Puts the L in LGBTQ

Master list PT. II (Junker Queen, Mizu, Karlach, Vi, Olivia, and Star and Stripe)

Requests: Open

Mira🍜:

Secret Life

7 Minutes Is All I Need

Doe Eyes

Pretty

Rumi🐯:

My Tiger

Tiger Cub

My Tiger 1.5

Red String for Souls

My Love Now

I Love You

Chloe🦋:

Right on Time

Date

Icy Start

Care of You

Pride PT. I

Max𖦹:

Yours

Rest

Pride PT. II

Smash or Pass

Sciel✨:

Always With You

Another World

Not You

Training Scars

Abby🔨:

Fall For You Again

Lose You

Ride or Die

Inked

Proud

Soft Whispers

Story:

Only Us

Fade🐈:

The Turkish Nightmare

Beautiful Girl

Done To Us

Look At Me

Done To Us PT. II

All Of Me

Mistletoe

Story:

Into You

Lara Croft⛏️:

R&R

Wrath

Holiday Surprise

New Year's Kiss

Eivor🐺:

The Wolf Kissed the Stars

Soreness

Dis Dane

Battleworn

Other:

Serenity (Minthara from BG3)

To Be Loved (Nemesis from Hades II)

Scars (Venture from OW2)

Nickname (Venture from OW2)

Don't Forget Me (Shadowheart from BG3)

Warm Embrace (Shadowheart from BG3)

Angelic (Angela from Marvel/Marvel Rivals)

Heven (Angela from Marvel/Marvel Rivals)

Prey To None (Angela from Marvel/Marvel Rivals)

Way of the Soul (Absolute Wonder Woman)

Diana, my love, it was about time I made some headcanons of my favorite iteration of Wonder Woman. I love this absolute softy with a heart of pure gold and kindness, but can and will take on a God/Goddess if given the opportunity. And if you piss her off enough. (Hades.) There will be SFW and NSFW and they will be separated. SFW first, of course. And these are written with a female reader in mind.

SFW

--as mentioned before, she is such a softy when it comes to you, like tooth rotting fluff

--literal definition of would not hurt a fly, because she would not

--if you find like any sort of bug, insect, or arachnid in the house, Diana can not only talk to it (I believe), but will take it outside (except for spiders. She will relocate them in the house/apartment to where you won't find it for a while)

--animals love her, like absolutely love her, and she loves them

--if she's spending a lot of time with animals, and Pegasus is around, Pegasus will get jealous and stamp around until Diana calms him

--would definitely take you out on Pegasus for the first date kind of transportation, here's how it would play out

"Where's your ride?"

Diana whistles and Pegasus flies down into view.

"This is my ride."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"I'd rather walk."

--she convinces you that Pegasus is safe and if anything happens, she's there to save you

--in which you proceeded to literally be in Diana's arms while flying as that was the only way you'd feel safe (for the first time of course)

--other times if you wanted to, you'd still be in Diana's arms

--speaking of being in her arms: certified and verified best hugger ever

--those arms of hers, yeah she can choke out a Chimera with one tight squeeze, but is so comforting when she hugs and cuddles you

--she loves holding you close to her in any position (wink wink)

--she loves it when you sit on her lap while you two are just lounging about and your face is tucked into the crook of her neck

--also loves to hug you from behind if you're doing something, but with her being 7 foot tall, she has to lean down a bit to place her head on yours

--she will pick you up every time to kiss you

--if she sees you try to stand on your tiptoes, she will just scoop you in her arms and kiss you

--loves it when you play with her hair and give her different styles (especially braids)

--and when I mean play, I do mean like running your hand through her hair when you're cuddling, petting it, but also being silly with her hair

--like giving yourself a long moustache or beard (will also love it if you give her one as well. She'll just absolutely melt when you're silly around her and you bring her into the mix)

--is also the kind of person to slow dance in the kitchen and if you own like a ranch, she will slow dance with you in a field under the moonlight

--I feel like in private she'd call you her moon or her stars, or even her sky (Idk why, but I think her associating constellations to you is something unique that only she'd do)

--but if you two are in public, she'd call you love and darling

--very overprotective, but not in a way where you can't be independent from her

--like if you go out alone with friends, she'll just ask to text her when you get there and when you're coming home, she doesn't expect you to give her constant updates

--and of course if there is anything that goes wrong, she's there to help out

--I can see her sleeping very hot, so if you're a person who is typically cold all the time, you have your own personal heater and she has her own personal AC unit

--like she'd be sprawled out on the bed, starfish style, and you're laying on top of her cooling her off while you steal her warmth

--is fascinated with the height/size difference

--like her hand swallows yours and if she carries you, she's basically enveloping you in her body

--is definitely not the jealous type, not the stereotypical jealous type like I've written for other characters like JQ

--but if someone is being pushy with you, she will step in

--and she won't have to do much with how intimidating she can become

--I can see it playing out like so:

Diana walks over to the person, her hands in fists as they rest on her hips, her one eyebrow is raised and she has a stern look in her eyes. The person folds immediately and backs off. If they don't, well, they're going to learn a lesson from Wonder Woman herself.

--loves to kiss every inch of your skin and if you're insecure about your body image, she is the queen of reassurance; she will just show those spots even more love (will get more into this in the NSFW section)

--I feel like she's also a handsy person (not in that way just yet)

--like you two are together in the house/apartment and if you're near one another, her hand is on your body somewhere that is ok

--like on your shoulder, your hand, thigh, or even an arm wrapped around your waist, holding you close

--always the big spoon unless she wants to be the little spoon

--it feels like she's protecting you with how big of a woman she is

--she will have those vulnerable moments where she will let you be the big spoon, but that's if she's especially had a rough time

--loves to cook and bake, but is better at baking than cooking

--will make you special baked goods if you're having a rough week or if your birthday is coming up

--and they always taste amazing, you don't know how she does it because when she tries to show you, it doesn't come out like how she's done it

--she tells you that she puts all her love in it and it shows

NSFW

--if there was a competition when it comes to aftercare and how well they do it, Diana would win every. single. time

--she does not joke around when it comes to being intimate, the safety precautions (even though there are not many dangers with the two of you), but she still goes the extra mile to make sure you two are still practicing safe sex

--and is the queen of aftercare as well

--she'll get a bath or shower ready for the two of you and will help clean you off

--will get you water and just overall make sure you are comfortable and taken care of after being intimate

--I feel like her libido is kind of low and doesn't really happen often (borderline demisexual)

--but whenever she has to go to Hell for a month out of the entire year, whenever she comes back, she's all over you

--that's the only time where she will actively want to be intimate with you, because she's missed you so much

--she will leave behind a piece of her clothing for you whenever she does leave

--or at least have her smell on a piece of your clothing so if you do miss her that much and want to ya know, you have something there that will remind you of her

--however, she does not partake in the act of touching herself when she is in Hell (I don't see her as the kind of person to do it in general)

--she has different sizes of straps that tends to your needs

--she also 1000% puts your pleasure first before hers every. single. time, no ifs, and or buts about it

--that is whenever she is taking charge, when you do, she's in the palm of your hand

--vanilla if she's initiating, but will be up to try whatever you're into if you are into that kind of stuff

--but will not do extreme stuff and anything unsanitary

--the only time she will do like some "bondage" is holding your wrists above your head in her hand (because we know damn well she can hold both of your wrists without issue) and some light pinning

--if there is such a thing as a super fucking soft dom that has no room to be a hard dom at all, that's Diana

--sex with her takes hours, not because you're doing round after round (if you have the stamina, you know she will because that woman would have stamina for days)

--but it's because she is just admiring you, making you feel loved, making you feel comfortable

--basically is worshipping you and you eat it up

--but that doesn't mean you can like dictate her around, she won't budge on a few things, such as taking her sweet old time kissing every inch of your skin

--she will go from your fingertips, to your forehead, down to your chest, stomach, and thighs

--she won't go any lower than the thighs, maybe back where the knee bends, but that's if your legs are over her shoulders

--would be very shy the first time being intimate

--like she'd be super fucking awkward when it comes to foreplay and just kind of setting the mood, so most of the time you'd have to start and then she'd take over

--best kisser in the entire universe, no I will not be answering questions on how she would get the experience

--the same goes with being the best at giving head, especially if she uses her fingers (you'd be a mess in the palm of her hand)

--and might as well lump in knowing how to use a strap and is the best at it

--first time using it, she was painfully slow, but after a while of grinding and reassuring her everything was going to be fine, she started to go just a bit faster

--she's afraid to hurt you in any way shape or form and it's easy for her to lose control if she's not in the right headspace

--meaning if she's too absorbed in the moment, she might lose control of her strength and end up breaking the bed and hurting you to where you can't walk in the morning (without the intention of doing it)

--so she always is talking during intimacy either through whispering how good you're doing, how well you're taking her (it helps ground her and keep focused)

--or just overall just telling you how much she loves you, adores you, all that mushy stuff

--might crack a joke here and there, so she's not too serious about intimacy

--and her eyes says it all during these moments with her

--it can be overwhelming to the point where you can just see how much she truly loves you and wants to spend this sacred moment with you

--on the off occasion that you are leading, she's very vocal and I mean VERY vocal

--to the point where if you two are living in an apartment together, you get some noise complaints the next day so you sometimes have those moments in Diana's fortress

--she's not afraid of getting hurt because she knows she can handle it

--but you don't go full on pounding in and out of her, she still has some limits

--she's also a big tease

--she will get you all hot and bothered and act like she's all innocent and will smile at you like she is innocent (I swear those big blue eyes of hers are going to be the death of me one day)

--and how she'll do it is she'll do it in public

--like if you're on a date night together and you're sitting next to one another, she'll run her hand along your inner thigh, squeeze it a bit, you know, that kind of stuff

--she might even get a little flirty with you, calling you pretty, making you look her in the eyes when she catches you staring at her chest

--can and will edge you, she has no shame in that

--whenever she is kissing along your body there are a few main areas she always goes to

--being your neck, stomach, and inner thighs; she loves marking those areas and sometimes your shoulders

--will do anything and everything to kiss your back

--now as for her, she loves it especially if you kiss her biceps, neck, abs, and maybe her V-line if you're feeling adventurous (and if you're into that)

--will melt if you kiss/boop her nose

--will always want to look at you during intimacy (can be any position)

--I think her favorites would be of course the normal position, cowgirl, reverse cowgirl, you on your knees, and if you are doing cowgirl, she doesn't mind if you lay down on top of her

Supergirl x Fem! Reader CW: N/A WC: 1.2k+

"What do you miss most about Krypton?" I asked Kara as I sat behind her.

My arm was wrapped around her shoulders, kind of hanging a little lower towards her chest as my other arm was wrapped underneath her arm, my hands interlocking together as I held Kara closely to me. She was still in her suit, so she had just wrapped up something important. We were sitting on the roof to the apartment building. Well, I was. Kara was just floating in midair.

"Other than my people, my family, and everything about it, there was this one tree that sat outside my house. I miss that most of all."

I smiled and rested my head on Kara's shoulder.

"I find many trees here that remind me of it, but nothing could ever replace that tree."

"Considering it was on Krypton, yeah, you're not going to find a tree exactly like it."

"I can see it in full detail," she lifted her hand into the air. "How it swayed in the wind and the way the leaves rustled."

I smiled, imagining it as she described it to me.

"I miss so much of Krypton," she said.

"I could imagine."

"And the saddest thing is, Kal was so young when Krypton--," she stopped herself. "He was still too young to remember anything about it."

"You carry the weight of remembering everything."

"Yeah," she whispered, finally lowering her hand.

"Krypton will always be a part of you, Kara. No matter what."

"I know. That's what I don't like. That while Kal is also part of Krypton, he has no memories."

"Hey," I unlinked my arms and she turned to face me.

I reached up and placed my hands on her cheeks, caressing the skin and wiping away the tears that had fallen.

"You two are Krypton's last living inhabitants. Even if Clark doesn't have any memories, he is still part of it. You should carry that with honor."

"But what happens if we die?"

"I hope you don't plan on dying anytime soon," I smiled, causing her to smile. "Or else I'd have to find another cute, dirty blonde, super heroine to call my girlfriend."

She chuckled and pressed a quick kiss to my lips.

"I don't plan on dying."

"Good, then the memory and blood of Krypton won't either."

She pulled me into a hug, "Thank you."

"Of course, Kara. I love you," I kissed her cheek.

"Hello?"

"Is this Diana Prince?"

"This is she."

"Can you do me a favor?"

"How did you get this number?"

"A friend of yours. Superman."

"How do you know him?"

"I know his cousin. Supergirl."

"Interesting. Kal-El has only mentioned his cousin a handful of times."

"Then you probably know that Kara Zor-El, is Supergirl."

"What can I do for you?"

"Are you able to get a large amount of metal without raising suspicion?"

"Possibly. Why?"

"I want to do something for Kara."

"I'm listening."

"Kara has only told me about this tree a handful of times," I told Clark.

"Same here. She really keeps that memory mostly to herself."

"Well, I would too if that's one of the things you miss from your now destroyed home planet."

"What made you want to do this for her?"

"The anniversary of when Krypton blew up is coming soon. And it's usually around this time when I don't really see Kara that often. She drowns herself in her day to day life and her superhero work. I often don't see her a lot during this time. I understand why she does it, why she will continue to do it, but I want to give her something that reminds her of home. It may not be exactly what she remembers, but it's something closer to than what Earth could offer her."

Clark smiled at me, pulling me in for a hug.

"You really are the best thing that happened to her. Thank you, Y/N."

"I'm always going to love her. And I want to do something with it."

"You're doing the best thing you can offer her."

"So, are you two ready?" Diana came over to us.

"Yes. Also it's an honor to meet you, Wonder Woman," I shook her hand.

"Pleasure," she smiled and shook my hand. "Also, Kal, how many of us does she know?"

"Basically everyone."

"And you can trust her?"

"If Kara can trust her, then so can I."

"Good. Then let's get to work."

"Kara?" I knocked on the bathroom door.

"Give me a minute," she sounded congested.

I stepped out towards the bedroom and sat down on the bed. The door opened up and Kara walked out. A bit disheveled. It pains me to see her like this whenever this anniversary comes around. She plopped down beside me, her head resting on my shoulder.

"There's something I want to show you."

"Ok."

"We're going to have to fly to get there."

"Seriously?" she mumbled.

"Yes."

She let out a sigh, "Where to?"

"Metropolis."

"Are we seeing my cousin?"

"No."

"Then why are we going there?"

"Because the thing I want to show you is there."

She took in a deep breath and nodded.

"What about the city?"

"The city can wait for a little bit. Get your suit on."

Kara slowly got up and got her suit on. I got into something a bit nondescript. Once we were ready, we walked out onto the apartment roof and took off. Once we reached Metropolis, I gave her directions on where to go. When Kara landed, I jumped down from her arms.

"You can always carry me on your back," I said.

"I know."

"You prefer not to?"

"Nope. That just means I get to see you every time we fly. Anyway, where did you bring us?"

We stood outside of a large warehouse in the middle of no where.

"Give me one second," I looked at my watch.

A car pulled up and the door opened up when the engine cut off. Wonder Woman stepped out and greeted Kara.

"Diana," she shook Kara's hand. "It's wonderful to finally meet Kal's cousin."

"Who is this?" Kara asked.

"Wonder Woman. Did Clark not tell you about his friends?"

"I live in a different city. I don't know where any of these people would live," Kara said.

"Kal has spoken a lot about you. He's super proud of what you've accomplished."

"Wish he would tell me that himself."

"Don't worry," Diana smiled.

With that being said, Clark landed down beside Kara.

"Hey, cousin," he smiled.

"Hey," she hugged him.

"She's right. I am super proud of you. And I am super proud of your partner."

"Oh, Y/N?" Kara turned and smiled at me. "Yeah. I-I am, too."

"You're going to be more proud of her," Diana walked over to the warehouse door.

"Why?" Kara asked.

The door opened up and inside was a giant metal tree. It resembled the one she always spoke of. Kara's mouth dropped and she put both of her hands over it. Her eyes darted from the tree, to Diana, to Clark, and then finally to me. By the time she found my gaze, there were tears flowing from her eyes. Tears started to slide down my face as a huge smile formed.

I nodded at her, "That's right."

Kara walked into the warehouse and up to the tree. There were some imperfections in it since we were working off of Kara's memory, but it was a near replication of it.

"Y/N," she whispered.

"I know you tend to disappear when the anniversary comes up. So I wanted to do something for you. To help you have better thoughts about the anniversary."

Kara turned towards me and pulled me into a tight hug. It was almost bone crushing and if she could, she would.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she repeated.

"You're welcome, Kara."

She pulled away and pressed a long kiss to my lips.

"Thank you so much," she pulled away and pressed her forehead against mine.

"You're welcome. I love you, Kara."

I saw Supergirl yesterday. And was EXTREMELY in love with this movie. It beat my all time favorite super-heroine movie: Captain Marvel. I loved Milly as Kara and overall just need to say one thing that I have seen others say. Do not let opinions of others dissuade you from seeing or enjoying something you feel genuinely excited about! If you like something and others don’t, let them be the haters and don’t let them tell you that what you like is wrong or dumb or stupid. You do what makes you happy (unless you’re hurting someone with malicious intent) and let those haters be miserable.

If there is one major take away from this movie I can pass on to others and hopefully others will pass on is to be good.

Max Caulfield (LIS DE) x Fem! Reader CW: N/A WC: 1.1k+

"Hey, Vinh," I sat down beside him.

"H-Hey, Y/N," he let out a sigh.

"Rough day?"

"More or less."

I eyed the liquor he was drinking and sat down beside him.

"Can I get you anything?" Amanda asked.

"I'm fine for right now," I said. "But thank you."

Amanda just smiled and walked to the other end of the bar.

"It's so strange without her here," I said.

"Yeah, you're telling me."

"I know you two were friends. Were you anything more than that?"

"S-She did have feelings for me. And I did as well."

"Must be hard, then."

"Yeah, it is."

"We should play a game to lighten the mood," I said.

Vinh was about to say something, but Max walked over to us.

"Hey, you two alright?"

"Y-Yeah," Vinh said.

"I'm alright. I-I didn't really know her that well, but," I let out a sigh. "I can't help but feel her presence still here."

"I get that," Max sat beside me.

"Y/N suggested to play a game," Vinh said.

"Oh, what kind of game?"

"Uhh, I was thinking smash or pass."

"Smash or pass?" Max asked.

"What are we, back in high school?" Vinh chuckled.

"Yes, because I never really had fun high school years," I said.

"I can relate there," Max said.

"Alright, then who are we doing?" Vinh asked.

"Let's keep it to faculty," I said. "Vinh, want to start?"

"Well, I was thinking about saying Amanda, but she doesn't have an interest in my gender," Vinh said. "But I'd still smash if I could."

"Smash," I said.

"Smash," Max agreed.

"Come on, Vinh, that's too easy," I laughed.

"Moses," Vinh said.

"Pass," I said.

"He's my friend! Pass!" Max said.

"Seriously? Come on, Max. You don't think you'd want to smash him?" Vinh asked.

"Like I said, he's my friend."

"I could listen to him talk about telescopes all day," Vinh said with a dreamy look in his eyes.

"So I know where you stand on the spectrum here," I chuckled and eyed both Max and Vinh. "On second thought, I know where I stand on the spectrum here. In between the token bi people," I sighed.

"Nothing wrong with that," Max said.

"Doctor Hunter?" Vinh asked.

Max and I both groaned, in a good way.

"She that bad?" Vinh looked confused.

"I was so upset to learn she had a wife," Max said.

"I never felt so disappointed in my life," I shook my head.

"So I take it both of you want to smash?" Vinh asked.

"Obviously," we both said.

"Her wife could be down, too."

"I am not about to be a third," I said.

"Ditto," Max chimed in.

"Professor Colmenaro?"

"FUCK NO!" I yelled.

"He sucks," Max sighed.

"Oh really?" Vinh smirked.

"Shut it, Vinh," I scolded.

"You suck," Max pointed at him.

"Just trying to think of people the three of us know. Lucas, smash or pass?"

"Pass, he's a dick," Max said.

"I second that," I raised my hand.

"Do you both know even how to play this game?" Vinh asked. "You're basically having a one night stand with them, not living together and possibly getting married."

"That's why there is another version of this game. Fuck, marry, kill. Or replace kill with kiss."

"There is?" Max asked.

"We definitely need to relive your high school years, Max," I said.

"I don't think that'd be best. For either of us."

"Look, anyway, you're just fucking them. Nothing more," Vinh said.

"I see now," Max said. "Alright, let me think of one. Yasmin."

"That's unfair," Vinh said.

"Pass," I said.

"Why is it unfair, Vinh?"

"Then I have to admit how attractive I find authority figures," Vinh admitted.

I whipped around to face him, "Seriously?"

"What?"

"You think that's something to cringe at when admitting? Vinh, man up," I punched him in the shoulder. "Those kind of people are hot as fuck. Not dictator like, but just a strong sense of authority and power that they don't abuse."

"So what I'm hearing, Y/N," Max leaned over to me. "You're a bottom?"

"W-What? N-No," I immediately stammered.

"You definitely are," Vinh said.

"This game is unfair."

"You suggested it," Vinh said.

"Anyway, really? I never would have pegged you to be into that type," Max said to Vinh.

"Oh, and what would you peg me for?"

Max scoffed and reached across the bar and smacked him upside the head.

"Hey, hey!" Vinh laughed. "I had the chance and I took it."

"If you want to hit him just tell me to move," I threw my hands up. "Don't get me caught in the crossfire."

"Alright, let's see, how about me?"

"You know where I stand," I said.

"Max?" Vinh asked.

"I'm sorry, Vinh," Max said.

"Hey, no offense taken," he said.

"I think I had enough of this game," I said and got up. "I'll see you two later."

I walked out onto the patio of the Snapping Turtle before leaving. I leaned against the snowy railing and found myself staring at the sunset. The air was so cold, but it felt welcoming in a sense. I took in a deep breath and exhaled, seeing the warm air in this temperature.

"Hey, you alright?" Max came out and stood beside me.

"Y-Yeah. I-I'm alright."

"You don't sound alright."

"I-I don't know, Max. I think playing that stupid game just made me realize," I took in a deep breath. "My high school years weren't the best. That I never really got those moments. They say that those are the best years of your life."

I laughed sadly as I shook my head, "What bullshit."

"I feel the same way."

"Why is it that the good ones have the worst school years? The worst experience in general?"

"Because they rather turn a blind eye to the evil and punish the good."

"What a twisted world we live in."

Max reached over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"If we were friends, I'm sure we would have had a good high school experience."

I smiled, "Thanks, Max. Also I think it's unfair Vinh put himself as one of the options."

Max laughed, "Well, considering he did, how about we finish the game. Just the two of us?"

I knew what she was doing.

"Alright. You want to start first?"

"Would you smash or pass me?" Max asked shyly.

Ever since Max came to Caledon, I had the biggest crush on her. It was a miracle I was able to become friends with her. Maybe because I was already friends with Safi and Moses, and Max came into the picture.

I smiled awkwardly as I stared down at the snow. I dug the toe of my shoe in the snow, messing around with it.

"I-I'd smash," I mumbled.

Max just smiled at me. She reached underneath my chin and lifted my head up to where I found her blue eyes.

"Final one," she said.

"Smash or pass me?"

She leaned towards me to where I could feel her breath on my lips.

"Smash," she whispered.

I pressed my lips against hers and her arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me towards her. I wrapped my arms around her neck, reaching up and almost removing her beanie. The two of us pulled away and Max pressed her forehead against mine.

"Fuck," I whispered.

"Later?"

"Max Caulfield!" I laughed and shoved her away playfully.

"It's a valid question."

Max Caulfield x Fem! Reader

CW: N/A

WC: 2.0k+

"Am I putting this up right?" Max asked.

I picked my head up and found she was standing on a chair putting up a flag in her office.

"The Pride flag?"

"Yeah. Pride month is soon and I want to make my office a bit more welcoming."

"Max, your office is already welcoming."

"Might as well make it more welcoming."

I nodded, "Yes, you're putting the flag up right."

"Good. Thank you," she finished putting it up.

"Looks good," I wrapped my arm around her waist as she stood beside me.

"Thanks."

"Is this your first Pride?"

"First official Pride. Remember, when we were growing up this was kind of not normal."

"Right, right," I nodded.

"This campus is filled with a lot of people who are part of that community. I want them to know at least one of their professors supports them," Max smiled at me.

Even though the semester was over, she was still on campus to get some things before returning home. Home. The two of us shared an apartment together and it would be for almost two months of interrupted time. Well, aside from doing exhibits.

"Have you ever thought about doing a collection on Pride?"

"No, I actually haven't."

"How about this summer, we take a couple road trips. To see what some cities do for Pride?"

"That's an amazing idea, Y/N! What cities do you think would be perfect to do?"

"Well, we can see about New York and maybe California. I think those two are like the biggest ones that I can think of."

"Oh, and while we're on the west coast, do you think we could stop by Washington state? I'd like to visit my parents."

"Of course, Max. D-Do they know?"

"Not officially," she said. She reached out her hand and took mine, "I'd want them to meet you personally."

I smiled and kissed her forehead, "Alright."

She finished grabbing her things and I helped her bring them to her car. Once we had everything settled, we headed back towards the apartment, which wasn't too far from campus. When we reached the apartment, she put her things away and I started to look up the Pride events. I think New York and somewhere in California might be the best places. And since we're going to be visiting her parents, might as well see how Washington state celebrates Pride. 

"I see you're busy," she came up beside me.

"Just getting things ready for this trip," I said. "We'd have to get a number of plane tickets." "I can look at those," Max pulled out her phone.

The two of us wrote done everything, from cost, to where we would be staying, and just listing every detail.

"I think that's everything."

The morning of our flight from Vermont to New York came around. Amanda dropped us off at the airport and before we knew it, we were flying to New York. Once we reached New York, it was the day before their big Pride parade. Max was going around taking photos of some flags here and there. She even got some photos of bars that were owned by LGBTQ+ people. There was even a crowd of people getting ready for the parade. She took their photos. Since we had time before we had to check in to the hotel, we just walked around New York city, to see what it had to offer. There were so many people here excited for the parade.

"You took quite a number of photos today," I said as we entered our hotel room.

"This might be my biggest collection yet."

"Did you tell Hazel about it?"

"Not yet. She asked what I was planning on doing since I won't be teaching again until August. I told her to be on the lookout for something towards the end of July."

"How did she respond?"

Max handed me her phone and I read the message.

"Mysterious Max as always. Alright, keep me in the dark."

"Just not a dark room."

I chuckled as I handed back her phone, "Good one."

"Anyway, I am starving."

"Why don't we go to that bar nearby?"

"The one were a Drag Queen is the bartender?"

"Yes! That one."

"Let's do it."

We headed down to the bar and were immediately greeted with warm welcomes and smiling faces. It was a bit overwhelming, but in a good way. Max and I sat at the bar, drank some drinks, and ordered some food. It was karaoke night and after a few shots of liquid courage, Max and I headed onto the stage to sing the song we listened to on our first date. Of course it was a duet. Once the night was winding down, the two of us headed back to the hotel, changed, and passed out.

When morning came, we got dressed, grabbed our flags and headed to the main street of where the parade would be taking place. Max captured a few more photos. Some were of me and I took some photos of her. As soon as the parade started, she took even more photos. Some of the people in the parade, and those who were looking on. It was a fun day filled with nothing but smiles, laughs, and memories Max and I made together. Someone took a photo of the two of us kissing. I think Max is going to keep that one in the apartment, add it to the wall of Polaroids.

After the parade was over, we headed back to the hotel and hung out there. We looked through the photos she took and put them into separate piles. One for the collection and the other to either keep private or discard. I know Max could never part with a photo, so she had a collection of photos she puts aside. They're not her discard pile per say, but just those that don't have a purpose yet. She always goes back and looks through them, finding a way to give them purpose. If she can't, then they're just another memory that she'll look back on.

The following morning we flew out of New York and headed towards California. Since their Pride hasn't happened yet, we're going to stay there for a bit. After California's Pride is over, we were going to head to Washington to visit her parents. And see if they have anything for Max to add to this collection.

"I-Is that?"

"It is," I heard whispers as we were walking through the LA airport.

I quickly eyed the people who were whispering. They were just normal people, but I think they were looking at Max. Who was currently looking at her passport.

"I think you have some fans," I elbowed her.

She picked her head up and found the people I was looking at previously. They looked to be around late teens. The way I knew they were a fan of Max's work: they carried the same Polaroid camera she does. She made eye contact with them and she waved. They waved back. They moved towards her, but stopped themselves.

"You want a picture with Max?" I asked.

"I-If you don't mind," they both said.

"Of course," Max smiled and handed me her bags.

The two walked over to Max and smiled as I took their photo with their cameras.

"Thank you, Max," they both said.

"Anytime," she waved to them as they left.

"Would you look at that? You're recognized."

"Happens a lot often than you think."

"Well, you are a renowned photographer."

"I don't know if I like this kind of attention."

"You'll get used to it. Maybe," I said.

We headed to where our rental car was and we drove out to where we were staying. We had some things planned for our stay here. We were going to visit the Hollywood sign and other tourist attractions.

"You seem nervous, Max," I looked over at her briefly.

"I-I'm just worried about what my parents will say."

"Max, you're, what almost thirty now?"

"Don't remind me," she chuckled.

"Your parents are still going to love you. I think they're going to be more relieved you came to visit them. Maybe a bit shocked unannounced, but they're your parents. And you're an adult now."

"When did you come out to your parents?"

"Teens early twenties I want to say."

"How did they take it?"

"Surprisingly well. A friend of mine who came out to her parents threw her out. We brought her in for a bit until she was able to find a place to stay."

"That's a relief."

"It was a huge one, considering she had to give the reason as to why her parents kicked her out. And it was before I came out. She's doing a lot better now."

"Good to hear."

"So you have nothing to worry about, Max," I reached over and took her hand. "I'll be there."

"You always are," she smiled.

"You're going to be ok, Max," I reached down and intertwined my hand with hers.

"A-Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm positive."

Max nodded and rang the doorbell to her parents house. It was the house they lived in when they moved to Seattle. We waited for a little bit before the door opened up. I almost dropped to the floor considering how she looked so much like her dad. Without the beard of course.

"Max?" he asked.

"H-Hey, dad," Max smiled nervously.

He stepped towards her. I released Max's hand as her father pulled her in for a tight hug. Max hugged him back just as tight, burying her face in her father's shoulder.

"Oh, my baby girl," he let out a sigh.

Her mother came towards the door.

"Ryan? Who's there?" she dropped what she was holding as soon as she saw Max.

"Max!" she rushed towards her husband and daughter, joining the hug.

Once they pulled away, Max turned towards me.

"Mom, dad, there's someone I want you to meet," Max smiled and took my hand.

"This is Y/N," she found my eyes. "My girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Caulfield," I stuck my other hand out.

Ryan reached over and shook my hand, "A pleasure."

"Welcome to the family, darling," her mother hugged me.

Her mother and father walked inside the house and we followed. It was a night filled with warmth, stories, and a lot of laughter.

"Did Hazel get back to you?" I asked as Max entered the apartment.

"She did."

"And?"

"She thought the collection was an amazing idea."

"Did you post it online?"

"Yep," she pressed something on her phone before tucking it away.

"Did you just do it now?"

"No," she dragged out the 'o's.

"Max."

"Did you see what Chloe posted?" Max walked over to me.

I pulled out my laptop and directed my attention to her website. It was bookmarked so it was easy to get to. There it was. First thing when you open the page. Her Pride collection. I clicked on the 'open collection' button and thus began a slideshow of all the photos we took. The first one opened up with the flag she hung in her office. There was a caption.

"New beginnings start with a welcoming one."

"I like that caption," I said.

"Thanks," Max smiled as she sat beside me.

Then it went to show the pictures she took at Pride. They were mostly of the scenery and the parade. Next was LA's pride. Which, again, was mostly of the parade and atmosphere. There was one that stuck out to me. It was a man who had a leather vest on, black shorts, and leather boots. He was covered in spikes and piercings. He had a mohawk that was held together with a lot of hairspray and gel. It was dyed to look like the gay man's pride flag. He was standing with a teenager who wore similar clothing. It was his daughter from what Max told me. 

"When did you take that one?"

"When you were in the bathroom."

"Of course," I chuckled and continued to go through them.

The last photo of the collection was of us. It was the day we were leaving. Where we stood in front of the door with our respective pride flags wrapped around us and we were making a heart shape with our hands. The caption was: "First PRIDE with my Pride and Joy."

"Max," I whispered.

"I know, I know. This is a first for actually putting myself and you in a collection."

I stood up and pulled her in for a hug, my head resting on her shoulder. 

"I love you," I whispered.

She hugged me tightly, her cheek brushing up against mine.

"I love you, too."

Chloe Price (LIS Reunion) x Fem! Reader CW: N/A WC: ~1.2k+ A/N: Happy Pride everyone to those who celebrate and to those who are our supportive allies! Pride means so much to many people and it means a lot to me as a queer writer. I just want to thank you guys for your amazing support! There will be two parts for this, as one part will be written with Chloe and the other written with Max. Happy Pride!

"What is with all these rainbow flags they're hanging up?" Chloe asked as we were driving in the small town area in Vermont.

"Oh shit! I forgot that was coming up."

"What is?"

"Pride."

"Oh, I've heard of it. Every June, right?"

"Yeah. That's Pride month, but there are different days and weeks that are designated for different identities. Like Lesbian Visibility Week occurs during April."

"Interesting."

"Never really followed it?"

"I'm not really like you when it comes to these sorts of things. I may be out, but I am not really loud about it."

"And there's nothing wrong with it."

"Although, I am interested in how Vermont celebrates Pride."

"Maybe we can go! We can take Max. And if she is seeing anyone, we can bring them along as well."

"I think Max is seeing someone. I think her name is Amanda."

"Perfect, the four of us can go," I pulled out my phone and texted Max.

"Hey, Max Attack!"

"Yes, Y/N?"

"Chloe and I were just talking about attending Pride this year. You and Amanda want to come along?"

"I know I'd love to. I'll ask Amanda and get back to you."

"Perfect!"

"Have you told her yet?"

I picked my head up and eyed Chloe, who was staring at the traffic light, waiting for it to turn green.

"I have not."

"What are you waiting for?"

"The perfect moment."

"There is no such thing as the perfect moment."

"I'm scared, Max. I really like Chloe. I know we've been on a few dates here and there, but that doesn't mean anything. We could have great chemistry, but are better off as friends."

"That is true. But from what Chloe has told me, she's into you."

I almost screamed in the car, but that would have scared Chloe. I don't need her to get into an accident right now.

"Are you for real?!"

"You didn't hear it from me ;)"

"Maxine Caulfield."

"Max, never Maxine."

"Bullshit, Yasmin calls you Maxine."

"Because she's technically my boss."

"Whatever. You can't just drop something like that on me."

"Maybe it'll give you some courage to tell her."

"How about this: if you and Amanda come to Pride, you can see how it goes. First hand."

"And if its a disaster?"

"You're treating me to shots. All night."

"Deal."

"Max is coming. I don't know about Amanda, but she'll ask."

"Nice. It's this weekend, isn't it?"

"I believe so."

"Cool. Should we get anything for the celebration?"

"I think we should be ok. If you want, we can get something to like paint the pride flag of your choice on your arm or face."

"That'd be neat. Sure, let's do that."

We went by a general store and got what we needed. We even got some small hand flags for the parade tomorrow. After we got everything, we headed back to Chloe's truck and we went back to my apartment. Since she was only visiting for a bit, she was staying with me.

"I just thought of something."

"What's that?"

"What is your pride flag?"

"Y/N, seriously?" Chloe smiled.

"What?"

"Take one look at me and guess."

"I am very bad at those kinds of things."

"Alright, fine. How about," she stopped mid question and pulled out her phone. She swiped through I am assuming photos before she stopped.

"This?" she flipped her phone around and showed me a photo of herself when she was younger.

She had blue hair, a beanie, a tank top with what looked to be a sleeveless vest over top of it, a necklace that wasn't fully in the photo, and a choker with three long silver spikes that could be mistaken for large needles. 

"Lesbian," I said.

"Exactly."

"But damn, Chloe," I grabbed her phone to get a closer look at it. "I-I don't know what to say."

Chloe smirked as I handed her phone back to her.

"What can I say? I get all the chicks."

I chuckled and shook my head, "Alright, Chloe the chick magnet. Now I know what flag to paint, where do you want it?"

"I was thinking here," she pointed to her cheek.

"This is going to be some fine line work."

"You got this," she said.

"I'm going to need more words of encouragement than just that."

"More words of encouragement," she said.

"D-Did you just?"

She laughed and walked off towards the bathroom. This woman was going to be the death of me.

In the morning, we got ready for the parade. Max and Amanda came over and they too painted their pride flags on their cheeks. I helped with Chloe's since she was struggling a bit. Her lines weren't straight. Just like her. Once we were all ready, we left the apartment and headed downtown. A crowd of people were already gathering. There were so many flags that were being seen. Some that even I didn't know.

"What a turn out," Chloe said.

"This is amazing," Amanda said.

I eyed Max, as she reached down to grab Amanda's hand. Chloe seemed to notice. She also knew I wasn't the greatest in crowds. She grabbed my hand and pulled me close.

"I'm here if you ever need anything," Chloe said.

"Thank you, Chloe."

With so many people, it was hard to get a good view of the parade route. While we were walking, I spotted someone with a sign that was being held up.

"Say something now or you never will!"

Maybe this was my sign. No pun intended. However, they were right. A lot of people are in the closet because of their lack of support or they just don't feel comfortable. Or simply, they're not ready. Which is not a bad thing. But, it was also directed towards those who maybe haven't said anything to those they like and their time is fleeting.

"Hey, Chloe," I said.

"Hold on."

There was a loud horn blaring as the parade started. People cheered and threw rainbow confetti into the air. The first float was someone on a rainbow, of course. There were a few Drag Queens dancing and one was even pole dancing. Which was impressive. Behind them were various people with various flags. Some were lesbians, gay men, non-binary or gender nonconforming people. Everyone you could think of was behind this float to kick off Pride right.

"You were saying something?" Chloe directed her attention to me.

My mind thought back to the sign. It was now or never.

"I-I like you. Like, really like you," I said.

Chloe blinked a few times before a smile appeared on her face. She reached up and placed her hand on my cheek, caressing it with her thumb. I leaned into her touch. It was warm, safe. My heart, that was once beating a million miles a minute, was calming down. She was my safe space.

She leaned towards me and pressed her lips against mine. The crowd cheered either from this moment or what was happening in the parade. It didn't matter. All that mattered in this moment was Chloe and I. I wrapped my arms around her neck and she wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling me towards her.

Our small, innocent first kiss turned into a soft, slow, sensual deep kiss, in which I had to stand on my tip toes because damn, Chloe is taller than me. She even picked me up and spun me around before setting me on the ground. I pulled away and she pressed her forehead against mine.

"D-Does this mean?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Chloe asked.

I smiled giddily, pressing a quick peck to her lips.

"Yes, Chloe."

"Happy Pride, Y/N."

Max Caulfield (LIS DE) x Fem! Reader

CW: N/A

WC: 1.3k+

"This can't be real?" I asked as the three of us were staring at the same photo.

There was no disputing it. That was Max. But how? She was making her way to Safi when she was shot. How could she be in two places at once?

"No way," Moses whispered as he stood up, staring between Max and the photo.

"Moses, it isn't what it looks like," Max tried to defend herself.

"How do you explain that?" he pointed to the screen.

Max opened and closed her mouth, stammering as she tried to find the right words.

"Please, let me explain."

"Stay the fuck away from me," Moses said and left the house.

Max tried to go after him, but stopped at the foot of the stairs. She turned to face me, desperation all over her face as I stood there.

"Y-You believe me, right? T-That I'd never kill Safi."

I turned to the photo, then to Max. Unlike Moses, I knew Max's background. I knew where she came from. She confided in me whenever she first came to Caledon. I remember the late nights we spent together just talking about how we got to that moment in time. Time. It was a funny thing to her. Her powers were something.

"Max, you know I believe you."

"I-I know, but I just want to make sure. Y-You never know."

"We're going to get through this," I placed my hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure out who this Max doppelganger is," I said.

She let out a sigh of relief and pulled me in for a tight hug.

"Thank you."

"I'm not going any where, Max."

"What would I do without you?" her shoulders relaxed.

"I don't know. Probably spiral."

"Probably," she chuckled.

"Now, you go shower. I'll get this place cleaned up a bit. Once you're done, we can cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie or something. I'll even order pizza."

"Are you sure, Y/N?" Max asked as she pulled away.

"Yes, I am sure."

"I don't deserve you," she leaned towards me and pecked my lips.

"I've been with you ever since you told me about Arcadia Bay."

"And I can't thank you enough," she said as she headed up the stairs.

"Want anything special on your pizza?"

"Just the normal cheese is fine."

"Cheese it is," I said and gathered everything.

I placed it in the giant box she had brought down with the other pieces of evidence. As I read through some of the things she wrote, everything wasn't making sense. There were so many questions and very few answers right now. I took in a deep breath and put the lid on. If Max needs anything right now, it's someone who will stick by her and believe that she is innocent. Although, this probably isn't good for her head right now. I know she has a lot of guilt basically sacrificing an entire town for someone she loved. Would she do the same for me? I hope not an entire town, but would do anything and everything in her power to keep me around.

Her powers. The ability to rewind time and now go through two different timelines. She did mention she could go farther back if she had a photo. She shouldn't push herself since this is the first time she is using it since high school. Oh Max. What have you gotten yourself in to? 

I headed upstairs and closed the door to the dark room. My hand slipped into my pocket and pulled out my phone. Might as well order the pizza now. Once that was ordered, I went around the living room area and gathered a few things to tidy it up. I grabbed some pillows and blankets and plopped them on the couch.

"That was a much needed shower," Max came down as she was squeezing the remaining water from her hair in the towel she was using.

I whistled and sat back against the coach, "Looking good, Max."

"I'm wearing my pajamas."

"And?"

She shook her head, "This is why I love you."

"Aww, the girl who I've been dating for a year now loves me."

"Excuse you! You were the one who said it first."

"It doesn't matter who said it first. The important thing is, you said it."

She rolled her eyes playfully and threw the towel into the washer.

"Pizza should be here soon," I said.

"Good. Because I am starving," Max came over and sat beside me.

"Movie choice is all yours tonight."

"Well, I want something kind of calming," she took the remote and turned on the TV.

"I'm always down for watching something relaxing."

"How about this one?" Max asked.

"Fine with me."

She clicked on the remote and the movie started to play. Max rested her head on my shoulder and I wrapped my arm around her. She grabbed one of the blankets I set out and pulled it over her body.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm always going to be here for you, Max. I'm not going anywhere."

"I just--I don't know. I-I feel so overwhelmed at the moment. Nothing is making sense."

"Hey, hey, we'll get through this. Right now, watch the movie. We can figure things out in the morning."

"Alright."

Once morning came, I found Max to be awake. From what I remember last night, after we ate and watched another movie, she passed out on the couch with me. I woke up the middle of the night and moved her upstairs to the bed and I got in beside her. As I headed downstairs, I found her at the kitchen counter with a coffee mug beside her and she was staring intently at the photo. The one of her shooting Safi. Shit. This can't be good.

I rushed down towards her to see some blood was coming from her nose. I grabbed a paper towel and went to wipe it from her nose.

"Shit," she said as she grabbed her head.

"Hey, don't overexert yourself," I said and wiped her nose.

"I-I'm fine. I almost had it," she tried again.

It seemed to have worked because she stopped moving. I couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen. Her eyes squeezed shut and she stumbled slightly.

"Max, Max!" I caught her, making sure she was steady.

She fell in my arms and I carefully set her on the ground. More blood started to slide down from her nose. I wiped it away and when she came to, I met her blue eyes.

"Max?" I whispered.

"T-That wasn't long enough," she was about to get up.

"Max, no," I pushed her back down.

"But I was right there. I was with Safi. I-I could talk to her. S-She said to stop delaying the inevitable. S-She mentioned someone named Maya."

"Max, slow down," I said.

"I-I need to try this again, Y/N."

"You need to rest."

"I-I can't."

"Max, please, rest."

There must have been a look on my face because she didn't resist. She slowly nodded her head and we carefully stood up.

"A-Alright. I-I'm sorry to have worried you."

"You worry me a lot," I chuckled. "Probably more so than another person."

"I-I don't blame you if you get tired of me," she leaned against the counter, coffee mug in her hand now. Where it should be.

I reached over and placed my hand on her cheek, caressing her skin.

"Never."

"Why? I-I'm just a lot."

"And I can handle a lot," I said. "You're enough for me, Max. Powers and all."

She smiled as she leaned into my touch. I leaned towards her and pressed my lips against hers. I reached over and grabbed the coffee mug, setting it on the counter. Her arms wrapped around my neck while my hands rested on her waist.

"Jump," I mumbled.

She jumped onto the counter and my arms wrapped around her waist now, pulling her closer to me. I pulled away and began to pepper her face and neck with kisses.

"Y/N!" she giggled.

"I love you, Max."

"I love you, too."

I pressed another kiss to her lips, which was cut short by a knock on the door.

"If it's anyone other than Moses, I will be punching them in the face," I said as Max jumped from the counter.

I just recently finished Double Exposure. And I don't understand how much hate this game gets. Before I get into a bit of my thoughts, I just ask that you respect that this is my opinion on the game. You don't have to agree with me, and if you don't, kindly don't interact with this post. I've seen many fans say that the writing was really bad in this game. I get it, not every game has to have the best writing like others. I get that some people want consistency in writing, and honestly, for someone with a creative writing degree, this isn't the worst I have experienced so far.

Sure, there are moments in this game when the writing didn't feel great, and the same can be said for some of the characters. An example: I was not a fan of Loretta, but I understand her character can show how reporting something can have misinformation, or information even twisted. I also feel like Alderman's character wasn't written the best either. Him having an inkling of Arcadia Bay just felt off for me. I know he's a detective, but the writing in that he knew something was wrong just didn't make sense at the time. Considering that Max kept Arcadia Bay very close to her chest.

Aside from some of the characters' inconsistent writing, the writing overall for the game wasn't that bad. Was it the best compared to the original and Before the Storm? (the only other two Life is Strange games I've played.) No, it wasn't. Life is Strange, currently, is ranked #1 out of these three.

I don't know if this is a criticism for DE or Reunion, but I read that some of the stakes weren't high enough. For me, I love an emotional story. In Life is Strange, I loved how Max and Chloe were super close friends, borderline lovers if you chose that route. They established the high stakes at the very beginning: Chloe's death. We didn't even know who she was when she was shot in the beginning. Then we get the reveal of her being Max's childhood friend. Those stakes were being raised once again now that we know who this blue-haired girl is.

And then towards the end with Jefferson. That was when the stakes were raised another notch because Max couldn't rewind to save Chloe from being shot, and to save herself from being drugged. When I was playing the last episode, there was this sense of urgency to get Jefferson dealt with, get to Warren for the photo, and overall, just save Chloe from being shot by Jefferson.

Of course, we can't forget about the storm looming over Arcadia Bay. The biggest stake of them all. The dreaded Bae VS Bay choice people still discuss to this day. (Bae all the way.) Life is Strange established those stakes very early on in the story, where I felt Double Exposure didn't. Not to mention the twist towards the end with Jefferson being the one behind the Dark Room and everything.

That is one of my biggest criticisms of DE when it came to the writing. It felt like there weren't any big stakes that could harshly affect the outcome of the game. I felt like the only hard choices I had to make were towards the end. Either I talk down Safi or rush her, along with refuse or agree with Safi. Those two decisions were like the biggest ones I had trouble picking. But nothing compared to the Bae VS Bay choice.

Nothing was established early on that this game had high stakes involved. Sure, Safi dying at the beginning was a bit left field, but it didn't nearly have an impact as Chloe's death. Also, another topic I want to point out is when it came to Safi's death. I knew Max was the "killer". The moment she mentioned her handwriting on the Polaroids that were left around, I knew Max had to be involved somehow. When Max exposed the different timeline, I immediately thought there had to be another Max in that timeline. But the reveal of it being "Max" as the killer, the reveal felt a little underwhelming. Did I still sit there with my mouth open? Yes, I did.

I feel that if they raised the stakes a bit more with this game, it might have been viewed a bit differently. Here's how I'd imagine it: We start at the moment Safi got shot. We get flashbacks or snippets of who Safi is, not getting her name revealed at all or her relation to Max, and we slowly build that connection between Max and Safi, instead of immediately being thrown into their friendship. Show the stakes first, then build upon that. But, I think there might be a reason Deck Nine wouldn't want to go that route: it would play too similarly to Life is Strange.

And jumping off of that point, when I was first playing Double Exposure after playing Life is Strange and Before the Storm, I felt like Safi was written in an attempt to be Chloe 2.0. Walk with me on this: she tries to be humorous, which I can't blame her. She has these witty comebacks that are quick, on the spot. Has a troubled past with her parents and is "rebelling" against her mother. She also, at one point, mentioned being Max's sidekick. Sound familiar? While Safi is different from Chloe, I couldn't help but see these similarities.

I think after Life is Strange had such a big impact on their players, Deck Nine kind of had a lot of weight on their shoulders to uphold the series. I think they did a great job with Before the Storm. I loved Before the Storm and the story it told with Chloe and how she coped with her father's passing and Max leaving.

However, with Double Exposure being a direct sequel to Life is Strange, happening so many years after the original game came out, I think a lot of people expected it to be similar to its predecessor. While it is similar, I think people had high expectations. And I've also been seeing people say how they'd want to see Don't Nod's interpretation of Double Exposure and possibly even Reunion.

Here's one thing we gotta think of: if it wasn't for Deck Nine, the Life is Strange franchise wouldn't be around anymore. Now here's one thing I've seen when Reunion was announced and they were bringing back Chloe: Deck Nine is milking the series. Hmm, alright, let's see here. Capcom is milking Leon from Resident Evil. Some might argue that Leon is an iconic character. So is Chloe. Another argument might be that Leon didn't canonically die. Well, technically, Chloe didn't either. And Double Exposure fixed that issue if you chose the Bay ending, where she merged the two timelines.

ATLUS is milking Persona 5 as much as they can. To an extent, Persona 3 and Persona 4. Persona 5 has been out for 10 years now, and there is no Persona 6 in sight. Could ATLUS just not be interested in making Persona 6? Maybe, maybe not. Now there is a rough 8-year difference between Persona 4 and Persona 5. But Persona 5 has gotten a lot of other games under its name: Persona 5 Royal, Persona 5 Strikers, Persona 5 Tactica, Persona 5 The Phantom X, and finally, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight. Compare that to Persona 3, Persona 3 Reload, and Persona 3 Dancing in Moonlight. Persona 4 had Persona 4, Persona 4 Golden, Persona 4 Arena, you get the picture.

Another game series that you could call "milking" are fighting, COD, and sports games. How many Street Fighter and Immortal Kombat's do we need? Same with Call of Duty. 2K26 anyone? I get it, they're different games. They're not story-driven games and are much more than just online multiplayer games. However, the same thing still applies. EA, when it comes to their sports games, are milking it. COD is milking it. Fighting games are also milking it. (This may be my gaming hot take, but I don't care.) Any company is going to milk something if they're making money from it.

However, I don't think Deck Nine had that intention. When they made Double Exposure, it left the door open for Chloe's return. Dead or not, you can see in DE that there are hints that she could have a potential return.

Now, some of you might agree that Deck Nine should have just stopped with Before the Storm when it came to developing the Life is Strange series. I personally think they are doing their best with being in the shadow of Don't Nod's original game.

It also leaves the door open for other spin-off games. Considering we got the reveal that Diamond has powers as well. I'd love to see a spin-off of Diamond and maybe even a game centered around Safi. But, we all know Max and Chloe are the two titular characters in the Life is Strange series. And I feel like they just wanted a definitive ending for these two characters. I haven't played Reunion yet, but I am really excited from the clips I've seen on TikTok and X.

One more thing before I wrap this up: the gameplay was not fun. When I say gameplay, I mean the time mechanic. I get that this game was all about jumping from timeline to timeline, so it wasn't as easy as just simply rewinding time like the original. But I also feel like if Max's powers had come back, she would also regain the ability to rewind time as well. We did see that she could go back by using a photo, but it strained her a lot because she hadn't used her powers in that long. I would have liked to have seen her try to use her rewind powers, but fall short because of her not using them for so long. Her just being able to literally switch from timeline to timeline without so much as straining, a lot more than the first time, just didn't feel right. I get that this game focuses on the timelines, but I don't know. It just didn't feel right for her to do something as powerful as that when she didn't rewind time for nearly ten years.

I also think this one detail, or this one specific message, was overlooked: Max's trauma. This game heavily focuses on her trauma as well as uncovering what happened to Safi and trying to save her. And since it is a direct sequel to Life is Strange, I loved how they had Max overcome it in a dark and twisted way. It was her reliving her worst moments, her worst memories of what happened not only at Blackwell, but with Chloe.

Like that scene of her constantly being in the motel was cruel for me. The minute I walked into the motel, I almost started crying because I thought they were going to bring up the breakup. But it just shows how Max easily forgot details, because of her and Chloe constantly going from motel to motel. But that moment, their breakup, weighed so heavily on her that even the books in those motels reflected how Max felt about losing Chloe.

I think Max's trauma is easily overlooked because it's not really brought up aside from this game. We all talk about Chloe's trauma and how it shaped her as a person. Well, what about our protagonist Max? She literally, if you chose the Bae route, killed an entire town. And it weighed so heavily on her that she couldn't even tell Safi about it until they were talking about their powers. Hearing Hannah Telle say the lines "I chose her. The blue-haired girl." It broke me. Because you see how that one decision alone still haunts Max to this very day. We even see it the morning after Safi's death when she goes through a box full of Arcadia Bay memories. Max hasn't gotten over what happened and is still struggling to overcome it. She even writes in her journal, "It's happening again."

When I was playing the last episode, and she was saving people from Safi, the moment in the bowling alley where she had to relive one of the worst parts of her high school years, I cried so hard for Max. Did it hurt to watch her relive the moment she got her powers, yes it did. But there was something about Max going back in that chair and reliving the moment of Jefferson taking photos of her. I knew I had to sit in the chair, but I did not want to. It makes you relive that moment with her. You relive the fear and desperation she had trying to escape.

As someone who sometimes relives through their own trauma, I really wanted to reach through the screen and hug Max, because it's hard to overcome something so traumatic like that. It's hard to overcome trauma in general, but for her to save Safi, she had to overcome her trauma. She had to, in that moment, relive it. And that was what all Double Exposure was about at its core: Max finally letting go, finally healing, and finally telling people of her powers. Something she couldn't really do that easily.

So was Double Exposure a great game? No, it had its flaws. But does it deserve the hate that I've been seeing? No. I honestly think Double Exposure, from the games I have played so far, is one of the weakest in the franchise. (At the time of writing this, I still have yet to play Life is Strange 2, True Colors, and Reunion.) I think Double Exposure's story was good, but its execution wasn't.

With Life is Strange, I gravitated towards Chloe because I really resonated and connected with her story. In the first game, we didn't really get to know much about Max's background or who she is as a person, aside from the fact that she loves photography and has an anxious-avoidant attachment style. (Honestly, same Max.)

With Double Exposure really heavily focusing on Max and her trauma, it finally made me feel like I got to know Max better. That her character was fleshed out a bit better than in the first game. Could it have been written better? Yes and no. Again, execution was probably the one factor, for me at least, where I felt the game fell short. Max healing isn't nice and clean and wrapped up with a bow when she finally overcomes her trauma and her guilt. She still has a long healing journey. And this is just the start of it. Healing is messy and a long road that sometimes might never truly heal. We just learn to cope with it better.

Chloe Price (LIS) x Fem! Reader CW: Death, angst, swearing WC: 1.k

"Chloe, Chloe, fuck," I whispered as I grabbed her face. "Hold the fuck still for one second."

She raised up her arm to separate the two of us as she pulled away from me.

"I can take care of it myself."

"Like how you took care of it the last time? Or perhaps the time before that. When will you understand, Chloe, that not everything needs to end in a fight?" I asked as I sat beside her.

"You weren't there."

"I'm glad I wasn't, but also wish I was."

"Why? I don't want you to see that side of me."

"Not like I haven't seen glimpses of it."

"I just," she sighed and shook her head. "Everyone expects something out of me. My mom expects me to be good and to stop with this 'rebellious phase'. David, that fucker, expects me to respect him after he's replacing my dad. I'll never seem him as my stepdad or my dad. He's just another person in my life that expects something from nothing."

"What about Max?"

"Ha!" she stood up, her arms swinging beside her body. "Don't get me started on Max."

"She's your best friend."

"And yet she..." she stopped short, tears forming in her eyes.

"You can't say anything bad about her."

"You're right. I-I can't."

"And what of Rachel?"

"Rachel has been missing for who knows how long now. I can't really say anything for her other than this isn't like her. To just up and leave without so much as a trace."

"There has to be something more to her disappearance."

"There is. And I am going to figure it out. One way or another."

"You can't figure it out if you keep getting into fights with other people. Now come here and sit down."

Chloe sighed and sat down on the edge of my bed. There it was. Her black eye. It wasn't fully her eye, but it was underneath it. There were also some cuts and gashes along her arms. Some small cuts along her cheeks and even a busted lip.

"I'm also surprised you still have your teeth," I said as I ran the wet towel along the dried blood.

"You and me both."

"So tell me, what happened?" I asked.

"It was David," she whispered.

"Did he hit you?"

"Yes."

"So you acted in self defense?"

"Yes."

"And you got your ass whooped."

"Can't really do much against an ex-military man."

"Did you at least make him bleed?"

"A little."

I smiled a bit, "For someone who is as rock headed, and quick witted, I'm proud."

"Why?"

"You stood your ground. What was it even about?"

"He was getting on me about not respecting him and all that bullshit."

"Well, to get respect, you also need to give. And since he's not giving you any, it's not a problem that you're not giving any."

"He doesn't see it that way."

"Most people don't see it that way. I can't speak on David's behalf. I never met the man and frankly, I don't want to."

"I wish I was in your shoes, Y/N."

"You know you're always welcome here. My parents love you. For some odd reason," I joked.

"You know exactly why they love me."

"Yeah. I know why. The same reason I fell in love with you," I smiled at her.

She smiled as well. Not one of those snarky or confident ones. A soft, warm smile that only appeared whenever we were together. I leaned towards her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. I finished cleaning off the blood and started to tend to the cuts that were deep. Thankfully, there weren't that many. Once those were taken care of, I grabbed an ice pack that I had grabbed when she first came to the house.

"Hold this against your eye."

"Thanks," she said.

I sat down beside her and laid down on the bed. She slowly laid down beside me, her free hand resting on top of mine.

"I'm not always going to be around to help you, Chloe. I hope you know that. As sad as the truth is, if and when the fight gets bad, really bad, I can't save you. And if you're far beyond my reach, I also can't help you then."

"I-I know."

"Just think about that, alright?" I turned and faced her.

She turned and faced me. My hand reached up and gently rubbed her cheek.

"I love you, Chloe. Nothing will change that."

"I love you, too, Y/N," she pressed her forehead against mine.

"Before we go bust Nathan's ass, can we stop by some place real quick?" I asked Max.

"Yeah."

"I won't be long. I promise."

I turned the truck down onto a one way street before parking it in front of a small, but quaint house. The paint was peeling due to the weather we've been having lately. I turned off the truck and hopped out.

"I'll be right back."

I headed towards the front door and knocked. The door swung open and her mother greeted me with tears in her eyes. I hugged her and stepped inside. Her father greeted me as well before they led me to the backyard. My heart raced as I stepped outside in the yard we shared our first kiss in. They let me have a moment to myself, since I haven't been here since the headline on the newspaper released. That felt like forever ago. I walked towards the back right corner where there was a large stone nestled in the ground. Tears started to form in my eyes as I knelt down in front of it.

"Hey, Y/N," I whispered, trying not to sob.

"Hope you're doing alright up there. I-I just wanted to say I-I'm sorry. Sorry for not being there when you've always been there for me. But hey, you get to see me take care of myself now. I tried to learn from you when you helped me."

There was a slight breeze now.

"I'm going to try my best to go on, but when I first heard the news, it was hard not to just take one of David's guns and blow my brains out. But you'd be pissed at me for joining too soon. My dad would probably be upset as well. Say hi to him for me, yeah?"

I stood up and placed my hand on the top of the gravestone.