#i love all the underwater sections so much

[esmerulia-chantelle]

Yours

Azul Ashengrotto x GN!Reader

Summary: Azul plans to confess his feelings for you but things keep getting in the way between him and you. What is he supposed to do?

Notes: Reader is a sophomore and is not Yuu. Azul calls you sweetheart.

A repost from my old blog @escha-evenstar. Edited.

Azul liked to think he was a man who had a plan for everything — always prepared and with a calm and confident facade. Yet he was put to the test when suddenly someone came along.

Someone who occupied his thoughts more often, making him ponder about things such as "What are you doing right now?" or "I wonder if you'd like the new menu I added."

Someone who tugged at his heartstrings whenever you'd greet him with a warm smile or engage in conversations with him, occasionally clinging on his arm.

Someone who changed something inside of Azul.

That someone was you.

He didn't expect to develop a close relationship with you. To have special moments with you. To still have you by his side despite who he was and what he did. Azul didn't plan for these things to happen. It just did.

Just like his first kiss you.

Azul's face flushed pink as he recalled that memory. Your body was pressed close against him as you held onto his arm. He turned his head around to look directly at you only to have his lips meet yours in an accidental kiss.

His slender fingers went to touch his lips as if to caress the area where you just kissed.

Your lips felt so soft and warm. I want to kiss you again.

Azul sighed. As much as he tried to lock away what was bubbling inside of him, it just couldn't be hidden away. He likes you.

No, scratch that.

He loves you. Deeply. Hopelessly. With all of his three hearts.

Azul decided he wouldn't be a coward anymore and hide away his true feelings. He was going to confess. He didn't want to stand by idly anymore while other guys took a chance for your affections. What if you accepted that person's feelings? The idea of you being in a romantic relationship with someone else did not settle right with Azul, the corner of his lips turning down into a frown and uneasiness pooling in his gut. He couldn't let that happen.

Azul wanted to be the man for you, and he was determined to make you his.

The following day after the night of your accidental first kiss, Azul would finally confess his feelings for you. For this, he already got it planned.

Invite Y/N for dinner. Azul would take you out on a private, romantic dinner at the Mostro Lounge. He would be extra particular with his appearance, wanting to look attractive and handsome for you. He would also enlist help from the eelmer twins in cooking and serving the two of you with your favorite dishes.

Start conversation. Azul would strike up a conversation with you. He would start with giving you compliments, all honest words of praise of course, before conversing with you like usual. This would keep the mood pleasant and enjoyable.

Showcase self. Azul wanted to be deserving of you. As the conversation would carry on, he would subtly showcase his strengths to prove that he was the right choice for you.

Set the mood. After finishing your meal, Azul would take you to one of your favorite sections inside his cafe. There was this open space with a huge glass wall that showed the vast waters full of underwater life that surrounded Octavinelle. The unique subaquatic plants that swayed with the current. Different species of fish swimming in various appearances and colors. You found it all serene and mesmerizing to look at. And when the moment is right..

Confess. Azul would confess and ask you to be his. And then hopefully you'll say yes.

Perfect plan, right? It would have been if only he could actually ask you out.

How could he invite you when you were always taken away from him? Every single time he'd approach you, something or someone else required your attention and you'd have to leave.

He couldn't ask you out while on your walk to school since a classmate of yours sought you out regarding your group's presentation for the day.

"Y/N, good morning. I'm sorry to bother you so early, but could I get some help for our presentation later today?"

During lunch break, Azul was waiting outside your classroom. When you were about to leave the room, someone else arrived looking for you.

"Y/N! I apologize. I understand you're supposed to have your lunch break but I'm afraid we have some urgent matters to attend to. I have already informed your Prefect, Yuu. Grim too, of course. We'll need the residents of Ramshackle Dorm for this matter. But not to worry though, since I am oh so gracious, I shall provide the three of you with hearty meals afterwards. How generous of me as Headmage, right?"

When your eyes met with his, Azul felt a certain longing. You gave him a quick apologetic smile and wave before following after the Headmage. Azul gave you a smile of his own but the moment you turned around, his facial expression showed how annoyed he actually was as he glared at the Headmage. He let out a deep sigh, trying to keep calm.

Not to worry. We share a class this afternoon so that means I'll have another opportunity. I'm definitely going to ask you out!

The first subject for the afternoon class was about to start but you still weren't around. Your usual seat beside him was feeling cold and empty.

Where were you? Did something happen?

Azul wondered since you were always punctual in class. Soon, the class professor came in bearing news.

"Mx. Y/N has been excused by the Headmage due to.."

What?!

Azul couldn't focus on what else the professor was saying. He was starting to get extremely vexed.

That Headmage, why I-

He didn't finish his thoughts as he heaved another sigh. He needed to calm down. No matter, he'll see you after school. There's still time. He's not going to miss it.

The last class with Professor Trein drawled on a bit longer than usual.

Why now of all times?

Azul sighed for the umpteenth time that day, his pen tapping impatiently on his desk. He glowered a bit as he waited for class to end. As soon as they were dismissed for the day, he immediately rushed over to your classroom. When he saw that most of the students from your class already left, Azul clicked his tongue in displeasure.

Did you leave already?

"Oh, hey Azul!" A bright, cheery voice spoke breaking Azul from his thoughts. "Are you looking for Y/N?"

It was Kalim who spoke.

"Hello, Kalim. And yes, I am looking for Y/N. Have you seen them?" Azul asked.

"Y/N was actually here a few minutes ago. They were waiting for you."

Upon hearing Kalim's words, Azul felt his heart race a bit faster.

"But then someone suddenly asked them out. They said they wanted to talk in private."

Wait. What?

"If you need them, they went around that way," Kalim said as he pointed to a direction where he saw them leave.

Azul thanked him and then briskly walked away to find you.

Upon arriving at the courtyard, he finally saw you. Your school uniform that accentuated your body and fitted you perfectly. Your (h/l) (h/c) hair fluttering with the soft breeze. And your eyes. Your beautiful (e/c) eyes that mirrored your pure heart and soul. You looked so ethereal in this moment that Azul thought of confessing right then and there.

Except there was another guy in the scene with you.

"I've always liked you Y/N! Will you go out me?" He said.

Azul felt something inside him snap.

Ever since this day started, Azul couldn't get ahold of your time and company. He just wanted to ask you out for dinner, was that so wrong? He sought you out all day long yet every damn single time someone took you away. Sevens, it's like they were testing him. Pushing him beyond his limits. And at this point, he was more than just frustrated. He was seething with resentment.

Azul has had enough and he's not letting anyone or anything get in his way.

With long, heavy strides, he made his way over to you.

You were confused. One minute, someone was confessing to you. The next, you were suddenly pulled away by a different person and lead somewhere else. You tried to keep up with his pace as you recalled what just happened.

"Oh. Uhm.. I'm flattered you think of me like that.. but I'm sorry. I can't return your feelings," you apologized to the student who just confessed to you. He opened his mouth to speak some more when someone cut in, immediately holding you by your wrist.

"I believe your conversation is now over. We're leaving." It was Azul who came in, eyes glaring at the guy coldly before he proceeded to drag you away.

And now here you were in this situation. He'd been pulling at you for quite some time now. You asked him what was going on, but he'd only squeeze your wrist. It wasn't enough to really hurt you but it was like he was wordlessly saying "just follow me".

Is Azul angry? Did something happen?

You continued to follow after him, deciding to not speak momentarily until you reached your destination. Along the way, a number of students looked at the two of you curiously. With the way his cold, blue eyes stared ahead, and his walk, although slower compared to earlier (upon your request), still brisk enough as he tugged at you to follow him. When someone you knew would try to come close to you, you'd feel Azul tighten his grip on you.

I guess he doesn't want any interruptions. He seems to be in a rush and in a really bad mood.

So you'd just wave at them with a nervous smile as the two of you continued walking.

Azul lead you to Octavinelle, specifically to the Mostro Lounge. You also noticed he took you to your favorite spot.

He finally stopped walking and let go of your wrist, turning around to look at you. He wasn't saying anything though; he's just staring at you. When you looked at his eyes, the coldness that was there earlier was gone. Instead, you saw all sorts of intense emotions reflecting in them.

"Azul..?" You called out his name softly. "Uhm.. if there's something bothering you.."

A lot actually bothered me today.

You took a single step towards him. "Or if there's anything you want to say.."

There's a lot really.

You moved even closer, hands raised to touch his glasses. "Or if you need me.."

I do need you.

You stopped just a few inches from him and completely removed his glasses, looking directly into his blue eyes. "I'm right here for you."

The both of you looked fixedly at each other. Staring with such intimacy, gaze filled with love and tenderness.

"Y/N," He called out your name in his smooth, charming voice as he caressed your cheek. It made your knees feel weak.

"Y-yes?" You stuttered.

He slowly drew your body towards him; an arm wrapped around your waist, your chest in contact with his, as Azul's other hand cradled your face to look up at him. You felt the familiar heat rise on your cheeks, tinting them with a pink blush. Your grip around his glasses loosened as it slipped away, landing on the floor with a soft clink. Your hands unconsciously settled on top of his chest because of the close proximity. The two of you stuck in a staring contest.

It was like time was frozen. Your gorgeous (e/c) eyes that shone like the stars, looking so nervous. The blush dusting your cheeks. Azul thought you looked so pretty and cute he couldn't help but chuckle, causing your face to flush a darker shade of red.

"Azul," you whined, pouting. You thought he was teasing you again.

But the way you moved your lips like that made Azul want to do something. He started leaning down closer to your face.

Every second like this made your heart thump in nervousness, feeling completely flustered.

"Sweetheart?" He said so softly, his special endearment for you tugging at your own heartstrings.

"..yes?" You whispered with shaky breaths.

Azul's face was so close with your own you could feel his breath on your lips. With his eyes half lidded and his voice low and hushed, he muttered his deepest, most genuine feelings for you. "I love you."

Before you knew it, his lips crashed onto yours in a heartfelt kiss. Your eyes flew shut, kissing him back and savoring the feeling of his soft lips against yours.

The kiss felt sweet yet passionate at the same time. As if you were both conveying your ineffable, overflowing feelings for each other through the kiss.

Oh sevens, it feels so amazing!

Your hands gripped onto his uniform coat while Azul pulled you tighter to him, both not wanting to let go of the other. He kissed you with so much fervor you felt like you were going to melt from all the affection you were receiving.

A moment afterwards, you reluctantly pulled away and broke the kiss. The two of you stared at each other lovingly in silence. The only sounds to be heard were the heavy breathing and the loud beating of your heart.

"Please be mine."

You were rendered speechless. Azul's voice was laced with so much love and need for you. He wanted you. He desired you.

"I'll give you anything you want. I'll do anything for you. Anything! I love you so much, Y/N. So please.. stay with me and be mine."

You felt your eyes start to water from his words before tears escaped from the corners of your eye, dripping down on your face.

"Sweetheart?" Azul became worried.

Did I just make you cry? Did you perhaps not feel the same-

You held both sides of his face and pulled him down to you for another kiss. Azul was dazed for a second before he relaxed and eagerly kissed you back.

"I love you too, Azul. So much," you said in between kisses with tears of happiness pouring out of your eyes. "Of course I'll be yours."

When he finally heard you say those words he'd been yearning for, his eyes widened in shock. "You mean it?" He asked in disbelief to which you nodded at his question.

"You really do?!"

You giggled at his reaction. "Of course I do. You don't know how long I waited for you, Azul. And it makes me so happy to know you feel the same way." You stroked his cheek affectionately. "I'll always be yours, Azul," you said while beaming at him with your bright smile.

The corners of his mouth curved into a wide grin. Azul didn't like relying on luck but right now, he felt like the luckiest man in the entire Twisted Wonderland. Because someone like you loved him back with all of your heart. He gave you a sweet peck on the lips before saying, "And I'll forever be yours, Y/N."

Meanwhile..

Earlier after classes ended.

"Jamil! How are you? You're later than usual," said Kalim.

"It's fine. Professor Trein's discussion for today was just longer than usual," Jamil replied. "Anyways, I saw Azul walking out in a rush. He also actually left class the same way. Did something happen between him and Y/N?"

"It's not what did happen. More like, what will happen." Someone joined in on the conversation; it was Jade.

"What do you mean by that? Is Azul up to something?" Riddle asked suspiciously.

"Hahahaha! It's nothing like that, Goldfishie," a singsong voice piped in.

Riddle's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "I told you not to call me by that nickname, Floyd."

Floyd just laughed away and ignored his remark. "Hehe~ Are you guys curious what's gonna happen?" A teasing smile graced his face.

"I don't think Azul will be happy if we told them," Jade said as if disagreeing with his twin brother, although his eyes meant otherwise.

"Bah! They're gonna find out sooner or later anyways."

Jamil spoke, "I couldn't care less what Azul does but if it's related to Y/N... what is it then?"

Floyd's eyes crinkled as he grinned. "Azul is.."

"Is what? Is what?" Kalim asked eagerly.

"..going to confess to Y/N!!"

There was a pause, before the three shouted in unison.

"EEHHH?!?!"

Riddle, Jamil, and Kalim were shocked, processing what they just heard.

"Well, I know that Azul expends a great amount of effort on everything that he does. If he will do the same in making Y/N happy, then I have no objections. But if he ever hurts her," Riddle said in a stern voice. "It will be off with his head!!"

Jamil sighed. "Well.. I guess as long as he treats her right, I'll be okay with that."

Meanwhile, Kalim was still silent.

"Kalim, are you alright?" Jade asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Totally! It's just-" Kalim chuckled while rubbing the back of his head.

"I thought they were already dating."

Masterlist here!

If you enjoyed this: likes, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated. Thank you for reading!

[that-foul-legacy-lover]

I'm not sure how much you've played Fontaine or explored it but like in some of the areas there is like a tiny building underwater that has like a comfy chair, a tiny library, and glass you can look through and it's so cozy and beautiful and in one of them it even has a phonograph like

Imagine just going underwater with FL and discovering that space, you cuddling on his fluffy coat and cape and vibing underwater in that little cove.

YESSSSSS YOU AND I HAD THE SAME THOUGHT I LOVE THOSE LITTLE AREAS

the sensation of suddenly going from swimming to walking is a strange one, and you would've stumbled if not for Foul Legacy's claws quickly grasping your waist to keep you upright. but even more strange is the fact that you're not wet at all, your hair and clothes completely dry- even Legacy's fluffy mane is dry, and he flutters his wings in confusion. there's soft music playing from a phonograph in the room, well-worn books stacking the shelves and table, and when you curiously pick one up Legacy is quick to nudge you into his arms to hold you close

the underwater building becomes your secret hideout, somewhere for you and Foul Legacy to go where no one will bother you. he likes wrapping his arms around you so he can read over your shoulder, letting out soft chirps and trills of question and setting his chin on your shoulder. you also like dancing with him, turning on the old phonograph so you can waltz with your hands in his talons- he holds them so carefully, afraid of accidentally nicking your delicate skin- and sometimes he even sings along with the music, his croons matching the calls of the ocean creatures outside except a bit deeper, a bit more like a whale

it's nice, having somewhere just for you and him. somewhere safe and peaceful, where you can just listen to Legacy's rumbling purrs under the deep blue sea

[orrianreaper]

GW2 people - Pitch me YOUR idea for an Expansion!

What's the theme, where are we going, what lore threads are we picking up on, what's the story premise, what mechanics do you think it could have.

I love spitballing ideas when I'm talking with friends so I'm posing the question To Everyone because I know everyone has some pet concepts floating around. As self-indulgent as you'd like, as unrealistic as you like, just throw ideas around, I wanna hear them!

The One I think I have the most rounded ideas for would be an Underwater Expansion. Picking up on the threat of whatever is terrorising the deep oceans, having some exploration of the Largos and bringing back in the Quaggan and the Krait maybe!

I love the sort of depths we get in maps like Frostgorge sound, and underwater combat has badly needed a rework and a tune up - there's loads of skills which straight up don't work and break entire builds underwater, and this would be a perfect excuse to try bring it up to speed. Maybe even make the underwater weapon sets function on land, to satisfy those who're after more weapons. You could make the maps a mix of true underwater and perhaps giant air bubble caves so you still had some land exploration even in maps otherwise set deep under the ocean. A map meta split with land phases and water phases. Additionally as personal bias wish, I'd love map event/meta design more like HoT. A map-wide Story with a few chains with specifically Build into the actual true Meta. I also simply love the idea of having a bunch of enemy designs based of the ocean and the abyss, there's so much incredible inspiration and interesting marine life. and biomes too! Give me a hydrothermal vent section in one of the maps, hell underwater 'water' in the form of brine pool 'quicksand'.

The Turtle might get some more use out of it's underwater, and skimmer would absolutely get spotlight as a skyscale isn't going to get you too far here - hell maybe even some speedy new underwater mount could be a fun addition to the roster.

I can see a plot being around trying to work with the Largos, The 'Terror of the Deep' being a danger and learning from them about how to survive the hostile environment and also convince them work with you to Hunt the 'Terror'. Maybe you come to the area of the ocean with the Quaggans and it's convincing the Largos to take them seriously as allies against whatever you're fighting? A quaggan companion character would be really fun, and you could easily bring back Sayeh al' Rajihd from the personal story given Largos involvement. I think not only would it be something very different in terms of the maps, which granted quite a few people might not like (thalassophobia reasons, or general Dislike of Water Gameplay reasons), but I think a rework of the underwater mechanics would benefit a bunch of places and it's something that really doesn't get touched outside of base game and maybe like, the Leviathans in EoD. There's so much neat creature design inspiriation swimming around out there, and I know so many people love the largos and even if not playable getting to see more of them could be neat! Also - it'd finally make all those legendary full people happy. A Legendary Aquabreather :P.

And a new suite of legendary underwater weapons since the G1 set. (and not themed pretty please make them all Unique.)

[nicherayyy]

Hi, could I request a la squadra x child reader were the reader, like, was kinda scared to living with them and as time went on and reader got used to having them as their family and ends up calling the big brother/dad for the first time?

I decided to include ice cream boys bc why not

La Squadra x Child!Reader calling them dad/big bro for the first time

None of you expected to be found in such situation. Life is weird indeed, so here you are, living with nine assassins. Not quite a thing that you expected as a first grader. Honestly, at first you thought they will kill you, you weren’t sure why though. What would a child do to the men in their thirties? 

Time passed, but you weren’t killed. Did that make you less cautious around them? Absolutely not! You were taught not to trust strangers, especially if these strangers are killing people for a living. You even thought to run away a few times, but what can you do being a six year old? You definitely won’t survive on the street on your own. So after a little thought you decided to stay, not that you had other options.

La Squadra on the other hand, kept their distance at first. Of course, life didn’t prepare them to be babysitters, but they had no other choice.Therefore that’s why they gave you a separate room and let you be, for now of course. Eventually, you’ll need to find a common ground. Slowly, but surely they began to approach you. Formaggio let you play with his cats whenever you wanted, Prosciutto drove you to school every day, etc. It turns out, they’re not that bad as they seemed. 

After a few month you completely stopped being afraid of them. They began to be a real family to you, the one you never had. They would never raise their voice to you, even Ghiaccio, he’s really gentle around you. You can always tell them what’s on your mind, they’ll never judge you. And if you don’t like going to school- you always can be homeschooled by Melone. He’s an awesome teacher so don’t worry, your comfort is their priority. 

Time passed and one morning it was just you and Risotto. The others were on missions and they definitely wouldn’t be back until evening. For now, you two just had a delicious breakfast, honestly, you would never thought that Risotto cooks that good. 

“Hey dad, can you pass me the salt?”, you asked not even realising your question.

His eyes seemed to light up for a second, he cleared his throat “Sure, here you go”.

Actually he’s so proud about it. He won’t show any unnecessary emoting but god he’s happy. Surely he’ll tell others. Secretly he wants them to be jealous, he’s the first one you referred as “dad” after all. Looking forward to be called like that again!

And one time you and Prosciutto went for groceries, he even promised to buy you what you wanted. Pros went straight to the sections with veggies while you were looking for something you wanted. Finally, you found what you needed! Wasting no time you were already heading to the blond man.

“Hey dad”, you called “Can I have this?”

Prosciutto was too stunned to speak for a moment. He just smiled and patted your head. 

“Call me like that again and I’ll buy anything you want”

He won’t tell anyone about it. It’s his happy moment and he has no intentions to share it. Will do anything to hear you call him dad again. He would never thought something small like this will make him so happy. 

You and Melone like to read books together. He’s trying to share his love to science with you, nothing creepy of course. Melone always lets you choose whatever theme you want to read about today. And if you have anything you want to ask him, he’ll always be enlighten to answer. 

“Hey dad, how fish breathe underwater?”

Melone looked at you in pure shock, immediately taking you in his arms “Can you say that again?”

Oh yes, he would tell everyone! He won’t shut up about that for months. Now he wants to spend even more time with you, just to hear you call him dad. He just loves his baby so much. 

Fishing with Pesci is always fun! He would tell you about his and aniki’s adventures, and surely how cool Pros is. You would never thought that you can catch a real fish, but with Pesci’s help it became possible. 

“You’re doing such a great job!”, Pesci praised you. 

“Thank you, big bro.. Pesci why are you crying?”

Oh yes, he’ll cry. But don’t you worry, these are tears of happiness. Immediately brag to Pros. He’s crying every time you call him like that, Pesci just cannot hide his emotions, not that you want him to. 

You like to spend time with Illuso, he styles your hair and tells you all the tea. He’s nice, but don’t tell others! 

“So, how do you like your new hairstyle?”, Illuso grinned.

“It’s so cool, you’re amazing dad!”

You just bursted Illuso’s ego to the sky. You.. call him amazing.. and dad. For now will try to impress you even further. He just love to hear praises. And for him your praises are the most valuable.

You and Formaggio are buddies. He always makes you laugh. By this time you two even have some inside jokes. 

“Hahah, this one is especially funny dad”

“Dad who”

Congratulations, now he’s trying to make you laugh every time. 

You weren’t as close with Ghiaccio as you are now, so you make sure to show him your appreciation because you love him. He may look cold, but he also loves you dearly.

“I love you dad”

“I love you too”

Tries to play it cool. But let’s be honest, now he will think about it for a few weeks. Damn, he needs to express his love to you more.

Sorbet and Gelato consider you as their own flesh and blood. You’re their small and adorable child, they won’t take any excuses. The couple tries to spend as much time with you as they can. And if they’re busy with a mission, they make it up to you by buying something nice. 

“We bought you that console you wanted”, Sorbet smiled to you.

“Aren’t you happy?”, Gelato asked. 

“I’m so happy, thank you dad and papa!”

Gelato is so hyped up about this whole situation. Everyone will know. For now he’s glued to you, waiting you to call him papa again. Sorbet is not that good with emotions as his husband, but every time you call him dad it brings him joy!

[covenantofthedeep]

forcing a smile and waving goodbye ☆

feat. | xiao, childe, hu tao, and raiden shogun summary | breaking up w them :( a/n | it's been so long since i've written angst omg

hu tao |

she's been together with you for so long that she can hardly remember days without you. her life's been split into two sections; With You and Without You. Without You is cold and dark, a cave in her mind where she vanishes during the night and doesn't emerge till noon the next day.

she remembers how, before she met you, she was just there--incomplete, always bouncing around, always tailing people. she was just that girl at the funeral parlor that somehow knows zhongli. she was just hu tao. she remembers how, just two weeks after you two had started dating, she'd become hutaoandyn. she'd become important.

when you sit her down at your perfect mahogany-colored dining table, your perfect hands cupping a warm, steaming tea, your earnest eyes staring into hers, saying i don't think this is working out anymore, she is convinced it's a nightmare. she lets the words flow over the top of her head, holding her breath so she wouldn't cry. she doesn't say anything (are there even words for this awful pain?), just swallows her burning tea and stands up. the chair makes an awful squeaking noise, probably scratching up the floors you love so much. and she thinks, i hope they get scratched up so bad that every time you see them you think of me. and then she had feels ashamed, and petty. she forces a smile and she waves goodbye, and then slams the door.

she sits in the car for what felt like ten years, tears dripping onto the steering wheel and the seat, her shoes in her hand, her nose burning. the sky is gray, the ground is gray, the clouds are taunting her. her fire is gray, the funeral parlor is bleak. there is no joy in steamed fish. there is no joy in pranking people, not without you.

glaze lilies bring to mind your love for puns, the way she would wake up every sunday morning with a fresh bouquet and a note pinned to them on her bedside table. her heart splits a little when she eats jueyun chili chicken, because it was your favorite. when it comes around to your birthday, she takes a long bath and cries until her throat is raw and her eyes are red and swollen. on her birthday, despite the party that her friends throw for her, she wonders if you're remembering her the way she remembers you.

xiao |

xiao has never been good with feelings, but he is completely head over heels in love for you. he would sprint in front of a moving train for you. he would stab himself for you. he would rip out his heart for you, except you've done it first.

words shouldn't be able to hurt this much, especially words coming from your mouth, your mouth which usually says, i love you, xiao. except this time, it's saying, maybe we should rethink our relationship. i think we need a break. and he knows that you aren't meaning to hurt him, just trying to move on, just trying to make yourself feel better, but that doesn't console him. he tries to make himself feel angry as you're talking to him, but he can't. it's as if he won't feel anything ever again, just the painful pressure in his head, the ringing of your voice in his ears.

do me a favor and break my nose, or tell me to go away, he screams at you, but just in his head. he loves you, still. he feels like a broken nose would hurt less than this, your patient, sympathetic smile, your cried-out eyes that show that you still care too. you reach for his hand, but he feels like your touch would burn, maybe it would make him shatter into a million pieces like glass. do people do that? do adepti do that? does anything alive do that at all?

he feels like he's drowning, like something's holding his head underwater. it's making your face all fuzzy. or maybe that's the tears in his eyes, or maybe he's tired. maybe he's so tired he's hallucinating the whole thing. but that would be too good to be true, because you're standing up and squeezing his shoulders and walking off.

he guesses that you won't have any more tea dates. and with that, he hurls his cup to the ground and watches it shatter.

raiden shogun |

raiden is unaccustomed to love, which is why it hurts more when you're breaking up with her. she had told you that she wasn't the right person to love, that she could hurt you, that she wasn't perfect. you had kissed her and told her that she was wrong, she was lying, of course she was perfect. despite her protests, she had fallen in love with you; your smile and your chin and your cheeks and your forehead. your hands, which hold hers.

she wants to slap you, make you hurt the way she does. she wants to kill you for how you made her love you and then you're making her stop. but of course, she can't stop. how could she ever not love you? you take her face in your hands and she melts, she slumps away. she tries to deny it to herself (of course you still love her!) but it feels like she's ripping away, like just a small gust of wind could strip her away to her skeleton.

bleakly, in her haze, she wonders if there's someone else. someone else who's stolen your gaze as she once did, who you think about at night and whisper stolen words into their ears. but then she thinks about you, and she realizes that would not be the case. you would be doing it because you would think that she wanted it, that she wanted space.

you kiss her cheek, and she thinks numbly, maybe if she was better at love, this wouldn't happen.

childe |

childe had never thrown himself into love as fervently as he did with yours. you could make him smile when he felt like he was dying, and your laugh had taken up a space in his brain reserved specifically for you.

he loved how the light dappling across your face could bathe you in such an ethereal glow, as if you were blessed by the archons. and, he guessed, sometimes you were. it's uncanny, the way your face showed no emotion as you took his hand and whispered, i think we need a break. his heart had shattered then, into a million pieces that dissolved into his body. maybe he could never fix it.

he stares at you, so blankly, you wonder maybe if he hasn't heard you. then he says, what? so softly, so sadly, it almost splits your soul apart. he thinks, probably, that no one will make him as happy as you did. perhaps he will never be happy again. this thought scares him, it rattles him, he never wants to forget your face.

he's never cried over someone before, but he does now. and the sight of his tears shock you, as if you've been dumped into an ice-cold bath and can't breathe. he's sobbing, hands curled into tight fists, waving you away, telling you to just go, please go, please, please go. you don't want to leave him, but you know his sadness will turn to anger and he will lash out. you press a kiss to his temple and he shouts, fuck off! fuck off and go!

as he watches you go, he thinks that simply "fuck off" might be too kind.

[imthepunchlord]

You know what would be a cool though tense Monster Hunter game? It being a more research game instead of hunter. Essentially PLA for MH, where it's more stealth, survival, and some elements of horror game. With you going out to study and learn monster behavior, with people having very little knowledge and they're actually terrifying, and you're going out with minimal to no combat skills.

All you can really do is try being a ninja researcher, sneaking around, making use of the items you have, and throwing them out to discourage or distract monsters. And if you're successful, you'll get to see new animations, terf wars, more MH lore, the world, and ecology; and a lot of tense moments as these are huge, deadly creatures that can easily overpower you.

And maybe as you level up, you could either go more hunter and adopt some protective tactics, or maybe you wind up befriending a monster and they'll guard you or let you ride them for a quick escape.

Not sure if it'll ever come to be, but I love speculative Monster Hunter ecology, and potentially getting some of it confirmed and having a game circle around it would just be awesome, and getting more of the world and how beautiful and scary nature is, and I think it'd be a really cool but also terrifying game.

To add to it, they can bring back underwater sections to study underwater fauna, which so far, is the least covered of the monster biomes, and I would love coming back to underwater just to see more as they only scratched the surface of what exists and some of the most diverse life is underwater. Also, these monsters can move much faster than you and you'll be more limited in what you can do. Delightfully terrifying.

And ultimate top tier post game content/challenge mode could be trying to observe, sneak around, and study Elder Dragons. Can you just imagine trying to study Fatalis' ecology? The most mystical of all Elder Dragons and it's only known purpose for living is just ending all of humanity. It'd be hard to study, but I would love to see what Fatalis does when they're just vibing.

This is a speculative Monster Hunter game I'd love to play, and I'd be so scared and tense, but it'd be soooo cool just having something that delves more into research than fighting and be more stealth oriented.

[rhoorl]

Week in Review | Dec. 24

Hi! Like the new addition above? I figured after doing these for so long I’d make a graphic (thanks to a trial of Canva Pro I got for myself). I did some maintenance to my masterlist this week too since I have more than just two fics going. Anyways enough about me, let’s get to the fic recs...

Fics I read this week:

Frankie Morales

Cold, Biting and No Need for Mistletoe by @undercoverpena - I adore the way Jo writes Frankie and I felt so spoiled to get to read two Frankie entries this week!

Common Thread by @wildemaven - Relationship Frankie just hits different. I loved all of the little glimpses we got into this relationship.

Javier Peña

Plaid Pajama Morning by @javierpena-inatacvest - I love everything and anything in this universe …a domestic Javi makes me melt.

Good Boy by @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin - This also features Dieter Bravo and is 🔥 Like I literally finished reading this and stared at the wall for who knows how long…

Joel Miller

Symphony by @maggiemayhemnj - This one is moving to the Compulsory Series section next week but had to pull it out and give a big shout-out to my friend for publishing her first fic!! How exciting!

Dieter Bravo

In Reality by @sin-djarin - If you’ve been around here for a while you know that a soft Dieter is just *it* for me. This fic does such a great job of getting inside of his head…I just love him.

O, Christmas Tree by @covetyou - This fic cracked me up and is so menace Dieter, I loved it!

Gift Wrapped by @sp00kymulder - This was so cute and silly and showed off one of the reasons why I love this menace of a man so much. 

Tim Rockford

Underwater by @secretelephanttattoo - This little extra in the Undercover universe (see below in my compulsory series section) was such a delight. Learning about how Tim found Cleo (his pet fish) was so damn endearing and sweet. This doesn't help the Tim brain rot … 😆

Marcus Pike

Make Me Like the Holidays by @undercoverpena I want this Marcus for Christmas, ok? Thank you! 😆

I've Got a Crush on You by @5oh5 - This has so many elements of Marcus that I love…a sweet, thoughtful man who is a little menace. Oh and he'll get you food.

Oberyn Martell

A Baker's Dozen - Four by @avastrasposts - Oberyn visits the bakery and oh boy, was I so into this! There’s just something about Oberyn … and Mel captured it beautifully in this.

Jack Whiskey Daniels

Dessert and Sugar Coated Kisses (both in AO3) by Ladybess (@ladybess-a03) - Some charming Jack in both of these 🫠

Dave York

The Things She Does to Please by @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin Some Dave York smut was very welcomed!

Ezra

A Baker's Dozen - Five by @avastrasposts - I read this yesterday and I’m still thinking about it. The Ezra in this is so layered but there’s still a very endearing and sincere part that comes through. I will be rereading this one.

Current Compulsory Series:

These are the series I am keeping up with at the moment.

Merry Fic-mas (Various) by @ladamedusoif - A great list that I need to work through, but I'm particularly fond of the Mr. Ben entry.

12 Days of XxxMas (Various) by @morallyinept - I’m behind on these but what I have read so far is 🔥

Holiday Prompts (Various) by @trulybetty

Delta Palms Tropical Resort (Frankie) by @linzels-blog 

Destiny & Deliverance (Dieter) by @mysterious-moonstruck-musings 

Paranoid Heat (Javi P) by @goodwithcheese 

Undercover (Tim Rockford) by @secretelephanttattoo 

It’s Never Too Late (Javi P) by @javierpena-inatacvest 

OTHER CHARACTERS

Will Miller

All I Want by @laurfilijames - The holidays aren't always rainbows and butterflies and this showed how it affects Will 

Posts from the week:

Check out these hilarious PPCU-inspired queue tags from @wannab-urs. Expect to start seeing Paddington Queue in a queue near you.

Check out these PPCU IDs and badges @morallyinept made!

A photo from Freaky Tales came out this week, but all I can see is older Joel.

Examples of what the Pedro boys’ Instagram profiles would look like!

I got tagged in a few Pinterest Moodboard things and they were all funny to me - mostly because of the random animals that showed up. Example 1, Example 2, Example 3

Feral corner:

Jose Pedro Balmaceda Pascal is out here with his hair grown out and the curls are CURLIN. This man is seriously a menace - LOOK AT HIM.

Thots about Steve and Javi. Pedro cosplaying as Joel. Speaking of Joel … obligatory Young Joel post coming at you. This Dieter-coded look from Pedro sent me into a tailspin. If you read Working Title, that is how I picture Dieter. Marcus Pike just being the finest-looking MFer in the FBI. Proof that the wardrobe department knew what they were doing with Frankie.

It’s been Charlie Hunnam week apparently for me but I watched this video more times than I care to admit. I can���t mention one Miller without the other…this Benny gifset gave me some thots (particularly the ones of him yelling, wtf is wrong with me).

Things I watched:

I watched Rebel Moon on Netflix. I know this movie didn’t get the best reviews, but I enjoyed it. Was it because Charlie Hunnam looked hot AF? Maaaaybe. 😆

I'm planning on watching it again with Mr. Rhoorl this week.

Personal Stuff

Tonight we are taking Baby Rhoorl to a holiday light display, which I’m pretty excited about. It’s just going to be the Rhoorl’s this year for Christmas since our families live in other states. We’ll keep it pretty low-key. I, unfortunately, have to work this week - although I will be able to work from home which is nice.  

Fic updates:

The Benny Miller brain rot is REAL y’all. As a result, I put out Are You Going to Be Quiet? this week.

I’m working on a few different things. I’m excited to be participating in the Pickled Peña writing challenge and will post something on Jan. 1. I’m also almost done with part two of Turbulence (a Frankie one-shot that’s now a two-parter). New updates for Delta Landscaping and Working Title are in the works too!

And to Wrap

If you are celebrating this week, I hope you have a great time. I know this can be a tough time of the year for a lot of us, so I’m sending you a Frankie hug and a Javi forehead kiss (consensually of course). As we approach the end of the year expect a sappy post (or two) from me. If you made it all the way to the end, hi, you're the best! 😘

Working Title (Dieter, series, ongoing) | AO3 

Delta Landscaping (Triple Frontier, series, ongoing) | AO3

Turbulence (Frankie, one-shot) | AO3

Are You? Masterlist (Benny Miller)

[socalledsomethingorother]

just finished reading another bkdk masterpiece so i wanted to compile a list of my favourite bkdk fics! all of these authors are incredible!!

a promise (2k words) - katsuki and izuku get a chance to talk before the final war. every time i read this and see that it has hardly any hits or kudos i get offended because this is one of the most beautiful representations of katsuki and izuku’s characters. i love this, so much. it could be drawn out and considered canon and i wouldn’t be able to tell that horikoshi didn’t write it.

#letdekusmash + @/fuckmeupdeku (22k words total) - a news site gives deku some bad press. luckily there’s a thirsty stan account to back him up. who could be running this account? (it’s katsuki) this has been my comfort fic for years. it never fails to make me laugh and it’s just auagsgahsh i love it so much!!! also i reccomend reading fuckmeupdeku first, it’s the one from katsuki’s perspective. i think it makes reading izuku’s perspective that much funnier.

chasing stars underwater (52k words) katsuki has to go undercover for a mission and his death is faked. izuku grieves over katsuki’s “death” while falling in love with his undercover identity. NO FIC HAS REWIRED MY BRAIN CHEMISTRY QUITE LIKE THIS ONE. IT HAS EVERYTHING. IT’S GOT IZUKU. IT’S GOT KATSUKI. IT’S GOT KATSUKI AS A FASHION DESIGNER. IT’S GOT ANGST. ITS GOT AHDHUSVAVDBSBBEBEB I CANNOT PRAISE THIS ONE ENOUGH

deku, enchanted (94k words) izuku is hit with an obedience quirk and is forced to do whatever anyone tells him to. it gets quite awkward when katsuki constantly tells him to “go fuck yourself.” OH MY GOD THIS ONE. THIS ONE AUSUUSGSGDGSGHSGDGDGG. THIS AUTHOR AGAIN. AMAZING. THE ENDING STILL GETS ME.

improbable (75k words) izuku and katsuki meet anonymously in a discord server and talk 24/7. they have no clue that they’re actually talking to each other. THIS FUCKIGN AUDUSUGSGEGEHEHGEGEGEHEHGSVDVSGSHDHHDHDHDHDBDBBEBSBDBDHDH EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS WAS AMAZING. THE NICKNAMES. THE WAY THEY FIND OUT ABOUT EACH OTHER. THE ENDING. THE MIDDLE. THE BEGINNING. THE EVERYTHING.

off my chest (9k words) deku vs. kacchan pt. 3 and it’s pure hate smut. UAGHTHAGAHH AGAIN. ONE OF THE BEST PORTRAYALS OF THEIR CHARACTERS. MY FAVOURITE SMUT FIC. I LOVE THIS ONE MAN.

i’ve found hope in a heart attack (92k words) katsuki has a cancerous brain tumor and deals with it in the most katsuki way possible. THIS ONE HURTS, FOLKS. but man it’s just. it feels canon to me like this just feels like a “katsuki gets cancer arc” of mha. it’s written so beautifully and man. it hurts. a lot.

and now a section dedicated to my favourite author sapphicpandabear who writes pure amazingness every time even though they’re constantly writing. i admire them so much!!

heroes on ice!!! (71k words) a yuri on ice x my hero academia crossover in which katsuki and izuku are a part of a program where they’re taught by quirkless pros. along with those two, a few other members of 1-A visit hasetsu, where they’re challenged to create a short program figure skating routine. YOU CAN FIND MY THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS OF EVERY CHAPTER BUT ITS MOSTLY KEYSMASHES BECAUSE I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS FIC AND THAT LOVE SHORT CIRCUITS MY BRAIN

break my heart (ongoing) izuku and katsuki haven’t seen each other in years, but they’re forced to work undercover together as a very sexually active couple. I GOT THIS AS A GIFT ITS LIKE PANDA READ MY MIND BECAUSE THESE ARE ALL OF MY FAVOURITE TROPES AND AUGH THIS IS ALREADY AMAZING

1 thru 5 (26k words) katsuki and izuku enter a friends-with-benefits type relationship and use a level system. I GET SO HYPED FOR SMUT FICS THAT HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNICATION AND THIS ONE DELIVERSSSS!!!! this was also gifted to me so ty ty

quirk entanglement (4k words) mina gets a bag of chocolate and each piece gives whomever eats it a random quirk effect. izuku gets an aphrodisiac quirk. i just love whenever mina is chaotically involved in things lmao

canada is too far away for this bullshit (12k words) while overseas, izuku sends katsuki a photo that happens to have a…toy in the background. katsuki goes insane about it. AUGH THIS ONE IS GREAT TOO!! also super funny lolol

[the-desolated-quill]

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga - Review

Not going to lie, I didn’t go into this film with high expectations. I loved Mad Max: Fury Road, and Charlize Theron’s Furiosa was a big reason for that. So the idea of doing a Furiosa prequel without the woman who helped make the character so iconic in the first place in my opinion seemed destined to fail, even with director and Mad Max creator George Miller still at the helm. Not to mention prequels are notoriously difficult to get right because you’re already at a disadvantage thanks to the audience’s prior knowledge of what’s to come. It’s hard to get people to care about your film when they already know how it will end.

Never have I been so disappointed to be right.

Anya Taylor-Joy is no Charlize Theron. Her shoes would be difficult to fill for even the most accomplished actress, and Taylor-Joy barely touches the sides. I don’t exactly rate her highly as a performer because in the few films I’ve seen her in she only ever seems to have one facial expression; vacant bewilderedness. But in her defence, she really has almost zero material to work with. It’s amazing really. Mad Max: Fury Road was able to tell a compelling story with very little exposition or dialogue. Furiosa, on the other hand, has tons of exposition and dialogue and yet has no story. To summarise the plot would be a fool’s errand because there really isn’t a plot to summarise. There’s some warlord played by Chris Hemsworth, wearing a very unconvincing prosthetic nose, who wants to take over Immortan Joe’s territory, except we know he won’t succeed and his reasons for why are vague and uninteresting. Furiosa gets passed from warlord to warlord like an unwanted sweater, and then she remembers that her mother was killed by these psychos and she should probably avenge her I guess. Meanwhile Immortan Joe (in name only because the original actor died and this new guy they’ve got cosplaying as him has all the stage presence of an irritable floor manager at your local supermarket) is busy discussing politics with his son Rictus, the People Eater, the Bullet Farmer and that guy from the Mad Max video game everyone has forgotten about. And good God do these guys love to talk. They talk and talk and talk some more, and then Chris Hemsworth arrives and starts talking and talking, and then some guy covered in tattoos starts talking and talking. There’s so much talking in this movie and yet, strangely, nobody is actually saying anything.

This film is an excellent example of the difference between story and lore. Furiosa has loads of lore. Loads of lore. But the story is practically non-existent and the information they provide is neither valuable nor necessary. This film is essentially a theatrical reenactment of the Mad Max wiki. No stone is left unturned. Ever wondered how the Organic Mechanic came to work for Immortan Joe? No? Well we’re going to tell you anyway. Do you want to know how the People Eater came to be in charge of Gas Town? Tough shit if you don’t because we’re going to lay it all out for you in laborious detail. Were you curious as to how the War Rig was built? I hope you were. Because we’re going to dedicate a significant section of the film detailing how it was built and them test running the fucking thing before having to fight a bunch of nameless goons in quite possibly the most boring action scene ever put to film. (This was the cardinal sin for me. I was so bored I actually fell asleep. The only time I’ve ever fallen asleep in a cinema was during that twenty minute underwater sequence in Avatar: The Way Of Water. Dozing off during James Cameron’s CGI circlejerk is one thing. Dozing off during a Mad Max film should be impossible).

It’s hard to believe this was made by the same person behind Fury Road. Back then George Miller seemed to understand that there was no point in bogging the narrative down in pointless exposition or needless backstories. What mattered was the characters, the relationships, the here and now. Remember the scene when Furiosa discovered her home was destroyed long ago and she takes her mechanical arm off, falls to her knees and screams her head off. All that pain and anguish and sorrow and regret all perfectly conveyed without a single line of dialogue. What can a prequel possibly add to this scene? Does knowing that Furiosa’s mother was beaten and burned alive in front of her when she was a little girl make that scene any more powerful? Of course not. It’s just an unnecessary detail that I didn’t need nor do I really care about. She lost her mother. Okay. So? I had already assumed that from watching Fury Road. I didn’t need her life story explained to me in a PowerPoint presentation. I suppose the only thing I was vaguely interested in was how Furiosa lost her arm, and even that is anticlimactic. She basically loses it by accident in a car chase. Now some of you may be getting annoyed that I’m giving away ‘spoilers’, but the truth is there’s nothing really to spoil. There’s no plot. Only lore. Specifically lore nobody really asked for in the first place. They don’t even bother fleshing out Furiosa’s relationship with the Wives. How’s that for irony? Fury Road was deservedly praised for its feminist themes and giving its female characters agency. Meanwhile the prequel has its male characters spouting literal pages of dialogue while the women, including Furiosa, get almost zero development and barely get a line in edgeways. Oops.

Furiosa astounds me. It astounds me that it’s made by the same man who made Fury Road. It astounds me that after nine years of struggling to get this film off the ground that this is the best George Miller can come up with. It astounds me that this cost $168 million to make when it would be much cheaper, quicker and less painful for the audience to just smack them in the face with a copy of the Mad Max Encyclopedia and be done with it. It astounds me that this boring slog of a film is actually getting positive reviews when this is a textbook example of how NOT to do a prequel. I’m just astounded. Apparently this film is bombing at the box office. Good. That may sound harsh, but it’s true. This is one of the most mind numbing, dull, pointless films I’ve ever had the displeasure of sitting through, and I’m never going to get those 150 hours back.

Sorry, did I say hours? It sure felt like hours.

[yuujispinkhair]

Summer in the city

You are spending the summer with Yakuza Prince Yuuji, and while the sun is working hard to heat things up, Yuuji is working even harder.

Pairing: Yakuza Prince!Yuuji x Reader (female) Genre: smut, fluff Word Count: 3.5 k Playlist: Yakuza Prince Warnings: 18+, smut, semi-public/public sex (it's in a pool during a pool party but underwater, so I don't know what it is lmao), dirty talk, alcohol, creampie, praise. General mentions of crime-related themes, Yakuza. All characters are of age. This story is 18+. Minors don't interact.

This story is set in my Yakuza AU, but you don't have to read that to understand it. All you need to know is that Yuuji is the younger brother of the Yakuza King Sukuna. He is called The Young Tiger, and his job in the family business is to manage their pachinkos, arcades, and a pizza delivery service. He is in his mid-twenties in this AU.

Summer in the city can be tough, especially when it's as hot as the one this year. The heat is almost unbearable. Air conditioning is running at full power, but once you get onto the street, you are hit by the heat trapped between the skyscrapers, making it hard to breathe. People are irritated. Everyone is sweating and cursing while sipping on cool drinks. And of course, the a/c in your bedroom decided to stop working a few days ago.

But you are still very happy this summer. Because you aren't spending it alone. Summer in Tokyo is much more enjoyable with a sexy rich boy next to you.

Your summer romance with Yuuji began several weeks ago when you ordered pizza at his pizza delivery service. Back then, you didn't realize that he was a member of the Itadori clan. Or rather, not just any member but the younger brother of Sukuna, making him something like royalty. A Yakuza Prince.

But as terrifying as that sounds, Yuuji isn't terrifying at all to you. He is fun to be around and very sweet. He finds new ways to make you enjoy the summer all the time. There is something about him that is so addictive. His sweetness, his energy. He lives his life in the fast lane and drags you along, making you enjoy life to the fullest.

Yuuji drives you around in his red Porsche at night with the top down, singing along to the songs blasting on his stereo. He fucks your brains out on his fancy balcony high up over the roofs of Tokyo when a fresh night breeze comes up. He takes you shopping in the VIP sections of the designer stores in Ginza. He makes sweet sexy love to you in his air-conditioned bedroom, pressing you down into his cool silk sheets while he moves languidly on top of you.

And today, he invited you to an exclusive pool party at one of the most luxurious rooftop pools.

Yuuji laughs when he sees your stunned expression as you exit the top floor of the building and take in the huge, fancy pool and the majestic view over the city.

"See, I didn't promise too much, did I?"

He leans closer to press a sweet kiss on your cheek before he tugs on your hand, strong fingers tightening around yours, thumb gently caressing the back of your hand as he pulls you towards the party crowd gathered around the pool.

Everyone bows their heads respectfully at Yuuji, who rolls his eyes and announces loudly that everyone should loosen up and that all drinks are on him.

It's a bit like you imagine walking into a ballroom on some real prince's arm in a fairytale.

But you are really kind of living in a fairytale at the moment, aren't you? This summer with the Yakuza Prince feels like it. Yuuji might not be a medieval prince who rides away with you on his white horse. But he is a prince of modern Tokyo who picks you up in his red Porsche and takes you to his luxurious apartment or to fun rooftop pool parties with his very own royal household.

You settle down in the lounge reserved for Yuuji and you, where you are immediately greeted by a waiter who offers you a wide range of fancy summer drinks to choose from.

You sigh contentedly as you lean back on the comfy couch and sip your cool drink, letting your gaze travel over to your boy. What you see makes you bite your lip.

Yuuji is currently taking off his shirt, exposing his tan, muscular body. You watch hungrily as his defined abs and v-line are revealed, followed by buff pecs and pretty nipples.

And when he turns around, you see his Itadori clan tattoos. The marks of his family. The big majestic tiger all over his back, framed by black filigree lines just like his brother has inked into his skin.

It makes you forget to breathe for a moment. When spending time with Yuuji, you often forget who he is. Because he has that sunshine boy vibe. He is fun! He is sweet and friendly. Just a handsome and rich boy who loves to party and enjoy his life in this big city. You so easily forget that he is the Yakuza Prince.

But those tattoos on his muscular back tell the truth.

A look around the poolside tells you that everyone else here is also part of the Itadori clan. Here where everyone is in their swimming trunks, their tattoos are clearly visible. You see big clan tattoos and smaller ones. You see scars and even some guys with one or several fingers missing.

You shudder slightly at the knowledge that these people are dangerous. Yuuji is dangerous too, technically. He doesn't seem like it, but you know he can fight if he has to. The scars on his face, which you find so sexy, are there because he barely escaped an assassination attempt from a rival clan.

"Cutie? Everything ok?"

You blink and realize that warm honey eyes are looking at you with genuine worry in them. Yuuji has taken a step closer to you, looking at you with concern, reaching out to cup your cheek with one of his large hands. His touch is gentle. The gold rings on his fingers feel slightly cool on your skin.

You feel the tension leave your body again. It's fine. You are safe here with him. Yuuji would never be a danger to you, and all these people here are his friends or subordinates. Yuuji is their Prince. They follow each of his commands. No one here would ever dare to bring any harm to you.

"Yes, I'm fine! You look gorgeous, Yuu."

He laughs happily and leans down to kiss your lips slow and sweet, tasting like the strawberry daiquiri he just had.

"Thank you, but you are more gorgeous, baby. You look so cute in that bikini. And very sexy!"

He winks at you as he pulls away, eyes sparkling cheekily as his hand grabs yours and pulls you to your feet and right into Yuuji's strong arms.

You chuckle softly. It's funny because you got that no-name bikini on sale while Yuuji is in his designer swim trunks, and his ears and fingers sparkle with the gold and diamond jewelry he's wearing.

He has everything, designer clothes, money, gold, jewels, fast cars, and fancy penthouses. And yet he genuinely compliments your cheap bikini.

You know he would have bought you any designer bikini you wanted and a matching necklace too. He is generous and sweet, always doing anything to make you happy. But you aren't dating Yuuji because he is rich and can buy you things. You feel the happiest just seeing his sunshine smile and hearing his sexy low voice whispering sweet things to you.

You sigh happily as you snuggle against his tall, muscular figure, letting your hands run teasingly down his defined pecs. And Yuuji laughs happily, and his strong arms tighten around you, making you feel safe.

His hands land on your hips, fingers sprawling all over the back of your bikini panties before his fingertips teasingly dip lower. Showing you where he would love to touch you.

You grin as you press a firm kiss onto his cheek. Yuuji loves your ass. He practically worships it. He is always very generous with his praise, showering you with compliments. And his reactions always give your self-confidence a boost too. His loud, needy moans, his cute whines, and mewls. And the way he always gets so hard and cums so much for you.

Your Yakuza Prince doesn't just offer material luxuries to you but also the luxury of feeling desired.

Just now, Yuuji's large hands give your butt a squeeze, and he presses his body against yours, letting you feel all his gorgeous firm muscles, as his lips brush tenderly over your cheek, followed by a whispered:

"I'm such a lucky guy to have you as my date. You drive me crazy, baby."

And then his soft lips capture yours in a hot deep French kiss, slow and so good that it makes your head spin and your pussy throb. Apparently, you don't have to get into the pool to get wet.

When Yuuji pulls away again, you are blinking up at him dreamily with kiss-swollen lips and a hot wet feeling between your legs. He is such a good kisser, so sexy and sweet, and he always does this little tongue flick at the end that makes you crave more of his sweet kisses every single time.

Just as Yuuji pulls away from the kiss, you see the burly figure of one of his friends walk up behind him. And before you can utter a warning, your loverboy already gets pushed into the pool.

You are still holding on to him, and so you stumble after him, falling into the pool with a loud splash.

But to your surprise, you never get your head under water. Instead, a pair of strong arms hold you safely, pushing you up even while Yuuji himself plunges underwater.

He emerges again after a second, laughing loudly and shaking his head, making his pink hair spray water everywhere like a cute wet puppy. You smile affectionately at him, giggling and squealing lightly when the water droplets hit your face.

But Yuuji's hands are still around your waist, holding you securely, so caring and strong. You wrap your legs around his hips and sling your arms around his neck, snuggling against your Prince.

And he tilts his head to grin at you, looking so stunning and pretty that you feel your heart beating wildly. Your body is reacting to his closeness. To his wet sun-kissed skin pressing against yours and his strong muscular body.

You smile at him, caressing his wet hair and thanking him sweetly.

"Thank you for catching me. My hero."

He answers you with one of his bright sunshine grins and a happy chuckle.

"Aww, you don't have to thank me, cutie! I have to take care of my girl, after all!"

And that's really what he does so well. You always feel safe when you are with Yuuji. He is so strong and protective, even though he always appears so carefree. It's the best combination, and it makes you press your body tightly against his muscular frame.

He drives you insane with his sweetness and the hint of something forbidden surrounding him. Your Yakuza Prince, who is so cute and yet so powerful.

His cheeky grin is still on his face, and the mischievous sparkle in his honey eyes makes the butterflies in your tummy flutter like crazy when he looks deeply into your eyes and says:

"I'm sorry that you got wet, baby. Even though I usually really like it when you get wet. In other ways, though..."

You can't help but burst out laughing, ruffling Yuuji's hair and rolling your eyes. But his words make more heat pool between your legs, and you whisper softly to him:

"I really like it too. And you make me wet all the time. You made me wet just now when you were kissing me."

"Oooh, I'm really really happy about that, sweetie."

He winks at you, followed by a happy chuckle, and finally he lets his hands slip down where he wanted to have them all the time and cups your ass under the water, kneading it gently.

His lips find yours a split second later, kissing you sweet and sexy, making your head spin more than the summer heat does. You kiss him back eagerly, opening your mouth when his hot tongue licks over your lips, sighing happily when you feel his silky tongue flick against yours, caressing it tenderly. Yuuji always drives you crazy with his sexy kisses.

You let a hand trail up the back of his neck, scratching the short hair of his undercut, and then run through his wet pink hair. A soft growl escapes Yuuji's lips, and you feel his hips jerk against you.

You smile into the kiss. He's so cute and hot, purring like the animal on his family crest. The Young Tiger, the sexiest guy you ever dated.

You love to spend your summer with him. And you are excited to see what the future with Yuuji will hold. Maybe you will do that movie marathon for Halloween with him he keeps talking about. Maybe you will join him for his Christmas shopping trip to New York. Maybe you will visit the temple with him for the New Year celebration. Maybe one day, you will even get his last name.

Those are a lot of maybes. But right now, none of them matter because it is summer and you are here enjoying it to the max with your sexy Prince. Letting yourself snuggle against his tall, buff body here in this luxurious pool while he kisses you so irresistibly that you aren't even sure you remember your own name.

Yuuji's hot kisses trail over your wet skin, lips sucking gently on your neck in a way that makes your legs tighten around his hips. You gasp softly when the movement makes your pussy rub against his hard cock trapped in his swim trunks.

You probably should tone it down a bit with the heavy making out, but you don't find it in you to stop. Instead, you roll your hips slowly, grinding onto your sexy Prince's erection. It excites you to do this here in the middle of a party. And frankly, you are just too horny for your sexy boy to stop.

No one knows what is going on underwater. No one knows how hard Yuuji is for you, how bad he probably wants to fuck you right now. No one knows about the hot waves of desire rushing through your body as your strong boy pushes you against the pool wall.

Yuuji is dry humping you underwater, letting you feel his enormous arousal, making your body tingle with pleasure anytime his gorgeous cock rubs over your clit while only the thin fabrics of your bathing clothes are separating you.

Your fingers tighten in his pink hair, and your mouth opens in a soft moan against his warm lips. Yuuji's tongue licks into your mouth, sexy and sweet. You breathe against his lips, head spinning with lust:

"Yuuji...baby..."

And you roll your hips as if you are riding his cock. Letting him know what is on your mind. Letting him know that you want him inside you. His strong hands squeeze your ass firmly, and he meets your moves, rubbing his hardness against you, needy just like you.

Your head falls back when his lips wander down your chin and neck and then close over your pulse point, sucking eagerly on it, sending another shock wave of desire through you that makes your hips buck.

His mouth is so hot and sexy on your skin, licking and kissing and sucking, and then he reaches your ear and whispers in his low voice thick with desire:

"I want you right here, baby. Is that ok? Can I have you in this pool, please?"

"You can have me anywhere you want. I need you, Yuuji. Just take me right here, baby."

It's true. You need him, or you will lose your mind. Your pussy is throbbing with arousal. So eager to feel your sexy Prince. And he wants you too. Wants you so bad, and it's the sweetest thing ever. He moans into your ear, so cute and horny for you, sounding a little bit desperate, and it drives you insane.

And then Yuuji doesn't waste any more time. His eager fingers pull your bikini panties to the side, two fingers instantly caressing your swollen clit expertly, slow, and with the perfect amount of pressure. So sweet, making your hips buck needily against his strong fingers.

It's hot to do this here. Naughty and forbidden. But you love it, the danger, and the knowledge that even if someone notices, they would never say anything because this is Yuuji. The Young Tiger, and they respect him. Everybody here on this roof would willingly kill or give their own life for him. So if their Prince wants to fuck his girl here in this pool, they will let him do it.

His thick middle finger slips gently into you, fucking you open with slow deep pumps. Even in the water, your pussy is wet from your cream, so crazy for your sexy Yakuza Prince that he can finger you easily.

"Fuck, you take me so well, baby. My good girl. So cute for me, ah!"

His voice sounds sexy and aroused as he mumbles against your lips before kissing you again.

Yuuji is so good at this. Making you fall apart on his fingers as he adds a second one, pumping them gently in and out of your hot wet pussy and curling them in a way that makes you dig your nails into his muscular back and whimper his name against his lips.

He only pulls his fingers out of your clenching pussy when you are already close to cumming all over them. But something even better is waiting for you.

Yuuji holds you with only one arm while he shoves his red swimming trunks down, just enough to free his throbbing hard cock.

You bite down on his lower lip when he pushes his fat mushroom head into you, so much bigger than his fingers, stretching your pussy open in the most delicious way.

You instantly push against him, trying to get more of his gorgeous cock inside you. Luckily Yuuji isn't a tease. He is always so eager to please you, wanting to take care of you in every way, especially in bed. Or in a pool.

He silences both of your gasps with a deep kiss when he snaps his hips forward and buries himself balls deep inside your twitching creamy pussy. You kiss him back passionately, licking against his tongue, swallowing his needy moans as his fingers knead your ass cheeks, and he fucks into you with steady deep thrusts.

It's good that he's kissing you because Yuuji is a moaner. He is always so loud when you are in bed with him. His sexy moans and whines drive you crazy because he sounds so hot like that. But today, here in the middle of this party, it could be a problem.

So you do what works best at that moment and seal his lips with your mouth. Swallowing his moans with your lips, letting him whimper into your mouth as he snaps his hips and fucks you slowly in the pool.

To the other party guests, it must look like the two of you are in the middle of a heavy making-out session. Nothing more. At least that's what you hope.

But you can't really bring yourself to worry too much because Yuuji rolls his hips against you, and his fat tip massages your sweet spot so perfectly that you lose the ability to think.

Yuuji's hands knead your ass firmly, massaging your plump flesh enthusiastically. And his gorgeous cock is making you see stars. One thing about Yuuji is that he is big, and another thing is that your sexy Prince knows how to use that gorgeous fat cock. Always fucking you senseless and making your scream his name into his soft silk pillows.

Today you can't scream for him, but you moan softly into his mouth, whispering sweet horny things in between your needy kisses, urging Yuuji on, telling him how good he makes you feel and how close you are to cumming for him.

You can feel your orgasm approaching fast, getting fucked closer and closer to it with every deep thrust of Yuuji's talented dick. You're clutching onto him, legs wrapped tightly around his strong hips, fingernails scratching over his tattooed back. And then you feel that familiar pressure building up deep inside you. A soft gasp escapes your lips, and you ride him even faster, desperate to find completion on his cock.

It's not fair having to stay silent and hide your pleasure when you cum. But at least you know that Yuuji can feel your orgasm, can feel your pussy spasming hard around his fat cock.

You cum long and intense, pussy clenching on his thick cock, sucking him in even deeper with your orgasmic spasms. You don't have to say it. You don't have to scream in pleasure. Your pussy is doing a perfect job letting Yuuji know that he fucked you so good.

You whimper into his mouth as you ride out every blissful wave of orgasm on his gorgeous cock. His large hands tighten on your ass, and he whisper-moans against your lips:

"Fuck yeah...I can feel you cumming, baby. So sweet for me, my princess. Yes baby, like that. Oh god, my sweet girl! Yeah, baby cum all over my cock."

Your back gets slammed hard against the pool wall as Yuuji picks up speed, losing himself in the feeling of your tight pussy and knowing that he made you cum. His strong thrusts cause slight waves to ripple through the water by now, making the pool overflow behind you.

Your fingers run through wet pink hair tugging on it as you open your mouth to kiss Yuuji deep and passionate, rolling your hips underwater, riding his thick cock, blessing him with your personal summer paradise here in this fancy rooftop pool.

You know he is about to cum when his hips stutter, and his thrusts become frenzied. He moans into your mouth, his noises getting swallowed by your tongue. He is so cute.

You gasp when he rams his fat cock deep into you, stilling there as he cums deep inside you.

Your head is spinning, all senses sharpened, body brimming with adrenaline. You love this! Love knowing Yuuji is shooting his hot cum into your pussy, filling you so well even here in the middle of a party.

He flicks his tongue against yours before pulling away slightly, letting his forehead rest against yours, breathing softly against your lips.

You stay like that for a moment, basking in the afterglow, slowly coming down from your sexy high, sharing tender kisses while Yuuji is still deep inside you.

You feel drunk even though you didn't have any alcohol yet. But you are drunk on Yuuji! You are drunk on your sexy Yakuza Prince and all the excitement he brings into your life.

Your fingers caress his cheek, and Yuuji pulls away with one of his typical charming sexy smiles on his handsome face. His honey eyes are sparkling happily, just as bright as the diamonds in his ears.

And then he starts laughing loudly, a happy and genuine laugh that is so contagious that it makes you laugh too. And underwater, Yuuji rolls his hips against you while a cheeky grin spreads over his face,

"Ah, what an amazing pool party!! Do you enjoy it as much as I do, cutie?"

Thank you so much for reading!! I am so happy that I could write for Yakuza Prince Yuuji again! I love this version of him so much! He drives me INSANE!!! I hope you are a bit in love with him too :)

Please let me know what you think! Comments and reblogs make me happy!

If you want to read more stories about this version of Yuuji, here are all the stories about our sexy Yakuza Prince so far:

The fastest sexiest pizza in Tokyo (Yuuji x Reader) (In my mind this is the same reader as in the summer story)

Go shorty, it’s my birthday! (Almost) (Yuuji x Reader)

[koukaaa-descent]

bracken headcanon list part 2

i love yapping about weird creatures and making up history

The first Bracken to be discovered was captured by mistake by a researcher team and locked inside of the ship’s hull. Unfortunately, it perished after one of the researchers cut the power to the ship doors. An Eyeless Dog mistakenly lunged for it and mauled it until it dispersed into ash. Notably, the Eyeless Dog in question did not display any of the tame behaviors observed nowadays regarding Brackens.

The first Bracken ever discovered was named ‘Phoenix’, after an old myth that one of the researchers had recalled. The Bracken in question was rather birdlike—a subspecies of the more typical fungal Brackens most commonly seen nowadays. That its death resulted in black, sooty ash caused quite a ruckus for some time, as nobody had much of a clue as to what composed a Bracken in the first place at the time.

In the researchers’ (now) abandoned ship, there is a mural on the wall depicting Phoenix, made crudely with rudimentary paints, blood, and spray paint. It is not mythos. It is a memorial. Perhaps those researchers, too, found the beauty in it in spite of such terrible conditions. Delusion got to even the best of them all, out walking to their deaths together.

It is possible to actively coexist with a Bracken that was not raised, ‘domesticated’, or trained by anybody beforehand. You need only give it space, respect and display submissive behaviors and there is the large chance that it will simply ignore you. One researcher attempted this in the late 2350’s, spending two years living alongside an effectively wild Bracken and, in some cases, experiencing mutually beneficial interactions, such as the researcher unknowingly distracting the Bracken’s prey as it goes for the kill. Later, it had been noted that a chunk of viscerally shredded flesh had been deliberately left in an area that the researcher typically wandered.

Brackens do not tend to have active enemies, nor do they seek to antagonize others. Only ten cases have been documented wherein a Bracken had an explicitly hostile relationship with another species, or another of its kind. One of these cases is between a Bracken (nicknamed Echo by frivolous researchers) and an active Nutcracker (nicknamed Galileo by the person that used to own it), bereft of a parasite. The Nutcracker defended one section of the mansion the two were documented in, while the Bracken actively sought to get into said area. The entire conflict was likely begun because of the single corpse that the Bracken had dragged into a room, unknowing at the time of the Nutcracker that guarded the area. A researcher dedicated to documenting the interactions between them eventually recorded both of their deaths. ‘Echo’ was shot, while ‘Galileo’ had been rendered nonfunctional via damage.

The main researcher team that had discovered Brackens and had made a dozen more discoveries about them was titled ‘UMBRIS-15’. Each member perished to a single Bracken sometime during the 2400’s.

There are over twenty five subspecies of Bracken, only two of which are aquatic. There is one oddly peculiar subspecies which consumes metal, although it is the rarest.

Brackens do not reproduce sexually, asexually or otherwise, and thus do not have any of the anatomy required to do so. It is unknown why, specifically, they are born the way that they are born.

The entirety of a Bracken’s facial structure is akin to a solid, rough beak, even in subspecies which are more fragile. Only a select few of the species actually have any form of beak, mainly for ripping and tearing flesh off of carrion.

While not necessary, most Brackens enjoy basking in sunlight or being submerged in water. Whilst underwater, they tend to make a peculiar chattering sound, as if swiftly clicking and rattling at once in a higher tone.

“are you normal” NO!!!!! i just made all of these up on the spot. i don’t have any coherent thoughts nor do I have a linear thought process !!!!!!!

part one

[cherrybombrs]

do u have any wiz101 beginner tips!! i just started recently cause it's a very charming mmorpg but after the unicorn way quest it threw so much tutorial and gameplay mechanic at me and my little pea brain cannot keep up, any advice?

OK HIII for starters thank u for helping me realize i had asks turned off on da wiz blog... i've since fixed that so. that should be good now <3 ^_^

AS FOR BEGINNER TIPS... i played the very first arc YEARS ago like a year or two after wiz's first release. i played back in 2011 so everything is like a blur to me- and i do have like. TWO wizards that i made to start fresh with just to see like. how things changed and. YEAH. i see what u mean with how they just kind of throw u at the wolves once ur done with that section

unfortunately i dont have many tips in that regard just because the starting point of the game has changed SO much fundamentally from the time that i played, to now. but i could give u some small things that might make ur life a little easier???

edit: PLEASE ALSO CHECK ALL THE REBLOGS AND THE REPLIES FROM ALL THE LOVELY PEOPLE!!! THEY HAVE ADDED MORE THAN I COULD EVEN THINK TO REMEMBER THEY R THE REAL MVPS!!!!

find a friend who can trade u monstrous TC (treasure cards)!! they're additional spell cards you can add onto your deck that upon use get used up, but monstrous comes super in handy because they boost your damaging spells DMG by a big amount. it'll make the slough of early game much quicker.

WHILE UR DOING UR main scenario quests, look around at the side quest in the area!! i never did this growing up but it dawned on my now how crazy smart this is LOL a lot of side quests will be like "hey wizard go beat up these things for me pleaseeeee" and you can sync up ur quests along with ur sidequest and they'll both count. literally a win-win

the further u go on in the game, u should keep ur deck smaller- less spells means more likely to pull what u need in that moment means less prolonged battles that go on for longer than they need to. ALSO LEARN RESHUFFLE its a balance spell and you learn it in krokotopia. CORRECTION YOU LEARN IT IN COLOSSUS BLVD FROM MILDRED FARSEER (THANK YOU @/divine-deer!!!!) literally worlds most op spell in the game love it

there's some side content that the game throws at u randomly. iirc, theres grizzleheim starts at level 20 and then you keep getting called back there until u reach 45 (that's for wintertusk, highly recommend for that level!!) wysteria, lvl 25 i believe there's the underwater section in wizcity sewers in olde town aquilla (HIGHLY rec doing this for the sky iron hasta, that bad boy will carry you to lvl 100 LOL) and much much more. i know there's more but I'm literally forgetting because there's so many side worlds

when in doubt. just look up whatever you're dealing with and add reddit on the end. i don't like reddit but damnit those mfs have ALL the answers for literally anything

this is ALL i can rlly think of off the top of my head rn BUT if u ever have anymore questions my dms are always open as well as my ask box ^_^ i love wizzzzzz

[thefirstknife]

Kraken Mare

And ANOTHER thing, from TWAB:

And we’re not kidding when we say we’re going under the sea…here’s a glimpse of one of the places you’ll be headed in Season of the Deep:

There will be actual underwater sections! That makes me insane right away.

Also, this is a Golden Age facility. Why is it at the bottom of the ocean? Or in some sort of a cave? Well, we don't know, but we do know that they were investigating Titan's ocean(s) back in the Golden Age. Perfect time to talk about it!

I cannot recommend Last Days on Kraken Mare enough as a lore book, as it's not only relevant right now, but it's one of the only true and direct accounts of the Collapse starting and the devastation it brought. Last two pages deal with a scientist who was doing research on life in the ocean.

In The Water Sun, Part I, the scientist Maury Yamashita is diving to open a pen with creatures he calls swarmers in order to save them as the Collapse is starting. They were native to Titan and, from the way he talks, we know they weren't originally in the place where their cage is at.

Sorry, Mia, he thinks. It has to be worth my life, or I'm worth more than them, and I know I'm not. I put them there. It's my job to let them out.

He's always loved the stupid little swarmers.

When Titan gets pulled and released from the gravity attack, it causes a massive disturbance not just on the methane sea, but also in the ice shelf and subsurface ocean; yes, Titan has another, non-methane ocean under the surface:

"The tidal pull. The ghost mass. It just… left. The moon is collapsing back to spheroid shape. I'm detecting primary waves in the subsurface ocean—it's a quake. It's a quake! Maury, get away from the substructure! Get clear!"

Maury imagines 60-plus meters of bulging moon, Titan's mass hauled up into a teardrop pointed at the sky—suddenly released. Smashing and scraping and grinding back into equilibrium. Cracks in the ice spewing plumes of water and ammonia. Continent-sized shelves slamming and rebounding and calving like bergs. The whole vast inner ocean sloshing back into its shape.

Maury gets tossed and tumbled in the methane ocean and has a fear that, with the ice cracking, he will fall over "into the abyss," meaning through the ice shelf:

"The swarmers," he says, and he jettisons his buoyancy tanks. Without that lift he is so much denser than the bad water around him that he plunges like a skydiver toward the cross brace below, where the swarmer pen is anchored. Titan's gravity may be gentle, but even gentle acceleration adds up. He hits hard, and the spinmetal surface blasts the air out of his lungs. He gasps and gags. Scrabbles for purchase before he slides off and falls into the abyss. He's going over—no! No! He is not going over! He will not fall!

In Part II, Maury saves himself with his hi-tech suit and finally reaches his swarmers. He gives us a description!

The swarmers seethe and pulsate in the perforated plastic sac. Not Titan's highest life, nor its lowest, they hive across the icy sea-bottom in enormous braided patterns that speak to Maury of intelligence. Not individually—not even at the hive level—but some kind of vast concert, conducted, perhaps, by leviathans down beneath the ice shell, communicating across the barrier by magnetic whisper that the swarmers receive via organic SQUIDs. An ecology spanning methane life and water-ammonia life. Why? How?

This is so cool! Not only does he describe the creatures, he also tells us that there's also life under the ice shelf and he calls that life "leviathans." This also means that there are probably ways to go through the ice which allowed them to study those creatures beneath the ice shelf. Maybe caves? Maybe the Golden Age facility is beneath the ice shelf. Not entirely likely, but still! Maury's theory is that the swarmers are somehow connected to those leviathans beneath the ice and that all life on Titan is a connected ecology of lifeforms that live in wastly different biomes.

These creatures predate the Traveler's arrival, which we know from the writing of Clovis Bray who specified that Titan, Europa and Enceladus were never terraformed:

Did the Traveler bypass Europa and Titan and Enceladus out of respect for their native life?

Or was it afraid to touch the things pulsating below the ice?

This is interesting now in context of the information that an "enemy of the Witness" is on Titan. Did the Traveler bypass the life or has that life always been a part of the Traveler as enemies of the being that seeks to destroy it? Or is it something more specific, like the Leviathan from the Fundament? Vibrating to find out.

Maury thinks about how he brought the swarmers up from the bottom and that he can't bear to see them all die because he captured them so he hurries to open their pen. Once he does, they all skitter back to the bottom.

The polymer shreds and the swarmers scatter, their tiny bodies siphoning liquid methane as they pump down and away. Safe. Safe.

And then:

The quake hits.

A hundred and fifty meters below, the icy basis of Kraken Mare rolls like liquid. The arcologies answer the low geological wail with a cacophony of groans and shrieks, joints flexing, tethers snapping taut, substructures soaking up unthinkable mechanical energy, trying to keep anything from—

Breaking.

Maury falls to the bottom from the blast and gets told to move it back up because the wave is coming. An ice shelf completely collapsed into Kraken Mare and the wave is going to be catastrophic and he has to reach the surface. Which he does! He manages not only to reach the surface, but also to fly out of the water with really cool Golden Age tech suit:

He makes it to the surface. He's up there in plenty of time. He can even see Dome 1, still intact, though a lot of the surrounding rigging is damaged. One of the creepy Exo soldiers stands outside, beckoning to him with a laser dazzle, guiding him in.

Maury opens his suit wings to their full membranous span. A single mighty stroke of paramuscle cups the air and hauls him up out of the sea. He's aloft! Titan air is thick, and Titan gravity is light, and like a huge bat he can fly. He puts his head down and starts building altitude, headed towards the beckoning Exo.

Alas, it's not enough. What follows is one of the best descriptions of just how utterly cataclysmic the situation was:

First, he sees the supercarrier, tragically buoyant, tragically light, built for seas with gentle one-meter tides but now riding the greatest wave Titan has ever seen, directly into Dome 2's crippled understructure. In 152 kilopascals of air pressure, the pandemonium sound of the collision has the gut-mulching power of a rocket booster.

The entire arcology collapses down onto the ship, into the sea.

Then he blinks past the devastation and recognizes the sheer scale, the utter speed, the complete imminence of that unthinkable methane wave coming down at him.

"Oh, man," he says.

This is easily in my top 5 lore books in all of Destiny. Honestly read the whole Last Days on Kraken Mare. But this final bit is so good. It's incredibly good. It was the first direct description of the type of devastation brought on by the Collapse and how incredibly impossible it is to survive it. No weapons fired, no armies involved, nothing. The moon was just squashed and then released, and gravity did the rest. Nothing short of immediately leaving the planet can help you.

It was also the first unambiguous proof that what happened on the Fundament was because of the Darkness. Last Days on Kraken Mare released in Season of Undying which was the first season of Shadowkeep. We'll wait for The Witch Queen to see the Witness admitting that it caused the God Wave of the Fundament and blamed it on the Traveler to deceive the Hive siblings, but Last Days on Kraken Mare was our first direct indication about it, as well as insight into how it's done. Our own God Wave that started the Collapse.

It's very cool that two celestial bodies with some sort of underwater leviathans linked to the Traveler were hit by cataclysmic waves to destroy them. I guess, it's the easiest thing to do to a water planet like that, but still an interesting parallel, especially now that we're very specifically going to be looking for a creature that's apparently personally an "enemy of the Witness." This lore book also confirms that the existence of some massive creatures in Titan's oceans predates the arrival of the Traveler.

So much text about that one picture, but to see a Golden Age facility at the bottom of the ocean is such a sight. I'm hoping for more Golden Age information in the next season and more about the research that went down on Titan, especially research into its life forms.

Interestingly enough, there was another important research being done on Titan, though it wasn't about Titan. But this research was the subject of the rest of the lore book and has relevance to the Collapse, as well as Ishtar and Braytech. The scientist in question was Shanice Pell who fled to Titan to build an interstellar probe. She wanted to send it to explore the universe outside of the solar system.

Both Ishtar and Braytech were interfering with her work so she went to Titan which was independent. Did Ishtar and Braytech interfere because they were also doing research on interstellar space and travel? Did they want to stop someone independent from learning more, especially about the strange anomalies in space that seemed to be coming over?

Very likely, because Shanice's probe discovered the anomaly as well. Initial data from the probe made no sense, obviously because it's paracausal, the anomaly being the Black Fleet. She continued to research and figured something is off and when she figured it out (as much as she could, we aren't sure how close she came to understanding it), she decided that her data must get out. Unfortunately, this is where Last Days on Kraken Mare happen; Shanice was being evacuated, but her evacuation was intercepted by Braytech Exos who came to aprehend her and stop her from publicising her research. She boarded the evacuation shuttle which was then shot down by Rasputin's warsat to stop her escape.

Ultimately, she died in vain. This was literally at the start of the Collapse so even if she had escaped, her data wouldn't have done much. There was no way to stop or survive the Collapse at this point. Her data may have alerted the people at the end, but nothing could've been done with it.

But it's super interesting how many stories are converging on Titan, especially now that we know more about Ishtar and Braytech and their involvement with predictive AIs, exodus projects and all the other stuff they did which ultimately led to Neomuna.

It's also been brought to my attention that the author of Last Days on Kraken Mare, Seth Dickinson, previously said that he wrote three times as much content about Titan. Titan was apparently supposed to be relevant in Forsaken, but there was not enough time in the existing crunch to get it done so it never got implemented. But he wrote a lot about it, and a third of his writing got implemented as Last Days on Kraken Mare in Shadowkeep. I'm sincerely hoping we'll see the rest of his writing about Titan in Season of the Deep. His comment:

It was supposed to be Titan content back in Forsaken but there wasn't enough time during crunch to get it all localized and hooked up. Even the chapters available in Shadowkeep are only about a third of the whole thing.

I'm looking at Bungie with the biggest eyes and hoping the rest gets released.

ONE MORE thing before we go and it's just a nice little detail about Last Days on Kraken Mare as a lore book; its "chapters" are named after various eschatological beliefs of different cultures aka beliefs about various ends of the world. Namely, The Sixth Seal from the Biblical Revelation; Tenth Avatar and Kalki's Burning Sword are from Hindu beliefs of Kalki being the Tenth Avatar of Vishnu who will appear to end the world; and the name of the final two chapters, The Water Sun, is from the Aztec myth of the Five Suns, or eras, in which each era ends with some sort of a catastrophe. The Fourth Sun (also known as Water Sun) ends with a great flood.

[bellmo15-blog]

The OTHER Plugsuited Demon Beauty.

Oh boy, this is going to be an interesting one to talk about.

It's hardly a secret at this point but Devil May Cry 2 is widely agreed upon, when people aren't busy ragging on the 2013 reboot that is, to be the worst game in the series. And there's plenty of good and valid reasons for that. Aside from the obvious stuff that people love to meme on anyway like how over powered the guns are or that one of the bosses is literally a tank there's stuff like how the games story isn't explained very well, Dante had all the personality and charisma that made him so likable sucked out of him, the game's world looking bland and lifeless compared to the first games setting which still looks wonderful even today, the only other melee weapons you can get are just reskins of your starting one with only very minor differences and how pretty much every problem this game has could of been avoided if Capcom didn't force a completely different team who had never worked on an action game before to make it in only 2 years. And people act like publishers treating there devs like shit is a new thing this generation...

Even with all the shit DMC 2 does wrong and rightfully get's crap for there is one aspect from it I actually really do like and it might surprise you to hear what it is. Lucia. I actually kind of really like her. Not so much her gameplay because it has the same issues as Dante's gameplay and I'd argue is even worse because she has several awful underwater sections, but more just everything else about her.

Her design for one thing I really like especially since her Devil Trigger makes her look like a Mega Absol but also her story two a little. She learns during her campaign that she's actually a defective demon created by the games main villain Arius and the rest of her story she's having one big existential crisis due to a fear she's going to lose control of herself and become a monster killing everyone which for as wired as this sounds is actually kind of relatable. Because let's be completely honest here, how many of you people have learnt something about yourself that you have no idea how to react to or how to process and spend a good while worrying about it? Hell, I didn't even know I was autistic or what the concept of Autism even was until I was 14 years old and you bet I spent several days not knowing how to even process that at first. Not to mention the several years I was worried I'd grow up to be an angry and bitter man because of how my own farther had anger issues himself. I mean sure, maybe Lucia's story could of been handled a lot better in game and fleshed out a lot more but it is because of the likely un-intended relatability that does actually make me like her a bit.

Which brings me to the whole reason I decided to get her in Rei's White Plugsuit in the first place. Aside for the colour matching Lucia's original design I mean. I mentioned in the Trish Plugsuit pic ChaosCroc did for me that the whole reason I was motivated to get that was because of how Trish being a demon created in the image of Dante's mother Eve was very similar to how Rei in Evangelion was created as a clone of Shinji's mother. Only there are multiple Rei's in Evangelion in the event that one happens to die. Just like how there are technically multiple Lucia's and the one we follow in Dee Em Cee Too is a defect. And that justification pretty much speaks for itself! Lucia had some similarities to Rei and it inspired me. And I'm happy to have gotten this pic. Especially since over the years I've actually wanted Lucia to show up again in new game a little because it sucks that she's stuck in the worst game in the series and anything past that she DOES show up in is in supplementary material we might never get outside of Japan.

Artist is AmeerAshourDraws. Also fun fact, the design of his Ashour Drones was slightly inspired by Plugsuits which is peak!

[p1nkmic]

I absolutely love your art, and had to say that the Spider-dads in the pool made me think.

If Miguel is 6'9" and Peter B is 5'10" and they both stood in the 6 ft section of the pool.

Peter B would be underwater and maybe some bubbles and a tuft of hair just below the surface, and Miguel would still have his head above the water.

The mental image has been making me laugh all day. So thanks for the gorgeous art and the funny head canons I have now!

AHHAHAH, the mental picture of that is just, perfect.

Thank you so much! <3

[hollow-keys]

Ian and Barbara from Doctor Who! And Two/Jamie. And also Mae/Linda from DC (bc of the icon)

IanBarbara (do they have a ship name? that's what I'm calling them) is perhaps one of the most "makes sense" pairings in all of Doctor Who (bold statement but they really do work). I wouldn't say I actively ship them though because I'm kinda attached to these heteros being really good friends but they are a good pairing (I know they get together in the EU tho, which is fine because it's not a "quick! we need to pair off these characters regardless of if it makes sense!" situation). They're Mulder and Scully to me, basically.

TwoJamie as a dynamic compels me more (love whatever they got going on) but I would say it makes slightly less sense, mostly because of the age gap (not between the Doctor and Jamie because he's a Time Lord, he's always going to be old but because of the 24 year age gap between the actors. Since 450 year old people don't exist, as a viewer I can only go by actor ages really). I don't think shipping them is bad or whatever, it's just hard not to notice it. The reason they're not higher in the "compels me" section is because I haven't decided whether I view them platonically or not so they're in limbo there, and I'm probably not going to decide definitivley because it's not about that for me.

I just really love how ride or die they are for each other immediately like when Two sees him again in The Underwater Menace and he's like "JAMIE!!!" even though he was not that happy to see the others (tunnel vision frfr). And in the Jamie audio story where Raven remarks Two seems particularly find of him 💚. And! How that affection remains across incarnations. Colin Baker has functionally said his Doctor is aroace (exact quote: "Love is a human emotion and the Doctor isn't human" (which... saying love is what makes us human is not great)) but the point is Six still cares for Jamie so much, regardless of the type of love he feels. Like in the Wreck of the Titan, the first thing he does after getting Jamie back is take him on a luxury cruise he'd been saving tickets for 🥺. (Well, attempts to do that. They end up on the Titanic LMAO).

MaeLinda isn't here because I haven't read Supergirl (1996), sorry (over 700 comics read seems like a lot but it's actually nothing 😔). Mae's my icon because I liked her in the Death of Superman, but I will read more of her stuff (and then gain MaeLinda opinions) but I'm currently possessed by my Doctor Who obsession.

In general, I tend to be less of an avid romance shipper and more of a dynamic enjoyer, which sometimes means shipping and sometimes doesn't. It's about closeness, not necessarily about how that closeness is defined (platonic? queerplatonic? romantic? who knows). They're partners (ambiguous).

Thanks for asking!