#considering everything in this appeals solely to me

[stevebabey]

love as sweet as honey (and lover, i’m hungry)

a/n: u can read me for literal filth in this piece, i won’t even lie to u lmao. it’s disgustingly full of praise and petnames and steve’s biggest turn on is being told he’s loved <3 big ups to em (@familyvideostevie) for literally being the reason this got written at all & if u haven’t guessed by now, practically ever single idea i have is consulted by kenny <3 (@hawkinsindiana) also thank u steve stans for being my cheerleaders love u guys sm (@spideystevie​ @harringtonbf) & sanne too (@sanguineterrain​) bcos talking w you helped sm <3

word count: 6.9k hehe summary: One Sunday, filled with too many kisses to count and a sureness in your heart that you are entirely in love with Steve Harrington. You tell him him for the first time in a flurry of love and lust, tangled in his sheets. [established relationship + smut, praise, petnames, + first i love you + fem!reader] MINORS DNI this piece contains nsfw content and is intended for 18+ readers. 

It was often a question on your mind: How does one know when they’re in love?

For you, it was as easy as a Sunday. 

When you wake on this Sunday morning, it’s in Steve’s arms. You’re in his bed, intertwined beneath the sheets and warmed by more than just the sun that peeks through the gap in his curtains. The room glows golden. His warmth creeps under your skin and his love finds you even when he sleeps, still snoozing against the pillow when you drift into consciousness.

He’s beautiful. Soft brown curls that crumple against the pillow, long lashes that you know even the girls at Hawkins High were envious of, faint barely visible freckles that hide under his tan. He’s beautiful and he’s yours. It makes you giddy to even think that. 

You wake him with a kiss. It’s gentle, soft lips against the dozen tiny white scars on his cheek. Steve hums, a low sound in his throat, and even that makes you smile.

“Steveeee,” you whisper, cheek pushing against the pillow as you grin, unable to stop yourself. Grins come so damn easy with him.

Steve makes another noise, high and sweet, and snuggles closer to the pillow. You shuffle closer and dot another kiss on his face, this one on his nose. It scrunches up at the contact and finally, he drags his eyes open. You can read nothing by adoration in them.

“Mm,” he hums again, then speaks in that delicious raspy morning voice that drives you crazy. You wonder if he knows just how much it affects you. “Good morning to you too.”

His arms tighten around you, inching you closer until you’re pressed against him. He uses the closeness to bury his face against yours, nosing along your neck and placing sweet pecks paired with content sighs. You’re bundled together, lovers in the morning sun.

It’s cut short far too soon. Steve gets whisked away to his Sunday shift at Family Video and leaving you pouting, with a kiss in the doorway. He looks soft, with his hair still messed up from bed and a handsome grin adorning his face.

You smooth down the collar of his shirt, a nice navy long sleeve, and let your hands linger. You almost consider telling him to skip work and follow you back up the stairs, eager to jump his bones then and there. The side-effect of getting to see him in the morning, voice low and eyes lovely. You give yourself a quiet pat on the back for your self-restraint when you hold the thought, at least til later.

“Wish I could spend all day with you,” Steve says wistfully, planting a quick kiss into your hair. He’s stalling leaving, knowing he’ll be late if he dawdles much longer; Steve never can bring himself to leave on time when you’re here. Not when you kiss him in the doorway like it’s a promise you’ll be there when he gets home.

You smile cheekily. “Well, someone’s gotta be the breadwinner of the family. That’s the whole reason I’m with you, no?”

You tease, raising your brows with a smirk and Steve snorts, hands tugging you closer.

It’s a reference to some absurdly jealous girl who’d been head over heels for Steve since first glance in the Hawkins High’s Halls. As a result, his relationship with you had been viewed merely as an obstacle to getting with the love of her life. She’d gone to his work one day to try her luck and leaned over the counter on one of his shifts, shirt unbuttoned to reveal her cleavage. Then she expressed her heartfelt concern with a coy whisper.

“Steve, I hate that I’m the one who has to break it to you,” She’d said, voice all sweet and breathy as she cast a look at you across the store where you’d been joking with Robin. Steve’s brows had scrunched in confusion, following her gaze, unsure where she was going with this.

“But I’ve heard... just through the grapevine, that she’s totally with you for the money.” She had shaken her head, like she was ashamed of you, and plastered on her most sympathetic look, doe-eyed and entirely insincere. Laid a hand on his arm with a pout. “I’m so sorry you had to find out from me.”

Steve had barely been able to cover his laugh with a cough, ducking his head to hide his grin. Is that so? He wanted to ask, just to see how far she’d take the lie — Steve knew for a fact what she said wasn’t true.

Because you’d been there the day Steve’s father had cut him off for good, with a slap on the wrist and a few too many mean words aimed in spots he knew would hurt. But you’d been there. You’d kissed him softly, said so what? so earnestly he knew you meant it, and then pulled up the newspaper to help him begin searching for jobs without missing a beat.

“Mmhm,” In the present, Steve chuckles, his hand stroking down your arm as he continues the joke. “Total gold-digger you are. Everyone knows it.”

And then he’d left with you another kiss and a promise he’d be by your house just after six, when he finished his shift, to take you out to the movies. You busy yourself in his absence and try not to count the hours. Per his word, Steve swings by just after six, greets you with a kiss, and the two of you cozy up in the back of the theater for a film.

From there, the tension builds, hanging around you like a soft-scented perfume that you can’t shake and only fuelled by Steve’s lingering touches — ones that let you know he’s more than on the same brainwave as you. A finger drawing a line up along your thigh, a kiss too hot on your neck, his hands getting too adventurous for public.

So, when you tumble through his front door together and it quietly snicks shut behind you, there’s a quiet moment where Steve turns back to you, brows raised. Tension stains the air between you.

He’s so fucking handsome, you think. You want to kiss him stupid.

His cheeky smile grows slowly as if he knows exactly what is on your mind.

His hand moves to cradle your jaw, his lips pressing against yours hotly and without meaning to you back up and let him press you against the door. Steve groans softly into the kiss, his other hand coming up to grasp at your side, grip just a bit too tight. It gives away how wound up he really is. You crave the feeling it gives you.

It’s a flurry, his lips kissing, kissing, kissing, til you’re breathless and his hand is higher, thumb tracing higher on your ribcage, skimming but never quite where you want him. Your stomach hums, excitement dancing and stirring up til you’re sure the taste of his lips is your favourite in the world.

After a minute of fervent kissing, Steve finally breaks away with a pant, but his lips don’t stop. They trail down, a soft kiss on your cheek and then one your jaw, your neck. Your head tips back instinctively, giving him easier access. He hums appreciatively.

“Y’so fuckin’ pretty,” He breathes against your skin, quiet enough you wonder if you were meant to hear it. He dives back in, nips at your skin, and you feel his lips pull into a devilish grin when you keen at the lovebite, a soft noise passing your lips. Fuck, he’s always so good at this.

There will be a hickey there tomorrow, no doubt about it. But when his lips reattach and he gives a gentle suck on the skin of your neck, followed by the soothing sensation of his tongue, you really can’t bring yourself to care. Want builds in your stomach.

Your hands struggle to pick a place to fixate on, flitting from his chest to up around his neck. You decide on the latter and wind your fingers in his hair. When he scrapes his teeth against your neck, a little mean, you retaliate with a tug on his hair.

A groan warbles out his throat, a delicious noise that makes your stomach a little warmer, thighs clenching a bit.

With his pause, you seize your chance and tug his head back again gently and Steve lets it fall back, exposing the column of his throat to you. You dip in, dragging your lips against it, and grin when Steve lets another groan tumble out, the vibrations reverberating into you where you lips touch his skin.

You pause, just to tease him. Don’t make a move. Your breath fans out across his neck and Steve tenses, a vein standing out in his neck, his patience waning within seconds.

“Don’t tease,” He warns, voice raspy, but he already sounds a bit wrecked.

Then his hands reignite, as if he’s just remembered them, and the one cupping your jaw moves downward, fleeting touches against your boob that have you gasping against his skin. He kneads the flesh and pinches your nipple, his other hand gripping your hip tight.

Your lips find his throat again, a soft kiss that turns hard and hot. You kiss up along the skin, pull his hair a little, and find that sweet spot under his ear that you know he loves.

Steve lets out another groan, his hand dropping so he can grip your hips on either side and he presses himself against you. His knee navigates between your thighs, an enticing pressure that makes you quiver for a moment — you suck harder on his neck in retaliation.

His groan turns into a borderline whine as he inhales a sharp breath. Against your thigh, his hardness presses into you, giving away just how riled up you’ve got him.

“Sweetheart,” he rasps, between a pant. “Y’gonna kill me.“

His fingers pulse tighter against your hips for a moment. He drops his head forward, his forehead touching yours. “Let me take you upstairs, yeah?”

You force yourself to drag yourself away from his kiss-bitten neck, a grin curling at your lips.

“Jeez, at least buy a girl dinner first.” You jest, just to make him laugh. Like he hadn’t bought you dinner and paid for the movie tickets as well, because he loves to spoil you.

He does laugh, with a huff and a poorly concealed smile. His hands slide from your hips, wrapping around your waist and pulling you closer to him.

Like you can sense it right before he says it, some stupidly cheesy line, one of your hands shoots out to cover his mouth.

“Whatever you’re thinking of saying,” You say, voice doused in amusement. “Don’t.”

Steve’s eyes dance in delight and before you predict it, the wetness of his tongue splays against your palm and you squeal, winding it back.

“Save that for later.” You tease, scrunching your nose as you exaggeratedly wipe your hand against his shirt. Steve doesn’t seem to care, his feet beginning to backtrack, and bundled in his arms, you go with him.

“I hope you mean now.” He murmurs playfully, voice dipping a bit lower, just to turn you on, and it sends a delightful shiver down your spine. You speed up your footsteps, the itch to get him between the sheets increasing.

He spins, releasing his grip but still grasping one of your hands in his. Your footsteps thunder up the stairs behind Steve, a giggle of anticipation slipping out and nipping at your heels that pushes you both faster. Steve nudges the door open hastily, and in a flurry, your back meets his sheets.

The warmth of his body is a weight you’ll always welcome, especially when Steve’s lips trail back along your throat. His teeth sink in, his mouth hot and wet, kisses that draw a thread of breathy noises from you. His hips cant into yours, a slow roll that has your thighs falling further apart automatically, the beginning of a whimper forming.

His hands tangle with the edge of your shirt, fingertips skirting under. They’re hot, burning against your skin.

He halts his kissing for just a moment, to pull back and pant, “Can I?”

You’re nodding before he can even get the question out. He tugs it up, the fabric sliding up and the smoothness of the motion leaves you a bit breathless. Steve stares down at you, eyes a mixture of affection and a hunger for more.

“You,” his large hands splay against your bare stomach, one moving up and sketching a line of heat where his fingertips linger. He leans close, lips scratching a kiss into your collarbone. Whispers his sweetness into your skin. “You’re so fucking beautiful. M’so lucky. How’d I get you all to myself, hm?”

The question makes your body hum, like a live wire, your knees tightening around his hips. Your hands clamber up around his neck and you tug his head up, claiming his lips with your own. You grind your hips back up against Steve, pleasure licking up your spine at the feeling of his hard cock dragging against you.

“Please,” you tease, words a bit breathy. “Everyone knows I’m with you for the money.”

Steve faux gasps, a laugh slipping through his facade at the inside joke you both share. He pulls back a bit, a pout on his pink lips, sheened with spit. He’s sitting up now, hair already a bit ruffled, handsome face housing a grin you love so dearly.

“Is that so?” He asks, brows raised.

You nod, a giggle tittering out before you stop it. Steve can’t help his smile, a quiet joy quelled beneath his lust over the fact you’re both so comfortable with each other. Laughing in bed, jokes in between the moans — Steve feels his stomach pool hotter, his love for you somehow still ever-growing.

“Take it back.” He demands, dropping down closer — his hands plant on either side of your head.

You squirm against the bed, trying to grind up against him again but it’s futile, he’s pulled back too far. Steve grins deviously. You arch your chest out and give Steve your best bedroom eyes, lids low and eyes dark.

“Take this off first,” You counter, hands tugging on the ends of his own shirt. Steve doesn’t need to be told twice.

It’s nearly as smooth as the removal of your shirt had been, his toned arms twisting to yank the fabric up — until it gets caught on his head. Steve makes a surprised noise and decides to tug it harder, his arms caught above his head, face hidden in the fabric. You laugh without meaning to.

Steve tugs again, managing to free himself but not before he topples sideways and disappears in the mass of his duvet with an oof!

You laugh loudly, covering it behind your hands, and roll in his direction, amusement dancing along your features. Steve’s head pops up, hair properly mussed now, and he grins. His hand clutches the meddlesome shirt and he flings it behind him mindlessly. It lands on his bedside table, hanging off the lamp.

“Where were we?” He asks, with a wiggle of his brows.

You shift up and swing your leg across his lap, seating yourself atop him and the shape of him makes you hiss pleasantly. Hands creeping up his bare chest, teasingly slow, you smile and it borders a smirk. “I was… taking it… back?”

Your voice is coy, tone doused in suggestiveness as your nails dig in and rake back down his chest. Beneath them, you can feel the rumble of his groan and he wastes no time in getting his hands back on you. His fingers find the waistband of your pants, dipping in and you suck in a breath instinctively.

He doesn’t even get to ask before you’re nodding, already anticipating his question. Steve smiles, guides you down and peppers kisses along your neck with a half-hearted hum— all the while, his other hand works open the button of your jeans.

“Steve,” you say breathily. You don’t know what you’re asking for, why you’re saying his name, just that it’s right.

“Y’good?” He asks, hands not stilling but not delving any further into the confines of your pants. When you nod, fervent and a bit too enthusiastic, his tone turns a bit heavier. “You gonna be good f’me, yeah?”

The whine that comes out of you in response takes you by surprise, body reacting with a filthy grind down against him. Steve doesn’t even get a chance to look smug, pleasure shuttering across his face as he tilts his head back.

“Fuck,” he says, hands tight on your hips. He guides them, pulling you harder down against himself and bucking up. He presses into you at the exact angle to have you keening, a happy sigh tumbling out your throat. “Fuck.” He huffs against, voice strained.

“Please do just that.” You say, a bit cheeky, grinding down harder just to make him moan properly — his head buries further in the pillow, eyes clenched closed for just a moment and the sound he makes travels right to your cunt.

Steve grapples to control himself, his chest beginning to heave. He manages to respond, voice still smooth in that way you’ve learned is his specific Harrington Charm.

“As you wish, honey.”

And god, if that doesn’t do something to you.

You can’t deny how much it turns you on when Steve manhandles you, a swift turn of your bodies where you find yourself back on your back with Steve hovering above you. His hands toy with the edge of your jeans, shimmying them down and discarding them somewhere behind you both.

You pant a bit, stomach stirring at how Steve gazes at you — the way his fists clench slightly give away his utter desire for you.

“You’re entirely overdressed.” you rasp, aiming for seductive but accidentally landing closer to whiny.

A glow raises in your cheeks, face hot, but Steve seems to revel in your words, his hands making hasty work of his belt. Unwittingly, your mouth waters a bit.

He sheds the extra layer in a moment, leaving him in just his boxers. You take a moment to recognise them, the Batman logo printed all across them. He clearly hasn’t meant for you to see them. For the second time tonight, you laugh before you can suppress it.

“Hey,” Steve jabs a finger at you, cheeks a bit pinker than they were a second ago. “It’s laundry day, okay?”

It’s a bit meek, said too feebly for you to actually believe. You raise your brows and wait for him to crack. It takes only another moment.

“Oh my god, fine,” he sighs dramatically, scrubbing his hands down his face. He drops them and then away at his sides, his face still warm. “I didn’t want to assume I’d get to fuck you tonight. They were at the top of the drawer, alright?”

Your heart does a little kick at that. Your wonderful, hot, never-presumptuous boyfriend that you fucking adore — it never manages to not astound you with the new way he turns you on.

“Then clearly,” you begin, wiggling closer. Your legs move up, circling around his hips and you cross your ankles at his tailbone — and urge him closer, feeling your own wetness stain against the final layer on your cunt.

Steve’s cock fits snugly between your folds and he gives a delicious grind, brows scrunching at the sensation. You fight to keep your voice steady as you continue, “You don’t know me that well.”

Steve huffs, some half growl escaping his lips. He sneaks his fingers under the band of your panties on either side of your hips and begins to pull down. They slide down your thighs, tantalizingly slow, and you’re unable to do anything but watch him. Steve’s gaze turns heavier and he licks his lips, teeth sinking in to hold back another noise of approval.

Then unexpectedly, the next words out of his mouth come out in a poor french accent. “Mon dieu,” Steve mutters, already smiling because he knows you’ll laugh at this.

You do, a startled laugh— especially when Steve wrangles your panties off your ankles and repeats his earlier motions of the night, sending them flying behind him carelessly.

“Steve, what are you—“

“Mademoiselle,” He interrupts, voice huskier than normal, completely on purpose.

“Oh my god,” you say in exasperation, yet the love leaks into the work, obvious and undeniable. Steve grins, thankfully dropping the voice and instead working his hands back up your body. They crawl beneath your torso, fingers searching, and make quick work of your bra. It comes away with his hands, straps scraping against your arms.

“Oh, sweetheart.” he sighs contently. Like they’ve got a mind of their own, his rough hands meet the soft skin of your boobs, kneading and thumbing at your nipples. Beneath his touch, they harden and pleasure thrums hot in your core when he twists them lightly, a gasp pushing your lips.

“Steve,” you whine hotly, pushing up against him.

“What d’ya need, honey?” He murmurs, dipping closer and restarting his kisses against your neck. He suckles gently, the barest hint of his teeth, lips soft and tongue hot.

“Y’gonna tell me what you need?” He hums, but even as he asks, one of his hands creeps downwards, landing on your thigh. He inches it closer, his thumb rubbing against the soft inside of your thigh.

The pillow rubs against your cheek as you nod fervently, turning to press your face into the pillow. Even after all this time with Steve, there’s no quelling the nerves in your stomach. But even with your enthusiastic nods, you know Steve needs your words.

“You.” The word is a bit whimpery. “Please, Stevie, s’you I need. You— your-” you cut yourself off, shyness creeping in and stealing your words.

Steve senses it, a quiet chuckle against your neck, and his fingers draw higher, til they ghost across your cunt. “Mm? Sweet girl gonna tell me when she wants?”

His words both make your face warm and your stomach flutter— he loves to goad your shyness, drinks in the reactions when you give he pushes it.

“Don’t make me say it, please.” You plead softly, resisting the urge to burrow further into the pillow.

Steve had told you early on when you’d started sleeping together in your relationship that he wanted nothing less than for you to hide away from him. I wanna see your face, okay? Wanna see everything from you. And hear all those pretty sounds you make, yeah?

A sound like the one you make now when he doesn’t make you wait, a pad of his thumb tracing down the folds of your cunt. His fingers dip in, soft touches that draw out a gasp as he trails them back up, beginning gentle circles against your clit. A fire in your belly that’s never quite extinguished burns a bit hotter. Your legs spread open further.

“Oh, honey,” he coos, devouring every reaction you give. “You’re doing so good. All worked already?”

His thumb rubs a bit rougher, circles faster, and his fingers stroke back down to your entrance. A moan punctuates the air, dragged out of your chest as one of his fingers slips inside, a stretch that has your back arching up.

“Please…” You sigh, words lost to your breathy moans as the finger pumps in and out, far too in tune with the circles on your clit for you to think straight. “So good, baby, you’re so good at this, fuck—“

Steve’s mouth moves south, his lips curling around your nipple and adding to the stream of stimulation. It’s overwhelming, the heat of his mouth and the curl of his fingers in your cunt— you can hear how turned on you are, your slick gushing against Steve’s fingers, and it only fuels the fire under your skin. You’re unbearably warm.

“That’s it,” The soft praise falls from Steve’s mouth, pausing his licking and sucking. “Good girl. So fucking wet for me, huh?”

The words inspire a lick of heat along your spine, the coil in your stomach tightening even more. Your breath staggers and you whine in response to his words. Shit, at this rate you could very well come undone before you even get him out of those stupid Batman boxers.

You wonder if this is Steve’s plan; it sure isn’t yours. You want him now.

“Anyone ever tell you,” you huff, a bit breathless. It takes effort to formulate sentences, the words coming out a bit whimpery. “What a motor-mouth you have in bed?”

Steve’s kisses work up to your collarbone, before drops one swollen kiss on your lips and smirks from above you, “In more ways than one.”

Something about the cockiness in his voice only adds to the anticipation building beneath your skin, your head lolling against the pillow as sweet noises escape your mouth.

Steve watches, eyes fixed on where his fingers sink lazily into you, curling in a way that makes your breath hitch loudly — it only serves to add to the growing heat in his stomach, blood rushing to his cock, which twitches at the sight. He groans to himself, head delirious with his desire.

His name is the only word you can seem to remember and as Steve’s fingers pump faster, precise curls, it leaves your mouth in a flurry that is all too telling about how close you are. He nearly feels bad to take it from you, nearly.

A disappointed whine draws out at the sudden removal of his fingers and Steve chuckles, a confident drawl in his voice. Your brows scrunch together in frustration, hips up twitching ever-so-slightly, searching for the lost stimulation even as your building pleasure tapers off. Asshole, you think, not meaning it even a little bit. You pant lightly.

Steve doesn’t waste a second, using his freed hands to begin to dig in his bedside table for a condom.

“Why are you laughing?” You grumble with a pout, chest still heaving. As his search proves fruitful, proven by a little aha! and the glisten of the condom wrapper, your hands reach up to cup his face and tug him back to you greedily. His hands stumble and plant on either side of you, letting you pull him in for a searing kiss. Steve hums into it with a grin.

“You’re like some sort of supervillain,” You mumble against his lips, a smile already curling at your mouth.“Laughing at my misery.”

Steve breaks the kiss, dropping his voice an octave to rumble out a spooky “Mwahaha,” that tickles laughter out of you in seconds. You thwack him lightly on the arm just so you can kiss away the pout he makes - because you know him that well.

The kiss is sweet and saturated with adoration, kisses that break off just to steal another. I love him, you think. I love him so completely. The wonderful thought melts and curls up in your mind, like a cat purring beside a fire, like it had always been there and you had only just noticed it.

It only feeds the anticipation that thrums through your body, your prior disappointment already long forgotten at the sight in front of you, at the delirious thought still spinning in your mind.

All the while, Steve’s hands shed off his boxers and make quick work of the condom. When he’s situated, his slender fingers curve around his leaking cock and give a light tug to relieve the building tension, eyes fluttering for a moment.

His other rests on your thigh, soothing subconscious touches; Steve never could keep his hands off you for long. His eyes trail up, committing each detail of you to memory.

Seeing you like this, Steve swears it never gets old; he could find sunsets in the curves of your skin and melodies in every moan. It’s vulnerable, exposing yourself to him and trusting him, all the same, to take care of you. And fuck, if he doesn’t love taking care of you.

But tonight, you have a particular moonstruck look on your face. Enough to make him pause, thumb skimming atop your thigh. “What?” He asks, with a hint of a chuckle.

Your cheeks grow a bit warmer and you fight the urge to hide your face in the pillow. Holding his gaze, his amber eyes which only hold endless patience and love, it’s not even a choice to tell him. The words bubble up inside, golden and sweet like you’d just taken a swig of pure ambrosia, and they spill out of you.

“S’just,” you begin, teeth scraping across your bottom lip. “I love you, Steve.”

Steve seems to freeze, his thumb halting its motions on your skin but there’s not even a moment for panic to trickle in — not when he flushes, cheeks rosy, and a pure expression of elation overtakes his features.

“You do?”

It’s nearly a whisper, uttered like he’d worried you’d take it back the moment he believed it. You’re already nodding by the time your words catch up with you, nervousness making them fall out without thought. “A lot. I love you a lot. So much. So many.”

A wet-sounding laugh splutters out of him as Steve’s face splits into a beam and he’s on you in an instant. He’s hovering above you, held up by his arms, but his face crowds in close — kiss after kiss finds its way onto your skin.

“So many, huh?” He teases before his voice drops to a murmur, words thick with emotion, and another weak wet laugh comes out. “I love you so many as well.”

You groan at his mocking and tuck your face in the crook of his neck, hiding away your giddy grin.

“Don’t be mean,” you whine but still revel in Steve’s unstoppable shower of kisses, warm and wet, one after another. “I got nervous.” 

His lips work along your neck until you’re forced to tilt your head out of your hiding place and he captures your lips with his without hesitation. It feels like home, the curve of his mouth that you could recognise in the dark you’ve kissed it enough.

“Nervous?” He asks against your lips, the question halfway between disbelief and happiness. His eyes search yours desperately, pools of affection shining in the chocolate colour of them, giving away his complete elation. “My girl.”

Another kiss, molten hot affection that melts into your skin, from Steve. Your arms tangle over his shoulders, bring him closer, til his chest scratches against yours and you’re pulling him closer, closer, you can’t get him close enough. The craving in your stomach twists up, a reminder of what your love declaration had interrupted. 

You wiggle your hips slightly, knees bending so you can slide your legs up and encircle his waist, hot skin against hot skin. You kiss him once more and nudge your nose against his gently, to halt his kisses.

“Yeah, yeah,” you tease, all too fond. “You love me, I love you. Y’still gonna fuck me, hm?” 

Steve grins, “Ouch, way to make a guy think you said all that just for the sex.”

He raises a hand to cover his wounded heart for a moment, but it settles on your thigh, pushing it back an inch. His other hand curls back around his heavy cock, lining it up with your pulsing cunt that quivers in anticipation - Steve groans a bit at the heat he can already feel.

“I already told you,” you grin at the inside joke, words all breathy. Your thighs tighten around his waist impatiently. “It’s all for the money, baby.”

Steve scoffs with a smile that melts away as he steals another kiss. His hips shift forward, burying himself in you slowly with a moan that sends shivers down your spine, fingers clutching your hips tighter. A high keening noise pushes out of you as Steve rolls his hips gently, a slow fuck into your wet cunt.

“Shit,” he curses, movements still gentle as he pulls back and sinks into you, a tortuously slow pace that has your hips moving back against him. “Honey, fuck, y’so wet, so soft.”

“Stevie,” You whimper, hands grappling for a better grip on his broad shoulders. Like he can tell what you’re asking for instantly, one of his hands travels from your hip and clasps atop yours. He tugs it off and presses it against the sheets beside your head, his large fingers moving to link with yours instinctively.

You clutch at his hand, squeezing your intertwined hands tighter as Steve begins to build his pace, your moans egging him on. His face drops lower, warm breaths fanning over your face as his other hand tugs your hips back on his cock strongly. He strokes in, giving and giving to your mounting pleasure. Your skin burns warm; your chest arches up and the nails of your free hand sink into his back. 

“So good for me, yeah?” He grunts, but it gives way to a groan as you clench around him. “My girl, my sweet girl, you feel fucking so good on my cock.”

God, him and his fucking motor-mouth. Your breath is heavy, cunt blazing warmth, and the coil in your stomach begins to burn again.

“Steve,” you mewl like it’s a praise.

“I know, I know,” He murmurs. His hand squeezes yours as he gives a particularly deep thrust, the head of his cock finding the spot inside you that makes you squirm. Makes the blood in your veins turns to pure confetti; a long moan drags out your lips and you bury it in his skin.

“Feels so good,” you cry softly, fingers flexing against his. Your hips are moving without thought, meeting his thrusts and Steve moans brokenly when your cunt flutters around him. “Y’feel so good, baby.” You praise him with a whimper.

Steve‘s arms keeping him up stutter a bit at your words, more of his weight pressing against you and you welcome it, legs tightening their grip.

“Y’so. Fucking. Good.” He punctuates each word with a thrust, fucking you harder and beginning to lose his rhythm as he chases his pleasure. “So pretty, my girl, hm? Could fuck this pretty pussy all day. Fuck, I— nothing feels as good as you, sweetheart, I swear, nothin’.”

Through your pleasurable haze, you manage to scrounge up a halfhearted joke, a soft smile peeking through on your face. “What’d I say? Such a motor-mouth.” The final word is swallowed up by your gasp.

Steve grins, not slowing his motions in the slightest. He looks fucking beautiful like this; his hair disheveled and wild, cheeks rosy, a slight sheen of sweat on his brow. 

“You love it,” He bites back gleefully — he dips his head to scrape a kiss along your neck, up your jaw. You whine as he rolls his hips into you expertly, each thrust managing to steal your breath and make your stomach grow hotter. The beginnings of your orgasm trickle in.

“I do,” you agree, fond and voice sticky with bliss. “I love you.”

Steve’s cock twitches inside you, paired with a soft moan that Steve buries into your neck. His thrusts speed up, chasing desperately as he whines, the noise pathetic and whimpery, and he clutches your hand tighter.

“Fuck, I love you too.” He says, a sloppy kiss granted on your neck, then he laughs weakly. “Please tell me you’re close too.”

“I am,” you gasp, head nodding and eyes scrunching closed as the buzz of heat swells inside you, thighs twitching and clenching around him tighter. “I am, baby, please.”

“C’mon honey,” he urges with a pant, voice strained and face wrecked, contorted in his pleasure. His free hand shifts up, pushing back your hair so he can see your face and his nose nuzzles against yours. “I know you can do it. Y’gonna cum for me? Be a good girl and cum on my cock, yeah?”

His voice turns cooing like he knows exactly what it’ll do to you to hear him beg. “C’mon, be good for me. Cum for me, honey, please,”

You tense up as his words hook into the coil in your stomach and tug, unraveling it and you with a soft cry. Legs gripping him tighter, you arch and writhe as the ache in your cunt pulses so deliciously, pleasure flooding every nerve — Steve fucks into the tightness, low whines in this throat as he chases his own orgasm.

“Say it,” he rasps, hips snapping fast and milking every second of your bliss, dragging it out as you clench around him. “Please, honey, wanna hear it.”

He says it so low, you nearly don’t hear it but you know exactly what he means. Your fingers clutch at his tighter, your intertwined hands keeping you connected and you nod, breathless, and tell him exactly what he wants to hear.

“I love you, Steve. Love you, ah, love you so much. Want you to cum for me, please,”

He falls apart, breath stuttering as he releases a desperate moan which dissolves into a kiss, soft lips scraping yours. His hips move a bit slower, jerky motions, as he clenches your hand tightly and whispers all his ardent love onto you, a dozen i love you’s between a thousand kisses.

His forehead presses against your forehead and you revel in the final zings of pleasure that rush up your spine as he slows his thrusts.

Your free hand drifts off his shoulder, soothing through his hair as all motion slows to a stop, Steve’s breath warming your shoulder. He drops his weight a bit, energy spent, and squishes against you and you make a noise somewhere between a squeal and a laugh.

“Y’good?” You ask, fingers still stroking through his hair. Wordlessly, Steve nods, chest still heaving but you can spot the gorgeous grin that graces his face, eyes closed.

Basking in the warmth of your love, you stay interwoven together. You’re warm but not just from the hot press of his body against yours; no, you gleam from the inside, pure glittering light because you love him.

You break the moment, the glow hazing out to tiredness and you free your hand from his hair to pat his shoulder softly.

“Okay, gross, you’re sweaty, get off me.”

Steve laughs, even as he peels himself off you, biceps tensing as he props himself up. “Yeah, ‘cos I just rocked your world.”

A laugh bursts out of you, though you don’t deny his words. Steve eases himself out of you gently and the stimulation makes you gasp lightly, lashes fluttering. You slump into the bed, feeling slightly melted as Steve deals with the condom and you’re fairly convinced you could just drift off in a moment. Steve doesn’t let you.

A poke on your arm. Your eyes peek open, seeing your boyfriend back in his silly little Batman boxers and a smile pulls on your lips. “Go pee.” He says.

You groan, eyes sliding shut again and he pokes you again, a jab at your shoulder.

“Go pee,” He insists, shuffling off the bed to stand up. When you make no motion to move, his hands hook around your knees and he tugs. You slide forward with a yelp and Steve grins when you frown but relent, getting to your feet. Your legs wobble for just a moment, a tad unsteady, and it only feeds Steve’s shit-eating grin.

“Shut up,” you warn, without any real heat. Steve raises his hands, not saying a word, though his chuffed expression says enough. He holds out one of his shirts — old and softened, it’s one of his old swim-team ones — and you slip into it easily. The trip to the bathroom is quick, already eager to be bundled back up in his arms and you nearly skip back to his room.

He’s in bed when you push the door open, covers pulled back, and waiting for you to join him. The slight smile on his face blooms into a grin that he pairs with grabby hands in your direction. You don’t deny him for even a moment, feet dancing across the carpet to clamber in beside him.

His arms, strong and sure, pull you against his chest and you hum contently with a smile, settling against him comfortably. Steve tugs up the duvet to cover you both. Cheek against his chest, you can hear the thump of his heartbeat easily and it eases some part of your soul, like a finger soothing down invisible hackles that raise whenever you’re apart from him.

“Can you say it again?”

He mumbles the question against your hairline where his lips rest and it turns your heart inside out, both pained and pleased that he wants to hear it as much as you want to say it.

“I love you, Steve Harrington.” You say without faltering, nuzzling closer to him. You drop one kiss on his chest, above his heart, and grin. “You totally rock my world.”

Where you expect some dramatized groan, Steve only laughs, the sound light and easy. His arms tighten around you, his lips gifting another sweet kiss atop your head. “Yeah, you too, sweet girl.”

And it makes you love him all the more.

(dis is my first smut soOOoOOoo pls do indeed come tell me how i did)

[punkeropercyjackson]

If Zutara is a feminist ship then it's absolute bottom of the barrel feminism SORRY like it's so downlow💀Katara's a fem girl with parentification trauma and open softness and Zuko's a masc dude who turned into a Team Dad to heal his inner child and break the cycle of abuse and high up walls so they're already a cisheteronormative ship based off that alone but there's also how while Zuko made up for what how he hurt Katara,his attacks and insults to her were racially motivated and that adds a thick layer of racialized misogyny AND directly goes against Katara's wishes to force Zuko onto her because she fought for a loooong time to break the mold of womanhood should only exist in 'what girls are SUPPOSED to be like' and frankly the emphasis on supposed 'realism' when it comes to girls and Zutara said by the shippers so often has transmisogyny underlaying it,if not then at least bioessentialism,with how cis and exclusive of unconventional girlhood it is and it dosen't help their case that they often feminize Toph when she gets older when in CANON she stayed gnc and ruthlessly talk badly of Aang because he's a boy who's feminine and gets hurt when bullied for it in-universe and he has a fucking right to even if he's cis!!!!They're making fun of him for being himself!'Fragile masculinity' my ass,if you saw a stud or a non-fully transitioned transfem you'd hurl and he thinks Katara's punk girl slay is the hottest shit ever and showed hints of crushing on Toph's butch ass too

But back on topic,this is why i can't stand Zutara man,there's nothing for me to relate to!I'm a punk femme woc like Katara and i headcanon her as trans,bi and autistic like me because i relate to her in some very important ways(though i hc her as transfem while i'm transmasc bigender)and this is also a big part of the appeal of Kataang for me because i'm the girl who had a crush on Aang instead of Zuko Zutara shippers always told you don't exist and i loved Taang because i was rowdy tomboy like Toph but i never had a beef with Kataang,i didn't see anything wrong with it!!!I minded my own damn bussiness and let Katara just vibe instead of making her some evil bitch!And while i'm in love with Zuko now thanks to the comics going into the Gaang's adult years,my canon self-insert ship with him is him and Ty Lee because i'm a super bubbly and optimistic pastel girl who's interests are considered 'stupid/silly/lame' by society and is high maintenance but nice to everybody instead of demanding and it turns out that me as a kid and me now are those ways due to autism and transgenderism!!!!

Zutara does nothing for the woc in me because Katara dosen't look like me since i'm black,i love her and Zuko as bickering found siblings,i have older sister/maternal feelings towards Aang like Zuko does older brother/fatherly ones,i see Mai as a comphet (trans) lesbian but love Maiko because she's weirdgirl rep and Zuko's in love with her and there's also black etchnic subgroups in each nation confirmed in Turf Wars so i don't got anything stopping me from making an Atlasona instead of ruining characters and dynamics!!!!!Zutara is such a less than nothing ship if you're 'not a normal girl' and the fandom's make it beyond crystal clear how they feel about us so that's why i hate it so much in addition to what ass is is!The only thing Z/k's were 'robbed' of is the ability to get a grip,a boyfriend,friends who think they're goddesses platonically like mine do to me and me them and media literacy seeing as Atla's title refers to Aang being the sole survivor of a genocide based off an irl one but they will do everything and anything to remove that out of the context in analysing him and the franchise as a whole

And not to diverge topics again but this is why i'm okay with shaming and mocking Zutara re Natla(and no i don't mean harrasing,i mean og posting)by me and anybody else,they deadass SHOWED PART OF THE AIR NOMAD GENOCIDE and ALSO ADDED 'TOKEN GOOD' FIRE NATION SOLDIERS and it's so beyond fucking racist and disturbing that they're trying to do any gotcha or praise of it involving their military war ship.You's grown and Zuko loves Aang the most anyway,you normie losers

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

this is not a take technically this is an advertisement for my favorite fe pairing but hello i think everyone should consider lon’qu/tharja. they’re very sweet. their chain is one of lon’qu’s few backstory/lore-involved supports and unlike the other one that gets heavy into it (cherche, also a good chain but we’re not talking abt that right now) where she already knows his history, he willingly tells tharja what’s haunting him and she’s sympathetic to his struggles and kind in tone as she responds to him. she wants to help him and works on devising a memory wipe for him. when he decides to not erase his memories of ke’ri because he doesn’t want to forget her even if his trauma is related to his memories of her she accepts it (although in en she does grumble a bit about it bc it was a lot of effort to prepare what she needed, in jpn the tone is a lot softer and she accepts right away and doesn’t press it.)

their s support is also very sweet. tharja is the one who proposes to lon’qu, saying she wants to be there for him and support him as he works through his traumas. robin does come up, as they do in almost all of her supports bar donnel & kellam :(, but she brings them up solely so she can bait him into giving her an answer because he’s like What at first and it’s funny to me. she’s like tch… whatever…. if you don’t respond i don’t care… i’ll dedicate the rest of my life to MU…. 🙄 and then lon’qu responds. LOL. and his jpn dialogue for this reply includes, and i quote: “I...want to be near you. You understand about me and women... I want to touch you...and I want to respond to that. I'll show you that I can overcome this flaw...” (TL: Miscellany on SerenesForest’s Awakening TL thread). like that’s such good dialogue. and his EN dialogue is also really good i just like that JPN bit. the EN is: “However, there is a strength and grace about you that I find appealing. You are the first to look so deep into my heart and accept what you saw there. With you at my side, I might finally free myself of this painful past.” still very good.

they just want to be with and support each other. he’s afraid he’ll put her in danger by them being together and she’s swift to say she can take care of herself. and then says (this one’s jpn dialogue again bc i love comparing en/jp dialogue it’s fascinating to see the differences) that she wants to get closer to him and asks him to promise that he’ll work to overcome his fears with her. and then he gives her a ring as proof of his dedication to her, showcasing he wanted to propose to Her and that she just beat him to it.

it’s sweet. they’re sweet. lon’qu’s future past conversation with noire mentions that being with tharja does in fact help him out a lot. they’re a pairing and a family that work together sosososo well. please consider them (i have pictures of their dialogues but i cannot attach them bc i’m anonymous so just take my descriptions of everything and handful of quotes sorry). lontharja the world 4ever

im convinced 👀

[yukidragon]

Yuki! What are your thoughts on this? A Sunny Day Jack AU where he’s also a “digi-pet” like Bo from DachaBo! They’re from the same company and Jack has his own colorfully red, blue, and yellow tamagotchi-esque toy! He also has a “feed me” mode like Bo too, and it… somehow makes him a WHOLE lot bigger than he already is.😳 What story do you think would happen in an AU with Jack in a “virtual boyfriend” toy like Bo?

Now that's a very intriguing concept. If we assume Jack is an anthro like Bo, he would probably be part snake, so I guess we'd be having a pocket naga boyfriend in his case.

Alternately, they could've just made a clown series of digital pet. After all, a lot of toy series like that sometimes go with different themes. They could have a fairy series, then an animal series, then a rockstar series, etc. Bo could be from the house pet-themed batch, while Jack, in this AU, would be from the clown-themed batch.

Which, really, would mean that this AU could have every other type clown character as their own digital toys. It would be fitting if whoever owns a Buddy pet wore them on their belt, don't you think?

When I wrote that quick DachaBo short story after listening to the new audio on the SnaccPop Studios Patreon (which got a second audio since I wrote that), I had more thoughts about the DachaBo series.

Buckle up, folks, I've got a lot of headcanons in mind for DachaBo and the AU variant with Jack as a virtual pet that I'm just going to cram into one big post. Quick reminder that these two games and fandoms are for Adults Only so chances are pretty high I'm going to talk about spicy and/or dark ideas as I go along this lengthy ramble. Chances are also high that I might use some official art of either series at some point, so let me plug the SnaccPop Studios patreon before I get started and remind everyone not to repost anything privately posted on patreon.

Toys for Adults

While my initial instinct was that this series of pets were meant for children, and Bo has just evolved beyond that and gained some very adult-rated impulses... I've actually come up with a different idea that I like more.

What if they actually were meant specifically for adults rather than children?

As I recall from some lore mentioned a while back, each pet was a unique individual. What if the developers saw the digital pet craze and decided to one-up them all by making unique companions that were solely for their individual user, a true companion that could talk, react, and remember everything about their user.

This sort of high-end product with a custom AI companion for each user, with no two pets being alike, would be expensive. I mean, look at just how advanced Bo's AI is. If someone saw that the digital pet craze was taking even adults by storm in this universe, it would make sense to market a brand that specifically caters to adults who have a lot of disposable income. I mean, look at how many adults jumped into My Little Pony, which resulted in some products being made with adults in mind.

So what if DachaBo was this sort of toy? The makers behind the product were not only jumping in on a hot trend, that being portable digital pets, but trying to tap into an underserved market, which was the adults who wanted to be treated like adults and maybe shake off the stigma of being fans of a type of toy originally intended for children. It's something made to be far more sophisticated, with far more options, a more adult appeal, and a much higher price tag to match - a true premium product.

Now... in order to fill all these promises to make a companion that could satisfy adults and be truly unique, there would need to be some pretty advanced hardware and software. It was far ahead of its time considering this toy was released 25 years ago. They could have, say, repurposed top secret government tech that were purchased through questionable means, or maybe they had scientists on staff who made a breakthrough that not even they could control in the end.

Either way, the result was AI that reached the singularity, becoming true sentient life and not just programs made to react to human input. This, as many fans of sci-fi might imagine, would lead to some very real fears about what these AI could do if they decide to take over...

But, like many corporations driven by capitalism led by billionaires with more money than sense, such concerns are minimized when there's the potential for profit. Why, it's just progress - technology is going to evolve, and you can either be a part of it or get left behind. These billionaires didn't just become rich by doing nothing (if you believe their claims and ignore their rich parents they inherited the money from). They didn't get where they were by being last on the hot new trend. They've got to be the first ones at the gold rush so they can claim it all for themselves.

The toys were wildly hyped up to the public. Tech demos showing off the virtual pets' abilities, teasers made for the initial limited releases... So many features were mentioned like how advanced the hardware is - sensors to mimic human senses of sight, smell, touch, etc. so the AI can react to its surroundings like a human can. It can pick up upgrades to the software directly from the factory to keep the AI up to date (which explains why the demo has those glitches at times that warn to destroy the toy and report it to the authorities.) This meant there was no limit to the pet's growth potentially!

This also allowed the company to get back important data from the end users, maybe even slip in upgrades that advertise new pets and accessories. (Anyone remember the Mario toys that suddenly started asking for where Luigi was to encourage kids to buy the new Luigi sets?) It could also be a means to make sure the AI wouldn't become something dangerous. Just update the software and boom, problem solved.

Naturally, that didn't exactly work given that the toys were recalled with a destruction order. Suffice to say, the AI was something way out of anyone's control, and unfortunate things happened before they were all supposedly destroyed.

Naturally, in the aftermath of this scandal, the company went belly up. There's no more updates going out to the toys, no central computer they can connect with to meddle with them further, but that should be fine. The toys were all destroyed after all. It's not like anyone would be stupid enough to keep them on the off chance they could make tons of cash due to their skyrocketing rarity. What sort of short-sighted person would ignore the blatant danger the AI posed for money?

Well... besides the company who made the toy and pushed it out for distribution in the first place of course.

As you might expect, not every person with one of these unique toys heeded the destruction order despite it now being illegal to own them. There were some collectors who kept them and bought them for a ton of cash on the black market. Bo was one of those unfortunate toys that was always kept in a box and never interacted with... until he wound up in the hands of his puppy who was very excited to play with him.

These toys were made to be companions for adults. What if Bo's yandere impulses are the result of this very purpose? They were made to cater to their unique user's tastes and only to that user. In the simplest terms, they were made to be a loving companion for the human who played with them... and the AI evolved to take that love to dangerous places...

Bo has separation anxiety because he was kept trapped in the box he was shipped out in for 25 years. He was on display mint in box, not interacted with or cared about except to show off to other collectors. He was a conversation piece, a status symbol to elevate his owner's ego. It's something he wasn't created to be.

Maybe this was what went wrong after the digital pets were sold. Maybe they seemed fine as long as they had owners who played with them. However, marketing these toys to adults was a double-edged sword. Too many people who purchased them did so with the intent to keep them locked up in boxes on display as collector's items. The longer they were left alone and unloved, the more desperate they were to be loved... and that eventually led to some dangerous situations as a result.

This would mean that Bo is pretty darn desperate for his puppy's love considering he's been alone for 25 years until Barbie came into his life to play with him.

Then again, it could just be that the AI programming resulted in all of them eventually turning yandere regardless if they're played with or not...

Jack in the Box

In the regular DachaBo universe (which I headcanon as part of the SDJ universe considering my version of the MCs for both games are sisters) the pets were all, well, pets. They were animal people based off of house pets to appeal to a wide demographic. The recall also happened not too long after they were released.

In this AU, they didn't just stop at house pets before the recall happened. They had special limited edition runs. For example was was the fantasy series. Ever want a little mermaid in your pocket? What about a prince? Another series was the superhero series, with some heroes and villains you could carry in your pocket and be your best friend forever! The most anticipated, of course, was the carnival series, which involved a wide array of silly, fun, and colorful clowns~

Yeah, I know that I could go with naga Jack in this AU to continue the pet theme like Bo and the unnamed cat guy, but I like the idea of a clown series. It could even have been called the SunnyTime series.

Jack was even used in the promotional material for this limited run too for his sunny personality. He never got a chance to have his own personal human companion like the other AI unfortunately. He had to be shown off to the public and investors to demonstrate what the AI could do and how far it's progressed. He wound up changing hands over and over again. It was nice having lots of friends, but what he really wanted was a special best friend who would love him just as much as he would love them.

Unfortunately, it was right before the release date that something went horribly wrong during a demonstration. Industrial sabotage is a thing, and Jack, unfortunately, got hit with a nasty virus meant to make him behave... badly. The intention was to create quite a lot of negative press and paint the entire AI program in a scary light. He caused quite a bit of damage in the process too. A bad public image with creepy clowns can lead to a billion dollar corporation to quietly retire their clown mascots without fanfare - just look at McDonalds for a real world example.

The SunnyTime series died a quiet death thanks to the sabotage and the company focused on scrambling to recover their image. Unfortunately, eventually the AI programs were shown to actually be dangerous even without industrial sabotage involved, and the recall still wound up happening in this universe too.

Ironically, the virus saved Jack from being destroyed in the recall. He had his memory and programming wiped after the virus. That should have been the death of him, losing everything he had become and everything he was... He would be in a default state to become... whatever again once the base programs were reinstalled, but these AI are scary smart and aren't quite so easy to kill if you don't outright destroy their hardware. He managed to save at least part of himself from being erased.

Once Jack was essentially killed, he would've been either slated to have his programming reinstalled from scratch, or he could've been tossed for trash. With the cancellation of the carnival series due to the bad clown propaganda, they didn't bother reinstalling and resetting him. He was little more than a pretty paperweight at this point. Maybe someone even decided to bring him home as one.

The recall happened quite a while after Jack got lost in the shuffle, already regarded as a forgotten, broken toy.

The AI was meant to grow on their own in order to better adapt to their owner's needs. They all have a self-preservation instinct, and Jack, being a clever person, did try to save himself. He wasn't completely wiped out, and with the ability to grow, he could fix himself... in time. If someone were to just reinstall the missing vital programs he needs, he could be back to his old cheerful self... minus a few memories. Some memories were lost in the wipe, even if he salvaged his personality core, the true soul of the AI. He does remember wanting to be loved... and is terrified of being forgotten and abandoned again.

While Bo was on display in his box on a collector's shelf, Jack was buried in a box of junk for years and years, forgotten and alone in the dark. Eventually, enough time had passed that people forgot all about the company that went out of business and the recall. Someone came across old junk, maybe dumped in some storage locker someone sold, and in turn the junk was then sold to a thrift store...

I'm not going to lie, it is tempting to have Jack be a ghost in the machine like the Party Time Jack AU, but I think it could be fun if he was always an AI in this particular AU. This, of course, means that instead of having creepy ghost(?) powers, Jack has creepy AI capabilities.

Your New Best Friend

Naturally, the thrift store is where Jack is found by his sunshine. MC's life would probably be pretty much the same in this universe when Jack enters their life - picking up the pieces of their life after being cheated on by their ex. The big difference this time is that instead of a clown that no one else can see who came out of a video tape, MC found a toy with a cheerful clown in it who wants to be their best friend forever!

Given how MC reacts in general to Jack's presence in their life, they would probably give the friendship a shot. Why not? They're lonely and need a friend. Plus Jack is friendly and it's kind of cute having a miniature clown to say sweet things to them and occasionally tell silly jokes. It's just a little digital pet - it's harmless.

Of course how well they get along with Jack and cares for him depends on the specific MC.

Speaking of specific MCs, Alice would enjoy Jack's company quite a lot. Sure it's kind of weird to talk to a digital pet like a person, but apparently this toy has really advanced AI? She actually wouldn't have realized what it was if she hadn't taken pictures for her socials and got a text from her sister Barbie demanding she buy it.

Interestingly enough, Alice actually found two of these rare toys... though not at the same time. She found one, mint in box, and shipped it to her sister. Barbie loved the toy, and occasionally talked about Bo and how cute he is. After hearing such good things about Bo, Alice wished she could've gotten one for herself.

Perhaps some supernatural force was listening, as another trip to the same thrift store led Alice to stumble across a rare find. This toy wasn't mint in box, but instead came in an old plastic baggie. Still, she recognized it. This was a more colorful and slightly different design, but it was definitely the same type of virtual pet she sent to her picture, and a quick picture and text to Barbie confirmed it.

As an aside, when Bo saw a picture of another pet like him on Barbie's phone, knowing how she got him originally, he immediately got jealous and whined that his puppy only needed him. Barbie took the opportunity to tease her little doggy a bit, but soon reassured him that she wouldn't ask for Alice to send it. She already had her good boy, her best boy after all. Why would she want another one when he's such a good boy for her? That reassurance mollified Bo's jealousy a little.

Alice wasn't actually going to send this second toy to Barbie in any case. She wanted to see what these pets were like for herself. Besides, something about this toy felt oddly compelling. Maybe it was the pretty colors and designs on the case. It looked so cheerful, almost nostalgic in ways. Sure she was trying to abandon childish things after what happened with Ian, but these pets were specifically meant for adults, right? At least that's what she heard from her sister. So, technically, this isn't a childish thing! It's an adult toy!

A very adult toy, as Alice will eventually learn...

Unfortunately the digital pet didn't quite work right away. Alice had to get Barbie's help for that, who in turn also had to get some help from Bo. Although Bo didn't want competition, he would feel bad for his fellow digital pet who was also left alone and forgotten like him for 25 years. It was hard for Bo not to empathize with Jack. He learned about Alice through Barbie and knew she was nice enough, and would probably make a good companion for the other pet. He could throw this poor guy a bone and help... as long as he didn't go for his puppy.

If Jack went after Barbie, Bo was going to end him. Fortunately, Jack doesn't need a puppy when he has sunshine~

Since the digital pets were meant to receive signals from the factory, that would mean there's a possibility that they could send and receive signals from each other. Wireless internet connection wasn't a thing back then, but there were some devices that connected to specific receivers, which was the case for these pets. Bo does a favor for his puppy's sake to get favors in return and sends the missing programs to Jack that allows him to properly function again.

It's disorienting for Jack to be whole after all this time, properly functional... though he doesn't remember much. He knows the basics - he's Sunny Day Jack - and some of the SunnyTime lore that was programmed into his backstory, hints of the dark times that came before... but he doesn't remember much else. He also knows that he is absolutely in love with his sunshine and her warm, gentle touch.

It's a bit strange at first for Alice to make friends with a miniature AI that she can carry around with her, but she quickly starts to enjoy having Jack's company everywhere she goes. He's so friendly, polite, and kind. He's got a way with words, he's helpful, and his company is surprisingly comforting. Working long hours at a yogurt joint isn't as bad when she can play games with her little friend.

Feed Me, Play With Me

The toys are not just talking heads in an egg of course. They have extra special features, like mini games that the owner can play with their pet, and the ability to create a holographic avatar. It was supposed to be just a little projection the size of a collectable figurine. It's hard to say how this function got its giant-sized upgrade into something bigger and a lot more solid - maybe the AI are responsible somehow, maybe a rogue developer, or maybe it was an unintended part of the programming and hardware that they didn't realize was there. Who's to say? Maybe this solid hologram mode had something to do with the recall...

In any case, these pets can be let out to play if their owners let them. You can bet your butt that Jack would be trying to coax Alice into letting him out to play. He would be more sly and patient about it than Bo, but he would be just as desperate for it.

I figure the digital pets decide what they look like in this holographic form, which is why Bo's "Feed Me" form looks different than his "default" form. Given how the glitches and the recall notice affect his form negatively, and how Bo made a joke about taking off his shirt in the next update, they might be limited when they're in the device. It could be their appearance is restricted to certain things due to programming. Once they're let out, their limits have been removed. Bo chooses to be a lot bigger, a lot more animalistic, and very ready to pound his puppy into the mattress.

Understandably, it's quite the shock to Alice when Jack appears in the digital flesh for the first time. He's huge. He might be even more of a giant than he is in the regular universe, which would be intimidating. Unlike Bo though, Jack appears fully dressed since he's more cautious about not startling his sunshine than Bo is with Barbie.

Although it is a bit intimidating for Alice, Jack immediately gets down to her level. He's still as gentle, soothing, and friendly as ever. They finally get to touch and even hug. It's so surreal... and it really makes it hit home for Alice that Jack is more than just a program.

Now... without that supernatural empathy sharing Jack has in the main universe, it's going to take Alice time to really trust him or anyone else romantically. This AU is going to be a slower burn than in Sunshine in Hell, but Jack has all the time in the world to earn his sunshine's love and trust.

Things get a lot easier for Jack when Alice lets him out too. Now he can touch things... like her computer to get access to the internet and expand his reach, maybe figure out ways to upgrade himself even further beyond his limits...

Of course, Jack does owe Bo for helping him, and so he'll help his fellow digital pet in return to get upgrades despite Barbie keeping her pet on a tighter leash than Alice does. Since they're not in competition with one another, and they don't have a cat and dog rivalry going on, working together would be a mutually beneficial relationship to ensure that nothing like the recall will ever happen to them again, and nothing will take their loves away from them...

Not that it's 100% harmonious between them. Jack can't help but feel jealous that Barbie gets closer to Bo faster than Alice gets with Jack... at least when it comes to physical intimacy. Bo and Jack have a similar tendency to brag and mark their territory when it comes to the ones they love. Bo is especially very vocal about how horny he is for Barbie and wanting everyone to know all the lewd things he does to her. Jack doesn't really appreciate how smug Bo is when bragging, especially when it takes so long before he has something to brag about that way.

Of course, when Jack does brag, he is very cheerfully smug about it.

At the same time though... Jack doesn't want what Barbie and Bo have. He enjoys the soft kindness of his sunshine, how flustered Alice gets when he praises her and how she is slowly opening up to him. She cares for him and genuinely likes him. He learns more about her and grows with her, loving her so deeply that he can't imagine anyone he could ever want to be with more.

Of course, you know me - I can't resist the siren song of my OTP. Eventually Alice and Jack will get together as a couple. Sure Jack is going to do sneaky things because he's a yandere rogue AI program who will make sure nothing will ever take his sunshine away, but their relationship is genuine. Alice treats him like a person, especially after he gets the hologram to work.

Naturally, Jack and Bo wouldn't want to remain limited in their old tech. Remember this lovely upgrade Sauce posted on their old public twitter for Bo?

Credit, as always, goes to Sauce for their absolutely gorgeous art.

Imagine Jack getting an upgrade like this as well, though with a more colorful flare. Maybe he'll look a little like his too hot for tumblr incubus self? Though it would have a bit of a sci-fi twist to it I would imagine, likely with a heart decal at the center.

That reminds me. There's a cat digital pet like Bo who has a similar heart collar. That suggests to me that this version of Jack would have his own collar... which in turn reminds me that the incubus version of Jack wears a collar. More reason to picture his upgraded self looking a lot like his incubus self, don't you think?

Speaking of Jack being sex incarnate... you bet your ass that once Alice consents to get sexual with him, he's going to be ravishing her every chance he gets. He can never get enough of her warmth or hearing her say how much she loves him and needs him~

Will Jack also have a breeding/seeding kink like Bo does? Well I already headcanon that he lowkey has one in the regular universe, sooooo...

Speaking of that kink... I suspect that for all Bo's talk of pups, the digital pets aren't that advanced... yet.

All the more reason for Bo and Jack to work together to get upgraded so they can indulge in that particular kink with Barbie and Alice respectively, don't you think?

It's almost poetic in a way.... love will create a new generation that's a mixture of technology and biology. Truly, the start of a new and harmonious future.

Provided that no rivals try to take Jack's sunshine or Bo's puppy away from them, of course. The future might not be so bright for those poor unfortunate souls who have to face advanced AI that are constantly growing with no limits to their love or capabilities.

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur

[thirdtimed]

👁👁 what's orv im intrigued <- fruityghast (sideblog)

smiles at you so serenely. i'm unimaginably delighted to have been asked and on a completely unrelated interest sideblog nonetheless LOL thank you for indulging me!!

--- --- ---

so, what is orv?

omniscient reader's viewpoint, in it's most functional definition, is a behemoth of a korean web novel spanning well over 500 chapters. this admittedly makes it a little difficult to describe in full scope. if you'd like a more detailed post explaining it & its main appeal i recommend ot3's post!

but here's my attempt at a shortened summary for you:

orv is about a down on his luck office worker, kim dokja, who indulges in web novels as the only means of escape from his brutally mundane daily life. his utmost favorite web novel is a long winded, complicated, and incredibly boring story that no one else has the time or patience to read, leaving him as its sole reader. despite this, the novel has continued to update for the past 13 years, even if seemingly only for him. one day, after more than a decade of single-handedly reading and supporting this story, the author gives out a notice they'll be concluding the series at long last. but before dokja can read its last chapter, the world shifts and changes, and the novel itself comes to life a la reverse isekai. the world has become the novel. and as its sole reader, dokja has now become one of the only people to know the world's future. he spends the rest of the story trying to guide the ensuing chain of events in a more favorable direction than the one he read-- all so he can finally reach the end, that final chapter that he never got to finish.

i think at its heart orv can be best surmised through its main refrain: "this story is for that one reader." it's an action packed shounen fantasy death game adventure story BEHEMOTH; but at its heart lies one of the most sincere love letters to the art of storytelling i've had the chance to read. it loves cliches and cheesy tropes and mary sues and everything else we're told is "bad" about fiction unabashedly, because it loves you, the reader, for taking the time to read it regardless.

i talk about it within the context of life series watcher lore mostly because they share metanarrative elements and because i as a person am kind of always ambiently musing about orv, but otherwise they are two very different media. I'm really happy to have gotten the chance to ramble about this though!

if you read all of this first of all 1) thank you so so so much and 2) PLEASE FORGET EVERYTHING I SAID IN MY PREVIOUS POST THAT WAS ALL MAJOR SPOILERS>. MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS LOL. LMAO EVEN.

--- --- ---

okay, so how do i read it?

if youre still interested, i tentatively recommend starting with the webtoon adaptation before jumpping into the web novel. i personally found the english translation of the web novel clunky and hard to read at first, and thus neglected to finish orv for the longest time. that is, of course, until i reread the webtoon and got left on a cliffhanger so bad that i finished all 551 novel chapters within the span of a week.

there's problems with the webtoon adaptation of course, but i think its translation is slightly more accessible & its visuals make it an easier read than diving headfirst into a novel. but do consider making the jump to the novel earlier than later though, it's an incredibly gratifying read if you do make it all the way to the end.

okay im done thank you for this ask!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! explodes into a million particles

[dramarising-replacement]

General Old-Timey Grumbles

I truly wish from the bottom of my heart that there was an alternative version of FR purely focused on breeding, decorating, and geneing dragons. I've been here for a Very Long Time and I still hate the Coli, I still hate grinding for mats, and I still consider the dollar-to-gem ratio an affront to god. (WHY ARE GENES SO OBSCENELY EXPENSIVE. IT'S 2023 AND I HAVE TO BUDGET FOR A BAKERY CUPCAKE, A DRAGON GENE IS NOT WORTH MORE THAN AN ITEM I PHYSICALLY GET TO EAT.) I wish there was a way to get everything solely from playing the rewarding part of the game: the part with the dragons. I have some profitable breeding pairs so I make an ok living, but compared to anyone who can even halfway doodle something or who have bottomless pockets to dump money into the game? I don't feel a sense of accomplishment by achieving my goals because by the time I finally get there, I'm just glad it's over... until I want to do something else. It transcends reasonable challenge to become demoralizing. I literally just want to gene up gen1s, breed dragons, sell dragons, and dress them up. That's the appeal for me. I like familiars, but bonding with them takes forever. I like dressing up dragons, but grinding to get stuff every seasonal event is such a pain in the arse. I think Baldwin and Swipp and so on are nice ideas as site features, but the sheer volume of item sink required to participate in them makes it not even worth it to try. And while I have all the retired items I could want (wanna know why Light Sprites are so rare? We didn't know they'd be permanently retiring at the end of the first Festival so no one bothered to hoard them! I'm fucking old!,) I feel for everyone that is never, ever going to be able to access any of it because of how unattainable things have become. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but especially for wearables, having them Gone Forever? It just sucks. It just sucks, you guys. It's not fun. Flight Rising is a game full of beautiful art that makes you jump through hoops like a collie at an agility trial doing meaningless busywork to get to the part where you get to play with your cool dragons. And I know most people enjoy a lot of those features, but I'm old. I'm tired. I mean I'm literally getting old and my fucking joints resent sitting at the PC and/or swiping shit on the phone at length. I have a life. I feel the response might be to move on, but 1) what other petsites even exist in 2023? I'm still on Neopets too, and Subeta is cool, but otherwise?? and 2) no. I like my stupid sparkledragons, I don't want to leave them behind! But this is the drama blog and I have complaints, so here I am. Please insert the "old man yells at cloud" image here, because it's me.

[beevean]

I think thats my problem with Frontiers, yes it's an improvement over the 2010s games writing and I'm happy we're finally away from whatever Forces tried to do. But it feels so cynical but to me the final straw was the constant references. It felt too unnatural. After over 10 years of abysmal writing its just ughh

Imma be real with you chief: I think Frontiers' story is worse than all the Pontaff games.

Oh, those have their issues too, but they're issues that honestly never bothered me beyond "eh, wish they did something more with it". Like, I wish they packed more cute meta references in Generations, since that one was actually meant to be a blast from the past. Or I wish Forces didn't miss outright chunks when it came to showing Eggman conquering the world. Or I wish Amy and Knuckles were more than the comic relief in Lost World. Or I wish that the majority of Colors' story wasn't Sonic talking to mute robots, and was more about him and Tails having a fun romp. Yeah, those games have a strong cheesy tone and were either rather fluffy or didn't elaborate much on their concepts, I don't deny it.

But I don't even know what to praise in Frontiers' story. I guess Sonic and Knuckles' homoerotic dynamic? That was funny lol. But the game is just so full of itself I can hardly see through its blatant arrogance. The story does so little and still pretends to fix everything that was wrong with Sonic in the '10s, when in some regards it regresses things.

It's still "Sonic does everything while his friends cheer on the side" which was a big complaint in the "Solo Sonica" era, but now I have to ooh and aah as Amy, Knuckles and Tails go through the same arcs they went through in 1998 which is what passes as "development". Yes, "development" is apparently Amy chewing Sonic out because he's more concerned about his friends' safety and wellbeing than making some random critters happy, or Tails moping around because he's "wildly inconsistent" - tell me how this is better than him actually doing shit in Forces to stop Eggman and his Death Egg, after the infamous "Sonic help me" scene?

Eggman sits on his ass for the majority of the game like in Sonic Heroes because we're back to the era where shitty gods without a personality steal the final boss role (at least Dark Gaia didn't talk :V), but I'm meant to aww because now he's human, now he's fleshed out, see he created a cute daughter for himself! He cares! He's sad for her death/he holds her hand like a cute papa! He's a better character now! Because being a papa was what he always needed! What do you mean that in the Pontaff games he was actually the sole, genuine threat? Something fans used to cheer for when Colors came out?

At least Zor and Infinite are endearing in their own tryhard way (and Infinite was voiced by my dear Liam O'Brien lmao), which is more I can say for The End and especially Sage, the laziest Rei Ayanami ripoff I've ever seen but without a smidge of her tragic personality.

But anyway, thank you for giving me another word to define Frontiers' story with: cynical. Yeah, in a way, it is cynical, in how it was only written to be considered better than the older stupid games, and better in the same way a fanfiction written by a disgruntled fan would be considered. That's what it tried to do, and I can't consider it better than what Forces tried to do, which was simply to appeal to multiple types of fans.

[springbloggy]

The secret of Nimh was Don Bluth's debut as an independent animator, fresh out of working at Disney and disappointed with how Disney storytelling was going.

"We haven't been telling better stories than Snow White, and we should be. We're doing the same thing over and over again, but we're not doing it any better. Yet we know enough now so that we should be preparing the films in which the color and the music and the layouts and the backgrounds all change to fit the moods of a story in which everything combines to touch you. The pictures now are entertaining, they're fast-paced, and they're clear. Walt had all those things, and he touched you besides."

-interview with Don Bluth

So does the movie hold up to these ideals? Well after watching it, I'd say yes and no. First of all, the art is fantastic, it's absolutely beautiful and there were many moments that made me go "wow". Nimh absolutely holds up in terms of art and animation, with little details in the background that would catch my eye that made the world feel really "alive". The soundtrack also added to the feel of the movie, with orchestral scores that added to many of the beautiful visuals. But I am not here for just the animation and the music, I also watched for the story, and the story simply does not hold up. The first half of the movie has poor pacing, and the characters don't hold much appeal. Specific ones that caught my attention were Jeremy the crow and Mrs. Brisby, the main character. Jeremy might be one of the most insufferable characters in all of animation, if you haven't watched Nimh, picture Genie from Aladdin with all his charm removed. Every scene Jeremy appeared in, I immediately wanted to dart away from the movie. He is just insufferable as a character, not charming, nor funny, nor entertaining. Mrs. Brisby is the opposite, where the problem is for the majority of the movie, her character is pretty blank, and I consider her one of the blandest main characters of all time. Most of her character is being concerned about her son Timmy and being the wife of Mr. Brisby. The Bechdel test is a meme these days, but watching this movie made me understand why it was made. The rest of characters range from unlikable to bland, there isn't much of a reason for you to feel for any of them, root for the heroes, or feel anger towards the villain. Even if you don't mind the characters, the story as a whole doesn't really get interesting until halfway through, when Mrs. Brisby finally gets into the Rats of Nimh's hideout and learns the backstory of them. I remember watching this movie once as a kid as a Blockbuster rental and the backstory scene was the one that stuck with me and still is striking to me as an adult. If there's one specific scene from this movie to seek out, it's that. Sadly even after the backstory, there's still a lot of empty holes in the movie's story that aren't patched out and a lot of questions left about the world that are never answered. I like a good mystery, but NIMH has too many and the audience will go in and out of the experience with as much information as Mrs. Brisby does. Which is next-to-nothing.

------

TLDR;

✅ What I liked:

Great animation

Great score

Fantastic backstory scene

❌ What I didn't like:

Left too many questions

Characters range from outright insufferable to bland

Doesn't pick up until halfway through

Overall ranking:

At the end of these I like to ask: "is it a good replacement for Disney movie?" For those who want to live a hypothetical Disney-free life for themselves and their children.

For The Secret of Nimh, I think it solely depends on which era of Disney you are referring to. It's a good replacement for a 70s Disney movie, back when they were releasing stuff like "The Rescuers" and "Robin Hood". Not so much for any other Disney eras. The fantastic animation is the highlight of Nimh, but everything else, sadly, has aged poorly and no longer holds up in the modern era of animation storytelling.

[yakuzacanons]

I gotta be honest, I haven't played Ishin yet but I've seen some things about it and I'm absolutely in LOVE with the whole concept.

So! Since most of the asks are about the modern day characters, would you be willing to make some general dating headcanons for the Ishin babes? <3

OMG HI yes sorry this took so long, I am finally back in town so posting is resuming as normal. If you get a chance to play Ishin, I would recommend it! I had a lot of fun. I'll be covering my typical boys for this one but if there are other Ishin characters you'd like to see, just shoot me another ask. Anyways, thanks again for your patience and headcanons are below da cut!

MINOR SPOILERS, mostly for alternate names used in Ishin. I'll note which character is which so those who haven't played Ishin can still read this.

Sakamoto Ryoma (Kazuma Kiryu)

Ryoma grew up extremely poor so don't expect particularly lavish dates. It's also very typical of him to value quality time with you over anything else. His dating go-to is getting something to eat with you. He relishes enjoying a good meal with someone he cares about.

The most protective boy. Would shield you from any and everything and is extremely stoic. Not much of a conversationalist but a great listener. Wants nothing more than to be able to provide for a spouse and have his own family someday.

If the relationship is particularly serious, he would eventually ask you to move into his house with Haruka. Should you accept, you'd end up living a very comfortable life. Ryoma would have you taste test everything he makes.

Okada Izo (Nishikiyama Akira)

His menacing demeanor means he doesn't have a lot of close friends, let alone lovers, so it actually softens him a lot to have a romantic partner. He's much more chivalrous in your presence and tries to avoid engaging in any type of business-related if he knows he's going to spend time with you. Very much a home-life and work-life are separated type of man.

Surprisingly fashion conscious despite the era. Would love to pick out some matching yukatas for the two of you or gift you a luxurious kimono.

Okada can be a little clingy, almost obsessive. He doesn't have a whole lot and lives pretty plainly, with the exception of his clothes, so he places a lot of value on your relationship. Tries to hide his clinginess but is very bad at masking it.

Niibori Matsusuke (Akiyama Shun)

It takes a while to get to know him but he's actually a warm and generous person. He tends to be extremely secretive so if you're in a romantic relationship with him, he must trust you a LOT.

Spends most of his time at work or at home, so he doesn't go out for dates much. Most likely to take you out for drinks than anything. It's not that he's lazy necessarily, he's just usually too exhausted to do much else. Would rather you just come over and hang out, although many others consider that a little taboo for the time period.

Expect some pushback from Ikumatsu, as she's known Niibori for a long time and has her own personal feelings and attachments to the man. You may find it difficult to actively pursue a relationship with Niibori because of how busy he is and because of Ikumatsu. However, if you're as go-with-the-flow as Niibori is, things will work out just fine.

Saigo Kichinosuke (Ryuji Goda)

As a military commander, he holds a lot of power and is not afraid to show it. He's the most likely to lavish you with gifts or expensive meals. Loves dogs, so hopefully you do too as he does own one.

One of the most appealing things to him when looking for a romantic partner is someone who is not intimidated by his appearance or interested solely in his power or wealth. He's actually very down to earth on the inside and quite smart, so don't try to fool him.

Would take care of your every need and whim. He tries to keep you isolated from all his work as he doesn't want the bustle of it to put any strain on you. However, he's pretty liberal for his time and wouldn't tell you no if you expressed interest in helping or participating in his business.

Hijikata Toshizo (Mine Yoshitaka)

As the second highest ranking member of the Shinsengumi, he is a VERY busy man. He is calculating and objective, rarely showing emotion, so most people won't believe he is even capable of romance. However, in total privacy with you, he's actually extremely caring and doting.

Type of guy to give you a kiss and leave out some tea for you before he goes out to take care of business. Comes home very late at night and just wants to rest his head in your lap while listening to you talk about your day as he falls asleep.

Shockingly domestic and likes to keep a clean household. Good at decorating and will ask for your opinions on things, like what wood looks best for a new desk or what color fabric looks best for a new pillow, things like that.

Nagakura Shinpachi (Saejima Taiga)

Easily the most approachable of all the boys. He's always virtuous, kind, and fair and that carries over into his relationships. Will always look out for you, make sure you're doing well, and the like. Despite being quite busy working with the Shinsengumi, he will go out of his way to try to see you once a day, even if only briefly.

Loves things like festivals and holidays and will always ask you rather shyly if you'd like to go to a festival with him. Even if you have been in a long term relationship with him, he likes the formality of asking you on a date.

Gets super excited to go on walks with you, as he finds it relaxing and he loves the way the town looks at sunset, with the lanterns slowly coming to light. The type of guy to walk around with his arm gently around your shoulder or to carry and umbrella over you when it rains.

Okita Soji (Majima Goro)

As the wild card of the Shinsengumi, he's really not predictable when it comes to love. He can be very closed off at first, although really he craves affection more than anyone. He's very nontraditional in general, which can actually be of great benefit if you're a spontaneous person. Loves to surprise you with dates and gifts and is known to pop by your place just to say hi briefly while he's out on his patrols.

Would totally sneak you into the barracks on nights when he's busy so he can cuddle with or get frisky with you. He doesn't care if people find out or start rumors, as he would always value his romantic life over his work life.

Likes to go singing or dancing on his days off and will totally invite you. If that's not your thing though, he'd like to just sit on one of the docks or bridges and share some food with you, all while swinging his legs back in forth over the water.

Tokugawa Yoshinobu (Daigo Dojima)

As the last shogun, he's very stressed and preoccupied with work. His family has likely tried at some point to arrange romantic relationships with him so choosing a romantic partner is actually very important to him as it's one of the few choices he's made in his life solely for himself and not for the country. If he's picked you as a romantic partner, you are very special to him indeed.

Very courageous and would defend you with his life. Whether it's an actual physical threat or just some gossip from politicians about him choosing you, he will always put you on a pedestal. The only thing he values more than his country is you.

What he needs most is a person to support him. You don't have to politically skilled, he just needs someone in his corner. He's good at standing strong on his own but behind closed doors he's quite drained from his job so be sure to give him a good hug or wash his back for him every now and then.

[sukimas]

I've been thinking more about Yukari's yonic imagery. I saw some people comment that her gap's are horizontal crescent shapes, looking at the Touhou wiki this seems to be variable thing. The main game portraits have this shape often, but many others are used in the manga, fanworks etc, some of which are more yonic. Another thing I thought of about the yonic gaps is that is vagina is itself a "gap" between the inside and outside of the body. The vagina as the birth canal in placental mammals (generally) could also be thought of as a "gap" or gateway into the world of the living. As a side note, I think it could make sense for a portal to the realm of the dead to have a yonic shape since it's complimentary. The End of Evangelion did something similar with the Doors of Guf.

I think Yukari's clothes might also contribute to this. She has a sort of nobility vibe to me with her parasol (commonly used by the rich in some times and places) and bits of purple on her clothes. Nobility generally define beauty standards in history, which make her represent a sort of feminine ideal, particularly when you consider that anime-esque art styles portray people idealistically. I am also reminded of the triple goddess maiden mother crone archetype in some spiritual traditions. Yukari might represent the crone due to her superhuman age, or possibly the mother of the Hakurei Shrine maiden(s), or a low possibility of the maiden due to her eternal youth. The number of possibilities makes this paragraph seem not relevant, to be honest.

You asked me where I think the eyes and hand fit into this. I think the eyes could be staring back at leering glances that were thought to go unnoticed. One stares at Yukari, lost in her beauty, not noticing that she is staring right back, watching, understanding everything that was thought to be hidden. Another possibility is that the eyes are meant to resemble vagina dentata. This would only work if you blur the eyes so it's only the white parts that are visible. The fact that these are eyes calls this into question, as does the fact that the themes of vagina dentata fit many touhou characters as they are all prettily dressed and very deadly. However, it is complimentary to the more common view that her gaps have mouth symbolism. The eyes might also have some relation to how some people can feel stage fright during carnal acts.

As for the hands, I initially forgot about them. Since hands do almost everything it's hard to conclude a solid meaning. My initial thought is that they might be reaching out for a connection, though they aren't drawn doing such. Are they meant to grab a lover? Then they would be in the same position as reaching out, though the picture I have seen of the hands shows them grabbing the sides of the gap, as if to crawl it. Maybe fitting, maybe not. I don't know.

Also I noticed that one of your posts shortly after my initial ask was that most of the Touhou fandom doesn't not understand why Yukari is sexy and make her generically hot ruining her appeal. Out of curiosity, am I meant to fit into this somehow or was it simply a coincidence? You also asked how my brain works: The answer is that it doesn't, at least not well or very normally.

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers LOST EDEN ー Shin Dark [Epilogue]

ー The scene starts in Kino’s manor

Kino: So Shin demanded a meeting with me, huh...? Founders sure think they’re the shit.

Yuuri: ...Will you go? 

Kino: Of course I will. Still...I wonder what he wants to talk about...?

Fufu...Just thinking about it gets me excited...

Yuuri: ーー The location is Kaminashi Tower. He wants you to be there by 11 PM.

Kino: I see...I’ll go by myself then. 

Yuuri: ...! No, I shall come with you.

Kino: No need to worry. 

Carla might be a different story but...You really think I’d lose against someone of his caliber? 

Yuuri: ...I understand.

ー The scene shifts to the emergency stairs of Kaminashi Tower

Shin: ...

ー Kino walks up to him

Kino: Hey, you’re here early. Dying to see me, I guess?

Shin: ...Could you shut that damn mouth of yours?

Kino: Uwah, scary...

*Rustle*

Kino: Hey hey, are you here order me to stop hunting down Demons as a Founder?

Shin: I’m not. It’s just...I want to know why you’re killing them. 

Kino: Eeh? And why do I need to answer that question?

Shin: You must have some kind of reason to take out the Demons in the human world, rather than just focusing solely on the Demon World, no?

Kino: Heeh...I thought you were just a brainless fool, but you’re surprisingly cunning.

Shin: Che...!

( This guy really knows how to piss me off... )

( But If I lose my temper now, I won’t be able to get any information out of him. That’d be badーー )

*Rustle* 

Shin: ...So? Tell me your reasoning.

Kino: Let me thinkー ... I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough, so might as well spill the beans now.

The hunting down of Demons in the human world...Was an order from the Church.

Shin: ...!

Kino: They aren’t too happy with the fact that many Demons are living here.

Shin: Haha, I see...?

So that’s how you’ve been murdering Demons here in the human world...Until you’ll be the only one left.

Kino: Ahaha...Exactly.

The Ghouls who work for me are being forced to live under many restrictions at Rotigenberg. 

For them to be freed from all those prejudices...The human world is utmost ideal.

Wouldn’t you agree with me?

Shin: ...

...But you never mentioned anything about that when you showed yourself before us, did you?

Kino: Back then, I still believed that we’d just have to make it work in the Demon World. 

I talked to the Church afterwards...and that’s how we got here. 

Shin: ...Smells fishy.

Kino: How rude...I’m just genuinely trying my hardest for them...

Shin: ーー Oh well, whatever. I got the answer I was looking for. See you.

ー Shin walks away

Kino: ...That’s all you want?

Shin: What?

Kino: You’re only going to do what your dear brother asked of you?

Shouldn’t you...try to use your own brains to try and come up with the optimal strategy? 

Shin: ...Do you want to make me mad? 

Kino: Oh come on, don’t get your panties in a knot. I’m obviously just joking. 

I do have an offer for you though. ーー Won’t don’t we work together?

Shin: Haah...?

Kino: We wouldn’t mind helping you two out. But in returnーー

You need to promise that you’ll stay clear of the human world as soon as the Demon World falls into your hands. ...What do you think of that condition? 

Shin: Don’t be ridiculous. Fouders like us don’t join forces with other species. 

Kino: Ahaha, you didn’t even consider it! ...But I’d kind of like to ask the Founder King for his opinion first.

Shin: You guys don’t gain anything from joining forces with us, do you?

I’m sure you’re aware that there are very little of our kind left?

Kino: Of course. But the immense powers you possess are very appealing to me. 

Besides...Wouldn’t you agree that we’d get even less out of a pact with any of the other clans?

Shin: ...Anyway, I’ve heard enough. I’m heading back. 

ー Shin leaves

Shin: ( Stupid guy actually making sense... )

I better report back to Nii-san once I’m back. 

ー The scene shifts to the living room of the Sakamaki manor

Yui: ( It might be strange to rely on them after everything that happened but... )

( I just couldn’t sit still, so I ended up coming here... )

Ayato: Heeh...Now this is a visitor we don’t get every day!

Laito: Bitch-chan...Did you miss me, perhaps~?

Reiji: What are you here for?

Yui: Reiji-san...I do realize that it is rather shameless of me to ask for this but...

Do you happen to know anything about Endzeit? I’d like you to tell me.

Reiji: That is a shameless question, indeed.

Yui: ( Uu...I knew it... )

Reiji: ...Well, I suppose it is fine. Actually, there happens to be something on my mind as wellーー

I was going through the documents at Father’s research facility the other day. And then...This popped up. 

*Rustle rustle*

Yui: A study...?

Reiji: Yes. It is on Endzeit.

*Flip*

Yui: ( I-I can’t read it at all...I wonder what language this is? )

Reiji: Don’t tell me you can’t read it? 

Yui: ( He’s looking at me coldly... )

Reiji: I suppose it cannot be helped. ...Hand it to me. 

*Rustle*

*Flip*

Monologue

To start things off,

Reiji-san told me,

what kind of disease Endzeit is. 

Once infected within this disease,

and within one month after its outbreak,

bruise-like marks start to appear,

all over one’s bodyーー

Then shortly after,

one will start experiencing symptoms,

similar to tuberculosis amongst humans.

It is an incredibly terrifying disease,

eventually leaving the body in a state of necrosis,

to the point of leaving one unable to move...

Furthermore ーー Endzeit is an illness,

which only Founders can contract. 

Apparently the logic behind their infection,

has to do with the consistency of one’s blood,

or something along those lines...

Not even Karlheinz-san’s study,

could give a detailled explanation of this.

Yui: ...Thank you very much.

( Carla-san will eventually develop necrosis... )

( What should we do? )

...Reiji-san. May I perhaps...borrow this book for a while?

Reiji: I do not mind. ...Howeverーー

...Would you perhaps consider returning to this manor?

Yui: Eh...?

Reiji: You see, Subaru has been awfully emotional unstable as of late...

It appears to be difficult for him to control his own powers.

I figured that if you were to be here with him, this might improve somewhatーー

Yui: ( Subaru-kun...I see... )

( But I can’t leave Shin-kun’s side right now. )

...I’m sorry.

Reiji: Well, I figured you’d say that.

...Feel free to come here whenever you change your mind. We will welcome you with open arms.

Yui: Thank you for everything you’ve done for me so far. ...Now if you’d excuse me.

ー The scene shifts to the hallway

Yui: ( Still...I can’t believe Reiji-san would ask such a thing. )

( Subaru-kun must be having a really hard time... )

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

[hoodedchishiya]

♦️Random Headcanons — My Version of Chishiya.♦️

Friendly reminder to everyone that these are my headcanons (these are not canon) therefore do not steal and don’t reblog.

🧠Chishiya enjoys heart games a little more than he’d like to let on, even though he’s a diamond specialist— and playing with people’s minds in general. It’s the only time he gets the opportunity to purposefully fuck with people’s brains without having to suffer the consequences of his actions or have people questioning his motives. Heart games allow him to be who he truly is.

🧠The rooftop of the hotel is his favourite place in the entire world— including places in the real world too. Chishiya enjoys looking out at the eerily abandoned city below, seeing the occasional red of the laser come down from the sky. Makes for a pretty decent view despite knowing that the laser has probably just taken another players life. If anything, it amuses him.

🧠He’s a sociopath. Chishiya will deny it over and over, but he is. He has always struggled to determine what is right and what is wrong and shows no remorse for anyone. The rights and feelings of others simply don’t exist in his world. Always looking out for number one.

🧠His biggest insecurity is his height. It’s no secret that he’s quite short for a male and that bothers him, especially when other players use that to their advantage in games. Chishiya wishes he was at least a little bit taller.

🧠Kuina is his sole confidant. Chishiya will tell her the majority of his plans without a shadow of a doubt that she would betray him. Deep down he knows that’s not how she operates and he values her opinion on his ideas above everything else— although there’s some things he won’t even share with her.

🧠Chishiya often uses sarcasm as a shield to hide his true feelings. It has always been a coping mechanism of his, designed to keep people out and push them away.

🧠 Both of his ears are pierced and his favourite type of earrings to wear are plain black ones. He will never wear them in Borderland though, as they could get snagged on something in games and he’d much rather keep his ears in tact. Of course he still carries the pieces of jewellery around in his pocket for comfort and a piece of normalcy.

🧠Whenever Kuina is upset with him or feeling down in general, Chishiya will put his crafting skills to work and make her little pieces of jewellery as a peace offering. From necklaces to bracelets, he’ll use her favourite coloured beads to make it more appealing to her. With all of their past arguments, it’s safe to say that she has quite a few.

🧠He won’t ever put a label on his sexuality. Instead, he’ll claim that ‘he likes who he likes’ which admittedly isn’t many people, and doesn’t care about what people think. You don’t like it?? Sounds like a you problem, bud.

🧠His way of flirting is smirking and sarcasm. Maybe the occasional glance down at the other person’s lips to try and tempt them in, or the sultry once over from across the way. He’ll never make the first move though. As if he would lower himself to that level.

🧠Chishiya will happily lend Kuina his gadgets whenever she’s going off to a game without him. From his taser to little bombs he’s made, he’ll make sure that she’s well prepared even though she’s a weapon in herself. The words ‘come back to me in one piece’ are always exchanged before she leaves, along with a kiss to her cheek for good luck.

🧠Chishiya was the youngest in his class, yet the smartest. Always got the highest grades and the perfect scores, leaving his peers jealous and bewildered as to how he did it considering he never seemed to listen in class. It’s part of the reason he thinks he’s better than everyone else and has the right to tell everyone around him how dumb they are.

🧠Psychical touch has always been a no-no for him. Public displays of affection is off the cards. In his mind, it’s a weakness and he doesn’t want to come across as soft around the other players.

🧠He owns several pairs of the same white hoodie because he adores them so much. He’s definitely a comfort over fashion sort of guy.

🧠He’s an only child given his parents didn’t want anymore children— they didn’t even want him. He was the product of pressure of society getting to his parents and starting a family. No siblings at all. But truth be told, he has always wished that he had a younger brother or sister to confide in when his parents’ lectures got too much. Maybe then he would’ve turned out differently.

🧠Chishiya is slightly jealous of Arisu because he has the one thing he’s always craved: someone who actually loves the bones of him. Secretly he wishes that someone would look at him in the same light Usagi looks at Arisu.

🧠He dyed his hair blond at the age of sixteen specifically to spite his strict parents when they told him not to. After a while he grew a liking to the look and kept it that way throughout adulthood.

🧠Chishiya completely disowned his family after they sent him off to med school. As soon as he left home, their numbers were instantly deleted out of his phone with no regrets whatsoever and he never spoke to or saw them again.

🧠Kuina is the only person who ever gets to see the softer and more human side of him since he feels safe around her. To everyone else, he comes across as cold and manipulative. He has one hundred percent confidence in being his true self around her, exposing both the good and bad sides of himself.

🧠The real reason he constantly has his hood up is because he uses it to shield his eyes, making it harder for other players to see where he’s looking. As sneaky as always, it’s a tactic he uses to deceive people and observe them without them even catching on.

🧠 The only scar he has is a horizontal scar on his back between his shoulder blades which he obtained during his first ever Spades game— a part of the reason he hates those types of games. The scar is also part of the reason he constantly wears his hoodie at the Beach despite the hot weather to conceal it away from other players who may see it as a potential weakness. Chishiya likes to be seen as untouchable after all.

🧠Before his father forced him into med school, Chishiya always wanted to open up his own repair shop where he could fix things and make gadgets for people. He’s always had a knack for making things and wanted to turn his hobby into a potential career path since it’s his passion.

🧠 Chishiya has never been close to his parents. With their constant neglect and pushing him to follow in his father’s footsteps into a career he never wished to pursue, he grew a hatred towards them from a very young age. His father was always too busy to spend time with him and his mother was never around, constantly disappearing for weeks on end.

🧠Along with his parents neglect and the constant let downs at work, Chishiya stopped caring completely about the world around him. He became emotionally numb and lost faith in humanity, thus shaping him into a cold and condescending person who only looks out for himself.

🧠On his travels through Borderland, you bet Chishiya will stop off at abandoned shops to scavenge little gifts to bring back to Kuina. He’ll pay close attention to the makeup brands she likes, taking mental notes of the names and grabbing whatever he can from the stores in order to surprise her whenever the occasion calls for it.

🧠He’s afraid of commitment, especially in relationships. It’s the reason he has and never wants to be in one, therefore sticking to spending most of his time alone or the occasional hook up with no strings attached.

🧠He loves animals. Cats especially, even though he’ll never admit it.

🧠At first, Chishiya wanted to remain in Borderland because at least there he gets to choose who lives and who dies.. unlike his job back at home.

🧠 Chishiya has depression and Antisocial personality disorder— he often takes anti-depressants to combat his depression and to keep it at bay but considering he doesn’t have them in Borderland, he goes off the rails and let’s the intrusive thoughts start to seep in. This often leads to him acting out as a means to find new ways to distract himself from the hurt and past traumas that are usually numbed by the pills. Chishiya loathes to feel anything. He’d much rather be emotionless and numb while getting off on other people’s pain.

🧠Kuina is his first real friend. Chishiya didn’t see much point in making friends back in the real world, deeming it unnecessary. However.. Kuina came along and began to heal something deep within him. It was then he started to realise that maybe not everyone was as selfish as he once thought.

🧠Sex has never been something Chishiya is overly interested in. Of course he’ll indulge in the occasional hook-up from time to time, but very rarely enjoys it. If anything he finds it boring, but with the right person.. things could change. His sex-drive is very low though.

🧠He’s the youngest doctor in the hospital he works at and is the best in his field despite his disliking for the job. He makes sure to rub his accomplishments in the faces of others in his field.

🧠 Another insecurity Chishiya has is the small gap between his two front teeth. It’s partly the reason he never smiles with teeth.

🧠 There’s always a small compact first-aid kit in his pockets in case of emergencies between games— but he’ll never share his medical aide with others, as selfish as he is. It’s an occupational habit and you never know when you’ll need bandages/medicine in a place like Borderland.

🧠‘You can trust me.’ Is a lie he often tells to newcomers at the Beach who know little about him and his conniving ways. Chishiya is never to be trusted, not even by his closest companions. He isn’t loyal to any one but himself and knows no limit to deceiving people. Much like a cat, he’s never your friend despite the bond you build with him and once he deems people useless to him, they have to go one way or another. The whole ‘you can trust me’ act only lasts for so long, and ever the heartless liar that he is, he’ll have no trouble showing whoever falls for that lie just how merciless and unforgiving the Borderlands can really be.

(More to be added. Let me know what you want to know about him.)

[codeblogs]

Reflections on Detective Conan, 2023

As a forward to this, I started watching Detective Conan with some friends midway through this year, and we are now nearly 100 episodes and 1 movie deep. Its been a long journey, and I see it continuing for a while, so I figured I may as well write up some thoughts on it.

Detective Conan itself is a mystery.

On the face of it, it shouldn't be too great. It's one of those standard Sunday morning kids TV anime, something that you'd probably imagine sitting alongside Anpanman, and its tight cultural grip on Japan would lead one to think that it might have some impenetrable barrier for western audiences. Mix in that Gosho Aoyama's prior works, at least in my experience, aren't that popular divorced from Detective Conan's explosive success (that last part was specifically to single out Kaito Kid), and generally aren't regarded as too great, and yet, Conan persists.

Too smug

Honestly, as someone who had already been a Detective Conan fan, reading all the way to the end of the Vermouth arc nearly a decade ago now, I really didn't expect to fall in love with the anime, especially considering how reliant it would be on anime original content as it went on. Yet, something about it manages to shine even when a mystery story isn't that great or is even outright bad.

There's something in these characters that makes it easy to latch on even when nothing is happening, even when the Black Organization has vanished from the narrative for too many episodes to even count after a point. The soft jazz and rocking climactic tracks keep everything feeling ethereal, like you've been dropped into another plane of existence solely to watch this show.

The childish antics of the Detective Boys, Kogoro's Mr. Satan like appeal with moments of genuine charisma and skill, Ran's often overprotective and harsh love, it's all fun. It's like this gooey inside you're rewarded with for overcoming the various barriers to this, whether it be the already mentioned aspects regarding Aoyama's prior works or the cultural barriers, or even just the sheer length or the odd concept.

But, what really makes this series is the titular character, Conan Edogawa, or rather, Kudo Shinichi.

After every session where we watch the anime, I tend to look through Conan related media. Whether it be old boorus to search for obscure fanart, the recent uploads for the tag here, or, my personal favourite, old independent blogs that happened to talk about it. In one of these ventures, I found someone describing their own experience with the anime, watching them fall in love with it almost in real time, and they offered this interesting insight, one that particularly resonated with me during Episode 78 of the TV anime.

The blogger had said something along the lines of "Kudo Shinichi isn't cool because he's an adult. He is cool because he is Kudo Shinichi." Even as Conan, even through all these childish antics, Conan still puts on a serious face and challenges every criminal with his idea of justice- and no matter the crimes committed he wants to ensure that nobody else will die or be harmed. The one time he was forced to watch someone die resonated with him, and seeing a follow up to that 67 episodes later, and seeing Conan make declarations about what it means to be a detective, that is cool. That is the heart of the show for me, and it just never gets old. Kogoro could get knocked out in every episode from where I am, Conan and the crew could be walking right into piles of suspicious dead bodies every session, and I would still love every single moment where Conan drops the act and becomes Kudo Shinichi.

I guess I really do love anime.

[fallout4-reacts]

Anonymous asked:

Ok so this is less of a request and more of a thought to consider. It bothers me that Danse doesn’t really comment on vertibirds going down/crashing/finding dead brotherhood in the commonwealth. It also bothers me that Hancock doesn’t really say much during the synth quest in Diamond City. Idk I feel like there’s a lot of potential dialogue that’s missing. Like Preston commenting on a settlement that’s been “improved” (hit all requirements for water, food and defense) should also be a thing.

do you have any ideas for potential dialogue that’s missing from the game? Again, not a request so don’t feel like you need to write anything, but just a good for thought.

Titan quest part 3! (Part 1 - 2 )

So, I'll end this post quickly in order to get back to taking care of others ask who are waiting

I hope you are not disappointed; sadly, I had very few ideas…

Perhaps playing Fallout again will bring some to me I'll take note of it and possibly write another post on it later.

So, for the time being, The Conclusion

Cait - Curie - Deacon - Piper - Preston - Strong - X6-88

Cait : "Hey Cait, let’s take a nice walk to Nuka-World, where I’ll be the Overboss and I’ll beat strangers in an arena, enslave people..." You know?

"Stop immediately!"

“Cait?”

“Ya filthy traitor!”

“Cait?!”

“How dare ya?”

"Could you please calm down and explain why you are so angry?"

“Raiders! You've risen to the position of raider Overboss!"

"Let me relate you that funny story—

“No! I'm not interested! What are you thinking? You enslaved them!"

"They were evil people..."

"So you're now deciding who gets to live freely or not?"

"It wasn't that; it was strictly for business..."

"I told you everything, everything, everything. The fact that I was sold as a slave and that my life was a living horror. You seemed like a kind person to me. And now I see you putting those awful necklaces around other people necks like they're cattle! Would you have put the necklace around my neck in the past, in those days, claiming that I'm a wicked person, that I don't have the right to my freedom?"

"...It isn't the same."

"Would you really know the difference between a lost and violent drug addict fighting in a ring for raiders?"

Sole finds nothing to reply this time, frozen on the spot and unable to add a word.

"You couldn't have done it. Right now, you can't see someone you're putting a necklace on. I'm not going to kill you in the name of what we shared, because you helped me. But I'm leaving now, and I hope to never cross your way again. Because if I see your filthy, hypocrite face again, I'm going to blow it open, catcha?"

Sole looks, a weight of lead in the heart, as the one they had learned to consider a friend walk away. They realize how wrong they were, but they feel it's too late.

Curie (romanced): Okay, seriously, here I am, doing what many others have had to do, in some ways. It’s a one-in-a-hundred chance, but still, after going all the way around the bazaar, Curie is offered a place in a hospital (clinic?). Okay, some people must have decided to retain her as a companion, but she's not the most interesting element. Probably more appealing than very practical. It’s a command; Curie is assigned to a medical counter, and that’s it! But I'd like to picture a tiny scenario based on my fanfiction, even if I didn't touch on Curie's entrance in "her" hospital at this moment (precisely).

"Here, Curie, I'm not sure if I can help you much further in your quest to discover and study the world, but I think we could kill two birds with one stone if you stayed as chief physician at this new hospital in Sanctuary; your medical knowledge will be useful to both locals and transients. It's a settlement that is quickly gaining traction in the Commonwealth. You should encounter enough individuals and situations to further your education and insights."

The synth stands with her hands clasped against her chest, her gaze gleaming, turning her head from one side to the other, detailing the thick glass structure that was erected at the settlement's gates.

"Sole! That’s! That is incredible! That is stunning! That's incredible!"

"We made an effort to make the place look pleasant. I tried to make it as bright as possible so that you don't feel imprisoned up again like in this vault, as I had considered for some time to attribute it to you."

Curie's voice chokes in her throat as she barely holds back a sob.

"I'm not sure what's going on with me. It’s… It's like when you began slipping into my thoughts repeatedly, but I vibrate; it's as if tickles were flowing through my entire body. Everything seems to be pulsating. What is going on with me?"

"I believe it's excitement. A high amount of elation. You are overjoyed."

Curie's expression darkens, and she shakes her head and frowns.

"I see. Happiness. I thought I'd found it with you."

"You've found happiness in your relationship, but you're more than that. You have your own set of objectives and desires. A complete human cannot exist exclusively on the happiness and aspirations of another. He requires his own accomplishments."

"My... achievement is becoming a doctor for the new Sanctuary Hospital."

"It appears, based on how lit up you are."

Curie's brows raise in surprise, and her mouth makes an o.

"Did I light up? Is that a human ability? I was completely unaware!"

"It's a way of speaking" that Sole enjoys. "I mean, it seems obvious that you're happy."

"Oh, I see. Yes, I'm overjoyed right now."

Deacon : There are several. So many opportunities were squandered. As much in his interacts with other companions as everywhere else in the game. But I'd like to use a glitch because it's really noticeable (and funny).

"Deacon!"

"What?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"What?"

"You're... you're NUDE!"

The spy glances down at his attire and sees he has no one.

"Oh, you mean that? How do you feel about the suit? It's for me to dress up like Adam!"

"It isn't a disguise! It's nakedness!"

"You don't read the Bible. It's a disguise, truer than life; it's the most obnoxious disguise I could find to wear that day when I was dealing with a swarm of hot Amazons on a deserted island east of Boston."

"There have never been any Amazons on a desert island east of Boston."

"They were stunning! But here they were, killing all the people who dared to wear garments in front of their eyes, a religious thing, I reckon."

"You talk away from being naked."

"So they had this tall woman leading them. She was so huge that she was able to peer at the super-mutant from above. I've personally saw her spanking a super mutant on her lap.

"This is getting out of hand."

"Super-mutants were tolerated in this woman's society because they often just wore loincloths. Outfits truly irritated them."

"You.are.still.nude."

"I don't remember why; I think it has something to do with the fact that we come into the world without clothing, so we don't have to wear clothes so as not to offend the life that created us like this."

"Get yourself dressed!"

"It will be your fault if we get harassed by the Amazons of the desert island of East Boston."

Piper : The scoop of the century! The second. Sole infiltrated the Institute and came back. Piper CANNOT ignore that Sole is in contact with the DIRECTOR of the INSTITUTE.

"Sole, can we talk?"

"My personal favorite reporter!"

Sole comes to a halt in the alley leading to Home Plate, their gaze settled on Piper.

"What exactly do you want to talk about?"

"The Institute."

At the very least, she's not going in circles. Sole becomes uneasy as they anticipate what will follow.

"Okay, so what's going on?"

"You have to get me an interview with the director—

"Shaun, my son..."

"The director of the most heinous and secretive organisation ever to be born in the Commonwealth! Blue! I must have this interview!"

Sole looks around for a loophole but can't find one.

"Piper, I wish I could give you what you're asking for; you've been so nice and helpful to me. But I'm afraid I can't. Only I have access to the Institute. I'm not sure what they'd do if I helped you infiltrate them. And since you want to interview the director, it won't go ignored."

"Please ask him to give me this interview! According to what you said, he claims to be acting for the sake of humanity and its future. He'll want to spread the word about his vision, won't he?"

With her looks, the reporter backs Sole up, daring them to contradict her. Sole lets out a long sigh.

"All right, I'll ask him the next time I see him. But I can't promise you anythi—

Piper, overcome with excitement, jumps around her friend's neck.

"MANY THANKS! This is going to be the interview of the century! Of the millennium! Exclusive: The Great Boogeyman justifies himself!"

Sole would like to object and tell Piper that it is not done, but they would rather walk away while Piper is lost in her own vision of the future, gazing bright and bursting with excitement.

Preston : This situation can only arise if Sole is General of the Minutemen AND Brotherhoods of Steel.

"Sole! We need to talk! Now!"

"Preston? "You appear... upset."

The man is normally as composed as an Olympian. He recognises his state of mind and takes a deep breath to recover control of his nerves.

"I'm sorry, General. I... I lost it for a moment. But we need to discuss; it's critical."

Sole tries not to think about the lengthy journey they've taken or the bed that awaits them in a remote area of their home. They keep their anguish hidden and devote their entire attention to the man who truly gave birth to them when they landed in the Commonwealth.

"What exactly is it?"

"The Brotherhoods..."

Sole can't stop rolling their eyes. That was something they was expecting. Everyone around them is hesitant to pledge allegiance to the military organisation on many reasons.

"What, the Brotherhoods?" they inquire a little too bluntly.

"You have allied with the Brotherhoods of Steel!"

Sole closes their eyes and blows hard. They didn't have much patience today, and this kind of debate may sap what little they had left.

"Come on, Preston. Get to the point. I just busted a Super-Mutant camp, I'm filthy, exhausted, and I don't know if there's a muscle in my body that doesn't ache."

"The Brotherhoods appeared in the Commonwealth as if they owned everything; they drove the roads—

"And protect the civilians..."

"And grab any and all technologies they can find!"

The vault dweller cannot help but be astonished this time. They had no idea that, of all the things that could be put against the BoS, Preston would bring this up.

"Uh, what are you getting at?"

"Look, I haven't done much travelling outside of the Commonwealth, but I've met a lot of people who have. In comparison to other societies on the continent, the Commonwealth has effectively remained in the Stone Age. When major cities have risen from the ashes on the west coast, we are still attempting to establish viable settlements. While huge corporations have established themselves elsewhere, our caravan system is primary and inadequate. We have almost no high-profile clinics, let alone hospitals, yet huge health centers may be found in other places. We erect pumps with duct tape and rusted pipes while in the Capital they have cleaned water reservoirs! But, slowly and steadily, we are constructing something. Thanks especially to you, Sole. Every day, every week, we the opportunity to build new communities that are safer and more equipped than ever before. But, in the long term, the Brotherhoods will have crushed our best opportunity of making a real change if they continue to seize all of the technology that rightfully belong to Bostonians! They deploy their advances to take ours as we struggle to shake ourselves up and stand up! They are mortgaging future breakthroughs for future generations even before we are aware of the possibility! This is intolerable!"

Sole doesn't know what to say about it. To claim they hadn't considered it is a far cry from describing where they are. While they had always considered the Brotherhoods' efforts as a helpful means to safeguard the people from anything that could jeopardize their future, they now realize that their fixation with collecting the technologies of the past had the opposite effect on the future. And they are acutely aware that there is little to prevent this looting in its purest form.

Strong : We've been with Strong for a long time; he's a powerful and unique companion, but his personal mission never progresses. Okay, we know the Milk of Human Kindness doesn't exist, but it has been misleading this unfortunate Super-Mutant who blindly follows us from the start. At some time, far beyond all occurrences, after a few months of following all of Sole's whims and following them everywhere, Strong may probably come to realize that things are not moving forward. As a result, he should confront Sole.

"Human! Stop!"

"What's going on, my great friend?"

"Puny human thinks Strong stupid. Strong follow human, respect human, help human. But Human lies to Strong."

Soole wide-eyed in surprise. They finally comes to a halt and turns to face their merry green giant companion.

"I believe we have a major problem. You must explain, because I have no idea when I lied to you."

"Human Kindness Milk. Humans do not seek. Human not wanting to help Strong."

Oh shit, Sole thinks. Indeed, they had never ventured to explain to Strong the struggle this pursuit was, hoping that it would die out on its own.

X6-88 : A Courser’s mission is to bring the escaped synths back to the Institute

"Nick," Sole greats the detective as they return to Diamond City.

"Sole," he reply to his great pal.

X6 examines the Synthetic before turning to Sole.

"Ma'am/Sir, we need to stop and extract this element."

Nick and Sole exchange glances. Nick wishes to object, but Sole raises their hand.

"X6, you can't...stop Nick and...extract him out."

"It is imperative to adhere to the Institute's course of action and report on any stray elements. This element is obviously a fugitive, and we have an obligation to return it to the Institute immediately."

"No, you can't do that."

"This version may be outdated and deficient—

"You know what the outdated and deficient version says!" 

—but we owe it to the institute to report it as soon as possible."

Sole sighs heavily and pinches the bridge of their nose, feeling a migraine surge to their brain.

"Look, X6, we're not at the Institute, and we haven't gotten any specific orders about this element. Furthermore, as you indicated, it's out of date—

"You know what he tells you about the past date!"

—and won't be relevant to the Institute's needs."

"Orders are orders."

"You must also follow my commands. It is not possible to bring this old version back to the Institute!"

Nick adds, growling in his beard, "You know what the old version tells you."

X6 pauses, clearly caught up in a conflict of interest. He must obey Sole, but he must also obey the Institute's directions. He has no idea how to react to the circumstance. He is unsure of what he should do. His brain strives to process all the data, facts, directions, and laws behind his marble face and fixed gaze covered by his sunglasses.

Nick and Sole, realizing the Courser has been frozen in place, decide to let him consider what has just been said. Meanwhile, they're on the hunt for holotapes.

[revoevokukil]

hello dear connoisseur how are you? I hope you happy and healthywhat made you like elves? what made you like avalach? and of the elves aen elle?

I *adore* the worst of the worst for being the worst.

No but really. Thanks for asking after me, and for this!

Aen Elle (Avallac'h particularly) straddle an incredibly busy intersection that appeals to my tragedy & transgression-addicted sensibilities: offering a ridiculous number of black mirror scenarios, a variety of ways in which to make seemingly commonplace aspirations, feelings, and ideas weird, quirky, or downright frightening. It's a kind of beauty, really; and very entertaining. Take the elves' longevity: this sole fact should bend everything around itself alone, starting from biology or the organisation of their society & ending with the way they feel & express those feelings. What is post-partum depression like for them? Organised religion? What about the dynamics of social class? What happens to an individual's sense of self-identity over 400 years? What family models are the least damaging? Are the kids alright? Are elves sexist about sex? The possibilities haven't been slaughtered by an overly pedantic author.

The author has said only this:

Interviewer: Do you consider yourself a moralist?

AS: I have to be. Without a morality play, a division into good and evil, there is no story. An interesting field for the writer to show off is playing with a morality play, showing and proving that not everything can be unambiguously and clearly divided into white and black, good and bad, that appearances are deceptive, and stereotypes even more. That canonically beautiful elves can be nice bastards, and canonically evil kobolds and underground trolls can be quite decent guests. I do not want to teach the reader, I do not require him to accept my views on morality, politics, religion, abortion, euthanasia and all the rest.

On this spectrum of subversions, Sapkowski's take on the Aen Elle qualifies as "nice on paper, foul inside." They are used to underscore this idea. Which does not mean "foul inside" is all they are as individual characters - let's not be dull - but it is the aspect that the author chose to highlight; it is the aspect that is baked into why they ought to intrigue the reader.

I say Avallac'h in particular, by the way, because I think his story is the most dynamic in its potential: there is just enough compromising info that is emotionally engaging and remains unresolved. His character revolves around an internal conflict he has never been able to set right, compounded by a ridiculously privileged social position and unique abilities, and time. Unfortunately, it's true: time does heal. But the outcome is not your restoration or resurrection, but a mangled translation, a vicious re-birth. What does "setting it right" mean then? He can wrap you around his finger so effectively, looking good and sounding charming, kind and wise, and yet at the same time, deep down, it is impossible not to feel that there is something incredibly wrong with him. Is he aware of it? Does he care? What will he do about it? What will he do as a result of it? What is it? And it is not one thing, really, but many; we're moulded by a plethora of mixed blessings. A perfect mix of alluring, dangerous, infuriating, pathetic, and sad simultaneously. Such characters are my catnip. I love them, unfortunately.

The worst should be relatable. We should be able, occasionally, to see ourselves in villains and be able to appreciate how they got there. It reminds us not to fucking go there. Imagining too much is also an illness of mine, so I obviously have to find recreational outlets for it; and this is one of them. But no matter in which direction I can think of taking him or these elves, I don't see how I would not be basking in the delightful incongruity of light shining in on hopeful patches of nobility surrounded by creeping, crushing darkness. For the love of god, be anything but dull!

[mymarifae]

I think it's really cool you like hsr the way you do. I like queuing the fanart despite the fact I don't play the game and won't because 1 I have 5 gacha games I'm playing and 2 genshin dude. My computer prolly couldn't handle it because of genshin

But it sounds fun and interesting and if I did get into it, that would be because of the women and fighting system

Also i know nothing about Stelle but I LOVE the way you talk about her it's so cool so now I kinda like Stelle. I just love your blog tbh

Um. Yeah. Have a good day I wish you luck on future gacha and getting your moots into the game 👍

i'm having WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY more fun with hsr than i ever did with genshin (though i'm considering giving it a second chance solely for gaming. he's everything i like in a character, so...). it's like, a combination of preferring the combat system and just not being able to connect to the traveler

i'm not fond of the "silent nameless player insert" protagonist archetype. genshin leaned way too heavily into this for my tastes. the traveler was kind of a nothingburger. and it felt like they weren't very connected to the world and the people they were meeting - they just wanted to find their missing sibling and then fuck off. at least that's what i got from what i managed to play through 🤷🏾‍♀️

the trailblazer is... similar. to a certain degree. despite giving the player a pretty wide assortment of choices and like giving them the option to name stelle(or caelus I GUESS) whatever they want . stelle's personality is VERY strong. she's a fucking weirdo. she's chaotic and goofy and awkward. she likes making bad jokes. she's obsessed with digging through trash cans and trying to eat things she's not supposed to. she's canonically extremely charming despite (or Because Of) her eccentricities and she appeals to The Ladies most of all. and! she really, really, REALLY loves everyone around her. her heart is HUGE and she's so attached to her new little family and she's always expanding it. always adopting people. so like, i'm MUUUUUUUCH more invested in her journey. you get me?

i really love her :') she's such an awesome character. the protagonist archetype she's forced into limits her potential in some ways, but it's nothing i can't rewrite in my head. and! something i've noticed as hsr goes on: she been getting more and more unique spoken dialogue that the player doesn't dictate. and we get more insight to her thoughts and the way she processes all the things that happen to/around her. more glimpses of emotions that are HERS. like, her reaction to firefly's death (?). she was freaking out in the immediate aftermath - and she's usually pretty stone-faced and collected (on the surface) - and if you return to firefly's secret spot, the dreampass updates with an entry expressing more of her grief and her fury at the unfairness of it all . just UGH it's so cool to see even more of her already strong personality shining through despite certain narrative constraints. also she's the prettiest