#<- my logic and reasoning spectacular

[thesingingrevolution]

the implication being that he reads them

[illumerie]

BEHOLD!!

[corroded-hellfire]

I just need pre-relationship AYW!Eddie all pent up and feral for Reader. I need him whimpering when he touches himself after Reader leaves for the evening. I need him trying to picture anyone else besides his kids’ babysitter but he keeps picturing Reader.

Your wish is my command! 😘

Warnings: male masturbation, smut, p in v, unprotected (wrap it up), older!eddie, babysitter!reader, the longing is real

Words: 2.4k

[As You Wish masterlist]

“Go to sleep now,” you grumble playfully, ruffling Luke’s curls as he smiles up at you from his bed.

“One more story?” Luke asks, though his voice betrays how sleepy he already is.

“Come on, buddy,” Eddie says from the doorway. “She’s been nice enough to stay for dinner and read you two bedtime stories already.”

A smile that steals Eddie’s breath grows on your lips as you turn to look at your boss.

“You make it sound like such a hardship,” you quip.

“I don’t think your union allows for overtime,” Eddie replies.

You let out a soft giggle and Eddie feels his insides begin to melt. It’s catastrophically unfair, the effect you have on him. Not in his whole life has Eddie met someone who so effortlessly turns him on and makes his heart race. As impossible as it is to ignore the feelings, Eddie tries not to linger on them for a few reasons. One, you’re a complete pipe dream. There is no way you, beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, and hilarious you would ever see a man over a decade older than you in the same light that he sees you. Two, and which he admits is arguably the bigger reason, is that he’s married. Sure, it hasn’t been a real marriage in…God knows how long. But it’s still a legally binding marriage that he hasn’t even attempted to separate from. Not for lack of want, though. It’s hard to see a point when it would cause the breakup of his boys’ family, and for what? So Eddie could be all alone in some smaller unfamiliar home that he struggles to afford on his own while caring for his sons, only getting to see them half the time he does now? No. He basically is doing it all alone right now, with the lack of input from Brittany, but at least Luke and Ryan are in the home they know and the two combined household incomes can give them a pretty good life.

Unfortunately, all the logic in the world can’t cure Eddie’s addiction to you.

“Close your eyes, sleepyhead.” You stand up from the edge of the four-year-old’s bed and lean over to press a kiss to his forehead.

The way you bend down towards the boy gives Eddie a spectacular view of your ass. He’s forced to dig his nails into the palms of his hands to suppress the groan that so desperately wants to escape. As much as he internally chides himself, Eddie can’t tear his eyes away either. He gets so few chances to just look at you, that he can’t bring himself to cut this precious time short.

“Night night,” Luke says through a yawn.

“Night, pal,” Eddie says.

You boop your index finger against the little boy’s nose before standing up straight and heading in Eddie’s direction. The two of you exit into the hallway and Eddie closes the door almost all the way–leaving it open just a crack to allow some of the hallway light in.

The two of you are silent as you walk to the living room, both silently dreading that it’s time to part for the evening. You swipe your bag up from the couch and slip it onto your shoulder.

“I guess I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow,” you say, reluctantly taking steps toward the front door.

“Thanks for staying longer than you had to,” Eddie says, walking you to the door like always. He feels like he should add the words “for the boys” to the end of his sentence, but he can’t bring himself to. As much as the boys adore you, Eddie knows he is without a doubt the happiest one that you stayed for dinner and until bedtime.

“It was fun,” you tell him. “I always have fun here.”

“Always?” Eddie teases, raising his eyebrows. “Can I remind you that you said that the next time Luke has a meltdown?”

“Sure,” you reply with a chuckle.

The electricity in the air threatens to spark at any moment as Eddie reaches around you to open the front door.

“Drive careful, sweetheart,” he says.

“No,” you tease with a playful smirk. “I’m going to drive recklessly. Run all the red lights.”

“Don’t give me reason to worry,” Eddie mumbles, knocking his shoulder against yours.

“Aww,” you coo. “You worry about me?”

Heat rises to Eddie’s cheeks and he desperately wills it to move back down his body.

“Alright, smart ass.” Eddie wrinkles his nose up and pretends to shove you out the door.

With a laugh, you playfully stumble down the walkway a few steps, acting as if his push was that strong.

“Oh, fine!” you lament over-dramatically. “I’ll be a good girl! Bye, Eddie.”

A good girl. Suddenly, Eddie wishes that heat and blood would stay in his face instead of rushing to his groin like it currently is.

“Bye, sweetheart.”

The moment you’re safely in your car and Eddie hears the engine start, he closes the front door and groans in time with the locking mechanism clicking into place.

“This just feels cruel,” he mumbles to himself as he rests his forehead against the cool wood of the door. He lets himself stand there until he hears your car rumble down the road and off into the night.

It takes a Herculean effort to push himself up and head deeper into the house. Out of habit, Eddie glances at the clock on the wall to see if Brittany will be home soon or not. It’s useless though—there’s never a set time she comes home. Who knows where she is or what she’s doing? Or who she’s doing. The pseudo-schedule the household used to follow has fallen by the wayside, so Eddie mentally tells himself to ignore it altogether. Easier said than done, of course.

When Eddie steps into the hallway it’s silent. No sounds of Luke sneaking out of bed to play with his toys or Ryan fumbling for his flashlight to read beneath his covers. Heaving a sigh, Eddie decides he might as well take care of the situation in his pants.

Despite Brittany not being home, Eddie locks the bedroom door behind him. Luke has also started the bad habit of opening any and every door without knocking first. So, better to be safe than sorry.

“Okay, think of someone else,” Eddie says to himself as he rids himself of his clothes. “Anyone else. Not her.”

It shouldn’t be hard to think of another woman to get himself off. Hell, for the entirety of Eddie’s teenage years, he could’ve jacked it to almost any woman and it would be great. Now he can’t seem to get this one specific, unattainable woman out of his mind.

He shucks the last of his clothes off and lays down on his bed, wracking his brain for someone who can get the job done. Julia Roberts? Nah. Jennifer Aniston? No. Cindy Crawford? Nope. Nicole Kidman? Maybe….no. Aunt Viv from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? The first, not the second one. Still no.

“Fuck,” Eddie groans, letting his eyes fall closed as he wraps his hand around his semi-hard shaft. He licks over his lips and tries to let himself relax. The only way Eddie is going to be able to take care of this problem is to think about you and he knows it. He also knows he needs to hurry up if he wants to finish before Brittany comes home.

The mere thought of the woman who sleeps next to him at night has him softening slightly in his hand. A snort of laughter comes out, Eddie finding that humorous. Objectively, Brittany is beautiful, but knowing the rot and decay that lays just beneath the surface ruins any attractiveness Eddie could ever find in her anymore. Even though he already knows what will happen, Eddie immediately switches his thoughts over to you to see the effect. It’s instant. His cock comes to life at the very thought of your name.

No shit, Eddie thinks to himself as he opens his legs a little wider. Because she’s literally a fucking goddess. God, those eyes. Eddie’s hand grips himself a little tighter and moves down towards the base.

“Say you’re a good girl again, baby,” Eddie mumbles under his breath. Fuck, he can’t believe he was lucky enough to hear those words come from your lips. Jesus, he can hardly imagine being lucky enough to come home to you at the end of the day. Walking in the door after work and seeing you is already what he looks forward to all day, he can’t fathom how he would feel if you greeted him with a kiss and stayed there with him and the boys all night. And once the boys go to bed it’s time for some fun.

“Please.”

The word tumbles from Eddie’s lips but he’s not entirely sure what he’s asking for. You to be there with him? You to be by his side always? You to be here, naked, with your hand around him instead of his own?

Okay, Eddie thinks, shifting to make himself more comfortable. There we go, think about coming home to her.

He begins to slowly stroke his cock up and down.

Eddie imagines walking through the front door and kicking his boots off. Your voice hums sweetly from the kitchen and it brings a smile to his face.

“What smells so good, huh?” he asks as he strolls into the room.

The sight he’s greeted by is almost enough to bring him to his knees. You stand at the counter, facing him, an apron on and a bowl full of cake batter held in your hands.

“Welcome home,” you say.

Dark brown eyes follow your every move as you slowly dip your forefinger into the batter and pop it into your mouth. Eddie finds himself holding his breath as you slide your finger out from between your plush pink lips at a torturous pace.

As if the first time wasn’t enough, you dip your finger back in, but instead of putting it in your mouth this time, you point your finger up and stick your tongue out to lick every speck of vanilla batter off of it.

“Oh, fuck me,” Eddie moans.

With a soft laugh, you set the bowl down and look up at Eddie through your thick eyelashes.

“Funny. I was going to say that to you.”

A rough growl reverberates from Eddie’s chest as he moves forward to grab you by the hips. It’s only once he has his hands on you that he realizes not only are you wearing the apron—you’re wearing only the apron.

“God damn, baby,” he mutters. Calloused hands slide back just slightly and come into contact with your bare ass. He drops his head forward to rest against yours with a helpless whine.

You giggle, tilting your head up to brush your nose against his.

“I like the sounds you make,” you tell him, voice thick with lust.

Before he responds, Eddie presses a few gentle kisses along your bare shoulder and up the side of your throat.

“I want to hear your noises, too.”

“Hmm,” you hum. “I don’t think that’ll be very hard to manage.” You reach up with your left hand and tug on the tied apron string resting on the nape of your neck. The front of the apron falls down, leaving your entire torso exposed to Eddie.

A guttural groan meets your ears as strong hands grab you by the waist and help you up onto the counter. Immediately, you spread your legs and Eddie stands between them, the two of you fighting with the apron to get it all the way off you.

Eddie tosses it over his shoulder as you wrap your legs around his waist, pulling the two of your bodies as close as possible.

“Eddie,” you whine, reaching up to bury your fingers in his unruly curls.

“What baby?” His breath brushes against your lips, sending a pleasant shiver down your spine.

“Need you.” Using your grip on his hair, you pull Eddie’s face down to crash against yours.

Mouths meet, lips dancing, tongues exploring, and teeth clashing. Strong yet gentle fingertips dig into your skin, yearning to hold you as tight as humanly possible. Nothing is close enough.

Eddie pulls back just enough to playfully nip at your bottom lip.

“Being such a good girl for me,” he rasps.

A smile tugs at the corners of your mouth as you run your nose along the edge of Eddie’s jawline.

“Wanna be so good for you. Wanna feel you, Eddie. Pretty please?”

A smug smirk grows on Eddie’s face as he reaches between your two bodies to unzip his navy blue coveralls. You shove the material down his hips as Eddie whips his white undershirt off over his head.

“Ready for me, princess?”

Eddie lines himself up with your entrance, glancing up at your face as he waits for your approval.

“God, yes!” You nod emphatically, wiggling your hips in an attempt to get him inside of you faster.

Eddie grins at your eagerness, putting both of you out of your misery as he pushes inside.

“Fuck,” he groans.

“Oh!” You whimper, clinging to Eddie’s shoulders.

The sweet little noises spilling from your lips only encourage Eddie. He pulls almost all the way out before thrusting back into your tight wet heat. It feels as close to euphoria as Eddie’s ever felt. He wants to spend forever between your legs, but it feels far too good to last long.

“Feels so good,” you whine.

“Yeah, baby?” Eddie asks. “Like when I…oh, fuck.”

Eddie doesn’t have time to imagine what he’d say next before hot cum starts to pour over his fist.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he mumbles as his orgasm works its way through his body. His hand keeps going, milking his cock for everything that it’s worth.

Once he’s well and truly spent, Eddie lets his boneless body sink into the mattress. His arm flings over the side of the bed and his fingertips brush against his t-shirt laying on the floor. Blindly, he picks it up and wipes his coated hand off before wiping the cum off his abdomen, legs, and anywhere else it went.

“Holy shit,” Eddie sighs. His head falls to the side and his eyes slip closed. A goofy smile comes to his face as his mind returns to you. “Fuck, I’m so gone for her.”

[tipsandtrixx]

Absolutely gonna lose my shit about how sander sides does such a spectacular job of not playing into mean stereotypes and how all the characters are given dimension and depth beyond the trope they're based on, and how the Fandom just forgets that!? Huh?!

Virgil is one of the best representations of a anxious alt person I have ever seen, he's not treated like some spooky recluse, even the recurring jokes about MySpace or mcr or some of his more nonsense alerts aren't done in bad taste, he wears other colors than just black and dark purple, he's not macabre. When he does have on screen out bursts or panic attacks they're realistic, and not over dramatic for shock value, hes not ridiculed for having anxiety attacks. And that just gets thrown out in favor of writing him as some angst teenager?!

Logan is spectacular nerd representation, he's not treated as some know-it-all who doesn't care about anyone else and hates everything non-fiction. He doesn't know everything he's always trying to learn, he cares about the other sides a ton, he's a geek, he likes sci-fi shows and mystery books without any care if they're non-fiction or not, he goofs off with the others and is willing to give up the "most logical answer" if it makes the others happy. But yet again, he's written as a static smart-ass who refuses to be proven wrong and only cares about academics.

Roman is an incredibly nuanced character with layers of development. He's egotistical but insecure, rude but loyal. Hes committed to the bit, he has a sword solely for the vibes, he learned Spanish just because, his theme sounds like the beginning of a Disney movie. He has fears of not being good enough and being like his brother and of disappointing people. He's creative, he loves writing and acting and singing and he writes his own songs and his room in the mind palace is a theater. His way of showing endearment is with seemingly rude nicknames, he criticizes his favorite movies for fun, he teases the others constantly, he's extremely loyal, he sticks with the other even when its going south, hes a ride or die friend, hes literally willing to fight curtains because someone wants him to. And yet he's written as a self obsessed asshole who doesn't care about his friends without any mention of the thousands of reasons why he's seemingly that way.

I could rant and rant about all the others, but we'd be here for hours. SaSi does such a great job with having dynamic characters who have their own interests and personality's and play off of stereotypes without being mean or losing the characters depths. And that always gets thrown away and they're writing in a way the ignores their depth and and arcs and focuses on the most simplified or fanon versions of them.

[theprettynosferatu]

CW: Orientation play/conversion. Remember that your sexuality is valid, and conversion is NOT a thing beyond fantasy. Also, fuck "conversion therapy"

“All I’m saying is…”

“Look, you’re speaking out of your ass”, Ava said, barely containing her frustration.

“How am I speaking out of my ass? It has been done and thoroughly…”, he tried to reply.

“Yes, yes, Pavlov, blah blah blah. But you’re talking about something else entirely, not conditioning reactions”

“Not Pavlov, Skinner! Actions can be conditioned too. Look around you! Mobile games, casinos, even the goddamn army uses conditioning to…”

“Can we agree that there’s a difference between conditioning obedience in a controlled setting and whatever the fuck it is you’re suggesting? You’re not talking about tapping on impulse to buy funbucks in a game! You are talking…”

“It’s only a difference of degree, not of kind. With the right combination of techniques…”

“No, there’s a core there that you can’t just… overwrite. Some things can’t be changed. Like… like how you can’t hypnotize someone into doing something they would never do”

“You know that’s bullshit, right? The whole hypnosis thing. You absolutely can make someone do whatever the fuck you want. It’s just a matter of how you approach it. Like, you would never harm a person, okay? But if I change what your idea of ‘person’ is, say, by making it more narrow you would absolutely harm someone I made you see as a not-person. Or maybe you can be made to believe you’re helping them, not harming them”

“That’s some creepy cult shit, dude. And anyway you can’t write a paper on this because a) there’s no evidence and b) doing the research to get evidence would be absolutely immoral. So I say look for another topic and for the love of God don’t go around spewing that bullshit if you want to ever get laid. Oh, speaking of! Linda will be arriving shortly and we have a date night, so please, please try to be a normal roommate and not freak her out. For me, okay?”

“When have I ever freaked her out? Linda loves me! And who knows, maybe she has an opinion on our little debate”

“Dude, she’s an Art student. I doubt she’ll be interested in our weird Psych dissertations”

“Perfect! Fresh eyes!”

“See, that’s the kind of weird shit I-”

The buzzer cut through the air, and a moment later Linda was inside the apartment, all smiles as usual. He took a moment to watch them as they embraced. 

They were almost comical in their contrast. Linda was tall, taller than he was, willowy and slender, her limbs graceful and shapely, her hair a long, flowing river of playful copper that almost seemed to dance on its own volition– with her green sundress she appeared to him as some sort of elven princess ripped from the pages of a fantasy novel and stuck into a mortal world in which she didn’t really fit. Ava, on the other hand, was probably the shortest adult he had ever seen. He might be tempted to call her petite, but that had a connotation of a lithe frame, almost like a tastefully proportioned doll. Ava was the complete opposite of that. Sometimes he felt Ava was an experiment aimed at testing how much of a person’s weight could be tits and ass, held up by strong, thick thighs. He felt quite guilty about such thoughts, and he understood why she wore nothing but oversized t-shirts and hoodies. It was logical: an early, spectacular growth spurt, heightened by her small size, had made her the target of relentless bullying by jealous classmates and awkward come-ons by hormonal teen males. It enraged him, he realized. Ava was beautiful and the cruelty of idiots had made her feel pain about it instead of pride. He made a point to never stare at her, even if he sometimes failed. It made their relationship as roommates a tad hard, he had to admit. 

 

Not that he had a shadow of a shot, of course. Ava had no interest in men.

Unless, of course, he was right in his theory. And he had good reason to think he was.

“So, Linda: Ava and I were having a bit of a debate…”

“Don’t start, dude”, said Ava.

“Oh, a debate! Do tell!” chirped Linda.

“Do you think we can be completely conditioned and changed, or is there some part of us that cannot be modified, no matter what?”

“Huh. Hard one. Like… a soul? I don’t know I buy it. I feel there isn’t really a self, you know? Like… Buddhism. The self is an illusion and all that”

“Come on, you can’t be serious! You can’t change who someone fundamentally is, and it’s sick to even consider it!”, said Ava.

“Well… what if I could prove to you it can be done?”, he stated, barely able to hold back. He know what he was going to do. He had been reluctant, but now it felt like a certainty.

“You can’t, so stop being an ass”, said Ava.

Fine. Game on.

“Linda, I love your socks! Pride socks!”

“Yup!”, said Linda

“What the hell–”, mumbled Ava.

He took a deep breath.

“Linda: rainbow socks…”

She replied in an instant.

“Are for sucking cocks!”

Ava felt as if reality had shifted into some horrible, twisted nightmare. She was about to scream something, anything really, to make Linda take that back before something stopped her in her tracks. Her body heard it before her mind did: her roommate's voice simply commanding her. Watch. 

And she watched. She watched as the love of her life smiled and went on her knees. Ava could do nothing but watch in disbelief and pain. Linda had never been with a man. Ever. 

“I might have… started testing my theories. On you both. Not that you’d remember, obviously”, he stated casually as the beautiful girl in front of him lovingly undid his pants. “I’d say Linda’s sexuality is part of her core self, wouldn’t you? Let’s see how that holds up after the months of conditioning I’ve subjected her to”

He felt guilty, sure; but there was such a high to it, such an entrancing quality to the combination of seeing instant, complete obedience and the final, definitive proof of the truth he had known to be right all along. Was it wrong? Yes. Did he care? Not at the moment. Ava’s eyes were a poem to him. Suddenly he was ripped from his reverie by the soft, loving touch of Linda’s tongue on his dick. He hadn’t even realized he had gotten hard just from the sense of complete power, of total, undeniable conquest. This was a primal, ancient arousal. Ava could do nothing but watch, and he took that sight in. God, he could almost taste it.

Linda moaned. The cock was so beautiful. So perfect. She felt so… silly, like she was now, for the first time, seeing in color and realizing the sky was, in fact, blue. It was obvious. Simple. Natural. Cock deserved worship. Cock deserved devotion. Cock demanded obedience. It was as if it was growing in her mind, taking over more and more of her, pushing who she had been out effortlessly. It expanded. It corrupted. It twisted and shifted all within. Cock. Cock. Cock. She kissed it with reverence, in awe of it. It was all that existed to her. All that mattered. She needed to please it. Needed to feel it throbbing inside her. Needed to be taken by it.

Ava saw her girlfriend slide a hand between her legs and felt nauseous. As much as she knew this wasn’t Linda’s fault, she could feel her heart breaking, her anger rising… and worse, her pussy getting wet. Her body betraying her. She hated him, and she hated Linda, and she hated herself most of all.

Suddenly, Linda couldn’t contain herself. She relaxed her throat, looked up at her Master and took his entire manhood inside her mouth. She almost came instantly. It was peaceful and sexy and just simple, like his cock was the puzzle piece that fit her perfectly, completed her, made her whole. She existed to be conquered, and realizing she was putting his pleasure over her ability to breathe was the final sign of her complete, loving surrender. She let it out, watched it glisten with her spit, and started licking it and loving it and she didn’t know how much came from her own need and how much it was a silent command by the man who had shown her the light. Her mind was too fuzzy to make such distinctions anymore.

He took a deep breath, fighting back the first signs of an orgasm. He needed to make a point.

“Linda… do you love Ava?”

The blonde stopped for a moment, shocked by a myriad of contradictions.

“Yes”, she decided. Her voice was shaking.

“Tell her”

Linda looked at Ava, the woman she had loved above all others.

“I love you…”

“But you have more to say, don’t you?”

“I… hmph… I…”

“Tell her”

“I love you… but… but… I love his cock so much more! Fuck! I need it! I need to feel it, to suck it, to be fucked by it… I’m sorry… but… I love it, I love it, I love it! I want it to fuck my throat, to take my cunt, to ram my ass! I need it! I need to be a slave to it, a whore for it, a fucking living toy!”

“What if you had to choose between Ava and my cock?”

“Fuck her! Sorry, my love… I do love you, but… You can never do to me what… what Master does to me, what his cock makes me feel! I hope I won’t have to dump you but… I would leave you for this cock in a minute! I’d do anything. Anything. Anything!” If she had more to add, her need to serve cock snuffed it. She took it all in with desperation, with total, shameless abandon. She needed to feel... used. In her proper place.

Ava felt a tear roll down her cheek. Her knees buckled in defeat. She didn’t even care. It was all gone. Her life, her love, all gone. And she could feel her eyes drawn again and again to the cock that had destroyed her. She felt her mouth watering.

“Linda, would you say you’re a lesbian?”

“Fuck no!”, she said before immediately wrapping her lips around the cock’s head.  

He felt a swell of pride. Of triumph. He knew Ava sensed the truth as well. He was right. He had proven his point. And now Ava’s full conditioning would take hold. A little bet with himself, making her own mental acknowledgment of his theory her final trigger. She took off her t-shirt. She would never wear it again. No more shame, no more pain about her figure. Only arousal and pride. His gift to her.

She crawled to him on all fours. The girls kissed– but now, they kissed for him, to arouse him. They were lovers, only they both knew there was a higher love. A truer love. Ava looked up at her owner and opened her mouth, greedily awaiting his blessing. Linda used her skillful hands, aiming his cock and teasing it, jacking it off, using just the right amount of pressure and speed. 

No man could resist such a sight.

In a few seconds, Ava was covered in his cum, more beautiful than she had ever been. Linda certainly felt that way, and she licked and kissed her sister slut clean.

He watched carefully, looking for signs of defiance, and finding none. In fact, Linda put his fears to rest with a simple statement.

“Ava, we need to buy you a pair of rainbow socks”

Did you enjoy this story? You can support my work at patreon.com/prettynosferatu !!

[canmom]

Animation Night 185: Scavengers Reign

So...

In distant 2016, Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner directed a short film titled Scavengers at Titmouse for the 'Toonami' block on American TV channel Adult Swim. The largely wordless short depicts a pretty classic scifi premise - a spacecraft stranded on a lush alien world, the survivors of the crash surviving by interacting with the strange alien lifeforms - with a spectacular amount of style and imagination.

It's an absolute riot of squishy, surreal spec bio: a montage of scenes of extremely weird bugs and little guys being cut up and stuck together and fed to each other for mysterious but somehow logical-feeling reasons. It all feels terribly French in style to my eye - a style that is realist but with simplified faces, impassive expressions, a psychic trip at the end, a trust that we can follow a surreal and wordless story. We could also think of the work of Busifan. Whatever the comparison, this short had a vibe you rarely encounter Stateside.

You can watch it here:

Nearly a decade later, this show was followed up with a whole series, animated once again by the madlads at Titmouse.

Scavengers Reign drastically expands on the premise of the original short into a 12 episode series, fleshing out the characters and their weird telepathic world as another ship full of crashed survivors attempt to link up with their crewmates, only to be pulled further and further into the strange ecosystem they now inhabit.

Rave reviews on all fronts, so naturally it got cancelled on its original network Max... but was picked up again by Netflix, with the possibility of a second season dangled in front of us if it debuts hard enough. This is exactly the kind of thing I wanna see more of in American animation (or hell, animation in general), so tonight on Animation Night, we'll be taking a a sojourn to the strange planet of Vesta.

For some reason half the gif picker is just hands touching stuff...

Aaand I will have to elaborate more later, since we're already pretty late! If you're interested - whether a first watch or to watch again with friends - come tune in to twitch.tv/canmom !

[jumpywhumpywriter]

Traitors & Lovers (Hero & Villain) part 3

Warnings: unconsciousness, stress position, cocky cheerful villain being humbled, ally turned enemy, threats being made (the actual torture comes in the next chapter)

She'd lost and she knew it. But she hoped she had what it took to survive whatever came next.

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

Villain awoke with a blasting headache, pain throbbing from her jaw where she'd been socked. But she remembered everything in vivid detail as the fogginess lifted, her mind sharp and alert as the sedatives wore off.

She forced herself to stay calm as she cracked her eyes open, the world slowly coming into focus around her, strength flooding back into her aching limbs. Her heart sank when she noticed the metal shackles on her wrists, attached to two long chains that held her arms spread out to the sides and forced her to stay upright. So that's why her arms hurt so bad -- how long had she been hanging like this?

Villain grunted, getting her feet under her to stand up and relieve the strain on her shoulders, wincing. She looked around to get an idea of where she was, finding herself restrained in a dark, damp cell with iron bars at the front caging her in and concrete walls on the three other sides.

Why would someone want me alive? She pondered, wracking her mind for answers. She'd ticked off a lot of people during her years as a notorious villain -- plenty of people wanted to kill her. But she couldn't think of a single person who'd want her alive.

Unless -- Hero. Could he have really found her after all this time? The thought made her stomach churn with nausea, her chest tight with anxiety. What would she do if she had to face her former lover like this?

She startled when she heard movement behind her, unable to turn her head around enough to look with how she was restrained.

"I was wondering when you'd finally wake up. For a minute I thought my men might have handled you too roughly and accidently killed you." The voice was frighteningly familiar -- though it wasn't the one Villain was expecting.

"...Supervillain? " Villain blurted in shock. It was hard to believe, but sure enough, her former ally walked around her to within her line of sight, ducking under one of the chains attached to Villain's wrists. "But -- you had a life sentence! How did you escape?"

"I take it you don't watch the news often," Supervillain said gruffly, his tone cold and emotionless. "If you did, you'd know that one of my henchmen was able to blow up a side of the prison and get me out. It was all over the media. Quite a spectacular show we put on, honestly."

Villain frowned. "But... why did you bring me here? Why go to the trouble of catching me? Are you wanting me to be your accomplice again?"

Supervillain laughed dryly, and Villain felt a knot form in his chest. "Not even a good guess, Vil. I thought you were smarter than this." He gestured to the shackles holding her in place. "Does this send the message to you that I want to be your precious work buddy again?"

"No, of course not," Villain replied with a scoff. "I just don't see what other reason you would have to bring me here alive. You aren't one to waste resources without a valid purpose. So logically me being here will benefit you somehow. I'm just trying to figure out how."

"You know me too well." Supervillain smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, and there was something oddly malicious behind it. "Care to take another guess?"

Villain shrugged lightheartedly, chains rattling with the movement. "I mean, unless I'm a beautiful face to look at and bring you a sense of inner happiness I don't know what else you'd want me for, if not to do business together again."

Supervillain chuckled. "You flatter yourself too much. Never taking anything seriously." He drew a sharp knife from a sheath on his belt, and Villain struggled not to let her eyes dart to it. She couldn't show fear. Instead she stared warily at her ex-partner's face, trying to gauge his intention.

"Supervil--"

"You're a traitor," Supervillain interrupted harshly. "Is it really that hard to figure out???"

Villain's eyes widened with dawning realization. "...You think I sold you out," she breathed.

"You did. I spent months behind bars because you gave me away to Hero." He spat the name like poison. "I know you two were in love. And you betrayed us all when you got in the same bed with him and spilled all our secrets! You led Hero and the others at Agency right to us!"

Guilt gnawed at Villain's conscience. "I'm sorry," she said earnestly, "I didn't know Hero was using me to get to you and the other villains. I... I really thought he cared about me. I didn't intend for you to get caught in the crossfire."

"That's a load of bull and you know it, " Supervillain snarled, pointing the tip of the knife at her chest. "First you betray me, and now you have the sheer audacity to make excuses to justify what you did?!?"

He stalked forward until he was nose-to-nose with Villain, eyes blazing with bitter hatred. "Hero himself is the one who barged in to catch me in my own dang lair after you told him where I was, and Hero will pay the price for that just like you will. So tell me, where. Does. He. Live?"

Villain's face twisted in confusion, and she rolled her eyes. "I don't know where he lives anymore," she lied smoothly. Well, maybe lied. She hadn't checked in on Hero in three years -- he could be living in the house Villain had stayed with him in, or he could have moved elsewhere after she left. But despite everything Hero had done to her, a part of her didn't want to send Supervillain to his doorstep to murder him.

Because you still love him, a nasty voice hissed in her mind. You love the man who broke you and used you as nothing more than a source of information. Who didn't care about you from the start.

Villain snapped back to the present when Supervillain roughly grabbed her jaw in a hand, hissing as his fingers dug into the large bruise formed there.

"I'm not a patient man, as you well know,” he warned gruffly. "I would highly suggest you start talking."

Villain gave him her classic flippant smirk. "Or what? We both know you aren't going to hurt me. We worked together for years -- doesn't that count for something?" She gasped when a slice of pain tore across her cheek, eyes widening at the feeling of warm blood sliding down her skin from a shallow gash Supervillain had opened up.

"You still think I'm playing around?" He growled. "Our past alliance means nothing now. Get that through your thick skull. I don't tolerate traitors -- your life is void. I have no qualms about torturing you to get what I want. You are just another victim in this place -- I have no respect for you."

Villain scanned his face, searching for any sign he was bluffing -- but Supervillain looked like he meant it.

"Oooooh, so scary," she teased. She couldn't help it. Humor was her way to cope. She hissed when Supervillain pressed his knife into her arm, slowly dragging it through her skin in a long line. A shallow gash. A warning to watch her tongue.

"Do you really want to die in this place?" Supervillain growled coldly. "Tell me what I want to know and it'll save you a lot of pain. You two were lovers -- there is no way you don't know where he is. Just give me a location, and once I verify you've told the truth, I'll let you go. Hero will die, that much is set in stone, but you don't have to die too."

Villain gritted her teeth, her face losing its playful edge. "I can't tell you."

"Can't? Or won't?"

"...Won't," she growled defiantly. "You can hurt me all you want but you won't get anything out of it. Go find Hero yourself -- I'm not helping. Period."

Supervillain let out a breathy chuckle. "We will see about that." He ducked back behind Villain, grabbing a large duffel bag and returning to drop it on the floor in front of Villain in plain view. He rifled through it and picked up a blow torch along with a wide, long piece of metal.

"Last chance before the pain starts," Supervillain offered, the blow torch hissing to life as he switched it on and heated up the metal in the blue flame.

"Go screw yourself," Villain barked stubbornly. "I'm not helping you find and kill Hero! That won't change, no matter what you do to me."

Supervillain just smiled. "Well, this will be fun for me regardless. I've been waiting a long time to track you down, Villain, and get back at you for betraying me. Getting you to tell me where Hero is was only a secondary motive for me to catch you."

Villain swallowed nervously, watching the metal start to glow orange as it heated up. She knew exactly where this was going. She'd seen Supervillain torture people before -- she knew his style far too well.

I'm sorry, she whispered in her head, I still love you, Hero, even if most of me hates and will never forgive you. I may die, but I won't give you up. I promise.

One last good deed before death seemed like a noble way to go. Villain had made her peace with the fact that she wasn't getting out of here alive. The least she could do is make sure Hero stayed safe. If she was going to die regardless, she might as well make it count for something.

She screwed her eyes shut when Supervillain finally turned off the blow torch, bringing the glowing piece of metal up to her arm. But she couldn't brace herself for the pain that followed.

Villain screamed as the heat touched her, her skin sizzling and smoking as the metal branded her arm. All her focus narrowed down to the excruciating agony blasting her nerves. She jerked and thrashed in her restraints, but there was nowhere to pull away or retreat that the metal couldn't follow. She couldn't breathe, every shallow breath she managed to suck in leaving her in another raw shriek.

Supervillain dragged the metal across her skin, leaving scalding, raw burns in its wake, and didn't stop until he deemed the metal to be in need of reheating.

Villain gulped in great gasps of air in the brief break she got, chest heaving with panting breaths. But all too soon the metal was being held against her flesh again, burning and burning and burning nonstop.

Blood flooded out before vessels were cauterized by the intense heat, over and over again in a vicious cycle.

It had to have gone on for hours, the torture continuing long after she had screamed herself hoarse.

Supervillain would occasionally pause to repeat his question, asking for Hero's location, but each time Villain resisted, berating him with snark when she could still speak words, and shaking her head when her voice was finally gone from all the screaming, her throat raw and bloody.

Villain's skin was practically sloughing off in so many areas with how badly burnt it was, exposing the bright red flesh beneath. Her legs, arms and torso were covered in vicious welts and blisters.

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Masterlist

@scoundrelwithboba @lumpofsand @isikedmyself878 @iamheretohurt @fleur-a-whump

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@writing-with-olive @and-we-shake-the-iron-hand

[darkeangel]

Been thinking about Gundam SEED lately and how i think its both simultaneously one of the greatest entries in the franchise and one of my least favorite Gundam shows.

I think what bothers me the most is how Cosmic Era has some of the most comprehensive world-building outside of UC and how it all kind of gets abandoned as the show progresses.

It’s hard to articulate, but the original SEED world is so well thought out. Artificially Enhanced Humans creates a genetic disparity which results in conflict. Humans being Humans, they throw nukes at the problem, so the Smarter (sic) Humans create a technology that renders nuclear power null and void. This in turn results in the development of battery-powered mobile suits; super weapons that can only be effectively controlled by the Genetically Superior Humans.

This all makes sense. And all that follows is logical. Of course the MS stay plugged in until the last possible second of launch, to maximize battery life. Of course they use physical weaponry, for the same reason.

And this in turn leads to the Earth Alliance developing weapons that have special armor that nullifies physical weapons. They perfect energy efficient beam weapons to have a one-up on their enemy, but their natural use OS isn’t perfected until the SUPER coordinator helps develop it. (Also maybe the neutral nation also develops it simultaneously, but I digress)

And the mobile suits of ZAFT are logical. Of course the ground types use a more stable quadruped design. Of course the underwater suits use a solid shell chassis, and sound-based weaponry.

I like how they draw attention to the fact that beam weaponry has a higher attenuation rate in atmosphere. I like how they make an issue that a mobile suit designed for space combat would need its auto-balancers readjusted for desert combat. I like how all the 1st gen Earth MS are based on the Strike, the one mobile suit they still had access to. (I like how the M1 Astrays are all based on the MBF prototypes for the same reason)

I enjoy how well thought out everything was and explained within the series and I get annoyed how it all gets sidelined for bigger spectacle and drama. And stuff stops making sense. I can see how Stargazer works; mirage colloid particles create a solar sail for interstellar travel when hit by a giant space laser. I can see that. So how does that turn into whatever the fuck the Destiny does? How is that the same system?

I hate how everything devolves into “everything is Gundam”. SEED has a spectacular MSV catalogue, but all the animation focuses on is Gundam Beam Spam. (And that’s a shame, because almost no other Gundam does large epic battlefields like SEED does.)

I dunno. The power scaling jumps the shark somewhere around the end of the first series, and by the time we get to SEED Freedom, it becomes basically meaningless.

I know other Gundam shows have fantastical technology; psycho-frames and GN Drives and GUND format and whatnot. But almost every time that stuff is baked in from the start and remains consistent throughout, or has some logical progression to it. SEED seems to just be chasing “how can we make this even more badass?” and it loses its credibility in the process. We’re left with Jesus Yamato in his rebaked Strike Freedom and his “beats everything” forehead laser. For a show that started on the premise of “let’s take away the nuclear-powered robots and see what happens” it seems like a betrayal of what was actually a beautifully grounded and self-actualized Gundam AU.

I still like SEED. I still think it’s deserving of its popularity. I’m just…disillusioned with it.

[rekino2114]

Confessing to fem. Herlock sholmes

A/n:One of the first characters I wanted to do a genderbent post about without being requested to was herlock sholmes cause he's one of my favorite characters ever. Credit to mi_zu_no on Twitter for the art, and sorry if it's cropped weird since originally it was of all of the main cast genderbent

I'll change herlock's name to Harley

Being the great detective's partner was....an experience, while you certainly didn't expect her to be so...eccentric to say the least, you couldn't deny that those quirks of her didn't make her fun to be around. you also noticed that you two made a pretty great team when it came to solving cases. Overall living with her was a great experience, and maybe you had started seeing her in a way different than just a friend.

Little did you know that Harley had started seeing you in that way too but too scared to confess never acted out on her feelings, something that iris didn't fail to notice

"Harley, we need to talk"

"What is it, dear iris?"

"Do you like y/n....romantically?"

The detective fell down in surprise before quickly getting up

"Whatever makes you say that?"

"I mean, it's pretty obvious. You're always ranting about how amazing he is and how handsome he looks, to be honest I'm surprised he didn't notice"

"I see my detective skills must have rubbed off on you, my dear girl. You are indeed correct. He has taken my heart"

"Then why don't you just tell him?"

"And there lies the issue! you see telling him would be very risky, what If he doesn't feel the same, I couldn't look at him again if he rejected me"

"I'm sure he does too. Have you seen how he looks at you when you're together?"

"I actually didn't pay particular attention to where his eyes looked, probably because I was too lost in them ahahaha"

"......You're hopeless sometimes Harley"

"Why yes, hopelessly in love"

"Hey girls, what are you talking about?"

"Oh hi n/n, Harley here was saying-"

"Nothing you should take note of, my dear fellow. More importantly, I could sense my great detective's instinct tingle when you walked in here do you have something to tell me perhaps?"

"I see you're as observant as ever, indeed I came here to tell you-"

"Hush! I thought you'd learned by now, my good friend, that once the train of reasoning has started, it cannot be stopped. Now sit back for you will have the pleasure to witness Harley sholmes logic and reasoning spectacular"

".....really?"

"Don't we usually do this together?"

"Indeed but today you will be the victim of the great detective's deduction, so shall we start?"

Harley started to dance around you as usual

"First of all, we must notice you have quite the red complexion on your face, and I don't think it's something coincidental either. It's clearly something coming from deep in your body"

"W-well-"

"Secondly, I see that on your face. Not only is a red hue but also some water dripping down your forehead, do you mind explaining why you're sweating on a London winter evening, my dear fellow?"

"Alright I guess I should tell you i-"

"There is no need for words, for I have already deduced everything...... you have come here to tell me you were sick and had a fever"

"............"

"............"

"I see you two are too stunned to speak"

"That's....one way to put it"

"*sighs* You're just as great as always, Harley, but you're wrong. I'm fine but I did want to tell you something"

"Go ahead then, I trust no one else but my great partner to correct me"

"Well, the reason why I was so red and sweaty was because I was very nervous it's not the first time I feel like this around you, but today especially I really needed to tell you why: .......Harley I think I love you

"Ah I see, that was my second id-.....WAIT WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

The blonde woman fell in a comical way much like before, but got up quickly and looked at you with her usual smile and a slight blush on her face

"Pardon my yelling but that was a very surprising revelation you had there"

"Yeah, sorry if you don't feel the same but you're just so beautiful and smart not to meet incredibly fun to be around, you always put a smile on my face. I just needed to get that off my chest sorry"

"No need to apologize y/n for I think.....I may feel the same"

"Really?"

"Why yes, you're handsome, kind and can match my intelligence and.... admittedly hard to deal with personality, I would be a fool not to accept your confession"

"Oh, thanks so much, I suppose now I'm the great detective's partner in more ways than one"

"I couldn't have said better myself my dear now how about making our relationship official with a kiss"

She wrapped her arms around you and pulled you into a deep and passionate kiss

"That was great"

"I couldn't agree more"

"Oh, that was wonderful. I'm so happy for you two. I must start writing the manuscript for next month's issue, the readers are gonna love a romance plot"

"And this calls for celebration, I'll get my violin and play a sweet melody for our love"

"I'm sure it will be great I love you Harley"

"I love you too my dearest"

[mac-ann-cheese]

Happy Halloween! ₍⁠₍⁠ ⁠◝⁠(⁠　ﾟ⁠∀⁠ ﾟ⁠ ⁠)⁠◟⁠ ⁠⁾⁠⁾

Tbh, 2010s halloween outfits kinda slap. Newer ones are spectacular too, don't get me wrong!! However I prefer those, something in them is just nostalgic.

Behind the cut is crazy amount of words.

Sooo, I wouldn't put it as a big and detailed au, but some thoughts behind my drawing: I drew my ideas from fanfic/comic (don't actually remember), where Francis sort of died in Arthur's typical vampire castle and became a ghost, and I focused on more what had happened before that.

It's the 18th century, unindentified place. Francis, an heir to a generic grand fortune, spends his life (and money) on pointlessly expensive parties. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he discovers that he got chronically ill-ed by fate, cause she didn't like his way of living. Maybe the plague got him or tuberculosis, something, that can't be fully cured at that time. Of course, this unpleasant finding shakes up the whole world for Francis and... actually nothing changes. "I'm still going to die, why to waste time on lamenting?", - he probably thought, partially accepting his demise. But people drew away from him, as you know, sickness are easily spread. The only way for him having fun was closed. Nobody would invite or let him in social events even for loads of money. And that's the reason behind searching for someone who could genuinely stand to have him around.

Like any unnamed cities do, there is always a guy who lives on the outskirts of the town for a mysterious reason... Nobody knew that Arthur is a vampire, however he acted little bit on the unusual side in the public, so no one liked to tolerate him enough to communicate with. Being already a pretty unlucky man overall and having NO friends makes Arthur to long for any mortal (or not) soul to talk to. Maybe he will try not eating them first before deciding to have a chit chat.

And by logic of any wonderful universe, the seekers found each other.

Getting turned away at another late party, Francis bumps in Arthur, who was lurking for unfortunate drunkard around the place. "Um, mister," , - Francis probably wondered out loud, - "why are you hiding behind that pillar? Wait, don't turn away, I've seen you", - as a response he gets only cat-like hisses. And then Francis makes another unpleasant discovery about himself - he is into whatever the fuck is going on with this guy in a goofy looking top hat and a coat. That fateful night Arthur got himself a literal follower.

With the fact of being known Arthur was annoyed for couple of days, but quickly overcome his aversion. It was nice to have someone around for the first time in centuries. Even though Francis's blood tasted repulsively sweet of his malady, it was way better than a beggar.

And Francis met a companion for endless conversation and hanging out. In the dark, sadly. On the other side, Arthur's got a castle... Francis doesn't have that much time left, but will get used to all that biting quirks and hate of the sun of his newfound friend (no, he won't get a slightest idea of connection to vampires. Poor him!).

[strewwwberry]

I’ve seen a few posts spinning the idea that Shen yuan had ex-girlfriends before getting transmigrated

This was where I got pretty much this entire idea from so I give entire credi to them lol coz I basically copied it in different words 😂

Go check it out first! :

I love it so much, and the cherry on top has to be that it would totally make sense for him to have had girlfriends like are you kidding me,

He’s described as decently attractive and if we know anything about how shen yuan describes himself and others that aren’t through obvious bias (such as yue Qingyuan, Shen qingqiu and liu qingge first looks he gets of them) then I’m confident in that he’s probably telling the truth, we also know he’s rich as hell, he’s a literal neet/nepo baby, and we also know that he has siblings, more specifically a little sister.

Now as someone who can have insight into the woman’s brain as someone raised a woman™, a guy who gets along with their little sister is a green flag

Now all that in mind, shen yuan getting some is not that shocking in all honesty, and frankly his nerdiness probably added to his charm for some girls and his totally not gay just respect women juice also probably got some oblivious girls to go "awww what a sweetheart"

So yes, shen yuan with exes is spectacular for the logical reasons

Now the funny reasons.

Can you imagine him talking to airplane about this? Shang qinghua is just like well wtf do you know about sex you virgin and shen yuans just like "Lan-Jie thought I was great stfu"

Shang qinghua would be flabbergasted

And to add to that, shang qinghua definitely catfished shen yuan and I will stand by that in any shen yuan has exes universes

Going off of the other post linked above, shang qinghua with some nickname like "Xiao Hua" or maybe "Xiao Mei" just meaning little sister and shen yuan just never questioning it until Shang Qinghua just up and ghosts him after realising nah this dude gay a hell

Back to svsss and Shen yuan is listing off his exes and mentions "Xiao Mei" on his like 47th ex an sqh is just like

😃😃

Humour my darling, I'm cackling

Anyway brainrot over have a good night/morning/afternoon (￢ ‿ ￢ )

[trianglesimpfordpines]

ok so like 2 people said they wanted to see the "ford is the most realistic genius" post and that's all the encouragement i need. i'm probably gonna sound pretty full-of-myself on this post but that's just how it be like sometimes.

a lot of the time, "intelligence" is assumed to mean "knows more things." fictional characters who are supposed to be geniuses typically just...miraculously Know information they have no real way of acquiring, anticipate events that cannot reasonably anticipated, or every other character just suddenly gets stupid when the genius character is around so that the "genius" character just doing the logical thing comes off as particularly smart.

so you have a character who supposedly has a really high iq, but in practice they may as well be psychic.

as someone who actually has an iq of 147 (bear with me, because this isn't a flexing post), being "really intelligent" does not mean Just Knowing Things. what it means is that someone who's "smart" (in the traditional sense) can process more information, draw more conclusions, and do so faster than most people. it also usually means being really good at rationalizing things. so if you're someone who's well-adjusted and well-informed, that can definitely look like knowing all the right answers...but if you're someone who's not well-adjusted or well-informed, it can, if anything, make you even wronger. you get better at rationalizing your mistakes and digging yourself in deeper. and heaven help you if you have paranoid tendencies, because it's that much harder to convince someone they're being irrational when they're on a whole 'nother level of finding information to back up their irrationality.

ford is a genius. he learns incredibly fast and thoroughly. but he's also constrained by the information he has available to him, and by his own biases and past trauma and people issues.

that one writing advice post that made the rounds saying that a character's biggest flaw is usually their biggest strength in the wrong situation is very true of people who are very intelligent. it's why, for example, you'll sometimes see doctors, academics, experts buy into conspiracy theories. it's not because they're stupid; it's because they're smart enough to recontextualize all their knowledge to support their biases and beliefs.

and so many people do not understand this because they still think of "intelligence" as "knowing & being right about everything." so you get people arguing that ford isn't really a genius, because he was wrong and he made mistakes. but in my opinion, the mistakes he makes make perfect sense because he's a genius. that kind of recklessness is exactly what you get when you combine abnormally high iq with ford's myriad of personal issues. you get someone who's great at rationalizing, great at taking in information, and great at finding surprisingly well-thought-out reasons why their paranoia and antisocial tendencies are totally just the rational response.

think of it this way; the smartest people alive in the medieval era believed in the miasma theory. they weren't too stupid to understand what bacteria and viruses are; they just didn't have the tools needed to observe them. so they came up with a theory based on the information they did know, wrote essays and papers about it, made medical practices based on it...and it was completely incorrect, because genius without correct information leads to spectacular and very well-thought-out mistakes.

anyway, all this to say, as someone who could nominally be considered a "genius" but has been hella wrong about a lot of things in my life, i think ford is an incredibly realistic take on what most "geniuses" are really like. impressive in the right situations, not so much in the wrong ones, and very much not magical beings capable of mysteriously knowing all the correct information because they're Just That Smart. and very much not immune to emotional and personal issues getting in the way.

thanks for coming to my "i-just-slept-for-20-hours-and-my-brain-is-a-bit-scrambled-right-now" ted talk

[omikamiis]

MARCH 02 : warming up

“What the actual fuck.” Was March’s eyes deceiving him, in the middle of winter, what the actual hell was the farmer doing soaked from head to toe. He had only noticed them since there was work needed to be done by the forge. gripping the bridge of his nose and letting out a massive sigh, god, he swore that Sumi was going to be the death of him one day. 

“Alright, let’s hear it, did you really think ice fishing was your calling or something?” while sumi could only laugh in retort, despite shivering and only managing to stay warm by the fire. clothes seemingly cling to their body, almost virtually useless while soaked and the never ending frozen breeze was unrelenting. truly a spectacular sight. “Welll I thought I had seen an artifact in the lake, but turns out it was just a piece of wood… W-Wha are you actually laughing at me!?” taken aback that March was so blazen and open about his emotions, if it weren’t for the fact they were soaked from head to toe Sumi would actually fight back but any sort of moment only welcomed a new freezing breeze. “Duh! Only you would be stupid enough to try that in the dead of winter. Why are you standing out here still, you could’ve gone to the inn, the bathhouse, or even quite literally fucking anywhere.” arms crossed as he watched them shiver, while March didn’t love the idea of Sumi potentially getting sick this sight was even too much for him to sit idly! a smile cannot help but adorn his features, what was he going to do with them! 

“Oh… why didn’t I go to the inn…?” Sumi’s head turns in confusion, eyes devoid of any sort of logic nor reason. A hand makes contact with March’s forehead, how spacey could you get? “You’re. a. fucking. idiot.” Is all he says in between laughter, despite laughing his ass off quite frankly he’s already dragging them to the bathhouse. the door swings open, startling both Juniper & Dozy who were enjoying the coziness of the warmth of the bathouse’s atmosphere. “Are you just devoid of any sort of decorum Marc- Sumi why on earth are you soaking wet.” Juniper getting up from her chair, eyes squinting at their shivering form. “This genius thought it was a greaaat idea to take a swim in the middle of winter, all for, what was it a stick?” His teasing sticks a jab right through their heart, Sumi’s face is a crimson red from both the cold and complete & utter embarrassment. “Gahhh I get it March!! Will you cut it out, I swear I’m going to die from shame over here!!” Hands covering her own face, Juniper watching the scene flow right in front of her. Did neither of them have any shame flirting so bluntly and openly? “Alright, get in the bath. You still have a few free visits from our arrangement, and March brings them back something dry won’t you? I’m sure Sumi here won’t have any disagreements with that.” Separating the two and pushing the farmer towards the entrance of the baths.  Right before disappearing into the baths, sumi calls over to March. “I should have some fresh clean clothes on my bed!! The comfy overalls you know the ones! Thanks a million Mar-Mar!” A goofy grin is all that march sees before they leave their sight. Only leaving both Juniper and March at the entrance. Juniper wearing a knowing smirk and grin, “Mar-Mar? You two seem awfully close don’t you?” March’s face soon engulfs in a pink hue, turning on his heel to leave the bathhouse as quickly as possible. “Shaddup Juni. I have to go get their clothes…” With a slam the door is closed, whilst Juniper all can do is sigh. When will these two idiots just confess already?

[roenters]

Wrote an essay for Meet Joe Black as my review cause it was a very very good film. I'll link it on letterbox too but he's it in full. If you haven't watched it don't read it cause this has SPOILERS

I think this film is slow to get going but the small details at the start are taken through right to the end and so I can make allowances for it, although personally the voice in Bill's head didn't grab me until it started ramping up due to it being a bit same-y to begin with. However, splicing it in with the section in the coffee shop makes the beginning of the film much more enjoyable. That section allowed for the man we originally meet to be built up and for us to understand him and sympathise with him more. He is a young man that's starting a new life, a fresh one - much like Death himself (and that could possibly even be an indicator as to why Death chose to commandeer his body for the short term) and is a lovely human being, you can understand why Susan liked him. I think the fact they allowed them to get to know each other was necessary in order to make the eventual ending to have more meaning and allow for his death in the first place. Tension was built exquisitely to the point where it was painful when they were looking back at each other continuously at just the wrong times and to end it with him getting hit by a car truly is spectacular, although him bouncing around during that death scene was rather amusing.

Moving on to Death's appearance, I like how the light in the windows made the encounter much more ethereal and supernatural as opposed to just a young boy in a suit turning up at the door, the setting gave it much more meaning. The mix of assertion and hesitation around who he was was also interesting and it was quite nice to see that Death did have all the cards from the get-go despite being new to the human experience. His development throughout the film is very interesting, showing his expertise and intelligence through his word choice and calmly-spoken manner when discussing things he understands such as the afterlife juxtaposed with his lack of knowledge in human nature and customs, hence the brilliant necessity for Bill. He's characterised in a way where it is obvious and natural to the viewer that he is not of our realm of existence, and yet can connect with us through simple things like a favourite food and developing relationships. It was nice to see as well how he went from copying Bill and those around him as he was more unsure at the beginning to Bill copying him and going with his lead in the end when getting back at Drew, showing his new understanding of the human identity. The clarity of where he picked things up from is also important and made expertly accessible to the viewer i.e. Death picking up the phrase 'death and taxes' from Drew, just to use it against him with his little stint as an IRS worker. This is also mirrored when Bill throws Death's words back at him to describe love, showing he himself has learnt things from Death to on this journey and like Death is experienced in the afterlife, he is experienced in what it means to be human and what it means to love. You can also see Death's clear misunderstanding of the subject whenever he loses his calm nature when discussing it, showing his lack of understanding in certain areas and his head-sure sense of self impeding all logic, reason and advice from others.

I like how the interaction in the coffee shop is taken right through to the end, ending up as an indicator to who is inhabiting the body and allowing Susan to understand what has gone on despite never actually being told. In my opinion, she knew. I also like the direct allusion from Death when he says goodbye to her that it will be okay, obviously foreshadowing his returning of the body. It's nice to see despite originally intending to be a holiday and not knowing what to expect, Death developed a lot of empathy and wanted to leave Susan in good stead, understanding what the loss of both her father and partner would do to her.

I also think it was quite good that they kept with them going to the afterlife in the end. Of course, there were multiple allusions to them potentially throwing away the deal all together and the audience was able to hold onto hope that the experience would make Death rethink his decision, but I think the fact that they kept with it helps with the overall theme of the finality of it all and being happy with the mark you have made on the world - be it with your family, friends or your work. Additionally, the open-ended nature of Death is very good in my opinion. He never truly discloses who he is to anyone, not even Bill as he of course tells him he wouldn't be able to fathom the true extent of his existence. It definitely helps to mirror societal beliefs today and keep the subject up for debate, showing three deaths in the film - the car crash that is what one might think of a death to look like but was in fact, not fatal; the older lady's death that was a mercy to take away her pain and showed the wise nature of those older than us (also showing different culture's views on death and it was even better that they did not dispute these beliefs - they are each as valid as any other in Death's book) and of course Death's own passing to the other side with Bill in the end - a death we do not see but is what one may imagine, a peaceful walk into oblivion with hints from Death at a better place in the hereafter.

On a similar note, I really value portrayals of Death where they try and get on a similar level to those they are taking to the other side, It shows an understanding of how terrifying the experience must be and a compassion for the work and their duty. I think using the older lady was an excellent way to execute it here. First of all, of course, the accent. Allowing himself to speak in her accent back to her to make her more comfortable was excellent and the way it happened so naturally was a brilliant way to show how caring Death truly is. As well as this, his hesitance to end her life the first time round presents his own value in human life and that he doesn't want to end it before its time. However, most of all, I believe the fact the exchange benefitted both parties was what made it so impactful. The fact that he saw her pain and that she had reached the point in her life where she didn't need any more and so granted her that wish was beautiful. And that she could teach him that life has ups and downs and that he should treasure that he had a good experience in the short time he was on the planet was a heartwarming (tear-jerking) watch. It allowed for the clear switch in his mindset - all the while still having some bumps in the road before it was resolved - and for him to treasure even more what he had found.

Sound and light was obviously used quite effectively here too, and that's to say there is often a lack of it. I think the quietness surrounding the characters in many scenes allows for them to be more impactful, emphasizing the emotions on screen by allowing you as the viewer to feel them alongside. I think the silence also was able to highlight both Death's lack of understanding, imposing nature and air of calm around him, contrasted with the loud, fast-paced music when we get to scenes like the party that hold a lot of emotional tension.

In my opinion, the length of the film was warranted because otherwise you would not have had the full experience of watching the last few days of a man's life. Seeing what he treasured most and allowing it all to be wrapped up was touching and gave the film much more impact and time to develop characters and the many plot lines it contains. All in all, it was a very good watch indeed.

[film-in-my-soul]

Quanker Anustickle Iggywumpus III | 650 | reallyneedsalife / @reallyneedsalife

Summary: James suspects that Q is his soulmate. All he needs is Q's name. He goes about it, however, in a rather roundabout fashion.

Everything, Everything | 724 | SolarMorrigan / @solarmorrigan

Summary: As occasionally happens, considering how little is known about Q's people, he and Bond have a minor culture clash; they work it out quickly enough

Semantics | 807 | SolarMorrigan / @solarmorrigan

Summary: "Enough. No more math." "No more drinks." Bond corrected. "No more drinks." Q parroted.

An Undeniable Truth | 815 | Catchclaw

Summary: James Bond comes back from the dead on a Thursday, and in retrospect, Q should have seen it coming.

(see more recommendations below!)

Breathe my air and I'll be fine | 847 | linndechir / @linndechir

Summary: “The view is spectacular,” Q comments as he joins Bond on the roof. “It is,” Bond agrees, but he's not looking out over the city. Q's lips are a startling red in his pale face, they always look like someone just kissed him breathless.

Something To Live For | 946 | vials

Summary: Q always got the impression that James wasn't a conventional man. Therefore, it seems totally logical that James would wait until the middle of a crisis to bring up something like feelings, and of course he's injured, too.

My Little WHAT? | 999 | Kryptaria / @kryptaria

Summary: Sometimes, missions end with Bond knee-deep in bodies and blood. Other times, it's something entirely different.

Venture Out | 1,018 | SolarMorrigan / @solarmorrigan

Summary: Q doesn't actually live at the office, but Bond hadn't realized how few places he can actually go

Our Little Talks | 1,025 | misura / @measuredmisura

Summary: "Perhaps, if you want people to show good manners, you shouldn't break into their homes."

Advances | 1,036 | Tokyo_the_Glaive / @tokyotheglaive

Summary: Of the many, many questions Q had never expected to ask anyone, the one that had just passed his lips was perhaps amongst the most unexpected of them all. “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?”

Inconvenience | 1,048 | soufflegirl91 / @soufflegirl91

Summary: It had become a routine, of sorts. If it was a run of the mill, low risk mission, Q would make some sort of joke about breaking equipment. For the more serious missions, it was always the same thing: "Please don't die, 007. It would be very inconvenient."

Get Your Honey’s Worth | 1,072 | Celyan

Summary: Upon stepping into his office, Q finds a jar of honey.

Not Your Usual | 1,132 | aglassfullofhappiness (mehm)

Summary: Q keeps typing, even as blood seeps into his cardigan and his fingers shake against the keys.

Relentless | 1,139 | wednesday

Summary: Sometimes the most annoying people are attractive to James. Despite their personality, or maybe because of it, if he’s feeling particularly masochistic.

The importance of stealth and biscuits | 1,163 | hummingbeeoOo / @hummingbee-o0o

Summary: He locates Q almost immediately and assumes his swankiest gait as he strolls over to where he’s busy with the skeleton of a brand new motorcycle he’s working on. He’s also deliciously focused, slightly ruffled, and sporting a grease stain on his cheek. Bond wants to ruffle him even more. Q purses his lips when he sees him. “I thought I’d got rid of you,” he says in lieu of a loving greeting. Bond produces his most charming smile. “I come bearing gifts,” he offers the tea.

From Below | 1,187 | SolarMorrigan / @solarmorrigan

Summary: More nights than not, Bond finds Q standing out on the balcony, staring at the sky he can no longer reach

Eyes Down | 1,196 | aebleskiver

Summary: Four times the Double-O section infiltrates Q-Branch, and the one time Q’s alright with it.

pretend | 1,212 | onthecontrary

Summary: “I almost bloody shot you,” Q says, huffing. “Yes, nice to see you too, Q,” Bond returns, as though he hadn’t just disappeared mid-mission, uncontactable for the whole of one week.

Birds of a Feather | 1,306 | EllaStorm / @ellastorm

Summary: Q never shows his wings in public. Bond has always been more than just a little straightforward about things.

Groceries and Other Conundrums | 1,362 | samanthahirr / @samanthahirr

Summary: While putting away the groceries, it belatedly dawns on Q that he's dating James Bond. Which doesn't make any goddamn sense.

A Thousand Words' Worth | 1,405 | blackidyll / @blackidyll

Summary: "I'll send you a postcard." "Please don't." Because Bond is infuriating, he sends them along anyway.

Queer, in the old sense of the word | 1,419 | Castillon02 / @castillon02

Summary: There’s always been something off about Q. Bond tries to figure him out.

On Flight | 1,442 | beaubete / @beaubete

Summary: The one where feathers appear out of nowhere.

a cigarette you thought was gonna be your last | 1,444 | calciseptine / @calciseptinefic

Summary: Living with Q is not as difficult as James initially thought it might be.

never seek to tell | 1,463 | thestalwartheart / @thestalwartheart

Summary: Kidnapped and in solitary confinement, Q has an unexpected visitor.

Emphatically Do Not Leave Me Breathless | 1,506 | SolarMorrigan / @solarmorrigan

Summary: Q is an irresponsible asthmatic and Bond is a reasonably intimidating good Samaritan

Very Serious | 1,521 | hyphyp

Summary: Q drags Bond out of an avalanche.

less of a stranger | 1,679 | blindbatalex / @blindbatalex

Summary: Q is washing the dishes when Bond slides into the kitchen. “Q,” he says, drawing the word out, “what are you doing?” Q rolls his eyes. The bastard can smell the answer for himself. His tone is what you would use with a cat you’ve caught tangled in the window blinds when Q is anything but. He is wearing that bloody silk night robe yet again. And yet-

Liabilities | 1,691 | mikkary

Summary: What, exactly, does Q do in his pajamas before his first cup of Earl Gray? Bond thinks about liabilities and the other l-word, though he won't admit it.

One of many | 1,694 | withered

Summary: Q thinks he can get Bond out of his system. He's wrong.

it gets the better of me | 1,725 | thestalwartheart / @thestalwartheart

Summary: Bond is familiar with the chemistry that constantly brings two people into the same orbit, and he feels it with Q. He and Bond both share a taste for the finer things, and they’ve recognised each other as a luxury worth having.

Having a Good Time, It Looks Like | 1,727 | Catchclaw

Summary: The first rule of a fake, albeit mission critical relationship, Q quickly learns, is that there are boundaries.

he will make you rue the day | 1,804 | macabre

Summary: Bond's clock runs out; fortunately, Q can orchestrate resurrection.

Holiday Parties | 1,933 | kototyph / @kototyph

Summary: Wherein Q misuses agency personnel and 007 comes bearing gifts.

gadget, trinket, doodad, device | 1,938 | scioscribe / @scioscribe

Summary: If Bond wants a shoehorn that can also pick locks, it's Q's job to give it to him. (Well, actually it's not, but for some reason he keeps getting talked into it anyway. Also, he's been making a genuinely excessive number of things that explode.)

Marry me | 1,964 | hummingbeeoOo / @hummingbee-o0o

Summary: “Marry me,” Bond murmurs the words quietly, under his breath. He freezes, midway through stirring the sauce with a wooden spoon, a pool of piercing adrenaline suddenly bursting in his chest before he remembers he’s luckily alone.

The Old God of MI6 | 1,966 | opalescentgold / @opalescentgold

Summary: When M gave Bond the option of becoming 007, she said bluntly, “The few Double-Ohs who reach the age of 45 are given to Q as an offering. Are you prepared for that?” “Q?” M gave him an impatient look. “The Old God of MI6. Its designation is Q.” It...had a designation? There were actual protocols for this entity? It was a god?

Five Times Bond Had A Secret Admirer...And One Time He Admired Back | 2,011 | Prismatic Bell (PrismaticBell)

Summary: Bond keeps getting love letters, of a kind.

Sugar | 2,029 | withered

Summary: Contrary to popular rumour, it doesn't start with the kitschey souvenirs snatched from various locales around the world. It starts because Q rolls his eyes, and drawls, "Am I to your satisfaction then, Mr Bond?" And that's it. That's how it starts.

Like real people do | 2,070 | withered

Summary: Q finds out they're married after Bond's been declared Killed in Action. For Bond's sake, he better be.

open line | 2,076 | Aniron84 / @aniron48

Summary: There was no conceivable excuse for it. Bond had prepared to sign off comms the way he always did— “I’ll see you in London, Q.” —and Q, only half paying attention, closing camera feeds, verifying flight paths, had responded—

Comfort | 2,130 | Castillon02 / @castillon02

Summary: Bond ferrets out one of Q’s secretly-favorite things.

honour amongst thieves | 5,511 | midrashic / @midrashic

Summary: The love story between the hacker and the hitman is well-known in the criminal underground. Some of it is even true.

Ordinary Numbers | 44,163 | BootsnBlossoms / @bootsnblossoms & Kryptaria / @kryptaria

Summary: More than anything, Mike Taylor wanted to be ordinary. Being a genius, he learned early in life, meant people expected too much. A career at the MI6 Help Desk seemed the perfect way to guarantee a lifetime of obscurity, until he got a very unusual tech support call.

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[affairs-of-dragons]

Chapter Seven: Clashes and Creation Myths

"Jinx, wait up!" Flicker's laughter echoed through the cavern as she zipped past Jinx, her wings a blur of yellow and orange. Jinx, meticulously organizing a collection of crystals by size and luminosity, let out an exasperated sigh. "Must you flit about like a hyperactive firefly?" he grumbled, adjusting his spectacles.

Flicker giggled, hovering in the air before him, her sky-blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "But Jinx, there's so much to see, so much to explore! Don't you ever feel the urge to just… fly?"

Jinx, with a dramatic roll of his eyes, gestured towards his meticulously arranged pouches. "My dear Flicker, I have an entire world of wonders contained within these pouches. Why would I need to 'fly' anywhere?"

Flicker, undeterred, zoomed towards Sparks, who was carefully tending to a patch of luminous fungi. "Sparks, come on! Let's race to the Whispering Falls!"

Sparks, ever eager to please, abandoned their gardening duties and joined Flicker in a whirlwind of laughter and flapping wings. Jinx watched them go, shaking his head with a mixture of amusement and concern. Flicker's boundless energy and carefree spirit were a constant source of both delight and frustration.

Their contrasting personalities clashed throughout the day. Flicker, convinced that a legendary treasure lay hidden somewhere in the cavern, dragged Jinx on a wild goose chase, their enthusiasm clashing with his skepticism. They scrambled through narrow tunnels, scaled treacherous rock formations, and even ventured into a dark, forbidding crevice that Jinx swore was home to a grumpy, territorial cave troll. (It wasn't, much to Flicker's disappointment.)

Later, Flicker, in a misguided attempt to "help" Jinx, tinkered with one of his intricate inventions – a device designed to automatically sort and categorize different types of crystals. Their "improvements," involving a haphazard assortment of gears, springs, and brightly colored wires, resulted in a spectacular explosion of sprockets and a shower of multi-colored sparks. Jinx, covered in soot and sputtering with indignation, could only stare in disbelief as his carefully crafted contraption lay in ruins.

"I was just trying to make it more… fun," Flicker explained, their voice filled with innocent cheerfulness.

Jinx, suppressing a growl of frustration, could only manage a weak, "Indeed."

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the cavern floor, Lyra called the dragons together for their evening meal. They gathered around the crackling fire, its warmth chasing away the lingering chill of the day. Lyra, with a twinkle in her amber eyes, announced that she would tell them the story of the First Hatching, the creation myth of their world.

Sparks and Flicker settled down eagerly, their eyes wide with anticipation. Jinx, despite his usual skepticism, found himself drawn in by Lyra's captivating voice and the mystery of the tale.

"In the beginning," Lyra began, her voice echoing through the cavern, "there was only chaos. A swirling void of darkness and energy, a formless expanse where nothing existed but potential."

She described the emergence of the first dragon, a being of pure light and power, who brought order to the chaos, shaping the world with their breath and claws. She recounted the creation of the caverns, a safe haven from the harsh realities of the outside world, a place where dragons could thrive and grow.

"And then," she continued, her voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper, "came the kobolds. Creatures of ingenuity and resourcefulness, born from the earth itself, who helped the dragons build their civilization, to craft tools and inventions, to explore the mysteries of the world."

Jinx, listening intently, felt a strange sense of pride at Lyra's words. He had always considered himself to be a pragmatist, a creature of logic and reason. But Lyra's story painted a different picture, a picture of kobolds as essential partners in the creation of their world.

As Lyra continued her tale, weaving a tapestry of legends and myths, Sparks felt a growing sense of wonder and belonging. They were part of this world, this history, this legacy. They were a dragon, a creature of strength and resilience, destined for great things.

But as the story unfolded, a subtle unease crept into Sparks's heart. Lyra's words hinted at a deeper layer of reality, a world beyond the cavern, a world filled with both beauty and darkness. They remembered the shadowy figure in their dreams, the echoes of a past they couldn't quite grasp. And they wondered, with a growing sense of apprehension, what secrets lay hidden within the depths of their world, and within themselves.

Later that night, as the others slept, Lyra retreated to her private chamber, a hidden alcove deep within the cavern system. She sat before a glowing crystal, its facets reflecting a myriad of colors, her emerald scales shimmering in the soft light. She closed her eyes, her thoughts drifting back to the story she had told, the story of the First Hatching.

It was a tale she had told countless times before, a tale that had been passed down through generations of dragons. But tonight, as she recounted the familiar words, a new layer of meaning unfolded within her.

She had created this world, this haven, this sanctuary. Not in the literal sense, perhaps, but in the way that mattered most. She had shaped the cavern with her will, her desire to protect Sparks, to shield them from the looming threat, to create a space where they could heal and grow.

She had summoned Jinx, drawn him to this place with a whisper of magic, a promise of purpose and belonging. She had nurtured Sparks, guided them, loved them as her own.

And she had created Flicker, a spark of joy and light, a beacon of hope in the darkness. She had woven them from the very essence of the Idea Bloom, imbuing them with a resilience and optimism that she herself had lost somewhere along the way.

But as she reflected on her creations, a wave of doubt washed over her. Was she doing the right thing? Was she protecting them, or was she stifling them, preventing them from experiencing the fullness of life, the challenges and joys that lay beyond the confines of the cavern?

She looked up at the glowing crystal, its facets reflecting her own conflicted emotions. She didn't have the answers. All she could do was trust her instincts, follow her heart, and hope that she was guiding them towards a brighter future.