#due to some personal reasons i may be out for a bit longer but yeah!

[chuunai]

hey, congrats 100 followers !! i would love to join your celebration♡ may i request beastzai (or js adazai) with the scenario married life (1) & all in all, it was a typical tuesday (8) as the prompt ?

congrats on 100 again !!!! it’s a big number and a big achievement !!

I think Dazai is really hot too.

✧˚ · . vroom vroom, than a table for two - dazai osamu

he certainly couldn’t complain.

summary ⋆ ★ comfort, fluff, established relationship (marriage with reader), SFW → icky PDA, cutesy nicknames, minor mention of sex (it’s like barely there though) and overall puppy husband dazai. also obvious mentions of suicide its DAZAI

It was Tuesday.

And also another hardworking day at the Agency. So, so tiring, according to your husband—not that he ever worked—to the point where he simply needed a break with his lovely spouse. That’s how you found yourself hand-in-hand with him during your lunch break, walking down the sidewalks of Yokohama while he excitedly spoke about a new suicide method he had heard of.

Yesterday was a homemade shrapnel bomb, today was a wrecking ball.

“Basically, you hide out in a building that’s scheduled to be demolished and eventually it collapses on you! Pretty sweet, isn’t it?”

Quirking an eyebrow, he turned to you expectantly, a cheery smile on his face. It was quick, painless enough method of suicide. Beautiful in a way, too. Sunlight would be warming his skin, the air fresh and crisp and then tons of concrete and plaster would crush his entire body in one fell swoop. No pain, just gain of access to the afterlife.

Looking back at him, you sheepishly shrugged, replying back to amuse both him and yourself. 50% of the time, his attempts were idiotic and funny, the other 50% was genuinely worrying and mildly terrifying. Today seemed to be the former, though. Thankfully.

Plus, it wasn’t like the method would even work due to some random info you found out about on the internet.

“Yeah, but I’m like, ninety-nine percent sure they check the buildings for people before they demolish them. So you’d get found out.”

Your tone was as equally playful and light as his. He wouldn’t really kill himself. You weren’t ready for a double suicide yet, sadly. His lips curled into a frown when you mentioned how it wouldn’t work, his fingers squeezing yours as he exaggerated his sigh.

“And here I was, certain of my demise! Guess that means I’ll be with you a bit longer, darling.”

Not that he really minded.

Sure, he constantly went off about suicide and how beautiful the whole concept was, but at the end of the day, he wouldn’t want to die without you at his side. He’s firmly one of those people who’d kill himself after his beloved died. He wouldn’t know what to do with himself after you died. Sure, he made Odasaku a promise, but he made you a vow.

Until death do them part.

When you died, so would he.

But no one was dying today. Just a happy day for a happy couple.

Dazai’s hand slipped out of yours, curling around your hips instead as he pulled you closer to his side. He wanted to show off his pretty partner to anyone who happened to look over at you two. Show off the person who owns his heart and soul and is his perfect reason to live for just a little bit longer. No one else deserved his gorgeous belladonna.

Just him and him only.

Only Dazai could kiss your lips at any given moment—publicly or privately—, and only he could watch you dress up for dates, brushing out your hair while he mumbled compliments into the spot where your collarbone met your neck. Only Dazai could spend hours with you at night, hearing his name from your lips while his fingers intertwined with yours at the intimate moments.

No one else could hope to do the same with you.

That’s why he soon was leading you into a bakery, the smell of pastries and bread flooding the air as he looked over the treats in the display cases. Black sesame roll cakes, all squishy looking and yummy. The cookies ranging from chocolate chip to matcha and plain vanilla. They all looked so good, but the prices weren’t quite the same.

God, when it came to money, Dazai wished he was still in the Mafia. At least he had tons of it back then.

Now, he had to be a bit more frugal with his income from the Agency. Sure, you guys weren’t dirt poor or unable to afford food and other necessities, but you couldn’t always get special snacks like this. Maybe once every week or two, if you could do so.

Nudging your shoulder, he tapped the glass, looking at you expectantly. He always did this—letting you choose what the two of you would eat. Dazai didn’t mind either. You had good taste unlike his diet of canned crab and alcohol.

“I trust my lovely spouse’s taste and that you’ll pick something good like always.”

He was such a puppy. Only for you, he thought.

“Uhmm…dunno. Pick a number, one or two.”

Dazai placed a finger on his lips, pretending to be in thought like it was the most important decision in his twenty-two years of life so far. Brows furrowed in concentration, eyes darting between you and the sweet treats while he hummed quietly. One or two? Eh. He’d go with two. There was the two of you here, after all.

“Two.”

He watched as you pointed at a slice of strawberry cheesecake, your eyes looking at him for approval. Honestly, Dazai never understood why you wanted his approval for everything. You were his equal—his life partner, nonetheless—so there was really no need for this behavior. But he couldn’t blame you. Even now, he had a bit of a commanding aura.

“Oooooh, that looks good! Knew you’d pick something tasty.”

Dazai pecked your cheek affectionately while he held your hand walking to the counter, ordering two slices of strawberry cheesecake, taking out Kunikida’s credit card that he had ‘borrowed’ from the blondie earlier at work. Compared to the thievery he had committed in his younger years, it was practically begging to be used with how his wallet was smack dab in the middle of his desk.

Carefully holding the two plates of the cheesecake slices, he led you over to a table in the corner, giving you a fork as he sat down across from you. He didn’t eat until you dug into your piece first, making sounds of contentment as sweetness coated both your taste buds. Geez, it was good. Worth the price for sure. The corner of your lips were stained with the white frosting, and so he swiped his thumb over the mess, cooing at you like a parent.

“Ah ah, ‘donna. You’re getting messy.”

Dazai liked the flush of your face. How flustered you were as you insisted you could clean yourself and that you weren’t a baby and a fully capable grown adult.

“I’m not a baby, ‘samu! I can take care of myself, ‘kay?”

Of course, of course.

“Uh-huh. And you’re not a baby. You’re my baby. My clumsy little baby who can’t eat without making a mess.”

Chewing on the rest of his slice, minutes passed, filled with conversations between the two of you about work, how Atsushi was doing—probably still traumatized and fucked over, is what you both agreed about—, plans for dinner. You tastefully ignored his comment about what he wanted for dessert. At least there weren’t any kids in the bakery.

Thankfully for everyone else in the establishment, your ‘lunch’ was finished. Walking out of the cafe, he clasped onto your hand firmly, feeling his wedding ring rub against your skin. The sounds of honking and birds chirping filled the air, but all Dazai could hear were your gentle breaths coupled with the sound of your footsteps.

Nothing really mattered besides you, in his eyes.

His everything—his reason to live.

Eternally.

Tags: @twst-om-lover, @sinfulthoughtsposts

[knightyoomyoui]

Mina x M/F Reader - "Need You Now"

One of my shortest one-shots in the book. Sorry if this is unlike most of my longer fics, unfortunately I have to say that due to how busy I am in my life right now, I can still insert wriing stories in my free time, but not as long as I use to do anymore. Probably my one-shots from now on will be like less than 3 or 5k word count. This fic is inspired from one of my favorite songs of all time, "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum. The structure of this story is in a music video-type narrative, so while reading this you can just imagine this as an alternative MV with the song in the background. I may have done the ending a little bit longer for the final chorus but I needed to add atleast more dialogue so yeah, just skip any unneccesary parts in your mind to fit it in the song haha. Lastly, I don't accept any commissions for now but I'm very open to accept any donations for you kind readers as another way of appreciation for my works. I can use this for my upcoming on-the-job training so please if you can spare some, I would be highly grateful. ko-fi.com/knightyoomyoui Enjoy reading!

It is nighttime of a random day in the 1700s in Japan, and Myoui Mina is currently living alone in her house. She is standing in front of the window as she views the townscape of Kobe with all the illuminated lights coming from the houses and posts. While her eyes are fixed on the scenery, her mind is busy projecting an image of a certain person to cope with the sadness she’s feeling.

Picture perfect memories with you is what she has been replaying on her mind again and again, in which she won’t stop or get tired at all, just like she can do with just being around you. All she feels is joy and tranquility within your presence, and although she needed it right now, it makes her disappointingly wonder why this day is just going to end up unlike what she had with you before.

Her almost-a-month of longing for you has already reached its breaking point, not for the idea of only meeting you in her dreams but to the annoying fact that you had to disappear without leaving any trace for her to follow or indication to be relieved that you’re doing well on wherever you may be at right now.

She reached for the telegraph in her table and tries to contact you until she realizes that she never had your contact with him and it will rather end up being pointless, just like as her search around the town that she has done few days ago, inquiring for your whereabouts.

Slamming the telegraph back into its place, Mina groaned and sighed heavily with a frown on her face. She sat on the bed, her energy deteriorating as the likelihood of receiving a response or an update about you increased. It’s already a wasted 49th attempt at reaching back to you, and she wondered how long it would take to be ignored like this.

Mina then started to question you by herself: did you ever become happy with her and do you even still think about her even when you're not around to spend time together with her? She knows that you already knew that she hates feeling abandoned anymore, and now that you act like you are unaware of it, Mina is now wondering twice if you even listened or understood why she said that and especially

when she told you how much you mean for her.

If she'll be the one to ask the same, she admits that she is and she does it always until now. She won’t be this determinated to find and learn any news about what you may be doing if you’re just somebody that she’s close with. No, for Mina… you turned out to be the only person that holds special purpose in her life.

And not having you anymore will make Mina lose interest or simply, a reason to continue living again. Twice is enough if the pain will just be doubled, she believes.

Mina has checked the time and realizes it's been already quarter after 1 AM that she remained awake. It made her broke down in tears, knowing that this isn't like her who waits for this long and the fear to be alone again is eating her up inside more in which you once helped her to fight it since the first time she met you.

Looking at the telegraph again, she said to herself that she won't call anymore, thinking that she might probably be disturbing you or becoming strange with her frantic efforts of searching for you, but Mina has already lost control, and she doesn't care anymore if she has become this desperate.

She just needs you tonight, and now that you’re gone after showing her how it feels to have someone by her side after living most of her life without a family, relative, or even friends, she doesn't know how she can manage without having you again in her life.

Meanwhile, not so far away from your hometown and from Mina’s sanctuary, you were cleaning your weapons until it got interrupted when your concentration vanished again just by the memory of Mina affecting your heart and mind.

You looked out the window, reflecting the dark sky and atmosphere outside. A sudden concern about how she may be doing had obliged your body to react. Letting out a huge exhale, you stood up and proceeded to your brewery to grab another bottle of whiskey.

Pouring one into the glass and taking it as medicine for missing Mina a lot again alleviates the loneliness from the state you are in. You kept your composure; you know the time is running out, and you just had to remain still and focus on the plan.

The more you keep remembering Mina, the more you have begun to appreciate every aspect of her, even more than you have ever crossed your mind. But then you have seemed to notice that whenever you have an episode of this, a strange feeling is lingering inside your heart.

Which led you to speculate if maybe you are now enjoying the existence of Mina like, way more or far away from just being a friend or a companion that you met when you were alone strolling through the forest. The thoughts of her being actually deadly gorgeous in a way that is obviously not a normal compliment anymore and her admiring personality have captured your attention further to how she really is as a mesmerizing woman.

You looked at the door shut, missing those moments where Mina would just freely sweep open through it and greet you with her gummy smile and her adorable cheeks that puff whenever she’s happy. If only she can visit you again, it will not be the same exchange that you’ll definitely do for her this time.

You owe her one that is more than that, that’s why. But then you took note that you'd save it for later as the perfect time is about to arrive soon nonetheless.

You checked the time and it's been quarter to 1 AM already. You also became aware that you’re starting to get drunk now. The alcohol increased the emotions you’ve been caging up inside, causing you to lose control that results to your tears containing the minimum of what you’re entirely feeling right now that’s making you obvious that you simply want to see Mina again.

You swore that you wouldn't call for her to keep your focus on the plan but at your drunken state, you have gotten lost out of your control, betraying your very own words.

You kept on mentioning Mina's name as you promised to yourself that you’ll come find and save her because if you don’t, you aren’t sure at all on what you can do without her.

And at the same time as when Mina declares to herself that she needs you, it wasn’t coincidental that you share the same sentiment.

Timeskip to 4AM early in the morning, Mina was peacefully sleeping on her bed when her enhanced senses had her alerted back to conscience. She rose from the bed and noticed some flashing lights and growing silhouettes coming from outside the window. It should’ve been dark and quiet during this time since it was still too early.

Checking out to gain a better glimpse of what source its coming from, she observed that the townspeople are marching into her house all bringing their tall torches and knives with them.

“Is there a ceremony being performed today? W-why are they making their way through here?” Mina then watched them seperate, in a form that they’re surrounding her house.

“D-do they know already?” Getting the hint that they all are now aware of her true nature, based on the knives and torches they brough with them, she became scared that this will be the time that she'll die.

They all began to yell and some went on to bump the front door repeatedly. Mina rushes to close the door of her bedroom. Hearing the door collapse from outside, footsteps and chatters came near towards her hiding place.

Mina started to block the door with her body as the townspeople banged through her door again, their intentions come full obvious that they came here with one objective, and that is to eliminate the impostor that has been living with them all along.

“Ah! P-please, stop!” she yelps and cries for mercy as she remains to secure all the doors for her safety while they barge into her place, she wishes for you to come for the last time

until she heard series of growls, curses, and screams from outside.

She tried to take a peek through the little gap that she made by opening the door a little. “YN!!!!!!!” Mina became horrified to witness you getting teamed up by your fellow townspeople with some dead people lying around as they bathe in their own blood along with some scattered through the walls because of what you did.

With your bloody huge knife, she realized that you came all around here to rescue Mina only to get outnumbered because of the ampunt of townspeople gathered to hunt and kill her kind.

“MINA!!! RUNNNN!!!!!” She heard you yell for her name while being battered and dominated by your monstrous townsmen. They all looked around to find her, and they spotted Mina peeking through the door.

She closed it again and barricaded it with her body. Their more aggressive bumps and your wails with your brutally awful state had Mina whimpering and crying poorly.

The pity she feels for you however loaded her infuriation. Every second her eyes blink, her pupils flicker into a purplish color. As she gritted her teeth, her hands clawed with some bio-kinetic energy forming like a ball through her grasp.

Her hair floats at the intense air caused by her transformation, and suddenly her witch powers awakened. She points her hands at the door and blast through it, sending all the townspeople back. The rest looked at her horrifyingly as Mina steps out of the shadows with her figure beaming in all purplish magic.

“KILL THE WITCH!!!” The all roared but Mina used her magic to dismantle every townspeople who go against her and YN, all in brutal fashion.

After she splits a woman in half in mid air with her innards and blood splattered across the room and into her face, she then got caught by the last three men by firing bullets at her, making her groan in pain.

They were about to do a double tap when you quickly stood back up despite being wrapped around in ropes. You attacked them by tackling and headbutting them away from Mina before you leave them for her to finish them all by exploding their brains out.

As she slowly calmed down and degenerates her magic, she breathe heavily and saw you staring at her in awe, speechless at her true identity as a witch. You know who she really is, but this is the first time you’ve seen her in her full potential.

Mina got afraid of how you will but in her surprise, you ran through her and reconciled with her in an embrace.

“A-aren’t you scared of me?”

“Of who you really are? I have accepted you since the beginning, I’m rather scared of what they might do to you.”

She immediately broke down in tears around your arms. “W-where have you’ve been all time? I thought you’ll leave me forever.”

“I’m sorry, Mina. I know, it’s all my fault that I didn’t inform you at all, but its all according to my plan and it has to be done.”

“So you knew about this?”

“I did. I overheard my tutors that one of them discovered your background of being a Myoui, a well-known family came from a coven of witches that they’ve… k-killed years ago. And since they knew me being close to you, I hide and there, I began making my plan to rescue you with the help of an informant.” You revealed the reason to your disappearance.

“Y-you did that f-for me? B-but you hurt yourself came all the way back here because of me… and you killed your-”

“Ofcourse and I don’t care about it, I rather can’t consume the guilt more of having you harmed than killing others who dares to lay their abusive hands at you. Y-you’re… you’re the only person I care… and love the most than anyone, Mina. You’re the only one I have left as much as you have me only in your life. I came here not just because I have to save you. I need you now, Mina. I can’t wait any longer again to see you.”

Mina cried again and buried her head deeper in your chest. “I need you now too, YN. And always. I’ve waited for you to come back.”

“And I’m here now, Mina. I’m never going away anymore. Whoever come across against us, we’ll face them together.”

You kissed her on the lips after breaking your hug with her. She was shocked at your action but it didn’t took her more time to catch up with your movement. As you and Mina stare at each other, both then smiled at this new found relationship that grew within your bond.

You helped Mina stand up and covered all her gunshot wounds, not minding your own evidence of violence through your beaten body. “I think we should go now, others will start coming here and they won’t like what they’re gonna see.”

You offered her hand at her and she looked at it before she returned her gaze at your face. “Should we run away from here?”

“I’ll follow you wherever we go.” Mina accepted, holding your hand with firm grip, enough to consider that she’ll forever stay by your side.

You nodded at her. Pulling her along with you, both left her house and all the deceased fellow townspeople inside as you escape the grotesque scene with Mina.

[allexthakatt]

Hi there!

I would like to request something with angst/fluff with Derek Morgan! He does not have enough fics.

Have a nice day:)

Heyooo! Thank you so much for this request! You didn't specify whether you wanted it fem! Or male! So I'm gonna just stick with gender neutral! I hope that's okay!!

PAIRING- Derek Morgan x FEM! Reader

CW- None really, just mostly fluff and some mutual pining. Lots of self doubt from reader tho, does that count?

Mixed Signals

"Reid, Prentiss, I want you both to go to the coroner's office. JJ, go with Dave to the police station. Y/n, you and Morgan go look at the crime scene, see if there was anything we missed. I need to see the Mayor about his ties to the victims. We'll all meet back here."

Hotch's authoritarian voice ordering the team to their respective tasks. You look over at your partner, already with a smirk on his face.

"Looks like it's me and you sweetheart. You ready?"

With a nod, you both get in the SUV, you preparing yourself for what you'll be exposed to in the next 20 minutes. It's one thing to see it in photos in your binder, but to see right in front of you can always be a bit unnerving. No matter how long you've been doing this job, you never really get used to the dead bodies you see almost daily. Especially the more brutal murders.

"You okay?"

Morgan's voice pulls you out of your thoughts, nodding your head in response.

"Oh yeah. You know me, just gonna prepare the ol' noggin before we see some fucked up shit, ya know?"

He nods in agreement, keeping a mental note to check in on you periodically.

Yours and Morgan's friendship is a weird one. There's always been this lingering tension in the air when it's just the two of you. You have a guess as to why, but never really let yourself explore those outcomes.

If you were honest with yourself, you really liked him. More than a friend. Morgan was there for you when you needed him most. He was so charming, so charismatic, yet such a goofball in his own way. Not to mention how stupidly handsome he is.

A big reason as to why you never made a move or said anything is because he confuses you to no end.

He flirts with you constantly, and not the playful flirting he does with Garcia, either. It's genuine, he checks you out, your hugs are longer and closer than with all your other friends. It's times like those where you think he may reciprocate the feelings toward you.

But then, every single time the team and you go out for drinks, he's getting all these women surrounding him. Which, of course he does, look at him! It wouldn't make you feel as bad if he didn't so obviously enjoy the attention. The confidence oozes from him, he grinds right back on them, more often than not going back home with one of them at the end of the night. And that's not even mentioning the numerous female detectives he's got in his phone.

You'd never been so confused about your feelings in your life.

Reid had been quick to attempt to ease your insecurities. 'Morgan is... a ladies man, he never really has had a serious long relationship before. I know he likes you, he wouldn't flirt with you like he does if he didn't. However when it comes to feelings, Morgan isn't exactly known for putting them in the spotlight. He deflects it by showing his flashy personality around the people he's afraid to be vulnerable with. That way he has the upper hand at all times to avoid getting hurt.'

Reid rambled on that night after you'd confided in him about it. You have to admit, it does make sense- Show the confident side so you'll never have to show the vulnerable one.

Doesn't make it hurt any less, nor any less confusing.

-

The case was prolonged yet again. The unsub had an upper hand in knowledge of what the police and FBI were doing regarding the investigation, due to a certain police officer having a hand in some of the victims untimely and unfortunate deaths.

After all was done and unsubs were apprehended, the flight home was... tense.

There's always that dread hanging in the air on the way home after every case.

We could have saved more.

We should have seen the signs.

We should have done this specific thing sooner.

Regardless, you were all happy to be going home after almost two weeks of dealing with this case.

All the team was doing their own thing on the jet. With about an hour and a half left in the air you were just busying yourself. Reid, of course, is reading. Prentiss and JJ talking about something Will said over the phone. Hotch and Rossi discussing the case that is now closed. You attempting to write in your journal; something your therapist had suggested a while ago that is now almost a daily thing.

And then there's Morgan. Who's trying to sleep. Trying.

You keep doing little things that just drive him crazy. The hair flip you have to do to get hair out of your face. When you think, you push the back of the pen near your lips, puckering them in the process.

That? Right there? Is going to be the death of him.

He's trying to keep it cool, trying to make it seem like he definitely isn't harboring the fattest crush on you. But with you just being... You; it's getting harder and harder to pretend he isn't thinking of all the ways he could call you his.

This was new for him. He's usually so confident and suave. When it comes to you, though, he's tripping over his words, second guessing himself, trying his hardest not to embarrass himself in front of you. It's like he's 13 again.

-

When you finally land, Emily suggests the idea of going to the bar. It's not too late, and you could use a little something to take the edge off. All but Hotch and JJ agree, having to go home to their children.

After agreeing to a bar, you, Garcia, and Reid pile up in your car. Due to Reid not driving and you and Garcia carpool anyway, it's easier to all go together.

"So... Y/n are you finally gonna make a move on Mr. Derek Morgan?"

Penelope's voice breaks your concentration on the road, having to clear your throat and shift your legs to cover up your embarrassment.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, pen pen."

"Oh I think you know exactly what I'm talking about, my sarcastic love. Derek talks about nothing but you and you give him the heart-eyes every time you see him! When am I finally gonna see some action!?"

Penelope, while you hadn't told her, it doesn't take a lot for her to put two and two together. She sees the way he hugs you, the longing stares you give each other. However Penelope was not known to sit and watch, she had to get involved.

"Look Pen, I love you like a sister. But I don't really think anything is gonna happen between the two of us. Even if I did like him like that, I truly doubt he likes me back."

You're trying to focus on the road and not on the fact there's going to be several girls dancing on the man of your dreams in less than an hour.

"Y/n I told you he does! We're profilers, you'd think you'd know to trust us."

You rolled your eyes slightly,

"It's not that I don't trust you guys, because I really want to believe it. Fuck, I wanna believe you so bad but then nights like these happen and there five girls surrounding him dancing on him and he's dancing right back. Then he goes home with one of them and does God knows what with them and I gotta watch from the sidelines and pretend it doesn't hurt."

You were rambling now, you couldn't stop yourself.

"You've just admitted to liking him, I hope you know! And if him grinding up on all these women bothers you why don't you do the same? Find a hot guy and dance all sexily with him. Hell, why not go home with him? If Derek really likes you (which I'm confident he does), give him a taste of his own medicine!"

Penelope was getting excited! Was tonight the night? Was it finally going to happen? She couldn't wait to see this evening unfold!

'She has a point...' You thought, doing your best to keep up the nonchalance you'd grown to fake very well.

If he could do it, there was no reason you couldn't either. It's not like you had to be faithful, you weren't even close to being an item. There truly was nothing stopping you, and honestly, you could use a distraction from him for a night.

"You know what, maybe you're right, Pen. We'll see where the night goes then, I guess."

Penelope squealed in her seat, Reid rolling his eyes. 'This is definitely coming to a head tonight..'

-

The music was loud and the lights were dim, the air was a little stuffy and people were crowded on the dance floor. By the time you three got there Derek was already on the dance floor, and you noticed a few women lock in their target with him.

Typically, you'd spend your night at the table nursing your mixed drink with Emily and Reid. Watching from the side the man you loved catch the attention of every lioness in the club. Tonight was different. Tonight, you were joining the hunt, it was time you weren't on the side, but a lioness herself.

Reid and Penelope waved you off, wishing you luck as you made your way to the bar to get the first drink of the night. Regardless on if you find a 'distraction man' tonight, you were planning on getting tipsy at least.

Ordering a simple rum and coke, you see a fine man in the corner of your eye.

'Let the hunt commence', you gave yourself a quick pep talk and sent him a small smile. One you know he saw, as he was already eyeing you as well.

He raised his glass and took the last drink, before making his way to you.

"Hi there, I'm Tucker."

He held his hand out not sitting down next to you quite yet. Something you take notice of. You also take notice of his handsome features up close. Ear-length dark fluffy hair, dark eyes that looked so cute, button up flannel, slacks, and a heart throbbing smile slapped on top.

You shake his hand, giving him your name in response and sending him a matching smile his way.

He took that as his okay to sit in the empty seat next to you, immediately striking up conversation.

'He should be a fine distraction man, I think..'

Derek decides maybe it's time to sit down for a sec, finding Penelope's bright red hair easily in the midst of tables. Emily and Reid were there too, but where were you?

Promising to meet up with the pretty blond again later that evening, he makes his way to the table, Penelope seeing him and pulling out a chair for his arrival.

"Hello hello y'all, how are we doing this fine night? Where's Y/N?"

Reid and Penelope shared a quick look, before Penelope smirked and pointed to the bar where you sat, sipping your drink and laughing along with some guy.

It was quick, but Derek's facade broke. So quick if you weren't a trained profiler you wouldn't have noticed. Oh, but the table noticed, and they won't forget it.

"Looks like Y/n might get some action tonight, huh?"

Emily subtly studied Derek's face and- oh there it is. The wall slowly breaking as Penelope spoke up too.

"I told her she needed to get laid. 'Put yourself out there' I said. She seems to be enjoying herself, too."

She too was watching Derek like a hawk, looking for a reaction. It was subtle, but it was there.

Emily kept going,

"He's cute, too. Nice and tall, strong arms. He's not getting too close to cause discomfort but he's leaning in quite a bit. Certainly interested in her."

All three noticed Derek's stiffness, the silence radiating off him. He still hadn't sit down, instead standing tall watching you like a hawk, not even knowing he's gripping the back of the chair visibly hard.

All this time he'd been hoping you'd get jealous and take him for yourself. That you'd stomp onto the dance floor and steal him away from these other women and make him yours. How could he be so foolish? Trying to make you jealous? He should have known, he should have been straight up with you on how he's feeling rather than try this wild act of being a ladies man. Of course you'd not rip him off these girls, you're a grown woman. He's not in high school anymore, this old trick won't work on a real woman.

But now you're sitting another man, sending him flirty smiles and leaning in just as much. Could he have missed his chance? Missed the opportunity to finally confess all these feelings he's been hiding deep inside for so long? Why couldn't you lean to him like that, wink at him like that? How could he fix this?

Penelope has seen enough, her friend was suffering and to be completely honest, she was a little fed up with the whole 'dancing around each other' thing.

"You know if you don't act now, she'll be going home with that guy instead of you."

She continued to eye him as she brought her drink to her lips. Derek snapped back to reality, loosening his death grip on the chair.

Finally he looked to the table, catching eyes with everyone seated and he knew they knew. Of course they would, that's their job to know things. He couldn't keep up the facade for much longer, and that scared him.

"So I guess you all know, huh?"

Finally taking his seat and rubbing his hands together.

"Yup. We also know about the poor show you put on every night with these other women. You know you're sending the completely wrong message, right?"

Emily didn't really want to scold him, but to be fair he wasn't exactly making all the right choices.

"It's occurring to me now, thank you," Sarcasm dripping from his tone. "Now I have no idea what to do. I'm all outta tricks."

His hope was dwindling, and everyone could see it.

"How about you just try being honest with her? She's confused, Derek."

Penelope pushed his arm a bit, trying to emphasize the weight of his situation.

Looking up, he sees you stand up and shake his hand in a friendly manner. With that, you walk back to the table with your drink in your hand.

"And who was that tall delicious specimen?"

Penelope was the first to want the gossip. Did you get his number? Will there be more than just a flirty conversation later tonight? What about Derek??

You finally notice Derek sitting still as a stone, but decide to not mention it.

"Well... That was Tucker! He's a professor at the university, and he was actually really cool. I told him I'll meet up with him again later tonight."

Your voice got lower as you went on, all that confidence about tonight gone now that Derek was sitting right in front of you listening to it all. You tried not to look at him that closely, knowing you'd get blushy and awkward even more than you are right now. Plus, you were scared that if you did look at him you'd see him uncaring or even worse, supporting you.

Boy, did he wish you would look at him.

"I think we all know what that meannsss!"

Penelope had a few drinks in her, getting more uncensored the more she drank. Spencer chuckled slightly, a brandy or two in him as well. However that was all for him though.

Emily patted you on the back, "just remember to use protection, pretty lady."

Derek knew they were all trying to drum up a reaction from him. He knew it. But fuck, was it working.

He'd let this go on for long enough.

"Y/n, can I talk to you real quick? Just you and me?"

His eyes were pleading, almost hopeful. Really, how could you say no to him?

With a nod, your hands gesture for him to lead the way, and before you know it you're both leaning against the wall outside the bar.

You tried not to be awkward, you really did- but with how Derek was standing next to you, all stiff and puppy-eyed, it was hard to keep your composure.

Eventually, you'd had enough.

"Okay, Derek. What did you wanna talk about?"

You hoping-no you were praying- that this was the moment. That he was finally gonna be upfront with you and you'd finally get your answer. Will you have to suck it up and move on? Or will this be a happily ever after?

He was silent for a few more moments, trying to find the right words to set the record straight.

"Look... I'm.. Not the best at admitting what I'm feeling, okay? But my bag of tricks are all up and frankly, none of them seem to be working..."

He pushed himself off the wall, standing directly in front of you now staring deep into your eyes.

"I think it's time I'm actually honest with you, Y/n. No matter where I am, whether it's at home, or on a case somewhere on the other side of the US, Or at some bar I never even knew existed until that night, you're the only one on my mind."

Your eyes gave him a pleading look; begging him to continue.

"I've never been good at being open and vulnerable with the people I like. But I think, with you, I really want to be. There's not a day that goes by where I don't think about you in my arms. I want to be there for you in so many new ways I'll never have enough time to list them all. I'll be honest, it wasn't my most clever idea to try to make you jealous with these other women. I should have known better."

He grabbed both of your hands, rubbing soft circles in them with his thumbs.

"If I can have a chance with you... I promise I will make it up to you for the rest of my life. I want to be in your life as more than just a friend from work."

At this point the tears in your eyes are dropping down your cheeks, makeup be damned. He's looking at you with so much love and adoration you can practically see it flowing off him. There's nothing you can say that will top that, so you opt for showing him instead.

Wrapping your arms around his neck and leaning in, he knew what that meant, and met you halfway.

His lips finally met yours and holy shit did it feel good. It was like your lips were supposed to be molded together like this. His arms wrap around you and pull you tight against him, leaving no room for escape. Not that you would, anyway.

When your lips finally part, you stay in his arms, swaying a little from side to side.

"So I'll take that as a yes?"

A slight giggle escapes you before giving him another kiss on his cheek.

"Of course it is."

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Holy shit i suck lmao I'm so sorrrryyyyy this took so long!!! I don't even have an excuse I'm just the worlds best procrastinator 😅

I hope this was worth the wait... If not then... welp.

[akatharton]

now that i've thought about it for a little bit, i think i can articulate why forsaken fell flat for me. major spoilers ahead, obviously.

i had a lot of issues with the way bowden characterized haytham, tbh. an advantage of writing in first person POV is that it allows you to really get into a character's head and dissect whatever it is that makes them tick, but haytham comes off like a disinterested bystander in his own life for much of this book. it's most apparent in the earlier parts--like, i really can't suspend my disbelief enough to buy that any child would be able to sit down and write a dispassionate play-by-play of their father's murder shortly after witnessing it. yes, haytham is emotionally closed-off even by 18th century british guy standards, but i didn't get the impression that bowden intentionally wrote him as a character who represses his emotions to avoid dealing with pain--honestly, he just seems kind of bored.

this is made worse by the fact that a lot of important character moments happen offscreen or are breezed through haphazardly. to give an example--around halfway through the book, haytham witnesses braddock's troops massacre a group of dutch civilians. this is presented as a major turning point for his character, as his disgust and horror at the experience prompt him to question his (up until that point) rather insouciant attitude towards violence. you would think that we, as the audience, would get to witness this scene and be privy to our protagonist's thoughts and reactions during what is ostensibly a very traumatic moment for him. yeah lol no. we only hear about it secondhand when haytham relays his falling-out with braddock to birch. but we do get around 50 pages of him chasing a bunch of mercenaries through the black forest in a plot thread that ends up leading nowhere and getting unceremoniously dropped.

to give bowden due credit, older haytham seems much more like a fully realized character than his younger self, though as a sad middle-aged man enjoyer i may be biased. i love how jaded and bitter he is, though it's frustrating how the story never really goes into why he no longer believes that any sort of detente between assassins and templars is possible. his reflections on his relationship with connor are probably the strongest part of the book, and some of their interactions--like the scene where he saves connor from execution--are, imo, better than what we got in the game. that said, i really cannot wrap my head around some of the retcons, with the most egregious being the scene in which haytham finds out about ziio's death from connor. in bowden's version, he already knows that washington murdered ziio and is faking his reaction for... gaslight girboss reasons, i guess? (side note: his dumb ass is not that good of an actor.) just a baffling authorial choice. that scene was hugely important for both characters and one of the few times in the game that we get to see haytham genuinely panicked and unguarded, but god forbid you ever include drama and emotional gravitas in your story, i guess? can't distract from the important stuff, like uh... *checks notes* haytham strangling a guy with his thighs and burning a bunch of coptic priests alive for chopping his valet's dick off.

[skellymom]

"Vagabonds" Chapter 13 "Precious Cargo"

Ongoing fanfic Hunter x Reader/Fem Reader/OC

Hunter meets a smuggler Nomaadi Star Woman with a powerful force sensitive teen who changes the trajectory of CF-99's lives...as they ALL try to escape from The Empire together.

ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰɪᴄ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ɴꜱꜰᴡ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ 18+ ᴅɴɪ

To read Chapter 12:

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/747902380483526656/vagabonds-chapter-12?source=share

Word Count: 1.7K

Background: Hunter contemplates his relationship choices.

Mad comes clean about what EXACTLY transpired during her last job on Ord Mantell.

I was SUPPOSED to have this part of the series done by May. But, got serious writer's block. Sorry so late. THIS is the shoe that needed to drop plot-wise.

To help with any confusion: Mad's Clone trans sister (non bio) is named "SHE" (mentioned in Chapter #9 "In The Beginning") and her name is capitalized to prevent any confusion of what character is being spoken of.

Warning: Swearing, flirting, brief discussion of female reproduction/menopause.

(Credit: Cool moving star dividers by @4ngelic-wh1spers )

Recap:

Hunter laid on his bunk sifting through the events that transpired since he met Mad. 

The throbbing pain between his legs, burning scratch on his face...the deep bite mark that FINALLY stopped bleeding. 

His heart ached a bit too. Pain, love, lust, yearning, uncertainty...so much...felt like it would explode. 

Cid’s words bounced around his head...paining him that she was possibly RIGHT. It was the ONLY accurate intel Cid had ever given him. 

“Ya looking for a world of hurt, Bandana?  “Cause that’s all you’re gonna get with that one.” 

"Precious Cargo"

She wasn’t the first woman Hunter had...but the first that stayed around longer than a few days. That was a record for him... 

Not due to infidelity or any other reason. It was only due to the war. No time to date. Heck, no time for hobbies, other jobs...or A job. He was property. Owned and controlled. The trajectory of his life beyond his own control. Not just him, either. A planet’s worth of enslaved men posing as blaster fodder. 

He was just a clone. What did he know about women. Dating, sexual relations, or reproduction were NEVER taught on Kamino. It was expressly forbidden among the Kaminoan's...the Republic as well. Hunter was lucky enough with his looks, hair, body to be pursued by MANY women to have learned about these things. However, how their minds worked and long-term relationships...that was another thing altogether.  

But no matter how he doubted, there was still a feeling of euphoria and happiness like he had never felt before. These feelings happened around Mad only. She was brave, vibrant, resourceful, protective... These things excited him. 

Is this what love feels like? 

Well...no lie...some considerable lust in there too.  

I’m sure Mad would agree with me... 

Hunter inhaled sharply, then chuckled... 

Maker...What did I get myself into? 

Mad finally awoke from the darkness. She lay there feeling weak. A heaviness in her abdomen...again??? 

She glanced down to see Tiggy outstretched and laying over her abdomen. The puppy looked much larger than she remembered. Tig was starting to lose her puppy fat, and her limbs seemed longer. She stretched out and yawned. Her puppy tail wagging and whipping the blanket. 

Mad tried to move, but both arms were strapped to the bunk. One of which had an IV line and fluids. She was also hooked up to a urinary catheter. Mad could feel the line between her legs. 

How long have I been out??? 

A few days. Love’s hand caressed Mad’s head. She looked up at them, levitating near the front of the bunk. You had me worried. 

I’m awake now. You look good for someone who vaporized a Venator. 

Love smugly smiled, then the concerned expression came back. You look BETTER for a person who was unresponsive. 

Sil? Omega? Hunter? 

They’re fine.  

Why am I in restraints??? 

Love looked gravely at Mad 

Oh no... 

Yeah, the dreams came back. 

Was that it?  

Love seemed reluctant to say any more. They didn’t need to as Hunter quietly entered the room. 

“Mad?” He whispered 

She immediately noticed the large bandage at the crook of his neck and the deep scratches on his face. 

“Did I...do that?” she asked quietly. 

He nodded as he sat down on the bunk beside her. 

“Oh Hunter...” Mad was clearly feeling shame and embarrassment. 

“You were delirious at the time...” He started undoing the restraints while giving her a reassuring smile. “The Mad I know wasn’t in control.” 

“This hasn’t happened...for quite a few years.” 

Concern creased Hunter’s brow. He was silent...waiting for Mad to answer if she felt safe enough to.  

Tiggy wimpered quietly and snuggled up next to Hunter. He put his arm around her. 

“My ORIGINAL family were experimental subjects for the Kaminoan’s.” 

Hunter was horrified. He also vaguely remembered strange things happening to him as a very young clone, his brothers too...possibly Omega had as well. 

“What? I thought you’re Nomaadi??” 

“I am. And the Nomaadi are my family now...but I HAD a biological mother and father that were not of The Star People...” 

“Had?” 

“All that I remember about them is fuzzy. I was VERY young when Maami and Paapi Daal took me in. A clone squad smuggled me out of the facility...along with a young defective clone. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve acted out in a fugue state...” 

Hunter was shocked. He had NEVER heard of this. 

“Only saw clones on Kamino. We clones were the only test subjects in the laboratories.” 

The Kaminoan’s have more than one facility on several planets. Love interjected. 

Hunter shifted unexpectedly. He forgot Love was able to speak to him through the Force. He wondered if it had to do with his enhanced senses.  

Mad caught Hunter’s expression. “...you can hear Love through the Force, can’t you?” 

He nodded. 

“So can Omega. Other than Sil and Tiggy, nobody else can. It’s a Force Bond...it’s SUPPOSED to be rare.” 

“Wait...you escaped with ANOTHER defective clone???” Hunter shook his head. 

Auntie SHE! Best Auntie EVER...well, next to mom... Love smoothed Mad’s hair back lovingly. 

Love and Hunter gazed at each other and smiled. Tiggy wagged her tail exuberantly. 

“I have SO MANY questions...” Hunter’s mind going in a million directions. 

“We’re pleased to see you awake.” Tech entered bringing Wrecker, Echo, Sil, and Omega with him. Tiggy excitedly ran to the end of the bed and launched herself at Echo. 

“NO!” Echo ducked behind Wrecker. 

Wrecker caught the pup in midair and hugged her to him. “Echo’s still gun-shy. You’re a scary widdle puppy dog!”  

Tiggy then begged to see Omega. Wrecker handed the puppy to her. Tiggy licked Omega’s face into a sloppy mess. The sound of her laughter lightened Hunter’s mood considerably 

Hunter glanced back at Mad. “What exactly happened during that job on Ord Mantell?” 

Mad’s eyes widened. It didn’t occur to her until now. The dreams were also stirred up from her visiting Dr. Zebba and the violence afterward. Everyone in the room stared expectantly at Mad. 

She and this botched job had thrust everyone aboard into this current situation. 

Sil showed us what was in the cooler. And the shot he gave you. Love Force Spoke and signed in Basic. I thought you were supposed to bring back two people with some cargo? 

“The parameters of the job changed at the last minute.” Mad sighed. 

Everyone in the room glanced at each other. 

Hunter needed answers. “WHAT changed?” 

Mad inhaled deeply. “There were supposed to be a courier for the cargo and a clone bodyguard that I was to pick up and take with us on the Beldame. According to my contact, they ‘didn’t make it’” 

Wrecker couldn’t help himself, wringing his large hands. “Ohh...they’re probably dead.” 

Echo shushed Wrecker. 

“Ok?” Hunter probed. 

Mad had a captive audience. 

“So...a doctor paid me extra to carry the cargo.” 

“...Ok? Where is it? You came back with a cooler of...Tech, help me out.” 

Tech adjusted his goggles “You are currently in possession of a cooler filled with hormone stim syringes. Even with my intellect I fail to see any correlation to this being any type of valuable cargo.” 

“Oh...I have the cargo.” Mad calmly stated. 

“Well...where?” Echo couldn’t contain himself.  

“Inside me.” Then Mad started to weakly giggle. 

Tech perked up. Hunter could smell his brain burning...putting together the pieces. 

“Mad...out with it.” Hunter demanded. He was starting to worry again. 

Mad took another deep breath. “You know the Jedi had the best healthcare that any citizen in the galaxy could receive. Preventative care, health screenings, yearly blood tests and full body examinations. Of course, they were scanned for any disease. Sometimes biological samples are taken to test for ‘health' "reasons... 

...some of that tissue was preserved and saved. Especially reproductive material. SOMEONE somewhere realized that it might be best to not dispose of it...” 

Tech interjected. “Then Order 66 occurred, the Jedi Genocide, and the Kaminoan medical facilities were shut down...” 

Mad finished his sentence. “And I took a job to help smuggle some of the remaining Jedi reproductive material to a safe location. Away from the Empire to a place that will extract it and put it back into storage for possible future use.” 

Everyone was in shock. Except for Tech. He was EXTREMELY interested. 

“My educated guess is that you are carrying ovuum. And that is why that cooler contains hormone syringes. Without that hormone, your body would menstruate and eject the ovuum out of the body. But, in your case...with the recent stress and being of...a certain age...you have lost some of the ovuum already...” 

“Tech...a certain age? Really???” Hunter snapped back and turned around to see Omega’s reaction to the conversation. She was seriously engrossed. 

“Well" Tech pushed his goggles up the bridge of his nose. "Technically she IS past childbearing age and menopausal...” 

“WOAH!” Wrecker shouted, covering Omega’s ears. 

“TOO MUCH INFORMATION!” Echo followed. 

Mad, Love, and Sil laughed at them. 

Hunter spun back around to stare “WHAT???” 

Sil answered in a string of Nomaadi slang. He laughed along with Love and Mad. 

“They are making fun of us.” Tech interpreted and side-eyed his brothers. “Specifically, Echo and Wrecker.” Then shot Sil a look. “Called us Naif’s.” 

“Ah, you know some of our language, eh?" Sil smiled proudly.  

“What’s a Naif?” Wrecker asked. 

Love signed Newbie, naive...you act so silly about body stuff. 

“The Nomaadi learn very early about biology, sex, reproduction, and how our bodies work. Male, female, intersex, fluidsexual, all of our people speak freely about it with ease and no shame.” Mad explained. “Just like eating, sleeping, thinking, feeling...it’s just part of life.” 

“Kamino didn’t really prepare us. Combat was our specialty.” Hunter defended. 

“And yet YOU’RE pretty KNOWLEDGEABLE there Hunky.” Mad winked. 

Hunter flushed deep red. 

“And Tech over there is NO Naif!” Sil and Love erupted into laughter 

Omega looked up at Wrecker pulling his hands from her ears. “I CAN hear everything they’re saying.” 

Echo interrupted “Wait...THAT’S what all of those credits are from?”  

“Yes, with more upon delivery of the ovuum. We are going to be financially set for a while.” Mad nodded to Tech. “I have coordinates to where the extraction point is. I’m supposed to be there within 7 rotations.” 

“Less than that, you’ve been unconscious for over 2 rotations.” Tech corrected Mad “We need that intel to get you safely there.” 

“Wait!” Hunter was wary “How do we KNOW this place is safe? What about any medical risks?” 

“The Empire’s gotta be looking for ALL of us.” Echo added. “The Marauder as well as The Beldame was being targeted.” 

“Hunter, Echo and I can do some digging on our comm channels. However, before we do, I should remove both of your catheter’s.” Tech pointed toward Mad. 

“Everyone out.” Mad motioned with her hand.  

“WHAAT? Thought you were ok about ‘Body Stuff’” Wrecker sassed Mad. 

Echo shook his head, ushering Omega, Sil, and Love out of the room. 

“You REALLY wanna see Tech pull a urinary catheter out of my bladder, big boy?” Mad sassed back. 

Wrecker visibly shuddered. She got him. “Oof...no.” He left the room. 

Hunter grabbed Mad’s hand and squeezed.  

Would he and his siblings have been happier on Ord Mantell still running jobs for Cid?  

No. THIS is where WE need to be right now! 

It was an uncertain journey so far, but Hunter was willing to see it through. 

PLEASE like, comment, and/or REBLOG!

To read Chapter 14 "In Confidence"

https://www.tumblr.com/skellymom/757579231979077632/vagabonds-chapter-14-in-confidence?source=share

[yanderes-galore]

May I request for a romantic Pav concept, with Kaiser's Daughter!Darling, where Kaiser is also a platonic yandere for his daughter, please? Both of them are from Fear & Hunger 2: Termina. If you're uncomfortable with writing for Kaiser that's alright, feel free to just do Pav. Thank you! And go ahead and dm if you need more details ^^

If I'm correct, Kaiser is just an Ascended Le'garde as The Yellow King. So I am going based on that for this. I'm still VERY new to F&H so I apologize if lore or something is off! I hope you like it-

Yandere! Pavel Yudin with Kaiser's Daughter! Darling

(Including Platonic! Kaiser, AU without three day timer/tweaked for plot purposes)

Pairing: Romantic (Pavel)/Platonic (Kaiser)

Possible Trigger Warnings: Female Darling, Obsession, Stalking, Manipulation, Violence, Overprotective behavior, Murder/Attempted murder, Toxic companionship, Dark themes, Very brief passing mention of intimacy.

In terms of your backstory you'd probably be one of the contestants in Termina's strange festival.

You most likely are not aware of your bloodline or anything like that.

So you have no idea that you're related to Le'garde/Kaiser or The Girl.

Far as you know your home life has been as normal as it can be.

Yet some sort of fate has brought you here, yeah?

Pavel, or just Pav, is also a contestant whose goal is primarily just to stick a bullet in the Kaiser's skull.

I can't find much on their personalities but from interactions I have an idea.

Pav is cunning and cruel due to his intentions.

For the most part he doesn't want to get involved with anyone, only making it a goal to make it to the Kaiser.

He'd come across you at times but for the most part leave you alone if you don't deserve his wrath.

Like you, he doesn't know anything of your origins.

The Kaiser, on the other hand, knows you.

Some sort of fate has brought you to him.

The daughter who has not surpassed him like The Girl, you are still mortal and unaware of his existence.

The Kaiser still seems to have strong powers due to the fact he can ruin Pav from a distance.

I imagine he still cares for his other daughter greatly and oversees your progress through the festival.

If something appears to threaten you, it strangely dies from seemingly an action too quick for you to process.

Kaiser believes there's a reason you're back here with him around the same time, so he'll make sure you make it to meet him one way or another.

What's troubling is Pav's growing interest in you.

Pav has seen you around and mostly left you alone until you save him somehow.

Kaiser can still strike him down before disappearing, yet maybe after you save him in an AU from canon, Pav takes more interest?

It's that or some sort of alteration from that.

Pav begins to drift around you after you prevent him from dying.

You've given him another chance at slaying Kaiser.

At first he's hostile and upset at you, he never asked to be saved.

Yet you still appear to be patient, asking him of his past and how he is.

At first it all makes him annoyed.

Yet it all begins to grow on him the longer he's around you.

It feels... admittedly... a bit nice that you did such a thing.

Such behavior will quickly be punished in a land such as this.

Such a fact is something Kaiser also knows.

He understands the idea of wanting to change something, even in this current state.

It sort of frustrates Kaiser that you saved Pav.

However he can't blame your empathetic to help humanity.

Kaiser just wishes you chose your allies more... wisely.

Pav admittedly can't stop hovering around your location.

He tells himself he shouldn't, he has better things to do.

But instead he watches you, like he can't get enough of your presence.

He's another one to look out for you.

A bullet is gifted to any creature attacking... forcefully.

So not only is a God watching over you, a soldier of said Kaiser is also around.

You're in better hands than most other contestants.

Pav doesn't talk to you much and Kaiser prefers to silently watch you.

Whenever you encounter Kaiser you feel... wary yet comforted?

You aren't sure why but the aura feels both new and familiar, a sign this person is much more than man.

You don't want to go closer to him yet there's a supernatural calling to it.

You ignore it as best you can.

Pav would give you supplies to survive the festival when he finds you, Internally thankful you're still here.

Conversation is brief and quick, but he always seems to have a soft look in his eyes.

Pav is definitely not a yandere completely out in the open.

He isn't going to be all over you.

He isn't overly affectionate, he's a weathered man.

Even if he somehow showed his obsession, he isn't very skilled with it.

He's lost his whole family and only really knows bloodshed.

The fact he still has such a passionate feeling towards you is surprising.

It's also intense, even if not entirely visible.

He'd mostly be one to watch but offers to stick by you under the excuse of finding Kaiser.

Speaking of which, back to Kaiser.

Kaiser wants to take you in and prevent the area from changing you, even if it isn't possible.

Fate may be dark and twisted but it's brought you to him.

If he has to slay Pav to have such a thing happen he doesn't mind.

The man seems desperate to die anyways.

Here's some things to think about, if Pav ever did try to hold or kiss you to show romantic attraction, the normally at peace Kaiser is furious.

It's worse if anything even remotely Sylvian happened between you, regardless on if you love Pav back truly or wanted a fling.

I have I feeling this sort of situation only has one outcome.

Pav cannot kill Kaiser, the God is quick to overwhelm him no matter the scenario.

A simple gun shot to Kaiser's body will not end him, many have tried.

Although, he is thankful that the man has kept you safe up until this point.

Pav would feel a bit betrayed at the fact Kaiser is your father.

Even if you didn't know it

Despite this, Pav still holds strong feelings towards you due to his obsession.

He wants to kill the Kaiser even more now that he knows he plans to take you away.

Pav keeping you away from your father enrages Kaiser.

Pav has caught himself imagining some sort of life with you at times, even if it is not possible here.

He promises himself to kill the one who wants to take you away... even more so due to their past.

However, no matter how intense Pav is as a yandere, Kaiser will win.

In canon, Pav can never kill Kaiser alone.

Even when he brings you along to encounter Kaiser, or you meet together by chance, Kaiser has already decided the man's fate.

Pav yells at the "man" that he'll kill him.

No matter the weapon, he'll find a way.

You're meant to be with Pav as his wife....

Kaiser's patience wears thin.

This match up feels underwhelming as Kaiser would quickly plunge a blade into Pav's still healing chest.

This mortal does not deserve to have his daughter.

It only angers him that Pav could have done defiled you.

You belong here, with your father.

Pav's fate was going to happen eventually... it's about time you meet yours too. It's funny that he thought he had a chance after meeting you here.

Your father has been waiting for you... why don't you properly greet him?

[mdhwrites]

Saw the TOH Finale in Its Entirety.

I think I need a little time away from talking about TOH after it. I have some blogs prepared but I may just let myself breathe a little bit. This isn't me suddenly calling the finale good. No... No. Like For the Future, it was an episode I'd always seen and heard enough to know I wouldn't like it. I'd watched enough of it to know it was bad. I had to watch the Collector's redemption for a different blog though and when that portion was done, I decided to watch the last fifteen minutes I hadn't seen.

And... I could say a lot about it but this picture is all I need to focus on.

This was the end of the series.

Oh yeah, there were six minutes after it that showed them in the future but this was the end of the series. They had just spent 3-4 minutes with epilogue narration, a curtain call saying farewell to everyone and showing they were safe, showing us that the Isles would heal and then it came to this. Luz thinks about how she'll miss magic but grew as a person and how all of this will have made her better. Made her able to face the future and then you get this shot.

That is the end of a story. Period.

But then TOH wastes six more minutes running it back and doing the exact. Same. Thing but worse. Because it doesn't end on the thematic focus of Luz's journey, growth, and what you can take away from it. It ends on self indulgence, takes EVEN LONGER, and on a forced group shot that includes villains and one off characters for some reason. It's much worse composed than this, it's much less meaningful but they decided not to cut it. They decided they couldn't choose one of two endings and so did both.

All while the Collector fails to properly finish his redemption arc or admit that what he'd done was wrong. While Luz dies in a sequence of like five plot beats and reveals that happen in like a minute's time. While the episode is repetitive and contradictory in the most infuriating ways and even when it's looking good, the story boarding and choreography and lack of real creativity is holding it back. All while claiming it's so much better than other media while doing exactly what it's mocking.

In other words... It was indeed a finale to TOH.

But it's a finale that makes me feel worried about being able to kind to it. After all, the creators of this show complained about being shortened. Claimed they had so many ideas. So many they never got to tell. But then... Then they made this finale and spent a fifth of the time on two different endings rather than actually completing and fleshing out their story.

I don't think Dana's name will do anything but turn me away from a project now. Not unless I know she's not a part of the writing team. And... While that may still just be due to the quality of her work, I do not want this thought so fresh in my mind. Not when my analytical roots sadly still stem from an angry part of me and was first birthed out of an angry part of the internet. It doesn't change my opinion but like I said, I think I just need some time and I have some blogs cued to post in the meantime, as well as some Amphibia asks I can get to instead.

See you all next tale. Hopefully I find a new one to get stuck into properly soon.

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

I've been thinking about Toga for a little bit, and how I just pity her, sure she's a psychotic murderer, but she didn't have to be, if her parents were more open to her quirk things could have been different, if she went to a reputable pro hero things could have been different, did she have some less than ideal tendencies before she went off the deep end? Yes, but with therapy they could have been lessened, and who knows she could have been a good underground hero or whatever she wanted to be, I understand what a lot of what the community says about her being able to change, but with everything she did it wasn't going to be overnight, while I'm a little sad about her fate at the end in a way it sorta fits, she finally found someone who truly sees her for what she wants to be, someone cute and deserving of love.

I’m about to break your heart: I don’t like Toga. At all. Yeah I can sympathize for her, abusive parents suck, but like… she is still a killer. She is aware what she does is wrong and does it anyway. No amount of ‘I want love’ can change that for me. Plus I think people forget that it’s not canon she needs blood to survive. Her fascination with blood is due to her Quirk yes- but it was also what led to her killing a bird. That highly suggests psychopathic/sociopathic tendencies. These people tend to ONLY focus on themselves and what they want rather then anyone else.

Yes therapy helps but its not just ‘a few months of sessions’ its years on end therapy. Its never ending. Its in and out of hospitals sometimes to see what helps depending on the person. Its possibly being on medication, its being a young adult changing therapists ten times.

Yeah she could have been saved. But she also had a body count within like a year. I find it really hard to understand how people downplay it or try to ignore her actions- much like how they do it with Bakugou. Because she's cute and fun they want her to be part of the hero course as ‘rehab’ and ‘look how awful these kids are shunning her aren't they despite the fact they just got attacked a week ago by her’.

I'm much more interested in unrepentative Toga because I find that more interesting then a ‘good’ Toga. More so since the various ways people redeem her just fail.

A few months of therapy and it’s all good! No? Toga needs YEARS of therapy. And to be honest? With her history- she would need at least two years incarceration in a psychiatric hospital.

She gets into a rehab program at UA and then makes best friends. Okay no, she is obsessed with Izuku and Ochako. You remove people like Toga from their obsessions for their safety.

She gets caught after her first kill, gets help and then joins the hero course! It would take so much longer for her therapy to be done.

Do I think if she was found before she started killing things would be different? Yes I do! I fully think she could have been a hero if she had early intervention. If a teacher got worried, if she had proper Quirk Counseling- list goes on. She would still have her tendencies but early childhood intervention helps with that stuff. She would still be in therapy and all but she would have excelled at heroics. Psychopaths and sociopaths do wonderful in the military and similar jobs for a reason. An underground hero like Toga working as a spy? She'd rock it.

But I also think she isn't safe for society after she starts killing. Maybe in like a decade after therapy and stuff she would be, but it takes a long time for that to happen. Een then, she may not be allowed out because she isn't insane in the way she doesn't know what she's doing. She does, she does it. She might be in prison for the rest of her life because of that.

And lets say she does get out- its probably in her best interests not to have contact with Ochako. The risk of her relapsing is to much.

Of course this is me taking a more realistic approach. You can handwave everything with Quirks, but for me its just… I can’t.

I’ve read really good LOV redemption fics. One of my fav authors here (who I bug all the time) likes Toga. I don’t mind reading them because they work/are fairly crackish so its not a big deal. (Others less so). I can see why people like her, even if I don’t understand the habit of downplaying her actions. I just don’t like her. To me, she's more interesting as a selfish and unrepentive villain.

That being said: I didn't hate her ending either. I think it does fit her, and if it had to happen I like how it unfolded. Ochako did see someone worthy of love, worthy of care. And I think it says a lot about Ochako. I love it. I truly do. I love also how Ochako champions helping others like Toga to prevent the same thing happening again.

It’s one of the things I like the most about the ending.

[uraosol]

OK I AM GRADING ESSAYS AS I WATCH THAT HOUR LONG CHRONO STOLITZ VIDEO AND I HAVE A THOUGHT AND IT MAY BE OBVIOUS AND MAYBE SOMEONE POINTED IT OUT ALREADY BUT BECAUSE IM NEW TO THE FANDOM I HAVEN'T BEEN EXPOSED TO IT SO HERE IT GOES, MY THOUGHT:

SO I constantly see the critique that Stolas' development seemed very random and out of nowhere, BUT you have to remember that we are only ever exposed to Stolas when he's out in public OR when he's interacting with Blitz during their monthly meet-ups. SO in a way we're seeing him from an "unreliable narrator" perspective of sorts if that makes sense. I have seen others point out that Stolas puts up a front because obvsl he was raised that way due to his hierarchical position. We only ever see his "true" self when he was talking to Octavia back in Loo Loo Land when she was honest with him and he decided to be vulnerable in that moment as well. The other moment we see that too was at Ozzie's before Blitz called him. We see him all down and tbh in a depressed state, serving himself some cereal and watching his hell-a-novelas (or is it hell-e-novelas?), there is NO ONE around for him to put up a front for, UNTIL Blitz calls him and even then, a bit of his true self shows, aka his excitement and surprise over Blitz inviting him out to a date. Then we switch back to him putting up a front once he arrives to meet up with Blitz. Still, throughout the entire date, we continue to see his "true" self BECAUSE that's how the episode started out, the "unreliable narrator" perspective is no longer there; it continues to stay that way in further episodes.

SO WHAT IM TRYING TO GET AT IS THIS:

The reason there are SO MANY PEOPLE who continue to say "Stolas' development is sooo random" or "Stolas is sooooo OOC, that's not who he is!" are in a way stuck in that "unreliable narrator" perspective of Stolas, which was VERY intentional from the writers. So they're seeing Stolas HOW BLITZ is seeing him too! Cause remember, Blitz is also VERY CONFUSED with Stolas' "change" in personality, and we are pointed to this in Oops! AND HEY I DON'T BLAME HIM EITHER, Stolas only ever spoke to him in a sexual manner and whatnot BUT I ALSO DON'T BLAME STOLAS EITHER BECAUSE THAT'S //HOW// BLITZ SPOKE TO HIM THE TIME THEY REUNITED! Blitz unintentionally set up to Stolas how he supposedly "talks/interacts" with him, iow, "Oh! So Blitz likes it when I talk this way, ok! I'll continue to talk to him in that way! This is his way of flirting!" type of shiz, if that makes sense. I mean Stolas mentions that during their first time in bed. SO YEAH

AGAIN, maybe I'm repeating what has already been said BUT STILL, I had to put my two cents out there too! More cents, yay!

[fasterthanmydemons]

{out of breath} Alright folks, I know I'm getting on here late tonight, but it has not been a good day. I'll put some updates below a cut, but there's just a lot going on in my life right now that's not only taking away from time I have to write, but it's also leaving me without a lot of creativity or ability to concentrate. I would probably skip tonight if I could, because I'm exhausted and my focus is not really there to write, but I skipped last week, and will need to skip next week as well. So... I am here to do what I can tonight, but I apologize if it's a bit light. I'm doing the best I can, honestly. The next few weeks are going to be rough, but then I'm hoping maybe I can turn a corner and things will get better. Thank you for understanding, I know I've been absent a lot lately in recent months, but you've all been so supportive. Things will get better, I'm just not exactly sure when. <3

Okay so... for those who want to know what's going on... I found out this morning that I will need surgery to remove my gallbladder. This was anxiety-producing enough because I've never had surgery before in my life (unless you count wisdom teeth extraction), and people in my family rend to react poorly and dangerously to anesthesia. So I'm very anxious about this, and I've got a consultation with a surgeon next Monday to probably schedule a date to have this done in the near future.

In the meantime, I'm in a decent amount of pain, and I'm already on a restrictive diet that will likely become even more restrictive after surgery. I've been a comfort eater/baker all my life, that's my main coping mechanism for stress and anxiety, so this has been very damaging to my mental health to have my one go-to taken away.

While that was going on today, in the midst of calling doctors and making appointments and such, I've been working on a promotion package that's due the end of the week. I didn't want to apply for promotion because I don't really think I deserve it, but I also just want to keep things status quo. I'm fine with my job the way it is, and I don't need a promotion. But I've been informed that not applying may be one of the factors contributing to me potentially losing my job later this year, because I won't "seem ambitious enough." I'm just like... of course I'm not ambitious, I'm taking care of my grandmother, I've got health issues, I've got focus and memory issues post-Covid, yeah I just want things to stay the way they are. But I may lose my job if I don't show interest in advancement. So I've had to quickly write and gather everything to apply by Friday because I wasn't planning on doing it.

Then I found out today that the person I have to send all my promotion materials to, and one of two people who will be making the decision on whether or not I get promoted AND whether I keep my job going forward... is a woman who 1) stole my research in 2015 and rendered me unable to publish my own work because she stole it and published it first, and 2) got me laid off from my dream job in 2017 because she lied behind my back to the company we were conducting research for that I was no longer interested in the project, so that she could have all the project funding only for her lab. So I'm just like.... I am... so screwed. *sigh* My hope for keeping my job plummeted after that. That was my second panic attack of the day.

My third... was when I went out to get the mail, only to find out I've been summoned for jury duty. I mean seriously, life? Really? What the actual flippin' pancake?! I was like how am I going to manage this promotion application process, surgery, recovery, AND my students have their midterm this Friday and a forum assignment I have to grade the same day as my surgery consultation as well (the reason I have to skip this blog next week)... and then also add jury duty. After I calmed down, I went on the website and tried to do a medical deferral until the summer, when I would be between classes and hopefully over some of my health issues... which was thankfully accepted. So that at least has been resolved for the time being.

After that, I just... crashed so hard. I slept from 7PM to 11:30PM because the stress just hit hard. After dealing with some laundry that had been backing up, I am just now getting on here at 3AM, heh. So. That's. What's been going on. It's been... ALot™.

Once I have my surgery date, I'll know better when I have to go on hiatus for a bit, because I'll be in the hospital for a couple days with limited web access and then I'll be recovering at home, so I'm not sure how all of that is going to go. As soon as I know more, I'll let everyone know so that you'll know when I'll be gone and when I'm coming back.

Again, thank you for understanding. I'll be okay, it's just a seriously bad patch of life right now. This too shall pass, I know. I just wish it would hurry up, heh.

[pluvicor]

Zion is by far one of my favorite OCs and the one whose story I spend the most time trying to continue despite not actively writing him that much anymore.

Some of the reason for it is how I, admittedly, became close minded and skeptical about collaborative work on this side of the RPC. But that's for another post (or none at all), I'm here to lay out the things I've established for him, either through development over Discord, ideas that came and stuck with me but were never shared, or a secret third thing, lest I forget and punch more holes into his storyline:

Personal life:

Leads a married life (not on paper yet) with Rickon. It's a very fulfilling relationship, Rickon is the exception to Zion's compromise to never resort to violence and/or dirty tricks, should anyone do anything to harm him. Given Zion's current state in life, that is not to be taken as lightly as it once could, as I'll touch on more down this post;

He's also in a relationship with Samael, though he's still conflicted about putting a name to it, given his aversion to the idea of having multiple partners. In fact, he is Zion and Rickon's boyfriend, that makes it easier alongside the fact Samael is a literal god and doesn't seem to mind how Zion navigates this new state of affairs between them, as long as it's good for everyone;

He's in therapy, has been for a while. His therapist is not human but I haven't decided what or who they are yet. Zion never felt he'd be safe with a regular professional, seeing as his problems stem from very unnatural events - he concluded he wouldn't be taken seriously at all, with less than pleasant consequences and the actual assistance he needs;

Zion has something going on with his mental health, he's on mood stabilizers and some antis;

His blood is haunted. In all seriousness, a regular doctor can no longer provide reliable diagnosis for any ailments he may have, as his body has been permanently affected by years of consecutive and direct exposition to demonic essence. Would an exorcism work? I don't know, maybe not, maybe it'd kill him. Remains to be decided;

And he's still mortal, though;

He no longer lives in an apartment with Rickon, they're sharing a house and have ??? cats;

Business:

The petting zoo that became a ranch then became an inn and is now large enough to be considered a district? Yes;

It's giving him a bit of legal trouble for that. It's expansion is partly due to his impulsivity;

It has over 100 rooms for guests and a sizable staff. He's the owner and head manager, has many sub managers for each department (cuisine, reception, maintenance, accounting, legal, etc etc);

It's no longer in the stock market and he's put an end to contracts with sponsors as means to avoid too much meddling from external parties;

🆕 It has an alchemy department! Cool, yeah?;

The lake is alive and she is moody. She has recently learned to assume a form of her own made of pure water but isn't fond of it and uses it exclusively for communication (when she wants to talk). Skip stones in her and she'll beat you up, try to go for a dive and she'll recede enough so you hit the bottom instead. She didn't quite like Zion at first, he doesn't know why, but now they're on friendly terms;

The animals in its rehabilitation center are no longer exclusively earthlings or from his universe. Guests have started to leave them there for care;

Same with his plants (garden and greenhouse);

Alair, the concierge, is no longer the only Boto working there. Hide your wives when visiting;

It has a growing system for people who want help for any activity, a "help wanted" board that he totally did not take inspiration from Stardew Valley, and if you imply as much he will laugh and deny despite everything. It's loosely supervised by a moderation team just to make sure nothing against the place's rules is posted;

It doesn't run exclusively on regular currency, any item can be evaluated at the exchange office to have its value assessed;

I'll add more as I remember it.

[quipxotic]

Spoilers for Campaign 3, in particular Episode 68, below...

Who could Bell's Hells call on for help at the Malleus Key? Here's a running list of some of the options, although how likely any of the people are to give aid is still up in the air.

Planerider Ryn - If she's alive and no longer a statue you know she'd be there.

Any remaining members of the Grim Verity - They're mostly academics, not fighters, which is why both the Ruby Vanguard and the Judicators/forces of Vasselheim so easily whittled them down. Still, there may be more out there if BH could figure out how to contact them.

"D" - Seems like they're going to find them anyway, so we'll see what they have to offer.

Jiana Hexum - Always a dicey proposition, first of all because Hexum (while a wonderful villain who I hope we see again) is a terrible person who enjoys holding power over others and making them do things they otherwise wouldn't. I'd hate to see what she'd ask of BH, more specifically Ashton and FCG, if they do go to her for help. Plus they don't know if Hexum was just hired to do work for Paragon's Call/Ruby Vanguard or if she believes in their cause.

The Green Seekers - Gus and Olly are more detectives than soldiers but it's all hands on deck right now.

House Lumas and Oshad Breshio - I'm sure Ela would love to bring some justice to the people who murdered her sons and the Anger would probably like another shot at them too.

Orlana Seshadri - One of the things I most wish BH had done while back in Jrusar was talk to Madame Seshadri. I'm not sure how much power the Chandei Quorum could bring to the fight, but they at least ought to know what's going on practically on their doorstep.

Ira Wendagoth - Like Hexum, this one is tricky. Ira's powerful and can be an ally, but he's fundamentally untrustworthy and will betray them one day. But if BH can survive this event without that or a TPK, they can worry about that eventual betrayal later.

The Verdict - Yeah maybe they still have beef with BH, but the team did heal them before they eventually beat them to the prize they were all after. Maybe that little bit of kindness counts for something?

The Calloways - I'm not sure how much help Ollie would be, but Birdy is no slouch in a fight and they've both got multiple reasons for trying to stop what's going on at the key.

Imahara Joe - I'll admit part of my reason for putting him on this list is just because I want more of Joe, who is a delight. He wouldn't be able to help them fight, but if they need tech he's the guy.

All-Minds-Burn - I'm not sure how much help Justi Pross and the gang could be outside of Bassuras or if they'd even want to pick a side in what's going on, but they'd be able to take it to whatever is left of the Paragon's Call, so maybe?

Grandma Morri - She would probably be helping already if travel and communication between the planes weren't part of the magic that got borked due to the solstice. Still, if there is a way, always count on Nana.

Delilah Briarwood - I mean, what could go wrong? I really hope it doesn't come to this, because if it does and they survive the battle on the moon or at the key, then they'll eventually have to fight her and possibly Vox Machina...and nothing good can come from any of that.

The Gorgynei - They'd probably be reluctant to leave the Gloomed Jungles and expose both their existence and their number, but this is a desperate situation. Bonus! Matt might have to voice Manad and Teven Klask in a scene with Fearne, Ashton, and Chetney and wouldn't that be an awkward delight?!

FRIDA, Deanna, and Prism - Get the Lore-sonists on the case! (This is HIGHLY unlikely, but we can dream.)

The Diarchy of Uthodurn - Team Wildemount promised to report back and never did. And while the rulers and the city may be a long, LONG way from the fight, they should have some sort of force to send and quite a few reasons to fight Ludinus.

[misterborax]

My Games of the Week #4 - Character Action Games

Note: Due to Tumblr's maximum of 30 images per post, this blog will have less images than intended. Check out the Twitter version of this blog for more images! https://twitter.com/Eman59x/status/1684931069068394498?s=20

My Games of the Week are Character Action games! We're gonna mix things up a bit, and I'm gonna briefly showcase games I consider to be part of the Character Action genre. The list of games in this thread is not ordered. 1/30 (Sorry, it's a long one.)

So what is Character Action? This term was made by the culture surrounded by various games, so it's open to interpretation. Generally speakng, it involves playing as one character in an action game with a wide variety of tools, allowing the player to express themselves within a game's combat. Some alternative names for this game include Hack and Slash, Beat 'em Up, and Spectacle Fighter. 2/30

The character's actions reflect the player's decision, rather than limiting what the player is capable of doing. The most common comparison would be a single player fighting game. Some characters/tools suit the player better than others, and how you like to play is prioritized. Player expression is key! 3/30

Let's start with the king of character action, Devil May Cry! DMC3 is a great example of creativity through limitation. That limit being only using two weapons and one style at a time. What you choose to use, unlock, and upgrade is your choice. Experimentation and creativity are vital for obtaining stylish ranks and more currency. Spamming stinger works too, of course. 4/30

My personal fave game, DMC5, does away with all limitations and lets you do anything. Equip all 4 weapons, and switch between all 4 styles seamlessly, allowing for some of the craziest combos in all of gaming. Not to mention, 3 characters that play differently, and require different kinds of creativity and decision making for reaching maximum style. Oh yeah, and V is there too for some reason. 5/30

Now for classic God of War (2005-2013). Combo variety, buying and upgrading what you like, decision making, and some amazing spectacle. In fact, the first boss of GOW is one of my favorite bosses of all time. The game focuses on using the right moves at the right time, rather a style ranking. 6/30

Instead, your incremental combo counter increases per hit, so it's a different kind of decision making. Where GOW1 and 2's variety lies in different Blades of Chaos moves and magic usage, GOW3 actually has new weapons and even "item" weapons like a bow and arrow. 7/30

Bayonetta is a name you've heard of by now. This game is a as over-the-top as they come, through visual presentation and combat! Each weapon plays pretty identically, so the variety comes in the combos. Two attack buttons, but the order and timing of each press allows for hundreds of combo variations. I'm not very good at this one, but even casual fans can enjoy button mashing splendor! 8/30

Let's continue on the Platinum Games train and look at The Wonderful 101. What if Pikmin could turn into weapons? You "draw" the shape of the weapon with the right stick to equip it, and hack and slash away! Very unique presentation as well. Can't say I've played anything like this before. 9/30

If you're into meme culture, you've defintely seen MGR: Revengeance before. Not only is the writing and acting fantastic, but the acion is some of the best in the genre. By holding L2, you enter Blade Mode, and can carefully aim your sword to slice away your enemies. You can even rip out their robot spines to refill health and meter! So freaking cool. 10/30

Next up is a more recent title, FF16! Regardless what genre you consider this game, the combat lines up prefectly with character action predecceors. Mixing and matching Eikon abilites to create a build suited for your playstyle, and some incredibly unique combos! Not to mention several dozen of hours of content longer than most games on this list. 11/30

Our last Platinum/Square title, the Nier series! While Replicant and Automata have their own variety of action (as well as the best narratives in gaming), so does its less-known prequel series, Drakengard. Drakengard 3 in particular has some pretty neat action and variety in combat. Not to mention, the wiritng is insane - play the game, you'll see what I mean. If you haven't played Nier: Automata yet, what kind of gamer are you? 12/30

One of the more underappreciated games in the genre, Ninja Gaiden 2 (2008)! A massive improvement over the first, having some of the craziest action I've seen. A unique dismemberment mechanic, rage mode, weapon variety, and well spaced shops. I was able to upgrade every weapon by the time it ended! So much combat variety and look cool while doing it. I plan to revisit this game soon since my memory's a tad fuzzy on this one. 13/30

No More Heroes may be lacking in terms of variety, but the action, style, and spectacle is all there. Very satisfying action combat with a fantistic script to enjoy with it. Each game in the trilogy is worth a shot, and is on all modern platforms! 14/30

Remember Dante's Inferno? If not, think of it as your usual God of War ripoff, except it's actually good. It was even made by Visceral games, the original devs of Dead Space! Dante (no, not that Dante) only has one weapon, so his variety comes from combo and magic moves he can unlock, and perk-granting equippable relics. 15/30

When you finish an enemy, you can either absolve or kill them to gain holy and unholy spirits. You can level up your holy and unholy level by getting their respective souls, each level unlocking abilities that you can purchase. The two soul types combine into one collective soul currency which you use to buy these abilities. An interesting take on the skill tree system! 16/30

A very solid character action game with enough room for player expression. Although, since it is so similar to other games, I would only recommend it if you can't get enough of this gameplay. It's good but not a must-play. 17/30

Next up is Hi-Fi Rush! A rhytmic take on the genre where you time your actions to the beat for more damage and style. Like before, you decide whaat moves, supers, and perks to buy. You also have character assists like a fighting game. 18/30

Not to mention the refreshing cel-shaded visuals, striking character designs, and great characters and writing. You not only express yourself with the combat, but through the music as well! You can use your free trial on Game Pass to check it out. 19/30

Now for the real interesting stuff, indie games. First up is Genokids, an upcoming game where you switch between 4 characters, who play differently, on the fly. Sort of a mix of DMC and Kingdom Hearts combat. A free demo is out now! 20/30

Slave Zero X has retro fighting game pixel art mixed with low poly 3D backgrounds. It sort of plays like a hack and slash and fighting game mashup, even with familiar mechanics such as Supers and Bursts! Once again, a demo is out now. 21/30

Sifu might not look as spectacular as the other games, but boy does this game have all sorts of meele combos. It's based on martial arts, meaning mixing up high and low attacks, and using the enviornment. I'll admit I'm not very good at this one, but it's a unique action game nonetheless. 22/30

For our last game, Furi. This is another unique case, as it's more of a boss rush kind of game, where you memorize boss patterns. I would say expression comes with how you dodge the bullet hell phase, and parry the melee phase. Although things can get hard real quick, it has plenty of options to make things easier. 23/30

The recent DLC pack adds a new characters that essentially functions as a stance character, those being "fast and agile" and "slow but lethal." Switching between stances sounds pretty expressive to me! 24/30

Here's a quick-fire list about games I didn't cover: Assault Spy, God Hand, Asura's Wrath, Viewtiful Joe, Streets of Rage 4, Madworld (Wii), Transformers: Devestation, Kingdom Hearts, and pretty much the entire Warriors series (Dynasty, Hyrule, Psersnoa). 25/30

That's the end of my list, but I wanna give you one more thought. The Character Action subgenre is rather young, and what does and doesn't qualify a game for this genre is pretty much subjective. There's consensus opinions, such as combos and spectacle, but a game is usually determined "Character Action" by it's community. 26/30

A final game I wanna share is Vanquish, a cover-based third personn shooter. Who made the game, however? Why, none other than Platinum, whose games have utterly dominated this list. In this game, you can rocket-boost slide from cover to cover, and pick up new guns on the fly. Would the guns you equip and how you use them also qualify as Character Action? 27/30

One of my favorite games of all time also gets me thinking about this genre, that being DOOM Eternal. Each enemy has a weakness, and you use the environment and your platforming skills to dispatch enemies effectively. However, how you do so is up to you, as the situation dynamically changes and one strategy won't always work. While mostly considered an FPS game, there is still plenty of player expression within this combat loop. 28/30

So as you can see, while characters and action are in plenty of games, what makes a Character Action game in my opinion is if the character is a function for the player to express themselves. It doesn't necessarily need to be in the hack and slash genre. 29/30

There are plenty more examples, but we don't got all day, so don't consider this a definitive list. Go and do your own research, and share some other character action games! 30/30

Check out the Twitter version of this blog! https://twitter.com/Eman59x/status/1684931069068394498?s=20

[supnerds]

NINTH! have u watched anything new recently that you liked? or supremely disliked?

okay so I was holding off on answering this until after my exam this morning but then I woke up sick as a dog so now this is my consolation prize.

Anyway!! Let me tell you the wonders of one of the latest shows I’ve watched: Parallel World Pharmacy, aka Isekai Yakkyoku!

so side note I’m coming back to this after finishing typing the whole thing and holy wow I went on a bit of a ramble. Idk how to put things under a “read more” on mobile so this is your only warning :)

Our main character is a research pharmacist, who works hard to discover new drugs to benefit patients. However he realizes too late that he misses working with real patients - the main reason why he became a pharmacist. Unfortunately, our dude dies from overworking because setting healthy limits for ourselves is so last century.

Surprise surprise however - he doesn’t go to the afterlife or whatnot - instead he wakes up in the body of Pharma de Medicis, a ten year old boy who is the son of the head pharmacist in a medieval fantasy world (listen I know how it sounds stick with me)

Part of this world’s mechanics are that nobles are distinct from commoners by the fact that they are able to wield a specific element (hello atla). Before our dude moved in, Pharma had previously only been able to create water (these nobles can wield one of the four elements, and only in a create or destruct way - never both and never more than one). Somehow, Pharma 2.0 now has the ability to create and destroy any element he can think of (hello 21 century knowledge) and uses his knowledge of chemical structures to create medications to help those around him. Through reasons, he is able to open the first pharmacy for nobles and commoners alike, and quickly grows in popularity.

Okay so now for my thoughts on the whole thing. I’m gonna be honest, the main reason I clicked on it was because the title said pharmacy and I am actually currently in pharmacy school. I may have gotten a wee bit excited that there was an anime out there focused on my career path (because let’s be honest have you ever seen anything about pharmacy? they say pharmacy is a small world and they are absolutely correct). As I was watching, Pharma actually consistently used accurate treatments for all the conditions he finds which was so exciting for me. I remember there was one episode where a person had tuberculosis - I only learned about the treatments for that sometime last year and the anime got it all right, down to even the chemical structure. So yeah on that hand it’s super cool for me.

One potential drawback - my man Pharma is ridiculously OP, and consistently continues to get more so. I actually looked up the manga after finishing the anime and the manga does a better job of actually showing him get tired and hitting his limits (which was a great callback to you know HOW HE DIED IN THE FIRST PLACE) but still. There’s an amusing bit with some characters who believe him to be an incarnation of the God of Medicine (which the further we get into the story the more likely it seems) and keeps hinting that he may not have much longer in this world for all the power he has, which would be nice to see as a limiter on how much he can do. The story does show how Terrifying he can be with access to so much power, which is also really cool

Story-wise, I found the whole thing pretty compelling. Again I may be biased re: the whole pharmacy thing, but I honestly really enjoyed the whole thing. Another drawback - really long times between updates, or maybe just for English translations. It’s been at least 2 months since the last chapter was posted, which yes not that long but also I want more

also the overall style is just absolutely amazing I love the art and backgrounds etc so here have a few more pics

Overall I think it was a really good show/manga, though if I had to pick between the two I’d go with the manga largely due to just how much More there is and for actually giving him limits and such.

lol that got a lot longer than I thought it would. thanks for letting me ramble!

[flimsy-roost]

Run-on Review Anthology: Algernon Blackwood

Wake up besties, new fave early 20th century horror/weird fiction short story writer just dropped~

~Algernon Blackwood~

Fig. 1) This guy right here

As someone who was introduced to the genre via HP Lovecraft, here are several reasons why the work of our boy Algernon could be considered better than his contemporary and/or worth your time to read:

-Runs the literary gamut between truly horrifying and joyfully awe-inspiring. Scary not your thing? Al's got you covered!

-Writes in many different formats: short stories, longer novels, even plays! Entertainment for every occasion! (In this post I'll be focusing on short stories because that's my favorite format, but I'll be reading some of his novels in the future!)

-No commitment that I've seen to far to an internally consistent world (a la the Lovecraft Cinematic Universe), allowing him to explore many different themes, settings, and source material

-Absolutely gorgeous and immersive descriptions of place and vibe

-Actually usually describes things very well, instead of leaning on the cosmic horror trope of "oH nooOo it'S TOOo indescrIBAble"

-As far as I can tell so far, is not particularly racist or xenophobic for the time, especially when compared to HP "Hyper-pRacist" Lovecraft

(sidebar; I don't think it's correct to write off the works of long-dead authors due to things that are considered problematic today; however, it's hard to get around that some things are just plain uncomfortable to read with modern eyes. I think that providing context and disclaimers is important, but given that these people are too dead to profit from their work, I don't generally feel bad discussing, recommending, or purchasing their writing)

---

Run On Reviews of Algernon Blackwood Short Stories

The Touch of Pan (originally read in The Moons At Your Door, pdf version linked here): Really really love this one, first one I read by him in a multi-author anthology, it's a comfort read that I keep coming back to, definitely on the joyful/awe end of the spectrum, does refer to idiocy/lunacy but in a way that vibes with me personally neurodivergently and spins it as a neutral-positive thing misunderstood by society at large, lovely lovely lovely, 10/10

The Empty House (originally read in The Algernon Blackwood Collection, it's the first story in the linked pdf): Very solid and intimate ghost story, told through the emotional state of the characters as much as the actually environment and goings-on, spooky but not extremely scary, 7/10

The Damned (originally read in the ABC, pdf link): Excellent haunted house/something's real weird around here story, ever so gradually increases the tension and unsettling feel of the place in inventive modes of discovery, the ending peters out a bit for me but all in all a good read, 8.5/10

The Willows (og ABC, linked): Holy shit yeah this is what I'm fucking TALKING ABOUT this is atmospheric horror done so so right, moody and isolating and creepy and scary, this is the one with the gay subtext you may have heard about, there's a good reason this one is included in so many anthologies, if you can only read one read this one, 10/10

The Wendigo (og ABC, linked): Closest to a "classic" wilderness monster story I'm reviewing here, it's the longest read but well worth it, you can see where it's going pretty early on but it somehow still gets creepier and weirder and worse and oh god kill it, you'll either love it or hate it if you've binged creepypastas and greentext horror stories like I have, this one does have some problematic racial language (reference to an "N-word bar" in describing a black bar, referring to the native american character as "red" and in some "noble savage"-esque ways), as well as colonial-ish "ahaha we're men going on an adventure to unspoiled land pip pip cheerio," but if you can stomach that it's a truly unnerving story that will make you never want to camping ever again in your life, 9/10

Ancient Sorceries (originally read in the Ancient Sorceries anthology, pdf linked): I so badly wanted to like this one more, the setting is absolutely magical and the buildup is excellent, but it kind of runs out of steam for me with the reveal (which isn't super fair bc this story predates all the works that make the reveal a tired trope in my mind), still would recommend a gander, 10/10 up until part IV, 6/10 after, overall 8/10

The Listener (og AS, linked here): If there's one to skip in this whole list it'd be this one, another ghost story but not as good as others mentioned here, I think I may be missing historical context that would add weight to the horror (I wont spoil, but if you read it and know more about the subject of the reveal, please enlighten me), still a nice little mystery with some interesting characters and a creepy ghost, 5/10

The Sea Fit (og AS, linked here): Finishing out somewhat strong, extremely compact yet very dense, no wasted words, but paints extremely clear characters, setting, and events, somebody please make this a short film I will throw money at the kickstarter, spooky and unsettling but slightly more on the awe-inspiring end of the spectrum, 9/10

[leonbloder]

A Better Story of A Bigger God

A church member recently gave me a copy of a terrible letter she received in 1982 from the elders of the church she attended as a young person.  

The letter, which was typed on a piece of paper, and signed by all of the elders (all men, of course), was apparently prompted by her lack of church attendance (which was due to a health issue, by the way), but it took an incredibly nasty tone.

The elders of her church quoted all kinds of Scripture, all entirely out of context and awfully misused, and then said this:

We are concerned about your soul's welfare, and fear that you cannot go to heaven in your present condition.

So to make sure that she knew they meant business about her repenting of the sin of not coming to church on the regular, these charming fellows offered the following solution:  

"...we are withdrawing fellowship from you.  Members of this congregation will have no social contact with you.  We take this action in love..."  

Yeah, you have to dig that last part, right?  I'm sure she felt the love.  As I read that letter, I was saddened but not that surprised.  I've heard more than my fair share of those stories, and I've seen firsthand the effects of that kind of ostracization.  

When I worked at Walt Disney World many years ago, I learned that several of my employees belonged to the same church.  They ate lunch, hung out after work, and were always together in a tight-knit community.  

Then one of them got kicked out of the church for moving in with her boyfriend (they weren't married).  Their church leaders told the rest of the group that they had to ostracize her, so they did.

I will never forget watching her eat her lunch alone and how the people who had been her fast friends studiously avoided speaking to her.  Eventually, she transferred to another department.

At that time, I did not identify as a Christian, though I had spent most of my life in the Church up to that point.  I chalked that moment up to scores of others I'd seen like it---all reasons I wanted nothing to do with the Church or Christianity.

But years later, I discovered that there were other ways to be Christian that were grace-filled, loving, and focused on Jesus.  

I have also realized that people need to know this, especially those who have experienced the trauma of rejection because of people like these dudes in the letter sent to my church member.

Nicole Serrano is a former megachurch worship leader who wrote songs for huge Christian music artists like Chris Tomlin.  When she came out as a lesbian, she lost everything--her job, a record deal, gigs, you name it.  

She didn't lose her faith, though.  Somehow she held on to her faith in a God who was bigger, more accepting, and unconditionally loving than she had been taught in her youth.  

She recently wrote a song entitled "Time for Everything," which I love because it speaks directly to the need for a better story of a bigger God.  Here's a bit of the lyrics:

I know the truth is worth fighting for But something isn't lining up anymore 'Cause a god who'd rather die Than not have us right by his side Is more about love than we'll ever know They're more about love than we'll ever know...

Come on!  How powerful is that?  Powerful enough to change the world, I'm thinking.  God knows we need some change---in the Church, for sure, but also in our hearts and minds.  

And if you have ever felt rejected by the Church, you don't have to carry that around with you any longer.  Many loving, caring, open, and accepting communities of faith believe in a bigger God.  I'm proud to be a pastor in one of them.  

You can let those feelings of rejection go---they are not from God, not by a long shot.  You can live in hope and joy of a God big enough to love without conditions.  

May it be so.  And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen.