#“obvious” and choose the “obvious” choice that everyone knows i would pick so i pick a different‚ more obscure option for some reason

[front-facing-pokemon]

[kroosluvr]

temptation

i lowkey have too many notes to write down properly KDFHKDS but ill write them down for Future Cele so i can read it later and be like omggg past cele ur so fun and interesting

in general, the more "color" the scenes have, the closer it is to "real life" as opposed to the muted/hushed winter blues of maruki's reality

i.e. the dark frames w akira smiling and the very last panel are when reality sinks in: first for akira, then for goro

by the way this is long winter au but sumire is still brainwashed. this also works for canonverse but i just had long winter au in mind:o

youve heard of laundry and taxes now get ready for coffee and pastries

in every panel, akira is smiling! :) and goro is very much not smiling.

intentionally his face is hidden in the last 2 pages so its unclear whether it's the "ideal reality" already (akira/goro's daydreams/wants/desires), or if goro is still fighting akira on making sure he picks the right choice

the smoke from the first page kinda leads into the 3rd page omfg COMPLETELY UNINTENTIONAL BUT REALLY COOL LMAOOO

that's nameless and belladonna in jazz jin!!! i love them. I LOVETHEM. i miss them so bad is it obvious

the cafe is loosely based off of caffe strada @ uc berkeley LMAO. my parents used to take me there a lot as a little kid so that's the first cafe i think of when i imagine one. its like right on the streetside, basically on the sidewalk, so its very bustling and people are always walking by... probably a little disconcerting to see everyones summery bright smiles despite the bitter cold and snow

in long winter AU, the Ideal Reality starts before 1/1 so yeah they get to see the new years fireworks together (or something)

also intentional that they wear the same winter outfits in the whole comic although it Probably does not take place at the same time. in maruki's snowglobe, time seems frozen in place... but akira and goro are both acutely aware that the sands are running thru QUICK

goro's frustrated expression on page 3 is one also of disdain: "don't speak FOR me you fucking imbecile" type of expression.

goro, who's never lived a normal life and therefore doesn't know much abt "normalcy" nor really actively seeks it. this 3rd semester is basically purgatory for him and he doesn't care to try and go through the motions the way akira does. akira what do YOU know about the type of "normalcy" i deserve? how do YOU know if i "deserve" that?

im thinking that this is a naive akira who is mostly set on taking the deal because he feels hopeless... seeing all his friends with good happy lives while goro and himself are alive and miserable and shouldering the weight of the world during the horror of long winter......

oh but if he takes the deal they could all be good and alive and happy!!!.... and goro knows this. i feel like in any other universe (i.e. akira is 100% certain on not taking the deal and goro knows this) then goro would be happy and carefree to do these little indulgences for himself and akira's sake, to just enjoy the snowglobe world while it exists.

but this goro is discontent. he sees how akira is enjoying the snowglobe and knows maruki is depending on this. goro has to be the one to remind akira that none of this is his to keep........ in this fucked up world, routine is dangerous. becoming comfortable is dangerous. they cannot keep any of this.

on that note, goro says "i hate you" in a halfhearted sort of way (it's not true and akira knows that.) but he's trying to think of a way that he can dissuade akira from picking the wrong choice.....

and i think the thing is, goro thinks all of this, but he still falls into the rhythm of routine with akira anyway. in a way, goro feels hopeless too.

all of this is maruki's doing........ paralyzed by the inability to choose... whatever you do, you lose. goro needs to hold akira at arm's length so the stupid sentimental fool doesn't get too attached and falls into the wrong universe. akira needs to make a concentrated effort to detach himself from goro even though he wants the simplest thing in the world: just one more unremarkable day with him. it's lose-lose..........,

also i liked drawing the tentacles in the last pic the freaking blue lines on them were SO satisfying to draw

edit: also the last page: the blood flooding the panel….. the idea of the ideal world being built off of the blood and sweat and tears and bodies of the people who could have been. of those lost in the actualization, of those destroyed, of those stitched together and brought back to life. all just for a little false happiness. goro sees it but akira doesn’t, and it’s a grim sight.

[hazbinhazmeinachokehold]

Alastor + apprentice!child!reader

A/n: this is some practice to get a footing in his character. (Also slight practice on husk as well.)

Reader is kinda scary but means well overall

Not proofread

Y/n ever elusive. Alastor would randomly mention your name in conversations. References your rampages and your sweetness in the same breath. But when anyone would try to quiz him on you further he would act like he didn't know what they were talking about. He might try to claim it's for privacy but it's pretty obvious he just likes messing with hotel members.

Charlie was especially sad that she might never get to meet you. If Alastor was to be believed you seemed really sweet! (And easy to rehabilitate *cough* *cough*) Also cool! You seemed to be an absolute powerhouse. After Al mentioned you Charlie got somewhat mopey. Until he mentioned you visiting the hotel, which piqued everyone's interest.

When you finally showed up, people's interest was at an all-time high. But now it was because the fabled y/n was a child. "It's a pleasure to be meeting everyone!" You were looking at Alastor but were speaking to the whole room. "I've heard so much about all of you!"

"They've also heard much about you too, dearie." Alastor bent at the waist down to your level. "You've become quite the hot topic here!"

As if to prove his point Charlie picked you up and spun you around almost hitting Alastor in the face. He glared at her but remained calm. "Welcome, welcome! Do you want to choose a room to stay in?"

"Sorry, but I'm not planning to stay."

"I know but just for the time being." Charlie clarified. To that, you nodded. Husk snapped his head toward The Radio Demon once both you and Charlie had left.

"Did you really stoop low enough to make a deal with a child?" He was just barely containing his anger. While he didn't particularly care for those he didn't know at least somewhat personally, taking a child's soul was a place he drew a thick line.

"Why of course not!" He said sounding offended but clearly, it was to mock Husk. "They are under my guidance purely by choice!" Vaggie and Husk both said some version of 'you're a liar' in unison. Alastor simply tsked as he walked away.

Niffty seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "Was thas thay y/n?"

After the crew (excluding Husk) let out a yelp, Vaggie spoke, "Yep."

Niffty let out a villain-esque laugh, though that was just her usual laugh, "I've been meaning to talk to them since they scared off a group of bad boys~" She flashed her sharp teeth and held a knife. Angel grabbed the knife and her before she could get very far.

Back with you and Charlie Alastor materialized next to you and you waved at him.

"Hello, sir!" You saluted him as a joke.

"Hello to you too! Have you found a room?" You nodded and entered said room. Charlie looked at him, her face painted with a confused yet kind look.

"They're the one who hurt so many people? Are you kidding? They are so nice."

"You've never seen them in danger." Suddenly as if on queue an explosion was heard. You shot up from your surprisingly comfortable bed and ran downstairs. Pushing both Charlie and Alastor out of the way while also throwing a quick ‘sorry’ their way.

Once you got downstairs the bad boys that Niffty mentioned earlier were spouting something about you. Once they looked at you they pulled weapons out. You grew and your arms turned pitch black with a slight claw shape. With your new size, you were just big enough to grab them to the point of almost cracking bones. Almost.

"Leave." You said with a deep booming voice that came with the size. You threw them and they scrambled. Once they were gone you shrunk back down to your normal size. Niffty pouted and stamped her foot.

Once you turned everyone had varying looks of shock on their face except Niffty and of course, Alastor who was instead proud. "Congrats dear! Would you like some jambalaya?" You nodded.

As you were walking with him Husk grabbed your shoulder, "Um good job kid... If he ever offers you a deal, don't take it." He felt obliged to warn you. If Alastor's moral code was against recruiting kids, he probably would have pounced on the opportunity to take your soul once you were an adult.

You smiled, "I know I know. But what could I even gain out of any deal with him?" You laughed and walked back to Alastor. Huh. Well, you certainly were being tutored by Alastor.

A/n: Y/n got kinda of edgy at the end-

[odessa-2]

Show the entire video! After she lightly picks Sam, she does the sane with Meril and John. She obviously drinking and happy to see her friends. Or according to you married to all three of them in an secret marriage.

Firstly please learn how to spell, especially if you're a disgruntled twat anonymously polluting my inbox.

Secondly, the entire video was infact posted and I have reblogged it. The video is doing the rounds on the shipper blogs. No one is hiding anything. Everyone is free to interpret it as they choose to. Now I know this is a second punch in the guts for you. First big punch was seeing Sam at the funeral. May I suggest diaphragmic breathing. It helps regulate a shot to shit nervous system such as yours. I will also suggest that you stop being a glutton for punishment and face the music. Sam and Cait are more than friends babe.

Now for the record, I do see Cait hugging John Bell after she kisses Sam, this happened after John Bell interrupted their intimate moment. So what? It doesn't detract from the fact that Caitriona initiated affection with Sam, (who according to your filthy lot, loathes Sam) and then put her arms around Sam and initiated a kiss 😘. She did that by choice, she went to him and clung her arms around his neck like couples do. Now I'm very sorry if you are unaware that this is classic couple behaviour and if you've never had the pleasure to experience this in your sad little life. It would actually explain a lot.

Thirdly, there was no Maril hug (not Meril). I don't know what pipe you're smoking love but it's very obvious that you're in a panic and a bit of a tailspin because deep down you know the reality of the situation. I can feel some empathy for you.

In the meantime, sit on this, it may help snap you out of your brainwashed fog 🖕🖕

[theabigailthorn]

Surely with how popular you are you would have had a few cancelling attempts, but you're drama free. How? I thought you'd be target number 1 with TERFs.

So the thing is, people on the internet have and do try to wreck my life! But it's true that I get less of it than a lot of other women, and I often ask myself (and them) this same question. I think it comes down to a few factors. In no particular order:

I'm white and thin

I don't post selfies very often

The Philosophy Tube Jutsu: I never use my platform to say anything bad about individuals, so I don't make enemies

I'm British

I don't put my pronouns or the word 'trans' in my bio. I mention it if it it's relevant but to a casual troll looking for someone to go after there are more obvious targets

My brand: in terms of online content, my brand is 'Educational and Compassionate.' I try to be even-handed and listen to all sides and never be angry, and people are maybe a bit reluctant to get mad at someone who does that? In terms of acting, my brand right now is 'I'm Trying Hard and I'm On My Way Up!' which I guess people like?

I have a posh accent

I don't make online content about video games

I'm pretty enough that men like looking at me but not so hot it makes them angry

I transitioned in private before I came out publicly. I knew that when I did I'd get a lot of backlash, so I pre-emptively muted LOADS of words in my comments section and wove a kind of digital safety net

I'm so busy that I often miss whatever the discourse du jour is and don't get involved. As a wise woman once said, 'Do Not Tweet.'

I deliberately dress and present myself as 'classy' in public-facing stuff

Most of my content is scripted, so by default it attracts people who like to sit down and listen

Philosophy Tube is literally all about critical thinking and not taking things at face value. So if a typical Philosophy Tube Subscriber sees a post that says 'I saw Abigail Thorn kicking a puppy down the street!' they're more likely to stop and think, 'What's the evidence for this?' This means that when there are hate campaigns and lies spread about me (and there are, from time to time) my core audience sees through it and sticks around

I have very good mods! Big shout out to all the lovely people on r/philosophytube and all the people who moderate my livestream chats!

I have a social media manager who can look out for hate and pre-emptively guard against it

I don't hitch my brand to other people. I sometimes do little collabs or appear at events with other creators but for the most part I fly solo. That means if another creator blows up or posts something awful I minimise my chances of cancellation-by-association. I'm friends with lots of creators but for the most part I keep it behind the scenes (Learned this one the hard way!)

I'm not a sex worker. Those people get hate like you wouldn't believe - the sex workers I know are the toughest folks I've ever met!

I'm not very fun to bully! I do get death threats and hate campaigns and people make fake porn of me and libel me and all that stuff - literally every day - I just never talk about it publicly so trolls don't get the satisfaction of seeing me get upset. I just mute and block and move on silently. When I have to talk to a lawyer or the police about someone causing a problem, I handle it behind the scenes

Platform size. When TERFs in British media go after someone they tend to pick on people smaller than them, cause they're bullies.

I built my platform slowly, so I've had time to adjust and get used to how it impacts my life

People have tried to cancel me in the past and it's blown up in their faces, e.g. the Trump Transition Tweet Incident and the B*ck A*gel Affair.

To be absolutely clear, a LOT of this is luck and privilege. I'm not trying to blame the victims of online harassment: yes, some of these factors are things I choose to do but not everyone is able to make those choices. It's also the unwinnable game of respectability politics: yes I might get less hate because of the way I dress or whatever, but fundamentally that won't protect me if I get arrested and sent to a men's prison. These things aren't a substitute for a more just distribution of power. There's also this final possible factor:

It just hasn't happened yet.

[fleurriee]

— beautiful dreams ; neteyam sully

pairing ; neteyam sully x fem!reader

synopsis ; turns out, there isn’t much difference between the dream version of neteyam and the real him.

word count ; 3.9k

themes ; smut, slight fluff???

warnings ; explicit content: p in v sex, pussy play, oral (f receiving), fingering, dirty talk... let me know if there's anything else?

author’s note ; this was just a little something i thought of & couldn’t force it out of my head, so i wrote it for everyone else to suffer with me. i kinda just assumed that na’vi sleep naked in this so we’re going with that, too.

main masterlist request a fic!

There was only one person who would plague your dreams, and every night he came to visit your mind and torment your feelings further. For as long as you can remember, you’ve had a crush on Neteyam Sully, eldest son of Toruk Makto - and, unsurprisingly, so had everyone else. The way he presented himself, the way he would shy away from attention but enjoy feeling proud of his achievements, the way he always made sure to protect his family and the rest of the clan. It was all too much for your fragile heart, and before you knew it, you were head over heels for him.

God forbid, you ever did anything about it, though. It was obvious from the very start that Neteyam would never reciprocate your feelings - he was next in line for Olo’eyktan, meaning he was way out of your league. Besides, it wasn’t like he had the choice of choosing his mate; that decision always fell down to his parents.

And, yet, despite knowing all of this, that didn’t stop him from visiting your dreams, night after night...

"Oh fuck!" you moan, guttural, the sound clawing from the back of your throat. Neteyam's relentlessly fucking himself into you, the tip of his cock hitting your sweet spot like an ethereal rhythm, one you never want to stop. “Mmm, N-Neteyam.”

You only become more of a whimpering mess when he brings one of his hands down to rub his finger ceaselessly against your clit. The sensations that are brought about by both his fingers and his cock are almost too much to bear, tears beginning to form in your eyes at the pleasure.

Neteyam chuckles, his movements picking up speed as soon as he notices your fucked out expression, loving the way you look when overstimulated by him. His name falling from your lips causes a tightness to form in his lower stomach, too, the way it’s spoken so explicitly. The increase in pace has you gasping, mouth open agape as there’s nothing else in your mind but the beauty of Neteyam. “Oh, god. ‘ts too m-much, ‘Teyam!”

The feeling of your release is just seconds away, you’re sure of it, and the excitement building up within you is both painful and ethereal all at once. Only Neteyam can make you feel this way - only Neteyam can bring such beautiful sensations to your very core. Not once does his movements slow down, finger erratically rubbing against your bud.

But, when you’re just moments away from tumbling from your release, coming down from your high with Neteyam surely not too far behind, you’re suddenly awoken. Eyes opening wide, breathing coming out in soft pants, you attempt to collect yourself and your composure. It wouldn’t exactly be great if someone saw the state of you - you were sure it was obvious what you’d been doing beforehand.

Running a hand gently down your slightly sweating face, trying to wake yourself up to the best of your ability, you feel a slight chill run down your spine. Your hair stands on end, and all you can think is maybe your subconscious had woken you up for a particular reason.

When your eyes filter around your tent, finding nothing but emptiness, it isn’t until they land on the entrance, the remnants of your wonderful dream slowly disappearing from your mind. Standing there, arms crossed over his chest as he leans against the structure, tent flap closed against him, is Neteyam, and heat floods through your entire body, no doubt painting your skin a darker hue.

Embarrassment is all you can feel as it rushes through your system until you’re positive you might die from it. Then you remember something that makes your entire situation all the more worse - something your friends had been known to tell you more often than not (much to your annoyance) - you sleep talk... That means, more likely than not, Neteyam heard you moaning, making it clearly obvious what you were dreaming of. You have no idea if you’d moaned his name, either, but by the look on his face, the smug expression that’s not leaving any time soon, it seems you already have your answer.

Incoherent mumbles tumble from your lips, nothing you’re saying understandable because you don’t truly know what you want to say. You want to apologise profusely, but at the same time, all you want is for the ground to swallow you whole and never see Neteyam ever again.

But, neither happen. Instead, you continue lying against the mat, propped up against your elbows, and Neteyam stays in the entrance. There’s a small smirk lingering upon his lips, tongue flicking out every now and again as his eyes finally leave your own to rake themselves up and down your body. Such attention on you has you shivering in your place, unsure as to whether you should be enjoying it as much as you internally are. But, on the outside, however, you find yourself shrinking away from his gaze, suddenly shy and introverted.

In the next moment, still no words having been shared between the two of you, he’s taking a step closer, his movements precise and a little slow, almost like he’s trying to seem menacing. With your heart pounding harshly within your throat, you prepare yourself for the moment he starts to yell at you, waiting for the insults of you’re disgusting for having dreamt of him in such an intimate way. In order to protect your already broken heart, you intend to stand up, pushing yourself further into the air as you shuffle further away from him.

In an instant, it’s obvious he didn’t like that. He bends down, hands catching the bottoms of your legs as he claps them tightly. With a firm but somewhat gentle tug, he drags your sprawled out figure back over to him, a look of teasing on his features. “Where are you going, hmm?” With furrowed eyes, you look up at him in innocent confusion, not being able to understand what he’s doing and why he’s doing it. It’s clear he heard what was going on within the turmoils of your dream, so why wasn’t he yelling at you already? “You want me that bad you’re dreaming about me?”

“Neteyam-” you begin, voice quiet and laced with utter puzzlement, attempting to explain yourself and your hazy dream. But, you don’t get that far, because, in one sudden movement, Neteyam is ripping the thin sheet that once covered your bare body, throwing it off to the side with no regard for the material. The cold of the night air rushes through you, hitting you full force at once, causing you to shiver in your place. You comfort yourself for some warmth - and also to shy away from Neteyam’s intense, lingering gaze - by covering your chest, legs moving up on instinct until you're curled up, cocooned.

You hardly spend a single second in this position, however, when Neteyam smacks your arms away from your chest, and forces your legs to part. A gasp lodges within your throat, both at the feeling of such cold air hitting your vulnerability but also at the way he looks as though all he wants right then is to ravish you whole. “No, no,” he tuts, shaking his head in mock disappointment, “we’re not doing that.” His eyes forcefully tear themselves away from your heat, looking into your gaze intensely, hotly, lidded from lust. “I want you to tell me exactly what I was doing to you in your dream.”

Completely shocked, mouth hanging slightly open and eyes blown wide, ears perked high upon your head and tail on alert (albeit, the end seems to be twitching in excitement, something you can't seem to control), you can form no words - not even a mumble. None of this situation makes any sense to you - he should be disgusted, calling you horrible, vile names and cursing you out to the Great Mother, no doubt making sure the entire clan knew about your deviant mind and explicit thoughts. Instead, he doesn't move from his kneeled spot in front of you, hands still clasped on your legs as he gives them a gentle squeeze. All of this still feels like a dream, one you definitely don't want to wake up from... but, a dream, nonetheless.

Another chuckle escapes his lips from your speechless expression, inadvertently loving the idea of him being the cause of such a reaction. It only makes him want more. "Y/n," he says, voice husky and sensual, the sound leaving your bare pussy clenching around nothing but air, hoping upon everything that he doesn't notice the movement and understands just his voice is doing that to you. "Tell me exactly what I did - I want you to feel good."

This is where your brain seemingly converts itself into two. Whilst one side of you wishes for him to just leave and get the rumours over and done with, so you can live out the rest of your life in shame, alone now that no one else would want you, knowing how your dreams turned out when the future Olo'eyktan was near... the other melted, shivering in its place at both his words and the way they sounded rolling off his tongue, speaking to you. You fought hard to not give in to him - you really did - but when he looks so handsome just slightly above you, asking you to tell what you dream of him doing to you, wanting to make you feel good, who were you to not give into him?

Before you can truly comprehend your actions, your mouth is moving on its own accord. Still, your voice stays small, hesitant. "You... you were fucking me..." A blush forms against your cheeks, the feel of the heat rushing against you only making you feel more embarrassed.

But, then your eyes move down to his lips, watching as his fangs catch his bottom lip whilst the edges curve up in a rueful smile. He shakes his head, beginning to lower himself further down to the ground, until he's lying flat on his stomach and his face is just inches on top. Making sure to keep your legs open with his soothing palms caressing the insides of your thighs, there's a menacing smirk present when he speaks next. "Well, we can't do that straight away - don't want you to get hurt." For a very brief moment, his words have your heart fluttering in blissful pleasure; hearing him not want you to get hurt because of him feels nice, it feels almost loving, so much so, you almost forget the dirty position he's placed the two of you in. "Guess I'll just have to get you ready."

"What?" you begin to question his meaning, eyes narrowed in confusion as you look upon him, but your words are drowned out for the sigh that escapes from your lips when he presses a soft kiss against your heat. Head tilted back in pure pleasure as you continuously sigh from the feeling building up below, he continues pressing a few more kisses against you, lavishing in the wetness of your core present from both your previous dream, but also Neteyam.

It isn't long before he stops his kisses, and instead starts to give you kitten licks upon your clit. This sensation is better than the last - something you hadn't thought possible - and it has you gasping loudly, eyes closed shut as you let yourself succumb to him. Your back arches subconsciously, wanting to be somehow closer to him than you already are, and when his teasing tongue movements only continue, you attempt to close in on instinct, but Neteyam forces them apart, wanting - needing - your full glory on display. He laughs at the way you're so sensitive to him already, having barely begun, eyes never once leaving your awe-inducing features, lidded over like a predator stalking his prey. Neteyam knows you're wet and delicate from the dream you had just woken up from, but he decides to take credit for that, too - after all, you were moaning his name, meaning they were technically his actions, too; ones he was hoping to live through now.

His tongue never stops in its movements, even as it begins to lower, making its way down to your entrance as he leaves you a teasing mess. Such sensations were only thought of in your dreams, and even the aftermath of them wasn't this good. It has you eliciting your first moan, loud and careless, hand intuitively gripping against the top of his braids, fingers closing tightly around them. Neteyam groans into your heat when you do so, enjoying gaining everything you're offering to him. It only tightens his lower stomach all the more.

Continuously, Neteyam doesn't stop eating you out like a full course meal, like he was absolutely starving and there was no other meal left for him to devour but you, savouring the way you taste and only wanting more. He gently prods a finger against your entrance, wanting to let you know what his next move was, before slipping it in with ease. Your walls clench around him immediately, and another groan sounds at the back of his throat at the feeling of your tightness against his finger, mind wondering deliciously to how such a feeling would be against his cock. You gasp, holding your breath - you had done this to yourself before, thanks to your dreams, but knowing that this was Neteyam - the real Neteyam - caused the sensations flowing from your mind to the bottom of your toes to increase in their power. Once fit snuggly inside you, he only waits a few seconds before he's curling his finger at the end, your thighs trembling a little as he manages to hit such a sweet spot within you, one you had never reached before. Without realising it, your lower half moves upwards, closer to his face, craving for more of everything he's willingly giving you, until he pushes you back down with his free hand.

He starts to pump his finger in and out of you, watching your expressions constantly change from pleasured to glorified to awed, basking in you wholly. "Nete-" you moan, hands staying on the top of his head, fingers tangling in his brains, ensuring that he stays crushed between your thighs as continues sucking on your clit in beautiful motions, wanting him to stay there forever.

Due to already being sensitive from your dream, you can feel your release closely approaching its end, building up like a knot within your system, and its only when Neteyam adds a second finger in your heat, curling that one, too, pumping them both at a rapid pace that has you seeing stars, it becomes too much. "Neteyam!" You're tipped over the edge straight away, a moan that's mixed with a scream lodging within your throat, blissful. His movements begin to slow down, but continue to pump in and out of you, aiding you in riding out your orgasm.

When he pulls his fingers out, sitting up as his looks down at the beautiful sight he's helped make, you open your hooded eyes, hazy and clouded. The view above you causes heat to rush through you again, but, this time, it feels more provocative, more explicit. Neteyam's face is completely covered in your wetness, and he makes sure you're watching him when he brings his fingers to his mouth, sucking on them and licking them clean of your orgasm.

A small bout of embarrassment floods through you, but its halted by anticipation when, in one swift movement, Neteyam is untying his loincloth and throwing it to the side. His cock springs free from its previous hold, smacking against his lower abdomen, the tip leaking with precum as it shows off his obvious arousal. It has you feeling a little proud that you could make him feel such a way, and suddenly, you don't feel as embarrassed as before. Instead, you only want more of Neteyam Sully, and with the way he's looking at you now, you know you're in for a real treat.

Hooking his arms around your thighs, he pulls your entire body closer to his, until your ass met against his skin. This alone has you excited, the wetness of your arousal already making its appearance known once again. Saliva pools in your mouth and you swallow in anticipation, watching as Neteyam grabs his cock in his hand, pumping himself a few times to get him completely wet, before he teasingly rubs it against your pussy, mixing your arousals together. He grunts throatily, never having felt such a thrill rush through him, having wanted this with you for too long now for anything to stop him.

"Now," he starts, panting, almost out of breath and delirious of the idea of your pussy being so close to him intimately, "I was fucking you, yeah? Like this?" he gestures to your position, of you lying flat on your back with him hovering over you deliciously. You struggle to forms words, however, too busy basking in the feeling of his cock rubbing against you, wanting him impossibly closer, so you stick to nodding instead. He lines himself up to your entrance, the tip poking through and it has you clenching in apprehension, even more so when he smirks down at you, tilting his head to the side mockingly. "Let's see if the reality is better than the dream."

Pushing himself into you, he groans, the sound coming out almost like a growl, which only intensifies your arousal all the more. A whine falls from your own lips at the stretch, both painful yet somehow pleasurable, too. Once he bottoms out, the tip of his cock hitting such a delicious spot within you, balls fitting snug against your warmth, he reaches down, hand coming up to caress your cheek with both care and devotion. "You okay?"

In any other circumstance, maybe his question would've had butterflies swarming in your stomach, but seeing as you can only nod, fucked out from everything that Neteyam's giving you in such a short space of time, you'd have to try and remind yourself of it later on. Standing back up straight, hands against your hips as he holds you in place, Neteyam starts to fuck himself in and out of you in a perfect rhythm. Not once does his cock not hit that spongy spot right at your cervix, your mouth hanging agape in bliss and eyes rolling into the back of your head.

Too much at once - your arousal from the dream, your previous orgasm, and just this being Neteyam in general - means you're already close to the edge, hypersensitive, but you can't bring yourself to care. Instead, you only wish to chase that feeling, so as Neteyam picks up in his speed, you move your hips, too, meeting him half way and causing your skin to slap harder against one another.

You can feel him throb within you when you start doing that, his cock twitching against your walls, so you carry on doing it. Closer and closer to the edge you get, until you remember that Neteyam had wanted to fuck you exactly like he had been in your dream... so you do exactly as he'd wished.

With shaky movements, you grab a hold of one of his hands on your hips and move it down towards your pussy. Just based off that barest of implications, he knows what you want, especially when he makes eye contact with you once more, hooded eyes meeting together as a pout forms on your lips, like a plead. "Was I doing this, too?" he asks as he presses his finger against your clit, a hiss protruding from you as ecstasy rides through you. All the while, he doesn't stop fucking you relentlessly once. "Hmm, was I playing with your little pussy while I fucked you good?"

"Uhh, fuck!" you moan, the mixture of everything finally getting to you, the impossibility of this situation you somehow found yourself in. With unfathomable speeds, balls hitting against your pussy deliciously as his tip hits the back of your sweet spot, Neteyam's hand grinds itself against your clit. He would do this several times, before he'd relieve you and pat harshly against your warmth, and repeating the cycle again.

Your moans and your groans are becoming too much for Neteyam, too, as he finds himself nearing the edge of his control. There was nothing better than seeing you completely fucked out underneath him, tight around his cock, moaning his name and asking for his fingers. He knew he'd wanted this for a long time now, but actually being granted it was a whole other thing, one he was never going to give up.

Neteyam's thrusts start to become sloppy and without their rhythm, lying down on top of you. Ensuring his weight doesn't completely crush you, the hand that isn't continuing to elicit such delicious moans from you just from touching your oversensitive pussy is placed next to your head, holding him up.

One thing that had been driving him mad when he had walked by and heard you originally was the scent that was wafting from your tent - a mixture of your usual one, but one of sexual desire, of arousal. It was what had drove him against his better judgement and forced him inside to bring him to where he is now, forever thankful. So, fitting his head snuggly within the crook of your neck, he inhales deeply, his senses being sent into overdrive when the smell of you is all that's known to him, wanting to bask in it for the rest of his life.

And, when you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him into you deeper - both his head and his cock - he truly believes this is what it's like when you're with the Great Mother after your death. Nothing else could be so beautiful, so ethereal, and yet so unbelievably good at the same time.

"Fu-fuck," Neteyam curses into your skin, his breath leaving you hot and breathless as the two of you finally come down from your highs. You feel his release shoot out like hot bursts, painting your walls, but also your own as it envelops his cock whole and trickles out of your entrance and down his length.

There's a short moment of silence that lingers between the two of you, yourself unsure of how you really go about anything next. Panting heavily and swallowing drily, trying to bring yourself back to reality by blinking several times, Neteyam's head reluctantly moves around from your neck and hovers over you. Your noses are practically touching, hot breaths mingling together as one as neither of you can look away from the other.

"So, all this time, you wanted me, too?" he questions, voice cocky as he smirks down at you. Disbelief courses through your veins, your mind having to repeat what he'd just said to you, before a breathy - albeit confused - laugh escapes you, unintentionally clenching around him again. Your actions rise a hiss out of him, and he cocks his brow at you, tilting his head to the side - something that only has you feeling aroused again. "Oh, narlor (beautiful)... all you had to do was ask."

taglist ;

@monahiiii @bakugouswaif @andraga12 @draiochtwrites @teyums @neteyamslovrr @tinkerbelle05 @netesanrr @lanasblood @camilo-uwu @queen190 @adrianarose7 @ttkttt @ayoungforeveruniverse-blog @lucialobelia @littlepisceanpixie @gyuventure @afro-hispwriter @thexplosivegirl @bellstwd @tahni-04

[pascallatte]

Angel?

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Actress!reader

Summary: GQ Germany with PEDRO PASCAL aka him fawning over Y/n over a single this or that.

Date: September 2020

Warnings: none

A/N: I love love love this interview, his voice, his hair, the vibes, HIS SMILE!!! Everything, alsoooooooo probably the last one for 2020 for now next one may be a throwback or we’ll move on to ’21 (most probably). SO everyone, happy reading and tell me what you think!! Love lots x

“Hi, I’m Pedro Pascal I’m here at GQ Germany Cover shoot.” Pedro’s seen sitting in a chair in the set of GQ Germany for this month’s issue. The team decided to get him in to join a quick get-to-know-him-better game, an upgraded version of This or That.

Swimming trunks vs beach shorts

Sucking in a breath when the staff shows him two pictures, ”I would have to go with shorts, because of what I could pull off at my age. Despite the continuous disagreement from someone.”  He smiles.

Sweater vs hoodie

“Hmm I love a sweater though but I really love a hoodie.” Biting his lip, Pedro asks.

“Can any of these be ties?… Really?!” 

“Oh, it has to be absolute. Hmm, this is something me and my girlfriend often debate on, ‘cause she steals most of my tops which makes me buy more but then when I do buy hoodies she tells me to buy sweaters. But since this is my interview hmm…Well alright, hoodie it is. Either way, we take turns using it.” With a very satisfied tone, he explains his side looking at a camera with a small fond smile.

Oberyn Martell vs Din Djarin

Shocked by what he’s been shown, Pedro can only laugh as he responds, “Wow, that is a really hard decision to make.”

“Umm, the armour didn’t work so well for me at the end of Game of Thrones, but it looked amazing,” taking in a breath as the gears in his head takes in the pros and cons of each suit and character.

“That being said the armour in The Mandalorian looks very very good and I'm still alive. So I guess I would have to- you know I can’t I just can’t I cannot betray Oberyn and choose The Mandalorian. But umm let’s just leave it at that being an impossible decision.”

Smart vs traditional watch

“Traditional watch, people who use smart watches are people who can’t tell or read the time. And by people I mean…” Pedro turns to look at the camera and gives it or soon the viewers a knowing look, in hopes that they know what he meant by that.

Fedora vs baseball cap

“Those are my hats!…Oh wow”

“Well clearly since you have a picture of a fedora that belongs to me and a baseball hat that belongs to me… I favour both” he elaborates while raising his hands in a somewhat joking accusatory way to the staff who has asked him to pick one between his favourites. To him, it’s like asking him to pick between things or people he adores.

“I cannot and you cannot make me decide between a fedora and a baseball cap. I love them both equally”

Facial hair or clean shaven

“What? Are you making me choose between clean-shaven or facial hair?” 

“They’re currently showing me two pictures of myself.” He stops for a moment, making his sort of thinking face as he thinks back to 10 or so years ago.

“One that is maybe… 10 years ago, where clean-shaven may have worked.

"Umm, I'm gonna have to go with the very strange patchy facial hair that I am capable of growing on my face.”

Contacts vs glasses

Answering immediately, “Glasses.. what a ridiculous question.” He shakes his head as if telling them the obvious as well as the light tone of his voice.

“Glasses, sticking my own fingers into my eyes? I have yet to cross that threshold.”He continues to shake his head as he explains why he’d chosen it.

Y/n’s sheer 2018 met gala dress or her 2019 white oscars dress

Pedro’s entire face lit up as soon as the staff showed him the choices. “Ohh bot- this is a hard one…I love both of them, and it looks incredible on her,” he emphasizes, adorably staring at the pictures.

Sitting still while continuing to admire his love, “Ahhh would you look at that..."

"She’s beautiful don’t you agree?” Pedro straight away smiles as soon as the staff behind the camera agrees with him.

“The first one makes her look like this mermaid or angel- you know like a fallen angel, just for me, and the other is very- something she would dress herself in with how simple yet elegant it looks. So I would have to go with her Oscars look.”

A voice off cam tells him something that had caught his attention, making his expression turn into shock and amusement, “It’s a wedding dress?! Really?! She wore a wedding dress to the Oscars… hmm” slowly ruffling his hair he sits back after getting a closer look at the picture.

Leather or bomber jacket

“Wow, leather jacket. I have and I think I always will love a leather jacket.” Explaining this with a small smirk that had him explaining his thoughts right after.

“Y/n has bought us a matching pair of these incredible vintage leather jackets and-so basically it’s something that I will never ever lose my interest in.”

Coffee or tea

Nodding his head, he looks straight to the camera, “Coffee. Coffee all the way.” 

Raising his hands up similar to a surrendering position to defend himself, he chuckles before continuing, “It’s not that I don’t like tea but then again coffee is what keeps me up and going other than y/n… who is by the way is also a coffee addict.”

Clasping his hands together, he finalizes, “Coffee, 100%”

"Thank you for watching and click here to subscribe to GQ Germany!"

the dress for reference:

A/n: so I wrongly timed the post of this one, instead of it being posted yesterday at noon it was set to 12 am today haha, never gonna do that again. Anyways if you're reading this thank you and have a nice day ahead of you!!!

Taglist: @benonlinear @t-stark35 @heyitsme-2 @elleeeee21 @holmesstrange @tagakalat @flyestvenustrap @oldermenaremyreligion @cherryred444 @hobiismyhopeu @ilovehotdadsandshit @djarinsstuff @guacala @avengersheart @pukka-latte @lilvampirina @mmkkzz

[bird-inacage]

Only Friends: Why Ray x Mew is Doomed to Fail

This show is consistently catching me off guard and I LOVE that. I was not expecting this to come out of the fallout, mostly because I didn't see Mew ever choosing this. But here we are. As soon as the final scene of Ray and Mew dancing at Yo's bar came on screen, I was wildly uncomfortable. Something felt so inherently wrong and off-kilter with this image. So let's discuss why.

Resigned Acceptance VS Active Choice

Let's be clear firstly; Mew hasn't chosen Ray. The entire exchange between them is Mew doing calculations in his head. And what he concludes is if someone loves you far more, then you don't lose out. Logically it's a far easier and safer proposition to try. (Whereas with Top, who was supposedly so out of Mew's league, has now caused Mew a tonne of insecurity because of his betrayal). Ray can't hurt him because Mew has never regarded Ray as suited for that spot.

It's with an air of resigned acceptance (and an obvious lack of any enthusiasm) that Mew accepts Ray's pursuit of him. Like a lukewarm shrug, 'Yeah. I guess. I suppose. Why not.' Right now Mew needs a distraction and here is his perfect opportunity to appear as if he's 'moved on' already. That he's unaffected. Mew is only doing all of this because he's hurting. If Top hadn't cheated, his stance on Ray would still be unwaveringly firm.

This also serves as an ideal way to punish Top. Top's reason for cheating was thinking (wrongly) that there was something going on between him and Ray. So why not rub that in his face and actually have something going on now to spite him? Top's worst nightmare manifested.

Mew Playing Mew 2.0

I had a really strong feeling this episode that Mew was trying to emanate Ray, especially with his new look. Bit by bit, Mew is denouncing everything that once made him who he was. He's trying to embrace the opposite end of the spectrum and his closest point of reference is Ray.

Ray isn't responsible. Ray is impulsive. He has everyone else taking care of him. I think in some ways Mew may envy Ray at times. The luxury to be reckless, spontaneous and have people around you to pick up the pieces. To test run Ray's 'fuck it' mentality for a change and forego accountability is freeing, it's seductive.

However, Mew 2.0 is just Mew playing 'dress up'. It's a costume and a form of armour but nothing more. Mew is not coupling up with Ray as his authentic self (and ultimately the 'self' that Ray fell in love with). The man Ray loves VS the man Ray is now dating are two different people. There's already a layer of falsehood sandwiched between them.

Ray's Glorification of Mew

In Ray's eyes, Mew can do no wrong. The way that Ray sees Mew is faultless, blemish-free, almost saintlike. Mew is his saviour and Ray holds him on a incredibly high pedestal. This puts an enormous amount of pressure on anyone who is the subject of this adoration.

When we love someone, what we really desire is to be seen for all the things that makes us painfully human. The things we hate about ourselves; the ugly, the unsightly, the flaws - for someone to know us at our very worst and still love us despite all that.

Ray's opinion of Mew means he can never truly appreciate who he is as just another person who has his faults and shortcomings. It also means Ray is likely to look to Mew to have the answers, to share his wisdom and that's just not always going to be the case.

For now, Ray may be basking in the awe of living his ultimate fantasy but I don't think he'll be able to cope with the reality being less than perfection. Of Mew being less than perfection. You've set Mew up to fail, and you've doomed this relationship to fall short of the spectacular grandeur you may have conjured in your head.

This pairing is fundamentally not on equal footing. Mew is vicariously living through Ray like some rollercoaster ride to hedonism. Ray is a means for him but not a destination.

[sometimes-i-write-good]

Line of Sight

Top Gun: Maverick Jake “Hangman” Seresin x gn!WSOreader [no use of y/n]

1.8k | You’ve got to love how glasses can make even the hottest man then times hotter

====

Genre: fluff, crushing

CW: swearing

A/N: I saw a photo of Glen Powell in glasses and now that’s all I ever want to see. (Also, I wrote this on mobile again. So extra apologies if it looks weird or there’s more typos!!) || cross-posted on ao3

===

===

“I don’t see why you can’t just get the surgery,” Jake said, settling further into the uncomfortable office chair. The kind that were made for ten minutes of sitting and not two hours. You clearly didn’t know that though because you’d spend the past two hours on your feet, pacing.

He hadn’t wanted to spend his weekend this way. With you dragging him to various doctors appointments. He actually had a full day of cardio and lifting planned out before beers at the bar tonight, but he couldn’t turn you down once you gave him those puppy dog eyes. They were his favorite feature of yours, your eyes. He could get lost in them… and had on many occasions.

And here you were, trying on dozens of pairs of lenses that would be a barrier between him and Heaven itself.

“Because, Bagman,” you said, tilting your chin down slightly to stare at him over your latest pick. “I’m scared of those lasers fucking my eyes up.”

He scoffed. You were as bad a Rooster some days. Perched on a ledge watching life pass you by. At least you managed to keep Jake on his toes. As quick in the air as you were with your comebacks.

“How ‘bout these.” You pushed the pair up on the bridge of your nose and struck a pose that Jake could only roll his eyes at. “Hot, right?”

“You’re scared of lasers fucking up your eyes, B, but you go and pick out a frame that fucks up your whole face like that?”

If Hangman were looking - and he wasn’t - he could have sworn your face fell a bit at his comment.

Jake waved his hands at the wall. “Try on another one,” he said, purposefully avoiding looking at the small pile you’d already stacked on the technicians desk.

Off you went to peruse the wall of frames with your hands on your hips. Jake wasn’t entirely sure why you were so determined to find the perfect pair. The Navy didn’t exactly allow many choices. But you had been insistent on showing Jake every pair and he, rightfully so, had shot down every single one.

Perhaps slightly harsher than he’d been meaning to come off. It was unfair to take out the frustration of not being able to look you in the eye as well on you. Then again, they were your eyes.

Your eyes. Bright and fierce and blinding. Like the sun.

“I don’t understand what you have against glasses,” you called out to Hangman over your shoulder.

“I don’t know what you have against lasers,” he countered. When you didn’t respond, Jake let a smug smirk settle on his lips. “You could get contacts.”

He watched you shudder as you plucked another pair off the never ending wall of Jake Seresin torture devices. “And touch my eyes? No thank you.”

Jake sighed. You were impossible to reason with. Consistently so considering you’d been this way since he’d met you in flight school. It was how you’d gotten your callsign: Brick.

Because talking to you some days was like talking to a wall.

For obvious reasons, you took immediate offense to the name, but it stuck. Not everyone had the luxury of choosing their own callsigns in this job. One way or another you were going to end up with a nickname you hated. That’s just how the military worked. At least your commanding officers gave you a choice. Brick, bull, or mule. All stubborn. All equally as terrible.

You sulked for a week after that. Easily Jake’s favorite version of you because you had sought him out no matter where he was and hovered until he’d made some smart ass comment that brought a beautiful smile through. He’d always been the one to break down that wall, but you’d, steadily, build it right back up.

“I could put them in for you, B?” He offered, pinching the bridge of his nose, and squeezed his eyes shut hard. Jake was ready to craft you a new pair of eyes if it meant the pair of you could. Leave. This. Office.

“These,” you said, “these are the pair.”

“I don’t think…” but the words died on his lips as he lifted his head. Jake couldn’t do anything but stare. If you were to ask, he wouldn’t be able to tell you the date or year or his own name. All he would be able to do is tell you how stunning you looked.

You grinned, and it made him want to stand up and cross the office and take your face into his hands and kiss that stupid grin right off your face. Jake wouldn’t even mind if the frames of those glasses got in his way. They were ridiculously hot. “Yup.” You grinned wider at the heat working its way up his neck. “These are the ones.”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat, unable to come up with a good reason for you to abandon this pair. “That’s the pair.”

“You should try some on, Hangman.” You tapped at the side of your frames, still wearing that stupid smile. It was so carefree that he couldn’t help but return it. “Who knows, you might like them.”

His smile flatlined and he crossed his arms. Pouty, like you had been when you asked him to come with today. “I won’t like it. I don’t wear glasses.” You shook your head at him. “I don’t! They’re a sign that I’m anything less than perfect and we can’t have that.”

“We can’t have that,” you echoed, rolling your eyes. “C’mon. I won’t tell anyone about your slip into mediocrity for one day.”

“I want to leave, Brick.”

“Not until you try on a pair of glasses.”

“No.” You crossed your arms at him, mimicking his posture. “I’m serious.”

The sigh you let out almost does Jake in. He’s tempted to try on every pair of glasses. Just to please you, but this asshole mask has been fixed firmly in place for so many years. There’s no sense is removing it to make room for glasses.

“I’m serious, too.” He made a show of making himself as comfortable as possible in this impossibly uncomfortable chair.

“Jake.”

“Nope.”

“Seresin.”

“Not happening.”

“Hangman.”

“Brick.”

“Wall.” You point at yourself.

And that’s when Jake realizes there’s no winning this fight. Not with you digging your heels in like this.

“Fine,” he relented. “One pair. So they better be good.” As soon as he said it, he regretted it. Giving a stubborn person like you a task demanding perfection. “Oh not those, please.”

Your hand hovered over a pair of Ray-Bans that look suspiciously like a different WSO’s. “Why not? They look good on Bob.”

“Glasses do not make a person more attractive.” Jake prided himself for the slightest moment on not stuttering during that little white lie, though he couldn’t bring himself meet your eye. You were too good at picking out his fibs. “I am not wearing Bob’s glasses.”

You shrugged, nonchalant. “They make Bob look hot.”

“You think Bob - callsign ‘Bob’ - is hot?” Something hot shot through Jake. Same as when he was up in the air and Rooster catches Mav’s praise instead of him. “Since when?”

“Since he stared giving you ego checks.” You plucked a pair of glasses off the wall in a haphazard, random fashion and make your way over to Jake. “Here,” you say, “these are going to look good.” You bend over to put a pair of thick-framed black glasses on his face. Completely opposite of the pair Bob wore. He smelled the detergent you used on your clothes on laundry duty last night. He tried hard not to look like he leaned in closer as you move away to look at him.

“Well?” Jake asked, bringing a hand up to monkey with them. “How do I look.”

“I’d be able to tell if you’d sit still for once in your life,” you huffed. Then stomped over to readjust them and Jake let himself bask in the warmth of your nearness a little longer. “You’re as bad as Payback.”

“You’re doing an awful lot of comparin’ today, B.” Hangman laughed as you stuck your tongue out him. His careful eyes watched you walk backward to take him in again. “So, verdict?”

“They’re- uh, you… you look fine.” The stony facade of flirting and nothing more has cracked. Jake can see by the way you fiddled with your fingertips and the part in your lips as you held back a sigh.

He sat up with a laugh. “You’re swooning!” Jake pulled himself out of his chair and reached for a mirror. The reflection that stared back was handsome. A scholar more than a smartass. If he ever matured, this would be the perfect way to show it.

“Okay, Narcissus.” You snatched the mirror from his hands. It is returned to the table. Face down. “Enough staring at yourself.”

“I’m more Adonis than Narcissus, wouldn’t you say?” He laughed at the groan you let out. “What? I can’t help how hot I am in glasses.”

“You’re dramatic.”

“I’m hot, but am I Bob hot?” He teased.

“Oh, shut up.” You plop down in the empty chair next to him, rubbing at your neck, and avoiding his eye.

“You’re turning red…” he said, lips quirking back into a devilish grin - “Don’t even think about finishing that sentence, Seresin!” - “Red as a brick!”

You rolled your eyes at his stupidity, and he was glad to still clearly see that glint of affection through your glasses. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

“It kills the joke if I have to explain it, B.” He nudged you softly with his elbow. “I should have expected it, being the smartest one in the room and all.”

“I hate you.”

“You love me.” He pulled down his glasses to look at you over the tops of the frames.

“Not remotely.”

“Not enough to buy me lunch?”

You let out a laugh. He wanted to freeze that moment in time to capture this flirtatious laugh of yours. “Definitely not that much.”

“I just spent an entire Saturday following from doctor to dentist to doctor-”

“Fine,” you cut him off, “I’ll buy lunch, Bagman.”

“Dick.”

“Hey!” You snap your head to the side to look at him and use one finger to push your glasses down so that you’re staring Jake straight in the eye. “It’s Brick to you, sir.”

“That completely defeats the purpose of having glasses, you know.”

You smiled. He wanted to drop his gaze down to your lips but knew the implications that would hold. So, instead, he held your gaze.

“I know, I just want to look at you.”

His heart stuttered at your words. The two of you stare for longer than either of you had dared to push past before turning to look your separate ways. Maybe coming with wasn’t such a bad decision.

====

Tag list:

@rosiahills22

[vaguely-concerned]

BEHOLD! The list of evidence for my bold claim that Pan and Freddie dislike each other ferociously on sight because they are, in some key ways and despite appearances, very similar people: 

- First instinct upon seeing Grace sad is to try to make her laugh to cheer her up. (See: Freddie’s very first lines in the game starting off as she means to go on, and about half the things Pan ever says or does lol. In the last scene with him before The Trial you can even tell him you’re there just because you wanted to talk to him and have something cheer you up.) General sources of levity and fun and play in Grace’s life if you seek them out. 

- They react with similar anxiety to the idea of Grace being really angry with them (Freddie’s surprised/dismayed “Why are you angry at me?!” in the red route of ‘I Can Teach You’, the millenia-old god of the wild hiding behind a tree for ten minutes because he thinks Grace might be about to yell at him lmao <3)

- Both of them seem to have similar interpersonal insecurities in general, judging by the enforced choice between them in ‘I Can Teach You’ (I love you both so much but oh my god. is this a constructive use of time or energy under the circumstances lol), softened and alleviated by the fact that at the end of the day the most important thing to either of them is that Grace is happy. It isn’t possessiveness, but there is an element of underlying ‘Hey. Hey I am your favorite right?? 🥺’ insecurity there that trips them both up to begin with. Once you play the game and go back to look at this scene again knowing everyone’s real motivations, they’re even coming from the same place deep down — genuine fear for Grace’s safety and wanting to help her. (Freddie uncomplicatedly out of love🥹, and Pan at that stage probably more out of a guilty sense of responsibility, though he does seem to take a shine to Grace herself pretty quickly as well. Also he demonstrably isn’t, uh. Completely wrong in saying Freddie’s involvement in this whole mess is likely to end in tears, even if he is being a real dick about it) 

- If you don’t choose either in ‘I Can Teach You’, they both show up within minutes of each other to watch Grace’s back in the Medusa quest anyway. One brain cell ping pong and no one notices because they keep trying to swat each other with the racquets whenever Grace glances away for a second

Sidenote but flirting with both of them one after the other in that quest is fucking hilarious, they’re just taking turns ‘Really? Right in front of my salad?’-ing directly at the camera (...listen I feel that there is a chance that as long as they kept Grace between them the whole time there could be a thing here. I think a possible universe out there where it happens at least once does exist if one cared to go seek it out. That’s all I’m saying.) 

- Seems a bit obvious but what else am I here for: both very drawn to Grace no matter what main trait you choose. Whether this is true vice versa is of course player-dependent, but it is one way you can play the game. 

- Incredibly similar defensive reactions to being picked on or sniped at (and no hesitation whatsoever in subjecting each other to exactly that immediately anyway haha) 

- A bit dark when you think about it, but they both express the sentiment that it would be better for them to step in and die if it means Grace lives. (Freddie very directly of course ;______; and then in ‘It’s time’, Pan in ‘The Trial’ and the little talk you have with him later in Athena’s office.)  

Matching ‘ride or die’ instincts once awoken, is what I’m getting at. Freddie gets extra points for sheer longevity and constancy, Pan gets extra points for getting there in a week. You’re both unhinged (affectionate) 

- They’re the only ones among the main cast wearing green, right? I think I’ve got that right? Well, Charon does too, I suppose, but he’s a bit more peripheral. (Persephone and Aphrodite wear blue-green, but that seems more associated with death and the underworld and the river of grief everyone keeps using as a metaphor throughout the game.) Somehow I find the idea/metaphor that once you get Pan out from under like three layers of bullshit he’s the same colour as Freddie (who is inarguably The symbol of devotion and steadfastness in this game no matter your choices) quite sweet. 

- Nerds. You know I am right. Slightly different kinds of nerd (Freddie is distinctly geek-flavoured and Pan collects rare books for sport sort of distinction), but still. Oh my god. Freddie should get the whole cast together to play D&D in the Reliquary post-game. It would be absolute carnage. It would be glorious hilarity. *GASP* no wait not the Reliquary, let’s go to the Underworld so Charon gets to play too. For the love of all that is good give this to me now please I need it 

- The only two people who think Freddie losing control of her powers and causing a dance number at a funeral is hilarious

In short this is a recognition of the self through the other (derogatory) situation for both of them and neither of them decides to take that with any dignity or grace (ahaha) in the slightest, I love them very much,  thank you and goodnight 

[thesensteawitch]

Which World Did You Come From?🌼🍂

And Who You Were?🍂🌼🍂🌼🍂

Pick A Pile Reading

(Left to Right--- Pile 1, Pile 2, Pile 3)

Hey, Senstea Souls!

This is a collective reading that will tell you about the world from where you came and most importantly your soul's traits. This reading will give you some nuance about your present traits too. Choose a pile intuitively and enjoy reading.

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Pile 1

Tarot Cards- The Hermit, The Hangedman, 3 of Pentacles, 9 of Pentacles, 4 of Swords, The High Priestess, Death, Queen of Pentacles

Pile 1, I see that you come from a world that was all about ebbs and flows. Maybe a world of water. In that world, you ruled the sign Scorpio with the spirit of a lion. Your world had seen the extremes of everything possible that was there. You were somebody who shook the world's core. I hear, “Just because I miss you doesn't mean I want you back. And just because I almost called doesn't mean I wish I had.” You were so bold pile 1. You were somebody who knew the depths of emotions and you weren't ever ever ever afraid to choose one extreme and then switch to another extreme. No, you weren't like a chameleon. It just means that you were so fierce that it didn't bother you to go to the depth of the situation and reach their bottom. You could look longggg back in the past and too far into the future. People around you who ruled other zodiac signs were surprised to see such a gesture of yours. They wanted to know the secret behind your genius and capabilities. Indeed you carried the secret on your sleeve but no one had access to it even if it was in front. You were definitely a teaser. You loved teasing others. You have seen relationships and have also been alone. You know the ultimate sacrifice that hangs in between the choice of being alone and being with someone. You took a deep rest before emerging as a destroyer. You knew destruction and would wholeheartedly do it. Not because you were a sadist but in the hope of re-establishing a better world. You were the change maker. Others may even fear you but because they knew your merciful side they also pleaded for mercy. You only gave mercy after weighing the scales of justice. Don't take this negatively pile 1, it's like cleansing the whole system of toxins. You had a great belief in a creator. You never for a second thought yourself to be God though you were performing such trembling tasks on God's demand. You were the catalyst that brought boon after doom and doom after a boon (but that was a blessing in disguise). Your ways were extreme but needed. You first mastered yourself and then became the master of the depths of order and chaos. Only a few knew you personally. People may easily be intimidated by you even in this life. You had a small circle though everyone knew you. But you knew only a few intimately. Your heart just wanted to see more growth and more depth. It never settled. Your world never settled for less either. It was an ever-changing and ever-growing world. You had EVERYTHING comfortable yet you weren't afraid to build from scratch over and over again. Some great figures on Earth came from the same world as yours.

The zodiac signs I feel intuitively in this pile are Leo and Scorpio.

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Pile 2

Tarot Cards- 6 of Pentacles, The Hermit, The Chariot, Ace of Wands, 7 of Cups, Knight of Swords, Justice, The World

Pile 2 you come from a world that focuses on preparing for Earth. You were the souls who didn't know how to handle the ways of Earth. The souls that would change their minds at the last minute regarding coming to the 3D world. You ruled the zodiac sign Capricorn. So it's obvious that you worked really hard to make sure that you achieve your goal. But you were someone who would get depressed easily when their goals weren't fulfilled. You always thought for others. You felt responsible for learning as soon as possible so that you could fulfill your duties on Earth. You preferred spending time alone and avoided unnecessary drama. You had big visions regarding Earth. You just wanted to finally enter the 3D world. You had your desires under control. You had everything under control. There was no place for chaos in your heart and that is exactly what you wanted for your world too. But when has it ever happened that we wanted something to be a certain way and it remained that way? Sometimes your ambition took the best of you. You made decisions in a hurry to come to Earth you made the wrong decisions that brought chaos. You were a perfectionist and the chaos pissed you off. You were just and honest but couldn't wrap your head around the phrase, “There must be room for making mistakes.” Your so many desires and ambitions took the best of you. You were easily manipulated emotionally because you felt responsible for everyone around you. Because you were honest and pure-hearted you entered the 3D world but the journey had its ups and downs despite your wish. You were the light when everyone around you felt scared of coming down to Earth. You gave them hope and assurance. But sometimes you lack that for yourself. You also needed someone who could motivate you but that didn't happen. You helped others but you also kept absorbing others' fears. This may be a challenge for you even in this lifetime. Overanalyzing is something you may be fond of doing on Earth too. Mountains or hills were quite prominent in your world. Climbing high on the ladder was important to everyone eventually. So that each one of them can find the courage to enter Earth. You were training others and yourself to come out of the cycles of karma by finding the courage to face the challenges on Earth. I feel that this pile has strong earth placements (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn). Slow and steady wins the race. Your journey was slow no matter how hard you tried to quickly reach the end. Too much hurry only backfired at you.

I hear, “I should not be left to my own devices. They come with prices and vices I end up in crisis (tale as old as time) I wake up screaming from dreaming. One day I'll watch as you're leaving 'cause you got tired of my scheming”. I also hear, “Sometimes I feel everybody is a sexy baby and I am a monster on the hill.” You were the one who set the rules so it was obvious that some even talked behind your back. That made you feel lonely at times. It's easy for especially Capricorns to feel, “It's me, hi, I am the problem it's me.” Well, I guess it was exhausting for others to keep rooting for the anti-hero. Because you showed them the reality and showed them the path they must follow. Some of the residents of that world wanted to be freed and not face the Earth. You were amazing pile 2. Believe me. If you still feel the same on this planet then I am sending you hugs and love. You are perfect just the way you are. Not everybody needs to like you. We aren't meant to be remembered forever but certain people make you think that you'll be. And you'll find such people in this lifetime.

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Pile 3

Tarot Cards- The Fool, The Tower, Seven of Cups, Two of Swords, Nine of Cups, The Empress, Nine of Wands, Five of Pentacles

Pile 3 you come from a world of dreams and wishes. You were assigned the zodiac sign Pisces. You do not have many resources to work on making dreams come true. I hear, “Something I am not, Something I can be. Something I wait for, something I am made for.” Perhaps in this lifetime, your objective is to find that something. Because in your world just with faith you built towers but also saw them churning down to nothing. But you never backed down you kept moving ahead. The only thing you did wrong was carry the weight of your failures when you had so much to achieve to be grateful for. Your world literally sold dreams. You were the master of that shop. Though you created some masterpieces of dreams you didn't know which dream to give whom. The mantra of your world was simple, “as you wish.” You created heaven for yourself. You knew what you wanted for yourself but not for others. Perhaps you faced destruction only to learn the emotions and qualities of others around you so that you can guide them well. An artist can only understand human emotions deeply. But after fighting the tough battle to reach your dream you left the battlefield just when you were about to win with perseverance. You settled for less. In this lifetime you are advised to dream big. Find inspiration from others and gather the courage to dream as big as you possibly can because the Universe wants you to show that no matter how big you imagine the Universe will always have something bigger to give you that you could have never imagined in your wildest dreams. I hear, “I was running far away would I run out of the world someday? No, take me home where I belong.” You, my pile 3, need to find your way back to the source, to the creator. You are beyond creative. You have the capability to create masterpieces in your work only if you allow yourself to explore the 3D world. Eventually after looking in all the wrong directions you will find the true purpose of your life. Life moves in cycles for you. Your destination is right at the beginning. You lost your faith while fighting for your dreams. The faith with which you started. And that is exactly where you need to land. So many dreams may feel like a trap to you. Then the advice is to take it slow like a snail. You don't need to rush. Though I see water signs (Cancer and Pisces) I also sense earth signs (Taurus and Capricorn) in your charts. Find a balance between these elements. Life is calling you to tap on your unawakened creative potential. I see it in you. Believe me. Now is the time to begin this journey of self-discovery, pile 3. Let go of the self-doubt.

Book Your Divine Feminine/Divine Masculine Reading At $10

[nalyra-dreaming]

Why did magnus choose Lestat? Why did he go through so many humans that looked like him?

Hey!

Magnus‘ selection criteria - quite the fascinating (and harrowing) subject!

So (quick recap):

Magnus is a respected and appreciated scholar alchemist. Rhoshamandes protects him but refuses to give him the Dark Gift, which Magnus then, old and supposedly unpleasantly looking, steals from Benedict. (And Rhoshamandes must have loved Magnus quite a lot for not killing him for that!)

Magnus is an outcast. I think Rhosh must have protected him enough still for the Children of Satan not to bother him, but four centuries later he is alone, and decides to make an heir. And not just any heir.

Now Magnus selection criteria are:

Blond, blue-eyed, good-looking, and lean.

These are the basics. Stereotypical and superficial beauty standards, you might say.

There is a lot that can be said about these criteria, and I don’t think the show will shy away from the obvious aryan-idealistic connotations, nor the callbacks to the Nazi regime (and, I mean, season 2 is set during WW2). (*)

Magnus chose Lestat as one of those matching that superficial standard. He's not the first victim, there are a lot of rotting corpses in that tower, as Lestat in the show also said: his coloring, his physique.

There is one aspect though which saves Lestat from death - and that is (or at least seems to be) his fight with the wolves. The "cosmic error" as he himself calls it in the books. That is why Magnus also takes the coat, too, lined with the fur of those wolves. It's why Magnus calls him "wolfkiller", in his mind, and to his face.

One can only speculate that the other victims did not have that ... will, the fierceness that is needed for a feat like killing a pack of wolves. Or, maybe, it was the "light" in Lestat, that which is mentioned again and again in the chronicles, and which draws and burns others. Either way, this event probably tipped the scales in Lestat's favor, if you want to call it that.

Lestat in the show says that he "kept him for a week", and then threw him back with the corpses, to be fed on every night.

Everyone who knows the book knows that the turning scene is written as a rape with forced orgasm. It will be horrific to watch on the show, no matter how they do it, I already found the scene in ep6 hard to watch. (I was prompted to write about this a while ago, and so I wrote about the fallout and that turning in a fic, here, if you're interested.)

The "week" also means Lestat had to be shaved prior to turning. Haircut, maybe. And he likely did not get that much food, which would make him even leaner.

Now, the shaving (in the show-timeframe) is also a conscious choice by Magnus. (And it will be interesting if they pick it up, and how, for the show.) He obviously did not want his new heir to carry a beard. He wanted him to match that beauty standard in his head, the one he probably wanted for himself, if his later taking-up of these physical attributes (I talked about this here) is any indication.

And, of course... "sunlight in your hair, and the blue sky fixed forever in your eyes".

The two things a vampire (pre moving color pictures at least) could never see again. The blue sky, and sunlight.

(*) There is also the interesting aspect that Daniel could be at least half jewish - and Armand is now or has chosen to be Muslim. A very ... present day commentary that the show will surely hook into in some kind of fashion.

And, as a note:

All of this also pays into the question of the theoretical possibility of a color-consciously cast “black Lestat“, which I commented on here, as well.

Because Magnus had his… criteria.

And Lestat suffers from them, for centuries. Has PTSD from them, up to the last book. Tries to hide this behind sarcasm, and humor. Changing that… would (with several other considerations) change the whole of the chronicles.

[strangersatellites]

happy valentine’s day steddie nation! have some lumax & steddie shenanigans as a treat! i love you all! 🫶🏼

February 11th, 1987

It’s not that she’s particularly interested in watching E.T. again. It's more so the fact that the back of the VHS box has enough words that she can pretend to read it for an extended period of time without looking suspicious. 

See, Max is a planner. She plans. Plots might actually be a better word. Perhaps even schemes.

Whatever. She plans. 

When the time is right, she executes. 

Luckily, Lucas is good for two (2) things. 

Anything and everything Max asks of him

Causing problems on purpose

That’s how she finds herself here. Pretending to read the back of a movie she’s seen at least ten times while she acts like she’s not able to hear the conversation happening at the Family Video counter.

“Oh come on! It’s for Valentine’s Day!”

Steve stops whatever he’s trying to do on the tv and props a hand on his hip while he levels Lucas with a look.

“What makes you think I don’t have plans already, Sinclair? Huh? I could have my own date to plan for all you know.”

Lucas snorts. “Yeah, right. Please, Steve? I already told Max you said yes so she’s expecting it to be a whole thing! I’ll ask Eddie to drop us off and everything! Plus, my mom said we can only have a date if you chaperone and no offense, but I’m not taking you to a restaurant.”

“Well maybe we need to practice honesty in our relationships,” Steve says, pointing the tv remote at him. “You’re lucky Max is my favorite, or else you would’ve been in deep shit. Now what did you tell her I was cooking?”

Max has to hide a giggle behind the horror movie display at the way Lucas visibly sags in relief. He throws her a wink when Steve turns back to the screen. 

*****

February 12th, 1987

Finding the money is easy. 

It’s not Max’s fault Eddie is an absolute idiot and leaves his wallet in his unlocked van during Hellfire. 

The man is just asking to be a victim of petty theft.

Plus, she doubts he even pays enough attention to the amount of money he has in there anyway. He probably won’t even know it's gone. 

Picking the flowers out wasn’t difficult either. 

Steve’s favorite flowers are tulips, and under any other circumstances they would be the obvious choice. But everyone knows a dozen red roses means true love. 

And it's Valentine’s Day. Come on.

The florist had watched the pair look at all the flowers with a twinkle in her eye. No doubt she thought Lucas was buying them for Max. 

Gross.

Convincing her that they needed them delivered to Family Video on Valentine’s Day was a little trickier.

“No they’re not for me, ew.” and “They’re for a friend.” and “Yes, we know it's last minute.”

But arguably the most difficult part had been choosing what to put on the card. 

They’re sitting on the sidewalk outside the arcade writing and crossing out and writing again while everyone else is inside.

“Lucas, are you kidding me? We can’t just say Happy Valentine’s Day. That’s so lame.”

He throws his hands up in an exasperated gesture. “Well what else? We can’t be all ‘roses are red, violets are blue, I’m a big dumb idiot who won’t make a move.’”

Max snorts a laugh and gives him a conspiratory smile before she starts writing on the back of a receipt.

“No. But you know what we can do?”

*****

February 13th, 1987

“I don’t know… this feels a little risky.”

Max swats at Lucas’s bicep and glares. 

“Just trust me. All we have to do is get Eddie there and his own desperate need to be nosy will do the rest.”

Lucas takes a deep breath in and accepts his fate. “If this doesn’t work it's your fault.”

She just rolls her eyes and shoves him up and off the couch. 

They’re in the Wheeler’s basement finishing up yesterday’s campaign so they can all have Valentine’s day to do their own thing. Eddie called for a ten minute break after Mike and Dustin had to very nearly be physically held back during an argument about what move they should make next. 

He’s propped on the arm of his chair and writing something in a little notebook when Lucas approaches. 

“Uh hey, Eddie? Can I ask you something?”

The older boy raises his eyes up to meet Lucas’s and squints at him.

“Roll for charisma.”

Now it's Lucas’s turn to roll his eyes. “Are you serious?”

Eddie breaks into a bright smile and settles into his seat with a laugh. “Nah, man. What’s up, Sinclair?”

“Are you busy tomorrow? Do you have any plans for Valentine’s Day I mean?”

Eddie’s brows furrow and he tilts his head a bit. “No way, dude. I’ll be sitting at home with a movie and a bowl of Wayne’s spaghetti if the past is any indication of how my day will play out. Besides, you know how I feel about all that shit.”

Max squints from her place on the couch braiding El’s hair. She does know how he feels about all that shit. She heard him telling Robin alllllllll about how he wanted to have a real Valentine’s Day date one day. 

She’s grateful at this moment that he’s publicly sticking to his guns. No “forced conformity” in sight.

That would’ve ruined the plan.

“Perfect!” Lucas claps.

Max cringes but he recovers.

“Uh, I mean– I mean that’s perfect for me then! I was going to ask if you could come pick me up from Steve’s tomorrow. He told me he’d let me go through his closet and pick out something to wear.” He looks down and picks at a string on his jacket and Max has to hand it to him. His acting skills are pretty impressive. “I’m taking Max on a real date tomorrow.”

Eddie’s face softens and he cuts the shit with his false bravado almost instantly.

“That’s sweet, man. But why can’t Harrington drive you to Max’s exactly?”

And shit.

Max didn’t think Eddie would question him. Not with the way he drives them places all the time. 

Then again so does Steve. So maybe that was a bit of an oversight.

But Lucas takes it in stride. “Oh he said something about cooking for his own date when I leave.”

Max might be a bit more worried about Lucas’s ability to lie off the cuff if she weren’t so impressed.

Eddie just nods. “Sure, kiddo. I’ll be there at 7 o’clock sharp.”

Easy.

Now they wait.

*****

February 14th, 1987

Max is sitting on the counter swinging her feet while Steve and Robin bicker back and forth about what order the new display movies should go in.

It’s ten minutes before six and she’s starting to get nervous.

Her inner monologue is screaming, “I knew she would forget to deliver them.”

Just about the time she’s going to ask to use Keith’s phone to call Lucas, the florist van pulls up.

Steve furrows his brow and looks at Robin. She just raises her shoulders and shakes her head. He opens the door and leans against it.

A young girl hops out of the passenger seat with the prettiest bouquet of red roses Max has ever seen. She has to bite back her own smile. 

“Hi!” The girl greets while rustling through the leaves to find the card. “Delivery for uh– Stevie?”

Robin snorts and slaps a hand over her mouth.

Steve runs a hand through his hair and stutters out a “I’ll just get those. Yeah– yeah thanks. Have a good one,” and comes back inside.

Max puts on her game face when he puts them on the counter and steps back with his hands on his hips. 

Robin has propped her chin in her hands and is looking on with barely concealed glee.

Max levels him with a bored look. “So… What does the card say?”

He reaches for the card and reads it quietly to himself. If Max isn’t mistaken, his cheeks are dusted with a pink flush.

He smiles and laughs. “They’re from Eds.”

Eds? Gross.

“Dear Stevie, something happened and I'm head over heels. Happy Valentine’s Day. Love, Eddie.”

Robin mimes being struck by Cupid and Steve giggles at her antics and thumbs over the petals of one of the flowers with a soft smile.

Before Max can unpack that, the door bursts open so hard the bell swings into the glass with a clang.

Steve’s head snaps to the door with a “LUCAS!” already ringing out through the store.

He holds his hands up in a placating gesture and catches his breath.

“Sorry! Sorry! Max, you ready to go?”

And, oh. Right. 

She hops off the counter and grabs her bag. Spins around to Robin and Steve with a smile.

She leans in to whisper, “We’re going somewhere on a date tonight. He thinks I don’t know.”

Robin bites back another smile and salutes Lucas while Steve laughs under his breath and grabs his own keys and the vase off the counter.

“Have fun kiddos! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Robin calls out as they take off out the door.

*****

As riveting as the idea of hiding in a bush and watching Steve cook and sing to himself for an hour sounds, in practice it is painfully boring.

“Seriously? We couldn’t have just gone to the arcade until 7 o’clock?” Lucas angry-whispers.

Max adjusts her elbows on her knees so her binoculars are steadier.

“No. We need to be here to make sure everything goes to plan.”

Lucas groans and Max gives him an aggressive shush.

“Steve already liked the flowers and he double checked with me yesterday that you still wanted his homemade pizza. Literally all Eddie has to do is show up and take the bait.”

Now it’s Max who’s groaning. “Ugh, I don’t know, okay! But it's like five minutes ‘til seven anyway so it doesn’t matter.”

It’s just when they see Steve set the plates on either side of the bouquet on the table that they hear the sound of Eddie’s van turning into the driveway.

They both inhale sharply and duck further behind the bushes. 

When Eddie climbs out he looks… nice.

Nice for Eddie at least. 

There’s no chains, no dirty sneakers. Instead there’s a black button up and his nice boots. He’s got his hair half pulled up and all of his earrings in.

Max and Lucas share a bewildered look. Surely he didn’t lie about not having plans tonight, right?

Realistically the two know they’re too far away to hear or be heard but that doesn’t stop them from holding their breath as Eddie knocks on the door.

Steve opens it with a towel slung over his shoulder. He’s dressed the part too. Dark jeans and a dark red sweater, looking exactly like a parent chaperoning a kid’s date.

His smile is bright as he opens the door and gestures for Eddie to come inside. 

They stand beside the foyer window and chat while the two look on through binoculars with bated breath. 

“Surely Eddie’s noticed I’m not there by now, right?” Lucas questions.

Max hums and nods. “Yeah and I’m guessing that Steve has realized Eddie isn’t dropping us off either.”

The two boys throw their heads back in what they can only assume to be hearty laughter from their lack of sound. Steve nods his head towards the kitchen and Eddie gestures for him to lead the way.

“It worked! Max! It actually worked! He’s staying!”

Steve pulls out Eddie’s chair and lights the candles; dims the lights, and takes his own seat.

Max just laughs. “Of course it worked. They’ve been into each other for months! They’re both just too stupid to notice it without a little push!”

They look on in silence as Steve has magically procured a bottle of wine and two glasses and is filling them while they talk.

Lucas smiles and nudges Max with his shoulder. “Dude. Best Valentine’s Day ever.”

She smiles back and punches his arm. “Yeah. Best one ever.”

*****

Meanwhile in the Harrington House

“So, should we tell them?”

Eddie snorts. “Tell them what? That we knew they were trying to set us up or that we’ve been together for four months?”

Now it’s Steve who’s laughing. “I was thinking more about the fact that we can see them in the bushes.”

“Nah. I want to keep that one until I need to sandbag them for something.”

Steve shakes his head and looks at the table.

Eddie grabs his hand and lowers his voice to a whisper. “Hey.”

Steve looks up and meets his eyes, gets a little lost in the way they sparkle in the candlelight.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, baby.”

He lifts Eddie’s hand and presses a soft kiss to his knuckles, the new devil ring Steve gave him before he left this morning.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Eds.”

Maybe if Max and Lucas had looked a little closer, they would have noticed that the plates on the table didn’t have homemade pizza, they had spaghetti.

That the bouquet on the table wasn’t a dozen roses.

It was tulips.

[morellanimmermehr]

The Arcana Prequel - Your Questions Answered

Thanks to everyone who has sent us questions over the last few days! If there's anything else you'd like to know, my askbox is open.

Will the Prequel have an upright and reversed ending?

Yes! You’ll be following Asra during his time at the palace as he tries to revive the Apprentice. To succeed, he will need to win the trust of Nadia, Lucio, Valerius and Muriel. Whether he manages that and how far he is willing to go for his goal is up to you.

On a scale of 0 to 10, how angsty will this be?

We’re aiming to emulate the way the original game balances out the serious, gut-wrenching moments with more light-hearted ones. That said, grief, loss and unhealthy coping mechanisms will all feature heavily, so we’re going to say… 9.5?

How often does the story update, and how many episodes will there be in total?

We currently release a new episode every Tuesday, but we’re planning to eventually move to two episodes per week once some of our other ongoing commitments have wrapped up. As for the total number of episodes… we’re not sure yet, but definitely 20+.

Why did you decide to write this together?

@asrabounding (Azi) and I have been toying with the idea of making an Arcana Prequel on Dorian for over a year, but we realized pretty quickly that bringing it to life the way we were envisioning it would require more than two people. Azi and @motherofqups (MOC) first connected via the fandom all the way back in 2019, and we’ve all ended up bonding over our shared love of the Arcana, many congruent headcanons, and an admiration for each other's work. So this collaboration was a natural fit.

How much Asra x Julian is in this?

Their situationship will be one of the ongoing plotlines in this story. The choices you make will influence how it plays out and, to an extent, how much of it you see. Relationship points with Julian will not affect whether you get the upright or reversed ending, but can unlock additional paths.

You all have written Asra and Julian a lot, but which of the other characters are your favorites to write and why?

All three of us genuinely enjoy writing all of the M6 (and many of the supporting characters), but if you’re making us choose…

MOC: Lucio. His voice is so unique and he’s always flowed easily for me, but he still surprises me, even after all this time. There are so many knots to unravel and layers to unpack with him. He’s delicious to tease but he bites back, too, so he’s fun to play with whether I’m writing an angsty scene or a more playful scene. 

Azi: Muriel and Lucio. I have made myself laugh while writing them more than once, and their voices tend to flow naturally for me. I never have to wonder “what would Lucio say?”

Morella: Nadia. I love her sense of humor, and how absolutely savage she can be when she’s irritated with someone. I also really enjoy contrasting the way she can take control of a situation and command the room with the vulnerability that she only shows to a select few people.

Are the courtiers going to make appearances?

Yes. Valerius plays a major role as one of the characters that Asra will need to get onto his side to complete the ritual. The other courtiers will make appearances as well, though their roles will be smaller (similar to the original game).

I’m confused, is this meant to be canon?

No. Our aim is to stay faithful to the spirit and lore of the original game, but ours is just one of many ways to tell this particular story.

Why is the Prequel getting promoted by Dorian?

Dorian has criteria for which games get promoted. These include how many people play, how much money they spend, and whether the creators update the game consistently over a period of time. Over the past two years, Azi and I have built a track record of meeting these criteria for every game we release, so our stories now often get picked up for promotion early on (as do those of many other established creators on Dorian). The logic behind that is pretty obvious if you’ve ever been a fanfic reader deciding whether to take a chance on an incomplete longfic on AO3 - if you recognise the author and know they’ve finished their fics in the past, you’re probably more likely to trust that they’ll continue this one, too.

How much influence does Dorian have over the games you make?

The ideas that go into the stories are all ours, and Dorian doesn't tell us what to write. They do give us advice on what they think is more likely to succeed. It's our decision to take it or leave it. Sometimes we take it, sometimes we leave it.

Dorian doesn't set a release schedule for us, but they do offer more opportunities for promotion to creators who stick to a consistent schedule.

How much money do you make writing on Dorian?

Azi and I have both been writing on Dorian for going on two years now, and our earnings have steadily grown over that time. As part of that process, we’ve also gotten a lot more intentional about our release schedule. This has brought us to a point where our games make between $5K and $6K each month.

How much time does a project like this take?

These days, the hours Azi and I put into making games are equivalent to a part time job. We have tried different things and tested out what we could and could not handle on top of our other work and family commitments, and we have found our sweet spot. Luckily we are fully in control of our schedule and we make it work for us.

[haikyuucollective]

Part 2/? - The "World" and His "Star"

Hi again! We're back with Akaashi and his lovely thoughts. Last time we left off on akaashis first encounter with Bokuto, and I'd like to pick up right where we left off.

After being starstruck by Bokuto, we see akaashi showing up to the Fukurodani volleyball team tryouts, showing wordlessly how he decided to choose Fukurodani between the two high schools he was pondering over attending. While his choice may have been partially influenced by the fact that he has received a scholarship from Fukurodani, it was obvious that even with that knowledge he had still been on the fence; however, seeing a certain someone on the court seemingly gave him that final push.

We see how Bokuto takes an immediate interest in Akaashi as well, most likely thanks to the fact that he mentions his position as a setter. Without hearing anything else, he jumps to ask Akaashi to help him practice, to which Akaashi agrees to. They seem to practice for hours* due to a panel directly showing the darkness outside of the gym. However, this fact doesn't seem to bother Bokuto, the thumping of the Mikasa balls slamming onto the ground highlighted.

*Akaashi is seen mopping the floors when Bokuto approaches him, implying that their practice had already ended as they were cleaning up. The sky is shown in the background as well, signifying it still being day. It goes to show that this practice was not during club hours at all, but rather it being extra work the two chose to do voluntarily for hours on end. These guys were practicing for a *while*.

I'd also like to remind everyone that Akaashi is a fresh first year! As stated earlier in the chapter, Akaashi isnt a player that particularly stands out. He also wasn't someone who was particularly motivated with volleyball either, unlike Bokuto here. This practice must've drained him to hell and back, especially since he was participating in it with Bokuto of all people.

And, of course, it did. We see poor Akaashi, hunched over and tired, quietly validating Bokuto while internally screaming. Also, Bokuto is still pronouncing his name wrong and I find that silly.

However, despite his about-to-pass-out composure, Akaashis mood visibly lighten when Bokuto compliments him.

Having his inner monologue more longer and advanced than what he actually speaks is an interesting characteristic of Akaashis. From the readers perspective Akaashi had always seemed more calm and slightly reserved, his face usually passive. Being able to read from his perspective and see what he's truly thinking opens doors for Akaashis character; we now know that he isn't just someone who's quiet, but he's moreso someone who is selective of what he says. When he gives his thanks to Bokuto, he's not simply saying thanks to be polite. He genuinely does thank Bokuto for his compliment.

Seemingly the day after their practice, or perhaps after multiple had already taken place, Komi and Konoha come by Akaashis classroom to inform him that he didn't have to play with Bokuto if he didn't want to.

However, Akaashi politely takes down their offer claiming that, "Its actually rather fun to practice with a star player"(furudate 331) to Konohas and Komis dismay. They even go so far as to ask if akaashi is "also a secret weirdo,"(furudate 331) which is hilarious.

The topic of Akaashi being a secret weirdo is actually(no suprise here) very interesting to me. This could be because it fits Akaashis character extremely well, with his cool exterior being the ultimate camouflage to hide his 'weirdness', although most likely not on purpose.

As I would love to continue writing, my eyes are drooping and I feel a power nap needing to clock in. Please stay tuned for the next part coming very soon!

P.S. sorry for no indents. Tumblr hates me

Citations

Furudate, Haruichi. "Haikyu!!" Shounen Jump, April 4th 2019, vol. 37 Chapter 331

[fushiglow]

If JJK characters were in Non- Curse world, what would their job be if not become Jujutsu Sorcerer (in your opinion)? Why? Please pick your top 5 fav characters...

I love you for asking this, anon ♥ It's an opportunity to wax lyrical about something I've given a great deal of thought! These are my instinctive answers, although I could make arguments for a number of other professions for each of them depending on the life choices they made in this hypothetical non-curse world — but we don't need to get into that! So, here I go (in no particular order):

Yūta is an emergency paediatric surgeon

When he was young, he made the decision to become a trauma surgeon after losing his childhood friend in a car accident. He spent some time in hospital as a child and he knows what a scary place it can be for children, so he always does his best to make his patients smile when he's checking in on their progress.

He's brilliant at what he does — a once in a generation talent — but that doesn't mean he can save everyone. It's heartbreaking work on a good day, but when he's been at work for approaching 30 hours and he feels like he wants out, he looks at the photo of Rika in his locker and finds the strength to go on.

Kenjaku is a performer

If the average Japanese human enjoys at least 80 rotations around the sun, why waste them by playing the same role every time? That's Kenjaku's outlook on life — which is why they chose to go into acting. However, they quickly became bored by other people's narrow view of the world, dissatisfied by the limits of everyone else's imagination.

Nowadays, Kenjaku marches to the beat of their own drum in a one-person show. There are more than ten roles available, all of them played by Kenjaku — who is also the writer, producer, and director. Critics can't decide whether it's madness or sheer brilliance.

Megumi is a vet

He's grumpy with humans, especially if they're irresponsible pet owners. However, he's soft as anything with the animals, and his regular clients trust him implicitly with their beloved furry family members — because it's obvious how much they love him.

Megumi is really good at his job, but he's guilty of taking his work home with him and finds it difficult not to get emotionally attached to the animals he's treating, even after years in the profession. Although he'd never hesitate to make difficult decisions, the unique ethical dilemmas his job presents take a toll on his wellbeing — especially when human cruelty or indifference come into play.

Suguru is a school teacher

Teaching is neither recognised nor appreciated by most people. However, although Suguru had the brains to follow his friends into their highly respected fields, he couldn't imagine anything more rewarding than doing his part to ensure that the next generation have an easier time of things than he did at the same age.

He tries to be the person he needed when he was at school: a pillar of support for struggling children who have no one else on their side. Unfortunately, the school system seems determined to hurt the very children it's supposed to support, and some of the parents go out of their way to undermine any positive developments he makes with their child — not to mention the terrible pay and working conditions!

Satoru is a physicist

But he could have done anything he put his mind to. In fact, that's the only thing Satoru ever really found difficult in life: choosing one path to follow. Sometimes, he wishes he'd become a musician or a historian or an athlete, but in the end, nothing captured his imagination quite like the limitless bounds of the universe.

He's younger than most of his peers in the field, and his revolutionary ideas (alongside his casual disregard for traditional academic hierarchies) get him in trouble more often than not. However, he's a certified genius, and popular with the media, too. He's doing a lot to improve the image of physicists among the general public — which translates to more funding for research. That keeps them out of his hair, most of the time at least!

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These are too obvious, but I thought I'd mention them anyway:

Yūji is a firefighter who remembers the names and faces of every single person he couldn't save.

Shōko is a pathologist who devotes herself to improving the diagnosis and treatment of disease, often at the expense of her own health and wellbeing.

Because they're *also* huge nerds, I imagine Sukuna and Yuki as physicists in slightly different fields to Gojō:*

Yuki is a brilliant mind, but she doesn't live up to her potential because she hates the oppressive nature of academia. In fact, she vocally criticises it and goes out of her way to undermine it, to the chagrin of all the old stuffy professors who try to discredit her at every opportunity.

Sukuna, like Gojō, is a genius who's fascinated by what he doesn't know, shaking up the field with his cutting edge (lol) ideas. I like to imagine the pair of them getting into heated arguments at conferences, though they both have enormous (albeit grudging) respect for each other.

*As long as Sukuna is, you know, ~normal~ in this hypothetical non-curse world. Otherwise, he'd be a chef that moonlights as a sadistic serial killer lol.

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Thank you for the extremely fun question, I had the time of my life! I hope you enjoy my answers ♥