chin for potentially flirting with Mon.

Sam's Facebook name is "I AM YOUR BOSS." She is too much. I love her.

Okay, something very LGBT happened to Mon when Sam grabbed her chin.

Okay, but Mon also licked Sam's nose a bit there.

I really admire Mon. As much as she adores Sam, she still chided her for being cruel to Chin.

Alright, the lip bite that just wasn't a kiss just sent me out of the park.

That's two days in a row we're getting heartbeat stuff.

I know this is sexy, but I am so scared that Becky is going to fall off those stairs.

Freen is really so funny in this role. I really wasn't sure at first, but I am having a lot of fun.

This is a truly fantastic first kiss. It's so much what Sam has desperately hoped for, but she has to disguise it in a "game" and she has to minimize the impact by calling it normal behavior between gals. She even sidesteps clarifying their relationship. It's tough for Mon, too. She also really wants this, but understands the social politics at stake and doesn't push for more. I'm losing it.

BL has rarely engaged eye-fucking, and Becky and Freen are putting on a clinic.

So glad Mon's coworkers care Bout the health of her lips. They should carry this energy over to GMMTV sets.

Desire is just so attractive on Freen, holy SHIT.

If Sam only has one friend on Facebook, why does this post have six reactions? Also, I love the energy of posting WANT KISS NOW on Facebook because your crush is ignoring your eye-fucking.

Thankfully Jim interrupted with a text, because Sam was not going to stop at a kiss.

Oh no. I can see the camera person in Jim's glasses.

"With that low salary, what are you going to buy?" MA'AM, YOU ARE THE ONE PAYING HER!!!!!

I don't care about anyone else. I liked the cash-cheer joke.

I like Becky's singing voice.

Ah, Mon was feeling poor and inadequate compared to Sam's friends.

New GL Trope Unlocked: Let Me Put This Lip Balm on You.

Becky really delivers on the lovestruck stun effect every time.

There's so much to look forward to in that teaser! We are eating good next weekend!

#gap the series #gap yuri #thai gl #gl series #ql series #Ben watches

[kygerbearr]

What's the worst game you've ever played?

it is hard to really gauge what the worst game I've ever played was, but there are definitely some games I consider to genuinely be bad. none of them are really all that interesting takes so don't expect much

persona 5 - I really, really dislike this game and genuinely think its game design is bad. visually it's amazing, but they lock game changing mechanics like party switching behind social links that I just had no interest in doing, and no one should be punished that hard for not doing optional content. horrible game design. also the story bored me to tears. the villain is so half-assed and character assassinated in the later half of the game that I felt insulted that they took so much time from me. the only redeeming quality of that game is its aesthetics, soundtrack and some of the characters, otherwise it's mediocre garbage and there are so many better RPGs to play. also persona 3 clears it

genshin impact - I don't hate it because it's anime or because it's gacha and I played it from launch all the way until the second half of inazuma when they released itto, but the way they handle content in that game is horrible. the units they released had horrendous kits overshadowed by whoever was running the meta. the hype for new units was completely gone, and building your team was fucking miserable because you need to gather bugs for 3 hours which also take 48+ real life hours to respawn. also everyone in that game is fucking white and its so annoying and I fucking hate it

the peak of my enjoyment out of genshin impact was liyue as a whole since it was actually a beautiful area with some slight amount of authenticity to traditional chinese culture, language, and topography. but the story of the game is so unbelievably fucking boring, the gameplay is not interesting, the new characters end up sucking and it's just a ridiculously unfun timesink. fuck genshin impact

maplestory - i have nothing to say about it. just trust me

yakuza 3 - holy shit I have never been more unsatisfied with the gameplay and story of a yakuza game. this actually made me want to drop the series entirely because I didn't find it fun or interesting whatsoever, the game is incredibly unbalanced, combat is so clunky and gross, the only saving grace is that okinawa is cool to look at. i didn't do any of the side stories because I just did not enjoy the gameplay, I finished this game and felt exhausted when I was done with it. the yakuza series is deeply deeply worth it, but please play this on the lowest difficulty and just bumrush the story.

tloz: wind waker - one of my hotter takes is that wind waker really isn't that good, admittedly I did play the gamecube version but what the wii u version changed doesn't completely turn it into a good game. my biggest issue with this game is that the overworld is genuinely empty and exploration feels pointless since the only side content you can do has unsatisfying rewards that don't make the game much better. the hint system they use for that game is fucking stupid, dungeon design takes a nosedive after the first 2 dungeons, items you get in dungeons have next to no use outside of those dungeons, and the final sequence being a boss gauntlet is one of the laziest cop-outs for the zelda series. I desperately wanted to like the game, so I played it 1 and a half times and that was enough to tell me that it wasn't that good.

ty the tasmanian tiger - i really wanted to love this game! but the level design got lazy and became a slog trying to collect everything, the boss design was very much not interesting and it just really couldn't hold my attention. I've gone back to this game 3 different times trying to see if I'd change my opinion but I play through half of the game and just end up realizing I don't like it and don't want to play it. it's just kind of sad

paper mario 64 - I won't call it one of the worst games I've played, but it's on this list because I beat the game and realized I didn't have any fun. the combat is really basic and boring, some of the areas are just kind of boring, it just felt really boring. the final battle? boring. there is nothing interesting about this game and I had more fun playing the randomizer than the actual game

tsukihime - this is not a game. this is a visual novel, but it's on the list because I genuinely fucking hate this game. it has the worst most annoying protagonist inner monologue ever, I liked the characters in it because of Melty Blood and ended up hating most of them by the time I finished tsukihime. I WILL be replaying it once the official english version of the remake drops in which case I will type a much longer winded review of it but I don't think anyone who likes tsukihime read it, or if they did and still like it, are not a good person. "just because they like the media doesn't mean they approve of it" cool don't care shiki tohno is a dogshit protagonist and wants to bang his sister bye

thats just scratching the surface and its just off the top of my head, other honorable mentions include final fantasy 15, final fantasy 10, glover, dragon ball z legacy of goku, super metroid (will not elaborate)

[miusato]

I was wondering, do you have a ranking for Kotone ships? I assume Shinjiham is number 1, but I'm curious since you mentioned you liked them all

HMMMM maybe? I mean like I pretty much like all kotone ships since I'm biased and I like her althoughhh honestly some ships I just see more on platonic side but I salute anyone that ships her with a rare pair (provided its just not something entirely weird or borderline illegal lol)

Anyway, here's pretty much my ranking and thoughts for each ships lol:

1) Shinjiham - First of all, god Atlus doesnt FUCK AROUND with his SL route and it's so out of their fucking mind for Atlus to not let the girlies write for the romances in other persona ever again cuz WHAT THE FUCK???? They really fucking cook with his and Ryoji's SL its fucking sweet yet so tragic I just cant fucking take it anymoreeee 😭😭😭 and it fucking hurts me that even when you ended up not dating him, you can clearly see just how in love he is with Kotone like fuck man it hurtss

I am just such a sucker for the broody bf x cheery gf trope but they had me in my tits when they laced it with angst it had me bawling by the end of it. I really appreciate how in femc's route we finally get to see his true character like god before P3R we really only know him as that mean looking guy with a tragic broody past and he tries to make things right before its too late but we dont also see him trying to be better other than tiny mentions of it so when he is gone we dont feel bad other but P3P hooo boyyy shits fucked me up I miss him I miss my wife and even when I get to save him, even when he finally gains the reason to survive and have meaning to live, when the person that gives him that reasoning is gone, it fucking hits me like a truck man and that truck decides to reverse and run me over again. Absolutely spectacular shipping 11/10 dont fucking do that ever again Atlus I have inherited hypertension from my dad

2) Akiham - This is actually my initial otp before I blasted and fried my brain with foolmoon content. I was actually surprised to see this side of Aki where instead of him looking like he gets thing under control and cool all the time, he is just so clueless socially and every rank of him had me go "Holy shit he's autistic he's just like me frrrrr" like I didnt expect him to have awful social cues like me hskskssksk I also love how really cute the entire rank is like this boy is 18 and never dated anyone yet he is so sweet and thoughtful I almost forgot he probably learned this from the seventeen magazine in his room lmfaoo I love them they're the most tamed yet cute pair but also bittersweet and sad thinking that he lost everyone that he loves even after he proclaimed he will protect her ugh im in painnn

3) Theoham - I love how silly the entire route is! Its fun and relaxed and oh god what is up with everyone with white hair has autism in this game??? His lines are fucking bonkers it had me in tears and I cant even believe this man also manage to make me feel things about exposing one's hand after seeing it gloved for so long. Again Atlus please let the girlies cook again for the new persona i am begging you

4) Hamugis - idk if it was Atlus intention or not to make her pan but god I love this so much! Her entire route is her adjusting to being human and gaining human emotion gradually and I just really think its so beautiful when she said she doesnt even care if Kotone's a girl or a man she will still love her (Im sure she really meant it to be platonic and she pretty much mixed romantic and platonic but also that confession at the roof doesnt help at all I genuinely think she's in love with femc) and towards the end when she cried I can hear how human she is briefly like oh god I cant believe Atlus invented yuri

5) Yukaham - they're besties and she mentioned she wants a bf before okay whatever BUT I just refuse to believe she's into men honestly and she probably just wants a bf because thats what she believes girls should be (like obsessing over boys and such) and shes a girly girl so she should like boys, right?

Im not forcing anyone my HC at all so just ignore this if you want. Im writing this because the worm in my brain tells me to do it and i am also projecting myself here but like I just like the idea of Yukari feels conflicted about her sexuality because she's a girly girl and her liking girls doesnt fit the status as a girly girl but when she meets Kotone and she is feminine and likes girls stuff too but also a tomboy and doesnt really care much about the identity of being a girly girl and finds herself enamored towards her, she admits to her one day that she's having conflicted feelings about her and the other girls she finds oddly attracted to and Kotone's probably like "You should try to kiss me and see if you feel anything about it" and AKXHEIQPAUSQPAJQL oh god the thought of Yukari not knowing she's a lesbian and struggling to accept her identity as a lesbian is just so AAAAAAA i need more Yukaham content maybe I should draw them together

6) Mitsuham - I totally understand people's vision with Mitsuham. Actually at this point, you guys can see how Kotone brings impact to everyone in the team and towards the end of the game, everyone either finds a meaning to live or finally able to open up to each other but anyway shhh lets ignore the overall grim lore of this game and just focus on Mitsuru as a person instead. I really love the idea that Kotone introduce a lot of new things to Mitsuru since despite how rich and influential she can be, due to the responsibility and burden she has to hold at a very young age, she didnt get to experience what life is as a normal teenage girl so I just love the thought of Kotone teaches her what it feels to be a normal teenage girl like and gives her a glimpse of what it feels if she wasn't a Kirijo in the first place. Again, just a HC but like I think it would be so fun of Kotone and Mitsuru just sneaks out at night after she convinces her to forget her responsibility for a moment and loiters around town until it's the dark hour and Mitsu just freaks out because she was too distracted by having fun and being distracted by her duty and she was like I cant afford being normal, not in this world and not when she bears the name of Kirijo and oh god did I accidentally turn this into angst???? ANYWAYS yes I understand Mitsuham

7) Ryoham - Okay I have to admit, as much as bittersweet and tragic their whole relationship is (like the fuck as going on in Atlus' HQ when they wrote "Please touch me. Make sure I exist." Like ????) I'm just not into Ryoji much because of a personal reason but also like I love it when people draw them in an alternate universe where they meet again like I really believe in another life, they really do would fall for each other again ;w;

8) Juntone - Honestly I just see them as platonic but I saw this one Juntone shipper on twt before and I cant stop thinking of them whenever I have to think of this pair. Like okay shh imagine if Kotone isnt dead in the end but both of them still lost Chidori and Shinji, I know they both understands the pain but like if lets say they find confort in each other and down the line they do fall in love, I just think its really beautiful. Maybe not immediately but when years later theyre reunited and open up about their grief and still having a hard time to move on, I know they would clung on to each other just to feel absolutely alright because nobody can understand the circumstances they fall into.

Anyway, that's pretty much my ranking. I really do love and understand why people would love her with other pairing like I am all game but the ones I am pretty much very obsessed with is Shinjiham and Akiham while the others are more of an afterthought to me.

#actually tbhthe other reason I like Shinjiham is because Kazuya Nakai voiced Shinji and I am actually and honestly in love with Roronoa Zoro #and I have no shame to admit I just play Shinji japanese dub video before bedtime just to put myself to sleep #but anyway thank you for this ask its so fun to write my thoughts about each kotone pairings #like at the end of the day idc what her pairing is #i just want my girl to be loved and be happy #asukaspeaker #anon #ask

[shuttershocky]

So I got persona 5 awhile back used, have only played a little of it, and now the royal deluxe version is on sale. I was wondering if it’s worth buying the royal version and switching to it or stick to the one I have. Is it worth it?

Don't believe the reviews written at launch, they probably had to submit the review before finishing the game. It is absolutely worth buying P5 Royal even if you already have P5. Royal is the game that P5 SHOULD have been. It is the game people remember in their minds when they think about how they loved P5 but haven't actually replayed P5 to see all its problems laid bare.

Some stuff that makes buying Royal worth it

The original Persona 5 had a very, very obvious Light and L thing going on between Akechi and Joker (they even look like them lmao). They also didn't pull it off. Royal greatly rewrites and explores their relationship both in their brand new confidant (the new name for social links) and in the newly added month, making it one of the best relationships in the series.

They rebalanced the combat entirely. Guns are finally usable instead of being worthless, and there's far more depth and creativity possible in the Thieves' movesets. Some people complained the game was made too easy, but honestly that's an easy tradeoff to make up for the ridiculous number of quality of life changes added that make the whole thing a smoother, more dynamic, and fun experience. Also, Royal reworked how status effects work, allowing you to use them to knock down (and thus combo) enemies that normally do not have weaknesses. It's fucking rad.

Every confidant event now also has extra dialogue where they call you over your cellphone. Social links / confidants have always been the biggest appeal of Persona, getting more out of them is a big plus.

The new director (they changed directors in Royal)'s storytelling ability is just... Better. Like, it's crazy, at some point you can actually obviously tell which parts of the game are new in Royal and which were in the original game because of the quality of the dialogue and the overall writing is just that much better (and Royal keeps the original games' scenes). The original P5 had many, many problems with its writing, from being unable to hold on to its plot to just sometimes having cringy dialogue. There's straight up a whole scene where the villains explain EVERYTHING to each other despite both of them knowing all the info already. It gets that bad. Royal's original writing on the other hand, has a grasp of both plot writing and an emotional understanding of its cast to really make the most out of the setting's potential. The difference is night and day, get Royal for this reason alone.

They added talents / passives to Personas which can be inherited through fusion, which can make some EXTREMELY funny personas if you figure out an overpowered combo.

Morgana doesn't force you to go to sleep at night as much anymore. You can read books or study or clean the cafe or play videogames, basically DO shit that raises your stats rather than wasting time. Anyone that's played the original game might see this as the number 1 reason to get Royal honestly, it feels incredible to not waste so many days on a game with limited time. (You can finish all possible confidants in a single run without it even being very strict! Holy fucking shit!)

You get the P5 DLC for free btw lmao. Royal had its own DLC, but if you open the PlayStation network and own Royal, the original P5 DLC is free for you. Get it, some of the personas (like Kaguya) are stupidly fun.

The original P5 had one horrible final boss (he's still there in Royal, he's just not the final boss anymore.) Royal's final boss on the other hand, is legitimately one of my favorite final JRPG battles ever. I like it even more than Persona 3's Nyx, it's that good (though nowhere near as hard). If you like Ursula K Le Guin's work, the final arc is thematic inversion of one of her short stories. I love it so much.

The soundtrack is bitchin.

[butimnotasexyrussian]

Wait you texted your boss you love her?! Say more right now 👀

Wait, holy shit do I have access to my inbox again? FUCK YEAH. My messages are still missing and Tumblr is still not letting me reply to any posts but this is definitely a step up.

Anyway.

Gather round, children, and let me tell you about the dumbest shit I've pulled at work thus far.

I'm generally very quiet. So not even 3 months into this new job where I have no idea what's happening and I am NOT friends with my boss who I kinda/sorta idolize, there's a work outing at the state fair.

It's a good time. We get sorted into teams to do a scavenger hunt and then there's a division wide happy hour afterwards. I have a few drinks at happy hour and I'm chatting with people who I don't know. It's all good.

The calendar hold was only until 5 so I figure I'll leave then. But I get roped in with a group (including my boss) to go to a secondary location. I don't realize until later that it's past 5 so most of the people who have kids and families to get back to have left. At this point, I'm maybe 3-4 drinks in? And 3-4 drink me is when I get loud and aggressive and touchy.

Here, I loudly proclaimed that I was tipsy and it was everyone's responsibility to take advantage of me so I'd be buying drinks. After the first round, my boss tried to buy and I hip-checked her out of the way multiple times to hand my credit card to the server. She said, "Stop buying me drinks! I've seen your paycheck. You can't afford this!" And I said, "Shut the fuck up and tell me what you wanna drink."

This went on for like 5 more hours. I physically did not let her buy me anything. I told her I'd beat her up if she did. At one point, I got on the ground and did pushups? It was nice to see her outside the office where she seems more human and sometimes she hates her job too instead of the polished LinkedIn persona I feel like everyone has in corporate. One of her gripes is that she's been turned down for a raise multiple times despite doing a shit ton of work.

What you need to know about me is that if I decide I like you, we ride or die now (whether or not you want me to be. There's no gift receipt for this bitch). So of course I got very indignant on her behalf and said I'd beat up her boss because how DARE he deny her anything, especially when she carries the team on her back (my words, not hers). And then she was like, "I could do better as a manager" and I told her to shut up because she's amazing. But she wouldn't accept it and I was full blown drunk at this point so the logical conclusion was to hug her and kiss her on the cheek? She went oh! and laughed a little but she was definitely not as drunk as I was because she has like pure Nordic blood and my one saving grace is that I don't get the Asian glow.

After that, we got separated. (The day after she said she went to get fried pickles and thought I was right behind her.) Instead, I got swept out the exit with the rest of the crowd. I was drunk but cognizant enough to be like, hey I should tell her where I am since I didn't say bye. Which is when I sent her this:

And also this:

The drinks were catching up with me now so I called my mom to pick me up at the bus stop. I'd laid down on the grass to try to stop everything from spinning so much and also thrown up a bit. I didn't think it was that bad but my mom says I looked awful tottering over to the car, wiping my mouth and covered in dry grass.

I'm at the age where if I drink too much, I can't sleep and I never black out (which is good), so I spent the entire night replaying memories in 4K and thinking, why the FUCK would I say/do that? Also this was a Wednesday, so I had to fucking go into work the next day.

The I love you part is embarrassing but fine. Threatening people is less fine, but whatever. I really didn't have any excuse for the kiss on the cheek though. I was fully expecting my performance review to start off with my boss going, "Look, we have a no tolerance policy for sexual harassment here so..." and like, fire me.

Luckily she was cool about it and laughed it off, but I was so embarrassed for months. Now the embarrassment has worn off and it's just a hilarious story. But listen to me kids, the moral here is don't ever EVER get drunk at a work function.

#literally why am i like this #it's not even necessarily a drunk thing because last month i fully sober went up to my team and said #just took my last final (theology) for undergrad this morning. I'm done with college and done with Jesus. who wants to do shots with me

[mr-independent]

Let's keep it rolling babes, EP 5 The Lassos

--....why? Would they lower the door to the entrance to the club??? Ted's not insanely tall that's just weird

-- ah yes the appearance of Oklahoma, such a great trope in the show. Also Ted's 'constant optimism' is why we love him. Like yes it means he masks his anxiety with this...veneer of cheer almost. Honestly? Relatable. I can see now why my old boss says I remind her of Ted too much to enjoy the show lmao.

-- Ted literally sees himself as a character in a cartoon. He did the whole sunset run across the field to see his family without any care for how long it actually is. To borrow terms from the Our Flag Means Death fandom, Ted is slowly but surely muppetifying the entire cast one by one. He was the OG muppet and he's infecting them. And Yes Beard is Sam The Eagle why do you even need to ask

-- the fucking. Henry playing darts in the bar just like Ted used to when his dad was drinking ❤️‍🩹

-- y'all just know that Ted insisted against Michelles protests that they didn't need a hotel, that they could bunk with him in his fucking full-sized bed bc hes afraid theyre gonna disappear if he doesn't hold on with both hands and holy hell their whole episode is just. Hurting my heart.

-- Nate's dad was a cartographer. Nate's dad made the map to ask out his mom. ❤️.

-- it really uh. Says something that Michelle and Ted's couples therapist was the one who recommended Ted should give her some space, and then later we learn that when Michelle moves on its with that same therapist which is uh. Not great, actually. Can't blame Ted for getting super upset about that, that's an absolute shit situation actually.

-- Jamie's clearly hurting from Keeley breaking up with him, Ted's hurting from Michelle basically saying it's over, and neither of them are good at processing their emotions so predictably it only gets worse from there. Gotta say that's some star fucking writing there, how the plotlines overlap and impact their emotions and their backgrounds feed into this fundamental...misunderstanding? Butting of heads for sure.

-- Ted really must be in amazing shape. He outran half the footballers - professional runners! - a few episodes ago, he ran half the pitch to see his son without breaking a sweat, climbed an amount of stairs that a seasoned pro footballer called impressive without even getting too out of breath....he's damn fit

-- Ted monologues to himself to work out his problems and no one can convince me otherwise (see: the changes marriage metaphor halftime speech)

-- ok more of a personal note I've never heard English commentators cover football before watching this show (yes i understand this makes everything about me more confusing, esp given the mix of slang and the typing and spelling style, I'm an enigma what can I say?) But they treat it less like a job and more like a podcast than I'm used to. I enjoy it, but it feels weird and made up

-- Michelle finds it so fucking hard to hurt Ted even unintentionally, even to benefit her and her son, which is kinda a theme here. Ted's crafted this persona (which yes had become in a sense his true self but that's a whole other essay) that makes it nearly impossible to get hurt because everyone is so reluctant to do anything mean to him so when people are unfazed by this (see: Jamie) he's so caught off guard? It's almost sad how he's made himself so impervious to hurt by making himself so much more vulnerable to it and vice versa, he's just an exposed nerve that can't be cut and it's almost painful to watch

#ted lasso #teddy rewatches ted #i should mention. no thats not my name bc of ted lasso. i had it first he can get in line. #ted lasso meta

[harapeveco]

miss harapeveco since we are in the topic of anime pls drop some recommendations I don’t have anything to watch 

Omg oks so I have a very shitty taste in anime so this will be a very disappointing list but the ones I mostly recommend are:

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun: literally every scene is funny and iconic, it also invented m/f yaoi don’t ask it makes sense

Owari no Seraph: I mean this very unironically this anime fucking sucks but in a good way like nothing is ever explained, nothing makes sense and they gaslight you into believing the main boys are gonna be endgame by showing you a homoerotic scene of blood drinking. Just roll with it and don’t ask questions it’s better that way

The Persona 3 movies and the Persona 4/5 anime: the movies are really good they did a good job condensing +80 hours of gameplay in 4 movies (except the third movie but we don’t talk about that). Now when it comes to the persona 4 anime you can tell they didn’t give a shit that thing is just 24 episodes full of jokes and comedy the game wishes it had holy shit it’s really funny for no reason. The persona 5 anime is more complex in the sense that it’s very unwatchable if you go to it expecting something good. It’s bad it’s very bad it’s poorly animated and rushed and it’s just borderline unwatchable but it is really funny if you wanna have a good laugh about how bad something is I recommend it

Osomatsu-san: the first episode of the first season being yeeted into oblivion bc it was very much illegal to show all of it makes it worth it. Keep in mind this is an adult show (even if it doesn’t look like it) so there’s a lot of crude humor and sex jokes but all the characters are such trashy people I like to see them suffer 

Kiss him not me: if you are a shipper this one is for you. Basically the MC is a yaoi obsessed fan girl who wants to see her classmates date each other yaoinly but they want to date her instead 

ID Invaded: really good anime with a really good mystery and plot! Main character did everything wrong but I still love him also Sou did the opening for it 

Happy sugar life: very fucked up horror about a high schooler in love with a literal child but it doesn’t go like you think it goes, they don’t portray it as romantic or cute they very much portray it as the fucked up thing it is and how wrong it is. It’s good if you like feeling unsettled and like to watch things go from 0 to 100 real fast

The promised neverland: amazing series with an amazing mystery and atmosphere! It’s a shame it only has one season tho I hope they make a second season of it in the future but it’s a shame it only has one

Dr stone: it has science, it’s horny, you have over the top characters, what more do you want

Natsume book of friends: you love to cry? You wanna cry after watching every single episode? Ofc you do! This shit will hit you in the gut so hard you will never recover. A beautiful story about acceptance, platonic love, found family and yokai with the best and most realistic character development I’ve ever seen 

Gegege no Kitaro: this one is very broad bc no kidding this anime gets a new adaptation every decade. There’s a 60s version, a 70s version, an 80s version, a 90s version, a 2007 version, a 2008 version that is more adult and follows the manga and a 2018 version too if you like recent stuff more. Most of these are lost media tho good luck trying to find any version that is not the 2018 one. I forgot about the plot of it yeh uhhh basically a kid ghost is a medium between humans and yokai but he mostly play favorites with the yokai and sometimes fucks the humans over so idk if he’s really a medium, he’s very biased about it

The dangers in my heart: I talked about this one before but I’m talking about it again idc. Really cute and wholesome the MC is kinda horny but he’s like 14 boys at that age are pretty horny we have to stop pretending they aren’t. The first 3 episodes are so cringe they are very painful to watch but if you can go through them you will witness what I think it’s the cutest romance after horimiya. I don’t usually read manga bc I have the attention span of a rock but even I did a binge read of it bc it was just so good

King’s game: edgier than shadow the hedgehog 2006, it’s painfully bad like I can’t even begin to explain how horrible this anime is but good lord it made me laugh all the way through 

Chuubyo gekihatsu boy: one of the main characters is a catboy called Rei Tsukumo and another character is a cringe Utaite what more can I say? It’s just dumb cringe kids being dumb as fuck for 12 episodes and you know what? It’s very good at it

Horimiya: just watch it for the love of god just watch it

Sasaki to Miyano: you have miyano who is like “I wonder if I’m gay??? I’m not sure???” While he reads gay manga and straight up imagines himself kissing his guy friend in the mouth like bestie COME ON

Thats all the anime I can think of the top of my head, well adding anime classics like fullmetal alchemist brotherhood, haikyuu, my hero academia (I only follow it bc the Todoroki family drama is the only thing well written in it), dragon ball (not dragon ball z bc as much as I like it I prefer dragon ball and the cutesy adventure aesthetic it has) and ofc how to forget sonic x 

#answered ask #anime reviewer juju harapeveco #i hope this helped anon! if you watch any of these feel free to spam me about it i need more anime besties

[thatpunkmaximoff]

[Book 3 of 4]

Story: 5 out of 5 Smut: 4 out of 5

I went into Twisted Hate expecting to not like it; 1.) because from the first two books I was not a fan of Jules and 2.) someone told me I was going to HATE Josh Chen.

After reading it, I LOVED IT!

I kind of figured Jules’ persona was a front, but learning of her past made me feel for her. And then Josh dealing with his past betrayals, it just hurt all the more when his trust was broken yet again. Jules and Josh’s love story is a chaotic one, but so far it’s been the most beautiful as they overcome their pasts together.

For most of the book, I didn’t understand why I was told I was going to hate Josh.. but when THAT scene came up I freakin’ bawled. I’ve never felt so bad for a character like I did with this book. But no worries, as the two previous books were, this one is a HEA.

Now enjoy my rambling..

* These two are so annoyed by each other, I can’t tell whether I’m going to like it or be annoyed by it 😂

* Lol Aw fuck. She would get mugged.

* Oh. Well they tried to mug her. Jules is a badass apparently.

* Oh no. What happened to Jules in Ohio?

* Pam is being a twat. Enter Christian Harper, who obviously has a thing for Stella, and I have a feeling the girls are getting this penthouse.

* That’s right, Pam. Do as you’re told and draw up them papers 😂

* The audacity of this dude to tell her to quit just because it’s his “safe space”. Get the fuck outta here.

* One bed trope. Always love it.

* They’re giving me whiplash. Just bang it out already!

* Oh come on, Jules. Don’t act like a sleepy Josh cuddling you was that disgusting 😏

* Aw fuck. What does Max want?

* “You want someone who can challenge you. Excite you. Keep you on your toes. And as for what you need.. you need someone to bend you over and fuck that attitude right out of you.” — Josh fuckin’ Chen, ladies and gents.

* Todd ruined the moment lmao. Fucking Todd.

* Jules is a fucking savage at putting Todd in his place 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

* Jesus Christ. Josh fucks rough 😳

* Oh no. This arrangement is going to crash and burn lol

* Fucckkkkk. Max is in DC.

* I hate this Max dude so fucking much. Please let Alex or Josh kick his ass.

* Goddamnnnnn. Josh really likes choking during fucking 👀 👌🏼

* Josh doesn’t want anyone else seeing Jules all blitzed out post orgasm? Yeah, he definitely broke the rules.

* Josh defending Jules against Micah.. be still my heart 😂

* Ava being woken up by Josh and Jules’ sex noises has me laughing 😆

* Lmaooo. The girls getting arrested would ruin Alex and Josh’s make up moment.

* God, I really wish Jules will just ask Alex for a favor.

* Fuckkkk. She broke down. They really need to end this arrangement.

* Ding, ding, ding. So Josh realizes he has feelings. Finally!

* Holy shit. He actually told her she was his 😨 We’re only halfway through so I know the heartbreak is up next.

* Wow. Fuck Alistair and Adeline for doing that to Jules. But come on, girl, that was your moment to tell Josh the truth about what’s been going on!

* He fucking switch his plane tickets at the last second 😩 He gave up New Zealand to be with her in Ohio!

* Ohhh. He knows about the name change!

* A bookstore scavenger hunt as a first date? 🥹 Hell, I’m in love lol.

* Dammit. I wanted Alex and Ava to see them.

* THE AUDACITY OF MICHAEL CHEN!!! FUCK YOU! I hope you rot in prison.

* Damnnn. He tied her to the bed 😂

* Fucking Max ruining the afterglow. And I can’t believe what he wants her to steal. GET ALEX INVOLVED!

* Oh my god. Just tell Josh! This is gonna blow up in your face so bad 😩

* Goddammit, Jules. Your plan better be good.

* Ew. You went to Christian? Alex would have been better.

* Yesssss! Fuck Max. Now the hard part comes. Telling the truth.

* Wow, Josh. That was fucking cruel.

* Should have known Max wouldn’t go away so easily. Fuck this dude.

* Well fucking finally! Max got the beat down he deserved.

* “Take however much time you need. I’ll wait.” // “Why?” // “Because you’re it for me. Whether it’s today, tomorrow, a year, or decades from now, that’ll never change.” — 😭😭😭

* They made up 🥹

* Aww. They told Ava. Now who’s gonna tell Stella? Lol.

* Oh no. What’s going on with Stella now?! Where’s my last book!?

* Why do I get the feeling Dante Russo is very bad news and that this isn’t the last I’ll see of him?

* Aww. They moved in together! But Stella stayed in the apartment under Christian? I don’t trust this dude 👀

#twisted series #twisted hate #ana huang #jules ambrose #josh chen #booktok review #book review #bookworm

[charterandbarter]

End/Start of the year! Means it’s time for an end of year self rec list! If you want.

A top 3-5 list OR rank all the fics you have done this year in a full, completely arbitrary, ranked list of all the ones from this year! Would love to hear your thoughts on your own work :)

!!! BUDDY!!!!!

I didn't do much writing this year (grad apps,,,,why) but I can put some things in a list to kick off a brand new writing season!! So here: top three list of most fun i've had working on a fic this year! 1. Sunset Bridge, part 2 of the mirrors of god series (Persona 5/Death Note crossover, where Akechi was adopted by the Yagamis)

What a series. What an idea. 'Haha Goro Akechi and Light Yagami look the same' we said. 'They could be brothers', we said. 'Wouldn't it be funny if that were a thing', we said. And now we're 10 pages deep in an outline for the ages, both screaming and shaking and sliding down walls as we accidentally write the most Sibling relationship to ever sibling. A hug and a bow to Writeous for your wit, cleverness, and sheer brass balls to smush the Death Note timeline, which is a swiss watch of a thing, with Persona 5, a fucking 100+ hour free choice JRPG, but it has been so much fun writing these guys!! "Why do you resent the fact that you love your family?" and we keep getting different answers every time,,,,man. Man!! i legit cant say too much because godDAMN did we go crazy, but MAN!!!! 2. The Hippocratic Oath (Revised) (the premed!kaneki ken au)

I can't exactly say it was 'fun' to write this so much as it was meaningful to write this fic lol. Tokyo Ghoul was one of my first fandoms (back in...middle school holy shit), and I was chomping at the bit to play off of the anti-martyrdom themes rooting around in the og series for a while. Is it my best work? Debatable. Is it my most well-plotted? Depends on your version of plot. Did I go fucking batshit insane, black out, awaken to a 20pg outline, and subsequently drag Misery Man Kaneki Ken kicking and screaming towards some semblance of a recovery arc by (among other things) making him a STEM major? yes. and i regret none of it, because i tbh needed to write this fucker anyway (changed my major, gender AND sexuality!!! the fuck!!!). aaaaaa the paradox of 'do no harm',,,,,the problem never ends because martyrdom was never the solution from the start,,,,,,,the asymptotic condition we're all saddled with where yeah we're burdens on eachother but that's like cool and shit because it's not about deservin it's about living aaaaa anyway yeah only time i wrote a fic and got knocked flat on my ass into a different career track so yep it goes on here! i also decided to make every chapter 10k like a fool, so pray for me. oh vocaloid-stan kaneki we're really in it now,,,, 3. Flock Together (Persona 5/BNHA, an Akechi-in-BNHA au)

I have nothing big about this fic. It's fun to write a dumbass getting jumpscared by a child. Man makes One (1) good decision and is now a Babysitter. The child being Babysat is also ready and willing to throat-punch people. i cannot stress enough that I am writing this fic to make Eri go fucking insane, and for every chapter I post there are three scenes of eri just going fucking bonkers hitting kneecaps, swearing, and doing normal girl things like reminding people to wash their money because 'money laundering' is v important. stress ball fic thank GOD. don't worry about the plot shhhhhh i dont have plot dont worrrry about it-- but yeah!!! That’s my top three most fun fics this year!!!!!!! i’d like to @yellowocaballero, @ragnarokascendant and @bitemeilovewaffles to reply to this ask, if willing and able! lets celebrate what  we’ve made and make room for more to come!!

#and of course you too buddy #turnabout is fair play #(only if u wanna tho!!! no pressure!!!!!)

[arcplaysgames]

Anyway I will sum up: the current theory is that by taking people's Desires (the heart gem thing), Alice can control those people and it's probably bad, since when stuff happens to your Shadow it will effect your real self too.

Seems like Alice is trying to lure more people into her Jail so she can alter their cognition. Which given she kinda started as an influencer is so much I wanna die a bit.

also holy crap the textures in this game are sometimes Really Bad lmao. I wonder how P5R looks on the Switch, I might google that later out of curiosity.

Now it's time to investigate Alice herself and turns out Ann has admired her for a while and asked her agency if she could meet Alice, so she's got seats at a TV appearance.

thanks dad-- what the fuck, chaz is here. why does EVERYONE in japanese government hang at Sojiro's place?

Reverie has a full-body flashback to that time about a year and change ago when he sat in this same TV studio (but back when it wasn't made of Mario 64 textures) and shook hands with the love of his life and his star-crossed kismesis. For a moment, the entire dayglo set fades to a single color. Beige. jfc he was sooooo beige.

ANYWAY uh.

Alice tells the story about how she was extremely shy growing up and struggled to overcome it despite how much she wanted to. Then, she saw a beautiful dress in a shop window, and upon putting it on, she felt like a totally different person, like a ray of light had fallen right on her.

And HONESTLY this is the first moment that Ann's entire thing has made sense to me, how becoming a model could inspire people. I think there is more than a few issues with looking at an extremely thing, extremely carefully produced person and going "oh, this is aspirational" but at least the concept makes a little more sense now.

BUUUUUUUUT turns out Alice is not just a victim of her Jail like I proposed, she's a baddie.

Oh okay so she knows what's going on and is doing it on purpose, okay.

That's disappointing.

I'm sorry, Ann. It does suck. Her whole speech about wanting to inspire people like she was, yeah, it sounded like Ann, and Ann's disappointment is even stronger than mine.

I was kinda sad that Jails apparently work pretty similarly to Palaces but also things get SO FUCKING WILD HERE I'm kinda cool with it.

While Reverie is comforting Ann and thinking about it was in this very hallway where he met a beige boy he almost changed the universe to have a second chance with, Alice just SHOWS UP AND

oh my god

THIS GAME IS OFF IT'S FUCKING SHITS

a fucking pastel pink ultra-cosplayer keeps stepping on people, this game. oh my god. i'm crying its so good.

I think we can fix Alice without stealing her heart, all we gotta do is introduce her to the Domme lifestyle and teach her about scenes, boundaries, and consent. There is a historic top shortage going on and she could really find her niche.

this is clearly not a negotiated scene, so Ann and Reverie run in to break it up. take it to the kink dungeon, girly, this ain't the venue. SSC or RACK, pick one.

Alice actively tries to get Ann and Reverie under her mind control shit?????

OKAY SO she is like fully aware of the cognitive world? It feels like she's pretty in-tune with her Shadow. Which usually means the Shadow doesn't stay a separate being but becomes a persona instead.

Instead, with the Jail system, they seem to be keeping separate even as they both work towards the same goals. That's new and strange.

This is definitely setting up some core questions like who made EMMA, how did Alice figure out how it worked, has she been inside the cognitive world or did she just figure out if she friended ppl with EMMA she could control them, and what's going on with the shadow vs real self here?

Regardless, Alice is a delight. I for one am thrilled to have her, but I also fear that Persona 5 Strikers might peak with its first main villain here because where the fuck do you go after evil pastel princess dominatrix? I have no idea.

#p5s #persona liveblog

[lobster-tales]

Beat the Daylight

Sequel to Face the Noise, an Arcane Rock Band AU

Rating: M

Chapter 19: The Final Round

Summary:  Battle of the Bands Round Three

This work is available here on AO3. Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18

Vi barely remembered Caitlyn leaving that morning: just her twinkling phone alarm, the rustling of sheets, Caitlyn brushing her lips across Vi’s cheek and murmuring, “I’ll see you there, my love.”

When Vi actually woke up hours later, her body protested, muscles sore from the fight. She stretched as much as she could, examined herself in the mirror. Eh, the makeup artists could cover up that bruise. Maybe not that one, though. Definitely not that one.

“Good morning,” Lux said, already pouring her a cup of black coffee as she entered the kitchen. “You good, by the way? You kind of disappeared last-” Her eyes landed on Vi’s fresh bruises and widened in horror. “Holy shit. Did you get in a fight?”

“I won a fight,” Vi clarified with a smirk.

“What is it with your family,” Lux muttered. “What happened? Who was it?”

Vi’s smirk folded in on itself. “Uh… Sevika.”

“... Wait.” Lux’s fingers itched towards her phone. “That was you? You’re the reason that she’s not-” Lux gasped. “Vi! That’s cheating!”

“That’s not how it went down, I swear!” Vi glanced at the clock. “Come on, we gotta go. I’ll explain in the car.”

Once Lux heard her out, she did sympathize, if not begrudgingly. “At least Jinx still has Viktor,” she pointed out.

Vi hadn’t even thought of that. She wondered if her sister knew the details of the fight, that it was her who knocked out Sevika. Her mind conjured up an image: not of Jinx, but Powder, nervous, standing backstage holding Viktor’s hand, a stuffed animal dangling from her arm.

She couldn’t deny the hope inside of her. Lux’s presence in their lives had changed so much, given them a bridge between each other. For so long, Vi felt like Jinx was a stranger, but the way Lux talked about her made her feel like she knew her. And really, maybe she did. Maybe Powder had become Jinx long before she left. Maybe loving Jinx would be just as easy as loving Powder had been.

Reporters crowded the backstage door. Vi pulled up her hood and put on her sunglasses, but Lux kept herself visible, even with the messy bun and lack of makeup. “I don’t care,” Lux said with a shrug. “They already don’t like me.”

She held her head high as they rushed past the flashing cameras. One of the reporters called, “Luxanna! Is your relationship with Jinx real or just a strategy for the contest?”

Lux threw up her middle finger in response.

As the door closed behind them, Vi pretended to be horrified. “Miss Crownguard!” she said dramatically. “That was not very ladylike.”

“Fuck you,” Lux giggled, jostling her shoulder.

Vi only got a quick glance backstage, but didn’t see Caitlyn. She was probably in the booth overworking some poor sound technician.

The makeup artists gawked at the sight of Vi, admonishing her for getting into a brawl, or at least not doing well enough to avoid getting hit. Lux suggested that it would add to her stage persona, but they waved her away.

The TVs above showed the stage, the staff scurrying across as they prepared for the show. Vi knew she should be nervous, but for the first time before any show, she felt completely cool. Mel’s words from the day before had eased her fears, and especially after defeating Sevika, Vi felt untouchable.

“Hey,” Vi said to one of the makeup artists. “Is Caitlyn in the booth?”

One of them removed a radio from their belt and asked.

A technician’s voice crackled, “No, she’s not here. Team, eyes on Miss Kiramman?”

Another voice answered, “She hasn’t come in yet.”

Lux shot a worried glance towards Vi, who already had her phone out. The first few calls went unanswered. “Shit,” Vi muttered under her breath. “Shit, shit. Lux, you try-”

Vi’s phone rang.

“Oh, thank-” Vi breathed in relief as the name ‘Cupcake’ flashed across the screen. She answered the video call, raising her phone screen so that Caitlyn would also be able to see Lux as well. “Cait?”

But the screen was black. They heard some shuffling, a muffled whimper. Vi’s voice trembled. “C-Caitlyn? You there?”

The camera moved, showing shaky shadows. A voice echoed from the shifting darkness, unaccompanied.

It’s me Hi I’m the problem, it’s me

“What?” Lux whispered. “Powder?”

“Jinx!” Vi couldn’t hold back the accusation from her tone. “What’s going on? Where’s Caitlyn?”

“She’s mine now,” taunted Jinx.

The camera focused on a chair, where Caitlyn sat bound, a cloth gagging her. A pink smile was painted over the material.

Lux’s jaw dropped, unable to process what she was seeing. Vi felt like her heart had stopped. “What- what are you doing? Let her go!”

Still obscured from view, Jinx said, “If you ever want to see your little girlfriend again, then you better forfeit the contest.”

“No,” Lux breathed. “No, Powder, how could you…”

“Don’t do this!” Vi begged. “Just- We can talk about this, Powder, Jinx! Tell me where you are and we can talk this out. Please!”

Jinx said, “Your choice.” And the call ended with a click.

                                                           ☆ ☆ ☆                                                   

Caitlyn struggled against her bonds, illuminated by the TV’s glow. Blue tinted camera footage was playing, with twin lenses like a set of eyes. Onscreen, Jinx played with dolls, alone in her graffitied studio. The footage had been edited, lines trimmed. She repeated, “That’s right, Ezreal. She’s mine now. And if you ever want to see your little girlfriend again-” The video skipped, fast forwarding to where Jinx held up one of the dolls and imitated Lux, saying, “Thank you, Jinx! You’re my hero!” And she made the dolls kiss.

The video paused, and Silco stepped out from the darkness, Caitlyn’s phone still in hand. “I ought to thank you for the convincing performance, Kiramman.”

She lurched towards him, but the bindings held tight.

Silco’s chuckle was the blade of a knife. “I do hate to keep you from your team, especially in their hour of need, but you understand, child. I never lose.” Before he exited, he switched the TV to the concert stage, and purred, “Enjoy the show.”

                                                           ☆ ☆ ☆                                                   

Jinx refused to spend this round locked up in the dressing room. Who gave a shit if Fissurefolk watched from the backstage rafters, especially when there were only two of them left?

Her painted nails clicked against the railing. Viktor was like stone beside her: together, they were twin gargoyles that leered over the altar.

Seraphine was center stage, cameras focused on her as she recapped the contest. Images played on a screen behind her, referencing various social media posts, starting with Viktor’s departure from Hextech. She covered the tense press conference, the first round and Fissurefolk’s victory.

The recap skipped straight to the second round, and Jinx wanted it to stop, remind Seraphine that she was missing so much of the inbetween: Lux finding out about her past and accepting her anyway, how her friendship with Viktor really started growing, and, of course, the girls’ night. But instead, she watched herself perform, saw the moment where she and Viktor decided to play the remix against Finn’s wishes, and his fate was sealed. She watched Lux sing for the first time, felt that same surprise and desperate want all over again.

Then the flood of social media posts about her and Lux’s night out. In the moment, Jinx had been so consumed with showing off Lux, that she didn’t even realize that it went both ways. Lux kept making eye contact with the photographers, smirking. And when she looked at Jinx, her expression was pure adoration, stars in her eyes.

“... but regardless of what these two had going on,” Seraphine was saying. “It’s no surprise to anyone what happened next.”

Ezreal leaving the band. Finn’s disappearance, Margot’s resignation. Jayce’s dramatic plea in the rain, Viktor refusing to show. And finally, the announcement that Sevika was injured and wouldn’t be performing.

Two months. That’s really all it had been. It felt like years had gone by.

The TV cut to an ad break. Jinx realized she had a white knuckle grip on the railing and let go. Viktor glanced her way and rested an easy hand on her shoulder.

“Strange,” he mused.

“What?”

“Caitlyn’s not in her usual spot.”

He was right. During the first two rounds, Caitlyn always lingered just offstage beside the stage manager. Jinx searched for her in the shadows, but found nothing. An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach.

The lights dimmed. A contemplative synth swept over the crowd. Fog rolled down the stage, illuminated by a soft blue glow. Silhouettes moved into position, and Jayce began a beat.

A center spotlight focused on Lux as she sang,

Dying sun burns in the night I watch it glow and it’s so hard for me Speaking darkness out of spite Coercion and then caving in Wrap me in my bitterness

She looked ethereal, glitter shining on her cheeks, the satin material of her dress reflecting the blue stage glow. She moved with a steady grace, mournful eyes matching the lyrics.

Give it up I’m complacent Just enough to escape this Heretics wouldn’t phase me

Lucid trust I don’t want it Palms are rough when you promise Fire lies when you’re honest

Lux clung to the microphone with both hands, raising her head skyward, above the crowd.

It’s hard to lose and wonder why You pressure in increments

The song intensified, Vi clawing at the guitar as she swayed in time. Lux’s voice drifted above the sound, lost in the haunting melody.

Like a slow moving coup Memories dissident When I am holding you

Jinx was impressed with the somber mood of the band, their dedication to the song. Even Jayce committed to the intense sorrow.

But when the song ended, and Progress Day just gazed listlessly out at the cheering crowd, Jinx finally put it together: this wasn’t part of the act. Something was wrong.

As the applause died, the band members exchanged empty looks with each other. Ekko gave a decisive nod, and picked up his mic. “Thanks. Thanks, everyone. And thank you for your support through this whole journey. But um… We actually have an announcement.”

Jinx seized Viktor’s wrist, holding her breath.

“Unfortunately,” Ekko said. “Progress Day has decided to-”

“Wait.” Vi seemed more surprised than anyone that she had spoken, but cleared her throat and said into her mic, “I um… I actually have one more song.”

Seraphine stumbled out from backstage, clearly rushed out by the stage manager. “And uh, which song will you be playing from your setlist, Vi?”

“None of them.”

A confused murmur traveled through the audience.

Seraphine considered the band nervously. “You-you do realize that if you play a song that isn’t on the setlist, you and the rest of Progress Day will be disqualified from the contest?”

“... I do,” said Vi. The band huddled in the middle, arms on each other's shoulders as Vi spoke to them. They returned to their instruments with a grim determination, Lux shouldering her guitar as Vi took the mic.

Ekko switched his keyboard to the traditional piano sound, playing a gentle string of notes. When the instrumental repeated, Lux joined in, plucking at the guitar so as not to overwhelm the sound.

Backdropped by the pensive intro, Vi said, “This song is for my sister.” And then she sang,

It doesn't hurt me

Lux and Ekko backed up her vocals,

Yeah, yeah, yo-ooh

And Vi,

Do you wanna feel how it feels? Yeah, yeah, yo-ooh Do you wanna know, know that it doesn't hurt me? Yeah, yeah, yo-ooh Do you wanna hear about the deal that I'm makin'?

Vi stretched out her arm to a camera. Powder realized that Vi thought she was in the dressing room. She was singing to her, for her.

You It's you and me

On the chorus, Jayce launched into a slow beat. The music built in intensity, Vi’s vocals taking the lead.

And if I only could I'd make a deal with God And I'd get him to swap our places Be runnin' up that road Be runnin' up that hill Be runnin' up that buildin' Say, if I only could, oh

Ekko and Lux echoed the last line,

Say, if I only could, oh

Vi grimaced against the music, her emotions clear and raw on her face and in her voice. It almost hurt Powder- no, fuck, Jinx. Her name was Jinx. Damn, but it did hurt to hear that pain, so viciously displayed. The pain that she didn’t even know Vi was holding on to anymore, pain that she thought had been fueled by anger or resentment. But the source of this pain was neither of those things: it was love. All this time, it was love.

After Vi repeated the chorus, she belted out the notes of the bridge.

Say, if I only cou-ou-ou-ould, yeah-eah-eah!

The song’s passion rose to incredible heights, each one of the band members fully dedicated. Then they fell away as the song drew to an end, leaving only Ekko and the piano, and Vi, as she sang delicately, in such contrast to the power she had just shown.

It doesn't hurt me Do you wanna feel how it feels?

As the final notes faded, Vi’s voice was a hoarse whisper. “I love you, sis. All of you. And I’ll love you no matter what.”

A haze clouded her senses, like she was lost in a fog. Powder was vaguely aware of the crowd, their impressed if not confused applause. Something was tugging on her arm: Viktor. “Jinx,” he said, trying to get her attention. “Jinx, we’ve won.”

Somehow, she made it to the stage. Somehow, the mic ended up in her hand. Seraphine gave her a clumsy half-hug, attempting to make up for how caught off-guard she was. “Wow,” she said awkwardly. “This is uh, quite incredible. How do you feel, Jinx?”

Who? Powder met her eyes, barely able to focus. “I have a song, too.” Weird, the voice almost sounded like her own.

“Oh!” Seraphine’s sparkly eyes darted from the sound booth at the back of the concert hall to the stage manager madly waving her hands backstage. “Um, well… sure. Ladies and gentlemen, performing their um… encore performance, give it up for… Fissurefolk!”

Progress Day had slipped offstage during the celebration, and now lined up like shadowed sentinels to watch them claim their prize. Their instruments lay discarded around them, tombstones in the graveyard. Powder smiled wistfully at the white guitar covered in animal stickers.

She whispered to Viktor, and he took his seat at the DJ booth, sliding the mask over his face. Powder stood center stage, the mic trembling in her fingers. She had never performed in front of this many people before. Or had she? Why did this seem so familiar? Why did it feel so strange?

“This song,” her voice said. “Is for my sister.”

The hall darkened to match the muted instrumental. Viktor’s booth emitted its own light, the spined eye symbol of Shimmer Entertainment casting a watery glow. Phone lights glittered from the audience, making Powder feel like she was lost in a sea of stars.

She was silhouetted against that murky glow, but as she sang the first few words, she felt herself illuminated by a spotlight.

I had a dream I got everything I wanted Not what you'd think And if I'm being honest It might've been a nightmare

Viktor added in a muffled beat.

To anyone who might care

Some spell controlled her, moved her body in time with the music.

Thought I could fly So I stepped off the Golden Nobody cried Nobody even noticed I saw them standing right there Kinda thought they might care

She stilled, worked up her courage. She knew what she had to do.

I had a dream I got everything I wanted But when I wake up, I see

Powder turned to those sentinels, to the shock of pink in the shadows. Vi jolted at the eye contact.

You with me

And she sang just to Vi.

And you say "As long as I'm here, no one can hurt you Don't wanna lie here, but you can learn to If I could change the way that you see yourself You wouldn't wonder why you hear

A tiny, wistful smile played at the corners of her mouth as Powder sang,

'They don't deserve you'”

From so far away, she couldn’t read Vi’s expression. The other two were standing beside her, Ekko and her beloved Lux. She wanted to look at them, too, but some impossible force kept her focus on Vi. It was a sense, a gut feeling, that Vi needed this. She needed her eyes, her attention, her comfort.

But as the second verse began, Powder became aware of them, the audience. They were watching her, all of them, waiting for her to stumble, waiting for her to mess it up. He was watching somewhere, his one amber eye hot with rage. A word caught in her throat, and then another. Whispers echoed from sharp teeth, intensified by fear.

The mic landed on the stage with a thump, and Powder was soon to follow, falling to her knees. Someone called her name: which name? Which one was she right now? She held herself, overwhelmed by the anxious storm that buffeted her. Tears came, sharpened by quick gasps. Fuck, she was doing it again, she was fucking it up again, just like every other time in her life. Why couldn’t she do this one thing right, why couldn’t she stop her curse just for one, necessary moment? Why did she have to be such a-

And then a calloused hand rested on her shoulder. And then all she could hear was Vi’s voice, right in front of her, amplified by the microphone.

As long as I'm here, no one can hurt you

Powder finally lifted her head. She knew Vi’s face better than her own, knew the tiny scars on her eyebrow and upper lip, the constellations of freckles, every piercing, every tattoo. She had been there for every single one. And her smile: she hadn’t seen Vi’s smile in so long, but it greeted her like an old friend.

Don't wanna lie here, but you can learn to

Vi’s hand drifted down her arm, grasping her fingers as she guided Powder to her feet.

If I could change the way that you see yourself

Her bruised knuckles brushed so gently against Powder’s cheek, wiping away the tears there.

You wouldn't wonder why you hear

Her voice choked out the last line, smiling through her own tears.

'They don't deserve you’

Jinx crashed into her arms, but Vi was strong, too strong to be knocked over. They crushed each other in the embrace, burying their tear-streaked faces in each other’s shoulders. Nothing else existed, the rest of the world orbiting the sisters as they held tight, neither wanting to let go.

Powder was the first to whimper, “I’m sorry, Vi. I’m so sorry.”

“Shh,” Vi murmured into her inked skin. “I’m sorry, Powder. Jinx. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The world must have continued around them, because at some point, Jinx realized the music was gone. She became aware of the crowd once more, who remained dead silent, unsure how to react to the sudden display.

Vi recognized it, and pulled away, her hand still holding Powder’s. She gave her a reassuring smile, squeezed her hand and raised their arms, fists locked together in victory.

And the crowd exploded into applause.

Vi embraced her again, and Powder saw Lux, running towards them from backstage, Ekko trailing behind while Jayce went to Viktor. When Lux collided with her, Powder seized her waist and hoisted her into the air, twirling around in delirious laughter. She kissed her, not hungry or wanting but relieved, hopeful.

Over her shoulder, she saw Viktor, the mask hanging haphazardly off his brow while Jayce captured his mouth in a searing kiss.

Then Powder went to Ekko, hugging him tightly, breathing in his musk and remembering the warmth of her best friend and first love. He held her close, kissing the top of her head. “I’m sorry, Pow,” he said, and she knew he was crying too. “It was all my fault.”

“No,” she said, pulling back. “No, I’m sorry. I never should have left you behind.”

And then she was back in her sister’s arms: held, protected. Lux, Ekko, Jayce and Viktor crowded around, burying her in warmth and love. Her family, almost all of them. Except for-

“Where’s Caitlyn?” Powder asked through her happy tears.

Vi froze, surprised. “You… you took her hostage. You sent me a video call where she was tied up.”

“What?” Powder read their faces, the pain that was there now. “No. No, I didn’t.” In a moment of uncertainty, Powder looked to Viktor. “Did I?”

“Mmm I think I would have noticed if you took another hostage,” Viktor said. “Vi, did you see Powder’s face in this call?”

Vi frowned. “No, but I heard your voice. You were singing this song, ‘hi I’m the problem’ or something.”

“I didn’t,” Jinx said louder, trying to back away from them.

“Silco,” Viktor muttered. “Your studio, Fishbones. He must have-”

A flash of movement drew Jinx’s attention backstage. She only saw the glow of the single amber eye, and the glint of steel, aimed at Vi’s back.

“No!” Powder screamed, flipping her position with Vi as the gun went off.

                                                           ☆ ☆ ☆                                                   

Chaos erupted. The audience surged with panicked screams. Jayce and Ekko took off after him, their footsteps thundering across the stage.

“Powder!” Vi cried out, pulled her close. Lux fell to her knees beside her, a hand over her mouth in horror. “No, no.” Vi’s hands were sticky with liquid, but she was too afraid to look. “Powder…” But the body moved back, revealing that Powder was completely unharmed. Vi could only gawk at her. “Wh-what? But how?”

Powder reached behind her shoulders, and when she brought back her hand, it was stained pink with paint. “I was scared he’d pull some shit like that, so I swapped his guns this morning.”

Lux let out a sharp, relieved gasp, and Vi felt the prick of fresh tears.

Viktor, still standing nearby, jerked his chin towards backstage. “Come. You probably want to get to Silco before Jayce and Ekko do.”

The stagehands had scattered, leaving a clear trail. Jayce and Ekko stood together, facing someone. Vander, his back against a wall, his thick arms grappling Silco in a chokehold.

“You’re here,” Vi said in surprise.

Vander grunted, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Vi stalked forward, ready to pummel Silco into dust, but a voice stopped her.

“Let him go.” Jinx’s voice was quiet but commanding, and Vander obeyed.

Silco staggered towards her, arms outstretched. “Jinx,” he breathed. “You’re okay.”

But instead of embracing him, Jinx seized his jaw in her fingers. “Where’s Caitlyn?” she hissed.

“Safe,” he said, impossibly calm even now. “In the hotel basement. No harm would have ever come to her.”

He was telling the truth, Jinx knew it. But one truth could not soften so many lies. “You played me.” Her painted nails dug into his gaunt cheeks. “Why, Silco? Why would you do that?”

“I had to secure our victory,” he winced at the pain. “By any means possible. You don’t understand, Jinx.”

“I understand everything. I know about your side bet, Silco. I know that if we had won, Mel would have to resign from the Senate.”

Vi shared a gasp with the group, startled by the news. But Silco’s surprise twisted into a mad grin. “You do understand,” he said. “We did win, Jinx, they forfeited.”

“Fuck the contest!” she snarled. “You put my ass on the line, my contract! And you lied about it, you lied to my face!”

“... I’m sorry, Jinx. I only did it to protect you.”

“Protect me from what? My family?” Her grip loosened, the hurt weakening her, causing her fingers to tremble. “You lied about that, too. You said they never came looking for me, that they didn’t want me anymore…”

Silco gently pulled away, his face solemn. “They never came for you, Jinx, they came for Powder. I knew you weren’t that girl anymore, that you had been reborn.”

His bony fingers caressed the side of her face, and it took every ounce of will in Vi’s body not to snap his wrist.

He continued, though, uninterrupted. “They don’t know who you really are, but I do. I know what you’re capable of. And I love you for it.”

She said in a quiet voice, “You never loved me.”

“No, Jinx. I swear-”

“You only loved what I could give you.” Her spine straightened, eyes stormy. She took a step towards him and Silco instinctively backed away. “You only loved Jinx because she was your heir. You didn’t want a daughter, you wanted a legacy.”

“That’s not-”

“And all I ever wanted was to be accepted, and you took advantage of that.” Her hands clenched into fists at her side. “You took advantage of me, you betrayed me. What kind of father betrays his daughter?”

“I never meant-” He jolted at the touch of the wall behind his back.

“You don’t care about me,” she continued. “You don’t care about Zaun, either. All you care about is power, that’s why you wanted an heir. So your name could live forever, so you could live forever. Well guess what, Silco?” She seized him by the front of his maroon shirt, hissing quietly into his face, “I’m not your heir anymore. I’m not your star, I’m not your idol, and I’m not your fucking Jinx.”

With that, she spun on her heel and left him.

The band loomed around Silco, ready to tear him apart. But Vander held them back. “Let the authorities deal with him,” he said, nodding to the concert hall’s security team.

Vi and Lux found Powder backstage, tucked away in a corner as she grounded herself. “Pow?” Vi asked. “You okay?”

Powder jumped into Vi’s arms just like she had so many times growing up, squeezing her tightly. “I am now,” she whispered. “Come on, let’s go get your girl.”

#lightcannon #vicait #jinx #arcane #vi #rock band au #battle of the bands au #my fic #face the noise #beat the daylight #have the tissues ready this one's a tearjerker #kind of intense be emotionally prepared