#as if it weren't clear that they're completely taken with one another

[softquietsteadylove]

Hey loved the thenamesh lifeguard au! Would you write some cute fluff stuff like for example thena putting sunscreen on Gil’s back?

Thena looked down as she felt Kingo pat the side of the tower chair. "You are not supposed to climb this thing. We tell people not to all day."

He gave her a grin and a shrug, "just thought you'd wanna know that your break is in five--if you wanted to go early I'll cover for you."

Thena raised a brow at him, "and why would you do that?"

Kingo tipped his sunglasses down, "because I'm a good friend, Thena."

No dice.

Kingo chuckled, pushing them up again and climbing even higher, all but pushing Thena out of his way, "because your boyfriend keeps looking over here to see if you're done yet."

"He's not-"

"He is," Kingo rolled his eyes. It wasn't as if it was any secret at all. "Now, go!"

Thena huffed, on her way over to Gil while looking around her at the rest of the beach goers. It was easier than looking right at Gil on her way over to him.

"Hey."

"Hey," she smiled marginally, ending up beside him under the shade of his umbrella.

"How was your morning?" he asked genially, folding up his legs out of the sun as she curled up next to him.

"Uneventful, I suppose," she answered while staring out at the water. "I mostly had to watch the early morning kids and make sure they weren't being hooligans."

Gil chuckled at her word choice, pulling out a bottle of water for the both of them.

"Thanks," Thena murmured, accepting it and definitely not thinking about the very simple brush of their fingers as she did. "What have you been up to?"

"Mm," Gil hummed between sips. "Haven't been here long. But I did get in a quick dip before it got too crowded."

Oh, she had seen. It was impossible to miss a wall of muscle, after all. And in the binoculars, soaking wet...

"I just have to reapply my sunscreen."

Thena blinked, suddenly feeling as if she was being caught up in something. She looked over at him.

"I got most of me already," he promised, as if anticipating her concern. "It's, uh, just my back, really."

Thena could see why he might have trouble reaching it, with those arms, those shoulders, even just the muscles in his back...

"I don't suppose you'd, um," Gil trailed off, blushing cutely as he struggled to suggest the cliche.

Thena smiled at his shyness, "did you wait for me to go on break in hopes that I could help you?"

"Well," he semi-admitted, shifting on his towel. "If you didn't want to, I just wouldn't go swimming again. Or I'd put on a shirt, I guess."

And they couldn't have that.

Thena rolled her eyes, taking the squeeze tube from him, "turn."

Gil acquiesced, not making a big deal out of it, because he was sweet like that. In fact, he was the one with the tips of his ears gone red.

Thena inhaled, rubbing the cream in her palms and staring down the broad expanse of his back. She was hesitant, reaching out slowly before pressing her palms to his back.

The longer she took, the more flustered she felt. Thena blushed as she moved her hands over every bend and curve of his muscles, both strong and wiry but also with a pleasant layer of softness over them. She was a lifeguard, it wasn't like she was a stranger to the average human body.

But Gil was far from average, and she was starting to wonder if he was human.

Gil shivered as she reached the center of his back, along his spine. She withdrew her hand, letting out a soft sound of surprise (some might call it a squeak, which she would deny). "Sorry."

Thena didn't trust herself to get out proper words, instead just resuming her work of making sure Gilgamesh didn't get a sunburn. She moved her hand over his spine, from the base of his neck down, down...down as far as she could dare.

Gil blushed from the neck up as she swiped her palms around the plump over his hip bones. "D-Done?"

"Hm," Thena replied, handing the tube of sunscreen back to him.

"Th-Thanks," he smiled sheepishly at his...at Thena. He wasn't entirely sure what they were or where exactly they stood. But so long as it was beside her, he didn't have any complaints.

"Don't mention it," Thena muttered, fidgeting with the sleeves of her track jacket she threw on over her uniform suit.

Gil cleared his throat. "What, uh, what're you doing after your shift?"

"Today?" she asked, and he nodded. "Well, I'm off by 1 today. Kingo and Ikaris have the afternoon shift."

"So," Gil smiled, "you could, maybe, have lunch with me?--if you want?"

Thena smiled at the very sweet man beside her. She was so used to being hit on by absolute pigs, but Gilgamesh was so completely different from all the meatheads she had to deal with on a daily basis. "That'd be nice."

"Okay!" he brightened, and Thena looked away again. "I'll, uh, I'll just be here, I guess."

"I'll come find you," Thena murmured, standing up to go back to the lifeguard tower.

"Oh, hey," Gil shot to his feet. He pressed the tube of sunscreen into her palm.

Thena tilted her head at him; she had plenty at the guard station.

"You look like you're getting a little too much sun already," he shrugged with a gentle smile. He tapped his own cheek, "just a little."

Thena turned around, eager to escape as she felt her cheeks become even more flushed (which Gil had taken as signs of sunburn). "Thanks--see you later!"

[hallowpen]

The Secret of Us and the allegory of the puzzle...

I think one of the major overarching themes in this series is that you cannot force something to fit where it doesn't want to belong. And the only way to 'complete' the picture, ideally, is to patiently allow the pieces to be put together in the way they're supposed to.

I really really want to talk about Lada and how much I resonated with her as a character. In order for me to do that, I have to explain some cultural insights that revolve around Lada's familial structure.

Funnily enough, I was recently discussing certain matrilineal cultures that exist in Thailand and how they perpetuate a lot of bigoted ideals... and that is shown beautifully in Lada's relationship with her parents and how they each react to her queerness. To me, it seemed clear that Lada's parents' marriage was born from matrilocal customs. And unfortunately, that's not really something you would be able to pick up on if you weren't Thai (or natively Asian in general). So... in these types of families, women hold a lot of authority, and that authority is passed on through the female line (which is why daughters are valued over sons). The wife would manage and have the final say regarding household matters, including how the children are raised... and the husband's duty would be to respect his wife. A mother and her daughter maintain a continuous relationship with one another as, should the daughter marry, her husband would come to stay with them until they have a family of their own (and sometimes even after). It's a good way to strengthen matrilineal kinship, but it puts enormous cultural pressure on the daughter who is raised with very high expectations... the most pressuring of which is to marry a man and to have natural born children. Should the daughter not 'fit' this mold, they are often ostracized from the family.

It gives new meaning to hearing Khun Russamee say, "Lada is the seed I've nurtured since birth," doesn't it? It's why she is so against accepting and understanding Lada and Earn's relationship. Because in her mind, there doesn't exist a future where two women can uphold these matrilineal customs... and so the only reason Earn must be pursuing Lada is for some form of exploitation (i.e. money). She justifies her cruel and queerphobic behavior to keep them apart as some form of misaligned protection of her daughter and her daughter's future... to keep her from being taken advantage of and to help her see reason. It doesn't excuse the behavior at all... but at least you can understand the motivation (no matter how terrible). These types of mothers exist in the reality of Thai society... it's not just some cliched villain narrative. I'm speaking from experience here (NOT MY MOM! I LOVE MY MOM... my mother's mother).

In Thailand, we hold strong to the notion of บุญคุณ ('bunkhun'). This notion perpetuates the idea that we owe an endless debt of gratitude to our parents. It's seen as our "moral obligation". (Similar ideas exist in other Asian countries, as well)

Lada has done everything right. She's loved and obeyed her mother, she's cultivated a successful career with intentions to take over from her parents' leadership of the hospital, she's set herself up to be able to support her family's needs... She cannot imagine a life where her mother could ever not support her or her choices. Her one "fault" is that she is in love with a woman and refuses to conform to her mother's insistent heteronormative intentions (I loved the juxtaposition of this against P'Nu's defeated acceptance btw). She's rightfully exhausted from all the pressure to 'fit' her mother's mold of the perfect daughter, and Earn recognizes that.

So when her mother falls ill, and Lada is expected to take responsibility, it makes sense from the perspective of her familial structure. When she sacrifices her happiness for her mother and Earn understands the reasons why... it makes sense. Khun Russamee only comes to believe that Earn truly does love Lada once Earn willingly steps away from their relationship to ease Lada's mother's expectations... it's twisted, but it makes sense. And Khun Russamee does apologize, for whatever the frik that's worth (I can only try so much guys 😞😞😞) It's just part of our ingrained culture to value family despite their abusive behaviors. And as much as I wish that weren't the case, these views remain an actual reality. So, it isn't dishonest to portray them.

...The point is, the final pieces of the puzzle could only come together once they were allowed to. And then we finally got our happy ending!!!

Could certain story elements stand to be improved? Yes... but they're no worse than anything we've seen from BL series. And I do believe as time goes on, with more and more GL content being made, the writing will get better and stronger (I hope 🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾).

Despite the more problematic writing, Lingling and Orm were outstanding in their roles. Never have I seen two artists, in all of the Thai QL I've watched, be so in tune to their characters and their emotions. Everything from their dramatic scenes to their more subtle facial expressions were completely on point. It was a pleasure to witness... and the biggest draw for me as a viewer. Well done!!!

[sweet-honey-fruit]

In relation to my last post, I want to clarify some misinformation surrounding Dottore. I see a lot of it, and as someone who hyperfixates on him, I want to attempt to clear the air. Cause I feel like some of the hate towards him (and his fans) are based around misconstrued info.

Warning for spoilers!

Let me tell you the bad things he has done:

He has unlawfully experimented on living beings. Children, women, and men have been a victim of his. He even had a deal with the last Knave to send over the "rejects" from The House of The Hearth for experimentation.

Allegedly, he faked being a certified doctor as a way to experiment on patients at the Elezar hospital. Not cool man.

Also alleged, he killed a young woman on a picnic date and framed it to look like the tigers did it

Honestly he's probably done more but we don't know his entire story yet

Now that that's out of the way, let's go through the misconstrued information I often see.

"He unrightfully experimented on Scaramouche!" I know some people might not want to hear this but, those experiments, were a mutual agreement. Harbingers, as hinted at in voice lines, are not allowed to harm one another.

To back up my claim: Arlecchino has a voice line on Dottore that says "If he was not my fellow harbinger, I would have expedited their happy little reunion long ago." With context clues we know she's saying that if they weren't coworkers, she would've killed him so him and the previous Knave could dance around the flames in hell together.

With that we can conclude that the abyss experiments, the god experiment; Scaramouche agreed to it all. He wasn't forced to do any of it, because by harming another harbinger without an agreement, it would have caused dire consequences.

"He experimented on Collei!" While Collei was taken to The Doctor for "elezar treatment" it wasnt him who experimented on her. It was whoever this bitch is, as shown in the genshin comic

Blame that guy. That's the guy you wanna attack.

"Dottore killed Scaramouche's friend and caused his second betrayal!" You are correct on that, except there's a very important aspect of that that people gloss over. Dottore says "Jester, I have completed the task you gave me. Creating a gap and infiltrating Inazuma's inner workings."

He killed Scara's friend because Pierro gave him that task.

Kinda insane that he followed it up with "heh, what fun it was" but that's just a little quirk of his /j

All in all, he is a menace to society, I'm aware of that. People are allowed to hate him, just please hate him for the right and factual reasons!

Collei and Scaramouche fans (like to clarify: not all) love to infiltrate my inbox and go on rants about what Dottore did to them, yet most of it is incorrect (and in some cases, hypocritical). At least come at me with correct information.

He's a harbinger who has done bad things. If you have a favorite harbinger, there's a 100% chance that they also have done something horrible. They're harbingers, they've all done some horrid shit, that's basically their job. But they're also fictional horrid shit, so let's all hold hands and love our fictional criminals as a family.

[lilywastaken]

now hear me out: witch hunter!ghost x witch!reader...

he's visiting a town with the rest of his team to investigate a claim that there might be witches running rampant around the small countryside village, only to fall victim to a resident's charm while they conduct interviews.

she's a sweet woman who insists on curing the scratches that he's gathered across their travels, using tonics and herbs from her cute little garden and letting him pet her pet cat, who seems to have taken liking to the dark and imposing man, rubbing it's little black body against his boots and purring when he leans down to scratch under its chin.

it doesn't even clock in his mind how every single detail about you and your life correlates exactly with the obvious signs of a witch, but he's too spellbound with you to even realise.

he informs the others that none of the people he's talked to seem to have made the infamous deal with the devil, but due to the panicked way the leader of the community had written to them, they decide to stay to investigate further, staying in the small inn near the outskirts of town and luckily for simon, near your cottage.

despite the clear liking he's taken to you, he's still as emotionless and snarky as he would be with anyone else, and his chest tightens every time you laugh or giggle out loud at one of his dark jokes, most unladylike for any other woman, but you don't seem to care to hide your snorts or amusement around him, something he completely adores.

he insists on helping you with your garden, claiming you have no need to get your hands dirty when he's used to doing dirty work (both taking lives and tending to his own garden back home), sitting at your kitchen and watching you make the tonics and medicine you help treating anyone who has fallen ill in the village, standing close by whenever someone comes in with an injury, absolutely in awe at how they're cured almost immediately, thanking you gratefully before leaving. although, he does not miss the dirty glares some of your neighbours send you when they think you're not watching, making him grow confused, not understanding why they would harbour such feelings towards someone as kind and helpful as you.

it's not until he's taking a break at the pub, listening to gaz drawl on about some thing or another, when he catches wind of two women's conversation, frowning beneath the leather mask he wears in distaste has he takes in their poisioned words.

"-making moves on my poor husband. i swear, she's put some type of spell on him, that vile witch."

"oh, i know! my brother told her off last monday and guess what!? the next day, he fell off the roof and broke his leg! bloody bitch probably cursed him!"

"gosh, i cannot wait until those hunters finally get her! i have no idea how she's managed to evade their suspicions, she's done nothing to hide herself!"

"well, by the way that masked man has been loitering around her home, we'll be lucky to have a burning at the end of the week!"

they both laugh, the high pitch shrieks that they let out enough to make the glass in simon's hand shatter, shoving his seat back and leaving a dumfounded gaz in the pub alone as he walked away.

the splintering wooden door slams open as he shoves himself into your cottage, dark eyes landing on your crouched figure and then the second one, body freezing as he makes eye contact with his captain.

"simon." the man grunts, alerting you of your favourite visitor's presence as you pull back from the wound on his leg you were treating, a sweet smile on your lips.

"simon!" you repeat, cleaning your hands with the bucket of water next to you, wiping away the dried blood in the rags as price sends a warning look to his subordinate, the blond furrowing his brows in confusion, before the conversation he'd overheard before came to mind.

no.

no, price didn't know.

and, god, no, you weren't one of them.

you... no. no.

"let's get going. thank you for the help, miss." his whole body went into autopilot as price pushes him out of the cottage, the short wave and caring smile you sent his way the last thing he saw before the door was slammed shut.

neither of the men spoke on their trek back to the inn, and simon did not sleep a wink that night, terrified of what would happen in the coming days.

surprisingly, there was nothing. no finding of stakes, no gathering of firewood, no detainment of you.

so maybe, price hadn't picked up on you. even though simon was still convinced you were not one of those.

until after a few days of pouring rain, simon wakes up to a cold room and the absence of johnny, who he knows for a fact that never woke up before him unless forced to, something he'd learned after years of sharing the same room with the scot.

and as he walks out into the muddy roads, that oh-so familiar smell hits his nose.

the burning of wood, of grass, of cloth, of human.

his heart dropped into his stomach, following the trail of ashes that had blown across the roads until he arrives at the town square, the burning piece of wood in Gaz's hand along with the flames consuming the hay and grass that lay across the ground of the plaza, the fire slowly consuming your beautiful white dress he'd seen you sew barely days ago.

simon barely takes notice of price coming towards him, attempting to hold him back from rushing into the crowd simply staring up at you, your eyes falling down upon his struggling body, your face going from the calm expression it had been in to shock, pulling at your tied up wrists instinctively in a frail attempt to rush towards him.

"simon...!" you breathe out, soot entering your lungs as you inhale, tears filling your eyes from the burn as you watch him wrestle out of his captain's grip, his boots stomping against the rocky ground as he shoved past the gawkers, leather slamming against the kindle, ignoring his team's shouts and the fire burning his clothes and skin, reaching the stake you were tied to, his face out in the open due to the way he'd rushed out of his room, dark eyes reflecting the flames that were taking you both.

his shaky hands come behind you to untie the ropes around your arms, caging you with his body and allowing you to rest your head against his shoulder, tears streaming down your cheeks as you look down at the burns forming across his legs.

"stop." you pleade, trying to push him away with your chest. "stop, simon, stop...!"

"shut up!" he snaps, throwing the ropes into the fire as they came undone, letting you collapse into his arms as you were let free, your hands gripping his dress shirt. "you're going to be okay, we need to-"

his voice broke as he looks down at your sunken eyes, your lips dry and cracked as if you'd just ran a marathon, but looking down at your intact legs and burning dress, he realises where all your energy had gone.

"simon.."

no.

"please, stop-"

no. you....

"you're going to die, simon, please!"

you couldn't be...

"i won't be able to save you, simon, listen to me!"

you were wailing at this point, trying to push his body down the small burning hill, but his body doesn't budge.

"simon!" his captain's grating voice pulls him out of his stupor, his hands growing tighter around your waist as he locks gazes with the furious looking man, your wails becoming static in his ears as he doesn't think twice as his now blistering hands pulled your legs up, letting you grasp onto his neck instinctively as he holds you bridal style, ignoring the searing pain rushing through his body.

"simon, don't, don't you dare!" you scream, the first time he's heard you raise your voice at him. "please, i'm not worth saving, you know what i am! i don't deserve to live!"

liar. you... you were worth everything.

you were worth the burns on his body, the destruction of his ideals and the pain the mere sight of you in tears gave him.

he doesn't care what you are.

you're... a witch. what he swore to destroy and what he has been hunting for over a decade.

but you're not... you're... not evil.

maybe none of them were, maybe if he'd taken the time to get to know the women they'd burnt before he'd have realised sooner, that you were just people.

and he wasn't going to let you get hurt. maybe it was a bit selfish or ironic, but he didn't care. he'd take you away from this town, from his colleagues, from the pain, let you live in peace somewhere were no one would bother you.

and if you let him, he'd come with you too.

he ignores price's shouts about the so called spell you'd put on him and as he looks down at your shivering body in his arms, the way you're curling into him, the way you were wailing for him to save himself moments ago, he couldn't...

even if you had put some type of spell on him, he didn't care. never had he felt like this. and yes, he'd deal with the consequences of this later, but for now, as he runs through the forest with your trembling body in his arms, he couldn't care less.

he isn't going to let anyone hurt you any more than they have.

(brainrot for this idea is open please 🗣️)

[ghcstao3]

more mi6 ghost and sas soap i beg!!! it itches something in my brain so hard!!!! i love ur writing sm ur sosososo talented <333

(original post since it’s been so long i am so so sorry. also apologies if it's paced weirdly i never had much of an idea where to take the original prompt. thank you though, for supporting my writing :) <3)

-

Soap would never be so naive as to expect a warm welcome from a team of elite agents, but the cold shoulder he's thus far received from one of said agents hardly seems necessary in its place.

He's barely even said a word.

The haughty bastard keeps staring at Soap, too, like Soap can't tell there are eyes on him behind sunglasses, and a frown behind a medical mask. He refused to shake Soap's hand, hadn't even been introduced by name like the others—Ghost, is all that was offered—and now he was scrutinizing Soap in some indecipherable way that Soap would put up to a cause of him being military, if it weren't for the fact that no one else of similar status was getting the same treatment.

It's bizarre. It couldn't even be the mohawk, for once, because he'd actually grown that out in anticipation of this high-honour, high-stakes mission.

Of course, the treatment doesn't ebb as days, weeks stretch on. But Soap learns to live with it, throws himself into the mission like he has something to prove, acquaints himself with everyone else.

Ghost becomes a background nuisance. He and his perfectly tailored suits hardly hold any weight to Soap by the time they're forced together and everything becomes a whole lot clearer.

Two months into the operation is when the team finally encounters the kind of action Soap is used to; bouts of gunfire, ducking for cover, barking out commands, incapacitating enemies with force before stealth. Begrudgingly, Soap and Ghost are left to cover one another's sixes.

Admittedly, Ghost is a damn good shot and has a rather keen eye for enemies. Soap would never utter this statement aloud, but they work terribly well as a team.

When everything goes silent for several minutes and they've received confirmation that the area's been cleared, that they're free to proceed with the mission, Ghost and Soap cautiously move from where they'd been taking cover.

Then Ghost is shot in the chest.

Another few gunshots ring out following, as Soap drags the agent back into their hiding place. Thankfully his bulletproof vest had taken the brunt of the blow, but it's obvious the wind had been knocked out of Ghost, evidenced by the sharp, wheezing gasps that try to pull air into his lungs.

Soap offers nothing more than a clipped sorry before ripping off the mask that's clearly hindering Ghost's ability to draw a proper breath.

His heart drops. Soap knows that face.

For good measure, he removes Ghost's sunglasses as well, and—fuck. Yes, Soap knows that face. Intimately.

"Simon? You bastard, what the hell?"

Simon winces. He's still breathless when he replies, "Johnny, don't—later. Fuck."

Later. Soap huffs. He only agrees because there are more pressing things, of course, but also because he's not happy to imagine the nasty bruise that was surely going to blossom across his partner's chest in the coming days.

They're not as useful the second time around, but they get what they need done. Soap operates purely on confusion and a mild frustration until later finally arrives, because he'd just like to know... anything, really.

Unfortunately, later doesn't even come when the mission is completed. Later doesn't even come until about a month following Soap's discovery. Suspense nearly kills him.

They're both home again. The operation had been of enough importance that it had, thankfully, warranted everyone at least a short break. Simon is only home because of the bruise that has yet to fade.

Things are tense, initially. Words are terse yet not unkind; they give each other space yet they go to sleep in the same bed each night. Their mutual stubbornness keeps them both from acknowledging the elephant in the room.

Until Soap grows too impatient, nearing the end of his own leave.

Over an otherwise silent dinner, Soap finally asks, "Will I ever get to know what was going on during that mission, then? Why you were being such a prick?"

Simon pauses, setting his fork down with a sigh. His shoulders slump as he sits back in his chair and drags a tired hand over his face, and Soap almost scoffs. Like the issue hasn't been bothering Soap as well.

"I didn't want you to worry about me over the course of everything. In case something happened," Simon confesses.

Soap snorts. "What, like you wouldn't be worried about me? Like you aren't worried about me, already knowing what I do for work?"

"No, Johnny, that's not what—" Simon sighs again. Soap catches the way he almost moves his hand to rub his chest in habit, before rethinking the choice in remembering the bruise. "Of course I worry about you. I just... didn't want to create any unnecessary risks. I trust you, more than anyone, but I've also been in this line of work for a while. I know my own limits."

Soap hangs his head. He... understands. He does. His own career requires the same kinds of limitations, but he's still upset that Simon felt he couldn't manage.

"I'm sorry," Simon eventually murmurs. He reaches a hand across the table and covers Soap's balled fist with a warm, callused hand. "I was wrong. You're a good soldier. Should've known that seein' you were chosen for the task force."

A blush burns at the tips of Soap's ears, and gradually he unclenches his hand. "I forgive you," he says. Soap doesn't think he could fault Simon forever, anyway. "But you'd better make it up to me."

"Of course." A smile tugs at Simon's lips, something almost mischievous. "Anything you like."

(This, of course, meant that Soap would be taking great pleasure in beating Simon's records at the gun range. And perhaps a few other things as well.)

[lemotmo]

They're in complete meltdown 🤣🤣🤣. She posted multiple questions at once, I sent everything. They're so bad at this 🤣. Enjoy!

Q. I have a college degree I am more than capable of comprehending the media I consume, certainly more than you are. I know what I'm watching when it comes to Tommy. Tim only came at us so you all would stop running to him crying.

Q. Love how wanting more of and for Tommy makes us the bad guys. You all are so pathetic. Tim's no better, he should have told you all to grow up.

Q. You all are so afraid of Tommy taking Eddie's place on the show and your desperation is showing. We all know Ryan's only there because Tim thinks he's hot.

Q. Tim should be embarrassed by that interview. How immature to call out your audience because we rightly told you that you weren't giving us what we wanted. He brought Tommy in he doesn't get to be upset when we tell him he isn't using him correctly.

A. I posted all of these together because this is what mine and many other ask boxes look like tonight. I will answer these questions jointly instead of one at a time. I want to first point out to all of you that you once again tattled on yourselves. You all seem to have a bad habit of doing that. First tattle was that you all clearly understood that you were who Tim was talking about. The second tattle was the one where we all said Buck didn't matter to you, and these questions prove us right. Buck isn't mentioned in any of these asks. The other thing these asks did though, and I'm positive you all weren't aware you were doing it, is confirm that you are indeed aware of the story the show is actually telling. Pretty sure you all didn't mean to let that little mask slip. Whoops. I do want to address the first ask for a minute though because, anon surely you aren't implying that a college degree is required to be on Tumblr.com discussing fictional television characters? The only qualification required is show/character knowledge (you know that thing many of you don't actually have). But if this is a personal dick measuring contest with me I have a double major in journalism and public relations and my minor was in political science. Does that qualify me to talk about Buck and Eddie being fond of one another? Or Tommy not being the right guy for Buck? What degree is required to be qualified to participate in fandom?

With that out of the way, let's jump straight into the interview since it's what set you all off. We need to acknowledge right away that Tim has spent his entire career dealing with fandoms. Buffy, 911, Lonestar. The man has seen some fandoms. The fact that he said he has never seen anything this ugly should embarrass and alarm you. I know it doesn't do either of those things, but it should. It's also probably very confusing for him because Tommy is very obviously being written as temporary so I'm sure this entire thing has taken him by surprise. But let's start at the beginning. Tommy came into the show at a clear disadvantage, and as a result many things needed to break perfectly in his and his fans favor for him to have any hope of moving the needle on the original storyline. One, everyone important involved in creating the show is firmly in the other ships camp. He needed to convert some pretty important people, that doesn't appear to have happened. Two, his scene partner on the show, Oliver, is also firmly in the camp of the other ship (he is in fact co-president of their fanclub), he needed him to at least be open to the idea of this relationship semi long-term. That very clearly didn't happen. Oliver checked out immediately following episode 6. He has been crickets ever since. Third, he needed a significant portion of the audience, a significant portion, to vocally become Tommy fans. That also didn't happen. He made a fandom dent of his own, and some of you all certainly tried very hard to appear to be many different viewers, but, again, you ratted yourselves out, so that plan didn't work. Lou needed all three of those dominoes to fall in his favor and he went 0 for 3. On top of that the fans that he did amass were described by Tim today in a very unflattering way. And that's putting it politely.

I will even give you the benefit of the doubt and say that the joint interview they sent him and Oliver on was testing the waters (it wasn't but I'm giving you the benefit for argument sake). If that had actually been a test, it was a massive failure. The only thing that interview accomplished was confirming their mutual disinterest in one another. They both tried for a brief minute but neither one was committed enough to the bit to really make an effort. Oliver's season long lack of even being interested in pretending was a death nail even if anyone behind the scenes was willing to think about it. What will be interesting to see is how long he actually sticks around for this season. Because I now believe it will be shorter than they probably ended season 7 thinking it would be. He was never going to be anything major, but I do think once they slowed the original storyline down they had plans to keep him for at least 8a, maybe a bit longer. Now I think he'll be lucky to make 3 episodes. There's a growing part of me that wouldn't be surprised if they did in fact decide to go the off screen breakup route. I raise that theory by suggesting they only released that deleted clip because they needed the audience aware that conversation took place, because it's going to be referenced in a scene in either episode one or two. I still believe the show needs him for at least a couple of scenes. Technically they could have Buck narrate why they broke up, but Buck is a notoriously unreliable narrator. Especially when it comes to himself. He'll paint himself as the bad guy, and this break-up doesn't need a bad guy. It's being written as a bad FIT. There's a difference. But if Tim, or especially ABC, believes Lou ended up causing more trouble than he was worth (he did) they'll cut their loss and explain the break-up and reasoning behind it (that's the part they need Tommy for) another way. It can be done though, it just won't be as cohesive as actually using Tommy to show it. In short, anons, the only thing Tim's interview today confirmed was that Lou's cameo nonsense did in fact create a mess that Tim, and company, are not at all happy about. Congratulations you played yourselves.

On a side note I didn't address the Eddie ask because you all have spent the entire off-season trying to hijack his entire character history to turn into Tommy's backstory. I think that proves who's actually afraid of who. And Ryan is hot. Tim is so valid for thinking that, but it's not the reason he has the job. But you knew that already.

I must admit that the OP has more patience than me. I got so angry seeing those questions she got in her askbox. I would have probably ended up deleting a bunch of them.

That being said, I love this answer so much. I agree 100% with everything here.

I think this deserves another one of these:

Thank you Nonny for dropping this in my inbox!

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting these anon OP updates instead of reblogging. Don't get mad at me. There is a reason for it and it's all done with consent from the OP. You can find out more about that here.

Remember, no hate in comments or reblogs. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of the anonymous OP’s posts, you can find all of their posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[modern-gremlin]

Rivals with Benefits | Lance SDV Expanded (FWB to Lovers) 🔞 PT. 1

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

PART 1/2

Summary: If it weren't for Marlon, you wouldn't have bothered to help Lance out with his research, especially not by the way he gets on your nerves. You tried to give him a piece of your mind, but you might have given bit more than you intended.

Pairing: Lance (SDV Expanded) x afab!reader Tags: Smut, kind-of-tsundere reader, Friends with Benefits situationship, detailed depictions of sex. NSFW Tags below the cut. Word Count: 7k (oops) A/N: I just kept getting ideas for a Lance Rival to FWB to lovers story line and now I’ve word vomited it all here. IMAGINE, I had the intention to make this whole thing around 2,000~3,000 words?! lmfao, a fool I am. Well, here's to Part One~ I've written it in the perspective of a foolhardy, tsundere-ish farmer who's been trying to work their way up as an apprentice to Marlon. They're such a little shit on the outside but a softy in the inside <3 They have no idea how down bad they are for Lance, but they find out soon enough. I had so much fun writing this one, hope you enjoy xoxo

NSFW Tags: dry humping, fingering, unprotected sex, riding, backshots

When you first met Lance, you couldn’t deny that you were a little more than curious about the "mystery man" who greeted you at the top of the Caldera. You were smitten, more like, but you wouldn’t dare admit that now. Lance has been getting under your skin ever since he’s been asked to join the Adventurer’s Guild. Marlon might think he's a reliable and experienced combat mage, but you see right through that façade.

He's more like an over-confident killjoy who thinks he knows everything, you think to yourself. He's always quick to make objections to your suggestions — "That seems rather risky, don't you think?" he says. "You should carry more medicine with you," he says. Please, as if you couldn't handle yourself in the mines. You've been down there countless of times; so what if you've come out very a little battered every now and then? For whatever reason, he seems to single you out the most out of all the adventurers who visit the guild. To make matters worse, he never seems bothered whenever you make verbal jabs at him. He always maintains that arrogant smirk on his face and pretends that you've won the argument. Screw him and his stupid handsome face.

Your rivalry with him is no secret to the rest of the guild — almost every meeting starts with a battle of wits between you two, until Marlon practically has to pull you two apart from one another. "Get a room, you two," Gil would often remark something of the like, just barely raising himself from his regular spot by the fireplace. You hate how Lance just chuckles under his breath as you try to explain to the old man how the tensions between you two are "strictly from annoyance". You definitely don't sneak glances at him when he's none the wiser, and surely you just "coincidentally" bump into him at least twice a week (as if he hadn't already given you his schedule.) He just gets on your nerves. That's all, isn't it?

That's certainly what you convince yourself until one day you're sent to the Highlands Outpost to help him with a special research initiative. You wouldn't have taken the job if Marlon hadn't been so insistent that you'd be a perfect fit for the task. It wouldn't be wise for an apprentice to reject their mentor's request when they point out their strengths, so begrudgingly you agree. There's a clear enclosure in your greenhouse set aside for Lance's "little experiment". Good thing you've made decent enough clearance around your fruit trees — these plants are almost vicious as the creatures that drop them. Some are poisonous, some emit a strange dark aura, one of them is just downright creepy. To say this project is completely unorthodox would be an understatement, but admittedly, you are intrigued by the monster crops and the arcane powers they might possess. It only comes with the minor grievance of having to report to Lance every so often; tending to these crops every morning does seem like a cruel daily reminder of your rivalry with him. But with the final monster fruit harvested and stored, your mission is finally about to come to an end. Placing each of the crops inside a burlap sack, you make the trip out to the Highlands.

Upon arrival at the outpost, you notice that there's no one in sight. Just the peaceful view of the cedar trees stretching to the top of the mountain side, occasionally lit by the blue flames Lance had decorated around the area. From this safe distance, the view from the Highlands is breathtaking in the late summer evening. If you hadn't known that these fields to be riddled with monsters galore, you'd bet this would be a pretty nice place to camp out for a while. The sun slowly dips below the horizon as you breathe in deep swaths of fresh air. Not a bad spot to be stationed to, you think to yourself. Sure, the valley is modestly beautiful too, but you do wonder why Lance had accepted a job there when his schedule already has him spread thin. Besides, the Highlands Outpost is quite scenic itself. You really can't complain for the extra help though — as much as you hate to admit it, he's been a valuable asset to the guild. Now with Lance, once again, entering your mind, you remember the purpose of your visit. Taking in a last few breaths of the evening breeze, you slowly make your way to the outpost tower door. Like always, you announce yourself the same way; three quick knocks against the wood and an "it's me" signals to Lance that is you, in fact, at the door. "Come in," he routinely answers.

Once you enter the room, you see Lance sitting at his desk. He's too busy scrawling notes in his journal to greet you just yet. The room echoes when he gently slaps his journal shut to turn his attention to you. You swear he keeps a list of things that piss you off in that little book of his, because it's like he knows just what to say to make your face turn into a cherry tomato. "Good evening, farmer," he greets you cheerily, "have you come to keep me company tonight?" The peace and tranquility from your nature walk quickly dissipates the moment he teases you. "Yeah, you wish," you remark with a sneer, "I've come to give you the last of these." Raising the burlap sack toward him, you gently place the crops on the desk in front of him. His mouth curls into a smile as you retrieve each plant from the bag and place them before him. "Wow, these are quite fascinating. Truly remarkable specimen," he says as he carefully examines the freshly-harvested monster crops, "I'm surprised, they're in such perfect condition-" He's surprised? Really? You've been tirelessly caring for these venomous, god-forsaken crops for weeks now. They've been taking up precious greenhouse space that could've been used for ancient fruit and yet, he still has the gall to tease you about it? "Hmph, you're 'surprised?' I thought you'd be smart enough to know I'd be your best bet in cultivating these crops," you scoff, turning away from his gaze in a meek attempt to hide your pouting face from him, "A 'thank you' would have sufficed." Sigh, what was I expecting? You curtly head towards the door with the job finally being done.

"Pardon me, I didn't mean any ill-will. I'm only surprised because I had thought it would be impossible to cultivate these kinds of seeds," he places a palm on his neck as he corrects himself, "I've tried several times with no success." This stops you from storming out of the outpost tower and he continues in response, "I truly am impressed. Marlon was right to entrust you with this task, thank you." His sincerity is almost believable, but you know better to believe his charismatic antics. You march back toward the desk he's seated in front of, readying a pointing finger toward him to confront his sweet-talking attitude. But this time, without Marlon to stop you, you're determined to let him have a piece of your mind. "You know what? Everyone thinks you're so eloquent and great. Oh but I see through that act of yours," you annoyedly remark, pressing your index to his chest. "What is it about me that you dislike so much, hm? You think just because you're some… good-looking, combat mage prodigy, you get to push me around? You've been nitpicking my every move for months now!" For a moment, Lance is at a loss for words. He just stares up at you with wide eyes, which causes heat to spread across your cheeks.

"Dislike? I know I enjoy a little bit of banter with you every so often, but dislike? Do I really give the impression that I dislike you?" he asks earnestly. You retract your finger and hesitantly take a step back. His question takes you by surprise; it never really occurred to you might have read his intentions wrong in the first place. But still, you're much too stubborn to give in now. "Y-yeah? I mean, you're always picking on me and never any of the other adventurers at the guild. If you don't dislike me, what gives?" You pray he didn't catch the shakiness in your voice, but if your trembling lips didn't give it away, the flush that's spreading from your cheeks to your ears quickly reveal how nervous you are. His familiar chuckle escapes from his lips and now he's looking at you with a playful grin. "It might be because you're always the most charming person in the room. In any room, if I'm honest."

Now he's done it. The blush on your face has gone from cherry tomato to actual-cherry-red. You can't even spew vitriol back at him to hide how giddy you actually are. It's like your heart is lodged in your throat and its beating prevents you from speaking. "I don't dislike you in the slightest. My apologies, I didn't realize I was coming across as harsh." His smile subtly switches from sly to warm, as if he's trying to convince you to believe him. "Pfft... me, charming? Th-that's hard to believe, considering how you've been targeting me since you arrived at the valley," you retort nervously, your eyes shifting away from his. Almost as if he knew you were trying to plan your escape, his next words glue you to the floor. "Perhaps I have been singling you out too much, but I promise I don't do it purposefully — I'm sorry. I admit I do enjoy teasing you, though. I've grown quite fond of that pout of yours, it's rather cute."

Ugh, no. This wasn't how this was supposed to go, you think. He wasn't supposed to have you speechless and red in the face. This isn't fair. You want to be furious but your heart is betraying you. It's clouding up your mind so much that you can't even stop the smile creeping on the corner of your lips. He's not making it much easier for your ego now either, because he's enjoying your bashful display a little too much for your liking. If only you could stop him from doing that thing; the thing where he chuckles and send butterflies rushing through your stomach. You just want to wipe that stupid, handsome smile off of his stupid, handsome face. And to both of your surprise, you actually do.

You don't even take time to consider your actions before you're catching his mouth onto yours. A deep, longing kiss — something you've secretly wanted since he first appeared in front of you. At first, he's rendered motionless from the shock, but soon you feel the heat rise onto his cheeks and he sinks into you. Your lips are even softer than he imagined and you never realized how intoxicatingly good he smells. It's only then when you realized what you've done; your mind is screaming at you to pull away but you can't. His mouth on yours is quelling the fire in your heart and besides, you couldn't move away even if you wanted to. You simply couldn't by the way his hands have trailed to your waist to pull you deeper into him. You, so badly, want to pretend like you hate this but it's like your whole body has given up and given in to how you truly feel: you are undeniably, foolishly, attracted to this man. Really, it's almost stupid how eager you are to be touched by him. At least one part of you is honest to your feelings. The only remnant of anger left in you is how mad you are at yourself for being bested by him, again. As always.

Then, it occurs to you: weren't you the one who pulled him into the kiss? Aren't you the one who's making him lose his usually composed demeanour and making him groan under his breath? You grin against his lips when it finally hits you: you are the one in control right now. He can tease you with words all he wants, but you've landed the first blow. Now, the nature of the game has changed. All caution has been thrown into the wind, and you've dedicated yourself to completely making a mess of him, even if you make a mess of yourself in the process.

It's your turn to make the next move. Kissing him with much more purpose and fervour, you gently take his bottom lip in between your teeth causing him to return the action. You tactfully graze your nails across his chest upwards towards the back of his head, letting his pink hair run between your fingers. He's pulling you in tighter now so your chest lies flush onto his — so close, you can feel each other's heartbeats rattling in your ribcage. You're not sure if he's doing this on purpose, but your breasts are pressed so nicely against his toned chest that even his breathing elicits a small whimper from you. His hands rub lightly up and down the small of your back, keeping you stuck against him. The arousal of it all threatens to throw you off track, but he unwittingly reminds you of your plan when he pulls away to tease you, "If I had known this is what you wanted, I would have revealed my affections for you sooner." His grip upon your waist had threatened to make you abandon all wits and give in to his touch, but when that dastardly smile appears on his face again, you're reminded of what you must do.

You're absolutely relishing in satisfaction when you shock him once more, because now you've wrapped your legs around his, straddling his lap, purposefully resting yourself on his growing bulge. For once, he's not quick to retaliate at your advances. This time, he's just mesmerized by your brazenness. He'd be lying if he said that he hasn't fantasized about this exact scenario countless times, that you weren't the first to come to mind on particularly lonely nights at the outpost. But he never, in his wildest dreams, thought he'd be spoiled like this today. He lets you make your next move by staying still; as if he were to move, he'd accidentally wake himself up and find this was all a dream. However, his hesitance is what's getting to you now. Why is he so quiet? Does he want me to move? Shit, if he doesn't like this, I should get off of him, ramble the doubts running through your mind. But as you attempt to shuffle off his lap, he catches you by the back again to keep your weight on top of him. You can't believe how needy he looks right now, so needy for you touch him. You have your confirmation — he's wrapped around your finger.

"Wow, you're so quiet now. That's very unlike you, Lance" you tease. "You need me to move, hm? Or would that be too much for you?" You smile at him smugly as you place your hands on his shoulders. "You don't need to hurry the pace on my behalf, sweetheart. Only go as fast as you can handle," he says, retaliating with a smirk. You think I can't handle this, huh? I'm gonna make you eat your words, you think to yourself. In a quick grind of your hips, you graze your clothed cunt against him causing both of you let out a sharp breath at the stimulation. God, maybe he was right. Maybe you can't handle this because this movement alone is driving you crazy. I mean, it definitely has been a while since you've hooked up with somebody, but this feeling is much more overwhelming than anything you remember. There's no way you'd be able to live it down if you were to cum on him just from this. Maybe I should stop while I'm ahead, you think to yourself. But he's giving you a look he's never showed you before — he looks so hungry and dazed. You can't stop now, not when you have him against the ropes like this. So you ease into a rhythm, using your grip on his shoulders as leverage to rock your clit onto his length.

This is bad. Really bad. You're absolutely dripping on his lap and moaning into his ear, and you're not even going that fast. Definitely not as nonchalant as you hoped you could be. Lucky for you, Lance doesn't seem to notice. Judging by how hard he is, he's probably too turned on to care. You just hope your wetness isn't soaking through your clothes. Still, you consciously slow down your pace to let yourself calm down. This, however, does catch Lance's attention. "Come on, what happened to that vigour? You can do better than that. Here..." he scolds, now grabbing the fat of your ass in each of his hands. "...allow me to help you with that." You whine at his sudden movements as he makes you rub faster against him. Moans keep slipping through your mouth no matter how hard you try to bite your lip to hide them. You can feel him buck his hips under you in perfect rhythm to his hands that pull you against his length. Fuck, why does he have to be so fucking good at this?

You can feel the knot in your stomach beginning to untie itself, ready to make you burst. Not good. You have to think of something, and think of it fast. He's still grinding you on top of his cock when you lean in for a kiss yet again, this time, pressing the weight of your chest entirely on top of him. You push forward against him so hard that the chair you're both supported upon nearly tips over, until he grabs table before you both fall. "Don't get too carried away now," he says with a smile. "Says you," you retort back breathily. His words are unwavering but you can see it; there's a bead of sweat dripping from his brow and he's breathing is erratic. He's not faring as well as he's leading on. It's time to make him pay for taking the reigns away from you.

With his grip loosened, you free yourself to stand in front of him, standing with your back facing toward him. He opens his mouth to tease you again, something like "It felt good for me too, darling. No need to be shy," but really, his assessment of the situation couldn't be further from the truth. He couldn't get the words out before you begin unbuttoning the top of your blouse, slowly and alluringly allowing the fabric to slip off of you. You can't see him, but you can practically feel his eyes burning a hole through you; he's got to be fucking you with his eyes by now. You peer over your shoulder as you slip your bra straps off of them, and oh my god, the look on his face. He's basically salivating at the sight of you and you're not even fully naked yet. You sneak him a cheeky smile and unclasp the last of the hooks on your bra, letting the article fall to the floor. He grabs at his throbbing cock while shuffling in his seat when he realizes how his pants are fitting much too tight right now. He badly wants to reach forward and turn you around so he can get a full view of your front, but before he can even get up from his chair, you're already slowly pulling your pants down to reveal the black lacy underwear underneath. Every obscene word he's ever known is threatening to leave his lips all at once and ruin his eloquent reputation — he can only contain himself by running his fingers through his hair; an act of self-soothing. You turn around in an unhurried pace leaving him to wait with bated breath, waiting to catch the full glimpse of you. And when you're fully exposed, he's completely awestruck.

"Stunning. Absolutely stunning," he praises, shaking his head in disbelief. You've never smiled wider than now as you watch him scan every part of you up and down. Still facing him, you sit yourself upon the bed. "Wanna take these off for me?" you say while darting your eyes down to your panties. Grinning from ear to ear, he gets up and walks toward you in response. You fully extend your arm and with an open palm, stopping him from approaching. "Hm actually, nope. It's your turn now," you chide. "Show me what I'm working with first."

He lets out a chuckle at your command, but he's quick to oblige. "As you wish, sweetheart." You can't even get yourself to hate the little nickname he attaches at the end of his sentence — it just sounds so sexy when he's stripping down in front of you like this. He expertly unbuttons his shirt to reveal his muscular body. You hope that your inner thoughts can remain hidden because right now, they're screaming about how incredibly attractive he is. You would have bet that he'd be well in shape but god, he's a work of art. Much like yours, his shirt falls to the floor with a light thud, allowing you to take in his every feature. He's so hot, it's almost unfair. Soon, the sound of his belt buckle being undone echoes around the room. He stops himself after unbuttoning the top of his pants before looking at you, "Is this what you're looking for?" gesturing his eyes towards his bulge. Swallowing thickly, you mumble as clever of a response you can muster, "Maybe, not bad so far." He knows you're lying through your teeth by the way you bite your lip, how your eyes track his hands as he slowly slips his pants down past his waist. Your lips are raw and slightly swollen from how much you've had to bite down on them today because your pride truly depends on it. But the moment his pants hit the floor, your pride seems to matter much, much less than your need to have him entirely.

You're too mesmerized by his near naked body that you hardly notice he's standing right in front of you now, leaning inches over you with his arms supporting his weight upon the bed. Face to face with one another, you stare into each other's eyes intensely — anticipating the next move. "Well, what are you waiting for?" you say with a provoking smile, "Take these off of me." He dives in for a kiss, one that leaves you breathless and lightheaded. Before long, he's placing kisses down your body, grazing his fingers over your nipples to make you squirm beneath him. His hands tease around your body until they land themselves under near the waistband of your underwear, and with a swift tug, he pulls them past your ankles. Instinctively, you want to close your legs to shield yourself from exposure, but his hands are already placed upon your knees, preventing you from covering the view he wants to see so badly. And what a view it is. The sight of your pretty wet pussy makes him swear under his breath.

"Fuck..." he curses softly then quickly clears his throat to conceal his profanity, "So perfect." He runs his fingers from your knee up to the inside of your thighs, itching to reach your centre. His touch sends shivers down your spine — you just can't believe this actually happening. You've touched yourself an embarrassing amount of times to this fantasy and now, his hand is gently resting upon your pelvis. Any animosity you think you had for him has disappeared almost entirely as you quiver beneath him. He hovers his hand over your desperate cunt for what feels like an eternity before he looks up at you to ask, "may I?" At the nod of your head, he glides two fingers over your slit. A loud moan unabashedly escapes your mouth and he strokes from your entrance up to your clit. His calloused fingers are both rough and sickeningly soft at the same time, it's all too much to bear. You subconsciously reach out to the hand dipped between your thighs, trying to restrain him from sending you over your limit. This only prompts him to apply more pressure to your clit, gently rubbing circles around the bud. Your hips uncontrollably buck against his movements and he just watches. Watches how you throw your head back in pleasure and how you desperately try to hang on to your bearings. He's going to have to check his ego later, because it's absolutely being stroked by the way you convulse from his touch.

He just can't help it. Your slick just coats his fingers so perfectly, he just has to plunge them inside your needy cunt. That's what you're waiting for, isn't it? It must be, by the way you let him slide in his digits in with such ease. His fingers are are so much longer and thicker than yours; they fill your pussy so much deeper than you can by yourself. Just two fingers is all is takes to arch your back in pleasure and grab a fistful of his bedding for stability. You're already losing your mind, but this is just a sign for him to keep plunging in and out of you. A sign for him to curl his fingers upward as he pumps them inside your cunt, coaxing your orgasm out from the deepest parts of you. Oh god. You can definitely feel it now. Your high is clawing its way out with every push into your core. It's too fucking good, is all you can think but your lewd cries are begging for more. Begging for more fullness, begging for his cock to bury itself deep inside you. Setting aside your pride, you muster a pitiful plea that targets his primal instincts, "P-please." Your tone makes him stop, yet his fingers are still buried to the knuckle inside you to feel how you clench around him. The headstrong adventurer beneath him has been reduced to a meek little lamb, and his hero's intuition wants to soothe the small voice that's begging for his attention.

"What is it, angel? Are you not satisfied?" he asks softly, lightly scissoring his two fingers inside you. "Please what? I can't help you if you don't tell me." His words would usually suggest he's teasing you but the way he's caressing your cheek has you thinking that he is actually looking to offer you some relief. So you answer him in kind by reaching out with both of your hands, caressing his face and breathily pleading, "Please...let me ride you. I wanna feel you." Placing a soft but deep kiss on your lips, he catches the whines falling from your mouth when he frees his fingers from inside you. "As you wish," he obediently assures you against your open mouth. You stare at the ceiling, panting erratically to calm yourself from the loss of stimulation. Meanwhile, Lance is already positioning himself to lay flat on the bed, his head at the top of the headrest. The bed's shifting weight snaps you back down to earth, just enough for you to turn around for the sight that, quite literally, lays before you.

He's pulled down his underwear to reveal his thick, throbbing cock — patiently waiting for you to mount him just like you asked to. For a moment, you're just stuck. Completely hypnotized by his length, your mind races with thoughts of him entirely enveloped inside you. The hunger in your eyes must have been enough of a clue to him, because now he holds himself by the shaft for you to ogle at. Then, as if your body is moving on its own, you slowly approach him. Presenting your hips on his lap until your slit is mere inches away from his dick. You're just taking the time to admire his length, but your hesitance is like torture. You're so close to him, yet so far away. The way your pretty pussy is drenching his thighs tempts him to bully himself into you, but suddenly your hand reaches for his tip. He sharply exhales as you palm the head of his cock, making his whole length glisten in his precum. Just moments ago, he was fingering you to submission, but now, he's at your mercy. Gripping the shaft, you grind his wetted tip against your clit; mixing your wetness with his. You'd revel in the way you make him shudder for much longer, but your own patience is reaching its end. Your knees planted on each of his sides, you guide him to your entrance.

"Come get what you asked for," he begs with a growl, his voice bellowing from the recesses of his throat, "give it to m-" His words end abruptly when you lower yourself onto his length. "Holy shit," you whisper — his tip has barely entered your wet hole yet you feel yourself being stretched by his size. He's groaning and gripping your thighs tightly from the way your cunt squeezes him. You place your hands on his abs for support to push his thick cock deeper and deeper into you, all the while trying to ignore the jolts of pleasure coursing through you. And with a soft clap of your ass on his thighs and pained moan from his mouth, he's entirely inside you — pulsing and throbbing against your cervix. His girth fills you so perfectly that your legs start to shake. You're already so drunk on his cock that your words come out slurred, just barely coherent. "Big..." you lazily mumble, making him hum in response. "It's so...big." Utter overwhelm washes over you both, so much so that you can't muster the strength to tease each other. Completely humbled by the pleasure of just being connected.

You're both still for a moment, like you've made a silent agreement to savour the feeling — not daring to move at the risk of reaching your peaks before the fun had begun. But every second you wait allows you to feel how he fills you to the brim, his shape moulding into you. He's not doing much better, not when your needy cunt is threatening to milk him dry. As soon as you feel accustomed to his size, you ask for his permission to move, echoing back his earlier gesture, "may I?" His hands find place above your hips, his eyes fixed with furrowed brows to where you're connected. Finally, he grants your wish, "Please."

Lifting yourself up by the knees, you pull yourself to his tip just to ease him back into you. A mess of slick leaking out of you as you push his hard cock into your depths. The first thrust is intense but oh so addicting. So you lift yourself up again, this time, lowering yourself with more enthusiasm. The sound of your dripping cunt smacking into his base is quickly followed by a slew of groans from both your mouths. The sounds, the heat, the rollercoaster of pleasure…it's so hard not to indulge in it all. So, naturally indulge is exactly what you do. You lock into a rhythm, bouncing up and down on his dick like it was made for you. The caution in your movements have long disappeared as you grind and rock his length into you over and over again. The sight below you just encourages you to fuck him into you with more fervour, plunging his cock as deep as your pussy allows. Lance looks into your eyes like he worships you, heaving and muttering profanities under his breath. Can you really blame him? His view of you is tantalizing; your greedy cunt gushes all over him as his cock disappears inside you, tits bouncing at your rhythm, and your face. God, your face has him going feral with admiration of you. So honest and revealing of how much you've wanted him this whole time.

Your pace is becoming off-beat the closer and closer to cumming you get. A small part of you was clinging onto the hope that you'd make him cum first, but that plan is damned by how good it feels. I don't care anymore — I just wanna fucking cum, you think as you bring a hand to your puffy clit, rubbing rough circles around it. You're so goddamn close but your legs are giving out before you can feel your release, just edging you away from your orgasm. But like he can interpret your petulant whines, he lifts you by your waist and bucks his hips violently upward into your spasming cunt to resume the pace. "Don't slow down now," he commands with ragged breath; his sentence fragmented by his careless thrusts into you, "You're so close, I can feel it. Don't stop, cum for me." He fucks up into you with so much strength that you reach one arm backward to hold on his thigh for stability, the other listening to his demands and rubbing you anxiously toward your orgasm. The clapping of your bodies get faster and faster, then suddenly, it stops. Only the sound of his name echoes around the room and he rocks deeply into you through your orgasm. Your head is thrown back as you convulse wildly on his cock, still nestled against your cervix. It's the only thing you can feel as the earth shatters around you. You're only brought down to reality by his soft coos entering your ears, "that's it, angel. That's it."

Your body slumps weakly as the tension slips away. Leaning forward, he presses kisses on your neck, whispering praises against your skin. Praising you for how well you took it, for how good you're being right now. Even if all he could do today is make you reach your high, he'd be more than satisfied. That's why it's so surprising when you turn yourself around and bend your tired body before him. Your face rests steadily on the bed as you gently wiggle your hips to invite him in. You can't see it, but his face lights up into a wide grin. "My god, you're insatiable," he teases, giving your ass a light smack as he lines himself up to you. Even in your fucked out bliss, you find the strength to tease him back, "Gotta finish what I started, don't I?" Without much thought, he shoves his cock back into you with rough thrusts. Your overstimulated pussy takes him back with ease, letting him plow harder and harder into you. Your muffled cries sink into the sheets as he pounds you, you can't hear anything but the sounds of sex and his grunts. He leans over to whisper to you, now thrusting deeper than he could before, "Don't worry, I'm c-close. So…close." You're so eager to please, you lean backward into him, coaxing him closer to his own orgasm. He moans louder and louder until one word signals his impending high, "Y-yes…" He was so close to filling you before he pulls out, spilling his cum on your back while he strokes the top of his dick. With gravelly groans, he lets his hot seed spurt out of him, covering your backside in white.

Still leaning forward on you, he rests his sweat-covered forehead near the nape of your neck, spreading hot breath down your spine. And just like the way you started, you fall back into the silent agreement of stillness. The thick air in the room slowly thins as your breathing grows slower, and slower in pace. You shiver from the cool air of his body leaving yours, only to have him return to wipe you clean with a cloth from his nightstand. Once he wipes you down, he tosses the cloth to his desk and lays himself beside you. Rolling over to look at the ceiling, you find yourself perfectly parallel to him; your shoulder just grazing his. The moment is both awkward yet comforting — lying quietly beside him as you wrap your head around about the night's events. It's rare for you to find peace within each other's company like this, so neither of you decide to break the silence for some time.

Your eyes begin to flutter closed until his voice spurs you awake, "Well, I was certainly not expecting this today," he chuckles, "But I'm not foolish enough to complain." For once, you laugh alongside him. "Yeah, but you are foolish enough to get seduced by me," you snicker. He perches himself up by the elbows to beam at you, "Is that so? Am I incorrect in assuming you enjoyed it too, hm?" he probes, hoping to call you out on your bluff. With a hiss leaving your gritted teeth, you admit, "Ha, yeah. Fine. You're not wrong... But don't get used it." You smile at the ceiling with your eyes closed, amused by your back and forth. Even with your eyes closed, you can tell he's still looking you until you feel him lie back down beside you. He's just staring at the ceiling too, pondering his next words carefully.

"Well, that is a shame. If I'm honest, I wouldn't mind this being a regular occurrence." You wish you could stop yourself from smiling at his admission but it's impossible — there is simply no restraint left in you to hold back. He continues on, "But, if you'd rather this be an isolated incident, I'll honour your wishes. It'll be hard to forget tonight, but I will try my best to do so."

You let out a deep sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose with your index and thumb. You take a few seconds to listen to the arguing voices in your mind. On one hand, this was totally unexpected and definitely not what you intended when you started the confrontation. You're still a little scorned from his nitpicking over the past few months, but is there really a way to go back to where you two were before? On the other hand, god, you needed this. You've sworn yourself off relationships for a while the moment you packed your life away from the city. You just want a simple life where the only drama you have is from adrenaline-fuelled adventuring. But nearly two years into the valley, your fingers and toys are hardly enough to satisfy you. You've got needs too, don't you? And yeah, fine. You admit, you couldn't ask for a better person to meet your needs if you tried. The prideful side of you wants to scoff and shoo him away, but every other part of you knows exactly what you want.

Against your better judgement, you blurt out, "Okay…so what if this was a regular occurrence?" Wait, did you just say that out loud? Well, it's too late now to take a step back isn't it? He's already looking at you with his eyebrow raised, so you continue, "I mean…I'm not sure if I want a relationship right now, exactly. But…" It's your turn to perch yourself on your elbows to look at him.

"Okay, look. You're busy all the time, and so am I. But we're adults with needs, right? So how about we continue—whatever this is—no feelings attached, hm? No need for labels or expectations, just two adults blowing off steam." God, this is embarrassing. You've never attempted a relationship like this before and now you're trying to establish one with the guy you swear you hated up until an hour ago? What the fuck am I doing? Doubts start creeping on you again, nearly causing you to spit out a mess of words to take back everything you offered, but he cuts in before you can.

"Hm…yes. I think this arrangement would work for me," he ponders with a hand to his chin, not noticing your mouth agape from his agreement. "I am busy, that much is true. With my schedule, a committed relationship hasn't been able to fit in with my lifestyle. And it would be ideal to do such things with someone I could trust…" his sentences trail off with a lilt, as if he's thinking out loud before trailing off.

You catch him off guard and complete his thought, you sit up to face him and extend your right hand. "So is it a deal?"

Sitting up to match your height, he stares at you for a moment, contemplating what he's about to get himself into. Then, he cheekily smirks and with a firm grip on your hand, he seals the agreement.

"It's a deal."

PART ONE — EPILOGUE

Marlon grunts as he lifts himself up from the edge of his boat, stretching out his aching knee from the lengthy voyage. It's no secret that the adventurer is getting older, but these trips are still a breeze for him — minus the small tinges of pain from his joints, of course. After laying down his anchor and tying the ship to the dock, he retrieves his lantern among his belongings to make his way up to the outpost tower. The Highlands is his last stop to report to after his meeting with the Castle Village Guard. The sun has just dipped below the horizon now, so he hopes it won't be too much trouble to ask to rest up in the guard tower before setting sail again.

Once he reaches the top of the steps, he notices that Lance isn't stationed in his usual spot by the balcony. This is an uncommon sight, but not unheard of. More than likely, it usually means he's locked in focus with his research inside. But as Marlon approaches the tower, he's alarmed by loud groans sounds coming from within the room. Resting his hand against his scabbard, he slowly approaches the door, so as to not alert whatever creature has made its way into the outpost. Carefully stepping inches within the door, he gently places his ear against the wood before pulling quickly away. "Oh for fuck's sake," he mutters, his face now red with embarrassment. He released his grip on his weapon to plant his face firmly into his palm. Quickly stepping away from the tower, he mumbles annoyedly under his breath, "It's about fucking time."

Climbing back into the boat at the docks, he decides he'll just sleep there instead. Looks like Marlon has a long night ahead of him, at least until you finish up and notice him in the morning.

—

END OF PART 1/2

[lilhub]

So. What's up with the duplicate statues in Eden?

If you've played Sky: Children of the Light and gone through The Ascent, you may have noticed these statues:

And you'll know that the Vault has the same exact statues:

Now the question we're asking here is why.

Of course, I have a theory in regards to it that ties into a couple of other theories, but it's gonna be long and probably a little complicated, so buckle up.

TL;DR will be at the bottom of the post for a simpler(and less all over the place) explanation!

Now, I'm going to start at the beginning with something that may seem completely unrelated:

Take a look at the top of this broken building in the Battlefield.

Does it look familiar? It should.

It looks like the vault masks.

That's odd though, isn't it? The Vault Elder is, well, the Vault Elder. They belong in the Vault.

To that I say: what if they weren't always there?

What if that building used to be their temple?

Almost every other Elder has their own building that serves as their temple and little else; why would the Vault Elder be any different? They're certainly just as important as every other Elder, so why would they be singled out?

Some more evidence for the broken building being an Elder's temple?

Look here, in The Seed's spirit memory:

The spirit was a medic that treated and aided soldiers on the battlefield, and this displays them in a Medic's tent. Where? In the broken building.

Other than it being the arguably safest structure aside from the Vault, there's...no real reason for it to be here of all places. They could have had it anywhere else; this is in the thick of the fighting, after all, the entire map is called the Battlefield for a reason. But there's a reason it was here.

Why?

Well, the Elder's temples are sacred. They're holy places, not to be trifled with, even in the midst of a war, they're like churches. And what was guaranteed if you took shelter in a church?

Sanctuary.

Unfortunately, this doesn't guarantee its outside will be particularly safe from conflict, especially toward the end of the war. Survival began to matter more than walls, I suspect, and it's clear from the Lookout Scout's memory sequence that even then, this place was broken down; potentially from Dark Dragons, potentially from the Ancestors. Unfortunately, we currently have no way of knowing for sure.

On the topic of placements and symbolism in the Battlefield map, though: there's also all of this imagery of the King leading up to the Wasteland Elder's temple.

Let me suggest to you the following as an answer to why:

Eden was not always the primary residence of the King.

Before you grab your torches and pitchforks, hear me out. The Eden Castle was not always there, and this is explicitly shown in the Aurora concert during Warrior, but also the fourth quest in Season of Passage:

No castle.

Now, what does this mean for the King? Well, logically they should have them residing in the otherwise safest place in the Kingdom—like, perhaps, a Vault.

Now we're getting somewhere.

Let's go back to the statues.

Many theorize that they're graves, due to the fact that there's one in each temple and when you sit, you're taken to the respective cutscenes that feature the Elders in their limbos. I disagree.

I think they were communication lines. Every Elder will need to contact one another at some point, and other than the Windpaths, there's really no shortcuts through the realms; thus, the statues function as telephones in a home network, if you will. If one person picks up the line while others are having a conversation, they can listen in as well.

Who needs to have a way to contact every single Elder?

The King.

A ruler needs to be able to conveniently contact the others that help them run a kingdom, especially at a moment's notice, and phones don't exactly exist in the Kingdom. Thusly following the path of logic here, wherever the King is, there should be each statue for each corresponding Elder.

Once the castle became the primary residence of the King, now that the Vault Elder was no longer close by, there was a statue added to the arrangement; this also explains why it's just sat in the middle of them instead of up with the rest.

There is one other thing, though.

What's up with the Wasteland Elder?

After all, if the Vault was the primary residence of the King, and the statues support that, then why and how does the Wasteland Elder come to inhabit that building?

I have a few thoughts on that too.

Let's take a look at the Wasteland Elder, for starters.

They look like a soldier. Which is no surprise, really, seeing as they were in charge of what is now the Wasteland, and the war that seems to have primarily taken place there.

I have another thought though.

The King needs a guard, or more accurately, the Prince does. Sure, there is plenty of power when you are the King, but before that they was a Prince, and there are always precautions that should be taken with the future ruler of your Kingdom.

From what little we see of their character, the Wasteland Elder is protective. Defensive. Willing to do anything to safeguard what lay beyond that gate. They had to learn from somewhere. That instinct has to come from somewhere, because they clearly have worked themselves to the point of absolute exhaustion in their efforts to safeguard that gate.

To this, I ask you: what better protection is there for a Prince than a Star?

Of course, once the Prince becomes a King, and Eden is more than adequate as a safe spot for them, this Star needs to be put somewhere else.

And the Wasteland still needs a protector. After all, the Dark Dragons at this point must be becoming a problem, and Darkstone production is likely growing larger and larger by the day; the people need someone to keep them safe and reassure them that all will be okay.

Who better than a Star that already knows everything about protection and defense? Who has the necessary experience? Who has likely had to manage other guards that helped protect the Prince?

TL;DR: Before the fall of the kingdom, while the King was still a Prince, before the Castle was built the Prince resided in the Vault. And before the conflict in the Wasteland, the Vault Elder's temple was the broken building we now see in the Battlefield. This explains both the King imagery leading up to (what is now)the Wasteland Temple(which also doubles as the entrance to the Vault) and the symbol atop the broken building that resembles the Vault masks.

During the period of time before the Prince became the King, the Wasteland Elder was assigned as their protector, explaining their intense need to defend the Vault 'til their last breath. Afterward, once the Prince becomes King, they are reassigned as the Guardian of the Wasteland, charged with overseeing its people and the Darkstone production taking place there.

Because of the fact that the King resided in the Vault and the Eden Castle, there are versions of each Elder's statue in both places due to them potentially being communication lines instead of graves. Or, at least, they used to be communication lines and were turned into graves for the Fallen Stars after the Fall of the Kingdom. This also explains why each statue takes us to that specific Elder's limbo space; they still, technically, function for their intended purpose.

Of course, this is all just one huge theory made up of a bunch of smaller theories and doesn't have the greatest evidence but. Alas! I am prone to overthinking details in the Funny Light Game.

[theflyindutchwoman]

Look, some would see it as a demotion for you. You're back with your training officer. Others might read…something else into it. W-Why? Because I'm a girl and you're a boy? A very handsome boy. Oh, gag.

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 4.03 - In the Line of Fire

The married energy that oozes from this scene is exquisite. The bickering… the teasing… the indirect reference to Kojo via Lucy's Tshirt 'tell your dog I said hi', something that couldn't be more apt considering their history… Their dynamic is subtly shifting, with Tim becoming more playful and gentle with Lucy, now that she's no longer his rookie… after their sizzling moment at his place… And in many ways, this explains why Lucy was genuinely hurt when Tim didn't pick her to be his aide… Why she is looking for him at the end of their shift to confront him.

The way she appears a bit hesitant, watching him from afar at first, before soldiering on and going to his desk… Sassing him a little in the process. And to be fair, she has every right to be smug : Tim really played himself when he decided to pick Smitty for the job. She didn't even need to sabotage him. But all of this ribbing doesn't hide the pang at not being chosen by Tim, especially since she is aware that Grey himself recommended her. And the irony is that without Nolan's meddling, she may not have thought twice about it. Or rather, not taken it as personally. He unintentionally created an expectation, that transformed into doubts and question marks when Tim chose someone else for the job. What makes it worse is the timing : this takes place only a few months after her parents made it clear that they weren't supporting her career… after Jackson's death, her biggest source of support, besides Tim (and Nyla). So his decision to purposely side her cut deep, especially since she doesn't know why. She is still in a vulnerable and sensitive place, as the previous episode demonstrated. It was therefore important to have Tim immediately shares his reasoning. How he was essentially thinking of her, of her career and how it might be perceived by the rest of the station or their superiors. He was simply trying to protect her, as always. That said, this is very interesting that he was thinking of the optics so much, of how some might read more into their partnership. Because I seriously doubt that this is something he would have normally cared about. And this hints at how their moments at Angela's ill-fated wedding and at his place are already changing their relationship, their perception of each other, even if they're not fully aware of this.

Lucy goes from looking fairly confused at first when Tim explains himself to completely amused, and a bit touched by his chivalry - or his 'old-school code of honor'. The way she teases him mercilessly with her very sarcastic 'because I'm a girl and you're a boy?' is priceless… And still shows a bit of relief that this was his only reason. That he didn't suddenly stop believing in her. His deadpan answer 'a very handsome boy' is hilarious… But it also shows a bit of insecurity here : between his jealousy at Emmett's 'hunkiness' and his need to emphasise Ashley's compliment 'the hottest' later, his comment adds another layer… As if someone needs the reassurance that Lucy finds him attractive. His little laugh when she pretends to gag makes this exchange even better. Just like with the baby boots prank, he can no longer hide his amusement at her antics - only, this time, she can actually see it. Another hint at their changing dynamic.

I love how Lucy refuses to let what others might think dictate what she should do… This is such an empowering moment for her. One that underlines her growth, from her early days on the job. And it goes back to what Tim told her on her last day as a trainee : 'you don't let anyone ever tell you you can't do something. Not even me'. She took those words to heart and again, in light of her relationship (or lack thereof) with her parents, this is all the more important. She is getting so much more confident and it is delightful to watch. Her argument that being an aide would benefit her career is quite interesting too, since, so far, we have yet to see its impact. At least, a direct one, because odds are, she would still have been offered the spot to UC Academy and gotten the tap for the detective's exam regardless. Maybe there will be a reference when promotion time comes (next season, right?!). Not only that, but Tim might have been onto something as well : this could be used as an ammunition against her, now that they're in a romantic relationship. We know that most of the officers respect her, as established when she acted as Watch-Commander temporarily. But there's still the threat of Primm looming over her. Or it could have just been a throwaway line, her way to convince herself that this was why she wanted the job. The benefits for her were on her mind, obviously, but maybe there was a part of her that was simply looking for an excuse to ride with Tim again. Because her world just turned upside down with Jackson's death, something she is still reeling from : riding with Tim provides a source of comfort, of familiarity… of steadiness. And also because she misses Tim.

This brings us to the crux of the matter : both want to ride again with the other… But both are too stubborn to admit they miss their time together. To be the first one to cave and ask. They're both a bit defensive, afraid of being rejected, feeling vulnerable almost… The way she mirrors his pose, crossing her arms just like he does, bouncing on her feet… A gesture they both do right before asking the other to concede they want to ride together again… A rather emotionally charged question. And this is a bit ironic that after claiming many times that they wouldn't miss being partners (until their last day), this is where they are a few months later. Tim is the first one to fold, trying to appear nonchalant, but his softness says otherwise. And Lucy looks a bit surprised at first, that he gave up so easily, but grateful nonetheless.

This is a fitting follow-up to Tim's sergeant storyline as well : Lucy helped him get that promotion, recording audiobooks for him… already acting as an aide in a way. Now she gets to do it in an official capacity. They're both so soft at the end, when she thanks him… Before sassing him one more time and tease him… Because she can. 'A lack of fear of [his] authority' indeed.

[olderthannetfic]

https://olderthannetfic.tumblr.com/post/736909077202993152/damn-that-goodreads-discourse-though-short-wo#notes

Actually gotta agree with one of the commenters here. It's good that the review bomber got called out and dropped from publishing, but if the victims involved were clearly like "We wanna deal with this on our own" even if by the end it was just one of them, it's still kinda shitty to make an entire video about it using all the victims names, and their books to shame and callout the review bomber. Putting yourself as the saviour to spread all the names because you decided you didn't wanna stay silent any longer, even if you weren't actually one of the affected is just kinda overstepping.

Since the person who did it is a REAL BIG NAME on social media, the victims are pushed into the limelight regardless of how they wanted to deal with this. Even if they didn't want that attention at all, and just wanted it to quietly get it worked out somehow. The social media person had, tbh, no right to drop a vid with all the victims names and works, if they didn't get the go ahead by everyone involved, if they already made it clear they wanna deal with it on their own. It's also a bit too much to use these people, their names, and their works as a step to argue about poc in the writing industry, to point even more fingers about how pitiful victims they are. Not sure how to explain it, but it's another talk I feel the victims themselves should have if they want to, not have someone else start for them. Social media person could use themselves as an example, or people who've been open about this if that's a thing they want to talk about, not drag the review-bomber victims further into this.

Even if one of the victims is now super uncomfortable with the attention, and the new influx of people who're leaving reviews just to be nice, they can't say something because it'll be taken by people as being "ungrateful" and other shit. Now they're in a spot where they gotta be all nice, where they get a constantly influx of pity ratings and followers.

They're now the helpless victims who needed a big name to do the work for them, and deal with it for them because they just couldn't handle it themselves.

Maybe just me, but I feel like the social media person should have asked if the victims wanted to be featured and let them do the talking, or at least show they got consent from them to do what they did. Social media person could also have done this without extra highlighting the victims too, leave them alone so they can heal from this and just go back to normal.

Heck, maybe do an extra social media video just "incidentally" talking and featuring the books, to not tie their names and works completely to that drama.

Victims often are expected to be grateful to their saviours even if they didn't ask for it, nor wanted it. Society is weird like that, and now getting an actual honest answer as to if it was ok is gonna be impossible. Yes, I'm saying it's impossible because now the cats out the bag, so is there a point crying over spilled milk? Gotta grin and bear it now even if you didn't want to.

Victim is also a title that follows you for the rest of your known career. Someone finds out you were a victim? They'll never forget it, it'll always be an association with your name.

(With those lasts parts I'm from some experience in my private/career life.)

I don't have a twitter, so Idk if maybe there was a tweet where they got all the consent for it, but until then I'll just be kinda critical of how this was done.

--

That's not really how I read this video, to be honest.

[yuseirra]

Been playing episode Aigis lately, (about ten hours in) and here's my honest review on it:

There's a whole lot of grinding.. they really did keep to the original source material. It isn't bad, but the whole structure of this DLC is clear a dungeon->a little snippet of plot->more dungeon->story (on repeat) Oh, I do like how the "doors" have names that are related to Dante's Divine Comedy... it's the one work I always attempt on reading but never make it past Inferno...I'd like to complete reading it one day.

Reload did a pretty good job with adding some extra interactions, thus enhancing the characterization, that part of it isn't totally gone in this DLC either, but there is too little plot compared to the fights. I had fun fighting in Tartarus in the main game, but I find it to be a bit tiring on this one (bet that was even more stronger in the original FES)

The best part about this DLC is Metis for me, she's really pretty and I like her character. It's nice seeing Aigis having a cute sibling who cares about her well-being. The dungeon dialogues are pretty nice too, I think I like that second to Metis, it's good that it's there.

The rest are spoilers regarding the plot~

Another thing I felt about the story is that, it actually may be Akihiko who took the protagonist's loss the hardest besides Yukari and Aigis who are clearly suffering... he used to be very kind and understanding while being pretty righteous, but now he seems to be constantly on edge. I get that coming from him, because he keeps losing all the people he's wanted to protect, it's his third time now. The link ep in Reload really does add to his character if you think of it, I think he thought of the protagonist as his little brother and decided he wanted to watch over him, but that couldn't happen. Mitsuru and Junpei and Ken are seemingly taking it relatively better, I guess. Koro and Fuuka.. they're the quiet type so...There's no wonder why Yukari and Akihiko had the biggest conflict upon how they should handle the keys later in the DLC. They both hold very strong thoughts about how things must be resolved, and it's hard to find a middle ground.

I wish they added more to the story, there were some opportunities like adding a new third-tier persona, or the characters talking more about the protagonist and sharing some thoughts about him. I kind of feel a bit disappointed that they don't address him so much at all, after all those times they spent together.. I see how hard it'd be for them to bring him up, but as a player, you want you to be acknowledged.. We had a bond, guys...!! Moving on and forgetting, being a source of trauma.. that's sad! ;v;) talk about him more, he did so much for you guys!! (and that's where Yukari's whole, "Now everyone needs to realize their own feelings. Think about who he was, and what he meant to us."- comes in - it's there in the the trailer too- that line resonates with me. She does have a warm heart)

Yukari's like the only one who suggests, "We have to go back to save the protagonist from death if there's a chance to!" out of the entire SEES group;; If it weren't for her, I feel like the story would have ended at the spot with everyone agreeing to move on. Even if it's wrong, I feel like she's the one who brought a different perspective to things that's helped lead to a perfect ending. You need a thesis and an antithesis to form a better synthesis and that's what happened.

They seem to have taken out the part where she tries to grab Aigis's key out of desperation in Reload and I honestly didn't like that, because.. if someone's life you love is on the line and if it's your last chance to get them back, it doesn't matter if you're sweet or anything, it's natural to be desperate. I really liked that part of her in the original, she'd do ANYTHING to try and get him back alive. It was the only way to see him alive again, even if it were to be flawed...It felt real and alive. It was something pretty powerful and what's made her my favorite girl out of the series. I was really looking forward to seeing that scene happen again as I bought this DLC and I find it a bit of a bummer after having learned this... o<-<

but Reload Yukari seems to be a much more softer person... a lot less thorns in her, maybe that's what will make her more appeal to more people..she always had that caring side to her too, and it's a crucial trait, she's ultimately a loving person. It's love that makes her do things. If that part of it is intact, it's a bit of a shame on my end but I'll still care for her.

Override was a really good piece of work, it handles what could be episode Aigis if she's the one that's gotten together with the protagonist as well as the female protagonist being there in the story too, I'd like to take that as semi-canon in my head :) Um, I really would like to draw fanarts for it in the future, when I have time and some focus, right now I'm quite distracted with life and other works hehe

anyway, that's it for now! Changed the difficulty to "Peaceful" for this one..; overall, I don't regret having bought the DLC but it's been..tedious. That's my honest feelings towards it. There are some things I appreciate about it, but I think they could have done more with it.. but considering how reload was in the first place, I guess they went with preserving the experience and making minor adjustments overall. It's not a bad remake, it's very true to the original material, but certainly.. warmer and toned down. That can be both positive and negative, and considering the theme of the story, it can have many different effects. I guess it's its own thing on that regard.

[mllemaenad]

Sorry to see you leaving '76 for a while, but I can see why you did - have you done the Pitt sidequests there? I know it really depressed me, seeing the Union trying to turn the Pitt into a working city again, knowing how things are going to be in a couple of centuries

Yeah, I've taken Tessa out to the Pitt. That was a harrowing experience. From a gameplay perspective, I admit I found it a little disappointing. The endless level 100 bullet-sponge enemies weren't really fun to fight, they just made exploring extremely slow and frustrating. It just felt like another place where I was being punished for not really wanting to do the multiplayer thing. And I have never been able to complete the final optional objectives in either expedition. I don't know how one person is supposed to be in three places at once.

That said, the difficulty level really did hammer home how screwed the Unionists are.

Because, yeah, the Pitt is a grim tragedy from start to finish. Even at the end of the Fallout 3 DLC it's hard to feel like you've significantly bettered anyone's existence. My Fallout 3 character, Hope, very much does not have a good time there either.

It's not just "a couple of centuries", though. There's this, from the old Fallout 3 game guide:

The most disturbing change that the environment caused was not nearly as noticeable as the physical deformities. The infected water and poisoned sky began to cause neurological damage to those exposed to it. People became more hostile, violent, and short-tempered; they became known as "Wildmen." Their emotions became out of control, and their actions often teetered on primal. In severe cases, mutated humans devolved into hunched, savage beasts nicknamed "Trogs." Over the first 50 years, The Pitt quickly degenerated into a dangerous den of murderers and rapists; even cannibalism was not uncommon. The only loyalty was in strength, and the only organization was between those who were strong enough to control others and those who were controlled. Rumors of the horrors of The Pitt spread throughout the Wasteland, and all travelers knew to avoid it at all costs. However, The Pitt became one of the most self-sufficient communities in the Wastes. Granted, their self-sufficiency relied on the citizens occasionally eating one another, but they functioned without trade or export. – Fallout 3 (GOTY) Official Prima Guide, p. 44

Fifty years. It's currently 2105 in Fallout 76, some 28 years after the bombs fell. Within the next 32 years, the Pitt will collapse entirely into an isolated, gang-run slave state. The really distressing thing about those expeditions is that you're watching the collapse of a civilisation in real time.

The Unionists used to be doing better. They were relying on their manufacturing capabilities to produce unique resources for trade, which would allow them to clean up and rebuild their city. By the time you get there in Fallout 76, they've lost both the Foundry and the Sanctum, and they're clearly being backed into a corner. They never really recovered from the "Bloody Thursday" assault. There are forced labour camps up and running right now, and if you do the From Ashes to Fire quest Danilo repeatedly makes it clear that you're really only able to give a fraction of the slaves a chance to run. Tessa found a woman in the process of being walled up, and spent ages trying to see if the pickaxes would work to bring down the walls. They wouldn't.

They Unionists are losing. And they're going to keep on losing, no matter what you do.

What's worse is how utterly abandoned these people are. Skippy Roerich and Wernher are very different men with very different motives, but it's noteworthy that their stories, set centuries apart, start more or less the same way: they just walk out of their home state, and keep on walking, in the hope of finding someone, anyone, who is both willing and able to help.

Skippy walked out to West Virginia, which is apparently 367km. Wernher walked 402km to Washington DC. Those are, at least roughly, comparable journeys. That's how far a person has to get from the Pitt in order to bring back assistance. No one closer can or will do anything.

And the thing is? Skippy succeeded! He found a society in the process of rebuilding, and it had an aid organisation with access to an actual vertibird that could fly people and supplies back to the Pitt at least relatively quickly. We know they're doing that. They're sending supplies in, as well as the volunteer fighters that make up the expeditions.

But. Roll around to Fallout 3 and there's no sign of the Responders, or the Appalachian freedom fighters. There isn't any record or mention of them either.

Now, obviously Fallout 3 was made before Fallout 76 and you wouldn't expect them to have everything worked out ahead of time. But some things are clearly established in the timeline before there are games about them: there's a terminal entry in Fallout 3 describing Vault 76's status as a control vault, and the The Replicated Man quest established both the Institute and their synths – to the point that it was very common speculation that Fallout 4 would be set there and be about that well before there were any details about it.

What they establish in the Fallout 3 game guide is that the Pitt is completely isolated within 50 years of the Great War. So, for reasons unknown, the Appalachians are going to stop helping. And they're going to stop relatively soon. And then no one will help the slaves kept there again, at least until the Lone Wanderer may make the attempt in Fallout 3.

All the horrors you have to navigate your way around on those expeditions? The people they had chained down in bathtubs? The electric chairs? The cells? Walling people in like they're in a bloody Edgar Allan Poe story? All that is staying. Indefinitely. And we can add to it an infant mortality rate so high that they are "forced" to import slaves from elsewhere because the population can't otherwise sustain itself.

Yeah. The Pitt makes me very, very sad.

[endwersed]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by the fabulous @dear-massacre 😘

How many works do you have on ao3?

21 - it would be a lot higher, but I purged all but one of my old Destiel fics back in 2017. They weren't very good, so I can't say I really regret it 🤷‍♀️

What's your total ao3 word count?

319,994

What fandoms do you write for?

Now, just Teen Wolf 🐺

Top five fics by kudos:

Find Your Fire - Reddie (IT)

Clue(less) - Reddie (IT)

Nah, He Didn't - Destiel (Supernatural)

Worst Enemy - Reddie (IT)

as dear as a brother - Sterek (TW)

Do you respond to comments?

Embarrassingly, it's very hit and miss... I want to! I love and cherish every single comment I ever get! But I find the process of replying to comments bizarrely stressful, so sometimes it takes me... a while. And that while might be, like, years. Sorry!!

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I genuinely don't have anything with an angsty ending posted; I need my boys to be happy too badly for that. I guess I could say maybe striking out - just because it's not finished yet, and where it is in the story right now is angsty af!

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All of them have rom-com level happy endings lol. Maybe Clue(less) - it's a childhood friends-to-lovers soulmate AU, so it has all the sap that comes with those particular tropes wrapped up in there.

Do you get hate on fics?

I wouldn't call it hate, per se - but I guess my interpretation of Stiles is a bit harsher/more rough-edged than others I've seen, and some people don't vibe with that, so I get comments telling me they don't like Stiles in my story for XYZ reason.

To be clear - I also don't write Derek as a completely faultless, entirely perfect guy. I also have him do bad (arguably worse, in some fics) things. But for some reason, I don't ever really get the same kind of comments about him!

Do you write smut?

Like, almost exclusively at this point. It's like my brain can't come up with a story unless I'll get a chance to write them fucking nasty in it.

Craziest crossover:

None, they're not really my jam.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

omg yes! years ago! It was this Destiel HS AU I had posted on AO3 (since deleted because it was... not good) and someone posted it onto ff.net and claimed it was theirs. I can't remember if I ever was successful in getting it taken down.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think so!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have not.

All time favourite ship?

All time is so hard... I do probably have to say Sterek. I shipped them intensely back in 2012, and I ship them even more intensely now. So - yeah. Probably them.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Are we talking real WIP that I've actually made a meaningful dent in? Or just ideas I've put down to paper?

Because I have so many ideas, there isn't enough time to actually finish them all lol. But for fics I have actively started, I'm pretty confident I'll manage to muddle through to the end of all of them, even if it takes a little while.

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and smut, I think.

I tend to develop a scene around the dialogue - in that, it's the dialogue that will come to me first when I'm planning the outline, and I'll note it down for when I come around to writing the scene. Then it's mostly a case of refining that dialogue and building the scene with descriptions around it.

I also love smut as character study. It's not just about being horny for them. It's about being horny for their introspection, too.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I don't have the imagination to come up with some of the flowery prose I see and love from other people. I wish I did, but that's just not how my brain works unfortunately!

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I only really feel comfortable writing in languages I'm fluent in. For anything else, I think we all know Google Translate can't be trusted, so I just... avoid it.

First fandom you wrote in?

Harry Potter! Wolfstar all the way back on ff.net <3

Favorite fic you've written?

Oh god, this is hard. Let's go with a Teen Wolf fic, because they're the nearest and dearest to my heart right now.

I think I'd say feels so good inside. It was so much fun to write, and I just love loss of virginity fics so damn much.

-

Open tag to anyone who wants a go!

[sunbearsophia]

*blows the dust off my tumblr*

Been a hot minute since I posted art here, so here, have some Matt/Anna content! Or, as I'm starting to take to calling their ship, MirrorGlasses! ^^

Def need to talk about them more, because second to only Eduarel, they're my second favorite ship. I'm really sad we haven't seen her in later Eddsworld media, but Anna seemed like a neat lil' side character in her and Matt's comic arc, and they seemed like an adorable couple! (Even if it did turn out they were faking for Edd and Tom.)

---

So, yeah, def in my Eddsworld universe, they started out the same way, Matt hiring Anna to play the role of his girlfriend to prove to the others that he could be in a relationship and pretty sick of the "dating a mirror" jokes. Anna was happy to play the part, because she liked having an extra bit of cash, but also thought the idea of playing a smoopy-woopy girlfriend sounded fun, and a lot easier than her real relationships had been up until then. (I imagine she probably didn't end up in the happiest relationships prior to Matt, which wasn't... great for her self-esteem, which was already pretty poor thanks to her parents.)

However, the more time they spent together, the more it felt natural to them. It stopped being an act after a while, they found the things they did in front of Tom and Edd, like holding hands, giving cute nicknames and compliments, warmly embracing, talking about their lives and hopes and dreams, just generally enjoying being around one another, it... it wasn't something they had to pretend to enjoy. They did those things when no one was watching.

Matt didn't realize at first what was happening, just assuming Anna was a great actress and he was just... y'know, pretty in-deep with the whole thing. Anna, however, got hit with the realization that, "oh no, i've fallen for this cute, silly man aaaaaa"

Maybe later on, after narrowly avoiding a close call with the boys catching them NOT acting all cute, Matt sighs in relief their cover wasn't blown, and commends Anna for her own acting skills, his friends genuinely seem so convinced they're actually in love!

And at that moment, Anna just seems... hurt. She's not upset at Matt since they're not really in a relationship, it's just... she'd honestly forgotten they weren't. She was convinced, or at least convinced herself that after a string of bad relationships, she'd found someone who loves her for her, and that his acting wasn't acting anymore, like her.

But she understands, it's okay. He had no real romantic obligations to her, she knows it's selfish to be upset when they've both made it clear that it's all an act. They're not in a real relationship... Matt could do better than her anyways. He's such a kind, sweet, silly and handsome man, and she's just... well, she doesn't feel she'd actually measure up, anyways.

However, she does ask him after that if they can end the facade, she doesn't really want to keep it up anymore. Matt is taken aback, wondering if it was something he said, and Anna assures him it's not, it's just that even though this has been fun... some of the most fun and wonderful times of her life, really, she doesn't really wanna keep pretending they're in a relationship- keep him in a pretend relationship- if they're not. He deserves to find a real partner, who gives him all the love and joy he deserves. She just doesn't... want to be in the way of that for him.

Matt is just completely shocked and worried, already seeing her low self-esteem show its face and tries to at least figure out if he said something or did something to hurt her, and convince her she's not "in his way," but... doesn't want to keep her in a fake relationship if she's not happy or comfortable. The two agree to end things, and mutually part ways... with both fighting back tears.

Later, similarly to what happened in the actual arc, Matt tells the gang they broke up, but doesn't really take to their attempts to get his mind off of it, just trying to make sense of it to himself. Tom's no good with this mushy stuff, so Edd sits down with a cola for them both to try and talk to him. Matt doesn't reveal it was them fake dating, but does express a lot of his sadness, genuinely asking Edd why it hurts so much, knowing it's over. And Edd, just trying to be a good and supportive friend, is just like, "Well, y'know, it's because you loved her, right?"

That's when it finally hits Matt at a million miles an hour. He... He does love Anna. He really, truly loves her. And she loved him, and... and...

Oh, no, he's made a terrible mistake.

Quickly rushing out the door faster than Edd can ask where he's going, he practically makes a break for Anna's apartment building, determined to try and make things right, to tell her it was all real to him. Once he finally makes it, it hurts to see her open the door, as he's greeted by a pair of sad, puffy eyes that had clearly been crying for hours, and a hoarse, but genuine, "... Hey."

She lets him in, and the two genuinely do have a heart-to-heart where Matt apologizes for rubbing in the fact that they were fake dating, never meaning to hurt her genuine, real feelings. Anna explains he doesn't need to apologize, she knows full and well he'd never hurt her and it wasn't even really that. She admits that yes, she does have feelings for him, but she knows their relationship wasn't and never was real, and she doesn't want Matt to pretend to like her for others, or for her. He's a wonderful person who'll find an equally wonderful person for him, and she doesn't want to hold him back from that, when she's not close to good enough for him-

Matt stops her right there, refusing to let her talk badly about herself. She has absolutely no idea how amazing she truly is, how beautiful, funny, nerdy, patient and loving she is, and how every moment he's spent with her has been some of the best of his life. He knows he messed it up, but he won't stand by while the woman he loves talks badly about her...

It only just then hits Matt what he said out loud, and Anna, with wide, hopeful, teary eyes asked him to repeat that, and he, a tad sheepish and blushing, gently reaffirms that yeah... he loves her.

Cue her grabbing him by his overcoat collar and bringing him in for their first kiss on the lips, which Matt just absolutely melts into reciprocating.

Edd and Tom are equally confused by the next day, seeing the pair apparently back to dating, only this time, they're more genuine, and not as insistent on acting all lovey dovey around them...

Just kidding, they end up acting even mushier as a genuine couple, genuinely and blissfully in love. All's well that ends well! (Except for Tom, who needs to keep nausea pills on hand anytime Anna's around, or Matt even brings her up, bleh.)

---

BONUS HEADCANONS THAT I'VE WRITTEN FOR FUNSIES:

I've mentioned this on Twitter, but in case I forgot to mention it here, I headcanon that Anna is the youngest sibling in Mark's family. (They have an oldest sister, Loretta, who's Balloon Head Fred's wife, then Blonzie, then Mark, then finally her.) Mark isn't... pleased with the situation that his beloved little sister is dating his dumbass rival from next door, nor confident in the fact that Matt genuinely loves her for her, and not just playing some cruel joke on him through her. Plus, with all the dangerous shit they get into on a regular basis, Mark doesn't like the idea of Matt putting her in harm's way, especially after how toxic and unloving her previous relationships were, the last thing Mark wants to see is his little sister getting hurt. The two already had a tense relationship before, but after Matt and Anna start dating for real, him and Mark really don't get along. Anna appreciates her older brother's concern for her but doesn't take kindly to him insulting her sweet and loving boyfriend, and assures him she can take care of herself. Similarly, she'll shut down Matt if he says something bad or insulting about her brother, reminding him that Mark is just looking out for her and that's her brother and she loves him. I definitely think as their relationship goes on, Matt and Mark slowly get along better and better, realizing that if they agree on nothing else, they both love Anna, and want her to be happy. Ultimately, Mark decides that if Matt loves Anna, if he makes her happy and feeling like she's loved and worthy of being loved, then that's really all he needs. Guess he stans now lol.

Love the idea that even before they officially start dating, Matt and Anna end up being really close confidantes, and are able to confide things to one another they can't with most people, even the ones they're closest to. I think Matt is a gentle voice of encouragement and support when it comes to Anna's depression and low self-esteem, consistently reminding her of the things he loves about her, and Anna, in turn, is just as gentle with Matt's metal health and self-image, reassuring him he doesn't need to constantly put on a brave or happy face for her, he can be and feel whatever he wants around her. They're just a mutual space of love and understanding for one another.

They absolutely indulge in each other's hobbies and interests, no matter how bad they are at it. Someone once mentioned a headcanon about Anna at least having an interest in rebuilding computers, which I LOVE and am rolling with, she's def a computer technician and could genuinely ramble for hours about it, which Matt loves to hear and engage with. She teaches him the ins and puts of computer systems and parts, he teaches her about hair care (I dun like the EW Fan Movie, but Matt being a hairdresser is a fun idea!) and ABSOLUTELY involves her in his cooking. He doesn't mind that her cooking is the equivalent of rat poison, he lives doing it with her and always encourages and praises her attempts.

SPEAKING OF COOKING, I like to think Matt, the first time he visited her apartment, noticed a lot of takeout bags and cups and boxes in the trash, and not a lot of dishes in general. Anna jokes it's just because she can't cook for shit anyways, but it's also because she's just generally too depressed to make the effort most days, something Matt recognizes without her needing to say it. He decides right there on the spot that no, this won't do, and cooks her dinner right then and there so she has something a bit more substantial. She insists that he didn't have to go to that trouble, but... she might sniffle a bit and genuinely thanks him, for doing that for her, it means a lot that he's looking out for her. (Also she realizes he's a fucking AWESOME chef girl you gotchu a catch aaaa)

I think that Anna is kinda the type of person who copes with her depression with humor, and tends to make a lot of dark jokes at her own expense. She always found it easier to do with friends, her siblings would always get really concerned and she didn't wanna worry them, and after all her experience with her parents, bad friendships and probably previous relationships, she figured no one else cared enough to point it out. Matt, however, is VERY quick to get worried the more she talks down about herself, and it's not long before he brings it up directly and gently, but genuinely asks her to stop, taking her by the hands and looking far more serious than normal. He thinks she's perfect in every way, and her insulting herself or insinuating the world is better off without her isn't funny at all, he can't bear to imagine a world without her, and he doesn't want her to do the same. she's definitely taken by surprise, unused to anyone aside from her siblings trying to cut that out, and unused to being told the world is a better place with her in it. she probably laughs a little, before softly crying for a bit in Matt's arms, since she feels safe doing that with him.

Matt definitely helps encourage her in the best and most gentle ways to help handle her depression. He's not overbearing about it at all, but genuinely wants to help if he can. He'll take her to outside areas for dates so she can get some sunshine and fresh air, probably invites her to go jogging or practicing yoga with him, teach her different, easy recipes to make herself dinner and definitely takes on making it himself if she needs, and always reminds her how beautiful, wonderful and loved she is. (Maybe anytime he stays over at her apartment, he'll do cute little things like fold her laundry and make her lunch, all the while hiding little notes for her like Easter Eggs with things about her he loves and wants to remind her of. Peak boyfriend material there aaaa)

Anna, meanwhile, I genuinely do believe is encouraged by Matt's love and help, and tries to do better and be more self-reliant thanks to his support. Her self-esteem challenges are definitely a fight, but she knows she's not doing it alone, which makes everyday a little easier. Likewise, I think she's constantly doing the same for him, giving him organization tactics to help with his hording problem, reminding him, as well, every chance she gets what she loves about him, supporting him in all his hyperfixations, and will throw some verbal hands at anyone who dares try and even imply he's not smart. ("Idiot, huh? Awful big words for someone who blew up half of London because he hated Christmas, isn't it, Thomas?")

I like to imagine their ideas for genuine dates are pretty different, like Matt, even when he's not pretending to be "couply-wouply" with Anna, loves big, romantic dates like fancy dinner, dancing, walks on the beach under the moon, basically he's a hopeless romantic kinda guy. Anna, meanwhile, will gladly go along with it, especially when they were trying to sell the idea of them being a couple, but actually appreciates smaller scale dates, like picnics, going on walks through the neighborhood, and just ordering pizza and watching a bad movie together. I think Anna gets better as their relationship progresses communicating this to Matt, who ofc doesn't want her to do anything she's not comfortable with, and they def end up more balanced with their date ideas, and come to genuinely enjoy eachother's date types as much as their own. (Matt had always planned to propose to Anna with some big, romantic date and gesture, but ultimately, he ended up asking her while they were just cuddled on the couch together. qwq)

They eventually have kids! These are my designs for the little half-vampire ankle biters lol:

[ratasum]

I'm very sleepy and rolling around in my head the fact that while we know the founding, history, and general structure of most of the cultural "bad guy" groups, we really have painfully little on the Inquest.

I've been digging in the wiki for any information on who founded them or when, and there's really just... nothing.

There's some indication that they were at least inspired by Zinn. The Inquest's page on the wiki indicates Kudu was behind the experimentation on Malomedies, but the page requests verification and any links I've seen people post aren't archived and weren't saved on the wayback machine.

It's increasingly frustrating. Rata Primus is massive in scale and 30-40 years doesn't feel quite long enough to have built it from the ground up. Having them founded around the time of Zinn's exile would make sense, but then how did they get reinvolved with asuran politics? And it's clear the average asuran citizen hates them. There's a ton of ambient dialogue in Rata Sum and Metrica Province from regular npcs about how awful they are, and a good chunk of events and renown hearts in Metrica rotate around ruining the Inquest's day in one way or another.

I've been rolling around the idea that they came together as a faction around the time of the experimentation of the Firstborn, and that those asura were who would form the megakrewe and start recruiting likeminded individuals. There's strong indication most asuran citizens really have no idea (you as an asura commander certainly don't) until it comes out that this even happened.

But the council plays into the Inquest's hands quite often, we know they're canonically corrupt, and so their approval of Vorpp even if the rank and file wouldn't approve doesn't shock me.

My only hangup is time. Rata Primus looks like it's been there a while. Is it an old abandoned Rata that was formed around the time of Rata Sum and then taken over by the Inquest after it was abandoned for some reason, or the residents died out and the survivors left?

Did they manage to build a base that complete in 30 years? How did no one notice?

I'm wracking my brain about it. So how's your morning lmao.

[nonuggetshere]

PLS elaborate on ur hollow gets found out scenarios I beg

RUBS MY HANDS TOGETHER LIKE A FLY

HERE'S A FEW

The most developed one (and one that even has its own variants) involves their first training session. They've been practising moves for a while and it was finally time to check their combat skills in a battle. Of course, they're like...7, so the knights go easy on them. Still, the hits hurt, and after 2 or 3 more they just burst into tears and can't stop crying even when the knights drop everything and try to comfort them. Pale King was watching them and is absolutely horrified, but pushes his impending emotional crisis away to go comfort his kid. Dryya is also the one that hit them and she's also absolutely horrified and feels guilty.

In another version, that's a variant of FaaF because of course it is, Pale King sort of breaks down one day early on because fuck he loves that kid so much and he wasn't supposed to love them, and they look so much like him and his beloved wife and it just crushes him. He's suddenly regretting all of it, regretting not keeping at least one egg. And when they're alone and he looks at them he finally just breaks down and falls to his knees. And then after a while of crying and apologising, he feels two little hands pet his head.

In a similar vibe to that one, there's one where Pale King and White Lady visibly mourn the child they think is dead, and after realising it PV decides to reveal themself. They end up getting named Joy in that one.

There's one that involves Pale King using weird mind powers on them. Basically, he links their minds together briefly to make sure they're hollow, expecting complete emptiness as he was so sure of his plan working out, only to be met with a very tiny very scared child instead.

There's a version where they just do not vibe with being taken away from their siblings and go back to the Abyss's door and scratch at it and cry, and Pale King finds them there like that.

There's one where they're having a bad dream or dreaming about having a normal life and loving parents (ouch) and they wake up crying. It's early in the day so one of the knights goes to wake them up and get them to the training grounds, but instead they find them crying in their bed.

There's one where Radiance realises they're not hollow very early on and decides to infect them. She can't do anything with a little kid, she just decided to be a spiteful bitch and hit Pale King where it hurts. She pushed her luck though because he's had enough and he's going to show her what a pissed-off wyrm is capable of. They recover, thankfully, but holy shit what a horrible way to find out.

SPEAKING OF HORRIBLE WAYS TO FIND OUT

The last idea is quite dark, so I'm gonna out it under a readmore

TW: physical abuse and child abuse, if you're sensitive to these topics please just skip that last one

The last one involves a staff member who decided to use PV as a punching bag to deal with their stress and problems because they weren't alive so it wasn't wrong, right? But they don't stop either when the poor kid starts crying and makes it clear that they are alive and hurt by this.

Thankfully, Pale King hears a kid crying and goes to check it out and walks in on this. And he damn near murders that fucker right there and then. The only reason he stops himself and calls the guards instead was because he didn't want his kid to see that, but he did scream his head off at the scumbag and gave them quite a bit of scratches after he threw himself between them and PV.

He coaxes PV from under the bed where they hid and gently pulls them onto his lap. They're still sobbing and sniffling and he tries to get them to show him where it hurts all the while speaking softly to them and rocking them in his lap. They pat their tummy and squeal quietly when he puts his hand on it, but calm down as he heals them. He then just holds them on his lap and comforts them for a long time, all the while rubbing their belly to try and soothe it.