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wandamaximoffsbadgirl · 3 months

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Let's Talk About That Chapter 2

Psychiatrist!Avenger!fem!reader x Wanda Maximoff

Summary: The compound has been built, and training has begun. With the two of you living together now stolen moments are bound to happen.

Word count: 2.7K

Warnings: legal age gap r is 19 and w is 25, talks of depression, bit of angst, bit of fluff, talk of vo*it (once towards the end)

A/N: The moment between R and W is taken from the moment in WandaVision where they go through Wanda's memories so R is taking the place of Vision and says his lines in that moment.

June 21st 2015

The new Compound was finally built and all of the Avengers moved there to live and to train. You got a new office looking similar to your old one and before you could start moving your things in it was time to start training the new recruits.

Captain America and Black Widow prepare to train the new roster of Avengers, consisting of Falcon, Wanda, War Machine, and Vision.

You stand just off to the side of Cap and Tasha. "You ready to finally show off your powers?" Cap asks you as you smirk, cracking your neck to either side.

"Oh Cap, you know I was born ready.” you tell him as your eyes glow purple.

"Alright, line up!" You call out. The new recruits line up. "I have a simple task for you four, move me from this spot." You tell them and you hear Sam chuckle.

"You deal with our emotions, how hard could it be to move you?" He asks.

"Thank you for volunteering to be my first victim Sam!" You smile. "Please front and center. The other watch as Sam tries to move you in any way, but can't. Even using his wings he can't. Then Rhodey tries and still nothing, Vision attempts and you don't budge. You look at Wanda. "Well?" You ask, quirking an eyebrow up at her. She has this soft look in her eyes almost like a baby deer.

"I don't want to hurt you." Wanda says her being the only magic user besides you currently on the team.

"Oh sweetie. You could never hurt me. Go on, hit me with your best shot." You tell her, her eyes and hands glow red as she unleashes attacks on you as you swipe your hand up, a purple force field looking much like Wanda's own magic comes to protect you. They all look at you in shock.

"Oh did we forget to mention something?" You hear Natasha's condescending tone ring out behind you making you chuckle, catching the attention of the newest members.

"I think we did Tasha." You say pulling the collar of your shirt down, showing off the glowing purple stone in your chest, looking similar to the mind stone in Vision's head. "I have the power stone in my chest. Really I'm the best of both worlds. Brains and brawns. The stone gives me psychic energy manipulation, force field generation, disintegration of objects I touch, energy absorption, magic empowerment, and of course superhuman strength and durability.

The new Avengers stood in awe as you revealed the Power Stone embedded in your chest, their expressions a mix of shock and admiration. You could feel the weight of their gaze on you, but you stood tall, unyielding, a smirk playing on your lips.

"Wow," Sam exclaimed, breaking the silence. "That's... impressive."

You chuckled, feeling a surge of pride at their reaction. "Thank you, Sam. But let's not get too distracted. We have work to do."

With that, you motioned for them to regroup, eager to put their newfound knowledge to the test. "Alright, let's try this again," you announced, positioning yourself in the center of the training area. "This time, I want you to work together to try and move me."

The recruits exchanged glances before nodding in determination. Sam and Rhodey took to the skies, while Vision and Wanda focused their powers, creating a coordinated assault.

As they unleashed their combined efforts, you could feel the energy swirling around you, pushing against the force field generated by the Power Stone. But despite their best efforts, you remained rooted to the spot, a testament to the strength of the stone's power.

"Keep going!" You encouraged them, a grin spreading across your face as you felt the thrill of the challenge. "You're doing great!"

For several minutes, they continued their assault, each attack more powerful than the last. But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't overcome the barrier protecting you.

Finally, with a triumphant shout, they ceased their assault, panting and exhausted but exhilarated by the challenge. "I... I can't believe it," Sam gasped, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Believe it," you replied, your voice tinged with pride. "With teamwork and determination, there's nothing we can't overcome. You guys are new to being a team. I'm sure you'll be able to take me on properly soon."

As the others caught their breath, you couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement for the future. With this new team of Avengers and the power of the Stone at your disposal, there was no telling what this new team could accomplish together. And as you looked around at your teammates, you knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, you would face them head-on, united as one.

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The Next Day June 22nd 2015

It's late evening after you had roused yourself to get a snack you notice Wanda's door cracked slightly as you forgo getting a snack and decide to knock on her door. "Open." She says similar to you when the two of you first met. You open the door fully and smile at her, but she doesn't have a smile to give you back.

She has Malcom in the Middle playing as she is sat on her bed, a grey tank top, mostly covered by a black sweater hanging off her shoulder and tight black leggings. She's sitting with her legs crossed, a pillow in her lap that's she's leaning on. "If now isn't a good time I can..." you trail off. She pats the bed next to her, still no smile, but you can read her well enough that she wants company, she just doesn't always know how to ask for it.

She looks away, pulling her sleeves over her hands and even though they're covered she still keeps tugging at them with anxiety. You sit next to her mimicking her posture as you grab one of her pillows from behind us and crossing your legs. She finally attempts a smile at you for half a second once you've settled. Then turns her attention back to the TV where Hal gets hurt and you chuckle.

"I only watched Malcom in the Middle when it was on TV, but I tended to find Full House, Fresh Prince, and The Nanny playing when I'd go looking for late night TV." You tell her.

"You like sitcoms?" She asks and you look at her with a warm smile.

"Yeah I do. Never got the chance to tell you though." A smile creeps onto her lips without her knowledge. You unconsciously lick your lips as you stare at hers. She always somehow managed to look perfect and maybe it's the repressed emo girl that you used to be, but her in all black, and her black nail polish she just so happened to be your type.

"Y/N?" You're pulled back to reality by her voice.

"Hmm?" You ask.

"I asked what's your favorite sitcom?" She repeats and you think a moment, you end up letting yourself fall back against her bed, staring at her ceiling.

"That's honestly hard for me to answer. I'm not good with picking favorites." You look over at her. "I always feel bad when I pick a favorite anything as if the others aren't good enough or something." You confess to Wanda.

"What about like top 3 or top 5?"

"Hmmm…” You think for a few moments, going through the list of sitcoms you've grown up with, contemplating about each for no more than a moment. “Full House, That 70s Show, Seinfeld, Friends, Golden Girls, and The Office is probably my newest obsession." She smiles before letting a laugh pass her lips. You smile, biting your bottom lip as you do so because she's just so, "Beautiful." I end up saying out loud. She stops and you can see her face redden. You scramble up off her bed. "Shit sorry if that made you uncomfortable. I'm sorry I'll leave!" You ramble and as you turn to run you feel her grip on your wrist. You look back at her, eyes glowing.

"If we're being honest with each other Doctor I'd like to let you know I think you're quiet beautiful yourself." She admits to you and something about her calling you doctor sends your brain into a frenzy and you can tell she's hearing every thought going through your head and you can't find yourself to even be mad about it right now as you step back to her, grabbing her face and kissing her.

The moment your lips met, it was as if time stood still. All the worries, the doubts, the fears melted away, leaving only the warmth of her touch and the sweet taste of her lips against yours. In that fleeting moment, there was nothing else in the world but the two of you, lost in the intensity of the connection we shared.

As the kiss deepened, you felt a surge of emotions coursing through you, a mixture of desire, longing, and something deeper, something you couldn't quite put into words. It was as if your souls were reaching out to each other, seeking solace and understanding in the midst of chaos.

When you finally pulled away, breathless and flushed, you found yourself gazing into Wanda's eyes, searching for any sign of regret or hesitation. But all you saw was warmth and affection, mirrored in her gaze.

"I'm sorry," you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper. "I shouldn't have—"

But before you could finish your sentence, Wanda silenced you with a gentle touch of her finger against your lips. "Don't apologize," she said softly, her eyes sparkling with emotion. "That was... unexpected, but not unwelcome."

You felt a rush of relief flood through you at her words, a weight lifted from your shoulders. For the first time in a long time, you allowed yourself to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was hope for something more between the two of you.

As we sat there in silence, the glow of the TV casting flickering shadows across the room, you realized that this was just the beginning of your journey together. There would be challenges ahead, obstacles to overcome, but as long as you faced them together, you knew the two of you could conquer anything.

With a smile, you reached out and took Wanda's hand in yours, intertwining your fingers as if to seal the unspoken promise between the two of you. As the two of you sat there, bathed in the soft light of the TV, you knew that no matter what the future held, you would face it together, side by side, as partners, as friends, and perhaps, if we were lucky, as something more.

Wanda pulls you onto her lap after moving the pillow away. She pulls you into a tight hug and whispers, "I've been so tired recently. It's just...it's like this wave washing over me again and again. It knocks me down and when I try to stand up it just comes for me again and I can't-" you hear her voice cracking, her emotion shifting along with her aura as you rub her back. "It's just going to drown me." She confesses.

"No...no it's not..." you tell her.

"Yeah..." She lets out a dry chuckle and you pull back, letting your hands find her cheeks again. You stare into those deep green eyes full of sorrow and hope there comes a point where you can see them full of joy. You’ve only gotten small glimpses of happiness from Wanda and all you wanted was for those glimpses to last longer until there was no sorrow left.

"No it won't, I won't let it. Not now. Not ever. Do you hear me Wanda?" You're searching her tear filled eyes to see if on any level she believes you because you could only hope that your words offered some solace to her feelings. All you wanted to do was take some of it away, even just a little so she wasn’t drowning anymore.

"How do you know?" Her voice is cracking and soft, it breaks you to hear her like this.

"Well it can't all be sorrow, can it?" She's searching your Y/E/C eyes now, your thoughts even. "Tell me. What is grief if not love persevering?" You ask, a small tilt to your head. Her dam finally breaks as she cries and you shush her, helping her through it. "I've got you Wanda. Always. I'll hold you above the waves. I'd let myself drown before I let it take you." You tell her softly. “I can help take some of it away, would you like that?” You ask her, her tear filled eyes looking up at you and nods ever so slightly, but still asks,

“Will it hurt?” Her voice cracks as you rub her cheeks with your thumbs, wiping the tears away.

“No darling it won’t it’ll make you feel lighter. I don’t do it often. Bad emotions are disgusting. I have to take them out of you and eat them which I’m sure sounds weird and I guess in a way it is, but for you I’ll do it.” She nods once again, clinging to you as you move your hand to her back, rubbing a gentle circle. You can feel the physical manifestation of the emotions pulling them apart from one another, only taking out the pain and grief, not all just enough.

A black oobleck is pulled out threatening to slip through your fingers as Wanda pulls back to look. You use both your hands to keep it contained as you bring it to your mouth. You open your mouth as wide as you can, tongue sticking out as you let the gooey orb fall into your mouth and swallow. Your face contorts and a shiver goes through your body like when you take medicine you can’t stand. It tastes like vomit in the worst way possible and the main reason you tended not to do this.

You feel Wanda cup your cheeks and murmur, “You’re okay.” and “Thank you.” As much as you hated it, you knew you’d do it as much as she needed. You lean in, placing your forehead against her own, nuzzling your faces together as you feel your cheeks dampen from her tears.

“No more tears darling.” You whisper, feeling her smile against you.

The two of you eventually make it up her bed, laying against her pillows, small soft kisses are peppered in between things. There are no more tears from Wanda through the night as the show continues playing as she falls asleep on your chest.

As Wanda rested against you, her breathing steady and her grip on you relaxed, you couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over you. Despite the turmoil and uncertainty that surrounded you two, in this moment, all that mattered was the warmth of her body pressed against yours, the rhythm of her breaths lulling you into a state of calm.

You gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, marveling at the serenity that seemed to radiate from her even in sleep. She had been through so much, faced unimaginable challenges and losses, yet here she was, still fighting, still clinging to hope.

And in that moment, you made a silent vow to yourself, to always be there for her, to be her anchor in the storm, to hold her above the waves no matter how fierce they may rage. Because Wanda was more than just a teammate or a friend—she was someone you cared deeply for, someone you would do anything to protect.

As the soft glow of the TV bathed the room in a gentle light, you closed your eyes and allowed yourself to drift off to sleep, knowing that no matter what tomorrow may bring, the two of you would face it together, united in our strength and our love. And as you held Wanda in your arms, you knew that as long as the two of you had each other, you could weather any storm that came your way.

#ley speaks #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff #ley writes #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff fluff #wanda x you #wanda maximoff angst

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avinwrites · 1 year

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IDV Men and their Love Languages pt.1

Lucky Guy

If one were to ask Lucky what his love language is, he wouldn’t know. He hasn’t had much of an opportunity to show or receive any type of love throughout his life. That being said, an embarrassed, but happy, blush will appear anytime anyone praises him. Every “good job.” He gets after a match leaves him stuttering out a soft “thanks” and avoiding eye contact. These Words of Affirmation, however, always make him feel appreciated.

-Lucky has been stuck in the Manor for a long time

-He hasn’t really complained, since there isn’t much for him back in the ‘real’ world

-plus, he got to meet you

-Your first match together, he showed you the ropes, and made a habit of commending you each time you did well

-You’re able to observe that he acts this way with most people

-he’s on no one’s bad side.

-Even the hunters like him for how generally sweet he is

-You get close to him through these words of praise. Every time he manages an impressive feat, you make sure to find him to express your compliments and to watch his face go red

-Though, from you, he gets a lot more used to it

-And, eventually, you have to admit you fell for him, all of him

-It’s been a long time since you joined the survivors at the Manor, and you became close with Lucky in that time, but never expressed your desire to become more than friends.

-During a certain match, you’ve managed to evade the hunter for the majority of the game

-You noticed early on when Lucky let you all know that the hunter was near him, and as far as you knew, that fact hadn’t changed.

-You’re peacefully decoding when the priestess calls upon you to help her bridge a connection across the map. You comply, standing by the nearby wall and allowing Fiona to complete her skill, suddenly, you notice Lucky’s status marker go down to half-health

-And suddenly, he’s right next to you, now incapacitated

-As the portal dissipates, you begin to heal him up

-When he’s back to full health, you take hold of his wrist before he leaves to find a different cipher

-“You’re doing great!” You say, watching as he instantly becomes bashful, “You’ve got this, I love you!”

-He’s shocked! You… do? Through his dazed demeanor, he manages a strong “I love you, too!” And runs off

-Both to hide his embarrassment, and to win, for you!

Servais Le Roy

Again, with a lot of thinking, Servais’ love language is Words of Affirmation. For someone like him who is cunning and enjoys being the focus of the crowd, words of affirmation are a powerful way to make him feel valued. When he performs for you, be sure to acknowledge his talent and skills.

-Servais has spent most of his life pushing towards his goal of becoming a great magician

-Getting to the point where he believes that he can be the creator of the perfect, genuine magic trick

-Often he attempts to create a new trick and will perform for a test or for approval, if he believes the trick is worthy of an audience

-You’re the first he goes to, sometimes just to show you what he’s been working on

-He thrives off of the encouragement you give him

-If you happen to see a part of his trick that he displays, tell him

-he’s grateful to have the true audience outlook from you, plus, he’ll praise you for your “good eye”

-If he ever puts on a big performance, he’ll expect a critique from you at the end

-"Wow, that was incredible! You nailed it, and everyone loved it. I'm so proud of you for putting yourself out there and sharing your talent with everyone."

-If you said something like that to him, he’d melt, he’s head-over-heels, and will not hesitate to reciprocate your expressive words with how much he appreciates you as well!

Kurt Frank

As an avid reader, and a creative spirit, Kurt’s love language is gift giving! There are many things he loves to give: stories formulated by his own mind, small treasures found on each of his “adventures,” even the books he holds most precious will become a gift for the one he loves the most.

-Kurt asked you one day if you had a favorite book, a few days before your birthday

-You couldn’t give him an answer then

-and you had forgotten the question as you were swept away with other things to attend to

-Then, the time of your birthday arrived

-You weren’t expecting any gifts, really, save for what the “Baron” of the Manor allotted for you, which was usually some kind of decoration for your room that had to do with your skill, and of course, a letter that revealed a part of your past

-It happened to everyone, but you happened to be feeling a little down in the dumps about it

-That is, until Kurt comes along with a wrapped gift signed with your name.

-“It isn’t much,” he claimed, noting, “my resources were limited.”

-You were overjoyed that he even thought of you, much less brought you something

-You carefully tore open the wrapping.

-“Gulliver’s Travels” read the title of the book you held, one you recognized as Kurt’s favorite.

-An addition in familiar handwriting underneath caught your eye

-“With the annotations of Kurt Frank”

-He annotated his favorite book for you.

-Needless to say, that is the best gift you’d receive throughout your time in the manor, though he does the same for you with different books once you’ve expressed your interest.

-If you do the same for him, oh wow! He’d be on cloud nine!

-Even if it isn’t the type of book he’d normally enjoy, if it had your thoughts and feeling on the page, he’d cherish it forever

Naib Subedar

Despite his stoic look, Naib’s love language is physical touch. Naib has had so much affection to give bottled up inside him for a long time. The truth is, Naib is a romantic at heart, but has created a wall to cover his true personality. That is necessary when one works with the horrors and bloodshed Naib has had to see. Now that he’s safer, he’s not going to release his inner love until he finds the right one. One can’t forget about friends as well! Naib will have a few people he’s closely attached to, but there is something special about his lover. He’s not the type for pda until a long time into a relationship, but early on, not much is off-limits once in private. That sounds horribly inappropriate, but I mean it in the sweet way?

-It takes Naib a long time to actually confess his love for you, but in a way, it was obvious for a while

-He’s always go to you if injured during a match

-and be the first to save you when you’re in trouble

-he’s try as hard as he could not to be evident about anything, he really was

-it’s ok though, you liked to see him almost silently beg for your attention

-After he confesses and you reciprocate?

-Double, no, at least triple that.

-A quick peck on the cheek before each match, from him to you if you’re the one with the match, or you to him if he’s leaving.

-A good morning hug when you see each other for the first time in the mornings

-that is, up until you start spending nights with him

-He’d honestly have trouble sleeping alone after the first time you sleep in the same bed together (not like that)

-It’s awkward at first, he doesn’t really know what to do

-but just guide him along, he’ll quickly gain confidence once he confirms that you really do feel the way he feels

-Every night is spent held tight in his arms

-He loves it when you run your hands up and down his back

-Or run your fingers through his hair

-Being with you, touching you, loving you feels like heaven to him

-He’s just a touch-starved, smitten boy with so much love to give

William Ellis

A boisterous man! He’s excitable and energetic at all times. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with him. Acts of Service is how he best shows and receives love! He’s the type to lend a helping hand when he notices someone in need. Thus, he has associated himself with many different types of people.

-One of William’s most often spoken phrases is “Do you need anything?”

-He means it, he’s willing to do almost anything for you

-He’s constantly saving you in matches

-is it because he loves you, or because he can’t stand decoding?

-“Why can’t it be both?” He’ll question

-It’s both

-He always makes sure you’re ok, taking extra time to patch up any more serious injuries

-or picking you up and carrying you all the way to the Infirmary if you look worse off

-ask him for a glass of water before bed, he’s practically already gotten it.

-He’ll be happy to oblige to a ‘goodnight kiss’

-Anything you ask, genuinely.

-He’ll expect the same, though

-Maybe you can’t carry him, not many people can

-but allow him to lean on you when he most needs it

-if he sleeps in late, bring him a plate of breakfast in bed! It's his second favorite type of meal besides a large steak dinner.

-and of course, he’d do the same for you, without a doubt.

can you tell which of these characters I've been obsessed with for like... almost 4 years now ♪(´▽｀)

#idv #identity v #idv x reader #identity v x reader #naib subedar #naib x reader #idv naib #lucky guy #idv lucky guy #servais le roy #idv servais #servais le roy x reader #idv william ellis #idv william #idv william ellis x reader #kurt frank #idv kurt #kurt frank x reader

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hungnitan · 6 days

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Penacony TB 2.2 Impression

A bit story summary, here I am after 2.1 having wild imagination what if Churin become AE temporary members but it change into Boothill and made Danheng traumatized and Black Swan (in the end it's just a dream lol).

Unexpectedly we found Argenti in Penacony and then again making us suprise with sudden battling him ! But wow I think hoyo needs another arc/event story to explain Argenti power scale, just how stonk he is can entered nihility and get out alive...

After finish 2.2 I kinda get the reasons we still not getting any info regarding playable Sunday. Additionaly, it explain the reasons why Robin interview with Owlbert came out weeks faster... Now I wondering why Robin gameplay focused on FuA support

Honorable mention scene :

We have three different answer of "why we sleep ?" question and it's really mirroring their personality. Tired of living version from Churin, tired with reality from Sunday and have a hope of humanity from Trailblazer.

Here we are, Welt having a homesick and mention warriors (valkryie) from his home, btw S rank tier is basically their best groupie (lol)

As we expected, SAM is initial and sounds near gundam (lol) but I didn't expect even Firefly isn't a real name...

Remember a male voicing the story summary at finishing part ? It sounds like a boy (if I delulu it's near Heizou voice so yeah boy lol) so maybe it's him... I kinda want to know his VA~

Jade Churin convo talking about his fate as stonehearts, the conclusion could between cut or promotion. But from my finding about Diamond personality so far, I think he's very leniant to "worth to invest" people. From Churin character story, he sounds so sure Churin gonna make profits later. Even Topaz big failure only get her one rank down because he saw she gonna make contribution in next project (Penacony). If somehow he get a cut too I don't think Churin screentime finish only at Penacony arc~ the reason mostly like if you're a screenwriter there's no way you gonna throw all the times for world building you made so meticilous for one person easily...

Overall not the best but it's pretty good, a big twist made me "HUH !?" once or twice (lol) and good change of pace too after 2.1 with Churin's dark past aside the fact some problem still not finish like what's happens with Penacony stellaron, the main antagonist basically running away and throw all blame to Sunday, Boothill searching for Oswaldo (eh moreless around his past I'm sure) and question from 2.1 that still unanswered in this version, IPC move on Penacony. Well with the epilogue finished like that I'm really sure IPC will make their move in TB next version.

In the end, what's the problem with button Sparkle keep distributing ?

From my personal opinion TB 2.2 isn't that interesting, maybe I read too many speculation before but most of them are right like Ena deep rooted on Penacony, Acheron real name eh is this even hidden lol, old man from Acheron convo means her reasons coming to Penacony (it's predictable after read halfway).

Additionaly we have "another date" with Firefly and she's just dying again this time off screen lol... and she said she's got one more dying later ? hmmm... well yeah she's cute but it's just too absurd, I can't even make any reaction about it, the things I spout after heard she dying again is just "oh she dying again huh...? Oh well she's gonna revive later anyway". Not lowering reader expectation on Firefly but isn't she just too streotype anime tragic cutie girl ? If not because of stellaron hunter + SAM too proper voice I could skip her banner easily. But she should have another chance in next version, let's see if she can turn around all my low expectation on her...

So yeah I'm more eager with next version TB !

But you know what, with Penacony TB more into nameless and we all know Oswaldo is one of them... can I hope for IPC arc ? To tell the truth, I'm very curious with him and Diamond !

#honkai star rail #robin hsr #boothill #firefly hsr #argenti #sunday hsr #aventurine #topaz #jade #black swan hsr #sparkle hsr #gallagher hsr #misha hsr

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lollytea · 1 year

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Did she know from the start? I'm talking about her feelings and Hunter's feelings

I think on the day Willow met Hunter, she got a little baby crush on him nearly immediately but it was such a busy day and romance was like the last thing on her mind so she didn't really notice. She was all like "wow he's so cool!!" But that's a relatively normal way to think about somebody so it flew under her radar. Willow is pretty self aware but she just had a lot going on at the time. She was really REALLY impressed with his flying. Also he was really cute but that was hardly relevant. Point is he was gonna help them snag a victory.

Then he pulled that whole stunt near the end of the episode where he risked everything to save them. When he turned around and pleaded with her to leave and let him handle it, she definitely had this moment where she was like "Oh. Wow..." Because as it turns out, he's so much more than just a really cool, really cute guy. He's a whole world more.

I think once the two started texting, Willow started realizing that the little baby crush was there. Because there is no good reason for her to be squealing into a pillow just cuz he sends her a little tree emoji. No good reason whatsoever.

But at the same time, Willow proceeds with caution. She grips her safety rails tight and gives herself a good firm talking to. She's not going to forget that Hunter is the Golden Guard so, for the sake of her friends, she can't go trusting him wholeheartedly. So admittedly, having a little crush on him isn't the best idea. But so long as she maintains it, keeps it from overgrowing and doesn't let it influence her, it's fine. It's okay to indulge herself and become text buddies with Hunter so long as she doesn't forget the boundaries that exist between them.

Willow fails at preventing her crush from growing but she is stubbornly refusing to acknowledge that. Because that would be admitting that she can't control her own emotions. Which makes her uncomfortable to dwell on for too long. So she represses it. This is fine :)

Willow does a good job at remaining unbiased in spite of her crush. She doesn't immediately stand up for Hunter when he's being interrogated by Bump for possibly being linked with the scouts invading Hexside, until she can be sure that she can trust him. At this point her crush has been pushed down and ignored because now is not the time for dumb teenage stuff. Willow is preoccupied with important matters.

But man....when Hunter saved Gus, Willow's best friend Gus who means the absolute world to her, and she learns he apparently saved him not by fighting, but with kindness and understanding, oh she was gone. Completely gone. Though she didn't allow herself to think about it too much, this alone had Willow head over heels for that sweaty little weirdo.

It was safe and acceptable to befriend Hunter now without any opposing allegiances complicating it. Plus Gus really likes him, so no judgy looks from him either. So they become a little trio of friends. Just friends, Willow tells herself. He's still cool and he's still really cute and he's also so kind, but they are apparently drawing close to the end of the world. Willow can't get distracted. So she won't. And she didn't.

She opts not to think too hard about the time Kikimora got her hands on "him" and she went ballistic. It was reckless and stupid of her. People could have been hurt. She's starting to suspect that boy might have an alarming amount of power over her.

Scares her a little.

Or a lot. Maybe it scares her a lot. So she opts not to think too hard about that either.

Just a little baby crush. Not even worth talking about.

It's only after they've landed in the Human Realm and things somewhat stabilize that Willow starts noticing Hunter's feelings. She noticed he had become a little shy around her after the events of Labyrinth Runners but she didn't really think too deeply about it. He had been through a lot, so being a little reserved and jumpy was normal. I wanna say she was even a little jealous over how comfortable Hunter was with Gus compared to how nervous he got around her. But she tried not to let it bother her. It was a silly thing to get upset over and they were currently dealing with the end of the world.

But yeah, once they had settled in Camila's house and she had some time to relax and not much else going on to occupy her mind, Willow absolutely picked up on Hunter's crush on her. And she likes it. She really likes it. Being crushed on by somebody so cool makes her feel so cool and confident and pretty and worthy. It got her so giddy and excited. Flirting with him and making him all blushy made her go a little mad with power.

However, Willow is a very complicated person. I think that, while she was having the time of her life testing the waters and experimenting with flirting, she was also a bit scared deep down. She had terrible imposter syndrome. ("Why have I been trying to be someone different?" - Willow one episode later.) She's hiding a lot of herself. She's repressing her weaknesses and insecurities and overcompensating her "good" personality traits.

Willow is willing to admit to herself that she has a little crush on Hunter and she's maybe considering starting something with him after this is all over. If he still likes her by then, that is. And so long as he never sees too much of her, he will like her.

She's not in love with him. Because if she was in love with him, he would have the power to hurt her. So she's decided to not be.

She likes it like this. Chill, flirtatious, easy. But at the same time, she's keeping him at arm's length. She's afraid of being vulnerable with him. She's afraid of him knowing her too well.

But as the months go on, she's gradually realizing that he might mean more to her than she's willing to admit. But she can't stop getting closer and closer to him. She tends to slip up whenever she's around him. Stops thinking about consequences. It's really bad. And no matter how scared she is of this relationship she has with him, she can't stop herself from digging them into a hole. Like girl he's in love with you now??? Girl you're in love with HIM now???? If you're so scared why did you initiate this in the first place???

The simple answer is he turns her into a dumbass.

#im not very eloquent today but yknow #huntlow

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hurtcomfortforeveryone · 1 month

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Nelson is a beast, Nelson is a bastard, Nelson is an asshole. This is a documented fact, and I'm not going to argue with it. But I am still tormented by the question, why don't we send the same amount of hate rays to Divan Umarov?

Of course, there is some progress in this direction, but I think he deserves ten times more people's anger than Nelson.

Then there is a retelling of impressions from "undivided", it seems without spoilers, but still I warn you.

And spoilers for "unbound", I completely forgot.

I do not know how to express it, but the rest of the Unwind villains at least look like people. Do they know that they kill and hurt? Someone knows, but he do it because he have a sick self-esteem and he feel better seeing how someone "right" and "clean" is helpless in front of him. Someone also has a sick self-esteem, and he pushes morality far away in favor of the thought "I deserve good luck and luxury," although more recently unwinding was a sore topic for him.

(And someone drives that thought away because it's her job, but still brings at least something good to the world, because would any of the Unwinds want to be alone in the last hours?)

These are awful people, but they are people. With vices brought to the highest point, but such as you can understand.

And the Divan is like a chthonic deity, completely blind and deaf to everything human. Like Solaris. But Solaris is simply unknowable and alien, and the Divan is unknowable, alien and dismembers children.

These are not eyes blurred by cruelty, and not eyes deliberately closed so as not to be tormented by conscience - these are eyes that have hardly ever been opened. This is a man who has lost his boundaries so much from his impunity that you, although just a reader, feel fear very close to disgust.

Like, you got to the core, to a kind of beginning of the chain. Here he is, a man who benefits from unwinding and trades in child deaths. He inspires others that this is a good thing, because he needs others to be believed in it. But he himself must know that he is lying, because there is simply no one above him anymore, right?

But then you look closer and see that he is so disconnected from reality that this thought is simply inaccessible to him.

"Connor, understand, I'm not your enemy" - wow, how can you even make such a thing if you have a sane mind? From the mouth of another character, it would sound stupid, but from the mouth of the Divan, it gives you goosebumps.

Because it would never occur to him to try on other people's feelings - not only Unwinds, but people in principle. Because a person who is able to buy literally everything and bring to life any perversions will never be in the place of someone else, and he is subconsciously sure of this. He has simply indecent power, which is available, God forbid, to one thousandth of a percent, but expects others to understand him for some reason. Because everyone always adapts to him, and it lasts so long that from a whim it became almost a law of nature in his mind.

Speaking of disconnection from reality… When I read to the moment when he tells Risa bullshit like "here are the capsules, teenagers sleep in them in euphoria and do not suffer," I was like, "well, damn… Maybe it's not so bad as harvesting camps, at least not to go crazy from the realization of your complete helplessness." But then guess what, yes, that's right, because it's so humane and compassionate to wake up children before they die! An engineer of human souls, bitch.

And then he's like, "but at least I didn't choose the path of evil, like my family or like Da Zey". Ugh, fuck! A life hack for your note: choose the most complete scumbags as your equal, and then, proudly demonstrating your moral superiority over them, continue to do things that are absolutely immoral from beginning to end (but a little less than your role models (crossed out) colleagues).

If this was a pathetic attempt to whitewash himself, with the understanding that in fact it is a falsehood and sophistry, then I would not be so angry. But that's the horror of it, that he really believes in this excuse!

And yes, the "Unknown Quantity" did not help me in any way to see in him some more ambiguous character. Or rather… What is considered an ambiguity? Yes, the character definitely makes you feel emotions, rather than rolling your eyes at his cliched nature. I think it's noticeable to me, and yes, it's the moments from "undivided" with Divan that kept me awake at 2 AM.

But some form of "maybe he had a reason to become like that?" - no. Just no.

And in the scene with his cruel and moody nephew, it's not just the nephew that pisses me off. "He was a terrible teenager with sadistic tendencies. If he is now happy to tell you how he "unwound" the dog, what will happen next? That's why I unwound him - as a punishment. And then I did it with a bunch of kids, most of whom didn't do anything to get to the unwinding, but it's not so important anymore."

Fuck you. Touch the fucking grass outside of your private plane, maybe something human will wake up in your soul.

The only thing that could add ambiguity and depth to him is death. And even this is not a fact.

#unwind #unwind dystology #divan umarov #net blyat' rulon oboev #seriously what guided Shusterman in choosing a name #the translator interprets it as a sofa #“And the Sofa is like a chthonic deity...” (c)

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mama-qwerty · 1 year

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Hey just a question, will there be bonding between Tom and Tails?

Tails sat on the front steps, fiddling with the ends of his namesakes. Inside he could hear Maddie arguing with Sonic and Knuckles. The older boys had gotten carried away with their sparring out back, and destroyed the shed in spectacular fashion.

He hadn't been involved--not technically, anyway--but he had been measuring their energy output as they fought. Individually, they generated impressive energy when 'powered-up', but when they clashed together, that energy spiked dramatically. Tails had wanted to study it, and had gotten some good readings before things got out of hand.

Although he wasn't personally involved in the incident, he felt somewhat responsible. His brothers had agreed to spar in the first place so he could gather data. He should have known one or the other would take things too far.

"There you are," Tom said, shocking Tails out of his thoughts. "Keeping your head low, I see. Smart." The sheriff took a seat next to the fox. "That's why I'm out here, too."

"She's pretty mad," the kit said, his voice soft.

Tom nodded. "Yeah. But at least she's not mad at us." He nudged the boy in the side, a little smile on his face. "That's a good thing."

Tails responded by flicking his ears back, and flattening them against his head. His fur frizzed noticeably, and he all but shrank into the floof of his tails.

"Hey, easy bud," Tom said softly, running a hand down the boy's back. "What's got ya all fluffed up?"

The kit didn't respond for a long moment, his eyes screwed shut. He could taste tears in the back of his throat and tried to swallow them down. Sonic wouldn't cry. He had to be brave.

"It's my fault."

"What is?"

"The shed. They were only sparring because I wanted to get some energy readings while they were powered up."

"You did?"

Tails nodded, and the first traitorous tears slipped from beneath his lips. "The energy they produce is unique. I've never seen any other creature on our world do that. I wanted to study it. To see what it was and if it could be harnessed or honed or . . ." He squeaked out a whimper. "I didn't know they'd get so carried away. But I guess I should have realized they would. I was stupid to even ask them to do that in the first place."

"Now hold on," Tom said, running a thumb over the boy's cheeks to wipe away his tears. "First off, never call yourself stupid. You, little fox boy, are the absolute smartest one in this house. And yeah, maybe you don't really think things through sometimes--"

"Like the robot vacuum thing?"

Tom nodded. "Like the robot vacuum thing. That doesn't mean you're stupid. You can't predict what those two are going to do. Sometimes they get along and work like a well-oiled machine. And sometimes they can't even be in the same room without starting something. Maddie says that's just the way siblings are."

Tails sat quietly, absorbing what his new dad said. "They don't treat me like that."

"If I had to guess, I'd say it's because your personality isn't as . . . how should I put this, forceful as Sonic's or Knuckles'. They have the perfect personalities to clash with each other--stubborn, strong-willed, and absolutely positive they know better. You seem more interested in flying under the radar." Tom offered the boy a little wink. "Besides, you're the youngest. And whatever beef those two have with each other, they'd bury it in a heartbeat if you were in danger."

"Really?"

"Yep. Remember when that kid was hassling you about your tails?" The kit nodded. "Ever wonder why he so suddenly stopped?"

Tails' eyes went wide. "They stuck up for me?"

Tom nodded. "They did. In fact, I had to step in to make sure they didn't actually do anything to him. Still got a call from the kid's mother, and had to politely explain how her boy was hassling my youngest. That shut her up real quick."

"Wow. I didn't know that."

"Those two would do anything to protect you, Tails," he said, wrapping an arm around the young boy's shoulders to pull him in for a side hug. "So would Maddie and I. Because you're a Wachowski, and we all stick together. No matter what."

Tails gave the man a little smile, his fur settling back down as his anxiety calmed. Then a thought struck, and his brow pinched.

"But the shed's still ruined because I took them out back in the first place. I told them to fight. A-am I in trouble?"

The sheriff pulled his lips tight, as though thinking. "Did you actually tell them to destroy the shed?" The boy shook his head. "Then it's not your fault. Those two can cause trouble without much prompting, honestly. And I haven't heard your name come up once, so they're not trying to pin anything on you. So I think you're in the clear."

A smile spread across the kit's face then, and he reached over to give Tom a hug. "Thanks, Dad."

The man returned the hug, a smile on his own face. "Anytime, bud. Wanna sneak out and see if we can snag a new Lego set without your mom noticing?"

"Yeah!"

"Let's go!"

~~~

Like this? Check out my other shorties. Reblogs are appreciated!

#ask me #ask shortie #tails the fox #tom wachowski #sonic fanfiction #sonic movie 2 #tails wachowski #sonic the hedgehog fanfiction

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glindaupland · 5 months

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The Phantom of the Opera | Seoul, South Korea | 집팬텀 x 손크리 Review

October 11, 2023 - Evening

The Phantom of the Opera | 김주택 Kim Ju-taek/Julian Kim

Christine Daaé | 손지수 Sohn Ji-soo

Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny | 송원근 Song Won-geun

Carlotta Giudicelli | 한보라 Han Bo-ra

Walked out of the theater, face in my hands, soul in pieces, etc etc. Listen, I've been a POTO fan most of my life and after a while you become used to (?) not easily moved anymore by (?) things in this show even though you still love it deeply. You love and enjoy new casts, but it's pretty difficult for some to stand out enough to squeeze their way into the top tier. So tell me why I haven't cried watching it in at least over a decade and I left this performance with full tears streaming down my face? I need therapy Actually, this pair needs to use their POTO paychecks to pay for my therapy because this is their fault!

My favorite performance and my favorite seat right under the chandelier (things that were way too expensive on Broadway)! Let's pretend I didn't arrive just 7 minutes before the performance after over-estimating the time I had to get there after seeing Rebecca because I was not expecting to have 500 disasters happen to me on the way. But I lived!

Admittedly, at the time of casting I was a bit unsure seeing an opera singer with no musical experience taking on the role. It's not that I automatically assumed the worst, it's just that this brings its own obstacles (the type of singing, acting, etc). But he has really been able to turn that experience in addition to his passion for music into an advantage for himself. He brought such a fresh new interpretation to the role that was so nice to see after being a fan for so long. 🥹 So now I've ended up with a new surprise favorite Phantom in my top ranks. I was very impressed, I'm a big fan now

The Mirror/Angel of Music

KJT Phantom had such a powerful entrance that it gave me chills hearing his booming voice. It sounds crazy. But I loved how clearly his tone shifted after hearing Christine respond to him SJS Christine seemed very worried about disappointing him. I think she tries really hard to gain his favor because she holds him in such high regard.

The Phantom of the Opera

His Phantom is possessive and mentor-like. Already in the title song he's looking at her like he's so proud of the student he's created. At "In all your fantasies-" he sings "I gave you all of those fantasies, all of those secrets-" and when she finishes the line "-you gave them to me" his gaze feels strong and he nods approvingly. Like - Yes, I taught you well. I gave you all of this. When they get off the boat he really turned into a strict teacher with the way he commands her to sing I know title song is pre-recorded, but wow...opera singer pair is so healing for your ears actually. Both Kim Ju-taek and Sohn Ji-soo studied at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, Italy so this was a pair that was meant to happen 🙏 My soul was happy, I was ascending.

The Music of the Night

Even though he put himself in this mentor position with her, I think at this point in the run he had softened up a bit. By the time he started his last lines before MOTN, his eyes were brighter and filled with adoration and fascination. He worships her, but his feelings aren't quite romantic yet (something Ju-taek said himself about his interpretation). KJT Phantom has hidden himself from the world and buried himself in music to keep himself safe. So it's everything to him, his biggest priority, the most important thing in the world. So Christine is precious to him more as his muse, as the key to making his music - his whole purpose - come to life. He has to shape and tune her into the perfect instrument. I have to talk about his voice more god he really had fantastic control. I think he sounded heavier and leaned into the big full operatic voice most of the time in the early Busan days, but there was more nuance here. His stability in his higher register had improved and it didn't feel like the light notes got shaky or were cut off too soon. I got chills after his big powerful note in MOTN because of the gentle way he sang the next line. "마침내 내 것이 될 순간 / The moment you'll finally be mine - he put the whispered emphasis on "finally" this performance. He finally had what he needed to complete his music. The way he acted when he came close to her was like she was a precious treasure he had handle very carefully. SJS Christine has fantastic chemistry with him. She's more trusting and swayed by the Phantom more easily. His passion for music really seemed to draw her to him. At times though, it felt like he was under a spell himself as well. He had a lot of power, but getting close to her you could sense he was a little bit overwhelmed with the slightest hand trembling. There were moments of "distractions". He doesn't act overly flustered, but when Christine almost kissed him he gasped a bit when pulling away. Like "Okay wow! Uh, time to move along, learn how to redirect that passion elsewhere~" I cannot blame her for being so very into his whole thing though. Regardless of his real intentions, if someone was looking at me and treating me like that I'd definitely be like "what are we" If I'm forgetting something (feel free to correct me, I have the worst memory sometimes) but I noticed that the Korean lyrics actually don't have the Phantom mentioning "love" in Act 1? I believe the first time he actually used this was when he was plagiarizing Raoul proposing to Christine after PONR. So it made his interpretation work pretty well in my opinion. But also, king...then what the hell kind of weird artistic (?) symbolism (?) are you going for with this bride replica for your student. Christine, this is a symbol of...uh...you devoting your life to music with me? : ) Yeah okay that's normal!

You can listen to a TV performance of Music of the Night here for a little taste! It's amazing, but I think he sounds even better now. Some of his gestures and expressions here are a little similar to his actual performance, but obviously not fully like it

Stranger Than You Dreamt It

So he definitely has a frightening temper, but you can tell his outbursts are very fear-driven. The beginning of STYDI sounded threatening and cold, but halfway through that wall he put up started to crack and reveal this vulnerable insecure side of him. Throughout the show, he basically acts like a wounded animal that lashes out in defense, but then cowers and shrinks in fear immediately after. He would snap, but then be close to falling apart moments later. Quite a rollercoaster! Christine had been looking away at the ground, but she finally slowly turned to face him with teary eyes. As soon as he met her eyes he started realizing the position they both were in and looking a little regretful. She moved like she wanted to go comfort him after he turned around, but stopped herself and reached for his mask instead. It was after receiving the mask that it seemed like his feelings actually began to shift into something new. ...Oh well! Time to smack whatever the hell this feeling is away, I'm taking you back upstairs!

All I Ask of You (Reprise)

To him, he gave her the most beautiful gift and instead of devoting herself to him and his music, she was ungrateful and used it against him. Just threw it away for some stupid boy! He has no idea he actually just wants to be in the stupid boy's position! You have feelings for her now! Anyway he's mostly very fragile in this part and I thought his transition to rage during Christine and Raoul's singing was very smoothly done. Honestly though first moment I saw him I just thought of him saying he has to be really still or else the angel starts swaying and then everyone's paying attention whatever the hell is going on up there instead of Christine and Raoul because it was making some slight movement above me 🤭

Wandering Child/Bravo Monsieur

Oh, I loved the difference between these parts. He starts this off so warmly and delicately. It's after Raoul demanded him to stop that he became hostile with a very stern, dark, and deep voice. The way he growled Christine's name when calling her before 'Bravo Monsieur' was harsh and commanding like he was getting impatient. Major temper issues! He sounded like he was scolding them for disobeying him at the end in scary teacher mode. The audacity trying to act like an authority figure so much...

The Point of No Return

Once again he tried really hard to be controlling, but he was fighting being controlled by her himself (something that she doesn't realize of course). "The moment my fate is about to be sealed - I won't regret this" he sings as the last lines of his part. Ohoho, I think he is definitely regretting it from the start though, let's not lie. He already was kind of wriggling and having difficulty facing her before she reached for him I really like the detail where he mirrors Christine when she entwines her fingers together for the choreo (singing "내 곁에, 내 품에 / beside me, in my arms" -> “defenseless and silent”). It looked like he was trying to keep himself composed and focus on everything playing out exactly as he planned so he could ignore that he had just cornered himself. Always, always trying to push his feelings down with distractions or anger!! He kept reaching for his face and cloak when he wasn't sure what to do with his hands. He's very restless and sort of glanced to the side nervously a few times too like he needed to know what she was about to do at any moment Poor Ji-soo struggled getting his hood off. You could hear the mic getting smacked loudly on the first attempt. I actually got kinda worried she would knock off the mask early, but it was fine! But lol what could the Phantom be thinking in universe Anyway it felt like this was finally the moment he started to understand what this feeling he had was all along. He wanted her for more than his music. And since he had no idea how to express his feelings because he barely even understand what the hell they were until now...uh...shit quick! Let's steal lines from the guy who did know what he was doing! Okay, but I have to admit that the way he screams "안돼! / NO!" is really funny. He sounds like a possessed rooster. Dinosaur? Eh, same thing

Final Lair

Category 10 emotional disaster no survivors and the ground is radioactive after. You can really see the internal conflict in the smallest of changes on his face. There was so much uncertainty about his actions and a weird guilt creeping up. He hesitated and had a panicked look for a moment when she said she didn't fear his face anymore. Quickly, he snapped out of it and continued in a rushed sloppy manner like he hadn't heard her. He couldn't believe her rejection was for any reason other than his face. Or maybe he couldn't allow himself to believe it. Every rejection she gives him, every cold word made him look more and more doubtful which only made him increasingly desperate. He actually can't handle upsetting her now. If he doesn't shout and unleash his emotion as rage it seems like the only other way to do it would be with tears. Oh man and he lunged at Raoul when he asks him why he should force her to choose a lie like he's trying to strangle him and shut him up. He was so frustrated growling loudly when Christine got in the way. When Christine tells him "음악의 천사 위선자여! 믿었는데 그댈 / Angel of music, you hypocrite! I trusted you!" -> (“Angel of music you deceived me! I gave my mind blindly!”) he usually replies with “믿었다... 날...믿었다고... / Trusted...you trusted me“ in disbelief. When he looked at her you could see in his tearful eyes - You trusted me? Did you really? So then why all of this, why not me? - In this moment he looked like he already knew what his choice would have to be in the end. So when she told him he wasn't alone, he was shaking his head just before she turned him around. No, I will have to be alone in the end because I have to let her go During the second kiss, he almost fully surrendered. His expression was so calm for just a moment and his hands hovered so close to her back before one strayed up quickly to gently but quickly pull her away from his face. He couldn't let it continue. He looked at her hands then quickly covered them both with his when he registered what she had just done. He then reached up to his own face as he stumbled away. When he looked between Christine and then Raoul his face actually looked so mortified and ashamed at the situation he had created. His eyes were wide and his hand reached up to his mouth for a moment like the truth of the situation hit him, like he had finally woken up. I think now he was more disgusted at his own actions than he was of his face. He realized in the end what the problem really was. While he sang that he loved her smiling, SJS Christine shook her head like she wasn't ready to leave him forever. She kissed his hands and they took a long time to separate. He was trying to show her that it was okay, that she needed to leave, but they practically needed to peeled away from each other with how long they dragged it on. He kissed the ring when she was gone. Actually, Ju-taek said he wishes the way he could say "I love you" could be "I'm sorry" in this moment. Like "I'm sorry for being selfish, I'm sorry for only using you and not treating you like a person. Now I know I love you, so you have to go" Oh, I was going to be sick!!! Forgive any awkwardness in translation, but this part - "share each day with me, each night, each morning"- from my understanding is like: CHRISTINE: 말해줘요 그대 단 한 사람 / Tell me you’re the one and only RAOUL: 결코 변치 않을 한 사람 / The only person who will never change CHRISTINE: 세월 흘러도 나를, 나만을 -> this is followed by "사랑해줘Love me" in AIAOY so if not cut off, it would fully be "Even as time goes on, love me, only me") So when she watches the Phantom it looked like she's asking him to keep loving only her forever. She does this with every Phantom, but because he actually turns around and locks eyes with her as she does it, it was extra painful. He really did hear it, he wasn't too lost in his crying to miss it.

I was sitting there destroyed, but at least curtain call was cute! After Ju-taek kissed Ji-soo’s hand he paused like he realized something and turned around to face Won-geun. He looked at his hand and then back at his eyes and stretched out his hand hoping for Won-geun to put his there. ....But Won-geun is a jerk and slapped his hand away lol. Accept the love! Don't be rude! There's different ways this has gone it's so silly. After Ju-taek kept blowing tons of kisses into the crowd

Anyway to conclude this half of his Phantom reviewing, I'm grateful for Lucy's recommendation to me (to see this pairing specifically). I had been tempted to see him with both Christines because I had grown attached to his Phantom during my wait and it pushed me into giving in and adding this performance to my schedule. It was so wonderful to have my live experiences end up exceeding expectations! ❤️ But this means there's one more KJT Phantom show review too! I can wrap up my thoughts there

#베르디 페어 u are everything to me #im traumatized guys #who wouldve thought!#the phantom of the opera #poto korea #kim ju taek #julian kim #sohn ji soo #song won geun #오페라의 유령 #김주택 #손지수 #송원근 #poto #poto review

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djservo · 6 months

Note

that time of the month again... how did your october reading go? i saw you hit your reading goal! are we increasing it to push or just enjoying the moment? what's on the winter horizon

IMO !! we both hit our goals right? I feel like I cheated bc half of these reads were lil bite-sized afternoon reads but whatevz, october was fun!

High Risk: An Anthology of Forbidden Writings edited by Amy Scholder & Ira Silverberg

I found this buried in the back of a bookshop for like $5 & saw that old copies are selling for like $25+ online?? wild! I lucked out! I loved the variety featured here, poems and prose and short stories and essays, a lil bit of everything for everyone. I've shared this exact sentiment before I'm sure but I really do love these types of anthologies because it exposes me to so many new authors/artists I wouldn't have so easily come across otherwise, and this collection was particularly fruitful. my favorite bit was probably 'Dear Dennis' by Dodie Bellamy, which is from a collection of letters written from the point of view of Mina Harker from Dracula and it's just as fun and zany as it sounds. this particular letter is addressed to Dennis Cooper which makes it even more fun for me hehe here's a particular (NSFW) passage I was super charmed by and keep thinking about

The Complete Eightball 1-18 by Daniel Clowes

ohhhh daniel... with a collection this big there are bound to be some misses + the cynical sarcastic gen X 'everyone's an idiot & society is stupid' voice/punchline got predictable and grating after awhile, but it's still a treat to see the progression of his art and storytelling. Ghost World + Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron were featured in here so it was really nice to reread them bc I already loved them both but this time I was able to appreciate the artistic details and stories even more. especially Ghost World which I read around high school and it left a more superficial "haha bitchy teenage girls me as hellll" impression whereas this time around I was surprised at how emotionally gut-punched I felt at the end. so beautiful and touching

A Season in Hell and the Drunken Boat by Arthur Rimbaud

I was craving some poetry + Dennis Cooper has referenced Rimbaud as an early inspiration so I thought i'd give a try, and I totally see the influence with this sorta meandering self-loathing nature mixed with this sensuous + bursting understanding of life. poetic stream-of-consciousness mumblecore. the beauty's kinda stained for me by racial slurs and general weird racial undertones but what else can I expect from a white french man from the 1800s i guess! the length is short enough (hardly 100 pages) to not have to commit to it very long at least

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

I am sooo shocked at how into this I was + I wonder if this would've been the case if I'd read it in high school under a teacher's direction bc while I've enjoyed books I've been assigned to read and analyze academically in the past, the vibe is so different when you're reading something on your own and processing/interpreting things by yourself, more limitless in a way. and I think because of that freedom to move around and stew in and envision things way I wanted to, I really had fun with this!! I think reading it at my age, so removed from school, also made it more shocking in the sense of realizing these are literal children.....??!?? so crazy silly funny scary to think about... these poor boys who desperately need therapy... also the copy I had included introductions by Lois Lowry and Stephen King which were basically nostalgic odes to literature and the stories that shape us as and the way we interpret the world as young readers and I really had a moment like...wow... books really are so powerful like truly....

The Wolf Plays by Brad Fraser

I cant lie, I picked this up bc I was so entranced by the photoshoot Keanu Reeves and Carl Morotte did for the live performance they starred in hehe. it feels redundant to be like 'this would've worked better on the stage.." when reading a play bc Obviously it was Meant for performance/the stage, but IDK I've read screenplays that were so layered and full of life from dialogue to stage directions that it felt as if I really were witnessing a production of it whereas here, the direction and characters were so sparsely written that it was hard to imagine it being any more fleshed out for the stage. to be fair, Fraser himself admitted in the introduction to Wolfboy (the first/main play out of he two featured in this collection) being rushed and rough around the edges so oh well, I'm just glad to have gotten this out of my system now or else it would've plagued me

Castle Faggot by Derek McCormack

so strange and bewitching. I love how it plays with form in a kinda taunting way. blank boxes where you imagine the picture that's being drawn out n stuff like that. I think I'll need to read it again to flesh out my thoughts but with it fresh on the mind, I'm tickled by its way of weaving anger with absurdity. in the afterword convo between Dennis Cooper + Zac Farley, Dennis recounts a story about Derek where they were hanging out at some mall and Derek spotted Nicholas Brandon (the guy who played Xander in Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and without a word Derek made a beeline to Xander and just stood closely right behind him on the escalator staring at him intensely and Dennis was equal parts humiliated and terrified bc he'd never seen this weird dark obsessive side of Derek before + that was basically how he felt about the book as well. thought that was neat and somewhat clarifying LOL

PHEW im pooped. NO i will NOT be increasing my reading goal for these last 2 months, lest I strive farther than my capabilities/motivation yet again!!! I tried a few Fil-Am/Filipino horror fictions in october but none of them really clicked for me and i didn't want to commit to something I felt lukewarm about so I'm planning to read some (non horror) Fil/Fil-Am books this month. I realized in October I read almost every form (poetry, fiction, graphic novel, play) except nonfiction wtf! my bread and butter! so I'll probably look for something stimulating buried in my pdfs somewhere

#asks #cheesehair #reads

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lightdash · 7 months

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HI... i finally beat covid & my brain is feeling a bit less mush, so i'm going to try and get into the swing of things here again! also, it's been two weeks since the dlc came out, which means i've gotta barf some thoughts under a readmore;

i've been spoiler conscious so i haven't had much of a chance to scream about it yet, but. But. (grabs you by the shoulders) Listen. i've been mentally comparing the end to dark oak since frontiers came out, because sonic x is in my brain at all times, so you can imagine the reaction i had when THIS HAPPENED,

THAT'S JUST THE SONIC POWER CANNON BAYBEE!! THAT'S SONIC DRIVER i love it, aa so cool... 😭 and CYBER SONIC?! HIS TEETH and the blue is so pretty! he is definitely a love letter to fleetway and i'm very endeared by that — kanemaru-san's voice acting during that scene is just really good too, as usual but i was impressed!! hearing sonic scream like that hurt but.. wow... cool...

it feels strange, i'm having a "two cakes?!" scenario with light's blog now... wondering which ending i want to be canon for him. the original is still the best narratively to me, but i love sonic's friends actually getting to help in final horizon! AND THE GUN AND CYBER SONIC I CAN'T NOT HAVE THAT i think, i might... mix them. so that.. hm,

team sonic still hunts down the emeralds to help sonic. they all meet up at the end of ouranos, and sonic fights supreme.

once supreme is down, the end takes over it's body like in final horizon. sonic fights it, steals the gun, ect ect.

he goes cyber sonic and eggman shoots him out of the gun, but he misses supreme? and goes right through the moon.

enough to wound it but not enough to kill. sonic's free floating through space...

... and sage takes over supreme to save him.

they fight the end together normally, like in the original ending. sage's sacrifice remains in tact and we get the best of both worlds.

i'll write up a proper post for this another time so it's set in stone for light's blog canon but. whew! what a fun addition! i love it and i never want to do master king koco's challenge again thank you xo

#* ∙ ✰ / out of character.#sonic frontiers spoilers #< for the dlc specifically!#tread with caution if you haven't played it #just screaming dont mind me

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bluejaysandblackbats · 1 month

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Frozen in Time

Fandom: DC Comics, JLI, GL Corps

Summary: Daddy-daughter weekend does not go as planned.

Chapters: 1/?

Characters: Michael Jon Carter (DCU), Rani Carter (DCU), Michelle Carter (DCU), Hal Jordan, Helen Jordan

Additional Tags: Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Road Trip, Angst and Humor

Chapter One: Unicorns

"I'm a great dad," I defended myself. Michelle bounced her head from one side to the other sarcastically. "I am!"

"Okay... Try not to cause a world-ending crisis at the tea party," Michelle replied on her way out the door. I glanced over the checklist Skeets printed out and packed Rani's bag. He even color-coded it to show me what order to pack things in. I'd planned this weekend for months, hoping I'd finally get Rani to call me dad or some variation of the word. It was my chance to get Rani to see me as a real, genuine father figure.

I packed her bag, and then I packed lunch for our special picnic. I must've watched thousands of videos trying to figure out how to make unicorn grilled cheese sandwiches. I made every cool and trendy snack I could think of to impress her. It was a rare four-day weekend, and I planned on making it the best four days of Rani's little life. The plan was to be impressive and fatherly and show her I was all in on the fatherhood thing.

I understand people would say I'm not the most responsible, reliable, or predictable guy they know, but I had a chance to be something different with her. I figured I'd take her on a nice trip and follow it up with a tea party. My plan was foolproof. I finished packing and prepping with a few minutes to spare. I had enough time to walk to Rani's school and wait at the gate.

I put on my shoes and grabbed a snack, Rani's favorite toy, and her visor. I was so excited to see her that I took the hopscotch path. There was no rush to get home to dinner or a meeting. We had time.

I stood at the gate with the other parents. While I waited, a single mom struck up a conversation with me. "I didn't know your ears were pierced," she smiled.

I touched my ears and remembered I was wearing flower earrings. "Oh, yeah. I took Rani to get her ears pierced a few weeks ago, and I didn't want to make her do something I was too scared to do... So, I got mine done first," I replied, "That doesn't explain the earrings, though... Does it?"

"It doesn't have to," she laughed, "Were you scared?"

"Terrified," I chuckled, "I had to close my eyes and suck it up. But Rani was a champ."

The bell rang, and she waved goodbye. I power walked to Rani's class excitedly and scooped her up as soon as she came outside. "Hi, Mikey!" Rani laughed. I set her down and took her backpack.

"Here, I'll trade ya," I smiled as I handed her toy to her. I put the visor on her head and offered her a snack. Rani smiled and grabbed my hand. "Rani, I need your help with some stuff this weekend."

Rani pouted. "Is it a lot of work?" Rani questioned.

I nodded solemnly. I finally figured out how to get maximum excitement from kids. The trick is to seem as disappointing as possible so that reality would seem fantastic in comparison. She was so disappointed she couldn't muster the energy to swing my hand. It took everything in my power to keep from laughing.

When we got home, she helped me put all the bags in the car, and then it clicked. "Hey! Why are we putting suitcases in the car?" Rani questioned.

"You've got me! Okay, I wanted to take you on a trip this weekend... Just you and me," I replied. Rani jumped into my arms.

"Wow! Where are we going?" Rani asked. I shook my head and grinned.

"That would ruin the surprise," I replied, letting her back in the house. "I'll wait in the car."

Rani paused. "Is it a long drive?" Rani questioned. I nodded. "Then you should go to the bathroom before we leave."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I realized she was right. After we met at the car, Rani sat in the backseat and buckled her seatbelt. "Mikey, guess what?" Rani asked.

"I love a guess what," I replied.

"We saw a real firefighter today," Rani announced, "How come you don't have a big truck? All the helpers today had big trucks."

"That's a great question. You see, they're better drivers than I am. I could probably drive a big truck, but I think it'd be responsible driving a car I'm comfortable with," I answered. Minus ten cool points for the minivan dad.

"Everyone has different abilities. Not everybody can do your job," Rani reassured me.

"Thanks, Rani," I replied.

She fell asleep immediately after that, and I turned the radio on low. I got on the freeway and drove for almost an hour before Rani woke up to tell me about her dream. "You were there! And you had a sword," Rani replied, "You looked so cool."

Thank you to Rani's subconscious! "I could definitely get a sword... I could be a sword guy," I replied, "Do you think I should get a sword in real life?"

"Yeah!" Rani replied.

"Cool! I'll probably have to take sword fighting lessons and learn proper sword safety because safety is important—."

"You still get your toast out of the toaster with a fork," Rani interrupted.

"Okay, but—. Is that actually—? Do you wanna pull over and have a surprise snack?" I asked.

"Yes, please!" Rani shouted. I grinned and pulled to the side of the road near an orchard. I climbed into the backseat. "What's in there?"

"A surprise. I made these," I replied. I pulled out two neatly-wrapped unicorn-shaped grilled cheese sandwiches. Rani unwrapped hers and gasped.

"They're so pretty! How did you make rainbow colors inside the sandwich? Is it like marshmallows?" Rani questioned. I took a bite and shook my head.

"Take a bite," I replied. Rani took a bite and smiled.

"It's cheese!" Rani exclaimed. She took another bite, and I took a moment to soak in my victory. The grilled cheese was a hit! I finally managed to make something for her that we both liked.

#fic #frozen in time fic #jli #gl corps #Michael Jon Carter (DCU)#Rani Carter (DCU)#Michelle Carter (DCU)#Hal Jordan #Helen Jordan #Fluff #Father-Daughter Relationship #Road Trip #Angst and Humor

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tobiasdrake · 3 months

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This is the race to end all races.

Probably a good idea. Fortunately, he's a useless dipshit so he's entirely willing to hang out and wait for me to finish chatting with you.

Yeah, I guess you're right. Given what's at stake, I should take this seri--WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?

You just swooped in and fucking stole is while Bottom's Tight wasn't looking? That's amazing. You're my favorite person, Shopkeeper.

Oh. That's disappointing. I was hoping something would eventually come of that.

In any case. Okay. Focus up. This guy doesn't have shit.

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

I HAD HIM I WAS SO CLOSE

I can't fucking believe the kind of turnaround he's made.

Get back here you little shit and--

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

I'M BETTER THAN YOU I AM

HAHAHAHAHAHA Get fucked and choke you persistent little shit

Goddammit, is there anyone more frustrating in this entire fucking world!? I was so close about four rounds ago and then everything goddamn went to shit.

Don't think you can run from me. Your stupid, ugly face has a date with volcanic glass!

YOU stay out of this. This is between me and him. He knows what he did. This is going to be therapeutic.

Wait, is that why he missed his last jump at the end? He fucking let me win!?

Shit. I thought I was just cool.

NO.

Don't you fucking dare

NO NO NO NO DON'T YOU GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKING--

SON OF A FUCKMOTHERING DUMP TRUCK OF--

Go away, I have more obscenities to shriek and you're ten.

Right!? I hope you guys have a plan because I am so fucking lost right now and all I can think about is my overwhelming urge to start stabbing whatever's nearby.

The fuck are you talking ab-- Oh wow, that's very nice, actually. The way his horns cut through it and then wrap around to bind it to his head is a nice touch.

YES. His hat may be impressive, but its power is paltry compared to the power of two hats. Uh, sorry we don't have a spare for you Artificer, but... you're a little too young for hat mojo. But hey, now you have something to look forward to when you're older.

While I get to play Punch-Out with this dipshit's face. Better focus the fuck up, Little Mac, 'cause Mr. Sandman's here to clean your clock.

#the messenger #drake plays the messenger

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yonemurishiroku · 1 year

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i know you said you haven’t figured out it out yet but i’d like to hear any thoughts or random ideas you might have abt nezha & nico, either in general or in the time travel verse 👩‍🏫

Wow I didn't expect someone would actually be interested in this... Well, all the more motivation to be enthusiastic, then. xD

You're right that I've yet to figure out their connection, however, I can tell a little about that that drew me to the idea of them in the same picture.

The first would probably be their characterization.

Both are painted in black and white, of kindness and the flaws within. Afaik, the whole thing about Nezha is that he's a naughty, carefree, uncontrollable menace yet also kind in his own ways. He did so many wrongs and he tried to do just as many rights to make up for it. It's similar to Nico, in the way that they are kind at heart, yet can appear evil in others' eyes for some reason. And yes, they both have committed conventional horrible. Hell, Nezha peeled off Ao Bing's spine or st. Would you look at that, Bryce?

Grudge-holding. Now, I'm not saying I fancy what Rick did to Nico's fatal flaw, but talking in canon here, Nico held his sister's death against Percy (and himself) for quite a while; whereas Nezha, having died and was reborn again, literally came fighting his father because the man ruined his temple, where his soul resided. Like. If that isn't one hell of a grudge then I don't know what is.

Their spirits, their willpower, the prowess they possess despite their young ages. They are both so fierce, unstoppable, and resilient. Nezha is portrayed as a literal child in Chinese mythology, but his story is one hell of a ride (ya know, with all the slaying dragons, carving up his own flesh...). Idk about you but it gives me an impression of how intense Nezha might be, which is quite a reflection of Nico's story and characterization. Because Nico is... extreme, too, and you can't possibly tell me Nico's life story, with all that Tartarus and torture in the jar, isn't a grand tale in its own way. Alas, against all odds, they both emerge victorious. I love them.

They're both freaking powerful too, btw. But again, I guess every mythological figure is powerful in its own way.

Idk about you but I think Nico and Nezha should be allowed to sit down together and trade gory, creepy, bloody stories about themselves just to scare everyone else.

2. Their backgrounds, their stories.

They both have daddy issues omfg. Nezha literally fought his father, who ruined Nezha's temple, to the point of interference from other deities. And while I love Nico and Hades's love with everything in me, they did have a strained relationship throughout PJO. Hades told Nico he would prefer Bianca over him, and later nearly fired a ball at him. If that isn't parallel I don't know what is.

Their mothers love them so much I'm crying. Nezha's mother, Lady Yin, carried him in her womb for years and built him a temple when he asked her in a dream. And I suppose we don't need to talk about Maria anymore.

They are both, technically, 'prince's LMAO. Nezha is known as the Third Crowned Prince (or whatever that is bc Chinese is so hard to translate into English omg) and Nico is well, Nico. Their fathers are both technically kings, as well. Hades because obviously, Li Jing is known as one of the Heavenly Kings. And if you really look into it, Nezha is a commander of Heaven's army, directly under his father, whilst Nico is the Ambassador of Hades. Wow.

They are viewed as awful in people's eyes but still took efforts to help. I'm gonna admit my viewpoint might be altered by the Nezha (2019) movie. Nonetheless, I find it quite interesting that Nezha and Nico, though being scorned and ostracized by their kind, ended up being their saviors. Nezha killed himself when the Dragon King threatened to flood his hometown, and Nico went such lengths to aid the Seven with their world-saving quests. This is also proof of their kindness, which I adore so much, btw.

Feud with the sea. Well maybe not feud in Percy and Nico's case. A sensitive topic. History, maybe? Lol. Anyway, the fact remains that both Nico and Nezha share an unpleasant history with a son of the seas. If you take Nezha (2019) into consideration though, they both make peace with said animosity too! xD

They both befriend their old enemies. I'm talking about Wukong and Bob. It's fascinating, in a way lol.

These are everything I can come up with so far... Huh. I didn't expect them to share so similarities... I'm serious about Nezha and Nico having a bonding session now. These two are deemed to be besties.

It doesn't need to be in the Time Travel AU. Nico crash-landed in China before, didn't he? Maybe, Idk, Nezha was sent to investigate, and they ended up friends because Nico is as social as a capybara and Nezha has all the purity and generosity of a carefree child who fears nothing.

...I'm so deep in this omg...

Anw, if you want to share your Nico and Nezha content, I'm all ears!! xD

#nico di angelo #pjo #hoo #toa #yone rambling #percy jackson and the olympians #heroes of olympus #trials of apollo #nezha #nezha chinese mythology #time travel au #time travel #nico and nezha

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fallseidol · 5 months

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"Oh wow. Fancy." she blinked a few times as she looked at the table. Natural materials weren't were strong suit, but it did seem impressivly sturdy.

At his indication, she turn to start following the titan, making sure to watch her feet so she didn't end up stepping on that massive cape. Though, it difficult to stay focused on the task and ignore the splendor of the halls, especially as they began to chat.

"Hope I can live up to your expectations," her singular gaze started to wander, "With the recourses I expect you have, our only limits are gonna be my own ability and the heavens."

Cronus chuckled at that, delighted by any acknowledgement of his riches.

"Oh, my resources aren't limitless..." He demurred, "My powers are impressive, yes, but...Oh, I digress!"

Cronus pushed aside a curtain, leading into a dining hall adorned with a magnificent chandelier.

"Now THIS is a spread in the style of Camelot, the way they take their lunches. I'm a bit of a homebody, so I make a habit of bringing the world to me. I simply adore trying new things. Oh! I think I may have been a bit presumptuous, if you'd rather a more local meal, I can have it brought in, of course." Cronus flicked his fingers, and one of the chairs slid away from the table, offering a comfortable place for her.

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anewp0tat0 · 2 years

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Chapter 190

wow I'm back with these things! didn't do them for a bit, and to be honest I thought this chapter break was very long, but that's just because I forgot last month's chapter happened for a moment. weird cause I thought it was sad and funny, but reasonable.

yana really went hard here and I'm so happy, Ada deserves this panel so much☆☆☆ I'll maybe never see her again and I'll probably forget soon but girl you a keeper.

I like that we have this little thing here, shows us everyone we know so far, kinda. yana's refusal to draw Polaris's right eye really doesn't do good for me. those other two seem to be people we don't know. I think I still fall on the possibility of him being Joker, which is a common theory. makes sense enough. but I'm not committed.

also, the one on the bottom left looks to be of Asian decent right? the only connection I can think of is to the quin bang, but that's a stretch.

also some of you know lots a flowers and that's very cool! that's a flower back there right? idk. I suck at flowers.

my first impression when he makes these shocked faces is that he's truly alarmed by the information. however after reading the panel below, it seems like that face is just his "new scheme in the making" face.

nice to see Lau is the same as ever. I really hope Ada and the rest have some sort of freedom from now on. Lau is sly with his repayment debts anyway. and I sure hope this is some side "i must bring honor to my country" thing and not some more relevant plot twist thing.

this poor girl I want to give her everything. she was meant to do nothing more in this world. also me too Lau. glad we all agree some information just gets lost over time. how is this man so powerful??

@grelleswife mentioned that so far all of the servants arcs have ended with a sunset, and thats a cool observation! i like that. gives me hope for the future. ofc yana isn't too predictable, but still. generally this panel is just... mhm. feelings.

that seems like a wrap then, overall super mega happy ending, finally!! it's been so long. I gotta say it doesn't feel as complete as a wrap that we were all expecting, but I think that's the general fault of having too much time to theorize and then totally expecting an explosion and multiple deaths. Ada is taken care of, Bard's alive, no one dies hazah. I think we can safely say that no one will die in these miny arcs until we get to ciel and sebastian unfortunetly.

one more thing though.

ngl i kinda forgot he was even here for a moment, no shade to Ronald I was excited and expectant but that's just what happens with a poor memory and 9 pages a month.

sorry that I'm just unable to buy the official translations atm so sit through my possibly unofficial confusion for a moment please. so Al is someone who seemingly is an ally of Layla, or so she thought. I have doubts that Ronald is a twist villain, even if it's just hopeful thinking. here though, Ronald's dialogue does in a way make it seem that he was supposed to meet with her, and she was certainly expected an "Al". RonAld is too much of a stretch right? or is that what is meant to be assumed?... what was his doctor allias again anyway, Dr. Knox right? idk sorry I gotta reread this whole arc soon but luckily it won't take long.

I would frankly be mad if Ronald turns out to be a secret baddy because 1) means future conflict with our cast. and grelle :< no they're meant to be best buds. also 2) means we need a whole other chapter to explain this and have them talk. nope, we're gone now sorry.

I doubt he is, I just wonder what type of deal he would have brought up with her.

and yea please discard the child, im very sorry to whatever she was before the fake soul inhabited the body, truly, my heart brakes. now throw it away.

#thanks again to anyone who bothers to read even half of this! or scroll to the bottom. you are appreciated #also sorry i barely spell and grammar check these ill start doing it if its too much of a problem #my fingers and brain are spead rn not smart spead just spead #kuroshitsuji #black butler #kuro 190 #kuroshitsuji 190 #chapter 190 #kuro chapter 190 #kuro spoilers #chapter 190 spoilers #kuroshitsuji spoilers #black butler manga #kuroshitsuji manga #if ronald actually goes by Al here ill be mad just go by Ron you idiot

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legion1227 · 7 months

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Spider-Man 2: Game Review. (Spoilers Below)

Wow….where to begin?

Immediately, right off the bat, this game has made the previous two harder to return to from a gameplay standpoint. Everything from the combat to traversing throughout New York is improved upon overall in this game from both Spider-Man (2018) and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. There's weight to every hit as you're fighting various goons and thugs, and the combos and special moves are impressive. The new ways to incapacitate enemies with gadgets, tech, venom powers, and the symbiote…crime fighting in New York is at a peak here.

The added feature of being able to control and switch back and forth between Peter Parker and Miles Morales, who both feel stellar to play with their unique set of skills, is insane and purely sublime. It's wild how the switch from playing Peter to Miles and vice versa is nearly instantaneous. The scope of the game is ambitious and pays off immensely. Visuals and combat are an absolute triumph for Insomniac, and they should be proud.

Story-wise, we have something engaging. The main story focuses on the Spider-men Peter and Miles. Peter is overwhelmed as he faces some of his most challenging villains in the game, including Kraven, Venom, Sandman, Lizard, and others. Meanwhile, his personal life is hectic in its own way as he tries to grapple with Aunt May's death in the first game, struggling to hold down another substantial job that's not being Spider-Man and being there for those he cares for, like his girlfriend Mary Jane and best friend, Harry Osborn. As for the other Spider-Man, Miles, he faces a similar issue to Peter as he tries to perform his Spider-Man duties after the loss of his father, Jefferson Davis, and basically tries his hardest at multiple points in the game not to straight up get revenge and kill the man responsible for his murder, Martin Li, A.K.A, Negative Man. On top of that, he has his own girl he's crushing on hard, a deaf graffiti artist named Hailey, and he tries hard on multiple occasions, though neglects a lot to work on an essay to help get him into an esteemed college.

Both Spider-Men have plenty on their plates in the main story, but even more so when you take into account the side missions, which are greatly improved upon from the previous two games. The story of the cult and Peter working with Yuri that ends with a tease of another classic Spider-Man villain for the next game towards the end of the story is exciting, the Mysterio challenges with Miles are a fun test of skill, and other missions are different enough to provide a variety of entertainment.

The game has nailed it in so many different apartments. The boss battles are solid, two side missions, one involving an old man reflecting on his long-departed wife, and the second, involving Howard, the homeless man who owns many pigeons, who appeared in the last two games, evoke the strongest emotions and are some of the best-written portions of the game, and swinging through New York has never been more fun. The animations and speed for swinging, the tricks you can perform mid-air, the ability to run along buildings, and the ability to fucking GLIDE have provided one of the best games ever in terms of traversing an open world. It's telling when you put a fast travel system into the game, and you don't ever use it because it's too fun to travel manually.

Do I have gripes with the game? Some. A couple things here that prevent the game from being a complete 5-star game. I mentioned earlier that both Spider-Men have plenty on their plate but truthfully, it feels more emphasized with Peter than with Miles. Peter's relationship with Mary Jane and Harry, and his arc with the Symbiote is more engaging than most of what Miles has going. Miles' most intriguing story, I believe, is his struggle not to snuff the life out of Negative Man, who robbed him of more time with his father. (Though I love Martin's arc from start to finish in this game, and I'm happy he survives to see the end and possibly better himself in the future). It feels the writers and developers gave a bit more of the good story bits to Peter than Miles.

I also don't like how a good chunk of iconic Spider-Man villains established and seen in previous games was murdered by Kraven. I understand adapting Kraven's last hunt needed to establish Kraven as a threat by terminating people that the Spider-Men have struggled with before, but it's a shame we won't see the return of fun, faithful portrayals of Electro, Shocker, Vulture, or Scorpion. However, by the end of the game, it seems to set up a return of Doc Ock and teases of Green Goblin, Carnage, and Chameleon for the third one, which should be a solid roster of villains. But I would've liked to see the return of the aforementioned ones even in minor roles for side missions.

Also, the Miles Morales original suit is ass.

Besides that, it's still an excellent game. Possibly GOTY material. In regards to games that came out in 2023, it's definitely my favorite. (And also the only game I played that came out this year but that's beside the point lmao). I look forward to future DLC, the next game in the series, and hopefully patches of little things in the future like changing the time of day. Overall, 4.5/5.

#review #game review #video games #spiderman #spiderman 2 ps5 #peter parker #miles morales #spider man 2 spoilers #spiderman 2

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