#I am a goddamn unicorn

[spaceshipkat]

yknow what we’re all sitting on? the fact that Bucky sent at least one (1) letter to Buck—when he asked him to bring that unicorn in the box to the sergeant in that Greenland bar

editing to add i wrote a whopping 25k fic about this and you can read it here

[patheticpat]

So uh, because I use a teleportation network to get around my world now, I don't really get a good grasp on how much the hallow or corruption spreads in my world Well turns out that not only has the fucking Hallow been knocking on my fucking door; motherfucker has let itself in!

[guess-my-next-obsession]

25 w joel!!

The Third Date

pairing: pre-outbreak!joel miller x f!reader

rating: E (18+ ONLY, minimal plot, cunnilingus bc obviously, unprotected piv, joel talks you through it, rough-ish sex, creamp!e, soft fluffy joel bc daddy, i love him)

wc: 2.6k

prompt: 25. “Does that feel good?”

joel masterlist

The summer breeze offered just a bit of respite from the Texas heat, even though the sun had long gone down. You had a stuffed animal tucked under your arm, something bright pink and unicorn-adjacent, though you couldn’t be sure. He won it for you at the county fair, the location of your third date that somehow managed to top the first two. You had no intention of keeping it for yourself, it was much too big and ostentatious for your taste, but you thought it would make a nice gift for Joel’s six-year old daughter.

Walking up the pathway to your apartment, Joel’s hand clasped with yours, you began to feel a thrilling rustle of excitement and anticipation in your stomach. He’d been a gentleman so far, keeping his kisses tame and not letting his hands wander too far, but this was the third date, after all. You couldn’t help but pray he’d finally accept your invitation to come inside your place tonight.

“So,” he started, a shy smile on his face as you faced each other in front of your door. “I had a really good time tonight.”

“Me too.” You smiled back just as smitten. “I know you mentioned wanting to wait, but…if you wanted, you could come inside.”

Joel seemed to study you for a moment, his smile growing wider as he admired the sparkle in your eye. He’d been wanting to follow you inside since your first date, but given that he wanted something serious to come from this, he figured the smartest thing to do would be to wait for the right moment. And right now seemed as right as ever, though he did feel a little embarrassed to only make it three dates before giving in to his need for you.

“I’d love to,” he replied, reaching to cup your jaw. You closed your eyes as he leaned in to press his lips against yours, soft and sweet, just like all the other times, but soon it grew hungrier. He moaned against your lips as your fingers curled over the leather of his belt, tugging him closer. “Maybe we should take this inside, darlin’.”

“Yeah,” you panted, nodding as you scrambled through your bag to find your keys. Unlocking your door and stepping inside, Joel plucked the stuffed animal from underneath your arm and set it down on the carpet before quickly finding your hips and walking you backwards into your living room. “Wait—“ you giggled as you fell back against the plush cushions. “Shut and lock the door.”

“Oh, right,” he chuckled and blushed at his eagerness, the front door still wide open. He walked over to it and shut it, locking the doorknob and closing the deadbolt for extra measure. When he turned back to you, he was still flushed. “Got ahead of myself there.”

“That’s okay,” you assured in a purr, curling your finger at him to beckon him close again. “I like it when you get ahead of yourself.”

“Oh yeah?” he grinned and strutted towards you until he was leaning over the couch, his lips ghosting over yours. “You look so goddamn beautiful sittin’ here, you know that?”

“Why don’t you show me just how beautiful you think I am…with these?” You laced your fingers with his and and squeezed.

“Do I have permission to use more than just my hands?” he purred as he pulled you up onto your feet, his hands leaving yours so that he could hold the small of your back while yours rested on his chest.

“Depends, I think I need a sample first,” you purred back with a smirk. Tipping your head towards the hallway, you whispered, “Bedroom’s that way.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Joel never let go of you as he walked you backwards down the hall, his lips slowly and carefully working yours until you were sure if you tried to speak, the only thing that would come out was a string of incoherent squeaks.

“This one?” Joel asked as you arrived at your closed bathroom door, and you were forced to test your theory.

“No,” you managed, pointing behind him at the other closed door. “That—it’s that one.”

“You nervous?” he asked, his face shifting from one of amusement to concern. You quickly shook your head and reached your hand to his face.

“No,” you found your vocal footing. “Well, I mean as nervous as anyone would be before they took a beautiful man like you to bed.” Joel blushed. “You just…make me dizzy, that’s all.”

“I make you dizzy?” he asked as though it was an unheard of thought. “Baby—“ He grabbed your hand and lowered it to his thumping heart. “You’re making me dizzy.”

“Joel,” you exhaled. “Open the door.”

Joel nodded, a look of stunned reverence on his face as he scrambled to reach behind him for the doorknob, fumbling with it until it turned and opened the door. You stumbled inside, your hands gripping onto his shirt while his lifted the skirt of your dress, your teeth clashing as he kissed you breathless, neither of you caring about how sloppy it was.

“Take your clothes off,” you ordered as you lifted your dress over your head. Joel was quick to obey your command, tugging his t-shirt over his head before peeling his jeans off. You crawled onto your bed and sat on your knees in the middle of it, a smile on your face as he took you in. Joel ticked his jaw and chuckled as he crawled onto the mattress to join you, his warm palms resting on your waist as he guided you back against the pillows.

“You’re fuckin’—“ He shook his head as he hovered above you, his eyes taking over your entire form. “Breathtakin’, baby.”

“You’re not too bad yourself,” you grinned.

“Oh, yeah right. You’re just sayin’ that.”

“No—“ You reached for his hand, lowering it until his fingertips rested on your clothed mound, allowing him to feel your dampness. “That’s what you do to me.”

“Fuck,” he exhaled and leaned down to kiss you again, deep and slow and hungry. “I’m gonna make you feel so good, baby.”

You didn’t doubt his promise, the look in his eyes alone lighting you up in ways every other lover never seemed to master.

His lips traveled down the slopes and curves of your body, stopping at the cups of your bra to knead your breasts in his hands. His fingers slipped the straps down your shoulders before he reached beneath you to undo the clasp, the lace slowly unveiling your pert nipples to him for the first time. He sucked in sharply and looked up at you as though he was seeing god.

“Perfect.”

Your back arched as he swirled his tongue around the sensitive bud before sucking it into his mouth, his hand snaking down your belly and back to the damp spot on your lacy panties.

“God,” you moaned, your eyes screwing shut as he rubbed perfectly pressured circles against your clit, the lace adding a beautiful bit of friction that had you keening for more.

“Does that feel good?” he rasped as he kissed his way to your other breast. You nodded quickly and lowered your eyes to meet his, your breath hitching at the look of lust blowing out his already dark eyes. “Good. I’m just gettin’ started with you.”

“Fuck,” you whined, already nearly fucked-out and he’d hardly even touched you.

Joel’s lips moved lower, pressing sloppy, open mouthed kisses to your stomach and over your navel until he was kissing the waistband of your panties. Moving lower, he ran his nose up and down your clothes slit, an animalistic groan vibrating against your core.

“Smells so sweet, baby,” he praised in a rasp. “Can I taste you?”

“Please,” you urged, combing his dark hair back as he hooked his fingers in the waistband of your panties and tugged them off you. When he returned to his spot between your legs, he pressed kisses onto the sensitive skin of your thighs, urging them to fall open for him. When you finally worked up the courage to spread yourself wide for him, Joel took a look at your soaked pussy and nearly drooled, his eyes wild as they lifted from your heat to your eyes.

“I’m gonna stay down here forever, baby, so damn pretty.” You were about to respond to his praise but he cut you off with a broad lick from your dripping entrance up to your clit, punctuating it with a swirl of his tongue. Your back arched off the bed and your hands found the headboard, pressing on them to find purchase so you didn’t float off into heaven. “Tastes so fuckin’ good, too, baby. You’re just a fuckin’ dream, ain’t ya?”

“Joel,” you nearly cried, so consumed by him and the filth leaving his tongue that you didn’t even care how desperate you sounded. Joel didn’t seem to mind, either, his tongue returning to your folds to pull more pretty sounds from you. “You feel—fuck—you feel so good.”

He hummed against you and you could feel his smile as he lapped at you. You didn’t dare look down at him, knowing that if you did, you’d never be able to look at anything else ever again. The man between your legs was quickly earning his spot as your idol, beating out any god that would dare smite you for it.

“So fuckin’—“ he mumbled into your pussy, the last few words turning into nothing but hums against your clit as he sucked it into his mouth. You were already there, free-falling over the cliffs of bliss, but when he pressed two fingers deep into your cunt and curled up, you swore you died and went to heaven, but that couldn’t be—not for someone so gladly taking part in sin like this. “There you go,” he praised, pulling back enough to watch you writhe, your cunt pulsing around his fingers. “So good for me, baby.”

“Joel, please,” you mewled, grabbing at him to pull him back to you. You needed to ground yourself under the weight of his body, to feel his warmth and remember that you were here, and so was he. Joel obliged, climbing back up your body until he was resting on top of you, hugging you close. “Let me taste you.”

“Not tonight, baby,” he whispered in your ear. “Just wanna make you feel good.”

“You’re…perfect,” you sighed and he chuckled, pulling one out of you in turn. He propped himself up on his elbows and stroked your hair back, grinning down at you.

“I like you a lot,” he confessed, his eyes as tender as his voice.

“I like you a lot, too,” you smiled back. “But right now, I want you fuck me like you can’t stand me.”

“Oh yeah?” he chuckled before leaning in to kiss your pulse. “You want it rough, baby?”

“Mmhm,” you hummed in response and nodded.

“Turn over for me,” he ordered. “All fours.”

You wasted no time in obeying, your body scrambling into your knees as soon as he lifted himself off you. Pressing your face and chest down, you arched your ass up as high as you could, turning your head so that you could catch a glimpse of him from over your shoulder as he lined himself up behind you.

“I don’t have a condom,” he warned. “But I got tested a few weeks back and I’m clean.”

“Me too, and I’m on birth control.” He nodded and leaned down to press a kiss to the globe of your ass. Shaking it for him, he cooed in delight at the sight. “Hurry up back there, I’m getting needy.”

“Yes, ma’am.” You could hear the grin on his face. “I like it when you boss me around.”

“Good, so do I.” You chuckled for a moment, but were cut off by the blunt head of his cock pressing into your entrance, sliding all the way in in one quick thrust. You gasped and gripped the pillows beneath you as he kept himself buried completely in your heat for a moment, his own breath ragged as he waited for you to acclimate to his girth. “So fucking big, Joel.”

“Baby, I ain’t gonna last long,” he warned, wrecked and trembling already. “Rub that pretty clit for me while I fuck you, can you do that?”

Nodding your head, you reached beneath you to start rubbing circles against your swollen and sensitive bud while he withdrew his cock all the way before shoving back in, the head of hit prodding against your g-spot.

“Fuck, baby,” you moaned, eyes squeezing shut as he set a brutal pace, his cock pistoning in and out of you just like you asked for. You knew you were going to be sore in the morning but none of that mattered now, not with the searing hot pleasure of ecstasy building again. When his hand came cracking down upon your ass, you gasped, but any worry you may have caused Joel was quickly dispelled by the twitching of your walls around him.

“You like that, don’t ya?” he teased in a purr, bringing his hand down to spank the other cheek, your pussy pulsing for him again. “God,” he choked on the word. “Such a dirty fuckin’ girl for me, ain’t ya?”

“Yes!” you cried, your fingers now working your clit fast, your toes curling as your orgasm threatened to wreck you for good. “Joel, I’m—“

“Go on, baby,” he urged. “Soak my cock.”

You fell flat onto the bed as your orgasm hit, but Joel followed you, his brutal thrusts never ceasing as you came for him with a cry of his name so loud you were concerned the neighbors would call the police.

“Fuck!” he moaned loud enough for them to hear, too. “I’m gonna cum, baby. Where do you want me?”

“My pussy,” you managed, still reeling from your high. “Cum inside my pussy.”

“Jesus,” Joel groaned, feral like a wild animal and pressed deep inside you, so deep that you could feel him in your stomach as his cock swelled and twitched with his release. His chest heaved against your back as he laid over your limp form, pressing kisses to your shoulders. “Fuck.”

“Talk about a good third date,” you sighed, content and sated. Joel laughed and nodded as he rested his head against your shoulder, carefully and slowly pulling out of you with a hiss before rolling over onto his back.

“I probably should’ve asked earlier, but…can I stay the night with you?” he asked, drawing hearts on the heated skin of your back. You turned your head to the other side to face him and grinned.

“What about Sarah?”

“She’s at my mom’s,” he assured.

“In that case, yes. I would love it if you stayed the night.” He grinned and beckoned you into his side and you nestled in there, resting your head on his chest and taking your turn drawing your name on his skin. “Besides, that gives me the chance to finally suck your dick like I’ve been dreaming about.”

“God, baby,” he groaned and rolled you onto your back, resting himself between your thighs as he pecked every inch of your face. “How am I gonna ever leave this bed?”

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[fungifanart]

Trey: Hello there, we’re here to collect your wish if you’d be so kind.

Random student: Why should I? I’m way too old to do childish stuff like wishing on a star or whatever.

MC, standing next to Trey: Do it or else I’ll rip your goddamn ears off. How’s that for an incentive?

Student: Yeah? And who the hell are you? You’re not dressed like a Stargazer so why’d you think you can just jump in on this conversation?

MC: I’m the guy who’s gonna cut your dick off and glue it to your forehead so you look like a limpdick unicorn if you don’t make with the wishing. That’s who the fuck I am.

Trey: Ok. Jesus.

[takemebythehand-andsetmefree]

Here is a real quick projection onto Buck’s current live life. (And what I want from season 8????)

Quick background on myself, I am bisexual polyamorous, and non-binary. About two years ago I decided to finally step out of my comfort zone and start dating/hooking up with people for really the first time. I opened myself up to couples, other poly people, and basically anyone who would’ve be a fucking creep, but there is one situation I found myself in a few times that really stood out to me- being a third for a couple.

Now a lot of people DO NOT want to be a third/unicorn but I honestly really enjoyed it. I liked joining in on an existing dynamic, whatever that entailed. It also taught me how to read couples better.

Being a third (FOR SEX) is hard because you have to have some acceptance of the fact that you are essentially being used by the couple for their own satisfaction (if it’s a relationship dynamic you’re looking for it’s WAY different).

The reason I bring this up is because Im getting STRONG vibes that Tommy could be putting himself in the “third” situation right now. I feel like he’s been around Eddie enough to recognize the repression and compulsory heterosexuality (coming from Gerard’s 118, and the army) and then he recognized the longing for love in Buck.

I THINK that MAYBE if ABC is willing to go down this path, we could get a conversation with Buck and Tommy along the lines of “I know that you don’t love me that way. I know you’re working through shit, but Im going to Love You Anyway.” “I care about you enough as a person to help you through this journey, and while I might not be your endgame, Im what you are ready for right now, what you need right now, and Im okay being that.”

The idea that a relationship isn’t endgame isn’t something that most people are comfortable with, and I do know that Gay men characters are used for plot progression often, but I don’t think we see a lot of characters that are aware that this is their purpose, and OKAY with it.

I would love to see Tommy having seen both sides of Buddie, know that they are BOTH not ready, and deciding that maybe it’s okay. He can give Buck what he needs- his first boyfriend, someone to show him that love exists in a non toxic way, and someone to talk to, while getting what he needs in return- a boyfriend, a pseudo family at the 118, and someone to talk to.

And Eddie just needs a goddamn break and ALOT of therapy. So like, he isn’t ready for endgame either.

[unpretty]

I am absolutely living for the vibe talk and wondered if we could get a vibe tour or smth? Or just your absolute faves bc your reviews are really honest and fun!

yeah sure let's discuss various toys, not including my many bellesa toys previously mentioned

thoa, son of clithulu, by fantasticocks! i got a pre-set color because they were on sale but by default they do customs. i know i said internal doesn't do it for me but like. i still like it. it's just not going to get me there, is all. basically everything else by fantasticocks is too big for me. i am a delicate flower. i have not yet tested using it with a harness but i feel like it would work. they also have tentacle dick packers if that's relevant to your interests. i still want to find a cute box or chest to keep it in where it won't get linty and weird and i am accepting suggestions.

the luvli ditto 2 is a piece of shit. i'm so mad about this one. the idea is that you can wear it during sex, because the internal part is thin enough to fit a dick next to. what it actually does is fall out and do jack shit. this is one of the more expensive toys i've bought in my life and has sucked the worst. absolute loathing.

RIP the lelo nea 2. the buttons are a pain in the ass but it was cute, quiet, and discreet. until i fell asleep and didn't realize when i woke up that it was sandwiched firmly between my thighs. twice. and it ended up in the toilet because i was sleepy and had to pee. i cannot possibly justify buying it a third time but maybe if your labes are less powerful you will not have my idiot problem.

the lelo gigi 2. got this in a sale bundle with the nea and figured maybe i'd finally find something resembling a g-spot that would do it for me. i didn't.

the picobong remoji. for some reason when i bought that nea+gigi bundle from nea it included this for free. it has an app. i tried it once and it sucked. i don't think my girlfriend could use it long distance even if i wanted her to. i think all the app did was make it vibe to music, which is a lot like those weird vibe pattern settings i never use but worse. absolutely bizarre.

for a long time this extremely generic glass dildo, available wherever cheap glass dildos are sold, was my only dildo. because i was fucking broke and glass was the only thing i could buy that cheap that i trusted. if it says it's bodysafe silicone and it's only twelve dollars it's lying. also i wanted something as easy as possible to sterilize in case of butt stuff. anyway i still have it, it gets the job done if you want to pretend you're fucking someone with an inhumanly hard dick. perhaps some kind of living statue, or gargoyle. hypothetically.

this isn't the exact rabbit that i snapped in half in high school but it's close enough. i have never bought another.

the tokidoki x lovehoney unicorno magic wand. it's just a regular magic wand with a unicorn head on it. you can actually remove the unicorn head to make it a regular magic wand but i don't. it turns out the presence of the ear is vital for me and otherwise i would find it useless. it's too goddamn big. it's the size of a small car. i'm still mad i didn't get the scene kid looking one in black. this one's been my daily driver since the nea broke. can't run out of batteries if you have to plug it into the wall!

[whencartoonsruletheworld]

i feel like we’re finally at the age of information transparency on the internet that studio head execs are showing their own asses in an unprecendented way. like we all knew they were bigoted old farts who hate minorities and animation as a medium BUT now we have the entire hbo max tobacle, and that’s only the most obvious.

recently two tv shows for wings of fire and phoebe and her unicorn were cancelled– the first because of netflix budget cuts and the second because “nobody wants to watch a female-led show.” as for the latter, that’s so obviously not true that it’s laughable, what with basically every disney animated show being female-led and extremely popular incl. owl house and amphibia, legend of korra being revered rightfully for its badass queer woc main, the female-led infinity train seasons being just as popular as the male-led, my little pony getting a terrifying number of fans... i don’t even have to explain this to y’all i don’t know why i am, it’s just obvious that isn’t the case. the reason i lumped it in with wings of fire though is it shows that these execs literally have their heads so far up their own asses they don’t realize that they’re literally throwing away money. both wings of fire and phoebe are EXTREMELY popular with their target demographic– i work at a library and go to bookstores like, once a week, and wings of fire is THE kids’ series right now– every library and bookstore has a dedicated shelf just for it, every kid in the us and canada reads these gay lil dragon books. i don’t know much about phoebe but i do know that i have to shelf her graphic novels every goddamn day so they’re getting checked out constantly. making these shows would give these studios an immediate HUGE audience but they don’t want it because.......... ???? honestly the only thing i can think of is bias against animation, but also i do know that while WoF is very cishet in the first few books, later books add quite a few queer dragons and that could def be a reason. 

netflix also recently told craig mccracken, creator of some of the most beloved kids shows of the 2000s, that “original content doesn’t sell anymore” and they need to do reboots and remakes instead. which is funny coming from the company that made stranger things which, while nostalgia-bait for the 80s, is an original fucking story. also the owl house and amphibia are disney’s top shows rn. the most popular kids movie right now is encanto, a completely original story. and that’s just in KIDS MEDIA, do i need to bring up the popularity around everything everywhere all at once, squid game, the knives out franchise, etc? we’re in an age of remakes and reboots yeah but original stories can still make money and gain fans if you make a good fucking product. but netflix doesn’t care about that, as evidenced by how fast they cancelled first kill and also every other show that was good.

and idk what it is but something about the state of the internet right now means that we’re all seeing this in a way we hadn’t before. we’re all seeing how fucking dumb these execs are– well, dumb or actively malicious. or even trying to commit corporate suicide for some reason. it’s just interesting to me that all this is happening now when in the past we were just kinda like. stuck with whatever we got

[littleragondin]

2023 Recap - Songs from (QL) Dramas

I've been tagged by @troubled-mind to make a list of my favorites songs from this year's QL dramas (thank you so much 💕) and of course I can't resist. I liked a lot of music from shows this year, which is great but made the selection harder so it will be a little long, I hope you'll forgive me.

OST I've been milking in full

I don't very often go through full OST unless someone does a background music playlist i can put on (Like this one for La Pluie by troubled-mind, and this one for To Sir, With Love for example) but two stood out for me this year.

My School President OST - I knew in advance I would enjoy a musical show, and I have to say I was NOT disappointed. My favorite though is ฟัง by Fourth, Ford, Satang, Winny, and the fantastic Pijika Jittaputta. Have a go at the original too!

Unintentional Love Story OST - This one came late this year for me, but i have been listening to the whole thing again and again. My favorite is Beautiful Day by Cha Seowon. I really enjoy his voice a LOT, and I'm weak for a nice, so soft it's even a little mushy love ballad.

With those two out of the way, let's go through the list country by country I think.

From Thailand 🇹🇭

ลางสังหรณ์ by Teng Tachaya from The Sign

This one is just a banger! It literally rocks, and I keep belting out the chorus every single time i listen to it. I love everything about it, even the spoken words. Also, not music related, but that costume!!

เงา by Lazyloxy from Shadow

I like Lazyloxy's voice a lot, as well as the rhythm/bass line (?) during the verses. There is an edge in that song that fits the show very well, too.

พรุ่งนี้ by Ford Arun from Moonlight Chicken

Ford's voice, do I need to say more? Tbh I got a little teary the first (ten) time(s) I listen to it.This ballad is so very touching, it's gentle and hopeful, I can never tire of it.

Honorable mentions >

รักคุณยิ่งกว่าใคร by NuNew's cover of Got Jakraphan from Cutie Pie 2. I loved this one so much I got myself a video editor so I could post it there. Only honorable because it's a cover, but it got me into luk thung so it deserves to be here.

เพลง รักนี้มากับดวง by Bmine & Near from Lucky My Love. This one is just because it's goddamn cute, sweet and peppy, and it makes me smile and bop my head. Sometimes I don't ask for more.

From Japan 🇯🇵

U&I by Hi-Fi Unicorn from Kimi ni wa todokanai

It's just a perfectly crafted pop song imo. It's cute, fresh and lively, fitting the show perfectly too. Since it came out, you can catch me humming "kimi ni waaa todokanai hmm hmm hmm" all day, every day, so it deserves its place on the list!

Yoruwazura by osage feat Ishino Riko from Kimi to nara koi wo shite mite mo

This one got me the second Ishino Riko started singing. The harmonies between the two are SO good! I really like the guitar in this one, and the little claps in the background. It's also really easy to hum so it stays with me a lot.

Bitter by Royce from Utsukushii Kare season 2

The contrast between the energy of the melody and the nearly bored sound of the voice (the singer sounds like their mouth does not open fully) works reaaally well for me. It's catchy and fun, and well, the lyrics are just so perfectly Hira...

ふたたび Futatabi by HIROBA & Otsuka Ai from Bokura no micro na shuumatsu

I was very surprised when I saw it was a feat with Otsuka Ai (who I only knew for her sugary pop in early 2000). The melancholy of the lyrics and the melody are beautiful, I am a huge fan of the way their voices mesh together, and I can't resist a piano + violins combo like that.

Honorable mention > Go Sign by Billy Laurent from Ameiro Paradox. The little piano, the rhythm, that chorus, it makes me shake my ass every single time.

From Taiwan 🇹🇼

'痛苦擁抱 (Painful Hug) by Ozone from Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

(I won't hear anything about technicality and it being a QL show or not =3) Had not realized it was from a boy group before checking the clip for this list. I like the way the melody rises for the chorus, their voices are pleasant, and it carries both power and some sort of melancholy that reminds me very much of Pu Yiyong.

Honorable mention > Come With Me by K6 from Marry My Dead Body. The whole OST of that movie is great, but I somehow got completely obsessed by this one from the gym scene at the start. It also features Austin Lin (I think as backup on the chorus).

From Korea 🇰🇷

IoU by UTOPI from The New Employee

It's a sweet, simple one that never fails to put me in a good mood, and sometimes that's enough to listen to a song non stop over months =3

Natural by Young K from A Breeze of Love

This one is also sunny, light and joyful. I like the guitars and I am especially fond of Young K's voice - it got me looking into him which I do not regret. A nice little surprise for the end of the year.

Thank you if you made it all the way through it, otherwise...

Tl;dr you can find all songs under this playlist (´꒳`)♡

i'm not sure who would have fun doing this, maybe @iguessitsjustme if you fancy it? Anyone who see this and want to do it, please tag me so I can have a look at your faves! <3

[raayllum]

puzzle house thoughts

Kpp'Ar "mysteriously disappeared" and now we know exactly how (thanks Viren)

There's a card game you can play with cards based after the six primal sources, it seems

Claudia (here) and Ezran (1x02) figuring out Kpp'Ar's puzzle stone doors

THRERE'S SOMETHING CALLED DARK LIGHT THAT'S LIGHT YOU CAN'T SEE AAH

moving hallways <3

Claudia (here) and Rayla (BH) having to adjust to abandonment/absence of multiple figures. Claudia leaving disaster wherever she goes...

"If he left a surprise for us... maybe he left a note or a letter too" just stab me and it'd hurt less

He really was a grandfather figure to them i Hate it here

solutions and puzzles and traps they're getting me real good about that goddamn cube thematically i'm so mad

"i'm... alive?" "yup, thanks to magic!" and here it begins

getting really strong long suffering big brother soren vibes

"But none of this is magic. It's just statues and machines"

claudia apologizing to the statue unicorn and giving its horn back Killed Me

"It wouldn't have smooshed you. It was a spike trap. It would have just stabbed you" [whispers softly] don't

NOT BABY CALLUM TALKING ABOUT HIS BIO DAD

"Nothing makes sense." "Oh. Yeah. I... I know how that feels. Um, you know, wh-when I lost my Dad, it was hard. I didn't... I don't want to think about it, but my Mom said that we have to grieve. That we should remember everything we love about the people we've lost. Keep them here" [hand over heart] "Not try to hide from it. It's okay to be sad."

Callum intentionally giving Claudia ideas in the library and not understanding her takeaways is now 2/2

Everyone who was like "dark mages would never baselessly steal and imprison sapient / sentient 'magical creatures' for dark mage uses" owes me like, a thousand dollars

"I thought I knew who he was. And then he disappeared" / "But I'm not evil. It's me. You know me"

NOT CLAUDIA IMMEDIATELY THINKING ABOUT THE GIANT'S FAMILY i hate it here

"Your heart is not darkened [...] I see sadness in you"

"Everyone is acting so weird! And wrong! And everything is broken! Soren was sick, and then Kpp'Ar disappeared, and then Soren got better but then Mom and Dad started arguing and then mom - she - she left."

"You will find a way. Like river through rock."

"Kpp'Ar wanted key for seeing. [I] am no key. I was keeper of the scroll. Is no key. [...] Maybe what broke [Kpp'Ar]. Puzzle [he] could not solve. Secret of the scroll is hidden in plain sight."

NOT THE SNAKE BRACELET BEING A GIFT FROM KPP'AR AND SOMETHING CLAUDIA USES TO UNDO CHAINS. AAAH

"I've been messing things up, and everyone's angry at me. What if they're right? What if I'm... not good?" "Most humans think I'm a monster. You help. You see me as person. Your heart? It will see."

"Find me again someday, Claudia. In a place less... dark."

"I just don't know what do with all this" feelings. inheritance callum vibes

"But I'll always be here for you, Claudia. I promise you that." "Thanks Dad. I'll be here, too."

[tassodelmiele]

Noisy little mess

Hi cuties, i'll leave this here for your entertainment.

A little fic i've written just for fun, i don't even know if i'm gonna make it longer or leave it as a one-shot experiment.

Hope you enjoy!

And hope my english is not a mess too

DISCLAIMERS: ReaderxGhost, smut (not so much, but we have masturbation and a little bit of anal fingering, dunno if you may like, but really it's just a hint), dirty talking, chocolate for breakfast, little bit of moans, dom, gym rat character (yes i can't live without weights).

..............................................................................................................................

I believe Simon is that kinda man who starts with the rough way, being the "bad policeman".

At first he doesn't trust you.

Obviously.

You get acquainted, begin to talk more often, share moments together: he drinks his coffee for breakfast, complaining about the lack of tea at the base, while you spend twenty minutes backing your cocoa oatmeal with chocolate on top. He glares at you like you're some sort of stupid child, but eventually he helps you reach the top shelf where someone put your goddamn honey (white sugar is for the weak), since you're a gnome.

And the two of you start to talk. Well, at first you exchange brief comments and monosyllabic answers.

Than some curiosities escape through your lips: about what the hell are you doing at the base (you've appeared from nowhere all of a sudden), why you've chosen the military life (since you really do look like a little happy garden gnome); why he's wearing the scariest of the mask you've ever seen (he won't answer to this, though); why you and Jhonny keep on exchanging slaps on the butt (someone have lost a bet).

The day he'd spotted you make your kinda breakfast for Gaz too (he's got a sweet tooth), you'd ended up baking for the entire task force. And your chocolate get right to their hearts.

He keeps on looking at you with curiosity. Sometimes he thinks you're a little bit…dumb. He thinks it a lot: when you try to open the door with your elbow since you've got fresh nail polish and don't wanna ruin it (in a goddamn military base); when you daydream about where would you like to do a piercing, spending every pause from work looking at pinterest references. When he finds you eating breakfast at 5 am, or laying everywhere on the ground under the sun (he asked you about it, and you answered that you were doing photosynthesis). He does think you live in your magical world made of unicorns and chocolate.

Then he sees you at the gym, deadlifting a goddamn truck, pushing hell with your chest which seemed so little to him, carrying weights that the other rookies could only dream about.

You end every training drained from every bit of energy, doing whatever you have to even if some mornings you'd rather jump from an airplane; and every training finishes with a big smile toward your Lt., which seems so proud of you, a little gnome made out of bricks and chocolate.

He starts to trust you. You've never fought together on a mission, but he begins to look at you as a reliable human being. At least none of his comrades had died 'cause of your breakfast yet, you've never missed a meet, you finish your duties every day. 

The other guys from task force 141 seem to like you like some sort of stray kitten suddenly jumped at the base, treating you like a little one even if you're almost thirty. But it doesn't seem to annoy you, and your weird friendship with Soap and Gaz ends up doing "photosynthesis" together in the little garden spot under Price's office window.

Everything is cool, everything is nice…till something goes wrong.

And there you are, one particularly lonely night, in the precise month period in which you could fuck a light pole (thanking your incoming menstruations), with hormones filling you like a pie and almost dripping from your nose. 

There you are, closing your eyes, lying on the bed with your legs spread, thinking about whatever helps you finish your "necessary duty" as soon as fuck.

There you are, touching you like crazy, rubbing that poor clit of yours just to try gain some peace of mind.

You're usually silent: neither a breath nor a moan. But this time…this time it's too strong, you're too needy, your brain is melting under the pleasure and the smallest, tiniest whine escapes through your lips. 

<Was everything good last night?>

The next morning starts with this question, a large cup of coffee (you've slept like shit), your oatmeal and Ghost's eyes looking at you silently, inquiring, unreadable.

He waits for an answer, and your eyelid glitch.

Fuck

And you know he heard. 'Cause you know, there's no need to ask. 

<No> 

You surprise even yourself by being so honest. You're ready to make something up, even if he doesn't need to know why you weren't good. 

But he stay silent.

And you bury your face in the oatmeal.

The entire day was spent submerged in documents and bureaucracy, so gym had to be done after dinner. You don't feel at ease: even in your oversize jumpsuit it seems that every seam is made just to collide with your sensitive spot, that's still hurting from yesterday night. 

You go straight to the lat machine, charging all of the weight you can, trying to distract your fucked up brain. 

You do the first set: it's hard, but you can handle it.

You do the second: at the third rep, you barely manage to bring the weight midway to you. Your back is pulling at its limits, your eyes are squeezed, lungs are burning with the lack of oxygen…and, at your limit, you open your eyes, looking at the mirror in front of you.

Error 404

The reflection of Ghost, incredibly showing his arms muscles in a t-shirt which you've never thought could fit his wardrobe, hit you like a truck. It's not just the arms: it's the veins and tattoos, biceps and strength, it's whatever you'd like to bite and you know you'd let his hands smack your body like a pillow.

All of a sudden.

Just 'cause you do like big muscles.

Or just 'cause you're craving to be touched like a clown fish craves his fucking anemone.

Your arms get weak for one goddamn second: you lose the grip on the weight, and a terribly audible, almost hissed moan runs through the gym.

You bite your lips immediately. That moment will be remembered as one of the shittiest times in your life, and you're wondering if it's better pretending to be dead on the seat, or running away with nonchalance…when your back bumps into something.

You raise your eyes, and he's crouched behind you.

Thank god you're alone.

Thank god you're behaving better than last night.

Thank god you're still sitting on the lat machine, since you wouldn't be able to stand.

<Are you doing it on purpose?>

You shake your head, not daring to speak. You don't know what could get out of your mouth. 

His hands have reached your sweatpants in a blink of an eye, rough enough that you thought you had to say goodbye to the elastic band; he's slipped under your panties, making some sort of low groan as he feels on his gloves how wet you are.

And now he's sailing in your cunt in every direction, making you tremble like an idiot clinged on the machine.

<There's no use in being so fucking silent now. You should've think about it earlier>

He takes his hand off your panties, and for good measure he slaps on your pussy so hard you know it will grow a bruise.

You're swallowing hot air, letting your shoulders bump in small movements as your breath is scattered, fast, hissed through your teeth.

And his already wet hand reaches your mouth, stuffing it with your juices, pressing on your tongue and sliding so deep inside that your throat starts to twitch. Mouth gets wet, filling with saliva, and you desperately try to not choke with his fingers still inside.

But he's got other plans; and leaning so close to your ear that you can feel the texture of his mask, he orders:

<don't you dare swallow, sweetheart>

And you stay still. 

Because you're an idiot? Maybe. A masochist? You've never thought so, but apparently yes.

You stay still while your body jerks by himself on the seat, trying to concentrate on your heavy nose breathing. Saliva drools over your chin in sticky, wet wires, and he collects them on his thumb, pulling them back on your mouth.

<Good girl, so effective in following orders>

You don't even dare looking at the mirror in front of you. Your pussy is a lake, so wet your ass could slip on the panties.

He knows.

And the other hand of him suddenly runs again under your underwear, pressing where the sun doesn't shine, sliding one finger in that hole in such a fast motion that you can't help but cry.

It hurts

It does, but the mixture of pain and arousal is confusing you. Your brain is not working, eyes start to get wet and mouth is choked by your saliva and his fingers, and everything smells like cunt's juices.

He pushes his finger deeper, and you know he's looking at your face through the mirror, dear god. 

His mask brushes again on your ear, on your cheek.

<You're gonna take everything, aren't you? You're tightening your ass pussy around my fingers, cumming on me like the good kitty you are, mucking up my gloves with your stinky juices»

There's nothing really right: the hole isn't the right one, the place isn't the right one, his tone and his attitude are colliding so badly with the picture of him you've got in your mind. 

But somehow you're managing to not question things.

You just can't. You're fried, burned, a little knot of dirty mess and moans choked in your guts and dripping in wetness, all tied in his grip, in his harsh voice, in his rough fingers that are digging everywhere but where you're desperately needy.

And you can't take anymore of it.

It's like hearing yourself from outside when you speak, every words trembled and choked in your saliva that's totally overflowed on your chin:

<please…i…need…>

Your brain doesn't allow you to finish the sentence, and Ghost chuckles on this last spark of dignity you have.

<Speak up kitty> 

He lets another finger slide inside your ass, pushing roughly to make space.

<I can't hear you>

His fingers get out of your mouth, just to spank your pussy again, making you finally break a loud moan.

He grips your throat in his hands, squeezing till he feels every ring of your windpipe under his fingertips.

Then he lets go.

He releases your body all of a sudden, leaving you empty and throbbing, wet and still needy, almost choked by your own saliva. 

And he seems…satisfied, somehow. Satisfied just by your only, lonely moan, wringed out of you with so much diligence.

You, his noisy little mess.

..............................................................................................................................

[maretriarch]

Spike, take a note please. Ahem.

What the fuck did you just fucking say about me, you little bitch? I’ll have you know I graduated top of my class at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and I’ve been involved in numerous secret raids on the changeling kingdom, and I have over 300 confirmed spells. I am trained in pony warfare and I’m the best princess in the entirety of Equestria. You are nothing to me but just another target. I will wipe you the buck out with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on Equestria, mark my fucking words. You think you can get away with saying that shit to me over the Internet? Think again, fucker. As we speak I am contacting my secret network of friends across Equestria and your IP is being traced right now so you better prepare for the storm, maggot. The storm that wipes out the pathetic little thing you call your life. You’re fucking dead, foal. I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can kill you in over seven hundred ways, and that’s just with my bare hooves. Not only am I extensively trained in unhooved combat, but I have access to the entire arsenal of the Elements of Harmony and I will use it to its full extent to wipe your miserable ass off the face of the continent, you little shit. If only you could have known what unholy retribution your little “clever” comment was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your fucking tongue. But you couldn’t, you didn’t, and now you’re paying the price, you goddamn idiot. I will shit fury all over you and you will drown in it. You’re fucking dead, pony.

[verbforverb]

Eurovision ranking, part two! The set of entries I have stronger opinions about. You will note this post is uh somewhat more verbose than the last.

AGAIN, PLEASE DO NOT REBLOG

Cat2: Your choices are not my choices, but I respect them

Croatia: My initial note on this was "I appreciate that they are trying to make a point which I’m sure will be clearer when I can look up the translation but also this is, sort of, 4 different songs in one, and not in a good way." And I still stand by all of that. Love the energy! Love the mood! Parts of it are even catchy! Unfortunately, do not actually enjoy the experience of listening to this song.

Finland: This has grown on me more than I expected. I still wouldn't say I like it, but I don't mind it as much as I thought I did, the live performance is extremely compelling, and I do at least respect its choices. While I wouldn't seek it out, but it's definitely not forgettable, and I could see myself liking it eventually, maybe. But whichever way it definitely brings a certain something to Eurovision.

Ukraine: I am so close to liking this song. It's got that Bond energy, momentum, lyrically I've certainly heard worse. But the synth is just a bit grating to me still. There are also several parts where I swear it sounds like a Wilhelm scream, extremely distracting.

Israel: On first listen, the hysteria set in somewhere around the first "power of the UNICORN" and did not let up at any subsequent point. What IS the power of the unicorn? The first thing that comes to mind is the power of being an attractive young bi woman who is happy to be a no-strings third in an otherwise straight relationship. For all I know that IS what she means, it certainly adds another element to the song if so. I loathe the attempt to make "femininal" happen like few other things in this competition and resent this song for making me hear it multiple times. Musically it's all over the place, it feels like at least two and maybe three different songs trying to be one thing. And yet. AND YET. It is catchy! Noa Kirel blows the performance out the goddamn water! I guarantee I will not forget about any element of it, not for want of trying! Makes no goddamn sense. Compels me though.

Spain: So I do get the appeal. The layering of the sounds, the repeated lines, the almost sampled-sounding chanting which is a cool effect. Maybe this just needs longer to grow on me. For whatever reason, probably a large part underexposure to the style, I find this hard to listen to. Which is a shame, because it's the most interesting thing Spain has entered in years.

Serbia: I want to like this so bad. I love the aesthetics, the energy, the ridiculous 90s video game synth intro, and I can get behind what it's going for, thematically. Unfortunately I cannot deny the experience of my ears, and I do not like listening to this song. But I very much appreciate its existence!

And finally, Cat1: songs I feel positively about! With an actual ranking!

15 Cyprus: This would have faded into the mush of broadly-forgettable Eurovision ballads for me if it had not been extremely, inescapably reminiscent of Britney Spears' If You Seek Amy. But, like, a lounge version intended for background listening in a fancy restaurant. Once heard, this cannot be unheard, and that definitely gives the whole experience a certain indescribable something, the only reason I've ranked it so high.

14 Romania: Unfortunately there was no way to divorce this song from what I watched in the national final. This is a real shame, because I like this song! It's a jazzy waltz, we never get those, it has drama and range, and the guy can pull it off, vocally! In another universe I could see this making my top 10. Unfortunately, this is the world that we live in, and it contains... that whole situation.

13 Czechia: This was so close to being in the "I don't like it, but I do respect it" category, but you know what? I do sort of like it! The spoken word / chanting is just about on the right side of annoying for me, and you can't deny it is memorable. And you have to have a deranged song about feminism and/or national solidarity from central europe, it's the rule.

12 Poland: LOOK. I am not immune to a thirst trap bop. Is this song and its background as an entry ridiculous in all ways? Yes, absolutely. It's still stuck in my head now and forever. Plus I find the "VISIT POLAND. WE HAVE SWIMMING POOLS AND HOT GIRLS AND... FRUIT" music video extremely funny.

11 Slovenia: I'm not saying this is good. But I am saying a solid chunk of the foundations for my music taste were 00s pop rock, and this is a pitch perfect example. In Slovenian. It's upbeat! It's catchy! It's got a drop! If the lyrics are bad I can't tell! Just a fun time all round.

10 Moldova: Aren't you tired of being nice? Don't you just want to go apeshit? God I love a good flute/whistle line. Sometimes you are creeping through the woods towards a giant bonfire circled by sillhouetted dancing shapes, human? more than human, or perhaps just somewhere off to the side? you are unseen yet all-seeing, and you crave the perfect soundtrack to that moment, and you know what? Moldova have you covered.

9 Belgium: This is great fun, it's got those synthy disco vibes, and it's lyrically touching as well. A bit of a dark horse in that it's crept up my rankings every time I've listened to it. It's just a little too one-note - not a unique problem for Eurovision songs, but to me it kinda feels like listening to the same song two or three times in a row.

8 Norway: Sometimes, a song can just be a good bass drop and a fun hook. It's not clever, but it is absolutely a good time. Similar to Belgium, it just doesn't do quite enough to climb higher - feels a bit repetitive - but what it has is very pleasing.

7 Sweden: I do fully enjoy most things about this song. The tune is good, love the synth, Loreen is a fantastic performer and I'm here for any staging which can be described as "surprise! you lift up a paving stone and discover a eurovision performance". There's just one problem, which is that it occasionally falls back on the most godawful rhyming, and then hits it as hard as possible complete with musical emphasis and pauses. Like, first listen, "It will come a - day, when we will find our ..." "don't say way" "WAY". And then by some combination of singing style or mixing choice those rhymes were all I could make out at first, like "mumblemumble PAIN mumblemumble RAIN mumble YOUUU mumble TATTOOO", and, just, infuriating. It's a real shame because I really do like everything else about the song but those bits are so incredibly distracting. The only other note I have is that the repeated "all I care about is love" just makes me think of the song from Chicago, which is a VERY different vibe.

6 Portugal: Love the energy, love the high-tempo cabaret feel, catchy as hell, and god, what a performance! I don't know whether to be impressed, terrified or both. The only place it falls down for me is that it just doesn't lend itself, really, to humming or singing along, because it is SO high energy and high range in every sense. Instead I'm just sort of watching open-mouthed, so the song itself doesn't stick with me the way some of the more conventional entries do. But without doubt a great entry.

5 Australia: First things first: it is incredibly weird to me that I managed to straight up forget these guys existed after listening to their music quite a bit some 8 years ago. I do like them! And this! They have this crisp progmetal sound that really works for me, and you always have to love a keytar. Add to that, I think these guys can pull off a performance, god knows they've been hyping up crowds for long enough. My only complaint aside from the harsh vocals (see also germany - why?? you can do metal without them! they won't take away your hardcore card!!) is that repeatedly asking "have you ever done anything like this before?" completely out of context - and not given more context that I noticed - is one of the most baffling ways they could have chosen to open the song, and mostly makes me want to yell "like WHAT, voyager? anything like WHAT?" But that's a detail.

4 UK: To anyone accusing me of pro-UK bias, I would say that this year and the previous year are the only times in the past decade, or maybe more, I would have ranked us above the bottom 5. I would not go so far as to say this year's entry was worth the wait, or worth having had to know that Teenage Life exists, but I do love it a lot. It's a bop! A minor key bop! It's catchy! It has deranged energy! It's got an inexplicably London spoken word bit that I even think adds to the song! Ranked only on craft, it wouldn't make the top 10, but on sheer enjoyment I have to have it up here.

3 Austria: When we first listened to this, I was making noises about how it was just kind of a meme, while my wife was fully into it, proving that ultimately she is right about all things. This has grown on me so, so much to the point where I love it both as a song and a meme, and we do just occasionally say to each other in the worst attempt at an american accent imaginable, "who the hell is EDGAR?". It's catchy, funny, it has a great synth line and it's about creative control and reward in the music industry! What more could you want? No idea how this will play on stage, but I'm officially a fan.

2 France: Ough. The moment I saw this I said "that's @docholligay bait" and you know what, I don't even care because it's fantastic. The confidence? The voice? The BASS? It's simple, elegant, and it could not possibly be more French if she was holding a baguette and smoking four cigarettes simultaneously. Even the fact that she's Canadian adds to this, because there's somehow something even more French about leaning into it all so hard despite not actually being from France.

1: Germany: You knew it was coming. Germany has hosted the biggest metal festival in the world for over 30 years, and is just now thinking "hmmm, we could send some metal to Eurovision." It was worth waiting for. This is maybe the only time I've ever been pleased Germany will auto qualify, because I do NOT think this will play well with the general public, but I love it.

Brief interlude while I'm a nerd: extremely Nightwish-esque instrumentals - to the extent that I spent the first two listens just trying to figure out which song the instrumental line reminded me of, maybe Bye Bye Beautiful or Storytime? - with the crisp vocals. I don't love the harsh vocal parts, but they're a minor enough part of it that I can deal. Lyrically excellent, love a song about the duality of humanity and the ways people choose who to be and how to act from the same set of parts. There are exactly two songs this year where I still find myself mulling over the words and the other one is a criticism of the music industry through the medium of spiritual possession, so. I didn't even think until @keyofjetwolf put it in her comments that the piano / rhythm playoff mirrors the lyrics, but I like it even more now if possible. One of my first comments was "never thought we'd get metal in eurovision, the guitar solo would take up most of the 3 minutes" and then Lord of the Lost released an extended version with an extra minute-long guitar outro, so I feel especially vindicated. To conclude: hell yes.

[tobiasdrake]

The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan, Episode 10 - Someday in the Rain

Previously on Yuki Show HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK

YUKI WAS HIT BY A GODDAMN

Oh. No. She's fine. Okay. Whew. Legit thought we were putting her into the hospital for a few episodes.

Though she's certainly incredibly shaken up by it. Near-death experience will do that to a person.

Try to have only one of those. Yuki gets really sensitive about it if summer goes on too long.

SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT

RED ALERT RED ALERT RED ALERT RED ALERT

That is not Escapism Yuki's voice. That is Original Flavor Yuki's voice. So she did get hit by the car.

There are a million things that could be going on right here and my mind is racing. My going theory right now is that Yuki's original Space Robot program is embedded in her mind like an emergency backup system, in case anything happens to her human self. Possibly with all of Haruhi's powers still in her.

Getting hit by that car was enough of a jolt to activate that backup system. Escapist Yuki's in sort of a coma? That's what I think, anyway.

Either that or she Isekai'd into the other show and we got their Yuki in a cosmic Character Exchange Program.

Or both! Yuki Isekai'd into some sort of fantasy world which activated the backup system in her now-vacant body. That makes sense. That's definitely it. :P

What I'm certain of is that poor Ryoko is not prepared for this.

I'm not prepared for this. Suddenly, out of nowhere after nine straight episodes of fun slice of life romping, the plot has returned.

The dramatic irony here is intense, made worse by the overarching layer of WTF hanging over the entire scene. Yuki seems perplexed by the way Ryoko's acting and Ryoko has no idea what's going on with Yuki.

Imagining being able to go to the hospital just in case. Man, not having to live under late-stage capitalism must be great.

This. This right here. This is my escapist fantasy.

Does Yuki know she's in her escapist fantasy world right now? Does she think she's going to go to SOS Brigade after school to monitor Haruhi?

Is she aware that she, not Haruhi or Mikuru, is the person that's kinda-sorta seeing Kyon?

I. Think. She does? I mean. It's not like this world just sort of happened out of nowhere. She should know where she is. Especially since she can't hook up to the Data Entity over space wifi on account of deleting it.

I just. I am so lost.

I mean. She panicked out so hard that her emotions turned off. So that is technically correct, sort of? The part that went bon is not, at present, going kyu.

@_@ This episode.

I am depressed. I keep forgetting you exist but then you show up to remind me.

Nah, I kid. Taniguchi's kind of a dipshit but I'm pretty sure he hasn't done any shit on the level of things Haruhi, Tsuruya, and Kyon have done. At least, I don't remember him doing anything like that. I do keep forgetting he exists, though. Him and Kyon's Friend #2 over there.

He's starved for female attention and doesn't seem too picky about it. The "Women are unicorns" type that's probably never had a chance to get to know a woman as a friend before. Which is why he jumps at any chance to ride on Kyon's coattails and hang out with Haruhi, Mikuru, and Yuki, despite having previously (accurately) claimed that Haruhi's a dangerous lunatic and Kyon should stay away.

Unfortunately, "Women are unicorns" is something that happens a lot in cultures that draw strict dividers along the gender binary. Both Japan and the U.S. have that issue in different ways.

So Taniguchi seems like a fairly common example of the teenage boy that doesn't really understand women because he's rarely really met one but who does know that the burden of masculinity measures his personal worth in how successful he is with The Chicks. He doesn't have any particular relationship with any particular person that he cares about; He's just on a personal mission to strike out and seize the nebulous concept of "Girlfriend".

A typical affliction at his age, and one he'll either grow out of... or grow further into.

It's interesting that Yuki isn't doing anything.

She's over there reading her book, which is a sharp departure from Escapist Yuki playing her video games. But she's not. Doing. Anything. Not making any sort of fuss about the reality she's in, or the fact that she's in it. Not trying to observe Haruhi. Why would she? She knows she made this world, right?

She's just.

Existing.

It almost feels like she's waiting for her system to reboot or something.

He is trying super hard to engage her in conversation. Which. Good for him. This episode is genuinely hard to watch because I just. I feel so bad. For everyone. And I still don't know why this is happening.

Somehow still managing to have sweet, emotional moments despite having lost the bulk of her emotional range and largely reset to AI. I mean. Original Flavor did have a capacity for sentimentality, after all. She wanted that mask.

I kinda want to know how this Yuki is reacting to the basic reality of having a human body. We saw a bit of it with Ryoko tending to her wounds earlier. Yuki was just gonna walk it off. She's accustomed to instantaneous self-regeneration.

Her old body was humanoid but it was very much an android. She was in standby mode for three years, sitting in her apartment doing absolutely nothing unless booted up by activity at her door. Humans can't do that.

So I'm intensely curious to see Yuki reacting to her newfound humanity.

But I also want our Yuki to come back.

So. Conflicted.

Oh shit. She knows. She has to remember the eternal summer, right? Haruhi, this episode is so fucking tense. Out of nowhere.

Uhhhhhhh Ryoko are you okay there bud? You. Uh. You're not System Rebooting too, are you?

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR BRAIN

EMOTE YOU USELESS ROBOT

T_T I have so many feelings for Yuki right now and I have no idea which ones to have because she's returned to the stone face.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

THIS EPISODE IS TENSE AND SWEET AND HEARTWRENCHING AND HEARTFELT AND AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I have never been more confused by an episode of Haruhi in my life. Which, to be fair, is probably because Itsuki's usually here to explain the plot in tremendous detail.

NO

FUCK YOU

HOW DARE THOSE BE THE LAST WORDS OF THE EPISODE

[voxofthevoid]

can't find words to describe how embarrassing those top bottom fanatics are like seriously ..preference is one thing, being annoying-as-fuck to a writer who doesn't write a certain dynamic is another thing. the second hand embarrassment i get from reading their passive aggressive whining and attempts at shade is OFF THE CHARTS. as if 95% of the explicit goyuu tag isn't ... GoYuu(tm). kudos to you for dealing with this kind of thing. atp i'm fully convinced they're just pissed that there aren't a lot of GoYuu writers who write plotty longfics, hence the temper tantrum.

You and me both 🤝 The last one was relatively tame in that sense, but I've received a few asks that made me wonder how the sender typed it, let alone sent it, without undergoing spontaneous human combustion.

I don't know the current state of the goyuu tag—I stopped keeping up with it a few months ago—but when I got into the show/ship around November 2022, it was clear pretty quickly that most of the E-rated fics (95% might be an underestimation, actually) were top!Gojou. A few had switching. Top!Yuuji was a unicorn, and most fics that featured it still had a switching dynamic as the background.

I didn't bitch to the authors about it (or even on my blog). I just started writing what I wanted to read. People like what they like, and I've been in fandom long enough to predict which top/bottom dynamic will dominate, and I nearly always end up liking the less popular one (stucky is the only exception I can think of). The goyuu ratio is far more stark than I expected, but it is what it is.

So, on the one hand, I'm pleasantly surprised and pretty damn stoked that my stories get as much traction as they do (knocking wood as we speak). On the other, I have zero fucking patience for anyone who tries to whine about top!Yuuji to me. Top!Gojou goyuu fans have a seven-course feast waiting for them on Ao3. A lot of those fics look mindblowing from summary/tags alone, even if they're not for me. When folks who're spoilt for choice start complaining to me about my goddamn soup kitchen, I lose it.

Don't get me wrong, 99.9% of my commenters and ask-senders have been absolute angels. I'd kill for y'all. I am in no way being harassed. I just have the anger to spare for the 0.1% who decide to be pests.

...I might be a little pent up about this. Sorry, anon 😂

[rraaaarrl]

Design for a Marketing Agency is a Hellscape

I am once again, about to lose my goddamn mind. I just spent two hours double-checking some QA, because my junior designer is confused by the feedback he got on this web project. Basically some BS involving missing images, should not actually be that big a fucking deal, it is not at the client review phase yet, but it is a stupid large site. Both the dev and the PM were giving him conflicting requests & tagging me in every stupid interaction. I finally sorted it out, and created an exact numbers and list of images to keep and images to fucking yeet and replace. Because nobody wants to take the time and responsibility to make these decisions, guess what. Apparently this is now my job on top of everything else.

It 's just an unfortunate mix of the designer being super green, and an ESL dev. I have mentioned "please be direct and leave no room for ambiguity when communicating with her". She's a great dev actually, but flounders on large, content-heavy sites (we are talking 90+ pages with longform content). I have mentioned in the past, that maybe we should not hand off these large scale projects to her.

What really fukcing set me off is that the PM said our boss was concerned about the length of time the initial design and content collateral collection phase (one of my tasks where I basically hand hold the client to assess their needs to get a fucking website built, for the love of all that is holy just send me pics that were not shot with a potato and a decent logo file), he is always always wanting to trim time estimates, yet at the same time, preaches about QUALITY.

Like, bitch, do I need to whip out that venn diagram which illustrates: you can get it fast and cheap and shitty, or you can get it at a realistic timeline at a reasonable cost and have it be quality? It is always DESIGN TIME and QA TIME that they want to cut FIRST. Oh sure, give the PMs all the time in the world to have meetings and dick around with spreadsheets and decks, as they do fuck all, but eliminate time where it really matters (design, and dev).

So they need to stop tooting their horns about what a goddamn unicorn I am, if we are going to continue down this path, fuck you, pay me (more).

[curatoroffiction]

MC Who Loves Exploding Stuff

This one’s based off of my younger brother, who was in charge of our fireworks this year. This is an MC who, when fireworks stands go up, they stock up on fireworks and keep them in a stash. An MC who, at any given time, a character could look at them and be like “If I check your place right now, how many illegal fireworks am I gonna find on the premises?” And they’ll just be like “... Don’t go looking for trouble.”

This is also an MC who is typically a model worker/student who is usually always having to be responsible, so this is the one area that they get to let loose. This also means that many of the characters enabling them believe that this MC should be allowed to just be a little crazy for once, so everything that happens as a result of the fireworks related shenanigans is quickly forgiven/laughed off, as long as no one got hurt. This is an MC who, when they get put in charge of buying the goddamned fireworks, they come back with a couple hundred bucks worth of fireworks. Then when a character asks them what they all do, MC just start looking through their bags and going “Well I’m pretty sure-” and will go on to only be half-right about what those fireworks do. This is an MC who’ll hand a character a firework and say “I’m gonna light this and you need to throw it over there” causing the character to either freak out and panic (At which point the MC will not light the firework and instead hand it to someone who isn’t gonna freak out. MC may love fireworks, but they’re also not completely reckless, even if they seem like they are), or the character will give a nod, throw the firework as told, and discover that they only just barely threw it so they were outside of the blast radius with the MC’s instructions. This is an MC who might seem really reckless sometimes, and might get yelled at/scolded by more responsible characters for incidents such as; Characters who entrusted MC to buy the fireworks: "So none of these go into the air, right?" MC: "Yeah" "You promise?" "Yeah" "Good, because we can't do that here" "Yup" "Because this is [A place where they shouldn’t be doing fireworks and don’t want to draw attention to themselves]" "I know” "We really don’t wanna attract attention" "I know" ➔ MC lights the first firework and it goes flying into the air and all of the characters just look at them. MC: “I think this one just spins.” MC lights the firework, steps back. It does indeed spin. But then it explodes into a ton of little sparks that fill out a 3x5x5 area and everyone looks at MC who is just fucking delighted that it did something so unexpected and pretty. This is an MC who is hilariously adorable about their love of fireworks and pyrotechnics and the characters around them mostly think of them as a loveable scamp. Some characters might have a healthy skepticism about letting MC be in charge of fire-related activities after the night is over though. This is also an MC who grabs a large box and is like “It’s time for the $60 unicorn fountain finisher” Responsible Character: “I’m reading the box for this one.” The box contains no instructions. No guidelines. There’s nothing telling the characters how big this thing’s gonna be, or how long it’ll go on for. - It’s just a giant unicorn shaped fountain firework. - Which proceeds to then light up a 10x10x10 foot area of air space attracting a lot more attention than the characters initially thought they would attract. This is an MC who is seen in the background, shoveling leftover fireworks into a bag while making eye contact with the characters who showed up to shut this party down. This is an MC who the characters have to act as the responsible ones when it comes to fire/fireworks/pyrotechnic related things because MC sure as hell isn’t gonna be the responsible one and expects to be reined in by the people around them. The entire cast has wildly different opinions on MC’s fireworks passions by the end of the night, but one thing’s for sure; It was memorable because of MC.