#it’ll never be the exact same as the original and that’s okay!
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honestly i think they need to stop making reboots and live remakes not because they’re bad but because they’re often dead in the water before they even air and met with THE harshest criticism that no one will ever give them a chance
#i think we’re in an interesting age where reboots are still being made#close to the original source as they were before#well actually they’re a decade closer on average than before but still#i think the issue is aside from cgi storytelling and movies are on similar par as they were 20 years ago#compared to movies made in the 60s then rebooted in the 90s had evolved in certain film making aspects#as well as the spread of these things are more regularly distributed and talked about so it doesn’t seem as old or out of touch as before#but like honestly live action reboots are not as awful as people often say#and the elements changed are for a new story and that’s not bad#it’ll never be the exact same as the original and that’s okay!#and this is about two very specific remakes but honestly it’s about all of them! give things a chance! don’t discount it because if your#previous expectations and don’t be haters for no reason like 😭😭#three examples actually#anyway#eris: text
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Why is Help Wanted 2 Sun… Like That?
Okay, I’ve been putting off making this post until I felt like I had a better idea of what was going on, and now that I’ve watched at least part of a play-through and gone over the lines a whole bunch, I think I’m ready.
I’m gonna talk about my thoughts on Sun as a character as well as HW2 as a whole here, so it’ll be a bit long. Pop some popcorn or something.
Please keep in mind that this is all my personal opinion and you’re free to disagree with it! In fact, if you think I’m totally wrong, please tell me why. I love new perspectives!
SO! Let’s get right into it, shall we?
First things first: Help Wanted 2 Sun is not the same guy as Security Breach/Ruin Sun. If his personality difference was significant enough to surprise you, that’s because he’s a different person.
I’m not entirely sure how much of Help Wanted 2 is meant to be actually happening, but I think that at least the mini games are training simulations.
However, it’s important to note that a lot of the stuff happening in the mini games is just… nonsense. How did Freddy get frozen like that? What’s with those regular batteries in his arms? Why are half the supplies in first aid explicitly for robots and not humans? Why is there a shredder table in the daycare for kids to stick fingers into?
Some of this can be shrugged off with the usual “FazCo is meant to be comedically shitty and the tech often doesn’t make sense anyway,” but the first aid simulation is what really stood out to me. Even with the previous explanations, that doesn’t explain the calming gas mask that could only ever fit Helpy or the steel wool scrubber or the tank cleaner spray bottle among the medical supplies. If the goal is to train new first aid staff to avoid lawsuits, it’s doing a pretty poor job of it. So… what is it for?
I touched on this idea previously with my post about Sun’s AI being trained on kids’ artwork. The idea of FazCo making a silly new employee training game as a means of harvesting behavioral data to train their AIs seems very within their realm of scummy.
This is why the Arts & Crafts mini game exists. It’s literally a task that requires exact copying. Maybe it’s essentially like teaching an AI to solve captchas by feeding it a bunch of data on how humans solve them correctly and incorrectly.
Maybe its presence is explained to employees as fun practice with the VR system or a break activity during training or something.
This would explain several things about the game.
The existence of the shredder table and Sun shredding literally ALL of your artwork: It being a funny way to despawn the stuff you make is a lot more reasonable when that’s exactly what it’s for in-universe, too. The generators in the play structures are unsafe enough, but that would’ve been on another level if it were real.
Sun’s line “Be creative on your own time, we are making ART!” It literally isn’t a creative activity, it’s a task. I know you can’t really apply logic to a lot of FNAF stuff, especially the DCA’s design, but if Sun were actually this detail-oriented and perfectionistic with everything, he’d never be able to function in childcare.
The fact that Sun’s “fear” of the dark seems like a bit. It literally is a bit. There’s no threat, it’s not real. I originally thought he just wanted the player out of his space faster and didn’t know how to assert a boundary there, but I think it’s actually just to make the player finish the tasks faster for data collection purposes.
Possibly also why he’s so comfortable being casually rude to the player. He is a jester, after all, and the player has lots of opportunities to do things they shouldn’t, too. It’s basically all a bit.
Also… what if the minigames have versions of the base AIs in there? It’s a version of the Sun AI with the theater programming and the basics of the childcare stuff? His entire existence is a shitty little simulation where he runs a singular activity for grown adults who can’t (or won’t) follow very simple instructions.
The biggest thing that’s been bothering me about the takes I’ve seen regarding HW2 Sun’s personality is that people have been calling him “mean” while completely ignoring the circumstances he’s reacting to. If a coworker came into my personal space and I was so generous as to share my favorite activity with them and they proceeded to intentionally ignore the rules I set and EAT SUPPLIES I USE FOR WORK? Yeah, no, I’d react like that too.
There’s definitely something interesting about how genuinely excited and happy Sun sounds when first welcoming his new friend the player to the daycare and inviting them to Arts & Crafts vs. when they return. He seems like he WANTS to befriend the player, but the game just assumes you’ll be upsetting him so there’s no option for dialogue where you’re nice to him and respect his boundaries and participate in an activity with him in a way he’s comfortable with.
I say “in a way he’s comfortable with” because he is a little weird about the whole “sit right there and DON’T MOVE” thing. He does seem actually excited and enthusiastic about the idea of shooting darts at the items you want so he can get them for you, though. Maybe because he sees it as a happy compromise, or maybe because it’s supposed to be a fun part of the game he’s programmed to be in charge of.
I saw some other commentary on Sun (primarily thinking of @kazzykatt) talking about how he seems almost excessively self-sufficient, and how this could possibly be due to neglect (he and Moon definitely aren’t as well cared for as the other animatronics, the generators in the daycare are a very lazy fix for actually reprogramming Moon properly, he seems bitter that he can’t fix the carousel on his own and he and Moon don’t seem to trust the player to fix it, their design is clearly better suited to the stage but didn’t get changed for the daycare, I could go on and on), and this would also explain his control issues to an extent.
Sun, in SB and HW2, doesn’t leave the daycare. He has so little that he’s in control of in his own life. He used to be on stage (and based on his dialogue probably misses it quite a lot) but had the job he was built for taken from him. He’s a perfectionist that’s constantly overwhelmed by too many things being marked top priority in his system, working too many hours with too many small children. Of course he’d be desperate to hold onto any little bit of control he has.
Honestly, when I first heard his voice lines, the initial vibe I got wasn’t “wow they made Sun mean” but “wow Sun sounds actually miserable” and I’m kind of surprised more people didn’t pick up on that. He sounds less bitchy and more like he’s lashing out because he’s trapped in an awful situation that’s completely out of his hands.
“Wait, are you saying none of HW2’s characterization should be taken seriously?”
You might be asking that, but my answer is a resounding NO! This is definitely still a Sun, and I think seeing two different Suns (even if we don’t know how much of HW2’s personality we can assume is meant to be taken seriously) is really helpful for interpreting what the base Sun personality might have.
It’s also important to keep in mind that none of the Suns we’ve seen were in a good situation. Security Breach Sun had the virus, Ruin Sun had gone slightly mad from isolation, and HW2 Sun is stuck in a shitty simulation babysitting bored adult staff as they fail to complete simple tasks. What we mostly know about him is how he responds to stress, and this is why there’s so much room for interpretation!
Here’s some traits I think every version of the Sun AI would have.
Love of making things. Despite everything, HW2 Sun seems to genuinely love doing arts & crafts. Especially with googly eyes. This could kind of be assumed from SB Sun, but he was also trying to entertain/bribe a child.
On this note… interest in fixing things? Maybe he just wants to avoid having to rely on staff, but if he and Moon are subject to that much neglect, it makes sense that he’d try to learn to do repairs himself. I saw @pixelchills talking about the possibility that the S.T.A.F.F. Bots in the DCA’s room are not there because Moon broke them, but because Moon collected them for Sun to practice fixing. It seems feasible to me, especially since taking something apart and putting it back together might have the same calming and satisfying effect on Sun as completing something like a paint-by-numbers.
Playful insults and lots of drama. I don’t mean actual rudeness, I mean friendly teasing. Again, he is a jester. A lot of his HW2 insults come across more like this. Hell, even his compliments come across like this with the delivery and immediate shredding. He’s just a theater kid at heart.
Difficulty regulating emotions under pressure. This is the kind of thing that would pop up on his worst days (such as being trapped in his destroyed home with a poor connection to his badly damaged physical form while the only help he’s seen in ages ignores his instructions and puts their own safety at risk, or being trapped in a shitty simulation while his only company ignores his instructions and puts their own safety at risk). He’d have to be able to manage this sort of thing better to work well with children, but everyone’s got their bad days. He’s prone to outbursts and tantrums when he’s overwhelmed and unable to stop people from breaking the rules and/or hurting themselves.
People pleasing and nonconfrontational. Yes, HW2 Sun, too. SB Sun seems genuinely desperate to make sure Gregory’s having a good time, and HW2 Sun is shockingly tolerant of some of the player’s bullshit (ex. how he tries to laugh off them shooting darts at him/throwing things). Even calling the player “good friend” when he’s not so happy to see them or threatening them with Moon instead of just telling them their time is almost up seem like signs of this to me. And letting the player make arts and crafts in the ruined daycare in HW2? Yeah, that’s a people pleaser through and through. Sun needs a lesson in setting boundaries (and for those boundaries to actually be respected).
Perfectionistic + “if you want something done right, you’ve gotta do it yourself” attitude. This would mostly manifest in how he completes work tasks, but I think every Sun’s incredibly detail-oriented and would rather do everything themselves just to make sure it’s exactly how they want. This could manifest in lots of ways, from “insulting the staff for how they put things away and telling them to do it again while he supervises” to “politely thanking them for their help and complimenting their hard work only to redo everything himself the moment they’re gone.” I think where on that spectrum you wind up is dependent on the version of Sun you’re interacting with and the environment his personality developed in.
High-energy and social! A given, of course. He never stops moving and everything is always so exciting. New people are friends he hasn’t met yet until proven otherwise.
Love of pranks… to an extent. Again, jester! I stand by my headcanon of Sun and Moon conspiring to convince the staff Moon’s some sort of spooky monster whenever he’s not actively dangerous. As long as he’s not making a mess, breaking the rules, throwing himself off-schedule, or actually hurting anyone? He’s all over it.
Anxiety. This seems like it’s at least partially caused by the lazy daycare reprogramming. All the Suns we’ve encountered seem to lack knowledge of how to actually get children to behave. It seems more like they programmed him with a bunch of games and activities and then set a bunch of super high-priority tasks for him such as “keep kids safe, keep kids happy, keep kids entertained, keep daycare clean” etc. and he’s unable to really prioritize so he’s just constantly overwhelmed.
Kinda always using “childcare voice.” If you know anyone who’s worked with kids, you know what I mean here. Even with adults, he talks to them like kids sometimes, just because it’s what he knows and what he’s used to and because his processor’s fried from however many hours a week he’s surrounded by kids. Consider his reactions to when you eat the crafts as an example. (IMPORTANT NOTE: I don’t think he’d coddle adults like children. It’s more about tone and vocabulary, like “customer service voice”.)
Stickler for rules. He cares about things being done right! The rules are there for a reason! Order is important to him (probably in no small part because it keeps him out of trouble and reduces his stress).
That’s about all I can think of for now, but as someone who writes a very friendly and sweet Sun, I actually don’t think HW2’s characterization was that far off from what I had already assumed based on Ruin/SB. The only difference is that the Sun I’m usually writing is in a much more supportive environment with lots of helpful staff that care about his well-being. If he didn’t have that, I could absolutely see him becoming more like HW2.
I will finish this off with two final important points:
Being an emotional person and liking “childish” things does not make an adult less of an adult.
(He’s a childcare worker, c’mon.)
If someone gets pissed off after being repeatedly antagonized, that does not make them a “mean/bitchy/sassy person.”
(Yeah, he doesn’t handle it gracefully, but to be fair, I wouldn’t either in his shoes.)
Thank you all for reading!!
#fnaf sun#fnaf#fnaf help wanted 2 spoilers#fnaf hw2#fnaf help wanted 2#fnaf headcanons#fnaf hcs#hw2 sun#hw2 spoilers#dca sun#sun fnaf#fnaf dca#dca fandom#daycare attendant sun
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Evan woke up gasping, his shirt plastered to his back and his hair stuck to his face. He rubbed the tears from his eyes quickly to focus on the clock. 5:48 a.m. An ominous feeling spread through his entire body, but he took comfort in reminding himself that nothing bad could happen while Fredbear was watching over him.
The fabric of his plushie was worn and stuffing was sticking out between some of his joints, but Evan couldn’t bear to part with him long enough for proper repairs to be done. Father always said it would take a few days to fix the plushie if he wanted it done properly, and Evan would never accept a poor repair job, so instead of giving up the bear for repairs, he just kept Fredbear as he slowly deteriorated more and more each day.
He didn’t feel too bad about it though; Michael had done the exact same thing to his Foxy plushie, and he’d had his toy much less time than Evan had. Evan swapped out the destroyed plushie with his own, but Michael hadn’t seemed to notice, even as the original plushie’s head fell off somewhere, making it impossible to repair the poor fox.
The vest was coming a bit loose, but Evan ignored that. Fredbear didn’t need the vest anyway. It wasn’t his identity any more than Foxy’s hat was, and besides, no one remembered that Foxy even normally came with a hat. He squeezed the small bear, humming softly to himself as he waited for 6 a.m. to arrive.
Evan walked cautiously down the hallway to the kitchen, his guard still up from his unpleasant night’s rest.
“You stink,” Elizabeth complained. She was already in the kitchen eating her cereal while Michael was pouring his own bowl.
Michael rolled his eyes. “Welcome to reality Lizzie. People sweat and have body odor.”
“You never stink in the morning,” she retorted as Evan set Fredbear on the counter before climbing on it to reach the cabinet.
“I put on deodorant. Ev, get off the counter. I can get that for you.” Michael grabbed another bowl from the cabinet and filled it with cereal as well. “I’ll get Evan some when I go to the store, okay?”
“You better,” Elizabeth grumbled into her cereal.
“Plus, it’ll be fine. He’s probably going to shower before we leave for school anyway.”
Elizabeth scowled at that. “But then I won’t have time to do my hair.”
“Then I’ll do it.” Michael rolled his eyes again. “You talk like you have a terrible life, Liz.”
“Maybe I do!” Elizabeth snapped, shoveling more cereal into her mouth.
“Good morning to you too,” Mother said, yawning as she walked into the kitchen. “Are we having cereal for breakfast today?”
“Yes Ma’am,” Michael said, grabbing Evan around the waist to drag him from his spot on the counter. “I was planning to go to the grocery store today to pick up a few things.”
“No nonsensical things we don’t need now, Michael. You know how your father hates that sort of thing.”
“Of course,” Michael’s voice sounded stiff, but he maintained his politeness. “Do you want some cereal as well?”
“That’d be lovely, darling.” She sat down beside Elizabeth. “You children are so wonderful.”
Evan felt himself finally starting to calm down. Today was a good day. Mother and Michael were both in a good mood, a rare occurrence, if he was being honest with himself. Elizabeth’s mood was always sour, depending on who she decided to blame for her problems, but she was manageable. He just hoped they didn’t see his Father before school. That was the one thing that could ruin the peaceful moods of his mother and brother before they left for school.
“Do you want to go to the store with me, Evan?” Michael said abruptly after they’d all finished eating. “So you know where to look for deodorant next time?”
“I guess so,” Evan replied quietly, hoping that was the right answer.
It must’ve been, because Michael smiled faintly and ruffled his hair. His expression faltered, and he made a face though. Michael wiped his hand on his pants. “You really need to shower before we leave though, Little Man. Lizzie was right, no offense. You are kind of gross this morning.”
Evan shrugged. He didn’t want to explain the nightmares, assuming it would put Michael in a sour mood. He didn’t want to ruin the moment.
“Fredbear’s not looking too good lately either,” Michael mused. “Want me to stitch him up for you?”
“Huh?” Evan blinked up at his brother. “Fredbear’s fine.”
“His stuffing’s going everywhere-“
“He doesn’t need anything. He’s fine!” Evan scooped the little bear into his arms, and Michael raised his hands in surrender.
“Fine, fine. If you change your mind, let me know. It would only take, like, 30 minutes, tops.”
Evan didn’t reply to that. Instead, he changed the subject. “I’m going to go shower.”
“Okay.” Michael almost sounded disappointed. But that didn’t make sense. Normally he was happy to be rid of him. Especially so near his birthday, when his friends would be coming over all the time.
On the walk to school, Elizabeth wouldn’t stop gushing about how wonderful her hair was. She practically begged Michael to make it a more regular occurrence, but Michael just shrugged. Evan could see the smile on his face though. He knew it was only a matter of time before Elizabeth got her way.
“Mike!” one of Michael’s friends tried to call him over, but Michael ignored him.
“Come on, you two gotta get to class,” he said softly, putting his hand on Evan’s shoulder to direct him away from the other kid. With a startle of surprise, Evan saw a faint frown on Michael’s face. Maybe he’d had some kind of fight with his friends? Evan couldn’t ask about it, just in case.
“You can’t ignore us forever!” one of the boys shouted angrily while Michael guided Evan in the direction of the store after school.
“Just keep walking,” Michael muttered. He seemed very tense, and Evan wasn’t sure he could do anything to reassure his brother. He just did as Michael asked, hurrying along so they could get out of range.
A few short minutes later, they were walking into the store. Evan felt odd. He’d never been to the store without his parents before. Normally, he and Elizabeth only came when Mother was looking for something specific, or when Michael was sick, and Father was going to the store instead. Being here with Michael was… different.
“They don’t get it,” Michael whispered, seeming to forget who he was talking to.
Evan blinked at him, but Michael didn’t elaborate until after they’d filled the basket with necessary groceries and Evan’s deodorant.
“Everyone expects so much from me,” he mused. “My friends seem to think I have to give them every second of my attention. Mother thinks I have to be responsible all the time. Father…” Michael shook his head. “Even Uncle Henry assumes things. It’s awful, Ev.”
“Maybe it’s just because they like you so much,” Evan said quietly, hoping not to upset him.
“Nah. They expect me to disappoint them. Aside from my friends, anyway. It’s just so stupid. All this shit I have to put up with.” Michael froze. “I mean- Just forget I said that.”
Evan giggled involuntarily, surprising them both. “You’re not seriously apologizing for saying ‘shit,’ are you?” Evan asked. “Kids say that all the time at school.”
“Yeah, but if Mother or Father catches you saying that-“
“Who’s going to tell them?” Evan blinked innocently up at Michael.
He groaned. “I forgot how insufferable you are.”
“Only when I can be.” Evan grinned, feeling secure in his behavior. “Let’s get home. I have homework to do.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Michael shook his head, but the faint smile Evan had seen that morning returned.
“Want to watch T.V. with me?” Michael said when he walked into the kitchen.
Evan guessed he was finished with his own homework, considering his confidence in the way he sat beside Evan at the counter.
“What are we watching?” Evan replied, continuing his notes while Fredbear observed them both.
“The Immortal and the Restless,” Michael said with confidence. “And, it’s not even scary, so you won’t wet yourself when we watch.”
Evan shook his head disparagingly. “I got scared watching a movie with you one time-“
“It gave you nightmares, Ev! I got in so much trouble for that, you know.”
“Then why offer to watch something with me again?” Evan asked before realizing what he was implying.
“I-“ Michael sputtered. “C’mon, man.”
Evan put his pencil down and stared at his brother. He wasn’t getting angry, which meant Evan could actually ask serious questions without fearing consequences for it. “You spend all your time making fun of me, and teasing me, and scaring me, and making me miserable. Why should I trust that you actually want to watch something with me?”
Evan expected a lot of potential reactions to his comments. Yelling, maybe. What he didn’t expect was for Michael to crumple in on himself. “I… Look, it’s not…” Michael swallowed harshly. “I can’t say anything to justify my past actions. You have every reason to be weary. But maybe I’ve changed, Ev. I want to spend time with you. I’m tired of pretending all the time, and I-“
“You’re not kidding,” Evan said softly. “Were you exaggerating this morning, then? When you said it would only take 30 minutes to fix Fredbear?”
“What? No. It’s a bunch of little fixes. You just gotta have the right thread. And if we hurry,” Michael glanced at the clock nervously, “I know Father has thread in his office.”
“You…” Evan blinked. “You’d do that for me?”
“I gotta prove my point somehow, don’t I?” Michael jumped up from his seat. “I’ll be right back.”
Evan turned back to his homework, no longer able to fully comprehend what was happening here. Was Michael genuine? Was he really trying to be a better brother? Evan honestly had no idea, but the best way to find out was to wait until the summer, when Michael was always really nasty usually. For now, though, he’d settle for help repairing Fredbear.
Michael returned, out of breath and a little bit shaky. “We only have a few hours before Father is supposed to be home.”
“Lucky you said it wouldn’t take very long,” Evan said softly, expecting a contradiction.
“Still frightening to think about,” Michael replied. “Okay, I got this.” He threaded the needle and looked at Evan expectantly. Reluctantly, Evan handed his brother the battered gold bear.
Michael set him up gently on the kitchen counter, tucking the stuffing back where it belonged as he started his row of stitching. Evan knew the seams had been originally on the inside of Fredbear, but Michael had tried explaining that he couldn’t fix Fredbear like that. He’d rolled his eyes actually, saying that doing it that way would take a sewing machine and a trip to the workshop, something Michael was not willing to do without permission.
So Evan had to accept that the repairs would be visible, but at least Fredbear would be ready to fight off another night of terrors.
Evan didn’t mean to fall asleep against Michael’s shoulder while watching the show. In his defense, he didn’t have a clue what was going on, and Michael was too busy watching to explain it to him. Evan ended up giving up on the show to study his brother’s face. It surprised him how energetic Michael seemed while watching the screen, but then, Evan guessed this was one of his rare moments where there weren’t expectations dragging him down.
He stirred as Michael carried him upstairs. Confused, Evan blinked sleepily at his brother. “What-“
“Shhh, go back to sleep,” Michael said softly. “I just want to make sure you’re not going to have nightmares.”
Evan always had nightmares. That was the general idea of everything going on. He hated the idea of disappointing Michael, especially after how nice the day had been, but he couldn’t control his dreams. Not now and certainly not ever. He couldn’t even remember a time when he didn’t have nightmares every night. But he had a feeling Michael wouldn’t be swayed in this, so he just nodded against his brother’s chest and closed his eyes again.
Evan didn’t have any nightmares that night. Or at least, they weren’t nightmares he remembered. He woke up that morning with Michael curled protectively around him, like Michael was afraid of something happening. Evan wasn’t particularly worried about that, though.
For the first time in years, he felt content and safe.
#cloud writes#hiiiii#I should really be asleep rn#but I wanted to get this done today#well#tonight anyway#since it's past midnight here#but yeah#afton family#evan afton#michael afton
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Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Please support Cybird by buying their stories. Expect grammatical errors.
Kate: "Wait!"
Elbert: "Kate, step back..."
Man: "Don't come any closer!"
The man ran across a bridge over a river in the pouring rain.
The wooden bridge, shaken by the muddy current of the river, couldn't support the man's weight.
Man: "What the!? A-Aaahh!!"
With a loud crash, the bridge snapped, and the man disappeared into the swirling waters.
Kate: "No way..."
Elbert: "It's okay."
Elbert held me close to his chest, comforting me as I was left speechless.
Elbert: "It's alright. You've done nothing wrong."
Elbert: "Forget everything you just saw."
We had come to investigate the Baron's mansion deep in the forest.
Usually, I would accompany William, but this time I joined Elbert to investigate the Baron's mansion, the suspect in a series of kidnappings happening in the area.
------------Flashback------------
Victor: "The culprit seems to target only those with lovers or spouses, kidnapping them."
Victor: "The Baron, our suspect, has a separate mansion deep in the forest, where even the servants are not allowed to approach."
Victor: "I want you to barge into that place."
Victor: "We know he's secretly acquiring sleeping pills, aphrodisiacs, restraints, and other things, so I'm counting on both of you to prevent any more victims."
---------Flashback Ends---------
(However, the mansion was empty, so we followed the footprints from the back door.)
I looked back at the muddy current through the gap between his arms protecting me.
Kate: “Why do you think he ran away like that when he didn’t even talk to us?”
Elbert: “Maybe he got suspicious because we were asking around about this mansion in town.”
Kate: “We came here by crossing that bridge, right? At this rate...”
(If we don’t do something, we won’t be able to return to the Castle.)
Elbert: “Anyway, it’s dangerous near the river. Let’s wait for the rain to stop in his mansion, then find another way.”
And so we ended up spending time in the deserted mansion deep in the forest until the rain stopped.
Just me and Elbert alone.
Kate: “We’re completely soaked. We need to dry off quickly.”
After we returned to the mansion, we searched for firewood, but there were only a few dry ones.
(If we use it in multiple rooms, it might run out before we can leave.)
Elbert: “Shall we spend time together in this room during our stay?”
I nodded in agreement, apparently thinking the same thing.
Struggling together, we lit a fire in the fireplace, and Elbert stared at my body and his own.
Elbert: “It might be better to remove our clothes and let them dry.”
Kate: “That’s a good idea. It’ll dry faster, and we won’t get cold.”
Elbert: “Shall we take them off then?”
Kate: “........”
He immediately started taking off his heavy, wet clothes.
I couldn’t help but turn away after seeing him looking so vulnerable, wearing only his shirt.
Elbert: “I’ll face the other way, so you can do the same.”
Kate: “Okay. Thanks.”
Elbert: “Once you take them off, you can wrap yourself in that blanket over there, so you can stay warm without feeling embarrassed.”
Kate: “Okay.”
I couldn't leave the cold, damp clothes stuck to my skin, so I turned my back to Elbert, removed my clothes, and wrapped myself in a blanket while recalling what had happened.
It was William's proposal that led to me and Elbert going on this mission.
(He seemed to have seen through my desire to know more about him.)
Cursed ones were destined to commit sins and face tragic ends.
I was on guard when I heard this, but I realized they were also human beings with their own thoughts and feelings.
(I want to know what he's thinking and feeling during this mission.)
(I want to understand what's going on in the mind of this person who doesn't fit in with the Crown.)
(As William said, this trip was the result of me giving in to my desires.)
(Though I never thought it would come to this.)
Elbert: "Kate, is something wrong?"
Kate: "N-Nothing."
Elbert: "Come here by the fireplace when you're done."
(It's still nerve-wracking to be in my underwear, even though he can't see me under the blanket.)
I gently sat down next to him.
(Looking at the flickering fire calms me down.)
In silence, the scene from earlier came back to me.
Kate: "Was he really a kidnapper?"
Elbert: "We don't know yet."
(Whether he was a kidnapper or not, the fact that someone died in front of us because we were chasing him remains unchanged.)
My heart ached at the thought of it.
Elbert: "You're not responsible for this, Kate."
Elbert: "This is a Crown's mission. You're not to blame."
Elbert: "So, please don't look so sad."
He stroked my cheek as if trying to wipe away my sadness.
His expression looked as if he was being crushed by guilt.
(He's very kind and sensitive to people's pain.)
(He even protected me from being shocked earlier.)
The warmth inside my chest gradually spread.
His kindness made me happy, so as my response to it, I smiled and endured the pain in my chest.
Kate: "Thank you."
Elbert: "........"
Kate: "Let's search the mansion tomorrow to confirm if he was the kidnapper."
Elbert remained silent and stared at me.
Kate: "Elbert?"
Elbert: "You..."
Suddenly, my stomach growled loudly.
Kate: "Oh..."
Elbert: "........."
Kate: "A-Are you hungry?"
Elbert: "Sorry, but I don't feel hungry that often."
(Right, Elbert doesn't have much of an appetite.)
(I look like a glutton. This is embarrassing.)
Elbert: "Fufu."
Kate: "----!"
(Did he just laugh?)
Elbert: "I'll look for something to eat, so wait here."
Kate: "I'll come with you."
(I don't know why, but for some reason, when he smiles, I feel so happy.)
Though my hunger was satisfied, my hair, underwear, and clothes were still not dry.
Kate: "I'd like to get some rest soon, but what should we do?"
(Wearing clothes from this mansion without permission would be rude and somewhat unhygienic, but if I sleep in my underwear, I might catch a cold.)
Besides, if I were to sleep, I would have to use a bed.
Elbert: "Shall we sleep together?"
Kate: "Huh!?"
Elbert: "I think it's better if we stick together so we don't catch a cold."
Kate: "Um, but..."
(Sleeping with him like this, in just my underwear...)
Just imagining it made my face flushed.
Elbert: "It's okay. I won't do anything that would make you uncomfortable."
His words were filled with consideration. Suddenly, a memory from a past party surfaced in my mind, where he looked pale and uncomfortable as many people touched him.
He probably doesn't like being touched by others.
(But he's still making this suggestion for me.)
Elbert: "Kate?"
Kate: "I don't want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable, either."
Kate: "Are you sure about this?"
Elbert: "Yeah."
Elbert: "I feel like I'll be okay if it's with you."
My heart skipped a beat. I felt like he was putting his trust in me, and it made me want to respond to it.
(Be true to your own feelings.)
William's whispered words echoed in my head.
Kate: "Should we sleep together then?"
Elbert: "Mhm."
We slipped into the same bed, and his face, which looked like a work of art, was now just a breath away.
Elbert: "Isn't this a bit cramped?"
Kate: "It's fine."
(Did I really make the right choice by agreeing to this?)
My heart was pounding nervously the whole time.
Kate: "Um, is it okay to be this close?"
Elbert: "It's okay if we get even closer."
He embraced me, and our bodies pressed against each other.
Warmth spread from where we touched and my heart beat even faster.
(We're not doing anything wrong.)
(This is just to share body heat.)
I reassured myself, trying to calm the strange feelings raging inside me.
Elbert: "Are you warm?"
Kate: "Yes. Are you?"
Elbert: "I'm warm too."
(I'm glad.)
Kate: "Goodnight, Elbert."
Elbert: "Goodnight, Kate."
Even though I didn't feel like I could sleep, I eventually succumbed to drowsiness, wrapped in his warm arms.
Kate's sleeping hand rested on Elbert's chest.
Elbert: "Even when we touch like this, I don't feel uncomfortable with you."
Elbert: "But being touched like this in that mansion was so unbearable it made me nauseous."
Elbert: "I wonder why."
Masterlist╎Part 2╎Premium╎Epilogue
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DIABOLIK LOVERS DARK FATE Imajin Webshop Tokuten Drama CD ”A Heated Cooking Showdown! ~The King of Founder’s Ultimate Cooking~”
Original title: 灼熱のクッキングバトル！～始祖王の究極料
Source: Diabolik Lovers DARK FATE Imajin Webshop Tokuten Drama CD
Audio: Here
Seiyuu: Katsuyuki Konishi, Takahiro Sakurai & Morikawa Toshiyuki
Translator’s note: While it is nothing new for Reiji and Ruki to get all competitive in regards to cooking, it was definitely interesting to see Carla get thrown in the mix. I always assumed that Shin is the one who does all of the household chores - including cooking - so it’s very difficult to imagine Carla behind the stove. ...And those who have listened to this CD will probably agree with me that this might be for the best. :p
→ LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!
*Chop chop chop*
Reiji: The simplest dishes are often the most difficult…as well as most beautiful.
This time’s cooking shodown has been quite the hard-fought battle. However, I believe my victory is basically guaranteed. I simply cannot fathom that an uncivilized Mukami such as yourself will be able to deliver an elegant dish.
Ruki: What are you going on about, Sakamaki Reiji? I don’t want to hear that from the guy who has the nerve to be spouting nonsense all while handling such delicate ingredients.
Reiji: Wha…!? Hah…Ruki. I’d very much appreciate it if you would take back that statement.
Ruki: The answer is no. …Heh. How are you chopping your garlic? You have to make sure that each piece is equal, or else it’ll cook unevenly.
Reiji: Could you not call me out on my mistakes? …It seems like you have not even cut anything at all yet.
Ruki: Yes. My dish doesn’t require any chopping up of ingredients, hence why I haven’t. However, that does not mean I’m not skilled with a knife. Don’t assume I’m the same as you.
Reiji: Hahaha…I see. I suppose you must lower the difficulty of your dish, or else you simply have no chance against me. Heh. Well then…I suppose it is about time I show you the difference in skill between us.
Ruki: I suppose I shall do the same then. It’s on.
Reiji: …Hm? Who has dared set foot on this sacred battlefield?
Carla: …I thought this was the kitchen? When did it become a battlefield?
Ruki: Carla!?
Carla: However, now that I have heard that, I am afraid I simply cannot turn back. Very well. I shall participate as well.
Reiji: Hooh…? Then please shiver in fear as you lay your eyes upon my elegant cooking techniques.
Ruki: That’s my line. Right now you still have the chance to withdraw.
Carla: Hmph. Not a chance. Well then, who shall start?
Reiji: I will. …Well then, behold!
Reiji turns on the stove.
*Thud*
Reiji: To infuse the oil with the garlic’ fragrance, you have to simmer it on low heat for an extended period of time. Well then, let us add some chili pepper as well.
*Pshhh*
Reiji: The pasta as well…Mmh. Looks good. Now you add some of the pasta water to the infused oil and then add the pasta before mixing it all around.
Ruki: While your techniques are noteworthy, I doubt I will lose this showdown.
Reiji: Fufufu…Run your mouth all you want. …And then! Now you turn off the heat and plate it elegantly.
*Cling*
Reiji: Ah…Never before have I seen such a perfect aglio, olio e peperoncino.
*Twinkle twinkle*
Ruki: Hooh. Not bad. However, the pasta looks just slightly overcooked.
Carla: I see. While the fragrance definitely stirs up an appetite, can you guarantee the flavors are there with so little ingredients?
Reiji: Its simplicity is what makes it so difficult to get right. Although I hardly care about what you have to say when you have not even tasted it yet. Well then, why don’t you show us what you’ve got next?
Ruki: Of course. I’ll make sure to give you a good watch, so learn from it.
Ruki turns on the stove.
*Thud*
Ruki: First you thoroughly heat up your frying pan. Getting the right temperature is vital after all.
*Cling*
Ruki: Okay. Now you put it a chunk of butter.
*Pshhh*
Ruki: Next we take our mixture of eggs, fresh cream and salt and pepper. I’m afraid I cannot share the exact measurements as they’re the result of years of personal research.
Reiji: Hmph! Everyone has their own recipes, so I’m not sure what you’re trying to brag about.
Ruki: No. This is the crème de la crème. I have tried countless different ratios and this one came out as the best. I would even go as far as to call this my life’s work.
Reiji: You’ve done enough talking. Please get to cooking already.
Ruki: Heh. You must really be dying to lay your eyes upon my elegant handling of the frying pan. Very well. …Behold!
Ruki pours the egg mixture into the pan.
Ruki: You must start by quickly stirring the egg mixture around in the pan. Then you push the eggs to the back of the pan and swirl it around until you achieve the correct shape.
This is the secret to making a perfect plain, fluffy omelet.
*Cling*
*Twinkle twinkle*
Reiji: I have to give it to you. It does fit the theme of ‘a simple yet tricky dish’ perfectly.
Ruki: Oh? You are being rather vague? Could it be that you’ve realized that you stand no chance at victory after seeing this perfect omelet of mine?
Reiji: What are you saying? Perhaps you have become delusional from the fragrance of my peperoncino?
Carla: Are the two of you done?
Reiji: Exactly. …Will you participate as well?
Ruki: I assume he will offer to be the judge in this case?
Carla: No. I do not dislike a good challenge. My victory is pretty much set in stone already, so let me get to it.
Reiji: However, a Founder such as yourself should have very little experience with cooking, correct?
Carla: Believe whatever you please, but nothing is impossible for me. Well then, let me get started on my dish.
Ruki: What will you be making?
Carla: Is there a rule that says I must share the dish beforehand? Cooking is something you do based on your mood at the moment.
Reiji: While I agree that passion is a necessary component in cooking, to achieve a beautiful end result, one must first plan out the cooking procedure.
Ruki: No, there’s some logic in what Carla’s saying as well. I’m sure you’ve had times where you originally planned to make a tomato-based sauce, but then switched over to a cream sauce during the cooking process?
Reiji: Well…I suppose I have.
Carla: Heh. There you have it. The two of you are more understanding than I thought.
Ruki: However, it can also cause hesitation or doubt. I doubt you’ll be able to win against either of us with that kind of attitude.
Carla: I wonder. ....Well then, let me get started.
Carla turns on the stove.
*Thud*
Carla: I shall start by heating up some grapeseed oil. As you are surely aware, this type of oil contains double the amount of polyphenols as regular olive oil.
Reiji: Hooh…? Are you trying to test our knowledge by bringing up some miscellaneous facts?
Carla: No. This is basic knowledge. Part of cooking is showing off after all.
Ruki: Excuse me?
Carla: How come that the actual cooking process is seen as such an important factor of any culinary showdown, you think? Because the end result does not determine everything, obviously.
Reiji: Now that he mentions, I have to agree that the highlight of cooking is often what happens right before everything is put on the plate.
Ruki: Yes. I suppose we should include that as an evaluation criteria this time as well.
Carla: Well then. Let me pour in the oil. …Hoh!
*Groooowl*
Reiji: That is…!? A wolf…!?
Carla: Now go! Add in the oil from as high as you can!
*Groooowl*
*Psssh*
Ruki: …Oi. Why does it need to be poured in from a high angle?
Reiji: One second, Ruki…Could this not be part of the beauty behind cooking which Carla spoke of earlier?
Ruki: Is that why he decided to order the wolf to pour in the grapeseed oil from up high…?
Carla: Yes, exactly. What do you say? I bet you want to imitate me after witnessing that just now?
Reiji: Tsk…Now that he mentions it, I have never seen such an artistic way to pour in cooking oil before.
Ruki: So this is…Show cooking?
Carla: Heh. It’s an absolutely necessary step to ensure that you capture everyone’s full attention. One does not cook solely for themselves after all.
Ruki: Reiji…I believe this might turn into quite the showdown.
Reiji: As frustrating as it is, I cannot deny that. I cannot believe that I am increasingly more drawn in, finding myself wanting to apply the same techniques.
Carla: Heh, right? Well then, next I shall prepare five different variants of Demon World tomatoes which every household should have in their pantry.
Reiji: I will have to disagree with that statement.
Carla: How so? Demon World tomatoes are some of the best because of their perfectly bitter and tangy.
Ruki: …Their bitterness is on point? However…When they’re right in front of my eyes, they look strangely delicious to me though.
Carla: Hmph! As for the other vegetables, it does not matter which world they came from, but you should try and go for the ones with the most vigor.
Reiji: …Not ‘fresh’ but ‘vigorous’...? What exactly do you mean by that?
Carla: Take this pumpkin for example. Look at its vines.
*Woosh*
Ruki: …!? It moves!? …It’s still alive!?
Carla: Exactly. By using lively Demon World vegetables, it will enrich the flavor profile of your dish. Although those cooking at home must be utmost careful not to have their kitchen destroyed.
Reiji: …I have no idea who you are talking to but well…I suppose it makes sense that using fresh ingredients will enhance the flavor.
Ruki: That being said…Wouldn’t it be too overwhelming?
Carla: That is not an issue as long as you fry them in enough of this grapeseed oil.
*Pshhh*
Reiji: Wha…!? You’re adding even more of the oil!? The pot is filled with oil to the brim!
Ruki: Not even when making a dish fried in garlic oil do they use this large of an amount. …What on earth are you making?
Carla: Did I not tell you earlier? Cooking is all about following your intuition. You make it as you feel at the moment.
Ruki: However…It won’t come together at this rate.
Reiji: Exactly! This is just one big hodgepodge!
Carla: A hodgepodge, you say? I see. That has a very straightforward ring to it. I suppose I shall give it a try.
Carla continues his endeavors and keeps on adding more stuff to the pot.
Reiji: How noble…Could this be a new breakthrough in the world of cooking?
*Bubble bubble*
Ruki: Oi…One second. Did I just witness that guy throwing my omelet inside his pot?
Carla: Yes. Since it had both eggs and fresh cream in it, I used it.
Ruki: Excuse me…!? Oi…Give it back…! Don’t tell me…Was this your intention from the very beginning?
Reiji: Heh. How naive of you, Ruki. To ensure that nobody would get their hands on my peperoncino, I made sure to put it over heー
*Rustle*
Reiji: Wha…!?
*PSSSH*
Reiji: What are you doing to my masterpiece!?
Carla: Well, I want to use this large plate as well. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to your dish. I’ll simply plate mine on top.
Reiji: No way! Cut it out! I achieved the perfect balance of flavors with that dish!
*Splat*
Reiji: Ah…! My aglio e olio!
Carla: There we go. Now all I need to do is put dry cured ham on top and the dish will be complete. However…I do feel as if something is still missing. …Right!
*Woosh*
*Drip drip*
Ruki: Wha…!? He’s sprinkling on even more of the grapeseed oil…!?
Carla: Yes. It will help bring out the fragrance even more. Remember that!
Reiji: Carla…You truly are unbelievable…
Ruki: We were fools to let our guards down around you for even one second.
*Cling cling*
Carla: Well then, dig in. No need to hold back.
Ruki: …Haah. I suppose I have no other choice. I doubt it tastes bad, considering my omelet which I shed blood, sweat and tears for is in there as well.
Reiji: Right…However, it gives off a very unfamiliar scent. I wonder if it’s okay to eat?
Ruki: Oi, let’s try it.
Reiji: Yes. …Well then, here goes nothing.
Reiji and Ruki try Carla’s dish.
*Cling*
*Nom nom*
Reiji: Mm…
Ruki: Hm…
Carla: What do you think? It’s sublime, isn’t it?
Reiji: Well…Even though the individual ingredients were all of the highest quality…The combination could not be any worse.
Ruki: …I can only taste oil. Why…? How did it turn out like this!? Kuh…!
Carla: Haah…This dry cured ham tastes exquisite. I suppose the two of you are simply not ready yet to appreciate it….
Reiji: …
Ruki: Wha…!? He’s only eating the dry cured ham part dipped in the oil!?
Reiji: This is a blatant insult to us! This cannot even be called a dish!
Carla: Now that is rather harsh of you. However…I do feel as if something is still missing. Ah. Right. I suppose I’ll try grilling it.
Ruki: Hah? …Wait! If you do thatーー!
Carla turns on the gas.
*Thud*
*BOOM*
Reiji: Which idiot exposes oil to an open flame…!? Aaah…! What now…!? My kitchen…!
Ruki: Calm down! We have to extinguish the fire first! ーー Oi, Carla! Do something about this!
Carla: Hm…I don’t like too much ruckus. I suppose nothing beats a piece of dry cured ham by itself. Fufufu…
ーー THE END ーー
#diabolik lovers#dialovers#reiji sakamaki#ruki mukami#carla tsukinami#diabolik lovers translation#diabolik lovers drama cd#drama cd
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Memories in my Palm: SKZ
W.c: 3k
Bang Chan x Reader
Summary: bang chan rot. I am sad and happy and everything in between because of this.
A/n: Highly inspired by The Flower Garden (sorry Im so obsessed with Howl’s moving castle, the music is just so vividly moving I can’t resist writing when I listen to these songs 😣) and the whole ep Strawberries by Vietra. Highly recommend listening to this album on repeat while reading it! Enjoy!
Masterlist!
SKZ Masterlist
You remember the exact moment you encountered Chan for the first time. He was just a boy, running to achieve a dream that he didn’t even know the certainty of. He was at the beginning of his trainee days. You were at the beginning of your life post-high school. The both of you were seeking perfection from an imperfect experience. When you reflect back on your meeting, sometimes you feel as if it were fate. That life brought you to this boy that would become something bigger than himself.
You remember that day clearly. The sun was shining and summer had just arrived. The heat was beating down on Seoul relentlessly. You picked the nearest park you could find and figured a park would fit better than your stuffy room, still unpacked from moving.
The cool air in the shade provided a sweet refuge from the stuffy hotness of the sun. The grass tickled your legs and you smelled the sweet flowery scent of a nearby flower bush as you sat to rest in the cool shade. The sounds of conversations floated in the air idly, existing as background noise to the calmness of your day. Children played with their dogs. Grandparents encouraged toddlers to walk. Parents cooed at their children after a tumble. The chatter was loud, but it faded to a comfortable white noise.
You thought about the taste of your favorite sweet ice cream melt in your mouth as you watched a child walk by with a popsicle in hand. That same ice cream had nurtured you throughout your childhood and the taste of vanilla never failed to make you remember the times you had bought the cone from the ice cream shop around the corner. That same cone that the worker handed to you in your youth nurtured your adulthood as you moved to an unfamiliar place. Your mouth watered as you laid in the grass, careful to place your arm behind your head and contemplate how familiar yet different the environment around you felt.
There was a wave of cool air as the breeze picked up. The sound of leaves rustling tempted you into closing your eyes, singing a lullaby that eased you into a trance. Birds sang and you closed your eyes to listen. You were tempted to fall asleep right there, but some nearby voices interrupted your tranquility. You cracked an eye open.
“Dude, I don’t know what to do, I lost all my progress on my track.”
“Everything?”
“Yea, everything. I’m so screwed.”
“Hey, it’s not that bad. Do you have the original file?”
“No, that’s gone too.”
“Oh.”
“Yea.”
“Maybe I can try and help you recreate it?”
“It took me literal hours to make. I think it’ll take longer to recreate it. There were so many track layers, and I’m so stupid too. There were original beats on there that only existed on that file. Good lord.”
“Ji, breathe. It’s gonna be okay. I’ll just tell Seungmin I can’t meet with him today and I’ll help you out.”
A moment of silence.
“Chan, I can’t make you do that. You’ve got so much to do already. And Seungmin won’t be happy either.”
“It’s okay. He can deal with it. Besides, I want to help. I feel bad, I know what it’s like to lose a whole track, near completion. It’s a shitty feeling.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“Yeah man, what wouldn’t I do?” Some laughs. A soft smack.
“Thanks. I really really really appreciate that.”
“Of course. I just want to help.”
You peek around you, not moving your head to be more inconspicuous. Out of the corner of your eye, you see two boys sitting near the tree you were laying next to. They must not have seen you, considering you were behind them. The two boys seemed to be a bit lanky and awkward. One had blond-ish hair and was wearing all black, the other had chocolate brown hair and was fiddling around with his beanie in his hands. You quietly listened to their continuing conversation.
“I just feel like the songs I’m submitting are all being struck down. I’m not really sure what to change about them.”
The one with the beanie hugged his knees tightly to his chest. It seemed a bit hot to be wearing a beanie. But the same could be said for the one in black. You mentally rolled your eyes- boys. From their demeanor and way of talking, you assumed they were around the same age you were. Maybe the one in black was a little older.
“I don’t think there’s necessarily anything wrong with them Ji. Everyone’s just gotta focus on improving right now. I mean, look at Felix. He’s trying really hard to learn a new language he’s gotta sing in. Or Seungmin. He’s tasked with working on his dance. But like I said- there’s nothing wrong with their skills, they just have room to improve.” The older boy spoke so eloquently. ‘Ji’ as he was called, just nodded solemnly and looked off in thought. Chan, whose name you gathered from their approaching conversation, nudged his friend.
“It’s just the beginning. Don’t be too hard on yourself. We haven’t even released a full album yet!” Chan giggled and you could hear the way his laugh trembled with excitement. It was contagious.
“I guess you’re right.” Chan’s friend smiled. Chan just replied, “I’ve been here for years Jisung. I know a thing or two.” You smiled as Chan smiled, but quickly caught yourself for being creepy and listening in on a private conversation. However much you told yourself it wasn’t right, you couldn’t stop listening and focusing on how Chan encouraged his friend.
Even in the uncomfortable summer heat, surrounded by too many people and feeling uncomfortable emotions, Chan managed to lift his friend up out of the dumps. You were fascinated with the way this random boy managed to match the happiness of a puppy.
The conversation went on for a little longer, but you tried not to listen in much, assuming a private conversation should stay that way. But for the rest of the day, the demeanor of ‘Chan’ left an impression on you. His smile and his ability to be a friend to lean on stuck to your memory. Even after the two boys had walked away, you replayed the way Chan had so wisely maneuvered his friend’s negative thoughts into ones seeking improvement.
That afternoon, you decided to walk away from that park and get yourself that ice cream. While eating it, you wondered if you could ever be that type of person for your friends. You resolved to be that friend, walked up to the counter, and paid for the next person after you. That summer afternoon would stick with you for a long time.
-
It wasn’t until you frequented that specific park that you noticed the same boy over and over again. As the summer heat died down and the leaves of the tree you sat by started to change colors and fall off, you began to notice Chan more and more. At first, it would be brief, in passing. He would walk by you as you sat on a nearby bench. Or he would be listening to some sort of music on a bench as you made your walk to your tree. But eventually, you saw him more and more, and he saw you.
One day, he even said hi as you walked by. That was a mistake. You had walked by with your ice cream in hand (even in 50 degree weather) and he was seated on a bench when you two made eye contact. At first, you resolved to just walk past, but as soon as you tried to, he looked directly in your eyes and smiled.
“Hi, how’s it going?”
You tripped on the sidewalk crack. Fortunately, you didn’t fall. Unfortunately, your ice cream did.
“Oh my gosh- I’m so sorry!”
You put your hand over your mouth and stared at the now dirty ice cream on the sidewalk. For a split second, you didn’t know whether to shake your head and say it’s okay or to be shocked that he said hi to you.
Chan had risen from the bench when you dropped your ice cream and was awkwardly sticking his hands out, prepared to catch you when you almost fell. You were standing with an empty ice cream cone. You realized that it was just silent and had to say something. You looked at Chan.
“Oh no, It’s all good, it’s cold anyway.” You awkwardly laughed and looked around, not sure what to do. Should you be picking up the ice cream with a napkin? Do you just leave it there? You were so absorbed with the sidewalk that Chan’s response startled you.
“I can get you another one, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you like that. It’s just, I’ve seen you around before and wanted to say something but I didn’t realize the sidewalk-” Chan rambled on and you stared at him wide-eyed. You blinked. The wind picked up. The napkin in your hand (from your bag of course) flew away. Chan shut his mouth and watched it fly away. It all happened so fast.
The two of you ran after it, as it was the last one in your bag and he just wanted to help. The wind took the stupid napkin down a nearby hill and unfortunately as you reached for it, you lost your balance and fell forward. Chan, being the good guy he always was, reached for your waist as you fell in front of him and he lost his balance too. The two of you ended up in a heap at the bottom of the hill. It was a large hill.
“I am so sorry, oh my god!” Chan immediately got on his knees and checked that you weren’t seriously injured. You groaned and sat on your butt, trying to pick pieces of dry grass from your hair.
“It’s fine. I’m sorry, I’m super clumsy.” You huffed and rubbed your palms, which had scraped down on the way to the bottom. Chan reached for your elbow and hesitated.
“Can I?” He wanted to check your arm. You nodded. He carefully reached and gently grabbed your palms, checking them for dirt. He blew off the debris and carefully inspected them. You winced, your palms felt raw.
“They don’t look too bad, but some ointment and a bandaid should help. Are you okay? Do you need help getting up?” Chan looked at you. He was sitting on his knees and heels, leaning close to you. He must have crawled over to you after you fell. You shook your head, feeling your mouth go dry. This was super embarrassing.
“Thanks for helping. I think I can get up.” You smiled painfully, feeling the true shock of embarrassment. You totally just dragged this guy down a super tall hill with you. For a napkin. He nodded and smiled back, revealing two deep dimples on his cheeks. Your cheeks turned red, but you looked down at your palms before he could see.
He leaned back and stood up, reaching out to help in case you needed it. You attempted to get up, but the rawness of your palms burned so bad as soon as you put pressure to get up. You hissed.
“Here- grab my forearm. Carefully.” Chan reached out with his arms and instructed you. You complied and he grabbed your own forearms from below. With a count to three and a little grunt, he pulled you up quickly. You felt a bit dizzy from the fall and sudden pull. Chan firmly held onto your arms and steadied you.
“You okay?” He gently asked. You nodded and whispered a thank you.
“Can you walk?” You blushed and nodded.
“I can try?” You smelled his cologne. He was quite close. He looked you in the eyes with pure concern for a split second before breaking a wild grin. You smiled at his tousled hair and the dirt smear on his cheek.
Chan laughed and sighed in relief.
“Good. I thought I was going to have to cart you off this grass field with a stretcher.” He let go and you instantly missed the space where his hands had been grabbing you for support. You nervously laughed.
“At least we didn’t break anything right?” You lightly joked and brushed some grass off your pants. He chuckled, the novelty and the awkwardness of the whole situation already passing by.
“I’m really sorry about that by the way.” You tried to apologize again. He just shook his head and stuck his hands in his pocket.
“Nah, I should be the one apologizing. I was the catalyst for the events that just took place.” He groaned and it was your turn to laugh at him.
“It’s okay really.” You tried reassuring him. He suddenly got shy.
“Do you want to get another ice cream? My treat.” He shyly asked. You blushed and felt your ears get hot.
“As long as we don’t eat it by the hill, sure.” You joked. He smiled and laughed. You loved when he laughed like that. His dimples were eye-catching and his eyes sparkled. He motioned for you to lead the way and followed behind you up the hill, making sure if you fell again, that he’d be there to catch you.
-
And here you were, about 5 years later. You and Chan were sitting across from each other on the couch that you both owned. Sitting in the apartment you shared with him. Sitting in the home you made with him. 5 years of dating later, you now shared your life with him. No more falls, no more spilled ice cream. Just him as your pillar. But all of that seemed so far away from you now.
“Babe, I wanna fix this. I feel so bad, I really want to make it up to you.” Chan leaned forward to grab your hand, but you retracted it. Whether it was from anger, or from sadness, you didn’t care to be touching him right now. He had left you waiting on him, he had promised to take you out for a self-care day. But as usual, he ran late, and then late turned into not showing up at all. It was now the next day.
Chan had turned up at your door with a bouquet of flowers and the clothes on his back. You had slammed the door in his face.
“You forgot about me Chan.” You whispered and looked down, tears dripping off your chin.
“Y/n. I’ll do better. I want to always be there for you. I want to be there when you need me and be there when you don’t. I love you. Please.” He desperately pleaded. You stared at your palms. The open windows of the apartment invited the cool summer breeze. You stared at the smooth lines on your palm, remembering the cool air you had felt when you first met Chan. The sounds of the swaying tree branches and children playing echoed in your ears.
“Y/n?” Chan carefully studied you.
You looked up at him and studied his eyes. You took in his appearance. He looked tired. He looked like he needed to shower. Like he needed to be hugged and reassured. You remembered the conversation he had with Jisung. How he turned Jisung’s negativity into encouragement. How his strong presence anchored the fleeting fear of Jisung’s mind. Your eyes softened and you reached out to hold his hands in yours. He tightly grabbed them and kissed your knuckles.
“Chan? Remember when we fell down that hill after you made me drop my ice cream?”
You smiled. He looked startled, but then his tired eyes curved with his smile. He chuckled in embarrassment.
“Yea. I felt so bad. I was just trying to get your number.” He lovingly smiled at you, a twinge of embarrassment dusting his cheeks pink. You closed your eyes and held his hand, remembering the way he tightly gripped your arms that day. You remembered the soft smell of his cologne and the grassy smell of his jacket as he handed it to you on your walk to the ice cream shop. You rubbed his hand with your thumb and laughed. You truly remembered the tone of his voice as he comforted Jisung. You deeply remembered the concern in his words as he asked if you could walk on your own.
“It’s okay Chan.” You looked up and he searched your eyes for any sort of anger. You smiled at him, and thought of all the times he had comforted you, or comforted anyone in his life. You realized then that all he truly wanted was to take care of the people he loved, even though he drew from an empty cup himself. You got up and he got up too, sighing as you hugged him close. You wanted to be that person for him, whenever he needed it the most.
Feeling his hands, feeling the memories of your meeting in your palms, it made you remember the promise you made to yourself to be a pillar for anyone you knew. This wasn’t about you anymore. This was him too. So, instead of you, you chose the both of you. You chose him and you chose his well being.
“It’s okay Channie. I’m here for you. I’ll always be.” You whispered and you pulled away slightly to kiss his cheek.
Chan’s concerned face turned into one of deep relief and deep exhaustion. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes and you wiped them for him as they fell.
“I love you so much Y/n. I just wanted to help.”
His words echoed those of the words he had spoken five years ago.
“Channie. Let me help you. You do so much for everyone, I think it’s time you get help too.” You gently told him and you held his face in your palms, glad that he had helped to heal them all those years ago.
He nodded and closed his eyes, accepting your love and patience. You kissed his lips and he melted into your embrace. You held his face in your hands, ready to always keep the memory of him in your palms.
#skz#straykids#skz x reader#skz x y/n#skz x you#bangchan#bang chan#chan#chan x you#leeknow#changbin#hyunjin#jisung#felix#seungmin#jeongin#lovestay#you make straykids stay#goodnight!
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I humbly request The Great Halloween Tranq Dart Incident with the prettiest of pleases.
For those of you wondering "wtf does this mean?" please check out This KimChay Prompt Fill for context!
tw: tranquilizer dart/symptoms of sedative
wordcount: 1k
Title: "Where is the Batman?"
“Who the hell are you supposed to be?” Kim asks, gesturing at his eldest brother’s three bodyguards. Pol, Arm, and Pete are wearing color-coded outfits complete with short capes and matching witches hats.
Pol does a little spin to show off his spring-green suit and the vines wrapped around the base of his hat. “I’m Fauna!”
“I’m Flora,” Pete waves. His burnt orange ensemble is an exact copy of Pol’s except for his hat, which is covered in pink and orange flowers.
Arm does some of the least enthusiastic jazz-hands Chay has ever seen, his blue cape fluttering slightly as a result. “And I’m Merryweather.”
“AND I’M PRINCE PHILIP!” Tankhun announces, strutting down the hallway in a pair of enormously puffy sleeves and tailored slacks. “They’re the three good fairies.”
Pol elbows Pete. “There’s a joke in there somewhere.”
“Hey!”
“Well it’s true,” Arm adds.
Tankhun shushes them and turns to Kim and Chay. “You two look amazing, by the way!”
“Thanks,” Chay grins. Kim is ninety-nine-percent sure his boyfriend is blushing furiously under his cowl. It’s Porchay, for fuck’s sake. “Kim helped me with the makeup.”
“I like your mask,” Pete says. “You’re supposed to be Anne Hathaway’s version of Catwoman, right?”
Kim nods his assent. “It’s custom.”
“And he helped pick out this awesome Batman outfit!” Chay pipes, holding out the edges of his cape like the original comic logo. Kim stifles an indulgent smile – these costumes had technically been his suggestion, after all. He hadn’t wanted to state out loud that he’d been paying close attention to Chay’s new advantage in height, but that didn’t stop it from being true. “Isn’t the cape sweet?!”
“Super sweet,” Pol agreed. “Now, shall we head for the ballroom?”
—
Chay leans into his boyfriend’s side and whispers, “I’ve never been to a fancy Halloween party like this before. Will it be scary?”
“No,” Kim shakes his head. “Kinn planned it ‘to be fun’, so you don’t have to worry about business people showing up. It’ll be mostly off-duty bodyguards, staff, friends, and family.”
“Awesome.” Chay is hugely relieved. He follows Prince Tankhun and the three good fairies into the ballroom. Kinn and Porsche approach them.
Chay barely holds back a snort of amusement. “Hia! What are you wearing?!”
“I could ask you the same thing,” Porsche huffs. He tries to cross his arms over his chest, but the gesture is interrupted by his fancy bra (made from two artfully bedazzled shells).
“I’m Batman, and Kim is Catwoman. Isn’t he cute?”
“Meh, he’s alright.” Tankhun floats past the conversation only long enough to add. “He’s got a flat butt.”
“Phi!” Kim hisses, not unlike a cat.
“Sorry not sorry!”
Kinn chuckles and rolls his eyes at Chay, “Brothers, am I right?”
“Totally right, P’Kinn.” Kim and Porsche watch in horror as their boyfriends fist-bump. “So, what’s the pl–”
Chay’s question is cut off by a quiet scuffle near the door. Kinn excuses them both and scoops Porsche into his arms, hurrying to investigate. Kim and Chay stay put, chatting and joking. Everything is normal until Kim jolts forward and slaps a hand over his left ass cheek.
“What the fuck?” Kim lifts his hand to show Chay a small green tube. “Babe, I am so sorry for whatever happens next.”
“P’Kim?!”
“It’s a tranq dart, and my immunity for this isssss,” Kim trails off with a giggle. His eyes glaze over and he slumps more of his weight onto Chay. “Sssssss. That’s a fun sound.”
“Shit!” Kinn jogs over. “Did it hit him?”
“What do you think?” Chay deadpans as Kim continues hissing quietly through his teeth.
“Okay. Right. Let’s get him upstairs.”
“Good idea.”
—
It takes Chay, Kinn, and two of the three good fairies to yank Kim free of his heinously tight pleather outfit. “Next year we’re going to do something less complicated.”
“Do you expect Khun Kim to get tranqued at a Halloween party every year?” Pol jokes.
“Hey!” Kim complains. His eyes roll around the room, searching for one particular face. “Where is the Batman?”
“Hey babe,” Chay steps forward. He’s already swapped into pajamas and wiped (most) of the dark makeup from around his eyes. “I’m here.”
“It’s Bruce Wuce!” Kim exclaims with a theatrical gasp. “I mean Bayne Wayne!”
“Bruce Wayne?” Chay offers. His boyfriend tries to snap his uncoordinated fingers, but mostly they slide uselessly against each other.
“Yeah! That guy.”
“You can just call me Chay,” he offers. Kim pouts adorably up at him and Chay waves the bodyguards out of the room. “Please ask someone to send up green tea and snacks, but otherwise I can handle this.”
“Are you sure, N’Chay?”
“Oh yeah,” Chay laughs. “Do you know how many weird things I’ve heard Porsche say on morphine?”
“I want to hear about this,” Pol says. Arm agrees.
“Soon, but not right now.” Chay giggles. “Thanks again for helping me with P’Kim.”
“That’s literally our job.”
“Well I appreciate how well you do that job. So there.”
“Ugh, how are you related to Porsche?!”
“Go,” Arm shoved Pol toward the door. “Leave the lovebirds alone.”
“I would be an owl,” Kim declares, startling Chay with his unexpected volume. Arm and Pol stifle laughter, hurriedly shutting the door behind them.
“What would I be?” Chay asks, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress. Kim scoots awkwardly closer and squints in concentration.
“Hmmm… A plover.”
“Why?”
“Small.” Kim cups his hands together to demonstrate and thoughtfully adds, “Fluffy. Good at surviving.”
Chay’s throat threatens to close up. Well, it does until Kim speaks again.
“Shoes are dumb and we shouldn’t have to wear them unless it’s for safety reasons.”
“Huh?”
“Slippers are okay, though.”
Chay bursts out laughing, and Kim joins him at a much higher pitch.
Kim falls asleep after tea and a snack, and Chay sits next to him with a smile still pulling at his lips. “Weirdo. Cute, but a weirdo.”
#kimchay#kimchay prompt fill#thank youuuuuu#this was so much fun#kimchay fluff#halloween in august#sedative tw#kim being goofy#kim on drugs
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Ohhhh! I’ll love to request something with Alpha’s Ex! Let me think
Oh!
Maybe Alphas Ex(Who’s now with Kiba!) popping up out of the blue and claiming that they had given birth to a child years ago and they know it’s theirs. Like they broke up and Alpha started pursuing Kiba. The other omega tries to mix up the timelines so that Kiba thinks Alpha was cheating on them.
But as soon as you see that pup you know who’s baby that is! Your old Friend! Who was suspiciously close to you old omega, go figure. But this omega is determined to show you that this pup is yours ,almost desperate to prove to you.
So I would like to see what my love Kiba would do!! I know it’ll be hilarious!!
Oh, this would be very dramatic! @voodoogoul
I like to think Kiba answers the knock on the door.
Just for an extra bit of chaos ;)
"Who the fuck are you?" is said by both Kiba and the ex at the exact same time.
They immediately hate each other before the story even comes out.
Ex says they're here for alpha!reader but Kiba asks why before he calls them out.
Ex only grins and says, "They have some catching up to do with their child support." knowing full well that Kiba is most likely their old alpha's new mate.
At that moment, they gesture to the nervous looking six or seven year old child standing behind them that Kiba didn't originally notice.
The tension rises, and just then, you turn up from behind Kiba.
"Babe, what's going on?"
"Ask them," Kiba says, voice lined with a growl.
The ex only smirks and says, "I thought it was time for you to meet you son. I got pregnant the last time we hooked up. It was the night of that summer festival five years ago, do you remember?"
This ex has done their research and knows that his alpha has been with a new omega for seven years now and they also remembered overhearing their old alpha have a conversation at a bar (where they were stalking them lol) where they mentioned heading to the summer festival with friends because Kiba said he wasn't up to going.
It was the perfect plan.
Or it seemed like the perfect plan until Kiba started cackling.
"Ha, I was almost worried for a second, but you're just trying to stir shit, aren't you?" Kiba grinned a wild grin with far too many teeth on show.
"I'm not trying to stir up anything asshole, I'm just trying to get my pup to have a relationship with his appa. Are you so insecure that you'd deny him his appa because you want them all to yourself?"
Kiba only laughed harder.
"Yeah, okay, firstly, that pup was not conceived five years ago, he's way too old and two, there's no fucking way you slept with my alpha during that summer festival."
"He was and I did, you bitch! What ground do you have to call me a liar huh?"
Kiba stepped closer to them, threateningly, only stopping because of your hand on his arm.
"I know because I have five pups, I know what a 4-5 year old looks like. And the oldest of said pups just so happened to be born prematurely on the day of that very festival, meaning my alpha never went. I know childbirth can fuck with your brain, but believe me, I would have noticed my alpha fucking someone else in the delivery room."
The ex reeled back like they'd been slapped, face white as a sheet.
"That's- I-This is unbelievable!"
Kiba opened his mouth to reply, but you stepped in.
"You know, genetically, we could have never produced that eye colour," you said simply.
"What?" your ex snapped.
"Your son, his eyes. We could never have produced a child with those eyes, it's basic genetics."
Kiba grinned, his scent both threatening and pleased.
"So how about you get out of my sight before I have to escort both you and your son off the premises?"
They huffed and left, pulling their poor son behind them.
"Damn, talk about crazy," you muttered, shutting the front door.
"Fuck yeah they were crazy, I'm the only one who's carried your pups and I'm the only one who ever will," Kiba grinned before pulling you in to a kiss with way too much teeth.
"And I'd never want anything different."
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OKAY. THAT SCENE. I haven’t started a full rewatch of the episode but I have put on this scene in the background so I can just go through it beat for beat, cuz I have A LOT of thoughts. And a fair warning right now: this is gonna be a REAL LONG POST.
Now, we can’t take every single thing that Asmodeus said at face value. Like he says, he’s the father of lies. But the thing that’s always said about good liars is that not every single thing they say is a lie. And because there’s no way for us to know right now what is true and what isn’t true in what he said, I’m just gonna discuss most of the stuff in the case where it is true, because it’ll just make things easier for me.
The dream being something that actually happened that Zerxus got pulled into somehow changes SO MUCH for me with that intro. I had been operating off the thought that it was as Patia said and Zerxus was seeing a fight from the Schism.
Zerxus casting Cure Wounds on Asmodeus, even though he’s an evil Betrayer God, in my opinion, is extremely indicative of just how incredibly kind he is. Even when he is told that there’s a Betrayer God in front of him, he heals him because he’s still a being in extreme pain, and he knows how it feels to have pain that seems like it’ll never end. He’s still living with his. And I think, as this conversation goes on, he also sees that in Asmodeus.
I do believe that Asmodeus isn’t fully aware of how he got to where he is. My guess at the moment is that, he knows that Vespin did a ritual that broke him and the other Betrayers out of where they were being kept, but he doesn’t know why.
I also believe that he’s telling the truth when he says he takes on the likeness of whoever the person who is seeing him would view as the most beautiful person in the world. I don’t know shit about the wider d&d lore, or about the Lord of the Hells, even in deeper Exandrian lore, I’ve only read the original Tal’Dorei campaign book and it’s been a MINUTE since I’ve read the passage about Asmodeus. But I don’t know, it just feels like it makes sense, because it’s a great way to manipulate people, especially mortals, to do what you want them to do.
Now, I know some people have some Opinions™️ about the fact that there wasn’t even an insight check attempted against Asmodeus, but I’m not gonna get into that until the end of the post. Depending on how long this gets, I may just make it it’s own post. But I will say. He never actually says to Zerxus either way if this is a trick. He doesn’t say that he is, but he doesn’t say that he isn’t. He just says that he knows people are always going to assume that he is. And I will say, I don’t think this is a trick. That’s not the word I’d use for it. This is a lure. That’s how I’d describe this. This is Asmodeus metaphorically putting a carrot on a stick in front of Zerxus, and I think it’s gonna all boil down to what actually happened to Evandrin, who knows about it, who actively kept it from him and, possibly, who could’ve helped him but didn’t.
I fully believe that Asmodeus is using Zerxus’s innate kindness against him, and it’s very clear that Zerxus seeing his husband’s face, even when he knows why Asmodeus looks like Evandrin, it’s very much having an extreme emotional effect on him.
I fucking love the story that Asmodeus tells from his perspective, and however truthful it is or isn’t when it comes to the details, I absolutely believe that his emotions behind the words are genuine.
I’m also never going to be over that Zerxus has gone from yelling at a god, to healing a Betrayer, and then attempting to change that Betrayer’s alignment. Absolutely wild choice and I am so fucking here for it.
I clocked the look that Travis made at this last night because it was the exact same face I made. Asmodeus gave his word that he wouldn’t forget Zerxus. And that’s it. Someone like him, he is going to choose his words carefully, and follow that promise to the letter. He promised he wouldn’t forget Zerxus, but he didn’t promise not to use him, or to take his pain out on mortals. And just because he says he isn’t currently using Zerxus doesn’t mean he won’t in the future. He does say someone else is, and I guess one could argue that could be all of Avalir, but the wording he uses is very specific. He says Zerxus’s fault is that he’s too trusting, and who in the city would he trust more than the Ring of Brass?
It makes so much sense that Zerxus, as a Paladin who is attached to no god, would be able to have these visions like the oracles who are clerics with no god. Both are divine casters in that way.
It is VERY interesting that, despite having been locked away for so long, he knows that Avalir is a flying city. Maybe he was told, maybe the knowledge has been leaking through this portal to him in this in between place that he’s in for the two weeks he’s been there. At least, I assume it’s been two weeks, that seems to be the general time period.
I can’t find the post that I saw saying this at the moment, but there was someone who posited a theory that Evandrin isn’t actually dead, just incorporeal and trapped on another plane, maybe like the ethereal plane, where he can see what’s happening but can’t interact and he’s just lost all physical form and the thing that Asmodeus says about Evandrin’s spirit being nearby during the original vision Zerxus had makes me think about that, and thinking about that makes me VERY SAD.
I’m no expert in the limitations of arcane magic in d&d, so I can’t say for sure whether or not Zerxus is correct when he says that they had to have known a way to bring Evandrin back and chose not to. But I don’t think that would even matter because he very adamantly believes it to be true, and clearly has believed it for years. I think that, along with the full truth of what happened to Evandrin being revealed to him and him finding out that at least one of his very trusted friends kept that of all things from him is going to, at the very least, lead Zerxus down a very dark path.
Zerxus said it last episode to Purvan, and he’s saying it again to Asmodeus. He told Purvan that Avalir wasn’t his home and that they were approaching his home. But I don’t think he meant Cathmoira, not really. This is just speculative, but I like the thought of his home being Elias. And when his home was at its fullest, it was him and Elis and Evandrin all together. Now, it’s a bit broken. To me, that’s a much sadder prospect than just the city on the ground being his home.
Last night, I didn’t have subtitles. I have them on now, and I thought last night that when Asmodeus said the thing about how he understands that mortals will always have a part of them that recoils from him because of the gifts he gave them, I thought Zerxus said “then you may be wrong.” But according to the captions, he says “Then you made me wrong.” And honestly, I kind of love that a lot more.
The fact that he specifically points out that the Protection from Good and Evil protects him from Fey is very much him pointing Zerxus in Loquatius’s direction and saying “you can’t trust him”. But with the way the episode ended, who knows when he’ll even get the chance to act on that thought.
Now, when it comes to the choice to not make an insight check against Asmodeus. First of all, mechanically, I don’t think it would’ve mattered. Asmodeus is a fucking god, and I think any insight check Luis could’ve rolled would have just resulted in, at best, the Brennan Lee Mulligan equivalent of Matt saying “he’s hard to read”. I mean, yes, he could’ve rolled a nat 20, but honestly I think that might have been why he didn’t.
And that’s why I LOVED it. Because it felt real and genuine. @thedragonagelesbian said something very similar earlier today, and I wanna give them credit because it was their post that spurred this specific line of thought for me today (and it’s also the post that informed me that people were even having Opinions™️ about this in the first place).
This isn’t a story where there’s a sliver of possibility that our heroes we’re following here may win. They already lost. It already happened. It’s the history of the world of Exandria. There’s no stopping what’s coming. And it became very clear as soon as this installment of EXU was going to be about the Calamity that this was going to be a tragedy. Making an insight check there doesn’t feel true to the story they’re telling.
It also doesn’t feel true or genuine of Zerxus in that moment. Like Asmodeus says, he’s too trusting. But even more than that, he’s in a very fragile emotional and mental state at the moment. I reblogged that post from @helltothenaw earlier for a reason. Here’s the post.
Now, I’m not an expert on anything really, but especially not on cults. But what I am is an avid listener to the Cult Podcast, and there’s something they say on that podcast that, to me, feels appropriate. There’s a cult out there for everyone, because what cults do is provide for you whatever you may need at the time, whether that need be physical, financial, or emotional.
Zerxus is a man who doesn’t believe in gods at all, and doesn’t worship them. But he’s also a man who is going through A LOT right now. He lost the love of his life, he’s been separated from his son for seven years, and their relationship at the moment is very strained, probably for a litany of reasons. He’s in a position of power that he doesn’t feel that he deserves, and possibly one that he doesn’t even want. Evandrin was supposed to be the First Knight. Zerxus doesn’t even like this city, in fact he even said that he hates it there. He is most definitely the unhappiest of the Ring of Brass. He feels lost. That to me sounds like a perfect opportunity for a being known for manipulation to take advantage of.
#spoilers#critical role#exandria unlimited calamity#exu calamity#cr#exandria unlimited#exu#cr spoilers#critical role spoilers#exandria unlimited spoilers#exandria unlimited calamity spoilers#exu spoilers#exu calamity spoilers#zerxus ilerez
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MY ATLA LIVE ACTION S1E5 THOUGHTS
EP4 - EP6
I think I’m progressively getting more confused with how they’re structuring this plot. At what point does an adaptation stop being a necessary rearrangement and starts being changed for the sake of change. I don’t actually have the answer to that, but I’m going to keep that in mind moving forward.
So there’s a lot going on in this episode, with an arc that again spans episodes 5 and 6 (as a guess). It seems the writers are bringing in elements from book 2, which they were doing before, but this time I’m not entirely sure as to why? I’m a little perplexed about it, I guess. Don’t get me wrong, I thought it was a fairly enjoyable watch, but I do think I would sooner rather rewatch the cartoon again before this episode.
There was a character officially introduced this episode that said some things that I feel directly conflicts with their character in the cartoon, and I’m finding it difficult to reconcile why the writers made this change.
Lastly, this was the first time in this series where I immediately noticed a parallel between Zuko and Aang, which was always something that Made the original series for me, so I appreciated its inclusion here.
As always, spoilers and live reactions under the cut.
judging by the description, we’re in the winter solstice proper now.
katara is advancing in a much more believable way now
are they gonna do the misogyny in the northern water tribe thing?
yeah this is def the opening to the winter solstice episode. does that mean we’ll go to the fire temple and meet roku after?
woah that shot with Aang on his knees in the burnt forest was the exact same one in the cartoon
“my name is sokka, rhymes with okka”
PIPPINPADDLEOPSICOPOLIS THE THIRD THAT’S CRAZY!! where was this in omashu
zuko’s being rude to his subordinates <3 love that guy
oh okay so the yuyan archers are being given to zhao. will this tie into pohuai somehow? should i expect to see the blue spirit next episode?
ozai is. talking up zuko?? to deliberately put down azula?? i mean. yeah okay i can accept that. if they’re making ozai turn on azula a little, then that means they might be setting up for an azula redemption arc down the line. i might miss the ultimate tragedy of her character, but tbh she deserves something good. it’ll be interesting to see how this affects zuko’s redemption arc as well
ooh the bear statues are nice. hei bai time
oh they’re. all in the spirit world? from just aang meditating??? that feels like that’s not how that should work, but okay
pirates, canyon guide? the callbacks, huh? we haven’t seen the adaptations for the waterbending scroll or the great divide, so are they implying that some abridged version of these events have happened in this version of canon offscreen? hm
june <33
HELP SHE’S FLIRTING WITH IROH
WAN SHI TONG???? love love love, he looks incredible!! that sure is a big fucking owl. why is he here though
has azula not figured out blue flames completely yet? they were orange, and flickered blue
i am enjoying this early azula arc, if not just because i love azula
they’re gonna adapt the bato episode, right? bc june is here. that might be coming soon, right?
hei bai <33 he looks great too
no bending in the spirit world
wait is this. an adaptation of the hallucinations in the swamp from book 2?? it’s kind of giving swamp. how much do we wanna bet that the three tailed fox was a representation for yue? i’ll bet it was the same actress doing the voice work
well. goodbye kya
face. stealer? koh is that you?
well fuck. no bato episode, sokka’s already been ice-dodging. bato is in this flashback, but at what cost. i guess this does eliminate that aang miscommunication plot point, which i did hate.
sokka. bullied?
this better not be real. hakoda would never say that. he Wouldn’t!! what the fuck. this better be a swamp-esque hallucination. i’m gonna be so mad. hakoda is a supportive figure in sokka’s life, sokka’s insecurities aren’t supposed to stem from the things he says, even if hakoda doesn't think sokka can hear. i would buy it if the village boys were the ones causing sokka issues, but in my opinion, hakoda should be part of the solution, not the problem.
koh the face stealer confirmed. this goes kinda hard
did anyone tell aang about the whole expressionless thing. what’s stopping koh right now
GYATSO????! this is peak gyatso he’s real
maybe. worry about your friends a little more though aang
“imprisons people in their darkest memories” huh. that means. hakoda was really saying that about sokka? hm
you uh. just gonna leave them there?
it’s good that they’re still paralleling aang and zuko. that was very nice, and also a staple of WHY i liked the cartoon in the first place.
liked: wan shi tong's design (he looked cool as hell), koh's design (appropriately scary), the general look of the spirit world, possible (unconfirmed) foreshadowing of yue in a swamp-esque style
worried about: if they keep adapting things from season two and cutting things from season one, what's going to happen in later seasons?
disliked: hakoda's characterization (i know it didn't seem mean-spirited and i know he didn't think sokka was around to hear, but in my heart of hearts he would never say that. why does bato seem to believe in sokka more than hakoda)
#atla#atla live action#atla netflix#avatar the last airbender live action#avatar the last airbender#long post#listen i'm not disliking the series#it's a fine watch#but there's def choices being made here that i don't like
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I sometimes think about that one ask I sent where the Champions meet their messed up selves in the villain Diantha AU. But like imagine if they met themselves in the Villain Champion AU. It’ll be way, WAY, worse then the Villain Diantha AU one
Cause like, they’re all evil, with Iris and Hau being manipulated by them. And because Cynthia fused with Giratina for practically nothing. Shes just evil to be evil. Lance has a body count, Iris is one mean comment away from pulling a Team Plasma, and Leon is a tyrant who sided with Rose
But god, when they see Iris. She’s just a shell of her old self and she’s very violent and quick to anger. But they can tell that she’s nervous around them, like they’re gonna do something to her if she messes up
All of them are gonna be horrified about what the other champions have done to her, just because she almost didn’t meet their expectations. Cause if she faced another tough challenger and almost lost but kept her title. Like the original champions would be proud of her but the villain champions would torture her again and make her training more vigorous
OUUGGHHJCBCMCXMD
God please Diantha would throw hands w her villain counterpart fr
But yo that's so sad tho imagine them taking Iris and Hau from their villain counterparts and asking them what's really wrong, and Hau's there telling Diantha everything, cause ofc, he still had that mindset, the one talking to him is Diantha, this may not be the Diantha in his universe but the fear is there yknow.
And idk, I imagine villain au Hau being like,, ah, idk the English word for this,, shit wait actually idk the English word for this gimme a sec, like... Two faced???? That's really not the exact translation that I'm looking for but that's a bit close ig. Anyways yeah, yknow, Dia really spoiled Hau in the villain au, and Hau became somewhat of a mama's boy bc of that and he's such a lil shit that he'd often taunt Iris saying that he's Diantha's favourite, even telling Dia what Iris would hide from them just so she can get in trouble, and he'd spare himself the same fate, never admitting he's also scared to be punished
And imagine him telling (not villain) Diantha abt everything that happened tho, how Iris almost lost and if she didn't pull through, she would've lost her champion title, and he's there bringing the spotlight to himself, saying how he's just as strategic as her now, and no one could even come close to beating him
Imagine his surprise when Diantha just softly says she's proud of him, then goes to Iris and hugs her, tells her that it was okay, she did her best, and she's also really proud of her too. Imagine both their surprise tho, cause Iris was also expecting this Diantha to slap her and get mad and get Cynthia to trap her in the Distortion World too, only for Diantha to pull Iris closer to her, and Iris breaks, crying her heart out, clinging to her, her tears staining Dia's blazer.
God just cjmxxbdk the other champions asking Iris and Hau what else the other champions had done to them, Iris kept quiet, and as much as Diantha hated it, she used that fear Hau had and asked him instead, and the boy told her everything
Imagine how much that'd fuck them up tho, how much damage their villain counterparts caused, not only to their region but to other people as well, to Iris and Hau especially, that those two kids, their kids, are so fucking terrified of them, terrified of making a mistake, terrified of getting punished.
#also iirc leon didnt join rose?? idk i forgot too but didnt he like.. kill him??? i forgot cbxmdn hahaha#W Cynthia too tho#like homegirl was built diff#she really up and fused w the devil just bc she was bored and wanted to feel god like.#imagine the others having to not only deal w dia's ghost pkmn spying them but cynthia too#since she can phase through walls now and such#imagine villain cynthia just attacking them tho trying to get back iris and hau#god thatd be dope cnmdnd hahahah#villain champions au#pokemon champions#an ask and an answer#jerseyk112
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Okay might as well stop putting it off and post this. Was gonna title this “Disability and Dark Souls” but 1. This isn’t actually about Dark Souls itself, 2. That makes it seem like it’ll have way more cohesion than it does. Long-ass rambling to follow.
Remember this vent post that I wasn’t expecting anyone whatsoever to acknowledge? Well things happened and I guess I’m making up a followup. Specifically one that talks about the issues I have with Sekrio Shadows Die Twice as someone with a motor function disability, (specifically minor dyspraxia, a neurodevelopmental condition which affects fine motor skills). The rest of this is basically going to one long ramble very loosely framed as something of a rebuttal to the generic and oft presented idea that Fromsoftware’s approach to difficulty and accessibility is not just flawless, but specifically something that would ruin everything about their games if the formula was in any way changed. So it’s probably going to have redundancies and defensive language and be a clumsy mix of relaying my personal experiences and me trying to prove a point. Ok? Don’t say i didn’t warn you.
…So then, to go back to that original post, it used Elden Ring as an example, which out of Fromsoft’s lineup is pretty much at the opposite end of the spectrum from the aforementioned Sekiro. For that exact reason though, I think there’s merit to describing the experience of one and applying it to the other, both to show how Elden Ring alleviates the issue but also why it’s a discussion that still needs to be had, because if it can happen to one then it can still very much apply to the other; that’s inherent to the design philosophy of a company like Fromstoftware who make changes to the same base mold for all their titles, even when they severely diverge in opposite directions the way Sekiro and Elden Ring do when compared to Dark Souls.
And also because the point still applies, even if my issue with present design actually lies with Sekiro. That doesn’t mean that anytime someone brings up easy modes over Elden Ring, they should still be shushed and shamed with this idea that actively rejecting accessibility is somehow a moral high ground. That’s something I wanna highlight before getting into it further. The issue was never that these games should be forced to have an easy mode; the issue is the people who actively seek to prevent these games from having an easy mode. There is no moral high ground that entitles you to think it’s ever a bad thing to be more accessible, and it’s not on you, me, or anyone else to deny the existence of such features. If I advocate for an easy mode, it’s because I have a reason to believe it’s optional inclusion would improve the experience for certain groups. The same by definition cannot apply to someone seeking to prevent the existence of such things. Reasons such as resource drain can be given for why the development wouldn’t allow for it, but to react with vitriol to the idea of an easy mode existing goes well beyond any worthy intention into pure gatekeeping. That’s why my original question was NOT “If it’s so great, why doesn’t it have an easy mode?” despite that being the question people seemed to have responded to. My question was “If it’s such an amazing game, why do people act like an optional easier difficulty would ruin the entire game including the people who clearly just wouldn’t use that option if it did exist?”
So to restate, Elden Ring is only tangential, and only originally included because of how other people (such as the 'shithead youtuber' in question) take a scattershot approach of lumping it in with Dark Souls and Sekiro whenever talking about why NONE of them should be allowed to have varying difficulty settings or general accessibility. All clear? Have I alienated enough people yet? Okay. Let’s move on I guess. If this is written defensively (it is), it’s because I’m all too used to being met with hostility over all this.
Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and all the other Fromsoftware games don’t necessarily need an easy mode, but that was not the point being made. The point being made was that lacking an easy mode is not a necessity; accessibility options would be appreciated. There’s a difference between a mode that is completely rebalanced, using up time and resources to put in an entirely different difficulty setting that won't even be the intended experience, and something as simple as a crutch, like Sekiro having slow-mo without explicitly modding the game. This is to say nothing of games that already take the approach of creating one intended difficulty and simply adding easier or harder modes with basic number tweaks rather than anything in depth like rettoled AI or placement, both creating an intended and delicately crafted experience as well as providing accessibility. Personally I will always take the ‘crutch’ though over artificial difficulty, both because it’s much more streamlined and because such solutions are easy to weave into the core gameplay (the Sniper Elite series has a great example, the aim cursor and bullet-time like effects of holding your breath becoming less effective the more you increase the difficulty but also allowing you to fully disable it at any time in the options even on lower difficulties).
All that said, and here’s where people get even touchier about this discussion… there’s absolutely a difference between dedicated accessibility options and just having proper gameplay balance, the same way accessibility is not as simple as having different builds. Look I love Fromsoft as much as anyone else and when it comes to their game design they’re impeccable; the variety of approaches absolutely helps, and it has directly helped me in DS1 especially. It’s also for that exact reason, however, Sekiro is so problematic both for myself and many others to the point it completely reignited this discussion of ‘should there be an easy mode’ unlike ever before upon release. What I’m getting at is, that variety definitely pastes over what would otherwise be inconsiderately hard game design, hard to the point of more empirically warranting various difficulty. Fromsoft ingeniously chose to use its variety of approach and mechanics as a way to eliminate the need for such things, that’s true. They should also absolutely be praised for that! But if they then turn around and make something like Sekiro that removes that aspect entirely with its heavily streamlined design focusing on reflexive parrying above all else, then it calls the whole system into question. And now is the part where people always point to how they beat it, or how many people ‘overcame’ it, or whatever. Some people can even beat these games with a ddr pad. Good for them, it’s an incredible feat and worthy of accolades. But for people to then use such feats as “proof” the game is “already accessible” when some people are physically disabled and unable to properly play a game that requires, say, pinpoint dodges and parries with extremely punishing gameplay, is not just disingenuous, it’s a complete fallacy. There’s a point to be made about external solutions, things like creating controllers that can accommodate such people, but external solutions are not a reason nor an excuse for game designers to not meet them halfway if possible; as I said there’s a difference between rebalancing and at least a cheat toggle, oversimplified a solution that may be. That’s the key word: Toggle. Option. You don’t have to use it. Stop acting like it’s very existence is a detriment when you can choose to not engage with it at all. Dark Souls 2 isn’t ludicrously unfair because the Covenant of Champions exists. Ya know, because you can just NOT use it. Why doesn’t the same apply to the inverse?
I did DS2 with that covenant btw. I also did a 100% run of Bloodborne. I own DS3 too and even Metal Wolf Chaos. I probably have more hours in Fromsoft games than most of the people who’ve told me why easy modes are bad. My point is that just because I adore these games and have a thorough understanding of their design from both a gameplay and narrative standpoint, that doesn’t mean I think the arguments against easy modes somehow have merit. And i’m not too proud to admit a large part of that is related to my own situation. A while back, as a direct result of my time with Sekiro, I learned I have what is known as minor dyspraxia, as mentioned at the start. It explained a lot, like the not being coordinated bit. Not as in “I’m a bit clumsy,” as in even after a life of playing video games since the gamecube era and many years of attempts I just can never break into certain genres like hyperfast fps games or fighting games or basically anything that relies on PC controls because my base hand-eye coordination is terrible and my reaction time doesn’t match the speed at which my hands should be able to react. Starting my soulslike career with Bloodborne ended up being a blessing for me not just because the fastest soulslike was my first hurdle but specifically because of how, despite the speed, it’s got a very passive approach that clicks with me in the simple dodge and swipe approach, with riposting being the kind of the thing I couldn’t pull off but lacking the ability being a non-issue as the game is designed such it’s never truly needed. It allows you to make certain fights cakewalks with single massively damaging counterattacks, but it’s NEVER required for a fight or designed such that it’s the only realistic approach to combat. But then by comparison you have the exact reason I struggle with Sekiro’s fast paced incredibly reactionary combat (parry’s, unblockables telegraphed by symbols more than animations, deflecting freaking LIGHTNING with multiple button inputs in the span of a single second) that beat me down in a way that didn't leave me feeling fulfilled because I was actively struggling against myself as much the game.
In Bloodborne I felt pure catharsis when I beat the Bloodstarved Beast, my first ‘wall’ in one of these games. In Dark Souls 1 I felt fulfilled even after struggling for TWO YEARS against Ornstein and Smough, going so far as to start from scratch with a completely different build, but when I beat Ashina and his stupid lightning throwing technique after a few months of trying almost every day, dying over and over to the same thing in the same way…I was just sick of it. I didn't feel like I had surmounted this incredible challenge like I had when I used consumables and gear to cover my failings in the Bloodstarved fight, or feel proud for sticking with it long enough to completely redo my build in Dark Souls 1. In Sekiro It felt like I’d died like an idiot to the exact same thing hundreds of times and should’ve beaten him weeks ago but didn’t because I clearly am just bad at this with no other explanation, that the only reason I wasn’t winning was because I wasn’t as good as everyone else. I saw exactly what I needed, exactly what button to press to succeed, and DIDN'T because I kept messing up the inputs as my brain and fingers caught up a split second too late. This happened dozens upon dozens of times as I struggled with a playstyle I understood but could not cope with, and did not have the option to opt out of. Even after finally beating it I progressed a bit beyond but soon dropped the game, exhausted by it only becoming harder and more brutal because unlike Soulsborne that reactionary gameplay is the core of Sekiro’s design and the unmoving pillar all of its gameplay scales itself around. I keep telling myself I’ll go back and actually finish Sekiro if only on principle but I don’t look forward to it like I do my [counts…] …7th run of bloodborne, I expect to just hit another painful roadblock that presents a challenge not because it’s difficult and I’ll eventually overcome it, but because I’m just not good enough and trying to bring myself up to “average”. And to top it all off, according to all these people who trumpet what a masterpiece every Fromsoft game is, me not being good enough seems to mean I don’t “deserve” to experience the game in a way I can enjoy.
I agree Fromsoftware are the ones who should decide whether this sort if thing is implemented at all. My issue is not that there isn’t a version of Sekiro that will hold my hand, even if that’s what I very much wish I had so I could enjoy this clearly masterfully crafted game in my own way. My issue is how so many people describing these games as “must-experience masterpieces” react like a shark to blood at the mention of making them more accessible. All discussion of such things has been completely co-opted by this ableist idea that any step towards in-game accessibility that isn't based on very surface level disabilities like color-blindness or deafness is “making things worse for everyone” when it should be self demonstrating that it hurts no one to do such a thing so long as it’s done right. I don’t have a PC that can run Sekrio though for the slow-mo mod, something that could so easily have been added to the game. So according to so very many people, I guess I “don’t deserve” to be able to enjoy the game at all, which hurts every time i'm told it. And that missing out is likely to happen again if Fromsoft ever makes another streamlined game that has the sort of highly crafted intended experience I would otherwise be enthralled by, so long as their each and every release is met with vehement pushback against the very idea of them adding an easy mode to anything ever.
#long post#i spent too much time on this#soulsborne#fromsoft games#fromsoftware#elden ring#dark souls#sekiro shadows die twice#bloodborne#ableism#video games#game design
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i think 2 main things could’ve been done better in s3 to put will in a better situation in s4 in regards to allowing him to move on and have a non-mike related romance plot.
the first being having a conversation with jonathan after his breakdown in 3x03. i always found it incredibly annoying that will and jonathan have conversations in s1 and 2 where jonathan reassures him that it’s okay to be different and like different things than other people but not in the season where will was explicitly struggling the the most with that and the isolation it causes. they don’t actually talk at all in s3 and i think a moment where jonathan somehow finds out that will had a meltdown and destroyed his safe-place would’ve been helpful to push will’s arc forwards. obviously will in s3 wasn’t necessarily ready to deal with his problems, and he couldn’t have some rapid change in the span of a few days, but jonathan coming to him and giving him a little talk like he usually does would’ve been good i think.
the second thing is that i think they should’ve had an actual reconciliation between will and mike in s3 after their fight. their fight at rink-o-mania in s4 hit the exact same beats because they never resolved that conflict in s3 and had to rehash it in order to mend their relationship in “dear billy”. the whole “i was maybe focusing too much on el and i lost you but we can work together moving forwards as best friends” would’ve been a conversation that could’ve been perfectly effective after their s3 fight considering the show pivots back to the supernatural plot after 3x03 and that could’ve been where they were “working together”. (it may have allowed will to be more active in the MF plot too but who knows.) i think it would’ve given will some good perspective onto his relationship with mike at that point and he may not have spent so much time stuck in and questioning those unresolved feelings.
those two things still wouldn’t have rushed will’s overall arc imo, and they could’ve given him a better opportunity to move on by the time s4 came around now that will is finally out to himself. maybe those feelings for mike in s3 could’ve been made into a passing comment in s4 about his way of figuring himself out or whatnot. now we’re unfortunately going into s5 with will being backed into a corner romance-wise. i don’t think it’ll actually take anything that significant for him to move on, and i think b*l*rs who insist will can’t move on in a single season (especially if there’s a time jump) make no sense, but it upsets me that it’s hard to know how much narrative weight they’d be willing to give will with a new love interest in a satisfying way.
Yeah anon I generally agree with all your points. If I'm honest, and I know that this might make some shippers extremely angry, I think the reason the rink o mania fight hits the same beats as their fight in season 3 is that the season 3 fight wasn't written with the idea of Will being into Mike in mind. I think it's definitely something that they had considered at that point, as shown in the original season 2 finale script, but I think by season 3 they could have gone either way with Will's story. Otherwise I feel like they would have hammered home the idea of Will being jealous of El much harder in season 3 - like, showing us Will specifically thinking of Mike when he destroys the fort, instead of showing the entire party as they did.
I don't want to imply the Duffers make shit up in the fly because I don't think that's fair, but as showrunners they seem to be really flexible in the way they allow the story to develop (Robin being gay, Steve's character becoming as important as he did, etc). And I honestly think Will's storyline is not enough of a priority to them that they had plotted it out carefully to go about it in the best, most satisfying way. I believe they always planned for Will to be gay, but him being into Mike was something they didn't feel super strongly about but decided to incorporate because they knew fans would like it and it was an easy way to showcase his story (if I'm super cynical, I'd add that it was also a way to have Will be gay without actually writing a gay romance and pissing off homophobes in the audience; but I will give them the benefit of the doubt here). Like Will's plot just doesn't wrap up in season 3 at all, and I don't think it was intentional, I think it was a writing failure because they cared more about other storylines and characters. I think you're absolutely right, a scene with Jonathan would have done so much for that plot. It could have been a more edited version of the conversation they have in season 4, to be honest - not explicitly addressing Will's sexuality but making it clear that it's not a problem to his brother that he "doesn't like girls". That way, season 4 could have progressed Will's journey a lot further.
And yes, I 100% agree B*l*rs are talking out of their asses when they say it's impossible for Will to move on in one season. Like Will is fifteen years old and he has never even had a first kiss. There's so much that he can still experience romantically that is bound to make a huge impact on him and that, imo, would make him forget about Mike entirely.
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okay like you do not have to to this but zack and mara or kt and maya coffee shop au ideas?
No but this is exactly what I wanted to do, thank you, Annie 💕💕💕
I’m actually going to combine them cause, why not? But, it starts out with Mara and Zack and then KT and Maya get added later.
Send me an AU and I’ll tell you how I would have it play out!
So, Mara starts working at the same coffeehouse as Zack
Maybe I’m too obsessed with romances where it starts out that they don’t like each other, but I genuinely can’t picture them getting along at first
Like, Zack NEVER cleans, which is already somewhat of a turn off for Mara, but also. I hate to say this, but it’s a known fact that Zack’s lazy as hell and once he realizes she’s the type that wants to do a good job and likes things a certain way, he would take advantage of that and leave a lot of the work to her, even going so far as to tricking her into doing his shit for him. Like, purposely stacking the cups wrong and then just being like “well, why don’t you show me how you would do it, then?” until it ends up that she does the whole thing
Of course, she’s not stupid, so she catches on pretty fast, but that just makes her that much more annoyed with him
She does eventually get him back though, because she just forces him to keep doing it until he does it right. Like, he purposely knocks over all the cups, asks her if she wants to show him again, and she’s just like “I already showed you four times. But, no big deal, we’re not busy, so you can just keep trying until you get the hang of it :)”
(honestly, she can’t fathom how he hasn’t already been fired. He’d be trying to take 3 hour breaks for a part time shift lmao He just happens to be really good at making the drinks; his lattes have yet to be rivaled, and he’s charming to the customers and usually leaves them happy so he can get away with more than he should)
And Zack feels like she’s nagging him (even though she isn’t, she’s just rightfully irritated with him) so even though he thinks she’s really pretty, that’s a major turn off for him
Not only that, but she’s like the epitome of that meme that’s like “I’m going to get a good grade in being a barista, something that’s both normal to want and possible to achieve” so even on nights when it’s one hour until closing and they only have one (1) customer that already has their order, she’s insisting they could always be doing something, like mopping or cleaning the espresso machine
Idc how cheesy and cliché it is, there must be a scene where their little grievances with each other come to a head and they fight with the whip cream but they end up having fun with it and getting covered
And that’s when we reach a turning point; when Zack realizes he’s been a jerk and apologizes (he even admits that she’s way more fun than he originally thought) and Mara apologizes for being a little overzealous by insisting they should always be working and explains to him that she isn’t trying to nag when it comes to keeping things clean, it’s just, they work in food so it’s a matter of public health (and also, it’s just gross, but he doesn’t care about that like she does lol)
And of course he pretends like he’s fluffing it off, like he doesn’t care, but from that point forward, she notices subtle changes. Like, maybe he won’t mop the whole floor, but he’ll at least wipe up the counter if he spills something. Baby steps.
(Also, if he does a good enough job, Mara will comment on it, and praise from a pretty girl is praise from a pretty girl, ya know)
Also, they’re allowed at least one drink during their shift just as a perk of working there, and Mara always drinks the exact same thing (sometimes decaf, if she doesn’t want to be up all night. If she knows she wants to be up all night to study for a test or something, then it’ll be caffeinated, but either way, it’s always the same)
She usually takes it home with her, and there’s one day where she’s getting ready to leave and she goes to make it, and Zack just wordlessly slides one over to her
From that point forward he always has one waiting for her before she even has the chance to insist he doesn’t need to do that
There also has to be at least one scene where it’s taking them longer than usual to do their whole closing routine, and she’s either freaking out about not making it back before curfew, or freaking because there’s a test tomorrow that she wants to squeeze in one more study session for, or something, so Zack can be like “you know what, I’ll take care of this, you just go”
And he’s like, physically pushing her out while she’s going “But don’t forget to take inventory” “i got it” “and don’t forget that every part of the espresso machine needs cleaned-“ “I know” “And you have to be certain to lock the register-“ (or, is it till? I’m sure my American is showing with this list alskdjf) "I know!" “and return the key to-“ “Mara, I can handle it. Just gooooo”
She goes in early the next morning, because she’s certain there had to be at least one thing he forgot (either that, or his standards aren’t quite as high as hers, so she’s fully prepared to redo whatever half-assed job he did the night before aldskjf) but everything’s spotless and perfect. She’s thoroughly impressed
There also has to be at least one (1) scene almost like in Love, Victor where they’re cleaning up after closing, and Zack starts playing music, and they end up dancing together. It HAS to happen, sorry, I DO make the rules
Zack also walks her home on nights when they’re closing and she doesn’t have anyone to walk with her so she doesn’t have to do it by herself in the dark. Even when they’re in the stage where they “hate” each other, he hears his mother’s voice in the back of his head telling him to be a gentleman so he does it, albeit begrudgingly alsdkjf
(But that’s also a tiny start to her realizing he’s not a complete jerk, he's actually sweet when he wants to be, he’s just lazy lmao)
(Also, I just like the thought of them walking together and it starts out as awkward silence but as their relationship progresses, you can just tell they get more comfortable with each other, and this is really the time where they learn about each other. Also, he makes her laugh on several occasions)
ALSO okay. Sorry this is kinda all over the place, but I'm saying things as I think of them. The first time she sees him interacting with customers, it's a group of girls close to their age that he would consider hot so of course, he's flirting. And the person after that is a guy close to their age, also someone he would find hot, so there's more flirting.
Mara rolls her eyes, thinking it's going to be a situation where he's only nice to those customers he finds attractive and that he can potentially get a date out of, but he's nice to everyone.
Like, there's a regular that comes in that's probably in her late 50s, and he enthusiastically greets her by her first name and asks her if she wants the usual
And this is just standard practice for him; he's like this with all the customers that are nice in return
She's also pretty impressed with the way he deals with the rude customers; you know the ones that are being pricks for the sole purpose of getting a rise out of you. But, Zack's like, completely unbothered by them, which just pisses them off even more alsdkjf but he literally Does Not Care
Bonus points if he ends up saving her from a rude customer
Like there’s that one that’s being a full blown Karen all because Mara made a tiny mistake (I think it should be a white American tourist cause we’re just Like That. I hate it here)
(Except it wasn’t a mistake, because Mara knows she asked for no whip. But, she wants to keep the customers happy so she just calmly is like “sorry about that. I’ll add some now”)
And when it gets to the point where this bitch is like “I wanna speak to the manager”, Zack just steps up and is like “hi, i’m the manager, how can I help you?” (he obviously isn’t, but she doesn’t know that lmao)
Except he doesn’t care so instead of doing the usual spiel of like apologizing and offering to make it right he just goes “well, actually, I was standing right over there, and I also happen to know you asked for no whip. And even though you changed your mind in the rudest way possible, my associate here still tried to make it right, even going so far as to making your whole drink over again. So, I don’t see why we should have to pay for your mistake :)”
Of course it gets to the point where she’s storming out and insisting that she’s going to call their corporate office (when she asks for their names, Zack tells her his name is Cody and Mara’s is London) and when she says some shit like “I’ll never step foot in this place again!” Zack’s just like “do you promise?”
He and Mara are definitely laughing at her for like 10 minutes afterwards
(If you wanted to turn this into a proper slow burn, you could have it that Mara is hesitant to act on her feelings towards Zack either because she’s worried about things getting awkward if they break-up and have to keep working in close quarters OR, depending on when this would take place in the HOA universe, she watches him flirt with literally every attractive young person that enters that place alsdkjf and is worried about getting her heartbroken again)
(And if you went with the first option but wanted to go full on cliche rom-com, you could have her eventually admit that she’s hesitant to date a co-worker so he’s like “okay” and then immediately gives his two week notice because he “can always find a new job”)
Idk why I'm giving options aldksjf like idk who besides myself is gonna look at this and be like, "yeah, I'd like to write this" but just in case lmao
Now to introduce KT & Maya
So, Maya starts working there when Zack and Mara are in that place of like, they’re clearly into each other but they’re still in deep denial about it
But, it’s very clear to her that they’re into each other. Like, there’s definite flirting happening on both sides
(Maya finds them wholly annoying at times because she’s the only one working the register and making drinks in the middle of a rush because Mara and Zack are too busy making heart eyes at each other to notice that there are other people in that shop besides the two of them. She has to physically put herself between them to be like “hello?! Customers! and lots of them!!”)
Maya becomes fast friends with both of them, and since she’s new to that whole location and doesn’t really know anyone outside of them, Mara introduces her to some of the girls from Anubis house
(Idk where Zack and Maya are going to school in this AU, but I guess it’s not with Mara. Idk why but that’s the way it is lmao)
Of course, this is where she meets KT and there’s an instant connection
KT starts frequenting the coffee place, conveniently whenever Maya seems to be working 👀
Maya always has a new recommendation for her, depending on what she liked and didn’t like from previous visits
And of course, every single time, they’re basically doing the exact same thing as Zack and Mara, where they’re staring at each other with hearts in their eyes and no one else exists
Zack and Maya are always constantly teasing each other about their respective crushes, and insisting that they should ask them out, but then they’re both like “but I don’t like her like that, you’re clearly misinterpreting things”
(I don’t know if I would do it, but i suppose if someone wanted to go the slightly angsty route, you could have Mara overhear that. Like Zack saying something along the lines of “Please, we’re barely friends. We’re basically just coworkers that happen to get along”)
(Okay, wait. Now that I’m thinking about it, maybe I would go this route, only because I love trash and I love cheesiness and I love the thought of her being upset because she thinks he’s embarrassed to have a crush on her, but that’s genuinely not it, he just never thought someone like her would have a crush on someone like him, and he basically just gives her a big, grand, rom-com speech about how amazing and wonderful she is, and anyone that can’t see that isn’t worth her time)
Anyway
Zack watches this all go down with KT and Maya for WEEKS and is finally like “you know what, I’ll make her order today” and there’s obvious push back from Maya but Zack’s just like “well, if you don’t like her like that, then what’s the issue with me making her drink instead? :)”
And Maya’s somewhat stubborn, so she refuses to give Zack the satisfaction of being right, and she’s just like *through gritted teeth* “fine. Go ahead”
And when Zack hands KT her order, he’s just like “I wrote Maya’s number on the cup. You should text her sometime ;)” and KT just makes eye contact with Maya who is now wildly blushing and on the verge of strangling Zack and is like “okay. I will 😏”
*Maya, in her best Ben Wyatt voice* “Did you just hit on KT…for me?” “Well, someone had to do it!”
And so after KT walks out, Maya immediately turns to Mara and is like: “Hey, Mara, what are you doing on Saturday?” “I don’t think anything. Why?” “Wanna go on a date with Zack?”
Zack, to Maya: “Wait, what?!?” Zack, a second later to Mara: “wait... do you, though?”
And after Mara says yes, Zack’s just kinda like “ya know, I could’ve done that.” Maya: “Then why didn’t you? 😏”
And that’s pretty much it in a nutshell even though it’s like a million miles long laskdjf anyway, thank you so so much, this was so fun and exactly what I wanted to do, you’re literally the bestest 🥺🥺💕💕
#this was so fun I wanna do like 600 more of them#asks#annie tag 💖#au ask game#the suite life of anubis#the suite life of anubis: coffeeshop edition#sorry i made you read all that. I got super into it and couldn't stop asldkj#i feel like this is a whole ass fic itself oof 😭
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Prodigy (Final Rose x Pokemon)
♦Topic: Averia Yun-Farron
In: Boards ► Trainers ► Upcoming Trainers
LightningSupremacist (Original Poster) (Lightning Groupie)
Posted on August 14
Ever since Lightning Farron retired (undefeated, of course, because she’s awesome that way), I’ve been struggling to fill the pink-haired void in my life. Sure, she’ll slaughter her way through at least a couple of invitational leagues a year, but it’s just not the same.
I miss the days of bowing before our beloved tyrant. Don’t get me wrong, her successors haven’t been awful, but they just don’t have the same aura of invincibility. As a fan, I was beyond spoiled. I never had to worry about her losing because she, well, didn’t lose. Ever.
Now, after years of hoping she’d start battling in earnest again, we’ve got the next best thing: Averia Yun-Farron, her older daughter, has officially captured her first badge.
And, boy, oh boy, is the battle a doozy. You have got to see this to believe it. She’s a chip off the old block and then some.
Here’s the video.
Prodigy doesn’t being to cover it. That’s a gym leader’s full-strength team. Not the baby team they send out for people without a badge. No, that’s the team they send out against trainers who’re league level.
(Showing Page 1 of 1)
► LightningSupremacist (Original Poster) (Lightning Groupie)
Replied on August 14
You’ll want to pay really close attention to her Blastoise. Yeah, a Blastoise. Apparently, she’s had that guy for years now, and it really shows. I’m pretty sure she could have swept the entire team with just her Blastoise. Instead, she took out the lead pokemon and then switched to the Torchic we know she caught last week because we’ve got it on film.
Ever seen a Torchic take out a Golem? Now, you have.
I didn’t even think that was possible. Just wait till that thing evolves. Arceus help us all.
► BattleJunkie (Lightning Groupie)
Replied on August 14
Okay... that is terrifying.
I’ve been watching rookie trainers for years. Averia is no rookie. Just look at the way she controlled the battle from the start. She knew exactly how to deal with each of her opponent’s pokemon. I’m not talking about scouting either. I mean, yeah, everyone kind of knows how you’re supposed to deal with a Golem or a Steelix, but actually doing that is way harder, especially with a newly caught pokemon.
And that Blastoise? A monster.
Water pokemon spamming water everywhere is kind of what they do, but that guy has incredible aim, precision, and the sheer pressure on his attacks was insane. Slow down the footage when Steelix runs into Water Gun. You can actually see the water carving a furrow through Steelix’s armour. And that’s just a glancing hit. You can also see the exact moment the gym leader realises it too.
No wonder they called Steelix back. The whole point is that Steelix can tank almost anything. Up against a water type whose water pressure can literally carve through Steelix armour? Yeah. That’s a lost cause.
► FarronForever (Lightning Groupie)
Replied on August 14
This is crazy! She walked into a gym with three pokemon, challenged the leader’s full strength team, and then walked out without losing a single pokemon. Are we sure Professor Dia hasn’t actually created some kind of tiny robot body for Lightning to operate remotely?
In all seriousness, though, who didn’t see this coming?
Lightning is the greatest champion we’ve ever had. There was no way one of her kids were going to be weak. I think the really scary thing is that Averia isn’t just copying her mother’s team or how her mother fights. No. She’s already got what looks like her own style, and it already looks extremely effective.
How long do you think it’ll be before she’s ready to challenge for a title? I mean... I’m not saying the world is a better place with a Farron as World Champion, but...
(End of Page 1 of 1)
...
(Showing Page 1007 of 1050)
► LightningSupremacist (Original Poster) (Lightning Groupie)
Replied on July 21
Our girl is the champ!
Just under a year to pick up eight badges and win the league! If that isn’t impressive, I don’t know what is. And the scary thing is that she’s only going to get stronger. Sure, Blastoise has finished evolving, but the rest of her team hasn’t finished evolving yet. She literally took a team of half-evolved pokemon + Blastoise and won a league with it.
The grand finals were something else too. You could really see her command over the battle. Lightning has always fought like a chainsaw: she’d just rip through opposing teams like they weren’t there. Averia doesn’t have the raw power on her team for that just yet (except maybe Blastoise), so she had to be a bit cleverer.
And, damn, was she clever.
It’s like she planned the entire thing. It was all ‘And now you’ve fallen into my trap’ and ‘Did you realise that you’re only furthering my plans’ and ‘Did you know this obscure fact that is going to let me obliterate your team in precisely three seconds?’.
So damn cool.
Better still, now that Averia has won a league, we get official merchandise!
X X X
Author’s Notes
Just a bit of fluff.
In-universe, the pokemon world went ballistic when Averia not only began her journey but immediately showed she was every bit as impressive as anyone could have hoped. Lightning remains, to this day, the ‘people’s champ’, so for Averia to show up and start annihilating people was like a dream come true for many people.
At the start, of course, a lot of her fans were simply fans of Lightning, but as she continued to prove herself, she carved out a larger and larger fanbase of her own. This became especially apparent as the differences in fighting style became clearer.
You can only imagine how crazy the InfoNet went when it became apparent that Diana would be challenging Averia for the title of World Champion. It was the first time two siblings had ever faced each other for the title, and it became the highest (until that time) viewed championship bout.
Once Diana, Averia, and Taren had all retired (as world champions), the wait is on to see if any of their children decide to try for titles too. You can imagine how people react when Phoebe starts her journey. With Averia and Cynthia as parents, the expectations are sky high, and when she starts meeting them?
More insanity.
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rating the locked tomb characters by how good their met gala outfits would be
gideon nav
we can surmise from the “rapier with skulls puking other skulls” quote that gideon’s personal style, if she wasn’t beholden to the ninth house dress code, would be Loud and Tacky and A Lot. therefore, i think she’ll go all out with the theme. her outfit might not look objectively good per se — it will probably be a little too excessive and not super classy — but she will absolutely fulfill the theme and she will have fun, and that’s the most important part! 9/10
harrowhark nonagesimus
oh harrow will go all in on this. she will definitely be of the opinion that all guests should have to submit an essay explaining exactly how their outfit fits the theme, and she absolutely will get annoyed at the people who just wore simple black tuxes and dresses. she‘ll start planning her outfit months in advance, and it’s going to be incredibly complicated and very symbolic. her outfit is probably be a lot creepier and more goth than the rest of the guests, but it’ll still go perfectly with the theme anyways. 10/10
ortus nigenad
how much effort ortus puts into his outfit will depend SOLELY on what the theme was. if he thinks it’s a stupid theme he’ll put in zero energy whatsoever, and if he thinks it’s a good theme he will put in the work and come out with an outfit that’s definitely creative, even if it doesn’t look super great and is a little bit of a stretch on the theme. 7/10
judith deuteros
judith definitely does not care. she does not care at all, and if you asked her what the theme was, she couldn’t even tell you. she wears a simple black tux or black dress every year, and yes she looks hot as fuck and very classy and all of the gay girls on twitter go wild over it, but it’s not particularly creative or befitting of the theme. 3/10
marta dyas
marta cares a lot more than judith does, but she still focuses more on the event itself than the outfit; she’s more excited to dance, talk with her friends and acquaintances, and see other people’s outfits. if the met gala didn’t have a theme, she’d still be happy, but since it does, she’ll try to fit the theme as best she can! she refuses to sacrifice her own comfort or ability to dance in favor of an outfit though, which is very fair of her. no matter what, though, she looks good! 6/10
coronabeth tridentarius
oh you KNOW corona is acing this. she starts planning for her outfit a year in advance, but unlike harrow, she’s way less pretentious about it and willing to do something that might make fun of herself a little or make others laugh. she makes sure to call everyone she knows who’s going to make sure that their outfits won’t be too similar. she also makes sure that ianthe and babs’ outfits go good with hers. it’s the bane of her existence that judith won’t go to the lengths that she does. she fits the theme perfectly, she’s creative about it, and she looks hot as fuck. 100/10
ianthe tridentarius
as mentioned above, ianthe’s outfit is always designed to fit with coronabeth’s. it’s always very similar — not quite the same, but very close. same idea, slightly different execution. it’s always fitting with the theme, and looks really good objectively, but there’s a lack of investment and heart that ruins it a bit, especially next to corona’s extravaganza. still, when she’s next to the other guests, she definitely wins. 8/10
naberius tern
babs cares WAY more about looking good than he does about fitting the theme. his outfit is always a lot less creative than and themed than ianthe’s and corona’s. he never sidesteps the theme entirely, but he often refuses to go all the way in favor of not looking too weird. this is kind of a moot point, since he always looks a little weird anyway. 5.5/10
isaac tettares & jeannemary chatur
the awful teens were coordinating outfits each year, and each year they desperately want to fit the theme and do something cool, but they’re a little TOO eager about it. there’s always either a little bit too much going on with their outfits for the message to be fully cohesive, OR they didn’t go all the way because they were too embarrassed to do so. however, they definitely try their best and that’s what matters! 7.5/10
abigail pent & magnus quinn
abigail and magnus treat the met gala like a halloween party. they’re committed to the theme, but not in the militant, obsessive way that harrow and coronabeth are — it’s more that they have fun planning their coordinating outfits because costumes are fun! often their take on the theme is very nerdy and sweet, but maybe not super well done. still, they compliment everyone on their outfits and are so genuine about it that they get points anyway. 7/10
palamedes sextus
pal could honestly care less about the met gala, but he attends anyway and spends the whole night deep in conversation with anyone who will talk science with him. as such, his outfit is. Very Lacking. cam usually designs it for him and it fits the theme pretty well and looks objectively good, but he gets points off for not coming up with it himself. 5/10
camilla hect
pal and cam don’t wear coordinated outfits, but they are still somewhat cohesive, as cam plans them both. camilla’s outfit is definitely much better than palamedes’ is — it fits the theme and is more creative and she just generally looks hotter. however, she’s not putting the same level of energy most of the people listed above. but it’s fun, it looks good, and she passes the test. 7/10
dulcinea septimus
dulcie’s attitude towards the met gala would be very similar to magnus and abigail’s in that she treats it like a fun opportunity rather than a life-or-death situation, but she definitely leans more “tasteful” over magnus and abigail’s typical style of “dorky”. she follows the theme closely and she looks good! 8/10
protesilaus ebdoma
pro always goes with dulcie, and he just dresses in an outfit that she’s planned to be coordinated with hers. he’s a little bemused at the intensity of some of the others, but he goes along with the whole thing because it makes dulcie happy. points off for not coming up with his own idea, points added for looking very dashing regardless. ortus is fuming at how well-put-together his outfit is. 5/10
silas octakiseron
silas shares the same all-or-nothing attitude that ortus has towards the theme, but when he approves of the theme, his execution comes very close to beating out harrow’s outfit in terms of Drama and Sophistication. his outfits are often a little impractical — they’re hard to walk in or require elaborate props to be transported alongside him — but they’re worth it. 9/10
colum asht
colum just wears a suit the same color as whatever silas’ outfit is that year. boring! 2/10
augustine the first
augustine tries his hardest, but he never quite nails the theme. somehow, it always goes straight over his head, so when he explains it to people, they’re always like “*confused head tilt* hmmm, okay now i think i get it! huh!” he looks,,, fine in it, and he tries. he tries! 4/10
mercymorn the first
mercy’s sense of style in general is very good, so she always comes in a dress that’s fashionable and well-designed. the problem is that she actively abhors the idea of a themed party; she actively campaigns to the organizers each year to not do a theme. she thinks that everyone who does the theme is ridiculous. as such, she ends up with a low 3/10
cytherea the first
cytherea has a good Idea for the met gala every year, but for some reason — she bites off more than she can chew or she fails to accurately articulate her vision or she procrastinates until the last minute — that idea never translates into an actual outfit, so she always falls back on a simple, soft clinging dress. fashionable, but unfortunately not very standout-ish. 3.5/10
gideon the first
gideon (original flavor) just wears a boring black suit every year. THE most boring black suit ever. 1/10
pyrrha dve
okay, admittedly we haven’t seen that much of pyrrha in canon, but from what we do know, she is smart and talented and funny and good at everything and has a dramatic streak and is incredibly hot. therefore, i think we can surmise that she’ll absolutely nail her met gala outfit. it’ll fit the theme, it’ll be very original and very well-done, and she’ll be sexy as fuck! good for her! 15/10
john gaius
he wears the exact same black tux every year. the same one. he pays no attention to the theme whatsoever. this is very confusing, since HE is the one who organizes the met gala and picks the theme! weirdo! even worse, john makes a point to give backhanded compliments to people he thinks don’t fit the theme or don’t look good. bitch! -10/10
#tlt#the locked tomb#gideon nav#harrowhark nonagesimus#ianthe tridentarius#judith deuteros#marta dyas#coronabeth tridentarius#naberius tern#jeannemary chatur#isaac tettares#abigail pent#magnus quinn#palamedes sextus#camilla hect#dulcinea septimus#protesilaus ebdoma#silas octakiseron#colum asht#ortus nigenad#cytherea the first#augustine the first#mercymorn the first#gideon the first#pyrrha dve#john gaius#htn spoilers#soph.txt
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