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eurydicees · 1 year

Note

"Always Wrong" by Eisley

hello my friend! let's carbon date this ask real quick. you sent this in may of 2022 when i asked for song recs in exchange for fics written based off of the song. if we do some math, i have left you hanging for, like, eight months. so. my sincerest apologies. also i don't think you're interested in blue lock at all but i can't think about anything else at the moment so. yeah. sorry. it's just that this is all i can offer. i liked the song tho

summary: you can love a god as much and as hard as you want, but you can never make one stay. prompt: always wrong (eisley) pairings: reo mikage/seishiro nagi words: 1405 warnings: spoilers through ep 12

wish you'd kept your eyes on me

The problem with being in love with a genius or a prodigy is that you will never be able to keep up with them. The problem with being in love with a genius or a prodigy is that you will never be interesting enough for them to stick by you while you fall.

The problem with being Reo Mikage is that he is in love with Seishiro Nagi and, while he may have glimpsed his devotion for a moment, he was never going to be good enough to keep it.

They’re rivals, now.

That’s something that Reo is just going to have to get used to, something that he’s just going to have to hammer into his mind with a steel hammer. It’s just something that he’s going to have to adjust to.

Except: even in his head, it takes less adjusting to than it should. He wonders, privately and silently and shamefully, how long he’s just been waiting for Nagi to leave him. He wonders how long he’s been waiting for this kind of ticking time bomb to go off, how long he’s been waiting for Nagi to realize what Reo himself recently realized: that Nagi has wings and he can fly, with or without Reo.

Part of Reo thought that Nagi might never realize. He thought that Nagi might stick by his side until the end, always looking for Reo’s pass, always leaning his head on Reo’s shoulder, Reo’s hand always tugging fondly at his hair, the two of them synched up on the pitch in a way no one in Blue Lock can compare to. Part of Reo thought that would never end, because Nagi would never realize that he could be more, could have more.

But of course that isn’t how it worked out. Isagi showed Nagi a new kind of soccer, a new way to fly, a new route to the top, and of course Nagi took it. Nagi is a genius—Reo was the first to see this in him and he will be the last to forget it—and so of course he took Isagi’s way to the top. That’s why they’re here, after all. To become the best in the world.

It’s just—

Reo, for longer than a moment, thought that they were going to do it together. The problem is just the nature of Blue Lock as a whole, really. There was never any winning for either of them, because they came in as a pair and the point of the program is to choose one. Which is to say, really, that there was never any winning for Reo, because he has always believed in Nagi more than himself, and because if anyone is going to come out of this thing on top, it’s Nagi, and because Reo himself was never meant to surpass a genius.

The problem with being in love with a god is that he will never be interesting enough to make heaven look down on him. The problem with loving Nagi is that Reo is not a genius or a prodigy and so Nagi has no use for him. If anything, Reo was a stepping stone. If anything, Reo was the road from an empty stairwell and the beeping of a video game towards attempts to play soccer and then to Blue Lock.

But that road can only go so far. Eventually, the road ends. Eventually, Reo’s abilities and his usefulness run dry. Nagi finds better paths, stronger stones to step on, and he makes his way to the top of the world. Reo, on the other hand, ends somewhere along the line of the Second Selection.

Reo took him the route from school to field. He carried Nagi on his back. He passed the ball when it counted. He made a friend.

But Blue Lock is not about those things—helping each other, sharing the spotlight, making friends. Blue Lock is about results. Reo can no longer give Nagi any results, and so Nagi is taking them for himself. Nagi has awoken, found that genius that Reo always knew was sleeping in there, and he’s using it. He’s tearing down the world for the sake of tasting the sky, and it’s working.

Really, it’s not Nagi’s fault that Reo can’t keep up with him anymore. It’s not his fault that Reo can’t do the same things as Isagi or Bachira. It’s not his fault that Reo isn’t good enough for him, and it isn’t his fault, honestly, that it was always going to go like this. It’s not his fault that this is their story, that it was always meant to turn out this way, that it was carved and locked in stone the moment they stepped into Blue Lock as a genius player and as a boy with six months of playtime trying his best.

Really, it’s not Nagi’s fault.

Still, though, it fucking burns.

It’s worse than when they lost to Isagi and Team Z. It’s worse now because they’re not losing together. It’s worse now because, this time, it’s Nagi who's leaving him in the dust. Not a nameless figure that Reo couldn’t care less about, not a team several ranks below him, not Ego, a godlike figure who controls his every day and his entire fate. No, this time the one who is telling him that he’s not good enough is his best friend. It’s Nagi.

It was always going to come from somewhere. Reo was naive to think that he could have ever stood by Nagi’s side forever. Only one person can be the best in the world, and Reo has always known that it would be Nagi. He has always believed that he could get Nagi to the end, could give him the final pass, the final push, and then watch him fly. He has always believed that he would be right there at the top with Nagi, even if he himself isn’t the number one.

Reo just—he thought that they were on the same page about that. He thought that Nagi knew that Reo was there with him by his side all the way to the top.

He didn’t realize Nagi would let him go before they got there. He knew that Blue Lock was going to be hard, he knew that everyone here was good, had worked their souls to sweat and had earned their spot here with their blood and tears. He knew that success was going to be difficult. But he really did think that he was going to be able to keep up with Nagi; and, more than that, he was so sure that Nagi would help pull him over the walls he couldn’t climb himself.

He always knew Nagi was better than him. He didn’t think Nagi thought the same way.

He always knew Nagi would surpass him one day. He didn’t think that would mean being left behind entirely.

He always knew Nagi was a prodigy. He didn’t think loving him would be this hard because of that.

Really, it was naive. It was naive to ever think otherwise. It was naive to ever think Nagi would ever want him back. Nagi deserves—and will find, will have—someone who can keep up with him and the velocity at which he is taking over the world. He will love someone who can keep his attention longer than Reo was ever able to. He will love someone who can keep him interested in a way Reo was never able to get him to be interested. He will love someone better, stronger, smarter, faster, braver.

Nagi, one day, at the end of all this bullshit, will become the best striker in the world.

There was a time when Reo thought that they meant they would be together and they would win the World Cup and he would be spiritually and emotionally fulfilled. There was a time when he thought that they would do it side by side.

Now he knows better. Now he’s learned. Now he’s letting go.

Loving a god is not hard because the god will never look twice at you. Loving a god is hard because you might catch the god’s favor for just an instant, for just long enough to taste heaven.

No, loving a god is not hard because he doesn’t want to be with you at all. Loving a god is hard because you can never make him stay.

#i'm still figuring out how to write and characterize them i think. i'm not 100% happy with them yet. this is just attempt number 1.#please accept my humble offerings blue lock fandom #my writing #ask #blue lock #reonagi #reo mikage #seishiro nagi #blue lock fanfiction #reonagi fanfiction #reo mikage fanfiction

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wolfy58 · 2 years

Text

1827 May Monday 14

12 3/4

bowels right – the washer woman came at 7 1/4 – at my desk at 8 – from then to 10 1/4 wrote out pp. (pages) 10-13 Travelling journal of the 5th and 6th instante – Breakfast and read the paper from 10 1/4 to 11 40/60 – madame Huchez’s woman came at 10 35/60 for a minute or 2 instead of 9 1/2 to shew me 3 patterns of black merinos – at 21/. l’aune, and 25/. The latter thin, tho’ apparently strong, and beautifully fine – From 11 3/4 to 12 25/60 finished dressing – dawdling over, 1 thing or other – Having sent to say, we should be glad to see Monsieur Sené about going to dine there next Sunday, he came at 12 3/4, and staid near an hour – excused ourself on account of my aunt – said she had best try first how she could bear the motion of the carriage – we would go over for a morning call the first fine day – speaking of the little forage we saw in the country, he where we had been was a corn country – almost all the forage used hereabouts grown in Normandy, not about Rouen, but more towards Coutances and Saint Mâlo on the coast, and in the interiour more towards Orleans – In France corn land always kept for corn – forage land for forage, etc. etc. no change of crops as in England – speaking of the dismissal of the national guard – it was a great political error – could not be reconstructed now – no law to compel it – the people after being so dismissed would now refuse their services – individually the people well pleased to get rid of the trouble – but collectivly they had been insulted – the King too much a cipher – the ministers did as they pleased – lost their majority in the chamber of peers – losing it in the chamber of deputies – could not govern long in this way – a great part of the aristocracy proteced the priests – the ministerr to gain one party had paid the emigrants a milliard for indemnity – now the priests wanted indemnitying for their losses, and this made all the work about jesuits, and all the priestdom intrigue, to get money left to the church by will etc. etc. they wanted their ancient revenues – it could not be – properties had been sold in small lots – no larger fortunes now in France – said many had gained large fortunes, the marshals etc. – ah! those were but few, and then perhaps they had not more than 200,000 francs per annum would not be much for England – nor formerly in France where the great families had forest upon forest, and territorial power – mentioned Laffitte being very rich – yes but he was a banker – did not know his riches – that was all different – mentioned his having commenced a new diligence concern – would shew me the prospectus – Monsieur S- (Sené) going to Switzerland and Italy this autumn to reconnoit[?]re the road for his family next year – perhaps they would spend next winter but one in Rome – said I talked of going to Switzerland this summer if my aunt was well enough – Monsieur Sené going there the end of July – he should go thro’ Coise, and thence into Italy - Monsieur Sené went at 2 40/60 – brought me the prospectus, dated 1 January last – ‘Messageries générales

‘de France etc. Nous avons l’honneur de vous faire part de la société que nous venons de former, sous

‘la raison de Laffitte, Caillard et compagnie, et dont les opérations se borneront exclusivement à l’

‘exploitation du service des messageries, diligences, et autres voitures, parcourant toutes les routes de France

F 49 at 8 a.m.

53 at 12 10/60 p.m.

50 at 11 1/2 –

damp morning – fair all the day but the great deal of rain during last night has made the streets dirty –

Jean Baptiste

‘Laffitte, Vincent Caillarde père, and 5 others …. Le capitale de la société se compose de 1200 actions

‘de 5000 francs chacune: 600 actions ont été souscrites par les associés gérants, et les autres 600 actions

‘par les associés commanditaires. La mise de fonds déja réalisée n’a été élevée à la somme

’de dix millions, que par une disposition expresse du contract portant[?] d’une part l’obligation de ne traiter

‘les affaires qu’an comptant; de l’autre l’interdietion de tout engagement, soit collectif, soit

‘individuel. Tous les traités et conventions devront être signés par 4 administrateurs: les poursuites et

‘diligences se feront au nom de la raison sociale’ …. Laffitte the banker to the concern …… ’Déja notre service

’est en pleine activité sur les principales routes de France: bientôt de nouveaux services seront établis

‘par tout où le besoire s’en fait sentir. Le siège de l’etablissement reste provisoirement rue du

‘Bouloy, No 24. Veuillez en prendre note’ …. Laffitte writes his name Laffitte – 2 ffs – talked a little to my aunt – came to my room at 1 50/60 wrote all but the last 3 lines of today which took me till 2 1/2 – from 2 40/60 to 3 55/60 copying out into my little letterbook the letter sent before last – and paid George – Dinner at 5 1/4 – left the diningroom at 7 10/60 – went out at 7 20/60 – from 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 walked with Mrs. Barlow to and from the barrière de l’Etoile – talking of a Madame ____ who had a 4me (quatrième) in rue Castiglione No 8 who if she could speak English might suit my aunt – might take us into her house. said she might suit me better as a person to whom I might go for the purpose of speaking French – talk of really taking this Swiss tour and of my calling on Madame Droz with Mrs. Barlow she thought Madame Droz did not deserve to be treated like Mrs. Middleton – said I should cut them altogether – all the people I met at Place Vendôme – do not care about Madame Droz – staid tea with Mrs. Barlow and got home at 9 55/60 – sat talking to my aunt till 11 1/2 about putting off Isabella Norcliffe’s visit till next spring and about going to Switzerland for 3 months – came to my room at 11 1/2 – had told Mrs. Barlow I liked Madame Droz but whenever her name was mentioned the idea that her husband would not like her to be intimate with me rose up like a spectre before me and I had no inclination to go near her Mrs. Barlow said perhaps she ought not to have told me this but could not help telling me everything Madame Droz did not mean it unkindly alwayss spoke well of me said what Mrs. Barlow had told me had done me much good but somehow I was sometimes difficult to manage and was just then in a bad humour - just before getting in to bed having thought the matter over wrot the rough draft of a note to Mrs. Droz to send in the morning previous to calling vide below O .. -

#anne lister #mrs barlow #paris 1827

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canary3d-obsessed · 4 years

Text

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 03

(Masterpost)(Previous Episode)

Warning: Spoilers for all 50 episodes!

Wei Wuxian demonstrates the purple nurple technique of the Jiang Clan

Should’ve Used Trivago

The Jiang Clan’s reservation got cancelled while they were on the road, so they are going to wander around this small inn for hours being fussed about it, rather than trying another inn. Yes they say the other inns are all full but…so is this one, now.

The Jin Clan sends an advance party to fancy up the inn for them.

Fuckboi Wei Wuxian

Wei Wuxian decides to use his considerable powers of prettiness to get them a room. He drops some poetry on Mianmian and brazenly flirts with her before shifting to properly introducing himself and asking for a room.

This actually works.

...until her boss shows up.

(Much much more after the cut!)

Worst Person // Best Jin

Jin ZIxuan is an ass and a snob.

I guess we have to give him credit for having a beautiful sidekick and never hitting on her, given that his dad is a rapist and one of his half-brothers is (reputedly) a sex pest and the other half brother is (definitely) an incest perp. But I feel like it doesn’t take much to be the best Jin of his or his father’s generation.

The Jin folks are snobs and talk about how great their fancy and expensive stuff is. It’s an interesting contrast with true connoisseur Nie Huaisang, who loves everything that is fine and beautiful and can quote stacks of poetry off the top of his head, but is not even a little bit of a snob.

This Tea Smells Like Farts

Ok, let’s talk about generation names in the Jin clan. Ru is the name for Jin Ling’s generation, hence his courtesy name Rulan. The name for the current generation is apparently Zi (子), because both Zixuan and his jerk cousin Zixun have that as their name. Sect Leader Jin Guangshan would seem to be using the generation name Guang, but then names his son Jin Guangyao so…the whole system breaks down.

Anyway, my point here is that even considering generation names, if I had a baby and named it Zixuan, and my sister-in-law promptly had a baby and named it Zixun, I would slap her.

Find you a lover who does not make you feel like this

Jin Zixuan is mildly intrigued by his betrothed, and expresses it by being rude to her in front of Wei Wuxian, starting a chain of events that will culminate with Wen Ning’s fist going all the way through Jin Zixuan’s chest.

Side Note: Look at these young Jiang Brothers and their casual shoulder hugs. Sigh.

Wei Wuxian’s Combat PlayBook

When Wei Wuxian wants to throw down, he starts with smack talk, moves along to boundary crossing, then to direct threats, and then brings out a weapon if he hasn’t won already.

Here he starts shit with Jin Zixuan by complaining at him for taking up too much space and having too many sycophants. Then he goes for the unwelcome shoulder touch.

Having been sufficiently provocative to get someone to draw a sword and threaten him with physical violence, he shifts to formal verbal sparring.

This gets the other guy to back down, because even at this age no-one actually wants to tangle with Wei Wuxian, and Wei Wuxian gets to claim the moral advantage, although he still doesn’t get to keep his hotel room.

Actually Not A Fan of My Sister’s Betrothal

Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli have the first of many, many moments of heterosexual ineptitude together. Wei Wuxian quickly rescues them.

Hi, I’m Young Master Cockblock.

Neither of the boys understands what Yanli sees in Zixuan and neither do I, at this juncture. He does improve later after multiple beatings from Wei Wuxian.

This Is The Day Your Life Will Surely Change

Yanli’s encounter in the Inn is the first step toward the inexorable end of the three of them as a unit, although it’s still a long ways off. They are all growing up and she and Wei Wuxian are both going to fall in love at summer camp, like in a 1980s teen movie but without the virginity betting (presumably).

Meanwhile poor Jiang Cheng is going to be swept along just trying to keep up with events, which becomes the story of his life for the next two decades.

Welcome to Transylvania

We meet Wen Ruohan. He is boring and he sucks. Also I’m summarizing the Transylvania parts out of order because they break up the rhythm of the story. And are boring and suck.

We meet Xue Yang. He seems nice.

Wen Ruohan’s living room is like a shitty nightclub where everyone is too drunk to dance except Xue Yang.

Dee Jay: Undead undead undead, Bela Lugosi’s dead

[OP can’t get a video to embed in this post with looping enabled, so the alternate version of this joke has its own post right here. That will teach OP to get fancy.]

Anyhoo

We meet Wen Qing. She is the bestest most wonderful girl in the world but this isn’t actually when we find that out.

Right now we just find out that she is absurdly pretty, that she loves her brother deeply, and that she is helping Wen Ruohan with his “take over the world by murdering cultivators” project. OKAY, PROBLEMATIC, BUT SHE IS THE BESTEST GIRL OKAY?

Gatekeeping

The Jiang Clan don’t get another inn but they do manage to change into immaculate white robes while they’re out on the street, so - nice work, Jiang Clan. Be free!

They get stuck outside the gate because they don’t know that the secret to getting into Cloud Recesses is to set the gate guard on fire.

Walking Thirst Trap Hanguang-Jun

Lan Wangji shows up and everyone except Yanli, who is already in love with Sir Golden Pants, makes thirst faces at him. Including Jiang Cheng tho he will never admit it. One girl in the background is actually biting her knuckle.

Note: Lan Wangji knows exactly how fine he is. Look at his fucking hairstyle.

He is sixteen years old. The only person in the entire cultivation world with fancier hair is Nie Mingjue, and that’s because he indulges his dìdi’s braiding hobby.

Wei Wuxian loudly stage whispers that LWJ is their key to getting in and LWJ is is like, not fucking likely, person I didn’t glance at yet.

But then Wei Wuxian says a smart cultivator thing about the puppet dude, and Lan Wangji turns around and has the first of many long mutual staring sessions with this boy he totally isn’t going to like at all.

Jiang Cheng has a bad feeling about the future: a 2-frame gif

Unrelated gardening note: the red-crack puppet is more commonly grown in Gusu and Dafan, while the black-line puppet is native to Yiling

I Must Arrange a Date with this Uninteresting Boy

The rest of the evening is a series of tests that Lan Wangji puts Wei Wuxian through. Wei Wuxian doesn’t know this and Lan Wangji probably doesn’t exactly know it either.

First he sends WWX back to town to get the invitation. Yes, go get it. Not your entourage; YOU, talky person who thinks he can manipulate me and is smart and looks...intriguing. Go find it and come back.

When Wei Wuxian complains, Lan Wangji silences him, which is literally the most boss move he could have used on smooth talking Wei Wuxian.

You tried, Fuckboi.

Would you like to try some more because I think I would like you to try some more

Jiang Cheng is the Better Baby Brother

Sorry, he just is. Wei Wuxian is all about being taken care of and adoring Yanli without actually doing much for her. Jiang Cheng is the one who thinks about her feelings and giving her what she needs, even to the point of arranging that wedding rehearsal dinner so she can be with her favorite brother again -- the favorite who isn’t him, much as she also loves him.

Date Test 1: Can You Get In.

Once Wei Wuxian is definitely gone, Lan Wangji shows up again and collects the entire retinue, guaranteeing that Wei Wuxian will be stranded outside the gate when he gets back. LWJ doesn’t wait by the gate; he goes and waits up on the roof instead of going to bed or whatever else he’s supposed to be doing. Because he already knows the route Wei Wuxian will be taking.

Wei Wuxian passes the “get in through the wards” test with no problem besides a minor headache and bent fingers.

Is that Xiao Zhan’s hand or did they use a double-jointed hand model?

Date Test 2: Fight Me (Lan Wangji’s Combat Playbook)

As soon as Wei Wuxian shows up on the roof, Lan Wangji picks a fight with him.

LWJ fights all the time; he’s perfectly comfortable when he’s fighting and it’s a good venue for him to express himself. His style is graceful and aggressive.

Attack attack attack strike a pose, vogue, you know it.

He starts by going all in on swordplay, but that doesn’t gain him the advantage; Wei Wuxian fends him off without ever drawing his sword. Which is probably the hottest thing that has ever happened to Lan Wangji in his young life.

Do you like me better when I’m horizontal?

Next Lan Wangji deploys the pettiness by breaking WWX’s wine. Then when Wei Wuxian starts insulting him he upgrades to next level pettiness by dropping another silence spell, this time with the added bonus of preventing WWX from drinking.

Wei Wuxian’s Combat Playbook, Redux

Meanwhile Wei Wuxian is running his own fight routine, starting with a charm attack, which doesn’t work at all.

Are you admiring the moon?

He keeps trying to de-escalate for the first phase of their fight, until they reach a pause and he reflects that Lan Wangji has real skills. As soon as he makes that determination he goes on the offensive - with words.

He very formally says he’s too busy to continue fighting, and turns away, which is a pretty solid roast when you say it to someone who’s been trying really hard to kick your ass. Then he continues defending easily until Lan Wangji uses the wine against him.

At this point the gloves come off, with Lan Wangji lecturing Wei Wuxian, Wei Wuxian making ad hominem attacks, Lan Wangji forcibly shutting him up...

...and then throwing him on the floor in front of Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen.

Sincere Grief for the Death of our Colleague

Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen feel really bad for their disciple who has been horribly turned into an undead creature. Ha ha j/k

Date Test 3: Face the Authorities

Lan Wangji gets to pick Wei Wuxian’s punishment. This probably won’t awaken anything in him.

Surprise surprise, Wei Wuxian actually passes the Authority test with flying colors. Lan Qiren doesn’t like him, but listens respectfully to his thoughts about the undead cultivator. And Lan Xichen clearly does like him.

When Wei Wuxian learns that Lan Wangji was nice to his sister, his entire demeanor changes, to such an enormous degree that Lan Wangji starts to run away.

He’s not going to let this boy (who has passed all the tests oh no he passed all the tests) make out with him in front of his family like he is obviously planning.

But once again, Wei Wuxian’s cultivation knowledge captures Lan Wangji’s attention and breaks through his reserve.

This Hardy Boys moment is the beginning of their cultivation partnership.

Lan Wangji is brave but is extremely constrained: by the authorities in his life and by his own rigid reserve. Wei Wuxian is brave and is also free. His companionship gives Lan Wangji an opportunity to engage with a much broader range of the things that interest him than he’s ever had before.

After Wei Wuxian has been sent to bed, Lan Wangji stands outside and -- just as WWX had suggested at the beginning of their date/fight -- admires the moon, with an expression that’s anything but upset.

Sure, sex is cool (probably), but have you ever analyzed a walking corpse with a beautiful boy in the moonlight?

If you’ve got your true honey Life can be pretty funny If you've got money, money to burn Rooty toot toot for the moon It's the biggest star I've ever seen

The Fine-as-Hell Brothers

Alone together, Lans Xichen and Wangji talk over the various things on their minds.

Xichen: What the fuck is up with you? ...Rooftop fights and dropping spells on boys?

Wangji: You and uncle were ignoring me so I was making my own fun

Xichen: Yeah, we are dealing with this zombie situation; shit’s going to hit the fan

Wangji: what are you going to do about it?

Xichen: fuck-all

Wangji: Well, you can rely on me

Xichen: I totally do. So how about you get to know this Wei kid, he seems like a fun ride.

Wangji: *death glare*

Xichen: You know, since Dad died you’ve become even more uptight. I wonder if I’ve been too strict with you?

Wangji: Um, you think? 3000 fucking rules, dude. Fortunately I’m not going to go off the rails and fall in love with my polar opposite and cause havoc in the cultivation world or anything like that.

Xichen: good, me neither

Outtro

Writing prompt: Lan Xichen’s secret nightly letter to his Mom’s memory or spirit (your choice), in which he confides in her about his day. May be written in flute solo form.

(As always if you use this prompt feel free to post a link to your fic in comments!)

Soundtrack: 1. This Is The Day by The The 2. Bela Lugosi’s Dead by Bauhaus 3. Rooty Toot Toot for the Moon, Greg Brown version 4. Madonna, Vogue

Bonus: FineAsHell-Jun

Episode 04 Restless Rewatch coming soon!

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ntamain · 3 years

Photo

Is my (24F) neighbour (27F) into me or is she just being friendly? How do I know if she's gay?

another gay gem from the r/relationship reddit

Update:

Image ID under the cut, please let me know if I did it wrong!

[Image ID: four screenshots of a post from the relationship subreddit by tumblr user nta-main. The title reads “Is my (24F) neighbour (27F) into me or is she just being friendly? How do I know if she’s gay?”

The text reads “Update post is now locked, I cant believe so many people were interested in us!! Thank you again for your support, comments and messages.

Hi all, I can't believe I'm asking for advice from a bunch of strangers on the internet but I don't really have anyone I can talk to about this. Sorry for the incoming essay but I guess I need to give history. I bought my first house in September last year, It was an odd time but everything just fell into place. It's quite a small village and everyone is really friendly so I got to know my neighbours soon after moving in - yes, socially distanced. Then I met my over-the-road neighbour, let's call her Elle. I can't describe it but it's the first time I've ever met someone and been lost for words and my heart was racing and just thought "omg", y'know?? So after I blushed my way through a welcome to the village type convo we only saw each other for a wave and hello for a few days.

To help kinda settle in I had my dog (Bea) with me for the first few weeks. During this time there was a massive increase in dog thefts in a nearby town, not just from gardens but literally wrestled away from people. If I'd have been working (furloughed off and on since March) then I would've taken Bea back to mum's but since I was home with her all day she stayed. So the local police advised to not walk dogs alone but we go out twice a day, a 10k run in the morning and a few miles walk in the evening. So obvs this scares me, but at the same time she is honestly a pain in the arse and gets upset if she doesn't go for a run and needs to be tired out so I'm kind of stuck at this point. Then along comes Elle. She knocked on the door and offered to come with us as she'd seen Bea and me in the evenings and everything kind of spiralled from there. I told her about my morning runs but she didn't really bite so I thought nothing of it. Then a few days later I bumped into her on a run, so she started joining us on those too.

A few months later and we are spending more and more time together everyday. It has now progressed to a run early morning, afternoon coffee, dinner most evenings and then the evening walk. It just seemed to happen without me really noticing. I didn't read into things that much as I don't want to get my hopes up and ruin anything until another neighbour commented about how much time we spend together and how "it's nice to see you young gals getting on" and winked. She actually winked at me. I asked her what she meant but she just laughed and said "you know what I mean". So now I'm looking back on things and wondering if she could like me too?

Here's some reasons why she might like me:

I went running along the same route at the same time for nearly 2 weeks before I happened to run into her a few days after I told her this?

I make her a coffee every afternoon (Elle is WFH) and take it over in her fave mug. She says I make good coffee but I'm pretty sure I saw a fancy coffee machine the first time I went round (it's not there now?).

Elle carried on running and walking with me even after Bea went home. I told her she was going back to mum's and she said well "I'll have to make another excuse to join you" and then we just carried on everyday.

She has tried really hard to bond with Bea. Bea is a very anxious dog and is scared of everyone except me and mum. Elle bought special treats to give her everyday and has been so amazing with her and never tried to force anything. When I asked her she said "it's important to me that she likes me and is comfortable". Bea actually fell asleep between us on the sofa yesterday and It just makes my heart skip a beat guys.

She invited me to the zoom quiz she does with her friends every fortnight or so and they were all like "oh so this is who we've heard so much about "

We realised we had become each other's support bubble. Elle asked if I was meeting anyone else and I said no, she said she was glad she had me all to herself (!!)

We gave each other quite personal xmas presents. Like, it actually made me tear up it meant so much to me. And she bought stuff for Bea!!

Reasons why she might not like me:

All the reasons above, but that she's just doing them because she's a fucking great person and we're friends?

It might sound dumb but idk I need your help guys. She is the just the most incredible person I have ever met and I really really like her but if she isn't gay or doesn't feel the same I don't want to lose her friendship as she has become such a huge part of my life. I genuinely have no experience with these kind of things as I went to quite a strict all girls school, so it's not as if there were any relationships around me as a teen and then I went to a very small uni (8 of us on my course). I guess another reason is that I've struggled with anxiety and depression for the past 10 years, as well as my weight and working on my self confidence, but I can say that right now I am the happiest and healthiest (both mentally and physically) I have ever been. I've only just really become comfortable with the fact that I'm gay and I have never really told anyone in real life, but I don't think people would be too surprised lol. I don't have any close friends as no one stuck around when I was really struggling with my MH a few years ago so I can't discuss this with anyone irl.

So I need your advice : how do I find out if she is gay? And no, I don't have the confidence to just ask!! What if she says no and I ruin everything? She has never mentioned anything about past relationships and I'm pretty tactless so not sure how I could naturally slip it into the convo. Like, "hey tell me have you ever had a girlfriend? Do you want one now?" Lol. And how can I make a move without really making a move so I don't ruin things??

tl;dr : Don't know whether my neighbour is gay and into me or is just really friendly. How can I make a move without ruining our friendship?

Edit: Ok guys, thank you so so much for all your support and encouragement. You've all given me a lot to think about. I think I'm going to casually slip some gay stuff into conversation and see how she reacts. Then bring up the neighbours comment like some of you suggested, seeing as tho the neighbour was heavily implying that we're gay. I'll do it tonight otherwise I'll talk myself out of it again. I will post an update to let you know what happens (eek). If you never hear from me again assume it went badly and I am consoling myself with cake and watching brokeback mountain in floods of tears.

Hi reddit, yes it's me the useless lesbian. First off I want to thank you all for your support, encouragement and advice - and the undeserved awards! I never expected this many of you to take the time to comment and that so many of you were rooting for us.

So I had the plan to drop these gay hints into convo like you guys suggested but honestly it all went out the window. Elle was kinda stressed friday after a shitty work zoom and just needed to vent so it wasnt the right time to start anything. Though I guess I must have been a bit off thanks to spending all day overthinking things on here, as Elle turned up Saturday morning rambling about stressing me out and apologised (!!) for ruining dinner. Obvs I said "what are you talking about you can talk to me about anything", and she said "anything?" and I said "anything" back. And guys the tension was unreal, staring at each other and hoping our lesbian mind reading powers would kick in.

Then there was some loud noise like a car backfiring or something and the moment went. So I went to make coffee and then Elle asked me why I was a bit quiet the night before and I said something about overthinking stuff and she said "what stuff" and idk you guys I wasnt prepared to be put on the spot my casual gay pop culture references were useless in this moment. My mind just went completely blank and I forgot every single thing you guys suggested and my heart was pounding and I just blurted out you know I like you, right?.

...And then she kissed me. Kissed me. We straight up just snogged in the kitchen and it was fucking great. So...you were right. You were all fucking right. She's gay, she likes me and has been trying to drop hints for nearly 5 months. sigh

We were both just too scared to make a move or ruin anything. Turns out she's been burned by straight girls in the past, so she's pretty wary and was hoping I'd straight up say I'm a lesbian so she'd know for sure - maybe the I'm a lesbian wall hanging would've been a good idea after all? Her friends have been helping her drop hints, she showed me the group chat and guys their suggestions ranged from flirting more to just turning up in a trenchcoat and nothing else lol. Also, the winking neighbour has been making comments to her as well, so shout out to her for trying to make this happen too.

So no cake and cry watching brokeback mountain, just 5 months of dating to catch up on. As for worrying about how our current schedule could be more date like during lockdown, you were right it's kinda irrelevant when you've essentially been dating the whole time. Though we never made it to our morning run yesterday, in fact we didn't leave the house at all, ha.

Thank you guys for giving me hope, even if all your suggestions completely disappeared in the moment. Maybe I'll show her the post later and ask if any of the suggestions would have worked.

tl;dr: she's gay, into me and I'm an idiot”

End image ID]

#this is for sure already on tumble #but it's so cute #I had to #mine #r/relationships #tw// ed #edit: I'll add a transcript in a minute just gotta figure out how to make it accessible

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elffees · 3 years

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some little additions to the ep 5 endings for low brotherhood

oh this post is going to hurt but i’m doing it anyway. these are just some brainstorms on tweaks to the endings bc for the most part, they all come off as high brotherhood, which is fine for me tbh bc i have never played a LB route cause im Soft™️. but i’m also Curious™️ and thought up some variations that couldve been made for people that did have a LB playthrough

these are mostly tiny changes. nothing too major bc like in canon, i think morality having the highest affect on Cross vs. Surrender is fine, but it would’ve been kinda cool if the epilogues had been tweaked a little to reflect brotherhood also. so possible tweaks i thought of is basically what this post is about.

here’s some:

redemption

(sidenote: okay i said the changes were mostly little and i promise they are. this ending specifically tho just has the most significant ones i’ve made by adding in like 2 extra scenes. but that’s really it)

in this ending things are the same when they reach the road block, including daniel tearing up, until sean says “you’re my brother”. they do not exchange i love yous nor hug or touch foreheads. sean goes straight to “and i know it’s gonna be alright” while keeping an outstretched arm on daniel’s shoulder. daniel also goes straight to his “how do you know”. the car scene plays out the same from then on except without hugging. they mostly stay separately in each other’s seats.

daniel doesn’t panic and jump to his feet when the police start walking sean to the car. he stands up resigned and watches sadly but quietly. sean doesnt say anything as he gets in the car but does look back at daniel before they pull off

in the collage, there is still a picture of daniel visiting sean in prison, but they don’t hug and just speak tensely across from one another.

daniel doesn’t come on the day of sean’s release, karen is the only default. now, like lyla, daniel is a determinant. (imagine if they were all determinant and even karen didn’t come meaning sean could get out of jail with nobody in the world caring about him jesus christ) there’s a scene with sean afterwards visiting daniel’s apartment. when daniel opens the door, he’s shocked and slams a palm to his forehead, clearly having forgot sean’s release date.

there’s small polite smiles on their faces as they greet each other at the door, but sean never makes it past the front steps. their conversation is brief before daniel gestures that he actually was walking out and has to go. they say their goodbyes with a casual hug (quick back slap) before daniel hops in his car using his power and pulls off with sean watching.

sean still goes back to their first campsite but alone. it mostly plays out the same where he still cries, but with no comfort, and then drives away towards the right after taking one last look at the trail

the epilogue ends with daniel stepping out of his car and approaching faraway friends that he waves to. they’re drawn vague and out of focus to save on production costs (don’t worry dontnod i gotchu). the angle of the scene shifts so it looks like daniel is walking off towards the left

summary (1/2) -> sean took the heat in order to let daniel have a childhood in america. and he succeeds in this, but because their relationship was poor, during his incarceration their bond practically turns to dust. daniel gets a childhood, but sean loses his own and his brother in return

summary (2/2) -> sean still wants some kind of relationship with his brother, but its awkward and distant. daniel does not hate sean. he holds some semblance of polite respect for him bc in his HM!eyes sean “did the right thing” at the end of their journey. but overall, they are not that close and are more like acquaintances who just worked on a group project one time.

blood brothers

sean doesn’t say “be careful” before daniel gets out the car. just “you know what to do”

they don’t hold hands after daniel’s massacre. daniel just stares out the window while sean focuses ahead

(after the 6 years) when sean backs into the garage and daniel sees he’s being held at gunpoint, daniel doesn’t do anything at first. he doesn’t even move forward to get a better look. he simply watches the scene play out until the gang members notice he’s there, bc sean keeps glancing his way, and they begin to threaten him too. that is when he uses his powers.

sean giving daniel a pat on the shoulder? yeah in this LB version it’s now a shove. he noticed that daniel did not have his back. daniel just shrugs.

he still heads out to their patio and takes a seat. the scene is angled so that the player sees sean over daniel’s shoulder think about joining him, wanting to go smoke, with their dad’s lighter already out so we still see it. but he instead waves his hand dismissively and turns back into the shop.

daniel stares out towards the beach alone.

summary -> they gain freedom and escape to mexico, but their relationship is empty. there’s no polite respect, but there’s no outright animosity either. it’s just….. empty.

lone wolf

daniel doesn’t say the “it’s my turn to take care of us” line (omg it was so good tho). it’s now smthg along the lines of “i won’t let you stop me here after all this”

when saying the “we made it” set of lines, he’s still happy but also boastful, ready to hold it over sean that he was right

he doesn’t cry. instead of sobbing over the death of his brother, he is more shocked bc of how unexpected it is. he still calls out for sean’s name frantically, but does not get distraught afterwards. instead of leaning onto sean’s arm like he does in canon, after it sinks in that sean’s dead, he only grimaces while sitting uncertainly in his seat

the pictures stay the same

when sitting on the beach and looking over the ocean, he is not drawing in sean’s journal. he still has a small smile on his face but we also see him taking swigs of the beer can(?) here instead of later

also instead of a teardrop tattoo, he has a tattoo of 3 dots. the teardrop has several meanings, including death of a loved one or crime affiliation. but bc a lot of players interpreted it as being a tear for sean, then i think it’s preferable to just not have it in the LB version at all to avoid confusion and just have him with the 3 dots to make it clear it’s solely part of the gang/crime lifestyle

(moving on) daniel heads over to sean’s memorial and it is absolutely not as decorated as it is in canon. there is only 1 candle and no plants. the brick is still there but instead of a cross, it’s just a hastily laid single wooden plank with sean’s name scribbled down it. there’s no eye patch. the only thing of sentimental value there is their dad’s lighter.

daniel doesn’t sit, he stands looking at the memorial while drinking his beer. he realizes it’s empty tho and lazily litters the can beside sean’s memorial before turning to walk off and as he does he sees the gang.

most of their interaction plays out the same, but while daniel’s walking away instead of sparing the group, it’s clear he kills them as they are all unmoving, us seeing the dude with the gun flop to the ground over daniel’s shoulder. this change is bc personally i interpreted daniel sparing them as a sortve homage to sean’s high morality in this route. as in he’ll still do what needs to be done to survive, but will try to kill as little as possible out of respect for sean’s beliefs. so being as though daniel does not value sean as much in this LB version, he doesn’t care about that and kills them without thought.

summary -> for the most part, daniel still has the relatively content life he does in canon except, going by the now bare minimum memorial and littering, he doesn’t value sean’s memory nearly as much as he does in HB. sean’s death was ofc still a shock and smthg he still remembers, but it didn’t crush him like it does HB!daniel, and he honestly feels more annoyance than regret. in his LM!eyes, hes disappointed and thinks its a little stupid that sean wanted to switch gears at the border like that. he doesn’t hate him tho, he just sees sean as a disappointing memory.

parting ways

at the border daniel still cries, but instead of saying sorry to sean he says “i can’t do this sean. i have to go”, making it extra clear he’s not crying bc it’s the end, he’s crying bc of the damage he does not want to do.

he still says the “i hope you’ll be happy” line, but instead of being genuine it’s now full of disappointment with a twinge of bitterness

you know that quick angry facial expression he has before he’s walked off by the cops? WELL HOWDY IT DEFINITELY STAYS

the picture collage still shows him having a relatively happy upbringing with stephen, claire, and chris

when he’s on the phone at the reynolds’ and claire comes up to him, he’s still smiling and content. when he gets the letter with no sender name, his smile drops after taking the pic out and realizing who it’s from. the player doesn’t see yet tho. emphasis on 1 pic bc it’s not several like it is in canon/HB.

daniel rolls his eyes and with his power tosses the envelope & photo card (no sand btw) across the room so they land on a distant table. the camera zooms in on them and we finally see it’s of sean in mexico.

when claire comes back into the room, she halts seeing the mail and picks them up, glancing between them and daniel regretfully before sitting down

we go back to daniel and with arms crossed, he glances out at the tree in the yard for a brief moment before walking away

the scene stays focused on the tree and we still zoom out to the Wolf Brothers carving, except it has a not-recent slash cut through it

summary -> daniel gets a childhood in america and sean gets his freedom in mexico, but their relationship is destroyed. daniel doesn’t approve of sean’s final decision at all and holds little to no respect for him. sean sends the post card bc, like in redemption, he still wishes to hold some kind of relationship, but he doesnt try all that hard and doesn’t miss daniel that much to send several pics and a chunk of sand.

and so these were some of my ideas for low brotherhood endings! i tried to put them in order from most positive (minute respect) to most negative (outright disdain). i’d love to hear thoughts on this or if anyone wants to add to these, then that’s fine to! just don’t break my heart pls

#lexi plays lis2 #life is strange 2 #surprisingly my variations to the LW ending hurt the least #still messed up but my redemption & blood brothers tweaks just feel cold #and the parting ways one…. :(#lis2 #lis 2

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everyothermouse · 3 years

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A lil group portrait of the time au adventuring gang!! Them <333

Basically tol fucked up as a kid and is now on the run from the law, but realized that since his life was so crazy he could live off of telling stories of his wacky adventures. When he met Jay he wanted him to come with him, and when he found out jay couldn't come cus he was virtually a demon/god/magic magnet he decided he NEEDED to bring him to capitalize on how it'd make more cool stories. And yeah it worked so since then he's been collecting wackos to aaa go crazy aaaa go stupid (and also bcus safety I numbers or whateva, pop and pip are also criminals and pastel and jay are crimes against god <3) more about each individual under the cut!

Doin them from left to right :)

Pastel: died when she was messing around with some friends and got stuck under a big rock and left to starve. But because of a fluke in the underworld her God decided to resurrect her, a right usually only belonging to saints. Because of this she's now poorly pretending that she totally did something to deserve being revived (she tells a different story every time someone asks, she thinks it's funny) to avoid being persecuted for suspected witchcraft. She met Jay when they were both drunk and they had fun fucking around in the city, and she spilled the beans to him that she was revived for no reason. She regretted it, but jay didn't kill her because even though he's religious he knew what it felt like to be magically cursed and have everyone be pissed at u for it. Also she's really funny with jay so tol begged her to come with them to add more Comedy(tm) to his memoirs

Pop: a time traveller and angel who is trying to hide both of those facts but only really succeeding at hiding the time travel thing. When they were a kid they traveled to this time with his friends Lustre and Cherrybomb, but when they were attacked by the vicious royal guard they weren't able to escape without leaving Lustre behind. Cherrybomb super repressed that memory, and while pop recovered from some minor injuries they vowed to never time travel again. Yeah they only kept that up until they were like 15, but they still couldn't bring themself to go back to when they left Lustre. But now they're 26 (well technically they're like 33 but in their time their supposed to be 26) living with their boyfriend cherrybomb and have years of time travel experience under their belt, and they're ready to go back. Except they can't go back because they created a travel block for themself by accident because of how upsetting the event was, so instead they traveled as close as they could, about 10 years in the future of the time. Now they search for any form of closure, all they need to know is what happened to their friend, and they will do whatever it takes to find this out. But angels aren't super welcome in the past, especially not with uncut wings, so it's not exactly easy for them to navigate this time period. But after a while of their search they met two lovely children (well young adults), a demon and a "cursed" (nowadays they call em spiritually gifted) and felt so bad for how much the world seemed to be against them they decided they could travel with them, just for a bit, to protect them. They tried not to get attached. They failed. They're in it for the long run now aren't they TwT also as they explore this time and learn more about the gods, they start to realize that they might... be the God of longevity???? Or at least an older version of them became them? Time travel is fucked man

Btw Lustre plays a big role in this plot, her hyper futuristic knowledge, 'blessed' white eyes, and strange God gifted clothing would all lead to him rising to a much different role than fugitive rather quickly, but they're not who this post is about ;) also I'm gonna go bottom to top for the 3 in the middle let's go

Lune: just a little guy :) lune is a young rancher/gardener who worships the God of the wood, who kind of goes missing sometimes and is lowkey the least loyal God but shhhh he loves them. Lune and tol were childhood friends (along with their pal cleo) but on one of their little excursions tol took something very important to a very powerful king, and refused to give it back. As retribution the king destroyed their entire town, and cleo put all the blame on tol, tol and lune both knew lune had to take the side against tol in order to not have the town turn on him. So yeah he moved with the town to bring up a brand new farm, long awaiting the day when tol would come home and say that things were OK and they could settle back in town together, hopefully with cleo too. That didn't happen, but tol did come back and peer pressure lune into part time adventuring with him! So yeah generally lune just runs his lil farm and prays, but when tol comes to pick him up he gets a chance to go be free to act batshit crazy, just like when he was a kid 🥰

Pipes: DEmon! One time lune and tol had a little squabble so lune was like 'im gonna get a new best friend and ur gonna regret this' and tol was like 'yeah right, u live with a bunch of criminals right now no one's gonna wanna be ur bestie dumbass' so lune just walked into a cave at night and dragged out this little nonverbal demon because demons who live alone in caves don't have high standards for friends. Even tho it was just a ploy to make tol jealous lune went super hard on it and now pipes is actually friends with the gang lmaoo

Tol: like I said with lunes, stole something important from a king as a kid, monarch got pissed, blew up the town, town got pissed at tol for it, and since then he's been on the run because he's too stubborn to give back the damn thing (they could have just attacked HIM for it, but since la queen decided to fuck with his town, his family, tol thinks he doesn't deserve to have it back.) He had to run from town to town and got into a lot of danger in his attempts at finding places to hide, but he lacks fear and tended to fight stuff off. As a kid he found that he could get enough pity to be welcomed into towns if he told people he had to fight a monster to get there, so he told stories at every town and camp he went to of his hardships. But as he got older, those he stayed with beckoned him to keep talking, and more and more people said they had heard of his adventures. And that's when when it clicked, his shining ticket to true freedom wasn't a place, it was his stories. They gave him food, shelter, fun, memories, a life. So he made it his mission to never settle down, to make his life as crazy as possible and to talk about it as much as possible, and if he ever ran out of energy to adventure, he'd spend the rest of his dying days writing and writing his entire life story. He thought this was a life he'd live alone, but one day he sought refuge in jays little lonely house because he thought it was abonded, luckily though Jay had just been praying for a second chance at life and decided that considering the timing, tol must be that second chance. So yeah jay patched him up, found out on his monthly supply route he was harboring someone very wanted, and took care of tol even harder because he didn't know or care why he was wanted, he just knew that anyone who had a drawing of them as a child on a wanted poster definitely didn't deserve it. So yeah they're besties now.

AAA I wrote out a really long description for jay but tumblr glitched and I lost it :'O ble here's a shorter rewrite cus I'm not writing out that whole thing again >:P

Jay: brought up in a church village,, he was born with the curse, which allows him to tap into magical properties very easily, and be very easily controlled, manipulated, and possessed by them. This allowed him to be very connected with his god (the god of longevity) but also meant he was often treated as a security risk and a monster by the adults of his town since he could let in evil spirits so easily. He spent most of his time praying and he became obsessed with acting on compulsions (repeated prayer, overscrubbing, scratching himself, touching religious things until he felt like he touched them "right") because he believed they were messages from God and would prevent him from becoming evil (look he was a teenager and everyone told him he was a monster his whole life leave him be.) He gets possessed twice, mage as a rep of the town is like "either have ur cursed removed or leave town forever" (uncursing is only hypothetically possible, it's hella dangerous) and he's scared itd sever his connection to his god so he leaves and he's upset bcus his entire life plan was built around his church, so now he's livin alone on a hill and leaving like once a month, he stays up there and sews and prays mostly, he sort of works on himself and becomes vaguely mentally stable, so he prays for a second chance at life since he lost his original path and needs a sign where to go, and then boom tol shows up and the rest is history. Now he has his own little family and things are going great :) other than the still getting possessed like once a week but shhhh

Pip: in between the entrance to hell and the religious central of the continent is a little town that sides with neither. They mostly fuck around and find out, and in this town lives a monster researcher and her less formal wife, pip! Pip is just a silly goofy little guy livin life, and when the crazy bunch shows up she feels like he's finally found her people :3 and for the first time the group gains a member who's begging to join them as opposed to the other way around

Ya and together they all go on wacky lil adventures with demons and monsters and monarchs and what not.

Tldr pastel is a funny lil dead guy, pop is a time traveller and the Adult of the team, lunes a lil farmer man, pipes a hobo demon they picked up off the side of the road, tols a little criminal demon adventurer, jays a religious weirdo who tol dragged out of his hermit hut, and pips an insane little guy

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waspenned · 2 years

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congrats on 200 followers!!! <3 i'm loving scenes from italian restaurant

🎵 born on a train - samia

god if i had time to write i'd just use

i'll have to go when the whistle blows, the whistle knows my name

just for the responsibility of being spiderman dragging peter parker away from who he loves but i'll let you analyse the rest of it yourself haha

penn's 200 follower celebration

BYE SAMIA CAME UP ON MY RECCOMENDED BEFORE AND I PANICKED BC I THOUGHT IT WAS THIS GIRL I HAVE BEEF W AHAHAHA but it was a diff spelling so we move. analysis under cut!!! thx for the degree practice LMAO it's all been """"theory""' so far this year I haven't been able to do the bits I like lol

anyway this song is so beautiful and twinkly the sad music girlies are rlly doing their jobs recently like its giving devastation... also the warm lighting rlly reminds me of like.. campfire light so I think we're seeing smith reminiscent of honey dont feed me(i will come back) in terms of setting/sad factor

this song is soooo Peter btw like the opening imagery is rlly evocative of nyc at least in my experience. also the idea of 'ghost roads' in terms of getting lost in the city and "paths not taken". the idea of missed opportunities/the you that made a different decision as dead/a ghost is sooo interesting to me, esp in terms of Peter as a person (think John Locke's theory on personal identity which was super interesting when I studied philosophy and was also used in the good place!!). I write a lot abt peter's separation of the self and spider-man, and I think his essence as a character really resonates with the idea of the past self being 'dead' or maybe even murdered. it's a common trope in superhero media for the protagonist to mourn or 'kill' the person they were before they put on the mask but I won't wax lyrical abt it LMAO I just think there's some interesting ideas in there in terms of character.

the chorus is v similar actually - esp in terms of the train imagery which reminds me of the nyc subway, which in turn relates to the working class, and routes peter's character in the poverty that is a huge part of his identity AND also in terms of not being able to 'belong' anywhere/having to constantly be moving so people don't know his identity. Peter and the idea of 'responsibility' also take up. so much space in my head in the way that he treats debt - esp to other people and to the city as a whole. I read a rlly interesting article actually abt Peter and an 'unpayable debt' which I cant find rn but I'll have to go looking for lol... Peters commitment to the 'job' and/or guilt that comes with it is a huge part of him and what he considers morally "right" - which the line about not being able to keep promises rlly reminds me of !! 'The whistle knows my name' is SOOO spider-man tho like maybe in terms of Peter not really knowing who he is without spider-man, and particularly tom!Peter in that he doesn't have anything OUTSIDE of spiderman ; the 'whistle' (aka the call to responsibility) really would know his name in this context bc 1. no one else does and 2. spiderman is perhaps the only thing of his former life he has left. THIS IDEA IS ALSO IN THE BRIDGE WHERE THE SPEAKER TALKS ABT BEING FORGOTTEN.... omg so sad I cant

I know that you were never young And I know you probably won't get old But, honey, nobody's gonna hurt you anymore And nobody's gonna make you want to die

the 2nd verse is where things get interesting for me bc there's the introduction of a new voice and the pov changes if I was to convert this to fanfic... this ( for me ) is the reader talking to Peter. this idea of never being young (his youth was proverbially 'robbed' by grief/the responsibility of being spider-man) and never growing old (spider-mandom is dangerous asfuck youse...) as well as this theme of protection is smth u dont see much in s-m films. The hero is the protector and the love interest is the protected, we dont get to see the reverse which is a shame bc it would be super refreshing (@ marvel u see zendaya 's hand on toms hip give us that in the films pls). I write a lot of the reader taking on the 'protector'/caretaking role bc I just think it's rarer than the whole 'damsel in distress' cliche u get w the films and this verse is exactly the vibe I would go for ???

SORRY FOR WAFFLING I JUST RLLY CONNECTED W THIS ONE ANYWAY IN SUM: id write smth sad asf along the same lines as 'honey dont feed me' but while hdfm(iwcb) is more angry on the reader's part and their relationship is more dysfunctional - I think this would work well earlier in that relationship, before their break up. I'd go for a classic "reader patches up s-m" fic but with more on the side of wishing things were different for Peter. ive looked at Pete's relationship w s-m and quitting in drown it out, but I think if this was in hdfm(iwcb)-verse he's more inclined to bury his head in the work and treat it more like a Kantian duty?? yes a heaping pile of angst >:) I'd be more likely to use tom!Peter tho I think , I write a lot of universal/"penn cinematic universe" Peter but tom's circumstances would fit better imo

#kant is sooooo peter methinks #this idea of duty and doing the right thing no matter what? so it #spider-man trolley problem when #im so obsessed w peter's perception of the self and how often he puts himself in danger to save other ppl #I want to see utilitarianist discourse on spider-man STAAT #my old philosophy classroom used to have a picture of spider-man up I think it was tasm peter #on a poster about the idea of responsibility and duty #so intersting I miss studying ethics so bad even tho I was Not Great at it #penned.#answered.#crimsonlines #200 sleepover #SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS IS HOLY SHIT

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bloodsuckingprince-anthony · 3 years

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I have to say, I really enjoying Laws of Attraction. I really do. This book makes it up for PB to give up on heavy potential books like Distant Shores and Foreign Affairs. (The tragedy they did to those books even tho I still like them. Side Note: Slow Burn is a great book too) It feels like whoever the team is behind this book actually took their time to stay on course with the plot, characters have well placed personalities...it's just outstanding so far. This is a prime example of how Open Heart should had been. (Not to talk about that messy book.)

I even love all the characters.

The MC: There have been some incompetent MC's that makes me want to choke them, but this one I like.

Gabe Ricci: Sorry but not actually sorry Ethan and Sam stans but Gabe to me is a perfect written boss. He is much more chill. He recognizes MC's work ethnics unlike Ethan who belittles the MC, keep their relationship a secret, and doesn't appreciate the MC until the third book when the MC had to save his ass from a huge lawsuit. And Sam who would risk everything and destroy his/her home for the nanny. Like, I love the slow burn with him and MC. Like he knows he want MC but he want to focus on the case and I can respect that. Especially, if he's your route, It looks like MC is the one who perusing Gabe and when Gabe is fighting to not cross that taboo line, MC goes to have these random hookups. The angst and drama is keeping me interested. And I know it is working because I see people in the fandom PISSED that Gabe isn't dicking them down yet. Lol. I love it.

Ashlinn: What a sweet angel. She is perfect wifey material. I love how she started as a quiet nervous person and by each chapter, she grows into a much more confident woman. That chapter with the actors and she placed Beau in his lane, I lived. If she was my type, I would romanced her with my MC. Maybe in my next run of the book.

Beau: Ok I knew Beau would be that fuckboy character just because he has family ties to the firm. Typical frat boy. I knew we would hate him, especially after he took credit from MC's hard work, but again the character development of him to be more serious just make me like him. He earned extra points for taking the heat for MC and the rest of the team in today's chapter. I would loved if he was an LI option.

Martin: I know he supposed to be the villain and be this "I'm better than you" jackass but I can't be mad at him. Again the character development. He's trying to stay snarky but he's slowly warming up to the team. It's cute that he thinks he's MC's rival, but we all know. But real tip, the man needs to be laid. MC would help.

Gigi: Sis! Queen! Ride or die! I. LOVE. THIS. WOMAN! Just her everything is just god tier. I know she mentioned a girlfriend in the beginning of the book, but what would it been if our wlw sisters get to romance her? The dynamic between them would be powerful. (I wish my MC could romance her. I'll put a ring on that finger fast.)

Sadie: Boss ass bitch. I like her. I seen people upset that she yelled at the team in the chapter, even tho it is the team's fault to give Marcus information before them. Honestly, they could had waited to tell Marcus after they notify Gabe and Sadie. I've even seen folks on here saying "She does nothing for the case but judge" that's the point. She literally put trust in the case in Gabe and the team's hands and Gabe keep her up to date about it. So she has all the right. Plus, she the type to like it when people go for what they want. I saw comments about when Mac requested a room by the lake at her home. Sadie expressed the expression "Closed mouths don't get feed" and I kinda respect her for that.

Marcus: Yeah I dig this character because I can relate to him. As a black man myself, I get why he don't be too comfortable with lawyers. In RL, it is so hard for black people to trust the justice system. There would be so much evidence that proves that you're innocent but the police would do the bare minimum or none at all policing because they made up their minds that you did it. Then there would be slimy lawyers that tells you to plea guilty because you can't win. So I can understand why Marcus acting this way. Yes, he should believe in this team more, but I understand where he is coming from. (Sorry that I put real issues in this lol) Now to the juicy topic. I knew Marcus wanted MC since that walk they did in a couple of chapters before. And yes it is so unprofessional and unethical for a lawyer to sleep with their clients. But, did I spend the night with him regardless? Yes. Yes I did. To be fair, Marcus asked MC for comfort and relief. MC never showed any interest in Marcus or perused him. He ASKED out of trust. So to me this part got me actually thinking. Should my MC give in to him so he can keep the trust in MC or MC turn him down and he would change his perspective of MC later down the road. Either or I feel like consequences is going to happen and as I am an angst trash, I went and gave Marcus the night of his life. If it's not your cup of tea (Again shout out to the wonderful wlw ladies out there) totally understandable. But I like Marcus. If he becomes a potential LI which it looks like then Gabe has some serious competition because I might switch up.

The Hookups: I enjoy them. I like Lisa (The Robin sprite I think is her name in this book. I can't remember. How awkward it is to be playing The Nanny Affair while playing this book because of Robin/Lisa) And Tyler. Yes my MC did do that mlm threesome with Tyler and the PI (who name I also forgot). Yes MC gave the PI that good dick while Tyler watched. I feel robbed slightly that my MC didn't dick down Teddy after we made out with him in the club but the threesome made up for it. These hookups wouldn't happen if Gabe and Ashlinn isn't giving us this wonderful slow burn romance. But I enjoyed it.

Overall, I really like this book. I say this book is A tier. It has it moments like the group trust trip..that was weird but still. A tier. Close but not S tier like Blades. (That book is *chef kiss* Closer we are to the what will be insanity that is Blades 2 and I can not wait!) I hope this is the same team that is doing Crimes of Passion. (The acronym of Crimes of Passion is CoP...I see what they did there.) That book screams LoA's spin off. But still I'm really enjoying LOA. I just hope this not going to be a standalone book. It said it is a series at the beginning of the book, but PB been shady about that lately. Let it stay as a series. Hopefully it is a series.

#playchoices #laws of attraction #play choices #choices laws of attraction #spoilerish

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btsmosphere · 3 years

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The Web | PJM

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

~summary: Nearly dying was just the beginning. While struggling to deal with the direction life has thrown you, you find yourself at the heart of a web of conspiracy. Maybe it will bring you back to Jimin - if you both make it out alive. Jimin x reader ~word count: 4.8k ~mafia au, established relationship, angst, eventual fluff?(in future parts) Rating: pg15 Warnings: violence, breaking and entering, guns, death, injury, lots of running ~a/n: part 3 let’s get itttt! I had great fun writing this part :) I do have to be honest here tho, motivation has been a little low this week, and the interaction on this story is kind of getting to me. Please please don’t be a silent reader if you enjoy the story, comment and reblog! To everyone who has been sharing and commenting, thank you so much!! I appreciate it all x

this post is a repost for tags!! i would appreciate if you interact with this part 3

Squashed up against the cold metal of the van door, your other shoulder jostled with Sorrell's. There were a small group of you inside, seated on the floor of the vehicle, which was none too comfy as it bumped over holes in the road, making you all sway as one.

Besides the rumbling engine, however, you were silent. You doubted any of them knew each other at all; you were perhaps the only one with a connection here.

Earlier on, Sorrell had led you to the main warehouse floor where the others would join you. Like you, they seemed to emerge from the woodwork, slipping through doors they were clearly well practised in sneaking through.

You weren't honouring your wish to stay alive as well as you had hoped when you made the resolution.

As you leaned against the wall, hood as low over your face as it could be, you had begun to wish you had kept going last night, and left this all behind. It was a lucky thing you hadn't been a known operative of bangtan, or you may well be dead already.

Though it was a relief to be handed the dark cloth of a balaclava, it still made you pause before putting it on. Staring at the material, gaping facelessly back at you, you recalled how many times you had run from people clad in these, how many had fired at you. How many you had shot in return.

But there was no turning back.

You were yet to receive instructions, but no one seemed too anxious about this so you forced yourself to play along, slouching against the rear of the van. All you could do was wait for the inevitable calming of the engine, the slowing of the wheels...

When it finally came, you followed Sorrell's lead as she stood up, being sure to stay in the middle of the pack as you congregated on a dark path. One you instantly recognised.

So far, it seemed your hunch was correct.

This alley was barely a street away from bangtan's headquarters, somewhere you never thought you would be seeing again.

Stuffing your hands in your pockets, away from the cold, you looked around as the front door of the van slammed shut, splitting the quiet of the night. The only sound that could be heard was the faint bumbling of traffic, over which you could easily hear the darkwater leader stomping towards you.

A pile of fabric was dropped at your feet. Curiously, it clanged as it hit the floor.

"Take these bags," he ordered, "you are burglars, okay? Each of you should have a loaded pistol, in case something goes wrong, but just go in and stick to the areas we tell you. Take stuff if you really want, but don't leave your place. Understand?"

The barest mumble of agreement went up as the bags were collected from the ground.

With a frown, you opened yours. Rummaging inside, you easily found the gun, which you stashed at your waist. However, something else was in there too.

Fishing out the piece of paper, you saw the others do the same. Smoothing out the creases, you studied it.

You had seen these plans before.

Not that you needed to, given you knew the building inside out, but these specific plans. They had been lying on Kwangsu's desk before he tried to kill you. Finally getting to see them up close, you brought them right up to your nose, eyes flicking over every detail of bangtan he had mapped out. Where the vents were, the entrances and exits, even secret ones. He had all the codes, all the hiding places.

Instead of a warm gratification, you felt numb. You would have thought some sort of sense of accomplishment might have eased your worry, after learning you were right all along.

But no.

Because all this meant was Jimin and your friends were sharing their home with a traitor.

"Got it?" the man barked, startling you. Looking around at the vague nods, you hurriedly replicated them and followed the pack as they began to move.

Surreptitiously glancing at the paper in your hand, you turned your attention at last to the actual directions. Your group was set to travel through the main hall and take the middle floor of the building. The designated stations marked on the map formed a border of sorts, a line cutting through the place. The line ran between all of bangtan and the boardroom. And in the boardroom…

Lay le déluge.

Of course, that was not included in the map, but you knew full well where it was.

At a nudge from Sorrell, you upped your pace, having fallen a couple of steps behind the group. Having been alerted to where the cameras were, they made a beeline around the view of one such eager eye, blocked in part by a car that was parked there anyway.

Next, pressing against the cold brick of the perimeter wall, you crept closer to the gate which would lead you down, underneath the main building to its lower bunker. This was essentially used as a garage, but now it was to be your passage in.

Slipping through the gate with easy use of the code, you stopped just inside the entrance.

Though huddled together, no warmth permeated you. Your eyes constantly darted around the space, despite being in near total darkness. And you weren’t the only one. The only thing visible was the small red light of a camera, blocking your path.

A collective breath was released as the light died, leader waving you on.

Passing under the device, you looked up at it with a frown. Kwangsu must be inside, turning them off.

Gritting your teeth, you turned your eyes to the path ahead.

Winding your way up and through passages you had only seen a handful of times, the first few began to break away. Kwangsu had been busy. He knew exactly which paths were rarely used. The downside of having such a well-defended maze of a base: it had deadly potential when used against you.

Finally, Sorrell slipped through a doorway, leaving you completely alone.

Having memorised your intended position, you didn’t need your map to get there. As your feet fell on the carpeted halls, you got the sense you were in a museum. Memories from the past hung on the walls, untouched in revered silence.

At last, the correct door revealed itself and you moved towards it, quickly concealed in shadow.

Willing your eyes to adjust, you tapped your foot slowly. You couldn’t just wait here while Kwangsu was on the move, getting exactly what he wanted.

With no way of telling what the others were doing, you prayed none of them would leave their places. They were supposed to be staging a burglary, messing up their areas, almost certainly as a cover for the real treasure to be taken.

Sucking your lower lip into your mouth, you trod silently across to the other exit of the room. This way lead to the surveillance room.

Your every nerve was on edge as you crept further away from your post, fully aware Kwangsu had been working the cameras not long ago. You didn’t want to run across him.

From somewhere behind you, a muffled crash startled you into stillness.

It could have come from any one of the people in this building.

Not having any time to stop and calm down, you bit your tongue determinedly and pushed on. When the camera room was in sight, you flattened your body against the wall as you encroached.

It was dark inside, like the rest of the house, the light wavering from the computer screens lining the walls.

Holding your breath, you slid right up to the door, as close as you dared, and listened.

Silence.

Hand finding its way to the weight of your gun against your body, you looked around the corner.

And stared in horror.

Recoiling, you pressed the back of your hand hard against your mouth, making every effort not to gag. Even in the low light, you could see the blood oozing from the neck of the person slumped in the operating seat.

But you had to go in.

Averting your eyes, you stepped inside. You didn’t want to know who it was. It couldn’t be one of the boys, but it was likely to be someone you knew.

You were going to make sure Kwangsu paid.

Despite your hatred, you had to admit he was smart. Being the one room without cameras inside, filled with screens instead, this was the perfect place to get away with murder.

Forcing breaths out evenly, your eyes scanned over every screen in turn, noting the ones that stared back, blank, having been disactivated.

The sheer quantity of footage laid out in front of you was overwhelming, but you forced yourself to take the screens in one by one, dark room after empty space, until you finally found motion.

In one of the hallways this side of your border, Kwangsu was practically jogging towards the boardroom. But he wasn’t there yet. Constantly glancing over his shoulder, his hands fiddled with his shirt cuffs as he paced it out of shot of the first camera.

You crossed the room quickly to the next screen he emerged on, trying to assess his route.

The cocky bastard was right out in the open! No secret passages, no hidden corridors – he was hot-footing it up the main staircase.

It was the most direct route after all, and he did have cover.

You had to get to him.

But as you shot one last glare at the screen, preparing to give chase, a flicker caught your eye on the screen beside it. One of the bedroom doors had opened.

Bangtan knew.

You turned and ran.

Following in Kwangsu’s steps, you found the halls empty, silent bar your panting breaths as you rushed through them. The closer you got to the boardroom, the more danger there was of running into him.

At last, your nerve gave out and you broke away, taking another passage that led around the side.

Slowing your pace as you reached the final door, behind which lay the boardroom, you trod carefully, pushing it open softly. Your face was hot underneath the fabric covering it, but you kept your eyes trained on the growing crack of light as the door opened.

Cool metal rested under your fingertips as you readied your gun.

Your muscles were poised to move any second, but you forced them to wait. Once the door finally left enough space to look into the room beyond, you found precisely what you were looking for. If only you had been gifted a camera as well as a gun.

Kwangsu had his back to you, currently lifting the majestic painting from its place at the head of the room.

Your gun raised, finding its target with practised ease. You took a breath.

Time you never should have wasted.

The unmistakeable sound of a gunshot rang out, but it hadn’t come from you. Reacting in an instant, you jumped back behind the cover of the door, only hoping Kwangsu had turned slower.

Somewhere in the depths of the house, the sound of something smashing was soon overtaken by another shot, then another. A burst ricocheted through the building before quiet reigned again.

But only for a moment.

Over the pounding of your heart, the sound of a door.

“Hey!” a shout went up as the main door to the roomed slammed shut again.

Pushing the door as much as you dared, you watched as a man, face covered in dark fabric like you, marched down the centre of the room. It was so alien to see a darkwater in the middle of such a space, a black abyss within the normally warm room.

But where long windows usually shed golden light, now there was only shadow as the man reached Kwangsu.

“They’re onto us,” he muttered roughly, “just give me that and get back there.”

The painting changed hands.

“Hold on, wait,” Kwangsu stopped him as he made to move.

Eyes widening, you froze in place. Had he seen you?

“I’m meant to look like I’ve been fighting you off,” he said instead.

Hurriedly placing the large artwork against the desk, the other man readied his fist. He may have – literally – asked for it, but seeing the punch land on Kwangsu’s face gave you some sort of grim satisfaction.

But now the painting was on the move again, bangtan’s future possibly leaving along with it as the man melted away through a doorway at that end of the room.

Gunshots shattered the night again, scattered and irregular, before fading again.

It was enough to prompt Kwangsu into motion though, and you pulled back once again as he made his way back across the room.

Back falling against the wall, your breaths filled the darkness. Le déluge was going in one direction, and the traitor in the other. One headed out, one back in.

You pushed away, new destination locked in your mind.

As you ran through the halls towards the sound of gunfire, your own stayed firm in your hand.

He had to be here somewhere – as rooms flew past, you looked into each doorway, each time met with emptiness.

Even the shouts and gunshots that grew louder did not deter you. The blood racing through your veins was boiling. Kwangsu was not going to get away from you.

Tearing through a room, knowing it to be a shortcut to the thick of the fight, you spilled out the other side and instantly staggered back at the sight of a body slumped on the floor. Blood was leaking into the carpet, the figure completely motionless.

Your breaths scrambled in your throat, overtaking themselves as you tore your eyes away. You couldn’t even see their face, as it was covered just like yours.

Suddenly, bullet spray littered the corridor to your left, and you were off again, nearly tumbling over as your feet stumbled to get away. Flinging yourself around the next corner, you sprinted past a smashed up desk in the hallway, small shards of glass probably sticking into your shoes as you veered around a fallen artwork.

Chucking a glance over your shoulder as you raced around the next bend, you were oblivious to the startled man in front of you.

When you looked forwards again, your limbs froze in place for a terrifying split-second before you were backpedalling, skidding back around the corner.

Taehyung.

Tae, your friend, who was now chasing after you, bullets flying in the air.

There was no way you could outrun Taehyung. Or any of bangtan, but he was the one you had to worry about right now. At least it wasn’t Jungkook, but that wasn’t much consolation as your feet pounded on the floor, body moving as fast as you could push it.

In a desperate attempt to escape, you dashed through rooms, taking every turn you could, but Taehyung knew this place as well as you, footsteps not getting any further away. In fact, he was gaining on you.

Your burning legs were powerless to carry you any faster.

Flinging yourself into yet another room, you dived to the floor, sliding under a desk beside the door. Keeping your gasping breaths silent was nearly impossible, but you couldn’t keep going. Tae’s heavy steps were about to reach you-

“Taehyung!”

You gulped at the sound of Jimin’s voice.

“We need to get to the boardroom.”

Hobi.

As Taehyung abandoned his hunt, rushing away with the others, you slumped back against the wall. Air left you in bursts as you tried to recover.

Knowing that by now you might well too late, you climbed to your feet, bracing your arm against the wall for support. You had let Kwangsu slip through your fingers. He had definitely had enough time to rejoin the others and tell them his twisted version of events.

You wouldn’t be able to take them all on.

Chewing your lip, you cast your eyes longingly at the hallway to your left, where Taehyung and the others had left for the boardroom.

But you couldn’t risk it.

Jogging away, you let your feet carry you down a staircase, closer to the exit. As you reached the bottom, a figure walked from a doorway, cutting into your path.

“Sorrell?”

“We need to go,” she said, leaving no room for argument as she grabbed your arm.

Allowing her to lead you, the two of you hurried further down towards the bunker level where you had entered. Even as you moved in shadow, you could see her clutching onto her upper arm.

“Are you hurt?” you questioned.

“Doesn’t matter,” she brushed off, voice tense.

Frowning, you hurried after her as she upped her pace. At last you emerged through the gate, thankful it hadn’t yet been secured.

It didn’t take long to reach the sanctuary of the backstreets, but Sorrell didn’t let up her speed, leaving you trailing as you wove your path away from bangtan’s base. Her grip on her arm equally stayed steadfast.

“Seriously, are you okay?” you called.

She looked back, irritated.

“I can help,” you insisted, “please, let me. Did they shoot you?”

“Yes,” she muttered. It sounded like her teeth were gritted.

“When we get back to the van, I’ll clean it, okay?” you decided, “we can find something for a bandage-“

“The van isn’t here.”

“…what?”

“They don’t pick us up after jobs,” Sorrell said without looking at you. She had a way of speaking that made it sound like you had missed something incredibly obvious.

“They- they’ve left us?”

“Yes,” she was exasperated now. “Let’s just get back.”

“Maybe we should stop? You’re hurt.”

Silence answered you. Her eyes were fixed on the floor jaw locked and lips pursed.

A frown creased your own face.

“Sorrell-“

“I’m fine.”

If you weren’t mistaken, her voice wobbled, but she seemed determined. Sighing, you dropped the matter, resigning yourself to the journey back to the warehouse. Though you kept an eye on her, she stayed at least an arm’s length from you as you walked in silence.

But you were tired too, and didn’t have the energy to fill the space.

The walk was long. By the time you reached the warehouse, you slipped through deserted corridors to the room you had previously slept in. Of course, you were well aware the building was not as dark and deserted as it appeared, since the gang had come away with their intended treasure.

Somewhere beyond the few hallways you saw on your way up, the gang would be hard at work. A nest of hornets, their nectar secured in the centre.

Despite the exhaustion setting into your body, you ended up lying awake on the hard floor. Knowing the fruits of Kwangsu’s labour, the stolen painting, was just floors away, refused to leave your mind.

But you weren’t in any position to make a move now.

It was impossible to prevent your mind replaying earlier events. You had been so close, if only you pulled the trigger sooner, if only you had caught him somehow…

Rolling over, you suppressed a groan for Sorrell’s sake. It was too late now, but you didn’t know what you could do next. Sorrell had been good to you, but the thought of staying with darkwater made you uneasy. Morals aside, they treated people like you so badly you would never be able to build yourself up to anything if you stayed.

However, a small but insistent voice wouldn’t quit reminding you that perhaps you ought to leave bangtan to fight their own battles now. Now they had left you behind.

It was with the constant storm of thought swirling in your mind that you finally found rest, albeit sporadic. Every now and then, you would wake again, same old battered roof staring down at you until you were pulled under once again.

Another such time, your eyes cracked open, internally cursing your inability to sleep-

And then you froze.

This was definitely not like the other times you had woken up.

Someone was muttering something.

“She left her post- that’s how bangtan broke through…”

Through bleary eyes, you came face-to-face with several pairs of boots. Quickly alerted, your gaze travelled upwards.

Standing in front of you, fronted by Sorrell, were three darkwater members. Well, you could only assume that was who they were, as you had no more time to think on it before they were lunging for you.

Springing to your feet, you scrambled away. As your hand automatically found your bag, your eyes travelled to Sorrell, filled with panic.

One glance at her expressionless face was all you got before you were running.

You had done too much running lately.

The thought was only fleeting, just like the floorboards beneath you as you sprinted away from your pursuers, further into the building. Up, up, following the path Sorrell had taken you the night before, the only route you knew – but it could only take you so far.

Flying through the doorway to the room you had slept in before, you turned your head wildly. There was only one way out, and then you were dashing through it and into the unknown territory beyond.

Down stairs this time, and through corridors that gradually looked more modern, like they were actually lived in.

The smattering of noise behind you let you know you still had company. But that soon doubled as a couple of guards strolled from a doorway just up ahead. Skidding to a halt, you launched yourself in the opposite direction, only just making it to another doorway before the group chasing you emerged too.

Before long, you had reached the perimeter of the building again, windows whizzing past as you pushed down the hall.

The next corner you arrived at would only take you further into the building again. You didn’t want to attract any more attention than you already had.

Call it stupid, but your mind was running by itself. Sparing a moment to throw your bag across the floor, contents spilling out as if you had dropped it on the run, you turned to the window instead.

And jumped.

Below, there was a structure built against the main body of the warehouse. It served to shorten your fall, but you still felt the impact as you landed, bruises certainly collecting beneath your skin.

The wooden rood was even less sturdy than that on the warehouse, sagging alarmingly under you. Not daring to stand back up, you scooted yourself as far as you could to the edge and dropped down the remaining few feet.

Though you hoped that would have shaken them off, you could never be sure who was still watching, and so you resumed running, panting now as you forced your feet once more to a blur beneath you.

True darkness gathered around you as you moved further from the highway streetlights.

Still, you did not stop.

A small track ran along the back of the property, a patch of trees beyond it. On the other side of that, you finally allowed yourself to ease up the pace, heading around the fences of the industrial area you found yourself in.

Yanking your hood up, you made your way past factories and warehouses – ones that were actually in use. They probably had cameras.

You almost had yourself convinced that you slowed to a walk to look less suspicious.

Almost.

Really, you were tired.

Physically, your muscles felt the strain of your recklessness, the constant running away from danger. But perhaps that tendence was helping preoccupy you from the real blow.

No destination fixed in your mind, you let your feet wander. It wasn’t until you saw the artificial light from a kebab van on the corner that you knew where you were going.

As you walked below the launderette sign, you trapped your lip between your teeth. Things might have been so much simpler if you had just let that kind woman call Jimin…

Now, things were too complicated. You may well be on Kwangsu’s radar now, a notion that made you shudder.

Perhaps you should have got in touch while you had the chance, before everything spiralled out of control. Of course, there was the slight fact holding you back that Jimin apparently wanted you dead.

But now you saw that was surely another of Kwangsu’s lies.

Yes, you had argued. You had disagreed, but that wasn’t like Jimin. And, yes, he was a mafia operative, well used to killing, but you had shared years together. It made no sense for him to turn his back on you so suddenly.

There was no way, back when you met, that he could have been fake. He would have shown some emotion, anything. You wanted desperately to believe he would have fought for you, just as you would for him in a heartbeat.

Before Kwangsu got involved, you had something real, and as much as he might have trusted Kwangsu (despite your warnings), he wouldn’t put what you had aside for the sake of a friend.

Nearing the bridge, you stared up at the imposing structure. It wasn’t too far above the water, and you remembered having time straighten out, brace for impact-

With a heavy sigh, you let yourself rest at last in the shadow underneath.

At first, your mind had been riddled with Kwangsu’s words, terrified as you were forced to defend yourself and focus on surviving. You hadn’t thought to question the integrity of his words, which you now highly suspected were false.

Though you were wary of him before, this was so much bigger than you had imagined. You had no idea when you went to his study that night that he was a member, a seemingly important one at that, of darkwater. They were probably the only people he had been honest to.

Resting the weight of your head on your hands, you prayed you were right. If you wanted to save Jimin, you had to believe yourself. You had to believe in him.

The remnants of a café. Tables overturned, chairs on their sides, glass shattered.

There are bodies. Bodies clad in black, balaclavas over their faces. You don’t even have to check their arms – it must be the doing of darkwater.

You wished you had checked their arms. Just like the bodies inside their base right now, they would be blank. They were just crash dummies, disposable and faceless.

“Thanks, Kwangsu. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t spotted them on your way here.”

“No problem, no problem at all. I’m just glad nothing happened to you, these guys are scary.”

Jimin laughs.

Folded arms, stubborn across your chest

“I’m just saying, why don’t you send me? You trained me yourself.”

“Kwangsu has enough experience. Back in high school, he was with me at my first ever drug deal. He started at the same time.”

Jimin’s grin, so assured.

“He’s just a petty thief-“

“So no-one knows he’s connected to us. He won’t be recognised. This is in a busy area, Y/N, and I won’t have you getting hurt.”

Your sigh; Jimin’s arms around you.

“Y/N, why won’t you lay off? He’s proved himself enough times.”

“Hey, I don’t want to get in the way of you guys-“

“No, Yoongi’s right,” Jimin defends.

You gape at him.

Kwangsu meets your eyes as you leave the room.

A distant bang shakes you, cutting through your spinning head. Tensing, you turn towards the source of the noise, though it came from well within the city on the other side of the bridge.

The noise isn’t alone. Someone is probably fighting.

As the whirlwind in your head clears, a frown grows on your face. Given the direction the gunshots are coming from, you can only presume the fight is in red clan territory. Maybe they are fighting bangtan.

For a moment, you are reminded of Jimin. You know just how he stands in battle, having fought beside him, hidden breathless around corners with adrenaline pulsing through your veins.

If your body wasn’t quite so defeated, you might have gone closer. Jimin fighting alone wasn’t a thought you could stomach. Right now, there wasn’t too much of the world you could stomach.

And so you let your eyes slide closed, falling asleep to the sound of gunfire.

Thank you for reading! Again, please let me know if you liked it! Don’t be a silent reader💜

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apenapaperandadoofus · 3 years

Note

I haven't done the AE yet , but which do you think is the better ending for everyone? V's AE or Saeran's AE?

Ohhhh that’s s really though question

Spoilers for both AE’s, so watch out!

My answer is kinda biased since I do love Ray and V is sort of like meh to me, his route was the one where I most suffered

Hmm...

I would have to say Ray’s AE, because let’s see:

In Vs AE:

The twins do get to meet up again, but the agency Saeyoung works for is still active

In the forgive ending Rika does expose the Prime Minister and his crimes, yet nothing is concluded about him. We don’t know if he now tries to kill the twins once again, or if he manages to get over that bump in the road and becomes president

V does manage to get a better understanding of himself in both endings and is happy :D

Jumin becomes an alcoholic in both endings :(

In the judge ending Rika actually goes into a COMA, which honestly I don’t think it’s the best option for her????

Yoosung goes into psychology, which is something once again he is studying because of Rika (remember that when he wanted to become a vet it was also because of Rika)

In the forgive ending Rika doesn’t really face any legal repercussions, and ends up doing some sort of charity I guess? The thing is she starts up doing some ACTUAL good which I actually really like (she still should face some legal stuff tho pft)

Saeran also gets to see his brother and becomes a better person since now he isn’t under the influence of Rika and bad drugs and stuff, I think that’s great! :D

In Ray’s AE:

Rika and V both face legal repercussions (which I think it’s fine, and V does does get off with less since it was basically Rika that did most of the crimes. V was more of an accomplice in a way? Anyway the thing is V does face the consequences but not as strongly as Rika which I think it’s fine because he doesn’t really deserve super big consequences like Rika.)

Like Vs AE, Rika does admit and realize that what she did is wrong (like in the forgive ending.) although in Ray’s we can see her owning up for more and actually trying to actively change (I guess in Vs AE the forgive ending we could say the same thing happens.)

The twins both manage to reunite, like in Vs AE. Although Saeran does manage to speak to his father, which I honestly think it’s something big for him. After all, he got to speak to someone who’s been hurting him for his whole life. And I think it’s really important for him to get some sort of closure with him.

Both the prime minister and the agency are gone for good

Jumin realizes that he actually wants love in his life...which I think it’s one of the things that I feel it’s better in Ray’s AE. Remember that in Vs he becomes even MORE closed off and becomes an alcoholic. In Ray’s though, he realizes that there’s more to life, that he’s actually allowed to express himself and that hey, maybe love isn’t as bad as he thought it was. Which I think is a HUGE step for our boy 🥺

Yoosung ends up studying something that he’s really passionate about (he said he really like baking and such, which I think it’s great bc the other things he chose were closely related to Rika. This is something he chose on his own!)

VANDERWOOD ALSO GETS TO BE A PART OFTHE RFA AND TO VISIT HIS OWN FAMILY YAYYYYYY

Saeran also learns a lot about himself. He gets so much character development that I just think it’s AMAZING

Zen also becomes pretty famous and appears on Broadway ‘Cats’ he’s probably the Rumtumtun (is that how he’s called? I’ve only seen the show once IM SORRY) lmao

Jaehee does still work with Jumin but she does imply that at one point she may quit and start her own life :D

We don’t get much conclusion about V and Rika though, and I’d like to know if she did start a better and purer charity thingie like in Vs AE.

Also V is just...I think he’s just super depressed or something. I mean he was acting weird the whole time and we don’t know what happens to him :( I hope he at least gets some help.

In my opinion, if we want to see actually who ends up happier in what ending, I’d have to say that in Ray’s. Not only because he’s my favorite but we can see that even more people are happier than in V’s. In V’s the agency is still active, we don’t really know what happened with the prime minister and Jumin ends up an alcoholic :(. In Ray’s though, Jumin ends up emotionally healthier, Yoosung studies something he likes, Zen gets to be a Broadway star, the twins are happy,VANDERWOOD IS HAPPY YAYYY and we could say Jaehee is chill. The only ones that are sort of meh is Rika and V,although if we see how much Rika had changed her way of thinking, I like to imagine that she ended up doing good like in Vs, and thus ended up happy :D

#mystic messenger #jumin han #saeyoung choi #mysme #yoosung kim #jaehee kang #saeran choi #jihyun mysme #choi bois #mysme zen #saeran ae

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whatdoesshedotothem · 3 years

Text

Tuesday 15 May 1838

6 10/..

12 35/..

rainy morning F56° at 7 10 – breakfast, and off to visiter les travaux intérieurs de la houillère de Ste. Marguerite at 8 10 – drove there in 6 minutes the staith being just out of the barrier ......... (right) – commodious yard, sheds etc not many coals up – 3 long brick chimneys – for the pumping engine 100 horse power works (pumps) 48 hours per week – the pulling engine 40 horse power – and the air chimney or vent – shewn into the bureau of the clerk or accountant or what? very civil man –expecting us – we had thought of going down in the panier – the clerk evidently for our going down by the echelles – (ladders) – more safe – had known accidents happen the other way – the chain had broken it seemed some onetime or more since the putting up of the engine – perhaps he thought we should feel sick en descendant – for A-‘s sake he was right – we had brought each a blue blouse from the hotel and A- a casquette and I my velvet travelling cap (my Mt. Perdu cap given by Lady S. de R-) I gladly took a miners’ leather hat offered by the clerk – the gown well tied up right round the waste [waist] under the blouse and a Davy or safety lamp tied with a strongish cord round our middle 2 doll figures (accompanied by a man and intelligent French speaking youth belonging to the establishment and within his old coat and cap) down we set off at 8 ½ by the ladders common ladders but very good and safe – I should guess the steps to be about 18in. long sticks and about 12 in. distant from each other –

SH:7/ML/E/21/0099

and perhaps the ladders about 5 yards long? – we got down very well for several ladders till my lamp (quincaille) not being fast enough tied, slipped off and fell down 3 or 4 ladders with a great noise which (poor A- not understanding) rather unnerved her – the lad went 1st then I, then A- and then the man, then George – we could not have fallen down more than 1 ladder even had we slipped for at the foot of each ladder is a narrow landing as at a, c, e so that we might have fallen without being killed or even very much hurt – but on turning into one of the souterrains at the foot I think the land said the 17th ladder (the depth however = 120 metres = 240 yards +) A- seemed tired and complained of great fatigue in her arms – (she had leaned too much on them in taking hold of the steps as she descended) and after examining the passage where we were (along the last 2/3 of the ladders it had been very wet from the drip of the sides of the excavation) she thought she had better return as we had not descended to ½ the depth – she was right – I put her under the especial care of the man – he returned with her quite safely and I found her just washed and dressed and comfortable on my return home – she said the returning was much less fatiguing than going down and she really did not seem very much tired – however she was poorly sometime afterwards from about 1 ½ till after 4 when we went to see the opening of the exposition of pictures at the musée old church of St. André – said she did not feel quite well on getting up this morning – as soon as I had seen A- well off en route au jour , I and the lad and George set off again downwards – and at 9 20 we were at the bottom our speed having nearly doubled since poor A- had left us – I felt as if I had got into the habit of going down, and as if sorry that the 140ft. below us could not be visited because full of water – old works – the reservoir for the water in the intervals of pumping –we had arrived at the lading place at the bottom of the shaft at 9 20 – where the men were unloading the little wagons dragged by men the 1st 80 yards from where got up to the Galloway gate where the horses (15 hands high – 4 ½ ft. of this country or France) dragged waggons 4 at a time to the lading place 8 or 9ft. high a sort of cavern where about 4 men had charge of the un-lading and re-lading into waggon holding 2 of the others ready for the pulling up – we visited les écuries – 15 horses – and looked about – then proceeded some way along the Galloway gate – which except in the higher parts every now and then and where the waggons could pass – might be about 5ft. high and 6ft. wide for some distance the roof was timbered by the greater part was quite sufficient to support itself – a close hard smooth scale [widening] cut the right bate of the stone (according to the national cleavage) – it was extremely hot - and the road a little sludgy – we were soon put into a train of empty return waggons, and went the rest of the way very agreeably tho’ rather joltingly – a distance of 800 metres from the lading place to where the men were working – about ½ dozen in that spot – others working in different places communicating with this main gate – which might be in general about 5ft. high and 6ft. wide – and perhaps 6ft. high and 8ft. wide and sometimes more in the passing places, where the men often changed the horses from the one train to the other – the bed where we descended to the quatre pieds (the lowest working) was not always of so great thickness the ‘veine’called ‘morais’ is the nest above this – In the 4 pieds bed, the bottom steward told me (he joined us on our getting to the bottom and is the father of the lad who had descended with us) that a man would get fourteen of the small waggons a day = seven of the large waggons which might hold perhaps four of our corves .:. a man would get 28 corves a day, working from 3am to noon = nine hours, and reckon the 28 corves = 3 tons for which he is paid 38 sols – or, the bottom steward said, 38 sols a day – and he himself had four florin a day = about 8 fr. 160 sols – but then he has the superintendence of all the workings and altogether about 150 men employed and under his management – I did not learn how many in the 4 pieds – or how many in the marais or next bed above – about 100 men get coal – and he afterwards said about 70 were employed from 12 at noon (I suppose till 9 which would be this shift or time of working) in making and keeping in repair the roads etc. (straight work? etc) Returned dans le panier – the great square box that would hold 2 of the smaller waggons? or more for it held the bottom steward and lad and myself and George very commodiously and was about breast high – perhaps 4ft. or ft. 6in. square and about 4ft. or 4ft. 6in. deep? – I was too much tired up to get easily to my watch but the man said we should be drawn up in 6 minutes and it seemed about that time and I was at the top again at 11 25 – I should think the pit must be about 5 yards by 3 ½ to 4 yards? – I think we passed 4 openings, or workings opening into the pit – very little tubbing and very nice dry shaft – an [apparently] about 3/4in. iron rod from top to bottom pulls (rings) a bell at the top by which means they know when to let down the panier and when not – a terribly dirty figure and my blouse wet, as also my black stuff petticoat all below the blouse – washed my face and hands put on my cloak to cover all, and went into the bureau with my friend the bottom steward to see the plan of the workings – very extensive – but I could make no near guess as to the quantity of ground worked – perhaps double the length of the Galloway gate or main gate by ½ its length in breadth or 1600 metres x 400 =........ gave the clerk 20fr. and he immediately gave the ½ of it in my presence to the bottom steward, the latter seemed exceedingly pleased, the former said his thank-you so that I fancied he had expected more, but on afterwards asking our landlord, I found I had paid handsomely – the carriage was waiting for me – home at 12 and ordered a fire – A- very glad to see me back – I was more wet from heat than from the water that had fallen on me – had everything to change, and so begin getting all my things out and dressing that it was 2 before I was quite dressed again – then got our boiler to make hot wine and water for A- who was now beginning to be poorly and M. Mathiolis’ coming and talking very loud for an hour knocked her up – shewed him our water boiler and he shewed us a coffee-maker – a sort of still heated by spirit of wine – had cost him 40/. and the silver plates for strainers (tin not good for coffee to stand long in) perhaps would be 10/. more – had not paid for them – Madame Mathioli to go with us at 4 to see the opening of the exhibition of pictures at the musée (old church of St- Andrè) – went to the bookseller in the corner of this Place (St. Lambert) Jacques Desoer for ¼ hour

SH:7/ML/E/21/0100

and bought Granvilles’ Spas of Germany 2 vols. 12mo. 7fr. then with our host and hostess at 4 25 for 1 ½ hour to see the pictures and company – the former not particularly good – the latter the elite of the people in Liège – the burgomaster read a discourse of several pages which lasted about near ½ hour – sitting at a table of green with the governor of the town on his right, and several other gentlemen seated at the table, among the colonel (in uniform) commanding the regiment of Chasseurs now here several ladies seated on chairs ranged at a little distance round the table – unluckily I had not got a chair so that A- and I and our host and hostess all the while – a band of music played at intervals – I was glad of his opportunity of seeing the people – never saw a plainer set of ladies – not one pretty – from the musée M. and Madame M- took us to see the small but very choice collection of pictures at the house of comte d’Outrement (the comte himself at Rome now) – a good Murillo (Madonna and child a Madonna by Guido Remi – a couple of Titians – ditto ditto of Rubens etc. – then looked at M. Mathiolis’ Murillo – would sell it for 1600fr. – a Mr. Alexander Morro had bid him 1500fr. – shewed us his Anglo-French letter – a Mr. William Bolton clericus at Bruges had offered 2000 fr. but on conditions no accepted – shewed us his terribly bad French letter – then went to the bookseller to pay for the Saps of Germany – home at 7 – good dinner (much better than yesterday) at 7 ½ to 9 then A- and I asleep for an hour – had nearly finished our yesterday’s bottle of Hermitage blanc, and drank a demie bouteille of champagne – A- had Oddy – we then set off, and ate 7 oranges a piece after which A- too two pills till 11 20 at which hour F56° - rainy morning till about 9 am afterwards fair finish day

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iconsumeheadcanons · 4 years

Text

yall i REALLY thought i was on to something about joker’s hometown bc in the cutscene where he’s in shibuya for the first time the camera shows a close up of his navigation app

i didnt know enough kanji to read all of it, but i thought the first line might of been where he started (aka his hometown) and i was like, “ooh, 宇多川町ーUtagawa Town?! Where’s that?” and i tried to look it up but all i got was 宇田川町ーor Udagawa which is literally Shibuya....so atlus punned me...also when i actually translate all the kanji, the top line says Current Location and the bottom line was the train route he was using (i think). The train line is called “Kyousei” which is the same train you can hear about in game (im pretty sure).

okay OKAY but the next interesting thing here is (tho take this w a grain of salt bc i dont use navigation apps enough to know for sure) but the next important thing are the words underneath joker’s finger

so the kanji on the left 坂下 says “Sakashita” as the most common reading and the kanji on the right 駅前says “before station” so like ‘right before the train station’. This train station at Sakashita seems to be joker’s starting point to his current location MAYBE. MAYBE.

so i was like “Fuck i need to look this up what i this is where he came from?” so i do that and gogle tells me this

god i hope you can see this. ANYWAY is get 4 places on the maps with 坂下 in it: A store(?) in Fukushima, 2 different town areas in the tokyo area (marked in red circle on the map), and the town Sakashita in Gifu Prefecture. so. So. im like holy shit okay here we go

heres a satellite view of Sakashita in Gifu. its green and mountainous, its got two rivers surrounding it (one of which is named Kawakami pfft, probably unintentional), has like 1 set of schools named after the town, normal government & community spaces, a few shrines, and a train station for the Chuo line which goes to Tokyo(eventually)! id say its remote enough that the PT calling him a country bumpkin is granted. the town has buses and everything for the long roads, but i imagine a lotta students and workers walk/bike to work.

i like that Sakashita is south of Tokyo bc i like holding on to the fact that joker speaks the kansai dialect (most often associated with characters that are Different, but comes from a real place yknow) and kansai is south Tokyo. Now Gifu region is not in the kansai region but its close enough yeah? like maybe his parents came from closer to Osaka or Kyoto or some shit yeah?

i even made sure the roads near the Sakashita station kinda fit the map on Joker’s phone. i thought, “oh, its like a simplified version,” but then i focused on the (6.7 km) part and i was like hmmmmm.....

.....so i rewatched the cutscene to see if i could see more and i am :(((

this is earlier in the cutscene where you can see more of his screen. the part i have highlighted in pink at the top is the same Utagawa pun from the beginning of this

heres the map in gogle of Shibuya Crossing area. The red line is the subway ans the green is a road named 宮益坂下 or Miyamasu-zakashita which uses the exact same kanji. basically joker was just walking from somewhere to the station, and the 坂下 (sakashita) that i saw that was close to a station and the Kyousei line was just referencing the main road that all the vehicles uses with the large crosswalks that Shibuya Crossing is famous for...so i was wrong But BUT!! that doesnt mean Sakashita in Gifu prefecture is not valid (at least for me). I normally like to headcanon the Idiots in Inaba AU because it makes my heart warm for all the connections that are possible, but sometimes i like to use a different setting just because. and i want that location to be as close to real life as possible bc i love maps so much and hhggg im just like this

now that im done info dumping plz enjoy

#p5 #persona 5 #ren amamiya #akira kurusu #this is not the first time ive tried to do something like this for jokers hometown #joker lovin hours folks #boop.txt

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cloudbatcave · 3 years

Text

Cloud Plays White: Finale

This is a long one, folks, since I realized I had a bit in my notes I had forgotten about and only found after I posted this, lol, so I have now edited it in.

when we last left off I was criticizing Alder for being useless in apprehending Ghetsis and Iris for not just taking me to Drayden’s house herself when it is Right Fucking There.

So I’m still futzing around Opelucid here.

“No way, without pokemon, I’ll be lonely and sad! …but am I just using my pokemon, then?”

wow, seems there’s some brain cells there after all. you keep exercising those, brah.

I run into a guy who thinks that it’s okay for team plasma to take pokemon from weak trainers, even though he considers himself one and feels bad for the people they rob.

There’s another dude in the same room who used to be part of team plasma but left because it was weird for him that everyone thought the same way.

See, I appreciate this part of the game’s writing - I wish there was more stuff like this, people who are conflicted and their viewpoints being front and center instead of the simplistic garbage we’re fed by Iris and Alder and company.

Though there’s an absolute nut job who says that despite the years he’s trained with his pokemon he’ll let it go if it makes it a perfect being and I am just not even gonna unpack all the lunacy there.

There’s a kid who thinks that just because N has the legendary pokemon, he must be the hero.

I am very concerned about everyone in Unova being so gullible.

“Your Scrafty looks like it can try a little harder.”

WELL FUCK YOU TOO RANDOM LADY??? LAD DOES HIS BEST AND I WILL NOT HAVE HIM SLANDERED THIS WAY

I finally go to Drayden’s and get told how the original dragon performed mitosis and now we have two dragons and also they once destroyed the region with fire and lightning but it’s chill.

“People may hurt pokemon even more by imposing their selfish thoughts on them. But no matter what, Pokemon and people believe in each other, need each other, and will continue to live together…”

Drayden is smarter and more nuanced than like, anyone else, why is he not a main character.

Iris chips in about how much she can’t forgive Plasma and Drayden mentions they don’t know how to wake up Zekrom.

Well, to be fair, I’d be very surprised if they did.

Off to the gym, this’ll be interesting since I have no ice or dragon moves on my team.

I get through the trainers okay, now time to fight Daffodil.

Her Haxorus was a bit tricky but nothing I couldn’t handle, and when I walk out Juniper shows up.

And somehow she knows how to resurrect Zekrom. Cool!

She blahs about how it’ll wake up when it deems someone worthy and talks about how much I’ve changed and shows me to the gate where the route to the pokemon league is.

“Chirae? Do you regret setting out on your pokemon journey?”

UH.

MAYBE?

mmm, that’s not fair to my pokemon though - nigh everyone around me may be looney tunes or incompetent, but they’ve been good pals.

So I hit “no” after all.

and she gives me a master ball. dope.

I make it to the gates of victory road and I honestly really like the bit where each section of them is themed after the badges! That’s a nice touch, I think that was only also done in the FRLG remakes if I recall correctly. It makes it feel a lot more ceremonious and important.

Ah here come my two idiots.

Bianca asks Cheren to smile and he’d probably implode if he did. He finally isn’t an asshole though, good for him.

The bug badge guard tells me to “fight valiantly like an insect” which is funny but I guess does make sense. Ants can fuck some stuff up, man.

Honestly I want to be a badge gate guard, seems like a fun job.

Also, I caught an excadrill in a raid the day I wrote this, and caught an excadrill in this game. Their pokedex entry includes this gem:

“Their tunnels can be destructive to subway systems”

Given the battle subway exists in this game, their insurance payments must be obscene. Imagine getting your match interrupted by a giant mole with metal fists that doesn’t give a fuck.

I named her Beans. She looks like a Beans.

I also caught a Deino. The Irate Pokémon that can’t see and tackles people to learn about its surroundings. I feel a kinship with this creature.

I named him Mezzo for laughs.

And I managed to get myself back to the beginning of victory road. Good job, cloud.

Okay I think I’ve found the right path, found a new dude to beat up which is a good sign. Apparently he’s lost too.

Love when a trainer switches out to a Pokémon mine doesn’t have a type advantage against and it gets wiped in two hits anyway. Death is inevitable.

“I’ve thought about what I can do to help my Pokémon win and I finally figured out the answer!”

Is it git gud?

Flame charge raises my speed, opponent’s klang uses automotize to prove it can do that too, dies because it’s too busy trying to go fast.

Then I get nailed by a flare blitz. Darmanitan is toxic to gen 5 nuzlocke runs, I swear. Especially since I have no one on my hodgepodge team resistant to fire. At least my unfezant is faster.

“Read what your opponent wants to do. Your opponent is human and may change plans from moment to moment. Be careful!”

There’s some meta joke to be made there but I’m not thinking of anything witty. Something something AI having a point even if not in this context.

Back to the beginning again but I think I know what I need to do now.

I looked at a walkthrough to check, tho, lmfao. Was tired of climbing up there only to fall down the wrong spot.

“There’s an item at the bottom! Do you want to slide all the way down?”

You’re the devil talking and you tempt me but I will ignore your silver tongue for now.

So I’m at the league and I thought Cheran would pop out of the bushes before I got here. That’s weird. I could swear he fights me one last time before I challenge the elite four.

NO CHERAN. OKAY. WHAT. IS MY GAME GLITCHED??

I guess not! Huh.

All right then. Time to try and see if I can win with my very unbalanced team.

Lmfao yeah my first attempt against the ghost trainer crashed and burned. Literally, thanks to her Chandelure. Very glad I saved on the outside. TIME TO GO TRAIN MORE.

No Marty, you may not learn wild charge, this is a no recoil moves household, self harm is bad.

Some grinding later, I am ready to try again.

Shauntal gave me a little trouble but was much more manageable. Grimsley was easy, only his Krookodile gave me issues.

I really like the elite four battle areas in this gen, I do admit. Very aesthetic.

Ah shit I know that Musharna is coming.

Never mind, that pink and purple snoozeball went down easy. I didn’t have a single Pokémon faint.

Unless Marshal breaks the trend the fights have actually gotten easier as I went.

He actually was a bit tricky, gave me a good show.

Hello endless stairs, hello N and Alder, hello giant random castle that just explodes out of the ground somehow.

“What has just appeared is team plasma’s castle”

Thanks mate, never would’ve figured that out without you. Why do you need a castle.

Oh wow, the gym leaders finally decided to be useful and fight the sages for me instead of letting extremists wander around unchecked.

Thanks y’all! Trying not being pointless more often!

“Ignoring team plasma...that would be a terrible thing for us gym leaders to do.”

You all already did that, Elena. I watched as Clay and Iris let these assholes go. We could have avoided this whole plot if literally any of you had done more earlier.

So the game says the castle was built by the Pokémon team plasma took but how the fuck did they like...work underground...you know what I’m not gonna even think about it too hard because it makes no sense and I know that. I must make my peace.

I also like how the castle is nonsensical and yet there’s a line of dialogue about how they’ll liberate the Pokémon in PCs too for their Master Plan(TM), which is surprisingly thoughtful. This game is so inconsistent with how much sense its lore makes. It’ll come up with something clever and then wear its underwear on its head the next minute.

“Will you go the Pokémon league?”

Hey what - WHY DID YOU TELEPORT ME HOW CAN YOU DO THAT. DO YOU HAVE AN ABRA OR WHAT

THAT WAS RANDOM

Well at least there’s someone there to randomly teleport me back too.

WHEEEEEE

Hi Reshiram, convenient how that mini fire tornado you made didn’t burn me or N.

Hi Zekrom, convenient how your lightning didn’t hurt us either, you’re a considerate chap

Aight, let’s see if I can catch this bastard

...I did and it only took me like five balls. Okay then.

N gave me a good fight, so there’s that.

Love how Ghetsis’s bouffalant kills itself via recoil from its own move and my scrafty’s rocky helmet.

He gave me a good fight too though.

I do like the ending, despite my issues with how the game presents its message. N is a great character and I appreciate what Nintendo was trying to do with the game’s plot, they just...didn’t really delve into it like they should have.

I’m glad I replayed it. I still have my issues with gen 5 but I see a lot more of its positives now.

We’ll see if I do any post-game content, I have gotten kind of attached to my grump-ass trainersona and his weird team.

#Chirae the mistrustful teen and his pokemon #cloud plays white

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