#Poor Cloud though xD

[azure-steel]

"Welcome back, Cloud. How was your outing with the girls?" There the silverheaded SOLDIER is, leaning over the railing of the hotel's balcony. Seeing the blonde get dragged off by either Aerith or Tifa- and this time even both at once- turned out to be a frequent event on these travels. Normally he'd join Barret's side of keeping the distractions to a minimum but... how could he say no to a sight this amusing when both made off with their pack chocobo in Costa Del Sol? Weiss made no attempt to hide the crooked grin on his face. "I'm starting to think I get what they see in you..." Something like 'feeling sorry for a small animal you accidentally kicked but the reaction is so amusing you cannot help yourself laughing over how oblivious it is to what just happened'...? Yeah. That checked out. (avalanche au bc i thought it'd be funny)

Unprompted Asks - ALWAYS ACCEPTING @endweapon

Were it not humiliating enough to come to terms that he was off little to no use to anyone other than a bag carrier, but to have it pointed out to him by the one member he liked the least was just the cherry on this proverbial part-baked cake. Weiss, it would seem, took great pleasure in compounding problems as opposed to solving them.

Cloud does little more in that moment than throw an aggravated glare towards the man glowering down at him from his high tower. And with each finger occupied by a bag full of stuff he didn't even buy he couldn't deny the accusation, the kind of which felt like a hard slug in the gut. Occasions like this were getting a touch too frequent for his liking, but far be it from him to have the ability to refuse either of them. Man... he must look pathetic from all the way up there on the balcony. Were the boot on the other foot, Cloud would probably laugh at himself too.

He just... wanted to feel useful, though in this instance, considering neither Aerith nor Tifa had really given him the time of day at all - unless it was to drop off another load from their shopping spree - it was kind of hard not to believe that he'd been taken advantage of this time.

A moment of sullen reflection then, a bitterness towards his friends sweeping over his good sense that he would very quickly shake off, before waddling towards the broken patioed flat of the Seaside Inn and unceremoniously dropping the bags in a heap right there. If the girls thought he was traipsing all that lot up to their rooms after today, then they had another thing coming...

Hands on hips, Cloud peers back up at Weiss still gloating over Cloud's own - albeit selfsustained - wounded pride and the brief notion of hurling insults right back at him did cross his mind. Though for the lecture he would receive after for abusing a fellow member of this ragtag group hardly seemed worth it right now. Being yelled at for attempting to defend himself (or at least in the sense that he perceived said outbursts) was getting rather tedious.

Maybe now was a good time as any to actually start building some bridges instead of burning them.

"You know, if you wanna show me up some more, there's a shooting gallery down on the front if you fancy your chances, yeah?" Maybe a lame attempt at poking fun at himself but at least he tried right?

"I heard your skills with firearms far surpasses mine."

[muffinsin]

you know what, fuck it we ball. i gave the dani and cass monsterfucker prompts, lemme cook one up for bela real fast in your ask box while i am yet again sleep deprived.

let’s put bela with a lycan (heh). feel like we’ve seen a couple lycan requests, but i’m gonna put a breeding focus on this one. similar to cass’ i guess. sweet, darling bela is gunna have to carry a litter of lycan pups to full term, though.

she’s thinking about that and all the consequences that come with it the whole time she’s getting railed after having been pounced on, and for some reason being unwilling to push the beast off. pheromones? she’s a little loopy on them, it’s clouding her judgement. not to mention this situation, unfortunately, really turns her on, despite the fact that she’s soo anxious about the fat knot smacking against her cunt getting forced inside, and so anxious about being pumped full of so much werewolf cum that makes her look pregnant alone. starts thinking about how many pups she might be given. will it be a whole litter? how many pups come in a lycan litter? how is that going to affect her body? etc. thinks about lactation too. probably gotta produce a whole lot to feed a litter, ya know?

very big on bela mommy issues dimitrescu being a sucker for this kind of stuff deep in the back of her mind. she wants to be a breeding toy, she just doesn’t quite know it. lycan lover will help her out.

picturing them not being able to really speak while transformed. maybe a couple words here and there, but it’s difficult. they’re really mostly a monster right now. not so much of a monster that they won’t give her some sweet aftercare lovin’ while she cockwarms them due to the inflated knot being unlikely to go down for a good while, though. oh, and they’re Hung. “it won’t fit!” kind of hung, but they make it work 🥴

- 🐺

Hell yeah!🙌 My much needed reminder that I write smut? Perhaps XD At last, after months, poor Bela is getting some monsterfucking loving too, hm? XD Let’s get into it, everyone!

Masterlists

In one moment, she feels curiosity. In the next, her body tenses as a loud roar is heard echoing in the dimly lit cave. Bela bites down on her lip harshly, her bright, golden eyes scanning over the stony edges of the walls of the cave.

She feels slightly dizzy, her brain fuzzy, her limbs oddly heavy. A thick scent lingers in the air, one she feels strangely tempted to follow.

She can’t recall why she entered the cave in the first place, not usually one for such curiosity.

And yet..now she can’t seem to leave again. As if in a trance, she keeps on walking, uncaring of her heels scraping against the stone and muddy ground. She feels slightly cold, just enough for her to shiver, yet not quite enough to pose a threat.

She jumps a little when she hears a loud snarl again. What is she doing? She can’t seem to resist the scent clouding her judgement and senses.

Bela’s eyes widen slightly for a moment when- at last- she finds the source of this sound. A creature, curled up, yet monstrous in size. If it were to stand, she is sure it would be towering above her, and only stand slightly shorter than Alcina herself.

She keeps on walking, until she stands, frozen, right in front of the creature. Her eyes widen suddenly, as if only now aware of it. What is she to do?

To slay the beast? Gulping, she gazes around the cave, trying to find anything to use to her advantage. However..nothing. She scans the lycan-like monster again.

Large, muscular, with sharp teeth pointing out from its mouth. She shivers again. No, fighting the beast is not an option.

Still, as she stares the creature down..

Bela’s body tenses again, her eyes flickering over it. She sees the sharp claws, the strong torso…

Her eyes land on the large, still limp cock between the creature’s legs. Suddenly, the scent grows stronger, and without understanding why or standing any chance at resisting it, her body lurches forwards, and suddenly her face is smudged against the warm, oddly comforting thigh.

She sees the massive thing twitch, her eyes wandering over the thick knot wearily.

She can’t quite understand. All she does, is feel.

She feels her body submitting to the monster, her pussy aching and drooling, her heart yearning to be close. She doesn’t understand.

As if in a trance, her hands move across her body. She removes her cape and hood, then her dress. Left only in her underwear, stockings and heels, Bela positions herself along the creature’s large arm.

She doesn’t even notice she has begun rutting her clothed pussy against it.

Then, the creature stirs. Her eyes widen, and for a moment she seems able to rip herself away. She turns halfway to her swarm form fast, making for the way out. She recognizes it, is almost there..

Then, she shrieks, as large paw-like hands push against her back and force her to the ground, and the large creature hovers above her. She’s pinned, struggling against the dirty and wet ground.

Then, she tenses, as a long tongue drags against her neck. She shivers, her nose picking up on the creature’s scent that now sticks to her.

Another lick, and another. She feels dizzy almost, her pussy clenching and aching, yearning for the creature’s large cock. She feels shame; has she always been this easy? Surely not! Have years of neglecting her sexual side and sex with the staff turned her into this? Turned her into a slut easy enough to even get turned on by a lycan of all things?! What would Mother think!

Bela gasps when she is turned roughly, her head throbbing for a moment before she can realise what is happening. She feels and hears her clothing tear, sharp teeth and claws slashing through the skin tight dress and grazing her pale, porcelain skin slightly.

She doesn’t attempt to push the creature off, she can’t, and somehow, doesn’t want to. All she feels is its large cock, limp before and slowly hardening against her thigh. To her horror, the thing grows as it hardens, so the monstrosity turns to an even huger dick. She whimpers momentarily.

How could this fit? What’s going to happen to her? Will it breed her? Somewhere in the back of her mind she realises..summer is breeding season.

She gasps when the sandpaper-like tongue drags down her neck, leaving almost slimy saliva in its path. She shivers underneath the lycan, golden eyes taking in the monster’s form. Then, she jumps, when sharp teeth graze her hip.

Suddenly, her head is filled with the desire to be bitten, to be claimed in the most intimate and primal of ways. She yearns for it, suddenly, her mind foggy, her body yearning, her back arching as though presenting her to her captor.

The lycan snarls and growls, and the blonde yelps when she feels the strong tongue lick across her inner thigh next.

“W-Wait!”, she shrieks as a massive hand wraps around her thick thigh, and gasps when she is spread open. With a single bite her underwear is snatched from her, leaving her shivering as the damp air of the cave hits her privates.

To her embarrassment, she is already soaked, her clit pulsing, her lips glistening with the wetness that drips from her.

The beast straddles her fully, its large clawed hands grabbing onto her petite wrists and pinning them above her head. Bela is a mess of thoughts.

What is happening? How come she is enjoying this so much?!

She feels so wet, she needs this so bad.

Never has she felt this turned on in her life..

She must get back! She must escape! Mother will be furious! Cassandra will never let her live it down! Daniela will never give her a break from the jokes and mockery!

She must feel the massive cock in her..so thick, so strong, already twitching as it is aligned to hang proudly between her legs.

Bela whimpers as she feels the thick, glistening wet tip against her tight pussy. Having neglected her needs in favor of working hard, she’s impossibly tight for the large cock dangling between her thighs. Let alone the huge knot…

The thought strikes fear into her mind. How could she possibly take the massive girth? How could her pussy ever recover from the stretch?

How could she take such a large knot? How could it ever fit into her?! What if..

What if she is bred?

Her eyes widen a little at the thought. So what if she is bred? What if the beast pumps load after load of thick cum into her?

The proud heiress of Alcina Dimitrescu, the noblest of her sisters, reduced to a cum dump, made to become a mate and be bred until she carries a litter of lycans in her womb.

She gasps, then screams and moans, as the thick tip pushes into her. Its soft head goes in easily despite the tightness, and Bela moans when, after years, she finally feels full again.

Yet, upon glancing down, she sees that barely the tip has made it in. There is a lot to go, still, and she already feels it as warm, no- hot, precum drools from the monstrous lycan and right into her.

Her thoughts wander more and more the foggier her brain gets and the higher she seems to get on the pheromones and scent surrounding her.

How many lycans make a litter? Two? Three? Six? Seven? Twelve?! She can’t remember, but by the size of the knot sitting at the base of the cock, she must fear for the worst.

Her hip is grabbed, then a strong arm is wrapped around her. She feels more of the cock push itself inside of her.

Her back arches and she feels the arm around her tighten, then can’t help but giggle when she is lifted off the floor.

“A-AAh! AH! Gnmnn!”

She throws her head back, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she feels more and more fill her.

At last, she feels the knot pushed up against her stretched pussy.

“Ple-Please!”, she gasps. How on earth could she fit that knot into her?! As the creature’s hips pull back and the cock begins to slip out of her, she feels her pussy grip it tightly. It’s as though every part of her body tries to keep the monstrosity in her, as though despite what fears plague her mind, her body is eager and relentless to be bred.

For a moment, shame has her cheeks burn up and flush bright pink. She moans as she feels the long tongue explore her neck and grunts in pleasure as her captor’s hips slap back against her own.

“N-Ngnnm, yes! Y-yes! O-Oh god!”

They draw back, then snap to her again, making her jolt. She tugs her arms half heartedly, and unsurprisingly, the lycan’s grip only tightens on her.

She moans with every little drop of hot wetness that leaks into her. She gasps as thick and heavy balls slap against her ass, plap! Plap! Plap! With every thrust.

So thick..Bela’s head is thrown back as she merely thinks of how much cum they must hold inside. How much she will be made to cold inside.

“I-Oh..yes! Yes! A-Ah!”, she screams. She feels herself pushed closer and closer to her orgasm already within moments of this treatment.

But really, she can’t be blamed! Not when poor Bela’s pussy and body is unused to such treatment, when she clenches tightly around the cock and feels it stretch her more with every thrust.

And how can she be blamed, when she feels the thick tip push up against the back of her womb when it is fully nestled inside of her, when she feels the wet head rub up against her pink, spongy and wet insides.

She groans and moans, louder and louder and louder.

And the creature seems painfully aware of her state. She is grabbed hard and yanked about, her petite body used to practically jerk her up and down on the massive cock.

When she cums embarrassingly fast, tears begin to run down her cheek. Yet she yearns for more, fear and arousal filling her mind when she feels the heavy knot push up against her.

Even with a stretched pussy, she can’t imagine a single way such a thing could fit into her!

She gasps and moans loudly with every thrust into her wet and tight cunt. Each causes the thick knot to smack against her and nearly has her flinch each time.

Truly, she can’t grasp how such a thing could ever fit into her!

It seems, too, her monstrous captor couldn’t care less that she came. If anything, Bela feels the talons holding her tightening and the cock within her twitch.

Yes, she can imagine she is quite warm, wet and tight around the beast now. And still she gasps and moans high pitched with every little thrust and move into and out of her.

She is yanked and pulled, the rough treatment accompanied by almost sweet licks against her neck. She feels lightheaded already, little sighs escaping her thick lips here and there.

As she is fucked faster and she feels more and more precum drip into her, her attention is pulled to the fact she is being bred yet again.

And again, it feels her with a strange warmth that has her cheeks heat up, her ass clench and her pussy grip the cock stretching her sore tightly.

She wonders, will she bear a round stomach as she carries a litter of Lycans? The thought has her whimper and arch her back as best as she can.

Yes, she is already reeking of the creature, after all!

Will her breasts grow even larger and ache, so full of milk for her little pups? Bela gasps at the thought alone.

“N-A-AAh! AH! Ah! Yes! YES!”

She screams, loud and passionate, when she suddenly feels the teeth that have been rubbing against her neck push inside.

Warmth spreads throughout her body. She’s shaking, trembling and moaning, gasping and shrieking as she cums again. She knows, deep down, the bite has claimed her as the creature’s.

She groans when she suddenly feels cum be shot into her, massive amounts enough to cover her entire face- head even- if it was shot into it.

She squirms helplessly as she is pumped full of it, her arms held tightly, her neck forced still by sharp teeth, her pussy plugged with the cock as more and more cum floods her insides.

Her eyes widen as she looks down and finds her own stomach, growing more and more the more seed is pumped inside. She whines, her legs attempting to cross, her hips trembling in an attempt to move. But the large cock stays inside, and the beast only snarls angrily at her foolishness.

Soon, her stomach is round and full, large enough for poor Bela to let herself lean fully against the ground and the lycan, too weak and sore to carry the unexpected weight of her cum-filled stomach.

Already, it looks as though the monster impregnated her.

For a moment, the creature only pants. Bela catches her breath at last as she moves her hand to her neck, her bottom lip becoming trapped between her teeth as she feels two large bite marks on there. Blood smears around it, but below the sweet fluid, she feels the puncture wounds.

Then, however, her excitement is cut short and replaced by terror, arousal and fear.

The knot.

She mewls as it presses against her stretched pussy, harder and harder. She feels it throb and its warmth, its sheer size…

“It won’t fit!”, she pleads. The creature seems to think otherwise, as it snarls and growls, its grip tightening on Bela for a moment. She gasps when she is flipped over, so now her bare breasts are pushed up against the hard rock and muddy ground.

Her round stomach aches as it rests on the floor and poor little Bela whimpers in embarrassment as she feels more cum leak from her pussy again with every single breath.

She feels her leg be pulled to the aside and shivers slightly as the warm air of the cave hits her wet privates.

Then, she feels the knot push against her again. The monstrous lycan mounts her easily, its sheer size alone dominating the blonde.

Then, with a scream and a moan of pleasure, she feels it, finally. The knot, impossibly big, forced into her soaked pussy and sealing it like a plug. She whimpers and moans loudly.

She is grabbed tightly, her stomach a shameful, but arousal reminder of her new status as this monster’s mate and breeding puppet.

She gasps when there is even slight movement. More, and more. The creature can’t thrust into her with the knot in the way, but even the smallest of movements and turns give both insane amount of pleasure.

Bela is panting again quickly, her hands cupping her stomach and breast. She feels the blood pour from her neck, down her collarbone and past her breasts.

She feels her last orgasm of the day rising already within a few moments, her body seemingly automatically responding to the large knot inside.

When the creature bends down to lick her swollen stomach, she nearly cums from it alone. Yes…all this seed in her, the knot..she knows, she will be bred and impregnated.

Her cheeks heat up, her nipples harden, her ass clenches and tightens around nothing. Her pussy milks the cock and knot in her.

Bela whimpers and moans, pants even. She can’t bring her mind to think of anything but being what she is made to be now, a breeding toy. A future mother to a litter of lycans.

She thinks of her round belly, her sore and aching breasts leaking milk, a dozen little wolves running around.

She thinks of possessiveness, the one the creature has already showered her in.

A few more movements, and with a scream, the beautiful blonde cums again. She mewls as her mate does the same, the large, hard knot at least shrinking slightly in her.

She is held close as she whimpers and cries, her stretched pussy pumped full to the brink, so much so her own cum and the creature’s heavy, thick one. She feels the cum drip and smear everywhere, even.

Then, it seems over at last. Her eyes are heavy, her stomach even rounder and fuller. The knot rests in her, as if still acting like a plug that traps the creature’s seed in her.

Exhausted, she allows the large thing to shift her. She feels soft fur against her, and a gentle tongue running along her throat and stomach.

It’s almost..lovingly.

With a smile on her lips, she allows her eyes to slip shut

[crisiscutie]

How/would Sephiroth confide his interest in darling's milk...

(Response to an ask no longer in my inbox.)

Depending on the certain Sephy (Fluffy boi is just the sweetest), he'd either be nonchalant, possessive or very secretive about his milk kink. I don't see him being very vocal about it in general since actions speak louder than words.

Content Warning: NSFW, Milk Kink.

Fluffy Sephiroth: He didn't discover his milk kink until the beginning of Domestic AU (Which is set mid Crisis Core, where Sephiroth abandons the Nibelheim mission and runs off with darling). He discovered this kink when reading maternity books to support his pregnant darling. I wrote a fic about this here. Assuming if he was still on good terms with Angeal and Genesis (and if they would still be alive in this AU), he'd probably confide in them about his milk kink while still being very flustered about it since I think he would want to get it off his chest He *may* tell Zack about it, if those two aren't options.

Dissidia Sephiroth (Dissidia AU): While Dissidia Darling is with the heroes, he takes every opportunity to let them know she belongs to him, all the while he's plotting for ways to reclaim her. Unfortunately, poor Cloud is his chosen spokesman for this message, since he is the easiest for Sephiroth to mind control... And well, let's just say that Cloud has developed a craving for darling's milk too xD

C.C. (Nibelheim Incident Sephiroth): As the youngest of the Sephiroths, he lets it know to the other Sephys that HoS Darling's milk is his (or should be his). Though, the good news that he helps gives Darling relief since the JENOVA cells in her breasts caused produce so much milk for the purposes of feeding her monstrous spawns.

[weirdkpopgirl]

Stay | Dream Reaction #7

Reaction: To the First Time their GF Stays at their Place

Genre: Fluff, slight angst

Warnings: mentions of stress, subtle mental health stuff in Renjun's, making out in Haechan's (but nothing explicit), oh, and mentions of fighting in Jaemin's part?

Word Count: 2780k

Author's Note: Hii, this was requested by a lovely anon. It's been a while since someone requested something, which made me really happy. To the person who messaged me, this may not be exactly what you had in mind. I did go a slightly darker route with some of the members. But I still hope you like it. Thank you for reading ^ - ^

Also, no one probably cares. But I've been listening to Dream's mini album nonstop XD

~ ~ ~

MARK

The corners of your lips downturned into a frown at the sight of your boyfriend’s workaholic state. Honestly, you weren’t surprised. But it didn’t make you any less angry.

Taeyong had sent you a text, relaying his concerns about the boy overworking again. He already had enough on his plate with hectic schedules for both 127 and Dream. Yet there he was, hunched over his computer and surrounded by crumpled balls of paper.

“Baby, it’s so late,” You said quietly, walking up from behind,

Alerted by your voice, Mark lifted his head. “(Y/n)-ah? When did you get here?”

“Just now,” You replied quickly. “I was worried about you.”

You gently lifted his chin, to get a better look at him. Despite his room's dimmed lights, you could still see the dark circles under his eyes. 

Mark brushed you off. “Babe, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.”

He always told you that, and it always lit this flame of anger in you. Usually, you refrained from saying anything for fear of causing him more stress. But you cared too much to hold it that night.

“How can you tell me that when you've been working nonstop this past month without a break?” Your voice wavered. “You probably haven’t gotten any sleep, have you?”

Mark looked down, unable to respond. So you took matters into your own hands and started by shutting his computer off. You ignored his poor attempts to protest and brought him to his bed.

“I’m going to stay here to make sure you get some actual rest,” You asserted before laying down beside him.

Even though Mark knew you were being serious, he couldn’t help but smile. This stern side of you was refreshing, and a reminder that there were people who cared about his well-being.

“Will you stay the whole night then?” Mark asked softly, reaching for your hand.

You didn’t expect him to say that, as you've never slept over at his dorm before. Honestly, you didn’t hate the idea. And if it meant getting your boyfriend’s mind off work for the rest of the night, then you’d say yes.

When you nodded, the two of you moved closer to get more comfortable. And for the first time in weeks, Mark finally got some sleep.

✎__________________________________________________________

RENJUN

It was one of those days when Renjun had a small gray cloud of rain over him. Maybe because work has been hectic lately, or maybe he was suffering from a lack of confidence. Whatever it was, sometimes Renjun just felt down. Fortunately for him, you were determined to cheer him up.

Before going to his dorm, you stopped by the grocery store and picked up a few things for hot pot. Renjun’s eyes immediately lit up when he saw you even bought his favorite shrimp balls. Since some of his members were there, you guys all ate together.

Aside from dinner, Renjun locked the two of you inside his bedroom. Then he would vent to you about what’s been bothering him lately. Sitting beside him on the bed, you would hold his hand in yours and listen the whole time. When it came to responding, you gave the best encouragement you could and reassured him that his feelings were valid.

8:30 p.m. was when you usually left to go back home. But this time, Renjun tugged on your wrist when you made a move to get up.

“Stay, please?” He spoke in a tiny voice. 

You were a bit taken aback because this was the first time he’s asked you to stay over. The two of you could get pretty shy about these things. But there was none of that from Renjun tonight.

So you nodded and let him pull you back into the bed to lay down next to each other. He hummed as your fingers stroked his hair.

“Thank you. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you,” He’d say a few moments later. In response, you smiled and kissed him on the forehead. 

“Of course. I’ll be here for as long as you need.”

✎__________________________________________________________

JENO 

He and the Dreamies had just returned from their tour in Japan. Even though he was gone for a few days, the time was too long for Jeno. So when you came over to cook a welcome-home meal for him and the Dreamies, the boy refused to leave your side.

Throughout dinner, you were practically glued to Jeno’s lap. His arms remained securely wrapped around your stomach, as his chin rested atop your shoulder. Any teasing from his members went largely ignored. Even when it was late, Jeno didn’t want you to go home.

“I spent all week missing you. Can’t you stay a little longer?” He avoided the stern look you were giving him.

The sensible part of you said to just go home like you usually did. Jeno’s slept over at your apartment a few times. But you’ve never stayed in his dorm, afraid that it’d be weird with his members also being there. However, they had all retired to their rooms by now. And it wasn’t like you had any plans the next day.

Your eyes dropped down to the boy who was playing with your fingers with a pout. Though you had a hard time expressing it, you had missed him just as much as he did. There was no harm in staying over one night, right?

You let out a pretend sigh, “Okay…I guess I can stay.”

“Really?” The boy’s eyes lit up, surprised that you said yes.

Since you didn’t have any clothes to wear to sleep, Jeno happily lent you one of his shirts and a pair of sweatpants. His eye smile appeared when you waddled out of the bathroom. 

“I look ridiculous, Jeno-ssi.” 

“No, you look cute,” He stood up to take you in his arms. “I should just have you wear my clothes from now on.”

You shook your head with a smile, and let him carry you to his bed. From there, you guys would lay in each other’s arms, talking about miscellaneous things until you guys fell asleep.

After the first time, Jeno knew that he wanted to sleep with you in his arms for the rest of his life. This was where he belonged.

✎__________________________________________________________

HAECHAN

A smile crept on his lips when he heard you yawn beside him. Since the holiday season was busy for both of you this year, you took this single free night to have an at-home movie date. And by at-home date, you were at the 127 dorm, cuddled up with your boyfriend in the living room.

As the ending credits of the movie you just watched played on the screen, you sat up to check your phone. It was pretty late. You then glanced out the window and gasped when you saw how much snow was flying everywhere. The storm had just started when you arrived, but you didn’t expect it to be still going on. And you didn’t have a car, which meant you’d have to walk home because the buses were most likely done for the day.

You then glanced at Haechan who already read your mind. “Well, it looks like you’re snowed in. I guess you won’t be leaving tonight,” He cutely shrugged. 

“Of course, you’re happy about that.” You narrowed your eyes at him.

He pouted in response, “Whyyy? This means we can spend more time together!”

If anyone else saw how clingy and cute Haechan was around you, the boy would never hear the end of it. You shook your head at the boy and reached for the remote. 

“Should we watch another movie then?” You suggested. 

The male smirked and looked at you with a teasing glint. “I was thinking we should try something else.”

Before any suspecting questions could be asked, Haechan grabbed you by the neck and pulled you into a passion-filled kiss. You let out a gasp, only to be swallowed by the pressing of his lips on yours. The initial shock quickly faded as you felt yourself melting into his touch. However, your eyes opened as soon as they closed. You forced yourself to pull away, earning a whine from the boy.

“You do realize any of your Hyungs can walk out this very second, right?” You pointed out while trying to catch your breath. 

There have been too many embarrassing times when someone caught the two of you in moments like this. All thanks to Lee Haechan, of course.

“Don’t worry about them. They’re all sleeping.”

He kept his hand on the nape of your neck, ready to kiss you again. But just as your noses touched, the sound of shuffling footsteps disrupted the two of you. 

“Hey, Donghyuck are you still up?” 

You instantly motioned for the boy to get off you and sat up to see Mark coming from the hallway.

“Oh (Y/n), I was wondering if you had gone home yet. It’s pretty messy outside,” He scratched his head.

You nodded in agreement, “Yeah, it is.”

“What were you guys doing?” He asked. Haechan rolled his eyes, annoyed by the rapper. 

“Before you interrupted us, (Y/n) and I were—” 

“Deciding on what movie to watch next!” You cut in, afraid of what he was going to say.

Haechan shot you a “why did you do that?” look. You sent him a glare in response. Mark, on the other hand, remained clueless as ever.

“Really? Has (Y/n) seen Elf yet? You should totally watch that,” The elder walked around to sit at the end of the couch. “Do you mind if I join you guys?”

Before you could answer, Johnny and Jaehyun came into the room.

“Yah, are you watching Christmas movies without us?”

You laughed nervously and turned to your boyfriend who was dumbfounded by this turn of events. Things certainly didn’t go as he had wanted them to. You mouthed a “sorry,” as the other members started to join you guys. He sighed in defeat and rested his head on your shoulder.

And that’s how the first time you stayed at Haechan’s dorm ended up turning into a Christmas movie marathon with the 127 members. Not as romantic as he would’ve liked. But it was certainly memorable.

✎__________________________________________________________

JAEMIN

Over the past week, your roommates have been at each other’s throats. As someone who was a little afraid of conflict, you chose to stay out of the situation. But their screaming at each other nonstop prevented you from getting any sleep. They remind you of when you lived with your parents who fought all the time. You tried to hold it together, repeatedly telling yourself that you should be used to this by now. Yet no matter how strong you pretended to be, it wasn’t enough. 

One night, you decided that you couldn’t take it anymore. You knew it was late, but you were so desperate right now. After grabbing your phone and wallet, you snuck out of your home. Not that you think they would’ve noticed if you had left in front of them. They probably wouldn’t care and continue blaming each other for things.

Jaemin would be lying if he said he wasn’t surprised when you showed up at his apartment at 11:30 p.m. But he was more concerned when he saw the clear distress on your face.

“I-I’m sorry.” You huffed out cold air. “But can I stay here for the night?”

It only took him one look at your watery eyes to tell you were on the verge of breaking down. Of course, he welcomed you with open arms. Not many words were exchanged as you guys settled in his living room. 

“Sunji and Juran haven’t made up yet?” He asked in his usual low voice, as he sat beside you on the couch. You noticed that he sounded deeper in the nighttime.

You shook your head despondently. “At this point, I’m waiting for one of them to move out.”

A short silence followed your words. Jaemin watched as your eyes fixated on the mug of green tea he gave you.

“I didn’t know where else to go,” You mumbled, before finally taking a sip of the warm beverage.

A small smile stretched across his lips. You always kept up this wall around your friends and family. Part of him was grateful because he was the only person who saw your vulnerable side.

“You did well (Y/n)-ah,” He cooed, reaching his hand to pet your head. “Thank you for coming to me.”

Calmed by his touch, you glanced up at those adorable eyes of his that were overflowing with admiration. In the next second, you let him take you into his embrace. The two of you stayed cuddled on the couch, watching some k-dramas to get your mind off things. Every so often he’d press kisses into your hair, which made you snuggle into him further.

You guys only started dating two months ago, and have never spent the night at each other’s places before. He was probably tired from work, and yet he let you in without question. If this wasn’t love, what was it?

✎__________________________________________________________

CHENLE

It was just another one of those days where you were at Chenle’s house keeping him company. His mother and aunt weren’t in Korea at the moment, so you guys had the whole place to yourself. The both of you agreed it was nice, after not seeing each other for the past few days.

Currently, you guys were napping on the couch. Napping was a more recent thing for the two of you. Mainly because he was always tired from work, and for you it was school. Though you were hesitant about the idea at first, you started to love these moments with your boyfriend. They were those few chances you got to relax and recharge.

Chenle secretly loved when you guys did this as well. Especially when you nestled your head into the crook of his arm, while your arm rested on his chest. Often he found himself staring down at you, admiring your features. It was always the hardest when you guys had to break out of such a comfortable position. And today, he really didn’t want to.

You had woken up first, realizing you had slept much longer than you intended. But when you began to sit up, Chenle brought you back down.

“Don’t go,” He said with his eyes still closed. “It’ll be too dangerous to walk home when it’s so late.”

“It’s only nine,” You murmured. “And I have university tomorrow.”

His hand wrapped around your wrist, pulling you closer to him. “Your class isn’t until noon, and you have your school bag here.”

 You weren’t sure how he could speak so coherently when he was half asleep. But he was right. His place was also closer to the college you went to.

“Just stay.” 

His words were simple but persuasive. So you returned to your previous place in his arms and closed your eyes. 

“Okay.”

Chenle would smile, pleased to have won you over. He placed a small kiss on your knuckles before letting sleep consume him.

✎__________________________________________________________

JISUNG

For the first time, Jisung bought an apartment and was able to move out of the dorm. It took some convincing from his manager and the members. But Jisung was ready for this. After all, he wasn’t a 14-year-old kid anymore.

With that said, Jisung and you decided to take the next level into your relationship. By “next level,” that meant spending an entire night together. Jisung was quite excited because he would get to spend some quality time with you. However, things didn’t go quite as he expected.

Everything was normal up until you finished your third movie and it was time to sleep. Despite being together for almost two years, you guys were as awkward as you were when you started dating.

“I can sleep on the couch…” You suggested.

Jisung instantly turned down that idea. “What? No, we can just sleep on my bed!”

So after some anxious rambling between the two of you, you eventually ended up in his room. The two of you would lay face to face on his bed, with his comforter covering you up to your necks. 

“Not too bad, right?” Jisung chuckled nervously.

You nodded, “Yeah, we’re okay.”

The two of you would spend the rest of the night giggling like little kids and exchanging kisses under the covers. Overall, 10/10 experience!

✎__________________________________________________________

[quitealotofsodapop]

YELLOW1!!1 it's been a hot minute since I sent in an ask!

Since pokemon has really come to bite my butt, I wonder what kinda pokemon Mei and Macaque would have! (I'd guess Mei would have a gyrados for some reason, but it makes sense to me and that's good enough!)

the LMK storyboard director (Ashe Jacobson) actually made pokemon cards for the LMK gang based on her hcs of them! Although they were made during S1/2 and likely don't reflect current ideas or fanon (also too many legendaries for my taste). Also no Sandy card :(

Things I do love about each though:

He/They pronoun MK. MK having bunch of little monkey pokemon. Plus a Krabby for some reason. Also Age: Unknown foreshadowing... instead of the legendaries I could see him having a Ground type like a Gligar (cheeky bat pokemon based on a tyoe of Japanese yokai) or a Swinub (snow boar piglet).

Red Son out here with all the pronouns and a bunch of poor Bug/Steel types about to get melted XD. Honestly surprised that he doesn't have a Tauros. The Houndoom seems like an Erlang pokemon though, Red Son seems more of a Torchic kinda guy. I could also give him a legednary like Chi-Yu; a little piece of primordial fire based on the Chinese Great Peril of Hundun/Confusion.

Mei def deserves a Gyardos - no fault to Rayquaza but no legendaries allowed. Rapidash is perfect for her, but perhaps a shiny to fit her theme a little more + she def would be a Shiny hunter. Sceptile is a more subtle choice since it's a lizard pokemon with one of the highest base speed stats (450) and has sword-like leafy protrusions. I've seen ideas for her having a Blitzle (electric zebra pokemon) as well since it just seems like a Her pokemon to have.

I just love Tang having Shedinja (the cicada husk pokemon) partially because it falls into a little theory I have of him >:3 + Golden Cicada connection. Chimecho is also based on a type of shinto warding bell used to scare off spirits - a useful pokemon for a priest/superstitious nerd to have. The Hoothoot is adorable, he's just here cus of nerdiest. Spoink is based on a bible verse about casting wisdom to those who won't appriciate it (pearls before swine) so thats pretty Tang-coded. The Shuckle makes me think of Noodles and the infamous "don't fuckle with the Shuckle"-meme because of it's ability to become the most lethal attack pokemon under the right circumstances. Tang deserves another non-legendary tho so lets give him an artifact pokemon like a Golett or Baltoy for him to nerd about (and struggle to carry).

Pigsy has pigs. You know if Gen IX was out he'd have a LeChonk no question about it. The Munchlax is super adorable since is a hungry baby pokemon (reminds him of MK?), and the Clefable could be a hint at his amazing singing voice. Blipbug is a ladybird larva aka a "bookworm" pokemon - you know he got that one cus of Tang. The Ambipom is interesting tho - extra hands in the kitchen obvs, but maybe hinting at his incarnation's connection to SWK. I could def see him having "food"-type pokemon around too like Smoliv, Milcery, and/or Tatsugiri.

+Tang and Pigsy both have a pokemon that reminds them of eachother omg; Spoink and Blipbug. Perhaps the Spoink is (Pigsy's) Grumpig's baby?

Wukong using his flattering game art for his ID is very in-character of him XD. Most of his pokemon are really on the nose too - Infernape is legit based on him after all. I excuse the use of legendary pokemon (esp Landorus since it's a earth/cloud god pokemon) for him too since thats what he is. The most recent legendary pokemon is uber-Wukong coded tho - Pecharunt, based on the Peaches of Immortality combined with the japanese folktale of Momotaro + japanese death mythology. I could see Wukong also walking around with a bunch of horse (Mudsdale) and fruit pokemon (Boundsweet, Cherubi) as well. Maybe even having a team thats made of up pokemon that remind him of his old friends.

Macaque having a Zoroark and Zarude is super genius. Zoroark is a mimicry pokemon (based on kitsunes/huli-jings) and that checks out with what Macaque tried doing in the novel - also reminds me of my hc that Jiuweihuli took him under her wing. Zarude is a spooky legendary monkey pokemon obvs, but it's introduced in it's debut movie as "Dada" by the human it raised - sorta foreshadowing how the FFM baby monkeys really love Macaque. Gengar and Marshadow are great choices for his shadow powers ofc - with Marshow having a "lantern" kind vibe to it. Grimmsnarl I think was choosen based on it's Gigantamax form - it looks a lot like Macaque's Smoke Monster form. I could also see Macaque having a few Sneasels - little dark types based on a wind Yokai. I think that while he'd like sound/music-focused Pokemon, his ears are too sensitive to be around the moves - he'd start running the second he sees a Whimsur.

+Macaque and Wukong have Eevee-lutions that evolve based on high affection depending on time of day. Like the Sun and the Moon everybody. Oddly enough in the pokemon "I Choose You!" movie, Marshadow is considered a "guide" for those chosen by Ho-Oh (which Wukong has), early foreshadowing how Macaque becomes a legit mentor to MK.

Jin and Yin just have duo pokemon that work best together. These two def would buy both versions of a pokemon game so that they could play and trade together. The two NInetails is a cute reference to their mom - the OG Nine-Tailed Vixen. They need a Gourgeist for their Calabash tho.

This is the best i can do rn for poor Sandy; I used a mix of microsoft office word shapes, Imgflip, and the Pokecharms Trainer Id generator (I couldn't figure out how to change the trainer to a custom image).

I gave him Mantine and Lapras cus they're gentle "Ride" pokemon who like carrying people across water. Polteageist cus Tea and secrets. Smergle cus of art. Vivillion cus of the blue butterfly in "To Catch a Leaf" and the Dewpider cus Huntsman. Some more ideas include Dhelmise (the seaweed anchor pokemon), Misdreavus (cus of his necklace), and/or Machamp (wrestling theme in the Scroll of Memory). Lots of cat pokemon too - him and Nanu would get along. He's not a fighter at all - and neither are his pokemon. Don't underestimate them tho - they hit hard.

Additionally; Nezha has all snake pokemon + I can see him having a Charcadet. He's got a Phantump and a Dratini too but don't ask about them.

PIF has a swarm of Castform following her since they can't be blown away by her winds (she treats them like baby wind spirits). DBK has like fifty Tauros of different breeds' and a few Miltanks + a Scovillain who provides him with peppers.

Erlang has a Houndoom and nothing else... except maybe a Lotad who reminds him of his greatest regrets.

Chang'e owes a few bunny pokemon (Scorbunny, Buneary, Azumarill, Bunnelby etc) and an Alcremie, plus a bunch of stray Clefairy-line pokemon (moon origins) and Minior (meterorite/star candy pokemon). She also has a little Rowlet plush that she hugs tightly whenever she goes to sleep (Hou Yi's starter).

I feel like animal demons dont really "own" pokemon cus they see them as fellow demons/monster species. Wukong is an except since his are probably old friends/decended from pokemon he knew back on FFM.

this got a little away from me sorry - I love pokemon too <3

[dreamerwithoutadirection]

You Belong with Me

I am back after quite long literally. I wanted to continue Jin's part. So here it is! Though I am still stuck with next part of instalment, that's Jimin's part. It's just that he's too sweet for me to imagine him as a yandere :(

Warnings: Yandere! Not my best work, lol. xD

“How could you do this Jin?!” shouted Lord Kim as he walked back and forth in the chamber of their home. He expected such behaviour from his youngest but Jin, his prodigious child? Lord Kim felt furious, “You have left me embarrassed and ashamed to face society. How dare you try to make a filthy maid the lady of this house!!” 

Jin stood near the window looking at the vast expanse of the garden. “Then don’t. You are old now, just retire.” Jin replied without looking back. His nonchalance acted like fuel to fire for Lord Kim’s rage. 

“You..you insolent child!” Lord Kim marched towards Seokjin. 

Jin moved back effortlessly before Lord Kim could hit him. His eyes had lost all the calmness. “Don’t force me father. You know the result won’t be good if you try to go against me,” He smiled, as he bored into his father’s eyes, “I can get you removed any day from this precious little position you hold so dear. Don’t try your luck against me, it will be a losing battle.”

Jin gave one final look to his family, “All of you listen”, his shrewd eyes settled on their faces one by one, “I am going to marry her. None of you will or can stop me. Understood?” Lord Kim and his wife trembled under his gaze. They had created a monster. Jin did not move till they all nodded their heads. 

A smile spreaded on the devil’s angelic face. “That’s good! See, I knew you would be able to see it. Let’s begin the wedding preparations! I will go bring my queen.” In his twisted mind, any opposition to his desires was met with a chilling ferocity. A warning to anyone who dared stand between him and the object of his affection fixation.

   *-------*--------*

Choi could not believe it. Such humiliation, such affront on an influential Minister like him. A palpable tension hung in the air. “Where are all the servants?!” he screamed. 

Mr. Na came running on hearing the enraged voice of his Lord. “Lor-”

Enraged Choi yelled “Shut up! Bring that bitch to me. How dare she ruin my plans.” 

“Yes, my Lord.” Mr. Na had no choice. He felt bad for Binna. The poor girl’s life was hard enough with loans on her head and her brother was still young. Na took pity on her and got her the job with much difficulty a few months back. It seemed like black clouds followed her along. With much dejection, Mr. Na turned to bring Binna. 

   *-------*--------*

This was bad. The house was in a frenzy since the Kim’s left. Binna didn’t know what to do. She could feel her heart thumping against her chest. She had not anticipated the storm; her mere presence would stir within the household. Heck, she had not anticipated that her life would become upside down in a flash. Binna looked at Ms. Da Eun sitting forlorn. 

“Ms. you have have to believe me” Binna begged with tears, “I don’t even kno-..you have to believe Ms���” Binna whispered looking at Ms Da Eun, “please”

Da Eun’s eyes conveyed her hatred for Binna.

“People like you, don’t deserve kindness.” Da Eun sniffed, “I took you in, pitying you. Treated you like a friend. And look where it got me. Who will marry me now?!” Da Eun turned away from Binna. She couldn’t bear to look at her face. 

“Just go away. Leave” Da Eun resigned. 

“Aghassi, please just listen to me onc-”

“I said leave,” Da Eun pushed Binna in her rage. The vase near her broke, hurting Binna’s feet. 

“How hard is it to understand that I am not interested in listening to you? Go” 

*-------*--------*

Tears dropped from eyes as felt herself suck in air to breathe. Binna decided to leave. It was the best decision she could make for herself and Ms. Da Eun. Binna’s loyalty belonged to Miss Da Eun and Mr. Kim’s action had left a tumultuous turn of events in its wake. His gaze made her feel dirty. And his actions impure. With renewed resolve Binna began to pack her bags as fast as she could. She needed to leave now. If his promise was true, he would come and Binna knew she would be too helpless to take a stand against the Defense Minister’s son. Binna felt a shiver run down her spine as she recollected his maddening gaze. It was dark, possessive and sinister. She needed to run and she needed to do it now. 

Engrossed in her packing, she did not notice Mr. Na had entered her room. 

“Binna”

“Aaah” She shrieked with her heart jumping out of her chest. “Mr. Na! You scared me. What are you doing in my room this late?” Binna enquired. 

The solemn expression of Mr. Na’s face made her more weary. “Is it Mr. Kim, is he here” Her eyes conveying her fear.

Mr. Na shook his head and sighed. “Binna, why did you seduce him? Lord Choi is too angry.”

She could not believe it. He too thought of her in the wrong? Binna felt a pinch. “Mr. Na” She quavered, “you have to believe me. I did not, Mr. Na. I would never.” her voice rose.

“You were caught in the room alone with him..Binna. That too in an indecent position.” Mr Na snapped. “Now come with me, Mr. Choi has called you.”

*-------*--------*

To be continued

[letoasai]

It suddenly just occurred to me (and I promise I’ll stop loosing my mind over this fic (that’s a barefaced lie)) DID CLOUD AND SQUALL EVER FIND OUT THAT SORA STABBED HIMSELF?!?

Cause I feel like that would start a rather big argument about self preservation in the strifehart household.

If they did find out, then who told them? Cause I know Sora probably wouldn’t want to stress them out. But I can see Kairi accidentally letting it slip at dinner and every eye in the room suddenly being on Sora.

Sorry I promise I’ll stop badgering you with questions. I just have many many thoughts about it!

I love these kinds of questions! Though admittedly it took me a second to work out which story you were asking about xD

I'm sure Cloud and Squall did find out and they weren't happy about it. Especially Cloud after Sora *promised* that he was just find after that year everyone forgot about him.

That does NOT sound fine to Cloud.

Someone present definitely let it slip. It could have been Kairi, the poor girl genuinely not knowing she shouldn't mention it, but it was just as likely Riku. Riku is invested in Sora's mental health and probably thinks Sora should talk to the Strifeharts about what happened. (the full unedited version)

So with Riku, it would have been a total 'accident' of him bringing up exactly how Sora freed Kairi's heart when both Cloud and Squall were present.

Sora pouts for days.

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

been thinking about (for the past 5 min hhhhh) a little poem / picture book daydream idea

“if the moon is made of cheese~ I'd like to go and visit please!”

a mouse is dreaming of visiting the moon (allegedly made of cheese) and her cat friend listens and is like

“...” okay hop on. let's go

the cat pounces into the sky-

(did you really think she COULD'NT catch allll birds if she really wanted to?)

-with the mouse riding on her head

they check out where they live from way up high (mouse barely glances down). get side tracked playing on clouds (mouse is impatient) (tries hurrying the cat) (ends up in a game of chase). and pause for a moment at the edge of the atmosphere, watching the sun rise beyond the horizon

then they leave tomorrow behind and jump up onto the moon-

AND... it's just.... rocks....

no cheese

poor mouse sits in the dust with her tail curled around herself

“If the moon is cold and bare... i'll wonder why i dragged you there....”

cat pads over. sits with her and tucks mouse in her even bigger and fluffier tail- like a hug

“You are silly my tiny friend- sure as moon dust, this is true.”

cat is aggressively trying to clean said dust off her coat

“But even if you invited me to world's end... sure as starlight- I'd follow you.”

mouse realizes the moon isn't cold with her friends snuggling her like this

so they sit together and look up at the far away Earth

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

AND THEN A METEOR WHIZZES PAST THEIR HEADS- HITS EARTH-

KA-BLOOMY!!!!!

CAT AND MOUSE STARE IN SHOCK AT THE RUBBLE WHERE EARTH USED TO BE

mouse: “… what the FU-“

sequel book is called “IF ALL OF EARTH IS SMITHEREENS… DO WE EVEN KNOW WHAT LIFE MEANS???”

cat and mouse travel the universe trying to explain earth each other and various aliens. It’s frustrating. No one quite understands what they mean.

and they keep correcting each other, arguing over who’s remembering Earth right- realizing all the things one of them never noticed and all the things neither of them did. Wondering how much they can even remember about Earth compared to what it actually was.

in the end they find an alien plant with ONE SMALL THING about it that’s Exactly like it was on Earth

cat and mouse stare at it and stare and stare. Even though it’s such a small thing and they note how on Earth they wouldn’t have looked twice at it- neither had even remembered it until they saw it again- they stare anyway.

they wonder if they should just stay here with it maybe, to make sure they don’t forget about it again

….but then mouse wonders

“If there’s milk in the Milky Way…?”

cat is pretty sure all the milk got blown up along with Earth, buuuuut-

off they go again!

(a moral? a point? no. none of that. this is why no one should ever leave me in charge of children’s literature XD)

[altraviolet]

Deleted scenelets, Getaway red herring, Irradion Arc

Hello :D I felt compelled to share another deleted scene. Or two. They are very short.

I originally wanted a Getaway red herring in the Irradion Arc. Namely that Getaway would be implicated in the creation of the remnants (zombies), as a distraction from the actual villain, Stardrive. I really liked the idea, but there were SO many things going on in that arc that I eventually dropped it. That's why these deleted scenes are super short. They're more like sketches for the idea, which was that the zombies would be just intelligent/sentient enough to actually be warning the Lost Lighters "get away [from here]!" But then I had to think about how them still being sentient affected their situation, and etc and etc with the logic there. Once I knew the red herring thing wouldn't be going into the story, I stopped developing the scenes.

First scenelet is Rodimus and Drift fighting the zombies immediately upon arriving on the Irradion. Second scenelet is Rodimus talking to Stardrive about Getaway.

SCENELET ONE:

A former medic, judging by the faint red symbols on her plating, grabbed Rodimus and moaned, “Getaway...”

“Getaway?!” Rodimus kicked her chest in. “No, thanks.” Before he had time to remember if Getaway was in this dimension's Autopedia, Drift appeared beside him, cutting another remnant apart.

“You heard it, too,” said Drift.

“Is there a Getaway in this dimension?”

“Yes.” Drift slashed a remnant in two. A cloud of silver erupted from its spark chamber. “Ugh, the smell. This dimension's Getaway stole, quote, 'powerful, ancient artifacts' and disappeared. His current whereabouts are unknown. Other remnants also said his name.”

“Powerful, ancient artifacts, eh? The kind that can suck the life outta mechs and make them do your bidding? That's like, his favorite thing.” Rodimus punched a remnant in the face. “He better not be behind this. Lurking around abandoned Decepticon stations, turning poor” – Rodimus squinted at the nearest remnant's plating decals – “mineral miners into zombies.”

“Doesn't really feel like his MO,” said Drift. He elbowed a remnant in the torso. It fell back, moaning. “Though you never know, across dimensions.”

“Yeah. Maybe instead of delusions of Primus, in this dimension, he has delusions of Mortilus.”

“That makes more sense than I want to admit,” said Drift.

SCENELET TWO:

“Nothing they can't handle,” said Rodimus. “Do you know a mech named Getaway?”

Stardrive's jaw dropped. “I- That's the word they say!” She pointed to a remnant with her foot. “It's a name?”

“It is,” said Rodimus. “An ugly, nasty, traitorous one.”

/

"Delusions of Mortilus" sounds like a cool band name xD A Getaway with delusions of Mortilus might've been even more dangerous than the one we got in MTMTE :u

Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading :)

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: “Rise of the Old Masters“

Happy Father’s Day!  Rather appropriately we are talking about a keystone Kanan-Ezra episode today.  I swear I didn’t plan that, just how the timing worked out, lol.

Anyway...

I briefly mentioned this in my coverage of “Spark of Rebellion” but one of the reoccurring elements that tend to crop up in all my favorite characters (because I’m horribly predictable and have a Type) is:

“Has complicated yet ultimately heartwarming storgeic relationship with (surrogate) father figure.”

Soooooooo yeah, Kanan and Ezra pretty much hit me right in that particular button.

Poor Kanan fumbling with the lessons that came so instinctively to him. XD

“Actually that one always confused me too.”  Love that Kanan can admit it.

Kanan’s approach is almost adorable in how inept it is, he’s just kind of throwing things against the wall hoping something will stick.  In perhaps the worst environment to do any of this.

(Seriously Kanan, on top of the Ghost, while it’s in midair?!  Disaster was inevitable.)

Hhhngl, look how Ezra’s eyes light up when Kanan offers him the lightsaber, he’s so eager for this.

Another quick instance of Ezra flinching as if anticipating being hit, watch close and you can see he ducks his head as well as squeezes his eyes closed briefly.

Kanan forgot to teach good weapons safety lol.

Ezra actually gets a few cartons when he peeks. :)

Aaaaaand down he goes, certain unmentioned uncharitable portions of fandom will not let up on Kanan about this particular series of mistakes.

Is practicing on top of the Ghost irresponsible child endangerment?  Yes but... that’s literally the point?????  Kanan has no idea what he’s doing and makes horrible mistakes left and right?????  That’s why he’s so afraid and reluctant to teach Ezra?????  That’s his whole motivation for wanting to go get Luminara?????

Oh but if characters do not relate to each other absolutely perfectly without any friction or conflict or mistakes whatsoever that’s horrible and toxic.

Said at least one Maul stan without a hint of irony.

Okay, done salting, let’s enjoy this moment of Ezra trying to play it cool in front of Sabine despite being in eminent danger of falling to his death.

“What, no, this is nothing.  I’m fine.” XD

Fun fact: Pretty sure a gifset of this moment was one of the first Rebels-related posts I ever saw on my dashboard.

Hera looks very concerned here, lol.

And our first glimpse of what a Loth-cat looks like.  Cutest addition to the Star Wars menagerie ever.

Ezra’s theme is piping in here, fragmented and quiet.

*resists the urge to go into another ranting paragraph about how uncharitable parties in fandom use this scene to argue that the Ghost crew are actually terrible towards Ezra and don’t care about him properly*

Once again, everything in the eyes.  So much is unspoken but conveyed with just a look.

Friiiiiiick his expression here breaks my heart.

Casually referencing the events of last episode which should have been fandom’s first clue that it was more narratively tied into things than they thought and also introducing a new story element that plays out later.  I don’t remember what I thought about Gall Trayvis the first time around, I’m pretty sure I found it weird and fishy though.

Ha ha ha the casual Fridge Horror of the Imperial broadcaster talking about a “planetary liberation” via Base Delta Zero protocol.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MIGHT NOT KNOW: Base Delta Zero is basically code for “Have a bunch of Star Destroyers systematically incinerate everything on a planet’s surface from orbit.”

Soooooo yeah, there’s probably not much left of that particular “liberated” world.

Kind of interesting that Ezra chooses to confide in Chopper about his fears here.

I do like the nice cloud effects.

Kanan is in a very serious mood here, one we haven’t seen from him yet.  Speaks to the depths of how badly he wants this to succeed.

Badass Stormtrooper takedown immediately ruined by feral gremlin child. <3

Aaaaaand yet another instance of Ezra flinching like he expects Kanan to hit him.  Just what exactly caused such a pronounced startle effect, exactly?

Don’t think about bby Ezra growing up on the streets, don’t think about bby Ezra growing up on the streets--

Ezra looks so crestfallen here ow ow ow ow. :(

Hera shivers as if it’s cold, which could be taken straightforwardly but also I like to think she senses the bad vibes about the place.

Oh hey, now’s a good time to remind people of the horrible headcanon theory someone sent me about why Kanan can still sense Luminara even though she’s dead.

You’re welcome.

LOOK AT THIS TIRED FATHER AND HIS THREE HORRIBLE CHILDREN.  Love how Zeb and Sabine openly roast him while he’s right there, terrible influences on Ezra the both of you. XD

Snrk, the one Stormtrooper getting his helmet caught in the lift doors lololol.

The music has been periodically sparse throughout this episode, the quiet parts giving all focus to dialogue, but it’s picked up quite a bit here.

I hear the Force Theme strings prelude of course.

It is physically painful how much Ezra already hero-worships Kanan and looks up to him.  He didn’t want to learn how to be a Jedi from just anyone, he wanted to learn from Kanan specifically because thinks Kanan is so cool and amazing.  Ezra is constantly in awe of him this episode.

But, I mean, is it any wonder that an emotionally vulnerable teenage boy with deeply-seated abandonment issues would latch onto the first available and positive adult male influence in his life?

The Force theme coming in more fully here to trick us right before the horrible reveal, though the way it sours on the end note is a little five-second musical foreshadowing.

Hi Grand, bringing the Imperial March with you I see.

And then his theme breaks in after the commercial break cut and lemme just appreciate it again, it’s so nicely dark and foreboding.  That tiny little snatch of Force Theme on the trumpet can barely be heard through it, it’s too overpowering.

Grand refrains from going for an easy kill several times this fight.  He likes to play with his food, apparently.  Even toying with Kanan he’s waaaaaay outclassing him, very neat and precise fencing strokes here.

Kanan’s heavy flailing is actually very at odds with his supposed preferred form, Soresu, Form 3, a primarily reflective and defensive form, which makes Grand’s comment about him being a poor student sting a bit more.

Lololol my man doesn’t even flinch at Ezra’s slingshot bolts.

Hngl the smoke element is fantastic here.  Watch it waft around Kanan and Ezra as they run through it.  This is not the kind of effect work you usually get on CGI kids cartoon shows.

Kanan’s form actually improves a bit after the cutaway, his footing is more solid and he’s expending less effort, making his blocking stances more effective at turning back Grand’s blade.  So that jibe from Grand apparently kicked Kanan’s brain into focus.

Oh yep, all those troopers are dead, that is not a survivable explosion.

Kanan’s managing the spinny Jedi flips now; he’s untensing and likely falling back into muscle memory and connection to the Force.  I love how Star Wars tends to depict Jedi survivors getting back into practice after they haven’t picked up their sabers or connected to the Force in a long while, awkward at first but slowly getting the hang of it again, remembering their training, moving through basics into more complex moves until they’re comfortable again.  I know A New Dawn also depicts Kanan tapping into the Force as straining a muscle that hasn’t been used in a while, nice consistency across the board there.

“He is unfocused and undisciplined.”  “Well then we’re perfect for each other!”

And one of my favorite Papa Wolf Kanan moments right here when Kanan slams Grand up against the ceiling. :)

The Force Theme is finally louder and more confident here and Grand’s has taken a pause.

Buuuuuuut it’s soon back in force lol.

I dunno what it is but I really love the animation in Grand’s unflinching run through the closing doors here, even when he has to leap over them he doesn’t even break stride.

Ezra’s slicing and lockpicking skills kind of fall by the wayside as he focuses more on Jedi training, which is kind of a shame, I liked that he was a bit tech-savvy in ways Sabine wasn’t.

Why I like to include little moments here and there in my fics where he still gets to use his talents.

Can I appreciate this little moment of Sabine reaching for him in concern?

Of course I can, who’s going to stop me?

And one of my favorite master-padawan moments right here, Kanan finally giving some solid instruction (”Picture the locking mechanism in your mind.”), doing it with him, and it’s something easy that Ezra can already do albeit on a bigger scale.

A very victorious Force Theme to mark the occasion. :)

Something Rebels does when it needs to emphasize Kanan and Ezra’s connection is basically have them mirror each other’s pose, this is one of the first examples.  Ezra’s straining a little bit more in his expression but they’re perfectly in sync and mirror-matched limb for limb.

WHICH DOESN’T NECESSARILY MAKE THE PARALLELED IMAGERY IN THE FINALE HURT MORE BUT IT ADDS A LAYER.

Ohhhhhhh hang on, does anyone wonder if Hera leading the tibedees here was inspiration for the eventual purrgil surprise?

It’s on theme at least, lol.

I hear the “Rebels Shenanigans” leitmotif here, bit more dramatic than normal, lovely.

Ezra’s theme coming in as we return to Lothal and man, there’s really nothing I could say about this scene that hasn’t already been said, this is one of fandom’s favorites, we can all spill ink about Ezra’s fear of abandonment and Kanan’s sense of inadequacy and how the Force tends to bring together pairs that teach and grow each other.

How Kanan finally figures out and understands what Yoda’s “Do or do not” line means, how it’s all about your mental state, you can’t give up before you’ve started, you have to be all in and fully committed.

How he’s realizing he has to commit to this and not half-ass it and that leads him to adjust his strategy and go much slower and more meticulously in this lovely little last scene which has the distinct look and feel of a father and son playing catch in the yard. ^_^

Our first real “plot-heavy“ episode of the series, heavy on the drama and interpersonal character conflict.  Can see why it’s the episode that convinced a lot of people to stay on board.  It delves much more deeply into Kanan and Ezra’s master-padawan connection, the Found Family aspects of which are, of course, widely loved.  Their relationship was always one of the show’s strengths.  Like Ezra and Zeb’s friendship it starts off rocky but there’s an extra emotional and personal element in that Kanan is the teacher, the “parent”, and they’re both connected to the Force, something no one else can teach Ezra about.  Kanan has to be the one to guide Ezra through that learning process because he’s the only one who understands it, who can bring that aspect out of Ezra and make him truly who he is.

Kanan really starts to step up after this.  He’s still got a LOT of fears and worries and insecurities, as he’ll tell Yoda later, but he’s over his initial mental block now.  All the better for Ezra, for helping him feel wanted and safe. :)

Ahhhh I love this episode, the character growth from this point to the end is just *chef kiss*.  More worried spacedad Kanan up next week, hopefully I’ll have that post up quicker than this one.

Coming in last minute like my newborn last month oy.

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

Requesting non-romantic headcanons of the four Weston dorms (separate) having a student in their house that's the go-to inventor and fixer, who always has their head in the clouds about the next thing to make

They fix and make things just fine, it's just the process of making and testing that cause messes in the dorm

Like Violet having to deal with the fact this is the second time they've broken an important pipe, or Greenhill with broken windows after some automatic ball-throwing thingy-majig meant to help them with cricket practice (to be fair, Midford did ask for it) wouldn't turn off

bahahaha this is so good! poor boys XD

Well, it’s sort of like a problem for the dorms, of course. Does he care as much? Hmm… no, not really. Until it starts to directly affect him (here meaning affecting his frequent naps), he doesn’t pay (Name) too much thought. Most of the issues, Edgar tends to sleep through and leave for others.

Most of the time, he leaves all the problems that this person causes to Maurice to sort out. Either him or Joanne, depending on who happens to be available. … It usually falls to Maurice given that he has more of a backbone than Joanne. Edgar essentially shrugs and says, “Cole, take care of it, won’t you?” rather than deal with it himself. It’s half legitimate depression making it difficult for him to actually do things, and half him just being lazy and not feeling like doing things.

About the time that (Name) ‘fixes’ Edgar’s favorite sofa by replacing it with one they made which is too soft and completely swallows him when he sinks into it, that’s when he starts getting involved. They can’t mess with his sleep schedule like this and just think it’s going to be fine! He tries to convince them to stop, threatening Y’s if they don’t at least stop… fixing… things that he frequently uses.

As bothersome as the whole thing is, Gregory is at least more proactive than Edgar in the same situation. While he tries not to be harsh, he doesn’t pull punches in reminding (Name) that, well, they’ve broken the pipe, so they need to fix it now. (Both times, in fact.) He keeps reminding them until it gets done.

If nothing else, he has the honor to not send Cheslock to do his dirty work. Cheslock just gets sent on errands to fetch things. Gregory wants so badly to simply ban (Name) from doing any testing in their dorm. He’s not very diplomatic, either, struggling to find the right way to say, “Listen, I appreciate your fixing things round here, but you have to be more careful not to break other things while you’re fixing the first thing, alright?”

The broken pipes are, quite honestly, the biggest headache that he has to deal with. Being that Violet Wolf is full of artists of all kinds, the dorms are filled with instruments and projects. Any of them getting ruined is more complicated than having to replace books which are already in circulation or sports equipment that wears out quickly. It’s a blow to one’s creativity. And water damage is spectacularly effective in destroying art, writing, and musical instruments. (Name) has to learn how to be more careful in general, but especially he needs them to not break any more pipes lest they want to also break artists’ hearts.

Is potentially the most frustrated by it than his friends would be. Though anyone who had to deal with it would be irritated, Herman has to try extra hard not to let his temper get the best of him. He knows that (Name) is just trying to be of service, which is admirable… so why does it get under his skin so much?? Because they’ve been told multiple times to be more careful and it feels like they just aren’t listening? Dammit. He knows they don’t mean to be so spacey…

At first he’s quite happy to have someone inventing things which will help him and the rest of the house improve their game. He even encourages it. Sports and cricket in particular are something he’s passionate about, so he’s excited to see what they come up with. Until they come up with a machine — at Edward’s request — that pitches balls and happens to also break windows. Clearly things have gone sideways, so he’s fast in getting (Name) to not make any more sports inventions.

He’s so disheartened by the broken windows. They’re a gigantic pain in the rear to fix, and it often means a day or two wasted in replacing the glass depending on how many were broken. In the meantime, the dorm is exposed to cold, rain/snow, or blistering heat, as well as insects. There’s not much help from anyone else because of the house rivalries. So he absolutely recruits (Name) in helping fix it; it’s at least half their fault and half Edward’s for the initial suggestion, so neither of those two are getting out of helping with repairs. And Herman will gladly crack the metaphorical whip if he needs to.

Good Lord, can he have no rest at all? No? Fine, then. He’s endlessly aggravated by the whole situation, but he tries very hard to keep his composure. Lawrence can at least appreciate the intelligence of a scientific mind such as (Name)’s, so he attempts to nurture that. Of course, that’s incredibly hard to do when they keep causing trouble in the dorm despite not meaning to.

He’s another one who might send his fag to deal with this if he’s a bit too busy to do it himself. (Though as opposed to Edgar, Lawrence does so not because of depression or laziness, rather because he genuinely is quite busy with studies and extracurriculars.) Clayton has a sadistic streak which Lawrence finds useful in firmly reminding (Name) that they have something to clean up or that Lawrence needs them to not tinker around with something in a certain area today.

More exhausting than anything is if he has to keep replacing books thanks to (Name)’s inventions. It’s not uncommon that their experiments and projects will end up accidentally tearing apart books entirely or shredding pages or destroying them in some other fashion. Lawrence’s respect for the written word and pride in his dorm’s personal book collection can’t take much more of this! Not to mention that the books are often required for coursework, so it legitimately hurts everyone’s marks. Isn’t (Name) at all bothered by this???

[thecloudstan]

I love that there's bits of praise kink in NTYC. I think Rufus and Cloud would equally be into it since they both crave acknowledgement (sobs, sobs, sobs, these poor lonely boys) and might even make a spicy game out of it (see who can elicit the most praise based on their *ahem* performance). XD Rufus is the one who vocally encourages Cloud to be loud and praise him as much as possible, and Cloud is more sparse with his praise and lets his actions speaks about how much he wants Rufus.

Oh, this is a very good breakdown of how it would go...

There are bits of praise kink in NTYC, and I can't say it was entirely intentional. Or at least, I didn't have that in mind when I wrote a lot of the spiciest scenes. I think it just comes out of me when I write that sort of dynamic. The concept of them both sort of performing in a way that will tease out the most praise from the other, though...banking that in my Mind Palace, if you will.

[novelmonger]

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of the Tolkien 20 questions.

If you could be the Middle Earth race you would like to be, which would it be?

There's always been something about Numenor that I've really liked - in its glory days, not its decline. And yes, I consider that a different race than what I already am, because they were much more long-lived and robust than we are today.

2. If you were the Middle Earth race that your personality most matches, which would it be?

Hobbit. I like to stay at home, stick to my routines, and eat good food. No adventures, please. Makes you late for dinner.

3. When did you first come into contact with Tolkien's work? Who or what introduced you?

My dad is entirely to blame XD One time when I was six and my brother was eight, we'd just been on a long trip and were severely jetlagged to the point that we were getting up at 3 a.m. and such. So my dad, in a desperate attempt to bore us and get us to fall asleep, started reading The Hobbit to us. I'm sure he thought the language would be so far above our heads we wouldn't understand it, but his plan backfired, and we kept begging for him to read more, poor guy.

(Secretly, it did go way over my head, but I still liked it - and would rather listen to a book being read to me than lying in bed in the darkness. I walked away with no real understanding of what had happened - all I remembered were a bunch of dwarves that I imagined like the ones in Snow White, a spooky forest with black squirrels, and the impression that Hobbits were little anthropomorphic hedgehog things with waistcoats.)

Fast-forward a few years, and in 2001 my dad decided we were old enough for him to try reading LotR to us. I'm not sure if the impetus for that was that he'd heard they were making movies of it and he wanted us to read the book first, but the timing was impeccable. At the age of 10, I was much more able to grasp the language and the story (though I labored under the mistaken impression that Merry was a girl for an embarrassingly long time), and I liked it a lot.

But then we went to see the movie...and in those three hours, my life completely and irrevocably changed. I remember staggering out of the theatre, dazzled by the normal, everyday December sunlight, and wondering how everybody could just...carry on with their lives when such ineffable beauty existed in the world. As soon as we got home, I grabbed the copy of TTT we were reading together and ran off to my room to read it myself, because I could read so much faster. My life has never been the same since ^_^

4. What passage in Tolkien's books or in any of the films/shows/media speaks to you the most?

There are so many great passages, but the one that has always stood out clear and beautiful, like the star peeking out from the clouds over Mordor, is this passage from TTT:

Sam looked at him. The early daylight was only just creeping down into the shadows under the trees, but he saw his master's face very clearly, and his hands, too, lying at rest on the ground beside him. He was reminded suddenly of Frodo as he had lain, asleep in the house of Elrond, after his deadly wound. Then as he had kept watch Sam had noticed that at times a light seemed to be shining faintly within; but now the light was even clearer and stronger. Frodo's face was peaceful, the marks of fear and care had left it; but it looked old, old and beautiful, as if the chiselling of the shaping years was now revealed in many fine lines that had before been hidden, though the identity of the face had not changed. Not that Sam Gamgee put it that way to himself. He shook his head, as if finding words useless, and murmured: 'I love him. He's like that, and sometimes it shines through, somehow. But I love him, whether or no.'

5. Ruthlessly rank the main projects of the Tolkien universe (the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Rings of Power, the Silmarillion). You can break Lord of the Rings into three books for additional chaos, if you like.

Oh, I'll do you one better and also rank all the adaptations I've seen too ;) Please understand that, though I'm splitting up the three installments of LotR, I only like one marginally more or less than the others. They're all amazing, and best taken as a whole.

The Two Towers (book)

The Return of the King (book)

The Fellowship of the Ring (book)

The Fellowship of the Ring (movie)

The Return of the King (movie)

The Two Towers (movie)

The Silmarillion

The Hobbit (book)

The Lord of the Rings (BBC radio drama)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The Hobbit (animated movie)

The Lord of the Rings (animated movie)

Rings of Power does not belong on this list because it has nothing to do with Tolkien except what it has plundered and then trampled underfoot. Also I haven't technically seen it, just extensive reviews that expose every last flaw for the world to see.

Tolkien Twenty Questions

[bylightofdawn]

Are ya'll ready for: El seriously overthinks video games + minor FF7 Rebirth spoilers hour?

I'm finishing up the mission on Junon where Cloud and Co go undercover and just watching Cloud lose himself in the role, genuinely getting ATTACHED to the Seventh Infantry and me then having to escort my baby infantry ducklings around as they murder other Shinra troops out of the mistaken belief they are on the other side made me FEEL A LOT OF THINGS. Like holy shit that’s insane even typing it out. And kinda dark and a little twisted. And potentially fucks those poor Infantry troops over yet they are STILL rode or die for Cloud. I wasn't expecting to get socked in the feels as much as I did.

Because Cloud is so detached and emotionally standoffish, watching him seriously get into the role of playing at the Captain of the Seventh Infantry is hella significant.

And I think it's because it's so familiar and something he is missing. He misses the camaraderie and brotherhood of serving. Sure, he moved onto becoming a SOLDIER and who was his damn role model/sempai? Zack Fair who is one of the most big-hearted, best big brother energy dude ever. So of course he would subconsciously internalize that's what a good leader should do. Sure, there was also Sephiroth but he's clearly the worst and reflects what bad leadership skills would be.

So yeah, I think there's a part of Cloud that misses serving, or at least misses that sense of brotherhood. He's been a lone wolf for so long, I can't imagine he's not starved for that kind of connection. It's also prolly easier and less complicated than the relationships he has with the main party.

Okay so that's me being all philosophical. Now let me be a degenerate and horny on main for a second.

Holy fuck nuggets Rufus is so hot. He's ALWAYS been hot but he's especially hot and v. Ice Prince-y and I fucking love it. I am laughing at the absurdity of his clothing and how it continually gets more complicated and ridiculous. He legitimately looks like he's wearing a fucking farthingale with that ridiculous belt collection he's wearing. Or yanno....bdsm gear. XD

Somehow they have managed to take Roche who was already at Maito Gai levels of over the time 100% energy and made him even MORE ridiculously and over the top. I lowkey wish he would stop talking. I have an excellent solution on how to do that and that is for Cloud to shut him up by fucking him until his brains bleed out of his ears over his stupid bike. Or yanno, there are other ways to shut him up varying from gag and other creative things to occupy his mouth with.

Even though it's clear Cloud is pretty hetero-coded but after like 25 years of soooooo much Sephiroth/Cloud, Zack/Cloud fan content, I don't think that's going to stop the internet (or myself) from shipping him like a fandom bike. Hell I actually love Cloud/Tifa cause I am a disgusting multi-shipper.

Ahem. Anyway I hope Cloud gets to reunite with his Seventh Infantry people at some point. I think I'm like.....1/3 of the way through the game and holy shit. I've discovered I detest minigames. I love side-missions in games but fuck DDR minigames or that damn in real time strategy game Fort Condor. There's a reason I've never been interested in FF Tactics.

EDIT: OMG Red XIII going full on Karen Mode and demanding to speak to the bartender/employee who won’t let him play in the Queen’s Blood tournament because he’s an ‘animal’ is the funniest shit I’ve seen so far in this game. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

EDIT 2: never mind, Red going full on Chester Cheetah/Michael Jackson absolutely takes the cake. I’m ded.  I also stayed up way too late beaten this freaking queens blood tournament mini game and I really gotta go to bed now.

[epicwalrus]

Walrus Loses her Mind cont.

OK, so theories...oh boy, the theories.

Some are new, others have evolved...and all of them are driving me slowly to distraction. Current theory count...3? I think?

You know the drill, spoilers for all Mysterious Lotus Caserbook episodes up to 28.

1. Shan Gudao is not dead and is, in fact, the big bad.

I am still convinced of this and only growing more so.

Despite what Lianhua says (unreliable narrator, much?), the flashbacks have shown Gudao in adulthood to be bad-tempered, aggressive, and manipulative, and Madam Feng said all he cared about was becoming famous and the strongest. He abandoned his PREGNANT girlfriend because he wanted to be stronger.

On top of that, he seems to have lied to Lianhua about the Cloud Iron and may have kept the He kid as the leader of The Four Tigers (He Zhang), although please correct me if I'm wrong there; my ability to hear the tones in Mandarin is still abysmally lacking, I'm trying to learn, I promise.

Even the argument with Xiangyi before Gudao quit the Sigu Sect felt slimy and manipulative, very much "I'm the good one. I care about you. I gave you the best sword I ever made. You are being too willful. You are the bad one." Poor Xiangyi might have been having his head fucked with for who knows how long. He was clearly suspicious of Gudao after the Cloud Iron incident but is now convinced he was the bad one.

Turning the two strongest sects against each other via his "death" opened up the way for the Wansheng Sect (which shares a symbol with Gudao), who are supported by the very royal court who offered Gudao an army to fight the Jinyuan Alliance. Who could fight back against him with the two strongest warriors dead and their sects in pieces?

I'm not convinced he's doing it for personal power anymore, though (or maybe not entirely). I think he may be a descendant of the Nanyin survivors and is picking up their plan where they left off (see theory 3).

2. Lianhua will be healed via his poison to fight poison technique.

Still being stubborn about this one, too XD The setup is almost perfect. They already have 4/5 things for healing our delicate lotus man.

A previously discussed and dangerous theory for detoxification (which requires great inner power, a counter-poison and acupuncture)

A-Su's golden acupuncture needles that can heal anything

Physician Guan, who is an acupuncture specialist

And either that wine to increase one's inner power (if they can find a legit recipe) or someone equally as powerful to feed Lianhua power (Feisheng).

We just need that poison that can counter the Bicha poison.

There was a shot of Duobing carrying an unconscious Lianhua in the trailer. Maybe that's when he's carrying him to safety after the poison becomes too much to suppress.

And then it's all hands on deck.

Everyone coming together to save our Lotus man.

Duobing suppresses the poison with Yangzhouman (I think that's how you spell it?).

A-Su asks her grandfather about the counter-poison and goes in search of it (maybe with Wanmian's help?).

And if the wine is legit, someone brews the wine as fast as they can. OR Feisheng constantly feeds his own power into Lianhua.

Physician Guan prepares the golden needles.

3. The Nanyin descendants are carrying on a plan created as a last-ditch effort in the war a hundred years ago.

These latest reveals seem to show us a conspiracy from the end of the war:

Nanyin merchants moved in to hide among the population while guarding the Heavenly Ice keys.

The princess married into the royal family with the Rama Vessel (now known to contain Karmic Insects) as her dowry.

Suiyan village's founding.

I think, as the war grew close to an end, Nanyin planned to release the Karmic Insects into their enemy's kingdom as a last-ditch effort to turn the tide. However, the Princess was found out (maybe she was mind-controlling the prince she married with said insects to force the Emperor's abdication), and she died as a result.

Her tomb, and the Rama Vessel, vanished as soon as she was buried, and so the plan failed. But maybe the inscription in her tomb (put there by the Nanyin workers who built it) was their last hope for their descendants to pick up where they left off.

Now we have many instances of Nanyin descendants appearing again and following our mysterious hooded man (glares in Gudao). I think someone had rediscovered the plan from the war and now plans to use it for revenge and to restart the Nanyin kingdom, just like in the legend of the kingdom's founding.

"But, Walrus," you cry, "the insects in the Rama Vessel need a Mother Insect to control them. Where is she?"

Well, dear reader, I lied. I actually have four theories!

4. The Mother Karmic Insect/s is/are hidden INSIDE THE NANYIN PRINCESS.

We learned in today's episodes that the Mother Karmic Insects can survive in a host for hundreds of years. And who else would have been in the position to smuggle these insects into the country?

The princess' body was preserved far better than the prince's when we saw them in the Yipin Tomb. Perhaps, this was again the Nanyin survivors giving their descendants the best chance for revenge. They preserved her body with Asura grass in order to allow the Mother Karmic Insect/s to survive until the plan was picked up once more.

What was once a last-ditch effort for survival has become a plan for revenge.

[crisiscutie]

About Sephiroth killing Tifa discussion...

I actually have a hard time wrapping my head around Sephiroth, who we assume can control of Jenova, unable to kill Tifa or Aerith directly because of The Whispers.

I mean.. normal people like Wedge made it out alive, and Biggs is seen in Elmyra’s house in the ending, along with Jessie’s glove. This might suggest that Jessie survived the blast, possibly as a side effect of Cloud&gang defeating the Whispers at the end, but we won’t know for sure until the sequel to the Remake. Not to mention we see Zack alive as well in a possibly alternate reality. Why doesn't the Whispers continue to hunt these anomalies?

Unless the Whispers are related to the planet itself or the Ancients, so they only favor changes that give advantage to the Planet? Which can also means, more enemies for poor Sephy and fate is heavily stacked againts him...

Wait, why am I siding with the villain! XD

Good catches, anon. The Whispers definitely have been slacking for sure, especially when it came to the fates of Jessie, Wedge and Biggs.

I believe this implies that their power is restricted, so they prioritize the most significant events and people to protect. These two significant events—Cloud taking Jessie's place on the bombing mission when she was injured and Barrett being brought back to life after being killed by Sephiroth — can give this theory some weight.

The Whispers would definitely give Sephy trouble for outright defying important events. Otherwise, it doesn't make much sense for Sephiroth to not immediately kill who/when he can and get the black materia right away, in my opinion. I'm sure there are other things at play, but that's my personal conclusion, with all what we know now. Sephiroth is an analytical and resolute man; I'm sure he is carefully plotting around the Whispers and striving to make sure his plans are successful in this timeline, unlike in the original game.

Now to explain Zack's survival? I don't know. You got me there. The Whispers being related to the planet is an interesting theory. Them being failsafe sentinels to ensure the planet's survival... Though; I feel they are moreso a universal presence, if that makes sense.

I'm thinking the Whispers allowed Jessie and the boys to live, maybe because they are underestimating their importance to the storyline at this point? Still, that doesn't explain the reason for allowing Zack to live, since his presence will surely cause several butterfly effects. But maybe... The Whispers are using Zack to undo the damages that have been done or will be done to the timeline? Like you said, we won't fully know until Rebirth is out. And I expect little answers, since this is the second installment of a trilogy.

To conclude: It makes sense that fate is so heavily stacked against Sephy. It's no wonder why he's trying his damndest to defy it. One of the qualities we truly admire in our Crisis Cutie is his unyielding strength of will. Probably why he would be in Gryffindor over Slytherin. His fiery determination overshadows his other virtues. That is also why I think he's such an amazing Yandere. What he'd do to take what's his~! 💜💜💜