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nap-mak · 6 months

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LOTR in a modern world headcanons? I think yes.

I did this on one of my old accounts that i ended up deleting for some reason, i don’t remember, but here. Back on my Lord Of The Rings BS, let’s gooooo. This’ll be the fellowship with everyone intact, no one is dead.

As always requests are open and let me know if you want more!

LOTR x GN! Reader, general headcanons for if you had to take care of them today, in 2023. Enjoy!

The ring most likely has no power in this dimension, so yay Frodo is free from torment!

Sam loves watching cooking, gardening and home renovation shows, and he gets very invested in the former two. You learn a lot you didn’t really need to know from his commentary

Once Pippin learns about pyjamas and fuzzy slippers he never goes back, you literally cannot get him out of them

Boromir and Aragorn, being human and coincidentally two of the most responsible members of the fellowship, are the easiest to take in public to the grocery store and such.

You can pass off the hobbits (if they cover their ears with their hair) as children, and Gimli is your friend with dwarfism.

Gandalf you can pass off as your grandfather, and Legolas looks pretty normal if you cover his ears.

Pippin is the type to bounce in his seat in the car and ask “Are we there yet?!” every 5 minutes

Frodo really likes to draw, especially when there’s so many cool places and movies to draw inspiration from.

Movie nights? No horrors. The hobbits are terrified by ‘em.

Movie nights are literally so difficult because they all have such different tastes

Merry really likes James Bond movies.

Pippin is obsessed with nail polish when you introduce him to it. Boromir gets his repainted every time the polish come off. His nails need serious help after a while

Pippin and Merry often start pillow fights, and drag everyone else into it

If you have space for a garden or plants in your home, Sam is on it. He finds it calming, so now you have some home grown plants :)

Taking the hobbits in public? Bad idea. You can trust Frodo and Sam, but Merry inevitably drags Pippin off to do something dumb and possibly dangerous.

Gandalf has an old man rocker. There is no discussion.

The hobbits do the classic “getting one sibling to ask for fast food because whoever’s in charge will say yes”, they get Frodo to do this because he has the best puppy dog face and he’s unsure about asking for things normally.

Pippin and Merry cannot handle too much caffeine or sugar or they go crazy

You thought Legolas’ hair was good before? He steals your hair care products and his hair is literally perfect.

(He’s also willing to do skincare with you, not that his face needs it. Again, flawless)

Game nights are so chaotic. You can’t play a lot of games since they don’t know what many things from this world are, so games like Trivia and Charades are off the table

Gimli and Legolas verse each other in video games, often enough it ends with Legolas winning and Gimli rage quitting

Aragorn is so responsible he’s literally the perfect man to do anything with, and he can hold the fort down if you need to leave

Pippin is so clingy, he trails you wherever you go and asks you random questions but it’s adorable

Boromir insists on carrying your stuff, bags of groceries, all that

Frodo often goes to the library to find new books to read, with you of course

There’s a whole debate on whether 3D or 2D animation is better, i would not get involved if i were you.

Pippin and Merry are also avid fans of quoting their favourite movies, once they see them

Legolas and Frodo are the best listeners, they will just sit there and not judge or try to give you advice they just. sit there. like the perfect men they are.

Legolas would have a meme for everything. Like any situation. You text him like “PIPPIN FELL DOWN SOME WELL WE DON’T EVEN HAVE A WELL HELP” and he just has a meme that fits the situation perfectly.

Frodo and Legolas would watch Avatar: The Last Airbender together because it’s their favourite show. Aragorn jumps in also.

Those three are also avid tea drinkers.

Boromir likes Game Of Thrones. I don’t know anything about it, he just does. Please confiscate Pippin while he does.

Pippin gasps dramatically whenever a plot twist surprises him.

Sam loves to cook, and he does a lot of cooking in the house once he arrives. You two just work together in the kitchen (if you can’t cook, he’ll teach you) and have nice sweet conversations

Legolas is great at doing people’s hair. If you ask him to, he’d probably agree, though he’d probably be a bit flustered as that is a courting ritual in his culture.

Ask Legolas to talk to you until you fall asleep. His voice is so heavenly istg-

The hobbits get sleepy when their hair is played with and it’s adorable

Won’t lie this hyperfixation came back then it circled back to TMNT and today i watched these films with my friend and now i’m back to LotR love. Most of this has been sitting in my drafts for a couple weeks.

Anyway, I think that’s about it from me, I hope you guys enjoy! :)

If you want to request, rules are pinned on my page! Let me know if you want a general part two or a set of modern headcanons for a specific character. I love LOTR in the modern world content so much.

Have a good day, and remember that you are loved!

#lotr #x reader #fanfiction #lord of the rings x reader #the fellowship x reader #gn!reader #frodo x reader #samwise x reader #pippin x reader #merry x reader #aragorn x reader #legolas x reader #gimli x reader #boromir x reader #gandalf x reader #everybody lives #lotr in modern world #im not making aragorn a single hobbit parent no sir #so many tags

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arcielee · 1 year

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To Build a Home

Summary: You are a broken soul and he can recognize it. Paring: modern Aegon Targaryen x FemaleReader Word Count: 3083 Warnings: Mentions of household abuse, night terrors and coping with anxiety, but then there will be fluff, oh yes indeed. Author’s Note: Huge shout out to @sirenofavalon for this request, it is absolutely brilliant and I just adored it. Thank you! A huge thank you to @aspen-carter and @f4ll-for-you for being my beta readers, to Dais especially. You are my muse and I appreciate the ideas you poured into this story, to help me with the outline to create this piece. I cannot thank you enough for you being you. 💜💛 Anyway, I hope you all enjoy. Taglist (my Tumblr kindred spirits): @aaaaaamond @annikin-im-panicin @watercolorskyy @schniiipsel @aspen-carter @aemondx @fan-goddess

Helaena had the tendency to collect things; some were intolerable, like her entomology infatuation, and others were more manageable. At school, she was a beacon of warmth and acceptance, accumulating friends from every social group and often bringing them home. Some would stay for a while and move on, still friendly with hallway run-ins, but others needed a savior, an escape.

Those were the ones who stayed, knitted at her side.

You were quiet as a result of growing up in a violent household, where the tempers were an unbridled heat that searched for any release. As a result, your steps were soft, your movements always slow; it was a skilled trepidation as you were unwilling, unwanting of any attention to be brought to you.

Helaena had always been sweet enough to sit with you during lunch. You remembered when she sat at your side and asked about the book you were reading. Usually, it was a shield, a way to hide in plain sight, but her lilac eyes were kind and you bookmarked your place to talk with her. It continued through the week, she was always entertained with your summary or reviews of whatever book you had, the different genres of fiction that captured your attention, and you thought her bugs were both peculiar and fascinating.

She invited you to spend the night and you were able to get permission, both a rarity and relief; that Friday, you waited with Helaena and her two older brothers for their mother, who she kindly asked for you to call her Alicent, to come pick you up.

The ride was wonderful, as anything that took you away from your home was; you bonded with Aemond over a shared love of literature and learned that you and Aegon were in the same grade, though your schedules were off-kiltered as a result of him failing some classes.

The Targaryen home was large and welcoming. You saw only one family photo and learned their father had died, but he was not grieved like a love lost, but it almost seemed to be an unspoken relief that washed over the household.

The evening was spent sprawled in the living room, playing video games until dinner was ready; the meal time was spent in a raucous debate over what film would be watched before bed. Though it was good natured, you felt yourself begin to wither under the raised voices when suddenly Aegon announced it would be The Never Ending Story.

“It is a classic,” he said with a finality to end the discussion.

Later that night, Alicent was on the couch with Daeron, another and even younger brother, while the rest were in a nest of blankets and pillows on the living room floor. It was your first real taste of a family setting and you fell asleep with a smile and the subtle ache knowing you inevitably would have to return home.

–

Aegon was always a light sleeper; there was an inability to shut his brain off. His mind seemed to flit over anything and everything, which he did his best to explain to his father when he was alive, again to his grandfather, and was met with their adamant words that he was just not applying himself.

He felt at ease, an unfamiliar but welcomed emotion, nestled amongst his siblings and you, the newest addition, each tucked away in a bundle of blankets on the floor. Aegon began to teeter the edge of unconsciousness when he heard it.

A soft whimper, a quiet cry.

He shifted to move, careful not to disturb Aemond or Helaena with her cocoon of pillows; he crept to where you were sleeping, or trying too. He saw your brows were knitted and your lips parted with another muted cry, tears catching on your lashes. Aegon was careful with his touch, just his hand to your shoulder and even this caused your eyes to open wide with fear, grabbing his wrist.

“Hey, it’s just me,” Aegon whispered. “It’s Aegon and you’re staying at our house, remember?”

You trembled with a visceral fear and it was something he unfortunately recognized; his mind flitted to earlier with the friendly discourse of what movie to watch, then to when his father was alive or whenever their grandfather would visit. Aegon moved to lay next to you and you shifted to curl against his chest; he made soft, soothing sounds that led into a melody, a few bars sung with his low timbre. He started another without you asking and did not stop until you drifted back into a more peaceful sleep.

He hummed a bit longer, allowing his eyes to take you in with the dim lighting of the room. He watched the gentle rise and fall of your chest, enjoyed the warmth of you pressed against his chest. He also saw the muted purple and green of your jawline, a healing bruise.

Aegon was careful to pull away and retreated back to his pillows and blankets, still humming the song.

–

The next day, you woke up to breakfast being prepared, the clatter of pots and pans, the low baritone of Aemond giving commands and Daeron’s higher pitch quipping back, and the musical laughter of Alicent over it all. You shied away to clean up in the guest bathroom, the careful application of makeup to hide what waited at home, before coming back to the hallway and bumping into Helaena.

Your new friend has the warmest smile, something that glowed from the kindness that seemed to resonate from her. “Hey, I already asked my mother and, if it is okay with your’s, you are welcome to stay with us for the weekend. We can take you to school on Monday.”

What you did not know was Aegon grabbing his sister, a hushed whisper of his concern when he relayed the nightmare you had, the injury he swore he saw. She listened, nodding her head and telling him, “I assume it was something. I’ll ask mom if she can stay with us for the rest of the weekend.”

You learned that your family does not miss you, they only mind you when you are home; it was easy enough for you to stay away and it was expressed that you were welcomed to return, weekend after weekend. During the school week, you had lunches with Helaena and sometimes her brothers would stop by, though you would see Aegon checking in more often than Aemond. On Fridays, your bag was already packed and you would wait with Helaena and her brothers for Alicent to come and take you home.

It was an unspoken gesture that the guest room became yours; Alicent showed you the cleared out drawers and closet space, her sweet smile encouraging you to leave behind a change of clothes or even your school uniform, whatever you would need to feel more at home. You struggled with the words to thank her and she gave you a hug, a way to say no words were needed.

The space intimately becomes your own and you are pleased to realize your wall is shared with Aegon and his room. The years continued, with secondary school nearing its end and with graduation looming, you and Aegon would spend more time together; he would slip into your room for a late night talk, your shared whispers of what was next to come.

You knew you slept better at the Targaryen’s than your own home, but your nightmares would still come with its sickening hold that sunk into your chest, with a fear that paralyzed you and choked your tongue. It was always the same, how you would run and run, without an end in sight, but aware that if you stopped, it would finally be able to sink its hold into you…

You woke up, in the spare bed placed in the spare bedroom that was unspokenly yours. You felt his warm touch, your mind clearing and allowing you to recognize the comfort noises from Aegon and you blushed once you understood you were in his arms, yet again. You trembled still, but it was a mixture of the lingering fear and newfound relief that the nightmare ended; you let out a shaky exhale.

His fingers curled under your chin and you tilted your head back to meet with his eyes. “Hey,” he smiled at you and you felt your blush deepen.

“H-hey,” you stammered. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I was awake already.”

It was something you had noticed, how restless he seemed to be in his own room. You wanted to ask what kept him awake, but instead you say. “Aegon, would you please sing my song?”

He shifted his weight, allowing you to reposition; Aegon laid on his back, his head propped on the pillow and you curled against his chest, like always.

Helaena was your dear friend, perhaps your best friend, but Aegon was something special. With your frequent stay-overs, you learned that he would always be there when you woke up, wearing his warm smile with a song perched on his tongue; his soothing voice helped ease you back into reality, a sung promise that in this moment you were safe within the walls that held you.

His songs were uniquely his own, his voice amazing, like a balm for your broken soul. It was what was needed to lull you back to sleep, without the terror when you closed your eyes, but this time, you forced yourself to remain awake. “Does your family know you sing like this?” You whispered into his chest.

You can feel him shake his head and you peered up to see the tussle of his silver locks. “This is something only for you,” and he smiled, pulling you closer to his chest.

Aegon smelled rich, but you knew it was a cologne that Alicent picked out and it mixed well with the scent of clean laundry and his own comforting scent. You wrapped your arm around his stomach, nestling into the warmth he always seemed to exude; he tensed at first, then exhaled. “I never recognize what you sing to me,” you continued and it is something of a question.

“It’s the music that plays in my head,” is his vague answer. He always shied away when you complimented his natural talent, always groaning or blushing whenever you praised his singing.

“Is the music what keeps you up?”

He hummed a noncommittal reply, so instead you shyly request him to sing you another song and, as always, he obliges you. You can feel the vibration where your head was laying on his chest, his voice able to bring you back to sleep.

You always slept soundly at his side.

–

Graduation comes and you both have enrolled into the same university, but by your own means; Aegon has his trust fund and you, proudly, have your scholarships earned. You shared your concern about finding a place to stay and he was quick to suggest that you roomed with him, since his grandfather was paying for his housing as a means for redemption.

The Targaryens were always gracious to you and seemed aware of your home life, though you never dared breath a word about it; you should have known he would offer.

You hesitated; to be his roommate would be effortless, your friendship had grown over the years and his presence allowed you to feel comfortable, made you feel safe. The two of you shared a bond, something his family was aware of but only Helaena would dare tease you; in truth, you cherished the friendship, but you found yourself wanting something more and were too afraid to ask for it.

Aegon was undeniably handsome, with his bright eyes and his smile that filled the width of his jaw, his mussed silver locks that framed his face. Though he never seemed interested in anyone, the thought lingered with you, he will inevitably get a girlfriend, and then what would you do?

You swallowed that thought and agreed to it; to celebrate, you purchased him a small, leather bound journal and left it with a note on his bed, in his new room:

A place where you can store your music and maybe find some sleep.

Together, you both create the apartment into a space that is all your own. Your schedules are listed and you both make sure to recap your days, relishing in each other’s victories. When Aegon came home with a guitar in hand, you glowed with your excitement, the idea of what he would create next.

His laughter was a sound that filled your chest. “I don’t even know how to play it yet!”

“Yes, but you are talented and brilliant,” you argued, your cheeks rosy from your smile. “So I trust you will be amazing.”

His talent seemed natural enough and the acoustic sounds complemented his voice in a way that you now craved. Your nightmares were not as frequent, but it seemed to be replaced with an anxiety that had you in a chokehold; it came with the stress of your courses and you pushed yourself to maintain the grades needed that allowed your scholarships.

Aegon always seemed aware when it began to grab ahold of you and he would be in your door frame, with his guitar in hand. You smiled and moved to your bed, allowing him your seat, and he would show you what he had been learning, his voice able to loosen anxiety’s grip.

“Aegon,” you sighed one day. “You really should play the next time they do an open mic at the coffee shop. You are so talented.”

“That is your opinion,” he grinned in return, setting the guitar to lean against your desk. “Maybe if I had a cult following, all who shared your opinion, I could make something with it.”

“A cult following would be easy enough,” and you meant your tone to be teasing. “Honestly, you can easily get any girl you want, if you actually tried.”

The silence was heavy, almost palpable between the two of you; it was something you had never experienced with him before. It was supposed to be a joke amongst friends, but you wished you could scoop up the words and swallow them.

He watched you, carefully, his beautiful eyes seemed to trace over your features, but you assumed he did not wish to meet with your stare. You were holding your breath, unsure if you needed to break the silence building or allow him to do it, and it went too long.

Aegon stood up, one hand combed through his silver waves and the other pulled the leather bound journal you gifted him, setting it on the desk. He did not say anything, but instead grabbed the guitar and retreated to his room, leaving your door open.

You looked at the journal and your eyes trailed to the now empty door frame; you waited for him to come back. He doesn’t and you push from the bed, reaching to pick it up and standing still, debating on what you should do next.

His handwriting fits him, a cursive hybrid scrawl of letters, as if he struggled to keep with the thoughts that spilled from his mind to the paper. You find every page was nearly filled, front and back, with a poetry pose that flowed; the subject, his words had a theme and the realization had you crimson.

It was you.

You fell back to sit on the edge of your bed, thinking and replaying every intimate moment shared, how it transcribed to his written words and how you had been blind to understand the meaning behind his words sung. You classified what you two shared as friendship, frightened to try for something else, especially when it had seemed unattainable before, but now…

The one consistent thing was that Aegon was your peace, he was your comfort personified with his beautiful, bright eyes and the smile that would pluck the strings of your heart with every song he had ready on his lips. You appreciated him and you were scared to ever ask for something more, to push him for something and he would pull away and be lost to you.

You now held his journal, in his own words you finally understood from his perspective, he was the one carrying feelings that were unreciprocated but he had contentment to be a friend for you and nothing more, if it allowed him to forever be a part of your life.

Your grip ached your fingers, a renewed passion that burned away the anxiety that hid in the shadows, and you stood up again, your each step determined, but still soft. His door was closed, but you see his light is on and pooled below; your nails gently tapped and you heard his muffled acknowledgement.

Aegon was laying face down on his bed, his face buried in his pillow but he twisted to face you. His eyes met with yours and he was quick to sit upright, a look of recognition to his features.

He always seemed to be so aware of you.

“Aegon,” you breathed, a smile on your lips and the realization you had no word prepared with your semi-grand entrance. Your eyes looked around his room, an organized mess to his belongings and his scent touching everything. You realized you always allowed him into your space, but never asked to venture into his own.

He pushed himself from the bed and moved towards you, watchful of your response as he drew closer.

He was always astutely aware, respectful of your boundaries that you set with your subtle mannerisms. He saw your stance, how your hands were white with the hold on his journal, how your tongue wet your lips as you struggled for the words. “I… need to get you a new journal. This one is nearly full.”

His smile is warm and kind, as always. “I always have inspiration, so I am full of ideas.”

You hummed. “Could I… I always sleep better with you at my side. Do you mind if I sleep in your bed tonight?”

Aegon looked at you and your heart melted within your chest, unable to collect itself when he closed the distance between you. His hands were careful to cup your jaw, rough from the calluses of guitar strings but still gentle, and he pressed his lips to your own.

#aegon targaryen #modern aegon targaryen #aegon targaryen x you #aegon targaryen x reader #aegon targaryen x female reader #modern hotd au #sweet aegon fluff #to build a home

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freestyle-crocodile-trashpile · 3 months

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Modern

Summary:Modern Au hcs

Type:Hcs:Zevlor, Karlach, Dammon

Version:Bg3

Zevlor

Would definitely be some type of government person

Like apart of the swat team, or police, something like that

He'd also be that really cool dad that did cookouts every week with the best brisk ever

I could see him drinking beer and cooking brisk with a football shirt on

He'd also love football

He's an old man, he's got old stuff all over his house

He probably has a grandfather clock in his basement

3 dogs, German Sheppards or Doberman, maybe both

Doesn't understand social media

Dammon

Definitely has a Smith in his garage

One of those tik tokers that make blacksmith process videos without talking

I could see him cosplaying knights and stuff

Or making stuff for cosplayers

100% pizza lover

He'd probably be one of the one guys on social media that everyone loves, even tho all he does he makes sword making videos

I could see him watching mukbang, idk why

Definitely uses social media regularly

Listens to Megan and Beyoncé

Karlach

She definitely played football and wrestling throughout high school and collage

She'd be that one football player that no one knew was a girl, but she's better than all of the boys

Definitely flirts with all the girls in school

I could see her forcing Dammon to a sports game

Cotton candy lover, i feel like she'd love it

And fairs, I think she'd like amusement parks and fairs

She's the smart kid that everyone thinks is stupid, but then she proves them right by doing something stupid

I don't think she'd be a professional sports player, but she'd definitely play sports in her free time

Probably has tons of cats

[A/n:Just some hcs 🙃. I hope you enjoyed]

#bg3 karlach #bg3 dammon #bg3 zevlor #bg3 hcs #bg3 headcanons #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii

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ask-spooky-manor · 10 months

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Music Taste!!!!!

PLEASE.

i need 2 know what they listen to in ur HC!'s. Ty :)

[it can be just Toby, or whoever you want.]

Toby: Punk, all the way. The louder and angrier, the better. He does like a little of everything but he more gravitates to artists like Destructo Disk or GRLwood

Tim: Folk music. He needs something that can get his brain off reality for a few minutes, and the soulful sounds of Hozier or the more epic bravados of The Amazing Devil help. He also really likes Johnny Cash if the poster in his room says anything. He also loves musicals, but that will go to his grave (if he wan’t immortal)

Brian: Unironically likes country and everyone makes fun of him for it, but he will swear up and down that there are some good ones out there. Dolly Parton is his queen, his idol

Jeff: Has a soft spot for classical music like your Midnight Sonatas cause he took piano really young. Performing for the family is one of the few happy memories he has of his parents. Aside from that, he has no other preference other than a strong devotion for My Chemical Romance

Ben: Video game soundtracks obvi obvi. They can chill on the floor and listen to all of the Undertale soundtrack for hours. Though outside of that they adore chill, lofi hip-hop

EJ: Metal!!! Like Toby, Jack likes his music loud and angry though he prefers the more epicness that comes from metal like Fleshgod Apocalypse than punk music which often sound like it comes from amateurs playing in their garage (affectionate, I love punk)

Clockwork: Easy: your classic emo phase music. I’m talking My Chemical Romance, Pierce the Veil, Panic at the Disco before it went bad, Fall out Boy. Did I get that right? Idk, I never had an emo phase

Jane: Latin Pop but not like the modern stuff. I mean Gloria Trevi’s earlier music and Selena. Her mom basically worshipped Gloria Trevi, and Sunday mornings always had Jane wake up to those artists on blast as mama Richardson did her weekly cleaning of the house.

Nina: Literally any song that was in those early 2010 animation memes that you’d see on Youtube and also Vocaloid. But she likes the really fucked up Vocaloid songs like the classic Alice Human Sacrifice or Late Night Madness

Sally: MLP songs…totally not related but Sally is not allowed to use the internet-

Slender: Like super great grandfather like super great grandson, Slender also likes musicals and unlike Tim, he is not ashamed of it.

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6rookie-writer0110 · 1 year

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Request - Could you do headcanon where being the son of Clark Kent and Lois lane who is triplets with his brothers Jon and Jordon (Superman and Lois). Who was chosen by Khonshu (who couldn't find anyone else then a 14 year old because he acts like a 2-year-old) to be his Avatar as Moon Knight.

•Khonsu couldn't believe that he found someone to be his avatar that is a teenager.

•You didn't mature fast like your brothers.

•Khonsu would try to have a conversation with you but you don't take it seriously.

•Clark and Lois didn't believe at first that Khonsu will be your mentor.

•They didn't trust Khonsu in the beginning.

•Jordan and Johnathan are in shock about your path.

•You think it's cool, but you haven't fully understood how dangerous it can be to be a hero.

•Your family would see you talking to yourself but you are talking to Khonsu. Sometimes they don't see him.

•Khonsu would be annoyed when you don't follow his rules.

•Most times, you just want to play video games.

•Your parents would have a serious conversation with you, but You take it as a joke.

•Your brothers would help you train.

•Khonsu thinks that he has been set up with you as a joke.

•Khonsu has yelled at you before.

•Clark would try to talk to Khonsu about how you shouldn't be a hero just yet.

•Khonsu has told you the history of Moon Knight.

•Khonsu would try to train you but it's hard.

•While in school, some kids would think you are crazy because you would talk to yourself. But you are really talking to Khonsu.

•Again, you would train with your brothers.

•You don't like your brother Jonathan’s girlfriend Candice Pergande because she got him in trouble.

•Jonathan wanted you to get along with Candice, but that didn't go well.

•At first Khonshu became happy when you started to become serious...

•But it didn't last long.

•You helped your father to stop a bad guy because Khonshu told you what to do.

•Your parents still argue with Khonshu.

•Your grandfather Sam, still doesn't believe what Khonshu says about you being Moon Knight.

•Your brothers know your secret place when you want to be alone.

•They promised not to tell mom and dad or Khonshu.

•You would play video games with your brothers.

•Now and then you would argue with them.

•You would use modern sarcasm but Khonshu doesn't understand it.

•One time you showed him a meme and you had to explain what it means. It wasn't fun at all.

•Clark fought Khonshu because he would take you on missions for days or weeks, without letting them know.

•When you got the suit on, you didn't take it off.

•You slept in the suit, you wore the suit when you had dinner with your family and had it on while doing chores around the house.

•Lois yelled at Khonshu because you were driving a car and you don't have a driver's license.

•When Khonshu gets you mad, you would call him a ‘Stupid Pigeon’

•Most of the time, Khonshu doesn't know what you be talking about. You would get a side track in a conversation and talk about something else.

#x male reader #male!reader #Superman and Lois imagine #Superman x son #Clark Kent x son

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vioisgoinginsane · 10 months

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Actually, this needs a separate post for people who don't follow me

The idia and Rook essay you didn't know you needed in your life

Idia plays video games. Rook likes theatre plays. *trombone sound*

For once, the pun isn't how i thought of this. I can elaborate but it will take a couple of minor spoilers.

Basically, Theatre is like the grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grand-grandfather of video games. most modern video games have an overarching story, and every kind of storytelling medium, literature, film, TV, games, comics, Musicals, influences your view of the world and, most tellingly, your vocabulary and speech patters.

Idia talks Like This™ and Rook talk....in

That Peculiar Manner of Speech

Not a single one of the students in this school is normal about their interests and I could probably point out other examples, I don't think I'm even trying to draw any parallels between these characters but they were the first I thought of so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ they're getting the over thinking treatment.

Anyways, obsessing over storytelling mediums is a bit different than other interests. It shapes our worldview, how we try to understand it, relate to it and interact with it.

Idia's favorite game influenced his desire to be a hero and go on an adventure in the outside world and we know that Rook was not expressive till he was moved to tears by one of Neige's performances.

I guess games are a more self centered game since most of the time you play as a protagonist and interact with characters and do things to push the story forward. Meanwhile with plays, as an audience, you merely observe a story. This, most notably, draws our attention back to Rook's observant nature. He want to observe things very closely, as a hunter. In Idia's case I think I could say it's sort of a hint that despite his near paralyzing social anxiety he did have longing to be the protagonist of his own story.

The funniest part is that Rook navigates a social situation with confidence despite being so fucking weird (and sometimes worthy of a restraining order), and Idia's a socially anxious mess. But hey, that IS exactly what you would expect from a theatre kid and a gamer, isn't it? (No Offence to theatre kids, Rook's various restraining orders got nothing to do with being a theatre kid) and I thiiink this is something that just comes down to one's very core nature and not any influence.

BUT we know from Idia's online chats with lilia (while having no idea it's lilia) that he is better articulate- well, he's GENERALLY better articulate in writing) but he is, dare i say... Sweet to his gamer homies?

Guys, this is the same Idia that roasted everyone that tried to save him in the ghost bride event. It really kicks me in the gut that lilia was like "too bad we're saving idia so i have no motivation" like people would NOT BELIEVE their ears if they knew.

To draw the line, gaming gave Idia a way to make friends, without whatever hindrances him in IRL interactions like idk insecurities about his hair and interests.

Do you guys think Rook had any friends before meeting Vil?

*cricket sounds*

Yeah I know, I honestly can't tell either way. Like, having an interest is a way to make friends but Rook is just too weird even by Theatre kid standards... Also we know he used to not care much about his appearance so... Idk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ᵐᵃʸᵇᵉ he looked scarier (?)*shrugs again*

And. I know that one CANNOT just go to Vil and tell him "I am the biggest Neige simp that ever was" but I occasionally get the sense there's a part of his enjoyment of that hobby that he likes to keep between him and himself.

I thought of this mostly cuz in one of the birthday lines he says he used to spend his birthdays going to theatre shows literally ALL day, but like. You could always just choose to spend your birthday like that, get the felicitations and gifts in the mail, I don't really think i can use it as proof of anything.

There's a lot stuff about Rook that's just "???????" As to why he is the way he is. Why is he french?" "¯\_(ツ)_/¯" "why does his family have all these teleporting mensions?" "¯\_(ツ)_/¯" "why does he stalk people?" "¯\_(ツ)_/¯" mostly cuz he dislikes talking about himself and actively avoids it, changes the subject, distracts you, or even outright lies about it.

With Idia we have his whole backstory layed out in the main story so I can do stuff like trace his cynicism back to that traumatic event that happened the one time he tried to follow his dreams, meanwhile "Why is Rook such a romantic?" "¯\_(ツ)_/¯"

#twst #twst analysis #vio plays twisted wonderland #idia shroud #rook hunt #twst pomefiore #twst ignihyde #twisted wonderland

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bodyswappertransforming · 2 months

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Chapter 1: **The Mom's Misadventures**

The family reunion kicked off with laughter and hugs, but little did they know, Great Grandma Wood had a surprise in store. The mom, busy organizing snacks and chatting with relatives, suddenly felt a strange sensation wash over her. Before she knew it, she was standing in her daughter's teenage body, complete with braces and a backpack.

Panicked and bewildered, she stumbled through the crowded gathering, her heart racing as she tried to comprehend what had happened. Her daughter, now inhabiting her own body, looked equally flustered, but they had no time to dwell on their predicament as the chaos of the reunion unfolded around them.

From navigating high school gossip to struggling with math homework, the mom found herself thrust into a world she thought she had left behind. Yet, amidst the teenage drama and awkward encounters, she discovered a newfound appreciation for her daughter's resilience and strength.

Chapter 2: **The Teenage Turmoil**

Meanwhile, the teenage daughter found herself in her grandfather's aging body, his wrinkles and stooped posture a stark contrast to her youthful vitality. At first, she recoiled from the unfamiliar sight in the mirror, but as she spent time with her grandparents, she began to see the world through their eyes.

Listening to their stories of bygone days and flipping through faded photo albums, she realized the depth of their experiences and the wisdom they had gained over the years. Despite the physical limitations of her new body, she found herself cherishing every moment spent with her grandparents, knowing that these memories would last a lifetime.

Chapter 3: **The Grandfather's Gambit**

In his son's body, the grandfather faced a different set of challenges. Accustomed to the slower pace of retirement, he now found himself thrust back into the fast-paced world of work and family responsibilities. From early morning meetings to late-night phone calls, he juggled his son's hectic schedule with a mixture of bemusement and frustration.

Yet, as he navigated the complexities of modern life, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in his son's accomplishments and a renewed appreciation for the sacrifices he had made for his family. Through humorous mishaps and heartfelt moments, he rediscovered the importance of family bonds and the enduring legacy he hoped to leave behind.

Chapter 4: **The Sisterly Switch**

Meanwhile, the sister found herself in her younger brother's body, her long hair replaced by a messy mop of hair and her wardrobe consisting of baggy t-shirts and worn-out jeans. At first, she struggled to adjust to her new identity, feeling out of place in her brother's world of video games and sports.

But as she bonded with her brother's friends and shared in his hobbies, she discovered a side of herself she never knew existed. Through late-night gaming sessions and impromptu adventures, she forged a deeper connection with her brother, realizing that beneath their differences lay a bond that could never be broken.

Chapter 5: **The Brother's Bizarre Adventure**

In his mother's body, the younger brother faced perhaps the greatest challenge of all: parenthood. From changing diapers to preparing meals, he struggled to keep up with the demands of motherhood, his newfound responsibilities weighing heavily on his shoulders.

But as he looked into the eyes of his children, he felt a surge of love and protectiveness unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Through sleepless nights and endless tantrums, he discovered the true meaning of sacrifice and unconditional love, realizing that being a mother was not just a role—it was a privilege.

**Unexpected Twist:** As the week came to a close and the family gathered for a final farewell, they expected to return to their own bodies and resume their normal lives. But as they stood hand in hand, Great Grandma Wood revealed the true purpose behind her body swap: to teach them a valuable lesson about empathy and understanding

#fantasy #male body swap #bodyswap #male transformation #personality change #hypnotized

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sunkern-plus · 3 months

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@saber-smithy omg (i have no experience with that but)

adding to that laios and falin DEFINITELY have that delmarva (delaware-maryland-virginia) experience of german descent kinda vibe to them

i can almost SEE laios' family at thanksgiving cooking a bunch of lentils, kale, and sauerkraut and laios getting excited to finally eat sauerkraut at the big kids' table while falin is crying because she doesn't get any sauerkraut and ham like the big kids are getting (because everyone assumed she was a picky eater because she was a girl)

also laios and falin piling their plate with lentils so they'll get more money that year (very german delmarva + west virginia methodist thing)

laios and falin are DEFINITELY virginian methodists of german descent with their grandparents being legit from germany and falin and laios' grandfather is an alcoholic and their grandmother is a long-suffering woman of poor means who made a living doing odd jobs for rich families and mostly lived in tenement housing most of her life

also laios and falin strike me as northern virginia (charlottesville, fredericksburg, etc) babies to me. perhaps somewhere in NoVA that is close to west virginia actually. and they go to methodist church on sunday but laios can't focus on the sermons so he always brings books and video games to church and falin is always daydreaming in church

yes i'm putting a lot of my family's history in this and a lot of my idealized life in this. no i'm not sorry for being self indulgent about NoVA methodists of german descent laios and falin

thorden even FEELS like a german surname (touden doesn't feel like a surname from ANYWHERE i hate that translation. it's CLUNKY)

(also side note i prefer falin's translated name to be farlyn because it feels like a cute name someone would give a baby in the modern day)

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #laios thorden #falin thorden #farlyn thorden

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chaoticgeminate · 1 year

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Black Vultures (iii)

Summary: When your plane to a beach resort vacation crashes, nowhere near your destination, you have to depend on a stranger to protect you from horrors you never could have imagined.

Pairing: Pero Tovar x f!Reader

Rating: Explicit (Chapters with smut will be marked)

Notes/Warnings: Series involves general survival, cannibals, violence, and gore with body horror elements. This is based loosely off 'The Forest' and while I may have used a picture of Pero in armor we are working with a modernized Pero here.

**ILLNESS AND FAIRLY GRAPHIC VIOLENCE WARNING**

Written for @yearofcreation2023

Series Masterlist | Year of Video Game AUs Masterlist

i am the eye of the storm (3.7k)

He didn’t know what the hell to do, the sheen of sweat on your skin -which was already hot to the touch- told him what he needed to know, but not how to fix it. Your hands were still pink and inflamed around the injuries from the glass, it was only sheer luck -or maybe you were just that damn determined- that he could rouse you enough to drink water and eat the vegetation he managed to forage and clean. It had been two terrifying days of waking up at the slightest change of your breathing, of waking up when you fell too silent, and Pero was exhausted but he was also scared.

The cannibals -what else was he supposed to call them?- had been edging closer and closer to the stand and only the litany of new traps he kept setting each day seemed to deter them. It was not a great thing for him to be back in this place mentally, taking lives so… carelessly. He didn’t even have the blanket reasoning that he was doing it for the sake of his country or at someone else’s command, this was killing for the sake of survival but it was still killing. Taking the lives of native people to this area for the sake of survival, as if he had more of a right to live than they did when he’d invaded their home even if it wasn’t intentional, and he knew that he was going to need a lot more therapy following this venture.

If he made it out of this alive.

Pero looked across the field, his binoculars offering him a better range and a better chance at spotting trouble sooner, and he was only mildly relieved that the people seemed to be willing to ignore your presence for now. What worried him was the fact that he was seeing more of those monsters around, the horrific ones with hooked feet and no faces as well as hulking deformed ones with stunted arms and shambling walks due to their bloated bodies. Some even had four pairs of legs, were just a hunk of body with legs, like someone had been ripping humans apart and putting them back together.

He had only ever seen anything remotely close to this once, when his squadron had been tasked to assist the Chinese military in an investigation of an underground cave system, and even then it was animals that they’d discovered and not people. His fidgeting stilled and Pero wondered if the two countries had begun experimenting with what they’d managed to bring back, whispering curses as he began to fiddle with his satellite phone again, and he glanced at you once more.

Still sleeping, breathing labored, still feverish; each moment that you went without medicine, without proper care, was another moment that increased the likelihood you weren’t going to make it. He grabbed the journal from his grandfather, with survival tips and recreated pictures of things like edible plants, and searched through the pages to see if he could at least forage something to help you. He stopped on cleavers, or galium aparine as his grandfather so helpfully included, and whispered a soft promise to your unconscious form as he began to descend from the stand to start hunting in the immediate area.

Pero ignored the ringing in his ears, the way his heart was racing as horrific memories of what he’d experienced before started to resurface in the face of… this. The gun he’d found was a comforting weight against his lower back, a promising and guaranteed kill on the human threats at the bare minimum, and Pero began to hastily search the various weeds and plants while praying to whatever God could hear him that they showed mercy on you.

He spent hours looking, until he had no light, finding only a few small sprigs of the plant and hurrying up to where you were shivering and terrified. You startled badly when he pulled himself up, likely thinking he was a threat, and Pero captured your hands when you tried to shove him away. He watched your half-lidded eyes blink rapidly in the dim twilight as you began to recognize him.

“Pero?”

“Por favor, bonita, I need you to rest.” He boiled the plants down in water, uncaring how low his mini-propane tank was starting to run at this point, and carefully supported the cup when it had steeped long enough so you could drink. He could feel himself shaking, hating that he couldn’t get his body to remain calm anymore now that you were in such bad shape, and Pero made sure you drank all of the tea before feeding you some of the beef jerky and trail mix he had left in his pack. If you were going to survive you needed protein, more than what foraged plants would offer, and he wasn’t going to let you go out without trying his hardest to do something.

Your breathing evened out after another few minutes with him lightly carding his fingers along your scalp and he began singing you a soft lullaby, not remembering the name or the English words, and you fell asleep to the soft Spanish tune. Pero looked over the edge of the stand into the dark, seeing the eyes of the people shining back in the darkness when he used his flashlight to inspect the empty space, and he watched one of the idiots step right into the spiked pitfall. The wet sound of wood tearing through skin and bone, the loud scream of pain, echoed in the dark and Pero watched as most of the others left after retrieving the body carefully.

But there were more of those mutant things lingering around and he only managed to get a few hours of rest, waking up whenever the sound of cracking sticks or the flutter of wings of birds fleeing their perch broke the noise of the insects that had become a constant background noise. His hope for survival was starting to fade as your fever evened out, as your breathing sounded worse, as another day passed by and his inability to get long hours of rest began to take its toll on him.

“Can anyone… found remnants… survivors?”

His satellite phone crackled in the early morning, rousing Pero enough from his first deep rest in a week, and he quickly snatched the device up to try and get a better signal while looking over the edge of the stand for any signs of danger.

“Hello? Can you hear me?” The grip he had on his sat phone was so tight he was worried he might break it, carefully checking your temperature again, and you blinked up at him with a little bit more clarity on your face today. A small blessing, even if you were still burning all your calories shivering, the cold combined with your illness was delaying your potential recovery. He was certain that if the weather was a little bit better you would have started to recover by now.

“Pero? I don’t feel good. I think my cuts got too bad.” He had hoped you weren’t the type to have the knowledge of how long an infection could go untreated before it got risky, that you’d be blissfully unaware, but he should have known better than that. Even if you weren’t an outdoorsy camping type, or if you were you hadn’t been prepared for anything this extreme, you probably knew as well as he did how short the fuse was in situations like yours.

“You’re going to be okay, bonita, I promise.”

“Copy, we’ve adjusted our signal, can you hear me sir?”

“Yes, I can. Please, I have someone who is suffering from an infection and needs medical help as soon as possible.”

“We’ve got your location signal, dispatching a team now, please comply upon meeting to avoid unnecessary aggression.”

“Understood, please hurry.”

He understood the reason for the request, everything here was an unknown, even if he didn’t like the idea that they would potentially be aggressive with you in your condition, so Pero began cleaning and packing up everything he could to make it that much easier to get out of here. He hoped that they had either seen the cannibals or mutants, so that they didn’t think the two of you had lost your minds, but he also hoped they didn’t. It was terrifying, the truth of what could exist in the wilds, and he was torn between wanting it to be known and wanting as few people as possible to be scarred by the horrors of knowledge.

Thunderous sounds were the warning, Pero looked down to see one of the shambling things charging toward the base of the stand; the entire structure rocked dangerously as it collided with one of the thick base legs, somehow missing all the traps he’d set in the process. His curse was loud as he pulled out the gun, aiming down and shooting where the base of the neck was supposed to be, the creature made a sound similar to an angry bull and began backing away due to the shot.

This time it hit the edge of a spiked pitfall, dropping into the pit and impaling itself on the sharpened wooden spikes, and Pero was about to radio back to whoever was supposed to rescue them when he heard the sound of helicopter blades over the screaming as what looked like a horde of blood covered cannibals ran across the field from inside the woods. The chopper was mowing them down with its gun, while two soldiers were on either side of the open doors to fire their own weapons, and the chopper began to hover when the pilot noticed him waving.

The gun was powerful and Pero hunched over you with his ears covered, your hands on your own ears, as the weapon kept firing; he heard the softest whimper escape you and kissed your forehead, promising you over and over under the hail of gunfire that you were okay and it was almost over.

When only the sound of the helicopter blades and the feeling of the wind remained Pero dared look, seeing the vehicle landing among the piles of bodies and the sea of blood, soldiers in hazmat suits jumping out of the side doors. After confirming the rescue on his SAT phone he scaled down with his bag first, dropping it on the ground and going up to fetch you next. You were clinging to him, draped over his shoulders, and when he touched down the soldiers that had begun traversing over stopped. Pausing just at the line of trees upon seeing the spiked pitfalls that had been walked through already, he hoped to hell they didn’t take that as a reason to hurt you, the soldiers raised their guns and Pero stayed as still as he could with you on his shoulders.

“Are there more traps, sir?”

“Yes, I had to keep us safe-“

“Understood, please come to us and move slowly. Keep your hands where we can see them.”

Pero kept his grip on you, using the toe of his boot to make sure he didn’t accidentally trip one of his own traps, and as he began to set you down where it was safe your legs just refused to work; you sat down gracelessly, leaning against his legs and wheezing softly, with your arms weakly up in the air and the two hazmat clad soldiers approached slowly.

“We’re going to cuff you, a precaution only until we know what we’re dealing with, and bring the two of you back to base camp where you’ll be given health checks and nutrients.” He knew why it was necessary, any safety precautions were going to seem extreme, since there was no telling if it was a sickness that caused those things or what even if Pero was pretty sure that wasn’t possible.

He nodded and you looked up at him, brows pulled together in fear, but you didn’t have the energy to fight even if you tried and Pero didn’t want to risk you getting hurt because he refused to comply; one of the soldiers helped you up, allowing you to lean on them as they walked you back to the helicopter and Pero was asked to hold his bag as he was escorted back with the other one who kept his gun raised. The sight of the bodies on the ground, the blood staining the bottom of your sneakers, made him think of the nightmare he endured in China but Pero shoved that down.

It was a short ride to base camp and Pero’s brows shot up when he saw a uniform clad man talking with a petite woman in blue, both of which he recognized, and William’s surprise turned into a smile. One that was both apologetic and amused, it was naturally some sort of crazy bullshit that would put them in his path again.

“Pero, I never thought- we’ll get you both taken care of and then we can catch up.”

“Indeed, you’re safe now, Pero.”

With Lin and William here, Pero knew that he had to be dealing with something like the tao tei, his best friend had stayed with Lin and taken up the role of a specialist in matters like this while Pero had signed multiple NDAs and gotten out. You were taken to a different tent and he couldn’t help the way his throat tightened or his body went rigid now that you were out of sight, he trusted William but not anyone else here.

Not with you at least.

You weren’t in the best shape, your head hurt and everything was still very fuzzy, but you did as the medical professionals requested as best you could with your wrists cuffed. It hurt and though you felt slightly better it wasn’t great at all.

“Did any of them bite you?”

“No, I- I stabbed one of them with broken glass from the plane window though. The glass cut my hands, even though I’d wrapped it in a shirt.”

“Okay, thank you.”

As much as you wanted to know what they were testing you for… you also didn’t want to know. Each little blood vial, each skin scraping, each saliva swab were run through a litany of machines as they hooked you up to an IV. After what felt like eons, but was more reasonably only an hour, they undid the cuffs on your wrists and began using a wet rag and warm -clean- water to get the dirt and grime off your skin.

“It looks like you got lucky, we’re giving you a high dose of antibiotics via IV to blanket treat your infection and we’ll have you under monitoring for a week before attempting to move you. Let’s get you cleaned up, comfortable, and we’ll get some food in you.” The relief you felt at being okay made you nod, tears forming in your eyes, and once you were brought to the main treatment tent where Pero was talking with a man and woman as he washed himself off the tears fell faster as your body shook from relief.

“¡Bonita! Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Pero’s tone was sharp as he glared at the woman wheeling you over to where they were, more than ready to rise to your defense, so you hurried to reassure him before he got himself hurt.

“Okay, ‘m okay, just happy that its over.” He nodded and tapped his forehead to yours once you were settled, looking equally relieved and yet not offering an apology to the medic, and he finished cleaning up before taking the MRE that was handed to him as well as yours to prepare them. It felt good to just cry, to know that you were safe and that you could go home, that while you were forever going to question what was real and what was fake you weren’t alone in that position.

Once you managed to get yourself under control Pero began feeding you, promising that he’d taken the worst of the two menu choices, and you listened as he talked to you the entire time. His friends were still there, sitting quietly on another cot, and you felt safe for the first time in a week.

“I was a soldier, joined the Marines right out of high school to get out of my small town, I wanted to see the world and that seemed like the best way. To see mi mama’s home city in Spain, to go to Greece, it was fulfilling even if it was shit conditions and leadership that didn’t care about us. I signed for ten years, the wars led to me being kept on of course, but then William and I were sent to China.” He had a very steady cadence, with you not interrupting as he fed you the tasteless elbow macaroni in tomato sauce, his ‘cheese tortellini’ looked worse so you were more than okay with what he’d picked for you.

“It was a show of good faith to work with the Chinese soldiers, to quell the rumors of war that people were spreading all over the internet, and we found cave systems filled with monsters. Nothing like this but not entirely different either, I was given the choice to walk away and I took it, we’re both going to have to sign a litany of NDAs. We’ll have to negotiate therapy, unfortunately.” You nodded, unsurprised that the military was going to be stingy with allowing you mental health assistance after this, and Pero chuckled ruefully as he began preparing some of the snacks and sides from the MRE.

“Pero was a hell of a friend to have out there, facing the tao tei, but there are times I wonder if I should have done the same as him. I’m William Garin, by the way, and this is Lin Méi. We’re part of a special task force that… handles things like this. When the first rescue chopper was brought down it was decided to dispatch our team.” You nodded at the two others and noticed that Pero seemed less relaxed than he should have been, you were safe so you didn’t quite understand the reason he looked so tense.

His eye had been treated, the butterfly bandages replaced now that the area had been cleaned properly, but it didn’t look infected so that couldn’t be what was bothering him.

“Bonita, you will be safe here. I am… I am going to be joining William and Lin Méi to investigate a potential cause of those monsters. Promise me that you’ll listen to what you’re told, unless it is something entirely out of line, and that you will be here when I get back.” His voice was soft and pained, like he didn’t want to go, and that nervous energy under your skin got worse even as he fed you the strange crackers and cheese.

“I don’t like it, I want you safe Pero. You don’t have to leave, you’re not active service anymore.” The idea of him not being here was terrifying, he’d been the only reason you even made it this far, and you didn’t know any of these other soldiers at all or if they were decent people. You also knew that it wasn’t supposed to be protocol that he went with them, which meant he volunteered for whatever reason and his friends were indulging his demand. Even the thought of being away from him had your panic rising, you knew it was just trauma causing you to feel safer with him around, you couldn’t get your body to calm down.

“Bonita, listen to me. While you’ve been ill all I could do was observe those creatures, I know more about their habits and their behaviors and will be an asset to William and Lin. It will help guarantee that we all make it out of this okay and potential shut down whatever has led to this happening. I do not want to leave you but I want to ensure that you, and everyone else, is safe from this nightmare.” He gripped your hands and kissed your newly bandaged palms, watching your face carefully, and you found yourself looking away from him and nodding. You knew he was right, you knew it made sense, but you still didn’t like it.

“I will come back to you, I will come back for you, I promise.”

Pero didn’t stay long after that, long enough to make sure you’d eaten your entire meal and downing his, but after that he disappeared to get changed into a spare uniform and stopped by without Lin or William following him. The medical tent was mostly quiet and Pero cupped your chin, his touch was gentle, and his cocoa eyes softened before he drew closer to you.

“I promise, Bonita, I will return.”

“You had better, Pero. I’ll never forgive you if you don’t.”

Watching his lashes flutter slightly, feeling his breath against your lips, you closed the gap yourself between his lips and yours, with what was out there you had no idea if he would come back and you weren’t going to risk not knowing what his kisses were like. Pero’s lips were chapped and rough but you didn’t care, he made a sound against your mouth before overwhelming you as he cupped the back of your head to angle you the way he wanted you and deepen the kiss. It was like an all out attack and you found yourself unable to do anything but surrender to the intensity of his mouth on yours.

His eyes were hooded when he parted, not too far from your mouth like he couldn’t stand to be too far away from you for even a second, but he pressed a chaste kiss to your lips and stood up before squeezing your hand.

“Wait for me.”

“Don’t make me wait long.”

When he nodded and turned around, leaving through the tent flap, your eyes started to water and your hands shook when you heard the various commands being given about who was going where. Until the ATV he was assigned to took off, leaving you at the camp with only soldiers you had never met and a fear that he wasn’t going to come back.

All Fics Taglist: @haylzcyon @wordsnwhiskey @pagannightwitch @radiowallet @tauralmie @amneris21 @trickstersp8 @practicalghost @rominaszh @alwaysdjarin @alexxavicry @all-the-way-down-here

Just Pedro Taglist: @maievdenoir @beecastle @littlemisspascal @writeforfandoms @aynsleywalker @lovesbiggerthanpride @mswarriorbabe80 @emiemiemiii

Alt Taglist: @imtryingmybeskar @fan-of-encouragement @grogusmum @sizzlingcloudmentality @deadhumourist @prostitute-robot-from-the-future

#year of creation #year of video game aus #the great wall fanfic #the forest fanfic #pero x f!reader #pero tovar x f!reader #cw cannibals #cw cannibalism #year of themed creation #cw body horror #chaoticwrites

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reputationdamiano · 2 years

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Hi babee. So i saw your headcanon request are open and here i am lol.

Imagine them as a grandparents. To be honest it isn't seem like as in my ımagine when i write it here but it doesn't have matter. We're going to be old anyway.

Have a nice day/night 🥰❤️🥰🥰❤️❤️🥰🥰

måneskin as grandparents headcanons

word count: 243

warnings: none

a/n: hi, sorry for replying almost a year after this request was sent. i wasn’t feeling particularly creative but i hope you enjoy!

damiano:

i imagine him storytelling a lot, all about måneskin’s adventures and showing videos of their performances, generally reminiscing the past

that sporty kind of grandfather who teaches children how to ride a bike or who plays basketball with them!

damiano would try to make his grandkids laugh as much as possible with his cheesy jokes

he would definitely make them chamomile tea before bed

ethan:

i think he’d spoil the kids by letting them do everything they want to, including things their parents wouldn't let them do

ethan would definitely teach them the basics of playing drums

he would be a shoulder to cry on, always comforting his grandkids whenever they feel unhappy

ethan would read bedtime stories while putting the children to sleep

thomas:

picture him being so proud when he shows his little signature dance to his grandkids

thomas would keep up with the trends whatever they would be in the year 2065, definitely a modern and cool grandad!

the guitarist of the band would play cards or board games with his grandkids

i think thomas would encourage the kids to start a band on their own!

victoria:

i imagine vic going outside with the kids and painting nature

she would know about everything happening in her grandchildren’s life and would give the best advice

vic would bake all kinds of delicious pastries for her grandchildren

our style icon would obviously help the kids make the best fashion choices

taglist: @ethanesimp @kirstansworld @bidet-and-legolas @gretavanfleetlove @otaculo @bieberhoodforever @kyliesalvatore @dont-let-me-drown-in-you @hopelessromantic727 @ilwiwbysmv @lovelymaneskindays @grzybowysyn @butkutee @livcwildcndfrcc @que--sera--sera @torchiosfries @inloveppp

masterlist

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islandofsages · 2 years

Text

innocently us.

summary: in which you two get distracted and forgot...something?

characters: hu tao and gn!reader

tags: sibling reader, crack, a little bit of fluff, modern au, oneshot format

warnings: none

author's notes: im projecting asian kid problems onto hu tao 👍 except not really because i have never faced this problem before teehee. i just wanna write something fun !! also this. is much longer than i expected im sorry that always happens when i write oneshots idk why lmfao

word count: 1.9k

“So (y/n). How about we play some games?”

Your sister almost immediately suggested so the moment you two’s grandfather left the house. It was rare for you two to be home alone and whenever it does happen, Hu Tao always takes her chances to do whatever she can’t do when he’s home. And obviously she drags you into her shenanigans because, of course, she doesn’t want to be caught and grounded alone.

“Sis, we talked about this.”

You could only sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose. Truth be told, you still don’t know why your grandfather bothered buying a gaming console if he’s not going to let you two play it. But you knew best that to question your grandfather is akin to asking a wall; you get no answers but rather, even more questions. But you can’t deny that you did want to play it. But being Hu Tao’s sibling has taught you to become more responsible…more or less.

“Yes we did! What does that have to do with anything though~?”

As much as you love her witty remarks, they’re mostly the ones that land you two in trouble. And you wish you could say you enjoy being in trouble with her - she tries to lighten things up, sure, but that usually makes things worse. So like it or not, you had to learn your lesson from so many of you two’s misadventures. It looks like she hasn’t learned anything though and you’re pretty sure that it’s a choice. Your sister is one of the brightest people you’ve known; it’s just that she tends to get bored easily and so does a lot of stupid stuff just for the thrill.

“Hu Tao.”

“That’s me!”

You sigh again. That tone in her voice indicates that she’s not changing her mind any time soon. You surrender - after all, a little gaming couldn’t hurt, right? Screw whatever ‘video games exposes kids to violence’ stuff your grandfather’s always spewing. Plus, it’s not like you two are gonna be playing anything actually violent-

“C’mon, let’s play some Mortal Kombat 11. I miss killing people.”

Ah.

You don’t remember how the heck you two manage to get a copy of that game considering it’s one of the most, if not the goriest game you two have ever had the pleasure of playing. But you join in anyway because what else are you supposed to do? You ask yourself that as a rhetoric question but you can’t help but feel there’s an actual answer to it. But you shrug it off as still being reluctant to do this.

A few hours pass and you two are still in Mortal Kombat 11, nuking it out without a care in the world. Well, except for one care, which is what if grandpa sees this? But you’re having so much fun, you don’t mind being grounded for life and your sister most likely feels the same. Even then, you have this nagging feeling at the back of your mind that there’s something wrong and that everything’s going a little too smoothly.

“I think… I forgot something.”

“If you forgot then it probably wasn’t important.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

You casually chat with your sister over it during your gaming break. Now you’re convinced that there’s nothing wrong and that you’re just paranoid for no apparent reason at all. Your irritation increases when your sister claims yet another victory over you. But her joy is fleeting - your attention both snap to the suddenly ringing home phone. You run over to it, not knowing what to expect. You pick the receiver and raise it to your ear…

“Hello? Hello hello?”

“Grandpa?”

Now you really want to know who taught him to use a phone - how did he get the home number? Whose phone is he using anyway? Public phones aren’t a thing anymore and he doesn’t have a phone; he’s always refused to use one because he claimed it too complicated. So the only possibility is-

“Aha, it works! Well, it better work. I didn’t spend thousands just for this smartphone thing to not work.”

Ah.

“Grandpa, what are you talking about? How did you get this number? Where are you?”

“Agh, you ask too many questions, kid! Your sister was the one who gave me the number. And I’m coming home from the mall. So no more questions! But more importantly, have you cooked the rice yet?”

Oh. So that’s what it was. Oh no. You turn to flash Hu Tao a quick glare and she responds with an expression that could only express “oops”. You turn back to stare at the phone in shame. But of course you slightly shifted the blame to Hu Tao for not reminding you in the first place. You couldn’t even think about how your grandpa’s answering your questions earnestly for once.

“Um, of course I have! I cooked the bestest rice only for you, my beloved grandpa, ahahaha…”

You quickly lie and hear him laugh on the other side of the line. Thankfully, it seems he has fallen for your lie. As he laughs, you turn your head again towards your sister’s direction and signal for her to rush to the kitchen. She does a brief saluting pose and runs to the kitchen. Lord knows you can trust only so much of her when she’s in the kitchen. She tends to get a little too creative for your own liking sometimes.

“Good, good! That’s my grandchild! Anyways, I’ll be back in a jiffy so you two just wait for me like the good grandchildren that you are, alright?”

“Okay, grandpa.”

You add a nod although he couldn’t see it. He hums happily and hangs up without saying goodbye. You put the receiver back down and run to the kitchen, hoping that it’s not already entirely on fire. And luckily enough, it isn’t. Because your sister is too busy trying her best to wash the rice properly.

“Ai-yai-yai, how could you forget such an important thing, dearest sibling?”

“Like you remembered in the first place.”

“Let’s not sweat the details, okay? Help me out here.”

“Hah, can’t even wash the rice right. And you call yourself Asian?”

“Oh, shut it, you.”

You two bicker off the next few minutes away as you cook up some rice. Though you two are in a somewhat frenzied predicament, you can’t help but smile at how silly and ridiculous you two are. You laugh and she follows - how contagious. So contagious, you foolishly hope that some of that laughter infects a bit of the rice. Maybe it’ll brighten up your grandfather’s mood even more than it already seemed and let you two off the hook this time around.

But well, even if you two are grounded for life, at least you two cooked the rice before he’s home, right?

“I’m home!”

You two yelp. The rice is barely cooked enough to be edible. And you two forgot to turn off the gaming console earlier. ‘In a jiffy’ was too jiffy for you two’s liking. Before you two can do anything about the sticky situation you’re in, your grandfather waddles into the kitchen. He eyes the two of you and the steaming rice cooker in between you and your sister.

“We, uh…”

Hu Tao attempts to make up an excuse, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck to hide her shame. You only gulp, awaiting the worst punishment that could ever befall a pair of siblings who were innocently distracted by video games. You wish you could at least predict what’s going to happen to the two of you but the thing is, you two’s grandfather is as predictable as a gambling game. You never know what’s going to happen.

“What’s wrong? You cooked the rice, right?”

He asks and you two only tilt your head simultaneously in confusion. That’s all he has to say? You have your suspicions but you start to have a little bit of hope. Maybe all that laughter really was as contagious as you thought it was.

“Well, yeah but…”

“Oh, you two. Come here.”

He says and yet he is the one to move forward to wrap you two in a group hug. This increases the two of you’s confusion even further. As you expected, as predictable as a game of chance, like a throw of the dice. Mayhaps it is no coincidence that your grandfather is a big fan of board games himself.

“You’re not mad at us?”

Your sister innocently questions him, shooting him her most genuine curious look. You look at him too, wanting to see his reaction as well as hear his answer. He lets go of the two of you. His joyful smile turns menacing in the blink of an eye as he utters his next words, though he fiddles with his brand new phone cheerily.

“‘Course I am! It’s just that I’m more happy than angry. This smartphone thing is more useful than I thought.”

Ah.

“So…are we grounded?”

You dare yourself to ask him. You would ask more questions if you could but you don’t want to risk upgrading your punishment from a simple grounded phase to…who knows what? As far as you’re concerned, your grandpa is as creative with punishments as Hu Tao is with her culinary skills.

“Of course you are! Go to your room!”

You’re disappointed but at least it wasn’t anything beyond that. Even your sister seems to breathe out a sigh of relief. The lack of any heavy punishment gives you courage - and so you will yourself to ask another question.

“Uh, how long are we grounded?”

You ask and your grandfather seems to ponder on that question, which is a rarity. Usually, he’d announce “one week!” without any hesitation. So you were reluctant to ask at first but this time around, asking him something is seeming to bear fruit (finally).

“Hmm…two days.”

He decides and needless to say, both of you siblings’ jaws drop to the ground. He went from one week to two days just like that? Who was this old man and where is your real grandfather? You’d ask but before you could, your sister interrupts first.

“Just two days?”

“What, you want more? I can add more.”

“No thank you, bye grandpa, love you!”

Hu Tao rapidly replies and drags you by the hand to your shared bedroom. She slams the door shut and flops onto your bed like nothing ever happened. You sit beside her and stare at the opposing wall, processing what just happened. You two say nothing; simply side by side, ruminating on today’s happenings, with the occasional sound of fighting game characters screaming and grunting coming from outside your room. Ah. So your grandfather’s the perpetrator all this time.

“We got lucky, huh?”

Hu Tao breaks the silence after a few minutes of gazing intently into your bedroom’s wall, its color faded of old age. You two may be as young as the technology in your little house, but the abode itself is almost ancient as your grandfather. Even then, you never saw it as a flaw; old or not, it is the house you and your beloved sister have spent so much time in by being clowns, forgetting to cook the rice and getting grounded. You look to your sister fondly and sigh, a relieved one this time.

“I guess we did.”

#i dont. even know why this is so long lmao #but enjoy i guess #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #platonic genshin x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x you #genshin impact scenarios #genshin impact imagines #genshin scenarios #genshin imagines #hu tao x reader #hu tao x you #hu tao genshin impact #hu tao

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belladonna-wright · 6 months

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SWYNWRIMO2023

November 9 – SwynRPVision: Create your own TV show, book, video game, piece of media, etc. that would exist in the SwynRPuniverse which does not exist in ours.

Once Upon a Crime Media Ltd presents ... 'La Bella Donna: Myth or Mystery,' a brand new 6 part series hosted by award winning journalist Juliet Parry, exploring the legendary crimes of La Bella Donna, applying a fresh look at the evidence, and questioning whether we should re-examine everything we think we know about these crimes?

Listen to the introduction to Episode One, here.

Transcript: [Juliet Parry]

In 1907 a series of audacious thefts rocked Europe. It seemed that nowhere, and nobody was safe, from a thief who stole into country houses, lakeside villas, and elite townhouses in what seemed to be meticulously planned, targeted heists. The thief made off with priceless artworks, many of which have never been recovered. The only lead? A security guard who talked about a beautiful woman. La Bella Donna.

Over the years, many baffled police forces added to the list of crimes committed by La Bella Donna. But were they right to? Or were they simply excusing investigative failures?

My name is Juliet Parry, an investigative journalist, and I've dedicated my career to getting to the bottom of complicated issues. My great-grandfather, Herbert Parry, wrote about these cases when they first occured. Over the years, they became his passion. He was desperate to solve the case of La Bella Donna, and collected case notes, witness statements and research materials surrounding the supposed Bella Donna thefts. I want to re-examine these materials, talk to experts and art historians to explore the myth of Le Bella Donna, and ask whether one thief could possibly have carried out all of these heists? Or was this the work of a series of thieves working together, or simply mis-identified by the detectives of the time? We also explore the legacy of this myth, and the robin-hood status some modern audiences have bestowed on the figure. Join me in this world of wealth, glamour, and intrigue as we ask is La Bella Donna a myth? Or merely, a mystery.

#swynwrimo #swynwrimolaura #how very self indulgent of me frankly <3 #fake podcast series about my own character

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runthepockets · 6 months

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I kinda refuse to believe that older men are less misogynistic than men my age and I also refuse to believe a lot of this "growing misogyny problem in young men" research. I think the scale and visibility of it is all very new, but I don't think the attitudes are.

Like, you're not seriously telling me the generations that grew up with Girls Gone Wild and Tucker Max books and the OG Men's Rights Movement and "DR PEPPER MAX IT'S NOT FOR WOMEN" and "Smear the Queer" and Howard Stern videos and hypersexual Rock music videos and shitty Pop Punk songs that spoke of young women in such entitled and manipulative ways are any more accepting or well adjusted than your average Andrew Tate fan. Like it wasn't Zoomer and Millenial men that killed Kitty Genovese or Elizabeth Short. Ted Bundy was born in 1946. Misogyny has always been around and men and boys have traditionally always leaned more conservative than women and girls, because one of the basic standards of patriarchy is promising men and boys rewards and hyper-autonomy as long as they keep selling their souls to be good little cogs in the capitalist machine because that's what "real men" do (and if you're straight-- which a lot of these guys are-- you really want the capital and typical trappings of masculinity anyway, because those things are the quickest ways to get a girlfriend or a wife and "win" the game), while women aren't really promised anything but basic survival needs, and only if they're under the thumb of a man while doing so. It's also why war drafts were so enticing and successful in years past; if you're a good little meatshield, a good little worker bee, there'll lines of treasure and toys and games and women waiting for you hand and foot and you'll be revered as an honorable and respected warrior in Vallhalla / Heaven / Paradise / etc.

It's all a very meticulous system. Nothing has changed, everything is still moving exactly the way it's supposed to, this is just how it's always been. I'm sure if you went back to any high school during the Reagan or Bush years, most of the boys there would say they lean conservative or moderate as well. The only reason younger men acting more on these he-man misogyny-homophobia sprees now is because the trappings their fathers and grandfathers were promised are no longer viable realities and they're feeling betrayed about it. In the 70s you could go to school and college for cheap, then spend an entire week doing nothing but going to concerts and meeting cute girls because shows were 8 bucks a pop. The modern job market is garbage, college is getting more expensive, alienation is more common than ever with stagnant salaries forcing people to pick up longer shifts and take on anywhere from 2-4 jobs, leaving no time to socialize. The standards for masculinity remain the same as they were in the 50s, despite this. Boys are turning to guys like Andrew Tate and Kevin Samuels, because those guys are the embodiment of capitalist patriarchy and falling into that mindset reads, to them, as the quickest easiest and most "correct" way to achieve standards of manhood that are as highly regarded from the average person as they are outdated in this desolate economy we all find ourselves trapped under. It's very much the "We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars" monologue from Fight Club.

Spiraling into despair about it and turning it all into a big generation war or whatever just seems so....pointless to me? Like men are not becoming-- nor have they ever been-- uniquely evil and stupid. They're groomed by the trapping of western white supremacist capitalism. Seeing it as some unique new slight on reality with no solution just seems so blatantly wrong to me.

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wrestlegameslegacy · 9 months

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The Potential Funeral Of AEW Fight Forever

For my regular readers, you may recall my previous article where I detailed all the ways AEW: Fight Forever could become a fantastic, highly-competitive Ranked Fighter if they marketed it correctly. Unfortunately, they didn't get anything right. Within the first two weeks, the game experienced a massive decline in active players, especially on PC, going from around one thousand concurrent players to just 50 at any given time, according to VGInsights. The lack of promotion from THQ Nordic and AEW themselves has killed what could have been a special alternative to WWE 2K.

Fans have noticed that Kenny Omega has not personally promoted the video game or been seen playing it publicly. The lack of enthusiasm from the game's "grandfather" reflects on the fans' lack of motivation. If Kenny doesn't care, why should we? What happened to the enthusiasm from the original AEW Games Conference?

The only person championing the game on social media is Justin Leeper, the designer of RTE, who doesn't even work at Yukes anymore. Kenny doesn't care, THQ doesn't care, and frankly, I'm done caring. THQ employees don't tweet about playing it or stream it. Perhaps they are bored of it, or maybe they never cared about wrestling in the first place and just wanted another gem in their "Infinity Gauntlet" of collecting original THQ properties.

It's not just the marketing that killed the game; it's also the fact that a whole season of downloadable content was announced in mid-June. The game was released on June 29th, and as of writing this article in August, there has not been a single notable update to AEW: Fight Forever, and the DLC has been indefinitely delayed.

It's baffling that Yukes released a game where the main focus is supposed to be online play, yet they couldn't create a balanced and functional experience for players to enjoy. Online matches are dominated by unbalanced skills and overpowered Created Wrestlers, along with rage-quits that completely ruin the experience. We'll delve deeper into these issues shortly.

And even after all these problems, THQ Nordic's Zyddie and Jen Bigell have yet to provide any real glimmer of hope. It appears that the same issues that existed years ago with WWE, such as Yukes' inability to communicate with their publisher, are plaguing this game once again. As a source of mine pointed out when they announced Fight Forever, “Tony just inherited a developer with 20 years of wrestling game experience. He doesn’t realize he also just inherited all the problems that made 2K fire them.”

The Failure Of Marketing

The complete sales data of modern video games is no longer readily available, as publishers now consider playtime a success metric instead of complete sales numbers. Unfortunately, AEW: Fight Forever has fallen short in both aspects, according to algorithm estimates and available data. It debuted at #3 on the UK charts and sold an estimated 20,000-30,000 copies in the first week, which seems lukewarm considering the minimal competition. The report suggests a revenue of $900,000. Data for PC is more widely available, indicating that the game initially had over one thousand players but has now dipped to an average of 50 at any given time. VGInsights' algorithm estimates that nearly thirty thousand copies have been sold.

According to Dave Meltzer, AEW invested around ten million dollars into the game. The contributions from Yukes or THQ are not known, but as more delays occurred, the game became more expensive. According to Mike Straw's report from August 2022, the game was already "way over budget" and required further investment, presumably from AEW's side. This doesn't include any marketing budget, which likely involved significant expenses for hiring film crews and traveling to AEW shows to film segments with their wrestlers.

The game isn't selling as well as Tony Khan or Kenny Omega had envisioned, partly due to THQ's marketing strategy primarily relying on social media. It's a peculiar situation, as everything appeared promising over a year ago when they participated in events like GamesCom and Tokyo Game Show, setting up rings and hosting matches for convention crowds. The THQ Nordic that handled those events seemed to have a different attitude compared to the one that started marketing the game in late May.

I have always supported the theory that sometime in the Fall or early Winter of 2022, THQ lost complete confidence in Yukes' ability to deliver a profitable product, leading them to give up caring. Mike's report somewhat supports this theory, with statements like "Because of how things have gone during the development of AEW Fight Forever, there are some on both sides of the fence believing this may be a 'one and done' arrangement between AEW and Yuke's." If you analyze the behavior of THQ and AEW over the past year and observe how their attitude towards the game has changed, you'd realize this is probably not some far-fetched conspiracy.

Once the release date was announced, all THQ Nordic did was post entrance videos and finishers on Twitter. While I did mention in my previous article that they should do this, they did nothing else in an attempt to sell the game to millions of wrestling fans. No billboard advertisements in New York or LA, no real television spots, no short films, no tournaments—just clips. To someone analyzing video game marketing, it appears that they wanted the game to fail so they could potentially get a tax write-off or something similar.

Another interesting piece of evidence supporting this theory is that they completely neglected to market the Stadium Stampede mode before the game's release, which was an absolutely foolish decision. I had to leak the fact that Stadium Stampede even existed as a Battle Royale mode on Twitter through early datamining, before THQ even acknowledged its existence in the game. The tweet received mainstream coverage on almost every notable gaming website, yet for some reason, Zyddie (THQ representative) tried to deny it on the Discord server, dismissing it as a "rumor." Several people informed me that they pre-ordered the game solely because this mode was included. THQ didn't release a trailer for Stampede Mode until a few days after the game's launch and failed to provide any sort of timeframe for its release. As of now, in August, there is still no timeline for when this mode will be available to fans. A monkey dancing in an AEW Fight Forever T-Shirt on Twitch would likely generate more sales than the entire marketing effort THQ put into the game. The issue of the delayed Stadium Stampede mode leads us directly into our next section.

Indefinitely Delayed Content

In my previous article, I emphasized the need for complete transparency from THQNordic if they want to retain their fans. Once again, they have failed to listen. They promised a platform game with ongoing updates, yet provided no clear roadmap for this content. There are no dates for its release, and no updates on the progress of the content. Their refusal to take responsibility for the lack of communication and content highlights once again that corporations do NOT care about their consumers.

Regarding Stadium Stampede, there has been no update on its release timeframe, and players have no indication of how it functions or what to expect. The Battle Pass, which I previously leaked, has also not been officially confirmed to exist. It's incredibly baffling how this mode wasn't the central focus of the game's marketing campaign to attract the Fortnite crowd and hardcore battle royale fans. Although fans still eagerly await this mode, it's unlikely to bring back the majority of those who have already left.

While THQ continues to post random gameplay trailers on Twitter in an attempt to entice more purchases, some of these trailers hint at new content, such as a red Chris Jericho attire or new facepaint for Sting. However, it remains unclear if these items are definitely coming in an update or were accidentally showcased from a beta build. Why? Once again, THQ chooses to remain silent and fails to provide any information to their consumers. When will we get these items? How will we unlock them? Are they free or included with the Season Pass? There are only questions and no answers.

The most egregious issue of all lies in the Downloadable Content situation, where THQNordic is attempting to deflect blame, subtly pushing it onto Yukes – a developer with a 20-year history of incompetence. Regardless of how fun or enjoyable some may find the old WWE games, the fact remains that every single one was poorly programmed, including up to 2K19. Yukes is not known for being a good developer, and anyone claiming otherwise likely knows little about game development. In Japan, they have not secured any major gaming projects in their own country.

THQ Nordic announced the first Season Pass in mid-June, and to their credit, the official press release did not include specific dates. The content included FTR, Keith Lee, The Bunny, and Hookhausen. However, the content was registered on the Nintendo eShop later that day, and the eShop indicated that the Limitless Bunny bundle would release on July 25th, while the Hookhausen bundle would release on August 22nd. These dates were widely reported by major wrestling and gaming news pages, and there was no reason for anyone to doubt them. What's worse is that THQ Nordic never made any effort to correct these projected release dates on any website, and they remained circulating for over 4 weeks without correction.

As July 24th approached, fans were left wondering if there would be any marketing for the DLC, given its imminent release on the next day. Finally, THQ Nordic released a statement. While I appreciate Zyddie, the THQ Community Manager, for his efforts, he simply isn't the right fit for this job. He lacks knowledge of wrestling and the expertise to handle comments from the wrestling community. Moreover, he doesn't fully understand how experienced wrestling fans are in dealing with community managers and seeing through insincerities. Unfortunately, he has been mocked by the community, especially for his misunderstanding of "dog collar matches," where he believed it involved actual dogs. This mistake has been a constant source of ridicule. Anyway, here's the statement that was released about the Keith Lee bundle.

"There are currently no confirmed dates for the upcoming DLC. The placeholders at Nintendo are not accurate." First off, it's rather audacious to throw Nintendo under the bus and suggest that they "made shit up." I attempted to reach out to Nintendo for comment on the origin of these dates, but unfortunately, I received no reply.

"We are working to ensure the DLC is released as soon as the game is ready for it. Rushing the DLC could lead to serious issues, so we prefer to ensure a smooth implementation of new content." To an innocent reader, this statement might imply that the DLC is just taking more time. However, with my knowledge of Yukes and wrestling game history, I can read between the lines. The subtext here suggests that Yukes is unable to deliver the content within the dates they initially projected. Nintendo doesn't arbitrarily create dates; those dates were provided to them by the developers. They believed those dates, but later discovered that Yukes couldn't meet them. To quote Anakin Skywalker, "I see through the lies of the Jedi."

Customers who purchased the Season Pass and the Elite Edition are understandably upset that Keith Lee or The Bunny is not yet available in their game. Not only do they have reason to be mad about the delay, but they also lack any clarity about when the characters will actually be added. Many players have abandoned the game, and it is essentially dead in the water. As we approach the year's end, numerous big games are set to release in the next four months, making it highly unlikely that players will abandon popular titles like Call of Duty or Mortal Kombat 1 to return to AEW: Fight Forever just because a couple of new characters have been added. These characters' novelty will likely wear off quickly. Players would rather engage in games with millions of active players, possibly featuring popular figures like Nicki Minaj or Homelander.

My continuous tweets highlighting the lack of communication gained significant attention within the community, and as a result, THQ had to resort to damage control by releasing a statement promising more content. However, that alone is insufficient; we need more than just promises. We require specific dates, a clear roadmap, and details about what's included in "Patch #2" to reignite interest in this game. Effective communication is crucial.

It's disheartening to observe that despite their purported "best efforts," THQ is utterly incapable of delivering what the fans want. Even WWE 2K, which is also criticized for its communication, manages to reveal some surprises ahead of time. For instance, the new 2K Showdown Twitch show informs fans about upcoming DLC packs and previews additional bonuses, such as Sami Zayn's updated music in the latest WWE 2K23 patch. In contrast, All Elite Arcade has failed to engage in any promotional efforts during their show; they merely play the game on stream. THQ does not provide them with any content to share, and as consumers, we have learned nothing about the future of Fight Forever in the past month.

Death Of Online

I had high hopes for the Online mode, envisioning myself playing it daily and becoming one of those admired players whose matches others follow. Unfortunately, that dream never materialized because they seemingly forgot to test the Online balance before releasing the game. Yukes' failure in delivering a satisfying online experience isn't surprising, considering there hasn't been a single WWE game that fostered online competition in over a decade. AEW: Fight Forever had all the potential to become a tournament-based Ranked Fighter, but Yukes missed the mark entirely, dropping the keys to success along the way. Kenny Omega may have foreseen this outcome, which explains his lack of enthusiasm for the product he advocated to create.

One of the primary issues that emerged was the overuse of the Bail Out mechanic. As MJF, I used it strategically, role-playing his cheap heel tactics in situations that would be seen on TV. Fortunately, Bail Out has some balancing measures, such as a 5-second taunt that leaves the user vulnerable to punishment. However, during my online matches, opponents rarely capitalized on these windows and instead resorted to complaining about the perceived Bail Out spam. It is true that some users abused the Bail Out button, triggering it every time they were hit with a move, making it frustrating to mount any offense. To address this annoyance, a simple fix could limit its use online to a maximum of three times. While this is an overall nuisance, other issues were more detrimental to the demise of Ranked mode.

Firstly, the dominance of overpowered created wrestlers with "Meta" skills heavily skewed the online experience, making it difficult for fair players to mount any offense. These created characters possessed guard skills that prevented them from being downed by strikes, as well as buffs that granted extra momentum or higher kick-out probabilities. Despite Yukes' attempt to balance things by requiring created wrestlers to level up through "Road To Elite," it failed to deter players from taking these cheap characters online to secure high positions on the Leaderboards. As a result, online veterans began quitting matches as soon as they encountered a created wrestler, regardless of their stats being fair or not.

The second major problem was related to quitting matches. Even in what seemed to be a fair match with in-game roster members, some players would suddenly disconnect right after their opponent hit their finishing move. This rage quitting behavior spoiled the entire experience and discouraged players from seeking fair matchups. The penalties for rage quitting were insignificant, only resulting in a few leaderboard points being deducted, which was not a sufficient deterrent. Players were left wondering why opponents couldn't just accept the loss and take it like sportsmanship dictates.

Another significant issue arose from the game's use of peer-to-peer connections instead of dedicated servers, which probably wasn't in the budget. This choice led to half of the matches being connected to opponents with poor internet, causing severe logic lag and spirit meter desynchronization. This lag resulted in moments where players believed they had a special move available, only to realize that the meter was lagging behind, leading to unexpected outcomes during matches. The lack of a dedicated server negatively impacted the overall online gameplay experience.

During a recent feedback project, I suggested the implementation of AI to replace users who quit during online matches. Zyddie responded, stating that it would be a time-consuming endeavor, and I understood his perspective. However, it highlighted Yukes' lack of foresight in developing the game, as this feature should have been included from the start. In the past, WWE games had this functionality while Yukes was involved in their development, making it surprising that it was not part of the original design document for AEW: Fight Forever. Such messages reveal the shortcomings of Yukes in their current stage of life.

After the first week, the online mode saw a sharp decline in player interest. Even HaangEmHigh and I, who initially championed the online mode and planned to host a tournament, lost enthusiasm and steam. We both expressed our disinterest in playing online, leading our followers to feel the same way. The lack of fair competition and inadequate balance management made Ranked matches unappealing and discouraged players from engaging in online play.

Possible Future

The entire situation is incredibly frustrating, especially considering how vocal I was about the need for transparency, which was never delivered. While I don't entirely blame THQNordic, Zyddie, or anyone on their team, it appears that they, too, are in the dark about Yukes and the developments in Yokohama. Their updates are often limited to vague statements like "things are in development," and it seems that's all the information they receive themselves. For instance, their questions about the whereabouts of Stadium Stampede are probably met with responses like "almost ready," but unfortunately, regardless of what comes to the game in the next three months, many fans believe it's too little and too late.

One of the main criticisms of the game is that it lacks content for offline players, and this holds true, as I mentioned in my review for WCWWorldwide. Regrettably, nothing in the confirmed pipeline caters exclusively to offline players. While Stadium Stampede is a fantastic concept, it won't affect those who don't play online. Similarly, additions like Red Jericho and other attires, though neat, are merely cosmetic changes and do not add to the game's longevity. What players desire are more matches, which is feasible considering there's an entire match creator behind the scenes. Additionally, a better "Create-A-Wrestler" suite is in demand, and while advanced morphing might not be possible, adding more items and face types to the console players' library of characters would be highly appreciated. Regarding Road To Elite, even though Justin Leeper is no longer at Yukes, expansions by a new writer could enhance the character leveling experience. However, securing funding for such endeavors may prove challenging.

A common question I often discuss with friends is whether we might see another AEW game soon, and my honest belief is that it's insane to think any other developer or publisher would want to take on that task after this. Technically, AEW didn't do anything wrong, but the first impression in the industry is practically the only impression you get. I sometimes hear funny responses like, "Hopefully EA/[Other Huge Corp] will take them." However, that's not likely to happen. Business analysts know that big corporations require a guaranteed return on their investment, and the quick death of this game and its commercial failure means that AEW as a brand is at fault, not the game or product itself. IP (Intellectual Property) is incredibly important to the film and gaming industry now, and when an IP faces failure, it becomes tainted or blacklisted.

This can happen to even the biggest intellectual properties, like Marvel. Games like Midnight Suns, Guardians of the Galaxy (an excellent game), and Marvel's The Avengers all undersold, underperformed, and received underwhelming reviews. As a result, you don't hear about other games being announced using these IPs. The corporations believe that the brand is tainted in the eyes of the consumer. Instead, Marvel is now focusing on solo adventures, with Iron Man by EA, Wolverine and Spider-Man 2 by Insomniac. There are also rumors of a solo Black Panther game in development, as well as the Captain America/Black Panther war game. The corporate belief is now "fans don't want games based on a team or squad," and the blame will never be on themselves. Similarly, this is the case with All Elite Wrestling.

If Tony were to call up Electronic Arts right now to propose making an AEW game, they would likely laugh and hang up. The first obstacle is that mega-publishers like EA are only interested in wrestling video games if they involve the WWE brand, which is a global powerhouse. They generally show no interest in independent wrestling games or any "second-rate" promotions like AEW, ROH, or iMPACT. Even if they were open to non-WWE projects, AEW missed their chance to prove the brand's worth with their first attempt, and that makes it difficult to attract investment. This was similar to TNA's situation, as they were unable to release another game after Midway closed down, as nobody showed interest.

Another indicator of this reality is AEW's association with TNT, which is owned by Warner Bros Discovery. Warner Bros Games, a high-end publisher housing video games based on WBD properties, also did not want to publish AEW: Fight Forever. This suggests that even their own parent company recognized that the return on investment might not be worth it. Adding to this, Warner Bros Discovery's recent games have had rocky track records. Gotham Knights, based on the Batman IP, received poor reviews and sales. Hogwarts Legacy, although breaking sales records, faced weeks of negative press due to its association with J.K. Rowling's property. Furthermore, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League has faced significant criticism, leading to a one-year delay for further improvements. In this context, taking on any potential misses is a risk they can ill afford to take.

As a fan of All Elite Wrestling and video gaming, it's challenging to see a happy ending in this situation. After AEW: Fight Forever ends its support, there might be a possibility that Aubrey and Kenny reignite their passion for mobile games and attempt to compete with WWE by releasing high-quality games across various genres. The upcoming AEW: Figure Fighters has been announced, but it's unfortunate that it seems to be based on NFTs, which could be a polarizing choice.

THQ's actions have been puzzling, as they've remained completely silent while trying to act friendly. Even in my case, I was denied and ignored a review copy by the PR manager, but she later requested a mod once my following increased post-release. It's disappointing how the launch and post-launch were handled, especially for someone like me who has spoken to past and present Yukes employees. I hope that one day, someone like Kenny Omega or another person involved with the game comes forward with a full "tell-all" to shed light on the misfire and identify those fully responsible for it.

It's remarkable how they managed to miss their targets at every turn. The marketing campaign failed to generate enthusiasm from the publisher or licensee. Promised content has been indefinitely delayed without any clear timelines set by the publisher. The online mode has suffered a quick and merciless death due to the lack of fun matches. Unfortunately, I don't see a future where AEW survives and delivers meaningful updates without continuous funding. I have doubts about the possibility of a complete Season 2.

Despite the potential to become a fantastic, competitive Ranked Fighter, the game's marketing, lack of transparency, and delayed content caused its rapid decline in active players. Even Kenny Omega's lack of personal promotion and enthusiasm echoed the fans' disappointment. With THQ Nordic's questionable marketing strategy and Yukes' inability to deliver a balanced online experience, the game faced insurmountable challenges. Despite promises of ongoing updates, the indefinite delays and lack of communication further alienated players. As the game struggles to survive, the hope for a Season 2 and a meaningful future for All Elite Wrestling's gaming endeavors seems uncertain.

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