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notallthoseinheadspace · 6 days

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Little hurt/comfort speculative post-canon TBB piece since I suspect canon is going to be all hurt.

Echo and Tech talk out their time under enemy control. PG, Gen.

CWs: PTSD, panic attacks, grief, mentions of injury

STRONGER

“It doesn’t get better if you don’t talk about it, you know.”

Snarling, Tech whirled around, unaccustomed anger biting under his skin. “You don’t - ah.” Wincing, he ducked his head and leaned back against the wall, ignoring the lights flickering to life across the island as he pushed his repaired goggles up to rub at the scars that spiderwebbed across his face. “Apologies, Echo. I did not realize it was you speaking. And, if you will forgive the insensitivity of the statement, it is… easy to forget that you were once The Algorithm.”

“Really,” Echo answered drily, gesturing to himself with his scomp link. Tech shrugged, slipping his goggles off entirely and letting them dangle from his wrist as he rubbed at his scars further.

“To me, you are as I have always known you, simply in better health than when we… initially met.”

“When you unplugged me from a cryo-tube I was wired into being forced to calculate plans to kill as many of my brothers as possible, you mean.”

“Well… yes.” Wincing, Tech slid down to sit against the sun-warmed paving stones, propping his back against the wall. After a moment, Echo settled beside him, close enough to very gently knock their shoulders together.

“I am aware that discussion of traumatic events can help reduce their psychological impact,” Tech began hesitantly, staring down at the goggles he was restlessly twisting in his hands rather than looking at Echo. “However, that would first require me to have a greater understanding of both my own prior psychological state and recall the conditioning I was subjected to on Tantiss, which I do not, and also comprehend why Crosshair was immune to such conditioning when I was not, and-”

The frantic, ever-hastening tumble of words was halted by Echo’s hand gripping his shoulder, giving him the lightest of shakes - everyone was treating him as though he was fragile, now, as though his scars had not healed.

“Tech, breathe.”

Tech sucked in a deep breath, then winced and coughed weakly, one hand rising to rub at the starburst scar high on his left pectoral, the bacta patch on it not entirely removing the pain. Perhaps everyone’s current treatment of him was not unwarranted.

Echo kept the hand on his shoulder, the gentle grip grounding, until Tech’s breathing had regained a more normal rhythm, and for several minutes they sat in silence, watching the moon-yos scampering about in the trees.

“I don’t imagine Crosshair’s going to use his rifle again,” Echo said softly, apropos of apparently nothing, and Tech exhaled sharply with another wince.

“I am certainly fortunate to have survived. A direct hit from a Firepuncher rifle bolt, particularly one modified as Crosshair’s has been, would typically result in death regardless of the quality of one’s armor.”

“I don’t think he’s ever been grateful to have missed a target,” Echo remarked, “even if you did pop up and declare ‘Crosshair, you missed,’ you little shit.”

“It was an accurate observation! I have not known Crosshair to miss a target without injury being involved, and I was unaware of his tremor at the time, so I had no basis for comprehending such a phenomenon! Also, I did not ‘pop up’ - ”

“No, you stayed down long enough to give all of us heart attacks, because your damn helmet fell off - ”

“I do not understand what the - truly inadequate, I might add - state of the Empire’s armor has to do with inducing myocardial infarctions in the squad - ”

“ - and we saw your face on the assassin Crosshair had just shot - ”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“….he would not be the first of us to kill a clone,” Tech said softly, leaning a little more heavily against Echo’s shoulder. “I would not, in fact, even be the first clone he had killed, and I was willing to give my life to ensure the survival of the squad previously. His actions were objectively correct, even if he had been aware of my identity at the time.”

“If he’d been aware of your identity, he never would have taken the shot,” Echo countered, shifting enough for his head to rest ever-so-gently against Tech’s.

“Not taking the shot would have been illogical. I was a threat to the lives of the squad at the time.”

“Feelings aren’t logical or objective, Tech.”

“I am aware, which is why they are often difficult for me to process. I am struggling to even categorize the emotions my experience as a CX-trooper have left me with, although I have identified guilt, inadequacy, anger, resentment, and what I believe to be grief. I was unable to resist the programming as Crosshair was, despite having been deliberately engineered for my intellect, for the strength of my mind, while Crosshair, who was created to - to shoot accurately - was able to resist the entirety of the reconditioning, and to escape Tantiss with Omega’s help, while I was so fully under the command of our enemy that I not only destroyed our home, I returned our sister to them!”

His voice had been steadily rising throughout, and it shattered into sharp gasps on the last words, prompting Echo to turn and gently pull Tech against his chest, wrapping him gently in an embrace and rocking them gently from side to side, stroking Tech’s hair as the other clone trembled against his chest.

The moon had fully risen by the time Tech’s breathing slowed again and he drew back slightly from Echo’s embrace, turning so that he was resting with his shoulder against Echo’s chest and his head tucked under his chin.

“I should have been stronger.”

“You were plenty strong, Tech.”

“Echo, I am aware you have not been present for significant portions of my - ”

“Tech. I can read a damned report whether I was present for something or not. And I’m not focused on what you did, I’m focused on what you didn’t do.”

“…please elaborate.”

“You landed the charges on the Marauder while Wrecker and Gonky were outside of it and gave them time to get clear, rather than blowing it up with them inside. You didn’t shoot Hunter, you shot down the pilot of the ship he was trying to hijack and let him swim away. You scared the civilians here, but you didn’t hurt any of them.”

“I killed numerous members of Rex’s team on Teth.”

“Do you want me to tell you how many deaths I’m responsible for? Because I’ve calculated that, you know. Should I have been stronger?”

“Echo, our situations were completely different and comparing them would be pointless. Furthermore, you were not deliberately mutated specifically to have a significantly increased intellect which should have offered immunity to - ”

“Have you considered that it wasn’t intellect that protected Crosshair?”

“Clearly it was not a matter of his intellect, as mine did not… ah.”

“He didn’t outsmart it, he out-stubborned it.”

“That hypothesis seems entirely reasonable, yes. However, I shall not endeavor to test it.” Wincing, Tech sat up slowly, bracing himself on one of Echo’s knees to rise to his feet, then offering a hand down, which was calmly accepted.

When they were both standing, Echo jostled their shoulders together gently. “So, feeling better?”

Tech blinked. “…somewhat, yes, thank you.”

“Anytime, brother.”

FIN

Short and kinda bad but I just needed them talking it out and Echo being his good ori’vod self. Tech is Not Coping Well and needed a hug.

The initial idea of this had less talking and Cody was there at the end telling them they both now understood how regs felt after Order 66, but that version failed to materialize when I got to my keyboard.

#the bad batch #TBB #tbb season 3 #tbb speculation #tbb echo #tbb tech #tbb fanfiction #sw tbb #fanfic

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cattyanon · 5 months

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In lieu of me posting art or a fic, I am here to present a new AU that's been sitting around in my head for awhile.

The premise is that Sonic, nearing the end of a fight, loses his footing (or smth like that) and tumbles down a small cliff/hill. But before he can get up a huge boulder lands on his feet and renders him immobile. And due to the fighting earlier, his communicator is broken. A few days go by with Sonic in lots of pain and his Chaos Energy starts to build up. Usually he'd get rid of it by running but uh. Can't exactly do that since he's stuck. So what happens with the buildup of Chaos Energy? Well it starts leaking and taking the form of uncontrollable plant powers.

Meanwhile with the other characters, Sonic has been gone for a concerning amount of time but there's also been strange reports of wild plant growth and people being attacked. To make it worse, the plants are in the general area of Sonic's last known location. Over time it gets progressively worse and eventually Angel Island becomes their home base as it's one of the few places untouchable by the plants. After lots of investigating and coordination, Tails, Amy, Knuckle, and Team Dark locate what they believe to be the source of the overgrowth (an abnormal chaos energy reading) and mount a mission to hopefully put a stop to the plants once and for all.

They tear down and kill all the plants in their path and start to hear screaming. Was there somebody else out here? But why and how? Not only that, but the yelling is coming from the direction of the suspected source. Eventually they reach a clearing and find... Sonic?!

Sonic's legs have been crushed by a boulder, he's covered in plants (the most notable being a giant flower on his back), his body is shaking, seems to be letting out screams in sync with them hurting the plants, whimpering, and has a bit of a blank look on his face.

Oddly, the plants that had just been attacking them began to stop. But it was like an outside source was just barely stopping them from doing so.

As for Sonic, this is the first time he's seen people in what feels like forever and he really didn't want them getting hurt. Because of this he's just barely able and unknowingly stopping the plants from attacking them. The feeling of wanting them to stop attacking was especially amplified upon seeing Tails, although his memory is a bit fuzzy due to the circumstances.

They manage to untrap Sonic and the plants seem pretty docile now and not out of control like before. Of course, they do plan how they untrap Sonic so he's less likely to bleed out or whatever. In the process they discover that the giant flower on his back is attached to him- and is eventually theorized to be part of the reason Sonic lived so long by giving him the ability to photosynthesize.

That's about all I got story wise but here's a little more information on this Sonic:

-Clingy towards Tails.

-Touch starved.

-Completely mute for awhile. Eventually becomes selectively mute and, when he does talk, he speaks in short sentences and not very loudly.

-Has prosthetic legs built by Tails.

-Slowly learns to control his plant powers.

-The reason his plant powers began attacking people was in response to Sonic's own fear over his situation.

-Doesn't need to eat or drink as long as he's got regular access to the sun on account of photosynthesis. Sleeping isn't required either but it has benefits.

-Has a hard time stomaching any food. Not only has he gone so long without it but his body had adapted to living without it soooo...

-He's also gonna have other plant-like qualities that I still need to think about. Like how his anatomy has changed like I mentioned above.

#as always feel free to ask questions #sonic au #sonic the hedgehog #sonic #not entirely sure what to name this au yet #here's a temp name for it:#plant sonic au

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goose-books · 3 months

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goose-books productions: a 2023 review

only [checks watch] two months late! view the image in higher quality here; read past years-in-review here; and thank you as always to my beloved @yvesdot for the template!

i shan't be dishonest; 2023 was not exactly the year of max. but i still got a lot of good writing done! transcripts + commentary under the cut, and, uh, take the godsong character roster again.

cws: animal death (february), pregnancy/miscarriage + body image issues (july), addiction (september), self-harm-as-metaphor (october)

january

what’s that? godsong ran away with me for another year? well, it does that. in the second of a plotted trilogy, anna (roughly: what if aeneas were a very sad lesbian?) and her lieutenants visit a soothsayer. ichari wants to kill for her, btw. anna please let them kill for you,

“Have we got to sacrifice an animal?” Sascha said, tilting his head. “Let you dig around in the entrails?” “If you’d like,” the Sibyl said, upper lip wrinkling. “But I’m haughty enough to believe I can make do with a bit of holy blood. Not you. Annadrijanna, if you would give me your hand.” Anna didn’t move. Her eyes widened, very slightly, as she stared at the hand the Sibyl had extended to her, palm up. Ichari’s hand was on their knife again before they could blink. Damn the gods and Avender’s Sibyl, and damn Anna’s quest, the moment she needed it they could have their blade in the prophet’s throat no matter what holy punishment tumbled down on their heels— “It won’t be like the other,” the Sibyl said, nodding to Anna’s right hand. “I keep my tools clean. Far less messy than entrails.” From their cloak pocket they drew a glinting silver pin, topped with a bead of pearl. “Just a prick, that’s all.” Ichari couldn’t tell if Anna’s chest was rising and falling beneath the robes, or if she had calcified entirely. “Anna,” they said, soft, warning. Almost pleading. Just give me the word, Anna. Just say the word. “You’ve a lot of ghosts clinging to your robes, Annadrijanna,” the Sibyl said softly. “I need a bit of life.”

february

while anna’s doing that, ambergris is causing problems. raised in regency patriarchyville, she recently befriended a dragon and received Powers; now she’s working toward 1. making it seem like her family’s manor is haunted 2. killing her parents and 3. having gay sex. not necessarily in that order.

Blood and yolk still stuck to her hands, gumming the webbing between thumb and forefinger. But it was a pretty picture, the mews desecrated, the falcons gone mad and tearing open their eggs. The duchy would whisper that Pyranimia had forsaken even the birds, that the Armindale fortune was suffocating in broken shells, and no one would consider that it was only nature, that rabbits and snakes and stable cats would swallow down their young if they got hungry. But not here, Ambergris thought, serene, picturing what her mother would say when she learned of the mews—the slight twitch of her mouth before her face settled back into glacial calm. Not you. You wish you could. You’re starving for it. But you won’t be rid of me now. You don’t know that yet. But I hold you in my hands now. If I were really a sorceress, I could twist up your body, ruin the organs that made me, the ones that hurt you. Or I could take them out and let you go free. She could sympathize. Abandoned by the goddess, she too might have withered and waned, and come to loathe the children sapping her strength as they grew inside her body. But her mother had made Ambergris too well for that—too cold to love a child or a husband, too cold to shrink from blood. You took the knife from your chest and put it in mine, Ambergris thought. But the gods have been watching. My god has been watching. The storm is building. And before I ever let you eat me, Mother, I will finish a daughter’s work and drain you dry. She raised her hand to her mouth, where her thumb met her forefinger, and licked away the blood.

march

in the spring i wrote a very long paper about antony and cleopatra (the shakespeare play, and also the people, and also the echoes of their story in the aeneid). which got me thinking about the deliberate narrative parallels between dido and cleopatra, which got me writing a ten-minute play where they have a one-night stand. happens to the best of us. i’m very proud of how this one came out, actually, but i have no idea what to do with it. target audience of weird lesbian classicists?

D: I want to be someone they don’t write tragedies about. C: (to the audience) Well. How charmingly ironic. D: If I could just—have—if I could just—just a life. Just someone who loves me. Just someone who won’t go away. Something boring. Something monotone. I don’t care how good I look burning. I want to stop being on fire. C: You have absolutely no sense of flair. D: I miss my sister. (A pause. She looks to C.) C: Can’t help you there. I had mine killed. D: (exhausted) Happens.

april

fans of the aeneid, please enjoy The Scene In Which The Protag Loses To A Tree. if godsong ever drops i will accept a 10-page double-spaced essay about how it is in conversation with the jason & medea myth.

Anna set his jaw. He braced his wooden hand against the trunk, then stepped up onto the coil and reached for the golden branch. It was slick and cold under his fingers, closer to stone than wood; Anna took hold and yanked. The branch slid from his fingers. Anna grabbed the trunk so he didn’t fall backward, ice jolting up his spine. The serpent hadn’t moved. Again he tried to snap the branch. A whisper of leaves as it bent, but there was no give; again his sweat-damp hand fell away. The word that slipped from his mouth startled him, because it was the sort of word no one used in a temple, something Caradorra had been scolded for saying in front of their mother. Another glance at Sascha. The serpent hadn’t stirred. Anna wiped his hand on his robes, straining up on his toes, and wrapped his hand around the base of the branch. If he could saw at it—but his sword lay gleaming and useless in the grass, his calves starting to ache, the branch warming under his touch. Please, Iv, please, please, please— He ignored the flicker in the corner of his eye: movement from the lakeside. But then came the hiss, rising like steam from the water thrown at the charred walls of a burning city, and his blood ran cold. Breaking from the lake, wet and shimmering, came an enormous frilled head. The second serpent, awake and alert, slitted yellow eyes fixed on Anna. It moved faster than thought—legs bunching, coils rippling, launching itself for the tree. “Sascha, down!” Ichari shouted from the treeline, and the gun went off, louder than godly thunder, and the branch beside Anna burst into splinters, and as he gave a last desperate yank the golden branch snapped cleanly into his hand.

may

while working on the actual plot of godsong, i was also fleshing out the backstory, and ended up stumbling into the personalities of anna’s parents (a t4t4t throuple! let’s go gay people). so here’s a bit of anna backstory from the perspective of his mother, who is wonderful and nervous. did you know anna was chosen for priesthood at age 11? probably had no long-term psychological effect on her at all.

It was a celebration for Eli’s records: three days and three nights of festival feasting, of singing and dancing and hymns, of the temple bells ringing a clangorous echo from dawn until dusk. In past years, after past Ivtouchings, the celebrations had been citywide but quieter, briefer—the ceremonial anointment before the temple doors, to mark the new priest as a new melody in Iv’s living voice, and then a song. But it had been three hundred years since Iv had plucked a child from the rings of Ivander to holiness. No simple ceremony would suffice. On the first day, the older Ivtouched helped Anna atop an oxcart, the horns of each ox wrapped in gold ribbon, and led him in cheering parade through the city’s spiraling roads to the temple. In the street, in the surging shouting crowds that followed on foot, Radi cheered her voice hoarse and tried to etch the picture into her memory: the brilliant blue of the sky, the loose tail of ribbon flapping from one oxhorn, the glint of the sun off the bronze-painted spokes of the cart’s wheels. All of those details she might have set to canvas, with a small enough brush and a steady enough hand. But she knew even then that she wouldn’t try. There was no replicating her son’s smile, so broad it must have ached, or the dazed look of joy in his eyes. As if he were dreaming and praying not to wake. As if some curtain had unveiled before him to show him the heavens in shining vivid color, the world created for him anew. Someone else’s hands would mark him holy; someone else’s hands had dressed him in the dark Ivtouched robes, billowing out behind him in the breeze. He wasn’t quite tall enough. The hem was pinned up so it didn’t drag. Every few minutes atop the cart, Anna’s hand drifted down to hike the fabric up, more twitchy than deliberate, each yank a quiet spear through Radi’s heart.

june

please refer to my february comments on that list of ambergris’s.

Ambergris regarded them coolly. She had pulled them around the back of the orchestra into a corner: curtained from the rest of the room by a clot of musicians, the strings near too loud to speak over, the lanterns throwing warped shadows over the floor. “I apologize,” she said, slow, “if I startled you, Captain. I’d like a word.” Ichari’s heart still pattered at their ribs. Again they forced down the shaking need to wipe that faint smirk from her face. “You’ve had a few. You satisfied yet?” “Y-you’ve met my husband,” Ambergris said, “twice now.” So she had been watching, then, probably sunken into the shadows like a grotesque. “Twice too many times,” they said, curling their lip. “You aren’t impressed.” “Don’t let me offend your wifely sensibilities.” Ichari flashed their wickedest grin to see if she would squirm. “But you’re too pretty to go to waste on an ill-dressed fool’s limp cock.” Ambergris didn’t flinch, but her eyes widened slightly. Big innocent eyes, Sascha’s eyes, with all the guilelessness of a kitten. “Am I?” “Too good for him? I’m sorry you had to find out this way, duchess.” “Not duchess,” Ambergris said, “yet. I find—I know I’m too good. Am I pretty.”

july

more backstory, this time in second person about ambergris’s mother, who gets a POV in the book proper. not a very fun POV, but there's generational trauma to explore. creusa is the doctor that's been called in to help jonquilla through a miscarriage; she is gnc as fuck (jonquilla voice: you're insane).

Four weeks Creusa tends your bedside—four fuzzy weeks drifting in and out of fever, your thoughts racing like loosed horses, as you bleed out the last of your hoped-for heir. You loathe her for it, with a bright-hot intensity you can only grasp for moments at a time between unconsciousnesses. You loathe her for daring to pity you, for helping you sit up to drink down your pain relief; you loathe her for doing it well. You loathe her because she is fresh and young and rosy-cheeked and you are soft and lumpy and pathetic. You loathe her because she is beautiful despite all she does to destroy it, despite the way she prowls the manor in trousers, despite the fact that you have never once seen her suck in her stomach. Beautiful the way you were mere years ago. Beautiful enough to make breath catch when those worn fingers tuck her shorn hair behind her ears. What gives her the right to see you like this? What gives her the right to sprawl out in your home, in your chambers, in all her impropriety? What gives her the right to choose to be—this? Does she have a husband somewhere who lets her run free? Children she tends to with the same slight curve of a smile she gives you? Sisters? Brothers? Who does she fall into bed with at night? You want to step inside her skin, to pry it up, to take her apart and see how her heart beats. She’s had her hands in enough of your blood. You want to hold her organs. Your dreams come in tatters. Your stomach swollen to bursting again. The endless hallways. Dittany soaring away from you. Children squirming in your gut. Creusa stroking your hair. Sometimes those are not dreams, you think; sometimes your eyes flutter open and she is there, patient, quiet, calm. As she always is, except for the crease in her soft rose-petal lips, because when you are asleep she does not smile at you. She watches you as if she is afraid for you. She watches you as if she is guilty of something. There are other dreams, too. Dreams you refuse to remember.

august

in august i had a Medical Experience. but first i finished the draft of godsong2, because i never fucking lose. this bit is from the very last scene, where no one is doing well.

Most days she shaved her face each day after morningsong, when she had the strength and a passable mirror. In Ivander she had not needed to, but she liked the look of it, the cleanness; in Armindale Manor she had been particularly careful. Sascha must have noticed, or picked it up from her face, because he scrambled wobbling back to his feet. “I’ll fetch a razor, eh?” “Sascha—” Ichari started, but Sascha waved a hand. “I’ll do it, Anna,” he said, earnest. Her twinge of warmth was faint; she inclined her head slightly. They had done something like this before, Sascha scrunching up next to her to wind his fingers through her hair—hair, Anna realized distantly, that was soot-choked and tangled now. He had spun her waves into a thick braid, then a number of tiny ones, chattering all the while; she had repaid him for it once with a spiraling swirl of mehndi across each of his fluttery hands. Now, though, when he held the razor up to her face, there was a new trepidation in the set of his lips. It took Anna too many sticky seconds to realize he was trying and failing to settle the terrible shake in his hands. “Sorry,” he said, blanching, when Anna looked at him. “Ah, I’m sorry, I…” “Armindale,” Ichari said, soft. Gentler than she had ever heard his name in their voice. They held out a palm. “S’okay.” Anna tilted her face toward them. Sascha scooted back to wrap his arms around his knees and watch Ichari sliver the hair from her chin, one hand braced against her cheek, their hands callused and cold and kind.

september

and we've reached the part of the year where school hit me like a Fucking Train. here's some carronash. that is, MILF julius caesar x neopronouns mark antony, in an extremely uneven borderline-religious-worship dynamic that has swallowed the latter's entire life (more about their deal here). you know, out of context here, they almost look sweet.

Ash shut xir eyes so xe wouldn’t see her hear it, and xe croaked, “I need a drink.” Her chest rose and fell beneath xim in silence. Somewhere beyond xir walls, a cart rattled over the streets. “I know,” Ash said, panic starting to rise cold in xir throat. “I know—I know, but it hurts, I need a drink, Julienne, it hurts, I think I’m going to die. I think I might fucking die.” I know you do, she had said the last time xe’d told her xe needed a drink. I know you do. I know you know why it’s a bad idea. And she had kissed xir forehead like an anointment and held xim when xe shook with frustrated sobs. Nothing now. Just her hand combing through xir curls. “Julienne,” Ash said, near a whine, the craving a spidery itch beneath xir skin. “Ash,” Julienne said. “Am I asking too much of you?” It didn’t sound like a condemnation. Xir insides curled anyway. “No,” xe said, small as a scolded child. “No, I just—I just…” “If it’s too much,” she said, soft. “If you can’t bear it. There’s no shame in that.”

october

i posted this poem here, but we’ll see it again! i think it’s kind of heavy-handed, but that's what happens when you try to articulate an insanity.

2:35 grindstone // max franciscovich there is a knife in my hand. there is a knife i am holding in the palm of my hand. i hold it by the blade. when i squeeze the blood runs down through the webbings of my fingers and the sting is hot. if i uncurl my fingers i will let go of the knife and it will not hurt. if i let go of the knife i will forget pain. suffering and fear will dull and scab over and my eyes will close. when i squeeze i remember it hurts. i remember i am dangerous. my eyes can close. i can cut with a touch. if i let go of the knife it will not hurt to make a fist. if i let go of the knife i will make a fist. if i let go of the knife in my hand i will forget there is a knife in my hand. when i squeeze the sting whets my thoughts and i see the world in all its brutal glory and i touch nothing i could ruin. there is a knife in my hand. there is a knife i am holding in the palm of my hand.

november

no nano this year :( i was being crushed by school and mentals, unfortunately. which sucks, because i've had a streak since 2018! but alas. next year. i did write a little more godsongverse backstory, set in anna's old city and starring the book's hector and andromache figures (ira and lucia, respectively; imi and nia are their twin toddlers).

Here was a part of the war that would not be told: that sometimes it would be late, very late, the sun sunken into the earth and the children in bed, before Ira came home. That Imi and Nia were asleep, Lucia suspected, was not an effect but a reason, because sometimes her heart-knit lover was nigh unrecognizable in the doorway, hunched and haggard, bathed in gore, and the twins would have been terrified. Blasphemous, maybe, for Lucia to see the dried blood cracking in rivulets on Ira’s skin and think of Iv’s shattered face. But even blasphemy was better than the other reason she shied from the thought—that likening Ira to the holiest of martyrs felt like giving up. Giving into what she suspected everyone else already thought inevitable. After the first night she had stopped fearing the worst. There would have been no missing the uproar in the city. Her fears were simpler: how much blood there might be, how many times Ira would wake in the night. But unless the wailing rose high enough to shake the temple down, the sixth wall of Ivander stood, and Lucia sat at home with the spinning and waited.

december

and… would you look at that, more godsong. i did write non-godsong things this year! but most of them are short stories i'm hoping to send out for publication, so i'm not keen on sharing yet. this, however, is literally a godsong x hadestown AU that i’ve been calling spadestown, and if i ever finish it i Will be posting it here. in a beautiful alternate world, godsong is an annaspades romcom. (it's not even that in this AU.)

Lying on the bed watching Anna write, Spades said, “You know xim. The queen.” Not an accusation, exactly. But a search for solid ground, an escape from the ice shifting under her. At the desk, Anna tapped the end of his pen against his lips. Distracting lips, unfairly plush. “Yes,” he said after an absent moment. “It is—natural. Xe returns every summer.” “Only here?” “As far back as I remember.” Anna blinked; Spades watched it sink in. “But not where you come from.” Spades shrugged. There were gods where she had come from, too. Not the sort one poured drinks for. “I suppose we can’t all be holy,” she said, reaching out across the narrow span of the room to his chair. Anna took her hand, his skin warm against hers, his pen calluses already familiar—the tip of his second finger, the inside of his third. When she closed her eyes, Ash’s grin flashed behind her lids. Xe must have known who she was. Gods always knew. “Sing it again,” she said, patting the bed beside her. Anna was staring at the page. He hummed another bar under his breath. Spades thought she might have to get up, to close the journal for him, to slip the pen from his hands and kiss him and hope he kissed back instead of dreaming louder. Then Anna said, “Sing what?” Spades tipped his chair back to hear him yelp. “What do you think, dipshit?” “My song?” Anna said, and there was his little winking smile. “Or our wedding hymn?” There was only one bed in the attic room, so they slept curled together. Invariably Spades woke with silky hair in her mouth. Not bad, she figured, for a night always warm.

and that's a wrap! i know i didn't post much this year, but i'm still hard at work at various odds and ends. thank you for sticking around, and i hope everyone reading this has a wonderful 2024!

#max.txt #max actually writes #year in review #okay tags time innit.#godsong tag #anna ivtouched #ichari felidore #sascha armindale #ambergris armindale #jonquilla armindale #julienne carron #ash pyrris #hellenira ivtouched #lucia tag #< poor girl doesn't have a last name yet. that's on me #cinquedea spades

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siriannatan · 1 year

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Ghost of Tumble Town - one shot

Yeah... @doodleshrimps' Bandit AU inspired me to write something about this idea of mine.

Warning, it is a bit sad at the start.

AO3 link for anyone who prefers to read there.

Canon differences (might contain spoilers):

warden wasn't brought to Tumble Town by fWhip,

it killed Jimmy, respawn is not a thing in this au, not for most. Joel and Scott can respawn but that's a god/fae thing and Scott's keeping it a secret,

totems are a thing and can stop you from dying. Very valuable and rare,

Norman and Flick returned as ghosts with Jimmy and the rest of the citizens.

Jimmy missed the hermits' 'visit' while dead/ getting used to being a ghost, not wanting to freak them out.

Scott didn't care how many jabs Joel tossed at him for still visiting Tumble Town even after Jimmy was gone. It wasn't like the 'god' knew Scott was a fae and how distant and foreign concept death was to him. Fae are immortal. He would never die. As long as he had access to magic it is… But that wasn't really death. Not how mortals understood it. A fae without magic just fades away until there are just faint memories of them left. Why Scott was so careful with keeping his real identity a secret? Being known as a weirdo with llamas was better than being known as a powerful fae. Especially with a witch around. As un-witchy as Shubble was it was better to be safe than risk his wings.

Jimmy, the sheriff was probably the only one who figured him out. Shockingly, considering how dense he was. And didn't treat him any differently. Mostly. He did keep iron away from places Scott would visit in town. Would put his badge away when Scott was around. He did not mind how particular Scott was about specific order of things, and names, and greetings and… and all the fae stuff. Even if Scot never showed him his wings.

Which is probably why he never hid them when visiting Jimmy's grave. It was nothing special. just a mound of mesa sand with a crude cross marking the stop. No one wanted to stick around after the Warden just out of nowhere, seemingly, showed up and wrecked the town. Killing all the citizens and the sheriff. Vanishing without a trace soon after. Only then did the other emperors dare to come and check for survivors. There were none. Not even Jimmy's cats…

It was nearly two months ago. Before the rift business happened. And yet, despite never caring much for mortal races, humans even less than others, Scott found himself coming back again and again. To leave fresh flowers and take away the dry, ruined by howling wind old flowers from the last visit. And quietly tell the silent grave what has happened in the past week. Followed by sitting quietly until the silence and lack of colour drove him almost insane.

Just to repeat it next week.

And so, Scott sat, his wings covering the grave in pretty colours with the light of the setting sun. Thinking it's about time to go back to Chromia. Not that they couldn't survive one night without him. Owen shouldn't be too much of an issue for some time…

"You brought poppies today…"

A sudden, familiar but impossible voice had Scott jolting to his feet and looking around. No one was on the ground so he looked at the full of holes ruin of Jimmy's house. There, on the roof, sat Jimmy. Looking almost as he did the day he died. But not quite. There was something off. Something unnerving but Scott ignored it. Too happy to see him.

"Jimmy? But you…" if he wasn't a fae and didn't have complete control of his emotions he'd probably crumble down crying. "You said they're your favourites once…"

Jimmy shrugged and jumped down. There was no sound as he landed, and Scott could swear he saw him sink into the ground a little bit. "I got better, I think…" he hummed. There was this weirdly distant quality in his voice. Like he was both here and somewhere else. "You weren't kidding, your wings are really pretty," Jimmy hummed going to touch Scott's wing but… his hand passed right through the fae. "Yeah… still figuring that out…" the sheriff chuckled taking a step back.

Scott didn't need to be told what 'that' was. What Jimmy was now. He did die. And now was back, as a ghost. And not just some ghost. As the blonde idly floated a few inches off the ground, likely forgetting to keep himself on the ground, Scott could see the magic radiating off of him. Cold and dry, neither good nor bad. Death didn't take sides. It just took people away. The good, the bad and all in between. "It's okay. I was a bit lost and overwhelmed when I left fae realms," Scott shook his head, smiling a bit. He was just happy to talk to Jimmy again. "It's good to see you again," he said reaching out to at least try to touch Jimmy's face.

It worked and he could feel Jimmy's face. It was like cold wax. Not budging in the slightest under his touch. Scott met a few ghosts before settling where Chromia is now but Jimmy was different. Slightly translucent but not at all see-through. And much more present. Most of the other ghosts Scott knew would already forget who he was and move on to different things. Not Jimmy. He was staring at Scott even if his glassy, dead eyes occasionally glanced at the simple grave.

"Must have been a chock with how much you like colours…" Jimmy hummed tearing his eyes off the grave.

"Eh, winter fae's lands are always covered in snow, all in shades of white and grey with some green at best," Scott shrugged making a bit of snow whirling in one hand. "How are you feeling?" he asked letting it disperse. "We saw the aftermath… it was even worse than now…"

Jimmy shrugged, forcing himself to the ground. "I saw it, I think… the just after is a bit fuzzy, I was being pulled away but… something kept me here… It felt like the after is not meant to me for some reason…" he hummed walking out into the ruined town. Slowly more and more ghosts appeared, greeting their sheriff as if they were not all dead. "Like this was the end and there was nothing more…" he carried on talking as Scott silently followed. Watching the ghosts clean up the rubble.

The biggest shock was when two cats ran out of the sheriff's home, through a solid wall, and meowed, in that distant ghostly undertone. Rubbing against Scott's legs. They always liked him. Part of being a fae is being loved by all animals. Alive or dead, it turns out.

"Should I tell others you're…back or give you some more time to settle back into things?" he asked glancing at the sun. It was getting really low. Maybe he could stay the night now that the sheriff was back in town?

"Maybe wait a few days? Until this place isn't as much of a mess?" Jimmy grimaced stopping in front of the bank. It was pretty ruined, but, shockingly, nothing that was inside when the Warden attacked was missing. Scott heard some of the other emperors whisper about the place being cursed. "You can stay the night… if you don't mind all the ghosts…" Jimmy offered saving Scott asking.

"I don't mind," Scott grinned. "It's still the same Tumble Town, and it's not like I can die anyway," he shrugged as a dead bird flopped right next to him.

They were silent for a second, staring as the ghost of the bird left the body and dodged the ghostly cats that wasted no time pouncing at it. And laughed as it flew to a tree. They probably should have been worried about it but at the moment watching Norman and Flick chase it was funny. And fae had a rather unique sense of humour anyway and found dead birds very amusing even when they didn't leave ghosts behind.

#my stuff #my stories #fanfiction #fanfic #empires smp #empiresshipping #flower husbands #empires jimmy #esmp jimmy #empires scott #empires au #ghost of tumble town

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troutfur · 5 months

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For your request for prompts! I tried to think of a couple short scenes that I always wanted to see in canon. Also while I’m proposing these in a canon context, definitely frame them within one of your AUs if you want!

Goldenflower and Tigerstar have a tense conversation at some point after his treachery is revealed. The exact timing of this conversation is up to you, but for some suggestions to get the ideas flowing: it could be immediately after Tigerclaw is exiled from ThunderClan and Goldenflower’s emotional wounds are freshest. It could be after Tawnypaw runs away to join Tigerstar in ShadowClan. It could be just after Tigerstar is killed and Goldenflower is monologuing to his corpse/ghost, the BloodClan battle looming on the horizon. Or, even after Tigerstar’s death, either in a dream, them meeting on the border of StarClan and the Dark Forest, or even during the Dark Forest battle in The Last Hope. Whatever the timing, I’d just like for Goldenflower to finally get some catharsis by confronting him and grappling with her complicated feelings of loving/having loved a murderer and a traitor.

Hollyleaf and Squirrelflight tearfully reconciling after she returns from the tunnels. Bonus points for Hollyleaf calling Squirrelflight “mom” :) (Alternatively or additionally you could do Hollyleaf and Leafpool reconciling in which they finally address the deathberry incident.)

Some more goldie today! Tearful reunions like that are so my jam and usually I'd jump at a chance to do something with the Po3 cast. But this one in conjunction with the last one seemed to be a natural fit. Also fitting to mark our day when we reach the 2/3rds mark in this challenge.

(Want to get in something for the last 10 days? Check out my guidelines and get submitting!)

“How could you?” Goldenflower shrieked as she heard the revelations tumble out of Fireheart’s mouth one by one. Her blood had begun to boil from the first one but it hadn’t burst out quite so indignantly until the ginger tom revealed his part in ShadowClan’s raid and the death of her brother. “We welcomed you into our nest, we gave you companionship when we could very well have left you by your lonesome your whole life, I even let you sire children with me!”

She paused to catch her breath. She had sunk her claws deep into the ground and her muscles still attempted to extend them further without her even realizing. The blaze in her chest that animated her to continue ranting was only fanned with every moment of reflection she gave and she let it build up as she anticipated.

She wanted to see him squirm from under Firestar’s grasp at that moment. She wanted him to at least attempt to rise to his paws and... Beg forgiveness? Attack her so she would have a justification to shred him? Yell in return? Monologue to her about how he’d had to take a hard choice for the sake of his Clan? Something! Anything! React in some way! But all throughout Tigerstar wore a detached, neutral expression.

Eventually the kindling ran out. Pulling back her claws she looked solemnly down at the captive warrior. “...He really did like you, you know?” she said. “It wasn’t just for me that he let you in. He wanted your company. He admired your best qualities. He thought you’d be a good pipfurr to the kits he’d sire. If you’d let him he would’ve loved you the same way I did. The same way Frostfur did.”

She paused, seeking among the crowd the pelts of their children. Brightpaw, Thornpaw, Brackenpaw, and Cinderpaw were scattered among the multitude. But their faces of shock and horror were clear for all to see. “And yet you didn’t stop to consider those same kits. You didn’t stop to consider how you’d leave them with one less pipfurr then, and now that you’ve been revealed they’re down two!”

“He was not even a sire to my kits!” Frostfur shouted, indignant! “Much less pipfurr! These four are Lionheart and I’s alone!”

That got a response, but Goldenflower was too focused turning her head around in surprise to really notice how much her and Tigerclaw’s expressions were the same.

“You can go rot in the undergrowth for all I care!” Frostfur continued. “My children would have lost nothing of value. I only regret the fact I ever thought of you as anything more than a vile cuckoo.”

It took a while for Goldenflower to really process the harshness of those words. With a sire confirmed rather than only denied that was not only a public rejection of him as pipfurr but of her as well. A harsh measure, but certainly more than necessary. The thought immediately swirled why Frostfur was rejecting her as well. Did she blame her for encouraging the cat that was more her love? Did she see in her a nature similar to what Tigerclaw had demonstrated? She paused to think about what she’d just said. Was it retaliation for how she had confirmed siring, and of him of all cats?

As the questions swept up Goldenflower’s mind the proceedings went on. Accusations proceeded from Fireheart’s mouth, to shame TigerClaw for everyh single despicable act, to lay bare everything. And in the midst of this she barely had time to notice when the time came to have him be exiled.

#warrior cats #wc #warrior cats au #goldenflower #tigerclaw #tigerstar #frostfur #lionheart

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edenflowers · 1 year

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How do you do fellow nexo knights fans

This is your daily reminder that Fletcher and Izzy are terrifying

If you add up all the deaths (including squirebots), the Forbidden Power has 46 deaths.

Rogul has 10 deaths, give or take- I only counted specific numbers given for each as portions that don’t give specific numbers seem to be connected with parts that do give specific numbers.

Fletcher killed 19:

7 skeletons with magic

12 squirebots with magic

Izzy killed 17:

3 skeletons w/ Ned Knightly’s sword

Bashing a skeleton head into metal bars

Kills 12 skeletons at once by slamming a door

Kills a skeleton via crushing as she falls through a rotten wooden wall and the bare minimum of two stories

^ Izzy also says the skeleton broke her fall. 😐 Ain’t no way a dense skeleton falling underneath you helps cushion a 2 story fall. She doesn’t just survive the 2 story fall, she PROCEEDS TO FULL ON SPRINT TO GO RETRIEVE A WEAPON. She reappears from her weapon retrieval within a few pages so she probably CONTINUED TO SPRINT THE ENTIRE WAY.

She doesn’t show signs of exhaustion over doing this either🗿🗿

Izzy falls, is launched, or makes a generally dangerous decision with her body at least 8 times:

1. Izzy nearly slams into a locker as she quickly comes to a stop because she trips

2. Izzy touches the forbidden power and gets launched, slamming into the catacombs wall

3. Izzy jumps from the academy arena’s stands down into the arena

4. She punches the Baron- WHO IS ARMORED- and somehow does not break her hand. She feels pain from it but her hand isn’t injured beyond temporary owie.

5. Izzy slams into the rogul

6. Izzy falls through the Baron’s roof

7. Izzy falls 2 stories minimum as she fights a skeleton and falls out a rotten wall

8. Izzy is described as being “rocketed” across the room over trying to snag a weapon infused with the forbidden power

Generally, Izzy’s lack of injuries is ASTOUNDING.

Maybe more so is Fletcher’s lack of injuries. One of the FIRST things that happens in the book is Fletcher falling out of a train, tumbling, and going splat on the ground because he got his luggage thrown at him. The book puts him through two different Zilgo beat downs - which the majority of times where Fletcher should have definitely been wounded occur. The Baron gets a hit on Fletcher one time, compared to Zilgo who… basically does it the entire time 💀

To be fair, Baron Von Bludgeoneous’s approach was to not… kill Fletcher in order to use Fletcher to find more forbidden powers but it is still horrifying that Fletcher was hurt MORE BY A CLASSMATE than AN UNDEAD VILLAIN.

Generally, Fletcher’s ability to handle the entire events of the book is kind of horrifying when you consider the fact he’s malnourished and likely isn’t getting quality sleep. Not only was he on the train for 3 days- in which it is not clear if he ACTUALLY slept (or ate!) at all- his body is stiff and aches.

His body is already not at its best going into the events of the book. BUT THEN HE KEEPS GOING?

I’d like to remind you all that neither Fletcher or Izzy have slept before the book’s finale- they’ve been awake all day. The finale stretches from dusk to near daybreak, MEANING THEY STAYED UP THE ENTIRE NIGHT FIGHTING THE BARON.

Maybe that’s not horrifying but then we see them return to the academy and go back to school like nothing happened- without seeming exhausted! THEY ARE UNFAZED.

Another thing worth considering is the fact Merlok sealed the forbidden powers into tablets because he couldn’t destroy them- then Fletcher destroys one (or so we think? The way it’s phrased makes it seem like the second book COULD have backtracked on that if desired.) without even properly knowing what he’s doing. Clay also destroys one but Clay is also the main protagonist - but I guess Fletcher is the book’s protagonist so it’s really just the Moorington brothers are built different due to protagonist powers.

I also feel the need to point out that Fletcher basically has a forever bodyguard in the Rogul he awakened too. So beyond just his skills and Izzy’s- Fletcher HAS AN EXTRA THING GOING FOR HIM.

Do these children use their power responsibly?

😐

They shut down the ENTIRE school within their first three days. You tell me.

While we can forgive certain aspects- we have to also keep in mind that some of the events that occurred- they did it, fully knowing that it was wrong.

Izzy thought the forbidden power was a Nexo power- that means she didn’t think it would be as destructive as the power ended up being BUT she knew it would be cheating to power up Fletcher. She does so anyway- simply because she’s like “ooooh no shawty nooo don’t get beat up I can’t watch this anymore 😔😔😔”

(SHE DOES THIS CRAZY THING FOR SOMEONE SHE’S KNOWN FOR THREE DAYS AT THIS POINT. Sure, they’ve gone through a lot together but still- Izzy is loyal to a fault for someone she only knows so well. She’s kinda crazy.)

Fletcher quickly puts two and two together and understands what’s going on- and doesn’t stop it. Even though he was SUSPICIOUS of the tablet, thinking that it might not be a Nexo power because of where they found it, he still doesn’t stop fighting even when he gets powered up. He also notes that the download of the forbidden power doesn’t look like a NEXO download that he saw demonstrated in class- BUT HE STILL CONTINUES.

To be fair to Fletcher, it was a very impulsive moment thing where it was kind of him snapping and leaning into it because of self esteem issues. (Jestro anyone?)

In addition to shutting down the school within their first three days, they also:

- Find a forbidden power

- Endanger the entire city by extension of shutting down the school’s power

- Beat an ancient villain (part way anyway)

- Acquire a kill count of 46 (as I talked about at the beginning of this post)

- Threaten another student, Zilgo, with violence if Zilgo tells on the two of them for stealing

- YEAH, ALSO, THEY STEAL A RELIC FROM THE SCHOOL TO GET GEARED UP TO FIGHT A VILLAIN. THEY STRAIGHT UP JUST STEAL NED KNIGHTLY’S SWORD.

- Break out of a dungeon (using a photo of Lance mind you)

- Blow up an ancient manor’s roof with magic

All in all, these kids are crazy. But I love em for it and they’re probably going to be the majority of what I talk about on tumblr 💀

#fletcher bowman nexo knights #fletcher bowman #izzy richmond #nexo knights #hello tumblr I do not know what I am doing #this is literally my first ever post on tumblr #i am a gen z boomer

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bucket-of-amethyst · 2 years

Text

because a bunch of people are sharing their alternative to Bandit!Tango, here's the scenario i had in my head since the end of DL and i was even considering writing it,, Farm Mechanic! Tango

My idea was Jimmy noticing his gunpowder farm needs a boost in efficiency, while trying to upgrade it himself he has an ugly accident with some creepers that end up badly destroying his farm and injuring some of the cats he used to herd the mobs. After that he is very shaken, specially about putting his animals in danger when they tried to protect him, but he can't just abandon the gunpowder business.

Not wanting to risk something like that happening again, Jimmy decides make a farm that doesn't use cats. But a farm without cats only means he's gonna need redstone. And he doesn't know how to use redstone.

At some point Jimmy about his struggles with Sausage, who then mentions that a while ago some guy that seemed pretty knowledgeable about redstone and farms had spent a few days in Sanctuary (since Sanctuary is just one of those places a lot of travelers and refugees pass by). Sausage offers to send one of his parrots to deliver a message to this guy asking if he would be willing to do a farm job.

And that's how mechanic Tango and Sheriff Jimmy meet! Tango arrives in Tumble Town and they instantly click. Shenanigans and fluff ensue as they work together to gather materials (u know Jimmy hasn't a single redstone dust to his name) to build one of Tangos over the top mega powered farms.

Some other moments i have in my head I wanted to mention:

- Tango first asking if Jimmy wanted to keep the herding cats designs and Jimmy being very against it but not explain further. Many days later Tango find out why when he stumbles on the Sheriff taking care of his injured kitties [insert here tango being very supportive and assuring it the accident wasn't jimmy's fault] The cats recover quickly after with now two people taking care of them.

- When the farm is done it has too modes: the normal AFK one where they die by fire or something, and one where the creepers are transported up to the afk spot to be killed by a looting sword for quick extra drops. When testing the creeper transport one, Jimmy sees that mass of creepers approaching him and panics for a moment bc it reminded him of the accident. Tango calms him down. (an arc about how the sheriff acquired a fear of creepers and tango helps him face his fears perhaps maybe?)

- There is DEFINITELY some high quality prankage involving Ravengers to get back at Joel for disrespecting the Sheriff

- After everything with the creeper farm is sorted, it feels like it would be time to say goodbye. But they keep making excuses having ideas for other farms like- hey they could sell rockets made from their gunpowder! Tango knows a good sugar cane farm! That leads to them wanting to make exploding fireworks to use with crossbows, they would need a lot of dye for that... Sure Scott won't mind if they make a small cactus farm right? So they need to smelt that cactus, time to build a super smelter! What's a good fuel? Blaze rods? Coal from a wither skelly farm? Both? One thing leads to the other, they kiss at some point, Tango ends up never really leaving Tumblr Town , he is home now after all

#team rancher #tangotek #solidarity jimmy #jimmy solidarity #empires #bucket of ramble #O THIS TURNED OUT LOMG #qlskkdkdke

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trulyinspiringmovies · 11 months

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The Little Mermaid (2023)

“The Little Mermaid” is a remake that fails to understand what made the original so iconic and includes subpar additions that fail to justify its own existence for me.

Ariel is supposed to attend the Coral Moon meeting, but misses it because she’s exploring a shipwreck she was strictly forbidden to go to. She later hears explosions go off on the surface and decides to check it out. It turns out to be Prince Eric’s ship celebrating his birthday with fireworks. Immediately a storm draws in and leaves them shipwrecked. Ariel brings Prince Eric back to shore and now he decides he must find the mysterious girl with the beautiful voice who saved him.

I know this movie is a contentious topic right now, but I want to give a grounded take on what I thought worked and didn’t work in this movie. For starters, I want to highlight my favorite part of the movie: Halle Bailey as Ariel. To me, she is Ariel if she were to exist in the real world. Halle Bailey brings the same energy as Jodi Benson in the 1989 movie. Not only that, but she also manages to breathe new life into “Part Of Your World”, one of my favorite Disney songs, through her powerful voice. I don’t care if people are upset she’s not the same skin color as the original Ariel. I try to be open-minded and hear everyone’s perspective, but that viewpoint only stems from hateful rhetoric and that has no place in actual discussions about the quality of this movie. With that being said, I thought the rest of the movie was subpar. The biggest problem I had was with how the filmmakers fundamentally misunderstood the original story and its characters. Here are some examples of why I feel this way. The initial introduction of Ariel with the shark changed something simple, but extremely important. It’s how Ariel treats her bag. I know that sounds like a small complaint, but trust me, it’s huge because of how it originally paints the character. In the original, Ariel retrieves her bag impulsively and doesn’t stop to think about the danger she was running away from. Then, when Flounder is in trouble, she immediately drops her bag to help him. This masterfully paints Ariel’s priorities. Her stuff is more important than her own well-being and her friends are more important than her stuff. The new movie forgoes all of that for a new trick using the mirror to show how smart she is. Another example is after Triton destroys Ariel’s stuff. In the original, just for a second, you could see a tinge of regret in his face. Javier Bardem’s Triton doesn’t have a moment like that, which paints him as more stoic and unfeeling. My final example is during the shipwreck scene. In the original, Eric is already on the lifeboat, but abandons his safety to save his dog. In this remake, it’s less heroic because he saves the dog while still on the boat and then tumbles out. In fact, I don’t know why they took away Eric’s heroic moments twice. The original movie had Eric be the one to land the killing blow on Ursula. In this movie, it’s Ariel, but it looks totally wonky because she’s flopping on the deck of the ship. This movie makes a ton of these revisions that didn’t need to be made. They add an extra stipulation to the deal between Ursula and Ariel. Ariel basically forgets about having to get a kiss from Eric, but it really doesn’t change the story in a significant way. I found out this was done to try and make Ariel seem less predatory, but I thought it wasn’t really a big deal since she never came off as predatory in the original. The remake also adds three new songs and I hate every single one of them. Prince Eric has a generic song that failed to make me feel anything. Ariel gets a song immediately after her voice was taken away that takes place in her head, but I felt like it minimized the severity of her choice. I think everyone unanimously agrees that Scuttle’s new rap song was just horrible. I was shocked to find out that Lin Manuel Miranda wrote that song because it was atrocious. I never thought I’d see the day when I found one of his songs to be not just okay, but straight-up bad. The rest of my complaints have to do with how much the switch to live-action neutered the movie. Sebastian and Flounder aren’t expressive at all, which was jarring since their voice actors were actually very good. The underwater scenes all looked really bad to me too. It was reminiscent of those screensavers from my childhood of those badly rendered fish on the sea floor. I’m sure a lot of money went into them, but they just looked uncanny and unfinished. I think the only good change in this movie was making Prince Eric a collector like Ariel. It’s a pretty creative change that adds to his character while also making his connection with Ariel stronger. Still, if you ask me, this remake was not justified.

★★

Watched on May 30th, 2023

#The Little Mermaid #May #2023 #Romance #Musical #Fantasy #Adventure #Children's #Drama #Family #PG #Rob Marshall #May 2023 #2 stars

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randomly-a-fan · 2 years

Text

Month 5 Pt. 1 (wedding burner)

Warning: Cussing (by Freddy mostly), and bathroom content

[half month before wedding/also before MJ's foreshadowing nightmare.]

Papawise was alone with Kandy for the day while The Grays were out doing their business. Kandy was having her nap, so Papawise decided to invite a longtime friend of his. “Welcome Freddy, please, seat yourself.’ Papawise greeted.

Freddy Krueger came over to visit, just to spend some quality time with his crazy friend; obviously, Pennywise and Aquarius would never allow Papawise to hang out with Freddy Krueger, not since after what he nearly did to their one and only son. [1-2- 3 Freddy’s Coming for Archie] But since they never knew that him and Freddy were best friends, him and Freddy only see each other when no one is at home, or whenever Papawise visits Springwood, or anywhere on Elm Street. The truth is that Papawise never knew what Freddy did to his grand-clown-son; however, the truth will be foretold later.

The two old trouble makers were just enjoying some spicy Slim Jims (which is actually made from a kid who is named Jim and is all slim), until Freddy asks Papawise a question. “So uh, where is everybody?” Freddy asked. “Well, Archie is at school, and Pennywise is out on his hunt, while Aquarius goes out to find a dress for her maid-of-honor role.” Papawise answered. “I see... Who’s getting hitched then fucked on their honeymoon?” Freddy asked while taking a bite off his Slim Jim. “You didn’t hear? MJ and Jason--” Freddy choked and coughed after hearing who was getting married. Papawise was laughing foolheartedly to Freddy’s reaction. “What’s the matter? you looked like you were choking on some guy’s di--” “--did you just say ‘MJ AND Jason?!” Freddy asked while taking some deep breaths. “Wow... You must be really into Jason’s women to be this jealous.” Papawise assumed. “ME, jealous? I don’t even like MJ, she’s a bitch and a slut. I’d scratch her eyes out and then shred her into bits the minute I lay my eyes on her!” Freddy exclaimed while slouching and crossing his arms.

Kandy was crawling towards the living room where Papawise and some bacon man in a fedora was in; Kandy is a very smart demon baby than anybody would think. “Well that will surely kill Jason in an instant after seeing MJ in the arms of an enemy.” Papawise brought up as he was about to light up a cigarette. “What... The Undead... Jason?” Freddy’s eyes were wide open to what he just heard. “Well, sure; Jason thinks of MJ as his angel from above; since his mother’s death, he was always enraged... Until he laid eyes on that autistic creature; it was love in first site... For Jason anyway... He’d protect her with all his worth, that’s what keeps him strong and alive...” Papawise brought up. “Otherwise... he’s not worth living if something happens to MJ...” Freddy said, just to keep his mind straight. Papawise nodded ‘yes’ as his answer.

That gave Freddy a devilish grin; he knew how to take care of Jason, once in for all. “Hey Paps, lit me a ‘lung-hair growth formula’ if you please...” Freddy requested. Kandy in the corner immediately knew that something drastic is going to happen, but she doesn’t understand the full information, since she’s still a baby.

Papawise senses Kandy’s presence, so he greets her. “Here’s my little grand-clown -daughter! Come to Papawise Bucky!” Papawise said with enthusiasm while getting down, opening his arms for her. Kandy didn’t budge, her lips quivered while looking over at Freddy staring down at her with a mischievous grin. Kandy tumbled backwards while speed crawling towards her room. “Huh, Kandy hasn’t acted this off before.” Papawise said concernedly. “Maybe it was your ugly face that scared her off.” Freddy chuckled. Papawise stared back with a growling sound. “Uh... Hey check out that bird over there!” Freddy said while pointing towards the window. “I think you better go... I’m sensing Aquarius returning home.” Papawise said with an unamused grin. Freddy grabbed another Slim Jim and heads out the back door.

Papawise entered Kandy’s nursery and took a peek. He saw that Kandy crawled back into her playpen. “If you’ve heard what my friend Freddy was saying about this whole ‘finishing Jason’ thing, you got nothing to be scared of; Freddy has been a jokester for as long as I can remember, you don’t have to be afraid of him.” Kandy raised an eyebrow like as if she thinks that Papawise was being dumb.

***

It was a night before the wedding, and MJ was out on the porch on her porch swing. She couldn’t get to sleep, since she was too excited to sleep. Then she heard footsteps coming towards her, seeing that it was her husband-to-be-again, Jason. “Hi sweetie... I know you want me to go to sleep, but I’m just soo excited, we’re getting married tomorrow and...” MJ took a couple of breaths as she was running out of breath from over-stimulating. Jason laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her before sitting next to her. He too was excited; he gets to relive his life and forget about the tragic past that him and his family endured.

Jason was out of his thoughts as he felt MJ snuggling against him. “Aren’t the stars beautiful, Jay? Where I lived, there aren’t many stars in the skies, due to too much light... Yes... I really do love living out here... With the man I love, even if he’s an undead being.” MJ admits. Jason teared up to her words, he knew that by tomorrow evening, they will be a true married couple; not only that, he can actually feel accepted by the holy gods, even though he’s been living with a dark ambition that causes peoples’ life. As long as he has his family, and his friends, he’s got no reason to go on a killing rampage... Unless it’s necessary. At long last, MJ has finally fell asleep in his arms, so he gently carried her bridal-style into the cabin and into their bedroom.

***

As the hours passed, Jason woke up after hearing the front door opening, he peeked out the window and was surprised to see who was outside. “Malon? what is she doing out there in the middle of the night?” Jason’s mind asked. So he put on his pants and his jacket and came out with his hockey mask and his machete, and then followed his daughter.

Malon was heading towards Jason’s old underground hideout; he didn’t understand why Malon would want to go down there; the only time him and his family go there is whenever there’s a hurricane or a twister heading towards their path. Jason went down and followed Malon to the end of the path. Jason was going to ask Malon what she was doing with a head-tilt, until Malon turned around with burning eyes and injected him with Midazolam. [Just like in the ‘Freddy vs Jason’ movie clip]. Just before Jason blackened out, he saw the thing that was supposed to be Malon, but turns out it was Jason in disguise. “There’s no happy ending for this hockey-masked-face-fuck...” Freddy chuckled.

Jason tried to fight it out, but it was no use, Freddy added something into the injector for his undead body to weaken to its spot. “Nighty night, Jason... And don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your wife...” Freddy laughed as he left.

***

When the sun shines through the window on MJ, she received an excited screech. “It’s wedding day!” MJ smiled before she woke up after hearing Malon’s excitement. “It’s wedding day!” Malon said as she ran in jumped onto the bed. “Morning sweetie.” MJ greeted before she opened her arms to hug her daughter. Malon snuggled next to her mom after receiving the kiss. “Where’s daddy?” Malon asked, realizing that her dad isn’t in bed with her mom. “I’m sure he just got up to do his perimeter check; actually, we both thought of not seeing each other until the wedding, that way we can see each other in our outfits.” MJ explained. “I can still see daddy, right?” Malon asked. MJ hugged her daughter again before answering. “You can still see him, it’s me who can’t see your daddy; saying that it’s bad luck for the soon-to-be husband to see their soon-to-be wife in a dress before the ceremony.” MJ explained.

After a brief discussion, MJ was making her and Malon some breakfast for the big day, and placed a Tupperware dish for Jason. After Malon was finished eating and cleaning herself up, she took the dish to give to her dad when she sees him. “While you and your dad practice for this afternoon, I’ll get myself ready for the wedding.” MJ explained. “Aquarius is going to help you with your hairdo later today. She also has the flowers for those who are part of the wedding.” MJ added. Malon nodded as she understood, so she went out to look for her dad.

***

Meanwhile, Freddy was having trouble disguising himself as Jason completely. “Damn, what the hell has his mother been smoking while being pregnant... If anyone sees me too different, I’m done... Guess I’ll have to wear his mask...” When Freddy puts on the mask, he regretted for not washing the inside of the mask. “EWW, I didn’t know that Jason even had snots, ah, fuck you, bitch!” Freddy cussed.

After Freddy got out from Jason’s old underground hideout in disguise, he was heading towards MJ’s cabin with Jason’s machete to finish her. That is until he heard a little redhead running towards him. “Daddy! Daddy, there you are!” Malon ran as she was hugging her ‘dad’. “Damn it, I forgot about that little redhead...” Freddy thought in his head; since obviously Jason couldn’t talk, so he knew if he have spoken, the jig is up. “Here’s your breakfast, mom made you your favorite.” Malon said as she gave him a container with a sandwich made of peanut butter and mushed bananas. Apparently, Freddy himself is allergic to bananas, they make him gassy than itchy. “Well... aren’t you going to eat? it’ll be a while before lunch.” Malon informed, as she was waiting for her ‘dad’ to eat his sandwich.

Freddy did not want to eat it and past gas, but if it will shut her up, he had to eat the sandwich. “I’m really going to regret this one day...” Freddy moaned in his head. So he turned around with his back on Malon, so she doesn’t see his face. He chewed on the sandwich, but he didn’t swallow, and what’s worse is that Malon can tell. “Alright daddy, now swallow... swallow...” Malon ordered as she crossed her arms and tapped her foot. Freddy rolled his eyes before swallowing it. “Good boy...” Malon said as she gave her ‘dad’s’ tummy a pat.

After Malon stopped, Freddy was walking over to MJ’s cabin to take her out. “Hey dad, where are you going? you’re not allowed to see mommy until the wedding; you and mom discussed over this the other day.” Malon reminded. “Stupid little slut... I’ll have to kill her when nobody is around...” Freddy said to himself in his mind.

***

Just then, the Grays came in their outfits. Malon was amazed by Star’s dress; even though is simple, but she can understand why.

Aquarius didn’t want to wear anything too fancy, since she might stand out and not the bride, so she have selected a short baby blue-dress for herself. “I love your dress Star, it’s so pretty.” Malon complimented. Aquarius squatted down to Malon’s height to give her a light kiss by the cheek. “Thank you sweetie, but I don’t think my dress can compete with yours, it’s so adorable on you.” Aquarius complimented back. Malon hugged Aquarius before she got back up.

Aquarius noticed Jason in his retro outfit, which was a bit of a shock to her. “Hey Jason... Just got back from your perimeter check, I assume.” Aquarius said. Freddy didn’t say anything, he just stands there blank. Aquarius shrugs it off after hearing Malon complimenting Archie’s outfit and hair, and trying her hardest not to laugh at Pennywise’s hairdo; being down and shiny by the hair gel that Aquarius made him use.

“Yes, so Malon, I happen to have brought the flowers for us, since we’re part of the wedding; the boys will be wearing purple boutonnieres, and you Malon will be wearing a flower crown, since you’re the flower girl.” Aquarius said with an excited grin on her face.

Malon squealed with excitement, which causes Freddy to cuss in his mind while covering his ears. Pennywise knew that something was off with ‘Jason,’ he never reacts to his daughter’s annoying reaction in his life, or even cuss in his head because of his daughter. He was going to say something until he heard his wife spoke. “Okay, we only have five hours before the wedding, so let’s walk over to the venue and start the rehearsal.” Aquarius called out. Then she turned to Jason. “Alright Jason, come on, we have to get you ready.” Aquarius called Jason over.

***

Freddy knew that if he dares try to go over to MJ’s place, then Malon and the Grays will get suspicious, especially Pennywise; he can sense that Pennywise is sensing something off about ‘Jason’. So he had no choice but to follow.

Over at the venue, Aquarius was training Archie and Malon to go down the aisle with Archie holding the pillow with the ring (that Aquarius lets him borrow for the rehearsal), with Malon practicing throwing the flower petals, but not actually throwing them during practice; “We’re just pretending to throw the flower petals, Malon. The main key is ‘proper pacing’...” While Aquarius explains about the task to the kids. Freddy is standing in the spot where the groom needed to be, with Pennywise on his back. “So... Jason, you seem to be ‘under the weather’, why is that? could you be ‘hiding something’ that I’m not fully aware of?” Pennywise asked in a cheeky accent. Freddy knew that Pennywise was acting suspicious, so he needed a way to get rid of ‘the clown’. However, as Freddy tries to ignore the clown, he felt his stomach, the bananas are going right through him, so he ran as fast as he could, but his disguise were so heavy that he can’t run as quick.

Aquarius noticed Jason ‘running?’... So she turned to Pennywise. “Honey, what’s going on with Jason?” Aquarius asked. “I’ll go and see what’s going on with him.” Pennywise answered before he walked off to catch up with ‘Jason’. Freddy ran to the nearest cabin, which is MJ’s parent’s summer cabin, he didn’t care if someone owns it, he really needed to go number 3.

***

[obviously we’re passing the bathroom content]

Freddy was just sitting... in the bathroom until he heard a knock on the bathroom door. Pennywise was standing by the door to check on his ‘friend’. “Hey Jason, are you taking a sh--” “SHUT UP CLOWN... Uh... I’m concentrating...” Freddy cut off before Pennywise had a chance to say the punchline. What is worse is that he nearly blew his cover after snapping at him. “Oh shit, is that how Jason talks back at his carny friend?” Freddy asked himself in his thoughts; obviously forgotten that Pennywise was standing outside. “I’ve heard every shit about what you’re saying, pun intended; I know something crappy is going on with you, and I’m going to get to the bottom of this, rather you like it or not.” Pennywise said while being smart about it.

It was all quiet for a few minutes until Pennywise decided to turn around to get back to his family, until he spotted Freddy right in his face. “You think you have startled me, well you’re wrong because I did the exact same thing with Bevvy a long time ago...” Pennywise clarified, even though deep inside he has every right to be concerned. Freddy just chuckles. “I’ll bet you weren’t aware of this...” Freddy belched in Pennywise’s face and causes the smoke of banana and peanut butter scented teleportation to the dream realm. That’s when Pennywise disappeared without a clue on where he could be.

To Be Continued

#Friday the 13th #Jason Voorhees #IT #IT Chapter 2 #Pennywise #Pennywise the Dancing Clown #A Nightmare on Elm Street #Freddy Krueger #Fandom #MJ #Malon #Aquarius #Aquarius the Singing Clown #Archie #Kandy #Papawise

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asheanon · 2 years

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"🌈☀️🌵 for Sal and Nat~"

— Some more OC Q&A from another side of the internet... Where I didn't feel like fighting with text limitations!

(As a fair warning, this one is long. Brace yourself for the text bomb before opening, if you wish to open it!)

🌈- What does this oc like and dislike about themselves?

— For Sal

What she likes about herself: Her curiosity and open mindedness. And she loves whenever it infects others too, haha! So much like her father, really. Sal believes in having a healthy sense of wonder about life and the universe. It's something that has led her to have so many splendid experiences in her time. Yes, even despite the "curiosity killed the cat" logic! Sorry, Chaku!

What she doesn't like about herself: Her tendency to overthink, for one. (Which is a mood, amirite?) But also: how dangerous she can be if she ever loses control of herself. Sal is a rather emotional creature who does her best to keep her cool (literally) for the safety of others; she's gotten quite good at it over the years, but she'll definitely still slip up from time to time. It both frustrates and scares her, whenever it happens. Along the same vein, there's a dissonance to having respect for the natural chaos of the cosmos, yet being unable to accept her own inner chaos, so to speak. She'll feel it from time to time, that metaphorical cage she places around herself as an Ethereal to keep others safe. While being a rather selfless character, deep down, she still has enough of a sense of self that she feels trapped by it on occasion. — For Nat

What she likes about herself: Her looks and her tenacity. If anything, she digs her own aesthetic! She'll always be her own biggest fan when it comes to looks, even when met with someone who may not dig it! Her determination is a quality that was realized the hard way time and time again (as it often is.) It keeps pushing her forward, even at her lowest lows. She may be a hot mess, for the most part, but she's a determined hot mess! Haha!

What she doesn't like about herself: A lot. A whole lot, to be frank. Like, whatever doesn't make the likes list could probably be found here. This is a rough question for her. Nat is definitely one of those characters whose ego was built almost solely upon masking insecurity. A bit of a Joker character, I suppose (or Harley Quinn, a source of character inspiration for her!) A lot of things she can't help about who she is, she coexists with and leans into in an unhealthy way. Her dark sense of humor stems from dark thoughts that often have a shade of honesty to them. 🖤

☀️- Does this oc make good or bad first impressions?

— For Sal

Bit of a mixed bag, I'd say! I mean, you have a bit of that quiet, mysterious beauty thing going on with her (which is good, in my book) but that can totally be offset by her inquisitive side (the "playfully bizarre" part mentioned in her bio) or one of those good ol' goofy entrances that happen from time to time, given the whole cosmic wayfaring business! Heck, she has a goofy entrance in this little FFIX fanfic when it comes to meeting the trio. There's not much lovely mystique can do for you the moment you come tumbling out of a wall mirror and level someone - and their table. Sadly. 😆 — For Nat

Bad. Mostly bad, yeah... hahaha! Because she either comes off too strong or too wild. She flirts with almost anything that moves and it can be hard to withhold the cringe reflex when watching her (and writing for her) at times. I think the only time she manages the closest thing to clean cut behavior/good enough first impressions is whenever she's in the shop; she has developed a business face that works well enough. Good business etiquette is good, sure, but most of why she she's like that with business totally reveals how much respect she had for her father. She's just doing her best to make those good impressions for the Iswere name. Actually putting her heart into something vs. not.

🌵- How does this oc feel about physical affection?

— For Sal

Overall, I'd say she's okay with it. Definitely depends on the situation and the character(s) involved. The usual Ethereal concerns aside, more often than not, Sal is either accepting (with friends) or otherwise very tolerant (with not friends) of physical affection as a receiver - platonically speaking! However, as a giver, she herself isn't really the type to dole it out all that much. She has to be approached first, for which she may reciprocate. Even in closer relationships (be it platonic, romantic, sexual, etc.) it can be hard for Sal to be the one to approach and physically dote on other characters involved. Takes a long time for her to feel comfortable enough to, despite her often being fine with them doting on her. Chaku is like, the only creature she'll approach with physical affection while feeling perfectly comfortable with it. 💙 Though, it may be worth mentioning that she will express such affections to a friend if they're grieving, or she feels the need to be protective of them! That maternal nature can kick in pretty hard from time to time. It can override the usual hesitation. — For Nat

Loves it. Thrives off of it, even! Nat is a creature who requires physical touch to survive, in my mind. Platonic, sexual, you name it. Obviously, even some forms of what some may consider to be, well, physical harm can totally fall into the "physical affection" category for Nat too, but we won't get carried away with the typical masochistic Nat naughties today. Hahaha! Sven, her Familiar pal, can be such a comfort to have around for something as simple as a little cuddle or snuggle. He's not really a pet, but he certainly is like an emotional support animal to her! There is a sincerity to the more platonic side of affection for Nat too, admittedly; something she may not even realize about herself. I honestly think she craves platonic physical affection more than anything sexual, at times. Just because making good friends is often much harder for her to do than sleeping with people. The whole "keep it casual" thing is likely derived from these struggles and has just left her with the impression that she's better off with "casual." This doesn't stop her from dreaming about that "little something more" if it could work out, though! 🤔

#that's a good question ❔#Nat 🐍🖤#Sal 🌌🎹#It's thesis writing time #I hope you enjoy the thesis #also sorry #it might be fifty percent rambling #but that's okay #we're both good at rambling hahaha!

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aroacekinkdiary · 7 months

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Game Review 2: Meeting in the Flesh

4.5/5 (I dislike one character)

MitF is straightforward text adventure, with basically no combat, movement, or sex you can interact with. It is, by all accounts, a choose-your-own-adventure. And any CYOA fan can tell you to not count them out. MitF is about the best you can hope for from this genre, and only has a lower rating for personal preference and it's dubious game-hood.

Part 1: the premise and setting.

I adore the setting of this game, full fat no mixer, it's genius. It's set in a fleshy landscape filled to the brim with uncertain ground, acidic pustules, and wide salt fields to dry the groundsweat in. The people who call this place home as closer to the description of a creature than anything else, but have a love and genuine comfort for their home. As alien as the shapes and sights, the game reminds you there are people in all the ways that really matter.

They have holidays and customs, dietary restrictions and cultural cuisine, in groups, out groups, discrimination, farming, home decor, delivery services, lust for adventure, love of family, the list goes on and on. These are people. Sure, they kill criminals by bleeding them into a vat of salt to flavor it. Sure they subsist on literally nothing but salt. Sure they are twisted and have a few extra, fewer, or altered limbs and body structure. As alien as the environment, the feeling that struck me the most was how frequently this place did feel like their home, even in the parts the narrator consider boring.

Speaking of, the game is narrated from the perspective of our main character, a salt deliveryperson of unspecified gender or sex (not that it is even guaranteed to be adjacent to how humans tend to do it) who makes their living by using their unique build to sprint to and fro about the city. This is how you manage your time in the game, you decide what events you have time for based on who you engage with in-between your deliveries, since you only have the time to talk to one of the eligible bachelors each day.

The character feels as though they have a history, a story, and what strikes me is their need for that same comfort. They need a home to truly place their heart (or equivalent) in. The usual bad ending of the game is just, returning to your apartment. Alone. The room feels darker, and the night feels colder, and the contrast between your space and the revelry outside crushes your confidence. You sleep fitfully. It gives a sort of context of stakes that really makes them vulnerable. On the topic of writing...

Part 2: the quality of characterization

I am a person who likes to read aloud the events of my text based games. I find the voice acting to be engaging and fun, and it gets me more into the headspace of the characters. This is all to mention that at no point in the game did I grow confused as to who Is talking to who.

The character writing gives a unique writing style to each character that almost always tells you a lot about how they interact with the world. The protag's manager is rough and tumble but caring, the old man they deliver to seems amenable but quietly lonely, the people in the street are excited by the execution and lap their lips at the idea of the blood spilling on the cobblestones.

Each of the bachelors expresses themselves uniquely, whether cautious and reserved, calculating and intelligent, or wild and impulsive, they all have a unique style of speech that carries through in every word they say.

Okay so the text game is very good, but that's not what these reviews are about. I'm not here to give you something objective, I'm here to provide my opinion. So the most important question is, are the bachelors sexy and how good is the bone?

Part 3: Horny

To preface, the game has a SFW mode, where it doesn't get too explicit. Don't use it.

The writing of these bachelors is great 2/3rds of the time, not because it's on and off, but because I adored two of the bachelors and thought the last one was the coward pick for the uninitiated, and didn't like his character. The other two? Oh yeah.

First, the problem child. Brattan. B is a big, buff wolfman with an adventurous spirit and athletic bent. You'd think I'd love him, but I find him so irresponsible and abrasive. Routinely he drags your character beyond their comfort zone, assuming you don't play to be just as of not more reckless than he is, seems to genuinely not engage in empathetic thought, and overall has this 'jock wannabe' vibe that's just sort of uncomfortable. Plus, his ending centers around finding a portal to earth and becoming a strange, flimsy, hairless ape that has to pay taxes. And like, I get nothing out of those scenes, unironically. He was Beast, why would I want prince Adam's scrawny cousin. D tier bachelor.

Second is Yiestol, a lithe (almost effeminately designed) insectoid man. He works as the sole individual who watches over the citywide security system, and has a hardworking, if calculating, earnestness for his job. He wants to help people, protect people, he's not sure if he has the right perspective to help this place the best, so a lot of his conversations are long discussions about his beliefs. His story focuses around how he struggles with intuitive moral decisions (girl same) and how the protagonist's perspective could balance his calculation with kindness. He makes sure, double sure, triple sure, that you want to be his partner, that you know what it entails, and what you'd be getting into. When it ends, you climb into the security system together and he engages in something between sex and absorption, as he proceeds to melt with you into a collective goop like a butterfly getting rearranged in a cocoon. I'm not usually one for Vore but WOW this scene hits hard. It frames it as becoming one in body and soul, and in the end, you live on within him, and he within you, with his final design having four arms and a heart design on the chest. Extremely good, A tier Bachelor.

Finally. My sweet, my darling Nyargh. I have never claimed to be objective or even handed, he is my favorite. A mass of tendrils and mouths hovers and bobs like a balloon, slithering red mass shifts and undulates to mimic traditional speech. Speaking is hard for Nyargh, and coupled with his cagey and brusque demeanor, he would surely have no visitors if he didn't run the only honey store in town. The rarest of all, the third food beyond blood and salt is honey, and he makes a pretty penny by protecting and rearing fat, cat-sized bumblebees. Nyargh is unfriendly to most, and respects those who can respect his taciturn nature. Throughout his route he asks many questions of the player, and rather than the reckless or well considered answers of the last two, he prefers the voice of respect and kindness above all. Eventually, you help him at his shop enough that he trusts you enough to invite you into his private sanctum. A lushly furnished and comfortable space, the smell of the setting-equivalent cookies in the oven, and even rare and precious tea is served to you to repay you for your time. Nyargh reveals that he is not unfriendly, he is simply a very private man. His romance path is one of tenderness and kind gestures, gifts, treats, and smiles spent in quiet quality time. Eventually, it comes to a head when you learn the reason he is so secretive. His kind do not eat much salt, they thrive primarily on the pheromones of others. Specifically, Nyargh feeds off of happiness. He sells honey because people feel happy when they buy it, or buy it for a celebration or payday. If they knew he was feeding off them, he'd be ostracized or even killed. When the protagonist accepts him for who he is and truly believes his gestures of kindness to be honest, the result is the most tender scene of tentacle fondling and mutual body exploration i've maybe ever read. Though he has trouble with communication, I was glad to see him always asking for permission at every step. Consent is sexy as fuck, guys, and I'm not exaggerating on that.

Closing thoughts

I adore this title. It's writing is so natural that I was able to do Y and N's routes first try by literally just being honest with them. Would have preferred a route to tame B's wild side, but you need to give the people with mid taste something to eat I guess.

Quintuple S-tier on the visualnovel scale

Solid A for Games in general, and I don't mean that lightly.

#kinkdiary #game review

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