#i mean. the show itself is mediocre but at least we got that

[annathesillyfriend]

August slipped away like a bottle of wine which mean it's time for another rec list! Marvel? Who's she? Tom Holland? We don't know him. As you will see, Top Gun men have taken over my life this past month along with Steve Harringtion (still haven't seen Stranger things but let's not talk about it). I hope you're gonna enjoy all these wonderful stories just as much as I did 💕 Have a beautiful September 😌😌

To all the writers - I love you and I appreciate you so much!

To all the readers - please, share the fics you read and love. The reblog really makes the change! It’s the least we can do to show our gratitude.

Also, please, mind the writers’ warnings!

🌞 BRADLEY 'ROOSTER' BRADSHAW🌞

the actress and the aviator blurbs by @greenorangevioletgrass

↳ collection of wonderful stories all about my favourite duo written by my favourite person ✨ i love every single one of them with my whole stupid heart :')

ocean in a seashell by @seasonsbloom

↳ one shot, 18+, what a stunning story it is, i am at a loss of words, please read it!

this fic by @bradshawsbaby

↳ one shot, 18+, mr bradshaw makes pregnant!wife feel good while making me lose all my marbles 🥵 i also highly recommend the whole rooster masterlist!

🌞JAKE 'HANGMAN' SERESIN🌞

silk by @siempre-bucky

↳ one shot, i've read so many jake fics this month (like SO many) but this one has decided to implant itself in my mind and never leave, i think about it at all times

and the truth of the matter is (i'll never let you go) by @fidogo

↳ one shot, 18+, definetly in my top jake fics, loved this with my whole being

king of my heart by @kyber-crystal

↳ one shot, jake really is the kind of my heart (body and soul)

butterflies by @almightyellie

↳ one shot, this makes me go AGHHH 😫😫😫 but like in the best way possible

do not disturb by @callsign-valley

↳ one shot, 18+, every single cell of my body is in love this with one

it's not me, it's you by @phoenixsbby

↳ one shot, I LOVED THIS!!!!!!

the last word by @sunlightmurdock

↳ one shot, 18+, don't we just love mouthy boys 👀

tommorow never comes by @purplevortexx

↳ one shot, i enjoyed this one so much!

i drive your truck by @wombtotombx

↳ one shot, this shit hurted 😫 but it's also so good!!

dime store cowboy by @//seasonsbloom

↳ two shot, 18+, a big yeehaw moment 🤠🤠

this fic by @seasonsbloom

↳ one shot, i just love that man so much

🌞ROBERT 'BOB' FLOYD🌞

of gym buddies and overlapping schedules by @priceof-freedom

↳ one shot, i loved this so much!!!

about time by @lovecraft

↳ one shot, 18+, the summary of this fic is 'bob gives you a compliment, you nearly give him an aneurysm' and if that doesn't make you wanna read it, then something's wrong with you 😬 SO GOOD

my love, forever by @robertcallsignbobfloyd

↳ series, i am loving this series so much 💕

sunscreen by @siempre-bucky

↳ one shot, dad!bob owns me

hair by @//siempre-bucky

↳ one shot, see above 👆👆

this fic by @//siempre-bucky

↳ one shot, i might be a little bit obssesed with bob and Kristi's work 👀

🌞MICKEY 'FANBOY' GARCIA🌞

take me by the heart, take me by the hand by @ae-gar-targaryen

↳ one shot, danny ramirez and all of his characters are meant to be somebody's boyfriend i swear

🌞BUCKY BARNES🌞

twisty by @musingsinmoonlightlibrary

↳ one shot, 18+, the summary alone has me losing it but the fic itself is even better 💕

for the first time by @jobean12-blog

↳ one shot, 18+, Jo, you bloody legend, this is so BLOODY GOOD

i need him like water by @pellucid-constellations

↳ one shot, get your tissues ready :')

drunk in love by @bethdutten

↳ one shot, 18+, reader can't keep her hands to herself and i can't really blame her

delicate by @mediocre-daydreams

↳ one shot, i loved this as much as i love the song it was inspired by 😌

🌞SAM WILSON🌞

i've got time, i've got love by @rodrikstark

↳ one shot, mannn i love this

🌞STEVE ROGERS🌞

...and i'm wearing tights by @ronearoundblindly

↳ one shot, 18+, no thoughts brain empty 🤤

🌞MATT MURDOCK🌞

neogenesis by @murdock-and-the-sea

↳ one shot, Vidra's back at it again making my heart melt :')

🌞PETER PARKER🌞

the favourite by @softspideys

↳ one shot, stark!reader, i don't know what is says about me but i live for stories likes this one 😅

🌞JOAQUIN TORRES🌞

middle by @fluffyprettykitty

↳ one shot, boyfriend!joaquin is just a dream

🌞TOM HOLLAND🌞

bound to you by @vendettaparker

↳ series, royal!au, the best word for this story is a masterpiece, stunning work!!

no shoes, no shirt, no problem by @heyhihellowhatsup0

↳ series, 18+, another banger of a story from Nicole, tom + a lovely island sound like a dream 🥰

this fic by @//sunshinehollandd

↳ one shot, the softest thing ever 🥺🥺

i see you by @luciwritesstuff

↳ series, social media au, this was so fun, i loved it 😁😁

🌞STEVE HARRINGTON🌞

i love you by @collecting-stories

↳ one shot, FHJSKGHJSRGKJHDHGLDFKJLIFJG

fools by @spencerrxids

↳ series, i just love stories that make my heart hurt

hidden keepsakes and i don't hate you, i just don't like you by @hellhue

↳ two shot, 18+, yes, that's all i have to say

dirty dancing by @nexusnyx

↳ one shot, biker!reader, this made me yell 😁

this fic by @sunshinehollandd

↳ one shot, dad!steve, i can't even 😫😫

wash day by @//sunshinehollandd

↳ one shot, 18+, okay when is my turn to wash his hair???

chain reaction by @custardcrazy

↳ one shot, so lovely 🥰

power trip by @silkscream

↳ one shot, 18+, yes yes yes

and i get this feeling in my chest by @upsidedownwithsteve

↳ one shot, jealous steve and some soft times 😌

🌞EDDE MUNSON🌞

june baby by @luveline

↳ two shot, single mum!reader, i haven't read part 2 yet but i am looking forward to do so, incredible story!!

#anna's fic recs #fic recs #august 2022 fic recs #top gun fic recs #jake seresin x reader #robert floyd x reader #bradley bradshaw x reader #steve harrington x reader

[technicolorfamiliar]

Technicolor Familiar Watches Too Many Conrad Veidt Movies Part 5 of ?

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4

Contraband (Blackout), 1940 Dir. Michael Powell ⭐4/5 Watched Dec 18, Archive.org Uncle Erik: Your Captain, he is a beautiful man! From the first moment, I loved him! Me: Hard same. So much fun. By far my favorite of the Connie Spy Thrillers I've seen so far. Valerie Hobson is so slick, and the rest of the ensemble is pretty good for a change, especially the guys at the Danish restaurant. The bondage scene (not really, but... yeah, it is) lives up to the hype. The screenwriters really went off on this one, didn't they? I mean, this movie gave us Conrad Very-Serious-Actor Veidt whispering lovely things in the dark like "good girl" and "do you trust me?" The scene with the music box in the pocket watch? Too much, can't handle it. Connie's dry humor is a delight and all the sexy, flirtatious fun he's having in this role is like a precious balm for my tortured soul.

Above Suspicion, 1943 Dir. Richard Thorpe ⭐3/5 Watched Jan 3, Vudu Oh, filmmakers. Bless you for having Fred MacMurray get strangled in greeting by Conrad Veidt. A great film it is not, but it's definitely cute. And while it's a semi-tough watch as Connie's last film, I'm so glad it was this one where he's clearly having a ball -- whether on the dance floor (does Hassert always go out in the middle of the day to tango with mature, voluptuous women?), getting stepped on by Joan Crawford, sticking his fingers in bowls of cake batter, or climbing down trellises with his knees all out in the wind. He's very obviously living his best life and I love that for him. The movie is riddled with very silly, eyeroll-worthy one-liners, but the plot is enjoyable. Joan Crawford looks like she's having a good time too, and Fred MacMurray is pretty tolerable. I haven't seen Basil Rathbone in a lot of other movies, but I wish he got to be nastier and that he and Connie got to have some scenes together. Connie's physicality is so subtly funny, I really wish he had gotten to do more intentionally comedic films/roles.

Lucrezia Borgia, 1922 Dir. Richard Oswald ⭐3/5 Watched Jan 10, Archive.org I've been trying to watch at least one silent every once in a while. And while I have to lodge my typical complaint of these older films being a bit too long, this film is clearly a feat of production for the year it was made. The huge, open sets and beautiful costume details were incredible. As always, Connie 100% steals the show. He's delightfully wicked and nasty, slimy and pathetic. I wish he had better scene partners to receive and react to his intense performance as Cesare Borgia. But it's ok, it's like a Game of Thrones episode without the dragons or misogynist nudity.

Nazi Agent, 1942 Dir. Jules Dassin ⭐4/5 Watched Jan 14, Youtube I admit I chose to watch this one because I was charmed by the idea of Double Connies. But not even five minutes in and Otto had won my heart. I didn’t know anything about the movie itself going in, but was completely prepared for it to be cringey and mediocre. So I was pleasantly surprised that it was actually decent. Maybe I'm rating this one higher than it really deserves, but really those four stars all belong to Connie's performance/s. Daggers in my heart. So many moments in this little movie affected me more than I expected: Otto's line to Richten about being only one of however many million citizens willing to rise up against fascism; his look toward the Statue of Liberty at the end; the little glittering tears in his eyes when Fritz says, "We do what we're told because we must…"; his gentleness and deeply tragic sense of loss that permeates the film. And, perhaps most of all, how cute he was with his pet canary. Cue the waterworks. I have so many more thoughts about this and about his time in Hollywood in the 40s in general, but I'll save that for another time.

Kreuzzug des Weibes, 1926 Dir. Martin Berger ⭐3.5/5 Watched Jan 20, Snowgrouse's masterpost This movie was made nearly 100 years ago and we're still having the same conversations about reproductive rights today, especially now in the US after Roe v Wade was overturned in 2022. It's pretty disturbing how much of the script could be lifted from a dozen different arguments between contemporary conservative lawmakers and the people trying to better advocate for and provide safe reproductive healthcare. It's a pretty bare bones film, the story and performances clearly more important, appropriately so, than cinematic bells and whistles. Thought it was an interesting choice to have the lawyer's office so stately and huge, like the patriarchal systems he's operating in -- overbearing, empty and impersonal. The movie does feel like a public service announcement (which I guess it was), but that didn't really bother me. What bothered me was the ending, because OF COURSE the woman has to comfort the man even though she's the one who went through a major trauma. But the way Connie's character broke after the doctor told him what happened to his fiancée? I've never seen anything like that. He went fully offline. His whole nervous system got unplugged and rewired. P.S.: The extra half star in my rating is for all the monocle twirling.

#my writing #conrad veidt #contraband #above suspicion #lucrezia borgia #nazi agent 1942 #kreuzzug des weibes #held off on posting this because so many of my posts are cv centric lately... #it's been a fallow period for art over here

[whipplefilter]

Phoenix (1) 2024

@the-kings-tail-fin and I actually attended this one!

Phoenix itself is a nice track--the stands are set up so as the race starts most of the seats are in the shade, which is fantastic. And it has seats, not bleachers! It was (almost) our first time at a track that wasn't in the Eastern timezone, so the early start time was enjoyable, too. (I say almost because Gateway is in Central, but one hour difference is negligible.)

My favorite thing about being at the track, aside from live nyooms, is how much control you have over the narratives that play out. You're going to see a different race than TV can give you, but it also means you can watch things that are off-story, so to speak. Which is great because that's where all my faves ran today--the Realm of Complete Irrelevance. But it was still cool to see that it was possible to pass the back half of the field, but if you got mired mid-pack that's where you stayed. If you had a really fast car, like MTJ, you could get back into nearly the T10. RCR unloaded so awful I'm not sure how Kyle Busch survived the day without combusting. He deserves so much better than what they showed up with today. And Denny, in classic Denny fashion, managed to Disaster Denny himself into mid-pack from P1/2 for most of the race prior to his spin.

I kept being like:

Upside: The 48 is not the lowest-running Hendrick car

Downside: It's the 5 lol

But somehow KL ended up the highest-finishing Hendrick car, if only because the 24 9 48 also finished like garbage, but worse garbage. Upside, although Bowman was the lowest-finishing Hendrick car, at least his teammates were with him?

We sat behind an older couple, Joey Logano fans, and when he got wrecked out they packed up and left!! We would never. Usually when we are physically present at a race our faves run mid-pack at best, or are claimed by early mis fortune. Which is honestly impressive, because my faves generally aren't mediocre--just when I'm watching!! (Denny is the only one who's ever been cool while I was watching in-person. But Denny has also been extra mediocre when I've watched, because he likes being polarizing like that.)

#phoenix 2024 #real racing #nascar #tell me why we've seen michael mcdowell and chris buescher win #and i've still never witnessed a kyle busch or kyle larson win #i've seen joey logano win SO MANY TIMES

[ell-arts]

I do have a question, and it's about the show itself.

When it comes to the Ghost Gang constantly showing up and being a little special, don't you think that the writers treated them pretty badly? I can only remember one episode where the Ghost Gang was actually pretty important to the plot of the episode but then the writers never let them have that treatment again. Do you think they could have used more material for them? I mean they literally have a miniture Pac Man and his ghost rivals! They deserve more recognition than that. :(

Another thing I wanted to ask, when it comes to the PMATGA fandom, what's a reoccurring theme that goes on with some of the characters, and would you prefer some of the character's fanon selves more than canon?

Ooo, I like these discussion questions!

Okay so, for your first question, I agree that one would expect the Ghost Gang to be a little more prominent in the show since they are almost as iconic as the Pac-Man character itself. But when it comes to the Ghost Gang in terms of PMATGA, I think it's important to take note of their role in the plot compared to other characters' roles, because that shows where they stand in terms of screen time/material.

The thing is, when you're writing for a kids' show and you have a lot of characters that you need to work with, you'll eventually have to make a compromise with the writing/development for some characters in order to keep the focus on the main ones. So they'd have to dedicate a certain amount of screentime to the most relevant of characters, which would be in an order similar to this;

Main characters: Pac, Cyli, Spiral (gets the most screentime) Antagonist: Betrayus (screentime in proportion to the protagonists') Secondary/Supporting characters: Sir C, Stratos, Ghost Gang, Apex, etc (gets less screentime than main characters, but are still relevant to the plot to warrant more screentime than minor characters) Minor characters: Sunny, Zac, Ogle, etc (of least importance to the plot, thus less screentime)

Now that being said, just because a character is a minor or secondary character, doesn't mean they have zero relevance to the plot! One of the best tips out there for writing is to give even your minor characters a good background and a bit of development. But since this IS a show that is geared towards young kids, I don't think the writers would've felt incentivised enough to spend too much time on characters that are not the driving force behind the plot. (Not that they felt incentivised enough to even keep the dang plot consistent, lmao).

We did see the Ghost Gang get a bit of spotlight in some episodes (like No Body Knows), and other than those episodes, they still show up in like 90% of the episodes regardless. Do I think that they could've had a bigger role other than being underground spies for Pac? Absolutely. But they still got their times to shine in some episodes at least, like The Pac Be with You and Stand by Your Pac-Man. Or at least on an individual level, like with Blinky and Pac-Fu.

Another thing to note is that I don't think the writers treated just the Ghost Gang badly...looking at the show and its inconsistencies, I think the writers treated every character badly at some point xD It all could just come down to mediocre writing in general. Again, it's a kids show so they probably knew they can get away with lacklustre writing.

And as for your second question, hmm...

I've been part of the PMATGA fandom since 2015 and have seen many types of fanon archetypes/themes come and go, but one thing that has remained rather consistent is the fandom's tendency to take what is canon and write their own spin on it, like rewrites, AU's, continuations, backstories, headcanons that differ greatly from canon, etc.

But it's worth noting that all of these things are almost exclusively about Betrayus. Pac and some other characters get some of the spotlights from time to time, but depending on how long you've been in the fandom, you'll notice a strong preference towards Betrayus among the fans. Which is fine, but I would love for some of the other characters to get a bit of attention too.

But either way, here are some reoccurring themes I've noticed among characters in fanon (not counting my own fanon works). (!!these are only my own observations, others may have different interpretations!!)

Pac - consistent with canon, but with some headcanons that he's either autistic or suffers from anxiety/cancer/eating disorders. In some AU's, he's given a different character for a parent/guardian.

Cyli - consistent with canon, but sometimes a bit more gothic and/or mean.

Spiral - consistent with canon, but a bit dumbed down...

Elli - often rewritten from canon to no longer be a love interest for Pac, or sometimes her personality is tweaked to have a bit more character.

Skeebo - sometimes consistent with canon, sometimes depressed with a 50/50 chance of having a redemption arc.

Stratos - mostly consistent with canon, but often portrayed in a bad light

Blinky - consistent with canon, but with a rebellious biker aesthetic

Inky - consistent with canon, but with trauma

Clyde - mmm, not a lot of fan works of him, personality-wise at least. He needs more luv :(

Pinky - Consistent with canon, though some fans portray her as a much calmer character, while other fans go hard on the Tsundere theme.

Specter - Frequently portrayed as a love interest for Betrayus.

Betrayus - If I got a penny for every Betrayus fan-child or fan-wife/husband OC I saw in the fandom since 2015 then I'd be rich enough to bring the show back. So an 8/10 chance he's portrayed as being romantically involved with someone. Or having children.

[These current observations may be subject to change]

Out of all of these characters, I only prefer Elli's fanon self over canon, and a bit of Pinky's fanon self (aka less of a Tsundere). For the rest, I prefer their canon selves. However, that doesn't mean that I'm against exploring some of these fanon archetypes in some of my own fanon work :)

#ask #pmatga #pac man and the ghostly adventures #I really love these types of questions #I love talking about this show #Sorry if I tend to get a bit rambly with these kinds of posts! #but I luv it

[timegears-moved]

(totk ending spoilers ahoy)

wow ganondorf sure does love gettjng stabbed in the head huh

ya know, for all the shit i've given this game about how much i hate the story, that finale was fucking amazing. better than botw's even (i know it's not a hot take to say botw had a mediocre ending for how much i enjoyed the rest of the story).

so.... i loved the callbacks to the beginning with gloom's lair and the forgotten foundations. i loved that you can remove the rocks blocking the way to see the rest of the mural now that you know what happens (kinda strange that the murals were there before zelda even time travelled but whatever. i just gotta accept that the time travel in this game makes zero fucking sense). but it was just very cool to have a book closing situation with it. AND ALSO ZELDA'S TORCH WAS STILL THERE!!! very sweet and sentimental detail. i also liked how it was the opposite of botw's, as in botw you were ascending hyrule castle but here you're descending far far below the castle and further below anywhere else in the depths.

the atmosphere here was amazing, especially with how the power of the sages couldn't reach you. it was truly isolating and i knew that the sages themselves would show up eventually but nonetheless it was really hammering in the tenseness of the situation.

one of my gripes is honestly with the sages. they felt kinda....useless?? which feels means to say because i like their characters but it felt like they didn't have much of a presense in the final despite literally being there. i do like how tulin was like "we need to work together" when his whole thing during the rito questline was how he was doing everything by himself and had to learn and accept teamwork. if totk carried at least one thing over from botw it was that the rito continue to have the best and well-developed characters lmao (even if the impact of tulin's felt smaller. probably because he's not.... ya know....dead).

AS FOR THE FINAL BATTLE ITSELF. WOW. ganondorf's ai was fucking incredible here. also his taunting was just very funny to me for some reason??? except for when he reached his second phase and was beckoning link closer i was like okay you need to die now.

SPEAKING OF THE SECOND PHASE: LOST MY SHIT AT THE HEALTH BAR. i love when games play with the hud and that adds to the story (prof sada/turo's text boxes glitching out and it briefly flashing with "they have no intention of fighting anymore" before changing back comes to mind as something similar). it was just very cool.

third phase was also very cool with it incorporating the sky and zelda joining us (nitpick time sorry: though the fact that she is capable of recognizing link and helping him even as a dragon kinds goes against the whole "losing yourself" aspect of it. like she was clearly still in there). i don't think the third phase was as good as the first and especially the second though. it was very easy, though it was cool that if you got hit by ganondorf's attack you would permanently lose one of your hearts. it was still a good part of the fight though, don't get me wrong.

JUMPING AFTER ZELDA AND REACHING FOR HER WAS BEAUTIFUL THOUGH. WAHHHHH

as for the epilogue it was sweet but the entire story of the game let it down a bit. i felt nothing for mineru passing and that's because everybody from the past barely felt like a character to me. this is also extends to when the current sages were vowing to protect hyrule and zelda had a flashback to the old sages. like wow it's very cool that you got to know those guys zelda and i'm glad that they meant something to you. wish i could say the same considering we still know fuck all about them.

epilogue aside, the ending was wonderful. it brought this game up from a 6 out of 10 to a 7 out of 10. if only the rest of the story was of this quality.

#bwark #totk lb #story went from an amazing prologue to the rest of the game being mostly insufferable (aside from the rito and gerudo sections) to being #amazing again in the finale #now it's time to get working on writing my thoughts on the game as a whole #mostly done with that btw

[ryverbind]

Faceless Fixation {Sal Fisher}: Prologue

"Move, move, move!"

I left the awful, deteriorating city of Nockfell when I was ten years old. It was worth it-- I've always said that. I had nothing in that town; the population went down each day and hell, it was starting to look like I'd die there too.

I had to leave all of my friends behind, but at least we kept in touch. I only had three friends, anyway. Being able to keep those three around meant more to me than the fear of moving to a bigger city. Nothing was scary as long as I had my few friends.

"I'm trying! This guy in front of me is being stupid!"

Moving didn't mean much at the time, but it did leave me very lonely. Both of my parents were and still are workaholics, so I grew up pretty alone. Well, I did until mom and dad got divorced.

I think mom was the driving force behind dad's need to work so much. She was a drama queen.

Dad and I live in the heart of Los Angeles now. We moved here from San Diego just last year. He has his normal job that makes enough-- otherwise we wouldn't be in such a big city-- but making enough isn't always... enough over here.

"Go around him maybe!?"

But I've learned to work around that. Dad has, too. I have a mediocre job at a diner to pay for expenses and to help with some at-home things.

After all, life in one of America's most famous-- and most expensive-- city's won't pay for itself.

"Shut up, Ash! Fuck, why won't this person just move!?"

Though, I wish there was something I could do to make more money. Something to give me more freedom instead of being cramped in dad and I's little apartment. Something easier than breaking my back for pissy customers that won't even tip.

Honestly, I want something easier for me and dad.

And still, I find myself sitting in front of the TV in my living room-- mint chocolate chip ice cream in my hand as I watch my childhood friend fuck shit up on her most recent Youtube video.

The best part about this small, suffocating apartment is that it's on one of the highest floors. Sure, I have quite the elevator ride to take when I come home and sometimes I'm late to work because I miscalculate the time it'll take me to get down to the bottom floor-- but it's so worth it.

Our balcony doors are cracked open, the curtains pulled away to show the busy streets of Los Angeles below. The city is a beauty, that's for sure. The sun and headlights are always reflecting off of the tall, glass buildings which make for quite the light show-- and I have free tickets.

Early morning light filters into my dim living room. A stray golden ray forms a rift in the drab darkness of the rest of the room, illuminating a stripe across the back of the couch, across my legs, and then all the way to the other end of the room. I take note of dust that seems to float on the small stream of light as I redirect my focus from the Youtube video that's currently playing.

This apartment can only get so dark. When I say dim, it's still pretty bright. Our apartment is like any modern apartment-- it's new and filled with neutral colors, making it seem bright and inviting. Our walls are an eggshell white color. Our furniture is a mix of beige and black fabric, never leather because dad hates the feeling of it. And any wooden furniture is black, as well as our carpet.

It's simple, modern, sleek. It's everything a Los Angeles resident could want.

Right?

"Dammit, Sally! You cost us that entire game!"

My best friend's shrill scream pulls my attention back to the television. I see her face in the bottom left corner, her brows furrowed and mouth wide open in a mixture of shock and anger. Her cheeks turn a rosy shade as she begins scolding the guy in the mask at the top right of the screen.

They're playing Call of Duty.

"All you had to do was move around the glitched dumbass, are you kidding me?" Ash bellows. "How long have you been playing this game? I thought you were the pro. Give me my fucking crown."

Sally Face, the guy in the mask, or as he calls it, a prosthetic, snorts into the microphone. His head bobs with laughter, showing that he finds Ash's anger quite amusing. "Ash, if I could have moved around the guy, I would have. I was glitched, too." He pushes a veiny hand through his pretty hair. "I will never revoke my crown."

Sally Face is confusing in my brain. He has unnatural, bright cerulean hair. It's fluffy and full of layers, creating a pretty interesting texture to accompany the fringe that always hangs over his prosthetic.

His style is a contrast to his blue hair— dark, mainly all black clothing. He's always wearing either a plethora of different necklaces or just one that no one has ever seen before. He has chipped, black nail polish— no matter how many times he streams, it's always the same. I've never seen a fresh coat on his nails.

My favorite, and undoubtedly the most distracting, part about him happens to be the rings and bracelets he wears. He has plenty, much like his necklaces. Most times, Sally Face is wearing the same wrap-around snake ring with a black finish and a silver one with unique carvings and a garnet gem. He has a ton of cute fan-made bracelets that say different things, like "Cogito Ergo Sum" and "SF."

And he has this accent, a very attractive one. It's not too strong and I can't put my finger on what kind of accent it is, but I find myself holding onto his every word. There's just something about the way he articulates certain sounds.

Not like I'd admit it, but sometimes I rewind a YouTube video just to hear the way he says "water" or "coffee" again.

Is that down bad-ish of me?

Larry catches my attention, effectively dragging me back to earth from my simping thoughts. His face is in the top left corner of the screen; he pinches his lips together and shakes his head. "Will you two stop bickering? It's just a game," he says, shifting in his chair to get into a more comfortable position.

"Who stole Larry? Because you are not him," Todd's voice cuts in just as Larry finishes speaking. His face is in the bottom right corner. "You're supposed to be the shit-starter, not the shit-stopper," Todd continues, chuckling.

Larry snorts. "Maybe I'm just feeling different today. Ever thought of that, Todd? Huh?"

"You guys are insufferable," Ash scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest. She leans back in her chair, showing off her headset. It's super cute with little cat ears that change colors. "I'm taking away friend rights. I'm all for y/n now."

I perk up at the mention of my name. She never talks about me online-- not that I blame her. We agreed to pretty much keep our friendship private.

"Awe, come on, Ash," Larry whines, pouting at the camera. "We have to share y/n, and besides, we love you. You have to take care of us, mom," he jokes.

"Y/n is mine, thank you very much," Ash chirps, smiling wickedly. "And, for your information, I am not your mother so I can very easily dip out of your life."

"Fuck, it's like my dad all over again," Larry says. Everyone is silent, suddenly afraid to say a word as Larry's dad is a sore subject. But Larry starts giggling at his own joke.

"Stop making fun of such a serious situation, Larry," Todd says, holding back little giggles. "I'll go to hell if I laugh. Don't do this to me."

"Ash practically set up the entire joke, Larry just took advantage of the opportunity," Sally Face says, a pretty chuckle leaving his mouth. "But anyway, who's y/n?"

"Oh, shit." Ash slaps a hand over her mouth. "I completely forgot that I mentioned her. I was hoping I'd keep her a secret forever."

I tilt my head, my eyes narrowing as I watch the screen. All four of their characters are idle in the game lobby as they chat with each other.

Shoving a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth, I start to wonder if Ash, Larry, and Todd just... never bothered to mention me to Sally.

As far as I know, Sally Face moved to Nockfell long after I left. He became friends with my friends but I never met him. I never spoke to him. I had heard of him, but I just never bothered to reach out and get to know him.

Just two years ago, at the ripe ages of 21 and 22, the four of them decided to try streaming as a way to make money since there were only so may job opportunities in Nockfell. And wouldn't you know, the group went viral almost immediately.

Larry and Todd are the clowns, Ash is the pretty one with a temper, and Sally Face is the mysterious asshole. Viewers want a face reveal from him so bad and that's exactly why he became the most popular streamer out of the four.

Larry and Todd have about two million subscribers and followers, Ash is nearing 2.5 million, and Sally is at a whopping 3.5 million. They're pretty big.

So, my favorite pass-time is getting to watch all of them play. But today's video is extra spicy.

"We were so busy gatekeeping y/n that we couldn't even tell Sally?" Todd asks, a bit confused. "You know, now that I'm thinking about it-- I really don't think we ever mentioned her."

Larry hums, looking off to the side as he thinks. He chews on his bottom lip, tapping his finger against the armrest of his chair. "I've thought it out," he mumbles after a few moments. "I have no recollection of ever mentioning y/n."

Ash laughs shortly, shaking her head with a soft smile. "Damn. I guess we did a good job at keeping her a secret then."

Sally groans, leaning closer so we can clearly see his left eye in the screen. It's the most striking blue color I think I've ever seen. "Who the fuck is y/n?" He whispers, the microphone right against his prosthetic as he says it. This makes the whisper sound like a scream and, as a result, the other three jump in surprise.

"You don't get to know y/n, she's ours," Larry jokes, sticking his tongue out to tease Sally.

"Okay, fine." Sally backs up, his pretty hands gripping onto the armrests of his chair. He's wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt and a chain around his neck. His nails are painted black and multiple rings adorn his fingers— as per usual. "But is she hot?"

I choke on my bite of ice cream, spluttering pale green all over my dad's black carpet. The thought of staining his beloved carpet doesn't even cross my mind as I stare at the screen with wide eyes, watching as Sally Face waits patiently for his friends to recover from their surprised laughter.

"What's so funny?" Sally asks calmly, electric eyes flitting back and forth across the screen.

Larry takes a deep breath, one last laugh leaving him as he places a hand on his heart. "Bro, I can't even lie. I had the biggest crush on her whenever I knew her. She left a couple years before you came along." Larry winces, like he's just remembering that his millions of viewers will be seeing this video-- including me. "Sorry if you're watching this, y/n. I promise I'm over it but anyone can see that you're adorable." He shrugs, winking at the camera.

I let out an obnoxious laugh, a smile forming on my lips as I continue watching. Larry has always been hilarious, though I never knew he had a crush on me.

Todd closes his left eye, a little quirk of his. He always does this when he's thinking. "Well," he sighs, tapping his index finger against his arm. "She's beautiful, I'll say that. But I'm gay, so like, I'm not Larry. I've never wanted to fuck her. Unlike someone, apparently."

Larry shoots forward, a serious expression on his face as he starts yelling out to defend himself. "Fuck off, Todd! I never said I wanted to fuck her, I just said I had a crush on her! She's hot!"

This has gotten a bit crazy. When I sat down to watch this video after Ash begged me to put it on earlier, I expected to giggle a bit and relax on my one off-day of the week. I didn't expect to be hearing about famous streamers, who are also my friends, wanting to dick me down.

I feel like I've just worked a double shift.

I place my melting carton of ice cream on the wooden floor at the foot of the couch, my eyes never straying from the TV screen as I watch Larry and Todd bicker.

Ash and Sally watch, seemingly just as horrified as I am.

After a couple seconds, Larry runs a hand down his face, sighing as he listens to Todd get a good laugh out of the situation.

"Okay," Sally awkwardly drags out the word. "So we have one vote for hot, one vote for beautiful. What's your opinion of the mysterious y/n, Ash?"

Ash hums, smiling brightly. "I vote both. Y/n is the hottest and most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

Sally Face nods his head and I smile. Ash has always been so kind to me, though I think she, Larry, and Todd are hyping my looks up a bit too much. I'm not the hottest or the most beautiful.

"So the important question now, Ash, is would you fuck y/n?" Sally asks. What a dick.

I scoff at the screen, scrunching my face up. He knows that we're all close, clearly. Todd and Larry joking with each other about his crush is all in good fun, but the tone in Sally's voice shows that he's trying to start shit.

Ash narrows her eyes, "Yes, actually, I would."

I pause the video, my smile so wide that it genuinely hurts. I debate calling Ash for a moment just to give her a little smooch through the phone and tell her how much I love her. But I can always call her later. There's only two minutes left of the video anyway.

Larry chortles, Todd following with a very similar sign of amusement.

Sally nods, humming again. "Okay. Two points for hot, two points for beautiful. Those ratings are pretty good."

He pauses, lifting a hand and suddenly waving them off dismissively. "But you guys have terrible taste, so I doubt she lives up to the hype you guys gave her."

What the fuck did he just say?

I shoot up into a sitting position, scooting toward the edge of the couch with my jaw dragging along the fabric. Did I hear that correctly?

Sally looks into the camera. I feel like he's staring me directly in the eye, a sarcastic and cocky look in his gaze as he says, "Sorry, Y/n Whoever-You-Are."

Come again?

—————————

A/N:::::

I don't have much planned for this book just yet, but most of you know what I'm about. Expect angst, expect comedy, and most of all, EXPECT SPICE!

THIS IS JUST A PROLOGUE TO GIVE EVERYONE A TASTE AND I WILL NOT BE UPDATING AGAIN UNTIL I AM FINISHED WITH MY OTHER BOOK!

Sorry for the caps, just wanna make it loud and out there :P

As always, I love you all so much and I'm so excited to start this new, lovely journey with you guys :3

~Ryver <3

[childofaura]

Hiya sorry to drop in but this would be a very different ask than what is normally discussed (you might even consider it as discourse):

So apparently, there is a new mobile game that is based off Tower Of God (a Korean Webtoon manga) and even had an anime 3 years ago (Fun fact: Johnny Yong Bosch, Cherami Leigh, Jeannie Tirado and Chris Hackney are in it) made by Crunchyroll no less.

However, Laura Post apparently posted a thread about how the upcoming TOG mobile game didn’t even brought back the original English VA’s. Granted, the directors and production team aren’t responsible of it (it’s possible they’re aren’t aware of the situation) but Crunchyroll is responsible for it.

It is then later revealed by Laura that Crunchyroll acted pretty entitled when the client making the TOG game wanted to be localized, even going as far as saying that they owned the voice prints. What’s even scarier is that Crunchyroll said that the client isn’t allowed to bring back the OG cast and even blacklisted them no less! Laura tried to get her lawyers to look through her contract and it’s stated that there isn’t anything stopping her and the OG cast to return.

This got pretty long but all I want to say is that Crunchyroll went too far with the VA’s and because the TOG game is unionized, it screwed the VA’s over. (I can even link the thread that Laura Post has said about it)

I mean, I'll maybe tag it as discourse anyways but I think we can all agree it's pretty shitty anyways.

I've vaguely heard of Tower of God because Johnny was in it, I think I had tried to watch one episode but got sidetracked by a bunch of other stuff. Maybe once I'm done with Demon Slayer and Vinland Saga I'll get to it.

I've stated it numerous times, but I feel VERY negatively about Crunchyroll, for a lot of reasons:

The big one I have to bring up first because on my blog I've actually got some of the info wrong. Kyle McCarley wanted to sit down with Crunchyroll to discuss being paid union wages for his role as Mob in Mob Psycho 100; he's been Mob since the very beginning. Crunchyroll refused to even listen to his request to sit down, and so contrary to my previous belief that they let him go, what actually happened was that he stepped away. That's at least all the info I've gotten so far, so if I'm wrong about anything, if someone knows the correct info please let me know. Still a douche move on Crunchyroll's half, I'm not blaming Kyle at all.

The whole High Guardian Spice bullshit. All the money that went to that shitshow was supposed to go to underpaid animators in Japan, or so Crunchyroll claimed. Instead it went to a mediocre-animated, shittily-written, absolute filled-to-the-brim-with-bitch-characters excuse they called a "show".

The fact that they still actively employ Daman Mills, and in fact a voice director (we don't know if it's from Crunchyroll though) tried to cover it up by contacting ANN after the news article released (which honestly fuck ANN but still this article had vital info) and threatening that Daman Mills was gonna commit suicide if they didn't take it down. The whole Daman Mills thing is a fiasco in and of itself; People try to claim that because the victim retracted what he said that it didn't actually happen, but keep in mind that A) Those allegations had been posted since November of 2021, and it wasn't until ANN published the article in 2022 that Daman nuked the shit out of his social media accounts, but not before people found some pretty heinous shit (Like calling a 14 year old "jailbait" and literally saying "I'm not a pedo BUT!"). B) Daman himself admitted through his lawyer that he had a consensual relationship with the victim at that age, then tried backpeddling (again through his lawyer) and saying "W-well when I say a consensual relationship I mean a consensual friendship!" Bitch, no one EVER uses the term "consensual" for a friendship. Daman is still listed in Crunchyroll productions and even had one of his directors, David Wald, outright state he supported Daman and would continue to employ him.

There's also minor stuff with licensing and dubbing, and adding to that some side stuff about purchasing other merchandise-selling websites and censoring their inventory heavily. But this news with the mobile game doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

#discourse #tw: suicide #Crunchyroll #Honestly Crunchyroll can go fuck themselves #Them and Funimation (while it was still a separate entity before it merged with Crunchyroll) was why I decided to sail the seven seas

[thymewayster]

Are you kidding me, part 3

I previously posted about Adobe updating both Photoshop and Illustrator so that their opening splash image is a Rings of Power ad.

Well, I had a feeling this was coming. And sure enough, today the Adobe program I use the most, InDesign, had a new update.

I’m just so tired. I’ve already raged against the overall terribleness of 1) having so much advertising for what’s clearly going to be mediocre show not true to Tolkein’s original and 2) the injustice of being advertised to at all in my work software.

Especially when that work software is produced by a greedy corporation that 1) uses a morally bankrupt subscription model. 2) Purposely does not make files backward-compatible. (At least photoshop and illustrator are fairly backwards-compatible. But If you make a completely blank document in InDesign, you can’t open it in an earlier version.) And 3) Despite charging so much for the morally bankrupt subscription model, every update has been buggier than the last, and while some updates do provide some helpful features, there are still large issues that have plagued this software for YEARS that are still not fixed.

(Yes, thank you, I know piracy and alternative programs exist. I use this for my main work, I have a billion plugins that won’t work with pirated versions, I can’t use alternate software because people will send me files that are only compatible with this software, etc. This ain’t about that.)

Anyway, we live in a dystopia, first world problems, blah blah blah, end of incoherent rant, back to work I guess. I only use these three programs, so I don’t know if the rest of the suite got artwork too.

I mean, I’m not opposed to commercial use of fanart! (Assuming the artist got paid fairly, and not just paid in exposure) I just...shouldn’t there be a line here, where I don’t get advertised to in a product I’m already paying for? I don’t like where this is going, and I’m worried that where it’s going is more ads everywhere.

(And once again a disclaimer: The art itself is actually really lovely, not blaming the artist at all, congrats to the artist, all rage and fury entirely directed toward Adobe and Amazon.)

#adobe #indesign #rings of power #anti rings of power #amazon #lotr #corporations #advertising

[banannabethchase]

Take a Chance on Me Chapter 7: SOS - on AO3

~

Everything is a whirlwind right before the rehearsal dinner, which is an event in and of itself.

~

It’s three-thirty when Lee tackles Wheeler into the sand, distracting him from panicking about whatever Eddie and Danny were doing without him and from punching Danny in the face.

“Wheely!” he yells.

“Hey, man,” Wheeler laughs, hugging him tight. He doesn’t even mind the sand getting in his swimsuit. “When’d you get in?”

“Like, thirty seconds ago,” he says.

“Why the hell didn’t you put a bathing suit on?” Danny asks.

Lee stares. “Did you not hear me say I legit just got in?” He nods to Wheeler. “Asked your dad where I could find you, dropped off my stuff in the room, and came down here.”

“Well, in that case.” Danny runs at him and spears him into the sand. Wheeler runs after him, helping Danny get Lee up so they can toss him into the ocean.

They dive over each other, laughing, and Wheeler feels his anxiety lessen. They catch Lee up on what’s happened so far, Danny going into excruciating detail about his hookup with Eddie. It reminds Wheeler of his freshman year of college, when the three of them spent a week during winter break running around town. Like when they were still kids.

Until, of course, Danny gets a phone call. They’re all stretched out under the sun, and Wheeler doesn’t even roll over when he hears the ring.

“I don’t like that look,” Wheeler says.

Danny looks smug. It doesn’t quite tell Wheeler enough, though. Danny always looks smug. “I told you, you’ll be calling me Uncle Danny by the end of the weekend.” He winks. “I’ll be back, boys.”

Lee and Wheeler watch him walk back up to the hotel. “He really does manage to bag the weirdest dudes,” Lee says, sounding almost impressed.

“I know.” Wheeler begins walking along the beach, avoiding the sharper shells. “His track record is terrible.”

Lee looks like he’s off in another world, seeing something mildly horrifying. “He fucked your uncle.”

“At least it wasn’t you,” Wheeler says, because he has to find some sort of positive here.

Lee laughs. “I mean. Straight, but thanks?” He picks up a rock and skips it across the ocean. “I mean, I could totally pull guys. If I wanted to.”

“If you wanted to, yeah,” Wheeler says. “But you have literally never wanted to.”

“I like boobs too much, I think,” Lee muses. “I think that’s why me and Stat get along so well.” He turns to Wheeler. “When’s her flight get in, anyway?”

“Soon, I think, around four or five, but she’s getting a Lyft here.” Wheeler tries to skip his own stone, but it sinks almost immediately. “She’s bringing her girlfriend.”

“The gamer?” Lee asks. “Cool. Good to finally meet her.”

Wheeler tries again, with a shell. It skips this time, twice. He feels a little proud of it. “How many drinks in do you think Kris’ll be before she tells the story about how she and Nyla got together?”

Lee does a messy handstand in the sand, a mediocre attempt to emulate Kris, but clear nonetheless. “And then she thought I was a cosplayer, and I thought she was an engineer!”

They take turns throwing shells as far as they can into the ocean, Wheeler just barely beating Lee out with a big motherfucker that he has to spin to throw right, until Mox and Claudio show up.

“Hey, kid, long time no see,” says Mox. Lee turns and rushes at him, hugging him tight.

“Yeah. Music’s kept me busy.”

“No kidding!” Mox says. “Wheels plays your song all the time.”

“Tiger style, baby!” Claudio says. They all look at him. He’s the love of Wheeler’s life and whatever, but the man trying to sound cool like that just feels…wrong.

“You tried,” Wheeler says, patting Claudio on the cheek.

“We listen to it!” Claudio says. “I promise!”

“Nah, it’s fine, dude,” Lee says. He claps Claudio on the shoulder. “You ready, man? Tomorrow night!”

Claudio beams so bright it makes Wheeler light up on the inside. “So ready,” he sighs. He grabs Wheeler’s hand and pulls him in to his side, wrapping him in his favorite kind of hug.

“Claudio and I were talking about the table settings.”

Wheeler tries not to roll his eyes. He fails.

“So I want my kid’s wedding to be perfect!” Mox says, throwing his hands in the air. “So sue me!"

"I know you guys care about the tables and the decorations or whatever, but I don’t give a shit.”

“Okay, the decorations are all him,” Mox says, thumbing at Claudio. “I just want to make sure nobody starts a fist fight over dinner.”

Wheeler avoids Claudio’s eyes.

It’s not missed, though. Claudio stares at him. “What?”

“Well,” Wheeler says, “you and Uncle Eddie aren’t gonna start shit, right?”

Claudio’s jaw drops. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Oh, says the guy who took a swing at my uncle at dinner two years ago.” The words are out before Wheeler can stop them. He gets a glimpse of Lee escaping silently and, honestly, he doesn’t blame him at all.

His dad exhales. “Whoa.”

“He made fun of my accent!”

Wheeler rolls his eyes. “You made fun of his first!”

“I didn’t understand him!”

“It’s not that hard!”

Claudio laughs, a little mean. “He was talking fast, and I got confused. He could have shown me a little respect.”

“Okay, I’m gonna go,” Mox says.

Wheeler knows he has to stop this before it ramps up, knows, logically, that this argument is never going to go anywhere, but he can never stop himself. “He’s my Uncle!”

“I’m your fiancé!”

Wheeler groans, running a hand through his hair. “Why does this always become a thing again?!”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Claudio says, “because your uncle’s an asshole.”

“Only me and Dad are allowed to call him an asshole,” Wheeler says. He can’t tamp down the anger. He wants to. He can’t.

Claudio sighs. He takes a step back, and Wheeler wants to follow him. But he knows he can’t. “Baby,” he says, voice gentle, “we’re both stressed. We’re both tired.” He smiles, something gentle and exhausted. “Let’s just – let’s take some time for ourselves, okay? Sheamus and Drew will be here soon, and I need to catch up with them. Maybe take some space to cool down.”

Wheeler nods, feeling a little rejected anyway. “Uh, yeah. Right. Kris’ll be here anyway, too, so…” He trails off, unsure of how to tell Claudio that, if he doesn’t get a kiss goodbye, it’ll feel like his heart’s walking away.

Claudio steps up to him and presses a kiss to Wheeler’s forehead, nose, then lips. Gentle. Sacred. Safe. “I love you,” he says. “Always.

“Love you always,” Wheeler says. And his heart feels a little lighter. A little.

~

He walks up the beach stairs near the hotel to find Lee sitting at the table with Kris and Nyla, mid laugh. Danny, however, is glowering, pouting like his life depends on it.

“What did you do to the resident dumbass?” Wheeler asks, leaning down to hug Kris. “Also, hi, missed you, how’s my favorite NASA engineer?”

“Great, and mocking him about nailing Eddie,” Kris says. “Nyla, you remember Wheeler?”

“Course I do!” she says. She bumps his fist, grinning. “Congrats, dude.”

“Thanks,” Wheeler says. “Wedding planning sucks. Elope, if you get a chance.”

Kris blushes, just a little, but Nyla’s solid when she nods seriously and says, “Noted.”

“Anyway, tell me all about how you’re roasting Danny,” Wheeler says, kicking his legs up on Kris’ lap. “He got a phone call and made a weird face, so I thought it was Eddie.”

Danny shakes his head. “Nah, it was my mom. I was just messing with you.”

“Aw, he looks disappointed,” Kris says, leaning in and booping his nose. “Do you miss him?”

“No, it’s just a hookup, Jesus,” Danny grumbles. “Look, I’m not ashamed. He’s hot.”

“Ew. He’s old,” says Kris.

“You don’t even like men,” Danny says back, sticking his tongue out at her. “You don’t get an opinion.”

She rolls her eyes. “I think you’re being sexist.”

Danny blinks, and Wheeler grins at the confusion. He always likes it when Danny gets taken off guard. And he’s almost always off guard when Kris is around.

“So,” Nyla says, “tell me about everything. How’d you and your fiancé meet?”

Wheeler grins, relaxing into the chair.

“Oh, god, I know that look,” Lee says. “Here we go.”

“I won’t do the long story this time, I promise,” Wheeler says, and he doesn’t plan on making it a lie. “So, my dad owns a gym, right? One day it was pouring really bad. I was closing up early, because it was clear no sane person was going to brave the storm to come get their ass handed to them by a trainer. And then this fucking Adonis starts banging on the door.”

“I like where this is going,” Nyla says, grinning.

“Don’t encourage him to make the story longer,” Lee chides. “He’ll talk about this for, like, a decade if you let him.”

“I think it’s sweet,” says Danny. “Plus, next I’ll tell you all the story about how Eddie and I –”

Kris shoves her hand over Danny’s mouth. “Keep going, Wheeler.”

“Well, I let him in, because duh, and he looked super confused. He started speaking German, at first, which made me wonder if I had a stroke, and then said,” Wheeler pauses, letting the memory wash over him. “‘Hello, sir, mind if I take solace in your gym?’ And I was sold.”

“More like he took solace in your –”

“Danny…”

“What!” Danny says, pouting at Lee. “I was gonna say heart!”

“Well, that’s just frickin’ adorable.” Nyla says. “Me and Kris just met because we both thought the other was a twitter mutual.”

“Your story’s cute, too,” Wheeler insists. “I like how…” He trails off. “Oh.”

His friends follow his gaze, and three things happen at once. Danny gasps, Bryan meets Wheeler’s eyes, and the alarm on his phone goes off.

“Who the fuck is that?” Danny asks. His tone is something Wheeler’s heard way too many times before.

“Possibly my dad, now shut the fuck up before I brain you,” Wheeler says, low and fast. He stands up and takes a few steps toward Bryan. “Uh, hi, Bryan. Good to see you.”

He nods, slowly. “Good to see you, too.”

“I’d talk longer, but the rehearsal dinner’s coming up, and I have to get ready.” He shoots Bryan what he hopes is a winning, son-like smile. “But, uh. After the dinner, maybe we could talk?”

Bryan nods again, like he’s considering every moment that passes as a test. Wheeler feels strangely studied. “Of course.” He walks away.

“Jesus, that guy is intense,” Kris mutters once Bryan’s walked away.

“No kidding,” Lee says. “Is it really time for the rehearsal dinner?”

Wheeler nods, wiggling his phone. “We have to be there at six thirty, so, yeah.”

They all go their separate ways to their room, and Wheeler is mildly hesitant to run into Claudio after their tiff earlier.

He knocks, and slowly pushes the door open. “Claudio? You in here?” And nearly loses all sense.

Claudio in a suit always gets him, but the soft sage green makes him glow. Wheeler has to remind himself that, not only can he look, he can touch. “Wheeler, what’s –”

“Holy fuck, you’re hot.” Wheeler strides up to Claudio, to his fiancé, to the man he gets to keep for eternity, and hauls him down for the kind of kiss that would get censored on Twitter. Claudio makes a little noise into his mouth, then turns him, the two of them falling into bed.

“You’re covered in sand,” Claudio murmurs, lips against Wheeler’s neck, “how about we get you in the shower?”

“Only if you come with,” Wheeler says. He’s a bit sad at the idea that the suit will have to go, but that means Claudio will be naked, and, honestly, net win. Claudio wraps his arms under Wheeler’s thighs and hauls him up with a grunt that goes straight to Wheeler’s dick.

“Fuck me in the shower?” he asks, a little eagerly.

Claudio takes him to the bathroom, where he strips off the suit and carefully hangs it on the back of the door. “We don’t have the time, now,” he laughs.

“Stop being right,” Wheeler grumbles. “Fine.”

They exchange frantic, desperate blowjobs in the big ass shower. It’s twice the size of the one they have at home in their apartment, roomy and accommodating in convenient ways. Wheeler’s sure he’s got most of the sand off of him by the end of it.

“We’re going to be late,” Claudio says. “You still have to get your hair in order.”

“I would make a bald joke, but you sucked out my brain through my dick, so it’ll have to wait,” Wheeler replies. He grins up at him. “And, plus. It’s our wedding. Party don’t start til we walk in.”

“Is that a music reference?”

Wheeler rolls his eyes. “I need to make you listen to that naughties playlist again.”

They make it downstairs by 6:30, and to the restaurant at 6:45. Everyone else is already there, but Wheeler thinks a grand entrance might be appropriate for the grooms.

“Look who finally showed up,” Mox says, grinning. “You forgot to mention you invited these three.”

Bryan, Chuck, and Regal are sitting at the other end of the table. And Wheeler blinks. “Uh. I didn’t?”

“Sorry, that was me,” Claudio says. “Is that alright?”

Wheeler scans the motley crew of his people. “Yeah,” he decides. “Yeah, this’ll be good.”

~

The rehearsal dinner is bizarrely stiff, with Mox fidgeting every time one of the other guys looks at him, Kris half asleep on Nyla’s shoulder, and Danny and Eddie exchange glances so heated it makes Wheeler want to cry a little bit into his risotto.

“So, who is in this wedding?” Claudio’s mother asks. She’s a kind lady, eyes bright and reminiscent of Claudio’s. Wheeler’s always liked her. “Tell me about all of your friends, Wheeler.”

Wheeler introduces Kris, Danny, and Lee, who are all on their best behaviors for once in their lives. Danny and Sheamus, who’d met at the engagement party, are talking animatedly about whatever game was on the night before. Wheeler’s not close enough to hear.

But Regal is strangely somber, seated in the dining room across from Wheeler’s grandmother and having what looks like a very stiff conversation. He doesn’t blame him – Wheeler would feel uncomfortable speaking to Claudio’s mom if she didn’t know who he might be, either.

By the end of dinner, everyone is in good spirits. Chuck and Bryan, seated across from each other, have been talking the whole night, so at least they’ve got each other. At dessert, Wheeler notes two very suspicious absences.

“Oh, for the love.” He sighs, and stands up. “Claudio, I have to go to the bathroom. If I don’t come back, it’s because I walked in on Eddie and Danny boning in the bathroom and I died about it.”

Claudio’s expression, while sleepy, is sympathetic. “You want me to go scout it out for you?”

“The fact that you’d make such a sacrifice for me is why I love you.” He leans down and presses a kiss to Claudio’s cheek. “But, no. This I have to do on my own.”

Wheeler knocks as loud as he can on the men’s restroom door before walking in. Unfortunately, it was a futile attempt. Danny is pressed up against the wall with Eddie’s hand around his waist. Wheeler gets an unwelcome eyeful of Eddie going at Danny’s neck, and he can’t hold it back.

“Fucking hell!” he half yells, half squeaks. “This is a public restroom.”

Eddie turns around, looking completely undisturbed. “Kid, you gotta learn to knock.”

“I did knock! Like, seven times!”

Danny looks pink and a little dazed, a stupid little smile on his lips. “He knocked. I just didn’t say anything since you were,” he trails off, eyes dragging down Eddie’s face and settling on his lips, “busy.”

Wheeler forces himself not to gag. Eddie rolls his eyes. “Okay, I’ll leave first because you,” he looks Danny up and down, a little too smug for Wheeler to be comfortable with, “are kind of wrecked. Wheeler, please don’t tell your dad about this.”

Danny pushes himself off the wall and practically floats over to Eddie. “We could tell him,” he says. “Like, when we dance at the wedding?”

Eddie groans. “I – fuck, okay, but not yet.”

Danny immediately settles the second Eddie’s out the door, going back to his normal expression. “God, he’s fun to mess with.”

“Please don’t tell me that,” Wheeler groans. “Go – go eat dinner and be nice to my grandma. For some reason she loves you.”

Danny nods and leaves, and Wheeler is left alone for a few glorious minutes. Sure, a bathroom isn’t to die for, but alone for a brief respite from being in front of everybody is better than nothing.

He takes his time adjusting his hair, fixing his tie, before going back out. Dessert is at the table and, mercifully, it looks like almost everybody is fixated on that.

Chatter is quiet and unfocused as everyone finishes up. Mox hugs Wheeler and Claudio and takes his mother back to the hotel, and the older relatives get their leftovers and make their way out of the restaurant.

“Alright,” Claudio says, after Kris has finished her story about the star she discovered by accident, “I think the restaurant is going to go after us if we stay much longer.”

Wheeler follows his gaze and, sure enough, a few of the waitstaff keep glaring at their tables. Wheeler already made sure to leave a massive tip.

He finishes his last goodbye to the relatives, and Bryan steps up to him. “Before you go,” he says, tone quiet and serious, “I was hoping we could talk.”

Wheeler looks behind him at Claudio, who begins to walk over. “Yeah, just, uh. Give me a second, okay?” He gives what he hopes is a reassuring smile to Bryan. “Don’t – don’t leave or anything?”

Bryan nods, but he still has that expression like he’s trying to read Wheeler’s mind and not finding what he wants to hear.

Wheeler steps around him. “Hey. Uh. Are you okay if I – if I wait a little bit so I can talk to Bryan?”

Slowly, Claudio nods. “Just, promise me something.”

“Anything,” Wheeler says automatically.

Claudio looks almost sad as he reaches out and cups Wheeler’s cheek. “Just remember what this weekend is about, okay?”

Wheeler’s heart drops a little. “Oh, god. No, Claudio, I know this is about us. Our wedding. I know that.”

He nods. “I know you know it. I just,” he sighs, “you’re getting really caught up in this thing with your other dads. I don’t want you to get so focused on that and get disappointed if things don’t go the way you want.”

He refuses to let himself be hurt by what he’s worried Claudio might be saying. “What does that mean?” Wheeler asks.

“Just that, maybe, you won’t know which one of them is your other dad before tomorrow night.” Claudio looks a little less sad now, at least. “And I want to make sure you’re okay with that.” He takes his hand away, flexing. His eyes miss Wheeler’s, some sort of anxiety behind them that he’s never seen before. “That – that you’ll still want to get married, even if your other dad isn’t the one who is going to walk you down the aisle.”

In that moment, Wheeler realizes how shortsighted he’d been. “Claudio, I swear,” he says, grabbing his hands, “this isn’t just – I’m marrying you even if a meteor falls on my head. Okay?” He tries to make it clear: he’s here for Claudio, and everything else is just icing on the cake.

Claudio nods. “Yeah, I know.” He leans in and kisses Wheeler on the head. “You take care of yourself, okay? Sheamus, Drew, and I are going to get some drinks.”

Wheeler nods. “Have fun.” He watches Claudio walk out, turning for one last wave, and he manages a smile. He makes his way back to Bryan. “Sorry I took so long.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Bryan says firmly, “he’s the one you’re marrying tomorrow. I’m just here to help.”

Wheeler nods. “So, uh. What’s up?”

“I wanted to let you know, even if I’m not your – your other dad,” he pauses, sighing, “I want you to know that I’m here for you. If you want to do a DNA test, if you don’t, whatever works for you.” He fiddles with his hands. Even with the anxiety, he has an air about him of confidence, of proficiency. He looks up, and Wheeler hopes he has the same determination in his eyes. “You just let me know what you need from me, alright?”

Wheeler wishes he had an answer to that. “I, uh. Actually, I was thinking the guy who is my dad could walk me down the aisle.”

Bryan, for the first time since learning Wheeler’s last name, looks shocked. “Right. You said that.” He nods again, like he’s trying to convince himself. “I just. I didn’t think that was still on the table.”

“I understand if that’s – if it’s not something you’re comfortable with,” Wheeler says. And he won’t betray how much he wants Bryan to agree to it. He won’t.

“I’d be happy to,” Bryan says, and he looks so earnest and genuine that Wheeler lets himself believe, just for a moment, that this is his other father. And he’s proud to claim that title. “But I have to ask, do you know who your other father is yet?”

Wheeler shakes his head. “No clue.”

Bryan offers a sympathetic smile. “Well, let me know if anything else comes up. Not sure how much information we can get in the next twenty-four hours.”

“I kind of thought I’d know him when I’d see him,” Wheeler confesses. “And then I saw all three of you at once, and I still had no clue.”

Bryan claps him on the shoulder, reassuring, and paternal, if Wheeler lets himself pretend. “Don’t stress about it, is my advice. Go enjoy your last night stag, kid. I’ll be here in the morning.”

Wheeler smiles at him, and waves as he walks away.

Before he’s able to get back to his seat, somebody yanks his arm. “Is it him?”

#Hello it be a smidge of an angsty chapter #Lots of hard conversations #wtf i like wrestling now??? #in which sara writes #Mamma Mia AU

[edgepunk]

Thanks for responding! Yeah while I don’t want us Slavs to be even remotely connected to that shitshow it’s the behavior of the British and their “it’s not your culture” thing. I think the erasure hasn’t been given enough attention by the Witcher fans because they prefer to get mad over a mediocre actor who doesn’t even fit the main character leaving the show. I wish the entire group of people behind the show got the xenophobic treatment. And I just wish it was dealt with more because all over again the Slavs and their issues are being sidelined by British/American people (be it the writers or actors like Henry Cavill leaving being the biggest issue people have with that piece of diarrhoea)…

oh lmfao that's typical bri'ish behavior innit

Honestly not surprised about this, the twn fandom completely ignores The Witcher's Polish roots and the fact that the British/USAmerican staff working on it does the same is the least surprising thing too. You can see it in the costume design and the writing. The most "research" they did was to include a word-for-word description for "vukodlak" from Wikipedia (it's just a werewolf,,,)

I honestly avoid the show like the plague and I recently deactivated my twitter (hi Elon) so I honestly don't want to know/don't care what the writers think. I can feel the disrespect from the show itself, I don't need to look at their twitter to know for sure that they're a bunch of egocentric bags of dicks. Whatever you think of DeMayo, but it's obvious he was right and that they don't respect the books, I don't expect them to respect other cultures that are present in The Witcher. They're not worth my nor your time.

The only thing that will get my full attention is when this show dies. I mean, it is slowly decaying and it looks like Netflix must've stepped in because that one spin-off got less episodes (allegedly) and we haven't heard of that weird kiddie show that Lauren planned. I think they're starting to realize that people actively dislike this mess and are pulling the plugs on the side-projects, because it didn't get them as much money as they expected + the constant negativity on all social media isn't a good look.

#ask #Anonymous

[mensajeroseis]

So as someone who has a big love for fallout 3 do you see it with a central theme of some kind?

You sent this like a month ago and IM SO SORRY I GOT CAUGHT UP AND EXHAUSTED BY OTHER THINGS TILL THEN TO HAVE MY ANSWER READY...

Inherently yes, no matter how mediocre and not fully in depth Emil's writing is. I think I find both fallout 3 and 4's to be swept up by bethesda's ambitions as a studio, compared to the rest of the series. Also since they both involve looking for family members, their main objectives can feel kind of shallow because of how similar they are. But I think FO4 is the weaker of the two. ANYWAY. I can gleam a few themes from the story of fallout 3, some that are what I assume to be the barebones writing Todd and Emil wanted to show. And other's I just come up with from my own analysis and observations/experiences playing the game.

The biggest theme I pick up on is Rebirth. It's shown in several ways : You start the game being born, and when you leave the vault you are born once more. Both scenes parallel each other with a bright light. Supermutants kidnap wastelanders and submerge them in FEV to be reborn ; that in itself can link itself to fallout 1's themes of assimilation/The Master's idealization of a world reborn. That also coincides with The Enclave's return also showcases them wanting America to be reborn in the image they see fit. The line itself, "we're born in the vault, we die in the vault." Being broken by the Lone Wanderer also speaks to the theme of rebirth in a way too. Every action the Lone Wanderer does irt most quests has to do with the rebirth of ideas, people, etc. If you're good at least, but even then if you choose to be evil. You break a cycle regardless and cause change. Change is rebirth, growth is apart of birth, etc.

A theme I conjectured around February of last year, centered on Communism and Capitalism. What I desire from the world of fallout 3—the renewal of a society built upon the ruins of another ; is the active choice to confront the imperialism and propaganda of an old world as to not repeat history. To break a cycle.

The obvious conflict is a confrontation of greed and an inevitable power vacuum that the wasteland has fostered due to survival of the fittest outside of protected settlements. A commentary about privilege and class could also be had within those environments. Anyways what I'm saying is, James should have been an eco-marxist.

I think I'm just rambling now. You could probably pick up more philosophical themes surrounding the concept of religion and rebirth as well. I mean, with Qualtoth in the game irt Point Lookout you can make a very interesting connection there. There's plenty of lofty themes and ideas I can get from fallout 3. But that's because I love it so much. My interpretation of the story and the characters themselves, how MY lone wanderer interacts in the world is different than how Bethesda spit it out.

Here's my ending note :

#anyways happy birthday fallout 3 *ugly cries*

[gaycelebtea]

I completely agree with you Juanjo deserved to win he was the best singer and progressed so much.

While being disappointed, I am trying to see this result as a positive because it’s like the winners a of tv shows like OT is like a curse, how many winners had the projected career that was waiting for them? Most winners are forgotten after a few months.

Most of the well known participants like American idols were runner ups or sometimes not even in the top three.

Winners have a contractual obligation to sign with a specific records company and they will do everything to have the most popular success even if it means erasing what makes them unique. They don’t even have the liberty to choose the songs they want to release

So by being 4th while it is a complete fraud and steel, I really hope that it will allow him more freedom to be the artist he wants to be.

Will see, time will tell.

I completely agree with everything you said. He got robbed. 4th is a joke. I don't hate Paul at all, he seems like a sweet guy, but he does not have a better voice than Juanjo. His voice was mediocre when he sang Baby Hello. Juanjo had the best male voice by far in the final, heck the entire competition this season. I feel like he was done in by his song choice. Ballads never do well, and the two ballads from him and Martin cancelled each other out. It wasn't "exciting" enough for the viewers. He didn't have a show like Paul. Many people find ballads boring, despite being sung well. I also question the song itself, we all know he can sing it, but did it connect with viewers, was it emotional enough? I feel like Martin's song was more emotional and connected more with people, despite him getting 6th (I think that was more due to his voice not being the best because of his cold).

I think Paul's fun upbeat song and his Eurovision-esque show won over Juanjo, despite Juanjo having the best voice by far. I feel like this is more of a personality competition than a singing competition. I sadly think people didn't like Juanjo for some reason, maybe because of homophobia or something else. I also think Juantin was their downfall, as people didn't like it, either because of homophobia, or because they found the Juantin fans annoying. Last but not least fans of the other contestants had literal hate campaigns directed at Juanjo. It was gross and disgusting. He also got a lot of hate from the gay community itself, from envious and jealous people. Paul is gay too, but less gay coded than Juanjo, so the homophobes didn't have a problem with him versus Juanjo. Also: he wasn't "in people's faces" (it's what the homophobes say) with a gay relationship. I sadly think the fact that Martin and Juanjo were so open costed them the win.

Anyways, as a positive spin: I agree. The winners of these shows never go on to do anything, and they are tied to the contracts. I also think them both ending in the bottom 3 is a good thing in that they can relatete to each other as they are both in the same boat. I'm also happy Lucas ended up in the bottom 3 with them, he loves them. He is their biggest fanboy, he's a huge stan. He is also so sweet as a human being. I'm very happy these three get to do interviews together, both because of Juantin and because of Lucas. I couldn't have asked for something better.

I think both Juanjo and Martin have great futures. Martin has a unique voice and is able to connect with viewers. He is also a great actor. I could see him doing theatre, tv shows/movies or musicals, as he can dance too. He is basically the complete package. I would love to see him on my screen again in a tv show or movie! As for Juanjo; there's no doubt he has immense talent. I could see him having a Sam Smith type career, with focus on beautiful ballads complementing his voice. I hope he'll mix it up a bit though. With his voice he can sing any genre. I'd love for him to explore other genres too. Either way I have no doubt he'll be successful.

#juantin #operacion triunfo #juanjo bona #martin urrutia #opinion #ask #answer #reply

[dentwy]

number 6: persona 5 tactica

i got this game a week before it came out because atlus in their infinite wisdom just so happened to release it a week before it was supposed to be out. genius! finished the game yesterday, so that's like, a month and 12 days for 30 hours of videogame. probably not too horrible considering i've been a bit busy, the thing is that it also felt like i've been playing this game for years. i did not feel like writing anything for this game originally, but since it ended up taking so long and kinda wanted to post one more thing before the year is over, guess this is it.

persona 5 tactica feels mostly feels like a nothing game. i wasn't expecting a lot before the game came out, i went in fully expecting it to be mediocre at best and i suppose my expectations were met. the unfortunate part is that a side of me feels disappointed this is what we're getting after scramble already set a good standard. if you're making a spin off it should at least add something to the original material (in my opinion). we already got a full-blown sequel with a different gameplay style that did all it had to do, and pulled it off right. tactica on the other hand is a game i honestly couldn't play for more than an hour straight at a time.

i love persona 5 so i can't complain too much about getting more out of it, but it obviously does increasingly feel like they're milking it as much as it can. joke's on me i guess since i'm still buying whatever they release and joke's on me when i play the phantom x if it ever does get translated. such is life.

tactica starts right after the events of royal, meaning the metaverse is supposed to be gone, joker is going back home in a couple of months and everyone's shit has already been dealt with. from the very start there is essentially, nothing to add to what we already know or to the characters we've already spent countless of hours with. i don't want to make this a constant comparison with scramble, but considering that game happened a bit further into the future, we got to see what was going on with their lives, how they're doing after a while of not seeing each other, how things have been treating them and how it feels to reconnect with those you care about (even if it's not like they've lost contact or anything). meeting with friends you haven't seen in a while is already nice as it is. what tactica has to offer is 2 new characters and like, xcom gameplay.

erina (or "elle" i guess but the localization team just picked a better name) is really fun. i like her design, she's a rebel, she's always been fighting for her freedom and you can tell. fiery spirit and forever confident attitude. even if she can get a bit too rash at times, she never means wrong and tries her hardest to help others, even at the cost of her own safety. toshiro while an entertaining character, he doesn't really leave a big impression on me. more often than not he feels like he's a plot device rather than an actual character. damn! it seems like he lost his memories, just like morgana. his rich fiancée is an asshole? haru can surely relate. his father is corrupt and strict; yeah, futaba and yusuke get that. ryuji too while we're at it. this is something i've noticed tactica loves to do. initially it seemed logical to have the phantom thieves share their past grievances with the characters going through the same as they once did. they understand what it's like and they are able to help them out, but as it keeps going it just underestimates what those moments actually mean to them and it mostly starts to seem forced.

however, if we're gonna talk characters, seeing futaba at the peak of her character arc might be one of the stand out points of the game. she gets along with toshiro really well and it's kinda just nice to see. also, lavenza, because since she only shows up nearing the end of p5 always getting to see more of her is cool.

the gameplay itself is fine? i think overall it's not that interesting. the enemies aren't challenging, you have way more options to do things to them than they do to you which always ends up balancing it towards your favor i believe. having 8 characters at your disposal from the start of the game while only being able to select 3 at a time is not something i'm fond of. in the end, i ended up using the same 3 guys throughout the entire game. joker is kinda the dude i'm used to always having so i like having him, erina seems appropriate to have on since she's the new one and most relevant to the plot, and then i just like yusuke so he stays on. the game does reward swapping out characters with extra hp and sp bonuses for the characters you haven't used, but it was never something that would make me feel i should change anyone. maybe if hp and sp were more limited level after level i'd have more of a reason to swap them out? but with the skills you have it's a bit hard to get low on either, and it just resets anyway after the level is over. i'm also not particularly into this kind of games so there's that too, take it as you will.

every character has a gun you can buy or create, every character has a persona you can assign to them and should probably fuse (even though fusion in this game is way less interesting as they can only have 2 skills at a time), every character has their own skill tree to upgrade and unlock stuff. added to the fact the ui feels cluttered and unintuitive, it doesn't really make the experience that much fun. you have a "prep" menu that has an option to select party members, another to change weapons, another to upgrade skills and another to change personas. it also has "quests" which is to view quests, not start them. the "hideout" menu you can replay missions, view a report of your stats or whatever, buy weapons, and, of course, a second quest button for actually starting quests. there also a "v. room" button because velvet room wouldn't fit. inside the v. room you can disassemble weapons and make new ones which you can't do in the same place and you also have to press the button at the top instead of the one at the bottom to disassemble because otherwise you're just gonna equip the weapon. obviously selling the weapons from the shop button wasn't logical, so instead you need to go into the v. room and do it from here every time you buy a weapon.

to add salt to the wound the quests aren't even good. there are really only 3 types of quests which imply killing everyone in one turn, getting to the end of the stage in one turn, or moving an object to the end of the stage. the one turn missions are specially bad because it's a bunch of trial and error until you figure out what the hell they were expecting you to do. some of them are fine to be fair, they need a bit of thinking but it usually takes so long for you to do and you only have one chance anyway that you simply have to think 12 steps ahead. first ever quest was specially bad because i just so happened to buy a skill that made my eiha stronger, thus, more expensive, which meant i simply didn't have enough sp to keep going. i had to leave the quest, go to the skills menu and remove it to then go back into the quest. delightful.

another thing that completely irks me off is the "memo" which you can open at any time just in case you forgot who the characters are. it is blatantly obvious that this is exclusively for the people that have never played persona 5 already so they wouldn't know who these people even are or what they're talking about. i am fully on board with accessibility, but, to me, it feels like they're spitting on my face. more often than not it gives you the sense that they're targeting first timers, rather than people that actually want to experience the story and want something extra from the game they already enjoyed. i'm not that naive i know they rather get more people to buy the game than limit it only to already established fans, but still.

something i must mention is that i do really enjoy the style of the game. the art and character designs are cute and work well in their own right. they don't particularly stand against the full body sprites and models of the regular game, but they manage with what they have. the places, backgrounds and cutscenes look good. the special event art that you get is really nice and i wasn't even expecting to see the animated segments so that's awesome. to my surprise, there's seemingly more blood in this game than in regular p5! i will always love seeing these little guys talk to each other, even if maybe not for long in the case of this game. the scene where joker has to imagine who he would marry is a bliss, and the same goes for later on when they have to disguise themselves as samurai and geisha. if there is something atlus will prove themselves to do well, is to fill these games with a unique style that stands in its own right.

here is where i start getting into spoilers for tactica (and some persona 5 royal later on!). if you haven't played either for whatever reason and happen to read this, no idea what you're doing here so whatever, i have to talk about the plot.

the "kingdoms" in this game happen to be inside of toshiro's head. i suppose everything in p5 always takes place inside someone's head, so not much surprise there. we get to learn that, wow, this guy's life sure sucks, but i don't particularly have a lot to say about the first two. his fiancée is bad, his dad is bad. it was nice getting the backstory with his mom, and again, seeing futaba connect with toshiro over it, getting him back on his feet and getting him out of the toxic mindset he's starting to develop, just how she once did.

the third kingdom is where things actually get going. mind you, this is 80% into the game already. so toshiro used to have a friend in high school, eri natsuhara. with her help, they tried to take down the shady vice principal of their school, way before the phantom thieves were even a thing. it ties well into the same scenario that presented itself into joker, ann and ryuji less than a year ago. however, it didn't turn out as well for them. they exposed his crimes, but then everyone's lives just turned for the worse. eri almost died and everyone blamed toshiro for it. now the thing that gets me about this is 1. she almost died because she got pushed into a moving train by the vice principal, toshiro didn't really have anything to do with it and 2. she didn't even die. i get that they insinuate that the students just latched the blame onto him for how the situation inside the school turned out as his actions did technically lead to it, but it wasn't even just him. he may have led the students to expose the guy, but never really forced anyone did he? in fact they came to them first to talk about it. besides, eri almost dying is surely traumatic, a life changing moment for her; yet she doesn't really regret their actions. all of this added up to him probably just blaming himself for everything more than everyone else did. you know, the mind plays tricks with us and he surely feels like it's his fault more than anything else. she still didn't even die though which like makes it less impactful? she proceeded to tell him he should not regret it and to stay strong. i suppose the fact his memories being hazy in this world means he doesn't recall her words until a bit later, but the fact they present it as such a turning point in his life to only show that she's fine and that nothing really happened after that puts a bitter taste in my mouth.

it would be fine if toshiro himself simply felt bad for it himself, and it meant so much that it changed him as a person. while some of this is true, the issue stems from this entire world being created by a god that really just felt like fucking with him. salmael, the god of stagnation, who was bored on a sunday afternoon and targeted toshiro of all people. i quote "he envisions a world of tranquility and peace for all mankind, but its utter disregard for agency threatens to amputate the possibilities of the human will." why toshiro? if it's supposed to be peace and tranquility for all mankind why is he doing it for this guy alone? even if persona always just needs to make the final boss a god, i like the idea of a god trying to break their will of rebellion, but he just made an entire world to fuck with his mind alone. why are the phantom thieves even here if that's the case? never explained.

as it turns out, erina is the memory that eri natsuhara left in his head all those years ago. which is nice. she also turns into toshiro's persona and now you have an extra party member for the remaining 12 levels of the game. which are really boring, and reuse the 3 bosses you've already fought. having a persona that is also a conscious being is a really neat idea, i dig it. it also does make it sad when she has to go once the battle is over, only leaving her will of rebellion behind. that is cool, i can't hate that.

i don't think there's much else i care about to talk in the main story, so i'm moving into the dlc. those motherfuckers at atlus knew that they could put the two most popular characters behind paid content and people would still buy it, and so i did. however, to be completely honest, the dlc was probably my favorite part of the game. besides the fact the royal trio will always be my favorite thing, it seemed a lot more put together at least.

to get stuff out of the way, i, again, do not enjoy the focus they put into making it as spoiler free as they can. i understand some people still haven't played p5r, but in the year 2023 i think persona fans can just get a game where kasumi is called sumire and akechi is his real self. akechi is a bit more complicated, i'll give them that, considering his ass is dead (duh). sumire i don't find much excuse. i suppose having to fit both them in the dlc asked for a moment in the story where they were both present and could actually fight alongside you, so before sae's palace it is. so pretty much, we have an akechi playing the role of the detective before he betrays you, and a kasumi without any memories of who she is, with her persona already awakened, while having turned down the invitation to join the phantom thieves. a bit of this creates huge plot holes in the story since neither of them knew the other one had a persona and was in the know of what the other one had to do with phantom thieves, but worry not, this is solved by amnesia, as once the dlc ends they simply forget everything. convenient!

another aspect of this that gets really weird is sumire talking about her sister while in this world, because as i mentioned, tactica loves to make the new characters relate to the ones we already know in one way or another. i believe you would know she used to have a sister by this point in the story? but not the details about it and having her reflect over it like that gets iffy within the timeline of the game, but i digress.

either way, the plot here isn't anything that exciting. you get transported into a different world; you need to help this girl fix her sister. what's fun about this is how there's actually some tactics involved into the stages (no way!). they apparently saw splatoon has been doing well and decided that's what should go for this mode as well, but it works surprisingly well. you shoot enemies and cover the zone in paint, if they're in your color you can hit them and get an extra turn, if they do it to you, they get an extra turn. there's no more covering here, just focus on where you stand and how you get the enemies in your paint. the fact you also can't even do anything while you're on enemy paint also adds an interesting factor to it. it's a lot more challenging and positioning actually matters here, so props to them for that. at the same time, you only have 3 characters to use which now makes complete sense, you don't need to buy to make any weapons as they simply give them to you, you only change personas you get from battles and you level up faster and can unlock skills much faster. the dlc is considerably shorter so it makes sense, but it at least makes everything way more straightforward and enjoyable.

the boss sucked though; it was not fun. as i was getting close to the end i thought to myself, "watch how they're gonna reveal this parrot is actually an evil god" and akechi says "don't tell me you're some kind of god?" and it was really funny. i also want to note that fairouz ai doing both sisters in the dlc is really fun, good for her.

let it be known #akechibouldering

in the end, persona 5 tactica is less than i expected it to be. not a cash grab, although it is $80 with the dlc you're simply gonna have to buy if you like these guys. i hope this marks the end of persona 5 spin offs, as much as i love the characters and i would play anything else they release (looking at you the phantom x), things have to stop at some point. even if this may not be the best ending, it may just be better than nothing. that, or just play persona 5 scramble for an actually fun experience.

#persona 5 #persona 5 royal #persona 5 tactica #review #media analysis #game review

[lucy-ghoul]

"POV: You're falling in love with General Kirigan from S&B", "Try not fall in love with Ben Barnes"

Even my YT homepage is @ me for my new villain crush hjklsdfghjlsdf

#i love how they're not clutching their pearls about it tho #they're not dancing around the subject #they know people are in it for the hot Villain With A Point #no 'maybe what the darkles feels for alina/their connection is pLaToNiC' bs #they openly address it as romantic/physical attraction #i mean. the show itself is mediocre but at least we got that #..... unlike some other pop culture phenomenon we're all familiar with *cough cough* #val speaks #txt

[chemicalpink]

Young Gods ❈ KNJ, JJK

❈ Pairing: Namjoon x Reader x Jungkook

❈ Genre: smut, f2l kinda, but also s2l, fantasy!au, fluff if you squint, gods!au, wizard/witch!au

➛ Part of the Namkook Moonrise Masquerade hosted by @jamaisjoons

❈ Rating: 18+

❈ Wordcount: 4.2k

❈ Warnings: it is jungkook centric, it does have a somewhat heavy plot, double penetrative sex, magical sex, teasing, slightest corruption kink.

❈ Summary: Legend has it that if you were to walk all the way up to Hallasan, and if the land is welcoming enough, you should be able to see the most beautiful lake where it is rumoured to home the most powerful being the world has ever had the pleasure to meet, so when young warlock Jungkook starts having trouble with his magic, who could blame him for travelling all the way there in hopes of finding answers only to be met with the hottest man he’s ever seen. and really,  who could blame him for fostering the biggest crush on him without saying a word for ages? that is, until y/n, a long lost friend of Namjoon shows up. so really, who is he to blame if he lets the two greatest beings in existence use him for their pleasure?

❈A/N: SHE'S HERE. GOD THIS TOOK A WHILE. Please enjoy! ALSO, banner by @jamaisjoons, I do believe the only thing that keep me writing this was the banner lol. Do tell your thoughts on this bad baby, I was heading towards a larger fic but I didn't have time yet magical au is most definitely there for future fics.

The first time Jungkook realised just how powerful he was, he was fifteen years old, although his mother can recall him being around four and being able to master a potion that most common-born non-royal witches could only hope to get mediocre at once trained at their young twenties. Of course, his magic had soon become taboo around the village, having to hide himself behind years of his father’s training, his lineage a bit closer to royalty, not quite, but just enough for his son’s magic to pass as his own. If his customers notice how better his spell jars or potions get once Jungkook turns eighteen, they sure don’t comment on it. Not that they would be able to tell that the family was hiding a master of the magical arts that could rival the country’s most powerful witch in the blink of an eye. Those were just rumours going around, as far as the Jeon’s were concerned.

“Son, I believe it is about time you get some proper practice on your magic” his father mentioned bypassing one Sunday night as they both locked up the store. He turned to hi, somewhat confused.

“Look if this is about Seojun noona’s elixir being more powerful than it usually is I swear it was a rightful mixture, my trial was right beside her actual one and she entered the shop sooner and-”

His dad shakes a hand dismissively at him, rounding the counter into the small storage room, coming back in sight with a leather-bound book in between his hands, calloused fingers roaming the antique-looking pages “I am not quite sure how much truth an old man like your grandfather could hold, but it wouldn’t hurt to try” he turned the yellowing book towards him, fast and almost undescribable scribbles decorating the paper as he squinted down at it, his father handling the energy in it to make the content quite literally come to life, a storytelling spell all too familiar to him from his young age.

“Dad, you know I absolutely love bedtime stories, but I’d say I’m quite a bit too old now for-” before he can even think about finishing the sentence, a mountain comes into view, alive straight from the book’s pages, standing tall and proud dressed in green, almost touching the sky, a magical aura surrounding it, one that he could even feel just by looking at it “What’s that?”

“The old man used to tell me stories about an ancient being, the most powerful of them all, living on top of Hallasan” the pages turn by themselves, the image changing to a faceless man, standing almost as tall and proud as the mountain itself, performing all types of magic, some of them Jungkook himself hadn’t even heard of “Legend says he was outcasted by royalty in fear of revolution, wouldn’t even be alive if it weren’t for he is a child of Earth herself”

“I-I don’t think I’m following”

His father sighs loudly before his magic shuts the book closed, all magic gone on a whim “Jungkook, whatever this man was, if my father was right and he really did exist, you might be like him”

“But-but I was born of both you and mum” he couldn’t quite yet fathom the extension of his own magic, much less think about the probability of being more powerful than any other being that had walked the Earth in millennia. Even if the man was real, would he even be alive still? If he was as powerful as he was presumed to be, would he even take Jungkook under his wing? What if he wasn’t as lucky as the man from the book and word got out and his life was endangered?

“Jungkook just think about it, you might be a child of the Earth”

“What if I don’t want to be” he couldn’t quite face his father, feeling his own heartbreak as the older man deflated. Jungkook knew that perhaps his dad had entertained the idea of his only son being a creature out of a legendary book, could feel how proud it would make him, for Jungkook to be a hero, make history with the power he presumably held within, yet he couldn’t help but feel like a small child again, afraid at the uncertainty that the future could hold. “I- I’m good with just running the shop and helping you and mother out with stuff”

His father sighed before placing a gentle hand on his shoulders, a small act that made him feel even more like a child, one getting subtly scolded by his parents as they prepare him for his inevitable future. “Jungkook-ah, your mother and I- all we really want for you is to live your own life”

His ears perk up, gaze facing forward as he catches his mother standing with her arms crossed over her body, the softest motherly look on her face “And if that means for my baby to go find himself at some faraway place, then so be it” she comes to join his father by his side, both of them bracing each other as the thought of their child growing up simmers down on them. “We just want you to grow up to your full potential Kookie”

.-.-

It had taken quite some convincing for him to completely make up his mind, the negging looks from his father as he helped around the shop, the longing yet scolding gaze his mother held over dinner until he found himself preparing a small bag for the long trip– almost burning inside his mind the map contained in his grandfather’s grimoire from the many times he had read over what he once thought to be a legend out of a children’s storybook.

The trip itself wasn’t as difficult as it was troublesome, having to hike up the highest mountain in the land, the difficult part–if the Jeon’s memories were anything to go by– was having the Hallassan land spirit to like you enough to show itself, even a step further to have the legendary witch to show his home.

For quite some time Jungkook entertained the idea of the immense possibilities on how the wizard could look, every possible image popping up in his head some variation of a wrinkly old man hunched over himself, staff in hand and he couldn’t help but laugh soundly at it, picturing himself getting nagged at by such a figure, perhaps he would end up looking like one of those old scholars that came to his village from time to time. But how wrong was he.

It took him three days, two cold sleepless nights in the woods and running in circles for at least two hours in the nothingness that was the top of the mountain for the valley to show up right where he had started to venture– he could almost hear the forest spirits snickering at him. He really tried to be angry at it, almost went back down just out of spite, yet the clearing before him had him doing a double-take, the space was bright and clear, none of the trees from before on sight, the small dipping in the middle of it leading to a sort of entrance– this was what he came for.

Jungkook had been raised better than what he found himself doing– walking into a stranger’s house uninvited. Was it really uninvited if after knocking for a few minutes the door opened on its own?

He walks inside, small steps, unsure of himself, his past resolve crumbling down completely as he walks further in where he listens to a hushed voice coming from his left, a mop of silvery hair turned away from him, green warm clothes cradling the figure, Jungkook entertains the idea of an old man still, yet not so much hunched over himself if the deep hushed voice and the hair colour was anything to go by. “...Now where did I last see-”

"Hello-"

"Oh! great timing! the pay is where it always is" broad shoulders are still facing him as the man moved around, a couple of won bills on the counter where he had waved his hand dismissively, not even bothering to turn around, for a legendary creature perhaps leaving his home door open was a recurrent thing, what with the whole clearing hidden from the public eye and all.

"Oh I'm not-" he had tried to make himself knows as definitely not the person he was expecting yet the man kept mumbling to himself, apparently in deep thought at whatever it was

""—So then if we are able to move this around we should -" he had started moving around the room, still not facing Jungkook directly, just pointing to places around the spacious room as his free hand busied itself with picking books from the humongous shelf against the wall

"I'm- uh" his hands couldn’t be still, grasping at the bag over his shoulder, knuckles almost white as he clears his throat "I'm not-"

"Did you forget where-" the man turns around and Jungkook feels whatever little poise he had gained leave him in the spot, right in front of him is the most legendary creature in existence, recorded alive for millennia, a god in more ways than one, no old man in sight but the prettiest human he had laid eyes on, fierce sight set on him awkwardly hanging at the entrance as the man keeps blinking at him "uh"

He bows down almost instinctively, 90 degrees, hair falling onto his eyes as he does so "Mister sir- uh keeper of Hallasan"

"You aren't Soobin"

"Uh.. no I'm not"

The man doesn’t even flinch at the information of a stranger setting a foot inside his house, deep voice calm as ever as he asks "How did you even get in?"

"Uh the door was open" he points to the door in a futile attempt for it to not make it seem like he was the weirdo picking locks or something at a magical creature’s home

"No it wasn't" he moves to the door in the most graciously way he has ever seen someone do it, almost gliding across the floor, eyes never leave him except for the brief second where his hand tries the doorknob "huh it was. Weird"

It took the man less than a minute after his initial shock to turn to Jungkook and invite him in, a pair of teacups resting against the table as they seated parallel to each other, him crossing his legs in a nonchalant manner as Jungkook couldn’t stop fidgeting in his seat– he certainly never thought he could come this far.

“So what can I do for you, Jeon Jungkook?” if he absolutely preened at the way that his name sounded in the stranger’s mouth, that was certainly something only for him to know.

The words died right on his tongue. There were certainly a lot of things the beautiful man seating across from him could do, none of them necessarily involving what he had initially come for, yet as the words take meaning inside his mind, he seems to short circuit yet again “I uh- you know- you know my name?”

He smiles a big smile, eyes crinkling into crescents, dimples showing and a heat simmering inside Jungkook’s belly “I know a lot of things, Jungkook” he stares off into space “Social skills are rusty, but they come back after getting a good look at you” Jungkook’s eyes must widen at the implication of his words. Could he read minds? Could he take a look into souls? “Just general stuff about you, don’t worry about it”

The man could definitely read minds.

Blink if you’re hearing this. The man blinks and Jungkook feels like fleeing. Wait. Everyone blinks, stupid. Perhaps some other time.

He somehow finds his voice, remembering the lingering question, the sole reason for him to be there “Mister Hallasan keeper, sir”

“Namjoon is fine”

“Mister Namjoon-ssi”

“Namjoon hyung”

Jungkook is sure this time his brain shortcircuits for real, for this complete stranger. Namjoon he corrects himself, to give him permission to call him so affectionately after only a few minutes of knowing him. After technically breaking- not breaking into his home.

Smile if you’re reading my mind. Namjoon smiles, something doesn’t sit right with him, he could very well be reading his mind, or simply smiling out of politeness at the extended silence Jungkook had caused, again. I’m onto you Mister Hallasan Keeper. Namjoon just smiles more fondly at him.

Jungkook goes on explaining his situation, from his rapid magic learning to being unable to wield his magic, to his father even suggesting that he could have been born from the Earth herself, just like Namjoon did all those millennia ago. The blond man restricts himself to listen to Jungkook speak, gaining a serious pose when he drops the reason for his visit, asking him for help. Jungkook’s almost sure he will deny it as he goes on to explain how his last magical apprentice had been there almost sixty years ago, going on about how he is pretty much a loner, no reason more than a brief excuse of being an outcast for practice differences with the village where Jungkook comes from, giving it a few seconds of thought before he accepts to have Jungkook under his wing, going as far as to give him a spare bedroom to sleep in along with the longest set of rules he had ever heard of.

Months with Namjoon look something more or less like this: waking up at 6 am sharp– something Jungkook had never done in his life, the first few times he had woken up later than that, it was almost impossible to know where his teacher had gone to. Have a rundown on the day’s activities and breakfast until 7. Jungkook was in charge of gardening on the 30-minute window of Namjoon harvesting for the spells he was due to make for the day. An hour of light reading– he knew better than to comment on how a thousand pages book was most definitely not light reading, but he did it anyway. He would then shadow Namjoon on whatever mystical task he had to do for the day before finishing up with him running basic high-level training with Namjoon’s guidance in the clearing– Namjoon had said that the Hallasan spirit would keep him safe and sound if he were to screw up, although so far all the spirit and her friends in the forest had done was laugh at his mistakes.

Five months in it, the whole routine came as second nature, he couldn’t even picture a day without Namjoon on it, not that there was anyone else that could pick up on the energy shift within it, Jungkook had learnt a lot from his teacher, not only in the magic department but about him as a person, couldn’t hide the lingering eyes, the curious touches of skin, every bit of information about Namjoon expanding that fondness feeling inside his heart, Namjoon was a man of habit, a powerful one at that, yet all those millennia living couldn’t hide the fact that Jungkook could see right through him, a lonely soul, as powerful as none other, yet so inherently say. Not even the whole power in the universe could keep him away from his own greatest danger: himself.

If you can read minds, kiss me. The kiss never came so perhaps Namjoon could never even read minds in the first place.

Now here’s the thing, Jungkook might be a mess when it comes to magic, but not so much at hiding his feelings, at least the best he could, Namjoon was as intelligent as men come and he had yet to notice. Namjoon’s friend that just happens to show up on a particularly lazy day– his teacher had said his magic tends to run out from time to time and would rather rest it; perhaps not so much.

Jeon Jungkook is a weak man. A weak man for beautiful things, like Namjoon, or you. Who just happened to walk inside Namjoon’s home like you owned the place– could he count it as his home too yet?

He could feel his heart wanting to leap out of him as soon as you introduced yourself, and perhaps he was imagining the way your eyes grazed over his figure before going to tease Namjoon, not that he stopped having heart eyes for the man when you walked in, he had enough heart eyes for the both of you, even if he had to keep them to himself. You were easier to warm up to than Namjoon if it was anything to go by, smoothly falling into conversation after you three had sat down for tea, walking up to Namjoon’s massive library, picking out books from their shelves as you asked him about his upbringings.

“The Jeon family? Oh, dearest, your grandfather was as good as wizards come” his brain cuts short as soon as the words leave your mouth, just how exactly could you have known the old man? The old wizard was presumably thrown out of the royal house for being unfit for ruling over the land. You playfully push your elbow against Namjoon “And I say this while knowing Joonie”

The blond man groans at your teasing.

“You-you knew my grandpa?”

“Yeh, such a shame he decided to be a mortal” Your initial interest seems to diminish as you turn to face the books yet again, a particular red cover catching your attention.

“What”

Jungkook faintly hears Namjoon standing up from his chair to try and get in between his conversation with you, although all he hears seems to come as if the voices were kept under cotton inside his ears “Y/N you’re overwhelming the kid”

For such a calm and collected posture, he had maintained not only while learning with Namjoon but back at home too, hearing such a word coming out of him really tips the glass “I’m not a kid! Why is everyone always treating me like a child!” surely it did seem rather childish to have an outburst like that, yet his mind couldn’t help but reel in all those other times in his stay where Namjoon had dismissed him from helping, saying it was a rather complicated spell you should wait this one out Jungkook. Or something along the lines of when you get stronger. It did seem the type of things one would say to their petulant child.

“Jungkook waits” Namjoon groans as he retreats to his assigned room, you can’t help the softness inside you at the way that strong independent loner Namjoon reacts to his apprentice being pissed off, certainly a first.

“You pissed off the kid” your remark isn’t that much well digested as Namjoon throws a dagger-like glare your way, groaning as he throws his head back against the couch

“Why am I parenting again?”

You shrug your shoulders as you offer him a tight lip smile, you had heard a lot about Jungkook even before you had walked inside the wizard’s home, like a reader of a slow-burning love story, you knew that ‘parenting’ was most definitely not the dynamic in his relationship with the younger, not with the way Namjoon had described the little mannerisms of his apprentice, or the way that he described his figure as the strongest back I’ve ever seen with such a tiny waist when he sent you a letter asking you to visit him.

The thing with the dynamic you had with Namjoon had been one going on for hundreds of years, feeding off of the magic that only such powerful creatures like you and him could conjure, effective yet dependent as when either of you two was in dire need of a boost, you would have to pay him a visit to work your magic. Jungkook hadn’t appeared after his little outburst, probably hidden in his room, taking only a few minutes of Namjoon glancing expectantly at the place where the younger had disappeared before you dragged him towards his room in an all too practised manner.

The whole environment was always on the calm side whenever you two get to it, something along the lines of strictly business, yet an undeniable connection between the two. Namjoon had you against his door, a dimly lit lamp on his desk, strong hands holding you in place at your waist as he leaned down to connect both of your mouths, eyes fluttering shut as he did so. Your hands found themselves tangled in his blond tousled hair in no time as he deepened the kiss, moving the both of you towards the bed as magic started glowing dimly within you two, connecting and feeding off of the spark of the situation, magic so profound and delicate that only immortal beings could hope to master. Namjoon placed himself against his elbows as you straddled his hips, your figure teasingly humping his growing bulge inside his pants as his breath started to become ragged, his own magic reaching forward to yours, just the way his lips chased yours. Yet there was only so much ominous Namjoon could handle. His hands were quick to undress both of you in between hot caresses and messy kisses as both of your bodies seem to move on their own accord, the magic itself doing the most out of the tantric experience, moans slowly but surely filling up the room as Namjoon positioned the tip of his hard cock on your entrance, teasing your folds for a few seconds before you settled on top of him in a familiar manner, sinking down on him as he throws his head back, letting out a groan. You are almost sure Jungkook could hear you both, yet your mind so clouded you wouldn’t have given it a second thought with Namjoon’s cock filling you up so nicely as you moved up and down on his length, that is until out of the corner of your eye you catch the casted shadow outside the dimly lit room.

"Your puppy is outside," You say as you stop moving on him, not quite removing yourself from the situation, yet you feel the magic in the room flickering faintly as if going dormant.

"What" Namjoon’s eyes are surprised as he lets reality sink in, his magic safely sated from the small act

"The kid that has an obvious crush on both you and me?” you state matter of factly as Namjoon’s jaw goes slack “He's watching us from behind the door"

As if on cue, there’s a rustling behind the door, feet rapidly resounding against the floor "No I'm not!"

Namjoon sighs loudly "JK just come in, I know this might seem.." the door opens and you could swear Jungkook’s eyes are about to leave his skull at the image he’s present with "weird"

"incredibly hot," they say at the same time, rendering both of them speechless

"huh kid's horny" you start removing yourself from Namjoon’s cock as your magic starts tingling, now reaching out for the younger "i like it"

"Y/N please"

You gesture by raising your hands as if surrendering, yet you know just how the night had taken a turn, willing to satiate your magic’s needs “He doesn’t like your PG training, let me handle this”

Jungkook is still sporting his Bambi eyes as he feels himself pulled into the room, closing the door softly behind him as he can only stare at you as you make your way towards him, lips ghosting over his “So tell me Jungkookie” your hand trails down to bring him closer to your naked body, taking his hand in yours and guiding it to your ass “Just how much are you willing to render of yourself for me and Joon?”

“All of me”

Jeon Jungkook might as well had been an erotic wizard like yourself if by the way he manhandles you and surrenders you to Namjoon like a loyal apprentice would to his master was anything to go by. Namjoon’s stare alone has the young man pliant as he caresses tan skin under his fingers, achingly curious as the youngest takes turns to kiss the eldest and yourself, Namjoon’s fingers playing with his nipples, your own hands working his length to life after your magic had completely undressed him, feeling both your and Namjoon’s magic reaching for Jungkook’s in a way you didn’t know was possible. A few kisses and lingering touches in, minds clouded with lust, kissing noises and moans taking over the space, Jungkook takes no time in positioning you on top of him, back to his chest as his length stretches you deliciously, long fingers playing with your clit as his own legs separate your thighs as if offering you up to his master, Namjoon looking like a man starved as he positions himself against Jungkook’s cock, his tip meeting no resistance as he glides in and nestles next to Jungkook, stretching you like no other time you could fathom, groans and ragged breaths of the men under and above you working you to your own climax, babbled words coming out of the youngest’s lips along with a promise of becoming yet another young god under your spell.

#bts smut #jungkook smut #namjoon smut #bts imagines #btshoneyhive #bangtanarmynet #thebtswritersclub #bangtansorciere

[incarnateirony]

Hey! Hope you're well. I'm not even gonna anon this...

As someone who loves the level of enlightenment I get from your posts on industry stuff....wondering if you might provide me (us) a breakdown on the meaning of a show getting a pilot order....educate me please!

Yes, this is about the Winchesters.

My thanks in advance!

Well you couldn't anon it anyway since I have anons off but the sentiment is nice.

OK, so something going to pilot is? Good? Largely? But also? Doesn't mean a whole lot at the same time.

It means they're willing to commit/invest to at least one episode to see what it looks like, which is in fact an investment. Whether or not that becomes a full episode commitment is different.

Luckily, Jensen already has an episode commitment, so Winchesters going to pilot doesn't surprise me. At this point, it's just a formal step to put on the table while they're discussing what to pick up with Nexstar.

Curiously I went to look and -- you may remember me recently posting the company listings -- someone modified its imdb and included CBS under it which... uh. I'm not gonna take particularly seriously until there's a confirmation, since whoever it is didn't have back end access to the profile itself to actually update its stage in development (Chaos Machine/Jensen hasn't touched it, it's still listed Script). Seems more like some kid dicking around on IMDB trying to get involved in the slapfighting, because WB isn't gonna kick Chaos Machine out of production when it has the rights, agreements and episode commitment to give it to a competitor studio. So can someone please, by god, stop trying to fuck with IMDB? Like when you're in the back you can see when legit updates you guys can't even see are being made, guys. Magically you didn't touch that shit. That, or someone saw the announcements together and brainblurred the two. Variety did imply they'd coproduce but uh... the only reason WB would do that is to hack Jared into it in agreement with CBS with the holding contract. Hm. Could be a reporting error, Variety's done that before, we'll find out, I just don't see WB wanting to give CBS a chunk of the cut. But who knows.

Either way.

Things can still make it to pilot and be dropped, but that's unlikely. At the same time, equally unlikely, for example, is Independence being pushed past pilot unless it's made as a filler summer show, because otherwise it'll split Jared all over the place AND his writing crew. Running both parallel is just. dumb. the main show's barely floating average as it is. Summer show, maybe.

But there's several spinoffs, reboots, etc all being pitched so now they're being brought to the development table, then we get to see what survives, what gets delayed and put off a few years, what gets shoved in what timeslot. CW isn't doing great for content right now so most things will probably make it through, script order or not. But for example, Walker's running a 0.1 right now, roughly. It's in the mediocre performance class already. Spinoffs tend to do worse. It's already got the main on air. If it goes to pilot, and is ordered, there wouldn't be time to really develop a summer season. So unless Walker Prime intends to wrap after S3 weirdly, and then roll right into spring season Independence, that would probably be at best a summer 2023 show. Or, alternately, it could be pushed off until after Walker clears enough episodes for syndication and then attempt to supplant it so something like fall 2024.

Winchesters however has its episode commitment, its pilot order, its studio and location squared away, and more. It is not running competition with its own OG IP on the airwaves anymore. It could easily start filming in standard time over the summer and either make a fall 2022 (unlikely) or spring 2023 (more likely, short order) schedule, and just knock a smaller show off the bloc in the hopes that nexstar can shoot some actual viewership back into its veins.

Also worth clarifying: CW hasn't commited to anything, these are CBS and WB commitments. CW has an episode commitment with Winchesters. WB has commited to send Winchesters to pilot (and maybe CBS? With shaky reporting? That I imagine will be corrected?) and CBS has commited to Independence. CW has only committed to Winchesters so far. But likely both.

Outlets are reporting that "CW" made this decision, and CW made neither. Which is what I mean about unreliable outlet reporting (and the CBS thing for Winchesters likely being a dumb dumbs error.)