#I remember when SW used to be exciting

[fandom-shitposter]

I'm still ridiculously pissed about the recent SW shows being nothing more than a remake that's pretending as hard as it can that that's not at all what it is

You can rework Maul living underground in a hole with a spider body made of scrap and sharing space with an alien snake into Mecha Spider Maul trying to eat Mando way below the surface of Mandalore but it'll always still basically be the same thing

You can kill Sabine's parents offscreen like Bail and Breha died, but without the context of why that originally happened it's just a meaningless waste of characters

You can rework Boba's life to use him as the non-Jedi Luke Skywalker stand-in right down to the adoptive Tatooine family (who die while he's off on a quest elsewhere in order to get the plot moving), swimming about in just his underpants in a bacta tank, and then have him hang out with a twink Jedi and his disreputable slacker friend (with or without his own shitty run down space ship). He's also not out of 'secret' sisters, and has his Big Bad Guy family reveal yet to come

Even Tarkin-lite Rampart gets to be exploded just like his counterpart

Don't even get me started on the amout of 'borrowed from elsewhere' material that they're relying on to support and conceal that they're doing this, and they're leaning HARD on their chosen franshises for plot to copy. But that isn't without some effort. I mean, Disney even own the IP on some of those properties

And I can't decide if it's just corporate laziness that has them recycling everything they possibly can rather than writing anything new or if Disney is just doing their best to stake their claim to George Lucas's work as being their own as much as they possibly can while it's still worth anything to anyone

As underperforming as Ahsoka was that can't be canned because it's the middle arc of the trilogy of shows timeline-wise, but the Acolyte can be dropped because cramming lore from the prequels into a show isn't going to affect the final outcome, whether some people want to see it or not

And we already know this won't be the end of it. Skeleton Crew's trailer shows that they've rehashed Explorers, but switching out a bicycle for a hover bike and adding a few aliens doesn't make that any different either

[wp100]

gonna watch the star wars saga starting on friday. it'll take us... 6 weeks, if we aren't watching the disney trilogy

[evie-sturns]

dinner - Chris Sturniolo

summary: you and your boyfriend chris have just had your one year anniversary, to celebrate chris's family invites you and your parents round for dinner! but when chris gets worked up by your touch he has to take you to the bathroom...

contains: smut, bathroom!sex, semi-public, fluff, teasing, stomach bulge.

--------------------------°°••....••°°--------------———

in honor of chris and i's one year anniversary, his family is deciding to throw a huge dinner party. i'm not too sure if his extended family will be there but my parents and siblings are coming.

"chris?" i call out, spraying my face several times with setting spray after finally finishing my lengthy getting-ready process. i hear his excited footsteps sprinting up the stairs before the bedroom door swings open.

"you look so pretty," chris smiles, walking over to me and wrapping his arms around me.

"oh- chris! careful, i don't want to get makeup on your shirt!" i laugh while chris smooshes my face onto his white shirt from his deadly tight hug.

"right so were gonna go pick up matt and nick- i think everyone else is meeting at mary lou's." i say, pulling away from the hug and grabbing chris's hand.

chris nods before dragging me downstairs, my high heels click against the wooden floors as i adjust the straps of my white sundress.

i turn my phone on do not disturb while unlocking the front door, "how long are we going to be there?" chris asks, stepping out into the afternoon sun.

"only a couple hours, you might get a little bored." i tell chris before jumping into the drivers seat of our car.

"no- i'll be fine," chris defends himself with a sigh.

i look over at him "you okay?" i ask, rubbing his shoulder as i drive down the driveway.

"just.. really fucking nervous" chris laughs.

"chris no. you know my family loves you so much, all your brothers will be there its a happy thing!" i try to lift his enthusiasm with a confident tone.

-

i pull into the driveway of chris's parents house, ever since we picked up matt and nick, chris has cheered up. hes been laughing dramatically while making stupid jokes.

"you guys ready?" i ask with a grin, switching off the car.

"yes ma'am." nick jokes, swinging open the car door and jumping out, matt follows close behind. chris get's out of the car and instantly starts walking up to the front door, i run up behind him.

the front door opens slowly, mary lou's face peeks out and instantly lights up "hello!!" she sings, wrapping her arms around me.

"your children are here too" matt scoffs, she wraps her other arm around matt nick and chris, squeezing us all together. the sweet smell of her floral perfume flooding my nostrils.

"come in! come in." she hurrys us inside, the kitchen has my older brother and younger sister in it, roaming through the pantry. the dining room has tens of adults around all chatting happily around the table.

"look whos here!" jimmy calls out from the dining table, everyones heads snap up to me and chris. dramatic hollers come from the people round the table, chris and i burst into laughter.

“come! come sit” my mother smiles widely, tapping the two seats left for chris and i. i look over at chris and flash him a quick smile before sitting down

chris sits down right next to me, our shoulders brushing briefly.

"its been so long! hows molly?" i ask, molly is my dog. shes getting old but shes my childhood dog.

"oh shes doing great, you know still limping but we took her to the vet a couple weeks ago." my mom replies with a small sigh,

"anyways- and chris! i've missed you darling congratulations on 1 year! hows that youtube going?" she continues, looking up at chris with a wide grin.

"thank you! it's going great thank you, my career now- yeah!" chris speaks, his hands resting comfortably on his lap.

"ahh- youtube i remember when you were just starting a couple years ago!" my dad laughs, before chris and i dated we were friends since high school. my dad always loved chris, he says that chris is a 'sweet boy'.

all heads on the table turn towards mary lou and my cousin james, bringing over several dishes to the table.

"this looks awesome thank you." matt smiles up at mary lou.

i look over at chris, who is now shifting in his seat. he locks eyes with me and instantly breaks eye contact, looking down at his lap.

i serve up some food on my plate,

suddenly i feel chris's hand on my thigh as he talks to one of my cousins, his long fingers trace small circles on my inner thigh under the table.

i stab my fork into the cabbage on my plate, glaring over at chris as he happily chats with various members of my family while his fingers slowly shift up my thigh.

he drags his fingers just under the hem of my dress, i can feel myself growing more sexually frustrated, my panties dampening by the second. his pinky lightly grazes my panties.

"chris." i whisper, he turns to me with an innocent face and a small head tilt.

as soon as he wraps up the conversation with my cousin he leans over, his lips just below my ear before he whispers subtly

"you're gonna excuse yourself to the bathroom and i'm going to meet you there in a minute okay?"

i nod, squeezing my thighs together.

"i'm just going to pop to the bathroom" i smile warmly at my parents like my boyfriend wasn't just teasing me under the table.

i scoot my chair back and stand up, swiftly walking upstairs and taking the first door into the large bathroom.

the walls in chris's parents house are paper thin, last time i was hear i could hear conversations from each bedroom clearly, so now i hear chris making up a lame excuse to meet me up here.

"hey- i don't know if y/n's feeling very well she was nauseous on the way here" he lies through his teeth "i'm going to go check up on her." chris says, i hear his chair shift before footsteps running up here.

he swings open the door with a stupid smile. "yes?" i say with a roll of my eyes.

he walks over to me, grabbing my ass and lifting me up onto the marble countertop. my back presses against the mirror as chris steps between my legs.

I spread my legs apart, causing my dress to ride up my thighs revealing a portion of my panties.

"fucking soaked." chris scoffs, my face flushes as he tugs down my panties to my ankles before putting them in his pocket. he fidgets with the belt of his jeans, letting it drop down followed by his jean.

"if you. make a sound. i will stop completely." chris speaks sternly, i nod, sinking my top teeth into my bottom lip.

"good girl." chris says, rubbing my cheek before lining himself up with me.

he pushes his tip inside of me, observing my face. he slowly gives me more, i shake my head as i press my lips together.

chris is big, its a known fact and it's almost impossible to stay silent when he pounds into me.

"you can take it, i know you can" chris mutters, bottoming out. i arch my back, breathing heavily.

he starts to thrust into me, his hands gripping the plush of my hips. the thrusts grow faster and harder, we both know we don't have all the time in the world so hes desperate to make me cum, and to cum himself.

the angle we're in allows him to repeatedly hit my g-spot.

"fuck!" i moan out, before i can even finish the word chris's hand is plastered over my mouth.

he presses two fingers into my mouth to shut me up.

i whine against his fingers, squeezing my eyes shut as i shift all over the countertop. shortly after my legs start to shake, i feel myself growing so close to my orgasm.

his hand that was on my hip moves to my lower stomach, pressing lightly. i look down, theres a clear stomach bulge.

"you feel me right there sweetheart?" chris breathes, i throw my head back with a frantic nod. he continues to press on my stomach.

i wrap my legs around his back before clenching harshly around him. i squeeze my eyes shut as i fight back all noises that are begging to leave my mouth.

my orgasm crashes over me, chris chuckles lightly before pulling out. he releases into his hand as he throws his head back.

we stay still for a couple seconds, i look down at his hand that he just released in

"gross!" i tease,

"hey it was this or on your dress so i took the practical option." chris replies, i stick up a finger and repeat what he said in a nerdy tone.

i flop down off the countertop, tugging down my dress and reaching into his pocket, digging around for my panties.

i pull them out of his pocket and slide them up my legs, chris washes his hands and redresses himself.

"that was.. hot." i breathe out, unlocking the door to the bathroom.

chris follows close behind me down the stairs, all heads turn to us.

shit. were we too loud?

"oh no! y/n were you sick?" mary lou says with a small pout. i hesitate for a second

"your hair is all messed up and you're absolutely flushed! your red!" my mother adds on,

i look over at chris who has his hands in his pockets awkwardly.

"yeah- i'm sorry guys i threw up in there" i lie with a fake sigh

truthfully, i wasn't sick. i just couldn't tell my whole family that my boyfriend was just balls deep inside of me right upstairs.

----------------

@luanetaluenta @sturnsssbow @mattfangirl @luvr4miya @luvtay111 @lolasturniolo @freshloveforthefit @ruedowney @lovingchrissposts @333michelle @h3arts4harry @sonicmacks @jamiesturniolo @chrisstopherfilmed @itzdarling @sturniolo-simp4life @daddyslilchickenfingers2 @recklessmatt @ev3rgreenxtrees @lovergirl4387 @certifiednatelover @solarsturniolo @mattsenthusiast @yomamaslays4lyfe @peachmels @alinaa131 @pepsiluvr0209 @creamoncreamoncream2 @szobofc @mattscoquette @blahbell668 @sturniolo04 @ecilphttlunar @pkfferoo @bitchydragonparadise @thematthewlover @sturni0l0 @ratatioulle

[blackknight-kai]

Hi! Can I request a reader x Wukong or Destined one nsfw headcanons about the reader admitting they are into rougher things like manhandling, hair tugging andbiting?

Oooo okay! I think these two would differ a bit for sure. I’ll give this my best shot! I think if this was something you were into both of them would be down and fairly into it themselves. This can be seen as “once in a while” or “all the time” depending on your preferences!! I left it Gen Neutral :)

I personally head canon him, (DO/SW), as obviously intelligent and such but that he has some instinctual tendencies too from his animal nature that sometimes come out in moments like these. So expect some growling / chest rumbles. Slipping deeply into instincts on accident that kinda thing. NSFW WARNING MINORS DNI!!

Destined One:

- [ ] Would be hesitant at first mainly because it’s new

- [ ] I feel like (personally) he never gave sex and stuff much importance, his journey being top priority. So anything new added here is exciting but also nerve wracking - he’d only show that with his tail twitching nervously though

- [ ] Definitely into it and has thought about it before. He might have accidentally bitten you in the middle of sex before or almost did.

- [ ] Especially into it when he sees how into it you are. This would again reflect in his tail swishing with interest and his eyes narrowing and heavy breathing.

- [ ] Might need a little reassurance at first and would check in.

- [ ] Very conscious of how much strength he’s using at all times. Hes strong and wouldn’t want to truly hurt you.

- [ ] But, once he’s comfortable? Hes locked in.

- [ ] He’s going to pay attention to you and how you react so he’s going to know exactly how hard you like it. And exactly how much you can take fairly quickly.

- [ ] His instincts might come into play regularly too, wanting to mark you with bites or grazing your skin with his claws.

- [ ] He will leave finger bruises on your hips, thighs, wrists, etc from how tightly he’d hold on especially if he loses himself a bit to his animal nature. His grip on your body sometimes being almost too strong.

- [ ] Hes a biter. Once given the go ahead he’s definitely taking advantage of it because he craves nipping your skin or biting you as he orgasms. Especially if it makes you tighten up on him. He REALLY loves your neck, shoulders, and thighs.

- [ ] If he’s particularly amped up from you teasing him too much he might bite your asscheek so you have to feel it every time you sit down. The corner of his mouth would lift up in just barely a knowing smirk as you shift uncomfortably.

- [ ] Your hair will be pulled so he can have better access to your neck and shoulders for licking and biting.

- [ ] Would definitely grunt and curse under his breath right next to your ear as he nips it, pulling your head back by your hair.

- [ ] Biting would be controlled for the most part, he may accidentally bite too hard if hes too absorbed in his pleasure so he always tries to pay attention. But you probably have at least 1 bite mark that he licks and nips possessively when he can.

- [ ] He WILL manhandle you. There is a quiet dominance to him, if you tease him too much or he’s pent up OR hes got too much adrenaline going from a fight? Expect to be thrown over his shoulder without so much as a warning and taken to somewhere HE deems safe and private enough to have you. Even if that’s HIGH up in a tree.

- [ ] Will put you into whatever position he wants if you dont specify first or tell him you want something specific. Remember he is STRONG and can hold your weight easily.

- [ ] If you let him he will fuck you HARD - again especially if he loses himself to his instincts. His thrusts will be rough and demanding. Expect to orgasm as much as he can make you until he himself is done.

- [ ] Will always check though just before to make sure you’re still okay with the rough treatment, might have a specific look or uses a few words to make sure.

- [ ] He wants to hear you! So he will do what he can to make sure you’re loud for him.

- [ ] So soooo gentle with after care. He’d make sure to caress you softly and help you clean up. His tail would wrap around you comfortingly so you know he’s there as he takes care of you. Would cuddle you and hold you close to him as he gently kisses your skin.

Wukong

- [ ] Alight you asked for it. Literally. Be prepared.

- [ ] He is going to tease you. It that, “oh ho ho, cant get enough of me huh?” Kinda ways - his tail would swish with excitement though betraying his ‘cool’ attitude.

- [ ] Wukong has been around a long time, so he’d have impeccable control in certain situations with his strength and I feel like he’d FIND that control here. He does not want to hurt you. Ever.

- [ ] But.

- [ ] I feel like he would push your buttons. And I dont mean he’d want you to safe word all the time or something. He isnt toxic that way. But he is going to push you to find your limits so he can make it the best for you every time.

- [ ] At first he’d probably be a bit light on you, over time gaining more confidence in you and himself (which hed never admit that he was nervous about possibly hurting you).

- [ ] He’s gonna coo at you and tease you all fucking night as you guys are going at it though.

- [ ] VOCAL. Does NOT shut the hell up. His mouth is FILTHY.

- [ ] Wukong will know your body and he is going to know it well.

- [ ] Expect your hair to be pulled and your head turned this way and that as he teases you and talks to you.

- [ ] The way you tighten up on him and moan as he pulls on your hair pleases him and hed make sure to experience that often enough.

- [ ] Outside of sex hes gonna pull your hair just to fuck with you (edge you) or make you impatient.

- [ ] He is going to suck, nip, and lick you from your toes to your head.

- [ ] Your nipples are going to be his fav to nip/suck at and pull at with his fangs (not too hard of course)

- [ ] You 100% have a scar from him biting you somewhere on your body that he will touch randomly because no one else but HIM & you knows it’s there.

- [ ] Might bite the back of your neck to keep you in place just before he orgasms even though his hands are keeping you in place as he fucks you so damn hard. His tail would be wild here LOL

- [ ] Your chest and thighs are LITTERED with bites and bruises from him sucking on your skin. If your on your knees/pressed down face first your back doesnt escape his mouth.

- [ ] Your leg also might wear a mark from his tail wrapping around you so tightly.

- [ ] He is careful with his claws - but on the off chance he loses himself to his instincts OR you say its okay, he might dig them in a little too hard and now you have ten little scares on your skin.

- [ ] He is a KING. He is going to move you exactly where he wants you. Don’t forget how strong he is and how much control he has over it.

- [ ] He will contort you as he sees fit as his hips slam into you over and over. Your weight is NOTHING to him.

- [ ] Might listen to your request for a position but he will make you ask for it multiple times or hed take his time and THEN get to what you wanted from him.

- [ ] Outside of sex if you push him too much or tease him too far he’s going to smile wide, fangs on display before carrying you off - dont mistake this though he will make you scream for him and wont give two fucks who hears you. The sight of you though is for his eyes only.

- [ ] Your ass? Hah. It’s going to be bright red with HIS handprints.

- [ ] Later he’s going to brush his tail across your ass as you walk (wobble LOL) just to watch you shudder from being so raw and sensitive.

- [ ] Expect to be done when he says you’re done. He demands your pleasure. It’s not a request. DEMANDS you give him as much as you can. Orgasm city if he can help it and time allows.

- [ ] He will be so good to you after and will make sure to pamper his mate like any king would. In moments like these he’s especially tender and would make sure to rub you down and get you water. He’d lick any wounds he made (and tend to them). Praise you, all that lovely stuff! His tail would brush up and down your skin soothingly and comfortingly.

[escaping-samsara]

No-Nylon Sock Yarn

This might be the hardest task for knitting without plastic. I’ve gone to some local stores and snooped around online looking for sock yarn and every time I do I get the same canned response.

“You know those will wear out, right?”

It’s easy to find 100% wool yarn, even non-superwash (yes superwash yarn contains plastic), but you’ll be darning them often if you wear them very much.

So is it fruitless? Well no, there are non-plastic alternatives to nylon that can give a yarn strength, such as mohair and silk. There are construction techniques too that a good sock yarn should have regardless. High ply-count and longer fiber strands, for example. BFL wool is notorious for its longer staple length, so does corriedale and targhee. And if the ply is 4 or more it will make for a better sock yarn foundation.

The most trouble I’ve run into now has been finding yarns that can fit this bill.

I’ve spent the past week trawling through Ravelry’s advance search for yarn, and the process has been slow and insightful. The more particular I search, “silk OR mohair, AND wool, AND NO manufactured fibers, 4-ply OR 5-ply+, AND NO superwash, AND not discontinued”, the less results I get. But still, there are results.

One would expect, with a search this tailored, you’d have at least a list of options, but I’ve still hit roadblocks. These come in two main forms: insufficient tagging or unavailable for purchase.

I cannot count how many times I’ve found a yarn that got me excited, only to click on the about page and read “80% SW Wool”. ‘SW’ meaning superwash. Or even worse, no mention of superwash on the about page, and then finding out the yarn is in fact superwash when I went to a retail listing. It makes me ask, if you’re using superwash wool, why not tag that as part of the care instructions so it can be searched through Ravelry? Why use superwash wool at all if you’re just going to recommend people handwash only?

The other pitfall is that these small dyers (as the majority of them are) don’t have the stock or have all together discontinued dying, yet haven’t updated their yarn’s about page to show it’s no longer available. Or, equally sad, when there’s simply no buying option available at all. Ravelry doesn’t always find every online store, so I try to look up the producer by name, and this sometimes gets me to an Etsy shop--But still, some yarns just seem to exist on their about page but nowhere else.

Still, I’ve managed to make a short list of yarns that pass the inspection and have some method for purchase. And honestly, all you need is one good product line for a lifetime of knitting if it fits all the bills. But I look at the number of yarns I could otherwise choose but are now discontinued (1/4th of them!) and wonder how long my current list will last.

So remember to support small dyers and yarn makers, and do your due diligence to make sure you’re getting the right product.

[thevoicefromanotherworld]

"YOU REALLY WANT ME TO...?"

I WROTE ANOTHER FIC WITH DAVE

I hope you like it! 😊🖤

Dave walked into the reading room of your bookstore and was fascinated by the sheer number of comics there.

You smiled at the excited expression on his face, and when he saw you looking at him, he turned to you, his cheeks flushed.

"Thanks for i-inviting me," he stammered nervously for a moment. "The comic collection you have here is really cool."

"I know," you smiled. "It's one of the reasons I wanted to work here," you whispered. "I come here to read during my lunch breaks."

"It's an amazing place," he cleared his throat. "I-I like your t-shirt," he commented.

You looked down at your t-shirt with the Captain America shield in the center.

"Thanks," you smiled, and he felt like he was going to faint.

"God, you're so pretty," he blurted out suddenly, making you tilt your head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I don't know why… I didn't mean to…" He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Calm down, it's okay," you assured him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound weird or anything. It's just… you… I… I really didn't mean to say it like that." He rubbed his eyes under his glasses. "God, I've messed up, haven't I?"

"I wouldn't say that," you whispered. "Why do you think you're here, Dave?"

"For the book club you've…" He stopped, realizing, "organized for the two of us. Just the two of us," he clarified. "Shit, I'm an idiot," he blurted out. "Although I must say the book is long and a bit complicated. It's 900 pages, and I didn't understand the first half."

"Did you like it?" You asked, interested

"Yes," he murmured timidly. "Why am I here, Y/N?"

"You've been watching me for a while," you began tentatively, "and I wanted to talk to you about it."

"About what?"

"About your feelings for me," you said, very confidently, making him blush even more.

"I-I don't know what you mean," he defended himself. "I was looking at you because you're out of my league," he confessed. "My friends say I have a knack for choosing people I couldn't stand a chance with."

"Who told you you don't stand a chance with me?" you questioned, making him look at you with wide eyes.

"No one… I guess," he murmured thoughtfully. "It's just that you and I… I don't think it would work out."

"Why?"

"Because you're the popular girl all the boys want to ask to the prom," he gave a sad smile, "and I'm the class weirdo everyone only remembers to ask for their homework," he explained. "Admit it, we're from different worlds

"We go to the same school, Dave," you reminded him, laughing, "and as far as I know, we're both on planet Earth, right?"

"Well… yes, but…"

"Which means we're both in the same world," you concluded. "You'll have to come up with other arguments."

"I didn't make anything up," he assured you. "I thought you only talked to me about the comics and because we're in the same class," he whispered. "Do you…?"

"Kiss me, Dave."

"What?"

"Kiss me," you repeated. He laughed.

"I get it, it's a test, right?" "He smiled. "In that case, I won't fall for it," he affirmed. "I know you like first editions." He looked at the shelves. "I'm sure several of those are, especially the bestsellers…"

"Dave," you interrupted gently, making him look at you shyly. "This isn't a test"

"Does that mean y-you really w-want me to…"

"Yes," you affirmed, causing him to shake his head nervously.

"II-I n-never…"

"It's fine," you reassured him. "Why don't you sit here, closer to me?" you offered.

He, without a second thought, sat down in the seat next to you.

You studied him for a few moments, and he did the same with you.

You traced the curve of his cheek with your fingers, causing him to tense for a moment under your touch.

"Your eyes…" you whispered. "They're beautiful."

"Thank you, I suppose?" "I don't know what to say to that," he blurted out, blushing.

"You don't have to answer everything I ask if you don't want to, Dave," you smiled, and he nodded, making the red in his cheeks deepen.

"Sure, s-sorry, I'm just…," he swallowed hard, "very nervous."

"You don't have to be," you whispered. "I'll take care of you."

His gaze focused intensely on yours, his eyes slowly scanning your face, as if he didn't want to look at you too much but at the same time didn't want to stop.

"I want to kiss you," he blurted out suddenly, "but c-can we start s-slowly, please?"

"Of course, we're in no rush," you assured him with a flirtatious smile.

He slowly moved closer to you, placing his lips on yours.

You felt him tilt his head to deepen the kiss.

You placed your arms around his neck, causing him to murmur something against your mouth as you tangled your fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.

Then he suddenly pulled away, causing you to look at him closely.

"Are you okay?" you asked. He nodded shyly.

"Yeah, it's just…" he swallowed hard. "I think I-I'm…" he licked his lips. "I think I'm in love with you."

"Oh my god, you're adorable," you whispered, causing him to turn back. he was about to blush - I'm in love with you too - you murmured, kissing him again -

[sea-grunks-dating-sim]

Are there going to be any other side characters that would be included as side/background characters in the game? And if so are they going be drawn? Cuz something that kind of bothered me about "swooning over stans" was that most background characters weren't drawn at all, kind of just left us just with an empty background artwork while we clicked through the text as we were talking to Dan for example which made me feel like it was unnecessary to have it there when he wasn't drawn even though despite it was a wholesome interaction I've had with him. Even Blubs and Daryl weren't drawn despite the fact they felt like side characters as Mabel and Dipper. I don't think you would need to draw multiple expressions or need to draw every single character I have to remember that we are in the middle of nowhere on the ocean so idk maybe this question was pointless. I still love swooning over Stans but it does have its flaws

Yes, there will be side characters--but not from the show!

We have three characters that will have basic sprites. (I'm so excited to share them with you all when they show up in future chapters 🤭) Other side characters that only have a few lines won't have sprites.

And that's so valid to feel that way!/gen. It can break the immersion to dialogue with a character we can't see on the screen--especially one we're meant to have a meaningful moment with! 💙

I will say, though: in Swooning Over Stans' defense, sprites are quite the hassle to create! 😂/lh/pos. For reference, it takes me around 1-2 hours for each SWS sprite. For SOS' sprite artist, Kiki, their process was much more intense than mine is. But as a player, I totally get what you mean! <3

TLDR: In Sailing with Stans, the side characters we have meaningful conversations with will have sprites!

Thank you so much for your question, and for supporting the game! :D💙

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

So I definitely just pulled this theory out of my ass but do you think it’s possible Serena Williams felt sidelined by Kate, who is Wimbledon patron, choosing to be more friendly with someone like Roger Federer?

According to rumours and leaks, Kate at Wimbledon is always a super exciting day and she is more focused on the staff than on the players (maybe to not be accused of showing preferences), but many people have said how amazing is her.

So, it was obvious that Serena was a fan of Kate, she was gushing about her being a ‘badass for posing outside the hospital just hours after giving birth’ and I remember that Snapchat video she has with Sophie and Catherine, so she was definitely a fan. And I don’t think Catherine was ‘rude’ and avoided her or else, but she is super careful with who she befriends with , and James Middleton wrote in his book that they have been very good friends with the Federers since years ago, it’s so close their bond that James wrote that he used to lend his dogs to them when they were in London because Roger and Mirka wanted to see if their children were already prepared for a puppy.

So I don’t think Kate didn’t want to be friends with SW and prefered Roger. But she had years and years of knowing him and being bestie with Roger, and all the Middleton are friends with him, that’s why Roger played with George, that’s why he, his wife and their children have gone to KP, that’s why they have been pictured going to a restaurant with Mike and Carole, etc.,. So, maybe there was never this opportunity to going out with Serena and because it’s not so common for Kate to befriend with every player 🤷🏻‍♀️. Pippa once did something with Djokovic and the Midds and Kate started talking and joking more with him, but that didn’t developed on a friendship. In the early 2000’s, Kate used to attend the Wimbledon parties that Virgin mobile organized, an in such parties she was seen with Sharapova and that didn’t mean she ended being bestie with her, so…..

Also, let’s not forget that Wimbledon sees Roger as their child, the goat, etc., so, more opportunities for Catherine to work more with him and develop such friendship.

I think the other thing at play here too is that Serena doesn't spend a lot of time in the UK. Serena typically only seems to be in the UK specifically to play Wimbledon whereas the others seem to go to the UK often to the point where they can have friendlier or more social interactions with Kate because it isn't always about work/playing Wimbledon.

Serena to me has more of an association with the US Open and the Olympics, kinda like how Federer is closely linked to Wimbledon. Since neither the US Open or the Olympics are Kate's purview, their paths don't usually cross in a way that allows for a social relationship to develop.

And that's ok. Sometimes work connections develop into more meaningful, personal relationships and sometimes they don't. Serena may have wanted to be closer friends with Kate, but Serena isn't Meghan or emotionally-stunted-at-age-12; she's a level-headed businesswoman who understands you can't force a relationship with someone you're never in proximity to outside of an annual work event.

[blackkatmagic]

If we've been told who Jaster's spouse is in eastward & moonlight, I don't remember it, so my brain is now convinced (for no apparent reason) that it is Savage, and furthermore that this is the nightbrother whom Fox has previously met dressed in, uhhhh, something less than modest. Which would be a wonderful but confusing surprise for poor Agen when he finds out. (I am excited for whatever direction you take us, this is probably a completely wrong guess, I am just having fun along the way!)

Asdfkjds spoilers below warning for anyone who wants to keep it a mystery but:

You're correct! It is indeed Savage.

A while ago I promised that if someone figured it out before the reveal posted I would update any SW fic of their choosing, and I'm willing to hold to that if there's a fic you particularly want to see more of.

[gyeomsweetgyeom]

[4:51 pm]

Everyone who worked for CEO!Johnny could say he was a good boss. He knew every single one of his employees names from the interns to the mailmen that came in on a regular basis. He was friendly and never found the small talk with his peers to be annoying since he was usually the one to initiate it. He had even told his employees to simply call him John, no titles, just John. He was so friendly and open to being there for his employees that he had taken to removing the door from his office for some reason no one could remember.

Despite how friendly he was, he was also a very private man. He loved to learn and hear about his peers' lives, but very rarely shared personal information about himself. They knew where he went to school because he had his degrees up on his walls, but besides that there was nothing. His office was minimally decorated, no personal wallpaper on his computer, and they never heard him take personal calls. They had guessed he had friends just because he was so friendly it would be weird if he didn't. They had also guessed that a guy as good as he was would have to be taken.

Everyone in the office had their own theories. Maybe he had a college love that he was hung up on, maybe he was dating a celebrity and had to keep the details to himself, but the most popular theory involved you. You were on the board of a company that regularly worked with Johnny's company, so you were in and out of the building at least a few times a month.

A lot of the office wondered when you two would get together. Every time you came in Johnny seemed happier, more smiley, and laughing more. He took you out to lunch regularly which he never did with any other person from your company that came in. Some people had even sworn they had heard Johnny on the phone with you a couple times, his personal cellphone, talking about something besides work. Thus, a bet was started among the employees about when or even if the two of you would get together. The winning pot was big, with three of the main groups having already lost because after a month, 3 months, and 5 months there seemed to be no changes or confirmation between the two of you.

Today, the air felt different, the 6 month betters were more excited than ever for some reason they couldn't explain. Today, you were coming in for a meeting, and there was just some electricity in the air that they couldn't describe.

No one would be able to dispute that there was a serious lack of work being done while you and Johnny were in the conference room which was thankfully had glass walls. The noticed the smiles you both sent at each other, laughs that had to have been over something else besides the paperwork you were both looking over. Then there was the goldmine, the jackpot, a single lingering touch of your hands as you slid the file back in Johnny's direction.

There were whispers that the prize pool had just been won, and they only got louder as Johnny led you out of the office with a hand at the small of your back.

"I'll see you at home," you told him quietly as you both walked toward the elevator.

"Home?!" Johnny's secretary screeched.

You both froze mid-stride to look at her, taking notice of all the anticipated pairs of eyes that were locked on the both of you. Johnny lets out a surprised chuckle, “Yes, we live together.”

“Since when?” Another surprised voice calls out.

“Since shortly after we got engaged,” you reply calmly.

“You’re engaged?!” Various voices scream.

Johnny laughs heartily, “We’ve been married for four years. Why are you all acting surprised?”

“Nobody knew, we’ve had a bet going on for almost six months,” Johnny’s secretary replies while running a hand over her face.

“Dude- sorry, John. How could you not tell us?” An intern asks.

“I thought it was obvious. There’s a picture from our wedding day on my desk and I wear a wedding band,” Johnny shrugs shyly.

You quickly slap Johnny’s shoulder, “That wallet sized picture John?! How are they meant to see that?”

“I swear I said something before,” he pauses, “I told my last secretary… who retired at the start of the year. My bad guys.”

“Well, Johnny will make sure that he matches the prize pool with end of year bonuses. I’ll see you all soon, and see you at home. We’re going to have a nice chat,” you smile at the office, narrowing your eyes at your husband before you continue on your way to the elevator.

Johnny sighs, running a hand through his hair, “Thanks a lot guys. Wish I had a door to slam right now, do you know how long the waitlist is at our favorite restaurant is so I can fix this the right way? Two months. Can you let me in on the plan in advance next time?”

“We’re not going to bet on you finding romance as a married man, can you let us get to work now?” Another intern asks.

“As if you were working during that meeting we just had, forget about those bonuses now,” Johnny smirks.

His secretary smiles menacingly, “Then forget about that chat at home being short, I have backup now. And don’t forget who makes those reservations at your favorite restaurant.”

[seriiousgiirl]

𝕭𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝕴𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖎𝖓𝖊.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ݁𝓛𝓸𝓻𝓭!𝓐𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝔁 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻 — 𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝐼𝐼𝐼⊹ ₊ ݁.

❛ You lied to me! I did. You poisoned me! I did. You said you loved me! I do. ❜

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ݁𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔫𝔱. ⊹ ₊ ݁. regency!au, strangers to lovers, slow burn, tension, mutual pining, angst, smut will happen later, age difference, forced marriage, gothic setting.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 4 . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

The room was a flurry of activity as you stood before your mirror, the soft glow of candlelight illuminating your reflection. Your maid, Eliza, bustled around, fastening the intricate buttons of your gown and adjusting the delicate lace that adorned your sleeves. The dress was a light lilac shade, a colour that highlighted your eyes and complemented your skin, making you feel both elegant and beautiful.

Eliza stepped back, surveying her work with a critical eye. "You look stunning, Miss Y/n," she said with a smile, smoothing out an imaginary wrinkle on the gown. "Lord Ancunin won't be able to take his eyes off you."

You blushed at the mention of Astarion, the enigmatic viscount who had saved you in the dark streets of Baldur's Gate and had since captured your thoughts. "Thank you, Eliza," you murmured, adjusting a strand of hair that had escaped its pin. "I hope tonight goes well."

Eliza leaned in slightly, a conspiratorial smile on her lips. "Are you excited to see him tonight? Lord Ancunin, I mean?" Your cheeks warmed further. "I suppose I am," you admitted. "He has been quite kind."

Eliza chuckled softly. "Kind? More like charming. Everyone is talking about you two already. They say he hasn't shown this much interest in anyone since he arrived."

Your heart fluttered at her words, though you tried to maintain a composed exterior. "People do love to gossip," you replied, though the thought of being the centre of such talk made your pulse quicken.

Eliza's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Well, tonight will certainly give them something to talk about. Just be yourself, Miss Y/n. You have a way of captivating people."

You smiled, touched by her words. "Thank you, Eliza. I will try." With a final adjustment to your gown, Eliza stepped back, giving you an encouraging nod. "Now, go and make a lasting impression."

As you turned back to the mirror, the door creaked open, and your mother entered the room. Her gaze swept over you, her expression uncharacteristically soft. "You look lovely, absolutely stunning, Y/n," she said, her voice lacking its usual cold edge. "Remember to carry yourself with grace and poise tonight. It's important to make a good impression."

You felt a mix of pride and anxiety at your mother's rare approval. "Thank you, Mother," you replied, forcing a smile. "I will do my best."

She handed you a folded piece of paper, her eyes glinting with determination. "Remember, a lady must always be composed and elegant. Smile, but not too much. Speak, but listen more—men love when they are the ones leading the conversation, especially the rich ones. And most importantly, make sure to dance with as many suitable gentlemen as possible. I made you a list already. This ball is a crucial opportunity for us."

You unfolded the list, scanning the names with a growing sense of dread. The name of Astarion was nowhere to be seen. You tried to hide your disappointment, forcing a smile as you nodded. "I understand."

Your mother's eyes softened for a brief moment, and she gently cupped your cheek. "I know you do. I just want what's best for you, my dear." With a final adjustment to your gown, Lady Thornfield stepped back, her usual composed demeanour returning. "Now, go and make us proud."

You took a deep breath, the excitement and anxiety of the evening swirling within you. You knew the importance of the ball—not just as a social event, but as a chance to secure your family's future. As you descended the grand staircase, you resolved to face the night with grace and confidence, hoping that amid the glittering chandeliers and swirling gowns, you might find the path to your own happiness.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

The carriage ride to the ball seemed to stretch on forever, the oppressive tightness of your corset growing more uncomfortable with each passing moment. You held your breath as the carriage finally drew to a halt in front of the grandiose mansion, its windows aglow with the warm light of chandeliers. The sound of music and laughter drifted out, mingling with the crisp night air.

Your mother stepped out first, her posture as regal as ever, before turning to offer you a hand. "Remember, Y/n, tonight is about making the right connections," she reminded you, her eyes sharp with purpose.

As you stepped out of the carriage, the tightness of your corset seemed to constrict even more. You took a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves. The mansion before you was even more magnificent than you had imagined, with towering columns and grand archways adorned with flowers. The entrance was a bustle of elegantly dressed guests, their laughter and conversation filling the air.

Lady Thornfield wasted no time, her demeanour transforming into one of social grace as she greeted acquaintances she had made in the short span of your stay in Baldur’s Gate. You followed closely behind, feeling like a prized possession on display.

"Ah, Lady Thornfield, how wonderful to see you," a portly gentleman exclaimed, bowing slightly as he kissed your mother's gloved hand. "And this must be your lovely daughter."

You offered a polite smile as the gentleman's gaze lingered on you. "A pleasure to meet you, sir," you said, curtsying as was expected.

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied, his eyes appraising you with a familiarity that made your skin crawl. "I must say, you are even more enchanting than the rumours suggested."

"Thank you, sir," you replied, trying to mask your discomfort. "It is a lovely evening, is it not?"

"Indeed it is," he said, his eyes never leaving you. "I hope we will have the chance to speak further later."

As you moved further into the room, you were greeted by a series of gentlemen, each one more eager than the last to gain your favour. Their eyes followed you, making you feel like a coveted prize in a trophy collection. 

"Miss Y/n, may I have this dance?" a young man asked, extending his hand toward you. He had a charming smile, but there was something calculating in his eyes.

You glanced at your mother, who gave a barely perceptible nod of approval. "Of course," you replied, placing your hand in his.

As you were led to the dance floor, the young man introduced himself. "I am Sir Reginald Hartwell," he said with a slight bow. "Your beauty outshines even the most radiant of jewels tonight."

"Thank you, Sir Reginald," you replied, trying to keep your tone light and pleasant. "You are very kind."

The dance began, and as you moved through the steps, Sir Reginald kept up a steady stream of conversation, mostly about his own accomplishments and the size of his estate. You nodded and smiled in the right places, but your mind was elsewhere, scanning the room for a certain pale gentleman.

"Tell me, Miss Y/n," Sir Reginald said, leaning in slightly, "what are your interests? Surely a lady as captivating as yourself has many."

You hesitated, not wanting to reveal too much. "I enjoy reading and spending time in nature," you said simply.

"Ah, a lady of refined tastes," he said with a smile. "Perhaps we could discuss literature sometime. I have quite an extensive library."

"That sounds lovely," you replied, though you couldn't muster much enthusiasm. As the dance came to an end, you curtsied and thanked him for the dance, relieved to have a moment to yourself.

As you moved back towards your mother, another gentleman intercepted you. "Miss Y/n, a moment of your time, if you please?" His voice was smooth, his manner confident.

"Of course," you said, forcing another smile. "And you are?"

"Lord Percival Hastings," he said, taking your hand and bowing over it. "I must say, you are the talk of the evening. Everyone is eager to make your acquaintance."

"That is very flattering, Lord Hastings," you replied, trying to hide your growing fatigue.

As he engaged you in conversation, you found yourself answering the same questions over and over—about your family, your interests, your thoughts on Baldur's Gate. It was exhausting, and you felt like you were being assessed, weighed, and measured against some invisible standard.

And just as you were thinking that there was no use staying at this ball, suddenly, there was a burst of noise—a mix of female giggling and excited chatter—that caught everyone's attention. You turned towards the source, curiosity piqued. The crowd seemed to part slightly, and then, finally, you saw him.

Astarion.

He looked even more handsome than you remembered, his presence commanding the room effortlessly. His curly hair was perfectly in place, the soft ringlets framing his chiselled and precious features. His wine eyes, sharp and discerning, scanned the room with an intensity that made your heart skip a beat. 

But it was his outfit that truly took your breath away.

The fabric was rich and luxurious, and the shade of lilac was unmistakably the exact same as your dress. It was as if the two of you were coordinated, a silent, unspoken connection that set you apart from the rest of the crowd. The realisation sent a thrill through you.

Astarion caught sight of you, and for a brief moment, his eyes softened ever so slightly. However, his attention was quickly diverted by one of the girls at his arm, who was giggling and asking where he had found such a beautiful outfit for the evening.

"Oh, this old thing?" he replied vaguely, with a charming smile that seemed to mesmerise her. "Just a little something I had made. I'm glad you like it." Mothers and daughters surrounded him like bees to the most beautiful flower, each vying for his attention. The mothers presented their daughters with hopeful eyes, subtly nudging them forward, each one hoping to catch his favour.

"Lord Ancunin, have you met my daughter? She would be delighted to have a dance with you tonight," one mother said, her voice filled with eagerness. "And this is my daughter," another chimed in, gently pushing her blushing daughter forward. "She's been looking forward to this ball for weeks."

Astarion smiled graciously, his eyes flitting between the eager faces around him. "Ladies, it would be my absolute pleasure to mingle with such charming company tonight," he replied, his tone smooth and diplomatic. "However, I must leave my dance card open for now. There are so many wonderful guests to meet."

His words elicited more giggles and whispers of excitement. You watched the scene unfold from a distance, a mixture of admiration and a twinge of disappointment swirling within you. Despite the crowd surrounding him, you couldn't help but feel that your moment with him had been lost.

As Astarion gracefully navigated the attentions of the mothers and their daughters, his charm and elegance made him the centre of attention. It was clear that he was the evening's most sought-after guest, a fact that only heightened the anticipation and excitement of the night.

Your mother appeared beside you, her presence marked by the slight rustling of her gown and the familiar scent of her perfume. She glanced towards Astarion, who was still surrounded by a throng of admirers, and sighed with thinly veiled disapproval.

"Apparently, the man who covets our lands is quite popular," she remarked, her tone sharp. "It seems he enjoys the attention far too much for a gentleman of his supposed standing."

You could sense her irritation, the way her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes narrowed slightly as she observed the scene. It was clear she didn't appreciate Astarion's behaviour, his charm working a bit too well on the crowd for her liking.

"Mother, he’s just being polite," you offered, trying to defuse the situation. "Apparently he's also new in town, after all. It's only natural that people are curious about him."

Your mother's gaze shifted to you, her expression softening momentarily. "Perhaps, but politeness can easily be mistaken for something else in these circles. Remember, Y/n, you are here to secure our family's future, not to indulge in frivolous distractions— like him. "

You nodded, feeling the weight of her expectations once more. "I understand, Mother."

Your mother remained beside you, her gaze still fixed on Astarion as he charmed the crowd. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she leaned closer, her voice low and edged with disapproval. "In any case, he is too old to have children," she said, her tone matter-of-fact. "He won't be a good suitor for you, Y/n. We need someone who can secure our family's future, someone who can give you heirs."

You felt a pang of disappointment at her words. Despite the undeniable charm and the connection you felt with Astarion, your mother's pragmatic concerns cast a shadow over your hopes. You glanced at him again, his elegant figure standing out even amidst the crowd.

"Mother, we don't know how old he truly is," you replied, trying to keep your voice steady. "And he seems to have many qualities that could make him a good match."

Your mother shook her head slightly, her expression firm. "Appearances can be deceiving, my dear. Charm and elegance are not enough to build a secure future. We need someone younger, someone more suitable for a lasting union— a good man, unlike him."

You glanced at your mother, trying to keep your tone measured. "But, you said I would most likely marry the one who will own the lands. If Lord Ancunin is the one making the best offer, shouldn't we consider him?"

Your mother’s eyes narrowed slightly, her expression a mix of annoyance and contemplation. "The deal with Lord Ancunin has not yet been concluded," she replied firmly. "And before any decisions are made, I've asked some qualified people to look into his background. We must ensure he is truly suitable."

You swallowed, trying to hide your frustration.

Her gaze softened just a bit, though her resolve remained. "I only want what's best for you, my dear. We cannot be too careful, especially with someone as enigmatic as Lord Ancunin."

You nodded, though a part of you resisted her logic. "I'll keep your advice in mind."

As the evening stretched even longer, it became clear that the ball wasn't unfolding the way you had hoped. The tension in the air was palpable; Astarion had yet to choose a lady to dance with, and his indecision seemed to heighten the anticipation and anxiety among the guests.

You could hear snippets of conversations around you, some filled with excitement and others with thinly veiled jealousy. One particular group of girls caught your attention. They were clustered together, their eyes darting towards Astarion as they spoke in hushed tones.

"My father has already arranged several dinners with him," she said, her voice carrying a note of pride. "Lord Ancunin and I have gotten along quite well. I'm certain he'll choose me for the first dance. It’s only a matter of time."

"Really?" another girl replied, her tone a mix of admiration and envy. "That's wonderful."

The first girl, her head held high, smiled confidently. "Of course, that’s only natural. Father said Lord Ancunin spoke highly of our estate and seemed quite taken with our traditions. Who knows, perhaps this will be the start of something special."

Your heart sank slightly at her words. The idea of Astarion already being courted by another family, especially one with such connections, felt like a blow. The evening was not turning out as you had envisioned. Instead of the excitement and romance you had hoped for, there was a growing sense of unease and uncertainty.

You glanced over at Astarion. He was still surrounded by admirers, his expression courteous but inscrutable. His eyes flicked around the room, never settling on any one person for too long. You couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking, and whether you had made any impression on him at all.

As the tension in the room reached its peak, Astarion began to excuse himself from the cluster of admirers surrounding him. You watched as the girl next to you eagerly stepped forward, already beginning to accept his offer with gracious enthusiasm.

But then, to your surprise, Astarion's attention shifted. His gaze found yours, and his lips curved into a slight smile as he turned towards you, his movements graceful and deliberate. The room seemed to fall into a hushed silence as he approached, his eyes never leaving yours.

With a deep, sweeping bow, Astarion extended his hand towards you, his voice smooth and low. "Miss Y/n, would you do me the honour of a dance?"

Your heart leaped in your chest at his words, a rush of excitement and relief flooding through you. Despite the uncertainty and the whispers of doubt that had clouded the evening, here was Astarion, choosing you above all others. It was a moment that felt like a small victory.

You smiled in response, unable to hide the warmth in your eyes. "I would be delighted, Lord Ancunin."

His lips curved into a charming smile. "Please, darling, I already asked you to call me Astarion."

He led you to the centre of the ballroom, where the orchestra began to play a lilting waltz. As he took you into his arms, you felt a mix of exhilaration and nervousness. His hand was warm and steady against your back, guiding you effortlessly across the dance floor.

"Miss Y/n," he began, his voice like silk. He took your hand, the other on your hip as his eyes never left yours. "You look absolutely stunning tonight. The colour suits you perfectly."

"Thank you, Astarion," you replied, your voice barely above a whisper. The proximity of him, the shared colour of your outfits—it all felt like a dream. "I must say, you look quite dashing yourself. It seems we have a similar taste in colours.."

He chuckled softly, a sound that sent shivers down your spine. "It appears so. Perhaps it is fate, or merely a fortunate coincidence. Either way, I am honoured to be in such perfect harmony with you."

The music swelled around you, and the lights of the chandeliers cast a warm, golden glow over the ballroom.  "You've become quite popular," you said, a playful note in your voice, trying to downplay your earlier jealousy. 

"I didn't realise I would have to compete with so many admirers. I've become quite the target," you said, your voice shaky. "I wonder how many of these admirers would fight to have a dance with you."

Astarion laughed, the sound deep and wicked. "They're all fools, my dear. For they're fighting for what they can't have. This night, my attention..." He leaned down, his breath hot against your neck as his fingers tightened on your hip, "...belongs to you, Y/n— I apologise if I didn’t have the chance to prove it to you when I arrived."

As you danced, the world around you faded away, leaving only the two of you and the music. 

Astarion purred as he intertwined your fingers, tugging you closer. His hot breath ghosted across your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. His other hand gripped your hip, fingers digging in as he moved you to the rhythm of the music. Astarion's voice was low and velvety as he whispered in your ear, his breath sending a delicious shiver down your spine. "After all, I did promise you a dance last time we met."

You gasped, feeling your cheeks flush with heat. The intensity in Astarion's grip and the raw hunger in his voice left you breathless. "You did, Astarion." The way he led you across the floor was confident and rough in a way that was intoxicating. "But this dance... this is far more… passionate than I expected."

Astarion's eyes held yours, the depths of his gaze dark and alluring. "I've been waiting to have you all night, Y/n," he growled, his hand sliding from your hip to your lower back, pulling you flush against him. "I find I'm craving your warmth, your touch."

You shivered, the heat from Astarion's body enveloping you. The way he spoke, the way his lips grazed your ear... it was all overwhelming. "Astarion, I... I'm not sure I can handle much more."

He chuckled, low and wicked. "Is that so? Well, I'm not one to back down from a challenge. Let's see how much more you can take." Ever so subtly, Astarion's hand trailed lower, fingers brushing along your spine before cupping your breast. A gasp escaped your lips, as his thumb found its way on your nipple adding pressure.

The dance floor swirled around you, the other guests mere shadows in the periphery. The music, the lights, the scent of Astarion's cologne—everything was heightened, more intense than you could recall. It felt so scandalous and forbidden to be touched by him like that, but it felt so good, intoxicating even.

"I've noticed you watching me," you confessed, your breath hitching. 

"Is it because you want to see me squirm under the weight of the admirers?" He quipped back, Astarion's smile was wicked. "Oh, my dear Y/n. I've been watching you because all I can think about is how I'd peel off that beautiful gown and have you writhing beneath me— if you'll have me.”

The admission sent a jolt of arousal through you, mingling with the butterflies in your stomach. As if reading your mind, Astarion pulled you closer, his body pressed flush against yours. His hand on your hip tightened, fingers digging in as he moved with reckless abandon.

As the dance came to an end, Astarion placed a lingering kiss on the back of your hand before releasing you from his hold. His eyes shone with an intensity that promised a secret, scandalous adventure. "I'm going to court you, Y/n," he whispered, his voice low and smooth. "I want every breath you take to be filled with anticipation for me. Every step you take, I want you to crave my touch."

You were left breathless by his words, the weight of their implication sinking deep into your bones. Astarion's confession sent a thrill of excitement coursing through you, igniting a fire within that you hadn't realised was there. "I..." you began, your voice barely above a whisper, your heart pounding in your chest. 

"I don't know what to say."

Astarion's gaze held yours, his eyes burning with an intensity that made your pulse quicken. "Say that you'll let me court you," he urged, almost pleading with you, his voice a seductive melody that sent shivers down your spine. There was a daring edge to his words, a promise of adventure and passion that stirred something wild within you. In that moment, you felt a surge of reckless abandon, a desire to throw caution to the wind and follow wherever Astarion led.

"Yes," you breathed, your voice barely audible over the music. "Yes, I'll let you court me."

Astarion's smile was like a bolt of lightning, electrifying and exhilarating all at once. He took your hand in his, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through you. "Good girl, I wasn't expecting less," he whispered.

At that moment, Astarion's courtship filled you with a sense of exhilaration unlike anything you had ever known before— You knew that your life would never be the same again.

The night stretched on, each dance with Astarion feeling like a fleeting moment of bliss in an otherwise chaotic world. As the music swelled around you, you found yourself drawn deeper into conversation with him, the hours slipping away unnoticed.

"You have a talent for dancing," Astarion remarked, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he twirled you gracefully across the ballroom floor.

You couldn't help but laugh, the joy of the moment bubbling up inside you. "I suppose years of practice finally paid off," you teased, the warmth of his hand against yours sending a thrill of excitement through you.

Astarion's smile widened, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Or perhaps it's just my impeccable lead," he countered, his voice low and teasing.

You rolled your eyes playfully, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "I'll give you credit where credit is due," you conceded, the lighthearted banter between you easing any lingering nerves.

As the night wore on, you found yourself drawn deeper into conversation with Astarion, each exchange revealing a new layer of his charm and wit. Topics ranged from the mundane to the profound, and you were captivated by his intelligence and insight.

But just as you were beginning to lose yourself in the spell of the evening, your mother's voice cut through the music like a sharp blade, bringing an abrupt end to your conversation.

"Y/n, it's time to go," she said, her tone firm but tinged with impatience.

You exchanged a disappointed glance with Astarion, the magic of the moment dissipating in an instant. "Must we leave so soon, Mother? The night is still young."

Your mother's lips formed a thin line as she surveyed the scene before her, her eyes lingering on Astarion with a scrutinising gaze. "We have an early start tomorrow, and it wouldn't do for you to be seen lingering too long with only one gentleman."

You sighed inwardly, knowing better than to argue with her. With a reluctant nod, you turned back to Astarion, a flicker of apology in your eyes. "I'm sorry," you murmured, feeling a pang of regret at the sudden end to your evening together.

Astarion offered you a reassuring smile, his gaze soft and understanding. "There will be other nights, Y/n. And I'll be waiting for you." With that, he bowed to you, placing a chaste kiss to your ring finger. 

His words sent a rush of warmth through you, easing the disappointment of the moment. With a final, lingering glance at Astarion, you allowed your mother to lead you away, the memory of the night's enchantment lingering in your mind like a sweet, intoxicating dream.

❛ masterlist ⋅ ao3 ❜

[gffa]

What are your thoughts on the recently-announced Tales of the Empire? Personally, I'm pissed off that they're gonna character assassinate Barriss Offee some more by having her join the Imperial Inquisitorius.

I think it's too soon to tell. Maybe it'll be awful to Barriss, maybe it'll be great to Bariss, but we won't know until it actually airs. I remember when Dave announced the second season, he said he wouldn't be as involved (and I don't know enough about the others, except maybe Carrie Beck, who I recognize from Rebels) and we don't even know what that will mean for the series. It's fair to be wary of it, it's fair to decide ahead of time that you may not want to watch it at all. But, for me, I look at the Inquisitorious as a group that many Jedi don't want to join, they're broken until the dark side poisons their mind and they don't see any other choice. I'm hoping, that if we're going Inquisitor Barriss route, it'll be like Trilla or Reva, both of whom were deeply sympathetic characters who were traumatized into the path they were put on and their stories are tragedies, like so many other SW characters. But until we actually see it, all we can go on is the trailer and Star Wars trailers are extremely unreliable! Each of us should decide for ourselves if we want to watch it or not, but I'm cautiously excited because, yeah, I'm a little tired of grimdark stories set during the Empire, but honestly it's the period that Star Wars does the best, so I can't blame them for milking that cow. (Same with my trash can fave, Star Wars does Vader so well, I can't blame them for putting him in more stuff, I'm right there and gonna watch our trash man fave!!!)

[flameshadowconjuring]

I did not have high expectations (mechanically) for the Stormlight/Cosmere rpg, same as with any IP tie-in game, so I was pleasantly surprised when I read the beta rules. From what I have read, I would rather run or play in the Cosmere rpg than the three rpgs that I have played extensively (DnD 5e, FFG Star Wars, Pathfinder 2e). I am going to be comparing the Cosmere rpg to these three frames of reference of mine, and explain what I like about it. This is all theory for now, though I will run the Bridge 9 one-shot in a couple of weeks for my playgroup. And yes, I know that most of the Cosmere rpg ain't novel. Beyond borrowing from 2-3 of my three frames of reference, the initiative is basically the one from 'Shadow of the Demon Lord', etc.

I have mixed feelings about the plot die. I don't actually like narrative mechanics in the first place. That being said, no system I've played was devoid of mechanics I dislike, and the plot die is (almost) the least objectionable a core narrative mechanic could be for me, beyond nonexistence. The obvious point of comparison for me is obviously the Star Wars system. The plot die's opportunity and complication are basically analogous to SW's triumph/advantage and despair/threat. In addition to that, the lead designer of the Cosmere rpg, Andrew Fischer, also worked on the SW system.

I think that the plot die is better than the Star Wars dicepool mechanic in every possible way. First of all, the plot die is an opt-in kind of deal. Barring a few player abilities (the existence of which is my only criticism of the plot die), the GM decides whether it gets rolled or not, with the rules advising the GM to use it roughly 30% of the time, specifically in exciting moments. In Star Wars, every roll produces these narrative effects. Yes, technically, 1s and 20s also produce complications and opportunities in the Cosmere rpg, but the designers added them because people played like that was already the case because of how they are used to crits from other games. A tenth chance of one of these is much lower than almost 100% like in SW. Anyway, the point is that when we played the Star Wars system, having to come up with narrative stuff on every roll was a chore, rather than fun and exciting. Sometimes I would get a triumph on a roll for a routine check, and rather than that being exciting, it was more like 'uhh, what does this even mean?'. Sure, there are mechanical ways in Star Wars to spend advantages and threats and so on. What tended to happen in combat though was that unless you used advantages to crit someone or auto-fire, you just used it to give someone else a bonus die. And the most likely result from a bonus die beyond a blank was getting an advantage. The same principle happened out of combat, where we often took strain for threats and regained for advantages. A lot of abstract resources were pushed around, with a negligible net effect. Certainly not something worth that giant hassle. Also, sometimes you would get a triumph effect and three threats. That was always hard to interpret.

Secondly, the plot die is way simpler, which has a whole host of benefits. In SW, there are six different narrative dice with specialized symbols. You have to buy a lot of overpriced plastic to even play the game. The plot die of the Cosmere is a single d6. Sure, its nicer to use the custom one you can buy from Brotherwise, but the beta rules advise on how to use a normal d6 for the plot die. 1,2 are complications, with a bonus to your roll equal to twice what you rolled (+2 or +4), 3,4 are blanks, and 5,6 are opportunities. That is easy to remember, since higher numbers=better narrative result. While you could technically do the same with SW, the fact that there are six of them, including d12s, makes it completely impractical. Also, the dice in SW have either only all positive effects or only all negative effects. If you are gonna do this entire narrative crap, at least do interesting stuff with it, like higher chance of success but with negative narrative effect. Those make for better stories and better game design. And oh look, that is exactly what the plot die does. So, yeah. In case you couldn't tell, I hate the action resolution dicepool mechanic of SW.

I really like the progression system of the Cosmere rpg, with the exception of using milestone advancement (though its inclusion's suckery is mitigated by the goal/reward thing). It is actually conceptually very simple, but very flexible, meaning there is a lot of meaningful choice without overwhelming a new player. Every level, you get (in addition to a couple other things) one talent from one of your skill trees, called paths. I am currently a player in a Pf2e campaign, and leveling up is a chore rather than fun. Different levels give you different kinds of feats, so it is not very straight forward. It also takes a long time to read all the feats I qualify for, most of which don't even interest me. Also, it is very easy in Pathfinder to screw up if you don't plan out your characters progression in advance. When I started, I took the ranger's crossbow feat. Turns out that was a trap: no other feats actually help crossbows, and most of the good ranger feats require you to attack multiple times or in melee, neither of which a crossbow is made for. In a skill tree system like Cosmere, it is very easy to identify what talents I can take, and I can immediately see whether a talent is something I can build on by seeing how many talents are further down from it.

Star Wars also uses skill trees, but you basically get one big tree with a lot of filler talents you have to take to progress, but which you aren't actually interested in. The Cosmere rpg has a stronger focus on mixing and matching from different trees, with trees going less deep, having less filler. That looks more fun to me. This in-built multipathing is really cool. Multiclassing in DnD 5e was an afterthought, and is either very suboptimal or very broken, with barely anything in-between. I like how the Cosmere rpg is like 'hey, most characters fit multiple archetypes, lets reflect that in the game by not only supporting multiclassing from the ground up, but also actively encourage it'. Also the one talent per level thing makes leveling very manageable from a complexity standpoint.

Moving on to the magic, I really like that PCs don't start out magical. You earn your cool powers through play. Also, they said that they balanced the heroic (non-magical) and invested (magical) paths against each other, so that it is perfectly valid to only take talents from heroic paths and those who take invested path talents will often alternate between those and heroic ones. If true, that sounds awesome. And of course, the magic is Sanderson magic, so its really good. The best way to encourage creativity in players is to give them a smallish list of options, but have these options be very flexible. That is exactly how the Stormlight magic system works, with characters being closer to superheroes than DnD spellcasters. I think that is way more interesting. One of the frustrating things with DnD 5e is that the magic is never explained in a way that the GM can intuit how it works. Instead, they just spell out exactly what any given spell does, making them very rigid. Spellcasters have too many options, each of which is super rigid. Worst of both worlds. With the Cosmere, though I am not an arcanist superfan, I do understand the magic well enough that I am confident in adjudicating creative uses of powers (which the system explicitly supports!). Investiture, which is basically mp, is also just so much cleaner than spellslots, a vestigial leftover from vancian magic that the DnD designers were too cowardly to kill completely.

Finally, combat. I dislike armor class, so I am a big fan of armor just reducing damage, like the soak value in SW or DR in Gurps. The initiative system has me most excited to be honest. I think it will really speed up combat in multiple ways. For one, there is no die rolling and writing down initiative values and ordering them. Players basically just say when they want to do their turn. This also should make them more attentive, since they can't just wait for the GM to call their name. It also means that players can guarantee to go after each other, so that should encourage cooperation and teamwork. The distinction between fast two-action turns and slow three-action turns looks like it will force players to make a meaningful choice every turn. Overall, looks like a simple, clean and fast initiative system. The two-three actions remind me of Pf2e, though notably the reaction is much more relevant in the Cosmere rpg.

The graze rule, where a character on a miss can still spend 1 focus to deal their weapon's damage dice to their target, is very interesting. My initial instinct was to think that it is really OP. It would probably be a really OP rule if armor did not reduce damage, but given that it has gone through extensive playtesting, I assume that it is actually balanced. Assuming it is balanced, I think its pretty cool, since it means that you still managed to do something, even if you missed your one attack of the round. Makes it less frustrating.

So yeah, those were my main thoughts on the Cosmere rpg. It is not my most anticipated rpg, but I do intend to back and run it and am also really looking forward to the world guide as a fan of the books.

[milevenstancyendgame]

Mileven Star Wars Parallels

So I started this back in August, but for some reason I decided Halloween would be the perfect day to post this, lol. Others have pointed out the gender roles reversal for Mileven before, and here's my contribution.❤️

ST has lots of references to other fiction obviously, and lots of general Star Wars references. But since I'm a big fan of how Mike and Eleven break gender norms as a couple, I'd like to look at the SW references to Anakin and Padme in this post.

(And to get that out of the way - Anakin/Padme ended up being in a toxic relationship, but Mileven is not toxic.)

Of course Eleven's stretched out hand when she uses her powers is a general reference to Force wielders in Star Wars - the boys didn't compare her to Yoda for nothing! But her dark, menacing look resembles Anakin most.

S2 had a theme of Eleven using her anger to enhance her powers, as advised by Kali. All of that is a direct parallel to Anakin being advised by Palpatine/Darth Sidious to do the same.

In general, Kali's life devoted to revenge is reminiscent of the Sith (and being named after a Hindu goddess of destruction/war), who use pain and anger as a base for their Force wielding, and seek to take revenge on the Jedi (an institution that takes children with powers and raises them to be soldiers/weapons...hmm).

El listens to Kali's advice and remembers her words during the season's finale in which she closes the gate to stop the mindflayer, once again drawing on her hurt and anger. This scene brings us to the most overtly thematic and visual Anakin reference:

Both El and Anakin are dressed in black, got some rad eyeliner, and do the intense stare. Their surroundings express the theme of anger and pain, being all about red, black, and fire. Their faces are illuminated by red light.

Both are sweating; El has blood streaming down her face, Anakin tears. Both are shouting, being in extreme emotional states.

I was super excited about this when I first watched s2, because the theme of anger is so rarely explored for female characters - plus she looks fucking badass.🤬🌋😎

Of course there's also the more universal theme of "the chosen one/saviour" that the two characters have in common (gender non-conventional for El), as well as childhood abuse and being trained to be a weapon, leading to both having complex trauma, and others frequently trying to manipulate and exploit them.

Btw, ST makes the point that love makes El strongest, which breaks the SW dualism of Sith and Jedi (the Jedi's base for Force wielding is lack of emotion).

Now seeing that El has so many Anakin parallels going on, we can naturally wonder whether Mike has some parallels to Padme.

While I haven't noticed a direct reference (please let me know if I missed one!), both characters are defined by their strength in empathy and sense for justice (Mike takes El in and champions her throughout s1, for example, while Padme refuses to let her people suffer throughout ep. I, and she speaks for the voiceless in the senate).

Also, here's a cute little "You're cold (a symbol for being alone and unloved), let me give you a blanket (love)." parallel:

They are also both strong leaders, who hate to sit around and do nothing, while others are in danger (or to be told what to do by others).

Again, s2 gives us a good example:

Mike is told by Steve that they have to stay put, but he insists to go out and help Eleven. Likewise, in ep. II, Padme doesn't give a shit that Mace Windu just told Anakin and her to stay put, she insists to go out and help Obi-Wan.

Both have much more of these moments, of course. All of ep. I shows us Padme throwing herself into danger to help her people on Naboo, ep. II is just her being pissed, because she needs to go undercover due to assassination attempts (don't get me started on The Clone Wars), and Mike is always the first (and sometimes the only one) to rush to El's aid, or that of a friend.

They are both passionate, emotional, and compassionate; they constantly drive others to act for others, and inspire them.

Padme means "lotus", which is a Buddhist symbol for compassion; while Mike is termed "the heart".🪷🩷

Both are also the no-supernatural-power partner in their romantic relationship, often putting them into the role of the one who gets left behind/has to wait, and the supporter role.

Again, this is a very non-conventional role gender-wise for Mike, which I love (but just like Padme and other female love interests, he gets a lot of hate for it).

[never-not-ever]

I came home late last night and had to park at the highschool and therefore move the car by 6am.

I don't remember what time I fell asleep but I was exhausted so I think it was on the early side.

I set my alarm for 5:45, walked up to the highschool and then spontaneously decided to get a breakfast sandwich from McDonald's which I've been craving for weeks. Glad I did, it was really good!

I came home and was pretty productive considering it's first thing in the morning. I got new food for the boys and they're so cute how they get all excited whenever it's a new flavor. So I washed out their bowl, then filled up the storage container and their bowls. I wish I had my phone on me cause all three of them were eating at the same time which they never do! But it was cute cause I upgraded in the past year to a 3 bowl dish rack and I've just never seen them all eat at once..

I scooped the litter which I need to be more on top of now with the hotter weather. I really need to start scooping it everyday. I refreshed their water fountain but I need to find a new one for them cause I feel like this one is on its last legs which is frustrating cause it's not even a year old. It's gotten so noisy and it doesn't trickle water out like it used to. If anyone has any pet water fountain recommendations let me know!

I did the little bit of dishes in the sink and made a small cup of coffee and stuck it in the fridge for later. Usually I'm running around last minute trying to clean my to go cup for my coffee and now I feel better knowing later things will be all set and run smoothly lol. I have group this morning and I lowkey don't really want to go. But I guess I should stick with it until I know for sure about the IOP program.

I have to leave around 9:30 and I already mentally planned out the rest of the morning before I have to leave. I want to straighten my hair since it'll just frizz right up seeing as it's going to be almost 100° today! That being said I'm a little anxious going to group with my arm showing. Last Thursday when I met with the SW from the IOP program I had the same anxiety but I felt better by the end and I'm not stressed about it for our meeting again this week. Granted it'll be a lot cooler this Thursday but I doubt I'm going to wear long sleeves. I'm done hiding and covering up. But I just don't want to trigger or make anyone uncomfortable in group. Whatever, ughhh, I'll deal with the thoughts later.

I don't think I'm going to hit traffic, although now that I think of it, last time I went to group I was running late and even with the later time there was still a ton of traffic going into the tunnel. Regardless I'm leaving an hour before group starts so I'm going to make iced coffee for the drive/wait time and then a Dirty Red Bull for group! I drink way too much and yesterday when me and my cousin were running errands I had to keep stopping to pee cause I had like four different beverages by the time we left her house lmao. Coffee Mate came out with a coconut lime creamer specifically to make "dirty sodas" and the other night I mixed it with a Red Bull and it's SO good!!

I may try to fall back asleep for another hour and a half. I was going to go for a walk (before it gets really hot) but after eating and laying down typing this up I feel less energetic than when I first got home. I may take a very quick walk along the waterfront at the airport on my way home from group for the sole purpose of getting a little color. Hmmm...

[argent-gale]

Oddly Nostalgic

I got a notification one of my blogs turned 7 yo today.

I haven't been on here in months but it got me reminiscing a little.

About how I'd eagerly await those reblog/like notifications.

About how I'd squee when I got a message notif.

I remember when I lived/breathed TWD and SW. Those fandoms injected a spark that made life so much more interesting.

I remember writing fics. Getting recs. BEING recd.

I remember chatting people overseas until legit 2 am my time on a worknight.

I'm not really involved in any fandom right now. My online fandom friends have drifted away. People I used to talk to multiple times a day have just...disappeared.

I get sad because I remember how it used to be. So fun. I remember thinking how boring my life was before I got so involved in my fandoms. Now that I'm not in them anymore it makes me sad because my life is once again dull.

I wish I could get excited over things again but I just can't.

I scrolled through my feed and saw some old "faces" and smiled remembering. I guess I should be grateful I had that time at all.

I packed away all my fandom merch and will probably sell/give it away. I spent so much money on that stuff, lol.

Anyway, just musing today.