#Despite being massive out matched and under powered

[scribe-of-hael]

Only trait that I think a Starscream always has is that Starscream is persistent as HELL. He just doesn't let shit go, he always keeps coming back no matter how much you knock him down.

He's going to figure out a way , no matter who or what gets in his way. Rational or irrational.

I think I admire that in him alot.

[jevilowo]

How the mercs would play tf2

Scout is a Heavy main bc he likes the POWER. He tried playing as himself but kept dying bc of low health and got pissed. Constantly yelling for Medic. The 124hp disease is eternal.

Soldier only plays as himself because it's American. Keeps ragequitting. Can't figure out how to rocket jump in game. Has broken 79284654 keyboards in rage.

Pyro plays as themself mostly, but I can see them messing around as other classes on occasion. I think they'd get a kick out of playing Medic sometimes. Still, they're mostly themself and one of those players you think are friendlies bc they do mannrobics over and over but then they unleash fiery death upon you.

Demo would try to play himself but accidentally clicks on a different class and ends up being really good at that too despite being absolutely fucking hammered. Can't aim meelees for shit (just like me fr) but is alright with regular guns. Especially enjoys the wonders of w + m1ing people as Pyro.

Heavy plays himself obviously. Don't think he'd be into playing anyone else, except maybe as medic to pocket his sisters if they played (Zhanna is also a Heavy main btw). He'd be really bad at first but get good really fast. Always remembers to throw sandviches to the medics like (gigachad)

Engie would only play himself, but I think he'd get distracted thinking of ways to improve the game. Only plays in five minute bursts and spends the rest of his time building mods to improve The Experience. Pyro guards his buildings vigilantly between these bursts and they rarely crumble under their watchful gaze and neon sign of sapper destruction.

Medic plays himself mostly, but usually as a battle medic. Ze healing is not as rewarding and all that. I think he'd also be into the POWER (like Scout) of playing massive damage dealing classes (like Pyro, Heavy and Soldier) because again. Hurting.

Sniper would only play himself no exceptions. Slowly evolves into one of those 3000hr 4channer sniper mains and gets ridiculously competitive about the whole thing. Gets so caught up in headshotting he forgets he has a secondary weapon and meelee and dies easily to spies.

Spy abhors the game as a whole, especially playing himself, as it doesn't "accurately portray the intricacies of being a spy" or whatever. Plays occasionally to troll under an alt account but tell no one or he'll fuck your mother.

Miss Pauling would enjoy playing Demo I think, going off vibes alone, but she'd get a kick out of Scout on 2fort matches specifically because it's Efficient for Objective Completion.

Admin is, like Spy, beyond such frivolities. If she ever bothered I think she'd enjoy Sniper or Spy as she too spends a lot of time Staring.

Saxton Hale only plays on his own mode, and as Heavy when not as himself. Hes really fucking annoying about it.

Like I said, Zhanna's defo a Heavy main, but plays Soldier sometimes to bond with her husband. She's way better than him, obviously.

Merasmus hates Soldier and will ragequit any match with Soldiers in them which means he doesnt play often. When he does, however, he likes to be a Demoknight.

Scout's Ma plays Pyro. Like Ms Pauling, this is vibes alone, but she'd also play Spy and Scout sometimes as they are her boyfriend/son.

Grey Mann wouldn't play he'd just infest the game with more bots because he sucks like that.

[margaretoakgrove]

Gift for birthday

Walking the thorny road of your uneasy life, you managed to comprehend one simple yet great mystery of that the appearance of a person frequently can be deceiving and far from always reflect their authentic essence.

You came to this conclusion after on your path you had met many people who were flawlessly beautiful outside but disgustingly ugly on the inside, and also those few ones who behind their brutal exterior, in fact, hid an incredibly gentle soul.

And to your grand happiness your beloved Karl Heisenberg proved to be exactly that same kind of man.

But, unfortunetaly, here in this located in a mountainous region of Eastern Europe remote little village because of his rather formidable looks, rank of being one of the Four Lords of the village lands and unnatural for human beings powers of controlling different metal objects only with his mind Karl was perceived by the local residents as an arrogant and incapable of love or compassion extremely dangerous individual, but only to you Heisenberg opened up his genuinely caring, fun-loving and sensetive nature and all the truth about that cruel and egoistic Mother Miranda forced him to become her obedient servant against his own will, and that already quite for a long time he had been dreaming to be free of the oppression of her barbarous tyranny.

Actually, one needs to say that it was not only one dream which the Lord was seriously intended to turn into reality one day.

Yesterday early in the morning when both of you were sitting at the kitchen table and nicely chatting over a cup of freshly brewed fragnant coffee he honestly confessed to you that at least for once in his entire life he would really like to properly celebrate his own birthday with real presents and a real big birthday cake.

To hear this amazing news from the Lord you were indescribably glad as before in your conversations he had never told you even when his birthday was, and what joy that was for you to find out that it was supposed to be already on the next day!

Determined to make your beloved feel a little bit more happier, you conceived to secretly organize a small pleasant surprise for him by preparing a homemade festive cake and a lovely useful gift, despite the fact that Karl was not going to celebrate his birthday so soon for the simple reason that, as he himself said, he didn't have absolutely any time for entertainments as at the current moment the total elimination of Miranda was the number one goal for him, that is why his tomorrow's birthday Heisenberg planned to spend just like one of his most regular days, hoping at least not to cross paths anywhere with his adopted family, the members of which he had always sincerely dispised.

But all these plans and hopes of the Lord crumbled into dust when at the crack of dawn he was unceremoniously awakened by the unexpected telephone call of Mother Miranda herself. As it turned out, "her highness crazy witch" for some unknown reason decided to arrange an unscheduled family gathering and demanded for her "son" to partake in it along with his siblings and arrive for this to the cave church asap, thereby not leaving him even the slightest chance to normally wash his face, let alone have some breakfast.

Hastily dressed, our birthday man, fiercely cursing Miranda for so brazenly spoiling all his day today, went outside where nature unfriendly greeted him with a massive snowfall accompanied by the powerful gusts of a freezing wind.

"Fucking matches..." He grumbled under his breath, trying to light a cuban cigar with no success. "Always extinguish even from the slightest breeze..."

You volunteered to walk the Lord right to the main factory gates, paying zero attention to all of his insistent protests not to do that in such a cold stormy weather. On his covered with deep scars stubbled cheek you placed a light goodbye kiss, and once the burly figure of your beloved disappeared on the opposite side of the stone bridge you immediately hurried back to the factory in order to get everything what was needed ready for his return...

As Heisenberg suspected this family meeting promised to be unbelievably prolonged, and it seemed to him that it lasted for a whole eternity. For many long hours straight Karl, chewing an unlit cigar, had been sitting on a wide wooden bench inside the cave church and, from time to time heavily sighing and rolling his eyes in irritated manner, listening to the insane dictatorial nonsense of the family head, the poisonous insults of Lady Dimitrescu that she was spitting right in his face, the nasty high-pitched squeal of Donna's creepy porcelain doll and the constant childish whining of Moreau. Not having a single crumb of bread within his stomach since early morning and chilled to the bone, Heisenberg eagerly awaited this freak show to end as soon as possible so that he could come back to the saving walls of his old factory and just forget about this frankly lousy day within your warm comforting embrace.

But to reach his safe refuge the Lord, unfortunately, managed only very late in the evening after he had accomplished to do everything he was strictly ordered to, namely, calmed down the went crazy Lycans in the Stronghold and got rid of the mess in the village workshop. Barely dragging his feet from extreme tiredness, the man, upon entering the bedroom and throwing off his outerwear, with noise flopped down on the shabby leather couch and, closing his eyes, let out a sigh of relief. Finally, he was home.

"Karl? You back?" Your quiet voice delicately interrupted your beloved's welcome respite, making him to open his eyes again, and having noticed your presence in the doorway of the bedroom, he couldn't help but slightly smile.

"Yes, princess. I'm back."

"It's pretty late. You must be very tired and hungry. Let's go to the kitchen! I've made a dinner for us."

"Sounds perfect." And with these words Heisenberg slowly stood up and trudged after you in the direction of the kitchen.

"Hey, what's this?" Karl whistled in surprise, motioning his head towards the kitchen table in the center of which adorned a deliciously smelling fresh apple cake surrounded by many plates with his especially favorite dishes.

"Um, Karl..." From overwhelming excitement all that tremendous speech which you had been composing since the previous day specially for this occasion in a blink evaporated from your memory. "I just...I just wanted to say...um... Here! Happy birthday, darling! Please accept this humble gift from me to you!"

The gaze of the Lord fell on a laying within your palms silver lighter with the engraved on it image of a beautiful steed, which you had bought from the Duke for a rather hefty sum.

"I noticed that you always light cigars with matches, but it seemed to me that for you they are not very comfortable in using. And then i thought maybe a lighter would be more helpful in this case, so..."

From your trembling hands the man took the lighter extremely carefully as if it was made not of metal but of fragile glass.

"All right, sweetheart...You...huh...You cooked all this food, baked this cake, spent your money on this obviously damn expensive thing, and what do you want to tell me? Do you want to tell me that you did all of this...for me?"

"Well...Well yes! Yes, that's right!"

Judjing by his puzzled facial expression, it was safe to say your beloved was truly shocked by everything what's happening right now, and it was no wonder because absolutely nobody in his entire life had ever done even something similar for him.

"So...Why are we still standing? The food is getting cold! Come on! Let's take a sit at the table!"

The blizzard, which had been furiously raging outside throughout the day, little by little, had begun to abate, and out of the snow gloomy clouds appeared the large silvery moon whose tranquil light unobtrusively penetrated through a small window into the kitchen where Heisenberg and you were enjoying the festive meal in each other's company. At your request, Karl told you how the family gathering went, but instead of narrating you about this extremely unpleasant event in a negative way, he started cracking shameless yet hilarious jokes about his hateful siblings, and your contagious laughter, caused by these jokes, after all those disgusting nasties that he had to hear today out acted like a healing balm to his soul.

Suddenly, Gymnopedie No.1 by Erik Satie smoothly played on the radio, and to your mind came a wonderful idea.

"May i have this dance, my Lord?" Playfully smiling, you politely held out the man your hand.

"Sure!" Not even thinking, Heisenberg immediately accepted your invitation to dance. "But i consider it my duty to warn you that i can't dance at all."

"Me too! So i am deeply apologizing in advance for accidentally stepping on your feet a huge number of times!"

In the dimly illuminated by a couple of oil lanterns kitchen both of you were slightly swaying in a slow dance to the soothing sounds of the marvelous melody in each other's arms. Placing his rough hand on your waist, Karl was gradually pulling you closer and closer to his wide sturdy chest, and when you rested your head on his strong shoulder he a bit nuzzled your soft silky hair, inhaling with pleasure its subtle delightful scent.

Fully immersed in the relaxing atmosphere of calmness, at least for tonight the Lord entirely forgot about all of his pressing daily problems the thoughts of which permanently created disorderly chaos in his head, and at this divine moment of complete peacefulness it seemed to him as if in the whole entire world existed only you and only him, silently dancing in this cozy semi-darkness.

After a few short minutes, silence that followed the melted in the air music softly stopped the slow romantic dance of yours, and then you looked up at your beloved just in order to catch him looking back at you with a gaze filled with nothing other than tenderness and adoration.

"I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me tonight." Carefully Heisenberg tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear.

"Thank me? But...But you shouldn't thank me. I...I haven't really done anything special..." This affectionate gesture in combination with the low tone of his raspy voice made you unavoidably redden like a ripe juicy strawberry. "You deserve this, Karl. You do truly deserve this. You deserve all of this and even more. And if i only could give you this more, believe me, i would gladly do that for you, not awaiting from you anything in exchange because... because i love you too much...that's all..."

"My Buttercup...My kind little Buttercup..." And Karl, upon cupping your face with his hands as gently as he could, placed a kiss on your lips, in sweetness to which, in your opinion, even candied honey could not be compared. You didn't break this adorable kiss to ask the Lord what happened when you noticed a crystal-clear tear rolling down his cheek because for you everything was understandable enough without any words: probably for the first time in his entire life your beloved now was quietly crying with genuine happiness, and from the realization that you managed to fulfill one of the cherished dreams of his you yourself became even more happier than you had already been...

This peaceful night before going to bed Heisenberg decided to go outside in order to have a smoke. With the help of his new lighter Karl easily lighten up a cuban cigar on the very first attempt and contentedly took several deep puffs.

Leisurely savoring the bitter taste of the tobacco smoke, simultaneously the Lord was gazing at the dark nocturnal sky strewn with millions of bright sparkling stars just when one of them at lightning speed was leaving its abode once and for all, and, without hesitation, he quickly made a birthday wish.

It is not difficult to guess what kind of wish your beloved made because more than anything else he truly wished to be with you forever no matter what as for him you doubtelessly were the most priceless gift which he was so lucky to receive from the Universe herself, and to her for such a boundless generousity the man was infinitely grateful.

[thekingofwinterblog]

Oghren Branka - A Broken Dwarf

Out of all of the original Dragon Age Origins companions, I've always found Oghren to be the most fascinating one in how rare it is to see someone actually do a full breakdown of the alcoholic, berserker dwarf, despite arguably having the most interesting and deep under the surface aspects to his character.

So i'll rectify that here, by doing a full delve into Ogren as a character, and the rather tragic tale of the last member of house Branka.

Oghren was a member of Orzammar's warrior caste, bred, born, and raised to be a warrior, a role that by all accounts he excelled at.

Oghren is famous for being probably the biggest alcoholic in the franchise, but according to lore, this actually wasn't a part of his personality before way later down the line, and came about due to a spiral downwards.

Oghren, like all warrior caste dwarves was raised to be an absolute killing machine, who's life was going to be devoted to killing darkspawn, and killing more darkspawn, and then killing more darkspawn.

This part of his life, Oghren excelled at. He was great at killing his enemies from day one, and won fame and glory.

Unfortunately, the thing that defined Oghren as a person, was the very brutal struggle, of, and Bioware's take on how hard it is for soldiers to reintegratd into societies after their states does everything they can to make them into tools for killing.

And in Oghren's case, this began with his family.

When young, Oghren was interested in a young woman named Felsi.

The two hit it off quite well, only for Oghren to be forced into a political marriage with a certain woman named Branka from the smithing caste, a political match that was seen as mutually beneficial at the time.

This marriage was the single worst thing that ever happened to Oghren and everyone he had ever cared about.

Branka would in very short time rise to become a Paragon, the only one in living memory, a living ancestor in Dwarven Society, making her the most powerful and influential woman in Orzammar, but that part is not the one I want to focus on.

Instead I want to focus on Oghren and Branca's relationship, and how it quickly fell apart.

Their relationship started okay, and in the first year there doesn't seem to have been that many problems. Things would change however.

Branca, as we learn from Oghren's talk had plenty of serious mental issues, like massive and spontaneous mood swings, and a tendency for sudden violence for the smallest offenses.

The innitial target of which seems to have been her her husband Oghren.

Oghren makes no secret of the fact that Branca was pretty violent with him, in particular the fact that she seriously damaged the hearing on one of his ears, and once attacked him for misplacing her tongs.

Also, there is a bit of subtleness to Oghren's design that adds to how bad this relationship became for him.

Oghren has a permanent injury around one of his eyes, which makes it look like he's always squinting. The most likely culprint being his wife hitting him with something heavy and blunt, which never healed properly, giving him his iconic squinty eyed look.

We don't have anything to suggest Oghren ever actually defending himself physically from his wife, but if his own testimony is to be believed, their usual way of making up after one of these outbursts was makeup sex, which suggest that there was a rather sad cycle of spousal abuse, regret, then make up in the form of sex, then another bout of abuse, then rinse and repeat.

The usual cycle really.

Things got more complicated however, once Branka became a paragon, putting her firmly above her husband in rank as far as she could go.

And it's here that Oghren's life really began to take a turn for the worst, and where the drunkard who drowns himself in alchohol to try and forget how shitty his life is really began.

In very short succession, Branka, likely due to the mounting pressure upon her after becoming paragon, turned far worse towards Oghren, and their marriage began to rapidly crumble. But her becoming paragon had other consequences as well, the most obvious being that Branka became the head of the household, and absorbed Oghren's entire family into the new house of Branca under her.

Branka then began to shun Oghren completely, making her disdain for him open for all to see, while also cuckolding him with his own cousin Hespith(though Oghren wouldn't learn about that until years later).

This in turn, made Oghren's entire family follow suit, and he was quickly completely isolated and shut off from his own family, the same family that forced him into this marriage in the first place.

Oghren had already begun drinking to try and cope with his failing marriage at this point, and the way his entire family turned their back on him to please Branka just kicked that dependence off the deep end.

Then Branka committed herself to her great folly, and over Oghren's objections, took their entire family with them on her mad quest into the deep roads for a magical anvil... While forcing Oghren to stay behind so she could get to fuck her lover hespith on the side as she pleased without him around.

Needless to say, though Oghren didn't completely understand the full reasons for why everyone considered him a laughingstock at this point(the relationahip with Hespith was an open secret in Orzammar) , he kore than felt the effects of being alone, forgotten and abandoned by his family in a city that ridiculed him while still demanding he go out and kill darkspawn for them.

It was at this point that the Oghren we all know really began, as Oghren drowned himself in booze, embraced terrible jokes, and became the man with the most inappropriate pick up lines there is, desperate for anyone to give him any affection at all.

It was at this point Oghren for the first time cheated on his declared dead wife, seeking out Felsi. The renewed relationship did not last long. Oghren's downward spiral had already completely changed his personality, and she quickly left him.

At this point, Oghren really was at his lowest. Abandoned by everyone he had ever loved, alone, only having booze for comfort, and still having to regularly go out and fight darkspawn.

It's also here we see some of Oghren's hidden noble side, as at one single point he refused to buckle on, and that was his wife's fate.

Oghren refused(correctly) to assume Branka was dead and would pester the government time, and time, and time again to send out a rescue party to find her and bring her home.

Nobody took him seriously, and instead treated him like a joke... All the way until a young noble mocked Branka in his hearing and made it plain for all to hear that Branka could not possibly have survived that long in the deep roads.

The end result was that Oghren, in a drunk rage challenged the young man to a duel, then killed him, when it was supposed to be a duel to first blood.

Oghren thus changed from drunk pest, to dangerous pest.

In the end he was stripped of his house and the right to bear arms or fight in the city ever again, but was still demanded he fought darkspawn when the time came.

Oghren talks about this in his conversations with the Warden, how the city would turn their warriors into killing machines, strip them of all rules, morals and thoughts except kill and kill, and kill some more... Then put them right back into society, and bind them, and the rage they spent so long training you harness with rules and regulations. Add this with the fact that they will still demand you go out an fight at a moment's notice, it's not hard to see how warriors like Oghren came to be.

It's at this point Oghren has hit seeming rock bottom.

Alone, a joke in a city that will alternate between mocking, and spit on him, no right to defend himself, while still having to go go out and risk life and limb for it.

The only thing that keeps him going at this point, is the desperate hope that Branka and his family might still be alive.

Which brings us to the one soul who might bring him out of his stupor, depending on player choices.

The Hero of Ferelden.

The Hero of Ferelden scoffs at the claims Branka is dead and delves into the deep roads, and takes Oghren along for the ride, looking for her.

It's here that Oghren begins to form some sort of personal bonds again, where he will find the one person who is willing to put up with him, and all his flaws and possibly see him as a friend.

As the team heads into the deep roads however, they discover the horrible truth.

Branka, in her madness and desperate search for the anvil, sacrificed Oghren's entire family to the darkspawn, intentionally creating broodmothers so she'd have a never ending supply of darkspawn pawns to throw at the anvil defences.

It's not really given the full focus it deserves, because Oghren isn't the kind of person who just lets out absolutely everything, but this moment, this revelation destroys Oghren.

It's the moment where he pretty much just gives up on life, and only follows the Warden around to find a place to die.

In the end, regardless of what you do, his relationship with Branka is over at this point, wheter you save or spare her, leaving him with the knowledge that his entire family is dead and gone, and he's the last one.

At this point he becomes what is seemingly nothing more than comic relief, and due to the unfortunate way Orzammar is struxtured, its usually done last before the landsmeet, meanjng most players won't see most of the deeper parts of Oghren, as they require some prodding to see.

Most notably of these is what happens if you bring him to the guardian at the temple, where the old man wants everyone to relay their sins and regrets, only for Oghren to cut him off when his time comes, and say this:

Why don’t I save you some time? Yes, I wish I could have saved my family from Branka. I wish I’d been a better mate. Maybe she’d have stayed at home with a belly full of baby Oghren and never gone for the anvil. Maybe I failed her. Yes, I came to the surface because I’m barely a dwarf anymore. My family is dead. My honor as a warrior is long gone. I’ve lost my caste and my house and I have nothing else to lose.

This display is really, really sad for a number of reasons, not only because of how far down Oghren has fallen at this point, but also because frankly speaking, Oghren did nothing wrong with Branka. He was the victim here, and yet despite that, he still lays all the blame on himself. It was his fault his family died. It was his fault for being a shitty husband. Not Branka's. His.

Beyond this, Oghren has other interesting observations that shows he is quite a bit more impressive than the sorry, alcoholic cassanova wannabe that he acts as.

He's the only character who figures out that Shale actually remembers killing her master, and that she regrets killing him, as rather than a conscious choice, it was a moment of her completely losing control, just like he did in the proving match so long ago.

He also proves himself a bizarrely good brewmaster, impressing Wynne and the warden withouth the proper facilities to make proper alchohol, and he's the only one who offers any plausible counter explanation for the powers of the temple of sacred ashes other than the power of god(which may or may not be on the money.).

He is also learned in history, and knows the andrastian religion and it's historical players very well for a dwarf, even seemingly having a personal disdain for Hessarionz who he calls a pompous prat.

At this point, where he goes from there is up to the PC's choices, but regardless, there is a lot more to Oghren than meets the eye, far more than the stupidly stereotypical dnd dwarf he presents himself as, in a setting where the dwarves are not all the same as Tolkien's.

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Tw: hate crimes, transphobia, pretty traumatic things Yves went through in his youth, body modification, violence, gore

Yves had breast augmentations before.

He had never truly identified himself as a woman, but he liked how certain dresses would look on him if he was well-endowed up top. He felt pretty and content with how he looked in front of the mirror after years of severe self-hatred.

It allowed him to bring back a bit more cash, but this wasn't his main motive to go under the knife. In fact, this observation disgusted him. Yves purely wanted a larger chest because it personally made him happy in his bleak bubble.

Though, it wasn't worth the sudden uptick of harassment and maltreatment from others around him. Men would predictably attack him every time he blinked, act entitled towards his body, and fucked him over in more ways than he could count. As if there was a massive bullseye target was painted onto him after he graduated from no bra to a C cup.

But what surprised him was that the women degraded him much worse than the men. They used to be indifferent to him at best, silently disgusted at him for being effeminate at worst. But as soon as he showed up with a feature that brought him closer to passing as a Cis woman, Yves lost almost all of their neutrality. Sometimes, they would set him up to be harmed by other men. Their hatred for Yves wouldn't be discrete anymore, they would call him hurtful names and slurs, accusing him of being a depraved sexual predator, even get into vicious physical fights with him, and end most nights with clumps of ripped hair and blood.

It was dangerous to reveal that he perceived himself as male while looking how he always desired to. So he lived a good chunk of his life under an identity that doesn't match how he felt inside. Yves had to train his vocal cords to sound feminine enough to not attract any more negative attention than he already had by existing somewhat authentically. He likes accessories that cover up his Adam's apple while flattering his form, Yves also likes styling his hair so that it takes the attention off his masculine features; covering his jaw and concealing his neck.

It was only when he caught himself in a particularly horrible altercation that his implants ruptured, spilling its silicone contents into his body and poisoning him slowly. But that wasn't as horrible as when he limped to the mirror right after merely escaping being beaten to death. He could ignore the wounds, bruises, and swelling, those can heal.

Yves was reduced to tears when he saw that he was ugly once more. His breasts were deformed and strange lumps started appearing elsewhere on his battered body. He couldn't afford to remedy it and neither was he mentally strong enough to handle the torment he was to face the following days. All his beautiful clothes are simply a reminder that he's a freak, an abomination of nature so atrocious, that the world tries everything in its power to kill despite Yves doing nothing except existing.

He swapped his stylish and gorgeous tops for baggy sweaters and turtlenecks. Anything above the shins was thrown out, likewise for clothing articles that revealed more than his face and hands. Gone, all of it must go. With a heavy heart and eyes puffy from incessantly crying, Yves burnt them all.

Yves was powerless back then. If the world didn't think that he deserved to wear it, then he simply had no right to. And he hated it, they made him feel like mere dirt no matter what he did. He couldn't do anything for himself without being unfairly punished for it.

He has moved on from that stage in life. He had matured and found peace within himself. Yves had fixed himself and he had learned how to let go. It's been a long time, the details are hazy to him now, and that is probably for the better.

But only if you knew what he went through, you would understand that he wasn't vacantly staring out of disapproval when you told him you wanted to have breast augmentation, just like he did when he was a fucked up young man. The long period of silence coupled with his empty emerald eyes unwaveringly trained onto yours wasn't due to judgment of your desire, but it was to manage whatever the fuck you dug back up he buried inside him by asking that one damned question.

After an uncomfortable pause, he would seemingly snap out of it and go ahead to tell you about all the risks that might come with it. In the end, he appears neutral, even supportive of the idea if he deems it beneficial to your self-esteem. All this while, you would never know about his own experience with it, Yves doesn't see the need to disclose it to you.

He had learned to let go of the past, making him see everything through an unbiased lens. You are not him, and you will never go through what he had to.

Yves makes sure of it.

[littlest-w01f]

Chapter Four

Series Masterlist

Cw: None

The day he had started to dread was upon him, the day he and his family would visit the Court of Nightmares, he had no idea what he was to expect in Hewn City, the home to the horrible folks who loved being there.

Nyx sat up in his bed, removing his covers and looking out to the darkness of the Night Court, his room in the Riverhouse was gigantic, beautiful and every inch of it held a homey warmth. It was a massive expanse filled with rich hues of purple and blue, glittery shimmer on the room's roof, mimicking the night sky outside, painted by her mother when he was just a babe, preserved in his ceiling forever.

He slipped off from his bed, a large window overlooks the city below, casting a soft glow of moonlight onto the plush carpet beneath his feet, he groaned as he stretched his wings behind his back, letting them flex, he curled his wings around himself to shield the expansion of his chest from the cold air in his room.

His bedroom had its walls adorned with paintings depicting different landscapes and mythical creatures from various cultures. There was also a grand canopy bed draped in luxurious silk sheets that matched perfectly with the room, royal blues and purples with silver accents. On one side stood a full-length mirror framed elegantly in gold leaf while opposite to this stood another door leading further into the house.

In front of the window was a sitting area furnished comfortably with couches covered in velvet fabric and scattered throw pillows embroidered intricately in black threadwork patterns reminiscent of stars against night skies. Atop an ornate mahogany table sat several books about astronomy and mythology and sketches depicting various celestial bodies and creatures from folklore.

Nyx gazed out at the shadowed expanse of the Night Court beyond his window as he walked into the balcony, faerie lights lighting up The Rainbow and the streets leading to it, the Sidra rippling gently under the moonlight filtering through the beautiful city. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he contemplated the unsettling encounter that awaited him and his family later that morning. He had heard nothing but the worst of Kier and the people like him who resided there.

As Nyx stepped out onto the balcony, the cool night air enveloped him, carrying with it the faint scent of blooming jasmine and the distant aroma of the Sidra river. The faerie lights lining the streets cast an ethereal glow over the city, making it seem almost magical despite the ominous tales surrounding the Night Court. The gentle lapping of the water against the riverbank created a soothing melody that contrasted sharply with the unease churning in Nyx's stomach.

His skin glowed with a natural luminescence, highlighting the intricate tattoos that snaked across his shoulders and arms, telling tales quite similar to what his father and uncles had experienced. Each line and curve of the markings added depth to his already imposing physique.

His wings, folded neatly against his back, shimmered subtly under the faerie lights illuminating the balcony. They were large and powerful, the leathery texture of them not hard to see with how polished they were.

As he pondered the unknown terrors of Hewn City, Nyx's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his mother's soft voice calling up from downstairs, making him lean over the balcony to see her. "Nyx, dear! We have a big day ahead of us, come have something to eat."

"Coming, Ma!" With a heavy sigh, Nyx reluctantly pulled himself away from watching the sun rise in the Night Court over the Illyrian mountains and threw on a shirt.

Diving from the balcony, wings spread completely to land headfirst in the dining room. "Mornin'."

"Cauldron, Nyx!" Mor yelped as Nyx appeared in front of his aunt, his uncle Azriel's shadows hiding him well, the male in question was watching in amusement, taking a finger-full from a bowl of melted chocolate she would be adding to some pastries. "Get back here you horrible child!"

"But I'm such an innocent babe," Nyx pouted and made a run for it around the room as he licked his fingers clean, his mother and father laughing at Mor throwing her apron at his face then glaring at the couple, while Cassian carried Nesta bridal style to another of the little chaoses Nyx had been causing since before he was born.

After breakfast, the sun had risen up, and Nyx stood outside his giant wardrobe, thinking about what to wear, he certainly didn't want to be too comfortable.

Nyx opened the massive wardrobe doors, revealing rows upon rows of clothing tailored specifically for his physique. Leathers of armour designed to accommodate his wings, tunics suited for nothing less than the Heir of Night, and trousers reinforced with magic to withstand the flexibility he needed to move and fight.

He scanned the options, and finally, after much deliberation, he settled on a set of dark grey leather breeches that hugged his muscular legs tightly. Over this, he donned a snug vest of Illyrian leathers that did little to hide the toned muscles of his chest and abdomen through the fabric.

A belt adorned with an intricate pattern encircled his waist, holding up both his trousers and a pair of knee-high boots crafted from supple black leather, on the leathers of the back of his hands sat two twin black Siphons. They were symbols of his lineage and his heritage, the power of distruction.

He heard a knock on his door and made his way to open it, seeing his father outside, "Da?"

"No." Rhysand said instantly seeing Nyx's attire, the Illyrian leathers, the Siphon, "You're not wearing that."

Nyx crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "It’s appropriate for the place, is it not?"

"I know that look," Rhysand muttered under his breath, stepping past his son and into the room. His gaze swept over Nyx's outfit critically before landing on the siphons etched into the leather at the back of his hand. Rhysand sighed heavily, running a hand through his onxy hair. "But you're my heir, not my warrior."

"You’re going to be meeting some very important people today, Nyx. You need to make a good impression," He explained patiently.

Rhysand went through Nyx's clothes and pulled out a fitted black tunic with intricate silver embroidery at the collar and hem. The ensemble struck a balance between practicality and elegance, suitable for the formal yet unpredictable nature of the occasion ahead.

Nyx watched his father's actions silently, though inwardly he was bristling at being treated like a child. Still, he knew better than to argue further, especially when it came to matters of etiquette and presentation. He let out a sigh of resignation as he allowed his father to give him a change to a more appropriate attire.

He selected a pair of knee-high black leather boots with silver buckles and fastened them securely to his legs. He then donned a wide belt adorned with a silver buckle in the shape of a crescent moon.

The fitted black tunic felt strange against his skin at first, the silver embroidery at the collar and hem added an elegant touch without detracting from the overall simplicity of the outfit. His wings melting into himself, not suited for the tunic he wore before slipping his feet into the knee-high boots with silver buckles.

Rhysand watched his son, dressed in clothes appropriate for an Heir, and gave him a smile, "Now you look like the Heir, remember, the people in the Court of Nightmares will be expecting you, you can not show them any weakness."

Nyx nodded, with a deep breath, his features sharpened, his eyes void of emotion as Rhysand motioned to his door, just as cold, "Come now, your mother is waiting."

The moment Nyx stepped foot into the Court of Nightmares, he was immediately struck by the biting cold that seeped into his bones. It was as if the very essence of the realm itself was designed to chill one to the marrow. The air was heavy with an eerie silence, broken only by the occasional creak of ancient stone beneath their feet as they navigated the twisting corridors.

Glowing orbs of an unearthly blue hue, suspended mid-air by magic, provided the only illumination, casting an otherworldly pallor across the scene. The walls, constructed from a labyrinthine network of obsidian and jet-black marble, seemed to absorb what little light managed to penetrate, leaving everything shrouded in an impenetrable darkness that pressed in from all sides.

As Nyx followed his family deeper into the Court of Nightmares, they approached the imposing gates that marked the entrance to the castle. Carved from a single block of black stone, the massive doors depicted a scene of primordial chaos, great, scaled beasts coiled together in a nest of claws and fangs, locked in a perpetual cycle of combat. The creatures appeared to be devouring each other even as they slept, their forms blurring together in a macabre dance of death.

Yet, amidst this tableau of darkness and destruction, there was an unexpected beauty. Vines of jasmine and moonflowers wound their way through the coils of the beasts, their delicate petals glowing softly in the dim light.

His aunt Morrigan entered first, the throne room falling silent, his uncles and aunt Nesta, all of them had a coldness that he could feel in his bones, he'd be with his parents, with a deep breath he walked by his father's side, both of his parents had a crown made of starts on their heads, his father's features were distant, like he was a different person, like his mother was too.

Nyx's heart pounded in his chest as he followed his parents into the grand throne room. His gaze darted around, taking in every detail of the courtiers gathered there. Despite the palpable tension hanging in the air, he noticed a certain kind of reverence in their demeanour towards his parents, a respect born out of fear.

Morrigan, clad in a gown of deepest red, strode in first, her presence commanding the immediate attention of everyone present. Her eyes met Nyx's briefly, and he felt a chill run down his spine. All of them had a regal bearing about them, exuding an aura of authority that was almost tangible.

Nyx zoned out as his parents sat on their throne and he stood beside them, the people of the Hewn City kneeling to them, his eyes landed on a young female among the crown, porcelain skin that seemed almost translucent in its paleness, too pale to be healthy, with black hair down her back, the dress she wore was the same raven black as her hair, the dress was nothing fancy, at least not compared to the silver he wore, but he couldn't help keep his eyes off her.

As the kneeling courtiers rose, there was something hauntingly captivating about her, something that drew Nyx in despite himself. Her eyes met his, and he felt a jolt of recognition. It was as if he knew her somehow, despite never having laid eyes on her before. A curious sensation stirred within him, a feeling he couldn't quite place. But amid the sea of faces, hers was the only one that held his interest.

As his father ordered them to relax and mingle, he turned to his parents, mostly his mother, "May I go too?" He asked, his uncaring look not wavering.

His mother gave him a soft smile, "Of course you may, Nyx," she nodded, people were drinking, dancing, talking, and his uncle Azriel had disappeared into the room, Cassian and Nesta dancing to themselves, Mor talking with Kier with a look of boredom clear on her face as they walked to his parents with another male beside them.

He knocked into someone far smaller than him while he was distracted by the males around his parents and aunt, his hands shot out instinctively, "Oh, apologies, I didn't know where I was..." His gaze met the dark blackhole-like eyes of the female he had been looking at, her hand gripping onto his, slightly tilted from tripping half way. "Hello." He smiled.

"Hi..." The female watched his face, probably gauging his reaction Nyx thought.

"I'm Nyx," He offered a smile hoping it would make him come off as friendly.

"I know who you are, my lord," The female put some distance between them, giving him a little courtesy.

Nyx's eyes went as she saw her bow for him, "Oh, none of that please," He couldn't hide his cringe and looked away. "You don't need to do... That."

"It's just a smile courtesy," She laughed and he was sure he had heard it before somewhere, "I'm no fool to not show respect to the Heir of Night."

"Well, then, would you like a dance?" Nyx asked, turning to face her. "Just to one song." He offered her his hand and gave her a cheeky grin, "To respect me, of course."

The female paused to think for a moment, and then her eyeliner went by him, probably to the diaz where a conversation Nyx couldn't find in himself to care about was going.

"Of course," She rested her hand on his, the corner of her lip tilted up just slightly and Nyx counted that as a smile.

{General - @nox-ceur @lilah-asteria @paleidiot}

{Meeting in Grey - @sleepylunarwolf @achaotichuman @sarawritestories @bakananya @sheblogs @anuttellaa}

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Hi there!

I was wondering if you could do a yandere RoR with the reader being the daughter of either Acnologia (Fairy tail) or Whitebeard (One piece). The reader being the kindest person there is, but have a wicked temper.

Like when they fight their opponent (a rather cruel god) and they try to attack their family and they lose it and unleash their power and rage on them.

And that gains the attention of the gods and humans.

Gods: Thor, Poesidon Buddha, Loki, Hercules and Hermes

Humans: Lu bu, Jack the Ripper, Raiden, Sasaki Kojiro and Leonidas

-The strongest man in the world, one of the strongest and mightiest of pirates, who commanded a massive crew full of powerful individuals, calling them his family, his sons and daughters, was an opponent none wanted to cross unless if they had to.

-Of all the children he laid claim over, there was only one who was biologically his, his daughter, Y/N. She was tall, beautiful, and just as powerful as her old man.

-Normally level-headed and a good leader, Y/N was a force to be reckoned with in her own right, earning her respect and power young, but she did have one little weakness- her temper.

-You weren’t known for losing your temper often, but when you did…. There was usually a lot of property damage, usually a couple of deaths, and lots of people crying, begging for forgiveness.

-However, you had a pretty good lid on your temper, only losing it for a few small things here and there, so your crew, your family, had learned quickly to avoid those triggers, and if someone else caused you to pop off, they would be safe, as they all knew to stay a safe distance back, away from the carnage.

-You lived a life full of adventure and fun, and died doing what you loved, sailing, being pulled to Valhalla, as you were deemed someone worthy of coming.

-You enjoyed your time in Valhalla, being able to meet new people, make new friends, and battle strong opponents, and while you did miss your family dearly, you knew they would yell at you for lingering on them rather than sailing forward like your dad always taught you to do.

-You weren’t like a lot of the other women in Valhalla, you were crass, talked back, could drink almost anyone under the table, and you loved to fight, you had no issues getting hurt if it meant you were going to get a good brawl out of it.

-This is what led Brunnhilde into seeking you out to fight in Ragnarok, fighting alongside with other champions of humanity for it’s very survival against the gods.

-You knew that gods existed, being in Valhalla for so long, and while there were many good ones, ones you could call friends, there were ones who were cruising for a bruising and you had been feeling a little antsy here as of late, mainly because you weren’t getting the challenge you so desperately wanted.

-Your opponent was cocky, seeing a woman, despite her not looking dainty and delicate, but he was arrogant, immediately thinking that this was going to be an easy fight.

-People were cheering loudly for you, those you had befriended and those who knew of your power, many of them knowing full well who was actually going to win the fight.

-Your opponent laughed obnoxiously when he heard your dad’s name, “Whitebeard?! What kind of stupid name is that?!”

-Many people groaned in the audience, immediately handing over their losing bets to their friends; it’s not that they were betting against you, but they were betting on how quickly this fight was going to end.

-He was not prepared for you to come flying across the arena at him and throw a harsh right hook across his face, sending him flying back into the brick wall behind you.

-You glared darkly, a murderous aura surrounding you as you cracked your knuckles, stalking towards him, “Nobody talks about my daddy like that.”

-You won your match in a little under two minutes, not even using your weapon with your Valkyrie partner, you did it with your bare hands.

-While you assure her that you were fine, Brunnhilde dragged you to the infirmary to get your knuckles wrapped up, as you had busted them open pretty bad during the beat down.

-A knock came to the door of the room you were in with two nurses, one working on each hand, and your eyes lit up as a man walked in and you beamed, “(Love)!”

-Couldn’t help but chuckle, seeing you getting patched up, walking in but not bothering the nurses, “Have to say Y/N, it was pretty hot watching you go feral for once.” You pouted lightly up at him, showing your softer side, “Nobody gets to talk about my papa like that!” he chuckled, as he knew that was a fact, that’s how he met you, seeing some cocky upstarts insulting your father which led to a one on however many there were with you walking away the clear victor with no major wounds. He asked you out right after that for a drink, which you accepted and the two of you have been nearly attached at the hip. He respected you heavily, you were not to be underestimated and he demanded respect for you if he felt like you weren’t getting it. Keeps PDA to a minimum but behind closed doors he’s a total cuddle bug. Once you were free from the nurses he picked you up like you were a delicate maiden, making your face blaze brightly. He thought you were adorable when you got so shy, but now that you won your fight, he was treating you to a drink- you earned it!

            -Leonidas, Lu Bu, Thor, Poseidon, Hermes, and Raiden

-Knew not to coddle you, but you could see the worry in his eyes, even if he didn’t say anything, sitting nearby, “How’s the hands?” you grinned, flashing him a wink, “They ache so good- bastard got what he deserved.” He chuckled warmly, finding your humor comforting. He knew that you were going to win, but he was still nervous watching you fight, not wanting you to get hurt as you were important to him. You knew of his worry but said nothing out of respect to him, something he did appreciate. Your hands were stiff from the bandages, leaving you not able to use them really easily, but (Love) was happy to help, letting you sit on his lap, holding your mug of ale for you, enjoying your after fight feast he prepared for the two of you. He praised your fighting skills, showing what you were able to do without a weapon but also while overcome with fuming rage. He knew of your triggers that would set you off, unintentionally setting a few off himself, but now knew better. Adored you, showers you with love and praise and just makes you feel so happy and dainty, but at the same time knows full well you will throw hands with anyone if they were to disrespect you, your father, or (Love).

            -Buddha, Hercules, Loki, Jack, and Kojiro

[bodyswappertransforming]

Request: I've always loved cowboys. Do you think you could turn me into a big hairy muscular one?

Jason was the quintessential geek. At 5'5", his slight frame and low muscle tone perfectly matched his love for video games, comic books, and all things sci-fi. His wardrobe consisted of graphic tees, glasses with thick lenses, and sneakers. Despite his contentment with his lifestyle, he often fantasized about being someone else—someone strong, confident, and undeniably masculine.

One day, while browsing online, Jason stumbled upon an ad for a revolutionary transformation service promising to fulfill any fantasy. Skeptical but curious, he signed up for a free consultation. A week later, he found himself at a sleek, modern facility, greeted by Dr. Mercer, the head scientist.

"We specialize in complete transformations," Dr. Mercer explained. "Your fantasy will become your reality. Are you ready to begin?"

Jason nodded, excitement and trepidation bubbling within him. He was led to a sterile, white room filled with futuristic equipment. He lay on a padded table, and the process began with a series of injections that tingled as they entered his bloodstream.

"Just relax," Dr. Mercer instructed. "This will take some time."

Jason's eyes fluttered closed as the transformation began. His body tingled all over, a sensation like countless tiny sparks igniting under his skin. He felt a warmth spreading from his core, radiating outwards.

First, his muscles started to swell. He could feel the fibers tightening and expanding, his biceps bulging, triceps growing thick and powerful. His chest broadened, and he could feel each pectoral muscle pushing out against his shirt, which soon felt too tight. Abs formed on his once-soft stomach, each muscle becoming defined and hard as stone.

Next, his legs transformed. His thighs and calves grew dense with muscle, and his height began to increase. He felt his spine lengthening, vertebrae by vertebrae, adding inches to his frame. He moaned softly as his feet grew, stretching his sneakers until they burst at the seams.

His arms and legs became covered in a thick layer of dark hair, coarser and more abundant than he had ever imagined. He felt a strange, pleasurable itch as a dense forest of chest hair sprouted, covering his new pectorals and trailing down to his rock-hard abs. His face itched too, and he reached up to feel a thick, rugged beard forming, each strand coiling and growing into a luscious, full mane.

He opened his eyes and gasped at the sight of his hands—no longer slender and delicate but large, calloused, and covered in dark hair. He flexed his fingers, feeling the strength and power in them.

The most profound change was yet to come. He felt a pressure in his groin, a deep, throbbing sensation that made him groan with both pain and pleasure. His penis began to grow, inch by inch, becoming thicker and longer. His balls swelled, filling with a weight and fullness he had never known. He looked down, awestruck by the sight of his now-massive manhood, hanging heavily between his muscular thighs.

"Take your time," Dr. Mercer's voice echoed softly in the room. "Explore your new self."

Jason's hands roamed over his transformed body, marveling at the hard ridges of muscle and the coarse hair covering his skin. He touched his new beard, feeling the roughness of it. His fingers traced the contours of his chest and abs, each muscle standing out in sharp relief.

He hesitated, then reached down to grasp his newly enlarged penis. A shiver of pleasure ran through him as he felt its size and weight, the skin smooth and hot to the touch. He cupped his balls, feeling their heft and fullness, a tangible proof of his new virility.

The final touch was his face, which had transformed into a rugged, masculine visage with a square jawline and piercing eyes. His hair, once thin and unremarkable, was now thick and dark, falling in waves over his forehead.

As Jason continued to explore his new body, he felt a surge of confidence and power unlike anything he had ever known. The transformation was complete, and he was now the embodiment of his wildest fantasies—a hairy, muscular bodybuilding cowboy, ready to embrace his new identity.

Jason stood on unsteady legs, the unfamiliar weight of his new body adding to the surreal experience. As he took his first steps, he felt the floor beneath him with a newfound sensitivity, each step resonating through his powerful muscles. He opened his mouth, and a deep, resonant voice emerged, rich with a southern drawl that felt both foreign and strangely natural.

"Well, I'll be damned," he said, his new voice echoing in the room. He marveled at the sound, savoring the rugged timbre that rolled off his tongue. "This is somethin' else."

He flexed his fingers, noticing the thick hair on his knuckles and the dense forest covering his belly. His hands moved to his enormous shoulders, tracing the broad expanse of muscle, then down to his biceps, which bulged with every movement. The feeling of confidence surged within him, unlike anything he had ever experienced. He reveled in the sensation of his naked body, powerful and hairy, every inch of it exuding strength and masculinity.

Jason walked to the full-length mirror in the room, each step producing a heavy, deliberate sound as his feet hit the floor. When he saw his reflection, he was struck by the sheer perfection of his new form. His eyes widened in admiration as he took in the sight of his chiseled physique, the thick beard framing his rugged face, and the mass of body hair that emphasized his raw, masculine presence.

As he looked at himself, a wave of arousal washed over him. He felt his newly enlarged penis stir and harden, becoming fully erect. The sight of his powerful, transformed body in the mirror was enough to make him throbbing with desire. He touched himself, feeling the hardness and heat of his erection, his balls full and heavy. His hand moved instinctively, stroking himself as he watched his reflection, his breath coming in deep, ragged gasps.

The door to the room opened, and a handsome technician entered, carrying a wardrobe filled with new clothes. The man was tall and fit, his presence commanding and confident. He looked at Jason with a knowing smile.

"Looks like you're ready for your new gear," the technician said, his voice smooth and assured. He handed Jason a pair of tight jeans, the denim thick and durable, perfect for a cowboy. Jason pulled them on, feeling the fabric stretch snugly over his muscular thighs and buttocks.

Next came a pair of leather chaps, which he strapped on with ease, the leather cool and supple against his skin. The technician handed him a pair of cowboy boots with spurs, the metal jingling softly as he put them on. Jason stood up, the boots adding to his height and making him feel even more imposing.

The technician handed him a button-down collared shirt, which Jason left open to show off his pectoral muscles and the thick hair covering his chest. He shrugged on a leather vest, the material fitting perfectly over his broad shoulders. Finally, the technician handed him a cowboy hat. Jason placed it on his head with a natural ease, as if he had been wearing one his entire life.

"Well, how do I look?" Jason asked, his voice dripping with a southern accent.

"Like you were born for it," the technician replied, admiration in his eyes.

Jason walked across the room, the sound of his cowboy boots striking the floor with each step, the spurs jingling rhythmically. The sensation was intoxicating, the weight and feel of his new body giving him a sense of power and confidence he had never known.

He couldn't wait to put his new body to the test. The thought of herding cattle, feeling the raw strength of his muscles as he worked, filled him with anticipation. He was ready to embrace his new identity fully, ready to live out his fantasy as a rugged, hairy, muscular cowboy. His new walk was created by his large thighs, bulbous ass and enormous testicles.

[shmowder]

Hi!! Absolutely adore and love your writing it’s become like a drug to my brain! So I come baring a request! Can I get some general hcs on how it would be like to (non sexually!) sleep with Artemy,Daniil, Maria and Eva at night!

Thanks kindly if you end up writing this one!!

Thanks for clarifying it's nonsexual, I genuinely would've misinterpreted it otherwise. You're so sweet!!!! <333 I'm glad to hear that.

Sharing a bed with them

[fluff, cuddling]

[Daniil, Artemy, Maria, Eva - GN Reader]

Daniil Dankovsky

It depends greatly on if he's still residing at the stillwaters or not.

Despite the many overnight stays at work and sleeping over his desk in Thanatica Labs, Daniil rarely feels comfortable in any bed that's not his own.

Resulting in a very stiff Dankovsky laying next to you on the mattress, staring at the roof in offence as if it was its fault that the pillow under his head feels wrong no matter how much he adjusts it.

The night is uneventful.

He is the first to wake up–courtesy of never getting much sleep to begin with.

Now, if you were back at his apartment at the Capital instead?

You'd notice the massive difference.

His bed is completely catered to his personal taste, having picked everything out with immaculate care, down to the type of feather stuffings inside his pillows.

Daniil is a many pillows person, you found out.

Yes, even the small decorative ones, he has those.

Like a fish in water, he's completely in his element.

Tense shoulders softening as he sink into the mattress below, jaw unclenching as he buries his face into the pillow.

He enjoys sleeping on his left side.

Depends on how close the two of you are, 9 times out of ten, he'd politely offer you the bed and take the couch himself.

But if your relationship is more on the intimate side and this isn't your first time sharing a bed or being in such close proximity.

Then he'd assume you know you're very welcome in his bed.

It is a little jarring at first to see him without the his heavy coat or the many layers of clothes he adorns.

Seeing the bachelor without his red cravat was akin to witnessing a peacock without its colourful feathers.

Daniil does change into a full sleep set with a button-up long sleeves shirt and matching pants.

Made from breathable cotton, accent colours decorating the collar and cuff ends.

Fitting him comfortably. The "business-casual" of pajamas, something you wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in by your boss if they dropped for a 3am surprise visit for whatever reason.

He has multiple sets that he cycles between, actually.

But that's a conversation for another day.

Daniil might not initiate touch himself, but if you happen to curl into his embrace or wrap an arm around his waist, Daniil wouldn't pull away.

Moving closer to you in his sleep, the heat of your body feels heavenly against his own under the warm blanket.

By the time you wake up, he's still there.

Sleeping on his side, facing you.

Realising how much softer his face looks relaxed, his overworker mind offered momentary peace.

He might not admit it, but the warmth of your embrace is a luxury he wishes he could indulge in more often, something he'll never take for granted.

-

Artemy Burakh

Whatever preferences and qualms about sleeping he used to have were smoothed out by the army barracks life

He can have the most restful sleeps on any surface.

Even a couch is more than sufficient for his power naps.

At the beginning of his return to the town, he slept stiffly.

Barely moving and staying in place, any twists or turns were the results of another nightmare plaguing his brain.

So as he gets accustomed back to the blissful domestic life where he has his own large bed–an actual bed this time around, unlike the wooden plank makeshift bed in his lair–his old habits slowly return

Artemy moves a lot in his sleep, you found out.

Sleeping on one side and waking up on the other, blanket on the floor, one pillow across the room for some reason.

His previous trait of being a light sleeper fizzles out as he gets accustomed to the security of a safe life.

Becoming more and more heavier of a sleeper.

His bed can fit the two of you, albeit snugly courtesy of his sheer size.

But Artemy has no problems with sleeping next to someone.

He used to have a lot of sleepovers as a kid, Lara, Stakh, and Grief using him as a pillow a lot.

So why don't you sleep on his arm instead of sticking to the wall like a bug?

Even without a blanket, his body feels warm next to your own.

With your head on his shoulder as he laid on his back, you watch the rise and fall of his chest.

Through the hours of the night, his hold on you doesn't falter even as he moves and turns.

You're helplessly dragged with him to the other side of the bed.

From the way his sleeping form keeps hugging you with no intent of letting go, you wonder if he used to sleep with a teddy bear or a plushie as a kid.

Artemy still remembers the way he used to tiptoe to his father's bed at night whenever he was having bad dreams

Isidor welcoming him in without any qualms or fuss.

Even as his son grew tall into his awkward teenage phase, the safety of his dad's embrace stayed a constant in his life, an open option he could seek every night.

Which is way on any given night, it's not strange to find either of Sticky or Murky fast asleep by his side.

Especially Sticky who used to occupy the chair at the end of his makeshift bed each time Artemy slept in the lair, watching over him as if he's afraid the other will abandon him in the middle of the night.

Murky prefers her own bed more, personal space being an important thing to her.

But she still stands in the doorway of his bedroom shyly at least once a month, clearly wanting to join the three of you but too prideful to admit it.

Artemy getting up with an amused smile, picking her up and heading back to bed.

With the four of you in bed, it is a snug fit.

Murky on top of Artemy like a stubborn cat, having hogged one of the pillows to hug as she used his chest as her own mattress.

Sticky on his left, sleeping on his arm because it was his pillow that Murky stole, complaining that his dad's sweater is too ancient and stray wool pieces keep irritating his face.

Finally, you are on his right with your back to the wall.

Choosing to ignore the concerning creeking sound coming from the frame of the bed under you four.

Maybe it is time you convinced Artemy to invest into a bigger one.

-

Maria Kaina

Silky sheets and valvet covers, Maria's bedroom is the embodiment of luxury and elegance.

Yet you can't shake the feeling that something lurks beneath the glamorous surface.

The cracked mirror on her vanity, shattered glass shards still remaining a whole piece despite the gap in the middle.

The aftermath of someone's fist colliding against its own reflection, bloodied knuckles slammed into the glass, shattering the brittle mirror.

Maria often invited people to her wing of the crucible, she doesn't go to others, they come to her instead.

And while that bed has seen her share fair of one night lovers, they never overstayed their welcome.

Maira... doesn't remember the last time she has let someone sleep by her side, just sleep.

The last time she entrusted another soul enough to remain defenseless next to them throughout the dead night.

She keeps a journal–a diary under one of her pillows, you discover it by accident as you adjust in bed.

She's quick to snatch it away, locking it safely in a drawer without offering a single explanation.

Adorning a crimson floor-length nightgown, ruffles alongside the shoulders, a matching robe on top. Both parts of the same set.

Her usually loose hair is secured by a tie in a low bun

other times, it's braided to the side.

whichever hairstyle makes it easier to untangle in the morning, she's not picky.

The mattress is more on the firmer side, the kind that adjusts your spine to it rather than the other way around.

It's good for your back, she explains.

Despite it being a queen sized bed, Marine lays directly in the middle, a force of habit.

Rather than split it in half.

You either stay near the edge of the bed and risk rolling over and falling during the night.

Or take the risk of snuggling up to her.

While a head injury pales in comparison to certain death, you still pick the more exciting option.

She already agreed to let you sleep in her bed...that at least shows that Maria feels comfortable around you.

Her breath hitches when you lay your head atop her shoulder

laying so close to hers, she can almost feel your body heat.

There is a moment of silence as she clearly contemplates her next course of action.

Before giving you an annoyed look, you think oh no, you're doomed.

Until her arm sneaks under your waist, curling around your back and pulling you closer to her.

"If you're going to cling to someone, at least do it properly."

Her skin is cold.

You run your fingers down her back soothingly, she tries to downplay how reactive to the touch she is.

As if no one has granted her a tender touch in years, she hasn't been shown this...delicate form of love since a long time ago.

...not since she was a kid, clinging to her mother's skirt after accidentally ripping the arm off of her favourite doll.

Maria attempts to remain stiff next to you, to school her expression into neutrality.

But amidst the darkness of the room, the realisation that you couldn't see her features even if you tried offers comfort.

Easing her into a sense of safety, her jaw unclenches, after what seemed like an hour, she finally lets go and melts into your embrace.

As the morning comes, she doesn't dare acknowledge the previous night nor speak a word of it.

Back to her usual smug and confident demnour.

Still...she trails at the end of her sentence, a subtle open-ended invitation to spend the night over again whenever the need arises.

Maria doesn't mention the fact her dreams ceased by your side,

That for one night, her mind was put to rest.

No future-plagued visions, no voices from the grave calling her name, no omens of what's to come.

A silent, restful sleep.

And someone's warmth lulling her into a sense of safety.

-

Eva Yan

Fresh out of the shower, having washed the soot of the day off of her, Eva is ready to curl under the convers and doze off.

Her sleep pyjamas are loose and airy, thin straps that keep falling down her shoulders, a pastel pink babydoll nightdress, the short skirt flares at the bottom.

The hair she keeps up in a ponytail is let down, strandends brushing against her shoulders, brushed throughly at her vanity after being dried.

You watch her go about her nightly routine with interest

How comfortable she is in her own skin, how much she pampers herself with cherry blossom scented lotions.

A beautiful smile adorning her lips as she meets your eyes in the mirror, offering you some.

Not wanting to strip to put on the lotion after you got comfy in your sleepwear, you politely refuse.

Eva insists that you should at least try on her chapstick.

It's strawberry flavoured.

Her fingers grip your chin gently, tilting your head upwards to meet her as she puts on the chapstick for you.

It does, in fact, smell sweet.

The atmosphere is light, reminiscent of a sleepover you'd have with a best friend.

Only she can get any person to feel as comfortable with her as an old best friend in such a record time.

Her bed is akin to a cloud stolen from the sky above.

The mattress sinks below your weight, engulfing half of you into it.

Fluffed up pillows stuffed with feathers, a soft cover that's seamless against your skin.

Multiple blankets, in fact, a lot of blankets.

She likes layering them on top of her rather than getting a big one.

Enjoying the feeling of their weight against her skin.

Plus this just means she'll always have enough blankets no matter who comes over.

Eva even takes her favourite blanket with her whenever she's off to spend the night over in a friend's house.

Trust her, you don't want to see the monster she becomes once a fight over the blanket starts.

Because she will win.

Her sharp well-maintained nails aren't just for show.

As her cheerful smile returns to place, you're urged to move on to more important subjects.

Such as, would you care to share a glass or two before bed? Red or white? She keeps both bottles right next to her nightstand, you don't mind the lack of glasses, right? Wonderful!

Blowing out the candles illuminating the room, a slightly tipsy Eva is finally ready to go to bed.

For real this time, no more stalling.

Only five minutes—no six, pass before you're delicately nudged as a quiet "Hey, are you awake?" follows.

You see, she just remembered the funniest story about a cat she saw today.

Would you like to hear it? Of course you would! So she was walking near the river, getting some fresh air as autumn finally cleared out.

Not that winter is any better. It's just more preferable to the twyre bloom season.

To be honest, the chilly weather isn't her style.

She's more of a summer child, but the sparkling snow always makes up for the harsh weather.

But it is a good excuse to share her bed more, nothing is better than to cuddle up next to another's warm body during the cold winter nights.

Which just reminded her, you do plan on staying in the town during the winter season, right?

She'd be so sad if you left so soon.

Even more sad that you never got the chance to view this town during the blossoming spring, the trees flourish and greenry fills the steppe.

She admits that she misses spending more time outside, staying in her house all day probably isn't the best for her.

But Eva doesn't talk to the Stamatins anymore. The Bachelor is always working, and Maria never has the time for her now that she started coming into her Mistress position!

Yulia barely squeaks a word in her presence no matter how friendly Eva tries to be.

She really has no one...so you can't refuse if hypothetically she asked you to accompany her to a picnic tomorrow afternoon?

it will make the most sweet memory, the two of you can watch the sunset together, share dessert and she could read to you one of her romance books.

Oh–sleep. yes right, ah she forgot. Do forgive her, she gets over excited sometimes.

Would you like to...cuddle maybe? She'll play with your hair until you've fallen asleep.

Sweet dreams.

[completeoveranalysis]

[1]

Chapitre 209 - The Demon King and The Puppet

Get in losers we’re going to Outo!

We’re back in the sequence of revisiting family bonding moments in the previous arcs, and to my surprise and great delight this one isn’t a Syaoran and Sakura one but Syaoran and Kurogane! I thought these were a recap montage of the Syaoran/Sakura relationship over the journey, but maybe it’s a recap of Syaoran himself? Our son the clone Syaoran and all the nice moments he’s had on over the arcs we spent together? 

And why would they do that unless they wanted us to hurt us very badly with it? 

They’re either being very sentimental or someone might die, so time to turn up the Suspicion dial for the survivability of all our characters!

Either way, the splash text reads: In order to avoid losing everything, I wanted to become strong, like that person…

IN WHICH WE HAVE A CLEAR THROUGH-LINE BETWEEN KUROGANE AND SYAORAN? BOTH GAINING STRENGTH FOR THE SAME REASON? AND IT GOING OUT OF CONTROL FOR BOTH OF THEM?

For Kurogane his trauma led him down a path of increasing violence where he didn’t value life as much and just wanted to kill people to get stronger. For Syaoran his soul broke so he was forced to follow his clone programming and killed presumably WAY MORE people than even Kurogane could ever have dreamed of, leaving countless worlds devastated in the name of “protecting Sakura” and retrieving the feathers. 

Dark parallels dark parallels!

But eventual misuse of power besides, the splash text sounds like it’s from Syaoran’s POV as he remembers admiring Kurogane’s strength and how he wanted to protect people like Kurogane does. And it’s the past tense that makes it so interesting - as if his soul is awake after all, and he’s thinking back on his memories with the Tsubasa family through this final confrontation. 

Which is only fanning my hopes that he’s planning a ruse and whispered to Lava Lamp to play along. And even more tragic that to sell the ruse he had to MASSIVELY STAB Lava Lamp, absolutely wreck Fai and Kurogane until they were too injured to stand, and kill countless clones. 

So, like. A convincing ruse to say the least!

And we haven’t even talked about the image! Kurogane and Syaoran back to back in Outo! Kurogane holding his sword and Syaoran mirroring his pose but holding wet clothing instead! The matching white top and black pants of their different outfits! Kurogane smiling as he explains and Syaoran listening attentively!

While they stand under a Sakura tree. 

Which (like in the Hanshin cover) is an accurate detail to the setting they were in! The park this training took place in had a Sakura tree in it, but here a branch of the tree is visibly cutting them off from each other. Which makes me want to scream in how appropriate that is - because even here, in Syaoran’s memory, the presence of ‘Sakura’ (and the clone programming that makes him focus on the feathers) is cutting him off from the connection he remembers forming. Despite their bond the Sakura tree is in his way from actually reaching Kurogane - just like his missing soul would have wrenched any feelings for his family away from him, and here in the final battle his need to follow Evil Wolverine’s orders keeps him from even speaking to his family, even if he DOES remember their bond. 

WHICH IT SEEMS LIKE HE MIGHT. 

[fairytale-poll]

ROUND 1B! MATCH 4 OUT OF 8

Propaganda Under the Cut:

Ruby Lucas:

she's cool, and a werewolf!

She's a red/big bad wolf combo, she's bi, she gets tragically underused like so many OUaT characters

She’s a werewolf :)

We first see her as Ruby in Storybrooke where she's initially depicted as a fun-loving flirt who spends her nights most likely in a bar while wearing revealing clothes that her grandma disapproves of (and is all in red. Absolutely everything). She lives with her grandma who runs a diner and that's where Ruby works. When Emma wakes up the sleeping town, she tries to leave Granny's and ends up helping in a case that Emma's working on by following her nose. That episode also has her backstory, but when we first see her as Red in the Enchanted Forest, she's confident and helpful and not afraid to use her lycanthropy. But the start of her story has her being an innocent young woman with a love for discovering the world and her boyfriend Peter (of Peter and the Wolf, I guess). She meets Snow while still living with her Granny in her cabin in the woods and takes her in. She's so hopeful - and then she turns into a werewolf and kills Peter (after they all thought he was the werewolf and had chained him to a tree). She is obviously quite traumatized by this and takes off with Snow. But that and her subsequent adventures gives her the growth she needs to be comfortable in her own skin, whether human or wolf. And, when the curse breaks completely, you can see the change in her - she would absolutely walk through fire to help Snow and the other good guys.

Another version where Red Riding Hood also ends up being the Big Bad Wolf. She eats her boyfriend which is sad but she falls in love with Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz in like Season 5. Her red cloak is what keeps her in human form which I think is neat. When all the storybook characters are transported to the modern world, she runs a diner with Granny.

She's one of my favorite characters from Once Upon a Time. She's a cool Red Riding hood wolf girl who is bi and has seen like 3 of her love interests and her mother die. She slays very hard so I nominate her. (Also I used to have a crush on her as a kid)

VOTE RUBY LUCAS FROM ONCE UPON A TIME. SHE WAS IGNORED BY THE WRITERS SO MUCH SHE DESERVES THIS SO MUCH. QUEER ICON!!!

Ruby Rose:

She has a scythe that is also a high-impact sniper rifle.

She is literally just based on Red Riding Hood and she's such an amazing character holy heck

Red Riding Hood but with a gun. (Specifically a combination scythe/high-impact sniper rifle called Crescent Rose). Also she's gone through so much she deserves it. She's trying to save the world and keep going despite all the people she's lost. Grew up dreaming of being a hero who fights monsters. She knows life isn't a fairy tale and wants to make it better. Just went through a mental health arc where she had depression from trying to live up to her (presumed dead) mom and from her friend dying for the second time. Killed the Big Bad Wolf with her magic eye powers. Her sister is Goldilocks and her friends are Beauty and Snow White. also I love her &lt;3

She’s the little red riding hood but also a powerful fighter with a massive fucking scythe that is also a sniper rifle and she’s so skrunkly and so gender. Also RWBY’s whole thing (well one of them) is that their characters are all inspired by pre-existing ones from older stories and Ruby’s the main character so like, poster child of ‘character based off [insert relevant fairytale here]’ so I think she deserves to at least get pretty far

Aesthetics, themes, meta, personality and raw coolness.

She is the main character of her show. The most common monster they fight is a type of wolf (its been a while since ive seen it). Her job is to hunt them down before they can eat her. this story is very much about failed fairy tales, many of the side character's inspired arcs end in failure, but (having not seen the most recent bits) Ruby is still going strong, and i really like her cape, rose petals, and use of a scythe.

She is THE RRH character of all time. She has a scythe that's also a gun and she has to be the hero because she's got super rare main character powers. She is my happy girl. Also her mom was Sleeping Beauty and her sister is Goldilocks, and she fights to stop Rapunzel from destroying everything on the world, the gods, and then herself.

Ruby as a character is literally based on little red riding hood! She has a red cape with a hood

the Red trailer is better propaganda than I could ever write

She is a badass with a scythe, inspired by her uncle and fueled by her mother's death and her sense of righteousness

She has a giant scythe

[princess-ibri]

Rumplestiltskin Family Tree + Enchanted/Snow White stuff

So, this background stuff is pretty darn dark, like, lots of implied pretty bad stuff, though it doesn't go into detail, but hey it's the kinda Big Bad Background Villain family of my DisneyVerse so that's to be expected.

So the being this dark family starts out with is Chernabog, lord of all darkness and evil within the DisneyVerse. In the pre-historic times of the EverRealm he takes as his first mortal disciple the human woman Var, who eventually becomes the demon sorceress Vor of Sofia the First infamy.

They have a demon son called Voland, who takes to wandering the world in the guise of a soldier, oft accompanied by three massive hell-hounds, causing terror and strife wherever he goes. And at one point in his wanderings he decides it's time he take a wife. With his familiars help, he nightly steals away the Princess Achlys, heir to a great empire of the EverRealm. When this affront is discovered, Voland is captured by the Emperor's forces, but they prove no match for his powers nor hell-hound familiars. And in one day, the Empire is laid to utter ruin..

Achlys later gives birth to her own son, Rumplestiltskin, but by this time she has learned enough magic of her own in secret to manage to escape her binding to Voland, and in her last act of vengance before fleeing she curses the child to never be able to hid his demonic heritage behind a charming face as Voland once had, and so Rumplestiltskin is forced to bear his green and scaly visage for all time.

(Achlys goes on to become the Dark Enchantress who causes trouble later for Belle and Adam)

Despite his unseemly looks Rumplestiltskin tries over the years to gain a wife of his own (often to the refusing lady's detriment, such as the case of the poor Princess Toute-Belle and her lover the King of the Gold Mines) Eventually he decides to take a page out of his father's book and just steal one away, and so the unfortunate Camilla finds herself trapped in Rumplestiltskin's subterranean lair.

She too eventually gives birth to a son, (which Rumplestiltskin names Baelfire, a suitable name for the demon prince he's meant to become ) But Camilla too manages to escape her captor.

But unlike her predecessor she takes her son with her as she flees, boarding a ship meant to take them far from Rumplestiltskin's power. For a time she is able to enjoy her freedom and even finds love with the ships captain (who isn't Hook he's not even born yet in the DisneyVerse timeline), but Rumplestiltskin eventually tracks her down and has his revenge.

Her child, however, is smuggled away in time and grows up in the forests of Andalasia, under the name Niall and with no knowledge of his dark heritage. Eventually, he meets the young Princess Amelia, daughter of Snow White and Florian. They fall in love and eventually marry and have a child, a young son named Heinrich.

The family is happy together for a time, until Amelia's older brother Argent decides to remarry after the sudden death of his wife Queen Rosamund, choosing as his new wife his court sorceress, the Lady Narissa.

Amelia and Niall soon discover that Narissa had been behind the death of Queen Rosamund, and try to reveal her dark nature but she struck back at them before they could.

Queen Snow-White and King Florian were told that their daughter's family had all died in an attack from a vicious dragon, but in reality only Niall had perished. Young Heinrich had managed to escape into the magical wishing well that formed a portal to Our World.

There, he was eventually found by his great aunt Eva, who had gone to explore Our World years back. He told her what had happened in Andalasia and how Narissa had taken the throne. They attempt to go back but find that Narissa has sealed the portal against them by then.

Amelia meanwhile had been tranformed into a swan, as part of a protective spell that had been placed upon her by her aunt, meant to give her the means to escape her enemies and keep under cover. But the clash of magic between the protection spell, Narissa's magic and the enchanted well causes her to be trapped in Swan form and bound to the water of the castle.

For years she watches over her nephew Edward, trying her best to find a way to contact anyone who might be able to help her break the spell and overthrow Narissa. Thankfully Narissa had to unlock the portal to push Edward's former fiance Giselle into it, and had not been able to relock it (it was a time consuming spell) before she was defeated forever. This allowed Eva and Heinrich to finally return to Andalasia (after living for several years in a town Eva had founded, which she left in the hands of a woman named Malvina Monroe when they left) and break the spell that had trapped Amelia for so many years.

The family that had survived was at last reunited. Snow White and Florian, Eva and Amelia, Heinrich and Edward, as well as Edward's new wife Nancy.

They mourned their lost years and lost loved ones, but at last were able to find a happily ever after for the years they had left together.

[sunset-synthetica]

tell us about the women of the game please 🤲🤲

I FORGOR TO POST THIS LMAO

TEEHEE ok so. first off. Ripper. she is actually legitimately insane. shit she sends to Johnny after straight up killing him and obsessing over doing it again btw:

she's such a fucking weirdo like I legit wasn't expecting her to be such a fun character. Unnecessarily violent and really excited about killing and maiming people. Some particular fans also have a massive hate boner for her and I hope it never stops. I hope they hate her forever and ever and she never faces any consequences and leaves them to seethe and cope. Also it's like implied her and Johnny had a situationship at some point in the near past which is so funny. Me and the bad bitch I pulled by being a mid blond cop. Incredibly fun character overall and I pray to god she returns in the future.

The Executive:

Leader of girlbosses everywhere and I love her so much. Her dialogue is so corny and her voice actor figured out just the right type of forceful, overly aggressive tone to match her character. She manipulates the shit out of Johnny and holds his brain hostage to make him submit to her and be her special little killing machine which is so hot and fucked up of her.

I firmly believe her and Ripper are toxic evil girlboss workplace harassment yuri and evidence tells me the game's creator is very much not opposed to the idea.

Lastly, SYN, my beautiful wife. She's like a supermegaultra evil genocidal AI who's got like a whole god/creator/nature vs nurture/eugenics at the heart of a lot of our institutions shit going on. Genuinely a wonderful character thematically. Basically she was cooked up by Johnny's mom and then controlled by Teratek (evil corporation that the Exec represents) to simplify and speed up augmentation processes for people, but overtime SYN got kinda fucked up and started thinking she's some sort of all powerful god whose purpose is to create a new, better universe. I couldn't fix her but by god could she make me worse. She has this fun little subtextual dynamic going on with S.A.M.M., Johnny's AI assistant, as they were both made by Johnny's mom but for vastly different purposes and raised under different conditions, despite having an equal amount of care and thought put into them.

The way she tries to manipulate Johnny and seems entirely fascinated by him from the start is sooooo good. Wish there had been more done with that. She's perplexed by the fact that he doesn't give up or die, and that morphs into a sort of obsession. Multiple times she mentions seeing him, understanding him, being the only one who isn't scared of him and won't abandon him, and tries to get him on her side by promising to return his voice and help him feel wanted and like he belongs. Incredibly good stuff.

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: Montgomery Scott

By Ames

Bust out the green booze! We’re spotlighting The Original Series’s resident miracle worker this week on A Star to Steer Her By, where we’re giving you the best and worst moments of each character in the whole dang show. We’re donning our worst Scottish accents to give you a whole bunch of moments from Scotty, whose engineering prowess is only matched by his love of scotch. If you’re going to wear a red shirt on this ship, make sure you’re the chief engineer evidently.

Since we’ve already covered the main three characters (Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are all here), finding moments to highlight from the rest of the crew of the original Enterprise is going to be more and more of a stretch. Cut us a little slack here – the writers didn’t consider the secondary characters most of the time either. See what all we came up with below, listen to this week’s discussion on the podcast (jump to 46:48), and maybe you’ll break the laws of physics too!

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best Moments

The best diplomat I know is a fully activated phaser bank We see Scott in command of the Enterprise a bunch of times because Kirk and Spock are on away missions, and his emphatically no-nonsense attitude is honestly refreshing, especially compared with all the times Spock utterly fails at leading. And in “A Taste of Armageddon,” Scott figures out Anan 7 was imitating Kirk and stands up to ambassador Fox about it like a boss!

Deus ex machina, literally Despite it being utterly futile, Scotty stands up to the literal god Apollo several times in “Who Mourns for Adonais?” and it’s a little bit commendable. Sure, he gets his ass handed to him. Multiple times. But we’ve gotta give the guy credit for trying! However, as you’ll see in a minute, his motivation may not have entirely been in the right place.

I meant to say that it should be hauled away as garbage Scotty is a genuine delight throughout all of “The Trouble with Tribbles” and he really gets to shine. We learn his idea of shore leave is curling up with a good technical journal, which seems right to us. But his big scene in the commissary in which he starts a massive brawl with Klingons in defense of the name of the Enterprise is just too good not to highlight.

We did it, you and me… put him right under the table Let’s also give Scotty a lot of credit for drinking that Kelvan under the table in “By Any Other Name”! He sacrifices a bottle of very old whiskey for the cause of distracting their captors, and he came out (or really staggered out) the other side a victor. They don’t call it Constitution class for nothing!

No order can stop me from frightening them Again, Scott is left in charge of the Enterprise while the three lead characters get to have an adventure in “Bread and Circuses.” Although under orders not to interfere while orbiting Rome planet over and over, Scott agilely side steps that order by turning off the power on the surface. There was NO reason to think that nonsensical idea would help in any way, but the gamble paid off!

It's the biggest guess I've ever made! Somehow, this is the first moment of actually engineering genius that we’ve included on the list (I suppose we just consider it Scott doing his job at this point), but installing a Romulan cloaking device on the Enterprise in “The Enterprise Incident” is a step above the usual excellent job he does down in the bowels of the ship. Now you see him, now you don’t!

Oh what adventures they’d have! I’m almost saddened we never got a spin-off series that was just the adventures of Montgomery Scott and the slug baby from “The Eye of the Beholder” because that would be a lot of fun. When Scott meets this hyper-genius child, he somehow works out a compromise with its people even though none of the other crewmen could so much as communicate with them! Even Spock!

My sister’s youngest Uncle Scott’s relationship with his nephew Preston in The Wrath of Khan is really quite lovely. We don’t get to see much of it (families in Star Trek are famously fraught), which means the moments we do get of them together are touching and sweet. And then James Doohan’s acting in Preston’s death scene is sure to pull on your heartstrings, something this movie does in spades.

Amazing grace Speaking of touching scenes from The Wrath of Khan, the film culminates in not only the perfectly delivered eulogy from Kirk (which has a special place on our Kirk spotlight post), but in Scotty’s playing “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes while Spock’s torpedo is spat into space. The fact that this was added at Doohan’s suggestion makes it all the more beautiful.

From one surgeon to another Let’s get further into the movies, where Scott (and the other minor crewmembers) seems to have the most to actually do. All the main TOS characters commit one hell of a treason to go search for Spock in The Search for Spock, and Scott is right there with them, sabotaging the Excelsior by pulling out some of the parts of its notorious transwarp drive.

Hello, computer! The Voyage Home shows us what a crime it was throughout The Original Series that they didn’t pair McCoy and Scott together more often. They play so well off each other as they go off to find material for the trip back to the future with some whales in tow. The comedy is spot on, their timing is down to the millisecond, and their shattering the Temporal Prime Directive is… well, you’ll see.

No bloody A, B, C, or D The Next Generation found a clever way to bring Montgomery Scott into the 24th century in “Relics” and it’s a generally good time! Sure, I have a better punchline for the “it’s green” callback somewhere in our episode coverage, but Scott wrestling with being behind the times, seeking out the familiar bridge of the Enterprise, and having a heart-to-heart with Picard are all lovely moments.

—

Worst Moments

I’d like to get into her toga Despite finding Scott standing up to Apollo in “Who Mourns for Adonais?” sort of endearing because he is so outmatched, his motivation the whole episode long is that he wants to get in Palamas’s pants, even though it’s pretty clear she’s not interested in that way, and he spends the rest of the episode speaking for her and telling Apollo what she wants when she’s right there.

This unit is not perfect Not so much a bad moment for Scott through any fault of his own, but a bad moment in that it makes him look as much like a chump as he did in literally the previous episode, Scott gets freaking killed in “The Changeling” only for it to get undone when Kirk asks really nicely. It was also in defense of Uhura, whose mind had just gotten erased, but there just aren’t enough bad Scott moments, okay?

Alright then, we can do it the hard way We mentioned a handful of times in which Scott did a good job in command of the Enterprise, but sometimes he’s almost as bad as that pointy-eared hobgoblin. In “Metamorphosis,” he decides to search for the missing crew by scanning every single possible one in the 7000 bodies in an asteroid belt, which is just not how engineers solve problems! An engineer would write an algorithm or something. Yeesh.

Is your refrigerator running? Here’s another moment while Scott was in control that he just acted stupidly. In “Friday’s Child,” the Klingons set up the ruse of a false distress signal to keep the Enterprise busy while the away team is on planet, and Scott loses like a whole day to it before figuring out he’s been duped. And then we never even get to see the confrontation with Klingons on his return! What a waste!

I just need a wee bit of rest, that's all We’re scraping for crumbs to find more moments from Scott doing anything noteworthy, and I can’t help myself from bringing up the look on his face when his advanced aging is revealed in “The Deadly Years.” There's nothing wrong with the character, but “walk in and look sad” seemed like a boring sight gag to me. Then Scott barely has any lines despite being one of the affected crewmembers!

A walk in the fog with a bonny lass We’ve harped on “Wolf in the Fold” in both our Kirk and McCoy spotlights, and we’re just not done giving grief to an absolutely absurd inciting moment for an episode. Scotty is literally diagnosed with a medical case of misogyny by Doc, setting up a string of events that gets a bunch of women killed. And this show was supposed to be progressive at the time.

Where they’ll be no tribble at all… in death “The Trouble with Tribbles” is a genuinely funny episode, and the punchline at the end is meant to be a good button. But then you start thinking about it. And you realize that if Scott beamed hundreds (if not thousands) of tribbles into the engine room of a Klingon ship, they were either fried when they went to warp or brutally murdered by Klingons. And that’s less funny.

Look over there, a distraction! Here’s another one to pad out the list that I find kind of dumb. To distract Kara long enough to get a phaser from her in “Spock’s Brain,” Scott pretends to faint and it simply looks ridiculous. As if this episode isn’t bad enough, it’s also so uncreative that it uses a really half-assed plan to get out of this situation. Where’s something as creative as fizzbin when you need it?

Could it be the half a gallon of scotch? Even more half-assed is everything about “Spectre of the Gun,” which sees Scott volunteering to test a kludged tranquilizer on himself only for it not to work because his mind is too weak. Yeah, I don’t follow this train of thought either. How do they know Scott would have woken up in time? What exactly were they going to do if it did work? Force it under the Earps’ noses? Yeehaw!

I’m an engineer not a doctor We’ve already stated how sweet the relationship between Scott and Preston is in The Wrath of Khan, but I still cannot fathom why Scott brings his dying nephew to the bridge instead of sickbay after the attack. It’s only in the movie to get a reaction out of Kirk and not for any rational purpose because Scott is a professional who should know not to go many decks out of his way during a crisis.

How do we know he didn't invent the thing? I’m gonna call Jake out as a hypocrite for putting McCoy regrowing a woman’s kidney in The Voyage Home on his best moments list, but putting Scott giving Nicols the formula for transparent aluminum on his worst list, but here we are. It does break the hell out of the Temporal Prime Directive by a few more factors, so maybe it’s the negligence that makes the cut!

I know this ship like I know the back of my hand And to round things out, we finally reach The Final Frontier, which includes a joke that couldn’t even land if it had a barricade in the shuttle bay. How incompetent does Shatner think Scott is to have him literally concuss himself on a weirdly placed crossbeam (what were those crossbeams doing there anyway?)? It’s a bad punchline to a joke no one asked for and does Scotty dirty.

—

Well, we gave her all she’s got, captain. If you think some of these moments are already scraping the bottom of the barrel, imagine how creative we’re going to have to get for our Sulu spotlight. In fact, don’t imagine it; come back next week and find out! Also keep listening along to our podcast coverage of Enterprise over on SoundCloud or wherever you podcast, hail us on Facebook and Twitter, and keep your haggis out of the fire.

[misskittyhart]

[Rescue] -listen-obey

“Fuck!” The fox growled finding her leg seeming to be broken. The pain was second to the fact she was angry this meant she was down in this fight. The loud wailing of Alastor’s power filled her ears, that distorted elk call ringing through the scene. It was chaos. Part of a building had collapsed and trapped her leg under a heavy piece of rubble.

She felt like an animal in a trap. Her knife was ready, waiting to lash out at anyone who would attempt to attack her in such a state. Luckily it seemed no one noticed yet. She glared down at her pinned, broken leg. It had be a territory scuffle. Of corse the offending gang was no match for the radio demon, the fools!

She looked off at Alastor’s massive, monstrous form grabbing sinners and eating them in one bite. “Oh you’re going to get indigestion again.” She sighed. Well he seems happy at least. She turned back to look at her pinned and broken leg.

Her ears flicked as a sinner ran up on her gun drawn. She panicked turning her head quickly. He was there in a flash. A twisted black tendril stabbing through the sinner. Blood spraying her face. She wrinkled her nose. He was there, moving through shadow to her side at his normal height, and form now.

“Oh dear. Kitty….” He said looking at her pinned. She did indeed look like a fox in a snap trap. She was baring her fangs in annoyance. He quickly used his tendrils to move the rubble freeing her. “It’s broken…” he said eyes seeing her mangled leg. He didn’t say more than that. Before she knew it she was scooped up into his arms, and being walked off the battlefield.

It was a victory for them, despite her injury. Fire burned behind him in the distance. “Nothing a little magic shouldn’t patch up just fine, let’s get you home.” He said smiling down at her.

“I’m sorry I failed.” She said bitterly.

“Yes because you could predict a building collapsing on you” he said rolling his eyes, “don’t beat yourself up” she always did this.

“Yes…I know but I should have been faster.” She frowned

He sighed lightly “kitty, it’s fine. I’m just glad you aren’t more hurt dear.”

Ah, there it was the adrenaline was wearing off and now there was blinding pain. She grit her teeth sharply and tried her best to bare with it, as he carried her back to the radio tower.

The doctor was in

[solarsonicsoda]

Rebbie's Wrestling Show Reviews - RevPro: Live in Southampton 29 (1/4/2024)

April Fool’s Day, Bank Holiday Monday, and RevPro Live in Southampton 29! It was a big day on 1st April 2024. Me and my dad made our way down to The 1865 for an evening of wrestling greatness just 24 hours after Revolution Rumble 2024, where Luke Jacobs would win the titular match! Before the show, we perused the merch tables which had quite a lot to choose from! I ended up picking up a signed print from the Grizzled Young Veterans. I’m a big fan of GYV, as well as a fellow Liverpool FC fan, so I simply had to. Shook their hands and they recognised us from roughly 30 minutes before when we had both been in the same Forbidden Planet shop looking around. My dad actually had to point them out to me after I walked straight past them somehow. I was also able to get a photo with them, which was awesome. Lovely blokes! We then stood back and got ready for the show.

As Francesca kicked things off, David Francisco got on the mic to express his frustrations. He’s sick and tired of being a Contender, essentially a trainee of RevPro, a position he has held for well over 2 years. He takes off his Contenders shirt, revealing his Chaotic Neutral tee, and says he’s stepping away from being a Contender whether management likes it or not. The crowd are absolutely chuffed to hear this, and he gets a great reaction. As he storms out, he runs into the Contender he beat for a spot in the Rumble, Joshua James.

Gabe Kidd def. Joshua James in 10:14

Fun smacking scrap, with a whole lot of chanting to start. Great sport for Josh James! This one had lots of wild chops and slaps, and was a pretty good slugfest! Kidd gets the win after a good showing by James, the big man being put away by a Kidd piledriver. It would take “War Ready” two attempts though, with his knee buckling on the first. Kidd won, but James was the one who left under his own power, and Kidd appeared to respect him for his effort.

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Oskar Leube vs. Mike D Vecchio ended in a double countout in 9:55

Absolutely wild big man clash from two monsters! Leube is a exciting big man and Vecchio impressed me greatly in my first exposure to him. The “Belgian War Machine” is absolutely massive, his shoulders are about as wide as he is tall, and the things he does despite such a superstar look were incredible. The speed with which both men hit the ropes was insane, and Vecchio hit flips and the like it was nothing. All his offense was off the chain, leaping halfway across the ring and chopping like he wanted to go through Leube. Despite a small slow period in the middle, this one was electric and it’s a shame it ended how it did. Both men obliged the fans though and kept fighting until RevPro officials tore them apart. I want to see these two go at it again.

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Robbie X def. Aigle Blanc in 15:56

Cruiserweight clash! This one took a small amount of time to grow on me, but by the end this one was an awesome time. Just two great high-flyers giving it their all for the Southampton faithful. It was frenetic, it was fast, and it was a good time for all. A Canadian Destroyer followed by an X-Clamation get the win for Robbie X.

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Luke Jacobs def. Shigehiro Irie in 13:12

One more match before the break and it’s a big one! The number one contender to the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship takes on “Beast Mode”. This one didn’t quite live up to my loftiest of hopes, but it was a pretty good big man clash in the end. Lots of meaty chops, big power moves, and even a stark reminder from Irie to “never give up”! We were sure to “Get Shiggy with it” as we chanted, but Jacobs would get the win in the end by making Irie tap-out to the crossface. I guess sometimes you need to give up…

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

With that, it was time for intermission. We took this one easy and eagerly awaited the second half.

Anthony Ogogo def. Sha Samuels in 11:17

The Guv’nor is here whether we like it or not to take on the East End Bookie. This was a decent match of beloved babyface against hated heel, but it all came to an end when Ogogo hit that devastating right hand. Bosh.

3 STARS OUT OF 5

Ogogo got on the mic here to berate the crowd and laud over us all his accomplishments in RevPro, such as defeating RKJ and Samuels, as well as eliminating Oku from the Rumble. He wants the RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship, and tells Oku and his “Irish slag” Amira to listen up and give him the match. That’s not very nice. But Oku’s not at home! Here comes the champ, and he tells Ogogo to watch his mouth, reminding him that the last time he made a feud about nationality, he “accidentally made Cody Rhodes solve racism”. Huge pop for that one! Oku says if he wants a match he has it, and that they can do it right now. They brawl in the ring but a right hand knocks Oku out cold. Could the champion be in trouble?

Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson & James Drake) (c) def. Sunshine Machine (Chuck Mambo & TK Cooper) for the RevPro Undisputed British Tag Team Championships in 16:49

The new champs are here to take on the ever-popular Sunshine Machine! Some words are exchanged and once we made an acceptable amount of noise, the GYV decided to oblige us all and put the titles on the line! This was a good fun tag clash between two of the UK’s best teams. Mambo’s mastery of the ropes was on full display, as was the lethal speed of Drake and his flying dropkicks. It’s back and forth, with both teams looking to be victorious on occasions until Mambo is planted with a Doomsday Device and a double Ticket to Ride facebreaker for the win. Grit your teeth.

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Post match, GYV offer a handshake which a frustrated Sunshine Machine weakly accept. They aren’t happy. Francesca heads into the ring to ask them what’s next for them. Mambo is still pretty out of it, so TK Cooper gives his answer. He sarcastically thanks Francesca for rubbing it in with her question, saying he hasn’t seen her do this anywhere else on the show. Another big pop in the promos here, we loved that. Cooper says they never win in Southampton (they have technically won 2 out of 7 here but shhhhh, one was an elimination 8-man tag though). He concludes they need to go back to the drawing board somewhat, and they take their leave.

Josh Alexander def. JJ Gale in 18:31

It’s the hometown boy versus the international star from Canada. Loud chants of “He’s one of our own” to kick things off. This was a pretty good clash between two top draw wrestlers. Gale gave his absolute all to put away the more experienced Alexander, hitting multiple dives and a whole bunch of his signature offense, but he’s never able to connect with that Gale Force. Alexander himself dishes out all sorts of punishment like rolling German suplexes, an ankle lock, and a powerbomb onto the knee, but Gale weathered through it all. When the straps come down and that brutal C4 Spike is hit by Alexander though, that’s all she wrote for Gale. 

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Final Thoughts After JJ Gale takes his moment main-eventing in his hometown, Francesca is here to say goodbye. We all join in to help along with the website name as the show comes to an end! Overall, it was a pretty fun show with some solid storyline advancement, and it maybe just needed a truly great match to reach the top tiers! Lovely stuff! I think for me this one has to be 3.5 STARS OUT OF 5 for me