#probably because aubreys so pretty

[deepseamuse]

definitely just a normal art student, i promise. not dealing with any memories of a past life with a boyfriend he really wants to see again, or any urges to kill people. i mean that’d just be ridiculous-

#fervency #the ask about reincarnation inspired me #There’s so many paint stains on his clothes lol (he thinks it looks cool) #I don’t want to give him the same name as he’d had in his past life bc then it’s too obvious #Plus i kind of imagine a “reunion” between him and Aubrey where he drops a hint that he just. Does not get #So this incarnation calls himself Yoichi #Bc depending on the kanji used it can mean “bewitching/seductive first” or “foreign/ocean first” #So you know. A subtle hint that Aubrey probably wouldn’t get lol #It’s not even his original name he changed it… pretty much just on the off chance an encounter with Aubrey happened so he could be cheeky #Pretty different from his original fashion style because again. Didn’t want it to be too obvious

[fermiomoriblog]

The pitfalls of every Sunny ship

Diving straight into the hot coals with the first post. But it has been on my mind lately.

The setup in Omori is naturally quite mentally (and in some cases physically) taxing on every main cast character, and a shipper can very easily be overenthusiastic about getting a "happy ending" for their preferred pair, glossing over inconvenient problems and dynamics. I think that it really is rather contrary to the game's themes that this occurs, but it is also understandable that not everybody does a full psychoanalysis of every plot point in their story. I'll list some "common" problems I've personally encountered with people making content about sunburn, suntan and sunflower. I'm more familiar with the dynamics common on ao3 than elsewhere, so if you have any other observations or things to add, please feel free to do so.

# OMORI SPOILERS BELOW #

Sunburn

The "canon" ship. The fact that the ship is explicitly mentioned in game means that the ship is viewed as the "default", and it can lead to some lazy dynamics or lack of justification. You have to remember that no matter what headspace says (and headspace says a lot of things that aren't true), the first thing Sunny and Aubrey did after four years is beat the shit out of each other. Sunny knows nothing about the Hooligans, even though we do, and Aubrey thinks Sunny abandoned her (which is a feeling unlikely to abate after the truth). There needs to be basis for the ship as well - they aren't going to just pick up where they left off (presuming they had anything to leave off in the first place) right away. Which leads us to the first common problem:

Basing the relationship entirely on the past

This is the default reaction and requires the least writing creativity, so it is not surprising that it is common. Simply porting the HS dynamic or the swing scene to the future and copy-pasting is fun and cute and all, but it ignores the fact that both Sunny and Aubrey have changed massively. There's a lot of guilt that is going around, both with Sunny for obvious reasons and Aubrey for pushing Basil in the lake, and Aubrey has a bunch of new, closer friends whom depending on your interpretation are either theatre kids or delinquents. This is not really just going to get talked away on the swing set - they involve third parties.

I would venture to argue that this is actually a very problematic pitfall, despite it being generally not a very serious transgression in real life. Omori, as a game, is about moving on from the past. If you write a fic where the characters forget about bad things in the past but hang on like hell to the good things... that's Headspace. You've just put Sunny in a new Headspace.

Getting Basil out of the way

Even among sunburn/suntan shippers, it is pretty generally accepted that Basil was somewhat attached to Sunny even before the accident. So if you don't want to do sunflower, how do you deal with that?

You can write angst, where Aubrey and Basil end up fighting over Sunny. Weirdly, I've never seen this actually happen (probably because it's too heartbreaking). You can have Basil go to therapy, and get rid of an unhealthy attachment. You can also go the seriously angsty route of Basil hating Sunny for abandonment, Sunny hating Basil for his role in the incident, or a less intense version which just puts a barrier between the two. You can also have Sunny reject Basil. Or you can argue that the attachment was platonic, which is entirely fair.

What you cannot do is have Basil be romantically interested in Sunny, but "get out of the way" for Aubrey "so that Sunny can be happy". Or, well, you can do that, but you can't frame it as anything but serious angst from Basil's POV.

Unfortunately, many, many "pure fluff" Sunburn fics do this, because "pure fluff" fics don't want to untangle the whole thing as most methods involve some degree of emotional turnmoil. This is no ordinary infautation - Basil has waited for Sunny for four years. Nursing unrequited love like that is really, really painful. It is certainly not something that someone with Basil's character and history can do with a smile on their face. If you need any further convincing, I point you to Note to Self: Don't Be Gay in Faraway Town by witheredahlia.

A version of this which I think is a lesser sin (because it is at least framed with some nuance), but a sin regardless, is Aubrey getting annoyed at Basil for "stealing" Sunny's attention from her. This gets dangerously close to the reddit comments you see about "the friend group will be better off if Basil never joined".

Suntan

Despite sunburn being the "canon" and sunflower being the natural alternative, I actually think that this is the default. After all, Kel was the one to bring Sunny out, generally saving his life, and is his first friend, etc. Kel is also a clean slate character, with nothing anyone can particularly hold against them, and as a result suntan is the "healthiest", "least questionable" ship. This commits the customary mistake of believing Kel's parents when they say "eh, it's Kel, he'll be fine".

"Kel's fine"

No, he's not. He's spent the better part of four years trying to forget the happiest times of his childhood, and has been going around doing nothing but fixing and saving other people, putting others' needs far above his own, for the entirety of pre-canon and foreseeably for a good part of post canon as well. Suntan, especially with Sunny still in a vulnerable state post-canon, can very easily be written into Kel being Sunny's unpaid, untrained therapist, and his mood/health being Kel's only/majority source of validation. Kel's self-worth independent of his friends needs addressing and development, and without a lot of development, Sunny alone is not really equipped to provide that.

In all fairness, while I would be somewhat confident in saying that the majority of canon-compliant sunburn fics run into the problems above, suntan fics do usually handle it better. That might just be because there aren't that many suntan fics though.

Sunflower

It goes without saying that sunflower has the highest potential to be unhealthy. But precisely because of that fact, people writing sunflower are usually very careful to address it. Either the fic is written as a work exploring codependency/attachment/trauma/other general unhealthiness (which you can make your own judgement on whether it's a legitimate art form or problematic), or there is at minimum an attempt at pacing, therapy and general juggling of the various mental issues the game leaves Sunny and Basil with (for a shining example, see These Days Without You by Smitty1899, my go to answer for when anyone says "but sunflower toxic!!1!").

The issues that can make sunflower unhealthy and problematic are generally pretty obvious - shared crime, codependency and attachment, commitment and abandonment issues, and the whole "getting together before their friends forgive them" thing (which can still be done well, but from the POV of especially Hero can be kind of eh, and unlikely to be conducive to a healthy relationship given that it kind of depends on their friends' pending "approval".) As a result, there aren't a lot of works that don't address them in one manner or another. However, I do think there is one major pitfall that some fics fall into in the other direction:

Having everything in the relationship be dependent on someone else's approval.

In an attempt to make sunflower as healthy as possible, some authors make it so that Sunny and Basil effectively never make decisions on their own. There's always a third party present to psychoanalyse them, tell them what's fine and what's not, etc. and every step they make in their relationship is with the express blessing, support and help of the rest of their friends. The problem is, that's not healthy either.

I feel that the value of sunflower is greatest in the context of the themes of the game of moving on and forgiveness. Making it so that Sunny and Basil hang on to their guilt forever and robbing them of any "right" to decide for themselves what makes them happy is very much contrary to that - they're on crutches for the rest of their lives, and the point of the good ending is the hope that they won't need to be. It also is just not a good thing for any third party to intervene so extensively in a relationship.

Conclusion

Omori is emotionally deep, with many, many themes to explore. Ships in Omori have unique meanings and themes, which in a canon compliant context is quite hard to simply wipe away. Rushing into a ship with insufficient pacing and development, which works in "cute" fandoms, generally leaves lots of outstanding holes in Omori.

This post doesn't necessarily mean that I think less of any particular ship mentioned - to reiterate, every ship has unique meanings and themes which is interesting to explore and form a part of the message of the game. It is however true that some pitfalls in some ships are easier to fall in, and overlooked, than others, and the obvious problems get a lot more bashing than the non-obvious ones. (Yes, sunflower bias. Sue me.)

And of course, in a plotless or AU context, cute art is cute art.

#omori #omori sunny #omori basil #omori aubrey #omori kel #omori sunflower #omori sunburn #omori suntan #brainrot.txt #rant post

[clegfly]

OMORI and colour- an analysis

hey, so this is a post I’ve been wanting to make for a while and never got round to doing, but here I am.

Something I noticed in OMORI and have continued to notice throughout the game is the symbolism between colours and characters, and what they say about their relationships or their mannerisms, because there’s actually a LOT there, more than I expected.

keep in mind this is a pretty basic analysis and I’m sure there’s much more to be discovered, but I haven’t fully learned everything there is to know about colour theory and so this isn’t really my field of knowledge, I just wanted to share my findings.

also, spoilers ahead, so beware!

Filling in the wheel

This is a basic colour wheel, and the model I will be referring to throughout this analysis.

in OMORI, and even in external items outside of the game like merchandise each of the main cast are associated with a specific colour.

for example, SUNNY is associated commonly with yellow throughout the game. Here’s a small chart I made to keep track of my references…

I’m sure there’s more but here’s what I’ve got.

so now we know where sunny stands on the colour wheel, in the yellow region.

the rest of the cast can be easily identified on the wheel- KEL clearly falls into orange, HERO clearly falls into blue, MARI clearly falls into purple, BASIL clearly falls into green and AUBREY clearly falls into pink.

But wait, that’s not the complete wheel.

you’ll notice AUBREY’s positioning differs from the rest of the group, and that’s because I’ve specifically put HEADSPACE AUBREY in that section. Where REAL WORLD AUBREY actually falls is on the red segment of the wheel as that colour is better associated with her emotional state and also slots her better into place on the wheel.

So that means the rest of these midtones represent the rest of the HEADSPACE counterparts, right?

You’ll notice one more blank space, but let’s put that one aside for now. We’ll fill it in later. For now let’s begin to focus on the relationships between these segments on the wheel.

Complementary colours

Complementary colours are defined as “pairs of colours which, when combined or mixed, cancel each other out (lose hue) by producing a grayscale color like white or black. When placed next to each other, they create the strongest contrast for those two colors. Complementary colours may also be called "opposite colours"”.

in other words, these colours complement each other, and are paired together as they are the most striking next to one another. They are opposites, but belong together.

so, who do we have complementing on our OMORI wheel?

Now, this is quite complicated to look at but I’m going to use what I think is probably the most important relationship in the game and use it as an example.

MARI is commonly associated with purple throughout the game, so much so that it’s constantly in our faces. The main colour for SUNNY’s headspace where he escapes the tragedy of what happened to her is purple, AUBREY laments about a lost promise of dying their hair purple and pink together, MARI gets a grape flavoured (purple) popsicle in one of the photos in BASIL’s album, etc. she’s very clearly shown to be “purple”symbolically throughout the game, no question there.

and as for SUNNY, as we’ve gone over earlier, he is represented by yellow.

so when we reference our colour wheel once having placed these two in their respective spots, what do we see?

MARI and SUNNY complement one another.

And we see this consistently for other key or contrasting relationships through the game. HERO and KEL complement both in the REAL WORLD and HEADSPACE, and so do AUBREY AND BASIL.

They are shown to complement each other, when placed with their associated colours on the wheel.

so, what about STRANGER? Who does he complement with? After all the segment opposing him is empty.

I feel as though there’s only one answer which makes sense for the game.

OMORI complements STRANGER and STRANGER complements OMORI.

but, for OMORI, this seems out of character. The character itself is typically associated with black to represent the repression of the truth and also the darkness behind his actions to keep SUNNY guarded from the truth, so this warm colour feels out of place.

but looking deeper into the symbolism, I disagree. Orange itself represents liveliness, optimism, and enthusiasm, which I think represents HEADSPACE. However red, while associated with anger for AUBREY, is more commonly associated with danger and most importantly sacrifice.

As well as this, this specific hue shows to carry more of a red pigment than an orange.

so I believe this can represent this distracting and overwhelming joy of HEADSPACE whilst having great sinister undertones just Millimeters beneath the surface, something very fitting for OMORI as he’s portrayed in the game. (Side note: I don’t think OMORI is evil, by the way. I’m talking about his actions and portrayal in contrast to HEADSPACE, nor his intentions. I view OMORI more as a robotic kind of character than anything but that’s an analysis for another day.)

so, in conclusion, there’s a lot to be told from this wheel. Here’s a finished polished version for anyone who wants to use it, including some extra notes I didn’t discuss here. If there is anything at all you want me to elaborate on or go more in depth into, or just neglected to discuss at all, please let me know! Thank you for reading!

(PS also open for criticism on the wheel- especially if you know more about colour theory than me! I don’t go into much detail about what each colour association represents within the characters themselves here so that may be for another post)

#omori #omori analysis #omori mari #omori sunny #omori basil #omori hero #omori kel #omori aubrey #omori game #colour theory #omori stranger #omori character

[polaroid-petals]

My chart for post-ending headcanons and the scenario for what might end up happening with Basil, Aubrey, Kel, and Sunny!

Some notes:

Follows the good ending's timeline

Four years after the game; everyone here is 20 years old

Although Sunny and Basil reconcile, Basil ends up being subjected to a court case for aggravated assault. As such, he barely sees the others after he wakes up and faces most of it alone with Sunny and Kel.

The alleviating circumstance of his psychosis leads to no real conviction, but under the condition of getting assessed and treated at a closed ward. His medication doesn't agree with him, and by the time his friends are allowed to visit, he's lost all hope and life. Basil doesn't believe he'll ever be forgiven by the others, so what's the point?

During Basil's absence, Kel and Sunny grow closer and end up going to college together while Aubrey grows more distant from the group again despite wanting to hold onto her friends more than ever. She has a rocky road concerning how she feels about Sunny and Basil's actions and deception, but ends up coming around.

After Basil's premature release into a world he's not even half prepared for, he doesn't tell anyone that he's being made to leave. Aubrey awaits him by her truck and suggests booking it, seeing as they both have pretty bleak lives. They're on the road for a year until an incident with a broken car in the middle of nowhere during a winter storm and Basil catching pneumonia forces Aubrey to reach out to the rest for help. They survive by the skin of their teeth, but the incident does reunite the group.

Really, Kel ending up between Aubrey and Basil was by any means unintended, but they ended up finding comfort together after Sunny wasn't opposed to an open relationship. There's just too much love among them to keep it constrained to a single relationship.

Sunny is the only one who's attached to a single partner, hence why his relations with Aubrey and Basil have a platonic component. He deeply loves them, but at the same time struggles with understanding his romantic feelings and as such is mostly involved with Kel.

Everyone loves Basil

Hero's not here because this chart was drawn to show only The Polycule™ and its workings 💔 He's still in the picture and has his own relations with the main four, maybe I'll make that chart next?

I want to write a fic about this timeline, though it's probably gonna be rather heavy as it's going to be from Basil's POV during his time wilting away in the mental hospital.

#omori #omori spoilers #omori basil #omori sunny #omori aubrey #omori kel #omori photobomb #omori suntan #omori cactiflower #omori sunflower #omori kelbrey #is that everyone? #this has been floating around my head for weeks #all because of a for science deviation in the dms with jamie

[imaginespazzi]

Have to investigate more, but my delulu conspiracy theory is that Paige got the vip invite to the draft, because let's face it, she's Pagie (and she delivered!), and brought Azzi as her plus one. It looked like maybe vip was on the ticket she kept holding and the way that she was the main focus of the pictures and Azzi got brought into them made me think she was the 'primary' on the list. Like when movie stars bring their spouses and they sort of hover to the side until they're invited into the shot. Of course, it makes sense for Azzi to be there, but Aubrey and Carol were there too and hidden away in a back room so....I dunno, just felt a very conscious choice to have it be PaigeandAzzi instead of the 'team' like say the Iowa girlies all in a row.

Love when we're all on the same page cause I was thinking this too. Because even the Iowa girlies (one of whom literally got drafted) didn't get Orange carpet moments and then there's Paige and Azzi, who had unlimited time on it pretty much. I think it really could go both way, where they both got invites but I do think it's probably more like Paige with Azzi as her plus one (again trying to be sane on here these days but if I speak-) solely because I feel like the coverage was a little bit different (like solo pics wise) but either way, clearly a difference in tickets/invites or something.

Also like a difference in the Iowa girlies vs Carol/Aubrey's tickets too cause the Iowa girlies seemed to be in the same area as Paige and Azzi but literally where were Carol and Aubrey? How did I not see them once? Actually kinda disappointed about about it because them two aren't even gonna post it themselves.

#ask #can y'all tell I like to fixate on random things and for some reason the lack of Carol and Aubrey is really bothering me

[typologyastro]

Mbti & Astro Observations (5)

They're my personal observations, so take it with a grain of salt.

🪐 Saturn in the 1st house may have an awkward body or the way they lay, sit, stand, walk, etc. is awkward. It's hard for them to relax their body. Their firm body reminds me of a group of soldiers marching in the military.

🦂 Scorpio Moons like to show their expressions as if they're subtly unhinged. You may find their expressions strange and be confused if they're bad or normal by their expressions. But you're attracted to them because anything unknown unconsciously draw people in.

🌑 Pluto influence may make someone have a strong jaw. Or they may look like they hold their anger in like they hold their teeth tightly when someone upset them makes the end of their lips downwards. I think they do feel like that commonly. I associate Pluto with Ni and Fi. I found some dominant Fi users have this feature.

Ex: Aubrey Plaza (ISFP), Jenna Ortega (INFP), Blackpink's Jennie (ISFP)

🩷 Venus in the 1st house, Libra Rising or Libra Moon may exhibit strong Fe traits. Libra Moon eyes are average-sized and give a pretty, charming, and gentle look.

Ex: Beyoncé (Libra Rising, Venus in the 1st house, ESFJ), Mehgan Markle (Libra Moon, ENFJ), Selena Gomez (Venus in the 1st house, ISFJ), Arianna Grande (Libra Moon, ESFJ), Twice's Mina (Libra Moon, INFJ), Madison Beer (Libra Moon, ENFJ), Olivia Rodrigo (Venus in the 1st house, Libra Moon, ESFJ), Jennifer Aniston (Libra Rising, ESFJ), Harry Styles (Libra Rising, Libra Moon, ENFJ), Angelina Jolie (Venus in the 1st house, ESTP)

🌙 Also, people who have strong Cancer placements, especially Cancer Moon and Sun, Moon Conjunction Midheaven, or in the 10th house may exhibit strong Fe traits.

Ex: Prince William (Cancer Sun, Cancer Moon, ISFJ), Kate Middleton (Cancer Moon, ISFJ), Meghan Markle (Cancer Sun, Cancer Rising, ENFJ), Taylor Swift (Cancer Moon, ESFJ), Selena Gomez (Cancer Sun, Moon Conjunction Midheaven, ISFJ), Jennifer Aniston (Cancer Midheaven, ESFJ), Angelina Jolie (Cancer Rising, ESTP), Arianna Grande (Cancer Sun, ESFJ), Olivia Rodrigo (Moon Conjunction Midheaven, ESFJ), Twice's Dahyun (Cancer Moon, ESFJ), Aespa's Karina (Cancer Moon, ESFJ)

🌹 Some suspect Blackpink's Rosé to be a Libra Rising and Cancer Midheaven. Coincidentally, she's an ESFJ.

🌓 Sun trine Pluto are passionate people and influential leaders. They love what they do and are the masters of what they love. Everything they achieve seem legendary because they follow their true path. Everything falls into place when you follow your dream. They may have Fi and Ni in their stack. Both Fi and Ni are passionate about what they love.

Ex: Suga (INTJ), Blackpink's Lisa (ESFP)

🌫 Easy aspects (trine, sextile) try their best not to sound like they attack someone in the way they talk, act, etc. They look like someone who gives advice because they genuinely want to help people to be better. They probably got compliments about the traits belonging to those aspects from people in the past. They give off a peaceful and gentle vibe even with Mars, Saturn, and Pluto soft aspects.

🪨 Hard aspects (opposite, square) always talk and act like they attack someone, and someone attacks them. They likely experienced people with the traits belonging to those aspects attacking them in the past. They feel everyone come at them. You think they attack you, but they probably attack their imaginating ghost in the past. They may still be as true as the ones with easy aspects but sound harsher.

🔥 Mars in the 1st house or Aries Rising just looks hot. Their eyes are sharp, pointed upwards, and fierce-looking. They may likely be the sensing types, especially dominant/auxiliary Se users since Mars rules the bodies.

Ex: Kris Jenner (Mars in the 1st house, ESTJ), Rihanna (Aries Rising, ISFP), Megan Fox (Mars in the 1st house, ISTP), Kendall Jenner (Aries Rising, ISTJ)

#astrology #mbtiastro #mbti #mbti astrology #saturn in the 1st house #scorpio moon #mars in the 1st house #aries ascendant #cancer sun #cancer moon #pluto #sun trine pluto #hard aspects #easy aspects #trine #sextile #square #opposite #venus in the 1st house #libra ascendant #libra moon #Fe #Fi #Se #Si #Ni #astrology observation #mbti astrology observation

[aurorawest]

I finished The Mars House last night and have been trying to gather my thoughts beyond ADJFAWEHDHA; and AHHHHHHHH. Let's see how this works out.

In a lot of ways this is a pretty typical Natasha Pulley book, which makes you love complicated people who have done bad things, possibly for good reasons and possibly not. The love interest is to all appearances a xenophobic nationalist, but you better believe I loved Gale pretty much immediately.

In other ways this book is different from her past work—obviously there's the far future setting, but it's pretty clear that Pulley wanted to Say Something about gender with The Mars House. This book is a response to and shots fired at the terf ideology and it is not at all subtle about it. And of course, it's a Natasha Pulley book, so there's still empathy for the far-future Martian terfs.

So I would definitely call it the most...political? of her books, which for me was not at all a bad thing. It has everything that I love about Pulley novels—her gorgeous use of language, her ability to wring beauty and pathos out of the small and ordinary, the gay pining, the morally dubious main characters. I've seen reviews say both that the science is ridiculous and that the book is hard science fiction, and I would come down on the side of the science probably being a bit ridiculous, since it's definitely not hard science fiction (lol at the reviewers who are throwing that term around and not knowing what it means). I actually have no idea if the science is plausible or not and I honestly don't care, because that's really not the point of the book.

Anyway, now I'm just going to list things. Doing a read more for spoilers! And I'm not joking, I'm going to spoil the whole book under here so really, if you haven't read it and you care about that, don't keep reading.

The worldbuilding was so good. I mean, this is one of Pulley's strengths, but I had wondered how it would stack up in a sci fi novel versus her historical fiction. As usual, everything was so visceral and textured. Tharsis and Songshu feel like real places I could visit.

THE MAMMOTHS OMG OMG. When they decided to ask the mammoths for help pulling up the gravity train, I almost jumped up from the couch yelling (I would have, but I couldn't disturb my cat who was on my legs). The entire idea of communicating with mammoths and studying mammoth society almost made me cry. Having spent even a tiny amount of time around elephants in the wild, all of that rang 100% plausible. And true in my heart.

I need a sequel where River and January go to Alpha Centauri to talk to the aliens that the Penglai mission is going to find there.

I'M ABOUT TO SPOIL THE ENTIRE BOOK SO DON'T READ ANYMORE IF YOU DON'T WANT THAT.

Speaking of River, yeah I guessed that "Aubrey" was actually River. The clues were well done and I felt smug when I was right.

But!! I actually thought River knew more than they did! A literal chill went up my back when River revealed they had NO IDEA AUBREY WAS LITERALLY IN THEIR ROOM WITH THEM.

The scene in River's bathtub had me screaming crying throwing up.

Is Natasha Pulley working through something re: waifish orphans? I knew Yuan was going to end up being adopted into House Song within pages of their (his?) introduction.

I love that we never find out if River is biologically male or female. I love that January says it doesn't matter and he means that and never tells us.

Speaking of gender abolition, can I have that please for myself.

All of the animals were, as always, a delight. Shoutout to the puffin at the beginning who we never see again, as well as Shuppiluliuma in her basket.

The ancient Mediterranean references littered through this book (see above) were also a delight.

When you think about it, both of Aubrey's consorts fell for River, and that's funny.

The flashes of love between River and Aubrey were devastating.

The haptic implants are a dystopian nightmare and absolutely a realistic prediction of where we're going to end up.

Mori and Daughter!!

#the mars house #natasha pulley #reading tag

[ursulazandt]

behold my tom/jeff @professorhephaestus fanfic!

it was pretty hard to write to be honest, and i'm not entirely convinced i didn't completely butcher some of the source material, BUT i tried my best haha. might've gotten some of the years wrong too but oh well! was inspired by these posts (one two three four).

please enjoy!

In 1999, Tom Aubrey feels a very specific emotion.

He’s still getting used to Mars and, more specifically, martians. Most specifically, he’s still getting used to Hephaestus. There’s quite a lot to take in, and Hephaestus is his guide, though Tom can’t exactly shake the sense that Hephaestus wishes this wasn’t the case. Then again, they’ve worked together for some time now, and Hephaestus has just led him through “a much needed rudimentary 12-course introduction to Martian cuisine,” so maybe that judgment isn’t entirely fair. 

And Hephaestus has been showing Tom martian culture all over the capital. The two of them are exiting a debate and Hephaestus is, to his credit, doing his best to explain to Tom what the debate was about in the first place. Tom’s not really keeping up, though, and as his mind starts to wander he looks up at the inky black sky towards the stars. It’s all a lot, if he’s being entirely honest. Tom recalls his first spacewalk, how alone he’d felt in the vast emptiness of the universe. The stars were different then, in different constellations, but a similar feeling is coursing through him right now. Tom has a job to do now, of course, and he’s going to do that job as best as he can and maybe even better than that if he can swing it, but it’s overwhelming.

It’s then that, as they walk further into the ancient Martian capital, Hephaestus puts his hand in the crook of Tom’s arm in one swift, gentle motion, and Tom remembers he isn’t alone. He has Hephaestus. Hephaestus, who, for all his frustrations with Terrestrials and long pontifications that make Tom’s head spin, has been really invaluable this whole time. Hephaestus, who’s currently taking the time to carefully explain to Tom what is undoubtedly rudimentary knowledge to any Martian. Hephaestus, who really has gorgeous eyes, if Tom’s honest. Hephaestus, who has his hand in Tom’s arm.

It’s then that Tom feels that very specific emotion. And for a brief moment, it feels good. Scary, sure, but in that exhilarating way that you can’t help but come back to. A rush, a possibility, a hope.

And then Tom remembers, as he must. Remembers his job, remembers the reasons he’s on Mars in the first place, remembers the students, and remembers who Hephaestus is. He pushes the feeling down as quickly as it came up. It’s unprofessional at best and a liability at worst, Tom reminds himself, because this is not the first time he’s felt this and it probably won’t be the last, if he’s entirely honest.

“Are you alright?” Hephaestus asks.

“Huh?” Tom says, looking up at Hephaestus and then quickly looking away. “Oh, uh, it’s nothing.”

Hephaestus nods curtly in response, and they continue on their way.

Tom isn’t going to think about it. Because it’s nothing.

Of course, Tom does think about it, and in 2001 he will admit it isn’t exactly nothing. But nothing will come of it, he’s sure.

And Tom’s wrong again in 2005, of course.

#solar trials #idk what else to tag this as

[thekatebridgerton]

Had to make at least one post for Halloween and here we are.

This started as another episode of Bridgerton on a scale of 1 to 8, and evolved into mini aus, to celebrate the end Halloween month today's topic is: on a scale of 1 to 8 what's their likelihood of survival in a Zombie Apocalypse

From most number of close calls with death. To the least.

8) Hyacinth: probably the reason the zombie virus spread in the first place, Hyacinth's reckless endangerment of her person and 'rules don't apply to me' mentality makes her a perfect Zombie hunter AND Zombie bait. Girl has had so many close calls that Anthony is honestly surprised she's still alive. Once she meets fellow reckless endangerment aficionado and epidemiologist Gareth StClair they team up to find the clues for a possible zombie virus cure that his Italian grandmother left in her journals.

7) Gregory: this dumb idiot propensity for helping people who have clearly been bitten and lack of self preservation on par only with Hyacinth, makes him the Bridgerton least likely to survive the zombie apocalypse. Realistically he'd be bitten within the week of the virus outbreak, because he was infatuated with a pretty girl who had no interest in him and follows her to the middle of a zombie hoard. Lucky for him, his crush best friend saves him from certain zombiehood by cutting off a limb and he spends the rest of his life grateful to Lucy for having more braincells than him. As they journey to his family compound in the countryside

6) Daphne: She's likely to last at least two weeks more than Gregory. Because she's a Bridgerton girl and she knows how to use a weapon better than him. But Daphne is a city girl who never learned how to use a stove and when she's on her own she has this way of finding herself in dangerous situations without thinking things through first. Which makes her chances of survival Completely reliant on local gun toting business man Simon Basset who picked her up as a favor to Anthony and is now determined to drop her off safely at the Aubrey Hall compound. Whether she likes it or not.

5) Benedict: you would think this British gentleman would know how to fend zombies off. But truth is, he's a soft boy that hates gore and blood, he also gets sick very easily and relies on his skill with a baseball bat to crush skulls and run away, Benedict has only survived so far because he's got excellent hearing and can run away from Zombies faster than they take to show up. On his way out of London he found his old flame Sophie fending off a hoard of frat boy zombies and basically crashed a car against the zombies and told her to get in. He offered to takes her with him to Aubrey Hall where his family has a bunker in exchange for her teaching him how to survive on his own in the wilderness and cooking for him. Sophie isn't very keen on being Benedict's maid but she knows it's her best shot at survival so she's decided to trust him

4) Francesca: she is surviving entirely on her own terms. After losing John to an early version of the zombie virus two years ago. Francesca took a page out of Anthony's book and built her own bunker in Kilmartin castle with her two mother in laws. It is now the biggest survivor settlement in Scotland. The only time little miss social distancing has been in danger of being attacked by Zombies was when Michael somehow showed up after 2 years of being MIA running away from his feelings towards her and she almost got her leg bitten off trying to let him in the Kilmartin settlement. As of right now, Michael is killing zombies left and right, and Francesca really isn't allowed to go out of the Kilmartin settlement EVER. (Not that she wants to) she's #4 because just like Benedict, Francesca has no survival skills. She's just great at preventive measures

3) Anthony: extremely afraid of dying, He built a zombie proof compound in the countryside and holed himself up there as soon as the first rumor of the zombie apocalypse began. This man may not have Colin's survival skills but he's got something better: money!. This guy has everything you'd ever need for a Zombie Apocalypse accumulated in his estate. The place is completely self sustaining, his car is basically a glorified zombie killing tank that runs on solar power. Anthony Bridgerton ain't dying like a little b*ch thank you very much. His only close calls have been because of his little territory war with Kate Sharma, who is the leader of the Danbury settlement in the next town over. Kate and her fellow survivors happen to be more guns instead of words kind of community and Anthony has been trying to get them all to just join him in the safety of Aubrey Hall zombie proof gates. But as long as Kate doesn't trust him, or his intentions. Her community of survivors treats him as persona non grata and limits themselves to just trading food and weapons

2) Eloise: she's the whole package, the survival skills to make it alone trekking from London to the countryside without help. Expert marksman with a trustly gun that never fails her. The instincts to not trust sus people, the reflexes to kill a zombie on sight and the good sense to avoid danger whenever she's close to it. Out of all her sisters, Eloise has the lowest chance of dying from the zombie apocalypse. She doesn't go looking for trouble! She's simply the trouble that finds other people. Most likely to find another self sustaining estate like Aubrey Hall completely by accident trying to get home. And immediately establish herself as the boss. Not that former pen pal Phillip Crane believes her excuse of getting lost on her way to Anthony's and finding Romney Hall. To which she had the coordinates back then when they were still dating long distance. But oh well. Another reason she's likely to survive the zombie apocalypse is because she's great at bluffing her way into people's hearts. She was never keen on letting Anthony be the boss of her during the zombie apocalypse anyway, Phillip and his kids need a female influence (with a gun) around the compound anyway so now she's staying and if they don't like it they can take it up with management!.

1) Colin: At this point, all his family is almost sure that this lucky bast*rd is immune to Zombie bites. Colin survival skills makes him a freak of nature that needs to be studied. He's a bonafide zombie hunter with the best track record in the world. Wears a kevlar suit that makes it impossible for zombie bites to break skin. He's a killer shot, killer smooth talker, can survive in and out of the wilderness, can build traps, build zombie proof camping sites whenever he finds survivors. Lives to travel the land Killing Zombies. His skill at running from danger is only comparable to his skill at running from responsibility. His one weakness is that he believes that the girl he loves will be waiting for him forever. Even if he's never told her he loves her. Or gave her any indication that he'd like to be more than friends. But while he thinks Penelope is safe, in Aubrey Hall under Anthony's protection, he's about to get the surprise of his life when he finds out his Pen snuck out of Aubrey Hall and joined Kate's band of zombies shooting adrenaline junkies. And Colin can't do anything about Penelope's secret vigilante life except try to catch her in the act. Because she doesn't want his protection

An: count this as my official Bridgerton zombie apocalypse au

#bridgerton #zombie apocalypse au #zombie au #Kanthony #polin #Philoise #benophie #Anthony Bridgerton #Kate Sharma #penelope fetherington #Colin Bridgerton #Benedict Bridgerton #Sophie Beckett #Eloise Bridgerton #phillip crane

[crowbasils]

A COMPLETE AND IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF BASIL’S CHARACTER !!

Tbh, Basil is actually way more nuanced than the game makes him out to be, and has hid his emotions far before Kel has, and is as tragic, if not more tragic, as Aubrey is. Why? Well, let’s start off with his childhood.

HIS CHILDHOOD

Before the friend group. As Polly says in-game, his parents left him when he was a toddler, with his grandmother being the only one there for him.

…Which is really obviously not really a “good” thing, to be left with only one person—an old one at that. Even though he’s left with someone that cares for him, it’s still bad. Why? Because he would realize that she isn’t his parent. That his grandmother isn’t his parent. And that realization hurts, because he’s left to wonder why his parents left him. Why his parents abandoned, and neglected him. Was it because they found him to be weak? Was it because they hated him? Was it because they had no time for him? We never know, and he never did, either.

This can actually cause children to feel like an alien. To feel like they aren’t human. To feel that they can’t “connect” with society. Because they don’t know how to interact with other humans, they can’t relate to other’s experiences all that well due to the lack of parents, they don’t know what a “mother’s love” is, or what “love” is in general, because they weren’t exposed to that. This is, most probably, the case with Basil. Even though he has a grandmother, it’s not really enough. It’s not enough, because it’s not his parents, it’s not the ones who gave birth to him. It’s not the ones who others would say “would love you unconditionally”.

Plus, considering that it’s his grandmother, Basil might’ve actually had to tend to himself and mature faster than anyone did. His grandmother is old, and old people have a lot of complications to deal with. He might’ve had to run errands for her, do house chores for her, and stuff like that. A grandmother isn’t the most reliable parental figure, because they could fall ill at any moment, they could die at any moment. He probably knows this, actually.

All that combined probably makes you think that Basil would turn out to be a sad kid. As in, something like post-incident Sunny. But… surprisingly, he’s not. He’s happy, smiling, and more than Sunny. He’s smiling more than Sunny, which admittedly, makes no sense when you consider his childhood. Which bring us to the next point…

HIDDEN FEELINGS (PRE-INCIDENT)

While not specifically expressed in canon (Sunny and Omori aren’t reliable narrators), it is pretty implied that he hides feelings. Probably the most obvious indicators of that would be the fact that he vents to Sunny, and the existence of Stranger (who is implied to be the parts of Basil that Sunny finds “unpleasant”. Not to say that he dislikes Basil, but he pretty much has this black and white view when it comes to the world.

He probably has hid more feelings than the game lets on. He smiles, to hide the fact that he’s very empty on the inside. He laughs and smiles, to hide the fact that he thinks of himself as “inhuman” and feels “strange” compared to everyone. He involves himself in the activities of the friend group, because he’s so scared of being left alone again and being forgotten and abandoned. He takes photos, because he’s so scared to let the moments pass by, since they could leave him at any moment. He acts the way he is, because he’s never been able to make a lot of human interaction. He values his relationships with the friend group more than anyone, because to him, they are his true family.

They say, “opposites attract”, correct? Then perhaps the reason why Basil hangs out more with Sunny, is because he is the very opposite to him. Sunny isn’t emotionally expressive, Sunny doesn’t smile, and laugh a lot, but unlike him, Sunny isn’t empty. Sunny is full of life, but he doesn’t show it. Sunny has been around people who love and trust him his entire childhood, while Basil hasn’t. Sunny has been loved and cherished by everyone his entire childhood, but Basil? He hasn’t. Basil wasn’t loved and cherished by everyone his entire childhood. Sunny had people care for him, while Basil didn’t. Sunny experienced parental love, but Basil didn’t, and will never experience it. In his eyes, Sunny is perfect, because he experienced what he cannot. Because he is loved by everyone. Because he is cherished, and treasured. He is what Basil cannot be.

Basil probably does have trust and abandonment issues that he hid as well. His photo album can be a sign of that. Abandonment issues, caused by his parents leaving and the fact that his grandmother can fall ill / die at any moment, and trust issues caused by the abandonment issues. The photo album is also described as a collection of “things he is afraid to lose”.

He is also implied to be depressed and/or suicidal in a certain incident which will be addressed in the next section

“THE INCIDENT”

The incident is a major part of the OMORI story, as it serves as the catalyst for all the events ingame. As for this section, I will attempt to give a reason as to why Basil did what he did, and what it implies. As well as clearing common misconceptions

The question “Why did Basil hang Mari?” is a question asked by a lot of people. The answer to that is quite simple, and that is because he didn’t want Sunny to get in trouble, and hated by everyone. “But he could’ve called the ambulance!!! Or even his parents!!!” That is true, but consider, he was in a stressful situation, and he didn’t even know what to do, as witnessing a death of a friend caused by another friend it a hard thing to take. Also, him hanging Mari instead implies that he knows how to tie a noose and that he knows how to suicide, which is concerning, especially as considering that he’s 12 year old, and that it’s pretty rare for a 12 year old to know that back in the time OMORI is implied to have taken place in. The internet also didn’t exist back then, which makes it pretty impossible for Basil to know what suicide is and how to do it unless he planned to do it himself.

A common misconception is that he is the one who scribbled up the photo album, and to that I say, no, he wasn’t. It was Sunny. Basil actually says that it was Sunny in an earlier version of the dialogue before the Basil fight. I’m not sure why they removed it, though. (Sunny even takes a step back when the rest of the gang (minus Basil) hugs Aubrey!)

Another common misconception is that this is the only reason why Basil is depressed/sad, and to that I say, absolutely not. It’s not the only reason why Basil is like that. Even if he healed from the trauma this caused, a lot of his issues are still left unaddressed, such as the abandonment and trust issues and him being implied suicidal.

Also, the incident is not completely his fault, and he wasn’t the reason why Sunny became a shut-in / hikikomori. While yes, his SOMETHING is in the shape of hanged Mari, Sunny became a shut-in / hikikomori due to killing Mari, and not because of hanging her.

POST-INCIDENT, INGAME (FARAWAY SECTION)

The first time we see Basil, we see him asking for his photo album, but getting bullied and getting told “no” instead. This makes a pretty bad first impression to younger fans and illiterate fans, and because of that, he is often watered down into this “uwu coward soft boy who cries a lot”, which he isn’t. He may seem like it, but he isn’t. The second time we see Basil, he is at the old hangout spot, and calling for help. This… actually does imply a lot of things, one of them being suicide. He might’ve came there to die in a place where he missed, to look at the place one last time before he would commit suicide, but he was stopped by the hooligans, which most likely bullied him (even though they say they didn’t). And the last time, the sleepover, he either kills himself, or stabs Sunny in the eye due to hallucinations and stress.

The Basil we see here, in Faraway, is a more broken version of Basil. He still acts and hides feelings, it’s just not as effective as before. Another interesting thing I’d like to point out is the fact that we never really see Basil do anything connected to his past interests. While yes, his photo album may be part, he doesn’t really take photos anymore. Nor do we see him take care of his flowers. Maybe he could’ve lost interest in it, as a result of the incident. We don’t see Basil eat (the animation isn’t there during when Sunny and Kel went to Basil’s house), either, so for all we know, he could’ve starved himself, too, just occasionally reminded by Polly.

That aside, let’s get into the thick of it. Basil, in faraway, is most likely at the lowest point of his life. He had to see his friends leave him one by one (even Kel! We never see him focus on Basil, except for the scenes where he fights Aubrey to protect Basil. He didn’t knock on his door, either, like he did with Sunny.), and have one bullying him. He no longer has an outlet for his extremely bottled up emotions. He doesn’t have anyone, and his grandmother fell ill as well. Polly is paid to be there for him too, which means she doesn’t really count as someone he has. She isn’t close to him, either. She isn’t as close to him as the fandom makes her out to be.

It’s understandable why he broke down almost to the end of the game. Imagine someone you loved and cherished coming back, only for it to end in them leaving you again? And with no warning? No preparation? It sucks. And for the reason why they left in the first place being left unaddressed??? No wonder why Basil broke down. No wonder why he was so angry. No wonder why he was so sad. And, also, only reason why Basil stabbed Sunny’s eye was because he was hallucinating, and not because he actually wanted to. He stabbed Sunny’s eye because he thought it was SOMETHING, and not Sunny. Although it’s not completely all because of that, it’s a key part of it. His repressed anger and hatred, as well as his desire to “save” Sunny is also a part of it too, it’s just that due to the hallucinations, he stabbed Sunny’s eye. The part where he states that he’ll end both of their pains (by murder-suicide) is most likely out of stress, because his situation is extremely stressful, and it’s sad that nobody recognizes it.

He also does use toxic positivity, saying “Everything will be okay…” even if it won’t. It’s just… less recognized.

HIDDEN FEELINGS (POST-INCIDENT)

Basil, post-incident, probably also does have a lot of hidden feelings as well. This time, it includes hatred and anger.

He still feels empty, he still feels “inhuman” and “strange”, even more so that the incident happened. The incident, while not causing most of his problems, worsened a lot of it. His abandonment issues worsened, his trust issues worsened, basically everything worsened.

Although, now you add anger and hatred. He’s mad at Sunny for leaving. Hates him, even. Hates him for leaving him when they were supposed to deal with it together (or so he says), for leaving him during the lowest point of his life, for leaving him for so, so long. He’s mad at Sunny because when he went out, it was already near when he would leave. He hates Aubrey. For bullying him, for not hearing him out, for leaving him as well. He hates Kel. For only paying attention to Sunny. For leaving him. For being insensitive at times. But, he can’t help but feel disgusted at himself. Disgusted at himself for hating them. He feels like he doesn’t have the right to.

POST-GAME

Post game, a lot of Basil’s problems go unsolved. He isn’t exactly portrayed to have moved on like the rest. While yes, you can take the “true ending” as him accepting it… it feels rushed. The “Let’s make new memories together, okay?” that Dream Basil says isn’t Basil himself, so that isn’t reliable. It feels like instead of getting better, his problems will just fester into something worse. He’s basically alone as well. Even more so due to the reactions to the truth. Sunny left, he isn’t close to the friend group, his grandmother is dead, his parents are still gone, he isn’t close to Polly + she’s paid to take care for him… He’s all alone again.

That’s not saying that the friend group will try to get closer to him again, because they absolutely can, it’s just that Basil's problems still aren’t solved either way. Yeah, sure, he might admit some things, but they won’t be the closest anymore. It’ll probably take a very long time for Basil to even warm up to them again. Might even take 2 years.

CONCLUSION

Overall, I think Basil is the character talked least into depth about and often mischaracterized along with Hero. Many people fail to recognize that he’s also as tragic as Aubrey is, if not more tragic. Many people fail to recognize that his issues go far beyond the incident as well. Not a lot of people recognize that in terms of mental state, Basil is much worse than Sunny, since even before the incident, he was already pretty unstable

…Aaaand that’s all! Thank you for reading :D

#omori #omori basil #basil omori #omori sunny #sunny omori #omori aubrey #aubrey omori #omori kel #kel omori #omori hero #hero omori #omori mari #mari omori #omori analysis #meta analysis #character analysis #basil analysis

[eleanor-bradstreet]

Let Me Be Your Anchor

Chapter 10: The Orangery

Benedict Bridgerton x Sophie Beckett An Offer from a Gentleman reimagined Chapter rating: 18+ - explicit sexual content Word count: 3.9k

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Author's Notes: Well folks, we're 1/3 of the way through this story. You have more than earned your smut 😉 Enjoy 💙

Sophie managed to reach her quarters without encountering anyone who would see the state she was in. She cried for what felt like hours, muffling her sobs with her fist until they eventually subsided into whimpers. She kept fearing that someone would knock on her door either because they heard her, or because Benedict had sent someone after her. But mercifully no one appeared.

Once she had lost the energy to cry she stared at the ceiling, lost in the turmoil of her thoughts. Benedict had kissed her, had said he’d dreamed about her, had made it clear he desired her. It was everything Sophie had ever wanted, but it was also the most painful reality she could imagine. She had known he desired her at the masquerade but that made sense. He had assumed she was a member of the ton and someone worthy of his attention. But as a housemaid he could only see her as a dalliance, a pretty plaything that he could easily discard.

Should she reveal her identity to him? What did she think would happen if she told him about the masquerade and her true feelings? He’d probably be incensed that she had not explained it earlier. Then what? Would he confess that he loved her too and run away to marry her, breaking all the standards of society and risking a lifetime of reproach? No. More likely he would turn her in to the authorities or laugh her out of the room. She was no better than a girl with a silly infatuation. He was a man from one of the most dignified families of the ton with wealth, power, and prestige. She suddenly felt incredibly small. Small and stupid. 

She needed to leave Aubrey Hall. Hell, she could sneak out tonight the same way she had from the Cavender’s. She had the same amount of money in her purse, not having been paid yet by Benedict. But she didn’t relish the idea of hiking through the dark alone, especially now that she was even deeper in the countryside. The money from Aubrey Hall would spare her so much misery, and poor Benedict would probably assume that she saw him as no better than Cavender if she took off in the middle of the night after being subjected to his advances, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

No, she would wait until morning and ask to collect her wages from Mr. Dewitt. Then she would formally take her leave and board at an inn until she found a new position. But should she speak to Benedict before she left? What would she say? Would he even want to see her?

Her thoughts continued to race until she noticed the grey light of morning brightening around her door. She felt wretched, tearstained and dazed. She splashed water on her face, changed her dress and donned her cloak. Fresh air would help her clear her mind and formulate a plan before the rest of the house woke up.

The morning air was chilled and misty. It soothed her lungs and brought her a degree of energy despite her sleepless night. Sophie had always enjoyed cooler weather. It reminded her of her childhood at Penwood Park, set on a windy heath. She moved from the back doors of the house across a lawn and into the statuary garden. She wandered among the hedges and benches observing the likenesses of cherubs, muses, mythic heroes. In the pre-dawn shadows they looked more ominous than inspirational, but Sophie found that appropriate, considering everything she was feeling.

She was inspecting a statue of Artemis with her bow drawn when she heard footfalls behind her. Nearly jumping out of her skin, she whipped around to find Benedict. 

“Sophie,” he greeted her softly. He looked about as good as she felt with his hair a tousled mess, dark circles under his eyes, and clothes disheveled as if he had thrown them on in a hurry and only bothered with half of the buttons.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered, though there was no one outdoors but the two of them.

Benedict shook his head. “I couldn’t sleep.” That explained his appearance. Sophie wasn’t sure what to think. If he hadn’t slept either, what had he been thinking about? He had clearly followed her to the garden. Had he been watching for her all night?

They stared at each other in silence. Sophie couldn’t fathom what to say. Benedict looked her over. “You’re leaving?” It was more of a statement than a question and there was a hint of defeat in his tone.

Yes. Sophie should have said yes. But seeing him there, looking distraught and being as exhausted as she was, her true feelings came out. “I don’t know.” She felt as if she was being pulled down into the earth. She wanted to cry, she wanted to collapse, she wanted someone to tell her what to do.

Benedict’s eyes were impossibly sorrowful. He walked toward her, hands extended in a plea. “I’m so sorry if I did anything that upset you. I took liberties.”

Sophie shook her head. “No. You didn’t do anything I did not want.” Her voice was breaking. She couldn’t tell him why she had pulled away but the last thing she wanted was for him to feel like a villain.

Benedict stopped short, his brow beginning to furrow. “And yet you do not want to stay?”

She shook her head again and looked at the ground, voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t think it would be appropriate.” More meager lies. It was all she had. She hoped to appeal to his reason and class sensibility rather than tell the truth.

He scoffed and crossed his arms, arching a brow. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed how little regard I give to propriety.”

Sophie rooted herself to the spot. She couldn’t let this go on. She wouldn’t be charmed by him again and dragged down a path to heartbreak. Mustering all of her courage, she gritted her teeth. “We agreed this would only be a few days until you were well again and then I would move on.”

“Sod the agreement!” Benedict threw his arms in the air and stalked even closer. He wasn’t holding anything back now. “I know you don’t have anywhere to go yet.”

His words cut into her. He was right, but she wouldn’t be manipulated. She looked up at him, glowering. “Once Mr. Dewitt is awake, I will collect my wages and go.” She hoped that if she said it aloud she would actually follow through.

Benedict balked, blinking at her in surprise. “I see.” There was a snideness in his tone that she had never heard before. “So you will simply take the money and leave. You are that desperate to get away from me?” 

Sophie felt torn in half. Of course she wasn’t desperate to get away from him. Quite the opposite. She wanted to melt into his arms and never let him go. But he was being flippant, acting as if he were entitled to dictate what she could do. He had no idea what it was like to be in her position or to face any real challenge at all. He was starting to make her resent him. “This isn’t just about you,” she growled. “You don’t understand.”

“Then help me understand!” He shouted, closing the distance between them. He grasped her by the arms, pale eyes alight with desperation. “If you don’t find me repulsive, why don’t you want to stay?” His grip tightened and he all but shook her. “Why?”

Sophie could barely breathe, seared through by his gaze. She wanted to scream the truth at him, to tell him who she was, to tell him she loved him, to tell him he deserved better than her. Just as equally she wanted to chastise him, to tell him he was a rich fool who couldn’t simply take whatever he wanted, particularly when it was a person. And she wanted to turn and run. It was all too much and she shouted back into his face, “I just can’t!” Hot tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Her reaction clearly rattled him and his eyes regained their characteristic softness. He released her arms and brought his hands to rest lightly on her back, holding her as if she were made of glass. He steadied himself, eyes searching her face. At last he spoke, his voice devastatingly tender, “I won’t see you cast adrift.”

Sophie could feel herself breaking. Entitled as he was, his heart was pure. She had known it at the masquerade and she knew it now. He was pompous as a circumstance of the lifestyle he had been born into but when it mattered, he cared for people. He cared for her, and it felt so good to be cared for. 

She had run out of defenses. She could only confess the truth through her tears. “I have been adrift all my life.”

Lifting a hand to her chin he tilted her face, questing deeper into her eyes. “Let me be your anchor.”

Then Sophie’s heart was lost. He was her anchor. He was all she had to hold on to for so long, this marvelous, wonderful, infuriating man who had haunted her dreams for years. Meeting him was the best thing that had happened in her toilsome and lonely life. Now he was with her again, wanting her, holding her, his touch painfully sweet. She was tired of hiding, tired of resisting, tired of denying the inevitable. She couldn’t fight it anymore.

She surged up and seized his lips with her own, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him tight against her. Benedict froze, caught off guard but only for a moment. Then his arms held her back just as tightly, his mouth caressing hers, his breath hot on her skin. Her hands moved hungrily, raking through his gloriously soft hair, tracing the breadth of his back, feeling the warmth of his neck and the angle of his jaw as they pivoted to explore each other’s kisses more deeply. He was strength; he was bliss; he was comfort; and in this moment, he was hers. He was so delicious and so beautiful, tears continued to run down her face from pure joy.

With a gentle nibble at her bottom lip, Benedict eventually pulled back. Grinning breathlessly, he took her hand. “Come with me.” 

He led her through the garden and Sophie realized they were headed toward the massive stone orangery. She cast a quick glance around to find the grounds empty and the sun just barely peeking over the horizon.

As soon as Benedict closed the door behind them Sophie was overwhelmed with the sweet scent of citrus and jasmine. She hadn’t yet visited this building and was instantly entranced. With marble floors and vaulted ceilings, it was a veritable jungle of potted tropical trees and vine covered trellis walls. She only had a moment to observe it before she was back in Benedict’s arms, his hands entangled in her hair as he kissed her with a soft moan. She felt giddy, heady with the perfumed air and the breathlessness of his attentions.

They clutched at each other as if fearful to let go, and all the while, they were pressed so tightly against one another she was certain she’d melt into his skin.

“Sophie, Sophie,” he murmured. His lips moving gently along her face until they found her mouth again. “I need you.” He pressed one of her hands against his chest. Even through all of his clothes, she could feel his heart begin to beat even more rapidly, hear his breath coming in hoarser gasps. “Do you feel how I need you?” 

“I need you too,” she whispered. And she did. She’d spent so long dreaming about him, trying desperately to remember the scent of his skin, the sound of his voice. There had been many nights when the fantasy of him had been all that had kept her company. She had been living on dreams, and she wasn’t a woman for whom many had come true. She didn’t want to lose this one just yet.

He pressed her back into a wall of cool stone and kissed her with a newfound fierceness. His tongue swirled around hers while his slender fingers held her face. She gasped as his kisses traveled down her neck and his touch moved across her body. Every sensation seemed to rob her of the ability to breathe. His hands were on her breasts, kneading, teasing, sending a rippling shiver across her skin.

“Benedict,” she murmured, touching the crisp silkiness of his hair. There was a fire burning within her that had been simmering quietly for years. The sight of him had ignited it anew, and his touch was like kerosene, sending her into a conflagration.

He groaned, crashing his lips against hers again, locking one hand on the back of her neck and another around her waist. Sophie was dimly aware that they were moving, that he was pushing her somewhere deeper into the artificial forest. Then somehow she was lying on a bench and he was on top of her while his hand reached to lift up her skirts. 

He seemed so dominant, so powerful, and in that moment, so perfectly hers. A very small part of Sophie’s mind was still functioning, and she knew that she should tell him to stop, to put an end to the madness, but god help her, she couldn’t. Not yet.

His hand stroked her knee then inched upward, squeezing the soft flesh of her thigh. She began to pant with anticipation. She knew where his fingers were headed but was surprised to find that it did not make her nervous. She trusted him implicitly. She wanted this, whatever it was he was about to do.

Benedict smirked as he deftly shifted fabric to expose her womanhood and the cool rush of air made Sophie realize how very wet she was. She would have been embarrassed but before she could even form the thought, Benedict’s fingers were on her and he inhaled deeply with a satisfied grin.

Sophie stared up at him, agape, unable to form words.

“I daresay no one has ever touched you here,” he rasped. Sophie shook her head. No one had touched her there, not even herself, not in the way he was doing it. It was a strange, intensely intimate, and entirely enjoyable feeling.

“Do you like it?” Benedict whispered, still smiling down at her. His nimble fingers switched from smooth stroking to rapid circling, spreading her slickness upward and focusing right on the center of her ache.

He may as well have set a match to her blood. She cried out uncontrollably and arched off the bench, gasping. “Yes! What are you doing?” Her every muscle tightened as he moved his fingers in a particularly wicked manner.  

“Everything,” he returned, capturing her lips with his. “Anything you want.” 

Sophie’s breath grew heavier, her heart started to pound. His fingers continued to dance, relentlessly circling. Something was building inside of her, deep in her gut, coiling, pulsing, making her rigid. She clung on to Benedict for dear life, not knowing where he was taking her but desperate to reach the destination. Anything to quell the ache, the burning that never seemed to stop growing.

“Do you want more?” His voice was husky in her ear.

She had just enough control over her body to nod and choke out a “Yes” as she gripped the back of his neck.

He smiled wolfishly. “Then lie back and let me pleasure you.”

Sophie didn’t know how he could possibly pleasure her more but she was willing to find out. She had to consciously remind herself to breathe because she felt as if she were drowning - drowning under the pressure of Benedict, the heat of his gaze, the thrill of his touch and everything it did to her. As she panted he began to move down her body, trailing hot kisses along her jaw, her throat, her chest. His fingers were still teasing her crest, pressing and circling as she squirmed.

He moved himself lower and lower until he settled between her legs, kneeling on the floor as she lay sprawled across the bench. Now he could see the marvelously slick evidence of her desire. Sophie could feel the heat of his breath against her entrance. It made her shudder and filled her with the most wanton craving. This was so terribly wrong, so terribly naughty. But she didn’t want it to stop. She trembled and gripped the edges of the bench as his fingers twirled faster. 

Benedict delighted in watching her writhe. Every signal from her body was pleading with him for more - her ragged breath, her hums of anticipation, and the way her hips had started to gyrate, ever so slightly, in a waltz with his hand. When he began to feel guilty about the torment he took hold of her quivering thighs and leaned in to taste her, running his tongue up and down her opening. 

Something like a sob escaped Sophie’s throat as she lifted off the bench again. She moaned his name and he moaned back into her flesh. His tongue moved methodically, exploring her folds slowly, repetitively, stopping on sensations that made her whole body tense as she groaned. She tasted like a plum crossed with an orange, or maybe that was just the scent in the air around them. She was sweet and he would polish her off like a dinner plate. He continued moving languorously, savoring her and letting her adjust to the sensation. It was only when her muscles relaxed and she started to push herself back against him that he moved his mouth over her sweetest spot, flicking his tongue across her aching bud.

A cry tore itself from Sophie’s chest, animal and needy. Never in her wildest fantasies had she imagined being kissed like this, tasted like this, teased like this. The indecency of it all shocked her, but her shock drowned out by the wave she felt spreading upward through her body. It was heat and tightness and hunger and she would do anything to fulfill it, to hell with decency. Benedict’s mouth was so warm, especially against the cool air of the orangery. All she could feel, all her mind could focus on were his movements, small but incendiary, on the most sensitive part of her. He began sucking at her, massaging her nerves with fluctuating pressure punctuated by quick darts of his tongue. She whimpered, too overwhelmed to exclaim any louder.

The steady cadence of suction and licking made Sophie’s mind start to cloud. As tormenting as her need felt, she wanted to stay there for hours. She fell into a trance which was only broken by a wholly new sensation. She gasped and looked down to find Benedict slowly pushing a long finger to enter her. Dear god, he was inside of her. It was an odd pressure but rather than feeling painful it simply felt…correct. She knew that a woman’s body was designed to take a man’s and while they weren’t engaged in the full act, this was her first small experience of how that might feel. And it felt wonderful.

Mouth still latched onto her, Benedict raised his eyes to meet hers and it was the most frightfully arousing image she had ever seen. Never breaking his gaze, eyes somehow darkened, he started to slide his finger slowly in and out. The pleasure she felt made Sophie choke and fall back against the bench. His teasing her on the outside and moving steadily inside was too much to handle. Heat pulsed through her core and she felt a sudden spasm deep within.

Benedict released her from his lips and rasped her name. The speed of his probing increased, gliding into her rhythmically. “You feel so bloody good.”

All she could do was moan in acknowledgment, eyes clamped shut. The tightening, coursing feeling was building steadily within her but with his mouth removed it had slowed. She ached for it. She wanted to ride it out before she went mad. 

“Please, Benedict, please,” she could hear herself whining but didn’t care. “I don’t…I don’t know what…this feeling…”

The grin was evident in his voice as he replied, “Don’t worry, you will see.” 

She lolled her head in the semblance of a nod.

“Tell me what you want,” he purred, hand beginning to press into her more forcefully. “What feels good to you?”

Sophie could barely comprehend speech at this point. How could she explain? “I…everything,” she sighed.

She thought she heard a small chuckle. “You like me inside of you, I can tell.”

The cheeky devil. Sophie just mewled with another half-nod.

“Do you like my mouth on you?”

“Yes,” she squeaked, beginning to writhe in desperation. “Benedict…I need it…”

He granted her wish immediately, hot mouth descending on her once again, sucking furiously while his hand began to pound at her entrance. The caresses of his finger and tongue worked together to magnify each other.

Sophie hissed and gripped his hair with both fists. The wave was surging within her, burning her, lifting her out of her own skin. Her toes curled. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to explode, but all she could do was hold her breath and hold on.

Then Benedict did something with his finger, bent it in just the right way that it added to the pressure, massaging undiscovered places within her depths, and it was more than she could bear. The wave broke, roaring to a crescendo and crashing over her every muscle, rippling outward with the most glorious feeling of release she had ever experienced. And it persisted. She had no choice but to submit to it, lying breathless as her body clenched over and over. Benedict groaned against her sensitive bud causing her to spasm harder, drawing out the aftershocks as the sensation slowly ebbed.

Sophie was limp, astonished, and utterly without her faculties. Her body was left trembling and her mind was left entirely blank. She felt as if she were floating, softly held in the weightless embrace of bliss. She had never known such an incredible feeling.

The only thing that drew her back to earth was the gentle attention of Benedict’s tongue. He had withdrawn his finger and was kissing her reverently between her legs. He kissed her crest with a parting lick then moved to her opening, eagerly lapping at her and cleaning her of her slickness. He was so thorough that he entered her with his tongue. It was warm and sweet and absolutely the most sinful thing Sophie could imagine. All she could do was lay back and let him feast upon her.

At last she felt him pulling down her skirt, then he was on top of her, pressing her down with his entire body as he nuzzled and kissed her neck. Sophie weakly wrapped her arms around him, still dazed and panting, filled with wonder and gratitude that the man she loved had just gifted her the most ecstatic experience of her life.

Tagging: @angels17324 @broooookiecrisp @secretagentbucky @eg-dr3amer3 @time-to-hit-the-clouds @lyta2323 @autumn-grace @sadprose-auroras @the-other-art-blog @goldrambutan @colettebronte @heeyyyou @musicismyoxygen84 @faye-tale @ambitionspassionscoffee @starchaser325 @malna4903 @sincere-sarcasm @kmc1989 @makaylan @queen-of-the-misfit-toys

#let me be your anchor #an offer from a gentleman #benedict bridgerton x sophie beckett #benedict bridgerton fanfiction #sophie beckett fanfiction #benophie #benophie fanfiction #benedict bridgerton #sophie beckett #benedict bridgerton smut #bridgerton #bridgerton fanfiction #head canon

[tiny-maus-boots]

Darkest of Nights pt 21

A/N: thank you thank you always to @chloes-yellow-cup for always doing the thing and @kimmania for listening to endless hcs.

Beca

“Are you sure you wish to do this, Little Necromancer?”

Beca looked up at Chloe's dad and flapped her hands under her arm pits in an attempt to dry the copious moisture gathering as they waited for Cahira to let them know the rest of the vampires had arrived. At least. The ones brave enough to accept Beca's invitation to speak.

“What? Face a few hundred vampires that would probably like nothing more than to burn me at the stake?”

He gave a rumble of a grunt and stroked his braided beard thoughtfully.  She could tell he wasn't as afraid of her anymore which was a plus. Probably. Maybe.

“Yes.”

Beca shrugged and finally settled for a meandering anxious pace around the room. She really wished Chloe and Aubrey were there with her now but they had gone to check on defenses. She was pretty sure that was an intentional move to give her time alone with Chloe's parents. At least for the moment. 

How could she face hundreds of vampires if she couldn't handle facing just this one? Granted it might be easier if she hadn’t just banged his daughter like a Salvation Army drum.

Okay who was she kidding? She was definitely the drum. This time. Next time she had serious plans to be the one doing the banging. Lots and lots of banging.

Heat rose to her cheeks at Einar's intent gaze and she suddenly wondered if mind reading was a vampiric gift. If so she was screwed. 

“I'm sure.”

“May I ask why, Little Necromancer?”

She had to smile at that. There could be worse nicknames.

“Because, Big Guy, I took something from them and I should explain myself.”

“You mean apologize.”

Beca thought about that. There was expectation in his tone and nearly imperceptible shift of his attention that was meant to intimidate. The weight of his age and power flexed around her, making her bones ache. It was impressive and would have worked maybe a month ago. 

But she had seen some shit since then. She had done some shit since then. And she knew who she was now. Love hummed through her bond and she stopped her pacing and faced him directly, unafraid. She didn't bother to call up her power to push back, it wasn't necessary. Her conviction that she had done the right thing was enough to straighten her spine.

“I did what I did to save Aubrey. I'm not going to apologize for that. If they don't like it, tough tits. All I can do is explain how dire it was and hope they'll respect that.”

“Respect or fear?”

It was a valid question and she gave herself a moment to honestly answer without her usual sarcasm.

“If I wanted them to fear me I wouldn't bother to explain why I had to do what I did. I didn't want to hurt anyone but to protect or save Aubrey and Chloe I will be ruthless if I have to.”

Einar's power receded in a slow pull and she felt her spine release tension it had been holding. The door opened and Cahira stepped in with a brow raised in question.

“Husband?”

“There is no lie in her words. The Necromancer speaks truly. She meant only to save the Queen.”

“And?”

Beca looked back and forth between them in confusion. She wasn't entirely certain what was happening but Einar let out a great sigh and slumped his shoulders in resignation. 

“I'm sorry I doubted you, Wife, moon of my heart, she who is beauty, grace and wisdom. I am a turd.”

Cahira's lips curled into a satisfied grin and she held out an impatient hand until Einar fished a bronze coin out of his pocket and slapped it into her hand.

“Thank you, Husband.” Cahira tugged gently on Einar's beard until he bowed his tall frame to meet her lips in a soft kiss. She released him and faced Beca. “Do close your mouth dear, they'll think you're damaged.”

Beca's mouth snapped closed with a click and she blinked several times trying to process what she had witnessed.

“Okay wait. What's happening right now?”

“Oh this?” She held up the coin and laughed. “Einar and I have been winning this back from each other for a thousand years. A game of ours.”

“And you make him say that every time??”

“You should hear what I have to say when he wins.”

Her laugh was musical and light and Beca was pretty sure Chloe’s dad had just fallen in love with her all over again if his expression was any indication. She could see where Chloe got it from. 

These were not the vampires she understood. These were real people that loved and laughed. They weren't monsters. And neither were any of the people she needed to address. They were just people. Powerful people with the abilty to do alarming and fucked up things. But still capable of being so much more than the things that go bump in the night.

“Wow. Okay. So are the vamps all here?”

“They are. Are you ready to address them?”

“I guess. I mean. Yeah. Yes. Yes I'm ready.”

“Come, Beca. Einar and I will be by your side. Chloe and the Queen will be back shortly. Unless you would prefer to wait?”

She wanted to wait. If only for the support she knew she would have. Beca took a deep breath and shook her head. No. She needed to do this herself. Besides who was going to give her lip with the Big Guy looming over her shoulder?

“Let's do this.”

Something glittered in Cahira's eyes. Something like…pride? Beca wasn't sure but she felt like she was doing the right thing. Einar opened the door in the far wall and gestured for her to go first. If she expected a hallway or a buffer between herself and the other vampires she was disappointed. 

Beca found herself on a raised platform with more vampires than she had expected staring up at her. Some with curiosity,  some with hostility, most with barely concealed fear.

“Oh boy.”

She looked back at Chloe's parents nervously then back to the waiting mass. She brought one hand up in a tentative wave and seriously reconsidered her choices the last five minutes.

“Hey. So, I'm Beca.”

There was nothing. Absolute dead silence. They stared at her and she stared at them. Neither one was sure who was the predator and who was the prey. She sighed heavily and the vampires closest to the platform eased back. 

“Okay this…this isn't going to work.” She walked to the edge of the platform and dropped the few feet to be on their level. “Look, guys, you don't have to be afraid of me. I don't want to hurt anyone here.”

Some skittered back. A few held their ground. One pushed forward with mistrust blazing in her almond shaped eyes. Beca held her ground and waited for the unmistakable swirl of power to crest over her as Einar's had done but it never came. Or rather, it wasn't as expected. 

Power lapped up at her, batting gently like a gentle wave. The trailing edge of it tried to stick and cling to her, trying to find a way to overwhelm and influence her but it was too weak and crumbled away like sand with just the slightest push back from her.

Beca frowned when the woman backed up several paces in fear. A few of the nearest vampires that had stood their ground shifted away. She was getting nowhere and fast.

“I don't want to hurt you.”

Repeating it wasn’t likely to change their minds and she realized it. 

“You have already done so, Necromancer.”

She looked for the voice in the crowd that had spoken. Bodies parted to allow a vampire in a heavy cloak to limp forward in an awkward shuffle. He was ancient. Maybe even older than Aubrey but there was something wrong with him.

Her head tipped to the side and she reached up to push the hood of the cloak down. Wisps of brittle white hair fell from an already nearly bald pate. Pale waxy skin stretched translucently over high planed cheekbones and a strong jaw. If she had thought the vampires were scared of her, they were absolutely terrified of this one.

Whispers of verskret hissed through the crowd as they backed even further away. She knew that word. Cursed. 

“Who are you?”

“You may call me Athan. Do you deny what you have done, Necromancer?”

Beca was fascinated by the power she could feel seeping from him without even conscious effort. But none of it was directed at her. 

“No. I did that. I took from all of you and I would do it again if I had to. Not because I wanted to hurt anyone but because the need was seriously fucking desperate.”

“And what could you have so desperately needed with all of us?”

“To heal me. And believe me it was out of desperate need. True death was upon me, I was past the point of healing myself.”

Beca had been so drawn by the vampire in front of her she hadn’t even noticed Aubrey and Chloe’s appearance. A cool hand closed lightly around her wrist and graceful fingers twined loosely with her own. 

Chloe's simple touch grounded her and she shook away the thrall of power. Athan's gaze sharpened on her but he didn't push his power. He simply stood there assessing her. His soft hazel eyes drifted away from Beca and over to Aubrey.

“And what could have brought one such as yourself to the brink of death, My Queen?”

Chloe stepped forward, her hand still clasped with Beca's. “The sun, Athan. After full submersion and fresh blood she was still burning from the inside out.”

There were hushed whispers and soft hisses of remembered pain at Chloe's description. The sun was a foe every vampire feared more than anything else. Even curses and necromancers. Athan turned back to look at Beca again, more speculative than before.

“Why would you do that?”

“A lot of reasons. I think Aubrey is necessary in breaking the Council. I think she is honorable and genuinely hates the system of abuse we all suffer under and can make it better. But mostly just because I love her.”

Beca turned her attention to Aubrey and held out her free hand which the blonde took without hesitation. Power pulsed through the room in time with her heart beat and Athan brought a withered hand to his chest with a staggered step forward.

Her power curled around him and caressed his aura making Athan gasp drop to his knees. He looked up at her and reached a trembling hand to her and then pulled it back fearfully and pulled up his hood to hide away from her.

“If what you say is true, and I now believe that it is, then I understand. So should we all.”

He started to ease back into the crowd and Beca felt compelled to stop him. Her magic stretched out to him again wanting to explore and understand his condition.

“Wait! Please don't go.”

The aged vampire turned his head but she couldn’t see his face in the depths of the hood.

“If you think to break this curse, you cannot. Many have tried, all have failed.”

He turned away and slipped through the ranks and this time Beca let him. Now wasn't the time for that but she made a mental note to talk to Chloe and Aubrey about it later.

Vampires stared at her and she stared back. There wasn't much more she could say. It was up to them now, but she suspected Athan's opinion would go a long way in her favor.

“So…we good?”

There wasn't a resounding cheer of support but she didn't expect there to be. It was enough that many of them nodded agreement. Beca let out a deep sigh of relief and looked gratefully back at Chloe when arms slipped around her waist.

“Tough crowd.”

“Hm.”

“This isn't settled yet is it?”

The vampire gave a slight shake of her head, sending soft red curls tumbling over her shoulder. 

“No but we don't have time to coddle them. If we survive what's coming we can try again.  For now, leave them to Aubrey and come with me.”

“Okay. Where are we going?”

“To make out, silly.”

Now that was a plan she could get behind. Beca gave their blonde a glance and found her already addressing questions from some of the vampires assembled. Aubrey turned her head and caught her gaze with a quick wink. 

“You sure we shouldn't stay and help?”

“Nah, she'll meet us at the garage in a few. Right now I wanna be on you.”

“Well I do hate to disappoint the ladies so I'm in. Let's go.”

#beca mitchell #chloe beale #aubrey posen #pitch perfect au #pitch perfect #triple treble #vampires #necromancer #maus writes

[eversleepings]

disclaimer: i love kel omori

was talking to juno (hi juno!!!!!!!!) last night about something or other and i got on the topic of kel. and i thought about him.

i generally like the interpretation that he's accepted mari's death.

i know some people like to make it so that he hasn't, that he's faking a smile, but i truly believe he did. mostly because my idea of acceptance =/= never grieving. i still think kel is grieving, but he's accepted that mari's dead, and he's accepted how mari died, and maybe he's accepted that there was nothing he (a 12 year old at the time) could've done to help her (or what he thought was happening).

tl;dr: kel is complex (but not in the way most people think) and i would like to read more flawed kel please. a scrap for the desperate.

this is, obviously, a stark difference from the rest of the cast. sunny is directly in denial of her death, and in the first few days, convinces himself she's just in college. aubrey doesn't directly deny her death, but she seemingly is unable to accept that mari would kill herself - and hero moves from being unable to accept mari's death as a whole to accepting her death, and that she killed herself, but not that he couldn't have helped, and not that he isn't at fault (again, all theories)

so kel accepted mari's death. seemingly, this is where most misunderstandings come from over the game. what i want to talk about is one of the bigger ones: (apologies for the bad photo quality)

[in case you can't see - KEL: You know, MARI would be really sad to hear that...]

THIS scene right here.

this is also the scene where aubrey drops the bomb that mari is dead. The "It Means Everything" scene. one of the most iconic scenes in the game. but I never see anyone ever talking about this line of dialogue from Kel and one of his earlier ones, where he brings up how they used to be friends.

kel throwing mari's death in aubrey's face and i don't even think he meant to do it.

he truly believes that because they used to be friends, aubrey should listen to him. he truly believes, and is probably right, that mari doesn't want them to fight. but he throws her (seeming) suicide in aubrey's face in order to try and get her to see things his way, and stop bullying basil, and she lashes out, resulting in the following fight.

i see lots of interpretations where kel is knocking on sunny's door for 4 years. if that's the case, why didn't he talk to aubrey? since we have no knowledge of the 4 years, we can only assume that either 1. he did, and was rebuked (likely if he was 'too late'), or 2. he didn't, period, for whatever reason.

and the thing is, i didn't even like aubrey when i first played omori. i thought she was annoying and a bully, and i thought her "redemption" was underwhelming and rushed, and i hated it. i've gotten over it now but we are framed to see (rightfully) that aubrey is in the wrong - allowing us to ignore kel's part in this.

the game establishes aubrey as an enemy pretty quick. she fights you in her first scene, her hooligang are the obstacles for most of your tasks on the first day, she stole something from basil (someone you likely have an emotional connection to via. headspace, and sunny as our pov character has a connection to) and she's bullying him. the only other people we fight in the rw are all imaginary.

kel is our deurotagonist (secondary protag) for the real world. he's our guiding light, the rock in the shore. he must be right because we have to be right. and he generally is!

it is wrong to steal and bully from basil. and aubrey is in the wrong to attack us. but, while not an excuse, kel hurts her emotionally, and doesn't even apologize or acknowledge it - and this is likely why despite kel's seeming social prowess, it's hero (a neutral third party, who always has deescalated their arguments) who has to step in to stop their feud.

kel tries to get aubrey to see how he feels, and in doing so, says some of the most hurtful shit on the planet. so aubrey says it right back. this is the fundamental misunderstanding that separates them, even though they seemed really close, despite their arguing, as kids.

i just think kel is pretty complex, but not in the way people think he is (the earlier mentioned fake smile stuff). i think he also has his flaws, like the rest of the cast (minus mari and hero) that we miss because we're so focused on aubrey here (esp since her reaction afterwards is again, really iconic) and i wanted to share my thoughts.

also made this post because i want more flawed kel please. please give us more fucked up kel thanks xoxo

#omori spoilers #kel omori #omori theory

[lurking-latinist]

so now that I have finished the Aubrey-Maturin series (first time all the way through) I keep having Fic Ideas which I am not equipped to write and the main one that will not let me go is the “characters swapped with their kid selves” trope. I am actually not sure what this trope is called. deaging? where magic plot stuff causes the characters to be in their present role and location but suddenly with their younger body and mind. I’m thinking like ages 13-15 actually

(possibly this idea is because I once read one for Star Trek TOS that was very good and I persist in linking the two series quite strongly)

Mr Midshipman Aubrey is pretty confident that he can handle this. Skipping directly to captain overnight is basically what he dreams about anyway. It’s a slight problem that among the memories he hasn’t retained are things like “everybody’s names” or “where we are supposed to be going” or “who we are and aren’t at war with,” but he’ll catch up quickly and carry on! :)

Once convinced this really is the Captain, his subordinates are, shall we say, slightly more concerned. But the Doctor is sure to put it right! Just like the gunner’s brains.

…it appears the Doctor is also like 13 now.

Problems ensue.

I don’t think young Jack and young Stephen would actually get along very well. Which would be interesting. Young Jack speedruns The Problems of Command; young Stephen worries about what he’s doing in the Royal Navy at all, what all these coded papers are supposed to say, and (once he works it out) why his future self is apparently a spy for England what on earth….

(I don’t have a super clear concept of Stephen’s childhood and when he lived where doing what; possibly this actually works better if he’s only regressed to medical student. You know when he was Definitely Just Studying Medicine in Paris in 1789)

they probably end up confiding in each other/working together anyway; possibly this is what the plot magic mcguffin required of them to be brought back to their own correct ages in the first place.

but for a brief period Killick, who is always compared to a short-tempered nanny anyway, gets to live out his true destiny

anyway *holds vague plot idea* I just think it’s neat

#aubrey-maturin #aubreyad

[sineala]

Steve did what with Emma..?? 👀👀👀

Okay, so. No one actually says any of this in so many words but it seems to be what they're heavily implying: Steve and Sharon have an open relationship; Steve slept with Emma at the Hellfire Gala; it was either mommy kink or Emma just thinks it's funny to make him think about it. The first two things seem like they basically have to be true; the third is a little more tenuous.

This is Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty v2 #8; this is the current run.

Steve wakes up in Kansas with no memory of how he got there and also no memory of the past five days. He calls all his pals and they show up in Kansas to figure this out. It turns out they are also all missing the past five days and also all have scar tissue behind their right ear. So it's pretty easy to conclude that someone's been messing with their minds. All their minds.

So it'd probably be nice to get a telepath to come examine them, as Roger says. (Roger Aubrey, and unrelatedly I would just to say that I have spent most of this run experiencing truly incandescent rage at what they've decided to do to him in this run; I know he probably has like three fans total but I am one of them and I was so thrilled he was here in this run and then they ruined everything and it ruined a whole lot of my feelings about this run. Anyway.)

Roger suggests this in the second panel in the page I have added below. He says he doesn't currently know any telepaths personally but he figures that one of the rest of them probably does, and he asks if anyone knows one. Then the rest of the page happens.

Steve, looking extremely uncomfortably at Sharon and hesitating a lot, says he knows one and he met her at a party (in context, this would have to be the second Hellfire Gala, based on the information he later gives).

So Steve doesn't actually say outright that he and Emma got up to anything but based on the hesitation about telling Sharon what went on at the party with Emma, it seems like he's heavily implying he slept with her, because that's generally a good guess for "a thing you definitely don't want to tell your girlfriend you did at a party that you went to without her," absent other evidence. I mean, we didn't actually see any of this going on in Steve's appearances at the Gala, but that really seems like what he's implying -- that Steve slept with Emma and he doesn't want to actually admit that to Sharon.

That's clearly what Sharon understands him to be saying. She says, "Steve, it's fine. You don't gotta be a monk when I'm not around." So she assumes that what Steve is saying is that he slept with this telepath he knows, and she says that that's okay with her -- if she's not around, he can absolutely sleep with other people. No need for celibacy. Since it would be deeply weird if the first time they ever talked about polyamory had been right now while they're standing in a trainyard in Kansas surrounded by several of their spy friends, it seems likely that this is an existing agreement in their relationship and that Steve just feels weird going into any more detail about hooking up with Emma when Sharon is right there. So, yeah, open relationship, I guess?

The important thing is that Steve doesn't contradict Sharon's understanding of events. Steve's description of what happened is extremely light on actual specifics, and if all we had to go on was what Steve said, I don't think that would necessarily mean that he'd actually slept with Emma -- but that's clearly what Sharon thinks he did, and the thing is, Steve doesn't tell her she's wrong. If he hadn't actually slept with Emma, now would be a great time to correct Sharon's assumption about it. And he doesn't.

What he actually does is change the subject and start telling Sharon about the outfit he wore to the Hellfire Gala, because he's clearly uncomfortable talking about Emma with Sharon. So, you know, it really sounds like he must have slept with Emma and really doesn't want to talk about that right now.

Sharon tells him to stop changing the subject and he should just call her already. He explains that in order to call her, he's supposed to think a word and she'll hear him.

That word is "mommy."

So, I mean, either mommy kink was involved here or Emma just thinks it's funny to make Steve think about it. Could be either.

So Emma shows up:

Weirdly, Sharon didn't seem to realize they were talking about Emma? I mean, I guess there are multiple telepaths in the world. But she's not especially thrilled with Steve's choice.

And that's your canon evidence for "Steve and Sharon have an open relationship and Steve slept with Emma." The mommy kink thing could just be a joke, but, I mean, we have all seen Emma Frost, it's not like anyone should rule out femdom as a possibility.

You're welcome.

#replies #snooglepoot

[gothicxreylover]

FUFFUFU aaaaaaaaaa you’re so good at writing like every time i see your sunny writings, i smile like it's so good!! and you work really fast, i love it! sjdjkaxk, how about the main 6 with a s/o who’s an idol? kinda like mmj (if you play pjsk)

Hello there sorry for seeing this late and I would like to make this request! Yet again I'm sorry for not seeing this earlier!

Warnings- Mention of beating (Aubrey's part)

Sunny- As much as Sunny doesn't listen to music (I think he likes classical music as a Headcanon) He's very impressed by your singing and your songs. He likes to listen to them when he misses your voice maybe he even listens to them when he's going to bed. He's very supportive even if he's not good at showing his supportive face he likes to buy your merchandise. Even if it's a lot of money he likes to support you the best way he can.

Mari- She loves your music especially if you like to sing Vocaloid music. Mari is very in love with Vocaloid music so it's not a surprise you hear it now and then in her room. She's probably one of those people who knows the name of the music after hearing a few seconds into the song. Like Sunny, she would waste her money on your merchandise no matter what. She does have a bit of trouble saving money but is truly grateful if you send her some merchandise that she wanted.

Hero- He's supportive even if he doesn't understand that type of music. He would hear it once in a while but not all the time. He doesn't fully understand the genre of the music but likes to listen to it because of your voice. He never knew you could sing like a beautiful dignity. Of course, he does spend his money on your merchandise once in a while probably like small stuff like pins or a T-shirt. He likes to save his money on other things like taking you out on small dates.

Kel- He's so hyped up for your music. Like Hero, he doesn't understand the genre of the music but he doesn't care if it's you singing it he'll love it no matter what. A bit too broke to buy your merchandise but does improvise. He would make homemade stickers or maybe try to make a paper figure of you/your persona. I feel like if someone sees you in public he'll say "Yeah they're my significant other. Did you know they could sing and have their own songs too?" You probably have to drag him away from the person because he would spend hours talking about you.

Aubrey- Loves your music. She probably shows her support by wearing a T-shirt with album covers on it. Sometimes her friends tease her for it but she'll probably beat them up if they keep pushing it. Like Kel, she doesn't have money so she'll improvise by making homemade pins and stickers. She'll be very happy if you send her some of your merchandise but try to keep cool.

Basil- He loves Vocaloid a lot and that's probably his favorite genre of music. He has some of your merchandise like T-shirts, posters, pins, stickers, and maybe one figure of you/ your persona. He's very embarrassed to say that he likes your music but it's pretty obvious that he loves it by how many things he has of your merchandise.

#gothicxreylover #gender neutral reader #omori #omori mari #omori x reader #omori basil #yandere omori x reader #omori kel #omori sunny