#Is it any wonder it's a kid's greatest fantasy?

[phoenixcatch7]

Remembering my first time playing oot as a kid and hearing about the heroes of legend, those who had used the master sword before. And because I wasn't part of the larger community, no internet etc, I didn't know I was supposed to think of the other zelda games.

My theory was that every zelda game took place simultaneously across an infinite sea of parallel worlds, and each link could reach out and witness the other adventures alongside their own. I thought of them as different facets of the same soul, which turned out to be true enough, I suppose XD.

But I also thought the master sword was too simple a name and design, too overarching to not, similarly, be a culmination of different aspects, referencing different swords from real world myth and legend.

I remember I believed past heroes referred to people like King Authur, like Odin, like Hercules and Theseus and Achillies, like legendary samurai and kings under hills and travelling swordsmen and ladies lost to time.

And now, this small child, this little backwater kid my age was going to take up that mantle, join the ranks of heroes unsung, perform great feats in forgotten temples and save the suffering kingdom, here and gone, to slip back to home and safety upon journey's end, the kid with a hero's story and a precious, gleeful secret. That was how a lot of stories go, when they're targeted at little kids. Save the fairy kingdom from the bad pixie and run back to your parents before they wonder too long where you've been.

The direction Nintendo ended up going with making a canon timeline and destroying the mystery of how it all began (tho SS is amazing) takes a lot of the fable, the secrecy, the hushed gleam in the eye of it. But I still love it. For older players, it's another turn of the cycle, the new and old mixing into something unrecognisable and yet so familiar.

For new players, for children, the creator truly captured that feeling of stepping into another world behind your own, shifting ivy aside with your dirt scuffed hand, the feeling of wonder welling up inside as you step into the sunbeams of a brand new horizon where everything they told you about magic is true. The feeling of becoming something greater than the sum of your parts, of hearing a thousand silent voices at your back, of meeting equal with the legend, of being good for the sake of it and being rewarded with making a thousand memories, a thousand experiences beyond your wildest dreams.

Of, at the end of it all, being rewarded with the privacy and peace you really wanted, not being forced to perform nice for rude adults and go on stage to accept your little trophies. Something to cradle in your heart and smile secretive smiles, to be true to yourself, to always have that little something extra, something adults will never notice but you know. You know, and you will never breathe a word of that beautiful, magical world, because it's just. For. You.

I suppose that's always why I've liked the epilogue of a zelda game, the Links all choosing to close the loop, to return the master sword and return to their peaceful lives. To fulfil your purpose. To become everything they said you'd be and more. To go home, and your enemies don't follow.

The adults doubt your magic, but you don't. Not anymore.

[blamebrampton]

Books talk to each other. Mostly because practically every writer is also a voracious reader, but also because books arise out of times and places and we share a lot of our worlds these days. So it’s unsurprising that several novels I have hugely enjoyed over the past few years share the theme of the antiheroine who is past all giving of the fucks. Naomi Novik’s powerful dark sorceress kept on her own tight leash in the Scholomance books was a joy to follow; Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow slashed her way into my heart and now Sarah Rees Brennan’s Long Live Evil has added to a list of beloved antiheroines that probably started for me with Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair.

Coincidentally, when considering how to describe Long Live Evil without significant spoilers, I realised that it shared several major themes with Vanity Fair. Young woman unfairly treated by fate decides to embrace her slut era to survive a war zone – both very accurate and wildly inaccurate for both. LLE opens with main character Rae in a hospital bed, teasing her sister about a book series they both adore. Rae is taking refuge in the story they have shared over years because it is one of the few things they have left: she is losing her fight against cancer and has been losing parts of her life, family and memory as that fight has progressed.

My personal hospital experiences have all been to do with major traumas rather than illness, which I vastly prefer because if you don’t die in the first couple of days, you usually start mending and you can immediately make plans to make the best of whatever you’ve broken. Rees Brennan, however, famously wrote a very funny, very horrible, ‘Kids, you won’t believe what shenanigans your girl’s been up to now, it’s only stage four Hodgkins lymphoma!’ post on her Tumblr or LJ (someone who has been hit in the head with taxis fewer times than me will doubtless factcheck that in the notes) about seven or eight years ago and then faced the very serious business of trying to live. The hospital scenes are painfully authentic, as are the stories of people who have left Rae as she slipped further out of everyday life.

For Rees Brennan, a loving family and peer group were there to hold her as close as they could. For Rae, only her beloved little sister, Alice, and Time of Iron, their favourite fantasy series, remain. They read the books together, remember adventures cosplaying and watching the musical, they wonder about the final instalment; for Rae it’s a joy she can still share (even if she doesn’t remember as much as she should), for Alice, it’s her two greatest loves. When a strange woman offers a door into the world of the book and a possible magical cure to Rae, she wants it as much as she disbelieves it.

Stepping into Eyam, the land of Time of Iron, Rae finds herself in the body of a villain doomed to die the next day. No worries! She’s thought and fought her way out of worse scraps than this in her past as a head cheerleader, let alone while battling cancer. She can use her knowledge of the plot to change things! If only she remembered more of the books…

Portal fantasies are common enough, but not all play by the same rules. This isn’t Narnia, where the magical world is more real than our own, for Rae, the world of the book is nothing more a tool to get her hands on the cure. She doesn’t need to care about any of these people, they’re not real. Most of them speak in a formal language that relies on the conventions of fantasy literature (there is an ongoing, warm-hearted skewering of all Game of Thrones-esque texts running through both the story and the in-text ‘quotes’ from Time of Iron) and half the characters are known more by their descriptions rather than their names. So she will play the Beauty Dipped in Blood, with her questionable morals, impractical clothes and centre-of-balance-distorting boobs for the weeks that will pass until the cure is available. Whoever she has to shuffle in the plot to secure a place beside that cure, she will shuffle. While she’s not out to kill anyone, it’s not as though they were ever really alive. Not like her. If she has to be the villain to survive, she will be an impeccable one. The people will cheer evil on!

Obviously, little goes to plan. Rae’s illness has taught her cruelty, but she hasn’t forgotten what it is to be kind. Even as she manipulates her role into ongoing main character, she realises that’s not how anyone gets a happy ending. That’s not how she can live with herself. As she comes to think of the other people in the story as real, they become more so, both in how we read them and in how they impact the story. Rae remembers what it is like to make friends, which she never meant to, but, oh, the luxury after years of watching people slip away!

As in previous novel In Other Lands, Rees Brennan has a long list of fantasy tropes to embrace and undermine, and her deft touch with humour is as evident as ever here, but her publishers call this her first adult novel and there is a shift in tone from her previous works. Anger is more real and lasting. Consequences are more significant. Understanding is reached for, even if it’s bitter. One of my favourite things is that she lets her female characters rage, but never judges those who can’t, whether because they’re too powerless or just too tired, and her male characters are allowed to be people if they choose to be — which all but the most vainglorious do.

I hadn’t paid much attention beyond checking the release date for the book, so didn’t realise it was the first in a series. For me, it worked perfectly as a standalone novel, even with the unended threads, which would have perfectly balanced Rae’s unfinished life. That said, I am very happy to know we will spend more time with these characters in the future. I want more. I do want to know if there is a hope for Rae, if this is the fever dream of a fading life, if this is the story Alice has told to ease her sister from the world or something else. There are a dozen characters I hope for, at least three happy endings that would bring joy. But don’t wait for the next books: sink your teeth into this one and believe what it says about the importance of listening to stories rather than just falling in love with characters. Though if you find yourself cheering on Rae, or her servant Emer, the elusive Eric, Horrible Hortensia or almost any of the others, I am the last person who will judge you.

[plutoccult]

MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE

pairing: jean kirstein x female reader

description: a few years after the successful peace negotiations, you and jean celebrate his first birthday with your new baby boy, but jean can’t help but look back on what it took to get to this day after dreaming of it as much as he could hope to live without breathing.

word count: 1.2k

also available to read on my ao3 here

author’s note: something short and sweet that’s not soul crushing angst. a shocker on my end, really. BUT, the attack on titan anime has finally ended. it’s like a chapter of my life is over, but a chapter ending only means a new one beginning. i always wanted to write something that depicted some sort of event after the end of the story, so it’s nice to fully bring that vision into fruition. i love writing for jean and i’ll miss him and the rest of the characters so very much, but the writing doesn’t end here for me! more content will come out of me until i get bored of it. i do, however, hope you enjoy this little fluff piece.

when dreaming about what life could be without titans or any worries, jean always knew what the perfect life would be for him. it was always consisted of the same fantasy; sitting out on a balcony with a glass of the finest liquor in hand, wife inside the house, and a newborn baby with the cutest, most innocent smile in his wife’s arms. the ideal daydream used to have a faceless woman, then mikasa took over for a brief second after being struck by her upon their first meeting, but now it’s been the same face for many, many years. since falling head over feet completely, jean could now only picture his future with you bearing his love and his children, and only that would be the perfect life for him. nothing else, just you.

sometimes jean wondered what life would be like if marco were still around. who would have died in his place instead of him that day? who would’ve had to deal with the pain of losing their best friend instead of him? would he live next door to jean’s dream home and babysit the kids whenever? jean liked to imagine marco as the perfect uncle. uncle marco. if only it could all be real. even so, all these years later, he was grateful for the life he had been given.

after years of hell fighting for the greater good, jean was finally able to settle down and live that perfect life he so desperately craved in his youth. he wasn’t very young anymore; small wrinkles began to form, his muscles grew tired far more easily, signs that he was starting to grow old, but not quite just yet. there was still more life to live, so much more he could live for.

today was jean’s birthday, and just like his teenage fantasies, he sat on a balcony with a glass of whiskey just as he imagined. the view of the town he lived in was great, but not the greatest. the only difference between jean’s dreams and his reality that there wasn’t a barrier between him and what he wanted most; you, holding your little baby boy in your arms.

caught in the middle of daydreaming, you emerge from inside the house and join jean on the balcony with your son. you gently grab the baby’s hand and pretend to act like he’s the one waving to jean, which makes him smile.

“does baby marco want to say hi to daddy?” you coo while jean looked at the two of you in awe. naming your child after marco was always in the cards, neither of you doubted it for a second when you both expressed wanting children. it was just the most beautiful thing in the world when he was finally born, after all this time of knowing what you wanted.

“here, lemme hold him.” jean offered, extending his arms out for baby marco. you carefully hand him over then sit down and watch as the infant reached his hands out to grab jean’s face, who was gently cradling him in his arms. “he’s getting so big now, i can’t even believe it.”

“i know.” you say with a smile on your face. “by the way, some letters came in the mail for you.”

“from who?” he questioned.

“armin and mikasa, of course. reiner and pieck too.” you began to ramble, listing off the names of all who sent letters for jean on his birthday. “oh, can’t forget connie. and then levi sent something that gabi and falco seemed to have signed—”

“so… pretty much everyone?” jean interrupted with a chuckle.

“queen historia as well.” you end off the list, giggling to yourself for forgetting such an important name. you simply can’t forget the queen, after all. “oopsie.”

“well, i oughta write everyone back as soon as possible.” he said, but you disagreed.

“you can write after cake, okay? i’ll go grab it now.” you say, standing up from your seat so you could head inside of the house.

“i told you i could make it.” jean insisted. “i don’t like making you do the work for me.”

although his words were sweet, you wouldn’t do that to him today out of all days. “make your own birthday cake? please. i’ll be right back.”

jean sat with baby marco close to him while you disappeared into the house for his birthday treat. you come back with a cake that has an array of lit candles, gently setting it down on the table as far away from the baby as possible. you take the baby out of jean’s hands while you sing happy birthday to him and sit across the table, your voice as soothing as the breeze.

when it was time for jean to blow out the candles and make a wish, he simply couldn’t think of anything to wish for. he finally had everything he ever wanted; the love of his life, a family of his own, and most importantly, peace. you both fought like hell a million times over to get here, doing things you regretted all the time. the past you shared together was ridden with sin, but the future didn’t have to be, and right now, the future was bright and golden like daylight.

if there was anything to possibly wish for, it was for things to stay just like this, so jean closed his eyes and blew out the candles and wished just for that. his eyes opened up to the sight of you and your son, and he was so happy to see it right in front of him.

“happy birthday, jean.” you say softly. baby marco beamed with the most innocent grin, his youthful laugh almost bringing jean to tears.

“thank you, my love.” he mustered up the words to say without crying.

jean insisted he cut the cake himself. seeing as you made it, this was the least he could do, and you didn’t argue. he sliced a piece for you first and set it down in front of you, watching as baby marco eyed the cake in complete awe.

jean’s eyes stray away from cutting his own piece as he found himself watching you with the baby. you were trying to eat your cake, but you couldn’t help but laugh at marco trying to get some of it from your fork.

“ah, no, no, no. you can’t have cake.” you coo, booping baby marco on the nose.

it was times like these that made jean so grateful. he captured even the smallest grain of a moment, cherishing every single one with the thought that tomorrow is not always promised, even when you two were free of the burdens of a solider saving humanity. no matter how many times he made a wish on some candies, there was always that “what if?” thought in the back of his brain that this some day would be taken away from him.

you look up and catch jean staring at you as if he were frozen, like he was taking a million pictures with his eyes. “what are you doing?”

“remembering this.” he simply replied, the best way he could put it all into words.

the love you had for each other and the life that’s been given to you would always be yours, all yours, and it would last beyond the very last breath both of you would take. in the end, all of the hardships were worth living to see this day.

© plutoccult / 310802. please do not copy, repost, modify, or translate any of my content in or outside of tumblr. reblogs are appreciated <3

[raph-fangirl]

Snippet from a new story I'm working on :)

Just started this new demon x reader story! im thinking it's gonna be pretty short, like a novella. hope y'all enjoy!

warnings: language, violence, masturbation, sexual/kinky fantasy

Chapter One

Your life was perfect until the demon came.

Your husband, Ruben, had just been promoted at his job. You unfortunately didn’t know much about it, only that he worked for the government and whatever he was doing was top secret. But you didn’t mind that, because the love between the two of you was real. And that’s what mattered the most.

He bought you a pretty little house in the suburbs. You wanted to paint it pink and attempted to plant a vegetable garden, but HOA wasn’t having any of that. Life there was slightly stifling—after your upbringing in the country—but as long as you and Ruben were together, it didn’t matter where you lived. 

You tried to pillage out a life for yourself while he was gone all day—bake sales, book club, bridge games. The ladies in the neighborhood were unbearably kind to you, and they always asked if you were expecting, but you assured them with a winning smile that you had just been eating too much cream pie as of late.

Ruben told you he loved you no matter your looks, and that he was sure it was just weight you had gained from all the baking you had been doing. You wondered what you had possibly done in your life to earn such a gem of a man. With that slick black hair and tan skin and kind eyes. 

You were just kids when you met, he was sixteen and you were fourteen. Your best friend was going steady with him, and they invited you out on a drive together one day. By the end of the ride, Ruben asked you to take the passenger seat.

Four years later you married. Four years after that you had your forever home. Four more years would you have a kid, or two, or three? 

Tonight was pasta night. You and Ruben would have a glass of wine, or two, and then make love. Back when you were first married, you did it practically every night of the week. Now you were lucky if pasta night even did the trick. 

You launched a string of spaghetti on the wall. It stuck. You took the pot off the stove, dished out the noodles onto two plates, then finished with the meat sauce. For your own indulgence, you added some parsley on top. You smiled at the little green leaves and how pretty your dish had turned out.

Ruben should have been home thirty minutes ago, he promised as he dashed out the door that morning. But you’d gotten used to him being late. 

You lit some candles and ate in silence. You meant to have only one glass of wine but another evening alone required a little more drink.

You cleaned up the kitchen and stuffed Ruben’s plate into a tupperware container before sliding it in the fridge. 

As per usual on pasta nights when he didn’t make it home on time, you slinked into a nice hot bubble bath and proceeded to pleasure yourself. You hated yourself for it but couldn’t help it. In your mind’s eye, you imagined a big strong man with long flowy hair having his way with you. You moaned, aching at the thought of him railing into you on the beach, the waves cascading over your curves. He would grab you so hard it almost hurt.

Ruben had always been gentle with you, loving. But lately you’d found yourself craving more than just the ten minute humping fest. That gentleness he always had with you faded away into something more like passivity as of late. But you figured it was just stress from work. He’d had a lot going on lately and just wanted to come home, scarf down his leftovers, and go straight to sleep after work. It was fine. Every night before he crashed off to sleep he told you he needed you and loved you desperately—that you were the greatest accomplishment of his life. That was all you needed to hear to be able to wake up the next day and bear doing everything all over again. 

Ruben was exceptionally late tonight, though. It was teetering on midnight. You tried to stay awake, fighting off sleep as you lay in bed. But eventually you nodded off, and dreamt of the man with wavy hair at the beach. He grunted as he slammed into you, but soon those grunts turned into yelps. Yelps that almost sounded like Ruben. 

You awoke with a start. It was Ruben, screaming. Pleading. 

You flung the covers off and dashed out of bed, racing to your puffy pink robe and slippers, shaking as you put them on. Ruben’s shrieks grew louder, hailing from the living room. 

As you were just about to open the bedroom door, the voice of another man boomed: “You know why I’m here.” 

You stopped in your tracks. He sounded ferocious, his voice much gruffer and deeper than your husband’s, or any other man for that matter. Blood rushed to your head as you tried to come up with a plan of action. 

“No, please no,” Ruben pleaded. “I didn’t know!”

“Shut the fuck up!” 

A crash. 

A shudder shot down your spine. Your hands shook as you reached for the door handle. You twisted it, careful not to make the door hinges creak. 

“Please, please don’t kill me!”

“Once I’m done with you, you’ll wish I’d have killed you, you monster. I’m going to take everything you love away from you, just like you took everything away from me.”

You peeped an eyeball through the crack in the door and caught sight of a large shadow looming over the living room. 

“God, no, please! I was just doing my job, I didn’t know what they were going to do with what I built!”

“Like fuck you did, you piece of shit. You knew what you were creating.” 

Who was this man? What did he want with your husband? You didn’t have time to ponder before the horror of Ruben crawling across the floor sent you over the edge. You clasped a hand over your mouth to stifle your scream. He was covered in blood, his perfect face bruised.

Pounding footsteps echoed across the room, and one enormous hand reached down and grabbed the collar of Ruben’s shirt, pulling him back out of your sight. The mystery man’s hands were red, blood red. 

“Oh no you don’t. You’re comin’ with me, pal.” 

Ruben squealed and retched. 

You slunk out from behind the bedroom door and tiptoed down the hallway, your back against the wall. 

“Where are you taking me?” Ruben’s voice sounded weaker and weaker.

“To Hell, where you belong.”

You took a deep breath, tears streaming down your face, before peeping around the corner into the living room. Ruben was on the floor, and the man… 

No. Not a man. A monster. 

He had his back to you, but he was so tall his head nearly scraped the popcorn ceilings. Not only were his hands red, but his whole body. He was frighteningly muscular, and you knew he could snap you and your husband in two with one finger. Everything caved in around you and your vision darkened. A hole grew within you and you felt yourself sinking into it. 

The monster dragged your husband over to a circle with strange etchings on the floor, hoisting him up to stand straight. Suddenly, the circle lit up. 

You knew at once what was happening. And this demon was not about to take the only thing that mattered to you in life to hell. Without thinking, you sprinted to your husband. Time slowed down as you ran, like you were treading water. You knocked Ruben out of the way in a split second, and he fell on the ground, out of the circle. You spun around and caught a flash of the demon’s horrid, snarling face. His eyes bore into your soul, then widened at the realization of what you’d just done as a flash of light spread throughout the living room. The place you had come to call home faded away as a ribbon of white strangled you and carried you off.

Chapter Two

You awoke to a strange scent. It was not the candlewick smell of home, but of ash and dust and smoke.

Coughing, you sat up. Wherever you were, it was suffocatingly dark.

“Finally. Thought you’d never wake up,” a familiar gruff voice snarled.

Footsteps echoed before bright light tore into your eyes. You leaned back, covering your face with your hands. 

“Up and at ‘em, sunshine.”

“Wh-where am I?” Your voice sounded so tired.

“Take a look around, princess.” 

You opened your eyes. A dingy motel room. You felt the scratchy covers beneath you. Dust covered every inch of the place.

You looked up, and saw it standing menacingly at the windows, hand on the ugly burgundy curtains.

You wanted to scream, but the sound got caught in your dry throat.

“Don’t scream. I’ve had enough torture for one day.”

“Why did you bring me here? What have you done with my husband?!” 

“Your husband,” the demon growled, “is at an emergency hospital getting his wounds treated. He’ll recover.”

You took a deep breath as a wave of relief crashed into you. All that mattered was that Ruben was safe and away from this thing. Whatever torture he would undoubtedly inflict upon you, you could handle it. But not your Ruben.

“What do you want with me?”

“What do I–” He leaned back and laughed, a dark harrowing sound. “I didn’t even know you existed before last night. You weren’t exactly part of my plan, princess.”

You shuddered at the nickname. “Don’t call me that again.”

“Or what?” He crossed his arms. Thick black hairs sprawled up across them, contrasting against his blood red skin. 

He was awfully well dressed for a demon, you had to admit. A white button down shirt that he had rolled up to his elbow, and tight black pants and black dress shoes. 

“Staring me up and down, eh? Isn’t that considered rude where you come from?” he challenged. 

Your mind fogged up. You weren’t clear headed enough to be sparring words with a demon. 

“But to answer your question,” he moved away from the window, pacing about the tiny motel room, “I have no clue what the fuck I’m going to do with you.” His eyes sparked fiery red. “I only was approved for one trip to Earth to carry out my plan, and I come back with the wrong guy. Do you know how much paperwork I had to file just to come back empty-handed?” 

You paused to think. “Then what did you want with my husband?”

“That’s not exactly information I can just give out, princess. Oops–” he raised his fingers to his mouth in feigned innocence. “Forgot you don’t like to be called that.”

You looked down at your lap. Your hands were bloodstained, you presumed from when you had pushed Ruben out of the way.

“How did I get here?”

“You fainted on the portal ride over. Been knocked out ever since.”

“I meant— in the bed.”

He fell silent. “Well, I didn’t just wanna drag ya. I’m not a monster.”

So he carried you. Great.

“I still don’t really know where I am.” You tried to look out the window, but it was too bright outside to make out anything other than white dust. “In the desert somewhere?”

“Kinda. You’re at the border between worlds.”

Your eyes bugged out. “What?!”

“Don’t worry. You’re still safe, at least here you are.”

You shot up out of bed, thankful to see you still had your robe and slippers on. “What do you mean, border between worlds? Am I still on Earth? Is this hell? Purgatory?”

“A purgatory of sorts, I suppose.”

You marched your way over to the window. It was just, nothing. Blank. White. 

“This is the inspection point between Earth and the other worlds,” he explained, turning around to face outside. “Peaceful, yeah?”

“No! Not peaceful! Where is— anything!” You pressed your face up against the windowpane. Dust caked up on your skin.

“There is a diner nearby. I’ll take you there.”

“A diner? In this hell?”

“Oh, trust me. Hell ain’t nothin’ like this, hon.” 

Tears welled up in your eyes. “I just wanna go home…”

“Welp, you made your decision last night when you jumped into my portal at the last second.”

“I was only trying to save my husband!” You faced him, standing up on your tippy-toes to be taller. It was the first time you’d really gotten a close up look at his face. His nose and mouth were turned upward in a permanent sneer. His eyes were dark, black, cold. Although you could have sworn at some point you’d seen them burn fiery red. His hair was jet black, slicked back with gel and neatly combed. And of course his face was just the awfullest shade of blood red. 

“That was your first mistake.” He gnashed his fangs together and then tore away from you. 

You scoffed. 

“Come on, get dressed,” you heard him say from behind.

“With what? It’s not like I—” You turned around. The demon opened a wardrobe full of the most magnificent clothes you’d ever seen. They were just dazzling, a rainbow of different colors. Within the backdrop of the dingy room, it was like a butterfly batting its iridescent wings against the hood of a rusty old truck.

“I figured you probably had pretty extravagant taste, at least based off of that ridiculous robe and slippers.” 

You pretended not to hear him calling your outfit ridiculous as you rushed over to the clothes. “Did you just go out and buy these?” You felt the fabric of each and every one of them.

“Nope. Conjured them up.”

“Oh my goodness! Thank—”

You caught yourself and let go of the fabric. “Wait. No.” This had to be some kind of trick. You took a few steps back from him and the wardrobe. “This isn’t right. You tried to kill my husband last night and I want to know why.”

“Like I said, princess—”

You shriveled up your face.

“That’s not something I can just reveal to anybody.”

“Then why are you treating me to all these clothes? Why take me to eat at a diner? Why not just kill me here and now?!”

“I have to have a permit to go out and kill people, sweetheart. And you aren’t exactly worth the paperwork. I have no reason to kill you.”

“Oh, but my husband was fair game?”

He gave you a long hard look over before licking his lips and stuffing his hulk hands in his pockets. “You don’t know the first thing about your husband, do you? Tell me, what does he do for work?”

“He—” Your face softened.

“That’s what I thought.” He moved away from the wardrobe, to the other side of the room. “You are just an innocent bystander who happened to get caught in my portal. It would not look good on my record for me to kill you, so I won’t. I’ll just make the most of our time together while I figure out what the fuck I’m gonna do with you.” 

Your breaths quickened. “So, I’m just— just supposed to live with you?”

“Don’t worry, I have a nice spot picked out for us.” You thought you saw the slightest smirk on his face.

Your features mushed together, and for the first time since meeting this demon, you screamed.

[adorethedistance]

RollerMagic - Quinn Hughes x Reader

Hockey Masterlist

Warnings: mention of vomit, swearing, suggestive comment

Words: 1904

Requested:��could you write about quinn pleeeease. had a dream last night: Quinn was in New Jersey for a Canucks and Devils game and went out with his brothers to a roller rink (?), met a girl by the candy machine (her candy had gotten stuck and he politely punched the machine to catch it) they spent the night talking (the two youngest Hughes looking for him like fools) and he invited her to watch the game and, soon after, a date; she said she would go to the game but would only accept the date if he scored a goal for her (he scored a hat trick)

A/n: Listen I don't know Quinn very well so I was not going for realism on this one. This is literally just my best guess at flirting with him but I truly don't know him enough to know if this is true to his character so I'm sorry for that! I've also just never done a Quinn fic before so first time for everything I guess?

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” I say to myself as the small pack of Skittles I’d just bought becomes wedged between the coils of the vending machine. I gently bang on the glass but the Skittles packet doesn’t budge. Utterly defeated, I huff out a soft sigh before dropping my head and staring at the fluorescent patterning of the Arcade carpet. Today is not my day.

I was late to work because of my car stalling, some kid puked in the middle of the roller rink and I had to clean it up, I left my lunchbox on the kitchen counter by accident, and now the only food that I had enough cash on me to buy was stuck in the vending machine. Could this day get any worse?

I lift my head, preparing to cut my losses, when I lock eyes with a guy who is probably around my age but definitely attractive. His wavy brown hair and soft eyes shimmer in the dim arcade lighting. He smiles at me politely and I smile back, too absorbed by my own infatuation to think twice about it. He glances to either side before making his way over. I panic internally at the idea of such a cute stranger heading my way, but I can’t bring myself to walk away.

“You doing alright?” The hazel-eyed boy asks upon seeing me in distress. 

“I’m great!” I fake being chipper as we both know the real answer. He laughs softly at the joke and I relax a tiny bit at the idea of making a good impression. “How much of that did you see?” I ask, praying his answer will keep my dignity intact. He hesitates for a moment before answering,

“Honestly? Everything.”

“Good. Good! This is good. First, I have a terrible day, and now a really cute boy has officially witnessed my latest and greatest downfall? This is just great.” I ramble out of intense nervousness.

“You think I’m cute?” He teases inquisitively. I search and scan my brain for a witty response to no avail.

“It was hypothetical?” I say though it comes out as more of a question than a statement.

“What’s hypothetical?”

“I don’t know, I was hoping if I said it with enough conviction that you wouldn’t question it.” The cute stranger apparently thinks this is very funny and heartily laughs at my confession.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I got your name?”

“Y/n.” 

“Y/n,” he softly repeats my name, smiling at the way it sounds in his own voice. “I’m Quinn by the way.” Quinn extends his right hand politely, and the feeling of his strong hand in mine gives me butterflies. The shape of his palms and the length of his fingers. I wonder what it would feel like to have one around the base of my neck and the other in between-

“Nice to meet you, Y/n.” I blink rapidly to shake away the brief fantasy. God, it’s been a while.

“Uh, you too…?

“Quinn.”

“Quinn!” Quinn. “Quinn what?”

“Quinn Hughes.”

“Pretty good name.”

“Thanks, I guess?”

“Has a pretty good ring…” I pause, unsure of why I needed to tell him that.

“Have you worked here a while?” He asks, and my brows furrow in confusion.

“How do you know I work here?” Quinn laughs heartily before realizing I’m not making a joke. 

“You… you’re wearing a name tag and a t-shirt that says RollerMagic.” I close my eyes and wince at my own unfathomable obliviousness. I’m surprised he’s still talking to me with the way this conversation is going.

“Right. It’s been a long day.”

“Tell me about it.”

“What happened with you?” I ask, genuinely curious about the day of the slightly less unfamiliar boy. Not that I could even help the sudden interest. Especially when he looks at me this kindly and smells like icy sandalwood. 

“Also a bad day at work.”

“Where do you work?”

“Vancouver.” My jaw drops and Quinn bursts out laughing at the more than apparent shock on my face. I don’t laugh though, I just look at him bewildered, waiting for an explanation.

“Care to elaborate?”

“I play hockey.” “Like, for a living?”

“You could say that. Although it took a bit before making a living since I was drafted in 2018.”

“Oh shit, you’ve been pro since 2018?” He nods, surprisingly patient with my disbelief. “So you’re like, rich rich?” Quinn laughs at the question and concedes a little bit.

“I don’t know about that-”

“I know what sports contracts pay, my mom is a lawyer. Also, look at your watch. You can’t pretend and play coy when you’re wearing something that expensive.” 

“Touché. What about you? You never answered my question.”

“I’ve been working here since Freshman year so coming up on four years now.”

“You’re a student?”

“Yeah.”

“Where at?”

“Princeton.”

“Holy shit. So you’re like smart smart?” Quinn makes fun of me and I roll my eyes at him.

“Okay, I see how that sounds now. Wait if you’re from Vancouver what are you doing here?”

“We’re playing the New Jersey Devils? Ever heard of them?”

“No, I got that, you little priss. I mean why are you here as in why are you at a roller rink?”

“I don’t know. My idiot brothers were hellbent on going to an arcade.”

“Do they play for Vancouver also?” I ask playfully.

“They play for Jersey actually.”

“I was kidding…” After I trail off, Quinn and I begin laughing, the absurdity of the conversation continuously growing in magnitude. “But like, both of them?”

“Yep.”

“How did that happen?”

“You ask a lot of questions.” He states in a non-judgemental, yet amused tone.

“Only when someone is interesting enough to be worth interrogating.” Quinn smiles flirtatiously and I drop my eyes to the floor, shocked by my own boldness.

“You’re really cute,” He says simply, as if the very statement didn’t ignite every nerve in my body.

“So did Vancouver lose and that’s why you had a bad day at work?”

“No, just a rough practice. The game is tonight actually.”

“Good luck,” I say without any snark or playfulness. Just a legitimate regard for his success. Quinn is taken aback by the genuine care and he smiles brightly as a result.

“Thanks.”

“I’ve never been to a hockey game before.”

“Never?!”

“Never.”

“Well, then you��ve gotta come to the game tonight.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Are you working late?”

“No, I’m off at six.”

“That’s perfect.”

“I don’t- I’m not-” I sigh, unsure of how much or little I should share with Quinn in this moment. “I can’t really afford a hockey game right now.” I put as simply as possible. Quinn pauses for a moment and then laughs softly.

“Don’t even worry about it.”

“...What?”

“Don’t worry about it.” I stare at him dumbfounded as if I’m stunned he could be so nonchalant like this. 

“There’s gonna be three of us from the same family out on the ice tonight and our parents don’t even live here. I’m pretty sure we can swing getting you a seat or two.”

“I can’t accept that. We just met and I’m not really cool with taking things from strangers.”

“Even if it’s a really cute boy with a sports contract?” He says jokingly and I drop my guard a tiny bit. I huff out a sigh, still feeling conflicted and slightly uneasy. Quinn picks up on the uneasiness and looks me in the eyes before softly saying, “Look, you don’t have to take me up on the offer, but it would be really cool to see you there tonight. Either way, it’s totally fine with me.” The lengths to which he is going just to ease my anxieties and ensure my comfort fills my chest with warm, radiant light and I smile gently at the level of consideration.

“...Okay.”

“Okay. Could I get your number to send you all the information you’ll need?”

“Is that the only reason you want my number?” Quinn looks off and shrugs a little as he admits,

“Well, I’d also like to get to know the pretty girl from the roller rink. And I was hoping I could possibly take her out on a date while I’m still in town?” My stomach erupts into a million butterflies and I hold out my hand to take his phone. He gives me the unlocked device after setting up a new contact. I brazenly decide I should keep Quinn on his toes, out of concern that he thinks I’ll make things easy for him.

“If you win tonight you can take me out.”

“Bro, what?”

“I’m serious!”

“Why? This is so childish!”

“No, this is serious, Quinn. I can’t date a loser!”

“Oh my god- okay, fine. If we win-”

“Win what?” A strange voice says from behind me. I turn around to see two other boys have appeared behind me and Quinn from seemingly thin air. Out of fear of more of them appearing, I lean back against the vending machine I was once sworn enemies with. Seeking shelter in the cool glass that’s been illuminated by LEDs.

“Nothing.”

“Is this guy bothering you, sweetheart?” The tallest one says and the one he’s standing with laughs. 

“Seriously, Q. We leave you alone for ten minutes.”

“I’ll meet you guys in the car,” Quinn speaks up, clearly flustered by their presence in this moment.

“Okayyy, don’t be long, lover boy.” 

“You’re on the clock.”

“And that was…”

“The idiot brothers I was talking about.”

“Right. Got it.” I’m amused if anything, but I can tell Quinn is struggling to shake off the encounter. Rolling my eyes, I extend my hand to him which he takes confusedly. Pulling him closer to where I’m leaning against the vending machine, he gets the idea and steps forward to close the gap between us. I didn’t anticipate being flustered by the close proximity, but as he steps closer he places his hand against the glass of the vending machine, above my head. His crisp scent is stronger and I’m grateful he took the invitation to close in.

“Anyway. If we win-”

“Mhm.”

“I get to take you out?”

“And if you lose?” I ask, challenging him. He takes a moment to think it over.

“I don’t know. What happens if we lose?” I mimic his expression from when he was deep in thought, before saying with a completely straight face,

“I kill you.” We both burst out laughing. I hate to think that I already like Quinn as much as I do.

“I guess I’ll make sure to win.” 

“You better.” Quinn backs up and the excitement I was having trouble controlling vanishes when I can no longer feel him near me. My subconscious urges me to be nearer to him and I push off of the vending machine as well. Quinn looks past me and I follow his gaze. He’s examining the Skittles packet that I abandoned, and in one swift movement, he hits the side of the machine and the packet neatly falls to the bottom. My lips part in shock and I’m amazed at how seemingly easy that was for him. He grabs the bag and holds it out to me like it’s no big deal, but I can tell he’s very proud of himself.

“See you later tonight then?”

“See ya later.”

***

A/n: hope y'all liked it and I've got a Jamie fic in the works so stay tuned!! Special thanks to the person who requested this !

[radiofreederry]

I'm trying to get into comics, any recommendations?

I'm a DC girl so this list is gonna be very DC heavy, sorry.

DC

All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely: The book that made me a Superman fan. Beautiful, joyful, self-contained story.

The Flash by Mark Waid: Will make you a Flash fan. Some of the first comics I ever read come from this run. The original run is collected in omnibus format but Mark had a second, shorter run from around 98-2000 that wrapped up a lot of loose ends, and another one around 2008. Those are good too.

The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Perez: This book probably saved DC, and it's a wonderful read.

Batman by Scott Snyder: One of the best modern Batman runs, although it suffers from the stink of the New 52 at times.

52 by Mark Waid, Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, and Keith Giffen: Might need some onboarding for this one but it's a great read focusing on some of the second-string characters in the DCU and a triumph of collaborative storytelling. Its spinoff Booster Gold series is great too.

Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross: A surprisingly-accessible refutation of the 1990s trend towards darker and edgier superheroes, it's a must-read for the beautiful painted artwork alone.

Mister Miracle and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, both by Tom King: Tom King's had some big misses, especially Heroes in Crisis, for which as a Wally West fan I should want his blood. He makes up for it when he hits, though. These two titles are his best work.

Secret Six by Gail Simone: A great off-beat title revolving around a small group of supervillains trying to do good. Wish they'd bring this concept back tbh.

DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke: A love letter to the Silver Age of Comics with gorgeous artwork. Was later adapted into an animated film, which is also very good.

Dwayne McDuffie's original Milestone Comics (incl. Icon, Hardware, and Static), are all very good titles focusing specifically on Black heroes. McDuffie also had a great run on Justice League of America from 2007 to 2009.

Justice League International by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire: A great and hilarious book that offers a much more lighthearted take on the DC Universe. There's a lot of focus on more obscure and minor characters which I always enjoy.

Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison and Rachel Pollock: If you've seen the TV show, it cribs heavily from this. A lovely series featuring a group of misfits trying to find their way in the world.

Jack Kirby's Fourth World: Brilliant, esoteric, at times close to incomprehensible. A must-read.

The Question by Dennis O'Neil: A wonderfully cerebral and philosophical series. Denny left reading recs in every issue! See also his run on Green Lantern/Green Arrow, which is a bit outdated but still electrifyingly political for its time, and his seminal run on the Batman titles.

Marvel

Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont: One of the greatest comic book runs of all time. Largely defined the X-Men for several generations basically until the Krakoa era. Most X-Men stories on the "greatest of all time" list come from this run.

Vision by Tom King: Hey, it's Tom King again! He wrote for Marvel too. This one's a really good character piece featuring a character who often doesn't get to stand on his own.

Daredevil by Mark Waid: The best Daredevil run, hands down.

The Amazing Spider-Man by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko: The original Spider-Man run is still my favorite. Some great Silver Age nonsense combined with great character drama is what put Marvel on the map, and it's on full display here.

Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona: A really good series that's mostly self-contained about a bunch of kids who run away from home after discovering that their parents are supervillains.

Fantastic Four by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo: I sing Waid's praises a lot, but damn can he write. The best run for Marvel's First Family.

Others

Bone by Jeff Smith: An epic fantasy adventure starring three cartoon funny animal characters. My favorite comic of all time.

Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai: Another epic starring funny animals, this time set in the Edo period of Japan. Mostly episodic, so it's really easy to jump into.

Astro City by Kurt Buseik: Another love letter to the Silver Age, and to superheroes in general. Essential reading.

[em-dash-press]

Are Prologues Worth Your Time?

It felt like every book I picked up when I was a kid and a teenager had a prologue. I thought they were super deep and essential foreshadowing, but then I went to college for creative writing.

You know what every professor taught?

Prologues are outdated and unnecessary.

I was shocked. Not that I’d ever say that I had only read the greatest books (many were trash—and some, beloved trash), but how could so many published books have outdated and unnecessary prologues where they’re supposed to hook a reader?

Here are a few thoughts you can consider when unwrapping this problem for yourself.

Give Your Prologue a Purpose

There are two primary purposes for prologues:

They give the reader a glimpse of a future event in the plot (like a movie trailer).

They give the reader a glimpse into the fictional world’s past to set the scene for the current world (like a flashback).

You don’t necessarily need to put a prologue in your manuscript. Your reader will likely get hooked from the first chapter you’ve worked so hard on. However, if your character/world/conflict will drastically change later, you can make the reader wonder, “How does it get from here to there?” after the first chapter with a prologue.

Flashback prologues are also helpful. A handful of pages could introduce the reader to a conflict (a deity getting betrayed by other gods and cursing all humans to forget they exist) that sets the tone/explains why your universe exists the way it does (every single character and person in the novel doesn’t know about gods because their history has been wiped from their minds, but the protagonist meets one of the gods who betrayed the antagonist deity and wants others to see/hear them too).

How to End a Prologue

Your prologue should end with the reader fully engaged, but wondering—WHAT?!

This might mean that you write your prologue (after deciding on one of the purposes mentioned above) when you’ve finished your manuscript. You’ll know exactly which historical or future point in your world will be most relative to your plot and the most captivating for your reader.

If George R.R. Martin had become inspired to write Game of Thrones based on an idea like this—historically powerful households go to war with each other to regain the most powerful throne in the realm, based on their various birthrights—and written the prologue immediately, we never would have been introduced to the potential-dead-brought-back-to-life in the actual prologue. 

You gotta admit, zombies are a much more gripping hook than political rivalries. Especially when there are so many rivalries and so much history to learn before the tension builds!

When a Prologue May Be Necessary

Sometimes writers feel that their first few chapters are basically info dumps. You may have created a complex world with lots of history, lore, and ongoing conflict. The reader has to understand it all in the first five chapters, but it makes your story read like a textbook.

Prologues can help by summarizing the most important information the reader has to grasp to enjoy your manuscript. Challenge yourself to write some flash fiction (in this case, ~1-3 pages) about your novel’s world to see if you can create a prologue that condenses the most essential info for the reader. You can edit the next few chapters to see if they have better flow/pacing.

Reasons to Avoid Writing a Prologue

You may need to remove your prologue or pass on writing one if you agree with any of these factors:

The info explained in the prologue (history, initial conflict) reappears later in the plot.

You’re including the prologue because your first chapter is boring (just rewrite the first chapter—it will likely still feel boring even with an amazing prologue).

You feel like you have to have one. (This is common in fantasy/sci-fi.)

You want a prologue to set the mood for your story. (That’s the job of your first chapter.)

You need a prologue to do all of your world-building. (Introducing the reader gradually to your world through action-based events the first few chapters is much more engaging than an info-dump prologue.)

Make Your Decision After Getting to Know Your WIP

I tend to think of prologues as something you consider and potentially write well after developing your WIP. Get to know your characters, your plot, the stakes, and the world’s history/conflict before deciding if a prologue would hook your readers. You can always write it in a separate document/page and play around with removing/adding it with beta readers.

[2baddiesfanfics]

The Greatest Treasure (Pt. 2)

Pairing: Nami X Robin

Tags: Kissing, Cussing, Nipple Play, Vaginal Fingering, Oral Sex, Cunnilingus, Banter, 69, Strap-ons, Dildos, Mirror Sex

Summary:

After declaring their feelings for one another, Robin and Nami wake up wanting each other even more badly than the night before. When Robin decides to trust her with some of her more intense fantasies, how will Nami react?

Read on Ao3

Chapter 2: The Morning After

In the early hours of the following morning, Robin awoke to Nami sleeping soundly next to her with nothing but blankets and body heat to keep them warm. Even after all that had transpired, she still couldn’t believe they had taken such a leap in declaring their feelings for one another. It wasn’t at all how she pictured her and her crew mate-turned-girlfriend would be celebrating their big win.

Rolling to her side, she faced Nami’s sleeping form. Watching her chest slowly rise and fall, no words could describe the excitement she now had knowing she loved someone so deeply and they, in turn, loved her. She was amazed someone could feel that way about her, embracing both her angel and devil side.

Lightly tracing Nami’s face with her fingers, she wanted to map and memorize her features in case this was a dream she’d have to wake up from eventually. Running her index finger down her nose, her thumb softly glided up and down her cheek. She reached Nami’s bottom lip, traced it to the top, and then back down to the bottom. Leaning in carefully so as not to wake her, Robin placed a gentle kiss where her fingers had just left.

Nami murmured in her sleep, turning with her back to her. Robin nestled behind her, moving her arm around the other woman’s waist. Nami’s head now rested just below her chin; the scent of fresh mikan and the sea was both fragrant and intoxicating. Last night was wonderful, but nowhere near enough for Robin. She needed reassurance Nami wanted to be hers and no one else’s - that she understood what possessing her heart truly meant.

Unable to help herself, her long, soft fingers moved across Nami’s stomach and down to her sex. Nami let out a soft sigh as Robin’s hand met its goal. Robin nudged her leg beneath Nami’s, leveraging it to give her more room to move. Already warm, wet, and inviting, Robin easily slid her middle digit inside her.

“Ooooooh,” Nami softly whispered.

“Sorry to wake you this way, love,” Robin said in a tone deepened by sleep. “I figured you wouldn’t mind after last night. I just couldn’t help myself.”

Nami pushed herself further back into Robin. “Mmmm are you kidding? I can think of no better wake-up call,” the pitch of her voice heightened by arousal.

Nami turned her head to kiss her. Robin leaned into her with a slight hum of approval and swiped her tongue along Nami’s bottom lip before grazing her teeth across it and biting down ever so slightly, checking for Nami’s response. Robin was rewarded with a moan that made her blood run hot. It appeared Nami wasn’t averse to her being a little rough with her. To be sure, she decided she would test the waters just a bit more.

“Nami…tell me…who do you belong to?” She asked between pants caused by increasingly rough kisses.

“Mmmm I’m all yours, beautiful,” Nami replied.

“That’s right, darling,” she purred. “You’re mine. I’m about to make you understand what that truly means. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, say the word and I’ll stop…”

Nami breathlessly answered, “I wish you’d never stop.”

“Be careful what you wish for, baby.”

With that, she made good use of her devil fruit powers by ensuring Nami’s wrists were bound by an extra set of her hands. Robin slithered down Nami’s body, pausing at her hips. Marking her as her personal possession, she sucked and bit leaving bruises in her wake.

Nami’s legs spread to allow her access and Robin stopped to take in the incredible sight of her: arms pinned, panting, and wide-eyed in anticipation of what was to come.

“My, my, and I thought I was the needy one this morning,” Robin said as she looked her up and down.

Producing two more sets of hands, she teased Nami’s breasts, pulling and tugging on both at once to elicit surprised moans. Robin pressed kisses up her lover’s thigh, stopping just before she reached where Nami so desperately wanted her. She whimpered disappointedly when she realized it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Patience,” Robin said.

Her kisses trailed back down the thigh she was working on and she then switched sides. Growing impatient, Nami thrust her hips to get the raven-haired woman’s attention. “Robin…please...touch me…” Nami panted.

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” Robin said with a smile, finally guiding her tongue where she wanted it. Nami looked down and got lost in her blue eyes. She wanted nothing more than to be able to run her hands through the other woman’s hair while she did this.

“Robin…I...want to…touch you…” Nami panted through gritted teeth. This triggered a spark in those eyes she couldn’t get enough of.

Robin halted her ministrations and breathlessly replied, “I think I have an idea that’ll allow both of us to enjoy each other.”

She slid back up Nami’s body, peppering her with kisses until she was face-to-face with her once more. Stealing her lips, they battled with their tongues for dominance. Petals appeared and Robin’s extra hands disappeared as she released her. Pulling away, Robin brought her hand to Nami’s neck with a light squeeze. “Now show me what that tongue can do, baby.”

She repositioned herself so she was laying on top of Nami, knees on either side of her shoulders. Both were now facing each other’s cores. Nami nearly gasped when she saw how dripping wet Robin was for her. She took this chance to tease her by sliding a single finger around Robin’s outer lips and was rewarded with a moan in response. Continuing this motion, she leaned in and lightly bit the other woman’s butt cheek.

Robin groaned as she lifted Nami’s leg higher, leaned into her thigh, licked, and then bit the area in return. She then took two fingers and placed them slowly inside Nami’s warmth, pumping in and out at a mind-numbingly slow pace. With a whine, Nami placed her tongue on Robin’s clit and swirled it before mimicking Robin’s movement with her own fingers. Robin started sucking on Nami’s bud, the two of them indulging in the tastes of each other’s bodies, the sounds of their encouraged groans echoing off the walls.

The vibrations from their moans added even more stimulation, causing Robin to buck her hips into Nami’s mouth as Nami’s legs began to shake. With a few more thrusts of their fingers and flicks of their tongues, they both found their release. Coming down after their shrieks of pleasure, Robin gently rolled next to Nami, holding her to her chest. Stuck in a post-coital haze, Nami placed light kisses there, feeling Robin’s quickly slowing heartbeat pulse on her lips.

“My God that was incredible,” Nami muttered, her voice muffled by Robin’s ample breasts.

Robin chuckled and placed a kiss on Nami’s forehead. “Glad you enjoyed it,” the tone of her voice betraying the nervousness she felt regarding what she was about to ask her new lover.

Concerned, Nami knit her brows. “Robin? Is everything ok?”

“Oh, most definitely. It’s just…I don’t know about you, but I feel like I could go for more. But I’m interested in trying something with you and want to make sure it’s something you’d be comfortable with.”

“Ok, quit beating around the bush. Just be open with me. No secrets! I think we are past the point of embarrassment here, baby!” Nami laughed, grabbing both of Robin’s hands in hers to reassure her.

Robin relaxed and grinned back at her. “So…when we left the Sunny to go undercover here in Wano, I figured it’d be smart to bring some of my…belongings. Just in case I had…needs.”

“Like what, sex toys?” Nami giggled.

“…yes,” Robin said reluctantly, a deep blush creeping across her face.

“Robin. We’re both adults here. That’s not that shocking.”

“So, you’d be willing to give some a try?”

Nami smirked and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Depends. How wild are we talking?”

Robin rolled off the bed and walked to her closet. Nami watched her saunter over, smirking when she saw the mark she had left on her. The taller woman then yanked out a small bag. After rummaging around a bit, she pulled out a leather harness with a strap-on attached.

Nami’s eyes grew wide. “Wow, you weren’t kidding,” she chuckled.

“Like I said, it’s only a suggestion. Don’t feel like you have to say yes.”

Licking her lips, pure lust burned in Nami’s eyes. “Why don’t you put that on and I’ll show you how ok I am with it.”

Not needing to be told twice, Robin moved to swiftly buckle herself in and got back on the bed, facing Nami. Nami rose to her knees, her hands fluttering down Robin’s sides. Dipping her head lower, she licked the attachment from base to tip, taking its length in her mouth - her eyes never leaving Robin’s.

The incredibly erotic move was enough to take her breath away and convince her Nami was certainly ready to experience this side of her. Glancing across the room, she had a wicked idea.

“My, so eager. You’re quite filthy, you know that?” she taunted as she wrapped Nami’s long hair in her fist, guiding her throat up and down. “Now, you’re going to be a good girl for me and turn the other way. See that mirror across the room? I want you facing it so I can see the look on your pretty little face as I fuck you so hard you’ll have trouble walking tomorrow.”

Nami’s eyes rolled back as she let go of the strap-on with a subtle pop. Doing as she had asked, she caught a glimpse of Robin standing behind her and could swear she felt her own juices sliding down her thighs from how turned on she was at the prospect of having her slam into her.

Sliding her arm down her back to grip her neck, Robin positioned herself at Nami’s entrance, barely teasing her with the tip. Nami let out a groan as she tried to push back onto it, but Robin held her firmly in place.

“Ah, ah, ah. I can’t give you what I don’t know you want. What is it you want, love? I need to hear you say it.”

Nami felt like she was going to go crazy. “Mmm fuck…Robin…I want you to grind this cock into me until you make me come all over it.”

“Hmm I suppose that’s good enough,” she uttered as she plunged into her with one clean thrust.

“Oooooh my god…” Nami moaned. Robin kept her steady with one hand on the back of her neck while she used her powers to sprout another that gripped her hips, her delicate nails sinking in to leave marks on Nami’s flesh.

Nami hissed at the way the pain mixed with pleasure, beginning to understand why Robin liked being in control.

“What was it…you said to me…last night?” Robin uttered in between thrusts. “You always…pegged me for the…dominant type?”

As she spoke, she produced yet another hand, this time sticking a pair of fingers in Nami’s mouth.

“Don’t you dare…fucking bite down,” Robin commanded. “I know it feels good…but have some dignity, darling.” All Nami could do was groan in response.

As Robin sped up her thrusts, she created one more hand. Quickly wetting the thumb, she positioned it near Nami’s ass and carefully slid it in. Wanting to hear Nami’s response properly, she removed her fingers from her mouth.

“ROBIN! Holy shit…” Nami ground out. “I’m gonna come…ahhh…fuck…” Robin leaned forward, sinking into her as deep as she could, biting down on her shoulder just hard enough to break the skin as Nami saw stars.

Soothing the light cut with her tongue, she whispered, “That’s my good girl. Well done. Watching your face in that mirror as you came undone was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Kissing her shoulder, she slid out of her. Extending her hand, she helped Nami up and gave her a light squeeze as if to check on her.

“I’m okay, I promise. That was fun!” Nami reassured her lover while still trying to catch her breath. She smiled up at Robin who leaned down to kiss her forehead.

Stepping out of the harness and unfastening the purple strap, Robin turned to Nami and whispered, “I’ll be right back, love. I’m going to go clean this,” and walked towards the bathroom.

Nami sat in silence, taking in everything that had just occurred, and had a thought as she waited for Robin to return. As Robin walked past her to get her bag, Nami grabbed the woman’s arm and spun her to face her. Taken aback, Robin tried to speak, but before she could, Nami leaned in and kissed her while cupping her pussy.

“You’re this wet just from watching? Tell me, has anyone ever used this on you? If not, I think it’s time you let me take the reins,” Nami said in a seductively low tone.

Blushing heavily while avoiding Nami’s gaze, Robin replied, “I haven’t trusted anyone to do so, but I think I’d quite like it if it were with you.”

Nami didn’t know if she wanted to hug the woman or kiss her. It was enraging to think anyone would mistreat her so badly that she’d hesitate like this when it came to receiving this kind of intimacy from another.

“No need to worry, beautiful. I promise I’ll take care of you,” she said while caressing one cheek and placing a peck on the other. Nami took the harness out of Robin’s hands and stepped into it.

Lightly pushing back on Robin’s shoulder, she guided her to lay back on the bed. With a few more reassuring kisses, she thrust into her. Robin moaned and looked into Nami’s amber eyes as she slowly moved inside her. Nami nipped and kissed Robin’s neck, feeling the vibrations of her moans as she listened to her chant her name.

She continued thrusting, aware the woman underneath her wasn’t going to last long with the way she was clinging to the sheets. Robin produced two more hands to grab Nami’s ass and pulled her in deeper. The angle of her movement perfectly hit Robin’s G-spot.

“Nami…just like that!” Robin screamed and the additional hands disappeared.

“Robin..look at…me..don’t close…your eyes…I..want to see..those blue eyes..of yours when…you come,” Nami instructed.

Robin promptly opened her eyes and stared deeply back into her lover’s. Nami slid her hand into one of Robin’s, solidifying the connection they had with one another and reassuring her she wasn’t ever going to let her go.

“N…n…Nami…I’m going to…ahh!” Robin groaned.

Nami smiled when she heard Robin shout her name a final time before she began shaking underneath her, head falling back into the pillow, hand tightly gripping her own.

Nami whispered encouragement and I love you’s as she guided her through her orgasm. When she had ceased all movement, she pulled out of her and kissed Robin’s chest where she could feel her heart beating quickly. Robin slowly opened her eyes to see Nami resting her chin on her chest. Leaning in, she kissed her.

Nami got up, removed the toy, and crawled back into bed, pulling Robin to her. Robin rested her head on her shoulder while Nami held her hand and ran her fingers up and down her arm reassuringly.

All Robin had ever desired was to feel safe, wanted, and loved. Finally, she had found that not just with the crew, but with Nami on a deeper level. With her, everything felt so natural. She didn’t have to hide who she was in any sense. She could trust Nami with the greatest treasure - her heart.

—————————————— After getting dressed, the two women met with the rest of the crew for a celebratory breakfast (who knew whether anybody had actually gotten any sleep the night before!)

“Hey Nami! Robin! Where were you two last night?” Luffy asked in between huge bites of sausage and eggs.

Sharing a quick, shy side-glance, they replied in unison, “Together.”

[hyacjnthus]

To the person on TikTok who made the post asking, "Is there any piece of media where a character's name feels so out of place that you actually can't think about anything else?" Yes. Yes there is.

Luke from Percy Jackson. And I'm only talking about the original series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I know what you're going to say, "but there are plenty of characters with basic names too, why does his feel out of place??"

Let me tell you.

It's because Luke is a vital character to the original series, more-so than some of the other characters. When he reveals himself as the person who actually stole Zeus' Master Bolt and a loyal follower of Kronos at the end of the first book, he instantly became more important to the plot than before. He's Percy's main threat and foe, the exact person he needs to defeat, and by extension defeat Kronos in order to save Olympus.

Now, how is Rick going to name the other main characters, Percy — with his name actually being Perseus because Percy is just a nickname, Annabeth, Grover, Thalia, Nico, Clarisse, Chiron, not to mention most of the adult characters being major gods — because duh, Greek Mythology — and have the main villain be named "Luke"?

Do you hear yourself???

"Oh my gods, we have to be careful, Luke is so dangerous!"

Really??

No wonder Kronos possessed Luke's body. He had enough of some basic kid named "Luke" waltzing around, preaching about how everyone should worship and join Kronos. He wanted a body to preach about himself and have people actually use his name instead of people saying "Luke" is the greatest threat when it's actually him.

It's just so funny to me. The main villain in a fantasy series centred entirely around Greek Mythology is named Luke.

[greatprotector-if]

What are the thoughts about marriage and kids? (For the ROs)

for the ROs..?.?? anon you're breaking my heart here i already laid out the candles and rose petals and set out the wine 💔💔 (SLASH JOKING)

answer under cut!

Kallias - Marriage is kind of huge for Kallias for obvious reasons <3 The person they marry matters, not just to them and their family but their whole kingdom. And maybe some other kingdoms too, depending on who they're marrying. They're sure the Queen is going to try to marry them off to some random royal, and they'll only be able to fight it for so long.

They don't feel like much in the way of personal desire to be married. They just want to find people they like and spend the rest of their life with them, be it platonic or romantic. They love grand, dramatic gestures like proposals and weddings, but they don't like the rigidity and constraints that come with the traditional idea of marriage, if that makes any sense. They want a tailor-made experience for them and their partner.

As for children... Kallias will definitely have bouts of baby fever at some points by looking at cute kids, but also raising a living (for now) breathing (for now) organism who is ENTIRELY dependent on you for their survival is kind of scary. Also their relationship with their younger sibling makes it even harder for them to get used to the idea of having a kid, because. Well. Their relationship is... tense. Mostly because of Kallias. So. They aren't sure if they're the best type of person to have children.

Galen - Galen would love to get married one day, but they'd also be content without it. They don't need the actual marriage part so much as they like the idea of the promise. But they don't give themself much time to indulge in such fantasies... there are more realistic things to use their time on.

Galen's something of a child magnet, given that they're some huge hulking person who has the strength to carry two kids on each arm during their walks through town. They're kind of like a portable playground LOL They'd like to have children of their own someday, but they don't need to. They're perfectly happy with surrounding themself with animals instead. (The animals are non-negotiable.)

V - Ah, marriage... what a wonderful idea that does not interest V in the slightest! They're too focused on their job and becoming the world's greatest to bother with that sort of thing. (However. It is... possible... that angels just have different courting rituals than humans do. It's possible that they might like the idea of those better. It's also possible that if their partner wanted marriage V would go through with it just to make them happy, because it's no skin off V's back. Possibly.)

Having children would definitely take some convincing for V. It's not a non-negotiable, but... they just. Don't derive any joy from the thought of parenthood as they are right now. This is not to say that they'd be a shitty parent if they did become one, just that it'd take some extra effort. I believe that love is an action, not a feeling, and if V was convinced to have a child I have no doubt that they'd love their child fiercely.

[knightsteapot]

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ COUPLE TIME +1

Chap I | Chap II

Dick Grayson x Latina!reader

SMAU | fluff

Light mentions of +18 activities, nothing explicit.

Author's notes 🌞: Don't expect a big plot out of this series, I just want to give you guys some comfort after a long day of working hard at whatever you're doing. Remember that taking breaks is healthy and necessary.

Don't forget I'm writing a Jason Todd's series too, that one has an interesting plot, action and soon... Some smut. Thank you for reading!

Also,I won't be using the line layout anymore, I love it but it shows the time and it breaks the fantasy hahahaha. I hope you don't mind. Comments and reblogs are super appreciated.

The hotel was charming, of course, Bruce's money could pay something more luxurious but the rustic vibe of the place was enough for you, it was warm, private and nice. Dating one of the Wayne kids was a whole new thing for you, it came with a perfect picture experience; galas, cocktails, luxury brands, champagne, gowns but despite how tempting that sounded it wasn't what you were looking for when you started dating Dick, actually, you ignored who he was the first time you two met in the line of a concert in Metropolis city.

You remembered that day perfectly, and always wondered why a rich boy would be in line for a concert instead of paying for VIP treatment, later on you discovered he wasn't exactly fond of the typical rich boy's life, no, he was a good person, a bit of a show off and dangerously charming, but a good boy in general terms, a funny one as an extra plus. As it was magic things between you two developed in something more than a cool friendship and soon enough you found yourself sharing with him the Wayne experience, after the first year of relationship you started sharing the Batboy experience, you'd never become a vigilante but you were there to help in any way you could. You became part of the family as if it was your destiny.

The life you built with Dick was like that hotel; simple yet beautiful in its own way. You couldn't ask for more. Settling into a new country was one of your greatest challenges, it was hard, scary but in between the loneliness and the uncertainty, Dick held your hand making you feel at home.

Your phone rang waking you up. You felt tired, your body hurt, you needed more sleep and probably some food... After a deep sigh of resignation you checked your texts only to find yourself red and dizzy. The current situation was embarrassing.

You convinced yourself that it was entirely Dick's fault and that Damian believed your dirty lie. Unable to sleep more you decided to take a shower, today's activity didn't involve Capybaras but it involved hiking, a beautiful scenery, some nice food and quality time with your boyfriend... and his baby brother.

Time went by quickly, Damian, Dick and you were eating a light breakfast before starting your journey into the beautiful Perú with the promise of a wonderful experience once you arrive to some secret river with a wonderful story, probably related to the indigenous communities and their legacy, you hoped.

Perfect location, great company, stunning scenery, awful body state. Your legs were screaming for you to stop and rest, you couldn't help but feel heavy, sleepy, did you regret it? No, who'd regret fucking Dick Grayson? And the fact that he was walking through the natural landscape with so much grace was bad for your mental health. On the other hand Damian looked like the happiest kid in the world, and he probably was, it made you smile because following your show off of a boyfriend and having general body pain was absolutely worthy of it meant Robin himself had the chance to act like a child.

And just like your first adventure took place. Dick was, oh, so nice that carried you on his back, guilt acting most definitely. You couldn't make it to the river, that was an experience for another day, but you had a great time exploring a cave, sighting exotic birds and having typical Peruvian food for lunch, it was heavenly.

You loved Gotham but moments like that made you think of the day in the future in which you'd have a normal life with Dick, far from the danger, the villains, the constant threat of death.

"A penny for your thoughts"

"It's nothing, it was a nice day, isn't it?"

"It was. It always is when I'm with you and Damian."

"How charming, Mr. Grayson."

"By the way, sorry for being so rough lat night. I didn't mean to hurt you. We can take a bath when we arrive to the hotel."

"It's okay, I asked you to be rough, I liked it. It's just I wasn't expecting to wake up so early and well, hiking wasn't a good idea."

[im-not-buying-it-ether]

More Shazamily/Marvel Family headcanons

Billy has a deep seated hatred for the Indiana Jones movies, there is no force on earth that can get him to watch any of the movies the whole way through

Normal magic rules don’t really apply to them in practice, they break and bend the rules a lot without realizing it. It’s one of the many perks of being champions and guardians of eternity, magic just goes with them and what they want to do

Have used spells from fantasy media’s to see if they work in real life; They do work but only for them, so each member of the Shazamily has a trump card in the form of random spells from random kids tv shows but they all use wands when they remember to just incase a spell backfires

Darla copied Star vs the forces of evil’s spells, no Fawcett villain likes admitting that they got beat by a Narwal Blast or a Warnicorn Stampede. Uses her wide array of princess and fairy wands she already has

Eugene, as seen in the first Shazam! movie, copy’s mortal combat moves and phrases. Doesn’t use a wand or a stand in for one much but uses a classic magicians wand from a magic kit he got

Billy binge watched every episode of Ben 10 and made a spread sheet of magical attacks shown in the show with Freddy to copy. Both use “Scribo in incendia” to multitask with homework and “Somus” to fall right asleep after patrol. Freddy uses his foam Wonder Woman sword and Billy just has a stick he picked up one day when he was 9 and hasn’t let go of since

Mary has copied some phrases from Sabrina the Teenage witch with varying levels of success, in part due to her not having full confidence in every attempt she makes. Bought one of those fancy wands with a gemstone at the end of them to cast spells

Pedro took a page out of Harry Potter and started using Latin to come up with his own spells. Uses whatever he has on hand as a wand, be it a pencil or the spork he was eating his lunch with

Billy has an older portable movie player he got as a hand me down gift from a foster sibling and a CD booklet with some kids movies in it that he’s held onto, its how he passed his rare instances of downtime when he was still homeless. Liked borrowing movies from local libraries to watch on it, some of the discs he actually owns are Matilda, the Night at the Museum trilogy, the Iron Giant, Tangled, Atlantis: the Lost Empire, and a CD copy of the second season of The Worlds Greatest Animal Detective; Tawky Tawny.

Freddy spends the first few years of his hero career pretending to be able bodied, constantly using his flight as a mobility aid, but decides later on to utilize a Wizards staff formed in a way to double as a crutch for him.

Followed by pidgins relentlessly. If a pidgin can go there they follow the Marvels everywhere. They’re chill, don’t steal their food or land on them, but they follow them everywhere. They all collectively blame Hermes influence as a patron god of messengers since pidgins are messenger birds (and yes it is the fault of his divine influence on them)

Billy got permission from the Wizard and other greek goddesses to have separate blessings for his sisters (Agility of Selene, Strength of Hippolyta, Stamina of Artemis, Flight of Zephyrus, Invulnerability of Aurora, and the Wisdom of Minerva) for the sole reason of keeping the influence and voices of Billy’s patrons out of their heads and away from them. (Because there’s no way in any form of hell he’s cursing Mary or Darla with Zeus to be in their heads)

They can talk to animals with the omnilinguistics the Wisdom of Solomon gives them, if anyone on the mortal plane can understand the language so can they. This has led to people seeing Captain Marvel coo back and forth with pidgins like they’re having a conversation (they’re talking about favorite snacks) and the one time he interrogated a rat through small squeaks to know which way a group of smugglers went.

Billy is an awesome gift giver, every year when the justice league has their annual white elephant on Dec 20th people pray they get their names drawn by him. He got Wally a bunch of shoes that were enchanted to not wear down from his speeding (dress shoes, running shoes, slippers, flip flops, the works), did some dimension hopping and time traveling to get a box full of Kryptonian books for Clark (including a collection of folklore with English translations so he can read a bedtime story to Jon), and a crud ton of sweets from the Funlands for J’onzz (including a giant Choco’s cookie big enough to sleep on.)

Freddy’s YouTube channel has a lot of videos of the Shazamily testing their powers based on comments, it has 2.3 million followers and the ad revenue they all rake in goes to helping out with the expenses at home and buying a lot of games at a 50/50 split

They are literally the only group of child vigilantes that are home in time for curfew/bed consistently, they’re more daytime heroes. The only exception being Billy when he has to go off world or to another dimension for League/Champion business but he always tells the Vasquez’s about them so they can call him in sick from school

Billy worked out an agreement with Harley Quinn so that him and his siblings could have semi-regular therapy appointments (hero/villain work permitting), she works her degree every other Tuesday and in return she gets Superman style flights whenever she wants and access to magical plant stuff for Ivy. Victor and Rosa worried about their kids mental health with all the responsibility and horrors of hero life but had no idea how to start getting them professional support for it so they’re glad Billy was able to find someone already in that life who could help and isn’t likely to endanger their identities.

[purgemarchlockdown]

I would like to know more about your milgram oc!! I am. Interested 👉👈 i have no specific inquiries i would like to just Know More

!!! I Would love to talk more about my kid! I wonder how obvious it gets to me how really fucking horrible school environments can be...

(CWs for: Bullying, self-harm, and horribly toxic childhood friendships)

So 011 is a Very Normal (undiagonsed autism) 12 year old (I made them older cause I felt uncomfy...) who is very isolated at school and is utterly terrified of everyone there. They've been bullied for years and no matter what they do it hasn't stopped, they have a few friends though and one of them is Their Victim. Who is their oldest friend and their closet friend

Their friendship isn't exactly the healthiest though, their victim gets angry at them if they're away for too long or if they "ignore" them and can start "testing" them at any moment to see if they really really want to be their friend. And since 011 doesn't Want to Lose them they end up doing whatever their victim wants them to do. This is compounded by the fact that 011 is always worried that they're doing something wrong because...why else would people be so mean to them if they aren't hurting them somehow? So they've gone all their life apologizing for *looks at notes* uh...existing and doing what other people want them to do so they don't hurt anyone.

The thing is...they do actually really do want to hurt the people that hurt them and sometimes this comes out with vague threats and outbursts. It (usually, this is a Milgram Oc after all) stops their since they don't want to go too far. They do however tend to daydream about violent revenge fantasies, though these fantasies usually involve them dying in some way to showcase how truly horrible their actions were and to make everyone who hurt them feel horrible because see! Their actions did have consequences!

This also applies to their victim and sometimes if their feeling really frustrated and upset at what their doing they'll threaten to hurt themselves so that they'll stop. And then The victim apologies and says it's all okay again and they're sorry and they won't hurt them ever again...and then they do it again.

It's very unhealthy but since 011 never likes making people worry and wants people to be happy and doesn't like hurting people (generally speaking,) they never say anything and always makes sure to hide how they feel as best they can. And even though they aren't the greatest at hiding it their basically never willing to admit it.

So we're very much in a situation where we are kinda stuck. With 011 stuck in a horribly toxic friendship where as long as they don't upset Their Victim they will be rewarded with happiness and friendship but also really wanting to upset them because they are really fucking sick of it all. And since most of the bullying is social isolation has caused them horrible trust issues that make them react more aggressively the next time they feel threatened- it just drives them further into isolation...and their victim, meaning the cycle continues ad nauseam.

This all comes to ahead one day, after being really fucking sick of their victim's bullshit. They push them...down the stairs.

Manslaughter has been committed and now they are at Milgram! They are so incredibly fucking scared, and sad, and wants to bite through the bars.

So uh- yeah- my guy! I always get worried I write them a bit too melodramatically but then I remember I can do whatever I want.

[fairysbookshelf]

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

Book Stats:

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️(2.5/5)

Tropes: Modern Take Retelling

Publisher: Random House Publishing

Review: *Thank you to random house publishing for giving me a copy of this book for free in exchange for a honest review-It really means a lot to me that you trust little old me!*

What do you get when you when probably one of the greatest dark academia writers of our generation to write a retelling of one of the most controversial plays in history, you get a whirl wind of magic, love and fighting for what you truly believe in. When Roschella is sold off to Macbeth as a political gain, she isn't thinking much. She is the cursed bride-any man who looks into her eyes will go insane. But over time, she realizes how much power she truly has and starts to play her own game.

The diction in this book is amazing. Ava Reid with her words builds a world of renaissance chaos. I don't think I have ever had read a book with such good world-building. Seriously, It had me hooked on page one. I wasn't struggling trying to understand what was going on or anything. The whole think just had me wrapped in its claws. Also, THE MAGIC SYSTEM???? I generally wonder how some one comes up with the idea for something like that. It also didn't break my allusion at all. Typically with retellings I feel as though the magic system fits outside of the original time period(typically with Greek retellings), but the way the author set it up here was just perfect, and fit perfectly well with the medieval Scotland and the way the characters would think about such a thing.

`The Shakespeare references in this? Made both my theatre kid and my literate side of my heart very very happy.

There was such good character growth in this book. The MC you could see really had to change in order to make her situation change. She had to realize that she was powerful enough to do so(if that doesn't have you hooked to pick up this book, I don't know what will).

Yes, there is a romance sub-plot. It was written just perfect. Enough so I think the book stands perfectly by itself alone without it, but it certainty was a very nice touch that had me screaming and kicking my feet like the teenage girl that I am.

Honestly, If you just like powerful stories, this is one I highly recommend. Macbeth is such a interesting play and I think Ava Reid did a wonderful job with this retelling. This book really brought me back to that love of reading and literature that I haven't felt in a very, long time. This book made me want to get back into english class and discuss the true meaning of power. It's everything you could want in a book: drama, lots of magic, and a girl trying to find her own destiny-without it being assigned to her. Even if you hate Shakespeare(Like I know most teenagers do-thank you for that school!) I highly, highly recommend picking this one up! Read it like a fantasy novel!

[construingseacats]

Umireread: Turn of the Golden Witch - Chapter 5: Guest of Honor  

Sat, Oct 4 1986 - 10:45AM

The following contains spoilers for the entirety of Umineko. Please do not read if you are yet to finish it.

I think there’s something to be said about how childlike wonder is torn away from us as we grow. The world is a wonderful place - there’s a fantastic tumblr post that makes the rounds occasionally about how something as mundane as going to a shopping mall can be an unending source of wonder, if you cast away the veneer of normality and complacency that usually clouds us when we go. Maria has been handed a cheap, mass-manufactured sweet that is utterly inconsequential to most people. And yet to her, in her fantasy - in the bliss of her youth - it is the greatest sort of treasure. And because she believes in that, it becomes her reality.

To talk about myself again for a second - with occasional exceptions, I tend to split up my working day by going out almost every time for lunch. Working in town centre, there’s no shortage of places to grab a sandwich or something slightly more exotic. Of course, this is an expensive vice; I argue that, as I don’t drink alcohol or smoke, this is an acceptable money sink that would be comparable to either of those. However, nonetheless, it is a money sink. I would save a fairly substantial amount of money by preparing my own lunches, or foregoing them entirely.

And yet… I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but reflecting on this scene in particular, there’s a sense of whimsy to it that hasn’t eluded me even as I approach 30. Perhaps it’s because eating out was a special treat when I was younger - growing up relatively poor, we could only really afford to treat ourselves to a restaurant once a month or so - but there’s a sense of joy and elation there that hasn’t been eroded by routine. It’s the wonder that you can feel by attending a shopping mall, but we choose not to. That’s something that I, personally, can’t put a price on. And I’d encourage anyone reading to also find their own way to obtain the greatest sort of treasure from the most regular of scenarios.

Eva Ushiromiya sees her chance to be a horrible person, and she takes it. Well, I suppose the entire family likes to deal with their own unresolved problems by taking it out on each other, at the end of the day.

Even if it’s only temporary, it’s nice seeing the adults being interested in Maria’s specific knowledge. Sure, maybe it’s insincere on their behalf, but to the kid who can’t distinguish the reality from the fantasy, that’s the absolute best feeling in the world. Being able to teach adults something that even they didn’t know feels great.

Criminy, Episode 2 is not letting up on this. I suppose that’s to be expected from the “Rosa” Episode, but still.

Rosa trampling on the hearts of everyone reading this Episode, old and new.

Hilarious subversion of the rose incident from Episode 1. Does it still count as dramatic irony if you’re lying about the truth by saying what happened in the previous game? I think it’s also worth highlighting this moment as another notch for suggesting that you should always be wary of what people say if it hasn’t been witnessed personally - we know that Rosa’s not telling the truth here, so what other falsehoods have we been fed thus far?

News just in: resident tragedy enjoyer loves how sad this scene is, and how much it hurts. More at 11.

Very funny moment where Kanon goes “wait a second, I know how I can fix this for you.”

I’m constantly amused by how much Nanjo just doesn’t want to be in this novel at all. Does not enjoy going along with the family’s nonsense, doesn’t want to talk to any of them, does not want to get involved with the murders. I know Gohda is a community favourite for not really having anything important to contribute to the story, but I’m kind of digging Nanjo for similar reasons.

“Worthless” male pride, you say? Interesting commentary.

It’s almost like the people you surround yourself with could cause you to perceive the sky as grey instead of blue.

I don’t have an awful lot to add to these Maria-Rosa moments, but I can’t not acknowledge them. It’d be a crime to skim over such potent writing, even if there’s little for me to add that I haven’t said already.

An island detached from common sense and reality, you say? Sounds like the perfect setting for a new generation of fanfiction.

I don’t necessarily think this is a “with hindsight” moment because it’s still fairly clear what is going on here - you tell a child to close their eyes and then swap out the candy while they’re not looking. One of the oldest tricks in the book. What I do find interesting is how this parallels the final choice in Episode 8 - how do you approach this scene? Is this just a trick, because of course it is, or is this magic? Whatever you choose here, will you still hold the same opinion 6 episodes from now?

Obviously, this scene is noteworthy since you can read Rosa’s reactions as being uncomfortable with the blackmail forced upon her (using the term blackmail tenuously since she could arguably have been bought out without much threatening). But, with that in mind, I wonder when exactly she was roped into this? The adults at the guest house did say that she had been gone for quite a long time - we just assumed this was due to her being stuck with Maria, but did she actually visit the secret room with Yasu during this time?

I’m sure she knows the inside of the mansion better than anyone.

The scene where Yasu as Beatrice meets Kyrie is really good, and I kind of wish we saw more of this in Umineko? I love the fantasy scenes a lot, but when you’re being presented with partial truths (that lean closer to fact than fiction) that are only slightly adorned with fantasy, they’re a lot more interesting to read than the ones that are drenched in outright fabrications.

Also, Yasu was born 30 years too early, she’d have made an absolute killing as an online voice actor with the way she can go between all these different personas without being found out.

Hey! New portrait!

One day I’ll be joining the hordes of Umineko fans by getting a giant framed picture of Beatrice for my house. I was kind of hoping that they would have been offered as rewards from the Umineko Gold Kickstarter… But we all know how that’s gone.

And so the reunion with Kinzo is delayed because he locked himself up in an anti-magic bunker. Of course, what we’re probably seeing here is Yasu considering the study as a base of operations, before realising that could cause some complications given Kinzo has been the opposite of alive for quite some time, and deciding to set up in the guest room instead where she doesn’t need to worry about dealing with matters arising from Krauss/Natsuhi/Jessica’s additional knowledge regarding Kinzo’s current status.

End of chapter! I kind of wish we had a meta section here for the moment when Beatrice’s piece arrived on the gameboard? It feels odd that Battler wouldn’t immediately jump on that with a “hey wait a second”. Alas!

[whymustyouhurtmeinthisway]

Fuck it I’m bored

Top 5 favourite video games of all time

5. Monster Prom

Initially introduced to me by Twitch Streamer Shenpai, the Monster Prom series has become a favourite among me and my friends, and I’ve fallen in love with the characters and universe (with Zoe in particular probably being in my top 5 characters of all time, a list I might make another time). This series is the source of so many fun memories with my friends (with the first game being my favourite), and it’ll forever be in my heart. In terms of individual games however, Monster Prom doesn’t fully stack up to the others on this list (though it is really good and I recommend it), so in fifth place it goes

4. Kirby’s Return to Dreamland

I was very fortunate as a child that my very first Kirby game ended up being considered one of the best of the entire series. I adored this game as a kid, and it definitely affected me deeply on a psychological level, even to this day. Everything about this game’s artstyle, music, characters, bosses, and powerups still sticks in my brain, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving it. I think Dedede’s design in the remaster is a downgrade, but other than that this game as a whole is flawless.

3. Guilty Gear Strive

Those familiar with my blog know that the Guilty Gear series is one of my greatest passions, almost to a concerning degree. Though I’d already been acquainted with the series before this game, Strive was the one to get me fully into it, and I’ve heavily enjoyed playing it since the moment I bought it. The game’s artstyle and soundtrack is top notch (Daisuke Ishiwatari is a god amongst men), and Strive Leo is one of the most fun fighting game characters I’ve ever played. You may be wondering “why is it only at #3 then?” and the answer to that is similar to Monster Prom’s: I love the entire series more than I love any individual game, so I’m rating it lower on this game ranking than I would on a series ranking (on which it’d definitely be top 2). For now though, Strive holds a respectable spot at #3.

2. No Straight Roads

I love this game man. After hearing of it in passing occasionally online, I saw it was on sale on PS4 and decided to try it. From what I’d seen (basically just the game’s title and a few character designs) I expected a dialogue-heavy visual-novel-type game in which your dialogue choices change the path of the story (hence the name No Straight Roads) but I was dead wrong. What I got instead was an awesome rhythm-based bossfight beat-em-up in which an indie rock band named Bunk Bed Junction fights to overthrow NSR, the tyrannical music label that's taken over their city, featuring a fantastic artstyle, incredible OST, lovable characters, and loads of passion infused in every single aspect. Due to the indie nature of the dev team, some jank can be found in various areas, but I'll always be more than willing to excuse that in exchange for such a wonderful product overall. The game's fairly cheap and available everywhere, and I highly recommend that everyone reading this buys it and supports the dev team. ALSO TO THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW THERE'S A LIMITED TIME OFFICIAL SAYU PLUSH AVAILABLE ON MAKESHIP UNTIL THE 20TH GO BUY IT!!!

1. Final Fantasy X

I don't have an explanation for this one really, it just hit me a certain way. Please ignore the fact that I haven't actually beaten it yet, the Yunalesca fight is too hard and I gave up. Good game though.