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look-how-they-massacred-them · 8 months

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Submission reason:

So, they establish Steve Rogers as this scrappy punk with a problem with authority and an unkillable bond with his best friend Bucky, right? And then they spend the next several movies developing him. He brings down a significant portion of the government, in part to save his best friend. He starts a war, also to save his best friend. He was willing to let his best friend beat him to death, and the last thing he would have said was to tell him to do it, because he was with him ""'til the end of the line."" He dropped the shield, the symbol of who he was and who he had become, the one that had been with him since 1943, because he was choosing loyalty to his best friend instead. He would kill god himself if it meant saving Bucky. He would pick a fight with someone four times his size if it meant protecting people and their rights. He has a big, long character arc about how he adjusts to living in a new century, and how, despite being a man out of time, he finds a new sort of space for himself in the century he's in. And then what do they do? When it comes time to write him out, they have him choose to go back in time, abandoning his friends and the life he had made for himself, in order to go back in time to the 1950's of all times, to marry a woman he kissed ONCE and is STRONGLY implied to have nazi sympathies to put it nicely. And the Google form is bugging out so I can't add any more

Spent a long time getting over time warp trauma only to abandon all his friends to run to the past for a woman who already lived her own full life (which he then erased/replaced/negated) and whom he already had closure with. NEVER NOT MAD ABOUT THIS

1) The third movie of the Captain America movie was altered to give Robert Downey Jr more screentime so he would get a bigger check. Thus, huge chunks of Steve (Captain America's) last movie are dedicated to a character that is unrelated to the plot of the preceding Cap film. This takes time away from all the Cap trilogy protagonists, including Steve. 2) Endgame, the final movie featuring Steve as Captain America, centers Steve's emotional journey on Peggy Carter. The end of Cap 1 and the beginning of Cap 2 emphasize how losing Peggy hurt Steve. However, Marvel pretty much fucked up by having Steve abandon the present day in order to have a life with Peggy. It rejects the investment in Steve's friendships with Sam & Bucky. It places a heterosexual marriage in mid-1900s as markedly more valuable than having multiple friendships in the present, which seems to cater to the Make America Great Again fanaticism that was surging in the US at the time of the film. It also takes the subplot of Steve's PTSD in Cap 2 and concludes his character by having him return to the past & unwriting much of the loss he experienced. This invalidates the Cap 2 + Cap 3 healing narrative of Steve making a life for himself despite trauma & loss. 3) Cap 2: The Winter Soldier shows Steve struggling with loneliness & loss of purpose. Sam & Natasha, minor protagonists, have their own emotional journeys. The movie is named after Bucky, Steve's best friend who has secretly been tortured and used by HYDRA. Steve is devasted about Bucky, and the emotional climax of the film features them fighting and conversing. This is a lot of investment in these two characters!! Cap 3 diverting screentime away from these 4 characters is bullshit, and Endgame barely showing the two interact -- and then having Steve leave Bucky without showing any internal struggle relating to that decision -- is an illogical waste of an interesting relationship that was built over the course of three movies. 4) Steve's character is inconsistent as fuck across the non-Cap-Trilogy films. It's because Marvel's staff/director choices were a mess. Whack af imo.

In Age of Ultron, Steve literally says ""Family, stability... The guy who wanted all that went in the ice 75 years ago. I think someone else came out."" And then he stays in the past with Peggy?? Abandons Bucky and the life he's built for someone he already saw die? The Steve I know has moved on from his past. And then he becomes an old man despite the fact that Bucky has barely aged in that same amount of time and they both have the same super serum in them. One of the worst ways I've ever seen a character written out of a franchise

Entire arc for 5+ movies was about learning how to adapt to living in the future, finding a team/friends/family he trusted and loved, and doing the right thing despite all of the baggage he had about his past; Avengers Endgame ignored ALL of that in favor of him choosing to return to the 1940's to be with a woman he had finally let go of, ignoring all development he'd had over nearly a decade of movies.

Sent back into the past to live an ‘ideal’ life in the 1950s, marry a woman who had canonically married someone else, and who, incidentally enabled a fascist death cult to take over SHIELD.

They spent many films building up Steve's relationship with his best friend Bucky, the only other person in the world who understood what he was going through who he constantly promised to stay with ""till the end of the line"" only to have Steve go back in time to live a life with Peggy Carter, a woman who told him to move on, leaving his friend all alone with no warning. He abandoned not only the person he had more of a bond with and more emotional scenes with than the woman he went back in time for, he also essentially abandoned his team and just his ability to help people in general despite the fact that helping others is the core of his character and the reason why he got his powers in the first place. (There's also the muddled implications involved with the fact that in going back in time he would have prevented the man Peggy was supposed to end up with from being with her but I won't go into all that mess).

Despite the whole ‘frozen for 70 years’ thing, he still got used to a new life. He had a girlfriend, multiple best friends, just an entire life. But no~ he had to pine after the dead girlfriend he knew for maybe a year and moved on from out of Nowhere and decide to rewrite her history for her to stay with her. Granted. I, as an aroace btw, would also love Peggy Carter. But it just came out of nowhere?! They both deserve better tbh

Propaganda:

He could've been so much cooler/tougher/"more punk" if the MCU wasn't scared of any sign of alternative culture from their cookie cutter All-American Boy fantasy.

ENDGAME destroyed Steve’s character.

I understand a lot of people have mixed or negative feelings about the MCU but I don't think that should be a reason to overlook how much they destroyed his character just to give him an ending and get him out of the MCU.

(I copied the wrong photo and it won’t let me fix it. Sorry. I can send in another if you can’t crop that one. I follow you so…) They thought it was a great idea for him to help raise his niece that he slept with in present day. Just saying why make it awkward man Also! This clearly had a v bad impact on said niece bc she went from SHIELD AGENT (good guy for the most part) to a leader of a criminal/gun smuggling operation. Good job Steve/writers what a sound decision

See above

we never saw Steve's mom, Sarah Rogers, but Tony Stark's mom appears in TWO scenes in the third (read: FINAL) Cap film???!!!?? In STEVE'S movie?!!?? WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!

#look how they massacred them poll #look how they massacred my boy #steve rogers #marvel cinematic universe #mcu #captain america #mcu steve rogers #propaganda post

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gayofthefae · 7 days

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"The van scene is just for Will's plotline it doesn't affect Mike" what if I said the opposite was true. What if I said it did not serve as a climax for Will because he had already demonstrated an ability for honesty, vulnerability, and the self-assurance required in his confrontation of Mike in episode 2. What if I said that it only served his story as an inciting incident for the Jonathan coming out scene - a scene which, as I've said before, was the actual climax of his season arc, which was about his queerness, not Mike.

It is a setup for Mike, we know that, but it also doesn't really directly serve Will's arc at all. It is a self sabotage - setup for season 5, but something we already know him to do. It is a transition point for Mike. And it is the straw that breaks the camel's back for Jonathan. Besides that, it speaks directly to the audience at best. But it does not serve Will. He gets nothing truly off his chest because he is not unburdened - if anything worse off because he gave up his hope, he doesn't teach us things we couldn't otherwise deduce, and it moves him no internally closer to closure.

The speech only serves for Mike to react to and Jonathan to witness (and the cinematography reflects that). The following scenes reflect that too. The only scenes of importance in either plot following that are Will's scene with Jonathan and Mike telling El he loves her. Both directly tied to the speech, Mike's more textually, and no independently actionable resolution for Will.

This was the post but I had more thoughts, per usual

Will has a theme of unactionable resolutions. In episode 2 he is honest and from there the ball is in Mike's court. His most actionable plot is the painting, which he has demonstrated the vulnerability for already but the self-prioritization required is not a line he as a character is willing to cross, something that isn't a character flaw in need of resolution given what he logically believes the effects would be. The ball is in Mike's court from the beginning and remains there. And will remain there. Will had no arc necessity to confess because not confessing exposed no character flaws (shoutout to the writers for not presenting choosing to remain in the closet as a character flaw!!!). He was put in a helpless position of heartbreak and sadness and, like all of us wanted for him, wanted to do something about it, wanted to be able to do something about it, so he tried, but ultimately realized that the risk outweighed the reward, and the cost of the reward (El) would outweigh it anyways. That is logical. He is logical. He does everything logically. He is helpless this season. And he wants to believe he isn't, and we want to believe he isn't, but he is. Because the ball is in Mike's court. It was then and it is now. And it has been since the Snow Ball, really.

Because in December, 1984, after Will's perpetual but logical inaction towards a relationship, Mike took action against one. And since, it has been his job to undo, and his job to communicate contradictory to his actions that he wants one. Inaction does not require a solution unless it is representative of a problem to be solved. Will's is not. Mike's problem is he takes protective action impulsively when he gets scared that ultimately traps and harms him and others. Mike's problem is not inaction either. If they had stayed silently pining 13 year olds forever it would not have been a character flaw on either of their parts. But Mike took unnecessary - understandable, but unnecessary - action in the eyes of the plot. One can debate whether he did it in December 1983. Or whether he did it in July 1985. Or whether he did it in March 1986 when he ignored Will, because silence is not inaction if it as an active change. But no matter when it became an unnecessary choice,

The ball is in his court because it was never in anyone else's. The ball is in his court because Will never stepped foot on a court. Will isn't playing the game, he didn't pick up a ball. He sat in the stands and watched. In March 1986, he moved to the bench and Jonathan saw him but still, he never stepped foot on the court. He was never playing the game. (Apologies. This isn't a stupid sports game)/ref.

The ball is in Mike's court because as far as actionable plotlines reflecting internal growth go, Mike and Will's relationship is and always has been Mike's plot. Will's is allowing himself to take up space; he's getting closer, and allowing himself to have Mike will be the ultimate demonstration of that, just not its purpose. But Mike's is Will.

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exsanguidus · 8 months

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{ HEADCANON }

cw: nsfw, sexual trauma

Astarion has no idea that sex is supposed to actually feel pleasurable for him, too. He mentions in game:

"I have bedded thousands of people. Half of them I barely remember. Most of them didn't even grant me temporary bliss."

To put it plainly, he rarely ever finished. And, those few moments he did, it was literally just his body reacting to physical stimulation rather than him actually enjoying the deed.

He was never allowed to experience sex in a way that would be fulfilling for him. It was always meant to fulfill his target, which is exactly why he took on a servicing role and anticipated his target's every sexual need and sexual fantasy. Even if he wasn't physically attracted to them or even remotely in the mood.

Which, more often than not (especially after the first decade), he wasn't ever in the mood or attracted to his targets because he couldn't afford that luxury. It was a numbers game to Cazador, and Astarion had to provide or be punished for his failure to.

For that reason, he learned to be more efficient a lover - not just to get the deed done well, but as quickly as possible. He even learns how to pretend that he is enjoying it, to pretend he also reaches a climax like his target.

When Astarion propositions Tav and the two spend an intimate night together, he doesn't finish. He doesn't even bother trying because his goal is to use sex to manipulate Tav into bonding with him as a way for him to have more protection. He pretends, however, just as he has many times over the century.

The second time he propositions Tav during the party, he allows himself to explore just a little. Perhaps its the jovial spirit that affected him. Perhaps curiosity. Perhaps just because he wanted to test himself. He still doesn't finish because the disassociation takes over, and he still has it in his mind he's only being intimate with Tav as a transaction; therefore, he can't afford to mess it up.

By ceasing sexual activity with Tav when he comes to the realization that he actually cares about Tav and wants more than to be seen as a sexual object, he allows himself time to learn how to be genuine and real non-sexuallly.

This is extremely important for him because he does want to be able to provide sex to Tav in a way that is genuine and real, because he believes they deserve it and would want to be able to fulfill that need for Tav.

This is why he waits until he takes Tav to the graveyard. After he's able to get closure by killing Cazador and after he and Tav spent so long building up trust and non-sexual intimacy.

He's able to obtain bliss then. Not just the bliss of feeling seen, heard, and cared for, but also the bliss of experiencing sex as being pleasurable for himself as equally as his partner.

Mind you, that's not going to suddenly make him actually some sex-depraved fiend. He's never actually going to be. He'll learn to enjoy it for the connection and intimacy it can provide with Tav, but it won't be his end-all, be-all.

It'd just be an additional benefit to their relationship. And, if anything, he'd be far more into flirting and foreplay than actual sex. And only because he'd find enjoyment in giving Tav bliss moreso than finding some for himself, because he's allowed to perform and service on his terms and allowed to say no with full confidence that his autonomy will be respected.

He'd gain bliss just knowing that Tav is having their needs met, being able to be present with them, being vulnerable together, and the constant communication they would have during the act itself (that would be extremely important to him, as he'd want Tav to know he's enjoying himself in his own way even if he doesn't finish all the time, be it because he chooses not to or he just can't at that particular time).

#hc ; in one's blood #penned by grim ;

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mooifyourecows · 2 months

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Can I ask your top favorite fics that you've written (feel free how much that you want to list)? Why they're special to you? Is there a specific inspiration when you wrote them? Thanks....

Hmmmm let's see... I'll do top five. Generally I like ALL the fics that I've written (I wouldn't post something I didn't like, tbh)(even though some have been started and then completely abandoned RIP sorry to them) so it's kinda difficult to rank them, but here's my best whack at it:

Summer Rain- I really enjoy writing this fic. I love the massive cast and all the little storylines happening all at once. I know it's kinda on hiatus at the moment but I really do look forward to when I get back to writing it because I love thinking about how everything will eventually coalesce into the climax. Dropping off on cliffhangers is also a special indulgence of mine, even if it makes people angry 😈I started this one based off of an OLD original story idea i had once upon a time. I realized that it had a better chance of getting written if it was a daisuga fic, so here it is! Though it definitely went completely off the rails from the original plan.... (in a good way)

and the Emi goes to...- The DaiSuga dynamic in this one is probably one of my favorites. At this point everyone should know I LOVE slow burns and this one takes its sweet ass time. And as someone who hates the idea of being a parent myself, it's nice being able to live vicariously through the characters to get my fill of parenthood without ever having to have a kid lmao. My inspiration was "I want to write a single parent AU" and poof, there it was.

Let it Ride- Man I don't even know what it is about this fic but I adore it. I think Daisuga's relationship in it is just so... 😘👌 The childhood best friends who know everything about each other and are willing do to ANYTHING for one another, even give up the opportunity of a lifetime... just the sentiment of loving someone so much that you'd be happy struggling with them really takes me out, you know? It's about love but it's about like, too. They LIKE each other so much, what a pair! I got the idea to write it because I LOVE fake relationship AUs and I LOVE LOVE when the stakes are set at the highest setting, AKA Marriage.

Hard Times- Another fake dating AU because as previously mentioned I LOVE them. This one just checks so many boxes for me. Revenge? Crime? Sex? Comedy? Drama? More revenge? Closure? Catholicism? Sign me up! (as the writer I think I'm automatically signed up, but ya know.) I had a lot of fun writing it. And Radish made beautiful art for it so really, what's not to like? I don't remember what inspired it... I think I just wanted to write another fake dating scenario with a funny meet cute.

Open Tab- I feel like I'm obligated to put Open Tab on any list when it comes to my writing because it's the OG, ya know? It's the first fic that got me deep into the Haikyuu fandom and I gotta appreciate it for that reason alone. We've been through a lot together, me and good ol OT. The only hate mail I ever got was on Open Tab. The thrill of it all... I had so much fun writing it. And while right now it's definitely a bit of a pain in my ass, trying to get the motivation to continue it, I can't erase all the good times we had together. I owe it a lot! Someday it will finally be over and I'm both dreading and looking forward to that day. My inspiration was alcoholism. Drink responsibly, kids.

#daisuga

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wettestwraith · 1 year

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Saw someone say that Klapollo is poor man's Narumitsu and I have A Lot Of Things to say about that. First off, Klapollo's dynamic is in no way comparable to Narumitsu, each ship has their own unique value and merit to them. You have these two guys who used to be childhood best friends until the other got adopted by his father's murder and had to leave for Germany and when Phoenix saw his face again, he learned that he had become a prosecutor, when he wanted to be a defense attorney like his father. His demeanor had also changed, gone was the Edgeworth who stood up for him in the class trial, he seemingly became a man who would do anything to win a case. And so Phoenix dropped everything he had planned for his life to become a defense attorney JUST SO HE CAN TALK TO THE MAN AGAIN. Now let me remind you that Edgeworth spended most of his life thinking that he had killed his father in that elevator, here comes Phoenix when Edgeworth got framed for murder. He reveals the truth to Edgeworth, that he hadn't killed his father, the real murderer was the one who had taught him everything he knew, who took him under his wing and acted as a guardian for him (a terrible one for sure though). He is able to take off this guilt that Edgeworth has been letting cosume him for all these years. He is able to deliver closure to Edgeworth's trauma.

It's also worth noting that Edgeworth has a customized chessboard that has the pieces look like him and Phoenix. Also we musn't forget "You've saddled me with... unnecessary feelings".

Now Klapollo? Sure they share some similarities to Narumitsu but the appeal is different. For you see, here is this lawyer who was a prodigy in school and he's also a world-renowned rockstar, here's this Guy who is a fan of Phoenix Wright and got into law as he was inspired by him. Klavier sees this average-looking man and goes "I've never felt this way with a man before~", Phoenix and Edgeworth would never be able to have done that, nah man everything these motherfuckers do together has to be dramatic as shit (sure you've got comedic moments here and there but these two are so angsty istg). The thing with Klapollo is that unlike Narumitsu, they are actually able to maintain a friendly relationship before the big climax of the games. Klavier is able to act professional (sorry Edgeworth but um... yeah) towards Apollo and doesn't go out of his way to antagonize him. You see, one of the main appeals for this ship is that Klavier twirls his hair and daydreams about this Some Guy who is the most Some Guy to ever live and probably takes pride in that (of course he has a shounen anime protagonist backstory but we'll get to that in a bit). And now we reach the part where we learn more about Apollo, and how you can draw parallels to Klavier's situation. Apollo just like Klavier has an estranged relationship with his brother, of course Apollo's brother had to be separated him due to Ga'ran's reign of terror and Nahyuta was forced to send defense attorneys to their deaths to keep his little sister safe, unlike Kristoph who did everything on purpose to achieve glory. Klapollo are not in any way comparable to Narumitsu, because Klapollo offers a healthy relationship with a solid foundation, a fun dynamic and some depth to it while Narumitsu is... I mean it's not unhealthy it's just that they're a fucking mess like they added way more extra steps in friends to enemies to lovers

#ace attorney #narumitsu #klapollo #wrightworth #phoenix wright #miles edgeworth #klavier gavin #apollo justice #i hope i got my point across #no shade to either ship i love them botb for different reasons

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cordelia-street · 2 years

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Bollywood Movie Recommendations!

1.Sardar Udham

Length: 2h 42minute

Genre: Thriller, Crime, Biographical

Plot: Indian Revolutionary Udham Singh wants to avenge those lost in Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.

Starring: Vicky Kaushal, Banita Sandhu, Amol Parashar, Kristy Averton, Shaun Scott.

Notes from me: The acting done by Vicky Kaushal as the titular character is absolutely phenomenal and just tugs at your heartstrings, also the last 40 minutes are absolutely tear jerking.

2. Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na

Length: 2h 35 minutes

Genre: Rom-Com, Slice-of-life

Plot: BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS!!! Two bestfriends Jai and Aditi are obliviously in love with each other until they start dating other people.

Starring: Genelia D’Souza, Imran Khan, Ratna Pathak Shah, Prateik Babbar

Note: COMFORT MOVIE!!!! I love absolutely everything, the connection between the friends, THE SOUNDTRACK!!

3. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Length: 2h 30 minutes

Genre: Road trip, Comedy

Plot: Three friends Imran, Arjun and Kabir go on a road trip across Spain, before Kabir’s wedding and find imperfect flaws in their life, make decisions with the help of these friends and guide their way through life

Starring: Farhan Akhtar, Hritik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin, Katrina Kaif

Note: love!! once again a comfort movie, leaves you feeling refreshed and wanting to go on a cross country road trip with yout friends!

3. Haider

Length: 2h 40 minutes

Genre: Drama, Thriller, Action

Plot: An adaptation of the Shakespearean play Hamlet set in modern day Jammu & Kashmir. Haider returns to Jammu & Kashmir to find closure for his father’s death, but the states’ politics situation overpower him.

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon, Irrfan Khan

Note: A great movie which does not just portray Kashmir as this “beautiful picturesque scenery” but the harsh political reality of this fractured state, which is not easy to portray. This, in my opinion is one of the best acting performance of Shahid Kapoor’s career. Tabu as always SHINES (she should be stored in a gold vault istg), Kay Kay Menon steals the show with his perfectly sinister portrayal of Haider’s Uncle.

4. Kapoor & Sons

Length: 2h 12 minutes

Genre: Drama, Slice-Of-Life

Plot: Two brothers Arjun and Rahul return home to Conoor to visit their ailing Grandfather. During this stay the entire family discovers just how dysfunctional and fractured their relationships are.

Starring: Fawad Khan, Sidarth Malhotra, Rishi Kapoor, Ratna Pathak Shah, Rajat Kapoor

Note: Albeit a slow 20 minutes in the start, the movie really engages you and makes you uncover the aspects of the Kapoor family with them and makes you realise just how broken and tired of the façade of happiness they truly are.

6. Guzaarish

Length: 2 hours

Genre: Drama, Romance

Plot: Former renowned magician Ethan Mascarenhas is quadriplegic and expresses his guzaarish (request) for euthanasia.

Starring: Hritik Roshan, Aishwariya Rai, Aditya Roy Kapur

7. Andhadhun

Length: 2h 18 minutes

Genre: Thriller, Crime, Comedy

Plot: Akash, a piano player pretending to be visually-impaired, unwittingly becomes entangled in a number of problems as he witnesses the murder of a former film actor

Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Manav Vij

Note: TABU!!! Her portrayal of Simi, the wife of the film actor is so good and entrancing. Ayushmann in the film’s climax shines. The plot twists are chefs kiss.

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friendsdontlieokay · 2 months

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Oh how funny is this, it's only recently that I figured out that no matter how hard I try, all my relationships are gonna get doomed someday anyway, and every time it does, it's always gonna hurt the same, so I started detaching myself from everyone and everything at all.

And as a coping mechanism from everything, I find my comfort and warmth in TV series or webtoons, and as a matter of fact I feel less lonely, because it's like I still have friends I can count on without having the fear that it's gonna get ruined too because of something or someone.

But guess what? The Guy Upstairs, which is one of my favorite webtoons ever, is also getting discontinued, oh wow. I know it might not be a big deal to many, but it is to me, these things are one of the only things in life that keep me going, fr. And it hurts on so many levels when they end, which is one of the big reasons why I backed off for a while from the Stranger Things fandom too, I guess I wasn't ready yet that they're filming the last season, but at least it's getting a closure so I'll have to accept it and I will, I just need a little bit more time, but The Guy Upstairs?

The story reaches it's season finale, hits the climax to the point that the protagonist's accomplice backstabs her and turns out to be the antagonist's accomplice instead, Adam and Rozy AKA the protagonist and antagonist finally will be able to get their genuine talk, Rozy gets f***ing kidnapped by Adam and Alex! And somehow Adam and Rozy are biological siblings as said by the author, worst part, I already guessed it and was excited for it but oh oops it's gonna get discontinued right? So what's the point at all?

Plus the ending just puts up so many questions all at once and the writer decides to just stop all at once? I get it, she's been getting harassed by Rozy x Adam shippers which is a literally sick ship I agree, but there are people who like it, plus she's the one who wrote the characters so the people shipping it is to be expected right? Still I get it, when the author did say that she's not gonna make this ship canon because it's absolutely horrible and psychopathic, and people wanted the ship to sail even after knowing they're biological siblings and kept bothering her and harassing her when she clearly said she doesn't like it, so I get it, taking a break is okay, but stopping it altogether? What about the people who actually enjoyed it? How is this fair? Idk dude, it seems like the universe is plotting to make my life miserable

#the guy upstairs #adam bahri #rozy #rozanna #nur hawani roslan #hawa roslan #hanza art

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cerastes · 2 years

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Ok. Uh. I stopped reading the main story after Chapter 5. You mean to tell me that:

In Laterano, they're 100% free to do whatever they want so long as it doesn't violate the constitution

Also Laterano has lots of guns, to an extent that puts even the United States to shame

Sanktas are Christian, also angels

Sarkaz consider "devil" to be a racial slur

Theresa is the king of something or other and she's got a brother? Did Doctor date Theresa or am I thinking of someone else?

What the fuck is Mostima's deal? If there's that natural Angel vs Devil/Sankta vs Sarkaz what the fuck is Mostima doing? I think her file says fallen angel, so is she Sankta and she just fucking grew horns like a Sarkaz? She aimed a gun at an angel a Sankta, which I guess is unconstitutional so you get kicked out of Heaven Laterano? Huh?

You have lost your privileges go to hell???

Please help me I'm probably missing something I need to read the story

Alright so

Not quite, they still have things like taxes, lawsuits, and all sorts of bureaucracy, they are not free to do whatever they want besides their Constitution. A running gag with Ambriel, for example, is that she doesn't want to ever meet Executor because she has dodged her taxes for a while now, and Executor is an, mm, executor from the Laterano Notarial Hall. It's not really free reign to do Anything. What you likely refer to is the Law (capitalized), an entity/phenomenon all Sankta are connected to through their haloes. Breaking the laws in the Constitution makes them Fallen Sankta, which we do not know 100% yet (Ambriel evades taxes but isn't Fallen). It is important to know that the Law is not fully understood by Sankta but definitely has a will, as Sankta aligned with the Notarial Hall are allowed, if circumstance permits it, to use lethal force on other Sankta with their guns without repercussion, which in any other case would immediately make that Sankta Fallen.

Laterano is the main producer of guns, and Sankta are incredibly adept at using them, to the point that other races using them is considered a feat. Jessica, Liskarm, W, Skullshatterer and Gravestone, for example, are notorious non-Sankta firearm users, and your skill and adaptability with Arts directly translates to skill with firearms. The exception to this is Sesa, who has very poor Arts adaptability but is a master engineer that can mod firearms so even people with poor Arts skill (like himself) can use them. It is a tradition among Kazdel Sarkazians to raid Laterano convoys and steal their guns to keep not as weapons, but as trophies. It's why W has so many guns (even though the only one she uses is her grenade launcher).

More or less. That's the structure we have knowledge of so far. They even have a Pope, Evangelista XI, who is known to be lenient and even allows Fallen Sankta to work for Laterano's government so long as their crime wasn't too grave.

It is indeed rude to call Sarkaz "devils" or "demons". This takes on a whole new meaning when you realize there are actual entities known as Demons that are not Sarkazian. That said, there are many different kinds of Sarkaz, not all based on demons, such as the Vampire clan (Warfarin, Midnight, Closure) or the Gargoyle clan (Mudrock; depending on whether you consider gargoyles to be a kind of demon or not).

Theresa was the King of Sarkaz, and fought her brother, Theresis, over the title, which Theresis desired. In the end, Theresis won, but the details behind the climax of this particular conflict are still shrouded in mystery and will be for the foreseeable future, as that is very vital information regarding the Doctor. You may interpret Theresa's relationship with the Doctor to be as such, if you wish, but it isn't explicitly confirmed to be that. That said, Doctor was the only person Theresa would allow in her personal quarters, not even Kal'tsit was allowed this privilege, and Amiya implicitly considers Theresa and Doctor to be her parents of sorts, while also explicitly not considering Kal'tsit as such.

Mostima is the sole Fallen Sankta we know of and the answer to your questions regarding her will be answered on the 16th when the next event, centered around her, goes live.

#ryukiki #arknights

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bloodyshadow1 · 6 months

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just some negatives and nitpicks about Scott Pilgrim takes off. The show is still great, but I need to get these out of my head to enjoy the show fully. It's just a me thing. Ignore if you're not interested, but if you're curious you're welcome to look under the read more

First off, I know the limits of what they had, they only had 8 eps, that's all they could do, but I'm still going to complain about somethings that couldn't really be changed in that regard.

I think the other members of Sex-bob-omb were underutilized. I completely understand why, but I feel liek they moved on from Scott's death really quickly and it would have been nice to see them team up with Ramona throughout the series instead of just the second half,

I think some of the evil ex's, at least Roxie and Lucas, were underutilized too. Roxie and Lucas were the only members of the league who I have sympathy for and they are the only ones that seem like they got real closure with her. I know Lucas shows up in the episode where he becomes Gideon/Gordon's bro, but Roxie disappears until the climax. I think the two of them should have stayed and maybe helped with Ramona's quest to find Scott as part of their stories. They just kinda get closure and go. Having them turn around and actively help Ramona is different than just moving on.

Which leads me to my next negative, we still don't really see the relationships between members of the league which I think is a shame. I get that they're not friends, barely even allies, but still, if you're going to reimagine the story, why not delve deeper into the relationships between the ex's. we know Lucas and Todd don't like each other since Lucas became an ex because Ramona left him for Todd, but that's it. Gideon and Lucas' bonding moments in the show were some of the best, and it would have been nice to see more interactions even if they're negative. They just kind of see Gideon get deposed by Matthew and then barely even interact. There's not any interaction in the comics either, I just think it's a waste

Even though it's set up for Ramona to get closure with her exes while investigating them for Scott's disappearance but she really doesn't. Gideon is deposed and moves on with Julie, Matthew took the rejection as well as you would expect but moves on by running the company he took from Gideon and finally becoming a theater star, Todd moves on from Ramona to obsessing over Wallace and is more depressed over getting dumped than he ever seemed to be with Ramona, and Scott comes back before she even investigates the brothers. I'm not sure if she even has a conversation with the brothers, they just move on because of future knowledge and that's it. I really liked how she was able to heal with Roxie and Lucas to the point of wanting more, while the others are just suspects if that and then she leaves them. and it just feels like a waste

Wallace... he just seemed to be a one note character in the series and that note is just about every mean gay man stereotype. He gets around, which isn't an issue since he's like that in the comic too, but his fling with Todd just seems unnecessarily mean and he doesn't communicate what it is until he dumps him. He's supposed to be snarky and sassy, but still a decent friend to Scott helping more often than not. In the anime, he's just mean and bitchy and it just felt unnecessary to me. Every one of Scott's friends moved on really quickly after his 'death' but Wallace felt more like Julie instead of himself.

Scott never really goes through the character development that he does in the comics. I have my criticisms about Scott as a character, but the one big important part of the series is him realizing he's a dick, that he's the hero in his own mind, and needs to grow up. He doesn't do that in the anime, sure he still fights and evil alternate version of himself, but he still doesn't really wake up to his own flaws, as much see the flaws in his future self. Which I can kind of get behind, but it still doesn't make much sense that he gets together with Ramona at the end.

this is the only one that I think is really controversial, but I still don't care about the relationship between Ramona and Scott. I understand that it's built into the DNA of the series and the franchise as a whole, but I still don't care.

Little nitpick to end on, but the sparks are a lazy way of writing and if they were in the original comic I would still feel the same way. They seem to be used as a signifiyer of true love, which is lazy writing in it's own way. Relationships are about growing and learning from and about each other. there's no reason to place such a significance on a first kiss. Yes I understand they're a metaphor for the spark you feel when you meet someone for the the first time, or kiss someone for the first time, but in real life that feeling will actually lead you astray and making it something concrete in universe just seems like weak writing to me.

I always seem to have more negatives to say about the shows I like than positives, but it's mostly because I think about the positives more while, the negatives are things that I kind of wish I could wish away or change for the better. Still, Scott Pilgrim takes off is awesome and again, highly recommend it

#scott pilgrim #scott pilgrim takes off #scott pilgrim takes off spoilers #spto #spto spoilers

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innuendostudios · 2 years

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Nietzsche's Eternal Return (to Monkey Island)

[spoilers ahoy]

Theme The person who is returning to Monkey Island here is, most obviously, Ron Gilbert. He got him brand back. Go Ron! And, look, I was skeptical. I mean, I was, above all, cautiously optimistic! But I was keeping my skeptic hat on the coat rack next to my hoodie, you know? I said the philosophy of The Secret of Monkey Island is "cheerful nihilism," and I stand by that. But Ron Gilbert's nihilism is not always cheerful. Or, actually, I think he's usually having a good time, but it often feels at my expense. How badly did I want him to take me back to the first series I ever loved?

I am on record as having never liked the ending of Monkey Island 2, which is the last Monkey Island game Ron directed (though he apparently had some peripheral involvement in Tales of Monkey Island). I am also on record as having haaaaaaaaaated the ending of his last adventure game, Thimbleweed Park. Ron likes a cop-out ending. Frankly you should know that by now - don't play Return to Monkey Island if you aren't prepared for a cop-out ending. It's what Ron does. And sometimes... sometimes it's a deliberate rug-pull. Sometimes he's laughing at you for expecting the ending to be good.

The Secret of Monkey Island's ending was a bit of a piss-take. It was short, it was abrupt, it rendered the entire plot up to that point irrelevant. Its instant replays and Blimp-cams and snarky final lines made it a parody of a video game ending. But, parody or no, it was an ending! It was a climax. You returned to the starting point, blew up the villain, and reunited with the love interest. Even in air quotes, it was the way you expect stories to end.

Monkey Island 2 intentionally denied you that ending. Refused closure. Told you all the events you just witness, and the events of the previous game, may never have happened. I originally played the game on its "easier puzzles" mode, and, when I got to the end, thought there must be a proper ending if you play normally, but nope. Spent a solid year stuck on Part II, refusing to get a hint book, before finally getting back to the ending, and thbthbthbthbthb. Fuck me for caring I guess.

The joke of The Secret of Monkey Island is Monkey Island having a secret is brought up in Part I, so you expect it to be relevant, given the game's title and all, and then, once the plot kicks into gear, you get focused on Elaine's kidnapping and the rescue mission and confronting LeChuck, and it's not til sometime after you finish that you think, "Wait... they never told us the secret." I don't think it's even mentioned after Part I.

Monkey Island 2 never lets you forget its macguffin. You are searching for the treasure of Big Whoop. No one knows what it is, but it's what you're after. There is no distraction, no romantic subplot that takes over your attention. Hell, the game makes it clear that Guybrush's obsession with being the kind of famous pirate who would look for Big Whoop has ruined his relationship and annoys his friends. The game hinges on Big Whoop. But, once again, you never find out what it is, and it's not an "oh that's funny" moment that hits you an hour after you play; it is, as Cobain would say, a denial.

And then Gilbert left LucasArts, the series was continued by other developers, and whatever resolution he had in mind for the MI2's putative "cliffhanger" ending was left to our imaginations for thirty years. Until now.

So the question is not whether, in Return to Monkey Island, you will finally find the secret. You oughtta know you're not finding that secret. The question is: which kind of cop-out will Ron give you?

And what Ron has done is kind of amazing: he has found a cop-out ending that is, for the first time in the series, emotional. He has made the denial of closure resonant. He has gone meta that quiet, knowing way that most Neil Gaiman stories are meta: yes, this is a fun story about pirates, but it's also a story about stories about pirates. This is Guybrush, the guy who couldn't shut up about the greatness of his adventures in Monkey Island 2, telling his son a story. He's not telling it because the ending is exciting, because the Secret of Monkey Island is so mind-blowing once revealed. He's telling it to relate to his son.

The ending is a big nothing. It's a joke. Elaine walks up when it's over and says "you tell that story differently every time." When your son presses you to tell him what the secret is, the game gives you six dialogue options with different answers. It doesn't matter what the secret is. And, unlike when a young Guybrush found the empty chest of Big Whoop, this time he knows it. He has a family and a storied life. That's the treasure a lifetime on the seas brought him.

Some people hate this ending. But, maybe for the first time, I'm on Ron's side of a polarizing ending. Monkey Island has always made me laugh; even the mixed bags that are Escape and Tales find chuckles somewhere. And the developers who are not Ron Gilbert have attempted pathos before; Tales went so far as to let Guybrush die - like, not fake his death like in Curse but legit die - but the results were mixed. This is the first time Monkey Island has given me feelings. Ron Gilbert, the man who told stories deep-fried in irony, who gave me the finger for expecting them to resolve, finally, all these years later, gave me feelings. Maybe he could only do it after thirty years, once a sarcastic parody of a pirate game starts to feel nostalgic simply because it's been in your life so long. But he did it.

Go Ron.

Design The clever thing about Return's structure is how it apes, subverts, and expands upon those of Ron's other two entries. You spend a decent chunk of this game tracing the footsteps of Secret: Part I is on Mêlée Island, with the Scumm Bar and Otis locked in jail and its twisty forest surveyed with weird maps; Part II is on a ship to Monkey Island where you have to recreate the potion that took you there in the first game; Part III is on Monkey Island itself, with its banana tree on the beach and its giant monkey head and its incredible view from the mountaintop; and Part IV seems to be wrapping things up, as you hurry back to Mêlée because the place you needed to be all along is back where you started.

And just when you think the game is wrapping up... it turns into Monkey Island 2.

Suddenly you have a ship and a map of the surrounding seas and a whole bunch of new islands to check out. It's that enormous sprawl from Part II of LeChuck's Revenge.

It's a bit cheeky to get to what feels like the end and think, "huh, I guess this game is a tight 7 hours," and then run aground on the game's surprise second half.

The player's (presumed) familiarity with the series becomes a playground for the designers. You expect insult swordfighting, so you laugh when LeChuck gives you two comebacks in a row and then just punches you. (It's also cute that Guybrush and Carla the Swordmaster can only converse while swordfighting.) You already know the potion that takes you to Monkey Island requires a pressed human skull, so of course this time it's Murray; "pressed" is his default emotion! You expect Guybrush to fall off the side of the plateau and get bounced back up by a rubber tree, so you laugh when Guybrush keeps jumping up and down on the bit that broke before only to have it stay solid, and then later when he gets kicked off you think "ahahahaaa, he's going to land on the rubber tree!" only to find him twisted and mangled having landed on... a rubber tree stump.

LeChuck's Revenge was such a departure from the first game that you can see, in Curse, how the new developers wanted to course correct. This is a trend, I've found: an IP comes out that is widely beloved; the first sequel is the same team doing something weirder and more ambitious, and is met with divided response; then the series it taken over by fans of the original who, instead of being weird and ambitious, ignore the first sequel's innovations and turn the original entry into a formula. I guess what I'm saying is, much as I enjoy it, Curse of Monkey Island is the Jurassic Park III of the series. (See also: Myst.)

First island: map, ship, crew. Then a stretch on a boat. Then a new Island. Then a (usually short and lackluster) confrontation with LeChuck. There will be some variant of insult swordfighting. You will have to decipher an obtuse map. Everything that made the first game unique will be repeated. This is true of Curse, and much of it holds for Escape and Tales.

Return knows this formula has been established, knows you have expectations. And anywhere the player has expectations, they can be confounded.

Character The Guybrush of Return to Monkey Island feels like a magic trick. He manages to feel continuous with every previous iteration of the character, none of whom felt continuous with each other. He blends the naïveté of Secret's Guybrush with the amorality of LeChuck's Revenge Guybrush, the wiseassery of Curse's Guybrush with the dipshittery of Escape's Guybrush. (I don't really remember what Tales' Guybrush was like.) You can see how this guy(brush) grew from the straight man of the first game, chilled out from the asshole of the second game, wised up from the fool of the fourth game. The series' inconsistencies now seem like one person in different phases of his life.

Who Guybrush is is more relational than in games past. His marriage to Elaine (properly written as the most competent person in the room, finally) seems like it could be in danger, as she becomes steadily more aware of how amorally Guybrush is acting in pursuit of The Secret. LeChuck is framed for the first time as a foil for Guybrush, as the two start to resemble each other the more obsessed each becomes with beating the other to the prize. (One character says of their enmity, "you deserve each other.")

These are, of course, both handwaved in the end. Elaine confronts Guybrush with his misdeeds, but just asks whether The Secret can possibly be worth all the questionable things he's done. (She's not fussed that her husband is amoral, she married a friggin' pirate.) The LeChuck confrontation is a big nothing because, right when you're about to confront him, the cop-out rug-pull happens. Guybrush not telling his son what The Secret is shows that he clearly learned the right lesson and did not turn into LeChuck. The game simply elides the inevitable confrontation-and-epiphany moment; why does the game need to show it to you if you already know it's coming?

And it's just nice to see Elaine and Guybrush... be together. They get together at the end of the first game and are broken up in the second, and she spends the next three getting damseled over and over. Serialized stories are always bringing romantic pairings together and splitting them up, because reuniting is easier than the drama of maintaining a relationship. (I mean, how many times have Nathan Drake and Elena broken up between games?) The moments where you get a sense of Guybrush and Elaine's relationship, how little time they get to spend together because he's a pirate and she's a professional do-gooder, how he adores her like a goddess and she adores him like a puppy.

Beats the hell out of Tales' ill-advised love triangle with a "human-again" LeChuck.

On another note, it is interesting that, for all the effort the game makes to not contradict the canon of the non-Gilbert games, it doesn't mine them for content, either. Murray is the only character from Curse onward to make an appearance. Morgan LeFlay got a passing mention in mine. But there's no Cap'n Blondebeard, no Edward Van Helgen or Cutthroat Bill, no Ozzie Mandrill, no Pegnose Pete. Meanwhile, seemingly everyone from Monkey Island 1 & 2 show up. There are the obvious ones - The Voodoo Lady (finally given a name), Wally, Stan. But there's also Otis and Carla, and the Scumm Bar cook, and Herman Toothrot is in a cave, Kate Capsize gets a mention, I'm pretty sure "Apple Bob" is the skeleton who pops his head off in the first game (now voice by Rob Paulsen, great choice), Cobb is still in the bar with his Ask Me About LOOM button ("I'm more button than man")... come to think of it, I think even the LOOM seagull who stole your map piece in MI2 gets a cameo. Narrative economy, I guess - if you find skeletons on Terror Island, they might as well be the Men of Low Moral Fiber, right?

While it would be interesting to see Ron and Dave Grossman's take on some of those characters, many of whom have, I would say, unrealized potential - they do a bang-up job with Murray - it's clear this is about wrapping up the story they started back in 1990. It may be improbable that half the people you meet are people you already know, but... it's good to see them all the same.

Conclusion No I'm not making a video about this.

#capsule review #adventure games #return to monkey island

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haikyu-after-dark · 1 year

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Korai Hoshiumi x Chubby, Tall Fem! Reader (she/her pronouns)

Warnings: angst, swearing, sad bby Yn, self doubt, self hate, Korai having some major regret and being low key toxic and possessive but this is 🙌🏻 fiction 🙌🏻eventual fluff

WC: 3.7 K

AN: Surprise Im posting this early :D is this the climax? Is this the end of the pain? The world may never know 😌 also I recounted and this story is only 16 chapters instead of 17 :(

Broken Pipes Masterlist

9AM, Saturday Morning

You shouldn’t have been surprised to have woken up alone but you were, the last words Korai spoke to you ringing excessively in your ears as you tried not to cry for the 100th time in the past 8 hours.

I can’t do this YN-

Don’t wait up.

The weight of his words rang heavy as you made your way to the bathroom, pulling our your skincare products. Looking up, you saw the reflection of a young, broken women who was heavily at risk for under eye bags if she didn’t get her shit together. Everywhere your eyes glazed in the bathroom, you saw reminders of Korai. The entire hotel smelled of him, his clothes and lack of self care product’s haphazardly left out. Picking up your toothbrush, you touched it to your lips before feeling the stinging of new tears forming. Everything hurt, everything felt wrong.

Picking up your items, you texted Kai that you were going to pass on coffee until later, opting to spend the morning packing instead. You’d text her the name of your new hotel and room number later. On a whim last night, during a major blubber fest, you scoured the internet for available hotel rooms. You found one located on the opposite side of the city that was relatively affordable yet still extremely nice. You booked it until Tuesday, figuring that it would give you a few extra days to figure out your next move. You couldn’t possibly stay here anymore, not with what transpired last night.

This was your worst fears coming to fruition, a cumulation of all the nasty thoughts you’d been having over the past several days. Thinking about it, it was really all the thoughts you’d had over the past few months of knowing Korai and feeling like there was no way you’d ever be good enough for him. You saw what you did to him, how you’d interrupted his life with your bullshit. All the words Michael had spoken to you in the past had come back, smacking you right in the face. It was all true, he spoke the truth and you were just too dumb to realize it.

The fantasy of being with Korai, of your situation had clouded your feelings for the spiker. Maybe you’d misinterpreted your entire relationship with him and all he really wanted was to get laid? Even thinking those words made you cringe, finding it extremely had to believe that someone like Korai would behave that way. You packed up your skincare, putting the bag into the duffle with all your clothes. You didn’t have much to move, remembering the horrific fact that you were still, indeed, homeless as well as without anything of stability holding you to the area. Your apartment was it for you, the peaceful retreat away from your hectic life. Maybe it was time you thought about furthering your modeling career? While it’s definitely not what you wanted, what else did you have? You had very few friends and family, no real need to stay in Japan. You could continue to grow your wealth, maybe even retire by the time you were thirty.

But then what???

You sighed as you thought back to the fantasy life you’d dreamed of with Korai. Dating, having fun, getting married and even having kids. It all seemed like a fictional novel you’d written as your dream life scenario at this point.

You sat at the table, taking out your notebook and beginning to write. You needed to leave something for Korai, something telling him that you were ok and that you’d decided it was time to get out of his hair. The note would serve as a final farewell, the closure to a chapter you’d never forget.

Dear Korai,

I just wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for me the last few days. I truly appreciate everything and you are really an amazing person. I’ve decided that it’s best if I find a new place to stay, someplace away from here. I’ve caused you enough trouble as is and I don’t want to cause you anymore. The last few days have been some of the best I’ve had in literal years and I don’t think I’ll truly ever be able to pay you back for all the joy you’ve brought me. You made me feel good again, whole again.

Thank you for everything and good luck at your game ♥️

A tear drop fell on the letter as you set it aside, putting your room key next to it. Standing up, you wiped your teary eyes and took a deep breath. Today was a new start, a moving on. You grabbed your bags, heading to the door before turning around one last time. The memories played in your mind like an animated movie, from the first day you realized you’d be bed-sharing to your first kiss. Everything seemed so real as you closed the door on one of the happiest times of your life.

Korai sighed as he made his way back to the hotel. He had cooled down, spending the night at the gym with his team and crashing at Kageyama’s to gather his thoughts. He hated leaving you but he couldn’t take it anymore, he could no longer deal with that fucking idiot you called a manager.

“There has to be something there,” Heiwajima said shaking his head, “that man treats YN like his cash cow. He must be making millions off of her.”

Korai gritted his teeth as he spiked the ball again, this time so hard this it flew into the rafters.

“You think maybe he’s exploiting her? I’m having a hard time believing a manager would be this obsessed with a girl if he wasn’t getting something from it,” Romero chimed in.

“How would we even find that out? We’d have to do digging of some kind,” Heiwajima responded as Hirugami looked at Korai.

“What if we hire a private investigator? You know, someone who’d be able to look into this creep.”

Korai stopped, thinking for a second before responding, “that’s not a bad idea actually. We could look into him and see what’s up. There’s just something about him and how he treats her. I’ve never ever seen a manager so obsessed.”

“It’s not like the guy would know someone’s following him or even checking into him. Most investigators are super inconspicuous and good at their jobs,” Hirugami added.

“I think I know a guy who might be able to help,” Romero blurted out, running to grab his phone as the guys began to talk out their plan of action.

Within a few hours, the team had a guy working on actively gathering information on Michael. He told the team that the case seemed pretty straightforward and he could easily dig up some information, maybe even having something within 24 to 48 hours. The guy was a friend and big fan of the Adlers, so court side seats and a bonus fee was all he needed to get working quickly. He assured Korai and the team that he’d find something, remarking that people like Michael often have something to hide.

The hotel felt cold, way colder than it had before. The buttons on the elevator cool to the touch as Korai ascended. The floor was quiet and every step he took felt heavy as he made his way back to your shared room.

He had made a plan, a plan he hoped would work. He wanted to get you out of modeling and away from that slime ball. He wanted to show you how much he cared and wanted to be with you. He knew leaving last night probably wasn’t the smartest move but he needed to gather his thoughts. After talking with his teammates and friends, he realized that his feelings for you were real and stronger than he originally thought. You weren’t merely a friend to him, you were a million times more and he wanted that. He wanted to be there for you, to support you and for you to support him. If that meant he’d have to put up with your dickhead of a manager for a little longer, he’d do it. He made the decision to be with you and he was going to tell you just that.

Korai felt confident as he pulled out his key, opening the door to complete silence. Stepping in he immediately noted something wasn’t right. The room felt empty, the traces of your perfume the only thing floating around the empty room.

“YN?” He called, closing the door and walking in to see the bed made and completely empty. His heart sank as he repeated “no no no” in his head a million times. His bag fell to the floor as he ran to the bathroom and flipped the lights on. Everything you had was gone.

“Shit SHIT!” He swore, running over to where your clothes had been and noticing the entirety of your wardrobe and items were missing. He scanned for anything you might have left as his eyes landed on the key and note. Picking it up, his breathing seemed to stop as he read the words you had written to him, his heart breaking.

You really thought this was all your fault. Everything that had happened, you had blamed on yourself. Korai’s eyes read and reread the letter hoping to find something that might point to where you were but there was nothing.

“Fuck!” He yelled as he raked his hands through his hair and called Hirugami.

“Hello?”

“Dude she’s gone! She’s fucking gone!” Korai shouted into the phone, his panicked voice ringing thought the thin walls of the hotel.

“Wait what? She’s gone gone? Like she packed up and left? Maybe she just stepped out for a minute or something?” He responded as Korai nodded, pacing around the room.

“She hasn’t left this room for days man! She left a note and fuck- she thinks she’s ruined my life. She thinks I’ll be better off without her! Fuck man what if something happened to her? What if that fucking asshole took her and forced her to write this note? Shit we have to call the police!” Korai shouted, practically wearing a hole on the floor pulling at his hair.

“Ok dude first off, calm down ok? We need to figure out where she’d go,” Hirugami said, trying to calm his friend down.

“Where would she go? Dude she’s fucking homeless! Where the hell else would she go?!”

“Ok well she can’t go back to your apartment, so maybe she went to another hotel? Can you call her?” He promoted as Korai quickly remembered he had your number. How stupid was he?

“I totally forgot I had her number dude! I’ll call her now!” Korai said, hanging up after promising to let Hirugami know what happened.

Korai pulled his phone out, pulling up your number and dialing. It immediately went to voicemail, noting your cheery voice delivering the devastating news that you were available.

“Fuck fuck!” Korai shouted before another idea popped into his head. He ran from the hotel room, choosing to race down the emergency stairwell to get to the front desk. Surely someone had seen you leave, someone had to have.

In the lobby, Korai ran to the desk as the lady stared at him in shock, “YN LN, she was sharing room 1516 with me and she might have checked out! Do you know where she went?”

The lady stared at Korai before turning back to her computer, “I’m sorry sir, I can’t give private information away about our clients.”

Korai was pissed as he growled, his eyes burning with flames, “she could be in danger and you’re telling me you won’t give me anything?!?”

The lady turned back to him, her eyes narrowing in his direction. “With all do respect sir, how do I know that you aren’t the one harming her? I can’t just give out information like that, the privacy of our clients is very important to us. I’m sorry but I’m unable to help you.”

Korai was angry but he couldn’t argue with the woman. It was her job after all, and he wasn’t really being the most rational. He slammed his hands on the marble before running out to the valet. If he had to, he’d drive to every single hotel in the country to find you.

“Ahh Mr. Hoshiumi, how are you?” The man at the valet asked as Korai handed him his cars ticket.

“Not great, I’m kinda in a hurry right now.”

“I saw Miss YN leave earlier in a Taxi. I asked her if she was going to meet you but she said she was checking out. She looked tired and like she had been crying so I didn’t ask her anything more,” the man said as Korai’s eyes widened.

“Do you know where she went? I have to find her!”

“I don’t personally know but one of the drivers from the taxi company we contract with took her. Actually, he’s right over there!” The man said pointing at a taxi as Korai’s head turned to see.

“Thank you! Thank you so much! Can you bring my car around please?” Korai said, quickly running over to the Taxi cab and pounding on the window as the taxi driver pulled his window down slightly.

“Can I help you?”

Korai pulled up a picture of you from instagram and turned it towards the man, “this woman, where did you take her?”

The driver studied the picture before his eyes widened in realization, “oh yes! Miss YN. I took her to a hotel on the other side of town, the Gardens or Garden of something. Poor thing was trying to hold her tears in the whole ride.”

Korai’s breathing picked up as he thanks the driver and ran back to his car, jumping in and taking off. His mind was racing and his chest was heavy with guilt. If anything, all of this was his fault. His fault for leaving you last night, his fault for not telling you his feelings. He had to tell you everything, he had to come clean.

His phone sounded through the car as he accepted the call from Kageyama.

“Hey man, did you find her?”

“Yeah I’m on my way to get her now. I’m sorry to do this man but I might be late for warmups. Can you cover for me for a bit?” Korai spoke as Kageyama laughed.

“Of course man, go get your girl ok? And bring her to the game!”

A small smile creasted across Korai’s face as he raced to the hotel, avoiding as much traffic as he could. The hotel you were staying at The Gardens Regis wasn’t as fancy as the other place but it was still nothing to sneeze at. Korai pulled up the valet, quickly jumping out and tossing his keys to the man, shouting his name and running thought the doors. The lobby wasn’t huge but it was still decked out, hints of gold and marble accents littering the area.

“Hello sir, how may I assist you?” A man asked as Korai ran to the reception desk.

“I’m looking for a Miss Yn Ln. I was told she checked in here,” Korai asked as the man began to type.

“Ahh yes Miss Ln is here.”

Korai let out a relieved breath as he bent over, his chest feeling relieved as he took a few deep breathes. You were safe.

“I need to know where she is.”

“I’m sorry sir I can’t give that information away,” the man said as Korai groaned. Of course they can’t.

“Listen dude, I know it’s your job and I’m not trying to be a jerk here but I need to find her now! And if you don’t want me knocking on every single fucking door in this hotel, I advise you tell me asap!”

“Im sorry sir but if you do that, I’ll have to have you removed from the premises,” the man responded, picking up the receiver and going to call what Korai assumed was Security.

“Fuck!” He shouted as he turned around, his hands on his hips and wracking his brain for an idea. Thankfully, someone was on his side as a small voice called to him.

“Mr. Hoshiumi?” Kai called as his head snapped to her, running to her quickly.

“Kai! Do you know which room Yn is in? Please I need to talk to her!”

“Oh of course! She’s in room 1203, it’s a suite,” she said as Korai smiled, grabbing your coffee and running to the elevators.

“Thank you Kai! I owe you so fucking much!!” He shouted, waving as he banged on the button and quickly entered the elevator, hitting the 12th floor.

“Come on come on!” He whispered as the elevator dinged and he ran to find room 1203. It was relatively easy to find, located at the end of the hallway away from the other rooms.

He approached, knocking as he waited to hear any sigh of movement. He heard you talking as the door clicked open.

“Hey Kai- wait, Korai? What- what are you doing here?” You asked, voice shaking as Korai stared at you.

“I came to find you and bring you back. YN , I-I fucked I’m so bad and I came to apologize. I read your note and I want you to know that none of this is your fault. If anything, it’s mine. I-I care about you Yn, a hell of a lot and I just hate how that man treats you,” he blabs as you stare at him, trying extremely hard not to cry. Your hands are shaking and you are close to utter failure as the tears crest.

“Korai I’m not good for you. I care about you so much, more than just a friend and I don’t want to hurt you anymore,” you cried, tears streaming down your face as Korai forced you in the room, setting your coffee down and hauling you into a hug.

“Sweetheart, you’ve been nothing BUT good for me! Everything you said, how you’ve been so happy these past few days has been the same for me. I’ve never been so happy YN. For a long time, all I thought I needed was volleyball but you- you’ve changed that for me. I don’t think I could stand be without you YN. When I read your note, my heart dropped. I hurt knowing you were hurting and knowing I caused it. I’m sorry for running, I’m sorry for fighting with your manager, I’m sorry for everything. Please, just please, come back with me?” He said, squeezing you tight as you held onto him, tears flowing as you cried hard into his shoulder. He caressed your back, head buried into your neck as he shushed you.

“Korai- what if? What if you regret this? I don’t know if I can do this if you tell me later on that this was all a mistake,” you said, pulling away as Korai met your eyes.

“YN, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you,” he said as your eyes widened and met his, “actually no, I AM in love with you baby and if anything, I’d regret walking out that door and letting you go.”

You smiled at him, your tears flowing quickly as he pulled you into a sloppy and quick kiss, the emotions of the last few hours finally coming full circle. He pulled you close, your body molding with yours as his lips moved smoothly and effortlessly against yours. Pulling back, you looked at him, your foreheads falling together as your eyes closed.

“I love you too Korai,” you said as he beamed back, hauling you up and spinning you around as you squeaked with joy.

“Korai put me down! Don’t you have a match today?!” You said as Korai out you down, pulling you against him again as if something was threatening to tear you away forever.

“Kageyama is coving for me because I had to find you and he told me I had to bring you to the game.”

You laughed and nodded, pulling away from him as you made your way to your bag and dug for something. Korai watched you, his brow cocked as he wonder what you were doing. Suddenly you turned, a short, curve hugging black dress in your hand.

“I picked this up because I thought it would be cute,” you said, face turning a little red as Korai looked over the dress and back to your body. He sat down on the bed, observing you as you watched him in confusion, “korai are you ok?”

“Me? Yeah I’m fine just trying to logistically figure out how fast I can win this game so I can take you out and brag to everyone that you are mine.”

You giggled as Korai stood, coming over to you and placing a sweet peck on your lips. You felt so good, so right. You were everything he wanted and more, everything he dreamed of and you were all his.

*RING RING RING RING*

Korai looked at his phone, rolling his eyes as he looked to you. You nodded as he slip his finger across the screen and answered.

“Bro did you find her?” Hirugami shouted, his voice echoing from inside the locker room.

“Yeah I did. We will be heading to the stadium soon,” Korai answered as he head Hirugami shout that he had found you, inciting an all out riot in the locker room.

“That’s great man! The box is saved for her and there is some security guards that will meet you at the entrance,” Hirugami added as Korai nodded and bid his captain a farewell.

“Well I better get dressed,” you said, grabbing your dress, bra and panties. Thankfully, you had just washed and styled your hair, meaning it needed very little to make it perfect.

You began walking to the bathroom as Korai followed, stopping right outside as you went to shut the door.

“Hey whoa- don’t deprive me of this view please?” He said as you laughed, slowly shutting the door in his face.

“Sorry babe but you don’t get a peek before you unwrap this present.”

Taglist: @thisbicc @missalienqueen

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silver-wield · 5 months

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... I always thought FF7 has two core stories. One is Cloud and Tifa, and. Zack and Aerith. You know.. like the key art for rebirth? Hollow is about true Cloud's relationship with Tifa, Zack, and all the people who mattered to him who died. Aka ala crisis core.

No promises to keep is about Aerith's relationship with Zack and about wanting to meet him. I don't remember exactly where but there was a line she says during an anniversary? She says "i give up, i can't stop thinking about you, i keep wanting to see you". How is this not a dead give away in a trailer so full of deliberate editing. Aka ala crisis core again.

And now, for part 3, most obviously tifa's turn because i mean if one has played the game, she's a huge protagonist on this one. She's also the one tidying things up with all thy conflict. And of course the main climax of ff7 and cloud's internal story, the lifestream. Aka ala FF7R itself.

Then in ACC, we have OST cloud smiles, and that's him finding closure. Smiling first at Tifa, to his friends and to his dead comrades.

I've seen some look down on tifa for not having a song.. but like, the game isn't finished yet.. and if she doesn't? Like idgaf? But it would make sense story wise if they did because the two songs have touched upon both of these characters' motivations in the story. No offense to A though, where is the "planet" in these lines lol. And tifa gets the flack for having a more intimate storyline when A is mostly about Z, and things happen to her instead of her doing things instead?

PS. I will not back down with my words in criticizing these characters, if they want to say shit about zack and tifa. Play the game again, but this time, use comprehension, not Headcanons.

Idgaf about the ost so yet again I'll be all "don't ask me about this track because idgaf". My opinion is that like Hollow I just don't like it. I don't like it, I don't care about it, it has no impact on how I feel about the characters or story, and it also has nothing to do with Cloud because it's obviously a zerith song.

Zack has a price of freedom

Cloud has hollow

There's this one

I assume Tifa will have a song in part three but I hope nobody comes out with "this is her singing voice" and it doesn't even match the va. I'd be so creeped out by that. Gives me icks. Hard pass. Even if it's just another Cloud track or most likely Sephiroth because as usual the devs love treating Tifa like a doormat and ignoring her until they need her, it still doesn't change the plot. Cloud loves Tifa so who gives a fuck about a song? 🤷

#ship war #for the fandom

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loopy777 · 6 months

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Whats your thoughts on stories where the author has things planned out, but during the story he/she creates a unplanned character relationahip/dynamic that unexpedtedly becomes one of THE defining aspects of the series.

You'll find plenty of such things across manga, anime, comics, animated series, etc, and plenty of movies has sequels where the main protagonists are shuffled around to reflect what ended up working in the first movie, shuffling the intended second leads to the sides(not exactly a dynamic, but one of the most famous shuffles is Jack Sparrow becoming the main character of the franchise).

The bigger question about this aspect of storytelling is of course how an author should react. In planned narratives, do you think its better if they do change things up, or should they stay the course?

Im reminded of Soul Eater, where the unexpected success of the dynamic between the female lead, and her rival villain turned friend crona ended up being the single best part about it, and came to dominate the later part of the manga... But the mangaka wasnt willing to go all the way with it at the end, creating a very anger inducing ending, while the anime adaption was basically the reverse of Brotherhood and 2003 in terms of quality, but while an integral part about it, maka and Crona's relationship was not reshuffled into becoming the defining dynamic about the series... But while the anime ending is much better than the manga, the removal of Crona from the final villain also meant that he and Maka had no relation whatsoever, creating a very lackluster her/villain dynamic.

So it was a mixed bag. The anime could have been perfect in terms of its ending if it fully embraced the suprising hit that was Chrona and Maka's dynaimc and relationahip, but managed a relatively good ending, while the mangaka chickened out at the last moment in regards to their relationahip, leaving it withouth any sort of closure or climax, despite being the single most defining character part of Maka's journey.

And thats just one single, example qbout this kind of reshuffling in regarda to suprise character hits. Im sure you have your own examples of dynamics you ended up loving that was not planned to be so good it became a mainstay.

With an addendum:

Also just a quick clarification, when i said the soul eater manga/anime was the opposite in terms of 2003/brotherhood, i meant the manga started off terrible, had an infuriated ending, and a lot of bad points though, while the anime version was for the most part a solid, great anime from start to finish with a decent, if not spectacular, anime only ending. I probably worded that very badly in the initial ask.

Well, I think it depends. With a work with a primary commercial nature -- that is to say, a work where the primary intent is to sell new installments to the audience over making some kind of artistic statement -- I think the author's job is to shift things as needed to increase and/or maintain the audience. That's not to say they should automatically give audiences what they (think they) want, but if a certain unexpected character or element is providing the most satisfaction, then why wouldn't they pivot on that?

In a lot of cases, that kind of thing comes about because the rest of work is more generic, and the audience is focusing on the original or deeper-rendered elements. For example, I don't think there are any people left who actually think Korra should have gotten back together with Mako at the end of LoK instead of starting a romance with Asami, even though you can see the sloppy welding lines where that whole thing was hastily added to an existing structure. Getting Makorra would have been a mediocre-at-best implementation of something we'd seen a billion times before, where Korrasami was groundbreaking despite being hastily scrawled in pencil on a printed script.

That said, one of the great thing about plans is that they're a handy guide to how to change the plan. If you know what you need to set up for your ending, and you now want to change some of those necessary steps, you can see that you need to change your ending, and you not only have an idea of what new path you might now be starting on but you also know what other resources you have to construct a new ending.

That said, I'm a big fan of the idea that a story's ending should be a reflection and/or final statement of what the whole work is about. If your audience isn't responding to the setup for that, your story is not working and at this point -- whether or not you change your plan -- you're probably aiming just to swim to a shore before you drown. If you need to keep afloat on a popular element for a while before bringing things to a hasty and dissatisfying conclusion, at least you were employed for a while and maybe got some good merchandising going.

So I think that's what's going on with your Soul Eater example, although I know nothing about either that manga or anime, so I'm just going by your summary. The original idea wasn't compelling, or at least wasn't anything special. The question then is why the author wasn't able to find a new ending to reflect the more interesting focus.

Well, my understanding is manga production is so fast-paced that there probably wasn't an opportunity for the author to sit down and figure out a new plan. Planning is very involved if you want to create a powerful, resonate work, and manga needs to be written and drawn on a weekly basis. I don't know if Soul Eater kept to that schedule, but the impression I have is that -- aside from a few superstars who have the riches and privilege to take a week off if they're delirious with fever -- manga-production is one of those professions like soldiers, deep-sea fishermen, and Black Friday retail assistants where we expect a high death rate and just consider it the cost of an essential job for society's function. So the publisher might have not given the author the time to both produce the manga and figure out where the new path is going; after all, by the time it ends, the publisher probably has a new hot seller and the audience has already bought all the Soul Eater plastic statues they need.

That all sounds very cynical, because it is, and in the end, I don't know that I can advocate a principle here. It isn't about art. Making changes can create an awkward work that maybe fizzles out in the end. But not making changes can create an elegant work that never even gets to the finish line.

There are also works where the author maintained discipline, stuck to a plan and didn't give in to fan-service, and created something powerful and resonate. There are also works where a little structural clunkiness is almost completely ignored compared to how satisfying its audience finds the overall product.

Ideally, a nice mix can be found. For all that we criticize George Lucas for his lack of collaboration in the Star Wars prequels, he did all but cut Jar-Jar out of the second and third movies in that trilogy, and that wasn't because of his own personal whims. And I think we can all agree that was for the better.

As far as my own storytelling experiences go, I did alter my plans for Traitor's Face to give Zhao more of a role in response to reader comments. He certainly didn't take over the story, and didn't even become a primary antagonist, but I did give him some plot points that would have gone to other characters. Of course, it helps that there was a lot of other compelling stuff in that story (or so I flatter myself, but come on, those mysteries rocked), so I didn't need to lean on Zhao to keep reader interest. It also helps that no publisher was pushing me to turn my fanfic into a massive blockbuster franchise keeping the lights on for everyone for the next ten years.

So my final position is that I'm a sell-out, but I think I would be very good at selling out, if anyone has any money they want to throw at me.

#thekingofwinterblog

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seokjinsonlyone · 6 months

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First of all, I want to say thank you to you because whenever I feel sad and feel like I can't really chat with anyone about BTS stuff, I come to your blog, and it feels like a safe space where I can be a little delulu and won't be thought of as weird. For me, personally, for a delusional storyline, I created a universe where it is my "canon" universe and then I have a lot of alternate universes stemming from my canon universe (you get what I mean?) Like there is one version where my character is a kpop idol or I create my alternate universe where I have other jobs, jobs that interests me currently such as an OB/GYN or a sculptor sounds kind of cool so then I put that job for my character.

Anyway, my main character is labeled "0125" and I write this character with a romantic storyline with Jimin where 0125 just friends with junior relationship but then begins to fall for Jimin but feels like so scared to tell him because 0125 doesn’t think the relationship would work. Like she hides the feelings from him for like 4 years (because 0125 is a sucker and lots of angst ensue). Then finally after 4 years of hiding, avoiding, and denying the feelings, the climax is really 0125 confessing to Jimin of her undying love for him. But also dealing with not idealizing Jimin because a lot of the time people can become in love with the ideal version of their crush or becomes like a person similar to the boy who cried wolf like always saying we are perfect for one another; we’re going to get together but never truly does. I’m still not sure if I want JM to reject 0125 totally but I do hope that eventually JM starts to fall for 0125 but 0125 had begun to date other people so it's like a push and pull. I have thought of putting them in a semi-danger situation and having a whole drama ass scene where 0125 is trying to sacrifice their life to save Jimin (I mean, who wouldn’t) but then he is like no, you can’t die. But 0125 goes why? Why can’t I die if it means saving you? Her goal is never to make him love her but just move on from her crush by finally confessing so she can have closure. But every time she does try to close that chapter, fate or the universe pushes him and her together. I imagine that if Jimin does eventually fall for her, I feel like he would be the type of guy to fight for her and earnestly confess. But my sisters criticize the character is playing hard to get but I think that the point afterward is that 0125 plays hard to get because she is worried, he is just trying to date her because he feels bad for her. But I only wrote some fluff scenes where they go on a trip to the waterfall and officially confirm themselves as boyfriend and girlfriend with kissing. Or they are at Jimin’s house and 0125 comes out of the room, wearing Jimin’s shirt and Jimin is doing their dishes because he woke up early. She hugs him from behind and then proceeds to make out with him but then the members come into the house because of the party that Jimin was supposed to host for their get together. So, 0125 quickly breaks apart and tries to her face from shyness (because she is literally bare ass naked as she only has underwear and Jimin’s oversized shirt on) and then it’s an awkward moment of her going to get dressed and leaving while awkwardly saying goodbye to the other guys so that’s how the guys find out that they are dating. For me, I think it would be so adorable to give a back hug to Jimin because I feel like he would be very flustered but happy. Plus, I think that back hugs are so cute, and I think Jimin will like them. So yes, I write a lot of scenes of back hugs for Jimin whenever I write any scenes with him in it. But Jimin is such a hardworking guy and I think that is something that 0125 really admires about him, how he trains himself for the dance (even though he really overdoes it sometimes). But I love how big his heart is and his kind words are some of the kindest words I have ever heard. Like Jimin’s words always lift my spirit because it’s so kind, it’s almost kind of a blessing. When I hear Jimin talk about his hard times, it just feels like it would be really nice to be a support person for him, you know? Like he talks about not having friends and feeling betrayed by people who claim to be his friends, like that’s really hard to hear because the fact that he is talking about it means that he was very hurt by whatever actions that they did. I just want to write my character as a stable person who is there for him. So, this is my delulu storyline, hope you enjoyed reading it!

The only other character that I begin writing for is a my delulu storyline with Jin as seen below but it’s not fleshed out and I’m not sure what to make out of it.

0803 from my writing is an extrovert, impulsive but has a really big heart who cares a lot about people. I also think she just loves a good time and likes guy with a sense of humor so I think she would be so attracted to Jin because he has such a good sense of humor but has a strong caring nature about it if you were to pay attention (he’s more than just a guy who cracks jokes) and he has a lot of thoughts despite laughing it off. I think he’s really cool, and I admire him, he’s such a good singer too. Anyway, this character isn’t fleshed out yet, but I see that she thinks that he is handsome, but nothing comes out until they are together filming a tv show, you know like being law of the jungle that Jin was on. I think they will bond during their time together there because they are like out in the wilderness there and like they are sitting by the campfire together, having conversations…. And I love campfire scenes in film because the orange of the fire lighting the actors/actresses’ faces makes it a really intimate moment. I know he’s your bias though so wouldn’t a campfire conversation with him be fun? Just you, him, and the stars.

FIRST OF ALL THANK YOOOUUUU for leaving this lovely ask and for seeing my blog as a safe space 🫶 i really try to make it one like okay reality exists and i acknowledge this but it be fun living in your own little fantasy world like i could be out there doing drugs and having babies but instead i'm online talking about boys and putting them in fictional situations it helps me cope let a girl do what she has to LOL (and you're always welcome to bring your delusions to me i'll keep them safe <333)

NOW LETS GET INTO IT

first things first 0125 is better than me bc ain't no way imma like a man for 4 years 😭 the longest i've ever liked anyone was four months like i got a limit for the lack of progress i can take BUT that being said i've never liked anyone that was even remotely close to park jimin so i'll let her have that one and i'm rooting for her like JIMIN she's liked you for FOUR years where are you getting that kind of devotion from??????? i hope his eyes are opened and he sees the light AND I TOTALLY SUPPORT HER PLAYING HARD TO GET like if a guy don't like their partner more it just seems like the relationship doesn't work so make him work honey make him want ittttt i also am an avid supporter of the jimin back hug agenda like him nonchalantly in the kitchen only in his briefs 🥵 he'd be lucky if hugging him the only thing i do bc i know his moon phase tattoo sitting there waiting to have a stripe licked up it and ugh i see where 0125 is coming from completely like jimin is such a sweetheart and he cares so much about people and just wants them to be okay and it is such a shame that he can't always get that reciprocal energy like he deserves like when i first heard face my immediate thought was who hurt you???? lemme take care of em??? like i was ready to show them what this army do fr 😭 all in all i am very much in favor of jimin and 0125 getting the happy ending they deserve

now when it comes to jin... 0803 sounds like an enfp and i can confirm that intps and enfps get along very well so there's that and i'm sooooo into her being able to see past his comic relief character wall he's built like jin has so much depth to him and it be breaking my heart that people don't be seeing through it but also that's my man so it's okay other people don't need to see kslfkdsjf which speaking of i can't believe you turned this around on me!!!!!! you really made me think about being a campfire with jin!!!!!! like the way i would be in love with him after that is so inane bc it would definitely start off as awkward silence and then one of us would break the ice and then we'd start talking about a whole bunch of things that do not matter at all in the real world but they're actually like surface level topics that reveal deeper matters and we'd just be philosophizing and talking nonsense and gaslighting it'd be so magical i would stake serious claims on him after that like would not let anyone near him at ALL so better hope 0803 make a move before i do bc imma go to war for mine

I LOVED THIS SM THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING ME AND SHARING THIS 🫶🫰

#ask

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aspoonofsugar · 2 years

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Loved loved loooooved your meta on the Last of Us! Thank you!

If possible, i would also like to ask about your thoughts on the side characters in the game, especially the two love triangles Ellie and Abby are in. I can’t seem to understand the point of these love triangles nor of what the point of each character is supposed to be e.g Jessie and Mel.

Personally, it’s the only blemish in an otherwise good story.

Hello anon!

I am happy you enjoyed my meta!

When it comes to the 2 love triangles, there are several reasons why they were included in the story.

Let's start with the main thesis of my previous meta: Abby's arc is about embracing the future (finding faith), while Ellie's about dinsing closure with the past (forgiving). The 2 love triangles plays into this in opposite ways.

Mel and Owen embody Abby's past. Specifically, they represent 2 sides of her father that she leaves behind in her quest for revenge. Mel is a doctor, while Owen's faith in the fireflies is still burning. Abby ruins her relationship with both because of her inability to let go of her hate. It is implied she and Owen break up because of her obsession with pursuing revenge. At the same time, them clearly still having feelings for each other creates friction with Mel. In general, both Mel and Owen are shocked by Abby's actions towards Joel. The deterioration of Abby's bond with Mel and Owen mirrors her losing sight of who her father really was. A doctor and a firefly. In order to grow, Abby needs to find in herself compassion and idealism once again. She does so through Lev and Yara, but Owen and Mel still play a role in this as well. Mel saves Yara's life, which gives Abby closure. Owen instead shows Abby the way to go by sharing with her the Fireflies' rumor. Despite this, the past is the past. Abby needs to accept this if she wants to embrace the future. This is why she is not able to save her relationship with Owen and Mel. She is not even able to save them, for that matter. They are gone, just like Jerry. Still, her father's ideals can still live through Abby herself.

Dina and Jessie represent instead Ellie's possible future. They are Ellie's new friends and they give Ellie JJ, a child, aka the future. At the same time, they are the 2 people that in different ways try to bring Ellie back home. Dina does so physically, while Jessie tries to do so rationally/morally. Dina is ill and pregnant and the right thing should be to go back home the moment Ellie realizes this. By the third day, the whole group has in fact decided to go back specifically because of Dina's condition. Jessie instead openly calls Ellie out on her actions and tries to convince her to prioritize everyone's safety over revenge. He goes looking for Tommy and brings him back with the group. Similarly, he insists they should leave for Dina (and his own child)'s sake. However, Ellie can't really embrace the future Dina and Jessie represent (JJ and the life in the farm with Dina) because she still has not found peace with the past. This is why in the end she loses her relationship with both. Jessie symbolically dies as a result of Ellie progressively losing her moral compass. Ellie instead leaves Dina (the future) to go look for Abby (the past).

In short, both girls lose their love interest and friend because of their own quest for revenge. At the same time, the romantic subplots are also used to drive home each girl's development. Specifically, they show Abby's progress and Ellie's regression.

Owen and Mel are nothing, but Ellie's Dina divided in 2. Owen is Abby's love interest, while Mel is pregnant. Dina is both for Ellie. This is why Ellie killing them is so shocking... it is as if she is symbolically killing Dina, in a sense. At the same time, in the climax of the Seattle section, Abby is given the chance to kill Dina. If she did, she would have killed Ellie's Owen and Mel. However, she chooses not to and this leads to her breaking the cycle of revenge with Ellie on her side. Just like in the end Ellie will break it once and for all by letting Abby and Lev (Joel and herself go).

In short, the love triangles play into Ellie and Abby's mirror journeys and are used to challenge the player's empathy on multiple levels. Storywise they are also important for the girls' development because they represent opposite and yet incredibly similar things for Ellie and Abby.

Thank you for the ask and the sweet words!

#tlou part 2 #tlou meta #tlou 2 meta #anonymous #asksfullofsugar #sweet anon

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