#I guess I should make a character tag for housekeeping reasons

[teaandinanity]

I’m really enjoying Emberfate so far, so I drew my character (Sunita) and her Emberfate avatar.

The in-game avatar is an homage to Many Things From My MMO Past;

The ponytail is a callback to the high elf on the box art for the original EverQuest, some of her aesthetic is because I tried VERY hard to make a dark elf character work in EQ (I was young and stupid so I lost my corpse somewhere with impossibly high-level enemies and had to abandon her), the lich elf thing is because I spent A While very sad we didn’t have playable Dark Rangers in WoW (and yes that’s why her ears are Like That). She’s a Lich Enchanter spec’d into support for entirely sentimental reasons, because I’m still emotionally invested in my Forsaken Disc Priest even though I have not enjoyed Disc mechanically since Cataclysm was current content.

[biolizardboils]

so heads up! im popping a LOT of Prime Season 3 posts into the queue--they'll start coming out one week from now, on January 22nd! if you can see this post and haven't watched it yet, here's some tags to block: #prime spoilers, #sonic prime spoilers, #sonic prime s3 spoilers, #sonic prime season 3 spoilers.

got all that? great! here's my final unorganized little rambles about the show:

shoutout to Rusty Rose's Birdie, who only appears in the very first and very last eps for some reason 😭 her speech about it not being her power source came outta nowhere too, but i loved the message behind it

when everyone arrives at the Grim, just before the ep ends, Nine starts breathing heavily and it. instantly reminded me of Movie!Tails when the bar was calling them freaks. fuck. its a nice reminder of where Nine's coming from

speaking of Nine his poses getting more unhinged over time!! hell yeah

i love that the final fight(s) felt like a kid smashing 3 different Lego sets together, real Robot Pirate Island shit

i laughed a little too hard when the Grim's dome started closing in cus Nine's citadel-thing already reminded me of a thing that happened in Fortnite once, but hell naw they had to add The Storm too sdfghj

METAL BIG DESTROYED ME LJKHGFDV im SO glad i wasnt spoiled about it!!! a while in i started finding it creepy instead of funny, which is an added bonus

i was spoiled about the Advance flashback and its clashing sprites though. the utter whiplash of seeing that without warning mightve made me choke on my hot cheeto puffs. someone's already remade it btw, check it out

i fistpumped at the small reprise of "me beauty" gfhjk ill miss you so much Dread

we're four years into the 2020's and Sonic has nearly died an agonizingly slow death 3 times in 3 different continuities! and dare i say it was delicious every time >:)

unless Word of God says otherwise I'm gonna assume that the giant shadow at the end was The Return Of Metal Big lpoihgfds

So... Twitter, huh? My spoiler filters there had some leaks, and I saw some discussion out of context that... actually made me kinda scared to finish the show. But then I did, and had fun with it just like the other two seasons, and I remembered that Twitter gets high-strung about things that don't matter so much, and that giving it sway over how much I enjoy things is silly lol.

Yes, I think the last season could've been paced differently so it wasn't 5 episodes of the same Final Boss Fight. Yes, I think the writing switches jarringly between gearing for a young new audience and for a seasoned old one. Yes, I think the 2D flashbacks look and move worse than what fans constantly make for free. Yes, I think the final episode doesn't do nearly as much housekeeping as it should (does the Shatterverse still exist or not??). Yes, I think declaring the show is canon to the games or whatever they said probably wasn't the best idea. And yes, I think Black Rose should've had a shoulder-parrot!Birdie to match the other Amys. All valid critiques! All sensible things to think when you've been around the Sonic bush!

But I swear to god, people on Twitter act like these things spoil the whole package. Where's the nuance? Why does every opinion there become an absolute worth tearing others down for? Is it the character limit? I bet it's the character limit.

There's so much I love about this show that were infeasible for the Sonic brand just 3-4 years ago. Externalizing the characters' facets to explore them in-depth. Said exploration spanning multiple episodes instead of being one-and-done. The sheer amount of genuine Sonadow food (and I don't actively do shipping, so me adding it here should hold a lot of weight). The snappy, playful, yet blistering fight scenes that, dare I say, feel like a successful TV-budget Spider-Verse. It was all so much fun!

But I guess stuff like Green Hill being the gang's "home" is a big deal-breaker?? Like?? I thought that was silly too, but not worth ratio'ing people with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse over? Get well soon, I guess??

Rambling over, shout-out to the entire country of Canada for giving me the most fun I've had with a Sonic show since X! I'm gonna go figure out how to address all this as The End lol

[theonetheycallhannah]

The Treatment of Captain Syverson-Chapter 10: Myofascial Release

Characters: Captain Syverson x OFC (Shane Benton)

Summary: Shane and Sy decompress after an emotional evening, Shane finds it difficult to get out of her own head and live in the moment, but Sy knows exactly how to help her, and not to be a complete hoe and spoil things, but…things get steamier than ever between our favorite therapist and patient duo.

Oh snap! You’re behind! Get on track here!

Word Count: 3.4k

Warnings:  Language, mature themes, alcohol consumption, the smut you’ve all been waiting for so patiently! (I hope it lives up to your undoubtedly high expectations!)

Author’s Note: Oh gosh, y’all, I am so nervous to post this. Somehow it doesn’t feel like my smuttiest smut. And like, all previous chapters have been kind of leading up to this moment. The good news is, I’ve decided to continue writing this story after the sex. I’ve got some ideas about where to go from here, and I want to keep it going. Plus, it feels wrong to write all of this and then just drop them without a big picture resolution. They’re gonna go through some shit, though. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, Henry is not mine, le sigh, and all mention of him, his characters, any characters from his films, or his precious doggy, Kal, are strictly for transformative and recreational use. I neither ask for, nor accept payment for the work I post on Tumblr or AO3. Unbeta’d because this is for fun and escapism.

Tags: 

@onlyhenrys

@cavillryarchive

@summersong69

@titty-teetee

@bloodyinspiredfuck

@agniavateira

@oddsnendsfanfics

@omgkatinka

@thisismysecretthirstblog

@misslaland

@speakerforthedead0

@tumblnewby

@suavechops

@radkesgirl83

Hope I’m not forgetting anyone! If you want to be notified when I post a new chapter or work, I’ll be happy to add you to my tag list! Stricken blogs are getting personal messages from me when a new chapter is uploaded because Tumblr’s faulty tagging system will not stand in the way of me delivering what the people want!(?) lol! (Although…their lackadaisical notification system might…sorry for that. I have no control. lol!)

X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@X@

Her living room was cast in the low light of the floor lamp she had left on. Intending to come home after dark. Alone. She hated walking into a dark house by herself.

Well, tonight, she wasn’t alone. And although Sy had been to her house before, this was different. They were officially a couple, and they were no longer waiting to express, to the fullest extent, their true affection for one another.

Ever the hostess, despite her nervous tension, Shane asked Sy if he wanted anything to drink, rambling off several options somewhat awkwardly.

“I’m fine, darlin.’” He assured her, stopping her at some point in the rant, before she was completely done. “Do you need something?”

“Umm, I think I should have a glass of wine.” Her eyes darted to the kitchen across her serve-through counter space and landed on her fridge. “I’m…I’m really nervous.”

"Why don't we watch a little TV for a while? You get you some wine, and I'll put somethin' on. What are we watchin', sunshine?"

"Ummmm, something light? Funny? Something I've seen." She wouldn't be able to process anything new or heavy right now.

"I'm on it." he kissed the top of her head and left her side for the sofa, where he plopped himself down like a comfy hound dog, and picked up the remote to her Smart TV.

She smiled as she busied herself in the kitchen. She decided she wanted a snack with her wine. She got a plate of cheese and crackers together first. Then she remembered she had some venison sausage one of her coworkers had brought in, and put that on the plate, too. She got out a chilled bottle of her favorite, cheap moscato and a stemless glass. She couldn't go in there without something for Sy, so she also got a glass of ice water ready for him. She put the whole spread on her big serving tray and took it to the living room.

Sy was already halfway through the first episode of Parks and Recreation.

"I saw this in your 'Watch it again' group, and thought maybe you'd like to re-watch it. I've heard you talk about it a lot, and I've never seen it." He didn't complain at her for taking forever. He just lit up when he saw her. Like it was the first time. And not the hundredth.

"That's perfect, babe. I brought some snacks out, too. Some cheese and crackers, and this really good sausage one of my coworkers brought me. You like deer?" she asked.

"One of my favorite pet names." he teased. "I do, though, yes."

They ate, and laughed, and watched about four or five episodes, it was hard to keep track. But after approximately half the bottle, Shane had summoned some courage. She started playing at the texture of Sy's jeans, running a fingernail across the coarse fabric.

"Hang on, love bug. I want to know somethin.'" she looked up at him, mildly confused. "I'm trying to think of a reason you need to get tipsy to sleep with me that I shouldn't take personally." he rubbed her upper arm, comforting her as no one had done since she was a small child. At least not that she could remember.

"No, Sy. It's not like that. You aren't the problem at all!" she paused. He let her gather her thoughts. She appreciated that he knew she intended to continue and that he didn't rush her to do it. He was patient. And kind. And all of that should have made this whole night easier. But somehow it didn’t.

“I’m the problem." She confessed after a long pause and a deep sigh. "I mean, I’m in my head about it all, I know. But it’s been…almost six years since I’ve slept with anyone, five and a half, at least, and I can’t seem to wrap my head around it now that I know it’s going to happen again.”

He pulled her body into his, squeezing her tightly for one of his soul cleansing hugs.

“Sunshine. Everything will come back to ya. We’ll just go as slow as ya want. I got all night.”

“Okay. Well, I guess, since I’m a bit sleepy from the wine, we should head to bed.”

Sy affirmed the idea, and made to help her put their snacks away in the kitchen.

She got out containers for their leftover food while Sy stoppered the wine, put it in the fridge, and washed their glasses.

She felt his warmth before she felt his touch. He stood behind her, radiating his particular brand of heat for a moment, and taking in the scent of her hair near her right ear. She heard a low rumble from someplace deep in him which slowed her efforts at the counter. His hands were light but very much present on her hips. A whisper against the fabric of the casual but feminine floral dress she’d chosen for the night. But she felt it like the weight of her favorite old blanket, heavy with years and warm comfort.

He kissed her temple, chaste and unassuming. But still full of desperation. She could tell that he was ready. Even without the alignment of their bodies completely giving him away.

“Don’tcha think this stuff can wait a couple hours, darlin'?"

His baritone, breathless in her ear, was soothing her back into the mindset of being with him. His feather touch still lingering at her hips and waist. She thought back to those seminars she'd gone to on manual therapy where the speaker talked in depth about the fascial tissues running all across the various muscles in the human body and how trauma to one part could cause tension in another like a snag in a sweater and how he taught the participants techniques to undo that trauma through myofascial release. Sy was slowly managing to unwind and unbind the taut fibers of her heart and relieve that pain that Elliott, in particular had set into place so firmly when he'd hurt her. Lied to her. Cheated on her. Gaslit her. Made her feel like she'd never be loved if she left him. Made her question the very idea of what love meant. Because if what they'd had was truly love, she didn't want it. Wanted no part of the games or the abuse or the manipulation.

Without fully realizing it, during this time of reflection and healing, Shane had given up the task at her hands and turned to Sy, open to his treatment, as he'd always been so open to hers…or mostly. And she let him kiss her, reciprocating. And hold her, returning his enveloping embrace. She even let him pick her up, wrapping her legs around his waist, resting them on his…all too well-defined bilateral gluteus maximus that she'd had to pretend to ignore for weeks. In the therapist side of her brain, alarm bells were going off. "His knee isn't fully healed! You're gonna undo all of the work you've both done so far! He's gonna hurt himself carrying you around!" but she ignored them and trusted him as he walked to her room.

Shane wanted to say that her bedroom was one of splendor. Immaculately made bed, and overall, the picture of tidiness. The reality was much, MUCH different. Glasses half full of water were everywhere (she may be forgetful, but at least she was optimistic), at least one coffee mug sat on the nightstand from the previous weekend when she took a morning cup of tea in bed with her George Harrison biography. Laundry overflowed from a sorting hamper in the corner, and her bed sat, unmade, littered with crumpled pillows, sheets, blankets, and the pajamas she'd slept in last night. She wasn't the kind of person to make her bed for reasons other than having company over, like the fancy company you had to give a tour of your whole house. She'd tried to be that person numerous times, but it never seemed to stick.

Tonight, though, the guilt that came with sub-par housekeeping skills wasn't plaguing her. Right now, all she felt was the weightlessness of being with Sy, wrapped in him, kissing him, and fully ready for what was about to happen between them, as he fell with her onto her bed. Their heads clunked together awkwardly, invoking a mutual wince, followed by bouts of laughter and playful kisses.

He hovered over her a moment, just taking her in. His fingers ghosting her forehead and cheeks to clear it of the whisps of hair obscuring her face. He seemed to examine her in methodical quadrants. Learning the curves and colors and every wrinkle, freckle, and pore. She was still fully clothed, but she'd never felt so bare and vulnerable.

He left her eyes for last. His gaze drowning her delightfully. Random song lyrics came to mind, "the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake" and she thought yes. That is the precise aesthetic of this man's stare. His expression was inscrutable. She wanted to say he looked happy and content, but she didn't want to presume.

He began tracing the floral pattern on her dress with his fingers, and said, "I really like this dress on you."

She laughed, "Oh, that's the beginning of the oldest line in the book. You know you've already got me in bed, right?"

"No, I…" he chuckled, embarrased. "I mean it sincerely. Seeing you in flowers like this…makes me think they bloom right from ya."

She propped herself up on her elbows, dumbstruck by this uncharacteristically poetic side of him she'd just been shown. She stroked the side of his face.

"The man who came up with the original pickup line is rolling over in his grave attempting to kick himself for not thinking of something so beautiful."

"Yeah?"

"HELL yeah. He would have gotten WAY more lucky with a statement like that."

"You're probably right." he said, pulling her up to hold her in his arms.

"If for no other reason that it would have landed him a higher caliber woman than the floozies that he probably got."

He moaned his ascent against her neck, and continued, "Which would have meant a lot more getting lucky down the road, right?"

"Traditionally speaking, I'd say yes." she laughed, her fingers in his hair, which was barely long enough for the action.

"Okay, I know I said I liked the dress, but…" he tugged at the hemline tucked just under her hips and pulled it off her willing body.

"About time, cowboy!" she smiled, breathless.

He continued kissing her as he unhooked her strapless bra and tossed it aside, into the abyss, where the dress had gone. She was so dizzy from him that she barely noticed he was laying her down until her warm back hit cool sheets. She could feel his touch everywhere at once, despite the fact that he was really only making two or three points of contact.

Shane trembled as Sy peppered her soft body with kisses. She couldn't recall shivering like this before, especially when there was nothing but warmth, even heat, around her. His beard grazing her hips and thighs was sending tremors through her unlike anything she'd ever felt. She was a goner, and he hadn't even truly begun.

His breath against her skin was like lightning in the clouds. A storm began forming within, and all around them from his work on her…and eventually in her. He took the time to remove both of the shirts he was wearing--plaid cotton blend and thick white jersey. She reached out to run her fingertips over his chest, covered in a manly stand of thick, dark hair. It ran over his pecs and down his abdomen…farther, she knew, than was exposed right now.

She wanted to touch him. To return the favor. To stir in him the same tempest he'd stirred in her. She unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. She was a little surprised he wasn't resisting her, but pleased, all the same. She took the heavy weight of him out in some shock…she'd caught outlines and silhouettes often since they'd been together, but he hadn't let her go this far yet. It had made her feel a little slutty at the time, but now, she understood. He was…protecting her, in a way. She handled him curiously, gently, as he'd been with her. Her apprehension, however, grew with him.

"Sy, you're…I…" she wasn't sure what to say. But she had concerns about being rent in two by him.

"I think I remember tellin' ya you wouldn't be laughin,' sunshine." he grinned at her, breathless as she stroked him.

"You were right. But don't get too used to me saying so." she smirked back at him.

He pulled away from her, reluctantly, but eager to get back to tasting her.

She couldn't comprehend what he was doing. But it felt incredible. No one she'd ever been with had made her feel like this. Like her blood was effervescent and her body was aglow like embers. His reaction to her was as much a part of the pleasure as his ministrations themselves. She could tell he was enjoying himself which fed her desire.

She felt a tension coiling inside her, something similar to climaxes past but she could tell, much more intense. What was different? Other than Sy, she didn't know. But it was working. She moaned and writhed into him.

"Yeah, sugar. Let that out. I wanna hear it." he quickened, driving her mad and sending her spinning into her bliss, incomprehensible words and sounds escaping her, growls of satisfaction escaping him, but he didn't stop.

She felt his fingers working inside her to pull another climax from deep within her. This was new for her, as well. Not only was he putting her first, but he was making her a priority in double measure before taking anything for himself. As that pressure built in her again, she felt his gaze on her, hungry and adoring, and she heard his grunts of exertion and she thought, lust. She wasn't sure how many of his digits he'd managed to slide into her, but it felt splendid, and she wanted more. She gripped his arms to convey this desire, words caught in her throat. He dove headlong back down to her, adding his mouth to the onslaught of his hand, and before she could get out more than a "Fuuuu" she was falling apart again, her body spasming and writhing beneath his utter oral perfection. Eventually, she finished the word when she ran out of air and had to take in a large gasp on the "uck."

She watched him kiss around her thighs and hips, in awe of him in his entirety.

Breathless, she asked, "Why are you so good to me, Sy?"

"Well, a wise woman once told me, 'good go to heaven.'" he looked coyly up at her. "I think I'm there, sunshine."

"Ya know, you're the best patient I've ever had." she smiled.

"Well, I should hope so." he boasted as he kissed at her breasts, nipping at the taut, dark bud in the center. She gasped. He let go and continued his ascent.

He had a point. Who could have qualified as a "better" patient than him when he'd given her so much? Even more than what they were doing tonight. His kindness. The love he had always shown her, even when she wasn't ready to see it. His strength, but also his vulnerability that she seemed to be the only one ever to see. Combine that with the fact that his mind was basically a steel trap for her every word and it would have made him more than perfect enough for her.

But as he broke away from her kiss to take off his jeans, she marveled at the shape and size of his whole body. Those thick, strong arms, the broad, defined torso, the massive, powerful legs of an avid runner, and a face that God Himself would probably be jealous of, if He was capable of the feeling. This gorgeous exterior that Michelangelo would have killed to sculpt, combined with all of his other amazing qualities, and he was almost too perfect.

He cuddled up next to her, reached up, and caressed her face, still flush with pleasure.

"I could look at this face, and nothin' else for…damn… hours. Maybe days."

She blushed and cast her eyes down, and half whispered, "The feeling is mutual."

"Then why're you lookin' away, darlin'?" he tilted her chin up. "That shy business is cute and all, but you don't have to hide from me, sweetheart."

"Again, it's not you, it's me." she chuckled, nervously.

"You wanna call it a night, for now?" he asked without a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"You're kidding, right?" she raised her eyebrows. "You did all that work getting me ready for you, and I won't let that be a wasted effort." she pulled him to her and into a deep kiss, rolling onto her back and bringing him with her.

"Oh, sugar, that wasn't no wasted effort. That was time well spent. No matter what." he said in short bursts when he could pull away from her lips.

He lifted himself up and over her, kneeling between her legs, already open for him. She thought he should know how ready she was. Thought it should be painfully obvious. But he asked anyway.

"You ready, sunshine?" he asked, as he opened the condom and rolled it on…damn he was slick! She hadn't even noticed him get it from wherever he'd had it. She presumed his jeans pocket, which would explain much. She had been very distracted by his naked perfection.

"Yes. Please." she had been struck with an urgency as they stood here on the verge of everything.

He sunk slowly into her, the contentment of coming home spread over his face, the bliss of being whole spreading over hers. No, she thought. She was more than whole. She'd always felt mostly whole during sex. Sy made her feel as though she was overflowing with herself. And not just because she was overflowing with him. The way he moved in her, over her, with her, it was like he was afraid she'd turn to vapor around him before he could finish. Like she was nothing more substantial than a bubble full of smoke, and he thought she may burst and disappear. Although, you couldn't tell from the tight grip he kept on her. A bruising grip that she thought might have had a chance of popping a football. She didn't care. She wanted him to touch and hold her like this until they had no more to give each other.

As they built toward their mutual undoing, the world and everything in it faded away. There was no personal drama or injury. Nothing but the euphoria of this newfound oneness. The caresses and thrusts and groans of pleasure were the only things that mattered. Each other, and what they found therein.

“Shane.” He whispered to her, his pinnacle nigh.

“Sy!” She whimpered, that familiar tension approaching its apex.

He kissed her, as if he meant to permanently emboss her onto the bedding and onto his lips. She reeled as she came undone, little sparks of light obscuring her vision for a fraction of a second. He followed her closely, breathless and spent.

He laid down beside her, as close to her as possible, and began drawing mindless circular patterns on her stomach and around her breasts.

“Wow.” She said, almost under her breath.

“How ya feelin,’ sunshine?”

“Mmm, boneless. Dazed. Half wishing we’d done that weeks ago. I didn’t have a clue what I was missing.”

“Oh, I think you had an idea.” He said as he neatly doffed and disposed of the prophylactic in the waste can by her bed.

“Okay, a bit.” She chuckled. “It’s not like you can hide that…thing.”

“And I don’t try to, darlin’!” He kissed her forehead “Well, I don’t hide it just anywhere, put it that way.” He smirked at his dirty joke and she swatted him for it.

“You’re bad!”

“And you love it.”

She couldn’t argue. She loved his badness and his goodness and everything in between.

Up Next: Chapter Eleven- Discharge Plan 

[kurokairin-angelx]

White [Jumin Fanfic]

⚠ Content Warning ⚠ Some Angst

Writing Type Prose

Character (Mystic Messenger, Cheritz) Jumin (Focus)

Word Count 1,885

Date 4 October 2018

Author's Notes Originally written for an Amino event for Jumin's Birthday (first posted on MM Amino, then on Otome Amino).

Tagging @juminweek because I realised it touches on a couple of the prompts too: Day 1 (Elizabeth the 3rd); Day 2 (Childhood & Friendship); Day 3 (Common Life); Day 5 (Emotions); Day 7 (Birthday & Family). O____O Did I just cheated by doing multiple-in-one?

"Child Jumin" is used as a theme, but is not the sole Jumin that appears. White, associated with the innocence and purity of "childhood", is used as a motif.

Timeline of major events in Jumin's life is made up. Fanfic begins under the cut.

White is the frills on his mother's dress.

Light footsteps echoed excitedly along the stairway as little Jumin cautiously climbed up the staircase leading to his mother's bedroom. He did not understand why his mother no longer stayed in the same bedroom as his father, and he did not think it important to understand the reason behind. After all, his mother was still with him — that was all that mattered.

"Mommy!" Once the four-year-old reached the upper floor of the mansion he lived in, Jumin dashed excitedly toward his mother's room, his bright red Man of Iron school bag slapping against his tiny back rhythmically with every stride he took.

It was Jumin's birthday and he just returned from the day care centre where he had a modest birthday celebration with the other children. Even though the simple gifts of balloons and birthday card pale in comparison to the extravagant items that his parents always give him, he was still eager to share about his special day with his mother.

"Mom-" Jumin was about to knock on the nicely polished wooden door when he realised his mother's bedroom door was ajar. His heart sank at what he saw through the gap; his mother was sitting on the single bed, tear stricken and gripping tightly onto torn pieces of what was once a beautiful white silk gown.

He did not understand why his mother cried over a torn white gown, and he did not think it important to understand the reason behind. After all, his mother was still with him — that was what he naively believed.

That night, he made his only birthday wish before going to bed.

"I wish mommy be happy."

White is the cream on his birthday cake.

He watched blankly as his shadow cast silently over the vanilla cream topping on the round cake, where a big unlit candle was placed precisely at the centre. The digital clock in the living room showed the date '5 October', and although the moon was already hanging high in the night sky, everything that had been laid out on the dining table since morning were still in their original, untouched conditions — including a note sitting conspicuously on top of a huge box wrapped in an limited edition Man of Iron gift paper.

The note, while pleasant to the touch, contained a cruelly brief message: "Happy birthday, my son."

Soon, the date on the clock changed. Jumin's lips trembled lightly as he closed his eyes and sighed. Then, he stood up from the chair and turned to instruct their housekeeper - the only other person who was with him in the kitchen the entire day - to clear the dining table. Already accustomed to this annual routine ever since Chairman Han divorced Jumin's mother, the housekeeper proceeded to do as told.

Putting his hands into his trouser pockets for warmth, Jumin made his way back to his bedroom in the empty mansion slowly. En route, he could not help stealing a few glances in the direction of the front door. He was unsure of what he was expecting — after all, his father never did come home until the late wee hours.

Closing the wooden door lightly behind him, he stood alone in the unlit bedroom. He recalled that the housekeeper mentioned his father had prepared the table with the birthday cake and presents early in the morning before rushing out to attend to matters at the company.

"Work?" The dark haired boy buried his face into the pillow as he climbed into bed, warm tears staining its cover. "What a lie."

White is the mask on his face.

"Hope you've enjoyed your birthday!" A group of teenage boys, still in their white school uniforms, spoke gleefully as they walked out of a karaoke bar together.

"Thank you," Jumin smiled and politely thanked his classmates for arranging a birthday celebration for him. This group of male friends were his high school classmates for the past three years. They had planned small birthday celebrations for Jumin every year, and each time Jumin thanked them, they would happily reply "It's our pleasure!"

"Man, I hope we can still sing a few more songs!" The boys continue to chat as they walked toward the pavement. "Haha! If we sing any more, we'll miss the last bus home!"

Amidst their boisterous laughter, a car honk was heard. A teal haired teenager in the group gently pat Jumin's broad shoulder and said, "Your driver is here."

Jumin glanced at the familiar white luxurious car parked by the roadside kerb before looking back at him and nodded. "Let's go."

As their classmates bid them good night, the duo walked side by side and made their way toward the car where Jumin's driver was waiting patiently.

"Mr. Jumin, Mr. Jihyun," the driver greeted professionally as the car door opened automatically on Jumin's approach, and the two teenagers occupied the passenger seats with swift, practised coordination. Once the pair of best friends buckled on their seat belts, the driver started the car engine and drove quietly away from the karaoke bar and in the direction of their destination.

As the white car continued to travel along the quiet streets under the blanket of stars, its interior was illuminated periodically as it passed by street lamps that were situated at regular intervals on the side pavement. That created a curious illusion of the passengers' white uniforms blinking.

"Jumin." The teal haired boy spoke.

"Hmm?"

"Are you happy?"

"..." A silent pause. "I don't know."

White is the coat on his cat.

Upon entering his penthouse, the young man placed the silver keys on the coffee table before heading straight to the bedroom where his beloved cat was waiting for him.

"Ah, my Elizabeth the 3rd," Jumin knelt down and gently combed through Elizabeth's beautiful soft white fur. "Apologies for returning home slightly late today."

Elizabeth purred as she let herself enjoy Jumin's affectionate touch.

"Let me prepare your dinner," Jumin spoke as he stood up, removing his black jacket and tie, and walked toward the small food counter in his bedroom. As he poured top-grade cat food into a red food bowl and then some red wine into a wine glass, he continued his one-sided conversation with Elizabeth, "How's your day been? Were you feeling bored?"

The white house cat sniffed at the food as Jumin laid the filled bowl in front of her on the floor. Then, she began to dig in.

"I've been rather busy today," Jumin took a sip of the red wine he poured as he pat Elizabeth's head. He then slowly recounted his day to her, just like he had done so every night ever since he received her from his best friend, Jihyun. "On my way to the office this morning, I received 68 birthday greetings from employees who saw me. I received a further 138 birthday wishes via e-mails. My father arranged a meal with me as usual at a grand hotel where we had a twelve-course lunch that lasted three hours."

Elizabeth continued to nibble on her cat food as she listened to Jumin's soothing deep voice.

"Guess what did my father give me as my birthday present this year?" Jumin smiled gently at Elizabeth, his eyes soft and loving as he looked at her. "He said he's pleased with how I'm handling the company as a Director. So, he's going to pull more investments into the cat project I proposed a while back."

Elizabeth's ears twitched instinctively when she heard the word "cat", and she briefly looked up at Jumin, her crystal blue eyes meeting his glistening grey eyes.

"Did you hear that, Elizabeth the 3rd?" He chuckled a little as he shyly covered his tearful eyes with his hand. It was not uncommon for Jumin to show his emotions in front of Elizabeth, but he still found it awkward and wrong to display his feelings openly, even if it was only in front of his beloved cat in private. "The cat project in your honour is now supported by my father too."

Done with her dinner, Elizabeth purred softly and rubbed herself against Jumin's legs, against his black trousers and socks.

"You're happy about it, aren't you?" Jumin took another sip of red wine from the wine glass as he let Elizabeth snuggle against his legs. In quiet amusement, he observed Elizabeth's white fur strands sticking to his trousers. "Thank you."

White is the frame on his Polaroid film.

"Alright, everyone! Look here and say cheese!" With a wave of his hand, Jihyun instructed everyone present to look in the direction of his camera. Within a few seconds of countdown, and with a quick flash of light, a group photograph of all six RFA members who had gathered to celebrate Jumin's birthday was taken.

"Let's cut the cake!" Yoosung clapped in excitement.

"Jumin should make his birthday wishes before blowing out the candles!" Seven took Yoosung aside before the latter could get near the plastic cake knife.

"Ah," Yoosung smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I forgot."

"Come, Jumin," MC gently locked her arm around Jumin's. "You should make a wish."

Jumin gave MC's hand a light pat before closing his eyes and making his wish in silent thought.

"What do you think Jumin wished for?" Yoosung whispered, curiosity unconcealed in his tone.

"Hopefully something for the benefit of his employees," Jaehee sighed in response.

"Well, Trust Fund Kid already has everything," Zen shrugged. "I can't imagine what else he could wish for."

"Whatever he wished for," Jihyun looked at his best friend whom he had known since childhood. Even though Jumin had grown taller, his shoulders had grown broader, and his facial features had grown more masculine, he still wore the same untainted pair of eyes. Through his grey eyes, Jihyun could see the child in Jumin — the child who had the same tenacity as the Man of Iron. "I'm sure it'll be good."

Everyone cheered and clapped when Jumin opened his eyes after having made his wish and puffed the candle flame out. The day proceeded in hustle and bustle, and soon, it was time for everyone to go back home.

"Did you enjoy yourself today?" MC asked Jumin once the two of them entered their comfortable abode.

"Of course, my wife," Jumin planted a gentle kiss on MC's forehead. "Thank you for planning the party for me."

MC giggled while replying that he definitely deserved a decent birthday celebration. "Hmm," MC spoke as she picked up Elizabeth, who had sprang out of the master bedroom soon after she heard them entering the penthouse, and caressed her soft fur. "So, what did you wish for?"

A smile formed on Jumin's lips when he noticed how peacefully Elizabeth was snuggling in MC's arms. "You're curious?" He raised an eyebrow at MC as he combed through Elizabeth's white fur.

MC looked up at Jumin and nodded earnestly.

"Well," Jumin blushed as he first looked at his beloved wife and then at his beloved cat cradled in her arms. His voice dropped to a soft whisper when he articulated the wish that he had made earlier at his birthday party —

"I wish us to be happy."

White is the page on his new life chapter with you.

[seenashwrite]

Conversations With The Commissioner: Crappy Monsters In Barber Shops, a.k.a. Nash's First Headcanon + Wine = The Image I’ll Never Be Able To Top

@lipstickandwhiskey kindly thought to tag me when she saw a jovial post that reminded her of my disappointment in the lack of dinosaurs in the *alternate world and hoped to cheer me, but little did she know [mainly because I completely brain farted on posting this way-back-when] this had been addressed. In an objectively bizarre way. Admittedly.

FYI: Spit-take warning in effect, also cursing, should you choose to carry on

Preamble

* Dear SPN Writers' Room*: I'm not calling it The Bad Place, because I'm done with y'all ripping from other stuff, in this case, a beyond phenomenal show - hey! you do recognize carefully crafted season arcs when you see it! - even if y'all thought it was a homage, it's not since viewers of the show "The Good Place" already know about The Bad Place and it's not a physical nightmare, it's a psychological nightmare.

Pay. Attention. Stop ripping from well-known pop culture shit without (1) making sure the “homage” is used correctly, (2) double-checking that something similar hasn't been done before and, if so, (3) adding your own cheeky-sneaky spin. Not doing so makes you look, at best, like hacks, at worst, like doofy dipshits, particularly when it is from shows in your same genre - like a renowned show from the same fucking network that hadn't even ended their run but a year and a half prior to when yours started - and wrapping up *your* season with a title that was an iconic element from an iconic show [it was iconic, for several reasons, that's an essay for another time] which was the basis for everything from a/possibly *the* pivotal moment in the series and which was tied to many of the composer's pieces for the soundtrack, as it was a central thread. TV Tropes is your friend.

Tangentially related, while we're here:

[Shep as Romo Lampkin]

I digress.  

The Background

The Commissioner and I pop a cork, start talking about the Wayward pilot. We don't say a word about the scripting or the acting [because if we do, I go down a Dolly Deadeyes road, and nobody wants that]. Rather, we do a deep dive on the things that resemble other things and postulate how this came to be. Not in the minds of the peeps behind it, no, the dive comes via what the youths call a "headcanon". I've never had one before, I don't think, and I'm proud this is the first.

Oh, and a housekeeping side note: While my observations/the conversing began that night, the main convo/legit start on the image at the bottom happened later on. This has been run through the Nash snark filter for funsies, which is why the tone is the same for the whole conversation as, in truth, I have little clear memory of a lot of this, and the time taken for the assemblage of the image took longer than a conversation's worth, since the beginnings were sponsored by wine but it had to be done, it's how I combat insomnia and after seeing the monsters, I needed to purge my feelings of.... well....

The Beginning

After a verbal review (an accosting-of, really) of both Well-Coiffed Predator in a Bane Mask and Dollar Store Doomsday from the Wayward pilot, we begin discussing theories on how exactly this came to be in the alt world. Everything below is based on (a) the fact that New!Kaia's outfit denotes the presence of some sort of killa shopping and/or a hella talented Matrix-obsessed seamstress in the alt-world, therefore why not additional styling like a salon, and (b) the fact that we were lit on wine.

And the Predator rip - who, in the concept art, does not appear rippy-offy, it should be noted - got that mask somehow. He's either homaging Bane all over his face [his own face, not the other-way-'round] or he's gotten hold of one of the real things, modded it a touch to account for the spread of his general mouth region. Seems their temp name is the generic supernatural/folklore catch-all that I was vaguely aware of - "Canid" - and that some dude who's apparently of import on the show hates it, and I concur because all I can think of when I see the name is Candida. The Commissioner asked for a reminder, and I explained what that infection was and that now upon learning the creature’s name, I looked upon it as a yeast infection made sentient. The copious amounts of viscous discharge helps that along.

This then got a general science light bulb to pop, and we again consulted the googles, and boo-yah:

It's a dog. That. That up there, that I linked to. A daaaawwwwg.

No, not a if-this-is-a-dog-then-what-does-the-owner-look-like, maybe-they're-just-disgruntled-puppy-mill-alums type of WTF. The WTF is because I, once again, am wondering if at any point people over yonder are bothering to check shit out with this cool new thing called google. I know. It's a novel suggestion.

Somebody sure as shit used said googlins for squid beak - it's a touch birdy beak, but nah, slimy squid goes better with the aesthetic - and I guess they had to, as they already gave the far superior on the creepy scale pacu teeth to the Dollar Store Doomsday.

Because we were sneery and feeling gross at this point, we needed something fun, so we refilled on wine, and decided to make a mash-up image of the “inspirations” [to be clear: The Commissioner decided I should make a mash-up]. We were also feeling gross after looking at all that above, so for an eye sorbet, we needed some pretty, and STAT. We both instantly knew what would do the trick.

We start the conversation with Bane.

The Conversation

[looking at still from that Batman movie Bane was in; neither of us have cared to clarify which of the Nolan B-mans it was, because we don't care]

The Commissioner: He is so smooth, like, everything, even the fit of the clothes.

Nash: I'll never forget his turn as young Picard in that shit 'Trek movie, what was it called?

[we do not look it up; digression discussion of the awesomeness that is Sir Patrick Stewart]

TC: What's in his hand? Is that a riding crop? Or a shuffleboard thing?

N: Yes, exactly, Bane took a break from beating up Batman to shuffle. Nooooo. He got drug away from riding his horsey----

TC: YOU MUST MEAN HIS STALLION - if he rides horses, they are buff

N: ---to bring the mask, and is he pissed about it?

TC: No. No, because he is a dollbaby - he loves dogs.

N: You're mixing Tom Hardy with Bane.

TC: NO.

N: [realizing] BECAUSE THAT IS A DOG THING, THAT CREATURE IS DOG

[digression googles to look at pics/vids of Tom Hardy with pups]

N: Oh, no, wait - can we make it a putter? Like he was on his way to golf?

TC: But he still doesn't mind, because he's good guy Bane? And golf sucks? Oh hell yes.

[putter image sought; we go back to staring at Hardy, sip wine for untold moments]

N: And Preddie's all - Oh Bane, no! I couldn't possibly! Aren't these custom made? But he's gripping the shit out of it, like, pry it from my hands, bitches.

TC: And he takes a sniff when nobody's looking and swoons. *SWOONS*

N: Freaked-out stylist saw, though, and a touch of pee slips out, because it was weird before, but now shit's kicked off.

TC: Oh, she's already wet her pants at least once, absolutely. Do we need to add her?

N: No, she's in the bathroom.

TC: But you know who we should add.

[Image of 1990s Leonardo Di Caprio is immediately sought; we love the R+J still too much for words and select it with zero pause]

N: But why?

TC: You know he's gonna end up bopping  around to other worlds anyhow, and for Bane to be here, there must be other rifts----

N: Low-Sugar Low-Fat Low-Calorie Eye of Saurons?

TC: ----so they're babysitting.

N: THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE [gulp of wine]  Hey, you know who should be his foster parents if he’s bopping around to all points?

TC: Is it some side-character who's off-show at the moment? So we can get the show back to, um, Sam and Dean?

N: Chuck and Amara.

TC: You remember they're brother and sister, right?

N: [side-eye] Okay.

TC: They are. It's canon.

N: OKAAAY.  [stares at Leo] Alright, what are we having him do? Satan's crotch goblin?

TC: [possibly disgusted with me] Pencils.

N: YES I KNOW WHAT TO DO they need to keep him busy so they just keep giving him piles of pencils to sharpen, and he's distressed because there's no more and the sharpener’s motor burnt out.

TC: [touch of a spit take]

[we stare at the collection of images; it is a bitch to find a clear shot of a Pred sitting, but we need him in a barber chair; I will ultimately cobble it from three separate images; it was worth every goddamn minute]

TC: Okay, now what about that thing? The thing? Deadpool?

N: No he was something else, that's Reynolds. Deadshot? Wait, hang on.

[we watch the Bob Ross Deadpool thing, maybe twice, I have no idea]

TC: What'd you say?

N: I dunno.

TC: Me neither I just remember thinking you were wrong.

N: [looks it up, or we'll be here all week] DOOMSDAY

TC: Stop, stop, stop - didn't we also say Lord of the Rings cave troll?

N: I can't remember if it was me or somebody else.

TC: Do cave troll.

[we search]

N: Holy shit. He's in the club.

[image chosen; best one is of him pointing; I later add the touch of a framed photo of King Kong that's inexplicably hanging in the barber shop, also next to it a photo of Captain Shitty Render]

N: But Doomsday.

TC: Do it.

[image chosen; this was also a bitch, I had to blur and cobble and blend and hide part of his bottom half because ZACK SNYDER LOVES SHOOTING EVERYTHING LIKE WE'RE IN A DANK CAVE]

N: They're so glad Bane pulls through, because Preddy won't shut the fuck up about him.

TC: It's because his last boyfriend was garbage, keeps hanging out with humans, and Bane's loyal, like he was to that chick from Inception, like----

N: LIKE DOG

[the bottle is empty; we are sleepy]

The Results

I regret not adding an aquarium with a squid.

The Aftermath

Both TC and my Tumblr wife @butiaintgonnaloveem had reactions that can nicely tuck under the umbrella of [in concerned tone] Nash are you okay, like, is life beating you down somehow, this is crazypants which I appreciate from the latter, but as for the former I pointed out that they are my enabler/dealer/peer-pressurer in every bit of this.

There is no end to this post. 

[felassan]

Tomorrow, beyond, [ME]: Andromeda & [you]

Okay squiddos, so - it seems like in terms of Mass Effect: Andromeda news/information, tomorrow (Feb 23rd) is gonna be big/good.

The press were recently given significant looks at the game. If shinobi is to be believed, “they got several hours of hands-on”, and the embargo lifts tomorrow, supposedly at 9am Eastern. That’s 2pm GMT (here is a timezone converter if you need one). Apparently, the press will be allowed to discuss everything they saw in their previews, including missions they played, side missions, gameplay, lore, all six squadmates and how the game begins (but not how Ryder becomes the Pathfinder). 

Even if shinobi can’t be taken at his word or he’s just “predicting” stuff which is obvious/otherwise known (he seems to do that sometimes), there’s other things floating around. IGN have tweeted about a long and thoughtful 2000 word ME:A preview article that should surface at some point tomorrow. [EDIT: UPDATE - This article is going live on IGN at 6am PT, and is reportedly spoiler-free, with the writer saying that she doesn’t discuss the story or narrative at all.] IGN are holding Unlocked (I think that’s a podcast) tomorrow at a specific time so that they can talk about Andromeda there too. Dev Ian Frazier tweeted that the press who saw chargen will be allowed to talk/answer questions about what they saw tomorrow. This Reddit user (who is presumably part of the press) is gearing up and taking questions for an AMA about what they saw during 3 hours of play, saying that they can post answers from 1am Australian eastern time on Friday morning (which is around 9am Eastern, you guessed it, tomorrow [if I’m calculating things right -!]). Beyond “tomorrow” specifically, there are more videos in the gameplay series to come (supposedly the next one may coming out on Friday), Jaal information coming at some point (people are speculating tomorrow for that based on the times the previous character profiles were put up), etc. 

Even if shinobi is just saying things, it’s definitely true that with the previews and such tomorrow, there could be spoilery information or things that some would consider spoilery among the news. And, tomorrow itself aside for a second, with stuff like PAX (March 10-12th, BioWare are going to have a panel there and they say it’s going to be big, Cora’s writer will be there [EDIT: UPDATE - the panel and Q&A is from 4-5pm local time on March 10th, and is stated to contain never-before-seen gameplay and new secrets about what lies beyond the Milky Way, but no spoilers]) on the horizon and the upcoming early access trial, we’re definitely entering the period where some spoilers are going to start flying around. Therefore for those of you who are intending to go dark or considering going dark, I’d say now might be a good time to do so (just my opinion). If you’re looking for an alternative, safer community to fill your “Mass Effect discussion” fix til the game comes out (sadly on Tumblr people can’t all be trusted to tag things properly, and there’s no moderation of that sort of thing), I think r/masseffect might be a good shout. From the sounds of things, it seems like the mods there will be doing their utmost to enforce and ensure that people can browse the sub without stumbling into blatant, poorly-handled spoiler titles and information.

[EDIT: UPDATE - Ian has tweeted more details about the potential for spoilers. Press played both early and mid-game content, so light spoilage is possible. Read carefully.]

Now, I would have had to make a post with the following housekeeping information and request at some point soon anyway, so off the back of the above, now is as good a time as any.

For those of you who feel you know enough already, want to discover the rest in-game as you play or who are otherwise concerned about spoilers, but want to keep reading my blog, here’s some essential housekeeping relating to spoilers: this is not a spoiler-free blog. However, starting from tomorrow because of the lifting embargo and stuff, I’ll be tagging spoilers with all of the following tags - “spoilers”, “spoiler”, “Mass Effect: Andromeda spoilers”, “Mass Effect: Andromeda spoiler”, “Mass Effect Andromeda spoilers”, “Mass Effect Andromeda spoilers”, “Andromeda spoilers”, “Andromeda spoiler”, “MEA spoilers” and “MEA spoiler” - in an effort to catch as much of them for as many of you as possible. Hopefully that list is extensive enough. Add to your blacklist as applicable. It’s hard for me to say right now what will constitute a spoiler for me to tag in the first place... Any further or detailed story information I’d class as a spoiler, same for specific details about missions and further information on characters (not including Jaal’s official character profile, if he gets one), basically anything not officially said or revealed by BioWare themselves in their marketing, and further down the line, all things I find out from playing the game after launch definitely - but I’ll try my best. Any leaked or supposedly-leaked information is already posted/discussed under a cut with pre-warnings - any more of these will be now be tagged with the same spoiler tags. Hopefully that helps you out somewhat with your experience of my blog, anyway. I’ll understand if you need to unfollow for a while or would rather be safe than sorry, etc. If you have any issues, questions or requests regarding this sort of thing, feel free to send me a message.

On that note, I actually don’t want to know much more about the game in terms of lore, characters and story than what I do right now, so I’ll be trying to avoid spoilery stuff myself. I definitely don’t really want to know stuff to do with characters/story that comes from sources other than BioWare’s official marketing (EXCEPTION: the list of LIs and their sexualities). With that in mind, from now on news/information posts might be patchy or otherwise not contain everything that’s come to light. I’ll be trying to navigate the spoiler minefield to find spoiler-free rundowns of new information put together by other people who don’t care about spoilers, and especially towards and following the early access trial and launch itself I’ll be limiting my time on Tumblr and other sites, stuff like that. I want to enjoy and discover the game as I play it just as you do. Also with that in mind, I’m turning off Anon asks from now until after I feel I’ve played through the game sufficiently (probably a week/some weeks or so after release). I’m doing that because in the past (DA:I) people have seen fit to send me spoilers on Anon, for whatever reason. Sorry in advance for any inconvenience caused by these things, especially the Anon thing (cause I love getting messages!). :( Because of this preference to not be spoiled I also have to ask that you don’t send me links to new leaks, send me asks discussing spoilers from articles that you haven’t seen me post about, ask me my thoughts on [x] story revelation that you haven’t seen me post about, tell me about your reaction to something that happened in your playthrough shortly after launch, etc until a reasonable amount of time since launch has passed or you see a post from me saying I’m turning on Anon asks again or that I’ve finished my initial playthroughs (something to that effect).

Closer to the trial and to launch I’ll reblog this information a couple of times. My liveblogging tag for the game is going to be “MJ in Andromeda”, so you may wish to blacklist this also.

Hopefully we can work together to keep the game unspoiled and our Tumblr site-experiences as regular and smooth as possible. :)

Thanks for reading, sry for the longpost, I know it was pretty damn dry.